NASA/ESMD Analogue Mission Plans

A viewgraph presentation exploring Earth and its analogues is shown. The topics include: 1) ESMD Goals for the Use of Earth Analogues; 2) Stakeholders Summary; 3) Issues with Current Analogue Situation; 4) Current state of Analogues; 5) External Implementation Plan (Second Step); 6) Recent Progress in Utilizing Analogues; 7) Website Layout Example-Home Page; 8) Website Layout Example-Analogue Site; 9) Website Layout Example-Analogue Mission; 10) Objectives of ARDIG Analog Initiatives; 11) Future Plans; 12) Example: Cold-Trap Sample Return; 13) Example: Site Characterization Matrix; 14) Integrated Analogue Studies-Prerequisites for Human Exploration; and 15) Rating Scale Definitions

Coyote-Prey Relationships in Curlew Valley During a Period of Low Jackrabbit Density

Coyote-prey relationships were examined in Curlew Valley, northern Utah and southern Idaho, during a period of low jackrabbit density (from September 1973 to May 1975). The Utah and Idaho portions of Curlew Valley were treated separately. Field work provided estimates of relative and absolute rodent densities as well as relative coyote density each spring and fall. Laboratory analysis of over 2,300 scats and 249 stomachs provided detailed information on coyote diets. Jackrabbit population data for northern Utah were obtained from L. Charles Stoddart. Four species, Peromyscus maniculatus, Perognathus parvus, Eutamias minimus, and Dipodomys ordii comprised over 90 percent of the rodent individuals snap trapped. Estimated mean densities were greatest for Peromyscus (3.3-5.3/ha), and progressively less for Perognathus (2.3-3.6/ha), Dipodomys (0.5-1.8/ha), and Eutamias (0.5-0.7/ha). Jackrabbits comprised half the annual diet of coyotes in Utah, but only 10 percent in Idaho, where rodents were the principal prey consumed. Marked seasonal and site-specific variation in rodent and jackrabbit consumption occurred in both areas. Seasonal trends probably resulted from changes in rodent abundance and availability. Relative coyote densities did not vary appreciably during the period and were greater in the Idaho portion of the study area. Despite low jackrabbit densities in 1973-1975, jackrabbit comprised two-thirds or more of the coyote\u27s diet in Utah during the late fall and winter. This suggests a dearth of available alternate prey at that time. A clumped dispersion of jackrabbits during the winter may have contributed to this phenomenon. In Utah, coyote utilization of some rodents was correlated with snap trap indices, suggesting that: (1) coyote predation upon these rodents was a random event, or (2) rodent density changes were not of sufficient magnitude to alter coyote predatory behavior. In Idaho, a three-fold increase in pocket gopher and cottontail consumption compensated for a reduction in the availability of deer and microtine rodents. The importance of various prey species in the diet was compared with their relative densities. Jackrabbit appeared to be preferred over rodent; within the rodent group Microtus and Lagurus, Reithrodontomys, Perognathus, and Dipodomys were preferred over Peromyscus and Eutamias. Implied prey preferences are explained principally on the basis of optimization theory, and the significance of prey dispersion patterns is emphasized. Winter food supply is suggested as the critical factor limiting coyote densities in Curlew Valley and throughout the Great Basin. Availability of jackrabbit, livestock carrion, and to a lesser extent, deer, microtine rodents, and cottontails is likely to be most influential in determining coyote density in the Great Basin Desert

Pathophysiology and Treatment of Life-Threatening Angioedema

Angioedema is a potentially lethal swelling of the interstitial space from extravasation of intravascular plasma (Wood, Choromanski, & Orlewicz, 2013). Angioedema may present in any medical setting with a broad range of severity. Angioedema is commonly seen in emergency departments and intensive care units. According to Barbara, Ronan, Maddox, & Warner (2013), “angioedema is of particular importance to anesthesiologists, as it may present at any point in the perioperative period and it may rapidly become life-threatening if it involves airway compromise” (p. 335). Anesthesia professionals may also respond to airway management emergencies throughout the hospital setting and may treat angioedema secondary to anesthetics. Emergency providers and advanced practitioners should be able to recognize the signs and symptoms, differentiate between histaminergic and non-histaminergic, and provide emergent treatment of angioedema in all care settings

MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF DISTRIBUTION LOAD CURRENTS PRODUCED BY AN AD JUSTABLE SPEED DRIVE HEAT PUMP

A number of demand side management techniques have been proposed for the efficient use of electric power in the commercial and residential sector. The adjustable speed drive heat pump is a technology which has the prospect of decreasing power demands for space heating. This design has the advantage over conventional designs of higher efficiency and, potentially, reduction of peak power demand. Its main disadvantage is higher cost. Further, it has the disadvantage that it produces a load current with a substantial harmonic content. This load current waveform is injected into the distribution system and causes extra losses in the distribution transformer. These high efficiency heat pumps are being promoted by some utility rebate programs to encourage residential customers to install the high efficiency devices. This thesis presents an introduction to adjustable speed drives as they are applied to the refrigeration cycle. The impact of these devices on distribution transformers and the significant transformer derating is discussed. In addition, an Advanced Continuous Simulation Language, (ACSL), simulation is presented that models the induction motor, six step adjustable speed drive, and distribution transformer. The results of this simulation are presented1 to show typical system waveforms, such as the load current and its frequency spectrum. These waveforms are compared to results obtained from an actual installation. In addition, the ANSI Standard C57.110 is used to assess the transformer derating. The main contribution of the thesis is the presentation of a detailed method for the analysis of adjustable speed drive heat pump loads. General conclusions are drawn concerning the appliciability of the high efficiency, adjustable speed drive heat pump including the added losses in the distribution system

A Model to Forecast Civilian Personnel Inventory for the National Security Agency

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a model to forecast civilian personnel inventory for the National Security Agency (NSA). Accurate prediction of personnel inventories will help the NSA with issues ranging from hiring, promotion, and ethnic/gender diversity to the development of cost-effective force reduction programs. The model must be capable of producing multiple-year forecasts of the NSA\u27s civilian force structure with a minimum fidelity level that allows for break-out by years-of-service, career field, and grade. Historical data will be utilized to estimate logistic regression parameters that will compose the internal workings of the model. The JMP statistical software package will be used for data analysis, while the model will be developed as a Microsoft Excel application

Don't Forget About... (Factoring in Everything for Successful Mars Exploration): In Situ Resource Utilization

Using In Situ Resources means reduced transportation requirements from Earth and a larger source of materials than might otherwise be available. Of the many in situ resources available on Mars, perhaps the most valuable is water. One facet of NASA's current Mars Exploration Program is a search for the locations and quantities of water in various forms: Subsurface liquid water aquafers; Surface and subsurface water ice and icy soils - Lineated Valley Fill (LVF), Lobate Debris Aprons (LDAs), Concentric Crater Fill (CCF); Hydrated minerals - Chlorides, Phyllosilicates, Sulfates, etc.; "Average regolith." Access to massive quantities of water could change surface mission concepts of operation and drive site selection. Availability of massive quantities of water could enable or change current assumptions for: Propellant manufacturing; Radiation protection;- "Relaxed" requirements for a closed loop ECLSS (Environmental Control and Life Support System); Crop growth; Improved crew amenities, such as more frequent showers and laundry

A Phobos-Deimos Mission as an Element of the NASA Mars Design Reference Architecture 5.0

NASA has conducted a series of mission studies over the past 25 years examining the eventual exploration of the surface of Mars by humans. The latest version of this evolutionary series of design reference missions/architectures - Design Reference Architecture 5 or DRA-5 - was completed in 2007. This paper examines the implications of including a human mission to explore the moons of Mars and teleoperate robots in various locations, but not to land the human crews on Mars, as an element of this reference architecture. Such a mission has been proposed several times during this same 25 year evolution leading up to the completion of DRA-5 primarily as a mission of testing the in-space vehicles and operations while surface vehicles and landers are under development. But such a precursor or test mission has never been explicitly included as an element of this Architecture. This paper will first summarize the key features of the DRA-5 to provide context for the remainder of the assessment. This will include a description of the in-space vehicles that would be the subject of a shakedown test during the Mars orbital mission. A decision tree will be used to illustrate the factors that will be analyzed, and the sequence in which they will be addressed, for this assessment. The factors that will be analyzed include the type of interplanetary transfer orbit (opposition class versus conjunction class), the type of parking orbit (circular versus elliptical), and the type of propulsion technology (high thrust chemical versus nuclear thermal rocket). The manner in which each of these factors impacts an individual mission will be described. In addition to the direct impact of these factors, additional considerations impacting crew health and overall programmatic outcomes will be discussed. Numerical results for each of the factors in the decision tree will be grouped with derived qualitative impacts from crew health and programmatic consideration. These quantitative and qualitative results will be summarized in a pros/cons table as a summary for this analysis

Worker Overconfidence: Field Evidence and Implications for Employee Turnover and Firm Profits

Combining weekly productivity data with weekly productivity beliefs for a large sample of truckers over 2 years, we show that workers tend to systematically and persistently overpredict their productivity. If workers are overconfident about their own productivity at the current firm relative to their outside option, they should be less likely to quit. Empirically, all else equal, having higher productivity beliefs is associated with an employee being less likely to quit. To study the implications of overconfidence for worker welfare and firm profits, we estimate a structural learning model with biased beliefs that accounts for many key features of the data. While worker overconfidence moderately decreases worker welfare, it also substantially increases firm profits