Civil mini-RPA's for the 1980's: Avionics design considerations

A number of remote sensing or surveillance tasks (e.g., fire fighting, crop monitoring) in the civilian sector of our society may be performed in a cost effective manner by use of small remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). This study was conducted to determine equipment (and the associated technology) that is available, and that could be applied to the mini-RPA and to examine the potential applications of the mini-RPA with special emphasis on the wild fire surveillance mission. The operational considerations of using the mini-RPA as affected by government regulatory agencies were investigated. These led to equipment requirements (e.g., infra-red sensors) over and above those for the performance of the mission. A computer technology survey and forecast was performed. Key subsystems were identified, and a distributed microcomputer configuration, that was functionally modular, was recommended. Areas for further NASA research and development activity were also identified

Real-time simulation of an airborne radar for overwater approaches

Software developed to provide a real time simulation of an airborne radar for overwater approaches to oil rig platforms is documented. The simulation is used to study advanced concepts for enhancement of airborne radar approaches (ARA) in order to reduce crew workload, improve approach tracking precision, and reduce weather minimums. ARA's are currently used for offshore helicopter operations to and from oil rigs

Organization and use of a Software/Hardware Avionics Research Program (SHARP)

The organization and use is described of the software/hardware avionics research program (SHARP) developed to duplicate the automatic portion of the STOLAND simulator system, on a general-purpose computer system (i.e., IBM 360). The program's uses are: (1) to conduct comparative evaluation studies of current and proposed airborne and ground system concepts via single run or Monte Carlo simulation techniques, and (2) to provide a software tool for efficient algorithm evaluation and development for the STOLAND avionics computer

Modulators of the Acute Inflammatory Response: A Dissertation

Acute inflammatory response is caused by the rapid recruitment of leukocytes, mainly neutrophils and monocytes, from blood to the tissue site. Diverse agents, including invading pathogens, injured or dead cells, and other irritants, may stimulate this response. In the ensuing inflammatory response, the recruited leukocytes and their secreted molecules help in eliminating or containing the injurious agents and promoting tissue regeneration. But often this response is imprecise and can lead to bystander tissue damage. Unchecked neutrophil activation is implicated in the pathology of many inflammatory conditions. An in-depth understanding of the pathways regulating this response, therefore, becomes critical in identifying therapeutic targets for these diseases. In this study, we investigate the role of intestinal commensal bacteria in regulating the acute inflammatory response. Furthermore, we examine the mechanism by which Interleukin-1 (IL-1) controls the inflammatory response to sterile agents. Inflammatory responses have been studied in the context of host defense against pathogens. However, we report that the innate immune system needs to be primed by intestinal flora to enable neutrophil recruitment to diverse microbial or sterile inflammatory signals. This priming requires myeloid differentiation primary response gene (88) (MyD88) signaling. In antibiotic-treated mice, which have depleted intestinal flora, we show that neutrophils get released into the blood from the bone marrow, but have a specific defect in migration into the inflammed tissue. This deficiency can be restored by pre-stimulating the mice with a purified MyD88 ligand. Despite having reduced number of infiltrating neutrophils, antibiotic-treated mice make higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the tissue, after inflammatory challenge. This suggests that antibiotic-treated mice produce some anti-inflammatory molecule(s) that counteract the effect of the pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, this effect is not due to the overproduction of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, Interleukin-10 (IL-10). In summary, our findings highlight the role of commensals in the development of acute inflammatory responses to microbial and sterile particles. The inflammatory response to sterile dead cells has been shown to be critically dependent upon IL-1. However, several key aspects of the IL-1 signaling cascade including the source of IL-1 and the cellular target of IL-1 were unresolved. We find that in most cases, the injured cells are not a major contributor of IL-1 that is required to propagate the inflammatory signal. On the contrary, we demonstrate that both the isoforms of IL-1, IL-1α/IL-1β are generated by bone marrow-derived, tissue-resident responding cells, upon sensing the injury. We also sought to determine the identity of the cellular target of IL-1 signaling. Previous studies have shown that for cell death-induced neutrophil recruitment, interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) expression is required on parenchymal cells. To identify this parenchymal cell, we are currently in the process of making the conditional knockout mouse of IL-1R. The latter would facilitate the parenchymal tissue-specific deletion of IL-1R. In summary, this study reports our progress in unraveling key aspects of IL-1 signaling during sterile inflammation. Taken together, we have identified key modulators of the acute inflammatory response and their mechanisms of regulation. These findings would facilitate the development of new therapies for inflammatory diseases triggered by both microbe and sterile agents

Rocket

The rockets of World War II represented, not the invention of a new weapon, but the modernization of a very old one. As early as 1232 A.D, the Chinese launched rockets against the Mongols. About a hundred years later the knowledge of ledge of rockets was quite widespread and they were used to set fire to buildings and to terrorize the enemy. But as cannon developed, rockets declined in warfare. However rockets were used occasionally as weapons till about 1530 A.D. About this time improvements in artillery-rifled gun barrel and mechanism to absorb recoil-established a standard of efficiency with which rockets could not compare until World War II brought pew condition

Ultrasound of the female urethra

Background: Many theories have been put forward to explain the urinary continence mechanism. Though they seem logical, there is insufficient evidence to support them. Ultrasound has been implemented by researchers to investigate these theories. There is considerable difference in their methodologies and their conclusions. Most of the research on urethral ultrasound is related to stress incontinence; there is a lack of studies on other urodynamic diagnoses. Aim: To compare the measurements of the female urethra by transperineal ultrasound in women with different urodynamic diagnoses and different vaginal parities. Methodology: 150 women had urodynamic studies and 2 and 3 dimensional transperineal ultrasound. They were divided into 4 groups according to their urodynamic diagnosis as nondiagnostic urodynamics(NU), pure detrusor overactivity(PureDO), pure urodynamic stress incontinence(PureUSI) and mixed urinary incontinence(MUI) and also according to their vaginal parity. New methods of measuring urethral position, bladder neck position and urethral dimension are developed and used for measurement. Multiple regression analysis was performed using a model of urethral sphincter volume(USV), bladder neck position(BNP) and pubourethral distance. Key findings: USV was smallest in PureUSI and largest in PureDO groups. BNP at rest was lower in all incontinent groups than NU. MUI group had normal sphincter size but lower BNP. There was no difference in the bladder neck mobility or urethral mobility. Urethral compression was evident in all groups. The statistical model correctly classified 68.2% women with urodynamic stress incontinence and 69.8% women with detrusor overactivity. The urethral sphincter was smaller in women who had a vaginal delivery but there was no difference in the sphincter size of primiparous and multiparous women. Conclusion: Urethral sphincter volume and bladder neck position are the most differentiating factors for the types of urinary incontinence. Subsequent vaginal delivery in primiparous women may not increase their risk of having urinary incontinence.Open Acces

An Approach to the Questionnaire State in the Knowledge-Based Operations Management System

This paper discusses some preliminary thoughts about the development of a questionnaire for the Knowledge-based Operations Management System (KOMS) project. The questionnaire is designed to elicit information from managers, regarding the type of operating problems faced by them in terms of decisions which have to be made. This information is to be used to design the type of operating system appropriate for the case in question.The role of the questionnaire in relation to KOMS is discussed, with an account of the tasks that this stage would perform in the system. The type of information needed at each point has been lined briefly.Supported in part by the Office of Naval Research under contract 67-A-0204-007