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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Method Development for In-situ Detection of Latent Herpesvirus DNA from Saliva using Nanopore Sequencing

Research toward latent herpesvirus reactivation has been intensively addressed through Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) investigations. This work has provided the understanding that persistent reactivation of herpesviruses from asymptomatic crew can be detected through viral shedding in saliva, urine, and blood. Occasionally, viral reactivation from the latency stage can pose a threat to crew health (clinical manifestation) before, during, and after flight missions. Furthermore, previous work detailing correlations with immunity indicate that monitoring viral reactivation could be implemented to assess potential immune dysfunction. While in-flight monitoring is desirable, there is no well-established procedure or method for real-time evaluations, and research to date has relied on postflight, ground-based analysis. The development of portable molecular technologies like the miniPCR™ (miniPCR Bio) thermal cycler and the MinION™ sequencer (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) have confirmed that real-time monitoring is possible in extreme and low resource environments. These devices, combined with simple sample preparation methods, have been used to demonstrate bacterial identification onboard the ISS, as well as rapid viral detection in remote locations on Earth. The work here builds upon previous molecular advancements onboard the ISS toward the development and validation of a spaceflight-compatible method for viral detection from crew samples. Several herpesviruses can be detected in saliva, which provides a non-invasive means to collect samples for monitoring. While the basis for this method lies in previous spaceflight investigations, key points for method optimization include DNA extraction from saliva, viral primer selection, and bioinformatic processes for data analysis. To increase viral yield, numerous DNA extraction methods have been evaluated and will be discussed in detail. For initial development and testing, varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is being targeted though open reading frame 51 and 63 (ORF51, ORF63), as the replication origin-binding protein is highly expressed during latency. Optimization of the thermal cycling parameters has resulted in the ability to test the entire process. The full method has been tested with both viral VZV DNA standards and saliva spiked with varying concentrations of VZV. Viral sequence data were mapped to the reference sequence using minimap2. Prior to mapping, DNA sequencing reads were filtered for length and quality, barcodes were removed, and alignment identity calculated. Following further assessments, statistics were compared across multiple sequencing experiments and are being used to determine the success of the protocols. Forward work will include the incorporation of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) primers as well as the validation of results to the terrestrial qPCR standard assay. Upon full validation of the developed method, saliva will be collected from 20 healthy subjects and spiked with viral DNA. These samples will be split and assayed with the MinION and standard qPCR assay.

Hang N Nguyen↗
NASA NTRS2001

SIMBIOS Normalized Water-Leaving Radiance Calibration and Validation: Sensor Response, Atmospheric Corrections, Stray Light and Sun Glint

This Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) contract supports acquisition of match up radiometric and bio-optical data for validation of Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and other ocean color satellites, and evaluation of uncertainty budgets and protocols for in situ measurements of normalized water leaving radiances.

Mueller, James L.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Best Practices for the Application of Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy to Operator State Sensing

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging neuronal measurement technique with many advantages for application in operational and training contexts. Instrumentation and protocol improvements, however, are required to obtain useful signals and produce expeditiously self-applicable, comfortable and unobtrusive headgear. Approaches for improving the validity and reliability of fNIRS data for the purpose of sensing the mental state of commercial aircraft operators are identified, and an exemplary system design for attentional state monitoring is outlined. Intelligent flight decks of the future can be responsive to state changes to optimally support human performance. Thus, the identification of cognitive performance decrement, such as lapses in operator attention, may be used to predict and avoid error-prone states. We propose that attentional performance may be monitored with fNIRS through the quantification of hemodynamic activations in cortical regions which are part of functionally-connected attention and resting state networks. Activations in these regions have been shown to correlate with behavioral performance and task engagement. These regions lie beneath superficial tissue in head regions beyond the forehead. Headgear development is key to reliably and robustly accessing locations beyond the hair line to measure functionally-connected networks across the whole head. Human subject trials using both fNIRS and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) will be used to test this system. Data processing employs Support Vector Machines for state classification based on the fNIRS signals. If accurate state classification is achieved based on sensed activation patterns, fNIRS will be shown to be useful for monitoring attentional performance.

Harrivel, Angela R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Experiment K-6-22. Growth hormone regulation, synthesis and secretion in microgravity. Part 1: Somatotroph physiology. Part 2: Immunohistochemical analysis of hypothalamic hormones. Part 3: Plasma analysis

The objectives of the 1887 mission were: (1) to determine if the results of the SL-3 pituitary gland experiment (1) were repeatable; and (2) to determine what effect a longer mission would have on the rat pituitary gland growth hormone (GH) system. In the 1887 experiment two issues were considered especially important. First, it was recognized that cells prepared from individual rat pituitary glands should be considered separately so that the data from the 5 glands could be analyzed in a statistically meaningful way. Second, results of the SL-3 flight involving the hollow fiber implant and HPLC GH-variant experiments suggested that the biological activity of the hormone had been negatively affected by flight. The results of the 1887 experiment documented the wisdom of addressing both issues in the protocol. Thus, the reduction in secretory capacity of flight cells during subsequent extended cell culture on Earth was documented statistically, and thereby established the validity of the SL-3 result. The results of both flight experiments thus support the contention that there is a secretory lesion in pituitary GH cells of flight animals. The primary objective of both missions was a clear definition of the effect of spaceflight on the GH cell system. There can no longer be any reasonable doubt that this system is affected in microgravity. One explanation for the reason(s) underlying the better known effects of spaceflight on organisms, viz. changes in bone, muscle and immune systems may very well rest with such changes in bGH. In spite of the fact that rats in the Cosmos 1887 flight were on Earth for two days after flight, the data show that the GH system had still not recovered from the effects of flight. Many questions remain. One of the more important concerns the GRF responsiveness of somatotrophs after flight. This will be tested in an upcoming experiment.

Grindeland, R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-32668-DND

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III is a solar occultation instrument installed on the International Space Station (ISS) that has been providing vertically resolved measurements of aerosol extinction, ozone concentrations, and other trace gases. With a legacy going back to the late 1970s, SAGE ozone measurements have been a vital contributor to international ozone assessments and analyses on stratospheric ozone trends. As the newest SAGE instrument, SAGE III/ISS will continue to provide high precision profiles of ozone that will help determine if the Montreal Protocol has been successful in enabling the recovery of the ozone layer. However, as is a necessary step for all new instruments, a rigorous validation of the data quality is required to determine if the data is sufficient for incorporation into trend analyses. Herein we discuss an initial evaluation of the data quality of vertical profiles of ozone with a focus on internal consistency for the first validation version (v5.1) derived from SAGE III/ISS measurements.

R Damadeo↗
NASA NTRS2022

Benefits and Challenges of CCSDS File Delivery Protocol as Applied to Europa Clipper

—This paper describes the use of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) File Delivery Protocol (CFDP) on the Europa Clipper mission for both uplink and downlink of files. It includes an overview of CFDP, the history of why CFDP was chosen, how it benefits mission operations, some of the mission scenarios that stress CFDP, operability aspects, the best practices that Clipper adopted from other missions and some of the technical challenges with implementation, and verification and validation. The benefits to mission operations accrue because CFDP reduces the need for manual management of file transfer, including retransmission of missing data, and deletion of files only after confirmation of receipt by the ground. The challenges occur because CFDP is a round-trip protocol – it requires messages in both directions to complete a file transfer, and because it uses timers to ensure that control messages are resent if needed to prevent transactions from going stale. Any situations where communication is restricted to a single direction, interrupted, reordered, or backlogged can pose a challenge. There are also implementation challenges. Europa Clipper is the first mission at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to adopt class 2, fully acknowledged, CFDP for both uplink and downlink. The implementation needed new software, requirements and operational procedures. The experience of the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) with CFDP from their previous missions was crucial to success for Europa Clipper. Because CFDP relies on timers and messages travel in both directions, verification and validation (V&V) requires new approaches. For certain scenarios, a live ground system talking to a live flight system with realistic simulated one-way light times, data rates and data outages must be used.

Albers, Joshua↗
NASA NTRS2006

Field Immune Assessment during Simulated Planetary Exploration in the Canadian Arctic

Dysregulation of the immune system has been shown to occur during space flight, although the detailed nature of the phenomenon and the clinical risks for exploration class missions has yet to be established. In addition, the growing clinical significance of immune system evaluation combined with epidemic infectious disease rates in third world countries provides a strong rationale for the development of field-compatible clinical immunology techniques and equipment. In July 2002 NASA performed a comprehensive field immunology assessment on crewmembers participating in the Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) on Devon Island in the high Canadian Arctic. The purpose of the study was to evaluate mission-associated effects on the human immune system, as well as to evaluate techniques developed for processing immune samples in remote field locations. Ten HMP-2002 participants volunteered for the study. A field protocol was developed at NASA-JSC for performing sample collection, blood staining/processing for immunophenotype analysis, wholeblood mitogenic culture for functional assessments and cell-sample preservation on-location at Devon Island. Specific assays included peripheral leukocyte distribution; constitutively activated T cells, intracellular cytokine profiles and plasma EBV viral antibody levels. Study timepoints were L-30, midmission and R+60. The protocol developed for immune sample processing in remote field locations functioned properly. Samples were processed in the field location, and stabilized for subsequent analysis at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The data indicated that some phenotype, immune function and stress hormone changes occurred in the HMP field participants that were largely distinct from pre-mission baseline and post-mission recovery data. These immune changes appear similar to those observed in Astronauts following spaceflight. The sample processing protocol developed for this study may have applications for immune assessment during exploration-class space missions or in remote terrestrial field locations. The data validate the use of the HMP as a ground-based spaceflight/planetary exploration analog for some aspects of human physiology.

Crucian, Brian↗
NASA NTRS2021

Evaluation of vicarious calibration for airborne sensors using RadCalNet

Vicarious calibration approaches using in-situ measurements are key techniques applied to on-orbit remote sensors. The in-situ measurements have advantages in terms of traceability and quantifiable accuracy that make them ideal for inter-consistency studies of on-orbit sensors. The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites Working Group on Calibration and Validation Infrared Visible Optical Sensors initiated the Radiometric Calibration Network (RadCalNet) to provide automated surface and top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance data from multiple participating ground sites to the worldwide user community. RadCalNet standardizes protocols for collecting data, processes TOA reflectance, and provides International System of Units traceable uncertainty budgets for the five currently operating sites. RadCalNet data from the Railroad Valley Playa, Nevada, site was used to provide an SI-traceable, absolute radiometric calibration of the Enhanced MODIS Airborne Simulator as part of an overflight of opportunity during the FIREX-AQ campaign. The results shown here demonstrate the utility of RadCalNet data for absolute radiometric calibration of airborne imagers making flights of opportunity without the need for coordination with a field validation team.

Sensors↗
NASA NTRS2018

Development of a Ground Test and Analysis Protocol for NASA's NextSTEP Phase 2 Habitation Concepts

The NASA Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program is a public-private partnership model that seeks commercial development of deep space exploration capabilities to support human spaceflight missions around and beyond cislunar space. NASA first issued the Phase 1 NextSTEP Broad Agency Announcement to U.S. industries in 2014, which called for innovative cislunar habitation concepts that leveraged commercialization plans for low-Earth orbit. These habitats will be part of the Deep Space Gateway (DSG), the cislunar space station planned by NASA for construction in the 2020s. In 2016, Phase 2 of the NextSTEP program selected five commercial partners to develop ground prototypes. A team of NASA research engineers and subject matter experts (SMEs) have been tasked with developing the ground-test protocol that will serve as the primary means by which these Phase 2 prototypes will be evaluated. Since 2008, this core test team has successfully conducted multiple spaceflight analog mission evaluations utilizing a consistent set of operational tools, methods, and metrics to enable the iterative development, testing, analysis, and validation of evolving exploration architectures, operations concepts, and vehicle designs. The purpose of implementing a similar evaluation process for the Phase 2 Habitation Concepts is to consistently evaluate different commercial partner ground prototypes to provide data-driven, actionable recommendations for Phase 3. This paper describes the process by which the ground test protocol was developed and the objectives, methods, and metrics by which the NextSTEP Phase 2 Habitation Concepts will be rigorously and systematically evaluated. The protocol has been developed using both a top-down and bottom-up approach. Top-down development began with the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) exploration objectives and ISS Exploration Capability Study Team (IECST) candidate flight objectives. Strategic questions and associated rationales, derived from these candidate architectural objectives, provide the framework by which the ground-test protocol will address the DSG stack elements and configurations, systems and subsystems, and habitation, science, and EVA functions. From these strategic questions, high-level functional requirements for the DSG were drafted and associated ground-test objectives and analysis protocols were established. Bottom-up development incorporated objectives from NASA SMEs in autonomy, avionics and software, communication, environmental control and life support systems, exercise, extravehicular activity, exploration medical operations, guidance navigation and control, human factors and behavioral performance, human factors and habitability, logistics, Mission Control Center operations, power, radiation, robotics, safety and mission assurance, science, simulation, structures, thermal, trash management, and vehicle health. Top-down and bottom-up objectives were integrated to form overall functional requirements - ground-test objectives and analysis mapping. From this mapping, ground-test objectives were organized into those that will be evaluated through inspection, demonstration, analysis, subsystem standalone testing, and human-in-the-loop (HITL) testing. For the HITL tests, mission-like timelines, procedures, and flight rules have been developed to directly meet ground test objectives and evaluate specific functional requirements. Data collected from these assessments will be analyzed to determine the acceptability of habitation element configurations and the combinations of capabilities that will result in the best habitation platform to be recommended by the test team for Phase 3.

Gernhardt, Michael L.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Quantifying Caloric Expenditure During Zero-G Exercise

BACKGROUND: Exercise is a fundamental component of maintaining astronaut health on long-duration space missions, where the microgravity environment poses unique challenges to physiological homeostasis. Accurate quantification of energy expenditure during such exercises is crucial for optimizing nutritional and physical health strategies for spacefarers. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop a comprehensive model to estimate caloric expenditure during exercise in a microgravity environment, employing a combination of spirometry, heart rate data, and other relevant parameters. By assessing energy utilization under these conditions, we seek to facilitate enhanced health management protocols for astronauts in space. METHODS & OUTCOMES: A multivariate predictive model will be constructed, utilizing spirometry and heart rate data, coupled with additional physiological and environmental parameters. A systematic approach will be applied to analyze the relationship between these variables and energy expenditure during various exercises. The proposed model will subsequently undergo rigorous validation to ensure accuracy and reliability. This research is expected to yield a precise and reliable predictive model, contributing to improved strategies for exercise prescription and nutritional intake, addressing the unique challenges presented by microgravity environments. We anticipate that our findings will support the development of more effective health maintenance protocols for astronauts during extended space missions, mitigating the adverse effects of space travel on the human body. SIGNIFICANCE: The development of an accurate and adaptable model to quantify caloric expenditure during exercise in space represents a pivotal advancement in space medicine. The insights gained from this study have the potential to inform the design of enhanced health and wellness strategies, ensuring the well-being and operational effectiveness of astronauts in long-duration space missions.

Calorie↗
NASA NTRS2001

Theoretical Prediction of Microgravity Ignition Delay of Polymeric Fuels in Low Velocity Flows

A new flammability apparatus and protocol, FIST (Forced Flow Ignition and Flame Spread Test), is under development. Based on the LIFT (Lateral Ignition and Flame Spread Test) protocol, FIST better reflects the environments expected in spacebased facilities. The final objective of the FIST research is to provide NASA with a test methodology that complements the existing protocol and provides a more comprehensive assessment of material flammability of practical materials for space applications. Theoretical modeling, an extensive normal gravity data bank and a few validation space experiments will support the testing methodology. The objective of the work presented here is to predict the ignition delay and critical heat flux for ignition of solid fuels in microgravity at airflow velocities below those induced in normal gravity. This is achieved through the application of a numerical model previously developed of piloted ignition of solid polymeric materials exposed to an external radiant heat flux. The model predictions will provide quantitative results about ignition of practical materials in the limiting conditions expected in space facilities. Experimental data of surface temperature histories and ignition delay obtained in the KC-135 aircraft are used to determine the critical pyrolysate mass flux for ignition and this value is subsequently used to predict the ignition delay and the critical heat flux for ignition of the material. Surface temperature and piloted ignition delay calculations for Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and a Polypropylene/Fiberglass (PP/GL) composite were conducted under both reduced and normal gravity conditions. It was found that ignition delay times are significantly shorter at velocities below those induced by natural convection.

Fernandez-Pello, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Demonstration/Validation of Environmentally-Preferable Coatings for Launch Facilities

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is responsible for a number of facilities/structures with metallic structural and non-structural components in a highly corrosive environment. Metals require periodic maintenance activity to guard against the insidious effects of corrosion and thus ensure that structures meet or exceed design or performance life. The standard practice for protecting metallic substrates in atmospheric environments is the application of an applied coating system. Applied coating systems work via a variety of methods (barrier, galvanic and/or inhibitor) and adhere to the substrate through a combination of chemical and physical bonds. Maintenance at KSC and other NASA Centers is governed by NASA-STD-50088 (Protective Coating of Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, and Aluminum on Launch Structures, Facilities, and Ground Support Equipment) which establishes practices for the protective coating of ground support equipment and related facilities used by or for NASA programs and projects. The Standard is for the design of non-flight hardware used to support the operations of receiving, transportation, handling, assembly, inspection, test, checkout, service, and launch of space vehicles and payloads at NASA launch, landing, or retrieval sites. These criteria and practices contained within the Standard may be used for items used at the manufacturing, development, and test sites upstream of the launch, landing, or retrieval sites. The objective of this effort is to demonstrate and validate environmentally-preferable alternatives in accordance with NASA-STD-50088 and KSC requirements which can then be added to the Approved Products List. This Test Protocol contains the critical requirements and tests necessary to qualify alternatives for structural steel applications. These tests were derived from engineering, performance, and operational impact (supportability) requirements defined by a consensus of KSC participants. A Test Report will document the results of the testing as well as any test modifications made during the execution of the testing. Users of this Test Protocol should check the project's Test Report for additional test details or minor modifications that may have been necessary in the execution of the testing. The technical stakeholders will have agreed upon test procedures modifications documented in the Test Report.

Lewis, Pattie↗
NASA NTRS2014

Calibration and Validation of a Finite ELement Model of THor-K Anthropomorphic Test Device for Aerospace Safety Applications

The THOR anthropomorphic test device (ATD) has been developed and continuously improved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to provide automotive manufacturers an advanced tool that can be used to assess the injury risk of vehicle occupants in crash tests. Recently, a series of modifications were completed to improve the biofidelity of THOR ATD [1]. The updated THOR Modification Kit (THOR-K) ATD was employed at Wright-Patterson Air Base in 22 impact tests in three configurations: vertical, lateral, and spinal [2]. Although a computational finite element (FE) model of the THOR had been previously developed [3], updates to the model were needed to incorporate the recent changes in the modification kit. The main goal of this study was to develop and validate a FE model of the THOR-K ATD. The CAD drawings of the THOR-K ATD were reviewed and FE models were developed for the updated parts. For example, the head-skin geometry was found to change significantly, so its model was re-meshed (Fig. 1a). A protocol was developed to calibrate each component identified as key to the kinematic and kinetic response of the THOR-K head/neck ATD FE model (Fig. 1b). The available ATD tests were divided in two groups: a) calibration tests where the unknown material parameters of deformable parts (e.g., head skin, pelvis foam) were optimized to match the data and b) validation tests where the model response was only compared with test data by calculating their score using CORrelation and Analysis (CORA) rating system. Finally, the whole ATD model was validated under horizontal-, vertical-, and lateral-loading conditions against data recorded in the Wright Patterson tests [2]. Overall, the final THOR-K ATD model developed in this study is shown to respond similarly to the ATD in all validation tests. This good performance indicates that the optimization performed during calibration by using the CORA score as objective function is not test specific. Therefore confidence is provided in the ATD model for uses in predicting response in test conditions not performed in this study such those observed in the spacecraft landing. Comparison studies with ATD and human models may also be performed to contribute to future changes in THOR ATD design in an effort to improve its biofidelity, which has been traditionally based on post-mortem human subject testing and designer experience.

Putnam, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Imaging Modalities Relevant to Intracranial Pressure Assessment in Astronauts: A Case-Based Discussion

Introduction: Intracranial pressure (ICP) elevation has been inferred or documented in a number of space crewmembers. Recent advances in noninvasive imaging technology offer new possibilities for ICP assessment. Most International Space Station (ISS) partner agencies have adopted a battery of occupational health monitoring tests including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pre- and postflight, and high-resolution sonography of the orbital structures in all mission phases including during flight. We hypothesize that joint consideration of data from the two techniques has the potential to improve quality and continuity of crewmember monitoring and care. Methods: Specially designed MRI and sonographic protocols were used to image eyes and optic nerves (ON) including the meningeal sheaths. Specific crewmembers multi-modality imaging data were analyzed to identify points of mutual validation as well as unique features of complementary nature. Results and Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high-resolution sonography are both tomographic methods, however images obtained by the two modalities are based on different physical phenomena and use different acquisition principles. Consideration of the images acquired by these two modalities allows cross-validating findings related to the volume and fluid content of the ON subarachnoid space, shape of the globe, and other anatomical features of the orbit. Each of the imaging modalities also has unique advantages, making them complementary techniques.

Sargsyan, Ashot E.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Clinical Outcome Metrics for Optimization of Robust Training

Introduction: The emphasis of this research is on the Human Research Program (HRP) Exploration Medical Capability's (ExMC) "Risk of Unacceptable Health and Mission Outcomes Due to Limitations of In-Flight Medical Capabilities." Specifically, this project aims to contribute to the closure of gap ExMC 2.02: We do not know how the inclusion of a physician crew medical officer quantitatively impacts clinical outcomes during exploration missions. The experiments are specifically designed to address clinical outcome differences between physician and non-physician cohorts in both near-term and longer-term (mission impacting) outcomes. Methods: Medical simulations will systematically compare success of individual diagnostic and therapeutic procedure simulations performed by physician and non-physician crew medical officer (CMO) analogs using clearly defined short-term (individual procedure) outcome metrics. In the subsequent step of the project, the procedure simulation outcomes will be used as input to a modified version of the NASA Integrated Medical Model (IMM) to analyze the effect of the outcome (degree of success) of individual procedures (including successful, imperfectly performed, and failed procedures) on overall long-term clinical outcomes and the consequent mission impacts. The procedures to be simulated are endotracheal intubation, fundoscopic examination, kidney/urinary ultrasound, ultrasound-guided intravenous catheter insertion, and a differential diagnosis exercise. Multiple assessment techniques will be used, centered on medical procedure simulation studies occurring at 3, 6, and 12 months after initial training (as depicted in the following flow diagram of the experiment design). Discussion: Analysis of procedure outcomes in the physician and non-physician groups and their subsets (tested at different elapsed times post training) will allow the team to 1) define differences between physician and non-physician CMOs in terms of both procedure performance (pre-IMM analysis) and overall mitigation of the mission medical impact (IMM analysis); 2) refine the procedure outcome and clinical outcome metrics themselves; 3) refine or develop innovative medical training products and solutions to maximize CMO performance; and 4) validate the methods and products of this experiment for operational use in the planning, execution, and quality assurance of the CMO training process The team has finalized training protocols and developed a software training/testing tool in collaboration with Butler Graphics (Detroit, MI). In addition to the "hands on" medical procedure modules, the software includes a differential diagnosis exercise (limited clinical decision support tool) to evaluate the diagnostic skills of participants. Human subject testing will occur over the next year.

Ebert, D.↗
NASA NTRS2015

The AgMIP Coordinated Global and Regional Assessments (CGRA) of Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture and Food Security

The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) has been working since 2010 to construct a protocol-based framework enabling regional assessments (led by regional experts and modelers) that can provide consistent inputs to global economic and integrated assessment models. These global models can then relay important global-level information that drive regional decision-making and outcomes throughout an interconnected agricultural system. AgMIPs community of nearly 800 climate, crop, livestock, economics, and IT experts has improved the state-of-the-art through model intercomparisons, validation exercises, regional integrated assessments, and the launch of AgMIP programs on all six arable continents. AgMIP is now launching Coordinated Global and Regional Assessments (CGRA) of climate change impacts on agriculture and food security to link global and regional crop and economic models using a protocol-based framework. The CGRA protocols are being developed to utilize historical observations, climate projections, and RCPsSSPs from CMIP5 (and potentially CMIP6), and will examine stakeholder-driven agricultural development and adaptation scenarios to provide cutting-edge assessments of climate changes impact on agriculture and food security. These protocols will build on the foundation of established protocols from AgMIPs 30+ activities, and will emphasize the use of multiple models, scenarios, and scales to enable an accurate assessment of related uncertainties. The CGRA is also designed to provide the outputs necessary to feed into integrated assessment models (IAMs), nutrition and food security assessments, nitrogen and carbon cycle models, and additional impact-sector assessments (e.g., water resources, land-use, biomes, urban areas). This presentation will describe the current status of CGRA planning and initial prototype experiments to demonstrate key aspects of the protocols before wider implementation ahead of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.

models↗
NASA NTRS2008

Provenance in Data Interoperability for Multi-Sensor Intercomparison

As our inventory of Earth science data sets grows, the ability to compare, merge and fuse multiple datasets grows in importance. This requires a deeper data interoperability than we have now. Efforts such as Open Geospatial Consortium and OPeNDAP (Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol) have broken down format barriers to interoperability; the next challenge is the semantic aspects of the data. Consider the issues when satellite data are merged, cross-calibrated, validated, inter-compared and fused. We must match up data sets that are related, yet different in significant ways: the phenomenon being measured, measurement technique, location in space-time or quality of the measurements. If subtle distinctions between similar measurements are not clear to the user, results can be meaningless or lead to an incorrect interpretation of the data. Most of these distinctions trace to how the data came to be: sensors, processing and quality assessment. For example, monthly averages of satellite-based aerosol measurements often show significant discrepancies, which might be due to differences in spatio- temporal aggregation, sampling issues, sensor biases, algorithm differences or calibration issues. Provenance information must be captured in a semantic framework that allows data inter-use tools to incorporate it and aid in the intervention of comparison or merged products. Semantic web technology allows us to encode our knowledge of measurement characteristics, phenomena measured, space-time representation, and data quality attributes in a well-structured, machine-readable ontology and rulesets. An analysis tool can use this knowledge to show users the provenance-related distrintions between two variables, advising on options for further data processing and analysis. An additional problem for workflows distributed across heterogeneous systems is retrieval and transport of provenance. Provenance may be either embedded within the data payload, or transmitted from server to client in an out-of-band mechanism. The out of band mechanism is more flexible in the richness of provenance information that can be accomodated, but it relies on a persistent framework and can be difficult for legacy clients to use. We are prototyping the embedded model, incorporating provenance within metadata objects in the data payload. Thus, it always remains with the data. The downside is a limit to the size of provenance metadata that we can include, an issue that will eventually need resolution to encompass the richness of provenance information required for daata intercomparison and merging.

Lynnes, Chris↗
NASA NTRS2016

Functional Imaging of Human Vestibular Cortex Activity Elicited by Skull Tap and Auditory Tone Burst

The current study characterizes brain activation in response to two modes of vestibular stimulation: skull tap and auditory tone burst. The auditory tone burst has been used in previous studies to elicit either the vestibulo-spinal reflex (saccular-mediated colic Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMP)), or the ocular muscle response (utricle-mediated ocular VEMP (oVEMP)). Some researchers have reported that air-conducted skull tap elicits both saccular and utricle-mediated VEMPs, while being faster and less irritating for the subjects. However, it is not clear whether the skull tap and auditory tone burst elicit the same pattern of cortical activity. Both forms of stimulation target the otolith response, which provides a measurement of vestibular function independent from semicircular canals. This is of high importance for studying otolith-specific deficits, including gait and balance problems that astronauts experience upon returning to earth. Previous imaging studies have documented activity in the anterior and posterior insula, superior temporal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, inferior frontal gyrus, and the anterior cingulate cortex in response to different modes of vestibular stimulation. Here we hypothesized that skull taps elicit similar patterns of cortical activity as the auditory tone bursts, and previous vestibular imaging studies. Subjects wore bilateral MR compatible skull tappers and headphones inside the 3T GE scanner, while lying in the supine position, with eyes closed. Subjects received both forms of the stimulation in a counterbalanced fashion. Pneumatically powered skull tappers were placed bilaterally on the cheekbones. The vibration of the cheekbone was transmitted to the vestibular system, resulting in the vestibular cortical response. Auditory tone bursts were also delivered for comparison. To validate our stimulation method, we measured the ocular VEMP outside of the scanner. This measurement showed that both skull tap and auditory tone burst elicited vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, indicated by eye muscle responses. We further assessed subjects' postural control and its correlation with vestibular cortical activity. Our results provide the first evidence of using skull taps to elicit vestibular activity inside the MRI scanner. By conducting conjunction analyses we showed that skull taps elicit the same activation pattern as auditory tone bursts (superior temporal gyrus), and both modes of stimulation activate previously identified vestibular cortical regions. Additionally, we found that skull taps elicit more robust vestibular activity compared to auditory tone bursts, with less reported aversive effects. This further supports that the skull tap could replace auditory tone burst stimulation in clinical interventions and basic science research. Moreover, we observed that greater vestibular activation is associated with better balance control. We showed that not only the quality of balance (indicated by the amount of body sway) but also the ability to maintain balance for a longer time (indicated by the balance time) was associated with individuals' vestibular cortical excitability. Our findings support an association between vestibular cortical activity and individual differences in balance. In sum, we found that the skull tap stimulation results in activation of canonical vestibular cortex, suggesting an equally valid, but more tolerable stimulation method compared to auditory tone bursts. This is of high importance in longitudinal vestibular assessments, in which minimizing aversive effects may contribute to higher protocol adherence.

Noohi, F.↗