Sample records for stage flight evaluation
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vsevolod Peysakhovich
2018-02-01
Full Text Available Commercial aviation is currently one of the safest modes of transportation; however, human error is still one major contributing cause of aeronautical accidents and incidents. One promising avenue to further enhance flight safety is Neuroergonomics, an approach at the intersection of neuroscience, cognitive engineering and human factors, which aims to create better human–system interaction. Eye-tracking technology allows users to “monitor the monitoring” by providing insights into both pilots’ attentional distribution and underlying decisional processes. In this position paper, we identify and define a framework of four stages of step-by-step integration of eye-tracking systems in modern cockpits. Stage I concerns Pilot Training and Flight Performance Analysis on-ground; stage II proposes On-board Gaze Recordings as extra data for the “black box” recorders; stage III describes Gaze-Based Flight Deck Adaptation including warning and alerting systems, and, eventually, stage IV prophesies Gaze-Based Aircraft Adaptation including authority taking by the aircraft. We illustrate the potential of these four steps with a description of incidents or accidents that we could certainly have avoided thanks to eye-tracking. Estimated milestones for the integration of each stage are also proposed together with a list of some implementation limitations. We believe that the research institutions and industrial actors of the domain will all benefit from the integration of the framework of the eye-tracking systems into cockpits.
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Signal, T Leigh; Gander, Philippa H; van den Berg, Margo J; Graeber, R Curtis
2013-01-01
To assess the amount and quality of sleep that flight crew are able to obtain during flight, and identify factors that influence the sleep obtained. Flight crew operating flights between Everett, WA, USA and Asia had their sleep recorded polysomnographically for 1 night in a layover hotel and during a 7-h in-flight rest opportunity on flights averaging 15.7 h. Layover hotel and in-flight crew rest facilities onboard the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. Twenty-one male flight crew (11 Captains, mean age 48 yr and 10 First Officers, mean age 35 yr). N/A. Sleep was recorded using actigraphy during the entire tour of duty, and polysomnographically in a layover hotel and during the flight. Mixed model analysis of covariance was used to determine the factors affecting in-flight sleep. In-flight sleep was less efficient (70% vs. 88%), with more nonrapid eye movement Stage 1/Stage 2 and more frequent awakenings per h (7.7/h vs. 4.6/h) than sleep in the layover hotel. In-flight sleep included very little slow wave sleep (median 0.5%). Less time was spent trying to sleep and less sleep was obtained when sleep opportunities occurred during the first half of the flight. Multivariate analyses suggest age is the most consistent factor affecting in-flight sleep duration and quality. This study confirms that even during long sleep opportunities, in-flight sleep is of poorer quality than sleep on the ground. With longer flight times, the quality and recuperative value of in-flight sleep is increasingly important for flight safety. Because the age limit for flight crew is being challenged, the consequences of age adversely affecting sleep quantity and quality need to be evaluated.
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Smith, Andrew; Harrison, Phil
2010-01-01
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Constellation Program (CxP) has identified a series of tests to provide insight into the design and development of the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) and Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). Ares I-X was selected as the first suborbital development flight test to help meet CxP objectives. The Ares I-X flight test vehicle (FTV) is an early operational model of CLV, with specific emphasis on CLV and ground operation characteristics necessary to meet Ares I-X flight test objectives. The in-flight part of the test includes a trajectory to simulate maximum dynamic pressure during flight and perform a stage separation of the Upper Stage Simulator (USS) from the First Stage (FS). The in-flight test also includes recovery of the FS. The random vibration response from the ARES 1-X flight will be reconstructed for a few specific locations that were instrumented with accelerometers. This recorded data will be helpful in validating and refining vibration prediction tools and methodology. Measured vibroacoustic environments associated with lift off and ascent phases of the Ares I-X mission will be compared with pre-flight vibration predictions. The measured flight data was given as time histories which will be converted into power spectral density plots for comparison with the maximum predicted environments. The maximum predicted environments are documented in the Vibroacoustics and Shock Environment Data Book, AI1-SYS-ACOv4.10 Vibration predictions made using statistical energy analysis (SEA) VAOne computer program will also be incorporated in the comparisons. Ascent and lift off measured acoustics will also be compared to predictions to assess whether any discrepancies between the predicted vibration levels and measured vibration levels are attributable to inaccurate acoustic predictions. These comparisons will also be helpful in assessing whether adjustments to prediction methodologies are needed to improve agreement between the
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Signal, T. Leigh; Gander, Philippa H.; van den Berg, Margo J.; Graeber, R. Curtis
2013-01-01
Study Objectives: To assess the amount and quality of sleep that flight crew are able to obtain during flight, and identify factors that influence the sleep obtained. Design: Flight crew operating flights between Everett, WA, USA and Asia had their sleep recorded polysomnographically for 1 night in a layover hotel and during a 7-h in-flight rest opportunity on flights averaging 15.7 h. Setting: Layover hotel and in-flight crew rest facilities onboard the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. Participants: Twenty-one male flight crew (11 Captains, mean age 48 yr and 10 First Officers, mean age 35 yr). Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: Sleep was recorded using actigraphy during the entire tour of duty, and polysomnographically in a layover hotel and during the flight. Mixed model analysis of covariance was used to determine the factors affecting in-flight sleep. In-flight sleep was less efficient (70% vs. 88%), with more nonrapid eye movement Stage 1/Stage 2 and more frequent awakenings per h (7.7/h vs. 4.6/h) than sleep in the layover hotel. In-flight sleep included very little slow wave sleep (median 0.5%). Less time was spent trying to sleep and less sleep was obtained when sleep opportunities occurred during the first half of the flight. Multivariate analyses suggest age is the most consistent factor affecting in-flight sleep duration and quality. Conclusions: This study confirms that even during long sleep opportunities, in-flight sleep is of poorer quality than sleep on the ground. With longer flight times, the quality and recuperative value of in-flight sleep is increasingly important for flight safety. Because the age limit for flight crew is being challenged, the consequences of age adversely affecting sleep quantity and quality need to be evaluated. Citation: Signal TL; Gander PH; van den Berg MJ; Graeber RC. In-flight sleep of flight crew during a 7-hour rest break: implications for research and flight safety. SLEEP 2013;36(1):109–115. PMID:23288977
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L(sub 1) Adaptive Flight Control System: Flight Evaluation and Technology Transition
Xargay, Enric; Hovakimyan, Naira; Dobrokhodov, Vladimir; Kaminer, Isaac; Gregory, Irene M.; Cao, Chengyu
2010-01-01
Certification of adaptive control technologies for both manned and unmanned aircraft represent a major challenge for current Verification and Validation techniques. A (missing) key step towards flight certification of adaptive flight control systems is the definition and development of analysis tools and methods to support Verification and Validation for nonlinear systems, similar to the procedures currently used for linear systems. In this paper, we describe and demonstrate the advantages of L(sub l) adaptive control architectures for closing some of the gaps in certification of adaptive flight control systems, which may facilitate the transition of adaptive control into military and commercial aerospace applications. As illustrative examples, we present the results of a piloted simulation evaluation on the NASA AirSTAR flight test vehicle, and results of an extensive flight test program conducted by the Naval Postgraduate School to demonstrate the advantages of L(sub l) adaptive control as a verifiable robust adaptive flight control system.
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Heitkotter, Robert H
1956-01-01
A flight investigation of two Nike-Deacon (DAN) two-stage solid-propellant rocket vehicles indicated satisfactory performance may be expected from the DAN meteorological sounding rocket. Peak altitudes of 356,000 and 350,000 feet, respectively, were recorded for the two flight tests when both vehicles were launched from sea level at an elevation angle of 75 degrees. Performance calculations based on flight-test results show that altitudes between 358,000 feet and 487,000 feet may be attained with payloads varying between 60 pounds and 10 pounds.
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Kalinowski, Kevin F.; Tucker, George E.; Moralez, Ernesto, III
2006-01-01
Engineering development and qualification of a Research Flight Control System (RFCS) for the Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL) JUH-60A has motivated the development of a pilot rating scale for evaluating failure transients in fly-by-wire flight control systems. The RASCAL RFCS includes a highly-reliable, dual-channel Servo Control Unit (SCU) to command and monitor the performance of the fly-by-wire actuators and protect against the effects of erroneous commands from the flexible, but single-thread Flight Control Computer. During the design phase of the RFCS, two piloted simulations were conducted on the Ames Research Center Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS) to help define the required performance characteristics of the safety monitoring algorithms in the SCU. Simulated failures, including hard-over and slow-over commands, were injected into the command path, and the aircraft response and safety monitor performance were evaluated. A subjective Failure/Recovery Rating (F/RR) scale was developed as a means of quantifying the effects of the injected failures on the aircraft state and the degree of pilot effort required to safely recover the aircraft. A brief evaluation of the rating scale was also conducted on the Army/NASA CH-47B variable stability helicopter to confirm that the rating scale was likely to be equally applicable to in-flight evaluations. Following the initial research flight qualification of the RFCS in 2002, a flight test effort was begun to validate the performance of the safety monitors and to validate their design for the safe conduct of research flight testing. Simulated failures were injected into the SCU, and the F/RR scale was applied to assess the results. The results validate the performance of the monitors, and indicate that the Failure/Recovery Rating scale is a very useful tool for evaluating failure transients in fly-by-wire flight control systems.
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Luo, Pan; Zhang, Xingwei; Huang, Panpan; Xie, Lingwang
2017-10-01
The aim of this study is to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of a flapping airfoil in the adjustment stage between two specific flight patterns during the forward flight. Four flapping movement models in adjustment stage are firstly established by using the multi-objective optimization algorithm. Then, a numerical experiment is carried out by using finite volume method to solve the two-dimensional time-dependent incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The attack angles are selected from -5° to 7.5° with an increase of 2.5°. The results are systematically analyzed and special attention is paid to the corresponding changes of aerodynamic forces, vortex shedding mechanism in the wake structure and thrust efficiency. Present results show that output aerodynamic performance of flapping airfoil can be improved by the increasement of amplitude and frequency in the flapping adjustment stage, which further validates and complements previous studies. Moreover, it is also show that the manner using multi-objective optimization algorithm to generate a movement model in adjustment stage, to connect other two specific plunging motions, is a feasible and effective method. Current study is dedicated to providing some helpful references for the design and control of artificial flapping wing air vehicles.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Fan Liu
2015-02-01
Full Text Available In order to incorporate airworthiness requirements for flight characteristics into the entire development cycle of electronic flight control system (EFCS equipped civil aircraft, digital virtual flight testing and evaluation method based on handling qualities rating method (HQRM is proposed. First, according to HQRM, flight characteristics airworthiness requirements of civil aircraft in EFCS failure states are determined. On this basis, digital virtual flight testing model, comprising flight task digitized model, pilot controlling model, aircraft motion and atmospheric turbulence model, is used to simulate the realistic process of a pilot controlling an airplane to perform assigned flight tasks. According to the simulation results, flight characteristics airworthiness compliance of the airplane can be evaluated relying on the relevant regulations for handling qualities (HQ rating. Finally, this method is applied to a type of passenger airplane in a typical EFCS failure state, and preliminary conclusions concerning airworthiness compliance are derived quickly. The research results of this manuscript can provide important theoretical reference for EFCS design and actual airworthiness compliance verification of civil aircraft.
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Flight service evaluation of composite helicopter components
Mardoian, George H.; Ezzo, Maureen B.
1994-01-01
This paper presents the results of a NASA funded contract and Sikorsky research and development programs to evaluate structural composite components in flight service on Sikorsky Model S-76 helicopters. Selected components were removed and tested at prescribed intervals over a nine year time frame. Four horizontal stabilizers and thirteen tail rotor spars were returned from commercial service in West Palm Beach, Florida and in the Gulf Coast region of Louisiana to determine the long term effects of operations in hot and humid climates on component performance. Concurrent with the flight component evaluation, panels of materials used in their fabrication were exposed to the environment in ground racks. Selected panels were tested annually to determine the effects of exposure on physical and mechanical properties. The results of 55,741 component flight hours and 911 months of field exposure are reported and compared with initial Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification data. The findings of this program have provided increased confidence in the long term durability of advanced composite materials used in helicopter structural applications.
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Evaluating Flight Crew Performance by a Bayesian Network Model
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wei Chen
2018-03-01
Full Text Available Flight crew performance is of great significance in keeping flights safe and sound. When evaluating the crew performance, quantitative detailed behavior information may not be available. The present paper introduces the Bayesian Network to perform flight crew performance evaluation, which permits the utilization of multidisciplinary sources of objective and subjective information, despite sparse behavioral data. In this paper, the causal factors are selected based on the analysis of 484 aviation accidents caused by human factors. Then, a network termed Flight Crew Performance Model is constructed. The Delphi technique helps to gather subjective data as a supplement to objective data from accident reports. The conditional probabilities are elicited by the leaky noisy MAX model. Two ways of inference for the BN—probability prediction and probabilistic diagnosis are used and some interesting conclusions are drawn, which could provide data support to make interventions for human error management in aviation safety.
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Burcham, Frank W., Jr.; Maine, Trindel A.; Fullerton, C. Gordon; Webb, Lannie Dean
1996-01-01
A propulsion-controlled aircraft (PCA) system for emergency flight control of aircraft with no flight controls was developed and flight tested on an F-15 aircraft at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The airplane has been flown in a throttles-only manual mode and with an augmented system called PCA in which pilot thumbwheel commands and aircraft feedback parameters were used to drive the throttles. Results from a 36-flight evaluation showed that the PCA system can be used to safety land an airplane that has suffered a major flight control system failure. The PCA system was used to recover from a severe upset condition, descend, and land. Guest pilots have also evaluated the PCA system. This paper describes the principles of throttles-only flight control; a history of loss-of-control accidents; a description of the F-15 aircraft; the PCA system operation, simulation, and flight testing; and the pilot comments.
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Ares I-X Flight Test Philosophy
Davis, S. R.; Tuma, M. L.; Heitzman, K.
2007-01-01
In response to the Vision for Space Exploration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has defined a new space exploration architecture to return humans to the Moon and prepare for human exploration of Mars. One of the first new developments will be the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), which will carry the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to support International Space Station (ISS) missions and, later, support lunar missions. As part of Ares I development, NASA will perform a series of Ares I flight tests. The tests will provide data that will inform the engineering and design process and verify the flight hardware and software. The data gained from the flight tests will be used to certify the new Ares/Orion vehicle for human space flight. The primary objectives of this first flight test (Ares I-X) are the following: Demonstrate control of a dynamically similar integrated Ares CLV/Orion CEV using Ares CLV ascent control algorithms; Perform an in-flight separation/staging event between an Ares I-similar First Stage and a representative Upper Stage; Demonstrate assembly and recovery of a new Ares CLV-like First Stage element at Kennedy Space Center (KSC); Demonstrate First Stage separation sequencing, and quantify First Stage atmospheric entry dynamics and parachute performance; and Characterize the magnitude of the integrated vehicle roll torque throughout the First Stage (powered) flight. This paper will provide an overview of the Ares I-X flight test process and details of the individual flight tests.
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Performance evaluation and design of flight vehicle control systems
Falangas, Eric T
2015-01-01
This book will help students, control engineers and flight dynamics analysts to model and conduct sophisticated and systemic analyses of early flight vehicle designs controlled with multiple types of effectors and to design and evaluate new vehicle concepts in terms of satisfying mission and performance goals. Performance Evaluation and Design of Flight Vehicle Control Systems begins by creating a dynamic model of a generic flight vehicle that includes a range of elements from airplanes and launch vehicles to re-entry vehicles and spacecraft. The models may include dynamic effects dealing with structural flexibility, as well as dynamic coupling between structures and actuators, propellant sloshing, and aeroelasticity, and they are typically used for control analysis and design. The book shows how to efficiently combine different types of effectors together, such as aero-surfaces, TVC, throttling engines and RCS, to operate as a system by developing a mixing logic atrix. Methods of trimming a vehicle controll...
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Combining control input with flight path data to evaluate pilot performance in transport aircraft.
Ebbatson, Matt; Harris, Don; Huddlestone, John; Sears, Rodney
2008-11-01
When deriving an objective assessment of piloting performance from flight data records, it is common to employ metrics which purely evaluate errors in flight path parameters. The adequacy of pilot performance is evaluated from the flight path of the aircraft. However, in large jet transport aircraft these measures may be insensitive and require supplementing with frequency-based measures of control input parameters. Flight path and control input data were collected from pilots undertaking a jet transport aircraft conversion course during a series of symmetric and asymmetric approaches in a flight simulator. The flight path data were analyzed for deviations around the optimum flight path while flying an instrument landing approach. Manipulation of the flight controls was subject to analysis using a series of power spectral density measures. The flight path metrics showed no significant differences in performance between the symmetric and asymmetric approaches. However, control input frequency domain measures revealed that the pilots employed highly different control strategies in the pitch and yaw axes. The results demonstrate that to evaluate pilot performance fully in large aircraft, it is necessary to employ performance metrics targeted at both the outer control loop (flight path) and the inner control loop (flight control) parameters in parallel, evaluating both the product and process of a pilot's performance.
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Treder, Alfred J.; Meldahl, Keith L.
The recorded histories of Shuttle/Orbiter attitude and Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) attitude have been analyzed for all joint flights of the IUS in the Orbiter. This database was studied to determine the behavior of relative alignment between the IUS and Shuttle navigation systems. It is found that the overall accuracy of physical alignment has a Shuttle Orbiter bias component less than 5 arcmin/axis and a short-term stability upper bound of 0.5 arcmin/axis, both at 1 sigma. Summaries of the experienced physical and inertial alginment offsets are shown in this paper, together with alignment variation data, illustrated with some flight histories. Also included is a table of candidate values for some error source groups in an Orbiter/IUS attitude errror model. Experience indicates that the Shuttle is much more accurate and stable as an orbiting launch platform than has so far been advertised. This information will be valuable for future Shuttle payloads, especially those (such as the Aeroassisted Flight Experiment) which carry their own inertial navigation systems, and which could update or initialize their attitude determination systems using the Shuttle as the reference.
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Design and evaluation of a Flight Envelope Protection haptic feedback system
Ellerbroek, J.; Rodriguez Martin, M.J.M.; Lombaerts, T; van Paassen, M.M.; Mulder, M.
2016-01-01
This paper describes the design and evaluation of a shared control, haptic feedback system to communicate Flight Envelope Protection System intent. The concept uses a combination of stiffness feedback and vibration to communicate proximity of the aircraft state to flight envelope boundaries. In
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FLIGHT SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS AND EVALUATION OF FLIGHT SAFETY LEVEL OF AN AVIATION ENTERPRISE
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
B. V. Zubkov
2017-01-01
Full Text Available This article is devoted to studying the problem of safety management system (SMS and evaluating safety level of an aviation enterprise.This article discusses the problems of SMS, presented at the 41st meeting of the Russian Aviation Production Commanders Club in June 2014 in St. Petersburg in connection with the verification of the status of the CA of the Russian Federation by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO in the same year, a set of urgent measures to eliminate the deficiencies identified in the current safety management system by participants of this meeting were proposed.In addition, the problems of evaluating flight safety level based on operation data of an aviation enterprise were analyzed. This analysis made it possible to take into account the problems listed in this article as a tool for a comprehensive study of SMS parameters and allows to analyze the quantitative indicators of the flights safety level.The concepts of Acceptable Safety Level (ASL indicators are interpreted differently depending on the available/applicable methods of their evaluation and how to implement them in SMS. However, the indicators for assessing ASL under operational condition at the aviation enterprise should become universal. Currently, defined safety levels and safety indicators are not yet established functionally and often with distorted underrepresented models describing their contextual contents, as well as ways of integrating them into SMS aviation enterprise.The results obtained can be used for better implementation of SMS and solving problems determining the aviation enterprise technical level of flight safety.
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Flight Test of an Intelligent Flight-Control System
Davidson, Ron; Bosworth, John T.; Jacobson, Steven R.; Thomson, Michael Pl; Jorgensen, Charles C.
2003-01-01
The F-15 Advanced Controls Technology for Integrated Vehicles (ACTIVE) airplane (see figure) was the test bed for a flight test of an intelligent flight control system (IFCS). This IFCS utilizes a neural network to determine critical stability and control derivatives for a control law, the real-time gains of which are computed by an algorithm that solves the Riccati equation. These derivatives are also used to identify the parameters of a dynamic model of the airplane. The model is used in a model-following portion of the control law, in order to provide specific vehicle handling characteristics. The flight test of the IFCS marks the initiation of the Intelligent Flight Control System Advanced Concept Program (IFCS ACP), which is a collaboration between NASA and Boeing Phantom Works. The goals of the IFCS ACP are to (1) develop the concept of a flight-control system that uses neural-network technology to identify aircraft characteristics to provide optimal aircraft performance, (2) develop a self-training neural network to update estimates of aircraft properties in flight, and (3) demonstrate the aforementioned concepts on the F-15 ACTIVE airplane in flight. The activities of the initial IFCS ACP were divided into three Phases, each devoted to the attainment of a different objective. The objective of Phase I was to develop a pre-trained neural network to store and recall the wind-tunnel-based stability and control derivatives of the vehicle. The objective of Phase II was to develop a neural network that can learn how to adjust the stability and control derivatives to account for failures or modeling deficiencies. The objective of Phase III was to develop a flight control system that uses the neural network outputs as a basis for controlling the aircraft. The flight test of the IFCS was performed in stages. In the first stage, the Phase I version of the pre-trained neural network was flown in a passive mode. The neural network software was running using flight data
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Pegasus hypersonic flight research
Curry, Robert E.; Meyer, Robert R., Jr.; Budd, Gerald D.
1992-01-01
Hypersonic aeronautics research using the Pegasus air-launched space booster is described. Two areas are discussed in the paper: previously obtained results from Pegasus flights 1 and 2, and plans for future programs. Proposed future research includes boundary-layer transition studies on the airplane-like first stage and also use of the complete Pegasus launch system to boost a research vehicle to hypersonic speeds. Pegasus flight 1 and 2 measurements were used to evaluate the results of several analytical aerodynamic design tools applied during the development of the vehicle as well as to develop hypersonic flight-test techniques. These data indicated that the aerodynamic design approach for Pegasus was adequate and showed that acceptable margins were available. Additionally, the correlations provide insight into the capabilities of these analytical tools for more complex vehicles in which design margins may be more stringent. Near-term plans to conduct hypersonic boundary-layer transition studies are discussed. These plans involve the use of a smooth metallic glove at about the mid-span of the wing. Longer-term opportunities are proposed which identify advantages of the Pegasus launch system to boost large-scale research vehicles to the real-gas hypersonic flight regime.
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Flight Control Laws for NASA's Hyper-X Research Vehicle
Davidson, J.; Lallman, F.; McMinn, J. D.; Martin, J.; Pahle, J.; Stephenson, M.; Selmon, J.; Bose, D.
1999-01-01
The goal of the Hyper-X program is to demonstrate and validate technology for design and performance predictions of hypersonic aircraft with an airframe-integrated supersonic-combustion ramjet propulsion system. Accomplishing this goal requires flight demonstration of a hydrogen-fueled scramjet powered hypersonic aircraft. A key enabling technology for this flight demonstration is flight controls. Closed-loop flight control is required to enable a successful stage separation, to achieve and maintain the design condition during the engine test, and to provide a controlled descent. Before the contract award, NASA developed preliminary flight control laws for the Hyper-X to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed scramjet test sequence and descent trajectory. After the contract award, a Boeing/NASA partnership worked to develop the current control laws. This paper presents a description of the Hyper-X Research Vehicle control law architectures with performance and robustness analyses. Assessments of simulated flight trajectories and stability margin analyses demonstrate that these control laws meet the flight test requirements.
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Evaluation of Fast-Time Wake Vortex Models using Wake Encounter Flight Test Data
Ahmad, Nashat N.; VanValkenburg, Randal L.; Bowles, Roland L.; Limon Duparcmeur, Fanny M.; Gloudesman, Thijs; van Lochem, Sander; Ras, Eelco
2014-01-01
This paper describes a methodology for the integration and evaluation of fast-time wake models with flight data. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration conducted detailed flight tests in 1995 and 1997 under the Aircraft Vortex Spacing System Program to characterize wake vortex decay and wake encounter dynamics. In this study, data collected during Flight 705 were used to evaluate NASA's fast-time wake transport and decay models. Deterministic and Monte-Carlo simulations were conducted to define wake hazard bounds behind the wake generator. The methodology described in this paper can be used for further validation of fast-time wake models using en-route flight data, and for determining wake turbulence constraints in the design of air traffic management concepts.
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Shelton, Kevin J.; Kramer, Lynda J.; Ellis,Kyle K.; Rehfeld, Sherri A.
2012-01-01
The Synthetic and Enhanced Vision Systems for NextGen (SEVS) simulation and flight tests are jointly sponsored by NASA's Aviation Safety Program, Vehicle Systems Safety Technology project and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The flight tests were conducted by a team of Honeywell, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and NASA personnel with the goal of obtaining pilot-in-the-loop test data for flight validation, verification, and demonstration of selected SEVS operational and system-level performance capabilities. Nine test flights (38 flight hours) were conducted over the summer and fall of 2011. The evaluations were flown in Gulfstream.s G450 flight test aircraft outfitted with the SEVS technology under very low visibility instrument meteorological conditions. Evaluation pilots flew 108 approaches in low visibility weather conditions (600 ft to 2400 ft visibility) into various airports from Louisiana to Maine. In-situ flight performance and subjective workload and acceptability data were collected in collaboration with ground simulation studies at LaRC.s Research Flight Deck simulator.
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Evaluating the Stage Learning Hypothesis.
Thomas, Hoben
1980-01-01
A procedure for evaluating the Genevan stage learning hypothesis is illustrated by analyzing Inhelder, Sinclair, and Bovet's guided learning experiments (in "Learning and the Development of Cognition." Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1974). (Author/MP)
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A pilot rating scale for evaluating failure transients in electronic flight control systems
Hindson, William S.; Schroeder, Jeffery A.; Eshow, Michelle M.
1990-01-01
A pilot rating scale was developed to describe the effects of transients in helicopter flight-control systems on safety-of-flight and on pilot recovery action. The scale was applied to the evaluation of hardovers that could potentially occur in the digital flight-control system being designed for a variable-stability UH-60A research helicopter. Tests were conducted in a large moving-base simulator and in flight. The results of the investigation were combined with existing airworthiness criteria to determine quantitative reliability design goals for the control system.
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Vision Issues and Space Flight: Evaluation of One-Carbon Metabolism Polymorphisms
Smith, Scott M.; Gregory, Jesse F.; Zeisel, Steven; Ueland, Per; Gibson, C. R.; Mader, Thomas; Kinchen, Jason; Ploutz-Snyder, Robert; Zwart, Sara R.
2015-01-01
Intermediates of the one-carbon metabolic pathway are altered in astronauts who experience vision-related issues during and after space flight. Serum concentrations of homocysteine, cystathionine, 2-methylcitric acid, and methylmalonic acid were higher in astronauts with ophthalmic changes than in those without (Zwart et al., J Nutr, 2012). These differences existed before, during, and after flight. Potential confounding factors did not explain the differences. Genetic polymorphisms could contribute to these differences, and could help explain why crewmembers on the same mission do not all have ophthalmic issues, despite the same environmental factors (e.g., microgravity, exercise, diet). A follow-up study was conducted to evaluate 5 polymorphisms of enzymes in the one-carbon pathway, and to evaluate how these relate to vision and other ophthalmic changes after flight. Preliminary evaluations of the genetic data indicate that all of the crewmembers with the MTRR GG genotype had vision issues to one degree or another. However, not everyone who had vision issues had this genetic polymorphism, so the situation is more complex than the involvement of this single polymorphism. Metabolomic and further data analyses are underway to clarify these findings, but the preliminary assessments are promising.
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Flight Deck Weather Avoidance Decision Support: Implementation and Evaluation
Wu, Shu-Chieh; Luna, Rocio; Johnson, Walter W.
2013-01-01
Weather related disruptions account for seventy percent of the delays in the National Airspace System (NAS). A key component in the weather plan of the Next Generation of Air Transportation System (NextGen) is to assimilate observed weather information and probabilistic forecasts into the decision process of flight crews and air traffic controllers. In this research we explore supporting flight crew weather decision making through the development of a flight deck predicted weather display system that utilizes weather predictions generated by ground-based radar. This system integrates and presents this weather information, together with in-flight trajectory modification tools, within a cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) prototype. that the CDTI features 2D and perspective 3D visualization models of weather. The weather forecast products that we implemented were the Corridor Integrated Weather System (CIWS) and the Convective Weather Avoidance Model (CWAM), both developed by MIT Lincoln Lab. We evaluated the use of CIWS and CWAM for flight deck weather avoidance in two part-task experiments. Experiment 1 compared pilots' en route weather avoidance performance in four weather information conditions that differed in the type and amount of predicted forecast (CIWS current weather only, CIWS current and historical weather, CIWS current and forecast weather, CIWS current and forecast weather and CWAM predictions). Experiment 2 compared the use of perspective 3D and 21/2D presentations of weather for flight deck weather avoidance. Results showed that pilots could take advantage of longer range predicted weather forecasts in performing en route weather avoidance but more research will be needed to determine what combinations of information are optimal and how best to present them.
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Enhancement MRI evaluation of neuroblastoma staging in children
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Li Xin; Wang Chunxiang; Zhao Bin; Liu Peifang
2002-01-01
Objective: To evaluate the value and limitation of Gd-DTPA enhanced MRI for neuroblastoma staging in children. Methods: Twelve cases of neuroblastoma proved by operation or bone marrow aspiration were examined by gadolinium-enhanced MRI. The age ranged from seven months to five years, mean 3.7 years. Eight tumors originated from adrenal, and four from posterior mediastinum. Conventional sequences, double dose gadolinium-enhanced MRI, and 3D CEMRA were used in all patients. Six cases were examined by CT in same time. Imaging staging on surgic-histopathological-based International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) was performed. Results: Six patients were staged by CT, including stage I-II in 2 cases, stage III in 4 cases, and stage IV in none. Twelve patients were staged by conventional MRI, including stage I-II in 2 cases, stage III in 9 cases, and stage IV in 1 case. Twelve patients were staged by double dose gadolinium-enhanced MRI, including stage I-II in 1 case, stage III in 1 case, and stage IV in 10 cases. Conclusion: Gadolinium-enhanced MRI was a single best imaging modality for neuroblastoma, most useful for distal to diaphragm metastasis, dumbbell tumor intraspinal extension, and bone marrow metastasis that was not detected by aspirate examination. Enhancement MRI was important in evaluating the therapy and was also helpful in assessing the therapeutic efficacy and relapse. 3D CEMRA helps demonstrate large vascular encasement and tumor erosion into important organs, and it is useful in assessing the respectability. Long examination time and lack in showing the characteristic calcium were the limitations
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Evaluation of exposure to cosmic radiation of flight crews of Lithuanian Airlines
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Morkunas, G.; Pilkyte, L.; Ereminas, D.
2003-01-01
In Lithuania the average annual effective dose due to cosmic radiation at the sea level is 0.38 mSv. The dose rate caused by cosmic radiation increases with altitude due to the decrease in attenuation of cosmic radiation by atmosphere. Dose rates altitudes of commercial flights are tens times higher than those at the sea level. For this reason people who frequently fly receive higher doses which might even be subject to legal regulations. The European Council Directive (96/29 EURATOM) on basic radiation safety standards requires that doses of air crews members be assessed and appropriate measures taken, depending on the assessment results. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential doses, which can be received by members of air crews of Lithuania Airlines. The assessment was done by performing measurements and calculations. Measurements were performed in flying aircraft by thermoluminescent detectors, Geiger Muller counters and neutron rem counter. Such an approach lead to evaluation of doses due to directly ionizing particles and neutrons. Calculations were done with the help of the code CARI-6M. Such parameters as flight route, solar activity, duration and altitudes of flight were taken into account. Doses received during different flights and in different air crafts were assessed. The results of measurements and calculations were compared and differences discussed. The results were also compared with the data obtained in other similar studies. It was found that the highest doses are received in flights to Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt by aircraft B737. A number of flights causing annual doses higher than 1 mSv was estimated. Despite the fact that only European flights are operated by Lithuanian Airlines the dose of 1 mSv may be exceeded under some circumstances. If it happens some radiation protection measures shall be taken. These measures are also discussed. (author)
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Flight Tasks and Metrics to Evaluate Laser Eye Protection in Flight Simulators
2017-07-07
IFR ) IFR Instrument Flight Rules LED Light Emitting Diode LEP Laser Eye Protection MAPP Model Assessing Pilot Performance OD Optical Density...LEP and then use them to assess the impact of wearing LEP in a flight simulator environment. 2 Pending Distribution, A: Approved for public...2005). LEP has the potential to alter distinct characteristics of the visual environment, giving rise to concerns over the impact on flight tasks and
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ACSYNT inner loop flight control design study
Bortins, Richard; Sorensen, John A.
1993-01-01
The NASA Ames Research Center developed the Aircraft Synthesis (ACSYNT) computer program to synthesize conceptual future aircraft designs and to evaluate critical performance metrics early in the design process before significant resources are committed and cost decisions made. ACSYNT uses steady-state performance metrics, such as aircraft range, payload, and fuel consumption, and static performance metrics, such as the control authority required for the takeoff rotation and for landing with an engine out, to evaluate conceptual aircraft designs. It can also optimize designs with respect to selected criteria and constraints. Many modern aircraft have stability provided by the flight control system rather than by the airframe. This may allow the aircraft designer to increase combat agility, or decrease trim drag, for increased range and payload. This strategy requires concurrent design of the airframe and the flight control system, making trade-offs of performance and dynamics during the earliest stages of design. ACSYNT presently lacks means to implement flight control system designs but research is being done to add methods for predicting rotational degrees of freedom and control effector performance. A software module to compute and analyze the dynamics of the aircraft and to compute feedback gains and analyze closed loop dynamics is required. The data gained from these analyses can then be fed back to the aircraft design process so that the effects of the flight control system and the airframe on aircraft performance can be included as design metrics. This report presents results of a feasibility study and the initial design work to add an inner loop flight control system (ILFCS) design capability to the stability and control module in ACSYNT. The overall objective is to provide a capability for concurrent design of the aircraft and its flight control system, and enable concept designers to improve performance by exploiting the interrelationships between
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Evaluation of an Internet, Stage-Based Physical Activity Intervention.
Hager, Ronald L.; Hardy, Aaron; Aldana, Steven G.; George, James D.
2002-01-01
Evaluated the impact of online, stage-based materials on exercise behavior and stage of readiness to change. College faculty participated in stage-based, action-message, or control groups. Occupational and leisure activity, 7-day physical activity, exercise self-efficacy, and stage of readiness to change were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks.…
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Piloted Simulator Evaluation Results of Flight Physics Based Stall Recovery Guidance
Lombaerts, Thomas; Schuet, Stefan; Stepanyan, Vahram; Kaneshige, John; Hardy, Gordon; Shish, Kimberlee; Robinson, Peter
2018-01-01
In recent studies, it has been observed that loss of control in flight is the most frequent primary cause of accidents. A significant share of accidents in this category can be remedied by upset prevention if possible, and by upset recovery if necessary, in this order of priorities. One of the most important upsets to be recovered from is stall. Recent accidents have shown that a correct stall recovery maneuver remains a big challenge in civil aviation, partly due to a lack of pilot training. A possible strategy to support the flight crew in this demanding context is calculating a recovery guidance signal, and showing this signal in an intuitive way on one of the cockpit displays, for example by means of the flight director. Different methods for calculating the recovery signal, one based on fast model predictive control and another using an energy based approach, have been evaluated in four relevant operational scenarios by experienced commercial as well as test pilots in the Vertical Motion Simulator at NASA Ames Research Center. Evaluation results show that this approach could be able to assist the pilots in executing a correct stall recovery maneuver.
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Evaluation of lymph node numbers for adequate staging of Stage II and III colon cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bumpers Harvey L
2011-05-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Although evaluation of at least 12 lymph nodes (LNs is recommended as the minimum number of nodes required for accurate staging of colon cancer patients, there is disagreement on what constitutes an adequate identification of such LNs. Methods To evaluate the minimum number of LNs for adequate staging of Stage II and III colon cancer, 490 patients were categorized into groups based on 1-6, 7-11, 12-19, and ≥ 20 LNs collected. Results For patients with Stage II or III disease, examination of 12 LNs was not significantly associated with recurrence or mortality. For Stage II (HR = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.12-0.91, but not for Stage III patients (HR = 1.59; 95% CI, 0.54-4.64, examination of ≥20 LNs was associated with a reduced risk of recurrence within 2 years. However, examination of ≥20 LNs had a 55% (Stage II, HR = 0.45; 95% CI, 0.23-0.87 and a 31% (Stage III, HR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.38-1.26 decreased risk of mortality, respectively. For each six additional LNs examined from Stage III patients, there was a 19% increased probability of finding a positive LN (parameter estimate = 0.18510, p Conclusions Thus, the 12 LN cut-off point cannot be supported as requisite in determining adequate staging of colon cancer based on current data. However, a minimum of 6 LNs should be examined for adequate staging of Stage II and III colon cancer patients.
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Flight code validation simulator
Sims, Brent A.
1996-05-01
An End-To-End Simulation capability for software development and validation of missile flight software on the actual embedded computer has been developed utilizing a 486 PC, i860 DSP coprocessor, embedded flight computer and custom dual port memory interface hardware. This system allows real-time interrupt driven embedded flight software development and checkout. The flight software runs in a Sandia Digital Airborne Computer and reads and writes actual hardware sensor locations in which Inertial Measurement Unit data resides. The simulator provides six degree of freedom real-time dynamic simulation, accurate real-time discrete sensor data and acts on commands and discretes from the flight computer. This system was utilized in the development and validation of the successful premier flight of the Digital Miniature Attitude Reference System in January of 1995 at the White Sands Missile Range on a two stage attitude controlled sounding rocket.
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Injection of a microsatellite in circular orbits using a three-stage launch vehicle
Marchi, L. O.; Murcia, J. O.; Prado, A. F. B. A.; Solórzano, C. R. H.
2017-10-01
The injection of a satellite into orbit is usually done by a multi-stage launch vehicle. Nowadays, the space market demonstrates a strong tendency towards the use of smaller satellites, because the miniaturization of the systems improve the cost/benefit of a mission. A study to evaluate the capacity of the Brazilian Microsatellite Launch Vehicle (VLM) to inject payloads into Low Earth Orbits is presented in this paper. All launches are selected to be made to the east side of the Alcântara Launch Center (CLA). The dynamical model to calculate the trajectory consists of the three degrees of freedom (3DOF) associated with the translational movement of the rocket. Several simulations are performed according to a set of restrictions imposed to the flight. The altitude reached in the separation of the second stage, the altitude and velocity of injection, the flight path angle at the moment of the activation of the third stage and the duration of the ballistic flight are presented as a function of the payload carried.
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In-flight evaluation of aerodynamic predictions of an air-launched space booster
Curry, Robert E.; Mendenhall, Michael R.; Moulton, Bryan
1993-01-01
Several analytical aerodynamic design tools that were applied to the Pegasus air-launched space booster were evaluated using flight measurements. The study was limited to existing codes and was conducted with limited computational resources. The flight instrumentation was constrained to have minimal impact on the primary Pegasus missions. Where appropriate, the flight measurements were compared with computational data. Aerodynamic performance and trim data from the first two flights were correlated with predictions. Local measurements in the wing and wing-body interference region were correlated with analytical data. This complex flow region includes the effect of aerothermal heating magnification caused by the presence of a corner vortex and interaction of the wing leading edge shock and fuselage boundary layer. The operation of the first two missions indicates that the aerodynamic design approach for Pegasus was adequate, and data show that acceptable margins were available. Additionally, the correlations provide insight into the capabilities of these analytical tools for more complex vehicles in which design margins may be more stringent.
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Ares I Flight Control System Design
Jang, Jiann-Woei; Alaniz, Abran; Hall, Robert; Bedrossian, Nazareth; Hall, Charles; Ryan, Stephen; Jackson, Mark
2010-01-01
The Ares I launch vehicle represents a challenging flex-body structural environment for flight control system design. This paper presents a design methodology for employing numerical optimization to develop the Ares I flight control system. The design objectives include attitude tracking accuracy and robust stability with respect to rigid body dynamics, propellant slosh, and flex. Under the assumption that the Ares I time-varying dynamics and control system can be frozen over a short period of time, the flight controllers are designed to stabilize all selected frozen-time launch control systems in the presence of parametric uncertainty. Flex filters in the flight control system are designed to minimize the flex components in the error signals before they are sent to the attitude controller. To ensure adequate response to guidance command, step response specifications are introduced as constraints in the optimization problem. Imposing these constraints minimizes performance degradation caused by the addition of the flex filters. The first stage bending filter design achieves stability by adding lag to the first structural frequency to phase stabilize the first flex mode while gain stabilizing the higher modes. The upper stage bending filter design gain stabilizes all the flex bending modes. The flight control system designs provided here have been demonstrated to provide stable first and second stage control systems in both Draper Ares Stability Analysis Tool (ASAT) and the MSFC 6DOF nonlinear time domain simulation.
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Evaluation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Flight Trajectory Accuracy
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ramūnas Kikutis
2014-12-01
Full Text Available Today small unmanned aircraft are being more widely adapted for practical tasks. These tasks require high reliability and flight path accuracy. For such aircraft we have to deal with the chalenge how to compensate external factors and how to ensure the accuracy of the flight trajectory according to new regulations and standards. In this paper, new regulations for the flights of small unmanned aircraft in Lithuanian air space are discussed. Main factors, which affect errors of the autonomous flight path tracking, are discussed too. The emphasis is on the wind factor and the flight path of Dubbin’s trajectories. Research was performed with mathematical-dynamic model of UAV and it was compared with theoretical calculations. All calculations and experiments were accomplished for the circular part of Dubbin’s paths when the airplane was trimmed for circular trajectory flight in calm conditions. Further, for such flight the wind influence was analysed.
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The use of vestibular models for design and evaluation of flight simulator motion
Bussolari, Steven R.; Young, Laurence R.; Lee, Alfred T.
1989-01-01
Quantitative models for the dynamics of the human vestibular system are applied to the design and evaluation of flight simulator platform motion. An optimal simulator motion control algorithm is generated to minimize the vector difference between perceived spatial orientation estimated in flight and in simulation. The motion controller has been implemented on the Vertical Motion Simulator at NASA Ames Research Center and evaluated experimentally through measurement of pilot performance and subjective rating during VTOL aircraft simulation. In general, pilot performance in a longitudinal tracking task (formation flight) did not appear to be sensitive to variations in platform motion condition as long as motion was present. However, pilot assessment of motion fidelity by means of a rating scale designed for this purpose, were sensitive to motion controller design. Platform motion generated with the optimal motion controller was found to be generally equivalent to that generated by conventional linear crossfeed washout. The vestibular models are used to evaluate the motion fidelity of transport category aircraft (Boeing 727) simulation in a pilot performance and simulator acceptability study at the Man-Vehicle Systems Research Facility at NASA Ames Research Center. Eighteen airline pilots, currently flying B-727, were given a series of flight scenarios in the simulator under various conditions of simulator motion. The scenarios were chosen to reflect the flight maneuvers that these pilots might expect to be given during a routine pilot proficiency check. Pilot performance and subjective rating of simulator fidelity was relatively insensitive to the motion condition, despite large differences in the amplitude of motion provided. This lack of sensitivity may be explained by means of the vestibular models, which predict little difference in the modeled motion sensations of the pilots when different motion conditions are imposed.
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EVALUATION OF LIVER FAILURE STAGE IN CHILDREN
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
G. V. Volynets
2013-01-01
Full Text Available Aim: to develop a system of evaluation of liver failure stage in children based on the International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF. Patients and methods: based on the retrospective analysis of 14 biochemical markers, characterizing hepatic role in proteins, lipids and carbohydrates metabolism, of 115 children without liver diseases, 15 children who died of liver failure and 220 patients with various hepatic disorders, being followed-up in the SCCH of RAMS, a score system of evaluation of liver failure stage in children as an additional diagnostic tool was developed. Each of the biochemical markers was assessed according to the 5-point rating scale in dependence of its changes intensity. Results: the sum of points was considered to be a criterion of liver failure stage. According to the ICF recommendations, decrease of points on 0–4% (54–56 points corresponds with absence of liver failure; 5–24% (43–53 points — as mild dysfunction, 25–49% (29–42 points — as moderate; 50-95% (3–28 points — as severe; and 96–100% (0-2 points — as absolute failure. Conclusions: score system of evaluation of liver failure stage can be applied at any step of diagnostics and treatment of children of any age, due to independence of the used markers from the age. It can be used in assessment of the severity of disorder in dynamics, in determination of the prognosis and as criterion of indications to liver transplantation, as well as during medico-social examination.
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Shteyne, B. A.; Nevzgodina, L. V.; Miller, A. T.
1982-01-01
The effects of space flight factors on lettuce seeds aboard the Kosmos-936 and Kosmos-1129 satellites for 20 days were studied. The phytochrome dependent (PD) reaction of light sensitive seeds was a sensitive criterion for evaluating the biological effects of space flight factors. The PD reaction of air dry lettuce seeds was suppressed after space flight, especially if the seeds were exposed to open space during the flight. Space flight affects the physiological activity of both phytochrome forms, and both the phi sub 730 dependent reactions of lettuce seeds were suppressed.
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Schutte, Paul; Goodrich, Kenneth; Williams, Ralph
2012-01-01
The control automation and interaction paradigm (e.g., manual, autopilot, flight management system) used on virtually all large highly automated aircraft has long been an exemplar of breakdowns in human factors and human-centered design. An alternative paradigm is the Haptic Flight Control System (HFCS) that is part of NASA Langley Research Center s Naturalistic Flight Deck Concept. The HFCS uses only stick and throttle for easily and intuitively controlling the actual flight of the aircraft without losing any of the efficiency and operational benefits of the current paradigm. Initial prototypes of the HFCS are being evaluated and this paper describes one such evaluation. In this evaluation we examined claims regarding improved situation awareness, appropriate workload, graceful degradation, and improved pilot acceptance. Twenty-four instrument-rated pilots were instructed to plan and fly four different flights in a fictitious airspace using a moderate fidelity desktop simulation. Three different flight control paradigms were tested: Manual control, Full Automation control, and a simplified version of the HFCS. Dependent variables included both subjective (questionnaire) and objective (SAGAT) measures of situation awareness, workload (NASA-TLX), secondary task performance, time to recognize automation failures, and pilot preference (questionnaire). The results showed a statistically significant advantage for the HFCS in a number of measures. Results that were not statistically significant still favored the HFCS. The results suggest that the HFCS does offer an attractive and viable alternative to the tactical components of today s FMS/autopilot control system. The paper describes further studies that are planned to continue to evaluate the HFCS.
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Flight-Test Evaluation of Kinematic Precise Point Positioning of Small UAVs
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jason N. Gross
2016-01-01
Full Text Available An experimental analysis of Global Positioning System (GPS flight data collected onboard a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (SUAV is conducted in order to demonstrate that postprocessed kinematic Precise Point Positioning (PPP solutions with precisions approximately 6 cm 3D Residual Sum of Squares (RSOS can be obtained on SUAVs that have short duration flights with limited observational periods (i.e., only ~≤5 minutes of data. This is a significant result for the UAV flight testing community because an important and relevant benefit of the PPP technique over traditional Differential GPS (DGPS techniques, such as Real-Time Kinematic (RTK, is that there is no requirement for maintaining a short baseline separation to a differential GNSS reference station. Because SUAVs are an attractive platform for applications such as aerial surveying, precision agriculture, and remote sensing, this paper offers an experimental evaluation of kinematic PPP estimation strategies using SUAV platform data. In particular, an analysis is presented in which the position solutions that are obtained from postprocessing recorded UAV flight data with various PPP software and strategies are compared to solutions that were obtained using traditional double-differenced ambiguity fixed carrier-phase Differential GPS (CP-DGPS. This offers valuable insight to assist designers of SUAV navigation systems whose applications require precise positioning.
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Kozin, O V
2009-01-01
The objective of the present paper is to review the main stages of investigations into the mechanisms of occupational loss of hearing in the light personnel of civilian aviation starting from the early period in the development of aviation (the first decades of the XXth century) up to the present time. Much attention is given to clinical and audiologic studies involving the flight personnel, elaboration of guidelines and instructions on elucidation, diagnosis, and expert examination of occupational deafness in the personnel of civilian aviation. Prospects for handling the problem in this country are discussed.
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Ultrasonic divergent-beam scanner for time-of-flight tomography with computer evaluation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Glover, G H
1978-03-02
The rotatable ultrasonic divergent-beam scanner is designed for time-of-flight tomography with computer evaluation. With it there can be measured parameters that are of importance for the structure of soft tissues, e.g. time as a function of the velocity distribution along a certain path of flight(the method is analogous to the transaxial X-ray tomography). Moreover it permits to perform the quantitative measurement of two-dimensional velocity distributions and may therefore be applied to serial examinations for detecting cancer of the breast. As computers digital memories as well as analog-digital-hybrid systems are suitable.
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Laughlin, M. S.; Murray, J. D.; Wear, M. L.; Van Baalen, M.
2016-01-01
INTRODUCTION Back pain during spaceflight has often been attributed to the lengthening of the spinal column due to the absence of gravity during both short and long-duration missions. Upon landing and re-adaptation to gravity, the spinal column reverts back to its original length thereby causing some individuals to experience pain and muscular spasms, while others experience no ill effects. With International Space Station (ISS) missions, cases of back pain and injury are more common post-flight, but little is known about the potential risk factors. Thus, the purpose of this project was to perform an initial evaluation of reported post-flight back pain and injury cases to relevant spaceflight risk factors in United States astronauts that have completed an ISS mission. METHODS All US astronauts who completed an ISS mission between Expeditions (EXP) 1 and 41 (2000-2015) were included in this evaluation. Forty-five astronauts (36 males and 9 females) completed 50 ISS missions during the study time period, as 5 astronauts completed 2 ISS missions. Researchers queried medical records of the 45 astronauts for occurrences of back pain and injury. A case was defined as any reported event of back pain or injury to the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, or coccyx spine regions. Data sources for the cases included the Flight Medicine Clinic's electronic medical record; Astronaut Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation electronic documentation; the Private Medical Conference tool; and the Space Medicine Operations Team records. Post-flight cases were classified as an early case if reported within 45 days of landing (R + 45) or a late case if reported from R + 46 to R + 365 days after landing (R + 1y). Risk factors in the astronaut population for back pain include age, sex, prior military service, and prior history of back pain. Additionally, spaceflight specific risk factors such as type of landing vehicle and onboard exercise countermeasures were included to evaluate their
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Clausen, Kevin Kuhlmann; Clausen, Preben; Hounisen, Jens Peder
2013-01-01
Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite telemetry was used to determine the foraging range, habitat use and minimum flight distances for individual East Atlantic Light-bellied Brent Geese Branta bernicla hrota at two spring staging areas in Denmark. Foraging ranges (mean ± s.d. = 53.0 ± 23.4 km...
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Tuey, Richard C.; Lane, Robert; Hart, Susan V.
1995-01-01
The NASA Scientific and Technical Information Office was assigned the responsibility to continue with the expansion of the NASAwide networked electronic duplicating effort by including the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) as an additional node to the existing configuration of networked electronic duplicating systems within NASA. The subject of this report is the evaluation of a networked electronic duplicating system which meets the duplicating requirements and expands electronic publishing capabilities without increasing current operating costs. This report continues the evaluation reported in 'NASA Electronic Publishing System - Electronic Printing and Duplicating Evaluation Report' (NASA TM-106242) and 'NASA Electronic Publishing System - Stage 1 Evaluation Report' (NASA TM-106510). This report differs from the previous reports through the inclusion of an external networked desktop editing, archival, and publishing functionality which did not exist with the previous networked electronic duplicating system. Additionally, a two-phase approach to the evaluation was undertaken; the first was a paper study justifying a 90-day, on-site evaluation, and the second phase was to validate, during the 90-day evaluation, the cost benefits and productivity increases that could be achieved in an operational mode. A benchmark of the functionality of the networked electronic publishing system and external networked desktop editing, archival, and publishing system was performed under a simulated daily production environment. This report can be used to guide others in determining the most cost effective duplicating/publishing alternative through the use of cost/benefit analysis and return on investment techniques. A treatise on the use of these techniques can be found by referring to 'NASA Electronic Publishing System -Cost/Benefit Methodology' (NASA TM-106662).
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Quick pace of property acquisitions requires two-stage evaluations
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hollo, R.; Lockwood, S.
1994-01-01
The traditional method of evaluating oil and gas reserves may be too cumbersome for the quick pace of oil and gas property acquisition. An acquisition evaluator must decide quickly if a property meets basic purchase criteria. The current business climate requires a two-stage approach. First, the evaluator makes a quick assessment of the property and submits a bid. If the bid is accepted then the evaluator goes on with a detailed analysis, which represents the second stage. Acquisition of producing properties has become an important activity for many independent oil and gas producers, who must be able to evaluate reserves quickly enough to make effective business decisions yet accurately enough to avoid costly mistakes. Independent thus must be familiar with how transactions usually progress as well as with the basic methods of property evaluation. The paper discusses acquisition activity, the initial offer, the final offer, property evaluation, and fair market value
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ASKA STOL research aircraft flight tests and evaluation. STOL jikkenki Asuka'' no hiko shiken kekka
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kuriyama, M; Inoue, T; Tobinaga, Y; Tsuji, H [Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)
1991-07-20
The present report evaluated the powered high-lift device (PHLD) distance of upper surface blowing (USB) system, basing the materialization of short distance take-off and landing (STOL) performance, one of the main flight test purposes by the Aska'', quiet STOL research aircraft, which evaluation was then added with reporting its flight test result to cover several topics. As prototypical, a C-1 tactical transport aircraft produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries was modified to the aska'' together with the following change in design for the STOL flight test: Adoption was made of a PHLD of USB system where the wing surface was mounted with four turbofan jet engines thereon. Application was made of a boundary layer control (BLC) to the main wing leading edge and aileron. Mounting was made of a stability and control augmentation system (SCAS) using a triple system digital computer. Fitting was made of a vortex generator for the prevention from peeling by jet exhaust. As a result of flight test, the recorded distance was confirmed to be 1580ft in landing and 1670ft in take-off. 5 refs., 15 figs., 2 tabs.
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F-16XL ship #1 (#849) during first flight of the Digital Flight Control System (DFCS)
1997-01-01
After completing its first flight with the Digital Flight Control System on December 16, 1997, the F-16XL #1 aircraft began a series of envelope expansion flights. On January 27 and 29, 1998, it successfully completed structural clearance tests, as well as most of the load testing Only flights at Mach 1.05 at 10,000 feet, Mach 1.1 at 15,000 feet, and Mach 1.2 at 20,000 feet remained. During the next flight, on February 4, an instrumentation problem cut short the planned envelope expansion tests. After the problem was corrected, the F-16XL returned to flight status, and on February 18 and 20, flight control and evaluation flights were made. Two more research flights were planned for the following week, but another problem appeared. During the ground start up, project personnel noticed that the leading edge flap moved without being commanded. The Digital Flight Control Computer was sent to the Lockheed-Martin facility at Fort Worth, where the problem was traced to a defective chip in the computer. After it was replaced, the F-16XL #1 flew a highly successful flight controls and handling qualities evaluation flight on March 26, clearing the way for the final tests. The final limited loads expansion flight occurred on March 31, and was fully successful. As a result, the on-site Lockheed-Martin loads engineer cleared the aircraft to Mach 1.8. The remaining two handling qualities and flight control evaluation flights were both made on April 3, 1998. These three flights concluded the flight test portion of the DFCS upgrade.
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Management Process of a Frequency Response Flight Test for Rotorcraft Flying Qualities Evaluation
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
João Otávio Falcão Arantes Filho
2016-07-01
Full Text Available This paper applies the frequency response methodology to characterize and analyze the flying qualities of longitudinal and lateral axes of a rotary-wing aircraft, AS355-F2. Using the results, it is possible to check the suitability of the aircraft in accordance with ADS-33E-PRF standard, whose flying qualities specifications criteria are based on parameters in the frequency domain. The key steps addressed in the study involve getting, by means of flight test data, the closed-loop dynamic responses including the design of the instrumentation and specification of the sensors to be used in the flight test campaign, the definition of the appropriate maneuvers characteristics for excitation of the aircraft, the planning and execution of the flight test to collect the data, and the proper data treatment, processing and analysis after the flight. After treatment of the collected data, single input-single output spectral analysis is performed. The results permit the analysis of the flying qualities characteristics, anticipation of the demands to which the pilot will be subjected during closed-loop evaluations and check of compliance with the aforementioned standard, within the range of consistent excitation frequencies for flight tests, setting the agility level of the test aircraft.
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Burcham, Frank W., Jr.; Kaneshige, John; Bull, John; Maine, Trindel A.
1999-01-01
With the advent of digital engine control systems, considering the use of engine thrust for emergency flight control has become feasible. Many incidents have occurred in which engine thrust supplemented or replaced normal aircraft flight controls. In most of these cases, a crash has resulted, and more than 1100 lives have been lost. The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has developed a propulsion-controlled aircraft (PCA) system in which computer-controlled engine thrust provides emergency flight control capability. Using this PCA system, an F-15 and an MD-11 airplane have been landed without using any flight controls. In simulations, C-17, B-757, and B-747 PCA systems have also been evaluated successfully. These tests used full-authority digital electronic control systems on the engines. Developing simpler PCA systems that can operate without full-authority engine control, thus allowing PCA technology to be installed on less capable airplanes or at lower cost, is also a desire. Studies have examined simplified ?PCA Ultralite? concepts in which thrust control is provided using an autothrottle system supplemented by manual differential throttle control. Some of these concepts have worked well. The PCA Ultralite study results are presented for simulation tests of MD-11, B-757, C-17, and B-747 aircraft.
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Ares I Flight Control System Overview
Hall, Charles; Lee, Chong; Jackson, Mark; Whorton, Mark; West, mark; Brandon, Jay; Hall, Rob A.; Jang, Jimmy; Bedrossian, Naz; Compton, Jimmy;
2008-01-01
This paper describes the control challenges posed by the Ares I vehicle, the flight control system design and performance analyses used to test and verify the design. The major challenges in developing the control system are structural dynamics, dynamic effects from the powerful first stage booster, aerodynamics, first stage separation and large uncertainties in the dynamic models for all these. Classical control techniques were employed using innovative methods for structural mode filter design and an anti-drift feature to compensate for translational and rotational disturbances. This design was coded into an integrated vehicle flight simulation and tested by Monte Carlo methods. The product of this effort is a linear, robust controller design that is easy to implement, verify and test.
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Flight Test Implementation of a Second Generation Intelligent Flight Control System
Williams-Hayes, Peggy S.
2005-01-01
The NASA F-15 Intelligent Flight Control System project team has developed a series of flight control concepts designed to demonstrate the benefits of a neural network-based adaptive controller. The objective of the team was to develop and flight-test control systems that use neural network technology, to optimize the performance of the aircraft under nominal conditions, and to stabilize the aircraft under failure conditions. Failure conditions include locked or failed control surfaces as well as unforeseen damage that might occur to the aircraft in flight. The Intelligent Flight Control System team is currently in the process of implementing a second generation control scheme, collectively known as Generation 2 or Gen 2, for flight testing on the NASA F-15 aircraft. This report describes the Gen 2 system as implemented by the team for flight test evaluation. Simulation results are shown which describe the experiment to be performed in flight and highlight the ways in which the Gen 2 system meets the defined objectives.
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The ASAC Flight Segment and Network Cost Models
Kaplan, Bruce J.; Lee, David A.; Retina, Nusrat; Wingrove, Earl R., III; Malone, Brett; Hall, Stephen G.; Houser, Scott A.
1997-01-01
To assist NASA in identifying research art, with the greatest potential for improving the air transportation system, two models were developed as part of its Aviation System Analysis Capability (ASAC). The ASAC Flight Segment Cost Model (FSCM) is used to predict aircraft trajectories, resource consumption, and variable operating costs for one or more flight segments. The Network Cost Model can either summarize the costs for a network of flight segments processed by the FSCM or can be used to independently estimate the variable operating costs of flying a fleet of equipment given the number of departures and average flight stage lengths.
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Present stage evaluation of Furnas calculus methodology qualification
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1987-07-01
This technical note is about the present stage evaluation of FURNAS Calculus Methodology Qualification related to reload licensing process and licensing support of operation questions of Angra 1 NPP concerning transient and Core ThermalHydraulic areas. (Author) [pt
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Integrated Test and Evaluation Flight Test 3 Flight Test Plan
Marston, Michael Lawrence
2015-01-01
The desire and ability to fly Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) is of increasing urgency. The application of unmanned aircraft to perform national security, defense, scientific, and emergency management are driving the critical need for less restrictive access by UAS to the NAS. UAS represent a new capability that will provide a variety of services in the government (public) and commercial (civil) aviation sectors. The growth of this potential industry has not yet been realized due to the lack of a common understanding of what is required to safely operate UAS in the NAS. NASA's UAS Integration into the NAS Project is conducting research in the areas of Separation Assurance/Sense and Avoid Interoperability, Human Systems Integration (HSI), and Communication to support reducing the barriers of UAS access to the NAS. This research is broken into two research themes namely, UAS Integration and Test Infrastructure. UAS Integration focuses on airspace integration procedures and performance standards to enable UAS integration in the air transportation system, covering Sense and Avoid (SAA) performance standards, command and control performance standards, and human systems integration. The focus of Test Infrastructure is to enable development and validation of airspace integration procedures and performance standards, including the integrated test and evaluation. In support of the integrated test and evaluation efforts, the Project will develop an adaptable, scalable, and schedulable relevant test environment capable of evaluating concepts and technologies for unmanned aircraft systems to safely operate in the NAS. To accomplish this task, the Project will conduct a series of Human-in-the-Loop and Flight Test activities that integrate key concepts, technologies and/or procedures in a relevant air traffic environment. Each of the integrated events will build on the technical achievements, fidelity and complexity of the previous tests and
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Evaluation Study for Secondary Stage EFL Textbook: EFL Teachers' Perspectives
Al Harbi, Abdullah Abdul Muhsen
2017-01-01
This study aimed at evaluating EFL textbook for secondary stage in Saudi Public schools. Participants consisted of (100) male teachers and (73) female teachers teaching secondary stage students in two cities: Madinah and Dowadmi. The tool of the study designed to cover five dimensions: layout and design, the objectives of the textbook, teaching…
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hrasnova, E.
2015-01-01
In this paper author deals with following aspects: 1. Introduction of company Nuclear and Decommissioning Company, plc; 2. Evaluation of the I. stage of decommissioning and implementation of the II. Stage of decommissioning of NPP V1; (author)
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Forelimb posture in dinosaurs and the evolution of the avian flapping flight-stroke.
Nudds, Robert L; Dyke, Gareth J
2009-04-01
Ontogenetic and behavioral studies using birds currently do not document the early evolution of flight because birds (including juveniles) used in such studies employ forelimb oscillation frequencies over 10 Hz, forelimb stroke-angles in excess of 130 degrees , and possess uniquely avian flight musculatures. Living birds are an advanced morphological stage in the development of flapping flight. To gain insight into the early stages of flight evolution (i.e., prebird), in the absence of a living analogue, a new approach using Strouhal number was used. Strouhal number is a nondimensional number that describes the relationship between wing-stroke amplitude (A), wing-beat frequency (f), and flight speed (U). Calculations indicated that even moderate wing movements are enough to generate rudimentary thrust and that a propulsive flapping flight-stroke could have evolved via gradual incremental changes in wing movement and wing morphology. More fundamental to the origin of the avian flapping flight-stroke is the question of how a symmetrical forelimb posture-required for gliding and flapping flight-evolved from an alternating forelimb motion, evident in all extant bipeds when running except birds.
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1960-01-01
This photograph shows the intense smoke and fire created by the five F-1 engines from a test firing of the Saturn V first stage (S-1C) in the S-1C test stand at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.
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Flight testing a propulsion-controlled aircraft emergency flight control system on an F-15 airplane
Burcham, F. W., Jr.; Burken, John; Maine, Trindel A.
1994-01-01
Flight tests of a propulsion-controlled aircraft (PCA) system on an F-15 airplane have been conducted at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The airplane was flown with all flight control surfaces locked both in the manual throttles-only mode and in an augmented system mode. In the latter mode, pilot thumbwheel commands and aircraft feedback parameters were used to position the throttles. Flight evaluation results showed that the PCA system can be used to land an airplane that has suffered a major flight control system failure safely. The PCA system was used to recover the F-15 airplane from a severe upset condition, descend, and land. Pilots from NASA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace evaluated the PCA system and were favorably impressed with its capability. Manual throttles-only approaches were unsuccessful. This paper describes the PCA system operation and testing. It also presents flight test results and pilot comments.
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PET-CT in Staging, Response Evaluation, and Surveillance of Lymphoma.
Thanarajasingam, Gita; Bennani-Baiti, Nabila; Thompson, Carrie A
2016-05-01
Lymphoma represents a broad spectrum of diseases with diverse biology, clinical behavior, and imaging features. Functional imaging with 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET-CT) is widely recognized as the most sensitive and specific imaging modality for patients with lymphoma and is used as part of staging, response evaluation, and surveillance in patients with Hodgkin (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Recent efforts at standardizing the conduct and consensus interpretation of PET-CT have facilitated its use in patients on clinical studies and beyond. The role of PET-CT has been affirmed in some clinical situations, such as staging and end-of-treatment evaluation in Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and in the evaluation of aggressive transformation of an indolent lymphoma. However, the role of functional imaging in other histologies and clinical settings is not as clear given the higher rate of false positive results and the costs inherent to PET-CT. There is little evidence to suggest its utility or impact on outcome in most indolent lymphomas, or in the setting of post-treatment surveillance. In addition, there remains controversy about the value of PET-CT in early response assessment during active therapy, particularly in DLBCL. This review will evaluate the evidence surrounding the role of PET-CT in staging, response evaluation and surveillance of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
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Multimodal imaging evaluation in staging of rectal cancer
Heo, Suk Hee; Kim, Jin Woong; Shin, Sang Soo; Jeong, Yong Yeon; Kang, Heoung-Keun
2014-01-01
Rectal cancer is a common cancer and a major cause of mortality in Western countries. Accurate staging is essential for determining the optimal treatment strategies and planning appropriate surgical procedures to control rectal cancer. Endorectal ultrasonography (EUS) is suitable for assessing the extent of tumor invasion, particularly in early-stage or superficial rectal cancer cases. In advanced cases with distant metastases, computed tomography (CT) is the primary approach used to evaluate the disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often used to assess preoperative staging and the circumferential resection margin involvement, which assists in evaluating a patient’s risk of recurrence and their optimal therapeutic strategy. Positron emission tomography (PET)-CT may be useful in detecting occult synchronous tumors or metastases at the time of initial presentation. Restaging after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) remains a challenge with all modalities because it is difficult to reliably differentiate between the tumor mass and other radiation-induced changes in the images. EUS does not appear to have a useful role in post-therapeutic response assessments. Although CT is most commonly used to evaluate treatment responses, its utility for identifying and following-up metastatic lesions is limited. Preoperative high-resolution MRI in combination with diffusion-weighted imaging, and/or PET-CT could provide valuable prognostic information for rectal cancer patients with locally advanced disease receiving preoperative CRT. Based on these results, we conclude that a combination of multimodal imaging methods should be used to precisely assess the restaging of rectal cancer following CRT. PMID:24764662
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Williams, David E.; Labuda, Laura
2009-01-01
The International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) system comprises of seven subsystems: Atmosphere Control and Supply (ACS), Atmosphere Revitalization (AR), Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS), Temperature and Humidity Control (THC), Vacuum System (VS), Water Recovery and Management (WRM), and Waste Management (WM). This paper provides a summary of the nominal operation of the United States (U.S.) Laboratory Module WRM design and detailed element methodologies utilized during the Qualification phase of the U.S. Laboratory Module prior to launch and the Qualification of all of the modification kits added to it from Flight 5A up and including Stage ULF2.
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Hanson, Curt; Miller, Chris; Wall, John H.; VanZwieten, Tannen S.; Gilligan, Eric T.; Orr, Jeb S.
2015-01-01
An Adaptive Augmenting Control (AAC) algorithm for the Space Launch System (SLS) has been developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as part of the launch vehicle's baseline flight control system. A prototype version of the SLS flight control software was hosted on a piloted aircraft at the Armstrong Flight Research Center to demonstrate the adaptive controller on a full-scale realistic application in a relevant flight environment. Concerns regarding adverse interactions between the adaptive controller and a potential manual steering mode were also investigated by giving the pilot trajectory deviation cues and pitch rate command authority, which is the subject of this paper. Two NASA research pilots flew a total of 25 constant pitch rate trajectories using a prototype manual steering mode with and without adaptive control, evaluating six different nominal and off-nominal test case scenarios. Pilot comments and PIO ratings were given following each trajectory and correlated with aircraft state data and internal controller signals post-flight.
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Wiegmann, Douglas A; Goh, Juliana; O'Hare, David
2002-01-01
Visual flight rules (VFR) flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) is a major safety hazard in general aviation. In this study we examined pilots' decisions to continue or divert from a VFR flight into IMC during a dynamic simulation of a cross-country flight. Pilots encountered IMC either early or later into the flight, and the amount of time and distance pilots flew into the adverse weather prior to diverting was recorded. Results revealed that pilots who encountered the deteriorating weather earlier in the flight flew longer into the weather prior to diverting and had more optimistic estimates of weather conditions than did pilots who encountered the deteriorating weather later in the flight. Both the time and distance traveled into the weather prior to diverting were negatively correlated with pilots' previous flight experience. These findings suggest that VFR flight into IMC may be attributable, at least in part, to poor situation assessment and experience rather than to motivational judgment that induces risk-taking behavior as more time and effort are invested in a flight. Actual or potential applications of this research include the design of interventions that focus on improving weather evaluation skills in addition to addressing risk-taking attitudes.
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Cost Evaluation of Haemodialysis for End Stage Renal Disease ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Cost Evaluation of Haemodialysis for End Stage Renal Disease Patients: Experience from Benin City, Nigeria. ... Annals of Biomedical Sciences ... Objectives: To assess the costs and use of haemodialysis in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital.
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Evaluating damping elements for two-stage suspension vehicles
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ronald M. Martinod R.
2012-01-01
Full Text Available The technical state of the damping elements for a vehicle having two-stage suspension was evaluated by using numerical models based on the multi-body system theory; a set of virtual tests used the eigenproblem mathematical method. A test was developed based on experimental modal analysis (EMA applied to a physical system as the basis for validating the numerical models. The study focused on evaluating vehicle dynamics to determine the influence of the dampers’ technical state in each suspension state.
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Aurora Flight Sciences' Perseus B Remotely Piloted Aircraft in Flight
1998-01-01
A long, slender wing and a pusher propeller at the rear characterize the Perseus B remotely piloted research aircraft, seen here during a test flight in June 1998. Perseus B is a remotely piloted aircraft developed as a design-performance testbed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Perseus is one of several flight vehicles involved in the ERAST project. A piston engine, propeller-powered aircraft, Perseus was designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia. The objectives of Perseus B's ERAST flight tests have been to reach and maintain horizontal flight above altitudes of 60,000 feet and demonstrate the capability to fly missions lasting from 8 to 24 hours, depending on payload and altitude requirements. The Perseus B aircraft established an unofficial altitude record for a single-engine, propeller-driven, remotely piloted aircraft on June 27, 1998. It reached an altitude of 60,280 feet. In 1999, several modifications were made to the Perseus aircraft including engine, avionics, and flight-control-system improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a series of operational readiness and test missions at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Perseus is a high-wing monoplane with a conventional tail design. Its narrow, straight, high-aspect-ratio wing is mounted atop the fuselage. The aircraft is pusher-designed with the propeller mounted in the rear. This design allows for interchangeable scientific-instrument payloads to be placed in the forward fuselage. The design also allows for unobstructed airflow to the sensors and other devices mounted in the payload compartment. The Perseus B that underwent test and development in 1999 was the third generation of the Perseus design, which began with the Perseus Proof-Of-Concept aircraft. Perseus was initially developed as part of NASA's Small High-Altitude Science Aircraft (SHASA) program, which later evolved into the ERAST
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Ichikawa, Yuta; Watanabe, Mamoru
2014-11-01
The wandering glider dragonfly Pantala flavescens migrates to Japan every spring, where the population increases until autumn, in which mass flights often occur, followed by death in the winter. There have been no reports to date on the maturation process of this species throughout its lifespan in Japan. We collected females from mass flights when the flight height was low, and classified them into seven age stages by examining their wing condition. Very few females of the older stage were collected from the mass flights. The wing condition corresponded with the change in body color and with the egg production process in the ovaries. While pre-reproductive-stage females did not release eggs when treated with our artificial oviposition technique, each reproductive-stage female released about 640 eggs. Nearly all eggs released were fertilized. The ovaries developed with the stage, and reproductive-stage females had about 1100 ovarioles. The estimated maximum fecundity was about 29,000 eggs. The lifetime number of eggs laid of P. flavescens should be revealed by dissection.
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Efficiency of Staging Work-Ups in the Evaluation of Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kim, Jae Sung; Ha, Sung Whan
1991-01-01
A series of 510 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix given the curative radiation therapy from March 1979 through December 1986 was evaluated to determine the value of intravenous pyelography(IVP), cystoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, and abdomino-pelvic CT as staging work-up prior to treatment. On IVP and cystoscopy, 10.7%(49/456) and 5/3%(24/452) showed abnormality, respectively, but only 0.7% (3/413) did on signoidoscopy. As a result of these work-ups prerequisite to FIGO staging, twenty six (5.1%) out of 510 patients were upstaged from the stage determined by the findings of physical examination alone. The proportions of upstaging in each stage were as follows none in stage IB(35), IIA (89) and IIIA(8), 7.9%(20/252) in stage IIB(14 patients to FIGO Stage IIIB, 6 patients to FIGO stage IVA), and 4.8% (6/126) in stage IIIB (all to FIGO stage IVA). Positive findings of staging work-ups were found only in patients with advanced stages of stage IIB or over determined by physical examination alone but not in those with earlier stages. CT was performed in 337 patients. CT detected pelvic lymph node (LN) enlargement in 25.2% (85/337) and paraaortic LN enlargement in 7.4% (25/337). Pelvic LN positivity was well correlated with increasing stage but paraaortic LN positivity was not. In the evaluation of parametrial involvement, CT findings were in accordance with those of physical examination only in 65.6%(442/674). When compared with endoscopic studies, CT had much lower positive predictive value than negative predictive value in the evaluation of adjacent organ invasion. The staging work-ups should be individualized by the disease extent of each patient, and then the efficiency of work-ups may be increased without compromising the appropriate FIGO staging and treatment
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1991-01-01
Crew members check out the Perseus proof-of-concept vehicle on Rogers Dry Lake, adjacent to the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, after a test flight in 1991. Perseus B is a remotely piloted aircraft developed as a design-performance testbed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Perseus is one of several flight vehicles involved in the ERAST project. A piston engine, propeller-powered aircraft, Perseus was designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia. The objectives of Perseus B's ERAST flight tests have been to reach and maintain horizontal flight above altitudes of 60,000 feet and demonstrate the capability to fly missions lasting from 8 to 24 hours, depending on payload and altitude requirements. The Perseus B aircraft established an unofficial altitude record for a single-engine, propeller-driven, remotely piloted aircraft on June 27, 1998. It reached an altitude of 60,280 feet. In 1999, several modifications were made to the Perseus aircraft including engine, avionics, and flight-control-system improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a series of operational readiness and test missions at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Perseus is a high-wing monoplane with a conventional tail design. Its narrow, straight, high-aspect-ratio wing is mounted atop the fuselage. The aircraft is pusher-designed with the propeller mounted in the rear. This design allows for interchangeable scientific-instrument payloads to be placed in the forward fuselage. The design also allows for unobstructed airflow to the sensors and other devices mounted in the payload compartment. The Perseus B that underwent test and development in 1999 was the third generation of the Perseus design, which began with the Perseus Proof-Of-Concept aircraft. Perseus was initially developed as part of NASA's Small High-Altitude Science Aircraft (SHASA) program, which later evolved
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Van Baalen, Mary; Mason, Sara; Foy, Millennia; Wear, Mary; Taiym, Wafa; Moynihan, Shannan; Alexander, David; Hart, Steve; Tarver, William
2015-01-01
Due to recently identified vision changes associated with space flight, JSC Space and Clinical Operations (SCO) implemented broad mission-related vision testing starting in 2009. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), 3 Tesla Brain and Orbit MRIs, Optical Biometry were implemented terrestrially for clinical monitoring. While no inflight vision testing was in place, already available onorbit technology was leveraged to facilitate in-flight clinical monitoring, including visual acuity, Amsler grid, tonometry, and ultrasonography. In 2013, on-orbit testing capabilities were expanded to include contrast sensitivity testing and OCT. As these additional testing capabilities have been added, resource prioritization, particularly crew time, is under evaluation.
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Post-Flight Data Analysis Tool
George, Marina
2018-01-01
A software tool that facilitates the retrieval and analysis of post-flight data. This allows our team and other teams to effectively and efficiently analyze and evaluate post-flight data in order to certify commercial providers.
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Development and Evaluation of Fault-Tolerant Flight Control Systems
Song, Yong D.; Gupta, Kajal (Technical Monitor)
2004-01-01
The research is concerned with developing a new approach to enhancing fault tolerance of flight control systems. The original motivation for fault-tolerant control comes from the need for safe operation of control elements (e.g. actuators) in the event of hardware failures in high reliability systems. One such example is modem space vehicle subjected to actuator/sensor impairments. A major task in flight control is to revise the control policy to balance impairment detectability and to achieve sufficient robustness. This involves careful selection of types and parameters of the controllers and the impairment detecting filters used. It also involves a decision, upon the identification of some failures, on whether and how a control reconfiguration should take place in order to maintain a certain system performance level. In this project new flight dynamic model under uncertain flight conditions is considered, in which the effects of both ramp and jump faults are reflected. Stabilization algorithms based on neural network and adaptive method are derived. The control algorithms are shown to be effective in dealing with uncertain dynamics due to external disturbances and unpredictable faults. The overall strategy is easy to set up and the computation involved is much less as compared with other strategies. Computer simulation software is developed. A serious of simulation studies have been conducted with varying flight conditions.
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Evaluation of Mass Housing at the Pre-Design Stage
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kozan UZUNOĞLU
2014-09-01
Full Text Available Throughout history, housing has been a central problem in the lives of human beings. Housing, which includes shelter for family and functional volumes that meet social needs, used to be built specifically for the family. The concept of “Mass Housing” entered the field of architecture as a result of the industrial revolution, when lavish Renaissance housing gradually turned into housing for workers. Today, the demand for housing cannot keep up with fast-growing populations. Besides the quantitative problems of housing production, there is the ever- growing problem of quality, the solution to which lies with designer architects. On this issue of quality, Post Occupation Evaluation (POE studies, conducted to provide data for upcoming designs, and certificate evaluations like LEED and BREEAM, aimed at measuring energy performance effectiveness of new buildings, mostly involve measurements of usage of the building envelope, environmental relations, facilities and usage of natural resources. None prioritize the form and function issues of spatial usage in architectural designs. This study proposes a method that enables spatial and functional measurement and assessment at the project stage. The suggested spatial performance measurement–assessment system has three stages. In the first stage, the standards and usage criteria to be used as reference in the assessment are defined. The second stage suggests using the SAR analysis approach, and the third stage is about conducting “Spatial Performance Assessment”. Here, the common denominator of “User System” and “Building System”, which shares characteristic design criteria “Form, Function,Construction” is established and by this way, testing and assessing the subject of study becomes possible. With these assessments, by providing digitalization of spatial performance with proportional values, it is believed that a database for the provision of statistical information may be established.
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HIFiRE-1 Turbulent Shock Boundary Layer Interaction - Flight Data and Computations
Kimmel, Roger L.; Prabhu, Dinesh
2015-01-01
The Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) program is a hypersonic flight test program executed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). This flight contained a cylinder-flare induced shock boundary layer interaction (SBLI). Computations of the interaction were conducted for a number of times during the ascent. The DPLR code used for predictions was calibrated against ground test data prior to exercising the code at flight conditions. Generally, the computations predicted the upstream influence and interaction pressures very well. Plateau pressures on the cylinder were predicted well at all conditions. Although the experimental heat transfer showed a large amount of scatter, especially at low heating levels, the measured heat transfer agreed well with computations. The primary discrepancy between the experiment and computation occurred in the pressures measured on the flare during second stage burn. Measured pressures exhibited large overshoots late in the second stage burn, the mechanism of which is unknown. The good agreement between flight measurements and CFD helps validate the philosophy of calibrating CFD against ground test, prior to exercising it at flight conditions.
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1991-01-01
The Perseus proof-of-concept vehicle flies over Rogers Dry Lake at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, to test basic design concepts for the remotely-piloted, high-altitude vehicle. Perseus B is a remotely piloted aircraft developed as a design-performance testbed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Perseus is one of several flight vehicles involved in the ERAST project. A piston engine, propeller-powered aircraft, Perseus was designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia. The objectives of Perseus B's ERAST flight tests have been to reach and maintain horizontal flight above altitudes of 60,000 feet and demonstrate the capability to fly missions lasting from 8 to 24 hours, depending on payload and altitude requirements. The Perseus B aircraft established an unofficial altitude record for a single-engine, propeller-driven, remotely piloted aircraft on June 27, 1998. It reached an altitude of 60,280 feet. In 1999, several modifications were made to the Perseus aircraft including engine, avionics, and flight-control-system improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a series of operational readiness and test missions at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Perseus is a high-wing monoplane with a conventional tail design. Its narrow, straight, high-aspect-ratio wing is mounted atop the fuselage. The aircraft is pusher-designed with the propeller mounted in the rear. This design allows for interchangeable scientific-instrument payloads to be placed in the forward fuselage. The design also allows for unobstructed airflow to the sensors and other devices mounted in the payload compartment. The Perseus B that underwent test and development in 1999 was the third generation of the Perseus design, which began with the Perseus Proof-Of-Concept aircraft. Perseus was initially developed as part of NASA's Small High-Altitude Science Aircraft (SHASA
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Integrated Test and Evaluation (ITE) Flight Test Series 4
Marston, Michael
2016-01-01
The integrated Flight Test 4 (FT4) will gather data for the UAS researchers Sense and Avoid systems (referred to as Detect and Avoid in the RTCA SC 228 ToR) algorithms and pilot displays for candidate UAS systems in a relevant environment. The technical goals of FT4 are to: 1) perform end-to-end traffic encounter test of pilot guidance generated by DAA algorithms; 2) collect data to inform the initial Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for Detect and Avoid systems. FT4 objectives and test infrastructure builds from previous UAS project simulations and flight tests. NASA Ames (ARC), NASA Armstrong (AFRC), and NASA Langley (LaRC) Research Centers will share responsibility for conducting the tests, each providing a test lab and critical functionality. UAS-NAS project support and participation on the 2014 flight test of ACAS Xu and DAA Self Separation (SS) significantly contributed to building up infrastructure and procedures for FT3 as well. The DAA Scripted flight test (FT4) will be conducted out of NASA Armstrong over an eight-week period beginning in April 2016.
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Flight test of the X-29A at high angle of attack: Flight dynamics and controls
Bauer, Jeffrey E.; Clarke, Robert; Burken, John J.
1995-01-01
The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has flight tested two X-29A aircraft at low and high angles of attack. The high-angle-of-attack tests evaluate the feasibility of integrated X-29A technologies. More specific objectives focus on evaluating the high-angle-of-attack flying qualities, defining multiaxis controllability limits, and determining the maximum pitch-pointing capability. A pilot-selectable gain system allows examination of tradeoffs in airplane stability and maneuverability. Basic fighter maneuvers provide qualitative evaluation. Bank angle captures permit qualitative data analysis. This paper discusses the design goals and approach for high-angle-of-attack control laws and provides results from the envelope expansion and handling qualities testing at intermediate angles of attack. Comparisons of the flight test results to the predictions are made where appropriate. The pitch rate command structure of the longitudinal control system is shown to be a valid design for high-angle-of-attack control laws. Flight test results show that wing rock amplitude was overpredicted and aileron and rudder effectiveness were underpredicted. Flight tests show the X-29A airplane to be a good aircraft up to 40 deg angle of attack.
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Charles, J. B.; Stenger, M. B.; Phillips, T. R.; Arzeno, N. M.; Lee, S. M. C.
2009-01-01
Introduction. We investigated the efficacy of combining fluid loading with sustained lower body negative pressure (LBNP) to reverse orthostatic intolerance associated with weightlessness during and immediately after Space Shuttle missions. Methods. Shuttle astronauts (n=13) underwent 4 hours of LBNP at -30 mm(Hg) and ingested water and salt ( soak treatment) during flight in two complementary studies. In the first study (n=8), pre-flight heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) responses to an LBNP ramp (5-min stages of -10 mm(Hg) steps to -50 mm(Hg) were compared to responses in-flight one and two days after LBNP soak treatment. In the second study (n=5), the soak was performed 24 hr before landing, and post-flight stand test results of soak subjects were compared with those of an untreated cohort (n=7). In both studies, the soak was scheduled late in the mission and was preceded by LBNP ramp tests at approximately 3-day intervals to document the in-flight loss of orthostatic tolerance. Results. Increased HR and decreased BP responses to LBNP were evident early in-flight. In-flight, one day after LBNP soak, HR and BP responses to LBNP were not different from pre-flight, but the effect was absent the second day after treatment. Post-flight there were no between-group differences in HR and BP responses to standing, but all 5 treatment subjects completed the 5-minute stand test whereas 2 of 7 untreated cohort subjects did not. Discussion. Exaggerated HR and BP responses to LBNP were evident within the first few days of space flight, extending results from Skylab. The combined LBNP and fluid ingestion countermeasure restored in-flight LBNP HR and BP responses to pre-flight levels and provided protection of post-landing orthostatic function. Unfortunately, any benefits of the combined countermeasure were offset by the complexity of its implementation, making it inappropriate for routine application during Shuttle flights.
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Optimized Lift for Autonomous Formation Flight
National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Experimental in-flight evaluations have demonstrated that the concept of formation flight can reduce fuel consumption of trailing aircraft by 10 percent. Armstrong...
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Schulze, Norman R.; Maxfield, B.; Boucher, C.
1995-01-01
Solid State Laser Initiated Ordnance (LIO) offers new technology having potential for enhanced safety, reduced costs, and improved operational efficiency. Concerns over the absence of programmatic applications of the technology, which has prevented acceptance by flight programs, should be abated since LIO has now been operationally implemented by the Laser Initiated Ordnance Sounding Rocket Demonstration (LOSRD) Program. The first launch of solid state laser diode LIO at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) occurred on March 15, 1995 with all mission objectives accomplished. This project, Phase 3 of a series of three NASA Headquarters LIO demonstration initiatives, accomplished its objective by the flight of a dedicated, all-LIO sounding rocket mission using a two-stage Nike-Orion launch vehicle. LIO flight hardware, made by The Ensign-Bickford Company under NASA's first Cooperative Agreement with Profit Making Organizations, safely initiated three demanding pyrotechnic sequence events, namely, solid rocket motor ignition from the ground and in flight, and flight termination, i.e., as a Flight Termination System (FTS). A flight LIO system was designed, built, tested, and flown to support the objectives of quickly and inexpensively putting LIO through ground and flight operational paces. The hardware was fully qualified for this mission, including component testing as well as a full-scale system test. The launch accomplished all mission objectives in less than 11 months from proposal receipt. This paper concentrates on accomplishments of the ordnance aspects of the program and on the program's implementation and results. While this program does not generically qualify LIO for all applications, it demonstrated the safety, technical, and operational feasibility of those two most demanding applications, using an all solid state safe and arm system in critical flight applications.
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To Evaluate the Relationship between Mandibular Canine Calcification Stages and Skeletal Age.
Malik, Pooja; Rana, Vivek; Rehani, Usha
2012-01-01
The purpose of this study was to assess skeletal age and establish relationship between mandibular canine calcification and skeletal age. The study included 147 females aged 10 to 13 years. The subjects were divided into three groups: Group I-comprising of 10 to 11 years old female; Group II-comprising of 11 to 12 years old female; Group III-12 to 13 years female. OPG and hand and wrist radiographs of left side for each subject were taken with prior consent of their parents. The calcification status of canine was evaluated from orthopantomograms according to scores given in Demirjian's method. The stages of ossification of various carpal bones were evaluated using radiographic atlas of Greulich-Pyle and skeletal age was calculated. Data collected was statistically analyzed. The results drawn from this study showed that a strong correlation was observed for canine calcification stage F for 10 to 11 years and for stage G in 11 to 12 years and 12 to 13 years respectively. How to cite this article: Malik P, Rana V, Rehani U. To Evaluate the Relationship between Mandibular Canine Calcification Stages and Skeletal Age. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2012;5(1): 14-19.
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Smith, Scott M.; Zwart, Sara R.
2015-01-01
Magnesium is an essential nutrient for muscle, cardiovascular, and bone health on Earth, and during space flight. We sought to evaluate magnesium status in 43 astronauts (34 male, 9 female; 47 ± 5 years old, mean ± SD) before, during, and after 4–6-month space missions. We also studied individuals participating in a ground analog of space flight (head-down-tilt bed rest; n = 27 (17 male, 10 female), 35 ± 7 years old). We evaluated serum concentration and 24-h urinary excretion of magnesium, along with estimates of tissue magnesium status from sublingual cells. Serum magnesium increased late in flight, while urinary magnesium excretion was higher over the course of 180-day space missions. Urinary magnesium increased during flight but decreased significantly at landing. Neither serum nor urinary magnesium changed during bed rest. For flight and bed rest, significant correlations existed between the area under the curve of serum and urinary magnesium and the change in total body bone mineral content. Tissue magnesium concentration was unchanged after flight and bed rest. Increased excretion of magnesium is likely partially from bone and partially from diet, but importantly, it does not come at the expense of muscle tissue stores. While further study is needed to better understand the implications of these findings for longer space exploration missions, magnesium homeostasis and tissue status seem well maintained during 4–6-month space missions. PMID:26670248
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Scott M. Smith
2015-12-01
Full Text Available Magnesium is an essential nutrient for muscle, cardiovascular, and bone health on Earth, and during space flight. We sought to evaluate magnesium status in 43 astronauts (34 male, 9 female; 47 ± 5 years old, mean ± SD before, during, and after 4–6-month space missions. We also studied individuals participating in a ground analog of space flight (head-down-tilt bed rest; n = 27 (17 male, 10 female, 35 ± 7 years old. We evaluated serum concentration and 24-h urinary excretion of magnesium, along with estimates of tissue magnesium status from sublingual cells. Serum magnesium increased late in flight, while urinary magnesium excretion was higher over the course of 180-day space missions. Urinary magnesium increased during flight but decreased significantly at landing. Neither serum nor urinary magnesium changed during bed rest. For flight and bed rest, significant correlations existed between the area under the curve of serum and urinary magnesium and the change in total body bone mineral content. Tissue magnesium concentration was unchanged after flight and bed rest. Increased excretion of magnesium is likely partially from bone and partially from diet, but importantly, it does not come at the expense of muscle tissue stores. While further study is needed to better understand the implications of these findings for longer space exploration missions, magnesium homeostasis and tissue status seem well maintained during 4–6-month space missions.
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Hindson, William S.
1987-01-01
A flight investigation was conducted to evaluate a multi-mode flight control system designed according to the most recent recommendations for handling qualities criteria for new military helicopters. The modes and capabilities that were included in the system are those considered necessary to permit divided-attention (single-pilot) lowspeed and hover operations near the ground in poor visibility conditions. Design features included mode-selection and mode-blending logic, the use of an automatic position-hold mode that employed precision measurements of aircraft position, and a hover display which permitted manually-controlled hover flight tasks in simulated instrument conditions. Pilot evaluations of the system were conducted using a multi-segment evaluation task. Pilot comments concerning the use of the system are provided, and flight-test data are presented to show system performance.
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Evaluation of fox tail millet (Setaria italica forage quality in different growth stages
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
F. Izadi Yazdanabadi
2016-05-01
Full Text Available In order to evaluate the quantitative factors in fox tail millet (Setaria italica L. under three stages of growth, an experiment was conducted in Birjand during spring and summer of 2010. The preliminary objective was evaluation of fox tail physiological characteristics on animals that feed them. Planting of Foxtail millet was performed according to local practices and endemic acknowledge. Sampling was carried out at Vegetative, flowering and seeding stages, then samples transported to laboratory of animal nutrition. After Drying of sampling, dry matter, dry matter digestibility, crude protein, metabolically energy, Acid Detergent Fiber and Nitrogen Detergent Fiber, Ash and some mineral nutrients were measured. The results showed significant differences in measured characteristics in various phonological stages. Forage quality was higher in flowering and seeding stages than in vegetative stage. Dry matter digestibility and metabolically energy were high and NDF and ADF were less in vegetative stage. Because fox tail millet is leafy and palatable by animal at this stage, it’s optimum yield is important. Ability to produce Green fodder by this plant and the possibility of cultivation in different regions and its ability to produce forage for livestocks, its planting is recommended.
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Flight service evaluation of composite components on Bell 206L and Sikorsky S-76 helicopters
Baker, D. J.
1983-01-01
Progress on two programs to evaluate composite structural components in flight service on commercial helicopters is described. Thirty-six ship sets of composite components that include the litter door, baggage door, forward fairing, and vertical fin were installed on Bell Model 206L helicopters that are operating in widely different climatic areas. Four horizontal stabilizers and ten tail rotor spars that are production components on the S-76 helicopter were tested after prescribed periods of service to determine the effects of the operating environment on their performance. Concurrent with the flight evaluation, specimens from materials used to fabricate the components were exposed in ground racks and tested at specified intervals to determine the effects of outdoor environments. Results achieved from 14,000 hours of accumulated service on the 206L components, tests on a S-76 horizontal stabilizer after 1600 hours of service, tests on a S-76 tail rotor spar after 2300 hours service, and two years of ground based exposure of material coupons are reported.
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Steigerwald, John
The Cognitive Continuum Theory (CCT) was first proposed 25 years ago to explain the relationship between intuition and analytical decision making processes. In order for aircraft pilots to make these analytical and intuitive decisions, they obtain information from various instruments within the cockpit of the aircraft. Advanced instrumentation is used to provide a broad array of information about the aircraft condition and flight situation to aid the flight crew in making effective decisions. The problem addressed is that advanced instrumentation has not improved the pilot decision making in modern aircraft. Because making a decision is dependent upon the information available, this experimental quantitative study sought to determine how well pilots organize and interpret information obtained from various cockpit instrumentation displays when under time pressure. The population for this study was the students, flight instructors, and aviation faculty at the Middle Georgia State College School of Aviation campus in Eastman, Georgia. The sample was comprised of two groups of 90 individuals (45 in each group) in various stages of pilot licensure from student pilot to airline transport pilot (ATP). The ages ranged from 18 to 55 years old. There was a statistically significant relationship at the p safety of flight.
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Cosmonaut Dezhurov Talks With Flight Controllers
2001-01-01
Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Cosmonaut and Expedition Three flight engineer Vladimir N. Dezhurov, representing Rosaviakosmos, talks with flight controllers from the Zvezda Service Module. Russian-built Zvezda is linked to the Functional Cargo Block (FGB), or Zarya, the first component of the ISS. Zarya was launched on a Russian Proton rocket prior to the launch of Unity. The third component of the ISS, Zvezda (Russian word for star), the primary Russian contribution to the ISS, was launched by a three-stage Proton rocket on July 12, 2000. Zvezda serves as the cornerstone for early human habitation of the Station, providing living quarters, a life support system, electrical power distribution, a data processing system, flight control system, and propulsion system. It also provides a communications system that includes remote command capabilities from ground flight controllers. The 42,000-pound module measures 43 feet in length and has a wing span of 98 feet. Similar in layout to the core module of Russia's Mir space station, it contains 3 pressurized compartments and 13 windows that allow ultimate viewing of Earth and space.
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Flight Testing an Iced Business Jet for Flight Simulation Model Validation
Ratvasky, Thomas P.; Barnhart, Billy P.; Lee, Sam; Cooper, Jon
2007-01-01
A flight test of a business jet aircraft with various ice accretions was performed to obtain data to validate flight simulation models developed through wind tunnel tests. Three types of ice accretions were tested: pre-activation roughness, runback shapes that form downstream of the thermal wing ice protection system, and a wing ice protection system failure shape. The high fidelity flight simulation models of this business jet aircraft were validated using a software tool called "Overdrive." Through comparisons of flight-extracted aerodynamic forces and moments to simulation-predicted forces and moments, the simulation models were successfully validated. Only minor adjustments in the simulation database were required to obtain adequate match, signifying the process used to develop the simulation models was successful. The simulation models were implemented in the NASA Ice Contamination Effects Flight Training Device (ICEFTD) to enable company pilots to evaluate flight characteristics of the simulation models. By and large, the pilots confirmed good similarities in the flight characteristics when compared to the real airplane. However, pilots noted pitch up tendencies at stall with the flaps extended that were not representative of the airplane and identified some differences in pilot forces. The elevator hinge moment model and implementation of the control forces on the ICEFTD were identified as a driver in the pitch ups and control force issues, and will be an area for future work.
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Putnam, Terrill W.; Ayers, Theodore G.
1989-01-01
Flight research and testing form a critical link in the aeronautic research and development chain. Brilliant concepts, elegant theories, and even sophisticated ground tests of flight vehicles are not sufficient to prove beyond a doubt that an unproven aeronautical concept will actually perform as predicted. Flight research and testing provide the ultimate proof that an idea or concept performs as expected. Ever since the Wright brothers, flight research and testing were the crucible in which aeronautical concepts were advanced and proven to the point that engineers and companies are willing to stake their future to produce and design aircraft. This is still true today, as shown by the development of the experimental X-30 aerospace plane. The Dryden Flight Research Center (Ames-Dryden) continues to be involved in a number of flight research programs that require understanding and characterization of the total airplane in all the aeronautical disciplines, for example the X-29. Other programs such as the F-14 variable-sweep transition flight experiment have focused on a single concept or discipline. Ames-Dryden also continues to conduct flight and ground based experiments to improve and expand the ability to test and evaluate advanced aeronautical concepts. A review of significant aeronautical flight research programs and experiments is presented to illustrate both the progress being made and the challenges to come.
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Evaluation of spiral CT in staging of colon and rectum carcinoma
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hundt, W.; Braunschweig, R.; Reiser, M.
1999-01-01
The purpose of our study was to evaluate the capability of a subsecond spiral-CT scanner using two contrast medium phases in staging of colorectal cancer. In our study we included 37 patients with proven rectum or colon carcinoma. Spiral CT was performed following tap-water enema of the colon in the arterial and venous phases of contrast medium enhancement. Our results were compared with the findings of pathological examination after surgery. The tumor's size and extension were evaluated in the arterial and venous phases, the lymph nodes in the venous phase of the CT scan. The tumor was in the rectum (n = 14), sigma (n = 11), descending colon (n = 6), and cecum (n = 6). Two-phase spiral CT had a sensitivity of 97.2 % in the arterial phase and 89.1 % in the venous phase in detecting the carcinoma. The staging results were in the arterial phase in 30 of 37 cases (81.0 %) and in the venous phase in 24 of 37 cases (64.8 %) according to pathology. In 27 of 32 patients (84.3 %) lymph nodes were detected. The correct classification of the N-stage was possible in 23 of 34 cases (67.6 %). The combined use of arterial and venous phases in staging of colorectal cancer can improve the T- and N-stage classification in comparison with using only one contrast medium phase. The arterial phase is superior compared with the venous phase for local tumor staging and the venous phase is used for lymph node assessment. (orig.) (orig.)
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Stackpoole, M.; Kao, D.; Qu, V.; Gonzales, G.
2013-01-01
Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) was developed at NASA Ames Research Center. As a thermal protection material, PICA has the advantages of being able to withstand high heat fluxes with a relatively low density. This ablative material was used as the forebody heat shield material for the Stardust sample return capsule, which re-entered the Earths atmosphere in 2006. Based on PICA, SpaceX developed a variant, PICA-X, and used it as the heat shield material for its Dragon spacecraft, which successfully orbited the Earth and re-entered the atmosphere during the COTS Demo Flight 1 in 2010. Post-flight analysis was previously performed on the Stardust PICA heat shield material. Similarly, a near-stagnation core was obtained from the post-flight Dragon 1 heat shield, which was retrieved from the Pacific Ocean. Materials testing and analyses were performed on the core to evaluate its ablation performance and post-flight properties. Comparisons between PICA and PICA-X are made where applicable. Stardust and Dragon offer rare opportunities to evaluate materials post-flight - this data is beneficial in understanding material performance and also improves modeling capabilities.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Stadlbauer, A. [Landesklinikum St. Poelten (Germany). Zentrales Inst. fuer Radiologie, Diagnostik und Interventionelle Therapie; Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen (Germany). Neurochirurgische Klinik; Bernt, R. [Hanusch Krankenhaus, Vienna (Austria). Zentralroentgeninstitut; Salomonowitz, E. [Landesklinikum St. Poelten (Germany). Zentrales Inst. fuer Radiologie, Diagnostik und Interventionelle Therapie; Plas, E. [Hanusch Krankenhaus, Vienna (Austria). Abt. fuer Urologie; Strunk, G. [Technische Univ. Dortmund (Germany). Wirtschaftwissenschaft und Oekonomische Bildung; Eberhardt, K. [Krankenhaus Schloss Werneck (Germany). MRT-Kompetenzzentrum
2012-06-15
Purpose: The aim of this study was the health economics analysis of MR imaging in the preoperative staging of patients with prostate carcinoma (PCa). Materials and Methods: The health economics analysis consisted of the following steps: modeling, determination of probabilities and parameters based on a detailed literature search, evaluation using the averages of the parameters, and sensitivity analyses of the results over the ranges of values. We performed a cost-utility analysis from health insurance's perspective for Austria and Germany. The population under investigation included patients with confirmed PCa. The alternative was a decision for therapy with or without staging using MR imaging. A localized PCa was treated by prostatectomy and locally advanced PCa by radiation/hormone therapy. The result parameters were quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs per patient. Results: The evaluation showed that MR imaging is useful regarding costs and utilities prior to radical prostatectomy which is expensive and may be associated with serious clinical consequences. The costs per patient were lower by Euro 2635 and the utilities were higher by 0.099 QALYs. The strategy without MR imaging for staging was dominated by the strategy using MR imaging for staging in the evaluation using the base values and in almost all sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: For the parameters used and almost all scenarios of the sensitivity analysis, our decision-analytic model revealed a higher cost-utility ratio for the strategy using MR imaging for the staging of PCa. (orig.)
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PET/CT in staging and treatment response evaluation in lymphomas
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bochev, P.
2015-01-01
Full text:The introduction of positron emission tomography (PET) and especially PET/CT with FDG in 2001 resulted in new concepts of overall management of patients with lymphoma and changed significantly the staging process and treatment response assessment. The considerable amount of literature and clinical trial data allowed leading cancer organizations like NCCN to incorporate in their current guidelines FDG-PET as a sole imaging modality in the management of Hodgkin‘s lymphoma, and an essential one in the management of FDG avid non-Hodgkin lymphoma (where indications vary based on particular histology). Main indications of FDG PET/CT in lymphoma are initial staging, restaging upon completion of therapy (EOT PET) and treatment response assessment. While staging with FDG and EOT PET restaging alone or combined with CECT have a straight-forward advantage over CT in evaluating small and borderline sized lymph nodes, bone marrow involvement and residual masses, treatment response assessment is rather challenging. By now and after long term trial evaluations, the response assessment is based on a visual assessment five point scale – Deauvillae criteria for response evaluation in HD and combined lugano criteria for NHL. The scale defines PET negative and PET positive cases as a presentation of responders versus non-responders which directly affects management. Although ESMO restricts the use of FDG-PET response evaluation in clinical trials only, NCCN go further, and bases its treatment recommendations on FDG-PET (Interim PET). Nowadays PET/CT is extensively used also in radiotherapy planning, which, in lymphoma patients include initial staging scans on a flat table, in order to assure similar position of future involved sites RT. Despite the extensive use of FDG with the above mentioned indications, neither evidence based guidelines, nor routine clinical practice could recommend follow up of lymphoma patients with FDG-PET. An exception could be made for ositive or
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Evaluation of hemodynamic and SpO2 variability during different stages of periodontal surgery
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Babak Amoian
2013-01-01
Full Text Available Background: Changes in pulse rate and blood pressure are common consequences during oral surgeries. Hypoxia during surgical process is another side effect. The objective of the present study was evaluation of blood hemoglobin oxygenation and hemodynamic changes during periodontal surgery. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted upon 50 subjects aged 30-55 years who referred to the clinic of dental faculty of Babol University and needed periodontal surgery with modified widman flaps in the anterior section of the maxilla. Pulse rate, blood pressure, and pulse oximetric evaluations were recorded in five stages during surgery. Results: The average of systolic and diastolic blood pressure had been in their maximum amount in the second stage of evaluation and minimum amounts were in the first one; while pulse rate changes were greatest in the second stage and lowest in the fifth stage. Analyzing the data revealed no significant difference in Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2 measurements in none of the stages evaluated. Conclusions: Blood pressure and heart rate increased significantly after the injection of anesthetic drug and in further phases they were decreased after the elimination of stimulating effect of adrenaline. SpO 2 changes were not significantly prominent.
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Ballard, Richard O.
2007-01-01
In 2005-06, the Prometheus program funded a number of tasks at the NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to support development of a Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) system for future manned exploration missions. These tasks include the following: 1. NTP Design Develop Test & Evaluate (DDT&E) Planning 2. NTP Mission & Systems Analysis / Stage Concepts & Engine Requirements 3. NTP Engine System Trade Space Analysis and Studies 4. NTP Engine Ground Test Facility Assessment 5. Non-Nuclear Environmental Simulator (NTREES) 6. Non-Nuclear Materials Fabrication & Evaluation 7. Multi-Physics TCA Modeling. This presentation is a overview of these tasks and their accomplishments
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Bown, R. L.; Christofferson, A.; Lardas, M.; Flanders, H.
1980-01-01
A lambda matrix solution technique is being developed to perform an open loop frequency analysis of a high order dynamic system. The procedure evaluates the right and left latent vectors corresponding to the respective latent roots. The latent vectors are used to evaluate the partial fraction expansion formulation required to compute the flexible body open loop feedback gains for the Space Shuttle Digital Ascent Flight Control System. The algorithm is in the final stages of development and will be used to insure that the feedback gains meet the design specification.
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Flight performance summary for three NASA Terrier-Malemute II sounding rockets
Patterson, R. A.
1982-01-01
The subject of this paper is the presentation of flight data for three Terrier-Malemute II sounding rocket vehicles. The Malemute motor was modified by adding insulation and using a propellant that produced less Al2O3 agglomerate in the chamber. This modification, designated Malemute II, reduced the sensitivity of the motor to the roll rate induced motor case burnthrough experienced on some earlier Malemute flights. Two flight tests, including a single stage Malemute II and a Terrier-Malemute II, were made by Sandia to qualify this modification. The three NASA operational flights that are the subject of this paper were made using the modified Malemute II motors.
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Pulmonary function evaluation during and following Skylab space flights
Sawin, C. F.; Nicogossian, A. E.; Schachter, A. P.; Rummel, J. A.; Michel, E. L.
1974-01-01
Previous experience during the Apollo postflight exercise testing indicated no major changes in pulmonary function. Although pulmonary function has been studied in detail following exposure to hypoxic and hyperoxic environments, few studies have dealt with normoxic environments at reduced total pressure as encountered during the Skylab missions. Forced vital capacity was measured during the preflight and postflight periods of the Skylab 2 mission. Initial in-flight measurements of vital capacity were obtained during the last two weeks of the second manned mission (Skylab 3). Comprehensive pulmonary function screening was accomplished during the Skylab 4 mission. The primary measurements made during Skylab 4 testing included residual volume determination, closing volume, vital capacity, and forced vital capacity and its derivatives. In addition, comprehensive in-flight vital capacity measurements were made during the Skylab 4 mission. Vital capacity was decreased slightly during flight in all Skylab 4 crewmen. No major preflight to postflight changes were observed in the other parameters.
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Solar array flight dynamic experiment
Schock, Richard W.
1987-01-01
The purpose of the Solar Array Flight Dynamic Experiment (SAFDE) is to demonstrate the feasibility of on-orbit measurement and ground processing of large space structures' dynamic characteristics. Test definition or verification provides the dynamic characteristic accuracy required for control systems use. An illumination/measurement system was developed to fly on space shuttle flight STS-41D. The system was designed to dynamically evaluate a large solar array called the Solar Array Flight Experiment (SAFE) that had been scheduled for this flight. The SAFDE system consisted of a set of laser diode illuminators, retroreflective targets, an intelligent star tracker receiver and the associated equipment to power, condition, and record the results. In six tests on STS-41D, data was successfully acquired from 18 retroreflector targets and ground processed, post flight, to define the solar array's dynamic characteristic. The flight experiment proved the viability of on-orbit test definition of large space structures dynamic characteristics. Future large space structures controllability should be greatly enhanced by this capability.
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Marketing potential evaluation at the analytical stage of marketing audit of an enterprise
Fayzulaueva, K.
2011-01-01
In the article the sequence of analytical stage of marketing audit by means of marketing potential evaluation is considered, the qualitative characteristics and indicators of marketing potential evaluation are determined.
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Estimated neutron dose to embryo and foetus during commercial flight
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chen, J.; Lewis, B. J.; Bennett, L. G. I.; Green, A. R.; Tracy, B. L.
2005-01-01
A study has been carried out to assess the radiation exposure from cosmic-ray neutrons to the embryo and foetus of pregnant aircrew and air travellers in consideration of the radiation exposure from cosmic-ray neutrons to the embryo and foetus. A Monte Carlo analysis was performed to determine the equivalent dose from neutrons to the brain and body of an embryo at 8 weeks and to the foetus at the 3, 6 and 9 month periods. Neutron fluence-to-absorbed dose conversion coefficients for the foetal brain and for the entire foetal body (isotropic irradiation geometry) have been determined at the four developmental stages. The equivalent dose rate to the foetus during commercial flights has been further evaluated considering the fluence-to-absorbed dose conversion coefficients, a neutron spectrum measured at an altitude of 11.3 km and an ICRP-92 radiation-weighting factor for neutrons. This study indicates that the foetus can exceed the annual dose limit of 1 mSv for the general public after, for example, 15 round trips on commercial trans-Atlantic flights. (authors)
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Two-stage categorization in brand extension evaluation: electrophysiological time course evidence.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Qingguo Ma
Full Text Available A brand name can be considered a mental category. Similarity-based categorization theory has been used to explain how consumers judge a new product as a member of a known brand, a process called brand extension evaluation. This study was an event-related potential study conducted in two experiments. The study found a two-stage categorization process reflected by the P2 and N400 components in brand extension evaluation. In experiment 1, a prime-probe paradigm was presented in a pair consisting of a brand name and a product name in three conditions, i.e., in-category extension, similar-category extension, and out-of-category extension. Although the task was unrelated to brand extension evaluation, P2 distinguished out-of-category extensions from similar-category and in-category ones, and N400 distinguished similar-category extensions from in-category ones. In experiment 2, a prime-probe paradigm with a related task was used, in which product names included subcategory and major-category product names. The N400 elicited by subcategory products was more significantly negative than that elicited by major-category products, with no salient difference in P2. We speculated that P2 could reflect the early low-level and similarity-based processing in the first stage, whereas N400 could reflect the late analytic and category-based processing in the second stage.
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Flight Dynamic Simulation of Fighter In the Asymmetric External Store Release Process
Safi’i, Imam; Arifianto, Ony; Nurohman, Chandra
2018-04-01
In the fighter design, it is important to evaluate and analyze the flight dynamic of the aircraft earlier in the development process. One of the case is the dynamics of external store release process. A simulation tool can be used to analyze the fighter/external store system’s dynamics in the preliminary design stage. This paper reports the flight dynamics of Jet Fighter Experiment (JF-1 E) in asymmetric Advance Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) release process through simulations. The JF-1 E and AIM 120 AMRAAAM models are built by using Advanced Aircraft Analysis (AAA) and Missile Datcom software. By using these softwares, the aerodynamic stability and control derivatives can be obtained and used to model the dynamic characteristic of the fighter and the external store. The dynamic system is modeled by using MATLAB/Simulink software. By using this software, both the fighter/external store integration and the external store release process is simulated, and the dynamic of the system can be analyzed.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Faris M. AL-Oqla
2014-06-01
Full Text Available The final features of natural fiber composites (NFCs depend on the integrated characteristics of their constituents. In the industry today, natural agro waste fibers are evaluated using a limited number of criteria. In this work, a combined multi-criteria evaluation stage technique (CMCEST is introduced as a simple efficient systematic indicator to enhance evaluation of the available natural agro wastes for polymeric composites. In this proposed technique, criteria affecting the proper selection of natural agro waste fibers were combined and divided into sequence stages as follows: single-evaluation-criterion (SEC, combined-double-evaluation-criterion (CDEC, combined-triple-evaluation-criterion (CTEC, etc. These stages are based on combined physical, mechanical, and economic evaluation criteria and can be extended to several further stages to include other beneficial characteristics. The effectiveness of this technique was demonstrated by evaluating coir, date palm, jute, hemp, kenaf, and oil palm fibers simultaneously. This combined evaluation criteria can lead to more informative decisions regarding selection of the most suitable fiber type for polymeric composites. The CMCEST enhancements can reveal new potential fiber types through better evaluation schemes, help achieve clearer indications of the capabilities of available agro wastes to enhance composites, and determine proper ecological waste management practices. Utilizing the proposed technique, the date palm fiber type was found to be quite promising due to beneficial characteristics revealed in CTEC, which provides a reasonable, cheap, and eco-friendly alternative material suitable for different applications.
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Williams, Daniel M.; Consiglio, Maria C.; Murdoch, Jennifer L.; Adams, Catherine H.
2005-01-01
This paper provides an analysis of Flight Technical Error (FTE) from recent SATS experiments, called the Higher Volume Operations (HVO) Simulation and Flight experiments, which NASA conducted to determine pilot acceptability of the HVO concept for normal operating conditions. Reported are FTE results from simulation and flight experiment data indicating the SATS HVO concept is viable and acceptable to low-time instrument rated pilots when compared with today s system (baseline). Described is the comparative FTE analysis of lateral, vertical, and airspeed deviations from the baseline and SATS HVO experimental flight procedures. Based on FTE analysis, all evaluation subjects, low-time instrument-rated pilots, flew the HVO procedures safely and proficiently in comparison to today s system. In all cases, the results of the flight experiment validated the results of the simulation experiment and confirm the utility of the simulation platform for comparative Human in the Loop (HITL) studies of SATS HVO and Baseline operations.
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Williams, Jonathan Hunter
The Upper Stage Reaction Control System provides in-flight three-axis attitude control for the Ares I Upper Stage. The system design must accommodate rapid thruster firing to maintain proper launch trajectory and thus allow for the possibility to pulse multiple thrusters simultaneously. Rapid thruster valve closure creates an increase in static pressure, known as waterhammer, which propagates throughout the propellant system at pressures exceeding nominal design values. A series of development tests conducted at Marshall Space Flight Center in 2009 were performed using a water-flow test article to better understand fluid characteristics of the Upper Stage Reaction Control System. A subset of the tests examined the waterhammer pressure and frequency response in the flight-representative system and provided data to anchor numerical models. This thesis presents a comparison of waterhammer test results with numerical model and analytical results. An overview of the flight system, test article, modeling and analysis are also provided.
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Williams, Jonathan H.
2010-01-01
The Upper Stage Reaction Control System provides three-axis attitude control for the Ares I launch vehicle during active Upper Stage flight. The system design must accommodate rapid thruster firing to maintain the proper launch trajectory and thus allow for the possibility to pulse multiple thrusters simultaneously. Rapid thruster valve closure creates an increase in static pressure, known as waterhammer, which propagates throughout the propellant system at pressures exceeding nominal design values. A series of development tests conducted in the fall of 2009 at Marshall Space Flight Center were performed using a water-flow test article to better understand fluid performance characteristics of the Upper Stage Reaction Control System. A subset of the tests examined waterhammer along with the subsequent pressure and frequency response in the flight-representative system and provided data to anchor numerical models. This thesis presents a comparison of waterhammer test results with numerical model and analytical results. An overview of the flight system, test article, modeling and analysis are also provided.
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Second Stage (S-II) Arrives at Marshall Space Flight Center For Testing
2004-01-01
The business end of a Second Stage (S-II) slowly emerges from the shipping container as workers prepare to transport the Saturn V component to the testing facility at MSFC. The Second Stage (S-II) underwent vibration and engine firing tests. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.
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Evaluation of an automated single-channel sleep staging algorithm
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wang Y
2015-09-01
Full Text Available Ying Wang,1 Kenneth A Loparo,1,2 Monica R Kelly,3 Richard F Kaplan1 1General Sleep Corporation, Euclid, OH, 2Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 3Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA Background: We previously published the performance evaluation of an automated electroencephalography (EEG-based single-channel sleep–wake detection algorithm called Z-ALG used by the Zmachine® sleep monitoring system. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of a new algorithm called Z-PLUS, which further differentiates sleep as detected by Z-ALG into Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, and Rapid Eye Movement (REM Sleep, against laboratory polysomnography (PSG using a consensus of expert visual scorers. Methods: Single night, in-lab PSG recordings from 99 subjects (52F/47M, 18–60 years, median age 32.7 years, including both normal sleepers and those reporting a variety of sleep complaints consistent with chronic insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome, as well as those taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor/serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor antidepressant medications, previously evaluated using Z-ALG were re-examined using Z-PLUS. EEG data collected from electrodes placed at the differential-mastoids (A1–A2 were processed by Z-ALG to determine wake and sleep, then those epochs detected as sleep were further processed by Z-PLUS to differentiate into Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, and REM. EEG data were visually scored by multiple certified polysomnographic technologists according to the Rechtschaffen and Kales criterion, and then combined using a majority-voting rule to create a PSG Consensus score file for each of the 99 subjects. Z-PLUS output was compared to the PSG Consensus score files for both epoch-by-epoch (eg, sensitivity, specificity, and kappa and sleep stage-related statistics (eg, Latency to Deep Sleep, Latency to REM
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zhong Lunlong
2015-04-01
Full Text Available In safety-critical systems such as transportation aircraft, redundancy of actuators is introduced to improve fault tolerance. How to make the best use of remaining actuators to allow the system to continue achieving a desired operation in the presence of some actuators failures is the main subject of this paper. Considering that many dynamical systems, including flight dynamics of a transportation aircraft, can be expressed as an input affine nonlinear system, a new state representation is adopted here where the output dynamics are related with virtual inputs associated with the intended operation. This representation, as well as the distribution matrix associated with the effectiveness of the remaining operational actuators, allows us to define different levels of fault tolerant governability with respect to actuators’ failures. Then, a two-stage control approach is developed, leading first to the inversion of the output dynamics to get nominal values for the virtual inputs and then to the solution of a linear quadratic (LQ problem to compute the solicitation of each operational actuator. The proposed approach is applied to the control of a transportation aircraft which performs a stabilized roll maneuver while a partial failure appears. Two fault scenarios are considered and the resulting performance of the proposed approach is displayed and discussed.
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Powered Flight Design and Reconstructed Performance Summary for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission
Sell, Steven; Chen, Allen; Davis, Jody; San Martin, Miguel; Serricchio, Frederick; Singh, Gurkirpal
2013-01-01
The Powered Flight segment of Mars Science Laboratory's (MSL) Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) system extends from backshell separation through landing. This segment is responsible for removing the final 0.1% of the kinetic energy dissipated during EDL and culminating with the successful touchdown of the rover on the surface of Mars. Many challenges exist in the Powered Flight segment: extraction of Powered Descent Vehicle from the backshell, performing a 300m divert maneuver to avoid the backshell and parachute, slowing the descent from 85 m/s to 0.75 m/s and successfully lowering the rover on a 7.5m bridle beneath the rocket-powered Descent Stage and gently placing it on the surface using the Sky Crane Maneuver. Finally, the nearly-spent Descent Stage must execute a Flyaway maneuver to ensure surface impact a safe distance from the Rover. This paper provides an overview of the powered flight design, key features, and event timeline. It also summarizes Curiosity's as flown performance on the night of August 5th as reconstructed by the flight team.
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Simbol-X Formation Flight and Image Reconstruction
Civitani, M.; Djalal, S.; Le Duigou, J. M.; La Marle, O.; Chipaux, R.
2009-05-01
Simbol-X is the first operational mission relying on two satellites flying in formation. The dynamics of the telescope, due to the formation flight concept, raises a variety of problematic, like image reconstruction, that can be better evaluated via a simulation tools. We present here the first results obtained with Simulos, simulation tool aimed to study the relative spacecrafts navigation and the weight of the different parameters in image reconstruction and telescope performance evaluation. The simulation relies on attitude and formation flight sensors models, formation flight dynamics and control, mirror model and focal plane model, while the image reconstruction is based on the Line of Sight (LOS) concept.
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Two Stage Fuzzy Methodology to Evaluate the Credit Risks of Investment Projects
O. Badagadze; G. Sirbiladze; I. Khutsishvili
2014-01-01
The work proposes a decision support methodology for the credit risk minimization in selection of investment projects. The methodology provides two stages of projects’ evaluation. Preliminary selection of projects with minor credit risks is made using the Expertons Method. The second stage makes ranking of chosen projects using the Possibilistic Discrimination Analysis Method. The latter is a new modification of a well-known Method of Fuzzy Discrimination Analysis.
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АSSESSMENT AND FORECASTING OF FLIGHT SAFETY LEVEL OF AIRLINE
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
E. S. Prozorov
2015-01-01
Full Text Available The article presents methods based on probability theory and mathematical statistics for solving a number of basic problems: formation and evaluation of the current flight safety level; forecasting the level of flight safety; ranking the objects (planes, pilots in terms of flight safety; evaluation of the presence (or absence of control actions arising in the context of the organization of corporate safety management system. At the same time as the main source of information are considered forward-looking events received from flight data.
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Two-stage commercial evaluation of engineering systems production projects for high-rise buildings
Bril, Aleksander; Kalinina, Olga; Levina, Anastasia
2018-03-01
The paper is devoted to the current and debatable problem of methodology of choosing the effective innovative enterprises for venture financing. A two-stage system of commercial innovation evaluation based on the UNIDO methodology is proposed. Engineering systems account for 25 to 40% of the cost of high-rise residential buildings. This proportion increases with the use of new construction technologies. Analysis of the construction market in Russia showed that the production of internal engineering systems elements based on innovative technologies has a growth trend. The production of simple elements is organized in small enterprises on the basis of new technologies. The most attractive for development is the use of venture financing of small innovative business. To improve the efficiency of these operations, the paper proposes a methodology for a two-stage evaluation of small business development projects. A two-stage system of commercial evaluation of innovative projects allows creating an information base for informed and coordinated decision-making on venture financing of enterprises that produce engineering systems elements for the construction business.
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Two-stage commercial evaluation of engineering systems production projects for high-rise buildings
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bril Aleksander
2018-01-01
Full Text Available The paper is devoted to the current and debatable problem of methodology of choosing the effective innovative enterprises for venture financing. A two-stage system of commercial innovation evaluation based on the UNIDO methodology is proposed. Engineering systems account for 25 to 40% of the cost of high-rise residential buildings. This proportion increases with the use of new construction technologies. Analysis of the construction market in Russia showed that the production of internal engineering systems elements based on innovative technologies has a growth trend. The production of simple elements is organized in small enterprises on the basis of new technologies. The most attractive for development is the use of venture financing of small innovative business. To improve the efficiency of these operations, the paper proposes a methodology for a two-stage evaluation of small business development projects. A two-stage system of commercial evaluation of innovative projects allows creating an information base for informed and coordinated decision-making on venture financing of enterprises that produce engineering systems elements for the construction business.
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Subsonic Glideback Rocket Demonstrator Flight Testing
DeTurris, Dianne J.; Foster, Trevor J.; Barthel, Paul E.; Macy, Daniel J.; Droney, Christopher K.; Talay, Theodore A. (Technical Monitor)
2001-01-01
For the past two years, Cal Poly's rocket program has been aggressively exploring the concept of remotely controlled, fixed wing, flyable rocket boosters. This program, embodied by a group of student engineers known as Cal Poly Space Systems, has successfully demonstrated the idea of a rocket design that incorporates a vertical launch pattern followed by a horizontal return flight and landing. Though the design is meant for supersonic flight, CPSS demonstrators are deployed at a subsonic speed. Many steps have been taken by the club that allowed the evolution of the StarBooster prototype to reach its current size: a ten-foot tall, one-foot diameter, composite material rocket. Progress is currently being made that involves multiple boosters along with a second stage, third rocket.
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Operational Lessons Learned from the Ares I-X Flight Test
Davis, Stephan R.
2010-01-01
The Ares I-X flight test, launched in 2009, is the first test of the Ares I crew launch vehicle. This development flight test evaluated the flight dynamics, roll control, and separation events, but also provided early insights into logistical, stacking, launch, and recovery operations for Ares I. Operational lessons will be especially important for NASA as the agency makes the transition from the Space Shuttle to the Constellation Program, which is designed to be less labor-intensive. The mission team itself comprised only 700 individuals over the life of the project compared to the thousands involved in Shuttle and Apollo missions; while missions to and beyond low-Earth orbit obviously will require additional personnel, this lean approach will serve as a model for future Constellation missions. To prepare for Ares I-X, vehicle stacking and launch infrastructure had to be modified at Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) as well as Launch Complex (LC) 39B. In the VAB, several platforms and other structures designed for the Shuttle s configuration had to be removed to accommodate the in-line, much taller Ares I-X. Vehicle preparation activities resulted in delays, but also in lessons learned for ground operations personnel, including hardware deliveries, cable routing, transferred work and custodial paperwork. Ares I-X also proved to be a resource challenge, as individuals and ground service equipment (GSE) supporting the mission also were required for Shuttle or Atlas V operations at LC 40/41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. At LC 39B, several Shuttle-specific access arms were removed and others were added to accommodate the in-line Ares vehicle. Ground command, control, and communication (GC3) hardware was incorporated into the Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP). The lightning protection system at LC 39B was replaced by a trio of 600-foot-tall towers connected by a catenary wire to account for the much greater height of the vehicle. Like Shuttle
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Intestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: an evaluation of different staging systems.
Hwang, Hee Sang; Yoon, Dok Hyun; Suh, Cheolwon; Park, Chan-Sik; Huh, Jooryung
2014-01-01
The gastrointestinal tract is the most common primary extranodal site for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, there is no consensus on the most appropriate staging system for intestinal DLBCL. We evaluated the utility of the modified Ann Arbor system, the Lugano system, and the Paris staging system (a modification of the Tumor, Node, Metastases [TNM] staging for epithelial tumors) in 66 cases of resected intestinal DLBCL. The cases were treated with surgery, plus either cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP) chemotherapy alone (n=26) or with the addition of rituximab immunotherapy (n=40). Median follow-up time was 40.4 months (range, 2.1-171.6 months). Fifty-six patients (84.8%) achieved complete remission. The overall 5-yr survival rate was 86.4% (57/66). Of the stage categories defined for each staging system, only the T stage of the Paris classification showed prognostic significance for overall survival by univariate analysis. However, none of the stage parameters was significantly correlated with patient survival on multivariate analysis. In conclusion, the results suggest that the T stage of the Paris classification system may be a prognostic indicator in intestinal DLBCL. The results also imply that in surgically resected intestinal DLBCL, the addition of rituximab to the CHOP regimen does not confer significant survival advantage.
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A proteomics panel for predicting optimal primary cytoreduction in stage III/IV ovarian cancer
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Risum, Signe; Høgdall, Estrid; Engelholm, Svend A
2009-01-01
for CA-125. In addition, serum was analyzed for 7 biomarkers using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. These biomarkers were combined into a single-valued ovarian-cancer-risk index (OvaRI). CA-125 and OvaRI were evaluated as predictors of cytoreduction in 75......The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate CA-125 and a 7-marker panel as predictors of incomplete primary cytoreduction in patients with stage III/IV ovarian cancer (OC). From September 2004 to January 2008, serum from 201 patients referred to surgery for a pelvic tumor was analyzed...... stage III/IV patients using receiver operating characteristic curves. Complete primary cytoreduction (no macroscopic residual disease) was achieved in 31% (23/75) of the patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.66 for CA-125 and 0.75 for OvaRI. The sensitivity...
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Kaysi, Feyzi; Bavli, Bünyamin; Gürol, Aysun
2016-01-01
The study evaluates the flight simulators course which was opened to fulfill the intermediate staff need of the sector. To collect data, Qualitative techniques were applied. Within this scope, the case study method was employed in the study. The study group consisted of students and instructors. In-depth and focus group interviews were conducted…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Maria Angela Echeverry-Galvis
Full Text Available A temporal separation of energetically costly life history events like reproduction and maintenance of the integumentary system is thought to be promoted by selection to avoid trade-offs and maximize fitness. It has therefore remained somewhat of a paradox that certain vertebrate species can undergo both events simultaneously. Identifying potential costs of overlapping two demanding life history stages will further our understanding of the selection pressures that shape the temporal regulation of life history events in vertebrates. We studied free-living tropical Slaty brush-finches (Atlapetes schistaceus, in which individuals spontaneously overlap reproduction and moult or undergo both events in separation. To assess possible costs of such an overlap we quantified feather quality and flight performance of individuals in different states. We determined individual's life history state by measuring gonad size and scoring moult stage, and collected a newly grown 7(th primary wing feather for later analysis of feather quality. Finally, we quantified flight performance for each individual in the wild. Overlapping individuals produced lighter and shorter wing feathers than individuals just moulting, with females decreasing feather quality more strongly during the overlap than males. Moreover, overlapping individuals had a reduced flight speed during escape flights, while their foraging flight speed was unaffected. Despite overlappers being larger and having a smaller wing area, their lower body mass resulted in a similar wing load as in breeders or moulters. Individuals measured repeatedly in different states also showed significant decreases in feather quality and escape flight speed during the overlap. Reduced escape flight speed may represent a major consequence of the overlap by increasing predation risk. Our data document costs to undergoing two life history stages simultaneously, which likely arise from energetic trade-offs. Impairments in
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Importance of body rotation during the flight of a butterfly.
Fei, Yueh-Han John; Yang, Jing-Tang
2016-03-01
In nature the body motion of a butterfly is clearly observed to involve periodic rotation and varied flight modes. The maneuvers of a butterfly in flight are unique. Based on the flight motion of butterflies (Kallima inachus) recorded in free flight, a numerical model of a butterfly is created to study how its flight relates to body pose; the body motion in a simulation is prescribed and tested with varied initial body angle and rotational amplitude. A butterfly rotates its body to control the direction of the vortex rings generated during flapping flight; the flight modes are found to be closely related to the body motion of a butterfly. When the initial body angle increases, the forward displacement decreases, but the upward displacement increases within a stroke. With increased rotational amplitudes, the jet flows generated by a butterfly eject more downward and further enhance the generation of upward force, according to which a butterfly executes a vertical jump at the end of the downstroke. During this jumping stage, the air relative to the butterfly is moving downward; the butterfly pitches up its body to be parallel to the flow and to decrease the projected area so as to avoid further downward force generated. Our results indicate the importance of the body motion of a butterfly in flight. The inspiration of flight controlled with body motion from the flight of a butterfly might yield an alternative way to control future flight vehicles.
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CFD applications in hypersonic flight
Edwards, T. A.
1992-01-01
Design studies are underway for a variety of hypersonic flight vehicles. The National Aero-Space Plane will provide a reusable, single-stage-to-orbit capability for routine access to low earth orbit. Flight-capable satellites will dip into the atmosphere to maneuver to new orbits, while planetary probes will decelerate at their destination by atmospheric aerobraking. To supplement limited experimental capabilities in the hypersonic regime, CFD is being used to analyze the flow about these configurations. The governing equations include fluid dynamic as well as chemical species equations, which are solved with robust upwind differencing schemes. Examples of CFD applications to hypersonic vehicles suggest an important role this technology will play in the development of future aerospace systems. The computational resources needed to obtain solutions are large, but various strategies are being exploited to reduce the time required for complete vehicle simulations.
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Johnson, Marcus; Jung, Jaewoo; Rios, Joseph; Mercer, Joey; Homola, Jeffrey; Prevot, Thomas; Mulfinger, Daniel; Kopardekar, Parimal
2017-01-01
This study evaluates a traffic management concept designed to enable simultaneous operations of multiple small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the national airspace system (NAS). A five-day flight-test activity is described that examined the feasibility of operating multiple UAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of their respective operators in the same airspace. Over the five-day campaign, three groups of five flight crews operated a total of eleven different aircraft. Each group participated in four flight scenarios involving five simultaneous missions. Each vehicle was operated BVLOS up to 1.5 miles from the pilot in command. Findings and recommendations are presented to support the feasibility and safety of routine BVLOS operations for small UAS.
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ADEPT Sounding Rocket One (SR-1)Flight Experiment Overview
Wercinski, Paul; Smith, B.; Yount, B.; Cassell, A.; Kruger, C.; Brivkalns, C.; Makino, A.; Duttta, S.; Ghassemieh, S.; Wu, S.;
2017-01-01
The SR-1 flight experiment will demonstrate most of the primary end-to-end mission stages including: launch in a stowed configuration, separation and deployment in exo-atmospheric conditions, and passive ballistic re-entry of a 70-degree half-angle faceted cone geometry.
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Passengers waste production during flights.
Tofalli, Niki; Loizia, Pantelitsa; Zorpas, Antonis A
2017-12-20
We assume that during flights the amount of waste that is produced is limited. However, daily, approximately 8000 commercial airplanes fly above Europe's airspace while at the same time, more than 17,000 commercial flights exist in the entire world. Using primary data from airlines, which use the Larnaca's International Airport (LIA) in Cyprus, we have tried to understand why wastes are produced during a typical flight such as food waste, paper, and plastics, as well as how passengers affect the production of those wastes. The compositional analysis took place on 27 flights of 4 different airlines which used LIA as final destination. The evaluation indicated that the passenger's habits and ethics, and the policy of each airline produced different kinds of waste during the flights and especially food waste (FW). Furthermore, it was observed that the only waste management strategy that exists in place in the airport is the collection and the transportation of all those wastes from aircrafts and from the airport in the central unit for further treatment. Hence, this research indicated extremely difficulties to implement any specific waste minimization, or prevention practice or other sorting methods during the flights due to the limited time of the most flights (less than 3 h), the limited available space within the aircrafts, and the strictly safety roles that exist during the flights.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Luci Mara Fachardo Jaqueira
2010-12-01
Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to compare the use of three cervical vertebral evaluation methods (Hassel-Farman, Baccetti et al., and Seedat-Forsberg for determinating skeletal maturation stage in orthodontic patients. Twenty-three radiographs were randomly selected from a private orthodontic practice. Each radiograph was analyzed on three separate occasions by four evaluators (one radiologist and three orthodontists, who determined the skeletal maturation stage using the references established by each of the three methods. Intraevaluator and interevaluator comparisons were performed, and the degree of agreement was established using the weighted Kappa coefficient (95% CI. Good agreement (Kappa between 0.61 and 0.80 was observed between the determinations of most of the evaluators. The three methods demonstrated clinical applicability. However, the method proposed by Baccetti et al. achieved the best results, followed by the Hassel-Farman and the Seedat-Forsberg methods.
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Bosworth, John T.; Williams-Hayes, Peggy S.
2010-01-01
Adaptive flight control systems have the potential to be more resilient to extreme changes in airplane behavior. Extreme changes could be a result of a system failure or of damage to the airplane. A direct adaptive neural-network-based flight control system was developed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NF-15B Intelligent Flight Control System airplane and subjected to an inflight simulation of a failed (frozen) (unmovable) stabilator. Formation flight handling qualities evaluations were performed with and without neural network adaptation. The results of these flight tests are presented. Comparison with simulation predictions and analysis of the performance of the adaptation system are discussed. The performance of the adaptation system is assessed in terms of its ability to decouple the roll and pitch response and reestablish good onboard model tracking. Flight evaluation with the simulated stabilator failure and adaptation engaged showed that there was generally improvement in the pitch response; however, a tendency for roll pilot-induced oscillation was experienced. A detailed discussion of the cause of the mixed results is presented.
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Aircraft Flight Modeling During the Optimization of Gas Turbine Engine Working Process
Tkachenko, A. Yu; Kuz'michev, V. S.; Krupenich, I. N.
2018-01-01
The article describes a method for simulating the flight of the aircraft along a predetermined path, establishing a functional connection between the parameters of the working process of gas turbine engine and the efficiency criteria of the aircraft. This connection is necessary for solving the optimization tasks of the conceptual design stage of the engine according to the systems approach. Engine thrust level, in turn, influences the operation of aircraft, thus making accurate simulation of the aircraft behavior during flight necessary for obtaining the correct solution. The described mathematical model of aircraft flight provides the functional connection between the airframe characteristics, working process of gas turbine engines (propulsion system), ambient and flight conditions and flight profile features. This model provides accurate results of flight simulation and the resulting aircraft efficiency criteria, required for optimization of working process and control function of a gas turbine engine.
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TRISTAR I: Evaluation Methods for Testing Head-Up Display (HUD) Flight Symbology
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Newman, R
1995-01-01
A piloted head up display (HUD) flight symbology study (TRISTAR) measuring pilot task performance was conducted at the NASA Ames Research Center by the Tri-Service Flight Symbology Working Group (FSWO...
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Patterson, R. E.
1973-01-01
The purpose of the short-circuit voltage transducer is to provide engineering data to aid the evaluation of array performance during flight. The design, fabrication, calibration, and in-flight performance of the transducers onboard the Mariner 6, 7 and 9 spacecrafts are described. No significant differences were observed in the in-flight electrical performance of the three transducers. The transducers did experience significant losses due to coverslides or adhesive darkening, increased surface reflection, or spectral shifts within coverslide assembly. Mariner 6, 7 and 9 transducers showed non-cell current degradations of 3-1/2%, 3%, and 4%, respectively at Mars encounter and 6%, 3%, and 4-12%, respectively at end of mission. Mariner 9 solar Array Test 2 showed 3-12% current degradation while the transducer showed 4-12% degradation.
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Flight Performance Evaluation of Three GPS Receivers for Sounding Rocket Tracking
Bull, Barton; Diehl, James; Montenbruck, Oliver; Markgraf, Markus; Bauer, Frank (Technical Monitor)
2002-01-01
In preparation for the European Space Agency Maxus-4 mission, a sounding rocket test flight was carried out at Esrange, near Kiruna, Sweden on February 19, 2001 to validate existing ground facilities and range safety installations. Due to the absence of a dedicated scientific payload, the flight offered the opportunity to test multiple GPS receivers and assess their performance for the tracking of sounding rockets. The receivers included an Ashtech G12 HDMA receiver, a BAE (Canadian Marconi) Allstar receiver and a Mitel Orion receiver. All of them provide C/A code tracking on the L1 frequency to determine the user position and make use of Doppler measurements to derive the instantaneous velocity. Among the receivers, the G12 has been optimized for use under highly dynamic conditions and has earlier been flown successfully on NASA sounding rockets. The Allstar is representative of common single frequency receivers for terrestrial applications and received no particular modification, except for the disabling of the common altitude and velocity constraints that would otherwise inhibit its use for space application. The Orion receiver, finally, employs the same Mitel chipset as the Allstar, but has received various firmware modifications by DLR to safeguard it against signal losses and improve its tracking performance. While the two NASA receivers were driven by a common wrap-around antenna, the DLR experiment made use of a switchable antenna system comprising a helical antenna in the tip of the rocket and two blade antennas attached to the body of the vehicle. During the boost a peak acceleration of roughly l7g's was achieved which resulted in a velocity of about 1100 m/s at the end of the burn. At apogee, the rocket reached an altitude of over 80 km. A detailed analysis of the attained flight data is given together with a evaluation of different receiver designs and antenna concepts.
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Flight testing of a luminescent surface pressure sensor
Mclachlan, B. G.; Bell, J. H.; Espina, J.; Gallery, J.; Gouterman, M.; Demandante, C. G. N.; Bjarke, L.
1992-01-01
NASA ARC has conducted flight tests of a new type of aerodynamic pressure sensor based on a luminescent surface coating. Flights were conducted at the NASA ARC-Dryden Flight Research Facility. The luminescent pressure sensor is based on a surface coating which, when illuminated with ultraviolet light, emits visible light with an intensity dependent on the local air pressure on the surface. This technique makes it possible to obtain pressure data over the entire surface of an aircraft, as opposed to conventional instrumentation, which can only make measurements at pre-selected points. The objective of the flight tests was to evaluate the effectiveness and practicality of a luminescent pressure sensor in the actual flight environment. A luminescent pressure sensor was installed on a fin, the Flight Test Fixture (FTF), that is attached to the underside of an F-104 aircraft. The response of one particular surface coating was evaluated at low supersonic Mach numbers (M = 1.0-1.6) in order to provide an initial estimate of the sensor's capabilities. This memo describes the test approach, the techniques used, and the pressure sensor's behavior under flight conditions. A direct comparison between data provided by the luminescent pressure sensor and that produced by conventional pressure instrumentation shows that the luminescent sensor can provide quantitative data under flight conditions. However, the test results also show that the sensor has a number of limitations which must be addressed if this technique is to prove useful in the flight environment.
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The evolution of environmental management: from stage models to performance evaluation
Kolk, A.; Mauser, A.
2002-01-01
In the past two decades, academics and practitioners have attempted to improve understanding of environmental management by classifying companies environmental behaviour, and evaluating their performance. Driven by both research and societal interest, this has resulted in a wave of stage or phase
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Dowden, Donald J.; Bessette, Denis E.
1987-01-01
The AFTI F-16 Automated Maneuvering Attack System has undergone developmental and demonstration flight testing over a total of 347.3 flying hours in 237 sorties. The emphasis of this phase of the flight test program was on the development of automated guidance and control systems for air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons delivery, using a digital flight control system, dual avionics multiplex buses, an advanced FLIR sensor with laser ranger, integrated flight/fire-control software, advanced cockpit display and controls, and modified core Multinational Stage Improvement Program avionics.
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Evaluation the potential and energy efficiency of dual stage pressure retarded osmosis process
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Altaee, Ali; Zaragoza, Guillermo; Drioli, Enrico; Zhou, John
2017-01-01
Highlights: •Single and dual stage PRO was evaluated at different membrane configurations. •Impact of increasing module area or numbers on the power efficiency was studied. •DSPRO reduced the impact of CP & restored the osmotic potential of salinity gradient. •DSPRO outperforms single stage PRO process but depends on salinity gradient type. -- Abstract: Power generation by means of Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) has been proposed for harvesting the energy of a salinity gradient. Energy recovery by the PRO process decreases along the membrane module due to depleting of the chemical potential across the membrane and concentration polarization effects. A dual stage PRO (DSPRO) design can be used to rejuvenate the chemical potential difference and reduce the concentration polarization on feed solution. Several design configurations were suggested for the membrane module arrangements in the first and second stage of the PRO process. PRO performance was evaluated for a number of salinity gradients proposed by coupling Dead Sea water or Reverse Osmosis (RO) brine with seawater or wastewater effluent. Maximum specific energy of inlet and outlet feeds was calculated using a developed computer model to identify the amount of recovered and remaining energy. Initially, specific power generation by the PRO process increased by increasing the number of modules of the first stage. Maximum specific energy is calculated along the PRO module to understand the degradation of the maximum specific energy in each module before introducing a second stage PRO process. Adding a second stage PRO process resulted in a sharp increase of the chemical potential difference and the specific energy yield of the process. Between 10% and 13% increase of the specific power generation was achieved by the DSPRO process for the Dead Sea-seawater salinity gradient depending on the dual stage design configuration. For Dead Sea-RO brine, 12–16% increase of the specific power generation was
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Flight Test of L1 Adaptive Control Law: Offset Landings and Large Flight Envelope Modeling Work
Gregory, Irene M.; Xargay, Enric; Cao, Chengyu; Hovakimyan, Naira
2011-01-01
This paper presents new results of a flight test of the L1 adaptive control architecture designed to directly compensate for significant uncertain cross-coupling in nonlinear systems. The flight test was conducted on the subscale turbine powered Generic Transport Model that is an integral part of the Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research system at the NASA Langley Research Center. The results presented include control law evaluation for piloted offset landing tasks as well as results in support of nonlinear aerodynamic modeling and real-time dynamic modeling of the departure-prone edges of the flight envelope.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
П.В. Попов
2005-03-01
Full Text Available The technique of maintenance of the set level of flights safetivness is developed by normalization of informatisation parameters functional groups of light-signal lightings at technological stages of interaction of crew of the airplane with the airfield light-signals bar at flights in a complex weathercast conditions.
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Busarov, S. S.; Vasil'ev, V. K.; Busarov, I. S.; Titov, D. S.; Panin, Ju. N.
2017-08-01
Developed earlier and tested in such working fluid as air, the technology of calculating the operating processes of slow-speed long-stroke reciprocating stages let the authors to obtain successful results concerning compression of gases to medium pressures in one stage. In this connection, the question of the efficiency of the application of slow-speed long-stroke stages in various fields of technology and the national economy, where the working fluid is other gas or gas mixture, is topical. The article presents the results of the efficiency evaluation of single-stage compressor units on the basis of such stages for cases when ammonia, hydrogen, helium or propane-butane mixture is used as the working fluid.
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Helicopter Flight Procedures for Community Noise Reduction
Greenwood, Eric
2017-01-01
A computationally efficient, semiempirical noise model suitable for maneuvering flight noise prediction is used to evaluate the community noise impact of practical variations on several helicopter flight procedures typical of normal operations. Turns, "quick-stops," approaches, climbs, and combinations of these maneuvers are assessed. Relatively small variations in flight procedures are shown to cause significant changes to Sound Exposure Levels over a wide area. Guidelines are developed for helicopter pilots intended to provide effective strategies for reducing the negative effects of helicopter noise on the community. Finally, direct optimization of flight trajectories is conducted to identify low noise optimal flight procedures and quantify the magnitude of community noise reductions that can be obtained through tailored helicopter flight procedures. Physically realizable optimal turns and approaches are identified that achieve global noise reductions of as much as 10 dBA Sound Exposure Level.
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Baldwin, Evelyn
2008-01-01
The Johnson Space Center s (JSC) International Space Station (ISS) Space Flight Resource Management (SFRM) training program is designed to teach the team skills required to be an effective flight controller. It was adapted from the SFRM training given to Shuttle flight controllers to fit the needs of a "24 hours a day/365 days a year" flight controller. More recently, the length reduction of technical training flows for ISS flight controllers impacted the number of opportunities for fully integrated team scenario based training, where most SFRM training occurred. Thus, the ISS SFRM training program is evolving yet again, using a new approach of teaching and evaluating SFRM alongside of technical materials. Because there are very few models in other industries that have successfully tied team and technical skills together, challenges are arising. Despite this, the Mission Operations Directorate of NASA s JSC is committed to implementing this integrated training approach because of the anticipated benefits.
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Gander, Philippa H; Signal, T Leigh; van den Berg, Margo J; Mulrine, Hannah M; Jay, Sarah M; Jim Mangie, Captain
2013-12-01
This study evaluated whether pilot fatigue was greater on ultra-long range (ULR) trips (flights >16 h on 10% of trips in a 90-day period) than on long range (LR) trips. The within-subjects design controlled for crew complement, pattern of in-flight breaks, flight direction and departure time. Thirty male Captains (mean age = 54.5 years) and 40 male First officers (mean age = 48.0 years) were monitored on commercial passenger flights (Boeing 777 aircraft). Sleep was monitored (actigraphy, duty/sleep diaries) from 3 days before the first study trip to 3 days after the second study trip. Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, Samn-Perelli fatigue ratings and a 5-min Psychomotor Vigilance Task were completed before, during and after every flight. Total sleep in the 24 h before outbound flights and before inbound flights after 2-day layovers was comparable for ULR and LR flights. All pilots slept on all flights. For each additional hour of flight time, they obtained an estimated additional 12.3 min of sleep. Estimated mean total sleep was longer on ULR flights (3 h 53 min) than LR flights (3 h 15 min; P(F) = 0.0004). Sleepiness ratings were lower and mean reaction speed was faster at the end of ULR flights. Findings suggest that additional in-flight sleep mitigated fatigue effectively on longer flights. Further research is needed to clarify the contributions to fatigue of in-flight sleep versus time awake at top of descent. The study design was limited to eastward outbound flights with two Captains and two First Officers. Caution must be exercised when extrapolating to different operations. © 2013 European Sleep Research Society.
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Fused Reality for Enhanced Flight Test Capabilities, Phase I
National Aeronautics and Space Administration — While modern ground-based flight simulators continue to improve in fidelity and effectiveness, there remains no substitute for flight test evaluations. In addition...
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Walt Disney visited Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
1965-01-01
Walt Disney toured the West Test Area during his visit to the Marshall Space Flight Center on April 13, 1965. The three in center foreground are Karl Heimburg, Director, Test Division; Dr. von Braun, Director, MSFC; and Walt Disney. The Dynamic Test Stand with the S-1C stage being installed is in the background.
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Methodology for Evaluating the Simulator Flight Performance of Pilots
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Smith, Jennifer
2004-01-01
The type of research that investigates operational tasks such as flying an aircraft or flight simulator is extremely useful to the Air Force's operational community because the results apply directly...
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Johnson, Marcus; Jung, Jaewoo; Rios, Joseph; Mercer, Joey; Homola, Jeffrey; Prevot, Thomas; Mulfinger, Daniel; Kopardekar, Parimal
2017-01-01
This study evaluates a traffic management concept designed to enable simultaneous operations of multiple small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the national airspace system (NAS). A five-day flight-test activity is described that examined the feasibility of operating multiple UAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of their respective operators in the same airspace. Over the five-day campaign, three groups of five flight crews operated a total of eleven different aircraft. Each group participated in four flight scenarios involving five simultaneous missions. Each vehicle was operated BVLOS up to 1.5 miles from the pilot in command. Findings and recommendations are presented to support the feasibility and safety of routine BVLOS operations for small UAS.
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First controlled vertical flight of a biologically inspired microrobot
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Perez-Arancibia, Nestor O; Ma, Kevin Y; Greenberg, Jack D; Wood, Robert J [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Galloway, Kevin C, E-mail: nperez@seas.harvard.edu, E-mail: kevinma@seas.harvard.edu, E-mail: kevin.galloway@wyss.harvard.edu, E-mail: jdgreenb@seas.harvard.edu, E-mail: rjwood@eecs.harvard.edu [Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115 (United States)
2011-09-15
In this paper, we present experimental results on altitude control of a flying microrobot. The problem is approached in two stages. In the first stage, system identification of two relevant subsystems composing the microrobot is performed, using a static flapping experimental setup. In the second stage, the information gathered through the static flapping experiments is employed to design the controller used in vertical flight. The design of the proposed controller relies on the idea of treating an exciting signal as a subsystem of the microrobot. The methods and results presented here are a key step toward achieving total autonomy of bio-inspired flying microrobots.
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First controlled vertical flight of a biologically inspired microrobot
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Perez-Arancibia, Nestor O; Ma, Kevin Y; Greenberg, Jack D; Wood, Robert J; Galloway, Kevin C
2011-01-01
In this paper, we present experimental results on altitude control of a flying microrobot. The problem is approached in two stages. In the first stage, system identification of two relevant subsystems composing the microrobot is performed, using a static flapping experimental setup. In the second stage, the information gathered through the static flapping experiments is employed to design the controller used in vertical flight. The design of the proposed controller relies on the idea of treating an exciting signal as a subsystem of the microrobot. The methods and results presented here are a key step toward achieving total autonomy of bio-inspired flying microrobots.
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Flight Test Results for the F-16XL With a Digital Flight Control System
Stachowiak, Susan J.; Bosworth, John T.
2004-01-01
In the early 1980s, two F-16 airplanes were modified to extend the fuselage length and incorporate a large area delta wing planform. These two airplanes, designated the F-16XL, were designed by the General Dynamics Corporation (now Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems) (Fort Worth, Texas) and were prototypes for a derivative fighter evaluation program conducted by the United States Air Force. Although the concept was never put into production, the F-16XL prototypes provided a unique planform for testing concepts in support of future high-speed supersonic transport aircraft. To extend the capabilities of this testbed vehicle the F-16XL ship 1 aircraft was upgraded with a digital flight control system. The added flexibility of a digital flight control system increases the versatility of this airplane as a testbed for aerodynamic research and investigation of advanced technologies. This report presents the handling qualities flight test results covering the envelope expansion of the F-16XL with the digital flight control system.
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Carter, John; Stephenson, Mark
1999-01-01
The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has completed the initial flight test of a modified set of F/A-18 flight control computers that gives the aircraft a research control law capability. The production support flight control computers (PSFCC) provide an increased capability for flight research in the control law, handling qualities, and flight systems areas. The PSFCC feature a research flight control processor that is "piggybacked" onto the baseline F/A-18 flight control system. This research processor allows for pilot selection of research control law operation in flight. To validate flight operation, a replication of a standard F/A-18 control law was programmed into the research processor and flight-tested over a limited envelope. This paper provides a brief description of the system, summarizes the initial flight test of the PSFCC, and describes future experiments for the PSFCC.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang, Lei; Wu, Changxu; Sun, Ruishan
2014-01-01
A long landing is one type of flight incident that will multiply the risk of a runway excursion. It occurs frequently but receives little attention in research due to difficulty in obtaining the real flight data. The aim of this paper is to discover key flight parameter features of long landing incidents by analyzing Quick Access Recorder (QAR) data and put forward prevention measures from the perspective of pilot operation at the same time. First, 73 flight performance parameter variables and 4 operation parameter variables were defined, covering major landing stages from 1500 ft to touchdown. Then 128 cases of selected QAR data were divided into two groups according to the threshold of identifying normal and long landing. Second, each flight parameter variable of these 128 flights was compared between groups and then the logistic and linear regression models were developed respectively to further examine the links between touchdown distance and these flight parameter variables. Third, potential flight operation causing performance difference of long landing incidents was also analyzed. Finally results indicate that the period of 200 ft to touchdown is the key stage of landing and flare is the most critical operation affecting touchdown distance. It is suggested that the pilot should inspect the ratio of descent rate and groundspeed carefully at the height of 50 ft and pilot's faster and steady pulling up columns is probably helpful for an excellent flare and landing. The findings are expected to be applied into flight operation practice for further preventing long landing incidents and even the runway excursion accidents
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Flight assessment of a large supersonic drone aircraft for research use
Eckstrom, C. V.; Peele, E. L.
1974-01-01
An assessment is made of the capabilities of the BQM-34E supersonic drone aircraft as a test bed research vehicle. This assessment is made based on a flight conducted for the purpose of obtaining flight test measurements of wing loads at various maneuver flight conditions. Flight plan preparation, flight simulation, and conduct of the flight test are discussed along with a presentation of the test data obtained and an evaluation of how closely the flight test followed the test plan.
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Aft View of Saturn V Third Stage (S-IVB)
1960-01-01
The powerful J-2 engine is prominent in this photograph of a Saturn V Third Stage (S-IVB) resting on a transporter in the Manufacturing Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.
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Propulsion systems for vertical flight aircraft
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Brooks, A.
1990-01-01
The present evaluation of VTOL airframe/powerplant integration configurations combining high forward flight speed with safe and efficient vertical flight identifies six configurations that can be matched with one of three powerplant types: turboshafts, convertible-driveshaft lift fans, and gas-drive lift fans. The airframes configurations are (1) tilt-rotor, (2) folded tilt-rotor, (3) tilt-wing, (4) rotor wing/disk wing, (5) lift fan, and (6) variable-diameter rotor. Attention is given to the lift-fan VTOL configuration. The evaluation of these configurations has been conducted by both a joint NASA/DARPA program and the NASA High Speed Rotorcraft program. 7 refs.
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Studies on evaluation of staging of cancer of the uterine cervix by means of CT
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kakizaki, D
1987-03-01
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the stage classification (FIGO) by using CT in 50 cases with cancer of the uterine cervix in which the final stage had been diagnosed. An accurate diagnosis was obtained in 6 of 14 Ib cases, 14 of 21 IIa cases, 5 of 6 IIb cases, 2 of 3 IIIa cases, 3 of 3 IIIb cases and 3 of 3 IVa cases, for a total of 33 of 50 (66 %). The diagnostic rate for Ib and IIa staging was 57 %, while that for IIb or more was 87 %, but the accuracy rate in IIIb and IVa was 100 %. As the equipment, a high resolutional GE 9800 CT using a special technique was employed. Employing special pretreatment for the patient, it became possible to accurately grasp the pelvic condition of the patients. CT evaluation was related to the extent of the cervical cancer and the presence of infiltration into the vaginal wall. According to a 4-stage classification of the CT image, the extent of infiltration to surrounding parametrium and the bladder was determined. As a result, the sensitivity for evaluating invasion into surrounding tissue raised 92 %, and it showed 100 % for cases with adhesion or invasion of the bladder. Therefore, CT can an extremely effective method to determine the clinical staging of cancer of the uterine cervix.
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Flight Simulator Evaluation of Enhanced Propulsion Control Modes for Emergency Operation
Litt, Jonathan, S; Sowers, T.; Owen, A., Karl; Fulton, Christopher, E.; Chicatelli, Amy, K.
2012-01-01
This paper describes piloted evaluation of enhanced propulsion control modes for emergency operation of aircraft. Fast Response and Overthrust modes were implemented to assess their ability to help avoid or mitigate potentially catastrophic situations, both on the ground and in flight. Tests were conducted to determine the reduction in takeoff distance achievable using the Overthrust mode. Also, improvements in Dutch roll damping, enabled by using yaw rate feedback to the engines to replace the function of a stuck rudder, were investigated. Finally, pilot workload and ability to handle the impaired aircraft on approach and landing were studied. The results showed that improvement in all aspects is possible with these enhanced propulsion control modes, but the way in which they are initiated and incorporated is important for pilot comfort and perceived benefit.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2002-03-01
In France, the public authorities put a new Internet tool at air companies disposal, in order they can evaluate the radiations doses received by their flying crews during their flights. This tool called information and evaluation system by flight of exposure to cosmic radiation in air transport (S.I.E.V.E.R.T.). (N.C.)
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Bosworth, John T.
2008-01-01
Adaptive flight control systems have the potential to be resilient to extreme changes in airplane behavior. Extreme changes could be a result of a system failure or of damage to the airplane. The goal for the adaptive system is to provide an increase in survivability in the event that these extreme changes occur. A direct adaptive neural-network-based flight control system was developed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NF-15B Intelligent Flight Control System airplane. The adaptive element was incorporated into a dynamic inversion controller with explicit reference model-following. As a test the system was subjected to an abrupt change in plant stability simulating a destabilizing failure. Flight evaluations were performed with and without neural network adaptation. The results of these flight tests are presented. Comparison with simulation predictions and analysis of the performance of the adaptation system are discussed. The performance of the adaptation system is assessed in terms of its ability to stabilize the vehicle and reestablish good onboard reference model-following. Flight evaluation with the simulated destabilizing failure and adaptation engaged showed improvement in the vehicle stability margins. The convergent properties of this initial system warrant additional improvement since continued maneuvering caused continued adaptation change. Compared to the non-adaptive system the adaptive system provided better closed-loop behavior with improved matching of the onboard reference model. A detailed discussion of the flight results is presented.
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Numerical simulation of stage separation of a multi-stage flying object with brake jets
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mirzaei, M.; Shadaram, A.; Nia, B.N.
2005-01-01
In this paper, separation maneuver of a two-stage supersonic flying object is numerically simulated and the influences of supersonic brake jets on separation process are discussed. The finite volume approach is used for solution of unsteady three-dimensional full Navier-Stokes equations on a moving boundary domain. In this simulation, air has considered as a calorically perfect gas and since the flow field is turbulent, two equations κ-ε model has been adopted for turbulence modeling. Shocks, expansions and their reflections have major role on flow pattern between two stages during the separation process and the maneuver is dominantly affected by the main flow and braking jets. The separation process has an unsteady nature and the separation of stages at high Mach numbers induces some aerodynamic problems that may lead to fail the next stage flight. The purpose of this research is to compute the aerodynamic loads on separated stage and, consequently, the relative distance of body components with a good accuracy. The simulation of moving boundary problem is based on moving grid strategy using remeshing method. To validate the simulation, some of the results are compared with experimental data. (author)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lee, Sumi; Song, Doosam
2010-01-01
Drastic urbanization and manhattanization are causing various problems in wind environment. This study suggests a CFD simulation method to evaluate wind environment in the early design stage of high-rise buildings. The CFD simulation of this study is not a traditional in-depth simulation, but a method to immediately evaluate wind environment for each design alternative and provide guidelines for design modification. Thus, the CFD simulation of this study to evaluate wind environments uses BIM-based CFD tools to utilize building models in the design stage. This study examined previous criteria to evaluate wind environment for pedestrians around buildings and selected evaluation criteria applicable to the CFD simulation method of this study. Furthermore, proper mesh generation method and CPU time were reviewed to find a meaningful CFD simulation result for determining optimal design alternative from the perspective of wind environment in the design stage. In addition, this study is to suggest a wind environment evaluation method through a BIM-based CFD simulation.
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Description and Flight Performance Results of the WASP Sounding Rocket
De Pauw, J. F.; Steffens, L. E.; Yuska, J. A.
1968-01-01
A general description of the design and construction of the WASP sounding rocket and of the performance of its first flight are presented. The purpose of the flight test was to place the 862-pound (391-kg) spacecraft above 250 000 feet (76.25 km) on free-fall trajectory for at least 6 minutes in order to study the effect of "weightlessness" on a slosh dynamics experiment. The WASP sounding rocket fulfilled its intended mission requirements. The sounding rocket approximately followed a nominal trajectory. The payload was in free fall above 250 000 feet (76.25 km) for 6.5 minutes and reached an apogee altitude of 134 nautical miles (248 km). Flight data including velocity, altitude, acceleration, roll rate, and angle of attack are discussed and compared to nominal performance calculations. The effect of residual burning of the second stage motor is analyzed. The flight vibration environment is presented and analyzed, including root mean square (RMS) and power spectral density analysis.
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Saturn V First Stage S-1C LOX Fuel Tanks
1960-01-01
This photograph shows the Saturn V assembled LOX (Liquid Oxygen) and fuel tanks ready for transport from the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The tanks were then shipped to the launch site at Kennedy Space Center for a flight. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.
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Huang, Rong; Huang, Yuan; Tao, Ping; Li, Hui; Wang, Qiong; Li, Hui; Li, Jia-yuan
2013-01-01
To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) in patients with breast cancer at different TNM stages and to estimate the value of EuroQol Five Dimension Indicator (EQ-5D) in measuring QOL among Chinese breast cancer patients. A survey with Quality of Life Instruments for Cancer Patients-Breast Cancer (QLICP-BR) and EQ-5D was undertaken in breast cancer patients who had completed their standardized treatment (except for the endocrine treatment) six months ago. Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and covariance analysis were used to evaluate the possible factors influencing the QOL of breast cancer patients. Simultaneously, with the results of Quality of Life Instruments for Cancer Patients-General Module (QLICP-GM, which is included in QLICP-BR.) and the total scores of QLICP-BR as standard, we conducted Pearson correlation analysis to evaluate the value of EQ-5D. A total of 178 female breast cancer survivors were collected from March 2010 to September 2010. There were 47 cases (26.4%) at stage 0 and I, 81 cases (45.5%) at stage II, and 50 cases (28.1%) at stage III and IV. The total standardized score of QLICP-BR was 72.55 ± 3.10 in patients at stage 0 and I, 64.09 ± 2.69 in patients at stage II and 58.21 ± 3.00 in patients at stage III and IV. The total standardized score of QLICP-BR and social domain of patients at stage 0 and I were higher than patients at stage II (all P stage 0 and I were higher than patients at stage III and IV (all P stages when age, degree of education, birth place (metropolis or rural), occupation, domestic income, and medical insurance were controlled (P = 0.002). Correlation analysis indicated that EQ-5D has a positive correlation with QLICP-GM and QLICP-BR (all P stage breast cancer is better than those at late stage. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve QOL of breast cancer patients. Chinese version of EQ-5D can well detect the differences of QOL among patients with different TNM stages, which can be used for evaluating QOL in Chinese
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Loading the Saturn I S-IV Stage into Pregnant Guppy
1965-01-01
The photograph shows the loading operation of the Saturn I S-IV stage (second stage) into the Pregnant Guppy at the Redstone Airfield, Huntsville, Alabama. The Pregnant Guppy was a Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser modified to transport various stages of Saturn launch vehicles. The modification project called for lengthening the fuselage to accommodate the S-IV stage. After the flight test of that modification, phase two called for the enlargement of the plane's cabin section to approximately double its normal volume. The fuselage separated just aft of the wing's trailing edge to load and unload the S-IV and other cargoes.
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1994-01-01
The Perseus A, a remotely-piloted, high-altitude research aircraft, is seen here framed against the moon and sky during a research mission at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California in August 1994. Perseus B is a remotely piloted aircraft developed as a design-performance testbed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Perseus is one of several flight vehicles involved in the ERAST project. A piston engine, propeller-powered aircraft, Perseus was designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia. The objectives of Perseus B's ERAST flight tests have been to reach and maintain horizontal flight above altitudes of 60,000 feet and demonstrate the capability to fly missions lasting from 8 to 24 hours, depending on payload and altitude requirements. The Perseus B aircraft established an unofficial altitude record for a single-engine, propeller-driven, remotely piloted aircraft on June 27, 1998. It reached an altitude of 60,280 feet. In 1999, several modifications were made to the Perseus aircraft including engine, avionics, and flight-control-system improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a series of operational readiness and test missions at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Perseus is a high-wing monoplane with a conventional tail design. Its narrow, straight, high-aspect-ratio wing is mounted atop the fuselage. The aircraft is pusher-designed with the propeller mounted in the rear. This design allows for interchangeable scientific-instrument payloads to be placed in the forward fuselage. The design also allows for unobstructed airflow to the sensors and other devices mounted in the payload compartment. The Perseus B that underwent test and development in 1999 was the third generation of the Perseus design, which began with the Perseus Proof-Of-Concept aircraft. Perseus was initially developed as part of NASA's Small High-Altitude Science Aircraft
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Flight Bags as a Cause of Back Injuries Among Commercial Pilots.
Kanumuri, Vamsi S R; Zautke, John L; Dorevitch, Samuel
2015-06-01
Pilots of fixed wing commercial aircraft face numerous occupational hazards. Low back pain is among the most common and costly workplace injury, though relatively little is known about causes of back injuries among pilots. The awkward lifting and twisting maneuvers in the flight deck to position flight bags has not been described as a cause of occupational back injury among pilots. A case series of low back injuries among pilots was identified and described by a retrospective review of charts at an airport-based clinic. Circumstances of occupational back injury, initial direct medical costs, treatment, and work status following evaluation were described. Over a 6-yr period, 37 occupational low back injuries among 35 pilots were evaluated and treated. Of these, 24 (65%) involved flight bags. Only 27% of pilots with flight bag-associated injuries were returned to work after initial evaluation; medications with sedating properties were frequently required for treatment. Injuries due to slips, trips, and falls, typically in jet bridges or associated with hotel shuttles, were common among pilots with back injuries not related to flight bags. The majority of occupational low back injuries seen among pilots in an airport based clinic were attributable to use of flight bags. Substituting electronic flight bags for traditional flight bags could contribute to back injury prevention among pilots.
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Saturn V First Stage (S-1C) At MSFC
1960-01-01
This small group of unidentified officials is dwarfed by the gigantic size of the Saturn V first stage (S-1C) at the shipping area of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.
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Design and analysis of advanced flight planning concepts
Sorensen, John A.
1987-01-01
The objectives of this continuing effort are to develop and evaluate new algorithms and advanced concepts for flight management and flight planning. This includes the minimization of fuel or direct operating costs, the integration of the airborne flight management and ground-based flight planning processes, and the enhancement of future traffic management systems design. Flight management (FMS) concepts are for on-board profile computation and steering of transport aircraft in the vertical plane between a city pair and along a given horizontal path. Flight planning (FPS) concepts are for the pre-flight ground based computation of the three-dimensional reference trajectory that connects the city pair and specifies the horizontal path, fuel load, and weather profiles for initializing the FMS. As part of these objectives, a new computer program called EFPLAN has been developed and utilized to study advanced flight planning concepts. EFPLAN represents an experimental version of an FPS. It has been developed to generate reference flight plans compatible as input to an FMS and to provide various options for flight planning research. This report describes EFPLAN and the associated research conducted in its development.
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Evaluation of surgical staging prior to combined modality therapy for esophageal cancer
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Suntharalingam, M.; Vines, E.; Echo, D. van; Greenwald, B.; Krasna, M.
1996-01-01
OBJECTIVE: Historically, patients with esophageal cancer have had a poor outcome despite aggressive treatment approaches. Recently chemo/RT followed by surgical resection has shown a significant improvement in survival in this patient population. The success of this aggressive approach has been predicated on accurate definition of disease extent and appropriate patient selection. We have performed pre-treatment surgical staging (thoracoscopy and laparoscopy) on 38 pts. referred for management of their localized esophageal cancer. The purpose of this report is to compare the results of clinical (CT, MRI, EGD, EUS) vs. surgical staging. The data gathered prospectively will also be used to identify potential predictors for disease-free survival. METHODS: Thirty-eight pts. were treated with combined modality therapy prior to a planned surgical resection. Patients received 50.4 Gy in 1.8 Gy fractions in conjunction with 5 FU (1 Gm/m2) and Cisplatin (100 mg/m2) on days 1 and 28. Patients were evaluated 4 to 6 wks. after completion of therapy for consideration of Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. Of the original 38 pts., 4 are awaiting surgery, 3 died prior to resection, 2 pts. progressed through chemo/RT, and 1 refused. To date, 28 pts. are available for analysis with a median follow up of 21.5 months. This group included 16 pts. with squamous cell and 12 with adenocarcinoma. RESULTS: Twenty-five of the 28 pts. taken to surgery have undergone pre treatment surgical staging (2 refused, 1 medically unfit). Evaluation of tumor status revealed noninvasive staging to be accurate 56% of the time. Five pts. were converted from T 2 to T 3 , 1 from T 3 to T 4 and 3 T 4 tumors were found to be T 3 . Using the surgical findings at time of staging, 6 pts. were found to have T 2 tumors, 16 had T 3 tumors, and 3 had T 4 tumors. Clinical lymph node status was confirmed in 15 patients (60%). Six went from N+ to N 0 and 4 pts. thought to be N 0 were N+. Eight patients had evidence of positive
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Quantifying Pilot Contribution to Flight Safety During an In-Flight Airspeed Failure
Etherington, Timothy J.; Kramer, Lynda J.; Bailey, Randall E.; Kennedey, Kellie D.
2017-01-01
Accident statistics cite the flight crew as a causal factor in over 60% of large transport fatal accidents. Yet a well-trained and well-qualified crew is acknowledged as the critical center point of aircraft systems safety and an integral component of the entire commercial aviation system. A human-in-the-loop test was conducted using a Level D certified Boeing 737-800 simulator to evaluate the pilot's contribution to safety-of-flight during routine air carrier flight operations and in response to system failures. To quantify the human's contribution, crew complement was used as an independent variable in a between-subjects design. This paper details the crew's actions and responses while dealing with an in-flight airspeed failure. Accident statistics often cite flight crew error (Baker, 2001) as the primary contributor in accidents and incidents in transport category aircraft. However, the Air Line Pilots Association (2011) suggests "a well-trained and well-qualified pilot is acknowledged as the critical center point of the aircraft systems safety and an integral safety component of the entire commercial aviation system." This is generally acknowledged but cannot be verified because little or no quantitative data exists on how or how many accidents/incidents are averted by crew actions. Anecdotal evidence suggest crews handle failures on a daily basis and Aviation Safety Action Program data generally supports this assertion, even if the data is not released to the public. However without hard evidence, the contribution and means by which pilots achieve safety of flight is difficult to define. Thus, ways to improve the human ability to contribute or overcome deficiencies are ill-defined.
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Hanson, Curt
2014-01-01
An adaptive augmenting control algorithm for the Space Launch System has been developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center as part of the launch vehicles baseline flight control system. A prototype version of the SLS flight control software was hosted on a piloted aircraft at the Armstrong Flight Research Center to demonstrate the adaptive controller on a full-scale realistic application in a relevant flight environment. Concerns regarding adverse interactions between the adaptive controller and a proposed manual steering mode were investigated by giving the pilot trajectory deviation cues and pitch rate command authority.
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External debt and capital flight in Nigeria: Is there a revolving door?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
OT Ajilore
2014-10-01
Full Text Available Using the residual method of capital flight estimation, this paper estimates Nigerian capital flight over the period 1970 - 2001 and finds a close correlation between external debt and capital flight flows. This phenomenon suggests a paradoxical revolving door of a bi-directional flow of capital, i.e. where capital enters the country in the guise of external borrowing and simultaneously slips out of the country as private capital flight. The research question addressed by this paper is whether such a financial revolving door relationship exists in Nigeria, just as previous empirical researches had established in a number of countries. The paper utilises a simultaneous equation model and three stage least square estimation technique (3SLS, in addition to two-way Granger causality tests, to obtain statistical evidence that confirms the existence of a financial revolving door relationship between the two endogenous variables. In addition, existence of stronger causality from debt to capital flight is instrumental in showing that growing public deficit and the resulting increase in external debt is being used as a transfer mechanism for capital flight.
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Executive Summary of Propulsion on the Orion Abort Flight-Test Vehicles
Jones, Daniel S.; Brooks, Syri J.; Barnes, Marvin W.; McCauley, Rachel J.; Wall, Terry M.; Reed, Brian D.; Duncan, C. Miguel
2012-01-01
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Orion Flight Test Office was tasked with conducting a series of flight tests in several launch abort scenarios to certify that the Orion Launch Abort System is capable of delivering astronauts aboard the Orion Crew Module to a safe environment, away from a failed booster. The first of this series was the Orion Pad Abort 1 Flight-Test Vehicle, which was successfully flown on May 6, 2010 at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. This report provides a brief overview of the three propulsive subsystems used on the Pad Abort 1 Flight-Test Vehicle. An overview of the propulsive systems originally planned for future flight-test vehicles is also provided, which also includes the cold gas Reaction Control System within the Crew Module, and the Peacekeeper first stage rocket motor encased within the Abort Test Booster aeroshell. Although the Constellation program has been cancelled and the operational role of the Orion spacecraft has significantly evolved, lessons learned from Pad Abort 1 and the other flight-test vehicles could certainly contribute to the vehicle architecture of many future human-rated space launch vehicles
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Focusing procedures in time-of-flight mass spectrometry
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ioanoviciu, D.
2002-01-01
Time-of-flight mass spectrometry is a fast growing field due to its ability to handle very fast processes and due to its theoretically unlimited mass range. The performances of the time-of-flight mass analysers are heavily dependent on the progress in ion optics, a periodically reviewed field. In this presentation the various focusing procedures in time-of-flight mass spectrometry are reviewed. For ions of the same charge and mass flight time differences result from different potentials at the location of formation and from the initial velocity spread. There is no simultaneous space and velocity focusing in time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Space focusing of first and second order can be reached in time-of-flight mass analysers having two homogeneous electric field ion sources followed by a field free space in front of the detector. Single and double stage homogeneous electric field mirrors can focus in time ions of different energies. These different energies result when ions leaving different initial sites and arriving simultaneously to an intermediate space focus. Convenient mass dispersion can be obtained by including a mirror. Initial velocity focusing is obtained by the delayed extraction procedure in drift space and mirror time-of-flight mass analysers. Post source pulse focusing aims at the same purpose. Ion source electrodes of hyperbolic shape, operated by high voltage pulses can bring major improvements of the resolution, especially at high masses. For each focusing procedure the geometric and/or electric conditions are given as well as the aberrations allowing the mass resolution determination. The various focusing procedures are compared and a prediction of their future performances was tempted. (author)
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Final Phase Flight Performance and Touchdown Time Assessment of TDV in RLV-TD HEX-01 Mission
Yadav, Sandeep; Jayakumar, M.; Nizin, Aziya; Kesavabrahmaji, K.; Shyam Mohan, N.
2017-12-01
RLV-TD HEX-01 mission was configured as a precursor flight to actual two stages to orbit vehicle. In this mission RLV-TD was designed as a two stage vehicle for demonstrating the hypersonic flight of a winged body vehicle at Mach No. 5. One of the main objectives of this mission was to generate data for better understanding of new technologies required to design the future vehicle. In this mission, the RLV-TD vehicle was heavily instrumented to get data related to performance of different subsystems. As per the mission design, RLV-TD will land in sea after flight duration of 700 s and travelling a distance of nearly 500 km in Bay of Bengal from the launch site for a nominal trajectory. The visibility studies for telemetry data of vehicle for the nominal and off nominal trajectories were carried out. Based on that, three ground stations were proposed for the telemetry data reception (including one in sea). Even with this scheme it was seen that during the final phase of the flight there will not be any ground station visible to the flight due to low elevation. To have the mission critical data during final phase of the flight, telemetry through INSAT scheme was introduced. During the end of the mission RLV-TD will be landing in the sea on a hypothetical runway. To know the exact time of touchdown for the flight in sea, there was no direct measurement available. Simultaneously there were all chances of losing ground station visibility just before touchdown, making it difficult to assess flight performance during that phase. In this work, telemetry and instrumentation scheme of RLV-TD HEX-01 mission is discussed with an objective to determine the flight performance during the final phase. Further, using various flight sensor data the touchdown time of TDV is assessed for this mission.
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Smith, S. M.; Gregory, J. F.; Zeisel, G. H.; Gibson, C. R.; Mader, T. H.; Kinchen, J.; Ueland, P.; Ploutz-Snyder, R.; Heer, M.; Zwart, S. R.
2016-01-01
Data from the Nutritional Status Assessment protocol provided biochemical evidence that the one-carbon metabolic pathway may be altered in individuals experiencing vision-related issues during and after space flight (1, 2). Briefly, serum concentrations of homocysteine, cystathionine, 2-methylcitric acid, and methylmalonic acid were significantly (P<0.001) higher (25-45%) in astronauts with ophthalmic changes than in those without such changes (1). These differences existed before, during, and after flight. Serum folate was lower (P<0.01) during flight in individuals with ophthalmic changes. Preflight serum concentrations of cystathionine and 2-methylcitric acid, and mean in-flight serum folate, were significantly (P<0.05) correlated with postflight changes in refraction (1). A follow-up study was conducted to evaluate a small number of known polymorphisms of enzymes in the one-carbon pathway, and to evaluate how these relate to vision and other medical aspects of the eye. Specifically, we investigated 5 polymorphisms in MTRR, MTHFR, SHMT, and CBS genes and their association with ophthalmic changes after flight in 49 astronauts. The number of G alleles of MTRR 66 and C alleles of SHMT1 1420 both contributed to the odds of visual disturbances (3). Block regression showed that B-vitamin status at landing and genetics were significant predictors for many of the ophthalmic outcomes studied (3). In conclusion, we document an association between MTRR 66 and SHMT1 1420 polymorphisms and space flightinduced vision changes. These data document that individuals with an altered 1-carbon metabolic pathway may be predisposed to anatomic and/or physiologic changes that render them susceptible to ophthalmic damage during space flight.
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Evaluation of the diagnosis on staging of the bladder cancers by contrast-enhanced ultrasound
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gao Yong; Xu Haiyan; Huan Haiming; Chen Yane
2010-01-01
Objective: To study the value of the staging of the bladder cancers with the contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Methods: After rapid injection of the contrast agent SonoVue through the elbow vein, the staging of images was completed in 18 cases of bladder cancer. Results: The results of contrast-enhanced ultrasound were compared with post-operative pathological analysis, the rate of accuracy of diagnosis on T1, T2, T3 and T4 stage was 100%, 80%, 83% and 100% respectively. The accuracy made by new methods higher than those of other imaging examinations in T1 stage; the other stages were similar to those of other imaging examinations. Conclusion: The evaluation of Contrast-enhanced ultrasound on the staging of the bladder cancer is higher than that of the conventional ultrasound examination, while the observation of blood flow in the tumor can make accurate diagnosis and differential diagnosis, this method can be complement each other with CT and MRI to improve the rate of accuracy on the staging of bladder cancer. (authors)
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RLV-TD Flight Measured Aeroacoustic Levels and its Comparison with Predictions
Manokaran, K.; Prasath, M.; Venkata Subrahmanyam, B.; Ganesan, V. R.; Ravindran, Archana; Babu, C.
2017-12-01
The Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) is a wing body configuration successfully flight tested. One of the important flight measurements is the acoustic levels. There were five external microphones, mounted on the fuselage-forebody, wing, vertical tail, inter-stage (ITS) and core base shroud to measure the acoustic levels from lift-off to splash down. In the ascent phase, core base shroud recorded the overall maximum at both lift-off and transonic conditions. In-flight noise levels measured on the wing is second highest, followed by fuselage and vertical tail. Predictions for flight trajectory compare well at all locations except for vertical tail (4.5 dB). In the descent phase, maximum measured OASPL occurs at transonic condition for the wing, followed by vertical tail and fuselage. Predictions for flight trajectory compare well at all locations except for wing (- 6.0 dB). Spectrum comparison is good in the ascent phase compared to descent phase. Roll Reaction control system (RCS) thruster firing signature is seen in the acoustic measurements on the wing and vertical tail during lift-off.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
2016-01-01
Full Text Available The article deals with methods of forecasting the level of aviation safety operation of aircraft systems on the basis of methods of evaluation the risks of negative situations as a consequence of a functional loss of initial properties of the system with critical violations of standard modes of the aircraft. Mathematical Models of Risks as a Danger Measure of Discrete Random Events in Aviation Systems are presented. Technological Schemes and Structure of Risk Control Proce- dures without the Probability are illustrated as Methods of Risk Management System in Civil Aviation. The assessment of the level of safety and quality and management of aircraft, made not only from the standpoint of reliability (quality and consumer properties, but also from the position of ICAO on the basis of a risk-based approach. According to ICAO, the security assessment is performed by comparing the calculated risk with an acceptable level. The approach justifies the use of qualitative evaluation techniques safety in the forms of proactive forecasted and predictive risk management adverse impacts to aviation operations of various kinds, including the space sector and nuclear energy. However, for the events such as accidents and disasters, accidents with the aircraft, fighters in a training flight, during the preparation of the pilots on the training aircraft, etc. there is no required statistics. Density of probability distribution (p. d. f. of these events are only hypothetical, unknown with "hard tails" that completely eliminates the application of methods of confidence intervals in the traditional approaches to the assessment of safety in the form of the probability analysis.
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Are stage IV vestibular schwannomas preoperatively different from other stages?
Tringali, Stéphane; Dubreuil, Christian; Zaouche, Sandra; Ferber-Viart, Chantal
2008-01-01
The aim of this study was to focus on the clinical and paraclinical symptoms of patients suffering from Stage IV vestibular schwannomas (VSs). In this prospective study, we included 734 patients who have VS and candidates for operation. Patients were classified as having Stage I, II, III, or IV tumors according to Tos criteria as evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging. PREOPERATIVE CLINICAL EVALUATION: We recorded the occurrence of complaints (%) and duration (yr) of hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorder. Preoperative paraclinical evaluation included pure-tone (PTA) and speech audiometry, auditory brainstem response (ABR) patterns, and vestibular deficit at videonystamography (VNG). Continuous variables were compared between Stage IV and other stages using analysis of variance. Qualitative variables expressed as a percentage of presence were compared between Stage IV and other stages using percentage comparison. Quantitative Parameters. Patients with Stage IV VS were significantly younger as compared with patients with other stages. Stage IV hearing loss was greater compared with other stages at 250 and 500 Hz but smaller at 2,000 and 8,000 Hz. We found no difference in the loss of PTA between Stage IV and the other stages. Speech discriminancy score was smaller in Stage IV. The durations of hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders were similar whatever the tumor stage. Auditory brainstem response patterns showed no difference in Wave III latency between Stage IV VS and other stages, whereas Wave V latency and V-I interval were higher in Stage IV. Both ABR threshold and VNG caloric deficit were higher in Stage IV VS compared with other stages. Qualitative Parameters. The percentage of patients with Stage IV was lower than that with Stages II and III. The percentage of men and women was similar in all stages. The occurrence of hearing loss was similar in all stages, whereas that of tinnitus was lower in Stage IV compared with Stages I and II. In
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The dynamics of blood biochemical parameters in cosmonauts during long-term space flights
Markin, Andrei; Strogonova, Lubov; Balashov, Oleg; Polyakov, Valery; Tigner, Timoty
Most of the previously obtained data on cosmonauts' metabolic state concerned certain stages of the postflight period. In this connection, all conclusions, as to metabolism peculiarities during the space flight, were to a large extent probabilistic. The purpose of this work was study of metabolism characteristics in cosmonauts directly during long-term space flights. In the capillary blood samples taken from a finger, by "Reflotron IV" biochemical analyzer, "Boehringer Mannheim" GmbH, Germany, adapted to weightlessness environments, the activity of GOT, GPT, CK, gamma-GT, total and pancreatic amylase, as well as concentration of hemoglobin, glucose, total bilirubin, uric acid, urea, creatinine, total, HDL- and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides had been determined. HDL/LDL-cholesterol ratio also was computed. The crewmembers of 6 main missions to the "Mir" orbital station, a total of 17 cosmonauts, were examined. Biochemical tests were carryed out 30-60 days before lounch, and in the flights different stages between the 25-th and the 423-rd days of flights. In cosmonauts during space flight had been found tendency to increase, in compare with basal level, GOT, GPT, total amylase activity, glucose and total cholesterol concentration, and tendency to decrease of CK activity, hemoglobin, HDL-cholesterol concentration, and HDL/LDL — cholesterol ratio. Some definite trends in variations of other determined biochemical parameters had not been found. The same trends of mentioned biochemical parameters alterations observed in majority of tested cosmonauts, allows to suppose existence of connection between noted metabolic alterations with influence of space flight conditions upon cosmonaut's body. Variations of other studied blood biochemical parameters depends on, probably, pure individual causes.
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Alderete, Thomas S.; Ascencio-Lee, Carmen E.; Bray, Richard; Carlton, John; Dohme, Jack; Eshow, Michelle M.; Francis, Stephen; Lee, Owen M.; Lintern, Gavan; Lombardo, David A.
1994-01-01
The principal purpose of this publication is to provide a broad overview of the technology that is relevant to the design of aviation training systems and of the techniques applicable to the development, use, and evaluation of those systems. The issues addressed in our 11 chapters are, for the most part, those that would be expected to surface in any informed discussion of the major characterizing elements of aviation training systems. Indeed, many of the same facets of vertical-flight training discussed were recognized and, to some extent, dealt with at the 1991 NASA/FAA Helicopter Simulator Workshop. These generic topics are essential to a sound understanding of training and training systems, and they quite properly form the basis of any attempt to systematize the development and evaluation of more effective, more efficient, more productive, and more economical approaches to aircrew training. Individual chapters address the following topics: an overview of the vertical flight industry: the source of training requirements; training and training schools: meeting current requirements; training systems design and development; transfer of training and cost-effectiveness; the military quest for flight training effectiveness; alternative training systems; training device manufacturing; simulator aero model implementation; simulation validation in the frequency domain; cockpit motion in helicopter simulation; and visual space perception in flight simulators.
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Marshall Space Flight Center's Impact Testing Facility Capabilities
Finchum, Andy; Hubbs, Whitney; Evans, Steve
2008-01-01
Marshall Space Flight Center s (MSFC) Impact Testing Facility (ITF) serves as an important installation for space and missile related materials science research. The ITF was established and began its research in spacecraft debris shielding in the early 1960s, then played a major role in the International Space Station debris shield development. As NASA became more interested in launch debris and in-flight impact concerns, the ITF grew to include research in a variety of impact genres. Collaborative partnerships with the DoD led to a wider range of impact capabilities being relocated to MSFC as a result of the closure of Particle Impact Facilities in Santa Barbara, California. The Particle Impact Facility had a 30 year history in providing evaluations of aerospace materials and components during flights through rain, ice, and solid particle environments at subsonic through hypersonic velocities. The facility s unique capabilities were deemed a "National Asset" by the DoD. The ITF now has capabilities including environmental, ballistic, and hypervelocity impact testing utilizing an array of air, powder, and two-stage light gas guns to accommodate a variety of projectile and target types and sizes. Numerous upgrades including new instrumentation, triggering circuitry, high speed photography, and optimized sabot designs have been implemented. Other recent research has included rain drop demise characterization tests to obtain data for inclusion in on-going model development. The current and proposed ITF capabilities range from rain to micrometeoroids allowing the widest test parameter range possible for materials investigations in support of space, atmospheric, and ground environments. These test capabilities including hydrometeor, single/multi-particle, ballistic gas guns, exploding wire gun, and light gas guns combined with Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics Code (SPHC) simulations represent the widest range of impact test capabilities in the country.
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Aerial photography flight quality assessment with GPS/INS and DEM data
Zhao, Haitao; Zhang, Bing; Shang, Jiali; Liu, Jiangui; Li, Dong; Chen, Yanyan; Zuo, Zhengli; Chen, Zhengchao
2018-01-01
The flight altitude, ground coverage, photo overlap, and other acquisition specifications of an aerial photography flight mission directly affect the quality and accuracy of the subsequent mapping tasks. To ensure smooth post-flight data processing and fulfill the pre-defined mapping accuracy, flight quality assessments should be carried out in time. This paper presents a novel and rigorous approach for flight quality evaluation of frame cameras with GPS/INS data and DEM, using geometric calculation rather than image analysis as in the conventional methods. This new approach is based mainly on the collinearity equations, in which the accuracy of a set of flight quality indicators is derived through a rigorous error propagation model and validated with scenario data. Theoretical analysis and practical flight test of an aerial photography mission using an UltraCamXp camera showed that the calculated photo overlap is accurate enough for flight quality assessment of 5 cm ground sample distance image, using the SRTMGL3 DEM and the POSAV510 GPS/INS data. An even better overlap accuracy could be achieved for coarser-resolution aerial photography. With this new approach, the flight quality evaluation can be conducted on site right after landing, providing accurate and timely information for decision making.
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Cold tolerance evaluation in Chilean rice genotypes at the germination stage
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gabriel Donoso Ñanculao
2013-03-01
Full Text Available Low temperature is the most important abiotic stress affecting rice (Oryza sativa L. yield in Chile. Rice in Chile is usually planted when the minimum air temperatures are below 12 °C. This temperature is lower than the optimum needed for normal rice germination. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate cold tolerance in 20 experimental lines from the Rice Breeding Program of the Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA, Chile, at the germination stage. Coleoptile length reduction (CRED, coleoptile length after cold treatment (CLEN, coleoptile length recovery (CREC, and coleoptile regrowth (CREG were evaluated at 13 °C for 4 d using 'Diamante-INIA' as the cold-tolerant control. To find genotypes with cold tolerance (low CRED value and high CLEN, CREC, and CREG values, genotypes were ranked, a biplot of principal components, and cluster analysis were performed. No differences were found among genotypes in the ranking based on CREC value so this trait was not considered. Analysis showed that only three experimental lines had cold tolerance similar to that of 'Diamante-INIA'; all other experimental lines exhibited intermediate to low cold tolerance. These results showed low cold tolerance of some Chilean genotypes at the germination stage, thus confirming the need to evaluate the rest of the germplasm from the Rice Breeding Program.
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Murphy, Patrick C.
1999-01-01
This paper highlights some of the results and issues associated with estimating models to evaluate control law design methods and design criteria for advanced high performance aircraft. Experimental fighter aircraft such as the NASA High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) have the capability to maneuver at very high angles of attack where nonlinear aerodynamics often predominate. HARV is an experimental F/A-18, configured with thrust vectoring and conformal actuated nose strakes. Identifying closed-loop models for this type of aircraft can be made difficult by nonlinearities and high-order characteristics of the system. In this paper only lateral-directional axes are considered since the lateral-directional control law was specifically designed to produce classical airplane responses normally expected with low-order, rigid-body systems. Evaluation of the control design methodology was made using low-order equivalent systems determined from flight and simulation. This allowed comparison of the closed-loop rigid-body dynamics achieved in flight with that designed in simulation. In flight, the On Board Excitation System was used to apply optimal inputs to lateral stick and pedals at five angles of attack: 5, 20, 30, 45, and 60 degrees. Data analysis and closed-loop model identification were done using frequency domain maximum likelihood. The structure of the identified models was a linear state-space model reflecting classical 4th-order airplane dynamics. Input time delays associated with the high-order controller and aircraft system were accounted for in data preprocessing. A comparison of flight estimated models with small perturbation linear design models highlighted nonlinearities in the system and indicated that the estimated closed-loop rigid-body dynamics were sensitive to input amplitudes at 20 and 30 degrees angle of attack.
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Scheidenberger, C; Maier, M; Münzenberg, G; Portillo, M; Savard, G; Van Duppen, P; Weick, H; Winkler, M; Yavor, M; Attallah, F; Behr, K H; Chichkine, V; Eliseev, S; Hausmann, M; Hellström, M; Kaza, E; Kindler, B; Litvinov, Y A; Lommel, B; Marx, G; Matos, M; Nankov, N; Ohtsubo, T; Sümmerer, K; Sun, Z Y; Zhou, Z
2003-01-01
The relative momentum spread of in-flight separated exotic nuclear beams produced in fragmentation and/or fission reactions is of the order of a few percent. A new technique is presented, which reduces the momentum spread significantly, and first experimental results obtained with relativistic projectile fragments are shown. This technique is the key to experiments with slowed-down and stopped beams, in particular for the efficient stopping of relativistic exotic nuclei in gas-filled stopping cells. It will be employed at the energy-buncher stage of the low-energy branch of the Super-FRS facility. The ion-optical design of the energy buncher is presented and a brief outlook to the experimental program is given.
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Evaluation of the fuel-element assembly non-hermeticity at its early stage
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bliznyakova, V.A.; Shevel', V.N.; Ostapenko, V.I.
1983-01-01
The given paper deals with control of the fuel-element assembly shell state at the early stage of failure development. Technique for the fuel-element assembly shell state evaluation are described. A method for assembly failure detection, used at WWR of the Institute for Nuclear Research is described also
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Characteristics of nontrauma scene flights for air medical transport.
Krebs, Margaret G; Fletcher, Erica N; Werman, Howard; McKenzie, Lara B
2014-01-01
Little is known about the use of air medical transport for patients with medical, rather than traumatic, emergencies. This study describes the practices of air transport programs, with respect to nontrauma scene responses, in several areas throughout the United States and Canada. A descriptive, retrospective study was conducted of all nontrauma scene flights from 2008 and 2009. Flight information and patient demographic data were collected from 5 air transport programs. Descriptive statistics were used to examine indications for transport, Glasgow Coma Scale Scores, and loaded miles traveled. A total of 1,785 nontrauma scene flights were evaluated. The percentage of scene flights contributed by nontraumatic emergencies varied between programs, ranging from 0% to 44.3%. The most common indication for transport was cardiac, nonST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (22.9%). Cardiac arrest was the indication for transport in 2.5% of flights. One air transport program reported a high percentage (49.4) of neurologic, stroke, flights. The use of air transport for nontraumatic emergencies varied considerably between various air transport programs and regions. More research is needed to evaluate which nontraumatic emergencies benefit from air transport. National guidelines regarding the use of air transport for nontraumatic emergencies are needed. Copyright © 2014 Air Medical Journal Associates. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Thorsen, Adam
This study investigates a novel approach to flight control for a compound rotorcraft in a variety of maneuvers ranging from fundamental to aerobatic in nature. Fundamental maneuvers are a class of maneuvers with design significance that are useful for testing and tuning flight control systems along with uncovering control law deficiencies. Aerobatic maneuvers are a class of aggressive and complex maneuvers with more operational significance. The process culminating in a unified approach to flight control includes various control allocation studies for redundant controls in trim and maneuvering flight, an efficient methodology to simulate non-piloted maneuvers with varying degrees of complexity, and the setup of an unconventional control inceptor configuration along with the use of a flight simulator to gather pilot feedback in order to improve the unified control architecture. A flight path generation algorithm was developed to calculate control inceptor commands required for a rotorcraft in aerobatic maneuvers. This generalized algorithm was tailored to generate flight paths through optimization methods in order to satisfy target terminal position coordinates or to minimize the total time of a particular maneuver. Six aerobatic maneuvers were developed drawing inspiration from air combat maneuvers of fighter jet aircraft: Pitch-Back Turn (PBT), Combat Ascent Turn (CAT), Combat Descent Turn (CDT), Weaving Pull-up (WPU), Combat Break Turn (CBT), and Zoom and Boom (ZAB). These aerobatic maneuvers were simulated at moderate to high advance ratios while fundamental maneuvers of the compound including level accelerations/decelerations, climbs, descents, and turns were investigated across the entire flight envelope to evaluate controller performance. The unified control system was developed to allow controls to seamlessly transition between manual and automatic allocations while ensuring that the axis of control for a particular inceptor remained constant with flight
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Remotely Piloted Vehicles for Experimental Flight Control Testing
Motter, Mark A.; High, James W.
2009-01-01
A successful flight test and training campaign of the NASA Flying Controls Testbed was conducted at Naval Outlying Field, Webster Field, MD during 2008. Both the prop and jet-powered versions of the subscale, remotely piloted testbeds were used to test representative experimental flight controllers. These testbeds were developed by the Subsonic Fixed Wing Project s emphasis on new flight test techniques. The Subsonic Fixed Wing Project is under the Fundamental Aeronautics Program of NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD). The purpose of these testbeds is to quickly and inexpensively evaluate advanced concepts and experimental flight controls, with applications to adaptive control, system identification, novel control effectors, correlation of subscale flight tests with wind tunnel results, and autonomous operations. Flight tests and operator training were conducted during four separate series of tests during April, May, June and August 2008. Experimental controllers were engaged and disengaged during fully autonomous flight in the designated test area. Flaps and landing gear were deployed by commands from the ground control station as unanticipated disturbances. The flight tests were performed NASA personnel with support from the Maritime Unmanned Development and Operations (MUDO) team of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division
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Interferometric laser imaging for in-flight cloud droplet sizing
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dunker, Christina; Roloff, Christoph; Grassmann, Arne
2016-01-01
A non-intrusive particle sizing method with a high spatial distribution is used to estimate cloud droplet spectra during flight test campaigns. The interferometric laser imaging for droplet sizing (ILIDS) method derives particle diameters of transparent spheres by evaluating the out-of-focus image patterns. This sizing approach requires a polarized monochromatic light source, a camera including an objective lens with a slit aperture, a synchronization unit and a processing tool for data evaluation. These components are adapted to a flight test environment to enable the microphysical investigation of different cloud genera. The present work addresses the design and specifications of ILIDS system, flight test preparation and selected results obtained in the lower and middle troposphere. The research platform was a Dornier Do228-101 commuter aircraft at the DLR Flight Operation Center in Braunschweig. It was equipped with the required instrumentation including a high-energy laser as the light source. A comprehensive data set of around 71 800 ILIDS images was acquired over the course of five flights. The data evaluation of the characteristic ILIDS fringe patterns relies, among other things, on a relationship between the fringe spacing and the diameter of the particle. The simplest way to extract this information from a pattern is by fringe counting, which is not viable for such an extensive number of data. A brief contrasting comparison of evaluation methods based on frequency analysis by means of fast Fourier transform and on correlation methods such as minimum quadratic difference is used to encompass the limits and accuracy of the ILIDS method for such applications. (paper)
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Hybrid adaptive ascent flight control for a flexible launch vehicle
Lefevre, Brian D.
For the purpose of maintaining dynamic stability and improving guidance command tracking performance under off-nominal flight conditions, a hybrid adaptive control scheme is selected and modified for use as a launch vehicle flight controller. This architecture merges a model reference adaptive approach, which utilizes both direct and indirect adaptive elements, with a classical dynamic inversion controller. This structure is chosen for a number of reasons: the properties of the reference model can be easily adjusted to tune the desired handling qualities of the spacecraft, the indirect adaptive element (which consists of an online parameter identification algorithm) continually refines the estimates of the evolving characteristic parameters utilized in the dynamic inversion, and the direct adaptive element (which consists of a neural network) augments the linear feedback signal to compensate for any nonlinearities in the vehicle dynamics. The combination of these elements enables the control system to retain the nonlinear capabilities of an adaptive network while relying heavily on the linear portion of the feedback signal to dictate the dynamic response under most operating conditions. To begin the analysis, the ascent dynamics of a launch vehicle with a single 1st stage rocket motor (typical of the Ares 1 spacecraft) are characterized. The dynamics are then linearized with assumptions that are appropriate for a launch vehicle, so that the resulting equations may be inverted by the flight controller in order to compute the control signals necessary to generate the desired response from the vehicle. Next, the development of the hybrid adaptive launch vehicle ascent flight control architecture is discussed in detail. Alterations of the generic hybrid adaptive control architecture include the incorporation of a command conversion operation which transforms guidance input from quaternion form (as provided by NASA) to the body-fixed angular rate commands needed by the
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Simulation and Optimization of Control of Selected Phases of Gyroplane Flight
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wienczyslaw Stalewski
2018-02-01
Full Text Available Optimization methods are increasingly used to solve problems in aeronautical engineering. Typically, optimization methods are utilized in the design of an aircraft airframe or its structure. The presented study is focused on improvement of aircraft flight control procedures through numerical optimization. The optimization problems concern selected phases of flight of a light gyroplane—a rotorcraft using an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift and an engine-powered propeller to provide thrust. An original methodology of computational simulation of rotorcraft flight was developed and implemented. In this approach the aircraft motion equations are solved step-by-step, simultaneously with the solution of the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations, which is conducted to assess aerodynamic forces acting on the aircraft. As a numerical optimization method, the BFGS (Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno algorithm was adapted. The developed methodology was applied to optimize the flight control procedures in selected stages of gyroplane flight in direct proximity to the ground, where proper control of the aircraft is critical to ensure flight safety and performance. The results of conducted computational optimizations proved the qualitative correctness of the developed methodology. The research results can be helpful in the design of easy-to-control gyroplanes and also in the training of pilots for this type of rotorcraft.
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Lu Hualiang
2006-01-01
We applied a two-stage value chain model to investigate the effects of input application and occasional transaction costs on vegetable marketing chain efficiencies with a farm household-level data set. In the first stage, the production efficiencies with the combination of resource endowments, capital and managerial inputs, and production techniques were evaluated; then at the second stage, the marketing technical efficiencies were determined under the marketing value of the vegetables for th...
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One-stage and two-stage penile buccal mucosa urethroplasty
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
G. Barbagli
2016-03-01
Full Text Available The paper provides the reader with the detailed description of current techniques of one-stage and two-stage penile buccal mucosa urethroplasty. The paper provides the reader with the preoperative patient evaluation paying attention to the use of diagnostic tools. The one-stage penile urethroplasty using buccal mucosa graft with the application of glue is preliminary showed and discussed. Two-stage penile urethroplasty is then reported. A detailed description of first-stage urethroplasty according Johanson technique is reported. A second-stage urethroplasty using buccal mucosa graft and glue is presented. Finally postoperative course and follow-up are addressed.
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Microgravity Flight - Accommodating Non-Human Primates
Dalton, Bonnie P.; Searby, Nancy; Ostrach, Louis
1994-01-01
Spacelab Life Sciences-3 (SLS-3) was scheduled to be the first United States man-tended microgravity flight containing Rhesus monkeys. The goal of this flight as in the five untended Russian COSMOS Bion flights and an earlier American Biosatellite flight, was to understand the biomedical and biological effects of a microgravity environment using the non-human primate as human surrogate. The SLS-3/Rhesus Project and COSMOS Primate-BIOS flights all utilized the rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta. The ultimate objective of all flights with an animal surrogate has been to evaluate and understand biological mechanisms at both the system and cellular level, thus enabling rational effective countermeasures for future long duration human activity under microgravity conditions and enabling technical application to correction of common human physiological problems within earth's gravity, e.g., muscle strength and reloading, osteoporosis, immune deficiency diseases. Hardware developed for the SLS-3/Rhesus Project was the result of a joint effort with the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) extending over the last decade. The flight hardware design and development required implementation of sufficient automation to insure flight crew and animal bio-isolation and maintenance with minimal impact to crew activities. A variety of hardware of varying functional capabilities was developed to support the scientific objectives of the original 22 combined French and American experiments, along with 5 Russian co-investigations, including musculoskeletal, metabolic, and behavioral studies. Unique elements of the Rhesus Research Facility (RRF) included separation of waste for daily delivery of urine and fecal samples for metabolic studies and a psychomotor test system for behavioral studies along with monitored food measurement. As in untended flights, telemetry measurements would allow monitoring of
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
G. D. Kostsikava
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Ever since the Soviet Union design solutions were evaluated according to different criteria and indicators. At the present stage of evaluation systems of design solutions stands systemengineering doctrine is allocated. It is complemented by the theory of efficiency and financial sustainability investment project in view of the general market concept. Also great attention is paid to the virtual object modeling. It is urgent to include the behavior prediction of an investment construction project model at each stage of its life cycle. The high cost of all phases of this life cycle makes it necessary to calculate the feasibility of the investment. Very urgent to do it as accurately as possible and before we start of design works on the stage of the investment plan evaluation. Belarus has legislated pre-investment stage of construction project development. To evaluate the design solution at this stage is necessary to develop an investment justification, a project management plan and a business plan. They will evaluate and will compare several options for future objects by the complex. This requires not only time, but considerable financial costs. In order to optimize the process to develop an evaluation system design solutions based on existing projects. It allows the customer (investor choose design solutions to build the object without developing of pre-design documentations for several options. This system it is advisable to try out the example of apartment house building with the assistance of the national fund of project documentation and objects-analogues data bank. The developed evaluation system of design solutions for residential real estate objects in the pre-investment stage is supposed to use the theory of neural networks and neyroprogramming. This system bases on the input parameters projects. The hidden layer neurons are trained to choose suitable projects of apartment houses with their classification. The projects will be classified
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sun Changjin; Zhou Xiangping; Liu Rongbo; Song Bin; Yan Zhihan; Chen Xian; Wang Wentao; Xiong Yan; Xu Minsheng; Gu Jianping
2003-01-01
Objective: To assess the role of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreagraphy (MRCP) in the preoperative evaluation of late stage iatrogenic extrahepatic bile duct stricture. Methods: Eighteen cases, which were diagnosed as late stage iatrogenic extrahepatic bile duct strictures only by MRCP and proved by surgery and pathology, were classified according to Bismuth classification and the surgical operation strategy was planed on the basis of MR cholangiopancreagraphic findings before surgery. The results were compared with surgery. Results: Diagnostic MR Cholangiopancreagrams were acquired in 18 patients. Among all 18 patients, the level of stricture was classified as Bismuth I in 3 patients, Bismuth II in 7 patients, Bismuth III in 3 patients, and Bismuth IV in 3 patients. A Bismuth II stricture was incorrectly classified as a Bismuth III lesion. On the basis of MR cholangiopancreagraphic findings, a surgical operation strategy can be planed. The therapeutic plan anticipated with MRCP matched the actually used procedure in 16 of 18 patients. conclusion: MRCP plays an important role in the evaluation of late stage iatrogenic extrahepatic bile duct stricture
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Manual and automatic flight control during severe turbulence penetration
Johnston, D. E.; Klein, R. H.; Hoh, R. H.
1976-01-01
An analytical and experimental investigation of possible contributing factors in jet aircraft turbulence upsets was conducted. Major contributing factors identified included autopilot and display deficiencies, the large aircraft inertia and associated long response time, and excessive pilot workload. An integrated flight and thrust energy management director system was synthesized. The system was incorporated in a moving-base simulation and evaluated using highly experienced airline pilots. The evaluation included comparison of pilot workload and flight performance during severe turbulence penetration utilizing four control/display concepts: manual control with conventional full panel display, conventional autopilot (A/P-A) with conventional full panel display, improved autopilot (A/P-B) with conventional full panel display plus thrust director display, and longitudinal flight director with conventional full panel display plus thrust director display. Simulation results show improved performance, reduced pilot workload, and a pilot preference for the autopilot system controlling to the flight director command and manual control of thrust following the trim thrust director.
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SLS Block 1-B and Exploration Upper Stage Navigation System Design
Oliver, T. Emerson; Park, Thomas B.; Smith, Austin; Anzalone, Evan; Bernard, Bill; Strickland, Dennis; Geohagan, Kevin; Green, Melissa; Leggett, Jarred
2018-01-01
The SLS Block 1B vehicle is planned to extend NASA's heavy lift capability beyond the initial SLS Block 1 vehicle. The most noticeable change for this vehicle from SLS Block 1 is the swapping of the upper stage from the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion stage (ICPS), a modified Delta IV upper stage, to the more capable Exploration Upper Stage (EUS). As the vehicle evolves to provide greater lift capability and execute more demanding missions so must the SLS Integrated Navigation System to support those missions. The SLS Block 1 vehicle carries two independent navigation systems. The responsibility of the two systems is delineated between ascent and upper stage flight. The Block 1 navigation system is responsible for the phase of flight between the launch pad and insertion into Low-Earth Orbit (LEO). The upper stage system assumes the mission from LEO to payload separation. For the Block 1B vehicle, the two functions are combined into a single system intended to navigate from ground to payload insertion. Both are responsible for self-disposal once payload delivery is achieved. The evolution of the navigation hardware and algorithms from an inertial-only navigation system for Block 1 ascent flight to a tightly coupled GPS-aided inertial navigation system for Block 1-B is described. The Block 1 GN&C system has been designed to meet a LEO insertion target with a specified accuracy. The Block 1-B vehicle navigation system is designed to support the Block 1 LEO target accuracy as well as trans-lunar or trans-planetary injection accuracy. This is measured in terms of payload impact and stage disposal requirements. Additionally, the Block 1-B vehicle is designed to support human exploration and thus is designed to minimize the probability of Loss of Crew (LOC) through high-quality inertial instruments and Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR) logic. The preliminary Block 1B integrated navigation system design is presented along with the challenges associated with
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang Yuxiang; Zhu Shuchai; Qiu Rong; Liu Zhikun; Shen Wenbin
2011-01-01
Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of 3 clinical stage system in 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: From January 2004 to August 2007, 179 cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were treated with 3DCRT. Before radiation, each patient was staged with UICC 2003 TNM stage, stage of Chinese esophageal cancer cooperation group (cooperation group' stage), and Zhu's clinical stage respectively. Concordance of each clinical stage and prognosis was analyzed with SPSS 11.5. Results In 179 cases of esophageal cancer, Concordance was better in T stage (Kappa = 0.271) than in TNM stage (Kappa = 0.167) between cooperation group' stage and Zhu's stage. Among them, 98 cases was staged with UICC stage, concordance of T stage was better between UICC-T and cooperation group' T stage (Kappa =0.261) than between UICCT and Zhu's T stage (Kappa = 0.045) ;concordance of TNM stage was better between UICC-TNM and Zhu's TNM stage (Kappa = 0.597) than between UICC-TNM and cooperation group' TNM stage (Kappa =0.299). With multivariate analysis, T (χ 2 value is 11.58, 26.00 and 51.05, all P 2 value is 15.28, 16.10 and 16.10, all P 2 value is 5.59, 27.78 and 27.78, all P 2 value is 15.77, 34, 35 and 51.10, all P 1 - T 3 was difficult to definite and the prognosis was not significantly different in T 1 - T 3 stage. Conclusions: In this study, 3 kinds of clinical stage could evaluate prognosis of esophageal cancer after radiotherapy; cooperation group' stage and Zhu's stage need further application, with further accuracy needed. (authors)
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Barsten, Kristina; Hurst, Victor, IV; Scheuring, Richard; Baumann, David K.; Johnson-Throop, Kathy
2010-01-01
Introduction: Analogue environments assist the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) in developing capabilities to mitigate high risk issues to crew health and performance for space exploration. The Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) is an analogue habitat used to assess space-related products for planetary missions. The Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) element at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) was tasked with developing planetary-relevant medical scenarios to evaluate the concept of operations for mitigating medical issues in such an environment. Methods: Two medical scenarios were conducted within the simulated planetary habitat with the crew executing two space flight-relevant procedures: Eye Examination with a corneal injury and Skin Laceration. Remote guidance for the crew was provided by a flight surgeon (FS) stationed at a console outside of the habitat. Audio and video data were collected to capture the communication between the crew and the FS, as well as the movements of the crew executing the procedures. Questionnaire data regarding procedure content and remote guidance performance also were collected from the crew immediately after the sessions. Results: Preliminary review of the audio, video, and questionnaire data from the two scenarios conducted within the HDU indicate that remote guidance techniques from an FS on console can help crew members within a planetary habitat mitigate planetary-relevant medical issues. The content and format of the procedures were considered concise and intuitive, respectively. Discussion: Overall, the preliminary data from the evaluation suggest that use of remote guidance techniques by a FS can help HDU crew execute space exploration-relevant medical procedures within a habitat relevant to planetary missions, however further evaluations will be needed to implement this strategy into the complete concept of operations for conducting general space medicine within similar environments
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Evaluation of NASA Foodbars as a Standard Diet for Use in Short-Term Rodent Space Flight Studies
Tou, Janet; Grindeland, Richard; Barrett, Joyce; Dalton, Bonnie; Mandel, Adrian; Wade, Charles
2003-01-01
A standard rodent diet for space flight must meet the unique conditions imposed by the space environment and must be nutritionally adequate since diet can influence the outcome of experiments. This paper evaluates the use of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed Foodbars as a standard space flight diet for rats. The Foodbar's semi-purified formulation permits criteria such as nutrient consistency, high nutrient bioavailability and flexibility of formulation to be met. Extrusion of the semi-purified diet produces Foodbars with the proper texture and a non-crumbing solid form for use in space. Treatment of Foodbar with 0.1% potassium sorbate prevents mold growth. Irradiation (15-25 kGy) prevents bacterial growth and in combination with sorbate-treatment provides added protection against mold for shelf-stability. However, during the development process, nutrient analyses indicated that extrusion and irradiation produced nutrient losses. Nutrients were adjusted accordingly to compensate for processing losses. Nutrient analysis of Foodbars continues to be performed routinely to monitor nutrient levels. It is important that the standard rodent diet provide nutrients that will prevent deficiency but also avoid excess that may mask physiological changes produced by space flight. All vitamins levels in the Foodbars, except for vitamin K conformed to or exceeded the current NRC (1995) recommendations. All indispensable amino acids in Foodbar conformed to or exceeded the NRC nutrient recommendation for mice growth and rat maintenance. However, some indispensable amino acids were slightly below recommendations for rat reproduction/growth. Short-term (18-20 d) animal feeding studies indicated that Foodbars were palatable, supported growth and maintained health in rats. Results indicated that NASA rodent Foodbars meet both the physical and nutritional criteria required to support rodents in the space environment and thus, may be used successfully as a
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Flight times to the heliopause using a combination of solar and radioisotope electric propulsion
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ohndorf, Andreas [DLR Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Wessling (Germany); Dachwald, Bernd [FH Univ. of Applied Sciences, Aachen (Germany); Seboldt, Wolfgang [DLR Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Koeln (Germany); Loeb, Horst W.; Schartner, Karl-Heinz [Giessen Univ. (Germany)
2011-07-01
We investigate the interplanetary flight of a low-thrust space probe to the heliopause, located at a distance of about 200 AU from the Sun. Our goal was to reach this distance within the 25 years postulated by ESA for such a mission (which is less ambitious than the 15-year goal set by NASA). Contrary to solar sail concepts and combinations of ballistic and electrically propelled flight legs, we have investigated whether the set flight time limit could also be kept with a combination of solar-electric propulsion and a second, RTG-powered upper stage. The used ion engine type was the RIT-22 for the first stage and the RIT-10 for the second stage. Trajectory optimization was carried out with the low-thrust optimization program InTrance, which implements the method of Evolutionary Neurocontrol, using Artificial Neural Networks for spacecraft steering and Evolutionary Algorithms to optimize the Neural Networks' parameter set. Based on a parameter space study, in which the number of thrust units, the unit's specific impulse, and the relative size of the solar power generator were varied, we have chosen one configuration as reference. The transfer time of this reference configuration was 29.6 years and the fastest one, which is technically more challenging, still required 28.3 years. As all flight times of this parameter study were longer than 25 years, we further shortened the transfer time by applying a launcher-provided hyperbolic excess energy up to 49 km{sup 2}/s{sup 2}. The resulting minimal flight time for the reference configuration was then 27.8 years. The following, more precise optimization to a launch with the European Ariane 5 ECA rocket reduced the transfer time to 27.5 years. This is the fastest mission design of our study that is flexible enough to allow a launch every year. The inclusion of a fly-by at Jupiter finally resulted in a flight time of 23.8 years, which is below the set transfer-time limit. However, compared to the 27.5-year transfer
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Evidence for Endothermy in Pterosaurs Based on Flight Capability Analyses
Jenkins, H. S.; Pratson, L. F.
2005-12-01
Previous attempts to constrain flight capability in pterosaurs have relied heavily on the fossil record, using bone articulation and apparent muscle allocation to evaluate flight potential (Frey et al., 1997; Padian, 1983; Bramwell, 1974). However, broad definitions of the physical parameters necessary for flight in pterosaurs remain loosely defined and few systematic approaches to constraining flight capability have been synthesized (Templin, 2000; Padian, 1983). Here we present a new method to assess flight capability in pterosaurs as a function of humerus length and flight velocity. By creating an energy-balance model to evaluate the power required for flight against the power available to the animal, we derive a `U'-shaped power curve and infer optimal flight speeds and maximal wingspan lengths for pterosaurs Quetzalcoatlus northropi and Pteranodon ingens. Our model corroborates empirically derived power curves for the modern black-billed magpie ( Pica Pica) and accurately reproduces the mechanical power curve for modern cockatiels ( Nymphicus hollandicus) (Tobalske et al., 2003). When we adjust our model to include an endothermic metabolic rate for pterosaurs, we find a maximal wingspan length of 18 meters for Q. northropi. Model runs using an exothermic metabolism derive maximal wingspans of 6-8 meters. As estimates based on fossil evidence show total wingspan lengths reaching up to 15 meters for Q. northropi, we conclude that large pterosaurs may have been endothermic and therefore more metabolically similar to birds than to reptiles.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dhoot, Nilu Malpani; Bhuyan, Utpal; Kumar, Vinay; Shinagare, Atul; Kataki, Amal Chandra; Barmon, Debabrata
2012-01-01
To evaluate carcinoma of the cervix using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), correlate with clinical approach of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system and to study the impact of MRI findings on patient management. Pathologically confirmed, 75 cases of carcinoma cervix referred to our institute from April 2007 to March 2008 were prospectively studied. Clinical FIGO stage was assigned to each patient by gynaecologists blinded to MRI findings. MRI stage (based on FIGO and TNM) was allotted by radiologists blinded to clinicopathological details. For patients who were operated, histopathological stage was taken as gold standard. For patients who were not operated, gynaecologists decided on a gold standard stage based on all available clinical and imaging data. MR staging was correlated with FIGO staging, with focus on significant alterations in treatment strategy caused due to MRI findings. MRI staging had an accuracy of 89.3% (67/75), while clinical FIGO staging had 61.3% (46/75) accuracy. MRI staging and FIGO staging concurred in 65.6% of the patients and differed in 34.4% of the patients. In about 30.6% (23/75) of the patients, there were relevant additional MRI findings not suspected clinically. The common significant MRI findings were detection of pelvic lymphadenopathy and clinically unsuspected bowel/bladder invasion. The management protocol was significantly altered in 86.9% (20/23) of the patients with additional MRI findings constituting 26.6% (20/75) of the total population. MRI is highly accurate in evaluating carcinoma of the cervix. MRI findings significantly altered therapeutic decisions in 26.6% of the patients. MRI should be considered prior to treatment planning in every patient.
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Yang, Qingchun; Chetehouna, Khaled; Gascoin, Nicolas; Bao, Wen
2016-05-01
To enable the scramjet operate in a wider flight Mach number, a staged-combustor with dual-strut is introduced to hold more heat release at low flight Mach conditions. The behavior of mode transition was examined using a direct-connect model scramjet experiment along with pressure measurements. The typical operating modes of the staged-combustor are analyzed. Fuel injection scheme has a significant effect on the combustor operating modes, particularly for the supersonic combustion mode. Thrust performances of the combustor with different combustion modes and fuel distributions are reported in this paper. The first-staged strut injection has a better engine performance in the operation of subsonic combustion mode. On the contrast, the second-staged strut injection has a better engine performance in the operation of supersonic combustion mode.
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The role of PET in staging work-up and evaluation after therapy in patients with malignant lymphoma
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kang, Yoon Koo; Ryoo, Baek Yeol
1998-12-01
The stage of disease in patients with malignant lymphoma in important in decision of treatment modality and in prediction of prognosis. The authors evaluated the usefulness of PET with F18-FDG in initial staging, in reevaluation after radical therapy and in diagnosis of recurrence or disease progression of malignant lymphoma, compared with conventional imaging studies. The efficacy of positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F18-FDG) was evaluated in several tumors. In malignant lymphoma. It was reported that the concentration of FDG was increased in tumor tissues, and that PET with F18-FDG was more sensitive and specific in staging evaluation compared with CT scan. The visual analysis of FDG-PET would be helpful in initial staging work-up, in reevaluation of residual disease after radical therapy and in suspicious recurrence or disease progression, determining the residual disease of lymphoma after radical therapy. But more studies with larger number of cases and longer follow-up were required. The results of this study can be bases for the direction of future studies for the usefulness of PET in malignant lymphoma
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The Second Stage of a Saturn V Ready For Test
1970-01-01
This Saturn V S-II (second) stage is being lifted into position for a test at the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center. When the Saturn V booster stage (S-IC) burned out and dropped away, power for the Saturn was provided by the 82-foot-long and 33-foot-diameter S-II stage. Developed by the Space Division of North American Aviation under the direction of the Marshall Space Flight Center, the stage utilized five J-2 engines, each producing 200,000 pounds of thrust. The engines used liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as propellants. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.
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... a Flight Get Involved Events Shop Miles Contact Miracle Flights Blog Giving Tuesday 800-359-1711 Thousands of children have been saved, but we still have miles to go. Request a Flight Click Here to Donate - Your ...
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Task complexity modulates pilot electroencephalographic activity during real flights.
Di Stasi, Leandro L; Diaz-Piedra, Carolina; Suárez, Juan; McCamy, Michael B; Martinez-Conde, Susana; Roca-Dorda, Joaquín; Catena, Andrés
2015-07-01
Most research connecting task performance and neural activity to date has been conducted in laboratory conditions. Thus, field studies remain scarce, especially in extreme conditions such as during real flights. Here, we investigated the effects of flight procedures of varied complexity on the in-flight EEG activity of military helicopter pilots. Flight procedural complexity modulated the EEG power spectrum: highly demanding procedures (i.e., takeoff and landing) were associated with higher EEG power in the higher frequency bands, whereas less demanding procedures (i.e., flight exercises) were associated with lower EEG power over the same frequency bands. These results suggest that EEG recordings may help to evaluate an operator's cognitive performance in challenging real-life scenarios, and thus could aid in the prevention of catastrophic events. © 2015 Society for Psychophysiological Research.
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Crew Factors in Flight Operations X: Alertness Management in Flight Operations
Rosekind, Mark R.; Gander, Philippa H.; Connell, Linda J.; Co, Elizabeth L.
2001-01-01
In response to a 1980 congressional request, NASA Ames Research Center initiated a Fatigue/Jet Lag Program to examine fatigue, sleep loss, and circadian disruption in aviation. Research has examined fatigue in a variety of flight environments using a range of measures (from self-report to performance to physiological). In 1991, the program evolved into the Fatigue Countermeasures Program, emphasizing the development and evaluation of strategies to maintain alertness and performance in operational settings. Over the years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has become a collaborative partner in support of fatigue research and other Program activities. From the inception of the Program, a principal goal was to return the information learned from research and other Program activities to the operational community. The objectives of this Education and Training Module are to explain what has been learned about the physiological mechanisms that underlie fatigue, demonstrate the application of this information in flight operations, and offer some specific fatigue countermeasure recommendations. It is intended for all segments of the aeronautics industry, including pilots, flight attendants, managers, schedulers, safety and policy personnel, maintenance crews, and others involved in an operational environment that challenges human physiological capabilities because of fatigue, sleep loss, and circadian disruption.
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Detection of Serum Protein Biomarkers for the Diagnosis and Staging of Hepatoblastoma
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wei Zhao
2015-06-01
Full Text Available The present study aimed to identify serum biomarkers for the detection of hepatoblastoma (HB. Serum samples were collected from 71 HB patients (stage I, n = 19; stage II, n = 19, stage III, n = 19; and stage IV, n = 14 and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy children. Differential expression of serum protein markers were screened using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS, and the target proteins were isolated and purified using HPLC and identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS, SEQUEST, and bioinformatics analysis. Differential protein expression was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent analysis (ELISA. SELDI-TOF-MS screening identified a differentially expressed protein with an m/z of 9348 Da, which was subsequently identified as Apo A–I; its expression was significantly lower in the HB group as compared to the normal control group (1546.67 ± 757.81 vs. 3359.21 ± 999.36, respectively; p < 0.01. Although the expression level decreased with increasing disease stage, pair-wise comparison revealed significant differences in Apo A–I expression between the normal group and the HB subgroups (p < 0.01. ELISA verified the reduced expression of Apo A–I in the HB group. Taken together, these results suggest that Apo A–I may represent a serum protein biomarker of HB. Further studies will assess the value of using Apo A–I expression for HB diagnosis and staging.
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Laser Obstacle Detection System Flight Testing
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Davis, Timothy
2003-01-01
...). The Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) was contracted to mount the HELLAS sensor on the nose of a UH-60L Blackhawk helicopter and to conduct flight tests to evaluate the HELLAS obstacle detection sensor...
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Pulse Based Time-of-Flight Range Sensing.
Sarbolandi, Hamed; Plack, Markus; Kolb, Andreas
2018-05-23
Pulse-based Time-of-Flight (PB-ToF) cameras are an attractive alternative range imaging approach, compared to the widely commercialized Amplitude Modulated Continuous-Wave Time-of-Flight (AMCW-ToF) approach. This paper presents an in-depth evaluation of a PB-ToF camera prototype based on the Hamamatsu area sensor S11963-01CR. We evaluate different ToF-related effects, i.e., temperature drift, systematic error, depth inhomogeneity, multi-path effects, and motion artefacts. Furthermore, we evaluate the systematic error of the system in more detail, and introduce novel concepts to improve the quality of range measurements by modifying the mode of operation of the PB-ToF camera. Finally, we describe the means of measuring the gate response of the PB-ToF sensor and using this information for PB-ToF sensor simulation.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Markowski Jarosław
2017-01-01
Full Text Available The issue of exhaust gas emission generated by turbine engines described in ICAO Annex 16 of the International Civil Aviation Convention includes a number of procedures and requirements. Their implementation is aimed at determining the value of the engine’s environmental parameters and comparing them to the values specified in the norms. The turbine engine exhaust gas emission test procedures are defined as stationary and the operating parameters values are set according to the LTO test. The engine load setting values refer to engine operating parameters that occur when the plane is in the vicinity of airports. Such a procedure is dedicated to civilian passenger and transport aircraft. The operating conditions of a multirole fighter aircraft vary considerably from passenger aircraft and the variability of their flight characteristics requires a special approach in assessing its environmental impact. This article attempts to evaluate the exhaust gas emissions generated by the turbine engine in a multirole fighter flight using the parameters recorded by the onboard flight recorder.
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Bladder cancer: Evaluation of staging accuracy using dynamic MRI
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rajesh, A.; Sokhi, H.K.; Fung, R.; Mulcahy, K.A.; Bankart, M.J.G.
2011-01-01
Aim: To assess the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in staging bladder cancer and to assess whether dynamic gadolinium-enhanced sequences have any added benefit in staging. Materials and methods: Over a 22 month period, the MRI findings of 100 consecutive patients with histologically proven transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder were reviewed. The T stage was assessed independently on T2-weighted imaging alone and in combination with gadolinium-enhanced MRI. The final histological diagnosis was considered the reference standard. Statistical analysis was performed to ascertain stage-by-stage accuracy. Accuracy of MRI in differentiating superficial (≤T1) from invasive (≥T2) and in differentiating organ-confined (≤T2) from non-organ-confined (≥T3) disease was assessed. Results: On a stage-by-stage basis, tumours were correctly staged using MRI in 63% of patients (observed agreement = 0.63, weighted kappa = 0.57). The sensitivity and specificity of MRI to differentiate between superficial (≤T1) from invasive (≥T2) disease was 78.2 and 93.3%. The observed agreement for this group was 85% (kappa = 70%; p < 0.0001). The sensitivity and specificity of MRI to differentiate between organ-confined (≤T2) from non-organ confined (≥T3) disease was 90.5 and 60%. The observed agreement for this group was 89% (kappa = 30%; p < 0.01). Gadolinium-enhanced images improved staging in only three patients. Conclusion: In the present study MRI was found to be a moderately accurate tool in assessing the T stage. Agreement on a stage-by-stage basis was good. Agreement for differentiating between non-invasive versus muscle-invasive disease was good and that for organ-confined versus non-organ-confined disease was fair. Routine use of gadolinium-enhanced images is not routinely required.
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Bladder cancer: Evaluation of staging accuracy using dynamic MRI
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rajesh, A., E-mail: arajesh27@hotmail.com [Department of Radiology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester General Hospital (United Kingdom); Sokhi, H.K.; Fung, R.; Mulcahy, K.A. [Department of Radiology, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester General Hospital (United Kingdom); Bankart, M.J.G. [Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester (United Kingdom)
2011-12-15
Aim: To assess the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in staging bladder cancer and to assess whether dynamic gadolinium-enhanced sequences have any added benefit in staging. Materials and methods: Over a 22 month period, the MRI findings of 100 consecutive patients with histologically proven transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder were reviewed. The T stage was assessed independently on T2-weighted imaging alone and in combination with gadolinium-enhanced MRI. The final histological diagnosis was considered the reference standard. Statistical analysis was performed to ascertain stage-by-stage accuracy. Accuracy of MRI in differentiating superficial ({<=}T1) from invasive ({>=}T2) and in differentiating organ-confined ({<=}T2) from non-organ-confined ({>=}T3) disease was assessed. Results: On a stage-by-stage basis, tumours were correctly staged using MRI in 63% of patients (observed agreement = 0.63, weighted kappa = 0.57). The sensitivity and specificity of MRI to differentiate between superficial ({<=}T1) from invasive ({>=}T2) disease was 78.2 and 93.3%. The observed agreement for this group was 85% (kappa = 70%; p < 0.0001). The sensitivity and specificity of MRI to differentiate between organ-confined ({<=}T2) from non-organ confined ({>=}T3) disease was 90.5 and 60%. The observed agreement for this group was 89% (kappa = 30%; p < 0.01). Gadolinium-enhanced images improved staging in only three patients. Conclusion: In the present study MRI was found to be a moderately accurate tool in assessing the T stage. Agreement on a stage-by-stage basis was good. Agreement for differentiating between non-invasive versus muscle-invasive disease was good and that for organ-confined versus non-organ-confined disease was fair. Routine use of gadolinium-enhanced images is not routinely required.
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Fused Reality for Enhanced Flight Test Capabilities
Bachelder, Ed; Klyde, David
2011-01-01
The feasibility of using Fused Reality-based simulation technology to enhance flight test capabilities has been investigated. In terms of relevancy to piloted evaluation, there remains no substitute for actual flight tests, even when considering the fidelity and effectiveness of modern ground-based simulators. In addition to real-world cueing (vestibular, visual, aural, environmental, etc.), flight tests provide subtle but key intangibles that cannot be duplicated in a ground-based simulator. There is, however, a cost to be paid for the benefits of flight in terms of budget, mission complexity, and safety, including the need for ground and control-room personnel, additional aircraft, etc. A Fused Reality(tm) (FR) Flight system was developed that allows a virtual environment to be integrated with the test aircraft so that tasks such as aerial refueling, formation flying, or approach and landing can be accomplished without additional aircraft resources or the risk of operating in close proximity to the ground or other aircraft. Furthermore, the dynamic motions of the simulated objects can be directly correlated with the responses of the test aircraft. The FR Flight system will allow real-time observation of, and manual interaction with, the cockpit environment that serves as a frame for the virtual out-the-window scene.
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Didion, Jeffrey R.
2018-01-01
Electrically Driven Thermal Management is an active research and technology development initiative incorporating ISS technology flight demonstrations (STP-H5), development of Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) flight experiment, and laboratory-based investigations of electrically based thermal management techniques. The program targets integrated thermal management for future generations of RF electronics and power electronic devices. This presentation reviews four program elements: i.) results from the Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) Long Term Flight Demonstration launched in February 2017 ii.) development of the Electrically Driven Liquid Film Boiling Experiment iii.) two University based research efforts iv.) development of Oscillating Heat Pipe evaluation at Goddard Space Flight Center.
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Saturn V First Stage (S-1C) Ready for Assembly AT KSC
1968-01-01
This photograph shows the Saturn V first stage (S-1C) in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center ready to be mated with the second and third stages to complete the assembly of a Saturn V launch vehicle. This particular Saturn V was used for Apollo 6, which was a systems test flight. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.
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Commercial air travel and in-flight pulmonary hypertension.
Smith, Thomas G; Chang, Rae W; Robbins, Peter A; Dorrington, Keith L
2013-01-01
It has recently been shown that commercial air travel triggers hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and modestly increases pulmonary artery pressure in healthy passengers. There is large interindividual variation in hypoxic pulmonary vasoreactivity, and some passengers may be at risk of developing flight-induced pulmonary hypertension, with potentially dangerous consequences. This study sought to determine whether it is possible for a susceptible passenger to develop pulmonary hypertension in response to a routine commercial flight. Using in-flight echocardiography, a passenger was studied during a 6-h commercial flight from London to Dubai. The passenger was generally well and frequently traveled by air, but had been diagnosed with Chuvash polycythemia, a genetic condition that is associated with increased hypoxic pulmonary vasoreactivity. Hematocrit had been normalized with regular venesection. During the flight, arterial oxygen saturation fell to a minimum of 96% and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) rapidly increased into the pulmonary hypertensive range. The in-flight increase in sPAP was 50%, reaching a peak of 45 mmHg. This study has established that an asymptomatic but susceptible passenger can rapidly develop in-flight pulmonary hypertension even during a medium-haul flight. Prospective passengers at risk from such responses, including those who have cardiopulmonary disease or increased hypoxic pulmonary vasoreactivity, could benefit from preflight evaluation with a hypoxia altitude simulation test combined with simultaneous echocardiography (HAST-echo). The use of in-flight supplementary oxygen should be considered for susceptible individuals, including all patients diagnosed with Chuvash polycythemia.
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Time series analysis methods and applications for flight data
Zhang, Jianye
2017-01-01
This book focuses on different facets of flight data analysis, including the basic goals, methods, and implementation techniques. As mass flight data possesses the typical characteristics of time series, the time series analysis methods and their application for flight data have been illustrated from several aspects, such as data filtering, data extension, feature optimization, similarity search, trend monitoring, fault diagnosis, and parameter prediction, etc. An intelligent information-processing platform for flight data has been established to assist in aircraft condition monitoring, training evaluation and scientific maintenance. The book will serve as a reference resource for people working in aviation management and maintenance, as well as researchers and engineers in the fields of data analysis and data mining.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stadlbauer, A.; Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen; Bernt, R.; Salomonowitz, E.; Plas, E.; Strunk, G.; Eberhardt, K.
2012-01-01
Purpose: The aim of this study was the health economics analysis of MR imaging in the preoperative staging of patients with prostate carcinoma (PCa). Materials and Methods: The health economics analysis consisted of the following steps: modeling, determination of probabilities and parameters based on a detailed literature search, evaluation using the averages of the parameters, and sensitivity analyses of the results over the ranges of values. We performed a cost-utility analysis from health insurance's perspective for Austria and Germany. The population under investigation included patients with confirmed PCa. The alternative was a decision for therapy with or without staging using MR imaging. A localized PCa was treated by prostatectomy and locally advanced PCa by radiation/hormone therapy. The result parameters were quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs per patient. Results: The evaluation showed that MR imaging is useful regarding costs and utilities prior to radical prostatectomy which is expensive and may be associated with serious clinical consequences. The costs per patient were lower by Euro 2635 and the utilities were higher by 0.099 QALYs. The strategy without MR imaging for staging was dominated by the strategy using MR imaging for staging in the evaluation using the base values and in almost all sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: For the parameters used and almost all scenarios of the sensitivity analysis, our decision-analytic model revealed a higher cost-utility ratio for the strategy using MR imaging for the staging of PCa. (orig.)
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Saturn V First Stage Lowered to the Ground After Static Test
1966-01-01
This vintage photograph shows the 138-foot long first stage of the Saturn V being lowered to the ground following a successful static test firing at Marshall Space flight Center's S-1C test stand. The firing provided NASA engineers information on the booster's systems. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.
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Yamina BOUGHARI; Georges GHAZI; Ruxandra Mihaela BOTEZ; Florian THEEL
2017-01-01
In this paper the Cessna Citation X clearance criteria were evaluated for a new Flight Controller. The Flight Control Law were optimized and designed for the Cessna Citation X flight envelope by combining the Deferential Evolution algorithm, the Linear Quadratic Regulator method, and the Proportional Integral controller during a previous research presented in part 1. The optimal controllers were used to reach satisfactory aircraft’s dynamic and safe flight operations with respect to the augme...
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Development of a Free-Flight Simulation Infrastructure
Miles, Eric S.; Wing, David J.; Davis, Paul C.
1999-01-01
In anticipation of a projected rise in demand for air transportation, NASA and the FAA are researching new air-traffic-management (ATM) concepts that fall under the paradigm known broadly as ":free flight". This paper documents the software development and engineering efforts in progress by Seagull Technology, to develop a free-flight simulation (FFSIM) that is intended to help NASA researchers test mature-state concepts for free flight, otherwise referred to in this paper as distributed air / ground traffic management (DAG TM). Under development is a distributed, human-in-the-loop simulation tool that is comprehensive in its consideration of current and envisioned communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) components, and will allow evaluation of critical air and ground traffic management technologies from an overall systems perspective. The FFSIM infrastructure is designed to incorporate all three major components of the ATM triad: aircraft flight decks, air traffic control (ATC), and (eventually) airline operational control (AOC) centers.
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FATIGUE AS A HAZARDOUS FACTOR FOR FLIGHT SAFETY
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M. Lushkin Alexander
2017-01-01
Full Text Available The main priority of any air company activity and the main condition for its development is the achievement of the highest flight safety level. Significant positive results in this area have been recently achieved, hence, the relative stagna- tion of indexes, reflecting the flight safety as a condition of air transport system, has been revealed. It has become evident that the present accident prevention philosophy seems to be exhausted, and at the current stage of development it doesn’t allow to make a breakthrough in the solution of all the problems, which air companies face in this respect. In the perspec- tive to find new ways to solve the existing tasks, in 2011, International Civil Aviation Organization Council adopted fatigue risk management international standards as an alternative for the traditional approach to managing crewmember fatigue by prescribing limits on maximum daily, monthly and yearly flight and duty hours. It’s a well-known fact that state of fatigue has a special place among the functional states, which are professionally significant for airmen work and which are the key link in “man-aircraft-environment” system.In this article, fatigue is considered to be a risk factor that contributes to the formation and development of crew violations and errors in the process of piloting the aircraft. We have analyzed the characteristics and reasons leading to in- flight fatigue and estimated its influence on crew performance, considering the interrelation between them. The article specifies the methods and techniques to measure pilots fatigue; besides it has been substantiated the necessity of fatigue risk management system development in airlines to effectively ensure the flight safety.
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Evaluation of tactual displays for flight control
Levison, W. H.; Tanner, R. B.; Triggs, T. J.
1973-01-01
Manual tracking experiments were conducted to determine the suitability of tactual displays for presenting flight-control information in multitask situations. Although tracking error scores are considerably greater than scores obtained with a continuous visual display, preliminary results indicate that inter-task interference effects are substantially less with the tactual display in situations that impose high visual scanning workloads. The single-task performance degradation found with the tactual display appears to be a result of the coding scheme rather than the use of the tactual sensory mode per se. Analysis with the state-variable pilot/vehicle model shows that reliable predictions of tracking errors can be obtained for wide-band tracking systems once the pilot-related model parameters have been adjusted to reflect the pilot-display interaction.
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Evaluation of a new data staging framework for the ARC middleware
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cameron, D; Karpenko, D; Konstantinov, A; Filipčič, A
2012-01-01
Staging data to and from remote storage services on the Grid for users’ jobs is a vital component of the ARC computing element. A new data staging framework for the computing element has recently been developed to address issues with the present framework, which has essentially remained unchanged since its original implementation 10 years ago. This new framework consists of an intelligent data transfer scheduler which handles priorities and fair-share, a rapid caching system, and the ability to delegate data transfer over multiple nodes to increase network throughput. This paper uses data from real user jobs running on production ARC sites to present an evaluation of the new framework. It is shown to make more efficient use of the available resources, reduce the overall time to run jobs, and avoid the problems seen with the previous simplistic scheduling system. In addition, its simple design coupled with intelligent logic provides greatly increased flexibility for site administrators, end users and future development.
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FLYSAFE, nowcasting of in flight icing supporting aircrew decision making process
Drouin, A.; Le Bot, C.
2009-09-01
FLYSAFE is an Integrated Project of the 6th framework of the European Commission with the aim to improve flight safety through the development of a Next Generation Integrated Surveillance System (NGISS). The NGISS provides information to the flight crew on the three major external hazards for aviation: weather, air traffic and terrain. The NGISS has the capability of displaying data about all three hazards on a single display screen, facilitating rapid pilot appreciation of the situation by the flight crew. Weather Information Management Systems (WIMS) were developed to provide the NGISS and the flight crew with weather related information on in-flight icing, thunderstorms, wake-vortex and clear-air turbulence. These products are generated on the ground from observations and model forecasts. WIMS supply relevant information on three different scales: global, regional and local (over airport Terminal Manoeuvring Area). Within the flysafe program, around 120 hours of flight trials were performed during February 2008 and August 2008. Two aircraft were involved each with separate objectives : - to assess FLYSAFE's innovative solutions for the data-link, on-board data fusion, data-display, and data-updates during flight; - to evaluate the new weather information management systems (in flight icing and thunderstorms) using in-situ measurements recorded on board the test aircraft. In this presentation we will focus on the in-flight icing nowcasting system developed at Météo France in the framework of FLYSAFE: the local ICE WIMS. The local ICE WIMS is based on data fusion. The most relevant information for icing detection is extracted from the numerical weather prediction model, the infra-red and visible satellite imagery and the ground weather radar reflectivities. After a presentation of the local ICE WIMS, we detail the evaluation of the local ICE WIMS performed using the winter and summer flight trial data.
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Zhao, Jingxin; Zhai, Fei; Cheng, Jun; He, Qiong; Luo, Jianwen; Yang, Xueping; Shao, Jinhua; Xing, Huichun
2017-01-01
Transient elastography quantifies the propagation of a mechanically generated shear wave within a soft tissue, which can be used to characterize the elasticity and viscosity parameters of the tissue. The aim of our study was to combine numerical simulation and clinical assessment to define a viscoelastic index of liver tissue to improve the quality of early diagnosis of liver fibrosis. This is clinically relevant, as early fibrosis is reversible. We developed an idealized two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model of the liver to evaluate the effects of different viscoelastic values on the propagation characteristics of the shear wave. The diagnostic value of the identified viscoelastic index was verified against the clinical data of 99 patients who had undergone biopsy and routine blood tests for staging of liver disease resulting from chronic hepatitis B infection. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and the shear wave attenuation fitting coefficient (AFC) were calculated from the ultrasound data obtained by performing transient elastography. Receiver operating curve analysis was used to evaluate the reliability and diagnostic accuracy of LSM and AFC. Compared to LSM, the AFC provided a higher diagnostic accuracy to differentiate early stages of liver fibrosis, namely F1 and F2 stages, with an overall specificity of 81.48%, sensitivity of 83.33% and diagnostic accuracy of 81.82%. AFC was influenced by the level of LSM, ALT. However, there are no correlation between AFC and Age, BMI, TBIL or DBIL. Quantification of the viscoelasticity of liver tissue provides reliable measurement to identify and differentiate early stages of liver fibrosis.
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Poppy Crop Height and Capsule Volume Estimation from a Single UAS Flight
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Faheem Iqbal
2017-06-01
Full Text Available The objective of this study was to estimate poppy plant height and capsule volume with remote sensing using an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS. Data were obtained from field measurements and UAS flights over two poppy crops at Cambridge and Cressy in Tasmania. Imagery acquired from the UAS was used to produce dense point clouds using structure from motion (SfM and multi-view stereopsis (MVS techniques. Dense point clouds were used to generate a digital surface model (DSM and orthophoto mosaic. An RGB index was derived from the orthophoto to extract the bare ground spaces. This bare ground space mask was used to filter the points on the ground, and a digital terrain model (DTM was interpolated from these points. Plant height values were estimated by subtracting the DSM and DTM to generate a Crop Height Model (CHM. UAS-derived plant height (PH and field measured PH in Cambridge were strongly correlated with R2 values ranging from 0.93 to 0.97 for Transect 1 and Transect 2, respectively, while at Cressy results from a single flight provided R2 of 0.97. Therefore, the proposed method can be considered an important step towards crop surface model (CSM generation from a single UAS flight in situations where a bare ground DTM is unavailable. High correlations were found between UAS-derived PH and poppy capsule volume (CV at capsule formation stage (R2 0.74, with relative error of 19.62%. Results illustrate that plant height can be reliably estimated for poppy crops based on a single UAS flight and can be used to predict opium capsule volume at capsule formation stage.
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Flerlage, Jamie E; Kelly, Kara M; Beishuizen, Auke; Cho, Steve; De Alarcon, Pedro A; Dieckmann, Ute; Drachtman, Richard A; Hoppe, Bradford S; Howard, Scott C; Kaste, Sue C; Kluge, Regine; Kurch, Lars; Landman-Parker, Judith; Lewis, Jocelyn; Link, Michael P; McCarten, Kathleen; Punnett, Angela; Stoevesandt, Dietrich; Voss, Stephan D; Wallace, William Hamish; Mauz-Körholz, Christine; Metzger, Monika L
2017-07-01
International harmonization of staging evaluation and response criteria is needed for childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood Hodgkin lymphoma. Two Hodgkin lymphoma protocols from cooperative trials in Europe and North America were compared for areas in need of harmonization, and an evidence-based approach is currently underway to harmonize staging and response evaluations with a goal to enhance comparisons, expedite identification of effective therapies, and aid in the approval process for new agents by regulatory agencies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Single-stage-to-orbit: Meeting the challenge
Freeman, Delma C., Jr.; Talay, Theodore A.; Austin, Robert Eugene
1995-10-01
There has been and continues to be significant discussion about the viability of fully reusable, single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) concepts for delivery of payloads to orbit. Often, these discussions have focused in detail on performance and technology requirements relating to the technical feasibility of the concept, with only broad generalizations on how the SSTO will achieve its economic goals of greatly reduced vehicle ground and flight operations costs. With the current industry and NASA Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Program efforts underway to mature and demonstrate technologies leading to a viable commercial launch system that also satisfies national needs, achieving acceptable recurring costs becomes a significant challenge. This paper reviews the current status of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Program including the DC-XA, X-33, and X-34 flight systems and associated technology programs. The paper also examines lessons learned from the recently completed DC-X reusable rocket demonstrator program. It examines how these technologies and flight systems address the technical and operability challenges of SSTO whose solutions are necessary to reduce costs. The paper also discusses the management and operational approaches that address the challenge of a new cost-effective, reusable launch vehicle system.
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Trajectory optimization for A S.S.T.O. using in-flight LOX collection
Saint-Mard, M.; Hendrick, P.
A key point for a space mission (launch of a satellite, earth observation,…) is the optimization of the vehicle trajectory in order to burn the smallest quantity of propelant and then maximize the payload. This is true for evay space vehicle, but especially it is a crucial point for a Single-Stage-To-Orbit (SSTO) where the choice of a bad trajectory can result in an unrealizable vehicle due to the large airbreathing part of the flight In this study, we discuss the trajectory optimization for a Vertical Take-Off and Horizontal Landing (VTOHL) SSTO using supersonic in-flight atmospheric oxygen collection during a cruise phase (constant speed & constant altitude). This collected oxygen is stored in the LOX tanks and reused in the final rocket phase. This SSTO bas a Blended Body aerodynamic configuration as the one chosen by Lockheed Martin for its new space launcher (VentureStar and X-33). This SSTO uses rocket engines from take-off to Mach 1.7 and also for the exoatmospheric flight phase (that means for an altitude higher than 30km and a Mach number evolution from 6.8 to about 20). Between these two rocket phases, the SSTO is propelled by a subsonic ramjet. To perform this study, we use 2 computer programs (running on a home Computer): the first one allows to estimate the SSTO performances (TOGW, dry weight, hydrogen and oxygen consumptions) for a fixed payload mass and the second one permits the evaluation of the payload mass for a fixed TOGW.
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A rotorcraft flight/propulsion control integration study
Ruttledge, D. G. C.
1986-01-01
An eclectic approach was taken to a study of the integration of digital flight and propulsion controls for helicopters. The basis of the evaluation was the current Gen Hel simulation of the UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter with a model of the GE T700 engine. A list of flight maneuver segments to be used in evaluating the effectiveness of such an integrated control system was composed, based on past experience and an extensive survey of the U.S. Army Air-to-Air Combat Test data. A number of possible features of an integrated system were examined and screened. Those that survived the screening were combined into a design that replaced the T700 fuel control and part of the control system in the UH-60A Gen Hel simulation. This design included portions of an existing pragmatic adaptive fuel control designed by the Chandler-Evans Company and an linear quadratic regulator (LQR) based N(p) governor designed by the GE company, combined with changes in the basic Sikorsky Aircraft designed control system. The integrated system exhibited improved total performance in many areas of the flight envelope.
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Jeon, Juncheol; Han, Chulhee; Chung, Jye Ung; Choi, Seung-Bok
2015-01-01
In this paper, a novel single-stage valve system activated by a piezostack actuator is proposed and experimentally evaluated at both room temperature (20 °C) and high temperature (100 °C) conditions. A hinge-lever displacement amplifier is adopted in the valve system to magnify the displacement generated from the piezostack actuator. After explaining the operating principle of the proposed piezostack-driven single-stage valve system, the geometric dimensions and mechanical properties of the valve components are discussed in details. An experimental apparatus is then manufactured to evaluate the performances of the valve system such as flow rate. The experimental apparatus consists of a heat chamber, which can regulate the temperature of the valve system and oil, pneumatic-hydraulic cylinders, a hydraulic circuit, a pneumatic circuit, electronic devices, an interface card, and a high voltage amplifier. The pneumatic-hydraulic cylinder transforms the pneumatic pressure into hydraulic pressure. The performances of the valve system regarding spool response, pressure drop, and flow rate are evaluated and presented. In addition, the performance of the valve system under high temperature condition is compared with that under room temperature condition. The experimental results are plotted in both frequency and time domains.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jeon, Juncheol; Han, Chulhee; Ung Chung, Jye; Choi, Seung-Bok
2015-01-01
In this paper, a novel single-stage valve system activated by a piezostack actuator is proposed and experimentally evaluated at both room temperature (20 °C) and high temperature (100 °C) conditions. A hinge-lever displacement amplifier is adopted in the valve system to magnify the displacement generated from the piezostack actuator. After explaining the operating principle of the proposed piezostack-driven single-stage valve system, the geometric dimensions and mechanical properties of the valve components are discussed in details. An experimental apparatus is then manufactured to evaluate the performances of the valve system such as flow rate. The experimental apparatus consists of a heat chamber, which can regulate the temperature of the valve system and oil, pneumatic-hydraulic cylinders, a hydraulic circuit, a pneumatic circuit, electronic devices, an interface card, and a high voltage amplifier. The pneumatic-hydraulic cylinder transforms the pneumatic pressure into hydraulic pressure. The performances of the valve system regarding spool response, pressure drop, and flow rate are evaluated and presented. In addition, the performance of the valve system under high temperature condition is compared with that under room temperature condition. The experimental results are plotted in both frequency and time domains. (paper)
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A double-stage pulsed discharge fluorine atom beam source
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ren Zefeng; Qiu Minghui; Che Li; Dai Dongxu; Wang Xiuyan; Yang Xueming
2006-01-01
Molecular-beam intensity and speed ratio are two major limiting factors in many molecular-beam experiments. This article reports a high-intensity, high-speed-ratio, pulsed supersonic fluorine atom beam source using a double-stage discharge beam source. Its performance is indicated by the high-resolution time-of-flight spectrum in the crossed beam experiment of F( 2 P)+para-H 2
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Thompson, R. H.; Gambardella, P. J.
1980-01-01
The Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft provides an excellent opportunity for evaluating attitude determination accuracies achievable with tracking instruments such as fixed head star trackers (FHSTs). As a part of its payload, SMM carries a highly accurate fine pointing Sun sensor (FPSS). The EPSS provides an independent check of the pitch and yaw parameters computed from observations of stars in the FHST field of view. A method to determine the alignment of the FHSTs relative to the FPSS using spacecraft data is applied. Two methods that were used to determine distortions in the 8 degree by 8 degree field of view of the FHSTs using spacecraft data are also presented. The attitude determination accuracy performance of the in flight calibrated FHSTs is evaluated.
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VEGA Launch Vehicle: VV02 Flight Campaign Thermal Analysis
Moroni, D.; Perugini, P.; Mancini, R.; Bonnet, M.
2014-06-01
A reliable tool for the prediction of temperature trends vs. time during the operative timeline of a launcher represents one of the key elements for the qualification of a launch vehicle itself.The correct evaluation of the thermal behaviour during the mission, both for the launcher elements (structures, electronic items, tanks, motors...) and for the Payloads carried by the same Launcher, is one of the preliminary activities to be performed before a flight campaign.For such scope AVIO constructed a Thermal Mathematical Model (TMM) by means of the ESA software "ESATAN Thermal Modelling Suite (TMS)" [1] used for the prediction of the temperature trends both on VV01 (VEGA LV Qualification Flight) and VV02 (First VEGA LV commercial flight) with successfully results in terms of post-flight comparison with the sensor data outputs.Aim of this paper is to show the correlation obtained by AVIO VEGA LV SYS TMM in the frame of VV02 Flight.
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ASTP (SA-210) Launch vehicle operational flight trajectory. Part 3: Final documentation
Carter, A. B.; Klug, G. W.; Williams, N. W.
1975-01-01
Trajectory data are presented for a nominal and two launch window trajectory simulations. These trajectories are designed to insert a manned Apollo spacecraft into a 150/167 km. (81/90 n. mi.) earth orbit inclined at 51.78 degrees for rendezvous with a Soyuz spacecraft, which will be orbiting at approximately 225 km. (121.5 n. mi.). The launch window allocation defined for this launch is 500 pounds of S-IVB stage propellant. The launch window opening trajectory simulation depicts the earliest launch time deviation from a planar flight launch which conforms to this constraint. The launch window closing trajectory simulation was developed for the more stringent Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR) flight azimuth restriction of 37.4 degrees east-of-north. These trajectories enclose a 12.09 minute launch window, pertinent features of which are provided in a tabulation. Planar flight data are included for mid-window reference.
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Evaluation of Flight Deck-Based Interval Management Crew Procedure Feasibility
Wilson, Sara R.; Murdoch, Jennifer L.; Hubbs, Clay E.; Swieringa, Kurt A.
2013-01-01
Air traffic demand is predicted to increase over the next 20 years, creating a need for new technologies and procedures to support this growth in a safe and efficient manner. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration - 1 (ATD-1) will operationally demonstrate the feasibility of efficient arrival operations combining ground-based and airborne NASA technologies. The integration of these technologies will increase throughput, reduce delay, conserve fuel, and minimize environmental impacts. The ground-based tools include Traffic Management Advisor with Terminal Metering for precise time-based scheduling and Controller Managed Spacing decision support tools for better managing aircraft delay with speed control. The core airborne technology in ATD-1 is Flight deck-based Interval Management (FIM). FIM tools provide pilots with speed commands calculated using information from Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast. The precise merging and spacing enabled by FIM avionics and flight crew procedures will reduce excess spacing buffers and result in higher terminal throughput. This paper describes a human-in-the-loop experiment designed to assess the acceptability and feasibility of the ATD-1 procedures used in a voice communications environment. This experiment utilized the ATD-1 integrated system of ground-based and airborne technologies. Pilot participants flew a high-fidelity fixed base simulator equipped with an airborne spacing algorithm and a FIM crew interface. Experiment scenarios involved multiple air traffic flows into the Dallas-Fort Worth Terminal Radar Control airspace. Results indicate that the proposed procedures were feasible for use by flight crews in a voice communications environment. The delivery accuracy at the achieve-by point was within +/- five seconds and the delivery precision was less than five seconds. Furthermore, FIM speed commands occurred at a rate of less than one per minute
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Dickel, Timo; Plaß, Wolfgang R.; Lippert, Wayne; Lang, Johannes; Yavor, Mikhail I.; Geissel, Hans; Scheidenberger, Christoph
2017-06-01
A novel method for (ultra-)high-resolution spatial mass separation in time-of-flight mass spectrometers is presented. Ions are injected into a time-of-flight analyzer from a radio frequency (rf) trap, dispersed in time-of-flight according to their mass-to-charge ratios and then re-trapped dynamically in the same rf trap. This re-trapping technique is highly mass-selective and after sufficiently long flight times can provide even isobaric separation. A theoretical treatment of the method is presented and the conditions for optimum performance of the method are derived. The method has been implemented in a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer and mass separation powers (FWHM) in excess of 70,000, and re-trapping efficiencies of up to 35% have been obtained for the protonated molecular ion of caffeine. The isobars glutamine and lysine (relative mass difference of 1/4000) have been separated after a flight time of 0.2 ms only. Higher mass separation powers can be achieved using longer flight times. The method will have important applications, including isobar separation in nuclear physics and (ultra-)high-resolution precursor ion selection in multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry. [Figure not available: see fulltext.
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Jordan, Thomas L.; Bailey, Roger M.
2008-01-01
As part of the Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) project, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has developed a subscaled flying testbed in order to conduct research experiments in support of the goals of NASA s Aviation Safety Program. This research capability consists of three distinct components. The first of these is the research aircraft, of which there are several in the AirSTAR stable. These aircraft range from a dynamically-scaled, twin turbine vehicle to a propeller driven, off-the-shelf airframe. Each of these airframes carves out its own niche in the research test program. All of the airplanes have sophisticated on-board data acquisition and actuation systems, recording, telemetering, processing, and/or receiving data from research control systems. The second piece of the testbed is the ground facilities, which encompass the hardware and software infrastructure necessary to provide comprehensive support services for conducting flight research using the subscale aircraft, including: subsystem development, integrated testing, remote piloting of the subscale aircraft, telemetry processing, experimental flight control law implementation and evaluation, flight simulation, data recording/archiving, and communications. The ground facilities are comprised of two major components: (1) The Base Research Station (BRS), a LaRC laboratory facility for system development, testing and data analysis, and (2) The Mobile Operations Station (MOS), a self-contained, motorized vehicle serving as a mobile research command/operations center, functionally equivalent to the BRS, capable of deployment to remote sites for supporting flight tests. The third piece of the testbed is the test facility itself. Research flights carried out by the AirSTAR team are conducted at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The UAV Island runway is a 50 x 1500 paved runway that lies within restricted airspace at Wallops Flight Facility. The
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Flight Experiment Verification of Shuttle Boundary Layer Transition Prediction Tool
Berry, Scott A.; Berger, Karen T.; Horvath, Thomas J.; Wood, William A.
2016-01-01
Boundary layer transition at hypersonic conditions is critical to the design of future high-speed aircraft and spacecraft. Accurate methods to predict transition would directly impact the aerothermodynamic environments used to size a hypersonic vehicle's thermal protection system. A transition prediction tool, based on wind tunnel derived discrete roughness correlations, was developed and implemented for the Space Shuttle return-to-flight program. This tool was also used to design a boundary layer transition flight experiment in order to assess correlation uncertainties, particularly with regard to high Mach-number transition and tunnel-to-flight scaling. A review is provided of the results obtained from the flight experiment in order to evaluate the transition prediction tool implemented for the Shuttle program.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Brito, Mucio Jose Drummond de; Silva Junior, Silverio Ferreira da; Messias, Jose Marcos; Braga, Daniel Martins; Paula, Joao Bosco de
2005-01-01
Structural discontinuities can be introduced in the plate type fuel elements during the manufacturing stages due to mechanical processing conditions. The use of nondestructive testing methods to monitoring the fuel elements during the manufacturing stages presents a significant importance, contributing for manufacturing process improvement and cost reducing. This paper describes a procedure to be used detection and evaluation of structural discontinuities in plate type fuel elements during the manufacturing stages using the ultrasonic testing method and the radiographic testing method. The main results obtained are presented and discussed. (author)
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A Survey of Open-Source UAV Flight Controllers and Flight Simulators
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ebeid, Emad Samuel Malki; Skriver, Martin; Terkildsen, Kristian Husum
2018-01-01
, which are all tightly linked to the UAV flight controller hardware and software. The lack of standardization of flight controller architectures and the use of proprietary closed-source flight controllers on many UAV platforms, however, complicates this work: solutions developed for one flight controller...... may be difficult to port to another without substantial extra development and testing. Using open-source flight controllers mitigates some of these challenges and enables other researchers to validate and build upon existing research. This paper presents a survey of the publicly available open...
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X-1A in flight with flight data superimposed
1953-01-01
crew returned to base in satisfactory condition. Four pilots had completed 29 flights (including aborts). X-1B The Bell Aircraft Corporation X-1B was similar to the Bell X-1A except for the installation of wingtips extensions for its last three flight. The NACA portion of the X-1B flight test program was for the purpose of aerodynamic heating research, accumulating data during 1956-1958. The X-1B was fitted with special instrumentation for exploratory aerodynamic heating tests. It had over 300 thermocouples installed on it. It was the first aircraft to fly with a reaction control system, a prototype of the control system used on the X-15 and other piloted aircraft. Midway through its flight test program, the X-1B was equipped with an Reaction Motors, Inc. XLR-11-RM-9 engine which differed, from the other XLR-11s, only in having an electric spark, low-tension interrupter type ignition in place of the older high-tension type. On January 27, 1959 the X-1B was given to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, for preservation and public display. This aircraft completed a total of 27 glide and powered flights made by eight USAF test pilots and two NACA test pilots. X-1C Following the X-1B was the projected X-1C, which was canceled while still in the mock-up stage. The birth of transonic and supersonic-capable aircraft like the North American F-86 Sabre and the North American F-100 Super Sabre eventually eliminated the need for the X-1C. X-1D The X-1D was the first advanced model of the X-1 family to roll from Bell Aircraft Corporation's plant. It arrived at Edwards, California, in July 1951 suspended from the bomb bay shackles of a Boeing EB-50A, (46-006) aircraft. On July 24, 1951, with Bell test pilot Jean 'Skip' Ziegler at the controls, the X-1D had the only successful flight of its career. It was an unpowered glide flight, and on landing the nose gear failed with the plane sliding to a stop. The aircraft was repaired and ready once more for flight
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1996-01-01
The twin pusher propeller-driven engines of the Theseus research aircraft can be clearly seen in this photo, taken during a 1996 research flight at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The Theseus aircraft, built and operated by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia, was a unique aircraft flown at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, under a cooperative agreement between NASA and Aurora. Dryden hosted the Theseus program, providing hangar space and range safety for flight testing. Aurora Flight Sciences was responsible for the actual flight testing, vehicle flight safety, and operation of the aircraft. The Theseus remotely piloted aircraft flew its maiden flight on May 24, 1996, at Dryden. During its sixth flight on November 12, 1996, Theseus experienced an in-flight structural failure that resulted in the loss of the aircraft. As of the beginning of the year 2000, Aurora had not rebuilt the aircraft. Theseus was built for NASA under an innovative, $4.9 million fixed-price contract by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and its partners, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, and Fairmont State College, Fairmont, West Virginia. The twin-engine, unpiloted vehicle had a 140-foot wingspan, and was constructed largely of composite materials. Powered by two 80-horsepower, turbocharged piston engines that drove twin 9-foot-diameter propellers, Theseus was designed to fly autonomously at high altitudes, with takeoff and landing under the active control of a ground-based pilot in a ground control station 'cockpit.' With the potential ability to carry 700 pounds of science instruments to altitudes above 60,000 feet for durations of greater than 24 hours, Theseus was intended to support research in areas such as stratospheric ozone depletion and the atmospheric effects of future high-speed civil transport aircraft engines. Instruments carried aboard Theseus also would be able to validate satellite
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A Simple Flight Mill for the Study of Tethered Flight in Insects.
Attisano, Alfredo; Murphy, James T; Vickers, Andrew; Moore, Patricia J
2015-12-10
Flight in insects can be long-range migratory flights, intermediate-range dispersal flights, or short-range host-seeking flights. Previous studies have shown that flight mills are valuable tools for the experimental study of insect flight behavior, allowing researchers to examine how factors such as age, host plants, or population source can influence an insects' propensity to disperse. Flight mills allow researchers to measure components of flight such as speed and distance flown. Lack of detailed information about how to build such a device can make their construction appear to be prohibitively complex. We present a simple and relatively inexpensive flight mill for the study of tethered flight in insects. Experimental insects can be tethered with non-toxic adhesives and revolve around an axis by means of a very low friction magnetic bearing. The mill is designed for the study of flight in controlled conditions as it can be used inside an incubator or environmental chamber. The strongest points are the very simple electronic circuitry, the design that allows sixteen insects to fly simultaneously allowing the collection and analysis of a large number of samples in a short time and the potential to use the device in a very limited workspace. This design is extremely flexible, and we have adjusted the mill to accommodate different species of insects of various sizes.
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Perseus B over Edwards AFB on a Development Flight
1998-01-01
A long, slender wing and a pusher propeller at the rear characterize the Perseus B remotely-piloted research aircraft, seen here during a test flight in April1998. Perseus B is a remotely piloted aircraft developed as a design-performance testbed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Perseus is one of several flight vehicles involved in the ERAST project. A piston engine, propeller-powered aircraft, Perseus was designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia. The objectives of Perseus B's ERAST flight tests have been to reach and maintain horizontal flight above altitudes of 60,000 feet and demonstrate the capability to fly missions lasting from 8 to 24 hours, depending on payload and altitude requirements. The Perseus B aircraft established an unofficial altitude record for a single-engine, propeller-driven, remotely piloted aircraft on June 27, 1998. It reached an altitude of 60,280 feet. In 1999, several modifications were made to the Perseus aircraft including engine, avionics, and flight-control-system improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a series of operational readiness and test missions at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Perseus is a high-wing monoplane with a conventional tail design. Its narrow, straight, high-aspect-ratio wing is mounted atop the fuselage. The aircraft is pusher-designed with the propeller mounted in the rear. This design allows for interchangeable scientific-instrument payloads to be placed in the forward fuselage. The design also allows for unobstructed airflow to the sensors and other devices mounted in the payload compartment. The Perseus B that underwent test and development in 1999 was the third generation of the Perseus design, which began with the Perseus Proof-Of-Concept aircraft. Perseus was initially developed as part of NASA's Small High-Altitude Science Aircraft (SHASA) program, which later evolved into the ERAST
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Sleep Stage Transition Dynamics Reveal Specific Stage 2 Vulnerability in Insomnia.
Wei, Yishul; Colombo, Michele A; Ramautar, Jennifer R; Blanken, Tessa F; van der Werf, Ysbrand D; Spiegelhalder, Kai; Feige, Bernd; Riemann, Dieter; Van Someren, Eus J W
2017-09-01
Objective sleep impairments in insomnia disorder (ID) are insufficiently understood. The present study evaluated whether whole-night sleep stage dynamics derived from polysomnography (PSG) differ between people with ID and matched controls and whether sleep stage dynamic features discriminate them better than conventional sleep parameters. Eighty-eight participants aged 21-70 years, including 46 with ID and 42 age- and sex-matched controls without sleep complaints, were recruited through www.sleepregistry.nl and completed two nights of laboratory PSG. Data of 100 people with ID and 100 age- and sex-matched controls from a previously reported study were used to validate the generalizability of findings. The second night was used to obtain, in addition to conventional sleep parameters, probabilities of transitions between stages and bout duration distributions of each stage. Group differences were evaluated with nonparametric tests. People with ID showed higher empirical probabilities to transition from stage N2 to the lighter sleep stage N1 or wakefulness and a faster decaying stage N2 bout survival function. The increased transition probability from stage N2 to stage N1 discriminated people with ID better than any of their deviations in conventional sleep parameters, including less total sleep time, less sleep efficiency, more stage N1, and more wake after sleep onset. Moreover, adding this transition probability significantly improved the discriminating power of a multiple logistic regression model based on conventional sleep parameters. Quantification of sleep stage dynamics revealed a particular vulnerability of stage N2 in insomnia. The feature characterizes insomnia better than-and independently of-any conventional sleep parameter. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sato, Masayuki; Muraoka, Koji; Hozumi, Koki; Sanada, Yukihisa; Yamada, Tsutomu; Torii, Tatsuo
2015-01-01
Due to the tragic accident of radioactive contaminant spread from Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, the necessity of unmanned systems for radiation monitoring has been increasing. This paper concerns the flight controller design of an unmanned airplane which has been developed for radiation monitoring around the power plant. The flight controller consists of conventional control elements, i.e. Stability/Control Augmentation System (S/CAS) with PI controllers and guidance loops with PID controllers. The gains in these controllers are designed by minimizing appropriately defined cost functions for several possible models and disturbances to produce structured robust flight controllers. (This method is called as 'multiple model approach'.) Control performance of our flight controller was evaluated through flight tests and a primitive flight of radiation monitoring in Namie-machi in Fukushima prefecture was conducted in Jan. 2014. Flight results are included in this paper. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Fernando Andreacci
2017-12-01
Full Text Available In the Atlantic Forest, land use and land-use change are partly determined based on a classification of the successional stages of forests. Different regeneration stages are limited to different amounts and types of use. The parameters used to define the successional stages of forests are described in specific resolutions for each of the states. CONAMA 04/94 is the resolution for the forests of Santa Catarina. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative parameters in CONAMA 04/94 for classifying successional stages of forests in the northern coastal plains of the state. Six forest fragments with different soil types were evaluated using average DBH and average height of individuals, as well as basal area and indicator species. The results show that CONAMA 04/94 disregards certain phytophysiognomic characteristics of the northern coastal plains of the state. They also show that the CONAMA 04/94 text is incoherent regarding structural parameters and indicator species. The results suggest the urgent need to review the CONAMA 04/94 resolution because forest fragments could qualify for incorrect land uses according to what is defined in the current policy.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ashwin Rao
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Introduction: The two-stage technique of inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB administration does not address the pain associated with “needle insertion” and “local anesthetic solution deposition” in the “first stage” of the injection. This study evaluated a “modified two stage technique” to the reaction of children during “needle insertion” and “local anesthetic solution deposition” during the “first stage” and compared it to the “first phase” of the IANB administered with the standard one-stage technique. Materials and Methods: This was a parallel, single-blinded comparative study. A total of 34 children (between 6 and 10 years of age were randomly divided into two groups to receive an IANB either through the modified two-stage technique (MTST (Group A; 15 children or the standard one-stage technique (SOST (Group B; 19 children. The evaluation was done using the Face Legs Activity Cry Consolability (FLACC; which is an objective scale based on the expressions of the child scale. The obtained data was analyzed using Fishers Exact test with the P value set at <0.05 as level of significance. Results: 73.7% of children in Group B indicated moderate pain during the “first phase” of SOST and no children indicated such in the “first stage” of group A. Group A had 33.3% children who scored “0” indicating relaxed/comfortable children compared to 0% in Group B. In Group A, 66.7% of children scored between 1–3 indicating mild discomfort compared to 26.3% in group B. The difference in the scores between the two groups in each category (relaxed/comfortable, mild discomfort, moderate pain was highly significant (P < 0.001. Conclusion: Reaction of children in Group A during “needle insertion” and “local anesthetic solution deposition” in the “first stage” of MTST was significantly lower than that of Group B during the “first phase” of the SOST.
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Bat flight: aerodynamics, kinematics and flight morphology.
Hedenström, Anders; Johansson, L Christoffer
2015-03-01
Bats evolved the ability of powered flight more than 50 million years ago. The modern bat is an efficient flyer and recent research on bat flight has revealed many intriguing facts. By using particle image velocimetry to visualize wake vortices, both the magnitude and time-history of aerodynamic forces can be estimated. At most speeds the downstroke generates both lift and thrust, whereas the function of the upstroke changes with forward flight speed. At hovering and slow speed bats use a leading edge vortex to enhance the lift beyond that allowed by steady aerodynamics and an inverted wing during the upstroke to further aid weight support. The bat wing and its skeleton exhibit many features and control mechanisms that are presumed to improve flight performance. Whereas bats appear aerodynamically less efficient than birds when it comes to cruising flight, they have the edge over birds when it comes to manoeuvring. There is a direct relationship between kinematics and the aerodynamic performance, but there is still a lack of knowledge about how (and if) the bat controls the movements and shape (planform and camber) of the wing. Considering the relatively few bat species whose aerodynamic tracks have been characterized, there is scope for new discoveries and a need to study species representing more extreme positions in the bat morphospace. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.
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Capabilities of the Environmental Effects Branch at Marshall Space Flight Cente
Rogers, Jan; Finckenor, Miria; Nehls, Mary
2016-01-01
The Environmental Effects Branch at the Marshall Space Flight Center supports a myriad array of programs for NASA, DoD, and commercial space including human exploration, advanced space propulsion, improving life on Earth, and the study of the Sun, the Earth, and the solar system. The branch provides testing, evaluation, and qualification of materials for use on external spacecraft surfaces and in contamination-sensitive systems. Space environment capabilities include charged particle radiation, ultraviolet radiation, atomic oxygen, impact, plasma, and thermal vacuum, anchored by flight experiments and analysis of returned space hardware. These environmental components can be combined for solar wind or planetary surface environment studies or to evaluate synergistic effects. The Impact Testing Facility allows simulation of impacts ranging from sand and rain to micrometeoroids and orbital debris in order to evaluate materials and components for flight and ground-based systems. The Contamination Control Team is involved in the evaluation of environmentally-friendly replacements for HCFC-225 for use in propulsion oxygen systems, developing cleaning methods for additively manufactured hardware, and reducing risk for the Space Launch System.
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Lefringhouse, Jason; Pavlik, Edward; Miller, Rachel; DeSimone, Christopher; Ueland, Frederick; Kryscio, Richard; van Nagell, J. R.
2014-01-01
Objective. The aim of this study was to document the survival advantage of lowering stage at detection from Stage IIIC to Stage IIIA epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods. Treatment outcomes and survival were evaluated in patients with Stage IIIA and Stage IIIC epithelial ovarian cancer treated from 2000 to 2009 at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center (UKMCC) and SEER institutions. Results. Cytoreduction to no visible disease (P < 0.0001) and complete response to platinum-based chemotherapy (P < 0.025) occurred more frequently in Stage IIIA than in Stage IIIC cases. Time to progression was shorter in patients with Stage IIIC ovarian cancer (17 ± 1 months) than in those with Stage II1A disease (36 ± 8 months). Five-year overall survival (OS) improved from 41% in Stage IIIC patients to 60% in Stage IIIA patients treated at UKMCC and from 37% to 56% in patients treated at SEER institutions for a survival advantage of 19% in both data sets. 53% of Stage IIIA and 14% of Stage IIIC patients had NED at last followup. Conclusions. Decreasing stage at detection from Stage IIIC to stage IIIA epithelial ovarian cancer is associated with a 5-year survival advantage of nearly 20% in patients treated by surgical tumor cytoreduction and platinum-based chemotherapy. PMID:25254047
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Selected Flight Test Results for Online Learning Neural Network-Based Flight Control System
Williams-Hayes, Peggy S.
2004-01-01
The NASA F-15 Intelligent Flight Control System project team developed a series of flight control concepts designed to demonstrate neural network-based adaptive controller benefits, with the objective to develop and flight-test control systems using neural network technology to optimize aircraft performance under nominal conditions and stabilize the aircraft under failure conditions. This report presents flight-test results for an adaptive controller using stability and control derivative values from an online learning neural network. A dynamic cell structure neural network is used in conjunction with a real-time parameter identification algorithm to estimate aerodynamic stability and control derivative increments to baseline aerodynamic derivatives in flight. This open-loop flight test set was performed in preparation for a future phase in which the learning neural network and parameter identification algorithm output would provide the flight controller with aerodynamic stability and control derivative updates in near real time. Two flight maneuvers are analyzed - pitch frequency sweep and automated flight-test maneuver designed to optimally excite the parameter identification algorithm in all axes. Frequency responses generated from flight data are compared to those obtained from nonlinear simulation runs. Flight data examination shows that addition of flight-identified aerodynamic derivative increments into the simulation improved aircraft pitch handling qualities.
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Analytical and Experimental Verification of a Flight Article for a Mach-8 Boundary-Layer Experiment
Richards, W. Lance; Monaghan, Richard C.
1996-01-01
Preparations for a boundary-layer transition experiment to be conducted on a future flight mission of the air-launched Pegasus(TM) rocket are underway. The experiment requires a flight-test article called a glove to be attached to the wing of the Mach-8 first-stage booster. A three-dimensional, nonlinear finite-element analysis has been performed and significant small-scale laboratory testing has been accomplished to ensure the glove design integrity and quality of the experiment. Reliance on both the analysis and experiment activities has been instrumental in the success of the flight-article design. Results obtained from the structural analysis and laboratory testing show that all glove components are well within the allowable thermal stress and deformation requirements to satisfy the experiment objectives.
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Stage-specific predictive models for breast cancer survivability.
Kate, Rohit J; Nadig, Ramya
2017-01-01
Survivability rates vary widely among various stages of breast cancer. Although machine learning models built in past to predict breast cancer survivability were given stage as one of the features, they were not trained or evaluated separately for each stage. To investigate whether there are differences in performance of machine learning models trained and evaluated across different stages for predicting breast cancer survivability. Using three different machine learning methods we built models to predict breast cancer survivability separately for each stage and compared them with the traditional joint models built for all the stages. We also evaluated the models separately for each stage and together for all the stages. Our results show that the most suitable model to predict survivability for a specific stage is the model trained for that particular stage. In our experiments, using additional examples of other stages during training did not help, in fact, it made it worse in some cases. The most important features for predicting survivability were also found to be different for different stages. By evaluating the models separately on different stages we found that the performance widely varied across them. We also demonstrate that evaluating predictive models for survivability on all the stages together, as was done in the past, is misleading because it overestimates performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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14 CFR 121.412 - Qualifications: Flight instructors (airplane) and flight instructors (simulator).
2010-01-01
... (airplane) and flight instructors (simulator). 121.412 Section 121.412 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL... OPERATIONS Training Program § 121.412 Qualifications: Flight instructors (airplane) and flight instructors (simulator). (a) For the purposes of this section and § 121.414: (1) A flight instructor (airplane) is a...
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Pose estimation and tracking of non-cooperative rocket bodies using Time-of-Flight cameras
Gómez Martínez, Harvey; Giorgi, Gabriele; Eissfeller, Bernd
2017-10-01
This paper presents a methodology for estimating the position and orientation of a rocket body in orbit - the target - undergoing a roto-translational motion, with respect to a chaser spacecraft, whose task is to match the target dynamics for a safe rendezvous. During the rendezvous maneuver the chaser employs a Time-of-Flight camera that acquires a point cloud of 3D coordinates mapping the sensed target surface. Once the system identifies the target, it initializes the chaser-to-target relative position and orientation. After initialization, a tracking procedure enables the system to sense the evolution of the target's pose between frames. The proposed algorithm is evaluated using simulated point clouds, generated with a CAD model of the Cosmos-3M upper stage and the PMD CamCube 3.0 camera specifications.
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Kerstman, Eric
2011-01-01
International Space Station (ISS) astronauts receive supervised physical training pre-flight, utilize exercise countermeasures in-flight, and participate in a structured reconditioning program post-flight. Despite recent advances in exercise hardware and prescribed exercise countermeasures, ISS crewmembers are still found to have variable levels of deconditioning post-flight. This presentation provides an overview of the astronaut medical certification requirements, pre-flight physical training, in-flight exercise countermeasures, and the post-flight reconditioning program. Astronauts must meet medical certification requirements on selection, annually, and prior to ISS missions. In addition, extensive physical fitness testing and standardized medical assessments are performed on long duration crewmembers pre-flight. Limited physical fitness assessments and medical examinations are performed in-flight to develop exercise countermeasure prescriptions, ensure that the crewmembers are physically capable of performing mission tasks, and monitor astronaut health. Upon mission completion, long duration astronauts must re-adapt to the 1 G environment, and be certified as fit to return to space flight training and active duty. A structured, supervised postflight reconditioning program has been developed to prevent injuries, facilitate re-adaptation to the 1 G environment, and subsequently return astronauts to training and space flight. The NASA reconditioning program is implemented by the Astronaut Strength, Conditioning, and Rehabilitation (ASCR) team and supervised by NASA flight surgeons. This program has evolved over the past 10 years of the International Space Station (ISS) program and has been successful in ensuring that long duration astronauts safely re-adapt to the 1 g environment and return to active duty. Lessons learned from this approach to managing deconditioning can be applied to terrestrial medicine and future exploration space flight missions.
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Evaluation of functional changes in the evolutionary stages of Parkinson's disease: a case series
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Natália Feitoza do Nascimento
Full Text Available Abstract Introduction : Parkinson's disease is one of the fastest growing neurological disorders in the world and is considered to be predominantly a motor disorder, classified as neurodegenerative, chronic and extrapyramidal, characterized by tremors, muscular rigidity, postural balance deficit and bradykinesia. Objective : To analyze the functional changes presented by Parkinson's disease patients in the different evolutionary stages of the disease. Methods : The sample included 30 patients of both genders, aged between 51 and 75 years, with clinical diagnoses of Parkinson's disease in different evolutionary stages, undergoing physiotherapy in the Pernambuco Parkinson Association. The patients were evaluated through the Hoehn and Yahr Staging Scale and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS. Results : The results highlighted an increase in the presence and severity of the changes presented by the Parkinson's disease patients, according to the evolution of the stages of the disease, especially considering aspects relating to motor activity and activities of daily living, including changes related to speech, swallowing, the ability to get dressed, personal hygiene, turning in bed and arising from a chair, occurrence of falls, posture, gait, postural stability and the presence of bradykinesia/hypokinesia. Conclusion : It is believed that the classification of the evolutionary stage of patients through the Hoehn and Yahr Scale and the registration of functional change through the UPDRS are useful for the development of the physiotherapy treatment plan.
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Mars Science Laboratory Flight Software Internal Testing
Jones, Justin D.; Lam, Danny
2011-01-01
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) team is sending the rover, Curiosity, to Mars, and therefore is physically and technically complex. During my stay, I have assisted the MSL Flight Software (FSW) team in implementing functional test scripts to ensure that the FSW performs to the best of its abilities. There are a large number of FSW requirements that have been written up for implementation; however I have only been assigned a few sections of these requirements. There are many stages within testing; one of the early stages is FSW Internal Testing (FIT). The FIT team can accomplish this with simulation software and the MSL Test Automation Kit (MTAK). MTAK has the ability to integrate with the Software Simulation Equipment (SSE) and the Mission Processing and Control System (MPCS) software which makes it a powerful tool within the MSL FSW development process. The MSL team must ensure that the rover accomplishes all stages of the mission successfully. Due to the natural complexity of this project there is a strong emphasis on testing, as failure is not an option. The entire mission could be jeopardized if something is overlooked.
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Advanced aircraft service life monitoring method via flight-by-flight load spectra
Lee, Hongchul
This research is an effort to understand current method and to propose an advanced method for Damage Tolerance Analysis (DTA) for the purpose of monitoring the aircraft service life. As one of tasks in the DTA, the current indirect Individual Aircraft Tracking (IAT) method for the F-16C/D Block 32 does not properly represent changes in flight usage severity affecting structural fatigue life. Therefore, an advanced aircraft service life monitoring method based on flight-by-flight load spectra is proposed and recommended for IAT program to track consumed fatigue life as an alternative to the current method which is based on the crack severity index (CSI) value. Damage Tolerance is one of aircraft design philosophies to ensure that aging aircrafts satisfy structural reliability in terms of fatigue failures throughout their service periods. IAT program, one of the most important tasks of DTA, is able to track potential structural crack growth at critical areas in the major airframe structural components of individual aircraft. The F-16C/D aircraft is equipped with a flight data recorder to monitor flight usage and provide the data to support structural load analysis. However, limited memory of flight data recorder allows user to monitor individual aircraft fatigue usage in terms of only the vertical inertia (NzW) data for calculating Crack Severity Index (CSI) value which defines the relative maneuver severity. Current IAT method for the F-16C/D Block 32 based on CSI value calculated from NzW is shown to be not accurate enough to monitor individual aircraft fatigue usage due to several problems. The proposed advanced aircraft service life monitoring method based on flight-by-flight load spectra is recommended as an improved method for the F-16C/D Block 32 aircraft. Flight-by-flight load spectra was generated from downloaded Crash Survival Flight Data Recorder (CSFDR) data by calculating loads for each time hack in selected flight data utilizing loads equations. From
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Outcomes of medical emergencies on commercial airline flights.
Peterson, Drew C; Martin-Gill, Christian; Guyette, Francis X; Tobias, Adam Z; McCarthy, Catherine E; Harrington, Scott T; Delbridge, Theodore R; Yealy, Donald M
2013-05-30
Worldwide, 2.75 billion passengers fly on commercial airlines annually. When in-flight medical emergencies occur, access to care is limited. We describe in-flight medical emergencies and the outcomes of these events. We reviewed records of in-flight medical emergency calls from five domestic and international airlines to a physician-directed medical communications center from January 1, 2008, through October 31, 2010. We characterized the most common medical problems and the type of on-board assistance rendered. We determined the incidence of and factors associated with unscheduled aircraft diversion, transport to a hospital, and hospital admission, and we determined the incidence of death. There were 11,920 in-flight medical emergencies resulting in calls to the center (1 medical emergency per 604 flights). The most common problems were syncope or presyncope (37.4% of cases), respiratory symptoms (12.1%), and nausea or vomiting (9.5%). Physician passengers provided medical assistance in 48.1% of in-flight medical emergencies, and aircraft diversion occurred in 7.3%. Of 10,914 patients for whom postflight follow-up data were available, 25.8% were transported to a hospital by emergency-medical-service personnel, 8.6% were admitted, and 0.3% died. The most common triggers for admission were possible stroke (odds ratio, 3.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.88 to 6.03), respiratory symptoms (odds ratio, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.48 to 3.06), and cardiac symptoms (odds ratio, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.37 to 2.77). Most in-flight medical emergencies were related to syncope, respiratory symptoms, or gastrointestinal symptoms, and a physician was frequently the responding medical volunteer. Few in-flight medical emergencies resulted in diversion of aircraft or death; one fourth of passengers who had an in-flight medical emergency underwent additional evaluation in a hospital. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health.).
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A combined heating cooling stage for cluster thermalization in the gas phase
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ievlev, D.N.; Kuester, A.; Enders, A.; Malinowski, N.; Schaber, H.; Kern, K.
2003-01-01
We report on the design and performance of a combined heating/cooling stage for the thermalization of clusters in a gas phase time-of-flight mass spectrometer. With this setup the cluster temperature can sensitively be adjusted within the range from 100 up to 800 K and higher. The unique combination of a heating stage with a subsequent cooling stage allows us to perform thermodynamic investigations on clusters at very high temperatures without quality losses in the spectra due to delayed fragmentation in the drift tube of the mass spectrometer. The performance of the setup is demonstrated by the example of (C 60 ) n clusters
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Wolverton, David A.; Dickson, Richard W.; Clinedinst, Winston C.; Slominski, Christopher J.
1993-01-01
The flight software developed for the Flight Management/Flight Controls (FM/FC) MicroVAX computer used on the Transport Systems Research Vehicle for Advanced Transport Operating Systems (ATOPS) research is described. The FM/FC software computes navigation position estimates, guidance commands, and those commands issued to the control surfaces to direct the aircraft in flight. Various modes of flight are provided for, ranging from computer assisted manual modes to fully automatic modes including automatic landing. A high-level system overview as well as a description of each software module comprising the system is provided. Digital systems diagrams are included for each major flight control component and selected flight management functions.
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2009-04-27
Access to affordable and effective flight-simulation training devices (FSTDs) is critical to safely train airline crews in aviating, navigating, communicating, making decisions, and managing flight-deck and crew resources. This paper provides an over...
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Pillai, Aravindakshan; Krishnaraj, K.; Sreenivas, N.; Nair, Praveen
2017-12-01
Indian Space Research Organisation, India has successfully flight tested the reusable launch vehicle through launching of a demonstration flight known as RLV-TD HEX mission. This mission has given a platform for exposing the thermal protection system to the real hypersonic flight thermal conditions and thereby validated the design. In this vehicle, the nose cap region is thermally protected by carbon-carbon followed by silica tiles with a gap in between them for thermal expansion. The gap is filled with silica fibre. Base material on which the C-C is placed is made of molybdenum. Silica tile with strain isolation pad is bonded to aluminium structure. These interfaces with a variety of materials are characterised with different coefficients of thermal expansion joined together. In order to evaluate and qualify this joint, model tests were carried out in Plasma Wind Tunnel facility under the simultaneous simulation of heat flux and shear levels as expected in flight. The thermal and flow parameters around the model are determined and made available for the thermal analysis using in-house CFD code. Two tests were carried out. The measured temperatures at different locations were benign in both these tests and the SiC coating on C-C and the interface were also intact. These tests essentially qualified the joint interface between C-C and molybdenum bracket and C-C to silica tile interface of RLV-TD.
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Thermal Design of Vapor Cooling of Flight Vehicle Structures Using LH2 Boil-Off
Wang, Xiao-Yen; Zoeckler, Joseph
2015-01-01
Using hydrogen boil-off vapor to cool the structure of a flight vehicle cryogenic upper stage can reduce heat loads to the stage and increase the usable propellant in the stage or extend the life of the stage. The hydrogen vapor can be used to absorb incoming heat as it increases in temperature before being vented overboard. In theory, the amount of heat leaking into the hydrogen tank from the structure will be reduced if the structure is cooled using the propellant boil-off vapor. However, the amount of boil-off vapor available to be used for cooling and the reduction in heat leak to the propellant tank are dependent to each other. The amount of heat leak reduction to the LH2 tank also depends on the total heat load on the stage and the vapor cooling configurations.
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Evaluation of Game-Based Visualization Tools for Military Flight Simulation
2014-02-01
accepted that game-based flight simulators cannot approach the complexity and realism of the high fidelity avionics simulations employed in...modern Air Force training systems. However, low cost Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) gaming technology is rapidly approaching many of the...pitch, and yaw) then converts this position to WGS84 geocentric coordinates to conform to DIS standards prior to broadcast. The position data of
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Psychophysiological Assessment in Pilots Performing Challenging Simulated and Real Flight Maneuvers.
Johannes, Bernd; Rothe, Stefanie; Gens, André; Westphal, Soeren; Birkenfeld, Katja; Mulder, Edwin; Rittweger, Jörn; Ledderhos, Carla
2017-09-01
The objective assessment of psychophysiological arousal during challenging flight maneuvers is of great interest to aerospace medicine, but remains a challenging task. In the study presented here, a vector-methodological approach was used which integrates different psychophysiological variables, yielding an integral arousal index called the Psychophysiological Arousal Value (PAV). The arousal levels of 15 male pilots were assessed during predetermined, well-defined flight maneuvers performed under simulated and real flight conditions. The physiological data, as expected, revealed inter- and intra-individual differences for the various measurement conditions. As indicated by the PAV, air-to-air refueling (AAR) turned out to be the most challenging task. In general, arousal levels were comparable between simulator and real flight conditions. However, a distinct difference was observed when the pilots were divided by instructors into two groups based on their proficiency in AAR with AWACS (AAR-Novices vs. AAR-Professionals). AAR-Novices had on average more than 2000 flight hours on other aircrafts. They showed higher arousal reactions to AAR in real flight (contact: PAV score 8.4 ± 0.37) than under simulator conditions (7.1 ± 0.30), whereas AAR-Professionals did not (8.5 ± 0.46 vs. 8.8 ± 0.80). The psychophysiological arousal value assessment was tested in field measurements, yielding quantifiable arousal differences between proficiency groups of pilots during simulated and real flight conditions. The method used in this study allows an evaluation of the psychophysiological cost during a certain flying performance and thus is possibly a valuable tool for objectively evaluating the actual skill status of pilots.Johannes B, Rothe S, Gens A, Westphal S, Birkenfeld K, Mulder E, Rittweger J, Ledderhos C. Psychophysiological assessment in pilots performing challenging simulated and real flight maneuvers. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(9):834-840.
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Anderson, Seth B.; Cooper, George E.; Faye, Alan E., Jr.
1959-01-01
A flight investigation was undertaken to determine the effect of a fully controllable thrust reverser on the flight characteristics of a single-engine jet airplane. Tests were made using a cylindrical target-type reverser actuated by a hydraulic cylinder through a "beep-type" cockpit control mounted at the base of the throttle. The thrust reverser was evaluated as an in-flight decelerating device, as a flight path control and airspeed control in landing approach, and as a braking device during the ground roll. Full deflection of the reverser for one reverser configuration resulted in a reverse thrust ratio of as much as 85 percent, which at maximum engine power corresponded to a reversed thrust of 5100 pounds. Use of the reverser in landing approach made possible a wide selection of approach angles, a large reduction in approach speed at steep approach angles, improved control of flight path angle, and more accuracy in hitting a given touchdown point. The use of the reverser as a speed brake at lower airspeeds was compromised by a longitudinal trim change. At the lower airspeeds and higher engine powers there was insufficient elevator power to overcome the nose-down trim change at full reverser deflection.
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Hanson, Curt; Miller, Chris; Wall, John H.; Vanzwieten, Tannen S.; Gilligan, Eric; Orr, Jeb S.
2015-01-01
An adaptive augmenting control algorithm for the Space Launch System has been developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center as part of the launch vehicles baseline flight control system. A prototype version of the SLS flight control software was hosted on a piloted aircraft at the Armstrong Flight Research Center to demonstrate the adaptive controller on a full-scale realistic application in a relevant flight environment. Concerns regarding adverse interactions between the adaptive controller and a proposed manual steering mode were investigated by giving the pilot trajectory deviation cues and pitch rate command authority. Two NASA research pilots flew a total of twenty five constant pitch-rate trajectories using a prototype manual steering mode with and without adaptive control.
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Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) Best Estimated Trajectory Development
Holt, Greg N.; Brown, Aaron
2016-01-01
The Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) mission successfully flew on Dec 5, 2014 atop a Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle. The goal of Orions maiden flight was to stress the system by placing an uncrewed vehicle on a high-energy trajectory replicating conditions similar to those that would be experienced when returning from an asteroid or a lunar mission. The Orion navigation team combined all trajectory data from the mission into a Best Estimated Trajectory (BET) product. There were significant challenges in data reconstruction and many lessons were learned for future missions. The team used an estimation filter incorporating radar tracking, onboard sensors (Global Positioning System and Inertial Measurement Unit), and day-of-flight weather balloons to evaluate the true trajectory flown by Orion. Data was published for the entire Orion EFT-1 flight, plus objects jettisoned during entry such as the Forward Bay Cover. The BET customers include approximately 20 disciplines within Orion who will use the information for evaluating vehicle performance and influencing future design decisions.
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Space transportation system flight 2 OSTA-1 scientific payload data management plan: Addendum
1982-01-01
Flight events for the OSTA-1 scientific payload on the second flight of the Space Shuttle, STS-2 are described. Data acquisition is summarized. A discussion of problems encountered and a preliminary evaluation of data quality is also provided.
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Perseus A, Part of the ERAST Program, in Flight
1993-01-01
The Perseus A remotely-piloted research vehicle flies low over Rogers Dry Lake on its maiden voyage Dec. 21, 1993, at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The Perseus, designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., was towed into the air by a ground vehicle. At about 700 ft. the aircraft was released and the engine turned the propeller to take the plane to its desired altitude. Perseus B is a remotely piloted aircraft developed as a design-performance testbed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Perseus is one of several flight vehicles involved in the ERAST project. A piston engine, propeller-powered aircraft, Perseus was designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia. The objectives of Perseus B's ERAST flight tests have been to reach and maintain horizontal flight above altitudes of 60,000 feet and demonstrate the capability to fly missions lasting from 8 to 24 hours, depending on payload and altitude requirements. The Perseus B aircraft established an unofficial altitude record for a single-engine, propeller-driven, remotely piloted aircraft on June 27, 1998. It reached an altitude of 60,280 feet. In 1999, several modifications were made to the Perseus aircraft including engine, avionics, and flight-control-system improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a series of operational readiness and test missions at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Perseus is a high-wing monoplane with a conventional tail design. Its narrow, straight, high-aspect-ratio wing is mounted atop the fuselage. The aircraft is pusher-designed with the propeller mounted in the rear. This design allows for interchangeable scientific-instrument payloads to be placed in the forward fuselage. The design also allows for unobstructed airflow to the sensors and other devices mounted in the payload compartment. The Perseus B that underwent test and development in 1999
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Single-stage-to-orbit — Meeting the challenge
Freeman, Delma C.; Talay, Theodore A.; Austin, Robert Eugene
1996-02-01
There has been and continues to be significant discussion about the viability of fully reusable, single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) concepts for delivery of payloads to orbit. Often, these discussions have focused in detail on performance and technology requirements relating to the technical feasibility of the concept, with only broad generalizations on how the SSTO will achieve its economic goals of greatly reduced vehicle ground and flight operations costs. With the current industry and NASA Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Program efforts underway to mature and demonstrate technologies leading to a viable commercial launch system that also satisfies national needs, achieving acceptable recurring costs becomes a significant challenge. This paper reviews the current status of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Program including the DC-XA, X-33, X-34 flight systems and associated technology programs. The paper also examines lessons learned from the recently completed DC-X reusable rocket demonstrator program. It examines how these technologies and flight systems address the technical and operability challenges of SSTO whose solutions are necessary to reduce costs. The paper also discusses the management and operational approaches that address the challenge of a new cost-effective, reusable launch vehicle system.
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Pabolu, Chandra Mohan; Mutthineni, Ramesh Babu; Chintala, Srikanth; Naheeda; Mutthineni, Navya
2013-07-01
Conventional non-surgical periodontal therapy is carried out in quadrant basis with 1-2 week interval. This time lag may result in re-infection of instrumented pocket and may impair healing. Therefore, a new approach to full-mouth non-surgical therapy to be completed within two consecutive days with full-mouth disinfection has been suggested. In periodontitis, leukocyte counts and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are likely to be slightly elevated, indicating the presence of infection or inflammation. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of one stage and two stage non-surgical therapy on clinical parameters along with CRP levels and total white blood cell (TWBC) count. A total of 20 patients were selected and were divided into two groups. Group 1 received one stage full mouth dis-infection and Group 2 received two stages FMD. Plaque index, sulcus bleeding index, probing depth, clinical attachment loss, serum CRP and TWBC count were evaluated for both the groups at baseline and at 1 month post-treatment. The results were analyzed using the Student t-test. Both treatment modalities lead to a significant improvement of the clinical and hematological parameters; however comparison between the two groups showed no significant difference after 1 month. The therapeutic intervention may have a systemic effect on blood count in periodontitis patients. Though one stage FMD had limited benefits over two stages FMD, the therapy can be accomplished in a shorter duration.
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Diagnosis and staging of testicular cancer; Diagnostik und Staging von malignen Hodentumoren
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Eiers, Michael; Bender, Karen; Hallscheidt, Peter J. [Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg (Germany). Abt. Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie
2010-03-15
With an incidence of just 2 % of all maligne tumour diseases testicular cancer is a relative rare tumour disease. In comparison to other tumours, orchiectomy is performed as a first step therapy straight after primary staging which is performed by palpation, ultrasonography and evaluation of the tumour markers. In a second diagnostic step initial staging will be done by re-evaluation of the tumour markers, X-ray of the thorax in some cases also by CT, CT of the abdomen/pelvis or MRI of the abdomen, in progressive disease additional MRI of the head. Follow-up after curative therapy will be performed according to the histological type (seminoma - non-seminoma) and tumour staging. (orig.)
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Adaptive Augmenting Control Flight Characterization Experiment on an F/A-18
VanZwieten, Tannen S.; Gilligan, Eric T.; Wall, John H.; Orr, Jeb S.; Miller, Christopher J.; Hanson, Curtis E.
2014-01-01
The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Flight Mechanics and Analysis Division developed an Adaptive Augmenting Control (AAC) algorithm for launch vehicles that improves robustness and performance by adapting an otherwise welltuned classical control algorithm to unexpected environments or variations in vehicle dynamics. This AAC algorithm is currently part of the baseline design for the SLS Flight Control System (FCS), but prior to this series of research flights it was the only component of the autopilot design that had not been flight tested. The Space Launch System (SLS) flight software prototype, including the adaptive component, was recently tested on a piloted aircraft at Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) which has the capability to achieve a high level of dynamic similarity to a launch vehicle. Scenarios for the flight test campaign were designed specifically to evaluate the AAC algorithm to ensure that it is able to achieve the expected performance improvements with no adverse impacts in nominal or nearnominal scenarios. Having completed the recent series of flight characterization experiments on DFRC's F/A-18, the AAC algorithm's capability, robustness, and reproducibility, have been successfully demonstrated. Thus, the entire SLS control architecture has been successfully flight tested in a relevant environment. This has increased NASA's confidence that the autopilot design is ready to fly on the SLS Block I vehicle and will exceed the performance of previous architectures.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
B. Osundare
2015-02-01
Full Text Available Abstract Evaluating changes in soil nutrient status under different growth stages of cassava makes possible determination of the most critical stage in its vegetative growth phase when its demand for nutrients is highest. Determining the most critical stage in cassava vegetative growth phase when its nutrient demand is highest will enhance properly timed fertilizer application in such a way the application will coincide with the most critical stage in cassava vegetative phase when its demand for nutrients is highest. In view of this a two year field experiment was designed to assess changes in nutrient status of an Alfisol under different growth stages of cassava during 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Ekiti State University Ado Ekiti Ekiti State Nigeria. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The different growth stages of cassava when changes in nutrient status of Alfisol were evaluated included 3 6 9 and 12 months after planting MAP. The results indicated existence of significant P 0.05 differences among the different growth stages of cassava as regards their effects on chemical properties of Alfisol. During 2010 cropping season the significant decreases in soil organic carbon SOC under growth stages of cassava were from 0.96 g kg-1 for ISNSPTC to 0.88 0.80 0.72 and0.64 g kg-1 for ages 3 6 9 and 12 MAP respectively. Similarly during 2011 cropping season the significant decreases in soil organic carbon SOC under growth stages of cassava were from 0.96 g kg-1 for ISNSPTC to 0.80 0.73 0.66 and0.58 g kg-1 for ages 3 6 9 and 12 MAP respectively. During 2010 cropping season the significant decreases in total N under growth stages of cassava were from 0.68 g kg-1 for ISNSPTC to 0.57 0.50 0.43 and0.35 g kg-1 for ages 3 6 9 and 12 MAP respectively. During 2011 cropping season the significant decreases in total N under growth stages of cassava were from 0.68 g kg-1
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Meignan, Michel [Hopital Henri Mondor and Paris-Est University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Creteil (France); Paris-Est University, Service de Medecine Nucleaire, EAC CNRS 7054, Hopital Henri Mondor AP-HP, Creteil (France); Sasanelli, Myriam; Itti, Emmanuel [Hopital Henri Mondor and Paris-Est University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Creteil (France); Casasnovas, Rene Olivier [CHU Le Bocage, Department of Hematology, Dijon (France); Luminari, Stefano [University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Diagnostic, Clinic and Public Health Medicine, Modena (Italy); Fioroni, Federica [Santa Maria Nuova Hospital-IRCCS, Department of Medical Physics, Reggio Emilia (Italy); Coriani, Chiara [Santa Maria Nuova Hospital-IRCCS, Department of Radiology, Reggio Emilia (Italy); Masset, Helene [Henri Mondor Hospital, Department of Radiophysics, Creteil (France); Gobbi, Paolo G. [University of Pavia, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia (Italy); Merli, Francesco [Santa Maria Nuova Hospital-IRCCS, Department of Hematology, Reggio Emilia (Italy); Versari, Annibale [Santa Maria Nuova Hospital-IRCCS, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Reggio Emilia (Italy)
2014-06-15
The presence of a bulky tumour at staging on CT is an independent prognostic factor in malignant lymphomas. However, its prognostic value is limited in diffuse disease. Total metabolic tumour volume (TMTV) determined on {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT could give a better evaluation of the total tumour burden and may help patient stratification. Different methods of TMTV measurement established in phantoms simulating lymphoma tumours were investigated and validated in 40 patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Data were processed by two nuclear medicine physicians in Reggio Emilia and Creteil. Nineteen phantoms filled with {sup 18}F-saline were scanned; these comprised spherical or irregular volumes from 0.5 to 650 cm{sup 3} with tumour-to-background ratios from 1.65 to 40. Volumes were measured with different SUVmax thresholds. In patients, TMTV was measured on PET at staging by two methods: volumes of individual lesions were measured using a fixed 41 % SUVmax threshold (TMTV{sub 41}) and a variable visually adjusted SUVmax threshold (TMTV{sub var}). In phantoms, the 41 % threshold gave the best concordance between measured and actual volumes. Interobserver agreement was almost perfect. In patients, the agreement between the reviewers for TMTV{sub 41} measurement was substantial (ρ {sub c} = 0.986, CI 0.97 - 0.99) and the difference between the means was not significant (212 ± 218 cm{sup 3} for Creteil vs. 206 ± 219 cm{sup 3} for Reggio Emilia, P = 0.65). By contrast the agreement was poor for TMTV{sub var}. There was a significant direct correlation between TMTV{sub 41} and normalized LDH (r = 0.652, CI 0.42 - 0.8, P <0.001). Higher disease stages and bulky tumour were associated with higher TMTV{sub 41}, but high TMTV{sub 41} could be found in patients with stage 1/2 or nonbulky tumour. Measurement of baseline TMTV in lymphoma using a fixed 41% SUVmax threshold is reproducible and correlates with the other parameters for tumour mass evaluation
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The association between airline flight and sinonasal symptoms.
Shargorodsky, Josef; Zheng, Laura; Stillman, Frances; Soong, Andrea; Navas-Acien, Ana; Reh, Douglas
2016-04-01
Airplane cabin supply air has been shown to contain multiple possible respiratory irritants. In addition, changes in barometric pressure in flight may contribute to specific respiratory conditions. Therefore, there may be an association between commercial airline flight and sinus disease. Participants of the Secondhand-Smoke, Air Quality and Respiratory Health Among Flight Attendants Study were administered an online questionnaire pertaining to their flight experience and respiratory health. Working years, working days per month, and number of trips per month were quantified, as well as smoking exposure and self-reported physician diagnoses of sinusitis, asthma, and rhinitis. The sinonasal outcomes were quantified using a Respiratory Questionnaire Survey (RQS) score. Multivariable analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between flight time and sinus disease. A total of 579 participants met the inclusion criteria for this study, with cohort prevalence of sinusitis, asthma, and rhinitis of 25.3%, 14.4%, and 20.5%, respectively. Tertiles 2 and 3 of working days per month were associated with higher RQS scores compared to tertile 1 (p for trend <0.01). Individual symptoms significantly associated with increasing number of working days per month included "need to blow nose," "sneezing," and "thick nasal discharge," and the number of international trips per month was significantly associated with "coughing" and "facial pain and pressure," among other symptoms. This is the largest study to analyze the relations between airline flight time and sinonasal disease. The results suggest a possible association between sinusitis diagnosis, symptom scores, and specific sinonasal symptoms, and airline flight time. © 2016 ARS-AAOA, LLC.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Misch, Daniel; Steffen, Ingo G.; Furth, Christian; Stoever, Brigitte; Amthauer, Holger; Denecke, Timm; Schoenberger, Stefan; Voelker, Thomas; Henze, Guenter; Hautzel, Hubertus
2008-01-01
To evaluate FDG-PET for staging, grading, preoperative response assessment and posttherapeutic evaluation in children with Wilms tumour (WT). In this study, 23 FDG-PET examinations in 12 paediatric patients (female, n=5; male, n=7; age, 1-19 years) with WT (primary, n=9; relapsed, n=3) were analysed. All patients were examined with conventional imaging methods (CIM) according to the SIOP2001/GPOH trial protocol. Additionally, FDG-PET/PET-CT was performed for staging (n = 12), preoperative response assessment (n=6) and posttherapeutic evaluation (n=5). Imaging results of FDG-PET and CIM were analysed regarding the accuracy in tumour visualisation, impact on therapeutic management and preoperative response assessment, with clinical follow-up and histopathology as the standard of reference. FDG-PET and CIM showed concordant results for staging of primary WT, whereas FDG-PET was superior in 1/3 cases with recurrent WT. Concerning histological differentiation, one case with anaplastic WT had an standard uptake value (SUV) of 12.3, which was remarkably higher than the average SUV in the eight cases with intermediate risk histology. No parameter analysed for PET or CIM was reliably predictive for histological regression or clinical outcome. After completion of therapy, FDG-PET was superior to CIM in 2/5 cases in detecting residual disease with therapeutic relevance. FDG-PET does not provide additional information to the traditional imaging work-up for staging WT patients, preoperative response assessment and clinical outcome. FDG-PET was advantageous in ruling out residual disease after completion of first line treatment and in pretherapeutic staging of relapse patients. Furthermore, there seems to be a good correlation of initial SUV and histological differentiation. (orig.)
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Hammond, Sarah; O'Shea, Michael
2007-11-01
There are two modes of flight initiation in Drosophila melanogaster-escape and voluntary. Although the circuitry underlying escape is accounted for by the Giant fibre (GF) system, the system underlying voluntary flight initiation is unknown. The GF system is functionally complete before the adult fly ecloses, but immature adults initially fail to react to a stimulus known to reliably evoke escape in mature adults. This suggests that escape in early adulthood, approximately 2-h post-eclosion, is not automatically triggered by the hard-wired GF system. Indeed, we reveal that escape behaviour displays a staged emergence during the first hour post-eclosion, suggesting that the GF system is subject to declining levels of suppression. Voluntary flight initiations are not observed at all during the period when the GF system is released from its suppression, nor indeed for some time after. We addressed the question whether voluntary flight initiation requires the GF system by observing take-off in Shak-B ( 2 ) mutant flies, in which the GF system is defunct. While the escape response is severely impaired in these mutants, they displayed normal voluntary flight initiation. Thus, the escape mechanism is subject to developmental modulation following eclosion and the GF system does not underlie voluntary flight.
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1991-01-01
Seagull Technology, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, produced a computer program under a Langley Research Center Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant called STAFPLAN (Seagull Technology Advanced Flight Plan) that plans optimal trajectory routes for small to medium sized airlines to minimize direct operating costs while complying with various airline operating constraints. STAFPLAN incorporates four input databases, weather, route data, aircraft performance, and flight-specific information (times, payload, crew, fuel cost) to provide the correct amount of fuel optimal cruise altitude, climb and descent points, optimal cruise speed, and flight path.
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Parachute systems for the atmospheric reentry of launcher upper stages
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bogdan DOBRESCU
2017-03-01
Full Text Available Parachute systems can be used to control the reentry trajectory of launcher upper stages, in order to lower the risks to the population or facilitate the retrieval of the stage. Several types of parachutes deployed at subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic speeds are analyzed, modeled as single and multistage systems. The performance of deceleration parachutes depends on their drag area and deployment conditions, while gliding parachutes are configured to achieve stable flight with a high glide ratio. Gliding parachutes can be autonomously guided to a low risk landing area. Sizing the canopy is shown to be an effective method to reduce parachute sensitivity to wind. The reentry trajectory of a launcher upper stage is simulated for each parachute system configuration and the results are compared to the nominal reentry case.
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Flores, Sarah L.; Chapman, Bruce D.; Tung, Waye W.; Zheng, Yang
2011-01-01
This new interface will enable Principal Investigators (PIs), as well as UAVSAR (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar) members to do their own flight planning and time estimation without having to request flight lines through the science coordinator. It uses an all-in-one Google Maps interface, a JPL hosted database, and PI flight requirements to design an airborne flight plan. The application will enable users to see their own flight plan being constructed interactively through a map interface, and then the flight planning software will generate all the files necessary for the flight. Afterward, the UAVSAR team can then complete the flight request, including calendaring and supplying requisite flight request files in the expected format for processing by NASA s airborne science program. Some of the main features of the interface include drawing flight lines on the map, nudging them, adding them to the current flight plan, and reordering them. The user can also search and select takeoff, landing, and intermediate airports. As the flight plan is constructed, all of its components are constantly being saved to the database, and the estimated flight times are updated. Another feature is the ability to import flight lines from previously saved flight plans. One of the main motivations was to make this Web application as simple and intuitive as possible, while also being dynamic and robust. This Web application can easily be extended to support other airborne instruments.
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Immune System Dysregulation, Viral Reactivation and Stress During Short-Duration Space Flight
Crucian, Brian; Mehta, Satish; Stowe, Raymond; Uchakin, Peter; Quiriarte, Heather; Pierson, Duane; Sams, Clarence
2010-01-01
This slide presentation reviews a study that was conducted to ascertain if the immune system dysregulation, viral reactivation and stress from short duration space flight were a result of the stress of landing and readjustment to gravity. The objectives of the study were to replace several recent immune studies with one comprehensive study that will include in-flight sampling; address lack of in-flight data: (i.e., determine the in-flight status of immunity, physiological stress, viral immunity/reactivation); determine the clinical risk related to immune dysregulation for exploration class spaceflight; and determine the appropriate monitoring strategy for spaceflight-associated immune dysfunction, that could be used for the evaluation of countermeasures.
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Han, Kyung Su; Sohn, Dae Kyung; Kim, Dae Yong; Kim, Byung Chang; Hong, Chang Won; Chang, Hee Jin; Kim, Sun Young; Baek, Ji Yeon; Park, Sung Chan; Kim, Min Ju; Oh, Jae Hwan
2016-04-01
Local excision may be an another option for selected patients with markedly down-staged rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT), and proper evaluation of post-CRT tumor stage (ypT) is essential prior to local excision of these tumors. This study was designed to determine the correlations between endoscopic findings and ypT of rectal cancer. In this study, 481 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who underwent preoperative CRT followed by surgical resection between 2004 and 2013 at a single institution were evaluated retrospectively. Pathological good response (p-GR) was defined as ypT ≤ 1, and pathological minimal or no response (p-MR) as ypT ≥ 2. The patients were randomly classified according to two groups, a testing (n=193) and a validation (n=288) group. Endoscopic criteria were determined from endoscopic findings and ypT in the testing group and used in classifying patients in the validation group as achieving or not achieving p-GR. Based on findings in the testing group, the endoscopic criteria for p-GR included scarring, telangiectasia, and erythema, whereas criteria for p-MR included nodules, ulcers, strictures, and remnant tumors. In the validation group, the kappa statistic was 0.965 (p < 0.001), and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 0.362, 0.963, 0.654, and 0.885, respectively. The endoscopic criteria presented are easily applicable for evaluation of ypT after preoperative CRT for rectal cancer. These criteria may be used for selection of patients for local excision of down-staged rectal tumors, because patients with p-MR could be easily ruled out.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1991-10-01
American businesses are learning the difficult high cost lesson of ignoring production and market factors (producibility, unit product cost (UPC), marketability, etc) during the engineering design phase of product development. Studies have shown that the Japanese spend three times as long as Americans in the design feasibility and decision process of new product introductions and one third the amount of time in the implementation of those products. There is a 20 to 1 cost benefit on effort applied in the design phase versus the production phase of the product life cycle. The number one goal of this project was to establish an organization that has, as one of its purposes, the providing of services responsive to the needs of independent inventors. The number two goal was to demonstrate the value of providing marketing and manufacturing counsel at an early stage in the product development process. The first study goal was met by providing the materials and information necessary to establish an evaluation team and an organization to handle such evaluations. The second study goal was met by demonstrating the impact of early market analysis and manufacturing considerations on product design and therefore on the description of the invention for four different inventions. These inventions were selected at various stages of development. Regardless of stage of development, the marketing and manufacturing reviews resulted in significant changes in design and/or market positioning.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1991-10-01
American businesses are learning the difficult high cost lesson of ignoring production and market factors (producibility, unit product cost (UPC), marketability, etc) during the engineering design phase of product development. Studies have shown that the Japanese spend three times as long as Americans in the design feasibility and decision process of new product introductions and one third the amount of time in the implementation of those products. There is a 20 to 1 cost benefit on effort applied in the design phase versus the production phase of the product life cycle. The number one goal of this project was to establish an organization that has, as one of its purposes, the providing of services responsive to the needs of independent inventors. The number two goal was to demonstrate the value of providing marketing and manufacturing counsel at an early stage in the product development process. The first study goal was met by providing the materials and information necessary to establish an evaluation team and an organization to handle such evaluations. The second study goal was met by demonstrating the impact of early market analysis and manufacturing considerations on product design and therefore on the description of the invention for four different inventions. These inventions were selected at various stages of development. Regardless of stage of development, the marketing and manufacturing reviews resulted in significant changes in design and/or market positioning.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rajaram S
2010-01-01
Full Text Available Aims: (1 To map the extent of disease in women with stage I and II carcinoma cervix by multislice spiral computed tomography (CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and sentinel nodes. (2 To assess accuracy of each modality individually and in conjunction with FIGO clinical staging. Design and Setting: Prospective, single-blind study. Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radiodiagnosis, and Pathology, UCMS and GTBH and Division of Radiological Imaging and Bioinformatics, INMAS, Delhi. Material and Method: The study was conducted on 25 women with cervical cancer FIGO stage I and II. Each woman underwent clinical staging, multislice spiral CT and MRI which was compared to the gold-standard histopathology/cytology. The overall accuracy of each modality and improvement of clinical staging by CT/MRI were noted. Sentinel nodes were evaluated by intracervical Patent Blue V dye injection. Statistical Analysis: Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated by 2Χ2 contingency tables. Results: The accuracy of staging by FIGO, CT and MRI was 68%, 52% and 80%, respectively. MRI and CT improved the overall accuracy of FIGO staging to 96% and 80%, respectively. Sentinel nodes were identified in 89% of patients with 91% accuracy. Conclusion: MRI emerges as the most valuable stand-alone modality improving accuracy of FIGO staging to 96%. Sentinel lymph-node evaluation appears promising in evaluating spread beyond cervix.
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Clinedinst, Winston C.; Debure, Kelly R.; Dickson, Richard W.; Heaphy, William J.; Parks, Mark A.; Slominski, Christopher J.; Wolverton, David A.
1988-01-01
The Flight Management/Flight Controls (FM/FC) software for the Norden 2 (PDP-11/70M) computer installed on the NASA 737 aircraft is described. The software computes the navigation position estimates, guidance commands, those commands to be issued to the control surfaces to direct the aircraft in flight based on the modes selected on the Advanced Guidance Control System (AGSC) mode panel, and the flight path selected via the Navigation Control/Display Unit (NCDU).
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Free Flight Ground Testing of ADEPT in Advance of the Sounding Rocket One Flight Experiment
Smith, B. P.; Dutta, S.
2017-01-01
The Adaptable Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT) project will be conducting the first flight test of ADEPT, titled Sounding Rocket One (SR-1), in just two months. The need for this flight test stems from the fact that ADEPT's supersonic dynamic stability has not yet been characterized. The SR-1 flight test will provide critical data describing the flight mechanics of ADEPT in ballistic flight. These data will feed decision making on future ADEPT mission designs. This presentation will describe the SR-1 scientific data products, possible flight test outcomes, and the implications of those outcomes on future ADEPT development. In addition, this presentation will describe free-flight ground testing performed in advance of the flight test. A subsonic flight dynamics test conducted at the Vertical Spin Tunnel located at NASA Langley Research Center provided subsonic flight dynamics data at high and low altitudes for multiple center of mass (CoM) locations. A ballistic range test at the Hypervelocity Free Flight Aerodynamics Facility (HFFAF) located at NASA Ames Research Center provided supersonic flight dynamics data at low supersonic Mach numbers. Execution and outcomes of these tests will be discussed. Finally, a hypothesized trajectory estimate for the SR-1 flight will be presented.
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Flight Tests of a Ministick Controller in an F/A-18 Airplane
Stoliker, Patrick C.; Carter, John
2003-01-01
In March of 1999, five pilots performed flight tests to evaluate the handling qualities of an F/A-18 research airplane equipped with a small-displacement center stick (ministick) controller that had been developed for the JAS 39 Gripen airplane (a fighter/attack/ reconnaissance airplane used by the Swedish air force). For these tests, the ministick was installed in the aft cockpit (see figure) and production support flight control computers (PSFCCs) were used as interfaces between the controller hardware and the standard F/A-18 flight-control laws. The primary objective of the flight tests was to assess any changes in handling qualities of the F/A-18 airplane attributable to the mechanical characteristics of the ministick. The secondary objective was to demonstrate the capability of the PSFCCs to support flight-test experiments.
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Flight control actuation system
Wingett, Paul T. (Inventor); Gaines, Louie T. (Inventor); Evans, Paul S. (Inventor); Kern, James I. (Inventor)
2006-01-01
A flight control actuation system comprises a controller, electromechanical actuator and a pneumatic actuator. During normal operation, only the electromechanical actuator is needed to operate a flight control surface. When the electromechanical actuator load level exceeds 40 amps positive, the controller activates the pneumatic actuator to offset electromechanical actuator loads to assist the manipulation of flight control surfaces. The assistance from the pneumatic load assist actuator enables the use of an electromechanical actuator that is smaller in size and mass, requires less power, needs less cooling processes, achieves high output forces and adapts to electrical current variations. The flight control actuation system is adapted for aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and other flight vehicles, especially flight vehicles that are large in size and travel at high velocities.
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Fused Reality for Enhanced Flight Test Capabilities, Phase II
National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In terms of relevancy to piloted evaluation, there remains no substitute for actual flight tests even when considering the fidelity and effectiveness of modern...
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Advanced piloted aircraft flight control system design methodology. Volume 1: Knowledge base
Mcruer, Duane T.; Myers, Thomas T.
1988-01-01
The development of a comprehensive and electric methodology for conceptual and preliminary design of flight control systems is presented and illustrated. The methodology is focused on the design stages starting with the layout of system requirements and ending when some viable competing system architectures (feedback control structures) are defined. The approach is centered on the human pilot and the aircraft as both the sources of, and the keys to the solution of, many flight control problems. The methodology relies heavily on computational procedures which are highly interactive with the design engineer. To maximize effectiveness, these techniques, as selected and modified to be used together in the methodology, form a cadre of computational tools specifically tailored for integrated flight control system preliminary design purposes. While theory and associated computational means are an important aspect of the design methodology, the lore, knowledge and experience elements, which guide and govern applications are critical features. This material is presented as summary tables, outlines, recipes, empirical data, lists, etc., which encapsulate a great deal of expert knowledge. Much of this is presented in topical knowledge summaries which are attached as Supplements. The composite of the supplements and the main body elements constitutes a first cut at a a Mark 1 Knowledge Base for manned-aircraft flight control.
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Microgravity Flight: Accommodating Non-Human Primates
Dalton, Bonnie P.; Searby, Nancy; Ostrach, Louis
1995-01-01
Spacelab Life Sciences-3 (SLS-3) was scheduled to be the first United States man-tended microgravity flight containing Rhesus monkeys. The goal of this flight as in the five untended Russian COSMOS Bion flights and an earlier American Biosatellite flight, was to understand the biomedical and biological effects of a microgravity environment using the non-human primate as human surrogate. The SLS-3/Rhesus Project and COSMOS Primate-BIOS flights all utilized the rhesus monkey, Macaca mulatta. The ultimate objective of all flights with an animal surrogate has been to evaluate and understand biological mechanisms at both the system and cellular level, thus enabling rational effective countermeasures for future long duration human activity under microgravity conditions and enabling technical application to correction of common human physiological problems within earth's gravity, e.g., muscle strength and reloading, osteoporosis, immune deficiency diseases. Hardware developed for the SLS-3/Rhesus Project was the result of a joint effort with the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) extending over the last decade. The flight hardware design and development required implementation of sufficient automation to insure flight crew and animal bio-isolation and maintenance with minimal impact to crew activities. A variety of hardware of varying functional capabilities was developed to support the scientific objectives of the original 22 combined French and American experiments, along with 5 Russian co-investigations, including musculoskeletal, metabolic, and behavioral studies. Unique elements of the Rhesus Research Facility (RRF) included separation of waste for daily delivery of urine and fecal samples for metabolic studies and a psychomotor test system for behavioral studies along with monitored food measurement. As in untended flights, telemetry measurements would allow monitoring of
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Corker, Kevin; Pisanich, Gregory; Condon, Gregory W. (Technical Monitor)
1995-01-01
A predictive model of human operator performance (flight crew and air traffic control (ATC)) has been developed and applied in order to evaluate the impact of automation developments in flight management and air traffic control. The model is used to predict the performance of a two person flight crew and the ATC operators generating and responding to clearances aided by the Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS). The purpose of the modeling is to support evaluation and design of automated aids for flight management and airspace management and to predict required changes in procedure both air and ground in response to advancing automation in both domains. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
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A Multidisciplinary Performance Analysis of a Lifting-Body Single-Stage-to-Orbit Vehicle
Tartabini, Paul V.; Lepsch, Roger A.; Korte, J. J.; Wurster, Kathryn E.
2000-01-01
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works (LMSW) is currently developing a single-stage-to-orbit reusable launch vehicle called VentureStar(TM) A team at NASA Langley Research Center participated with LMSW in the screening and evaluation of a number of early VentureStar(TM) configurations. The performance analyses that supported these initial studies were conducted to assess the effect of a lifting body shape, linear aerospike engine and metallic thermal protection system (TPS) on the weight and performance of the vehicle. These performance studies were performed in a multidisciplinary fashion that indirectly linked the trajectory optimization with weight estimation and aerothermal analysis tools. This approach was necessary to develop optimized ascent and entry trajectories that met all vehicle design constraints. Significant improvements in ascent performance were achieved when the vehicle flew a lifting trajectory and varied the engine mixture ratio during flight. Also, a considerable reduction in empty weight was possible by adjusting the total oxidizer-to-fuel and liftoff thrust-to-weight ratios. However, the optimal ascent flight profile had to be altered to ensure that the vehicle could be trimmed in pitch using only the flow diverting capability of the aerospike engine. Likewise, the optimal entry trajectory had to be tailored to meet TPS heating rate and transition constraints while satisfying a crossrange requirement.
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Application and use of spinal immobilization devices in zero-gravity flight
Krupa, Debra T.; Gosbee, John; Billica, Roger; Boyce, Joey B.
1991-01-01
A KC-135 parabolic flight was performed for the purpose of evaluation of spinal immobilization techniques in microgravity. The flight followed the standard 40 parabola profile with four NASA/KRUG experimenters involved. One performed as coordinator/recorder, one as test subject, and two as the Crew Medical Officers (CMO). The flight was to evaluate the application of spinal immobilization devices and techniques in microgravity as are performed during initial stabilization or patient transport scenarios. The sequence of detail for examination of the following objectives included: attempted cervical spine immobilization with all free floating, the patient restrained to the floor, various hand positioning techniques; c-collar placement; Kendrick Extrication Device (KED) application with various restraints for patient and CMO; patient immobilization and transport using the KED; patient transported on KED and spine board. Observations for each task are included. Major conclusions and issues are also included.
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14 CFR 25.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.
2010-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine... Design and Construction Fire Protection § 25.865 Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Essential flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structures located in...
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Ground To Flight Extrapolation Of SRM Radiative Loads
Ferrara, V.; Paglia, F.; Mogavero, A.; Genito, M.; Bonnet, M.
2011-05-01
data coming from SRM Static firing and further applied to the prediction of the in-flight radiative loads. In the last case the full-geometry of the LV and its first stage SRM plume has been simulated in order to proper predict the plume interaction with the external flow. In this way it has been possible to correctly evaluate the dimensioning thermal loads acting on the LV aft part region.
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Runway Operations Planning: A Two-Stage Heuristic Algorithm
Anagnostakis, Ioannis; Clarke, John-Paul
2003-01-01
The airport runway is a scarce resource that must be shared by different runway operations (arrivals, departures and runway crossings). Given the possible sequences of runway events, careful Runway Operations Planning (ROP) is required if runway utilization is to be maximized. From the perspective of departures, ROP solutions are aircraft departure schedules developed by optimally allocating runway time for departures given the time required for arrivals and crossings. In addition to the obvious objective of maximizing throughput, other objectives, such as guaranteeing fairness and minimizing environmental impact, can also be incorporated into the ROP solution subject to constraints introduced by Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures. This paper introduces a two stage heuristic algorithm for solving the Runway Operations Planning (ROP) problem. In the first stage, sequences of departure class slots and runway crossings slots are generated and ranked based on departure runway throughput under stochastic conditions. In the second stage, the departure class slots are populated with specific flights from the pool of available aircraft, by solving an integer program with a Branch & Bound algorithm implementation. Preliminary results from this implementation of the two-stage algorithm on real-world traffic data are presented.
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The Ares I-1 Flight Test--Paving the Road for the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle
Davis, Stephan R.; Tinker, Michael L.; Tuma, Meg
2007-01-01
In accordance with the U.S. Vision for Space Exploration and the nation's desire to again send humans to explore beyond Earth orbit, NASA has been tasked to send human beings to the moon, Mars, and beyond. It has been 30 years since the United States last designed and built a human-rated launch vehicle. NASA is now building the Ares I crew launch vehicle, which will loft the Orion crew exploration vehicle into orbit, and the Ares V cargo launch vehicle, which will launch the Lunar Surface Access Module and Earth departure stage to rendezvous Orion for missions to the moon. NASA has marshaled unique resources from the government and private sectors to perform the technically and programmatically complex work of delivering astronauts to orbit early next decade, followed by heavy cargo late next decade. Our experiences with Saturn and the Shuttle have taught us the value of adhering to sound systems engineering, such as the "test as you fly" principle, while applying aerospace best practices and lessons learned. If we are to fly humans safely aboard a launch vehicle, we must employ a variety of methodologies to reduce the technical, schedule, and cost risks inherent in the complex business of space transportation. During the Saturn development effort, NASA conducted multiple demonstration and verification flight tests to prove technology in its operating environment before relying upon it for human spaceflight. Less testing on the integrated Shuttle system did not reduce cost or schedule. NASA plans a progressive series of demonstration (ascent), verification (orbital), and mission flight tests to supplement ground research and high-altitude subsystem testing with real-world data, factoring the results of each test into the next one. In this way, sophisticated analytical models and tools, many of which were not available during Saturn and Shuttle, will be calibrated and we will gain confidence in their predictions, as we gain hands-on experience in operating the first
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González-Calle, Verónica; Slack, Abigail; Keane, Niamh; Luft, Susan; Pearce, Kathryn E; Ketterling, Rhett P; Jain, Tania; Chirackal, Sintosebastian; Reeder, Craig; Mikhael, Joseph; Noel, Pierre; Mayo, Angela; Adams, Roberta H; Ahmann, Gregory; Braggio, Esteban; Stewart, A Keith; Bergsagel, P Leif; Van Wier, Scott A; Fonseca, Rafael
2018-04-06
The International Myeloma Working Group has proposed the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) for risk stratification of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. There are a limited number of studies that have validated this risk model in the autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) setting. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the applicability and value for predicting survival of the R-ISS model in 134 MM patients treated with new agents and ASCT at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and the University Hospital of Salamanca in Spain. The patients were reclassified at diagnosis according to the R-ISS: 44 patients (33%) had stage I, 75 (56%) had stage II, and 15 (11%) had stage III. After a median follow-up of 60 months, R-ISS assessed at diagnosis was an independent predictor for overall survival (OS) after ASCT, with median OS not reached, 111 and 37 months for R-ISS I, II and III, respectively (P R-ISS II and having high-risk chromosomal abnormalities (CA) had a significant shorter median OS than those with R-ISS II without CA: 70 vs. 111 months, respectively. Therefore, this study lends further support for the R-ISS as a reliable prognostic tool for estimating survival in transplant myeloma patients and suggests the importance of high-risk CA in the R-ISS II group.
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Flow, Staging, Wayfinding, Personalization: Evaluating User Experience with Mobile Museum Narratives
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Maria Roussou
2018-06-01
Full Text Available A multitude of challenges comes into play when attempting to design (and evaluate an interactive digital storytelling experience for use by visitors in a museum. This paper reports on the evaluation of the prototype mobile-based storytelling “guides” designed, developed and deployed as part of a research project at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece. Experiences designed for different visitor profiles were evaluated several times throughout the iterative design process, in a number of on-site studies, and with more than 180 museum visitors of all ages (with this paper reporting on two studies conducted with a total of 53 users visiting individually or in pairs. The evaluation methods included ethnography (i.e., observation of visitors in the Museum’s galleries, pre- and post-experience in-depth interviews and questionnaires to measure the Users’ Experience (UX, as well as data logging. The analysis of the data focused on themes representing components of the experiences, such as interactive story plot and narration, staging and way-finding in the physical space, personalization and social interaction. Our findings confirmed that understanding UX and what makes it effective or not in the rich context of a cultural setting is a complex endeavor. The paper discusses our findings and proposes relevant recommendations for the design of digital experiences for cultural, educational, and recreational purposes.
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Aero-Assisted Pre-Stage for Ballistic and Aero-Assisted Launch Vehicles
Ustinov, Eugene A.
2012-01-01
A concept of an aero-assisted pre-stage is proposed, which enables launch of both ballistic and aero-assisted launch vehicles from conventional runways. The pre-stage can be implemented as a delta-wing with a suitable undercarriage, which is mated with the launch vehicle, so that their flight directions are coaligned. The ample wing area of the pre-stage combined with the thrust of the launch vehicle ensure prompt roll-out and take-off of the stack at airspeeds typical for a conventional jet airliner. The launch vehicle is separated from the pre-stage as soon as safe altitude is achieved, and the desired ascent trajectory is reached. Nominally, the pre-stage is non-powered. As an option, to save the propellant of the launch vehicle, the pre-stage may have its own short-burn propulsion system, whereas the propulsion system of the launch vehicle is activated at the separation point. A general non-dimensional analysis of performance of the pre-stage from roll-out to separation is carried out and applications to existing ballistic launch vehicle and hypothetical aero-assisted vehicles (spaceplanes) are considered.
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Dewey, Christopher; Wakefield, Jonathan P.
2017-01-01
The two-dimensional stage paradigm (2DSP) has been suggested as an alternative audio mixing interface (AMI). This study seeks to refine the 2DSP by formally evaluating graphical track visualisation styles. Track visualisations considered were text only, circles containing text, individually coloured circles containing text, circles colour coded by instrument type with text, icons with text superimposed, circles with RMS related dynamic opacity and a traditional AMI. The usability evaluation f...
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The effects of Crew Resource Management (CRM) training on flight attendants' safety attitudes.
Ford, Jane; Henderson, Robert; O'Hare, David
2014-02-01
A number of well-known incidents and accidents had led the aviation industry to introduce Crew Resource Management (CRM) training designed specifically for flight attendants, and joint (pilot and flight attendant) CRM training as a way to improve teamwork and communication. The development of these new CRM training programs during the 1990s highlighted the growing need for programs to be evaluated using research tools that had been validated for the flight attendant population. The FSAQ (Flight Safety Attitudes Questionnaire-Flight Attendants) was designed specifically to obtain safety attitude data from flight attendants working for an Asia-Pacific airline. Flight attendants volunteered to participate in a study before receiving CRM training (N=563) and again (N=526) after CRM training. Almost half (13) of the items from the 36-item FSAQ showed highly significant changes following CRM training. Years of experience, crew position, seniority, leadership roles, flight attendant crew size, and length of route flown were all predictive of safety attitudes. CRM training for flight attendants is a valuable tool for increasing positive teamwork behaviors between the flight attendant and pilot sub-groups. Joint training sessions, where flight attendants and pilots work together to find solutions to in-flight emergency scenarios, provide a particularly useful strategy in breaking down communication barriers between the two sub-groups. Copyright © 2013 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Wind and Wake Sensing with UAV Formation Flight: System Development and Flight Testing
Larrabee, Trenton Jameson
Wind turbulence including atmospheric turbulence and wake turbulence have been widely investigated; however, only recently it become possible to use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as a validation tool for research in this area. Wind can be a major contributing factor of adverse weather for aircraft. More importantly, it is an even greater risk towards UAVs because of their small size and weight. Being able to estimate wind fields and gusts can potentially provide substantial benefits for both unmanned and manned aviation. Possible applications include gust suppression for improving handling qualities, a better warning system for high wind encounters, and enhanced control for small UAVs during flight. On the other hand, the existence of wind can be advantageous since it can lead to fuel savings and longer duration flights through dynamic soaring or thermal soaring. Wakes are an effect of the lift distribution across an aircraft's wing or tail. Wakes can cause substantial disturbances when multiple aircraft are moving through the same airspace. In fact, the perils from an aircraft flying through the wake of another aircraft is a leading cause of the delay between takeoff times at airports. Similar to wind, though, wakes can be useful for energy harvesting and increasing an aircraft's endurance when flying in formation which can be a great advantage to UAVs because they are often limited in flight time due to small payload capacity. Formation flight can most often be seen in manned aircraft but can be adopted for use with unmanned systems. Autonomous flight is needed for flying in the "sweet spot" of the generated wakes for energy harvesting as well as for thermal soaring during long duration flights. For the research presented here formation flight was implemented for the study of wake sensing and gust alleviation. The major contributions of this research are in the areas of a novel technique to estimate wind using an Unscented Kalman filter and experimental wake
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Application of identification techniques to remote manipulator system flight data
Shepard, G. D.; Lepanto, J. A.; Metzinger, R. W.; Fogel, E.
1983-01-01
This paper addresses the application of identification techniques to flight data from the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (RMS). A description of the remote manipulator, including structural and control system characteristics, sensors, and actuators is given. A brief overview of system identification procedures is presented, and the practical aspects of implementing system identification algorithms are discussed. In particular, the problems posed by desampling rate, numerical error, and system nonlinearities are considered. Simulation predictions of damping, frequency, and system order are compared with values identified from flight data to support an evaluation of RMS structural and control system models. Finally, conclusions are drawn regarding the application of identification techniques to flight data obtained from a flexible space structure.
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Baumann, Ethan
2006-01-01
A viewgraph presentation detailing X-43A Flight controls at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center is shown. The topics include: 1) NASA Dryden, Overview and current and recent flight test programs; 2) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) Program, Program Overview and Platform Precision Autopilot; and 3) Hyper-X Program, Program Overview, X-43A Flight Controls and Flight Results.
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EKF-based fault detection for guided missiles flight control system
Feng, Gang; Yang, Zhiyong; Liu, Yongjin
2017-03-01
The guided missiles flight control system is essential for guidance accuracy and kill probability. It is complicated and fragile. Since actuator faults and sensor faults could seriously affect the security and reliability of the system, fault detection for missiles flight control system is of great significance. This paper deals with the problem of fault detection for the closed-loop nonlinear model of the guided missiles flight control system in the presence of disturbance. First, set up the fault model of flight control system, and then design the residual generation based on the extended Kalman filter (EKF) for the Eulerian-discrete fault model. After that, the Chi-square test was selected for the residual evaluation and the fault detention task for guided missiles closed-loop system was accomplished. Finally, simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach proposed in the case of elevator fault separately.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Betül İlkay Sezgin Akçay
2014-01-01
Full Text Available The aim of this study was to compare the central and peripheral pachymetric measurements determined with Sirius system and Visante OCT and evaluate the agreement between them at different stages of keratoconus. Measurements were not significantly different in all patients and subgroups and showed high correlation for the corneal thicknesses of the entire cornea in different stages of keratoconus.
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Cardiac arrhythmias during aerobatic flight and its simulation on a centrifuge.
Zawadzka-Bartczak, Ewelina K; Kopka, Lech H
2011-06-01
It is well known that accelerations during centrifuge training and during flight can provoke cardiac arrhythmias. Our study was designed to investigate both the similarities and differences between heart rhythm disturbances during flights and centrifuge tests. There were 40 asymptomatic, healthy pilots who performed two training flights and were also tested in a human centrifuge according to a program of rapid onset rate acceleration (ROR) and of centrifuge simulation of the actual acceleration experienced in flight (Simulation). During the flight and centrifuge tests ECG was monitored with the Holter method. ECG was examined for heart rhythm changes and disturbances. During flights, premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) were found in 25% of the subjects, premature supraventricular contractions (PSVCs) and PVCs with bigeminy in 5%, and pairs of PVCs in 2.5% of subjects. During the centrifuge tests, PVCs were experienced by 45% of the subjects, PSVCs and pairs of PVCs by 7.5%, and PVCs with bigeminy by 2.5%. Sinus bradycardia was observed during flights and centrifuge tests in 7.5% of subjects. Comparative evaluation of electrocardiographic records in military pilots during flights and centrifuge tests demonstrated that: 1) there were no clinically significant arrhythmias recorded; and 2) the frequency and kind of heart rhythm disturbances during aerobatic flight and its simulation on a centrifuge were not identical and did not occur repetitively in the same persons during equal phases of the tests.
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Fuzzy norm method for evaluating random vibration of airborne platform from limited PSD data
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wang Zhongyu
2014-12-01
Full Text Available For random vibration of airborne platform, the accurate evaluation is a key indicator to ensure normal operation of airborne equipment in flight. However, only limited power spectral density (PSD data can be obtained at the stage of flight test. Thus, those conventional evaluation methods cannot be employed when the distribution characteristics and priori information are unknown. In this paper, the fuzzy norm method (FNM is proposed which combines the advantages of fuzzy theory and norm theory. The proposed method can deeply dig system information from limited data, which probability distribution is not taken into account. Firstly, the FNM is employed to evaluate variable interval and expanded uncertainty from limited PSD data, and the performance of FNM is demonstrated by confidence level, reliability and computing accuracy of expanded uncertainty. In addition, the optimal fuzzy parameters are discussed to meet the requirements of aviation standards and metrological practice. Finally, computer simulation is used to prove the adaptability of FNM. Compared with statistical methods, FNM has superiority for evaluating expanded uncertainty from limited data. The results show that the reliability of calculation and evaluation is superior to 95%.
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Development of a flight software testing methodology
Mccluskey, E. J.; Andrews, D. M.
1985-01-01
The research to develop a testing methodology for flight software is described. An experiment was conducted in using assertions to dynamically test digital flight control software. The experiment showed that 87% of typical errors introduced into the program would be detected by assertions. Detailed analysis of the test data showed that the number of assertions needed to detect those errors could be reduced to a minimal set. The analysis also revealed that the most effective assertions tested program parameters that provided greater indirect (collateral) testing of other parameters. In addition, a prototype watchdog task system was built to evaluate the effectiveness of executing assertions in parallel by using the multitasking features of Ada.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Magdalena Franc
2015-02-01
Full Text Available Introduction : The aim of the present study was to evaluate the profile of VEGF-C gene expression in particular stages of cervical cancer (IB-IIIB and to estimate the correlation between VEGF-C mRNA quantity profile and clinical stage. Material and methods : Material for molecular analysis consisted of cervical cancer tissue specimens collected from 38 women (10, 15, 13 cases were classified as IB, IIB and IIIB, respectively. The control group was composed of normal cervical tissues collected from 10 women who underwent hysterectomy for non-oncological reasons. The number of VEGF-C mRNA copies in particular groups was estimated by the reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR method. Results: In the control group the average number of mRNA copies was 134 ± 36 (median: 106, in a group with stage IB it was 16 077 ± 7090 (median: 580, for stage IIB – 35 019 ± 8945 (median: 40 870. The highest number of mRNA VEGF-C copies was derived in a group of patients with cervical cancer of stage IIIB. The average quantity was 56 155 ± 12 470, whereas median 55 981. A statistically significantly higher level of VEGF-C gene expression was disclosed in cervical cancer specimens with stage IIB and IIIB than in the control group. In stage IIIB, the VEGF-C gene expression was significantly higher than in specimens derived from individuals in stage IB. Conclusions : In squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix of stage IB-IIIB genes involved in lymphangiogenesis, especially VEGF-C , are expressed, which expression increases as the clinical stage of cervical cancer is higher.
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1980-01-01
The modified BQM-34 Firebee II drone with Aeroelastic Research Wing (ARW-1), a supercritical airfoil, during a 1980 research flight. The remotely-piloted vehicle, which was air launched from NASA's NB-52B mothership, participated in the Drones for Aerodynamic and Structural Testing (DAST) program which ran from 1977 to 1983. The DAST 1 aircraft (Serial #72-1557), pictured, crashed on 12 June 1980 after its right wing ripped off during a test flight near Cuddeback Dry Lake, California. The crash occurred on the modified drone's third free flight. These are the image contact sheets for each image resolution of the NASA Dryden Drones for Aerodynamic and Structural Testing (DAST) Photo Gallery. From 1977 to 1983, the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, (under two different names) conducted the DAST Program as a high-risk flight experiment using a ground-controlled, pilotless aircraft. Described by NASA engineers as a 'wind tunnel in the sky,' the DAST was a specially modified Teledyne-Ryan BQM-34E/F Firebee II supersonic target drone that was flown to validate theoretical predictions under actual flight conditions in a joint project with the Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia. The DAST Program merged advances in electronic remote control systems with advances in airplane design. Drones (remotely controlled, missile-like vehicles initially developed to serve as gunnery targets) had been deployed successfully during the Vietnamese conflict as reconnaissance aircraft. After the war, the energy crisis of the 1970s led NASA to seek new ways to cut fuel use and improve airplane efficiency. The DAST Program's drones provided an economical, fuel-conscious method for conducting in-flight experiments from a remote ground site. DAST explored the technology required to build wing structures with less than normal stiffness. This was done because stiffness requires structural weight but ensures freedom from flutter-an uncontrolled, divergent oscillation of
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Evaluation of Staged Fowler-Stephens Orchiopexy for the High ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
The first stage was done during diagnostic laparoscopy by clipping the internal spermatic artery and vein 2-3 cm superior to the intra-abdominal testis. Six months later the second stage of the procedure in the form of open (67cases) or laparoscopic orchiopexy (11 cases) was performed. Only 65 patients were available for ...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Basu, S.; Nair, N.; Joseph, J.K.; Sharma, S.; Kanhere, H.
2004-01-01
Full text: Accurate initial staging is essential in the management of esophageal carcinoma. The 5-year survival rate is 3% for patients with metastatic disease at the initial assessment, while the same is 42% for patients with nodal disease. 18F-FDG PET is being actively tested regarding its clinical utility at several centers in this malignancy. We at our center are assessing the role of this investigational modality in staging, evaluating treatment response especially after neo-adjuvant therapy and detecting relapse vis-a-vis the other conventionally used modalities e.g. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and the CT scan. The study population consisted of histologically proven cases of esophageal carcinoma who were mainly referred from the department of thoracic surgery of the neighboring Tata Memorial Hospital with few cases from the outside centers. FDG was produced by an automated nucleophilic method based on the Hamacher procedure. Patients were fasting at least for 6 hours. Sixty minutes after injection of 370 MBq FDG, patients were imaged on the dedicated BGO based GE Advance PET scanner (General Electric Medical systems, Milwaukee, WI). Images were reconstructed using the attenuation weighted Ordered Subsets Expectation Maximization (OSEM) algorithm. Axial, coronal, sagittal and 3D images were visually interpreted and foci of increased tracer uptake were considered as disease involvement. The PET scan was interpreted by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians, who were blinded regarding the results of CT scan and EUS except for the location of the primary. The findings of PET were then compared lesion by lesion with that of CT and EUS regarding staging, treatment response evaluation and residual disease evaluation. Till date, the total number of cases of esophageal carcinoma studied was 12, which consisted of primaries in the proximal third (n=1), middle third (n=4) and distal third (n=7). The number of cases assessed for the initial staging purpose was 7
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Efficient flapping flight of pterosaurs
Strang, Karl Axel
the membrane subject to glide loads and pretension from the wing joint positions. The flapping gait is optimized in a two-stage procedure. First the design space is explored using a binary genetic algorithm. The best design points are then used as starting points in a sequential quadratic programming optimization algorithm. This algorithm is used to refine the solutions by precisely satisfying the constraints. The refined solutions are found in generally less than twenty major iterations and constraints are violated generally by less than 0.1%. We find that the optimal motions are in agreement with previous results for simple wing motions. By adding joint motions, the required flapping power is reduced by 7% to 17%. Because of the large uncertainties for some estimates, we investigate the sensitivity of the optimized flapping gait. We find that the optimal motions are sensitive mainly to flight speed, body accelerations, and to the material properties of the wing membrane. The optimal flight speed found correlates well with other studies of pterosaur flapping flight, and is 31% to 37% faster than previous estimates based on glide performance. Accounting for the body accelerations yields an increase of 10% to 16% in required flapping power. When including the aeroelastic effects, the optimal flapping gait is only slightly modified to accommodate for the deflections of stiff membranes. For a flexible membrane, the motion is significantly modified and the power increased by up to 57%. Finally, the flapping gait and required power compare well with published results for similar wing motions. Some published estimates of required power assumed a propulsive efficiency of 100%, whereas the propulsive efficiency computed for Coloborhynchus robustus ranges between 54% and 87%.
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Flapping wing flight can save aerodynamic power compared to steady flight.
Pesavento, Umberto; Wang, Z Jane
2009-09-11
Flapping flight is more maneuverable than steady flight. It is debated whether this advantage is necessarily accompanied by a trade-off in the flight efficiency. Here we ask if any flapping motion exists that is aerodynamically more efficient than the optimal steady motion. We solve the Navier-Stokes equation governing the fluid dynamics around a 2D flapping wing, and determine the minimal aerodynamic power needed to support a specified weight. While most flapping wing motions are more costly than the optimal steady wing motion, we find that optimized flapping wing motions can save up to 27% of the aerodynamic power required by the optimal steady flight. We explain the cause of this energetic advantage.
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MRI fused with prone FDG PET/CT improves the primary tumour staging of patients with breast cancer
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Garcia-Velloso, Maria J.; Ribelles, Maria J.; Rodriguez, Macarena; Sancho, Lidia; Prieto, Elena [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Pamplona (Spain); Fernandez-Montero, Alejandro [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Occupational Medicine, Pamplona (Spain); Santisteban, Marta [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Oncology, Pamplona (Spain); Rodriguez-Spiteri, Natalia; Martinez-Regueira, Fernando [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Surgery, Pamplona (Spain); Idoate, Miguel A. [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Pathology, Pamplona (Spain); Elizalde, Arlette; Pina, Luis J. [Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Department of Radiology, Pamplona (Spain)
2017-08-15
Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fused with prone 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in primary tumour staging of patients with breast cancer. This retrospective study evaluated 45 women with 49 pathologically proven breast carcinomas. MRI and prone PET-CT scans with time-of-flight and point-spread-function reconstruction were performed with the same dedicated breast coil. The studies were assessed by a radiologist and a nuclear medicine physician, and evaluation of fused images was made by consensus. The final diagnosis was based on pathology (90 lesions) or follow-up ≥ 24 months (17 lesions). The study assessed 72 malignant and 35 benign lesions with a median size of 1.8 cm (range 0.3-8.4 cm): 31 focal, nine multifocal and nine multicentric cases. In lesion-by-lesion analysis, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 97%, 80%, 91% and 93% for MRI, 96%, 71%, 87%, and 89% for prone PET, and 97%. 94%, 97% and 94% for MRI fused with PET. Areas under the curve (AUC) were 0.953, 0.850, and 0.983, respectively (p < 0.01). MRI fused with FDG-PET is more accurate than FDG-PET in primary tumour staging of breast cancer patients and increases the specificity of MRI. (orig.)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
2002-03-01
In France, the public authorities put a new Internet tool at air companies disposal, in order they can evaluate the radiations doses received by their flying crews during their flights. This tool called information and evaluation system by flight of exposure to cosmic radiation in air transport (S.I.E.V.E.R.T.). (N.C.)
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FLIGHT EXPERT RISK ASSESSMENT OF AIRCRAFT GROUP AT THEIR PROXIMITY USING A PROGRAM-MANAGER
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
D. A. Mikhaylin
2017-01-01
Full Text Available The paper presents an approach to solving the problem of aircraft flight safety. External threats in the form of aircraft-offenders are considered. The algorithm of collision danger coefficients with aircraft-offenders is presented, оn the basis of which the side-program manager of flight safety monitoring is formed.Two danger coefficients in the horizontal and vertical planes are introduced. Based on various flight situations four possible decisions are offered: absence of any aircraft activity, flight level change, deviation in the horizontal plane and both in vertical and horizontal planes. For each case the formulas of double evaluation are received. They take into account different parameters of aircraft relative motion. Based on these estimates it is possible to build a final expert evaluation for the considered flight situations. It is implemented in the onboard program-manager. The structure of the program is presented. At the program-manager output the expected minimized risk evaluation and the selected alternative of the avoidance of aircraft from the meeting point are formed. The paper presents a detailed description of the procedures to test the performance of the program-manager algorithms. The initial conditions for different flight situations are provided. The simulation results of the algorithm are given. The danger coefficients comparison when performing maneuvers to prevent dangerous approach and in their absence is illustrated. It is shown that the maneuver implementation recommended by program-manager algorithms decreases the resulting danger coefficient. Particular attention was paid to aircraft landing, especially if the landing area had several conflicting aircraft.
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Integrated System Test Approaches for the NASA Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle
Cockrell, Charles
2008-01-01
NASA is maturing test and evaluation plans leading to flight readiness of the Ares I crew launch vehicle. Key development, qualification, and verification tests are planned . Upper stage engine sea-level and altitude testing. First stage development and qualification motors. Upper stage structural and thermal development and qualification test articles. Main Propulsion Test Article (MPTA). Upper stage green run testing. Integrated Vehicle Ground Vibration Testing (IVGVT). Aerodynamic characterization testing. Test and evaluation supports initial validation flights (Ares I-Y and Orion 1) and design certification.
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Steps Towards Scalable and Modularized Flight Software for Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Johann C. Dauer
2014-05-01
Full Text Available Unmanned aircraft (UA applications impose a variety of computing tasks on the on-board computer system. From a research perspective, it is often more convenient to evaluate algorithms on bigger aircraft as they are capable of lifting heavier loads and thus more powerful computational units. On the other hand, smaller systems are often less expensive and operation is less restricted in many countries. This paper thus presents a conceptual design for flight software that can be evaluated on the UA of convenient size. The integration effort required to transfer the algorithm to different sized UA is significantly reduced. This scalability is achieved by using exchangeable payload modules and a flexible process distribution on different processing units. The presented approach is discussed using the example of the flight software of a 14 kg unmanned helicopter and an equivalent of 1.5 kg. The proof of concept is shown by means of flight performance in a hardware-in-the-loop simulation.
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Evaluation of the stages involved in cold ischemia time in renal transplants in Chile.
Elgueta, S; Fuentes, C; Arenas, A; Labraña, C; Gajardo, J G; Lopez, M; Hernandez, J; Rodriguez, H; Rodriguez, L
2010-01-01
Cold ischemia time (CIT) is one of the factors that determine the evolution of a renal transplant; taking measures to reduce this time requires knowledge of its stages. The objective of this study was to evaluate the times in the stages that determine CIT in renal transplants. We analyzed 108 donors and 201 kidney transplantations performed in Chile in 2008, establishing the CIT for the kidney transplanted by the center that extracted the kidneys (local kidney) and for the kidney transplanted in another center (shared kidney). Average CIT was 18.8 hours: namely, 16.9 hours for local and 20.2 hours for shared kidneys (P = .0001484). CIT for cases in which samples were sent to histocompatibility laboratory prior to nephrectomy was 7.3 hours less than for those sent postnephrectomy. The mean time between the allocation of the kidney and the transplant was 7.3 hours; 5.6 hours for local kidneys and 8.4 hours for shared kidneys (P = .000007124). We identified the stages at which intervention is possible to reduce the CIT, mainly for shared kidneys. All involved parties should make an effort to reduce this time.
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MR staging accuracy for endometrial cancer based on the new FIGO stage
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shin, Kyung Eun; Park, Byung Kwan; Kim, Chan Kyo; Bae, Duk Soo; Song, Sang Yong; Kim, Bohyun
2011-01-01
Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been frequently used to determine a preoperative treatment plan for gynecologic cancers. However, the MR accuracy for staging an endometrial cancer is not satisfactory based on the old FIGO staging system. Purpose: To evaluate MR accuracy for staging endometrial cancer using the new FIGO staging system. Material and Methods: Between January 2005 and May 2009, 199 women underwent surgery due to endometrial cancer. In each patient, an endometrial cancer was staged using MR findings based on the old FIGO staging system and then repeated according to the new FIGO staging system for comparison. Histopathologic findings were used as a standard of reference. Results: The accuracy of MRI in the staging of endometrial carcinoma stage I, II, III, and IV using the old FIGO staging system were 80% (159/199), 89% (178/199), 90% (179/199), and 99% (198/199), respectively, compared to 87% (174/199), 97% (193/199), 90% (179/199), and 99% (198/199), respectively, when using the new FIGO staging criteria. The overall MR accuracy of the old and new staging systems were 51% (101/199) and 81% (161/199), respectively. Conclusion: MRI has become a more useful tool in the preoperative staging of endometrial cancers using the new FIGO staging system compared to the old one with increased accuracy
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Loop containment (joint integrity) assessment Brayton Isotope Power System flight system
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1976-01-01
The Brayton Isotope Power System (BIPS) contains a large number of joints. Since the failure of a joint would result in loss of the working fluid and consequential failure of the BIPS, the integrity of the joints is of paramount importance. The reliability of the ERDA BIPS loop containment (joint integrity) is evaluated. The conceptual flight system as presently configured is depicted. A brief description of the flight system is given
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Flight Synchrony among the Major Moth Pests of Cranberries in the Upper Midwest, USA
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Shawn A. Steffan
2017-02-01
Full Text Available The cranberry fruitworm (Acrobasis vaccinii Riley, sparganothis fruitworm (Sparganothis sulfureana Clemens, and blackheaded fireworm (Rhopobota naevana Hübner are historically significant pests of cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton in the Upper Midwest (Wisconsin, USA. Their respective natural histories are well documented but correlations between developmental benchmarks (e.g., larval eclosion and degree-day accruals are not yet known. Treatment timings are critical to the optimization of any given control tactic, and degree-day accrual facilitates optimization by quantifying the developmental status of pest populations. When key developmental benchmarks in the pest life cycle are linked to degree-days, real-time weather data can be used to predict precise treatment timings. Here, we provide the degree-day accumulations associated with discrete biological events (i.e., initiation of flight and peak flight for the three most consistent moth pests of cranberries in Wisconsin. Moths were trapped each spring and summer from 2003 to 2011. To characterize flight dynamics and average timing of flight initiation, pheromone-baited trap-catch data were tallied for all three pest species within each of seven growing seasons. These flight dynamics were then associated with the corresponding degree-day accumulations generated using the cranberry plant’s developmental thresholds. Finally, models were fit to the data in order to determine the peak flight of each species. The initiation of the spring flight among all three moth species was highly synchronous, aiding in the timing of control tactics; however, there were substantial differences in the timing of peak flight among the moth species. Characterization of the relationship between temperature and pest development allows pest management professionals to target specific life stages, improving the efficacy of any given pest control tactic.
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Colorectal cancer stages transcriptome analysis.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tianyao Huo
Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the gene expression differences in different stages of CRC. Gene expression data on 433 CRC patient samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA. Gene expression differences were evaluated across CRC stages using linear regression. Genes with p≤0.001 in expression differences were evaluated further in principal component analysis and genes with p≤0.0001 were evaluated further in gene set enrichment analysis. A total of 377 patients with gene expression data in 20,532 genes were included in the final analysis. The numbers of patients in stage I through IV were 59, 147, 116 and 55, respectively. NEK4 gene, which encodes for NIMA related kinase 4, was differentially expressed across the four stages of CRC. The stage I patients had the highest expression of NEK4 genes, while the stage IV patients had the lowest expressions (p = 9*10-6. Ten other genes (RNF34, HIST3H2BB, NUDT6, LRCh4, GLB1L, HIST2H4A, TMEM79, AMIGO2, C20orf135 and SPSB3 had p value of 0.0001 in the differential expression analysis. Principal component analysis indicated that the patients from the 4 clinical stages do not appear to have distinct gene expression pattern. Network-based and pathway-based gene set enrichment analyses showed that these 11 genes map to multiple pathways such as meiotic synapsis and packaging of telomere ends, etc. Ten of these 11 genes were linked to Gene Ontology terms such as nucleosome, DNA packaging complex and protein-DNA interactions. The protein complex-based gene set analysis showed that four genes were involved in H2AX complex II. This study identified a small number of genes that might be associated with clinical stages of CRC. Our analysis was not able to find a molecular basis for the current clinical staging for CRC based on the gene expression patterns.
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1971-01-01
The need is examined for orbital flight tests of gyroscope, dewar, and other components, in order to reduce the technical and financial risk in performing the relativity experiment. A program is described that would generate engineering data to permit prediction of final performance. Two flight tests are recommended. The first flight would test a dewar smaller than that required for the final flight, but of size and form sufficient to allow extrapolation to the final design. The second flight would use the same dewar design to carry a set of three gyroscopes, which would be evaluated for spinup and drift characteristics for a period of a month or more. A proportional gas control system using boiloff helium gas from the dewar, and having the ability to prevent sloshing of liquid helium, would also be tested.
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Theil, Elvira
1997-01-01
Evaluates the first stage of "Lernpunkt Deutsch," a new three-stage German course designed for upper elementary and early secondary school. Describes the publisher's package of materials and the appropriateness of the course, utility of the different package elements, format of the materials, and assesses whether the course provides pedagogically…
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Motion perception during tilt and translation after space flight
Clément, Gilles; Wood, Scott J.
2013-11-01
Preliminary results of an ongoing study examining the effects of space flight on astronauts' motion perception induced by independent tilt and translation motions are presented. This experiment used a sled and a variable radius centrifuge that translated the subjects forward-backward or laterally, and simultaneously tilted them in pitch or roll, respectively. Tests were performed on the ground prior to and immediately after landing. The astronauts were asked to report about their perceived motion in response to different combinations of body tilt and translation in darkness. Their ability to manually control their own orientation was also evaluated using a joystick with which they nulled out the perceived tilt while the sled and centrifuge were in motion. Preliminary results confirm that the magnitude of perceived tilt increased during static tilt in roll after space flight. A deterioration in the crewmember to control tilt using non-visual inertial cues was also observed post-flight. However, the use of a tactile prosthesis indicating the direction of down on the subject's trunk improved manual control performance both before and after space flight.
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Gemini flies! unmanned flights and the first manned mission
Shayler, David J
2018-01-01
In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy committed the United States to landing a man on the moon before the end of the decade. With just a handful of years to pull it off, NASA authorized the Project Gemini space program, which gathered vital knowledge needed to achieve the nation’s goal. This book introduces the crucial three-step test program employed by the Gemini system, covering: The short unmanned orbital flight of Gemini 1 that tested the compatibility of launch vehicle, spacecraft and ground systems. The unmanned suborbital flight of Gemini 2 to establish the integrity of the reentry system and protective heat shield. The three-orbit manned evaluation flight of Gemini 3, christened ‘Molly Brown’ by her crew. A mission recalled orbit by orbit, using mission transcripts, post-flight reports and the astronauts’ own account of their historic journey. The missions of Project Gemini was the pivotal steppingstone between Project Mercury and the Apollo Program. Following the success of its fi...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Navdeep S. Sekhon
2010-05-01
Full Text Available “Snow gone” (SGN stage is one of the critical variables that describe the start of the official forest fire season in the Canadian Province of Alberta. In this paper, our objective is to evaluate the potential of MODIS-based indices for determining the SGN stage. Those included: (i enhanced vegetation index (EVI, (ii normalized difference water index (NDWI using the shortwave infrared (SWIR spectral bands centered at 1.64 µm (NDWI1.64µm and at 2.13 µm (NDWI2.13µm, and (iii normalized difference snow index (NDSI. These were calculated using the 500 m 8-day gridded MODIS-based composites of surface reflectance data (i.e., MOD09A1 v.005 for the period 2006–08. We performed a qualitative evaluation of these indices over two forest fire prone natural subregions in Alberta (i.e., central mixedwood and lower boreal highlands. In the process, we generated and compared the natural subregion-specific lookout tower sites average: (i temporal trends for each of the indices, and (ii SGN stage using the ground-based observations available from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. The EVI-values were found to have large uncertainty at the onset of the spring and unable to predict the SGN stages precisely. In terms of NDSI, it showed earlier prediction capabilities. On the contrary, both of the NDWI’s showed distinct pattern (i.e., reached a minimum value before started to increase again during the spring in relation to observed SGN stages. Thus further analysis was carried out to determine the best predictor by comparing the NDWI’s predicted SGN stages with the ground-based observations at all of the individual lookout tower sites (approximately 120 in total across the study area. It revealed that NDWI2.13µm demonstrated better prediction capabilities (i.e., on an average approximately 90% of the observations fell within ±2 periods or ±16 days of deviation in comparison to NDWI1.64µm (i.e., on an average approximately 73% of the
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Orion Exploration Flight Test Post-Flight Inspection and Analysis
Miller, J. E.; Berger, E. L.; Bohl, W. E.; Christiansen, E. L.; Davis, B. A.; Deighton, K. D.; Enriquez, P. A.; Garcia, M. A.; Hyde, J. L.; Oliveras, O. M.
2017-01-01
The principal mechanism for developing orbital debris environment models, is to make observations of larger pieces of debris in the range of several centimeters and greater using radar and optical techniques. For particles that are smaller than this threshold, breakup and migration models of particles to returned surfaces in lower orbit are relied upon to quantify the flux. This reliance on models to derive spatial densities of particles that are of critical importance to spacecraft make the unique nature of the EFT-1's return surface a valuable metric. To this end detailed post-flight inspections have been performed of the returned EFT-1 backshell, and the inspections identified six candidate impact sites that were not present during the pre-flight inspections. This paper describes the post-flight analysis efforts to characterize the EFT-1 mission craters. This effort included ground based testing to understand small particle impact craters in the thermal protection material, the pre- and post-flight inspection, the crater analysis using optical, X-ray computed tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques, and numerical simulations.
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Capital Flight and Economic Performance
Beja, Edsel Jr.
2007-01-01
Capital flight aggravates resource constraints and contributes to undermine long-term economic growth. Counterfactual calculations on the Philippines suggest that capital flight contributed to lower the quality of long-term economic growth. Sustained capital flight over three decades means that capital flight had a role for the Philippines to lose the opportunities to achieve economic takeoff. Unless decisive policy actions are taken up to address enduring capital flight and manage the macroe...
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Recent estimates of capital flight
Claessens, Stijn; Naude, David
1993-01-01
Researchers and policymakers have in recent years paid considerable attention to the phenomenon of capital flight. Researchers have focused on four questions: What concept should be used to measure capital flight? What figure for capital flight will emerge, using this measure? Can the occurrence and magnitude of capital flight be explained by certain (economic) variables? What policy changes can be useful to reverse capital flight? The authors focus strictly on presenting estimates of capital...
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HIAD on ULA (HULA) Orbital Reentry Flight Experiment Concept
Dinonno, J. M.; Cheatwood, F. M.; Hughes, S. J.; Ragab, M. M.; Dillman, R. A.; Bodkin, R. J.; Zumwalt, C. H.; Johnson, R. K.
2016-01-01
This paper describes a proposed orbital velocity reentry flight test of a Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD). The flight test builds upon ground development activities that continue to advance the materials, design, and manufacturing techniques for the inflatable structure and flexible thermal protection system (F-TPS) that comprise the inflatable heat shield. While certain aspects of material and system performance can be assessed using a variety of ground testing capabilities, only orbital velocity energy on a trajectory through the gradient density of the atmosphere can impart the combined aerodynamic and aeroheating design environments in real time. To achieve this at limited cost, the HIAD would be delivered to a spin-stabilized entry trajectory as a secondary payload on the Centaur stage of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle. Initial trajectory studies indicate that the combination of launch vehicle capability and achievable reentry vehicle ballistic numbers make this a strategic opportunity for technology development. This 4 to 6 meter diameter scale aeroshell flight, referred to as HIAD on ULA (HULA), would also contribute to ULA asset recovery development. ULA has proposed that a HIAD be utilized as part of the Sensible, Modular, Autonomous Return Technology (SMART) initiative to enable recovery of the Vulcan launch vehicle booster main engines [1], including a Mid-Air Recovery (MAR) to gently return these assets for reuse. Whereas HULA will attain valuable aerothermal and structural response data toward advancing HIAD technology, it may also provide a largest-to-date scaled flight test of the MAR operation, which in turn would allow the examination of a nearly pristine post-entry aeroshell. By utilizing infrared camera imaging, HULA will also attain aft-side thermal response data, enhancing understanding of the aft side aerothermal environment, an area of high uncertainty. The aeroshell inflation will utilize a
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Abdel-Rahman, Omar
2018-02-01
The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for pancreatic exocrine adenocarcinoma has been released. The current study seeks to assess the 7th and 8th editions among patients registered within the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) database. SEER database (2010-2013) has been accessed through SEER*Stat program and AJCC 8th edition stages were reconstructed utilizing the collaborative stage descriptions. Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival analyses (according to both 7th and 8th editions and according to whether pathological or clinical staging were conducted) has been performed. Multivariate analysis of factors affecting pancreatic cancer-specific survival was also conducted through a Cox proportional hazard model. A total of 18 948 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were identified in the period from 2010-2013. Pancreatic cancer-specific survival among pathologically staged patients and according to the 8th edition showed significant differences for all pair wise comparisons among different stages (P < 0.0001) except for the comparison between stage IA and stage IB (P = 0.307) and the comparison between stage IB and stage IIA (P = 0.116). Moreover, P value for stage IA vs IIA was 0.014; while pancreatic cancer-specific survival according to the 7th edition among pathologically staged patients showed significant differences for all pair wise comparisons among different stages (P < 0.0001) except for the comparison between IA and IB (P = 0.072), the comparison between stage IIA and stage IIB (P = 0.065), the comparison between stage IIA and stage III (P = 0.059) and the comparison between IIB and III (P = 0.595). Among clinically staged patients (i.e. those who did not undergo initial radical surgery), the prognostic performance of both 7th and 8th stages for both overall survival and pancreatic cancer-specific survival was
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Johnson, Marcus; Jung, Jaewoo; Rios, Joseph; Mercer, Joey; Homola, Jeffrey; Prevot, Thomas; Mulfinger, Daniel; Kopardekar, Parimal
2017-01-01
Many applications of small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) have been envisioned. These include surveillance of key assets such as pipelines, rail, or electric wires, deliveries, search and rescue, traffic monitoring, videography, and precision agriculture. These operations are likely to occur in the same airspace in the presence of many static and dynamic constraints such as airports, and high wind areas. Therefore, operations of small UAS need to be managed to ensure safety and operation efficiency is maintained. NASA has advanced a concept for UAS Traffic Management (UTM) and has initiated a research effort to refine that concept and develop operational and system requirements. A UTM research platform is in development and flight test activities to evaluate core functions and key assumptions focusing exclusively on UAS operations in different environments are underway. This seminar will present lessons learned from a recent flight test focused on enabling operations of multiple UAS in lower-risk environments within and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).
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Hokeness, Mark Merrill
Aviation researchers estimate airline companies will require nearly 500,000 pilots in the next 20 years. The role of a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) is to move student pilots to professional pilots with training typically conducted in one-on-one student and instructor sessions. The knowledge of aviation, professionalism as a teacher, and the CFI’s interpersonal skills can directly affect the successes and advancement of a student pilot. A new and emerging assessment of people skills is known as emotional intelligence (EI). The EI of the CFI can and will affect a flight students’ learning experiences. With knowledge of emotional intelligence and its effect on flight training, student pilot dropouts from aviation may be reduced, thus helping to ensure an adequate supply of pilots. Without pilots, the growth of the commercial aviation industry will be restricted. This mixed method research study established the correlation between a CFI’s measured EI levels and the advancement of flight students. The elements contributing to a CFI’s EI level were not found to be teaching or flight-related experiences, suggesting other life factors are drawn upon by the CFI and are reflected in their emotional intelligence levels presented to flight students. Students respond positively to CFIs with higher levels of emotional intelligence. Awareness of EI skills by both the CFI and flight student contribute to flight student successes and advancement.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yamina BOUGHARI
2017-06-01
Full Text Available In this paper the Cessna Citation X clearance criteria were evaluated for a new Flight Controller. The Flight Control Law were optimized and designed for the Cessna Citation X flight envelope by combining the Deferential Evolution algorithm, the Linear Quadratic Regulator method, and the Proportional Integral controller during a previous research presented in part 1. The optimal controllers were used to reach satisfactory aircraft’s dynamic and safe flight operations with respect to the augmentation systems’ handling qualities, and design requirements. Furthermore the number of controllers used to control the aircraft in its flight envelope was optimized using the Linear Fractional Representations features. To validate the controller over the whole aircraft flight envelope, the linear stability, eigenvalue, and handling qualities criteria in addition of the nonlinear analysis criteria were investigated during this research to assess the business aircraft for flight control clearance and certification. The optimized gains provide a very good stability margins as the eigenvalue analysis shows that the aircraft has a high stability, and a very good flying qualities of the linear aircraft models are ensured in its entire flight envelope, its robustness is demonstrated with respect to uncertainties due to its mass and center of gravity variations.
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Insect flight muscle metabolism
Horst, D.J. van der; Beenakkers, A.M.Th.; Marrewijk, W.J.A. van
1984-01-01
The flight of an insect is of a very complicated and extremely energy-demanding nature. Wingbeat frequency may differ between various species but values up to 1000 Hz have been measured. Consequently metabolic activity may be very high during flight and the transition from rest to flight is
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NASA-FAA helicopter Microwave Landing System curved path flight test
Swenson, H. N.; Hamlin, J. R.; Wilson, G. W.
1984-01-01
An ongoing series of joint NASA/FAA helicopter Microwave Landing System (MLS) flight tests was conducted at Ames Research Center. This paper deals with tests done from the spring through the fall of 1983. This flight test investigated and developed solutions to the problem of manually flying curved-path and steep glide slope approaches into the terminal area using the MLS and flight director guidance. An MLS-equipped Bell UH-1H helicopter flown by NASA test pilots was used to develop approaches and procedures for flying these approaches. The approaches took the form of Straight-in, U-turn, and S-turn flightpaths with glide slopes of 6 deg, 9 deg, and 12 deg. These procedures were evaluated by 18 pilots from various elements of the helicopter community, flying a total of 221 hooded instrument approaches. Flying these curved path and steep glide slopes was found to be operationally acceptable with flight director guidance using the MLS.
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An Entry Flight Controls Analysis for a Reusable Launch Vehicle
Calhoun, Philip
2000-01-01
The NASA Langley Research Center has been performing studies to address the feasibility of various single-stage to orbit concepts for use by NASA and the commercial launch industry to provide a lower cost access to space. Some work on the conceptual design of a typical lifting body concept vehicle, designated VentureStar(sup TM) has been conducted in cooperation with the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. This paper will address the results of a preliminary flight controls assessment of this vehicle concept during the atmospheric entry phase of flight. The work includes control analysis from hypersonic flight at the atmospheric entry through supersonic speeds to final approach and landing at subsonic conditions. The requirements of the flight control effectors are determined over the full range of entry vehicle Mach number conditions. The analysis was performed for a typical maximum crossrange entry trajectory utilizing angle of attack to limit entry heating and providing for energy management, and bank angle to modulation of the lift vector to provide downrange and crossrange capability to fly the vehicle to a specified landing site. Sensitivity of the vehicle open and closed loop characteristics to CG location, control surface mixing strategy and wind gusts are included in the results. An alternative control surface mixing strategy utilizing a reverse aileron technique demonstrated a significant reduction in RCS torque and fuel required to perform bank maneuvers during entry. The results of the control analysis revealed challenges for an early vehicle configuration in the areas of hypersonic pitch trim and subsonic longitudinal controllability.
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2010-01-01
... purpose flight engineer and flight navigator certificates: Operation of U.S.-registered civil airplanes... flight engineer or flight navigator duties on a civil airplane of U.S. registry, leased to a person not a... certificate holder is performing flight engineer or flight navigator duties on the U.S.-registered civil...
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Gershzohn, Gary R.; Sirko, Robert J.; Zimmerman, K.; Jones, A. D.
1990-01-01
This task concerns the design, development, testing, and evaluation of a new proximity operations planning and flight guidance display and control system for manned space operations. A forecast, derivative manned maneuvering unit (MMU) was identified as a candidate for the application of a color, highway-in-the-sky display format for the presentation of flight guidance information. A silicon graphics 4D/20-based simulation is being developed to design and test display formats and operations concepts. The simulation includes the following: (1) real-time color graphics generation to provide realistic, dynamic flight guidance displays and control characteristics; (2) real-time graphics generation of spacecraft trajectories; (3) MMU flight dynamics and control characteristics; (4) control algorithms for rotational and translational hand controllers; (5) orbital mechanics effects for rendezvous and chase spacecraft; (6) inclusion of appropriate navigation aids; and (7) measurement of subject performance. The flight planning system under development provides for: (1) selection of appropriate operational modes, including minimum cost, optimum cost, minimum time, and specified ETA; (2) automatic calculation of rendezvous trajectories, en route times, and fuel requirements; (3) and provisions for manual override. Man/machine function allocations in planning and en route flight segments are being evaluated. Planning and en route data are presented on one screen composed of two windows: (1) a map display presenting a view perpendicular to the orbital plane, depicting flight planning trajectory and time data attitude display presenting attitude and course data for use en route; and (2) an attitude display presenting local vertical-local horizontal attitude data superimposed on a highway-in-the-sky or flight channel representation of the flight planned course. Both display formats are presented while the MMU is en route. In addition to these displays, several original display
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Probabilistic Risk Assessment for Astronaut Post Flight Bone Fracture
Lewandowski, Beth; Myers, Jerry; Licata, Angelo
2015-01-01
Introduction: Space flight potentially reduces the loading that bone can resist before fracture. This reduction in bone integrity may result from a combination of factors, the most common reported as reduction in astronaut BMD. Although evaluating the condition of bones continues to be a critical aspect of understanding space flight fracture risk, defining the loading regime, whether on earth, in microgravity, or in reduced gravity on a planetary surface, remains a significant component of estimating the fracture risks to astronauts. This presentation summarizes the concepts, development, and application of NASA's Bone Fracture Risk Module (BFxRM) to understanding pre-, post, and in mission astronaut bone fracture risk. The overview includes an assessment of contributing factors utilized in the BFxRM and illustrates how new information, such as biomechanics of space suit design or better understanding of post flight activities may influence astronaut fracture risk. Opportunities for the bone mineral research community to contribute to future model development are also discussed. Methods: To investigate the conditions in which spaceflight induced changes to bone plays a critical role in post-flight fracture probability, we implement a modified version of the NASA Bone Fracture Risk Model (BFxRM). Modifications included incorporation of variations in physiological characteristics, post-flight recovery rate, and variations in lateral fall conditions within the probabilistic simulation parameter space. The modeled fracture probability estimates for different loading scenarios at preflight and at 0 and 365 days post-flight time periods are compared. Results: For simple lateral side falls, mean post-flight fracture probability is elevated over mean preflight fracture probability due to spaceflight induced BMD loss and is not fully recovered at 365 days post-flight. In the case of more energetic falls, such as from elevated heights or with the addition of lateral movement
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14 CFR 23.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.
2010-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine... controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight... they are capable of withstanding the effects of a fire. Engine vibration isolators must incorporate...
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Choi, Michael K.
1999-01-01
There was a thermal anomaly of the Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) radiative cooler cold stage during the cooler outgas phase in flight. With the cooler door in the outgas position and the outgas heaters enabled, the cold stage temperature increased to a maximum of 323 K when the spacecraft was in the sunlight, which was warmer than the 316.3 K upper set point of the outgas heater controller on the cold stage. Also, the outgas heater cycled off when the cold stage was warming up to 323 K. A corrective action was taken before the attitude of the spacecraft was changed during the first week in flight. One orbit before the attitude was changed, the outgas heaters were disabled to cool off the cold stage. The cold stage temperature increase was strongly dependent on the spacecraft roll and yaw. It provided evidence that direct solar radiation entered the gap between the cooler door and cooler shroud. There was a concern that the direct solar radiation could cause polymerization of hydrocarbons, which could contaminate the cooler and lead to a thermal short. After outgas with the cooler door in the outgas position for seven days, the cooler door was changed to the fully open position. With the cooler door fully open, the maximum cold stage temperature was 316.3 K when the spacecraft was in the sunlight, and the duty cycle of the outgas heater in the eclipse was the same as that in the sunlight. It provided more evidence that direct solar radiation had entered the gap between the cooler door and cooler shroud. Cooler outgas continued for seven more days, with the cooler door fully open. The corrective actions had prevented overheating of the cold stage and cold focal plane array (CFPA), which could damage these two components. They also minimized the risk of contamination on the cold stage, which could lead to a thermal short.
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Phatak, A. V.; Lee, M. G.
1985-01-01
The navigation and flight director guidance systems implemented in the NASA/FAA helicopter microwave landing system (MLS) curved approach flight test program is described. Flight test were conducted at the U.S. Navy's Crows Landing facility, using the NASA Ames UH-lH helicopter equipped with the V/STOLAND avionics system. The purpose of these tests was to investigate the feasibility of flying complex, curved and descending approaches to a landing using MLS flight director guidance. A description of the navigation aids used, the avionics system, cockpit instrumentation and on-board navigation equipment used for the flight test is provided. Three generic reference flight paths were developed and flown during the test. They were as follows: U-Turn, S-turn and Straight-In flight profiles. These profiles and their geometries are described in detail. A 3-cue flight director was implemented on the helicopter. A description of the formulation and implementation of the flight director laws is also presented. Performance data and analysis is presented for one pilot conducting the flight director approaches.
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Automation of Flight Software Regression Testing
Tashakkor, Scott B.
2016-01-01
NASA is developing the Space Launch System (SLS) to be a heavy lift launch vehicle supporting human and scientific exploration beyond earth orbit. SLS will have a common core stage, an upper stage, and different permutations of boosters and fairings to perform various crewed or cargo missions. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is writing the Flight Software (FSW) that will operate the SLS launch vehicle. The FSW is developed in an incremental manner based on "Agile" software techniques. As the FSW is incrementally developed, testing the functionality of the code needs to be performed continually to ensure that the integrity of the software is maintained. Manually testing the functionality on an ever-growing set of requirements and features is not an efficient solution and therefore needs to be done automatically to ensure testing is comprehensive. To support test automation, a framework for a regression test harness has been developed and used on SLS FSW. The test harness provides a modular design approach that can compile or read in the required information specified by the developer of the test. The modularity provides independence between groups of tests and the ability to add and remove tests without disturbing others. This provides the SLS FSW team a time saving feature that is essential to meeting SLS Program technical and programmatic requirements. During development of SLS FSW, this technique has proved to be a useful tool to ensure all requirements have been tested, and that desired functionality is maintained, as changes occur. It also provides a mechanism for developers to check functionality of the code that they have developed. With this system, automation of regression testing is accomplished through a scheduling tool and/or commit hooks. Key advantages of this test harness capability includes execution support for multiple independent test cases, the ability for developers to specify precisely what they are testing and how, the ability to add
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2017-01-01
This book offers the first complete account of more than sixty years of international research on In-Flight Simulation and related development of electronic and electro-optic flight control system technologies (“Fly-by-Wire” and “Fly-by-Light”). They have provided a versatile and experimental procedure that is of particular importance for verification, optimization, and evaluation of flying qualities and flight safety of manned or unmanned aircraft systems. Extensive coverage is given in the book to both fundamental information related to flight testing and state-of-the-art advances in the design and implementation of electronic and electro-optic flight control systems, which have made In-Flight Simulation possible. Written by experts, the respective chapters clearly show the interdependence between various aeronautical disciplines and in-flight simulation methods. Taken together, they form a truly multidisciplinary book that addresses the needs of not just flight test engineers, but also other aerona...
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Ghaffarian, Amir A; Griffin, Claire L; Kraiss, Larry W; Sarfati, Mark R; Brooke, Benjamin S
2018-02-01
Basilic vein transposition (BVT) fistulas may be performed as either a one-stage or two-stage operation, although there is debate as to which technique is superior. This study was designed to evaluate the comparative clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of one-stage vs two-stage BVT. We identified all patients at a single large academic hospital who had undergone creation of either a one-stage or two-stage BVT between January 2007 and January 2015. Data evaluated included patient demographics, comorbidities, medication use, reasons for abandonment, and interventions performed to maintain patency. Costs were derived from the literature, and effectiveness was expressed in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). We analyzed primary and secondary functional patency outcomes as well as survival during follow-up between one-stage and two-stage BVT procedures using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank tests. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was used to determine cost savings. We identified 131 patients in whom 57 (44%) one-stage BVT and 74 (56%) two-stage BVT fistulas were created among 8 different vascular surgeons during the study period that each performed both procedures. There was no significant difference in the mean age, male gender, white race, diabetes, coronary disease, or medication profile among patients undergoing one- vs two-stage BVT. After fistula transposition, the median follow-up time was 8.3 months (interquartile range, 3-21 months). Primary patency rates of one-stage BVT were 56% at 12-month follow-up, whereas primary patency rates of two-stage BVT were 72% at 12-month follow-up. Patients undergoing two-stage BVT also had significantly higher rates of secondary functional patency at 12 months (57% for one-stage BVT vs 80% for two-stage BVT) and 24 months (44% for one-stage BVT vs 73% for two-stage BVT) of follow-up (P < .001 using log-rank test). However, there was no significant difference
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Aviator's Fluid Balance During Military Flight.
Levkovsky, Anna; Abot-Barkan, Sivan; Chapnik, Leah; Doron, Omer; Levy, Yuval; Heled, Yuval; Gordon, Barak
2018-02-01
A loss of 1% or more of bodyweight due to dehydration has a negative effect on cognitive performance, which could critically affect flight safety. There is no mention in the literature concerning the amounts of military pilots' fluid loss during flight. The aim of this study was to quantify fluid loss of pilots during military flight. There were 48 aviators (mean age 23.9) from the Israeli Air Force who participated in the study, which included 104 training flights in various flight platforms. Bodyweight, urine specific gravity, and environmental heat strain were measured before and after each flight. Fluid loss was calculated as the weight differences before and after the flight. We used a univariate and one-way ANOVA to analyze the effect of different variables on the fluid loss. The mean fluid loss rate was 462 ml · h-1. The results varied among different aircraft platforms and depended on flight duration. Blackhawk pilots lost the highest amount of fluids per flight, albeit had longer flights (mean 108 min compared to 35.5 in fighter jets). Jet fighter pilots had the highest rate of fluid loss per hour of flight (up to 692 ml, extrapolated). Overall, at 11 flights (11%) aircrew completed their flight with a meaningful fluid loss. We conclude that military flights may be associated with significant amount of fluid loss among aircrew.Levkovsky A, Abot-Barkan S, Chapnik L, Doron O, Levy Y, Heled Y, Gordon B. Aviator's fluid balance during military flight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(2):9498.
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Time-of-flight positron emission tomography and associated detectors
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Vacher, J.; Allemand, R.; Campagnolo, R.
1983-04-01
An analysis of the timing capabilities of the detectors (scintillators and photomultipliers) in time-of-flight positron emission tomography is presented. The advantages of BaF 2 compared with CsF for the futur tomographs are evaluated [fr
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Castel, V; García-Miguel, P; Cañete, A; Melero, C; Navajas, A; Ruíz-Jiménez, J I; Navarro, S; Badal, M D
1999-04-01
The aim of this study was to classify prospectively a series of neuroblastoma tumours according to the International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) and the International Neuroblastoma Response Criteria (INRC) and to evaluate the difficulties and pitfalls involved in a multicentre setting. Each hospital provided their data for central review. The surgical procedures and their complications were reported. Kaplan-Meier estimates of survival and event-free survival were calculated according to stage and response to therapy. From June 1992 to December 1996, 194 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 2 years. Initial studies were performed according to INSS recommendations without major problems. INSS stage was correctly applied to all patients except for 9 (95%). Post-operative complications were observed in 15 patients (8.3%). Response to therapy (INRC) was studied in 63 stage 4 patients, 11 of whom were not classified correctly (17%). Differences in survival according to stage (INSS) and group of response to therapy (INRC) were statistically significant (P INSS was easy to use and separated different prognostic groups. Surgical complications and mortality did not increase in this series because of using the INSS. The feasibility of INRC was evaluated in a small series of stage 4 patients and the designation of response was problematic in a relatively high proportion of cases. The prognostic value of the different responses was highly significant, but less informative than had been hoped for.
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Farmer, N. B.
1974-01-01
Development flight instrumentation was delivered for 25 Apollo vehicles as Government-furnished equipment. The problems and philosophies of an activity that was concerned with supplying telemetry equipment to a space-flight test program are discussed. Equipment delivery dates, system-design details, and flight-performance information for each mission also are included.
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Assessing and minimizing contamination in time of flight based validation data
Lennox, Kristin P.; Rosenfield, Paul; Blair, Brenton; Kaplan, Alan; Ruz, Jaime; Glenn, Andrew; Wurtz, Ronald
2017-10-01
Time of flight experiments are the gold standard method for generating labeled training and testing data for the neutron/gamma pulse shape discrimination problem. As the popularity of supervised classification methods increases in this field, there will also be increasing reliance on time of flight data for algorithm development and evaluation. However, time of flight experiments are subject to various sources of contamination that lead to neutron and gamma pulses being mislabeled. Such labeling errors have a detrimental effect on classification algorithm training and testing, and should therefore be minimized. This paper presents a method for identifying minimally contaminated data sets from time of flight experiments and estimating the residual contamination rate. This method leverages statistical models describing neutron and gamma travel time distributions and is easily implemented using existing statistical software. The method produces a set of optimal intervals that balance the trade-off between interval size and nuisance particle contamination, and its use is demonstrated on a time of flight data set for Cf-252. The particular properties of the optimal intervals for the demonstration data are explored in detail.
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Wingless Flight: The Lifting Body Story
Reed, R. Dale; Lister, Darlene (Editor); Huntley, J. D. (Editor)
1997-01-01
Wingless Flight tells the story of the most unusual flying machines ever flown, the lifting bodies. It is my story about my friends and colleagues who committed a significant part of their lives in the 1960s and 1970s to prove that the concept was a viable one for use in spacecraft of the future. This story, filled with drama and adventure, is about the twelve-year period from 1963 to 1975 in which eight different lifting-body configurations flew. It is appropriate for me to write the story, since I was the engineer who first presented the idea of flight-testing the concept to others at the NASA Flight Research Center. Over those twelve years, I experienced the story as it unfolded day by day at that remote NASA facility northeast of los Angeles in the bleak Mojave Desert. Benefits from this effort immediately influenced the design and operational concepts of the winged NASA Shuttle Orbiter. However, the full benefits would not be realized until the 1990s when new spacecraft such as the X-33 and X-38 would fully employ the lifting-body concept. A lifting body is basically a wingless vehicle that flies due to the lift generated by the shape of its fuselage. Although both a lifting reentry vehicle and a ballistic capsule had been considered as options during the early stages of NASA's space program, NASA initially opted to go with the capsule. A number of individuals were not content to close the book on the lifting-body concept. Researchers including Alfred Eggers at the NASA Ames Research Center conducted early wind-tunnel experiments, finding that half of a rounded nose-cone shape that was flat on top and rounded on the bottom could generate a lift-to-drag ratio of about 1.5 to 1. Eggers' preliminary design sketch later resembled the basic M2 lifting-body design. At the NASA Langley Research Center, other researchers toyed with their own lifting-body shapes. Meanwhile, some of us aircraft-oriented researchers at the, NASA Flight Research Center at Edwards Air
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Gordon, C. K.
1975-01-01
A preliminary design study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of the NASA 515 airplane as a flight demonstration vehicle, and to develop plans, schedules, and budget costs for fly-by-wire/active controls technology flight validation in the NASA 515 airplane. The preliminary design and planning were accomplished for two phases of flight validation.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nozoe, Etsuro; Nakamura, Yasunori; Okawachi, Takako; Ishihata, Kiyohide; Shinnakasu, Mana; Nakamura, Norifumi
2011-01-01
Clinical courses following two-stage mandibular wisdom tooth extraction (TMWTE) carried out for preventing postoperative mental nerve paresthesia (MNP) were analyzed. When panoramic X-ray showed overlapping of wisdom tooth root on the superior 1/2 or more of the mandibular canal, interruption of the white line of the superior wall of the canal, or diversion of the canal, CT examination was facilitated. In cases where contact between the tooth root and canal was demonstrated in CT examination, TMWTE was then selected after gaining the patient's consent. TMWTE consisted of removing more than a half of the tooth crown and tooth root extraction at the second step after 2-3 months. The clinical features of wisdom teeth extracted and postoperative courses including tooth movement and occurrence of MNP during two-stage MWTE were evaluated. TMWTE was carried out for 40 teeth among 811 wisdom teeth (4.9%) that were extracted from 2007 to 2009. Among them, complete procedures were accomplished in 39 teeth, and crown removal was performed insufficiently at the first-stage operation in one tooth. Tooth movement was detected in 37 of 40 cases (92.5%). No postoperative MNP was observed in cases in which complete two-stage MWTE was carried out, but one case with insufficient crown removal was complicated by postoperative MNP. Seven mild complications (dehiscence, cold sensitivity, etc.) were noted after the first-stage operation. Therefore, we conclude that TMWTE for high-risk cases assessed by X-ray findings is useful to avoid MNP after MWTE. (author)
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IRVE-II Post-Flight Trajectory Reconstruction
O'Keefe, Stephen A.; Bose, David M.
2010-01-01
NASA s Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE) II successfully demonstrated an inflatable aerodynamic decelerator after being launched aboard a sounding rocket from Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). Preliminary day of flight data compared well with pre-flight Monte Carlo analysis, and a more complete trajectory reconstruction performed with an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) approach followed. The reconstructed trajectory and comparisons to an attitude solution provided by NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract (NSROC) personnel at WFF are presented. Additional comparisons are made between the reconstructed trajectory and pre and post-flight Monte Carlo trajectory predictions. Alternative observations of the trajectory are summarized which leverage flight accelerometer measurements, the pre-flight aerodynamic database, and on-board flight video. Finally, analysis of the payload separation and aeroshell deployment events are presented. The flight trajectory is reconstructed to fidelity sufficient to assess overall project objectives related to flight dynamics and overall, IRVE-II flight dynamics are in line with expectations
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Perseus A High Altitude Remotely Piloted Aircraft being Towed in Flight
1994-01-01
Perseus A, a remotely piloted, high-altitude research vehicle designed by Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., takes off from Rogers Dry Lake at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The Perseus was towed into the air by a ground vehicle. At about 700 ft. the aircraft was released and the engine turned the propeller to take the plane to its desired altitude. Perseus B is a remotely piloted aircraft developed as a design-performance testbed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Perseus is one of several flight vehicles involved in the ERAST project. A piston engine, propeller-powered aircraft, Perseus was designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia. The objectives of Perseus B's ERAST flight tests have been to reach and maintain horizontal flight above altitudes of 60,000 feet and demonstrate the capability to fly missions lasting from 8 to 24 hours, depending on payload and altitude requirements. The Perseus B aircraft established an unofficial altitude record for a single-engine, propeller-driven, remotely piloted aircraft on June 27, 1998. It reached an altitude of 60,280 feet. In 1999, several modifications were made to the Perseus aircraft including engine, avionics, and flight-control-system improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a series of operational readiness and test missions at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Perseus is a high-wing monoplane with a conventional tail design. Its narrow, straight, high-aspect-ratio wing is mounted atop the fuselage. The aircraft is pusher-designed with the propeller mounted in the rear. This design allows for interchangeable scientific-instrument payloads to be placed in the forward fuselage. The design also allows for unobstructed airflow to the sensors and other devices mounted in the payload compartment. The Perseus B that underwent test and development in 1999 was the third generation of the
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The Evaluation of Factors Influencing Flights Delay at Czech International Airports
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Martina Zámková
2015-01-01
Full Text Available The main goal of this article was examination of factors influencing flights delay at three most important international airports in Czech Republic. Data of selected Airlines operating in Czech Republic, whose flights are mainly oriented to international airports in Prague, Brno and Ostrava, were used for needs of this article. Analysis of contingency tables including Pearson chi-squared test was used for data processing. Dependences were presented in graphical form by correspondence analysis. Results from analysis showed that delay caused by technical reasons and maintenance is the most frequent in Prague as well as delay caused by high concentration of airspace, operational management and crew duty norms. Problems caused by departure delay from previous destination are significantly more frequent in Brno and Ostrava by reason of small number of alternative available aircraft. Delays caused by supplier (handling, catering, … are mostly short, in particular by reason of potential penalty. Delays caused by technical problems and necessary maintenance service last mostly longer time and are more frequently on aircraft of type Boeing. Delays of borrowed aircraft of type Airbus are more frequently caused by rental and control of this aircraft by other companies which causes communication and planning difficulties.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lee, Sae Il; Lee, Dong Ho; Kim, Kyu Hong; Park, Tae Choon; Lim, Byeung Jun; Kang, Young Seok
2013-01-01
The multidisciplinary design optimization method, which integrates aerodynamic performance and structural stability, was utilized in the development of a single-stage transonic axial compressor. An approximation model was created using artificial neural network for global optimization within given ranges of variables and several design constraints. The genetic algorithm was used for the exploration of the Pareto front to find the maximum objective function value. The final design was chosen after a second stage gradient-based optimization process to improve the accuracy of the optimization. To validate the design procedure, numerical simulations and compressor tests were carried out to evaluate the aerodynamic performance and safety factor of the optimized compressor. Comparison between numerical optimal results and experimental data are well matched. The optimum shape of the compressor blade is obtained and compared to the baseline design. The proposed optimization framework improves the aerodynamic efficiency and the safety factor.
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An engineering evaluation of the Space Shuttle OMS engine after 5 orbital flights
David, D.
1983-01-01
Design features, performances on the first five flights, and condition of the Shuttle OMS engines are summarized. The engines were designed to provide a vacuum-fed 6000 lb of thrust and a 310 sec specific impulse, fueled by a combination of N2O4 and monomethylhydrazine (MMH) at a mixture ratio of 1.65. The design lifetime is 1000 starts and 15 hr of cumulative firing duration. The engine assembly is throat gimballed and features yaw actuators. No degradation of the hot components was observed during the first five flights, and the injector pattern maintained a uniform, enduring level of performance. An increase in the take-off loads have led to enhancing the wall thickness in the nozzle in affected areas. The engine is concluded to be performing to design specifications and is considered an operational system.
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Evaluation of rice genotypes to salt stress in different growth stages ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Tolerant genotypes were tested in young seedling stage in hydroponic system and then reproductive stage in 2010. Results show that vegetative growth was less affected by salt stress comparison to reproductive stage. Na and Na-K ratio in tolerant genotypes were lower than suspectible genotypes in salt condition in ...
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Jump-Down Performance Alterations after Space Flight
Reschke, M. F.; Kofman, I. S.; Cerisano, J. M.; Fisher, E. A.; Peters, B. T.; Miller, C. A.; Harm, D. L.; Bloomberg, J. J.
2011-01-01
INTRODUCTION: Successful jump performance requires functional coordination of visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems, which are affected by prolonged exposure to microgravity. Astronauts returning from space flight exhibit impaired ability to coordinate effective landing strategies when jumping from a platform to the ground. This study compares jump strategies used by astronauts before and after flight, changes to those strategies within a test session, and recoveries in jump-down performance parameters across several postflight test sessions. These data were obtained as part of an ongoing interdisciplinary study (Functional Task Test, FTT) designed to evaluate both astronaut postflight functional performance and related physiological changes. METHODS: Seven astronauts from short-duration (Shuttle) and three from long-duration (International Space Station) flights performed 3 two-footed jumps from a platform 30 cm high onto a force plate that measured the ground reaction forces and center-of-pressure displacement from the landings. Neuromuscular activation data were collected from the medial gastrocnemius and anterior tibialis of both legs using surface electromyography electrodes. Two load cells in the platform measured the load exerted by each foot during the takeoff phase of the jump. Data were collected in 2 preflight sessions, on landing day (Shuttle only), and 1, 6, and 30 days after flight. RESULTS: Postural settling time was significantly increased on the first postflight test session and many of the astronauts tested were unable to maintain balance on their first jump landing but recovered by the third jump, showing a learning progression in which performance improvements could be attributed to adjustments in takeoff or landing strategy. Jump strategy changes were evident in reduced air time (time between takeoff and landing) and also in increased asymmetry in foot latencies on takeoff. CONCLUSIONS: The test results revealed significant decrements
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IceBridge Mission Flight Reports
National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The IceBridge Mission Flight Reports data set contains flight reports from NASA Operation IceBridge Greenland, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alaska missions. Flight reports...
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Hanson, Curt; Schaefer, Jacob; Burken, John J.; Larson, David; Johnson, Marcus
2014-01-01
Flight research has shown the effectiveness of adaptive flight controls for improving aircraft safety and performance in the presence of uncertainties. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA)'s Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control (IRAC) project designed and conducted a series of flight experiments to study the impact of variations in adaptive controller design complexity on performance and handling qualities. A novel complexity metric was devised to compare the degrees of simplicity achieved in three variations of a model reference adaptive controller (MRAC) for NASA's F-18 (McDonnell Douglas, now The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) Full-Scale Advanced Systems Testbed (Gen-2A) aircraft. The complexity measures of these controllers are also compared to that of an earlier MRAC design for NASA's Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) project and flown on a highly modified F-15 aircraft (McDonnell Douglas, now The Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois). Pilot comments during the IRAC research flights pointed to the importance of workload on handling qualities ratings for failure and damage scenarios. Modifications to existing pilot aggressiveness and duty cycle metrics are presented and applied to the IRAC controllers. Finally, while adaptive controllers may alleviate the effects of failures or damage on an aircraft's handling qualities, they also have the potential to introduce annoying changes to the flight dynamics or to the operation of aircraft systems. A nuisance rating scale is presented for the categorization of nuisance side-effects of adaptive controllers.
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BATMAV - A Bio-Inspired Micro-Aerial Vehicle for Flapping Flight
Bunget, Gheorghe
models can be used to optimize the lengths and the attachment locations of the actuator muscle-wires such that enough lift, thrust and wing stroke are obtained. Bat skeleton measurements were taken from real bats and modeled in SolidWorks to accurately reproduce bones and body via rapid prototyping methods. Much attention was paid specifically to achieving the comparable strength, elasticity, and range of motion of a naturally occurring bat. The wing joints of the BATMAV platform were fabricated using superelastic Shape Memory Alloys (SMA), a key technology for the development of an engineering skeleton structure. This has enabled a simple and straightforward connection between different bones while at the same time has preserved the full range of functionality of the natural role model. Therefore, several desktop models were designed, fabricated and assembled in order to study various materials used in design phase. As a whole, the BATMAV project consists of four major stages of development: the current phase -- design and fabrication of the skeletal structure of the flight platform, selection and testing different materials for the design of a compliant bat-like membrane, analysis of the kinematics and kinetics of bat flight in order to design a biomechanical muscle system for actuation, and design of the electrical control architecture to coordinate the platform flight.
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Integrated flight path planning system and flight control system for unmanned helicopters.
Jan, Shau Shiun; Lin, Yu Hsiang
2011-01-01
This paper focuses on the design of an integrated navigation and guidance system for unmanned helicopters. The integrated navigation system comprises two systems: the Flight Path Planning System (FPPS) and the Flight Control System (FCS). The FPPS finds the shortest flight path by the A-Star (A*) algorithm in an adaptive manner for different flight conditions, and the FPPS can add a forbidden zone to stop the unmanned helicopter from crossing over into dangerous areas. In this paper, the FPPS computation time is reduced by the multi-resolution scheme, and the flight path quality is improved by the path smoothing methods. Meanwhile, the FCS includes the fuzzy inference systems (FISs) based on the fuzzy logic. By using expert knowledge and experience to train the FIS, the controller can operate the unmanned helicopter without dynamic models. The integrated system of the FPPS and the FCS is aimed at providing navigation and guidance to the mission destination and it is implemented by coupling the flight simulation software, X-Plane, and the computing software, MATLAB. Simulations are performed and shown in real time three-dimensional animations. Finally, the integrated system is demonstrated to work successfully in controlling the unmanned helicopter to operate in various terrains of a digital elevation model (DEM).
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Integrated Flight Path Planning System and Flight Control System for Unmanned Helicopters
Jan, Shau Shiun; Lin, Yu Hsiang
2011-01-01
This paper focuses on the design of an integrated navigation and guidance system for unmanned helicopters. The integrated navigation system comprises two systems: the Flight Path Planning System (FPPS) and the Flight Control System (FCS). The FPPS finds the shortest flight path by the A-Star (A*) algorithm in an adaptive manner for different flight conditions, and the FPPS can add a forbidden zone to stop the unmanned helicopter from crossing over into dangerous areas. In this paper, the FPPS computation time is reduced by the multi-resolution scheme, and the flight path quality is improved by the path smoothing methods. Meanwhile, the FCS includes the fuzzy inference systems (FISs) based on the fuzzy logic. By using expert knowledge and experience to train the FIS, the controller can operate the unmanned helicopter without dynamic models. The integrated system of the FPPS and the FCS is aimed at providing navigation and guidance to the mission destination and it is implemented by coupling the flight simulation software, X-Plane, and the computing software, MATLAB. Simulations are performed and shown in real time three-dimensional animations. Finally, the integrated system is demonstrated to work successfully in controlling the unmanned helicopter to operate in various terrains of a digital elevation model (DEM). PMID:22164029
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1998-01-01
This 25-second clip shows the QF-106 'Delta Dart' tethered to the USAF C-141A during takeoff and in flight. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, supported a Kelly Space and Technology, Inc. (KST)/U.S. Air Force project known as Eclipse, which demonstrated a reusable tow launch vehicle concept. The purpose of the project was to demonstrate a reusable tow launch vehicle concept that had been conceived and patented by KST. Kelly Space obtained a contract with the USAF Research Laboratory for the tow launch demonstration project under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The USAF SBIR contract included the modifications to turn the QF-106 into the Experimental Demonstrator #1 (EXD-01), and the C141A aircraft to incorporate the tow provisions to link the two aircraft, as well as conducting flight tests. The demonstration consisted of ground and flight tests. These tests included a Combined Systems Test of both airplanes joined by a tow rope, a towed taxi test, and six towed flights. The primary goal of the project was demonstrating the tow phase of the Eclipse concept using a scaled-down tow aircraft (C-141A) and a representative aerodynamically-shaped aircraft (QF-106A) as a launch vehicle. This was successfully accomplished. On December 20, 1997, NASA research pilot Mark Stucky flew a QF-106 on the first towed flight behind an Air Force C-141 in the joint Eclipse project with KST to demonstrate the reusable tow launch vehicle concept developed by KST. Kelly hoped to use the data from the tow tests to validate a tow-to-launch procedure for reusable space launch vehicles. Stucky flew six successful tow tests between December 1997 and February 6, 1998. On February 6, 1998, the sixth and final towed flight brought the project to a successful completion. Preliminary flight results determined that the handling qualities of the QF-106 on tow were very stable; actual flight measured values of tow rope tension were well within predictions
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The flights before the flight - An overview of shuttle astronaut training
Sims, John T.; Sterling, Michael R.
1989-01-01
Space shuttle astronaut training is centered at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Each astronaut receives many different types of training from many sources. This training includes simulator training in the Shuttle Mission Simulator, in-flight simulator training in the Shuttle Training Aircraft, Extravehicular Activity training in the Weightless Environment Training Facility and a variety of lectures and briefings. Once the training program is completed each shuttle flight crew is well-prepared to perform the normal operations required for their flight and deal with any shuttle system malfunctions that might occur.
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Virtual decoupling flight control via real-time trajectory synthesis and tracking
Zhang, Xuefu
The production of the General Aviation industry has declined in the past 25 years. Ironically, however, the increasing demand for air travel as a fast, safe, and high-quality mode of transportation has been far from satisfied. Addressing this demand shortfall with personal air transportation necessitates advanced systems for navigation, guidance, control, flight management, and flight traffic control. Among them, an effective decoupling flight control system will not only improve flight quality, safety, and simplicity, and increase air space usage, but also reduce expenses on pilot initial and current training, and thus expand the current market and explore new markets. Because of the formidable difficulties encountered in the actual decoupling of non-linear, time-variant, and highly coupled flight control systems through traditional approaches, a new approach, which essentially converts the decoupling problem into a real-time trajectory synthesis and tracking problem, is employed. Then, the converted problem is solved and a virtual decoupling effect is achieved. In this approach, a trajectory in inertial space can be predefined and dynamically modified based on the flight mission and the pilot's commands. A feedforward-feedback control architecture is constructed to guide the airplane along the trajectory as precisely as possible. Through this approach, the pilot has much simpler, virtually decoupled control of the airplane in terms of speed, flight path angle and horizontal radius of curvature. To verify and evaluate this approach, extensive computer simulation is performed. A great deal of test cases are designed for the flight control under different flight conditions. The simulation results show that our decoupling strategy is satisfactory and promising, and therefore the research can serve as a consolidated foundation for future practical applications.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Meignan, Michel; Sasanelli, Myriam; Itti, Emmanuel; Casasnovas, Rene Olivier; Luminari, Stefano; Fioroni, Federica; Coriani, Chiara; Masset, Helene; Gobbi, Paolo G.; Merli, Francesco; Versari, Annibale
2014-01-01
The presence of a bulky tumour at staging on CT is an independent prognostic factor in malignant lymphomas. However, its prognostic value is limited in diffuse disease. Total metabolic tumour volume (TMTV) determined on 18 F-FDG PET/CT could give a better evaluation of the total tumour burden and may help patient stratification. Different methods of TMTV measurement established in phantoms simulating lymphoma tumours were investigated and validated in 40 patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Data were processed by two nuclear medicine physicians in Reggio Emilia and Creteil. Nineteen phantoms filled with 18 F-saline were scanned; these comprised spherical or irregular volumes from 0.5 to 650 cm 3 with tumour-to-background ratios from 1.65 to 40. Volumes were measured with different SUVmax thresholds. In patients, TMTV was measured on PET at staging by two methods: volumes of individual lesions were measured using a fixed 41 % SUVmax threshold (TMTV 41 ) and a variable visually adjusted SUVmax threshold (TMTV var ). In phantoms, the 41 % threshold gave the best concordance between measured and actual volumes. Interobserver agreement was almost perfect. In patients, the agreement between the reviewers for TMTV 41 measurement was substantial (ρ c = 0.986, CI 0.97 - 0.99) and the difference between the means was not significant (212 ± 218 cm 3 for Creteil vs. 206 ± 219 cm 3 for Reggio Emilia, P = 0.65). By contrast the agreement was poor for TMTV var . There was a significant direct correlation between TMTV 41 and normalized LDH (r = 0.652, CI 0.42 - 0.8, P 41 , but high TMTV 41 could be found in patients with stage 1/2 or nonbulky tumour. Measurement of baseline TMTV in lymphoma using a fixed 41% SUVmax threshold is reproducible and correlates with the other parameters for tumour mass evaluation. It should be evaluated in prospective studies. (orig.)
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Hueschen, R. M.
1986-01-01
Five flight tests of the Digital Automated Landing System (DIALS) were conducted on the Advanced Transport Operating Systems (ATOPS) Transportation Research Vehicle (TSRV) -- a modified Boeing 737 aircraft for advanced controls and displays research. These flight tests were conducted at NASA's Wallops Flight Center using the microwave landing system (MLS) installation on runway 22. This report describes the flight software equations of the DIALS which was designed using modern control theory direct-digital design methods and employed a constant gain Kalman filter. Selected flight test performance data is presented for localizer (runway centerline) capture and track at various intercept angles, for glideslope capture and track of 3, 4.5, and 5 degree glideslopes, for the decrab maneuver, and for the flare maneuver. Data is also presented to illustrate the system performance in the presence of cross, gust, and shear winds. The mean and standard deviation of the peak position errors for localizer capture were, respectively, 24 feet and 26 feet. For mild wind conditions, glideslope and localizer tracking position errors did not exceed, respectively, 5 and 20 feet. For gusty wind conditions (8 to 10 knots), these errors were, respectively, 10 and 30 feet. Ten hands off automatic lands were performed. The standard deviation of the touchdown position and velocity errors from the mean values were, respectively, 244 feet and 0.7 feet/sec.
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Theseus Landing Following Maiden Flight
1996-01-01
The Theseus prototype research aircraft shows off its high aspect-ratio wing as it comes in for a landing on Rogers Dry Lake after its first test flight from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on May 24, 1996. The Theseus aircraft, built and operated by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia, was a unique aircraft flown at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, under a cooperative agreement between NASA and Aurora. Dryden hosted the Theseus program, providing hangar space and range safety for flight testing. Aurora Flight Sciences was responsible for the actual flight testing, vehicle flight safety, and operation of the aircraft. The Theseus remotely piloted aircraft flew its maiden flight on May 24, 1996, at Dryden. During its sixth flight on November 12, 1996, Theseus experienced an in-flight structural failure that resulted in the loss of the aircraft. As of the beginning of the year 2000, Aurora had not rebuilt the aircraft. Theseus was built for NASA under an innovative, $4.9 million fixed-price contract by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and its partners, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, and Fairmont State College, Fairmont, West Virginia. The twin-engine, unpiloted vehicle had a 140-foot wingspan, and was constructed largely of composite materials. Powered by two 80-horsepower, turbocharged piston engines that drove twin 9-foot-diameter propellers, Theseus was designed to fly autonomously at high altitudes, with takeoff and landing under the active control of a ground-based pilot in a ground control station 'cockpit.' With the potential ability to carry 700 pounds of science instruments to altitudes above 60,000 feet for durations of greater than 24 hours, Theseus was intended to support research in areas such as stratospheric ozone depletion and the atmospheric effects of future high-speed civil transport aircraft engines. Instruments carried aboard Theseus also would be able
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Multiple losses of flight and recent speciation in steamer ducks
Fulton, Tara L.; Letts, Brandon; Shapiro, Beth
2012-01-01
Steamer ducks (Tachyeres) comprise four species, three of which are flightless. The flightless species are believed to have diverged from a flying common ancestor during the Late Pleistocene; however, their taxonomy remains contentious. Of particular interest is the previously unstudied population of flying steamer ducks in the Falkland Islands. We present the first genetic data from this insular population, and illustrate that the flying and flightless steamer ducks on the Falkland Islands are genetically indistinguishable, in contrast to their traditional classification as separate species. The three species that reside in continental South America form a genetically distinct lineage from the Falkland Island ducks. The Falkland steamer ducks diverged from their continental relatives 2.2–0.6 million years ago, coincident with a probable land bridge connecting the Falkland Islands to the mainland. The three continental species share a common ancestor approximately 15 000 years ago, possibly owing to isolation during a recent glacial advance. The continental steamer duck species are not reciprocally monophyletic, but show some amount of genetic differentiation between them. Each lineage of Tachyeres represents a different stage between flight and flightlessness. Their phylogenetic relationships suggest multiple losses of flight and/or long-term persistence of mixed-flight capability. As such, steamer ducks may provide a model system to study the evolution of flightlessness. PMID:22319122
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COMPASS Final Report: Enceladus Solar Electric Propulsion Stage
Oleson, Steven R.; McGuire, Melissa L.
2011-01-01
The results of the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) COllaborative Modeling and Parametric Assessment of Space Systems (COMPASS) internal Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) stage design are documented in this report (Figure 1.1). The SEP Stage was designed to deliver a science probe to Saturn (the probe design was performed separately by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center s (GSFC) Integrated Mission Design Center (IMDC)). The SEP Stage delivers the 2444 kg probe on a Saturn trajectory with a hyperbolic arrival velocity of 5.4 km/s. The design carried 30 percent mass, 10 percent power, and 6 percent propellant margins. The SEP Stage relies on the probe for substantial guidance, navigation and control (GN&C), command and data handling (C&DH), and Communications functions. The stage is configured to carry the probe and to minimize the packaging interference between the probe and the stage. The propulsion system consisted of a 1+1 (one active, one spare) configuration of gimbaled 7 kW NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion thrusters with a throughput of 309 kg Xe propellant. Two 9350 W GaAs triple junction (at 1 Astronomical Unit (AU), includes 10 percent margin) ultra-flex solar arrays provided power to the stage, with Li-ion batteries for launch and contingency operations power. The base structure was an Al-Li hexagonal skin-stringer frame built to withstand launch loads. A passive thermal control system consisted of heat pipes to north and south radiator panels, multilayer insulation (MLI) and heaters for the Xe tank. All systems except tanks and solar arrays were designed to be single fault tolerant.
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Stir Friction Welding Used in Ares I Upper Stage Fabrication
2007-01-01
Under the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration, Ares I is a chief component of the cost-effective space transportation infrastructure being developed by NASA's Constellation Program. This transportation system will safely and reliably carry human explorers back to the moon, and then onward to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. The Ares I effort includes multiple project element teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the nation, and is managed by the Exploration Launch Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MFSC). ATK Launch Systems near Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the first stage booster. ATK's subcontractor, United Space Alliance of Houston, is designing, developing and testing the parachutes at its facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston hosts the Constellation Program and Orion Crew Capsule Project Office and provides test instrumentation and support personnel. Together, these teams are developing vehicle hardware, evolving proven technologies, and testing components and systems. Their work builds on powerful, reliable space shuttle propulsion elements and nearly a half-century of NASA space flight experience and technological advances. Ares I is an inline, two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Crew Exploration Vehicle, its service module, and a launch abort system. This HD video image depicts friction stir welding used in manufacturing aluminum panels that will fabricate the Ares I upper stage barrel. The panels are subjected to confidence tests in which the bent aluminum is stressed to breaking point and thoroughly examined. The panels are manufactured by AMRO Manufacturing located in El Monte, California. (Highest resolution available)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rubel, M.H.; Hassan, L.
2014-01-01
Salinity screening for 27 rice genotypes was performed at the seedling and reproductive stages respectively, in the hydroponic system and in sustained water bath. Three selected SSR markers were used to determine salinity tolerance in rice genotypes. Phenotyping of the germplasm was done at EC 12dS/m and 6dS/m at seedling and reproductive stages, respectively. Based on modified standard evaluation score for visual salt injury at seedling stage, eight genotypes were salt tolerant, four were moderately tolerant and the rest fifteen were susceptible. At the reproductive stage, six genotypes were tolerant to EC 6dS/m whereas eleven of them were susceptible. SSR based marker identified seven genotypes as tolerant but ten of them were susceptible for all three markers compared to two checks. Six genotypes were tolerant in both phenotypic and SSR screening. The indentified salt tolerant genotypes can be potential germplasm sources for future breeding program. (author)
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The effects of expressivity and flight task on cockpit communication and resource management
Jensen, R. S.
1986-01-01
The results of an investigation to develop a methodology for evaluating crew communication behavior on the flight deck and a flight simulator experiment to test the effects of crew member expressivity, as measured by the Personal Attributes Questionnarie, and flight task on crew communication and flight performance are discussed. A methodology for coding and assessing flight crew communication behavior as well as a model for predicting that behavior is advanced. Although not enough crews were found to provide valid statistical tests, the results of the study tend to indicate that crews in which the captain has high expressivity perform better than those whose captain is low in expressivity. There appears to be a strong interaction between captains and first officers along the level of command dimension of communication. The PAQ appears to identify those pilots who offer disagreements and inititate new subjects for discussion.
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Wittman, Deborah; Kovera, Craig; Sullivan, Maureen; Rumore, Martha M
2017-06-01
Pharmacy students need to be equipped with skills to research and evaluate literature to effectively apply evidence-based medicine (EBM) in practice. To prepare them, a 3-stage approach to writing a drug information consult (3sDIC) was incorporated into a pharmacy course. The primary objective was to assess students' abilities to retrieve and analyze literature pursuant to a drug information consult. Secondary objectives were to examine feasibility of faculty participation and continuation of the assignment. Ninety students were given a clinical scenario about a patient. The assignment consisted of 3 stages incorporating use of the Population, Intervention, Comparison intervention, Outcome (PICO) method and modified systematic approach (MSA) for stage 1, evaluation of primary literature to write a draft for stage 2, and stage 3, the final consult. All 3 stages were reviewed and graded by faculty. All students completed the 3sDIC, with no grade failures. The rubric employed by faculty was effective, providing students the opportunity to improve the consult. The 3sDIC was found to be feasible with adequate faculty support. The 3sDIC, although not a substitute for a complete drug information course, demonstrated a streamlined approach for Pharmacy year 2 (P2) students to acquire and develop drug information skills.
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Cooperative random Levy flight searches and the flight patterns of honeybees
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Reynolds, A.M.
2006-01-01
The most efficient Levy flight (scale-free) searching strategy for N independent searchers to adopt when target sites are randomly and sparsely distributed is identified. For N=1, it is well known that the optimal searching strategy is attained when μ=2, where the exponent μ characterizes the Levy distribution, P(l)=l -μ , of flight-lengths. For N>1, the optimal searching strategy is attained as μ->1. It is suggested that the orientation flights of honeybees can be understood within the context of such an optimal cooperative random Levy flight searching strategy. Upon returning to their hive after surveying a landscape honeybees can exchange information about the locations of target sites through the waggle dance. In accordance with observations it is predicted that the waggle dance can be disrupted without noticeable influence on a hive's ability to maintain weight when forage is plentiful
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Guidance concepts for time-based flight operations
Vicroy, Dan D.
1990-01-01
Airport congestion and the associated delays are severe in today's airspace system and are expected to increase. NASA and the FAA is investigating various methods of alleviating this problem through new technology and operational procedures. One concept for improving airspace productivity is time-based control of aircraft. Research to date has focused primarily on the development of time-based flight management systems and Air Traffic Control operational procedures. Flight operations may, however, require special onboard guidance in order to satisfy the Air Traffic Control imposed time constraints. The results are presented of a simulation study aimed at evaluating several time-based guidance concepts in terms of tracking performance, pilot workload, and subjective preference. The guidance concepts tested varied in complexity from simple digital time-error feedback to an advanced time-referenced-energy guidance scheme.
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Wilks, Scott E; Boyd, P August; Bates, Samantha M; Cain, Daphne S; Geiger, Jennifer R
2017-01-01
Objectives Literature regarding Montessori-based activities with older adults with dementia is fairly common with early stages of dementia. Conversely, research on said activities with individuals experiencing late-stage dementia is limited because of logistical difficulties in sampling and data collection. Given the need to understand risks and benefits of treatments for individuals with late-stage dementia, specifically regarding their mental and behavioral health, this study sought to evaluate the effects of a Montessori-based activity program implemented in a long-term care facility. Method Utilizing an interrupted time series design, trained staff completed observation-based measures for 43 residents with late-stage dementia at three intervals over six months. Empirical measures assessed mental health (anxiety, psychological well-being, quality of life) and behavioral health (problem behaviors, social engagement, capacity for activities of daily living). Results Group differences were observed via repeated measures ANOVA and paired-samples t-tests. The aggregate, longitudinal results-from baseline to final data interval-for the psychological and behavioral health measures were as follows: problem behaviors diminished though not significantly; social engagement decreased significantly; capacities for activities of daily living decreased significantly; quality of life increased slightly but not significantly; anxiety decreased slightly but not significantly; and psychological well-being significantly decreased. Conclusion Improvements observed for quality of life and problem behaviors may yield promise for Montessori-based activities and related health care practices. The rapid physiological and cognitive deterioration from late-stage dementia should be considered when interpreting these results.
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X-36 in Flight over Mojave Desert during 5th Flight
1997-01-01
The unusual lines of the X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft contrast sharply with the desert floor as the remotely-piloted aircraft flies over the Mojave Desert on a June 1997 research flight. The NASA/Boeing X-36 Tailless Fighter Agility Research Aircraft program successfully demonstrated the tailless fighter design using advanced technologies to improve the maneuverability and survivability of possible future fighter aircraft. The program met or exceeded all project goals. For 31 flights during 1997 at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, the project team examined the aircraft's agility at low speed / high angles of attack and at high speed / low angles of attack. The aircraft's speed envelope reached up to 206 knots (234 mph). This aircraft was very stable and maneuverable. It handled very well. The X-36 vehicle was designed to fly without the traditional tail surfaces common on most aircraft. Instead, a canard forward of the wing was used as well as split ailerons and an advanced thrust-vectoring nozzle for directional control. The X-36 was unstable in both pitch and yaw axes, so an advanced, single-channel digital fly-by-wire control system (developed with some commercially available components) was put in place to stabilize the aircraft. Using a video camera mounted in the nose of the aircraft and an onboard microphone, the X-36 was remotely controlled by a pilot in a ground station virtual cockpit. A standard fighter-type head-up display (HUD) and a moving-map representation of the vehicle's position within the range in which it flew provided excellent situational awareness for the pilot. This pilot-in-the-loop approach eliminated the need for expensive and complex autonomous flight control systems and the risks associated with their inability to deal with unknown or unforeseen phenomena in flight. Fully fueled the X-36 prototype weighed approximately 1,250 pounds. It was 19 feet long and three feet high with a wingspan of
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Rocket flight of a multilayer coated high-density EUV toroidal grating
Keski-Kuha, Ritva A. M.; Thomas, Roger J.; Davila, Joseph M.
1992-01-01
A multilayer coated high density toroidal grating was flown on a sounding rocket experiment in the Solar EUV Rocket Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS) instrument. To our knowledge this is the first space flight of a multilayer coated grating. Pre-flight performance evaluation showed that the application of a 10-layer Ir/Si multilayer coating to the 3600 l/mm blazed toroidal replica grating produced a factor of 9 enhancement in peak efficiency near the design wavelength around 30 nm in first order over the standard gold coating, with a measured EUV efficiency that peaked at 3.3 percent. In addition, the grating's spectral resolution of better than 5000 was maintained. The region of enhanced grating efficiency due to the multilayer coating is clearly evident in the flight data. Within the bandpass of the multilayer coating, the recorded film densities were roughly equivalent to those obtained with a factor of six longer exposure on the previous flight of the SERTS instrument.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1992-07-01
Flight test results of such navigation sensor systems as MLS (microwave landing system), GPS(global positioning system) and INS (inertial navigation system) on the Dornier-228 research aircraft in 1990 were reported, which tests have being promoted by National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), Japan to develop unmanned approach/landing (A/L) navigation sensor systems for the future spaceplane HOPE. The measured data corresponding to a WGS84 (world geodetic system 1984) navigation coordinate system were evaluated, and the reference orbit was also prepared by laser tracker analysis. The navigation sensor systems such as MLS were evaluated on the basis of CMN (control motion noise) or PFE (path following error), and preliminary calculation was also conducted for a GPS-INS hybrid system. As experimental results, several data were gathered for each sensor system resulting in possible data comparison between the sensor systems, and the feasibility of the GPS-INS hybrid system was also confirmed. 35 refs., 49 figs., 22 tabs.
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Satellite images to aircraft in flight. [GEOS image transmission feasibility analysis
Camp, D.; Luers, J. K.; Kadlec, P. W.
1977-01-01
A study has been initiated to evaluate the feasibility of transmitting selected GOES images to aircraft in flight. Pertinent observations that could be made from satellite images on board aircraft include jet stream activity, cloud/wind motion, cloud temperatures, tropical storm activity, and location of severe weather. The basic features of the Satellite Aircraft Flight Environment System (SAFES) are described. This system uses East GOES and West GOES satellite images, which are interpreted, enhanced, and then retransmitted to designated aircraft.
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Development of Flight-Test Performance Estimation Techniques for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems
McCrink, Matthew Henry
presented. The propulsion and navigation system models are used to evaluate flight-testing methods for evaluating fixed-wing sUAS performance. A brief airframe analysis is presented to provide a foundation for assessing the efficacy of the flight-test methods. The flight-testing presented in this work is focused on validating the aircraft drag polar, zero-lift drag coefficient, and span efficiency factor. Three methods are detailed and evaluated for estimating these design parameters. Specific focus is placed on the influence of propulsion and navigation system uncertainty on the resulting performance data. Performance estimates are used in conjunction with the propulsion model to estimate the impact sensor and measurement uncertainty on the endurance and range of a fixed-wing sUAS. Endurance and range results for a simplistic power available model are compared to the Reynolds-dependent model presented in this work. Additional parameter sensitivity analysis related to state estimation uncertainties encountered in flight-testing are presented. Results from these analyses indicate that the sub-system models introduced in this work are of first-order importance, on the order of 5-10% change in range and endurance, in assessing the performance of a fixed-wing sUAS.
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Khoja, Aisha; Fida, Mubassar; Shaikh, Attiya
2016-06-01
To evaluate the cephalometric changes in skeletal, dentoalveolar and soft tissue variables induced by Clark's Twin Block (CTB) in Class II, Division 1 malocclusion patients and to compare these changes in different cervical vertebral maturation stages. Pre- and post-treatment/observation lateral cephalograms of 53 Class II, Division 1 malocclusion patients and 60 controls were compared to evaluate skeletal, dentoalveolar and soft tissue changes. Skeletal maturity was assessed according to cervical vertebral maturation stages. Pre- and post-treatment/observation mean changes and differences (T2-T1) were compared by means of Wilcoxon sign rank and Mann-Whitney U-tests, respectively. Intergroup comparisons between different cervical stages were performed by means of Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U-test (p ≤ 0.05) . When compared with controls, there was a significant reduction in ANB angle (p cervical stages (p cervical stages (p cervical stages, significant differences were found for SNA, SNB and UI-SN angles and overjet. . The Twin-Block along with the normal craniofacial growth improves facial esthetics in Class II, Division 1 malocclusion by changes in underlying skeletal and dentoalveolar structures. The favorable mandibular growth occurs during any of the cervical vertebral maturation stages, with more pronounced effect during CS-3 stage.
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Miller, Joshua E.
2016-01-01
Orbital debris in the millimeter size range can pose a hazard to current and planned spacecraft due to the high relative impact speeds in Earth orbit. Fortunately, orbital debris has a relatively short life at lower altitudes due to atmospheric effects; however, at higher altitudes orbital debris can survive much longer and has resulted in a band of high flux around 700 to 1,500 km above the surface of the Earth. While large orbital debris objects are tracked via ground based observation, little information can be gathered about small particles except by returned surfaces, which until the Orion Exploration Flight Test number one (EFT-1), has only been possible for lower altitudes (400 to 500 km). The EFT-1 crew module backshell, which used a porous, ceramic tile system with surface coatings, has been inspected post-flight for potential micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) damage. This paper describes the pre- and post-flight activities of inspection, identification and analysis of six candidate MMOD impact craters from the EFT-1 mission.
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Visual and flight performance recovery after PRK or LASIK in helicopter pilots.
Van de Pol, Corina; Greig, Joanna L; Estrada, Art; Bissette, Gina M; Bower, Kraig S
2007-06-01
Refractive surgery, specifically photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), is becoming more accepted in the military environment. Determination of the impact on visual performance in the more demanding aviation environment was the impetus for this study. A prospective evaluation of 20 Black Hawk pilots pre-surgically and at 1 wk, 1 mo, and 6 mo postsurgery was conducted to assess both PRK and LASIK visual and flight performance outcomes on the return of aviators to duty. Of 20 pilots, 19 returned to flight status at 1 mo after surgery; 1 PRK subject was delayed due to corneal haze and subjective visual symptoms. Improvements were seen under simulator night and night vision goggle flight after LASIK; no significant changes in flight performance were measured in the aircraft. Results indicated a significantly faster recovery of all visual performance outcomes 1 wk after LASIK vs. PRK, with no difference between procedures at 1 and 6 mo. Low contrast acuity and contrast sensitivity only weakly correlated to flight performance in the early post-operative period. Overall flight performance assessed in this study after PRK and LASIK was stable or improved from baseline, indicating a resilience of performance despite measured decrements in visual performance, especially in PRK. More visually demanding flight tasks may be impacted by subtle changes in visual performance. Contrast tests are more sensitive to the effects of refractive surgical intervention and may prove to be a better indicator of visual recovery for return to flight status.
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Flight activity of Melipona asilvai Moure (Hymenoptera: Apidae
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
B. A. Souza
Full Text Available Many stingless bee species are specific to their areas of occurrence. Even when adapted to their local climate and flora conditions, they are subject to modifications in the environment, directly influencing flight activity. The aim of this work is to obtain information about the flight activity of the stingless bee Melipona asilvai Moure, thus contributing to the knowledge of this species. The flow of bees entering and leaving the colony was evaluated, and the type of transported material was identified. This information was correlated with climatic data collected at the time of observations, performed between June 2002 and March 2003. It can be proved that temperature was the factor with the greatest influence on the external activity of this species, showing a significant positive correlation with the entry of bees into the colony and pollen collection. Mud collecting showed a significant positive correlation with a humidity increase. Flight activity began at a temperature of 21.0 °C and humidity of 84.5%, peaking at 27.4 °C and 60.6% RH, respectively.
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Flight activity of Melipona asilvai Moure (Hymenoptera: Apidae).
Souza, B A; Carvalho, C A L; Alves, R M O
2006-05-01
Many stingless bee species are specific to their areas of occurrence. Even when adapted to their local climate and flora conditions, they are subject to modifications in the environment, directly influencing flight activity. The aim of this work is to obtain information about the flight activity of the stingless bee Melipona asilvai Moure, thus contributing to the knowledge of this species. The flow of bees entering and leaving the colony was evaluated, and the type of transported material was identified. This information was correlated with climatic data collected at the time of observations, performed between June 2002 and March 2003. It can be proved that temperature was the factor with the greatest influence on the external activity of this species, showing a significant positive correlation with the entry of bees into the colony and pollen collection. Mud collecting showed a significant positive correlation with a humidity increase. Flight activity began at a temperature of 21.0 degrees C and humidity of 84.5%, peaking at 27.4 degrees C and 60.6% RH, respectively.
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Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Aircraft Simulation Division, home to the Manned Flight Simulator (MFS), provides real-time, high fidelity, hardware-in-the-loop flight simulation capabilities...
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Bergsten, Eva L; Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Larsson, Johan; Kwak, Lydia
2018-01-01
To conduct a process evaluation of the implementation of an ergonomics training program aimed at increasing the use of loading assist devices in flight baggage handling. Feasibility related to the process items recruitment, reach, context, dose delivered (training time and content); dose received (participants' engagement); satisfaction with training; intermediate outcomes (skills, confidence and behaviors); and barriers and facilitators of the training intervention were assessed by qualitative and quantitative methods. Implementation proved successful regarding dose delivered, dose received and satisfaction. Confidence among participants in the training program in using and talking about devices, observed use of devices among colleagues, and internal feedback on work behavior increased significantly (pjob insecurity. In identifying important barriers and facilitators for a successful outcome, this study can help supporting the effectiveness of future interventions. Our results suggest that barriers caused by organizational changes may likely be alleviated by recruiting motivated trainees and securing strong organizational support for the implementation.
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Miller, Dean; Ratvasky, Thomas; Bernstein, Ben; McDonough, Frank; Strapp, J. Walter
1998-01-01
During the winter of 1996-1997, a flight research program was conducted at the NASA-Lewis Research Center to study the characteristics of Supercooled Large Droplets (SLD) within the Great Lakes region. This flight program was a joint effort between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Based on weather forecasts and real-time in-flight guidance provided by NCAR, the NASA-Lewis Icing Research Aircraft was flown to locations where conditions were believed to be conducive to the formation of Supercooled Large Droplets aloft. Onboard instrumentation was then used to record meteorological, ice accretion, and aero-performance characteristics encountered during the flight. A total of 29 icing research flights were conducted, during which "conventional" small droplet icing, SLD, and mixed phase conditions were encountered aloft. This paper will describe how flight operations were conducted, provide an operational summary of the flights, present selected experimental results from one typical research flight, and conclude with practical "lessons learned" from this first year of operation.
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Vision based flight procedure stereo display system
Shen, Xiaoyun; Wan, Di; Ma, Lan; He, Yuncheng
2008-03-01
A virtual reality flight procedure vision system is introduced in this paper. The digital flight map database is established based on the Geographic Information System (GIS) and high definitions satellite remote sensing photos. The flight approaching area database is established through computer 3D modeling system and GIS. The area texture is generated from the remote sensing photos and aerial photographs in various level of detail. According to the flight approaching procedure, the flight navigation information is linked to the database. The flight approaching area vision can be dynamic displayed according to the designed flight procedure. The flight approaching area images are rendered in 2 channels, one for left eye images and the others for right eye images. Through the polarized stereoscopic projection system, the pilots and aircrew can get the vivid 3D vision of the flight destination approaching area. Take the use of this system in pilots preflight preparation procedure, the aircrew can get more vivid information along the flight destination approaching area. This system can improve the aviator's self-confidence before he carries out the flight mission, accordingly, the flight safety is improved. This system is also useful in validate the visual flight procedure design, and it helps to the flight procedure design.
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Review on flight simulators (today and tomorrow); Flight simulatior no genjo to kongo
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Komura, T. [Mitsubishi Precision Company Limited, Tokyo (Japan)
2000-04-05
This paper presents various flight simulators. A flight simulator is classified into that for R and D on aircraft and that for flight training according to its usage. As an example of the former, the general-purpose flight simulation test facility of National Aerospace Laboratory, Science and Technology Agency is in use for development of the STOL experimental aircraft 'Asuka' and simulation experiments for space development. A civil aircraft simulator simulating the interior of a cockpit, operation feeling of piloting devices, flight performance, dynamic characteristics, an engine system and a hydraulic system like a real aircraft is in wide use for training pilots. A fighter simulator for air force is used for training detection of enemy's aircraft by radar, and missile shooting. An antisubmarine patrol aircraft simulator is used for training detection of submarines by sonic detector and magnetic detector, and torpedo air-launching. For both simulators, real simulation of detection sensors or battle environment is required. (NEDO)
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Analysis of rocket flight stability based on optical image measurement
Cui, Shuhua; Liu, Junhu; Shen, Si; Wang, Min; Liu, Jun
2018-02-01
Based on the abundant optical image measurement data from the optical measurement information, this paper puts forward the method of evaluating the rocket flight stability performance by using the measurement data of the characteristics of the carrier rocket in imaging. On the basis of the method of measuring the characteristics of the carrier rocket, the attitude parameters of the rocket body in the coordinate system are calculated by using the measurements data of multiple high-speed television sets, and then the parameters are transferred to the rocket body attack angle and it is assessed whether the rocket has a good flight stability flying with a small attack angle. The measurement method and the mathematical algorithm steps through the data processing test, where you can intuitively observe the rocket flight stability state, and also can visually identify the guidance system or failure analysis.
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Gurevitz, Juan M.; Kitron, Uriel; Gürtler, Ricardo E.
2007-01-01
Recent experiments demonstrated that most field-collected Triatoma infestans (Klug) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) adults from northern Argentina either never initiated flight or did so repeatedly in both sexes. This pattern could not be explained by sex, adult age, weight, weight-to-length ratio (W/L), or chance. We examined whether bugs that never initiated flight possessed developed flight muscles, and whether flight muscle mass relative to total body mass (FMR) was related to the probability of ...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
De Angelis, G.; Caldora, M.; Santaquilani, M.; Scipione, R.; Verdecchia, A.
2003-01-01
A study of the effects of high-LET, low-dose and low-dose-rate ionizing radiation and associated risk analysis is underway. This study involves analyzing the atmospheric ionizing radiation exposure (including high-energy neutrons) and associated effects for members of civilian aviation flight personnel, in an attempt to better understand low-dose long-term radiation effects on human subjects. The study population includes all Italian civilian airline flight personnel, both cockpit and cabin crew members, whose work history records and actual flights (route, aircraft type, and date for each individual flight for each person where possible) are available. The dose calculations are performed along specific flight legs, taking into account the actual flight profiles for all different routes and the variations with time of solar and geomagnetic parameters. Dose values for each flight are applied to the flight history of study participants in order to estimate the individual annual and lifetime occupational radiation dose. An update of the study of the physical atmospheric ionizing radiation exposure is given here, in terms of environmental modeling, flight routes, radiation dose evaluation along different flight paths, and exposure matrix construction. The exposure analysis is still in progress, and the first results are expected soon
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14 CFR 27.151 - Flight controls.
2010-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flight controls. 27.151 Section 27.151... STANDARDS: NORMAL CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Flight Flight Characteristics § 27.151 Flight controls. (a) Longitudinal, lateral, directional, and collective controls may not exhibit excessive breakout force, friction...
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14 CFR 29.151 - Flight controls.
2010-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flight controls. 29.151 Section 29.151... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Flight Flight Characteristics § 29.151 Flight controls. (a) Longitudinal, lateral, directional, and collective controls may not exhibit excessive breakout force, friction...
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Prakash Loungani; Paolo Mauro
2000-01-01
This paper documents the scale of capital flight from Russia, compares it with that observed in other countries, and reviews policy options. The evidence from other countries suggests that capital flight can be reversed once reforms take hold. The paper argues that capital flight from Russia can only be curbed through a medium-term reform strategy aimed at improving governance and macroeconomic performance, and strengthening the banking system. Capital controls result in costly distortions an...
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Croatian Airports as Potential European Flight Crew Training Centres
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tomislav Gradišar
2012-10-01
Full Text Available The paper deals with the possibilities of offering Croatianailports as potential flight crew training centres on the Europeanmarket of se!Vices. With her available ai1port capacities,mainly those located on the Adriatic coast, Croatia has significantadvantages compared to other countries of Westem andCentral Europe. The most important condition for establishinga specialised training centre for the European market is the harmonisationof the national aviation regulations i.e. the implementationof global and European standards of flight crewtraining, as well as conditions that have to be met by a specialisedtraining centre from the aspect of the necessary infrastructure.The study has evaluated the potential airports of Rijeka,Pula and Losinj, acc01ding to the basic criteria of their geo-Lraffic location, infrastructure resources (technical elements ofrunway, navigation equipment, abport se1vices, availability ofspecial equipment for flight crew training on the ground and inthe ail; as well as climate conditions.
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A Flight Control System Architecture for the NASA AirSTAR Flight Test Infrastructure
Murch, Austin M.
2008-01-01
A flight control system architecture for the NASA AirSTAR infrastructure has been designed to address the challenges associated with safe and efficient flight testing of research control laws in adverse flight conditions. The AirSTAR flight control system provides a flexible framework that enables NASA Aviation Safety Program research objectives, and includes the ability to rapidly integrate and test research control laws, emulate component or sensor failures, inject automated control surface perturbations, and provide a baseline control law for comparison to research control laws and to increase operational efficiency. The current baseline control law uses an angle of attack command augmentation system for the pitch axis and simple stability augmentation for the roll and yaw axes.
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Life Sciences Research and Development Opportunities During Suborbital Space Flight
Davis, Jeffrey R.
2010-01-01
Suborbital space platforms provide a unique opportunity for Space Life Sciences in the next few years. The opportunities include: physiological characterization of the first few minutes of space flight; evaluation of a wide-variety of medical conditions during periods of hyper and hypo-gravity through physiological monitoring; and evaluation of new biomedical and environmental health technologies under hyper and hypo-gravity conditions
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Free Flight Rotorcraft Flight Test Vehicle Technology Development
Hodges, W. Todd; Walker, Gregory W.
1994-01-01
A rotary wing, unmanned air vehicle (UAV) is being developed as a research tool at the NASA Langley Research Center by the U.S. Army and NASA. This development program is intended to provide the rotorcraft research community an intermediate step between rotorcraft wind tunnel testing and full scale manned flight testing. The technologies under development for this vehicle are: adaptive electronic flight control systems incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, small-light weight sophisticated sensors, advanced telepresence-telerobotics systems and rotary wing UAV operational procedures. This paper briefly describes the system's requirements and the techniques used to integrate the various technologies to meet these requirements. The paper also discusses the status of the development effort. In addition to the original aeromechanics research mission, the technology development effort has generated a great deal of interest in the UAV community for related spin-off applications, as briefly described at the end of the paper. In some cases the technologies under development in the free flight program are critical to the ability to perform some applications.
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2011-03-23
... Tripoli (HLLL) Flight Information Region (FIR) AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department... the Tripoli (HLLL) Flight Information Region (FIR) by all U.S. air carriers; U.S. commercial operators...) Flight Information Region (FIR). (a) Applicability. This section applies to the following persons: (1...
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2013-11-05
...-0780; Amdt. No. 61-131] RIN 2120-AK23 Certified Flight Instructor Flight Reviews; Recent Pilot in Command Experience; Airmen Online Services; Confirmation of Effective Date AGENCY: Federal Aviation...-calendar month flight review requirements. This rule also clarifies that the generally applicable recent...
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2013-09-16
...-0780; Amdt. No. 61-131] RIN 2120-AK23 Certified Flight Instructor Flight Reviews; Recent Pilot in Command Experience; Airmen Online Services AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION... review requirements. This rule also clarifies that the generally applicable recent flight experience...
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Flight to Safety from European Stock Markets
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Aslanidis, Nektarios; Christiansen, Charlotte
-return trade-off is positive and during flight-to-safety episodes it is negative. The effects of flight-to-safety episodes on the risk-return trade-off are qualitatively similar for own country flight-to-safety episodes, for flight from own country stock market to the US bond market, and for US flight......This paper investigates flight-to-safety from stocks to bonds in seven European markets. We use quantile regressions to identify flight-to-safety episodes. The simple risk-return trade-off on the stock markets is negative which is caused by flight-to-safety episodes: During normal periods, the risk...
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Costa, Guillermo J.; Arteaga, Ricardo A.
2011-01-01
A preliminary survey of existing separation assurance and collision avoidance advancements, technologies, and efforts has been conducted in order to develop a concept of operations for flight testing autonomous separation assurance at Dryden Flight Research Center. This effort was part of the Unmanned Aerial Systems in the National Airspace System project. The survey focused primarily on separation assurance projects validated through flight testing (including lessons learned), however current forays into the field were also examined. Comparisons between current Dryden flight and range assets were conducted using House of Quality matrices in order to allow project management to make determinations regarding asset utilization for future flight tests. This was conducted in order to establish a body of knowledge of the current collision avoidance landscape, and thus focus Dryden s efforts more effectively towards the providing of assets and test ranges for future flight testing within this research field.
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Torque Tension Testing of Fasteners used for NASA Flight Hardware Applications
Hemminger, Edgar G.; Posey, Alan J.; Dube, Michael J.
2014-01-01
The effect of various lubricants and other compounds on fastener torque-tension relationships is evaluated. Testing was performed using a unique test apparatus developed by Posey at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. A description of the test methodology, including associated data collection and analysis will be presented. Test results for 300 series CRES and A286 heat resistant fasteners, torqued into various types of inserts will be presented. The primary objective of this testing was to obtain torque-tension data for use on NASA flight projects.
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[Evaluation of the Initial Stage Career Exploration Inventory (ISCEI)].
Adachi, Tomoko
2010-06-01
The Initial Stage Career Exploration Inventory (ISCEI) was designed to assess career exploration among students in the early stage of making career decisions. The reliability, validity, and applicability of the ISCEI were investigated. In Study 1, responses on the ISCEI from student participants (n = 294 : 69 men, 225 women) were factor analyzed. The results suggested a 3-factor structure consisting of "self-understanding," "information gathering" and "learning from others." Comparison between the ISCEI and self-improvement motive, vocational decisions, and career decision-making self-efficacy scales from the Career Exploration Survey (CES) indicated that the ISCEI had sufficient construct validity. Study 2 investigated the applicability of the ISCEI. The responses of student participants (n = 859 : 451 men, 408 women) on the ISCEI indicated high "self-understanding," neutral "information gathering," and comparatively low "learning from others" scores, which were similarly related to the CES as in Study 1. These findings indicate that the ISCEI can be used as a tool for understanding career exploration among students in the initial stage of making career decision.
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System Identification of Flight Mechanical Characteristics
Larsson, Roger
2013-01-01
With the demand for more advanced fighter aircraft, relying on relaxed stability or even unstable flight mechanical characteristics to gain flight performance, more focus has been put on model-based system engineering to help with the design work. The flight control system design is one important part that relies on this modeling. Therefore it has become more important to develop flight mechanical models that are highly accurate in the whole flight envelop. For today’s newly developed fighter...
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De Tobel, Jannick; Hillewig, Elke; Verstraete, Koenraad
2017-03-01
Established methods to stage development of third molars for forensic age estimation are based on the evaluation of radiographs, which show a 2D projection. It has not been investigated whether these methods require any adjustments in order to apply them to stage third molars on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which shows 3D information. To prospectively study root stage assessment of third molars in age estimation using 3 Tesla MRI and to compare this with panoramic radiographs, in order to provide considerations for converting 2D staging into 3D staging and to determine the decisive root. All third molars were evaluated in 52 healthy participants aged 14-26 years using MRI in three planes. Three staging methods were investigated by two observers. In sixteen of the participants, MRI findings were compared with findings on panoramic radiographs. Decisive roots were palatal in upper third molars and distal in lower third molars. Fifty-seven per cent of upper third molars were not assessable on the radiograph, while 96.9% were on MRI. Upper third molars were more difficult to evaluate on radiographs than on MRI (p third molars were equally assessable on both imaging techniques (93.8% MRI, 98.4% radiograph), with no difference in level of difficulty (p = .375). Inter- and intra-observer agreement for evaluation was higher in MRI than in radiographs. In both imaging techniques lower third molars showed greater inter- and intra-observer agreement compared to upper third molars. MR images in the sagittal plane proved to be essential for staging. In age estimation, 3T MRI of third molars could be valuable. Some considerations are, however, necessary to transfer known staging methods to this 3D technique.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dvořák Rudolf
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Unlike airplanes birds must have either flapping or oscillating wings (the hummingbird. Only such wings can produce both lift and thrust – two sine qua non attributes of flying.The bird wings have several possibilities how to obtain the same functions as airplane wings. All are realized by the system of flight feathers. Birds have also the capabilities of adjusting the shape of the wing according to what the immediate flight situation demands, as well as of responding almost immediately to conditions the flow environment dictates, such as wind gusts, object avoidance, target tracking, etc. In bird aerodynamics also the tail plays an important role. To fly, wings impart downward momentum to the surrounding air and obtain lift by reaction. How this is achieved under various flight situations (cruise flight, hovering, landing, etc., and what the role is of the wing-generated vortices in producing lift and thrust is discussed.The issue of studying bird flight experimentally from in vivo or in vitro experiments is also briefly discussed.
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Carter, John F.
1997-01-01
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) is working with the United States Navy to complete ground testing and initiate flight testing of a modified set of F/A-18 flight control computers. The Production Support Flight Control Computers (PSFCC) can give any fleet F/A-18 airplane an in-flight, pilot-selectable research control law capability. NASA DFRC can efficiently flight test the PSFCC for the following four reasons: (1) Six F/A-18 chase aircraft are available which could be used with the PSFCC; (2) An F/A-18 processor-in-the-loop simulation exists for validation testing; (3) The expertise has been developed in programming the research processor in the PSFCC; and (4) A well-defined process has been established for clearing flight control research projects for flight. This report presents a functional description of the PSFCC. Descriptions of the NASA DFRC facilities, PSFCC verification and validation process, and planned PSFCC projects are also provided.
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Dennehy, Cornelius J.; Lanzi, Raymond J.; Ward, Philip R.
2010-01-01
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Engineering and Safety Center designed, developed and flew the alternative Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) as risk mitigation for the baseline Orion spacecraft launch abort system already in development. The NESC was tasked with both formulating a conceptual objective system design of this alternative MLAS as well as demonstrating this concept with a simulated pad abort flight test. Less than 2 years after Project start the MLAS simulated pad abort flight test was successfully conducted from Wallops Island on July 8, 2009. The entire flight test duration was 88 seconds during which time multiple staging events were performed and nine separate critically timed parachute deployments occurred as scheduled. This paper provides an overview of the guidance navigation and control technical approaches employed on this rapid prototyping activity; describes the methodology used to design the MLAS flight test vehicle; and lessons that were learned during this rapid prototyping project are also summarized.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bansal, Vandana; Damania, Kaizad; Sharma, Anshu Rajnish
2011-01-01
Nodal metastases in cervical cancer have prognostic implications. Imaging is used as an adjunct to clinical staging for evaluation of nodal metastases. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has an advantage of superior resolution of its CT component and detecting nodal disease based on increased glycolytic activity rather than node size. But there are limited studies describing its limitations in early stage cervical cancers. We have done meta-analysis with an objective to evaluate the efficacy of FDG PET/CT and its current clinical role in early stage and operable cervical cancer. Studies in which FDG PET/CT was performed before surgery in patients with early stage cervical cancers were included for analysis. PET findings were confirmed with histopathological diagnosis rather than clinical follow-up. The current data suggest that FDG PET/CT is suboptimal in nodal staging in early stage cervical cancer
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White, Molly E.; Hyatt, Andrew J.
2016-01-01
The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Reaction Control System (RCS) is critical to guide the vehicle along the desired trajectory during re--entry. However, this system has a significant impact on the convective heating environment to the spacecraft. Heating augmentation from the jet interaction (JI) drives thermal protection system (TPS) material selection and thickness requirements for the spacecraft. This paper describes the heating environment from the RCS on the afterbody of the Orion MPCV during Orion's first flight test, Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1). These jet plumes interact with the wake of the crew capsule and cause an increase in the convective heating environment. Not only is there widespread influence from the jet banks, there may also be very localized effects. The firing history during EFT-1 will be summarized to assess which jet bank interaction was measured during flight. Heating augmentation factors derived from the reconstructed flight data will be presented. Furthermore, flight instrumentation across the afterbody provides the highest spatial resolution of the region of influence of the individual jet banks of any spacecraft yet flown. This distribution of heating augmentation across the afterbody will be derived from the flight data. Additionally, trends with possible correlating parameters will be investigated to assist future designs and ground testing programs. Finally, the challenges of measuring JI, applying this data to future flights and lessons learned will be discussed.
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Design of a flight director/configuration management system for piloted STOL approaches
Hoh, R. H.; Klein, R. H.; Johnson, W. A.
1973-01-01
The design and characteristics of a flight director for V/STOL aircraft are discussed. A configuration management system for piloted STOL approaches is described. The individual components of the overall system designed to reduce pilot workload to an acceptable level during curved, decelerating, and descending STOL approaches are defined. The application of the system to augmentor wing aircraft is analyzed. System performance checks and piloted evaluations were conducted on a flight simulator and the results are summarized.
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Evaluation of single-stage adjustable strabismus surgery under conscious sedation
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sharma Pradeep
2009-01-01
Full Text Available Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and stability of ocular alignment after single-stage adjustable strabismus surgery (SSASS performed under topical anesthesia. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients of concomitant exodeviations were randomized into three groups of 15 cases each and were operated with three different techniques: Group I - conventional surgery, Group II - two-stage adjustable suture technique with suture adjustment performed 6h postoperatively and Group III- SSASS under topical anesthesia and intravenous conscious sedation with midazolam and fentanyl. Intraoperative suture adjustment was done by giving a cross target to the patient on the ceiling at the end of the procedure. Surgical results were compared among the three groups at three months follow-up. Intraoperative hemodynamic parameters and patients′ experience of the surgery (by questionnaire were also compared. Results: Mean preoperative deviation for distance in Groups I, II, III was -41.67 prism diopter (pd ±9.0, -38.93 pd ±11.05 and -41.87 pd ±8.91 ( P =0.6 respectively. At three months, mean correction achieved for distance was +31.87 pd ±11.71, +35.47 pd ±10.86 and +42.80 pd ±10.71 respectively which was significantly different between Group III and Group I ( P =0.03. Intraoperatively all hemodynamic parameters remained stable and comparable ( P =0. 5 in all groups. Intraoperative pain ( P < 0.001 and time taken for surgery ( P < 0.001 was more in the SSASS group. Amount of exodrift was 10-12 pd, comparable in all three groups ( P = 0.5. Conclusions: SSASS, performed under topical anesthesia, is safe and has better outcomes than conventional recession-resection surgery for concomitant exodeviation. An overcorrection of about 10-12 pd is recommended to check the exodrift and achieve stable alignment.
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Manual Throttles-Only Control Effectivity for Emergency Flight Control of Transport Aircraft
Stevens, Richard; Burcham, Frank W., Jr.
2009-01-01
If normal aircraft flight controls are lost, emergency flight control may be attempted using only the thrust of engines. Collective thrust is used to control flightpath, and differential thrust is used to control bank angle. One issue is whether a total loss of hydraulics (TLOH) leaves an airplane in a recoverable condition. Recoverability is a function of airspeed, altitude, flight phase, and configuration. If the airplane can be recovered, flight test and simulation results on several transport-class airplanes have shown that throttles-only control (TOC) is usually adequate to maintain up-and-away flight, but executing a safe landing is very difficult. There are favorable aircraft configurations, and also techniques that will improve recoverability and control and increase the chances of a survivable landing. The DHS and NASA have recently conducted a flight and simulator study to determine the effectivity of manual throttles-only control as a way to recover and safely land a range of transport airplanes. This paper discusses TLOH recoverability as a function of conditions, and TOC landability results for a range of transport airplanes, and some key techniques for flying with throttles and making a survivable landing. Airplanes evaluated include the B-747, B-767, B-777, B-757, A320, and B-737 airplanes.
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An evaluation of the Goddard Space Flight Center Library
Herner, S.; Lancaster, F. W.; Wright, N.; Ockerman, L.; Shearer, B.; Greenspan, S.; Mccartney, J.; Vellucci, M.
1979-01-01
The character and degree of coincidence between the current and future missions, programs, and projects of the Goddard Space Flight Center and the current and future collection, services, and facilities of its library were determined from structured interviews and discussions with various classes of facility personnel. In addition to the tabulation and interpretation of the data from the structured interview survey, five types of statistical analyses were performed to corroborate (or contradict) the survey results and to produce useful information not readily attainable through survey material. Conclusions reached regarding compatability between needs and holdings, services and buildings, library hours of operation, methods of early detection and anticipation of changing holdings requirements, and the impact of near future programs are presented along with a list of statistics needing collection, organization, and interpretation on a continuing or longitudinal basis.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Patton, Gregory W; Dauble, Dennis D; Chamness, Mickie A; Abernethy, Cary S; McKinstry, Craig A
2001-01-01
The objective of this study was to evaluate site-specific effects for early life-stage (eyed eggs to free swimming juveniles) fall chinook salmon that might be exposed to hexavalent chromium from Hanford groundwater sources. Our exposure conditions included hexavalent chromium obtained from Hanford groundwater wells near the Columbia River, Columbia River water as the diluent, and locally adapted populations of fall chinook salmon. This report describes both a 96-hr pretest using rainbow trout eggs and an early life-stage test beginning with chinook salmon eggs
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
2013-08-15
The purposes of this study is to establish the safety evaluation methods needed in the operation stage of fast breeder reactor (FBR). Related the above purpose of this study, some investigation studies for the technical standard applied to Monju were achieved in JFY 2012. (author)
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CT volumetry for gastric carcinoma: association with TNM stage
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hallinan, James T.P.D.; Peter, Luke; Makmur, Andrew [National University Health System (NUHS), Diagnostic Radiology, Singapore (Singapore); Venkatesh, Sudhakar K. [Mayo Clinic, Department of Radiology, Rochester, MN (United States); Yong, Wei Peng [NUHS, Hematology and Oncology, Singapore (Singapore); So, Jimmy B.Y. [NUHS, Surgery, Singapore (Singapore)
2014-12-15
We evaluated the feasibility of performing CT volumetry of gastric carcinoma (GC) and its correlation with TNM stage. This institutional review board-approved retrospective study was performed on 153 patients who underwent a staging CT study for histologically confirmed GC. CT volumetry was performed by drawing regions of interest including abnormal thickening of the stomach wall. Reproducibility of tumour volume (Tvol) between two readers was assessed. Correlation between Tvol and TNM/peritoneal staging derived from histology/surgical findings was evaluated using ROC analysis and compared with CT evaluation of TNM/peritoneal staging. Tvol was successfully performed in all patients. Reproducibility among readers was excellent (r = 0.97; P = 0.0001). The median Tvol of GC showed an incremental trend with T-stage (T1 = 27 ml; T2 = 32 ml; T3 = 53 ml and T4 = 121 ml, P < 0.01). Tvol predicted with good accuracy T-stage (≥T2:0.95; ≥T3:0.89 and T4:0.83, P = 0.0001), M-stage (0.87, P = 0.0001), peritoneal metastases (0.87, P = 0.0001) and final stage (≥stage 2:0.89; ≥stage 3:0.86 and stage 4:0.87, P = 0.0001), with moderate accuracy for N-stage (≥N1:0.75; ≥N2:0.74 and N3:0.75, P = 0.0001). Tvol was significantly (P < 0.05) more accurate than standard CT staging for prediction of T-stage, N3-stage, M-stage and peritoneal metastases. CT volumetry may provide useful adjunct information for preoperative staging of GC. (orig.)
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CT volumetry for gastric carcinoma: association with TNM stage
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hallinan, James T.P.D.; Peter, Luke; Makmur, Andrew; Venkatesh, Sudhakar K.; Yong, Wei Peng; So, Jimmy B.Y.
2014-01-01
We evaluated the feasibility of performing CT volumetry of gastric carcinoma (GC) and its correlation with TNM stage. This institutional review board-approved retrospective study was performed on 153 patients who underwent a staging CT study for histologically confirmed GC. CT volumetry was performed by drawing regions of interest including abnormal thickening of the stomach wall. Reproducibility of tumour volume (Tvol) between two readers was assessed. Correlation between Tvol and TNM/peritoneal staging derived from histology/surgical findings was evaluated using ROC analysis and compared with CT evaluation of TNM/peritoneal staging. Tvol was successfully performed in all patients. Reproducibility among readers was excellent (r = 0.97; P = 0.0001). The median Tvol of GC showed an incremental trend with T-stage (T1 = 27 ml; T2 = 32 ml; T3 = 53 ml and T4 = 121 ml, P < 0.01). Tvol predicted with good accuracy T-stage (≥T2:0.95; ≥T3:0.89 and T4:0.83, P = 0.0001), M-stage (0.87, P = 0.0001), peritoneal metastases (0.87, P = 0.0001) and final stage (≥stage 2:0.89; ≥stage 3:0.86 and stage 4:0.87, P = 0.0001), with moderate accuracy for N-stage (≥N1:0.75; ≥N2:0.74 and N3:0.75, P = 0.0001). Tvol was significantly (P < 0.05) more accurate than standard CT staging for prediction of T-stage, N3-stage, M-stage and peritoneal metastases. CT volumetry may provide useful adjunct information for preoperative staging of GC. (orig.)
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Lessons Learned from Ares I Upper Stage Structures and Thermal Design
Ahmed, Rafiq
2012-01-01
The Ares 1 Upper Stage was part of the vehicle intended to succeed the Space Shuttle as the United States manned spaceflight vehicle. Although the Upper Stage project was cancelled, there were many lessons learned that are applicable to future vehicle design. Lessons learned that are briefly detailed in this Technical Memorandum are for specific technical areas such as tank design, common bulkhead design, thrust oscillation, control of flight and slosh loads, purge and hazardous gas system. In addition, lessons learned from a systems engineering and vehicle integration perspective are also included, such as computer aided design and engineering, scheduling, and data management. The need for detailed systems engineering in the early stages of a project is emphasized throughout this report. The intent is that future projects will be able to apply these lessons learned to keep costs down, schedules brief, and deliver products that perform to the expectations of their customers.
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A development of time-resolved emulsion detector by multi-stage shifter
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Takahashi, Satoru; Aoki, Shigeki
2017-01-01
Nuclear emulsion is a powerful tracking device that can record the three-dimensional trajectory of charged particles within 1 μm spatial resolution. We are promoting GRAINE project which is 10 MeV-100 GeV cosmic γ-ray observations with a precise (0.08deg at 1-2 GeV) and polarization-sensitive large-aperture-area (∼10 m 2 ) emulsion telescope by repeating long duration balloon flights. We are developing multi-stage shifter which allows us to give a timing information to emulsion tracks with ∼seconds or below. The multi-stage shifter opened feasibilities of precise cosmic γ-ray observations, GRAINE, as well as precise measurements of ν-N interactions, J-PARC T60. ∼Millisecond time resolution in a balloon-borne experiment, ∼second time resolution for 126.7 days in an accelerator ν experiment and ∼10 6 time-resolved numbers are being achieved. New model of multi-stage shifter is also being developed for future experiments. (author)
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1999-03-01
This report documents an investigation of the flight paths of 13 selected controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) aircraft accidents that occurred between 1985 and 1997. The Operations Assessment Division (DTS-43) and the Aviation Safety Division (DTS-...
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Design Process of Flight Vehicle Structures for a Common Bulkhead and an MPCV Spacecraft Adapter
Aggarwal, Pravin; Hull, Patrick V.
2015-01-01
Design and manufacturing space flight vehicle structures is a skillset that has grown considerably at NASA during that last several years. Beginning with the Ares program and followed by the Space Launch System (SLS); in-house designs were produced for both the Upper Stage and the SLS Multipurpose crew vehicle (MPCV) spacecraft adapter. Specifically, critical design review (CDR) level analysis and flight production drawing were produced for the above mentioned hardware. In particular, the experience of this in-house design work led to increased manufacturing infrastructure for both Marshal Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), improved skillsets in both analysis and design, and hands on experience in building and testing (MSA) full scale hardware. The hardware design and development processes from initiation to CDR and finally flight; resulted in many challenges and experiences that produced valuable lessons. This paper builds on these experiences of NASA in recent years on designing and fabricating flight hardware and examines the design/development processes used, as well as the challenges and lessons learned, i.e. from the initial design, loads estimation and mass constraints to structural optimization/affordability to release of production drawing to hardware manufacturing. While there are many documented design processes which a design engineer can follow, these unique experiences can offer insight into designing hardware in current program environments and present solutions to many of the challenges experienced by the engineering team.
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration — An integrated computational environment for multidisciplinary, physics-based simulation and analyses of airbreathing hypersonic flight vehicles will be developed....
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Evaluation of transurethral ultrasonography and computed tomography in the staging of bladder tumors
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yamakawa, Kensuke; Hoshina, Akira; Tochigi, Hiromi; Kawamura, Juichi
1987-01-01
A definitive pathologic diagnosis was made in 47 patients with bladder tumors from cystectomy specimens or by surgical exploration. The tumor was staged in 35 cases by transurethral ultrasonography and in 39 cases by computed tomography. We obtained the following results : the accuracy was 83 % using transurethral sonography, 77 % using computed tomography. Although transurethral ultrasonography is more advantageous than computed tomography in the low stage in regard to accuracy, computed tomography is excellent method to obtain information about the tumor invasion and/or metastases. Of 25 cases combind with computed tomography and transurethral sonography. tumors were correctly staged by both methods in 18 cases (72 %). Histopathological stage was consistent with neither ultrasonographic stage nor computed tomographic stage in 2 cases, and any of these tumors was correctly staged by either of these methods. Although transurethral ultrasonography and computed tomography improve the clinical stage of the bladder tumors separately, some limitations and problems was recognized on using together with these methods for staging the bladder tumors. (author)
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Numerical simulation of radial compressor stage
Syka, T.; Luňáček, O.
2013-04-01
Article describes numerical simulations of air flow in radial compressor stage in NUMECA CFD software. In simulations geometry variants with and without seals are used. During tasks evaluating was observed seals influence on flow field and performance parameters of compressor stage. Also is described CFDresults comparison with results from design software based on experimental measurements and monitoring of influence of seals construction on compressor stage efficiency.
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Numerical simulation of radial compressor stage
Luňáček O.; Syka T.
2013-01-01
Article describes numerical simulations of air flow in radial compressor stage in NUMECA CFD software. In simulations geometry variants with and without seals are used. During tasks evaluating was observed seals influence on flow field and performance parameters of compressor stage. Also is described CFDresults comparison with results from design software based on experimental measurements and monitoring of influence of seals construction on compressor stage efficiency.
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EVALUATION OF A TWO-STAGE PASSIVE TREATMENT APPROACH FOR MINING INFLUENCE WATERS
A two-stage passive treatment approach was assessed at bench-scale using two Colorado Mining Influenced Waters (MIWs). The first-stage was a limestone drain with the purpose of removing iron and aluminum and mitigating the potential effects of mineral acidity. The second stage w...
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Tartt, David M.; Hewett, Marle D.; Duke, Eugene L.; Cooper, James A.; Brumbaugh, Randal W.
1989-01-01
The Automated Flight Test Management System (ATMS) is being developed as part of the NASA Aircraft Automation Program. This program focuses on the application of interdisciplinary state-of-the-art technology in artificial intelligence, control theory, and systems methodology to problems of operating and flight testing high-performance aircraft. The development of a Flight Test Engineer's Workstation (FTEWS) is presented, with a detailed description of the system, technical details, and future planned developments. The goal of the FTEWS is to provide flight test engineers and project officers with an automated computer environment for planning, scheduling, and performing flight test programs. The FTEWS system is an outgrowth of the development of ATMS and is an implementation of a component of ATMS on SUN workstations.
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UAS-NAS Flight Test Series 3: Test Environment Report
Hoang, Ty; Murphy, Jim; Otto, Neil
2016-01-01
The desire and ability to fly Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) is of increasing urgency. The application of unmanned aircraft to perform national security, defense, scientific, and emergency management are driving the critical need for less restrictive access by UAS to the NAS. UAS represent a new capability that will provide a variety of services in the government (public) and commercial (civil) aviation sectors. The growth of this potential industry has not yet been realized due to the lack of a common understanding of what is required to safely operate UAS in the NAS. NASA's UAS Integration in the NAS Project is conducting research in the areas of Separation Assurance/Sense and Avoid Interoperability (SSI), Human Systems Integration (HSI), and Communications (Comm), and Certification to support reducing the barriers of UAS access to the NAS. This research is broken into two research themes namely, UAS Integration and Test Infrastructure. UAS Integration focuses on airspace integration procedures and performance standards to enable UAS integration in the air transportation system, covering Detect and Avoid (DAA) performance standards, command and control performance standards, and human systems integration. The focus of Test Infrastructure is to enable development and validation of airspace integration procedures and performance standards, including integrated test and evaluation. In support of the integrated test and evaluation efforts, the Project will develop an adaptable, scalable, and schedulable relevant test environment capable of evaluating concepts and technologies for unmanned aircraft systems to safely operate in the NAS. To accomplish this task, the Project is conducting a series of human-in-the-loop (HITL) and flight test activities that integrate key concepts, technologies and/or procedures in a relevant air traffic environment. Each of the integrated events will build on the technical achievements, fidelity, and
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A knowledge-based flight status monitor for real-time application in digital avionics systems
Duke, E. L.; Disbrow, J. D.; Butler, G. F.
1989-01-01
The Dryden Flight Research Facility of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (Ames-Dryden) is the principal NASA facility for the flight testing and evaluation of new and complex avionics systems. To aid in the interpretation of system health and status data, a knowledge-based flight status monitor was designed. The monitor was designed to use fault indicators from the onboard system which are telemetered to the ground and processed by a rule-based model of the aircraft failure management system to give timely advice and recommendations in the mission control room. One of the important constraints on the flight status monitor is the need to operate in real time, and to pursue this aspect, a joint research activity between NASA Ames-Dryden and the Royal Aerospace Establishment (RAE) on real-time knowledge-based systems was established. Under this agreement, the original LISP knowledge base for the flight status monitor was reimplemented using the intelligent knowledge-based system toolkit, MUSE, which was developed under RAE sponsorship. Details of the flight status monitor and the MUSE implementation are presented.
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Pathak, Hrishikesh V; Dixit, Pradeep; Shrigiriwar, Manish; Bardale, Rajesh
2012-07-01
Teeth development is widely used for age estimation in forensic science. The aims of this study were as follows: first, to establish Indian data on canine and first premolar development for age estimation and second, to investigate population differences in teeth development. Orthopantomograms of 340 Indian children aged between 5 and 14 years were analyzed. Demirjian's stages were recorded for the developmental evaluation of canine and first premolar and for further descriptive statistical analysis. A two-way ANOVA was performed to test the significance of difference in teeth development by sex and stage. A one-way ANOVA was performed to investigate population differences in teeth development. Results showed statistically significant differences in teeth development by sex and stage. Accordingly, teeth development was earlier in girls. No statistically significant differences were observed in timings of Demirjian's stages among different populations. In conclusion, the findings of this study could be used for age estimation of Indian children. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
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14 CFR 141.41 - Flight simulators, flight training devices, and training aids.
2010-01-01
..., and training aids. 141.41 Section 141.41 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION... aids. An applicant for a pilot school certificate or a provisional pilot school certificate must show that its flight simulators, flight training devices, training aids, and equipment meet the following...
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Duke, Eugene L.; Hewett, Marle D.; Brumbaugh, Randal W.; Tartt, David M.; Antoniewicz, Robert F.; Agarwal, Arvind K.
1988-01-01
An automated flight test management system (ATMS) and its use to develop a rapid-prototyping flight research facility for artificial intelligence (AI) based flight systems concepts are described. The ATMS provides a flight test engineer with a set of tools that assist in flight planning and simulation. This system will be capable of controlling an aircraft during the flight test by performing closed-loop guidance functions, range management, and maneuver-quality monitoring. The rapid-prototyping flight research facility is being developed at the Dryden Flight Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Center (Ames-Dryden) to provide early flight assessment of emerging AI technology. The facility is being developed as one element of the aircraft automation program which focuses on the qualification and validation of embedded real-time AI-based systems.
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14 CFR 63.43 - Flight engineer courses.
2010-01-01
... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Flight engineer courses. 63.43 Section 63...) AIRMEN CERTIFICATION: FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS OTHER THAN PILOTS Flight Engineers § 63.43 Flight engineer courses. An applicant for approval of a flight engineer course must submit a letter to the Administrator...
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Knighton, Donna L.
1992-01-01
A Flight Test Engineering Database Management System (FTE DBMS) was designed and implemented at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility. The X-29 Forward Swept Wing Advanced Technology Demonstrator flight research program was chosen for the initial system development and implementation. The FTE DBMS greatly assisted in planning and 'mass production' card preparation for an accelerated X-29 research program. Improved Test Plan tracking and maneuver management for a high flight-rate program were proven, and flight rates of up to three flights per day, two times per week were maintained.
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Staging of intestinal- and diffuse-type gastric cancers with the OLGA and OLGIM staging systems.
Cho, S-J; Choi, I J; Kook, M-C; Nam, B-H; Kim, C G; Lee, J Y; Ryu, K W; Kim, Y-W
2013-11-01
Operative link on gastritis assessment (OLGA) and Operative link on gastric intestinal metaplasia assessment (OLGIM) staging systems have been proposed for gastric cancer (GC) risk estimation. To validate the OLGA and OLGIM staging systems in a region with high risk of GC. This retrospective study included 474 GC patients and age- and sex-matched health screening control persons in a cancer centre hospital. We classified gastritis patterns according to the OLGA and OLGIM systems using the histological database that a pathologist prospectively evaluated using the updated Sydney system. GC risk according to the OLGA and OLGIM stages was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. More GC patients had OLGA stages III-IV (46.2%) than controls (26.6%, P diffuse-type GCs (30.9%). OLGA stages III and IV were significantly associated with increased risk of GC [odds ratios (ORs), 2.09; P = 0.008 and 2.04; P = 0.014 respectively] in multivariate analysis. The association was more significant for intestinal-type (ORs, 4.76; P = 0.001 and 4.19; P = 0.002 respectively), but not diffuse-type GC. OLGIM stages from I to IV were significantly associated with increased risk of both intestinal-type (ORs, 3.64, 5.15, 7.89 and 13.20 respectively) and diffuse-type GC (ORs, 1.84, 2.59, 5.08 and 6.32 respectively) with a significantly increasing trend. As high OLGA and OLGIM stages are independent risk factors for gastric cancer, the staging systems may be useful for risk assessment in high-risk regions, especially for intestinal-type gastric cancer. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Human factors considerations in the design and evaluation of flight deck displays and controls
2013-11-01
The objective of this effort is to have a single source document for human factors regulatory and guidance material for flight deck displays and controls, in the interest of improving aviation safety. This document identifies guidance on human factor...
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Perseus B Taxi Tests in Preparation for a New Series of Flight Tests
1998-01-01
The Perseus B remotely piloted aircraft taxis on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, before a series of development flights at NASA's Dryden flight Research Center. The Perseus B is the latest of three versions of the Perseus design developed by Aurora Flight Sciences under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program. Perseus B is a remotely piloted aircraft developed as a design-performance testbed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Perseus is one of several flight vehicles involved in the ERAST project. A piston engine, propeller-powered aircraft, Perseus was designed and built by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia. The objectives of Perseus B's ERAST flight tests have been to reach and maintain horizontal flight above altitudes of 60,000 feet and demonstrate the capability to fly missions lasting from 8 to 24 hours, depending on payload and altitude requirements. The Perseus B aircraft established an unofficial altitude record for a single-engine, propeller-driven, remotely piloted aircraft on June 27, 1998. It reached an altitude of 60,280 feet. In 1999, several modifications were made to the Perseus aircraft including engine, avionics, and flight-control-system improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a series of operational readiness and test missions at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Perseus is a high-wing monoplane with a conventional tail design. Its narrow, straight, high-aspect-ratio wing is mounted atop the fuselage. The aircraft is pusher-designed with the propeller mounted in the rear. This design allows for interchangeable scientific-instrument payloads to be placed in the forward fuselage. The design also allows for unobstructed airflow to the sensors and other devices mounted in the payload compartment. The Perseus B that underwent test and development in 1999 was the third generation of the Perseus
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The validity of using juvenile stages for evaluation of salt stress ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Triticum durum) on the basis of their salt stress tolerance. The effect of this abiotic constraint was investigated at tillering stage using hydroponic culture. Some growth and development parameters were measured between three and six leaves stages ...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Tan, Eric C [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Smith, Raymond [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Ruiz-Mercado, Gerardo [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
2017-11-01
This presentation examines different methods for analyzing manufacturing processes in the early stages of technical readiness. Before developers know much detail about their processes, it is valuable to apply various assessments to evaluate their performance. One type of assessment evaluates performance indicators to describe how closely processes approach desirable objectives. Another type of assessment determines the life cycle inventories (LCI) of inputs and outputs for processes, where for a functional unit of product, the user evaluates the resources used and the releases to the environment. These results can be compared to similar processes or combined with the LCI of other processes to examine up-and down-stream chemicals. The inventory also provides a listing of the up-stream chemicals, which permits study of the whole life cycle. Performance indicators are evaluated in this presentation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's GREENSCOPE (Gauging Reaction Effectiveness for ENvironmental Sustainability with a multi-Objective Process Evaluator) methodology, which evaluates processes in four areas: Environment, Energy, Economics, and Efficiency. The method develops relative scores for indicators that allow comparisons across various technologies. In this contribution, two conversion pathways for producing cellulosic ethanol from biomass, via thermochemical and biochemical routes, are studied. The information developed from the indicators and LCI can be used to inform the process design and the potential life cycle effects of up- and down-stream chemicals.
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Advanced in-flight measurement techniques
Lawson, Nicholas; Jentink, Henk; Kompenhans, Jürgen
2013-01-01
The book presents a synopsis of the main results achieved during the 3 year EU-project "Advanced Inflight Measurement Techniques (AIM)" which applied advanced image based measurement techniques to industrial flight testing. The book is intended to be not only an overview on the AIM activities but also a guide on the application of advanced optical measurement techniques for future flight testing. Furthermore it is a useful guide for engineers in the field of experimental methods and flight testing who face the challenge of a future requirement for the development of highly accurate non-intrusive in-flight measurement techniques.
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Numerical simulation of radial compressor stage
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Luňáček O.
2013-04-01
Full Text Available Article describes numerical simulations of air flow in radial compressor stage in NUMECA CFD software. In simulations geometry variants with and without seals are used. During tasks evaluating was observed seals influence on flow field and performance parameters of compressor stage. Also is described CFDresults comparison with results from design software based on experimental measurements and monitoring of influence of seals construction on compressor stage efficiency.
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Sabbagh-Haddad, Aida; Haddad, Denise Sabbagh; Michel-Crosato, Edgard; Arita, Emiko Saito
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dental radiographic characteristics as described in 40 records of patients with panoramic radiography. The patients were in the range of 6-17 years old, and were divided into two groups (20 subjects who were compatible with the normality standard and 20 individuals diagnosed with the FXS), which were matched for gender and age. Analysis of the panoramic radiographic examination involved the evaluation of dental mineralization stage, mandibular angle size, and presence of dental anomalies in both deciduous and permanent dentitions. The results of radiographic evaluation demonstrated that the chronology of tooth eruption of all third and second lower molars is anticipated in individuals with FXS (pdental anomalies. In addition, an increase was observed in the mandibular angle size in the FXS group (pdental radiographic changes is of great importance for dental surgeons to plan the treatment of these individuals.
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Hang, Richard
2015-01-01
The presentation will overview NASA Armstrong Flight Research Centers flight test capabilities, which can provide various means for flight testing of passive and active wireless sensor systems, also, it will address the needs of the wireless data acquisition solutions for the centers flight instrumentation issues such as additional weight caused by added instrumentation wire bundles, connectors, wire cables routing, moving components, etc., that the Passive Wireless Sensor Technology Workshop may help. The presentation shows the constraints and requirements that the wireless sensor systems will face in the flight test applications.
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MR imaging for staging of cervical carcinoma: Update
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Yoon, Seong Kuk; Kim, Dong Won [Dong A University Hospital, Busan(Korea, Republic of)
2017-08-15
Uterine cervical cancer is globally the third most common cancer among women, and shows high mortality with invasive cervical carcinoma. Early detection of the disease, its correct staging, and treatment are therefore of great importance. The staging system updated in 2009 by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), is commonly used for planning the treatment. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the FIGO staging system. Accurate tumor staging is very important to decide the treatment strategy. Although not included in the staging system, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a valuable tool for local staging of the disease, and is useful in assessing the spread of the tumor and metastatic lymph nodes, thereby becoming a more accurate substitute for clinical staging of cervical carcinoma. In addition, it is capable of assessing the disease response to surgery or chemoradiation. This review briefly describes the role of MR imaging and the basic MR scanning protocol in evaluating cervical carcinoma. The MR findings with staging, and MR evaluation of treatment response, are further addressed.
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A Concept of Two-Stage-To-Orbit Reusable Launch Vehicle
Yang, Yong; Wang, Xiaojun; Tang, Yihua
2002-01-01
Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) has a capability of delivering a wide rang of payload to earth orbit with greater reliability, lower cost, more flexibility and operability than any of today's launch vehicles. It is the goal of future space transportation systems. Past experience on single stage to orbit (SSTO) RLVs, such as NASA's NASP project, which aims at developing an rocket-based combined-cycle (RBCC) airplane and X-33, which aims at developing a rocket RLV, indicates that SSTO RLV can not be realized in the next few years based on the state-of-the-art technologies. This paper presents a concept of all rocket two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) reusable launch vehicle. The TSTO RLV comprises an orbiter and a booster stage. The orbiter is mounted on the top of the booster stage. The TSTO RLV takes off vertically. At the altitude about 50km the booster stage is separated from the orbiter, returns and lands by parachutes and airbags, or lands horizontally by means of its own propulsion system. The orbiter continues its ascent flight and delivers the payload into LEO orbit. After completing orbit mission, the orbiter will reenter into the atmosphere, automatically fly to the ground base and finally horizontally land on the runway. TSTO RLV has less technology difficulties and risk than SSTO, and maybe the practical approach to the RLV in the near future.
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Stevenson, Lindsay G; Drake, Steven K; Shea, Yvonne R; Zelazny, Adrian M; Murray, Patrick R
2010-10-01
We evaluated the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the rapid identification of yeast species. Using Bruker Daltonics MALDI BioTyper software, we created a spectral database library with m/z ratios of 2,000 to 20,000 Da for 109 type and reference strains of yeast (44 species in 8 genera). The database was tested for accuracy by use of 194 clinical isolates (23 species in 6 genera). A total of 192 (99.0%) of the clinical isolates were identified accurately by MALDI-TOF MS. The MALDI-TOF MS-based method was found to be reproducible and accurate, with low consumable costs and minimal preparation time.
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Theseus First Flight - May 24, 1996
1996-01-01
The Theseus prototype research aircraft shows off its high aspect-ratio wing as it lifts off from Rogers Dry Lake during its first test flight from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on May 24, 1996. The Theseus aircraft, built and operated by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, Manassas, Virginia, was a unique aircraft flown at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, under a cooperative agreement between NASA and Aurora. Dryden hosted the Theseus program, providing hangar space and range safety for flight testing. Aurora Flight Sciences was responsible for the actual flight testing, vehicle flight safety, and operation of the aircraft. The Theseus remotely piloted aircraft flew its maiden flight on May 24, 1996, at Dryden. During its sixth flight on November 12, 1996, Theseus experienced an in-flight structural failure that resulted in the loss of the aircraft. As of the beginning of the year 2000, Aurora had not rebuilt the aircraft. Theseus was built for NASA under an innovative, $4.9 million fixed-price contract by Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and its partners, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, and Fairmont State College, Fairmont, West Virginia. The twin-engine, unpiloted vehicle had a 140-foot wingspan, and was constructed largely of composite materials. Powered by two 80-horsepower, turbocharged piston engines that drove twin 9-foot-diameter propellers, Theseus was designed to fly autonomously at high altitudes, with takeoff and landing under the active control of a ground-based pilot in a ground control station 'cockpit.' With the potential ability to carry 700 pounds of science instruments to altitudes above 60,000 feet for durations of greater than 24 hours, Theseus was intended to support research in areas such as stratospheric ozone depletion and the atmospheric effects of future high-speed civil transport aircraft engines. Instruments carried aboard Theseus also would be able to
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Altitude exposures during commercial flight: a reappraisal.
Hampson, Neil B; Kregenow, David A; Mahoney, Anne M; Kirtland, Steven H; Horan, Kathleen L; Holm, James R; Gerbino, Anthony J
2013-01-01
Hypobaric hypoxia during commercial air travel has the potential to cause or worsen hypoxemia in individuals with pre-existing cardiopulmonary compromise. Knowledge of cabin altitude pressures aboard contemporary flights is essential to counseling patients accurately about flying safety. The objective of the study was to measure peak cabin altitudes during U.S. domestic commercial flights on a variety of aircraft. A handheld mountaineering altimeter was carried by the investigators in the plane cabin during commercial air travel and peak cabin altitude measured. The values were then compared between aircraft models, aircraft classes, and distances flown. The average peak cabin altitude on 207 flights aboard 17 different aircraft was 6341 +/- 1813 ft (1933 m +/- 553 m), significantly higher than when measured in a similar fashion in 1988. Peak cabin altitude was significantly higher for flights longer than 750 mi (7085 +/- 801 ft) compared to shorter flights (5160 +/- 2290 ft/1573 +/- 698 m). Cabin altitude increased linearly with flight distance for flights up to 750 mi in length, but was independent of flight distance for flights exceeding 750 mi. Peak cabin altitude was less than 5000 ft (1524 m) in 70% of flights shorter than 500 mi. Peak cabin altitudes greater than 8000 ft (2438 m) were measured on approximately 10% of the total flights. Peak cabin altitude on commercial aircraft flights has risen over time. Cabin altitude is lower with flights of shorter distance. Physicians should take these factors into account when determining an individual's need for supplemental oxygen during commercial air travel.
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Poor flight performance in deep-diving cormorants.
Watanabe, Yuuki Y; Takahashi, Akinori; Sato, Katsufumi; Viviant, Morgane; Bost, Charles-André
2011-02-01
Aerial flight and breath-hold diving present conflicting morphological and physiological demands, and hence diving seabirds capable of flight are expected to face evolutionary trade-offs regarding locomotory performances. We tested whether Kerguelen shags Phalacrocorax verrucosus, which are remarkable divers, have poor flight capability using newly developed tags that recorded their flight air speed (the first direct measurement for wild birds) with propeller sensors, flight duration, GPS position and depth during foraging trips. Flight air speed (mean 12.7 m s(-1)) was close to the speed that minimizes power requirement, rather than energy expenditure per distance, when existing aerodynamic models were applied. Flights were short (mean 92 s), with a mean summed duration of only 24 min day(-1). Shags sometimes stayed at the sea surface without diving between flights, even on the way back to the colony, and surface durations increased with the preceding flight durations; these observations suggest that shags rested after flights. Our results indicate that their flight performance is physiologically limited, presumably compromised by their great diving capability (max. depth 94 m, duration 306 s) through their morphological adaptations for diving, including large body mass (enabling a large oxygen store), small flight muscles (to allow for large leg muscles for underwater propulsion) and short wings (to decrease air volume in the feathers and hence buoyancy). The compromise between flight and diving, as well as the local bathymetry, shape the three-dimensional foraging range (<26 km horizontally, <94 m vertically) in this bottom-feeding cormorant.
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Collaborative en-route and slot allocation algorithm based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation
Yang, Shangwen; Guo, Baohua; Xiao, Xuefei; Gao, Haichao
2018-01-01
To allocate the en-routes and slots to the flights with collaborative decision making, a collaborative en-route and slot allocation algorithm based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation was proposed. Evaluation indexes include flight delay costs, delay time and the number of turning points. Analytic hierarchy process is applied to determining index weights. Remark set for current two flights not yet obtained the en-route and slot in flight schedule is established. Then, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is performed, and the en-route and slot for the current two flights are determined. Continue selecting the flight not yet obtained an en-route and a slot in flight schedule. Perform fuzzy comprehensive evaluation until all flights have obtained the en-routes and slots. MatlabR2007b was applied to numerical test based on the simulated data of a civil en-route. Test results show that, compared with the traditional strategy of first come first service, the algorithm gains better effect. The effectiveness of the algorithm was verified.
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Noise exposure during ambulance flights and repatriation operations.
Küpper, Thomas E; Zimmer, Bernd; Conrad, Gerson; Jansing, Paul; Hardt, Aline
2010-01-01
Although ambulance flights are routine work and thousands of employees work in repatriation organizations, there is no data on noise exposure which may be used for preventive advice. We investigated the noise exposure of crews working in ambulance flight organizations for international patient repatriation to get the data for specific guidelines concerning noise protection. Noise levels inside Learjet 35A, the aircraft type which is most often used for repatriation operations, were collected from locations where flight crews typically spend their time. A sound level meter class 1 meeting the DIN IEC 651 requirements was used for noise measurements, but several factors during the real flight situations caused a measurement error of ~3%. Therefore, the results fulfill the specifications for class 2. The data was collected during several real repatriation operations and was combined with the flight data (hours per day) regarding the personnel to evaluate the occupationally encountered equivalent noise level according to DIN 45645-2. The measured noise levels were safely just below the 85 dB(A) threshold and should not induce permanent threshold shifts, provided that additional high noise exposure by non-occupational or private activities was avoided. As the levels of the noise produced by the engines outside the cabin are significantly above the 85 dB(A) threshold, the doors of the aircraft must be kept closed while the engines are running, and any activity performed outside the aircraft - or with the doors opened while the engines are running - must be done with adequate noise protection. The new EU noise directive (2003/10/EG) states that protective equipment must be made available to the aircrew to protect their hearing, though its use is not mandatory.
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Landing errors in the men’s floor exercise are caused by flight characteristics
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M Marinsek
2010-06-01
Full Text Available Landing errors on men’s floor exercises are caused by the flight parameters. Depending of the flight phase is determined the magnitude of the landing mistake. On the sample of all gymnasts (n=97 who were competing in the qualifications of the senior Men’s European Championships 2004 in Ljubljana, we analyzed saltos which were performed by them. Variables according to the theoretical model for the evaluation of salto landings in the floor exercise were used. From the mentioned model we chose only those variables that relate to the flight phase. Axis of rotation, number of turns around longitudinal axis and initial landing height havea significant impact on the magnitude of the landing mistake.
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Burcham, Frank W., Jr.; Maine, Trindel A.; Burken, John J.; Pappas, Drew
1996-01-01
An emergency flight control system using only engine thrust, called Propulsion-Controlled Aircraft (PCA), has been developed and flight tested on an MD-11 airplane. In this thrust-only control system, pilot flight path and track commands and aircraft feedback parameters are used to control the throttles. The PCA system was installed on the MD-11 airplane using software modifications to existing computers. Flight test results show that the PCA system can be used to fly to an airport and safely land a transport airplane with an inoperative flight control system. In up-and-away operation, the PCA system served as an acceptable autopilot capable of extended flight over a range of speeds and altitudes. The PCA approaches, go-arounds, and three landings without the use of any non-nal flight controls have been demonstrated, including instrument landing system-coupled hands-off landings. The PCA operation was used to recover from an upset condition. In addition, PCA was tested at altitude with all three hydraulic systems turned off. This paper reviews the principles of throttles-only flight control; describes the MD-11 airplane and systems; and discusses PCA system development, operation, flight testing, and pilot comments.
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Airline Schedule Disruption Management. The impact of flight delays on connection loss
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rahil Hicham
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Air travel demand is important and many travellers choose to drive to larger airports instead of flying from a small airport for many reasons, especially availability of non-stop flights. Another reason is perceived reliability of service. Consultants have pointed to a large number of delays and cancellations as reasons for low passenger. However, the effect of these flight delays on actual travel times is less clear. Because connections are usually necessary when traveling from small airports, departure delays may lead to missed connections. In the case of a cancellation, need to wait several hours (often overnight for the next flight due to the small number of daily departures. This paper evaluate the impact of delays and cancellations on the profit earned through the seats captured on new opened routes. This aspect of decision-making comes in the form of multi-objective problem by testing the impact of a new opened route in terms of flight delays costs, financial gain and the quality of the service provided to a target customer. The NSGA-II algorithm is adopted to generate a front of Pareto-optimal compound of a number of optimal departure times to the new destination while ensuring the best fill rate, and a minimum flight delays. The experiences are based on the flights of the Royal Air Maroc Company on the Casablanca hub.
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The Role of Intuition in the Generation and Evaluation Stages of Creativity
Pétervári, Judit; Osman, Magda; Bhattacharya, Joydeep
2016-01-01
Both intuition and creativity are associated with knowledge creation, yet a clear link between them has not been adequately established. First, the available empirical evidence for an underlying relationship between intuition and creativity is sparse in nature. Further, this evidence is arguable as the concepts are diversely operationalized and the measures adopted are often not validated sufficiently. Combined, these issues make the findings from various studies examining the link between intuition and creativity difficult to replicate. Nevertheless, the role of intuition in creativity should not be neglected as it is often reported to be a core component of the idea generation process, which in conjunction with idea evaluation are crucial phases of creative cognition. We review the prior research findings in respect of idea generation and idea evaluation from the view that intuition can be construed as the gradual accumulation of cues to coherence. Thus, we summarize the literature on what role intuitive processes play in the main stages of the creative problem-solving process and outline a conceptual framework of the interaction between intuition and creativity. Finally, we discuss the main challenges of measuring intuition as well as possible directions for future research. PMID:27703439
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ariel E. Marciscano
2017-06-01
Full Text Available ObjectiveDysphonia is common among patients with early stage glottic cancer. Laryngeal videostroboscopy (LVS has not been routinely used to assess post-radiotherapy (RT voice changes. We hypothesized that LVS would demonstrate improvement in laryngeal function after definitive RT for early-stage glottic cancer.Study designBlinded retrospective review of perceptual voice and stroboscopic parameters for patients with early glottic cancer and controls.SettingHigh-volume, single-institution academic medical center.Subjects and methodsFifteen patients underwent RT for Tis-T2N0M0 glottic cancer and were evaluated with serial LVS exams pre- and post-RT. Stroboscopic assessment included six parameters: vocal fold (VF vibration, VF mobility, erythema/edema, supraglottic compression, glottic closure, and secretions. Grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain (GRBAS voice perceptual scale was graded in tandem with LVS score. Assessments were grouped by time interval from RT: pre-RT, 0–4, 4–12, and >12 months post-RT.Results60 LVS exams and corresponding GRBAS assessments were reviewed. There were significant improvements in ipsilateral VF motion (P = 0.03 and vibration (P = 0.001 and significant worsening in contralateral VF motion (P < 0.001 and vibration (P = 0.008 at >12 months post-RT. Glottic closure significantly worsened, most prominent >12 months post-RT (P = 0.01. Composite GRBAS scores were significantly improved across all post-RT intervals.ConclusionLVS proved to be a robust tool for assessing pre- and post-RT laryngeal function. We observed post-RT improvement in ipsilateral VF function, a decline in contralateral VF function, and decreased glottic closure. These results demonstrate that LVS can detect meaningful changes in VF and glottic function and support its use for post-RT evaluation of glottic cancer patients.
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Nutritional Biochemistry of Space Flight
Smith, Scott M.
2000-01-01
Adequate nutrition is critical for maintenance of crew health during and after extended-duration space flight. The impact of weightlessness on human physiology is profound, with effects on many systems related to nutrition, including bone, muscle, hematology, fluid and electrolyte regulation. Additionally, we have much to learn regarding the impact of weightlessness on absorption, mtabolism , and excretion of nutrients, and this will ultimately determine the nutrient requirements for extended-duration space flight. Existing nutritional requirements for extended-duration space flight have been formulated based on limited flight research, and extrapolation from ground-based research. NASA's Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory is charged with defining the nutritional requirements for space flight. This is accomplished through both operational and research projects. A nutritional status assessment program is included operationally for all International Space Station astronauts. This medical requirement includes biochemical and dietary assessments, and is completed before, during, and after the missions. This program will provide information about crew health and nutritional status, and will also provide assessments of countermeasure efficacy. Ongoing research projects include studies of calcium and bone metabolism, and iron absorption and metabolism. The calcium studies include measurements of endocrine regulation of calcium homeostasis, biochemical marker of bone metabolism, and tracer kinetic studies of calcium movement in the body. These calcium kinetic studies allow for estimation of intestinal absorption, urinary excretion, and perhaps most importantly - deposition and resorption of calcium from bone. The Calcium Kinetics experiment is currently being prepared for flight on the Space Shuttle in 2001, and potentially for subsequent Shuttle and International Space Station missions. The iron study is intended to assess whether iron absorption is down-regulated dUl1ng
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Design and Evaluation of a Digital Flight Control System for the FROG Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Flood, Christopher
2001-01-01
.... This autopilot imposed significant limitations on the responsiveness of the FROG. This project developed and tested an off board digital flight control system for use in lieu of the previous electromechanical device...
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In-flight Fault Detection and Isolation in Aircraft Flight Control Systems
Azam, Mohammad; Pattipati, Krishna; Allanach, Jeffrey; Poll, Scott; Patterson-Hine, Ann
2005-01-01
In this paper we consider the problem of test design for real-time fault detection and isolation (FDI) in the flight control system of fixed-wing aircraft. We focus on the faults that are manifested in the control surface elements (e.g., aileron, elevator, rudder and stabilizer) of an aircraft. For demonstration purposes, we restrict our focus on the faults belonging to nine basic fault classes. The diagnostic tests are performed on the features extracted from fifty monitored system parameters. The proposed tests are able to uniquely isolate each of the faults at almost all severity levels. A neural network-based flight control simulator, FLTZ(Registered TradeMark), is used for the simulation of various faults in fixed-wing aircraft flight control systems for the purpose of FDI.