Flight tests of Viking parachute system in three Mach number regimes. 1: Vehicle description, test operations, and performance

Flight qualifications for parachutes were tested on full-scale simulated Viking spacecraft at entry conditions for the Viking 1975 mission to Mars. The vehicle was carried to an altitude of 36.6 km for the supersonic and transonic tests by a 980.000 cu m balloon. The vehicles were released and propelled to test conditions with rocket engines. A 117,940 cu m balloon carried the test vehicle to an altitude of 27.5 km and the conditions for the subsonic tests were achieved in free fall. Aeroshell separation occurred on all test vehicles from 8 to 14 seconds after parachute deployment. This report describes: (1) the test vehicle; (2) methods used to insure that the test conditions were achieved; and (3) the balloon system design and operations. The report also presents the performance data from onboard and ground based instruments and the results from a statistical trajectory program which gives a continuous history of test-vehicle motions

Demographic Factors Affecting the Adoption of Multiple Value-Added Practices by Oklahoma Cow-Calf Producers

The utilization of marketing programs to enhance feeder calf value has been met with modest success in Oklahoma. Value-added programs are continually promoted as avenues for improving cow-calf profitability, but producer adoption of value-added practices lags in spite of research showing the value of these practices. Identifying producer characteristics that increase their likelihood to adopt value-added practices is critical to developing successful outreach efforts. Results from a survey of Oklahoma producers on value-added practice adoption indicate that multiple demographic variables influence a producer’s likelihood of practice adoption. For Extension specialists, results can help in targeting likely adopters and developing methods to overcome barriers to adoption by producers less likely to adopt.Beef producers, value-added practices, practice adoption, negative binomial regression, Poisson regression, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries, Q12, Q16,

Differences between <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i> groups 1 and 2 in their resistance to killing by Trypanolytic factor 1

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Background:&lt;/b&gt; The three sub-species of &lt;i&gt;Trypanosoma brucei&lt;/i&gt; are important pathogens of sub-Saharan Africa. &lt;i&gt;T. b. brucei&lt;/i&gt; is unable to infect humans due to sensitivity to trypanosome lytic factors (TLF) 1 and 2 found in human serum. &lt;i&gt;T. b. rhodesiense&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; are able to resist lysis by TLF. There are two distinct sub-groups of &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; that differ genetically and by human serum resistance phenotypes. Group 1 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; have an invariant phenotype whereas group 2 show variable resistance. Previous data indicated that group 1 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; are resistant to TLF-1 due in-part to reduced uptake of TLF-1 mediated by reduced expression of the TLF-1 receptor (the haptoglobin-hemoglobin receptor (&lt;i&gt;HpHbR&lt;/i&gt;)) gene. Here we investigate if this is also true in group 2 parasites.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methodology:&lt;/b&gt; Isogenic resistant and sensitive group 2 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; were derived and compared to other T. brucei parasites. Both resistant and sensitive lines express the &lt;i&gt;HpHbR&lt;/i&gt; gene at similar levels and internalized fluorescently labeled TLF-1 similar fashion to &lt;i&gt;T. b. brucei&lt;/i&gt;. Both resistant and sensitive group 2, as well as group 1 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt;, internalize recombinant APOL1, but only sensitive group 2 parasites are lysed.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; Our data indicate that, despite group 1 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; avoiding TLF-1, it is resistant to the main lytic component, APOL1. Similarly group 2 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; is innately resistant to APOL1, which could be based on the same mechanism. However, group 2 &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; variably displays this phenotype and expression does not appear to correlate with a change in expression site or expression of &lt;i&gt;HpHbR&lt;/i&gt;. Thus there are differences in the mechanism of human serum resistance between &lt;i&gt;T. b. gambiense&lt;/i&gt; groups 1 and 2.&lt;/p&gt

Evolution of 21st Century Sea Level Rise Projections

The modern era of scientific global‐mean sea level rise (SLR) projections began in the early 1980s. In subsequent decades, understanding of driving processes has improved, and new methodologies have been developed. Nonetheless, despite more than 70 studies, future SLR remains deeply uncertain. To facilitate understanding of the historical development of SLR projections and contextualize current projections, we have compiled a comprehensive database of 21st century global SLR projections. Although central estimates of 21st century global‐mean SLR have been relatively consistent, the range of projected SLR has varied greatly over time. Among studies providing multiple estimates, the range of upper projections shrank from 1.3–1.8 m during the 1980s to 0.6–0.9 m in 2007, before expanding again to 0.5–2.5 m since 2013. Upper projections of SLR from individual studies are generally higher than upper projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, potentially due to differing percentile bounds or a predisposition of consensus‐based approaches toward relatively conservative outcomes.Plain Language SummaryIn spite of more than 35 years of research, and over 70 individual studies, the upper bound of future global‐mean sea level rise (SLR) remains deeply uncertain. In an effort to improve understanding of the history of the science behind projected SLR, we present and analyze the first comprehensive database of 21st century global‐mean SLR projections. Results show a reduction in the range of SLR projections from the first studies through the mid‐2000s that has since reversed. In addition, results from this work indicate a tendency for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports to err on the side of least drama—a conservative bias that could potentially impede risk management.Key PointsWe present the first comprehensive database of 21st century global sea level rise projectionsUpper estimates of sea level rise in 2100 are often higher than upper bounds found in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reportsA comparison of recent global sea level rise projections reveals far greater agreement among studies in 2050 compared to 2100Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147167/1/eft2484_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147167/2/eft2484.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147167/3/eft2_84-sup-0001-2018EF000991-Figs01.pd

A weighting method to improve habitat association analysis: tested on British carabids

Analysis of species’ habitat associations is important for biodiversity conservation and spatial ecology. The original phi coefficient of association is a simple method that gives both positive and negative associations of individual species with habitats. The method originates in assessing the association of plant species with habitats, sampled by quadrats. Using this method for mobile animals creates problems as records often have imprecise locations, and would require either using only records related to a single habitat or arbitrarily choosing a single habitat to assign. We propose and test a new weighted version of the index that retains more records, which improves association estimates and allows assessment of more species. It weights habitats that lie within the area covered by the species record with their certainty level, in our case study, the proportion of the grid cell covered by that habitat. We used carabid beetle data from the National Biodiversity Network atlas and CEH Land Cover Map 2015 across Great Britain to compare the original method with the weighted version. We used presence‐only data, assigning species absences using a threshold based on the number of other species found at a location, and conducted a sensitivity analysis of this threshold. Qualitative descriptions of habitat associations were used as independent validation data. The weighted index allowed the analysis of 52 additional species (19% more) and gave results with as few as 50 records. For the species we could analyse using both indices, the weighted index explained 70% of the qualitative validation data compared to 68% for the original, indicating no accuracy loss. The weighted phi coefficient of association provides an improved method for habitat analysis giving information on preferred and avoided habitats for mobile species that have limited records, and can be used in modelling and analysis that directs conservation policy and practice

Identification of sVSG117 as an immunodiagnostic antigen and evaluation of a dual-antigen lateral flow test for the diagnosis of human african trypanosomiasis

The diagnosis of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense relies mainly on the Card Agglutination Test for Trypanosomiasis (CATT). There is no immunodiagnostic for HAT caused by T. b. rhodesiense. Our principle aim was to develop a prototype lateral flow test that might be an improvement on CATT.Pools of infection and control sera were screened against four different soluble form variant surface glycoproteins (sVSGs) by ELISA and one, sVSG117, showed particularly strong immunoreactivity to pooled infection sera. Using individual sera, sVSG117 was shown to be able to discriminate between T. b. gambiense infection and control sera by both ELISA and lateral flow test. The sVSG117 antigen was subsequently used with a previously described recombinant diagnostic antigen, rISG65, to create a dual-antigen lateral flow test prototype. The latter was used blind in a virtual field trial of 431 randomized infection and control sera from the WHO HAT Specimen Biobank.In the virtual field trial, using two positive antigen bands as the criterion for infection, the sVSG117 and rISG65 dual-antigen lateral flow test prototype showed a sensitivity of 97.3% (95% CI: 93.3 to 99.2) and a specificity of 83.3% (95% CI: 76.4 to 88.9) for the detection of T. b. gambiense infections. The device was not as good for detecting T. b. rhodesiense infections using two positive antigen bands as the criterion for infection, with a sensitivity of 58.9% (95% CI: 44.9 to 71.9) and specificity of 97.3% (95% CI: 90.7 to 99.7). However, using one or both positive antigen band(s) as the criterion for T. b. rhodesiense infection improved the sensitivity to 83.9% (95% CI: 71.7 to 92.4) with a specificity of 85.3% (95% CI: 75.3 to 92.4). These results encourage further development of the dual-antigen device for clinical use

A new measurement of antineutrino oscillation with the full detector configuration at Daya Bay

We report a new measurement of electron antineutrino disappearance using the fully-constructed Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. The final two of eight antineutrino detectors were installed in the summer of 2012. Including the 404 days of data collected from October 2012 to November 2013 resulted in a total exposure of 6.9$\times$10$^5$ GW$_{\rm th}$-ton-days, a 3.6 times increase over our previous results. Improvements in energy calibration limited variations between detectors to 0.2%. Removal of six $^{241}$Am-$^{13}$C radioactive calibration sources reduced the background by a factor of two for the detectors in the experimental hall furthest from the reactors. Direct prediction of the antineutrino signal in the far detectors based on the measurements in the near detectors explicitly minimized the dependence of the measurement on models of reactor antineutrino emission. The uncertainties in our estimates of $\sin^{2}2\theta_{13}$ and $|\Delta m^2_{ee}|$ were halved as a result of these improvements. Analysis of the relative antineutrino rates and energy spectra between detectors gave $\sin^{2}2\theta_{13} = 0.084\pm0.005$ and $|\Delta m^{2}_{ee}|= (2.42\pm0.11) \times 10^{-3}$ eV$^2$ in the three-neutrino framework.Comment: Updated to match final published versio