Detection Optimization of the Progressive Multi-Channel Correlation Algorithm Used in Infrasound Nuclear Treaty Monitoring

This thesis develops methods to determine optimum detection thresholds for the Progressive Multi-Channel Correlation (PMCC) algorithm used by the International Data Centre (IDC) to perform infrasound station-level nuclear-event detection. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis is used with real ground truth data to determine the trade-off between the probability of detection (P sub D) and the false alarm rate (FAR) at various consistency detection thresholds. Further, statistical detection theory via maximum a posteriori and Bayes cost approaches is used to determine station-level optimum family size thresholds of grouped detection pixels with similar signal attributes (i.e. trace velocity, azimuth, time of arrival, and frequency content) before the detection should be considered for network-level processing. Optimum family sizes are determined based upon the consistency threshold and filter configuration used to filter sensor data prior to running the detection algorithm. Finally, this research generates synthetic signals for particular array configurations, adjusts the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to determine the SNR failure levels for the PMCC detection algorithm, and compares this performance to the performance of fielded infrasound stations with similar configurations

Expedition Earth and Beyond: Engaging Classrooms in Student-Led Research Using NASA Data, Access to Scientists, and Integrated Educational Strategies

Classroom teachers are challenged with engaging and preparing today s students for the future. Activities are driven by state required skills, education standards, and high-stakes testing. Providing educators with standards-aligned, inquiry-based activities that will help them engage their students in student-led research in the classroom will help them teach required standards, essential skills, and help inspire their students to become motivated learners. The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Education Program, classroom educators, and ARES scientists at the NASA Johnson Space Center created the Expedition Earth and Beyond education program to help teachers promote student-led research in their classrooms (grades 5-14) by using NASA data, providing access to scientists, and using integrated educational strategies

Science Engagement Through Hands-On Activities that Promote Scientific Thinking and Generate Excitement and Awareness of NASA Assets, Missions, and Science

The public with hands-on activities that infuse content related to NASA assets, missions, and science and reflect authentic scientific practices promotes understanding and generates excitement about NASA science, research, and exploration. These types of activities expose our next generation of explorers to science they may be inspired to pursue as a future STEM career and expose people of all ages to unique, exciting, and authentic aspects of NASA exploration. The activities discussed here (Blue Marble Matches, Lunar Geologist Practice, Let's Discover New Frontiers, Target Asteroid, and Meteorite Bingo) have been developed by Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Science Engagement Specialists in conjunction with ARES Scientists at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Activities are designed to be usable across a variety of educational environments (formal and informal) and reflect authentic scientific content and practices

Generating Excitement and Increasing Awaressness of NASA Planetary Science and Astromaterials Assets

Students, educators, the public, and the scientific community are so often inspired by NASA science and exploration. Millions have joined NASA during live mission event broadcasts and also follow NASA on social media. Exploration of worlds in our solar system enable the scientific community to obtain and analyze data that provide clues to better understand the history and evolution of our solar system. Missions that collect and return samples to Earth from a target solar system body provide scientists with samples they can research and analyze in their laboratories. For those who are not planetary scientists, they may not understand the significance of these samples and/or the importance of sample return missions. The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Science Engagement team, through work supported by NASAs Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education Cooperative Agreement Notice NNH15ZDA004C, provides access to samples from NASAs Astromaterials Collections through NASA sponsored exhibits at educator and scientific conferences, NASA relevant public outreach events, and collaborations with other Science Activation Teams supported by the SMD Cooperative Agreement Notice. The goal of this work is to generate excitement while enhancing knowledge and awareness of NASAs unique assets, thus highlighting NASA planetary science and exploration

Crew Earth Observations: Twelve Years of Documenting Earth from the International Space Station

The Crew Earth Observations (CEO) payload was one of the initial experiments aboard the International Space Station, and has been continuously collecting data about the Earth since Expedition 1. The design of the experiment is simple: using state-of-the-art camera equipment, astronauts collect imagery of the Earth's surface over defined regions of scientific interest and also document dynamic events such as storms systems, floods, wild fires and volcanic eruptions. To date, CEO has provided roughly 600,000 images of Earth, capturing views of features and processes on land, the oceans, and the atmosphere. CEO data are less rigorously constrained than other remote sensing data, but the volume of data, and the unique attributes of the imagery provide a rich and understandable view of the Earth that is difficult to achieve from the classic remote sensing platforms. In addition, the length-of-record of the imagery dataset, especially when combined with astronaut photography from other NASA and Russian missions starting in the early 1960s, provides a valuable record of changes on the surface of the Earth over 50 years. This time period coincides with the rapid growth of human settlements and human infrastructure

The Genetic Basis of Creativity and Ideational Fluency The Genetic Basis of Creativity and Ideational Fluency

Reuter, Roth, Holve, & Hennig (2006) described what they called the first candidate gene for creativity. This study replicated and extended their work for a more careful analysis of five candidate genes: Dopamine Transporter (DAT), Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT), Dopamine Receptor D4 (DRD4), D2 Dopamine Receptor (DRD2), and Tryptophane Hydroxylase (TPH1). Participants were 147 college students who received a battery of tests of creative potential. Multivariate analyses of variance indicated that ideational fluency scores were significantly associated with several genes (DAT, COMT, DRD4, and TPH1). This was apparent in both verbal and figural fluency ideation scores, before and after controlling general intelligence. Yet fluency, alone, is not an adequate measure of creativity, and the index that is by far the most important part of creativity (i.e., originality) had a negligible relationship with the genes under investigation. Hence, in contrast to earlier research, the conclusion offered here is that there is a clear genetic basis for ideational fluency, but that fluency, alone, is not sufficient to predict or guarantee creative performance. Hence, at present, the genetic basis of creativity remains uncertain

Engaging Students, Teachers, and the Public with NASA Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Assets

Engaging students, teachers, and the public with NASA Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) assets, including Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) experts and NASA curation astromaterial samples, provides an extraordinary opportunity to connect citizens with authentic aspects unique to our nation's space program. Effective engagement can occur through both virtual connections such as webcasts and in-person connections at educator workshops and public outreach events. Access to NASA ARES assets combined with adaptable resources and techniques that engage and promote scientific thinking helps translate the science and research being facilitated through NASA exploration, elicits a curiosity that aims to carry over even after a given engagement, and prepares our next generation of scientific explorers

ZIGOMICOSIS CUTANEA PRIMARIA POR Rhyzopus oryzae EN UNA NIÑA CON LEUCEMIA LINFOBLASTICA AGUDA TIPO B

La Zigomicosis es una infección infrecuente causada por hongos oportunistas integrantes del orden Mucorales, que se presenta en pacientes de alto riegocomo en: leucemia, linfomas con neutropenia prolongada, cetoacidosis diabética, malnutrición severa, ruptura de la integridad de la barrera cutánea y terapia inmunosupresora. Se presenta un caso de Zigomicosis cutánea en una paciente pediátrica con leucemia linfoblástica aguda de tipo B, con severa neutropenia y tratamiento con corticoides. A los cinco días de su hospitalizacióndesarrolló en el antebrazo (zona de punción venosa), una lesión indurada, eritematosa, que progresó y ulceró. A partir de exudados y biopsias del tejido subcutáneo se realizaron exámenes microscópicos directos con KOH, cultivos en agar Sabouraud y estudio histológico a través de técnicas convencionales de hematoxilina-eosina y PAS. Los análisis de los materiales clínicos revelaron la presencia de hifas hialinas, no tabicadas, gruesas, compatibles con un Zygomycete. En todos los tubos se obtuvo abundante desarrollo de un hongo filamentoso, dentificado como Rhizopus oryzae. Posteriormente a la escisión quirúrgica y tratamiento con anfotericina B se obtuvo una evolución favorable del paciente hasta el presente

Zigomicosis rino-sinuso-orbital post-traumática

Se describe un caso de zigomicosis rino-seno.orbital en un paciente sin antecedentes de inmunodeficiencia que presenta exolftalmia izquierda y lesiones infiltrativas edematosas edematosas en párpado inferior, nariza y región malar homolateral de rápida evolución.El hallazgo de abundantes hifas hialinas anchas, no tabicadas y tortuosas en biopsia cutánea de fístula infraorbitaria y en secreción nasal, junto a la obtención de cultivos puros de Rhizopus oryzae, confirmaron el diagnóstico.La extracción del 2º molar superior izquierdo se interpretó como factor local de implantacoón traumática del agente etiológico  el reconocimiento de los síntomas clínicos iniciales fue crucial para el diagnóstico precoz.Esta micosis no constituye un grave  problema de salud. no obstante, en Tucumán, debe tenerse presente su existenci

Analysing decision logs to understand decision-making in serious crime investigations

Objective: To study decision-making by detectives when investigating serious crime through the examination of Decision Logs to explore hypothesis generation and evidence selection. Background: Decision logs are used to record and justify decisions made during serious crime investigations. The complexity of investigative decision-making is well documented, as are the errors associated with miscarriages of justice and inquests. The use of decision logs has not been the subject of an empirical investigation, yet they offer an important window into the nature of investigative decision-making in dynamic, time-critical environments. Method: A sample of decision logs from British police forces was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to explore hypothesis generation and evidence selection by police detectives. Results: Analyses revealed diversity in documentation of decisions that did not correlate with case type, and identified significant limitations of the decision log approach to supporting investigative decision-making. Differences emerged between experienced and less experienced officers’ decision log records in exploration of alternative hypotheses, generation of hypotheses, and sources of evidential enquiry opened over phase of investigation. Conclusion: The practical use of decision logs is highly constrained by their format and context of use. Despite this, decision log records suggest that experienced detectives display strategic decision-making to avoid confirmation and satisficing that affect less experienced detectives. Application: Potential applications of this research include both training in case documentation and the development of new decision log media that encourage detectives, irrespective of experience, to generate multiple hypotheses and optimize the timely selection of evidence to test them