DSN Data Visualization Suite

The DSN Data Visualization Suite is a set of computer programs and reusable Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that assist in the visualization and analysis of Deep Space Network (DSN) spacecraft-tracking data, which can include predicted and actual values of downlink frequencies, uplink frequencies, and antenna-pointing angles in various formats that can include tables of values and polynomial coefficients. The data can also include lists of antenna-pointing events, lists of antenna- limit events, and schedules of tracking activities. To date, analysis and correlation of these intricately related data before and after tracking have been difficult and time-consuming. The DSN Data Visualization Suite enables operators to quickly diagnose tracking-data problems before, during, and after tracking. The Suite provides interpolation on demand and plotting of DSN tracking data, correlation of all data on a given temporal point, and display of data with color coding configurable by users. The suite thereby enables rapid analysis of the data prior to transmission of the data to DSN control centers. At the control centers, the same suite enables operators to validate the data before committing the data to DSN subsystems. This software is also Web-enabled to afford its capabilities to international space agencies

Data Management Applications for the Service Preparation Subsystem

These software applications provide intuitive User Interfaces (UIs) with a consistent look and feel for interaction with, and control of, the Service Preparation Subsystem (SPS). The elements of the UIs described here are the File Manager, Mission Manager, and Log Monitor applications. All UIs provide access to add/delete/update data entities in a complex database schema without requiring technical expertise on the part of the end users. These applications allow for safe, validated, catalogued input of data. Also, the software has been designed in multiple, coherent layers to promote ease of code maintenance and reuse in addition to reducing testing and accelerating maturity

Die Folgen von Tschernobyl sind bisher weder im nationalen noch im globalen Zusammenhang erkannt worden

Guava Psidium guajava L (Pg) and bhumi amla Phyllanthus amarus Schum. et Thonn (Pa) are well-known plants in traditional medicine. However, the capacity of these plants for improving the immune system of aquatic species has received less attention so far. This study aimed to investigate the effects of single supply or mixture of Pg and Pa extracts on immune responses, disease resistance and liver proteome profiles in striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. Fish were fed diets including basal diet 0% or one of three doses of each plant extract, either alone or in mixture, 0.08, 0.2, or 0.5% Pg, Pa or mixture (Pg:Pa, v/v) for 6 weeks. The immune parameters (respiratory burst activity (RBA); nitric oxide synthase (NOS), total immunoglobulin, lysozyme, and complement activities) were examined at W3, W6 post-feeding, and after challenge test. The growth parameters and the challenge test with Edwardsiella ictaluri were done at W6. The liver proteome profiles were analyzed in W6 at 0.08 and 0.5% of each extract. The results showed that extract-based diets significantly improved growth parameters in the Pg0.2 group compared to control. The cellular immune responses in spleen and the humoral immune responses in plasma were significantly improved in a dose and time-dependent manner. Diets supplemented with single Pg and Pa extracts, and to lesser extent to combined extracts, could significantly decrease the mortality of striped catfish following bacterial infection compared to control. The proteomic results indicated that some pathways related to immune responses, antioxidant and lipid metabolism were enriched in liver at W6. Several proteins (i.e., CD8B, HSP90AA1, HSP90AB1, PDIA3, CASP8, TUBA1C, CCKAR, GNAS, GRIN2D, PLCG1, PRKCA, SLC25A5, VDAC2, ACTN4, GNAI2, LCK, CARD9, NLRP12, and NLRP3) were synergistically upregulated in mixture of Pg and Pa-based diets compared to control and single dietary treatments. Taken together, the results revealed that single Pg and Pa extracts at 0.2 and 0.5% and their mixture at 0.08 and 0.5% have the potential to modulate the immune mechanisms and disease resistance of striped catfish. Moreover, the combination of Pg and Pa in diets suggested positive synergistic effects liver proteome profile related to immune system processes

Prediction of lung cancer incidence on the low-dose computed tomography arm of the National Lung Screening Trial: A dynamic Bayesian network

INTRODUCTION: Identifying high-risk lung cancer individuals at an early disease stage is the most effective way of improving survival. The landmark National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated the utility of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) imaging to reduce mortality (relative to x-ray screening). As a result of the NLST and other studies, imaging-based lung cancer screening programs are now being implemented. However, LDCT interpretation results in a high number of false positives. A set of dynamic Bayesian networks (DBN) were designed and evaluated to provide insight into how longitudinal data can be used to help inform lung cancer screening decisions. METHODS: The LDCT arm of the NLST dataset was used to build and explore five DBNs for high-risk individuals. Three of these DBNs were built using a backward construction process, and two using structure learning methods. All models employ demographic, smoking status, cancer history, family lung cancer history, exposure risk factors, comorbidities related to lung cancer, and LDCT screening outcome information. Given the uncertainty arising from lung cancer screening, a cancer state-space model based on lung cancer staging was utilized to characterize the cancer status of an individual over time. The models were evaluated on balanced training and test sets of cancer and non-cancer cases to deal with data imbalance and overfitting. RESULTS: Results were comparable to expert decisions. The average area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) for the three intervention points of the NLST trial was higher than 0.75 for all models. Evaluation of the models on the complete LDCT arm of the NLST dataset (N = 25, 486) demonstrated satisfactory generalization. Consensus of predictions over similar cases is reported in concordance statistics between the models’ and the physicians’ predictions. The models’ predictive ability with respect to missing data was also evaluated with the sample of cases that missed the second screening exam of the trial (N = 417). The DBNs outperformed comparison models such as logistic regression and naïve Bayes. CONCLUSION: The lung cancer screening DBNs demonstrated high discrimination and predictive power with the majority of cancer and non-cancer cases

The regulation of brain states by neuroactive substances distributed via the cerebrospinal fluid; a review.

Contains fulltext : 83842.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) system provides nutrients to and removes waste products from the brain. Recent findings suggest, however, that in addition, the CSF contains message molecules in the form of actively released neuroactive substances. The concentrations of these vary between locations, suggesting they are important for the changes in brain activity that underlie different brain states, and induce different sensory input and behavioral output relationships.The cranial CSF displays a rapid caudally-directed ventricular flow followed by a slower rostrally-directed subarachnoid flow (mainly towards the cribriform plate and from there into the nasal lymphatics). Thus, many brain areas are exposed to and can be influenced by substances contained in the CSF. In this review we discuss the production and flow of the CSF, including the mechanisms involved in the regulation of its composition. In addition, the available evidence for the release of neuropeptides and other neuroactive substances into the CSF is reviewed, with particular attention to the selective effects of these on distant downstream receptive brain areas. As a conclusion we suggest that (1) the flowing CSF is involved in more than just nutrient and waste control, but is also used as a broadcasting system consisting of coordinated messages to a variety of nearby and distant brain areas; (2) this special form of volume transmission underlies changes in behavioral states