Effect of Advanced Location Methods on Search and Rescue Duration for General Aviation Aircraft Accidents in the Contiguous United States

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of advanced search and rescue devices and techniques on search duration for general aviation aircraft crashes. The study assessed three categories of emergency locator transmitters, including 121.5 MHz, 406 MHz, and GPS-Assisted 406 MHz devices. The impact of the COSPAS-SARSAT organization ceasing satellite monitoring for 121.5 MHz ELTs in 2009 was factored into the study. Additionally, the effect of using radar forensic analysis and cellular phone forensic search methods were also assessed. The study's data was derived from an Air Force Rescue Coordination Center database and included 365 historical general aviation search and rescue missions conducted between 2006 and 2011. Highly skewed data was transformed to meet normality requirements for parametric testing. The significance of each ELT model was assessed using a combination of Brown-Forsythe Means Testing or Orthogonal Contrast Testing. ANOVA and Brown-Forsythe Means testing was used to evaluate cellular phone and radar forensic search methods. A Spearman's Rho test was used to determine if the use of multiple search methods produced an additive effect in search efficiency. Aircraft which utilized an Emergency Locator Transmitter resulted in a shorter search duration than those which did not use such devices. Aircraft utilizing GPS-Aided 406 MHz ELTs appeared to require less time to locate than if equipped with other ELT models, however, this assessment requires further study due to limited data. Aircraft equipped with 406 MHz ELTs required slightly less time to locate than aircraft equipped with older 121.5 MHz ELTs. The study found no substantial difference in the search durations for 121.5 MHz ELTs monitored by COSPAS-SARSAT verses those which were not. Significance testing revealed that the use of cellular phone forensic data and radar forensic data both resulted in substantially higher mission search durations. Some possible explanations for this finding are that these forensic methods are not employed early in search missions or were delayed until more conventional search means are exhausted. The study also found a positive correlation between the number search contributors used and mission duration, indicating that multiple search methods do not necessarily yield added efficiency.Education (all programs

A fast scintillator Compton telescope for medium-energy gamma-ray astronomy

The field of medium-energy gamma-ray astronomy urgently needs a new mission to build on the success of the COMPTEL instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. This mission must achieve sensitivity significantly greater than that of COMPTEL in order to advance the science of relativistic particle accelerators, nuclear astrophysics, and diffuse backgrounds, and bridge the gap between current and future hard X-ray missions and the high-energy Fermi mission. Such an increase in sensitivity can only come about via a dramatic decrease in the instrumental background. We are currently developing a concept for a low-background Compton telescope that employs modern scintillator technology to achieve this increase in sensitivity. Specifically, by employing LaBr3 scintillators for the calorimeter, one can take advantage of the unique speed and resolving power of this material to improve the instrument sensitivity while simultaneously enhancing its spectroscopic and imaging performance. Also, using deuterated organic scintillator in the scattering detector will reduce internal background from neutron capture. We present calibration results from a laboratory prototype of such an instrument, including time-of-flight, energy, and angular resolution, and compare them to simulation results using a detailed Monte Carlo model. We also describe the balloon payload we have built for a test flight of the instrument in the fall of 2010

A new low-background Compton telescope using LaBr3 scintillator

Gamma-ray astronomy in the MeV range suffers from weak fluxes from sources and high background in the nuclear energy range. The background comes primarily from neutron-induced gamma rays, with the neutrons being produced by cosmic-ray interactions in the Earth\u27s atmosphere, the spacecraft, and the instrument. Compton telescope designs often suppress this background by requiring coincidences in multiple detectors and a narrow time-of-flight (ToF) acceptance window. The COMPTEL experience on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory shows that a 1.9-ns ToF resolution is insufficiently narrow to achieve the required low background count rate. Furthermore, neutron interactions in the detectors themselves generate an irreducible background. By employing LaBr3 scintillators for the calorimeter, one can take advantage of the unique speed and resolving power of the material to improve the instrument sensitivity and simultaneously enhance its spectroscopic performance and thus its imaging performance. We present a concept for a balloon- or space-borne Compton telescope that employs deuterated liquid in the scattering detector and LaBr3 as a calorimeter and estimate the improvement in sensitivity over past realizations of Compton telescopes. We show initial laboratory test results from a small prototype, including energy and timing resolution. Finally, we describe our plan to fly this prototype on a test balloon flight to directly validate our background predictions and guide the development of a full-scale instrument

Evaluating LAANC Utilization & Compliance for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Controlled Airspace

On July 23, 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expanded the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC)—the system that processes airspace approvals for sUAS operators in controlled airspace—to include recreational operations. Researchers sought to collect and evaluate 30 days of UAS operational activity in controlled airspace using UAS detection equipment. Detected UAS flight data was compared against UAS Facility Maps and LAANC approval data to assess UAS operator compliance and behavior patterns. Researchers documented 94 LAANC approvals and detected 271 UAS flights within the sample area during the sampling period. The research team noted that UAS detections exceeded LAANC authorizations by a rate of approximately four-to-one. Only 7.0% of detected UAS operations could be correlated to a LAANC authorization, possibly indicating significant rates of non-compliance. Additionally, researchers determined that 34.3% (n =93) of detected UAS operations exceeded maximum altitudes prescribed for their respective location. Forty-four percent (n =41) of UASFM altitude exceedances occurred above 500 feet AGL, posing potential risk to manned aviation operations in the National Airspace System. Researchers advocate for the implementation of additional measures to curtail non-compliance, including additional UAS operator training, deterrence, and enforcement measures. The research team intends to expand this study to additional airports via related research projects within the FAA’s ASSURE Program

Evaluating LAANC Compliance and Air Traffic Collision Hazards Posed by Small Unmanned Aircraft Operations in Controlled Airspace

On July 23, 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expanded the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC)—the system that processes airspace approvals for sUAS operators in controlled airspace—to include recreational operations. Under LAANC, sUAS operators submit flight request information to one of 14 LAANC Service Suppliers via a mobile or online application. Flight request data is checked against UAS Facility Maps, NOTAMs, and Temporary Flight Restrictions to ensure compliance. Small UAS operators then receive a digital, automated authorization in near-real time. As of May 23, 2019, 591 airports across the United States are included in the LAANC system. Researchers sought to collect and evaluate sUAS operational activity in controlled airspace using UAS detection equipment. Detected sUAS flight data was compared against airspace information, temporary flight restrictions, UAS Facility Maps, and LAANC approval data to assess sUAS operator compliance and behavior patterns. Small UAS detections and LAANC authorization data was further compared against air traffic data to identify potential UAS flight interference and collision hazards with air traffic

Positive Surgical Margins in the 10 Most Common Solid Cancers.

A positive surgical margin (PSM) following cancer resection oftentimes necessitates adjuvant treatments and carries significant financial and prognostic implications. We sought to compare PSM rates for the ten most common solid cancers in the United States, and to assess trends over time. Over 10 million patients were identified in the National Cancer Data Base from 1998-2012, and 6.5 million had surgical margin data. PSM rates were compared between two time periods, 1998-2002 and 2008-2012. PSM was positively correlated with tumor category and grade. Ovarian and prostate cancers had the highest PSM prevalence in women and men, respectively. The highest PSM rates for cancers affecting both genders were seen for oral cavity tumors. PSM rates for breast cancer and lung and bronchus cancer in both men and women declined over the study period. PSM increases were seen for bladder, colon and rectum, and kidney and renal pelvis cancers. This large-scale analysis appraises the magnitude of PSM in the United States in order to focus future efforts on improving oncologic surgical care with the goal of optimizing value and improving patient outcomes

FiberGLAST: a scintillating fiber approach to the GLAST mission

FiberGLAST is a scintillating fiber gamma-ray detector designed for the GLAST mission. The system described below provides superior effective area and field of view for modest cost and risk. An overview of the FiberGLAST instrument is presented, as well as a more detailed description of the principle elements of the primary detector volume. The triggering and readout electronics are described, and Monte Carlo Simulations of the instrument performance are presented

Realising the Ambition - Being Me : National Practice Guidance for Early Years in Scotland

Since 2013 there has been a determined focus by the Scottish Government to work towards realising the ambition for Scotland to be the best place for children to grow up in and learn. Changes to the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, have resulted in our youngest children, particularly those from birth to starting school, being at the heart of significant new developments. In 2014 Scottish Government started to increase the number of hours of funded provision to 600 hours for 3 and 4 year olds and some two year olds. The national practice guidance, “Building the Ambition” was commissioned at this time to complement the new policy developments and to support practitioners. The further expansion of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) to 1140 hours per year for all 3 and 4 year olds, and for around a quarter of 2 year olds will be available from August 2020. This expansion to 1140 hours seeks not only to extend funded places, but to also improve the quality of our ELC provision across Scotland. We know that the earliest years of life are crucial for every child. Evidence tells us that, if our early learning and childcare offer is to help children fulfil their potential and contribute to closing the poverty related gap in children’s outcomes, it has to be high quality. To support the expansion it was decided to refresh the original Building the Ambition, incorporating and updating relevant aspects of the Pre-Birth to Three guidance and extending across the child’s learning journey into the early years of primary school. This new guidance, Realising the Ambition: Being Me, reflects the original principles and philosophy of Building the Ambition and complements the current policy direction of ELC and early primary education. It aspires to support practitioners in delivering what babies and young children need most and how we can most effectively deliver this in Scotland to give children the best start in life. The practice guidance aims to support anyone who works with and for babies and young children across all areas of Scotland. It has been designed to: build confidence and capability of those who work with children and families from pre-birth to starting school and beyond; make links between practice, theory and policy guidance to reinforce aspects of high quality provision and the critical role practitioners play; clarify some aspects of current practice and provide a reference which practitioners can easily use; support improvement and quality by encouraging discussion, self reflection and questioning about relevant practice in each setting, and; provide advice on achieving the highest quality of ELC and early primary provision that will enable young children to experience and to play their own part in Scotland being the best place in the world to grow up

Impaired DNA replication within progenitor cell pools promotes leukemogenesis.

Impaired cell cycle progression can be paradoxically associated with increased rates of malignancies. Using retroviral transduction of bone marrow progenitors followed by transplantation into mice, we demonstrate that inhibition of hematopoietic progenitor cell proliferation impairs competition, promoting the expansion of progenitors that acquire oncogenic mutations which restore cell cycle progression. Conditions that impair DNA replication dramatically enhance the proliferative advantage provided by the expression of Bcr-Abl or mutant p53, which provide no apparent competitive advantage under conditions of healthy replication. Furthermore, for the Bcr-Abl oncogene the competitive advantage in contexts of impaired DNA replication dramatically increases leukemogenesis. Impaired replication within hematopoietic progenitor cell pools can select for oncogenic events and thereby promote leukemia, demonstrating the importance of replicative competence in the prevention of tumorigenesis. The demonstration that replication-impaired, poorly competitive progenitor cell pools can promote tumorigenesis provides a new rationale for links between tumorigenesis and common human conditions of impaired DNA replication such as dietary folate deficiency, chemotherapeutics targeting dNTP synthesis, and polymorphisms in genes important for DNA metabolism

Beam test results for the FiberGLAST instrument

The FiberGLAST scintillating fiber telescope is a large-area instrument concept for NASA\u27s GLAST program. The detector is designed for high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, and uses plastic scintillating fibers to combine a photon pair tracking telescope and a calorimeter into a single instrument. A small prototype detector has been tested with high energy photons at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. We report on the result of this beam test, including scintillating fiber performance, photon track reconstruction, angular resolution, and detector efficiency