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At least 37 records · Page 2

Modifying the Genetic Regulation of Bone and Cartilage Cells and Associated Tissue by EMF Stimulation Fields and Uses Thereof

An apparatus and method to modify the genetic regulation of mammalian tissue, bone, or any combination. The method may be comprised of the steps of tuning at least one predetermined profile associated with at least one time-varying stimulation field thereby resulting in at least one tuned time-varying stimulation field comprised of at least one tuned predetermined profile, wherein said at least one tuned predetermined profile is comprised of a plurality of tuned predetermined figures of merit and is controllable through at least one of said plurality of tuned predetermined figures of merit, wherein said plurality of predetermined tuned figures of merit is comprised of a tuned B-Field magnitude, tuned rising slew rate, tuned rise time, tuned falling slew rate, tuned fall time, tuned frequency, tuned wavelength, and tuned duty cycle; and exposing mammalian chondrocytes, osteoblasts, osteocytes, osteoclasts, nucleus pulposus, associated tissue, or any combination to said at least one tuned time-varying stimulation field comprised of said at least one tuned predetermined profile for a predetermined tuned exposure time or plurality of tuned exposure time sequences.

Goodwin, Thomas J.↗

Distribution and Radiative Forcing of Tropical Thin Cirrus Clouds

To understand the radiative impact of tropical thin cirrus clouds, the frequency of occurrence and optical depths of these clouds have been derived. Thin cirrus clouds are defined here as being those that are not detected by the operational Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud mask, corresponding to an optical depth value of approximately 0.3 or smaller, but that are detectable in terms of the cirrus reflectance product based on the MODIS 1.375-micron channel. With such a definition, thin cirrus clouds were present in more than 40% of the pixels flagged as clear sky by the operational MODIS cloud mask algorithm. It is shown that these thin cirrus clouds are frequently observed in deep convective regions in the western Pacific. Thin cirrus optical depths were derived from the cirrus reflectance product. Regions of significant cloud fraction and large optical depths were observed in the Northern Hemisphere during the boreal spring and summer and moved southward during the boreal autumn and winter. The radiative effects of tropical thin cirrus clouds were studied on the basis of the retrieved cirrus optical depths, the atmospheric profiles derived from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) observations, and a radiative transfer model in conjunction with a parameterization of ice cloud spectral optical properties. To understand how these clouds regulate the radiation field in the atmosphere, the instantaneous net fluxes at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and at the surface were calculated. The present study shows positive and negative net forcings at the TOA and at the surface, respectively. The positive (negative) net forcing at the TOA (surface) is due to the dominance of longwave (shortwave) forcing. Both the TOA and surface forcings are in a range of 0-20 W/sq m, depending on the optical depths of thin cirrus clouds.

THIN CIRRUS CLOUDS↗

Particle-In-Cell Simulations of the Solar Wind Interaction with Lunar Crustal Magnetic Anomalies: Magnetic Cusp Regions

As the solar wind is incident upon the lunar surface, it will occasionally encounter lunar crustal remanent magnetic fields. These magnetic fields are small-scale, highly non-dipolar, have strengths up to hundreds of nanotesla, and typically interact with the solar wind in a kinetic fashion. Simulations, theoretical analyses, and spacecraft observations have shown that crustal fields can reflect solar wind protons via a combination of magnetic and electrostatic reflection; however, analyses of surface properties have suggested that protons may still access the lunar surface in the cusp regions of crustal magnetic fields. In this first report from a planned series of studies, we use a 1 1/2-dimensional, electrostatic particle-in-cell code to model the self-consistent interaction between the solar wind, the cusp regions of lunar crustal remanent magnetic fields, and the lunar surface. We describe the self-consistent electrostatic environment within crustal cusp regions and discuss the implications of this work for the role that crustal fields may play regulating space weathering of the lunar surface via proton bombardment.

Solar↗

Gravitational Study of the Central Nervous System

A series of experiments conducted at 1G are discussed with reference to the role of calcium ions in information processing by the central nervous system. A technique is described which allows thin sections of a mammalian hippocampus to be isolated while maintaining neural activity. Two experiments carried out in hypergravic fields are also addressed; one investigating altered stimulation in the auditory system, the other determining temperature regulation responses in hypergravic fields.

Horowitz, J. M.↗

Control design for a wind turbine-generator using output feedback

The modeling and approach to control design for a large horizontal axis wind turbine (WT) generator are presented. The control design is based on a suboptimal output regulator which allows coordinated control of WT blade pitch angle and field voltage for the purposes of regulating electrical power and terminal voltage. Results of detailed non-linear simulation tests of this controller are shown.

Javid, S. H.↗

Core temperature is regulated, although at a lower temperature, in rats exposed to hypergravic fields

1. In rats acclimated to 23 degrees C (RT rats) or 5 degrees C (CA rats), core temperature (Tc), tail temperature (Tt) and oxygen consumption (VO2) were measured during exposure to a hypergravic field. 2. Rats were exposed for 5.5 h to a 3 g field while ambient temperature (Ta) was varied. For the first 2 h, Ta was 25 degrees C; then Ta was raised to 34 degrees C for 1.5 h. During this period of warm exposure, Tc increased 4 degrees C in both RT and CA rats. Finally, Ta was returned to 25 degrees C for 2 h, and Tc decreased toward the levels measured prior to warm exposure. 3. In a second experiment at 3 g, RT and CA rats were exposed to cold (12 degrees C) after two hours at 25 degrees C. During the one hour cold exposure, Tc fell 1.5 degrees C in RT and 0.5 degree C in CA rats. After cold exposure, when ambient temperature was again 25 degrees C, Tc of RT and CA rats returned toward the levels measured prior to the thermal disturbance. 4. Rats appear to regulate their temperature, albeit at a lower level, in a 3 g field.

NASA Discipline Number 40-30↗

Evaluation of remote sensing in control of pink cotton bollworm

The author has identified the following significant results. This investigation is attempting to evaluate the use of a satellite in monitoring the cotton production regulation program of the State of California as an aid in controlling pink bollworm infestation in the southern deserts of California. Color combined images of ERTS-1 multispectral images simulating color infrared are being used in crop identification. The status of each field is mapped from the imagery and is then compared to ground surveys taken at the time of each ERTS-1 overflight. Correlation has been to date 100%. A computer analysis will be performed to compare field status with the crop calendar in order to identify crops. Correlation is expected to be 80 to 90%. Cotton fields, because of their state regulated season which is exactly coincident with no other crop, are expected to be easily identified.

Lewis, L. N.↗

A simulation analysis of the fate of phytoplankton within the mid-Atlantic bight

A time-dependent, three-dimensional simulation model of wind-induced changes of the circulation field, of light and nutrient regulation of photosynthesis, of vertical mixing as well as algal sinking, and of herbivore grazing stress, is used to analyze the seasonal production, consumption, and transport of the spring bloom within the mid-Atlantic Bight. The particular case (c) of a 58-day period in February-April 1979, simulated primary production, based on both nitrate and recycled nitrogen, with a mean of 0.62 g C sq m/day over the whole model domain, and an export at the shelf-break off Long Island of 2.60 g ch1 sq m/day within the lower third of the water column. About 57% of the carbon fixation was removed by herbivores, with 21% lost as export, either downshelf or offshore to slope waters, after the first 58 days of the spring bloom. Extension of the model for another 22 days of case (c) increased the mean export to 27%, while variation of the model's parameters in 8 other cases led to a range in export from 8% to 38% of the average primary production. Spatial and temporal variations of the simulated albal biomass, left behind in the shelf water column, reproduced chlorophyll fields sensed by satellite, shipboard, and in situ instruments.

Walsh, J. J.↗

The cryptoendolithic microbial environment in the Ross Desert of Antarctica: mathematical models of the thermal regime

Microbial activity in the Antarctic cryptoendolithic habitat is regulated primarily by temperature. Previous field studies have provided some information on the thermal regime in this habitat, but this type of information is limited by the remoteness of the site and the harsh climatic conditions. Therefore, a mathematical model of the endolithic thermal regime was constructed to augment the field data. This model enabled the parameters affecting the horizontal and altitudinal distribution of the community to be examined. The model predicts that colonization should be possible on surfaces with zenith angle less than 15 degrees. At greater zenith angles, colonization should be restricted to surfaces with azimuth angles less than 135 degrees or greater than 225 degrees. The upper elevational limit of the community should be less than 2,500 m. The thermal regime probably does not influence the zonation of the community within a rock.

Non-NASA Center↗

Measured and Modeled Vineyard Canopy Development and Water Use

Two publicly available applications relevant to vineyard irrigation management are described. OpenET is a satellite-based system that applies an ensemble of remote sensing methods to enable wide-area monitoring of evapotranspiration (ET) and related measures such as vegetation canopy development (via the NDVI spectral index). Data are freely available at one-quarter acre spatial resolution, and may be automatically aggregated to the individual block level. The satellite-based daily ET data were compared with in-situ eddy covariance measurements collected by micro-meteorological instrumentation in a Central Coast vineyard over a three-year period (2020-2022). Estimation uncertainties were reasonably consistent with prior reports for GRAPEX sites in the Central Valley and North Coast. The CropManage (CM) web application is a free software tool developed and operated U.C. Cooperative Extension for ET-based irrigation scheduling of major specialty crops. CM provides specific guidance for irrigation events in terms of irrigation system runtime. Applied water recommendations are based largely on estimated ET, derived from assumed canopy cover and associated crop coefficients, since the last irrigation or rainfall event. The application was recently adapted to vineyards by accounting for presence of winter/spring cover crop, and vine water stress imposed by regulated deficit irrigation. A 2022 field campaign involved 12 Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley commercial vineyards, and OpenET data were used to help evaluate CM output. Maximum percent vine cover was compared to estimates derived from average July satellite NDVI. The difference for 10 sites lacking midseason groundcover ranged from 0-7% between datasets with average agreement near 4%. Cumulative ET estimates agreed with OpenET to within 12% at the majority of sites, while larger discrepancies at the remaining sites may require additional data collection and analysis during the 2023 season. Satellite based systems such as OpenET have the potential to help parameterize CropManage and similar agricultural decision-support systems.

Measured↗

A discussion of the constraints which lead to steady state electrophoretic boundaries

The electric field variation across moving boundaries in three component systems is analyzed with a model based on electromigration only (moving boundary equation and regulating function). A decrease in the electric field strength across a boundary in the direction of migration is the most general requirement for the establishment of steady state migrating boundaries. The formation of that electric field gradient is shown to be based on two fundamental constraints. These are (1) the higher net mobility of the leading component compared to that of the terminating constituent and (2) the higher concentration ratio of the leading component to the terminating component ahead of the moving boundary compared to that in the terminating zone. The relations are discussed with respect to strong and weak electrolytes where all three components are present on either side of the boundary. The predictions are verified experimentally. Limitations of the model based on migration only are discussed.

Mosher, Richard A.↗

Inhibition of root elongation in microgravity by an applied electric field

Roots grown in an applied electric field demonstrate a bidirectional curvature. To further understand the nature of this response and its implications for the regulation of differential growth, we applied an electric field to roots growing in microgravity. We found that growth rates of roots in microgravity were higher than growth rates of ground controls. Immediately upon application of the electric field, root elongation was inhibited. We interpret this result as an indication that, in the absence of a gravity stimulus, the sensitivity of the root to an applied electric stimulus is increased. Further space experiments are required to determine the extent to which this sensitivity is shifted. The implications of this result are discussed in relation to gravitropic signaling and the regulation of differential cell elongation in the root.

short duration↗

Short hyperdynamic profiles influence primate temperature regulation

Primates have been shown to be sensitive to hyperdynamic fields. That is, when exposed to + 2Gz, body temperature falls. The purpose of this study was to examine the relative sensitivity of these animals to short centrifugation profiles which mimic the gravitational envelope seen on the Space Shuttle during launch (8 minutes, 2.9 Gz max) and re-entry (19 min, 1.7 Gz max). Four loosely restrained squirrel monkeys, isolated from additional external stimuli, were exposed to these profiles. During launch simulation, the temperatures never fell markedly below control levels. However, subsequent to return to 1G, the recovery phase showed decreases in body temperature in all four animals averaging 0.4 C over the next 10 to 15 minutes. The two animals exposed to the reentry profile showed decreases in body temperature within five minutes of the onset of centrifugation. Maximum fall in body temperature was reached by the end of the centrifugation phase and averaged 0.7 C. Thus, the temperature regulation system of this primate is sensitive to short hyperdynamic field exposures.

Fuller, C. A.↗

Minimum-Violation Traffic Management for Urban Air Mobility

Urban air mobility (UAM) refers to air transportation services in and over an urban area and has the potential to revolutionize mobility solutions. However, due to the projected scale of operations, current air traffic management (ATM) techniques are not viable. Increasingly autonomous systems are a pathway to accelerate the realization of UAM operations but must be fielded safely and efficiently. The heavily regulated, safety critical nature of aviation may lead to multiple, competing safety constraints that can be traded off based on the operational context. In this paper, we design a framework which allows for the scalable planning of a UAM ATM system. We formalize safety oriented constraints derived from FAA regulations by encoding them as temporal logic formulae. We then propose a method for UAM ATM that is both scalable and minimally violates the temporal logic constraints. Numerical results show that the runtime for our proposed algorithm is suitable for very large problems and is backed by theoretical guarantees of correctness with respect to given temporal logic constraints.

Urban Air Mobility↗

Interplanetary Mesoscale Observatory (InterMeso): A Mission to Untangle Dynamic Mesoscale Structures Throughout the Heliosphere

Mesoscale dynamics are a fundamental process in space physics, but fall within an observational gap of current and planned missions. Particularly in the solar wind, measurements at the mesoscales (100s RE to a few degrees heliographic longitude at 1 au) are crucial for understanding the connection between the corona and an observer anywhere within the heliosphere. Mesoscale dynamics may also be key to revealing the currently unresolved physics regulating particle acceleration and transport, magnetic field topology, and the causes of variability in the composition and acceleration of solar wind plasma. Studies using single-point observations do not allow for investigations into mesoscale solar wind dynamics and plasma variability, nor do they allow for the exploration of the sub-structuring of large-scale solar wind structures like coronal mass ejections (CMEs), co-rotating/stream interaction regions (CIR/SIRs), and the heliospheric plasma sheet. To address this fundamental gap in our knowledge of the heliosphere at these scales, the Interplanetary Mesoscale Observatory (InterMeso) concept employs a multi-point approach using four identical spacecraft in Earth-trailing orbits near 1 au. Varying drift speeds of the InterMeso spacecraft enable the mission to span a range of mesoscale separations in the solar wind, achieving significant and innovative science return. Simultaneous, longitudinally-separated measurements of structures co-rotating over the spacecraft also allow for disambiguation of spatiotemporal variability, tracking of the evolution of solar wind structures, and determination of how the transport of energetic particles is impacted by these variabilities.

solar wind↗

Interplanetary Mesoscale Observatory (InterMeso): A mission to untangle dynamic mesoscale structures throughout the heliosphere

Mesoscale dynamics are a fundamental process in space physics, but fall within an observational gap of current and planned missions. Particularly in the solar wind, measurements at the mesoscales (100s RE to a few degrees heliographic longitude at 1 au) are crucial for understanding the connection between the corona and an observer anywhere within the heliosphere. Mesoscale dynamics may also be key to revealing the currently unresolved physics regulating particle acceleration and transport, magnetic field topology, and the causes of variability in the composition and acceleration of solar wind plasma. Studies using single-point observations do not allow for investigations into mesoscale solar wind dynamics and plasma variability, nor do they allow for the exploration of the sub-structuring of large-scale solar wind structures like coronal mass ejections (CMEs), co-rotating/stream interaction regions (CIR/SIRs), and the heliospheric plasma sheet. To address this fundamental gap in our knowledge of the heliosphere at these scales, the Interplanetary Mesoscale Observatory (InterMeso) concept employs a multi-point approach using four identical spacecraft in Earth-trailing orbits near 1 au. Varying drift speeds of the InterMeso spacecraft enable the mission to span a range of mesoscale separations in the solar wind, achieving significant and innovative science return. Simultaneous, longitudinally-separated measurements of structures co-rotating over the spacecraft also allow for disambiguation of spatiotemporal variability, tracking of the evolution of solar wind structures, and determination of how the transport of energetic particles is impacted by these variabilities.

solar wind↗