Vision inspection system and method

An optical vision inspection system (4) and method for multiplexed illuminating, viewing, analyzing and recording a range of characteristically different kinds of defects, depressions, and ridges in a selected material surface (7) with first and second alternating optical subsystems (20, 21) illuminating and sensing successive frames of the same material surface patch. To detect the different kinds of surface features including abrupt as well as gradual surface variations, correspondingly different kinds of lighting are applied in time-multiplexed fashion to the common surface area patches under observation

Paper Session II-C - Optical Alignment Measurements of Space Shuttle Tiles

The Space Shuttles are serviced and maintained by the Lockheed Space Operations Company (LSOC) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tiles which act as a heat shield during Shuttle re-entry into the earth\u27s atmosphere, are a major part of the Shuttle servicing efforts. One very tedious and labor intensive task is the alignment measurement of these tiles. Alignment measurements include measuring the gaps, or separation between two adjacent tiles, and measuring the steps, or the height differences between adjacent tiles. Traditional methods of measurement required two mechanical tools to separately measure steps and gaps. Plastic feeler gauges were used for gap measurements and dial-indicator trammel tools were used to measure steps. The Lockheed Research And Development Division (R&DD) in Palo Alto, CA developed and built the hand-held optical tool, the Lockheed Laser Tool (LLT), that is currently being used to measure tile steps and gaps. The LLT measures both steps and gaps simultaneously, replacing both mechanical tools. Integration of the LLT into the Shuttle servicing environment and the formal certification and acceptance of its use was an important milestone for state-ofthe- art technology being utilized to improve and maintain Shuttle processing flow. This was an iterative process during a six month period in 1988. Direct feedback from Shuttle operations/engineering helped refine the user-interface and became a critical contribution to the success of the program

Adaptive Physiology at a local scale, and implications for species distribution models under climate change scenarios.

In heterogeneous environments, individuals experience different combinations of physical and biological pressures over small spatial scales. For many marine organisms with limited adult mobility, but planktonic dispersal, localised adaptation may occur over an organism's life cycle through acclimation. Understanding the plasticity of physiology through acclimation is vital in predicting species' vulnerability to climate change. In this study we assessed local conditions on four sections (<500 m apart) of a tropical rocky shore to determine whether differences in local conditions affect the physiology of the limpet, Cellana grata. Shore sections differed in aspect, exposure and topography, and in biological characteristics such as levels of competition (grazer density) and facilitation (barnacle cover). Using a bootstrapped principal component analysis, we demonstrated that sections of shore differed significantly in terms of the relative contributions of the multiple variables measured. As a measure of physiological acclimation, detachment temperatures of limpets from each site were measured in the laboratory and higher detachment temperatures were found in limpets from shore sections with greater physical stress and lower biological stress. These results demonstrate that physiological limits can acclimate to local conditions over short temporal scales and uniform physiology should not be assumed in species distribution or climate change models

Experiences of Middle-Level Students, Teachers, and Parents in the Do the Write Thing Violence Prevention Program

We examined experiences of participants in Do the Write Thing national violence prevention program for middle-level students. Using mixed methods, we conducted surveys and focus groups with students, parents, and teachers who attended the program’s National Recognition Week in Washington, DC. Results revealed important affective, behavioral, and cognitive impacts on participants, including improved relationships, increased understanding of violence, and commitment to reduce violence. Participants from cities where insufficient time and resources were devoted to the project did not experience significant change. Teachers reported developing greater empathy for their students and making substantial changes in their teaching, providing support for students and infusing activities addressing violence into their curriculum. Recommendations are made for increased program support and future research

ADVISORY SERVICE MARKETING PROFILES FOR SOYBEANS OVER 1995-2000

This report presents marketing profiles and loan deficiency payment/marketing loan gain profiles for the advisory services followed by the AgMAS Project for the 1995 through 2000 soybean crops. Marketing profiles are constructed by plotting the cumulative net amount priced under each program's set of recommendations throughout a crop year. Loan deficiency payment/marketing loan gain (LDP/MLG) profiles are constructed by plotting the cumulative percentage of the crop on which the LDP/MLG was claimed during the crop year. Marketing profiles provide information to evaluate the style of advisory services in several ways. The percentage of crop priced is a measure of within-crop year price risk. The higher the proportion of a crop priced, the lower the sensitivity of the farmer's position value to crop price changes. For example, when 100% of the crop is priced there is no price sensitivity, which means that changes in price do not affect the value of the farmer's position. On the other hand, when the amount priced is 0%, the value of the farmer's position will vary in the same proportion as the change in price. Marketing profiles, therefore, allow investigating the evolution of price sensitivity under each service's set of recommendations along the marketing window. Marketing profiles also provide other useful information. The number of steps in the profile lines and the location of these steps in the marketing window provide information about timing, frequency and size of recommended transactions. It is also possible to determine from the marketing profile figures how intensely a program uses options markets, since when options positions are open the profile line is irregular. In the same way, LDP/MLG profiles provide information about the size and timing of LDP/MLG claims.Marketing,

ADVISORY SERVICE MARKETING PROFILES FOR CORN OVER 1995-2000

This report presents marketing profiles and loan deficiency payment/marketing loan gain profiles for the advisory services followed by the AgMAS Project for the 1995 through 2000 corn crops. Marketing profiles are constructed by plotting the cumulative net amount priced under each program's set of recommendations throughout a crop year. Loan deficiency payment/marketing loan gain (LDP/MLG) profiles are constructed by plotting the cumulative percentage of the crop on which the LDP/MLG was claimed during the crop year. Marketing profiles provide information to evaluate the style of advisory services in several ways. The percentage of crop priced is a measure of within-crop year price risk. The higher the proportion of a crop priced, the lower the sensitivity of the farmer's position value to crop price changes. For example, when 100% of the crop is priced there is no price sensitivity, which means that changes in price do not affect the value of the farmer's position. On the other hand, when the amount priced is 0%, the value of the farmer's position will vary in the same proportion as the change in price. Marketing profiles, therefore, allow investigating the evolution of price sensitivity under each service's set of recommendations along the marketing window. Marketing profiles also provide other useful information. The number of steps in the profile lines and the location of these steps in the marketing window provide information about timing, frequency and size of recommended transactions. It is also possible to determine from the marketing profile figures how intensely a program uses options markets, since when options positions are open the profile line is irregular. In the same way, LDP/MLG profiles provide information about the size and timing of LDP/MLG claims.Marketing,

Cell trafficking through the choroid plexus

The choroid plexus is a multifunctional organ that sits at the interface between the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It serves as a gateway for immune cell trafficking into the CSF and is in an excellent position to provide continuous immune surveillance by CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells and to regulate immune cell trafficking in response to disease and trauma. However, little is known about the mechanisms that control trafficking through this structure. Three cell types within the choroid plexus, in particular, may play prominent roles in controlling the development of immune responses within the nervous system: the epithelial cells, which form the blood-CSF barrier, and resident macrophages and dendritic cells in the stromal matrix. Adhesion molecule and chemokine expression by the epithelial cells allows substantial control over the selection of cells that transmigrate. Macrophages and dendritic cells can present antigen within the choroid plexus and/or transmigrate into the cerebral ventricles to serve a variety of possible immune functions. Studies to better understand the diverse functions of these cells are likely to reveal new insights that foster the development of novel pharmacological and macrophage-based interventions for the control of CNS immune responses

Aquilegia, Vol. 20 No. 2, April-June 1996: Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society

https://epublications.regis.edu/aquilegia/1079/thumbnail.jp

Differential regulation of macrophage phenotype by mature and pro-nerve growth factor

To characterize the role of neurotrophin receptors on macrophages, we investigated the ability of nerve growth factor (NGF) and its precursor, proNGF, to regulate human macrophage phenotype. The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) and TrkA were concentrated within overlapping domains on membrane ruffles. NGF stimulation of macrophages increased membrane ruffling, calcium spiking, phagocytosis and growth factor secretion. In contrast, proNGF induced podosome formation, increased migration, suppressed calcium spikes and increased neurotoxin secretion. These results demonstrate opposing roles of NGF and proNGF in macrophage regulation providing new avenues for pharmacological intervention during neuroinflammation