Autonomous flight and remote site landing guidance research for helicopters

Automated low-altitude flight and landing in remote areas within a civilian environment are investigated, where initial cost, ongoing maintenance costs, and system productivity are important considerations. An approach has been taken which has: (1) utilized those technologies developed for military applications which are directly transferable to a civilian mission; (2) exploited and developed technology areas where new methods or concepts are required; and (3) undertaken research with the potential to lead to innovative methods or concepts required to achieve a manual and fully automatic remote area low-altitude and landing capability. The project has resulted in a definition of system operational concept that includes a sensor subsystem, a sensor fusion/feature extraction capability, and a guidance and control law concept. These subsystem concepts have been developed to sufficient depth to enable further exploration within the NASA simulation environment, and to support programs leading to the flight test

Lifelong Learning in Extension Education: A Viable Choice for the Future?

Extension\u27s future will depend on professionals who can help clientele deal with change in the social, economic, and political environment

Are American Youth Alienated From Organized Religion?

The purpose of the project is to research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of U.S. adolescents; to identify effective practices in the religious, moral, and social formation of the lives of youth; to describe the extent to which youth participate in and benefit from the programs and opportunities that religious communities are offering to their youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about the influence of religion in youth's lives, in order to encourage sustained reflection about and rethinking of our cultural and institutional practices with regard to youth and religion.One of the most widespread and persistent stereotypes about U.S. teenagers is that they are alienated from “established” or “organized” religion and that this alienation is increasing. Much popular writing about adolescents assumes this view; however, empirical data suggest that this stereotype has little basis in fact. The majority of 12th graders in the United States — about two-thirds — do not appear to be alienated from or hostile toward organized or established religion. Only about 15 percent appear to be alienated from religion, a number comparable to the percentage of U.S. adults who are alienated from religion. Another 15 percent of U.S. teens appear to be simply disengaged, neither warm nor cold, toward organized religion. Correcting misinformed stereotypes about youth alienation toward religion might help to inform community and religious institutions how they might better serve young people.The National Study of Youth and Religion, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and under the direction of Dr. Christian Smith, professor in the Department of Sociology, is based at the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This four-year research project began in August 2001 and will continue until August 2006

Coupled Enzyme Activity and Thermal Shift Screening of the Maybridge Rule of 3 Fragment Library Against Trypanosoma brucei Choline Kinase; A Genetically Validated Drug Target

In this study we interrogate 630 compounds of the Maybridge Rule of 3 Fragment Library for compounds that interact with, and inhibit TbCK. The Maybridge Rule of 3 Fragment Library is a small collection of quantifiable diverse, pharmacophoric rich, chemical entities that comply with the following criteria; MW ≤ 300, cLogP ≤ 3, H-Bond Acceptors ≤ 3, H-Bond Donors ≤ 3, Rotatable bonds (Flexibility Index) ≤ 3, Polar Surface Area ≤ 60 Å2 and aqueous solubility ≥ 1 mM using LogS and high purity (≥ 95%). Comparisons between two different screening methods, a coupled enzyme activity assay and differential scanning fluorimetry, has allowed identification of compounds that interact and inhibit the T. brucei choline kinase, several of which possess selective trypanocidal activity. Screening of a comparatively small fragment library by two different screening methods has allowed identification of several compounds that interact with and inhibit TbCK, a genetically validated drug target against African sleeping sickness. Some of the inhibitory fragments were also selectively trypanocidal, considering these are relatively simple molecules with no optimization, finding low μΜ inhibitors is very encouraging. Moreover some of the morphological phenotypes of these trypanocidal compounds include cell-cycle arrests similar to those observed for the TbCK conditional knockout grown under permissive conditions

A density-temperature description of the outer electron radiation belt during geomagnetic storms

Bi-Maxwellian fits are made to energetic-electron flux measurements from seven satellites in geosynchronous orbit, yielding a number density (n) and temperature (T) description of the outer electron radiation belt. For 54.5 spacecraft years of measurements the median value of n is 3.7 × 10−4 cm−3, and the median value of T is 148 keV. General statistical properties of n, T, and the 1.1–1.5 MeV flux F are investigated, including local-time and solar-cycle dependencies. Using superposed-epoch analysis where the zero epoch is convection onset, the evolution of the outer electron radiation belt through high-speed-stream-driven storms is investigated. The number-density decay during the calm before the storm, relativistic-electron dropouts and recoveries, and the heating of the outer electron radiation belt during storms are analyzed. Using four different “triggers” (sudden storm commencement (SSC), southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) portions of coronal mass ejection (CME) sheaths, southward-IMF portions of magnetic clouds, and minimum Dst) a selection of CME-driven storms are analyzed with superposed-epoch techniques. For CME-driven storms, only a very modest density decay prior to storm onset is found. In addition, the compression of the outer electron radiation belt at the time of SSC is analyzed, the number-density increase and temperature decrease during storm main phase are characterized, and the increase in density and temperature during storm recovery phase is determined. During the different phases of storms, changes in the flux are sometimes in response to changes in the temperature, sometimes to changes in the number density, and sometimes to changes in both. Differences are found between the density-temperature and flux descriptions, and it is concluded that more information is available using the density-temperature description

Adaptive Approach to Providing Translation and Transfer of Technical, Ecological Restoration Information to Land Managers

Recent Congressional action to pass a Healthy Forest Initiative indicates that a policy framework will soon be in place to support aggressive application of fuel reduction treatments at the landscape scale. Land managers (and the concerned public) can be overwhelmed with the question of how these landscape scale treatments should be designed, implemented, and monitored The Ecological Restoration Institute has provided two training workshops for land managers to support the design and application of science-based restoration treatments that solve the underlying problem of forest health

The Ursinus Weekly, December 15, 1941

Students to enjoy festive board and banquet addresses • Capacity audience Thursday evening hears fourth rendition of Messiah • Pre-meds will hear Winkleman, neurologist, at meeting tomorrow • Y Christmas basket drive nets $31.25 for Red Cross • Men debaters hold informal meeting at Dr. Carter\u27s home • Inclement weather fails to dampen exuberance of gay senior weekend • Wednesday Xmas party will present a sultan, his court, and dancing • Dr. Lentz to serve holy elements at service Thursday • Fred Waring\u27s Pennsylvanians promise to do song for Ursinus • Winner of national forensic contest to receive$1,000 • Dr. Kohman tells of nutritional value of canned foods • Frosh women debaters to engage high school on issue of the draft • French Club to be sponsor of Mayerling on January 9 • Bear grapplers down Kutztown foe by 20-16 score in season\u27s opening meet • Hockey squad compiles enviable record of five wins against single loss • Engineers\u27 third quarter scoring sinks bears, 53-37 • Regional trainers honor bears trainer Jim Tadleyhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1773/thumbnail.jp

A Role of Myocardin Related Transcription Factor-A (MRTF-A) in Scleroderma Related Fibrosis.

In scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc), persistent activation of myofibroblast leads to severe skin and organ fibrosis resistant to therapy. Increased mechanical stiffness in the involved fibrotic tissues is a hallmark clinical feature and a cause of disabling symptoms. Myocardin Related Transcription Factor-A (MRTF-A) is a transcriptional co-activator that is sequestered in the cytoplasm and translocates to the nucleus under mechanical stress or growth factor stimulation. Our objective was to determine if MRTF-A is activated in the disease microenvironment to produce more extracellular matrix in progressive SSc. Immunohistochemistry studies demonstrate that nuclear translocation of MRTF-A in scleroderma tissues occurs in keratinocytes, endothelial cells, infiltrating inflammatory cells, and dermal fibroblasts, consistent with enhanced signaling in multiple cell lineages exposed to the stiff extracellular matrix. Inhibition of MRTF-A nuclear translocation or knockdown of MRTF-A synthesis abolishes the SSc myofibroblast enhanced basal contractility and synthesis of type I collagen and inhibits the matricellular profibrotic protein, connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF). In MRTF-A null mice, basal skin and lung stiffness was abnormally reduced and associated with altered fibrillar collagen. MRTF-A has a role in SSc fibrosis acting as a central regulator linking mechanical cues to adverse remodeling of the extracellular matrix