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At least 217 records · Page 12

Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut. International Fitness Challenge

The Mission X, Train like an Astronaut, pilot project was a 2-year effort directed by the International Life Science Working Group. The pilot was funded by the Human Research Program and was lead by the Human Research Program Education and Outreach (HRPEO) project and supported by a group of space agencies providing in-kind resources. The aim was to identify an international educational outreach concept that would promote a life science topic utilizing the education and outreach expertise of the various space agencies working on the utilization of the International Space Station. This in turn serves as an inspiration for the younger generation to aspire to go further in school, and provides insight into the capability of a participating country to ensure the effort provided value for their communities and children. The pilot project developed the necessary tools to promote communications between the partners and to use materials and expertise from all the countries? space agencies. The Mission X Website (trainlikeanastronaut.org) provided a single repository for the educational activities as well as a place for the Challenge Teams to provide their progress in the international fitness challenge. It also added to the International flavor as different countries were able to share and learn about what was happening with all those involved in the 6-week challenge period. A point system was utilized to promote constructive, cooperative competition in which 4164 students participated. The points were used to help FitKid, Astro Charlie, "Walk-To-The-Moon". The 18 physical and educational Mission X activities were made available on the Mission X website in seven languages. The Mission X pilot project was considered a success in 1) the design, development, and implementation of the multi-language website, 2) the expansion of healthy lifestyle awareness, and 3) the concept for drawing an international educational community together to highlight global topics in association with human space exploration. Metrics (70 post-event surveys) and lessons learned were collated and assessed. Key Lessons Learned were 1) foster and strengthen partnerships at all levels, 2) enhance and standardize MX Training, and 3) further expansion of activities and methods to teach the importance of fitness and nutrition. Methods used to teach the importance of nutrition and fitness are provided in the report.

Lloyd, Charles↗

Wind Magnetic Clouds for 2010-2012: Model Parameter Fittings, Associated Shock Waves, and Comparisons to Earlier Periods

We fitted the parameters of magnetic clouds (MCs) as identified in the Wind spacecraft data from early 2010 to the end of 2012 using the model of Lepping, Jones, and Burlaga (J. Geophys. Res. 95, 1195, 1990). The interval contains 48 MCs and 39 magnetic cloud-like (MCL) events. This work is a continuation of MC model fittings of the earlier Wind sets, including those in a recent publication, which covers 2007 to 2009. This period (2010 - 2012) mainly covers the maximum portion of Solar Cycle 24. Between the previous and current interval, we document 5.7 years of MCs observations. For this interval, the occurrence frequency of MCs markedly increased in the last third of the time. In addition, over approximately the last six years, the MC type (i.e. the profile of the magnetic-field direction within an MC, such as North-to-South, South-to-North, all South) dramatically evolved to mainly North-to-South types when compared to earlier years. Furthermore, this evolution of MC type is consistent with global solar magnetic-field changes predicted by Bothmer and Rust (Coronal Mass Ejections, 139, 1997). Model fit parameters for the MCs are listed for 2010 - 2012. For the 5.7 year interval, the observed MCs are found to be slower, weaker in estimated axial magnetic-field intensity, and shorter in duration than those of the earlier 12.3 years, yielding much lower axial magnetic-field fluxes. For about the first half of this 5.7 year period, i.e. up to the end of 2009, there were very few associated MC-driven shock waves (distinctly fewer than the long-term average of about 50 % of MCs). But since 2010, such driven shocks have increased markedly, reflecting similar statistics as the long-term averages. We estimate that 56 % of the total observed MCs have upstream shocks when the full interval of 1995 - 2012 is considered. However, only 28 % of the total number of MCLs have driven shocks over the same period. Some interplanetary shocks during the 2010 - 2012 interval are seen to apparently occur without an obvious MC-driver, probably indicating an encounter with a distant flank of a MC-driven shock. Some of these may be driven by a different kind of structure, however.

Magnetic clouds↗

A Parametric Model of Shoulder Articulation for Virtual Assessment of Space Suit Fit

Shoulder injury is one of the most severe risks that have the potential to impair crewmembers' performance and health in long duration space flight. Overall, 64% of crewmembers experience shoulder pain after extra-vehicular training in a space suit, and 14% of symptomatic crewmembers require surgical repair (Williams & Johnson, 2003). Suboptimal suit fit, in particular at the shoulder region, has been identified as one of the predominant risk factors. However, traditional suit fit assessments and laser scans represent only a single person's data, and thus may not be generalized across wide variations of body shapes and poses. The aim of this work is to develop a software tool based on a statistical analysis of a large dataset of crewmember body shapes. This tool can accurately predict the skin deformation and shape variations for any body size and shoulder pose for a target population, from which the geometry can be exported and evaluated against suit models in commercial CAD software. A preliminary software tool was developed by statistically analyzing 150 body shapes matched with body dimension ranges specified in the Human-Systems Integration Requirements of NASA ("baseline model"). Further, the baseline model was incorporated with shoulder joint articulation ("articulation model"), using additional subjects scanned in a variety of shoulder poses across a pre-specified range of motion. Scan data was cleaned and aligned using body landmarks. The skin deformation patterns were dimensionally reduced and the co-variation with shoulder angles was analyzed. A software tool is currently in development and will be presented in the final proceeding. This tool would allow suit engineers to parametrically generate body shapes in strategically targeted anthropometry dimensions and shoulder poses. This would also enable virtual fit assessments, with which the contact volume and clearance between the suit and body surface can be predictively quantified at reduced time and cost.

Kim, K. Han↗

A Parametric Model of Shoulder Articulation for Virtual Assessment of Space Suit Fit

Suboptimal suit fit is a known risk factor for crewmember shoulder injury. Suit fit assessment is however prohibitively time consuming and cannot be generalized across wide variations of body shapes and poses. In this work, we have developed a new design tool based on the statistical analysis of body shape scans. This tool is aimed at predicting the skin deformation and shape variations for any body size and shoulder pose for a target population. This new process, when incorporated with CAD software, will enable virtual suit fit assessments, predictively quantifying the contact volume, and clearance between the suit and body surface at reduced time and cost.

Kim, K. Han↗

Intensity Conserving Spectral Fitting

The detailed shapes of spectral line profiles provide valuable information about the emitting plasma, especially when the plasma contains an unresolved mixture of velocities, temperatures, and densities. As a result of finite spectral resolution, the intensity measured by a spectrometer is the average intensity across a wavelength bin of non-zero size. It is assigned to the wavelength position at the center of the bin. However, the actual intensity at that discrete position will be different if the profile is curved, as it invariably is. Standard fitting routines (spline, Gaussian, etc.) do not account for this difference, and this can result in significant errors when making sensitive measurements. Detection of asymmetries in solar coronal emission lines is one example. Removal of line blends is another. We have developed an iterative procedure that corrects for this effect. It can be used with any fitting function, but we employ a cubic spline in a new analysis routine called Intensity Conserving Spline Interpolation (ICSI). As the name implies, it conserves the observed intensity within each wavelength bin, which ordinary fits do not. Given the rapid convergence, speed of computation, and ease of use, we suggest that ICSI be made a standard component of the processing pipeline for spectroscopic data.

Klimchuk, J. A.↗

Real-time Exponential Curve Fits Using Discrete Calculus

This paper presents an improved solution for curve fitting data to an exponential equation (Y = AeBt + C). This improvement is in four areas ? speed, stability, determinant processing time, and the removal of limits. The solution presented in this paper avoids iterative techniques and their stability errors by using three mathematical ideas ? discrete calculus, a special relationship (between exponential curves and the Mean Value Theorem for Derivatives), and a simple linear curve fit algorithm. This method can also be applied to fitting data to the general power law equation Y = AxB + C and the general geometric growth equation Y = AkBt + C.

Rowe, Geoffrey K.↗

Results of the Field Test and Defining Sensormotor Fitness for Duty Standards

The primary goals of the Field Test were (1) to determine functional abilities associated with long-duration space flight crews beginning as soon after landing as possible (< 2 hours), and (2) to characterize the time course of recovery with additional follow-up measurement sessions within 24 hours after landing. The NASA and Russian teams have collected data on a total of 39 different United States Orbital Segment (USOS) and Russian crewmembers, with 9 Russian crewmembers being tested twice (total of 48 tests). Eighteen subjects (7 Russian, 11 USOS) completed a reduced Field Test (pilot) protocol and 30 subjects (19 Russian and 11 USOS) participated in the full Field Test. This presentation will focus on a subset of the measures that will be used in the upcoming ground study to determine sensorimotor fitness for duty standards, namely: tandem walk, obstacle walk, eye-hand coordination task, finger-to-nose task, and Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP). Exploration-class missions including Artemis, Gateway, and beyond will require a new level of autonomy around periods of gravitational transition, where sensorimotor disturbances increase. The operational support that is available upon return to Earth including rescue teams, medical interventions, and the ability to rest as needed will not be available after landing on the lunar or Martian surface. Because of this, there is a need to define fitness for duty standards that will help inform crew capabilities during and soon after gravitational transitions. Due to the new requirements of the exploration environment, we must utilize a set of exploration field measures, for which no previous spaceflight data exists to define fitness for duty standards. A Sensorimotor Adaptation Analog (SAA) that can provide different levels of acute disorientation through combined vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive disruptions will be used to increase the range of performance in exploration field measures, simulating the moderate-to-severe performance decrements observed in spaceflight. The levels of SAA will be titrated and validated by comparison to gold standard measures that have a wealth of spaceflight data at different time points during recovery. These data will be pulled directly from the results of Field Test and help ensure the range of performance while being exposed to SAA mimics the range of performance from pre-flight to immediately postflight in Field Test subjects. Specifically, we will be using the tandem walk, obstacle walk, eye-hand coordination task, finger-to-nose task, and CDP as the gold standard measures. Referencing this Field Test data in the form of gold standard measures will also help us characterize and contextualize how each magnitude of SAA disorientation compares to recovery from long-term microgravity exposure.

M J F Rosenberg↗

Planetary Protection is Not a One Size Fits All Missions Approach: Enabling the Planetary Protection Programmatic and Engineering Process

Missions have a wide range of variables that change their management and engineering structure (e.g., competed vs directed missions, multiple NASA centers, international partnerships, increased commercial collaborations, etc.). Why would an identical planetary protection approach and structure for each mission make sense in this evolving landscape? Missions do not fit in a one-size-fits-all approach, likewise their planetary protection process should not be a one-size-fits-all approach. During the significant update to NPR 8715.24 and NASA-STD-8719.27 planetary protection policies, the programmatic execution and engineering implementation processes were changed to provide clarification, streamlining, and expansion to include alternative approaches. From a programmatic perspective, these changes include the flexibility in timing and combination of gate products in addition to providing varying levels of technical depth commensurate and appropriate with the mission categorization. From a technical perspective, these changes include the ability to A) leverage either a performance-based and/or a prescriptive-based approach, B) identify applicable international consensus standards for verification, and C) propose alternative methods that adhere to sound scientific and engineering consensus. This presentation will directly highlight the culture shift in planetary protection, areas of flexibility available to the technical community for mission program and engineering execution, and feature some of the specific mission scenarios that have already leveraged such processes.

Nick Benardini↗

Constrained curve fitting for semi-parametric models with radial basis function networks

Common to many analysis pipelines in lattice gauge theory and the broader scientific discipline is the need to fit a semi-parametric model to data. We propose a fit method that utilizes a radial basis function network to approximate the non-parametric component of such models. The approximate parametric model is fit to data using the basin hopping global optimization algorithm. Parameter constraints are enforced through Gaussian priors. The viability of our method is tested by examining its use in a finite-size scaling analysis of the $q$-state Potts model and $p$-state clock model with $q=2,3$ and $p=4,\infty$.

Peterson, Curtis T.↗

Joint cosmological fits to DESI-DR1 full-shape clustering and weak gravitational lensing in configuration space

We present a joint $3\times2$-pt cosmological analysis of auto- and cross-correlations between the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Data Release 1 (DESI-DR1) Bright Galaxy Survey (BGS) and Luminous Red Galaxy (LRG) samples and overlapping shear measurements from the KiDS-1000, DES-Y3 and HSC-Y3 weak lensing surveys. We perform our analysis in configuration space and, in addition to the cosmic shear correlation functions for each weak lensing dataset, we fit the tangential shear of the weak lensing source galaxies around DESI lens galaxies. Finally, we make use of the anisotropic BGS and LRG clustering information by fitting the full shape of the two-point correlation function multipoles measured over the full DESI-DR1 footprint, presenting the first full-shape analysis of DESI measurements in configuration space. We find that the addition of weak lensing information serves to improve, with respect to the clustering-only case, the measurements of the power spectrum amplitude parameters $\ln(10^{10}A_{\rm{s}})$ and $σ_{12}$ by $15\%$ and $36\%$, respectively. It also improves measurements of the linear bias of the lens galaxies by $15-20\%$, depending on the tracer. Our results show excellent consistency, regardless of the weak lensing survey considered, and are furthermore consistent with a companion analysis that fits $3\times2$-pt correlations including DESI projected clustering measurements, as well as the results published by the weak lensing collaborations themselves. Our measured values for weak lensing amplitude are $S_{8}^{\mathrm{DESI\times HSC}}=0.787\pm0.020$, $S_{8}^{\mathrm{DESI\times DES}}=0.791\pm0.016$, $S_{8}^{\mathrm{DESI\times KiDS}}=0.771\pm0.017$, which are $1.9σ-2.9σ$ below the $S_8$ value preferred by Planck. Finally, our clustering-only results are in good agreement with the Fourier space full-shape analysis of all DESI tracers.

Semenaite, A. [Swinburne U., Ctr. Astrophys. Super↗

Two Sides of a Coin: a Zika Virus Mutation Selected in Pregnant Rhesus Macaques Promotes Fetal Infection in Mice but at a Cost of Reduced Fitness in Nonpregnant Macaques and Diminished Transmissibility by Vectors

Although Zika virus infection of pregnant women can result in congenital Zika syndrome, the factors that cause the syndrome in some but not all infected mothers are still unclear. We identified a mutation that was present in some ZIKV genomes in experimentally inoculated pregnant rhesus macaques and their fetuses. Although we did not find an association between the presence of the mutation and fetal death, we performed additional studies with ZIKV with the mutation in nonpregnant macaques, pregnant mice, and mosquitoes. We observed that the mutation increased the ability of the virus to infect mouse fetuses but decreased its capacity to produce high levels of virus in the blood of nonpregnant macaques and to be transmitted by mosquitoes. This study shows that mutations in mosquito-borne viruses like ZIKV that increase fitness in pregnant vertebrates may not spread in outbreaks when they compromise transmission via mosquitoes and fitness in nonpregnant hosts.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Spherical fitting for oscilloscope film trace reading

This report describes a spherical fitting algorithm that can be used for estimating the oscilloscope film trace coordinates. This algorithm was adopted from a least square algebraic spherical fitting algorithm developed by the author earlier for photovoltaic velocimetry applications. Preliminary assessment suggests that the algorithm may be used for optimizing the coordinates manually digitized by the user, or may be used as an uncertainty estimator for the user’s film reading uncertainties.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Diminished forearm vasomotor response to central hypervolemic loading in aerobically fit individuals

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that cardiopulmonary baroreflex control of forearm vascular resistance (FVR) during central hypervolemic loading was less sensitive in exercise trained high fit individuals (HF) compared to untrained average fit individuals (AF). Eight AF (age: 24 +/- 1 yr and weight: 78.9 +/- 1.7 kg) and eight HF (22 +/- 1 yr 79.5 +/- 2.4 kg) voluntarily participated in the investigation. Maximal aerobic power (determined on a treadmill), plasma volume and blood volume (Evans blue dilution method) were significantly greater in the HF than AF (60.8 +/- 0.7 vs. 41.2 +/- 1.9 ml.kg-1.min-1, 3.96 +/- 0.17 vs 3.36 +/- 0.08 1, and 6.33 +/- 0.23 vs 5.28 +/- 0.13 1). Baseline heart rate (HR), central venous pressure (CVP), mean arterial pressure (MAP, measured by an intraradial catheter or a Finapres finger cuff), forearm blood flow (FBF, plethysmography), and FVR, calculated from the ratio (MAP-CVP)/FBF, were not different between the HF and the AF. Lower body negative pressure (LBNP, -5, -10, -15, and -20 torr) and passive leg elevation (LE, 50 cm) combined with lower body positive pressure (LBPP, +5, +10, and +20 torr) were utilized to elicit central hypovolemia and hypervolemia, respectively. Range of CVP (from LBNP to LE+LBPP) was similar in the AF (from -3.9 to +1.9 mm Hg) and HF (from -4.0 to +2.2 mm Hg). However, FVR/CVP was significantly less in the HF (-1.8 +/- 0.1 unit.mm Hg-1) than AF (-34 +/- 0.1 unit.mm Hg-1). The FVR decrease in response to increase in CVP was significantly diminished in the HF (-1.46 +/- 0.45 unit.mm Hg-1) compared to the AF (-4.40 +/- 0.97 unit.mm Hg-1), and during LBNP induced unloading the FVR/CVP of the HF (-2.01 +/- 0.49 unit.mm Hg-1) was less (P < 0.08) than the AF (-3.28 +/- 0.69 unit.mm Hg-1). We concluded that the cardiopulmonary baroreceptor mediated FVR reflex response was significantly less sensitive to changes in CVP in individuals who practice exercise training.

NASA Discipline Number 93-10↗

An Efficient GPU-Accelerated Multi-Source Global Fit Pipeline for LISA Data Analysis

The large-scale analysis task of deciphering gravitational wave signals in the LISA data stream will be difficult, requiring a large amount of computational resources and extensive development of computational methods. Its high dimensionality, multiple model types, and complicated noise profile require a global fit to all parameters and input models simultaneously. In this work, we detail our global fit algorithm, called “Erebor,” designed to accomplish this challenging task. It is capable of analysing current state-of-the-art datasets and then growing into the future as more pieces of the pipeline are completed and added. We describe our pipeline strategy, the algorithmic setup, and the results from our analysis of the LDC2A Sangria dataset, which contains Massive Black Hole Binaries, compact Galactic Binaries, and a parameterized noise spectrum whose parameters are unknown to the user. The Erebor algorithm includes three unique and very useful contributions: GPU acceleration for enhanced computational efficiency; ensemble MCMC sampling with multiple MCMC walkers per temperature for better mixing and parallelized sample creation; and special online updates to reversible-jump (or trans-dimensional) sampling distributions to ensure sampler mixing and accurate initial estimates for detectable sources in the data. We recover posterior distributions for all 15 (6) of the injected MBHBs in the LDC2A training (hidden) dataset. We catalog ∼12000 Galactic Binaries (∼8000 as high confidence detections) for both the training and hidden datasets. All of the sources and their posterior distributions are provided in publicly available catalogs.

LISA global fit↗

Efficient GPU-Accelerated MultiSource Global Fit Pipeline for LISA Data Analysis

The large-scale analysis task of deciphering gravitational-wave signals in the LISA data stream will be difficult, requiring a large amount of computational resources and extensive development of computational methods. Its high dimensionality, multiple model types, and complicated noise profile require a global fit to all parameters and input models simultaneously. In this work, we detail our global fit algorithm, called “Erebor,” designed to accomplish this challenging task. It is capable of analyzing current state-of-the-art datasets and then growing into the future as more pieces of the pipeline are completed and added. We describe our pipeline strategy, the algorithmic setup, and the results from our analysis of the LDC2A Sangria dataset, which contains massive black hole binaries, compact galactic binaries, and a parametrized noise spectrum whose parameters are unknown to the user. The Erebor algorithm includes three unique and very useful contributions: GPU acceleration for enhanced computational efficiency; ensemble Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling with multiple MCMC walkers per temperature for better mixing and parallelized sample creation; and special online updates to reversible-jump (or transdimensional) sampling distributions to ensure sampler mixing and accurate initial estimates for detectable sources in the data.We recover posterior distributions for all 15 (6) of the injected massive black hole binaries (MBHB) in the LDC2A training (hidden) dataset. We catalog ∼12000 galactic binaries (∼8000 as high confidence detections) for both the training and hidden datasets. All of the sources and their posterior distributions are provided in publicly available catalogs.

LISA↗

Definition of a new (Doniach-Sunjic-Shirley) peak shape for fitting asymmetric signals applied to reduced graphene oxide/graphene oxide XPS spectra

The existence of asymmetry in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) photoemission lines is widely accepted, but line shapes designed to accommodate asymmetry are generally lacking in theoretical justification. Here in this work, we present a new line shape for describing asymmetry in XPS signals that is based on two facts. First, the most widely known line shape for fitting asymmetric XPS signals that has a theoretical basis, referred to as the Doniach-Sunjic (DS) line shape, suffers from a mathematical inconvenience, which is that for asymmetric shapes the area beneath the curve (above the x-axis) is infinite. Second, it is common practice in XPS to remove the inelastically scattered background response of a peak in question with the Shirley algorithm. The new line shape described herein attempts to retain the theoretical virtues of the DS line shape, while allowing the use of a Shirley background, with the consequence that the resulting line shape has a finite area. To illustrate the use of this Doniach-Sunjic-Shirley (DSS) line shape, a set of spectra obtained from varying amounts of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced GO on a patterned, heterogeneous surface are fit and discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Fitting a deep generative hadronization model

Hadronization is a critical step in the simulation of high-energy particle and nuclear physics experiments. As there is no first principles understanding of this process, physically-inspired hadronization models have a large number of parameters that are fit to data. Deep generative models are a natural replacement for classical techniques, since they are more flexible and may be able to improve the overall precision. Proof of principle studies have shown how to use neural networks to emulate specific hadronization when trained using the inputs and outputs of classical methods. However, these approaches will not work with data, where we do not have a matching between observed hadrons and partons. In this paper, we develop a protocol for fitting a deep generative hadronization model in a realistic setting, where we only have access to a set of hadrons in data. Our approach uses a variation of a Generative Adversarial Network with a permutation invariant discriminator. We find that this setup is able to match the hadronization model in Herwig with multiple sets of parameters. This work represents a significant step forward in a longer term program to develop, train, and integrate machine learning-based hadronization models into parton shower Monte Carlo programs.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Object manipulation in immersive virtual environments: Hand Motion tracking technology and snap-to-fit function

There have been recent efforts to use virtual reality and manipulation to train construction workers and inspection. However, there is a lack of research efforts comparing and evaluating virtual manipulation hardware for construction tasks. Moreover, the current practice of virtual manipulation has limited functionality to guide users with the placement of objects in virtual environments. To address these issues, this paper presents 1) a detailed case study that compares three types of manipulation hardware (image-based, infrared-based, and magnetic-based) for construction applications and 2) a snap-to-fit method that improves the VM through solving limitations of the advanced virtual reality interaction metaphors. The latter enhances the placement process for manipulation by comparing two models (e.g., scan and BIM models) for proper placement in assembly scenarios. Finally, the case study results show that magnetic-based systems outperform others in construction scenarios. Lastly, the snap-to-fit function was validated in terms of accuracy and time performance.

42 ENGINEERING↗