Sample records for interrogation field work

  1. Using Elaborative Interrogation Enhanced Worked Examples to Improve Chemistry Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pease, Rebecca Simpson

    2012-01-01

    Elaborative interrogation, which prompts students to answer why-questions placed strategically within informational text, has been shown to increase learning comprehension through reading. In this study, elaborative interrogation why-questions requested readers to explain why paraphrased statements taken from a reading were "true."…

  2. Revenge versus rapport: Interrogation, terrorism, and torture.

    PubMed

    Alison, Laurence; Alison, Emily

    2017-04-01

    This review begins with the historical context of harsh interrogation methods that have been used repeatedly since the Second World War. This is despite the legal, ethical and moral sanctions against them and the lack of evidence for their efficacy. Revenge-motivated interrogations (Carlsmith & Sood, 2009) regularly occur in high conflict, high uncertainty situations and where there is dehumanization of the enemy. These methods are diametrically opposed to the humanization process required for adopting rapport-based methods-for which there is an increasing corpus of studies evidencing their efficacy. We review this emerging field of study and show how rapport-based methods rely on building alliances and involve a specific set of interpersonal skills on the part of the interrogator. We conclude with 2 key propositions: (a) for psychologists to firmly maintain the Hippocratic Oath of "first do no harm," irrespective of perceived threat and uncertainty, and (b) for wider recognition of the empirical evidence that rapport-based approaches work and revenge tactics do not. Proposition (a) is directly in line with fundamental ethical principles of practice for anyone in a caring profession. Proposition (b) is based on the requirement for psychology to protect and promote human welfare and to base conclusions on objective evidence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. Detectors for Active Interrogation Applications

    DOE PAGES

    Clarke, S. D.; Hamel, M. C.; Bourne, M. M.; ...

    2017-10-26

    Active interrogation creates an environment that is particularly challenging from a radiation-detection standpoint: the elevated background levels from the source can mask the desired signatures from the SNM. Neutron based interrogation experiments have shown that nanosecond-level timing is required to discriminate induced-fission neutrons from the scattered source neutrons. Previous experiments using high-energy bremsstrahlung X-rays have demonstrated the ability to induce and detect prompt photofission neutrons from single target materials; however, a real-world application would require spectroscopic capability to discern between photofission neutrons emitted by SNM and neutrons emitted by other reactions in non-SNM. Using digital pulseshape discrimination, organic liquid scintillatorsmore » are capable of reliably detecting neutrons in an intense gamma-ray field. Photon misclassification rates as low as 1 in 10 6 have been achieved, which is approaching the level of gaseous neutron detectors such as 3He without the need for neutron moderation. These scintillators also possess nanosecond-timing resolution, making them candidates for both neutron-and photon-driven active interrogation systems. Lastly, we have applied an array of liquid and NaI(Tl) scintillators to successfully image 13.7 kg of HEU interrogated by a DT neutron generator; the system was in the direct presence of the accelerator during the experiment.« less

  4. Detectors for Active Interrogation Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clarke, S. D.; Hamel, M. C.; Bourne, M. M.; Pozzi, S. A.

    Active interrogation creates an environment that is particularly challenging from a radiation-detection standpoint: the elevated background levels from the source can mask the desired signatures from the SNM. Neutron based interrogation experiments have shown that nanosecond-level timing is required to discriminate induced-fission neutrons from the scattered source neutrons. Previous experiments using high-energy bremsstrahlung X-rays have demonstrated the ability to induce and detect prompt photofission neutrons from single target materials; however, a real-world application would require spectroscopic capability to discern between photofission neutrons emitted by SNM and neutrons emitted by other reactions in non-SNM. Using digital pulse-shape discrimination, organic liquid scintillators are capable of reliably detecting neutrons in an intense gamma-ray field. Photon misclassification rates as low as 1 in 106 have been achieved, which is approaching the level of gaseous neutron detectors such as 3He without the need for neutron moderation. These scintillators also possess nanosecond-timing resolution, making them candidates for both neutron-and photon-driven active interrogation systems. We have applied an array of liquid and NaI(Tl) scintillators to successfully image 13.7 kg of HEU interrogated by a DT neutron generator; the system was in the direct presence of the accelerator during the experiment.

  5. Psychological Perspectives on Interrogation.

    PubMed

    Vrij, Aldert; Meissner, Christian A; Fisher, Ronald P; Kassin, Saul M; Morgan, Charles A; Kleinman, Steven M

    2017-11-01

    Proponents of "enhanced interrogation techniques" in the United States have claimed that such methods are necessary for obtaining information from uncooperative terrorism subjects. In the present article, we offer an informed, academic perspective on such claims. Psychological theory and research shows that harsh interrogation methods are ineffective. First, they are likely to increase resistance by the subject rather than facilitate cooperation. Second, the threatening and adversarial nature of harsh interrogation is often inimical to the goal of facilitating the retrieval of information from memory and therefore reduces the likelihood that a subject will provide reports that are extensive, detailed, and accurate. Third, harsh interrogation methods make lie detection difficult. Analyzing speech content and eliciting verifiable details are the most reliable cues to assessing credibility; however, to elicit such cues subjects must be encouraged to provide extensive narratives, something that does not occur in harsh interrogations. Evidence is accumulating for the effectiveness of rapport-based information-gathering approaches as an alternative to harsh interrogations. Such approaches promote cooperation, enhance recall of relevant and reliable information, and facilitate assessments of credibility. Given the available evidence that torture is ineffective, why might some laypersons, policymakers, and interrogation personnel support the use of torture? We conclude our review by offering a psychological perspective on this important question.

  6. Wirelessly Interrogated Position or Displacement Sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodard, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.

    2007-01-01

    Two simple position or displacement sensors based on inductance-capacitance resonant circuits have been conceived. These sensors are both powered and interrogated without use of wires and without making contact with other objects. Instead, excitation and interrogation are accomplished by means of a magnetic-field-response recorder. Both of the present position or displacement sensors consist essentially of variable rectangular parallel-plate capacitors electrically connected in series with fixed inductors. Simple inductance-capacitance circuits of the type used in these sensors are inherently robust; their basic mode of operation does not depend on maintenance of specific environmental conditions. Hence, these sensors can be used under such harsh conditions as cryogenic temperatures, high pressures, and radioactivity.

  7. Police practices and perceptions regarding juvenile interrogation and interrogative suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Jessica R; Reppucci, N Dickon

    2007-01-01

    Recent media coverage has highlighted cases in which young suspects were wrongly convicted because they provided interrogation-induced false confessions. Although youth may be more highly suggestible and easily influenced by authority than adults, police are trained to use the same psychologically coercive and deceptive tactics with youth as with adults. This investigation is the first standard documentation of the reported interrogation practices of law enforcement and police beliefs about the reliability of these techniques and their knowledge of child development. Participants were 332 law enforcement officers who completed surveys about interrogation procedures and developmental issues pertaining to youth. Results indicated that, while police acknowledge some developmental differences between youth and adults, there were indications that (1) how police perceive youth in general and how they perceive and treat them in the interrogation context may be contradictory and (2) their general view is that youth can be dealt with in the same manner as adults. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Rattling Nucleons: New Developments in Active Interrogation of Special Nuclear Material

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Robert C. Runkle; David L. Chichester; Scott J. Thompson

    2012-01-01

    Active interrogation is a vigorous area of research and development due to its promise of offering detection and characterization capabilities of special nuclear material in environments where passive detection fails. The primary value added by active methods is the capability to penetrate shielding - special nuclear material itself, incidental materials, or intentional shielding - and advocates hope that active interrogation will provide a solution to the problem of detecting shielded uranium, which is at present the greatest obstacle to interdiction efforts. The technique also provides a unique benefit for quantifying nuclear material in high background-radiation environments, an area important formore » nuclear material safeguards and material accountancy. Progress has been made in the field of active interrogation on several fronts, most notably in the arenas of source development, systems integration, and the integration and exploitation of multiple fission and non-fission signatures. But penetration of interrogating radiation often comes at a cost, not only in terms of finance and dose but also in terms of induced backgrounds, system complexity, and extended measurement times (including set up and acquisition). These costs make the calculus for deciding to implement active interrogation more subtle than may be apparent. The purpose of this review is thus to examine existing interrogation methods, compare and contrast their attributes and limitations, and identify missions where active interrogation may hold the most promise.« less

  9. Rattling nucleons: New developments in active interrogation of special nuclear material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Runkle, Robert C.; Chichester, David L.; Thompson, Scott J.

    2012-01-01

    Active interrogation is a vigorous area of research and development due to its promise of offering detection and characterization capabilities of special nuclear material in environments where passive detection fails. The primary value added by active methods is the capability to penetrate shielding—special nuclear material itself, incidental materials, or intentional shielding—and advocates hope that active interrogation will provide a solution to the problem of detecting shielded uranium, which is at present the greatest obstacle to interdiction efforts. The technique also provides a unique benefit for quantifying nuclear material in high background-radiation environments, an area important for nuclear material safeguards and material accountancy. Progress has been made in the field of active interrogation on several fronts, most notably in the arenas of source development, systems integration, and the integration and exploitation of multiple fission and non-fission signatures. But penetration of interrogating radiation often comes at a cost, not only in terms of finance and dose but also in terms of induced backgrounds, system complexity, and extended measurement times (including set up and acquisition). These costs make the calculus for deciding to implement active interrogation more subtle than may be apparent. The purpose of this review is thus to examine existing interrogation methods, compare and contrast their attributes and limitations, and identify missions where active interrogation may hold the most promise.

  10. The dynamic nature of interrogation.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Christopher E; Miller, Jeaneé C; Redlich, Allison D

    2016-06-01

    Building on a substantial body of literature examining interrogation methods employed by police investigators and their relationship to suspect behaviors, we analyzed a sample of audio and video interrogation recordings of individuals suspected of serious violent crimes. Existing survey research has focused on the tactics reportedly used, at what rate, and under what conditions; observational studies detail which methods are actually employed. With a few notable exceptions, these foundational studies were static examinations of interrogation methods that documented the absence or presence of various approaches. In the present study, we cast interrogation as a dynamic phenomenon and code the recordings in 5-min intervals to examine how interrogation methods and suspect cooperation change over time. Employing the interrogation taxonomy framework, particularly 4 discrete domains-rapport and relationship building, emotion provocation, presentation of evidence, and confrontation/competition-we found that the emphasis of the domains varied across interrogations and were significantly different when suspects confessed versus when they denied involvement. In regression models, suspect cooperation was positively influenced by the rapport and relationship building domain, though it was negatively impacted by presentation of evidence and confrontation/competition. Moreover, we found that the negative effects of confrontation/competition on suspect cooperation lasted for up to 15 min. The implications of the findings for practice and future research include the benefits of a rapport-based approach, the deleterious effects of accusatorial methods, and the importance of studying when, not just if, certain interrogation techniques are employed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. Lies and coercion: why psychiatrists should not participate in police and intelligence interrogations.

    PubMed

    Janofsky, Jeffrey S

    2006-01-01

    Police interrogators routinely use deceptive techniques to obtain confessions from criminal suspects. The United States Executive Branch has attempted to justify coercive interrogation techniques in which physical or mental pain and suffering may be used during intelligence interrogations of persons labeled unlawful combatants. It may be appropriate for law enforcement, military, or intelligence personnel who are not physicians to use such techniques. However, forensic psychiatry ethical practice requires honesty, striving for objectivity, and respect for persons. Deceptive and coercive interrogation techniques violate these moral values. When a psychiatrist directly uses, works with others who use, or trains others to use deceptive or coercive techniques to obtain information in police, military, or intelligence interrogations, the psychiatrist breaches basic principles of ethics.

  12. Low-Cost Interrogation Technique for Dynamic Measurements with FBG-Based Devices.

    PubMed

    Díaz, Camilo A R; Leitão, Cátia; Marques, Carlos A; Domingues, M Fátima; Alberto, Nélia; Pontes, Maria José; Frizera, Anselmo; Ribeiro, Moisés R N; André, Paulo S B; Antunes, Paulo F C

    2017-10-23

    Fiber Bragg gratings are widely used optical fiber sensors for measuring temperature and/or mechanical strain. Nevertheless, the high cost of the interrogation systems is the most important drawback for their large commercial application. In this work, an in-line Fabry-Perot interferometer based edge filter is explored in the interrogation of fiber Bragg grating dynamic measurements up to 5 kHz. Two devices an accelerometer and an arterial pulse wave probe were interrogated with the developed approach and the results were compared with a commercial interrogation monitor. The data obtained with the edge filter are in agreement with the commercial device, with a maximum RMSE of 0.05 being able to meet the requirements of the measurements. Resolutions of 3.6 pm and 2.4 pm were obtained, using the optical accelerometer and the arterial pulse wave probe, respectively.

  13. Low-Cost Interrogation Technique for Dynamic Measurements with FBG-Based Devices

    PubMed Central

    Domingues, M. Fátima; Alberto, Nélia; Pontes, Maria José; Ribeiro, Moisés R. N.; André, Paulo S. B.; Antunes, Paulo F. C.

    2017-01-01

    Fiber Bragg gratings are widely used optical fiber sensors for measuring temperature and/or mechanical strain. Nevertheless, the high cost of the interrogation systems is the most important drawback for their large commercial application. In this work, an in-line Fabry–Perot interferometer based edge filter is explored in the interrogation of fiber Bragg grating dynamic measurements up to 5 kHz. Two devices an accelerometer and an arterial pulse wave probe were interrogated with the developed approach and the results were compared with a commercial interrogation monitor. The data obtained with the edge filter are in agreement with the commercial device, with a maximum RMSE of 0.05 being able to meet the requirements of the measurements. Resolutions of 3.6 pm and 2.4 pm were obtained, using the optical accelerometer and the arterial pulse wave probe, respectively. PMID:29065518

  14. Negotiate Instead of Interrogate-Get Better Results from Interrogations Through Negotiation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-04-01

    and ideas. Incorporation of negotiation theory and practice into interrogation settings will yield better results. The goal of this paper is to... practice or theory. The end result is a new way to look at interrogations and create a paradigm shift. Through a compare and contrast methodology, this...tried and true practice , why were the two concepts never combined before? First, we must clarify some definitions and terms. There are two main

  15. Personnel Dose Assessment during Active Interrogation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Thomas Martin; Akkurt, Hatice; Patton, Bruce W

    A leading candidate in the detection of special nuclear material (SNM) is active interrogation (AI). Unlike passive interrogation, AI uses a source to enhance or create a detectable signal from SNM (usually fission), particularly in shielded scenarios or scenarios where the SNM has a low activity. The use of AI thus makes the detection of SNM easier or, in some scenarios, even enables previously impossible detection. During the development of AI sources, significant effort is put into determining the source strength required to detect SNM in specific scenarios. Usually during this process, but not always, an evaluation of personnel dosemore » is also completed. In this instance personnel dose could involve any of the following: (1) personnel performing the AI; (2) unknown stowaways who are inside the object being interrogated; or (3) in clandestine interrogations, personnel who are known to be inside the object being interrogated but are unaware of the interrogation. In most instances, dose to anyone found smuggling SNM will be a secondary issue. However, for the organizations performing the AI, legal if not moral considerations should make dose to the personnel performing the AI, unknown stowaways, or innocent bystanders in clandestine interrogations a serious concern.« less

  16. 8 CFR 343b.3 - Interrogation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interrogation. 343b.3 Section 343b.3 Aliens... NATURALIZATION FOR RECOGNITION BY A FOREIGN STATE § 343b.3 Interrogation. When Form N-565 presents a prima facie... issuance of the certificate. Interrogation of the applicant shall be conducted before the application is...

  17. 8 CFR 343b.3 - Interrogation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Interrogation. 343b.3 Section 343b.3 Aliens... NATURALIZATION FOR RECOGNITION BY A FOREIGN STATE § 343b.3 Interrogation. When Form N-565 presents a prima facie... issuance of the certificate. Interrogation of the applicant shall be conducted before the application is...

  18. Investigation of Active Interrogation Techniques to Detect Special Nuclear Material in Maritime Environments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miller, Thomas Martin; Patton, Bruce W

    The detection and interdiction of special nuclear material (SNM) is still a high-priority focus area for many organizations around the world. One method that is commonly considered a leading candidate in the detection of SNM is active interrogation (AI). AI is different from its close relative, passive interrogation, in that an active source is used to enhance or create a detectable signal (usually fission) from SNM, particularly in shielded scenarios or scenarios where the SNM has a low activity. The use of AI thus makes the detection of SNM easier or, in some scenarios, even enables previously impossible detection. Inmore » this work the signal from prompt neutrons and photons as well as delayed neutrons and photons will be combined, as is typically done in AI. In previous work AI has been evaluated experimentally and computationally. However, for the purposes of this work, past scenarios are considered lightly shielded and tightly coupled spatially. At most, the previous work interrogated the contents of one standard cargo container (2.44 x 2.60 x 6.10 m) and the source and detector were both within a few meters of the object being interrogated. A few examples of this type of previous work can be found in references 1 and 2. Obviously, more heavily shielded AI scenarios will require larger source intensities, larger detector surface areas (larger detectors or more detectors), greater detector efficiencies, longer count times, or some combination of these.« less

  19. Hybrid Monte Carlo/Deterministic Methods for Accelerating Active Interrogation Modeling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peplow, Douglas E.; Miller, Thomas Martin; Patton, Bruce W

    2013-01-01

    The potential for smuggling special nuclear material (SNM) into the United States is a major concern to homeland security, so federal agencies are investigating a variety of preventive measures, including detection and interdiction of SNM during transport. One approach for SNM detection, called active interrogation, uses a radiation source, such as a beam of neutrons or photons, to scan cargo containers and detect the products of induced fissions. In realistic cargo transport scenarios, the process of inducing and detecting fissions in SNM is difficult due to the presence of various and potentially thick materials between the radiation source and themore » SNM, and the practical limitations on radiation source strength and detection capabilities. Therefore, computer simulations are being used, along with experimental measurements, in efforts to design effective active interrogation detection systems. The computer simulations mostly consist of simulating radiation transport from the source to the detector region(s). Although the Monte Carlo method is predominantly used for these simulations, difficulties persist related to calculating statistically meaningful detector responses in practical computing times, thereby limiting their usefulness for design and evaluation of practical active interrogation systems. In previous work, the benefits of hybrid methods that use the results of approximate deterministic transport calculations to accelerate high-fidelity Monte Carlo simulations have been demonstrated for source-detector type problems. In this work, the hybrid methods are applied and evaluated for three example active interrogation problems. Additionally, a new approach is presented that uses multiple goal-based importance functions depending on a particle s relevance to the ultimate goal of the simulation. Results from the examples demonstrate that the application of hybrid methods to active interrogation problems dramatically increases their calculational

  20. Development of fiber optic sensing interrogators for launchers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plattner, M. P.; Buck, T. C.; Eder, B.; Reutlinger, A.; McKenzie, I.

    2017-11-01

    We present our work about the development of two complementary interrogation schemes based on fiber optic sensing for the use of structural and thermal monitoring of Ariane launchers. The advantages of fiber optic sensing in particular light-weight, immunity to electromagnetic interferences and the possibility of sensor distribution along optical fibers are driving factors for utilization of this technology in space crafts [1]. The edge-filter (EF) and scanning-laser (SL) interrogators for determination of the mean wavelength of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors have been implemented as two separate demonstrators. Within this paper we describe the functional principles of both interrogators. Furthermore we present test results where the developed systems have been used for readout of FBG sensors which are implemented in an Ariane structural demonstrator during thermal, thermal-vacuum and vibration tests. Functionality of both systems is demonstrated and their potential for further development towards space qualified systems is shown. Since the performance characteristics of the two systems are different from each other, they are dedicated for different sensing applications on a launcher. The EF sensor interrogator provides a sample rate of 20 kHz at a number of 4 connected sensors and supports parallel readout and aliasing free operation. Therefore it is best suited for high priority measurement. Structural monitoring which requires the acquisition of real time sensor information in order to support control of the launcher is one operation area for a future EF system. The SL interrogator provides an overall measurement rate of 1 kHz at a number of 24 connected sensors distributed on three sensor channels. It can be adapted to any sensors that have design wavelengths lying within the output spectrum of the laser diode. Furthermore the number of overall sensors to be read out with this system can be adapted easily. Thermal mapping of satellite panels is one possible

  1. Wirelessly Interrogated Wear or Temperature Sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodard, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.

    2010-01-01

    Sensors for monitoring surface wear and/or temperature without need for wire connections have been developed. Excitation and interrogation of these sensors are accomplished by means of a magnetic-field-response recorder. In a sensor of the present type as in the previously reported ones, the capacitance and, thus, the resonance frequency, varies as a known function of the quantity of interest that one seeks to determine. Hence, the resonance frequency is measured and used to calculate the quantity of interest.

  2. Low-cost and high-resolution interrogation scheme for LPG-based temperature sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venkata Reddy, M.; Srimannarayana, K.; Venkatappa Rao, T.; Vengal Rao, P.

    2015-09-01

    A low-cost and high-resolution interrogation scheme for a long-period fiber grating (LPG) temperature sensor with adjustable temperature range has been designed, developed and tested. In general LPGs are widely used as optical sensors and can be used as optical edge filters to interrogate the wavelength encoded signal from sensors such as fiber Bragg grating (FBG) by converting it into intensity modulated signal. But the interrogation of LPG sensors using FBG is a bit novel and it is to be studied experimentally. The sensor works based on measurement of shift in attenuation band of LPG corresponding to the applied temperature. The wavelength shift of LPG attenuation band is monitored using an optical spectrum analyser (OSA). Further the bulk and expensive OSA is replaced with a low-cost interrogation system that employ an FBG, photodiode and a transimpedance amplifier (TIA). The designed interrogation scheme makes the system low-cost, fast in response, and also enhances its resolution up to 0.1°C. The measurable temperature range using the proposed scheme is limited to 120 °C. However this range can be shifted within 15-450 °C by means of adjusting the Bragg wavelength of FBG.

  3. Noncontact power/interrogation system for smart structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spillman, William B., Jr.; Durkee, S.

    1994-05-01

    The field of smart structures has been largely driven by the development of new high performance designed materials. Use of these materials has been generally limited due to the fact that they have not been in use long enough for statistical data bases to be developed on their failure modes. Real time health monitoring is therefore required for the benefits of structures using these materials to be realized. In this paper a non-contact method of powering and interrogating embedded electronic and opto-electronic systems is described. The technique utilizes inductive coupling between external and embedded coils etched on thin electronic circuit cards. The technique can be utilized to interrogate embedded sensors and to provide > 250 mW for embedded electronics. The system has been successfully demonstrated with a number of composite and plastic materials through material thicknesses up to 1 cm. An analytical description of the system is provided along with experimental results.

  4. Interrogative suggestibility in opiate users.

    PubMed

    Murakami, A; Edelmann, R J; Davis, P E

    1996-09-01

    The present study investigated interrogative suggestibility in opiate users. A group of patients undergoing a methadone detoxification programme in an in-patient drug treatment unit (Detox group, n = 21), and a group of residents who had come off drugs and were no longer suffering from withdrawal syndrome (Rehab group, n = 19) were compared on interrogative suggestibility and various other psychological factors. Significant differences were found between the two groups, with the Detox group having more physical and psychological problems, and a higher total suggestibility score in comparison with the Rehab group. These findings are discussed in relation to the context of police interrogations and the reliability of confessions made by suspects and witnesses dependent on opiates.

  5. High performance multi-spectral interrogation for surface plasmon resonance imaging sensors.

    PubMed

    Sereda, A; Moreau, J; Canva, M; Maillart, E

    2014-04-15

    Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing has proven to be a valuable tool in the field of surface interactions characterization, especially for biomedical applications where label-free techniques are of particular interest. In order to approach the theoretical resolution limit, most SPR-based systems have turned to either angular or spectral interrogation modes, which both offer very accurate real-time measurements, but at the expense of the 2-dimensional imaging capability, therefore decreasing the data throughput. In this article, we show numerically and experimentally how to combine the multi-spectral interrogation technique with 2D-imaging, while finding an optimum in terms of resolution, accuracy, acquisition speed and reduction in data dispersion with respect to the classical reflectivity interrogation mode. This multi-spectral interrogation methodology is based on a robust five parameter fitting of the spectral reflectivity curve which enables monitoring of the reflectivity spectral shift with a resolution of the order of ten picometers, and using only five wavelength measurements per point. In fine, such multi-spectral based plasmonic imaging system allows biomolecular interaction monitoring in a linear regime independently of variations of buffer optical index, which is illustrated on a DNA-DNA model case. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. 32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

  7. 32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

  8. 32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

  9. 32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

  10. 32 CFR 637.21 - Recording interviews and interrogations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Recording interviews and interrogations. 637.21 Section 637.21 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW... interviews and interrogations. The recording of interviews and interrogations by military police personnel is...

  11. The phase interrogation method for optical fiber sensor by analyzing the fork interference pattern

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lv, Riqing; Qiu, Liqiang; Hu, Haifeng; Meng, Lu; Zhang, Yong

    2018-02-01

    The phase interrogation method for optical fiber sensor is proposed based on the fork interference pattern between the orbital angular momentum beam and plane wave. The variation of interference pattern with phase difference between the two light beams is investigated to realize the phase interrogation. By employing principal component analysis method, the features of the interference pattern can be extracted. Moreover, the experimental system is designed to verify the theoretical analysis, as well as feasibility of phase interrogation. In this work, the Mach-Zehnder interferometer was employed to convert the strain applied on sensing fiber to the phase difference between the reference and measuring paths. This interrogation method is also applicable for the measurements of other physical parameters, which can produce the phase delay in optical fiber. The performance of the system can be further improved by employing highlysensitive materials and fiber structures.

  12. Interrogative suggestibility in patients with conversion disorders.

    PubMed

    Foong, J; Lucas, P A; Ron, M A

    1997-09-01

    We tested the hypothesis that increased interrogative suggestibility may contribute to the shaping and maintaining of conversions symptoms. Interrogative suggestibility was measured in 12 patients with conversion disorder and 10 control patients with confirmed neurological disease matched for age, premorbid intelligence, and as closely as possible in terms of their neurological symptoms to the patients with conversion disorder. Our observations do not support the contention that individual differences in interrogative suggestibility are of importance in the etiology of conversion disorders.

  13. Frequency stability degradation of an oscillator slaved to a periodically interrogated atomic resonator.

    PubMed

    Santarelli, G; Audoin, C; Makdissi, A; Laurent, P; Dick, G J; Clairon, A

    1998-01-01

    Atomic frequency standards using trapped ions or cold atoms work intrinsically in a pulsed mode. Theoretically and experimentally, this mode of operation has been shown to lead to a degradation of the frequency stability due to the frequency noise of the interrogation oscillator. In this paper a physical analysis of this effect has been made by evaluating the response of a two-level atom to the interrogation oscillator phase noise in Ramsey and multi-Rabi interrogation schemes using a standard quantum mechanical approach. This response is then used to calculate the degradation of the frequency stability of a pulsed atomic frequency standard such as an atomic fountain or an ion trap standard. Comparison is made to an experimental evaluation of this effect in the LPTF Cs fountain frequency standard, showing excellent agreement.

  14. Use of light absorbers to alter optical interrogation with epi-illumination and transillumination in three-dimensional cardiac models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramshesh, Venkat K.; Knisley, Stephen B.

    2006-03-01

    Cardiac optical mapping currently provides 2-D maps of transmembrane voltage-sensitive fluorescence localized near the tissue surface. Methods for interrogation at different depths are required for studies of arrhythmias and the effects of defibrillation shocks in 3-D cardiac tissue. We model the effects of coloading with a dye that absorbs excitation or fluorescence light on the radius and depth of the interrogated region with specific illumination and collection techniques. Results indicate radii and depths of interrogation are larger for transillumination versus epi-illumination, an effect that is more pronounced for broad-field excitation versus laser scanner. Coloading with a fluorescence absorber lessens interrogated depth for epi-illumination and increases it for transillumination, which is confirmed with measurements using transillumination of heart tissue slices. Coloading with an absorber of excitation light consistently decreases the interrogated depths. Transillumination and coloading also decrease the intensities of collected fluorescence. Thus, localization can be modified with wavelength-specific absorbers at the expense of a reduction in fluorescence intensity.

  15. Interrogations, confessions, and adolescent offenders' perceptions of the legal system.

    PubMed

    Arndorfer, Andrea; Malloy, Lindsay C; Cauffman, Elizabeth

    2015-10-01

    The potential consequences of interrogations and false confessions have been discussed primarily in terms of the risk for wrongful conviction, especially among adolescents and other vulnerable populations. However, it is possible that such experiences influence adolescents' perceptions of the legal system more generally. In the present study, we examined whether incarcerated male juvenile offenders' (n = 193) perceptions of police and the courts were related to their confession and interrogation experiences. High-pressure interrogation experiences and self-reported false confessions to police were associated with more negative perceptions of police. However, self-reported true confessions were not significantly associated with youths' perceptions of the police. Neither interrogation nor confession experiences (true or false) were related to youths' perceptions of the courts. Results provide additional support for policy reform of interrogation practices with young suspects. A more developmentally appropriate approach to criminal interrogations with youth may simultaneously improve police-youth relations and protect vulnerable suspects in the interrogation room. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  16. Improving ethical knowledge and sensemaking from cases through elaborative interrogation and outcome valence.

    PubMed

    Johnson, James F; Bagdasarov, Zhanna; MacDougall, Alexandra E; Steele, Logan; Connelly, Shane; Devenport, Lynn D; Mumford, Michael D

    2014-01-01

    The case-based approach to learning is popular among many applied fields. However, results of case-based education vary widely on case content and case presentation. This study examined two aspects of case-based education-outcome valence and case elaboration methods-in a two-day case-based Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) ethics education program. Results suggest that outcome information is an integral part of a quality case. Furthermore, valence consistent outcomes may have certain advantages over mixed valence outcome information. Finally, students enjoy and excel working with case material, and the use of elaborative interrogation techniques can significantly improve internally-focused ethical sensemaking strategies associated with personal biases, constraints, and emotions.

  17. A cost-effective edge-filter-based FBG strain interrogator using catastrophic fuse effect microcavity interferometers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Díaz, Camilo A. R.; Marques, Carlos A. F.; Domingues, M. Fátima F.; Ribeiro, Moisés. R. N.; Neto, Anselmo F.; Pontes, Maria J.; André, Paulo S.; Antunes, Paulo F. C.

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents a simple, compact, stable and inexpensive in-line solution based on catastrophic fuse effect micro-cavity interferometers for edge-filter strain interrogation of a fiber Bragg grating sensor. By using a commercial spliced machine and recycling damage fiber for the catastrophic fuse effect it is possible to construct a micro-cavity with high contrast of more than 20dB, and acceptable half free spectra range (FSR) around 13nm of interrogation range. The strain from 0 to 1440μStrain of the FBG sensor is measured with evidences of high repeatability and stability. Future work will investigate the use of the proposed method for applications requiring higher interrogation rates.

  18. Dual Neutral Particle Beam Interrogation of Intermodal Shipping Containers for Special Nuclear Material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keith, Rodney Lyman

    Intermodal shipping containers entering the United States provide an avenue to smuggle unsecured or stolen special nuclear material (SNM). The only direct method fielded to indicate the presence of SNM is by passive photon/neutron radiation detection. Active interrogation using neutral particle beams to induce fission in SNM is a method under consideration. One by-product of fission is the creation of fragments that undergo radioactive decay over a time period on the order of tens of seconds after the initial event. The "delayed" gamma-rays emitted from these fragments over this period are considered a hallmark for the presence of SNM. A fundamental model is developed using homogenized cargos with a SNM target embedded at the center and computationally interrogated using simultaneous neutron and photon beams. Findings from analysis of the delayed gamma emissions from these experiments are intended to mitigate the effects of poor quality information about the composition and disposition of suspect cargo before examination in an active interrogation portal.

  19. Development of a Tip-Enhanced Near-Field Optical Microscope for Nanoscale Interrogation of Surface Chemistry and Plasmonic Phenomena

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heilman, Alexander Lee

    Optical microscopy and spectroscopy are invaluable tools for the physical and chemical characterization of materials and surfaces in a wide range of scientific disciplines. However, the application of conventional optical methods in the study of nanomaterials is inherently limited by diffraction. Tip-enhanced near-field optical microscopy (TENOM) is a hybrid technique that marries optical spectroscopy with scanning probe microscopy to overcome the spatial resolution limit imposed by diffraction. By coupling optical energy into the plasmonic modes of a sharp metal probe tip, a strong, localized optical field is generated near the tip's apex and is used to enhance spectroscopic emissions within a sub-diffraction-limited volume. In this thesis, we describe the design, construction, validation, and application of a custom TENOM instrument with a unique attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-geometry excitation/detection system. The specific goals of this work were: (i) to develop a versatile TENOM instrument capable of investigating a variety of optical phenomena at the nanoscale, (ii) to use the instrument to demonstrate chemical interrogation of surfaces with sub-diffraction-limited spatial resolution (i.e., at super resolution), (iii) to apply the instrument to study plasmonic phenomena that influence spectroscopic enhancement in TENOM measurements, and (iv) to leverage resulting insights to develop systematic improvements that expand the ultimate capabilities of near-field optical interrogation techniques. The TENOM instrument described herein is comprised of three main components: an atomic force microscope (AFM), a side-on confocal Raman microscope, and a novel ATR excitation/detection system. The design of each component is discussed along with the results of relevant validation experiments, which were performed to rigorously assess each component's performance. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) optical simulations were also developed and used extensively to

  20. 29 CFR 18.614 - Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge. 18.614... interrogation of witnesses by judge. (a) Calling by the judge. The judge may, on the judge's own motion or at... thus called. (b) Interrogation by the judge. The judge may interrogate witnesses, whether called by the...

  1. 29 CFR 18.614 - Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge. 18.614... interrogation of witnesses by judge. (a) Calling by the judge. The judge may, on the judge's own motion or at... thus called. (b) Interrogation by the judge. The judge may interrogate witnesses, whether called by the...

  2. 29 CFR 18.614 - Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge. 18.614... interrogation of witnesses by judge. (a) Calling by the judge. The judge may, on the judge's own motion or at... thus called. (b) Interrogation by the judge. The judge may interrogate witnesses, whether called by the...

  3. 29 CFR 18.614 - Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge. 18.614... interrogation of witnesses by judge. (a) Calling by the judge. The judge may, on the judge's own motion or at... thus called. (b) Interrogation by the judge. The judge may interrogate witnesses, whether called by the...

  4. 29 CFR 18.614 - Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Calling and interrogation of witnesses by judge. 18.614... interrogation of witnesses by judge. (a) Calling by the judge. The judge may, on the judge's own motion or at... thus called. (b) Interrogation by the judge. The judge may interrogate witnesses, whether called by the...

  5. Bright Lights and Questions: Using Mutual Interrogation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adam, Aishikin; Alangui, Willy; Barton, Bill

    2010-01-01

    Mutual Interrogation is a research methodology for ethnomathematics proposed by Alangui in 2006 in an attempt to avoid the potential inequality set up when a restricted cultural practice is viewed through the lens of the near-universal and highly developed research domain of mathematics. Using three significant examples of mutual interrogation in…

  6. Interrogation of weak Bragg grating sensors based on dual-wavelength differential detection.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Rui; Xia, Li

    2016-11-15

    It is shown that for weak Bragg gratings the logarithmic ratio of reflected intensities at any two wavelengths within the spectrum follows a linear relationship with the Bragg wavelength shift, with a slope proportional to their wavelength spacing. This finding is exploited to develop a flexible, efficient, and cheap interrogation solution of weak fiber Bragg grating (FBGs), especially ultra-short FBGs, in distributed sensing based on dual-wavelength differential detection. The concept is experimentally studied in both single and distributed sensing systems with ultra-short FBG sensors. The work may form the basis of new and promising FBG interrogation techniques based on detecting discrete rather than continuous spectra.

  7. Safety and efficiency of emergency department interrogation of cardiac devices.

    PubMed

    Neuenschwander, James F; Peacock, W Frank; Migeed, Madgy; Hunter, Sara A; Daughtery, John C; McCleese, Ian C; Hiestand, Brian C

    2016-12-01

    Patients with implanted cardiac devices may wait extended periods for interrogation in emergency departments (EDs). Our purpose was to determine if device interrogation could be done safely and faster by ED staff. Prospective randomized, standard therapy controlled, trial of ED staff device interrogation vs. standard process (SP), with 30-day follow-up. Eligibility criteria: ED presentation with a self-report of a potential device related complaint, with signed informed consent. SP interrogation was by company representative or hospital employee. Of 60 patients, 42 (70%) were male, all were white, with a median (interquartile range) age of 71 (64 to 82) years. No patient was lost to follow up. Of all patients, 32 (53%) were enrolled during business hours. The overall median (interquartile range) ED vs. SP time to interrogation was 98.5 (40 to 260) vs. 166.5 (64 to 412) minutes (P=0.013). While ED and SP interrogation times were similar during business hours, 102 (59 to 138) vs. 105 (64 to 172) minutes (P=0.62), ED interrogation times were shorter vs. SP during non-business hours; 97 (60 to 126) vs. 225 (144 to 412) minutes, P=0.002, respectively. There was no difference in ED length of stay between the ED and SP interrogation, 249 (153 to 390) vs. 246 (143 to 333) minutes (P=0.71), regardless of time of presentation. No patient in any cohort suffered an unplanned medical contact or post-discharge adverse device related event. ED staff cardiac device interrogations are faster, and with similar 30-day outcomes, as compared to SP.

  8. Social Work Program. Field Placement Manual for Social Work Field Placement I, Social Work Field Placement II.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Howard J.; And Others

    This document is a manual for a social work field placement program. The social work field placement is described as a learning experience designed to translate the students' interests, interpersonal abilities, and academic knowledge and theory into the capability of enabling others to solve problems. Expectations of skills to be learned in the…

  9. Single transmission line interrogated multiple channel data acquisition system

    DOEpatents

    Fasching, George E.; Keech, Jr., Thomas W.

    1980-01-01

    A single transmission line interrogated multiple channel data acquisition system is provided in which a plurality of remote station/sensor circuits each monitors a specific process variable and each transmits measurement values over a single transmission line to a master interrogating station when addressed by said master interrogating station. Typically, as many as 330 remote stations may be parallel connected to the transmission line which may exceed 7,000 feet. The interrogation rate is typically 330 stations/second. The master interrogating station samples each station according to a shared, charging transmit-receive cycle. All remote station address signals, all data signals from the remote stations/sensors and all power for all of the remote station/sensors are transmitted via a single continuous terminated coaxial cable. A means is provided for periodically and remotely calibrating all remote sensors for zero and span. A provision is available to remotely disconnect any selected sensor station from the main transmission line.

  10. Safety and efficiency of emergency department interrogation of cardiac devices

    PubMed Central

    Neuenschwander, James F.; Peacock, W. Frank; Migeed, Madgy; Hunter, Sara A.; Daughtery, John C.; McCleese, Ian C.; Hiestand, Brian C.

    2016-01-01

    Objective Patients with implanted cardiac devices may wait extended periods for interrogation in emergency departments (EDs). Our purpose was to determine if device interrogation could be done safely and faster by ED staff. Methods Prospective randomized, standard therapy controlled, trial of ED staff device interrogation vs. standard process (SP), with 30-day follow-up. Eligibility criteria: ED presentation with a self-report of a potential device related complaint, with signed informed consent. SP interrogation was by company representative or hospital employee. Results Of 60 patients, 42 (70%) were male, all were white, with a median (interquartile range) age of 71 (64 to 82) years. No patient was lost to follow up. Of all patients, 32 (53%) were enrolled during business hours. The overall median (interquartile range) ED vs. SP time to interrogation was 98.5 (40 to 260) vs. 166.5 (64 to 412) minutes (P=0.013). While ED and SP interrogation times were similar during business hours, 102 (59 to 138) vs. 105 (64 to 172) minutes (P=0.62), ED interrogation times were shorter vs. SP during non-business hours; 97 (60 to 126) vs. 225 (144 to 412) minutes, P=0.002, respectively. There was no difference in ED length of stay between the ED and SP interrogation, 249 (153 to 390) vs. 246 (143 to 333) minutes (P=0.71), regardless of time of presentation. No patient in any cohort suffered an unplanned medical contact or post-discharge adverse device related event. Conclusion ED staff cardiac device interrogations are faster, and with similar 30-day outcomes, as compared to SP. PMID:28168230

  11. Interrogative Suggestibility among Adolescent Boys and Its Relationship with Intelligence, Memory, and Cognitive Set.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Krishna K.; Gudjonsson, Gisli H.

    1992-01-01

    Investigated hypotheses generated by Gudjonsson and Clark model of interrogative suggestibility. Adolescent boys (n=40) completed Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale and measures of intellectual skills, memory, field-dependence, hostility, and attitudes toward persons in authority. Suggestibility correlated negatively with intelligence quotient and…

  12. Interrogative suggestibility among adolescent boys and its relationship with intelligence, memory, and cognitive set.

    PubMed

    Singh, K K; Gudjonsson, G H

    1992-06-01

    This study investigates some of the hypotheses generated by the Gudjonsson and Clark model of interrogative suggestibility. The subjects were 40 adolescent boys (11-16 years), who completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale and instruments measuring intellectual skills, memory, field-dependence, hostility, and attitudes towards persons in authority. Suggestibility correlated negatively with I.Q. and memory capacity, and positively with field-dependence.

  13. Nimbus 4/IRLS Balloon Interrogation Package (BIP)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1971-01-01

    The balloon interrogation package (BIP), an integral part of the overall interrogation, recording, and location subsystems (IRLS) for the Nimbus 4 program, is described. The BIP is a self-contained, integrated transponder designed to be carried aloft by a constant altitude, superpressure balloon to an altitude of 67,000 or 78,000 feet. After launch the BIP senses high-altitude balloon overpressure and temperature, and upon receipt of an interrogated command from the IRLS aboard the Nimbus 4 satellite, the BIP enodes the data on a real-time basis into a pulse-code modulation (PCM) format and transmits this data to the satellite. A summary of the program activity to produce 30 BIP systems and to support balloon launches from Ascension Island is presented.

  14. Quantum prisoners' dilemma under enhanced interrogation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siopsis, George; Balu, Radhakrishnan; Solmeyer, Neal

    2018-06-01

    In the quantum version of prisoners' dilemma, each prisoner is equipped with a single qubit that the interrogator can entangle. We enlarge the available Hilbert space by introducing a third qubit that the interrogator can entangle with the other two. We discuss an enhanced interrogation technique based on tripartite entanglement and analyze Nash equilibria. We show that for tripartite entanglement approaching a W-state, we calculate the Nash equilibria numerically and show that they coincide with the Pareto-optimal choice where both prisoners cooperate. Upon continuous variation between a W-state and a pure bipartite entangled state, the game is shown to have a surprisingly rich structure. The role of bipartite and tripartite entanglement is explored to explain that structure. As an application, we consider an evolutionary game based on our quantum game with a network of agents on a square lattice with periodic boundary conditions and show that the strategy corresponding to Nash equilibrium completely dominates without placing any restrictions on the initial set of strategies.

  15. The role of abusive states of being in interrogation.

    PubMed

    Putnam, Frank W

    2013-01-01

    Interrogation, the questioning of persons detained by police, military, or intelligence organizations, is designed to extract information that a subject may resist disclosing. Interrogation techniques are frequently predicated on inducing mental states of despair, dread, dependency, and debility that weaken an individual's resistance. Descriptions of techniques from 2 Central Intelligence Agency training manuals are illustrated by examples from interviews of and writings by Murat Kurnaz, who was held at Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp for 5 years. Interrogation techniques are designed to create a destabilizing sense of shock; undermine an individual's grasp on reality; and provoke internal psychological division, self-conflict, and confusion. The long-term effects of interrogation often include posttraumatic stress disorder as well as states of anxiety, depression, and depersonalization.

  16. Design of a photonic integrated based optical interrogator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Selwan K.; Farnan, Martin; Karabacak, Devrez M.

    2017-02-01

    Optical sensors based on Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) are used in several applications and industries. In order for fiber optic sensors to compete with electrical sensors, several critical parameters of both the sensors and sensor interrogators need to be in place such as performance, cost, size, reliability relevant to the target application. Here we have developed a tunable laser based optical interrogator which delivers high performance (up to 8kHz sweep-rate and 120dB dynamic range) and precision (<100fm) by optimizing the laser calibration of a telecom tunable laser and incorporating optical periodic wavelength references (e.g. MZI) to correct and compensate for wavelength non-linearity and noise during operation. Scaling up optical sensing systems to deliver high level of performance over a large number of sensors is enabled by synchronizing multiple interrogators. Further improvements can be achieved by using photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology which reduces the footprint, cost, and improves performance. There exists several PIC technology platforms (e.g. InP, Si, TriPlex) that could be used to develop different optical building blocks used in the interrogator. Such building blocks include the tunable laser, couplers, photodiodes, MZIs, etc. are available on the InP platform. Here we have demonstrated the operation of an interrogator using PIC technology to replace many of the discrete optical components. The design and chip manufacturing was carried out as part of an InP multi-project wafer (MPW) run under the EU PARADIGM project. A custom package supporting fiber arrays was designed and manufactured to demonstrate the PIC functionality in an optical interrogator.

  17. Notes on SAW Tag Interrogation Techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barton, Richard J.

    2010-01-01

    We consider the problem of interrogating a single SAW RFID tag with a known ID and known range in the presence of multiple interfering tags under the following assumptions: (1) The RF propagation environment is well approximated as a simple delay channel with geometric power-decay constant alpha >/= 2. (2) The interfering tag IDs are unknown but well approximated as independent, identically distributed random samples from a probability distribution of tag ID waveforms with known second-order properties, and the tag of interest is drawn independently from the same distribution. (3) The ranges of the interfering tags are unknown but well approximated as independent, identically distributed realizations of a random variable rho with a known probability distribution f(sub rho) , and the tag ranges are independent of the tag ID waveforms. In particular, we model the tag waveforms as random impulse responses from a wide-sense-stationary, uncorrelated-scattering (WSSUS) fading channel with known bandwidth and scattering function. A brief discussion of the properties of such channels and the notation used to describe them in this document is given in the Appendix. Under these assumptions, we derive the expression for the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for an arbitrary combination of transmitted interrogation signal and linear receiver filter. Based on this expression, we derive the optimal interrogator configuration (i.e., transmitted signal/receiver filter combination) in the two extreme noise/interference regimes, i.e., noise-limited and interference-limited, under the additional assumption that the coherence bandwidth of the tags is much smaller than the total tag bandwidth. Finally, we evaluate the performance of both optimal interrogators over a broad range of operating scenarios using both numerical simulation based on the assumed model and Monte Carlo simulation based on a small sample of measured tag waveforms. The performance evaluation results not only

  18. Recent advances in the prenatal interrogation of the human fetal genome.

    PubMed

    Hui, Lisa; Bianchi, Diana W

    2013-02-01

    The amount of genetic and genomic information obtainable from the human fetus during pregnancy is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. Two themes have dominated recent technological advances in prenatal diagnosis: interrogation of the fetal genome in increasingly high resolution and the development of non-invasive methods of fetal testing using cell-free DNA in maternal plasma. These two areas of advancement have now converged with several recent reports of non-invasive assessment of the entire fetal genome from maternal blood. However, technological progress is outpacing the ability of the healthcare providers and patients to incorporate these new tests into existing clinical care, and further complicates many of the economic and ethical dilemmas in prenatal diagnosis. This review summarizes recent work in this field and discusses the integration of these new technologies into the clinic and society. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Police interviewing and interrogation of juvenile suspects: a descriptive examination of actual cases.

    PubMed

    Cleary, Hayley M D

    2014-06-01

    Although empirical attention to police interrogation has gained traction in recent years, comparatively few studies have examined interrogation of juvenile suspects, and virtually none have examined actual interrogations. Despite a growing literature on youths' interrogation-related capacities, we still know very little about what actually transpires when police question youth. The present study examines electronically recorded police interviews with juveniles to describe the characteristics, processes, and outcomes that occur in actual juvenile interrogations, including interview duration, individuals present, and confessions. Fifty-seven electronic recordings from 17 police departments were analyzed using observational research software. The median juvenile interrogation lasted 46 min, though the range was extensive (6 min to nearly 5 hr). Youth frequently submitted to questioning without a parent or advocate present, and disruptions to the interview process were common. Interrogation outcomes varied and included full confessions, partially incriminating admissions, and denials of guilt. Results from this study provide context for interrogation research using other methods and suggest that youth may frequently consent to interrogation in the absence of important legal protections.

  20. 29 CFR 18.611 - Mode and order of interrogation and presentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Mode and order of interrogation and presentation. 18.611... of interrogation and presentation. (a) Control by judge. The judge shall exercise reasonable control... interrogation and presentation effective for the ascertainment of the truth, (2) Avoid needless consumption of...

  1. 29 CFR 18.611 - Mode and order of interrogation and presentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Mode and order of interrogation and presentation. 18.611... of interrogation and presentation. (a) Control by judge. The judge shall exercise reasonable control... interrogation and presentation effective for the ascertainment of the truth, (2) Avoid needless consumption of...

  2. 29 CFR 18.611 - Mode and order of interrogation and presentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Mode and order of interrogation and presentation. 18.611... of interrogation and presentation. (a) Control by judge. The judge shall exercise reasonable control... interrogation and presentation effective for the ascertainment of the truth, (2) Avoid needless consumption of...

  3. 25 CFR 11.303 - Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation. 11.303 Section 11.303 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAW AND ORDER... to custodial interrogation. Prior to custodial interrogation, the suspect shall be advised of the...

  4. 25 CFR 11.303 - Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation. 11.303 Section 11.303 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAW AND ORDER... to custodial interrogation. Prior to custodial interrogation, the suspect shall be advised of the...

  5. 29 CFR 18.611 - Mode and order of interrogation and presentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Mode and order of interrogation and presentation. 18.611... of interrogation and presentation. (a) Control by judge. The judge shall exercise reasonable control... interrogation and presentation effective for the ascertainment of the truth, (2) Avoid needless consumption of...

  6. 25 CFR 11.303 - Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation. 11.303 Section 11.303 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAW AND ORDER... to custodial interrogation. Prior to custodial interrogation, the suspect shall be advised of the...

  7. 29 CFR 18.611 - Mode and order of interrogation and presentation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 1 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Mode and order of interrogation and presentation. 18.611... of interrogation and presentation. (a) Control by judge. The judge shall exercise reasonable control... interrogation and presentation effective for the ascertainment of the truth, (2) Avoid needless consumption of...

  8. 25 CFR 11.303 - Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation. 11.303 Section 11.303 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAW AND ORDER... to custodial interrogation. Prior to custodial interrogation, the suspect shall be advised of the...

  9. 25 CFR 11.303 - Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Notification of rights prior to custodial interrogation. 11.303 Section 11.303 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAW AND ORDER... to custodial interrogation. Prior to custodial interrogation, the suspect shall be advised of the...

  10. A pilot study of implantable cardiac device interrogation by emergency department personnel.

    PubMed

    Neuenschwander, James F; Hiestand, Brian C; Peacock, W Frank; Billings, John M; Sondrup, Cole; Hummel, John D; Abraham, William T

    2014-03-01

    Implanted devices (eg, pacemakers and defibrillators) provide valuable information and may be interrogated to obtain diagnostic information and to direct management. During admission to an emergency department (ED), significant time and cost are spent waiting for device manufacturer representatives or cardiologists to access the data. If ED personnel could safely interrogate implanted devices, more rapid disposition could occur, thus leading to potentially better outcomes at a reduced cost. This was a pilot study examining the feasibility of ED device interrogation. This was a prospective convenience sample study of patients presenting to the ED with any chief complaint and who had an implantable device capable of being interrogated by a Medtronic reader. After obtaining informed consent, study patients underwent device interrogation by ED research personnel. After reviewing the device data, the physician documented their opinions of the value of data in aiding care. Patients were followed up at intervals ranging from 30 days out to 1 year to determine adverse events relating to interrogation. Forty-four patients underwent device interrogation. Their mean age was 56 ± 14.7 years (range, 28-83), 75% (33/44) were male and 75% (33/44) were hospitalized from the ED. The interrogations took less than 10 minutes 89% of the time. In 60% of the cases, ED physicians reported the data-assisted patient care. No adverse events were reported relating to the ED interrogations. In this pilot study, we found that ED personnel can safely and quickly interrogate implantable devices to obtain potentially useful clinical data.

  11. Active-Interrogation Measurements of Induced-Fission Neutrons from Low-Enriched Uranium

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. L. Dolan; M. J. Marcath; M. Flaska

    2012-07-01

    Protection and control of nuclear fuels is paramount for nuclear security and safeguards; therefore, it is important to develop fast and robust controlling mechanisms to ensure the safety of nuclear fuels. Through both passive- and active-interrogation methods we can use fast-neutron detection to perform real-time measurements of fission neutrons for process monitoring. Active interrogation allows us to use different ranges of incident neutron energy to probe for different isotopes of uranium. With fast-neutron detectors, such as organic liquid scintillation detectors, we can detect the induced-fission neutrons and photons and work towards quantifying a sample’s mass and enrichment. Using MCNPX-PoliMi, amore » system was designed to measure induced-fission neutrons from U-235 and U-238. Measurements were then performed in the summer of 2010 at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy. Fissions were induced with an associated particle D-T generator and an isotopic Am-Li source. The fission neutrons, as well as neutrons from (n, 2n) and (n, 3n) reactions, were measured with five 5” by 5” EJ-309 organic liquid scintillators. The D-T neutron generator was available as part of a measurement campaign in place by Padova University. The measurement and data-acquisition systems were developed at the University of Michigan utilizing a CAEN V1720 digitizer and pulse-shape discrimination algorithms to differentiate neutron and photon detections. Low-enriched uranium samples of varying mass and enrichment were interrogated. Acquired time-of-flight curves and cross-correlation curves are currently analyzed to draw relationships between detected neutrons and sample mass and enrichment. In the full paper, the promise of active-interrogation measurements and fast-neutron detection will be assessed through the example of this proof-of-concept measurement campaign. Additionally, MCNPX-PoliMi simulation results will be compared to the measured data to validate the MCNPX

  12. Innocence and resisting confession during interrogation: effects on physiologic activity.

    PubMed

    Guyll, Max; Madon, Stephanie; Yang, Yueran; Lannin, Daniel G; Scherr, Kyle; Greathouse, Sarah

    2013-10-01

    Innocent suspects may not adequately protect themselves during interrogation because they fail to fully appreciate the danger of the situation. This experiment tested whether innocent suspects experience less stress during interrogation than guilty suspects, and whether refusing to confess expends physiologic resources. After experimentally manipulating innocence and guilt, 132 participants were accused and interrogated for misconduct, and then pressured to confess. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and preejection period (PEP) responses quantified stress reactions. As hypothesized, the innocent evidenced smaller stress responses to interrogation for SBP, DBP, HR, and RSA than did the guilty. Furthermore, innocents who refused to confess exhibited greater sympathetic nervous system activation, as evidenced by shorter PEPs, than did innocent or guilty confessors. These findings suggest that innocent suspects underestimate the threat of interrogation and that resisting pressures to confess can diminish suspects' physiologic resources and lead to false confessions. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved

  13. Fiber-MZI-based FBG sensor interrogation: comparative study with a CCD spectrometer.

    PubMed

    Das, Bhargab; Chandra, Vikash

    2016-10-10

    We present an experimental comparative study of the two most commonly used fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor interrogation techniques: a charge-coupled device (CCD) spectrometer and a fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (F-MZI). Although the interferometric interrogation technique is historically known to offer the highest sensitivity measurements, very little information exists regarding how it compares with the current commercially available spectral-characteristics-based interrogation systems. It is experimentally established here that the performance of a modern-day CCD spectrometer interrogator is very close to a F-MZI interrogator with the capability of measuring Bragg wavelength shifts with sub-picometer-level accuracy. The results presented in this research study can further be used as a guideline for choosing between the two FBG sensor interrogator types for small-amplitude dynamic perturbation measurements down to nano-level strain.

  14. Optical power-based interrogation of plasmonic tilted fiber Bragg grating biosensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    González-Vila, Á.; Lopez-Aldaba, A.; Kinet, D.; Mégret, P.; Lopez-Amo, M.; Caucheteur, C.

    2017-04-01

    Two interrogation techniques for plasmonic tilted fiber Bragg grating sensors are reported and experimentally tested. Typical interrogation methods are usually based on tracking the wavelength shift of the most sensitive cladding mode, but for biosensing applications, spectrometer-based methods can be replaced by more efficient solutions. The proposed techniques thus rely on the measurement of the induced changes in optical power. The first one consists of a properly polarized tunable laser source set to emit at the wavelength of the sensor most sensitive mode and an optical power meter to measure the transmitted response. For the second method, a uniform fiber Bragg grating is photo-inscribed beyond the sensor in such a way that its central wavelength matches the sensor most sensitive mode, acting as an optical filter. Using a LED source, light reflected backwards by this grating is partially attenuated when passing through the sensor due to plasmon wave excitation and the power changes are quantified once again with an optical power meter. A performance analysis of the techniques is carried out and they both result competitive interrogation solutions. The work thus focuses on the development of cost-effective alternatives for monitoring this kind of biosensors in practical situations.

  15. Asking Questions: Will Army Tactical Interrogation be Ready for War?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-12-17

    still never answer the basic question: "Is there enough?" It is the interrogator portion of this question that this paper will address to provide a...tenative answer for the near to midrange future. Section II of this paper will examine the historical 2 AA 4 importance of interrogator derived...the former that this paper will concern itself. In addition to interrogators, there have historically existed, and there continue to exist today (almost

  16. What do potential jurors know about police interrogation techniques and false confessions?

    PubMed

    Leo, Richard A; Liu, Brittany

    2009-01-01

    Psychological police interrogation methods in America inevitably involve some level of pressure and persuasion to achieve their goal of eliciting confessions of guilt from custodial suspects. In this article, we surveyed potential jurors about their perceptions of a range of psychological interrogation techniques, the likelihood that such techniques would elicit a true confession from guilty suspects, and the likelihood that such techniques could elicit a false confession from innocent suspects. Participants recognized that these interrogation techniques may be psychologically coercive and may elicit true confessions, but believed that psychologically coercive interrogation techniques are not likely to elicit false confessions. The findings from this survey study indicate that potential jurors believe that false confessions are both counter- intuitive and unlikely, even in response to psychologically coercive interrogation techniques that have been shown to lead to false confessions from the innocent. This study provides empirical support for the idea that expert witnesses may helpfully inform jurors about the social science research on psychologically coercive interrogation methods and how and why such interrogation techniques can lead to false confessions. (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Interrogation: General vs. Local.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Jeannette

    This paper proposes a set of hypotheses on the nature of interrogration as a possible language universal. Examples and phrase structure rules and diagrams are given. Examining Tamazight and English, genetically unrelated languages with almost no contact, the author distinguishes two types of interrogation: (1) general, querying acceptability to…

  18. Postmortem ICD interrogation in mode of death classification.

    PubMed

    Nikolaidou, Theodora; Johnson, Miriam J; Ghosh, Justin M; Marincowitz, Carl; Shah, Saumil; Lammiman, Michael J; Schilling, Richard J; Clark, Andrew L

    2018-04-01

    The definition of sudden death due to arrhythmia relies on the time interval between onset of symptoms and death. However, not all sudden deaths are due to arrhythmia. In patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), postmortem device interrogation may help better distinguish the mode of death compared to a time-based definition alone. This study aims to assess the proportion of "sudden" cardiac deaths in patients with an ICD that have confirmed arrhythmia. We conducted a literature search for studies using postmortem ICD interrogation and a time-based classification of the mode of death. A modified QUADAS-2 checklist was used to assess risk of bias in individual studies. Outcome data were pooled where sufficient data were available. Our search identified 22 studies undertaken between 1982 and 2015 with 23,600 participants. The pooled results (excluding studies with high risk of bias) suggest that ventricular arrhythmias are present at the time of death in 76% of "sudden" deaths (95% confidence interval [CI] 67-85; range 42-88). Postmortem ICD interrogation identifies 24% of "sudden" deaths to be nonarrhythmic. Postmortem device interrogation should be considered in all cases of unexplained sudden cardiac death. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Active Interrogation for Spent Fuel

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Swinhoe, Martyn Thomas; Dougan, Arden

    2015-11-05

    The DDA instrument for nuclear safeguards is a fast, non-destructive assay, active neutron interrogation technique using an external 14 MeV DT neutron generator for characterization and verification of spent nuclear fuel assemblies.

  20. The Requirement for U.S. Army Special Forces to Conduct Interrogation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-01

    SCHARFF .............93  APPENDIX D.  “SUGGESTIONS FOR JAPANESE INTERPRETERS BASED ON WORK IN THE FIELD” BY SHERWOOD MORAN ...............107  INITIAL...reluctant to risk their men simply to capture Japanese soldiers—soldiers they were convinced would never disclose valuable intelligence.44 Through a...only the most severe coercive measures of interrogation would convince a captured Japanese soldier to divulge information. Moran believed “strong

  1. Coherent pulse interrogation system for fiber Bragg grating sensing of strain and pressure in dynamic extremes of materials.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, George; Jaime, Marcelo; Balakirev, Fedor; Mielke, Chuck H; Azad, Abul; Marshall, Bruce; La Lone, Brandon M; Henson, Bryan; Smilowitz, Laura

    2015-06-01

    A 100 MHz fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogation system is described and applied to strain and pressure sensing. The approach relies on coherent pulse illumination of the FBG sensor with a broadband short pulse from a femtosecond modelocked erbium fiber laser. After interrogation of the FBG sensor, a long multi-kilometer run of single mode fiber is used for chromatic dispersion to temporally stretch the spectral components of the reflected pulse from the FBG sensor. Dynamic strain or pressure induced spectral shifts in the FBG sensor are detected as a pulsed time domain waveform shift after encoding by the chromatic dispersive line. Signals are recorded using a single 35 GHz photodetector and a 50 G Samples per second, 25 GHz bandwidth, digitizing oscilloscope. Application of this approach to high-speed strain sensing in magnetic materials in pulsed magnetic fields to ~150 T is demonstrated. The FBG wavelength shifts are used to study magnetic field driven magnetostriction effects in LaCoO3. A sub-microsecond temporal shift in the FBG sensor wavelength attached to the sample under first order phase change appears as a fractional length change (strain: ΔL/L<10-4) in the material. A second application used FBG sensing of pressure dynamics to nearly 2 GPa in the thermal ignition of the high explosive PBX-9501 is also demonstrated. Both applications demonstrate the use of this FBG interrogation system in dynamical extreme conditions that would otherwise not be possible using traditional FBG interrogation approaches that are deemed too slow to resolve such events.

  2. Coherent pulse interrogation system for fiber Bragg grating sensing of strain and pressure in dynamic extremes of materials

    DOE PAGES

    Rodriguez, George; Jaime, Marcelo; Balakirev, Fedor; ...

    2015-05-21

    A 100 MHz fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogation system is described and applied to strain and pressure sensing. The approach relies on coherent pulse illumination of the FBG sensor with a broadband short pulse from a femtosecond modelocked erbium fiber laser. After interrogation of the FBG sensor, a long multi-kilometer run of single mode fiber is used for chromatic dispersion to temporally stretch the spectral components of the reflected pulse from the FBG sensor. Dynamic strain or pressure induced spectral shifts in the FBG sensor are detected as a pulsed time domain waveform shift after encoding by the chromatic dispersivemore » line. Signals are recorded using a single 35 GHz photodetector and a 50 GSamples per second, 25 GHz bandwidth, digitizing oscilloscope. Application of this approach to high-speed strain sensing in magnetic materials in pulsed magnetic fields to ~150 T is demonstrated. The FBG wavelength shifts are used to study magnetic field driven magnetostriction effects in LaCoO₃. A sub-microsecond temporal shift in the FBG sensor wavelength attached to the sample under first order phase change appears as a fractional length change (strain: ΔL/L<10⁻⁴) in the material. A second application used FBG sensing of pressure dynamics to nearly 2 GPa in the thermal ignition of the high explosive PBX-9501 is also demonstrated. In conclusion, both applications demonstrate the use of this FBG interrogation system in dynamical extreme conditions that would otherwise not be possible using traditional FBG interrogation approaches that are deemed too slow to resolve such events.« less

  3. Interrogative suggestibility, confabulation, and acquiescence in people with mild learning disabilities (mental handicap): implications for reliability during police interrogations.

    PubMed

    Clare, I C; Gudjonsson, G H

    1993-09-01

    In order to assess a criminal suspect's ability to make a reliable statement, performance on three measures--interrogative suggestibility, confabulation and acquiescence--may be used. This paper presents preliminary data on these measures for people with mild learning disabilities (Full Scale IQ [FSIQ]: 57-75). It was found that they were more suggestible than their average ability counterparts (FSIQ: 83-111) because they were much more susceptible to 'leading questions'. They also confabulated more and were more acquiescent. Overall, the data emphasized their potential vulnerability to giving erroneous testimony during interrogations.

  4. Improving Reasoning and Recall: The Differential Effects of Elaborative Interrogation and Mnemonic Elaboration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scruggs, Thomas E.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Fifty-three adolescents with learning disabilities or mild mental retardation were taught reasons for dinosaur extinction. Those taught in a mnemonic elaborative interrogation condition recalled more reasons than did students who received direct teaching. Students in elaborative interrogation and mnemonic elaborative interrogation groups recalled…

  5. 48 CFR 252.237-7010 - Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. 252.237-7010 Section 252.237-7010 Federal Acquisition... interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. As prescribed in 237.173-5, use the following clause: Prohibition on Interrogation of Detainees by Contractor Personnel ((JUN 2013)) (a) Definitions. As used in...

  6. 48 CFR 252.237-7010 - Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. 252.237-7010 Section 252.237-7010 Federal Acquisition... interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. As prescribed in 237.173-5, use the following clause: Prohibition on Interrogation of Detainees by Contractor Personnel (NOV 2010) (a) Definitions. As used in this...

  7. 48 CFR 252.237-7010 - Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. 252.237-7010 Section 252.237-7010 Federal Acquisition... interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. As prescribed in 237.173-5, use the following clause: Prohibition on Interrogation of Detainees by Contractor Personnel ((JUN 2013)) (a) Definitions. As used in...

  8. 48 CFR 252.237-7010 - Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. 252.237-7010 Section 252.237-7010 Federal Acquisition... interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. As prescribed in 237.173-5, use the following clause: PROHIBITION ON INTERROGATION OF DETAINEES BY CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL (NOV 2010) (a) Definitions. As used in this...

  9. Are the American Psychological Association’s Detainee Interrogation Policies Ethical and Effective?

    PubMed Central

    Pope, Kenneth S.

    2011-01-01

    After 9–11, the United States began interrogating detainees at settings such as Abu Ghraib, Bagram, and Guantanamo. The American Psychological Association (APA) supported psychologists’ involvement in interrogations, adopted formal policies, and made an array of public assurances. This article’s purpose is to highlight key APA decisions, policies, procedures, documents, and public statements in urgent need of rethinking and to suggest questions that may be useful in a serious assessment, such as, “However well intended, were APA’s interrogation policies ethically sound?”; “Were they valid, realistic, and able to achieve their purpose?”; “Were other approaches available that would address interrogation issues more directly, comprehensively, and actively, that were more ethically and scientifically based, and that would have had a greater likelihood of success?”; and “Should APA continue to endorse its post-9–11 detainee interrogation policies?” PMID:22096660

  10. Interrogating personhood and dementia

    PubMed Central

    Higgs, Paul; Gilleard, Chris

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objectives: To interrogate the concept of personhood and its application to care practices for people with dementia. Method: We outline the work of Tom Kitwood on personhood and relate this to conceptualisations of personhood in metaphysics and in moral philosophy. Results: The philosophical concept of personhood has a long history. The metaphysical tradition examines the necessary and sufficient qualities that make up personhood such as agency, consciousness, identity, rationality and second-order reflexivity. Alternative viewpoints treat personhood as a matter of degree rather than as a superordinate category. Within moral philosophy personhood is treated as a moral status applicable to some or to all human beings. Conclusion: In the light of the multiple meanings attached to the term in both metaphysics and moral philosophy, personhood is a relatively unhelpful concept to act as the foundation for developing models and standards of care for people with dementia. Care, we suggest, should concentrate less on ambiguous and somewhat abstract terms such as personhood and focus instead on supporting people's existing capabilities, while minimising the harmful consequences of their incapacities. PMID:26708149

  11. Elaborative-Interrogation and Prior-Knowledge Effects on Learning of Facts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woloshyn, Vera E.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    The differences among elaborative-interrogation, reading-to-understand, and no-exposure control conditions with familiar domain material in contrast to unfamiliar domain material were studied for 50 Canadian and 50 west German undergraduates. Results provide evidence of effects of both elaborative interrogation and prior knowledge on learning.…

  12. A multi-parameter optical fiber sensor with interrogation and discrimination capabilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhan, Yage; Wu, Hua; Yang, Qinyu; Pei, Jincheng; Yang, Xichun

    2009-11-01

    A multi-parameter and multi-function, but low-cost, optical fiber grating sensor with self-interrogation and self-discrimination capabilities is presented theoretically and experimentally. The sensor bases on three fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) and one fiber long period grating (LPG). Strain, vibration, pressure, ordinary temperature (-10 to 100 °C) and high temperature (100-800 °C) can be measured by the sensor. When high temperature (100-800 °C) is measured, the LPG is used as a high temperture sensor head and FBG 1 is used as an interrogation element. Alternatively, when one of the other four measurands is measured, FBG 1 (or FBG 2) is used as a sensor head and LPG is used as an interrogation element. When two of the other four measurands are measured simultaneously, FBG 1 and FBG 2 are used as sensor heads and LPG is used as a shared interrogation element. FBG 3 is used as a reference element to eliminate the errors resulted from light source fluctuation and the cross-sensitivity between measurand and environmental temperature. The measurands can be interrogated according to the signals of the photodiodes (PDs), which are related to the relative wavelength shift of the LPG and the FBGs. Experimental results agree well with theoretical analyses. The interrogation scheme is immune to light source fluctuation and the cross-sensitivity between measurands and enviromental temperature, and also the dynamic range is large.

  13. Subthreshold neutron interrogator for detection of radioactive materials

    DOEpatents

    Evans, Michael L.; Menlove, Howard O.; Baker, Michael P.

    1980-01-01

    A device for detecting fissionable material such as uranium in low concentrations by interrogating with photoneutrons at energy levels below 500 keV, and typically about 26 keV. Induced fast neutrons having energies above 500 keV by the interrogated fissionable material are detected by a liquid scintillator or recoil proportional counter which is sensitive to the induced fast neutrons. Since the induced fast neutrons are proportional to the concentration of fissionable material, detection of induced fast neutrons indicate concentration of the fissionable material.

  14. Novel birefringence interrogation for Sagnac loop interferometer sensor with unlimited linear measurement range.

    PubMed

    He, Haijun; Shao, Liyang; Qian, Heng; Zhang, Xinpu; Liang, Jiawei; Luo, Bin; Pan, Wei; Yan, Lianshan

    2017-03-20

    A novel demodulation method for Sagnac loop interferometer based sensor has been proposed and demonstrated, by unwrapping the phase changes with birefringence interrogation. A temperature sensor based on Sagnac loop interferometer has been used to verify the feasibility of the proposed method. Several tests with 40 °C temperature range have been accomplished with a great linearity of 0.9996 in full range. The proposed scheme is universal for all Sagnac loop interferometer based sensors and it has unlimited linear measurable range which overwhelming the conventional demodulation method with peak/dip tracing. Furthermore, the influence of the wavelength sampling interval and wavelength span on the demodulation error has been discussed in this work. The proposed interrogation method has a great significance for Sagnac loop interferometer sensor and it might greatly enhance the availability of this type of sensors in practical application.

  15. Monolithic integrated optic fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mendoza, Edgar A.; Esterkin, Yan; Kempen, Cornelia; Sun, Songjian

    2010-04-01

    Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are a mature sensing technology that has gained rapid acceptance in civil, aerospace, chemical and petrochemical, medicine, aviation and automotive industries. Fiber Bragg grating sensors can be use for a variety of measurements including strain, stress, vibration, acoustics, acceleration, pressure, temperature, moisture, and corrosion distributed at multiple locations within the structure using a single fiber element. The most prominent advantages of FBGs are: small size and light weight, multiple FBG transducers on a single fiber, and immunity to radio frequency interference. A major disadvantage of FBG technology is that conventional state-of-the-art fiber Bragg grating interrogation systems are typically bulky, heavy, and costly bench top instruments that are assembled from off-the-shelf fiber optic and optical components integrated with a signal electronics board into an instrument console. Based on the need for a compact FBG interrogation system, this paper describes recent progress towards the development of a miniature fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator (FBG-TransceiverTM) system based on multi-channel monolithic integrated optic sensor microchip technology. The integrated optic microchip technology enables the monolithic integration of all of the functionalities, both passive and active, of conventional bench top FBG sensor interrogators systems, packaged in a miniaturized, low power operation, 2-cm x 5-cm small form factor (SFF) package suitable for the long-term structural health monitoring in applications where size, weight, and power are critical for operation.

  16. Finite element analysis of wirelessly interrogated implantable bio-MEMS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dissanayake, Don W.; Al-Sarawi, Said F.; Lu, Tien-Fu; Abbott, Derek

    2008-12-01

    Wirelessly interrogated bio-MEMS devices are becoming more popular due to many challenges, such as improving the diagnosis, monitoring, and patient wellbeing. The authors present here a passive, low power and small area device, which can be interrogated wirelessly using a uniquely coded signal for a secure and reliable operation. The proposed new approach relies on converting the interrogating coded signal to surface acoustic wave that is then correlated with an embedded code. The suggested method is implemented to operate a micropump, which consist of a specially designed corrugated microdiaphragm to modulate the fluid flow in microchannels. Finite Element Analysis of the micropump operation is presented and a performance was analysed. Design parameters of the diaphragm design were finetuned for optimal performance and different polymer based materials were used in various parts of the micropump to allow for better flexibility and high reliability.

  17. Interrogation of an object for dimensional and topographical information

    DOEpatents

    McMakin, Douglas L.; Severtsen, Ronald H.; Hall, Thomas E.; Sheen, David M.; Kennedy, Mike O.

    2004-03-09

    Disclosed are systems, methods, devices, and apparatus to interrogate a clothed individual with electromagnetic radiation to determine one or more body measurements at least partially covered by the individual's clothing. The invention further includes techniques to interrogate an object with electromagnetic radiation in the millimeter and/or microwave range to provide a volumetric representation of the object. This representation can be used to display images and/or determine dimensional information concerning the object.

  18. Interrogation of an object for dimensional and topographical information

    DOEpatents

    McMakin, Doug L [Richland, WA; Severtsen, Ronald H [Richland, WA; Hall, Thomas E [Richland, WA; Sheen, David M [Richland, WA

    2003-01-14

    Disclosed are systems, methods, devices, and apparatus to interrogate a clothed individual with electromagnetic radiation to determine one or more body measurements at least partially covered by the individual's clothing. The invention further includes techniques to interrogate an object with electromagnetic radiation in the millimeter and/or microwave range to provide a volumetric representation of the object. This representation can be used to display images and/or determine dimensional information concerning the object.

  19. A Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation System with Self-Adaption Threshold Peak Detection Algorithm.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Weifang; Li, Yingwu; Jin, Bo; Ren, Feifei; Wang, Hongxun; Dai, Wei

    2018-04-08

    A Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) interrogation system with a self-adaption threshold peak detection algorithm is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this study. This system is composed of a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and advanced RISC machine (ARM) platform, tunable Fabry-Perot (F-P) filter and optical switch. To improve system resolution, the F-P filter was employed. As this filter is non-linear, this causes the shifting of central wavelengths with the deviation compensated by the parts of the circuit. Time-division multiplexing (TDM) of FBG sensors is achieved by an optical switch, with the system able to realize the combination of 256 FBG sensors. The wavelength scanning speed of 800 Hz can be achieved by a FPGA+ARM platform. In addition, a peak detection algorithm based on a self-adaption threshold is designed and the peak recognition rate is 100%. Experiments with different temperatures were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system. Four FBG sensors were examined in the thermal chamber without stress. When the temperature changed from 0 °C to 100 °C, the degree of linearity between central wavelengths and temperature was about 0.999 with the temperature sensitivity being 10 pm/°C. The static interrogation precision was able to reach 0.5 pm. Through the comparison of different peak detection algorithms and interrogation approaches, the system was verified to have an optimum comprehensive performance in terms of precision, capacity and speed.

  20. A Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation System with Self-Adaption Threshold Peak Detection Algorithm

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Weifang; Li, Yingwu; Jin, Bo; Ren, Feifei

    2018-01-01

    A Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) interrogation system with a self-adaption threshold peak detection algorithm is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this study. This system is composed of a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and advanced RISC machine (ARM) platform, tunable Fabry–Perot (F–P) filter and optical switch. To improve system resolution, the F–P filter was employed. As this filter is non-linear, this causes the shifting of central wavelengths with the deviation compensated by the parts of the circuit. Time-division multiplexing (TDM) of FBG sensors is achieved by an optical switch, with the system able to realize the combination of 256 FBG sensors. The wavelength scanning speed of 800 Hz can be achieved by a FPGA+ARM platform. In addition, a peak detection algorithm based on a self-adaption threshold is designed and the peak recognition rate is 100%. Experiments with different temperatures were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system. Four FBG sensors were examined in the thermal chamber without stress. When the temperature changed from 0 °C to 100 °C, the degree of linearity between central wavelengths and temperature was about 0.999 with the temperature sensitivity being 10 pm/°C. The static interrogation precision was able to reach 0.5 pm. Through the comparison of different peak detection algorithms and interrogation approaches, the system was verified to have an optimum comprehensive performance in terms of precision, capacity and speed. PMID:29642507

  1. Interferometric interrogation of π-phase shifted fiber Bragg grating sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srivastava, Deepa; Tiwari, Umesh; Das, Bhargab

    2018-03-01

    Interferometric interrogation technique realized for conventional fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors is historically known to offer the highest sensitivity measurements, however, it has not been yet explored for π-phase-shifted FBG (πFBG) sensors. This, we believe, is due to the complex nature of the reflection/transmission spectrum of a πFBG, which cannot be directly used for interferometric interrogation purpose. Therefore, we propose here an innovative as well as simple concept towards this direction, wherein, the transmission spectrum of a πFBG sensor is optically filtered using a specially designed fiber grating. The resulting filtered spectrum retains the entire characteristics of a πFBG sensor and hence the filtered spectrum can be interrogated with interferometric principles. Furthermore, due to the extremely narrow transmission notch of a πFBG sensor, a fiber interferometer can be realized with significantly longer path difference. This leads to substantially enhanced detection limit as compared to sensors based on a regular FBG of similar length. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that high resolution weak dynamic strain measurement down to 4 pε /√{ Hz } is easily achievable. Preliminary experimental results are also presented as proof-of-concept of the proposed interrogation principle.

  2. To Be Transformed: Emotions in Cross-Cultural, Field-Based Learning in Northern Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wright, Sarah; Hodge, Paul

    2012-01-01

    Students undertaking field-based learning, in which they work with Indigenous people in Northern Australia, describe a profound learning experience redolent with emotion. Inspired, challenged and transformed, the students are compelled in ways that require them to interrogate their own selves and taken-for-granted beliefs. In this paper, we draw…

  3. Progress in miniaturization of a multichannel optical fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopatin, Craig M.; Mahmood, Shah; Mendoza, Edgar; Moslehi, Behzad; Black, Richard; Chau, Kelvin; Oblea, Levy

    2007-07-01

    An effort to develop a miniaturized multichannel optical fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator was initiated in 2006 under the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. The goal was to develop an interrogator that would be sufficiently small and light to be incorporated into a health monitoring system for use on tactical missiles. Two companies, Intelligent Fiber Optic Systems Corporation (IFOS) and Redondo Optics, were funded in Phase I, and this paper describes the prototype interrogators that were developed. The two companies took very different approaches: IFOS focused on developing a unit that would have a high channel count and high resolution, using off-the-shelf components, while Redondo Optics chose to develop a unit that would be very small and lightweight, using custom designed integrated optical chips. It is believed that both approaches will result in interrogators that will be significantly small, lighter, and possibly even more precise than what is currently commercially available. This paper will also briefly describe some of the sensing concepts that may be used to interrogate the health of the solid rocket motors used in many missile systems. The sponsor of this program was NAVAIR PMA 280.

  4. Interactions among Elaborative Interrogation, Knowledge, and Interest in the Process of Constructing Knowledge from Text

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ozgungor, Sevgi; Guthrie, John T.

    2004-01-01

    The authors examined the impact of elaborative interrogation on knowledge construction during expository text reading, specifically, the interactions among elaborative interrogation, knowledge, and interest. Three measures of learning were taken: recall, inference, and coherence. Elaborative interrogation affected all aspects of learning measured,…

  5. Diagnostic yield of device interrogation in the evaluation of syncope in an elderly population.

    PubMed

    D'Angelo, Robert N; Pickett, Christopher C

    2017-06-01

    Device interrogation has become a standard part of the syncope evaluation for patients admitted with permanent pacemakers (PPM) or implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD), although few studies have shown interrogation yields clinically useful data. The purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic yield of device interrogation as well as other commonly performed tests in the workup of unexplained syncope in patients with previously implanted PPMs or ICDs. We retrospectively reviewed records of 88 patients admitted to our medical center for syncope with previously implanted pacemakers between January 1, 2005 and January 1, 2015 using ICD-9 billing data. Pacemaker interrogation demonstrated an arrhythmia as the cause for syncope in 4 patients (4%) and evidence of device failure secondary to perforation in 1 patient (1%). The cause of syncope was unknown in 34 patients (39%). Orthostatic hypotension was the most commonly identified cause of syncope (26%), followed by vasovagal syncope (13%), autonomic dysfunction (5%), ventricular arrhythmia (3%), atrial arrhythmia (2%), congestive heart failure (2%), stroke (2%), and other less common causes (8%). History was the most important determinant of syncope (36%), followed by orthostatic vital signs (14%), device interrogations (4%), head CT (2%), and transthoracic echocardiogram (1%). Device interrogation is rarely useful for elucidating a cause of syncope without concerning physical exam, telemetry, or EKG findings. Interrogation may occasionally yield paroxysmal arrhythmias responsible for syncopal episode, but these rarely alter clinical outcomes. Interrogation appears to be more useful in patients with syncope after recent device placement. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Educing Information - Interrogation: Science and Art, Foundations for the Future

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-12-01

    television. Law school was (and remains) even less informative with respect to such questions. Most lawyers and judges learn the “art” (but not the...Maryland; its fi rst priority was to train interrogators and the students learned personality analysis, ways of infl uencing people and making friends...J.D. Simmons College School for Health Studies June 2006 Abstract The interrogation of suspects, witnesses, and others is an essential source of

  7. The Development of Interrogative Forms and Functions in Early Childhood Cantonese

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Hui; Tse, Shek Kam; Sin Wong, Jessie Ming; Mei Wong, Eileen Chin; Leung, Shing On

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated question acquisition in Cantonese-speaking young children with a focus on the development of interrogative forms and functions. Data from a child Cantonese corpus (492 children aged 36, 48 and 60 months) were analysed. The main results were that: (1) all the interrogative forms and functions were produced by the three age…

  8. 48 CFR 237.173 - Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. 237.173 Section 237.173 Federal Acquisition Regulations... SERVICE CONTRACTING Service Contracts-General 237.173 Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by...

  9. 48 CFR 237.173 - Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. 237.173 Section 237.173 Federal Acquisition Regulations... SERVICE CONTRACTING Service Contracts-General 237.173 Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by...

  10. 48 CFR 237.173 - Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. 237.173 Section 237.173 Federal Acquisition Regulations... SERVICE CONTRACTING Service Contracts-General 237.173 Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by...

  11. 48 CFR 237.173 - Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by contractor personnel. 237.173 Section 237.173 Federal Acquisition Regulations... SERVICE CONTRACTING Service Contracts-General 237.173 Prohibition on interrogation of detainees by...

  12. Those Who Know and Are Known: Students Using Ethnography to Interrogate Language and Literacy Ideologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LeBlanc, Robert Jean

    2018-01-01

    Framing ethnography as a form of democratic inquiry, this study examines how the author worked with a group of Mexican and Vietnamese American adolescents to learn and apply ethnographic tools to interrogate language and literacy ideologies in their school and community. Examination of the students' findings reveals circulating ideologies and…

  13. "Enhanced" interrogation of detainees: do psychologists and psychiatrists participate?

    PubMed Central

    Halpern, Abraham L; Halpern, John H; Doherty, Sean B

    2008-01-01

    After revelations of participation by psychiatrists and psychologists in interrogation of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay and Central Intelligence Agency secret detention centers, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association adopted Position Statements absolutely prohibiting their members from participating in torture under any and all circumstances, and, to a limited degree, forbidding involvement in interrogations. Some interrogations utilize very aggressive techniques determined to be torture by many nations and organizations throughout the world. This paper explains why psychiatrists and psychologists involved in coercive interrogations violate the Geneva Conventions and the laws of the United States. Whether done with ignorance of professional ethical obligations or not, these psychiatrists and psychologists have crossed an ethical barrier that may best be averted from re-occurring by teaching medical students and residents in all medical specialties about the ethics principles stemming from the 1946–1947 Nuremberg trials and the Geneva Conventions, together with the Ethics Codes of the World Medical Association and the American Medical Association; and, with regard to psychiatric residents and psychological trainees, by the teaching about The Principles of Medical Ethics With Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry and the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, respectively. In this way, all physicians and psychologists will clearly understand that they have an absolute moral obligation to "First, do no harm" to the human beings they professionally encounter. PMID:18817568

  14. Methods and systems using encapsulated tracers and chemicals for reservoir interrogation and manipulation

    DOEpatents

    Roberts, Jeffery; Aines, Roger D; Duoss, Eric B; Spadaccini, Christopher M

    2014-11-04

    An apparatus, method, and system of reservoir interrogation. A tracer is encapsulating in a receptacle. The receptacle containing the tracer is injected into the reservoir. The tracer is analyzed for reservoir interrogation.

  15. High-Speed Interrogation for Large-Scale Fiber Bragg Grating Sensing

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Chenyuan; Bai, Wei

    2018-01-01

    A high-speed interrogation scheme for large-scale fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing arrays is presented. This technique employs parallel computing and pipeline control to modulate incident light and demodulate the reflected sensing signal. One Electro-optic modulator (EOM) and one semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) were used to generate a phase delay to filter reflected spectrum form multiple candidate FBGs with the same optical path difference (OPD). Experimental results showed that the fastest interrogation delay time for the proposed method was only about 27.2 us for a single FBG interrogation, and the system scanning period was only limited by the optical transmission delay in the sensing fiber owing to the multiple simultaneous central wavelength calculations. Furthermore, the proposed FPGA-based technique had a verified FBG wavelength demodulation stability of ±1 pm without average processing. PMID:29495263

  16. High-Speed Interrogation for Large-Scale Fiber Bragg Grating Sensing.

    PubMed

    Hu, Chenyuan; Bai, Wei

    2018-02-24

    A high-speed interrogation scheme for large-scale fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing arrays is presented. This technique employs parallel computing and pipeline control to modulate incident light and demodulate the reflected sensing signal. One Electro-optic modulator (EOM) and one semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) were used to generate a phase delay to filter reflected spectrum form multiple candidate FBGs with the same optical path difference (OPD). Experimental results showed that the fastest interrogation delay time for the proposed method was only about 27.2 us for a single FBG interrogation, and the system scanning period was only limited by the optical transmission delay in the sensing fiber owing to the multiple simultaneous central wavelength calculations. Furthermore, the proposed FPGA-based technique had a verified FBG wavelength demodulation stability of ±1 pm without average processing.

  17. Evaluation of fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogation using InGaAs linear detector arrays and Gaussian approximation on embedded hardware.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Saurabh; Amrutur, Bharadwaj; Asokan, Sundarrajan

    2018-02-01

    Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors have become popular for applications related to structural health monitoring, biomedical engineering, and robotics. However, for successful large scale adoption, FBG interrogation systems are as important as sensor characteristics. Apart from accuracy, the required number of FBG sensors per fiber and the distance between the device in which the sensors are used and the interrogation system also influence the selection of the interrogation technique. For several measurement devices developed for applications in biomedical engineering and robotics, only a few sensors per fiber are required and the device is close to the interrogation system. For these applications, interrogation systems based on InGaAs linear detector arrays provide a good choice. However, their resolution is dependent on the algorithms used for curve fitting. In this work, a detailed analysis of the choice of algorithm using the Gaussian approximation for the FBG spectrum and the number of pixels used for curve fitting on the errors is provided. The points where the maximum errors occur have been identified. All comparisons for wavelength shift detection have been made against another interrogation system based on the tunable swept laser. It has been shown that maximum errors occur when the wavelength shift is such that one new pixel is included for curve fitting. It has also been shown that an algorithm with lower computation cost compared to the more popular methods using iterative non-linear least squares estimation can be used without leading to the loss of accuracy. The algorithm has been implemented on embedded hardware, and a speed-up of approximately six times has been observed.

  18. Evaluation of fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogation using InGaAs linear detector arrays and Gaussian approximation on embedded hardware

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Saurabh; Amrutur, Bharadwaj; Asokan, Sundarrajan

    2018-02-01

    Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors have become popular for applications related to structural health monitoring, biomedical engineering, and robotics. However, for successful large scale adoption, FBG interrogation systems are as important as sensor characteristics. Apart from accuracy, the required number of FBG sensors per fiber and the distance between the device in which the sensors are used and the interrogation system also influence the selection of the interrogation technique. For several measurement devices developed for applications in biomedical engineering and robotics, only a few sensors per fiber are required and the device is close to the interrogation system. For these applications, interrogation systems based on InGaAs linear detector arrays provide a good choice. However, their resolution is dependent on the algorithms used for curve fitting. In this work, a detailed analysis of the choice of algorithm using the Gaussian approximation for the FBG spectrum and the number of pixels used for curve fitting on the errors is provided. The points where the maximum errors occur have been identified. All comparisons for wavelength shift detection have been made against another interrogation system based on the tunable swept laser. It has been shown that maximum errors occur when the wavelength shift is such that one new pixel is included for curve fitting. It has also been shown that an algorithm with lower computation cost compared to the more popular methods using iterative non-linear least squares estimation can be used without leading to the loss of accuracy. The algorithm has been implemented on embedded hardware, and a speed-up of approximately six times has been observed.

  19. Active Interrogation of Sensitive Nuclear Material Using Laser Driven Neutron Beams

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Favalli, Andrea; Roth, Markus

    2015-05-01

    An investigation of the viability of a laser-driven neutron source for active interrogation is reported. The need is for a fast, movable, operationally safe neutron source which is energy tunable and has high-intensity, directional neutron production. Reasons for the choice of neutrons and lasers are set forth. Results from the interrogation of an enriched U sample are shown.

  20. A Neutron Based Interrogation System For SNM In Cargo

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kane, Steven Z.; Koltick, David S.

    A complete system has been simulated using experimentally obtained input parameters for the detection of special nuclear materials (SNM). A variation of the associated particle imaging (API) technique, referred to as reverse associated particle imaging detection (RAPID), has been developed in the context of detecting 5-kg spherical samples of U-235 in cargo. The RAPID technique allows for the interrogation of containers at neutron production rates between {approx}1x10{sup 8} neutrons/s and {approx}3x10{sup 8} neutrons/s. The merit of performance for the system is the time to detect the threat material with 95% probability of detection and 10{sup -4} false positive rate permore » interrogated voxel of cargo. Detection times of 5 minutes were found for a maximally loaded cargo container uniformly filled with iron and as low as 1 second in containers loaded to 1/4 of full capacity with either iron or wood. The worse case system performance, 30 minutes interrogation time, occurs for a maximally loaded container containing wood at 0.4 g/cm{sup 3}.« less

  1. Interrogative suggestibility and perceptual motor performance.

    PubMed

    Gudjonsson, G H

    1984-04-01

    This study investigates the relationship between interrogative suggestibility, as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale, and Arrow-Dot scores. The tendency of subjects (25 men and 25 women, mean age 30.2 yr.) to alter their answers once interpersonal pressure had been applied correlated significantly with poor Arrow-Dot Ego functioning.

  2. Overcoming Innocents' Naiveté: Pre-interrogation Decision-making Among Innocent Suspects.

    PubMed

    Scherr, Kyle C; Alberts, Kimberly M; Franks, Andrew S; Hawkins, Ian

    2016-07-01

    Suspects, especially innocent ones, are highly susceptible to waiving their interrogation rights. This research tested the ability of two strategies to overcome innocent suspects' willingness to waive their rights. One strategy was based on the social influence of scarcity (i.e., not constraining the pre-interrogation time limit). The other strategy focused on disrupting individuals' cognitive fluency during the decision-making process (i.e., violating their induced expectation of offering a waiver). Disrupting innocent individuals' cognitive fluency increased their willingness to invoke their rights and, notably, was not qualified by interactions with any other factors. However, scarcity did not influence individuals' pre-interrogation decision-making. Results also further established the association between innocent individuals' naïve mindset and their willingness to waive their rights - specifically, innocents' willingness to waive their rights increased with the strength of their just world beliefs. The theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed. The importance and benefit of reforming pre-interrogation protocols using fair and feasible strategies that would disrupt suspects' cognitive fluency are emphasized. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Wavelength interrogation of fiber Bragg grating sensors using tapered hollow Bragg waveguides.

    PubMed

    Potts, C; Allen, T W; Azar, A; Melnyk, A; Dennison, C R; DeCorby, R G

    2014-10-15

    We describe an integrated system for wavelength interrogation, which uses tapered hollow Bragg waveguides coupled to an image sensor. Spectral shifts are extracted from the wavelength dependence of the light radiated at mode cutoff. Wavelength shifts as small as ~10  pm were resolved by employing a simple peak detection algorithm. Si/SiO₂-based cladding mirrors enable a potential operational range of several hundred nanometers in the 1550 nm wavelength region for a taper length of ~1  mm. Interrogation of a strain-tuned grating was accomplished using a broadband amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) source, and potential for single-chip interrogation of multiplexed sensor arrays is demonstrated.

  4. Scalable interrogation: Eliciting human pheromone responses to deception in a security interview setting.

    PubMed

    Stedmon, Alex W; Eachus, Peter; Baillie, Les; Tallis, Huw; Donkor, Richard; Edlin-White, Robert; Bracewell, Robert

    2015-03-01

    Individuals trying to conceal knowledge from interrogators are likely to experience raised levels of stress that can manifest itself across biological, physiological, psychological and behavioural factors, providing an opportunity for detection. Using established research paradigms an innovative scalable interrogation was designed in which participants were given a 'token' that represented information they had to conceal from interviewers. A control group did not receive a token and therefore did not have to deceive the investigators. The aim of this investigation was to examine differences between deceivers and truth-tellers across the four factors by collecting data for cortisol levels, sweat samples, heart-rate, respiration, skin temperature, subjective stress ratings and video and audio recordings. The results provided an integrated understanding of responses to interrogation by those actively concealing information and those acting innocently. Of particular importance, the results also suggest, for the first time in an interrogation setting, that stressed individuals may secrete a volatile steroid based marker that could be used for stand-off detection. The findings are discussed in relation to developing a scalable interrogation protocol for future research in this area. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  5. Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Interrogation at Forensic Autopsy: An Underestimated Resource?

    PubMed

    Lacour, Philipp; Buschmann, Claas; Storm, Christian; Nee, Jens; Parwani, Abdul Shokor; Huemer, Martin; Attanasio, Philipp; Boldt, Leif-Hendrik; Rauch, Geraldine; Kucher, Andreas; Pieske, Burkert; Haverkamp, Wilhelm; Blaschke, Florian

    2018-06-19

    Postmortem interrogations of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), recommended at autopsy in suspected cases of sudden cardiac death, are rarely performed, and data on systematic postmortem CIED analysis in the forensic pathology are missing. The aim of the study was to determine whether nonselective postmortem CIED interrogations and data analysis are useful to the forensic pathologist to determine the cause, mechanism, and time of death and to detect potential CIED-related safety issues. From February 2012 to April 2017, all autopsy subjects in the department of forensic medicine at the University Hospital Charité who had a CIED underwent device removal and interrogation. Over the study period, 5368 autopsies were performed. One hundred fifty subjects had in total 151 CIEDs, including 109 pacemakers, 35 defibrillators, and 7 implantable loop recorders. In 40 cases (26.7%) time of death and in 51 cases (34.0%) cause of death could not be determined by forensic autopsy. Of these, CIED interrogation facilitated the determination of time of death in 70.0% of the cases and clarified the cause of death in 60.8%. Device concerns were identified in 9 cases (6.0%), including 3 hardware, 4 programming, and 2 algorithm issues. One CIED was submitted to the manufacturer for a detailed technical analysis. Our data demonstrate the necessity of systematic postmortem CIED interrogation in forensic medicine to determine the cause and timing of death more accurately. In addition, CIED analysis is an important tool to detect potential CIED-related safety issues. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

  6. The interrogation decision-making model: A general theoretical framework for confessions.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yueran; Guyll, Max; Madon, Stephanie

    2017-02-01

    This article presents a new model of confessions referred to as the interrogation decision-making model . This model provides a theoretical umbrella with which to understand and analyze suspects' decisions to deny or confess guilt in the context of a custodial interrogation. The model draws upon expected utility theory to propose a mathematical account of the psychological mechanisms that not only underlie suspects' decisions to deny or confess guilt at any specific point during an interrogation, but also how confession decisions can change over time. Findings from the extant literature pertaining to confessions are considered to demonstrate how the model offers a comprehensive and integrative framework for organizing a range of effects within a limited set of model parameters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  7. Hospital graduate social work field work programs: a study in New York City.

    PubMed

    Showers, N

    1990-02-01

    Twenty-seven hospital field work programs in New York City were studied. Questionnaires were administered to program coordinators and 238 graduate social work students participating in study programs. High degrees of program structural complexity and variation were found, indicating a state of art well beyond that described in the general field work literature. High rates of student satisfaction with learning, field instructors, programs, and the overall field work experience found suggest that the complexity of study programs may be more effective than traditional field work models. Statistically nonsignificant study findings indicate areas in which hospital social work departments may develop field work programs consistent with shifting organizational needs, without undue risk to educational effectiveness. Statistically significant findings suggest areas in which inflexibility in program design may be more beneficial in the diagnostic related groups era.

  8. Prosodic differences between declaratives and interrogatives in infant-directed speech.

    PubMed

    Geffen, Susan; Mintz, Toben H

    2017-07-01

    In many languages, declaratives and interrogatives differ in word order properties, and in syntactic organization more broadly. Thus, in order to learn the distinct syntactic properties of the two sentence types, learners must first be able to distinguish them using non-syntactic information. Prosodic information is often assumed to be a useful basis for this type of discrimination, although no systematic studies of the prosodic cues available to infants have been reported. Analysis of maternal speech in three Standard American English-speaking mother-infant dyads found that polar interrogatives differed from declaratives on the patterning of pitch and duration on the final two syllables, but wh-questions did not. Thus, while prosody is unlikely to aid discrimination of declaratives from wh-questions, infant-directed speech provides prosodic information that infants could use to distinguish declaratives and polar interrogatives. We discuss how learners could leverage this information to identify all question forms, in the context of syntax acquisition.

  9. Suicidality and interrogative suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Pritchard-Boone, Lea; Range, Lillian M

    2005-01-01

    All people are subject to memory suggestibility, but suicidal individuals may be especially so. The link between suicidality and suggestibility is unclear given mixed findings and methodological weaknesses of past research. To test the link between suicidality and interrogative suggestibility, 149 undergraduates answered questions about suicidal thoughts and reasons for living, and participated in a direct suggestibility procedure. As expected, suggestibility correlated with suicidality but accounted for little overall variance (4%). Mental health professionals might be able to take advantage of client suggestibility by directly telling suicidal persons to refrain from suicidal thoughts or actions.

  10. Miniature fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator (FBG-Transceiver) system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mendoza, Edgar A.; Kempen, Cornelia; Lopatin, Craig

    2007-04-01

    This paper describes recent progress conducted towards the development of a miniature fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogator (FBG-Transceiver TM) system based on multi-channel integrated optic sensor (InOSense TM) microchip technology. The hybrid InOSense TM microchip technology enables the integration of all of the functionalities, both passive and active, of conventional bench top FBG sensor interrogator systems, packaged in a miniaturized, low power operation, 2-cm x 5-cm package suitable for the long-term structural health monitoring in applications where size, weight, and power are critical for operation. The FBG-Transceiver system uses active optoelectronic components monolithically integrated to the InOSense TM microchip, a microprocessor controlled signal processing electronics board capable of processing the FBG sensors signals related to stress-strain and temperature as well as vibration and acoustics. The FBG-Transceiver TM system represents a new, reliable, highly robust technology that can be used to accurately monitor the status of an array of distributed fiber optic Bragg grating sensors installed in critical infrastructures. Its miniature package, low power operation, and state-of-the-art data communications architecture, all at a very affordable price makes it a very attractive solution for a large number of SHM/NDI applications in aerospace, naval and maritime industry, civil structures like bridges, buildings and dams, the oil and chemical industry, and for homeland security applications. The miniature, cost-efficient FBG-Transceiver TM system is poised to revolutionize the field of structural health monitoring and nondestructive inspection market. The sponsor of this program is NAVAIR under a DOD SBIR contract.

  11. An improved ATAC-seq protocol reduces background and enables interrogation of frozen tissues.

    PubMed

    Corces, M Ryan; Trevino, Alexandro E; Hamilton, Emily G; Greenside, Peyton G; Sinnott-Armstrong, Nicholas A; Vesuna, Sam; Satpathy, Ansuman T; Rubin, Adam J; Montine, Kathleen S; Wu, Beijing; Kathiria, Arwa; Cho, Seung Woo; Mumbach, Maxwell R; Carter, Ava C; Kasowski, Maya; Orloff, Lisa A; Risca, Viviana I; Kundaje, Anshul; Khavari, Paul A; Montine, Thomas J; Greenleaf, William J; Chang, Howard Y

    2017-10-01

    We present Omni-ATAC, an improved ATAC-seq protocol for chromatin accessibility profiling that works across multiple applications with substantial improvement of signal-to-background ratio and information content. The Omni-ATAC protocol generates chromatin accessibility profiles from archival frozen tissue samples and 50-μm sections, revealing the activities of disease-associated DNA elements in distinct human brain structures. The Omni-ATAC protocol enables the interrogation of personal regulomes in tissue context and translational studies.

  12. Resolution-improved in situ DNA hybridization detection based on microwave photonic interrogation.

    PubMed

    Cao, Yuan; Guo, Tuan; Wang, Xudong; Sun, Dandan; Ran, Yang; Feng, Xinhuan; Guan, Bai-ou

    2015-10-19

    In situ bio-sensing system based on microwave photonics filter (MPF) interrogation method with improved resolution is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A microfiber Bragg grating (mFBG) is used as sensing probe for DNA hybridization detection. Different from the traditional wavelength monitoring technique, we use the frequency interrogation scheme for resolution-improved bio-sensing detection. Experimental results show that the frequency shift of MPF notch presents a linear response to the surrounding refractive index (SRI) change over the range of 1.33 to 1.38, with a SRI resolution up to 2.6 × 10(-5) RIU, which has been increased for almost two orders of magnitude compared with the traditional fundamental mode monitoring technique (~3.6 × 10(-3) RIU). Due to the high Q value (about 27), the whole process of DNA hybridization can be in situ monitored. The proposed MPF-based bio-sensing system provides a new interrogation method over the frequency domain with improved sensing resolution and rapid interrogation rate for biochemical and environmental measurement.

  13. Police training in interviewing and interrogation methods: A comparison of techniques used with adult and juvenile suspects.

    PubMed

    Cleary, Hayley M D; Warner, Todd C

    2016-06-01

    Despite empirical progress in documenting and classifying various interrogation techniques, very little is known about how police are trained in interrogation methods, how frequently they use various techniques, and whether they employ techniques differentially with adult versus juvenile suspects. This study reports the nature and extent of formal (e.g., Reid Technique, PEACE, HUMINT) and informal interrogation training as well as self-reported technique usage in a diverse national sample (N = 340) of experienced American police officers. Officers were trained in a variety of different techniques ranging from comparatively benign pre-interrogation strategies (e.g., building rapport, observing body language or speech patterns) to more psychologically coercive techniques (e.g., blaming the victim, discouraging denials). Over half the sample reported being trained to use psychologically coercive techniques with both adults and juveniles. The majority (91%) receive informal, "on the job" interrogation training. Technique usage patterns indicate a spectrum of psychological intensity where information-gathering approaches were used most frequently and high-pressure tactics less frequently. Reid-trained officers (56%) were significantly more likely than officers without Reid training to use pre-interrogation and manipulation techniques. Across all analyses and techniques, usage patterns were identical for adult and juvenile suspects, suggesting that police interrogate youth in the same manner as adults. Overall, results suggest that training in specific interrogation methods is strongly associated with usage. Findings underscore the need for more law enforcement interrogation training in general, especially with juvenile suspects, and highlight the value of training as an avenue for reducing interrogation-induced miscarriages of justice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Real time interrogation technique for fiber Bragg grating enhanced fiber loop ringdown sensors array.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yunlong; Li, Ruoming; Shi, Yuechun; Zhang, Jintao; Chen, Xiangfei; Liu, Shengchun

    2015-06-01

    A novel fiber Bragg grating aided fiber loop ringdown (FLRD) sensor array and the wavelength-time multiplexing based interrogation technique for the FLRD sensors array are proposed. The interrogation frequency of the system is formulated and the interrelationships among the parameters of the system are analyzed. To validate the performance of the proposed system, a five elements array is experimentally demonstrated, and the system shows the capability of real time monitoring every FLRD element with interrogation frequency of 125.5 Hz.

  15. A high-temperature fiber sensor using a low cost interrogation scheme.

    PubMed

    Barrera, David; Sales, Salvador

    2013-09-04

    Regenerated Fibre Bragg Gratings have the potential for high-temperature monitoring. In this paper, the inscription of Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs) and the later regeneration process to obtain Regenerated Fiber Bragg Gratings (RFBGs) in high-birefringence optical fiber is reported. The obtained RFBGs show two Bragg resonances corresponding to the slow and fast axis that are characterized in temperature terms. As the temperature increases the separation between the two Bragg resonances is reduced, which can be used for low cost interrogation. The proposed interrogation setup is based in the use of optical filters in order to convert the wavelength shift of each of the Bragg resonances into optical power changes. The design of the optical filters is also studied in this article. In first place, the ideal filter is calculated using a recursive method and defining the boundary conditions. This ideal filter linearizes the output of the interrogation setup but is limited by the large wavelength shift of the RFBG with temperature and the maximum attenuation. The response of modal interferometers as optical filters is also analyzed. They can be easily tuned shifting the optical spectrum. The output of the proposed interrogation scheme is simulated in these conditions improving the sensitivity.

  16. A High-Temperature Fiber Sensor Using a Low Cost Interrogation Scheme

    PubMed Central

    Barrera, David; Sales, Salvador

    2013-01-01

    Regenerated Fibre Bragg Gratings have the potential for high-temperature monitoring. In this paper, the inscription of Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs) and the later regeneration process to obtain Regenerated Fiber Bragg Gratings (RFBGs) in high-birefringence optical fiber is reported. The obtained RFBGs show two Bragg resonances corresponding to the slow and fast axis that are characterized in temperature terms. As the temperature increases the separation between the two Bragg resonances is reduced, which can be used for low cost interrogation. The proposed interrogation setup is based in the use of optical filters in order to convert the wavelength shift of each of the Bragg resonances into optical power changes. The design of the optical filters is also studied in this article. In first place, the ideal filter is calculated using a recursive method and defining the boundary conditions. This ideal filter linearizes the output of the interrogation setup but is limited by the large wavelength shift of the RFBG with temperature and the maximum attenuation. The response of modal interferometers as optical filters is also analyzed. They can be easily tuned shifting the optical spectrum. The output of the proposed interrogation scheme is simulated in these conditions improving the sensitivity. PMID:24008282

  17. Are the American Psychological Association's Detainee Interrogation Policies Ethical and Effective?: Key Claims, Documents, and Results.

    PubMed

    Pope, Kenneth S

    2011-01-01

    After 9-11, the United States began interrogating detainees at settings such as Abu Ghraib, Bagram, and Guantanamo. The American Psychological Association (APA) supported psychologists' involvement in interrogations, adopted formal policies, and made an array of public assurances. This article's purpose is to highlight key APA decisions, policies, procedures, documents, and public statements in urgent need of rethinking and to suggest questions that may be useful in a serious assessment, such as, "However well intended, were APA's interrogation policies ethically sound?"; "Were they valid, realistic, and able to achieve their purpose?"; "Were other approaches available that would address interrogation issues more directly, comprehensively, and actively, that were more ethically and scientifically based, and that would have had a greater likelihood of success?"; and "Should APA continue to endorse its post-9-11 detainee interrogation policies?"

  18. Simulation of path delay multiplexing-based Fourier transform spectrometer for fiber Bragg grating interrogation.

    PubMed

    Chelliah, Pandian; Sahoo, Trilochan; Singh, Sheela; Sujatha, Annie

    2015-10-20

    A Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) used for interrogating a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) consists of a scanning-type interferometer. The FTS has a broad wavelength range of operation and good multiplexing capability. However, it has poor wavelength resolution and interrogation speed. We propose a modification to the FTS using path delay multiplexing to improve the same. Using this method, spatial resolution and interrogation time can be improved by n times by using n path delays. In this paper, simulation results for n=2, 5 are shown.

  19. Active interrogation using low-energy nuclear reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Antolak, Arlyn; Doyle, Barney; Leung, Ka-Ngo; Morse, Daniel; Provencio, Paula

    2005-09-01

    High-energy photons and neutrons can be used to interrogate for heavily shielded fissile materials inside sealed cargo containers by detecting their prompt and/or delayed fission signatures. The FIND (Fissmat Inspection for Nuclear Detection) active interrogation system is based on a dual neutron+gamma source that uses low-energy (< 500 keV) proton- or deuteron-induced nuclear reactions to produce high intensities of mono-energetic gamma rays and/or neutrons. The source can be operated in either pulsed (e.g., to detect delayed photofission neutrons and gammas) or continuous (e.g., detecting prompt fission signatures) modes. For the gamma-rays, the source target can be segmented to incorporate different (p,γ) isotopes for producing gamma-rays at selective energies, thereby improving the probability of detection. The design parameters for the FIND system are discussed and preliminary accelerator-based measurements of gamma and neutron yields, background levels, and fission signals for several target materials under consideration are presented.

  20. Design of Interrogation Protocols for Radiation Dose Measurements Using Optically-Stimulated Luminescent Dosimeters.

    PubMed

    Abraham, Sara A; Kearfott, Kimberlee J; Jawad, Ali H; Boria, Andrew J; Buth, Tobias J; Dawson, Alexander S; Eng, Sheldon C; Frank, Samuel J; Green, Crystal A; Jacobs, Mitchell L; Liu, Kevin; Miklos, Joseph A; Nguyen, Hien; Rafique, Muhammad; Rucinski, Blake D; Smith, Travis; Tan, Yanliang

    2017-03-01

    Optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeters are capable of being interrogated multiple times post-irradiation. Each interrogation removes a fraction of the signal stored within the optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeter. This signal loss must be corrected to avoid systematic errors in estimating the average signal of a series of optically-stimulated luminescent dosimeter interrogations and requires a minimum number of consecutive readings to determine an average signal that is within a desired accuracy of the true signal with a desired statistical confidence. This paper establishes a technical basis for determining the required number of readings for a particular application of these dosimeters when using certain OSL dosimetry systems.

  1. Analysis and Validation of Contactless Time-Gated Interrogation Technique for Quartz Resonator Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Baù, Marco; Ferrari, Marco; Ferrari, Vittorio

    2017-01-01

    A technique for contactless electromagnetic interrogation of AT-cut quartz piezoelectric resonator sensors is proposed based on a primary coil electromagnetically air-coupled to a secondary coil connected to the electrodes of the resonator. The interrogation technique periodically switches between interleaved excitation and detection phases. During the excitation phase, the resonator is set into vibration by a driving voltage applied to the primary coil, whereas in the detection phase, the excitation signal is turned off and the transient decaying response of the resonator is sensed without contact by measuring the voltage induced back across the primary coil. This approach ensures that the readout frequency of the sensor signal is to a first order approximation independent of the interrogation distance between the primary and secondary coils. A detailed theoretical analysis of the interrogation principle based on a lumped-element equivalent circuit is presented. The analysis has been experimentally validated on a 4.432 MHz AT-cut quartz crystal resonator, demonstrating the accurate readout of the series resonant frequency and quality factor over an interrogation distance of up to 2 cm. As an application, the technique has been applied to the measurement of liquid microdroplets deposited on a 4.8 MHz AT-cut quartz crystal. More generally, the proposed technique can be exploited for the measurement of any physical or chemical quantities affecting the resonant response of quartz resonator sensors. PMID:28574459

  2. Analysis and Validation of Contactless Time-Gated Interrogation Technique for Quartz Resonator Sensors.

    PubMed

    Baù, Marco; Ferrari, Marco; Ferrari, Vittorio

    2017-06-02

    A technique for contactless electromagnetic interrogation of AT-cut quartz piezoelectric resonator sensors is proposed based on a primary coil electromagnetically air-coupled to a secondary coil connected to the electrodes of the resonator. The interrogation technique periodically switches between interleaved excitation and detection phases. During the excitation phase, the resonator is set into vibration by a driving voltage applied to the primary coil, whereas in the detection phase, the excitation signal is turned off and the transient decaying response of the resonator is sensed without contact by measuring the voltage induced back across the primary coil. This approach ensures that the readout frequency of the sensor signal is to a first order approximation independent of the interrogation distance between the primary and secondary coils. A detailed theoretical analysis of the interrogation principle based on a lumped-element equivalent circuit is presented. The analysis has been experimentally validated on a 4.432 MHz AT-cut quartz crystal resonator, demonstrating the accurate readout of the series resonant frequency and quality factor over an interrogation distance of up to 2 cm. As an application, the technique has been applied to the measurement of liquid microdroplets deposited on a 4.8 MHz AT-cut quartz crystal. More generally, the proposed technique can be exploited for the measurement of any physical or chemical quantities affecting the resonant response of quartz resonator sensors.

  3. Ultrafast Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation for Sensing in Detonation and Shock Wave Experiments.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, George; Gilbertson, Steve M

    2017-01-27

    Chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) sensors coupled to high speed interrogation systems are described as robust diagnostic approaches to monitoring shock wave and detonation front propagation tracking events for use in high energy density shock physics applications. Taking advantage of the linear distributed spatial encoding of the spectral band in single-mode CFBGs, embedded fiber systems and associated photonic interrogation methodologies are shown as an effective approach to sensing shock and detonation-driven loading processes along the CFBG length. Two approaches, one that detects spectral changes in the integrated spectrum of the CFBG and another coherent pulse interrogation approach that fully resolves its spectral response, shows that 100-MHz-1-GHz interrogation rates are possible with spatial resolution along the CFBG in the 50 µm to sub-millimeter range depending on the combination of CFBG parameters (i.e., length, chirp rate, spectrum) and interrogator design specifics. Results from several dynamic tests are used to demonstrate the performance of these high speed systems for shock and detonation propagation tracking under strong and weak shock pressure loading: (1) linear detonation front tracking in the plastic bonded explosive (PBX) PBX-9501; (2) tracking of radial decaying shock with crossover to non-destructive CFBG response; (3) shock wave tracking along an aluminum cylinder wall under weak loading accompanied by dynamic strain effects in the CFBG sensor.

  4. Ultrafast Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation for Sensing in Detonation and Shock Wave Experiments

    PubMed Central

    Rodriguez, George; Gilbertson, Steve M.

    2017-01-01

    Chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) sensors coupled to high speed interrogation systems are described as robust diagnostic approaches to monitoring shock wave and detonation front propagation tracking events for use in high energy density shock physics applications. Taking advantage of the linear distributed spatial encoding of the spectral band in single-mode CFBGs, embedded fiber systems and associated photonic interrogation methodologies are shown as an effective approach to sensing shock and detonation-driven loading processes along the CFBG length. Two approaches, one that detects spectral changes in the integrated spectrum of the CFBG and another coherent pulse interrogation approach that fully resolves its spectral response, shows that 100-MHz–1-GHz interrogation rates are possible with spatial resolution along the CFBG in the 50 μm to sub-millimeter range depending on the combination of CFBG parameters (i.e., length, chirp rate, spectrum) and interrogator design specifics. Results from several dynamic tests are used to demonstrate the performance of these high speed systems for shock and detonation propagation tracking under strong and weak shock pressure loading: (1) linear detonation front tracking in the plastic bonded explosive (PBX) PBX-9501; (2) tracking of radial decaying shock with crossover to non-destructive CFBG response; (3) shock wave tracking along an aluminum cylinder wall under weak loading accompanied by dynamic strain effects in the CFBG sensor. PMID:28134819

  5. Ultrafast Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation for Sensing in Detonation and Shock Wave Experiments

    DOE PAGES

    Rodriguez, George; Gilbertson, Steve Michael

    2017-01-27

    Chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) sensors coupled to high speed interrogation systems are described as robust diagnostic approaches to monitoring shock wave and detonation front propagation tracking events for use in high energy density shock physics applications. Taking advantage of the linear distributed spatial encoding of the spectral band in single-mode CFBGs, embedded fiber systems and associated photonic interrogation methodologies are shown as an effective approach to sensing shock and detonation-driven loading processes along the CFBG length. Two approaches, one that detects spectral changes in the integrated spectrum of the CFBG and another coherent pulse interrogation approach that fully resolvesmore » its spectral response, shows that 100-MHz–1-GHz interrogation rates are possible with spatial resolution along the CFBG in the 50 µm to sub-millimeter range depending on the combination of CFBG parameters (i.e., length, chirp rate, spectrum) and interrogator design specifics. In conclusion, results from several dynamic tests are used to demonstrate the performance of these high speed systems for shock and detonation propagation tracking under strong and weak shock pressure loading: (1) linear detonation front tracking in the plastic bonded explosive (PBX) PBX-9501; (2) tracking of radial decaying shock with crossover to non-destructive CFBG response; (3) shock wave tracking along an aluminum cylinder wall under weak loading accompanied by dynamic strain effects in the CFBG sensor.« less

  6. Police reports of mock suspect interrogations: A test of accuracy and perception.

    PubMed

    Kassin, Saul M; Kukucka, Jeff; Lawson, Victoria Z; DeCarlo, John

    2017-06-01

    A 2-phased experiment assessed the accuracy and completeness of police reports on mock interrogations and their effects on people's perceptions. In Phase 1, 16 experienced officers investigated a mock crime scene, interrogated 2 innocent suspects-1 described by the experimenter as more suspicious than the other-and filed an incident report. All 32 sessions were covertly recorded; the recordings were later used to assess the reports. In Phase 2, 96 lay participants were presented with a brief summary of the case and then either read 1 police report, read 1 verbatim interrogation transcript, or listened to an audiotape of a session. Results showed that (a) Police and suspects diverged in their perceptions of the interrogations; (b) Police committed frequent errors of omission in their reports, understating their use of confrontation, maximization, leniency, and false evidence; and (c) Phase 2 participants who read a police report, compared to those who read a verbatim transcript, perceived the process as less pressure-filled and were more likely to misjudge suspects as guilty. These findings are limited by the brevity and low-stakes nature of the task and by the fact that no significant effects were obtained for our suspicion manipulation, suggesting a need for more research. Limitations notwithstanding, this study adds to a growing empirical literature indicating the need for a requirement that all suspect interrogations be electronically recorded. To provide a more objective and accurate account of what transpired, this study also suggests the benefit of producing verbatim transcripts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  7. Interrogating Racism in Qualitative Research Methodology. Counterpoints.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez, Gerardo R., Ed.; Parker, Laurence, Ed.

    This book explores the link between critical race theory and qualitative research methodology, interrogating how race connects and conflicts with other areas of difference and is never entirely absent from the research process. After an introduction, "Critical Race Theory in Education: Theory, Praxis, and Recommendations" (Sylvia R.…

  8. Performance of a remote interrogation system for the in-hospital evaluation of cardiac implantable electronic devices.

    PubMed

    Mittal, Suneet; Younge, Kevin; King-Ellison, Kelly; Hammill, Eric; Stein, Kenneth

    2016-08-01

    Patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) often need device interrogation in an in-hospital environment. A diagnosis-only, remote interrogation device and process for CIED interrogation was developed to address this situation. Here, we describe our initial clinical experience with this system. The LATITUDE Consult Communicator is a stand-alone interrogation-only device used to read the patient's implanted CIED. Once retrieved, the data are securely transmitted via an analog phone line to a central server. The clinician can request a review of the transmitted data at any time. Following FDA approval, we determined the usage and performance of the system. Communicators (n = 53) were installed in 42 hospital facilities. The most common location was in the emergency department (n = 32, 60 %). There were 509 discreet transmissions, which were categorized as follows: no arrhythmia episodes in the past 72 h and no out of range measurements (n = 174, 34 %); arrhythmia episodes in past 72 h but no out of range measurements (n = 170, 33 %); and further review recommended (n = 130, 26 %). (In 35 [7 %] instances, interrogation without analysis was requested.) The further review interrogations were then sub-divided into those of a non-urgent and urgent nature. Overall, only 53 (10 %) of the 509 transmissions were classified as urgent. Clinicians had access to full technical consultation in ≤15 min in 89 % of instances. Our data demonstrate the feasibility of a new diagnosis-only, remote interrogation device and remote evaluation process for the interrogation of CIEDs in an in-hospital environment.

  9. FBG Interrogation Method with High Resolution and Response Speed Based on a Reflective-Matched FBG Scheme

    PubMed Central

    Cui, Jiwen; Hu, Yang; Feng, Kunpeng; Li, Junying; Tan, Jiubin

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, a high resolution and response speed interrogation method based on a reflective-matched Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) scheme is investigated in detail. The nonlinear problem of the reflective-matched FBG sensing interrogation scheme is solved by establishing and optimizing the mathematical model. A mechanical adjustment to optimize the interrogation method by tuning the central wavelength of the reference FBG to improve the stability and anti-temperature perturbation performance is investigated. To satisfy the measurement requirements of optical and electric signal processing, a well- designed acquisition circuit board is prepared, and experiments on the performance of the interrogation method are carried out. The experimental results indicate that the optical power resolution of the acquisition circuit border is better than 8 pW, and the stability of the interrogation method with the mechanical adjustment can reach 0.06%. Moreover, the nonlinearity of the interrogation method is 3.3% in the measurable range of 60 pm; the influence of temperature is significantly reduced to 9.5%; the wavelength resolution and response speed can achieve values of 0.3 pm and 500 kHz, respectively. PMID:26184195

  10. Dynamic interrogative data capture (DIDC) : concept of operations.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-04-01

    This Concept of Operations (ConOps) describes the characteristics of the Dynamic Interrogative Data Capture (DIDC) algorithms and associated software. The objective of the DIDC algorithms and software is to optimize the capture and transmission of ve...

  11. Hidden explosives detector employing pulsed neutron and x-ray interrogation

    DOEpatents

    Schultz, F.J.; Caldwell, J.T.

    1993-04-06

    Methods and systems for the detection of small amounts of modern, highly-explosive nitrogen-based explosives, such as plastic explosives, hidden in airline baggage. Several techniques are employed either individually or combined in a hybrid system. One technique employed in combination is X-ray imaging. Another technique is interrogation with a pulsed neutron source in a two-phase mode of operation to image both nitrogen and oxygen densities. Another technique employed in combination is neutron interrogation to form a hydrogen density image or three-dimensional map. In addition, deliberately-placed neutron-absorbing materials can be detected.

  12. Hidden explosives detector employing pulsed neutron and x-ray interrogation

    DOEpatents

    Schultz, Frederick J.; Caldwell, John T.

    1993-01-01

    Methods and systems for the detection of small amounts of modern, highly-explosive nitrogen-based explosives, such as plastic explosives, hidden in airline baggage. Several techniques are employed either individually or combined in a hybrid system. One technique employed in combination is X-ray imaging. Another technique is interrogation with a pulsed neutron source in a two-phase mode of operation to image both nitrogen and oxygen densities. Another technique employed in combination is neutron interrogation to form a hydrogen density image or three-dimensional map. In addition, deliberately-placed neutron-absorbing materials can be detected.

  13. Interrogative Suggestibility in an Adolescent Forensic Occupation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richardson, G.; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Sixty-five juvenile offenders in residential care completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale, and their scores were matched for IQ and memory with those of 60 adult offenders. The juveniles gave in significantly more to interrogative pressure through negative feedback but were no more yielding to leading questions than adults. (JPS)

  14. Switching Transient Generation in Surface Interrogation Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy and Time-of-Flight Techniques.

    PubMed

    Ahn, Hyun S; Bard, Allen J

    2015-12-15

    In surface interrogation scanning electrochemical microscopy (SI-SECM), fine and accurate control of the delay time between substrate generation and tip interrogation (tdelay) is crucial because tdelay defines the decay time of the reactive intermediate. In previous applications of the SI-SECM, the resolution in the control of tdelay has been limited to several hundreds of milliseconds due to the slow switching of the bipotentiostat. In this work, we have improved the time resolution of tdelay control up to ca. 1 μs, enhancing the SI-SECM to be competitive in the time domain with the decay of many reactive intermediates. The rapid switching SI-SECM has been implemented in a substrate generation-tip collection time-of-flight (SG-TC TOF) experiment of a solution redox mediator, and the results obtained from the experiment exhibited good agreement with that obtained from digital simulation. The reaction rate constant of surface Co(IV) on oxygen-evolving catalyst film, which was inaccessible thus far due to the lack of tdelay control, has been measured by the rapid switching SI-SECM.

  15. Wavelength-switched phase interrogator for EFPI sensors with polarization self-calibrated

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Ji; Wang, Fuyin; Luo, Hong; Xiong, Shuidong

    2017-10-01

    The stability of the demodulation system for extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric(EFPI) sensors is significant to dynamic signal recovery. In the wavelength-switched demodulation system, a phase interrogation with a wavelength-switched structure has been presented. Two reflected peaks were in perpendicular polarization direction and switched in the time-domain. However, the operation point of system affected output of the linearly-polarized beams seriously, and the stability of the system decreased and even failed to work. In order to solve this problem, a polarization control unit is added into the system in this paper. The modified demodulation system has been demonstrated to have a higher stability.

  16. Simple interrogator for optical fiber-based white light Fabry-Perot interferometers.

    PubMed

    Yu, Zhihao; Tian, Zhipeng; Wang, Anbo

    2017-02-15

    In this Letter, we present the design of a simple signal interrogator for optical fiber-based white light Fabry-Perot (F-P) interferometers. With the hardware being composed of only a flat fused silica wafer and a CCD camera, this interrogator translates the spectral interference into a spatial interference pattern, and then demodulates the F-P cavity length with the use of a relatively simple demodulation algorithm. The concept is demonstrated experimentally in a fiber optic sensor with a sapphire wafer as the F-P cavity.

  17. The relationship between criminal conviction and interrogative suggestibility among delinquent boys.

    PubMed

    Gudjonsson, G H; Singh, K K

    1984-03-01

    This study investigates the relationship between interrogative suggestibility, as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS), and number of previous convictions among 35 delinquent boys. The GSS measures two independent aspects of suggestibility. First, the extent to which subjects give in to suggestive questions. Second, the extent to which subjects give in to interpersonal pressure given in the form of critical feedback about test performance. The number of convictions were found to correlate negatively with the latter aspect of interrogative suggestibility, but not significantly with the former.

  18. Working and Learning in a Field Excursion.

    PubMed

    Hole, Torstein Nielsen

    2018-06-01

    This study aimed to discern sociocultural processes through which students learn in field excursions. To achieve this aim, short-term ethnographic techniques were employed to examine how undergraduate students work and enact knowledge (or knowing) during a specific field excursion in biology. The students participated in a working practice that employed research methods and came to engage with various biological phenomena over the course of their work. A three-level analysis of the students' experiences focused on three processes that emerged: participatory appropriation, guided participation, and apprenticeship. These processes derive from advances in practice-oriented theories of knowing. Through their work in the field, the students were able to enact science autonomously; they engaged with peers and teachers in specific ways and developed new understandings about research and epistemology founded on their experiences in the field. Further discussion about the use of "practice" and "work" as analytical concepts in science education is also included.

  19. Interrogation of a ring-resonator ultrasound sensor using a fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

    PubMed

    Peternella, Fellipe Grillo; Ouyang, Boling; Horsten, Roland; Haverdings, Michael; Kat, Pim; Caro, Jacob

    2017-12-11

    We experimentally demonstrate an interrogation procedure of a ring-resonator ultrasound sensor using a fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI). The sensor comprises a silicon ring resonator (RR) located on a silicon-oxide membrane, designed to have its lowest vibrational mode in the MHz range, which is the range of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging. Ultrasound incident on the membrane excites its vibrational mode and as a result induces a modulation of the resonance wavelength of the RR, which is a measure of the amplitude of the ultrasound waves. The interrogation procedure developed is based on the mathematical description of the interrogator operation presented in Appendix A, where we identify the amplitude of the angular deflection Φ 0 on the circle arc periodically traced in the plane of the two orthogonal interrogator voltages, as the principal sensor signal. Interrogation is demonstrated for two sensors with membrane vibrational modes at 1.3 and 0.77 MHz, by applying continuous wave ultrasound in a wide pressure range. Ultrasound is detected at a pressure as low as 1.2 Pa. Two optical path differences (OPDs) of the MZI are used. Thus, different interference conditions of the optical signals are defined, leading to a higher apparent sensitivity for the larger OPD, which is accompanied by a weaker signal, however. Independent measurements using the modulation method yield a resonance modulation per unit of pressure of 21.4 fm/Pa (sensor #1) and 103.8 fm/Pa (sensor #2).

  20. Interrogating "Belonging" in Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sumsion, Jennifer; Wong, Sandie

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the authors interrogate the use of "belonging" in "Belonging, Being and Becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia" (EYLF), Australia's first national curriculum for early childhood education and care settings and, from the authors' interrogation, possibilities are offered for thinking about and…

  1. Design of a fiber-optic interrogator module for telecommunication satellites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Putzer, Philipp; Koch, Alexander W.; Plattner, Markus; Hurni, Andreas; Manhart, Markus

    2017-11-01

    In this paper we present the results of the radiation tests performed on the optical components of the fiber-optic interrogator module as a part of the Hybrid Sensor Bus (HSB) system. The HSB-system is developed in the frame of an ESAARTES program and will be verified as flight demonstrator onboard the German Heinrich Hertz satellite in 2016. The HSB system is based on a modular concept which includes sensor interrogation modules based on I2C electrical and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) fiber-optical sensor elements. Onboard fiber-optic sensing allows the implementation of novel control and monitoring methods. For read-out of multiple FBG sensors, a design based on a tunable laser diode as well as a design based on a spectrometer is considered. The expected and tested total ionizing dose (TID) applicable to the HSB system is in the range between 100 krad and 300 krad inside the satellite in the geostationary orbit over a life time of 15 years. We present radiation test results carried out on critical optical components to be used in the fiber-optic interrogation module. These components are a modulated grating Y-branch (MGY) tunable laser diode acting as light source for the tuning laser approach, the line detector of a spectrometer, photodetectors and the FBG sensors acting as sensor elements. A detailed literature inquiry of radiation effects on optical fibers and FBG sensors, is also included in the paper. The fiber-optic interrogator module implemented in the HSB system is based on the most suitable technology, which sustains the harsh environment in the geostationary orbit.

  2. From third degree to third generation interrogation strategies: putting science into the art of criminal interviewing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-03-01

    research design flaw, “the pretesting process may have affected the ability to correctly classify subjects on the post - test ,” they conclude their results...Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) in response to the highly publicized post -9/11 interrogation tactics the United States used on terrorist...in response to the highly publicized post -9/11 interrogation tactics the United States used on terrorist suspects.13 Part of the group’s mission was

  3. First Deminsys (high speed FBG interrogator) flight

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Els, Thomas J.

    2009-03-01

    Deminsys is the world's fastest multi sensor / multi channel FBG interrogator, identifies one till four channels with typically 8 sensors per channel. The system is especially developed for the interrogation of signals up to 19,3 kHz for each sensor and the sample frequency is independent of the number of sensors. By having multiple sensors per fibre you can create a very compact network of sensors. Due to its revolutionary (light weight, compact and solid state) design, Deminsys seems to fit perfectly into (research) programs for aerospace, medic & life science, maritime, industrial, crash test and all other fast detection applications. Technobis Fibre Technologies (TFT) and NLR made a first test flight with the Deminsys optical fibre measurement system using the NLR test aircraft on October 24th 2008. This flight was a first step in the further development of the current system in order to make it suitable for operation on-board an aircraft and bring it from TRL3 towards TRL5, a functional model for aerospace applications.

  4. Hand Held Device for Wireless Powering and Interrogation of Biomems Sensors and Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simons, Rainee N (Inventor); Miranda, Felix Antonio (Inventor)

    2007-01-01

    A compact, hand-held device for wireless powering, interrogation and data retrieval from at least one implanted sensor. The hand-held device includes an antenna for powering an implanted sensor and for receiving data from the implanted sensor to the hand-held device for at least one of storage, display or analysis. The hand-held device establishes electromagnetic coupling with a low radiating radio frequency power inductor in the implanted sensor at a predefined separation and the antenna geometry allows for the antenna to power, interrogate and retrieve data from the implanted sensor without strapping the hand-held device to a human body housing the implanted sensor The hand-held device optionally allows for activation of the implanted sensor only during interrogation and data retrieval.

  5. Enhanced-locality fiber-optic two-photon-fluorescence live-brain interrogation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fedotov, I. V.; Doronina-Amitonova, L. V.; Russian Quantum Center, ul. Novaya 100, Skolkovo, Moscow Region 1430125

    2014-02-24

    Two-photon excitation is shown to substantially enhance the locality of fiber-based optical interrogation of strongly scattering biotissues. In our experiments, a high-numerical-aperture, large-core-are fiber probe is used to deliver the 200-fs output of a 100-MHz mode-locked ytterbium fiber laser to samples of live mouse brain, induce two-photon fluorescence of nitrogen–vacancy centers in diamond markers in brain sample. Fiber probes with a high numerical aperture and a large core area are shown to enable locality enhancement in fiber-laser–fiber-probe two-photon brain excitation and interrogation without sacrificing the efficiency of fluorescence response collection.

  6. Testimony and interrogation of minors: assumptions about maturity and morality.

    PubMed

    Owen-Kostelnik, Jessica; Reppucci, N Dickon; Meyer, Jessica R

    2006-01-01

    This article examines the legal histories and social contexts of testimony and interrogation involving minors, developmental research on suggestibility and judgment, interactions between development and legal/sociological contexts, and the reasoning behind how minors are treated in different legal contexts. The authors argue (a) that young witnesses, victims, and suspects alike possess youthful characteristics that influence their ability to validly inform legal processes, some of which were recently recognized by the Supreme Court as they apply to the juvenile death penalty, and (b) that consideration should be given to reforming current practices in the context of juvenile interrogation. ((c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).

  7. FBG Interrogation Method with High Resolution and Response Speed Based on a Reflective-Matched FBG Scheme.

    PubMed

    Cui, Jiwen; Hu, Yang; Feng, Kunpeng; Li, Junying; Tan, Jiubin

    2015-07-08

    In this paper, a high resolution and response speed interrogation method based on a reflective-matched Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) scheme is investigated in detail. The nonlinear problem of the reflective-matched FBG sensing interrogation scheme is solved by establishing and optimizing the mathematical model. A mechanical adjustment to optimize the interrogation method by tuning the central wavelength of the reference FBG to improve the stability and anti-temperature perturbation performance is investigated. To satisfy the measurement requirements of optical and electric signal processing, a well- designed acquisition circuit board is prepared, and experiments on the performance of the interrogation method are carried out. The experimental results indicate that the optical power resolution of the acquisition circuit border is better than 8 pW, and the stability of the interrogation method with the mechanical adjustment can reach 0.06%. Moreover, the nonlinearity of the interrogation method is 3.3% in the measurable range of 60 pm; the influence of temperature is significantly reduced to 9.5%; the wavelength resolution and response speed can achieve values of 0.3 pm and 500 kHz, respectively.

  8. TDM interrogation of intensity-modulated USFBGs network based on multichannel lasers.

    PubMed

    Rohollahnejad, Jalal; Xia, Li; Cheng, Rui; Ran, Yanli; Rahubadde, Udaya; Zhou, Jiaao; Zhu, Lin

    2017-01-23

    We report a large-scale multi-channel fiber sensing network, where ultra-short FBGs (USFBGs) instead of conventional narrow-band ultra-weak FBGs are used as the sensors. In the time division multiplexing scheme of the network, each grating response is resolved as three adjacent discrete peaks. The central wavelengths of USFBGs are tracked with the differential detection, which is achieved by calculating the peak-to-peak ratio of two maximum peaks. Compared with previous large-scale hybrid multiplexing sensing networks (e.g., WDM/TDM) which typically have relatively low interrogation speed and very high complexity, the proposed system can achieve interrogation of all channel sensors through very fast and simple intensity measurements with a broad dynamic range. A proof-of-concept experiment with twenty USFBGs, at two wavelength channels, was performed and a fast static strain measurements were demonstrated, with a high average sensitivity of ~0.54dB/µƐ and wide dynamic range of over ~3000µƐ. The channel to channel switching time was 10ms and total network interrogation time was 50ms.

  9. Magnetic Field Response Measurement Acquisition System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodard, Stanley E. (Inventor); Taylor, Bryant D. (Inventor); Shams, Qamar A. (Inventor); Fox, Robert L. (Inventor); Fox, Christopher L. (Inventor); Fox, Melanie L. (Inventor); Bryant, Robert G. (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    Magnetic field response sensors designed as passive inductor-capacitor circuits produce magnetic field responses whose harmonic frequencies correspond to states of physical properties for which the sensors measure. Power to the sensing element is acquired using Faraday induction. A radio frequency antenna produces the time varying magnetic field used for powering the sensor, as well as receiving the magnetic field response of the sensor. An interrogation architecture for discerning changes in sensor s response kequency, resistance and amplitude is integral to the method thus enabling a variety of measurements. Multiple sensors can be interrogated using this method, thus eliminating the need to have a data acquisition channel dedicated to each sensor. The method does not require the sensors to be in proximity to any form of acquisition hardware. A vast array of sensors can be used as interchangeable parts in an overall sensing system.

  10. Processing Interrogative Sentence Mood at the Semantic-Syntactic Interface: An Electrophysiological Research in Chinese, German, and Polish

    PubMed Central

    Kao, Chung-Shan; Dietrich, Rainer; Sommer, Werner

    2010-01-01

    Background Languages differ in the marking of the sentence mood of a polar interrogative (yes/no question). For instance, the interrogative mood is marked at the beginning of the surface structure in Polish, whereas the marker appears at the end in Chinese. In order to generate the corresponding sentence frame, the syntactic specification of the interrogative mood is early in Polish and late in Chinese. In this respect, German belongs to an interesting intermediate class. The yes/no question is expressed by a shift of the finite verb from its final position in the underlying structure into the utterance initial position, a move affecting, hence, both the sentence's final and the sentence's initial constituents. The present study aimed to investigate whether during generation of the semantic structure of a polar interrogative, i.e., the processing preceding the grammatical formulation, the interrogative mood is encoded according to its position in the syntactic structure at distinctive time points in Chinese, German, and Polish. Methodology/Principal Findings In a two-choice go/nogo experimental design, native speakers of the three languages responded to pictures by pressing buttons and producing utterances in their native language while their brain potentials were recorded. The emergence and latency of lateralized readiness potentials (LRP) in nogo conditions, in which speakers asked a yes/no question, should indicate the time point of processing the interrogative mood. The results revealed that Chinese, German, and Polish native speakers did not differ from each other in the electrophysiological indicator. Conclusions/Significance The findings suggest that the semantic encoding of the interrogative mood is temporally consistent across languages despite its disparate syntactic specification. The consistent encoding may be ascribed to economic processing of interrogative moods at various sentential positions of the syntactic structures in languages or, more

  11. Enhancing the performance of a tensioned metastable fluid detector based active interrogation system for the detection of SNM in <1 m3 containers using a D-D neutron interrogation source in moderated/reflected geometries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grimes, T. F.; Hagen, A. R.; Archambault, B. C.; Taleyarkhan, R. P.

    2018-03-01

    This paper describes the development of a SNM detection system for interrogating 1m3 cargos via the combination of a D-D neutron interrogation source (with and without reflectors) and tensioned metastable fluid detectors (TMFDs). TMFDs have been previously shown (Taleyarkhan et al., 2008; Grimes et al., 2015; Grimes and Taleyarkhan, 2016; Archambault et al., 2017; Hagen et al., 2016) to be capable of using Threshold Energy Neutron Analysis (TENA) techniques to reject the ∼2.45 MeV D-D interrogating neutrons while still remaining sensitive to >2.45 MeV neutrons resulting from fission in the target (HEU) material. In order to enhance the performance, a paraffin reflector was included around the accelerator head. This reflector was used to direct neutrons into the package to increase the fission signal, lower the energy of the interrogating neutrons to increase the fission cross-section with HEU, and, also to direct interrogating neutrons away from the detectors in order to enhance the required discrimination between interrogating and fission neutrons. Experiments performed with a 239 Pu-Be neutron source and MnO2 indicated that impressive performance gains could be made by placing a parabolic paraffin moderator between the interrogation source and an air-filled cargo container with HEU placed at the center. However, experiments with other cargo fillers (as specified in the well-known ANSI N42.41-2007 report), and with HEU placed in locations other than the center of the package indicated that other reflector geometries might be superior due to over-"focusing" and the increased solid angle effects due to the accommodation of the moderator geometry. The best performance for the worst case of source location and box fill was obtained by placing the reflector only behind the D-D neutron source rather than in front of it. Finally, it was shown that there could be significant gains in the ability to detect concealed SNM by operating the system in multiple geometric

  12. Design concept for the microwave interrogation structure in PARCS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dick, G. J.; Klipstein, W. M.; Heavner, T. P.; Jefferts, S. R.

    2002-01-01

    In this paper we will describe key aspects of the conceptual design of the microwave interrogation structure in the laser-cooled cesium frequency standard that is part of the Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space (PARCS) experiment.

  13. Long period grating refractive-index sensor: optimal design for single wavelength interrogation.

    PubMed

    Kapoor, Amita; Sharma, Enakshi K

    2009-11-01

    We report the design criteria for the use of long period gratings (LPGs) as refractive-index sensors with output power at a single interrogating wavelength as the measurement parameter. The design gives maximum sensitivity in a given refractive-index range when the interrogating wavelength is fixed. Use of the design criteria is illustrated by the design of refractive-index sensors for specific application to refractive-index variation of a sugar solution with a concentration and detection of mole fraction of xylene in heptane (paraffin).

  14. AWG Filter for Wavelength Interrogator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Black, Richard J. (Inventor); Costa, Joannes M. (Inventor); Moslehi, Behzad (Inventor); Sotoudeh, Vahid (Inventor); Faridian, Fereydoun (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    A wavelength interrogator is coupled to a circulator which couples optical energy from a broadband source to an optical fiber having a plurality of sensors, each sensor reflecting optical energy at a unique wavelength and directing the reflected optical energy to an AWG. The AWG has a detector coupled to each output, and the reflected optical energy from each grating is coupled to the skirt edge response of the AWG such that the adjacent channel responses form a complementary pair response. The complementary pair response is used to convert an AWG skirt response to a wavelength.

  15. Magnetic Field Response Measurement Acquisition System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodard, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.; Shams, Qamar A.; Fox, Robert L.

    2005-01-01

    A measurement acquisition method that alleviates many shortcomings of traditional measurement systems is presented in this paper. The shortcomings are a finite number of measurement channels, weight penalty associated with measurements, electrical arcing, wire degradations due to wear or chemical decay and the logistics needed to add new sensors. The key to this method is the use of sensors designed as passive inductor-capacitor circuits that produce magnetic field responses. The response attributes correspond to states of physical properties for which the sensors measure. A radio frequency antenna produces a time-varying magnetic field used to power the sensor and receive the magnetic field response of the sensor. An interrogation system for discerning changes in the sensor response is presented herein. Multiple sensors can be interrogated using this method. The method eliminates the need for a data acquisition channel dedicated to each sensor. Methods of developing magnetic field response sensors and the influence of key parameters on measurement acquisition are discussed.

  16. Characterization of a FBG sensor interrogation system based on a mode-locked laser scheme.

    PubMed

    Madrigal, Javier; Fraile-Peláez, Francisco Javier; Zheng, Di; Barrera, David; Sales, Salvador

    2017-10-02

    This paper is focused on the characterization of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor interrogation system based on a fiber ring laser with a semiconductor optical amplifier as the gain medium, and an in-loop electro-optical modulator. This system operates as a switchable active (pulsed) mode-locked laser. The operation principle of the system is explained theoretically and validated experimentally. The ability of the system to interrogate an array of different FBGs in wavelength and spatial domain is demonstrated. Simultaneously, the influence of several important parameters on the performance of the interrogation technique has been investigated. Specifically, the effects of the bandwidth and the reflectivity of the FBGs, the SOA gain, and the depth of the intensity modulation have been addressed.

  17. Interrogating Meanings of Work in Children's Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wieland, Stacey M. B.; Bauer, Janell C.

    2015-01-01

    In this article, Wieland and Bauer discuss a teaching activity that helps students understand how meanings of work (MOW) are socially constructed through commonplace texts: children's books. The activity helps students consider how children's books shape future workers' understandings of what work is, what kinds of work are most…

  18. Solar cell power for field instrumentation at White Sands Missile range. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bond, J.W. Jr..; Reckart, D.H. Jr; Milway, W.B.

    1978-01-01

    The initial phase of an Instrumentation Development Project to explore and document what solar power can do for remote field instrumentation systems is described. The work scope consisted of selection, design, construction, test, and delivery of a solar cell power system for White Sands Missile Range. A Drone Formation Control System Interrogator was selected; a power supply was built and installed in the San Andres Mountain Range at WSMR in late August 1977.

  19. A national epidemiological study investigating risk factors for police interrogation and false confession among juveniles and young persons.

    PubMed

    Gudjonsson, Gisli H; Sigurdsson, Jon Fridrik; Sigfusdottir, Inga Dora; Asgeirsdottir, Bryndis Bjork; González, Rafael A; Young, Susan

    2016-03-01

    The principal aims of this study are to identify risk factors associated with police arrest and false confessions and to investigate whether the severity of the ADHD condition/symptoms increases the risk. 22,226 young persons in Iceland anonymously completed self-report questionnaires screening for conduct disorder and ADHD. In addition, they stated whether they had a diagnosis of ADHD and had received ADHD medication, and their history of offending, police interrogation and false confession. Participants were stratified into two age groups, 14-16 and 17-24 years. The older group was significantly more likely to have been interrogated by the police but the younger group were much more vulnerable to false confession during interrogation. Males were more likely to be at risk for both than females. The severity of the ADHD condition increased the risk of both interrogation and false confession. Negative binomial regressions showed that age, gender, conduct disorder, offending, and ADHD symptoms were all significant predictors of both interrogations and number of false confessions. Conduct disorder was the single best predictor of police interrogation, but the findings were more mixed regarding false confessions. Young people presenting with a combination of severe ADHD and comorbid conduct disorder had the worst outcome for both interrogation and false confessions. The findings endorse the need for support of persons with ADHD to be put in place to ensure fair due process and to prevent miscarriages of justice.

  20. Active Interrogation using Photofission Technique for Nuclear Materials Control and Accountability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Haori

    2016-03-31

    Innovative systems with increased sensitivity and resolution are in great demand to detect diversion and to prevent misuse in support of nuclear materials management for the U.S. fuel cycle. Nuclear fission is the most important multiplicative process involved in non-destructive active interrogation. This process produces the most easily recognizable signature for nuclear materials. In addition to thermal or high-energy neutrons, high-energy gamma rays can also excite a nucleus and cause fission through a process known as photofission. Electron linear accelerators (linacs) are widely used as the interrogating photon sources for inspection methods involving photofission technique. After photofission reactions, prompt signalsmore » are much stronger than the delayed signals, but it is difficult to quantify them in practical measurements. Delayed signals are easily distinguishable from the interrogating radiation. Linac-based, advanced inspection techniques utilizing the delayed signals after photofission have been extensively studied for homeland security applications. Previous research also showed that a unique delayed gamma ray energy spectrum exists for each fissionable isotope. In this work, high-energy delayed γ-rays were demonstrated to be signatures for detection, identification, and quantification of special nuclear materials. Such γ-rays were measured in between linac pulses using independent data acquisition systems. A list-mode system was developed to measure low-energy delayed γ-rays after irradiation. Photofission product yields of 238U and 239Pu were determined based on the measured delayed γ-ray spectra. The differential yields of delayed γ-rays were also proven to be able to discriminate nuclear from non-nuclear materials. The measurement outcomes were compared with Monte Carlo simulation results. It was demonstrated that the current available codes have capabilities and limitations in the simulation of photofission process. A two-fold approach

  1. Interrogating discourse: the application of Foucault's methodological discussion to specific inquiry.

    PubMed

    Fadyl, Joanna K; Nicholls, David A; McPherson, Kathryn M

    2013-09-01

    Discourse analysis following the work of Michel Foucault has become a valuable methodology in the critical analysis of a broad range of topics relating to health. However, it can be a daunting task, in that there seems to be both a huge number of possible approaches to carrying out this type of project, and an abundance of different, often conflicting, opinions about what counts as 'Foucauldian'. This article takes the position that methodological design should be informed by ongoing discussion and applied as appropriate to a particular area of inquiry. The discussion given offers an interpretation and application of Foucault's methodological principles, integrating a reading of Foucault with applications of his work by other authors, showing how this is then applied to interrogate the practice of vocational rehabilitation. It is intended as a contribution to methodological discussion in this area, offering an interpretation of various methodological elements described by Foucault, alongside specific application of these aspects.

  2. Absolute Interrogative Intonation Patterns in Buenos Aires Spanish

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Su Ar

    2010-01-01

    In Spanish, each uttered phrase, depending on its use, has one of a variety of intonation patterns. For example, a phrase such as "Maria viene manana" "Mary is coming tomorrow" can be used as a declarative or as an absolute interrogative (a yes/no question) depending on the intonation pattern that a speaker produces. …

  3. Evidentials and Interrogatives: A Case Study from Korean

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lim, Dong Sik

    2010-01-01

    My aims in this thesis are to establish how evidentiality is grammatically encoded in Korean, and to investigate the semantic nature of evidential morphemes in Korean, which helps us to explain the semantic and pragmatic behavior of evidential markers in non-declarative sentences, such as interrogatives. By doing so, this thesis also shows the…

  4. Dynamic interrogator for elastic wave sensing using Fabry Perot filters based on fiber Bragg gratings.

    PubMed

    Harish, Achar V; Varghese, Bibin; Rao, Babu; Balasubramaniam, Krishnan; Srinivasan, Balaji

    2015-07-01

    Use of in-fiber Fabry-Perot (FP) filters based on fiber Bragg gratings as both sensor as well as an interrogator for enhancing the detection limit of elastic wave sensing is investigated in this paper. The sensitivity of such a demodulation scheme depends on the spectral discrimination of the sensor and interrogator gratings. Simulations have shown that the use of in-fiber FP filters with high finesse provide better performance in terms of sensitivity compared to the demodulation using fiber Bragg gratings. Based on these results, a dynamic interrogator capable of sensing acoustic waves with amplitude of less than 1 micro-strain over frequencies of 10 kHz to several 100 kHz has been implemented. Frequency response of the fiber Bragg gratings in the given experimental setup has been compared to that of the conventional piezo sensors demonstrating that fiber Bragg gratings can be used over a relatively broad frequency range. Dynamic interrogator has been packaged in a compact box without any degradation in its performance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Calibration of Cherenkov detectors for monoenergetic photon imaging in active interrogation applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rose, P. B.; Erickson, A. S.

    2015-11-01

    Active interrogation of cargo containers using monoenergetic photons offers a rapid and low-dose approach to search for shielded special nuclear materials. Cherenkov detectors can be used for imaging of the cargo provided that gamma ray energies used in interrogation are well resolved, as the case in 11B(d,n-γ)12C reaction resulting in 4.4 MeV and 15.1 MeV photons. While an array of Cherenkov threshold detectors reduces low energy background from scatter while providing the ability of high contrast transmission imaging, thus confirming the presence of high-Z materials, these detectors require a special approach to energy calibration due to the lack of resolution. In this paper, we discuss the utility of Cherenkov detectors for active interrogation with monoenergetic photons as well as the results of computational and experimental studies of their energy calibration. The results of the studies with sources emitting monoenergetic photons as well as complex gamma ray spectrum sources, for example 232Th, show that calibration is possible as long as the energies of photons of interest are distinct.

  6. Interrogating Our Practices of Integrating Spirituality into Workplace Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    English, Leona M.; Fenwick, Tara J.; Parsons, Jim

    2005-01-01

    Workplace education's interest in spirituality is examined, with an emphasis placed on why this interest might be increasing and what challenges it presents. This article interrogates commonplace strategies to integrate spirituality in workplace education,--providing holistic education, creating sacred spaces and mentoring--questions each approach…

  7. Adaptive Piezoelectric Circuitry Sensor Network with High-Frequency Harmonics Interrogation for Structural Damage Detection

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-09-17

    AFRL-OSR-VA-TR-2014-0255 ADAPTIVE PIEZOELECTRIC CIRCUITRY SENSOR NETWORK KON -WELL WANG MICHIGAN UNIV ANN ARBOR Final Report 09/17/2014 DISTRIBUTION A...Harmonics Interrogation for Structural Damage Detection FA9550-11-1-0072 Kon -Well Wang and Jiong Tang The Regents of the University of Michigan, 3003...mechanism. These efforts have yielded a complete methodology of adaptive high-frequency piezoelectric self-sensing interrogation. None None None SAR Kon

  8. Functional interrogation of non-coding DNA through CRISPR genome editing.

    PubMed

    Canver, Matthew C; Bauer, Daniel E; Orkin, Stuart H

    2017-05-15

    Methodologies to interrogate non-coding regions have lagged behind coding regions despite comprising the vast majority of the genome. However, the rapid evolution of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based genome editing has provided a multitude of novel techniques for laboratory investigation including significant contributions to the toolbox for studying non-coding DNA. CRISPR-mediated loss-of-function strategies rely on direct disruption of the underlying sequence or repression of transcription without modifying the targeted DNA sequence. CRISPR-mediated gain-of-function approaches similarly benefit from methods to alter the targeted sequence through integration of customized sequence into the genome as well as methods to activate transcription. Here we review CRISPR-based loss- and gain-of-function techniques for the interrogation of non-coding DNA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. The development of enabling technologies for producing active interrogation beams.

    PubMed

    Kwan, Thomas J T; Morgado, Richard E; Wang, Tai-Sen F; Vodolaga, B; Terekhin, V; Onischenko, L M; Vorozhtsov, S B; Samsonov, E V; Vorozhtsov, A S; Alenitsky, Yu G; Perpelkin, E E; Glazov, A A; Novikov, D L; Parkhomchuk, V; Reva, V; Vostrikov, V; Mashinin, V A; Fedotov, S N; Minayev, S A

    2010-10-01

    A U.S./Russian collaboration of accelerator scientists was directed to the development of high averaged-current (∼1 mA) and high-quality (emittance ∼15 πmm mrad; energy spread ∼0.1%) 1.75 MeV proton beams to produce active interrogation beams that could be applied to counterterrorism. Several accelerator technologies were investigated. These included an electrostatic tandem accelerator of novel design, a compact cyclotron, and a storage ring with energy compensation and electron cooling. Production targets capable of withstanding the beam power levels were designed, fabricated, and tested. The cyclotron/storage-ring system was theoretically studied and computationally designed, and the electrostatic vacuum tandem accelerator at BINP was demonstrated for its potential in active interrogation of explosives and special nuclear materials.

  10. Functional interrogation of non-coding DNA through CRISPR genome editing

    PubMed Central

    Canver, Matthew C.; Bauer, Daniel E.; Orkin, Stuart H.

    2017-01-01

    Methodologies to interrogate non-coding regions have lagged behind coding regions despite comprising the vast majority of the genome. However, the rapid evolution of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based genome editing has provided a multitude of novel techniques for laboratory investigation including significant contributions to the toolbox for studying non-coding DNA. CRISPR-mediated loss-of-function strategies rely on direct disruption of the underlying sequence or repression of transcription without modifying the targeted DNA sequence. CRISPR-mediated gain-of-function approaches similarly benefit from methods to alter the targeted sequence through integration of customized sequence into the genome as well as methods to activate transcription. Here we review CRISPR-based loss- and gain-of-function techniques for the interrogation of non-coding DNA. PMID:28288828

  11. [Research on symmetrical optical waveguide based surface plasmon resonance sensing with spectral interrogation].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yi-long; Liu, Le; Guo, Jun; Zhang, Peng-fei; Guo, Ji-hua; Ma, Hui; He, Yong-hong

    2015-02-01

    Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors with spectral interrogation can adopt fiber to transmit light signals, thus leaving the sensing part separated, which is very convenient for miniaturization, remote-sensing and on-site analysis. Symmetrical optical waveguide (SOW) SPR has the same refractive index of the-two buffer media layers adjacent to the metal film, resulting in longer propagation distance, deeper penetration depth and better performance compared to conventional SPR In the present paper, we developed a symmetrical optical, waveguide (SOW) SPR sensor with wavelength interrogation. In the system, MgF2-Au-MgF2 film was used as SOW module for glucose sensing, and a fiber based light source and detection was used in the spectral interrogation. In the experiment, a refractive index resolution of 2.8 x 10(-7) RIU in fluid protocol was acquired. This technique provides advantages of high resolution and could have potential use in compact design, on-site analysis and remote sensing.

  12. Ortho-Babinet polarization-interrogating filter: an interferometric approach to polarization measurement.

    PubMed

    Van Delden, Jay S

    2003-07-15

    A novel, interferometric, polarization-interrogating filter assembly and method for the simultaneous measurement of all four Stokes parameters across a partially polarized irradiance image in a no-moving-parts, instantaneous, highly sensitive manner is described. In the reported embodiment of the filter, two spatially varying linear retarders and a linear polarizer comprise an ortho-Babinet, polarization-interrogating (OBPI) filter. The OBPI filter uniquely encodes the incident ensemble of electromagnetic wave fronts comprising a partially polarized irradiance image in a controlled, deterministic, spatially varying manner to map the complete state of polarization across the image to local variations in a superposed interference pattern. Experimental interferograms are reported along with a numerical simulation of the method.

  13. Design challenges of a tunable laser interrogator for geo-stationary communication satellites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Selwan K.; Honniball, Arthur; McCue, Raymond; Todd, Michael; O'Dowd, John A.; Sheils, David; Voudouris, Liberis; Farnan, Martin; Hurni, Andreas; Putzer, Philipp; Lemke, Norbert; Roner, Markus

    2017-09-01

    Recently optical sensing solutions based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technology have been proposed for temperature monitoring in telecommunication satellite platforms with an operational life time beyond 15 years in geo-stationary orbit. Developing radiation hardened optical interrogators designed to be used with FBG sensors inscribed in radiation tolerant fibers offer the capabilities of multiplexing multiple sensors on the same fiber and reducing the overall weight by removing the copper wiring harnesses associated with electrical sensors. Here we propose the use of a tunable laser based optical interrogator that uses a semiconductor MG-Y type laser that has no moving parts and sweeps across the C-band wavelength range providing optical power to FBG sensors and optical wavelength references such as athermal Etalons and Gas Cells to guarantee stable operation of the interrogator over its targeted life time in radiation exposed environments. The MG-Y laser was calibrated so it remains in a stable operation mode which ensures that no mode hops occur due to aging of the laser, and/or thermal or radiation effects. The key optical components including tunable laser, references and FBGs were tested for radiation tolerances by emulating the conditions on a geo-stationary satellite including a Total Ionizing Dose (TID) radiation level of up to 100 krad for interrogator components and 25 Mrad for FBGs. Different tunable laser control, and signal processing algorithms have been designed and developed to fit within specific available radiation hardened FPGAs to guarantee operation of a single interrogator module providing at least 1 sample per second measurement capability across <20 sensors connected to two separate optical channels. In order to achieve the required temperature specifications of +/-0.5°C across a temperature range of -20°C to +65°C using femtosecond inscribed FBGs (fs-FBG), a polarization switch is used to mitigate for the polarization dependent

  14. Interrogating Your Wisdom of Practice to Improve Classroom Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chappell, Philip

    2017-01-01

    This article presents a heuristic for language teachers to articulate and explore their fundamental theories of and philosophical stances towards language, language learning, and language teaching. It includes tools with which teachers can interrogate those theories, weighing them up against their actual classroom practices. Through presenting…

  15. Ask Systems: Interrogative Access to Multiple Ways of Thinking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jonassen, David H.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to familiarize instructional designers and researchers with a useful design and research paradigm known as "Ask Systems." Ask Systems are interrogative interfaces to information and learning environments that model conversations with a skilled, reflective practitioner (Schon, The reflective practitioner, "1983") or…

  16. Interrogating scarcity: how to think about 'resource-scarce settings'.

    PubMed

    Schrecker, Ted

    2013-07-01

    The idea of resource scarcity permeates health ethics and health policy analysis in various contexts. However, health ethics inquiry seldom asks-as it should-why some settings are 'resource-scarce' and others not. In this article I describe interrogating scarcity as a strategy for inquiry into questions of resource allocation within a single political jurisdiction and, in particular, as an approach to the issue of global health justice in an interconnected world. I demonstrate its relevance to the situation of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with brief descriptions of four elements of contemporary globalization: trade agreements; the worldwide financial marketplace and capital flight; structural adjustment; imperial geopolitics and foreign policy. This demonstration involves not only health care, but also social determinants of health. Finally, I argue that interrogating scarcity provides the basis for a new, critical approach to health policy at the interface of ethics and the social sciences, with specific reference to market fundamentalism as the value system underlying contemporary globalization.

  17. Active-Interrogation Measurements of Fast Neutrons from Induced Fission in Low-Enriched Uranium

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J. L. Dolan; M. J. Marcath; M. Flaska

    2014-02-01

    A detection system was designed with MCNPX-PoliMi to measure induced-fission neutrons from U-235 and U-238 using active interrogation. Measurements were then performed with this system at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, Italy on low-enriched uranium samples. Liquid scintillators measured induced fission neutron to characterize the samples in terms of their uranium mass and enrichment. Results are presented to investigate and support the use of organic liquid scintillators with active interrogation techniques to characterize uranium containing materials.

  18. Predicting the development of interrogative forms and functions in early years: a corpus-based study of Mandarin-speaking young children.

    PubMed

    Li, Hui; Jing, Mengguo; Wong, Eileen Chin Mei

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the development of and possible predictors of interrogative forms and functions in early childhood Mandarin. All the interrogatives drawn from the Early Child Mandarin Corpus (168 children 2;6, 3;6, 4;6, and 5;6) were analyzed. The main results indicated that (i) there were significant age effects in interrogative forms and functions, with the periods between the ages of 3;6 and 4;6 and between the ages of 2;6 and 3;6 being critical in the early acquisition of interrogative forms and functions, respectively; (ii) the form-function preference was verified, with wh-questions being primarily used to seek information (RfI), and intonation/echo and rhetorical questions being used to request action (RfA); (iii) more than half (59·5%) of the Mandarin interrogatives were used for RfI, whereas only 38·9% of them were used for RfA; and (iv) age, TV viewing time, and parent-child conversation time were the significant predictors of interrogative development.

  19. Predicting the Development of Interrogative Forms and Functions in Early Years: A Corpus-Based Study of Mandarin-Speaking Young Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Hui; Jing, Mengguo; Wong, Eileen Chin Mei

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the development of and possible predictors of interrogative forms and functions in early childhood Mandarin. All the interrogatives drawn from the Early Child Mandarin Corpus (168 children 2;6, 3;6, 4;6, and 5;6) were analyzed. The main results indicated that (i) there were significant age effects in interrogative forms and…

  20. Programed asynchronous serial data interrogation in a two-computer system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schneberger, N. A.

    1975-01-01

    Technique permits redundant computers, with one unit in control mode and one in MONITOR mode, to interrogate the same serial data source. Its use for program-controlled serial data transfer results in extremely simple hardware and software mechanization.

  1. Magnetic Field Response Measurement Acquisition System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodward, Stanley E. (Inventor); Taylor, Bryant D. (Inventor)

    2007-01-01

    Magnetic field response sensors designed as passive inductor- capacit or circuits produce magnetic field responses whose harmonic frequenci es correspond to states of physical properties for which the sensors measure. Power to the sensing element is acquired using Faraday induc tion. A radio frequency antenna produces the time varying magnetic fi eld used for powering the sensor, as well as receiving the magnetic field response of the sensor. An interrogation architecture for disce rning changes in sensor's response frequency, resistance and amplitud e is integral to the method thus enabling a variety of measurements. Multiple sensors can be interrogated using this method, thus eliminat ing the need to have a data acquisition channel dedicated to each se nsor. The method does not require the sensors to be in proximity to a ny form of acquisition hardware. A vast array of sensors can be used as interchangeable parts in an overall sensing system.

  2. Metabolic interrogation as a tool to optimize chemotherapeutic regimens.

    PubMed

    Sandulache, Vlad C; Chen, Yunyun; Feng, Lei; William, William N; Skinner, Heath D; Myers, Jeffrey N; Meyn, Raymond E; Li, Jinzhong; Mijiti, Ainiwaer; Bankson, James A; Fuller, Clifton D; Konopleva, Marina Y; Lai, Stephen Y

    2017-03-14

    Platinum-based (Pt) chemotherapy is broadly utilized in the treatment of cancer. Development of more effective, personalized treatment strategies require identification of novel biomarkers of treatment response. Since Pt compounds are inactivated through cellular metabolic activity, we hypothesized that metabolic interrogation can predict the effectiveness of Pt chemotherapy in a pre-clinical model of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).We tested the effects of cisplatin (CDDP) and carboplatin (CBP) on DNA damage, activation of cellular death cascades and tumor cell metabolism, specifically lactate production. Pt compounds induced an acute dose-dependent, transient drop in lactate generation in vitro, which correlated with effects on DNA damage and cell death. Neutralization of free radical stress abrogated these effects. The magnitude of this effect on lactate production correlated with the differential sensitivity of HNSCC cells to Pt compounds (CDDP vs CBP) and p53-driven Pt chemotherapy resistance. Using dual flank xenograft tumors, we demonstrated that Pt-driven effects on lactate levels correlate with effects on tumor growth delay in a dose-dependent manner and that lactate levels can define the temporal profile of Pt chemotherapy-induced metabolic stress. Lactate interrogation also predicted doxorubicin effects on cell death in both solid tumor (HNSCC) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cell lines.Real-time metabolic interrogation of acute changes in cell and tumor lactate levels reflects chemotherapy effects on DNA damage, cell death and tumor growth delay. We have identified a real-time biomarker of chemotherapy effectiveness which can be used to develop adaptive, iterative and personalized treatment regimens against a variety of solid and hematopoietic malignancies.

  3. Metabolic interrogation as a tool to optimize chemotherapeutic regimens

    PubMed Central

    Feng, Lei; William, William N.; Skinner, Heath D.; Myers, Jeffrey N.; Meyn, Raymond E.; Li, Jinzhong; Mijiti, Ainiwaer; Bankson, James A.; Fuller, Clifton D.; Konopleva, Marina Y.; Lai, Stephen Y.

    2017-01-01

    Platinum-based (Pt) chemotherapy is broadly utilized in the treatment of cancer. Development of more effective, personalized treatment strategies require identification of novel biomarkers of treatment response. Since Pt compounds are inactivated through cellular metabolic activity, we hypothesized that metabolic interrogation can predict the effectiveness of Pt chemotherapy in a pre-clinical model of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We tested the effects of cisplatin (CDDP) and carboplatin (CBP) on DNA damage, activation of cellular death cascades and tumor cell metabolism, specifically lactate production. Pt compounds induced an acute dose-dependent, transient drop in lactate generation in vitro, which correlated with effects on DNA damage and cell death. Neutralization of free radical stress abrogated these effects. The magnitude of this effect on lactate production correlated with the differential sensitivity of HNSCC cells to Pt compounds (CDDP vs CBP) and p53-driven Pt chemotherapy resistance. Using dual flank xenograft tumors, we demonstrated that Pt-driven effects on lactate levels correlate with effects on tumor growth delay in a dose-dependent manner and that lactate levels can define the temporal profile of Pt chemotherapy-induced metabolic stress. Lactate interrogation also predicted doxorubicin effects on cell death in both solid tumor (HNSCC) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cell lines. Real-time metabolic interrogation of acute changes in cell and tumor lactate levels reflects chemotherapy effects on DNA damage, cell death and tumor growth delay. We have identified a real-time biomarker of chemotherapy effectiveness which can be used to develop adaptive, iterative and personalized treatment regimens against a variety of solid and hematopoietic malignancies. PMID:28184025

  4. Assumption-aware tools and agency; an interrogation of the primary artifacts of the program evaluation and design profession in working with complex evaluands and complex contexts.

    PubMed

    Morrow, Nathan; Nkwake, Apollo M

    2016-12-01

    Like artisans in a professional guild, we evaluators create tools to suit our ever evolving practice. The tools we use as evaluators are the primary artifacts of our profession, reflect our practice and embody an amalgamation of paradigms and assumptions. With the increasing shifts in evaluation purposes from judging program worth to understanding how programs work, the evaluator's role is changing to that of facilitating stakeholders in a learning process. This involves clarifying purposes and choices, as well as unearthing critical assumptions. In such a role, evaluators become major tool-users and begin to innovate with small refinements or produce completely new tools to fit a specific challenge or context. We interrogate the form and function of 12 tools used by evaluators when working with complex evaluands and complex contexts. The form is described in terms of traditional qualitative techniques and particular characteristics of the elements, use and presentation of each tool. Then the function of each tool is analyzed with respect to articulating assumptions and affecting the agency of evaluators and stakeholders in complex contexts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogators on chip: challenges and opportunities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marin, Yisbel; Nannipieri, Tiziano; Oton, Claudio J.; Di Pasquale, Fabrizio

    2017-04-01

    In this paper we present an overview of the current efforts towards integration of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor interrogators. Different photonic integration platforms will be discussed, including monolithic planar lightwave circuit technology, silicon on insulator (SOI), indium phosphide (InP) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) material platforms. Also various possible techniques for wavelength metering and methods for FBG multiplexing will be discussed and compared in terms of resolution, dynamic performance, multiplexing capabilities and reliability. The use of linear filters, array waveguide gratings (AWG) as multiple linear filters and AWG based centroid signal processing techniques will be addressed as well as interrogation techniques based on tunable micro-ring resonators and Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZI) for phase sensitive detection. The paper will also discuss the challenges and perspectives of photonic integration to address the increasing requirements of several industrial applications.

  6. Achievable Performance and Effective Interrogator Design for SAW RFID Sensor Tags

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barton Richard J.

    2012-01-01

    For many NASA missions, remote sensing is a critical application that supports activities such as environmental monitoring, planetary science, structural shape and health monitoring, non-destructive evaluation, etc. The utility of the remote sensing devices themselves is greatly increased if they are passive V that is, they do not require any on-board power supply such as batteries V and if they can be identified uniquely during the sensor interrogation process. Additional passive sensor characteristics that enable greater utilization in space applications are small size and weight, long read ranges with low interrogator power, ruggedness, and operability in extreme environments (vacuum, extreme high/low temperature, high radiation, etc.) In this paper, we consider one very promising passive sensor technology, called surface acoustic wave (SAW) radio-frequency identification (RFID), that satisfies all of these criteria. In general, RFID is a method of identifying items using radio waves to interrogate tags encoded with a unique identifier that are affixed to the items of interest. In the case of passive tags, only the interrogator, which transmits power to the tags in the form of radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation, requires access to a power supply. Passive RFID technologies are used today in many applications, including asset tracking and management, security and access control, and remote sensing. To date, most of the development and application in RFID technology has focused on either asset/inventory tracking and control or security and access control because these are the largest commercial application areas. Recently however, there has been growing interest in using passive RFID technology for remote sensing applications, and SAW devices are at the forefront of RFID sensing technology development. Although SAW RFID tags have great potential for use in numerous space-based remote sensing applications, the limited collision resolution capability of

  7. Characterization of FBG sensor interrogation based on a FDML wavelength swept laser

    PubMed Central

    Jung, Eun Joo; Kim, Chang-Seok; Jeong, Myung Yung; Kim, Moon Ki; Jeon, Min Yong; Jung, Woonggyu; Chen, Zhongping

    2012-01-01

    In this study, we develop an ultra-fast fiber Bragg grating sensor system that is based on the Fourier domain mode-locked (FDML) swept laser. A FDML wavelength swept laser has many advantages compared to the conventional wavelength swept laser source, such as high-speed interrogation, narrow spectral sensitivity, and high phase stability. The newly developed FDML wavelength swept laser shows a superior performance of a high scan rate of 31.3 kHz and a broad scan range of over 70 nm simultaneously. The performance of the grating sensor interrogating system using a FDML wavelength swept laser is characterized in both static and dynamic strain responses. PMID:18852764

  8. Active damage interrogation system for structural health monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lichtenwalner, Peter F.; Dunne, James P.; Becker, Ronald S.; Baumann, Erwin W.

    1997-05-01

    An integrated and automated smart structures approach for in situ damage assessment has been implemented and evaluated in a laboratory environment for health monitoring of a realistic aerospace structural component. This approach, called Active Damage Interrogation (ADI), utilizes an array of piezoelectric transducers attached to or embedded within the structure for both actuation and sensing. The ADI system, which is model independent, actively interrogates the structure through broadband excitation of multiple actuators across the desired frequency range. Statistical analysis of the changes in transfer functions between actuator/sensor pairs is used to detect, localize, and assess the severity of damage in the structure. This paper presents the overall concept of the ADI system and provides experimental results of damage assessment studies conducted for a composite structural component of the MD-900 Explorer helicopter rotor system. The potential advantages of this approach include simplicity (no need for a model), sensitivity, and low cost implementation. The results obtained thus far indicate considerably promise for integrated structural health monitoring of aerospace vehicles, leading to the practice of condition-based maintenance and consequent reduction in life cycle costs.

  9. Strengthening the Signature Pedagogy of Social Work: Conceptualizing Field Coordination as a Negotiated Social Work Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asakura, Kenta; Todd, Sarah; Eagle, Brooke; Morris, Brenda

    2018-01-01

    Although field education is considered the signature pedagogy of social work, the work of field coordinators appear to remain peripheral to other aspects of social work education, such as coursework and research. In this article, we suggest that field coordination requires a far more complex set of knowledge and skills than merely matching…

  10. Radio-frequency unbalanced M-Z interferometer for wavelength interrogation of fiber Bragg grating sensors.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Jiaao; Xia, Li; Cheng, Rui; Wen, Yongqiang; Rohollahnejad, Jalal

    2016-01-15

    The optical unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer (UMZI) has attracted significant interests for interrogation of FBG sensors owing to its excellent advantages in sensitivity, resolution, and demodulation speed. But this method is still limited to dynamic measurements due to its poor stability and reliability when used for quasi-static detections. Here, we propose for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, a radio-frequency unbalanced M-Z interferometer (RF-UMZI) for interrogation of FBG sensors, which, owing to its operation in an incoherent rather than a coherent regime, provides an ideal solution for the existing stability problem of the conventional UMZI, with remarkable features of adjustable resolution and potentially extremely high sensitivity. A dispersion compensation fiber (DCF) and single-mode fiber (SMF) with a small length difference are served as the two unbalanced arms of the RF interferometer. The induced differential chromatic dispersion transfers the wavelength shift of the FBG to the change of the RF phase difference between the two interferometric carriers, which ultimately leads to the variation of the RF signal intensity. An interrogation of a strain-turned FBG was accomplished and a maximum sensitivity of 0.00835  a.u./με was obtained, which can easily be further improved by more than two orders of magnitude through various fiber dispersion components. Finally, the stability of the interrogation was tested.

  11. Intelligence, previous convictions and interrogative suggestibility: a path analysis of alleged false-confession cases.

    PubMed

    Sharrock, R; Gudjonsson, G H

    1993-05-01

    The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between interrogative suggestibility and previous convictions among 108 defendants in criminal trials, using a path analysis technique. It was hypothesized that previous convictions, which may provide defendants with interrogative experiences, would correlate negatively with 'shift' as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (Gudjonsson, 1984a), after intelligence and memory had been controlled for. The hypothesis was partially confirmed and the theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

  12. Active Proton Interrogation for Homeland Security

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Greene, Steven; Morris, Christopher; Canavan, Gregory; Chung, Kiwhan; Elson, Jay; Hogan, Gary; Makela, Mark; Mariam, Fesseha; Murray, Matthew; Saunders, Alexander; Spaulding, Randy; Wang, Zhehui; Waters, Laurie; Wysocki, Frederick

    2010-02-01

    Energetic proton beams may provide an attractive technology for active interrogation of nuclear threats because: they have large fission cross sections, long mean free paths and high penetration, and proton beams can be manipulated with magnetic optics. We have measured time-dependent cross sections for delayed neutrons and gamma rays using 800 MeV protons from the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and 4 GeV protons from the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron for a set of bare and shielded targets. The results show significant signals from both unshielded and shielded nuclear materials. Results will be presented. )

  13. Can You Believe It? 12-Month-Olds Use Word Order to Distinguish between Declaratives and Polar Interrogatives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geffen, Susan; Mintz, Toben H.

    2015-01-01

    Word order is a core mechanism for conveying syntactic structure, yet interrogatives usually disrupt canonical word orders. For example, in English, polar interrogatives typically invert the subject and auxiliary verb and insert an utterance-initial "do" if no auxiliary is present. These word order patterns result from differences in the…

  14. Long fiber Bragg grating sensor interrogation using discrete-time microwave photonic filtering techniques.

    PubMed

    Ricchiuti, Amelia Lavinia; Barrera, David; Sales, Salvador; Thevenaz, Luc; Capmany, José

    2013-11-18

    A novel technique for interrogating photonic sensors based on long fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) is presented and experimentally demonstrated, dedicated to detect the presence and the precise location of several spot events. The principle of operation is based on a technique used to analyze microwave photonics (MWP) filters. The long FBGs are used as quasi-distributed sensors. Several hot-spots can be detected along the FBG with a spatial accuracy under 0.5 mm using a modulator and a photo-detector (PD) with a modest bandwidth of less than 1 GHz. The proposed interrogation system is intrinsically robust against environmental changes.

  15. Perioperative Interrogation of St. Jude Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices: A Guide for Anesthesiologists.

    PubMed

    Cronin, Brett; Essandoh, Michael K

    2018-04-01

    Feelings of trepidation or uncertainty regarding cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) in the perioperative period can often be mitigated by a thorough knowledge of societal recommendations, recommended management options, and familiarity with CIEDs. Given that effective interpretation of an interrogation report is vital to determining perioperative management options and applying societal recommendations, the creation and interpretation of St. Jude CIED interrogation reports are discussed. In an effort to increase the familiarity with St. Jude transvenous CIEDs amongst anesthesiologists, basic programming of a St. Jude pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) also are described. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  16. The ethics of interrogation and the American Psychological Association: a critique of policy and process.

    PubMed

    Olson, Brad; Soldz, Stephen; Davis, Martha

    2008-01-29

    The Psychological Ethics and National Security (PENS) task force was assembled by the American Psychological Association (APA) to guide policy on the role of psychologists in interrogations at foreign detention centers for the purpose of U.S. national security. The task force met briefly in 2005, and its report was quickly accepted by the APA Board of Directors and deemed consistent with the APA Ethics Code by the APA Ethics Committee. This rapid acceptance was unusual for a number of reasons but primarily because of the APA's long-standing tradition of taking great care in developing ethical policies that protected anyone who might be impacted by the work of psychologists. Many psychological and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as reputable journalists, believed the risk of harm associated with psychologist participation in interrogations at these detention centers was not adequately addressed by the report. The present critique analyzes the assumptions of the PENS report and its interpretations of the APA Ethics Code. We demonstrate that it presents only one (and not particularly representative) side of a complex set of ethical issues. We conclude with a discussion of more appropriate psychological contributions to national security and world peace that better respect and preserve human rights.

  17. The ethics of interrogation and the American Psychological Association: A critique of policy and process

    PubMed Central

    Olson, Brad; Soldz, Stephen; Davis, Martha

    2008-01-01

    The Psychological Ethics and National Security (PENS) task force was assembled by the American Psychological Association (APA) to guide policy on the role of psychologists in interrogations at foreign detention centers for the purpose of U.S. national security. The task force met briefly in 2005, and its report was quickly accepted by the APA Board of Directors and deemed consistent with the APA Ethics Code by the APA Ethics Committee. This rapid acceptance was unusual for a number of reasons but primarily because of the APA's long-standing tradition of taking great care in developing ethical policies that protected anyone who might be impacted by the work of psychologists. Many psychological and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as reputable journalists, believed the risk of harm associated with psychologist participation in interrogations at these detention centers was not adequately addressed by the report. The present critique analyzes the assumptions of the PENS report and its interpretations of the APA Ethics Code. We demonstrate that it presents only one (and not particularly representative) side of a complex set of ethical issues. We conclude with a discussion of more appropriate psychological contributions to national security and world peace that better respect and preserve human rights. PMID:18230171

  18. Interrogating Institutionalized Establishments: Urban-Rural Inequalities in China's Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Mei; Yang, Rui

    2013-01-01

    China's urban-rural disparities are a fundamental source of China's overall educational inequalities. This article addresses the issue with data collected through interviews with members at various Chinese higher education institutions. It interrogates China's current policies together with the socio-political institutional arrangements that…

  19. Optimal sensor placement for active guided wave interrogation of complex metallic components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coelho, Clyde K.; Kim, Seung Bum; Chattopadhyay, Aditi

    2011-04-01

    With research in structural health monitoring (SHM) moving towards increasingly complex structures for damage interrogation, the placement of sensors is becoming a key issue in the performance of the damage detection methodologies. For ultrasonic wave based approaches, this is especially important because of the sensitivity of the travelling Lamb waves to material properties, geometry and boundary conditions that may obscure the presence of damage if they are not taken into account during sensor placement. The framework proposed in this paper defines a sensing region for a pair of piezoelectric transducers in a pitch-catch damage detection approach by taking into account the material attenuation and probability of false alarm. Using information about the region interrogated by a sensoractuator pair, a simulated annealing optimization framework was implemented in order to place sensors on complex metallic geometries such that a selected minimum damage type and size could be detected with an acceptable probability of false alarm anywhere on the structure. This approach was demonstrated on a lug joint to detect a crack and on a large Naval SHM test bed and resulted in a placement of sensors that was able to interrogate all parts of the structure using the minimum number of transducers.

  20. Work in the Lives of Social Work Clients: Perspectives of Field Instructors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Root, Lawrence S.; Choi, Y. Joon

    2011-01-01

    Although employment is central to the lives of social work clients, it is seldom a focus in social work education. The authors conducted a survey of field instructors in a large MSW program to assess the importance of work-related issues in the lives of those they serve in their social service agencies. This experienced group of practitioners…

  1. Investigation of active interrogation techniques to detect special nuclear material in maritime environments: Boarded search of a cargo container ship

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grogan, Brandon R.; Henkel, James J.; Johnson, Jeffrey O.; Mihalczo, John T.; Miller, Thomas M.; Patton, Bruce W.

    2013-12-01

    The detonation of a terrorist nuclear weapon in the United States would result in the massive loss of life and grave economic damage. Even if a device was not detonated, its known or suspected presence aboard a cargo container ship in a U.S. port would have major economic and political consequences. One possible means to prevent this threat would be to board a ship at sea and search for the device before it reaches port. The scenario considered here involves a small Coast Guard team with strong intelligence boarding a container ship to search for a nuclear device. Using active interrogation, the team would nonintrusively search a block of shipping containers to locate the fissile material. Potential interrogation source and detector technologies for the team are discussed. The methodology of the scan is presented along with a technique for calculating the required interrogation source strength using computer simulations. MCNPX was used to construct a computer model of a container ship, and several search scenarios were simulated. The results of the simulations are presented in terms of the source strength required for each interrogation scenario. Validation measurements were performed in order to scale these simulation results to expected performance. Interrogations through the short (2.4 m) axis of a standardized shipping container appear to be feasible given the entire range of container loadings tested. Interrogations through several containers at once or a single container through its long (12.2 m) axis do not appear to be viable with a portable interrogation system.

  2. Testimony and Interrogation of Minors: Assumptions about Maturity and Morality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owen-Kostelnik, Jessica; Reppucci, N. Dickon; Meyer, Jessica R.

    2006-01-01

    This article examines the legal histories and social contexts of testimony and interrogation involving minors, developmental research on suggestibility and judgment, interactions between development and legal/sociological contexts, and the reasoning behind how minors are treated in different legal contexts. The authors argue (a) that young…

  3. Interrogating scarcity: how to think about ‘resource-scarce settings’

    PubMed Central

    Schrecker, Ted

    2013-01-01

    The idea of resource scarcity permeates health ethics and health policy analysis in various contexts. However, health ethics inquiry seldom asks—as it should—why some settings are ‘resource-scarce’ and others not. In this article I describe interrogating scarcity as a strategy for inquiry into questions of resource allocation within a single political jurisdiction and, in particular, as an approach to the issue of global health justice in an interconnected world. I demonstrate its relevance to the situation of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with brief descriptions of four elements of contemporary globalization: trade agreements; the worldwide financial marketplace and capital flight; structural adjustment; imperial geopolitics and foreign policy. This demonstration involves not only health care, but also social determinants of health. Finally, I argue that interrogating scarcity provides the basis for a new, critical approach to health policy at the interface of ethics and the social sciences, with specific reference to market fundamentalism as the value system underlying contemporary globalization. PMID:22899597

  4. Active Interrogation of Depleted Uranium Using a Single Pulse, High-Intensity Photon and Mixed Photon-Neutron Source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clemett, Ceri D.; Martin, Philip N.; Hill, Cassie; Threadgold, James R.; Maddock, Robert C.; Campbell, Ben; O'Malley, John; Woolf, Richard S.; Phlips, Bernard F.; Hutcheson, Anthony L.; Wulf, Eric A.; Zier, Jacob C.; Jackson, Stuart L.; Commisso, Robert J.; Schumer, Joseph W.

    2015-04-01

    Active interrogation is a method used to enhance the likelihood of detection of shielded special nuclear material (SNM); an external source of radiation is used to interrogate a target and to stimulate fission within any SNM present. Radiation produced by the fission process can be detected and used to infer the presence of the SNM. The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have carried out a joint experimental study into the use of single pulse, high-intensity sources of bremsstrahlung x-rays and D(γb, n)H photoneutrons in an active interrogation system. The source was operated in both x-ray-only and mixed x-ray/photoneutron modes, and was used to irradiate a depleted uranium (DU) target which was enclosed by up to 150 g·cm - 2 of steel shielding. Resulting radiation signatures were measured by a suite of over 80 detectors and the data used to characterise detectable fission signatures as a function of the areal mass of the shielding. This paper describes the work carried out and discusses data collected with 3He proportional counters, NaI(Tl) scintillators and Eljen EJ-309 liquid scintillators. Results with the x-ray-only source demonstrate detection ( > 3\\sigmab) of the DU target through a minimum of 113 g·cm - 2 of steel, dropping to 85 g·cm- 2 when using a mixed x-ray/photoneutron source. The 3He proportional counters demonstrate detection ( > 3\\sigmab) of the DU target through the maximum 149. 7 g·cm - 2 steel shielding deployed for both photon and mixed x-ray/photoneutron sources.

  5. Supervisor Attachment, Supervisory Working Alliance, and Affect in Social Work Field Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bennett, Susanne; Mohr, Jonathan; Deal, Kathleen Holtz; Hwang, Jeongha

    2013-01-01

    Objective: This study focused on interrelationships among supervisor attachment, supervisory working alliance, and supervision-related affect, plus the moderating effect of a field instructor training. Method: The researchers employed a pretest-posttest follow-up design of 100 randomly assigned field instructors and 64 students in two…

  6. Spectral Doppler interrogation of the patent foramen ovale-a window to left heart hemodynamics.

    PubMed

    Fadel, Bahaa M; Husain, Aysha; Bakarman, Hatem; Dahdouh, Ziad; Salvo, Giovanni Di; Mohty, Dania

    2015-02-01

    Spectral Doppler interrogation of flow across a patent foramen ovale (PFO) allows recording of the instantaneous pressure gradient between left and right atrium (RA). The assessment of RA pressure using the size and collapsibility of the inferior vena cava would thus allow estimation of left atrial (LA) pressure. In this article, we illustrate the value of spectral Doppler interrogation of flow across the PFO by transthoracic echocardiography as a novel and simple tool for the assessment of LA pressure and left cardiac hemodynamics in addition to the conventional noninvasive parameters. © 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Simulation Of A Photofission-Based Cargo Interrogation System

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    King, Michael; Gozani, Tsahi; Stevenson, John

    A comprehensive model has been developed to characterize and optimize the detection of Bremsstrahlung x-ray induced fission signatures from nuclear materials hidden in cargo containers. An effective active interrogation system should not only induce a large number of fission events but also efficiently detect their signatures. The proposed scanning system utilizes a 9-MV commercially available linear accelerator and the detection of strong fission signals i.e. delayed gamma rays and prompt neutrons. Because the scanning system is complex and the cargo containers are large and often highly attenuating, the simulation method segments the model into several physical steps, representing each changemore » of radiation particle. Each approximation is carried-out separately, resulting in a major reduction in computational time and a significant improvement in tally statistics. The model investigates the effect on the fission rate and detection rate by various cargo types, densities and distributions. Hydrogenous and metallic cargos, homogeneous and heterogeneous, as well as various locations of the nuclear material inside the cargo container were studied. We will show that for the photofission-based interrogation system simulation, the final results are not only in good agreement with a full, single-step simulation but also with experimental results, further validating the full-system simulation.« less

  8. Theory and Performance of AIMS for Active Interrogation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walters, William J.; Royston, Katherine E. K.; Haghighat, Alireza

    2014-06-01

    A hybrid Monte Carlo and deterministic methodology has been developed for application to active interrogation systems. The methodology consists of four steps: i) determination of neutron flux distribution due to neutron source transport and subcritical multiplication; ii) generation of gamma source distribution from (n, γ) interactions; iii) determination of gamma current at a detector window; iv) detection of gammas by the detector. This paper discusses the theory and results of the first three steps for the case of a cargo container with a sphere of HEU in third-density water. In the first step, a response-function formulation has been developed to calculate the subcritical multiplication and neutron flux distribution. Response coefficients are pre-calculated using the MCNP5 Monte Carlo code. The second step uses the calculated neutron flux distribution and Bugle-96 (n, γ) cross sections to find the resulting gamma source distribution. Finally, in the third step the gamma source distribution is coupled with a pre-calculated adjoint function to determine the gamma flux at a detector window. A code, AIMS (Active Interrogation for Monitoring Special-Nuclear-materials), has been written to output the gamma current for an source-detector assembly scanning across the cargo using the pre-calculated values and takes significantly less time than a reference MCNP5 calculation.

  9. Demonstration of an ultrasensitive refractive-index plasmonic sensor by enabling its quadrupole resonance in phase interrogation.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hsin-Cheng; Li, Chung-Tien; Chen, How-Foo; Yen, Ta-Jen

    2015-11-15

    We present an ultrasensitive plasmonic sensing system by introducing a nanostructured X-shaped plasmonic sensor (XPS) and measuring its localized optical properties in phase interrogation. Our tailored XPS exhibits two major resonant modes of a low-order dipole and a high-order quadrupole, between which the quadrupole resonance allows an ultrahigh sensitivity, due to its higher quality factor. Furthermore, we design an in-house common-path phase-interrogation system, in contrast to conventional wavelength-interrogation methods, to achieve greater sensing capability. The experimental measurement shows that the sensing resolution of the XPS reaches 1.15×10(-6) RIU, not only two orders of magnitude greater than the result of the controlled extinction measurement (i.e., 9.90×10(-5) RIU), but also superior than current reported plasmonic sensors.

  10. Knowingly but naively: The overpowering influence of innocence on interrogation rights decision-making.

    PubMed

    Scherr, Kyle C; Normile, Christopher J; Bierstetel, Sabrina J; Franks, Andrew S; Hawkins, Ian

    2018-02-01

    Most suspects waive the guaranteed protections that interrogation rights afford them against police intimidation. One factor thought to motivate suspects' inclination to waive their rights stems from the acquiescence bias whereby suspects mindlessly comply with interrogators' requests. However, research bearing on the phenomenology of innocence has demonstrated the power of innocents' mindset, which could motivate some innocent suspects to waive their rights knowingly (instead of mindlessly complying). To test these ideas, participants (N = 178) were (a) rightfully (guilty) or wrongfully (innocent) accused of wrongdoing during an experimental session, (b) administered 1 of 2 forms that by signing either waived or invoked their rights to a student advocate, and (c) given questions to assess their degree of knowing during the decision-making process (i.e., extent to which individuals were cognizant of their decisions). Results demonstrated that unknowing innocent and guilty individuals tended to passively comply, engaging in a pre-interrogation acquiescence bias by signing waive and invoke forms at similar rates. But, as participants became more cognizant of their decisions, they acquiesced at lower rates and their change from acquiescence differed depending on their status. As innocents became more cognizant, they signed the waiver form at higher rates than the invoke form, thereby demonstrating that innocence can motivate some suspects to knowingly forgo their rights. Conversely, as guilty individuals became more cognizant, they signed the invoke form at higher rates than the waiver form. These findings have implications for reforming pre-interrogation protocols, protecting suspects' civil liberties, and preventing innocents from offering false self-incriminating evidence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. Learning about Posterior Probability: Do Diagrams and Elaborative Interrogation Help?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clinton, Virginia; Alibali, Martha Wagner; Nathan, Mitchel J.

    2016-01-01

    To learn from a text, students must make meaningful connections among related ideas in that text. This study examined the effectiveness of two methods of improving connections--elaborative interrogation and diagrams--in written lessons about posterior probability. Undergraduate students (N = 198) read a lesson in one of three questioning…

  12. Psychologists and detainee interrogations: key decisions, opportunities lost, and lessons learned.

    PubMed

    Pope, Kenneth S

    2011-01-01

    After the 9-11 terrorist attacks, U.S. psychologists faced hard choices about what roles, if any, were appropriate for psychologists in the detainee interrogations conducted in settings such as the Bagram Airbase, the Abu Ghraib Prison, and the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camps. The American Psychological Association (APA) sparked intense controversy with its policies and public statements. This article reviews APA decisions, documents, and public statements in this area, in the context of major criticisms and responses to those criticisms. The review focuses on key issues: how the APA created and reported policies in the areas of ethics and national security; transparency; psychologists' professional identities; psychologists' qualifications; ethical-legal conflicts; policies opposing torture; interpretations of avoiding harm; and effective interrogations. It suggests lessons learned, missed opportunities, and questions in need of a fresh approach. © 2011 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved

  13. Interrogative pressure in simulated forensic interviews: the effects of negative feedback.

    PubMed

    McGroarty, Allan; Baxter, James S

    2007-08-01

    Much experimental research on interrogative pressure has concentrated on the effects of leading questions, and the role of feedback in influencing responses in the absence of leading questions has been neglected by comparison. This study assessed the effect of negative feedback and the presence of a second interviewer on interviewee responding in simulated forensic interviews. Participants viewed a videotape of a crime, answered questions about the clip and were requestioned after receiving feedback. Compared with neutral feedback, negative feedback resulted in more response changes, higher reported state anxiety and higher ratings of interview difficulty. These results are consistent with Gudjonsson and Clark's (1986) model of interrogative suggestibility. The presence and involvement of a second interviewer did not significantly affect interviewee responding, although trait anxiety scores were elevated when a second interviewer was present. The theoretical and applied implications of these findings are considered.

  14. Examining the role of interrogative suggestibility in Miranda rights comprehension in adolescents.

    PubMed

    McLachlan, Kaitlyn; Roesch, Ronald; Douglas, Kevin S

    2011-06-01

    This study aimed to further clarify the association between interrogative suggestibility and Miranda rights comprehension in adolescents; in particular, we examined whether intellectual ability (IQ) serves as a mediator of this relationship. Participants completed Grisso's Miranda Instruments, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, and the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale. Many youth demonstrated poor comprehension of their rights, particularly younger and less intellectually capable adolescents. Both yield and shift components of interrogative suggestibility were inversely related to rights comprehension; however, IQ fully mediated these relationships. Neither demographic variables (gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status after controlling for IQ, and English as a second language (ESL) status) nor previous police experience were significantly associated with rights comprehension in the present sample. The implications of these findings are discussed.

  15. IAU Working Group on Wide-Field Imaging.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MacGillivray, H. T.

    1991-01-01

    Contents: 1. Introduction - The IAU Working Group on Wide-Field Imaging (R. M. West). 2. Reports from the Sub-Sections of the Working Group - a. Sky surveys and patrols (R. M. West). b. Photographic techniques (D. F. Malin). c. Digitization techniques (H. T. MacGillivray). d. Archival and retrieval of wide-field data (B. Lasker). 3. Meeting of the Organising Committee (R. M. West). 4. Wide-field plate archives (M. Tsvetkov). 5. Reproduction of the Palomar Observatory Sky Surveys (R. J. Brucato). 6. Status of the St ScI scan-distribution program (B. Lasker). 7. Pixel addition - pushing Schmidt plates to B = 25 (M. R. S. Hawkins). 8. Photometry from Estar film (S. Phillipps, Q. Parker). 9. ASCHOT - Astrophysical Schmidt Orbital Telescope (H. Lorenz). 10. The Hitchhiker parallel CCD camera (J. Davies, M. Disney, S. Driver, I. Morgan, S. Phillipps).

  16. Neutron Interrogation System For Underwater Threat Detection And Identification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barzilov, Alexander P.; Novikov, Ivan S.; Womble, Phil C.

    2009-03-01

    Wartime and terrorist activities, training and munitions testing, dumping and accidents have generated significant munitions contamination in the coastal and inland waters in the United States and abroad. Although current methods provide information about the existence of the anomaly (for instance, metal objects) in the sea bottom, they fail to identify the nature of the found objects. Field experience indicates that often in excess of 90% of objects excavated during the course of munitions clean up are found to be non-hazardous items (false alarm). The technology to detect and identify waterborne or underwater threats is also vital for protection of critical infrastructures (ports, dams, locks, refineries, and LNG/LPG). We are proposing a compact neutron interrogation system, which will be used to confirm possible threats by determining the chemical composition of the suspicious underwater object. The system consists of an electronic d-T 14-MeV neutron generator, a gamma detector to detect the gamma signal from the irradiated object and a data acquisition system. The detected signal then is analyzed to quantify the chemical elements of interest and to identify explosives or chemical warfare agents.

  17. A Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Interrogation System Based on a Linearly Wavelength-Swept Thermo-Optic Laser Chip

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hyung-Seok; Lee, Hwi Don; Kim, Hyo Jin; Cho, Jae Du; Jeong, Myung Yung; Kim, Chang-Seok

    2014-01-01

    A linearized wavelength-swept thermo-optic laser chip was applied to demonstrate a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor interrogation system. A broad tuning range of 11.8 nm was periodically obtained from the laser chip for a sweep rate of 16 Hz. To measure the linear time response of the reflection signal from the FBG sensor, a programmed driving signal was directly applied to the wavelength-swept laser chip. The linear wavelength response of the applied strain was clearly extracted with an R-squared value of 0.99994. To test the feasibility of the system for dynamic measurements, the dynamic strain was successfully interrogated with a repetition rate of 0.2 Hz by using this FBG sensor interrogation system. PMID:25177803

  18. Age and interviewer behavior as predictors of interrogative suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Dukala, Karolina; Polczyk, Romuald

    2014-05-01

    The main objective was to explore the influence of interviewer behavior-abrupt versus friendly-and the age of participants on interrogative suggestibility. The study involved 42 young adults and 50 elderly participants. The Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 2 was used. Data analysis involved a 2-factor between-subjects design (interviewer behavior × age) and mediation analysis. The scores of elderly participants were significantly lower than younger adults on memory indices and significantly higher on some suggestibility indexes. Some suggestibility indices in the abrupt experimental condition were higher than those in the friendly experimental condition. Elderly participants who were interviewed under the abrupt condition were more likely to change their answers after receiving negative feedback than younger adults. Memory quality was a mediator of the relationship between age and the tendency to yield to suggestive questions. Self-appraisal of memory was a mediator between both age and interviewer behavior and the tendency to change answers after negative feedback. Mechanisms of the relationship between age, interviewer behavior, and suggestibility are discussed on the basis of the mediational analyses. The findings suggest that a friendly manner should be adopted when interrogating witnesses.

  19. Laboratory or Field Tests for Evaluating Firefighters' Work Capacity?

    PubMed Central

    Lindberg, Ann-Sofie; Oksa, Juha; Malm, Christer

    2014-01-01

    Muscle strength is important for firefighters work capacity. Laboratory tests used for measurements of muscle strength, however, are complicated, expensive and time consuming. The aims of the present study were to investigate correlations between physical capacity within commonly occurring and physically demanding firefighting work tasks and both laboratory and field tests in full time (N = 8) and part-time (N = 10) male firefighters and civilian men (N = 8) and women (N = 12), and also to give recommendations as to which field tests might be useful for evaluating firefighters' physical work capacity. Laboratory tests of isokinetic maximal (IM) and endurance (IE) muscle power and dynamic balance, field tests including maximal and endurance muscle performance, and simulated firefighting work tasks were performed. Correlations with work capacity were analyzed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rs). The highest significant (p<0.01) correlations with laboratory and field tests were for Cutting: IE trunk extension (rs = 0.72) and maximal hand grip strength (rs = 0.67), for Stairs: IE shoulder flexion (rs = −0.81) and barbell shoulder press (rs = −0.77), for Pulling: IE shoulder extension (rs = −0.82) and bench press (rs = −0.85), for Demolition: IE knee extension (rs = 0.75) and bench press (rs = 0.83), for Rescue: IE shoulder flexion (rs = −0.83) and bench press (rs = −0.82), and for the Terrain work task: IE trunk flexion (rs = −0.58) and upright barbell row (rs = −0.70). In conclusion, field tests may be used instead of laboratory tests. Maximal hand grip strength, bench press, chin ups, dips, upright barbell row, standing broad jump, and barbell shoulder press were strongly correlated (rs≥0.7) with work capacity and are therefore recommended for evaluating firefighters work capacity. PMID:24614596

  20. Laboratory or field tests for evaluating firefighters' work capacity?

    PubMed

    Lindberg, Ann-Sofie; Oksa, Juha; Malm, Christer

    2014-01-01

    Muscle strength is important for firefighters work capacity. Laboratory tests used for measurements of muscle strength, however, are complicated, expensive and time consuming. The aims of the present study were to investigate correlations between physical capacity within commonly occurring and physically demanding firefighting work tasks and both laboratory and field tests in full time (N = 8) and part-time (N = 10) male firefighters and civilian men (N = 8) and women (N = 12), and also to give recommendations as to which field tests might be useful for evaluating firefighters' physical work capacity. Laboratory tests of isokinetic maximal (IM) and endurance (IE) muscle power and dynamic balance, field tests including maximal and endurance muscle performance, and simulated firefighting work tasks were performed. Correlations with work capacity were analyzed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rs). The highest significant (p<0.01) correlations with laboratory and field tests were for Cutting: IE trunk extension (rs = 0.72) and maximal hand grip strength (rs = 0.67), for Stairs: IE shoulder flexion (rs = -0.81) and barbell shoulder press (rs = -0.77), for Pulling: IE shoulder extension (rs = -0.82) and bench press (rs = -0.85), for Demolition: IE knee extension (rs = 0.75) and bench press (rs = 0.83), for Rescue: IE shoulder flexion (rs = -0.83) and bench press (rs = -0.82), and for the Terrain work task: IE trunk flexion (rs = -0.58) and upright barbell row (rs = -0.70). In conclusion, field tests may be used instead of laboratory tests. Maximal hand grip strength, bench press, chin ups, dips, upright barbell row, standing broad jump, and barbell shoulder press were strongly correlated (rs≥0.7) with work capacity and are therefore recommended for evaluating firefighters work capacity.

  1. Achievable Performance and Effective Interrogator Design for SAW RFID Sensor Tags

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barton, Richard J.

    2011-01-01

    For many NASA missions, remote sensing is a critical application that supports activities such as environmental monitoring, planetary science, structural shape and health monitoring, non-destructive evaluation, etc. The utility of the remote sensing devices themselves is greatly increased if they are passive that is, they do not require any on-board power supply such as batteries and if they can be identified uniquely during the sensor interrogation process. Additional passive sensor characteristics that enable greater utilization in space applications are small size and weight, long read ranges with low interrogator power, ruggedness, and operability in extreme environments (vacuum, extreme high/low temperature, high radiation, etc.) In this paper, we consider one very promising passive sensor technology, called surface acoustic wave (SAW) radio-frequency identification (RFID), that satisfies all of these criteria. Although SAW RFID tags have great potential for use in numerous space-based remote sensing applications, the limited collision resolution capability of current generation tags limits the performance in a cluttered sensing environment. That is, as more SAW-based sensors are added to the environment, numerous tag responses are superimposed at the receiver and decoding all or even a subset of the telemetry becomes increasingly difficult. Background clutter generated by reflectors other than the sensors themselves is also a problem, as is multipath interference and signal distortion, but the limiting factor in many remote sensing applications can be expected to be tag mutual interference. This problem may be greatly mitigated by proper design of the SAW tag waveform, but that remains an open research problem, and in the meantime, several other related questions remain to be answered including: What are the fundamental relationships between tag parameters such as bit-rate, time-bandwidth-product, SNR, and achievable collision resolution? What are the

  2. Prosodic Differences between Declaratives and Interrogatives in Infant-Directed Speech

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geffen, Susan; Mintz, Toben H.

    2017-01-01

    In many languages, declaratives and interrogatives differ in word order properties, and in syntactic organization more broadly. Thus, in order to learn the distinct syntactic properties of the two sentence types, learners must first be able to distinguish them using non-syntactic information. Prosodic information is often assumed to be a useful…

  3. Miniature and low cost fiber Bragg grating interrogator for structural monitoring in nano-satellites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Toet, P. M.; Hagen, R. A. J.; Hakkesteegt, H. C.; Lugtenburg, J.; Maniscalco, M. P.

    2017-11-01

    In this paper we present a newly developed Fiber Optic measurement system, consisting of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors and an FBG interrogator. The development of the measuring system is part of the PiezoElectric Assisted Smart Satellite Structure (PEASSS) project, which was initiated at the beginning of 2013 and is financed by the Seventh Framework Program (FP7) of the European Commission. Within the PEASSS project, a Nano-Satellite is being designed and manufactured to be equipped with new technology that will help keep Europe on the cutting edge of space research, potentially reducing the cost and development time for more accurate future sensor platforms including synthetic aperture optics, moving target detection and identification, and compact radars. After on ground testing the satellite is planned to be launched at the end of 2015. Within the satellite, different technologies will be demonstrated on orbit to show their capabilities for different in-space applications. For our application the FBG interrogator monitors the structural and thermal behaviour of a so called "smart panel". These panels will enable fine angle control and thermal and vibration compensation in order to improve all types of future Earth observations, such as environmental and planetary mapping, border and regional imaging. The Fiber Optic (FO) system in PEASSS includes four FBG strain sensors and two FBG temperature sensors. The 3 channel interrogator has to have a small footprint (110x50x40mm), is low cost, low in mass and has a low power consumption. In order to meet all these requirements, an interrogator has been designed based on a tunable Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) enabling a wavelength sweep of around 7 nm. To guarantee the absolute and relative performance, two reference methods are included internally in the interrogator. First, stabilized reference

  4. Guidelines for calculating and enhancing detection efficiency of PIT tag interrogation systems

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Connolly, Patrick J.

    2010-01-01

    With increasing use of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and reliance on stationary PIT tag interrogation systems to monitor fish populations, guidelines are offered to inform users how best to use limited funding and human resources to create functional systems that maximize a desired level of detection and precision. The estimators of detection efficiency and their variability as described by Connolly et al. (2008) are explored over a span of likely performance metrics. These estimators were developed to estimate detection efficiency without relying on a known number of fish passing the system. I present graphical displays of the results derived from these estimators to show the potential efficiency and precision to be gained by adding an array or by increasing the number of PIT-tagged fish expected to move past an interrogation system.

  5. [Performance of a standardized interrogation to improve the screening of Chlamydia trachomatis infection].

    PubMed

    Grandcolin, S; de Hauteclocque, A; Lafoscade, A; Fritel, X

    2015-10-01

    To estimate the performance of a standardized interrogation tool facilitating the detection and screening of patients for the Chlamydia trachomatis infection, to estimate the prevalence of the infection in the family planning population studied. Prospective observational study, including the patients who had a consultation in the abortion center in the CHU of Poitiers. A sampling of the cervix was systematically carried out after the standardized interrogation in search of four clinical signs. The samples were analyzed by genetic amplification. Three hundred and eighty-six women were included and 56 (14.5 %) infections were identified. The medical history questionnaire was relatively effective for 2 or 3 clinical signs. The positive predictive value (PPV) was respectively 34.8 % and 53.8 % and was very relevant for 4 clinical signs with PPV at 83.3 % [CI 95 %: 74-93 %]. Among the infected women, 48.2 % had no clinical sign revealed by the medical history questionnaire. The presence of any clinical sign was strongly associated with the C. trachomatis infection (P<0.05). The clinical signs find in the standardized interrogation are all significantly associated with the C. trachomatis infection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  6. Optical Stabilization of a Microwave Oscillator for Fountain Clock Interrogation.

    PubMed

    Lipphardt, Burghard; Gerginov, Vladislav; Weyers, Stefan

    2017-04-01

    We describe an optical frequency stabilization scheme of a microwave oscillator that is used for the interrogation of primary cesium fountain clocks. Because of its superior phase noise properties, this scheme, which is based on an ultrastable laser and a femtosecond laser frequency comb, overcomes the frequency instability limitations of fountain clocks given by the previously utilized quartz-oscillator-based frequency synthesis. The presented scheme combines the transfer of the short-term frequency instability of an optical cavity and the long-term frequency instability of a hydrogen maser to the microwave oscillator and is designed to provide continuous long-term operation for extended measurement periods of several weeks. The utilization of the twofold stabilization scheme on the one hand ensures the referencing of the fountain frequency to the hydrogen maser frequency and on the other hand results in a phase noise level of the fountain interrogation signal, which enables fountain frequency instabilities at the 2.5 ×10 -14 (τ/s) -1/2 level that are quantum projection noise limited.

  7. The captive brain: torture and the neuroscience of humane interrogation.

    PubMed

    O'Mara, S

    2018-02-01

    Despite it being abhorrent and illegal, torture is sometimes employed for information gathering. However, the extreme stressors employed during torture force the brain away from the relatively narrow, adaptive range of function it operates within. Torture degrades signal-to-noise ratios of information yield and increases false positive discovery rates. As a discovery methodology, torture fails basic tests of veridical, reliable and replicable information discovery. Torture fails during interrogation because it is an assault on our core integrated, social, psychological and neural functioning. There is a need for a profound cultural shift regarding torture, recognizing that torture impairs, rather than facilitates, investigations and truth-finding. Rising to this challenge will increase operational effectiveness, eliminate prisoner abuse and torment, and aid veridical and actionable information gathering. Policy regarding prisoner and detainee interrogation need to be refocused as a behavioural and brain sciences problem, and not simply treated as a legal, ethical or philosophical problem. Getting the science, ethics and practice in line is a challenge, but it can and should be done.

  8. Wavelength-switched phase interrogator for extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors.

    PubMed

    Xia, Ji; Xiong, Shuidong; Wang, Fuyin; Luo, Hong

    2016-07-01

    We report on phase interrogation of extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric (EFPI) sensors through a wavelength-switched unit with a polarization-maintaining fiber Bragg grating (PMFBG). The measurements at two wavelengths are first achieved in one total-optical path. The reflected peaks of the PMFBG with two natural wavelengths are in mutually perpendicular polarization detection, and they are switched through an electro-optic modulator at a high switching speed of 10 kHz. An ellipse fitting differential cross multiplication (EF-DCM) algorithm is proposed for interrogating the variation of the gap length of the EFPI sensors. The phase demodulation system has been demonstrated to recover a minimum phase of 0.42  μrad/Hz at the test frequency of 100 Hz with a stable intensity fluctuation level of ±0.8  dB. Three EFPI sensors with different cavity lengths are tested at the test frequency of 200 Hz, and the results indicate that the system can achieve the demodulation of EFPI sensors with different cavity lengths stably.

  9. Use of Elaborative Interrogation to Help Students Acquire Information Consistent with Prior Knowledge and Information Inconsistent with Prior Knowledge.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woloshyn, Vera E.; And Others

    1994-01-01

    Thirty-two factual statements, half consistent and half not consistent with subjects' prior knowledge, were processed by 140 sixth and seventh graders. Half were directed to use elaborative interrogation (using prior knowledge) to answer why each statement was true. Across all memory measures, elaborative interrogation subjects performed better…

  10. Cellular Interrogation: Exploiting Cell-to-Cell Variability to Discriminate Regulatory Mechanisms in Oscillatory Signalling.

    PubMed

    Estrada, Javier; Andrew, Natalie; Gibson, Daniel; Chang, Frederick; Gnad, Florian; Gunawardena, Jeremy

    2016-07-01

    The molecular complexity within a cell may be seen as an evolutionary response to the external complexity of the cell's environment. This suggests that the external environment may be harnessed to interrogate the cell's internal molecular architecture. Cells, however, are not only nonlinear and non-stationary, but also exhibit heterogeneous responses within a clonal, isogenic population. In effect, each cell undertakes its own experiment. Here, we develop a method of cellular interrogation using programmable microfluidic devices which exploits the additional information present in cell-to-cell variation, without requiring model parameters to be fitted to data. We focussed on Ca2+ signalling in response to hormone stimulation, which exhibits oscillatory spiking in many cell types and chose eight models of Ca2+ signalling networks which exhibit similar behaviour in simulation. We developed a nonlinear frequency analysis for non-stationary responses, which could classify models into groups under parameter variation, but found that this question alone was unable to distinguish critical feedback loops. We further developed a nonlinear amplitude analysis and found that the combination of both questions ruled out six of the models as inconsistent with the experimentally-observed dynamics and heterogeneity. The two models that survived the double interrogation were mathematically different but schematically identical and yielded the same unexpected predictions that we confirmed experimentally. Further analysis showed that subtle mathematical details can markedly influence non-stationary responses under parameter variation, emphasising the difficulty of finding a "correct" model. By developing questions for the pathway being studied, and designing more versatile microfluidics, cellular interrogation holds promise as a systematic strategy that can complement direct intervention by genetics or pharmacology.

  11. Questioning Masculinities: Interrogating Boys' Capacities for Self-Problematization in Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kehler, Michael; Martino, Wayne

    2007-01-01

    In drawing on selected interviews with adolescent boys from both Australia and North America, we present an analysis of boys' own capacities for interrogating gender normalisation in their school lives. We set this analysis against a critique of the public media debates about boys' education, which continue to be fuelled by a moral panic about the…

  12. Active Neutron-Based Interrogation System with D-D Neutron Source for Detection of Special Nuclear Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takahashi, Y.; Misawa, T.; Yagi, T.; Pyeon, C. H.; Kimura, M.; Masuda, K.; Ohgaki, H.

    2015-10-01

    The detection of special nuclear materials (SNM) is an important issue for nuclear security. The interrogation systems used in a sea port and an airport are developed in the world. The active neutron-based interrogation system is the one of the candidates. We are developing the active neutron-based interrogation system with a D-D fusion neutron source for the nuclear security application. The D-D neutron source is a compact discharge-type fusion neutron source called IEC (Inertial-Electrostatic Confinement fusion) device which provides 2.45 MeV neutrons. The nuclear materials emit the highenergy neutrons by fission reaction. High-energy neutrons with energies over 2.45 MeV amount to 30% of all the fission neutrons. By using the D-D neutron source, the detection of SNMs is considered to be possible with the attention of fast neutrons if there is over 2.45 MeV. Ideally, neutrons at En>2.45 MeV do not exist if there is no nuclear materials. The detection of fission neutrons over 2.45 MeV are hopeful prospect for the detection of SNM with a high S/N ratio. In the future, the experiments combined with nuclear materials and a D-D neutron source will be conducted. Furthermore, the interrogation system will be numerically investigated by using nuclear materials, a D-D neutron source, and a steel container.

  13. Interrogation and mitigation of polarization effects for standard and birefringent FBGs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Selwan K.; Van Roosbroeck, Jan; O'Dowd, John A.; Van Hoe, Bram; Lindner, Eric; Vlekken, Johan; Farnan, Martin; Karabacak, Devrez M.; Singer, Johannes M.

    2016-05-01

    Optical sensors based on Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) are used in several applications and industries. Several inscription techniques and type of fibers can be used. However, depending on the writing process, type of fiber used and the packaging of the sensor a Polarization Dependent Frequency Shift (PDFS) can often be observed with polarized tunable laser based optical interrogators. Here we study the PDFS of the FBG peak for the different FBG types. A PDFS of <1pm up to >20pm was observed across the FBGs. To mitigate and reduce this effect we propose a polarization mitigation technique which relies on a synchronous polarization switch to reduce the effect typically by a factor greater than 4. In other scenarios the sensor itself is designed to be birefringent (Bi-FBG) to allow pressure and/or simultaneous temperature and strain measurements. Using the same polarization switch we demonstrate how we can interrogate the Bi-FBGs with high accuracy to enable high performance of such sensors to be achievable.

  14. Beyond Words: Comics in the Social Work Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akesson, Bree; Oba, Olufunke

    2017-01-01

    Equipping future social workers to interrogate social justice, human rights, and cultural issues requires a revision of social work education. Culturally relevant teaching is increasingly important in today's globalized world. In this article, we explore the role of comics as a form of social work pedagogy to tackle complex social issues. The…

  15. A knowledge based application of the extended aircraft interrogation and display system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glover, Richard D.; Larson, Richard R.

    1991-01-01

    A family of multiple-processor ground support test equipment was used to test digital flight-control systems on high-performance research aircraft. A unit recently built for the F-18 high alpha research vehicle project is the latest model in a series called the extended aircraft interrogation and display system. The primary feature emphasized monitors the aircraft MIL-STD-1553B data buses and provides real-time engineering units displays of flight-control parameters. A customized software package was developed to provide real-time data interpretation based on rules embodied in a highly structured knowledge database. The configuration of this extended aircraft interrogation and display system is briefly described, and the evolution of the rule based package and its application to failure modes and effects testing on the F-18 high alpha research vehicle is discussed.

  16. Magnetic Field Response Measurement Acquisition System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodard, Stanley E.; Taylor,Bryant D.; Shams, Qamar A.; Fox, Robert L.

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents a measurement acquisition method that alleviates many shortcomings of traditional measurement systems. The shortcomings are a finite number of measurement channels, weight penalty associated with measurements, electrical arcing, wire degradations due to wear or chemical decay and the logistics needed to add new sensors. Wire degradation has resulted in aircraft fatalities and critical space launches being delayed. The key to this method is the use of sensors designed as passive inductor-capacitor circuits that produce magnetic field responses. The response attributes correspond to states of physical properties for which the sensors measure. Power is wirelessly provided to the sensing element by using Faraday induction. A radio frequency antenna produces a time-varying magnetic field used to power the sensor and receive the magnetic field response of the sensor. An interrogation system for discerning changes in the sensor response frequency, resistance and amplitude has been developed and is presented herein. Multiple sensors can be interrogated using this method. The method eliminates the need for a data acquisition channel dedicated to each sensor. The method does not require the sensors to be near the acquisition hardware. Methods of developing magnetic field response sensors and the influence of key parameters on measurement acquisition are discussed. Examples of magnetic field response sensors and the respective measurement characterizations are presented. Implementation of this method on an aerospace system is discussed.

  17. Interrogating Spatio-Mechanical EphA2 Signaling in Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-01

    and membrane phase structure modulation by protein binding”, Martin B. Forstner, Chanel K. Lee, Atul N. Parikh, and Jay T. Groves. PMID: 17117874 55...Continuation Format Page anchored proteins and their behavior in supported lipid bilayers", Margot G. Paulick, Amber R. Wise, Martin B. Forstner, Jay T... Martin B. Forstner, Jay T. Groves and Carolyn R. Bertozzi. PMC: 2154431 67. Current Opinion in Immunology, 2007, 19, 6, 722 - 727: "Interrogating

  18. Interrogation of Detainees: Requirements of the Detainee Treatment Act

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-08-26

    providing legal protections and assistance to U.S. personnel subjected to legal action on account of their involvement in the authorized interrogation of...types of actions prohibited by the U.S. Constitution. There is some legal dispute as to whether CAT Article 16, as read in light of U.S. reservations... unconstitutionally harsh than it would use to assess whether those same techniques were unconstitutional if employed against an enemy combatant in a war zone

  19. Interactions between factors related to the decision of sex offenders to confess during police interrogation: a classification-tree approach.

    PubMed

    Beauregard, Eric; Deslauriers-Varin, Nadine; St-Yves, Michel

    2010-09-01

    Most studies of confessions have looked at the influence of individual factors, neglecting the potential interactions between these factors and their impact on the decision to confess or not during an interrogation. Classification and regression tree analyses conducted on a sample of 624 convicted sex offenders showed that certain factors related to the offenders (e.g., personality, criminal career), victims (e.g., sex, relationship to offender), and case (e.g., time of day of the crime) were related to the decision to confess or not during the police interrogation. Several interactions were also observed between these factors. Results will be discussed in light of previous findings and interrogation strategies for sex offenders.

  20. Advice-Implicative Interrogatives: Building "Client-Centered" Support in a Children's Helpline

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butler, Carly W.; Potter, Jonathan; Danby, Susan; Emmison, Michael; Hepburn, Alexa

    2010-01-01

    Interactional research on advice giving has described advice as normative and asymmetric. In this paper we examine how these dimensions of advice are softened by counselors on a helpline for children and young people through the use of questions. Through what we term "advice-implicative interrogatives," counselors ask clients about the…

  1. Performance of an optical identification and interrogation system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venugopalan, A.; Ghosh, A. K.; Verma, P.; Cheng, S.

    2008-04-01

    A free space optics based identification and interrogation system has been designed. The applications of the proposed system lie primarily in areas which require a secure means of mutual identification and information exchange between optical readers and tags. Conventional RFIDs raise issues regarding security threats, electromagnetic interference and health safety. The security of RF-ID chips is low due to the wide spatial spread of radio waves. Malicious nodes can read data being transmitted on the network, if they are in the receiving range. The proposed system provides an alternative which utilizes the narrow paraxial beams of lasers and an RSA-based authentication scheme. These provide enhanced security to communication between a tag and the base station or reader. The optical reader can also perform remote identification and the tag can be read from a far off distance, given line of sight. The free space optical identification and interrogation system can be used for inventory management, security systems at airports, port security, communication with high security systems, etc. to name a few. The proposed system was implemented with low-cost, off-the-shelf components and its performance in terms of throughput and bit error rate has been measured and analyzed. The range of operation with a bit-error-rate lower than 10-9 was measured to be about 4.5 m. The security of the system is based on the strengths of the RSA encryption scheme implemented using more than 1024 bits.

  2. Lawfulness of Interrogation Techniques under the Geneva Conventions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-09-08

    on Interrogation Process (June 22, 2004), available at [http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2004/ nr20040622-0930.html]. 2 See A. J . BARKER, PRISONERS...U.S. ARMY JUDGE ADVOCATE SCHOOL, LAW OF WAR WORKSHOP DESKBOOK 83 (CDR Brian J . Bill, ed. 2000) [hereinafter “ L O W D E S K B O O K ” ] , a v a i l...or purpose behind the conduct is a prohibited purpose. See Prosecutor v. Kunarac, Kovac and Vukovic , Nos. IT-96-23 and IT-96-23/11, para. 486 (ITCY

  3. Interrogation of patient data delivered to the operating theatre during hepato-pancreatic surgery using high-performance computing.

    PubMed

    John, Nigel W; McCloy, Rory F; Herrman, Simone

    2004-01-01

    The Op3D visualization system allows, for the first time, a surgeon in the operating theatre to interrogate patient-specific medical data sets rendered in three dimensions using high-performance computing. The hypothesis of this research is that the success rate of hepato-pancreatic surgical resections can be improved by replacing the light box with an interactive 3D representation of the medical data in the operating theatre. A laptop serves as the client computer and an easy-to-use interface has been developed for the surgeon to interact with and interrogate the patient data. To date, 16 patients have had 3D reconstructions of their DICOM data sets, including preoperative interrogation and planning of surgery. Interrogation of the 3D images live in theatre and comparison with the surgeons' operative findings (including intraoperative ultrasound) led to the operation being abandoned in 25% of cases, adoption of an alternative surgical approach in 25% of cases, and helpful image guidance for successful resection in 50% of cases. The clinical value of the latest generation of scanners and digital imaging techniques cannot be realized unless appropriate dissemination of the images takes place. This project has succeeded in translating the image technology into a user-friendly form and delivers 3D reconstructions of patient-specific data to the "sharp end"-the surgeon undertaking the tumor resection in theatre, in a manner that allows interaction and interpretation. More time interrogating the 3D data sets preoperatively would help reduce the incidence of abandoned operations-this is part of the surgeons' learning curve. We have developed one of the first practical applications to benefit from remote visualization, and certainly the first medical visualization application of this kind.

  4. Interrogation cradle and insertable containment fixture for detecting birefringent microcrystals in bile

    DOEpatents

    Darrow, Chris; Seger, Tino

    2003-09-30

    A transparent flow channel fluidly communicates a fluid source and a collection reservoir. An interrogating light beam passes through a first polarizer having a first plane of polarization. The flow channel is orthogonal to the light beam. The light beam passes through a fluid sample as it flows through the flow channel, and is then filtered through a second polarizer having a second plane of polarization rotated 90.degree. from the first plane of polarization. An electronic photo-detector is aligned with the light beam, and signals the presence of birefringent microcrystals in the fluid sample by generating voltage pulses. A disposable containment fixture includes the flow channel and the collection reservoir. The fixture is adapted for removable insertion into an interrogation cradle that includes optical and data processing components. The cradle rigidly positions the centerline of the flow channel orthogonal to the light beam.

  5. Wavelength interrogation of fiber Bragg grating sensors based on crossed optical Gaussian filters.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Rui; Xia, Li; Zhou, Jiaao; Liu, Deming

    2015-04-15

    Conventional intensity-modulated measurements require to be operated in linear range of filter or interferometric response to ensure a linear detection. Here, we present a wavelength interrogation system for fiber Bragg grating sensors where the linear transition is achieved with crossed Gaussian transmissions. This unique filtering characteristic makes the responses of the two branch detections follow Gaussian functions with the same parameters except for a delay. The substraction of these two delayed Gaussian responses (in dB) ultimately leads to a linear behavior, which is exploited for the sensor wavelength determination. Beside its flexibility and inherently power insensitivity, the proposal also shows a potential of a much wider operational range. Interrogation of a strain-tuned grating was accomplished, with a wide sensitivity tuning range from 2.56 to 8.7 dB/nm achieved.

  6. An Evaluation of "Miranda" Rights and Interrogation in Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salseda, Lindsay M.; Dixon, Dennis R.; Fass, Tracy; Miora, Deborah; Leark, Robert A.

    2011-01-01

    The primary deficits present in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may lead to increased susceptibility to involvement in the criminal justice system. The same deficits may also cause individuals with ASD to be more vulnerable to interrogation techniques and other aspects of the legal system. Due to the increased level of vulnerability as well as…

  7. Analysis of a novel sensor interrogation technique based on fiber cavity ring-down (CRD) loop and OTDR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yüksel, Kivilcim; Yilmaz, Anil

    2018-07-01

    We present the analysis of a remote sensor based on fiber Cavity Ring-Down (CRD) loop interrogated by an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) taking into account both practical limitations and the related signal processing. A commercial OTDR is used for both pulse generation and sensor output detection. This allows obtaining a compact and simple design for intensity-based sensor applications. This novel sensor interrogation approach is experimentally demonstrated by placing a variable attenuator inside the fiber loop that mimics a sensor head.

  8. Highly sensitive magnetic field sensor based on microfiber coupler with magnetic fluid

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Luo, Longfeng; Pu, Shengli, E-mail: shlpu@usst.edu.cn; Tang, Jiali

    2015-05-11

    A kind of magnetic field sensor using a microfiber coupler (MFC) surrounded with magnetic fluid (MF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. As the MFC is strongly sensitive to the surrounding refractive index (RI) and MF's RI is sensitive to magnetic field, the magnetic field sensing function of the proposed structure is realized. Interrogation of magnetic field strength is achieved by measuring the dip wavelength shift and transmission loss change of the transmission spectrum. The experimental results show that the sensitivity of the sensor is wavelength-dependent. The maximum sensitivity of 191.8 pm/Oe is achieved at wavelength of around 1537 nm in this work.more » In addition, a sensitivity of −0.037 dB/Oe is achieved by monitoring variation of the fringe visibility. These suggest the potential applications of the proposed structure in tunable all-in-fiber photonic devices such as magneto-optical modulator, filter, and sensing.« less

  9. Fast Interrogation of Fiber Bragg Gratings with Electro-Optical Dual Optical Frequency Combs

    PubMed Central

    Posada-Roman, Julio E.; Garcia-Souto, Jose A.; Poiana, Dragos A.; Acedo, Pablo

    2016-01-01

    Optical frequency combs (OFC) generated by electro-optic modulation of continuous-wave lasers provide broadband coherent sources with high power per line and independent control of line spacing and the number of lines. In addition to their application in spectroscopy, they offer flexible and optimized sources for the interrogation of other sensors based on wavelength change or wavelength filtering, such as fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. In this paper, a dual-OFC FBG interrogation system based on a single laser and two optical-phase modulators is presented. This architecture allows for the configuration of multimode optical source parameters such as the number of modes and their position within the reflected spectrum of the FBG. A direct read-out is obtained by mapping the optical spectrum onto the radio-frequency spectrum output of the dual-comb. This interrogation scheme is proposed for measuring fast phenomena such as vibrations and ultrasounds. Results are presented for dual-comb operation under optimized control. The optical modes are mapped onto detectable tones that are multiples of 0.5 MHz around a center radiofrequency tone (40 MHz). Measurements of ultrasounds (40 kHz and 120 kHz) are demonstrated with this sensing system. Ultrasounds induce dynamic strain onto the fiber, which generates changes in the reflected Bragg wavelength and, hence, modulates the amplitude of the OFC modes within the reflected spectrum. The amplitude modulation of two counterphase tones is detected to obtain a differential measurement proportional to the ultrasound signal. PMID:27898043

  10. Fast Interrogation of Fiber Bragg Gratings with Electro-Optical Dual Optical Frequency Combs.

    PubMed

    Posada-Roman, Julio E; Garcia-Souto, Jose A; Poiana, Dragos A; Acedo, Pablo

    2016-11-26

    Optical frequency combs (OFC) generated by electro-optic modulation of continuous-wave lasers provide broadband coherent sources with high power per line and independent control of line spacing and the number of lines. In addition to their application in spectroscopy, they offer flexible and optimized sources for the interrogation of other sensors based on wavelength change or wavelength filtering, such as fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. In this paper, a dual-OFC FBG interrogation system based on a single laser and two optical-phase modulators is presented. This architecture allows for the configuration of multimode optical source parameters such as the number of modes and their position within the reflected spectrum of the FBG. A direct read-out is obtained by mapping the optical spectrum onto the radio-frequency spectrum output of the dual-comb. This interrogation scheme is proposed for measuring fast phenomena such as vibrations and ultrasounds. Results are presented for dual-comb operation under optimized control. The optical modes are mapped onto detectable tones that are multiples of 0.5 MHz around a center radiofrequency tone (40 MHz). Measurements of ultrasounds (40 kHz and 120 kHz) are demonstrated with this sensing system. Ultrasounds induce dynamic strain onto the fiber, which generates changes in the reflected Bragg wavelength and, hence, modulates the amplitude of the OFC modes within the reflected spectrum. The amplitude modulation of two counterphase tones is detected to obtain a differential measurement proportional to the ultrasound signal.

  11. Causal Interrogation of Neuronal Networks and Behavior through Virally Transduced Ivermectin Receptors.

    PubMed

    Obenhaus, Horst A; Rozov, Andrei; Bertocchi, Ilaria; Tang, Wannan; Kirsch, Joachim; Betz, Heinrich; Sprengel, Rolf

    2016-01-01

    The causal interrogation of neuronal networks involved in specific behaviors requires the spatially and temporally controlled modulation of neuronal activity. For long-term manipulation of neuronal activity, chemogenetic tools provide a reasonable alternative to short-term optogenetic approaches. Here we show that virus mediated gene transfer of the ivermectin (IVM) activated glycine receptor mutant GlyRα1 (AG) can be used for the selective and reversible silencing of specific neuronal networks in mice. In the striatum, dorsal hippocampus, and olfactory bulb, GlyRα1 (AG) promoted IVM dependent effects in representative behavioral assays. Moreover, GlyRα1 (AG) mediated silencing had a strong and reversible impact on neuronal ensemble activity and c-Fos activation in the olfactory bulb. Together our results demonstrate that long-term, reversible and re-inducible neuronal silencing via GlyRα1 (AG) is a promising tool for the interrogation of network mechanisms underlying the control of behavior and memory formation.

  12. Syncope During Competitive Events: Interrogating Heart Rate Monitor Watches May Be Useful!

    PubMed

    Thabouillot, Oscar; Bostanci, Kevin; Bouvier, Francois; Dumitrescu, Nicolae; Stéfuriac, Maria; Paule, Philippe; Roche, Nicolas-Charles

    2017-12-01

    This is a case report of a 45-year-old man who reported complete amnesia during the very first kilometer of a 10-km run. He was wearing a heart rate monitor (HRM). The interrogation of his HRM watch showed 200 bpm tachycardia beginning in the first kilometer and increasing up to 220 bpm during the last kilometer. The patient was asked to wear a Holter-monitor (Holter Research Laboratory; Helena, Montana USA) electrocardiogram (ECG) while practicing a training session. This examination allowed for the diagnosis of an adrenergic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) with an impressive auriculo-ventricular conduction over 260 bpm. This case highlights that non-medical devices, such as connected watches, can be helpful to diagnose arrhythmias. Thabouillot O , Bostanci K , Bouvier F , Dumitrescu N , Stéfuriac M , Paule P , Roche NC . Syncope during competitive events: interrogating heart rate monitor watches may be useful! Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):691-693.

  13. Double Jeopardy in the Interrogation Room for Youths with Mental Illness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Redlich, Allison D.

    2007-01-01

    Comments on the article by J. Owen-Kostelnik, N. D. Reppucci, and J. R. Meyer (see record 2006-05893-002) which reviewed the issues surrounding the police interrogation of minors. This commentary expands on the review by addressing the mental health status of youths who come into contact with police. It stems from two immutable facts: (a) The…

  14. Scripting, Ritualising and Performing Leadership: Interrogating Recent Policy Developments in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzgerald, Tanya; Savage, Julia

    2013-01-01

    In this article, we argue that leadership of schools is a form of performance that has become ritualised and routinised through the official scripting of policy texts that mandate how leadership of schools should occur. Our interrogation of recent policy scripts in Australia reveals that there is limited scope for leadership in schools to occur as…

  15. PRESTO-Tango as an open-source resource for interrogation of the druggable human GPCRome.

    PubMed

    Kroeze, Wesley K; Sassano, Maria F; Huang, Xi-Ping; Lansu, Katherine; McCorvy, John D; Giguère, Patrick M; Sciaky, Noah; Roth, Bryan L

    2015-05-01

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are essential mediators of cellular signaling and are important targets of drug action. Of the approximately 350 nonolfactory human GPCRs, more than 100 are still considered to be 'orphans' because their endogenous ligands remain unknown. Here, we describe a unique open-source resource that allows interrogation of the druggable human GPCRome via a G protein-independent β-arrestin-recruitment assay. We validate this unique platform at more than 120 nonorphan human GPCR targets, demonstrate its utility for discovering new ligands for orphan human GPCRs and describe a method (parallel receptorome expression and screening via transcriptional output, with transcriptional activation following arrestin translocation (PRESTO-Tango)) for the simultaneous and parallel interrogation of the entire human nonolfactory GPCRome.

  16. Remotely-interrogated high data rate free space laser communications link

    DOEpatents

    Ruggiero, Anthony J [Livermore, CA

    2007-05-29

    A system and method of remotely extracting information from a communications station by interrogation with a low power beam. Nonlinear phase conjugation of the low power beam results in a high power encoded return beam that automatically tracks the input beam and is corrected for atmospheric distortion. Intracavity nondegenerate four wave mixing is used in a broad area semiconductor laser in the communications station to produce the return beam.

  17. Highly sensitive distributed birefringence measurements based on a two-pulse interrogation of a dynamic Brillouin grating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soto, Marcelo A.; Denisov, Andrey; Angulo-Vinuesa, Xabier; Martin-Lopez, Sonia; Thévenaz, Luc; Gonzalez-Herraez, Miguel

    2017-04-01

    A method for distributed birefringence measurements is proposed based on the interference pattern generated by the interrogation of a dynamic Brillouin grating (DBG) using two short consecutive optical pulses. Compared to existing DBG interrogation techniques, the method here offers an improved sensitivity to birefringence changes thanks to the interferometric effect generated by the reflections of the two pulses. Experimental results demonstrate the possibility to obtain the longitudinal birefringence profile of a 20 m-long Panda fibre with an accuracy of 10-8 using 16 averages and 30 cm spatial resolution. The method enables sub-metric and highly-accurate distributed temperature and strain sensing.

  18. Graduate Social Work Students' Experiences with Group Work in the Field and the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodman, Harriet; Knight, Carolyn; Khudododov, Khudodod

    2014-01-01

    For decades, group work scholars have described a discrepancy between student preparation for group work practice and opportunities to work with groups in the field practicum and professional practice. Educators in related disciplines such as counseling and psychology have expressed similar concerns. This article reports findings of a study of MSW…

  19. Technician-Supported Remote Interrogation of CIEDs: Initial Use in US Emergency Departments and Perioperative Areas.

    PubMed

    Ahmed, Imdad; Patel, Amisha S; Balgaard, Timothy J; Rosenfeld, Lynda E

    2016-03-01

    Interrogation/interpretation of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is frequently required in the emergency department (ED) or perioperative areas (OR) where resources to do this are often not available. CareLink Express (CLE; Medtronic, plc, Mounds View, MN, USA) is a technician-supported real-time remote interrogation system for Medtronic CIEDs. Using data from 136 US locations, this retrospective study was designed to assess CLE efficiency compared to traditional device management, and examine its findings. All 7,044 US CLE transmissions from the ED and OR (January 2012-October 2014) were compared to 217 traditional requests where CIED interrogations/interpretations were performed by calling industry representatives to these sites. CLE reduced the time to device interrogation/interpretation by 78%: 100 ± 140-22 ± 14 minutes, P < 0.0001, improving response time and consistency; ED: 82 ± 103-23 ± 18 minutes, P, ≤ 0.01; OR: 127 ± 181-17 ± 10 minutes, P < 0.0001. Actionable events (AE) (arrhythmia, device/lead abnormalities) were infrequent: 9.1% overall (ED: 9.9%; OR: 4.1%). Only 6.5% of patients with syncope/presyncope and 13.6% with a perceived shock had AE. AEs were more common in those with suspected device problems (30.4%) or audible alerts (52.6%). They were more likely in patients not enrolled in long-term remote monitoring (23.9% vs 8.2%, P < 0.0001) and in those with older CIED systems (7.4% in year 1 vs 31.0% after 10 years). The many patients with CIEDs, and the ability to quickly identify the minority with high-risk AE from the no/low-risk majority, strongly support CLE use in the ED and OR, sites which are expensive and prioritize efficiency. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Far-field environment working group summary

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pearcy, E.C.

    1995-09-01

    This article is a summary of the proceedings of a group discussion which took place at the Workshop on the Role of Natural Analogs in Geologic Disposal of High-Level Nuclear Waste in San Antonio, Texas on July 22-25, 1991. The working group concentrated on the subject of the potential impacts of underground disposal of high-level radioactive wastes on the far-field environment.

  1. Missouri work zone capacity : results of field data analysis.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-06-01

    This report presents the results of work zone field data analyzed on interstate highways in Missouri to : determine the mean breakdown and queue-discharge flow rates as measures of capacity. Several days of : traffic data collected at a work zone nea...

  2. Missouri Work Zone Capacity : Results of Field Data Analysis

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-06-01

    This report presents the results of work zone field data analyzed on interstate highways in Missouri to determine : the mean breakdown and queue-discharge flow rates as measures of capacity. Several days of traffic data : collected at a work zone nea...

  3. A fiber-Bragg-grating sensor interrogation system using in-fiber Fabry-Pérot interferometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ting-ting; Wang, Ming

    2011-11-01

    A fiber-Bragg-grating sensor interrogation system using a in-fiber Fabry-Pérot interferometer (IFFPI) is presented. The IFFPI was formed by splicing together a conventional single-mode fiber and a photonic crystal fiber with simple arcdischarge technique. The ellipsoidal air-cavity between the two fibers forms Fabry-Pérot cavity. The diffraction loss can be very low due to the focusing of reentrant and very short cavity length, thus resulting in high visibility and long period. The IFFPI is used as the filter component of the interrogation system. The resolving wavelength can achieve 2pm by using an Er-doped ring FBG laser in the experimental system. The advantages of this system are an all-fiber design, temperature insensitivity, quasistatic and dynamic operation, potential high speed and large range demodulation.

  4. Monitoring system including an electronic sensor platform and an interrogation transceiver

    DOEpatents

    Kinzel, Robert L.; Sheets, Larry R.

    2003-09-23

    A wireless monitoring system suitable for a wide range of remote data collection applications. The system includes at least one Electronic Sensor Platform (ESP), an Interrogator Transceiver (IT) and a general purpose host computer. The ESP functions as a remote data collector from a number of digital and analog sensors located therein. The host computer provides for data logging, testing, demonstration, installation checkout, and troubleshooting of the system. The IT transmits signals from one or more ESP's to the host computer to the ESP's. The IT host computer may be powered by a common power supply, and each ESP is individually powered by a battery. This monitoring system has an extremely low power consumption which allows remote operation of the ESP for long periods; provides authenticated message traffic over a wireless network; utilizes state-of-health and tamper sensors to ensure that the ESP is secure and undamaged; has robust housing of the ESP suitable for use in radiation environments; and is low in cost. With one base station (host computer and interrogator transceiver), multiple ESP's may be controlled at a single monitoring site.

  5. Compassion Fatigue among Social Work Students in Field Placements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harr, Cynthia; Moore, Brenda

    2011-01-01

    This pilot study, conducted with BSW and MSW field students at a public university in Southwestern United States, explored the psychological effect of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction on social work students in field placements. Results from the Professional Quality of Life Scale's compassion satisfaction and fatigue subscales…

  6. Near-field environment/processes working group summary

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Murphy, W.M.

    1995-09-01

    This article is a summary of the proceedings of a group discussion which took place at the Workshop on the Role of Natural Analogs in Geologic Disposal of High-Level Nuclear Waste in San Antonio, Texas on July 22-25, 1991. The working group concentrated on the subject of the near-field environment to geologic repositories for high-level nuclear waste. The near-field environment may be affected by thermal perturbations from the waste, and by disturbances caused by the introduction of exotic materials during construction of the repository. This group also discussed the application of modelling of performance-related processes.

  7. Simultaneous interrogation of interferometric and Bragg grating sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brady, G.; Kalli, K.; Webb, D. J.; Jackson, D. A.; Reekie, L.; Archambault, J. L.

    1995-06-01

    We propose a new method for the simultaneous interrogation of conventional two-beam interferometers and Bragg grating sensors. The technique employs an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer illuminated by a single low-coherence source, which acts as a wavelength-tunable source for the grating and as a path-matched filter for the Fizeau interferometer, thus providing a high phase resolution output for each sensor. The grating sensor demonstrates a dynamic strain resolution of \\similar 0.05 mu 3 / \\radical Hz \\end-radical at 20 Hz, while the interferometric phase resolution is better than 1mrad/ \\radical Hz \\end-radical at 20 Hz, corresponding to an rms mirror displacement of 0.08 nm.

  8. Reduced representation approaches to interrogate genome diversity in large repetitive plant genomes.

    PubMed

    Hirsch, Cory D; Evans, Joseph; Buell, C Robin; Hirsch, Candice N

    2014-07-01

    Technology and software improvements in the last decade now provide methodologies to access the genome sequence of not only a single accession, but also multiple accessions of plant species. This provides a means to interrogate species diversity at the genome level. Ample diversity among accessions in a collection of species can be found, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions and deletions, copy number variation and presence/absence variation. For species with small, non-repetitive rich genomes, re-sequencing of query accessions is robust, highly informative, and economically feasible. However, for species with moderate to large sized repetitive-rich genomes, technical and economic barriers prevent en masse genome re-sequencing of accessions. Multiple approaches to access a focused subset of loci in species with larger genomes have been developed, including reduced representation sequencing, exome capture and transcriptome sequencing. Collectively, these approaches have enabled interrogation of diversity on a genome scale for large plant genomes, including crop species important to worldwide food security. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Interrogative suggestibility: its relationship with assertiveness, social-evaluative anxiety, state anxiety and method of coping.

    PubMed

    Gudjonsson, G H

    1988-05-01

    This paper attempts to investigate empirically in 30 subjects some of the theoretical components related to individual differences that are thought by Gudjonsson & Clark (1986) to mediate interrogative suggestibility as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS; Gudjonsson, 1984a). The variables studied were: assertiveness, social-evaluative anxiety, state anxiety and the coping methods subjects are able to generate and implement during interrogation. Low assertiveness and high evaluative anxiety were found to correlate moderately with suggestibility, but no significant correlations emerged for 'social avoidance and distress'. State anxiety correlated significantly with suggestibility, particularly after negative feedback had been administered. Coping methods (active-cognitive/behavioural vs. avoidance) significantly predicted suggestibility scores. The findings give strong support to the theoretical model of Gudjonsson & Clark.

  10. BSM (+BMM) Data Emulator Dynamic Interrogative Data Capture (DIDC) Assessment Report: Impacts of DIDC

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-04-01

    The objective of the Dynamic Interrogative Data Capture (DIDC) algorithms and software is to optimize the capture and transmission of vehicle-based data under a range of dynamically configurable messaging strategies. The key hypothesis of DIDC is tha...

  11. Duplex Interrogation by a Direct DNA Repair Protein in Search of Base Damage

    PubMed Central

    Yi, Chengqi; Chen, Baoen; Qi, Bo; Zhang, Wen; Jia, Guifang; Zhang, Liang; Li, Charles J.; Dinner, Aaron R.; Yang, Cai-Guang; He, Chuan

    2012-01-01

    ALKBH2 is a direct DNA repair dioxygenase guarding mammalian genome against N1-methyladenine, N3-methylcytosine, and 1,N6-ethenoadenine damage. A prerequisite for repair is to identify these lesions in the genome. Here we present crystal structures of ALKBH2 bound to different duplex DNAs. Together with computational and biochemical analyses, our results suggest that DNA interrogation by ALKBH2 displays two novel features: i) ALKBH2 probes base-pair stability and detects base pairs with reduced stability; ii) ALKBH2 does not have nor need a “damage-checking site”, which is critical for preventing spurious base-cleavage for several glycosylases. The demethylation mechanism of ALKBH2 insures that only cognate lesions are oxidized and reversed to normal bases, and that a flipped, non-substrate base remains intact in the active site. Overall, the combination of duplex interrogation and oxidation chemistry allows ALKBH2 to detect and process diverse lesions efficiently and correctly. PMID:22659876

  12. A Satellite Model for Rural and Remote Social Work Field Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowles, Wendy; Duncombe, Rohena

    2005-01-01

    Social work field education is expanding in rural areas at a time when rural social work is under great strain. This paper discusses a new model for rural field education. In this "satellite" model, the university employs local senior social workers as university liaison staff to locate, organise, resource, support and assess social work…

  13. Validity of Selected Lab and Field Tests of Physical Working Capacity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Edmund J.

    The validity of selected lab and field tests of physical working capacity was investigated. Forty-four male college students were administered a series of lab and field tests of physical working capacity. Lab tests include a test of maximum oxygen uptake, the PWC 170 test, the Harvard Step Test, the Progressive Pulse Ratio Test, Margaria Test of…

  14. French Interrogative Structures: A New Pedagogical Norm for the 21st-Century Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Antes, Theresa A.

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated interrogative structures most frequently used by native speakers of French, in an attempt to reconcile differences between language forms taught in the French as a foreign language classroom and those that are encountered in authentic input. Radio, television, and magazine interviews provided multiple examples of…

  15. Correlation between Question Intonation and Focus of Interrogation--Evidence from French Dislocated Questions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shen, Xiao-nan

    This study explores the relationship between question intonation patterns in French using dislocated questions and question-focus (Q- focus). A dislocated question is defined as an interrogative sentence whose sequence is interrupted by the topicalization of a constituent at the left ("Toi, tu viens?"), at the right (Tu viens,…

  16. Direct fissile assay of enriched uranium using random self-interrogation and neutron coincidence response

    DOEpatents

    Menlove, Howard O.; Stewart, James E.

    1986-01-01

    Apparatus and method for the direct, nondestructive evaluation of the .sup.235 U nuclide content of samples containing UF.sub.6, UF.sub.4, or UO.sub.2 utilizing the passive neutron self-interrogation of the sample resulting from the intrinsic production of neutrons therein. The ratio of the emitted neutron coincidence count rate to the total emitted neutron count rate is determined and yields a measure of the bulk fissile mass. The accuracy of the method is 6.8% (1.sigma.) for cylinders containing UF.sub.6 with enrichments ranging from 6% to 98% with measurement times varying from 3-6 min. The samples contained from below 1 kg to greater than 16 kg. Since the subject invention relies on fast neutron self-interrogation, complete sampling of the UF.sub.6 takes place, reducing difficulties arising from inhomogeneity of the sample which adversely affects other assay procedures.

  17. Mechanism of duplex DNA destabilization by RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease during target interrogation

    PubMed Central

    Mekler, Vladimir; Minakhin, Leonid; Severinov, Konstantin

    2017-01-01

    The prokaryotic clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated 9 (Cas9) endonuclease cleaves double-stranded DNA sequences specified by guide RNA molecules and flanked by a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) and is widely used for genome editing in various organisms. The RNA-programmed Cas9 locates the target site by scanning genomic DNA. We sought to elucidate the mechanism of initial DNA interrogation steps that precede the pairing of target DNA with guide RNA. Using fluorometric and biochemical assays, we studied Cas9/guide RNA complexes with model DNA substrates that mimicked early intermediates on the pathway to the final Cas9/guide RNA–DNA complex. The results show that Cas9/guide RNA binding to PAM favors separation of a few PAM-proximal protospacer base pairs allowing initial target interrogation by guide RNA. The duplex destabilization is mediated, in part, by Cas9/guide RNA affinity for unpaired segments of nontarget strand DNA close to PAM. Furthermore, our data indicate that the entry of double-stranded DNA beyond a short threshold distance from PAM into the Cas9/single-guide RNA (sgRNA) interior is hindered. We suggest that the interactions unfavorable for duplex DNA binding promote DNA bending in the PAM-proximal region during early steps of Cas9/guide RNA–DNA complex formation, thus additionally destabilizing the protospacer duplex. The mechanism that emerges from our analysis explains how the Cas9/sgRNA complex is able to locate the correct target sequence efficiently while interrogating numerous nontarget sequences associated with correct PAMs. PMID:28484024

  18. Mechanism of duplex DNA destabilization by RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease during target interrogation.

    PubMed

    Mekler, Vladimir; Minakhin, Leonid; Severinov, Konstantin

    2017-05-23

    The prokaryotic clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated 9 (Cas9) endonuclease cleaves double-stranded DNA sequences specified by guide RNA molecules and flanked by a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) and is widely used for genome editing in various organisms. The RNA-programmed Cas9 locates the target site by scanning genomic DNA. We sought to elucidate the mechanism of initial DNA interrogation steps that precede the pairing of target DNA with guide RNA. Using fluorometric and biochemical assays, we studied Cas9/guide RNA complexes with model DNA substrates that mimicked early intermediates on the pathway to the final Cas9/guide RNA-DNA complex. The results show that Cas9/guide RNA binding to PAM favors separation of a few PAM-proximal protospacer base pairs allowing initial target interrogation by guide RNA. The duplex destabilization is mediated, in part, by Cas9/guide RNA affinity for unpaired segments of nontarget strand DNA close to PAM. Furthermore, our data indicate that the entry of double-stranded DNA beyond a short threshold distance from PAM into the Cas9/single-guide RNA (sgRNA) interior is hindered. We suggest that the interactions unfavorable for duplex DNA binding promote DNA bending in the PAM-proximal region during early steps of Cas9/guide RNA-DNA complex formation, thus additionally destabilizing the protospacer duplex. The mechanism that emerges from our analysis explains how the Cas9/sgRNA complex is able to locate the correct target sequence efficiently while interrogating numerous nontarget sequences associated with correct PAMs.

  19. Reading Resistance: The Record of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi's Interrogation by Wartime Japan's "Thought Police"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ito, Takao

    2009-01-01

    This article examines the record of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi's interrogation as a thought criminal following his arrest in July, 1943. By comparing and contrasting his responses and statements against the official government positions, I hope to clarify the nature of his critique of the wartime fascist regime. Makiguchi himself was an educator, and…

  20. A Preliminary Field Test of an Employee Work Passion Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zigarmi, Drea; Nimon, Kim; Houson, Dobie; Witt, David; Diehl, Jim

    2011-01-01

    Four dimensions of a process model for the formulation of employee work passion, derived from Zigarmi, Nimon, Houson, Witt, and Diehl (2009), were tested in a field setting. A total of 447 employees completed questionnaires that assessed the internal elements of the model in a corporate work environment. Data from the measurements of work affect,…

  1. Digitally controlled chirped pulse laser for sub-terahertz-range fiber structure interrogation.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zhen; Hefferman, Gerald; Wei, Tao

    2017-03-01

    This Letter reports a sweep velocity-locked laser pulse generator controlled using a digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) circuit. This design is used for the interrogation of sub-terahertz-range fiber structures for sensing applications that require real-time data collection with millimeter-level spatial resolution. A distributed feedback laser was employed to generate chirped laser pulses via injection current modulation. A DPLL circuit was developed to lock the optical frequency sweep velocity. A high-quality linearly chirped laser pulse with a frequency excursion of 117.69 GHz at an optical communication band was demonstrated. The system was further adopted to interrogate a continuously distributed sub-terahertz-range fiber structure (sub-THz-fs) for sensing applications. A strain test was conducted in which the sub-THz-fs showed a linear response to longitudinal strain change with predicted sensitivity. Additionally, temperature testing was conducted in which a heat source was used to generate a temperature distribution along the fiber structure to demonstrate its distributed sensing capability. A Gaussian temperature profile was measured using the described system and tracked in real time, as the heat source was moved.

  2. Magnetic Nanotweezers for Interrogating Biological Processes in Space and Time.

    PubMed

    Kim, Ji-Wook; Jeong, Hee-Kyung; Southard, Kaden M; Jun, Young-Wook; Cheon, Jinwoo

    2018-04-17

    The ability to sense and manipulate the state of biological systems has been extensively advanced during the past decade with the help of recent developments in physical tools. Unlike standard genetic and pharmacological perturbation techniques-knockdown, overexpression, small molecule inhibition-that provide a basic on/off switching capability, these physical tools provide the capacity to control the spatial, temporal, and mechanical properties of the biological targets. Among the various physical cues, magnetism offers distinct advantages over light or electricity. Magnetic fields freely penetrate biological tissues and are already used for clinical applications. As one of the unique features, magnetic fields can be transformed into mechanical stimuli which can serve as a cue in regulating biological processes. However, their biological applications have been limited due to a lack of high-performance magnetism-to-mechanical force transducers with advanced spatiotemporal capabilities. In this Account, we present recent developments in magnetic nanotweezers (MNTs) as a useful tool for interrogating the spatiotemporal control of cells in living tissue. MNTs are composed of force-generating magnetic nanoparticles and field generators. Through proper design and the integration of individual components, MNTs deliver controlled mechanical stimulation to targeted biomolecules at any desired space and time. We first discuss about MNT configuration with different force-stimulation modes. By modulating geometry of the magnetic field generator, MNTs exert pulling, dipole-dipole attraction, and rotational forces to the target specifically and quantitatively. We discuss the key physical parameters determining force magnitude, which include magnetic field strength, magnetic field gradient, magnetic moment of the magnetic particle, as well as distance between the field generator and the particle. MNTs also can be used over a wide range of biological time scales. By simply

  3. Spectrum interrogation of fiber acoustic sensor based on self-fitting and differential method.

    PubMed

    Fu, Xin; Lu, Ping; Ni, Wenjun; Liao, Hao; Wang, Shun; Liu, Deming; Zhang, Jiangshan

    2017-02-20

    In this article, we propose an interrogation method of fiber acoustic sensor to recover the time-domain signal from the sensor spectrum. The optical spectrum of the sensor will show a ripple waveform when responding to acoustic signal due to the scanning process in a certain wavelength range. The reason behind this phenomenon is the dynamic variation of the sensor spectrum while the intensity of different wavelength is acquired at different time in a scanning period. The frequency components can be extracted from the ripple spectrum assisted by the wavelength scanning speed. The signal is able to be recovered by differential between the ripple spectrum and its self-fitted curve. The differential process can eliminate the interference caused by environmental perturbations such as temperature or refractive index (RI), etc. The proposed method is appropriate for fiber acoustic sensors based on gratings or interferometers. A long period grating (LPG) is adopted as an acoustic sensor head to prove the feasibility of the interrogation method in experiment. The ability to compensate the environmental fluctuations is also demonstrated.

  4. Laser interrogation techniques for high-sensitivity strain sensing by fiber-Bragg-grating structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gagliardi, G.; Salza, M.; Ferraro, P.; De Natale, P.

    2017-11-01

    Novel interrogation methods for static and dynamic measurements of mechanical deformations by fiber Bragg-gratings (FBGs) structures are presented. The sensor-reflected radiation gives information on suffered strain, with a sensitivity dependent on the interrogation setup. Different approaches have been carried out, based on laser-frequency modulation techniques and near-IR lasers, to measure strain in single-FBG and in resonant high-reflectivity FBG arrays. In particular, for the fiber resonator, the laser frequency is actively locked to the cavity resonances by the Pound-Drever-Hall technique, thus tracking any frequency change due to deformations. The loop error and correction signals fed back to the laser are used as strain monitor. Sensitivity limits vary between 200 nɛ/√Hz in the quasi-static domain (0.5÷2 Hz), and between 1 and 4 nɛ/√Hz in the 0.4-1 kHz range for the single-FBG scheme, while strain down to 50 pɛ can be detected by using the laser-cavity-locked method.

  5. 75 FR 67632 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Prohibition on Interrogation of Detainees by...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-03

    ... implement section 1038 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Pub. L. 111-84). Section 1038 prohibits contractor personnel from interrogating detainees under the control of the...-0310. Please cite DFARS Case 2010-D027. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background Section 1038 of the...

  6. Optically powered and interrogated rotary position sensor for aircraft engine control applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spillman, W. B.; Crowne, D. H.; Woodward, D. W.

    A throttle level angle (TLA) sensing system is described that utilizes a capacitance based rotary position transducer that is powered and interrogated via light from a single multimode optical fiber. The system incorporates a unique GaAs device that serves as both a power converter and optical data transmitter. Design considerations are discussed, and the fabrication and performance of the sensor system are detailed.

  7. Detained and drugged: a brief overview of the use of pharmaceuticals for the interrogation of suspects, prisoners, patients, and POWs in the US.

    PubMed

    Calkins, Laura

    2010-01-01

    Using medical literature citations, Congressional hearings, and declassified documents this paper examines the uses of pharmaceuticals in the interrogation of vulnerable populations. From the use of IV relaxants on criminal suspects during the 1920s to the Global War on Terror, the nexus of drugs, testing, and interrogations will be explored in both the domestic and international contexts.

  8. Direct fissile assay of enriched uranium using random self-interrogation and neutron coincidence response

    DOEpatents

    Menlove, H.O.; Stewart, J.E.

    1985-02-04

    Apparatus and method for the direct, nondestructive evaluation of the /sup 235/U nuclide content of samples containing UF/sub 6/, UF/sub 4/, or UO/sub 2/ utilizing the passive neutron self-interrogation of the sample resulting from the intrinsic production of neutrons therein. The ratio of the emitted neutron coincidence count rate to the total emitted neutron count rate is determined and yields a measure of the bulk fissile mass. The accuracy of the method is 6.8% (1sigma) for cylinders containing UF/sub 6/ with enrichments ranging from 6% to 98% with measurement times varying from 3-6 min. The samples contained from below 1 kg to greater than 16 kg. Since the subject invention relies on fast neutron self-interrogation, complete sampling of the UF/sub 6/ takes place, reducing difficulties arising from inhomogeneity of the sample which adversely affects other assay procedures. 4 figs., 1 tab.

  9. Holistic Designs for Field Instruction in the Contemporary Social Work Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skolnik, Louise; Papell, Catherine P.

    1994-01-01

    Two models for social work field instruction are presented, both introduced in a university-based laboratory setting. Both models attempt to integrate field practice with content of the holistic practice curriculum. They were derived from a holistic/multimethod assignment and a holistic/generalist orientation. Issues in field teaching are…

  10. Field Education as the Signature Pedagogy of Social Work Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wayne, Julianne; Bogo, Marion; Raskin, Miriam

    2010-01-01

    In its EPAS, CSWE (2008) identifies field education as the signature pedagogy (Shulman, 2005b) of social work education. This article analyzes the field education-signature pedagogy fit. It finds congruence in selected organizational arrangements that are pervasive and routine, and disparities with respect to expectations about public student…

  11. The significance of field work in monographic studies

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The focus of this paper is to document the clear and obvious advantages of field work for monographic studies. These advantages include: 1) ability to understand published distributions better and greatly expand these data, 2) access to taxonomic data obscured on herbarium sheets (as colors, odors, ...

  12. The Impact of Caregivers' Interrogative Styles in English and Japanese on Early Bilingual Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nakamura, Janice; Quay, Suzanne

    2012-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between caregivers' conversational styles in One-Person-One-Language (OPOL) settings and early bilingual development. In particular, it attempts to demonstrate that interrogative styles may have an impact on bilingual children's responsiveness in two language contexts. It is based on longitudinal data of a…

  13. Performance assessment of self-interrogation neutron resonance densitometry for spent nuclear fuel assay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Jianwei; Tobin, Stephen J.; LaFleur, Adrienne M.; Menlove, Howard O.; Swinhoe, Martyn T.

    2013-11-01

    Self-Interrogation Neutron Resonance Densitometry (SINRD) is one of several nondestructive assay (NDA) techniques being integrated into systems to measure spent fuel as part of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) Spent Fuel Project. The NGSI Spent Fuel Project is sponsored by the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration to measure plutonium in, and detect diversion of fuel pins from, spent nuclear fuel assemblies. SINRD shows promising capability in determining the 239Pu and 235U content in spent fuel. SINRD is a relatively low-cost and lightweight instrument, and it is easy to implement in the field. The technique makes use of the passive neutron source existing in a spent fuel assembly, and it uses ratios between the count rates collected in fission chambers that are covered with different absorbing materials. These ratios are correlated to key attributes of the spent fuel assembly, such as the total mass of 239Pu and 235U. Using count rate ratios instead of absolute count rates makes SINRD less vulnerable to systematic uncertainties. Building upon the previous research, this work focuses on the underlying physics of the SINRD technique: quantifying the individual impacts on the count rate ratios of a few important nuclides using the perturbation method; examining new correlations between count rate ratio and mass quantities based on the results of the perturbation study; quantifying the impacts on the energy windows of the filtering materials that cover the fission chambers by tallying the neutron spectra before and after the neutrons go through the filters; and identifying the most important nuclides that cause cooling-time variations in the count rate ratios. The results of these studies show that 235U content has a major impact on the SINRD signal in addition to the 239Pu content. Plutonium-241 and 241Am are the two main nuclides responsible for the variation in the count rate ratio with cooling time. In short, this work

  14. Guidelines to indirectly measure and enhance detection efficiency of stationary PIT tag interrogation systems in streams

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Connolly, Patrick J.; Wolf, Keith; O'Neal, Jennifer S.

    2010-01-01

    With increasing use of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and reliance on stationary PIT tag interrogation systems to monitor fish populations, guidelines are offered to inform users how best to use limited funding and human resources to create functional systems that maximize a desired level of detection and precision. The estimators of detection efficiency and their variability as described by Connolly et al. (2008) are explored over a span of likely performance metrics. These estimators were developed to estimate detection efficiency without relying on a known number of fish passing the system. I present graphical displays of the results derived from these estimators to show the potential efficiency and precision to be gained by adding an array or by increasing the number of PIT-tagged fish expected to move past an interrogation system.

  15. Interrogator system for identifying electrical circuits

    DOEpatents

    Jatko, W.B.; McNeilly, D.R.

    1988-04-12

    A system for interrogating electrical leads to correctly ascertain the identity of equipment attached to remote ends of the leads is disclosed. The system includes a source of a carrier signal generated in a controller/receiver to be sent over the leads and an identifier unit at the equipment. The identifier is activated by command of the carrier and uses a portion of the carrier to produce a supply voltage. Each identifier is uniquely programmed for a specific piece of equipment, and causes the impedance of the circuit to be modified whereby the carrier signal is modulated according to that program. The modulation can be amplitude, frequency or phase modulation. A demodulator in the controller/receiver analyzes the modulated carrier signal, and if a verified signal is recognized displays and/or records the information. This information can be utilized in a computer system to prepare a wiring diagram of the electrical equipment attached to specific leads. Specific circuit values are given for amplitude modulation, and the system is particularly described for use with thermocouples. 6 figs.

  16. Interrogator system for identifying electrical circuits

    DOEpatents

    Jatko, William B.; McNeilly, David R.

    1988-01-01

    A system for interrogating electrical leads to correctly ascertain the identity of equipment attached to remote ends of the leads. The system includes a source of a carrier signal generated in a controller/receiver to be sent over the leads and an identifier unit at the equipment. The identifier is activated by command of the carrier and uses a portion of the carrier to produce a supply voltage. Each identifier is uniquely programmed for a specific piece of equipment, and causes the impedance of the circuit to be modified whereby the carrier signal is modulated according to that program. The modulation can be amplitude, frequency or phase modulation. A demodulator in the controller/receiver analyzes the modulated carrier signal, and if a verified signal is recognized displays and/or records the information. This information can be utilized in a computer system to prepare a wiring diagram of the electrical equipment attached to specific leads. Specific circuit values are given for amplitude modulation, and the system is particularly described for use with thermocouples.

  17. Facilitating biomedical researchers' interrogation of electronic health record data: Ideas from outside of biomedical informatics.

    PubMed

    Hruby, Gregory W; Matsoukas, Konstantina; Cimino, James J; Weng, Chunhua

    2016-04-01

    Electronic health records (EHR) are a vital data resource for research uses, including cohort identification, phenotyping, pharmacovigilance, and public health surveillance. To realize the promise of EHR data for accelerating clinical research, it is imperative to enable efficient and autonomous EHR data interrogation by end users such as biomedical researchers. This paper surveys state-of-art approaches and key methodological considerations to this purpose. We adapted a previously published conceptual framework for interactive information retrieval, which defines three entities: user, channel, and source, by elaborating on channels for query formulation in the context of facilitating end users to interrogate EHR data. We show the current progress in biomedical informatics mainly lies in support for query execution and information modeling, primarily due to emphases on infrastructure development for data integration and data access via self-service query tools, but has neglected user support needed during iteratively query formulation processes, which can be costly and error-prone. In contrast, the information science literature has offered elaborate theories and methods for user modeling and query formulation support. The two bodies of literature are complementary, implying opportunities for cross-disciplinary idea exchange. On this basis, we outline the directions for future informatics research to improve our understanding of user needs and requirements for facilitating autonomous interrogation of EHR data by biomedical researchers. We suggest that cross-disciplinary translational research between biomedical informatics and information science can benefit our research in facilitating efficient data access in life sciences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  19. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  20. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  1. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  2. 41 CFR 102-5.80 - What are some examples of positions that may involve field work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... of positions that may involve field work? 102-5.80 Section 102-5.80 Public Contracts and Property...-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.80 What are some examples of positions that may involve field work? Examples of positions that may involve field work include...

  3. Nanochannel Electroporation as a Platform for Living Cell Interrogation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xi; Huang, Xiaomeng; Wang, Xinmei; Wu, Yun; Eisfeld, Ann-Kathrin; Schwind, Sebastian; Gallego-Perez, Daniel; Boukany, Pouyan E; Marcucci, Guido I; Lee, Ly James

    2015-12-01

    A living cell interrogation platform based on nanochannel electroporation is demonstrated with analysis of RNAs in single cells. This minimally invasive process is based on individual cells and allows both multi-target analysis and stimulus-response analysis by sequential deliveries. The unique platform possesses a great potential to the comprehensive and lysis-free nucleic acid analysis on rare or hard-to-transfect cells.

  4. Enhancement of Arabidopsis growth characteristics using genome interrogation with artificial transcription factors

    PubMed Central

    Pinas, Johan E.; Henkel, Christiaan V.; Augustijn, Dieuwertje; Hooykaas, Paul J. J.; van der Zaal, Bert J.

    2017-01-01

    The rapidly growing world population has a greatly increasing demand for plant biomass, thus creating a great interest in the development of methods to enhance the growth and biomass accumulation of crop species. In this study, we used zinc finger artificial transcription factor (ZF-ATF)-mediated genome interrogation to manipulate the growth characteristics and biomass of Arabidopsis plants. We describe the construction of two collections of Arabidopsis lines expressing fusions of three zinc fingers (3F) to the transcriptional repressor motif EAR (3F-EAR) or the transcriptional activator VP16 (3F-VP16), and the characterization of their growth characteristics. In total, six different 3F-ATF lines with a consistent increase in rosette surface area (RSA) of up to 55% were isolated. For two lines we demonstrated that 3F-ATF constructs function as dominant in trans acting causative agents for an increase in RSA and biomass, and for five larger plant lines we have investigated 3F-ATF induced transcriptomic changes. Our results indicate that genome interrogation can be used as a powerful tool for the manipulation of plant growth and biomass and that it might supply novel cues for the discovery of genes and pathways involved in these properties. PMID:28358915

  5. Enhancement of Arabidopsis growth characteristics using genome interrogation with artificial transcription factors.

    PubMed

    Tol, Niels van; Rolloos, Martijn; Pinas, Johan E; Henkel, Christiaan V; Augustijn, Dieuwertje; Hooykaas, Paul J J; van der Zaal, Bert J

    2017-01-01

    The rapidly growing world population has a greatly increasing demand for plant biomass, thus creating a great interest in the development of methods to enhance the growth and biomass accumulation of crop species. In this study, we used zinc finger artificial transcription factor (ZF-ATF)-mediated genome interrogation to manipulate the growth characteristics and biomass of Arabidopsis plants. We describe the construction of two collections of Arabidopsis lines expressing fusions of three zinc fingers (3F) to the transcriptional repressor motif EAR (3F-EAR) or the transcriptional activator VP16 (3F-VP16), and the characterization of their growth characteristics. In total, six different 3F-ATF lines with a consistent increase in rosette surface area (RSA) of up to 55% were isolated. For two lines we demonstrated that 3F-ATF constructs function as dominant in trans acting causative agents for an increase in RSA and biomass, and for five larger plant lines we have investigated 3F-ATF induced transcriptomic changes. Our results indicate that genome interrogation can be used as a powerful tool for the manipulation of plant growth and biomass and that it might supply novel cues for the discovery of genes and pathways involved in these properties.

  6. Bayesian variable selection for post-analytic interrogation of susceptibility loci.

    PubMed

    Chen, Siying; Nunez, Sara; Reilly, Muredach P; Foulkes, Andrea S

    2017-06-01

    Understanding the complex interplay among protein coding genes and regulatory elements requires rigorous interrogation with analytic tools designed for discerning the relative contributions of overlapping genomic regions. To this aim, we offer a novel application of Bayesian variable selection (BVS) for classifying genomic class level associations using existing large meta-analysis summary level resources. This approach is applied using the expectation maximization variable selection (EMVS) algorithm to typed and imputed SNPs across 502 protein coding genes (PCGs) and 220 long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that overlap 45 known loci for coronary artery disease (CAD) using publicly available Global Lipids Gentics Consortium (GLGC) (Teslovich et al., 2010; Willer et al., 2013) meta-analysis summary statistics for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The analysis reveals 33 PCGs and three lncRNAs across 11 loci with >50% posterior probabilities for inclusion in an additive model of association. The findings are consistent with previous reports, while providing some new insight into the architecture of LDL-cholesterol to be investigated further. As genomic taxonomies continue to evolve, additional classes such as enhancer elements and splicing regions, can easily be layered into the proposed analysis framework. Moreover, application of this approach to alternative publicly available meta-analysis resources, or more generally as a post-analytic strategy to further interrogate regions that are identified through single point analysis, is straightforward. All coding examples are implemented in R version 3.2.1 and provided as supplemental material. © 2016, The International Biometric Society.

  7. A high-order time-accurate interrogation method for time-resolved PIV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lynch, Kyle; Scarano, Fulvio

    2013-03-01

    A novel method is introduced for increasing the accuracy and extending the dynamic range of time-resolved particle image velocimetry (PIV). The approach extends the concept of particle tracking velocimetry by multiple frames to the pattern tracking by cross-correlation analysis as employed in PIV. The working principle is based on tracking the patterned fluid element, within a chosen interrogation window, along its individual trajectory throughout an image sequence. In contrast to image-pair interrogation methods, the fluid trajectory correlation concept deals with variable velocity along curved trajectories and non-zero tangential acceleration during the observed time interval. As a result, the velocity magnitude and its direction are allowed to evolve in a nonlinear fashion along the fluid element trajectory. The continuum deformation (namely spatial derivatives of the velocity vector) is accounted for by adopting local image deformation. The principle offers important reductions of the measurement error based on three main points: by enlarging the temporal measurement interval, the relative error becomes reduced; secondly, the random and peak-locking errors are reduced by the use of least-squares polynomial fits to individual trajectories; finally, the introduction of high-order (nonlinear) fitting functions provides the basis for reducing the truncation error. Lastly, the instantaneous velocity is evaluated as the temporal derivative of the polynomial representation of the fluid parcel position in time. The principal features of this algorithm are compared with a single-pair iterative image deformation method. Synthetic image sequences are considered with steady flow (translation, shear and rotation) illustrating the increase of measurement precision. An experimental data set obtained by time-resolved PIV measurements of a circular jet is used to verify the robustness of the method on image sequences affected by camera noise and three-dimensional motions. In

  8. Measurement of the ATCRBS Surface Interrogation Environments at Chicago O'Hare and Los Angeles International Airports

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1976-07-01

    The Transportation Systems Center is conducting a progrm to develop a surface surveillance sensor that uses replies from ATCRBS tansponders. The operation of this system can be affected by surface interrogations at major airports where such a system ...

  9. Grating-Coupled Surface Plasmon Resonance (GC-SPR) Optimization for Phase-Interrogation Biosensing in a Microfluidic Chamber.

    PubMed

    Rossi, Stefano; Gazzola, Enrico; Capaldo, Pietro; Borile, Giulia; Romanato, Filippo

    2018-05-18

    Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based sensors have the advantage of being label-free, enzyme-free and real-time. However, their spreading in multidisciplinary research is still mostly limited to prism-coupled devices. Plasmonic gratings, combined with a simple and cost-effective instrumentation, have been poorly developed compared to prism-coupled system mainly due to their lower sensitivity. Here we describe the optimization and signal enhancement of a sensing platform based on phase-interrogation method, which entails the exploitation of a nanostructured sensor. This technique is particularly suitable for integration of the plasmonic sensor in a lab-on-a-chip platform and can be used in a microfluidic chamber to ease the sensing procedures and limit the injected volume. The careful optimization of most suitable experimental parameters by numerical simulations leads to a 30⁻50% enhancement of SPR response, opening new possibilities for applications in the biomedical research field while maintaining the ease and versatility of the configuration.

  10. Grating-Coupled Surface Plasmon Resonance (GC-SPR) Optimization for Phase-Interrogation Biosensing in a Microfluidic Chamber

    PubMed Central

    Rossi, Stefano; Gazzola, Enrico; Capaldo, Pietro; Borile, Giulia; Romanato, Filippo

    2018-01-01

    Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based sensors have the advantage of being label-free, enzyme-free and real-time. However, their spreading in multidisciplinary research is still mostly limited to prism-coupled devices. Plasmonic gratings, combined with a simple and cost-effective instrumentation, have been poorly developed compared to prism-coupled system mainly due to their lower sensitivity. Here we describe the optimization and signal enhancement of a sensing platform based on phase-interrogation method, which entails the exploitation of a nanostructured sensor. This technique is particularly suitable for integration of the plasmonic sensor in a lab-on-a-chip platform and can be used in a microfluidic chamber to ease the sensing procedures and limit the injected volume. The careful optimization of most suitable experimental parameters by numerical simulations leads to a 30–50% enhancement of SPR response, opening new possibilities for applications in the biomedical research field while maintaining the ease and versatility of the configuration. PMID:29783711

  11. Characterization of lipid films by an angle-interrogation surface plasmon resonance imaging device.

    PubMed

    Liu, Linlin; Wang, Qiong; Yang, Zhong; Wang, Wangang; Hu, Ning; Luo, Hongyan; Liao, Yanjian; Zheng, Xiaolin; Yang, Jun

    2015-04-01

    Surface topographies of lipid films have an important significance in the analysis of the preparation of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). In order to achieve accurately high-throughput and rapidly analysis of surface topographies of lipid films, a homemade SPR imaging device is constructed based on the classical Kretschmann configuration and an angle interrogation manner. A mathematical model is developed to accurately describe the shift including the light path in different conditions and the change of the illumination point on the CCD camera, and thus a SPR curve for each sampling point can also be achieved, based on this calculation method. The experiment results show that the topographies of lipid films formed in distinct experimental conditions can be accurately characterized, and the measuring resolution of the thickness lipid film may reach 0.05 nm. Compared with existing SPRi devices, which realize detection by monitoring the change of the reflective-light intensity, this new SPRi system can achieve the change of the resonance angle on the entire sensing surface. Thus, it has higher detection accuracy as the traditional angle-interrogation SPR sensor, with much wider detectable range of refractive index. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Walking on by Is Just the Beginning: Dialogically Interrogating Face-Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herakova, Liliana L.

    2016-01-01

    Courses: Introduction to Communication Studies, Interpersonal Communication, Nonverbal Communication. Objectives: After completing this single-class activity, students should be able to (1) describe and interpret face-work as a communicative act that both reflects and constructs identity, (2) explain the concept of intersectionality in basic…

  13. Magneto-Optic Field Coupling in Optical Fiber Bragg Gratings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carman, Gregory P. (Inventor); Mohanchandra, Panduranga K. (Inventor); Emmons, Michael C. (Inventor); Richards, William Lance (Inventor)

    2016-01-01

    The invention is a magneto-optic coupled magnetic sensor that comprises a standard optical fiber Bragg grating system. The system includes an optical fiber with at least one Bragg grating therein. The optical fiber has at least an inner core and a cladding that surrounds the inner core. The optical fiber is part of an optical system that includes an interrogation device that provides a light wave through the optical fiber and a system to determine the change in the index of refraction of the optical fiber. The cladding of the optical fiber comprises at least a portion of which is made up of ferromagnetic particles so that the ferromagnetic particles are subject to the light wave provided by the interrogation system. When a magnetic field is present, the ferromagnetic particles change the optical properties of the sensor directly.

  14. Interrogating an insect society

    PubMed Central

    Gadagkar, Raghavendra

    2009-01-01

    Insect societies such as those of ants, bees, and wasps consist of 1 or a small number of fertile queens and a large number of sterile or nearly sterile workers. While the queens engage in laying eggs, workers perform all other tasks such as nest building, acquisition and processing of food, and brood care. How do such societies function in a coordinated and efficient manner? What are the rules that individuals follow? How are these rules made and enforced? These questions are of obvious interest to us as fellow social animals but how do we interrogate an insect society and seek answers to these questions? In this article I will describe my research that was designed to seek answers from an insect society to a series of questions of obvious interest to us. I have chosen the Indian paper wasp Ropalidia marginata for this purpose, a species that is abundantly distributed in peninsular India and serves as an excellent model system. An important feature of this species is that queens and workers are morphologically identical and physiologically nearly so. How then does an individual become a queen? How does the queen suppress worker reproduction? How does the queen regulate the nonreproductive activities of the workers? What is the function of aggression shown by different individuals? How and when is the queen's heir decided? I will show how such questions can indeed be investigated and will emphasize the need for a whole range of different techniques of observation and experimentation. PMID:19487678

  15. Using elaborative interrogation to induce characteristics of polar and nonpolar solvents from animations of their molecular structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ems-Wilson, Janice

    This study concerned (a) how general chemistry students learn to classify solvent polarity from animated molecules, (b) whether peer interaction increases the number of correct classifications, and (c) whether language, academic ability, logical thinking ability, or prior knowledge interact with rate of learning or posttest performance. Two types of interaction were compared, group discussion and elaborative interrogation. The study rested on three assumptions: (a) animated molecules are appropriate for learning the concept of solvent polarity, (b) question stems and a guided interrogation enhance learning of a visual concept, (c) general chemistry students can induce the concept of solvent polarity from animated molecules when no guiding cues, either visual or verbal, are given. After a review of molecular geometry and bonding theories, students were presented with four trials of ten animated molecular structures. Ten three-to-five minute discussions were distributed among the four trials. Prior to the trials the experimental group received a 45-minute training session on elaborative interrogation; the topic was what happens on the molecular level when a carbonated beverage is opened. The control group received a 45-minute expository lecture on the same carbonated beverage topic. Participants were given a four-part posttest immediately following the trials. Results of the study suggest that most students tend to classify the solvent polarity of animated molecules based on certain structural features using a prototype or feature-frequency categorization strategy. Elaborative interrogation did not show a significant effect on the rate of learning or on the performance of learners on posttest measures of recall and comprehension. The experimental group noted a significantly greater number and range of types of features, and offered higher quality generalizations and explanations of their polarity classification procedure. Finally, the results implied that learning

  16. The relationship of intelligence and memory to interrogative suggestibility: the importance of range effects.

    PubMed

    Gudjonsson, G H

    1988-05-01

    This paper looks at the relationship between intelligence, memory and interrogative suggestibility, particularly with reference to range effects. The subjects were 60 normal subjects and 100 forensic patients who had completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Clear range effects of IQ and memory were evident in their relationship with suggestibility.

  17. Intrathecal Pump Exposure to Electromagnetic Interference: A Report of Device Interrogation following Multiple ECT Sessions.

    PubMed

    Bicket, Mark C; Hanna, George M

    2016-02-01

    Intrathecal drug delivery systems represent an increasingly common treatment modality for patients with a variety of conditions, including chronic pain and spasticity. Pumps rely on electronic programming to properly control and administer highly concentrated medications. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a known exposure that may cause a potential patient safety issue stemming from direct patient injury, pump damage, or changes to pump operation or flow rate. The objective of our case report was to describe an approach to evaluating a patient with a pump prior to and following exposure to EMI from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), as well as to document findings from device interrogations associated with this event. Case report. Academic university-based pain management center. We present the case of a patient with an intrathecal pump who underwent multiple exposures to EMI in the form of 42 ECT sessions. Interrogation of the intrathecal drug delivery system revealed no safety issues following ECT sessions. At no time were error messages, unintentional changes in event logs, unintentional changes in pump settings, or evidence of pump stall or over-infusion noted. Communication with multiple entities (patient, family, consulting physicians, and device manufacturer) and maintaining vigilance through device interrogation both before and after EMI exposure are appropriate safeguards to mitigate the risk and detect potential adverse events of EMI with intrathecal drug delivery systems. Given the infrequent reports of device exposure to ECT, best practices may be derived from experience with EMI exposure from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although routine EMI exposure to intrathecal drug delivery systems should be avoided, we describe one patient with repeated exposure to ECT without apparent complication.

  18. X-ray and neutron interrogation of air cargo for mobile applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Liew, Seth

    2015-06-01

    A system for scanning break-bulk cargo for mobile applications is presented. This combines a 140 kV multi-view, multi-energy X-ray system with 2.5 MeV neutrons. The system uses dual energy X-ray radiography with neutron radiography. The X-ray and neutron systems were designed to be collocated in a mobile environment. Various materials were interrogated with the intent of distinguishing threat materials such as explosives from similar benign materials. In particular, the identification of threats and bengins with nearly identical effective atomic numbers has been demonstrated.

  19. A MHz speed wavelength sweeping for ultra-high speed FBG interrogation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Gyeong Hun; Lee, Hwi Don; Eom, Tae Joong; Jeong, Myung Yung; Kim, Chang-Seok

    2015-09-01

    We demonstrated a MHz speed wavelength-swept fiber laser based on the active mode locking (AML) technique and applied to interrogation system of an array of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. MHz speed wavelength sweeping of wavelength-swept fiber laser can be obtained by programmable frequency modulation of the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) without any wavelength tunable filter. Both static and dynamic strain measurement of FBG sensors were successfully characterized with high linearity of an R-square value of 0.9999 at sweeping speed of 50 kHz.

  20. Enhanced Emission from Single Isolated Gold Quantum Dots Investigated Using Two-Photon-Excited Fluorescence Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy.

    PubMed

    Abeyasinghe, Neranga; Kumar, Santosh; Sun, Kai; Mansfield, John F; Jin, Rongchao; Goodson, Theodore

    2016-12-21

    New approaches in molecular nanoscopy are greatly desired for interrogation of biological, organic, and inorganic objects with sizes below the diffraction limit. Our current work investigates emergent monolayer-protected gold quantum dots (nanoclusters, NCs) composed of 25 Au atoms by utilizing two-photon-excited fluorescence (TPEF) near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) at single NC concentrations. Here, we demonstrate an approach to synthesize and isolate single NCs on solid glass substrates. Subsequent investigation of the NCs using TPEF NSOM reveals that, even when they are separated by distances of several tens of nanometers, we can excite and interrogate single NCs individually. Interestingly, we observe an enhanced two-photon absorption (TPA) cross section for single Au 25 NCs that can be attributed to few-atom local field effects and to local field-induced microscopic cascading, indicating their potential for use in ultrasensitive sensing, disease diagnostics, cancer cell therapy, and molecular computers. Finally, we report room-temperature aperture-based TPEF NSOM imaging of these NCs for the first time at 30 nm point resolution, which is a ∼5-fold improvement compared to the previous best result for the same technique. This report unveils the unique combination of an unusually large TPA cross section and the high photostability of Au NCs to (non-destructively) investigate stable isolated single NCs using TPEF NSOM. This is the first reported optical study of monolayer-protected single quantum clusters, opening some very promising opportunities in spectroscopy of nanosized objects, bioimaging, ultrasensitive sensing, molecular computers, and high-density data storage.

  1. Disrupted Social Work Field Placement: Factors That Contribute to Premature Termination of BSW Students' Field Placement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tyler, Janet

    2012-01-01

    According to R. Wayne ("Legal Guidelines for Dismissing Students Because of Poor Performance in the Field," 2004), there is a widely accepted assumption in social work education that field placement provides the best opportunity to evaluate students' goodness-of-fit with the profession and is therefore used to weed out unsuitable…

  2. Improved Fission Neutron Data Base for Active Interrogation of Actinides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pozzi, Sara; Czirr, J. Bart; Haight, Robert

    2013-11-06

    This project will develop an innovative neutron detection system for active interrogation measurements. Many active interrogation methods to detect fissionable material are based on the detection of neutrons from fission induced by fast neutrons or high-energy gamma rays. The energy spectrum of the fission neutrons provides data to identify the fissionable isotopes and materials such as shielding between the fissionable material and the detector. The proposed path for the project is as follows. First, the team will develop new neutron detection systems and algorithms by Monte Carlo simulations and bench-top experiments. Next, They will characterize and calibrate detection systems bothmore » with monoenergetic and white neutron sources. Finally, high-fidelity measurements of neutron emission from fissions induced by fast neutrons will be performed. Several existing fission chambers containing U-235, Pu-239, U-238, or Th-232 will be used to measure the neutron-induced fission neutron emission spectra. The challenge for making confident measurements is the detection of neutrons in the energy ranges of 0.01 – 1 MeV and above 8 MeV, regions where the basic data on the neutron energy spectrum emitted from fission is least well known. In addition, improvements in the specificity of neutron detectors are required throughout the complete energy range: they must be able to clearly distinguish neutrons from other radiations, in particular gamma rays and cosmic rays. The team believes that all of these challenges can be addressed successfully with emerging technologies under development by this collaboration. In particular, the collaboration will address the area of fission neutron emission spectra for isotopes of interest in the advanced fuel cycle initiative (AFCI).« less

  3. Towards isozyme-selective HDAC inhibitors for interrogating disease.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Praveer; Reid, Robert C; Iyer, Abishek; Sweet, Matthew J; Fairlie, David P

    2012-01-01

    Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes have emerged as promising targets for the treatment of a wide range of human diseases, including cancers, inflammatory and metabolic disorders, immunological, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases. At present, such applications are limited by the lack of selective inhibitors available for each of the eighteen HDAC enzymes, with most currently available HDAC inhibitors having broad-spectrum activity against multiple HDAC enzymes. Such broad-spectrum activity maybe useful in treating some diseases like cancers, but can be detrimental due to cytotoxic side effects that accompany prolonged treatment of chronic diseased states. Here we summarize progress towards the design and discovery of HDAC inhibitors that are selective for some of the eleven zinc-containing classical HDAC enzymes, and identify opportunities to use such isozyme-selective inhibitors as chemical probes for interrogating the biological roles of individual HDAC enzymes in diseases.

  4. Integrated nanoscale tools for interrogating living cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jorgolli, Marsela

    The development of next-generation, nanoscale technologies that interface biological systems will pave the way towards new understanding of such complex systems. Nanowires -- one-dimensional nanoscale structures -- have shown unique potential as an ideal physical interface to biological systems. Herein, we focus on the development of nanowire-based devices that can enable a wide variety of biological studies. First, we built upon standard nanofabrication techniques to optimize nanowire devices, resulting in perfectly ordered arrays of both opaque (Silicon) and transparent (Silicon dioxide) nanowires with user defined structural profile, densities, and overall patterns, as well as high sample consistency and large scale production. The high-precision and well-controlled fabrication method in conjunction with additional technologies laid the foundation for the generation of highly specialized platforms for imaging, electrochemical interrogation, and molecular biology. Next, we utilized nanowires as the fundamental structure in the development of integrated nanoelectronic platforms to directly interrogate the electrical activity of biological systems. Initially, we generated a scalable intracellular electrode platform based on vertical nanowires that allows for parallel electrical interfacing to multiple mammalian neurons. Our prototype device consisted of 16 individually addressable stimulation/recording sites, each containing an array of 9 electrically active silicon nanowires. We showed that these vertical nanowire electrode arrays could intracellularly record and stimulate neuronal activity in dissociated cultures of rat cortical neurons similar to patch clamp electrodes. In addition, we used our intracellular electrode platform to measure multiple individual synaptic connections, which enables the reconstruction of the functional connectivity maps of neuronal circuits. In order to expand and improve the capability of this functional prototype device we designed

  5. Explosives (and other threats) detection using pulsed neutron interrogation and optimized detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strellis, Dan A.; Elsalim, Mashal; Gozani, Tsahi

    2011-06-01

    We have previously reported results from a human-portable system using neutron interrogation to detect contraband and explosives. We summarized our methodology for distinguishing threat materials such as narcotics, C4, and mustard gas in the myriad of backgrounds present in the maritime environment. We are expanding our mission for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) to detect Special Nuclear Material (SNM) through the detection of multiple fission signatures without compromising the conventional threat detection performance. This paper covers our initial investigations into using neutrons from compact pulsed neutron generators via the d(D,n)3He or d(T,n)α reactions with energies of ~2.5 and 14 MeV, respectively, for explosives (and other threats) detection along with a variety of gamma-ray detectors. Fast neutrons and thermal neutrons (after successive collisions) can stimulate the emission of various threat detection signatures. For explosives detection, element-specific gamma-ray signatures via the (n,n'γ) inelastic scattering reaction and the (n,'γ) thermal capture reaction are detected. For SNM, delayed gamma-rays following fission can be measured with the same detector. Our initial trade-off investigations of several gamma-ray detectors types (NaI, CsI, LaBr3, HPGe) for measuring gamma-ray signatures in a pulsed neutron environment for potential application in a human-portable active interrogation system are covered in this paper.

  6. Development and application of a hybrid transport methodology for active interrogation systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Royston, K.; Walters, W.; Haghighat, A.

    A hybrid Monte Carlo and deterministic methodology has been developed for application to active interrogation systems. The methodology consists of four steps: i) neutron flux distribution due to neutron source transport and subcritical multiplication; ii) generation of gamma source distribution from (n, 7) interactions; iii) determination of gamma current at a detector window; iv) detection of gammas by the detector. This paper discusses the theory and results of the first three steps for the case of a cargo container with a sphere of HEU in third-density water cargo. To complete the first step, a response-function formulation has been developed tomore » calculate the subcritical multiplication and neutron flux distribution. Response coefficients are pre-calculated using the MCNP5 Monte Carlo code. The second step uses the calculated neutron flux distribution and Bugle-96 (n, 7) cross sections to find the resulting gamma source distribution. In the third step the gamma source distribution is coupled with a pre-calculated adjoint function to determine the gamma current at a detector window. The AIMS (Active Interrogation for Monitoring Special-Nuclear-Materials) software has been written to output the gamma current for a source-detector assembly scanning across a cargo container using the pre-calculated values and taking significantly less time than a reference MCNP5 calculation. (authors)« less

  7. Working Ni-Mn-Ga Single Crystals in a Magnetic Field Against a Spring Load

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lindquist, P. G.; Müllner, P.

    2015-03-01

    This research characterizes ferromagnetic shape memory elements for use as mechanical actuators. A single crystal of Ni-Mn-Ga was pre-strained in compression from 0 to 6 % and then the shape was recovered with a magnetic field perpendicular to the loading direction while working against a pair of springs. The magnetic field was raised from 0 to 0.64 MA/m and then reduced to zero field. Eight pairs of springs with combined spring constants ranging from 14.3 to 269.4 N/mm were used. When the magnetic field was on, the sample expanded against the springs due to magnetic field-induced strain. When the magnetic field was turned off, the springs compressed the sample back to the initial size before the next cycle. During each cycle, force and displacement were measured and the specific work was computed. Specific work increased with the applied magnetic field and the pre-strain, with a maximum of 14 kJ/m3 at 4.5 % pre-strain and 0.64 MA/m. This value is five times less than the values suggested in the literature which were inferred from stress-strain curves measured under various magnetic fields. The spring prescribes the load-displacement path of the magnetic shape memory element and controls the work output of the actuator.

  8. The Relation between Supervisor Self-Disclosure and the Working Alliance among Social Work Students in Field Placement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, Clare

    2011-01-01

    The author examined supervisor self-disclosure and the supervisory working alliance with the hope of adding to research-supported techniques in field work supervision. Students enrolled in an MSW program at a large urban university were asked to complete a survey on the frequency and content of their supervisor's self-disclosures and on their…

  9. Data Mining for Social Work Students: Teaching Practice-Based Research in Conjunction with a Field Work Placement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Auslander, Gail K.; Rosenne, Hadas

    2016-01-01

    Although research studies are important for social work students, the students rarely like research classes or see their value. At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, one group of BSW students was encouraged to carry out the required research in their field work setting, the Hadassah University Medical Center. Students used data mining, that is,…

  10. A simulation study of fast neutron interrogation for standoff detection of improvised explosive devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heider, S. A.; Dunn, W. L.

    2015-11-01

    The signature-based radiation-scanning technique utilizes radiation detector responses, called "signatures," and compares these to "templates" in order to differentiate targets that contain certain materials, such as explosives or drugs, from those that do not. Our investigations are aimed at the detection of nitrogen-rich explosives contained in improvised explosive devices. We use the term "clutter" to refer to any non-explosive materials with which the interrogating radiation may interact between source and detector. To deal with the many target types and clutter configurations that may be encountered in the field, the use of "artificial templates" is proposed. The MCNP code was used to simulate 14.1 MeV neutron source beams incident on one type of target containing various clutter and sample materials. Signatures due to inelastic-scatter and prompt-capture gamma rays from hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen and two scattered neutron signatures were considered. Targets containing explosive materials in the presence of clutter were able to be identified from targets that contained only non-explosive ("inert") materials. This study demonstrates that a finite number of artificial templates is sufficient for IED detection with fairly good sensitivity and specificity.

  11. Interrogative suggestibility, compliance and false confessions among prisoners and their relationship with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms.

    PubMed

    Gudjonsson, G H; Sigurdsson, J F; Bragason, O O; Newton, A K; Einarsson, E

    2008-07-01

    Interrogative suggestibility and compliance are important psychological vulnerabilities during interrogation. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship of suggestibility and compliance with childhood and current symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Compliance has not been studied previously in relation to ADHD. A further aim was to investigate the relationship between ADHD and the reporting of having made a false confession to the police. The participants were 90 male prisoners, all of whom had completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility and Compliance Scales (GSS and GCS) within 10 days of admission to the prison. Childhood ADHD symptoms were screened by the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and current adult symptoms by the DSM-IV Checklist criteria for ADHD. Half of the prisoners (50%) were found on screening to meet criteria for ADHD in childhood and, of those, over half (60%) were either fully symptomatic or in partial remission of their symptoms. ADHD symptoms were found to be significantly associated with compliance, but not with suggestibility. The relationship with compliance was stronger (effect size) in relation to current than childhood symptoms. The ADHD symptomatic groups were significantly more likely to claim that they had made a false confession to the police in the past. The findings raise important questions about the potential vulnerability of adults with ADHD symptoms in terms of their ability to cope with interrogation.

  12. Measurement of the gravity-field curvature by atom interferometry.

    PubMed

    Rosi, G; Cacciapuoti, L; Sorrentino, F; Menchetti, M; Prevedelli, M; Tino, G M

    2015-01-09

    We present the first direct measurement of the gravity-field curvature based on three conjugated atom interferometers. Three atomic clouds launched in the vertical direction are simultaneously interrogated by the same atom interferometry sequence and used to probe the gravity field at three equally spaced positions. The vertical component of the gravity-field curvature generated by nearby source masses is measured from the difference between adjacent gravity gradient values. Curvature measurements are of interest in geodesy studies and for the validation of gravitational models of the surrounding environment. The possibility of using such a scheme for a new determination of the Newtonian constant of gravity is also discussed.

  13. Dispositional Predictors of Problem Solving in the Field of Office Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rausch, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    It was investigated how domain-specific knowledge, fluid intelligence, vocational interest and work-related self-efficacy predicted domain-specific problem-solving performance in the field of office work. The participants included 100 German VET (vocational education and training) students nearing the end of a 3-year apprenticeship program as an…

  14. Measuring International Service Outcomes: Implications for International Social Work Field Placements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lough, Benjamin J.; McBride, Amanda Moore; Sherraden, Margaret S.

    2012-01-01

    International field placements are a unique educational opportunity for social work students to develop the skills they need for social work practice in a globalized world; however, outcomes of international placements have not been rigorously studied. This article reports on the International Volunteer Impacts Survey (IVIS), a 48-item survey…

  15. Uniform spacing interrogation of a Fourier domain mode-locked fiber Bragg grating sensor system using a polarization-maintaining fiber Sagnac interferometer

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hwi Don; Jung, Eun Joo; Jeong, Myung Yung; Chen, Zhongping; Kim, Chang-Seok

    2014-01-01

    A novel linearized interrogation method is presented for a Fourier domain mode-locked (FDML) fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor system. In a high speed regime over several tens of kHz modulations, a sinusoidal wave is available to scan the center wavelength of an FDML wavelength-swept laser, instead of a conventional triangular wave. However, sinusoidal wave modulation suffers from an exaggerated non-uniform wavelength-spacing response in demodulating the time-encoded parameter to the absolute wavelength. In this work, the calibration signal from a polarization-maintaining fiber Sagnac interferometer shares the FDML wavelength-swept laser for FBG sensors to convert the time-encoded FBG signal to the wavelength-encoded uniform-spacing signal. PMID:24489440

  16. Genome interrogation for novel salinity tolerant Arabidopsis mutants.

    PubMed

    van Tol, Niels; Pinas, Johan; Schat, Henk; Hooykaas, Paul J J; van der Zaal, Bert J

    2016-12-01

    Soil salinity is becoming an increasingly large problem in agriculture. In this study, we have investigated whether a capacity to withstand salinity can be induced in the salinity sensitive plant species Arabidopsis thaliana, and whether it can be maintained in subsequent generations. To this end, we have used zinc finger artificial transcription factor (ZF-ATFs) mediated genome interrogation. Already within a relatively small collection Arabidopsis lines expressing ZF-ATFs, we found 41 lines that were tolerant to 100 mM NaCl. Furthermore, ZF-ATF encoding gene constructs rescued from the most strongly salinity tolerant lines were indeed found to act as dominant and heritable agents for salinity tolerance. Altogether, our data provide evidence that a silent capacity to withstand normally lethal levels of salinity exists in Arabidopsis and can be evoked relatively easily by in trans acting transcription factors like ZF-ATFs. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Dose profile modeling of Idaho National Laboratory's active neutron interrogation laboratory.

    PubMed

    Chichester, D L; Seabury, E H; Zabriskie, J M; Wharton, J; Caffrey, A J

    2009-06-01

    A new laboratory has been commissioned at Idaho National Laboratory for performing active neutron interrogation research and development. The facility is designed to provide radiation shielding for deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion (14.1 MeV) neutron generators (2 x 10(8) n/s), deuterium-deuterium (DD) fusion (2.5 MeV) neutron generators (1 x 10(7) n/s), and (252)Cf spontaneous fission neutron sources (6.96 x 10(7) n/s, 30 microg). Shielding at the laboratory is comprised of modular concrete shield blocks 0.76 m thick with tongue-in-groove features to prevent radiation streaming, arranged into one small and one large test vault. The larger vault is designed to allow operation of the DT generator and has walls 3.8m tall, an entrance maze, and a fully integrated electrical interlock system; the smaller test vault is designed for (252)Cf and DD neutron sources and has walls 1.9 m tall and a simple entrance maze. Both analytical calculations and numerical simulations were used in the design process for the building to assess the performance of the shielding walls and to ensure external dose rates are within required facility limits. Dose rate contour plots have been generated for the facility to visualize the effectiveness of the shield walls and entrance mazes and to illustrate the spatial profile of the radiation dose field above the facility and the effects of skyshine around the vaults.

  18. NDE of Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor field joint

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnston, Patrick H.

    1987-01-01

    One of the most critical areas for inspection in the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motors is the bond between the steel case and rubber insulation in the region of the field joints. The tang-and-clevis geometry of the field joints is sufficiently complex to prohibit the use of resonance-based techniques. One approach we are investigating is to interrogate the steel-insulation bondline in the tang and clevis regions using surface-travelling waves. A low-frequency contact surface wave transmitting array transducer is under development at our laboratory for this purpose. The array is placed in acoustic contact with the steel and surface waves are launched on the inside surface or the clevis leg which propagate along the steel-insulation interface. As these surface waves propagate along the bonded surface, the magnitude of the ultrasonic energy leaking into the steel is monitored on the outer surface of the case. Our working hypothesis is that the magnitude of energy received at the outer surface of the case is dependent upon the integrity of the case-insulation bond, with less attenuation for propagation along a disbond due to imperfect acoustic coupling between the steel and rubber. Measurements on test specimens indicate a linear relationship between received signal amplitude and the length of good bend between the transmitter and receiver, suggesting the validity of this working hypothesis.

  19. Reducing electromagnetic irradiation and fields alleviates experienced health hazards of VDU work.

    PubMed

    Hagström, M; Auranen, J; Johansson, O; Ekman, R

    2012-04-01

    Word Heath Organisation (WHO) outlined in 2005 recommendations, how to treat people suffering from the functional impairment electrohypersensitivity in its document "Electromagnetic fields and public health". Unfortunately the reduction of electromagnetic fields was not considered as a treatment option. The aim of the current study was to shield the computer user from the emitted electromagnetic irradiation and fields and to correlate that to the subjective symptoms reported by electrohypersensitive volunteers. The irradiation of the shielding cabinets was recorded. They housed either separate computer screens or whole laptops. When the volunteers had used the shielding cabinet for 1-7 years, they were able work with their computers whole working day, Those who had used the shielding cabined for 2-3 months were partially symptom free. The person who had used the cabinet only for 1 week reported some alleviation of her nausea. it seems that reducing the electromagnetic irradiation of the computer can lessen the symptoms of electrohypersensitivity and permit working without problems. Further studies are needed to clarify how the symptoms of different organ systems recover and make computer users to work also professionally. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Repetitive Interrogation of 2-Level Quantum Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prestage, John D.; Chung, Sang K.

    2010-01-01

    Trapped ion clocks derive information from a reference atomic transition by repetitive interrogations of the same quantum system, either a single ion or ionized gas of many millions of ions. Atomic beam frequency standards, by contrast, measure reference atomic transitions in a continuously replenished "flow through" configuration where initial ensemble atomic coherence is zero. We will describe some issues and problems that can arise when atomic state selection and preparation of the quantum atomic system is not completed, that is, optical pumping has not fully relaxed the coherence and also not fully transferred atoms to the initial state. We present a simple two-level density matrix analysis showing how frequency shifts during the state-selection process can cause frequency shifts of the measured clock transition. Such considerations are very important when a low intensity lamp light source is used for state selection, where there is relatively weak relaxation and re-pumping of ions to an initial state and much weaker 'environmental' relaxation of the atomic coherence set-up in the atomic sample.

  1. 75 FR 53980 - Notice of Field Tours for the Pinedale Anticline Working Group

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-02

    ...) PAWG will conduct field tours of the Pinedale Anticline Project Area (PAPA). Tours are open to the...-LXSI016K0000] Notice of Field Tours for the Pinedale Anticline Working Group AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management... RSVP no later than one week prior to each field trip to Shelley Gregory, BLM Pinedale Field Office, P.O...

  2. AN/UPX-41(C) Digital Interrogator System Compatibility with the National Airspace System: Chesapeake Fixed-Base Test.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-10-31

    In 2012, the Navy requested spectrum certification for the shipboard AN/UPX-41(C) Digital Interrogator System, Software Version 5.5 with Mode 5. Current operating conditions for the Navys AN/UPX-41(C) are the same as restrictions imposed on the AN...

  3. It Feels Like Home: The Role of the Aesthetic Space in Participatory Work with Vulnerable Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunka, Emily

    2015-01-01

    The author's entry into the Applied Theatre field coincided with "Research in Drama Education" ("RiDE's") inaugural issue in 1996 and, for the ensuing two decades, her practice has been primarily with "vulnerable" children. The purpose of this article is to interrogate a growing concern: that applied theatre's…

  4. Surface plasmon resonance sensor using vari-focal liquid lens under angular interrogation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Muyoung; Bang, Yousung; Lee, Jooho; Jang, Wonjae; Won, Yong Hyub

    2017-02-01

    In this paper, a surface plasmon resonance sensor for the detection of refractive index variation is presented. A novel waveguide type surface plasmon resonance sensing configuration with focal length variable liquid lens is introduced. The method of surface plasmon resonance sensor is based on the waveguide type with incident angle variation. The incident angle is varied by using an electrowetting liquid lens which is possible to actively change focal length as applying voltage. The optical system, which is adapted to electrowetting lens can continuously change the incident angle of light from 73 to 78 degrees with compact size. The surface plasmon waves are excited between metal and dielectric interface. The sensing surfaces are prepared by a coating of gold metal above high refractive index glass substrate. The incident light which is 532nm monochromatic light source passes through a noble metal coated substrate to detect intensity with incident angle variation. An analysis to distinguish the contribution of light with various incident angle is focused on the angular characteristics of the surface plasmon sensor under wavelength interrogation. The resonance angle is determined corresponding to sensing material refractive index with high sensitivity. The result suggests that the performance of surface plasmon resonance sensor can be improved by real time varying incident angle. From this presented study, it provides a different approach for angular interrogation surface plasmon resonance sensor and can be miniaturized for a portable device.

  5. Interrogative Types in Parental Speech to Language Learning Children: A Linguistic Universal? Research Report No. 56.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buium, Nissan

    The verbal interactions of eight mother-child pairs (four Hebrew-speaking mothers and four English-speaking mothers with their 24-month-old language learning children) were recorded and analyzed to determine the frequency of occurrence of various interrogative forms in the mothers' language. Results indicated that English-speaking mothers produced…

  6. Asking for Action or Information? Crosslinguistic Comparison of Interrogative Functions in Early Child Cantonese and Mandarin

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Hui; Wong, Eileen Chin Mei; Tse, Shek Kam; Leung, Shing On; Ye, Qianling

    2015-01-01

    Request for information (RfI) is believed to be the universally dominant function of young children's questioning, whereas request for action (RfA) has been reported to be the leading interrogative form used in early child Cantonese. The possibility of crosslinguistic variability prompts further research and comparison with additional languages.…

  7. Counterfactual quantum computation through quantum interrogation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hosten, Onur; Rakher, Matthew T.; Barreiro, Julio T.; Peters, Nicholas A.; Kwiat, Paul G.

    2006-02-01

    The logic underlying the coherent nature of quantum information processing often deviates from intuitive reasoning, leading to surprising effects. Counterfactual computation constitutes a striking example: the potential outcome of a quantum computation can be inferred, even if the computer is not run. Relying on similar arguments to interaction-free measurements (or quantum interrogation), counterfactual computation is accomplished by putting the computer in a superposition of `running' and `not running' states, and then interfering the two histories. Conditional on the as-yet-unknown outcome of the computation, it is sometimes possible to counterfactually infer information about the solution. Here we demonstrate counterfactual computation, implementing Grover's search algorithm with an all-optical approach. It was believed that the overall probability of such counterfactual inference is intrinsically limited, so that it could not perform better on average than random guesses. However, using a novel `chained' version of the quantum Zeno effect, we show how to boost the counterfactual inference probability to unity, thereby beating the random guessing limit. Our methods are general and apply to any physical system, as illustrated by a discussion of trapped-ion systems. Finally, we briefly show that, in certain circumstances, counterfactual computation can eliminate errors induced by decoherence.

  8. Toward multi-area distributed network of implanted neural interrogators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Powell, Marc P.; Hou, Xiaoxiao; Galligan, Craig; Ashe, Jeffrey; Borton, David A.

    2017-08-01

    As we aim to improve our understanding of the brain, it is critical that researchers have simultaneous multi-area, large-scale access to the brain. Information processing in the brain occurs through close and distant coupling of functional sub-domains, as opposed to within isolated single neurons. However, commercially available neural interfaces capable of sensing electrophysiology of single neurons, currently allow access to only a small, mm3 volume of cortical cells, are not scalable to recording from orders of magnitude more neurons, and leverage bulky, skull mounted hardware and cabling sensitive to relative movements of the skull and brain. In this work, we propose a system capable of recording from many individual distributed neural interrogator nodes, untethered from any external electronics. Using an array of epidural inductive coils to wirelessly power the implanted electronics, the system is intended to be agnostic to the surgical placement of any individual node. Here, we demonstrate the ability to transmit nearly 15mW of power with greater than 50% power transfer efficiency, benchtop testing of individual subcircuit system components showing successful digitization of neural signals, and wireless transmission currently supporting a data rate of 3.84Mbps. We leverage a software defined radio based RF receiver to demodulate the data which can be stored in memory for later retrieval. Finally, we introduce a packaging technology capable of isolating active electronics from the surrounding tissue while providing capability for electrical feed-through assemblies for external neural interfacing. We expect, based on the presented preliminary findings, that the system can be integrated into a platform technology for the study of the intricate interactions between cortical domains.

  9. Examining Adolescents' and Their Parents' Conceptual and Practical Knowledge of Police Interrogation: A Family Dyad Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woolard, Jennifer L.; Cleary, Hayley M. D.; Harvell, Samantha A. S.; Chen, Rusan

    2008-01-01

    This study examines whether parents have the prerequisite knowledge about police interrogation that would allow them to compensate for youths' knowledge deficits, protect their interests, and buffer against their vulnerability to coercion. A racially diverse urban/suburban convenience sample of 77 11- to 13-year-olds, 46 14- to 15-year-olds, and…

  10. Biosensing of BCR/ABL fusion gene using an intensity-interrogation surface plasmon resonance imaging system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Jiangling; Huang, Yu; Bian, Xintong; Li, DanDan; Cheng, Quan; Ding, Shijia

    2016-10-01

    In this work, a custom-made intensity-interrogation surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) system has been developed to directly detect a specific sequence of BCR/ABL fusion gene in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The variation in the reflected light intensity detected from the sensor chip composed of gold islands array is proportional to the change of refractive index due to the selective hybridization of surface-bound DNA probes with target ssDNA. SPRi measurements were performed with different concentrations of synthetic target DNA sequence. The calibration curve of synthetic target sequence shows a good relationship between the concentration of synthetic target and the change of reflected light intensity. The detection limit of this SPRi measurement could approach 10.29 nM. By comparing SPRi images, the target ssDNA and non-complementary DNA sequence are able to be distinguished. This SPRi system has been applied for assay of BCR/ABL fusion gene extracted from real samples. This nucleic acid-based SPRi biosensor therefore offers an alternative high-effective, high-throughput label-free tool for DNA detection in biomedical research and molecular diagnosis.

  11. Touching is believing: interrogating halide perovskite solar cells at the nanoscale via scanning probe microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jiangyu; Huang, Boyuan; Nasr Esfahani, Ehsan; Wei, Linlin; Yao, Jianjun; Zhao, Jinjin; Chen, Wei

    2017-10-01

    Halide perovskite solar cells based on CH3NH3PbI3 and related materials have emerged as the most exciting development in the next generation photovoltaic technologies, yet the microscopic phenomena involving photo-carriers, ionic defects, spontaneous polarization, and molecular vibration and rotation interacting with numerous grains, grain boundaries, and interfaces are still inadequately understood. In fact, there is still need for an effective method to interrogate the local photovoltaic properties of halide perovskite solar cells that can be directly traced to their microstructures on one hand and linked to their device performance on the other hand. In this perspective, we propose that scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques have great potential to realize such promises at the nanoscale, and highlight some of the recent progresses and challenges along this line of investigation toward local probing of photocurrent, work function, ionic activities, polarization switching, and chemical degradation. We also emphasize the importance of multi-modality imaging, in-operando scanning, big data analysis, and multidisciplinary collaboration for further studies toward fully understanding of these complex systems.

  12. Rewiring cells: synthetic biology as a tool to interrogate the organizational principles of living systems.

    PubMed

    Bashor, Caleb J; Horwitz, Andrew A; Peisajovich, Sergio G; Lim, Wendell A

    2010-01-01

    The living cell is an incredibly complex entity, and the goal of predictively and quantitatively understanding its function is one of the next great challenges in biology. Much of what we know about the cell concerns its constituent parts, but to a great extent we have yet to decode how these parts are organized to yield complex physiological function. Classically, we have learned about the organization of cellular networks by disrupting them through genetic or chemical means. The emerging discipline of synthetic biology offers an additional, powerful approach to study systems. By rearranging the parts that comprise existing networks, we can gain valuable insight into the hierarchical logic of the networks and identify the modular building blocks that evolution uses to generate innovative function. In addition, by building minimal toy networks, one can systematically explore the relationship between network structure and function. Here, we outline recent work that uses synthetic biology approaches to investigate the organization and function of cellular networks, and describe a vision for a synthetic biology toolkit that could be used to interrogate the design principles of diverse systems.

  13. Working with Soil - Soil science in the field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hannam, Jacqueline; Lacelles, Bruce; Owen, Jason; Thompson, Dick; Jones, Bob; Towers, Willie

    2015-04-01

    Working with Soil is the Professional Competency Scheme developed by the British Society of Soil Science's Professional Practice Committee, formerly the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists. Ten competency documents cover the required qualifications, skills and knowledge for different aspects of applied soil science. The Society is currently engaged in a five year plan to translate the competency documents into a comprehensive set of training courses. Foundation skills in field-based science are covered by three separate training courses - Exposing and describing a soil profile (Course 1), Soil classification (Course 2), and Soil survey techniques (Course 3). Course 1 has run successfully twice a year since 2013. The other two courses are under development and are scheduled to start in 2015. The primary objective of Foundation Skills Course 1 is to develop confidence and familiarity with field soil investigation and description, understanding the soil underfoot and putting soils into a wider landscape context. Delegates excavate a soil profile pit, and describe and sample the exposed soil to standard protocols. Delegates work in teams of 4 or 5 so that an element of shared learning is part of the process. This has been a very positive aspect of the courses we have run to date. The course has attracted professionals from agricultural and environmental consultancies but is also very popular with research students and has formed a part of an Advanced Training Programme in Soil Science for postgraduates. As there is only one soil science degree course remaining in the UK, many students on their admission do not have a background in field-based pedology and lack an understanding of soil in the context of landscape scale soil functions. Feedback to date has been very positive.

  14. Implantable fiber-optic interface for parallel multisite long-term optical dynamic brain interrogation in freely moving mice

    PubMed Central

    Doronina-Amitonova, L. V.; Fedotov, I. V.; Ivashkina, O. I.; Zots, M. A.; Fedotov, A. B.; Anokhin, K. V.; Zheltikov, A. M.

    2013-01-01

    Seeing the big picture of functional responses within large neural networks in a freely functioning brain is crucial for understanding the cellular mechanisms behind the higher nervous activity, including the most complex brain functions, such as cognition and memory. As a breakthrough toward meeting this challenge, implantable fiber-optic interfaces integrating advanced optogenetic technologies and cutting-edge fiber-optic solutions have been demonstrated, enabling a long-term optogenetic manipulation of neural circuits in freely moving mice. Here, we show that a specifically designed implantable fiber-optic interface provides a powerful tool for parallel long-term optical interrogation of distinctly separate, functionally different sites in the brain of freely moving mice. This interface allows the same groups of neurons lying deeply in the brain of a freely behaving mouse to be reproducibly accessed and optically interrogated over many weeks, providing a long-term dynamic detection of genome activity in response to a broad variety of pharmacological and physiological stimuli. PMID:24253232

  15. Implantable fiber-optic interface for parallel multisite long-term optical dynamic brain interrogation in freely moving mice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doronina-Amitonova, L. V.; Fedotov, I. V.; Ivashkina, O. I.; Zots, M. A.; Fedotov, A. B.; Anokhin, K. V.; Zheltikov, A. M.

    2013-11-01

    Seeing the big picture of functional responses within large neural networks in a freely functioning brain is crucial for understanding the cellular mechanisms behind the higher nervous activity, including the most complex brain functions, such as cognition and memory. As a breakthrough toward meeting this challenge, implantable fiber-optic interfaces integrating advanced optogenetic technologies and cutting-edge fiber-optic solutions have been demonstrated, enabling a long-term optogenetic manipulation of neural circuits in freely moving mice. Here, we show that a specifically designed implantable fiber-optic interface provides a powerful tool for parallel long-term optical interrogation of distinctly separate, functionally different sites in the brain of freely moving mice. This interface allows the same groups of neurons lying deeply in the brain of a freely behaving mouse to be reproducibly accessed and optically interrogated over many weeks, providing a long-term dynamic detection of genome activity in response to a broad variety of pharmacological and physiological stimuli.

  16. Moving through Moodle: Using E-Technology to Enhance Social Work Field Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hay, Kathryn; Dale, Michael

    2014-01-01

    At Massey University, New Zealand, the Moodle program was introduced as an institutional innovation to support and enhance teaching and learning. Within the social work field education program Moodle has been embraced as an opportunity to creatively advance current educational practices. The development of a meta-site for field education enables…

  17. A Web Architecture to Geographically Interrogate CHIRPS Rainfall and eMODIS NDVI for Land Use Change

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burks, Jason E.; Limaye, Ashutosh

    2014-01-01

    Monitoring of rainfall and vegetation over the continent of Africa is important for assessing the status of crop health and agriculture, along with long-term changes in land use change. These issues can be addressed through examination of long-term precipitation (rainfall) data sets and remote sensing of land surface vegetation and land use types. Two products have been used previously to address these goals: the Climate Hazard Group Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) rainfall data, and multi-day composites of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from the USGS eMODIS product. Combined, these are very large data sets that require unique tools and architecture to facilitate a variety of data analysis methods or data exploration by the end user community. To address these needs, a web-enabled system has been developed to allow end-users to interrogate CHIRPS rainfall and eMODIS NDVI data over the continent of Africa. The architecture allows end-users to use custom defined geometries, or the use of predefined political boundaries in their interrogation of the data. The massive amount of data interrogated by the system allows the end-users with only a web browser to extract vital information in order to investigate land use change and its causes. The system can be used to generate daily, monthly and yearly averages over a geographical area and range of dates of interest to the user. It also provides analysis of trends in precipitation or vegetation change for times of interest. The data provided back to the end-user is displayed in graphical form and can be exported for use in other, external tools. The development of this tool has significantly decreased the investment and requirements for end-users to use these two important datasets, while also allowing the flexibility to the end-user to limit the search to the area of interest.

  18. Two Interrogated FBG Spectral Linewidth for Strain Sensing through Correlation.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Shih-Hsiang; Chuang, Kuo-Wei; Chen, Ci-Syu; Lin, Ching-Yu; Chang, Che-Chang

    2017-12-07

    The spectral linewidth from two cross-correlated fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) are interrogated and characterized using a delayed self-homodyne method for fiber strain sensing. This approach employs a common higher frequency resolution instead of wavelength. A sensitivity and resolution of 166 MHz/με and 50 nε were demonstrated from 4 GHz spectral linewidth characterization on the electric spectrum analyzer. A 10 nε higher resolution can be expected through random noise analyses when the spectral linewidth from two FBG correlations is reduced to 1 GHz. Moreover, the FBG spectrum is broadened during strain and experimentally shows a 0.44 pm/με sensitivity, which is mainly caused by the photo elastic effect from the fiber grating period stretch.

  19. Determination of the chromatic dispersion of liquids based on the liquid-prism SPR configuration in angular and spectral interrogations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lan, Guoqiang; Liu, Shugang; Wang, Yuxiao; Zhang, Xueru; Song, Yinglin

    2015-10-01

    In this work, we use the liquid-prism SPR sensing configuration to determine the chromatic dispersion of different liquids, since the condition of SPR is sensitive to the refractive index of the liquid prism. We use the glass slide coated with 50 nm Au film as the sensing chip, and use AvaLight - HAL (360 nm - 2500 nm) light source as the broaden band light source in our experiments. We adopt the deionized water as the standard sample to determine the chromatic dispersion of different liquid samples (ethanol and n-hexane), and we implement the experiment through the SPR sensing configuration in angular and spectral interrogations. According to the experimental data, the chromatic dispersions of ethanol and n-hexane are obtained. The proposed technique provides a new high sensitive method for the determination of chromatic dispersion of liquids.

  20. Determination of total plutonium content in spent nuclear fuel assemblies with the differential die-away self-interrogation instrument

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaplan, Alexis C.; Henzl, Vladimir; Menlove, Howard O.; Swinhoe, Martyn T.; Belian, Anthony P.; Flaska, Marek; Pozzi, Sara A.

    2014-11-01

    As a part of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative Spent Fuel project, we simulate the response of the Differential Die-away Self-Interrogation (DDSI) instrument to determine total elemental plutonium content in an assayed spent nuclear fuel assembly (SFA). We apply recently developed concepts that relate total plutonium mass with SFA multiplication and passive neutron count rate. In this work, the multiplication of the SFA is determined from the die-away time in the early time domain of the Rossi-Alpha distributions measured directly by the DDSI instrument. We utilize MCNP to test the method against 44 pressurized water reactor SFAs from a simulated spent fuel library with a wide dynamic range of characteristic parameters such as initial enrichment, burnup, and cooling time. Under ideal conditions, discounting possible errors of a real world measurement, a root mean square agreement between true and determined total Pu mass of 2.1% is achieved.

  1. Teachers Working in the Field of Environmental Education: Musings of a Practitioner

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neves, Eloiza Dias

    2005-01-01

    Over the last century, much was researched in the field of Education, be its educational policies or more effective learning strategies. It is only recently that studies have begun to focus on the teachers. This article describes an investigation about how the knowledge of teachers working in the field of Environmental Education is formed,…

  2. High speed and high resolution interrogation of a fiber Bragg grating sensor based on microwave photonic filtering and chirped microwave pulse compression.

    PubMed

    Xu, Ou; Zhang, Jiejun; Yao, Jianping

    2016-11-01

    High speed and high resolution interrogation of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor based on microwave photonic filtering and chirped microwave pulse compression is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed sensor, a broadband linearly chirped microwave waveform (LCMW) is applied to a single-passband microwave photonic filter (MPF) which is implemented based on phase modulation and phase modulation to intensity modulation conversion using a phase modulator (PM) and a phase-shifted FBG (PS-FBG). Since the center frequency of the MPF is a function of the central wavelength of the PS-FBG, when the PS-FBG experiences a strain or temperature change, the wavelength is shifted, which leads to the change in the center frequency of the MPF. At the output of the MPF, a filtered chirped waveform with the center frequency corresponding to the applied strain or temperature is obtained. By compressing the filtered LCMW in a digital signal processor, the resolution is improved. The proposed interrogation technique is experimentally demonstrated. The experimental results show that interrogation sensitivity and resolution as high as 1.25 ns/με and 0.8 με are achieved.

  3. mzResults: An Interactive Viewer for Interrogation and Distribution of Proteomics Results*

    PubMed Central

    Webber, James T.; Askenazi, Manor; Marto, Jarrod A.

    2011-01-01

    The growing use of mass spectrometry in the context of biomedical research has been accompanied by an increased demand for distribution of results in a format that facilitates rapid and efficient validation of claims by reviewers and other interested parties. However, the continued evolution of mass spectrometry hardware, sample preparation methods, and peptide identification algorithms complicates standardization and creates hurdles related to compliance with journal submission requirements. Moreover, the recently announced Philadelphia Guidelines (1, 2) suggest that authors provide native mass spectrometry data files in support of their peer-reviewed research articles. These trends highlight the need for data viewers and other tools that work independently of manufacturers' proprietary data systems and seamlessly connect proteomics results with original data files to support user-driven data validation and review. Based upon our recently described API1-based framework for mass spectrometry data analysis (3, 4), we created an interactive viewer (mzResults) that is built on established database standards and enables efficient distribution and interrogation of results associated with proteomics experiments, while also providing a convenient mechanism for authors to comply with data submission standards as described in the Philadelphia Guidelines. In addition, the architecture of mzResults supports in-depth queries of the native mass spectrometry files through our multiplierz software environment. We use phosphoproteomics data to illustrate the features and capabilities of mzResults. PMID:21266631

  4. "No One Talked about It": Social Work Field Placements and Sexual Harassment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wood, Leila; Moylan, Carrie

    2017-01-01

    Increasing student safety is an important part of Title IX compliance for colleges and universities. Sexual harassment is an all too common experience for college students, although little is known about incidences in social work field placements. The extent of training and preparation received by students from social work program and field…

  5. Human Rights: Its Meaning and Practice in Social Work Field Settings.

    PubMed

    Steen, Julie A; Mann, Mary; Restivo, Nichole; Mazany, Shellene; Chapple, Reshawna

    2017-01-01

    The goal of the study reported in this article was to explore the conceptualizations of human rights and human rights practice among students and supervisors in social work field settings. Data were collected from 35 students and 48 supervisors through an online survey system that featured two open-ended questions regarding human rights issues in their agency and human rights practice tasks. Responses suggest that participants encountered human rights issues related to poverty, discrimination, participation/self-determination/autonomy, violence, dignity/respect, privacy, and freedom/liberty. They saw human rights practice as encompassing advocacy, service provision, assessment, awareness of threats to clients' rights, and the nature of the worker-client relationship. These results have implications for the social work profession, which has an opportunity to focus more intently on change efforts that support clients' rights. The study points to the possibilities of expanding the scope of the human rights competency within social work education and addressing the key human rights issues in field education. © 2016 National Association of Social Workers.

  6. Psychologists abandon the Nuremberg ethic: concerns for detainee interrogations.

    PubMed

    Pope, Kenneth S; Gutheil, Thomas G

    2009-01-01

    In the aftermath of 9-11, the American Psychological Association, one of the largest U.S. health professions, changed its ethics code so that it now runs counter to the Nuremberg Ethic. This historic post-9-11 change allows psychologists to set aside their ethical responsibilities whenever they are in irreconcilable conflict with military orders, governmental regulations, national and local laws, and other forms of governing legal authority. This article discusses the history, wording, rationale, and implications of the ethical standard that U.S. psychologists adopted 7 years ago, particularly in light of concerns over health care professionals' involvement in detainee interrogations and the controversy over psychologists' prominent involvement in settings like the Guantánamo Bay Detainment Camp and the Abu Ghraib prison. It discusses possible approaches to the complex dilemmas arising when ethical responsibilities conflict with laws, regulations, or other governing legal authority.

  7. Bioinformatic approaches to interrogating vitamin D receptor signaling.

    PubMed

    Campbell, Moray J

    2017-09-15

    Bioinformatics applies unbiased approaches to develop statistically-robust insight into health and disease. At the global, or "20,000 foot" view bioinformatic analyses of vitamin D receptor (NR1I1/VDR) signaling can measure where the VDR gene or protein exerts a genome-wide significant impact on biology; VDR is significantly implicated in bone biology and immune systems, but not in cancer. With a more VDR-centric, or "2000 foot" view, bioinformatic approaches can interrogate events downstream of VDR activity. Integrative approaches can combine VDR ChIP-Seq in cell systems where significant volumes of publically available data are available. For example, VDR ChIP-Seq studies can be combined with genome-wide association studies to reveal significant associations to immune phenotypes. Similarly, VDR ChIP-Seq can be combined with data from Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to infer the impact of VDR target genes in cancer progression. Therefore, bioinformatic approaches can reveal what aspects of VDR downstream networks are significantly related to disease or phenotype. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Dynamic Sensor Interrogation Using Wavelength-Swept Laser with a Polygon-Scanner-Based Wavelength Filter

    PubMed Central

    Kwon, Yong Seok; Ko, Myeong Ock; Jung, Mi Sun; Park, Ik Gon; Kim, Namje; Han, Sang-Pil; Ryu, Han-Cheol; Park, Kyung Hyun; Jeon, Min Yong

    2013-01-01

    We report a high-speed (∼2 kHz) dynamic multiplexed fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor interrogation using a wavelength-swept laser (WSL) with a polygon-scanner-based wavelength filter. The scanning frequency of the WSL is 18 kHz, and the 10 dB scanning bandwidth is more than 90 nm around a center wavelength of 1,540 nm. The output from the WSL is coupled into the multiplexed FBG array, which consists of five FBGs. The reflected Bragg wavelengths of the FBGs are 1,532.02 nm, 1,537.84 nm, 1,543.48 nm, 1,547.98 nm, and 1,553.06 nm, respectively. A dynamic periodic strain ranging from 500 Hz to 2 kHz is applied to one of the multiplexed FBGs, which is fixed on the stage of the piezoelectric transducer stack. Good dynamic performance of the FBGs and recording of their fast Fourier transform spectra have been successfully achieved with a measuring speed of 18 kHz. The signal-to-noise ratio and the bandwidth over the whole frequency span are determined to be more than 30 dB and around 10 Hz, respectively. We successfully obtained a real-time measurement of the abrupt change of the periodic strain. The dynamic FBG sensor interrogation system can be read out with a WSL for high-speed and high-sensitivity real-time measurement. PMID:23899934

  9. Geography and Field Work: An Exercise for the Elementary School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green-Milberg, Patricia

    1999-01-01

    Maintains that geography field work is enjoyable for students and provides them with real-world experiences. Describes an activity where students visit a supermarket in order to gather data for a graph and a shopping center to investigate the store layout and shopping traffic. Provides pre-visit preparation guidelines and post-visit activities.…

  10. Photon and neutron interrogation techniques for chemical explosives detection in air cargo: A critical review

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Runkle, Robert C.; White, Timothy A.; Miller, Erin A.

    Scanning cargo transported via aircraft ("air cargo") for explosive threats is a problem that, at present, lacks a comprehensive technical solution. While explosives detection in the baggage-scanning domain has a rich history that sheds light on potential solutions for air cargo, baggage scanning differs in several ways and thus one cannot look to the present array of technologies. Some contemporary solutions, like trace analysis, are not readily applied to cargo due to sampling challenges while the larger geometry of air cargo makes others less effective. This review article examines an array of interrogation techniques using photons and neutrons as incidentmore » particles. We first present a summary of the signatures and observables explosives provide and review how they have been exploited in baggage scanning. Following this is a description of the challenges posed by the air cargo application space. After considering interrogation sources, methods focused on transmission imaging, sub-surface examination and elemental characterization are described. It is our goal to shed light on the technical promise of each method while largely deferring questions that revolve around footprint, safety and conduct of operations. Our overarching intent is that a comprehensive understanding of potential techniques will foster development of a comprehensive solution.« less

  11. The approximate entropy concept extended to three dimensions for calibrated, single parameter structural complexity interrogation of volumetric images.

    PubMed

    Moore, Christopher; Marchant, Thomas

    2017-07-12

    Reconstructive volumetric imaging permeates medical practice because of its apparently clear depiction of anatomy. However, the tell tale signs of abnormality and its delineation for treatment demand experts work at the threshold of visibility for hints of structure. Hitherto, a suitable assistive metric that chimes with clinical experience has been absent. This paper develops the complexity measure approximate entropy (ApEn) from its 1D physiological origin into a three-dimensional (3D) algorithm to fill this gap. The first 3D algorithm for this is presented in detail. Validation results for known test arrays are followed by a comparison of fan-beam and cone-beam x-ray computed tomography image volumes used in image guided radiotherapy for cancer. Results show the structural detail down to individual voxel level, the strength of which is calibrated by the ApEn process itself. The potential for application in machine assisted manual interaction and automated image processing and interrogation, including radiomics associated with predictive outcome modeling, is discussed.

  12. The approximate entropy concept extended to three dimensions for calibrated, single parameter structural complexity interrogation of volumetric images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, Christopher; Marchant, Thomas

    2017-08-01

    Reconstructive volumetric imaging permeates medical practice because of its apparently clear depiction of anatomy. However, the tell tale signs of abnormality and its delineation for treatment demand experts work at the threshold of visibility for hints of structure. Hitherto, a suitable assistive metric that chimes with clinical experience has been absent. This paper develops the complexity measure approximate entropy (ApEn) from its 1D physiological origin into a three-dimensional (3D) algorithm to fill this gap. The first 3D algorithm for this is presented in detail. Validation results for known test arrays are followed by a comparison of fan-beam and cone-beam x-ray computed tomography image volumes used in image guided radiotherapy for cancer. Results show the structural detail down to individual voxel level, the strength of which is calibrated by the ApEn process itself. The potential for application in machine assisted manual interaction and automated image processing and interrogation, including radiomics associated with predictive outcome modeling, is discussed.

  13. Engineering Evaluation of UXO Detection Technologies and Interrogation Methodologies for Use in Panama: Empire, Balboa West and Pina Ranges

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-07-01

    7 2.5 PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES...False Alarm Ratio (FAR) ...................................................................... 5 Table 2-1 Plant And Animal Species Found On Areas...be effected by the implementation of UXO detection and interrogation technologies. The ranges contain many species of plants , mammals, and birds

  14. Work function measurements by the field emission retarding potential method

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Swanson, L. W.; Strayer, R. W.; Mackie, W. A.

    1971-01-01

    Using the field emission retarding potential method true work functions have been measured for the following monocrystalline substrates: W(110), W(111), W(100), Nb(100), Ni(100), Cu(100), Ir(110) and Ir(111). The electron elastic and inelastic reflection coefficients from several of these surfaces have also been examined near zero primary beam energy.

  15. FBG based high sensitive pressure sensor and its low-cost interrogation system with enhanced resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pachava, Vengal Rao; Kamineni, Srimannarayana; Madhuvarasu, Sai Shankar; Putha, Kishore; Mamidi, Venkata Reddy

    2015-12-01

    A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) pressure sensor with high sensitivity and resolution has been designed and demonstrated. The sensor is configured by firmly fixing the FBG with a metal bellows structure. The sensor works by means of measuring the Bragg wavelength shift of the FBG with respect to pressure change. From the experimental results, the pressure sensitivity of the sensor is found to be 90.6 pm/psi, which is approximately 4000 times as that of a bare fiber Bragg grating. A very good linearity of 99.86% is observed between the Bragg wavelength of the FBG and applied pressure. The designed sensor shows good repeatability with a negligible hysteresis error of ± 0.29 psi. A low-cost interrogation system that includes a long period grating (LPG) and a photodiode (PD) accompanied with simple electronic circuitry is demonstrated for the FBG sensor, which enables the sensor to attain high resolution of up to 0.025 psi. Thermal-strain cross sensitivity of the FBG pressure sensor is compensated using a reference FBG temperature sensor. The designed sensor can be used for liquid level, specific gravity, and static/dynamic low pressure measurement applications.

  16. Teaching evidence-based social work in foundation practice courses: learning from pedagogical choices of allied fields.

    PubMed

    Traube, Dorian E; Pohle, Cara E; Barley, Melissa

    2012-01-01

    The field of social work is attuned to the need to incorporate evidence-based practice education into masters-level curriculum. One question remaining is how to integrate evidence-based practice in the foundation practice courses. Integration of evidence-based practice across the foundation-level curriculum coincides with the Council on Social Work Education's mandate that student's engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research. Through a discussion of definitions, criticisms, and pedagogy across the allied fields of medicine, nursing, and social work the authors address the current status of evidence-based practice curriculum in foundation-level education. The authors incorporate the lessons learned from allied fields and a Masters of Social Work student's analyses of their experience of evidence-based practice learning to propose an adult-learner model to improve evidence-based practice pedagogy in Social Work.

  17. A Derivation of the Dick Effect from Control-Loop Models for Periodically Interrogated Passive Frequency Standards

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greenhall, Charles A.

    1996-01-01

    The phase of a frequency standard that uses periodic interrogation and control of a local oscillator (LO) is degraded by a long-term random-walk component induced by downconversion of LO noise into the loop passband. The Dick formula for the noise level of this degradation can be derived from explicit solotions of two LO control-loop models. A summary of the derivations is given here.

  18. Fresh Fuel Measurements With the Differential Die-Away Self-Interrogation Instrument

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trahan, Alexis C.; Belian, Anthony P.; Swinhoe, Martyn T.; Menlove, Howard O.; Flaska, Marek; Pozzi, Sara A.

    2017-07-01

    The purpose of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI)-Spent Fuel (SF) Project is to strengthen the technical toolkit of safeguards inspectors and/or other interested parties. The NGSI-SF team is working to achieve the following technical goals more easily and efficiently than in the past using nondestructive assay measurements of spent fuel assemblies: 1) verify the initial enrichment, burnup, and cooling time of facility declaration; 2) detect the diversion or replacement of pins; 3) estimate the plutonium mass; 4) estimate decay heat; and 5) determine the reactivity of spent fuel assemblies. The differential die-away self-interrogation (DDSI) instrument is one instrument that was assessed for years regarding its feasibility for robust, timely verification of spent fuel assemblies. The instrument was recently built and was tested using fresh fuel assemblies in a variety of configurations, including varying enrichment, neutron absorber content, and symmetry. The early die-away method, a multiplication determination method developed in simulation space, was successfully tested on the fresh fuel assembly data and determined multiplication with a root-mean-square (RMS) error of 2.9%. The experimental results were compared with MCNP simulations of the instrument as well. Low multiplication assemblies had agreement with an average RMS error of 0.2% in the singles count rate (i.e., total neutrons detected per second) and 3.4% in the doubles count rates (i.e., neutrons detected in coincidence per second). High-multiplication assemblies had agreement with an average RMS error of 4.1% in the singles and 13.3% in the doubles count rates.

  19. Occupational exposure to electric and magnetic fields during work tasks at 110 kV substations in the Tampere region.

    PubMed

    Korpinen, Leena H; Pääkkönen, Rauno J

    2010-04-01

    The occupational exposure to electric and magnetic fields during various work tasks at seven 110 kV substations in Finland's Tampere region was studied. The aim was to investigate if the action values (10 kV/m for the E-field and 500 microT for the B-field) of the EU Directive 2004/40/EC were exceeded. Electric and magnetic fields were measured during the following work tasks: (1) walking or operating devices on the ground; (2) working from a service platform; (3) working around the power transformer on the ground or using a ladder; and (4) changing a bulb from a man hoist. In work task 2 "working from a service platform" the measured electric field (maximum value 16.6 kV/m) exceeded 10 kV/m in three cases. In the future it is important to study if the limit value (10 mA/m(2)) of Directive 2004/40/EC is exceeded at 110 kV substations. The occupational 500 microT action value of the magnetic flux density field (B-field) was not exceeded in any working situation.

  20. Through-wafer interrogation of microstructure motion for MEMS feedback control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dawson, Jeremy M.; Chen, Jingdong; Brown, Kolin S.; Famouri, Parviz F.; Hornak, Lawrence A.

    1999-09-01

    Closed-loop MEMS control enables mechanical microsystems to adapt to the demands of the environment which they are actuating opening a new window of opportunity for future MEMS applications. Planar diffractive optical microsystems have the potential to enable the integrated optical interrogation of MEMS microstructure position fully decoupled from the means of mechanical actuation which is central to realization of feedback control. This paper presents the results of initial research evaluating through-wafer optical microsystems for MEMS integrated optical monitoring. Positional monitoring results obtained from a 1.3 micrometer wavelength through- wafer free-space optical probe of a lateral comb resonator fabricated using the Multi-User MEMS Process Service (MUMPS) are presented. Given the availability of positional information via probe signal feedback, a simulation of the application of nonlinear sliding control is presented illustrating position control of the lateral comb resonator structure.

  1. DOSE PROFILE MODELING OF IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY’S ACTIVE NEUTRON INTERROGATION TEST FACILITY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    D. L. Chichester; E. H. Seabury; J. M. Zabriskie

    2009-06-01

    A new research and development laboratory has been commissioned at Idaho National Laboratory for performing active neutron interrogation research and development. The facility is designed to provide radiation shielding for DT fusion (14.1 MeV) neutron generators (2 x 108 neutrons per second), DD fusion (2.5 MeV) neutron generators (up to 2 x 106 neutrons per second), and 252Cf spontaneous fission neutron sources (6.7 x 107 neutrons per second, 30 micrograms). Shielding at the laboratory is comprised of modular concrete shield blocks 0.76 m thick with tongue-in-groove features to prevent radiation streaming, arranged into one small and one large test vault.more » The larger vault is designed to allow operation of the DT generator and has walls 3.8 m tall, an entrance maze, and a fully integrated electrical interlock system; the smaller test vault is designed for 252Cf and DD neutron sources and has walls 1.9 m tall and a simple entrance maze. Both analytical calculations and numerical simulations were used in the design process for the building to assess the performance of the shielding walls and to ensure external dose rates are within required facility limits. Dose rate contour plots have been generated for the facility to visualize the effectiveness of the shield wall and entrance maze and to illustrate the spatial profile of the radiation dose field above the facility and the effects of skyshine around the vaults.« less

  2. [Field work, narrative and knowledge production in contemporary ethnographic research: a contribution to the field of health].

    PubMed

    Trad, Leny Alves Bomfim

    2012-03-01

    In this article I reflect on the peculiarities of contemporary ethnographic research, highlighting some challenges inherent to this process. The discussion focuses in particular on the following aspects: the limits imposed by the clear reduction in immersion time in the field; the challenges in learning about ethnographic work, either in the process of observation or interaction in the field, or in the task of textual production; issues of an epistemological and ethical nature that deserve particular attention on the part of practitioners of the ethnographic approach and the scientific community in general. It is especially appropriate to foster debate around the ethnographic method, addressing its peculiarities, operational complexity and potential as a tool for knowledge production, in the sphere of health/public health, bearing in mind the marked increase of this approach in this field.

  3. Compressing the fluctuation of the magnetic field by dynamic compensation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Wenli; Dong, Richang; Wei, Rong; Chen, Tingting; Wang, Qian; Wang, Yuzhu

    2018-03-01

    We present a dynamic compensation method to compress the spatial fluctuation of the static magnetic field (C-field) that provides a quantization axis in the atomic fountain clock. The coil current of the C-field is point-by-point modulated in accordance with the atoms probing the magnetic field along the flight trajectory. A homogeneous field with a 0.2 nT inhomogeneity is produced compared to a 5 nT under the static magnetic field with a constant current during the Ramsey interrogation. The corresponding uncertainty associated with the second-order Zeeman shift that we calculate is improved by one order of magnitude. The technique provides an alternative method to improve the uniformity of the magnetic field, particularly for large-scale equipment that is difficult to construct with an effective magnetic shielding. Our method is simple, robust, and essentially important in frequency evaluations concerning the dominant uncertainty contribution due to the quadratic Zeeman shift.

  4. Unraveling nonadiabatic ionization and Coulomb potential effect in strong-field photoelectron holography.

    PubMed

    Song, Xiaohong; Lin, Cheng; Sheng, Zhihao; Liu, Peng; Chen, Zhangjin; Yang, Weifeng; Hu, Shilin; Lin, C D; Chen, Jing

    2016-06-22

    Strong field photoelectron holography has been proposed as a means for interrogating the spatial and temporal information of electrons and ions in a dynamic system. After ionization, part of the electron wave packet may directly go to the detector (the reference wave), while another part may be driven back and scatters off the ion(the signal wave). The interference hologram of the two waves may be used to extract target information embedded in the collision process. Unlike conventional optical holography, however, propagation of the electron wave packet is affected by the Coulomb potential as well as by the laser field. In addition, electrons are emitted over the whole laser pulse duration, thus multiple interferences may occur. In this work, we used a generalized quantum-trajectory Monte Carlo method to investigate the effect of Coulomb potential and the nonadiabatic subcycle ionization on the photoelectron hologram. We showed that photoelectron hologram can be well described only when the effect of nonadiabatic ionization is accounted for, and Coulomb potential can be neglected only in the tunnel ionization regime. Our results help paving the way for establishing photoelectron holography for probing spatial and dynamic properties of atoms and molecules.

  5. Unraveling nonadiabatic ionization and Coulomb potential effect in strong-field photoelectron holography

    PubMed Central

    Song, Xiaohong; Lin, Cheng; Sheng, Zhihao; Liu, Peng; Chen, Zhangjin; Yang, Weifeng; Hu, Shilin; Lin, C. D.; Chen, Jing

    2016-01-01

    Strong field photoelectron holography has been proposed as a means for interrogating the spatial and temporal information of electrons and ions in a dynamic system. After ionization, part of the electron wave packet may directly go to the detector (the reference wave), while another part may be driven back and scatters off the ion(the signal wave). The interference hologram of the two waves may be used to extract target information embedded in the collision process. Unlike conventional optical holography, however, propagation of the electron wave packet is affected by the Coulomb potential as well as by the laser field. In addition, electrons are emitted over the whole laser pulse duration, thus multiple interferences may occur. In this work, we used a generalized quantum-trajectory Monte Carlo method to investigate the effect of Coulomb potential and the nonadiabatic subcycle ionization on the photoelectron hologram. We showed that photoelectron hologram can be well described only when the effect of nonadiabatic ionization is accounted for, and Coulomb potential can be neglected only in the tunnel ionization regime. Our results help paving the way for establishing photoelectron holography for probing spatial and dynamic properties of atoms and molecules. PMID:27329071

  6. An enhanced functional interrogation/manipulation of intracellular signaling pathways with the peptide 'stapling' technology.

    PubMed

    He, Y; Chen, D; Zheng, W

    2015-11-12

    Specific protein-protein interactions (PPIs) constitute a key underlying mechanism for the presence of a multitude of intracellular signaling pathways, which are essential for the survival of normal and cancer cells. Specific molecular blockers for a crucial PPI would therefore be invaluable tools for an enhanced functional interrogation of the signaling pathway harboring this particular PPI. On the other hand, if a particular PPI is essential for the survival of cancer cells but is absent in or dispensable for the survival of normal cells, its specific molecular blockers could potentially be developed into effective anticancer therapeutics. Due to the flat and extended PPI interface, it would be conceivably difficult for small molecules to achieve an effective blockade, a problem which could be potentially circumvented with peptides or proteins. However, the well-documented proteolytic instability and cellular impermeability of peptides and proteins in general would make their developing into effective intracellular PPI blockers quite a challenge. With the advent of the peptide 'stapling' technology which was demonstrated to be able to stabilize the α-helical conformation of a peptide via bridging two neighboring amino-acid side chains with a 'molecular staple', a linear parent peptide could be transformed into a stronger PPI blocker with enhanced proteolytic stability and cellular permeability. This review will furnish an account on the peptide 'stapling' technology and its exploitation in efforts to achieve an enhanced functional interrogation or manipulation of intracellular signaling pathways especially those that are cancer relevant.

  7. Technology Acceptance in Social Work Education: Implications for the Field Practicum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colvin, Alex Don; Bullock, Angela N.

    2014-01-01

    The exponential growth and sophistication of new information and computer technology (ICT) have greatly influenced human interactions and provided new metaphors for understanding the world. The acceptance and integration of ICT into social work field education are examined here using the technological acceptance model. This article also explores…

  8. Air ambulance tasking: mechanism of injury, telephone interrogation or ambulance crew assessment?

    PubMed

    Wilmer, Ian; Chalk, Graham; Davies, Gareth Edward; Weaver, Anne Elizabeth; Lockey, David John

    2015-10-01

    The identification of serious injury is critical to the tasking of air ambulances. London's Air Ambulance (LAA) is dispatched by a flight paramedic based on mechanism of injury (MOI), paramedical interrogation of caller (INT) or land ambulance crew request (REQ).This study aimed to demonstrate which of the dispatch methods was most effective (in accuracy and time) in identifying patients with serious injury. A retrospective review of 3 years of data (to December 2010) was undertaken. Appropriate dispatch was defined as the requirement for LAA to escort the patient to hospital or for resuscitation on-scene. Inaccurate dispatch was where LAA was cancelled or left the patient in the care of the land ambulance crew. The χ(2) test was used to calculate p values; with significance adjusted to account for multiple testing. There were 2203 helicopter activations analysed: MOI 18.9% (n=417), INT 62.4% (n=1375) and REQ 18.7% (n=411). Appropriate dispatch rates were MOI 58.7% (245/417), INT 69.7% (959/1375) and REQ 72.2% (297/411). INT and REQ were both significantly more accurate than MOI (p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in accuracy between INT and REQ (p=0.36). Combining MOI and INT remotely identified 80.2% of patients, with an overtriage rate of 32.8%. Mean time to dispatch (in minutes) was MOI 4, INT 8 and REQ 21. Telephone interrogation of the caller by a flight paramedic is as accurate as ground ambulance crew requests, and both are significantly better than MOI in identifying serious injury. Overtriage remains an issue with all methods. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  9. Work function measurements by the field emission retarding potential method.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strayer, R. W.; Mackie, W.; Swanson, L. W.

    1973-01-01

    Description of the theoretical foundation of the field electron retarding potential method, and review of its experimental application to the measurement of single crystal face work functions. The results obtained from several substrates are discussed. An interesting and useful fallout from the experimental approach described is the ability to accurately measure the elastic and inelastic reflection coefficient for impinging electrons to near zero-volt energy.

  10. AN/UPX-41(C) IFF Interrogator Compatibility with the National Airspace System : Top-Level Test Plan Chesapeake Fixed-Base Experiment

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-08-04

    In 2012, the Navy requested spectrum certification for the shipboard AN/UPX-41(C) Digital Interrogator System, Software Version 5.5 with Mode 5. : Current operating conditions for the Navys AN/UPX-41(C) are the same as restrictions imposed on the ...

  11. Competence to waive interrogation rights and adjudicative competence in adolescent defendants: cognitive development, attorney contact, and psychological symptoms.

    PubMed

    Viljoen, Jodi L; Roesch, Ronald

    2005-12-01

    Although there is growing evidence of developmental differences in competency to waive interrogation rights and adjudicative competence, the correlates of adolescents' legal capacities remain unclear. This study examined the relationship of legal capacities to cognitive development, legal learning opportunities, and psychological symptoms. Participants were 152 male and female defendants aged 11-17, who completed Grisso's Instruments for Assessing Understanding and Appreciation of Miranda Rights, the Fitness Interview Test (Revised Edition), the Woodcock-Johnson III Cognitive Assessment Battery, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for Children. Legal capacities relevant to interrogation and adjudication increased with age. These developmental differences were partially mediated or explained by cognitive development. Of the specific cognitive abilities examined (general intellectual ability, verbal ability, reasoning, long-term retrieval, attention, and executive functioning), verbal ability was a particularly strong predictor of performance on competency measures. Also, defendants obtained lower scores on competency measures if they showed evidence of attention deficits or hyperactivity, had spent limited time with their attorneys, and/or were from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

  12. Inappropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator shocks in fractured Sprint Fidelis leads associated with 'appropriate' interrogation.

    PubMed

    Farwell, David; Redpath, Calum; Birnie, David; Gollob, Michael; Lemery, Robert; Posan, Emoke; Green, Martin

    2008-06-01

    We present two patients with fractures within the pace-sense circuit of their Medtronic Sprint Fidelis leads who received inappropriate shocks from their Medtronic defibrillators during device interrogation. This was not simply a coincidence, but due to electromagnetic interference induced within the Sprint Fidelis lead by the device programmer during two-way communication with the defibrillator. Our subsequent investigations have uncovered at least two other similar incidents in Canada. We have also discovered that the Medtronic 'Auto-resume' feature may leave future patients uniquely vulnerable to such inappropriate shocks in the future.

  13. Methods and systems for Raman and optical cross-interrogation in flow-through silicon membranes

    DOEpatents

    Bond, Tiziana C.; Letant, Sonia E.

    2014-09-09

    Cross-interrogating photonic detection systems and methods are shown. A flow through photonic crystal membrane with a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate is provided with pores which are distributed along multiple regions. The pores of one region have walls to which a first type of target specific anchor can be attached, while pores of another region have walls to which a second type of target specific anchor can be attached. An optical arrangement out-of-plane to the SERS substrate is also provided for enhanced sensitivity and identification of target organisms.

  14. Systematic Functional Interrogation of Rare Cancer Variants Identifies Oncogenic Alleles | Office of Cancer Genomics

    Cancer.gov

    Cancer genome characterization efforts now provide an initial view of the somatic alterations in primary tumors. However, most point mutations occur at low frequency, and the function of these alleles remains undefined. We have developed a scalable systematic approach to interrogate the function of cancer-associated gene variants. We subjected 474 mutant alleles curated from 5,338 tumors to pooled in vivo tumor formation assays and gene expression profiling. We identified 12 transforming alleles, including two in genes (PIK3CB, POT1) that have not been shown to be tumorigenic.

  15. A Magnetic Field Response Recorder: A New Tool for Measurement Acquisition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodard, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.

    2006-01-01

    A magnetic field response recorder was developed to facilitate a measurement acquisition method that uses magnetic fields to power and to interrogate all sensors. Sensors are designed as electrically passive inductive-capacitive or passive inductive-capacitive-resistive circuits that produce magnetic field responses when electrically activated by oscillating magnetic fields. When electrically activated, the sensor's magnetic field response attributes (frequency, amplitude and bandwidth) correspond to the one or more physical states that each sensor measures. The response recorder makes it possible to simultaneously measure two unrelated physical properties using this class of sensors. The recorder is programmable allowing it to analyze one or more response attributes simultaneously. A single sensor design will be used to demonstrate that the acquisition method and the sensor example can be used to for all phases of a component's life from manufacturing to damage that can destroy it.

  16. Additively Manufactured IN718 Components with Wirelessly Powered and Interrogated Embedded Sensing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Attridge, Paul; Bajekal, Sanjay; Klecka, Michael

    A methodology is described for embedding commercial-off-the-shelf sensors together with wireless communication and power circuit elements using direct laser metal sintered additively manufactured components. Physics based models of the additive manufacturing processes and sensor/wireless level performance models guided the design and embedment processes. A combination of cold spray deposition and laser engineered net shaping was used to fashion the transmitter/receiving elements and embed the sensors, thereby providing environmental protection and component robustness/survivability for harsh conditions. By design, this complement of analog and digital sensors were wirelessly powered and interrogated using a health and utilization monitoring system; enabling real-time, in situmore » prognostics and diagnostics.« less

  17. Combined Photoneutron And X Ray Interrogation Of Containers For Nuclear Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gozani, Tsahi; Shaw, Timothy; King, Michael J.; Stevenson, John; Elsalim, Mashal; Brown, Craig; Condron, Cathie

    2011-06-01

    Effective cargo inspection systems for nuclear material detection require good penetration by the interrogating radiation, generation of a sufficient number of fissions, and strong and penetrating detection signatures. Inspection systems need also to be sensitive over a wide range of cargo types and densities encountered in daily commerce. Thus they need to be effective with highly hydrogenous cargo, where neutron attenuation is a major limitation, as well as with dense metallic cargo, where x-ray penetration is low. A system that interrogates cargo with both neutrons and x-rays can, in principle, achieve high performance over the widest range of cargos. Moreover, utilizing strong prompt-neutron (˜3 per fission) and delayed-gamma ray (˜7 per fission) signatures further strengthens the detection sensitivity across all cargo types. The complementary nature of x-rays and neutrons, used as both probing radiation and detection signatures, alleviates the need to employ exceedingly strong sources, which would otherwise be required to achieve adequate performance across all cargo types, if only one type of radiation probe were employed. A system based on the above principles, employing a commercially-available 9 MV linac was developed and designed. Neutrons are produced simultaneously with x-rays by the photonuclear interaction of the x-ray beam with a suitable converter. A total neutron yield on the order of 1011 n/s is achieved with an average electron beam current of 100 μA. If fissionable material is present, fissions are produced both by the high-energy x-ray beam and by the photoneutrons. Photofission and neutron fission dominate in hydrogenous and metallic cargos, respectively. Neutron-capture gamma rays provide information on the cargo composition. The prompt neutrons resulting from fission are detected by two independent detector systems: by very efficient Differential Die Away Analysis (DDAA) detectors, and by direct detection of neutrons with energies higher

  18. Design of an optical system for interrogation of implanted luminescent sensors and verification with silicone skin phantoms.

    PubMed

    Long, Ruiqi; McShane, Mike

    2012-09-01

    Implantable luminescent sensors are being developed for on-demand monitoring of blood glucose levels. For these sensors to be deployed in vivo, a matched external hardware system is needed. In this paper, we designed a compact, low-cost optical system with highly efficient photon delivery and collection using advanced optical modeling software. Compared to interrogation with a fiber bundle, the new system was predicted to improve interrogation efficiency by a factor of 200 for native sensors; an improvement of 37 times was predicted for sensors implanted at a depth of 1 mm in a skin-simulating phantom. A physical prototype was tested using silicone-based skin phantoms developed specifically to mimic the scattering and absorbing properties of human skin. The experimental evaluations revealed that the prototype device performed in agreement with expectations from simulation results, resulting in an overall improvement of over 2000 times. This efficient system enables use of a low-cost commercial spectrometer for recording sensor emission, which was not possible using only fiber optic delivery and collection, and will be used as a tool for in vivo studies with animal models or human subjects.

  19. Interrogating the topological robustness of gene regulatory circuits by randomization

    PubMed Central

    Levine, Herbert; Onuchic, Jose N.

    2017-01-01

    One of the most important roles of cells is performing their cellular tasks properly for survival. Cells usually achieve robust functionality, for example, cell-fate decision-making and signal transduction, through multiple layers of regulation involving many genes. Despite the combinatorial complexity of gene regulation, its quantitative behavior has been typically studied on the basis of experimentally verified core gene regulatory circuitry, composed of a small set of important elements. It is still unclear how such a core circuit operates in the presence of many other regulatory molecules and in a crowded and noisy cellular environment. Here we report a new computational method, named random circuit perturbation (RACIPE), for interrogating the robust dynamical behavior of a gene regulatory circuit even without accurate measurements of circuit kinetic parameters. RACIPE generates an ensemble of random kinetic models corresponding to a fixed circuit topology, and utilizes statistical tools to identify generic properties of the circuit. By applying RACIPE to simple toggle-switch-like motifs, we observed that the stable states of all models converge to experimentally observed gene state clusters even when the parameters are strongly perturbed. RACIPE was further applied to a proposed 22-gene network of the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), from which we identified four experimentally observed gene states, including the states that are associated with two different types of hybrid Epithelial/Mesenchymal phenotypes. Our results suggest that dynamics of a gene circuit is mainly determined by its topology, not by detailed circuit parameters. Our work provides a theoretical foundation for circuit-based systems biology modeling. We anticipate RACIPE to be a powerful tool to predict and decode circuit design principles in an unbiased manner, and to quantitatively evaluate the robustness and heterogeneity of gene expression. PMID:28362798

  20. A primer on clothing systems for cold-weather field work

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Denner, Jon

    1990-01-01

    Conducting field work in cold weather is a demanding task. The most important safety consideration for field personnel is to maintain normal body temperature and avoid hypothermia.The human body adjusts to cold temperatures through different physiological processes. Heat production is enhanced by increases in the rates of basal metabolism, specific dynamic action, and physical exercise, and heat loss is reduced by vasoconstriction.Physiological adaptations alone are inadequate to stop rapid heat loss in cold temperatures. Additional insulation in the form of cold-weather clothing is necessary to retain heat.The most practical method of dressing for winter conditions is the layering system. Wearing multiple thin layers allows one to fine tune the insulation needed for different temperatures and activity levels.

  1. Survey of Neutron Generators for Active Interrogation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moss, Calvin Elroy; Myers, William L.; Sundby, Gary M.

    Some of these commercially available generators meet all of the requirements in Table 1, but there are other concerns. Most generators containing SF6 will be required to have the SF6 gas removed for shipping because of DOT regulations. However, Thermo Fisher has a DOT exemption. The P211 and B211 from Thermo Fisher meet the requirements listed in Table 1, but they are old designs and are no longer offered for sale. Also, they require 15 minutes or more of warmup before neutron output is available, and they lack a modern digital control. The nGen-300C from Starfire Industries is interesting becausemore » it is a portable system, but it uses the DD reaction for 2.5 MeV neutrons, which are not as penetrating as the 14 MeV neutrons from the DT reaction. The MP 320 from Thermo Fisher is another portable system, but the minimum pulse rate is 250 Hz, which is too fast for measurement of delayed neutrons and re-interrogation by delayed neutrons between pulses. The Genie 16 from Sodern (from France) probably meets the requirements, but the required power is probably too high for battery operation. The generators from Russia and China may be difficult to purchase, and service may not be available. The power required by some of these generators is low enough that batteries can be used. The portable units, nGen-300C and the MP320, could easily be operated with batteries. Other generators with low power requirements, as specified in the above vendors list, could possibly be operated with reason size batteries. The batteries do not need to be internal to the generator, but can be in a separate package. The availability of high capacity lithium batteries with sophisticated safety circuits makes battery operation more possible now than when lead acid batteries were used. The best path forward probably requires working with vendors of the existing systems. If Starfire Industries could be persuaded to put tritium in their nGen-300C generator, possibly in collaboration with a

  2. The Universal Parser and Interlanguage: Domain-Specific Mental Organization in the Comprehension of "Combien" Interrogatives in English-French Interlanguage.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dekydtspotter, Laurent

    2001-01-01

    From the perspective of Fodor's (1983) theory of mental organization and Chomsky's (1995) Minimalist theory of grammar, considers constraints on the interpretation of French-type and English-type cardinality interrogatives in the task of sentence comprehension, as a function of a universal parsing algorithm and hypotheses embodied in a French-type…

  3. Concurrent Infusion of Integrated Behavioral Health Practice into Social Work Field and Classroom Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith-Osborne, Alexa; Daniel, Kathryn

    2017-01-01

    This administrative case study describes a concurrent infusion of integrated behavioral health (IBH) practice into social work field and classroom instruction using the same manualized IBH treatment as the core treatment content. The infusion was applied to youth/young adult and older adult populations in field instruction and classroom…

  4. Empowerment through Risk: Unpacking an Approach to Working in Dance with Pre-Service Primary Teachers in New Zealand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheesman, Sue

    2016-01-01

    This article, through interrogating, exploring, and probing my pedagogical practice, aims to probe the issues and complexities involved in teaching dance education with university students studying to be primary classroom teachers in New Zealand. Drawing on two decades of experience, working with students in initial teacher education programs,…

  5. International education is a broken field: Can ubuntu education bring solutions?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Piper, Benjamin

    2016-02-01

    Ubuntu is an African philosophy of human kindness; applying it in the Global South would fundamentally alter the design of the education sector. This essay argues, however, that the field of international educational development is not, in fact, structured to support an education influenced by ubuntu ideals. Specifically, the educational development milieu includes donors, implementers and academicians who do not sufficiently question the power dynamics which underpin education development. This creates a field where the power imbalances between donors and host governments are not interrogated, where development workers place too much faith in their own knowledge rather than that of local education experts, and where development practitioners rarely appreciate the privilege of working in countries which are not their own. An ubuntu education would alter the educational development field in myriad critical ways, a few of which are suggested in this essay. Educational development programmes in universities and intake programmes for implementers and donors should teach officers humility, appreciating existing local talent and expertise. Donor programmes should incentivise reflective practice which formally embeds appreciation for local culture and expertise, thereby supporting structures which help educational development experts to review their metacognitive processes. The field should also dramatically increase the numbers of local, minority and female educational development practitioners and provide more avenues for advancement for those groups. These are activities which are critical to supporting the education development field, but require a fundamental change of attitude by practitioners to ensure the right kind of relationships between the West and the Global South.

  6. Fresh Fuel Measurements With the Differential Die-Away Self-Interrogation Instrument

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Trahan, Alexis C.; Belian, Anthony P.; Swinhoe, Martyn T.

    The purpose of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI)-Spent Fuel (SF) Project is to strengthen the technical toolkit of safeguards inspectors and/or other interested parties. Thus the NGSI-SF team is working to achieve the following technical goals more easily and efficiently than in the past using nondestructive assay measurements of spent fuel assemblies: 1) verify the initial enrichment, burnup, and cooling time of facility declaration; 2) detect the diversion or replacement of pins; 3) estimate the plutonium mass; 4) estimate decay heat; and 5) determine the reactivity of spent fuel assemblies. The differential die-away self-interrogation (DDSI) instrument is one instrumentmore » that was assessed for years regarding its feasibility for robust, timely verification of spent fuel assemblies. The instrument was recently built and was tested using fresh fuel assemblies in a variety of configurations, including varying enrichment, neutron absorber content, and symmetry. The early die-away method, a multiplication determination method developed in simulation space, was successfully tested on the fresh fuel assembly data and determined multiplication with a root-mean-square (RMS) error of 2.9%. The experimental results were compared with MCNP simulations of the instrument as well. Low multiplication assemblies had agreement with an average RMS error of 0.2% in the singles count rate (i.e., total neutrons detected per second) and 3.4% in the doubles count rates (i.e., neutrons detected in coincidence per second). High-multiplication assemblies had agreement with an average RMS error of 4.1% in the singles and 13.3% in the doubles count rates.« less

  7. Fresh Fuel Measurements With the Differential Die-Away Self-Interrogation Instrument

    DOE PAGES

    Trahan, Alexis C.; Belian, Anthony P.; Swinhoe, Martyn T.; ...

    2017-01-05

    The purpose of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI)-Spent Fuel (SF) Project is to strengthen the technical toolkit of safeguards inspectors and/or other interested parties. Thus the NGSI-SF team is working to achieve the following technical goals more easily and efficiently than in the past using nondestructive assay measurements of spent fuel assemblies: 1) verify the initial enrichment, burnup, and cooling time of facility declaration; 2) detect the diversion or replacement of pins; 3) estimate the plutonium mass; 4) estimate decay heat; and 5) determine the reactivity of spent fuel assemblies. The differential die-away self-interrogation (DDSI) instrument is one instrumentmore » that was assessed for years regarding its feasibility for robust, timely verification of spent fuel assemblies. The instrument was recently built and was tested using fresh fuel assemblies in a variety of configurations, including varying enrichment, neutron absorber content, and symmetry. The early die-away method, a multiplication determination method developed in simulation space, was successfully tested on the fresh fuel assembly data and determined multiplication with a root-mean-square (RMS) error of 2.9%. The experimental results were compared with MCNP simulations of the instrument as well. Low multiplication assemblies had agreement with an average RMS error of 0.2% in the singles count rate (i.e., total neutrons detected per second) and 3.4% in the doubles count rates (i.e., neutrons detected in coincidence per second). High-multiplication assemblies had agreement with an average RMS error of 4.1% in the singles and 13.3% in the doubles count rates.« less

  8. The Effect of Educational Disequilibrium in Field Work on Graduate Social Work Students' Self-Concept and Mental Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ying, Yu-Wen

    2011-01-01

    The author used a mixed methods design to assess field work-related educational disequilibrium and its effect on the self-concept and mental health of MSW students. Twenty-eight advanced, fourth-semester MSW students were compared with 37 entering, first-semester MSW students in practice-related sense of accomplishment. Compared with first-year…

  9. Integrated Approaches for Genome-wide Interrogation of the Druggable Non-olfactory G Protein-coupled Receptor Superfamily.

    PubMed

    Roth, Bryan L; Kroeze, Wesley K

    2015-08-07

    G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are frequent and fruitful targets for drug discovery and development, as well as being off-targets for the side effects of a variety of medications. Much of the druggable non-olfactory human GPCR-ome remains under-interrogated, and we present here various approaches that we and others have used to shine light into these previously dark corners of the human genome. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. Re-Living Dangerous Memories: Online Journaling to Interrogate Spaces of "Otherness" in an Educational Administration Program at a Midwestern University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friend, Jennifer; Caruthers, Loyce; McCarther, Shirley Marie

    2009-01-01

    This theoretical paper explores the use of online journaling in an educational administration program to interrogate spaces of "otherness"--the geographical spaces of cities where poor children and children of color live--and the dangerous memories prospective administrators may have about diversity. The cultures of most educational administration…

  11. Numerical simulations and experimental measurements of steel and ice impacts on concrete for acoustic interrogation of delaminations in bridge decks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mazzeo, Brian A.; Patil, Anjali N.; Klis, Jeffrey M.

    2014-02-18

    Delaminations in bridge decks typically result from corrosion of the top mat of reinforcing steel, which leads to a localized separation of the concrete cover from the underlying concrete. Because delaminations cannot be detected using visual inspection, rapid, large-area interrogation methods are desired to characterize bridge decks without disruption to traffic, without the subjectivity inherent in existing methods, and with increased inspector safety. To this end, disposable impactors such as water droplets or ice chips can be dropped using automatic dispensers onto concrete surfaces to excite mechanical vibrations while acoustic responses can be recorded using air-coupled microphones. In this work,more » numerical simulations are used to characterize the flexural response of a model concrete bridge deck subject to both steel and ice impactors, and the results are compared with similar experiments performed in the laboratory on a partially delaminated concrete bridge deck slab. The simulations offer greater understanding of the kinetics of impacts and the responses of materials.« less

  12. Interrogating resilience in health systems development.

    PubMed

    van de Pas, Remco; Ashour, Majdi; Kapilashrami, Anuj; Fustukian, Suzanne

    2017-11-01

    The Fourth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research was themed around 'Resilient and responsive health systems for a changing world.' This commentary is the outcome of a panel discussion at the symposium in which the resilience discourse and its use in health systems development was critically interrogated. The 2014-15 Ebola outbreak in West-Africa added momentum for the wider adoption of resilient health systems as a crucial element to prepare for and effectively respond to crisis. The growing salience of resilience in development and health systems debates can be attributed in part to development actors and philanthropies such as the Rockefeller Foundation. Three concerns regarding the application of resilience to health systems development are discussed: (1) the resilience narrative overrules certain democratic procedures and priority setting in public health agendas by 'claiming' an exceptional policy space; (2) resilience compels accepting and maintaining the status quo and excludes alternative imaginations of just and equitable health systems including the socio-political struggles required to attain those; and (3) an empirical case study from Gaza makes the case that resilience and vulnerability are symbiotic with each other rather than providing a solution for developing a strong health system. In conclusion, if the normative aim of health policies is to build sustainable, universally accessible, health systems then resilience is not the answer. The current threats that health systems face demand us to imagine beyond and explore possibilities for global solidarity and justice in health. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  13. Empowerment in the field of health promotion: recognizing challenges in working toward equity.

    PubMed

    Berry, Nicole S; Murphy, Jill; Coser, Larissa

    2014-12-01

    Over the last 25 years, the language of empowerment has been woven into the guiding missions and descriptions of institutions, funding and projects globally. Although theoretical understandings of empowerment within the domain of health promotion remain contentious, we have little idea of how a shift toward an empowerment agenda has affected the daily work of those in the field of health promotion. A systematic examination of the implementation of the empowerment agenda is important as it can help us understand how redistributive agendas are received within the multiple institutional contexts in which health promotion work is carried out. The goal of this study, therefore, was to try to understand the empowerment agenda within the context of everyday health promotion. We conducted semi-structured interviews with health promoters from a variety of geographical regions, institutional backgrounds, and job capacities. Essentially we found that empowerment remains conceptually dear to health promoters' understanding of their work, yet at the same time, mainstreaming empowerment is at odds with central trends and initiatives that govern this work. We argue that many of the stumbling blocks that have hindered this specific agenda are actually central stumbling blocks for the wider field of health promotion. We examine some of the barriers to implementing transformational change. Overcoming the primary limitations uncovered in this exploration of empowerment is actually crucial to progressive work in health promotion in general, particularly work that would seek to lessen inequities. © The Author(s) 2014.

  14. Research on the demodulation techniques of long-period fiber gratings strain sensing with low cost

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qingwei; Liu, Yueming; Tian, Weijian; Feng, Guilan

    2012-10-01

    The working principle of LPFG(Long-Period Fiber Grating) is based on coupling effect between propagating core-mode and co-propagating cladding-modes. The effective refractive index of cladding-modes could be obviously influenced by the environmental changes resulting in LPFG more sensitive than FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) in sensing areas, such as temperature, strain, concentration, bending and etc. LPFG should have more potential in the field of sensors compared with FBG. One of the challenges in using LPFG for environmental sensing is how to interrogate the signal from the LPFG transmission spectrum, due to the large spectral range of the resonant dip. Nowadays the application of LPFG is normally limited in signal interrogation of FBG as optical edge filter. The signal interrogation of LPFG itself needs further research. Presently research on signal interrogation of fiber grating focuses on wavelength interrogation. The aim of wavelength interrogation is to get the wavelength shift caused by environmental change. To solve these problems, a kind of strain sensing interrogation technique for LPFG with low-cost based on tunable FBGs has been developed. Comparing with the method using Fabry-Perot cavity, tunable FBGs can lower the cost with the guarantee of sensing precision. The cost is further lowered without using expensive optical instruments such as optical switch. The problem of temperature cross-sensitivity was solved by using reference gratings. An experiment was performed to demonstrate the interrogation system. And in the experiment, the sensing signal of LPFG applied 0-1300μɛ was successfully interrogated. The results of the interrogation system and OSA are similar.

  15. Social Work Field Instructors' Integration of Religion and Spirituality in Clinical Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oxhandler, Holly K.

    2017-01-01

    This article describes a national sample of social work field instructors' responses to a cross-sectional survey of social workers' orientation toward integrating clients' religion and spirituality into practice and compares their responses with those of nonfield instructors. Four hundred sixty-nine social workers, including 69 MSW field…

  16. Educated Mis-Employment in Hong Kong: Earnings Effects of Employment in Unmatched Fields of Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chung, Yue-Ping

    1990-01-01

    Presents an empirical study on misemployment (the underutilization of worker's skills acquired through vocational education) in Hong Kong. Analyzes earnings functions of graduates from various educational fields and for workers employed in various fields. Misemployed graduates received lower earnings than their colleagues working in matched work…

  17. Husbandry, working practices and field performance when using draught oxen in land preparation in Shambat, Nile Valley, Sudan.

    PubMed

    Makki, Elsamawal Khalil

    2014-01-01

    Little quantitative information is available on animal power in the Nile Valley in Sudan, despite that it is being used in the area for centuries and playing an important role in agriculture in the present day. A survey was conducted to assess draught oxen management and its association with field capacity and efficiency at the farm level and to identify potential areas for intervention. A sample of 50 farmers was selected for this purpose using the systematic random sampling technique. The main management parameters discussed were animal health, feeding, housing, work strategy and care for yoke and plough. The results showed that most of the farmers poorly manage their animals, and this was reflected in low working speeds and field efficiencies. The main dimensions of poor management were in veterinary care (78 % did not take their animals to the veterinary centre), feeding (66 % feed their animals shortly before work) and care for yoke (80 % did not follow daily care measures for their yokes) and plough (74 % did not follow plough care measure before and after work). Low working speeds (0.90–2.0 km/h) were recorded by the majority of the farmers (64 %). The majority of the farmers (70 %) recorded field capacities between 0.06 and 0.10 ha/h, while all of them worked at high field efficiencies of >86 %. The only parameter that significantly affected field capacity was the yoke-related wounds (p = 0.019). Extension advice and capacity building in husbandry and working practices were identified as principal entry points for intervention.

  18. Unraveling nonadiabatic ionization and Coulomb potential effect in strong-field photoelectron holography

    DOE PAGES

    Song, Xiaohong; Lin, Cheng; Sheng, Zhihao; ...

    2016-06-22

    Strong field photoelectron holography has been proposed as a means for interrogating the spatial and temporal information of electrons and ions in a dynamic system. After ionization, part of the electron wave packet may directly go to the detector (the reference wave), while another part may be driven back and scatters off the ion(the signal wave). The interference hologram of the two waves may be used to extract target information embedded in the collision process. Unlike conventional optical holography, however, propagation of the electron wave packet is affected by the Coulomb potential as well as by the laser field. Inmore » addition, electrons are emitted over the whole laser pulse duration, thus multiple interferences may occur. In this work, we used a generalized quantum-trajectory Monte Carlo method to investigate the effect of Coulomb potential and the nonadiabatic subcycle ionization on the photoelectron hologram. Here, we showed that photoelectron hologram can be well described only when the effect of nonadiabatic ionization is accounted for, and Coulomb potential can be neglected only in the tunnel ionization regime. Our results help paving the way for establishing photoelectron holography for probing spatial and dynamic properties of atoms and molecules.« less

  19. Secondary recovery from the Dune Field, Crane County, Texas, is viable through mine workings

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ayler, M.F.

    1991-03-01

    Data in Report of Investigations No. 168, published by the Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas, indicate the Dune field is a good candidate for secondary recovery of mobile residual oil through an oil mine as described in US Patent {number sign}4,458,945. If trends identified in RI No. 168 can be extended into adjacent sections, oil recovery in the range of $10.00 per barrel or less should be possible. Mine workings will permit a more detailed mapping field jointing and fracturing, in turn permitting better placement of wells on 1 acre or closer spacing. Shafts to the surface wouldmore » be a mile or more apart greatly decreasing environmental impact. Wastewater generated could be re-introduced to assist in retaining reservoir pressures. If mine workings are driven in hard limestones, as would be possible in the Dune field, produced mine spoil would be marketable as gravel for the concrete industry.« less

  20. Advanced ultrasonic measurement methodology for non-invasive interrogation and identification of fluids in sealed containers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tucker, Brian J.; Diaz, Aaron A.; Eckenrode, Brian A.

    2006-03-01

    Government agencies and homeland security related organizations have identified the need to develop and establish a wide range of unprecedented capabilities for providing scientific and technical forensic services to investigations involving hazardous chemical, biological, and radiological materials, including extremely dangerous chemical and biological warfare agents. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has developed a prototype portable, hand-held, hazardous materials acoustic inspection prototype that provides noninvasive container interrogation and material identification capabilities using nondestructive ultrasonic velocity and attenuation measurements. Due to the wide variety of fluids as well as container sizes and materials encountered in various law enforcement inspection activities, the need for high measurement sensitivity and advanced ultrasonic measurement techniques were identified. The prototype was developed using a versatile electronics platform, advanced ultrasonic wave propagation methods, and advanced signal processing techniques. This paper primarily focuses on the ultrasonic measurement methods and signal processing techniques incorporated into the prototype. High bandwidth ultrasonic transducers combined with an advanced pulse compression technique allowed researchers to 1) obtain high signal-to-noise ratios and 2) obtain accurate and consistent time-of-flight (TOF) measurements through a variety of highly attenuative containers and fluid media. Results of work conducted in the laboratory have demonstrated that the prototype experimental measurement technique also provided information regarding container properties, which will be utilized in future container-independent measurements of hidden liquids.

  1. Enhanced sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance phase-interrogation biosensor by using oblique deposited silver nanorods.

    PubMed

    Chung, Hung-Yi; Chen, Chih-Chia; Wu, Pin Chieh; Tseng, Ming Lun; Lin, Wen-Chi; Chen, Chih-Wei; Chiang, Hai-Pang

    2014-01-01

    Sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance phase-interrogation biosensor is demonstrated to be enhanced by oblique deposited silver nanorods. Silver nanorods are thermally deposited on silver nanothin film by oblique angle deposition (OAD). The length of the nanorods can be tuned by controlling the deposition parameters of thermal deposition. By measuring the phase difference between the p and s waves of surface plasmon resonance heterodyne interferometer with different wavelength of incident light, we have demonstrated that maximum sensitivity of glucose detection down to 7.1 × 10(-8) refractive index units could be achieved with optimal deposition parameters of silver nanorods.

  2. Background ELF magnetic fields in incubators: a factor of importance in cell culture work.

    PubMed

    Mild, Kjell Hansson; Wilén, Jonna; Mattsson, Mats-Olof; Simko, Myrtill

    2009-07-01

    Extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields in cell culture incubators have been measured. Values of the order of tens of muT were found which is in sharp contrast to the values found in our normal environment (0.05-0.1microT). There are numerous examples of biological effects found after exposure to MF at these levels, such as changes in gene expression, blocked cell differentiation, inhibition of the effect of tamoxifen, effects on chick embryo development, etc. We therefore recommend that people working with cell culture incubators check for the background magnetic field and take this into account in performing their experiments, since this could be an unrecognised factor of importance contributing to the variability in the results from work with cell cultures.

  3. DNA interrogation by the CRISPR RNA-guided endonuclease Cas9.

    PubMed

    Sternberg, Samuel H; Redding, Sy; Jinek, Martin; Greene, Eric C; Doudna, Jennifer A

    2014-03-06

    The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated enzyme Cas9 is an RNA-guided endonuclease that uses RNA-DNA base-pairing to target foreign DNA in bacteria. Cas9-guide RNA complexes are also effective genome engineering agents in animals and plants. Here we use single-molecule and bulk biochemical experiments to determine how Cas9-RNA interrogates DNA to find specific cleavage sites. We show that both binding and cleavage of DNA by Cas9-RNA require recognition of a short trinucleotide protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). Non-target DNA binding affinity scales with PAM density, and sequences fully complementary to the guide RNA but lacking a nearby PAM are ignored by Cas9-RNA. Competition assays provide evidence that DNA strand separation and RNA-DNA heteroduplex formation initiate at the PAM and proceed directionally towards the distal end of the target sequence. Furthermore, PAM interactions trigger Cas9 catalytic activity. These results reveal how Cas9 uses PAM recognition to quickly identify potential target sites while scanning large DNA molecules, and to regulate scission of double-stranded DNA.

  4. DNA interrogation by the CRISPR RNA-guided endonuclease Cas9

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sternberg, Samuel H.; Redding, Sy; Jinek, Martin; Greene, Eric C.; Doudna, Jennifer A.

    2014-03-01

    The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated enzyme Cas9 is an RNA-guided endonuclease that uses RNA-DNA base-pairing to target foreign DNA in bacteria. Cas9-guide RNA complexes are also effective genome engineering agents in animals and plants. Here we use single-molecule and bulk biochemical experiments to determine how Cas9-RNA interrogates DNA to find specific cleavage sites. We show that both binding and cleavage of DNA by Cas9-RNA require recognition of a short trinucleotide protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). Non-target DNA binding affinity scales with PAM density, and sequences fully complementary to the guide RNA but lacking a nearby PAM are ignored by Cas9-RNA. Competition assays provide evidence that DNA strand separation and RNA-DNA heteroduplex formation initiate at the PAM and proceed directionally towards the distal end of the target sequence. Furthermore, PAM interactions trigger Cas9 catalytic activity. These results reveal how Cas9 uses PAM recognition to quickly identify potential target sites while scanning large DNA molecules, and to regulate scission of double-stranded DNA.

  5. Rapid Two-Millisecond Interrogation of Electrochemical, Aptamer-Based Sensor Response Using Intermittent Pulse Amperometry.

    PubMed

    Santos-Cancel, Mirelis; Lazenby, Robert A; White, Ryan J

    2018-06-22

    In this manuscript, we employ the technique intermittent pulse amperometry (IPA) to interrogate equilibrium and kinetic target binding to the surface of electrochemical, aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors, achieving as fast as 2 ms time resolution. E-AB sensors comprise an electrode surface modified with a flexible nucleic acid aptamer tethered at the 3'-terminus with a redox-active molecule. The introduction of a target changes the conformation and flexibility of the nucleic acid, which alters the charge transfer rate of the appended redox molecule. Typically, changes in charge transfer rate within this class of sensor are monitored via voltammetric methods. Here, we demonstrate that the use of IPA enables the detection of changes in charge transfer rates (i.e., current) at times <100 μs after the application of a potential pulse. Changes in sensor current are quantitatively related to target analyte concentration and can be used to create binding isotherms. Furthermore, the application of IPA enables rapid probing of the electrochemical surface with a time resolution equivalent to as low as twice the applied potential pulse width, not previously demonstrated with traditional voltammetric techniques employed with E-AB sensors (alternating current, square wave, cyclic). To visualize binding, we developed false-color plots analogous to those used in the field of fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. The use of IPA is universal, as demonstrated with two representative small molecule E-AB sensors directed against the aminoglycoside antibiotic tobramycin and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Intermittent pulse amperometry exhibits an unprecedented sub-microsecond temporal response and is a general method for measuring rapid sensor performance.

  6. Solving challenges in inter- and trans-disciplinary working teams: Lessons from the surgical technology field.

    PubMed

    Korb, Werner; Geißler, Norman; Strauß, Gero

    2015-03-01

    Engineering a medical technology is a complex process, therefore it is important to include experts from different scientific fields. This is particularly true for the development of surgical technology, where the relevant scientific fields are surgery (medicine) and engineering (electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, etc.). Furthermore, the scientific field of human factors is important to ensure that a surgical technology is indeed functional, process-oriented, effective, efficient as well as user- and patient-oriented. Working in such trans- and inter-disciplinary teams can be challenging due to different working cultures. The intention of this paper is to propose an innovative cooperative working culture for the interdisciplinary field of computer-assisted surgery (CAS) based on more than ten years of research on the one hand and the interdisciplinary literature on working cultures and various organizational theories on the other hand. In this paper, a retrospective analysis of more than ten years of research work in inter- and trans-disciplinary teams in the field of CAS will be performed. This analysis is based on the documented observations of the authors, the study reports, protocols, lab reports and published publications. To additionally evaluate the scientific experience in an interdisciplinary research team, a literature analysis regarding scientific literature on trans- and inter-disciplinarity was performed. Own research and literature analyses were compared. Both the literature and the scientific experience in an interdisciplinary research team show that consensus finding is not always easy. It is, however, important to start trans- and interdisciplinary projects with a shared mental model and common goals, which include communication and leadership issues within the project teams, i.e. clear and unambiguous information about the individual responsibilities and objectives to attain. This is made necessary due to differing

  7. Two-step interrogation then recognition of DNA binding site by Integration Host Factor: an architectural DNA-bending protein.

    PubMed

    Velmurugu, Yogambigai; Vivas, Paula; Connolly, Mitchell; Kuznetsov, Serguei V; Rice, Phoebe A; Ansari, Anjum

    2018-02-28

    The dynamics and mechanism of how site-specific DNA-bending proteins initially interrogate potential binding sites prior to recognition have remained elusive for most systems. Here we present these dynamics for Integration Host factor (IHF), a nucleoid-associated architectural protein, using a μs-resolved T-jump approach. Our studies show two distinct DNA-bending steps during site recognition by IHF. While the faster (∼100 μs) step is unaffected by changes in DNA or protein sequence that alter affinity by >100-fold, the slower (1-10 ms) step is accelerated ∼5-fold when mismatches are introduced at DNA sites that are sharply kinked in the specific complex. The amplitudes of the fast phase increase when the specific complex is destabilized and decrease with increasing [salt], which increases specificity. Taken together, these results indicate that the fast phase is non-specific DNA bending while the slow phase, which responds only to changes in DNA flexibility at the kink sites, is specific DNA kinking during site recognition. Notably, the timescales for the fast phase overlap with one-dimensional diffusion times measured for several proteins on DNA, suggesting that these dynamics reflect partial DNA bending during interrogation of potential binding sites by IHF as it scans DNA.

  8. Measuring the performance of two stationary interrogation systems for detecting downstream and upstream movement of PIT-tagged salmonids

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Connolly, P.J.; Jezorek, I.G.; Martens, K.D.; Prentice, E.F.

    2008-01-01

    We tested the performance of two stationary interrogation systems designed for detecting the movement of fish with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. These systems allowed us to determine the direction of fish movement with high detection efficiency and high precision in a dynamic stream environment. We describe an indirect method for deriving an estimate for detection efficiency and the associated variance that does not rely on a known number of fish passing the system. By using six antennas arranged in a longitudinal series of three arrays, we attained detection efficiencies for downstream- and upstream-moving fish exceeding 96% during high-flow periods and approached 100% during low-flow periods for the two interrogation systems we tested. Because these systems did not rely on structural components, such as bridges or culverts, they were readily adaptable to remote, natural stream sites. Because of built-in redundancy, these systems were able to perform even with a loss of one or more antennas owing to dislodgement or electrical failure. However, the reduction in redundancy resulted in decreased efficiency and precision and the potential loss of ability to determine the direction of fish movement. What we learned about these systems should be applicable to a wide variety of other antenna configurations and to other types of PIT tags and transceivers.

  9. Work functions of hafnium nitride thin films as emitter material for field emitter arrays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gotoh, Yasuhito, E-mail: gotoh.yasuhito.5w@kyoto-u.ac.jp; Fujiwara, Sho; Tsuji, Hiroshi

    The work functions of hafnium nitride thin films prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering were investigated in vacuum, before and after surface cleaning processes, with a view of improving the properties of as-fabricated field emitter arrays comprising hafnium nitride emitters. The measurement of the work function was first performed for the as-deposited films and then for films subjected to surface cleaning process, either thermal treatment or ion bombardment. Thermal treatment at a maximum temperature of 300 °C reduced the work function by 0.7 eV. Once the film was heated, the work function maintained the reduced value, even after cooling to room temperature. Amore » little change in the work function was observed for the second and third thermal treatments. The ion bombardment was conducted by exposing the sample to a thin plasma for different sample bias conditions and processing times. When the sample was biased at −10 V, the work function decreased by 0.6 eV. The work function reduction became saturated in the early stage of the ion bombardment. When the sample was biased at −50 V, the work function exhibited different behaviors, that is, first it decreased rapidly and then increased in response to the increase in processing time. The lowest attainable work function was found to be 4.00 eV. It should be noted that none of the work function values reported in this paper were obtained using surfaces that were demonstrated to be free from oxygen contamination. The present results suggest that the current–voltage characteristics of a field emitter array can be improved by a factor of 25–50 by the examined postprocesses.« less

  10. Combining field work and laboratory work in the study of financial risk-taking.

    PubMed

    Coates, John; Gurnell, Mark

    2017-06-01

    A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. Financial markets are periodically destabilized by bubbles and crashes during which investors display respectively what has been called "irrational exuberance" and "irrational pessimism". How can we best study these pathologies in competitive and risk-taking behaviours? In this article, we argue that a science of risk-taking and of the financial markets needs to draw heavily on physiology and especially endocrinology, due to their central roles in moderating human behaviour. Importantly, this science of competition and risk requires the same spectrum of research protocols as is found in mature biological and medical sciences, a spectrum running from field work conducted within financial institutions themselves to more controlled laboratory studies, which permit cause to be distinguished from effect. Such a spectrum of studies is especially important for translational behavioural science. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Optogenetic interrogation of neural circuits: technology for probing mammalian brain structures

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Feng; Gradinaru, Viviana; Adamantidis, Antoine R; Durand, Remy; Airan, Raag D; de Lecea, Luis; Deisseroth, Karl

    2015-01-01

    Elucidation of the neural substrates underlying complex animal behaviors depends on precise activity control tools, as well as compatible readout methods. Recent developments in optogenetics have addressed this need, opening up new possibilities for systems neuroscience. Interrogation of even deep neural circuits can be conducted by directly probing the necessity and sufficiency of defined circuit elements with millisecond-scale, cell type-specific optical perturbations, coupled with suitable readouts such as electrophysiology, optical circuit dynamics measures and freely moving behavior in mammals. Here we collect in detail our strategies for delivering microbial opsin genes to deep mammalian brain structures in vivo, along with protocols for integrating the resulting optical control with compatible readouts (electrophysiological, optical and behavioral). The procedures described here, from initial virus preparation to systems-level functional readout, can be completed within 4–5 weeks. Together, these methods may help in providing circuit-level insight into the dynamics underlying complex mammalian behaviors in health and disease. PMID:20203662

  12. Coupling Sensing Hardware with Data Interrogation Software for Structural Health Monitoring

    DOE PAGES

    Farrar, Charles R.; Allen, David W.; Park, Gyuhae; ...

    2006-01-01

    The process of implementing a damage detection strategy for aerospace, civil and mechanical engineering infrastructure is referred to as structural health monitoring (SHM). The authors' approach is to address the SHM problem in the context of a statistical pattern recognition paradigm. In this paradigm, the process can be broken down into four parts: (1) Operational Evaluation, (2) Data Acquisition and Cleansing, (3) Feature Extraction and Data Compression, and (4) Statistical Model Development for Feature Discrimination. These processes must be implemented through hardware or software and, in general, some combination of these two approaches will be used. This paper will discussmore » each portion of the SHM process with particular emphasis on the coupling of a general purpose data interrogation software package for structural health monitoring with a modular wireless sensing and processing platform. More specifically, this paper will address the need to take an integrated hardware/software approach to developing SHM solutions.« less

  13. Postcards from the Field: Using the Web to Bring Near-Real Time Field Work to the Public

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Genyuk, J.; Johnson, R. M.; Gardiner, L.; Russell, R.; Bergman, J.; Lagrave, M.; Hatheway, B.; Foster, S.; Araujo-Pradere, E. A.

    2007-12-01

    Field work is one of the aspects of a career in the geosciences that can make it so attractive to students and the public. The chance to go to exciting places, and to see amazing things, while making new discoveries is almost too good to be true. The "Postcards from the Field" capability, developed and implemented in the Windows to the Universe website project in 2006, is now providing a new ability to bring this excitement to a large and global audience online. Windows to the Universe is an extremely popular interdisciplinary Earth and space science educational website, with over 20 million visitors per year, including a large following of students and educators. The website is composed of over 7000 interlinked web pages spanning the geosciences, at three levels of sophistication, in English and Spanish. Our Postcards from the Field capability, which was originally developed in support of a major field campaign in Mexico City in 2006 (the Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations campaign - MILAGRO), has now been generalized to support submissions from researchers engaged in multiple field campaigns. To date, in addition to postcards submitted during the MILAGRO campaign, we have hosted postcards from researchers and educators studying the life cycle of Adelie penguins in the Antarctic, the East Pacific Rise as a component of the RIDGE2000 program, and storm formation in Europe as a component of the Convective and Orographically- induced Precipitation Study (COPS). We are now expanding our postcard lines to include submissions from researchers engaged in the IPY and educators engaged with the ANDRILL (ANtarctic Geologic DRILLing) Research Immersion for Science Educators program. This presentation will present this new capability, its ease of use, and our vision for how it can be used to bring the excitement of field research to the public, students, and educators online.

  14. Full-field ultrasonic inspection for a composite sandwich plate skin-core debonding detection using laser-based ultrasonics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chong, See Yenn; Victor, Jared J.; Todd, Michael D.

    2017-04-01

    In this paper, a full-field ultrasonic guided wave method is proposed to inspect a composite sandwich specimen made for an aircraft engine nacelle. The back skin/core interface of the specimen is built with two fabricated disbond defects (diameters of 12.7 mm and 25.4 mm) by removing areas of the adhesive used to bond the back skin to the core. A laser ultrasonic interrogation system (LUIS) incorporated with a disbond detection algorithm is developed. The system consists of a 1-kHz laser ultrasonic scanning system and a single fixed ultrasonic sensor to interrogate ultrasonic guided waves in the sandwich specimen. The interest area of 400 mm × 400 mm is scanned at a 0.5 mm scan interval. The corresponding full-field ultrasonic data is obtained and generated in the three-dimensional (3-D) space-time domain. Then, the 3-D full-field ultrasonic data is Fourier transformed and the ultrasonic frequency spectra are analyzed to determine the dominant frequency that is sensitive to the disbond defects. Continuous wavelet transform (CWT) based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) is implemented as a single-frequency bandpass filter to filter the full-field ultrasonic data in the 3-D space-time domain at the selected dominant frequency. The LUIS has shown the ability to detect the disbond with diameters of 11 mm and 23 mm which match to the pre-determined disbond sizes well. For future research, a robust signal processing algorithm and a model-based matched filter will be investigated to make the detection process autonomous and improve detectability

  15. The Hidden Factor in Early Field Experience: Teachers' Perception of the Quality of Life at Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Divins, Barbara; And Others

    This project identified work environment factors in eight schools where a teacher preparation program placed early field experience students and where the university students reported experiencing positive field placements. The purpose was to determine the impact of certain variables on teachers' perception of the quality of their own professional…

  16. [Medical Rehabilitation as an Attractive Field of Work for Medical Doctors? - A Qualitative Survey].

    PubMed

    Lederle, Mareike; Kotzjan, Priscilla Simone; Niehues, Christiane; Brüggemann, Silke; Bitzer, Eva-Maria

    2017-10-01

    In the German Health system there is an increasing competition in the recruitment of specialised staff, especially for rehabilitation centres, which are deemed less attractive. Therefore, this study examines the attractiveness of the field of medical rehabilitation from the point of view of medical professionals. We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with doctors from 7 rehabilitation centres with different medical specialisations. The interviews were digitized and transcribed. A structured content analysis was carried out using the software MAXQDA 11. 745 codes were identified and assigned to the categories "attractiveness", "unfavourable aspects" and "special features" of rehabilitation. Regarding medical rehabilitation, the interviewees appreciated especially the predictable, flexible working environment with little time pressure. Other than working with rehabilitative patients working as part of an interdisciplinary team was of high importance for the interviewees. Among the special features of rehabilitation in comparison with acute care were the higher relevance of the bio-psycho-social model of health and illness as well as the higher proportion of communication and organisation. Medical rehabilitation in Germany is an attractive field of work for medical doctors. This fact should be considered more with regards to rehabilitation's public image. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  17. Field Studies—Essential Cognitive Foundations for Geoscience Expertise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goodwin, C.; Mogk, D. W.

    2010-12-01

    are learning in the field, regulate and modify their activities, and plan for future work.Embodied practice in the field shows students how to explore and interrogate nature, and how to interact and learn from other scientists. Learning geoscience is a social enterprise, requiring a long apprenticeship through which newcomers learn about Nature by working with competent senior practitioners in the settings where relevant nature is systematically studied. Learned social practices include the ability to enhance understanding of natural phenomena by constructing appropriate representations (inscriptions), knowing how to select and use appropriate tools, engaging the accepted community of practice, adopting professional standards and values, and the ability to contribute to geoscience discourse about the complex world. Both tools and the ability to locate perspicuous sites in the environment must be mastered so that representations can be made of structures in the landscape that cannot actually be seen from any single point of view to obtain a holistic and integrated interpretation of Earth history and processes. Sustained development of these cognitive strategies and skills is essential to the professional development of all geoscientists.

  18. The plasticity of early memory reports: social pressure, hypnotizability, compliance, and interrogative suggestibility.

    PubMed

    Malinoski, P T; Lynn, S J

    1999-10-01

    Early autobiographical memory reports by adults were very sensitive to social influence in a leading interview. The mean age of initial earliest memory report was 3.7 years. When participants were instructed to close their eyes, visualize, and focus on their 2nd birthday, 59% reported a birthday memory. After repeated probes for earlier memories, 78% of subjects reported memories at or prior to 24 months of age, and 33% reported memories within the first 12 months of age. The mean age of the final earliest memory reported was 1.6 years. Participants rated their memory reports as accurate and did not recant them when given an opportunity. The age of earliest memory reports in the suggestive interview correlated negatively with measures of compliance, hypnotizability, and interrogative suggestibility.

  19. Mechanism of Genome Interrogation: How CRISPR RNA-Guided Cas9 Proteins Locate Specific Targets on DNA.

    PubMed

    Shvets, Alexey A; Kolomeisky, Anatoly B

    2017-10-03

    The ability to precisely edit and modify a genome opens endless opportunities to investigate fundamental properties of living systems as well as to advance various medical techniques and bioengineering applications. This possibility is now close to reality due to a recent discovery of the adaptive bacterial immune system, which is based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated proteins (Cas) that utilize RNA to find and cut the double-stranded DNA molecules at specific locations. Here we develop a quantitative theoretical approach to analyze the mechanism of target search on DNA by CRISPR RNA-guided Cas9 proteins, which is followed by a selective cleavage of nucleic acids. It is based on a discrete-state stochastic model that takes into account the most relevant physical-chemical processes in the system. Using a method of first-passage processes, a full dynamic description of the target search is presented. It is found that the location of specific sites on DNA by CRISPR Cas9 proteins is governed by binding first to protospacer adjacent motif sequences on DNA, which is followed by reversible transitions into DNA interrogation states. In addition, the search dynamics is strongly influenced by the off-target cutting. Our theoretical calculations allow us to explain the experimental observations and to give experimentally testable predictions. Thus, the presented theoretical model clarifies some molecular aspects of the genome interrogation by CRISPR RNA-guided Cas9 proteins. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Design of a novel instrument for active neutron interrogation of artillery shells.

    PubMed

    Bélanger-Champagne, Camille; Vainionpää, Hannes; Peura, Pauli; Toivonen, Harri; Eerola, Paula; Dendooven, Peter

    2017-01-01

    The most common explosives can be uniquely identified by measuring the elemental H/N ratio with a precision better than 10%. Monte Carlo simulations were used to design two variants of a new prompt gamma neutron activation instrument that can achieve this precision. The instrument features an intense pulsed neutron generator with precise timing. Measuring the hydrogen peak from the target explosive is especially challenging because the instrument itself contains hydrogen, which is needed for neutron moderation and shielding. By iterative design optimization, the fraction of the hydrogen peak counts coming from the explosive under interrogation increased from [Formula: see text]% to [Formula: see text]% (statistical only) for the benchmark design. In the optimized design variants, the hydrogen signal from a high-explosive shell can be measured to a statistics-only precision better than 1% in less than 30 minutes for an average neutron production yield of 109 n/s.

  1. Evaluation of the optical switching characteristics of erbium-doped fibres for the development of a fibre Bragg grating sensor interrogator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rigas, Evangelos; Correia, R.; Stathopoulos, N. A.; Savaidis, S. P.; James, S. W.; Bhattacharyya, D.; Kirby, P. B.; Tatam, R. P.

    2014-05-01

    A polling topology that employs optical switching based on the properties of erbium-doped fibres (EDFs) is used to interrogate an array of FBGs. The properties of the EDF are investigated in its pumped and un-pumped states and the EDFs' switching properties are evaluated by comparing them with a high performance electronically controlled MEM optical switch. Potential advantages of the proposed technique are discussed.

  2. Long-gauge FBGs interrogated by DTR3 for dynamic distributed strain measurement of helicopter blade model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishiyama, M.; Igawa, H.; Kasai, T.; Watanabe, N.

    2014-05-01

    In this paper, we describe characteristics of distributed strain sensing based on a Delayed Transmission/Reflection Ratiometric Reflectometry (DTR3) scheme with a long-gauge Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), which is attractive to dynamic structural deformation monitoring such as a helicopter blade and an airplane wing. The DTR3 interrogator using the longgauge FBG has capability of detecting distributed strain with 50 cm spatial resolution in 100 Hz sampling rate. We evaluated distributed strain sensing characteristics of the long-gauge FBG attached on a 5.5 m helicopter blade model in static tests and free vibration dynamic tests.

  3. Rapid-rate nonsustained ventricular tachycardia found on implantable cardioverter-defibrillator interrogation: relationship to outcomes in the SCD-HeFT (Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial).

    PubMed

    Chen, Jay; Johnson, George; Hellkamp, Anne S; Anderson, Jill; Mark, Daniel B; Lee, Kerry L; Bardy, Gust H; Poole, Jeanne E

    2013-05-28

    The aim of this study was to examine rapid-rate nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (RR-NSVT) during routine implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) evaluation in patients with heart failure and its relationship to outcomes. The clinical implications of RR-NSVT identified during routine ICD interrogation are unclear. In this study, the occurrence of RR-NSVT and its association with ICD shocks and mortality in SCD-HeFT (Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial) were examined. The 811 patients who received ICDs in SCD-HeFT constituted the study population. The occurrence of RR-NSVT and its association with ICD shocks and mortality in SCD-HeFT were examined. RR-NSVT was documented on ICD interrogation in 186 of 811 patients (22.9%). The mean duration of RR-NSVT was 26.4 ± 9.1 beats (7.5 ± 2.6 s), with a mean cycle length of 259 ± 32 ms. Polymorphic RR-NSVT accounted for 56% of episodes. Compared with patients without RR-NSVT, those with RR-NSVT were less likely to be taking beta-blockers, statins, or aspirin at enrollment. After adjusting for other known predictors of mortality in SCD-HeFT, RR-NSVT was independently associated with appropriate ICD shocks (hazard ratio: 4.25; 95% confidence interval: 2.94 to 6.14; p < 0.0001), with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 2.40; 95% confidence interval: 1.62 to 3.54; p < 0.0001), and with a composite of all-cause mortality and appropriate ICD shocks (hazard ratio: 3.03; 95% confidence interval: 2.21 to 4.15; p < 0.0001). RR-NSVT identified on routine ICD interrogation should be considered an important clinical event. RR-NSVT during ICD interrogation is associated with appropriate ICD shocks and all-cause mortality. The clinical evaluation of patients with RR-NSVT should include intensification of medical therapy, particularly beta-blockers, or other appropriate clinical interventions. (Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial [SCD-HeFT]; NCT00000609). Copyright © 2013 American College of Cardiology Foundation

  4. Social Work Knowledge of Facts on Aging: Influence of Field and Classroom Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Birkenmaier, Julie; Rowan, Noell L.; Damron-Rodriguez, JoAnn; Lawrance, Frances P.; Volland, Patricia J.

    2009-01-01

    Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ) was used to measure aging knowledge outcomes of 323 practicum students engaged in aging-focused practica at pre- and posttest across 11 universities. Significant improvement in knowledge scores (p = 0.0001) was found for graduates of the enhanced field education programs. Taking aging course work was a…

  5. Learning Analytics as Assemblage: Criticality and Contingency in Online Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, John; Nichols, T. Philip

    2017-01-01

    Recently, the possibilities for leveraging "big data" in research and pedagogy have given rise to the growing field of "learning analytics" in online education. While much of this work has focused on quantitative metrics, some have called for critical perspectives that interrogate such data as an interplay between technical…

  6. Development of the QA/QC Procedures for a Neutron Interrogation System

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Obhodas, Jasmina; Sudac, Davorin; Valkovic, Vladivoj

    In order to perform QA/QC procedures for a system dedicated to the neutron interrogation of objects for the presence of threat materials one needs to perform measurements of reference materials (RM) having the same (or similar) atomic ratios as real materials. It is well known that explosives, drugs, and various other benign materials, contain chemical elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen in distinctly different quantities. For example, a high carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) is characteristic of drugs. Explosives can be differentiated by measurement of both C/O and nitrogen-to-oxygen (N/O) ratios. The C/N ratio of the chemical warfare agents, coupledmore » with the measurement of elements such as fluorine and phosphorus, clearly differentiate them from the conventional explosives. Correlations between theoretical values and experimental results obtained in laboratory conditions for C/O and N/C ratios of simulants of hexogen (RDX), TNT, DLM2, TATP, cocaine, heroin, yperite, tetranitromethane, peroxide methylethyl-ketone, nitromethane and ethyleneglycol dinitrate are presented. (authors)« less

  7. A mobile field-work data collection system for the wireless era of health surveillance.

    PubMed

    Forsell, Marianne; Sjögren, Petteri; Renard, Matthew; Johansson, Olle

    2011-03-01

    In many countries or regions the capacity of health care resources is below the needs of the population and new approaches for health surveillance are needed. Innovative projects, utilizing wireless communication technology, contribute to reliable methods for field-work data collection and reporting to databases. The objective was to describe a new version of a wireless IT-support system for field-work data collection and administration. The system requirements were drawn from the design objective and translated to system functions. The system architecture was based on fieldwork experiences and administrative requirements. The Smartphone devices were HTC Touch Diamond2s, while the system was based on a platform with Microsoft .NET components, and a SQL Server 2005 with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system. The user interfaces were based on .NET programming, and Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system. A synchronization module enabled download of field data to the database, via a General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) to a Local Area Network (LAN) interface. The field-workers considered the here-described applications user-friendly and almost self-instructing. The office administrators considered that the back-office interface facilitated retrieval of health reports and invoice distribution. The current IT-support system facilitates short lead times from fieldwork data registration to analysis, and is suitable for various applications. The advantages of wireless technology, and paper-free data administration need to be increasingly emphasized in development programs, in order to facilitate reliable and transparent use of limited resources.

  8. Work plan for conducting an ecological risk assessment at J-Field, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hlohowskyj, I.; Hayse, J.; Kuperman, R.

    1995-03-01

    The Environmental Management Division of Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland, is conducting a remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) of the J-Field area at APG pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended. J-Field is within the Edgewood Area of APG in Harford County, Maryland, and activities at the Edgewood Area since World War II have included the development, manufacture, testing, and destruction of chemical agents and munitions. The J-Field site was used to destroy chemical agents and munitions by open burning and open detonation. This work plan presents the approach proposed to conduct anmore » ecological risk assessment (ERA) as part of the RI/FS program at J-Field. This work plan identifies the locations and types of field studies proposed for each area of concern (AOC), the laboratory studies proposed to evaluate toxicity of media, and the methodology to be used in estimating doses to ecological receptors and discusses the approach that will be used to estimate and evaluate ecological risks at J-Field. Eight AOCs have been identified at J-Field, and the proposed ERA is designed to evaluate the potential for adverse impacts to ecological receptors from contaminated media at each AOC, as well as over the entire J-Field site. The proposed ERA approach consists of three major phases, incorporating field and laboratory studies as well as modeling. Phase 1 includes biotic surveys of the aquatic and terrestrial habitats, biological tissue sampling and analysis, and media toxicity testing at each AOC and appropriate reference locations. Phase 2 includes definitive toxicity testing of media from areas of known or suspected contamination or of media for which the Phase 1 results indicate toxicity or adverse ecological effects. In Phase 3, the uptake models initially developed in Phase 2 will be finalized, and contaminant dose to each receptor from all complete pathways will be estimated.« less

  9. From Field Work to Deliverables. Experiences on the Tin House Courtyard Documentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bello Caballero, L.; Mezzino, D.; Federman, A.; Santana Quintero, M.

    2017-08-01

    The Tin House Courtyard is a property of the National Capital Commission (NCC) in Ottawa, Canada. The site is located within the `Mile of History', a historical route running from Parliament Hill to the Governor General's residence. Currently, existing assets are under intervention works that include several preservation and renewal actions. Within the broader project, one of the tasks before construction works started was the documentation of the set of facades. The Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) at Carleton University in Ottawa was commissioned by NCC to conduct the recording of the area. This paper describes the process undertaken from field work to the final deliverable to the client, as well as the issues faced in between. Nowadays, up to date surveying technologies have revolutionized the methodologies for cultural heritage documentation. In this regard, the recording strategy employed encompassed the use of photogrammetry, laser scanner, total station, as well as different pre and post processing software in order to generate the desired outcomes.

  10. Design of a novel instrument for active neutron interrogation of artillery shells

    PubMed Central

    Vainionpää, Hannes; Peura, Pauli; Toivonen, Harri; Eerola, Paula; Dendooven, Peter

    2017-01-01

    The most common explosives can be uniquely identified by measuring the elemental H/N ratio with a precision better than 10%. Monte Carlo simulations were used to design two variants of a new prompt gamma neutron activation instrument that can achieve this precision. The instrument features an intense pulsed neutron generator with precise timing. Measuring the hydrogen peak from the target explosive is especially challenging because the instrument itself contains hydrogen, which is needed for neutron moderation and shielding. By iterative design optimization, the fraction of the hydrogen peak counts coming from the explosive under interrogation increased from 53-7+7% to 74-10+8% (statistical only) for the benchmark design. In the optimized design variants, the hydrogen signal from a high-explosive shell can be measured to a statistics-only precision better than 1% in less than 30 minutes for an average neutron production yield of 109 n/s. PMID:29211773

  11. Portable fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy system for in-situ interrogation of biological tissues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saito Nogueira, Marcelo; Cosci, Alessandro; Teixeira Rosa, Ramon Gabriel; Salvio, Ana Gabriela; Pratavieira, Sebastião; Kurachi, Cristina

    2017-12-01

    Fluorescence spectroscopy and lifetime techniques are potential methods for optical diagnosis and characterization of biological tissues with an in-situ, fast, and noninvasive interrogation. Several diseases may be diagnosed due to differences in the fluorescence spectra of targeted fluorophores, when, these spectra are similar, considering steady-state fluorescence, others may be detected by monitoring their fluorescence lifetime. Despite this complementarity, most of the current fluorescence lifetime systems are not robust and portable, and not being feasible for clinical applications. We describe the assembly of a fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy system in a suitcase, its characterization, and validation with clinical measurements of skin lesions. The assembled system is all encased and robust, maintaining its mechanical, electrical, and optical stability during transportation, and is feasible for clinical measurements. The instrument response function measured was about 300 ps, and the system is properly calibrated. At the clinical study, the system showed to be reliable, and the achieved spectroscopy results support its potential use as an auxiliary tool for skin diagnostics.

  12. Neutron interrogation of high-enriched uranium by a 4 MeV linac

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lakosi, László; Nguyen, Cong Tam

    2008-07-01

    For revealing unauthorized transport (illicit trafficking) of nuclear materials, a non-destructive method reported earlier, utilizing a 4 MeV linear accelerator for photoneutron interrogation, was further developed. The linac served as a pulsed neutron source for assay of highly enriched uranium. Produced in beryllium or heavy water by bremsstrahlung, neutrons subsequently induced fission in the samples. Delayed neutrons were detected by a newly designed neutron collar built up of 14 3He counters embedded in a polyethylene moderator. A PC controlled multiscaler served as a time analyzer, triggering the detector startup by the beam pulse. Significant progress was achieved in enhancing the detector response, hence the sensitivity for revealing illicit material. A lower sensitivity limit of the order of 10 mg 235U was determined in a 20 s measurement time with a reasonable amount of beryllium (170 g) or of heavy water (100 g) and a mean electron current of 10 μA. Sensitivity can be further enhanced by increasing the measurement time.

  13. High-energy photon interrogation for nonproliferation applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, J. L.; Blackburn, B. W.; Watson, S. M.; Norman, D. R.; Hunt, A. W.

    2007-08-01

    There is an immediate need for technologies that can successfully address homeland security challenges related to the inspection of commercial rail, air and maritime-cargo container inspections for nuclear and radiological devices. The pulsed photonuclear assessment (PPA) technology, developed through collaboration between Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Idaho Accelerator Center (IAC) has demonstrated the ability to detect shielded/unshielded nuclear material primarily through the analysis of delayed neutrons and gamma-rays produced via photonuclear reactions. Because of current food irradiation limitations, however, most active photon (i.e. bremsstrahlung) interrogation studies have been performed with electron beam energies at or below 10 MeV. While this energy limit currently applies to cargo inspections, the World Health Organization has indicated that higher energy electron beam operations could be considered for future operations. Clinical applications using photon energies well in excess of 10 MeV are already well established. Notwithstanding the current limitation of 10 MeV, there is a definite advantage in using higher photon energies for cargo inspections. At higher energies, several phenomena contribute to increased sensitivity in regards to detecting shielded nuclear material. Two of the most important are: (1) increased ability for source photons to penetrate shielding; and (2) enhanced signature production via increased (γ,n) and (γ,f) cross-sections in materials such as 235U and 239Pu directly leading to faster inspection throughput. Experimental assessments have been conducted for various electron beam energies from 8 to 25 MeV. Increases of up to three orders of magnitude in delayed signatures have been measured over these energy ranges. Through the continued investigation into PPA-based inspection applications using photon energies greater than 10 MeV, higher detection sensitivities with potentially

  14. Large magnetic field-induced work output in a NiMnGa seven-layered modulated martensite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pagounis, E.; Szczerba, M. J.; Chulist, R.; Laufenberg, M.

    2015-10-01

    We report the performance of a Ni-Mn-Ga single crystal with a seven-layered lattice modulation (14M martensite), demonstrating large actuation work output driven by an external magnetic field. A magnetic field-induced strain of 11.2%, a twinning stress of 0.64 MPa, and a magneto-crystalline anisotropy energy of 195 kJ/m3 are measured at room temperature, which exceed the best results reported in Ni-Mn-Ga 14M martensites. The produced magnetically induced work output of about 70 kJ/m3 makes the material attractive for actuator applications. Detailed XRD investigation reveals that the studied 14M martensite is stress-induced. With increasing compression stress, the stress-induced intermartensitic transformation sequence 10M → 14M → NM was demonstrated.

  15. Challenges Social Work Students Encounter in International Field Placements and Recommendations for Responsible Management

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matthew, Lenore E.; Lough, Benjamin J.

    2017-01-01

    Social work students often face personal and institutional challenges prior to, during, and after international field placements. If not managed, these challenges may compromise students' professional development and hinder their meaningful contribution to placements abroad, which is of particular concern when students from the Global North are…

  16. Inter-conversion of Work and Heat With Plasma Electric Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Avinash, K.

    2010-11-01

    Thermodynamics of a model system where a group of cold charged particles locally confined in a volume VP within a warm plasma of temperature T and fixed volume V (VP<work is demonstrated via a Striling like engine cycle involving ES isothermal compression of plasma electric fields.

  17. Development of high sensitivity eight-element multiplexed fiber laser acoustic pressure hydrophone array and interrogation system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ming; Sun, Zhihui; Zhang, Xiaolei; Li, Shujuan; Song, Zhiqiang; Wang, Meng; Guo, Jian; Ni, Jiasheng; Wang, Chang; Peng, Gangding; Xu, Xiangang

    2017-09-01

    Fiber laser hydrophones have got widespread concerns due to the unique advantages and broad application prospects. In this paper, the research results of the eight-element multiplexed fiber laser acoustic pressure array and the interrogation system are introduced, containing low-noise distributed feedback fiber laser (DFB-FL) fabrication, sensitivity enhancement packaging, and interferometric signal demodulation. The frequency response range of the system is 10Hz-10kHz, the laser frequency acoustic pressure sensitivity reaches 115 dB re Hz/Pa, and the equivalent noise acoustic pressure is less than 60μPa/Hz1/2. The dynamic range of the system is greater than 120 dB.

  18. Electrical Engineers' Perceptions on Education--Electromagnetic Field Theory and Its Connection to Working Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keltikangas, K.; Wallen, H.

    2010-01-01

    This paper investigates electrical engineers' perceptions on their education in Finland, with particular emphasis on the basic electromagnetic field theory courses and their applicability in working life, using two online surveys (n = 99 and n = 120). The answers show a reasonably good satisfaction with the electrical engineering studies in…

  19. Interrogation: Is the US Army Equipped and Trained to Meet the Present Challenges in Today’s Contemporary Operational Environment?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    insurgency our nation faces today . The US Army needs to look at interrogation as a critical tool, essential to our success on the current and...Anthony R., 2005 pg 32) The enemy that America faces today moves across the battlespace mixed within the civilian populace. Without proper friendly...enforcement personnel to gather information that protect innocent lives or gain a marked advantage over an adversary. This is just as true today as it has

  20. Systems and Methods for RFID-Enabled Pressure Sensing Apparatus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kennedy, Timothy F. (Inventor); Lin, Gregory Y. (Inventor); Ngo, Phong H. (Inventor); Fink, Patrick W. (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    Methods, apparatuses and systems for radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled information collection are disclosed, including an enclosure, a collector coupled to the enclosure, an interrogator, a processor, and one or more RFID field sensors, each having an individual identification, disposed within the enclosure. In operation, the interrogator transmits an incident signal to the collector, causing the collector to generate an electromagnetic field within the enclosure. The electromagnetic field is affected by one or more influences. RFID sensors respond to the electromagnetic field by transmitting reflected signals containing the individual identifications of the responding RFID sensors to the interrogator. The interrogator receives the reflected signals, measures one or more returned signal strength indications ("RSSI") of the reflected signals and sends the RSSI measurements and identification of the responding RFID sensors to the processor to determine one or more facts about the influences. Other embodiments are also described.

  1. Systems and Methods for RFID-Enabled Dispenser

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fink, Patrick W. (Inventor); Kennedy, Timothy F. (Inventor); Lin, Gregory Y. (Inventor); Ngo, Phong H. (Inventor); Byerly, Diane (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    Methods, apparatuses and systems for radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled information collection are disclosed, including an enclosure, a collector coupled to the enclosure, an interrogator, a processor, and one or more RFID field sensors, each having an individual identification, disposed within the enclosure. In operation, the interrogator transmits an incident signal to the collector, causing the collector to generate an electromagnetic field within the enclosure. The electromagnetic field is affected by one or more influences. RFID sensors respond to the electromagnetic field by transmitting reflected signals containing the individual identifications of the responding RFID sensors to the interrogator. The interrogator receives the reflected signals, measures one or more returned signal strength indications ("RSSI") of the reflected signals and sends the RSSI measurements and identification of the responding RFID sensors to the processor to determine one or more facts about the influences. Other embodiments are also described.

  2. Systems and Methods for RFID-Enabled Pressure Sensing Apparatus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, Gregory Y. (Inventor); Ngo, Phong H. (Inventor); Kennedy, Timothy F. (Inventor); Fink, Patrick W. (Inventor)

    2016-01-01

    Methods, apparatuses and systems for radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled information collection are disclosed, including an enclosure, a collector coupled to the enclosure, an interrogator, a processor, and one or more RFID field sensors, each having an individual identification, disposed within the enclosure. In operation, the interrogator transmits an incident signal to the collector, causing the collector to generate an electromagnetic field within the enclosure. The electromagnetic field is affected by one or more influences. RFID sensors respond to the electromagnetic field by transmitting reflected signals containing the individual identifications of the responding RFID sensors to the interrogator. The interrogator receives the reflected signals, measures one or more returned signal strength indications ("RSSI") of the reflected signals and sends the RSSI measurements and identification of the responding RFID sensors to the processor to determine one or more facts about the influences. Other embodiments are also described.

  3. System and Method for RFID-Enabled Information Collection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fink, Patrick W. (Inventor); Kennedy, Timothy F. (Inventor); Lin, Gregory Y. (Inventor); Ngo, Phong H. (Inventor); Byerly, Diane (Inventor)

    2016-01-01

    Methods, apparatuses and systems for radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled information collection are disclosed, including an enclosure, a collector coupled to the enclosure, an interrogator, a processor, and one or more RFID field sensors, each having an individual identification, disposed within the enclosure. In operation, the interrogator transmits an incident signal to the collector, causing the collector to generate an electromagnetic field within the enclosure. The electromagnetic field is affected by one or more influences. RFID sensors respond to the electromagnetic field by transmitting reflected signals containing the individual identifications of the responding RFID sensors to the interrogator. The interrogator receives the reflected signals, measures one or more returned signal strength indications ("RSSI") of the reflected signals and sends the RSSI measurements and identification of the responding RFID sensors to the processor to determine one or more facts about the influences. Other embodiments are also described.

  4. Discriminative Random Field Models for Subsurface Contamination Uncertainty Quantification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arshadi, M.; Abriola, L. M.; Miller, E. L.; De Paolis Kaluza, C.

    2017-12-01

    Application of flow and transport simulators for prediction of the release, entrapment, and persistence of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) and associated contaminant plumes is a computationally intensive process that requires specification of a large number of material properties and hydrologic/chemical parameters. Given its computational burden, this direct simulation approach is particularly ill-suited for quantifying both the expected performance and uncertainty associated with candidate remediation strategies under real field conditions. Prediction uncertainties primarily arise from limited information about contaminant mass distributions, as well as the spatial distribution of subsurface hydrologic properties. Application of direct simulation to quantify uncertainty would, thus, typically require simulating multiphase flow and transport for a large number of permeability and release scenarios to collect statistics associated with remedial effectiveness, a computationally prohibitive process. The primary objective of this work is to develop and demonstrate a methodology that employs measured field data to produce equi-probable stochastic representations of a subsurface source zone that capture the spatial distribution and uncertainty associated with key features that control remediation performance (i.e., permeability and contamination mass). Here we employ probabilistic models known as discriminative random fields (DRFs) to synthesize stochastic realizations of initial mass distributions consistent with known, and typically limited, site characterization data. Using a limited number of full scale simulations as training data, a statistical model is developed for predicting the distribution of contaminant mass (e.g., DNAPL saturation and aqueous concentration) across a heterogeneous domain. Monte-Carlo sampling methods are then employed, in conjunction with the trained statistical model, to generate realizations conditioned on measured borehole data

  5. Comparison of fresh fuel experimental measurements to MCNPX calculations using self-interrogation neutron resonance densitometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LaFleur, Adrienne M.; Charlton, William S.; Menlove, Howard O.; Swinhoe, Martyn T.

    2012-07-01

    A new non-destructive assay technique called Self-Interrogation Neutron Resonance Densitometry (SINRD) is currently being developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to improve existing nuclear safeguards measurements for Light Water Reactor (LWR) fuel assemblies. SINRD consists of four 235U fission chambers (FCs): bare FC, boron carbide shielded FC, Gd covered FC, and Cd covered FC. Ratios of different FCs are used to determine the amount of resonance absorption from 235U in the fuel assembly. The sensitivity of this technique is based on using the same fissile materials in the FCs as are present in the fuel because the effect of resonance absorption lines in the transmitted flux is amplified by the corresponding (n,f) reaction peaks in the fission chamber. In this work, experimental measurements were performed in air with SINRD using a reference Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) 15×15 low enriched uranium (LEU) fresh fuel assembly at LANL. The purpose of this experiment was to assess the following capabilities of SINRD: (1) ability to measure the effective 235U enrichment of the PWR fresh LEU fuel assembly and (2) sensitivity and penetrability to the removal of fuel pins from an assembly. These measurements were compared to Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended transport code (MCNPX) simulations to verify the accuracy of the MCNPX model of SINRD. The reproducibility of experimental measurements via MCNPX simulations is essential to validating the results and conclusions obtained from the simulations of SINRD for LWR spent fuel assemblies.

  6. Active interrogation of highly enriched uranium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fairrow, Nannette Lea

    Safeguarding special nuclear material (SNM) in the Department of Energy Complex is vital to the national security of the United States. Active and passive nondestructive assays are used to confirm the presence of SNM in various configurations ranging from waste to nuclear weapons. Confirmation measurements for nuclear weapons are more challenging because the design complicates the detection of a distinct signal for highly enriched uranium. The emphasis of this dissertation was to investigate a new nondestructive assay technique that provides an independent and distinct signal to confirm the presence of highly enriched uranium (HEU). Once completed and tested this assay method could be applied to confirmation measurements of nuclear weapons. The new system uses a 14-MeV neutron source for interrogation and records the arrival time of neutrons between the pulses with a high efficiency detection system. The data is then analyzed by the Feynman reduced variance method. The analysis determined the amount of correlation in the data and provided a unique signature of correlated fission neutrons. Measurements of HEU spheres were conducted at Los Alamos with the new system. Then, Monte Carlo calculations were performed to verify hypothesis made about the behavior of the neutrons in the experiment. Comparisons of calculated counting rates by the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) were made with the experimental data to confirm that the measured response reflected the desired behavior of neutron interactions in the highly enriched uranium. In addition, MCNP calculations of the delayed neutron build-up were compared with the measured data. Based on the results obtained from this dissertation, this measurement method has the potential to be expanded to include mass determinations of highly enriched uranium. Although many safeguards techniques exist for measuring special nuclear material, the number of assays that can be used to confirm HEU in shielded systems is

  7. High resolution monitoring of strain fields in concrete during hydraulic fracturing processes.

    PubMed

    Chen, Rongzhang; Zaghloul, Mohamed A S; Yan, Aidong; Li, Shuo; Lu, Guanyi; Ames, Brandon C; Zolfaghari, Navid; Bunger, Andrew P; Li, Ming-Jun; Chen, Kevin P

    2016-02-22

    We present a distributed fiber optic sensing scheme to image 3D strain fields inside concrete blocks during laboratory-scale hydraulic fracturing. Strain fields were measured by optical fibers embedded during casting of the concrete blocks. The axial strain profile along the optical fiber was interrogated by the in-fiber Rayleigh backscattering with 1-cm spatial resolution using optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR). The 3D strain fields inside the cubes under various driving pressures and pumping schedules were measured and used to characterize the location, shape, and growth rate of the hydraulic fractures. The fiber optic sensor detection method presented in this paper provides scientists and engineers an unique laboratory tool to understand the hydraulic fracturing processes via internal, 3D strain measurements with the potential to ascertain mechanisms related to crack growth and its associated damage of the surrounding material as well as poromechanically-coupled mechanisms driven by fluid diffusion from the crack into the permeable matrix of concrete specimens.

  8. 41 CFR 102-5.75 - What circumstances do not establish a basis for authorizing home-to-work transportation for field...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... not establish a basis for authorizing home-to-work transportation for field work? 102-5.75 Section 102... (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION GENERAL 5-HOME-TO-WORK TRANSPORTATION Authorizing Home-to-Work Transportation § 102-5.75 What circumstances do not establish a basis for authorizing home-to-work transportation...

  9. Wavelength-Agile Optical Sensor for Exhaust Plume and Cryogenic Fluid Interrogation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sanders, Scott T.; Chiaverini, Martin J.; Gramer, Daniel J.

    2004-01-01

    Two optical sensors developed in UW-Madison labs were evaluated for their potential to characterize rocket engine exhaust plumes and liquid oxygen (LOX) fluid properties. The plume sensor is based on wavelength-agile absorption spectroscopy A device called a chirped white pulse emitter (CWPE) is used to generate the wavelength agile light, scanning, for example, 1340 - 1560 nm every microsecond. Properties of the gases in the rocket plume (for example temperature and water mole fraction) can be monitored using these wavelength scans. We have performed preliminary tests in static gas cells, a laboratory GOX/GH2 thrust chamber, and a solid-fuel hybrid thrust chamber, and these initial tests demonstrate the potential of the CWPE for monitoring rocket plumes. The LOX sensor uses an alternative to wavelength agile sensing: two independent, fixed-wavelength lasers are combined into a single fiber. One laser is absorbed by LOX and the other not: by monitoring the differential transmission the LOX concentration in cryogenic feed lines can be inferred. The sensor was successful in interrogating static LOX pools in laboratory tests. Even in ice- and bubble-laden cryogenic fluids, LOX concentrations were measured to better than 1% with a 3 microsec time constant.

  10. Interrogation of metabolic and oxygen states of tumors with fiber-based luminescence lifetime spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Lukina, Maria; Orlova, Anna; Shirmanova, Marina; Shirokov, Daniil; Pavlikov, Anton; Neubauer, Antje; Studier, Hauke; Becker, Wolfgang; Zagaynova, Elena; Yoshihara, Toshitada; Tobita, Seiji; Shcheslavskiy, Vladislav

    2017-02-15

    The study of metabolic and oxygen states of cells in a tumor in vivo is crucial for understanding of the mechanisms responsible for tumor development and provides background for the relevant tumor's treatment. Here, we show that a specially designed implantable fiber-optic probe provides a promising tool for optical interrogation of metabolic and oxygen states of a tumor in vivo. In our experiments, the excitation light from a ps diode laser source is delivered to the sample through an exchangeable tip via a multimode fiber, and the emission light is transferred to the detector by another multimode fiber. Fluorescence lifetime of a nicotinamid adenine dinucleotide (NAD(P)H) and phosphorescence lifetime of an oxygen sensor based on an iridium (III) complex of enzothienylpyridine (BTPDM1) are explored both in model experiment in solutions and in living mice.

  11. Portable fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy system for in-situ interrogation of biological tissues.

    PubMed

    Saito Nogueira, Marcelo; Cosci, Alessandro; Teixeira Rosa, Ramon Gabriel; Salvio, Ana Gabriela; Pratavieira, Sebastião; Kurachi, Cristina

    2017-10-01

    Fluorescence spectroscopy and lifetime techniques are potential methods for optical diagnosis and characterization of biological tissues with an in-situ, fast, and noninvasive interrogation. Several diseases may be diagnosed due to differences in the fluorescence spectra of targeted fluorophores, when, these spectra are similar, considering steady-state fluorescence, others may be detected by monitoring their fluorescence lifetime. Despite this complementarity, most of the current fluorescence lifetime systems are not robust and portable, and not being feasible for clinical applications. We describe the assembly of a fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy system in a suitcase, its characterization, and validation with clinical measurements of skin lesions. The assembled system is all encased and robust, maintaining its mechanical, electrical, and optical stability during transportation, and is feasible for clinical measurements. The instrument response function measured was about 300 ps, and the system is properly calibrated. At the clinical study, the system showed to be reliable, and the achieved spectroscopy results support its potential use as an auxiliary tool for skin diagnostics. (2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

  12. Digital music players cause interference with interrogation telemetry for pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators without affecting device function.

    PubMed

    Webster, Gregory; Jordao, Ligia; Martuscello, Maria; Mahajan, Tarun; Alexander, Mark E; Cecchin, Frank; Triedman, John K; Walsh, Edward P; Berul, Charles I

    2008-04-01

    Concern exists regarding the potential electromagnetic interaction between pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and digital music players (DMPs). A preliminary study reported interference in 50% of patients whose devices were interrogated near Apple iPods. Given the high prevalence of DMP use among young patients, we sought to define the nature of interference from iPods and evaluate other DMPs. Four DMPs (Apple Nano, Apple Video, SanDisk Sansa and Microsoft Zune) were evaluated against pacemakers and ICDs (PM/ICD). Along with continuous monitoring, we recorded a baseline ECG strip, sensing parameters and lead impedance at baseline and for each device. Among 51 patients evaluated (age 6 to 60 years, median 22), there was no interference with intrinsic device function. Interference with the programmer occurred in 41% of the patients. All four DMPs caused programmer interference, including disabled communication between the PM/ICD and programmer, noise in the ECG channel, and lost marker channel indicators. Sensing parameters and lead impedances exhibited no more than baseline variability. When the DMPs were removed six inches, there were no further programmer telemetry interactions. Contrary to a prior report, we did not identify any evidence for electromagnetic interference between a selection of DMPs and intrinsic function of PM/ICDs. The DMPs did sometimes interfere with device-programmer communication, but not in a way that compromised device function. Therefore, we recommend that DMPs not be used during device interrogation, but suggest that there is reassuring counterevidence to mitigate the current high level of concern for interactions between DMPs and implantable cardiac rhythm devices.

  13. Nanoscale Plasmonic V-Groove Waveguides for the Interrogation of Single Fluorescent Bacterial Cells.

    PubMed

    Lotan, Oren; Bar-David, Jonathan; Smith, Cameron L C; Yagur-Kroll, Sharon; Belkin, Shimshon; Kristensen, Anders; Levy, Uriel

    2017-09-13

    We experimentally demonstrate the interrogation of an individual Escherichia coli cell using a nanoscale plasmonic V-groove waveguide. Several different configurations were studied. The first involved the excitation of the cell in a liquid environment because it flows on top of the waveguide nanocoupler, while the obtained fluorescence is coupled into the waveguide and collected at the other nanocoupler. The other two configurations involved the positioning of the bacterium within the nanoscale waveguide and its excitation in a dry environment either directly from the top or through waveguide modes. This is achieved by taking advantage of the waveguide properties not only for light guiding but also as a mechanical tool for trapping the bacteria within the V-grooves. The obtained results are supported by a set of numerical simulations, shedding more light on the mechanism of excitation. This demonstration paves the way for the construction of an efficient bioplasmonic chip for diverse cell-based sensing applications.

  14. Design of a randomized controlled trial on the effect on return to work with coaching plus light therapy and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy for workers with work-related chronic stress.

    PubMed

    Schoutens, Antonius M C; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; Sluiter, Judith K

    2016-07-19

    Work-related chronic stress is a common problem among workers. The core complaint is that the employee feels exhausted, which has an effect on the well-being and functioning of the employee, and an impact on the employer and society. The employee's absence is costly due to lost productivity and medical expenses. The usual form of care for work-related chronic stress is coaching, using a cognitive-behavioural approach whose primary aim is to reduce symptoms and improve functioning. Light therapy and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy are used for the treatment of several mental and physical disorders. The objective of this study is to determine whether coaching combined with light therapy plus pulsed electromagnetic field therapy is an effective treatment for reducing absenteeism, fatigue and stress, and improving quality of life compared to coaching alone. The randomized placebo-controlled trial consists of three arms. The population consists of 90 participants with work-related chronic stress complaints. The research groups are: (i) intervention group; (ii) placebo group; and (iii) control group. Participants in the intervention group will be treated with light therapy/pulsed electromagnetic field therapy for 12 weeks, twice a week for 40 min, and coaching (once a fortnight for 50 min). The placebo group receives the same treatment but with the light and pulsed electromagnetic field switched to placebo settings. The control group receives only coaching for 12 weeks, a course of six sessions, once a fortnight for 50 min. The primary outcome is the level of return to work. Secondary outcomes are fatigue, stress and quality of life. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 and 24 weeks after start of treatment. This study will provide information about the effectiveness of coaching and light therapy plus pulsed electromagnetic field therapy on return to work, and secondly on fatigue, stress and quality of life in people with work-related chronic

  15. Apertureless near-field scanning optical microscope working with or without laser source.

    PubMed

    Formanek, F; De Wilde, Y; Aigouy, L; Chen, Y

    2004-01-01

    An apertureless near-field scanning optical microscope (ANSOM), used indifferent configurations, is presented. Our versatile home-made setup, based on a sharp tungsten tip glued onto a quartz tuning fork and working in tapping mode, allows to perform imaging over a broad spectral range. We have recorded optical images in the visible (wavelength, lambda = 655 nm) and in the infrared (lambda = 10.6 microm), proving that the setup routinely achieves an optical resolution of <50 nm regardless of the illumination wavelength. We have also shown optical images recorded in the visible (lambda = 655 nm) in an inverted configuration where the tip does not perturb the focused spot of the illumination laser. Approach curves as well as image profiles have revealed that on demodulating the optical signal at higher harmonics, we can obtain an effective probe sharpening which results in an improvement of the resolution. Finally, we have presented optical images recorded in the infrared without any illumination, that is, the usual laser source is replaced by a simple heating of the sample. This has shown that the ANSOM can be used as a near-field thermal optical microscope (NTOM) to probe the near field generated by the thermal emission of the sample.

  16. Surface Interrogation Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy for a Photoelectrochemical Reaction: Water Oxidation on a Hematite Surface.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jae Young; Ahn, Hyun S; Bard, Allen J

    2018-03-06

    To understand the pathway of a photoelectrochemical (PEC) reaction, quantitative knowledge of reaction intermediates is important. We describe here surface interrogation scanning electrochemical microscopy for this purpose (PEC SI-SECM), where a light pulse to a photoactive semiconductor film at a given potential generates intermediates that are then analyzed by a tip generated titrant at known times after the light pulse. The improvements were demonstrated for photoelectrochemical water oxidation (oxygen evolution) reaction on a hematite surface. The density of photoactive sites, proposed to be Fe 4+ species, on a hematite surface was successfully quantified, and the photoelectrochemical water oxidation reaction dynamics were elucidated by time-dependent redox titration experiments. The new configuration of PEC SI-SECM should find expanded usage to understand and investigate more complicated PEC reactions with other materials.

  17. Parallelised photoacoustic signal acquisition using a Fabry-Perot sensor and a camera-based interrogation scheme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saeb Gilani, T.; Villringer, C.; Zhang, E.; Gundlach, H.; Buchmann, J.; Schrader, S.; Laufer, J.

    2018-02-01

    Tomographic photoacoustic (PA) images acquired using a Fabry-Perot (FP) based scanner offer high resolution and image fidelity but can result in long acquisition times due to the need for raster scanning. To reduce the acquisition times, a parallelised camera-based PA signal detection scheme is developed. The scheme is based on using a sCMOScamera and FPI sensors with high homogeneity of optical thickness. PA signals were acquired using the camera-based setup and the signal to noise ratio (SNR) was measured. A comparison of the SNR of PA signal detected using 1) a photodiode in a conventional raster scanning detection scheme and 2) a sCMOS camera in parallelised detection scheme is made. The results show that the parallelised interrogation scheme has the potential to provide high speed PA imaging.

  18. Skills Utilisation at Work, the Quality of the Study Programme and Fields of Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Støren, Liv Anne; Arnesen, Clara Åse

    2016-01-01

    This paper examines the factors that may have impact on the extent to which the knowledge and skills of master's degree graduates in Norway are utilised at work, three years after graduation. The focus is on the impact of the quality of the study programme as well as the graduates' fields of study, when also taking into account other factors…

  19. Toward Shared Working Space of Human and Robotic Agents Through Dipole Flow Field for Dependable Path Planning.

    PubMed

    Trinh, Lan Anh; Ekström, Mikael; Cürüklü, Baran

    2018-01-01

    Recent industrial developments in autonomous systems, or agents, which assume that humans and the agents share the same space or even work in close proximity, open for new challenges in robotics, especially in motion planning and control. In these settings, the control system should be able to provide these agents a reliable path following control when they are working in a group or in collaboration with one or several humans in complex and dynamic environments. In such scenarios, these agents are not only moving to reach their goals, i.e., locations, they are also aware of the movements of other entities to find a collision-free path. Thus, this paper proposes a dependable, i.e., safe, reliable and effective, path planning algorithm for a group of agents that share their working space with humans. Firstly, the method employs the Theta * algorithm to initialize the paths from a starting point to a goal for a set of agents. As Theta * algorithm is computationally heavy, it only reruns when there is a significant change of the environment. To deal with the movements of the agents, a static flow field along the configured path is defined. This field is used by the agents to navigate and reach their goals even if the planned trajectories are changed. Secondly, a dipole field is calculated to avoid the collision of agents with other agents and human subjects. In this approach, each agent is assumed to be a source of a magnetic dipole field in which the magnetic moment is aligned with the moving direction of the agent. The magnetic dipole-dipole interactions between these agents generate repulsive forces to help them to avoid collision. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been evaluated with extensive simulations. The results show that the static flow field is able to drive agents to the goals with a small number of requirements to update the path of agents. Meanwhile, the dipole flow field plays an important role to prevent collisions. The combination of

  20. The truth will out: interrogative polygraphy ("lie detection") with event-related brain potentials.

    PubMed

    Farwell, L A; Donchin, E

    1991-09-01

    The feasibility of using Event Related Brain Potentials (ERPs) in Interrogative Polygraphy ("Lie Detection") was tested by examining the effectiveness of the Guilty Knowledge Test designed by Farwell and Donchin (1986, 1988). The subject is assigned an arbitrary task requiring discrimination between experimenter-designated targets and other, irrelevant stimuli. A group of diagnostic items ("probes"), which to the unwitting are indistinguishable from the irrelevant items, are embedded among the irrelevant. For subjects who possess "guilty knowledge" these probes are distinct from the irrelevants and are likely to elicit a P300, thus revealing their possessing the special knowledge that allows them to differentiate the probes from the irrelevants. We report two experiments in which this paradigm was tested. In Experiment 1, 20 subjects participated in one of two mock espionage scenarios and were tested for their knowledge of both scenarios. All stimuli consisted of short phrases presented for 300 ms each at an interstimulus interval of 1550 ms. A set of items were designated as "targets" and appeared on 17% of the trials. Probes related to the scenarios also appeared on 17% of the trials. The rest of the items were irrelevants. Subjects responded by pressing one switch following targets, and the other following irrelevants (and, of course, probes). ERPs were recorded from FZ, CZ, and PZ. As predicted, targets elicited large P300s in all subjects. Probes associated with a given scenario elicited a P300 in subjects who participated in that scenario. A bootstrapping method was used to assess the quality of the decision for each subject. The algorithm declared the decision indeterminate in 12.5% of the cases. In all other cases a decision was made. There were no false positives and no false negatives: whenever a determination was made it was accurate. The second experiment was virtually identical to the first, with identical results, except that this time 4 subjects were

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.