CASH 2021: Commercial access and space habitation

Science.gov (United States)

Aldrin, Andrew; Amara, Adam; Aris, Lodewijk; Baierl, Nida; Beatty, Patrick; Beaulieu, Catherine; Behnke, Torsten; Castegini, Roberta; Chauhan, Amitabh; Cojanis, Philip; Dayawansa, Pelawa; Diop, Marie; Eito, Kinya; Engle, Steve; Ferretti, Stefano; Gassama, Hamet; Genova, Bojana; Goulding, Colin; Janjua, Jameel; Jansaeng, Thidarat; Jousset, Frédéric; Kopik, Anatoly; Laurin, Catherine; Leggatt, Jason; Li, Hengnian; Mezzadri, Monica; Miura, Amane; Nolet, Simon; Ogami, Satoshi; Patry, Johanne; Patten, Laryssa; Payerne, Cyril; Peer, Guy; Prampolini, Marco; Rheaume, Caroline; Saary, Joan; Spehar, Daniela; Sufi, Atiya; Sun, Baosheng; Thompson, J. Barry; Thomson, Ward; Trautner, Roland; Tursunmuratov, Murat; Venet, Vrata; Wilems, Elizabeth; Wilson, Helen; Wittwer, Karl; Wokke, Frank; Wu, Yansheng; Zhou, Shaobin; Zilioli, Ilaria

2002-07-01

Issues about commercialization of space have been a growing concern in the past decade for the space community. This paper focuses on the work from a team of 51 students attending the Summer Session Program of the International Space University in Bremen, Germany. CASH 2021 (Commercial Access and Space Habitation) documents a plan that identifies commercial opportunities for space utilization that will extend human presence in space, and will chart the way forward for the next 20 years. The group selected four commercial sectors that show the most promise for the future: tourism, entertainment, space system service, assembly and debris removal, and research and development/production. The content of this document presents the results of their research. Historical activities in each of the commercial sectors are reviewed along with the current market situation. To provide a coherent background for future commercialization possibilities a scenario has been developed. This scenario includes a postulated upon ideal future and includes social, political and economic factors that may affect the space industry over the timeline of the study. The study also presents a roadmap, within the limited optimistic scenario developed, for the successful commercialization of space leading to future human presence in space. A broad range of commercially viable opportunities, not only within the current limits of the International Space Station, but also among the many new developments that are expected by 2021 are discussed.

Laboratory science with space data accessing and using space-experiment data

CERN Document Server

van Loon, Jack J W A; Zell, Martin; Beysens, Daniel

2011-01-01

For decades experiments conducted on space stations like MIR and the ISS have been gathering data in many fields of research in the natural sciences, medicine and engineering. The European Union-sponsored ULISSE project focused on exploring the wealth of unique experimental data provided by revealing raw and metadata from these studies via an Internet Portal. This book complements the portal. It serves as a handbook of space experiments and describes the various types of experimental infrastructure areas of research in the life and physical sciences and technology space missions that hosted scientific experiments the types and structures of the data produced and how one can access the data through ULISSE for further research. The book provides an overview of the wealth of space experiment data that can be used for additional research and will inspire academics (e.g. those looking for topics for their PhD thesis) and research departments in companies for their continued development.

Multidisciplinary research in public health: a case study of research on access to green space.

Science.gov (United States)

Kessel, A; Green, J; Pinder, R; Wilkinson, P; Grundy, C; Lachowycz, K

2009-01-01

Quantitative analysis of the physical and demographic parameters of access to Thames Chase Community Forest (TCCF), and how these have changed between 1990 and 2003; and qualitative exploration of our understanding of the links between health and the natural environment (TCCF), with a focus on the issue of 'access' to green space. Multimethod design involving both quantitative (analysis of physical access to green space) and qualitative (ethnography) components. Quantitative analysis, using geographical information systems, of physical access to the community forest; and ethnographic research including participant observation, non-participant observation, in-depth interviews and attendance at meetings and conferences. The quantitative analysis showed that public access to green space improved between 1990 and 2003 as a result of the regeneration and acquisition of new areas, and the average reduction in distance to green space was 162 m. However, such improvements were distributed differentially between population groups. In both 1990 and 2003, people from deprived areas and in poorer health had better access to green space than people from less deprived areas, but the greatest improvement in access to green space over this interval occurred in areas of below average deprivation (i.e. in the more affluent areas). The ethnographic research showed different interpretations of the notion of access. Use of TCCF was determined by a variety of factors including whether a person could 'imagine themselves' using such a space, different perceptions of what is actually being accessed (e.g. a place to exercise or a place to socialise), and ideas about using the countryside 'properly'. The health benefits of using a green space, such as TCCF, for walking or exercising are well recognized. However, whether people choose to use local green space may be determined by a variety of factors. These are likely to include physical distance to access of green space, as well as

Astronaut Ross Approaches Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure (ACCESS)

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O'Conner, pilot; Brewster H. Shaw, commander; Charles D. Walker, payload specialist; mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring; and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission's primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico); AUSSAT-2 (Australia); and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), EASE and ACCESS were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). In this STS-61B onboard photo, astronaut Ross, perched on the Manipulator Foot Restraint (MFR) approaches the erected ACCESS. The primary objective of these experiments was to test the structural assembly concepts for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Green Space Quality and Accessibility-Evidence from a Southern European City.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffimann, Elaine; Barros, Henrique; Ribeiro, Ana Isabel

2017-08-15

Background : The provision of green spaces is an important health promotion strategy to encourage physical activity and to improve population health. Green space provision has to be based on the principle of equity. This study investigated the presence of socioeconomic inequalities in geographic accessibility and quality of green spaces across Porto neighbourhoods (Portugal). Methods : Accessibility was evaluated using a Geographic Information System and all the green spaces were audited using the Public Open Space Tool. Kendall's tau-b correlation coefficients and ordinal regression were used to test whether socioeconomic differences in green space quality and accessibility were statistically significant. Results : Although the majority of the neighbourhoods had an accessible green space, mean distance to green space increased with neighbourhood deprivation. Additionally, green spaces in the more deprived neighbourhoods presented significantly more safety concerns, signs of damage, lack of equipment to engage in active leisure activities, and had significantly less amenities such as seating, toilets, cafés, etc. Conclusions : Residents from low socioeconomic positions seem to suffer from a double jeopardy; they lack both individual and community resources. Our results have important planning implications and might contribute to understanding why deprived communities have lower physical activity levels and poorer health.

The genotype-phenotype map of an evolving digital organism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel A Fortuna

2017-02-01

Full Text Available To understand how evolving systems bring forth novel and useful phenotypes, it is essential to understand the relationship between genotypic and phenotypic change. Artificial evolving systems can help us understand whether the genotype-phenotype maps of natural evolving systems are highly unusual, and it may help create evolvable artificial systems. Here we characterize the genotype-phenotype map of digital organisms in Avida, a platform for digital evolution. We consider digital organisms from a vast space of 10141 genotypes (instruction sequences, which can form 512 different phenotypes. These phenotypes are distinguished by different Boolean logic functions they can compute, as well as by the complexity of these functions. We observe several properties with parallels in natural systems, such as connected genotype networks and asymmetric phenotypic transitions. The likely common cause is robustness to genotypic change. We describe an intriguing tension between phenotypic complexity and evolvability that may have implications for biological evolution. On the one hand, genotypic change is more likely to yield novel phenotypes in more complex organisms. On the other hand, the total number of novel phenotypes reachable through genotypic change is highest for organisms with simple phenotypes. Artificial evolving systems can help us study aspects of biological evolvability that are not accessible in vastly more complex natural systems. They can also help identify properties, such as robustness, that are required for both human-designed artificial systems and synthetic biological systems to be evolvable.

The genotype-phenotype map of an evolving digital organism.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortuna, Miguel A; Zaman, Luis; Ofria, Charles; Wagner, Andreas

2017-02-01

To understand how evolving systems bring forth novel and useful phenotypes, it is essential to understand the relationship between genotypic and phenotypic change. Artificial evolving systems can help us understand whether the genotype-phenotype maps of natural evolving systems are highly unusual, and it may help create evolvable artificial systems. Here we characterize the genotype-phenotype map of digital organisms in Avida, a platform for digital evolution. We consider digital organisms from a vast space of 10141 genotypes (instruction sequences), which can form 512 different phenotypes. These phenotypes are distinguished by different Boolean logic functions they can compute, as well as by the complexity of these functions. We observe several properties with parallels in natural systems, such as connected genotype networks and asymmetric phenotypic transitions. The likely common cause is robustness to genotypic change. We describe an intriguing tension between phenotypic complexity and evolvability that may have implications for biological evolution. On the one hand, genotypic change is more likely to yield novel phenotypes in more complex organisms. On the other hand, the total number of novel phenotypes reachable through genotypic change is highest for organisms with simple phenotypes. Artificial evolving systems can help us study aspects of biological evolvability that are not accessible in vastly more complex natural systems. They can also help identify properties, such as robustness, that are required for both human-designed artificial systems and synthetic biological systems to be evolvable.

Accessibility of green space in urban areas: an examination of various approaches to measure it

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Xin

2007-01-01

In the present research, we attempt to improve the methods used for measuring accessibility of green spaces by combining two components of accessibility-distance and demand relative to supply. Three modified approaches (Joseph and Bantock gravity model measure, the two-step floating catchment area measure and a measure based on kernel densities) will be applied for measuring accessibility to green spaces. We select parks and public open spaces (metropolitan open land) of south London as a cas...

Accessibility of shared space for visually impaired persons : A comparative field study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Havik, Else; Steyvers, Franciscus J.J.M.; Kooijman, Aart; Melis, Bart

Shared Space is a concept that comprises the design and planning process of a public space. There are concerns about the accessibility of Shared Spaces for people who are visually impaired. In a comparative field study, the wayfinding performance of 25 visually impaired persons (VIPs) was observed

Deep Phenotyping: Deep Learning For Temporal Phenotype/Genotype Classification

OpenAIRE

Najafi, Mohammad; Namin, Sarah; Esmaeilzadeh, Mohammad; Brown, Tim; Borevitz, Justin

2017-01-01

High resolution and high throughput, genotype to phenotype studies in plants are underway to accelerate breeding of climate ready crops. Complex developmental phenotypes are observed by imaging a variety of accessions in different environment conditions, however extracting the genetically heritable traits is challenging. In the recent years, deep learning techniques and in particular Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) and Long-Short Term Memories (LSTMs), h...

Accessibility of Shared Space for visually impaired persons : An inventory in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Havik, Else M; Melis - Dankers, Bart JM; Steyvers, Frank JJM; Kooijman, Aart C

Shared Space is a concept that comprises the design and planning process of a public space. There are concerns about the accessibility of Shared Spaces for people who are visually impaired. This study provides a systematic overview of the appearance of Shared Spaces in the Netherlands and the

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory: Quick Access to Data and Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Cornwell, Carl; Roberts, D. Aaron; McGuire, Robert E.

2006-01-01

The Virtual Space Physics Observatory (VSPO; see http://vspo.gsfc.nasa.gov) has grown to provide a way to find and access about 375 data products and services from over 100 spacecraft/observatories in space and solar physics. The datasets are mainly chosen to be the most requested, and include most of the publicly available data products from operating NASA Heliophysics spacecraft as well as from solar observatories measuring across the frequency spectrum. Service links include a "quick orbits" page that uses SSCWeb Web Services to provide a rapid answer to questions such as "What spacecraft were in orbit in July 1992?" and "Where were Geotail, Cluster, and Polar on 2 June 2001?" These queries are linked back to the data search page. The VSPO interface provides many ways of looking for data based on terms used in a registry of resources using the SPASE Data Model that will be the standard for Heliophysics Virtual Observatories. VSPO itself is accessible via an API that allows other applications to use it as a Web Service; this has been implemented in one instance using the ViSBARD visualization program. The VSPO will become part of the Space Physics Data Facility, and will continue to expand its access to data. A challenge for all VOs will be to provide uniform access to data at the variable level, and we will be addressing this question in a number of ways.

Developmental Research in Space: Predicting Adult Neurobehavioral Phenotypes via Metabolomic Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Schorn, Julia M.; Moyer, Eric L.; Lowe, Moniece M.; Morgan, Jonathan; Tulbert, Christina D.; Olson, John; Olson, John; Horita, David A.; Kleven, Gale A.

2017-01-01

As human habitation and eventual colonization of space becomes an inevitable reality, there is a necessity to understand how organisms develop over the life span in the space environment. Microgravity, altered CO2, radiation and psychological stress are some of the key factors that could affect mammalian reproduction and development in space, however there is a paucity of information on this topic. Here we combine early (neonatal) in vivo spectroscopic imaging with an adult emotionality assay following a common obstetric complication (prenatal asphyxia) likely to occur during gestation in space. The neural metabolome is sensitive to alteration by degenerative changes and developmental disorders, thus we hypothesized that that early neonatal neurometabolite profiles can predict adult response to novelty. Late gestation fetal rats were exposed to moderate asphyxia by occluding the blood supply feeding one of the rats pair uterine horns for 15min. Blood supply to the opposite horn was not occluded (within-litter cesarean control). Further comparisons were made with vaginal (natural) birth controls. In one-week old neonates, we measured neurometabolites in three brain areas (i.e., striatum, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus). Adult perinatally-asphyxiated offspring exhibited greater anxiety-like behavioral phenotypes (as measured the composite neurobehavioral assay involving open field activity, responses to novel object, quantification of fecal droppings, and resident-intruder tests of social behavior). Further, early neurometabolite profiles predicted adult responses. Non-invasive MRS screening of mammalian offspring is likely to advance ground-based space analogue studies informing mammalian reproduction in space, and achieving high-priority.

Ross Works on the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure (ACCESS) During

Science.gov (United States)

1985-01-01

The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O'Conner, pilot; Brewster H. Shaw, commander; Charles D. Walker, payload specialist; mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring; and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission's primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico); AUSSAT-2 (Australia); and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), EASE and ACCESS were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). In this STS-61B onboard photo, astronaut Ross works on ACCESS high above the orbiter. The primary objective of these experiments was to test the structural assembly concepts for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction.

Modeling the effects of space structure and combination therapies on phenotypic heterogeneity and drug resistance in solid tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorz, Alexander; Lorenzi, Tommaso; Clairambault, Jean; Escargueil, Alexandre; Perthame, Benoît

2015-01-01

Histopathological evidence supports the idea that the emergence of phenotypic heterogeneity and resistance to cytotoxic drugs can be considered as a process of selection in tumor cell populations. In this framework, can we explain intra-tumor heterogeneity in terms of selection driven by the local cell environment? Can we overcome the emergence of resistance and favor the eradication of cancer cells by using combination therapies? Bearing these questions in mind, we develop a model describing cell dynamics inside a tumor spheroid under the effects of cytotoxic and cytostatic drugs. Cancer cells are assumed to be structured as a population by two real variables standing for space position and the expression level of a phenotype of resistance to cytotoxic drugs. The model takes explicitly into account the dynamics of resources and anticancer drugs as well as their interactions with the cell population under treatment. We analyze the effects of space structure and combination therapies on phenotypic heterogeneity and chemotherapeutic resistance. Furthermore, we study the efficacy of combined therapy protocols based on constant infusion and bang-bang delivery of cytotoxic and cytostatic drugs.

Worm Phenotype Ontology: Integrating phenotype data within and beyond the C. elegans community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yook Karen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Caenorhabditis elegans gene-based phenotype information dates back to the 1970's, beginning with Sydney Brenner and the characterization of behavioral and morphological mutant alleles via classical genetics in order to understand nervous system function. Since then C. elegans has become an important genetic model system for the study of basic biological and biomedical principles, largely through the use of phenotype analysis. Because of the growth of C. elegans as a genetically tractable model organism and the development of large-scale analyses, there has been a significant increase of phenotype data that needs to be managed and made accessible to the research community. To do so, a standardized vocabulary is necessary to integrate phenotype data from diverse sources, permit integration with other data types and render the data in a computable form. Results We describe a hierarchically structured, controlled vocabulary of terms that can be used to standardize phenotype descriptions in C. elegans, namely the Worm Phenotype Ontology (WPO. The WPO is currently comprised of 1,880 phenotype terms, 74% of which have been used in the annotation of phenotypes associated with greater than 18,000 C. elegans genes. The scope of the WPO is not exclusively limited to C. elegans biology, rather it is devised to also incorporate phenotypes observed in related nematode species. We have enriched the value of the WPO by integrating it with other ontologies, thereby increasing the accessibility of worm phenotypes to non-nematode biologists. We are actively developing the WPO to continue to fulfill the evolving needs of the scientific community and hope to engage researchers in this crucial endeavor. Conclusions We provide a phenotype ontology (WPO that will help to facilitate data retrieval, and cross-species comparisons within the nematode community. In the larger scientific community, the WPO will permit data integration, and

ACCESS TO PUBLIC OPEN SPACE: IS DISTRIBUTION EQUITABLE ACROSS DIFFERENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC AREAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Javad Koohsari

2011-12-01

Full Text Available During the past decade, the role of the built environment on physical activity has been well investigated by public health, transportation and urban design scholars and it has been shown that different aspects of the built environment can influence physical activity Public open spaces (POS like parks have many health benefits and they can be important settings and destinations for having physical activity. Inequality in access to POS which may influence the amount of physical activity can be a reason for lower physical activity among deprived neighbourhoods. This paper aims to examine whether objective access to public open spaces (POS like parks is equally across the different socio-economic status (SES areas in the City of Melbourne. Objective access to POS was measured in network distance using geographic information systems (GIS and area SES was obtained using the SEIFA (Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas index. The results showed there was a significant difference in access to POS according to the SES areas. There was a significant negative correlation between the access to POS and the SES areas in which lower SES areas had poorer access to POS in comparison with the higher ones.

Systematic analysis of geo-location and spectrum sensing as access methods to TV white space

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mauwa, H

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Access to the television white space by white space devices comes with a major technical challenge: white space devices can potentially interfere with existing television signals. Two methods have been suggested in the literature to help white space...

Aviation or space policy: New challenges for the insurance sector to private human access to space

Science.gov (United States)

van Oijhuizen Galhego Rosa, Ana Cristina

2013-12-01

The phenomenon of private human access to space has introduced a new set of problems in the insurance sector. Orbital and suborbital space transportation will surely be unique commercial services for this new market. Discussions are under way regarding space insurance, in order to establish whether this new market ought to be regulated by aviation or space law. Alongside new definitions, infrastructures, legal frameworks and liability insurances, the insurance sector has also been introducing a new approach. In this paper, I aim to analyse some of the possibilities of new premiums, capacities, and policies (under aviation or space insurance rules), as well as the new insurance products related to vehicles, passengers and third party liability. This paper claims that a change toward new insurance regimes is crucial, due to the current stage in development of space tourism and the urgency to adapt insurance rules to support future development in this area.

GenomeRNAi: a database for cell-based RNAi phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, Thomas; Arziman, Zeynep; Berger, Juerg; Boutros, Michael

2007-01-01

RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful tool to generate loss-of-function phenotypes in a variety of organisms. Combined with the sequence information of almost completely annotated genomes, RNAi technologies have opened new avenues to conduct systematic genetic screens for every annotated gene in the genome. As increasing large datasets of RNAi-induced phenotypes become available, an important challenge remains the systematic integration and annotation of functional information. Genome-wide RNAi screens have been performed both in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila for a variety of phenotypes and several RNAi libraries have become available to assess phenotypes for almost every gene in the genome. These screens were performed using different types of assays from visible phenotypes to focused transcriptional readouts and provide a rich data source for functional annotation across different species. The GenomeRNAi database provides access to published RNAi phenotypes obtained from cell-based screens and maps them to their genomic locus, including possible non-specific regions. The database also gives access to sequence information of RNAi probes used in various screens. It can be searched by phenotype, by gene, by RNAi probe or by sequence and is accessible at http://rnai.dkfz.de.

Contextualising renal patient routines: Everyday space-time contexts, health service access, and wellbeing.

Science.gov (United States)

McQuoid, Julia; Jowsey, Tanisha; Talaulikar, Girish

2017-06-01

Stable routines are key to successful illness self-management for the growing number of people living with chronic illness around the world. Yet, the influence of chronically ill individuals' everyday contexts in supporting routines is poorly understood. This paper takes a space-time geographical approach to explore the everyday space-time contexts and routines of individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We ask: what is the relationship between renal patients' space-time contexts and their ability to establish and maintain stable routines, and, what role does health service access play in this regard? We draw from a qualitative case study of 26 individuals with CKD in Australia. Data comprised self-reported two day participant diaries and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts was guided by an inductive-deductive approach. We examined the embeddedness of routines within the space-time contexts of participants' everyday lives. We found that participants' everyday space-time contexts were highly complex, especially for those receiving dialysis and/or employed, making routines difficult to establish and vulnerable to disruption. Health service access helped shape participants' everyday space-time contexts, meaning that incidences of unpredictability in accessing health services set-off 'ripple effects' within participants' space-time contexts, disrupting routines and making everyday life negotiation more difficult. The ability to absorb ripple effects from unpredictable health services without disrupting routines varied by space-time context. Implications of these findings for the deployment of the concept of routine in health research, the framing of patient success in self-managing illness, and health services design are discussed. In conclusion, efforts to understand and support individuals in establishing and maintaining routines that support health and wellbeing can benefit from approaches that contextualise and de

Motivating and Facilitating Advancements in Space Weather Real-Time Data Availability: Factors, Data, and Access Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Pankratz, C. K.; Baker, D. N.; Jaynes, A. N.; Elkington, S. R.; Baltzer, T.; Sanchez, F.

2017-12-01

Society's growing reliance on complex and highly interconnected technological systems makes us increasingly vulnerable to the effects of space weather events - maybe more than for any other natural hazard. An extreme solar storm today could conceivably impact hundreds of the more than 1400 operating Earth satellites. Such an extreme storm could cause collapse of the electrical grid on continental scales. The effects on navigation, communication, and remote sensing of our home planet could be devastating to our social functioning. Thus, it is imperative that the scientific community address the question of just how severe events might become. At least as importantly, it is crucial that policy makers and public safety officials be informed by the facts on what might happen during extreme conditions. This requires essentially real-time alerts, warnings, and also forecasts of severe space weather events, which in turn demands measurements, models, and associated data products to be available via the most effective data discovery and access methods possible. Similarly, advancement in the fundamental scientific understanding of space weather processes is also vital, requiring that researchers have convenient and effective access to a wide variety of data sets and models from multiple sources. The space weather research community, as with many scientific communities, must access data from dispersed and often uncoordinated data repositories to acquire the data necessary for the analysis and modeling efforts that advance our understanding of solar influences and space physics on the Earth's environment. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), as a leading institution in both producing data products and advancing the state of scientific understanding of space weather processes, is well positioned to address many of these issues. In this presentation, we will outline the motivating factors for effective space weather data access, summarize the various data

Measuring accessibility of sustainable transportation using space syntax in Bojonggede area

Science.gov (United States)

Suryawinata, B. A.; Mariana, Y.; Wijaksono, S.

2017-12-01

Changes in the physical structure of regional space as a result of the increase of planned and unplanned settlements in the Bojonggede area have an impact on the road network pattern system. Changes in road network patterns will have an impact on the permeability of the area. Permeability measures the extent to which road network patterns provide an option in traveling. If the permeability increases the travel distance decreases and the route of travel choice increases, permeability like this can create an easy access system and physically integrated. This study aims to identify the relationship of physical characteristics of residential area and road network pattern to the level of space permeability in Bojonggede area. By conducting this research can be a reference for the arrangement of circulation, accessibility, and land use in the vicinity of Bojonggede. This research uses quantitative method and space syntax method to see global integration and local integration on the region which become the parameter of permeability level. The results showed that the level of permeability globally and locally high in Bojonggede physical area is the physical characteristics of the area that has a grid pattern of road network grid.

Free-space optical code-division multiple-access system design

Science.gov (United States)

Jeromin, Lori L.; Kaufmann, John E.; Bucher, Edward A.

1993-08-01

This paper describes an optical direct-detection multiple access communications system for free-space satellite networks utilizing code-division multiple-access (CDMA) and forward error correction (FEC) coding. System performance is characterized by how many simultaneous users operating at data rate R can be accommodated in a signaling bandwidth W. The performance of two CDMA schemes, optical orthogonal codes (OOC) with FEC and orthogonal convolutional codes (OCC), is calculated and compared to information-theoretic capacity bounds. The calculations include the effects of background and detector noise as well as nonzero transmitter extinction ratio and power imbalance among users. A system design for 10 kbps multiple-access communications between low-earth orbit satellites is given. With near- term receiver technology and representative system losses, a 15 W peak-power transmitter provides 10-6 BER performance with seven interfering users and full moon background in the receiver FOV. The receiver employs an array of discrete wide-area avalanche photodiodes (APD) for wide field of view coverage. Issues of user acquisition and synchronization, implementation technology, and system scalability are also discussed.

41 CFR 102-79.65 - May Executive agencies outlease space on major public access levels, courtyards and rooftops of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false May Executive agencies outlease space on major public access levels, courtyards and rooftops of public buildings? 102-79.65... Utilization of Space Outleasing § 102-79.65 May Executive agencies outlease space on major public access...

Similarity searching and scaffold hopping in synthetically accessible combinatorial chemistry spaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Boehm, Markus; Wu, Tong-Ying; Claussen, Holger; Lemmen, Christian

2008-04-24

Large collections of combinatorial libraries are an integral element in today's pharmaceutical industry. It is of great interest to perform similarity searches against all virtual compounds that are synthetically accessible by any such library. Here we describe the successful application of a new software tool CoLibri on 358 combinatorial libraries based on validated reaction protocols to create a single chemistry space containing over 10 (12) possible products. Similarity searching with FTrees-FS allows the systematic exploration of this space without the need to enumerate all product structures. The search result is a set of virtual hits which are synthetically accessible by one or more of the existing reaction protocols. Grouping these virtual hits by their synthetic protocols allows the rapid design and synthesis of multiple follow-up libraries. Such library ideas support hit-to-lead design efforts for tasks like follow-up from high-throughput screening hits or scaffold hopping from one hit to another attractive series.

Growth and physiological responses of two phenotypically distinct accessions of centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.) to salt stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, JianJian; Ma, Jingjing; Guo, Hailin; Zong, Junqin; Chen, Jingbo; Wang, Yi; Li, Dandan; Li, Ling; Wang, Jingjing; Liu, Jianxiu

2018-05-01

Salinity is one of the major abiotic environmental stress factors affecting plant growth and development. Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides [Munro)] Hack.) is an important warm-season turfgrass species with low turf maintenance requirements, but is sensitive to salinity stress. To explore salt tolerant germplasms in centipedegrass and better understand the growth and physiological responses of centipedegrass to salinity, we conducted anatomic observation and phytochemical quantification, examined growth parameters, and investigated photosynthetic machinery and antioxidant system in two phenotypically distinct centipedegrass accessions under NaCl salt stress. The morphophenotypical difference of the stems in the two accessions mainly depends on whether or not a thickened epidermal horny layer with purple colour was formed, which was caused by anthocyanin accumulation in the tissue. Successive salinity treatment was found to result in an inhibition of leaf growth, a marked decrease in photosynthesis, chlorophyll contents, and the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm). Under the same treatment, purple-stem accession (E092) showed a lower degree of inhibition or decrease than green-stem one (E092-1). With the exception of malondialdehyde level, both proline content and antioxidant enzymes were upregulated to a greater extent in E092 following exposure to salinity condition. Meanwhile, significant enhancements of anthocyanin accumulation and total protein synthesis were detected in E092 after salt treatment, but not in E092-1. These results demonstrated that E092 favor better accumulation of anthocyanins under salinity condition, which contribute to salt tolerance by adjusting physiological functions and osmotic balance, and better maintenance of high turf quality. Hence, genetic phenotype can be utilized as a key indicator in E. ophiuroides breeding for salt-tolerance. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Design Space Toolbox V2: Automated Software Enabling a Novel Phenotype-Centric Modeling Strategy for Natural and Synthetic Biological Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason Gunther Lomnitz

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Mathematical models of biochemical systems provide a means to elucidate the link between the genotype, environment and phenotype. A subclass of mathematical models, known as mechanistic models, quantitatively describe the complex non-linear mechanisms that capture the intricate interactions between biochemical components. However, the study of mechanistic models is challenging because most are analytically intractable and involve large numbers of system parameters. Conventional methods to analyze them rely on local analyses about a nominal parameter set and they do not reveal the vast majority of potential phenotypes possible for a given system design. We have recently developed a new modeling approach that does not require estimated values for the parameters initially and inverts the typical steps of the conventional modeling strategy. Instead, this approach relies on architectural features of the model to identify the phenotypic repertoire and then predict values for the parameters that yield specific instances of the system that realize desired phenotypic characteristics. Here, we present a collection of software tools, the Design Space Toolbox V2 based on the System Design Space method, that automates (1 enumeration of the repertoire of model phenotypes, (2 prediction of values for the parameters for any model phenotype and (3 analysis of model phenotypes through analytical and numerical methods. The result is an enabling technology that facilitates this radically new, phenotype-centric, modeling approach. We illustrate the power of these new tools by applying them to a synthetic gene circuit that can exhibit multi-stability. We then predict values for the system parameters such that the design exhibits 2, 3 and 4 stable steady states. In one example, inspection of the basins of attraction reveals that the circuit can count between 3 stable states by transient stimulation through one of two input channels: a positive channel that increases

Design Space Toolbox V2: Automated Software Enabling a Novel Phenotype-Centric Modeling Strategy for Natural and Synthetic Biological Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, Jason G.; Savageau, Michael A.

2016-01-01

Mathematical models of biochemical systems provide a means to elucidate the link between the genotype, environment, and phenotype. A subclass of mathematical models, known as mechanistic models, quantitatively describe the complex non-linear mechanisms that capture the intricate interactions between biochemical components. However, the study of mechanistic models is challenging because most are analytically intractable and involve large numbers of system parameters. Conventional methods to analyze them rely on local analyses about a nominal parameter set and they do not reveal the vast majority of potential phenotypes possible for a given system design. We have recently developed a new modeling approach that does not require estimated values for the parameters initially and inverts the typical steps of the conventional modeling strategy. Instead, this approach relies on architectural features of the model to identify the phenotypic repertoire and then predict values for the parameters that yield specific instances of the system that realize desired phenotypic characteristics. Here, we present a collection of software tools, the Design Space Toolbox V2 based on the System Design Space method, that automates (1) enumeration of the repertoire of model phenotypes, (2) prediction of values for the parameters for any model phenotype, and (3) analysis of model phenotypes through analytical and numerical methods. The result is an enabling technology that facilitates this radically new, phenotype-centric, modeling approach. We illustrate the power of these new tools by applying them to a synthetic gene circuit that can exhibit multi-stability. We then predict values for the system parameters such that the design exhibits 2, 3, and 4 stable steady states. In one example, inspection of the basins of attraction reveals that the circuit can count between three stable states by transient stimulation through one of two input channels: a positive channel that increases the count

Design Space Toolbox V2: Automated Software Enabling a Novel Phenotype-Centric Modeling Strategy for Natural and Synthetic Biological Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, Jason G; Savageau, Michael A

2016-01-01

Mathematical models of biochemical systems provide a means to elucidate the link between the genotype, environment, and phenotype. A subclass of mathematical models, known as mechanistic models, quantitatively describe the complex non-linear mechanisms that capture the intricate interactions between biochemical components. However, the study of mechanistic models is challenging because most are analytically intractable and involve large numbers of system parameters. Conventional methods to analyze them rely on local analyses about a nominal parameter set and they do not reveal the vast majority of potential phenotypes possible for a given system design. We have recently developed a new modeling approach that does not require estimated values for the parameters initially and inverts the typical steps of the conventional modeling strategy. Instead, this approach relies on architectural features of the model to identify the phenotypic repertoire and then predict values for the parameters that yield specific instances of the system that realize desired phenotypic characteristics. Here, we present a collection of software tools, the Design Space Toolbox V2 based on the System Design Space method, that automates (1) enumeration of the repertoire of model phenotypes, (2) prediction of values for the parameters for any model phenotype, and (3) analysis of model phenotypes through analytical and numerical methods. The result is an enabling technology that facilitates this radically new, phenotype-centric, modeling approach. We illustrate the power of these new tools by applying them to a synthetic gene circuit that can exhibit multi-stability. We then predict values for the system parameters such that the design exhibits 2, 3, and 4 stable steady states. In one example, inspection of the basins of attraction reveals that the circuit can count between three stable states by transient stimulation through one of two input channels: a positive channel that increases the count

Socializing in an open drug scene: the relationship between access to private space and drug-related street disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Debeck, Kora; Wood, Evan; Qi, Jiezhi; Fu, Eric; McArthur, Doug; Montaner, Julio; Kerr, Thomas

2012-01-01

Limited attention has been given to the potential role that the structure of housing available to people who are entrenched in street-based drug scenes may play in influencing the amount of time injection drug users (IDU) spend on public streets. We sought to examine the relationship between time spent socializing in Vancouver's drug scene and access to private space. Using multivariate logistic regression we evaluated factors associated with socializing (three+ hours each day) in Vancouver's open drug scene among a prospective cohort of IDU. We also assessed attitudes towards relocating socializing activities if greater access to private indoor space was provided. Among our sample of 1114 IDU, 43% fit our criteria for socializing in the open drug scene. In multivariate analysis, having limited access to private space was independently associated with socializing (adjusted odds ratio: 1.80, 95% confidence interval: 1.28-2.55). In further analysis, 65% of 'socializers' reported positive attitudes towards relocating socializing if they had greater access to private space. These findings suggest that providing IDU with greater access to private indoor space may reduce one component of drug-related street disorder. Low-threshold supportive housing based on the 'housing first' model that include safeguards to manage behaviors associated with illicit drug use appear to offer important opportunities to create the types of private spaces that could support a reduction in street disorder. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficient solid rocket propulsion for access to space

Science.gov (United States)

Maggi, Filippo; Bandera, Alessio; Galfetti, Luciano; De Luca, Luigi T.; Jackson, Thomas L.

2010-06-01

Space launch activity is expected to grow in the next few years in order to follow the current trend of space exploitation for business purpose. Granting high specific thrust and volumetric specific impulse, and counting on decades of intense development, solid rocket propulsion is a good candidate for commercial access to space, even with common propellant formulations. Yet, some drawbacks such as low theoretical specific impulse, losses as well as safety issues, suggest more efficient propulsion systems, digging into the enhancement of consolidated techniques. Focusing the attention on delivered specific impulse, a consistent fraction of losses can be ascribed to the multiphase medium inside the nozzle which, in turn, is related to agglomeration; a reduction of agglomerate size is likely. The present paper proposes a model based on heterogeneity characterization capable of describing the agglomeration trend for a standard aluminized solid propellant formulation. Material microstructure is characterized through the use of two statistical descriptors (pair correlation function and near-contact particles) looking at the mean metal pocket size inside the bulk. Given the real formulation and density of a propellant, a packing code generates the material representative which is then statistically analyzed. Agglomerate predictions are successfully contrasted to experimental data at 5 bar for four different formulations.

Phenotypic deconstruction of gene circuitry.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, Jason G; Savageau, Michael A

2013-06-01

It remains a challenge to obtain a global perspective on the behavioral repertoire of complex nonlinear gene circuits. In this paper, we describe a method for deconstructing complex systems into nonlinear sub-systems, based on mathematically defined phenotypes, which are then represented within a system design space that allows the repertoire of qualitatively distinct phenotypes of the complex system to be identified, enumerated, and analyzed. This method efficiently characterizes large regions of system design space and quickly generates alternative hypotheses for experimental testing. We describe the motivation and strategy in general terms, illustrate its use with a detailed example involving a two-gene circuit with a rich repertoire of dynamic behavior, and discuss experimental means of navigating the system design space.

Phenotypic deconstruction of gene circuitry

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, Jason G.; Savageau, Michael A.

2013-06-01

It remains a challenge to obtain a global perspective on the behavioral repertoire of complex nonlinear gene circuits. In this paper, we describe a method for deconstructing complex systems into nonlinear sub-systems, based on mathematically defined phenotypes, which are then represented within a system design space that allows the repertoire of qualitatively distinct phenotypes of the complex system to be identified, enumerated, and analyzed. This method efficiently characterizes large regions of system design space and quickly generates alternative hypotheses for experimental testing. We describe the motivation and strategy in general terms, illustrate its use with a detailed example involving a two-gene circuit with a rich repertoire of dynamic behavior, and discuss experimental means of navigating the system design space.

Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization of Yeast Biosensor for Deep-space Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Marina, Diana B.; Santa Maria, Sergio; Bhattacharya, Sharmila

2016-01-01

The BioSentinel mission was selected to launch as a secondary payload onboard NASA Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) in 2018. In BioSentinel, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae will be used as a biosensor to measure the long-term impact of deep-space radiation to living organisms. In the 4U-payload, desiccated yeast cells from different strains will be stored inside microfluidic cards equipped with 3-color LED optical detection system to monitor cell growth and metabolic activity. At different times throughout the 12-month mission, these cards will be filled with liquid yeast growth media to rehydrate and grow the desiccated cells. The growth and metabolic rates of wild-type and radiation-sensitive strains in deep-space radiation environment will be compared to the rates measured in the ground- and microgravity-control units. These rates will also be correlated with measurements obtained from onboard physical dosimeters. In our preliminary long-term desiccation study, we found that air-drying yeast cells in 10% trehalose is the best method of cell preservation in order to survive the entire 18-month mission duration (6-month pre-launch plus 12-month full-mission periods). However, our study also revealed that desiccated yeast cells have decreasing viability over time when stored in payload-like environment. This suggests that the yeast biosensor will have different population of cells at different time points during the long-term mission. In this study, we are characterizing genomic and phenotypic changes in our yeast biosensor due to long-term storage and desiccation. For each yeast strain that will be part of the biosensor, several clones were reisolated after long-term storage by desiccation. These clones were compared to their respective original isolate in terms of genomic composition, desiccation tolerance and radiation sensitivity. Interestingly, clones from a radiation-sensitive mutant have better desiccation tolerance compared to their original isolate

Supporting Indoor Navigation Using Access Rights to Spaces Based on Combined Use of IndoorGML and LADM Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah Alattas

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to investigate the combined use of IndoorGML and the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM to define the accessibility of the indoor spaces based on the ownership and/or the functional right for use. The users of the indoor spaces create a relationship with the space depending on the type of the building and the function of the spaces. The indoor spaces of each building have different usage functions and associated users. By defining the user types of the indoor spaces, LADM makes it possible to establish a relationship between the indoor spaces and the users. LADM assigns rights, restrictions, and responsibilities to each indoor space, which indicates the accessible spaces for each type of user. The three-dimensional (3D geometry of the building will be impacted by assigning such functional rights, and will provide additional knowledge to path computation for an individual or a group of users. As a result, the navigation process will be more appropriate and simpler because the navigation path will avoid all of the non-accessible spaces based on the rights of the party. The combined use of IndoorGML and LADM covers a broad range of information classes: (indoor 3D cell spaces, connectivity, spatial units/boundaries, (access/use rights and restrictions, parties/persons/actors, and groups of them. The new specialized classes for individual students, individual staff members, groups of students, groups of staff members are able to represent cohorts of education programmes and the organizational structure (organogram: faculty, department, group. The model is capable to represent the access times to lecture rooms (based on education/teaching schedules, use rights of meeting rooms, opening hours of offices, etc. The two original standard models remain independent in our approach, we do not propose yet another model, but applications can fully benefit of the potential of the combined use, which is an important contribution

Dynamics of sexual populations structured by a space variable and a phenotypical trait

KAUST Repository

Mirrahimi, Sepideh

2013-03-01

We study sexual populations structured by a phenotypic trait and a space variable, in a non-homogeneous environment. Departing from an infinitesimal model, we perform an asymptotic limit to derive the system introduced in Kirkpatrick and Barton (1997). We then perform a further simplification to obtain a simple model. Thanks to this simpler equation, we can describe rigorously the dynamics of the population. In particular, we provide an explicit estimate of the invasion speed, or extinction speed of the species. Numerical computations show that this simple model provides a good approximation of the original infinitesimal model, and in particular describes quite well the evolution of the species\\' range. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Dynamics of sexual populations structured by a space variable and a phenotypical trait

KAUST Repository

Mirrahimi, Sepideh; Raoul, Gaë l

2013-01-01

We study sexual populations structured by a phenotypic trait and a space variable, in a non-homogeneous environment. Departing from an infinitesimal model, we perform an asymptotic limit to derive the system introduced in Kirkpatrick and Barton (1997). We then perform a further simplification to obtain a simple model. Thanks to this simpler equation, we can describe rigorously the dynamics of the population. In particular, we provide an explicit estimate of the invasion speed, or extinction speed of the species. Numerical computations show that this simple model provides a good approximation of the original infinitesimal model, and in particular describes quite well the evolution of the species' range. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Revisiting Robustness and Evolvability: Evolution in Weighted Genotype Spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Partha, Raghavendran; Raman, Karthik

2014-01-01

Robustness and evolvability are highly intertwined properties of biological systems. The relationship between these properties determines how biological systems are able to withstand mutations and show variation in response to them. Computational studies have explored the relationship between these two properties using neutral networks of RNA sequences (genotype) and their secondary structures (phenotype) as a model system. However, these studies have assumed every mutation to a sequence to be equally likely; the differences in the likelihood of the occurrence of various mutations, and the consequence of probabilistic nature of the mutations in such a system have previously been ignored. Associating probabilities to mutations essentially results in the weighting of genotype space. We here perform a comparative analysis of weighted and unweighted neutral networks of RNA sequences, and subsequently explore the relationship between robustness and evolvability. We show that assuming an equal likelihood for all mutations (as in an unweighted network), underestimates robustness and overestimates evolvability of a system. In spite of discarding this assumption, we observe that a negative correlation between sequence (genotype) robustness and sequence evolvability persists, and also that structure (phenotype) robustness promotes structure evolvability, as observed in earlier studies using unweighted networks. We also study the effects of base composition bias on robustness and evolvability. Particularly, we explore the association between robustness and evolvability in a sequence space that is AU-rich – sequences with an AU content of 80% or higher, compared to a normal (unbiased) sequence space. We find that evolvability of both sequences and structures in an AU-rich space is lesser compared to the normal space, and robustness higher. We also observe that AU-rich populations evolving on neutral networks of phenotypes, can access less phenotypic variation compared to

The Road from the NASA Access to Space Study to a Reusable Launch Vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, Richard W.; Cook, Stephen A.; Lockwood, Mary Kae

1998-01-01

NASA is cooperating with the aerospace industry to develop a space transportation system that provides reliable access-to-space at a much lower cost than is possible with today's launch vehicles. While this quest has been on-going for many years it received a major impetus when the U.S. Congress mandated as part of the 1993 NASA appropriations bill that: "In view of budget difficulties, present and future..., the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall ... recommend improvements in space transportation." NASA, working with other organizations, including the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Defense identified three major transportation architecture options that were to be evaluated in the areas of reliability, operability and cost. These architectural options were: (1) retain and upgrade the Space Shuttle and the current expendable launch vehicles; (2) develop new expendable launch vehicles using conventional technologies and transition to these new vehicles beginning in 2005; and (3) develop new reusable vehicles using advanced technology, and transition to these vehicles beginning in 2008. The launch needs mission model was based on 1993 projections of civil, defense, and commercial payload requirements. This "Access to Space" study concluded that the option that provided the greatest potential for meeting the cost, operability, and reliability goals was a rocket-powered single-stage-to-orbit fully reusable launch vehicle (RLV) fleet designed with advanced technologies.

EMPReSS: European mouse phenotyping resource for standardized screens.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Eain C J; Gkoutos, Georgios V; Lad, Heena V; Blake, Andrew; Weekes, Joseph; Hancock, John M

2005-06-15

Standardized phenotyping protocols are essential for the characterization of phenotypes so that results are comparable between different laboratories and phenotypic data can be related to ontological descriptions in an automated manner. We describe a web-based resource for the visualization, searching and downloading of standard operating procedures and other documents, the European Mouse Phenotyping Resource for Standardized Screens-EMPReSS. Direct access: http://www.empress.har.mrc.ac.uk e.green@har.mrc.ac.uk.

Sentinel phenotype for rubella embryopathy: time-space distribution in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iêda Maria Orioli

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The dyad comprising eye anomalies and congenital heart defects in the same newborn has been proposed as the best sentinel phenotype for the early detection of rubella embryopathy. Time-space birth prevalence distributions of the eye-heart dyad were described in 36 Brazilian hospitals from the Latin-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Anomalies - ECLAMC network, for the period 1994-2008. Seventy dyad cases observed among 554,531 births showed seasonal variation (Χ2 = 5.84; p < 0.05, suggesting an environmental etiology, with an increase in cases in October-March and acrophase in December. The secular distribution of dyad prevalence rates was consistent with the distribution of rubella cases in Brazil, showing a decrease from 1994 to 2004, followed by an increase until 2008. Two geographic clusters were identified, one with high and the other with low dyad prevalence. In the high prevalence cluster, a secular increase was observed, starting in 1999, matching the rubella epidemic waves observed in Brazil in 1998-2000 and 2006.

Framework for TV white space spectrum access in Southern African Development Community (SADC)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Masonta, MT

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The global migration of television (TV) from analogue to digital broadcast will see a large amount of TV spectrum available (called TV white space - TVWS) for other services such as mobile and broadband wireless access (BWA). Leading spectrum...

A monograph of the National Space Transportation System Office (NSTSO) integration activities conducted at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center for the EASE/ACCESS payload flown on STS 61-B

Science.gov (United States)

Chassay, Charles

1987-01-01

The integration process of activities conducted at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) for the Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular activity (EASE)/Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures (ACCESS) payload is provided as a subset to the standard payload integration process used by the NASA Space Transportation System (STS) to fly payloads on the Space Shuttle. The EASE/ACCESS payload integration activities are chronologically reviewed beginning with the initiation of the flight manifesting and integration process. The development and documentation of the EASE/ACCESS integration requirements are also discussed along with the implementation of the mission integration activities and the engineering assessments supporting the flight integration process. In addition, the STS management support organizations, the payload safety process leading to the STS 61-B flight certification, and the overall EASE/ACCESS integration schedule are presented.

Text-based phenotypic profiles incorporating biochemical phenotypes of inborn errors of metabolism improve phenomics-based diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jessica J Y; Gottlieb, Michael M; Lever, Jake; Jones, Steven J M; Blau, Nenad; van Karnebeek, Clara D M; Wasserman, Wyeth W

2018-05-01

Phenomics is the comprehensive study of phenotypes at every level of biology: from metabolites to organisms. With high throughput technologies increasing the scope of biological discoveries, the field of phenomics has been developing rapid and precise methods to collect, catalog, and analyze phenotypes. Such methods have allowed phenotypic data to be widely used in medical applications, from assisting clinical diagnoses to prioritizing genomic diagnoses. To channel the benefits of phenomics into the field of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM), we have recently launched IEMbase, an expert-curated knowledgebase of IEM and their disease-characterizing phenotypes. While our efforts with IEMbase have realized benefits, taking full advantage of phenomics requires a comprehensive curation of IEM phenotypes in core phenomics projects, which is dependent upon contributions from the IEM clinical and research community. Here, we assess the inclusion of IEM biochemical phenotypes in a core phenomics project, the Human Phenotype Ontology. We then demonstrate the utility of biochemical phenotypes using a text-based phenomics method to predict gene-disease relationships, showing that the prediction of IEM genes is significantly better using biochemical rather than clinical profiles. The findings herein provide a motivating goal for the IEM community to expand the computationally accessible descriptions of biochemical phenotypes associated with IEM in phenomics resources.

Ares Launch Vehicles Overview: Space Access Society

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Steve

2007-01-01

America is returning to the Moon in preparation for the first human footprint on Mars, guided by the U.S. Vision for Space Exploration. This presentation will discuss NASA's mission, the reasons for returning to the Moon and going to Mars, and how NASA will accomplish that mission in ways that promote leadership in space and economic expansion on the new frontier. The primary goals of the Vision for Space Exploration are to finish the International Space Station, retire the Space Shuttle, and build the new spacecraft needed to return people to the Moon and go to Mars. The Vision commits NASA and the nation to an agenda of exploration that also includes robotic exploration and technology development, while building on lessons learned over 50 years of hard-won experience. NASA is building on common hardware, shared knowledge, and unique experience derived from the Apollo Saturn, Space Shuttle, and contemporary commercial launch vehicle programs. The journeys to the Moon and Mars will require a variety of vehicles, including the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle, which transports the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, and the Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle, which transports the Lunar Surface Access Module. The architecture for the lunar missions will use one launch to ferry the crew into orbit, where it will rendezvous with the Lunar Module in the Earth Departure Stage, which will then propel the combination into lunar orbit. The imperative to explore space with the combination of astronauts and robots will be the impetus for inventions such as solar power and water and waste recycling. This next chapter in NASA's history promises to write the next chapter in American history, as well. It will require this nation to provide the talent to develop tools, machines, materials, processes, technologies, and capabilities that can benefit nearly all aspects of life on Earth. Roles and responsibilities are shared between a nationwide Government and industry team. The Exploration Launch

Does Access to Green Space Impact the Mental Well-being of Children: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Rachel

An increasing body of research is showing associations between green space and overall health. Children are spending more time indoors while pediatric mental and behavioral health problems are increasing. A systematic review of the literature was done to examine the association between access to green space and the mental well-being of children. Articles were limited to English language, ages 0-18 years, and publish date 2012-2017. The search yielded 341 articles in Ovid, 81 in Pub Med and 123 in Scopus. Articles that were not original research and that were not a pediatric population were excluded. Twelve articles fit the selection criteria. Twelve articles relating to green space and the mental well-being of children were reviewed. Three articles outside the date criteria were included as they are cited often in the literature as important early research on this topic. Access to green space was associated with improved mental well-being, overall health and cognitive development of children. It promotes attention restoration, memory, competence, supportive social groups, self-discipline, moderates stress, improves behaviors and symptoms of ADHD and was even associated with higher standardized test scores. Scientific evidence demonstrating the mental health benefits of access to nature for children can guide policy and urban planning, while nursing interventions and initiatives can enhance health by promoting outdoor play, educating patients and families, advocating for recess times and green environments at school as well as healing gardens in hospital settings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Space Access for Small Satellites on the K-1

Science.gov (United States)

Faktor, L.

Affordable access to space remains a major obstacle to realizing the increasing potential of small satellites systems. On a per kilogram basis, small launch vehicles are simply too expensive for the budgets of many small satellite programs. Opportunities for rideshare with larger payloads on larger launch vehicles are still rare, given the complications associated with coordinating delivery schedules and deployment orbits. Existing contractual mechanisms are also often inadequate to facilitate the launch of multiple payload customers on the same flight. Kistler Aerospace Corporation is committed to lowering the price and enhancing the availability of space access for small satellite programs through the fully-reusable K-1 launch vehicle. Kistler has been working with a number of entities, including Astrium Ltd., AeroAstro, and NASA, to develop innovative approaches to small satellite missions. The K-1 has been selected by NASA as a Flight Demonstration Vehicle for the Space Launch Initiative. NASA has purchased the flight results during the first four K-1 launches on the performance of 13 advanced launch vehicle technologies embedded in the K-1 vehicle. On K-1 flights #2-#4, opportunities exist for small satellites to rideshare to low-earth orbit for a low-launch price. Kistler's flight demonstration contract with NASA also includes options to fly Add-on Technology Experiment flights. Opportunities exist for rideshare payloads on these flights as well. Both commercial and government customers may take advantage of the rideshare pricing. Kistler is investigating the feasibility of flying dedicated, multiple small payload missions. Such a mission would launch multiple small payloads from a single customer or small payloads from different customers. The orbit would be selected to be compatible with the requirements of as many small payload customers as possible, and make use of reusable hardware, standard interfaces (such as the existing MPAS) and verification plans

A new open-source Python-based Space Weather data access, visualization, and analysis toolkit

Science.gov (United States)

de Larquier, S.; Ribeiro, A.; Frissell, N. A.; Spaleta, J.; Kunduri, B.; Thomas, E. G.; Ruohoniemi, J.; Baker, J. B.

2013-12-01

Space weather research relies heavily on combining and comparing data from multiple observational platforms. Current frameworks exist to aggregate some of the data sources, most based on file downloads via web or ftp interfaces. Empirical models are mostly fortran based and lack interfaces with more useful scripting languages. In an effort to improve data and model access, the SuperDARN community has been developing a Python-based Space Science Data Visualization Toolkit (DaViTpy). At the center of this development was a redesign of how our data (from 30 years of SuperDARN radars) was made available. Several access solutions are now wrapped into one convenient Python interface which probes local directories, a new remote NoSQL database, and an FTP server to retrieve the requested data based on availability. Motivated by the efficiency of this interface and the inherent need for data from multiple instruments, we implemented similar modules for other space science datasets (POES, OMNI, Kp, AE...), and also included fundamental empirical models with Python interfaces to enhance data analysis (IRI, HWM, MSIS...). All these modules and more are gathered in a single convenient toolkit, which is collaboratively developed and distributed using Github and continues to grow. While still in its early stages, we expect this toolkit will facilitate multi-instrument space weather research and improve scientific productivity.

Ethernet access network based on free-space optic deployment technology

Science.gov (United States)

Gebhart, Michael; Leitgeb, Erich; Birnbacher, Ulla; Schrotter, Peter

2004-06-01

The satisfaction of all communication needs from single households and business companies over a single access infrastructure is probably the most challenging topic in communications technology today. But even though the so-called "Last Mile Access Bottleneck" is well known since more than ten years and many distribution technologies have been tried out, the optimal solution has not yet been found and paying commercial access networks offering all service classes are still rare today. Conventional services like telephone, radio and TV, as well as new and emerging services like email, web browsing, online-gaming, video conferences, business data transfer or external data storage can all be transmitted over the well known and cost effective Ethernet networking protocol standard. Key requirements for the deployment technology driven by the different services are high data rates to the single customer, security, moderate deployment costs and good scalability to number and density of users, quick and flexible deployment without legal impediments and high availability, referring to the properties of optical and wireless communication. We demonstrate all elements of an Ethernet Access Network based on Free Space Optic distribution technology. Main physical parts are Central Office, Distribution Network and Customer Equipment. Transmission of different services, as well as configuration, service upgrades and remote control of the network are handled by networking features over one FSO connection. All parts of the network are proven, the latest commercially available technology. The set up is flexible and can be adapted to any more specific need if required.

CliniSpace: a multiperson 3D online immersive training environment accessible through a browser.

Science.gov (United States)

Dev, Parvati; Heinrichs, W LeRoy; Youngblood, Patricia

2011-01-01

Immersive online medical environments, with dynamic virtual patients, have been shown to be effective for scenario-based learning (1). However, ease of use and ease of access have been barriers to their use. We used feedback from prior evaluation of these projects to design and develop CliniSpace. To improve usability, we retained the richness of prior virtual environments but modified the user interface. To improve access, we used a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) approach to present a richly immersive 3D environment within a web browser.

EuroPhenome and EMPReSS: online mouse phenotyping resource.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallon, Ann-Marie; Blake, Andrew; Hancock, John M

2008-01-01

EuroPhenome (http://www.europhenome.org) and EMPReSS (http://empress.har.mrc.ac.uk/) form an integrated resource to provide access to data and procedures for mouse phenotyping. EMPReSS describes 96 Standard Operating Procedures for mouse phenotyping. EuroPhenome contains data resulting from carrying out EMPReSS protocols on four inbred laboratory mouse strains. As well as web interfaces, both resources support web services to enable integration with other mouse phenotyping and functional genetics resources, and are committed to initiatives to improve integration of mouse phenotype databases. EuroPhenome will be the repository for a recently initiated effort to carry out large-scale phenotyping on a large number of knockout mouse lines (EUMODIC).

Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the History of the U.S. Civil Space Program. Volume 4; Accessing Space

Science.gov (United States)

Logsdon, John M. (Editor); Williamson, Ray A. (Editor); Launius, Roger D. (Editor); Acker, Russell J. (Editor); Garber, Stephen J. (Editor); Friedman, Jonathan L. (Editor)

1999-01-01

The documents selected for inclusion in this volume are presented in four major chapters, each covering a particular aspect of access to space and the manner in which it has developed over time. These chapters focus on the evolution toward the giant Saturn V rocket, the development of the Space Shuttle, space transportation commercialization, and future space transportation possibilities. Each chapter in this volume is introduced by an overview essay, prepared by individuals who are particularly well qualified to write on the topic. In the main, these essays are intended to introduce and complement the documents in the chapter and to place them, for the most part, in a chronological and substantive context. Each essay contains references to the documents in the chapter it introduces, and many also contain references to documents in other chapters of the collection. These introductory essays are the responsibility of their individual authors, and the views and conclusions contained therein do not necessarily represent the opinions of either George Washington University or NASA.

Nanotube structures, methods of making nanotube structures, and methods of accessing intracellular space

Science.gov (United States)

VanDersarl, Jules J.; Xu, Alexander M.; Melosh, Nicholas A.; Tayebi, Noureddine

2016-02-23

In accordance with the purpose(s) of the present disclosure, as embodied and broadly described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure, in one aspect, relate to methods of making a structure including nanotubes, a structure including nanotubes, methods of delivering a fluid to a cell, methods of removing a fluid to a cell, methods of accessing intracellular space, and the like.

Gene networks underlying convergent and pleiotropic phenotypes in a large and systematically-phenotyped cohort with heterogeneous developmental disorders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Andrews, T.; Meader, S.; Vulto-van Silfhout, A.T.; Taylor, A.; Steinberg, J.; Hehir-Kwa, J.; Pfundt, R.P.; Leeuw, N. de; Vries, B. de; Webber, C.

2015-01-01

Readily-accessible and standardised capture of genotypic variation has revolutionised our understanding of the genetic contribution to disease. Unfortunately, the corresponding systematic capture of patient phenotypic variation needed to fully interpret the impact of genetic variation has lagged far

Random Access Frames (RAF): Alternative to Rack and Standoff for Deep Space Habitat Outfitting

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, A. Scott; Polit-Casillas, Raul

2014-01-01

A modular Random Access Frame (RAF) system is proposed as an alternative to the International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) for internal module layout and outfitting in a Deep Space Habitat (DSH). The ISPR approach was designed to allow for efficient interchangeability of payload and experiments for the International Space Station (ISS) when frequent resupply missions were available (particularly the now-retired Space Shuttle). Though the standard interface approach to the ISPR system allowed integration of subsystems and hardware from a variety of sources and manufacturers, the heavy rack and standoff approach may not be appropriate when resupply or swap-out capabilities are not available, such as on deep space, long-duration missions. The lightweight RAF concept can allow a more dense packing of stowage and equipment, and may be easily broken down for repurposing or reuse. Several example layouts and workstations are presented.

Phenotypic profiles of Armenian grape cultivars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aroutiounian Rouben

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The conservation and sustainable use of grapevine biodiversity in Armenia is particularly important due to the large number of traditional local varieties. Being partially different from European grapevine gene pool, the material of Armenian local cultivars significantly contributes to the understanding of the genetic variation and is valuable source for target selection. During last years many Armenian grapevine cultivars have been already described and their genotypes determined, but some local varieties and wild accessions remain unidentified and their phenotypic characteristics overlooked. The comprehensive analysis of phenotypes is essential for research, including genetic association studies, cultivar evaluation and selection. The goal of our research was the phenotyping on the base of reproductive, carpological and analytical characteristics of 80 Armenian aboriginal and new grape cultivars. Description of phenotypic profiles is important step towards identification and conservation of genetic resources of Armenian grapes. In future, these data can be applied for breeding of improved grape varieties targeted to fresh consumption and wine production.

System performances of optical space code-division multiple-access-based fiber-optic two-dimensional parallel data link.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, M; Kitayama, K

1998-05-10

Optical space code-division multiple access is a scheme to multiplex and link data between two-dimensional processors such as smart pixels and spatial light modulators or arrays of optical sources like vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. We examine the multiplexing characteristics of optical space code-division multiple access by using optical orthogonal signature patterns. The probability density function of interference noise in interfering optical orthogonal signature patterns is calculated. The bit-error rate is derived from the result and plotted as a function of receiver threshold, code length, code weight, and number of users. Furthermore, we propose a prethresholding method to suppress the interference noise, and we experimentally verify that the method works effectively in improving system performance.

Effective use of multibeam antenna and space-time multiple access technology in modern mobile communication systems

OpenAIRE

Moskalets, N. V.

2015-01-01

A possibility for efficient use of radio-frequency spectrum and of corresponding increase in productivity of mobile communication system with space-time multiple access obtained by use of multibeam antenna of base station is considered.

4D space access neutron spectrometer 4SEASONS (SIKI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Nakamura, Mitsutaka

2010-01-01

The 4D Space Access Neutron Spectrometer (4SEASONS) is a high-intensity Fermi-chopper spectrometer. It is intended to provide high counting rate for thermal neutrons with medium resolution (ΔE/E i -6% at E=0) to efficiently collect weak inelastic signals from novel spin and lattice dynamics especially in high-T c superconductors and related materials. To achieve this goal, the spectrometer equips advanced instrumental design such as an elliptic-shaped converging neutron guide coated with high-Q c (m=3-4) supermirror, and long-length (2.5 m) 3 He position sensitive detectors (PSDs) arranged cylindrically inside the vacuum scattering chamber. Furthermore, the spectrometer is ready for multi-incident-energy measurements by the repetition rate multiplication method, which greatly improves the measurement efficiency. (author)

Gene networks underlying convergent and pleiotropic phenotypes in a large and systematically-phenotyped cohort with heterogeneous developmental disorders.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tallulah Andrews

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Readily-accessible and standardised capture of genotypic variation has revolutionised our understanding of the genetic contribution to disease. Unfortunately, the corresponding systematic capture of patient phenotypic variation needed to fully interpret the impact of genetic variation has lagged far behind. Exploiting deep and systematic phenotyping of a cohort of 197 patients presenting with heterogeneous developmental disorders and whose genomes harbour de novo CNVs, we systematically applied a range of commonly-used functional genomics approaches to identify the underlying molecular perturbations and their phenotypic impact. Grouping patients into 408 non-exclusive patient-phenotype groups, we identified a functional association amongst the genes disrupted in 209 (51% groups. We find evidence for a significant number of molecular interactions amongst the association-contributing genes, including a single highly-interconnected network disrupted in 20% of patients with intellectual disability, and show using microcephaly how these molecular networks can be used as baits to identify additional members whose genes are variant in other patients with the same phenotype. Exploiting the systematic phenotyping of this cohort, we observe phenotypic concordance amongst patients whose variant genes contribute to the same functional association but note that (i this relationship shows significant variation across the different approaches used to infer a commonly perturbed molecular pathway, and (ii that the phenotypic similarities detected amongst patients who share the same inferred pathway perturbation result from these patients sharing many distinct phenotypes, rather than sharing a more specific phenotype, inferring that these pathways are best characterized by their pleiotropic effects.

Gene networks underlying convergent and pleiotropic phenotypes in a large and systematically-phenotyped cohort with heterogeneous developmental disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Tallulah; Meader, Stephen; Vulto-van Silfhout, Anneke; Taylor, Avigail; Steinberg, Julia; Hehir-Kwa, Jayne; Pfundt, Rolph; de Leeuw, Nicole; de Vries, Bert B A; Webber, Caleb

2015-03-01

Readily-accessible and standardised capture of genotypic variation has revolutionised our understanding of the genetic contribution to disease. Unfortunately, the corresponding systematic capture of patient phenotypic variation needed to fully interpret the impact of genetic variation has lagged far behind. Exploiting deep and systematic phenotyping of a cohort of 197 patients presenting with heterogeneous developmental disorders and whose genomes harbour de novo CNVs, we systematically applied a range of commonly-used functional genomics approaches to identify the underlying molecular perturbations and their phenotypic impact. Grouping patients into 408 non-exclusive patient-phenotype groups, we identified a functional association amongst the genes disrupted in 209 (51%) groups. We find evidence for a significant number of molecular interactions amongst the association-contributing genes, including a single highly-interconnected network disrupted in 20% of patients with intellectual disability, and show using microcephaly how these molecular networks can be used as baits to identify additional members whose genes are variant in other patients with the same phenotype. Exploiting the systematic phenotyping of this cohort, we observe phenotypic concordance amongst patients whose variant genes contribute to the same functional association but note that (i) this relationship shows significant variation across the different approaches used to infer a commonly perturbed molecular pathway, and (ii) that the phenotypic similarities detected amongst patients who share the same inferred pathway perturbation result from these patients sharing many distinct phenotypes, rather than sharing a more specific phenotype, inferring that these pathways are best characterized by their pleiotropic effects.

Fast Access to Space Tourism

Science.gov (United States)

Favata', P.; Martineau, N.

2002-01-01

creating a revolutionary space-orbiting habitat dedicated to tourism. Up to now, such proposals have focused on two approaches. The first accounts for financial and technological constraints on space flight and living, and sacrifices creativity for practicality. The second is more utopic in nature and proposes projects, which are imaginative but unfeasible in the near future. This proposal is innovative because it considers the current obstacles to space tourism and utilizes existing technologies and infrastructures, but also includes the forethinking of futuristic commercial projects. Project Objectives: NASA claims that commercialization of space activities is so difficult that it will require decades more funding of so-called space-technology development. The benefits of this project show that this is not true. First, safety has been addressed because this proposal utilizes already space tested and assured technologies. Second, the project demonstrates potential for significant economic profit within the near future. Because we are using the least expensive technology available, we have limited start up costs. We forecast up to forty flights per year, with a potential capacity of eighty tourists. The design objectives focus on the proposal of a new approach to space tourism. These include: the expansion of the living space in the interiors, innovative and creative interior design, increased concern for the physiological and psychological comfort of tourists, and attention to entertainment possibilities. Project Content: The efficiency of the launch and configuration phase is one of the strengths of the proposed project. We propose the use of the Zenith 2 launcher, a large two-stage vehicle developed in the Soviet Union in the early 1980s, for the configuration of the orbiting platform. Following the Russian outfitting philosophy, once in orbit, the platform is already functional. The interior design is based on advanced lightweight inflatable technologies which

CRAVE: a database, middleware and visualization system for phenotype ontologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gkoutos, Georgios V; Green, Eain C J; Greenaway, Simon; Blake, Andrew; Mallon, Ann-Marie; Hancock, John M

2005-04-01

A major challenge in modern biology is to link genome sequence information to organismal function. In many organisms this is being done by characterizing phenotypes resulting from mutations. Efficiently expressing phenotypic information requires combinatorial use of ontologies. However tools are not currently available to visualize combinations of ontologies. Here we describe CRAVE (Concept Relation Assay Value Explorer), a package allowing storage, active updating and visualization of multiple ontologies. CRAVE is a web-accessible JAVA application that accesses an underlying MySQL database of ontologies via a JAVA persistent middleware layer (Chameleon). This maps the database tables into discrete JAVA classes and creates memory resident, interlinked objects corresponding to the ontology data. These JAVA objects are accessed via calls through the middleware's application programming interface. CRAVE allows simultaneous display and linking of multiple ontologies and searching using Boolean and advanced searches.

ACCESS - A Science and Engineering Assessment of Space Coronagraph Concepts for the Direct Imaging and Spectroscopy of Exoplanetary Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Trauger, John

2008-01-01

Topics include and overview, science objectives, study objectives, coronagraph types, metrics, ACCESS observatory, laboratory validations, and summary. Individual slides examine ACCESS engineering approach, ACCESS gamut of coronagraph types, coronagraph metrics, ACCESS Discovery Space, coronagraph optical layout, wavefront control on the "level playing field", deformable mirror development for HCIT, laboratory testbed demonstrations, high contract imaging with the HCIT, laboratory coronagraph contrast and stability, model validation and performance predictions, HCIT coronagraph optical layout, Lyot coronagraph on the HCIT, pupil mapping (PIAA), shaped pupils, and vortex phase mask experiments on the HCIT.

Joint analysis of phenotypic and molecular diversity provides new insights on the genetic variability of the Brazilian physic nut germplasm bank.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Alexandre Alonso; Bhering, Leonardo Lopes; Rosado, Tatiana Barbosa; Laviola, Bruno Galvêas; Formighieri, Eduardo Fernandes; Cruz, Cosme Damião

2013-09-01

The genetic variability of the Brazilian physic nut (Jatropha curcas) germplasm bank (117 accessions) was assessed using a combination of phenotypic and molecular data. The joint dissimilarity matrix showed moderate correlation with the original matrices of phenotypic and molecular data. However, the correlation between the phenotypic dissimilarity matrix and the genotypic dissimilarity matrix was low. This finding indicated that molecular markers (RAPD and SSR) did not adequately sample the genomic regions that were relevant for phenotypic differentiation of the accessions. The dissimilarity values of the joint dissimilarity matrix were used to measure phenotypic + molecular diversity. This diversity varied from 0 to 1.29 among the 117 accessions, with an average dissimilarity among genotypes of 0.51. Joint analysis of phenotypic and molecular diversity indicated that the genetic diversity of the physic nut germplasm was 156% and 64% higher than the diversity estimated from phenotypic and molecular data, respectively. These results show that Jatropha genetic variability in Brazil is not as limited as previously thought.

Elucidating the genotype-phenotype map by automatic enumeration and analysis of the phenotypic repertoire.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, Jason G; Savageau, Michael A

The gap between genotype and phenotype is filled by complex biochemical systems most of which are poorly understood. Because these systems are complex, it is widely appreciated that quantitative understanding can only be achieved with the aid of mathematical models. However, formulating models and measuring or estimating their numerous rate constants and binding constants is daunting. Here we present a strategy for automating difficult aspects of the process. The strategy, based on a system design space methodology, is applied to a class of 16 designs for a synthetic gene oscillator that includes seven designs previously formulated on the basis of experimentally measured and estimated parameters. Our strategy provides four important innovations by automating: (1) enumeration of the repertoire of qualitatively distinct phenotypes for a system; (2) generation of parameter values for any particular phenotype; (3) simultaneous realization of parameter values for several phenotypes to aid visualization of transitions from one phenotype to another, in critical cases from functional to dysfunctional; and (4) identification of ensembles of phenotypes whose expression can be phased to achieve a specific sequence of functions for rationally engineering synthetic constructs. Our strategy, applied to the 16 designs, reproduced previous results and identified two additional designs capable of sustained oscillations that were previously missed. Starting with a system's relatively fixed aspects, its architectural features, our method enables automated analysis of nonlinear biochemical systems from a global perspective, without first specifying parameter values. The examples presented demonstrate the efficiency and power of this automated strategy.

The Second Space Race

Science.gov (United States)

Fawkes, S.

This paper compares and contrasts the characteristics of the first space race, which ran from the late 1950s to the late 1990s, and the second space race that began with the successful space flight of SpaceShipOne in 2004. The first space race was between superpowers seeking to establish geo-political dominance in the Cold War. The second space race will be between competing companies seeking to establish low cost access to space for ordinary people. The first space race achieved its geo- political objectives but did not open up low cost access to space but rather restricted access to a select few, highly trained astronauts and cosmonauts. The second space race, driven by the size and growth of the travel and tourism industry, promises to open up access to space to millions of space tourists.

Phenotypic Responses of Twenty Diverse Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum L. Accessions to Irrigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cedric Habiyaremye

2017-03-01

Full Text Available To date, little research has been conducted on the phenotypic responses of proso millet to drought and deficit irrigation treatments in the dryland wheat-based cropping systems of the Palouse bioregion of the U.S. The objectives of this study were to evaluate critical agronomic traits of proso millet, including emergence, plant height, days to heading, days to maturity, and grain yield, with and without supplemental irrigation. Twenty diverse proso millet accessions, originating from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Morocco, the former Soviet Union, Turkey, and the United States, were grown in irrigated and non-irrigated treatments under organic conditions in Pullman, WA, from 2012 to 2014. Irrigation was shown to significantly improve emergence and increase plant height at stem extension and to hasten ripening of all the varieties, whereas heading date was not affected by irrigation in two of the three years tested. Irrigation resulted in higher mean seed yield across all varieties, with ‘GR 665’ and ‘Earlybird’ performing best under irrigation. Seed yield was highest in ‘GR 658’ and ‘Minsum’ in the non-irrigated treatment, suggesting the importance of identification and utilization of varieties adapted to low rainfall conditions. The highest yielding varieties in irrigated systems are unlikely be the highest yielding in dryland systems. Our results suggest that millet has potential as a regionally novel crop for inclusion in traditional dryland cropping rotations in the Palouse ecosystem, thereby contributing to increased cropping system diversity.

Yearbook on space policy 2015 access to space and the evolution of space activities

CERN Document Server

Baranes, Blandina; Hulsroj, Peter; Lahcen, Arne

2017-01-01

The Yearbook on Space Policy, edited by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), is the reference publication analysing space policy developments. Each year it presents issues and trends in space policy and the space sector as a whole. Its scope is global and its perspective is European. The Yearbook also links space policy with other policy areas. It highlights specific events and issues, and provides useful insights, data and information on space activities. The first part of the Yearbook sets out a comprehensive overview of the economic, political, technological and institutional trends that have affected space activities. The second part of the Yearbook offers a more analytical perspective on the yearly ESPI theme and consists of external contributions written by professionals with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. The third part of the Yearbook carries forward the character of the Yearbook as an archive of space activities. The Yearbook is designed for government decision-makers and agencies...

Setting scene for TV white spaces and dynamic spectrum access in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Masonta, MT

2012-05-01

Full Text Available -and-control static spectrum regulation regime. In order to keep up with a growing demand for wireless broadband access; new and dynamic spectrum regulation and management approaches are crucial. The ongoing global television (TV) broadcast digital switchover (DSO... ?white spaces? (TVWS). In the US, for example, TV DSO was completed in June 2009. However, this was not a smooth process. For instance, it was reported that digital TV viewers from many cities experienced several reception problems [2]. Due...

Elucidating the genotype–phenotype map by automatic enumeration and analysis of the phenotypic repertoire

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, Jason G; Savageau, Michael A

2015-01-01

Background: The gap between genotype and phenotype is filled by complex biochemical systems most of which are poorly understood. Because these systems are complex, it is widely appreciated that quantitative understanding can only be achieved with the aid of mathematical models. However, formulating models and measuring or estimating their numerous rate constants and binding constants is daunting. Here we present a strategy for automating difficult aspects of the process. Methods: The strategy, based on a system design space methodology, is applied to a class of 16 designs for a synthetic gene oscillator that includes seven designs previously formulated on the basis of experimentally measured and estimated parameters. Results: Our strategy provides four important innovations by automating: (1) enumeration of the repertoire of qualitatively distinct phenotypes for a system; (2) generation of parameter values for any particular phenotype; (3) simultaneous realization of parameter values for several phenotypes to aid visualization of transitions from one phenotype to another, in critical cases from functional to dysfunctional; and (4) identification of ensembles of phenotypes whose expression can be phased to achieve a specific sequence of functions for rationally engineering synthetic constructs. Our strategy, applied to the 16 designs, reproduced previous results and identified two additional designs capable of sustained oscillations that were previously missed. Conclusions: Starting with a system’s relatively fixed aspects, its architectural features, our method enables automated analysis of nonlinear biochemical systems from a global perspective, without first specifying parameter values. The examples presented demonstrate the efficiency and power of this automated strategy. PMID:26998346

The Blueprint for Change: A National Strategy to Enhance Access to Earth and Space Science Education Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Geary, E. E.; Barstow, D.

2001-12-01

Enhancing access to high quality science education resources for teachers, students, and the general public is a high priority for the earth and space science education communities. However, to significantly increase access to these resources and promote their effective use will require a coordinated effort between content developers, publishers, professional developers, policy makers, and users in both formal and informal education settings. Federal agencies, academic institutions, professional societies, informal science centers, the Digital Library for Earth System Education, and other National SMETE Digital Library Projects are anticipated to play key roles in this effort. As a first step to developing a coordinated, national strategy for developing and delivering high quality earth and space science education resources to students, teachers, and the general public, 65 science educators, scientists, teachers, administrators, policy makers, and business leaders met this June in Snowmass, Colorado to create "Earth and Space Science Education 2010: A Blueprint for Change". The Blueprint is a strategy document that will be used to guide Earth and space science education reform efforts in grades K-12 during the next decade. The Blueprint contains specific goals, recommendations, and strategies for coordinating action in the areas of: Teacher Preparation and Professional Development, Curriculum and Materials, Equity and Diversity, Assessment and Evaluation, Public Policy and Systemic Reform, Public and Informal Education, Partnerships and Collaborations, and Technology. If you develop, disseminate, or use exemplary earth and space science education resources, we invite you to review the Blueprint for Change, share it with your colleagues and local science educators, and join as we work to revolutionize earth and space science education in grades K-12.

Quality of and access to green space in relation to psychological distress: results from a population-based cross-sectional study as part of the EURO-URHIS 2 project.

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, D; Tisdall, R; Middleton, J; Verma, A; van Ameijden, E; Birt, C; Macherianakis, A; Bruce, N G

2018-02-01

Psychological distress (PD) (mental ill-health) has a frequency between 5 and 25% in urban populations, and there is mounting evidence that access to green space might reduce its occurrence. Evidence suggests that the quality of green space is as important as accessibility in promoting mental well-being. A pilot study for EURO-URHIS 2 allowed investigation of access to green space in relation to PD in a deprived urban population in the UK. An adult urban health indicator questionnaire, including the GHQ-12 and validated questions on access to and quality of green space, was sent to a stratified random sample of 1680 adults drawn from one general practice list in Sandwell, UK. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine associations between attributes of green space and PD adjusting for age, sex and levels of deprivation. There were 578 (35%) completed responses. The reported prevalence of PD [n = 131 (22.7%)] was significantly greater than national England and Wales estimates. As well as accessibility (OR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.35, 0.96) and sufficiency (OR = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.39, 0.89) of green spaces, having the ability to use them for relaxation and recreation were significantly associated with reduced PD [OR = 0.13 (0.42, 0.94) and OR = 0.11 (0.34, 0.80), respectively]. In addition, a dose-response relationship between number of positive green space attributes and PD was identified (P access to and quality of green spaces with reduced PD. The cross-sectional design and use of subjective measures limit interpretation of causality. More knowledge is needed on how UK planning affects green spaces and the potential mental health consequences. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome tomography for brain analysis in the web-accessible anatomical space.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuko Okamura-Oho

Full Text Available Increased information on the encoded mammalian genome is expected to facilitate an integrated understanding of complex anatomical structure and function based on the knowledge of gene products. Determination of gene expression-anatomy associations is crucial for this understanding. To elicit the association in the three-dimensional (3D space, we introduce a novel technique for comprehensive mapping of endogenous gene expression into a web-accessible standard space: Transcriptome Tomography. The technique is based on conjugation of sequential tissue-block sectioning, all fractions of which are used for molecular measurements of gene expression densities, and the block- face imaging, which are used for 3D reconstruction of the fractions. To generate a 3D map, tissues are serially sectioned in each of three orthogonal planes and the expression density data are mapped using a tomographic technique. This rapid and unbiased mapping technique using a relatively small number of original data points allows researchers to create their own expression maps in the broad anatomical context of the space. In the first instance we generated a dataset of 36,000 maps, reconstructed from data of 61 fractions measured with microarray, covering the whole mouse brain (ViBrism: http://vibrism.riken.jp/3dviewer/ex/index.html in one month. After computational estimation of the mapping accuracy we validated the dataset against existing data with respect to the expression location and density. To demonstrate the relevance of the framework, we showed disease related expression of Huntington's disease gene and Bdnf. Our tomographic approach is applicable to analysis of any biological molecules derived from frozen tissues, organs and whole embryos, and the maps are spatially isotropic and well suited to the analysis in the standard space (e.g. Waxholm Space for brain-atlas databases. This will facilitate research creating and using open-standards for a molecular

Cognitive Access to TVWS in India

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Patil, Kishor P.; Skouby, Knud Erik; Prasad, Ramjee

2013-01-01

The digital transition of TV transmission will make available some TV frequencies which are to be geographically unused called as TV White Spaces. The important regulatory trend in the context of Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) is the Cognitive access of TV white Spaces. In this context, we have pe...... of India, we have proposed wireless broadband access to rural areas using TV White Spaces (TVWSs). This will help in bridging the digital divide by offering governance, banking, and health services online in the rural areas.......The digital transition of TV transmission will make available some TV frequencies which are to be geographically unused called as TV White Spaces. The important regulatory trend in the context of Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) is the Cognitive access of TV white Spaces. In this context, we have...... performed spectrum measurements of TV band in Pune, India. Our result shows poor spectrum utilization in TV band, and good potential for Cognitive radio operation. Digital switchover in India will generate golden opportunity for empowering rural India. As majority of India’s population lives in rural part...

Ambient temperature and genotype differentially affect developmental and phenotypic plasticity in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibañez, Carla; Poeschl, Yvonne; Peterson, Tom; Bellstädt, Julia; Denk, Kathrin; Gogol-Döring, Andreas; Quint, Marcel; Delker, Carolin

2017-07-06

Global increase in ambient temperatures constitute a significant challenge to wild and cultivated plant species. Forward genetic analyses of individual temperature-responsive traits have resulted in the identification of several signaling and response components. However, a comprehensive knowledge about temperature sensitivity of different developmental stages and the contribution of natural variation is still scarce and fragmented at best. Here, we systematically analyze thermomorphogenesis throughout a complete life cycle in ten natural Arabidopsis thaliana accessions grown under long day conditions in four different temperatures ranging from 16 to 28 °C. We used Q 10 , GxE, phenotypic divergence and correlation analyses to assess temperature sensitivity and genotype effects of more than 30 morphometric and developmental traits representing five phenotype classes. We found that genotype and temperature differentially affected plant growth and development with variing strengths. Furthermore, overall correlations among phenotypic temperature responses was relatively low which seems to be caused by differential capacities for temperature adaptations of individual accessions. Genotype-specific temperature responses may be attractive targets for future forward genetic approaches and accession-specific thermomorphogenesis maps may aid the assessment of functional relevance of known and novel regulatory components.

High level of molecular and phenotypic biodiversity in Jatropha curcas from Central America compared to Africa, Asia and South America

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background The main bottleneck to elevate jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) from a wild species to a profitable biodiesel crop is the low genetic and phenotypic variation found in different regions of the world, hampering efficient plant breeding for productivity traits. In this study, 182 accessions from Asia (91), Africa (35), South America (9) and Central America (47) were evaluated at genetic and phenotypic level to find genetic variation and important traits for oilseed production. Results Genetic variation was assessed with SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat), TRAP (Target Region Amplification Polymorphism) and AFLP (Amplified fragment length polymorphism) techniques. Phenotypic variation included seed morphological characteristics, seed oil content and fatty acid composition and early growth traits. Jaccard’s similarity and cluster analysis by UPGM (Unweighted Paired Group Method) with arithmetic mean and PCA (Principle Component Analysis) indicated higher variability in Central American accessions compared to Asian, African and South American accessions. Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) values ranged from 0 to 0.65. In the set of Central American accessions. PIC values were higher than in other regions. Accessions from the Central American population contain alleles that were not found in the accessions from other populations. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA; P jatropha oil significantly differed (P < 0.05) between regions. Conclusions The pool of Central American accessions showed very large genetic variation as assessed by DNA-marker variation compared to accessions from other regions. Central American accessions also showed the highest phenotypic variation and should be considered as the most important source for plant breeding. Some variation in early growth traits was found within a group of accessions from Asia and Africa, while these accessions did not differ in a single DNA-marker, possibly indicating epigenetic variation. PMID:24666927

Sobolev spaces

CERN Document Server

Adams, Robert A

2003-01-01

Sobolev Spaces presents an introduction to the theory of Sobolev Spaces and other related spaces of function, also to the imbedding characteristics of these spaces. This theory is widely used in pure and Applied Mathematics and in the Physical Sciences.This second edition of Adam''s ''classic'' reference text contains many additions and much modernizing and refining of material. The basic premise of the book remains unchanged: Sobolev Spaces is intended to provide a solid foundation in these spaces for graduate students and researchers alike.* Self-contained and accessible for readers in other disciplines.* Written at elementary level making it accessible to graduate students.

Identifying novel phenotypes of vulnerability and resistance to activity-based anorexia in adolescent female rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbarich-Marsteller, Nicole C; Underwood, Mark D; Foltin, Richard W; Myers, Michael M; Walsh, B Timothy; Barrett, Jeffrey S; Marsteller, Douglas A

2013-11-01

Activity-based anorexia is a translational rodent model that results in severe weight loss, hyperactivity, and voluntary self-starvation. The goal of our investigation was to identify vulnerable and resistant phenotypes of activity-based anorexia in adolescent female rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained under conditions of restricted access to food (N = 64; or unlimited access, N = 16) until experimental exit, predefined as a target weight loss of 30-35% or meeting predefined criteria for animal health. Nonlinear mixed effects statistical modeling was used to describe wheel running behavior, time to event analysis was used to assess experimental exit, and a regressive partitioning algorithm was used to classify phenotypes. Objective criteria were identified for distinguishing novel phenotypes of activity-based anorexia, including a vulnerable phenotype that conferred maximal hyperactivity, minimal food intake, and the shortest time to experimental exit, and a resistant phenotype that conferred minimal activity and the longest time to experimental exit. The identification of objective criteria for defining vulnerable and resistant phenotypes of activity-based anorexia in adolescent female rats provides an important framework for studying the neural mechanisms that promote vulnerability to or protection against the development of self-starvation and hyperactivity during adolescence. Ultimately, future studies using these novel phenotypes may provide important translational insights into the mechanisms that promote these maladaptive behaviors characteristic of anorexia nervosa. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Minimally Invasive Subcortical Parafascicular Transsulcal Access for Clot Evacuation (Mi SPACE for Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Ritsma

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH is common and causes significant mortality and morbidity. To date, optimal medical and surgical intervention remains uncertain. A lack of definitive benefit for operative management may be attributable to adverse surgical effect, collateral tissue injury. This is particularly relevant for ICH in dominant, eloquent cortex. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS offers the potential advantage of reduced collateral damage. MIS utilizing a parafascicular approach has demonstrated such benefit for intracranial tumor resection. Methods. We present a case of dominant hemisphere spontaneous ICH evacuated via the minimally invasive subcortical parafascicular transsulcal access clot evacuation (Mi SPACE model. We use this report to introduce Mi SPACE and to examine the application of this novel MIS paradigm. Case Presentation. The featured patient presented with a left temporal ICH and severe global aphasia. The hematoma was evacuated via the Mi SPACE approach. Postoperative reassessments showed significant improvement. At two months, bedside language testing was normal. MRI tractography confirmed limited collateral injury. Conclusions. This case illustrates successful application of the Mi SPACE model to ICH in dominant, eloquent cortex and subcortical regions. MRI tractography illustrates collateral tissue preservation. Safety and feasibility studies are required to further assess this promising new therapeutic paradigm.

A bioimage informatics platform for high-throughput embryo phenotyping.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, James M; Horner, Neil R; Lawson, Thomas N; Fiegel, Tanja; Greenaway, Simon; Morgan, Hugh; Ring, Natalie; Santos, Luis; Sneddon, Duncan; Teboul, Lydia; Vibert, Jennifer; Yaikhom, Gagarine; Westerberg, Henrik; Mallon, Ann-Marie

2018-01-01

High-throughput phenotyping is a cornerstone of numerous functional genomics projects. In recent years, imaging screens have become increasingly important in understanding gene-phenotype relationships in studies of cells, tissues and whole organisms. Three-dimensional (3D) imaging has risen to prominence in the field of developmental biology for its ability to capture whole embryo morphology and gene expression, as exemplified by the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC). Large volumes of image data are being acquired by multiple institutions around the world that encompass a range of modalities, proprietary software and metadata. To facilitate robust downstream analysis, images and metadata must be standardized to account for these differences. As an open scientific enterprise, making the data readily accessible is essential so that members of biomedical and clinical research communities can study the images for themselves without the need for highly specialized software or technical expertise. In this article, we present a platform of software tools that facilitate the upload, analysis and dissemination of 3D images for the IMPC. Over 750 reconstructions from 80 embryonic lethal and subviable lines have been captured to date, all of which are openly accessible at mousephenotype.org. Although designed for the IMPC, all software is available under an open-source licence for others to use and develop further. Ongoing developments aim to increase throughput and improve the analysis and dissemination of image data. Furthermore, we aim to ensure that images are searchable so that users can locate relevant images associated with genes, phenotypes or human diseases of interest. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Accessibility and sensory experiences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ryhl, Camilla

2010-01-01

and accessibility. Sensory accessibility accommodates aspects of a sensory disability and describes architectural design requirements needed to ensure access to architectural experiences. In the context of architecture accessibility has become a design concept of its own. It is generally described as ensuring...... physical access to the built environment by accommodating physical disabilities. While the existing concept of accessibility ensures the physical access of everyone to a given space, sensory accessibility ensures the choice of everyone to stay and be able to participate and experience....

Biomedical engineering strategies in system design space.

Science.gov (United States)

Savageau, Michael A

2011-04-01

Modern systems biology and synthetic bioengineering face two major challenges in relating properties of the genetic components of a natural or engineered system to its integrated behavior. The first is the fundamental unsolved problem of relating the digital representation of the genotype to the analog representation of the parameters for the molecular components. For example, knowing the DNA sequence does not allow one to determine the kinetic parameters of an enzyme. The second is the fundamental unsolved problem of relating the parameters of the components and the environment to the phenotype of the global system. For example, knowing the parameters does not tell one how many qualitatively distinct phenotypes are in the organism's repertoire or the relative fitness of the phenotypes in different environments. These also are challenges for biomedical engineers as they attempt to develop therapeutic strategies to treat pathology or to redirect normal cellular functions for biotechnological purposes. In this article, the second of these fundamental challenges will be addressed, and the notion of a "system design space" for relating the parameter space of components to the phenotype space of bioengineering systems will be focused upon. First, the concept of a system design space will be motivated by introducing one of its key components from an intuitive perspective. Second, a simple linear example will be used to illustrate a generic method for constructing the design space in which qualitatively distinct phenotypes can be identified and counted, their fitness analyzed and compared, and their tolerance to change measured. Third, two examples of nonlinear systems from different areas of biomedical engineering will be presented. Finally, after giving reference to a few other applications that have made use of the system design space approach to reveal important design principles, some concluding remarks concerning challenges and opportunities for further development

Measures for interoperability of phenotypic data: minimum information requirements and formatting.

Science.gov (United States)

Ćwiek-Kupczyńska, Hanna; Altmann, Thomas; Arend, Daniel; Arnaud, Elizabeth; Chen, Dijun; Cornut, Guillaume; Fiorani, Fabio; Frohmberg, Wojciech; Junker, Astrid; Klukas, Christian; Lange, Matthias; Mazurek, Cezary; Nafissi, Anahita; Neveu, Pascal; van Oeveren, Jan; Pommier, Cyril; Poorter, Hendrik; Rocca-Serra, Philippe; Sansone, Susanna-Assunta; Scholz, Uwe; van Schriek, Marco; Seren, Ümit; Usadel, Björn; Weise, Stephan; Kersey, Paul; Krajewski, Paweł

2016-01-01

Plant phenotypic data shrouds a wealth of information which, when accurately analysed and linked to other data types, brings to light the knowledge about the mechanisms of life. As phenotyping is a field of research comprising manifold, diverse and time-consuming experiments, the findings can be fostered by reusing and combining existing datasets. Their correct interpretation, and thus replicability, comparability and interoperability, is possible provided that the collected observations are equipped with an adequate set of metadata. So far there have been no common standards governing phenotypic data description, which hampered data exchange and reuse. In this paper we propose the guidelines for proper handling of the information about plant phenotyping experiments, in terms of both the recommended content of the description and its formatting. We provide a document called "Minimum Information About a Plant Phenotyping Experiment", which specifies what information about each experiment should be given, and a Phenotyping Configuration for the ISA-Tab format, which allows to practically organise this information within a dataset. We provide examples of ISA-Tab-formatted phenotypic data, and a general description of a few systems where the recommendations have been implemented. Acceptance of the rules described in this paper by the plant phenotyping community will help to achieve findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable data.

A Genome-Wide Association Study on the Seedless Phenotype in Banana (Musa spp. Reveals the Potential of a Selected Panel to Detect Candidate Genes in a Vegetatively Propagated Crop.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie Sardos

Full Text Available Banana (Musa sp. is a vegetatively propagated, low fertility, potentially hybrid and polyploid crop. These qualities make the breeding and targeted genetic improvement of this crop a difficult and long process. The Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS approach is becoming widely used in crop plants and has proven efficient to detecting candidate genes for traits of interest, especially in cereals. GWAS has not been applied yet to a vegetatively propagated crop. However, successful GWAS in banana would considerably help unravel the genomic basis of traits of interest and therefore speed up this crop improvement. We present here a dedicated panel of 105 accessions of banana, freely available upon request, and their corresponding GBS data. A set of 5,544 highly reliable markers revealed high levels of admixture in most accessions, except for a subset of 33 individuals from Papua. A GWAS on the seedless phenotype was then successfully applied to the panel. By applying the Mixed Linear Model corrected for both kinship and structure as implemented in TASSEL, we detected 13 candidate genomic regions in which we found a number of genes potentially linked with the seedless phenotype (i.e. parthenocarpy combined with female sterility. An additional GWAS performed on the unstructured Papuan subset composed of 33 accessions confirmed six of these regions as candidate. Out of both sets of analyses, one strong candidate gene for female sterility, a putative orthologous gene to Histidine Kinase CKI1, was identified. The results presented here confirmed the feasibility and potential of GWAS when applied to small sets of banana accessions, at least for traits underpinned by a few loci. As phenotyping in banana is extremely space and time-consuming, this latest finding is of particular importance in the context of banana improvement.

A Genome-Wide Association Study on the Seedless Phenotype in Banana (Musa spp.) Reveals the Potential of a Selected Panel to Detect Candidate Genes in a Vegetatively Propagated Crop.

Science.gov (United States)

Sardos, Julie; Rouard, Mathieu; Hueber, Yann; Cenci, Alberto; Hyma, Katie E; van den Houwe, Ines; Hribova, Eva; Courtois, Brigitte; Roux, Nicolas

2016-01-01

Banana (Musa sp.) is a vegetatively propagated, low fertility, potentially hybrid and polyploid crop. These qualities make the breeding and targeted genetic improvement of this crop a difficult and long process. The Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) approach is becoming widely used in crop plants and has proven efficient to detecting candidate genes for traits of interest, especially in cereals. GWAS has not been applied yet to a vegetatively propagated crop. However, successful GWAS in banana would considerably help unravel the genomic basis of traits of interest and therefore speed up this crop improvement. We present here a dedicated panel of 105 accessions of banana, freely available upon request, and their corresponding GBS data. A set of 5,544 highly reliable markers revealed high levels of admixture in most accessions, except for a subset of 33 individuals from Papua. A GWAS on the seedless phenotype was then successfully applied to the panel. By applying the Mixed Linear Model corrected for both kinship and structure as implemented in TASSEL, we detected 13 candidate genomic regions in which we found a number of genes potentially linked with the seedless phenotype (i.e. parthenocarpy combined with female sterility). An additional GWAS performed on the unstructured Papuan subset composed of 33 accessions confirmed six of these regions as candidate. Out of both sets of analyses, one strong candidate gene for female sterility, a putative orthologous gene to Histidine Kinase CKI1, was identified. The results presented here confirmed the feasibility and potential of GWAS when applied to small sets of banana accessions, at least for traits underpinned by a few loci. As phenotyping in banana is extremely space and time-consuming, this latest finding is of particular importance in the context of banana improvement.

Phenotypic Changes Exhibited by E. coli Cultured in Space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zea, Luis; Larsen, Michael; Estante, Frederico

2017-01-01

% in space with respect to the Earth control group. Outer membrane vesicles were observed on the spaceflight samples, but not on the Earth cultures. While E. coli suspension cultures on Earth were homogenously distributed throughout the liquid medium, in space they tended to form a cluster, leaving...

Report of space experiment project, 'Rad Gene', performed in the International Space Station Kibo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohnishi, Takeo; Takahashi, Akihisa; Nagamatsu, Aiko

2010-01-01

This report summarizes results of the project in the title adopted by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) (in 2000) aiming to elucidate the biological effect of space environment, and contains 3 major parts of the process of the experiment, and of findings by analysis after flight and in radioadaptive response. The process for the experiment includes training of the experimenter crew (Dr. S. Magnus) in JAXA, preparation of samples (frozen cells with normal and mutated p53 genes derived from human lymphoblast TK6) and their transfer to the Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-126 launched on Nov. 15, 2008 (Japanese time) for cell culturing in Feb., 2009. Analyses after flight back to the Kennedy Space Center on Mar. 29, 2009, done on the ground in Japan thereafter include the physical evaluation, confirmation of DNA damage, and phenotypic expression with DNA- and protein-arrays (genes induced for expression of p53-related phenotypes in those cells which were stored frozen in the space, thawed on the ground and then cultured, genes induced for expressing the phenotypes and p53-related proteins expressed in cells cultured in space). Physically, total absorbed dose and dose equivalent are found to be respectively 43.5 mGy and 71.2 mSv (0.5 mSv/day). Interestingly, the biologically estimated dose by DNA-double strand breaks detected by γH2AX staining, 94.5 mSv (0.7 mSv/day), in living, frozen cells in space, is close to the above physical dose. Expression experiments of p53-related phenotypes have revealed that expression of 750 or more genes in 41,000 genes in the array is changed: enhanced or suppressed by space radiation, micro-gravity and/or their mixed effects in space environment. In 642 protein antibodies in the array, 2 proteins are found enhanced and 8, suppressed whereas heat-shock protein is unchanged. Radioadaptive response is the acquisition of radio-resistance to acute exposure by previous irradiation of small dose (window width 20-100 mSv) in normal p53

The place of receptionists in access to primary care: Challenges in the space between community and consultation.

Science.gov (United States)

Neuwelt, Pat M; Kearns, Robin A; Browne, Annette J

2015-05-01

At the point of entry to the health care system sit general practice receptionists (GPRs), a seldom studied employment group. The place of the receptionist involves both a location within the internal geography of the clinic and a position within the primary care team. Receptionists literally 'receive' those who phone or enter the clinic, and are a critical influence in their transformation from a 'person' to a 'patient'. This process occurs in a particular space: the 'waiting room'. We explore the waiting room and its dynamics in terms of 'acceptability', an under-examined aspect of access to primary care. We ask 'How do GPRs see their role with regard to patients with complex health and social needs, in light of the spatio-temporal constraints of their working environments?' We engaged receptionists as participants to explore perceptions of their roles and their workspaces, deriving narrative data from three focus groups involving 14 GPRs from 11 practices in the Northland region of New Zealand. The study employed an adapted form of grounded theory. Our findings indicate that GPRs are on the edge of the practice team, yet carry a complex role at the frontline, in the waiting space. They are de facto managers of this space; however, they have limited agency within general practice settings, due to the constraints imposed upon them by physical and organisational structures. The agency of GPRs is most evident in their ability to shape the social dynamics of the waiting space, and to frame the health care experience as positive for people whose usual experience is marginalisation. We conclude that, if well supported, receptionists have the potential to positively influence health care acceptability, and patients' access to care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated phenotyping of permanent crops

Science.gov (United States)

McPeek, K. Thomas; Steddom, Karl; Zamudio, Joseph; Pant, Paras; Mullenbach, Tyler

2017-05-01

AGERpoint is defining a new technology space for the growers' industry by introducing novel applications for sensor technology and data analysis to growers of permanent crops. Serving data to a state-of-the-art analytics engine from a cutting edge sensor platform, a new paradigm in precision agriculture is being developed that allows growers to understand the unique needs of each tree, bush or vine in their operation. Autonomous aerial and terrestrial vehicles equipped with multiple varieties of remote sensing technologies give AGERpoint the ability to measure key morphological and spectral features of permanent crops. This work demonstrates how such phenotypic measurements combined with machine learning algorithms can be used to determine the variety of crops (e.g., almond and pecan trees). This phenotypic and varietal information represents the first step in enabling growers with the ability to tailor their management practices to individual plants and maximize their economic productivity.

Transforming community access to space science models

Science.gov (United States)

MacNeice, Peter; Hesse, Michael; Kuznetsova, Maria; Maddox, Marlo; Rastaetter, Lutz; Berrios, David; Pulkkinen, Antti

2012-04-01

Researching and forecasting the ever changing space environment (often referred to as space weather) and its influence on humans and their activities are model-intensive disciplines. This is true because the physical processes involved are complex, but, in contrast to terrestrial weather, the supporting observations are typically sparse. Models play a vital role in establishing a physically meaningful context for interpreting limited observations, testing theory, and producing both nowcasts and forecasts. For example, with accurate forecasting of hazardous space weather conditions, spacecraft operators can place sensitive systems in safe modes, and power utilities can protect critical network components from damage caused by large currents induced in transmission lines by geomagnetic storms.

The Mission Accessibility of Near-Earth Asteroids

Science.gov (United States)

Barbee, Brent W.; Abell, P. A.; Adamo, D. R.; Mazanek, D. D.; Johnson, L. N.; Yeomans, D. K.; Chodas, P. W.; Chamberlin, A. B.; Benner, L. A. M.; Taylor, P.;

Measuring access to primary health care: use of a GIS-based accessibility analysis

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mokgalaka, H

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Spatial analytical tools and analyses are key enabling instruments which can be used to efficiently plan for public-spaces such as healthcare facilities in a metropolitan context. Improving the levels of access to public-spaces through various...

Novel Phenotypic Outcomes Identified for a Public Collection of Approved Drugs from a Publicly Accessible Panel of Assays.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan A Lee

Full Text Available Phenotypic assays have a proven track record for generating leads that become first-in-class therapies. Whole cell assays that inform on a phenotype or mechanism also possess great potential in drug repositioning studies by illuminating new activities for the existing pharmacopeia. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS pharmaceutical collection (NPC is the largest reported collection of approved small molecule therapeutics that is available for screening in a high-throughput setting. Via a wide-ranging collaborative effort, this library was analyzed in the Open Innovation Drug Discovery (OIDD phenotypic assay modules publicly offered by Lilly. The results of these tests are publically available online at www.ncats.nih.gov/expertise/preclinical/pd2 and via the PubChem Database (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ (AID 1117321. Phenotypic outcomes for numerous drugs were confirmed, including sulfonylureas as insulin secretagogues and the anti-angiogenesis actions of multikinase inhibitors sorafenib, axitinib and pazopanib. Several novel outcomes were also noted including the Wnt potentiating activities of rotenone and the antifolate class of drugs, and the anti-angiogenic activity of cetaben.

Chip-interleaved optical code division multiple access relying on a photon-counting iterative successive interference canceller for free-space optical channels.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaolin; Zheng, Xiaowei; Zhang, Rong; Hanzo, Lajos

2013-07-01

In this paper, we design a novel Poisson photon-counting based iterative successive interference cancellation (SIC) scheme for transmission over free-space optical (FSO) channels in the presence of both multiple access interference (MAI) as well as Gamma-Gamma atmospheric turbulence fading, shot-noise and background light. Our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme exhibits a strong MAI suppression capability. Importantly, an order of magnitude of BER improvements may be achieved compared to the conventional chip-level optical code-division multiple-access (OCDMA) photon-counting detector.

Environmental, phenotypic and genetic variation of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) from Israel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vanhala, T.; Rijn, C.P.E.; Buntjer, J.; Stam, P.; Nevo, E.; Poorter, H.; Eeuwijk, van F.A.

2004-01-01

Wild relatives of crop plants offer an attractive gene pool for cultivar improvement. We evaluated genetic and phenotypic variation for a set of 72 Israeli accessions of wild barley from 21 populations. These populations were grouped further into four ecotypes. In addition, environmental variables

The Coupling Strategy Research of Urban Public Space and Traffic for Improving the Residents’ Low-Carbon Travel Accessibility: A Case Study of Hexi New City Central Area in Nanjing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caiyun Qian

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Under the current model of advocating urban intensive development and updating built-up areas, promoting the coupling optimization of space and public transport in built-up areas is an important way to realize sustainable urban development. Apart from researching the space and accessibility of the central area in Hexi new city of Nanjing and analyzing problems from various aspects, i.e., urban land use, road network planning, bus station distribution, non-motorized traffic, and space and environment design, combining with the OD (Origin & Destination survey, this paper further put forward the corresponding improvement strategy for the public space accessibility of different levels and optimized design of non-motorized traffic.

Active pore space utilization in nanoporous carbon-based supercapacitors: Effects of conductivity and pore accessibility

Science.gov (United States)

Seredych, Mykola; Koscinski, Mikolaj; Sliwinska-Bartkowiak, Malgorzata; Bandosz, Teresa J.

2012-12-01

Composites of commercial graphene and nanoporous sodium-salt-polymer-derived carbons were prepared with 5 or 20 weight% graphene. The materials were characterized using the adsorption of nitrogen, SEM/EDX, thermal analysis, Raman spectroscopy and potentiometric titration. The samples' conductivity was also measured. The performance of the carbon composites in energy storage was linked to their porosity and electronic conductivity. The small pores (<0.7) were found as very active for double layer capacitance. It was demonstrated that when double layer capacitance is a predominant mechanism of charge storage, the degree of the pore space utilization for that storage can be increased by increasing the conductivity of the carbons. That active pore space utilization is defined as gravimetric capacitance per unit pore volume in pores smaller than 0.7 nm. Its magnitude is affected by conductivity of the carbon materials. The functional groups, besides pseudocapacitive contribution, increased the wettability and thus the degree of the pore space utilization. Graphene phase, owing to its conductivity, also took part in an insitu increase of the small pore accessibility and thus the capacitance of the composites via enhancing an electron transfer to small pores and thus imposing the reduction of groups blocking the pores for electrolyte ions.

NCI Workshop Report: Clinical and Computational Requirements for Correlating Imaging Phenotypes with Genomics Signatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rivka Colen

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The National Cancer Institute (NCI Cancer Imaging Program organized two related workshops on June 26–27, 2013, entitled “Correlating Imaging Phenotypes with Genomics Signatures Research” and “Scalable Computational Resources as Required for Imaging-Genomics Decision Support Systems.” The first workshop focused on clinical and scientific requirements, exploring our knowledge of phenotypic characteristics of cancer biological properties to determine whether the field is sufficiently advanced to correlate with imaging phenotypes that underpin genomics and clinical outcomes, and exploring new scientific methods to extract phenotypic features from medical images and relate them to genomics analyses. The second workshop focused on computational methods that explore informatics and computational requirements to extract phenotypic features from medical images and relate them to genomics analyses and improve the accessibility and speed of dissemination of existing NIH resources. These workshops linked clinical and scientific requirements of currently known phenotypic and genotypic cancer biology characteristics with imaging phenotypes that underpin genomics and clinical outcomes. The group generated a set of recommendations to NCI leadership and the research community that encourage and support development of the emerging radiogenomics research field to address short-and longer-term goals in cancer research.

A socially excluded space: restrictions on access to health care for older women in rural Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossen, Abul; Westhues, Anne

2010-09-01

This study was an exploration of the experiences of 17 women, age 60 or more years, from Bangladesh. The women were asked about decision-making processes with respect to their access to health care and whether they perceived that there were differences based on age and sex in the way a household responds to an illness episode. The overall theme that characterized their experiences was "being in a socially excluded space." The themes that explained this perception of social exclusion included gender- and age-based social practices, gender- and class-based economic practices, religious beliefs that restricted the mobility of women, and social constructions of health and illness that led the women to avoid seeking health care. We conclude that the Bangladesh constitutional guarantee that disparities will be eliminated in access to health care between rich and poor, men and women, rural and urban residents, and younger and older citizens has not yet been realized.

Computer vision and machine learning for robust phenotyping in genome-wide studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiaoping; Naik, Hsiang Sing; Assefa, Teshale; Sarkar, Soumik; Reddy, R V Chowda; Singh, Arti; Ganapathysubramanian, Baskar; Singh, Asheesh K

2017-03-08

Traditional evaluation of crop biotic and abiotic stresses are time-consuming and labor-intensive limiting the ability to dissect the genetic basis of quantitative traits. A machine learning (ML)-enabled image-phenotyping pipeline for the genetic studies of abiotic stress iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) of soybean is reported. IDC classification and severity for an association panel of 461 diverse plant-introduction accessions was evaluated using an end-to-end phenotyping workflow. The workflow consisted of a multi-stage procedure including: (1) optimized protocols for consistent image capture across plant canopies, (2) canopy identification and registration from cluttered backgrounds, (3) extraction of domain expert informed features from the processed images to accurately represent IDC expression, and (4) supervised ML-based classifiers that linked the automatically extracted features with expert-rating equivalent IDC scores. ML-generated phenotypic data were subsequently utilized for the genome-wide association study and genomic prediction. The results illustrate the reliability and advantage of ML-enabled image-phenotyping pipeline by identifying previously reported locus and a novel locus harboring a gene homolog involved in iron acquisition. This study demonstrates a promising path for integrating the phenotyping pipeline into genomic prediction, and provides a systematic framework enabling robust and quicker phenotyping through ground-based systems.

Grooming the Shuttle for cost-effective access to space

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, J. W.

1985-01-01

An assessment is made of the performance of the Space Shuttle-based Space Transportation System (STS) from the initial flights in 1981 to the present, which has involved the launching of 12 satellites and the retrieval of two. It is expected that the STS will soon be able to schedule 24 routine missions/year, upon the achievement of full operational status for the full fleet of four Space Shuttles and the completion of support facilities at both the Kennedy Space Center and Vandenberg Air Force Base. The prospects for space industrialization efforts based on STS are noted.

NEW ACCESSIONS OF BRASSICA OLERACEA L. IN VIR PLANT COLLECTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Artemieva

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Varieties of Brassica oleracea L. are widespread and favorite crops, where among them the head cabbage and cauliflower are the most economically important. Russia takes third place after India and Chine among countries with largest production areas and gross yield for the crop. In Russia, the area sown to cabbage is about 27 thousand hectares. 728 cultivars and hybrids of eight cabbage crops including 528 hybrids have been added in State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russian Federation in 2017. The collection of Brassica oleracea L. totally contains of 2421 accessions and takes first place at number of collected items among the world’s plant genbanks. The phenotyping, genotyping, passportization, development of core collection and trait collection as well as initial breeding accessions, covering all genetic diversity have been carried out at department of genetic resources of vegetables and melons at VIR. Selection of most promising accessions is performed to find genes and sources for economically valuable traits to develop proper lines and hybrids. There are the enrichment of the collection by means of ordering and gathering in expeditions, the improvement of methods of phenotyping and development of database for all biological accessions studied at the department. In 2007-2016, 255 accessions of Brassica oleracea L. have been included into collection to be used in different national breeding programs.

STS-61B Astronaut Ross During ACCESS Extravehicular Activity

Science.gov (United States)

1985-01-01

The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O'Conner, pilot; Brewster H. Shaw, commander; Charles D. Walker, payload specialist; mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring; and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission's primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico); AUSSAT-2 (Australia); and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), ACCESS and EASE were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). In this STS-61B onboard photo, astronaut Ross was working on the ACCESS experiment during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA). The primary objective of this experiment was to test the ACCESS structural assembly concept for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction.

Accessibility of shared space for visually impaired persons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Havik, Else; Melis, Bart; Steyvers, Franciscus J.J.M.

2011-01-01

Shared Space is a new concept for the design of the public realm that is increasingly applied in Western countries. In Shared Space, the various functions of the public domain are combined, rather than separated. The behavior of road users is mainly determined by social relations and not exclusively

Space Weather in Operation

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The “Space Weather in Operations” effort will provide on-demand and near-real time space weather event information to the Data Access Toolkit (DAT), which is the...

Facilitating Full-text Access to Biomedical Literature Using Open Access Resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hongyu; Hou, Zhen; Li, Jiao

2015-01-01

Open access (OA) resources and local libraries often have their own literature databases, especially in the field of biomedicine. We have developed a method of linking a local library to a biomedical OA resource facilitating researchers' full-text article access. The method uses a model based on vector space to measure similarities between two articles in local library and OA resources. The method achieved an F-score of 99.61%. This method of article linkage and mapping between local library and OA resources is available for use. Through this work, we have improved the full-text access of the biomedical OA resources.

Transformational Technologies to Expedite Space Access and Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rather, John D. G.

2010-01-01

Throughout history the emergence of new technologies has enabled unforeseen breakthrough capabilities that rapidly transformed the world. Some global examples from the twentieth century include AC electric power, nuclear energy, and turbojet engines. At the systems level, success of both Apollo and the Space Shuttle programs depended upon taming hydrogen propulsion and developing high-temperature atmospheric reentry materials. Human space development now is stymied because of a great need for breakthrough technologies and strategies. It is believed that new capabilities exist within the present states-of-the-art of superconducting technology that can be implemented to transform the future of human space development. This paper is an overview of three other papers presented within this forum, which summarizes the principles and consequences of StarTram, showing how the resulting breakthrough advantages can lead directly to safe space tourism and massive development of the moon, Mars and the outer solar system. StarTram can implement cost-effective solar power from space, simple utilization of asteroid material to protect humans from ionizing radiation, and effective defense of the Earth from devastating cosmic impacts. Synergistically, StarTram technologies will revolutionize ground transportation on the Earth, leading to enormous reduction in energy consumption and creation of millions of jobs. High energy lasers will also be discussed because of their importance to power beaming applications.

Personalizing Access to Learning Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dolog, Peter; Simon, Bernd; Nejdl, Wolfgang

2008-01-01

In this article, we describe a Smart Space for Learning™ (SS4L) framework and infrastructure that enables personalized access to distributed heterogeneous knowledge repositories. Helping a learner to choose an appropriate learning resource or activity is a key problem which we address in this fra......In this article, we describe a Smart Space for Learning™ (SS4L) framework and infrastructure that enables personalized access to distributed heterogeneous knowledge repositories. Helping a learner to choose an appropriate learning resource or activity is a key problem which we address...... in this framework, enabling personalized access to federated learning repositories with a vast number of learning offers. Our infrastructure includes personalization strategies both at the query and the query results level. Query rewriting is based on learning and language preferences; rule-based and ranking...

Access over ownership – a typology of shared space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brinkø, Rikke; Nielsen, Susanne Balslev; Meel, Juriaan van

2015-01-01

Purpose – This paper aims to explore shared use of space and facilities as a concept, and present and illustrate the use of a typology to help classify and describe the different options for sharing space and facilities within buildings for optimised use of a building portfolio. Design/methodolog......Purpose – This paper aims to explore shared use of space and facilities as a concept, and present and illustrate the use of a typology to help classify and describe the different options for sharing space and facilities within buildings for optimised use of a building portfolio. Design...

An XML-based interchange format for genotype-phenotype data.

Science.gov (United States)

Whirl-Carrillo, M; Woon, M; Thorn, C F; Klein, T E; Altman, R B

2008-02-01

Recent advances in high-throughput genotyping and phenotyping have accelerated the creation of pharmacogenomic data. Consequently, the community requires standard formats to exchange large amounts of diverse information. To facilitate the transfer of pharmacogenomics data between databases and analysis packages, we have created a standard XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema that describes both genotype and phenotype data as well as associated metadata. The schema accommodates information regarding genes, drugs, diseases, experimental methods, genomic/RNA/protein sequences, subjects, subject groups, and literature. The Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base (PharmGKB; www.pharmgkb.org) has used this XML schema for more than 5 years to accept and process submissions containing more than 1,814,139 SNPs on 20,797 subjects using 8,975 assays. Although developed in the context of pharmacogenomics, the schema is of general utility for exchange of genotype and phenotype data. We have written syntactic and semantic validators to check documents using this format. The schema and code for validation is available to the community at http://www.pharmgkb.org/schema/index.html (last accessed: 8 October 2007). (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Remote Sensing for Field-Based Crop Phenotyping: Current Status and Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guijun Yang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Phenotyping plays an important role in crop science research; the accurate and rapid acquisition of phenotypic information of plants or cells in different environments is helpful for exploring the inheritance and expression patterns of the genome to determine the association of genomic and phenotypic information to increase the crop yield. Traditional methods for acquiring crop traits, such as plant height, leaf color, leaf area index (LAI, chlorophyll content, biomass and yield, rely on manual sampling, which is time-consuming and laborious. Unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing platforms (UAV-RSPs equipped with different sensors have recently become an important approach for fast and non-destructive high throughput phenotyping and have the advantage of flexible and convenient operation, on-demand access to data and high spatial resolution. UAV-RSPs are a powerful tool for studying phenomics and genomics. As the methods and applications for field phenotyping using UAVs to users who willing to derive phenotypic parameters from large fields and tests with the minimum effort on field work and getting highly reliable results are necessary, the current status and perspectives on the topic of UAV-RSPs for field-based phenotyping were reviewed based on the literature survey of crop phenotyping using UAV-RSPs in the Web of Science™ Core Collection database and cases study by NERCITA. The reference for the selection of UAV platforms and remote sensing sensors, the commonly adopted methods and typical applications for analyzing phenotypic traits by UAV-RSPs, and the challenge for crop phenotyping by UAV-RSPs were considered. The review can provide theoretical and technical support to promote the applications of UAV-RSPs for crop phenotyping.

Variation in cooking and eating quality traits in Japanese rice germplasm accessions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hori, Kiyosumi; Suzuki, Keitaro; Iijima, Ken; Ebana, Kaworu

2016-03-01

The eating quality of cooked rice is important and determines its market price and consumer acceptance. To comprehensively describe the variation of eating quality in 183 rice germplasm accessions, we evaluated 33 eating-quality traits including amylose and protein contents, pasting properties of rice flour, and texture of cooked rice grains. All eating-quality traits varied widely in the germplasm accessions. Principal-components analysis (PCA) revealed that allelic differences in the Wx gene explained the largest proportion of phenotypic variation of the eating-quality traits. In 146 accessions of non-glutinous temperate japonica rice, PCA revealed that protein content and surface texture of the cooked rice grains significantly explained phenotypic variations of the eating-quality traits. An allelic difference based on simple sequence repeats, which was located near a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on the short arm of chromosome 3, was associated with differences in the eating quality of non-glutinous temperate japonica rice. These results suggest that eating quality is controlled by genetic factors, including the Wx gene and the QTL on chromosome 3, in Japanese rice accessions. These genetic factors have been consciously selected for eating quality during rice breeding programs in Japan.

Methodology for the inference of gene function from phenotype data.

Science.gov (United States)

Ascensao, Joao A; Dolan, Mary E; Hill, David P; Blake, Judith A

2014-12-12

Biomedical ontologies are increasingly instrumental in the advancement of biological research primarily through their use to efficiently consolidate large amounts of data into structured, accessible sets. However, ontology development and usage can be hampered by the segregation of knowledge by domain that occurs due to independent development and use of the ontologies. The ability to infer data associated with one ontology to data associated with another ontology would prove useful in expanding information content and scope. We here focus on relating two ontologies: the Gene Ontology (GO), which encodes canonical gene function, and the Mammalian Phenotype Ontology (MP), which describes non-canonical phenotypes, using statistical methods to suggest GO functional annotations from existing MP phenotype annotations. This work is in contrast to previous studies that have focused on inferring gene function from phenotype primarily through lexical or semantic similarity measures. We have designed and tested a set of algorithms that represents a novel methodology to define rules for predicting gene function by examining the emergent structure and relationships between the gene functions and phenotypes rather than inspecting the terms semantically. The algorithms inspect relationships among multiple phenotype terms to deduce if there are cases where they all arise from a single gene function. We apply this methodology to data about genes in the laboratory mouse that are formally represented in the Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) resource. From the data, 7444 rule instances were generated from five generalized rules, resulting in 4818 unique GO functional predictions for 1796 genes. We show that our method is capable of inferring high-quality functional annotations from curated phenotype data. As well as creating inferred annotations, our method has the potential to allow for the elucidation of unforeseen, biologically significant associations between gene function and

Pheno-phenotypes: a holistic approach to the psychopathology of schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanghellini, Giovanni; Rossi, Rodolfo

2014-05-01

Mental disorders are mainly characterized via symptom assessment. Symptoms are state-like macroscopic anomalies of behaviour, experience, and expression that are deemed relevant for diagnostic purposes. An alternative approach is based on the concept of endophenotypes, which are physiological or behavioural measures occupying the terrain between symptoms and risk genotypes. We will critically discuss these two approaches, and later focus on the concept of pheno-phenotype as it is revealed by recent phenomenological research on schizophrenia. Several studies have been recently published on the schizophrenic pheno-phenotype mainly addressing self-disorders, as well as disorders of time and bodily experience. The mainstream approach to psychopathological phenotypes is focussed on easy-to-assess operationalizable symptoms. Thinness of phenotypes and simplification of clinical constructs are the consequences of this. Also, this approach has not been successful in investigating the biological causes of mental disorders. An integrative approach is based on the concept of 'endophenotype'. Endophenotypes were conceptualized as a supportive tool for the genetic dissection of psychiatric disorders. The underlying rationale states that disease-specific phenotypes should be the upstream phenotypic manifestation of a smaller genotype than the whole disease-related genotype. Psychopathological phenotypes can also be characterized in terms of pheno-phenotypes. This approach aims at delineating the manifold phenomena experienced by patients in all of their concrete and distinctive features, so that the features of a pathological condition emerge, while preserving their peculiar feel, meaning, and value for the patient. Systematic explorations of anomalies in the patients' experience, for example, of time, space, body, self, and otherness, may provide a useful integration to the symptom-based and endophenotype-based approaches. These abnormal phenomena can be used as pointers to the

Is there an association between spatial access to parks/green space and childhood overweight/obesity in Calgary, Canada?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Potestio Melissa L

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The recent increase in childhood obesity is expected to add significantly to the prevalence of chronic diseases. We used multivariate multilevel analysis to examine associations between parks/green space and childhood overweight/obesity across communities in Calgary, Canada, a city characterized by intensified urban sprawl and high car use. Methods Body Mass Index was calculated from measured height and weight data obtained from 6,772 children (mean age = 4.95 years attending public health clinics for pre-school vaccinations. Each child's home postal code was geocoded using ESRI ArcGIS 9.2. We examined four measures of spatial access to parks/green space (based on Geographic Information Systems: 1 the number of parks/green spaces per 10,000 residents, 2 the area of parks/green space as a proportion of the total area within a community, 3 average distance to a park/green space, and 4 the proportion of parks/green space service area as a proportion of the total area within a community. Analyses were adjusted for dissemination area median family income (as a proxy for an individual child's family income community-level education, and community-level proportion of visible minorities. Results In general, parks/green space at the community level was not associated with overweight/obesity in Calgary, with the exception of a marginally significant effect whereby a moderate number of parks/green spaces per 10,000 residents was associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity. This effect was non-significant in adjusted analyses. Conclusion Our null findings may reflect the popularity of car travel in Calgary, Canada and suggest that the role built environment characteristics play in explaining health outcomes may differ depending on the type of urban environment being studied.

Courthouses as Spaces of Recognition, Functionality and Access to Law and Justice: A Portuguese Reflection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrìcia Branco

2016-09-01

Full Text Available One of the most overlooked topics at the level of reflection regarding law and the legal system, has been the courthouse architecture. Architecture organizes and structures space, making it intelligible, understandable, and capable of being interpreted as possible, being that the exterior and interior, as well as materials and objects present therein can facilitate or inhibit our activities through how they mean and represent certain messages. Hence it becomes necessary to make an analysis of the spaces of justice - and here I have in mind the Courthouse as a privileged public space of justice – taking into consideration the circumstances of time, place of jurisdiction, the historical, political, regulatory, and socio-cultural contexts, as well as legal tradition. Thus, and by analyzing the trends (international and national of development of construction and / or adaptation (types of buildings and internal organization, focusing on different infrastructures and accessibility and respective use, including, here, the representations and spatial practices of the real actors (professionals and users, I propose to consider the importance of regarding courthouses as spaces of justice, through the lenses given by the functions of recognition, functionality and access to law and justice. Uno de los temas sobre los que menos se ha reflexionado en el ámbito del derecho y el sistema legal ha sido la arquitectura de los juzgados. La arquitectura organiza y estructura el espacio, haciéndolo inteligible, comprensible y capaz de interpretarlo como algo posible, ya que el exterior y el interior, así como los materiales y objetos presentes, pueden facilitar o inhibir nuestras actividades mediante la forma en que emiten y representan ciertos mensajes. Por lo tanto, es necesario realizar un análisis de los espacios de la Justicia - y aquí se entiende el juzgado como un espacio público privilegiado de la Justicia - teniendo en cuenta las circunstancias de

Semantic Disease Gene Embeddings (SmuDGE): phenotype-based disease gene prioritization without phenotypes

KAUST Repository

AlShahrani, Mona; Hoehndorf, Robert

2018-01-01

In the past years, several methods have been developed to incorporate information about phenotypes into computational disease gene prioritization methods. These methods commonly compute the similarity between a disease's (or patient's) phenotypes and a database of gene-to-phenotype associations to find the phenotypically most similar match. A key limitation of these methods is their reliance on knowledge about phenotypes associated with particular genes which is highly incomplete in humans as well as in many model organisms such as the mouse. Results: We developed SmuDGE, a method that uses feature learning to generate vector-based representations of phenotypes associated with an entity. SmuDGE can be used as a trainable semantic similarity measure to compare two sets of phenotypes (such as between a disease and gene, or a disease and patient). More importantly, SmuDGE can generate phenotype representations for entities that are only indirectly associated with phenotypes through an interaction network; for this purpose, SmuDGE exploits background knowledge in interaction networks comprising of multiple types of interactions. We demonstrate that SmuDGE can match or outperform semantic similarity in phenotype-based disease gene prioritization, and furthermore significantly extends the coverage of phenotype-based methods to all genes in a connected interaction network.

Semantic Disease Gene Embeddings (SmuDGE): phenotype-based disease gene prioritization without phenotypes

KAUST Repository

Alshahrani, Mona

2018-04-30

In the past years, several methods have been developed to incorporate information about phenotypes into computational disease gene prioritization methods. These methods commonly compute the similarity between a disease\\'s (or patient\\'s) phenotypes and a database of gene-to-phenotype associations to find the phenotypically most similar match. A key limitation of these methods is their reliance on knowledge about phenotypes associated with particular genes which is highly incomplete in humans as well as in many model organisms such as the mouse. Results: We developed SmuDGE, a method that uses feature learning to generate vector-based representations of phenotypes associated with an entity. SmuDGE can be used as a trainable semantic similarity measure to compare two sets of phenotypes (such as between a disease and gene, or a disease and patient). More importantly, SmuDGE can generate phenotype representations for entities that are only indirectly associated with phenotypes through an interaction network; for this purpose, SmuDGE exploits background knowledge in interaction networks comprising of multiple types of interactions. We demonstrate that SmuDGE can match or outperform semantic similarity in phenotype-based disease gene prioritization, and furthermore significantly extends the coverage of phenotype-based methods to all genes in a connected interaction network.

Phenotypic plasticity, costs of phenotypes, and costs of plasticity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Callahan, Hilary S; Maughan, Heather; Steiner, Uli

2008-01-01

Why are some traits constitutive and others inducible? The term costs often appears in work addressing this issue but may be ambiguously defined. This review distinguishes two conceptually distinct types of costs: phenotypic costs and plasticity costs. Phenotypic costs are assessed from patterns...... of covariation, typically between a focal trait and a separate trait relevant to fitness. Plasticity costs, separable from phenotypic costs, are gauged by comparing the fitness of genotypes with equivalent phenotypes within two environments but differing in plasticity and fitness. Subtleties associated with both...... types of costs are illustrated by a body of work addressing predator-induced plasticity. Such subtleties, and potential interplay between the two types of costs, have also been addressed, often in studies involving genetic model organisms. In some instances, investigators have pinpointed the mechanistic...

Genomic and proteomic analysis of soybean heritable variations induced by space flight

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

HE Jie; GAO Yong; SUN Ye-qing

2009-01-01

To analyze the biological effects of space environment, the diversity of genomic DNA between the space flight soybean 194(4126) with phenotype of good yield and good fruit quality induced by space flight and the soybean with ground control was studied by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) method, and the polymorphism of space flight soybean 194(4126) was 3.56%. The differences of protein expression of seeds and leaves between the two kinds of soybeans were analysed by two-dimensional electrophoresis, PDQuest software and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Results show that the loss and decrease of protein expression in 194(4126) soybean are subjected to the space fight of seeds, and three special proteins including Dehydrin, MAT1 and ceQORH are identified. It is concluded that the space environment changes the phenotype and geno-type of soybeans due to the space flight of seeds.

High-Throughput Non-destructive Phenotyping of Traits that Contribute to Salinity Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

KAUST Repository

Awlia, Mariam

2016-09-28

Reproducible and efficient high-throughput phenotyping approaches, combined with advances in genome sequencing, are facilitating the discovery of genes affecting plant performance. Salinity tolerance is a desirable trait that can be achieved through breeding, where most have aimed at selecting for plants that perform effective ion exclusion from the shoots. To determine overall plant performance under salt stress, it is helpful to investigate several plant traits collectively in one experimental setup. Hence, we developed a quantitative phenotyping protocol using a high-throughput phenotyping system, with RGB and chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) imaging, which captures the growth, morphology, color and photosynthetic performance of Arabidopsis thaliana plants in response to salt stress. We optimized our salt treatment by controlling the soil-water content prior to introducing salt stress. We investigated these traits over time in two accessions in soil at 150, 100, or 50 mM NaCl to find that the plants subjected to 100 mM NaCl showed the most prominent responses in the absence of symptoms of severe stress. In these plants, salt stress induced significant changes in rosette area and morphology, but less prominent changes in rosette coloring and photosystem II efficiency. Clustering of ChlF traits with plant growth of nine accessions maintained at 100 mM NaCl revealed that in the early stage of salt stress, salinity tolerance correlated with non-photochemical quenching processes and during the later stage, plant performance correlated with quantum yield. This integrative approach allows the simultaneous analysis of several phenotypic traits. In combination with various genetic resources, the phenotyping protocol described here is expected to increase our understanding of plant performance and stress responses, ultimately identifying genes that improve plant performance in salt stress conditions.

Space solar power satellite systems with a space elevator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kellum, M. J. (Mervyn J.); Laubscher, B. E. (Bryan E.)

2004-01-01

The Space Elevator (SE) represents a major paradigm shift in mankind's access to outer space. If the SE's promise of low-cost access to space can be realized, the economics of space-based business endeavors becomes much more feasible. In this paper, we describe a Solar Power Satellite (SPS) system and estimate its costs within the context of an SE. We also offer technical as well as financial comparisons between SPS and terrestrial solar photovoltaic technologies. Even though SPS systems have been designed for over 35 years, technologies pertinent to SPS systems are continually evolving. One of the designs we present includes an evolving technology, optical rectennas. SPS systems could be a long-term energy source that is clean, technologically feasible, and virtually limitless. Moreover, electrical energy could be distributed inexpensively to remote areas where such power does not currently exist, thereby raising the quality of life of the people living in those areas. The energy 'playing field' will be leveled across the world and the resulting economic growth will improve the lot of humankind everywhere.

NASA Space Sounds API

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NASA has released a series of space sounds via sound cloud. We have abstracted away some of the hassle in accessing these sounds, so that developers can play with...

14 CFR 221.102 - Accessibility of tariffs to the public.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accessibility of tariffs to the public. 221.102 Section 221.102 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION... Inspection § 221.102 Accessibility of tariffs to the public. Each file of tariffs shall be kept in complete...

Collective space and urbanity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kajita, Masashi

2015-01-01

the privacy of individual households? Envisaging potential functions and uses of the shared access route, this paper discusses the importance of continuous reflections of two perspectives: 1) architects’ logic (opportunistic attempt) of space making and 2) residents’ consideration and appropriation of spaces....... lives contest the intension of the architects who wish to open the building towards society. Employing spatial analyses, participative observations and direct interviews with residents as methods for ‘on site’ research, this paper unfolds the potential of the shared access route in the ability...

Apparatus for facilitating the servicing of inverted canned pump motors having limited access space and restricted access time especially in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matusz, J.M.

1991-01-01

This patent describes a service apparatus for one or more inverted canned motor pumps installed above a floor and beneath a steam generator in a nuclear or fossil power plant with limited access space and limited access time at least in the case of nuclear power plants, each of the canned motor pumps having a pump casing and a depending motor having a flange secured to a pump casing flange by tensioned studs with tightened nuts. It comprises a maintenance cart having a height greater than the height of the motor beneath the motor flange and further having a generally U-shaped frame means with an open vertical side that permits the cart to be moved horizontally such that the cart frame means can be moved under the pump casing to surround the depending motor; actuator means supported by the cart frame means and having translating arm means engageable with support means on the motor; means for operating the translating arm means to support, raise and lower the motor; means supported by the frame means to support the motor flange prior to raising the motor to its installed position and after the motor has been released from its installed position and lowered to the cart; work platform means provided on the cart frame means at an elevation beneath the motor flange elevation; and roller means provided on the bottom of the cart frame means to facilitate horizontal cart movement along the floor

Genelab: Scientific Partnerships and an Open-Access Database to Maximize Usage of Omics Data from Space Biology Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Reinsch, S. S.; Galazka, J..; Berrios, D. C; Chakravarty, K.; Fogle, H.; Lai, S.; Bokyo, V.; Timucin, L. R.; Tran, P.; Skidmore, M.

2016-01-01

NASA's mission includes expanding our understanding of biological systems to improve life on Earth and to enable long-duration human exploration of space. The GeneLab Data System (GLDS) is NASA's premier open-access omics data platform for biological experiments. GLDS houses standards-compliant, high-throughput sequencing and other omics data from spaceflight-relevant experiments. The GeneLab project at NASA-Ames Research Center is developing the database, and also partnering with spaceflight projects through sharing or augmentation of experiment samples to expand omics analyses on precious spaceflight samples. The partnerships ensure that the maximum amount of data is garnered from spaceflight experiments and made publically available as rapidly as possible via the GLDS. GLDS Version 1.0, went online in April 2015. Software updates and new data releases occur at least quarterly. As of October 2016, the GLDS contains 80 datasets and has search and download capabilities. Version 2.0 is slated for release in September of 2017 and will have expanded, integrated search capabilities leveraging other public omics databases (NCBI GEO, PRIDE, MG-RAST). Future versions in this multi-phase project will provide a collaborative platform for omics data analysis. Data from experiments that explore the biological effects of the spaceflight environment on a wide variety of model organisms are housed in the GLDS including data from rodents, invertebrates, plants and microbes. Human datasets are currently limited to those with anonymized data (e.g., from cultured cell lines). GeneLab ensures prompt release and open access to high-throughput genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics data from spaceflight and ground-based simulations of microgravity, radiation or other space environment factors. The data are meticulously curated to assure that accurate experimental and sample processing metadata are included with each data set. GLDS download volumes indicate strong

A Case of Fragmented High School Earth and Space Science Education in the Great Plains: Tracing Teacher Certification Policy to Students' Access

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Elizabeth; Lu, Jia

2017-01-01

Although U.S. high school students' access to Earth and space science (ESS) varies widely from state to state, nationally, ESS content is the most neglected area of science education and scientific literacy. States have been considering whether they will formally adopt, or less formally adapt, the new national science education standards, the Next…

Phenotypic assortment in wild primate networks: implications for the dissemination of information.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Alecia J; Lee, Alexander E G; Marshall, Harry H; Ticó, Miquel Torrents; Cowlishaw, Guy

2015-05-01

Individuals' access to social information can depend on their social network. Homophily-a preference to associate with similar phenotypes-may cause assortment within social networks that could preclude information transfer from individuals who generate information to those who would benefit from acquiring it. Thus, understanding phenotypic assortment may lead to a greater understanding of the factors that could limit the transfer of information between individuals. We tested whether there was assortment in wild baboon (Papio ursinus) networks, using data collected from two troops over 6 years for six phenotypic traits-boldness, age, dominance rank, sex and the propensity to generate/exploit information-using two methods for defining a connection between individuals-time spent in proximity and grooming. Our analysis indicated that assortment was more common in grooming than proximity networks. In general, there was homophily for boldness, age, rank and the propensity to both generate and exploit information, but heterophily for sex. However, there was considerable variability both between troops and years. The patterns of homophily we observed for these phenotypes may impede information transfer between them. However, the inconsistency in the strength of assortment between troops and years suggests that the limitations to information flow may be quite variable.

Observing photons in space a guide to experimental space astronomy

CERN Document Server

Pauluhn, Anuschka; Culhane, J; Timothy, J; Wilhelm, Klaus; Zehnder, Alex

2013-01-01

An ideal resource for lecturers, this book provides a comprehensive review of experimental space astronomy. The number of astronomers whose knowledge and interest is concentrated on interpreting observations has grown substantially in the past decades; yet, the number of scientists who are familiar with and capable of dealing with instrumentation has dwindled.  All of the authors of this work are leading and experienced experts and practitioners who have designed, built, tested, calibrated, launched and operated advanced observing equipment for space astronomy. This book also contains concise information on the history of the field, supported by appropriate references. Moreover, scientists working in other fields will be able to get a quick overview of the salient issues of observing photons in any one of the various energy, wavelength and frequency ranges accessible in space. This book was written with the intention to make it accessible to advanced undergraduate and graduate students.

14 CFR 153.5 - Aviation safety inspector airport access.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Aviation safety inspector airport access... TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIRPORTS AIRPORT OPERATIONS Aviation Safety Inspector Access § 153.5 Aviation safety... must grant Aviation Safety Inspectors bearing FAA Form 110A free and uninterrupted access to public-use...

Discourses of space

CERN Document Server

Ajtony, Zsuzsanna

2013-01-01

Ever since the emergence of the spatial turn in several scientific discourses, special attention has been paid to the surrounding space conceived as a construct created by the dynamics of human activity. The notion of space assists us in describing the most varied spheres of human existence. We can speak of various physical, metaphysical, social and cultural, and communicative spaces, as structuring components providing access to various literary, linguistic, social and cultural phenomena, th...

Space vehicle chassis

Science.gov (United States)

Judd, Stephen; Dallmann, Nicholas; Seitz, Daniel; Martinez, John; Storms, Steven; Kestell, Gayle

2017-07-18

A modular space vehicle chassis may facilitate convenient access to internal components of the space vehicle. Each module may be removable from the others such that each module may be worked on individually. Multiple panels of at least one of the modules may swing open or otherwise be removable, exposing large portions of the internal components of the space vehicle. Such chassis architectures may reduce the time required for and difficulty of performing maintenance or modifications, may allow multiple space vehicles to take advantage of a common chassis design, and may further allow for highly customizable space vehicles.

The role of spatial variations of abiotic factors in mediating intratumour phenotypic heterogeneity

KAUST Repository

Lorenzi, Tommaso

2018-05-08

We present here a space- and phenotype-structured model of selection dynamics between cancer cells within a solid tumour. In the framework of this model, we combine formal analyses with numerical simulations to investigate in silico the role played by the spatial distribution of abiotic components of the tumour microenvironment in mediating phenotypic selection of cancer cells. Numerical simulations are performed both on the 3D geometry of an in silico multicellular tumour spheroid and on the 3D geometry of an in vivo human hepatic tumour, which was imaged using computerised tomography. The results obtained show that inhomogeneities in the spatial distribution of oxygen, currently observed in solid tumours, can promote the creation of distinct local niches and lead to the selection of different phenotypic variants within the same tumour. This process fosters the emergence of stable phenotypic heterogeneity and supports the presence of hypoxic cells resistant to cytotoxic therapy prior to treatment. Our theoretical results demonstrate the importance of integrating spatial data with ecological principles when evaluating the therapeutic response of solid tumours to cytotoxic therapy.

The role of spatial variations of abiotic factors in mediating intratumour phenotypic heterogeneity

KAUST Repository

Lorenzi, Tommaso; Venkataraman, Chandrasekhar; Lorz, Alexander; Chaplain, Mark A.J.

2018-01-01

We present here a space- and phenotype-structured model of selection dynamics between cancer cells within a solid tumour. In the framework of this model, we combine formal analyses with numerical simulations to investigate in silico the role played by the spatial distribution of abiotic components of the tumour microenvironment in mediating phenotypic selection of cancer cells. Numerical simulations are performed both on the 3D geometry of an in silico multicellular tumour spheroid and on the 3D geometry of an in vivo human hepatic tumour, which was imaged using computerised tomography. The results obtained show that inhomogeneities in the spatial distribution of oxygen, currently observed in solid tumours, can promote the creation of distinct local niches and lead to the selection of different phenotypic variants within the same tumour. This process fosters the emergence of stable phenotypic heterogeneity and supports the presence of hypoxic cells resistant to cytotoxic therapy prior to treatment. Our theoretical results demonstrate the importance of integrating spatial data with ecological principles when evaluating the therapeutic response of solid tumours to cytotoxic therapy.

Access to Urban Land and its Role in Enhancing Business ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Access to urban land for business activities relates to access to working space, or using and/or controlling a unit of land based on open access, land ownership, land lease, business lease or premise rentals. Diversified and broad-based access to urban land with due regulatory control against speculation and holdouts ...

Securing Data for Space Communications, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NASA's vision of data exchange between space and ground nodes would involve the space network accessing public infrastructure such as the internet. Hence, advanced...

Using text mining techniques to extract phenotypic information from the PhenoCHF corpus.

Science.gov (United States)

Alnazzawi, Noha; Thompson, Paul; Batista-Navarro, Riza; Ananiadou, Sophia

2015-01-01

Phenotypic information locked away in unstructured narrative text presents significant barriers to information accessibility, both for clinical practitioners and for computerised applications used for clinical research purposes. Text mining (TM) techniques have previously been applied successfully to extract different types of information from text in the biomedical domain. They have the potential to be extended to allow the extraction of information relating to phenotypes from free text. To stimulate the development of TM systems that are able to extract phenotypic information from text, we have created a new corpus (PhenoCHF) that is annotated by domain experts with several types of phenotypic information relating to congestive heart failure. To ensure that systems developed using the corpus are robust to multiple text types, it integrates text from heterogeneous sources, i.e., electronic health records (EHRs) and scientific articles from the literature. We have developed several different phenotype extraction methods to demonstrate the utility of the corpus, and tested these methods on a further corpus, i.e., ShARe/CLEF 2013. Evaluation of our automated methods showed that PhenoCHF can facilitate the training of reliable phenotype extraction systems, which are robust to variations in text type. These results have been reinforced by evaluating our trained systems on the ShARe/CLEF corpus, which contains clinical records of various types. Like other studies within the biomedical domain, we found that solutions based on conditional random fields produced the best results, when coupled with a rich feature set. PhenoCHF is the first annotated corpus aimed at encoding detailed phenotypic information. The unique heterogeneous composition of the corpus has been shown to be advantageous in the training of systems that can accurately extract phenotypic information from a range of different text types. Although the scope of our annotation is currently limited to a single

The University of Arizona Nanosat Program: Making Space accessible to scientific and commercial packages.

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, U.; Fevig, R. A.

2003-05-01

For the last couple of years we have been engaged in building nanosatellites within a student-mentor framework. The satellites are 10x10x10cm cubes, have a maximum mass of 1 kg, and power of a few watts. The standardized "cube-sat" form factor was suggested by Bob Twiggs of Stanford University so that a common launch platform could be utilized and more Universities could participate. We have now built four "cube-sats': a launchable Engineering model, Rincon 1 & 2, (funded by Rincon corporation), and Alcatel funded by Alcatel Espace. The costs for the four satellites are \\250,000. Launch costs using a Russian SS-18 are typically \\10,000 per kg. The payload for Rincon 1 & 2 is a sophisticated telecommunications board using only 10 mw of transmitting power. The Alcatel payload consists of three communications IC's whose radiation exposure and annealing properties will be studied over a period of years. Future nanosatellites will have considerable value in providing low cost access to space for experiments in nanotechnology, space electronics, micropropulsion, radiation experiments, astrobionics and climate change studies. For the latter area we are considering experiments to monitor the solar constant, the solar UV spectrum, the chromospheric activity through the Mg II index, the Earth's Albedo, etc. For this purpose we are developing a slightly larger satellite, 20x20x20cm and 10 kg. We have built a C-MOS camera with a 1 ms exposure time for attitude determination, and we are working with Honeywell Industries to develop micro-reaction wheels for attitude control. We are also working on micro-propulsion units with the Air Force and several aerospace companies. Preliminary calculations show that we can develop delta-V's of 5km/s which will allow us to visit 5% (about 100) of the NEA population or possibly some comets. We firmly believe a vigorous nanosatellite program will allow useful space experiments for costs of millions of Dollars instead of the present tens of

Fragment-based screening in tandem with phenotypic screening provides novel antiparasitic hits.

Science.gov (United States)

Blaazer, Antoni R; Orrling, Kristina M; Shanmugham, Anitha; Jansen, Chimed; Maes, Louis; Edink, Ewald; Sterk, Geert Jan; Siderius, Marco; England, Paul; Bailey, David; de Esch, Iwan J P; Leurs, Rob

2015-01-01

Methods to discover biologically active small molecules include target-based and phenotypic screening approaches. One of the main difficulties in drug discovery is elucidating and exploiting the relationship between drug activity at the protein target and disease modification, a phenotypic endpoint. Fragment-based drug discovery is a target-based approach that typically involves the screening of a relatively small number of fragment-like (molecular weight <300) molecules that efficiently cover chemical space. Here, we report a fragment screening on TbrPDEB1, an essential cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) from Trypanosoma brucei, and human PDE4D, an off-target, in a workflow in which fragment hits and a series of close analogs are subsequently screened for antiparasitic activity in a phenotypic panel. The phenotypic panel contained T. brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania infantum, and Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agents of human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and malaria, respectively, as well as MRC-5 human lung cells. This hybrid screening workflow has resulted in the discovery of various benzhydryl ethers with antiprotozoal activity and low toxicity, representing interesting starting points for further antiparasitic optimization. © 2014 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

Using Machine Learning to Discover Latent Social Phenotypes in Free-Ranging Macaques

Science.gov (United States)

Madlon-Kay, Seth; Brent, Lauren J. N.; Heller, Katherine A.; Platt, Michael L.

2017-01-01

Investigating the biological bases of social phenotypes is challenging because social behavior is both high-dimensional and richly structured, and biological factors are more likely to influence complex patterns of behavior rather than any single behavior in isolation. The space of all possible patterns of interactions among behaviors is too large to investigate using conventional statistical methods. In order to quantitatively define social phenotypes from natural behavior, we developed a machine learning model to identify and measure patterns of behavior in naturalistic observational data, as well as their relationships to biological, environmental, and demographic sources of variation. We applied this model to extensive observations of natural behavior in free-ranging rhesus macaques, and identified behavioral states that appeared to capture periods of social isolation, competition over food, conflicts among groups, and affiliative coexistence. Phenotypes, represented as the rate of being in each state for a particular animal, were strongly and broadly influenced by dominance rank, sex, and social group membership. We also identified two states for which variation in rates had a substantial genetic component. We discuss how this model can be extended to identify the contributions to social phenotypes of particular genetic pathways. PMID:28754001

2005 annual report of MEXT specially promoted research, 'Development of the 4D Space Access Neutron Spectrometer (4SEASONS) and elucidation of the Mechanism of Oxide High-Tc superconductivity'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, Masatoshi; Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Nakajima, Kenji; Shamoto, Shin'ichi; Soyama, Kazuhiko; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Aizawa, Kazuya; Asaoka, Hidehito; Kodama, Katsuaki; Inamura, Yasuhiro; Imai, Yoshinori; Yokoo, Tetsuya; Ino, Takashi; Yamada, Kazuyoshi; Fujita, Masaki; Ohoyama, Kenji; Hiraka, Haruhiro

2006-11-01

A research project entitled 'Development of the 4D Space Access Neutron Spectrometer (4SEASONS) and Elucidation of the Mechanism of Oxide High-T c Superconductivity' has started in 2005 (repr. by M. Arai). It is supported by MEXT, Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research and is going to last until fiscal 2009. The goal of the project is to elucidate the mechanism of oxide high-T c superconductivity by neutron scattering technique. For this purpose, we will develop an inelastic neutron scattering instrument 4SEASONS (4d SpacE AccesS neutrON Spectrometer) for the spallation neutron source in Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). The instrument will have 100 times higher performance than existing world-class instruments, and will enable detailed observation of anomalous magnetic excitations and phonons in a four-dimensional momentum-energy space. This report summarizes the progress in the research project in fiscal 2005. (author)

Asthma phenotypes in childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Monica B; Covar, Ronina A

2016-04-01

This review describes the literature over the past 18 months that evaluated childhood asthma phenotypes, highlighting the key aspects of these studies, and comparing these studies to previous ones in this area. Recent studies on asthma phenotypes have identified new phenotypes on the basis of statistical analyses (using cluster analysis and latent class analysis methodology) and have evaluated the outcomes and associated risk factors of previously established early childhood asthma phenotypes that are based on asthma onset and patterns of wheezing illness. There have also been investigations focusing on immunologic, physiologic, and genetic correlates of various phenotypes, as well as identification of subphenotypes of severe childhood asthma. Childhood asthma remains a heterogeneous condition, and investigations into these various presentations, risk factors, and outcomes are important since they can offer therapeutic and prognostic relevance. Further investigation into the immunopathology and genetic basis underlying childhood phenotypes is important so therapy can be tailored accordingly.

Towards systems genetic analyses in barley: Integration of phenotypic, expression and genotype data into GeneNetwork

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Druka Arnis

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A typical genetical genomics experiment results in four separate data sets; genotype, gene expression, higher-order phenotypic data and metadata that describe the protocols, processing and the array platform. Used in concert, these data sets provide the opportunity to perform genetic analysis at a systems level. Their predictive power is largely determined by the gene expression dataset where tens of millions of data points can be generated using currently available mRNA profiling technologies. Such large, multidimensional data sets often have value beyond that extracted during their initial analysis and interpretation, particularly if conducted on widely distributed reference genetic materials. Besides quality and scale, access to the data is of primary importance as accessibility potentially allows the extraction of considerable added value from the same primary dataset by the wider research community. Although the number of genetical genomics experiments in different plant species is rapidly increasing, none to date has been presented in a form that allows quick and efficient on-line testing for possible associations between genes, loci and traits of interest by an entire research community. Description Using a reference population of 150 recombinant doubled haploid barley lines we generated novel phenotypic, mRNA abundance and SNP-based genotyping data sets, added them to a considerable volume of legacy trait data and entered them into the GeneNetwork http://www.genenetwork.org. GeneNetwork is a unified on-line analytical environment that enables the user to test genetic hypotheses about how component traits, such as mRNA abundance, may interact to condition more complex biological phenotypes (higher-order traits. Here we describe these barley data sets and demonstrate some of the functionalities GeneNetwork provides as an easily accessible and integrated analytical environment for exploring them. Conclusion By

Prospects of Genomic Prediction in the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection: Historical Data Creates Robust Models for Enhancing Selection of Accessions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Jarquin

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The identification and mobilization of useful genetic variation from germplasm banks for use in breeding programs is critical for future genetic gain and protection against crop pests. Plummeting costs of next-generation sequencing and genotyping is revolutionizing the way in which researchers and breeders interface with plant germplasm collections. An example of this is the high density genotyping of the entire USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection. We assessed the usefulness of 50K single nucleotide polymorphism data collected on 18,480 domesticated soybean (Glycine max accessions and vast historical phenotypic data for developing genomic prediction models for protein, oil, and yield. Resulting genomic prediction models explained an appreciable amount of the variation in accession performance in independent validation trials, with correlations between predicted and observed reaching up to 0.92 for oil and protein and 0.79 for yield. The optimization of training set design was explored using a series of cross-validation schemes. It was found that the target population and environment need to be well represented in the training set. Second, genomic prediction training sets appear to be robust to the presence of data from diverse geographical locations and genetic clusters. This finding, however, depends on the influence of shattering and lodging, and may be specific to soybean with its presence of maturity groups. The distribution of 7608 nonphenotyped accessions was examined through the application of genomic prediction models. The distribution of predictions of phenotyped accessions was representative of the distribution of predictions for nonphenotyped accessions, with no nonphenotyped accessions being predicted to fall far outside the range of predictions of phenotyped accessions.

The Human Phenotype Ontology project: linking molecular biology and disease through phenotype data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kohler, S.; Doelken, S.C.; Mungall, C.J.; Bauer, S.; Firth, H.V.; Bailleul-Forestier, I.; Black, G.C.M.; Brown, D.L.; Brudno, M.; Campbell, J.; FitzPatrick, D.R.; Eppig, J.T.; Jackson, A.P.; Freson, K.; Girdea, M.; Helbig, I.; Hurst, J.A.; Jahn, J.; Jackson, L.G.; Kelly, A.M.; Ledbetter, D.H.; Mansour, S.; Martin, C.L.; Moss, C.; Mumford, A.; Ouwehand, W.H.; Park, S.M.; Riggs, E.R.; Scott, R.H.; Sisodiya, S.; Vooren, S. van der; Wapner, R.J.; Wilkie, A.O.; Wright, C.F.; Silfhout, A.T. van; Leeuw, N. de; Vries, B. de; Washingthon, N.L.; Smith, C.L.; Westerfield, M.; Schofield, P.; Ruef, B.J.; Gkoutos, G.V.; Haendel, M.; Smedley, D.; Lewis, S.E.; Robinson, P.N.

2014-01-01

The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) project, available at http://www.human-phenotype-ontology.org, provides a structured, comprehensive and well-defined set of 10,088 classes (terms) describing human phenotypic abnormalities and 13,326 subclass relations between the HPO classes. In addition we have

Analysis in Banach spaces

CERN Document Server

Hytönen, Tuomas; Veraar, Mark; Weis, Lutz

The present volume develops the theory of integration in Banach spaces, martingales and UMD spaces, and culminates in a treatment of the Hilbert transform, Littlewood-Paley theory and the vector-valued Mihlin multiplier theorem. Over the past fifteen years, motivated by regularity problems in evolution equations, there has been tremendous progress in the analysis of Banach space-valued functions and processes. The contents of this extensive and powerful toolbox have been mostly scattered around in research papers and lecture notes. Collecting this diverse body of material into a unified and accessible presentation fills a gap in the existing literature. The principal audience that we have in mind consists of researchers who need and use Analysis in Banach Spaces as a tool for studying problems in partial differential equations, harmonic analysis, and stochastic analysis. Self-contained and offering complete proofs, this work is accessible to graduate students and researchers with a background in functional an...

Phenotype and seed production among hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus L. Sweet) accessions rescued using hydroponic techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Hyacinth bean, Lablab purpureus L. (Sweet) is a legume used as a vegetable, forage, and in home gardens as an ornamental plant. Many accessions do not flower during their juvenile period in Byron, GA. Other hyacinth bean accessions produce few seed when regenerated in the field. This study was condu...

Phenotypic equilibrium as probabilistic convergence in multi-phenotype cell population dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Da-Quan Jiang

Full Text Available We consider the cell population dynamics with n different phenotypes. Both the Markovian branching process model (stochastic model and the ordinary differential equation (ODE system model (deterministic model are presented, and exploited to investigate the dynamics of the phenotypic proportions. We will prove that in both models, these proportions will tend to constants regardless of initial population states ("phenotypic equilibrium" under weak conditions, which explains the experimental phenomenon in Gupta et al.'s paper. We also prove that Gupta et al.'s explanation is the ODE model under a special assumption. As an application, we will give sufficient and necessary conditions under which the proportion of one phenotype tends to 0 (die out or 1 (dominate. We also extend our results to non-Markovian cases.

Phenotype- and SSR-Based Estimates of Genetic Variation between and within Two Important Elymus Species in Western and Northern China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zongyu Zhang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Elymus nutans and Elymus sibiricus are two important perennial forage grasses of the genus Elymus, widely distributed in high altitude regions of Western and Northern China, especially on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Information on phenotypic and genetic diversity is limited, but necessary for Elymus germplasm collection, conservation, and utilization. In the present study, the phenotypic and genetic differentiation of 73 accessions of the two species were evaluated using 15 phenotypic traits and 40 expressed sequence tag derived simple sequence repeat markers (EST-SSRs. The results showed that only 7.23% phenotypic differentiation (Pst existed between the two Elymus species based on fifteen quantitative traits. Principal component analysis (PCA revealed that leaf traits, spike traits, and some seed traits were dominant factors in phenotypic variation. Moreover, 396 (97.8% and 331 (87.1% polymorphic bands were generated from 40 EST-SSR primers, suggesting high levels of genetic diversity for the two species. The highest genetic diversity was found in the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau groups. Clustering analysis based on molecular data showed that most accessions of each Elymus species tended to group together. Similar results were described by principal coordinates analysis (PCoA and structure analysis. The molecular variance analysis (AMOVA revealed that 81.47% and 89.32% variation existed within the geographical groups for the two species, respectively. Pearson’s correlation analyses showed a strong positive correlation between Nei’s genetic diversity and annual mean temperature. These results could facilitate Elymus germplasm collection, conservation, and future breeding.

Quality over Quantity: Contribution of Urban Green Space to Neighborhood Satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Van den Berg, Agnes E; Van Dijk, Terry; Weitkamp, Gerd

2017-05-16

There is increasing evidence that the quality of green space significantly contributes to neighborhood satisfaction and well-being, independent of the mere amount of green space. In this paper, we examined residents' perceptions of the quality and beneficial affordances of green space in relation to objectively assessed accessibility and usability. We used data from a survey in two neighborhoods ( N = 223) of a medium-sized city in the Netherlands, which were similar in the amount of green space and other physical and socio-demographic characteristics, but differed in the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. Results show that residents of the neighborhood with a higher availability of accessible and usable green spaces were more satisfied with their neighborhood. This difference was statistically mediated by the higher level of perceived green space quality. Neighborhood satisfaction was significantly positively related to well-being. However, residents of the two neighborhoods did not differ in self-reported well-being and beneficial affordances of green space. These analyses contribute to a further understanding of how the accessibility and usability of green spaces may increase people's neighborhood satisfaction. It highlights the importance of perceived quality in addition to the amount of green space when examining the beneficial effects of green space.

Proposal for a Cooperative Space Strategy with China

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-01

Space Again: Iacta Alea Est,” George C. Marshall Institute, January 2007, http:/www.marshall.org/pdf /materials/492.pdf (accessed 2 Jan 09). 130 Johnson...pdfserve.informaworld.com /914200__790435634.pdf (accessed 2 Jan 09). Kueter, Jeff. “Crossing the Rubicon in Space Again: Iacta Alea Est.” George C. Marshall Institute

Knowledge-based analysis of phenotypes

KAUST Repository

Hoendorf, Robert

2016-01-27

Phenotypes are the observable characteristics of an organism, and they are widely recorded in biology and medicine. To facilitate data integration, ontologies that formally describe phenotypes are being developed in several domains. I will describe a formal framework to describe phenotypes. A formalized theory of phenotypes is not only useful for domain analysis, but can also be applied to assist in the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases, and I will show how our results on the ontology of phenotypes is now applied in biomedical research.

Effect of Ankle Position and Noninvasive Distraction on Arthroscopic Accessibility of the Distal Tibial Plafond.

Science.gov (United States)

Akoh, Craig C; Dibbern, Kevin; Amendola, Annuziato; Sittapairoj, Tinnart; Anderson, Donald D; Phisitkul, Phinit

2017-10-01

Osteochondral lesions of the tibial plafond (OLTPs) can lead to chronic ankle pain and disability. It is not known how limited ankle motion or joint distraction affects arthroscopic accessibility of these lesions. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of different fixed flexion angles and distraction on accessibility of the distal tibial articular surface during anterior and posterior arthroscopy. Fourteen below-knee cadaver specimens underwent anterior and posterior ankle arthroscopy using a 30-degree 2.7-mm arthroscopic camera. Intra-articular working space was measured with a precision of 1 mm using sizing rods. The accessible areas at the plafond were marked under direct visualization at varying fixed ankle flexion positions. Arthroscopic accessibilities were normalized as percent area using a surface laser scan. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the relationship between preoperative ankle range of motion, amount of distraction, arthroscopic approach, and arthroscopic plafond visualization. There was significantly greater accessibility during posterior arthroscopy (73.5%) compared with anterior arthroscopy (51.2%) in the neutral ankle position ( P = .007). There was no difference in accessibility for anterior arthroscopy with increasing level of plantarflexion ( P > .05). Increasing dorsiflexion during posterior arthroscopy significantly reduced ankle accessibility ( P = .028). There was a significant increase in accessibility through the anterior and posterior approach with increasing amount of intra-articular working space (parameter estimates ± SE): anterior = 14.2 ± 3.34 ( P articular working space and arthroscopic accessibility were greater during posterior arthroscopy compared with anterior arthroscopy. Improved accessibility of OLTPs may be achieved from posterior arthroscopy. Arthroscopic accessibility was heavily dependent on the amount of intraoperative joint working space achieved and not on ankle position. OLTPs are

The Small Payload Access to Space Experiment (SPASE): Using Non-Traditional Aerospace Technology to Enable a New Generation of Low-Cost Missions

OpenAIRE

McDermott, Scott; Aamot, L. Eric

2001-01-01

Launching on STS-108 Endeavour in late 2001, the Small Payload Access to Space Experiment (SPASE) demonstrates a number of new technologies, efficient ways to conduct a nanospacecraft development program, and how to take such a spacecraft through the Shuttle Hitchhiker safety and integration process. This paper describes the essential “lessons learned” in each of these areas. Commercial solar panels, batteries, imagers, photocells, integrated circuits, and manufacturing techniques are used th...

Advanced phenotyping and phenotype data analysis for the plant growth and development study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Matiur eRahaman

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Due to increase in the consumption of food, feed, fuel and to ensure global food security for rapidly growing human population, there is need to breed high yielding crops that can adapt to future climate. To solve these global issues, novel approaches are required to provide quantitative phenotypes to elucidate the genetic basis of agriculturally import traits and to screen germplasm with super performance in function under resource-limited environment. At present, plant phenomics has offered and integrated suite technologies for understanding the complete set of phenotypes of plants, towards the progression of the full characteristics of plants with whole sequenced genomes. In this aspect, high-throughput phenotyping platforms have been developed that enables to capture extensive and intensive phenotype data from non-destructive imaging over time. These developments advance our view on plant growth and performance with responses to the changing climate and environment. In this paper, we present a brief review on currently developed high-throughput plant phenotyping infrastructures based on imaging techniques and corresponding principles for phenotype data analysis.

Space solar power for powering a space elevator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laubscher, B. E. (Bryan E.); Kellum, M. J. (Mervyn J.)

2004-01-01

The Space Elevator (SE) represents a major paradigm shift in space access. If the SE's promise of low cost access can be realized, everything becomes economically more feasible to accomplish in space. In this paper we describe a Space Solar Power (SSP) system capable of powering the climbers of an SE. The initial SE will use laser power beaming from floating platforms near the SE platform. This study outlines an SSP system, based near the SE at geosynchronous altitude (GEO), which powers the climbers traversing the elevator. Such a system would reduce the SE system's dependence on fuel supply from land for its power beaming facilities. Moreover, since deploying SSP systems is anticipated to be a major use for SE's, SSP's could represent an elegant solution to the problem of SE energy consumption. SSP systems for sending usable power to Earth have been designed for well over 30 years. Technologies pertinent to SSP systems are continually evolving. This slightly different application carries the added requirements of aiming the beamed power at a moving target and sending the power in a form the climbers can use. Systems considered include beaming power to the climbers directly from a traditional SSP and reflecting sunlight onto the climbers. One of our designs includes a very new technology, optical rectennas. Mars SEs are conceived as having space-based power systems. Therefore, it is important to consider the problems that will be encountered in these types of applications.

The Human Phenotype Ontology in 2017

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Köhler, Sebastian; Vasilevsky, Nicole A.; Engelstad, Mark; Foster, Erin; McMurry, Julie

2016-01-01

Deep phenotyping has been defined as the precise and comprehensive analysis of phenotypic abnormalities in which the individual components of the phenotype are observed and described. The three components of the Human PhenotypeOntology (HPO; www.human-phenotype-ontology.org) project are the phenotype vocabulary, disease-phenotype annotations and the algorithms that operate on these. These components are being used for computational deep phenotyping and precision medicine as well as integration of clinical data into translational research. The HPO is being increasingly adopted as a standard for phenotypic abnormalities by diverse groups such as international rare disease organizations, registries, clinical labs, biomedical resources, and clinical software tools and will thereby contribute toward nascent efforts at global data exchange for identifying disease etiologies. This update article reviews the progress of the HPO project since the debut Nucleic Acids Research database article in 2014, including specific areas of expansion such as common (complex) disease, new algorithms for phenotype driven genomic discovery and diagnostics, integration of cross-species mapping efforts with the Mammalian Phenotype Ontology, an improved quality control pipeline, and the addition of patient-friendly terminology.

Evolution to Space

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Jacob

2013-01-01

This presentation will discuss recent space exploration results (LCROSS, KEPLER, etc.), increase access to space and the small and cube satellites platform as it relates to the future of space exploration. It will highlight the concept of modularization and the use of biology, and specifically synthetic biology in the future. The presentation will be a general public presentation. When speaking to a younger audience, I will discuss my background. All slides contain only public information. No technical ITAR/Export controlled material will be discussed.

Security for safety critical space borne systems

Science.gov (United States)

Legrand, Sue

1987-01-01

The Space Station contains safety critical computer software components in systems that can affect life and vital property. These components require a multilevel secure system that provides dynamic access control of the data and processes involved. A study is under way to define requirements for a security model providing access control through level B3 of the Orange Book. The model will be prototyped at NASA-Johnson Space Center.

NASA GSFC Space Weather Center - Innovative Space Weather Dissemination: Web-Interfaces, Mobile Applications, and More

Science.gov (United States)

Maddox, Marlo; Zheng, Yihua; Rastaetter, Lutz; Taktakishvili, A.; Mays, M. L.; Kuznetsova, M.; Lee, Hyesook; Chulaki, Anna; Hesse, Michael; Mullinix, Richard;

iBeetle-Base: a database for RNAi phenotypes in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum.

Science.gov (United States)

Dönitz, Jürgen; Schmitt-Engel, Christian; Grossmann, Daniela; Gerischer, Lizzy; Tech, Maike; Schoppmeier, Michael; Klingler, Martin; Bucher, Gregor

2015-01-01

The iBeetle-Base (http://ibeetle-base.uni-goettingen.de) makes available annotations of RNAi phenotypes, which were gathered in a large scale RNAi screen in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (iBeetle screen). In addition, it provides access to sequence information and links for all Tribolium castaneum genes. The iBeetle-Base contains the annotations of phenotypes of several thousands of genes knocked down during embryonic and metamorphic epidermis and muscle development in addition to phenotypes linked to oogenesis and stink gland biology. The phenotypes are described according to the EQM (entity, quality, modifier) system using controlled vocabularies and the Tribolium morphological ontology (TrOn). Furthermore, images linked to the respective annotations are provided. The data are searchable either for specific phenotypes using a complex 'search for morphological defects' or a 'quick search' for gene names and IDs. The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum has become an important model system for insect functional genetics and is a representative of the most species rich taxon, the Coleoptera, which comprise several devastating pests. It is used for studying insect typical development, the evolution of development and for research on metabolism and pest control. Besides Drosophila, Tribolium is the first insect model organism where large scale unbiased screens have been performed. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

GGCX-Associated Phenotypes: An Overview in Search of Genotype-Phenotype Correlations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Y. G. De Vilder

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Gamma-carboxylation, performed by gamma-glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX, is an enzymatic process essential for activating vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDP with important functions in various biological processes. Mutations in the encoding GGCX gene are associated with multiple phenotypes, amongst which vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor deficiency (VKCFD1 is best known. Other patients have skin, eye, heart or bone manifestations. As genotype–phenotype correlations were never described, literature was systematically reviewed in search of patients with at least one GGCX mutation with a phenotypic description, resulting in a case series of 47 patients. Though this number was too low for statistically valid correlations—a frequent problem in orphan diseases—we demonstrate the crucial role of the horizontally transferred transmembrane domain in developing cardiac and bone manifestations. Moreover, natural history suggests ageing as the principal determinant to develop skin and eye symptoms. VKCFD1 symptoms seemed more severe in patients with both mutations in the same protein domain, though this could not be linked to a more perturbed coagulation factor function. Finally, distinct GGCX functional domains might be dedicated to carboxylation of very specific VKDP. In conclusion, this systematic review suggests that there indeed may be genotype–phenotype correlations for GGCX-related phenotypes, which can guide patient counseling and management.

Interoperability between phenotype and anatomy ontologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoehndorf, Robert; Oellrich, Anika; Rebholz-Schuhmann, Dietrich

2010-12-15

Phenotypic information is important for the analysis of the molecular mechanisms underlying disease. A formal ontological representation of phenotypic information can help to identify, interpret and infer phenotypic traits based on experimental findings. The methods that are currently used to represent data and information about phenotypes fail to make the semantics of the phenotypic trait explicit and do not interoperate with ontologies of anatomy and other domains. Therefore, valuable resources for the analysis of phenotype studies remain unconnected and inaccessible to automated analysis and reasoning. We provide a framework to formalize phenotypic descriptions and make their semantics explicit. Based on this formalization, we provide the means to integrate phenotypic descriptions with ontologies of other domains, in particular anatomy and physiology. We demonstrate how our framework leads to the capability to represent disease phenotypes, perform powerful queries that were not possible before and infer additional knowledge. http://bioonto.de/pmwiki.php/Main/PheneOntology.

Achievable space elevators for space transportation and starship acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Jerome

1990-04-01

Space elevator concepts for low-cost space launches are reviewed. Previous concepts suffered from requirements for ultra-high-strength materials, dynamically unstable systems, or from danger of collision with space debris. The use of magnetic grain streams solves these problems. Magnetic grain streams can support short space elevators for lifting payloads cheaply into Earth orbit, overcoming the material strength problem in building space elevators. Alternatively, the stream could support an international spaceport circling the Earth daily tens of miles above the equator, accessible to advanced aircraft. Mars could be equipped with a similar grain stream, using material from its moons Phobos and Deimos. Grain-stream arcs about the sun could be used for fast launches to the outer planets and for accelerating starships to near lightspeed for interstellar reconnaisance. Grain streams are essentially impervious to collisions, and could reduce the cost of space transportation by an order of magnitude.

Phenotypic effects of salt and heat stress over three generations in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Léonie Suter

Full Text Available Current and predicted environmental change will force many organisms to adapt to novel conditions, especially sessile organisms such as plants. It is therefore important to better understand how plants react to environmental stress and to what extent genotypes differ in such responses. It has been proposed that adaptation to novel conditions could be facilitated by heritable epigenetic changes induced by environmental stress, independent of genetic variation. Here we assessed phenotypic effects of heat and salt stress within and across three generations using four highly inbred Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes (Col, Cvi, Ler and Sha. Salt stress generally decreased fitness, but genotypes were differently affected, suggesting that susceptibility of A. thaliana to salt stress varies among genotypes. Heat stress at an early rosette stage had less detrimental effects but accelerated flowering in three out of four accessions. Additionally, we found three different modes of transgenerational effects on phenotypes, all harboring the potential of being adaptive: heat stress in previous generations induced faster rosette growth in Sha, both under heat and control conditions, resembling a tracking response, while in Cvi, the phenotypic variance of several traits increased, resembling diversified bet-hedging. Salt stress experienced in earlier generations altered plant architecture of Sha under salt but not control conditions, similar to transgenerational phenotypic plasticity. However, transgenerational phenotypic effects depended on the type of stress as well as on genotype, suggesting that such effects may not be a general response leading to adaptation to novel environmental conditions in A. thaliana.

NASA Space Environments Technical Discipline Team Space Weather Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Minow, J. I.; Nicholas, A. C.; Parker, L. N.; Xapsos, M.; Walker, P. W.; Stauffer, C.

2017-12-01

The Space Environment Technical Discipline Team (TDT) is a technical organization led by NASA's Technical Fellow for Space Environments that supports NASA's Office of the Chief Engineer through the NASA Engineering and Safety Center. The Space Environments TDT conducts independent technical assessments related to the space environment and space weather impacts on spacecraft for NASA programs and provides technical expertise to NASA management and programs where required. This presentation will highlight the status of applied space weather activities within the Space Environment TDT that support development of operational space weather applications and a better understanding of the impacts of space weather on space systems. We will first discuss a tool that has been developed for evaluating space weather launch constraints that are used to protect launch vehicles from hazardous space weather. We then describe an effort to better characterize three-dimensional radiation transport for CubeSat spacecraft and processing of micro-dosimeter data from the International Space Station which the team plans to make available to the space science community. Finally, we will conclude with a quick description of an effort to maintain access to the real-time solar wind data provided by the Advanced Composition Explorer satellite at the Sun-Earth L1 point.

Incomplete information and fractal phase space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qiuping A.

2004-01-01

The incomplete statistics for complex systems is characterized by a so called incompleteness parameter ω which equals unity when information is completely accessible to our treatment. This paper is devoted to the discussion of the incompleteness of accessible information and of the physical signification of ω on the basis of fractal phase space. ω is shown to be proportional to the fractal dimension of the phase space and can be linked to the phase volume expansion and information growth during the scale refining process

Playground Accessibility and Neighbourhood Social Interaction among Parents

Science.gov (United States)

Bennet, Scott A.; Yiannakoulias, Nikolaos; Williams, Allison M.; Kitchen, Peter

2012-01-01

While the positive association between social interaction and access to green space is well accepted, little research has sought to understand the role of children's playgrounds in facilitating social interaction within a community. Playgrounds are spaces designed to facilitate play and the interaction of children, but may also be important places…

Sex hormone binding globulin phenotypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cornelisse, M M; Bennett, Patrick; Christiansen, M

1994-01-01

Human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is encoded by a normal and a variant allele. The resulting SHBG phenotypes (the homozygous normal SHBG, the heterozygous SHBG and the homozygous variant SHBG phenotype) can be distinguished by their electrophoretic patterns. We developed a novel detection....... This method of detection was used to determine the distribution of SHBG phenotypes in healthy controls of both sexes and in five different pathological conditions characterized by changes in the SHBG level or endocrine disturbances (malignant and benign ovarian neoplasms, hirsutism, liver cirrhosis...... on the experimental values. Differences in SHBG phenotypes do not appear to have any clinical significance and no sex difference was found in the SHBG phenotype distribution....

Dangerous Spaces: Threatening Sites for Social Justice

Science.gov (United States)

Schostak, John

2012-01-01

There is nothing natural about space as it is understood here. Spacing is an act that constructs relationships, intervals, separations and thus boundaries. The earth has no territories other than those imagined and enforced through acts of territorialisation. A city has its private spaces closed to open access and open spaces that are inscribed…

Green Space Attachment and Health: A Comparative Study in Two Urban Neighborhoods.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; van Dijk, Terry; Tang, Jianjun; van den Berg, Agnes E

2015-11-12

The positive relationships between urban green space and health have been well documented. Little is known, however, about the role of residents' emotional attachment to local green spaces in these relationships, and how attachment to green spaces and health may be promoted by the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. The present research aimed to examine the links between self-reported health, attachment to green space, and the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. Data were collected via paper-mailed surveys in two neighborhoods (n = 223) of a medium-sized Dutch city in the Netherlands. These neighborhoods differ in the perceived and objectively measured accessibility and usability of green spaces, but are matched in the physically available amount of urban green space, as well as in demographic and socio-economic status, and housing conditions. Four dimensions of green space attachment were identified through confirmatory factor analysis: place dependence, affective attachment, place identity and social bonding. The results show greater attachment to local green space and better self-reported mental health in the neighborhood with higher availability of accessible and usable green spaces. The two neighborhoods did not differ, however, in physical and general health. Structural Equation Modelling confirmed the neighborhood differences in green space attachment and mental health, and also revealed a positive path from green space attachment to mental health. These findings convey the message that we should make green places, instead of green spaces.

Green Space Attachment and Health: A Comparative Study in Two Urban Neighborhoods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Zhang

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The positive relationships between urban green space and health have been well documented. Little is known, however, about the role of residents’ emotional attachment to local green spaces in these relationships, and how attachment to green spaces and health may be promoted by the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. The present research aimed to examine the links between self-reported health, attachment to green space, and the availability of accessible and usable green spaces. Data were collected via paper-mailed surveys in two neighborhoods (n = 223 of a medium-sized Dutch city in the Netherlands. These neighborhoods differ in the perceived and objectively measured accessibility and usability of green spaces, but are matched in the physically available amount of urban green space, as well as in demographic and socio-economic status, and housing conditions. Four dimensions of green space attachment were identified through confirmatory factor analysis: place dependence, affective attachment, place identity and social bonding. The results show greater attachment to local green space and better self-reported mental health in the neighborhood with higher availability of accessible and usable green spaces. The two neighborhoods did not differ, however, in physical and general health. Structural Equation Modelling confirmed the neighborhood differences in green space attachment and mental health, and also revealed a positive path from green space attachment to mental health. These findings convey the message that we should make green places, instead of green spaces.

Exploring natural variation of photosynthetic, primary metabolism and growth parameters in a large panel of Capsicum chinense accessions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosado-Souza, Laise; Scossa, Federico; Chaves, Izabel S; Kleessen, Sabrina; Salvador, Luiz F D; Milagre, Jocimar C; Finger, Fernando; Bhering, Leonardo L; Sulpice, Ronan; Araújo, Wagner L; Nikoloski, Zoran; Fernie, Alisdair R; Nunes-Nesi, Adriano

2015-09-01

Collectively, the results presented improve upon the utility of an important genetic resource and attest to a complex genetic basis for differences in both leaf metabolism and fruit morphology between natural populations. Diversity of accessions within the same species provides an alternative method to identify physiological and metabolic traits that have large effects on growth regulation, biomass and fruit production. Here, we investigated physiological and metabolic traits as well as parameters related to plant growth and fruit production of 49 phenotypically diverse pepper accessions of Capsicum chinense grown ex situ under controlled conditions. Although single-trait analysis identified up to seven distinct groups of accessions, working with the whole data set by multivariate analyses allowed the separation of the 49 accessions in three clusters. Using all 23 measured parameters and data from the geographic origin for these accessions, positive correlations between the combined phenotypes and geographic origin were observed, supporting a robust pattern of isolation-by-distance. In addition, we found that fruit set was positively correlated with photosynthesis-related parameters, which, however, do not explain alone the differences in accession susceptibility to fruit abortion. Our results demonstrated that, although the accessions belong to the same species, they exhibit considerable natural intraspecific variation with respect to physiological and metabolic parameters, presenting diverse adaptation mechanisms and being a highly interesting source of information for plant breeders. This study also represents the first study combining photosynthetic, primary metabolism and growth parameters for Capsicum to date.

Subxyphoid access of the normal pericardium: a novel drug delivery technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Laham, R J; Simons, M; Hung, D

1999-05-01

The pericardial space may potentially serve as a drug delivery reservoir that might be used to deliver therapeutic substances to the heart. This study describes a novel delivery technique that enables safe and rapid percutaneous subxyphoid access of the normal pericardium in a large animal model (49 Yorkshire pigs). An epidural introducer needle (Tuohy-17) is advanced gently under fluoroscopic guidance with a continuous positive pressure of 20-30 mm Hg (achieved by saline infusion using an intraflow system). The positive pressure is intended to push the right ventricle (with a lower pressure) away from the needle's path. Entry of the pericardial space is suspected after an increase in the saline flow through the intraflow system. Access to the pericardial space is confirmed by the injection of 1 ml of diluted contrast under fluoroscopy. A soft floppy-tip 0.025" guidewire is then advanced to the pericardial space and the needle is exchanged for an infusion catheter. Access of the pericardial space was achieved in all animals without any adverse events and without any hemodynamic compromise even with the delivery of fluid volumes as large as 50 ml. Histologic examination in 15 animals 4 weeks after pericardial access did not reveal any delivery-related myocardial damage. The safety, ease, and absence of hemodynamic compromise make this technique a potentially useful method for intrapericardial drug delivery and a good alternative to standard pericardiocentesis in patients with small pericardial effusions at higher risk for complications.

Childhood asthma-predictive phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Guilbert, Theresa W; Mauger, David T; Lemanske, Robert F

2014-01-01

Wheezing is a fairly common symptom in early childhood, but only some of these toddlers will experience continued wheezing symptoms in later childhood. The definition of the asthma-predictive phenotype is in children with frequent, recurrent wheezing in early life who have risk factors associated with the continuation of asthma symptoms in later life. Several asthma-predictive phenotypes were developed retrospectively based on large, longitudinal cohort studies; however, it can be difficult to differentiate these phenotypes clinically as the expression of symptoms, and risk factors can change with time. Genetic, environmental, developmental, and host factors and their interactions may contribute to the development, severity, and persistence of the asthma phenotype over time. Key characteristics that distinguish the childhood asthma-predictive phenotype include the following: male sex; a history of wheezing, with lower respiratory tract infections; history of parental asthma; history of atopic dermatitis; eosinophilia; early sensitization to food or aeroallergens; or lower lung function in early life. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring Physical Accessibility with Space-Time Prisms in a GIS: A Case Study of Access to Health-Care Facilities

OpenAIRE

Lee, Ming S.; McNally, Michael G.

2002-01-01

Physical accessibility is a measurement of opportunities available to people in a geographical region. The purpose of such a measurement is for the redirection of regional and transportation policies toward the provision of quality of life. Public policies should provide individuals with more options to choose from, and these options should be more equally distributed among the population. A physical accessibility measure can reflect the efficiency of policies in addressing these issues. This...

A “Forward Genomics” Approach Links Genotype to Phenotype using Independent Phenotypic Losses among Related Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Hiller

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Genotype-phenotype mapping is hampered by countless genomic changes between species. We introduce a computational “forward genomics” strategy that—given only an independently lost phenotype and whole genomes—matches genomic and phenotypic loss patterns to associate specific genomic regions with this phenotype. We conducted genome-wide screens for two metabolic phenotypes. First, our approach correctly matches the inactivated Gulo gene exactly with the species that lost the ability to synthesize vitamin C. Second, we attribute naturally low biliary phospholipid levels in guinea pigs and horses to the inactivated phospholipid transporter Abcb4. Human ABCB4 mutations also result in low phospholipid levels but lead to severe liver disease, suggesting compensatory mechanisms in guinea pig and horse. Our simulation studies, counts of independent changes in existing phenotype surveys, and the forthcoming availability of many new genomes all suggest that forward genomics can be applied to many phenotypes, including those relevant for human evolution and disease.

High level of molecular and phenotypic biodiversity in Jatropha curcas from Central America compared to Africa, Asia and South America

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Montes Osorio, L.R.; Torres Salvador, A.F.; Jongschaap, R.E.E.; Azurdia, C.; Berduo, J.; Trindade, L.M.; Visser, R.G.F.; Loo, van E.N.

2014-01-01

Background The main bottleneck to elevate jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) from a wild species to a profitable biodiesel crop is the low genetic and phenotypic variation found in different regions of the world, hampering efficient plant breeding for productivity traits. In this study, 182 accessions

Genetic variability of garlic accessions as revealed by agro-morphological traits evaluated under different environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoogerheide, E S S; Azevedo Filho, J A; Vencovsky, R; Zucchi, M I; Zago, B W; Pinheiro, J B

2017-05-31

The cultivated garlic (Allium sativum L.) displays a wide phenotypic diversity, which is derived from natural mutations and phenotypic plasticity, due to dependence on soil type, moisture, latitude, altitude and cultural practices, leading to a large number of cultivars. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic variability shown by 63 garlic accessions belonging to Instituto Agronômico de Campinas and the Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" germplasm collections. We evaluated ten quantitative characters in experimental trials conducted under two localities of the State of São Paulo: Monte Alegre do Sul and Piracicaba, during the agricultural year of 2007, in a randomized blocks design with five replications. The Mahalanobis distance was used to measure genetic dissimilarities. The UPGMA method and Tocher's method were used as clustering procedures. Results indicated significant variation among accessions (P < 0.01) for all evaluated characters, except for the percentage of secondary bulb growth in MAS, indicating the existence of genetic variation for bulb production, and germplasm evaluation considering different environments is more reliable for the characterization of the genotypic variability among garlic accessions, since it diminishes the environmental effects in the clustering of genotypes.

Accessing files in an Internet: The Jade file system

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Larry L.; Rao, Herman C.

1991-01-01

Jade is a new distribution file system that provides a uniform way to name and access files in an internet environment. It makes two important contributions. First, Jade is a logical system that integrates a heterogeneous collection of existing file systems, where heterogeneous means that the underlying file systems support different file access protocols. Jade is designed under the restriction that the underlying file system may not be modified. Second, rather than providing a global name space, Jade permits each user to define a private name space. These private name spaces support two novel features: they allow multiple file systems to be mounted under one directory, and they allow one logical name space to mount other logical name spaces. A prototype of the Jade File System was implemented on Sun Workstations running Unix. It consists of interfaces to the Unix file system, the Sun Network File System, the Andrew File System, and FTP. This paper motivates Jade's design, highlights several aspects of its implementation, and illustrates applications that can take advantage of its features.

Accessing files in an internet - The Jade file system

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Herman C.; Peterson, Larry L.

1993-01-01

Jade is a new distribution file system that provides a uniform way to name and access files in an internet environment. It makes two important contributions. First, Jade is a logical system that integrates a heterogeneous collection of existing file systems, where heterogeneous means that the underlying file systems support different file access protocols. Jade is designed under the restriction that the underlying file system may not be modified. Second, rather than providing a global name space, Jade permits each user to define a private name space. These private name spaces support two novel features: they allow multiple file systems to be mounted under one directory, and they allow one logical name space to mount other logical name spaces. A prototype of the Jade File System was implemented on Sun Workstations running Unix. It consists of interfaces to the Unix file system, the Sun Network File System, the Andrew File System, and FTP. This paper motivates Jade's design, highlights several aspects of its implementation, and illustrates applications that can take advantage of its features.

Clinical phenotype-based gene prioritization: an initial study using semantic similarity and the human phenotype ontology.

Science.gov (United States)

Masino, Aaron J; Dechene, Elizabeth T; Dulik, Matthew C; Wilkens, Alisha; Spinner, Nancy B; Krantz, Ian D; Pennington, Jeffrey W; Robinson, Peter N; White, Peter S

2014-07-21

Exome sequencing is a promising method for diagnosing patients with a complex phenotype. However, variant interpretation relative to patient phenotype can be challenging in some scenarios, particularly clinical assessment of rare complex phenotypes. Each patient's sequence reveals many possibly damaging variants that must be individually assessed to establish clear association with patient phenotype. To assist interpretation, we implemented an algorithm that ranks a given set of genes relative to patient phenotype. The algorithm orders genes by the semantic similarity computed between phenotypic descriptors associated with each gene and those describing the patient. Phenotypic descriptor terms are taken from the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) and semantic similarity is derived from each term's information content. Model validation was performed via simulation and with clinical data. We simulated 33 Mendelian diseases with 100 patients per disease. We modeled clinical conditions by adding noise and imprecision, i.e. phenotypic terms unrelated to the disease and terms less specific than the actual disease terms. We ranked the causative gene against all 2488 HPO annotated genes. The median causative gene rank was 1 for the optimal and noise cases, 12 for the imprecision case, and 60 for the imprecision with noise case. Additionally, we examined a clinical cohort of subjects with hearing impairment. The disease gene median rank was 22. However, when also considering the patient's exome data and filtering non-exomic and common variants, the median rank improved to 3. Semantic similarity can rank a causative gene highly within a gene list relative to patient phenotype characteristics, provided that imprecision is mitigated. The clinical case results suggest that phenotype rank combined with variant analysis provides significant improvement over the individual approaches. We expect that this combined prioritization approach may increase accuracy and decrease effort for

Distribution of genotype network sizes in sequence-to-structure genotype-phenotype maps.

Science.gov (United States)

Manrubia, Susanna; Cuesta, José A

2017-04-01

An essential quantity to ensure evolvability of populations is the navigability of the genotype space. Navigability, understood as the ease with which alternative phenotypes are reached, relies on the existence of sufficiently large and mutually attainable genotype networks. The size of genotype networks (e.g. the number of RNA sequences folding into a particular secondary structure or the number of DNA sequences coding for the same protein structure) is astronomically large in all functional molecules investigated: an exhaustive experimental or computational study of all RNA folds or all protein structures becomes impossible even for moderately long sequences. Here, we analytically derive the distribution of genotype network sizes for a hierarchy of models which successively incorporate features of increasingly realistic sequence-to-structure genotype-phenotype maps. The main feature of these models relies on the characterization of each phenotype through a prototypical sequence whose sites admit a variable fraction of letters of the alphabet. Our models interpolate between two limit distributions: a power-law distribution, when the ordering of sites in the prototypical sequence is strongly constrained, and a lognormal distribution, as suggested for RNA, when different orderings of the same set of sites yield different phenotypes. Our main result is the qualitative and quantitative identification of those features of sequence-to-structure maps that lead to different distributions of genotype network sizes. © 2017 The Author(s).

Space Images for NASA/JPL

Science.gov (United States)

Boggs, Karen; Gutheinz, Sandy C.; Watanabe, Susan M.; Oks, Boris; Arca, Jeremy M.; Stanboli, Alice; Peez, Martin; Whatmore, Rebecca; Kang, Minliang; Espinoza, Luis A.

2010-01-01

Space Images for NASA/JPL is an Apple iPhone application that allows the general public to access featured images from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). A back-end infrastructure stores, tracks, and retrieves space images from the JPL Photojournal Web server, and catalogs the information into a streamlined rating infrastructure.

Public open space for disaster mitigation in Tangerang housing estates

Science.gov (United States)

Winandari, M. I. R.

2018-01-01

Public open space in housing estates plays an important role particularly in disaster mitigation. In some housing, there are indications of shape and use of space changes post-handover to local government. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between public open space condition and management related to disaster mitigation in Tangerang housing estates. Multiple case study method is used to analyse of 2 housing cases. Aspects of access and boundaries were used to evaluate the cases. The results showed that gated community housing type should have more than 1 access to facilitate evacuation by considering the farthest unit to the housing gate. This is necessary to provide open spaces that are easily accessible from all units as the first evacuation site during and post disaster.

Mechanistic phenotypes: an aggregative phenotyping strategy to identify disease mechanisms using GWAS data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan D Mosley

Full Text Available A single mutation can alter cellular and global homeostatic mechanisms and give rise to multiple clinical diseases. We hypothesized that these disease mechanisms could be identified using low minor allele frequency (MAF<0.1 non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs associated with "mechanistic phenotypes", comprised of collections of related diagnoses. We studied two mechanistic phenotypes: (1 thrombosis, evaluated in a population of 1,655 African Americans; and (2 four groupings of cancer diagnoses, evaluated in 3,009 white European Americans. We tested associations between nsSNPs represented on GWAS platforms and mechanistic phenotypes ascertained from electronic medical records (EMRs, and sought enrichment in functional ontologies across the top-ranked associations. We used a two-step analytic approach whereby nsSNPs were first sorted by the strength of their association with a phenotype. We tested associations using two reverse genetic models and standard additive and recessive models. In the second step, we employed a hypothesis-free ontological enrichment analysis using the sorted nsSNPs to identify functional mechanisms underlying the diagnoses comprising the mechanistic phenotypes. The thrombosis phenotype was solely associated with ontologies related to blood coagulation (Fisher's p = 0.0001, FDR p = 0.03, driven by the F5, P2RY12 and F2RL2 genes. For the cancer phenotypes, the reverse genetics models were enriched in DNA repair functions (p = 2×10-5, FDR p = 0.03 (POLG/FANCI, SLX4/FANCP, XRCC1, BRCA1, FANCA, CHD1L while the additive model showed enrichment related to chromatid segregation (p = 4×10-6, FDR p = 0.005 (KIF25, PINX1. We were able to replicate nsSNP associations for POLG/FANCI, BRCA1, FANCA and CHD1L in independent data sets. Mechanism-oriented phenotyping using collections of EMR-derived diagnoses can elucidate fundamental disease mechanisms.

Progeny Clustering: A Method to Identify Biological Phenotypes

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chenyue W.; Kornblau, Steven M.; Slater, John H.; Qutub, Amina A.

2015-01-01

Estimating the optimal number of clusters is a major challenge in applying cluster analysis to any type of dataset, especially to biomedical datasets, which are high-dimensional and complex. Here, we introduce an improved method, Progeny Clustering, which is stability-based and exceptionally efficient in computing, to find the ideal number of clusters. The algorithm employs a novel Progeny Sampling method to reconstruct cluster identity, a co-occurrence probability matrix to assess the clustering stability, and a set of reference datasets to overcome inherent biases in the algorithm and data space. Our method was shown successful and robust when applied to two synthetic datasets (datasets of two-dimensions and ten-dimensions containing eight dimensions of pure noise), two standard biological datasets (the Iris dataset and Rat CNS dataset) and two biological datasets (a cell phenotype dataset and an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) reverse phase protein array (RPPA) dataset). Progeny Clustering outperformed some popular clustering evaluation methods in the ten-dimensional synthetic dataset as well as in the cell phenotype dataset, and it was the only method that successfully discovered clinically meaningful patient groupings in the AML RPPA dataset. PMID:26267476

Random Access to Grammar-Compressed Strings and Trees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bille, Philip; Landau, Gad M.; Raman, Rajeev

2015-01-01

representations of S achieving O(log N) random access time, and either O(n · αk(n)) construction time and space on the pointer machine model, or O(n) construction time and space on the RAM. Here, αk(n) is the inverse of the kth row of Ackermann's function. Our representations also efficiently support...

Genetics and evolution of function-valued traits: understanding environmentally responsive phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Stinchcombe, John R; Kirkpatrick, Mark

2012-11-01

Many central questions in ecology and evolutionary biology require characterizing phenotypes that change with time and environmental conditions. Such traits are inherently functions, and new 'function-valued' methods use the order, spacing, and functional nature of the data typically ignored by traditional univariate and multivariate analyses. These rapidly developing methods account for the continuous change in traits of interest in response to other variables, and are superior to traditional summary-based analyses for growth trajectories, morphological shapes, and environmentally sensitive phenotypes. Here, we explain how function-valued methods make flexible use of data and lead to new biological insights. These approaches frequently offer enhanced statistical power, a natural basis of interpretation, and are applicable to many existing data sets. We also illustrate applications of function-valued methods to address ecological, evolutionary, and behavioral hypotheses, and highlight future directions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asynchronous Free-Space Optical CDMA Communications System for Last-mile Access Network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jurado-Navas, Antonio; Raddo, Thiago R.; Sanches, Anderson L.

2016-01-01

We propose a new hybrid asynchronous OCDMA-FSO communications system for access network solutions. New ABER expressions are derived under gamma-gamma scintillation channels, where all users can surprisingly achieve error-free transmissions when FEC is employed.......We propose a new hybrid asynchronous OCDMA-FSO communications system for access network solutions. New ABER expressions are derived under gamma-gamma scintillation channels, where all users can surprisingly achieve error-free transmissions when FEC is employed....

The impact of opening hours on the equity of individual space-time accessibility.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Delafontaine, M.; Neutens, T.; Schwanen, T.; Weghe, N. van der

2011-01-01

While many studies have concentrated on the effects of the spatial distribution of services on individual accessibility, only little is known about the ways in which equity of individual accessibility is affected by the temporal organisation of service delivery. This paper seeks to deepen our

Parking spaces for people with disabilities at bank agencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Ferreira Mazetto

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Environment accessibility influences the quality of performance of the activities developed by individuals in their daily lives with autonomy and independence, and also guarantees the equal right to ‘come and go’. Thisstudy aimed to assess the parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities at bank branches in Uberaba, Minas Gerais state, analyzing whether they are in accordance with the current technical standards of accessibility. The study is characterized by being a quantitative survey with a sample consisting of bank branches established in the municipality. Data was collected using a form with nine questions to be filled through observation of space - outdoor parking spaces at the agency. The data were processed using the technique of content analysis, pointing as a result four categories according to the verification carried out, namely: (i signaling, (ii parking spaces, (iii accessible route, and (iv other elements. Thirty-seven banks were listed; eight were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria. Of the 29 banks included in the study, only nine had reserved parking spaces for people with disabilities and, from those, six were adequate.

Rethinking humanitarian space

OpenAIRE

Ahmad, Sana

2016-01-01

This study looks at the humanitarian space in Myanmar which includes not just the humanitarian operations in the country, the access to volatile zones by the humanitarian organisations, the humanitarian principles, but also a space which permits a complementary arrangement of diverse actors holding different positions and skill sets and deliver to those in need. The study is based on the practical experiences and reflections of these different actors on field and their operations in different...

Building bridges across electronic health record systems through inferred phenotypic topics.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, You; Ghosh, Joydeep; Bejan, Cosmin Adrian; Gunter, Carl A; Gupta, Siddharth; Kho, Abel; Liebovitz, David; Sun, Jimeng; Denny, Joshua; Malin, Bradley

2015-06-01

Data in electronic health records (EHRs) is being increasingly leveraged for secondary uses, ranging from biomedical association studies to comparative effectiveness. To perform studies at scale and transfer knowledge from one institution to another in a meaningful way, we need to harmonize the phenotypes in such systems. Traditionally, this has been accomplished through expert specification of phenotypes via standardized terminologies, such as billing codes. However, this approach may be biased by the experience and expectations of the experts, as well as the vocabulary used to describe such patients. The goal of this work is to develop a data-driven strategy to (1) infer phenotypic topics within patient populations and (2) assess the degree to which such topics facilitate a mapping across populations in disparate healthcare systems. We adapt a generative topic modeling strategy, based on latent Dirichlet allocation, to infer phenotypic topics. We utilize a variance analysis to assess the projection of a patient population from one healthcare system onto the topics learned from another system. The consistency of learned phenotypic topics was evaluated using (1) the similarity of topics, (2) the stability of a patient population across topics, and (3) the transferability of a topic across sites. We evaluated our approaches using four months of inpatient data from two geographically distinct healthcare systems: (1) Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) and (2) Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). The method learned 25 phenotypic topics from each healthcare system. The average cosine similarity between matched topics across the two sites was 0.39, a remarkably high value given the very high dimensionality of the feature space. The average stability of VUMC and NMH patients across the topics of two sites was 0.988 and 0.812, respectively, as measured by the Pearson correlation coefficient. Also the VUMC and NMH topics have smaller variance of characterizing

Space Experiment Module (SEM)

Science.gov (United States)

Brodell, Charles L.

1999-01-01

The Space Experiment Module (SEM) Program is an education initiative sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Shuttle Small Payloads Project. The program provides nationwide educational access to space for Kindergarten through University level students. The SEM program focuses on the science of zero-gravity and microgravity. Within the program, NASA provides small containers or "modules" for students to fly experiments on the Space Shuttle. The experiments are created, designed, built, and implemented by students with teacher and/or mentor guidance. Student experiment modules are flown in a "carrier" which resides in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle. The carrier supplies power to, and the means to control and collect data from each experiment.

Positive health effects of the natural outdoor environment in typical populations in different regions in Europe (PHENOTYPE): a study programme protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Kruize, Hanneke; Gidlow, Christopher; Andrusaityte, Sandra; Antó, Josep Maria; Basagaña, Xavier; Cirach, Marta; Dadvand, Payam; Danileviciute, Asta; Donaire-Gonzalez, David; Garcia, Judith; Jerrett, Michael; Jones, Marc; Julvez, Jordi; van Kempen, Elise; van Kamp, Irene; Maas, Jolanda; Seto, Edmund; Smith, Graham; Triguero, Margarita; Wendel-Vos, Wanda; Wright, John; Zufferey, Joris; van den Hazel, Peter Jan; Lawrence, Roderick; Grazuleviciene, Regina

2014-04-16

Growing evidence suggests that close contact with nature brings benefits to human health and well-being, but the proposed mechanisms are still not well understood and the associations with health remain uncertain. The Positive Health Effects of the Natural Outdoor environment in Typical Populations in different regions in Europe (PHENOTYPE) project investigates the interconnections between natural outdoor environments and better human health and well-being. The PHENOTYPE project explores the proposed underlying mechanisms at work (stress reduction/restorative function, physical activity, social interaction, exposure to environmental hazards) and examines the associations with health outcomes for different population groups. It implements conventional and new innovative high-tech methods to characterise the natural environment in terms of quality and quantity. Preventive as well as therapeutic effects of contact with the natural environment are being covered. PHENOTYPE further addresses implications for land-use planning and green space management. The main innovative part of the study is the evaluation of possible short-term and long-term associations of green space and health and the possible underlying mechanisms in four different countries (each with quite a different type of green space and a different use), using the same methodology, in one research programme. This type of holistic approach has not been undertaken before. Furthermore there are technological innovations such as the use of remote sensing and smartphones in the assessment of green space. The project will produce a more robust evidence base on links between exposure to natural outdoor environment and human health and well-being, in addition to a better integration of human health needs into land-use planning and green space management in rural as well as urban areas.

The network on the other side of the net: a multietnographic study on the public spaces with paid access to the Internet in Novo Hamburgo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luís Marcelo Miranda

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the interaction and new social habits in public spaces with paid access to the Internet downtown in Novo Hamburgo. For this, raises the multiethnograpy, a method that combines ethnography, photoethnography, and net(with wi-fi, cybercafés, and lan houses are observed, reported and discussed some of the characteristics of those places, which can be viewed as aggregations to cyberspace. Concrete examples are shown from photographs on the places, and urban notes describing the reality of online and off line spaces that serve as the link between physicaland virtual. They are places where contemporary sociability happen, emerging from new forms of socialization, new lifestyles and new forms of social organization.

Clinical phenotypes of asthma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bel, Elisabeth H.

2004-01-01

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Asthma is a phenotypically heterogeneous disorder and, over the years, many different clinical subtypes of asthma have been described. A precise definition of asthma phenotypes is now becoming more and more important, not only for a better understanding of pathophysiologic

"Socioeconomic inequalities in children's accessibility to food retailing: Examining the roles of mobility and time".

Science.gov (United States)

Ravensbergen, Léa; Buliung, Ron; Wilson, Kathi; Faulkner, Guy

2016-03-01

Childhood overweight and obesity rates in Canada are at concerning levels, more apparently so for individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES). Accessibility to food establishments likely influences patterns of food consumption, a contributor to body weight. Previous work has found that households living in lower income neighbourhoods tend to have greater geographical accessibility to unhealthy food establishments and lower accessibility to healthy food stores. This study contributes to the literature on neighbourhood inequalities in accessibility to healthy foods by explicitly focusing on children, an understudied population, and by incorporating mobility and time into metrics of accessibility. Accessibility to both healthy and unhealthy food retailing is measured within children's activity spaces using Road Network and Activity Location Buffering methods. Weekday vs. weekend accessibility to food establishments is then compared. The results suggest that children attending lower SES schools had almost two times the density of fast food establishments and marginally higher supermarket densities in their activity spaces. Children attending higher SES schools also had much larger activity spaces. All children had higher supermarket densities during weekdays than on weekend days. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tsirelson's space

CERN Document Server

Casazza, Peter G

1989-01-01

This monograph provides a structure theory for the increasingly important Banach space discovered by B.S. Tsirelson. The basic construction should be accessible to graduate students of functional analysis with a knowledge of the theory of Schauder bases, while topics of a more advanced nature are presented for the specialist. Bounded linear operators are studied through the use of finite-dimensional decompositions, and complemented subspaces are studied at length. A myriad of variant constructions are presented and explored, while open questions are broached in almost every chapter. Two appendices are attached: one dealing with a computer program which computes norms of finitely-supported vectors, while the other surveys recent work on weak Hilbert spaces (where a Tsirelson-type space provides an example).

PhenoLink - a web-tool for linking phenotype to ~omics data for bacteria: application to gene-trait matching for Lactobacillus plantarum strains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bayjanov Jumamurat R

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Linking phenotypes to high-throughput molecular biology information generated by ~omics technologies allows revealing cellular mechanisms underlying an organism's phenotype. ~Omics datasets are often very large and noisy with many features (e.g., genes, metabolite abundances. Thus, associating phenotypes to ~omics data requires an approach that is robust to noise and can handle large and diverse data sets. Results We developed a web-tool PhenoLink (http://bamics2.cmbi.ru.nl/websoftware/phenolink/ that links phenotype to ~omics data sets using well-established as well new techniques. PhenoLink imputes missing values and preprocesses input data (i to decrease inherent noise in the data and (ii to counterbalance pitfalls of the Random Forest algorithm, on which feature (e.g., gene selection is based. Preprocessed data is used in feature (e.g., gene selection to identify relations to phenotypes. We applied PhenoLink to identify gene-phenotype relations based on the presence/absence of 2847 genes in 42 Lactobacillus plantarum strains and phenotypic measurements of these strains in several experimental conditions, including growth on sugars and nitrogen-dioxide production. Genes were ranked based on their importance (predictive value to correctly predict the phenotype of a given strain. In addition to known gene to phenotype relations we also found novel relations. Conclusions PhenoLink is an easily accessible web-tool to facilitate identifying relations from large and often noisy phenotype and ~omics datasets. Visualization of links to phenotypes offered in PhenoLink allows prioritizing links, finding relations between features, finding relations between phenotypes, and identifying outliers in phenotype data. PhenoLink can be used to uncover phenotype links to a multitude of ~omics data, e.g., gene presence/absence (determined by e.g.: CGH or next-generation sequencing, gene expression (determined by e.g.: microarrays or RNA

Genotype-phenotype associations in obesity dependent on definition of the obesity phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Kring, Sofia Inez Iqbal; Larsen, Lesli Hingstrup; Holst, Claus; Toubro, Søren; Hansen, Torben; Astrup, Arne; Pedersen, Oluf; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

2008-01-01

In previous studies of associations of variants in the genes UCP2, UCP3, PPARG2, CART, GRL, MC4R, MKKS, SHP, GHRL, and MCHR1 with obesity, we have used a case-control approach with cases defined by a threshold for BMI. In the present study, we assess the association of seven abdominal, peripheral, and overall obesity phenotypes, which were analyzed quantitatively, and thirteen candidate gene polymorphisms in these ten genes in the same cohort. Obese Caucasian men (n = 234, BMI >or= 31.0 kg/m(2)) and a randomly sampled non-obese group (n = 323), originally identified at the draft board examinations, were re-examined at median ages of 47.0 or 49.0 years by anthropometry and DEXA scanning. Obesity phenotypes included BMI, fat body mass index, waist circumference, waist for given BMI, intra-abdominal adipose tissue, hip circumference and lower body fat mass (%). Using logistic regression models, we estimated the odds for defined genotypes (dominant or recessive genetic transmission) in relation to z-scores of the phenotypes. The minor (rare) allele for SHP 512G>C (rs6659176) was associated with increased hip circumference. The minor allele for UCP2 Ins45bp was associated with increased BMI, increased abdominal obesity, and increased hip circumference. The minor allele for UCP2 -866G>A (rs6593669) was associated with borderline increased fat body mass index. The minor allele for MCHR1 100213G>A (rs133072) was associated with reduced abdominal obesity. None of the other genotype-phenotype combinations showed appreciable associations. If replicated in independent studies with focus on the specific phenotypes, our explorative studies suggest significant associations between some candidate gene polymorphisms and distinct obesity phenotypes, predicting beneficial and detrimental effects, depending on compartments for body fat accumulation. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Commercial opportunities utilizing the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Kearney, Michael E.; Mongan, Phil; Overmyer, Carolyn M.; Jackson, Kenneth

1998-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) has the unique capability of providing a low-g environment for both short- and long-duration experimentation. This environment can provide a unique and competitive research capability to industry; but until recently, utilization of this environment by the private sector has been limited if not totally unavailable. NASA has recently expressed an interest in the commercial development of space and this is now an integral part of the Agency's enabling legislation through the Space Act. NASA's objective is to foster the use of the space environment for the development of commercial products and processes. Through alliances and agreements with several commercial companies and universities, SPACEHAB, Inc., has built a comprehensive package of services designed to provide low-cost reliable access to space for experimenters. These services provide opportunities to support engineering test beds for materials exposure analysis, to mitigate structural failures as observed on the Hubble Space Telescope; materials processing, remote sensing; space environment definition; and electronic experiments. The intent of this paper is to identify commercial opportunities for utilizing the International Space Station and provide examples of several facilities currently being designed and manufactured by commercial companies with the purpose of providing access to the space environment for commercial users.

The accessibility of Poland’s Space to the Trans-European Transport Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wiśniewski Szymon

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to analyse the land transport accessibility of two trans-European corridors within the boundaries of Poland. The adjustment of the course of transport routes to the distribution of the population and the country’s land development (including economic potential and logistic infrastructure was outlined using measurements of cumulative accessibility. The results were presented in both cartographic form (isochrone approach and tabular form (cumulative approach. Research was conducted adopting different forms of transport used for relocation (including foot traffic, car, rail and multimodal transport and both the current and target layout of the transport network. This made it possible to determine the changes that will effectively run the process of investment in transport infrastructure on Polish territory. This allowed the identification of the areas of Poland which are particularly conveniently located in relation to domestic connections (in terms of the international network and those for which the European transport network remains difficult to access.

The Mass-Longevity Triangle: Pareto Optimality and the Geometry of Life-History Trait Space

Science.gov (United States)

Szekely, Pablo; Korem, Yael; Moran, Uri; Mayo, Avi; Alon, Uri

2015-01-01

When organisms need to perform multiple tasks they face a fundamental tradeoff: no phenotype can be optimal at all tasks. This situation was recently analyzed using Pareto optimality, showing that tradeoffs between tasks lead to phenotypes distributed on low dimensional polygons in trait space. The vertices of these polygons are archetypes—phenotypes optimal at a single task. This theory was applied to examples from animal morphology and gene expression. Here we ask whether Pareto optimality theory can apply to life history traits, which include longevity, fecundity and mass. To comprehensively explore the geometry of life history trait space, we analyze a dataset of life history traits of 2105 endothermic species. We find that, to a first approximation, life history traits fall on a triangle in log-mass log-longevity space. The vertices of the triangle suggest three archetypal strategies, exemplified by bats, shrews and whales, with specialists near the vertices and generalists in the middle of the triangle. To a second approximation, the data lies in a tetrahedron, whose extra vertex above the mass-longevity triangle suggests a fourth strategy related to carnivory. Each animal species can thus be placed in a coordinate system according to its distance from the archetypes, which may be useful for genome-scale comparative studies of mammalian aging and other biological aspects. We further demonstrate that Pareto optimality can explain a range of previous studies which found animal and plant phenotypes which lie in triangles in trait space. This study demonstrates the applicability of multi-objective optimization principles to understand life history traits and to infer archetypal strategies that suggest why some mammalian species live much longer than others of similar mass. PMID:26465336

The Mass-Longevity Triangle: Pareto Optimality and the Geometry of Life-History Trait Space.

Science.gov (United States)

Szekely, Pablo; Korem, Yael; Moran, Uri; Mayo, Avi; Alon, Uri

2015-10-01

When organisms need to perform multiple tasks they face a fundamental tradeoff: no phenotype can be optimal at all tasks. This situation was recently analyzed using Pareto optimality, showing that tradeoffs between tasks lead to phenotypes distributed on low dimensional polygons in trait space. The vertices of these polygons are archetypes--phenotypes optimal at a single task. This theory was applied to examples from animal morphology and gene expression. Here we ask whether Pareto optimality theory can apply to life history traits, which include longevity, fecundity and mass. To comprehensively explore the geometry of life history trait space, we analyze a dataset of life history traits of 2105 endothermic species. We find that, to a first approximation, life history traits fall on a triangle in log-mass log-longevity space. The vertices of the triangle suggest three archetypal strategies, exemplified by bats, shrews and whales, with specialists near the vertices and generalists in the middle of the triangle. To a second approximation, the data lies in a tetrahedron, whose extra vertex above the mass-longevity triangle suggests a fourth strategy related to carnivory. Each animal species can thus be placed in a coordinate system according to its distance from the archetypes, which may be useful for genome-scale comparative studies of mammalian aging and other biological aspects. We further demonstrate that Pareto optimality can explain a range of previous studies which found animal and plant phenotypes which lie in triangles in trait space. This study demonstrates the applicability of multi-objective optimization principles to understand life history traits and to infer archetypal strategies that suggest why some mammalian species live much longer than others of similar mass.

Accessible solitons of fractional dimension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhong, Wei-Ping, E-mail: zhongwp6@126.com [Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Shunde Polytechnic, Guangdong Province, Shunde 528300 (China); Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha (Qatar); Belić, Milivoj [Texas A& M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha (Qatar); Zhang, Yiqi [Key Laboratory for Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education & Shaanxi Key Lab of Information Photonic Technique, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China)

2016-05-15

We demonstrate that accessible solitons described by an extended Schrödinger equation with the Laplacian of fractional dimension can exist in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media. The soliton solutions of the model are constructed by two special functions, the associated Legendre polynomials and the Laguerre polynomials in the fraction-dimensional space. Our results show that these fractional accessible solitons form a soliton family which includes crescent solitons, and asymmetric single-layer and multi-layer necklace solitons. -- Highlights: •Analytic solutions of a fractional Schrödinger equation are obtained. •The solutions are produced by means of self-similar method applied to the fractional Schrödinger equation with parabolic potential. •The fractional accessible solitons form crescent, asymmetric single-layer and multilayer necklace profiles. •The model applies to the propagation of optical pulses in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media.

The AAS Working Group on Accessibility and Disability (WGAD) Year 1 Highlights and Database Access

Science.gov (United States)

Knierman, Karen A.; Diaz Merced, Wanda; Aarnio, Alicia; Garcia, Beatriz; Monkiewicz, Jacqueline A.; Murphy, Nicholas Arnold

2017-06-01

The AAS Working Group on Accessibility and Disability (WGAD) was formed in January of 2016 with the express purpose of seeking equity of opportunity and building inclusive practices for disabled astronomers at all educational and career stages. In this presentation, we will provide a summary of current activities, focusing on developing best practices for accessibility with respect to astronomical databases, publications, and meetings. Due to the reliance of space sciences on databases, it is important to have user centered design systems for data retrieval. The cognitive overload that may be experienced by users of current databases may be mitigated by use of multi-modal interfaces such as xSonify. Such interfaces would be in parallel or outside the original database and would not require additional software efforts from the original database. WGAD is partnering with the IAU Commission C1 WG Astronomy for Equity and Inclusion to develop such accessibility tools for databases and methods for user testing. To collect data on astronomical conference and meeting accessibility considerations, WGAD solicited feedback from January AAS attendees via a web form. These data, together with upcoming input from the community and analysis of accessibility documents of similar conferences, will be used to create a meeting accessibility document. Additionally, we will update the progress of journal access guidelines and our social media presence via Twitter. We recommend that astronomical journals form committees to evaluate the accessibility of their publications by performing user-centered usability studies.

Management of outer space

Science.gov (United States)

Perek, Lubos

1993-10-01

Various aspects of space-environment management are discussed. Attention is called to the fact that, while space radio communications are already under an adequate management by the International Communications Union, the use of nuclear power sources is regulated by the recently adopted set of principles, and space debris will be discussed in the near future at the UN COPUOS, other aspects of management of outer space received little or no attention of the international community. These include the competency of crews and technical equipment of spacecraft launched by newcomers to space exploration; monitoring of locations and motions of space objects (now in national hands), with relevant data made accessible through a computer network; and the requirement to use space only for beneficial purposes and not for promoting narrow and debatable interests damaging the outer space environment and impeding on astronomical observations. It is suggested that some of these tasks would be best performed by an international space agency within the UN system of organizations.

SpacePy - a Python-based library of tools for the space sciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morley, Steven K.; Welling, Daniel T.; Koller, Josef; Larsen, Brian A.; Henderson, Michael G.

2010-01-01

Space science deals with the bodies within the solar system and the interplanetary medium; the primary focus is on atmospheres and above - at Earth the short timescale variation in the the geomagnetic field, the Van Allen radiation belts and the deposition of energy into the upper atmosphere are key areas of investigation. SpacePy is a package for Python, targeted at the space sciences, that aims to make basic data analysis, modeling and visualization easier. It builds on the capabilities of the well-known NumPy and MatPlotLib packages. Publication quality output direct from analyses is emphasized. The SpacePy project seeks to promote accurate and open research standards by providing an open environment for code development. In the space physics community there has long been a significant reliance on proprietary languages that restrict free transfer of data and reproducibility of results. By providing a comprehensive, open-source library of widely used analysis and visualization tools in a free, modern and intuitive language, we hope that this reliance will be diminished. SpacePy includes implementations of widely used empirical models, statistical techniques used frequently in space science (e.g. superposed epoch analysis), and interfaces to advanced tools such as electron drift shell calculations for radiation belt studies. SpacePy also provides analysis and visualization tools for components of the Space Weather Modeling Framework - currently this only includes the BATS-R-US 3-D magnetohydrodynamic model and the RAM ring current model - including streamline tracing in vector fields. Further development is currently underway. External libraries, which include well-known magnetic field models, high-precision time conversions and coordinate transformations are wrapped for access from Python using SWIG and f2py. The rest of the tools have been implemented directly in Python. The provision of open-source tools to perform common tasks will provide openness in the

Development and Application of an Activity Based Space-Time Accessibility Measure for Individual Activity Schedules

OpenAIRE

Olu Ashiru; John Polak; Robert B. Noland

2003-01-01

Accessibility is an important aspect of human existence impacting on our notion of society equity and justice. It plays an important role in a number of existing theories of spatial and travel behaviour in addition to affecting the rate and the pattern of land-use development. However despite the importance of the notion of accessibility, the accessibility measures, which have traditionally been used to quantify accessibility, have tended to be relatively poorly defined, excluding a wide rang...

Stability of Pharmaceuticals in Space

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Y-Uyen

2009-01-01

Stability testing is a tool used to access shelf life and effects of storage conditions for pharmaceutical formulations. Early research from the International Space Station (ISS) revealed that some medications may have degraded while in space. This potential loss of medication efficacy would be very dangerous to Crew health. The aim of this research project, Stability of Pharmacotherapeutic Compounds, is to study how the stability of pharmaceutical compounds is affected by environmental conditions in space. Four identical pharmaceutical payload kits containing medications in different dosage forms (liquid for injection, tablet, capsule, ointment and suppository) were transported to the ISS aboard a Space Shuttle. One of the four kits was stored on that Shuttle and the other three were stored on the ISS for return to Earth at various time intervals aboard a pre-designated Shuttle flight. The Pharmacotherapeutics laboratory used stability test as defined by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), to access the degree of degradation to the Payload kit medications that may have occurred during space flight. Once these medications returned, the results of stability test performed on them were compared to those from the matching ground controls stored on Earth. Analyses of the results obtained from physical and chemical stability assessments on these payload medications will provide researchers additional tools to promote safe and efficacious medications for space exploration.

Space Environment Information System (SPENVIS)

Science.gov (United States)

Kruglanski, Michel; de Donder, Erwin; Messios, Neophytos; Hetey, Laszlo; Calders, Stijn; Evans, Hugh; Daly, Eamonn

SPENVIS is an ESA operational software developed and maintained at BIRA-IASB since 1996. It provides standardized access to most of the recent models of the hazardous space environment, through a user-friendly Web interface (http://www.spenvis.oma.be/). The system allows spacecraft engineers to perform a rapid analysis of environmental problems related to natural radiation belts, solar energetic particles, cosmic rays, plasmas, gases, magnetic fields and micro-particles. Various reporting and graphical utilities and extensive help facilities are included to allow engineers with relatively little familiarity to produce reliable results. SPENVIS also contains an active, integrated version of the ECSS Space Environment Standard and access to in-flight data on the space environment. Although SPENVIS in the first place is designed to help spacecraft designers, it is also used by technical universities in their educational programs. In the framework of the ESA Space Situational Awareness Preparatory Programme, SPENVIS will be part of the initial set of precursor services of the Space Weather segment. SPENVIS includes several engineering models to assess to effects of the space environment on spacecrafts such as surface and internal charging, energy deposition, solar cell damage and SEU rates. The presentation will review how such models could be connected to in situ measurements or forecasting models of the space environment in order to produce post event analysis or in orbit effects alert. The last developments and models implemented in SPENVIS will also be presented.

Clustering high-dimensional mixed data to uncover sub-phenotypes: joint analysis of phenotypic and genotypic data.

Science.gov (United States)

McParland, D; Phillips, C M; Brennan, L; Roche, H M; Gormley, I C

2017-12-10

The LIPGENE-SU.VI.MAX study, like many others, recorded high-dimensional continuous phenotypic data and categorical genotypic data. LIPGENE-SU.VI.MAX focuses on the need to account for both phenotypic and genetic factors when studying the metabolic syndrome (MetS), a complex disorder that can lead to higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Interest lies in clustering the LIPGENE-SU.VI.MAX participants into homogeneous groups or sub-phenotypes, by jointly considering their phenotypic and genotypic data, and in determining which variables are discriminatory. A novel latent variable model that elegantly accommodates high dimensional, mixed data is developed to cluster LIPGENE-SU.VI.MAX participants using a Bayesian finite mixture model. A computationally efficient variable selection algorithm is incorporated, estimation is via a Gibbs sampling algorithm and an approximate BIC-MCMC criterion is developed to select the optimal model. Two clusters or sub-phenotypes ('healthy' and 'at risk') are uncovered. A small subset of variables is deemed discriminatory, which notably includes phenotypic and genotypic variables, highlighting the need to jointly consider both factors. Further, 7 years after the LIPGENE-SU.VI.MAX data were collected, participants underwent further analysis to diagnose presence or absence of the MetS. The two uncovered sub-phenotypes strongly correspond to the 7-year follow-up disease classification, highlighting the role of phenotypic and genotypic factors in the MetS and emphasising the potential utility of the clustering approach in early screening. Additionally, the ability of the proposed approach to define the uncertainty in sub-phenotype membership at the participant level is synonymous with the concepts of precision medicine and nutrition. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

America’s Access to Space: Assuring Future Affordability

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-01

multinational endeavor established in 1995 between The Boeing Company’s Space Systems, Russia’s RSC- Energia , Norway’s Aker Kvaerner, and Ukrainian’s...50 The Sea Launch system centers around the Zenit-3SL rocket system built cooperatively between Russia’s RSC Energia , the Ukraine’s SDO

Anti-atherosclerotic plants which modulate the phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh Al-Shehabi, Tuqa; Iratni, Rabah; Eid, Ali H

2016-10-15

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of global death, with atherosclerosis being a major contributor to this mortality. Several mechanisms are implicated in the pathogenesis of this disease. A key element in the development and progression of atherosclerotic lesions is the phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells. Under pathophysiologic conditions such as injury, these cells switch from a contractile to a synthetic phenotype that often possesses high proliferative and migratory capacities. Despite major advances made in the management and treatment of atherosclerosis, mortality associated with this disease remains high. This mandates that other approaches be sought. Herbal medicine, especially for the treatment of CVD, has been gaining more attention in recent years. This is in no small part due to the evidence-based values associated with the consumption of many plants as well as the relatively cheaper prices, easier access and conventional folk medicine "inherited" over generations. Sections: In this review, we provide a brief introduction about the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis then we highlight the role of vascular smooth muscle cells in this disease, especially when a phenotypic switch of these cells arises. We then thoroughly discuss the various plants that show potentially beneficial effects as anti-atherosclerotic, with prime attention given to herbs and plants that inhibit the phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells. Accumulating evidence provides the justification for the use of botanicals in the treatment or prevention of atherosclerosis. However, further studies, especially clinical ones, are warranted to better define several pharmacological parameters of these herbs, such as toxicity, tolerability, and efficacy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enabling Dedicated, Affordable Space Access Through Aggressive Technology Maturation

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Jonathan E.; Kibbey, Timothy P.; Cobb, C. Brent; Harris, Lawanna L.

2014-01-01

A launch vehicle at the scale and price point which allows developers to take reasonable risks with high payoff propulsion and avionics hardware solutions does not exist today. Establishing this service provides a ride through the proverbial technology "valley of death" that lies between demonstration in laboratory and flight environments. NASA's NanoLaunch effort will provide the framework to mature both earth-to-orbit and on-orbit propulsion and avionics technologies while also providing affordable, dedicated access to low earth orbit for cubesat class payloads.

SSR-based genetic diversity and structure of garlic accessions from Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

da Cunha, Camila Pinto; Resende, Francisco Vilela; Zucchi, Maria Imaculada; Pinheiro, José Baldin

2014-10-01

Garlic is a spice and a medicinal plant; hence, there is an increasing interest in 'developing' new varieties with different culinary properties or with high content of nutraceutical compounds. Phenotypic traits and dominant molecular markers are predominantly used to evaluate the genetic diversity of garlic clones. However, 24 SSR markers (codominant) specific for garlic are available in the literature, fostering germplasm researches. In this study, we genotyped 130 garlic accessions from Brazil and abroad using 17 polymorphic SSR markers to assess the genetic diversity and structure. This is the first attempt to evaluate a large set of accessions maintained by Brazilian institutions. A high level of redundancy was detected in the collection (50 % of the accessions represented eight haplotypes). However, non-redundant accessions presented high genetic diversity. We detected on average five alleles per locus, Shannon index of 1.2, HO of 0.5, and HE of 0.6. A core collection was set with 17 accessions, covering 100 % of the alleles with minimum redundancy. Overall FST and D values indicate a strong genetic structure within accessions. Two major groups identified by both model-based (Bayesian approach) and hierarchical clustering (UPGMA dendrogram) techniques were coherent with the classification of accessions according to maturity time (growth cycle): early-late and midseason accessions. Assessing genetic diversity and structure of garlic collections is the first step towards an efficient management and conservation of accessions in genebanks, as well as to advance future genetic studies and improvement of garlic worldwide.

The phenotypic variance gradient - a novel concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Pertoldi, Cino; Bundgaard, Jørgen; Loeschcke, Volker; Barker, James Stuart Flinton

2014-11-01

Evolutionary ecologists commonly use reaction norms, which show the range of phenotypes produced by a set of genotypes exposed to different environments, to quantify the degree of phenotypic variance and the magnitude of plasticity of morphometric and life-history traits. Significant differences among the values of the slopes of the reaction norms are interpreted as significant differences in phenotypic plasticity, whereas significant differences among phenotypic variances (variance or coefficient of variation) are interpreted as differences in the degree of developmental instability or canalization. We highlight some potential problems with this approach to quantifying phenotypic variance and suggest a novel and more informative way to plot reaction norms: namely "a plot of log (variance) on the y-axis versus log (mean) on the x-axis, with a reference line added". This approach gives an immediate impression of how the degree of phenotypic variance varies across an environmental gradient, taking into account the consequences of the scaling effect of the variance with the mean. The evolutionary implications of the variation in the degree of phenotypic variance, which we call a "phenotypic variance gradient", are discussed together with its potential interactions with variation in the degree of phenotypic plasticity and canalization.

Accessible Geoscience - Digital Fieldwork

Science.gov (United States)

Meara, Rhian

2017-04-01

Accessible Geoscience is a developing field of pedagogic research aimed at widening participation in Geography, Earth and Environmental Science (GEES) subjects. These subjects are often less commonly associated with disabilities, ethnic minorities, low income socio-economic groups and females. While advancements and improvements have been made in the inclusivity of these subject areas in recent years, access and participation of disabled students remains low. While universities are legally obligated to provide reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility, the assumed incompatibility of GEES subjects and disability often deters students from applying to study these courses at a university level. Instead of making reasonable adjustments if and when they are needed, universities should be aiming to develop teaching materials, spaces and opportunities which are accessible to all, which in turn will allow all groups to participate in the GEES subjects. With this in mind, the Swansea Geography Department wish to enhance the accessibility of our undergraduate degree by developing digital field work opportunities. In the first instance, we intend to digitise three afternoon excursions which are run as part of a 1st year undergraduate module. Each of the field trips will be digitized into English- and Welsh-medium formats. In addition, each field trip will be digitized into British Sign Language (BSL) to allow for accessibility for D/deaf and hard of hearing students. Subtitles will also be made available in each version. While the main focus of this work is to provide accessible fieldwork opportunities for students with disabilities, this work also has additional benefits. Students within the Geography Department will be able to revisit the field trips, to revise and complete associated coursework. The use of digitized field work should not replace opportunities for real field work, but its use by the full cohort of students will begin to "normalize" accessible field

ABO blood group phenotype frequency estimation using molecular phenotyping in rhesus and cynomolgus macaques.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanthaswamy, S; Ng, J; Oldt, R F; Valdivia, L; Houghton, P; Smith, D G

2017-11-01

A much larger sample (N = 2369) was used to evaluate a previously reported distribution of the A, AB and B blood group phenotypes in rhesus and cynomolgus macaques from six different regional populations. These samples, acquired from 15 different breeding and research facilities in the United States, were analyzed using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay that targets single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) responsible for the macaque A, B and AB phenotypes. The frequency distributions of blood group phenotypes of the two species differ significantly from each other and significant regional differentiation within the geographic ranges of each species was also observed. The B blood group phenotype was prevalent in rhesus macaques, especially those from India, while the frequencies of the A, B and AB phenotypes varied significantly among cynomolgus macaques from different geographic regions. The Mauritian cynomolgus macaques, despite having originated in Indonesia, showed significant (P ≪ .01) divergence from the Indonesian animals at the ABO blood group locus. Most Mauritian animals belonged to the B blood group while the Indonesian animals were mostly A. The close similarity in blood group frequency distributions between the Chinese rhesus and Indochinese cynomolgus macaques demonstrates that the introgression between these two species extends beyond the zone of intergradation in Indochina. This study underscores the importance of ABO blood group phenotyping of the domestic supply of macaques and their biospecimens. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modeling the Mutational and Phenotypic Landscapes of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease with Human iPSC-Derived Oligodendrocytes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nevin, Zachary S.; Factor, Daniel C.; Karl, Robert T.

2017-01-01

in humans. Attempts to identify a common pathogenic process underlying PMD have been complicated by an incomplete understanding of PLP1 dysfunction and limited access to primary human oligodendrocytes. To address this, we generated panels of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and hi...... individual and shared defects in PLP1 mRNA expression and splicing, oligodendrocyte progenitor development, and oligodendrocyte morphology and capacity for myelination. These observations enabled classification of PMD subgroups by cell-intrinsic phenotypes and identified a subset of mutations for targeted...... treatment approaches for subsets of individuals. More broadly, this study demonstrates the versatility of a hiPSC-based panel spanning the mutational heterogeneity within a single disease and establishes a widely applicable platform for genotype-phenotype correlation and drug screening in any human myelin...

Why Deep Space Habitats Should Be Different from the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Brand; Brown, MacAulay

2016-01-01

It is tempting to view the International Space Station (ISS) as a model for deep space habitats. This is not a good idea for many reasons. The ISS does not have a habitation module; instead the individual crew quarters are dispersed across several modules, the galley is in the US Laboratory and the waste hygiene compartment is in a Node. This distributed arrangement may be inconvenient but more important differences distinguish a deep space habitat from the ISS. First, the Space Shuttle launch system that shaped, sized, and delivered most ISS elements has been retired. Its replacement, the Space Launch System (SLS), is specifically designed for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and is capable of transporting more efficient, large diameter, heavy-lift payloads. Next, because of the Earth's protective geomagnetic field, ISS crews are naturally shielded from lethal radiation. Deep space habitat designs must include either a storm shelter or strategically positioned equipment and stowage for radiation protection. Another important difference is the increased transit time with no opportunity for an ISS-type emergency return. It takes 7 to 10 days to go between Earth and cis-lunar locations and 1000 days for the Mars habitat transit. This long commute calls for greater crew autonomy with habitats designed for the crew to fix their own problems. The ISS rack-enclosed, densely packaged subsystems are a product of the Shuttle era and not maintenance friendly. A solution better suited for deep space habitats spreads systems out allowing direct access to single-layer packaging and providing crew access to each component without having to remove another. Operational readiness is another important discriminator. The ISS required over 100 flights to build, resupply, and transport the crew, whereas SLS offers the capability to launch a fully provisioned habitat that is operational without additional outfitting or resupply flights.

Delineation of C12orf65-related phenotypes: a genotype-phenotype relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiegel, Ronen; Mandel, Hanna; Saada, Ann; Lerer, Issy; Burger, Ayala; Shaag, Avraham; Shalev, Stavit A; Jabaly-Habib, Haneen; Goldsher, Dorit; Gomori, John M; Lossos, Alex; Elpeleg, Orly; Meiner, Vardiella

2014-08-01

C12orf65 participates in the process of mitochondrial translation and has been shown to be associated with a spectrum of phenotypes, including early onset optic atrophy, progressive encephalomyopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and spastic paraparesis.We used whole-genome homozygosity mapping as well as exome sequencing and targeted gene sequencing to identify novel C12orf65 disease-causing mutations in seven affected individuals originating from two consanguineous families. In four family members affected with childhood-onset optic atrophy accompanied by slowly progressive peripheral neuropathy and spastic paraparesis, we identified a homozygous frame shift mutation c.413_417 delAACAA, which predicts a truncated protein lacking the C-terminal portion. In the second family, we studied three affected individuals who presented with early onset optic atrophy, peripheral neuropathy, and spastic gait in addition to moderate intellectual disability. Muscle biopsy in two of the patients revealed decreased activities of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I and IV. In these patients, we identified a homozygous splice mutation, g.21043 T>A (c.282+2 T>A) which leads to skipping of exon 2. Our study broadens the phenotypic spectrum of C12orf65 defects and highlights the triad of optic atrophy, axonal neuropathy and spastic paraparesis as its key clinical features. In addition, a clear genotype-phenotype correlation is anticipated in which deleterious mutations which disrupt the GGQ-containing domain in the first coding exon are expected to result in a more severe phenotype, whereas down-stream C-terminal mutations may result in a more favorable phenotype, typically lacking cognitive impairment.

Velocity-space sensitivity of neutron spectrometry measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Asger Schou; Salewski, Mirko; Eriksson, J.

2015-01-01

Neutron emission spectrometry (NES) measures the energies of neutrons produced in fusion reactions. Here we present velocity-space weight functions for NES and neutron yield measurements. Weight functions show the sensitivity as well as the accessible regions in velocity space for a given range...

Machine-learning phenotypic classification of bicuspid aortopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojnarski, Charles M; Roselli, Eric E; Idrees, Jay J; Zhu, Yuanjia; Carnes, Theresa A; Lowry, Ashley M; Collier, Patrick H; Griffin, Brian; Ehrlinger, John; Blackstone, Eugene H; Svensson, Lars G; Lytle, Bruce W

2018-02-01

Bicuspid aortic valves (BAV) are associated with incompletely characterized aortopathy. Our objectives were to identify distinct patterns of aortopathy using machine-learning methods and characterize their association with valve morphology and patient characteristics. We analyzed preoperative 3-dimensional computed tomography reconstructions for 656 patients with BAV undergoing ascending aorta surgery between January 2002 and January 2014. Unsupervised partitioning around medoids was used to cluster aortic dimensions. Group differences were identified using polytomous random forest analysis. Three distinct aneurysm phenotypes were identified: root (n = 83; 13%), with predominant dilatation at sinuses of Valsalva; ascending (n = 364; 55%), with supracoronary enlargement rarely extending past the brachiocephalic artery; and arch (n = 209; 32%), with aortic arch dilatation. The arch phenotype had the greatest association with right-noncoronary cusp fusion: 29%, versus 13% for ascending and 15% for root phenotypes (P < .0001). Severe valve regurgitation was most prevalent in root phenotype (57%), followed by ascending (34%) and arch phenotypes (25%; P < .0001). Aortic stenosis was most prevalent in arch phenotype (62%), followed by ascending (50%) and root phenotypes (28%; P < .0001). Patient age increased as the extent of aneurysm became more distal (root, 49 years; ascending, 53 years; arch, 57 years; P < .0001), and root phenotype was associated with greater male predominance compared with ascending and arch phenotypes (94%, 76%, and 70%, respectively; P < .0001). Phenotypes were visually recognizable with 94% accuracy. Three distinct phenotypes of bicuspid valve-associated aortopathy were identified using machine-learning methodology. Patient characteristics and valvular dysfunction vary by phenotype, suggesting that the location of aortic pathology may be related to the underlying pathophysiology of this disease. Copyright © 2017 The American

School Libraries Are Essential: Meeting the Virtual Access and Collaboration Needs of the 21st-Century Learner and Teacher

Science.gov (United States)

Darrow, Rob

2009-01-01

School librarians have excelled in providing a physical library space that is welcoming, making sure students have an inviting space to access print and digital materials, and developing collections that provide access for all ages of students. In the physical library space services such as collaborating with teachers and consulting with students…

Green Spaces as an Indicator of Urban Health: Evaluating Its Changes in 28 Mega-Cities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Conghong Huang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Urban green spaces can yield considerable health benefits to urban residents. Assessing these health benefits is a key step for managing urban green spaces for human health and wellbeing in cities. In this study, we assessed the change of health benefits generated by urban green spaces in 28 megacities worldwide between 2005 and 2015 by using availability and accessibility as proxy indicators. We first mapped land covers of 28 megacities using 10,823 scenes of Landsat images and a random forest classifier running on Google Earth Engine. We then calculated the availability and accessibility of urban green spaces using the land cover maps and gridded population data. The results showed that the mean availability of urban green spaces in these megacities increased from 27.63% in 2005 to 31.74% in 2015. The mean accessibility of urban green spaces increased from 65.76% in 2005 to 72.86% in 2015. The increased availability and accessibility of urban green spaces in megacities have brought more health benefits to their residents.

Deep Learning for Plant Phenotyping

OpenAIRE

Mori, Matteo

2016-01-01

Plant Phenotyping is an emerging science which provides us the knowledge to better understand plants. Indeed, the study of the link between genetic background and environment in which plants develop can help us to determine cures for plants’ sicknesses and new ways to improve yields using limited resources. In this regard, one of the main aspects of Plant Phenotyping that were studied in the past, was Root Phenotyping, which is based on the study of the root architectures. In particular, toda...

Integrating phenotype ontologies with PhenomeNET

KAUST Repository

Rodriguez-Garcia, Miguel Angel

2017-12-19

Background Integration and analysis of phenotype data from humans and model organisms is a key challenge in building our understanding of normal biology and pathophysiology. However, the range of phenotypes and anatomical details being captured in clinical and model organism databases presents complex problems when attempting to match classes across species and across phenotypes as diverse as behaviour and neoplasia. We have previously developed PhenomeNET, a system for disease gene prioritization that includes as one of its components an ontology designed to integrate phenotype ontologies. While not applicable to matching arbitrary ontologies, PhenomeNET can be used to identify related phenotypes in different species, including human, mouse, zebrafish, nematode worm, fruit fly, and yeast. Results Here, we apply the PhenomeNET to identify related classes from two phenotype and two disease ontologies using automated reasoning. We demonstrate that we can identify a large number of mappings, some of which require automated reasoning and cannot easily be identified through lexical approaches alone. Combining automated reasoning with lexical matching further improves results in aligning ontologies. Conclusions PhenomeNET can be used to align and integrate phenotype ontologies. The results can be utilized for biomedical analyses in which phenomena observed in model organisms are used to identify causative genes and mutations underlying human disease.

The Nature of Stable Insomnia Phenotypes

Science.gov (United States)

Pillai, Vivek; Roth, Thomas; Drake, Christopher L.

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: We examined the 1-y stability of four insomnia symptom profiles: sleep onset insomnia; sleep maintenance insomnia; combined onset and maintenance insomnia; and neither criterion (i.e., insomnia cases that do not meet quantitative thresholds for onset or maintenance problems). Insomnia cases that exhibited the same symptom profile over a 1-y period were considered to be phenotypes, and were compared in terms of clinical and demographic characteristics. Design: Longitudinal. Setting: Urban, community-based. Participants: Nine hundred fifty-four adults with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition based current insomnia (46.6 ± 12.6 y; 69.4% female). Interventions: None. Measurements and results: At baseline, participants were divided into four symptom profile groups based on quantitative criteria. Follow-up assessment 1 y later revealed that approximately 60% of participants retained the same symptom profile, and were hence judged to be phenotypes. Stability varied significantly by phenotype, such that sleep onset insomnia (SOI) was the least stable (42%), whereas combined insomnia (CI) was the most stable (69%). Baseline symptom groups (cross-sectionally defined) differed significantly across various clinical indices, including daytime impairment, depression, and anxiety. Importantly, however, a comparison of stable phenotypes (longitudinally defined) did not reveal any differences in impairment or comorbid psychopathology. Another interesting finding was that whereas all other insomnia phenotypes showed evidence of an elevated wake drive both at night and during the day, the “neither criterion” phenotype did not; this latter phenotype exhibited significantly higher daytime sleepiness despite subthreshold onset and maintenance difficulties. Conclusions: By adopting a stringent, stability-based definition, this study offers timely and important data on the longitudinal trajectory of specific insomnia phenotypes. With

The Mass-Longevity Triangle: Pareto Optimality and the Geometry of Life-History Trait Space.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Szekely

2015-10-01

Full Text Available When organisms need to perform multiple tasks they face a fundamental tradeoff: no phenotype can be optimal at all tasks. This situation was recently analyzed using Pareto optimality, showing that tradeoffs between tasks lead to phenotypes distributed on low dimensional polygons in trait space. The vertices of these polygons are archetypes--phenotypes optimal at a single task. This theory was applied to examples from animal morphology and gene expression. Here we ask whether Pareto optimality theory can apply to life history traits, which include longevity, fecundity and mass. To comprehensively explore the geometry of life history trait space, we analyze a dataset of life history traits of 2105 endothermic species. We find that, to a first approximation, life history traits fall on a triangle in log-mass log-longevity space. The vertices of the triangle suggest three archetypal strategies, exemplified by bats, shrews and whales, with specialists near the vertices and generalists in the middle of the triangle. To a second approximation, the data lies in a tetrahedron, whose extra vertex above the mass-longevity triangle suggests a fourth strategy related to carnivory. Each animal species can thus be placed in a coordinate system according to its distance from the archetypes, which may be useful for genome-scale comparative studies of mammalian aging and other biological aspects. We further demonstrate that Pareto optimality can explain a range of previous studies which found animal and plant phenotypes which lie in triangles in trait space. This study demonstrates the applicability of multi-objective optimization principles to understand life history traits and to infer archetypal strategies that suggest why some mammalian species live much longer than others of similar mass.

The nature of stable insomnia phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pillai, Vivek; Roth, Thomas; Drake, Christopher L

2015-01-01

We examined the 1-y stability of four insomnia symptom profiles: sleep onset insomnia; sleep maintenance insomnia; combined onset and maintenance insomnia; and neither criterion (i.e., insomnia cases that do not meet quantitative thresholds for onset or maintenance problems). Insomnia cases that exhibited the same symptom profile over a 1-y period were considered to be phenotypes, and were compared in terms of clinical and demographic characteristics. Longitudinal. Urban, community-based. Nine hundred fifty-four adults with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition based current insomnia (46.6 ± 12.6 y; 69.4% female). None. At baseline, participants were divided into four symptom profile groups based on quantitative criteria. Follow-up assessment 1 y later revealed that approximately 60% of participants retained the same symptom profile, and were hence judged to be phenotypes. Stability varied significantly by phenotype, such that sleep onset insomnia (SOI) was the least stable (42%), whereas combined insomnia (CI) was the most stable (69%). Baseline symptom groups (cross-sectionally defined) differed significantly across various clinical indices, including daytime impairment, depression, and anxiety. Importantly, however, a comparison of stable phenotypes (longitudinally defined) did not reveal any differences in impairment or comorbid psychopathology. Another interesting finding was that whereas all other insomnia phenotypes showed evidence of an elevated wake drive both at night and during the day, the 'neither criterion' phenotype did not; this latter phenotype exhibited significantly higher daytime sleepiness despite subthreshold onset and maintenance difficulties. By adopting a stringent, stability-based definition, this study offers timely and important data on the longitudinal trajectory of specific insomnia phenotypes. With the exception of daytime sleepiness, few clinical differences are apparent across stable phenotypes. �

Phenex: ontological annotation of phenotypic diversity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James P Balhoff

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Phenotypic differences among species have long been systematically itemized and described by biologists in the process of investigating phylogenetic relationships and trait evolution. Traditionally, these descriptions have been expressed in natural language within the context of individual journal publications or monographs. As such, this rich store of phenotype data has been largely unavailable for statistical and computational comparisons across studies or integration with other biological knowledge.Here we describe Phenex, a platform-independent desktop application designed to facilitate efficient and consistent annotation of phenotypic similarities and differences using Entity-Quality syntax, drawing on terms from community ontologies for anatomical entities, phenotypic qualities, and taxonomic names. Phenex can be configured to load only those ontologies pertinent to a taxonomic group of interest. The graphical user interface was optimized for evolutionary biologists accustomed to working with lists of taxa, characters, character states, and character-by-taxon matrices.Annotation of phenotypic data using ontologies and globally unique taxonomic identifiers will allow biologists to integrate phenotypic data from different organisms and studies, leveraging decades of work in systematics and comparative morphology.

Phenex: ontological annotation of phenotypic diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Balhoff, James P; Dahdul, Wasila M; Kothari, Cartik R; Lapp, Hilmar; Lundberg, John G; Mabee, Paula; Midford, Peter E; Westerfield, Monte; Vision, Todd J

2010-05-05

Phenotypic differences among species have long been systematically itemized and described by biologists in the process of investigating phylogenetic relationships and trait evolution. Traditionally, these descriptions have been expressed in natural language within the context of individual journal publications or monographs. As such, this rich store of phenotype data has been largely unavailable for statistical and computational comparisons across studies or integration with other biological knowledge. Here we describe Phenex, a platform-independent desktop application designed to facilitate efficient and consistent annotation of phenotypic similarities and differences using Entity-Quality syntax, drawing on terms from community ontologies for anatomical entities, phenotypic qualities, and taxonomic names. Phenex can be configured to load only those ontologies pertinent to a taxonomic group of interest. The graphical user interface was optimized for evolutionary biologists accustomed to working with lists of taxa, characters, character states, and character-by-taxon matrices. Annotation of phenotypic data using ontologies and globally unique taxonomic identifiers will allow biologists to integrate phenotypic data from different organisms and studies, leveraging decades of work in systematics and comparative morphology.

Beyond access: a case study on the intersection between accessibility, sustainability, and universal design.

Science.gov (United States)

Gossett, Andrea; Mirza, Mansha; Barnds, Ann Kathleen; Feidt, Daisy

2009-11-01

A growing emphasis has been placed on providing equal opportunities for all people, particularly people with disabilities, to support participation. Barriers to participation are represented in part by physical space restrictions. This article explores the decision-making process during the construction of a new office building housing a disability-rights organization. The building project featured in this study was developed on the principles of universal design, maximal accessibility, and sustainability to support access and participation. A qualitative case study approach was used involving collection of data through in-depth interviews with key decision-makers; non-participant observations at design meetings; and on-site tours. Qualitative thematic analysis along with the development of a classification system was used to understand specific building elements and the relevant decision processes from which they resulted. Recording and analyzing the design process revealed several key issues including grassroots involvement of stakeholders; interaction between universal design and sustainable design; addressing diversity through flexibility and universality; and segregationist accessibility versus universal design. This case study revealed complex interactions between accessibility, universal design, and sustainability. Two visual models were proposed to understand and analyze these complexities.

Science on a space elevator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laubscher, B. E. (Bryan E.); Jorgensen, A. M. (Anders M.)

2004-01-01

The Space Elevator (SE) represents a major paradigm shift in space access. If the SE's promise of low cost access can be realized, everything becomes economically more feasible to accomplish in space. In this paper we describe in-situ science stations mounted on a science-dedicated space elevator tether. The concept presented here involves a carbon nanotube ribbon that is constructed by an existing space elevator and then science sensors are stationed along the ribbon at differing altitudes. The finished ribbon can be moved across the earth to the position at which its scientific measurements are to be taken. The ability to station scientific, in-situ instrumentation at different altitudes for round-the-clock observations is a unique capability of the SE. The environments that the science packages sense range from the troposphere out beyond the magnetopause of the magnetosphere on the solar side of the earth. Therefore, the very end of the SE can sense the solar wind. The measurements at various points along its length include temperature, pressure, density, sampling, chemical analyses, wind speed, turbulence, free oxygen, electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, energetic particles and plasmas in the earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind. There exist some altitudes that are difficult to access with aircraft or balloons or rockets and so remain relatively unexplored. The space elevator solves these problems and opens these regions up to in-situ measurements. Without the need for propulsion, the SE provides a more benign and pristine environment for atmospheric measurements than available with powered aircraft. Moreover, replacing and upgrading instrumentation is expected to be very cost effective with the SE. Moving and stationing the science SE affords the opportunity to sense multiple regions of the atmosphere. The SE's geosynchronous, orbital motion through the magnetosphere, albeit nominally with Earth's magnetic field, will trace a plane

Challenges for future space power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandhorst, H.W. Jr.

1989-01-01

Forecasts of space power needs are presented. The needs fall into three broad categories: survival, self-sufficiency, and industrialization. The cost of delivering payloads to orbital locations and from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Mars are determined. Future launch cost reductions are predicted. From these projections the performances necessary for future solar and nuclear space power options are identified. The availability of plentiful cost effective electric power and of low cost access to space are identified as crucial factors in the future extension of human presence in space

Computer network access to scientific information systems for minority universities

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Valerie L.; Wakim, Nagi T.

1993-08-01

The evolution of computer networking technology has lead to the establishment of a massive networking infrastructure which interconnects various types of computing resources at many government, academic, and corporate institutions. A large segment of this infrastructure has been developed to facilitate information exchange and resource sharing within the scientific community. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) supports both the development and the application of computer networks which provide its community with access to many valuable multi-disciplinary scientific information systems and on-line databases. Recognizing the need to extend the benefits of this advanced networking technology to the under-represented community, the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) in the Space Data and Computing Division at the Goddard Space Flight Center has developed the Minority University-Space Interdisciplinary Network (MU-SPIN) Program: a major networking and education initiative for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Universities (MUs). In this paper, we will briefly explain the various components of the MU-SPIN Program while highlighting how, by providing access to scientific information systems and on-line data, it promotes a higher level of collaboration among faculty and students and NASA scientists.

Phenotype Instance Verification and Evaluation Tool (PIVET): A Scaled Phenotype Evidence Generation Framework Using Web-Based Medical Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Junyuan; Ho, Joyce C; Ghosh, Joydeep; Wallace, Byron C

2018-01-01

Background Researchers are developing methods to automatically extract clinically relevant and useful patient characteristics from raw healthcare datasets. These characteristics, often capturing essential properties of patients with common medical conditions, are called computational phenotypes. Being generated by automated or semiautomated, data-driven methods, such potential phenotypes need to be validated as clinically meaningful (or not) before they are acceptable for use in decision making. Objective The objective of this study was to present Phenotype Instance Verification and Evaluation Tool (PIVET), a framework that uses co-occurrence analysis on an online corpus of publically available medical journal articles to build clinical relevance evidence sets for user-supplied phenotypes. PIVET adopts a conceptual framework similar to the pioneering prototype tool PheKnow-Cloud that was developed for the phenotype validation task. PIVET completely refactors each part of the PheKnow-Cloud pipeline to deliver vast improvements in speed without sacrificing the quality of the insights PheKnow-Cloud achieved. Methods PIVET leverages indexing in NoSQL databases to efficiently generate evidence sets. Specifically, PIVET uses a succinct representation of the phenotypes that corresponds to the index on the corpus database and an optimized co-occurrence algorithm inspired by the Aho-Corasick algorithm. We compare PIVET’s phenotype representation with PheKnow-Cloud’s by using PheKnow-Cloud’s experimental setup. In PIVET’s framework, we also introduce a statistical model trained on domain expert–verified phenotypes to automatically classify phenotypes as clinically relevant or not. Additionally, we show how the classification model can be used to examine user-supplied phenotypes in an online, rather than batch, manner. Results PIVET maintains the discriminative power of PheKnow-Cloud in terms of identifying clinically relevant phenotypes for the same corpus with

Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Space Science's Past, Present, and Future on the International Space Station (ISS)

Science.gov (United States)

Spivey, Reggie A.; Spearing, Scott F.; Jordan, Lee P.; McDaniel S. Greg

2012-01-01

The Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) is a double rack facility designed for microgravity investigation handling aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The unique design of the facility allows it to accommodate science and technology investigations in a "workbench" type environment. MSG facility provides an enclosed working area for investigation manipulation and observation in the ISS. Provides two levels of containment via physical barrier, negative pressure, and air filtration. The MSG team and facilities provide quick access to space for exploratory and National Lab type investigations to gain an understanding of the role of gravity in the physics associated research areas. The MSG is a very versatile and capable research facility on the ISS. The Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) on the International Space Station (ISS) has been used for a large body or research in material science, heat transfer, crystal growth, life sciences, smoke detection, combustion, plant growth, human health, and technology demonstration. MSG is an ideal platform for gravity-dependent phenomena related research. Moreover, the MSG provides engineers and scientists a platform for research in an environment similar to the one that spacecraft and crew members will actually experience during space travel and exploration. The MSG facility is ideally suited to provide quick, relatively inexpensive access to space for National Lab type investigations.

Cattle phenotypes can disguise their maternal ancestry.

Science.gov (United States)

Srirattana, Kanokwan; McCosker, Kieren; Schatz, Tim; St John, Justin C

2017-06-26

Cattle are bred for, amongst other factors, specific traits, including parasite resistance and adaptation to climate. However, the influence and inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are not usually considered in breeding programmes. In this study, we analysed the mtDNA profiles of cattle from Victoria (VIC), southern Australia, which is a temperate climate, and the Northern Territory (NT), the northern part of Australia, which has a tropical climate, to determine if the mtDNA profiles of these cattle are indicative of breed and phenotype, and whether these profiles are appropriate for their environments. A phylogenetic tree of the full mtDNA sequences of different breeds of cattle, which were obtained from the NCBI database, showed that the mtDNA profiles of cattle do not always reflect their phenotype as some cattle with Bos taurus phenotypes had Bos indicus mtDNA, whilst some cattle with Bos indicus phenotypes had Bos taurus mtDNA. Using D-loop sequencing, we were able to contrast the phenotypes and mtDNA profiles from different species of cattle from the 2 distinct cattle breeding regions of Australia. We found that 67 of the 121 cattle with Bos indicus phenotypes from NT (55.4%) had Bos taurus mtDNA. In VIC, 92 of the 225 cattle with Bos taurus phenotypes (40.9%) possessed Bos indicus mtDNA. When focusing on oocytes from cattle with the Bos taurus phenotype in VIC, their respective oocytes with Bos indicus mtDNA had significantly lower levels of mtDNA copy number compared with oocytes possessing Bos taurus mtDNA (P cattle with a Bos taurus phenotype. The phenotype of cattle is not always related to their mtDNA profiles. MtDNA profiles should be considered for breeding programmes as they also influence phenotypic traits and reproductive capacity in terms of oocyte quality.

Spice: discovery of phenotype-determining component interplays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Zhengzhang

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A latent behavior of a biological cell is complex. Deriving the underlying simplicity, or the fundamental rules governing this behavior has been the Holy Grail of systems biology. Data-driven prediction of the system components and their component interplays that are responsible for the target system’s phenotype is a key and challenging step in this endeavor. Results The proposed approach, which we call System Phenotype-related Interplaying Components Enumerator (Spice, iteratively enumerates statistically significant system components that are hypothesized (1 to play an important role in defining the specificity of the target system’s phenotype(s; (2 to exhibit a functionally coherent behavior, namely, act in a coordinated manner to perform the phenotype-specific function; and (3 to improve the predictive skill of the system’s phenotype(s when used collectively in the ensemble of predictive models. Spice can be applied to both instance-based data and network-based data. When validated, Spice effectively identified system components related to three target phenotypes: biohydrogen production, motility, and cancer. Manual results curation agreed with the known phenotype-related system components reported in literature. Additionally, using the identified system components as discriminatory features improved the prediction accuracy by 10% on the phenotype-classification task when compared to a number of state-of-the-art methods applied to eight benchmark microarray data sets. Conclusion We formulate a problem—enumeration of phenotype-determining system component interplays—and propose an effective methodology (Spice to address this problem. Spice improved identification of cancer-related groups of genes from various microarray data sets and detected groups of genes associated with microbial biohydrogen production and motility, many of which were reported in literature. Spice also improved the predictive skill of the

Mobius invariant QK spaces

CERN Document Server

Wulan, Hasi

2017-01-01

This monograph summarizes the recent major achievements in Möbius invariant QK spaces. First introduced by Hasi Wulan and his collaborators, the theory of QK spaces has developed immensely in the last two decades, and the topics covered in this book will be helpful to graduate students and new researchers interested in the field. Featuring a wide range of subjects, including an overview of QK spaces, QK-Teichmüller spaces, K-Carleson measures and analysis of weight functions, this book serves as an important resource for analysts interested in this area of complex analysis. Notes, numerous exercises, and a comprehensive up-to-date bibliography provide an accessible entry to anyone with a standard graduate background in real and complex analysis.

Bridging the phenotypic and genetic data useful for integrated breeding through a data annotation using the Crop Ontology developed by the crop communities of practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosemary eShrestha

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The Crop Ontology (CO of the Generation Challenge Program (GCP (http://cropontology.org/ is developed for the Integrated Breeding Platform (https://www.integratedbreeding.net/ by several centers of The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR: Bioversity, CIMMYT, CIP, ICRISAT, IITA, and IRRI. Integrated breeding necessitates that breeders access genotypic and phenotypic data related to a given trait. The Crop Ontology provides validated trait names used by the crop communities of practice for harmonizing the annotation of phenotypic and genotypic data and thus supporting data accessibility and discovery through web queries. The trait information is completed by the description of the measurement methods and scales, and images. The trait dictionaries used to produce the Integrated Breeding (IB fieldbooks are synchronized with the Crop Ontology terms for an automatic annotation of the phenotypic data measured in the field. The IB fieldbook provides breeders with direct access to the CO to get additional descriptive information on the traits. Ontologies and trait dictionaries are online for cassava, chickpea, common bean, groundnut, maize, Musa, potato, rice, sorghum and wheat. Online curation and annotation tools facilitate (http://cropontology.org direct maintenance of the trait information and production of trait dictionaries by the crop communities. An important feature is the cross referencing of CO terms with the Crop database trait ID and with their synonyms in Plant Ontology and Trait Ontology. Web links between cross referenced terms in CO provide online access to data annotated with similar ontological terms, particularly the genetic data in Gramene (University of Cornell or the evaluation and climatic data in the Global Repository of evaluation trials of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security programme (CCAFS. Cross-referencing and annotation will be further applied in the Integrated Breeding Platform.

Bridging the phenotypic and genetic data useful for integrated breeding through a data annotation using the Crop Ontology developed by the crop communities of practice

Science.gov (United States)

Shrestha, Rosemary; Matteis, Luca; Skofic, Milko; Portugal, Arllet; McLaren, Graham; Hyman, Glenn; Arnaud, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

The Crop Ontology (CO) of the Generation Challenge Program (GCP) (http://cropontology.org/) is developed for the Integrated Breeding Platform (IBP) (http://www.integratedbreeding.net/) by several centers of The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR): bioversity, CIMMYT, CIP, ICRISAT, IITA, and IRRI. Integrated breeding necessitates that breeders access genotypic and phenotypic data related to a given trait. The CO provides validated trait names used by the crop communities of practice (CoP) for harmonizing the annotation of phenotypic and genotypic data and thus supporting data accessibility and discovery through web queries. The trait information is completed by the description of the measurement methods and scales, and images. The trait dictionaries used to produce the Integrated Breeding (IB) fieldbooks are synchronized with the CO terms for an automatic annotation of the phenotypic data measured in the field. The IB fieldbook provides breeders with direct access to the CO to get additional descriptive information on the traits. Ontologies and trait dictionaries are online for cassava, chickpea, common bean, groundnut, maize, Musa, potato, rice, sorghum, and wheat. Online curation and annotation tools facilitate (http://cropontology.org) direct maintenance of the trait information and production of trait dictionaries by the crop communities. An important feature is the cross referencing of CO terms with the Crop database trait ID and with their synonyms in Plant Ontology (PO) and Trait Ontology (TO). Web links between cross referenced terms in CO provide online access to data annotated with similar ontological terms, particularly the genetic data in Gramene (University of Cornell) or the evaluation and climatic data in the Global Repository of evaluation trials of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security programme (CCAFS). Cross-referencing and annotation will be further applied in the IBP. PMID:22934074

A virtual seed file: the use of multispectral image analysis in the management of genebank seed accessions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adsetts Edberg Hansen, Michael; R. Hay, Fiona; Carstensen, Jens Michael

2015-01-01

We present a method for multispectral seed phenotyping as a fast and robust tool for managing genebank accessions. A multispectral vision system was used to take images of the seeds of 20 diverse varieties of rice (approximately 30 seeds for each variety). This was followed by extraction of feature...

Plant phenomics and the need for physiological phenotyping across scales to narrow the genotype-to-phenotype knowledge gap

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Grosskinsky, D. K.; Svensgaard, J.; Christensen, S.; Roitsch, Thomas

2015-01-01

Roč. 66, č. 18 (2015), s. 5429-5440 ISSN 0022-0957 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : External phenotype * genome–environment–management interaction * genome–phenome map * internal phenotype * phenomics * physiological traits * physiology * plant phenotyping * predictors Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 5.677, year: 2015

Inversion duplication deletions involving the long arm of chromosome 13: phenotypic description of additional three fetuses and genotype-phenotype correlation.

Science.gov (United States)

Quelin, Chloe; Spaggiari, Emmanuel; Khung-Savatovsky, Suonavy; Dupont, Celine; Pasquier, Laurent; Loeuillet, Laurence; Jaillard, Sylvie; Lucas, Josette; Marcorelles, Pascale; Journel, Hubert; Pluquailec-Bilavarn, Khantaby; Bazin, Anne; Verloes, Alain; Delezoide, Anne-Lise; Aboura, Azzedine; Guimiot, Fabien

2014-10-01

Inversion duplication and terminal deletion of the long arm of chromosome 13 (inv dup del 13q) is a rare chromosomal rearrangement: only five patients have been reported, mostly involving a ring chromosome 13. We report on additional three fetuses with pure inv dup del 13q: Patient 1 had macrosomia, enlarged kidneys, hypersegmented lungs, unilateral moderate ventriculomegaly, and a mild form of hand and feet preaxial polydactyly; Patient 2 had intrauterine growth retardation, widely spaced eyes, left microphthalmia, right anophthalmia, short nose, bilateral absent thumbs, cutaneous syndactyly of toes 4 and 5, bifid third metacarpal, a small left kidney, hyposegmented lungs, and partial agenesis of the corpus callosum; Patient 3 had widely spaced eyes, long and smooth philtrum, low-set ears, median notch in the upper alveolar ridge, bifid tongue, cutaneous syndactyly of toes 2 and 3, enlarged kidneys and pancreas, arhinencephaly, and partial agenesis of the corpus callosum. We compared the phenotypes of these patients to those previously reported for ring chromosome 13, pure 13q deletions and duplications. We narrowed some critical regions previously reported for lung, kidney and fetal growth, and for thumb, cerebral, and eye anomalies. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS)

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This list of potential mission targets should not be interpreted as a complete list of viable NEAs for an actual human exploration mission. As the NEA orbits are...

Accessibility analysis in manufacturing processes using visibility cones

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

尹周平; 丁汉; 熊有伦

2002-01-01

Accessibility is a kind of important design feature of products,and accessibility analysis has been acknowledged as a powerful tool for solving computational manufacturing problems arising from different manufacturing processes.After exploring the relations among approachability,accessibility and visibility,a general method for accessibility analysis using visibility cones (VC) is proposed.With the definition of VC of a point,three kinds of visibility of a feature,namely complete visibility cone (CVC),partial visibility cone (PVC) and local visibility cone (LVC),are defined.A novel approach to computing VCs is formulated by identifying C-obstacles in the C-space,for which a general and efficient algorithm is proposed and implemented by making use of visibility culling.Lastly,we discuss briefly how to realize accessibility analysis in numerically controlled (NC) machining planning,coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) inspection planning and assembly sequence planning with the proposed methods.

Nordic research infrastructures for plant phenotyping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristiina Himanen

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Plant phenomics refers to the systematic study of plant phenotypes. Together with closely monitored, controlled climates, it provides an essential component for the integrated analysis of genotype-phenotype-environment interactions. Currently, several plant growth and phenotyping facilities are under establishment globally, and numerous facilities are already in use. Alongside the development of the research infrastructures, several national and international networks have been established to support shared use of the new methodology. In this review, an overview is given of the Nordic plant phenotyping and climate control facilities. Since many areas of phenomics such as sensor-based phenotyping, image analysis and data standards are still developing, promotion of educational and networking activities is especially important. These facilities and networks will be instrumental in tackling plant breeding and plant protection challenges. They will also provide possibilities to study wild species and their ecological interactions under changing Nordic climate conditions.

Rethinking terra nullius and property law in space | Erlank ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

With a new era dawning with regard to access to space and an increase in the number of nations capable of reaching and exploiting space, the field of space law as a whole needs to be re-evaluated. One such area where current legal thinking needs to be examined is with regard to the property rights to objects in space.

Knowledge-based analysis of phenotypes

KAUST Repository

Hoendorf, Robert

2016-01-01

a formal framework to describe phenotypes. A formalized theory of phenotypes is not only useful for domain analysis, but can also be applied to assist in the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases, and I will show how our results on the ontology

Schools as Racial Spaces: Understanding and Resisting Structural Racism

Science.gov (United States)

Blaisdell, Benjamin

2016-01-01

Analyzing schools as racial spaces can help researchers examine the role of teachers in the perpetuation of structural racism in schools. Based on ethnographic and autoethnographic work, this article offers examples of schools as racial spaces, spaces where whiteness controlled access. It also highlights four teachers who pursued racial equity in…

Invasion strategies in clonal aquatic plants: Are phenotypic differences caused by phenotypic plasticity or local adaptation?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riis, Tenna; Lambertini, Carla; Olesen, Birgit

2010-01-01

conditions and plant morphological characteristics. Conclusions: The results indicate that at the current stage of spread into New Zealand, the primary adaptive strategy of these three invasive macrophytes is phenotypic plasticity. However, while limited, the possibility that genetic diversity between......Background and Aims: The successful spread of invasive plants in new environments is often linked to multiple introductions and a diverse gene pool that facilitates local adaptation to variable environmental conditions. For clonal plants, however, phenotypic plasticity may be equally important....... Methods: Field populations with a large phenotypic variety were sampled in a range of lakes and streams with different chemical and physical properties. The phenotypic plasticity of the species before and after cultivation was studied in a common garden growth experiment, and the genetic diversity...

Phenotype Instance Verification and Evaluation Tool (PIVET): A Scaled Phenotype Evidence Generation Framework Using Web-Based Medical Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Jette; Ke, Junyuan; Ho, Joyce C; Ghosh, Joydeep; Wallace, Byron C

2018-05-04

Researchers are developing methods to automatically extract clinically relevant and useful patient characteristics from raw healthcare datasets. These characteristics, often capturing essential properties of patients with common medical conditions, are called computational phenotypes. Being generated by automated or semiautomated, data-driven methods, such potential phenotypes need to be validated as clinically meaningful (or not) before they are acceptable for use in decision making. The objective of this study was to present Phenotype Instance Verification and Evaluation Tool (PIVET), a framework that uses co-occurrence analysis on an online corpus of publically available medical journal articles to build clinical relevance evidence sets for user-supplied phenotypes. PIVET adopts a conceptual framework similar to the pioneering prototype tool PheKnow-Cloud that was developed for the phenotype validation task. PIVET completely refactors each part of the PheKnow-Cloud pipeline to deliver vast improvements in speed without sacrificing the quality of the insights PheKnow-Cloud achieved. PIVET leverages indexing in NoSQL databases to efficiently generate evidence sets. Specifically, PIVET uses a succinct representation of the phenotypes that corresponds to the index on the corpus database and an optimized co-occurrence algorithm inspired by the Aho-Corasick algorithm. We compare PIVET's phenotype representation with PheKnow-Cloud's by using PheKnow-Cloud's experimental setup. In PIVET's framework, we also introduce a statistical model trained on domain expert-verified phenotypes to automatically classify phenotypes as clinically relevant or not. Additionally, we show how the classification model can be used to examine user-supplied phenotypes in an online, rather than batch, manner. PIVET maintains the discriminative power of PheKnow-Cloud in terms of identifying clinically relevant phenotypes for the same corpus with which PheKnow-Cloud was originally developed, but

Scalable Lunar Surface Networks and Adaptive Orbit Access, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Innovative network architecture, protocols, and algorithms are proposed for both lunar surface networks and orbit access networks. Firstly, an overlaying...

Phenotypic interactions between tree hosts and invasive forest pathogens in the light of globalization and climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenlid, Jan; Oliva, Jonàs

2016-12-05

Invasive pathogens can cause considerable damage to forest ecosystems. Lack of coevolution is generally thought to enable invasive pathogens to bypass the defence and/or recognition systems in the host. Although mostly true, this argument fails to predict intermittent outcomes in space and time, underlining the need to include the roles of the environment and the phenotype in host-pathogen interactions when predicting disease impacts. We emphasize the need to consider host-tree imbalances from a phenotypic perspective, considering the lack of coevolutionary and evolutionary history with the pathogen and the environment, respectively. We describe how phenotypic plasticity and plastic responses to environmental shifts may become maladaptive when hosts are faced with novel pathogens. The lack of host-pathogen and environmental coevolution are aligned with two global processes currently driving forest damage: globalization and climate change, respectively. We suggest that globalization and climate change act synergistically, increasing the chances of both genotypic and phenotypic imbalances. Short moves on the same continent are more likely to be in balance than if the move is from another part of the world. We use Gremmeniella abietina outbreaks in Sweden to exemplify how host-pathogen phenotypic interactions can help to predict the impacts of specific invasive and emergent diseases.This article is part of the themed issue 'Tackling emerging fungal threats to animal health, food security and ecosystem resilience'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Phenotypic interactions between tree hosts and invasive forest pathogens in the light of globalization and climate change

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Invasive pathogens can cause considerable damage to forest ecosystems. Lack of coevolution is generally thought to enable invasive pathogens to bypass the defence and/or recognition systems in the host. Although mostly true, this argument fails to predict intermittent outcomes in space and time, underlining the need to include the roles of the environment and the phenotype in host–pathogen interactions when predicting disease impacts. We emphasize the need to consider host–tree imbalances from a phenotypic perspective, considering the lack of coevolutionary and evolutionary history with the pathogen and the environment, respectively. We describe how phenotypic plasticity and plastic responses to environmental shifts may become maladaptive when hosts are faced with novel pathogens. The lack of host–pathogen and environmental coevolution are aligned with two global processes currently driving forest damage: globalization and climate change, respectively. We suggest that globalization and climate change act synergistically, increasing the chances of both genotypic and phenotypic imbalances. Short moves on the same continent are more likely to be in balance than if the move is from another part of the world. We use Gremmeniella abietina outbreaks in Sweden to exemplify how host–pathogen phenotypic interactions can help to predict the impacts of specific invasive and emergent diseases. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Tackling emerging fungal threats to animal health, food security and ecosystem resilience’. PMID:28080981

Checklist for the Structural Description of the Deep Phenotype in Disorders of Sexual Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Wünsch

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses the question, how the variations of the deep phenotype in disorders of sex development (DSD are appropriately described. This is a relevant question, because extensive phenotypic variability occurs in gonads and sex ducts. With the advance of video endoscopy and laparoscopy, fresh insight in gonadal and sex duct anatomy is emerging. So far, an attempt to standardize the diagnostic approach and, in particular, how to document these findings has not been published. We propose a standardized examination schedule for these procedures. It consists of 5 pictures of relevant anatomic features. For laparoscopy, it includes two pictures each of gonads and sex ducts on either side and an image of the retrovesical space. For endoscopy, the examination of the ureteric orifices, the posterior urethra, and the urogenital sinus derivates is recommended. Adherence of a standardized schedule and image storing enhances patient autonomy, because they can carry their examination for a second opinion without need for repeated examination. Physicians and scientists create a structured image library that facilitates the comparison of clinical outcomes, research on genotype phenotype associations and may lead to better classifications.

Ontology-based validation and identification of regulatory phenotypes

KAUST Repository

Kulmanov, Maxat

2018-01-31

Motivation: Function annotations of gene products, and phenotype annotations of genotypes, provide valuable information about molecular mechanisms that can be utilized by computational methods to identify functional and phenotypic relatedness, improve our understanding of disease and pathobiology, and lead to discovery of drug targets. Identifying functions and phenotypes commonly requires experiments which are time-consuming and expensive to carry out; creating the annotations additionally requires a curator to make an assertion based on reported evidence. Support to validate the mutual consistency of functional and phenotype annotations as well as a computational method to predict phenotypes from function annotations, would greatly improve the utility of function annotations Results: We developed a novel ontology-based method to validate the mutual consistency of function and phenotype annotations. We apply our method to mouse and human annotations, and identify several inconsistencies that can be resolved to improve overall annotation quality. Our method can also be applied to the rule-based prediction of phenotypes from functions. We show that the predicted phenotypes can be utilized for identification of protein-protein interactions and gene-disease associations. Based on experimental functional annotations, we predict phenotypes for 1,986 genes in mouse and 7,301 genes in human for which no experimental phenotypes have yet been determined.

Ontology-based validation and identification of regulatory phenotypes

KAUST Repository

Kulmanov, Maxat; Schofield, Paul N; Gkoutos, Georgios V; Hoehndorf, Robert

2018-01-01

Motivation: Function annotations of gene products, and phenotype annotations of genotypes, provide valuable information about molecular mechanisms that can be utilized by computational methods to identify functional and phenotypic relatedness, improve our understanding of disease and pathobiology, and lead to discovery of drug targets. Identifying functions and phenotypes commonly requires experiments which are time-consuming and expensive to carry out; creating the annotations additionally requires a curator to make an assertion based on reported evidence. Support to validate the mutual consistency of functional and phenotype annotations as well as a computational method to predict phenotypes from function annotations, would greatly improve the utility of function annotations Results: We developed a novel ontology-based method to validate the mutual consistency of function and phenotype annotations. We apply our method to mouse and human annotations, and identify several inconsistencies that can be resolved to improve overall annotation quality. Our method can also be applied to the rule-based prediction of phenotypes from functions. We show that the predicted phenotypes can be utilized for identification of protein-protein interactions and gene-disease associations. Based on experimental functional annotations, we predict phenotypes for 1,986 genes in mouse and 7,301 genes in human for which no experimental phenotypes have yet been determined.

Evaluation of Cystoid Change Phenotypes in Ocular Toxoplasmosis Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Qing; Keane, Pearse A.; Stübiger, Nicole; Joussen, Antonia M.; Sadda, Srinivas R.; Heussen, Florian M.

2014-01-01

Purpose To present unique cystoid changes occurring in patients with ocular toxoplasmosis observed in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods Forty-six patients (80 eyes) with a diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis, who underwent volume OCT examination between January 2005 and October 2012, were retrospectively collected. Review of clinical examination findings, fundus photographs, fluorescein angiograms (FA) and OCT image sets obtained at initial visits and follow-up. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of cystoid space phenotypes visualized using OCT. Results Of the 80 eyes included, 17 eyes (15 patients) demonstrated cystoid changes in the macula on OCT. Six eyes (7.5%) had cystoid macular edema (CME), 2 eyes (2.5%) had huge outer retinal cystoid space (HORC), 12 eyes (15%) had cystoid degeneration and additional 3 eyes (3.75%) had outer retinal tubulation due to age related macular degeneration. In one eye with HORC, the lesion was seen in the photoreceptor outer segment, accompanied by photoreceptor elongation and splitting. Three eyes presented with paravascular cystoid degeneration in the inner retina without other macular OCT abnormality. Conclusions In this study, different phenotypes of cystoid spaces seen in eyes with ocular toxoplasmosis using spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) were demonstrated. CME presented as an uncommon feature, consistently with previous findings. Identification of rare morphological cystoid features (HORC with/without photoreceptor enlongation or splitting) on clinical examination had provided evidence to previous experimental models, which may also expand the clinical spectrum of the disease. Cystoid degeneration in the inner retina next to the retinal vessels in otherwise “normal” looking macula was observed, which may suggest more often clinical evaluation for those patients. Further studies are needed to verify the relevance of cystoid features seen on SD-OCT in assisting with the diagnosis and management of

Evaluation of cystoid change phenotypes in ocular toxoplasmosis using optical coherence tomography.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanling Ouyang

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To present unique cystoid changes occurring in patients with ocular toxoplasmosis observed in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT. METHODS: Forty-six patients (80 eyes with a diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis, who underwent volume OCT examination between January 2005 and October 2012, were retrospectively collected. Review of clinical examination findings, fundus photographs, fluorescein angiograms (FA and OCT image sets obtained at initial visits and follow-up. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of cystoid space phenotypes visualized using OCT. RESULTS: Of the 80 eyes included, 17 eyes (15 patients demonstrated cystoid changes in the macula on OCT. Six eyes (7.5% had cystoid macular edema (CME, 2 eyes (2.5% had huge outer retinal cystoid space (HORC, 12 eyes (15% had cystoid degeneration and additional 3 eyes (3.75% had outer retinal tubulation due to age related macular degeneration. In one eye with HORC, the lesion was seen in the photoreceptor outer segment, accompanied by photoreceptor elongation and splitting. Three eyes presented with paravascular cystoid degeneration in the inner retina without other macular OCT abnormality. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, different phenotypes of cystoid spaces seen in eyes with ocular toxoplasmosis using spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT were demonstrated. CME presented as an uncommon feature, consistently with previous findings. Identification of rare morphological cystoid features (HORC with/without photoreceptor enlongation or splitting on clinical examination had provided evidence to previous experimental models, which may also expand the clinical spectrum of the disease. Cystoid degeneration in the inner retina next to the retinal vessels in otherwise "normal" looking macula was observed, which may suggest more often clinical evaluation for those patients. Further studies are needed to verify the relevance of cystoid features seen on SD-OCT in assisting with the diagnosis and

Emergence of cooperation in phenotypically heterogeneous populations: a replicator dynamics analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barreira da Silva Rocha, A; Escobedo, R; Laruelle, A

2015-01-01

The emergence of cooperation is analyzed in heterogeneous populations where two kinds of individuals exist according to their phenotypic appearance. Phenotype recognition is assumed for all individuals: individuals are able to identify the type of every other individual, but fail to recognize their own type. Individuals thus behave under partial information conditions. The interactions between individuals are described by the snowdrift game, where individuals can either cooperate or defect. The evolution of such populations is studied in the framework of evolutionary game theory by means of the replicator dynamics. Overlapping generations are considered, so the replicator equations are formulated in discrete-time form. The stability analysis of the dynamical system is carried out and a detailed description of the behavior of trajectories starting from the interior of the state-space is given. We find that the four monomorphic states are unstable and that a polymorphic state exists which is a global attractor for non-degenerate initial states of the population. The result for the discrete-time replicator coincides with the one of the continuous case. (paper)

Southeast Asian Space Programs: Motives, Cooperation, and Competition

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

specific use” after being launched into equatorial orbit on a SpaceX Falcon rocket in 2009; Malaysia sought to fill a niche for equatorial countries...with human users as part of a system,28 the “technique” by which rockets , satellites, and other accoutrements of space access are integrated into...independence and an archipelagic geography that incentivizes use of space as a big tent under which to strengthen national unity, Indonesia’s space

Federated Tensor Factorization for Computational Phenotyping

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yejin; Sun, Jimeng; Yu, Hwanjo; Jiang, Xiaoqian

2017-01-01

Tensor factorization models offer an effective approach to convert massive electronic health records into meaningful clinical concepts (phenotypes) for data analysis. These models need a large amount of diverse samples to avoid population bias. An open challenge is how to derive phenotypes jointly across multiple hospitals, in which direct patient-level data sharing is not possible (e.g., due to institutional policies). In this paper, we developed a novel solution to enable federated tensor factorization for computational phenotyping without sharing patient-level data. We developed secure data harmonization and federated computation procedures based on alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). Using this method, the multiple hospitals iteratively update tensors and transfer secure summarized information to a central server, and the server aggregates the information to generate phenotypes. We demonstrated with real medical datasets that our method resembles the centralized training model (based on combined datasets) in terms of accuracy and phenotypes discovery while respecting privacy. PMID:29071165

New Space at Airbus Defence & Space to facilitate science missions

Science.gov (United States)

Boithias, Helene; Benchetrit, Thierry

2016-10-01

In addition to Airbus legacy activities, where Airbus satellites usually enable challenging science missions such as Venus Express, Mars Express, Rosetta with an historic landing on a comet, Bepi Colombo mission to Mercury and JUICE to orbit around Jupiter moon Ganymede, Swarm studying the Earth magnetic field, Goce to measure the Earth gravitational field and Cryosat to monitor the Earth polar ice, Airbus is now developing a new approach to facilitate next generation missions.After more than 25 years of collaboration with the scientists on space missions, Airbus has demonstrated its capacity to implement highly demanding missions implying a deep understanding of the science mission requirements and their intrinsic constraints such as- a very fierce competition between the scientific communities,- the pursuit of high maturity for the science instrument in order to be selected,- the very strict institutional budget limiting the number of operational missions.As a matter of fact, the combination of these constraints may lead to the cancellation of valuable missions.Based on that and inspired by the New Space trend, Airbus is developing an highly accessible concept called HYPE.The objective of HYPE is to make access to Space much more simple, affordable and efficient.With a standardized approach, the scientist books only the capacities he needs among the resources available on-board, as the HYPE satellites can host a large range of payloads from 1kg up to 60kg.At prices significantly more affordable than those of comparable dedicated satellite, HYPE is by far a very cost-efficient way of bringing science missions to life.After the launch, the scientist enjoys a plug-and-play access to two-way communications with his instrument through a secure high-speed portal available online 24/7.Everything else is taken care of by Airbus: launch services and the associated risk, reliable power supply, setting up and operating the communication channels, respect of space law

Architecture and Knowledge-Driven Self-Adaptive Security in Smart Space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antti Evesti

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Dynamic and heterogeneous smart spaces cause challenges for security because it is impossible to anticipate all the possible changes at design-time. Self-adaptive security is an applicable solution for this challenge. This paper presents an architectural approach for security adaptation in smart spaces. The approach combines an adaptation loop, Information Security Measuring Ontology (ISMO and a smart space security-control model. The adaptation loop includes phases to monitor, analyze, plan and execute changes in the smart space. The ISMO offers input knowledge for the adaptation loop and the security-control model enforces dynamic access control policies. The approach is novel because it defines the whole adaptation loop and knowledge required in each phase of the adaptation. The contributions are validated as a part of the smart space pilot implementation. The approach offers reusable and extensible means to achieve adaptive security in smart spaces and up-to-date access control for devices that appear in the space. Hence, the approach supports the work of smart space application developers.

Phenotypic Resistance to Antibiotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose L. Martinez

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The development of antibiotic resistance is usually associated with genetic changes, either to the acquisition of resistance genes, or to mutations in elements relevant for the activity of the antibiotic. However, in some situations resistance can be achieved without any genetic alteration; this is called phenotypic resistance. Non-inherited resistance is associated to specific processes such as growth in biofilms, a stationary growth phase or persistence. These situations might occur during infection but they are not usually considered in classical susceptibility tests at the clinical microbiology laboratories. Recent work has also shown that the susceptibility to antibiotics is highly dependent on the bacterial metabolism and that global metabolic regulators can modulate this phenotype. This modulation includes situations in which bacteria can be more resistant or more susceptible to antibiotics. Understanding these processes will thus help in establishing novel therapeutic approaches based on the actual susceptibility shown by bacteria during infection, which might differ from that determined in the laboratory. In this review, we discuss different examples of phenotypic resistance and the mechanisms that regulate the crosstalk between bacterial metabolism and the susceptibility to antibiotics. Finally, information on strategies currently under development for diminishing the phenotypic resistance to antibiotics of bacterial pathogens is presented.

Emerging semantics to link phenotype and environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne E. Thessen

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding the interplay between environmental conditions and phenotypes is a fundamental goal of biology. Unfortunately, data that include observations on phenotype and environment are highly heterogeneous and thus difficult to find and integrate. One approach that is likely to improve the status quo involves the use of ontologies to standardize and link data about phenotypes and environments. Specifying and linking data through ontologies will allow researchers to increase the scope and flexibility of large-scale analyses aided by modern computing methods. Investments in this area would advance diverse fields such as ecology, phylogenetics, and conservation biology. While several biological ontologies are well-developed, using them to link phenotypes and environments is rare because of gaps in ontological coverage and limits to interoperability among ontologies and disciplines. In this manuscript, we present (1 use cases from diverse disciplines to illustrate questions that could be answered more efficiently using a robust linkage between phenotypes and environments, (2 two proof-of-concept analyses that show the value of linking phenotypes to environments in fishes and amphibians, and (3 two proposed example data models for linking phenotypes and environments using the extensible observation ontology (OBOE and the Biological Collections Ontology (BCO; these provide a starting point for the development of a data model linking phenotypes and environments.

NASA Plan for Increasing Access to the Results of Scientific Research

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

This plan is issued in response to the Executive Office of the President's February 22, 2013, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, "Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research." Through this memorandum, OSTP directed all agencies with more than $100 million in annual research and development expenditures to prepare a plan for improving the public's access to the results of federally funded research. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invests on the order of $3 billion annually in fundamental and applied research and technology development1 across a broad range of topics, including space and Earth sciences, life and physical sciences, human health, aeronautics, and technology. Promoting the full and open sharing of data with research communities, private industry, academia, and the general public is one of NASA's longstanding core values. For example, NASA's space and suborbital mission personnel routinely process, archive, and distribute their data to researchers around the globe. This plan expands the breadth of NASA's open-access culture to include data and publications for all of the scientific research that the Agency sponsors.

TERRA REF: Advancing phenomics with high resolution, open access sensor and genomics data

Science.gov (United States)

LeBauer, D.; Kooper, R.; Burnette, M.; Willis, C.

2017-12-01

Automated plant measurement has the potential to improve understanding of genetic and environmental controls on plant traits (phenotypes). The application of sensors and software in the automation of high throughput phenotyping reflects a fundamental shift from labor intensive hand measurements to drone, tractor, and robot mounted sensing platforms. These tools are expected to speed the rate of crop improvement by enabling plant breeders to more accurately select plants with improved yields, resource use efficiency, and stress tolerance. However, there are many challenges facing high throughput phenomics: sensors and platforms are expensive, currently there are few standard methods of data collection and storage, and the analysis of large data sets requires high performance computers and automated, reproducible computing pipelines. To overcome these obstacles and advance the science of high throughput phenomics, the TERRA Phenotyping Reference Platform (TERRA-REF) team is developing an open-access database of high resolution sensor data. TERRA REF is an integrated field and greenhouse phenotyping system that includes: a reference field scanner with fifteen sensors that can generate terrabytes of data each day at mm resolution; UAV, tractor, and fixed field sensing platforms; and an automated controlled-environment scanner. These platforms will enable investigation of diverse sensing modalities, and the investigation of traits under controlled and field environments. It is the goal of TERRA REF to lower the barrier to entry for academic and industry researchers by providing high-resolution data, open source software, and online computing resources. Our project is unique in that all data will be made fully public in November 2018, and is already available to early adopters through the beta-user program. We will describe the datasets and how to use them as well as the databases and computing pipeline and how these can be reused and remixed in other phenomics pipelines

Decomposing phenotype descriptions for the human skeletal phenome.

Science.gov (United States)

Groza, Tudor; Hunter, Jane; Zankl, Andreas

2013-01-01

Over the course of the last few years there has been a significant amount of research performed on ontology-based formalization of phenotype descriptions. The intrinsic value and knowledge captured within such descriptions can only be expressed by taking advantage of their inner structure that implicitly combines qualities and anatomical entities. We present a meta-model (the Phenotype Fragment Ontology) and a processing pipeline that enable together the automatic decomposition and conceptualization of phenotype descriptions for the human skeletal phenome. We use this approach to showcase the usefulness of the generic concept of phenotype decomposition by performing an experimental study on all skeletal phenotype concepts defined in the Human Phenotype Ontology.

Redefining Aging in HIV Infection Using Phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Stoff, David M; Goodkin, Karl; Jeste, Dilip; Marquine, Maria

2017-10-01

This article critically reviews the utility of "phenotypes" as behavioral descriptors in aging/HIV research that inform biological underpinnings and treatment development. We adopt a phenotypic redefinition of aging conceptualized within a broader context of HIV infection and of aging. Phenotypes are defined as dimensions of behavior, closely related to fundamental mechanisms, and, thus, may be more informative than chronological age. Primary emphasis in this review is given to comorbid aging and cognitive aging, though other phenotypes (i.e., disability, frailty, accelerated aging, successful aging) are also discussed in relation to comorbid aging and cognitive aging. The main findings that emerged from this review are as follows: (1) the phenotypes, comorbid aging and cognitive aging, are distinct from each other, yet overlapping; (2) associative relationships are the rule in HIV for comorbid and cognitive aging phenotypes; and (3) HIV behavioral interventions for both comorbid aging and cognitive aging have been limited. Three paths for research progress are identified for phenotype-defined aging/HIV research (i.e., clinical and behavioral specification, biological mechanisms, intervention targets), and some important research questions are suggested within each of these research paths.

Plant phenomics and the need for physiological phenotyping across scales to narrow the genotype-to-phenotype knowledge gap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grosskinsky, Dominik Kilian; Svensgaard, Jesper; Christensen, Svend

2015-01-01

Plants are affected by complex genome×environment×management interactions which determine phenotypic plasticity as a result of the variability of genetic components. Whereas great advances have been made in the cost-efficient and high-throughput analyses of genetic information and non-invasive ph......Plants are affected by complex genome×environment×management interactions which determine phenotypic plasticity as a result of the variability of genetic components. Whereas great advances have been made in the cost-efficient and high-throughput analyses of genetic information and non......-invasive phenotyping, the large-scale analyses of the underlying physiological mechanisms lag behind. The external phenotype is determined by the sum of the complex interactions of metabolic pathways and intracellular regulatory networks that is reflected in an internal, physiological, and biochemical phenotype......, ultimately enabling the in silico assessment of responses under defined environments with advanced crop models. This will allow generation of robust physiological predictors also for complex traits to bridge the knowledge gap between genotype and phenotype for applications in breeding, precision farming...

Does degree of gyrification underlie the phenotypic and genetic associations between cortical surface area and cognitive ability?

Science.gov (United States)

Docherty, Anna R; Hagler, Donald J; Panizzon, Matthew S; Neale, Michael C; Eyler, Lisa T; Fennema-Notestine, Christine; Franz, Carol E; Jak, Amy; Lyons, Michael J; Rinker, Daniel A; Thompson, Wesley K; Tsuang, Ming T; Dale, Anders M; Kremen, William S

2015-02-01

The phenotypic and genetic relationship between global cortical size and general cognitive ability (GCA) appears to be driven by surface area (SA) and not cortical thickness (CT). Gyrification (cortical folding) is an important property of the cortex that helps to increase SA within a finite space, and may also improve connectivity by reducing distance between regions. Hence, gyrification may be what underlies the SA-GCA relationship. In previous phenotypic studies, a 3-dimensional gyrification index (3DGI) has been positively associated with cognitive ability and negatively associated with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and psychiatric disorders affecting cognition. However, the differential genetic associations of 3DGI and SA with GCA are still unclear. We examined the heritability of 3DGI, and the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental associations of 3DGI with SA and GCA in a large sample of adult male twins (N = 512). Nearly 85% of the variance in 3DGI was due to genes, and 3DGI had a strong phenotypic and genetic association with SA. Both 3DGI and total SA had positive phenotypic correlations with GCA. However, the SA-GCA correlation remained significant after controlling for 3DGI, but not the other way around. There was also significant genetic covariance between SA and GCA, but not between 3DGI and GCA. Thus, despite the phenotypic and genetic associations between 3DGI and SA, our results do not support the hypothesis that gyrification underlies the association between SA and GCA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing communication accessibility in the university classroom: towards a goal of universal hearing accessibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheesman, Margaret F; Jennings, Mary Beth; Klinger, Lisa

2013-01-01

Measures of accessibility typically focus on the physical environment and aspects relating to getting into and out of spaces. The transient sound environment is less well characterized in typical accessibility measures. Hearing accessibility measures can be based upon physical indices or functional assessment. The physical measures are indices that use signal-to-noise ratios to evaluate audibility while the functional assessment tool adopts universal design for hearing (UDH) principles derived from principles of universal design. The UDH principles include (1) Optimization of the hearing environment for all; (2) Optimization of interactions between persons and objects to promote better hearing in an environment; (3) Optimization of opportunities for people to have multiple choices of interactions with one another; (4) Optimization of opportunities for people to perform different activities in and across environments; (5) Optimization of opportunities for people to have safe, private, and secure use of the environment while minimizing distraction, interference, or cognitive loading; and (6) Optimization of opportunities for people to use the environment without extra steps for hearing access during preparatory, use and/or after use phases. This paper compares the two approaches using case examples from post-secondary classrooms in order to describe the potential advantages and limitations of each.

Research and development at the Marshall Space Flight Center Neutral Buoyancy Simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Kulpa, Vygantas P.

1987-01-01

The Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS), a facility designed to imitate zero-gravity conditions, was used to test the Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity (EASE) and the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures (ACCESS). Neutral Buoyancy Simulator applications and operations; early space structure research; development of the EASE/ACCESS experiments; and improvement of NBS simulation are summarized.

Age is associated with asthma phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponte, Eduardo V; Lima, Aline; Almeida, Paula C A; de Jesus, Juliana P V; Lima, Valmar B; Scichilone, Nicola; Souza-Machado, Adelmir; Cruz, Álvaro A

2017-11-01

The relationship between age and asthma phenotypes is important as population is ageing, asthma is becoming common in older ages and recently developed treatments for asthma are guided by phenotypes. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether age is associated with specific asthma phenotypes. This is a cross-sectional study. We included subjects with asthma of varied degrees of severity. Subjects underwent spirometry, skin prick test to aeroallergens, answered the Asthma Control Questionnaire and had blood samples collected. We performed binary logistic regression analysis to evaluate whether age is associated with asthma phenotypes. We enrolled 868 subjects. In comparison with subjects ≤ 40 years, older subjects had high odds of irreversible airway obstruction (from 41 to 64 years, OR: 1.83 (95% CI: 1.32-2.54); ≥65 years, OR: 3.45 (2.12-5.60)) and severe asthma phenotypes (from 41 to 64 years, OR: 3.23 (2.26-4.62); ≥65 years, OR: 4.55 (2.39-8.67)). Older subjects had low odds of atopic (from 41 to 64 years, OR: 0.56 (0.39-0.79); ≥65 years, OR: 0.47 (0.27-0.84)) and eosinophilic phenotypes (from 41 to 64 years, OR: 0.63 (0.46-0.84); ≥65 years, OR: 0.39 (0.24-0.64)). Older subjects with asthma have low odds of atopic and eosinophilic phenotypes, whereas they present high odds of irreversible airway obstruction and severe asthma. © 2017 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Innovative Robot Archetypes for In-Space Construction and Maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Rehnmark, Fredrik; Ambrose, Robert O.; Kennedy, Brett; Diftler, Myron; Mehling Joshua; Brigwater, Lyndon; Radford, Nicolaus; Goza, S. Michael; Culbert, Christopher

2005-01-01

The space environment presents unique challenges and opportunities in the assembly, inspection and maintenance of orbital and transit spaceflight systems. While conventional Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) technology, out of necessity, addresses each of the challenges, relatively few of the opportunities have been exploited due to crew safety and reliability considerations. Extra-Vehicular Robotics (EVR) is one of the least-explored design spaces but offers many exciting innovations transcending the crane-like Space Shuttle and International Space Station Remote Manipulator System (RMS) robots used for berthing, coarse positioning and stabilization. Microgravity environments can support new robotic archetypes with locomotion and manipulation capabilities analogous to undersea creatures. Such diversification could enable the next generation of space science platforms and vehicles that are too large and fragile to launch and deploy as self-contained payloads. Sinuous manipulators for minimally invasive inspection and repair in confined spaces, soft-stepping climbers with expansive leg reach envelopes and free-flying nanosatellite cameras can access EVA worksites generally not accessible to humans in spacesuits. These and other novel robotic archetypes are presented along with functionality concepts

Whole genome sequencing reveals a novel deletion variant in the KIT gene in horses with white spotted coat colour phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dürig, N; Jude, R; Holl, H; Brooks, S A; Lafayette, C; Jagannathan, V; Leeb, T

2017-08-01

White spotting phenotypes in horses can range in severity from the common white markings up to completely white horses. EDNRB, KIT, MITF, PAX3 and TRPM1 represent known candidate genes for such phenotypes in horses. For the present study, we re-investigated a large horse family segregating a variable white spotting phenotype, for which conventional Sanger sequencing of the candidate genes' individual exons had failed to reveal the causative variant. We obtained whole genome sequence data from an affected horse and specifically searched for structural variants in the known candidate genes. This analysis revealed a heterozygous ~1.9-kb deletion spanning exons 10-13 of the KIT gene (chr3:77,740,239_77,742,136del1898insTATAT). In continuity with previously named equine KIT variants we propose to designate the newly identified deletion variant W22. We had access to 21 horses carrying the W22 allele. Four of them were compound heterozygous W20/W22 and had a completely white phenotype. Our data suggest that W22 represents a true null allele of the KIT gene, whereas the previously identified W20 leads to a partial loss of function. These findings will enable more precise genetic testing for depigmentation phenotypes in horses. © 2017 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Metropolitan natural area protection to maximize public access and species representation

Science.gov (United States)

Jane A. Ruliffson; Robert G. Haight; Paul H. Gobster; Frances R. Homans

2003-01-01

In response to widespread urban development, local governments in metropolitan areas in the United States acquire and protect privately-owned open space. We addressed the planner's problem of allocating a fixed budget for open space protection among eligible natural areas with the twin objectives of maximizing public access and species representation. Both...

Artificial intelligence applications of fast optical memory access

Science.gov (United States)

Henshaw, P. D.; Todtenkopf, A. B.

The operating principles and performance of rapid laser beam-steering (LBS) techniques are reviewed and illustrated with diagrams; their applicability to fast optical-memory (disk) access is evaluated; and the implications of fast access for the design of expert systems are discussed. LBS methods examined include analog deflection (source motion, wavefront tilt, and phased arrays), digital deflection (polarization modulation, reflectivity modulation, interferometric switching, and waveguide deflection), and photorefractive LBS. The disk-access problem is considered, and typical LBS requirements are listed as 38,000 beam positions, rotational latency 25 ms, one-sector rotation time 1.5 ms, and intersector space 87 microsec. The value of rapid access for increasing the power of expert systems (by permitting better organization of blocks of information) is illustrated by summarizing the learning process of the MVP-FORTH system (Park, 1983).

47 CFR 76.805 - Access to molding.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... that there is sufficient space to permit the installation of the additional wiring without interfering... permit the installation of the new wiring without interfering with the ability of an existing MVPD to... CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Cable Inside Wiring § 76.805 Access to molding. (a) An MVPD shall be permitted...

COMPUTER APPROACHES TO WHEAT HIGH-THROUGHPUT PHENOTYPING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afonnikov D.

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The growing need for rapid and accurate approaches for large-scale assessment of phenotypic characters in plants becomes more and more obvious in the studies looking into relationships between genotype and phenotype. This need is due to the advent of high throughput methods for analysis of genomes. Nowadays, any genetic experiment involves data on thousands and dozens of thousands of plants. Traditional ways of assessing most phenotypic characteristics (those with reliance on the eye, the touch, the ruler are little effective on samples of such sizes. Modern approaches seek to take advantage of automated phenotyping, which warrants a much more rapid data acquisition, higher accuracy of the assessment of phenotypic features, measurement of new parameters of these features and exclusion of human subjectivity from the process. Additionally, automation allows measurement data to be rapidly loaded into computer databases, which reduces data processing time.In this work, we present the WheatPGE information system designed to solve the problem of integration of genotypic and phenotypic data and parameters of the environment, as well as to analyze the relationships between the genotype and phenotype in wheat. The system is used to consolidate miscellaneous data on a plant for storing and processing various morphological traits and genotypes of wheat plants as well as data on various environmental factors. The system is available at www.wheatdb.org. Its potential in genetic experiments has been demonstrated in high-throughput phenotyping of wheat leaf pubescence.

Evolution of molecular phenotypes under stabilizing selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nourmohammad, Armita; Schiffels, Stephan; Lässig, Michael

2013-01-01

Molecular phenotypes are important links between genomic information and organismic functions, fitness, and evolution. Complex phenotypes, which are also called quantitative traits, often depend on multiple genomic loci. Their evolution builds on genome evolution in a complicated way, which involves selection, genetic drift, mutations and recombination. Here we develop a coarse-grained evolutionary statistics for phenotypes, which decouples from details of the underlying genotypes. We derive approximate evolution equations for the distribution of phenotype values within and across populations. This dynamics covers evolutionary processes at high and low recombination rates, that is, it applies to sexual and asexual populations. In a fitness landscape with a single optimal phenotype value, the phenotypic diversity within populations and the divergence between populations reach evolutionary equilibria, which describe stabilizing selection. We compute the equilibrium distributions of both quantities analytically and we show that the ratio of mean divergence and diversity depends on the strength of selection in a universal way: it is largely independent of the phenotype’s genomic encoding and of the recombination rate. This establishes a new method for the inference of selection on molecular phenotypes beyond the genome level. We discuss the implications of our findings for the predictability of evolutionary processes. (paper)

Resequencing 50 accessions of cultivated and wild rice yields markers for identifying agronomically important genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Xun; Liu, Xin; Ge, Song

2012-01-01

Rice is a staple crop that has undergone substantial phenotypic and physiological changes during domestication. Here we resequenced the genomes of 40 cultivated accessions selected from the major groups of rice and 10 accessions of their wild progenitors (Oryza rufipogon and Oryza nivara) to >15 x...... diversity in cultivated but not wild rice, which represent candidate regions selected during domestication. Some of these variants are associated with important biological features, whereas others have yet to be functionally characterized. The molecular markers we have identified should be valuable...... raw data coverage. We investigated genome-wide variation patterns in rice and obtained 6.5 million high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) after excluding sites with missing data in any accession. Using these population SNP data, we identified thousands of genes with significantly lower...

Space Livability of Street Vendors in Simpang Lima Public Space, Semarang

Science.gov (United States)

Widjajanti, R.; Wahyono, H.

2018-02-01

Street vendors in Semarang have been growing rapidly and uncontrolled. They always use public space such as public roads, sidewalks, parks and fields as trading locations. The street vendors’ activities in the public space are considered as the cause of declining on environmental quality and aesthetics of the city. All these years, the government often evicted the street vendors than organized and provides adequate space for them. As one of the actual urban activities, the street vendors’ activities should be accommodated by the government and the location for them is managed in the urban spatial plan. Street vendors need spaces which livable and suitable to their activities’ requirements, has a relationship with users (street vendors’ doers and consumers) and the activities of street vendors themselves. Research on the aspect of space for street vendors is still less in quantity, whereas space for them is an urgent matter for the government in managing their activities. This study aims to identify the livability of space based on the street vendors’ behavior in their location. This research used descriptive quantitative method with questionnaires and GIS as the mapping tool for street vendors’ location. The result of the research shows that the livability of street vendor space is based on the activity of street vendors (type of merchandise, trading places’ size, trade place assessment, space dimension, trading time, duration and period) and space conditions (access, natural elements, safety and parking space).

Topics in Banach space theory

CERN Document Server

Albiac, Fernando

2016-01-01

This text provides the reader with the necessary technical tools and background to reach the frontiers of research without the introduction of too many extraneous concepts. Detailed and accessible proofs are included, as are a variety of exercises and problems. The two new chapters in this second edition are devoted to two topics of much current interest amongst functional analysts: Greedy approximation with respect to bases in Banach spaces and nonlinear geometry of Banach spaces. This new material is intended to present these two directions of research for their intrinsic importance within Banach space theory, and to motivate graduate students interested in learning more about them. This textbook assumes only a basic knowledge of functional analysis, giving the reader a self-contained overview of the ideas and techniques in the development of modern Banach space theory. Special emphasis is placed on the study of the classical Lebesgue spaces Lp (and their sequence space analogues) and spaces of continuous f...

12th Reinventing Space Conference

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

The 2014 Reinventing Space conference presented a number of questions in the context of a constantly innovating space industry, from addressing the future of global cooperation, investigating the impact of cuts in US government spending on the private space sector, and probing the overall future of the commercial launch sector. Space tourism and new technology promise the revival of interest in space development (the Apollo Era was the first period of intense space activity and growth). The need to create dramatically lower cost, responsive and reliable launch systems and spacecraft has never been more vital. Advances in technology are allowing smaller and cheaper satellites to be orbited - from cubesats to nanosatellites to femtosatellites. Thanks to more efficient new launch possibilities, low cost access to space is becoming ever more achievable. Commercial companies and countries are targeting the industry with new funding. Organised by the British Interplanetary Society, the presentations at this confere...

GMES Space Component: Programme overview

Science.gov (United States)

Aschbacher, J.; Milagro-Perez, M. P.

2012-04-01

The European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have developed the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme as Europe's answer to the vital need for joined-up data about our climate, environment and security. Through a unique combination of satellite, atmospheric and Earth-based monitoring systems, the initiative will provide new insight into the state of the land, sea and air, providing policymakers, scientists, businesses and the public with accurate and timely information. GMES capabilities include monitoring and forecasting of climatic change, flood risks, soil and coastal erosion, crop and fish resources, air pollution, greenhouse gases, iceberg distribution and snow cover, among others. To accomplish this, GMES has been divided into three main components: Space, In-situ and Services. The Space Component, led by ESA, comprises five types of new satellites called Sentinels that are being developed by ESA specifically to meet the needs of GMES, the first of which to be launched in 2013. These missions carry a range of technologies, such as radar and multi-spectral imaging instruments for land, ocean and atmospheric monitoring. In addition, access to data from the so-called Contributing Missions guarantees that European space infrastructure is fully used for GMES. An integrated Ground Segment ensures access to Sentinels and Contributing Missions data. The in-situ component, under the coordination of the European Environment Agency (EEA), is composed of atmospheric and Earth based monitoring systems, and based on established networks and programmes at European and international levels. The European Commission is in charge of implementing the services component of GMES and of leading GMES overall. GMES services, fed with data from the Space and In-situ components, will provide essential information in five main domains, atmosphere, ocean and land monitoring as well as emergency response and security. Climate change has been added

Enabling phenotypic big data with PheNorm.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Sheng; Ma, Yumeng; Gronsbell, Jessica; Cai, Tianrun; Ananthakrishnan, Ashwin N; Gainer, Vivian S; Churchill, Susanne E; Szolovits, Peter; Murphy, Shawn N; Kohane, Isaac S; Liao, Katherine P; Cai, Tianxi

2018-01-01

Electronic health record (EHR)-based phenotyping infers whether a patient has a disease based on the information in his or her EHR. A human-annotated training set with gold-standard disease status labels is usually required to build an algorithm for phenotyping based on a set of predictive features. The time intensiveness of annotation and feature curation severely limits the ability to achieve high-throughput phenotyping. While previous studies have successfully automated feature curation, annotation remains a major bottleneck. In this paper, we present PheNorm, a phenotyping algorithm that does not require expert-labeled samples for training. The most predictive features, such as the number of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes or mentions of the target phenotype, are normalized to resemble a normal mixture distribution with high area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) for prediction. The transformed features are then denoised and combined into a score for accurate disease classification. We validated the accuracy of PheNorm with 4 phenotypes: coronary artery disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. The AUCs of the PheNorm score reached 0.90, 0.94, 0.95, and 0.94 for the 4 phenotypes, respectively, which were comparable to the accuracy of supervised algorithms trained with sample sizes of 100-300, with no statistically significant difference. The accuracy of the PheNorm algorithms is on par with algorithms trained with annotated samples. PheNorm fully automates the generation of accurate phenotyping algorithms and demonstrates the capacity for EHR-driven annotations to scale to the next level - phenotypic big data. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Television White Space (TVWS) Access Framework for Developing Regions

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Masonta, MT

2013-09-01

Full Text Available stream_source_info Masonta2_2013.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 29237 Content-Encoding UTF-8 stream_name Masonta2_2013.pdf.txt Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Television White Space (TVWS... have been promoted by leading ICT regulators in the United States and Europe over the past decade. For instance, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) [4] and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) in the United Kingdom (UK) [5] went through...

Visual inspection requirements for high-reliability random-access memories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, A.; McHenery, J.

1981-09-01

Visual inspection requirements are given for random-access memories for deep-space satellite electronics. The requirements, based primarily on Military Standard 883B, are illustrated in the order of their manufacturing operation to clarify and facilitate inspection procedures

Defense of a space elevator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laubscher, B. E. (Bryan E.)

2004-01-01

The Space Elevator (SE) represents a major paradigm shift in space access. If the SE's promise of low-cost access is to be realized, everything becomes economically more feasible to accomplish in space. In this paper we describe a defensive system of the SE. The primary scenario adopted for this analysis is the SE based on a floating platform in the ocean along the equator. A second possible scenario is the SE stationed on land (island or continent) on or near the equator. The SE will capture the imaginations of people around the world. It will become a symbol of power, capability, wealth and prestige for the country that builds it. As such, it will become a prime terrorist target. Moreover, the tremendous economic leverage afforded by the SE might motivate rogue nations to plot its destruction. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the requirements for defense of the SE. For the purposes of this paper it is assumed that the SE is to be deployed by the United States or one of its companies, and the resources of the US are available for its defense.

A commercial space technology testbed on ISS

Science.gov (United States)

Boyle, David R.

2000-01-01

There is a significant and growing commercial market for new, more capable communications and remote sensing satellites. Competition in this market strongly motivates satellite manufacturers and spacecraft component developers to test and demonstrate new space hardware in a realistic environment. External attach points on the International Space Station allow it to function uniquely as a space technology testbed to satisfy this market need. However, space industry officials have identified three critical barriers to their commercial use of the ISS: unpredictable access, cost risk, and schedule uncertainty. Appropriate NASA policy initiatives and business/technical assistance for industry from the Commercial Space Center for Engineering can overcome these barriers. .

Accessibility of islands: towards a new geography based on transportation modes and choices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofia Karampela

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Accessibility is a multifaceted concept that expresses the case of access between two points in space. For islands, accessibility is a key quality, since isolation and small size considered as inherent characteristics of “islandness”. In this paper, we discuss differences between geographical distance and accessibility potential in the Greek Aegean, combining different transportation modal choice (ferries and airplanes with the use of an accessibility index that incorporates modes and frequency of connection and data of actual usage. The findings indicate that geographical distance is not determining accessibility and new geographies emerge based more on the availability of transport modal choices.

Quality Control Test for Sequence-Phenotype Assignments

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, Maria Teresa Lara; Rosario, Pablo Benjamín Leon; Luna-Nevarez, Pablo; Gamez, Alba Savin; Martínez-del Campo, Ana; Del Rio, Gabriel

2015-01-01

Relating a gene mutation to a phenotype is a common task in different disciplines such as protein biochemistry. In this endeavour, it is common to find false relationships arising from mutations introduced by cells that may be depurated using a phenotypic assay; yet, such phenotypic assays may introduce additional false relationships arising from experimental errors. Here we introduce the use of high-throughput DNA sequencers and statistical analysis aimed to identify incorrect DNA sequence-phenotype assignments and observed that 10–20% of these false assignments are expected in large screenings aimed to identify critical residues for protein function. We further show that this level of incorrect DNA sequence-phenotype assignments may significantly alter our understanding about the structure-function relationship of proteins. We have made available an implementation of our method at http://bis.ifc.unam.mx/en/software/chispas. PMID:25700273

The Accessibility in Shopping Centres: The Cases of Istanbul Profilo and Kozzy Malls

OpenAIRE

EVCİL, Ayse Nilay; YALÇIN USAL, S.Selhan

2014-01-01

Shopping centres are public areas which were used by people from every social strata and different age groups for consuming commodities or leisure. The aim of this study is to emphasize not only public areas accessibility of shopping centres but also consider interior space characteristics in terms of accessibility. The study showed that architectural design and interior design solutions were not sufficient to solve accessibility problem without active audit mechanism.

The African Public Space of Dangarembga's Neria : A Site ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... fraught with social constraints that discriminate against access at class and gender levels, just to mention a few. I will illustrate how language constrains poor and illiterate Africans, especially women, from accessing places such as the river, and legal and entertainment public spaces in the literary works outlined above.

Stabilization of the wheel running phenotype in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, Robert S; Cates, Brittany E; Combs, Eric B; Dillard, Bryce M; Epting, Jessica T; Foster, Brittany R; Patterson, Shawnee V; Spivey, Thomas P

2016-03-01

Increased physical activity is well known to improve health and wellness by modifying the risks for many chronic diseases. Rodent wheel running behavior is a beneficial surrogate model to evaluate the biology of daily physical activity in humans. Upon initial exposure to a running wheel, individual mice differentially respond to the experience, which confounds the normal activity patterns exhibited in this otherwise repeatable phenotype. To promote phenotypic stability, a minimum seven-day (or greater) acclimation period is utilized. Although phenotypic stabilization is achieved during this 7-day period, data to support acclimation periods of this length are not currently available in the literature. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the wheel running response in C57BL/6j mice immediately following exposure to a running wheel. Twenty-eight male and thirty female C57BL/6j mice (Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME) were acquired at eight weeks of age and were housed individually with free access to running wheels. Wheel running distance (km), duration (min), and speed (m∙min(-1)) were measured daily for fourteen days following initial housing. One-way ANOVAs were used to evaluate day-to-day differences in each wheel running character. Limits of agreement and mean difference statistics were calculated between days 1-13 (acclimating) and day 14 (acclimated) to assess day-to-day agreement between each parameter. Wheel running distance (males: F=5.653, p=2.14 × 10(-9); females: F=8.217, p=1.20 × 10(-14)), duration (males: F=2.613, p=0.001; females: F=4.529, p=3.28 × 10(-7)), and speed (males: F=7.803, p=1.22 × 10(-13); females: F=13.140, p=2.00 × 10(-16)) exhibited day-to-day differences. Tukey's HSD post-hoc testing indicated differences between early (males: days 1-3; females: days 1-6) and later (males: days >3; females: days >6) wheel running periods in distance and speed. Duration only exhibited an anomalous difference between wheel running on day 13

Space reactors - past, present, and future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buden, D.; Angelo, J.A.

1983-01-01

The successful test flights of the Space Shuttle mark the start of a new era--an era of routine manned access into cislunar space. Human technical development at the start of the next Millenium will be highlighted by the creation of Man's extraterrestrial civilization with off-planet expansion of the human resource base. In the 1990s and beyond, advanced-design nuclear reactors could represent the prime source of both space power and propulsion. Many sophisticated military and civilian space missions of the future will require first kilowatt and then megawatt levels of power. This paper reviews key technology developments that accompanied past US space nuclear power development efforts, describes on-going programs, and then explores reactor technologies that will satisfy megawatt power level needs and beyond

Adaptive phenotypic plasticity in the Midas cichlid fish pharyngeal jaw and its relevance in adaptive radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salzburger Walter

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Phenotypic evolution and its role in the diversification of organisms is a central topic in evolutionary biology. A neglected factor during the modern evolutionary synthesis, adaptive phenotypic plasticity, more recently attracted the attention of many evolutionary biologists and is now recognized as an important ingredient in both population persistence and diversification. The traits and directions in which an ancestral source population displays phenotypic plasticity might partly determine the trajectories in morphospace, which are accessible for an adaptive radiation, starting from the colonization of a novel environment. In the case of repeated colonizations of similar environments from the same source population this "flexible stem" hypothesis predicts similar phenotypes to arise in repeated subsequent radiations. The Midas Cichlid (Amphilophus spp. in Nicaragua has radiated in parallel in several crater-lakes seeded by populations originating from the Nicaraguan Great Lakes. Here, we tested phenotypic plasticity in the pharyngeal jaw of Midas Cichlids. The pharyngeal jaw apparatus of cichlids, a second set of jaws functionally decoupled from the oral ones, is known to mediate ecological specialization and often differs strongly between sister-species. Results We performed a common garden experiment raising three groups of Midas cichlids on food differing in hardness and calcium content. Analyzing the lower pharyngeal jaw-bones we find significant differences between diet groups qualitatively resembling the differences found between specialized species. Observed differences in pharyngeal jaw expression between groups were attributable to the diet's mechanical resistance, whereas surplus calcium in the diet was not found to be of importance. Conclusions The pharyngeal jaw apparatus of Midas Cichlids can be expressed plastically if stimulated mechanically during feeding. Since this trait is commonly differentiated - among

Adaptive phenotypic plasticity in the Midas cichlid fish pharyngeal jaw and its relevance in adaptive radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Muschick, Moritz; Barluenga, Marta; Salzburger, Walter; Meyer, Axel

2011-04-30

Phenotypic evolution and its role in the diversification of organisms is a central topic in evolutionary biology. A neglected factor during the modern evolutionary synthesis, adaptive phenotypic plasticity, more recently attracted the attention of many evolutionary biologists and is now recognized as an important ingredient in both population persistence and diversification. The traits and directions in which an ancestral source population displays phenotypic plasticity might partly determine the trajectories in morphospace, which are accessible for an adaptive radiation, starting from the colonization of a novel environment. In the case of repeated colonizations of similar environments from the same source population this "flexible stem" hypothesis predicts similar phenotypes to arise in repeated subsequent radiations. The Midas Cichlid (Amphilophus spp.) in Nicaragua has radiated in parallel in several crater-lakes seeded by populations originating from the Nicaraguan Great Lakes. Here, we tested phenotypic plasticity in the pharyngeal jaw of Midas Cichlids. The pharyngeal jaw apparatus of cichlids, a second set of jaws functionally decoupled from the oral ones, is known to mediate ecological specialization and often differs strongly between sister-species. We performed a common garden experiment raising three groups of Midas cichlids on food differing in hardness and calcium content. Analyzing the lower pharyngeal jaw-bones we find significant differences between diet groups qualitatively resembling the differences found between specialized species. Observed differences in pharyngeal jaw expression between groups were attributable to the diet's mechanical resistance, whereas surplus calcium in the diet was not found to be of importance. The pharyngeal jaw apparatus of Midas Cichlids can be expressed plastically if stimulated mechanically during feeding. Since this trait is commonly differentiated--among other traits--between Midas Cichlid species, its plasticity

Development of an urban green space indicator and the public health rationale.

Science.gov (United States)

Annerstedt van den Bosch, Matilda; Mudu, Pierpaolo; Uscila, Valdas; Barrdahl, Maria; Kulinkina, Alexandra; Staatsen, Brigit; Swart, Wim; Kruize, Hanneke; Zurlyte, Ingrida; Egorov, Andrey I

2016-03-01

In this study, the aim was to develop and test an urban green space indicator for public health, as proposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, in order to support health and environmental policies. We defined the indicator of green space accessibility as a proportion of an urban population living within a certain distance from a green space boundary. We developed a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based method and tested it in three case studies in Malmö, Sweden; Kaunas, Lithuania; and Utrecht, The Netherlands. Land use data in GIS from the Urban Atlas were combined with population data. Various population data formats, maximum distances to green spaces, minimum sizes of green spaces, and different definitions of green spaces were studied or discussed. Our results demonstrated that with increasing size of green space and decreased distance to green space, the indicator value decreased. As compared to Malmö and Utrecht, a relatively bigger proportion of the Kaunas population had access to large green spaces, at both shorter and longer distances. Our results also showed that applying the method of spatially aggregated population data was an acceptable alternative to using individual data. Based on reviewing the literature and the case studies, a 300 m maximum linear distance to the boundary of urban green spaces of a minimum size of 1 hectare are recommended as the default options for the indicator. The indicator can serve as a proxy measure for assessing public accessibility to urban green spaces, to provide comparable data across Europe and stimulate policy actions that recognise the importance of green spaces for sustainable public health. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

DEFINING THE CHEMICAL SPACE OF PUBLIC GENOMIC ...

Science.gov (United States)

The current project aims to chemically index the genomics content of public genomic databases to make these data accessible in relation to other publicly available, chemically-indexed toxicological information. By defining the chemical space of public genomic data, it is possible to identify classes of chemicals on which to develop methodologies for the integration of chemogenomic data into predictive toxicology. The chemical space of public genomic data will be presented as well as the methodologies and tools developed to identify this chemical space.

Phenotyping animal models of diabetic neuropathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Biessels, G J; Bril, V; Calcutt, N A

2014-01-01

NIDDK, JDRF, and the Diabetic Neuropathy Study Group of EASD sponsored a meeting to explore the current status of animal models of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The goal of the workshop was to develop a set of consensus criteria for the phenotyping of rodent models of diabetic neuropathy...... with a discussion on the merits and limitations of a unified approach to phenotyping rodent models of diabetic neuropathy and a consensus formed on the definition of the minimum criteria required for establishing the presence of the disease. A neuropathy phenotype in rodents was defined as the presence...

Decentralisation of Health Services in Fiji: A Decision Space Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Jalal; North, Nicola; Ashton, Toni

2015-11-15

Decentralisation aims to bring services closer to the community and has been advocated in the health sector to improve quality, access and equity, and to empower local agencies, increase innovation and efficiency and bring healthcare and decision-making as close as possible to where people live and work. Fiji has attempted two approaches to decentralisation. The current approach reflects a model of deconcentration of outpatient services from the tertiary level hospital to the peripheral health centres in the Suva subdivision. Using a modified decision space approach developed by Bossert, this study measures decision space created in five broad categories (finance, service organisation, human resources, access rules, and governance rules) within the decentralised services. Fiji's centrally managed historical-based allocation of financial resources and management of human resources resulted in no decision space for decentralised agents. Narrow decision space was created in the service organisation category where, with limited decision space created over access rules, Fiji has seen greater usage of its decentralised health centres. There remains limited decision space in governance. The current wave of decentralisation reveals that, whilst the workload has shifted from the tertiary hospital to the peripheral health centres, it has been accompanied by limited transfer of administrative authority, suggesting that Fiji's deconcentration reflects the transfer of workload only with decision-making in the five functional areas remaining largely centralised. As such, the benefits of decentralisation for users and providers are likely to be limited. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Accurate phenotyping: Reconciling approaches through Bayesian model averaging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla Chia-Ming Chen

Full Text Available Genetic research into complex diseases is frequently hindered by a lack of clear biomarkers for phenotype ascertainment. Phenotypes for such diseases are often identified on the basis of clinically defined criteria; however such criteria may not be suitable for understanding the genetic composition of the diseases. Various statistical approaches have been proposed for phenotype definition; however our previous studies have shown that differences in phenotypes estimated using different approaches have substantial impact on subsequent analyses. Instead of obtaining results based upon a single model, we propose a new method, using Bayesian model averaging to overcome problems associated with phenotype definition. Although Bayesian model averaging has been used in other fields of research, this is the first study that uses Bayesian model averaging to reconcile phenotypes obtained using multiple models. We illustrate the new method by applying it to simulated genetic and phenotypic data for Kofendred personality disorder-an imaginary disease with several sub-types. Two separate statistical methods were used to identify clusters of individuals with distinct phenotypes: latent class analysis and grade of membership. Bayesian model averaging was then used to combine the two clusterings for the purpose of subsequent linkage analyses. We found that causative genetic loci for the disease produced higher LOD scores using model averaging than under either individual model separately. We attribute this improvement to consolidation of the cores of phenotype clusters identified using each individual method.

Incorporation of omics analyses into artificial gravity research for space exploration countermeasure development.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Michael A; Goodwin, Thomas J; Pelligra, Ralph

The next major steps in human spaceflight include flyby, orbital, and landing missions to the Moon, Mars, and near earth asteroids. The first crewed deep space mission is expected to launch in 2022, which affords less than 7 years to address the complex question of whether and how to apply artificial gravity to counter the effects of prolonged weightlessness. Various phenotypic changes are demonstrated during artificial gravity experiments. However, the molecular dynamics (genotype and molecular phenotypes) that underlie these morphological, physiological, and behavioral phenotypes are far more complex than previously understood. Thus, targeted molecular assessment of subjects under various G conditions can be expected to miss important patterns of molecular variance that inform the more general phenotypes typically being measured. Use of omics methods can help detect changes across broad molecular networks, as various G-loading paradigms are applied. This will be useful in detecting off-target, or unanticipated effects of the different gravity paradigms applied to humans or animals. Insights gained from these approaches may eventually be used to inform countermeasure development or refine the deployment of existing countermeasures. This convergence of the omics and artificial gravity research communities may be critical if we are to develop the proper artificial gravity solutions under the severely compressed timelines currently established. Thus, the omics community may offer a unique ability to accelerate discovery, provide new insights, and benefit deep space missions in ways that have not been previously considered.

Phenotypes of organ involvement in sarcoidosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schupp, Jonas Christian; Freitag-Wolf, Sandra; Bargagli, Elena; Mihailović-Vučinić, Violeta; Rottoli, Paola; Grubanovic, Aleksandar; Müller, Annegret; Jochens, Arne; Tittmann, Lukas; Schnerch, Jasmin; Olivieri, Carmela; Fischer, Annegret; Jovanovic, Dragana; Filipovic, Snežana; Videnovic-Ivanovic, Jelica; Bresser, Paul; Jonkers, René; O'Reilly, Kate; Ho, Ling-Pei; Gaede, Karoline I.; Zabel, Peter; Dubaniewicz, Anna; Marshall, Ben; Kieszko, Robert; Milanowski, Janusz; Günther, Andreas; Weihrich, Anette; Petrek, Martin; Kolek, Vitezslav; Keane, Michael P.; O'Beirne, Sarah; Donnelly, Seamas; Haraldsdottir, Sigridur Olina; Jorundsdottir, Kristin B.; Costabel, Ulrich; Bonella, Francesco; Wallaert, Benoît; Grah, Christian; Peroš-Golubičić, Tatjana; Luisetti, Mauritio; Kadija, Zamir; Pabst, Stefan; Grohé, Christian; Strausz, János; Vašáková, Martina; Sterclova, Martina; Millar, Ann; Homolka, Jiří; Slováková, Alena; Kendrick, Yvonne; Crawshaw, Anjali; Wuyts, Wim; Spencer, Lisa; Pfeifer, Michael; Valeyre, Dominique; Poletti, Venerino; Wirtz, Hubertus; Prasse, Antje; Schreiber, Stefan; Krawczak, Michael; Müller-Quernheim, Joachim

2018-01-01

Sarcoidosis is a highly variable, systemic granulomatous disease of hitherto unknown aetiology. The GenPhenReSa (Genotype-Phenotype Relationship in Sarcoidosis) project represents a European multicentre study to investigate the influence of genotype on disease phenotypes in sarcoidosis. The baseline

Access to Workplace Accommodations to Support Breastfeeding after Passage of the Affordable Care Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozhimannil, Katy B; Jou, Judy; Gjerdingen, Dwenda K; McGovern, Patricia M

2016-01-01

This study examines access to workplace accommodations for breastfeeding, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act, and its associations with breastfeeding initiation and duration. We hypothesize that women with access to reasonable break time and private space to express breast milk would be more likely to breastfeed exclusively at 6 months and to continue breastfeeding for a longer duration. Data are from Listening to Mothers III, a national survey of women ages 18 to 45 who gave birth in 2011 and 2012. The study population included women who were employed full or part time at the time of survey. Using two-way tabulation, logistic regression, and survival analysis, we characterized women with access to breastfeeding accommodations and assessed the associations between these accommodations and breastfeeding outcomes. Only 40% of women had access to both break time and private space. Women with both adequate break time and private space were 2.3 times (95% CI, 1.03-4.95) as likely to be breastfeeding exclusively at 6 months and 1.5 times (95% CI, 1.08-2.06) as likely to continue breastfeeding exclusively with each passing month compared with women without access to these accommodations. Employed women face unique barriers to breastfeeding and have lower rates of breastfeeding initiation and shorter durations, despite compelling evidence of associated health benefits. Expanded access to workplace accommodations for breastfeeding will likely entail collaborative efforts between public health agencies, employers, insurers, and clinicians to ensure effective workplace policies and improved breastfeeding outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Free-space optics technology employed in an UMTS release 4 bearer independent core network access part

Science.gov (United States)

Bibac, Ionut

2005-08-01

The UMTS Bearer Independent Core Network program introduced the 3rd Generation Partnership Program Release 4 BICN architecture into the legacy UMTS TDM-switched network. BICN is the application of calI server archltecture for voice and circuit switched data, enabling the provisioning of traditional circuit-switched services using a packet-switched transport network. Today"s business climate has made it essential for service providers to develop a comprehensive networking strategy that means introduction of RCBICN networks. The R4-BICN solution to the evolution of the Core Network in UMTS will enable operators to significantly reduce the capital and operational costs of delivering both traditional voice sewices and new multimedia services. To build the optical backbone, which can support the third generation (3G) packetized infrastructure, the operators could choose a fibre connection, or they could retain the benefits of a wireless connectivity by using a FSO - Free Space Optical lmk, the only wireless technology available that is capable of achieving data rates up to 2.4 Gbit/s. FSO offers viable alternatives for both core transmission networks and for replacing microwaves links in NodeB - RNC access networks. The paper and presentation aim to demonstrate the manner in which FSO products and networks are employed into R4-BICN design solutions.

RBSURFpred: Modeling protein accessible surface area in real and binary space using regularized and optimized regression.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarafder, Sumit; Toukir Ahmed, Md; Iqbal, Sumaiya; Tamjidul Hoque, Md; Sohel Rahman, M

2018-03-14

Accessible surface area (ASA) of a protein residue is an effective feature for protein structure prediction, binding region identification, fold recognition problems etc. Improving the prediction of ASA by the application of effective feature variables is a challenging but explorable task to consider, specially in the field of machine learning. Among the existing predictors of ASA, REGAd 3 p is a highly accurate ASA predictor which is based on regularized exact regression with polynomial kernel of degree 3. In this work, we present a new predictor RBSURFpred, which extends REGAd 3 p on several dimensions by incorporating 58 physicochemical, evolutionary and structural properties into 9-tuple peptides via Chou's general PseAAC, which allowed us to obtain higher accuracies in predicting both real-valued and binary ASA. We have compared RBSURFpred for both real and binary space predictions with state-of-the-art predictors, such as REGAd 3 p and SPIDER2. We also have carried out a rigorous analysis of the performance of RBSURFpred in terms of different amino acids and their properties, and also with biologically relevant case-studies. The performance of RBSURFpred establishes itself as a useful tool for the community. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Framework to Support the Sharing and Reuse of Computable Phenotype Definitions Across Health Care Delivery and Clinical Research Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Richesson, Rachel L; Smerek, Michelle M; Blake Cameron, C

2016-01-01

The ability to reproducibly identify clinically equivalent patient populations is critical to the vision of learning health care systems that implement and evaluate evidence-based treatments. The use of common or semantically equivalent phenotype definitions across research and health care use cases will support this aim. Currently, there is no single consolidated repository for computable phenotype definitions, making it difficult to find all definitions that already exist, and also hindering the sharing of definitions between user groups. Drawing from our experience in an academic medical center that supports a number of multisite research projects and quality improvement studies, we articulate a framework that will support the sharing of phenotype definitions across research and health care use cases, and highlight gaps and areas that need attention and collaborative solutions. An infrastructure for re-using computable phenotype definitions and sharing experience across health care delivery and clinical research applications includes: access to a collection of existing phenotype definitions, information to evaluate their appropriateness for particular applications, a knowledge base of implementation guidance, supporting tools that are user-friendly and intuitive, and a willingness to use them. We encourage prospective researchers and health administrators to re-use existing EHR-based condition definitions where appropriate and share their results with others to support a national culture of learning health care. There are a number of federally funded resources to support these activities, and research sponsors should encourage their use.

What Is Low Profile Access Flooring and Why More Businesses Need It

OpenAIRE

NetfloorUSA

2017-01-01

Low profile access flooring is being commonly used in a variety of businesses today. To understand why more businesses, need this type of flooring, it is essential that we take the time to first understand what is low profile flooring actually is. What Is Low Profile Access Flooring A low profile access floor is a floor that is designed to sit above the original concrete slab flooring installed in any home, business, or public building. The higher floor height creates a space between ...

Moduli space of Calabi-Yau manifolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Candelas, P.; De la Ossa, X.C.

1991-01-01

We present an accessible account of the local geometry of the parameter space of Calabi-Yau manifolds. It is shown that the parameter space decomposes, at least locally, into a product with the space of parameters of the complex structure as one factor and a complex extension of the parameter space of the Kaehler class as the other. It is also shown that each of these spaces is itself a Kaehler manifold and is moreover a Kaehler manifold of restricted type. There is a remarkable symmetry in the intrinsic structures of the two parameter spaces and the relevance of this to the conjectured existence of mirror manifolds is discussed. The two parameter spaces behave differently with respect to modular transformations and it is argued that the role of quantum corrections is to restore the symmetry between the two types of parameters so as to enforce modular invariance. (orig.)

The Accessibility in Shopping Centres: The Cases of Istanbul Profilo and Kozzy Malls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.Selhan Yalçın Usal

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Shopping centres are public areas which were used by people from every social strata and different age groups for consuming commodities or leisure. The aim of this study is to emphasize not only public areas accessibility of shopping centres but also consider interior space characteristics in terms of accessibility. The study showed that architectural design and interior design solutions were not sufficient to solve accessibility problem without active audit mechanism.

GOES-16 Space Weather Data Availability and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Tilton, M.; Rowland, W. F.; Codrescu, S.; Seaton, D. B.; Redmon, R. J.; Hsu, V.

2017-12-01

In November 2016, NOAA launched the first in the "R" series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, GOES-16. Compared to its GOES predecessors, the GOES-R series satellites provide improved in situ measurements of charged particles, higher cadence magnetic field measurements, and enhanced remote sensing of the sun through ultraviolet (UV) imagery and X-ray/UV irradiance. GOES-16 space weather instruments will nominally reach provisional status near the beginning of 2018. After this milestone has been achieved, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) will provide archive access to GOES-16 space weather data. This presentation will describe the status of the space weather instruments, including available products and their applicability for forecasters, modelers, academics, spacecraft operators, and other users. It will discuss the available access systems for all levels of data-raw telemetry (Level 0), science measurements in high resolution (L1b), and higher-level (L2+) products developed by NCEI scientists. Finally, it will cover NCEI's efforts to promote space weather awareness through data visualization tools and image dissemination via the Helioviewer project.

Meta-Language Support for Type-Safe Access to External Resources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.A. Hills (Mark); P. Klint (Paul); J.J. Vinju (Jurgen); K. Czarnecki; G. Hedin

2012-01-01

textabstractMeta-programming applications often require access to heterogeneous sources of information, often from different technological spaces (grammars, models, ontologies, databases), that have specialized ways of defining their respective data schemas. Without direct language support,

41 CFR 102-79.115 - What guidelines must an agency follow if it elects to establish a public access defibrillation...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... SPACE Assignment and Utilization of Space Public Access Defibrillation Programs § 102-79.115 What... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What guidelines must an agency follow if it elects to establish a public access defibrillation program in a Federal facility? 102...

Phenotypic characterization of glioblastoma identified through shape descriptors

Science.gov (United States)

Chaddad, Ahmad; Desrosiers, Christian; Toews, Matthew

2016-03-01

This paper proposes quantitatively describing the shape of glioblastoma (GBM) tissue phenotypes as a set of shape features derived from segmentations, for the purposes of discriminating between GBM phenotypes and monitoring tumor progression. GBM patients were identified from the Cancer Genome Atlas, and quantitative MR imaging data were obtained from the Cancer Imaging Archive. Three GBM tissue phenotypes are considered including necrosis, active tumor and edema/invasion. Volumetric tissue segmentations are obtained from registered T1˗weighted (T1˗WI) postcontrast and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI modalities. Shape features are computed from respective tissue phenotype segmentations, and a Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to select features capable of classification with a significance level of p < 0.05. Several classifier models are employed to distinguish phenotypes, where a leave-one-out cross-validation was performed. Eight features were found statistically significant for classifying GBM phenotypes with p <0.05, orientation is uninformative. Quantitative evaluations show the SVM results in the highest classification accuracy of 87.50%, sensitivity of 94.59% and specificity of 92.77%. In summary, the shape descriptors proposed in this work show high performance in predicting GBM tissue phenotypes. They are thus closely linked to morphological characteristics of GBM phenotypes and could potentially be used in a computer assisted labeling system.

Time series modeling of live-cell shape dynamics for image-based phenotypic profiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordonov, Simon; Hwang, Mun Kyung; Wells, Alan; Gertler, Frank B; Lauffenburger, Douglas A; Bathe, Mark

2016-01-01

Live-cell imaging can be used to capture spatio-temporal aspects of cellular responses that are not accessible to fixed-cell imaging. As the use of live-cell imaging continues to increase, new computational procedures are needed to characterize and classify the temporal dynamics of individual cells. For this purpose, here we present the general experimental-computational framework SAPHIRE (Stochastic Annotation of Phenotypic Individual-cell Responses) to characterize phenotypic cellular responses from time series imaging datasets. Hidden Markov modeling is used to infer and annotate morphological state and state-switching properties from image-derived cell shape measurements. Time series modeling is performed on each cell individually, making the approach broadly useful for analyzing asynchronous cell populations. Two-color fluorescent cells simultaneously expressing actin and nuclear reporters enabled us to profile temporal changes in cell shape following pharmacological inhibition of cytoskeleton-regulatory signaling pathways. Results are compared with existing approaches conventionally applied to fixed-cell imaging datasets, and indicate that time series modeling captures heterogeneous dynamic cellular responses that can improve drug classification and offer additional important insight into mechanisms of drug action. The software is available at http://saphire-hcs.org.

Linear dispersion codes in space-frequency domain for SCFDE

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marchetti, Nicola; Cianca, Ernestina; Prasad, Ramjee

2007-01-01

This paper presents a general framework for applying the Linear Dispersion Codes (LDC) in the space and frequency domains to Single Carrier - Frequency Domain Equalization (SCFDE) systems. Space-Frequency (SF)LDC are more suitable than Space-Time (ST)-LDC in high mobility environment. However......, the application of LDC in space-frequency domain in SCFDE systems is not straightforward as in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), since there is no direct access to the subcarriers at the transmitter. This paper describes how to build the space-time dispersion matrices to be used...

Neighbourhood green space, social environment and mental health: an examination in four European cities.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruijsbroek, A.; Mohnen, S.M.; Droomers, M.; Kruize, H.; Gidlow, C.; Grazuleviciene, R.; Andrusaityte, S.; Helbich, M.; Maas, J.; Nieuwenhuijsen, M.J.; Triguero-Mas, M.; Masterson, D.; Ellis, N.; Kempen, E. van; Hardyns, W.; Stronks, K.; Groenewegen, P.P.

2017-01-01

Objectives: This study examines the relationship between neighbourhood green space, the neighbourhood social environment (social cohesion, neighbourhood attachment, social contacts), and mental health in four European cities. Methods: The PHENOTYPE study was carried out in 2013 in Barcelona

Crowdsourced Quantification and Visualization of Urban Mobility Space Inequality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Szell

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Most cities are car-centric, allocating a privileged amount of urban space to cars at the expense of sustainable mobility like cycling. Simultaneously, privately owned vehicles are vastly underused, wasting valuable opportunities for accommodating more people in a livable urban environment by occupying spacious parking areas. Since a data-driven quantification and visualization of such urban mobility space inequality is lacking, here we explore how crowdsourced data can help to advance its understanding. In particular, we describe how the open-source online platform What the Street!? uses massive user-generated data from OpenStreetMap for the interactive exploration of city-wide mobility spaces. Using polygon packing and graph algorithms, the platform rearranges all parking and mobility spaces of cars, rails, and bicycles of a city to be directly comparable, making mobility space inequality accessible to a broad public. This crowdsourced method confirms a prevalent imbalance between modal share and space allocation in 23 cities worldwide, typically discriminating bicycles. Analyzing the guesses of the platform’s visitors about mobility space distributions, we find that this discrimination is consistently underestimated in the public opinion. Finally, we discuss a visualized scenario in which extensive parking areas are regained through fleets of shared, autonomous vehicles. We outline how such accessible visualization platforms can facilitate urban planners and policy makers to reclaim road and parking space for pushing forward sustainable transport solutions.

GUESS-ing polygenic associations with multiple phenotypes using a GPU-based evolutionary stochastic search algorithm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo Bottolo

Full Text Available Genome-wide association studies (GWAS yielded significant advances in defining the genetic architecture of complex traits and disease. Still, a major hurdle of GWAS is narrowing down multiple genetic associations to a few causal variants for functional studies. This becomes critical in multi-phenotype GWAS where detection and interpretability of complex SNP(s-trait(s associations are complicated by complex Linkage Disequilibrium patterns between SNPs and correlation between traits. Here we propose a computationally efficient algorithm (GUESS to explore complex genetic-association models and maximize genetic variant detection. We integrated our algorithm with a new Bayesian strategy for multi-phenotype analysis to identify the specific contribution of each SNP to different trait combinations and study genetic regulation of lipid metabolism in the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS. Despite the relatively small size of GHS (n  =  3,175, when compared with the largest published meta-GWAS (n > 100,000, GUESS recovered most of the major associations and was better at refining multi-trait associations than alternative methods. Amongst the new findings provided by GUESS, we revealed a strong association of SORT1 with TG-APOB and LIPC with TG-HDL phenotypic groups, which were overlooked in the larger meta-GWAS and not revealed by competing approaches, associations that we replicated in two independent cohorts. Moreover, we demonstrated the increased power of GUESS over alternative multi-phenotype approaches, both Bayesian and non-Bayesian, in a simulation study that mimics real-case scenarios. We showed that our parallel implementation based on Graphics Processing Units outperforms alternative multi-phenotype methods. Beyond multivariate modelling of multi-phenotypes, our Bayesian model employs a flexible hierarchical prior structure for genetic effects that adapts to any correlation structure of the predictors and increases the power to identify

Virtual Mission Operations Center -Explicit Access to Small Satellites by a Net Enabled User Base

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, E.; Medina, O.; Paulsen, P.; Hopkins, J.; Long, C.; Holloman, K.

2008-08-01

The Office of Naval Research (ON R), The Office of the Secr etary of Defense (OSD) , Th e Operationally Responsive Space Off ice (ORS) , and th e National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are funding the development and integration of key technologies and new processes that w ill allow users across th e bread th of operations the ab ility to access, task , retr ieve, and collaborate w ith data from various sensors including small satellites v ia the Intern et and the SIPRnet. The V irtual Mission Oper ations Center (VMO C) facilitates the dynamic apportionmen t of space assets, allows scalable mission man agement of mu ltiple types of sensors, and provid es access for non-space savvy users through an intu itive collaborative w eb site. These key technologies are b eing used as experimentation pathfinders fo r th e Do D's Operationally Responsiv e Sp ace (O RS) initiative and NASA's Sensor W eb. The O RS initiative seeks to provide space assets that can b e rapid ly tailored to meet a commander's in telligen ce or commun ication needs. For the DoD and NASA the V MO C provid es ready and scalab le access to space b ased assets. To the commercial space sector the V MO C may provide an analog to the innovativ e fractional ownersh ip approach represen ted by FlexJet. This pap er delves in to the technology, in tegration, and applicability of th e V MO C to th e DoD , NASA , and co mmer cial sectors.

Enhancing Access to Scientific Models through Standard Web Services, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose to investigate the feasibility and value of the "Software as a Service" paradigm in facilitating access to Earth Science numerical models. We envision...

Macrophage Phenotypes Regulate Scar Formation and Chronic Wound Healing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hesketh, Mark; Sahin, Katherine B; West, Zoe E; Murray, Rachael Z

2017-07-17

Macrophages and inflammation play a beneficial role during wound repair with macrophages regulating a wide range of processes, such as removal of dead cells, debris and pathogens, through to extracellular matrix deposition re-vascularisation and wound re-epithelialisation. To perform this range of functions, these cells develop distinct phenotypes over the course of wound healing. They can present with a pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype, more often found in the early stages of repair, through to anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes that are pro-repair in the latter stages of wound healing. There is a continuum of phenotypes between these ranges with some cells sharing phenotypes of both M1 and M2 macrophages. One of the less pleasant consequences of quick closure, namely the replacement with scar tissue, is also regulated by macrophages, through their promotion of fibroblast proliferation, myofibroblast differentiation and collagen deposition. Alterations in macrophage number and phenotype disrupt this process and can dictate the level of scar formation. It is also clear that dysregulated inflammation and altered macrophage phenotypes are responsible for hindering closure of chronic wounds. The review will discuss our current knowledge of macrophage phenotype on the repair process and how alterations in the phenotypes might alter wound closure and the final repair quality.

MEASURING LAND USES ACCESSIBILITY BY USING FUZZY MAJORITY GIS-BASED MULTICRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS CASE STUDY: MALAYER CITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Taravat

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Public spaces accessibility has become one of the important factors in urban planning. Therefore, considerable attention has been given to measure accessibility to public spaces on the UK, US and Canada, but there are few studies outside the anglophone world especially in developing countries such as Iran. In this study an attempt has been made to measure objective accessibility to public spaces (parks, school, library and administrative using fuzzy majority GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis. This method is for defining the priority for distribution of urban facilities and utilities as the first step towards elimination of social justice. In order to test and demonstrate the presented model, the comprehensive plan of Malayer city has been considered for ranking in three objectives and properties in view of index per capital (Green space, sport facilities and major cultural centers like library and access index. The results can be used to inform the local planning process and the GIS approach can be expanded into other local authority domains. The results shows that the distribution of facilities in Malayer city has followed on the base of cost benefit law and the human aspect of resource allocation programming of facilities (from centre to suburbs of the city.

Measuring Land Uses Accessibility by Using Fuzzy Majority Gis-Based Multicriteria Decision Analysis Case Study: Malayer City

Science.gov (United States)

Taravat, A.; Yari, A.; Rajaei, M.; Mousavian, R.

2014-10-01

Public spaces accessibility has become one of the important factors in urban planning. Therefore, considerable attention has been given to measure accessibility to public spaces on the UK, US and Canada, but there are few studies outside the anglophone world especially in developing countries such as Iran. In this study an attempt has been made to measure objective accessibility to public spaces (parks, school, library and administrative) using fuzzy majority GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis. This method is for defining the priority for distribution of urban facilities and utilities as the first step towards elimination of social justice. In order to test and demonstrate the presented model, the comprehensive plan of Malayer city has been considered for ranking in three objectives and properties in view of index per capital (Green space, sport facilities and major cultural centers like library and access index). The results can be used to inform the local planning process and the GIS approach can be expanded into other local authority domains. The results shows that the distribution of facilities in Malayer city has followed on the base of cost benefit law and the human aspect of resource allocation programming of facilities (from centre to suburbs of the city).

Automated Computer Access Request System

Science.gov (United States)

Snook, Bryan E.

2010-01-01

The Automated Computer Access Request (AutoCAR) system is a Web-based account provisioning application that replaces the time-consuming paper-based computer-access request process at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Auto- CAR combines rules-based and role-based functionality in one application to provide a centralized system that is easily and widely accessible. The system features a work-flow engine that facilitates request routing, a user registration directory containing contact information and user metadata, an access request submission and tracking process, and a system administrator account management component. This provides full, end-to-end disposition approval chain accountability from the moment a request is submitted. By blending both rules-based and rolebased functionality, AutoCAR has the flexibility to route requests based on a user s nationality, JSC affiliation status, and other export-control requirements, while ensuring a user s request is addressed by either a primary or backup approver. All user accounts that are tracked in AutoCAR are recorded and mapped to the native operating system schema on the target platform where user accounts reside. This allows for future extensibility for supporting creation, deletion, and account management directly on the target platforms by way of AutoCAR. The system s directory-based lookup and day-today change analysis of directory information determines personnel moves, deletions, and additions, and automatically notifies a user via e-mail to revalidate his/her account access as a result of such changes. AutoCAR is a Microsoft classic active server page (ASP) application hosted on a Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS).

Augmentation of Virtual Space Physics Observatory Services to Expand Data Access Capabilities, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Aquilent, Inc. proposes to support the effort of Virtual Space Physics Observatory (VSPO) by developing services to expand the VSPO search capabilities, developing...

Neighbourhood green space, social environment and mental health : an examination in four European cities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruijsbroek, Annemarie; Mohnen, Sigrid M.; Droomers, Mariël; Kruize, Hanneke; Gidlow, Christopher; Gražulevičiene, Regina; Andrusaityte, Sandra; Maas, Jolanda; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.; Triguero-Mas, Margarita; Masterson, Daniel; Ellis, Naomi; van Kempen, Elise; Hardyns, Wim; Stronks, Karien; Groenewegen, Peter P.

2017-01-01

Objectives: This study examines the relationship between neighbourhood green space, the neighbourhood social environment (social cohesion, neighbourhood attachment, social contacts), and mental health in four European cities. Methods: The PHENOTYPE study was carried out in 2013 in Barcelona (Spain),

Methods for Analyzing Multivariate Phenotypes in Genetic Association Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiong Yang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Multivariate phenotypes are frequently encountered in genetic association studies. The purpose of analyzing multivariate phenotypes usually includes discovery of novel genetic variants of pleiotropy effects, that is, affecting multiple phenotypes, and the ultimate goal of uncovering the underlying genetic mechanism. In recent years, there have been new method development and application of existing statistical methods to such phenotypes. In this paper, we provide a review of the available methods for analyzing association between a single marker and a multivariate phenotype consisting of the same type of components (e.g., all continuous or all categorical or different types of components (e.g., some are continuous and others are categorical. We also reviewed causal inference methods designed to test whether the detected association with the multivariate phenotype is truly pleiotropy or the genetic marker exerts its effects on some phenotypes through affecting the others.

Leisure time activities in space: A survey of astronauts and cosmonauts

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Alan D.; Kanas, Nick

Questionnaires were returned from 54 astronauts and cosmonauts which addressed preferences for media and media-generated subjects that could be used to occupy leisure time in space. Ninety-three percent of the respondents had access to records or audio cassettes, and cosmonauts had greater access than astronauts to multiple media. Cosmonauts and long-duration space travelers reported that they missed various media more than their astronaut and short-duration counterparts. Media subjects that related to international events, national events and historical topics were rated as most preferable by all respondents and by several of the respondent groups. The findings are discussed in terms of their relevance for occupying free time during future long-duration manned space missions.

The duplication 17p13.3 phenotype

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Curry, Cynthia J; Rosenfeld, Jill A; Grant, Erica

2013-01-01

. Older patients were often overweight. Three variant phenotypes included cleft lip/palate (CLP), split hand/foot with long bone deficiency (SHFLD), and a connective tissue phenotype resembling Marfan syndrome. The duplications in patients with clefts appear to disrupt ABR, while the SHFLD phenotype......Chromosome 17p13.3 is a gene rich region that when deleted is associated with the well-known Miller-Dieker syndrome. A recently described duplication syndrome involving this region has been associated with intellectual impairment, autism and occasional brain MRI abnormalities. We report 34...... was associated with duplication of BHLHA9 as noted in two recent reports. The connective tissue phenotype did not have a convincing critical region. Our experience with this large cohort expands knowledge of this diverse duplication syndrome....

Enabling Access to Digital Media for the Profoundly Disabled, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The system proposed in this effort will allow the handicapped individual with hand/arm motor impairment to use the computer and access digital libraries on the...

Space Weather Research in Armenia

Science.gov (United States)

Chilingarian, A. A.

DVIN for ASEC (Data Visualization interactive Network for Aragats Space Environmental Center) is product for accessing and analysis the on-line data from Solar Monitors located at high altitude research station on Mt. Aragats in Armenia. Data from ASEC monitors is used worldwide for scientific purposes and for monitoring of severe solar storms in progress. Alert service, based on the automatic analysis of variations of the different species of cosmic ray particles is available for subscribers. DVIN advantages: DVIN is strategically important as a scientific application to help develop space science and to foster global collaboration in forecasting potential hazards of solar storms. It precisely fits with the goals of the new evolving information society to provide long-term monitoring and collection of high quality scientific data, and enables adequate dialogue between scientists, decision makers, and civil society. The system is highly interactive and exceptional information is easily accessible online. Data can be monitored and analyzed for desired time spans in a fast and reliable manner. The ASEC activity is an example of a balance between the scientific independence of fundamental research and the needs of civil society. DVIN is also an example of how scientific institutions can apply the newest powerful methods of information technologies, such as multivariate data analysis, to their data and also how information technologies can provide convenient and reliable access to this data and to new knowledge for the world-wide scientific community. DVIN provides very wide possibilities for sharing data and sending warnings and alerts to scientists and other entities world-wide, which have fundamental and practical interest in knowing the space weather conditions.

Accessibility versus accuracy in retrieving spatial memory: evidence for suboptimal assumed headings.

Science.gov (United States)

Yerramsetti, Ashok; Marchette, Steven A; Shelton, Amy L

2013-07-01

Orientation dependence in spatial memory has often been interpreted in terms of accessibility: Object locations are encoded relative to a reference orientation that affords the most accurate access to spatial memory. An open question, however, is whether people naturally use this "preferred" orientation whenever recalling the space. We tested this question by asking participants to locate buildings on a familiar campus from various imagined locations, without specifying the heading to be assumed. We then used these pointing judgments to infer the approximate heading participants assumed at each location. Surprisingly, each location showed a unique assumed heading that was consistent across participants and seemed to reflect episodic or visual properties of the space. This result suggests that although locations are encoded relative to a reference orientation, other factors may influence how people choose to access the stored information and whether they appeal to long-term spatial memory or other more sensory-based stores. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

The Economic Benefits of Space Tourism

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, P.

The recent growth of activities towards developing passenger space travel services is very promising; however there is a widespread but mistaken idea that space tourism will remain a small-scale activity of the very wealthy. The truth is that, having been delayed for over three decades by government space agencies' failure to develop more than a small fraction of the commercial potential of space, the start of space travel services is long overdue, and so they are capable of growing rapidly into a major new industry. That is, the technical and business know-how exists to enable space tourism to grow to a turnover of 100 billion Euros/year within a few decades if it receives public support of even 10% of space agencies budgets. This development would sharply reduce the cost of accessing the resources of space, which could prevent the spread of the “resource wars” which have begun so ominously. No activity therefore offers greater economic benefits than the rapid development of low-cost space tourism services. A range of government policies should be revised to reflect this.

The YES2 Experience : Towards Sustainable Space Transportation using Tethers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Heide, E.J.; Kruijff, M.; Ockels, W.J.

2008-01-01

Today there is no common vision on sustainable space transportation. Rockets expel gasses and solid rockets often small particles. These have negative effect on the environment, but it is not understood to what extent. With ever growing demand for access to space, sustainable technology developments

Gender-sensitive observations in public spaces as a teaching tool

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Droogleever Fortuijn, J.

2009-01-01

Public spaces can be seen as arenas where gendered social roles, relations and identities are (re)produced, represented and contested. Because of their (assumed) public character - crowded, open, accessible and visible - these spaces are extremely useful as «observatories» for teaching and learning

Homeostatic properties and phenotypic maturation of murine CD4+ pre-thymic emigrants in the thymus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Dong

Full Text Available After a tightly regulated developmental program in the thymus, "mature" single positive (SP thymocytes leave the thymus and enter the periphery. These newly arrived recent thymic emigrants (RTEs are phenotypically and functionally immature, and will complete a dynamic maturation in the peripheral lymphoid organs before being licensed to be resident naïve T cells. To study the early events occurring in the RTE maturation process, we identified the phenotype of CD4(+ pre-RTEs, a population of CD4(+ SP thymocytes that have acquired the thymus egress capability. Compared to peripheral naïve T cells, CD4(+ pre-RTEs displayed superior survival capability in lymphoreplete mice and faster proliferation under lymphopenic condition. The differences in Bcl2/Bim expression and/or heightened IL-7 signaling pathway may account for the pre-RTEs' better responsiveness to homeostatic signals. Qa2, the expression of which indicates the phenotypic maturation of SPs and RTEs, was found to be upregulated in CD4(+ pre-RTEs in thymic perivascular space. Migratory dendritic cells that surround this region contribute to Qa2 expression in pre-RTEs. The dendritic cell-driven Qa2 induction of CD4(+ pre-RTEs is independent of MHC class II and Aire molecules.

Multidimensional clinical phenotyping of an adult cystic fibrosis patient population.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas J Conrad

Full Text Available Cystic Fibrosis (CF is a multi-systemic disease resulting from mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR gene and has major manifestations in the sino-pulmonary, and gastro-intestinal tracts. Clinical phenotypes were generated using 26 common clinical variables to generate classes that overlapped quantiles of lung function and were based on multiple aspects of CF systemic disease.The variables included age, gender, CFTR mutations, FEV1% predicted, FVC% predicted, height, weight, Brasfield chest xray score, pancreatic sufficiency status and clinical microbiology results. Complete datasets were compiled on 211 subjects. Phenotypes were identified using a proximity matrix generated by the unsupervised Random Forests algorithm and subsequent clustering by the Partitioning around Medoids (PAM algorithm. The final phenotypic classes were then characterized and compared to a similar dataset obtained three years earlier.Clinical phenotypes were identified using a clustering strategy that generated four and five phenotypes. Each strategy identified 1 a low lung health scores phenotype, 2 a younger, well-nourished, male-dominated class, 3 various high lung health score phenotypes that varied in terms of age, gender and nutritional status. This multidimensional clinical phenotyping strategy identified classes with expected microbiology results and low risk clinical phenotypes with pancreatic sufficiency.This study demonstrated regional adult CF clinical phenotypes using non-parametric, continuous, ordinal and categorical data with a minimal amount of subjective data to identify clinically relevant phenotypes. These studies identified the relative stability of the phenotypes, demonstrated specific phenotypes consistent with published findings and identified others needing further study.

Earth in Space: A CD-ROM Version for Pre-College Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Pedigo, P.

2003-12-01

Earth in Space, a magazine about the Earth and space sciences for pre-college science teachers, was published by AGU between 1987 and 2001 (9 issues each year). The goal of Earth in Space was to make research at the frontiers of the geosciences accessible to teachers and students and engage them in thinking about scientific careers. Each issue contained two or three recent research articles, rewritten for a high school level audience from the original version published in peer-reviewed AGU journals, which were supplemented with short news items and biographic information about the authors. As part of a 2003 summer internship with AGU, sponsored by the AGU Committee on Education and Human Resources (CEHR) and the American Institute of Physics, this collection of Earth in Space magazines was converted into an easily accessible electronic resource for K-12 teachers and students. Every issue was scanned into a PDF file. The entire collection of articles was cataloged in a database indexed to key topic terms (e.g., volcanoes, global climate change, space weather). A front-page was designed in order to facilitate rapid access to articles concerning specific topics within the Earth and space sciences of particular interest to high school students. A compact CD-ROM version of this resource will be distributed to science teachers at future meetings of the National Science Teachers Association and will be made available through AGU's Outreach and Research Support program.

Neighbourhood green space, social environment and mental health: an examination in four European cities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruijsbroek, Annemarie; Mohnen, Sigrid M.; Droomers, Mariël; Kruize, Hanneke; Gidlow, Christopher; Gražulevičiene, Regina; Andrusaityte, Sandra; Maas, Jolanda; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.; Triguero-Mas, Margarita; Masterson, Daniel; Ellis, Naomi; van Kempen, Elise; Hardyns, Wim; Stronks, Karien; Groenewegen, Peter P.

2017-01-01

This study examines the relationship between neighbourhood green space, the neighbourhood social environment (social cohesion, neighbourhood attachment, social contacts), and mental health in four European cities. The PHENOTYPE study was carried out in 2013 in Barcelona (Spain), Stoke-on-Trent

Towards dynamic spectrum access and 5G, via television white spaces

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Lysko, Albert A

2017-05-01

Full Text Available allocations towards sharing the spectrum between different technologies in a dynamic fashion. The key focus will be on the developments in television white space and geolocation spectrum database methods and technologies, with mention of parallels to LTE....

Infra-red thermography for high throughput field phenotyping in Solanum tuberosum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ankush Prashar

Full Text Available The rapid development of genomic technology has made high throughput genotyping widely accessible but the associated high throughput phenotyping is now the major limiting factor in genetic analysis of traits. This paper evaluates the use of thermal imaging for the high throughput field phenotyping of Solanum tuberosum for differences in stomatal behaviour. A large multi-replicated trial of a potato mapping population was used to investigate the consistency in genotypic rankings across different trials and across measurements made at different times of day and on different days. The results confirmed a high degree of consistency between the genotypic rankings based on relative canopy temperature on different occasions. Genotype discrimination was enhanced both through normalising data by expressing genotype temperatures as differences from image means and through the enhanced replication obtained by using overlapping images. A Monte Carlo simulation approach was used to confirm the magnitude of genotypic differences that it is possible to discriminate. The results showed a clear negative association between canopy temperature and final tuber yield for this population, when grown under ample moisture supply. We have therefore established infrared thermography as an easy, rapid and non-destructive screening method for evaluating large population trials for genetic analysis. We also envisage this approach as having great potential for evaluating plant response to stress under field conditions.

The Public Space in Nigeria: Politics of Power, Gender and Exclusion

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The public space often conveys a notion of res publica, owned by all members of the public, with equal access and participation. In reality, however, there are several publics, as indeed spaces at the local, state, national and international levels. Irrespective of levels, the public space is where decisions binding on all are ...

Activity-Based Collaboration for Interactive Spaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bardram, Jakob Eyvind; Esbensen, Morten; Tabard, Aurélien

2017-01-01

, folder, documents, etc., users are able to interact with ‘activities’ which encapsulate files and other low-level resources. In ABC an ‘activity’ can be shared between collaborating users and can be accessed on different devices. As such, ABC is a framework that suits the requirements of designing...... interactive spaces. This chapter provides an overview of ABC with a special focus on its support for collaboration (‘Activity Sharing’) and multiple devices (‘Activity Roaming’). These ABC concepts are illustrated as implemented in two different interactive spaces technologies; ReticularSpaces [1] and the e......LabBench [2, 3]. The chapter discusses the benefits of activity-based collaboration support for these interactive spaces, while also discussing limitations and challenges to be addressed in further research....

CKD Self-management: Phenotypes and Associations With Clinical Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrauben, Sarah J; Hsu, Jesse Y; Rosas, Sylvia E; Jaar, Bernard G; Zhang, Xiaoming; Deo, Rajat; Saab, Georges; Chen, Jing; Lederer, Swati; Kanthety, Radhika; Hamm, L Lee; Ricardo, Ana C; Lash, James P; Feldman, Harold I; Anderson, Amanda H

2018-03-24

To slow chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and its complications, patients need to engage in self-management behaviors. The objective of this study was to classify CKD self-management behaviors into phenotypes and assess the association of these phenotypes with clinical outcomes. Prospective cohort study. Adults with mild to moderate CKD enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study. 3,939 participants in the CRIC Study recruited between 2003 and 2008 served as the derivation cohort and 1,560 participants recruited between 2013 and 2015 served as the validation cohort. CKD self-management behavior phenotypes. CKD progression, atherosclerotic events, heart failure events, death from any cause. Latent class analysis stratified by diabetes was used to identify CKD self-management phenotypes based on measures of body mass index, diet, physical activity, blood pressure, smoking status, and hemoglobin A 1c concentration (if diabetic); Cox proportional hazards models. 3 identified phenotypes varied according to the extent of implementation of recommended CKD self-management behaviors: phenotype I characterized study participants with the most recommended behaviors; phenotype II, participants with a mixture of recommended and not recommended behaviors; and phenotype III, participants with minimal recommended behaviors. In multivariable-adjusted models for those with and without diabetes, phenotype III was strongly associated with CKD progression (HRs of 1.82 and 1.49), death (HRs of 1.95 and 4.14), and atherosclerotic events (HRs of 2.54 and 1.90; each P diabetes. No consensus definition of CKD self-management; limited to baseline behavior data. There are potentially 3 CKD self-management behavior phenotypes that distinguish risk for clinical outcomes. These phenotypes may inform the development of studies and guidelines regarding optimal self-management. Copyright © 2018 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

The museum as information space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Navarrete, T.; Mackenzie Owen, J.

2016-01-01

space to being outside the museum in the online information space of the Internet. This has fundamental implications for the institutional role of museums, our understanding of metadata and the methods of documentation. The onsite museum institution will, eventually, not be able to function...... as an institutional entity on the Internet, for in this new information space, objects, collections and museums, all function as independent components in a vast universe of data, side by side at everyone’s disposal at anytime. Potentially, users can access cultural heritage anytime, anywhere and anyhow. © The Author......Although museums vary in nature and may have been founded for all sorts of reasons, central to all museum institutions are the collected objects. These objects are information carriers organized in a catalogue system. In this chapter, the museum will be conceived as an information space, consisting...

A mathematical model of cancer cells with phenotypic plasticity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Da Zhou

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The phenotypic plasticity of cancer cells is recently becoming a cutting-edge research area in cancer, which challenges the cellular hierarchy proposed by the conventional cancer stem cell theory. In this study, we establish a mathematical model for describing the phenotypic plasticity of cancer cells, based on which we try to find some salient features that can characterize the dynamic behavior of the phenotypic plasticity especially in comparison to the hierarchical model of cancer cells. Methods: We model cancer as population dynamics composed of different phenotypes of cancer cells. In this model, not only can cancer cells divide (symmetrically and asymmetrically and die, but they can also convert into other cellular phenotypes. According to the Law of Mass Action, the cellular processes can be captured by a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs. On one hand, we can analyze the long-term stability of the model by applying qualitative method of ODEs. On the other hand, we are also concerned about the short-term behavior of the model by studying its transient dynamics. Meanwhile, we validate our model to the cell-state dynamics in published experimental data.Results: Our results show that the phenotypic plasticity plays important roles in both stabilizing the distribution of different phenotypic mixture and maintaining the cancer stem cells proportion. In particular, the phenotypic plasticity model shows decided advantages over the hierarchical model in predicting the phenotypic equilibrium and cancer stem cells’ overshoot reported in previous biological experiments in cancer cell lines.Conclusion: Since the validity of the phenotypic plasticity paradigm and the conventional cancer stem cell theory is still debated in experimental biology, it is worthy of theoretically searching for good indicators to distinguish the two models through quantitative methods. According to our study, the phenotypic equilibrium and overshoot

SOA based intensive support system for space radiation data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goranova, M.; Shishedjiev, B.; Genova, S.; Semkova, J.

2013-01-01

Modern data intensive science involves heterogeneous and structured data sets in sophisticated data formats. Scientists need access to distributed computing and data sources and support for remote access to expensive, multinational specialized instruments. Scientists need effective software for data analysis, querying, accessing and visualization. The interaction between computer science and science and engineering becomes essential for the automation of data manipulation. The key solution uses the Service-oriented Architecture (SOA) in the field of science and Grid computing. The goal of this paper is managing the scientific data received by the Lyulin-5 particle telescope used in MATROSHKA-R experiment performed at the International Space Station (ISS). The dynamics of radiation characteristics and their dependency on the time and the orbital parameters have been established. The experiment helps the accurate estimation of the impact of space radiation on human health in long-duration manned missions

The Economics of Advanced In-Space Propulsion

Science.gov (United States)

Bangalore, Manju; Dankanich, John

2016-01-01

The cost of access to space is the single biggest driver is commercial space sector. NASA continues to invest in both launch technology and in-space propulsion. Low-cost launch systems combined with advanced in-space propulsion offer the greatest potential market capture. Launch market capture is critical to national security and has a significant impact on domestic space sector revenue. NASA typically focuses on pushing the limits on performance. However, the commercial market is driven by maximum net revenue (profits). In order to maximum the infusion of NASA investments, the impact on net revenue must be known. As demonstrated by Boeing's dual launch, the Falcon 9 combined with all Electric Propulsion (EP) can dramatically shift the launch market from foreign to domestic providers.

Revealing plant cryptotypes: defining meaningful phenotypes among infinite traits.

Science.gov (United States)

Chitwood, Daniel H; Topp, Christopher N

2015-04-01

The plant phenotype is infinite. Plants vary morphologically and molecularly over developmental time, in response to the environment, and genetically. Exhaustive phenotyping remains not only out of reach, but is also the limiting factor to interpreting the wealth of genetic information currently available. Although phenotyping methods are always improving, an impasse remains: even if we could measure the entirety of phenotype, how would we interpret it? We propose the concept of cryptotype to describe latent, multivariate phenotypes that maximize the separation of a priori classes. Whether the infinite points comprising a leaf outline or shape descriptors defining root architecture, statistical methods to discern the quantitative essence of an organism will be required as we approach measuring the totality of phenotype. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transgender Adults' Access to College Bathrooms and Housing and the Relationship to Suicidality.

Science.gov (United States)

Seelman, Kristie L

2016-10-01

Transgender and gender non-conforming people frequently experience discrimination, harassment, and marginalization across college and university campuses (Bilodeau, 2007; Finger, 2010; Rankin et al., 2010; Seelman et al., 2012). The minority stress model (Meyer, 2007) posits that experiences of discrimination often negatively impact the psychological wellbeing of minority groups. However, few scholars have examined whether college institutional climate factors-such as being denied access to bathrooms or gender-appropriate campus housing-are significantly associated with detrimental psychological outcomes for transgender people. Using the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, this study analyzes whether being denied access to these spaces is associated with lifetime suicide attempts, after controlling for interpersonal victimization by students or teachers. Findings from sequential logistic regression (N = 2,316) indicate that denial of access to either space had a significant relationship to suicidality, even after controlling for interpersonal victimization. This article discusses implications for higher education professionals and researchers.

Space Solar Power Satellite Technology Development at the Glenn Research Center: An Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Dudenhoefer, James E.; George, Patrick J.

2000-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). is participating in the Space Solar Power Exploratory Research and Technology program (SERT) for the development of a solar power satellite concept. The aim of the program is to provide electrical power to Earth by converting the Sun's energy and beaming it to the surface. This paper will give an overall view of the technologies being pursued at GRC including thin film photovoltaics, solar dynamic power systems, space environmental effects, power management and distribution, and electric propulsion. The developmental path not only provides solutions to gigawatt sized space power systems for the future, but provides synergistic opportunities for contemporary space power architectures. More details of Space Solar Power can be found by reading the references sited in this paper and by connecting to the web site http://moonbase.msfc.nasa.gov/ and accessing the "Space Solar Power" section "Public Access" area.

Property rights in space: Moving the goal posts so the players don't ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. Elsewhere in "Rethinking Terra Nullius and Property in Space", I have argued that due to the changing circumstances of access to space by private entities rather than governments, the current legal situation with regard to ownership in space should be reconsidered. As it stands, ownership in space is governed by ...

EMERGING CHALLENGES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC SPACES IN URBAN NEIGHBOURHOODS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajjan Man Chitrakar

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The lack of management has led to the degrading quality of public space in modern cities around the globe. Contemporary public spaces are facing challenges in terms of maintaining them as a “social space” so that they are accessible and functional for the users. Using Kathmandu as a case study, this paper explores the challenges the contemporary public spaces within urban neighbourhoods are facing in their management. The study reveals that the regulation of use is a major concern of public space management in the new neighbourhoods of Kathmandu as evident in the limited accessibility and utility of public space, due to control and commercialisation. The use of public space has also been affected by the lack of regular maintenance. The root cause of these problems lies in weak urban governance at the neighbourhood level, which has led the local community-based organisations to take a role in neighbourhood management. These findings confirm that the management of public space is a critical issue of urban development with commonalities existing across geographical regions that demand adequate consideration from the stakeholders.

The Neuroanatomy of the Autistic Phenotype

Science.gov (United States)

Fahim, Cherine; Meguid, Nagwa A.; Nashaat, Neveen H.; Yoon, Uicheul; Mancini-Marie, Adham; Evans, Alan C.

2012-01-01

The autism phenotype is associated with an excess of brain volume due in part to decreased pruning during development. Here we aimed at assessing brain volume early in development to further elucidate previous findings in autism and determine whether this pattern is restricted to idiopathic autism or shared within the autistic phenotype (fragile X…

Measuring sustainable accessibility potential using the mobility infrastructure's network configuration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gil, J.; Read, S.

2012-01-01

This paper is an exploration into the analysis of public transport networks using space syntax approaches combined with concepts of sustainable accessibility. Present urban development policy aims to achieve sustainable mobility patterns, shifting mobility to soft transportation modes such as

Economic benefits of commercial space activities

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Barbara A.

Space is not only an endless frontier for exploration, but also a potentially rich arena for profitable commerce to benefit all mankind. Access to the unique environment of space provides opportunities for unprecedented kinds of research to develop new products and services. This research can lead to commercially viable enterprises, which will become permanent businesses, which will provide good jobs for workers, pay taxes to their governments, and return dividends to their investors. Seeking superior products and processes is vital if the economy is to grow and prosper. This paper discusses the current and potential impact on the economy of selected private sector space activities.

Innovative Near Real-Time Data Dissemination Tools Developed by the Space Weather Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Mullinix, R.; Maddox, M. M.; Berrios, D.; Kuznetsova, M.; Pulkkinen, A.; Rastaetter, L.; Zheng, Y.

2012-12-01

Space weather affects virtually all of NASA's endeavors, from robotic missions to human exploration. Knowledge and prediction of space weather conditions are therefore essential to NASA operations. The diverse nature of currently available space environment measurements and modeling products compels the need for a single access point to such information. The Integrated Space Weather Analysis (iSWA) System provides this single point access along with the capability to collect and catalog a vast range of sources including both observational and model data. NASA Goddard Space Weather Research Center heavily utilizes the iSWA System daily for research, space weather model validation, and forecasting for NASA missions. iSWA provides the capabilities to view and analyze near real-time space weather data from any where in the world. This presentation will describe the technology behind the iSWA system and describe how to use the system for space weather research, forecasting, training, education, and sharing.

PhenoTips: Patient Phenotyping Software for Clinical and Research Use.

OpenAIRE

Girdea, Marta; Dumitriu, Sergiu; Fiume, Marc; Buske, Orion; Bowdin, Sarah; Boycott, Kym M.; Chénier, Sébastien; Chitayat, David; Faghfoury, Hanna; Meyn, Stephen; Ray, Peter N.; So, Joyce; Stavropoulos, Dimitri J.; Brudno, Michael

2014-01-01

We have developed PhenoTips, a deep phenotyping tool and database, specifically designed for phenotyping patients with genetic disorders. Our tool closely mirrors clinician workflows so as to facilitate the recording of observations made during the patient encounter. Phenotypic information is represented using the Human Phenotype Ontology; however, the complexity of the ontology is hidden behind a user interface, which combines simple selection of common phenotypes with error-tolerant, predic...

Design of Biomedical Robots for Phenotype Prediction Problems.

Science.gov (United States)

deAndrés-Galiana, Enrique J; Fernández-Martínez, Juan Luis; Sonis, Stephen T

2016-08-01

Genomics has been used with varying degrees of success in the context of drug discovery and in defining mechanisms of action for diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative and rare diseases in the quest for orphan drugs. To improve its utility, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness optimization of analytical methods, especially those that translate to clinically relevant outcomes, is critical. Here we define a novel tool for genomic analysis termed a biomedical robot in order to improve phenotype prediction, identifying disease pathogenesis and significantly defining therapeutic targets. Biomedical robot analytics differ from historical methods in that they are based on melding feature selection methods and ensemble learning techniques. The biomedical robot mathematically exploits the structure of the uncertainty space of any classification problem conceived as an ill-posed optimization problem. Given a classifier, there exist different equivalent small-scale genetic signatures that provide similar predictive accuracies. We perform the sensitivity analysis to noise of the biomedical robot concept using synthetic microarrays perturbed by different kinds of noises in expression and class assignment. Finally, we show the application of this concept to the analysis of different diseases, inferring the pathways and the correlation networks. The final aim of a biomedical robot is to improve knowledge discovery and provide decision systems to optimize diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. This analysis shows that the biomedical robots are robust against different kinds of noises and particularly to a wrong class assignment of the samples. Assessing the uncertainty that is inherent to any phenotype prediction problem is the right way to address this kind of problem.

Questioning Accessibility of Disable People at Sea Front, Case Study: Kyrenia & Laguna Sea Fronts in North Cyprus

OpenAIRE

Nikoofam, Mojdeh

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT: In general, accessibility is one of the main problems that the ambulant disabled people face with especially in public open spaces. This problem has negative influence on the quality of their lives because they must have equal social right with the other people. Therefore, accessibility should be handled as a significant right for the disable people in public open spaces. Nowadays, the majority of world population is living in coastline settlements. All individuals desire to go to s...

Special issue on enabling open and interoperable access to Planetary Science and Heliophysics databases and tools

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

The large amount of data generated by modern space missions calls for a change of organization of data distribution and access procedures. Although long term archives exist for telescopic and space-borne observations, high-level functions need to be developed on top of these repositories to make Planetary Science and Heliophysics data more accessible and to favor interoperability. Results of simulations and reference laboratory data also need to be integrated to support and interpret the observations. Interoperable software and interfaces have recently been developed in many scientific domains. The Virtual Observatory (VO) interoperable standards developed for Astronomy by the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) can be adapted to Planetary Sciences, as demonstrated by the VESPA (Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access) team within the Europlanet-H2020-RI project. Other communities have developed their own standards: GIS (Geographic Information System) for Earth and planetary surfaces tools, SPASE (Space Physics Archive Search and Extract) for space plasma, PDS4 (NASA Planetary Data System, version 4) and IPDA (International Planetary Data Alliance) for planetary mission archives, etc, and an effort to make them interoperable altogether is starting, including automated workflows to process related data from different sources.

Global Roads Open Access Data Set, Version 1 (gROADSv1)

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Global Roads Open Access Data Set, Version 1 (gROADSv1) was developed under the auspices of the CODATA Global Roads Data Development Task Group. The data set...

Line and Form: linear, areal, inclusive and accessible public spaces. Hoofbogen in Rotterdam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maurizio Francesco Errigo

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In the contemporary city places more and more lose their character of physical stock and became space of flow; the city isn’t characterized by its immobile uniqueness, but is modified and reassembled at the rate of circulation in it comes to life. Today the city is presented as a set of discontinuous fragments, which return an image of plural spaces, places and non-places, past and present. Disappearing borders, perimeters, which marked the places, neighborhoods are uncommon spaces, undefined areas between built and unbuilt. The square is the gap in the building density; it has lost its significance as a place of socialization. The recent planning instruments (plans and programs that belong to the city of Rotterdam are geared to transform the city into a “child-friendly city" (city suitable for children, the city attracts young couples and middle-class families just for the fact that the city is distancing itself from the modernist planning based on the zoning and is encouraging the mix of urban functions; particular emphasis in this phase of planning and urban design is given by the statement of the urban Vision Rotterdam 2030. The case dealt with in the article is related to the area of ​​Bergpolder, in the north of Rotterdam, an area affected by a strong identity disposed element, a railway viaduct, and is characterized by a strong strategic value for the location and proximity with the urban center and is affected by both social and economic problem due to the insufficiency of public spaces, the use of spaces and public facilities, to the social mixité, characterized by the mixture of different ethnic groups.

Invasion strategies in clonal aquatic plants: are phenotypic differences caused by phenotypic plasticity or local adaptation?

Science.gov (United States)

Riis, Tenna; Lambertini, Carla; Olesen, Birgit; Clayton, John S.; Brix, Hans; Sorrell, Brian K.

2010-01-01

Background and Aims The successful spread of invasive plants in new environments is often linked to multiple introductions and a diverse gene pool that facilitates local adaptation to variable environmental conditions. For clonal plants, however, phenotypic plasticity may be equally important. Here the primary adaptive strategy in three non-native, clonally reproducing macrophytes (Egeria densa, Elodea canadensis and Lagarosiphon major) in New Zealand freshwaters were examined and an attempt was made to link observed differences in plant morphology to local variation in habitat conditions. Methods Field populations with a large phenotypic variety were sampled in a range of lakes and streams with different chemical and physical properties. The phenotypic plasticity of the species before and after cultivation was studied in a common garden growth experiment, and the genetic diversity of these same populations was also quantified. Key Results For all three species, greater variation in plant characteristics was found before they were grown in standardized conditions. Moreover, field populations displayed remarkably little genetic variation and there was little interaction between habitat conditions and plant morphological characteristics. Conclusions The results indicate that at the current stage of spread into New Zealand, the primary adaptive strategy of these three invasive macrophytes is phenotypic plasticity. However, while limited, the possibility that genetic diversity between populations may facilitate ecotypic differentiation in the future cannot be excluded. These results thus indicate that invasive clonal aquatic plants adapt to new introduced areas by phenotypic plasticity. Inorganic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous were important in controlling plant size of E. canadensis and L. major, but no other relationships between plant characteristics and habitat conditions were apparent. This implies that within-species differences in plant size can be explained

LADM AND INDOORGML FOR SUPPORT OF INDOOR SPACE IDENTIFICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Zlatanova

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Guidance and security in large public buildings such as airports, museums and shopping malls requires much more information that traditional 2D methods offer. Therefore 3D semantically-reach models have been actively investigated with the aim to gather knowledge about availability and accessibility of spaces. Spaces can be unavailable to specific users because of plenty of reasons: the 3D geometry of spaces (too low, too narrow, the properties of the objects to be guided to a specific part of the building (walking, driving, flying, the status of the indoor environment (e.g. crowded, limited light, under reconstruction, property regulations (private areas, security considerations and so on. However, such information is not explicitly avaible in the existing 3D semantically-reach models. IFC and CityGML are restricted to architectural building components and provide little to no means to describe such properties. IndoorGML has been designed to establish a generic approach for space identification allowing a space subdivision and automatic creation of a network for route computation. But currently it also represents only spaces as they are defined by the architectural layout of the building. The Land Administration Domain Model is currently the only available model to specify spaces on the basis of ownership and rights for use. In this paper we compare the principles of IndoorGML and LADM, investigate the approaches to define spaces and suggest options to the linking of the two types of spaces. We argue that LADM space subdivision on basis of properties and rights of use can be used to define to semantically and geometrically available and accessible spaces and therefore can enrich the IndoorGML concept.

The genotype-phenotype map of an evolving digital organism

OpenAIRE

Fortuna, Miguel A.; Zaman, Luis; Ofria, Charles; Wagner, Andreas

2017-01-01

To understand how evolving systems bring forth novel and useful phenotypes, it is essential to understand the relationship between genotypic and phenotypic change. Artificial evolving systems can help us understand whether the genotype-phenotype maps of natural evolving systems are highly unusual, and it may help create evolvable artificial systems. Here we characterize the genotype-phenotype map of digital organisms in Avida, a platform for digital evolution. We consider digital organisms fr...

Space Network IP Services (SNIS): An Architecture for Supporting Low Earth Orbiting IP Satellite Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Israel, David J.

2005-01-01

The NASA Space Network (SN) supports a variety of missions using the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), which includes ground stations in White Sands, New Mexico and Guam. A Space Network IP Services (SNIS) architecture is being developed to support future users with requirements for end-to-end Internet Protocol (IP) communications. This architecture will support all IP protocols, including Mobile IP, over TDRSS Single Access, Multiple Access, and Demand Access Radio Frequency (RF) links. This paper will describe this architecture and how it can enable Low Earth Orbiting IP satellite missions.

Remote Memory Access Protocol Target Node Intellectual Property

Science.gov (United States)

Haddad, Omar

2013-01-01

The MagnetoSpheric Multiscale (MMS) mission had a requirement to use the Remote Memory Access Protocol (RMAP) over its SpaceWire network. At the time, no known intellectual property (IP) cores were available for purchase. Additionally, MMS preferred to implement the RMAP functionality with control over the low-level details of the design. For example, not all the RMAP standard functionality was needed, and it was desired to implement only the portions of the RMAP protocol that were needed. RMAP functionality had been previously implemented in commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products, but the IP core was not available for purchase. The RMAP Target IP core is a VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language description of a digital logic design suitable for implementation in an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) that parses SpaceWire packets that conform to the RMAP standard. The RMAP packet protocol allows a network host to access and control a target device using address mapping. This capability allows SpaceWire devices to be managed in a standardized way that simplifies the hardware design of the device, as well as the development of the software that controls the device. The RMAP Target IP core has some features that are unique and not specified in the RMAP standard. One such feature is the ability to automatically abort transactions if the back-end logic does not respond to read/write requests within a predefined time. When a request times out, the RMAP Target IP core automatically retracts the request and returns a command response with an appropriate status in the response packet s header. Another such feature is the ability to control the SpaceWire node or router using RMAP transactions in the extended address range. This allows the SpaceWire network host to manage the SpaceWire network elements using RMAP packets, which reduces the number of protocols that the network host needs to support.

Space Station services and design features for users

Science.gov (United States)

Kurzhals, Peter R.; Mckinney, Royce L.

1987-01-01

The operational design features and services planned for the NASA Space Station will furnish, in addition to novel opportunities and facilities, lower costs through interface standardization and automation and faster access by means of computer-aided integration and control processes. By furnishing a basis for large-scale space exploitation, the Space Station will possess industrial production and operational services capabilities that may be used by the private sector for commercial ventures; it could also ultimately support lunar and planetary exploration spacecraft assembly and launch facilities.

STS-61B Astronaut Ross Works on Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure

Science.gov (United States)

1985-01-01

The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O'Conner, pilot; Brewster H. Shaw, commander; Charles D. Walker, payload specialist; mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring; and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission's primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico); AUSSAT-2 (Australia); and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), EASE and ACCESS were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). In this STS-61B onboard photo astronaut Ross, located on the Manipulator Foot Restraint (MFR) over the cargo bay, erects ACCESS. The primary objective of this experiment was to test the structural assembly concepts for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction.

Commercial Space with Technology Maturation

Science.gov (United States)

McCleskey, Carey M.; Rhodes, Russell E.; Robinson, John W.

2013-01-01

To provide affordable space transportation we must be capable of using common fixed assets and the infrastructure for multiple purposes simultaneously. The Space Shuttle was operated for thirty years, but was not able to establish an effective continuous improvement program because of the high risk to the crew on every mission. An unmanned capability is needed to provide an acceptable risk to the primary mission. This paper is intended to present a case where a commercial space venture could share the large fixed cost of operating the infrastructure with the government while the government provides new advanced technology that is focused on reduced operating cost to the common launch transportation system. A conceivable commercial space venture could provide educational entertainment for the country's youth that would stimulate their interest in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through access at entertainment parks or the existing Space Visitor Centers. The paper uses this example to demonstrate how growing public-private space market demand will re-orient space transportation industry priorities in flight and ground system design and technology development, and how the infrastructure is used and shared.

Institutional patterns in the Austrian space sector

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Annie; Burg, Elco van; Giannopapa, Christina

2018-01-01

This paper employs the institutional logics perspective to understand how space policies and regulations influences entrepreneurship and innovation. We conducted interviews with entrepreneurs, ESA policy makers and governmental representatives in Austria and identified six prevailing institutional practices: geographical return, the SME-initiatives, the national support pattern, the size pattern, the consortium pattern and the experience pattern. Together, these patterns make up the semi-governmental logic of the space sector. We find that space actors adhere to these patterns to earn legitimacy, which is a condition for support and access to resources. This study adds to our understanding in the consequences of policies and contributes to the design of new space policies and programmes.

Similarity-based search of model organism, disease and drug effect phenotypes

KAUST Repository

Hoehndorf, Robert

2015-02-19

Background: Semantic similarity measures over phenotype ontologies have been demonstrated to provide a powerful approach for the analysis of model organism phenotypes, the discovery of animal models of human disease, novel pathways, gene functions, druggable therapeutic targets, and determination of pathogenicity. Results: We have developed PhenomeNET 2, a system that enables similarity-based searches over a large repository of phenotypes in real-time. It can be used to identify strains of model organisms that are phenotypically similar to human patients, diseases that are phenotypically similar to model organism phenotypes, or drug effect profiles that are similar to the phenotypes observed in a patient or model organism. PhenomeNET 2 is available at http://aber-owl.net/phenomenet. Conclusions: Phenotype-similarity searches can provide a powerful tool for the discovery and investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying an observed phenotypic manifestation. PhenomeNET 2 facilitates user-defined similarity searches and allows researchers to analyze their data within a large repository of human, mouse and rat phenotypes.

The role of public and private natural space in children's social, emotional and behavioural development in Scotland: A longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Elizabeth A; Pearce, Jamie; Shortt, Niamh K; Mitchell, Richard

2017-10-01

Poor mental health in childhood has implications for health and wellbeing in later life. Natural space may benefit children's social, emotional and behavioural development. We investigated whether neighbourhood natural space and private garden access were related to children's developmental change over time. We asked whether relationships differed between boys and girls, or by household educational status. We analysed longitudinal data for 2909 urban-dwelling children (aged 4 at 2008/9 baseline) from the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) survey. The survey provided social, emotional and behavioural difficulty scores (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)), and private garden access. Area (%) of total natural space and parks within 500m of the child's home was quantified using Scotland's Greenspace Map. Interactions for park area, total natural space area, and private garden access with age and age 2 were modelled to quantify their independent contributions to SDQ score change over time. Private garden access was strongly related to most SDQ domains, while neighbourhood natural space was related to better social outcomes. We found little evidence that neighbourhood natural space or garden access influenced the trajectory of developmental change between 4 and 6 years, suggesting that any beneficial influences had occurred at younger ages. Stratified models showed the importance of parks for boys, and private gardens for the early development of children from low-education households. We conclude that neighbourhood natural space may reduce social, emotional and behavioural difficulties for 4-6 year olds, although private garden access may be most beneficial. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Holistic and component plant phenotyping using temporal image sequence.

Science.gov (United States)

Das Choudhury, Sruti; Bashyam, Srinidhi; Qiu, Yumou; Samal, Ashok; Awada, Tala

2018-01-01

Image-based plant phenotyping facilitates the extraction of traits noninvasively by analyzing large number of plants in a relatively short period of time. It has the potential to compute advanced phenotypes by considering the whole plant as a single object (holistic phenotypes) or as individual components, i.e., leaves and the stem (component phenotypes), to investigate the biophysical characteristics of the plants. The emergence timing, total number of leaves present at any point of time and the growth of individual leaves during vegetative stage life cycle of the maize plants are significant phenotypic expressions that best contribute to assess the plant vigor. However, image-based automated solution to this novel problem is yet to be explored. A set of new holistic and component phenotypes are introduced in this paper. To compute the component phenotypes, it is essential to detect the individual leaves and the stem. Thus, the paper introduces a novel method to reliably detect the leaves and the stem of the maize plants by analyzing 2-dimensional visible light image sequences captured from the side using a graph based approach. The total number of leaves are counted and the length of each leaf is measured for all images in the sequence to monitor leaf growth. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, we introduce University of Nebraska-Lincoln Component Plant Phenotyping Dataset (UNL-CPPD) and provide ground truth to facilitate new algorithm development and uniform comparison. The temporal variation of the component phenotypes regulated by genotypes and environment (i.e., greenhouse) are experimentally demonstrated for the maize plants on UNL-CPPD. Statistical models are applied to analyze the greenhouse environment impact and demonstrate the genetic regulation of the temporal variation of the holistic phenotypes on the public dataset called Panicoid Phenomap-1. The central contribution of the paper is a novel computer vision based algorithm for

Genome-Wide Association Study for Traits Related to Plant and Grain Morphology, and Root Architecture in Temperate Rice Accessions.

Science.gov (United States)

Biscarini, Filippo; Cozzi, Paolo; Casella, Laura; Riccardi, Paolo; Vattari, Alessandra; Orasen, Gabriele; Perrini, Rosaria; Tacconi, Gianni; Tondelli, Alessandro; Biselli, Chiara; Cattivelli, Luigi; Spindel, Jennifer; McCouch, Susan; Abbruscato, Pamela; Valé, Giampiero; Piffanelli, Pietro; Greco, Raffaella

2016-01-01

In this study we carried out a genome-wide association analysis for plant and grain morphology and root architecture in a unique panel of temperate rice accessions adapted to European pedo-climatic conditions. This is the first study to assess the association of selected phenotypic traits to specific genomic regions in the narrow genetic pool of temperate japonica. A set of 391 rice accessions were GBS-genotyped yielding-after data editing-57000 polymorphic and informative SNPS, among which 54% were in genic regions. In total, 42 significant genotype-phenotype associations were detected: 21 for plant morphology traits, 11 for grain quality traits, 10 for root architecture traits. The FDR of detected associations ranged from 3 · 10-7 to 0.92 (median: 0.25). In most cases, the significant detected associations co-localised with QTLs and candidate genes controlling the phenotypic variation of single or multiple traits. The most significant associations were those for flag leaf width on chromosome 4 (FDR = 3 · 10-7) and for plant height on chromosome 6 (FDR = 0.011). We demonstrate the effectiveness and resolution of the developed platform for high-throughput phenotyping, genotyping and GWAS in detecting major QTLs for relevant traits in rice. We identified strong associations that may be used for selection in temperate irrigated rice breeding: e.g. associations for flag leaf width, plant height, root volume and length, grain length, grain width and their ratio. Our findings pave the way to successfully exploit the narrow genetic pool of European temperate rice and to pinpoint the most relevant genetic components contributing to the adaptability and high yield of this germplasm. The generated data could be of direct use in genomic-assisted breeding strategies.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Traits Related to Plant and Grain Morphology, and Root Architecture in Temperate Rice Accessions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filippo Biscarini

Full Text Available In this study we carried out a genome-wide association analysis for plant and grain morphology and root architecture in a unique panel of temperate rice accessions adapted to European pedo-climatic conditions. This is the first study to assess the association of selected phenotypic traits to specific genomic regions in the narrow genetic pool of temperate japonica. A set of 391 rice accessions were GBS-genotyped yielding-after data editing-57000 polymorphic and informative SNPS, among which 54% were in genic regions.In total, 42 significant genotype-phenotype associations were detected: 21 for plant morphology traits, 11 for grain quality traits, 10 for root architecture traits. The FDR of detected associations ranged from 3 · 10-7 to 0.92 (median: 0.25. In most cases, the significant detected associations co-localised with QTLs and candidate genes controlling the phenotypic variation of single or multiple traits. The most significant associations were those for flag leaf width on chromosome 4 (FDR = 3 · 10-7 and for plant height on chromosome 6 (FDR = 0.011.We demonstrate the effectiveness and resolution of the developed platform for high-throughput phenotyping, genotyping and GWAS in detecting major QTLs for relevant traits in rice. We identified strong associations that may be used for selection in temperate irrigated rice breeding: e.g. associations for flag leaf width, plant height, root volume and length, grain length, grain width and their ratio. Our findings pave the way to successfully exploit the narrow genetic pool of European temperate rice and to pinpoint the most relevant genetic components contributing to the adaptability and high yield of this germplasm. The generated data could be of direct use in genomic-assisted breeding strategies.

Accessibility patterns and community integration among previously homeless adults: a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Dara V; Gopal, Sucharita; Helfrich, Christine A

2014-11-01

Although a desired rehabilitation goal, research continues to document that community integration significantly lags behind housing stability success rates for people of a variety of ages who used to be homeless. While accessibility to resources is an environmental factor that may promote or impede integration activity, there has been little empirical investigation into the impact of proximity of community features on resource use and integration. Using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach, the current study examines how accessibility or proximity to community features in Boston, United States related to the types of locations used and the size of an individual's "activity space," or spatial presence in the community. Significant findings include an inverse relationship between activity space size and proximity to the number and type of community features in one's immediate area. Specifically, larger activity spaces were associated with neighborhoods with less community features, and smaller activity spaces corresponded with greater availability of resources within one's immediate area. Activity space size also varied, however, based on proximity to different types of resources, namely transportation and health care. Greater community function, or the ability to navigate and use community resources, was associated with better accessibility and feeling part of the community. Finally, proximity to a greater number of individual identified preferred community features was associated with better social integration. The current study suggests the ongoing challenges of successful integration may vary not just based on accessibility to, but relative importance of, specific community features and affinity with one's surroundings. Community integration researchers and housing providers may need to attend to the meaning attached to resources, not just presence or use in the community. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Daddy issues: paternal effects on phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Rando, Oliver J

2012-11-09

The once popular and then heretical idea that ancestral environment can affect the phenotype of future generations is coming back into vogue due to advances in the field of epigenetic inheritance. How paternal environmental conditions influence the phenotype of progeny is now a tractable question, and researchers are exploring potential mechanisms underlying such effects. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Delineating the GRIN1 phenotypic spectrum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lemke, Johannes R; Geider, Kirsten; Helbig, Katherine L

2016-01-01

consequences of GRIN1 mutations were investigated in Xenopus laevis oocytes. RESULTS: We identified heterozygous de novo GRIN1 mutations in 14 individuals and reviewed the phenotypes of all 9 previously reported patients. These 23 individuals presented with a distinct phenotype of profound developmental delay......, severe intellectual disability with absent speech, muscular hypotonia, hyperkinetic movement disorder, oculogyric crises, cortical blindness, generalized cerebral atrophy, and epilepsy. Mutations cluster within transmembrane segments and result in loss of channel function of varying severity...... impairment as well as oculomotor and movement disorders being discriminating phenotypic features. Loss of NMDA receptor function appears to be the underlying disease mechanism. The identification of both heterozygous and homozygous mutations blurs the borders of dominant and recessive inheritance of GRIN1...

Multidimensionality of behavioural phenotypes in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua.

Science.gov (United States)

Meager, Justin J; Fernö, Anders; Skjæraasen, Jon Egil; Järvi, Torbjörn; Rodewald, Petra; Sverdrup, Gisle; Winberg, Svante; Mayer, Ian

2012-06-25

Much of the inter-individual variation observed in animal behaviour is now attributed to the existence of behavioural phenotypes or animal personalities. Such phenotypes may be fundamental to fisheries and aquaculture, yet there have been few detailed studies of this phenomenon in exploited marine animals. We investigated the behavioural and neuroendocrine responses of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.), to situations reflecting critical ecological challenges: predator attacks and territorial challenges. Both hatchery-reared and wild fish were tested and behavioural profiles were compared with baseline conditions. We then used an objective, multivariate approach, rather than assigning individuals along one-dimensional behavioural axes, to examine whether distinct behavioural phenotypes were present. Our results indicate that two distinct behavioural phenotypes were evident in fish from each background. In hatchery-reared fish, phenotypes displayed divergent locomotor activity, sheltering, brain monoamine concentrations and responses to competitive challenges. In wild fish, phenotypes were distinguished primarily by locomotor activity, sheltering and responsiveness to predator stimuli. Hatcheries presumably represent a more stressful social environment, and social behaviour and neuroendocrine responses were important in discerning behavioural phenotypes in hatchery fish, whereas antipredator responses were important in discerning phenotypes in wild fish that have previously encountered predators. In both fish types, behavioural and physiological traits that classified individuals into phenotypes were not the same as those that were correlated across situations. These results highlight the multidimensionality of animal personalities, and that the processes that regulate one suite of behavioural traits may be very different to the processes that regulate other behaviours. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metformin treatment in different phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Marzieh Agha; Alleyassin, Ashraf; Sarvi, Fatemeh; Safdarian, Leila; Kokab, Abas; Fanisalek, Mehran

2013-11-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Metformin on ovulation and eventual clinical pregnancy in different phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A total of 359 subjects who had proven PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria were prospectively selected. Patients' PCOS phenotypes were determined and recorded. All patients were younger than 35 years. Clinical and biochemical assays in all patients were initially obtained. Then patients were divided into two separate groups. One group received both 1,500 mg of Metformin and 1 mg of folic acid per day and the other group received only 1 mg of folic acid for a total of 2 months. Subsequently, all patients underwent ovulation stimulation with 5 mg of Letrozole per day for 5 days followed by an intra-uterine insemination. Finally, ovulation and pregnancy rates were evaluated for all four PCOS phenotypes. Effect of Metformin therapy was evaluated for each group and each phenotype. The pregnancy rate in Metformin and non-Metformin groups were, respectively, as follows: in phenotype A (39.2 vs. 33.7 %, p = 0.270), phenotype B (43.8 vs. 20 %, p = 0.210), phenotype C (44 vs. 20 %, p = 0.064), and phenotype D (36.5 vs. 28.6 %, p = 0.279). Although there was a little improvement in ovulation and pregnancy rates among patients with B and C phenotypes, there was not a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Based on our study, Metformin therapy does not change the ovulation and pregnancy rate.

High-throughput phenotyping to detect drought tolerance QTL in wild barley introgression lines

KAUST Repository

Honsdorf, Nora

2014-05-13

Drought is one of the most severe stresses, endangering crop yields worldwide. In order to select drought tolerant genotypes, access to exotic germplasm and efficient phenotyping protocols are needed. In this study the high-throughput phenotyping platform "The Plant Accelerator", Adelaide, Australia, was used to screen a set of 47 juvenile (six week old) wild barley introgression lines (S42ILs) for drought stress responses. The kinetics of growth development was evaluated under early drought stress and well watered treatments. High correlation (r = 0.98) between image based biomass estimates and actual biomass was demonstrated, and the suitability of the system to accurately and non-destructively estimate biomass was validated. Subsequently, quantitative trait loci (QTL) were located, which contributed to the genetic control of growth under drought stress. In total, 44 QTL for eleven out of 14 investigated traits were mapped, which for example controlled growth rate and water use efficiency. The correspondence of those QTL with QTL previously identified in field trials is shown. For instance, six out of eight QTL controlling plant height were also found in previous field and glasshouse studies with the same introgression lines. This indicates that phenotyping juvenile plants may assist in predicting adult plant performance. In addition, favorable wild barley alleles for growth and biomass parameters were detected, for instance, a QTL that increased biomass by approximately 36%. In particular, introgression line S42IL-121 revealed improved growth under drought stress compared to the control Scarlett. The introgression line showed a similar behavior in previous field experiments, indicating that S42IL-121 may be an attractive donor for breeding of drought tolerant barley cultivars. © 2014 Honsdorf et al.

High-throughput phenotyping to detect drought tolerance QTL in wild barley introgression lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nora Honsdorf

Full Text Available Drought is one of the most severe stresses, endangering crop yields worldwide. In order to select drought tolerant genotypes, access to exotic germplasm and efficient phenotyping protocols are needed. In this study the high-throughput phenotyping platform "The Plant Accelerator", Adelaide, Australia, was used to screen a set of 47 juvenile (six week old wild barley introgression lines (S42ILs for drought stress responses. The kinetics of growth development was evaluated under early drought stress and well watered treatments. High correlation (r=0.98 between image based biomass estimates and actual biomass was demonstrated, and the suitability of the system to accurately and non-destructively estimate biomass was validated. Subsequently, quantitative trait loci (QTL were located, which contributed to the genetic control of growth under drought stress. In total, 44 QTL for eleven out of 14 investigated traits were mapped, which for example controlled growth rate and water use efficiency. The correspondence of those QTL with QTL previously identified in field trials is shown. For instance, six out of eight QTL controlling plant height were also found in previous field and glasshouse studies with the same introgression lines. This indicates that phenotyping juvenile plants may assist in predicting adult plant performance. In addition, favorable wild barley alleles for growth and biomass parameters were detected, for instance, a QTL that increased biomass by approximately 36%. In particular, introgression line S42IL-121 revealed improved growth under drought stress compared to the control Scarlett. The introgression line showed a similar behavior in previous field experiments, indicating that S42IL-121 may be an attractive donor for breeding of drought tolerant barley cultivars.

Challenges for future space power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandhorst, H.W. Jr.

1989-01-01

The future appears rich in missions that will extend the frontiers of knowledge, human presence in space, and opportunities for profitable commerce. The key to success of these ventures is the availability of plentiful, cost effective electric power and assured, low cost access to space. While forecasts of space power needs are problematic, an assessment of future needs based on terrestrial experience was made. These needs fall into three broad categories-survival, self sufficiency and industrialization. The cost of delivering payloads to orbital locations from low earth orbit (LEO) to Mars was determined and future launch cost reductions projected. From these factors, then, projections of the performance necessary for future solar and nuclear space power options were made. These goals are largely dependent upon orbital location and energy storage needs

Auto-localization in de-Sitter space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karch, Andreas

2003-01-01

We point out that gravity on dS n gives rise to a localized graviton on dS n-1 . This way one can derive a recursion relation for the entropy of dS spaces, which might have interesting implications for dS holography. In the same spirit we study domain walls interpolating between dS spaces with different cosmological constant. Our observation gives an easy way to calculate what fraction of the total entropy can be accessed by an observer stuck on the bubble wall. (author)

Space commercialization: Launch vehicles and programs; Symposium on Space Commercialization: Roles of Developing Countries, Nashville, TN, Mar. 5-10, 1989, Technical Papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahrokhi, F.; Greenberg, J.S.; Al-saud, Turki.

1990-01-01

The present volume on progress in astronautics and aeronautics discusses the advent of commercial space, broad-based space education as a prerequisite for space commercialization, and obstacles to space commercialization in the developing world. Attention is given to NASA directions in space propulsion for the year 2000 and beyond, possible uses of the external tank in orbit, power from the space shuttle and from space for use on earth, Long-March Launch Vehicles in the 1990s, the establishment of a center for advanced space propulsion, Pegasus as a key to low-cost space applications, legal problems of developing countries' access to space launch vehicles, and international law of responsibility for remote sensing. Also discussed are low-cost satellites and satellite launch vehicles, satellite launch systems of China; Raumkurier, the German recovery program; and the Ariane transfer vehicle as logistic support to Space Station Freedom

Accessibility of low-income family flats in North Jakarta city

Science.gov (United States)

Feminin, T. A.; Wiranegara, H. W.; Supriatna, Y.

2018-01-01

The majority of relocated, low-income families in North Jakarta city who residing the flats, complained at decreasing their accessibility to the workplaces and to the social facilities. The aim of this research was to identify the changing of their accessibility before and after relocated, viewed from three dimensions: distance, travel time, and travel cost to the workplaces, educational facilities, and shopping areas. The research design was questionnaire survey containing the degree of accessibility before and after resided the flats. Five flats were chosen as cases. Their inhabitants were chosen as respondents which used simple random sampling. The result showed that their flats accessibility to the workplaces in all three dimensions was lower than when they resided in the slum area. Also, in distance and travel time accessibility to shopping areas was lower. Only accessibility to educational facilities measured in those three dimensions was higher after they moved. Supply for affordable public transport from their flats to reach their workplaces is needed to raise their accessibility. Also, they need subsidizeto rent of their flats so the burden to their income lesser.Using the ground space of their flats for retail activities was to make more accessible for their shopping activities.

Community Coordinated Modeling Center: A Powerful Resource in Space Science and Space Weather Education

Science.gov (United States)

Chulaki, A.; Kuznetsova, M. M.; Rastaetter, L.; MacNeice, P. J.; Shim, J. S.; Pulkkinen, A. A.; Taktakishvili, A.; Mays, M. L.; Mendoza, A. M. M.; Zheng, Y.; Mullinix, R.; Collado-Vega, Y. M.; Maddox, M. M.; Pembroke, A. D.; Wiegand, C.

2015-12-01

Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) is a NASA affiliated interagency partnership with the primary goal of aiding the transition of modern space science models into space weather forecasting while supporting space science research. Additionally, over the past ten years it has established itself as a global space science education resource supporting undergraduate and graduate education and research, and spreading space weather awareness worldwide. A unique combination of assets, capabilities and close ties to the scientific and educational communities enable this small group to serve as a hub for raising generations of young space scientists and engineers. CCMC resources are publicly available online, providing unprecedented global access to the largest collection of modern space science models (developed by the international research community). CCMC has revolutionized the way simulations are utilized in classrooms settings, student projects, and scientific labs and serves hundreds of educators, students and researchers every year. Another major CCMC asset is an expert space weather prototyping team primarily serving NASA's interplanetary space weather needs. Capitalizing on its unrivaled capabilities and experiences, the team provides in-depth space weather training to students and professionals worldwide, and offers an amazing opportunity for undergraduates to engage in real-time space weather monitoring, analysis, forecasting and research. In-house development of state-of-the-art space weather tools and applications provides exciting opportunities to students majoring in computer science and computer engineering fields to intern with the software engineers at the CCMC while also learning about the space weather from the NASA scientists.

Multicultural Ground Teams in Space Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, M.

2012-01-01

In the early years of space flight only two countries had access to space. In the last twenty years, there have been major changes in how we conduct space business. With the fall of the iron curtain and the growing of the European Union, more and more players were able to join the space business and space science. By end of the last century, numerous countries, agencies and companies earned the right to be equal partners in space projects. This paper investigates the impact of multicultural teams in the space arena. Fortunately, in manned spaceflight, especially for long duration missions, there are several studies and simulations reporting on multicultural team impact. These data have not been as well explored on the team interactions within the ground crews. The focus of this paper are the teams working on the ISS project. Hypotheses will be drawn from the results of space crew research to determine parallels and differences for this vital segment of success in space missions. The key source of the data will be drawn from structured interviews with managers and other ground crews on the ISS project.

Shape space exploration of constrained meshes

KAUST Repository

Yang, Yongliang; Yang, Yijun; Pottmann, Helmut; Mitra, Niloy J.

2011-01-01