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At least 613 records · Page 34

Development of the Vibration Isolation System for the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device

This paper describes the development of the Vibration Isolation System for the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device from conceptual design to lessons learned. Maintaining a micro-g environment on the International Space Station requires that experiment racks and major vibration sources be isolated. The challenge in characterizing exercise loads and testing the system in the presence of gravity led to a decision to qualify the system by analysis. Available data suggests that the system is successful in attenuating loads, yet there has been a major component failure and several procedural issues during its 3 years of operational use.

Niebuhr, Jason H.↗

Adaptive Motor Resistance Video Game Exercise Apparatus and Method of Use Thereof

The invention comprises a method and/or an apparatus using computer configured exercise equipment and an electric motor provided physical resistance in conjunction with a game system, such as a video game system, where the exercise system provides real physical resistance to a user interface. Results of user interaction with the user interface are integrated into a video game, such as running on a game console. The resistance system comprises: a subject interface, software control, a controller, an electric servo assist/resist motor, an actuator, and/or a subject sensor. The system provides actual physical interaction with a resistance device as input to the game console and game run thereon.

Reich, Alton↗

Novel Musculoskeletal Loading System for Small Exercise Devices

Long duration spaceflight places astronauts at increased risk for muscle strain and bone fracture upon return to a 1-g or partial gravity environment. Functionally limiting decrements in musculoskeletal health are likely during Mars proving-ground and Earth-independent missions given extended transit times and the vehicle limitations for exercise devices (low-mass, small volume, little to no power). This is particularly alarming for exploration missions because astronauts will be required to perform novel and physically demanding tasks (i.e. vehicle egress, exploration, and habitat building activities) on unfamiliar terrain. Accordingly, NASA's exploration roadmap identifies the need for development of small exercise equipment that can prevent musculoskeletal atrophy and has the ability to assess musculoskeletal health at multiple time points during long-duration missions.

Downs, Meghan↗

Evaluation of Self-Scheduling Exercises Completed by Analog Crewmembers in NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA)

NASA human spaceflight missions are inherently dynamic and require frequent scheduling changes in order to adapt to changing mission priorities and objectives. Tactical level changes to the mission plan are traditionally made by a team of expert planners and operations specialists on the ground. However, astronauts are expected to execute missions more autonomously during future long duration missions. Astronauts will need to take on some of the responsibility of managing their own schedule while still abiding by the numerous constraints required by human spaceflight operations. This paper summarizes salient elements of crew performance in NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog Campaign 3. Analog crewmembers completed a series of self-scheduling exercises to evaluate Playbook’s usability towards enabling self-scheduling without support from ground control. Playbook is a self-scheduling software tool designed and developed by our team. We also investigated how to best communicate self-scheduling tasks and constraints to the crew in order to facilitate efficient self-scheduling during isolation in a realistic environment. Our analysis identified that 30 minutes was sufficient to complete complex self-scheduling tasks. Our evaluation also identified differences between individual and collaborative performance; analog crewmembers completed self-scheduling exercises more quickly as a team as opposed to individually and reported lower subjective difficulty ratings overall.

HERA↗

Atmospheric Correction Inter-comparison eXercise, ACIX-II Land: An Assessment of Amospheric Correction Processors for Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 Over Land

The correction of the atmospheric effects on optical satellite images is essential for quantitative and multi-temporal remote sensing applications. In order to study the performance of the state-of-the-art methods in an integrated way, a voluntary and open-access benchmark Atmospheric Correction Inter-comparison eXercise (ACIX) was initiated in 2016 in the frame of Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Working Group on Calibration & Validation (WGCV). The first exercise was extended in a second edition wherein twelve atmospheric correction (AC) processors, a substantially larger testing dataset and additional validation metrics were involved. The sites for the inter-comparison analysis were defined by investigating the full catalogue of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites for coincident measurements with satellites' overpass. Although there were more than one hundred sites for Copernicus Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 acquisitions, the analysis presented in this paper concerns only the common matchups amongst all processors, reducing the number to 79 and 62 sites respectively. Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and Water Vapour (WV) retrievals were consequently validated based on the available AERONET observations. The processors mostly succeeded in retrieving AOD for relatively light to medium aerosol loading (AOD < 0.2) with uncertainties <0.08, while the overall uncertainty values were typically 0.23 ± 0.15. Better performances were observed for WV retrievals with >90% of the results falling within the suggested empirical specifications and with the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) being mostly <0.25 g/cm2. Regarding Surface Reflectance (SR) validation two main approaches were followed. For the first one, a simulated SR reference dataset was computed over all of the test sites by using the 6SV (Second Simulation of the Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum vector code) full radiative transfer modelling (RTM) and AERONET measurements for the required aerosol variables and water vapour content. The performance assessment demonstrated that the retrievals were not biased for most of the bands. The uncertainties ranged from approximately 0.003 to 0.01 (excluding B01) for the best performing processors in both sensors' analyses. For the second one, measurements from the radiometric calibration network RadCalNet over La Crau (France) and Gobabeb (Namibia) were involved in the validation. The performance of the processors was in general consistent across all bands for both sensors and with low standard deviations (<0.04) between on-site and estimated surface reflectance. Overall, our study provides a good insight of AC algorithms' performance to developers and users, pointing out similarities and differences for AOD, WV and SR retrievals. Such validation though still lacks of ground-based measurements of known uncertainty to better assess and characterize the uncertainties in SR retrievals.

Atmospheric correction↗

A Novel Bone Marrow Single Cell Atlas of Mechanotransduction in Microgravity, Normal Gravity, Exercise, and Hindlimb Unloading for WT and CDKN1A-Null Regenerative Mice

Mechanical loading of adult stem cell progenitors is a key factor in modulating their proliferation, differentiation, and tissue regenerative potential, with loading generally promoting tissue formation and unloading mediating tissue loss. To address the role of mechanotransduction in maintaining stem cell-based tissue regenerative health, we generated a single cell transcriptomic atlas mapping responses of femur bone marrow mesenchymal and hematopoietic lineages to a range of altered mechanical loading conditions, both in WT B1629SF2/J mice as well as the p21/CDKN1A-null regenerative mice. We selected the femur marrow compartment as a model because of the diversity and high numbers of stem cell progenitor stages present, and because it undergoes static and cyclic hydrostatic pressure loading associated with weight-bearing and ambulation. Our study included normally loaded mice at 1g, unloading in microgravity during spaceflight as well as tail suspension hindlimb unloading, and voluntary running wheel exercise. Basal, one-year natural aging, and habitat controls were also conducted. Overall, the atlas encompasses 18 different experimental conditions with N=3 mice per condition and includes more than 500,000 single cell expressomes. Key specific findings include: increased mature reticulocyte populations in aging and unloading mice compared to active mice; greater hematopoietic and mesenchymal differentiating progenitors cluster identification in CDKN1A-null samples, especially the exercise model; distinct pseudotime cell trajectory shifts in the hematopoietic lineage for spaceflight and unloaded mice; and shifts in monocytic cell populations toward osteoclastic bone degenerative lineages in unloading and spaceflight samples. Overall mechanical loading shows increased marrow progenitor population differentiation while unloading is associated with increased CDKN1A expression and maintenance of marrow population stemness. Deletion of CDKN1A appears to remove a negative check on progenitor lineages commitment to differentiation. Finally, the Bone Marrow Mechanotransduction Single Cell Atlas will serve as a reference tool for studying marrow regenerative responses across a range of mechanical environments as they relate to CDKN1A status.

single-cell↗

Transfer of NASA Technology to the DoD: Mitigating Motion Sickness with Autogenic Feedback Training Exercise

Motion sickness poses a significant safety risk, particularly in the context of aviation. Given its prevalence among aviators and its detrimental impact on performance, researchers have attempted to identify effective mitigation strategies for motion sickness. Currently, many of the existing interventions are pharmacological, and while effective, they present a problem due to their associated adverse side effects. The primary goals of the current research were 1) demonstrate the value of the application of Autogenic-Feedback Training Exercise (AFTE), a physiological training program developed by NASA to mitigate the impact of operational stressors such as motion sickness and spatial disorientation on human physiology and performance and 2) evaluate a new enhanced version of AFTE training software and demonstrate the ability to apply it remotely and train other personnel to administer it. AFTE combines principles of autogenic therapy, and biofeedback in training individuals to control their physiological reactions through a series of relaxation and arousal exercises. This study included twenty-six participants, 17 men and 9 women. On day 1 participants were tested in a rotating chair (pre-test) to determine their motion sickness tolerance (measured as minutes of rotation); days 2-5 consisted of four AFTE training sessions, each 30-min. in duration for a total of 2 hours; and on day 6 the participants were re-tested in the rotating chair. Results revealed a significant increase in motion sickness tolerance with AFTE on the post-test when compared to pre-test, participants had significantly lower symptom diagnostic scores post-test, and there was no significant gender effect. In addressing the first goal it was concluded that the modified 2-hour version of AFTE significantly improved motion sickness tolerance with participants experiencing fewer symptoms. A second goal of this research was to refine and transfer a NASA technology, software and methods for applications within DOD by training other personnel to administer AFTE. A comparison of NASA and NAMRU-D trainers on AFTE outcome for improving participants’ motion sickness tolerance revealed no significant difference indicating the successful transfer of methods to DOD. In addition, remote AFTE training of military aviators at distant sites was feasible. A third goal was to identify individual patterns of interoceptive abilities and related autonomic metrics able to predict stress response and training outcome. These data included measures of personality traits obtained from questionnaires and specific autonomic measures (e.g., heart rate variability) collected by NAMRU-D investigators. These results will be reported in a separate paper.

autonomic nervous system↗

Volumetric Assessment of UPRITE Exercises From Marker-Based Motion Capture

Lack of volumetric data on full-body movement exercises presents a challenge to ensuring the fit of crew members’ full range of motion on the International Space Station (ISS). The Upright Proprioception Retention via In-flight Training and Evaluation (UPRITE) is a sensorimotor countermeasure device designed for maintaining crew members’ proprioception in a microgravity environment (Figure 1). This work compares differences between data collection-based “high-fidelity” volumes and a “cone volume” with simplified assumptions (95th percentile in stature human standing on UPRITE while tilted and revolved around vertical axis). Objective: To provide the spatial parameters of exercises on the UPRITE such that it is placed on the ISS according to its volumetric demands or that usage is adjusted to fit the available space.

L D Quinto↗

PREP: Portal for Readiness Exercises & Planning v. 1.0

The software includes a web-based template for recording actions taken during emergency preparedness exercises and planning workshops. In addition, a virtual outbreak prevention simulation exercise is also included. Both tools interact with a server which records user decisions and communications.

Noel, Todd↗

Results of the Phenix Dissymmetric Test Benchmark Exercise

In the context of the European H2020 project SESAME, a work package was dedicated to the validation of code coupling for the thermal-hydraulics of pool type reactors. To this end, CEA proposed a benchmark exercise of the so-called dissymmetric test performed at the end of life of the PHENIX reactor. The PHENIX reactor was an experimental reactor operated by CEA in France from 1974 until 2009. The knowledge and data acquired over the lifetime of this reactor are of paramount importance for the development of future sodium-cooled generation IV reactors. At the beginning of this test, the reactor is operated at nominal power (350 MWth) with 3 primary pumps and 4 intermediate heat exchangers. During this test, a pump trip occurs at the secondary side of one of the two loops (one loop provides coolant to two intermediate heat exchangers). The chain reaction is then stopped while the pumps remain operating at nominal speed. Dissymmetric flow patterns are then observed in the cold pool as hot sodium leaves the intermediate heat exchangers that are no longer cooled. The failed secondary pump is then restarted while the rotational speed of the other is reduced. Eventually, a stable homogeneous state is reached. This transient is challenging for both modelers and codes since this exercise tackles an industrial scale reactor featuring complex flows and interactions between different scales. The physical phenomena observed include thermal stratification, flow mixing and buoyancy effects. In order to accurately model these phenomena for a reasonable computational costs, the partners used System Thermal Hydraulics codes coupled with Computational Fluid Dynamics codes and one even included a subchannel code. In this paper, the PHENIX reactor and its behavior during the dissymmetric test are described. Then, a comparison of the different modeling options selected by the partners is offered. Finally, the results are compared to the experimental data and discussed and modelling recommendations are proposed.

code coupling↗

REopt Lite Overview & Training Exercise

This training exercise provides users with an introduction to and hands-on, interactive exploration of REopt Lite's capabilities. REopt Lite is a free, publicly available techno-economic optimization web tool for distributed energy systems, developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). REopt Lite helps organizations evaluate the economic viability of grid-connected solar photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, and battery storage; identify system sizes and battery dispatch strategies to minimize energy costs; and estimate how long a system can sustain critical load during a grid outage. The model is formulated as a mixed-integer linear program based in an underlying application programming interface (API) that is also free and publicly available. This training activity is structured as a group exercise. Participants split into eight groups and each group is assigned a different hypothetical site to model and assess the opportunity for solar PV + battery storage. Groups work together to develop results for their site and then re-convene to compare and discuss results, inputs/drivers of the analysis, and other factors impacting the decision-making process for behind-the-meter solar PV and battery storage.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Modeling the effectiveness of remediation efforts in contaminated urban areas: An EMRAS II Urban Areas Working Group exercise - 15631

The Urban Areas Working Group was part of the IAEA's EMRAS II (Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety) Programme during 2009-2011. The Working Group's goal was to test and improve the capabilities of models used in assessment of radioactive contamination in urban settings. The 'contaminant transport and countermeasures' exercise was focused on modeling the effectiveness of potential countermeasures or remediation efforts with respect to reduction of human exposures and doses. The exercise was based on a hypothetical situation involving an initial concentration of Co-60 or Pu-239 in air in a specified urban area. Participants were given detailed input information, including descriptions of test locations in two types of urban areas, (1) a business area with buildings and asphalt, and (2) a park area near an apartment town. Several kinds of initial weather conditions (dry, light rain, and heavy rain) were explored. Modeling endpoints included contamination densities, dose rates (from each contributing surface and total), annual and cumulative doses (internal and external) for specified reference individuals, and effectiveness of countermeasures and remediation efforts in terms of dose rate reduction and dose reduction. External doses were emphasized for Co-60 and internal doses for Pu-239. Approaches and model predictions from five models are compared, and explanations for similarities and differences among model predictions are offered. Understanding the effects of different approaches, assumptions, and parameter values is essential to a comparison of results from different models and to understanding both the usefulness and the limitations of any given model. (authors)

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Summary Report Of The FY25 Computational Fluid Dynamics Verification And Validation Exercises In The Advanced Reactor Technologies - Gas-cooled Reactor Program

Verification and Validation (V&V) of numerical tools is critical for ensuring reasonable predictions during design, safety analysis, and licensing. Recent work in the Advanced Reactor Technologies - Gas-cooled Reactor (ART-GCR) program has focused on V&V of common Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools that are used within the Untied States. This report presents an update on these CFD V&V activities. These Generation IV Forum (GIF) Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) Computational Methods, Validation, and Benchmarking (CMVB) is an international organization dedicated to the verification and validation of High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) simulation tools. Participation in the CMVB provides additional value to the V&V activities, as it allows for access to a wider range of data, and provides valuable benchmarking exercises. Three HTGR phenomena are targeted: Reactor Cavity Cooling System (RCCS) performance, core bypass flow, and lower plenum mixing. Simulations of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) RCCS facilities are performed with Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) in StarCCM+. Results are compared for both forced and natural convection conditions, with both exhibiting good agreement with experimental measurements. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) matched index of refraction (MIR) and Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) bypass flow expeirments are used to validation CFD predictions of bypass flow. Simulations are performed with RANS in StarCCM+ and with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) in NekRS. Finally, preliminary simulations of the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (INET) lower plenum mixing facilities are presented. Initial work has developed models with LES, RANS, and porous media models. These preliminary models are presented and compared to each other to gauge differences in predictions with each of the three methods.

and Benchmarking (CMVB)↗

Resolvent-Techniques for Multiple Exercise Problems

We study optimal multiple stopping of strong Markov processes with random refraction periods. The refraction periods are assumed to be exponentially distributed with a common rate and independent of the underlying dynamics. Our main tool is using the resolvent operator. In the first part, we reduce infinite stopping problems to ordinary ones in a general strong Markov setting. This leads to explicit solutions for wide classes of such problems. Starting from this result, we analyze problems with finitely many exercise rights and explain solution methods for some classes of problems with underlying Lévy and diffusion processes, where the optimal characteristics of the problems can be identified more explicitly. We illustrate the main results with explicit examples.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

The impact of combined cardiopulmonary exercise testing and SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging on downstream evaluation and management

Objective: The diagnostic yield of combined cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients referred for stress testing has received limited study. Methods: We evaluated consecutive patients who underwent combined CPET-MPI at a single tertiary referral center between 2011 and 2015. An abnormal CPET was defined as any of the following: reduced oxygen consumption, cardiac output impairment, or pulmonary impairment. Normal MPI was defined as the absence of resting or stress perfusion defect. The primary study outcome was change in clinical decision-making after CPET-MPI including management of pulmonary disease, management of deconditioning, heart failure management, and referral for cardiac catheterization. Outcomes of patients with normal and abnormal MPI were presented based on the specific CPET abnormality. Results: 415 patients were included in the study. Of the 269 patients that had normal MPI, 206 (77%) had abnormal CPET. Patients with abnormal CPET and normal MPI, compared with patients that had normal CPET and normal MPI, were more frequently diagnosed with pulmonary disease (11.7% vs 3.2%, P = .04) and deconditioning (33.5% vs 17.4%, P = .01). Of the 146 patients that had abnormal MPI, 128 (88%) had abnormal CPET. Patients with abnormal CPET and abnormal MPI, compared with patients that had normal CPET and abnormal MPI, did not statistically differ with regard to the study outcome. Conclusion: An abnormal CPET, if the MPI was normal, prompted further evaluation and led to management of pulmonary disease and deconditioning.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

HSF1 and NF-κB p65 participate in the process of exercise preconditioning attenuating pressure overload-induced pathological cardiac hypertrophy

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy, often accompanied by hypertension, aortic stenosis and valvular defects, is typically associated with myocyte remodeling and cardiac dysfunction. Exercise preconditioning (EP) has been proven to enhance the tolerance of the myocardium to cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, the effects of EP in pathological cardiac hypertrophy are rarely reported. 10-wk-old male Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 80) were randomly divided into four groups: sham, TAC, EP + sham and EP + TAC. Two EP groups were subjected to 4 weeks of treadmill training, and the EP + TAC and TAC groups were followed by TAC operations. The sham and EP + sham groups underwent the same operation without aortic constriction. Eight weeks after the surgery, we evaluated the effects of EP by echocardiography, morphology, and histology and observed the expressions of the associated proteins. Compared with the respective control groups, hypertrophy-related indicators were significantly increased in the TAC and EP + TAC groups (p < 0.05). However, between the TAC and EP + TAC groups, all of these changes were effectively inhibited by EP treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, EP treatment upregulated the expression of HSF1 and HSP70, increased the HSF1 levels in the nuclear fraction, inhibited the expression of the NF-κB p65 subunit, decreased the NF-κB p65 subunit levels in the nuclear fraction, and reduced the IL2 levels in the myocardia of rats. EP could effectively reduce the cardiac hypertrophic responses induced by TAC and may play a protective role by upregulating the expressions of HSF1 and HSP70, activating HSF1 and then inhibiting the expression of NF-κB p65 and nuclear translocation. - Highlights: • EP could effectively reduce the cardiac hypertrophic responses induced by TAC. • EP may play a protective role by upregulating the expressions of HSF1 and HSP70 and then activating HSF1. • EP may play a protective role by inhibiting the expression of NF-κB p65 and nuclear translocation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

After Action Report: Idaho National Laboratory Annual Exercise June 10, 2015

On June 10, 2015, Idaho National Laboratory (INL), in coordination with the State of Idaho, local jurisdictions, Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID), and DOE Headquarters (DOE HQ), conducted the annual emergency exercise to demonstrate the ability to implement the requirements of DOE O 151.1C, “Comprehensive Emergency Management System.” The INL contractor, Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), in coordination with other INL contractors, conducted operations and demonstrated appropriate response measures to mitigate an event and protect the health and safety of personnel, the environment, and property. Offsite response organizations participated to demonstrate appropriate response measures.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

After Action Report: Idaho National Laboratory Continuity of Operations Program 2017 Exercise September 26, 2017

On September 26, 2017, the Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA) Continuity of Operations Program (COOP) conducted an annual exercise to demonstrate the COOP responder’s ability to maintain COOP’s primary mission essential function (PMEF) and essential supporting activities (ESAs) during a national loss of commercial power caused by a malware attack to the United States power grid. The continuity emergency management team (CEMT) and continuity emergency response group (CERG) responded to CERG notifications and worked through simulated challenges, using COOP’s 3-D scenario visualization tool (3DSVT), that challenged COOP’s PMEF, essential support activities (ESAs), and impacted mission critical personnel’s human capital. The PMEF and ESAs were successfully maintained as the CERG developed incident action plans through several phases of the scenario, addressing appropriate needs, concerns and strategic planning.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗