19 CFR 10.21 - Updating cost data and other information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Updating cost data and other information. 10.21... Articles Assembled Abroad with United States Components § 10.21 Updating cost data and other information. When a claim for the exemption is predicated on estimated cost data furnished either in advance of or...

19 CFR 10.21 - Updating cost data and other information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Updating cost data and other information. 10.21... Articles Assembled Abroad with United States Components § 10.21 Updating cost data and other information. When a claim for the exemption is predicated on estimated cost data furnished either in advance of or...

NASA Tech Briefs, November 1993. Volume 17, No. 11

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Topics covered: Advanced Manufacturing; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences.

The Effect of Shared Information on Pilot/Controller and Controller/Controller Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansman, R. John; Davison, Hayley J.

2000-01-01

The increased ability to exchange information between Pilots, Controllers, Dispatchers, and other agents is a key component of advanced Air Traffic Management. The importance of shared information as well as current and evolving practices in information sharing are presented for a variety of interactions including: Controller/Pilot interactions, Pilot/Airline interactions, Controller/Controller interactions, and Airline/ATM interactions.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Course Concept Based on Reusable Learning Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Zele, Els; Vandaele, Pieter; Botteldooren, Dick; Lenaerts, Josephina

2003-01-01

This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a learning objects based computer aided system for an advanced engineering course at Ghent University, Belgium. A new syllabus concept was introduced: students had access to a Web-delivered component and received an identical printed component as two sources of information additional to…

Chemical information obtained from Auger depth profiles by means of advanced factor analysis (MLCFA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Volder, P.; Hoogewijs, R.; De Gryse, R.; Fiermans, L.; Vennik, J.

1993-01-01

The advanced multivariate statistical technique "maximum likelihood common factor analysis (MLCFA)" is shown to be superior to "principal component analysis (PCA)" for decomposing overlapping peaks into their individual component spectra of which neither the number of components nor the peak shape of the component spectra is known. An examination of the maximum resolving power of both techniques, MLCFA and PCA, by means of artificially created series of multicomponent spectra confirms this finding unambiguously. Substantial progress in the use of AES as a chemical-analysis technique is accomplished through the implementation of MLCFA. Chemical information from Auger depth profiles is extracted by investigating the variation of the line shape of the Auger signal as a function of the changing chemical state of the element. In particular, MLCFA combined with Auger depth profiling has been applied to problems related to steelcord-rubber tyre adhesion. MLCFA allows one to elucidate the precise nature of the interfacial layer of reaction products between natural rubber vulcanized on a thin brass layer. This study reveals many interesting chemical aspects of the oxi-sulfidation of brass undetectable with classical AES.

Advanced and secure architectural EHR approaches.

PubMed

Blobel, Bernd

2006-01-01

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) provided as a lifelong patient record advance towards core applications of distributed and co-operating health information systems and health networks. For meeting the challenge of scalable, flexible, portable, secure EHR systems, the underlying EHR architecture must be based on the component paradigm and model driven, separating platform-independent and platform-specific models. Allowing manageable models, real systems must be decomposed and simplified. The resulting modelling approach has to follow the ISO Reference Model - Open Distributing Processing (RM-ODP). The ISO RM-ODP describes any system component from different perspectives. Platform-independent perspectives contain the enterprise view (business process, policies, scenarios, use cases), the information view (classes and associations) and the computational view (composition and decomposition), whereas platform-specific perspectives concern the engineering view (physical distribution and realisation) and the technology view (implementation details from protocols up to education and training) on system components. Those views have to be established for components reflecting aspects of all domains involved in healthcare environments including administrative, legal, medical, technical, etc. Thus, security-related component models reflecting all view mentioned have to be established for enabling both application and communication security services as integral part of the system's architecture. Beside decomposition and simplification of system regarding the different viewpoint on their components, different levels of systems' granularity can be defined hiding internals or focusing on properties of basic components to form a more complex structure. The resulting models describe both structure and behaviour of component-based systems. The described approach has been deployed in different projects defining EHR systems and their underlying architectural principles. In that context, the Australian GEHR project, the openEHR initiative, the revision of CEN ENV 13606 "Electronic Health Record communication", all based on Archetypes, but also the HL7 version 3 activities are discussed in some detail. The latter include the HL7 RIM, the HL7 Development Framework, the HL7's clinical document architecture (CDA) as well as the set of models from use cases, activity diagrams, sequence diagrams up to Domain Information Models (DMIMs) and their building blocks Common Message Element Types (CMET) Constraining Models to their underlying concepts. The future-proof EHR architecture as open, user-centric, user-friendly, flexible, scalable, portable core application in health information systems and health networks has to follow advanced architectural paradigms.

NASA Tech Briefs, May 1993. Volume 17, No. 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Topics include: Advanced Composites and Plastics; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery; Fabrication Technology; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences.

NASA Tech Briefs, November 1994. Volume 18, No. 11

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Topics: Advanced Manufacturing; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery/Automation; Manufacturing/Fabrication; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences; Books and Reports.

Factors Affecting the Institutional Perception of Alumni of the University of Arkansas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAdoo, Anthony Dean

2010-01-01

Alumni relations programs are a foundational component to institutional advancement and are often the unit that regularly communicates news and information about the institution to its alumni. Alumni relations professionals can strategically position a higher education institution among its alumni by including and emphasizing information that is…

Students' Views on the Helpfulness of Multimedia Components of Digital Flashcards in Mobile-Assisted Vocabulary Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan-Rakowski, Regina; Loranc-Paszylk, Barbara

2017-01-01

This study examines learners' perceptions of the helpfulness of various multimedia components embedded in digital flashcards for explicit, informal foreign language vocabulary learning. Advanced learners of English (N = 59) studied 48 new words using digital flashcards on smartphones. After ten days, the learners completed perception surveys. The…

U.S. Reliance on Foreign IT: Mitigating Risks Associated with Foreign Sources of Hardware Components, Summer 2008 - Project 08-03

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-01

REPORT MAY 2008 - AUGUST 2008 U.S. Reliance on Foreign IT: Mitigating Risks Associated with Foreign Sources of Hardware Components N/A N/A N/A 08...Clinger-Cohen Act CIA Central Intelligence Agency CIO Chief Information Officer CMOS Complimentary Metal -Oxide Semiconductor DARPA Defense Advanced

How Past Loss of Control Accidents May Inform Safety Cases for Advanced Control Systems on Commercial Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holloway, C. M.; Johnson, C. W.

2008-01-01

This paper describes five loss of control accidents involving commercial aircraft, and derives from those accidents three principles to consider when developing a potential safety case for an advanced flight control system for commercial aircraft. One, among the foundational evidence needed to support a safety case is the availability to the control system of accurate and timely information about the status and health of relevant systems and components. Two, an essential argument to be sustained in the safety case is that pilots are provided with adequate information about the control system to enable them to understand the capabilities that it provides. Three, another essential argument is that the advanced control system will not perform less safely than a good pilot.

Embedded Diagnostic/Prognostic Reasoning and Information Continuity for Improved Avionics Maintenance

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

enabling technologies such as built-in-test, advanced health monitoring algorithms, reliability and component aging models, prognostics methods, and...deployment and acceptance. This framework and vision is consistent with the onboard PHM ( Prognostic and Health Management) as well as advanced... monitored . In addition to the prognostic forecasting capabilities provided by monitoring system power, multiple confounding errors by electronic

Forest Fire Advanced System Technology (FFAST): A Conceptual Design for Detection and Mapping

Treesearch

J. David Nichols; John R. Warren

1987-01-01

The Forest Fire Advanced System Technology (FFAST) project is developing a data system to provide near-real-time forest fire information to fire management at the fire Incident Command Post (ICP). The completed conceptual design defined an integrated forest fire detection and mapping system that is based upon technology available in the 1990's. System component...

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

None

This factsheet describes a project that developed and demonstrated a new manufacturing-informed design framework that utilizes advanced multi-scale, physics-based process modeling to dramatically improve manufacturing productivity and quality in machining operations while reducing the cost of machined components.

NASA Tech Briefs, April 1994. Volume 18, No. 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Topics covered: Advanced Composites and Plastics; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery/Automation; Manufacturing/Fabrication; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences; Books and Reports.

Evolution of natural agents: preservation, advance, and emergence of functional information.

PubMed

Sharov, Alexei A

2016-04-01

Biological evolution is often viewed narrowly as a change of morphology or allele frequency in a sequence of generations. Here I pursue an alternative informational concept of evolution, as preservation, advance, and emergence of functional information in natural agents. Functional information is a network of signs (e.g., memory, transient messengers, and external signs) that are used by agents to preserve and regulate their functions. Functional information is preserved in evolution via complex interplay of copying and construction processes: the digital components are copied, whereas interpreting subagents together with scaffolds, tools, and resources, are constructed. Some of these processes are simple and invariant, whereas others are complex and contextual. Advance of functional information includes improvement and modification of already existing functions. Although the genome information may change passively and randomly, the interpretation is active and guided by the logic of agent behavior and embryonic development. Emergence of new functions is based on the reinterpretation of already existing information, when old tools, resources, and control algorithms are adopted for novel functions. Evolution of functional information progressed from protosemiosis, where signs correspond directly to actions, to eusemiosis, where agents associate signs with objects. Language is the most advanced form of eusemiosis, where the knowledge of objects and models is communicated between agents.

Evolution of natural agents: preservation, advance, and emergence of functional information

PubMed Central

Sharov, Alexei A.

2016-01-01

Biological evolution is often viewed narrowly as a change of morphology or allele frequency in a sequence of generations. Here I pursue an alternative informational concept of evolution, as preservation, advance, and emergence of functional information in natural agents. Functional information is a network of signs (e.g., memory, transient messengers, and external signs) that are used by agents to preserve and regulate their functions. Functional information is preserved in evolution via complex interplay of copying and construction processes: the digital components are copied, whereas interpreting subagents together with scaffolds, tools, and resources, are constructed. Some of these processes are simple and invariant, whereas others are complex and contextual. Advance of functional information includes improvement and modification of already existing functions. Although the genome information may change passively and randomly, the interpretation is active and guided by the logic of agent behavior and embryonic development. Emergence of new functions is based on the reinterpretation of already existing information, when old tools, resources, and control algorithms are adopted for novel functions. Evolution of functional information progressed from protosemiosis, where signs correspond directly to actions, to eusemiosis, where agents associate signs with objects. Language is the most advanced form of eusemiosis, where the knowledge of objects and models is communicated between agents. PMID:27525048

Development of a model for integrated care at the end of life in advanced dementia: A whole systems UK-wide approach

PubMed Central

Jones, Louise; Candy, Bridget; Davis, Sarah; Elliott, Margaret; Gola, Anna; Harrington, Jane; Kupeli, Nuriye; Lord, Kathryn; Moore, Kirsten; Scott, Sharon; Vickerstaff, Victoria; Omar, Rumana Z; King, Michael; Leavey, Gerard; Nazareth, Irwin; Sampson, Elizabeth L

2015-01-01

Background: The prevalence of dementia is rising worldwide and many people will die with the disease. Symptoms towards the end of life may be inadequately managed and informal and professional carers poorly supported. There are few evidence-based interventions to improve end-of-life care in advanced dementia. Aim: To develop an integrated, whole systems, evidence-based intervention that is pragmatic and feasible to improve end-of-life care for people with advanced dementia and support those close to them. Design: A realist-based approach in which qualitative and quantitative data assisted the development of statements. These were incorporated into the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method to achieve consensus on intervention components. Components were mapped to underlying theory of whole systems change and the intervention described in a detailed manual. Setting/participants: Data were collected from people with dementia, carers and health and social care professionals in England, from expert opinion and existing literature. Professional stakeholders in all four countries of the United Kingdom contributed to the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method process. Results: A total of 29 statements were agreed and mapped to individual, group, organisational and economic/political levels of healthcare systems. The resulting main intervention components are as follows: (1) influencing local service organisation through facilitation of integrated multi-disciplinary care, (2) providing training and support for formal and informal carers and (3) influencing local healthcare commissioning and priorities of service providers. Conclusion: Use of in-depth data, consensus methods and theoretical understanding of the intervention components produced an evidence-based intervention for further testing in end-of-life care in advanced dementia. PMID:26354388

Seed bank emergence following prescribed burning in the Ozark Highlands

Treesearch

Jamie L. Schuler; Hal O. Liechty

2008-01-01

Much information is available describing the effects of fire on the survival, growth, and sprouting ability of hardwood stems. This information is generally used for predicting the response of established trees and advance reproduction to various burning treatments during the process of regenerating new stands. This study describes an often overlooked component of...

Advanced Traveler Information Systems and Commercial Vehicle Operations Components of the Intelligent Transportation Systems: Head-up Displays and Driver Attention for Navigation Information

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-03-01

Since the initial development of prototype automotive head-up displays (HUDs), there has been a concern that the presence of the HUD image may interfere with the driving task and negatively impact driving performance. The overall goal of this experim...

Incorporating Blogs into the Syllabus: Making Their Space a Learning Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glass, Richard; Spiegelman, Marsha

2008-01-01

The growth of online resources and the advances in Web 2.0 technology are changing the information landscape and impacting teaching and learning. While information literacy has been recognized as a critical component of undergraduate learning, little if any discipline-specific research is done in the lower division mathematics/computer science…

Science informs stewardship: Committing to a national wilderness science agenda

Treesearch

Susan A. Fox; Beth A. Hahn

2016-01-01

The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) is a vital component of the national and international infrastructure for science, education, and information. The NWPS serves as an important resource for advancing research, from discovering new dinosaurs (Arbour et al. 2014, Landon 2016) to understanding human history on the American landscape (Rasic 2003). The NWPS...

Advanced vehicle systems assessment. Volume 2: Subsystems assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardy, K.

1985-01-01

Volume 2 (Subsystems Assessment) is part of a five-volume report entitled Advanced Vehicle Systems Assessment. Volume 2 presents the projected performance capabilities and cost characteristics of applicable subsystems, considering an additional decade of development. Subsystems of interest include energy storage and conversion devices as well as the necessary powertrain components and vehicle subsystems. Volume 2 also includes updated battery information based on the assessment of an independent battery review board (with the aid of subcontractor reports on advanced battery characteristics).

A Framework for Prognostics Reasoning

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-12-01

Center and School, Aberden Proving Ground , Maryland. Presented at the Advanced Information Systems and Technology Conference 28-30 March 1994. 44...stresses cannot be duplicated on the ground . The communication busses and permanent wiring on an aircraft are not tested at present. These components...functional aircraft components. Lastly, since CND results indicate an inability to duplicate on the ground a fault detected during flight, many

Neural network model for automatic traffic incident detection : executive summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-01

Automatic freeway incident detection is an important component of advanced transportation management systems (ATMS) that provides information for emergency relief and traffic control and management purposes. In this research, a multi-paradigm intelli...

NASA Tech Briefs, May 1997. Volume 21, No. 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Topics covered include: Advanced Composites, Plastics and Metals; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery/Automation; Manufacturing/Fabrication; Mathematics and Information Sciences; Life Sciences; Books and Reports.

NASA Tech Briefs, April 1996. Volume 20, No. 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

Topics covered include: Advanced Composites and Plastics; Computer-Aided Design and Engineering; Electronic Components and Circuits; Electronic Systems; Physical Sciences; Materials; Computer Programs; Mechanics; Machinery/Automation; Manufacturing/Fabrication; Mathematics and Information; Books and Reports.

The Numerical Propulsion System Simulation: A Multidisciplinary Design System for Aerospace Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lytle, John K.

1999-01-01

Advances in computational technology and in physics-based modeling are making large scale, detailed simulations of complex systems possible within the design environment. For example, the integration of computing, communications, and aerodynamics has reduced the time required to analyze ma or propulsion system components from days and weeks to minutes and hours. This breakthrough has enabled the detailed simulation of major propulsion system components to become a routine part of design process and to provide the designer with critical information about the components early in the design process. This paper describes the development of the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS), a multidisciplinary system of analysis tools that is focussed on extending the simulation capability from components to the full system. This will provide the product developer with a "virtual wind tunnel" that will reduce the number of hardware builds and tests required during the development of advanced aerospace propulsion systems.

Advanced image collection, information extraction, and change detection in support of NN-20 broad area search and analysis

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

Petrie, G.M.; Perry, E.M.; Kirkham, R.R.

1997-09-01

This report describes the work performed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for the U.S. Department of Energy`s Office of Nonproliferation and National Security, Office of Research and Development (NN-20). The work supports the NN-20 Broad Area Search and Analysis, a program initiated by NN-20 to improve the detection and classification of undeclared weapons facilities. Ongoing PNNL research activities are described in three main components: image collection, information processing, and change analysis. The Multispectral Airborne Imaging System, which was developed to collect georeferenced imagery in the visible through infrared regions of the spectrum, and flown on a light aircraftmore » platform, will supply current land use conditions. The image information extraction software (dynamic clustering and end-member extraction) uses imagery, like the multispectral data collected by the PNNL multispectral system, to efficiently generate landcover information. The advanced change detection uses a priori (benchmark) information, current landcover conditions, and user-supplied rules to rank suspect areas by probable risk of undeclared facilities or proliferation activities. These components, both separately and combined, provide important tools for improving the detection of undeclared facilities.« less

Neural network model for automatic traffic incident detection : final report, August 2001.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-08-01

Automatic freeway incident detection is an important component of advanced transportation management systems (ATMS) that provides information for emergency relief and traffic control and management purposes. In this research, a multi-paradigm intelli...

The Taxiway Navigation and Situation Awareness (T-NASA) System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foyle, David C.; Sridhar, Banavar (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

The goal of NASA's Terminal Area Productivity (TAP) Low-Visibility Landing and Surface Operations (LVLASO) subelement is to improve the efficiency of airport surface operations for commercial aircraft operating in weather conditions to Category IIIB while maintaining a high degree of safety. Currently, surface operations are one of the least technologically sophisticated components of the air transport system, being conducted in the 1990's with the same basic technology as in the 1930's. Pilots are given little or no explicit information about their current position, and routing information is limited to ATC communications and airport charts. In TAP/LVLASO, advanced technologies such as satellite navigation systems, digital data communications, advanced information presentation technology, and ground surveillance systems will be integrated into flight deck displays to enable expeditious and safe traffic movement on the airport surface. The cockpit display suite is called the T-NASA (Taxiway Navigation and Situation Awareness) System. This system has three integrated components: 1) Moving Map track-up airport surface display with own-ship, traffic and graphical route guidance 2) Scene-Linked Symbology - route/taxi information virtually projected via a Head-up Display (HUD) onto the forward scene; and, 3) 3-D Audio Ground Collision Avoidance and Navigation system - spatially-localized auditory traffic and navigation alerts. In the current paper, the design philosophy of the T-NASA system will be presented, and the T-NASA system display components described.

Semantic interoperability--HL7 Version 3 compared to advanced architecture standards.

PubMed

Blobel, B G M E; Engel, K; Pharow, P

2006-01-01

To meet the challenge for high quality and efficient care, highly specialized and distributed healthcare establishments have to communicate and co-operate in a semantically interoperable way. Information and communication technology must be open, flexible, scalable, knowledge-based and service-oriented as well as secure and safe. For enabling semantic interoperability, a unified process for defining and implementing the architecture, i.e. structure and functions of the cooperating systems' components, as well as the approach for knowledge representation, i.e. the used information and its interpretation, algorithms, etc. have to be defined in a harmonized way. Deploying the Generic Component Model, systems and their components, underlying concepts and applied constraints must be formally modeled, strictly separating platform-independent from platform-specific models. As HL7 Version 3 claims to represent the most successful standard for semantic interoperability, HL7 has been analyzed regarding the requirements for model-driven, service-oriented design of semantic interoperable information systems, thereby moving from a communication to an architecture paradigm. The approach is compared with advanced architectural approaches for information systems such as OMG's CORBA 3 or EHR systems such as GEHR/openEHR and CEN EN 13606 Electronic Health Record Communication. HL7 Version 3 is maturing towards an architectural approach for semantic interoperability. Despite current differences, there is a close collaboration between the teams involved guaranteeing a convergence between competing approaches.

Shaping the future through innovations: From medical imaging to precision medicine.

PubMed

Comaniciu, Dorin; Engel, Klaus; Georgescu, Bogdan; Mansi, Tommaso

2016-10-01

Medical images constitute a source of information essential for disease diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. In addition, due to its patient-specific nature, imaging information represents a critical component required for advancing precision medicine into clinical practice. This manuscript describes recently developed technologies for better handling of image information: photorealistic visualization of medical images with Cinematic Rendering, artificial agents for in-depth image understanding, support for minimally invasive procedures, and patient-specific computational models with enhanced predictive power. Throughout the manuscript we will analyze the capabilities of such technologies and extrapolate on their potential impact to advance the quality of medical care, while reducing its cost. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evolution in High Spatial Resolution Imaging of Faint, Complex Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Belle, G.

The astrophysical community has been working at the task of obtaining image information of the smallest structures in the sky via the use of optical interferometry for well over a century. A richly diverse family of technology architectures has been explored over the years, and yet the current family of facilities are all striking similar. Although there may be other, heretofore undeployed, architectures that support the goal of collecting image information at the highest resolutions, we expect dramatic advances at the component level of long-baseline interferometry to be the best avenue for advancing the technique, rather than entirely new architectures.

Chile's National Center for Health Information Systems: A Public-Private Partnership to Foster Health Care Information Interoperability.

PubMed

Capurro, Daniel; Echeverry, Aisen; Figueroa, Rosa; Guiñez, Sergio; Taramasco, Carla; Galindo, César; Avendaño, Angélica; García, Alejandra; Härtel, Steffen

2017-01-01

Despite the continuous technical advancements around health information standards, a critical component to their widespread adoption involves political agreement between a diverse set of stakeholders. Countries that have addressed this issue have used diverse strategies. In this vision paper we present the path that Chile is taking to establish a national program to implement health information standards and achieve interoperability. The Chilean government established an inter-agency program to define the current interoperability situation, existing gaps, barriers, and facilitators for interoperable health information systems. As an answer to the identified issues, the government decided to fund a consortium of Chilean universities to create the National Center for Health Information Systems. This consortium should encourage the interaction between all health care stakeholders, both public and private, to advance the selection of national standards and define certification procedures for software and human resources in health information technologies.

Reliability Quantification of Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC) Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, Ashwin R.; Korovaichuk, Igor; Zampino, Edward

2010-01-01

The Advanced Stirling Convertor, is intended to provide power for an unmanned planetary spacecraft and has an operational life requirement of 17 years. Over this 17 year mission, the ASC must provide power with desired performance and efficiency and require no corrective maintenance. Reliability demonstration testing for the ASC was found to be very limited due to schedule and resource constraints. Reliability demonstration must involve the application of analysis, system and component level testing, and simulation models, taken collectively. Therefore, computer simulation with limited test data verification is a viable approach to assess the reliability of ASC components. This approach is based on physics-of-failure mechanisms and involves the relationship among the design variables based on physics, mechanics, material behavior models, interaction of different components and their respective disciplines such as structures, materials, fluid, thermal, mechanical, electrical, etc. In addition, these models are based on the available test data, which can be updated, and analysis refined as more data and information becomes available. The failure mechanisms and causes of failure are included in the analysis, especially in light of the new information, in order to develop guidelines to improve design reliability and better operating controls to reduce the probability of failure. Quantified reliability assessment based on fundamental physical behavior of components and their relationship with other components has demonstrated itself to be a superior technique to conventional reliability approaches based on utilizing failure rates derived from similar equipment or simply expert judgment.

Correlated Attack Modeling (CAM)

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-10-01

describing attack models to a scenario recognition engine, a prototype of such an engine was developed, using components of the EMERALD intrusion...content. Results – The attacker gains information enabling remote access to database (i.e., privileged login information, database layout to allow...engine that uses attack specifications written in CAML. The implementation integrates two advanced technologies devel- oped in the EMERALD program [27, 31

Technology Assessment for Powertrain Components Final Report CRADA No. TC-1124-95

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

Tokarz, F.; Gough, C.

LLNL utilized its defense technology assessment methodologies in combination with its capabilities in the energy; manufacturing, and transportation technologies to demonstrate a methodology that synthesized available but incomplete information on advanced automotive technologies into a comprehensive framework.

South Florida Freight Advanced Traveler Information System : architecture and implementation options summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-07-01

This Final Architecture and Design report has been prepared to describe the structure and design of all the system components for the South Florida FRATIS Demonstration Project. More specifically, this document provides: Detailed descriptions of ...

ACCLAIM: A Model for Leading the Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, George B.; Gillett-Karam, Rosemary

1993-01-01

Advocates an approach to community college leadership based on community-based programming. Describes North Carolina State University's Academy for Community College Leadership Advancement, Innovation, and Modeling (ACCLAIM) and its components (i.e., continuing education, fellows program, information development/dissemination, and university…

Freight Advanced Traveler Information System (FRATIS) : Dallas-Fort Worth demonstration plan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-06-01

This document describes the Demonstration Plan for the FRATIS system. The demonstration component of this task will serve to test the technical feasibility of the FRATIS prototype while also facilitating the collection of baseline and performance dat...

Man as the main component of the closed ecological system of the spacecraft or planetary station.

PubMed

Parin, V V; Adamovich, B A

1968-01-01

Current life-support systems of the spacecraft provide human requirements for food, water and oxygen only. Advanced life-support systems will involve man as their main component and will ensure completely his material and energy requirements. The design of individual components of such systems will assure their entire suitability and mutual control effects. Optimization of the performance of the crew and ecological system, on the basis of the information characterizing their function, demands efficient methods of collection and treatment of the information obtained through wireless recording of physiological parameters and their automatic treatment. Peculiarities of interplanetary missions and planetary stations make it necessary to conform the schedule of physiological recordings with the work-and-rest cycle of the space crew and inertness of components of the ecological system, especially of those responsible for oxygen regeneration. It is rational to model ecological systems and their components, taking into consideration the correction effect of the information on the health conditions and performance of the crewmen. Wide application of physiological data will allow the selection of optimal designs and sharply increase reliability of ecological systems.

High dynamic range algorithm based on HSI color space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiancheng; Liu, Xiaohua; Dong, Liquan; Zhao, Yuejin; Liu, Ming

2014-10-01

This paper presents a High Dynamic Range algorithm based on HSI color space. To keep hue and saturation of original image and conform to human eye vision effect is the first problem, convert the input image data to HSI color space which include intensity dimensionality. To raise the speed of the algorithm is the second problem, use integral image figure out the average of every pixel intensity value under a certain scale, as local intensity component of the image, and figure out detail intensity component. To adjust the overall image intensity is the third problem, we can get an S type curve according to the original image information, adjust the local intensity component according to the S type curve. To enhance detail information is the fourth problem, adjust the detail intensity component according to the curve designed in advance. The weighted sum of local intensity component after adjusted and detail intensity component after adjusted is final intensity. Converting synthetic intensity and other two dimensionality to output color space can get final processed image.

Recent advances in the applications of vibrational spectroscopic imaging and mapping to pharmaceutical formulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, Andrew V.; Kazarian, Sergei G.

2018-05-01

Vibrational spectroscopic imaging and mapping approaches have continued in their development and applications for the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations. Obtaining spatially resolved chemical information about the distribution of different components within pharmaceutical formulations is integral for improving the understanding and quality of final drug products. This review aims to summarise some key advances of these technologies over recent years, primarily since 2010. An overview of FTIR, NIR, terahertz spectroscopic imaging and Raman mapping will be presented to give a perspective of the current state-of-the-art of these techniques for studying pharmaceutical samples. This will include their application to reveal spatial information of components that reveals molecular insight of polymorphic or structural changes, behaviour of formulations during dissolution experiments, uniformity of materials and detection of counterfeit products. Furthermore, new advancements will be presented that demonstrate the continuing novel applications of spectroscopic imaging and mapping, namely in FTIR spectroscopy, for studies of microfluidic devices. Whilst much of the recently developed work has been reported by academic groups, examples of the potential impacts of utilising these imaging and mapping technologies to support industrial applications have also been reviewed.

NASA/ESTO investments in remote sensing technologies (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babu, Sachidananda R.

2017-02-01

For more then 18 years NASA Earth Science Technology Office has been investing in remote sensing technologies. During this period ESTO has invested in more then 900 tasks. These tasks are managed under multiple programs like Instrument Incubator Program (IIP), Advanced Component Technology (ACT), Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST), In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST), Sustainable Land Imaging - Technology (SLI-T) and others. This covers the whole spectrum of technologies from component to full up satellite in space and software. Over the years many of these technologies have been infused into space missions like Aquarius, SMAP, CYGNSS, SWOT, TEMPO and others. Over the years ESTO is actively investing in Infrared sensor technologies for space applications. Recent investments have been for SLI-T and InVEST program. On these tasks technology development is from simple Bolometers to Advanced Photonic waveguide based spectrometers. Some of the details on these missions and technologies will be presented.

ESTO Investments in Innovative Sensor Technologies for Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Babu, Sachidananda R.

2017-01-01

For more then 18 years NASA Earth Science Technology Office has been investing in remote sensing technologies. During this period ESTO has invested in more then 900 tasks. These tasks are managed under multiple programs like Instrument Incubator Program (IIP), Advanced Component Technology (ACT), Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST), In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST), Sustainable Land Imaging - Technology (SLI-T) and others. This covers the whole spectrum of technologies from component to full up satellite in space and software. Over the years many of these technologies have been infused into space missions like Aquarius, SMAP, CYGNSS, SWOT, TEMPO and others. Over the years ESTO is actively investing in Infrared sensor technologies for space applications. Recent investments have been for SLI-T and InVEST program. On these tasks technology development is from simple Bolometers to Advanced Photonic waveguide based spectrometers. Some of the details on these missions and technologies will be presented.

Date palm: Production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The future of date palm, as a dioecious, monocot fruit tree largely depends on (1) developing advanced knowledge and information about the dynamics, management, and sustainability of the tree as a central component of the oasis agro-ecosystem, and (2) in-depth understanding of the genetic diversity ...

Freight Advanced Traveler Information System (FRATIS) Dallas-Fort Worth : software architecture design and implementation options.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-05-01

This document describes the Software Architecture Design and Implementation Options for FRATIS system. The demonstration component of this task will serve to test the technical feasibility of the FRATIS prototype while also facilitating the collectio...

System integration case study : FAST-TRAC : preliminary IV deliverable : #2-systems integration case study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-02-12

This report focuses on the system integration aspect of the Transportation Information Management System (TIMS), a component of the FAST-TRAC project. The TIMS functions as the center of a communications network which integrates advanced traffic cont...

Integrated intelligent systems in advanced reactor control rooms

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

Beckmeyer, R.R.

1989-01-01

An intelligent, reactor control room, information system is designed to be an integral part of an advanced control room and will assist the reactor operator's decision making process by continuously monitoring the current plant state and providing recommended operator actions to improve that state. This intelligent system is an integral part of, as well as an extension to, the plant protection and control systems. This paper describes the interaction of several functional components (intelligent information data display, technical specifications monitoring, and dynamic procedures) of the overall system and the artificial intelligence laboratory environment assembled for testing the prototype. 10 refs.,more » 5 figs.« less

Visual Analytics for Law Enforcement: Deploying a Service-Oriented Analytic Framework for Web-based Visualization

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

Dowson, Scott T.; Bruce, Joseph R.; Best, Daniel M.

2009-04-14

This paper presents key components of the Law Enforcement Information Framework (LEIF) that provides communications, situational awareness, and visual analytics tools in a service-oriented architecture supporting web-based desktop and handheld device users. LEIF simplifies interfaces and visualizations of well-established visual analytical techniques to improve usability. Advanced analytics capability is maintained by enhancing the underlying processing to support the new interface. LEIF development is driven by real-world user feedback gathered through deployments at three operational law enforcement organizations in the US. LEIF incorporates a robust information ingest pipeline supporting a wide variety of information formats. LEIF also insulates interface and analyticalmore » components from information sources making it easier to adapt the framework for many different data repositories.« less

Speciated Elemental and Isotopic Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosols - Recent Advances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafer, M.; Majestic, B.; Schauer, J.

2007-12-01

Detailed elemental, isotopic, and chemical speciation analysis of aerosol particulate matter (PM) can provide valuable information on PM sources, atmospheric processing, and climate forcing. Certain PM sources may best be resolved using trace metal signatures, and elemental and isotopic fingerprints can supplement and enhance molecular maker analysis of PM for source apportionment modeling. In the search for toxicologically relevant components of PM, health studies are increasingly demanding more comprehensive characterization schemes. It is also clear that total metal analysis is at best a poor surrogate for the bioavailable component, and analytical techniques that address the labile component or specific chemical species are needed. Recent sampling and analytical developments advanced by the project team have facilitated comprehensive characterization of even very small masses of atmospheric PM. Historically; this level of detail was rarely achieved due to limitations in analytical sensitivity and a lack of awareness concerning the potential for contamination. These advances have enabled the coupling of advanced chemical characterization to vital field sampling approaches that typically supply only very limited PM mass; e.g. (1) particle size-resolved sampling; (2) personal sampler collections; and (3) fine temporal scale sampling. The analytical tools that our research group is applying include: (1) sector field (high-resolution-HR) ICP-MS, (2) liquid waveguide long-path spectrophotometry (LWG-LPS), and (3) synchrotron x-ray absorption spectroscopy (sXAS). When coupled with an efficient and validated solubilization method, the HR-ICP-MS can provide quantitative elemental information on over 50 elements in microgram quantities of PM. The high mass resolution and enhanced signal-to-noise of HR-ICP-MS significantly advance data quality and quantity over that possible with traditional quadrupole ICP-MS. The LWG-LPS system enables an assessment of the soluble/labile components of PM, while simultaneously providing critical oxidation state speciation data. Importantly, the LWG- LPS can be deployed in a semi-real-time configuration to probe fine temporal scale variations in atmospheric processing or sources of PM. The sXAS is providing complementary oxidation state speciation of bulk PM. Using examples from our research; we will illustrate the capabilities and applications of these new methods.

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

Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Hirt, Evelyn H.; Coles, Garill A.

Advanced small modular reactors (AdvSMRs) can contribute to safe, sustainable, and carbon-neutral energy production. The economics of small reactors (including AdvSMRs) will be impacted by the reduced economy-of-scale savings when compared to traditional light water reactors. The most significant controllable element of the day-to-day costs involves operations and maintenance (O&M). Enhancing affordability of AdvSMRs through technologies that help control O&M costs will be critical to ensuring their practicality for wider deployment.A significant component of O&M costs is the management and mitigation of degradation of components due to their impact on planning maintenance activities and staffing levels. Technologies that help characterizemore » real-time risk of failure of key components are important in this context. Given the possibility of frequently changing AdvSMR plant configurations, approaches are needed to integrate three elements – advanced plant configuration information, equipment condition information, and risk monitors – to provide a measure of risk that is customized for each AdvSMR unit and support real-time decisions on O&M. This article describes an overview of ongoing research into diagnostics/prognostics and enhanced predictive risk monitors (ERM) for this purpose.« less

NASA's Earth Science Data Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramapriyan, H. K.

2015-01-01

NASA's Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program has evolved over the last two decades, and currently has several core and community components. Core components provide the basic operational capabilities to process, archive, manage and distribute data from NASA missions. Community components provide a path for peer-reviewed research in Earth Science Informatics to feed into the evolution of the core components. The Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is a core component consisting of twelve Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) and eight Science Investigator-led Processing Systems spread across the U.S. The presentation covers how the ESDS Program continues to evolve and benefits from as well as contributes to advances in Earth Science Informatics.

IAPSA 2 small-scale system specification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Gerald C.; Torkelson, Thomas C.

1990-01-01

The details of a hardware implementation of a representative small scale flight critical system is described using Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS) building block components and simulated sensor/actuator interfaces. The system was used to study application performance and reliability issues during both normal and faulted operation.

Evaluation of Body Composition: Why and How?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Evaluation of human body composition in vivo remains a critical component in the assessment of nutritional status of an individual.Whereas traditional measurements of standing height and body weight provide information on body mass index and, hence, the risk of some chronic diseases, advanced techno...

Freight Advanced Traveler Information System (FRATIS) – Dallas-Fort Worth : as-built system architecture and design.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-03-01

This document describes the As-Built System Architecture and Design for the FRATIS Dallas-Fort Worth DFW prototype system. The FRATIS prototype in DFW consisted of the following components: optimization algorithm, terminal wait time, route specific n...

Los Angeles-Gateway Freight Advanced Traveler Information System : final system design and architecture for FRATIS prototype.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-05-01

This Final Architecture and Design report has been prepared to describe the structure and design of all the system components for the LA-Gateway FRATIS Demonstration Project. More specifically, this document provides: Detailed descriptions of the...

Advancements in satellite remote sensing for drought monitoring

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Drought monitoring is a key component for effective drought preparedness strategies, providing critical information on current conditions that can be used to trigger mitigation actions to lessen the impact of this natural hazard. However, drought can be both complex and challenging to monitor becau...

Modeling the Personal Health Ecosystem.

PubMed

Blobel, Bernd; Brochhausen, Mathias; Ruotsalainen, Pekka

2018-01-01

Complex ecosystems like the pHealth one combine different domains represented by a huge variety of different actors (human beings, organizations, devices, applications, components) belonging to different policy domains, coming from different disciplines, deploying different methodologies, terminologies, and ontologies, offering different levels of knowledge, skills, and experiences, acting in different scenarios and accommodating different business cases to meet the intended business objectives. For correctly modeling such systems, a system-oriented, architecture-centric, ontology-based, policy-driven approach is inevitable, thereby following established Good Modeling Best Practices. However, most of the existing standards, specifications and tools for describing, representing, implementing and managing health (information) systems reflect the advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) represented by different evolutionary levels of data modeling. The paper presents a methodology for integrating, adopting and advancing models, standards, specifications as well as implemented systems and components on the way towards the aforementioned ultimate approach, so meeting the challenge we face when transforming health systems towards ubiquitous, personalized, predictive, preventive, participative, and cognitive health and social care.

Advancing an Information Model for Environmental Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horsburgh, J. S.; Aufdenkampe, A. K.; Hooper, R. P.; Lehnert, K. A.; Schreuders, K.; Tarboton, D. G.; Valentine, D. W.; Zaslavsky, I.

2011-12-01

Observational data are fundamental to hydrology and water resources, and the way they are organized, described, and shared either enables or inhibits the analyses that can be performed using the data. The CUAHSI Hydrologic Information System (HIS) project is developing cyberinfrastructure to support hydrologic science by enabling better access to hydrologic data. HIS is composed of three major components. HydroServer is a software stack for publishing time series of hydrologic observations on the Internet as well as geospatial data using standards-based web feature, map, and coverage services. HydroCatalog is a centralized facility that catalogs the data contents of individual HydroServers and enables search across them. HydroDesktop is a client application that interacts with both HydroServer and HydroCatalog to discover, download, visualize, and analyze hydrologic observations published on one or more HydroServers. All three components of HIS are founded upon an information model for hydrologic observations at stationary points that specifies the entities, relationships, constraints, rules, and semantics of the observational data and that supports its data services. Within this information model, observations are described with ancillary information (metadata) about the observations to allow them to be unambiguously interpreted and used, and to provide traceable heritage from raw measurements to useable information. Physical implementations of this information model include the Observations Data Model (ODM) for storing hydrologic observations, Water Markup Language (WaterML) for encoding observations for transmittal over the Internet, the HydroCatalog metadata catalog database, and the HydroDesktop data cache database. The CUAHSI HIS and this information model have now been in use for several years, and have been deployed across many different academic institutions as well as across several national agency data repositories. Additionally, components of the HIS have been modified to support data management for the Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs). This paper will present limitations of the existing information model used by the CUAHSI HIS that have been uncovered through its deployment and use, as well as new advances to the information model, including: better representation of both in situ observations from field sensors and observations derived from environmental samples, extensibility in attributes used to describe observations, and observation provenance. These advances have been developed by the HIS team and the broader scientific community and will enable the information model to accommodate and better describe wider classes of environmental observations and to better meet the needs of the hydrologic science and CZO communities.

Integration and Assessment of Component Health Prognostics in Supervisory Control Systems

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

Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Bonebrake, Christopher A.; Dib, Gerges

Enhanced risk monitors (ERMs) for active components in advanced reactor concepts use predictive estimates of component failure to update, in real time, predictive safety and economic risk metrics. These metrics have been shown to be capable of use in optimizing maintenance scheduling and managing plant maintenance costs. Integrating this information with plant supervisory control systems increases the potential for making control decisions that utilize real-time information on component conditions. Such decision making would limit the possibility of plant operations that increase the likelihood of degrading the functionality of one or more components while maintaining the overall functionality of the plant.more » ERM uses sensor data for providing real-time information about equipment condition for deriving risk monitors. This information is used to estimate the remaining useful life and probability of failure of these components. By combining this information with plant probabilistic risk assessment models, predictive estimates of risk posed by continued plant operation in the presence of detected degradation may be estimated. In this paper, we describe this methodology in greater detail, and discuss its integration with a prototypic software-based plant supervisory control platform. In order to integrate these two technologies and evaluate the integrated system, software to simulate the sensor data was developed, prognostic models for feedwater valves were developed, and several use cases defined. The full paper will describe these use cases, and the results of the initial evaluation.« less

Application of holographic interferometry for analysis of the dynamic and modal characteristics of an advanced exotic metal airfoil structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fein, Howard

1999-03-01

Holographic Interferometry has been successfully employed to characterize the materials and behavior of diverse types of structures under stress. Specialized variations of this technology have also been applied to define dynamic and vibration related structural behavior. Such applications of holographic technique offer some of the most effective methods of modal and dynamic analysis available. Real-time dynamic testing of the modal and mechanical behavior of aerodynamic control and airfoil structures for advanced aircraft has always required advanced instrumentation for data collection in either actual flight test or wind-tunnel simulations. Advanced optical holography techniques are alternate methods which result in actual full-field behavioral data on the ground in a noninvasive environment. These methods offer significant insight in both the development and subsequent operational test and modeling of advanced exotic metal control structures and their integration with total vehicle system dynamics. Structures and materials can be analyzed with very low amplitude excitation and the resultant data can be used to adjust the accuracy mathematically derived structural and behavioral models. Holographic Interferometry offers a powerful tool to aid in the developmental engineering of exotic metal structures for high stress applications. Advanced Titanium alloy is a significant example of these sorts of materials which has found continually increased use in advanced aerodynamic, undersea, and other highly mobil platforms. Aircraft applications in particular must consider environments where extremes in vibration and impulsive mechanical stress can affect both operation and structural stability. These considerations present ideal requisites for analysis using advanced holographic methods in the initial design and test of structures made with such advanced materials. Holographic techniques are nondestructive, real- time, and definitive in allowing the identification of vibrational modes, displacements, and motion geometries. Such information can be crucial to the determination of mechanical configurations and designs as well as operational parameters of structural components fabricated from advanced and exotic materials. Anomalous behavioral characteristics can be directly related to hidden structural or mounting anomalies and defects. Deriving such information can be crucial to the determination of mechanical configurations and designs, as well as critical operational parameters of structural components fabricated from advanced and exotic materials.

Performance of children with autism spectrum disorder on advanced theory of mind tasks.

PubMed

Brent, Ella; Rios, Patricia; Happé, Francesca; Charman, Tony

2004-09-01

Although a number of advanced theory of mind tasks have been developed, there is sparse information on whether performance on different tasks is associated. The study examined the performance of 20 high-functioning 6- to 12-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder and 20 controls on three high-level theory of mind tasks: Strange Stories, Cartoons and the children's version of the Eyes task. The pattern of findings suggests that the three tasks may share differing, non-specific, information-processing requirements in addition to tapping any putative mentalizing ability. They may also indicate a degree of dissociation between social-cognitive and social-perceptual or affective components of the mentalizing system.

A Reference Architecture for Space Information Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattmann, Chris A.; Crichton, Daniel J.; Hughes, J. Steven; Ramirez, Paul M.; Berrios, Daniel C.

2006-01-01

We describe a reference architecture for space information management systems that elegantly overcomes the rigid design of common information systems in many domains. The reference architecture consists of a set of flexible, reusable, independent models and software components that function in unison, but remain separately managed entities. The main guiding principle of the reference architecture is to separate the various models of information (e.g., data, metadata, etc.) from implemented system code, allowing each to evolve independently. System modularity, systems interoperability, and dynamic evolution of information system components are the primary benefits of the design of the architecture. The architecture requires the use of information models that are substantially more advanced than those used by the vast majority of information systems. These models are more expressive and can be more easily modularized, distributed and maintained than simpler models e.g., configuration files and data dictionaries. Our current work focuses on formalizing the architecture within a CCSDS Green Book and evaluating the architecture within the context of the C3I initiative.

A Design Heritage-Based Forecasting Methodology for Risk Informed Management of Advanced Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maggio, Gaspare; Fragola, Joseph R.

1999-01-01

The development of next generation systems often carries with it the promise of improved performance, greater reliability, and reduced operational costs. These expectations arise from the use of novel designs, new materials, advanced integration and production technologies intended for functionality replacing the previous generation. However, the novelty of these nascent technologies is accompanied by lack of operational experience and, in many cases, no actual testing as well. Therefore some of the enthusiasm surrounding most new technologies may be due to inflated aspirations from lack of knowledge rather than actual future expectations. This paper proposes a design heritage approach for improved reliability forecasting of advanced system components. The basis of the design heritage approach is to relate advanced system components to similar designs currently in operation. The demonstrated performance of these components could then be used to forecast the expected performance and reliability of comparable advanced technology components. In this approach the greater the divergence of the advanced component designs from the current systems the higher the uncertainty that accompanies the associated failure estimates. Designers of advanced systems are faced with many difficult decisions. One of the most common and more difficult types of these decisions are those related to the choice between design alternatives. In the past decision-makers have found these decisions to be extremely difficult to make because they often involve the trade-off between a known performing fielded design and a promising paper design. When it comes to expected reliability performance the paper design always looks better because it is on paper and it addresses all the know failure modes of the fielded design. On the other hand there is a long, and sometimes very difficult road, between the promise of a paper design and its fulfillment; with the possibility that sometimes the reliability promise is not fulfilled at all. Decision makers in advanced technology areas have always known to discount the performance claims of a design to a degree in proportion to its stage of development, and at times have preferred the more mature design over the one of lesser maturity even with the latter promising substantially better performance once fielded. As with the broader measures of performance this has also been true for projected reliability performance. Paper estimates of potential advances in design reliability are to a degree uncertain in proportion to the maturity of the features being proposed to secure those advances. This is especially true when performance-enhancing features in other areas are also planned to be part of the development program.

A decision support system for forest harvest planning in North Carolina

Treesearch

D.G. Jones

2010-01-01

Forest preharvest planning (FPP) can enhance recognition of environmentally-sensitive areas in advance of forest harvesting, including soil and water resources. While preharvest planning is often a standard component of many forest harvesting operations, either explicitly with paper-based checklists or implicitly with best professional judgment, Geographic Information...

Web-Based Instruction (WBI): An Introduction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Badrul H.

1998-01-01

Advances in information technology, coupled with changes in society, are creating new paradigms for education. The Web, as a medium of learning and instruction, has the potential to support the creation of well-designed resources. A table of features and components associated with Web-based instruction learning environments is provided.…

Novel EO/IR sensor technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Keith

2011-10-01

The requirements for advanced EO/IR sensor technologies are discussed in the context of evolving military operations, with significant emphasis on the development of new sensing technologies to meet the challenges posed by asymmetric threats. The Electro-Magnetic Remote Sensing (EMRS DTC) was established in 2003 to provide a centre of excellence in sensor research and development, supporting new capabilities in key military areas such as precision attack, battlespace manoeuvre and information superiority. In the area of advanced electro-optic technology, the DTC has supported work on discriminative imaging, advanced detectors, laser components/technologies, and novel optical techniques. This paper provides a summary of some of the EO/IR technologies explored by the DTC.

Ash formation, deposition, corrosion, and erosion in conventional boilers

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

Benson, S.A.; Jones, M.L.

1995-12-01

The inorganic components (ash-forming species) associated with coals significantly affect boiler design, efficiency of operation, and lifetimes of boiler parts. During combustion in conventional pulverized fuel boilers, the inorganic components are transformed into inorganic gases, liquids, and solids. This partitioning depends upon the association of the inorganic components in the coal and combustion conditions. The inorganic components are associated as mineral grains and as organically associated elements, and these associations of inorganic components in the fuel directly influence their fate upon combustion. Combustion conditions, such as temperature and atmosphere, influence the volatility and the interaction of inorganic components during combustionmore » and gas cooling, which influences the state and size composition distribution of the particulate and condensed ash species. The intermediate species are transported with the bulk gas flow through the combustion systems, during which time the gases and entrained ash are cooled. Deposition, corrosion, and erosion occur when the ash intermediate species are transported to the heat-transfer surface, react with the surface, accumulate, sinter, and develop strength. Research over the past decade has significantly advanced understanding of ash formation, deposition, corrosion, and erosion mechanisms. Many of the advances in understanding and predicting ash-related issues can be attributed to advanced analytical methods to determine the inorganic composition of fuels and the resulting ash materials. These new analytical techniques have been the key to elucidation of the mechanisms of ash formation and deposition. This information has been used to develop algorithms and computer models to predict the effects of ash on combustion system performance.« less

Profiles of dyadic adjustment for advanced prostate cancer to inform couple-based intervention.

PubMed

Elliott, Kate-Ellen J; Scott, Jennifer L; Monsour, Michael; Nuwayhid, Fadi

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study is to describe from a relational perspective, partners' psychological adjustment, coping and support needs for advanced prostate cancer. A mixed methods design was adopted, employing triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data, to produce dyadic profiles of adjustment for six couples recruited from the urology clinics of local hospitals in Tasmania, Australia. Dyads completed a video-taped communication task, semi-structured interview and standardised self-report questionnaires. Themes identified were associated with the dyadic challenges of the disease experience (e.g. relationship intimacy, disease progression and carer burden). Couples with poor psychological adjustment profiles had both clinical and global locus of distress, treatment side-effects, carer burden and poor general health. Resilient couples demonstrated relationship closeness and adaptive cognitive and behavioural coping strategies. The themes informed the adaption of an effective program for couples coping with women's cancers (CanCOPE, to create a program for couples facing advanced prostate cancer (ProCOPE-Adv). Mixed method results inform the development of psychological therapy components for couples coping with advanced prostate cancer. The concomitance of co-morbid health problems may have implications for access and engagement for older adult populations in face-to-face intervention.

United States Army Medical Department Journal. Leadership in the Army Medical Department, October - December 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

and Follow-up in a Military Population Aged 40 Years and Older COL Diane Flynn; MAJ Jeremy D. Johnson; Cathy J. Bailey, RN; GPT’Jason T. Perry; et al...international military medical issues and technological advances; promote collaborative partnerships among Services, components, Corps, and...informed of health care, research, and combat and doctrine development information. is. auojEUi i emvia Medicine-Periodicals; Military Medicine

Advanced Image Enhancement Method for Distant Vessels and Structures in Capsule Endoscopy

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Marius

2017-01-01

This paper proposes an advanced method for contrast enhancement of capsule endoscopic images, with the main objective to obtain sufficient information about the vessels and structures in more distant (or darker) parts of capsule endoscopic images. The proposed method (PM) combines two algorithms for the enhancement of darker and brighter areas of capsule endoscopic images, respectively. The half-unit weighted-bilinear algorithm (HWB) proposed in our previous work is used to enhance darker areas according to the darker map content of its HSV's component V. Enhancement of brighter areas is achieved thanks to the novel threshold weighted-bilinear algorithm (TWB) developed to avoid overexposure and enlargement of specular highlight spots while preserving the hue, in such areas. The TWB performs enhancement operations following a gradual increment of the brightness of the brighter map content of its HSV's component V. In other words, the TWB decreases its averaged weights as the intensity content of the component V increases. Extensive experimental demonstrations were conducted, and, based on evaluation of the reference and PM enhanced images, a gastroenterologist (Ø.H.) concluded that the PM enhanced images were the best ones based on the information about the vessels, contrast in the images, and the view or visibility of the structures in more distant parts of the capsule endoscopy images. PMID:29225668

GIS Application System Design Applied to Information Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qun, Zhou; Yujin, Yuan; Yuena, Kang

Natural environment information management system involves on-line instrument monitoring, data communications, database establishment, information management software development and so on. Its core lies in collecting effective and reliable environmental information, increasing utilization rate and sharing degree of environment information by advanced information technology, and maximizingly providing timely and scientific foundation for environmental monitoring and management. This thesis adopts C# plug-in application development and uses a set of complete embedded GIS component libraries and tools libraries provided by GIS Engine to finish the core of plug-in GIS application framework, namely, the design and implementation of framework host program and each functional plug-in, as well as the design and implementation of plug-in GIS application framework platform. This thesis adopts the advantages of development technique of dynamic plug-in loading configuration, quickly establishes GIS application by visualized component collaborative modeling and realizes GIS application integration. The developed platform is applicable to any application integration related to GIS application (ESRI platform) and can be as basis development platform of GIS application development.

Materials for Advanced Ultra-supercritical (A-USC) Steam Turbines – A-USC Component Demonstration

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

Purgert, Robert; Phillips, Jeffrey; Hendrix, Howard

The work by the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE)/Ohio Coal Development Office (OCDO) advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) Steam Boiler and Turbine Materials Consortia from 2001 through September 2015 was primarily focused on lab scale and pilot scale materials testing. This testing included air- or steam-cooled “loops” that were inserted into existing utility boilers to gain exposure of these materials to realistic conditions of high temperature and corrosion due to the constituents in the coal. Successful research and development resulted in metallic alloy materials and fabrication processes suited for power generation applications with metal temperatures up to approximately 1472°F (800°C).more » These materials or alloys have shown, in extensive laboratory tests and shop fabrication studies, to have excellent applicability for high-efficiency low CO 2 transformational power generation technologies previously mentioned. However, as valuable as these material loops have been for obtaining information, their scale is significantly below that required to minimize the risk associated with a power company building a multi-billion dollar A-USC power plant. To decrease the identified risk barriers to full-scale implementation of these advanced materials, the U.S. DOE/OCDO A-USC Steam Boiler and Turbine Materials Consortia identified the key areas of the technology that need to be tested at a larger scale. Based upon the recommendations and outcome of a Consortia-sponsored workshop with the U.S.’s leading utilities, a Component Test (ComTest) Program for A-USC was proposed. The A-USC ComTest program would define materials performance requirements, plan for overall advanced system integration, design critical component tests, fabricate components for testing from advanced materials, and carry out the tests. The AUSC Component Test was premised on the program occurring at multiple facilities, with the operating temperatures, pressure and/or size of these components determining the optimum test location. The first step of the ComTest, the steam turbine test, was determined best suited for a site in Youngstown, Ohio. Efforts were also undertaken to identify and evaluate other potential sites for high pressure testing.« less

Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) Technology Development Project, ceramic component developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teneyck, M. O.; Macbeth, J. W.; Sweeting, T. B.

1987-01-01

The ceramic component technology development activity conducted by Standard Oil Engineered Materials Company while performing as a principal subcontractor to the Garrett Auxiliary Power Division for the Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) Technology Development Project (NASA Contract DEN3-167) is summarized. The report covers the period October 1979 through July 1987, and includes information concerning ceramic technology work categorized as common and unique. The former pertains to ceramic development applicable to two parallel AGT projects established by NASA contracts DEN3-168 (AGT100) and DEN3-167 (AGT101), whereas the unique work solely pertains to Garrett directed activity under the latter contract. The AGT101 Technology Development Project is sponsored by DOE and administered by NASA-Lewis. Standard Oil directed its efforts toward the development of ceramic materials in the silicon-carbide family. Various shape forming and fabrication methods, and nondestructive evaluation techniques were explored to produce the static structural components for the ceramic engine. This permitted engine testing to proceed without program slippage.

The Numerical Propulsion System Simulation: An Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lytle, John K.

2000-01-01

Advances in computational technology and in physics-based modeling are making large-scale, detailed simulations of complex systems possible within the design environment. For example, the integration of computing, communications, and aerodynamics has reduced the time required to analyze major propulsion system components from days and weeks to minutes and hours. This breakthrough has enabled the detailed simulation of major propulsion system components to become a routine part of designing systems, providing the designer with critical information about the components early in the design process. This paper describes the development of the numerical propulsion system simulation (NPSS), a modular and extensible framework for the integration of multicomponent and multidisciplinary analysis tools using geographically distributed resources such as computing platforms, data bases, and people. The analysis is currently focused on large-scale modeling of complete aircraft engines. This will provide the product developer with a "virtual wind tunnel" that will reduce the number of hardware builds and tests required during the development of advanced aerospace propulsion systems.

7 CFR 1000.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing... advanced pricing factors. Class prices per hundredweight of milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, component prices, and advanced pricing factors shall be as follows. The prices and pricing factors described...

The Effects of Virtual Communities on Group Identity in Classroom Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Tu-Kuang; Lin, Yu-Tzeng

2016-01-01

Group identity is a critical component in developing effective classroom management. While there have been numerous studies on group identity, they have primarily focused on its effects on the physical classroom entity. Advances in information technology, however, have enabled the creation of virtual communities, which have become a vital channel…

DEC Personnel Preparation Standards: Revision 2005-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lifter, Karin; Chandler, Lynette K.; Cochran, Deborah C.; Dinnebeil, Laurie A.; Gallagher, Peggy A.; Christensen, Kimberly A.; Stayton, Vicki D.

2011-01-01

The revision and process of validation of standards for early childhood special education (ECSE) and early intervention (EI) personnel at the initial and advanced levels of preparation, which occurred during 2005-2008, are described to provide a record of the process and to inform future cycles of standards revision. Central components focus on…

Assessment of Sensor Technologies for Advanced Reactors

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

Korsah, Kofi; Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Vlim, R.

2016-10-01

Sensors and measurement technologies provide information on processes, support operations and provide indications of component health. They are therefore crucial to plant operations and to commercialization of advanced reactors (AdvRx). This report, developed by a three-laboratory team consisting of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), provides an assessment of sensor technologies and a determination of measurement needs for AdvRx. It provides the technical basis for identifying and prioritizing research targets within the instrumentation and control (I&C) Technology Area under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Technology (ART) program and contributesmore » to the design and implementation of AdvRx concepts.« less

Familiarity with interest breeds gossip: contributions of emotion, expectation, and reputation.

PubMed

Yao, Bo; Scott, Graham G; McAleer, Phil; O'Donnell, Patrick J; Sereno, Sara C

2014-01-01

Although gossip serves several important social functions, it has relatively infrequently been the topic of systematic investigation. In two experiments, we advance a cognitive-informational approach to gossip. Specifically, we sought to determine which informational components engender gossip. In Experiment 1, participants read brief passages about other people and indicated their likelihood to share this information. We manipulated target familiarity (celebrity, non-celebrity) and story interest (interesting, boring). While participants were more likely to gossip about celebrity than non-celebrity targets and interesting than boring stories, they were even more likely to gossip about celebrity targets embedded within interesting stories. In Experiment 2, we additionally probed participants' reactions to the stories concerning emotion, expectation, and reputation information conveyed. Analyses showed that while such information partially mediated target familiarity and story interest effects, only expectation and reputation accounted for the interactive pattern of gossip behavior. Our findings provide novel insights into the essential components and processing mechanisms of gossip.

Familiarity with Interest Breeds Gossip: Contributions of Emotion, Expectation, and Reputation

PubMed Central

Yao, Bo; Scott, Graham G.; McAleer, Phil; O'Donnell, Patrick J.; Sereno, Sara C.

2014-01-01

Although gossip serves several important social functions, it has relatively infrequently been the topic of systematic investigation. In two experiments, we advance a cognitive-informational approach to gossip. Specifically, we sought to determine which informational components engender gossip. In Experiment 1, participants read brief passages about other people and indicated their likelihood to share this information. We manipulated target familiarity (celebrity, non-celebrity) and story interest (interesting, boring). While participants were more likely to gossip about celebrity than non-celebrity targets and interesting than boring stories, they were even more likely to gossip about celebrity targets embedded within interesting stories. In Experiment 2, we additionally probed participants' reactions to the stories concerning emotion, expectation, and reputation information conveyed. Analyses showed that while such information partially mediated target familiarity and story interest effects, only expectation and reputation accounted for the interactive pattern of gossip behavior. Our findings provide novel insights into the essential components and processing mechanisms of gossip. PMID:25119267

Next-Generation Terrestrial Laser Scanning to Measure Forest Canopy Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danson, M.

2015-12-01

Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) are now capable of semi-automatic reconstruction of the structure of complete trees or forest stands and have the potential to provide detailed information on tree architecture and foliage biophysical properties. The trends for the next generation of TLS are towards higher resolution, faster scanning and full-waveform data recording, with mobile, multispectral laser devices. The convergence of these technological advances in the next generation of TLS will allow the production of information for forest and woodland mapping and monitoring that is far more detailed, more accurate, and more comprehensive than any available today. This paper describes recent scientific advances in the application of TLS for characterising forest and woodland areas, drawing on the authors' development of the Salford Advanced Laser Canopy Analyser (SALCA), the activities of the Terrestrial Laser Scanner International Interest Group (TLSIIG), and recent advances in laser scanner technology around the world. The key findings illustrated in the paper are that (i) a complete understanding of system measurement characteristics is required for quantitative analysis of TLS data, (ii) full-waveform data recording is required for extraction of forest biophysical variables and, (iii) multi-wavelength systems provide additional spectral information that is essential for classifying different vegetation components. The paper uses a range of recent experimental TLS measurements to support these findings, and sets out a vision for new research to develop an information-rich future-forest information system, populated by mobile autonomous multispectral TLS devices.

Advancing antimicrobial stewardship: Summary of the 2015 CIDSC Report.

PubMed

Khan, F; Arthur, J; Maidment, L; Blue, D

2016-11-03

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognized as an important global public health concern that has a cross-cutting impact on human health, animal health, food and agriculture and the environment. The Communicable and Infectious Disease Steering Committee (CIDSC) of the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network (PHN) created a Task Group on Antimicrobial Stewardship to look at this issue from a Canadian perspective. To summarize the key findings of the Task Group Report that identified core components of antimicrobial stewardship programs, best practices, key challenges, gaps and recommendations to advance stewardship across jurisdictions. Search strategies were developed to identify scientific literature, grey literature and relevant websites on antimicrobial stewardship. The information was reviewed and based on this evidence, expert opinion and consensus-building, the Task Group identified core components, best practices, key challenges and gaps and developed recommendations to advance stewardship in Canada. The four components of a promising antimicrobial stewardship initiative were: leadership, interventions, monitoring/evaluation and future research. Best practices include a multi-sectoral/multipronged approach involving a wide range of stakeholders at the national, provincial/territorial, local and health care organizational levels. Key challenges and gaps identified were: the success and sustainability of stewardship undertakings require appropriate and sustained resourcing and expertise; there is limited evidence about how to effectively implement treatment guidance; and there is a challenge in ensuring accessibility, standardization and consistency of use among professionals. ​: Recommendations to the CIDSC about how to advance stewardship across jurisdictions included the following: institute a national infrastructure; develop best practices to implement stewardship programs; develop education and promote awareness; establish consistent evidence-based guidance, resources, tools and training; mandate the incorporation of stewardship education; develop audit and feedback tools; establish benchmarks and performance targets for stewardship; and conduct timely evaluation of stewardship programs. Findings of this report will inform a more systematic approach to addressing antimicrobial stewardship Canada-wide.

Sustainability. Systems integration for global sustainability.

PubMed

Liu, Jianguo; Mooney, Harold; Hull, Vanessa; Davis, Steven J; Gaskell, Joanne; Hertel, Thomas; Lubchenco, Jane; Seto, Karen C; Gleick, Peter; Kremen, Claire; Li, Shuxin

2015-02-27

Global sustainability challenges, from maintaining biodiversity to providing clean air and water, are closely interconnected yet often separately studied and managed. Systems integration—holistic approaches to integrating various components of coupled human and natural systems—is critical to understand socioeconomic and environmental interconnections and to create sustainability solutions. Recent advances include the development and quantification of integrated frameworks that incorporate ecosystem services, environmental footprints, planetary boundaries, human-nature nexuses, and telecoupling. Although systems integration has led to fundamental discoveries and practical applications, further efforts are needed to incorporate more human and natural components simultaneously, quantify spillover systems and feedbacks, integrate multiple spatial and temporal scales, develop new tools, and translate findings into policy and practice. Such efforts can help address important knowledge gaps, link seemingly unconnected challenges, and inform policy and management decisions. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Advances in molecular labeling, high throughput imaging and machine intelligence portend powerful functional cellular biochemistry tools.

PubMed

Price, Jeffrey H; Goodacre, Angela; Hahn, Klaus; Hodgson, Louis; Hunter, Edward A; Krajewski, Stanislaw; Murphy, Robert F; Rabinovich, Andrew; Reed, John C; Heynen, Susanne

2002-01-01

Cellular behavior is complex. Successfully understanding systems at ever-increasing complexity is fundamental to advances in modern science and unraveling the functional details of cellular behavior is no exception. We present a collection of prospectives to provide a glimpse of the techniques that will aid in collecting, managing and utilizing information on complex cellular processes via molecular imaging tools. These include: 1) visualizing intracellular protein activity with fluorescent markers, 2) high throughput (and automated) imaging of multilabeled cells in statistically significant numbers, and 3) machine intelligence to analyze subcellular image localization and pattern. Although not addressed here, the importance of combining cell-image-based information with detailed molecular structure and ligand-receptor binding models cannot be overlooked. Advanced molecular imaging techniques have the potential to impact cellular diagnostics for cancer screening, clinical correlations of tissue molecular patterns for cancer biology, and cellular molecular interactions for accelerating drug discovery. The goal of finally understanding all cellular components and behaviors will be achieved by advances in both instrumentation engineering (software and hardware) and molecular biochemistry. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

IMPRESS: medical location-aware decision making during emergencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gkotsis, I.; Eftychidis, G.; Leventakis, G.; Mountzouris, M.; Diagourtas, D.; Kostaridis, A.; Hedel, R.; Olunczek, A.; Hahmann, S.

2017-09-01

Emergency situations and mass casualties involve several agencies and public authorities, which need to gather data from the incident scene and exchange geo-referenced information to provide fast and accurate first aid to the people in need. Tracking patients on their way to the hospitals can prove critical in taking lifesaving decisions. Increased and continuous flow of information combined by vital signs and geographic location of emergency victims can greatly reduce the response time of the medical emergency chain and improve the efficiency of disaster medicine activity. Recent advances in mobile positioning systems and telecommunications are providing the technology needed for the development of location-aware medical applications. IMPRESS is an advanced ICT platform based on adequate technologies for developing location-aware medical response during emergencies. The system incorporates mobile and fixed components that collect field data from diverse sources, support medical location and situation-based services and share information on the patient's transport from the field to the hospitals. In IMPRESS platform tracking of victims, ambulances and emergency services vehicles is integrated with medical, traffic and crisis management information into a common operational picture. The Incident Management component of the system manages operational resources together with patient tracking data that contain vital sign values and patient's status evolution. Thus, it can prioritize emergency transport decisions, based on medical and location-aware information. The solution combines positioning and information gathered and owned by various public services involved in MCIs or large-scale disasters. IMPRESS solution, were validated in field and table top exercises in cooperation with emergency services and hospitals.

An Autonomous Mobile Agent-Based Distributed Learning Architecture-A Proposal and Analytical Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadiig, I. Ahmed M. J.

2005-01-01

The traditional learning paradigm involving face-to-face interaction with students is shifting to highly data-intensive electronic learning with the advances in Information and Communication Technology. An important component of the e-learning process is the delivery of the learning contents to their intended audience over a network. A distributed…

Student Gains in Self-Efficacy in an Advanced MSW Curriculum: A Customized Model for Outcomes Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rishel, Carrie W.; Majewski, Virginia

2009-01-01

The new Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) identify assessment as "an integral component of competency-based education." It is not new, however, that programs must demonstrate plans to assess attainment of competencies or expected program outcomes and show how data collection and analysis inform curriculum decisions. Previous…

Energy 101: Wind Turbines - 2014 Update

ScienceCinema

None

2018-05-11

See how wind turbines generate clean electricity from the power of wind. The video highlights the basic principles at work in wind turbines, and illustrates how the various components work to capture and convert wind energy to electricity. This updated version also includes information on the Energy Department's efforts to advance offshore wind power. Offshore wind energy footage courtesy of Vestas.

The Mozart Effect[R] for Children: Awakening Your Child's Mind, Health, and Creativity with Music.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Don

The Mozart Effect is defined as the ability of Mozart's music to temporarily heighten listeners' spatial awareness and intelligence, to improve listeners' concentration and speech abilities, and to advance reading and language skills. This book provides information about the ways in which the rhythm and tone components of music can enhance…

Advancing nursery production of big sagebrush seedlings: Cold storage and variation in subspecies growth

Treesearch

Emily C. Overton

2012-01-01

Big sagebrush is an essential component of shrub-steppe ecosystems that is rapidly disappearing from the landscape. Recognizing this, it has become a target of restoration; however, current efforts using direct seeding have shown variable success and planting seedlings may provide a better option. Nonetheless, limited information is available on the nursery production...

NASA Tech Briefs, May 1995. Volume 19, No. 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This issue features an resource report on Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a special focus on advanced composites and plastics. It also contains articles on electronic components and circuits, electronic systems, physical sciences, computer programs, mechanics, machinery, manufacturing and fabrication, mathematics and information sciences, and life sciences. This issue also contains a supplement on federal laboratory test and measurements.

Defect Clustering and Nano-Phase Structure Characterization of Multi-Component Rare Earth Oxide Doped Zirconia-Yttria Thermal Barrier Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming; Chen, Yuan L.; Miller, Robert A.

2003-01-01

Advanced oxide thermal barrier coatings have been developed by incorporating multi-component rare earth oxide dopants into zirconia-yttria to effectively promote the creation of the thermodynamically stable, immobile oxide defect clusters and/or nano-scale phases within the coating systems. The presence of these nano-sized defect clusters has found to significantly reduce the coating intrinsic thermal conductivity, improve sintering resistance, and maintain long-term high temperature stability. In this paper, the defect clusters and nano-structured phases, which were created by the addition of multi-component rare earth dopants to the plasma-sprayed and electron-beam physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings, were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The defect cluster size, distribution, crystallographic and compositional information were investigated using high-resolution TEM lattice imaging, selected area diffraction (SAD), electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis techniques. The results showed that substantial defect clusters were formed in the advanced multi-component rare earth oxide doped zirconia- yttria systems. The size of the oxide defect clusters and the cluster dopant segregation was typically ranging from 5 to 50 nm. These multi-component dopant induced defect clusters are an important factor for the coating long-term high temperature stability and excellent performance.

Defect Clustering and Nano-Phase Structure Characterization of Multi-Component Rare Earth Oxide Doped Zirconia-Yttria Thermal Barrier Coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming; Chen, Yuan L.; Miller, Robert A.

1990-01-01

Advanced oxide thermal barrier coatings have been developed by incorporating multi- component rare earth oxide dopants into zirconia-yttria to effectively promote the creation of the thermodynamically stable, immobile oxide defect clusters and/or nano-scale phases within the coating systems. The presence of these nano-sized defect clusters has found to significantly reduce the coating intrinsic thermal conductivity, improve sintering resistance, and maintain long-term high temperature stability. In this paper, the defect clusters and nano-structured phases, which were created by the addition of multi-component rare earth dopants to the plasma- sprayed and electron-beam physical vapor deposited thermal barrier coatings, were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The defect cluster size, distribution, crystallographic and compositional information were investigated using high-resolution TEM lattice imaging, selected area diffraction (SAD), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis techniques. The results showed that substantial defect clusters were formed in the advanced multi-component rare earth oxide doped zirconia-yttria systems. The size of the oxide defect clusters and the cluster dopant segregation was typically ranging fiom 5 to 50 nm. These multi-component dopant induced defect clusters are an important factor for the coating long-term high temperature stability and excellent performance.

EHR standards--A comparative study.

PubMed

Blobel, Bernd; Pharow, Peter

2006-01-01

For ensuring quality and efficiency of patient's care, the care paradigm moves from organization-centered over process-controlled towards personal care. Such health system paradigm change leads to new paradigms for analyzing, designing, implementing and deploying supporting health information systems including EHR systems as core application in a distributed eHealth environment. The paper defines the architectural paradigm for future-proof EHR systems. It compares advanced EHR architectures referencing them at the Generic Component Model. The paper introduces the evolving paradigm of autonomous computing for self-organizing health information systems.

Industrial implementation of spatial variability control by real-time SPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roule, O.; Pasqualini, F.; Borde, M.

2016-10-01

Advanced technology nodes require more and more information to get the wafer process well setup. The critical dimension of components decreases following Moore's law. At the same time, the intra-wafer dispersion linked to the spatial non-uniformity of tool's processes is not capable to decrease in the same proportions. APC systems (Advanced Process Control) are being developed in waferfab to automatically adjust and tune wafer processing, based on a lot of process context information. It can generate and monitor complex intrawafer process profile corrections between different process steps. It leads us to put under control the spatial variability, in real time by our SPC system (Statistical Process Control). This paper will outline the architecture of an integrated process control system for shape monitoring in 3D, implemented in waferfab.

Experimental Design for Evaluating Selected Nondestructive Measurement Technologies - Advanced Reactor Technology Milestone: M3AT-16PN2301043

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

Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Hirt, Evelyn H.; Pitman, Stan G.

The harsh environments in advanced reactors (AdvRx) increase the possibility of degradation of safety-critical passive components, and therefore pose a particular challenge for deployment and extended operation of these concepts. Nondestructive evaluation technologies are an essential element for obtaining information on passive component condition in AdvRx, with the development of sensor technologies for nondestructively inspecting AdvRx passive components identified as a key need. Given the challenges posed by AdvRx environments and the potential needs for reducing the burden posed by periodic in-service inspection of hard-to-access and hard-to-replace components, a viable solution may be provided by online condition monitoring of components.more » This report identifies the key challenges that will need to be overcome for sensor development in this context, and documents an experimental plan for sensor development, test, and evaluation. The focus of initial research and development is on sodium fast reactors, with the eventual goal of the research being developing the necessary sensor technology, quantifying sensor survivability and long-term measurement reliability for nondestructively inspecting critical components. Materials for sensor development that are likely to withstand the harsh environments are described, along with a status on the fabrication of reference specimens, and the planned approach for design and evaluation of the sensor and measurement technology.« less

A Methodology for the Development of a Reliability Database for an Advanced Reactor Probabilistic Risk Assessment

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

Grabaskas, Dave; Brunett, Acacia J.; Bucknor, Matthew

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and Argonne National Laboratory are currently engaged in a joint effort to modernize and develop probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) techniques for advanced non-light water reactors. At a high level the primary outcome of this project will be the development of next-generation PRA methodologies that will enable risk-informed prioritization of safety- and reliability-focused research and development, while also identifying gaps that may be resolved through additional research. A subset of this effort is the development of a reliability database (RDB) methodology to determine applicable reliability data for inclusion in the quantification of the PRA. The RDBmore » method developed during this project seeks to satisfy the requirements of the Data Analysis element of the ASME/ANS Non-LWR PRA standard. The RDB methodology utilizes a relevancy test to examine reliability data and determine whether it is appropriate to include as part of the reliability database for the PRA. The relevancy test compares three component properties to establish the level of similarity to components examined as part of the PRA. These properties include the component function, the component failure modes, and the environment/boundary conditions of the component. The relevancy test is used to gauge the quality of data found in a variety of sources, such as advanced reactor-specific databases, non-advanced reactor nuclear databases, and non-nuclear databases. The RDB also establishes the integration of expert judgment or separate reliability analysis with past reliability data. This paper provides details on the RDB methodology, and includes an example application of the RDB methodology for determining the reliability of the intermediate heat exchanger of a sodium fast reactor. The example explores a variety of reliability data sources, and assesses their applicability for the PRA of interest through the use of the relevancy test.« less

[Neural and cognitive correlates of social cognition: findings on neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies].

PubMed

Kobayakawa, Mutsutaka; Kawamura, Mitsuru

2011-12-01

Social cognition includes various components of information processing related to communication with other individuals. In this review, we have discussed 3 components of social cognitive function: face recognition, empathy, and decision making. Our social behavior involves recognition based on facial features and also involves empathizing with others; while making decisions, it is important to consider the social consequences of the course of action followed. Face recognition is divided into 2 routes for information processing: a route responsible for overt recognition of the face's identity and a route for emotional and orienting responses based on the face's personal affective significance. Two systems are possibly involved in empathy: a basic emotional contagion "mirroring" system and a more advanced "theory of mind" system that considers the cognitive perspective. Decision making is mediated by a widespread system that includes several cortical and subcortical components. Numerous lesion and neuroimaging studies have contributed to clarifying the neural correlates of social cognitive function, and greater information can be obtained on social cognitive function by combining these 2 approaches.

A Proposed Information Architecture for Telehealth System Interoperability

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

Craft, R.L.; Funkhouser, D.R.; Gallagher, L.K.

1999-04-20

We propose an object-oriented information architecture for telemedicine systems that promotes secure `plug-and-play' interaction between system components through standardized interfaces, communication protocols, messaging formats, and data definitions. In this architecture, each component functions as a black box, and components plug together in a ''lego-like'' fashion to achieve the desired device or system functionality. Introduction Telemedicine systems today rely increasingly on distributed, collaborative information technology during the care delivery process. While these leading-edge systems are bellwethers for highly advanced telemedicine, most are custom-designed and do not interoperate with other commercial offerings. Users are limited to a set of functionality that amore » single vendor provides and must often pay high prices to obtain this functionality, since vendors in this marketplace must deliver en- tire systems in order to compete. Besides increasing corporate research and development costs, this inhibits the ability of the user to make intelligent purchasing decisions regarding best-of-breed technologies. This paper proposes a reference architecture for plug-and-play telemedicine systems that addresses these issues.« less

On the impact of a refined stochastic model for airborne LiDAR measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolkas, Dimitrios; Fotopoulos, Georgia; Glennie, Craig

2016-09-01

Accurate topographic information is critical for a number of applications in science and engineering. In recent years, airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has become a standard tool for acquiring high quality topographic information. The assessment of airborne LiDAR derived DEMs is typically based on (i) independent ground control points and (ii) forward error propagation utilizing the LiDAR geo-referencing equation. The latter approach is dependent on the stochastic model information of the LiDAR observation components. In this paper, the well-known statistical tool of variance component estimation (VCE) is implemented for a dataset in Houston, Texas, in order to refine the initial stochastic information. Simulations demonstrate the impact of stochastic-model refinement for two practical applications, namely coastal inundation mapping and surface displacement estimation. Results highlight scenarios where erroneous stochastic information is detrimental. Furthermore, the refined stochastic information provides insights on the effect of each LiDAR measurement in the airborne LiDAR error budget. The latter is important for targeting future advancements in order to improve point cloud accuracy.

Residential aged care residents and components of end of life care in an Australian hospital.

PubMed

Leong, Laurence Jee Peng; Crawford, Gregory Brian

2018-06-09

With ageing of Australians, the numbers of residential aged care (RAC) residents is rising. This places a spotlight on decisions about appropriate care for this population, including hospitalisation and end-of-life (EOL) care. The aim was to study a sample of RAC residents who attended and died in hospital, to quantify measurable components of EOL care so as to describe the extent of palliative care required. A retrospective case-note review of hospital records was conducted in Adelaide, Australia. Participants were 109 RAC residents who attended from July 2013 to June 2014 and died in hospital. Measurements were advance care planning, health care input from the RAC facilities to hospital and components of EOL care. Residents with and without advanced dementia were compared. Advance care directives (ACDs) were present from 11 to 50%, and advance care plans (ACPs) at 60%. There were more ACPs, resuscitation orders (for/against) and do-not-hospitalise orders in residents with advanced dementia than those without. General practitioner (GP) and extended care paramedic (ECP) input on decisions for hospital transfer were 30% and 1 %. Mean hospital stay to death was 5.2 days. For residents admitted under non-palliative care teams, specialist palliative care (SPC) was needed for phone advice in 5%, consultation in 45%, transfer to palliative care unit in 37%, and takeover by SPC team in 19%. Mean number of documented goals-of-care discussions with family/caregiver was 1.7. In the last 3 days of life, the mean daily number of doses of EOL medications was 4.2. Continuous subcutaneous infusion was commenced in 35%. Staff in RAC need to be adequately resourced to make complex decisions about whether to transfer to hospital. RAC nurses are mainly making these decisions as GP and ECP input were suboptimal. Ways to support nurses and optimise decision-making are needed. Advance care planning can be improved, especially documentation of EOL wishes and hospitalisation orders. By describing the components of EOL care, it is hoped providers and policy makers have more information to assist with making decisions about what is the most appropriate care for this population.

Eddy Current Flow Measurements in the FFTF

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

Nielsen, Deborah L.; Polzin, David L.; Omberg, Ronald P.

2017-02-02

The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) is the most recent liquid metal reactor (LMR) to be designed, constructed, and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The 400-MWt sodium-cooled, fast-neutron flux reactor plant was designed for irradiation testing of nuclear reactor fuels and materials for liquid metal fast breeder reactors. Following shut down of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) project in 1983, FFTF continued to play a key role in providing a test bed for demonstrating performance of advanced fuel designs and demonstrating operation, maintenance, and safety of advanced liquid metal reactors. The FFTF Program provides valuablemore » information for potential follow-on reactor projects in the areas of plant system and component design, component fabrication, fuel design and performance, prototype testing, site construction, and reactor control and operations. This report provides HEDL-TC-1344, “ECFM Flow Measurements in the FFTF Using Phase-Sensitive Detectors”, March 1979.« less

PLSS 2.5 Fan Design and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quinn, Gregory; Carra, Michael; Converse, David; Chullen, Cinda

2015-01-01

NASA is building a high fidelity prototype of an advanced portable life support system (PLSS) as part of the Advanced Exploration Systems Program. This new PLSS, designated as PLSS 2.5, will advance component technologies and systems knowledge in order to inform a future flight program. The oxygen ventilation loop of its predecessor, PLSS 2.0, is driven by a centrifugal fan developed using specifications from the Constellation Program. PLSS technology and system parameters have matured to the point where the existing fan will not perform adequately for the new prototype. In addition, areas of potential improvement have been identified with the existing fan that could be addressed in a new design. As a result, a new fan was designed and tested for the PLSS 2.5.

7 CFR 1126.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1126.53 Section 1126.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

7 CFR 1030.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1030.53 Section 1030.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

7 CFR 1033.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1033.53 Section 1033.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

7 CFR 1005.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1005.53 Section 1005.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

7 CFR 1032.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1032.53 Section 1032.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

7 CFR 1006.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1006.53 Section 1006.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

7 CFR 1001.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1001.53 Section 1001.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

7 CFR 1131.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1131.53 Section 1131.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

7 CFR 1007.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1007.53 Section 1007.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

Analyzing critical material demand: A revised approach.

PubMed

Nguyen, Ruby Thuy; Fishman, Tomer; Zhao, Fu; Imholte, D D; Graedel, T E

2018-07-15

Apparent consumption has been widely used as a metric to estimate material demand. However, with technology advancement and complexity of material use, this metric has become less useful in tracking material flows, estimating recycling feedstocks, and conducting life cycle assessment of critical materials. We call for future research efforts to focus on building a multi-tiered consumption database for the global trade network of critical materials. This approach will help track how raw materials are processed into major components (e.g., motor assemblies) and eventually incorporated into complete pieces of equipment (e.g., wind turbines). Foreseeable challenges would involve: 1) difficulty in obtaining a comprehensive picture of trade partners due to business sensitive information, 2) complexity of materials going into components of a machine, and 3) difficulty maintaining such a database. We propose ways to address these challenges such as making use of digital design, learning from the experience of building similar databases, and developing a strategy for financial sustainability. We recommend that, with the advancement of information technology, small steps toward building such a database will contribute significantly to our understanding of material flows in society and the associated human impacts on the environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical processing for landmark identification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casasent, D.; Luu, T. K.

1981-01-01

A study of optical pattern recognition techniques, available components and airborne optical systems for use in landmark identification was conducted. A data base of imagery exhibiting multisensor, seasonal, snow and fog cover, exposure, and other differences was assembled. These were successfully processed in a scaling optical correlator using weighted matched spatial filter synthesis. Distinctive data classes were defined and a description of the data (with considerable input information and content information) emerged from this study. It has considerable merit with regard to the preprocessing needed and the image difference categories advanced. A optical pattern recognition airborne applications was developed, assembled and demontrated. It employed a laser diode light source and holographic optical elements in a new lensless matched spatial filter architecture with greatly reduced size and weight, as well as component positioning toleranced.

7 CFR 1124.53 - Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1124.53 Section 1124.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture... Announcement of class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.53. ...

Advanced propulsion for LEO-Moon transport. 1: A method for evaluating advanced propulsion performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, Martin O.

1992-01-01

This report describes a study to evaluate the benefits of advanced propulsion technologies for transporting materials between low Earth orbit and the Moon. A relatively conventional reference transportation system, and several other systems, each of which includes one advanced technology component, are compared in terms of how well they perform a chosen mission objective. The evaluation method is based on a pairwise life-cycle cost comparison of each of the advanced systems with the reference system. Somewhat novel and economically important features of the procedure are the inclusion not only of mass payback ratios based on Earth launch costs, but also of repair and capital acquisition costs, and of adjustments in the latter to reflect the technological maturity of the advanced technologies. The required input information is developed by panels of experts. The overall scope and approach of the study are presented in the introduction. The bulk of the paper describes the evaluation method; the reference system and an advanced transportation system, including a spinning tether in an eccentric Earth orbit, are used to illustrate it.

Use of Raman microscopy and band-target entropy minimization analysis to identify dyes in a commercial stamp. Implications for authentication and counterfeit detection.

PubMed

Widjaja, Effendi; Garland, Marc

2008-02-01

Raman microscopy was used in mapping mode to collect more than 1000 spectra in a 100 microm x 100 microm area from a commercial stamp. Band-target entropy minimization (BTEM) was then employed to unmix the mixture spectra in order to extract the pure component spectra of the samples. Three pure component spectral patterns with good signal-to-noise ratios were recovered, and their spatial distributions were determined. The three pure component spectral patterns were then identified as copper phthalocyanine blue, calcite-like material, and yellow organic dye material by comparison to known spectral libraries. The present investigation, consisting of (1) advanced curve resolution (blind-source separation) followed by (2) spectral data base matching, readily suggests extensions to authenticity and counterfeit studies of other types of commercial objects. The presence or absence of specific observable components form the basis for assessment. The present spectral analysis (BTEM) is applicable to highly overlapping spectral information. Since a priori information such as the number of components present and spectral libraries are not needed in BTEM, and since minor signals arising from trace components can be reconstructed, this analysis offers a robust approach to a wide variety of material problems involving authenticity and counterfeit issues.

Sensor Based Engine Life Calculation: A Probabilistic Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guo, Ten-Huei; Chen, Philip

2003-01-01

It is generally known that an engine component will accumulate damage (life usage) during its lifetime of use in a harsh operating environment. The commonly used cycle count for engine component usage monitoring has an inherent range of uncertainty which can be overly costly or potentially less safe from an operational standpoint. With the advance of computer technology, engine operation modeling, and the understanding of damage accumulation physics, it is possible (and desirable) to use the available sensor information to make a more accurate assessment of engine component usage. This paper describes a probabilistic approach to quantify the effects of engine operating parameter uncertainties on the thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) life of a selected engine part. A closed-loop engine simulation with a TMF life model is used to calculate the life consumption of different mission cycles. A Monte Carlo simulation approach is used to generate the statistical life usage profile for different operating assumptions. The probabilities of failure of different operating conditions are compared to illustrate the importance of the engine component life calculation using sensor information. The results of this study clearly show that a sensor-based life cycle calculation can greatly reduce the risk of component failure as well as extend on-wing component life by avoiding unnecessary maintenance actions.

Calibrating IR Cameras for In-Situ Temperature Measurement During the Electron Beam Melting Process using Inconel 718 and Ti-Al6-V4

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

Dinwiddie, Ralph Barton; Lloyd, Peter D; Dehoff, Ryan R

2016-01-01

The Department of Energy s (DOE) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) provides world-leading capabilities in advanced manufacturing (AM) facilities which leverage previous, on-going government investments in materials science research and characterization. MDF contains systems for fabricating components with complex geometries using AM techniques (i.e. 3D-Printing). Various metal alloy printers, for example, use electron beam melting (EBM) systems for creating these components which are otherwise extremely difficult- if not impossible- to machine. ORNL has partnered with manufacturers on improving the final part quality of components and developing new materials for further advancing these devices. One methodmore » being used to study (AM) processes in more depth relies on the advanced imaging capabilities at ORNL. High performance mid-wave infrared (IR) cameras are used for in-situ process monitoring and temperature measurements. However, standard factory calibrations are insufficient due to very low transmissions of the leaded glass window required for X-ray absorption. Two techniques for temperature calibrations will be presented and compared. In-situ measurement of emittance will also be discussed. Ample information can be learned from in-situ IR process monitoring of the EBM process. Ultimately, these imaging systems have the potential for routine use for online quality assurance and feedback control.« less

A GIS-based modeling system for petroleum waste management. Geographical information system.

PubMed

Chen, Z; Huang, G H; Li, J B

2003-01-01

With an urgent need for effective management of petroleum-contaminated sites, a GIS-aided simulation (GISSIM) system is presented in this study. The GISSIM contains two components: an advanced 3D numerical model and a geographical information system (GIS), which are integrated within a general framework. The modeling component undertakes simulation for the fate of contaminants in subsurface unsaturated and saturated zones. The GIS component is used in three areas throughout the system development and implementation process: (i) managing spatial and non-spatial databases; (ii) linking inputs, model, and outputs; and (iii) providing an interface between the GISSIM and its users. The developed system is applied to a North American case study. Concentrations of benzene, toluene, and xylenes in groundwater under a petroleum-contaminated site are dynamically simulated. Reasonable outputs have been obtained and presented graphically. They provide quantitative and scientific bases for further assessment of site-contamination impacts and risks, as well as decisions on practical remediation actions.

Advanced technology for future regional transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, L. J.

1982-01-01

In connection with a request for a report coming from a U.S. Senate committee, NASA formed a Small Transport Aircraft Technology (STAT) team in 1978. STAT was to obtain information concerning the technical improvements in commuter aircraft that would likely increase their public acceptance. Another area of study was related to questions regarding the help which could be provided by NASA's aeronautical research and development program to commuter aircraft manufacturers with respect to the solution of technical problems. Attention is given to commuter airline growth, current commuter/region aircraft and new aircraft in development, prospects for advanced technology commuter/regional transports, and potential benefits of advanced technology. A list is provided of a number of particular advances appropriate to small transport aircraft, taking into account small gas turbine engine component technology, propeller technology, three-dimensional wing-design technology, airframe aerodynamics/propulsion integration, and composite structure materials.

Judicious use of custom development in an open source component architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bristol, S.; Latysh, N.; Long, D.; Tekell, S.; Allen, J.

2014-12-01

Modern software engineering is not as much programming from scratch as innovative assembly of existing components. Seamlessly integrating disparate components into scalable, performant architecture requires sound engineering craftsmanship and can often result in increased cost efficiency and accelerated capabilities if software teams focus their creativity on the edges of the problem space. ScienceBase is part of the U.S. Geological Survey scientific cyberinfrastructure, providing data and information management, distribution services, and analysis capabilities in a way that strives to follow this pattern. ScienceBase leverages open source NoSQL and relational databases, search indexing technology, spatial service engines, numerous libraries, and one proprietary but necessary software component in its architecture. The primary engineering focus is cohesive component interaction, including construction of a seamless Application Programming Interface (API) across all elements. The API allows researchers and software developers alike to leverage the infrastructure in unique, creative ways. Scaling the ScienceBase architecture and core API with increasing data volume (more databases) and complexity (integrated science problems) is a primary challenge addressed by judicious use of custom development in the component architecture. Other data management and informatics activities in the earth sciences have independently resolved to a similar design of reusing and building upon established technology and are working through similar issues for managing and developing information (e.g., U.S. Geoscience Information Network; NASA's Earth Observing System Clearing House; GSToRE at the University of New Mexico). Recent discussions facilitated through the Earth Science Information Partners are exploring potential avenues to exploit the implicit relationships between similar projects for explicit gains in our ability to more rapidly advance global scientific cyberinfrastructure.

Optoelectronics components and technology for optical networking in China: recent progress and future trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Shan; Liu, Shuihua

2004-04-01

Current optical communication systems are more and more relying on the advanced opto-electronic components. A series of revolutionary optical and optoelectronics components technology accounts for the fast progress and field deployment of high-capacity telecommunication and data-transmission systems. Since 1990s, the optical communication industry in China entered a high-speed development period and its wide deployment had already established the solid base for China information infrastructure. In this presentation, the main progress of optoelectronics components and technology in China are reviewed, which includes semiconductor laser diode/photo receiver, fiber optical amplifier, DWDM multiplexer/de-multiplexer, dispersion compensation components and all optical network node components, such as optical switch, OADM, tunable optical filters and variable optical attenuators, etc. Integration discrete components into monolithic/hybrid platform component is an inevitable choice for the consideration of performance, mass production and cost reduction. The current status and the future trends of OEIC and PIC components technology in China will also be discuss mainly on the monolithic integration DFB LD + EA modulator, and planar light-wave circuit (PLC) technology, etc.

MHD Advanced Power Train Phase I, Final Report, Volume 7

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

A. R. Jones

This appendix provides additional data in support of the MHD/Steam Power Plant Analyses reported in report Volume 5. The data is in the form of 3PA/SUMARY computer code printouts. The order of presentation in all four cases is as follows: (1) Overall Performance; (2) Component/Subsystem Information; (3) Plant Cost Accounts Summary; and (4) Plant Costing Details and Cost of Electricity.

Advanced Microgrid Concepts and Technologies Workshop

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

number of wind turbines (2)  Battery charge/discharge rates  Max instantaneous load (600 kW)  Required duration of energy storage (10-day episode...for components that have developed methods (gearbox, generator, sensors , small gas turbines , or reciprocating engines, etc.) o The health information...Force), superconducting wind turbine generators (DOE ARPA-E), and thermoelectric waste-heat recovery for vehicles (DOE EERE and NSF). 111 1145

Digital photoelasticity of glass: A comprehensive review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, K.; Ramakrishnan, Vivek

2016-12-01

The recent advances in digital photoelasticity have made it possible to use it conveniently for the stress analysis of articles and components made of glass. Depending on the application, the retardation levels to be measured range from a few nanometres to several thousand nanometres, which necessitates different techniques and associated equipments. This paper reviews the recent advances in the photoelasticity of glass with a focus on the techniques/methods developed in the last decade. A brief introduction to the residual stress in glass is provided initially to bring out its tensorial nature. The subsequent sections are organised thematically rather than chronologically, for better readability and easy access of information.

Laying the Groundwork for Enterprise-Wide Medical Language Processing Services: Architecture and Process

PubMed Central

Chen, Elizabeth S.; Maloney, Francine L.; Shilmayster, Eugene; Goldberg, Howard S.

2009-01-01

A systematic and standard process for capturing information within free-text clinical documents could facilitate opportunities for improving quality and safety of patient care, enhancing decision support, and advancing data warehousing across an enterprise setting. At Partners HealthCare System, the Medical Language Processing (MLP) services project was initiated to establish a component-based architectural model and processes to facilitate putting MLP functionality into production for enterprise consumption, promote sharing of components, and encourage reuse. Key objectives included exploring the use of an open-source framework called the Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) and leveraging existing MLP-related efforts, terminology, and document standards. This paper describes early experiences in defining the infrastructure and standards for extracting, encoding, and structuring clinical observations from a variety of clinical documents to serve enterprise-wide needs. PMID:20351830

Laying the groundwork for enterprise-wide medical language processing services: architecture and process.

PubMed

Chen, Elizabeth S; Maloney, Francine L; Shilmayster, Eugene; Goldberg, Howard S

2009-11-14

A systematic and standard process for capturing information within free-text clinical documents could facilitate opportunities for improving quality and safety of patient care, enhancing decision support, and advancing data warehousing across an enterprise setting. At Partners HealthCare System, the Medical Language Processing (MLP) services project was initiated to establish a component-based architectural model and processes to facilitate putting MLP functionality into production for enterprise consumption, promote sharing of components, and encourage reuse. Key objectives included exploring the use of an open-source framework called the Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) and leveraging existing MLP-related efforts, terminology, and document standards. This paper describes early experiences in defining the infrastructure and standards for extracting, encoding, and structuring clinical observations from a variety of clinical documents to serve enterprise-wide needs.

Contributions to advances in blend pellet products (BPP) research on molecular structure and molecular nutrition interaction by advanced synchrotron and globar molecular (Micro)spectroscopy.

PubMed

Guevara-Oquendo, Víctor H; Zhang, Huihua; Yu, Peiqiang

2018-04-13

To date, advanced synchrotron-based and globar-sourced techniques are almost unknown to food and feed scientists. There has been little application of these advanced techniques to study blend pellet products at a molecular level. This article aims to provide recent research on advanced synchrotron and globar vibrational molecular spectroscopy contributions to advances in blend pellet products research on molecular structure and molecular nutrition interaction. How processing induced molecular structure changes in relation to nutrient availability and utilization of the blend pellet products. The study reviews Utilization of co-product components for blend pellet product in North America; Utilization and benefits of inclusion of pulse screenings; Utilization of additives in blend pellet products; Application of pellet processing in blend pellet products; Conventional evaluation techniques and methods for blend pellet products. The study focus on recent applications of cutting-edge vibrational molecular spectroscopy for molecular structure and molecular structure association with nutrient utilization in blend pellet products. The information described in this article gives better insight on how advanced molecular (micro)spectroscopy contributions to advances in blend pellet products research on molecular structure and molecular nutrition interaction.

Supporting implementation of evidence-based behavioral interventions: the role of data liquidity in facilitating translational behavioral medicine.

PubMed

Abernethy, Amy P; Wheeler, Jane L; Courtney, Paul K; Keefe, Francis J

2011-03-01

The advancement of translational behavioral medicine will require that we discover new methods of managing large volumes of data from disparate sources such as disease surveillance systems, public health systems, and health information systems containing patient-centered data informed by behavioral and social sciences. The term "liquidity," when applied to data, refers to its availability and free flow throughout human/computer interactions. In seeking to achieve liquidity, the focus is not on creating a single, comprehensive database or set of coordinated datasets, nor is it solely on developing the electronic health record as the "one-stop shopping" source of health-related data. Rather, attention is on ensuring the availability of secure data through the various methods of collecting and storing data currently existent or under development-so that these components of the health information infrastructure together support a liquid data system. The value of accessible, interoperable, high-volume, reliable, secure, and contextually appropriate data is becoming apparent in many areas of the healthcare system, and health information liquidity is currently viewed as an important component of a patient-centered healthcare system. The translation from research interventions to behavioral and psychosocial indicators challenges the designers of healthcare systems to include this new set of data in the correct context. With the intention of advancing translational behavioral medicine at the local level, "on the ground" in the clinical office and research institution, this commentary discusses data liquidity from the patient's and clinician's perspective, requirements for a liquid healthcare data system, and the ways in which data liquidity can support translational behavioral medicine.

Optical measurement of arterial mechanical properties: from atherosclerotic plaque initiation to rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadkarni, Seemantini K.

2013-12-01

During the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis, from lesion initiation to rupture, arterial mechanical properties are altered by a number of cellular, molecular, and hemodynamic processes. There is growing recognition that mechanical factors may actively drive vascular cell signaling and regulate atherosclerosis disease progression. In advanced plaques, the mechanical properties of the atheroma influence stress distributions in the fibrous cap and mediate plaque rupture resulting in acute coronary events. This review paper explores current optical technologies that provide information on the mechanical properties of arterial tissue to advance our understanding of the mechanical factors involved in atherosclerosis development leading to plaque rupture. The optical approaches discussed include optical microrheology and traction force microscopy that probe the mechanical behavior of single cell and extracellular matrix components, and intravascular imaging modalities including laser speckle rheology, optical coherence elastography, and polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography to measure the mechanical properties of advanced coronary lesions. Given the wealth of information that these techniques can provide, optical imaging modalities are poised to play an increasingly significant role in elucidating the mechanical aspects of coronary atherosclerosis in the future.

Comprehensive Chemical Fingerprinting of High-Quality Cocoa at Early Stages of Processing: Effectiveness of Combined Untargeted and Targeted Approaches for Classification and Discrimination.

PubMed

Magagna, Federico; Guglielmetti, Alessandro; Liberto, Erica; Reichenbach, Stephen E; Allegrucci, Elena; Gobino, Guido; Bicchi, Carlo; Cordero, Chiara

2017-08-02

This study investigates chemical information of volatile fractions of high-quality cocoa (Theobroma cacao L. Malvaceae) from different origins (Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Columbia, Java, Trinidad, and Sao Tomè) produced for fine chocolate. This study explores the evolution of the entire pattern of volatiles in relation to cocoa processing (raw, roasted, steamed, and ground beans). Advanced chemical fingerprinting (e.g., combined untargeted and targeted fingerprinting) with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry allows advanced pattern recognition for classification, discrimination, and sensory-quality characterization. The entire data set is analyzed for 595 reliable two-dimensional peak regions, including 130 known analytes and 13 potent odorants. Multivariate analysis with unsupervised exploration (principal component analysis) and simple supervised discrimination methods (Fisher ratios and linear regression trees) reveal informative patterns of similarities and differences and identify characteristic compounds related to sample origin and manufacturing step.

Advanced image fusion algorithms for Gamma Knife treatment planning. Evaluation and proposal for clinical use.

PubMed

Apostolou, N; Papazoglou, Th; Koutsouris, D

2006-01-01

Image fusion is a process of combining information from multiple sensors. It is a useful tool implemented in the treatment planning programme of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery. In this paper we evaluate advanced image fusion algorithms for Matlab platform and head images. We develop nine level grayscale image fusion methods: average, principal component analysis (PCA), discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and Laplacian, filter - subtract - decimate (FSD), contrast, gradient, morphological pyramid and a shift invariant discrete wavelet transform (SIDWT) method in Matlab platform. We test these methods qualitatively and quantitatively. The quantitative criteria we use are the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), the Mutual Information (MI), the Standard Deviation (STD), the Entropy (H), the Difference Entropy (DH) and the Cross Entropy (CEN). The qualitative are: natural appearance, brilliance contrast, presence of complementary features and enhancement of common features. Finally we make clinically useful suggestions.

A Component-Based Approach for Securing Indoor Home Care Applications

PubMed Central

Estévez, Elisabet

2017-01-01

eHealth systems have adopted recent advances on sensing technologies together with advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) in order to provide people-centered services that improve the quality of life of an increasingly elderly population. As these eHealth services are founded on the acquisition and processing of sensitive data (e.g., personal details, diagnosis, treatments and medical history), any security threat would damage the public’s confidence in them. This paper proposes a solution for the design and runtime management of indoor eHealth applications with security requirements. The proposal allows applications definition customized to patient particularities, including the early detection of health deterioration and suitable reaction (events) as well as security needs. At runtime, security support is twofold. A secured component-based platform supervises applications execution and provides events management, whilst the security of the communications among application components is also guaranteed. Additionally, the proposed event management scheme adopts the fog computing paradigm to enable local event related data storage and processing, thus saving communication bandwidth when communicating with the cloud. As a proof of concept, this proposal has been validated through the monitoring of the health status in diabetic patients at a nursing home. PMID:29278370

Global search tool for the Advanced Photon Source Integrated Relational Model of Installed Systems (IRMIS) database.

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

Quock, D. E. R.; Cianciarulo, M. B.; APS Engineering Support Division

2007-01-01

The Integrated Relational Model of Installed Systems (IRMIS) is a relational database tool that has been implemented at the Advanced Photon Source to maintain an updated account of approximately 600 control system software applications, 400,000 process variables, and 30,000 control system hardware components. To effectively display this large amount of control system information to operators and engineers, IRMIS was initially built with nine Web-based viewers: Applications Organizing Index, IOC, PLC, Component Type, Installed Components, Network, Controls Spares, Process Variables, and Cables. However, since each viewer is designed to provide details from only one major category of the control system, themore » necessity for a one-stop global search tool for the entire database became apparent. The user requirements for extremely fast database search time and ease of navigation through search results led to the choice of Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) technology in the implementation of the IRMIS global search tool. Unique features of the global search tool include a two-tier level of displayed search results, and a database data integrity validation and reporting mechanism.« less

A Component-Based Approach for Securing Indoor Home Care Applications.

PubMed

Agirre, Aitor; Armentia, Aintzane; Estévez, Elisabet; Marcos, Marga

2017-12-26

eHealth systems have adopted recent advances on sensing technologies together with advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) in order to provide people-centered services that improve the quality of life of an increasingly elderly population. As these eHealth services are founded on the acquisition and processing of sensitive data (e.g., personal details, diagnosis, treatments and medical history), any security threat would damage the public's confidence in them. This paper proposes a solution for the design and runtime management of indoor eHealth applications with security requirements. The proposal allows applications definition customized to patient particularities, including the early detection of health deterioration and suitable reaction (events) as well as security needs. At runtime, security support is twofold. A secured component-based platform supervises applications execution and provides events management, whilst the security of the communications among application components is also guaranteed. Additionally, the proposed event management scheme adopts the fog computing paradigm to enable local event related data storage and processing, thus saving communication bandwidth when communicating with the cloud. As a proof of concept, this proposal has been validated through the monitoring of the health status in diabetic patients at a nursing home.

Profiling planktonic biomass using element-specific, multicomponent nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

PubMed

Komatsu, Takanori; Kobayashi, Toshiya; Hatanaka, Minoru; Kikuchi, Jun

2015-06-02

Planktonic metabolism plays crucial roles in Earth's elemental cycles. Chemical speciation as well as elemental stoichiometry is important for advancing our understanding of planktonic roles in biogeochemical cycles. In this study, a multicomponent solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approach is proposed for chemical speciation of cellular components, using several advanced NMR techniques. Measurements by ssNMR were performed on (13)C and (15)N-labeled Euglena gracilis, a flagellated protist. 3D dipolar-assisted rotational resonance, double-cross-polarization (1)H-(13)C correlation spectroscopy, and (1)H-(13)C solid-state heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectroscopy successively allowed characterization of cellular components. These techniques were then applied to E. gracilis cultured in high and low ammonium media to demonstrate the power of this method for profiling and comparing cellular components. Cellular NMR spectra indicated that ammonium induced both paramylon degradation and amination. Arginine was stored as a nitrogen reserve and ammonium replaced by arginine catabolism via the arginine dihydrolase pathway. (15)N and (31)P cellular ssNMR indicated arginine and polyphosphate accumulation in E. gracilis, respectively. This chemical speciation technique will contribute to environmental research by providing detailed information on environmental chemical properties.

Photovoltaic power conditioning subsystem: State of the art and development opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krauthamer, S.; Bahrami, K.; Das, R.; Macie, T.; Rippel, W.

1984-01-01

Photovoltaic systems, the state of the art of power conditioning subsystem components, and the design and operational interaction between photovoltaic systems and host utilities are detailed in this document. Major technical issues relating to the design and development of power conditioning systems for photovoltaic application are considered; these include: (1) standards, guidelines, and specifications; (2) cost effective hardware design; (3) impact of advanced components on power conditioning development; (4) protection and safety; (5) quality of power; (6) system efficiency; and (7) system integration with the host utility. Theories of harmonic distortion and reactive power flow are discussed, and information about power conditioner hardware and manufacturers is provided.

Health Information Technology Adoption in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Selck, Frederic W; Decker, Sandra L

2016-02-01

To describe the trend in health information technology (IT) systems adoption in hospital emergency departments (EDs) and its effect on ED efficiency and resource use. 2007-2010 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey - ED Component. We assessed changes in the percent of visits to EDs with health IT capability and the estimated effect on waiting time to see a provider, visit length, and resource use. The percent of ED visits that took place in an ED with at least a basic health IT or an advanced IT system increased from 25.2 and 3.1 percent in 2007 to 69.1 and 30.6 percent in 2010, respectively (p < .05). Controlling for ED fixed effects, waiting times were reduced by 6.0 minutes in advanced IT-equipped EDs (p < .05), and the number of tests ordered increased by 9 percent (p < .01). In models using a 1-year lag, advanced systems also showed an increase in the number of medications and images ordered per visit. Almost a third of visits now occur in EDs with advanced IT capability. While advanced IT adoption may decrease wait times, resource use during ED visits may also increase depending on how long the system has been in place. We were not able to determine if these changes indicated more appropriate care. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Digital Avionics Information System (DAIS): Life Cycle Cost Impact Modeling System Reliability, Maintainability, and Cost Model (RMCM)--Description. Users Guide. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goclowski, John C.; And Others

The Reliability, Maintainability, and Cost Model (RMCM) described in this report is an interactive mathematical model with a built-in sensitivity analysis capability. It is a major component of the Life Cycle Cost Impact Model (LCCIM), which was developed as part of the DAIS advanced development program to be used to assess the potential impacts…

An overview of the education and training component of RICIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freedman, Glenn B.

1987-01-01

Research in education and training according to RICIS (Research Institute for Computing and Information Systems) program focuses on means to disseminate knowledge, skills, and technological advances rapidly, accurately, and effectively. A range of areas for study include: artificial intelligence, hypermedia and full-text retrieval strategies, use of mass storage and retrieval options such as CD-ROM and laser disks, and interactive video and interactive media presentations.

Articulating A Rights-Based Approach to HIV Treatment and Prevention Interventions

PubMed Central

Barr, David; Amon, Joseph J; Clayton, Michaela

2011-01-01

Since the beginning of the epidemic, the protection of human rights has been an integral component in the response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The high degree of stigma and discrimination associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has made human rights protection not only a priority to ensure the rights of people living with and at-risk for HIV, but to address public health goals as well. Advances in understanding the impact of antiretroviral treatment on HIV prevention provide exciting opportunities and even a paradigm shift in terms of AIDS prevention. However, this potential cannot be reached unless the advancement of human rights is a primary component of treatment and prevention programme and policy development. The use of antiretroviral treatment as prevention reinforces the value of basic principles related to the dignity and agency of people living with HIV to participate in the design and implementation of programmes, to be informed and to make informed decisions about their health and lives, to be protected from harm, and to have opportunities to seek redress and accountability for abuses. The possibility of using HIV treatment as a prevention tool means that now, more than ever, legal reform and community empowerment and mobilisation are necessary to realize the rights and health of people affected by HIV. PMID:21999775

Articulating a rights-based approach to HIV treatment and prevention interventions.

PubMed

Barr, David; Amon, Joseph J; Clayton, Michaela

2011-09-01

Since the beginning of the epidemic, the protection of human rights has been an integral component in the response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The high degree of stigma and discrimination associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has made human rights protection not only a priority to ensure the rights of people living with and at-risk for HIV, but to address public health goals as well. Advances in understanding the impact of antiretroviral treatment on HIV prevention provide exciting opportunities and even a paradigm shift in terms of AIDS prevention. However, this potential cannot be reached unless the advancement of human rights is a primary component of treatment and prevention programme and policy development. The use of antiretroviral treatment as prevention reinforces the value of basic principles related to the dignity and agency of people living with HIV to participate in the design and implementation of programmes, to be informed and to make informed decisions about their health and lives, to be protected from harm, and to have opportunities to seek redress and accountability for abuses. The possibility of using HIV treatment as a prevention tool means that now, more than ever, legal reform and community empowerment and mobilisation are necessary to realize the rights and health of people affected by HIV.

Detection of increase in corneal irregularity due to pterygium using Fourier series harmonic analyses with multiple diameters.

PubMed

Minami, Keiichiro; Miyata, Kazunori; Otani, Atsushi; Tokunaga, Tadatoshi; Tokuda, Shouta; Amano, Shiro

2018-05-01

To determine steep increase of corneal irregularity induced by advancement of pterygium. A total of 456 eyes from 456 consecutive patients with primary pterygia were examined for corneal topography and advancement of pterygium with respect to the corneal diameter. Corneal irregularity induced by the pterygium advancement was evaluated by Fourier harmonic analyses of the topographic data that were modified for a series of analysis diameters from 1 mm to 6 mm. Incidences of steep increases in the asymmetry or higher-order irregularity components (inflection points) were determined by using segmented regression analysis for each analysis diameter. The pterygium advancement ranged from 2% to 57%, with a mean of 22.0%. Both components showed steep increases from the inflection points. The inflection points in the higher-order irregularity component altered with the analysis diameter (14.0%-30.6%), while there was no alternation in the asymmetry components (35.5%-36.8%). For the former component, the values at the inflection points were obtained in a range of 0.16 to 0.25 D. The Fourier harmonic analyses for a series of analysis diameters revealed that the higher-order irregularity component increased with the pterygium advancement. The analysis results confirmed the precedence of corneal irregularity due to pterygium advancement.

7 CFR 1006.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1006.50 Section 1006.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued..., and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

7 CFR 1007.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1007.50 Section 1007.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued..., and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

7 CFR 1126.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1126.50 Section 1126.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued..., and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

7 CFR 1131.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1131.50 Section 1131.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued..., and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

7 CFR 1005.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1005.50 Section 1005.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued..., and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

7 CFR 1032.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1032.50 Section 1032.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued..., and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

7 CFR 1001.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1001.50 Section 1001.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued..., and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

7 CFR 1033.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1033.50 Section 1033.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued..., and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

Advanced Electrical Materials and Component Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, Gene E.

2003-01-01

The primary means to develop advanced electrical components is to develop new and improved materials for magnetic components (transformers, inductors, etc.), capacitors, and semiconductor switches and diodes. This paper will give a description and status of the internal and external research sponsored by NASA Glenn Research Center on soft magnetic materials, dielectric materials and capacitors, and high quality silicon carbide (SiC) atomically smooth substrates. The rationale for and the benefits of developing advanced electrical materials and components for the PMAD subsystem and also for the total power system will be briefly discussed.

Advanced earthquake monitoring system for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical buildings--instrumentation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kalkan, Erol; Banga, Krishna; Ulusoy, Hasan S.; Fletcher, Jon Peter B.; Leith, William S.; Reza, Shahneam; Cheng, Timothy

2012-01-01

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Strong Motion Project (NSMP; http://nsmp.wr.usgs.gov/) of the U.S. Geological Survey has been installing sophisticated seismic systems that will monitor the structural integrity of 28 VA hospital buildings located in seismically active regions of the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Puerto Rico during earthquake shaking. These advanced monitoring systems, which combine the use of sensitive accelerometers and real-time computer calculations, are designed to determine the structural health of each hospital building rapidly after an event, helping the VA to ensure the safety of patients and staff. This report presents the instrumentation component of this project by providing details of each hospital building, including a summary of its structural, geotechnical, and seismic hazard information, as well as instrumentation objectives and design. The structural-health monitoring component of the project, including data retrieval and processing, damage detection and localization, automated alerting system, and finally data dissemination, will be presented in a separate report.

Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) Technology Development Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

This report is the eleventh in the series of Technical Summary reports for the Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) Technology Development Project, authorized under NASA Contract DEN3-167, and sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE). This report was prepared by Garrett Turbine Engine Company, A Division of the Garrett Corporation, and includes information provided by Ford Motor Company, the Standard Oil Company, and AiResearch Casting Company. This report covers plans and progress for the period July 1, 1985 through June 30, 1986. Technical progress during the reported period was highlighted by the 85-hour endurance run of an all-ceramic engine operating in the 2000 to 2250 F temperature regime. Component development continued in the areas of the combustion/fuel injection system, regenerator and seals system, and ceramic turbine rotor attachment design. Component rig testing saw further refinements. Ceramic materials showed continued improvements in required properties for gas turbine applications; however, continued development is needed before performance and reliability goals can be set.

Progress of the European Assistive Technology Information Network.

PubMed

Gower, Valerio; Andrich, Renzo

2015-01-01

The European Assistive Technology Information Network (EASTIN), launched in 2005 as the result of a collaborative EU project, provides information on Assistive Technology products and related material through the website www.eastin.eu. In the past few years several advancements have been implemented on the EASTIN website thanks to the contribution of EU funded projects, including a multilingual query processing component for supporting non expert users, a user rating and comment facility, and a detailed taxonomy for the description of ICT based assistive products. Recently, within the framework of the EU funded project Cloud4All, the EASTIN information system has also been federated with the Unified Listing of assistive products, one of the building blocks of the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure initiative.

Sender–receiver systems and applying information theory for quantitative synthetic biology

PubMed Central

Barcena Menendez, Diego; Senthivel, Vivek Raj; Isalan, Mark

2015-01-01

Sender–receiver (S–R) systems abound in biology, with communication systems sending information in various forms. Information theory provides a quantitative basis for analysing these processes and is being applied to study natural genetic, enzymatic and neural networks. Recent advances in synthetic biology are providing us with a wealth of artificial S–R systems, giving us quantitative control over networks with a finite number of well-characterised components. Combining the two approaches can help to predict how to maximise signalling robustness, and will allow us to make increasingly complex biological computers. Ultimately, pushing the boundaries of synthetic biology will require moving beyond engineering the flow of information and towards building more sophisticated circuits that interpret biological meaning. PMID:25282688

Communicating Scientific Research to Non-Specialists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holman, Megan

Public outreach to effectively communicate current scientific advances is an essential component of the scientific process. The challenge in making this information accessible is forming a clear, accurate, and concise version of the information from a variety of different sources, so that the information is understandable and compelling to non-specialists in the general public. We are preparing a magazine article about planetary system formation. This article will include background information about star formation and different theories and observations of planet formation to provide context. We will then discuss the latest research and theories describing how planetary systems may be forming in different areas of the universe. We demonstrate here the original professional-level scientific work alongside our public-level explanations and original graphics to demonstrate our editorial process.

Protein molecular data from ancient (>1 million years old) fossil material: pitfalls, possibilities and grand challenges.

PubMed

Schweitzer, Mary Higby; Schroeter, Elena R; Goshe, Michael B

2014-07-15

Advances in resolution and sensitivity of analytical techniques have provided novel applications, including the analyses of fossil material. However, the recovery of original proteinaceous components from very old fossil samples (defined as >1 million years (1 Ma) from previously named limits in the literature) is far from trivial. Here, we discuss the challenges to recovery of proteinaceous components from fossils, and the need for new sample preparation techniques, analytical methods, and bioinformatics to optimize and fully utilize the great potential of information locked in the fossil record. We present evidence for survival of original components across geological time, and discuss the potential benefits of recovery, analyses, and interpretation of fossil materials older than 1 Ma, both within and outside of the fields of evolutionary biology.

The impact of inquiry-based instructional professional development upon instructional practice: An action research study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broom, Frances A.

This mixed method case study employs action research, conducted over a three month period with 11 elementary math and science practitioners. Inquiry as an instructional practice is a vital component of math and science instruction and STEM teaching. Teachers examined their beliefs and teaching practices with regard to those instructional factors that influence inquiry instruction. Video-taped lessons were compared to a rubric and pre and post questionnaires along with two interviews which informed the study. The results showed that while most beliefs were maintained, teachers implemented inquiry at a more advanced level after examining their teaching and reflecting on ways to increase inquiry practices. Because instructional practices provide only one component of inquiry-based instruction, other components need to be examined in a future study.

7 CFR 1030.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1030.50 Section 1030.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued... prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

7 CFR 1124.50 - Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Class prices, component prices, and advanced pricing factors. 1124.50 Section 1124.50 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued... prices, and advanced pricing factors. See § 1000.50. ...

A comprehensive inpatient discharge system.

PubMed Central

O'Connell, E. M.; Teich, J. M.; Pedraza, L. A.; Thomas, D.

1996-01-01

Our group has developed a computer system that supports all phases of the inpatient discharge process. The system fills in most of the physician's discharge order form and the nurse's discharge abstract, using information available from sign-out, order entry, scheduling, and other databases. It supplies information for referrals to outside institutions, and provides a variety of instruction materials for patients. Discharge forms can be completed in advance, so that the patient is not waiting for final paperwork. Physicians and nurses can work on their components independently, rather than in series. Response to the system has been very favorable. PMID:8947755

An application of holographic interferometry for dynamic vibration analysis of a jet engine turbine compressor rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fein, Howard

2003-09-01

Holographic Interferometry has been successfully employed to characterize the materials and behavior of diverse types of structures under dynamic stress. Specialized variations of this technology have also been applied to define dynamic and vibration related structural behavior. Such applications of holographic technique offer some of the most effective methods of modal and dynamic analysis available. Real-time dynamic testing of the modal and mechanical behavior of jet engine turbine, rotor, vane, and compressor structures has always required advanced instrumentation for data collection in either simulated flight operation test or computer-based modeling and simulations. Advanced optical holography techniques are alternate methods which result in actual full-field behavioral data in a noninvasive, noncontact environment. These methods offer significant insight in both the development and subsequent operational test and modeling of advanced jet engine turbine and compressor rotor structures and their integration with total vehicle system dynamics. Structures and materials can be analyzed with very low amplitude excitation and the resultant data can be used to adjust the accuracy of mathematically derived structural and behavioral models. Holographic Interferometry offers a powerful tool to aid in the developmental engineering of turbine rotor and compressor structures for high stress applications. Aircraft engine applications in particular most consider operational environments where extremes in vibration and impulsive as well as continuous mechanical stress can affect both operation and structural stability. These considerations present ideal requisites for analysis using advanced holographic methods in the initial design and test of turbine rotor components. Holographic techniques are nondestructive, real-time, and definitive in allowing the identification of vibrational modes, displacements, and motion geometries. Such information can be crucial to the determination of mechanical configurations and designs as well as critical operational parameters of turbine structural components or unit turbine components fabricated from advanced and exotic new materials or using new fabrication methods. Anomalous behavioral characteristics can be directly related to hidden structural or mounting anomalies and defects.

Fusing Sensor Paradigms to Acquire Chemical Information: An Integrative Role for Smart Biopolymeric Hydrogels

PubMed Central

Kim, Eunkyoung; Liu, Yi; Ben-Yoav, Hadar; Winkler, Thomas E.; Yan, Kun; Shi, Xiaowen; Shen, Jana; Kelly, Deanna L.; Ghodssi, Reza; Bentley, William E.

2017-01-01

The Information Age transformed our lives but it has had surprisingly little impact on the way chemical information (e.g., from our biological world) is acquired, analyzed and communicated. Sensor systems are poised to change this situation by providing rapid access to chemical information. This access will be enabled by technological advances from various fields: biology enables the synthesis, design and discovery of molecular recognition elements as well as the generation of cell-based signal processors; physics and chemistry are providing nano-components that facilitate the transmission and transduction of signals rich with chemical information; microfabrication is yielding sensors capable of receiving these signals through various modalities; and signal processing analysis enhances the extraction of chemical information. The authors contend that integral to the development of functional sensor systems will be materials that (i) enable the integrative and hierarchical assembly of various sensing components (for chemical recognition and signal transduction) and (ii) facilitate meaningful communication across modalities. It is suggested that stimuli-responsive self-assembling biopolymers can perform such integrative functions, and redox provides modality-spanning communication capabilities. Recent progress toward the development of electrochemical sensors to manage schizophrenia is used to illustrate the opportunities and challenges for enlisting sensors for chemical information processing. PMID:27616350

Intelligent Bioreactor Management Information System (IBM-IS) for Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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

Paul Imhoff; Ramin Yazdani; Don Augenstein

Methane is an important contributor to global warming with a total climate forcing estimated to be close to 20% that of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the past two decades. The largest anthropogenic source of methane in the US is 'conventional' landfills, which account for over 30% of anthropogenic emissions. While controlling greenhouse gas emissions must necessarily focus on large CO2 sources, attention to reducing CH4 emissions from landfills can result in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at low cost. For example, the use of 'controlled' or bioreactor landfilling has been estimated to reduce annual US greenhouse emissions by aboutmore » 15-30 million tons of CO2 carbon (equivalent) at costs between $3-13/ton carbon. In this project we developed or advanced new management approaches, landfill designs, and landfill operating procedures for bioreactor landfills. These advances are needed to address lingering concerns about bioreactor landfills (e.g., efficient collection of increased CH4 generation) in the waste management industry, concerns that hamper bioreactor implementation and the consequent reductions in CH4 emissions. Collectively, the advances described in this report should result in better control of bioreactor landfills and reductions in CH4 emissions. Several advances are important components of an Intelligent Bioreactor Management Information System (IBM-IS).« less

Laparoscopic versus open-component separation: a comparative analysis in a porcine model.

PubMed

Rosen, Michael J; Williams, Christina; Jin, Judy; McGee, Michael F; Schomisch, Steve; Marks, Jeffrey; Ponsky, Jeffrey

2007-09-01

The ideal surgical treatment for complicated ventral hernias remains elusive. Traditional component separation provides local advancement of native tissue for tension-free closure without prosthetic materials. This technique requires an extensive subcutaneous dissection with division of perforating vessels predisposing to skin-flap necrosis and complicated wound infections. A minimally invasive component separation may decrease wound complication rates; however, the adequacy of the myofascial advancement has not been studied. Five 25-kg pigs underwent bilateral laparoscopic component separation. A 10-mm incision was made lateral to the rectus abdominus muscle. The external oblique fascia was incised, and a dissecting balloon was inflated between the internal and external oblique muscles. Two additional ports were placed in the intermuscular space. The external oblique was incised from the costal margin to the inguinal ligament. The maximal abdominal wall advancement was recorded. A formal open-component separation was performed and maximal advancement 5 cm superior and 5 cm inferior to the umbilicus was recorded for comparison. Groups were compared using standard statistical analysis. The laparoscopic component separation was completed successfully in all animals, with a mean of 22 min/side. Laparoscopic component separation yielded 3.9 cm (SD 1.1) of fascial advancement above the umbilicus, whereas 4.4 cm (1.2) was obtained after open release (P = .24). Below the umbilicus, laparoscopic release achieved 5.0 cm (1.0) of advancement, whereas 5.8 cm (1.2) was gained after open release (P = .13). The minimally invasive component separation achieved an average of 86% of the myofascial advancement compared with a formal open release. The laparoscopic approach does not require extensive subcutaneous dissection and might theoretically result in a decreased incidence or decreased complexity of postoperative wound infections or skin-flap necrosis. Based on our preliminary data in this porcine model, further comparative studies of laparoscopic versus open component separation in complex ventral hernia repair is warranted to evaluate postoperative morbidity and long-term hernia recurrence rates.

A development framework for semantically interoperable health information systems.

PubMed

Lopez, Diego M; Blobel, Bernd G M E

2009-02-01

Semantic interoperability is a basic challenge to be met for new generations of distributed, communicating and co-operating health information systems (HIS) enabling shared care and e-Health. Analysis, design, implementation and maintenance of such systems and intrinsic architectures have to follow a unified development methodology. The Generic Component Model (GCM) is used as a framework for modeling any system to evaluate and harmonize state of the art architecture development approaches and standards for health information systems as well as to derive a coherent architecture development framework for sustainable, semantically interoperable HIS and their components. The proposed methodology is based on the Rational Unified Process (RUP), taking advantage of its flexibility to be configured for integrating other architectural approaches such as Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Model-Driven Architecture (MDA), ISO 10746, and HL7 Development Framework (HDF). Existing architectural approaches have been analyzed, compared and finally harmonized towards an architecture development framework for advanced health information systems. Starting with the requirements for semantic interoperability derived from paradigm changes for health information systems, and supported in formal software process engineering methods, an appropriate development framework for semantically interoperable HIS has been provided. The usability of the framework has been exemplified in a public health scenario.

Depth-resolved incoherent and coherent wide-field high-content imaging (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

So, Peter T.

2016-03-01

Recent advances in depth-resolved wide-field imaging technique has enabled many high throughput applications in biology and medicine. Depth resolved imaging of incoherent signals can be readily accomplished with structured light illumination or nonlinear temporal focusing. The integration of these high throughput systems with novel spectroscopic resolving elements further enable high-content information extraction. We will introduce a novel near common-path interferometer and demonstrate its uses in toxicology and cancer biology applications. The extension of incoherent depth-resolved wide-field imaging to coherent modality is non-trivial. Here, we will cover recent advances in wide-field 3D resolved mapping of refractive index, absorbance, and vibronic components in biological specimens.

Biomedical informatics research network: building a national collaboratory to hasten the derivation of new understanding and treatment of disease.

PubMed

Grethe, Jeffrey S; Baru, Chaitan; Gupta, Amarnath; James, Mark; Ludaescher, Bertram; Martone, Maryann E; Papadopoulos, Philip M; Peltier, Steven T; Rajasekar, Arcot; Santini, Simone; Zaslavsky, Ilya N; Ellisman, Mark H

2005-01-01

Through support from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Research Resources, the Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN) is pioneering the use of advanced cyberinfrastructure for medical research. By synchronizing developments in advanced wide area networking, distributed computing, distributed database federation, and other emerging capabilities of e-science, the BIRN has created a collaborative environment that is paving the way for biomedical research and clinical information management. The BIRN Coordinating Center (BIRN-CC) is orchestrating the development and deployment of key infrastructure components for immediate and long-range support of biomedical and clinical research being pursued by domain scientists in three neuroimaging test beds.

Distributed augmented reality with 3-D lung dynamics--a planning tool concept.

PubMed

Hamza-Lup, Felix G; Santhanam, Anand P; Imielińska, Celina; Meeks, Sanford L; Rolland, Jannick P

2007-01-01

Augmented reality (AR) systems add visual information to the world by using advanced display techniques. The advances in miniaturization and reduced hardware costs make some of these systems feasible for applications in a wide set of fields. We present a potential component of the cyber infrastructure for the operating room of the future: a distributed AR-based software-hardware system that allows real-time visualization of three-dimensional (3-D) lung dynamics superimposed directly on the patient's body. Several emergency events (e.g., closed and tension pneumothorax) and surgical procedures related to lung (e.g., lung transplantation, lung volume reduction surgery, surgical treatment of lung infections, lung cancer surgery) could benefit from the proposed prototype.

Intelligent Elements for the ISHM Testbed and Prototypes (ITP) Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maul, William A.; Park, Han; Schwabacher, Mark; Watson, Michael; Mackey, Ryan; Fijany, Amir; Trevino, Luis; Weir, John

2005-01-01

Deep-space manned missions will require advanced automated health assessment capabilities. Requirements such as in-space assembly, long dormant periods and limited accessibility during flight, present significant challenges that should be addressed through Integrated System Health Management (ISHM). The ISHM approach will provide safety and reliability coverage for a complete system over its entire life cycle by determining and integrating health status and performance information from the subsystem and component levels. This paper will focus on the potential advanced diagnostic elements that will provide intelligent assessment of the subsystem health and the planned implementation of these elements in the ISHM Testbed and Prototypes (ITP) Project under the NASA Exploration Systems Research and Technology program.

An Integrated High Resolution Hydrometeorological Modeling Testbed using LIS and WRF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, Sujay V.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Eastman, Joseph L.; Tao, Wei-Kuo

2007-01-01

Scientists have made great strides in modeling physical processes that represent various weather and climate phenomena. Many modeling systems that represent the major earth system components (the atmosphere, land surface, and ocean) have been developed over the years. However, developing advanced Earth system applications that integrates these independently developed modeling systems have remained a daunting task due to limitations in computer hardware and software. Recently, efforts such as the Earth System Modeling Ramework (ESMF) and Assistance for Land Modeling Activities (ALMA) have focused on developing standards, guidelines, and computational support for coupling earth system model components. In this article, the development of a coupled land-atmosphere hydrometeorological modeling system that adopts these community interoperability standards, is described. The land component is represented by the Land Information System (LIS), developed by scientists at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, a mesoscale numerical weather prediction system, is used as the atmospheric component. LIS includes several community land surface models that can be executed at spatial scales as fine as 1km. The data management capabilities in LIS enable the direct use of high resolution satellite and observation data for modeling. Similarly, WRF includes several parameterizations and schemes for modeling radiation, microphysics, PBL and other processes. Thus the integrated LIS-WRF system facilitates several multi-model studies of land-atmosphere coupling that can be used to advance earth system studies.

Applying the System Component and Operationally Relevant Evaluation (SCORE) Framework to Evaluate Advanced Military Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

and charac- terize the actions taken by the soldier (e.g., running, walking, climbing stairs ). Real-time image capture and exchange N The ability of...multimedia information sharing among soldiers in the field, two-way speech translation systems, and autonomous robotic platforms. Key words: Emerging...soldiers in the field, two-way speech translation systems, and autonomous robotic platforms. It has been the foundation for 10 technology evaluations

Djeen (Database for Joomla!'s Extensible Engine): a research information management system for flexible multi-technology project administration.

PubMed

Stahl, Olivier; Duvergey, Hugo; Guille, Arnaud; Blondin, Fanny; Vecchio, Alexandre Del; Finetti, Pascal; Granjeaud, Samuel; Vigy, Oana; Bidaut, Ghislain

2013-06-06

With the advance of post-genomic technologies, the need for tools to manage large scale data in biology becomes more pressing. This involves annotating and storing data securely, as well as granting permissions flexibly with several technologies (all array types, flow cytometry, proteomics) for collaborative work and data sharing. This task is not easily achieved with most systems available today. We developed Djeen (Database for Joomla!'s Extensible Engine), a new Research Information Management System (RIMS) for collaborative projects. Djeen is a user-friendly application, designed to streamline data storage and annotation collaboratively. Its database model, kept simple, is compliant with most technologies and allows storing and managing of heterogeneous data with the same system. Advanced permissions are managed through different roles. Templates allow Minimum Information (MI) compliance. Djeen allows managing project associated with heterogeneous data types while enforcing annotation integrity and minimum information. Projects are managed within a hierarchy and user permissions are finely-grained for each project, user and group.Djeen Component source code (version 1.5.1) and installation documentation are available under CeCILL license from http://sourceforge.net/projects/djeen/files and supplementary material.

Djeen (Database for Joomla!’s Extensible Engine): a research information management system for flexible multi-technology project administration

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background With the advance of post-genomic technologies, the need for tools to manage large scale data in biology becomes more pressing. This involves annotating and storing data securely, as well as granting permissions flexibly with several technologies (all array types, flow cytometry, proteomics) for collaborative work and data sharing. This task is not easily achieved with most systems available today. Findings We developed Djeen (Database for Joomla!’s Extensible Engine), a new Research Information Management System (RIMS) for collaborative projects. Djeen is a user-friendly application, designed to streamline data storage and annotation collaboratively. Its database model, kept simple, is compliant with most technologies and allows storing and managing of heterogeneous data with the same system. Advanced permissions are managed through different roles. Templates allow Minimum Information (MI) compliance. Conclusion Djeen allows managing project associated with heterogeneous data types while enforcing annotation integrity and minimum information. Projects are managed within a hierarchy and user permissions are finely-grained for each project, user and group. Djeen Component source code (version 1.5.1) and installation documentation are available under CeCILL license from http://sourceforge.net/projects/djeen/files and supplementary material. PMID:23742665

Natural language processing and advanced information management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoard, James E.

1989-01-01

Integrating diverse information sources and application software in a principled and general manner will require a very capable advanced information management (AIM) system. In particular, such a system will need a comprehensive addressing scheme to locate the material in its docuverse. It will also need a natural language processing (NLP) system of great sophistication. It seems that the NLP system must serve three functions. First, it provides an natural language interface (NLI) for the users. Second, it serves as the core component that understands and makes use of the real-world interpretations (RWIs) contained in the docuverse. Third, it enables the reasoning specialists (RSs) to arrive at conclusions that can be transformed into procedures that will satisfy the users' requests. The best candidate for an intelligent agent that can satisfactorily make use of RSs and transform documents (TDs) appears to be an object oriented data base (OODB). OODBs have, apparently, an inherent capacity to use the large numbers of RSs and TDs that will be required by an AIM system and an inherent capacity to use them in an effective way.

The application of the unified modeling language in object-oriented analysis of healthcare information systems.

PubMed

Aggarwal, Vinod

2002-10-01

This paper concerns itself with the beneficial effects of the Unified Modeling Language (UML), a nonproprietary object modeling standard, in specifying, visualizing, constructing, documenting, and communicating the model of a healthcare information system from the user's perspective. The author outlines the process of object-oriented analysis (OOA) using the UML and illustrates this with healthcare examples to demonstrate the practicality of application of the UML by healthcare personnel to real-world information system problems. The UML will accelerate advanced uses of object-orientation such as reuse technology, resulting in significantly higher software productivity. The UML is also applicable in the context of a component paradigm that promises to enhance the capabilities of healthcare information systems and simplify their management and maintenance.

Structures of ribonucleoprotein particle modification enzymes

PubMed Central

Liang, Bo; Li, Hong

2016-01-01

Small nucleolar and Cajal body ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) are required for the maturation of ribosomes and spliceosomes. They consist of small nucleolar RNA or Cajal body RNA combined with partner proteins and represent the most complex RNA modification enzymes. Recent advances in structure and function studies have revealed detailed information regarding ribonucleoprotein assembly and substrate binding. These enzymes form intertwined RNA–protein assemblies that facilitate reversible binding of the large ribosomal RNA or small nuclear RNA. These revelations explain the specificity among the components in enzyme assembly and substrate modification. The multiple conformations of individual components and those of complete RNPs suggest a dynamic assembly process and justify the requirement of many assembly factors in vivo. PMID:21108865

Novel cost controlled materials and processing for primary structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dastin, S. J.

1993-01-01

Textile laminates, developed a number of years ago, have recently been shown to be applicable to primary aircraft structures for both small and large components. Such structures have the potential to reduce acquisition costs but require advanced automated processing to keep costs controlled while verifying product reliability and assuring structural integrity, durability and affordable life-cycle costs. Recently, resin systems and graphite-reinforced woven shapes have been developed that have the potential for improved RTM processes for aircraft structures. Ciba-Geigy, Brochier Division has registered an RTM prepreg reinforcement called 'Injectex' that has shown effectivity for aircraft components. Other novel approaches discussed are thermotropic resins producing components by injection molding and ceramic polymers for long-duration hot structures. The potential of such materials and processing will be reviewed along with initial information/data available to date.

Sizing Power Components of an Electrically Driven Tail Cone Thruster and a Range Extender

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jansen, Ralph H.; Bowman, Cheryl; Jankovsky, Amy

2016-01-01

The aeronautics industry has been challenged on many fronts to increase efficiency, reduce emissions, and decrease dependency on carbon-based fuels. This paper provides an overview of the turboelectric and hybrid electric technologies being developed under NASA's Advanced Air Transportation Technology (AATT) Project and discusses how these technologies can impact vehicle design. The discussion includes an overview of key hybrid electric studies and technology investments, the approach to making informed investment decisions based on key performance parameters and mission studies, and the power system architectures for two candidate aircraft. Finally, the power components for a single-aisle turboelectric aircraft with an electrically driven tail cone thruster and for a hybrid-electric nine-passenger aircraft with a range extender are parametrically sized, and the sensitivity of these components to key parameters is presented.

Writing an employer-focused resume for advanced practice nurses.

PubMed

Welton, Robert H

2013-01-01

The most important new trend in resumes is the employer-focused resume. Writing one is not difficult, but it requires a change in focus. The focus of this type of resume is on the needs of prospective employers. This new resume format allows applicants to describe to prospective employers what they can provide related to the employer's needs as opposed to a simple listing of their academic and work experiences without relation to the prospective new job. This article provides advanced practice nurses with sources to guide construction of informative text about their advanced practice nursing skills and competencies using language familiar to employers. Resumes and curriculum vitae formats are compared, and advice is provided on developing content for either format. Guidelines are provided about listing credentials, identifying clinical proficiencies from student clinical practicum, using qualification summaries rather than an objective statement, choosing references, and including essential components in a cover letter.

The Advanced Technology Operations System: ATOS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufeler, J.-F.; Laue, H. A.; Poulter, K.; Smith, H.

1993-01-01

Mission control systems supporting new space missions face ever-increasing requirements in terms of functionality, performance, reliability and efficiency. Modern data processing technology is providing the means to meet these requirements in new systems under development. During the past few years the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) of the European Space Agency (ESA) has carried out a number of projects to demonstrate the feasibility of using advanced software technology, in particular, knowledge based systems, to support mission operations. A number of advances must be achieved before these techniques can be moved towards operational use in future missions, namely, integration of the applications into a single system framework and generalization of the applications so that they are mission independent. In order to achieve this goal, ESA initiated the Advanced Technology Operations System (ATOS) program, which will develop the infrastructure to support advanced software technology in mission operations, and provide applications modules to initially support: Mission Preparation, Mission Planning, Computer Assisted Operations, and Advanced Training. The first phase of the ATOS program is tasked with the goal of designing and prototyping the necessary system infrastructure to support the rest of the program. The major components of the ATOS architecture is presented. This architecture relies on the concept of a Mission Information Base (MIB) as the repository for all information and knowledge which will be used by the advanced application modules in future mission control systems. The MIB is being designed to exploit the latest in database and knowledge representation technology in an open and distributed system. In conclusion the technological and implementation challenges expected to be encountered, as well as the future plans and time scale of the project, are presented.

Earth Orbiter 1: Wideband Advanced Recorder and Processor (WARP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Terry; Kessler, John

1999-01-01

An advanced on-board spacecraft data system component is presented. The component is computer-based and provides science data acquisition, processing, storage, and base-band transmission functions. Specifically, the component is a very high rate solid state recorder, serving as a pathfinder for achieving the data handling requirements of next-generation hyperspectral imaging missions.

75 FR 32638 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Contract Authority for Advanced Component...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-08

... Prototype Units (DFARS Case 2009-D034) AGENCY: Defense Acquisition Regulations System, Department of Defense... Component Development or Prototype Units.'' Section 819 is intended to prevent a contract for new technology... development of advanced components or the procurement of prototype units. To do so, section 819 places...

Evaluation of a video, telephone follow-ups, and an online forum as components of a psychoeducational intervention for caregivers of persons with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Leow, Mabel Q H; Chan, Sally W C

2016-10-01

Our aim was to evaluate caregivers' perceptions of a video, telephone follow-up, and online forum as components of a psychoeducational intervention. Qualitative semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 participants two weeks post-intervention. The study was conducted from September of 2012 to May of 2015. Family caregivers were recruited from four home hospice organizations (HCA Hospice Care, Metta Hospice, Singapore Cancer Centre, and Agape Methodist Hospice) and the National Cancer Centre outpatient clinic in Singapore. A purposive sample was employed, and participants were recruited until data saturation. Qualitative interviews were transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using content analysis. Two of the research team members were involved in the data analysis. Two-thirds of participants were females (n = 8). Their ages ranged from 22 to 67 (mean = 50.50, SD = 11.53). About two-thirds were married (n = 7). Most participants were caring for a parent (n = 10), one for a spouse, and one for her mother-in-law. Caregivers favored the use of video for delivery of educational information. They liked the visual and audio aspects of the video. The ability to identify with the caregiver and scenarios in the video helped in the learning process. They appreciated telephone follow-ups from healthcare professionals for informational and emotional support. The online forum as a platform for sharing of information and provision of support was not received well by the caregivers in this study. The reasons for this included their being busy, not being computer savvy, rarely surfing the internet, and not feeling comfortable sharing with strangers on an online platform. This study provided insight into caregivers' perceptions of various components of a psychoeducational intervention. It also gave us a better understanding of how future psychoeducational interventions and support for caregivers of persons with advanced cancer could be provided.

Potential for integrated optical circuits in advanced aircraft with fiber optic control and monitoring systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumbick, Robert J.

1991-02-01

Fiber optic technology is expected to be used in future advanced weapons platforms as well as commercial aerospace applications. Fiber optic waveguides will be used to transmit noise free high speed data between a multitude of computers as well as audio and video information to the flight crew. Passive optical sensors connected to control computers with optical fiber interconnects will serve both control and monitoring functions. Implementation of fiber optic technology has already begun. Both the military and NASA have several programs in place. A cooperative program called FOCSI (Fiber Optic Control System Integration) between NASA Lewis and the NAVY to build environmentally test and flight demonstrate sensor systems for propul sion and flight control systems is currently underway. Integrated Optical Circuits (IOC''s) are also being given serious consideration for use in advanced aircraft sys tems. IOC''s will result in miniaturization and localization of components to gener ate detect optical signals and process them for use by the control computers. In some complex systems IOC''s may be required to perform calculations optically if the technology is ready replacing some of the electronic systems used today. IOC''s are attractive because they will result in rugged components capable of withstanding severe environments in advanced aerospace vehicles. Manufacturing technology devel oped for microelectronic integrated circuits applied to IOC''s will result in cost effective manufacturing. This paper reviews the current FOCSI program and describes the role of IOC''s in FOCSI applications.

Valued ecosystem components for watershed cumulative effects: an analysis of environmental impact assessments in the South Saskatchewan River watershed, Canada.

PubMed

Ball, Murray A; Noble, Bram F; Dubé, Monique G

2013-07-01

The accumulating effects of human development are threatening water quality and availability. In recognition of the constraints to cumulative effects assessment (CEA) under traditional environmental impact assessment (EIA), there is an emerging body of research dedicated to watershed-based cumulative effects assessment (WCEA). To advance the science of WCEA, however, a standard set of ecosystem components and indicators is required that can be used at the watershed scale, to inform effects-based understanding of cumulative change, and at the project scale, to inform regulatory-based project based impact assessment and mitigation. A major challenge, however, is that it is not clear how such ecosystem components and indicators for WCEA can or should be developed. This study examined the use of aquatic ecosystem components and indicators in EIA practice in the South Saskatchewan River watershed, Canada, to determine whether current practice at the project scale could be "scaled up" to support ecosystem component and indicator development for WCEA. The hierarchy of assessment components and indicators used in a sample of 35 environmental impact assessments was examined and the factors affecting aquatic ecosystem component selection and indicator use were identified. Results showed that public environmental impact statements are not necessarily publically accessible, thus limiting opportunities for data and information sharing from the project to the watershed scale. We also found no consistent terminology across the sample of impact statements, thus making comparison of assessment processes and results difficult. Regulatory compliance was found to be the dominant factor influencing the selection of ecosystem components and indicators for use in project assessment, rather than scientific reasoning, followed by the mandate of the responsible government agency for the assessment, public input to the assessment process, and preexisting water licensing arrangements external to the assessment process. The current approach to project-based assessment offered little support for WCEA initiatives. It did not provide a standard set of aquatic ecosystem components and indicators or allow the sharing of information across projects and from the project to the watershed scale. We suggest that determining priority assessment parameters for WCEA requires adoption of a standardized framework of component and indicator terminology, which can then be populated for the watershed of concern based on both watershed-based priorities and project-specific regulatory requirements. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Code qualification of structural materials for AFCI advanced recycling reactors.

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

Natesan, K.; Li, M.; Majumdar, S.

2012-05-31

This report summarizes the further findings from the assessments of current status and future needs in code qualification and licensing of reference structural materials and new advanced alloys for advanced recycling reactors (ARRs) in support of Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI). The work is a combined effort between Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with ANL as the technical lead, as part of Advanced Structural Materials Program for AFCI Reactor Campaign. The report is the second deliverable in FY08 (M505011401) under the work package 'Advanced Materials Code Qualification'. The overall objective of the Advanced Materials Codemore » Qualification project is to evaluate key requirements for the ASME Code qualification and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval of structural materials in support of the design and licensing of the ARR. Advanced materials are a critical element in the development of sodium reactor technologies. Enhanced materials performance not only improves safety margins and provides design flexibility, but also is essential for the economics of future advanced sodium reactors. Code qualification and licensing of advanced materials are prominent needs for developing and implementing advanced sodium reactor technologies. Nuclear structural component design in the U.S. must comply with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III (Rules for Construction of Nuclear Facility Components) and the NRC grants the operational license. As the ARR will operate at higher temperatures than the current light water reactors (LWRs), the design of elevated-temperature components must comply with ASME Subsection NH (Class 1 Components in Elevated Temperature Service). However, the NRC has not approved the use of Subsection NH for reactor components, and this puts additional burdens on materials qualification of the ARR. In the past licensing review for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project (CRBRP) and the Power Reactor Innovative Small Module (PRISM), the NRC/Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) raised numerous safety-related issues regarding elevated-temperature structural integrity criteria. Most of these issues remained unresolved today. These critical licensing reviews provide a basis for the evaluation of underlying technical issues for future advanced sodium-cooled reactors. Major materials performance issues and high temperature design methodology issues pertinent to the ARR are addressed in the report. The report is organized as follows: the ARR reference design concepts proposed by the Argonne National Laboratory and four industrial consortia were reviewed first, followed by a summary of the major code qualification and licensing issues for the ARR structural materials. The available database is presented for the ASME Code-qualified structural alloys (e.g. 304, 316 stainless steels, 2.25Cr-1Mo, and mod.9Cr-1Mo), including physical properties, tensile properties, impact properties and fracture toughness, creep, fatigue, creep-fatigue interaction, microstructural stability during long-term thermal aging, material degradation in sodium environments and effects of neutron irradiation for both base metals and weld metals. An assessment of modified versions of Type 316 SS, i.e. Type 316LN and its Japanese version, 316FR, was conducted to provide a perspective for codification of 316LN or 316FR in Subsection NH. Current status and data availability of four new advanced alloys, i.e. NF616, NF616+TMT, NF709, and HT-UPS, are also addressed to identify the R&D needs for their code qualification for ARR applications. For both conventional and new alloys, issues related to high temperature design methodology are described to address the needs for improvements for the ARR design and licensing. Assessments have shown that there are significant data gaps for the full qualification and licensing of the ARR structural materials. Development and evaluation of structural materials require a variety of experimental facilities that have been seriously degraded in the past. The availability and additional needs for the key experimental facilities are summarized at the end of the report. Detailed information covered in each Chapter is given.« less

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

Lechman, Jeremy B.; Battaile, Corbett Chandler.; Bolintineanu, Dan

This report summarizes a project in which the authors sought to develop and deploy: (i) experimental techniques to elucidate the complex, multiscale nature of thermal transport in particle-based materials; and (ii) modeling approaches to address current challenges in predicting performance variability of materials (e.g., identifying and characterizing physical- chemical processes and their couplings across multiple length and time scales, modeling information transfer between scales, and statically and dynamically resolving material structure and its evolution during manufacturing and device performance). Experimentally, several capabilities were successfully advanced. As discussed in Chapter 2 a flash diffusivity capability for measuring homogeneous thermal conductivity ofmore » pyrotechnic powders (and beyond) was advanced; leading to enhanced characterization of pyrotechnic materials and properties impacting component development. Chapter 4 describes success for the first time, although preliminary, in resolving thermal fields at speeds and spatial scales relevant to energetic components. Chapter 7 summarizes the first ever (as far as the authors know) application of TDTR to actual pyrotechnic materials. This is the first attempt to actually characterize these materials at the interfacial scale. On the modeling side, new capabilities in image processing of experimental microstructures and direct numerical simulation on complicated structures were advanced (see Chapters 3 and 5). In addition, modeling work described in Chapter 8 led to improved prediction of interface thermal conductance from first principles calculations. Toward the second point, for a model system of packed particles, significant headway was made in implementing numerical algorithms and collecting data to justify the approach in terms of highlighting the phenomena at play and pointing the way forward in developing and informing the kind of modeling approach originally envisioned (see Chapter 6). In both cases much more remains to be accomplished.« less

Vortex based information storage in Bose-Einstein condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutton, Zachary; Ruostekoski, Janne

2004-05-01

Recent demonstrations of coherent optical storage in atomic clouds [1,2] have opened up new possibilities for both classical and quantum information storage. In parallel, there have been advances in the generation of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes with angular momentum (optical vortices)[3] and applications of these modes to quantum information architectures based on a alphabets larger than the traditional two-state systems. Here we theoretically consider the storage of such LG modes in atomic Rb-87 Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). An LG mode writes its vortex phase pattern into a two-component BEC vortex state. The angular momentum information can then be stored in the BEC and then efficiently read back onto the optical field by switching a control field on. We study the fidelity of the writing, storage, and read-out processes. We also consider applying this method to to the transfer of more complicated states, such as two-component vortex lattices, between two spatially distinct BECs. 1. C. Liu, Z. Dutton, C.H. Behroozi, and L.V. Hau, Nature 409, 490 (2001). 2. D.F. Phillips, A. Fleischhauer, A. Mair, R.L. Walsworth, and M.D. Lukin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 783 (2001). 3. A. Vaziri, Gregor Weihs, and A. Zeilinger, cond-mat/0111033.

The Potential Impact of E-Commerce on the Rural South: Will It Equalize or Deepen the Digital Divide? The Rural South: Preparing for the Challenges of the 21st Century, No. 14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Beth; Culver, Virgil

Buying and selling on the Internet, known as e-commerce, has become big business, and is still growing. E-commerce has two components, business to consumer retailing and business to business supply-chain operations. Participation is dependent on access to and adoption of advanced information technologies. Access to technology is influenced by…

Tenth Biennial Coherent Laser Radar Technology and Applications Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kavaya, Michael J. (Compiler)

1999-01-01

The tenth conference on coherent laser radar technology and applications is the latest in a series beginning in 1980 which provides a forum for exchange of information on recent events current status, and future directions of coherent laser radar (or lidar or lader) technology and applications. This conference emphasizes the latest advancement in the coherent laser radar field, including theory, modeling, components, systems, instrumentation, measurements, calibration, data processing techniques, operational uses, and comparisons with other remote sensing technologies.

Marshall (MSFC) 3D Printing Media Resource

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-06-12

Edited b-roll video from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Engineers at Marshall are pioneering and advancing new additive manufacturing techniques that can greatly reduce costs and development of rocket engines and other spacecraft components. Marshall teams also managed the development of the International Space Station’s first 3D printer. For more information and/or more detailed footage please contact the Marshall Office of Communications. PAO: Jennifer Stanfield, 256-544-0034, Jennifer.stanfield@nasa.gov

Microgravity strategic planning exercise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halpern, Richard; Downey, Jim; Harvey, Harold

1991-01-01

The Center for Space and Advanced Technology supported a planning exercise for the Microgravity Program management at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The effort focused on the status of microgravity work at MSFC and elsewhere with the objective of preparing a goal-oriented strategic planning document which could be used for informational/brochure purposes. The effort entailed numerous interactions and presentations with Field Center programmatic components and Headquarters personnel. Appropriate material was consolidated in a draft format for a MSFC Strategic Plan.

Single-Cell Quantitative PCR: Advances and Potential in Cancer Diagnostics.

PubMed

Ok, Chi Young; Singh, Rajesh R; Salim, Alaa A

2016-01-01

Tissues are heterogeneous in their components. If cells of interest are a minor population of collected tissue, it would be difficult to obtain genetic or genomic information of the interested cell population with conventional genomic DNA extraction from the collected tissue. Single-cell DNA analysis is important in the analysis of genetics of cell clonality, genetic anticipation, and single-cell DNA polymorphisms. Single-cell PCR using Single Cell Ampligrid/GeXP platform is described in this chapter.

The Apache OODT Project: An Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattmann, C. A.; Crichton, D. J.; Hughes, J. S.; Ramirez, P.; Goodale, C. E.; Hart, A. F.

2012-12-01

Apache OODT is a science data system framework, borne over the past decade, with 100s of FTEs of investment, tens of sponsoring agencies (NASA, NIH/NCI, DoD, NSF, universities, etc.), and hundreds of projects and science missions that it powers everyday to their success. At its core, Apache OODT carries with it two fundamental classes of software services and components: those that deal with information integration from existing science data repositories and archives, that themselves have already-in-use business processes and models for populating those archives. Information integration allows search, retrieval, and dissemination across these heterogeneous systems, and ultimately rapid, interactive data access, and retrieval. The other suite of services and components within Apache OODT handle population and processing of those data repositories and archives. Workflows, resource management, crawling, remote data retrieval, curation and ingestion, along with science data algorithm integration all are part of these Apache OODT software elements. In this talk, I will provide an overview of the use of Apache OODT to unlock and populate information from science data repositories and archives. We'll cover the basics, along with some advanced use cases and success stories.

Thermal Performance Benchmarking

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

Feng, Xuhui; Moreno, Gilbert; Bennion, Kevin

2016-06-07

The goal for this project is to thoroughly characterize the thermal performance of state-of-the-art (SOA) in-production automotive power electronics and electric motor thermal management systems. Information obtained from these studies will be used to: evaluate advantages and disadvantages of different thermal management strategies; establish baseline metrics for the thermal management systems; identify methods of improvement to advance the SOA; increase the publicly available information related to automotive traction-drive thermal management systems; help guide future electric drive technologies (EDT) research and development (R&D) efforts. The thermal performance results combined with component efficiency and heat generation information obtained by Oak Ridge Nationalmore » Laboratory (ORNL) may then be used to determine the operating temperatures for the EDT components under drive-cycle conditions. In FY16, the 2012 Nissan LEAF power electronics and 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid power electronics thermal management system were characterized. Comparison of the two power electronics thermal management systems was also conducted to provide insight into the various cooling strategies to understand the current SOA in thermal management for automotive power electronics and electric motors.« less

Information literacy as the foundation for evidence-based practice in graduate nursing education: a curriculum-integrated approach.

PubMed

Jacobs, Susan Kaplan; Rosenfeld, Peri; Haber, Judith

2003-01-01

As part of a system-wide initiative to advance evidence-based practice among clinicians, graduate students, and educators, the New York University Division of Nursing embarked on a curricular initiative to integrate components of information literacy in all core courses of the master's program. Increasing competency in information literacy is the foundation for evidence-based practice and provides nursing professionals with the skills to be literate consumers of information in an electronic environment. Competency in information literacy includes an understanding of the architecture of information and the scholarly process; the ability to navigate among a variety of print and electronic tools to effectively access, search, and critically evaluate appropriate resources; synthesize accumulated information into an existing body of knowledge; communicate research results clearly and effectively; and appreciate the social issues and ethical concerns related to the provision, dissemination, and sharing of information. In collaboration with the New York University Division of Libraries' Health Sciences Librarian, instructional modules in information literacy relevant to each of the 5 core nursing master's courses were developed, complemented by a Web-based tutorial: http://library.nyu.edu/research/health/tutorial. The Web site is multifaceted, with fundamentals for the beginner, as well as more complex content for the advanced user. Course assignments were designed to promote specific competencies in information literacy and strategies for evaluating the strength of the evidence found. A survey of information literacy competencies, which assessed students' knowledge, misconceptions, and use of electronic information resources, was administered when students entered the program and at 1-year intervals thereafter.

Optical Fabrication and Measurement: AR&C and NGST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Greg; Engelhaupt, Darell

1997-01-01

The need exists at MSFC for research and development within three major areas: (1) Automated Rendezvous and Capture (AR&C) including Video Guidance System (VGS); (2) Next Generation Space Telescope, (NGST); and (3) replicated optics. AR&C/VGS is a laser retroreflection guidance and tracking device which is used from the shuttle to provide video information regarding deployment and guidance of released satellites. NGST is the next large telescope for space to complement Hubble Space Telescope. This will be larger than HST and may be produced in segments to be assembled and aligned in space utilizing advanced mechanisms and materials. The replicated optics will involve a variety of advanced procedures and materials to produce x-ray collimating as well as imaging telescopes and optical components.

Bionic limbs: clinical reality and academic promises.

PubMed

Farina, Dario; Aszmann, Oskar

2014-10-08

Three recent articles in Science Translational Medicine (Tan et al. and Ortiz-Catalan et al., this issue; Raspopovic et al., 5 Feb 2014 issue, 222ra19) present neuroprosthetic systems in which sensory information is delivered through direct nerve stimulation while controlling an action of the prosthesis--in all three cases, arm and hand movement. We discuss such sensory-motor integration and other key issues in prosthetic reconstruction, with an emphasis on the gap existing between clinically available systems and more advanced, custom-designed academic systems. In the near future, osseointegration, implanted muscle, and nerve electrodes for decoding and stimulation may be components of prosthetic systems for clinical use, available to a large patient population. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Towards high-energy and durable lithium-ion batteries via atomic layer deposition: elegantly atomic-scale material design and surface modification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Xiangbo

2015-01-01

Targeted at fueling future transportation and sustaining smart grids, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are undergoing intensive investigation for improved durability and energy density. Atomic layer deposition (ALD), enabling uniform and conformal nanofilms, has recently made possible many new advances for superior LIBs. The progress was summarized by Liu and Sun in their latest review [1], offering many insightful views, covering the design of nanostructured battery components (i.e., electrodes and solid electrolytes), and nanoscale modification of electrode/electrolyte interfaces. This work well informs peers of interesting research conducted and it will also further help boost the applications of ALD in next-generation LIBs and other advanced battery technologies.

Concepts for on-board satellite image registration. Volume 3: Impact of VLSI/VHSIC on satellite on-board signal processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aanstoos, J. V.; Snyder, W. E.

1981-01-01

Anticipated major advances in integrated circuit technology in the near future are described as well as their impact on satellite onboard signal processing systems. Dramatic improvements in chip density, speed, power consumption, and system reliability are expected from very large scale integration. Improvements are expected from very large scale integration enable more intelligence to be placed on remote sensing platforms in space, meeting the goals of NASA's information adaptive system concept, a major component of the NASA End-to-End Data System program. A forecast of VLSI technological advances is presented, including a description of the Defense Department's very high speed integrated circuit program, a seven-year research and development effort.

Career cartography: a conceptualization of career development to advance health and policy.

PubMed

Feetham, Suzanne; Doering, Jennifer J

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to propose a conceptualization of career development that emphasizes the interdependence between research, practice, and policy. Career cartography applies three decades of career development experience to lay out a systematic, comprehensive, and iterative approach for planning and communicating the outcomes of science at any career stage. To inform practice and policy, nurse researchers must be clear on the intended destination and trajectory of the science, and be skilled in communicating that science and vision to diverse stakeholders. Career cartography builds on the science of cartography, is developed within the context of public and health policy, and is composed of several components, including a destination statement, career mapping, a supportive career cartography team, and use of communication and dissemination strategies. The successful utilization of career cartography may accelerate advancement of individual careers, scientific impact, and the discipline as a whole by guiding nurse researchers to be deliberative in career planning and to communicate successfully the outcomes of research across a wide variety of stakeholders. Career cartography provides a framework for planning a nurse researcher's program of research and scholarship to advance science, policy, and health of the public. Career cartography guides nurse researchers to realize their full potential to advance the health of the public and inform public and health policy in academic and practice environments. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Power Take-off System for Marine Renewable Devices, CRADA Number CRD-14-566

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

Muljadi, Eduard

Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) proposes a project to develop and test innovative second-generation power take-off (PTO) components for the U.S. Department of Energy's 2013 FOA: Marine and Hydrokinetic System Performance Advancement, Topic Area 2 (Project). Innovative PTO components will include new and improved designs for bearings, couplings and a subsea electrical generator. Specific project objectives include the following: (1) Develop components for an advanced PTO suitable for MHK devices; (2) Bench test these components; (3) Assess the component and system performance benefits; (4) Perform a system integration study to integrate these components into an ORPC hydrokinetic turbine. National Renewablemore » Energy Laboratory (NREL) will participate on the ORPC lead team to review design of the generator and will provide guidance on the design. Based on inputs from the project team, NREL will also provide an economic analysis of the impacts of the proposed system performance advancements.« less

Energy Conversion Alternatives Study (ECAS), Westinghouse phase 1. Volume 2: Materials considerations. [materials used in boilers and heat exchangers of energy conversion systems for electric power plants using coal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, D. E.

1976-01-01

Extensive studies are presented which were carried out on materials behavior in nine advanced energy conversion systems employing coal and coal-derived fuels. The areas of materials behavior receiving particular attention in this regard are: (1) fireside corrosion and erosion in boiler and heat exchanger materials, (2) oxidation and hot corrosion of gas turbine materials, (3) liquid metal corrosion and mass transport, (4) high temperature steam corrosion, (5) compatability of materials with coal slag and MHD seed, (6) reaction of materials with impure helium, (7) allowable stresses for boiler and heat exchanger materials, (8) environmental effects on mechanical properties, and (9) liquid metal purity control and instrumentation. Such information was then utilized in recommending materials for use in the critical components of the power systems, and at the same time to identify materials problem areas and to evaluate qualitatively the difficulty of solving those problems. Specific materials recommendations for critical components of the nine advanced systems under study are contained in summary tables.

Characterization of shrubland ecosystem components as continuous fields in the northwest United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xian, George Z.; Homer, Collin G.; Rigge, Matthew B.; Shi, Hua; Meyer, Debbie

2015-01-01

Accurate and consistent estimates of shrubland ecosystem components are crucial to a better understanding of ecosystem conditions in arid and semiarid lands. An innovative approach was developed by integrating multiple sources of information to quantify shrubland components as continuous field products within the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). The approach consists of several procedures including field sample collections, high-resolution mapping of shrubland components using WorldView-2 imagery and regression tree models, Landsat 8 radiometric balancing and phenological mosaicking, medium resolution estimates of shrubland components following different climate zones using Landsat 8 phenological mosaics and regression tree models, and product validation. Fractional covers of nine shrubland components were estimated: annual herbaceous, bare ground, big sagebrush, herbaceous, litter, sagebrush, shrub, sagebrush height, and shrub height. Our study area included the footprint of six Landsat 8 scenes in the northwestern United States. Results show that most components have relatively significant correlations with validation data, have small normalized root mean square errors, and correspond well with expected ecological gradients. While some uncertainties remain with height estimates, the model formulated in this study provides a cross-validated, unbiased, and cost effective approach to quantify shrubland components at a regional scale and advances knowledge of horizontal and vertical variability of these components.

Review of ultraresolution (10-100 megapixel) visualization systems built by tiling commercial display components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopper, Darrel G.; Haralson, David G.; Simpson, Matthew A.; Longo, Sam J.

2002-08-01

Ultra-resolution visualization systems are achieved by the technique of tiling many direct or project-view displays. During the past fews years, several such systems have been built from commercial electronics components (displays, computers, image generators, networks, communication links, and software). Civil applications driving this development have independently determined that they require images at 10-100 megapixel (Mpx) resolution to enable state-of-the-art research, engineering, design, stock exchanges, flight simulators, business information and enterprise control centers, education, art and entertainment. Military applications also press the art of the possible to improve the productivity of warfighters and lower the cost of providing for the national defense. The environment in some 80% of defense applications can be addressed by ruggedization of commercial components. This paper reviews the status of ultra-resolution systems based on commercial components and describes a vision for their integration into advanced yet affordable military command centers, simulator/trainers, and, eventually, crew stations in air, land, sea and space systems.

What Are the Key Elements of Educational Interventions for Lay Carers of Patients With Advanced Disease? A Systematic Literature Search and Narrative Review of Structural Components, Processes and Modes of Delivery.

PubMed

Farquhar, Morag; Penfold, Clarissa; Walter, Fiona M; Kuhn, Isla; Benson, John

2016-07-01

Educating carers about symptom management may help meet patient and carer needs in relation to distressing symptoms in advanced disease. Reviews of the effectiveness of carer interventions exist, but few have focused on educational interventions and none on the key elements that comprise them but which could inform evidence-based design. To identify the key elements (structural components, processes, and delivery modes) of educational interventions for carers of patients with advanced disease. We systematically searched seven databases, applied inclusion and exclusion criteria, conducted quality appraisal, extracted data, and performed a narrative analysis. We included 62 articles related to 49 interventions. Two main delivery modes were identified: personnel-delivered interventions and stand-alone resources. Personnel-delivered interventions targeted individuals or groups, the former conducted at single or multiple time points, and the latter delivered as series. Just more than half targeted carers rather than patient-carer dyads. Most were developed for cancer; few focused purely on symptom management. Stand-alone resources were rare. Methods to evaluate interventions ranged from postintervention evaluations to fully powered randomized controlled trials but of variable quality. Published evaluations of educational interventions for carers in advanced disease are limited, particularly for non-cancer conditions. Key elements for consideration in developing such interventions were identified; however, lack of reporting of reasons for nonparticipation or dropout from interventions limits understanding of the contribution of these elements to interventions' effectiveness. When developing personnel-delivered interventions for carers in advanced disease, consideration of the disease (and, therefore, caring) trajectory, intervention accessibility (timing, location, and transport), and respite provision may be helpful. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrating information literacy across a BSN curriculum.

PubMed

Flood, Lisa Sue; Gasiewicz, Nanci; Delpier, Terry

2010-02-01

Although research regarding effective informatics teaching strategies is sparse and informatics competencies have not yet been finalized, nurse educators have been challenged to include informatics throughout the curriculum. Nurse educators are confronted with how best to incorporate informatics into an already burgeoning curriculum. This article offers a systematic approach to incorporating information literacy, a vital component of informatics, across a baccalaureate of science in nursing curriculum. Motivated by the Institute of Medicine report, guided by the initial Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform competency framework, and using the specific Quality and Safety Education for Nurses informatics competencies, the proposed integrated approach emphasizes clinical applications. The five assignments are designed to incrementally increase students' abilities to recognize the need for information (i.e., knowledge); advance students' abilities to locate, evaluate, and use information (i.e., skills); and foster a positive appreciation for information literacy (i.e., attitudes) when planning safe, effective patient care. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

Fostering Engagement Activities To Advance Adaptation And Resiliency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dissen, J.; Owen, T.; Brewer, M.; Hollingshead, A.; Mecray, E. L.; Werner, K.

2015-12-01

As the understanding of climate risks grows for public and private companies, the dissemination of meaningful climate and environmental information becomes important for improved risk management practices and innovation. In a broader effort to build capacity for adaptation and demonstrate the value of investment in resiliency, NCEI and its partners have made several shifts to showcase an improved understanding of uses and applications of climate and environmental data and information. The NOAA NCEI engagement initiative includes actively exploring ways to: 1) identify opportunities in data use and applications and 2) characterize needs and requirements from customers to help inform investment in the relevant science. This presentation will highlight: 1) NCEI's engagement initiative strategy, 2) our regional and national partnerships as agents of engagement in the region, 3) a few examples of uses of climate information with select stakeholders and 4) justification of customer engagement and requirements as a critical component in informing the science agenda.

Reducing hospital readmission rates: current strategies and future directions.

PubMed

Kripalani, Sunil; Theobald, Cecelia N; Anctil, Beth; Vasilevskis, Eduard E

2014-01-01

New financial penalties for institutions with high readmission rates have intensified efforts to reduce rehospitalization. Several interventions that involve multiple components (e.g., patient needs assessment, medication reconciliation, patient education, arranging timely outpatient appointments, and providing telephone follow-up) have successfully reduced readmission rates for patients discharged to home. The effect of interventions on readmission rates is related to the number of components implemented; single-component interventions are unlikely to reduce readmissions significantly. For patients discharged to postacute care facilities, multicomponent interventions have reduced readmissions through enhanced communication, medication safety, advanced care planning, and enhanced training to manage medical conditions that commonly precipitate readmission. To help hospitals direct resources and services to patients with greater likelihood of readmission, risk-stratification methods are available. Future work should better define the roles of home-based services, information technology, mental health care, caregiver support, community partnerships, and new transitional care personnel.

NPS alternate techsat satellite, design project for AE-4871

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This project was completed as part of AE-4871, Advanced Spacecraft Design. The intent of the course is to provide experience in the design of all the major components in a spacecraft system. Team members were given responsibility for the design of one of the six primary subsystems: power, structures, propulsion, attitude control, telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C), and thermal control. In addition, a single member worked on configuration control, launch vehicle integration, and a spacecraft test plan. Given an eleven week time constraint, a preliminary design of each subsystem was completed. Where possible, possible component selections were also made. Assistance for this project came principally from the Naval Research Laboratory's Spacecraft Technology Branch. Specific information on components was solicited from representatives in industry. The design project centers on a general purpose satellite bus that is currently being sought by the Strategic Defense Initiative.

Online information and support needs of women with advanced breast cancer: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Kemp, Emma; Koczwara, Bogda; Butow, Phyllis; Turner, Jane; Girgis, Afaf; Schofield, Penelope; Hulbert-Williams, Nicholas; Levesque, Janelle; Spence, Danielle; Vatandoust, Sina; Kichenadasse, Ganessan; Roy, Amitesh; Sukumaran, Shawgi; Karapetis, Christos S; Richards, Caroline; Fitzgerald, Michael; Beatty, Lisa

2018-04-24

Women with advanced breast cancer (ABC) face significant adjustment challenges, yet few resources provide them with information and support, and attendance barriers can preclude access to face-to-face psychosocial support. This paper reports on two qualitative studies examining (i) whether information and support-seeking preferences of women with ABC could be addressed in an online intervention, and (ii) how an existing intervention for patients with early stage cancer could be adapted for women with ABC. Women with ABC participated in telephone interviews about their information and support-seeking preferences (N = 21) and evaluated an online intervention focused on early-stage cancer (N = 15). Interviews were transcribed and underwent thematic analysis using the framework method to identify salient themes. Participants most commonly sought medical, lifestyle-related, and practical information/support; however, when presented with an online intervention, participants most commonly gave positive feedback on content on coping with emotional distress. Difficulty finding information and barriers to using common sources of information/support including health professionals, family and friends, and peers were reported; however, some women also reported not wanting information or support. All participants evaluating the existing intervention gave positive feedback on various components, with results suggesting an online intervention could be an effective means of providing information/support to women with ABC, given improved specificity/relevance to ABC and increased tailoring to individual circumstances and preferences. Adaptation of an existing online intervention for early stage cancer appears to be a promising avenue to address the information and support needs of women with ABC.

High Pressure Burner Rig Testing of Advanced Environmental Barrier Coatings for Si3N4 Turbine Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming; Fox, Dennis S.; Pastel, Robert T.

2007-01-01

Advanced thermal and environmental barrier coatings are being developed for Si3N4 components for turbine engine propulsion applications. High pressure burner rig testing was used to evaluate the coating system performance and durability. Test results demonstrated the feasibility and durability of the coating component systems under the simulated engine environments.

Design and Implementation of Hydrologic Process Knowledge-base Ontology: A case study for the Infiltration Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elag, M.; Goodall, J. L.

2013-12-01

Hydrologic modeling often requires the re-use and integration of models from different disciplines to simulate complex environmental systems. Component-based modeling introduces a flexible approach for integrating physical-based processes across disciplinary boundaries. Several hydrologic-related modeling communities have adopted the component-based approach for simulating complex physical systems by integrating model components across disciplinary boundaries in a workflow. However, it is not always straightforward to create these interdisciplinary models due to the lack of sufficient knowledge about a hydrologic process. This shortcoming is a result of using informal methods for organizing and sharing information about a hydrologic process. A knowledge-based ontology provides such standards and is considered the ideal approach for overcoming this challenge. The aims of this research are to present the methodology used in analyzing the basic hydrologic domain in order to identify hydrologic processes, the ontology itself, and how the proposed ontology is integrated with the Water Resources Component (WRC) ontology. The proposed ontology standardizes the definitions of a hydrologic process, the relationships between hydrologic processes, and their associated scientific equations. The objective of the proposed Hydrologic Process (HP) Ontology is to advance the idea of creating a unified knowledge framework for components' metadata by introducing a domain-level ontology for hydrologic processes. The HP ontology is a step toward an explicit and robust domain knowledge framework that can be evolved through the contribution of domain users. Analysis of the hydrologic domain is accomplished using the Formal Concept Approach (FCA), in which the infiltration process, an important hydrologic process, is examined. Two infiltration methods, the Green-Ampt and Philip's methods, were used to demonstrate the implementation of information in the HP ontology. Furthermore, a SPARQL service is provided for semantic-based querying of the ontology.

Ultrasound Burst Phase Thermography (UBP) for Applications in the Automotive Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zweschper, T.; Riegert, G.; Dillenz, A.; Busse, G.

2003-03-01

The use of elastic waves in combination with thermal waves allows to separate structural information about investigated components from defect specific thermal signatures. Ultrasound Burst Phase thermography (UBP) is an defect-selective and fast imaging tool for damage detection. This contribution presents results obtained on various kinds of problems related to modern automobile production (crack detection in grey cast iron and aluminum, characterization of adhesive-bonded joints etc.). Advances resulting from frequency modulated ultrasound excitation will be presented.

Integrating Syntax, Semantics, and Discourse DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Natural Language Understanding Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-01

heavily on the original SPQR component, and uses the same context free grammar to analyze the ISR. The main difference is that, where before SPQR ...ISR is semantically coherent. This has been tested thoroughly on the CASREPS domain, and selects the same parses that SPQR Eid, in less time. There...were a few SPQR patterns that reflected semantic information that could only be provided by time analysis, such as the fact that [pressure during

Using Physical Models for Anomaly Detection in Control Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svendsen, Nils; Wolthusen, Stephen

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are increasingly used to operate critical infrastructure assets. However, the inclusion of advanced information technology and communications components and elaborate control strategies in SCADA systems increase the threat surface for external and subversion-type attacks. The problems are exacerbated by site-specific properties of SCADA environments that make subversion detection impractical; and by sensor noise and feedback characteristics that degrade conventional anomaly detection systems. Moreover, potential attack mechanisms are ill-defined and may include both physical and logical aspects.

Rapid Development of Microbial Strains for Bioremediation of Military Soils and Dredged Materials Contaminated with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

Ecology 20, 197-209. Bartha , R., and Atlas , R. M. (1977). ’"The microbiology of aquatic oil spills," Advances in Applied Microbiology 22, 225-226. Bellin, C...are reviewed by Atlas (1981); Jones (1977); Westlake, Jobson, and Cook (1978); Dibble and Bartha (1979): Fedorak and Westlake (1981); Aamand et al... Bartha and Atlas (1977), Atlas (1981), and the National Academy of Science (1984). According to this information, petroleum components, including the

Bandgap engineering of InGaAsP/InP laser structure by photo-absorption-induced point defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaleem, Mohammad; Nazir, Sajid; Saqib, Nazar Abbas

2016-03-01

Integration of photonic components on the same photonic wafer permits future optical communication systems to be dense and advanced performance. This enables very fast information handling between photonic active components interconnected through passive optical low loss channels. We demonstrate the UV-Laser based Quantum Well Intermixing (QWI) procedure to engineer the band-gap of compressively strained InGaAsP/InP Quantum Well (QW) laser material. We achieved around 135nm of blue-shift by simply applying excimer laser (λ= 248nm). The under observation laser processed material also exhibits higher photoluminescence (PL) intensity. Encouraging experimental results indicate that this simple technique has the potential to produce photonic integrated devices and circuits.

Smart manufacturing of complex shaped pipe components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salchak, Y. A.; Kotelnikov, A. A.; Sednev, D. A.; Borikov, V. N.

2018-03-01

Manufacturing industry is constantly improving. Nowadays the most relevant trend is widespread automation and optimization of the production process. This paper represents a novel approach for smart manufacturing of steel pipe valves. The system includes two main parts: mechanical treatment and quality assurance units. Mechanical treatment is performed by application of the milling machine with implementation of computerized numerical control, whilst the quality assurance unit contains three testing modules for different tasks, such as X-ray testing, optical scanning and ultrasound testing modules. The advances of each of them provide reliable results that contain information about any failures of the technological process, any deviations of geometrical parameters of the valves. The system also allows detecting defects on the surface or in the inner structure of the component.

MED31/437: A Web-based Diabetes Management System: DiabNet

PubMed Central

Zhao, N; Roudsari, A; Carson, E

1999-01-01

Introduction A web-based system (DiabNet) was developed to provide instant access to the Electronic Diabetes Records (EDR) for end-users, and real-time information for healthcare professionals to facilitate their decision-making. It integrates portable glucometer, handheld computer, mobile phone and Internet access as a combined telecommunication and mobile computing solution for diabetes management. Methods: Active Server Pages (ASP) embedded with advanced ActiveX controls and VBScript were developed to allow remote data upload, retrieval and interpretation. Some advisory and Internet-based learning features, together with a video teleconferencing component make DiabNet web site an informative platform for Web-consultation. Results The evaluation of the system is being implemented among several UK Internet diabetes discussion groups and the Diabetes Day Centre at the Guy's & St. Thomas' Hospital. Many positive feedback are received from the web site demonstrating DiabNet is an advanced web-based diabetes management system which can help patients to keep closer control of self-monitoring blood glucose remotely, and is an integrated diabetes information resource that offers telemedicine knowledge in diabetes management. Discussion In summary, DiabNet introduces an innovative online diabetes management concept, such as online appointment and consultation, to enable users to access diabetes management information without time and location limitation and security concerns.

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

Kang, D. I.; Han, S. H.

A PSA analyst has been manually determining fire-induced component failure modes and modeling them into the PSA logics. These can be difficult and time-consuming tasks as they need much information and many events are to be modeled. KAERI has been developing the IPRO-ZONE (interface program for constructing zone effect table) to facilitate fire PSA works for identifying and modeling fire-induced component failure modes, and to construct a one top fire event PSA model. With the output of the IPRO-ZONE, the AIMS-PSA, and internal event one top PSA model, one top fire events PSA model is automatically constructed. The outputs ofmore » the IPRO-ZONE include information on fire zones/fire scenarios, fire propagation areas, equipment failure modes affected by a fire, internal PSA basic events corresponding to fire-induced equipment failure modes, and fire events to be modeled. This paper introduces the IPRO-ZONE, and its application results to fire PSA of Ulchin Unit 3 and SMART(System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor). (authors)« less

Advanced Electrical Materials and Components Development: An Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, Gene E.

2005-01-01

The primary means to develop advanced electrical components is to develop new and improved materials for magnetic components (transformers, inductors, etc.), capacitors, and semiconductor switches and diodes. This paper will give an update of the Advanced Power Electronics and Components Technology being developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center for use in future Power Management and Distribution subsystems used in space power systems for spacecraft and lunar and planetary surface power. The initial description and status of this technology program was presented two years ago at the First International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference held at Portsmouth, Virginia, August 2003. The present paper will give a brief background of the previous work reported and a summary of research performed the past several years on soft magnetic materials characterization, dielectric materials and capacitor developments, high quality silicon carbide atomically smooth substrates, and SiC static and dynamic device characterization under elevated temperature conditions. The rationale for and the benefits of developing advanced electrical materials and components for the PMAD subsystem and also for the total power system will also be briefly discussed.

Development of sensors for ceramic components in advanced propulsion systems: Survey and evaluation of measurement techniques for temperature, strain and heat flux for ceramic components in advanced propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atkinson, W. H.; Cyr, M. A.; Strange, R. R.

1988-01-01

The report presents the final results of Tasks 1 and 2, Development of Sensors for Ceramic Components in Advanced Propulsion Systems (NASA program NAS3-25141). During Task 1, an extensive survey was conducted of sensor concepts which have the potential for measuring surface temperature, strain and heat flux on ceramic components for advanced propulsion systems. Each sensor concept was analyzed and evaluated under Task 2; sensor concepts were then recommended for further development. For temperature measurement, both pyrometry and thermographic phosphors are recommended for measurements up to and beyond the melting point of ceramic materials. For lower temperature test programs, the thin-film techniques offer advantages in the installation of temperature sensors. Optical strain measurement techniques are recommended because they offer the possibility of being useful at very high temperature levels. Techniques for the measurement of heat flux are recommended for development based on both a surface mounted sensor and the measurement of the temperature differential across a portion of a ceramic component or metallic substrate.

A Proposed Information Architecture for Telehealth System Interoperability

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

Warren, S.; Craft, R.L.; Parks, R.C.

1999-04-07

Telemedicine technology is rapidly evolving. Whereas early telemedicine consultations relied primarily on video conferencing, consultations today may utilize video conferencing, medical peripherals, store-and-forward capabilities, electronic patient record management software, and/or a host of other emerging technologies. These remote care systems rely increasingly on distributed, collaborative information technology during the care delivery process, in its many forms. While these leading-edge systems are bellwethers for highly advanced telemedicine, the remote care market today is still immature. Most telemedicine systems are custom-designed and do not interoperate with other commercial offerings. Users are limited to a set of functionality that a single vendor providesmore » and must often pay high prices to obtain this functionality, since vendors in this marketplace must deliver entire systems in order to compete. Besides increasing corporate research and development costs, this inhibits the ability of the user to make intelligent purchasing decisions regarding best-of-breed technologies. We propose a secure, object-oriented information architecture for telemedicine systems that promotes plug-and-play interaction between system components through standardized interfaces, communication protocols, messaging formats, and data definitions. In this architecture, each component functions as a black box, and components plug together in a lego-like fashion to achieve the desired device or system functionality. The architecture will support various ongoing standards work in the medical device arena.« less

Final Technical Report - Center for Technology for Advanced Scientific Component Software (TASCS)

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

Sussman, Alan

2014-10-21

This is a final technical report for the University of Maryland work in the SciDAC Center for Technology for Advanced Scientific Component Software (TASCS). The Maryland work focused on software tools for coupling parallel software components built using the Common Component Architecture (CCA) APIs. Those tools are based on the Maryland InterComm software framework that has been used in multiple computational science applications to build large-scale simulations of complex physical systems that employ multiple separately developed codes.

The Protein Structure Initiative Structural Biology Knowledgebase Technology Portal: a structural biology web resource.

PubMed

Gifford, Lida K; Carter, Lester G; Gabanyi, Margaret J; Berman, Helen M; Adams, Paul D

2012-06-01

The Technology Portal of the Protein Structure Initiative Structural Biology Knowledgebase (PSI SBKB; http://technology.sbkb.org/portal/ ) is a web resource providing information about methods and tools that can be used to relieve bottlenecks in many areas of protein production and structural biology research. Several useful features are available on the web site, including multiple ways to search the database of over 250 technological advances, a link to videos of methods on YouTube, and access to a technology forum where scientists can connect, ask questions, get news, and develop collaborations. The Technology Portal is a component of the PSI SBKB ( http://sbkb.org ), which presents integrated genomic, structural, and functional information for all protein sequence targets selected by the Protein Structure Initiative. Created in collaboration with the Nature Publishing Group, the SBKB offers an array of resources for structural biologists, such as a research library, editorials about new research advances, a featured biological system each month, and a functional sleuth for searching protein structures of unknown function. An overview of the various features and examples of user searches highlight the information, tools, and avenues for scientific interaction available through the Technology Portal.

Persistent maritime traffic monitoring for the Canadian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulmke, M.; Battistello, G.; Biermann, J.; Mohrdieck, C.; Pelot, R.; Koch, W.

2017-05-01

This paper presents results of the Canadian-German research project PASSAGES (Protection and Advanced Surveillance System for the Arctic: Green, Efficient, Secure)1 on an advanced surveillance system for safety and security of maritime operations in Arctic areas. The motivation for a surveillance system of the Northwest Passage is the projected growth of maritime traffic along Arctic sea routes and the need for securing Canada's sovereignty by controlling its arctic waters as well as for protecting the safety of international shipping and the intactness of the arctic marine environment. To ensure border security and to detect and prevent illegal activities it is necessary to develop a system for surveillance and reconnaissance that brings together all related means, assets, organizations, processes and structures to build one homogeneous and integrated system. The harsh arctic conditions require a new surveillance concept that fuses heterogeneous sensor data, contextual information, and available pre-processed surveillance data and combines all components to efficiently extract and provide the maximum available amount of information. The fusion of all these heterogeneous data and information will provide improved and comprehensive situation awareness for risk assessment and decision support of different stakeholder groups as governmental authorities, commercial users and Northern communities.

Using language models to identify relevant new information in inpatient clinical notes.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Pakhomov, Serguei V; Lee, Janet T; Melton, Genevieve B

2014-01-01

Redundant information in clinical notes within electronic health record (EHR) systems is ubiquitous and may negatively impact the use of these notes by clinicians, and, potentially, the efficiency of patient care delivery. Automated methods to identify redundant versus relevant new information may provide a valuable tool for clinicians to better synthesize patient information and navigate to clinically important details. In this study, we investigated the use of language models for identification of new information in inpatient notes, and evaluated our methods using expert-derived reference standards. The best method achieved precision of 0.743, recall of 0.832 and F1-measure of 0.784. The average proportion of redundant information was similar between inpatient and outpatient progress notes (76.6% (SD=17.3%) and 76.7% (SD=14.0%), respectively). Advanced practice providers tended to have higher rates of redundancy in their notes compared to physicians. Future investigation includes the addition of semantic components and visualization of new information.

Using Language Models to Identify Relevant New Information in Inpatient Clinical Notes

PubMed Central

Zhang, Rui; Pakhomov, Serguei V.; Lee, Janet T.; Melton, Genevieve B.

2014-01-01

Redundant information in clinical notes within electronic health record (EHR) systems is ubiquitous and may negatively impact the use of these notes by clinicians, and, potentially, the efficiency of patient care delivery. Automated methods to identify redundant versus relevant new information may provide a valuable tool for clinicians to better synthesize patient information and navigate to clinically important details. In this study, we investigated the use of language models for identification of new information in inpatient notes, and evaluated our methods using expert-derived reference standards. The best method achieved precision of 0.743, recall of 0.832 and F1-measure of 0.784. The average proportion of redundant information was similar between inpatient and outpatient progress notes (76.6% (SD=17.3%) and 76.7% (SD=14.0%), respectively). Advanced practice providers tended to have higher rates of redundancy in their notes compared to physicians. Future investigation includes the addition of semantic components and visualization of new information. PMID:25954438

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

Hamilton, Bruce Duncan

The objective of the report is to provide an assessment of the domestic supply chain and manufacturing infrastructure supporting the U.S. offshore wind market. The report provides baseline information and develops a strategy for future development of the supply chain required to support projected offshore wind deployment levels. A brief description of each of the key chapters includes: » Chapter 1: Offshore Wind Plant Costs and Anticipated Technology Advancements. Determines the cost breakdown of offshore wind plants and identifies technical trends and anticipated advancements in offshore wind manufacturing and construction. » Chapter 2: Potential Supply Chain Requirements and Opportunities. Providesmore » an organized, analytical approach to identifying and bounding the uncertainties associated with a future U.S. offshore wind market. It projects potential component-level supply chain needs under three demand scenarios and identifies key supply chain challenges and opportunities facing the future U.S. market as well as current suppliers of the nation’s land-based wind market. » Chapter 3: Strategy for Future Development. Evaluates the gap or competitive advantage of adding manufacturing capacity in the U.S. vs. overseas, and evaluates examples of policies that have been successful . » Chapter 4: Pathways for Market Entry. Identifies technical and business pathways for market entry by potential suppliers of large-scale offshore turbine components and technical services. The report is intended for use by the following industry stakeholder groups: (a) Industry participants who seek baseline cost and supplier information for key component segments and the overall U.S. offshore wind market (Chapters 1 and 2). The component-level requirements and opportunities presented in Section 2.3 will be particularly useful in identifying market sizes, competition, and risks for the various component segments. (b) Federal, state, and local policymakers and economic development agencies, to assist in identifying policies with low effort and high impact (Chapter 3). Section 3.3 provides specific policy examples that have been demonstrated to be effective in removing barriers to development. (c) Current and potential domestic suppliers in the offshore wind market, in evaluating areas of opportunity and understanding requirements for participation (Chapter 4). Section 4.4 provides a step-by-step description of the qualification process that suppliers looking to sell components into a future U.S. offshore wind market will need to follow.« less

Geostatistics, remote sensing and precision farming.

PubMed

Mulla, D J

1997-01-01

Precision farming is possible today because of advances in farming technology, procedures for mapping and interpolating spatial patterns, and geographic information systems for overlaying and interpreting several soil, landscape and crop attributes. The key component of precision farming is the map showing spatial patterns in field characteristics. Obtaining information for this map is often achieved by soil sampling. This approach, however, can be cost-prohibitive for grain crops. Soil sampling strategies can be simplified by use of auxiliary data provided by satellite or aerial photo imagery. This paper describes geostatistical methods for estimating spatial patterns in soil organic matter, soil test phosphorus and wheat grain yield from a combination of Thematic Mapper imaging and soil sampling.

A physiologically informed virtual reality based social communication system for individuals with autism.

PubMed

Lahiri, Uttama; Bekele, Esubalew; Dohrmann, Elizabeth; Warren, Zachary; Sarkar, Nilanjan

2015-04-01

Clinical applications of advanced technology may hold promise for addressing impairments associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This project evaluated the application of a novel physiologically responsive virtual reality based technological system for conversation skills in a group of adolescents with ASD. The system altered components of conversation based on (1) performance alone or (2) the composite effect of performance and physiological metrics of predicted engagement (e.g., gaze pattern, pupil dilation, blink rate). Participants showed improved performance and looking pattern within the physiologically sensitive system as compared to the performance based system. This suggests that physiologically informed technologies may have the potential of being an effective tool in the hands of interventionists.

Guidance of visual attention by semantic information in real-world scenes

PubMed Central

Wu, Chia-Chien; Wick, Farahnaz Ahmed; Pomplun, Marc

2014-01-01

Recent research on attentional guidance in real-world scenes has focused on object recognition within the context of a scene. This approach has been valuable for determining some factors that drive the allocation of visual attention and determine visual selection. This article provides a review of experimental work on how different components of context, especially semantic information, affect attentional deployment. We review work from the areas of object recognition, scene perception, and visual search, highlighting recent studies examining semantic structure in real-world scenes. A better understanding on how humans parse scene representations will not only improve current models of visual attention but also advance next-generation computer vision systems and human-computer interfaces. PMID:24567724

Status of the Direct Data Distribution (D(exp 3)) Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wald, Lawrence

2001-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center's Direct Data Distribution (D3) project will demonstrate an advanced, high-performance communications system that transmits information from an advanced technology payload carried by a NASA spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) to a small receiving terminal on Earth. The space-based communications package will utilize a solid-state, K-band phased-array antenna that electronically steers the radiated energy beam toward a low-cost, tracking ground terminal, thereby providing agile, vibration-free, electronic steering at reduced size and weight with increased reliability. The array-based link will also demonstrate new digital processing technology that will allow the transmission of substantially increased amounts of latency-tolerant data collected from the LEO spacecraft directly to NASA field centers, principal investigators, or into the commercial terrestrial communications network. The technologies demonstrated by D3 will facilitate NASA's transition from using Government-owned communication assets to using commercial communication services. The hardware for D3 will incorporate advanced technology components developed under the High Rate Data Delivery (HRDD) Thrust Area of NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology Space Base Program at Glenn's Communications Technology Division. The flight segment components will include the electrically steerable phased-array antenna, which is being built by the Raytheon System Corporation and utilizes monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology operating at 19.05 GHz; and the digital encoder/modulator chipset, which uses four-channel orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). The encoder/modulator will use a chipset developed by SICOM, Inc., which is both bandwidth and power efficient. The ground segment components will include a low-cost, open-loop tracking ground terminal incorporating a cryoreceiver to minimize terminal size without compromising receiver capability. The project is planning to hold a critical design review in the second quarter of fiscal year 2002.

Advanced Turbine Technology Applications Project (ATTAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This report is the fifth in a series of Annual Technical Summary Reports for the Advanced Turbine Technology Applications Project (ATTAP), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The report was prepared by Garrett Auxiliary Power Division (GAPD), a unit of Allied-Signal Aerospace Company, a unit of Allied Signal, Inc. The report includes information provided by Garrett Ceramic Components, and the Norton Advanced Ceramics Company, (formerly Norton/TRW Ceramics), subcontractors to GAPD on the ATTAP. This report covers plans and progress on ceramics development for commercial automotive applications over the period 1 Jan. through 31 Dec. 1992. Project effort conducted under this contract is part of the DOE Gas Turbine Highway Vehicle System program. This program is directed to provide the U.S. automotive industry the high-risk, long-range technology necessary to produce gas turbine engines for automobiles with reduced fuel consumption, reduced environmental impact, and a decreased reliance on scarce materials and resources. The program is oriented toward developing the high-risk technology of ceramic structural component design and fabrication, such that industry can carry this technology forward to production in the 1990's. The ATTAP test bed engine, carried over from the previous AGT101 project, is being used for verification testing of the durability of next generation ceramic components, and their suitability for service at Reference Powertrain Design conditions. This document reports the technical effort conducted by GAPD and the ATTAP subcontractors during the fifth year of the project. Topics covered include ceramic processing definition and refinement, design improvements to the ATTAP test bed engine and test rigs, and the methodology development of ceramic impact and fracture mechanisms. Appendices include reports by ATTAP subcontractors in the development of silicon nitride materials and processes.

AVST Morphing Project Research Summaries in Fiscal Year 2001

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGowan, Anna-Maria R.

2002-01-01

The Morphing project at the National Aeronautics and Space Agency's Langley Research Center is part of the Aerospace Vehicle Systems Program Office that conducts fundamental research on advanced technologies for future flight vehicles. The objectives of the Morphing project are to develop and assess advanced technologies and integrated component concepts to enable efficient, multi-point adaptability in air and space vehicles. In the context of the project, the word "morphing" is defined as "efficient, multi-point adaptability" and may include micro or macro, structural or fluidic approaches. The current document on the Morphing project is a compilation of research summaries and other information on the project from fiscal year 2001. The focus of this document is to provide a brief overview of the project content, technical results and lessons learned from fiscal year 2001.

Application of advanced coating techniques to rocket engine components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verma, S. K.

1988-01-01

The materials problem in the space shuttle main engine (SSME) is reviewed. Potential coatings and the method of their application for improved life of SSME components are discussed. A number of advanced coatings for turbine blade components and disks are being developed and tested in a multispecimen thermal fatigue fluidized bed facility at IIT Research Institute. This facility is capable of producing severe strains of the degree present in blades and disk components of the SSME. The potential coating systems and current efforts at IITRI being taken for life extension of the SSME components are summarized.

On reliable time-frequency characterization and delay estimation of stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswal, Milan; Mishra, Srikanta

2018-05-01

The limited information on origin and nature of stimulus frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAEs) necessitates a thorough reexamination into SFOAE analysis procedures. This will lead to a better understanding of the generation of SFOAEs. The SFOAE response waveform in the time domain can be interpreted as a summation of amplitude modulated and frequency modulated component waveforms. The efficiency of a technique to segregate these components is critical to describe the nature of SFOAEs. Recent advancements in robust time-frequency analysis algorithms have staked claims on the more accurate extraction of these components, from composite signals buried in noise. However, their potential has not been fully explored for SFOAEs analysis. Indifference to distinct information, due to nature of these analysis techniques, may impact the scientific conclusions. This paper attempts to bridge this gap in literature by evaluating the performance of three linear time-frequency analysis algorithms: short-time Fourier transform (STFT), continuous Wavelet transform (CWT), S-transform (ST) and two nonlinear algorithms: Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT), synchrosqueezed Wavelet transform (SWT). We revisit the extraction of constituent components and estimation of their magnitude and delay, by carefully evaluating the impact of variation in analysis parameters. The performance of HHT and SWT from the perspective of time-frequency filtering and delay estimation were found to be relatively less efficient for analyzing SFOAEs. The intrinsic mode functions of HHT does not completely characterize the reflection components and hence IMF based filtering alone, is not recommended for segregating principal emission from multiple reflection components. We found STFT, WT, and ST to be suitable for canceling multiple internal reflection components with marginal altering in SFOAE.

Determining the satisfaction levels of the family members of patients with advanced-stage cancer.

PubMed

Ozcelik, Hanife; Cakmak, Deniz Ezgi; Fadiloglu, Cicek; Yildirim, Yasemin; Uslu, Ruchan

2015-06-01

The objective of our study was to determine the satisfaction levels of family members of patients with advanced-stage cancer. This descriptive study was conducted in the palliative care and medical oncology clinics of a university hospital in the province of Izmir between April of 2011 and January of 2012. The study sample consisted of a total of 145 family members, who were selected from among the family members of patients with advanced-stage cancer receiving palliative treatment. The study data were obtained using the Patient Description Form and Family Satisfaction Scale during face-to-face interviews with patients. Some 67% of patients were female and 33% male, 70% were married, 35% were high school graduates, and 34.5% were housewives. The average total family satisfaction score was 76.87 ± 1.14, and the average scores for the component variables were as follows: information giving 74.37 ± 1.28, availability of care 78.40 ± 1.17, physical care 78.99 ± 1.09, and psychosocial care 74.52 ± 1.30. We found a relationship between the level of satisfaction of family members and (1) gender, (2) occupation, (3) presence of someone supporting the care, and (4) possession of sufficient information about the patient (p < 0.05). Satisfaction levels of participants were determined to be high. We found that family member satisfaction levels were affected by gender and occupation, the existence of someone supporting the care, and possession of sufficient information about the patient.

Advanced Electrical Materials and Components Being Developed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, Gene E.

2004-01-01

All aerospace systems require power management and distribution (PMAD) between the energy and power source and the loads. The PMAD subsystem can be broadly described as the conditioning and control of unregulated power from the energy source and its transmission to a power bus for distribution to the intended loads. All power and control circuits for PMAD require electrical components for switching, energy storage, voltage-to-current transformation, filtering, regulation, protection, and isolation. Advanced electrical materials and component development technology is a key technology to increasing the power density, efficiency, reliability, and operating temperature of the PMAD. The primary means to develop advanced electrical components is to develop new and/or significantly improved electronic materials for capacitors, magnetic components, and semiconductor switches and diodes. The next important step is to develop the processing techniques to fabricate electrical and electronic components that exceed the specifications of presently available state-of-the-art components. The NASA Glenn Research Center's advanced electrical materials and component development technology task is focused on the following three areas: 1) New and/or improved dielectric materials for the development of power capacitors with increased capacitance volumetric efficiency, energy density, and operating temperature; 2) New and/or improved high-frequency, high-temperature soft magnetic materials for the development of transformers and inductors with increased power density, energy density, electrical efficiency, and operating temperature; 3) Packaged high-temperature, high-power density, high-voltage, and low-loss SiC diodes and switches.

MR Imaging of Knee Arthroplasty Implants

PubMed Central

Fritz, Jan; Lurie, Brett

2015-01-01

Primary total knee arthroplasty is a highly effective treatment that relieves pain and improves joint function in a large percentage of patients. Despite an initially satisfactory surgical outcome, pain, dysfunction, and implant failure can occur over time. Identifying the etiology of complications is vital for appropriate management and proper timing of revision. Due to the increasing number of knee arthroplasties performed and decreasing patient age at implantation, there is a demand for accurate diagnosis to determine appropriate treatment of symptomatic joints following knee arthroplasty, and for monitoring of patients at risk. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging allows for comprehensive imaging evaluation of the tissues surrounding knee arthroplasty implants with metallic components, including the polyethylene components. Optimized conventional and advanced pulse sequences can result in substantial metallic artifact reduction and afford improved visualization of bone, implant-tissue interfaces, and periprosthetic soft tissue for the diagnosis of arthroplasty-related complications. In this review article, we discuss strategies for MR imaging around knee arthroplasty implants and illustrate the imaging appearances of common modes of failure, including aseptic loosening, polyethylene wear–induced synovitis and osteolysis, periprosthetic joint infections, fracture, patellar clunk syndrome, recurrent hemarthrosis, arthrofibrosis, component malalignment, extensor mechanism injury, and instability. A systematic approach is provided for evaluation of MR imaging of knee implants. MR imaging with optimized conventional pulse sequences and advanced metal artifact reduction techniques can contribute important information for diagnosis, prognosis, risk stratification, and surgical planning. ©RSNA, 2015 PMID:26295591

Component qualification and initial build of the AGT 100 advanced automotive gas turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R. A.

1983-01-01

In advance of initial dynamometer testing of the AGT 100 engine, all prime components and subsystems were bench/rig tested. Included were compressor, combustor, turbines, regenerator, ceramic components, and electronic control system. Results are briefly reviewed. Initial engine buildup was completed and rolled-out for test cell installation in July 1982. Shakedown testing included motoring and sequential firing of the combustor's three fuel nozzles.

The design of components for an advanced Rankine cycle test facility.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bond, J. A.

1972-01-01

The design of a facility for testing components of an advanced Rankine cycle power system is summarized. The facility is a three-loop system in which lithium, potassium and NaK-78 are the working fluids of the primary, secondary and heat-rejection loops, respectively. Design bases and performance predictions for the major loop components, including the lithium heater and the potassium boiler, condenser and preheater, are outlined.

Characterization of shape and deformation of MEMS by quantitative optoelectronic metrology techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furlong, Cosme; Pryputniewicz, Ryszard J.

2002-06-01

Recent technological trends based on miniaturization of mechanical, electro-mechanical, and photonic devices to the microscopic scale, have led to the development of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Effective development of MEMS components requires the synergism of advanced design, analysis, and fabrication methodologies, and also of quantitative metrology techniques for characterizing their performance, reliability, and integrity during the electronic packaging cycle. In this paper, we describe opto-electronic techniques for measuring, with sub-micrometer accuracy, shape and changes in states of deformation of MEMS strictures. With the described opto-electronic techniques, it is possible to characterize MEMS components using the display and data modes. In the display mode, interferometric information related to shape and deformation is displayed at video frame rates, providing the capability for adjusting and setting experimental conditions. In the data mode, interferometric information related to shape and deformation is recorded as high-spatial and high-digital resolution images, which are further processed to provide quantitative 3D information. Furthermore, the quantitative 3D data are exported to computer-aided design (CAD) environments and utilized for analysis and optimization of MEMS devices. Capabilities of opto- electronic techniques are illustrated with representative applications demonstrating their applicability to provide indispensable quantitative information for the effective development and optimization of MEMS devices.

Eligibility, the ICF and the UN Convention: Australian perspectives

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in Australia, acts as a philosophical and moral statement and framework guiding integrated and strategic policy across the nation. Broad policy agreement has been reached by governments, and both the government and non-government sectors are developing strategies for implementation or evaluation. There is however a need for a more integrated approach to disability policy and information, reflecting all three components of the Italian project: • legislation and a high level philosophical framework and policy guide; • a technical framework that can underpin specific policies and programs aiming to achieve the major goals; and , • a language and set of tools, relating to both the above, that provide infrastructure for assessment methods and information systems. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is the ideal tool to support the latter two components, consistent with the UN Convention. While the ICF has been used as the basis for national data standards, in population surveys and in the national data collection on disability support services, there is considerable scope for greater use of it, including using all domains of the Activities and Participation and the Environmental Factors component for policy, information and service provision, to advance a disability-inclusive society. Information available from the income support system and from generic services could be enhanced by reference to the ICF components. It would be of significant national value in Australia, especially as a ‘continuum of care’ is desired, if consistency of concepts and information were expanded across health and social welfare sectors. It would then be possible to obtain consistent data from health, aged care, disability and community services systems about key aspects of health and functioning, building a consolidated picture of access and experience across these sectors. Without attention to all three components of the Italian project and continuing effort to meet the challenges identified in this paper, it will not be possible to determine whether the goals of Australia’s National Disability Agreement or the ambitions of the Convention are achieved. PMID:21624192

Advanced Environmental Barrier Coating Development for SiC-SiC Ceramic Matrix Composite Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming; Harder, Bryan; Bhatt, Ramakrishna; Kiser, Doug; Wiesner, Valerie L.

2016-01-01

This presentation reviews the NASA advanced environmental barrier coating (EBC) system development for SiCSiC Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) components for next generation turbine engines. The emphasis has been placed on the current design challenges of the 2700F environmental barrier coatings; coating processing and integration with SiCSiC CMCs and component systems; and performance evaluation and demonstration of EBC-CMC systems. This presentation also highlights the EBC-CMC system temperature capability and durability improvements through advanced compositions and architecture designs, as shown in recent simulated engine high heat flux, combustion environment, in conjunction with mechanical creep and fatigue loading testing conditions.

Enhancing presentation skills for the advanced practice nurse: strategies for success.

PubMed

Vollman, Kathleen M

2005-01-01

Professional speaking is a component of the professional practice role of the advanced practice nurse (APN). The skills to communicate effectively to one person or an audience of 100 provide the APN with the essential tools for implementing change, collaborating effectively, presenting information at professional meetings, or communicating the impact of clinical outcomes in the boardroom. Public speaking skills, a professional image, and improved communication can facilitate advancement along any career ladder. The greater your fear, the more self-confidence you will gain by stepping up to a challenge and conquering it. This article describes strategies for organizing and presenting your message in a clear and concise format. Techniques to manage the anxiety produced when attempting to articulate your thoughts is essential for effective communication. Skills for enhancing the delivery of your message through effective body language, professional image, voice modulation, and use of audiovisual aids are addressed. Creative techniques for fielding questions are key in promoting a dynamic closure and provide consistent reinforcement of the key message content.

Converging technologies: a critical analysis of cognitive enhancement for public policy application.

PubMed

Makridis, Christos

2013-09-01

This paper investigates cognitive enhancement, specifically biological cognitive enhancement (BCE), as a converging technology, and its implications for public policy. With an increasing rate of technological advancements, the legal, social, and economic frameworks lag behind the scientific advancements that they support. This lag poses significant challenges for policymakers if it is not dealt with sufficiently within the right analytical context. Therefore, the driving question behind this paper is, "What contingencies inform the advancement of biological cognitive enhancement, and what would society look like under this set of assumptions?" The paper is divided into five components: (1) defining the current policy context for BCEs, (2) analyzing the current social and economic outcomes to BCEs, (3) investigating the context of cost-benefit arguments in relation to BCEs, (4) proposing an analytical model for evaluating contingencies for BCE development, and (5) evaluating a simulated policy, social, technological, and economic context given the contingencies. In order to manage the risk and uncertainty inherent in technological change, BCEs' drivers must be scrutinized and evaluated.

[Ethical considerations in genomic cohort study].

PubMed

Choi, Eun Kyung; Kim, Ock-Joo

2007-03-01

During the last decade, genomic cohort study has been developed in many countries by linking health data and genetic data in stored samples. Genomic cohort study is expected to find key genetic components that contribute to common diseases, thereby promising great advance in genome medicine. While many countries endeavor to build biobank systems, biobank-based genome research has raised important ethical concerns including genetic privacy, confidentiality, discrimination, and informed consent. Informed consent for biobank poses an important question: whether true informed consent is possible in population-based genomic cohort research where the nature of future studies is unforeseeable when consent is obtained. Due to the sensitive character of genetic information, protecting privacy and keeping confidentiality become important topics. To minimize ethical problems and achieve scientific goals to its maximum degree, each country strives to build population-based genomic cohort research project, by organizing public consultation, trying public and expert consensus in research, and providing safeguards to protect privacy and confidentiality.

Antiviral Information Management System (AIMS): a prototype for operational innovation in drug development.

PubMed

Jadhav, Pravin R; Neal, Lauren; Florian, Jeff; Chen, Ying; Naeger, Lisa; Robertson, Sarah; Soon, Guoxing; Birnkrant, Debra

2010-09-01

This article presents a prototype for an operational innovation in knowledge management (KM). These operational innovations are geared toward managing knowledge efficiently and accessing all available information by embracing advances in bioinformatics and allied fields. The specific components of the proposed KM system are (1) a database to archive hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment data in a structured format and retrieve information in a query-capable manner and (2) an automated analysis tool to inform trial design elements for HCV drug development. The proposed framework is intended to benefit drug development by increasing efficiency of dose selection and improving the consistency of advice from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is also hoped that the framework will encourage collaboration among FDA, industry, and academic scientists to guide the HCV drug development process using model-based quantitative analysis techniques.

Wind Turbine Control Design to Reduce Capital Costs: 7 January 2009 - 31 August 2009

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

Darrow, P. J.

2010-01-01

This report first discusses and identifies which wind turbine components can benefit from advanced control algorithms and also presents results from a preliminary loads case analysis using a baseline controller. Next, it describes the design, implementation, and simulation-based testing of an advanced controller to reduce loads on those components. The case-by-case loads analysis and advanced controller design will help guide future control research.

Advanced component technologies for energy-efficient turbofan engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, N. T.

1980-01-01

The paper reviews NASA's Energy Efficient Engine Project which was initiated to provide the advanced technology base for a new generation of fuel-conservative engines for introduction into airline service by the late 1980s. Efforts in this project are directed at advancing engine component and systems technologies to a point of demonstrating technology-readiness by 1984. Early results indicate high promise in achieving most of the goals established in the project.

Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) Products, Services and Application from NASA Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fang, Hongliang; Beaudoing, Hiroko K.; Rodell, matthew; Teng, William L.; Vollmer, Bruce E.

2009-01-01

The Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) is generating a series of land surface state (e.g., soil moisture and surface temperature) and flux (e.g., evaporation and sensible heat flux) products simulated by four land surface models (CLM, Mosaic, Noah and VIC). These products are now accessible at the Hydrology Data and Information Services Center (HDISC), a component of the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). Current data holdings include a set of 1.0 degree resolution data products from the four models, covering 1979 to the present; and a 0.25 degree data product from the Noah model, covering 2000 to the present. The products are in Gridded Binary (GRIB) format and can be accessed through a number of interfaces. Users can search the products through keywords and perform on-the-fly spatial and parameter subsetting and format conversion of selected data. More advanced visualization, access and analysis capabilities will be available in the future. The long term GLDAS data are used to develop climatology of water cycle components and to explore the teleconnections of droughts and pluvial.

Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging: The Next Generation

PubMed Central

Bhargava, Rohit

2013-01-01

Infrared (IR) spectroscopic imaging seemingly matured as a technology in the mid-2000s, with commercially successful instrumentation and reports in numerous applications. Recent developments, however, have transformed our understanding of the recorded data, provided capability for new instrumentation, and greatly enhanced the ability to extract more useful information in less time. These developments are summarized here in three broad areas— data recording, interpretation of recorded data, and information extraction—and their critical review is employed to project emerging trends. Overall, the convergence of selected components from hardware, theory, algorithms, and applications is one trend. Instead of similar, general-purpose instrumentation, another trend is likely to be diverse and application-targeted designs of instrumentation driven by emerging component technologies. The recent renaissance in both fundamental science and instrumentation will likely spur investigations at the confluence of conventional spectroscopic analyses and optical physics for improved data interpretation. While chemometrics has dominated data processing, a trend will likely lie in the development of signal processing algorithms to optimally extract spectral and spatial information prior to conventional chemometric analyses. Finally, the sum of these recent advances is likely to provide unprecedented capability in measurement and scientific insight, which will present new opportunities for the applied spectroscopist. PMID:23031693

Issues in Defining Software Architectures in a GIS Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acosta, Jesus; Alvorado, Lori

1997-01-01

The primary mission of the Pan-American Center for Earth and Environmental Studies (PACES) is to advance the research areas that are relevant to NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. One of the activities at PACES is the establishment of a repository for geographical, geological and environmental information that covers various regions of Mexico and the southwest region of the U.S. and that is acquired from NASA and other sources through remote sensing, ground studies or paper-based maps. The center will be providing access of this information to other government entities in the U.S. and Mexico, and research groups from universities, national laboratories and industry. Geographical Information Systems(GIS) provide the means to manage, manipulate, analyze and display geographically referenced information that will be managed by PACES. Excellent off-the-shelf software exists for a complete GIS as well as software for storing and managing spatial databases, processing images, networking and viewing maps with layered information. This allows the user flexibility in combining systems to create a GIS or to mix these software packages with custom-built application programs. Software architectural languages provide the ability to specify the computational components and interactions among these components, an important topic in the domain of GIS because of the need to integrate numerous software packages. This paper discusses the characteristics that architectural languages address with respect to the issues relating to the data that must be communicated between software systems and components when systems interact. The paper presents a background on GIS in section 2. Section 3 gives an overview of software architecture and architectural languages. Section 4 suggests issues that may be of concern when defining the software architecture of a GIS. The last section discusses the future research effort and finishes with a summary.

Enhancing access to health information in Africa: a librarian's perspective.

PubMed

Gathoni, Nasra

2012-01-01

In recent years, tremendous progress has been made toward providing health information in Africa, in part because of technological advancements. Nevertheless, ensuring that information is accessible, comprehensible, and usable remains problematic, and there remain needs in many settings to address issues such as computer skills, literacy, and the infrastructure to access information. To determine how librarians might play a more strategic role in meeting information needs of health professionals in Africa, the author reviewed key components of information systems pertinent to knowledge management for the health sector, including access to global online resources, capacity to use computer technology for information retrieval, information literacy, and the potential for professional networks to play a role in improving access to and use of information. The author concluded that, in regions that lack adequate information systems, librarians could apply their knowledge and skills to facilitate access and use by information seekers. Ensuring access to and use of health information can also be achieved by engaging organizations and associations working to enhance access to health information, such as the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa. These groups can provide assistance through training, dissemination, information repackaging, and other approaches known to improve information literacy.

Specialized data analysis for the Space Shuttle Main Engine and diagnostic evaluation of advanced propulsion system components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center is responsible for the development and management of advanced launch vehicle propulsion systems, including the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), which is presently operational, and the Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) under development. The SSME's provide high performance within stringent constraints on size, weight, and reliability. Based on operational experience, continuous design improvement is in progress to enhance system durability and reliability. Specialized data analysis and interpretation is required in support of SSME and advanced propulsion system diagnostic evaluations. Comprehensive evaluation of the dynamic measurements obtained from test and flight operations is necessary to provide timely assessment of the vibrational characteristics indicating the operational status of turbomachinery and other critical engine components. Efficient performance of this effort is critical due to the significant impact of dynamic evaluation results on ground test and launch schedules, and requires direct familiarity with SSME and derivative systems, test data acquisition, and diagnostic software. Detailed analysis and evaluation of dynamic measurements obtained during SSME and advanced system ground test and flight operations was performed including analytical/statistical assessment of component dynamic behavior, and the development and implementation of analytical/statistical models to efficiently define nominal component dynamic characteristics, detect anomalous behavior, and assess machinery operational condition. In addition, the SSME and J-2 data will be applied to develop vibroacoustic environments for advanced propulsion system components, as required. This study will provide timely assessment of engine component operational status, identify probable causes of malfunction, and indicate feasible engineering solutions. This contract will be performed through accomplishment of negotiated task orders.

Advanced expander test bed engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, J. P.

1992-01-01

The Advanced Expander Test Bed (AETB) is a key element in NASA's Space Chemical Engine Technology Program for development and demonstration of expander cycle oxygen/hydrogen engine and advanced component technologies applicable to space engines as well as launch vehicle upper stage engines. The AETB will be used to validate the high pressure expander cycle concept, study system interactions, and conduct studies of advanced mission focused components and new health monitoring techniques in an engine system environment. The split expander cycle AETB will operate at combustion chamber pressures up to 1200 psia with propellant flow rates equivalent to 20,000 lbf vacuum thrust.

Overview of Lightweight Structures for Rotorcraft Engines and Drivetrains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Gary D.

2011-01-01

This is an overview presentation of research being performed in the Advanced Materials Task within the NASA Subsonic Rotary Wing Project. This research is focused on technology areas that address both national goals and project goals for advanced rotorcraft. Specific technology areas discussed are: (1) high temperature materials for advanced turbines in turboshaft engines; (2) polymer matrix composites for lightweight drive system components; (3) lightweight structure approaches for noise and vibration control; and (4) an advanced metal alloy for lighter weight bearings and more reliable mechanical components. An overview of the technology in each area is discussed, and recent accomplishments are presented.

Coupling of snow and permafrost processes using the Basic Modeling Interface (BMI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, K.; Overeem, I.; Jafarov, E. E.; Piper, M.; Stewart, S.; Clow, G. D.; Schaefer, K. M.

2017-12-01

We developed a permafrost modeling tool based by implementing the Kudryavtsev empirical permafrost active layer depth model (the so-called "Ku" component). The model is specifically set up to have a basic model interface (BMI), which enhances the potential coupling to other earth surface processes model components. This model is accessible through the Web Modeling Tool in Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS). The Kudryavtsev model has been applied for entire Alaska to model permafrost distribution at high spatial resolution and model predictions have been verified by Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) in-situ observations. The Ku component uses monthly meteorological forcing, including air temperature, snow depth, and snow density, and predicts active layer thickness (ALT) and temperature on the top of permafrost (TTOP), which are important factors in snow-hydrological processes. BMI provides an easy approach to couple the models with each other. Here, we provide a case of coupling the Ku component to snow process components, including the Snow-Degree-Day (SDD) method and Snow-Energy-Balance (SEB) method, which are existing components in the hydrological model TOPOFLOW. The work flow is (1) get variables from meteorology component, set the values to snow process component, and advance the snow process component, (2) get variables from meteorology and snow component, provide these to the Ku component and advance, (3) get variables from snow process component, set the values to meteorology component, and advance the meteorology component. The next phase is to couple the permafrost component with fully BMI-compliant TOPOFLOW hydrological model, which could provide a useful tool to investigate the permafrost hydrological effect.

Recent advances in understanding the role of nutrition in human genome evolution.

PubMed

Ye, Kaixiong; Gu, Zhenglong

2011-11-01

Dietary transitions in human history have been suggested to play important roles in the evolution of mankind. Genetic variations caused by adaptation to diet during human evolution could have important health consequences in current society. The advance of sequencing technologies and the rapid accumulation of genome information provide an unprecedented opportunity to comprehensively characterize genetic variations in human populations and unravel the genetic basis of human evolution. Series of selection detection methods, based on various theoretical models and exploiting different aspects of selection signatures, have been developed. Their applications at the species and population levels have respectively led to the identification of human specific selection events that distinguish human from nonhuman primates and local adaptation events that contribute to human diversity. Scrutiny of candidate genes has revealed paradigms of adaptations to specific nutritional components and genome-wide selection scans have verified the prevalence of diet-related selection events and provided many more candidates awaiting further investigation. Understanding the role of diet in human evolution is fundamental for the development of evidence-based, genome-informed nutritional practices in the era of personal genomics.

Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coating Development for Advanced Propulsion Engine Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming; Miller, Robert A.; Fox, Dennis S.

2008-01-01

Ceramic thermal and environmental barrier coatings (TEBCs) are used in gas turbine engines to protect engine hot-section components in the harsh combustion environments, and extend component lifetimes. Advanced TEBCs that have significantly lower thermal conductivity, better thermal stability and higher toughness than current coatings will be beneficial for future low emission and high performance propulsion engine systems. In this paper, ceramic coating design and testing considerations will be described for turbine engine high temperature and high-heat-flux applications. Thermal barrier coatings for metallic turbine airfoils and thermal/environmental barrier coatings for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components for future supersonic aircraft propulsion engines will be emphasized. Further coating capability and durability improvements for the engine hot-section component applications can be expected by utilizing advanced modeling and design tools.

AEOSS runtime manual for system analysis on Advanced Earth-Orbital Spacecraft Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Hwa-Ping

1990-01-01

Advanced earth orbital spacecraft system (AEOSS) enables users to project the required power, weight, and cost for a generic earth-orbital spacecraft system. These variables are calculated on the component and subsystem levels, and then the system level. The included six subsystems are electric power, thermal control, structure, auxiliary propulsion, attitude control, and communication, command, and data handling. The costs are computed using statistically determined models that were derived from the flown spacecraft in the past and were categorized into classes according to their functions and structural complexity. Selected design and performance analyses for essential components and subsystems are also provided. AEOSS has the feature permitting a user to enter known values of these parameters, totally and partially, at all levels. All information is of vital importance to project managers of subsystems or a spacecraft system. AEOSS is a specially tailored software coded from the relational database program of the Acius' 4th Dimension with a Macintosh version. Because of the licensing agreements, two versions of the AEOSS documents were prepared. This version, AEOSS Runtime Manual, is permitted to be distributed with a finite number of the restrictive 4D Runtime version. It can perform all contained applications without any programming alterations.

The Fourth National Climate Assessment: Progress and Next Steps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reidmiller, D.; Lewis, K.; Reeves, K.

2017-12-01

The Global Change Research Act of 1990 mandates the production of a quadrennial National Climate Assessment (NCA) that integrates, evaluates, and interprets global change science. The NCA analyzes observed and projected trends in global change and evaluates related impacts across a range of sectors and regions in the United States. The fourth assessment, NCA4, is currently under development by nearly 300 Federal and non-Federal experts and is expected to be available for public comment in Fall 2017 and released in late 2018. NCA4 is a key component of the US Global Change Research Program's Sustained Assessment process, which aims to advance the science of global change and provide authoritative, relevant information for decision makers. This talk will highlight the progress of NCA4, including an overview of the current draft of the assessment and advances since the third NCA, released in 2014. It will highlight the Climate Science Special Report, an essential component of NCA4, as well as provide insight into the public engagement process-including opportunities to participate-and identify scientific inputs and tools critical to its development, such as the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report and USGCRP's new scenario products website.

To ontologise or not to ontologise: An information model for a geospatial knowledge infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, Kristin; Stojanovic, Tim; Reitsma, Femke; Ou, Yang; Bishr, Mohamed; Ortmann, Jens; Robertson, Anne

2012-08-01

A geospatial knowledge infrastructure consists of a set of interoperable components, including software, information, hardware, procedures and standards, that work together to support advanced discovery and creation of geoscientific resources, including publications, data sets and web services. The focus of the work presented is the development of such an infrastructure for resource discovery. Advanced resource discovery is intended to support scientists in finding resources that meet their needs, and focuses on representing the semantic details of the scientific resources, including the detailed aspects of the science that led to the resource being created. This paper describes an information model for a geospatial knowledge infrastructure that uses ontologies to represent these semantic details, including knowledge about domain concepts, the scientific elements of the resource (analysis methods, theories and scientific processes) and web services. This semantic information can be used to enable more intelligent search over scientific resources, and to support new ways to infer and visualise scientific knowledge. The work describes the requirements for semantic support of a knowledge infrastructure, and analyses the different options for information storage based on the twin goals of semantic richness and syntactic interoperability to allow communication between different infrastructures. Such interoperability is achieved by the use of open standards, and the architecture of the knowledge infrastructure adopts such standards, particularly from the geospatial community. The paper then describes an information model that uses a range of different types of ontologies, explaining those ontologies and their content. The information model was successfully implemented in a working geospatial knowledge infrastructure, but the evaluation identified some issues in creating the ontologies.

A Fully Automated and Robust Method to Incorporate Stamping Data in Crash, NVH and Durability Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palaniswamy, Hariharasudhan; Kanthadai, Narayan; Roy, Subir; Beauchesne, Erwan

2011-08-01

Crash, NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness), and durability analysis are commonly deployed in structural CAE analysis for mechanical design of components especially in the automotive industry. Components manufactured by stamping constitute a major portion of the automotive structure. In CAE analysis they are modeled at a nominal state with uniform thickness and no residual stresses and strains. However, in reality the stamped components have non-uniformly distributed thickness and residual stresses and strains resulting from stamping. It is essential to consider the stamping information in CAE analysis to accurately model the behavior of the sheet metal structures under different loading conditions. Especially with the current emphasis on weight reduction by replacing conventional steels with aluminum and advanced high strength steels it is imperative to avoid over design. Considering this growing need in industry, a highly automated and robust method has been integrated within Altair Hyperworks® to initialize sheet metal components in CAE models with stamping data. This paper demonstrates this new feature and the influence of stamping data for a full car frontal crash analysis.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Symposium on Aeropropulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Recognizing the considerable advances that have been made in computational fluid dynamics, the Internal Fluid Mechanics Division of NASA Lewis Research Center sponsored this symposium with the objective of providing a forum for exchanging information regarding recent developments in numerical methods, physical and chemical modeling, and applications. This conference publication is a compilation of 4 invited and 34 contributed papers presented in six sessions: algorithms one and two, turbomachinery, turbulence, components application, and combustors. Topics include numerical methods, grid generation, chemically reacting flows, turbulence modeling, inlets, nozzles, and unsteady flows.

The Use of Exergy and Decomposition Techniques in the Development of Generic Analysis, and Optimization Methodologies Applicable to the Synthesis/Design of Aircraft/Aerospace Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-21

C. M., and Prendergast, J. P., 2002, "Thermial Analysis of Hypersonic Inlet Flow with Exergy -Based Design Methods," International Journal of Applied...parametric study of the PS and its components is first presented in order to show the type of detailed information on internal system losses which an exergy ...Thermoeconomic Isolation Applied to the Optimal Synthesis/Design of an Advanced Fighter Aircraft System," International Journal of Thermodynamics, ICAT

A risk-based approach to robotic mission requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dias, William C.; Bourke, Roger D.

1992-01-01

A NASA Risk Team has developed a method for the application of risk management to the definition of robotic mission requirements for the Space Exploration Initiative. These requirements encompass environmental information, infrastructural emplacement in advance, and either technology testing or system/subsystems demonstration. Attention is presently given to a method for step-by-step consideration and analysis of the risk component inherent in mission architecture, followed by a calculation of the subjective risk level. Mitigation strategies are then applied with the same rules, and a comparison is made.

Advanced Turbine Technology Applications Project (ATTAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Reports technical effort by AlliedSignal Engines in sixth year of DOE/NASA funded project. Topics include: gas turbine engine design modifications of production APU to incorporate ceramic components; fabrication and processing of silicon nitride blades and nozzles; component and engine testing; and refinement and development of critical ceramics technologies, including: hot corrosion testing and environmental life predictive model; advanced NDE methods for internal flaws in ceramic components; and improved carbon pulverization modeling during impact. ATTAP project is oriented toward developing high-risk technology of ceramic structural component design and fabrication to carry forward to commercial production by 'bridging the gap' between structural ceramics in the laboratory and near-term commercial heat engine application. Current ATTAP project goal is to support accelerated commercialization of advanced, high-temperature engines for hybrid vehicles and other applications. Project objectives are to provide essential and substantial early field experience demonstrating ceramic component reliability and durability in modified, available, gas turbine engine applications; and to scale-up and improve manufacturing processes of ceramic turbine engine components and demonstrate application of these processes in the production environment.

Advanced Fingerprint Analysis Project Fingerprint Constituents

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

GM Mong; CE Petersen; TRW Clauss

The work described in this report was focused on generating fundamental data on fingerprint components which will be used to develop advanced forensic techniques to enhance fluorescent detection, and visualization of latent fingerprints. Chemical components of sweat gland secretions are well documented in the medical literature and many chemical techniques are available to develop latent prints, but there have been no systematic forensic studies of fingerprint sweat components or of the chemical and physical changes these substances undergo over time.

Overview of Glenn Mechanical Components Branch Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakrajsek, James

2002-09-01

Mr. James Zakrajsek, chief of the Mechanical Components Branch, gave an overview of research conducted by the branch. Branch members perform basic research on mechanical components and systems, including gears and bearings, turbine seals, structural and thermal barrier seals, and space mechanisms. The research is focused on propulsion systems for present and advanced aerospace vehicles. For rotorcraft and conventional aircraft, we conduct research to develop technology needed to enable the design of low noise, ultra safe geared drive systems. We develop and validate analytical models for gear crack propagation, gear dynamics and noise, gear diagnostics, bearing dynamics, and thermal analyses of gear systems using experimental data from various component test rigs. In seal research we develop and test advanced turbine seal concepts to increase efficiency and durability of turbine engines. We perform experimental and analytical research to develop advanced thermal barrier seals and structural seals for current and next generation space vehicles. Our space mechanisms research involves fundamental investigation of lubricants, materials, components and mechanisms for deep space and planetary environments.

Information Technologies (ITs) in Medical Education.

PubMed

Masic, Izet; Pandza, Haris; Toromanovic, Selim; Masic, Fedja; Sivic, Suad; Zunic, Lejla; Masic, Zlatan

2011-09-01

Advances in medicine in recent decades are in significant correlation with the advances in the information technology. Modern information technologies (IT) have enabled faster, more reliable and comprehensive data collection. These technologies have started to create a large number of irrelevant information, which represents a limiting factor and a real growing gap, between the medical knowledge on one hand, and the ability of doctors to follow its growth on the other. Furthermore, in our environment, the term technology is generally reserved for its technical component. Education means, learning, teaching, or the process of acquiring skills or behavior modification through various exercises. Traditionally, medical education meant the oral, practical and more passive transferring of knowledge and skills from the educators to students and health professionals. For the clinical disciplines, of special importance are the principles, such as, "learning at bedside," aided by the medical literature. In doing so, these techniques enable students to contact with their teachers, and to refer to the appropriate literature. The disadvantage of these educational methods is in the fact, that teachers often do not have enough time. Additionally they are not very convenient to the horizontal and vertical integration of teaching, create weak or almost no self education, as well as, low skill levels and poor integration of education with a real social environment. In this paper authors describe application of modern IT in medical education - their advantages and disadvantages comparing with traditional ways of education.

Predicting remaining life by fusing the physics of failure modeling with diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kacprzynski, G. J.; Sarlashkar, A.; Roemer, M. J.; Hess, A.; Hardman, B.

2004-03-01

Technology that enables failure prediction of critical machine components (prognostics) has the potential to significantly reduce maintenance costs and increase availability and safety. This article summarizes a research effort funded through the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Naval Air System Command aimed at enhancing prognostic accuracy through more advanced physics-of-failure modeling and intelligent utilization of relevant diagnostic information. H-60 helicopter gear is used as a case study to introduce both stochastic sub-zone crack initiation and three-dimensional fracture mechanics lifing models along with adaptive model updating techniques for tuning key failure mode variables at a local material/damage site based on fused vibration features. The overall prognostic scheme is aimed at minimizing inherent modeling and operational uncertainties via sensed system measurements that evolve as damage progresses.

Composite nanoparticles for gene delivery.

PubMed

Wang, Yuhua; Huang, Leaf

2014-01-01

Nanoparticle-mediated gene and siRNA delivery has been an appealing area to gene therapists when they attempt to treat the diseases by manipulating the genetic information in the target cells. However, the advances in materials science could not keep up with the demand for multifunctional nanomaterials to achieve desired delivery efficiency. Researchers have thus taken an alternative approach to incorporate various materials into single composite nanoparticle using different fabrication methods. This approach allows nanoparticles to possess defined nanostructures as well as multiple functionalities to overcome the critical extracellular and intracellular barriers to successful gene delivery. This chapter will highlight the advances of fabrication methods that have the most potential to translate nanoparticles from bench to bedside. Furthermore, a major class of composite nanoparticle-lipid-based composite nanoparticles will be classified based on the components and reviewed in details.

Improvements in approaches to forecasting and evaluation techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weatherhead, Elizabeth

2014-05-01

The US is embarking on an experiment to make significant and sustained improvements in weather forecasting. The effort stems from a series of community conversations that recognized the rapid advancements in observations, modeling and computing techniques in the academic, governmental and private sectors. The new directions and initial efforts will be summarized, including information on possibilities for international collaboration. Most new projects are scheduled to start in the last half of 2014. Several advancements include ensemble forecasting with global models, and new sharing of computing resources. Newly developed techniques for evaluating weather forecast models will be presented in detail. The approaches use statistical techniques that incorporate pair-wise comparisons of forecasts with observations and account for daily auto-correlation to assess appropriate uncertainty in forecast changes. Some of the new projects allow for international collaboration, particularly on the research components of the projects.

Intelligent Engine Systems: Thermal Management and Advanced Cooling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergholz, Robert

2008-01-01

The objective of the Advanced Turbine Cooling and Thermal Management program is to develop intelligent control and distribution methods for turbine cooling, while achieving a reduction in total cooling flow and assuring acceptable turbine component safety and reliability. The program also will develop embedded sensor technologies and cooling system models for real-time engine diagnostics and health management. Both active and passive control strategies will be investigated that include the capability of intelligent modulation of flow quantities, pressures, and temperatures both within the supply system and at the turbine component level. Thermal management system concepts were studied, with a goal of reducing HPT blade cooling air supply temperature. An assessment will be made of the use of this air by the active clearance control system as well. Turbine component cooling designs incorporating advanced, high-effectiveness cooling features, will be evaluated. Turbine cooling flow control concepts will be studied at the cooling system level and the component level. Specific cooling features or sub-elements of an advanced HPT blade cooling design will be downselected for core fabrication and casting demonstrations.

Automated Deployment of Advanced Controls and Analytics in Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritoni, Marco

Buildings use 40% of primary energy in the US. Recent studies show that developing energy analytics and enhancing control strategies can significantly improve their energy performance. However, the deployment of advanced control software applications has been mostly limited to academic studies. Larger-scale implementations are prevented by the significant engineering time and customization required, due to significant differences among buildings. This study demonstrates how physics-inspired data-driven models can be used to develop portable analytics and control applications for buildings. Specifically, I demonstrate application of these models in all phases of the deployment of advanced controls and analytics in buildings: in the first phase, "Site Preparation and Interface with Legacy Systems" I used models to discover or map relationships among building components, automatically gathering metadata (information about data points) necessary to run the applications. During the second phase: "Application Deployment and Commissioning", models automatically learn system parameters, used for advanced controls and analytics. In the third phase: "Continuous Monitoring and Verification" I utilized models to automatically measure the energy performance of a building that has implemented advanced control strategies. In the conclusions, I discuss future challenges and suggest potential strategies for these innovative control systems to be widely deployed in the market. This dissertation provides useful new tools in terms of procedures, algorithms, and models to facilitate the automation of deployment of advanced controls and analytics and accelerate their wide adoption in buildings.

Recovering Long-wavelength Velocity Models using Spectrogram Inversion with Single- and Multi-frequency Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ha, J.; Chung, W.; Shin, S.

2015-12-01

Many waveform inversion algorithms have been proposed in order to construct subsurface velocity structures from seismic data sets. These algorithms have suffered from computational burden, local minima problems, and the lack of low-frequency components. Computational efficiency can be improved by the application of back-propagation techniques and advances in computing hardware. In addition, waveform inversion algorithms, for obtaining long-wavelength velocity models, could avoid both the local minima problem and the effect of the lack of low-frequency components in seismic data. In this study, we proposed spectrogram inversion as a technique for recovering long-wavelength velocity models. In spectrogram inversion, decomposed frequency components from spectrograms of traces, in the observed and calculated data, are utilized to generate traces with reproduced low-frequency components. Moreover, since each decomposed component can reveal the different characteristics of a subsurface structure, several frequency components were utilized to analyze the velocity features in the subsurface. We performed the spectrogram inversion using a modified SEG/SEGE salt A-A' line. Numerical results demonstrate that spectrogram inversion could also recover the long-wavelength velocity features. However, inversion results varied according to the frequency components utilized. Based on the results of inversion using a decomposed single-frequency component, we noticed that robust inversion results are obtained when a dominant frequency component of the spectrogram was utilized. In addition, detailed information on recovered long-wavelength velocity models was obtained using a multi-frequency component combined with single-frequency components. Numerical examples indicate that various detailed analyses of long-wavelength velocity models can be carried out utilizing several frequency components.

Toward improved durability in advanced aircraft engine hot sections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sokolowski, Daniel E. (Editor)

1989-01-01

The conference on durability improvement methods for advanced aircraft gas turbine hot-section components discussed NASA's Hot Section Technology (HOST) project, advanced high-temperature instrumentation for hot-section research, the development and application of combustor aerothermal models, and the evaluation of a data base and numerical model for turbine heat transfer. Also discussed are structural analysis methods for gas turbine hot section components, fatigue life-prediction modeling for turbine hot section materials, and the service life modeling of thermal barrier coatings for aircraft gas turbine engines.

Development of advanced space solar dynamic receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe, Yoshiyuki; Tanaka, Kotaro; Nomura, Osami; Kanari, Katsuhiko; Takahashi, Yoshio; Kamimoto, Masayuki

Work on an advanced solar dynamic receiver is reviewed. The authors first describe the component test of the receiver tube with LiF in metallic containers, which was performed in a closed high-temperature He-Xe loop. They then give the details of the development of composite phase change materials, such as ceramic/molten salts or carbon/molten salts for advanced receiver concepts. As for SiC/LiF composites, the performance test of the receiver component will soon be ready to begin.

Advanced expander test bed program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masters, A. I.; Mitchell, J. C.

1991-01-01

The Advanced Expander Test Bed (AETB) is a key element in NASA's Chemical Transfer Propulsion Program for development and demonstration of expander cycle oxygen/hydrogen engine technology component technology for the next space engine. The AETB will be used to validate the high-pressure expander cycle concept, investigate system interactions, and conduct investigations of advanced missions focused components and new health monitoring techniques. The split-expander cycle AETB will operate at combustion chamber pressures up to 1200 psia with propellant flow rates equivalent to 20,000 lbf vacuum thrust.

Recent advances in Ni-H2 technology at NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalezsanabria, O. D.; Britton, D. L.; Smithrick, J. J.; Reid, M. A.

1986-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center has concentrated its efforts on advancing the Ni-H2 system technology for low Earth orbit applications. Component technology as well as the design principles were studied in an effort to understand the system behavior and failure mechanisms in order to increase performance and extend cycle life. The design principles were previously addressed. The component development is discussed, in particular the separator and nickel electrode and how these efforts will advance the Ni-H2 system technology.

Using a Field Trip Inventory to Determine If Listening to Elementary School Students' Conversations, While on a Zoo Field Trip, Enhances Preservice Teachers' Abilities to Plan Zoo Field Trips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patrick, Patricia; Mathews, Cathy; Tunnicliffe, Sue Dale

2013-10-01

This study investigated whether listening to spontaneous conversations of elementary students and their teachers/chaperones, while they were visiting a zoo, affected preservice elementary teachers' conceptions about planning a field trip to the zoo. One hundred five preservice elementary teachers designed field trips prior to and after listening to students' conversations during a field trip to the zoo. In order to analyze the preservice teachers' field trip designs, we conducted a review of the literature on field trips to develop the field trip inventory (FTI). The FTI focussed on three major components of field trips: cognitive, procedural, and social. Cognitive components were subdivided into pre-visit, during-visit, and post-visit activities and problem-solving. Procedural components included information about the informal science education facility (the zoo) and the zoo staff and included advanced organizers. Social components on student groups, fun, control during the zoo visit, and control of student learning. The results of the investigation showed that (a) the dominant topic in conversations among elementary school groups at the zoo was management, (b) procedural components were mentioned least often, (c) preservice teachers described during-visit activities more often than any other characteristic central to field trip design, (d) seven of the nine characteristics listed in the FTI were noted more frequently in the preservice teachers' field trip designs after they listened to students' conversations at the zoo, and (e) preservice teachers thought that students were not learning and that planning was important.

COINS: A composites information database system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siddiqi, Shahid; Vosteen, Louis F.; Edlow, Ralph; Kwa, Teck-Seng

1992-01-01

An automated data abstraction form (ADAF) was developed to collect information on advanced fabrication processes and their related costs. The information will be collected for all components being fabricated as part of the ACT program and include in a COmposites INformation System (COINS) database. The aim of the COINS development effort is to provide future airframe preliminary design and fabrication teams with a tool through which production cost can become a deterministic variable in the design optimization process. The effort was initiated by the Structures Technology Program Office (STPO) of the NASA LaRC to implement the recommendations of a working group comprised of representatives from the commercial airframe companies. The principal working group recommendation was to re-institute collection of composite part fabrication data in a format similar to the DOD/NASA Structural Composites Fabrication Guide. The fabrication information collection form was automated with current user friendly computer technology. This work in progress paper describes the new automated form and features that make the form easy to use by an aircraft structural design-manufacturing team.

Radar research at University of Oklahoma (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yan R.; Weber, Mark E.

2017-05-01

This abstract is for the academic institution profiles session This presentation will focus on radar research programs at the University of Oklahoma, the radar research in OU has more than 50 years history of collaboration with NOAA, and has been through tremendous growth since early 2000. Before 2010, the focus was weather radar and weather surveillance, and since the Defense, Security and Intelligence (DSI) initiative in 2011, there have many new efforts on the defense and military radar applications. This presentation will focus on the following information: (1) The history, facilities and instrumentations of Advanced Radar Research Center, (2) Focus area of polarimetric phased array systems, (3) Focus area of airborne and spaceborne radars, (4) Intelligent radar information processing, (5) Innovative antenna and components.

A Physiologically Informed Virtual Reality Based Social Communication System for Individuals with Autism

PubMed Central

Bekele, Esubalew; Dohrmann, Elizabeth; Warren, Zachary; Sarkar, Nilanjan

2014-01-01

Clinical applications of advanced technology may hold promise for addressing impairments associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This project evaluated the application of a novel physiologically responsive virtual reality based technological system for conversation skills in a group of adolescents with ASD. The system altered components of conversation based on (1) performance alone or (2) the composite effect of performance and physiological metrics of predicted engagement (e.g., gaze pattern, pupil dilation, blink rate). Participants showed improved performance and looking pattern within the physiologically sensitive system as compared to the performance based system. This suggests that physiologically informed technologies may have the potential of being an effective tool in the hands of interventionists. PMID:25261247

Public-Private Partnerships in Cloud-Computing Services in the Context of Genomic Research.

PubMed

Granados Moreno, Palmira; Joly, Yann; Knoppers, Bartha Maria

2017-01-01

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been increasingly used to spur and facilitate innovation in a number of fields. In healthcare, the purpose of using a PPP is commonly to develop and/or provide vaccines and drugs against communicable diseases, mainly in developing or underdeveloped countries. With the advancement of technology and of the area of genomics, these partnerships also focus on large-scale genomic research projects that aim to advance the understanding of diseases that have a genetic component and to develop personalized treatments. This new focus has created new forms of PPPs that involve information technology companies, which provide computing infrastructure and services to store, analyze, and share the massive amounts of data genomic-related projects produce. In this article, we explore models of PPPs proposed to handle, protect, and share the genomic data collected and to further develop genomic-based medical products. We also identify the reasons that make these models suitable and the challenges they have yet to overcome. To achieve this, we describe the details and complexities of MSSNG, International Cancer Genome Consortium, and 100,000 Genomes Project, the three PPPs that focus on large-scale genomic research to better understand the genetic components of autism, cancer, rare diseases, and infectious diseases with the intention to find appropriate treatments. Organized as PPP and employing cloud-computing services, the three projects have advanced quickly and are likely to be important sources of research and development for future personalized medicine. However, there still are unresolved matters relating to conflicts of interest, commercialization, and data control. Learning from the challenges encountered by past PPPs allowed us to establish that developing guidelines to adequately manage personal health information stored in clouds and ensuring the protection of data integrity and privacy would be critical steps in the development of future PPPs.

Public–Private Partnerships in Cloud-Computing Services in the Context of Genomic Research

PubMed Central

Granados Moreno, Palmira; Joly, Yann; Knoppers, Bartha Maria

2017-01-01

Public–private partnerships (PPPs) have been increasingly used to spur and facilitate innovation in a number of fields. In healthcare, the purpose of using a PPP is commonly to develop and/or provide vaccines and drugs against communicable diseases, mainly in developing or underdeveloped countries. With the advancement of technology and of the area of genomics, these partnerships also focus on large-scale genomic research projects that aim to advance the understanding of diseases that have a genetic component and to develop personalized treatments. This new focus has created new forms of PPPs that involve information technology companies, which provide computing infrastructure and services to store, analyze, and share the massive amounts of data genomic-related projects produce. In this article, we explore models of PPPs proposed to handle, protect, and share the genomic data collected and to further develop genomic-based medical products. We also identify the reasons that make these models suitable and the challenges they have yet to overcome. To achieve this, we describe the details and complexities of MSSNG, International Cancer Genome Consortium, and 100,000 Genomes Project, the three PPPs that focus on large-scale genomic research to better understand the genetic components of autism, cancer, rare diseases, and infectious diseases with the intention to find appropriate treatments. Organized as PPP and employing cloud-computing services, the three projects have advanced quickly and are likely to be important sources of research and development for future personalized medicine. However, there still are unresolved matters relating to conflicts of interest, commercialization, and data control. Learning from the challenges encountered by past PPPs allowed us to establish that developing guidelines to adequately manage personal health information stored in clouds and ensuring the protection of data integrity and privacy would be critical steps in the development of future PPPs. PMID:28164085

Advanced information society(2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masuyama, Keiichi

Our modern life is full of information and information infiltrates into our daily life. Networking of the telecommunication is extended to society, company, and individual level. Although we have just entered the advanced information society, business world and our daily life have been steadily transformed by the advancement of information network. This advancement of information brings a big influence on economy, and will play they the main role in the expansion of domestic demands. This paper tries to view the image of coming advanced information society, focusing on the transforming businessman's life and the situation of our daily life, which became wealthy by the spread of daily life information and the visual information by satellite system, in the development of the intelligent city.

OCULUS fire: a command and control system for fire management with crowd sourcing and social media interconnectivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomopoulos, Stelios C. A.; Kyriazanos, Dimitris M.; Astyakopoulos, Alkiviadis; Dimitros, Kostantinos; Margonis, Christos; Thanos, Giorgos Konstantinos; Skroumpelou, Katerina

2016-05-01

AF3 (Advanced Forest Fire Fighting2) is a European FP7 research project that intends to improve the efficiency of current fire-fighting operations and the protection of human lives, the environment and property by developing innovative technologies to ensure the integration between existing and new systems. To reach this objective, the AF3 project focuses on innovative active and passive countermeasures, early detection and monitoring, integrated crisis management and advanced public information channels. OCULUS Fire is the innovative control and command system developed within AF3 as a monitoring, GIS and Knowledge Extraction System and Visualization Tool. OCULUS Fire includes (a) an interface for real-time updating and reconstructing of maps to enable rerouting based on estimated hazards and risks, (b) processing of GIS dynamic re-construction and mission re-routing, based on the fusion of airborne, satellite, ground and ancillary geolocation data, (c) visualization components for the C2 monitoring system, displaying and managing information arriving from a variety of sources and (d) mission and situational awareness module for OCULUS Fire ground monitoring system being part of an Integrated Crisis Management Information System for ground and ancillary sensors. OCULUS Fire will also process and visualise information from public information channels, social media and also mobile applications by helpful citizens and volunteers. Social networking, community building and crowdsourcing features will enable a higher reliability and less false alarm rates when using such data in the context of safety and security applications.

Development and Property Evaluation of Selected HfO2-Silicon and Rare Earth-Silicon Based Bond Coats and Environmental Barrier Coating Systems for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming

2016-01-01

Ceramic environmental barrier coatings (EBC) and SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) will play a crucial role in future aircraft propulsion systems because of their ability to significantly increase engine operating temperatures, improve component durability, reduce engine weight and cooling requirements. Advanced EBC systems for SiC/SiC CMC turbine and combustor hot section components are currently being developed to meet future turbine engine emission and performance goals. One of the significant material development challenges for the high temperature CMC components is to develop prime-reliant, high strength and high temperature capable environmental barrier coating bond coat systems, since the current silicon bond coat cannot meet the advanced EBC-CMC temperature and stability requirements. In this paper, advanced NASA HfO2-Si and rare earth Si based EBC bond coat EBC systems for SiC/SiC CMC combustor and turbine airfoil applications are investigated. High temperature properties of the advanced EBC systems, including the strength, fracture toughness, creep and oxidation resistance have been studied and summarized. The advanced NASA EBC systems showed some promise to achieve 1500C temperature capability, helping enable next generation turbine engines with significantly improved engine component temperature capability and durability.

Status Report on NEAMS System Analysis Module Development

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

Hu, R.; Fanning, T. H.; Sumner, T.

2015-12-01

Under the Reactor Product Line (RPL) of DOE-NE’s Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program, an advanced SFR System Analysis Module (SAM) is being developed at Argonne National Laboratory. The goal of the SAM development is to provide fast-running, improved-fidelity, whole-plant transient analyses capabilities. SAM utilizes an object-oriented application framework MOOSE), and its underlying meshing and finite-element library libMesh, as well as linear and non-linear solvers PETSc, to leverage modern advanced software environments and numerical methods. It also incorporates advances in physical and empirical models and seeks closure models based on information from high-fidelity simulations and experiments. This reportmore » provides an update on the SAM development, and summarizes the activities performed in FY15 and the first quarter of FY16. The tasks include: (1) implement the support of 2nd-order finite elements in SAM components for improved accuracy and computational efficiency; (2) improve the conjugate heat transfer modeling and develop pseudo 3-D full-core reactor heat transfer capabilities; (3) perform verification and validation tests as well as demonstration simulations; (4) develop the coupling requirements for SAS4A/SASSYS-1 and SAM integration.« less

Advanced Energetics for Aeronautical Applications. Volume II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, David S.

2005-01-01

NASA has identified water vapor emission into the upper atmosphere from commercial transport aircraft, particularly as it relates to the formation of persistent contrails, as a potential environmental problem. Since 1999, MSE has been working with NASA-LaRC to investigate the concept of a transport-size emissionless aircraft fueled with liquid hydrogen combined with other possible breakthrough technologies. The goal of the project is to significantly advance air transportation in the next decade and beyond. The power and propulsion (P/P) system currently being studied would be based on hydrogen fuel cells (HFCs) powering electric motors, which drive fans for propulsion. The liquid water reaction product is retained onboard the aircraft until a flight mission is completed. As of now, NASA-LaRC and MSE have identified P/P system components that, according to the high-level analysis conducted to date, are light enough to make the emissionless aircraft concept feasible. Calculated maximum aircraft ranges (within a maximum weight constraint) and other performance predictions are included in this report. This report also includes current information on advanced energy-related technologies, which are still being researched, as well as breakthrough physics concepts that may be applicable for advanced energetics and aerospace propulsion in the future.

Chemical annotation of small and peptide-like molecules at the Protein Data Bank

PubMed Central

Young, Jasmine Y.; Feng, Zukang; Dimitropoulos, Dimitris; Sala, Raul; Westbrook, John; Zhuravleva, Marina; Shao, Chenghua; Quesada, Martha; Peisach, Ezra; Berman, Helen M.

2013-01-01

Over the past decade, the number of polymers and their complexes with small molecules in the Protein Data Bank archive (PDB) has continued to increase significantly. To support scientific advancements and ensure the best quality and completeness of the data files over the next 10 years and beyond, the Worldwide PDB partnership that manages the PDB archive is developing a new deposition and annotation system. This system focuses on efficient data capture across all supported experimental methods. The new deposition and annotation system is composed of four major modules that together support all of the processing requirements for a PDB entry. In this article, we describe one such module called the Chemical Component Annotation Tool. This tool uses information from both the Chemical Component Dictionary and Biologically Interesting molecule Reference Dictionary to aid in annotation. Benchmark studies have shown that the Chemical Component Annotation Tool provides significant improvements in processing efficiency and data quality. Database URL: http://wwpdb.org PMID:24291661

Conveying endogenous and exogenous signals: MAPK cascades in plant growth and defense.

PubMed

Zhang, Mengmeng; Su, Jianbin; Zhang, Yan; Xu, Juan; Zhang, Shuqun

2018-05-09

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are key signaling modules downstream of receptors/sensors that perceive endogenous and exogenous stimuli such as hormones, peptide ligands, and pathogen-derived patterns/effectors. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the establishment of MAPK cascades as unified signaling modules downstream of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) and receptor-like proteins (RLPs) in plant growth and defense, the identification of components connecting the RLK/RLP receptor complexes to the MAPK cascades, and the interactions between MAPK and hormone signaling pathways. We also propose a set of criteria for defining the physiological substrates of plant MAPKs. With only a limited number of MAPK components, multiple functional pathways often share the same MAPK cascade. As a result, understanding the signaling specificity, which requires detailed information about the spatiotemporal expression of the components involved, their complex formation, and the consequence of substrate phosphorylation, is central to our study of MAPK functions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a web application for water resources based on open source software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delipetrev, Blagoj; Jonoski, Andreja; Solomatine, Dimitri P.

2014-01-01

This article presents research and development of a prototype web application for water resources using latest advancements in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), open source software and web GIS. The web application has three web services for: (1) managing, presenting and storing of geospatial data, (2) support of water resources modeling and (3) water resources optimization. The web application is developed using several programming languages (PhP, Ajax, JavaScript, Java), libraries (OpenLayers, JQuery) and open source software components (GeoServer, PostgreSQL, PostGIS). The presented web application has several main advantages: it is available all the time, it is accessible from everywhere, it creates a real time multi-user collaboration platform, the programing languages code and components are interoperable and designed to work in a distributed computer environment, it is flexible for adding additional components and services and, it is scalable depending on the workload. The application was successfully tested on a case study with concurrent multi-users access.

Chemical annotation of small and peptide-like molecules at the Protein Data Bank.

PubMed

Young, Jasmine Y; Feng, Zukang; Dimitropoulos, Dimitris; Sala, Raul; Westbrook, John; Zhuravleva, Marina; Shao, Chenghua; Quesada, Martha; Peisach, Ezra; Berman, Helen M

2013-01-01

Over the past decade, the number of polymers and their complexes with small molecules in the Protein Data Bank archive (PDB) has continued to increase significantly. To support scientific advancements and ensure the best quality and completeness of the data files over the next 10 years and beyond, the Worldwide PDB partnership that manages the PDB archive is developing a new deposition and annotation system. This system focuses on efficient data capture across all supported experimental methods. The new deposition and annotation system is composed of four major modules that together support all of the processing requirements for a PDB entry. In this article, we describe one such module called the Chemical Component Annotation Tool. This tool uses information from both the Chemical Component Dictionary and Biologically Interesting molecule Reference Dictionary to aid in annotation. Benchmark studies have shown that the Chemical Component Annotation Tool provides significant improvements in processing efficiency and data quality. Database URL: http://wwpdb.org.

Exploring the complementarity of THz pulse imaging and DCE-MRIs: Toward a unified multi-channel classification and a deep learning framework.

PubMed

Yin, X-X; Zhang, Y; Cao, J; Wu, J-L; Hadjiloucas, S

2016-12-01

We provide a comprehensive account of recent advances in biomedical image analysis and classification from two complementary imaging modalities: terahertz (THz) pulse imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). The work aims to highlight underlining commonalities in both data structures so that a common multi-channel data fusion framework can be developed. Signal pre-processing in both datasets is discussed briefly taking into consideration advances in multi-resolution analysis and model based fractional order calculus system identification. Developments in statistical signal processing using principal component and independent component analysis are also considered. These algorithms have been developed independently by the THz-pulse imaging and DCE-MRI communities, and there is scope to place them in a common multi-channel framework to provide better software standardization at the pre-processing de-noising stage. A comprehensive discussion of feature selection strategies is also provided and the importance of preserving textural information is highlighted. Feature extraction and classification methods taking into consideration recent advances in support vector machine (SVM) and extreme learning machine (ELM) classifiers and their complex extensions are presented. An outlook on Clifford algebra classifiers and deep learning techniques suitable to both types of datasets is also provided. The work points toward the direction of developing a new unified multi-channel signal processing framework for biomedical image analysis that will explore synergies from both sensing modalities for inferring disease proliferation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wind Energy Program Summary. Volume 2: Research summaries, fiscal year 1988

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1989-04-01

Activities by the Federal Wind Energy program since the early 1980s have focused on developing a technology base necessary for industry to demonstrate the viability of wind energy as an alternative energy supply. The Federal Wind Energy Program's research has targeted the sciences of wind turbine dynamics and the development of advanced components and systems. These efforts have resulted in major advancements toward the development and commercialization of wind technology as an alternative energy source. The installation of more than 16,000 wind turbines in California by the end of 1987 provides evidence that commercial use of wind energy technology can be a viable source of electric power. Research in wind turbine sciences has focused on atmospheric fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, and structural dynamics. As outlines in the projects that are described in this document, advancements in atmospheric fluid dynamics have been made through the development and refinement of wind characterization models and wind/rotor interaction prediction codes. Recent gains in aerodynamics can be attributed to a better understanding of airfoil operations, using innovative research approaches such as flow-visualization techniques. Qualitative information and data from laboratory and field tests are being used to document fatigue damage processes. These data are being used to develop new theories and data bases for structural dynamics, and will help to achieve long-term unit life and lower capital and maintenance costs. Material characterization and modeling techniques have been improved to better analyze effects of stress and fatigue on system components.

Understanding advance care planning as a process of health behavior change.

PubMed

Fried, Terri R; Bullock, Karen; Iannone, Lynne; O'Leary, John R

2009-09-01

To explore whether models of health behavior change can help to inform interventions for advance care planning (ACP). Qualitative cross-sectional study. Community. Sixty-three community-dwelling persons aged 65 and older and 30 caregivers with experience as surrogate decision-makers. In focus groups conducted separately with older persons and caregivers, participants were asked to discuss ways they had planned for future declines in health and why they had or had not engaged in such planning. Transcripts were analyzed using grounded theory. Four themes illustrated the potential of applying models of health behavior change to improve ACP. (1) Participants demonstrated variable readiness to engage in ACP and could be in different stages of readiness for different components of ACP, including consideration of treatment goals, completion of advance directives, and communication with families and physicians. (2) Participants identified a wide range of benefits of and barriers to ACP. (3) Participants used a variety of processes of change to progress through stages of readiness, and ACP was only one of a broader set of behaviors that participants engaged in to prepare for declines in their health or for death. (4) Experience with healthcare decision-making for loved ones was a strong influence on perceptions of susceptibility and engagement in ACP. The variability in participants' readiness, barriers and benefits, perceptions of susceptibility, and use of processes to increase readiness for participating in each component of ACP suggests the utility of customized, stage-specific interventions based on individualized assessments to improve ACP.

Predictive models for customizing chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

PubMed

Bonanno, Laura

2013-06-01

The backbone of first-line treatment for Epidermal Growth Factor (EGFR) wild-type (wt) advanced Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is the use of a platinum-based chemotherapy combination. The treatment is characterized by great inter-individual variability in outcome. Molecular predictive markers are extremely needed in order to identify patients most likely to benefit from platinum-based treatment and resistant ones, thus optimizing chemotherapy approach in NSCLC. Several components of DNA repair response (DRR) have been investigated as potential predictive markers. Among them, high levels of expression of ERCC1, both at protein and mRNA levels, have been associated with resistance to cisplatin in NSCLC. In addition, low levels of expression of RRM1, a target for gemcitabine, have been associated with improved OS in advanced NSCLC patients treated with cisplatin and gemcitabine. Preclinical data and retrospective analyses showed that BRCA1 is able to induce resistance to cisplatin and sensitivity to antimicrotubule agents. In addition, the mRNA levels of expression of RAP80, encoding for a protein cooperating with BRCA1 in homologous recombination (HR), have demonstrated to further sub-classify low BRCA1 NSCLC tumors, improving the predictive model. On the basis of biological knowledge on DNA repair pathway and recent controversial results from clinical validation of potential molecular markers, integrated analysis of multiple DNA repair components could improve predictive information and pave the way to a new approach to customized chemotherapy clinical trials.

Recent advances quantifying the large wood dynamics in river basins: New methods and remaining challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz-Villanueva, Virginia; Piégay, Hervé; Gurnell, Angela A.; Marston, Richard A.; Stoffel, Markus

2016-09-01

Large wood is an important physical component of woodland rivers and significantly influences river morphology. It is also a key component of stream ecosystems. However, large wood is also a source of risk for human activities as it may damage infrastructure, block river channels, and induce flooding. Therefore, the analysis and quantification of large wood and its mobility are crucial for understanding and managing wood in rivers. As the amount of large-wood-related studies by researchers, river managers, and stakeholders increases, documentation of commonly used and newly available techniques and their effectiveness has also become increasingly relevant as well. Important data and knowledge have been obtained from the application of very different approaches and have generated a significant body of valuable information representative of different environments. This review brings a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative summary of recent advances regarding the different processes involved in large wood dynamics in fluvial systems including wood budgeting and wood mechanics. First, some key definitions and concepts are introduced. Second, advances in quantifying large wood dynamics are reviewed; in particular, how measurements and modeling can be combined to integrate our understanding of how large wood moves through and is retained within river systems. Throughout, we present a quantitative and integrated meta-analysis compiled from different studies and geographical regions. Finally, we conclude by highlighting areas of particular research importance and their likely future trajectories, and we consider a particularly underresearched area so as to stress the future challenges for large wood research.

Power components for the Space Station 20-kHz power distribution system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renz, David D.

1988-01-01

Since 1984, NASA Lewis Research Center was developing high power, high frequency space power components as part of The Space Station Advanced Development program. The purpose of the Advanced Development program was to accelerate existing component programs to ensure their availability for use on the Space Station. These components include a rotary power transfer device, remote power controllers, remote bus isolators, high power semiconductor, a high power semiconductor package, high frequency-high power cable, high frequency-high power connectors, and high frequency-high power transformers. All the components were developed to the prototype level and will be installed in the Lewis Research Center Space Station power system test bed.

Power components for the space station 20-kHz power distribution system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renz, David D.

1988-01-01

Since 1984, NASA Lewis Research Center was developing high power, high frequency space power components as part of The Space Station Advanced Development program. The purpose of The Advanced Development program was to accelerate existing component programs to ensure their availability for use on the Space Station. These components include a rotary power transfer device, remote power controllers, remote bus isolators, high power semiconductor, a high power semiconductor package, high frequency-high power cable, high frequency-high power connectors, and high frequency-high power transformers. All the components were developed to the prototype level and will be installed in the Lewis Research Center Space Station power system test bed.

Benefits of Sharing Information from Commercial Airborne Forward-Looking Sensors in the Next Generation Air Transportation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaffner, Philip R.; Harrah, Steven; Neece, Robert T.

2012-01-01

The air transportation system of the future will need to support much greater traffic densities than are currently possible, while preserving or improving upon current levels of safety. Concepts are under development to support a Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) that by some estimates will need to support up to three times current capacity by the year 2025. Weather and other atmospheric phenomena, such as wake vortices and volcanic ash, constitute major constraints on airspace system capacity and can present hazards to aircraft if encountered. To support safe operations in the NextGen environment advanced systems for collection and dissemination of aviation weather and environmental information will be required. The envisioned NextGen Network Enabled Weather (NNEW) infrastructure will be a critical component of the aviation weather support services, providing access to a common weather picture for all system users. By taking advantage of Network Enabled Operations (NEO) capabilities, a virtual 4-D Weather Data Cube with aviation weather information from many sources will be developed. One new source of weather observations may be airborne forward-looking sensors, such as the X-band weather radar. Future sensor systems that are the subject of current research include advanced multi-frequency and polarimetric radar, a variety of Lidar technologies, and infrared imaging spectrometers.

Component research for future propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, C. L.; Weden, G. J.; Zuk, J.

1981-01-01

Factors affecting the helicopter market are reviewed. The trade-offs involving acquisition cost, mission reliability, and life cycle cost are reviewed, including civil and military aspects. The potential for advanced vehicle configurations with substantial improvements in energy efficiency, operating economics, and characteristics to satisfy the demands of the future market are identified. Advanced propulsion systems required to support these vehicle configurations are discussed, as well as the component technology for the engine systems. Considerations for selection of components in areas of economics and efficiency are presented.

Advancing "Bio" Sensor Integration with Ocean Observing Systems to Support Ecosystem Based Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moustahfid, H.; Michaels, W.

2016-02-01

The vision of the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS) is to provide information and services to the nation for enhancing our understanding of the ecosystem and climate; sustaining living marine resources; improving public health and safety; reducing impacts of natural hazards and environmental changes; and expanding support for marine commerce and transportation. In the last decade, U.S. IOOS has made considerable progress in advancing physical and chemical observing systems, while further efforts are needed to fully integrate biological observing systems into U.S. IOOS. Recent technological advances in miniature, low power "bio" sensors deployed from fixed and mobile autonomous platforms enable remote sensing of biological components ranging from plankton greater than 20 micrometer with electro-optical technology to meso-zooplankton and nekton with hydroacoustic technology. Satellite communication linked to sensing technologies provide near real-time information of the movement and behavior of the biological organisms including the large marine predators. This opens up remarkable opportunities for observing the biotic realm at critical spatio-temporal scales for understanding how environmental changes impact on the productivity and health of our oceans. Biosensor technology has matured to be operationally integrated into ocean observation systems to provide synoptic bio-physical monitoring information. The operational objectives should be clearly defined and implemented by biological and physical oceanographers to optimize the integration of biological observing into U.S IOOS which will strengthen the national observing capabilities in response to the increasing demand for ecosystem observations to support ecosystem-based approaches for the sustainability of living marine resources and healthy oceans.

Damage-mitigating control of aerospace systems for high performance and extended life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Asok; Wu, Min-Kuang; Carpino, Marc; Lorenzo, Carl F.; Merrill, Walter C.

1992-01-01

The concept of damage-mitigating control is to minimize fatigue (as well as creep and corrosion) damage of critical components of mechanical structures while simultaneously maximizing the system dynamic performance. Given a dynamic model of the plant and the specifications for performance and stability robustness, the task is to synthesize a control law that would meet the system requirements and, at the same time, satisfy the constraints that are imposed by the material and structural properties of the critical components. The authors present the concept of damage-mitigating control systems design with the following objectives: (1) to achieve high performance with a prolonged life span; and (2) to systematically update the controller as the new technology of advanced materials evolves. The major challenge is to extract the information from the material properties and then utilize this information in a mathematical form so that it can be directly applied to robust control synthesis for mechanical systems. The basic concept of damage-mitigating control is illustrated using a relatively simplified model of a space shuttle main engine.

Creation of the NaSCoRD Database

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

Denman, Matthew R.; Jankovsky, Zachary Kyle; Stuart, William

This report was written as part of a United States Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy, Advanced Reactor Technologies program funded project to re-create the capabilities of the legacy Centralized Reliability Database Organization (CREDO) database. The CREDO database provided a record of component design and performance documentation across various systems that used sodium as a working fluid. Regaining this capability will allow the DOE complex and the domestic sodium reactor industry to better understand how previous systems were designed and built for use in improving the design and operations of future loops. The contents of this report include:more » overview of the current state of domestic sodium reliability databases; summary of the ongoing effort to improve, understand, and process the CREDO information; summary of the initial efforts to develop a unified sodium reliability database called the Sodium System Component Reliability Database (NaSCoRD); and explain both how potential users can access the domestic sodium reliability databases and the type of information that can be accessed from these databases.« less

Semi-automated CCTV surveillance: the effects of system confidence, system accuracy and task complexity on operator vigilance, reliance and workload.

PubMed

Dadashi, N; Stedmon, A W; Pridmore, T P

2013-09-01

Recent advances in computer vision technology have lead to the development of various automatic surveillance systems, however their effectiveness is adversely affected by many factors and they are not completely reliable. This study investigated the potential of a semi-automated surveillance system to reduce CCTV operator workload in both detection and tracking activities. A further focus of interest was the degree of user reliance on the automated system. A simulated prototype was developed which mimicked an automated system that provided different levels of system confidence information. Dependent variable measures were taken for secondary task performance, reliance and subjective workload. When the automatic component of a semi-automatic CCTV surveillance system provided reliable system confidence information to operators, workload significantly decreased and spare mental capacity significantly increased. Providing feedback about system confidence and accuracy appears to be one important way of making the status of the automated component of the surveillance system more 'visible' to users and hence more effective to use. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Constructing a philosophy of science of cognitive science.

PubMed

Bechtel, William

2009-07-01

Philosophy of science is positioned to make distinctive contributions to cognitive science by providing perspective on its conceptual foundations and by advancing normative recommendations. The philosophy of science I embrace is naturalistic in that it is grounded in the study of actual science. Focusing on explanation, I describe the recent development of a mechanistic philosophy of science from which I draw three normative consequences for cognitive science. First, insofar as cognitive mechanisms are information-processing mechanisms, cognitive science needs an account of how the representations invoked in cognitive mechanisms carry information about contents, and I suggest that control theory offers the needed perspective on the relation of representations to contents. Second, I argue that cognitive science requires, but is still in search of, a catalog of cognitive operations that researchers can draw upon in explaining cognitive mechanisms. Last, I provide a new perspective on the relation of cognitive science to brain sciences, one which embraces both reductive research on neural components that figure in cognitive mechanisms and a concern with recomposing higher-level mechanisms from their components and situating them in their environments. Copyright © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Advancing Water Science through Improved Cyberinfrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, B. J.; Miles, B.; Rai, A.; Ahalt, S.; Band, L. E.; Minsker, B.; Palmer, M.; Williams, M. R.; Idaszak, R.; Whitton, M. C.

2012-12-01

Major scientific advances are needed to help address impacts of climate change and increasing human-mediated environmental modification on the water cycle at global and local scales. However, such advances within the water sciences are limited in part by inadequate information infrastructures. For example, cyberinfrastructure (CI) includes the integrated computer hardware, software, networks, sensors, data, and human capital that enable scientific workflows to be carried out within and among individual research efforts and across varied disciplines. A coordinated transformation of existing CI and development of new CI could accelerate the productivity of water science by enabling greater discovery, access, and interoperability of data and models, and by freeing scientists to do science rather than create and manage technological tools. To elucidate specific ways in which improved CI could advance water science, three challenges confronting the water science community were evaluated: 1) How does ecohydrologic patch structure affect nitrogen transport and fate in watersheds?, 2) How can human-modified environments emulate natural water and nutrient cycling to enhance both human and ecosystem well-being?, 3) How do changes in climate affect water availability to support biodiversity and human needs? We assessed the approaches used by researchers to address components of these challenges, identified barriers imposed by limitations of current CI, and interviewed leaders in various water science subdisciplines to determine the most recent CI tools employed. Our preliminary findings revealed four areas where CI improvements are likely to stimulate scientific advances: 1) sensor networks, 2) data quality assurance/quality control, 3) data and modeling standards, 4) high performance computing. In addition, the full potential of a re-envisioned water science CI cannot be realized without a substantial training component. In light of these findings, we suggest that CI industry-proven practices such as open-source community architecture, agile development methodologies, and sound software engineering methods offer a promising pathway to a transformed water science CI capable of meeting the demands of both individual scientists and community-wide research initiatives.

Small Engine Component Technology (SECT) studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, P. K.; Harbour, L.

1986-01-01

A study was conducted to identify component technology requirements for small, expendable gas turbine engines that would result in substantial improvements in performance and cost by the year 2000. A subsonic, 2600 nautical mile (4815 km) strategic cruise missile mission was selected for study. A baseline (state-of-the-art) engine and missile configuration were defined to evaluate the advanced technology engines. Two advanced technology engines were configured and evaluated using advanced component efficiencies and ceramic composite materials; a 22:1 overall pressure ratio, 3.85 bypass ratio twin-spool turbofan; and an 8:1 overall pressure, 3.66 bypass ratio, single-spool recuperated turbofan with 0.85 recuperator effectiveness. Results of mission analysis indicated a reduction in fuel burn of 38 and 47 percent compared to the baseline engine when using the advanced turbofan and recuperated turbofan, respectively. While use of either advanced engine resulted in approximately a 25 percent reduction in missile size, the unit life cycle (LCC) cost reduction of 56 percent for the advanced turbofan relative to the baseline engine gave it a decisive advantage over the recuperated turbofan with 47 percent LCC reduction. An additional range improvement of 10 percent results when using a 56 percent loaded carbon slurry fuel with either engine. These results can be realized only if significant progress is attained in the fields of solid lubricated bearings, small aerodynamic component performance, composite ceramic materials and integration of slurry fuels. A technology plan outlining prospective programs in these fields is presented.

Stakeholder identification of advanced technology opportunities at international ports of entry

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

Parker, S.K.; Icerman, L.

As part of the Advanced Technologies for International and Intermodal Ports of Entry (ATIPE) Project, a diverse group of stakeholders was engaged to help identify problems experienced at inland international border crossings, particularly those at the US-Mexican border. The fundamental issue at international ports of entry is reducing transit time through the required documentation and inspection processes. Examples of other issues or problems, typically manifested as time delays at border crossings, repeatedly mentioned by stakeholders include: (1) lack of document standardization; (2) failure to standardize inspection processes; (3) inadequate information and communications systems; (4) manual fee and tariff collection; (5)more » inconsistency of processes and procedures; and (6) suboptimal cooperation among governmental agencies. Most of these issues can be addressed to some extent by the development of advanced technologies with the objective of allowing ports of entry to become more efficient while being more effective. Three categories of technologies were unambiguously of high priority to port of entry stakeholders: (1) automated documentation; (2) systems integration; and (3) vehicle and cargo tracking. Together, these technologies represent many of the technical components necessary for pre-clearance of freight approaching international ports of entry. Integration of vehicle and cargo tracking systems with port of entry information and communications systems, as well as existing industry legacy systems, should further enable border crossings to be accomplished consistently with optimal processing times.« less

Advanced Simulation in Undergraduate Pilot Training: Systems Integration. Final Report (February 1972-March 1975).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, D. F.; Terry, C.

The Advanced Simulator for Undergraduate Pilot Training (ASUPT) was designed to investigate the role of simulation in the future Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) program. The problem addressed in this report was one of integrating two unlike components into one synchronized system. These two components were the Basic T-37 Simulators and their…

Tribological systems as applied to aircraft engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buckley, D. H.

1985-01-01

Tribological systems as applied to aircraft are reviewed. The importance of understanding the fundamental concepts involved in such systems is discussed. Basic properties of materials which can be related to adhesion, friction and wear are presented and correlated with tribology. Surface processes including deposition and treatment are addressed in relation to their present and future application to aircraft components such as bearings, gears and seals. Lubrication of components with both liquids and solids is discussed. Advances in both new liquid molecular structures and additives for those structures are reviewed and related to the needs of advanced engines. Solids and polymer composites are suggested for increasing use and ceramic coatings containing fluoride compounds are offered for the extreme temperatures encountered in such components as advanced bearings and seals.

Investigation of the Impact of Extracting and Exchanging Health Information by Using Internet and Social Networks.

PubMed

Pistolis, John; Zimeras, Stelios; Chardalias, Kostas; Roupa, Zoe; Fildisis, George; Diomidous, Marianna

2016-06-01

Social networks (1) have been embedded in our daily life for a long time. They constitute a powerful tool used nowadays for both searching and exchanging information on different issues by using Internet searching engines (Google, Bing, etc.) and Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter etc.). In this paper, are presented the results of a research based on the frequency and the type of the usage of the Internet and the Social Networks by the general public and the health professionals. The objectives of the research were focused on the investigation of the frequency of seeking and meticulously searching for health information in the social media by both individuals and health practitioners. The exchanging of information is a procedure that involves the issues of reliability and quality of information. In this research, by using advanced statistical techniques an effort is made to investigate the participant's profile in using social networks for searching and exchanging information on health issues. Based on the answers 93 % of the people, use the Internet to find information on health-subjects. Considering principal component analysis, the most important health subjects were nutrition (0.719 %), respiratory issues (0.79 %), cardiological issues (0.777%), psychological issues (0.667%) and total (73.8%). The research results, based on different statistical techniques revealed that the 61.2% of the males and 56.4% of the females intended to use the social networks for searching medical information. Based on the principal components analysis, the most important sources that the participants mentioned, were the use of the Internet and social networks for exchanging information on health issues. These sources proved to be of paramount importance to the participants of the study. The same holds for nursing, medical and administrative staff in hospitals.

Public Health, Population Health, and Epidemiology Informatics: Recent Research and Trends in the United States.

PubMed

Massoudi, B L; Chester, K G

2017-08-01

Objectives: To survey advances in public and population health and epidemiology informatics over the past 18 months. Methods: We conducted a review of English-language research works conducted in the domain of public and population health informatics and published in MEDLINE or Web of Science between January 2015 and June 2016 where information technology or informatics was a primary subject or main component of the study methodology. Selected articles were presented using a thematic analysis based on the 2011 American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Public Health Informatics Agenda tracks as a typology. Results: Results are given within the context developed by Dixon et al., (2015) and key themes from the 2011 AMIA Public Health Informatics Agenda. Advances are presented within a socio-technical infrastructure undergirded by a trained, competent public health workforce, systems development to meet the business needs of the practice field, and research that evaluates whether those needs are adequately met. The ability to support and grow the infrastructure depends on financial sustainability. Conclusions: The fields of public health and population health informatics continue to grow, with the most notable developments focused on surveillance, workforce development, and linking to or providing clinical services, which encompassed population health informatics advances. Very few advances addressed the need to improve communication, coordination, and consistency with the field of informatics itself, as identified in the AMIA agenda. This will likely result in the persistence of the silos of public health information systems that currently exist. Future research activities need to aim toward a holistic approach of informatics across the enterprise. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and food sensory properties: potential and challenges.

PubMed

Cordero, Chiara; Kiefl, Johannes; Schieberle, Peter; Reichenbach, Stephen E; Bicchi, Carlo

2015-01-01

Modern omics disciplines dealing with food flavor focus the analytical efforts on the elucidation of sensory-active compounds, including all possible stimuli of multimodal perception (aroma, taste, texture, etc.) by means of a comprehensive, integrated treatment of sample constituents, such as physicochemical properties, concentration in the matrix, and sensory properties (odor/taste quality, perception threshold). Such analyses require detailed profiling of known bioactive components as well as advanced fingerprinting techniques to catalog sample constituents comprehensively, quantitatively, and comparably across samples. Multidimensional analytical platforms support comprehensive investigations required for flavor analysis by combining information on analytes' identities, physicochemical behaviors (volatility, polarity, partition coefficient, and solubility), concentration, and odor quality. Unlike other omics, flavor metabolomics and sensomics include the final output of the biological phenomenon (i.e., sensory perceptions) as an additional analytical dimension, which is specifically and exclusively triggered by the chemicals analyzed. However, advanced omics platforms, which are multidimensional by definition, pose challenging issues not only in terms of coupling with detection systems and sample preparation, but also in terms of data elaboration and processing. The large number of variables collected during each analytical run provides a high level of information, but requires appropriate strategies to exploit fully this potential. This review focuses on advances in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and analytical platforms combining two-dimensional gas chromatography with olfactometry, chemometrics, and quantitative assays for food sensory analysis to assess the quality of a given product. We review instrumental advances and couplings, automation in sample preparation, data elaboration, and a selection of applications.

Feedback Regulation and Its Efficiency in Biochemical Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Tetsuya J.; Yokota, Ryo; Aihara, Kazuyuki

2016-03-01

Intracellular biochemical networks fluctuate dynamically due to various internal and external sources of fluctuation. Dissecting the fluctuation into biologically relevant components is important for understanding how a cell controls and harnesses noise and how information is transferred over apparently noisy intracellular networks. While substantial theoretical and experimental advancement on the decomposition of fluctuation was achieved for feedforward networks without any loop, we still lack a theoretical basis that can consistently extend such advancement to feedback networks. The main obstacle that hampers is the circulative propagation of fluctuation by feedback loops. In order to define the relevant quantity for the impact of feedback loops for fluctuation, disentanglement of the causally interlocked influences between the components is required. In addition, we also lack an approach that enables us to infer non-perturbatively the influence of the feedback to fluctuation in the same way as the dual reporter system does in the feedforward networks. In this work, we address these problems by extending the work on the fluctuation decomposition and the dual reporter system. For a single-loop feedback network with two components, we define feedback loop gain as the feedback efficiency that is consistent with the fluctuation decomposition for feedforward networks. Then, we clarify the relation of the feedback efficiency with the fluctuation propagation in an open-looped FF network. Finally, by extending the dual reporter system, we propose a conjugate feedback and feedforward system for estimating the feedback efficiency non-perturbatively only from the statistics of the system.

Is an advance care planning model feasible in community palliative care? A multi-site action research approach.

PubMed

Blackford, Jeanine; Street, Annette

2012-09-01

This article reports a study to determine the feasibility of an advance care planning model developed with Australian community palliative care services. An effective advance care planning programme involves an organizational wide commitment and preparedness for health service reform to embed advance care planning into routine practice. Internationally, such programmes have been implemented predominantly in aged and acute care with more recent work in primary care. A multi-site action research was conducted over a 16-month period in 2007-2009 with three Victorian community palliative care services. Using mixed method data collection strategies to assess feasibility, we conducted a baseline audit of staff and clients; analysed relevant documents (client records, policies, procedures and quality improvement strategies) pre-implementation and post-implementation and conducted key informant interviews (n = 9). Three community palliative care services: one regional and two metropolitan services in Victoria, Australia. The services demonstrated that it was feasible to embed the Model into their organizational structures. Advance care planning conversations and involvement of family was an important outcome measure rather than completion rate of advance care planning documents in community settings. Services adapted and applied their own concept of community, which widened the impact of the model. Changes to quality audit processes were essential to consolidate the model into routine palliative care practice. An advance care planning model is feasible for community palliative care services. Quality audit processes are an essential component of the Model with documentation of advance care planning discussion established as an important outcome measure. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The principal components model: a model for advancing spirituality and spiritual care within nursing and health care practice.

PubMed

McSherry, Wilfred

2006-07-01

The aim of this study was to generate a deeper understanding of the factors and forces that may inhibit or advance the concepts of spirituality and spiritual care within both nursing and health care. This manuscript presents a model that emerged from a qualitative study using grounded theory. Implementation and use of this model may assist all health care practitioners and organizations to advance the concepts of spirituality and spiritual care within their own sphere of practice. The model has been termed the principal components model because participants identified six components as being crucial to the advancement of spiritual health care. Grounded theory was used meaning that there was concurrent data collection and analysis. Theoretical sampling was used to develop the emerging theory. These processes, along with data analysis, open, axial and theoretical coding led to the identification of a core category and the construction of the principal components model. Fifty-three participants (24 men and 29 women) were recruited and all consented to be interviewed. The sample included nurses (n=24), chaplains (n=7), a social worker (n=1), an occupational therapist (n=1), physiotherapists (n=2), patients (n=14) and the public (n=4). The investigation was conducted in three phases to substantiate the emerging theory and the development of the model. The principal components model contained six components: individuality, inclusivity, integrated, inter/intra-disciplinary, innate and institution. A great deal has been written on the concepts of spirituality and spiritual care. However, rhetoric alone will not remove some of the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers that are inhibiting the advancement of the spiritual dimension in terms of theory and practice. An awareness of and adherence to the principal components model may assist nurses and health care professionals to engage with and overcome some of the structural, organizational, political and social variables that are impacting upon spiritual care.

Mentoring Faculty: Results from National Science Foundation's ADVANCE Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, M. A.

2015-12-01

Faculty mentoring programs are common components of National Science Foundation ADVANCE awards. The ADVANCE program aims to increase the number of women on the faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) departments through grants to individuals and to entire institutions. These grants target a change in institutional culture so that faculty from non-majority groups will succeed and thrive. Mentoring programs are generally designed to fit the particular institution(s) or target population (e.g., meteorologists at the beginning of their careers). A successful mentoring program makes the implicit knowledge necessary for faculty success explicit: policies and practices are made transparent; routes for finding answers are clarified or generated with faculty input; faculty overcome a sense of isolation and develop a community. Mentoring programs may be formal, with assigned mentors and mentees, or informal, with opportunities for beginning, middle and advanced career STEM faculty to mingle, generally over food and sometimes with a formal speaker. The programs are formally evaluated; in general, attention to mentoring generates better outcomes for all faculty. Research indicates that most successful scientists have a network of mentors rather than relying on one person to help navigate department, institution, and profession. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's (UNL) award, ADVANCE-Nebraska, offered opportunities for faculty to informally network over luncheons with women speakers, advanced in their careers. We also offered after-hours networking receptions. In response to faculty feedback, we shifted to a series of panel discussions entitled "Conversations". Most panels were conducted by successful UNL faculty; about one-third had an outside expert on a given topic. Topics were chosen based on faculty feedback and targeted specifically to beginning faculty (How to Start Up a Lab; How to Balance Teaching and Writing), mid-career faculty (Putting Together Your Promotion Packet; Balancing Service and Innovation); and/or fully promoted faculty (Professional Society Service; Successful Award Nomination Packets). One unexpected outcome from the panel discussions was the development of collaborations among faculty across departments and colleges.

Exploring the interactions between forecast accuracy, risk perception and perceived forecast reliability in reservoir operator's decision to use forecast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafiee-Jood, M.; Cai, X.

2017-12-01

Advances in streamflow forecasts at different time scales offer a promise for proactive flood management and improved risk management. Despite the huge potential, previous studies have found that water resources managers are often not willing to incorporate streamflow forecasts information in decisions making, particularly in risky situations. While low accuracy of forecasts information is often cited as the main reason, some studies have found that implementation of streamflow forecasts sometimes is impeded by institutional obstacles and behavioral factors (e.g., risk perception). In fact, a seminal study by O'Connor et al. (2005) found that risk perception is the strongest determinant of forecast use while managers' perception about forecast reliability is not significant. In this study, we aim to address this issue again. However, instead of using survey data and regression analysis, we develop a theoretical framework to assess the user-perceived value of streamflow forecasts. The framework includes a novel behavioral component which incorporates both risk perception and perceived forecast reliability. The framework is then used in a hypothetical problem where reservoir operator should react to probabilistic flood forecasts with different reliabilities. The framework will allow us to explore the interactions among risk perception and perceived forecast reliability, and among the behavioral components and information accuracy. The findings will provide insights to improve the usability of flood forecasts information through better communication and education.

A multidisciplinary approach to the development of low-cost high-performance lightwave networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maitan, Jacek; Harwit, Alex

1991-01-01

Our research focuses on high-speed distributed systems. We anticipate that our results will allow the fabrication of low-cost networks employing multi-gigabit-per-second data links for space and military applications. The recent development of high-speed low-cost photonic components and new generations of microprocessors creates an opportunity to develop advanced large-scale distributed information systems. These systems currently involve hundreds of thousands of nodes and are made up of components and communications links that may fail during operation. In order to realize these systems, research is needed into technologies that foster adaptability and scaleability. Self-organizing mechanisms are needed to integrate a working fabric of large-scale distributed systems. The challenge is to fuse theory, technology, and development methodologies to construct a cost-effective, efficient, large-scale system.

SiC/SiC Composites for 1200 C and Above

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiCarlo, J. A.; Yun, H.-M.; Morscher, G. N.; Bhatt, R. T.

2004-01-01

The successful replacement of metal alloys by ceramic matrix composites (CMC) in high-temperature engine components will require the development of constituent materials and processes that can provide CMC systems with enhanced thermal capability along with the key thermostructural properties required for long-term component service. This chapter presents information concerning processes and properties for five silicon carbide (SiC) fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composite systems recently developed by NASA that can operate under mechanical loading and oxidizing conditions for hundreds of hours at 1204, 1315, and 1427 C, temperatures well above current metal capability. This advanced capability stems in large part from specific NASA-developed processes that significantly improve the creep-rupture and environmental resistance of the SiC fiber as well as the thermal conductivity, creep resistance, and intrinsic thermal stability of the SiC matrices.

Application of information technology to the National Launch System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mauldin, W. T.; Smith, Carolyn L.; Monk, Jan C.; Davis, Steve; Smith, Marty E.

1992-01-01

The approach to the development of the Unified Information System (UNIS) to provide in a timely manner all the information required to manage, design, manufacture, integrate, test, launch, operate, and support the Advanced Launch System (NLS), as well as the current and planned capabilities are described. STESYM, the Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) development program, is comprised of a collection of data models which can be grouped into two primary models: the Engine Infrastructure Model (ENGIM) and the Engine Integrated Cast Model (ENGICOM). ENGIM is an end-to-end model of the infrastructure needed to perform the fabrication, assembly, and testing of the STEM program and its components. Together, UNIS and STESYM are to provide NLS managers and engineers with the ability to access various types and files of data quickly and use that data to assess the capabilities of the STEM program.

Progress toward an advanced condition monitoring system for reusable rocket engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maram, J.; Barkhoudarian, S.

1987-01-01

A new generation of advanced sensor technologies will allow the direct measurement of critical/degradable rocket engine components' health and the detection of degraded conditions before component deterioration affects engine performance, leading to substantial improvements in reusable engines' operation and maintenance. When combined with a computer-based engine condition-monitoring system, these sensors can furnish a continuously updated data base for the prediction of engine availability and advanced warning of emergent maintenance requirements. Attention is given to the case of a practical turbopump and combustion device diagnostic/prognostic health-monitoring system.

Current Challenges for HTCMC Aero-Propulsion Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiCarlo, James A.; Bansal, Narottam P.

2007-01-01

In comparison to the best metallic materials, HTCMC aero-propulsion engine components offer the opportunity of reduced weight and higher temperature operation, with corresponding improvements in engine cooling requirements, emissions, thrust, and specific fuel consumption. Although much progress has been made in the development of advanced HTCMC constituent materials and processes, major challenges still remain for their implementation into these components. The objectives of this presentation are to briefly review (1) potential HTCMC aero-propulsion components and their generic material performance requirements, (2) recent progress at NASA and elsewhere concerning advanced constituents and processes for meeting these requirements, (3) key HTCMC component implementation challenges that are currently being encountered, and (4) on-going activities within the new NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program that are addressing these challenges.

Thermal Performance Benchmarking: Annual Report

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

Moreno, Gilbert

2016-04-08

The goal for this project is to thoroughly characterize the performance of state-of-the-art (SOA) automotive power electronics and electric motor thermal management systems. Information obtained from these studies will be used to: Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of different thermal management strategies; establish baseline metrics for the thermal management systems; identify methods of improvement to advance the SOA; increase the publicly available information related to automotive traction-drive thermal management systems; help guide future electric drive technologies (EDT) research and development (R&D) efforts. The performance results combined with component efficiency and heat generation information obtained by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) maymore » then be used to determine the operating temperatures for the EDT components under drive-cycle conditions. In FY15, the 2012 Nissan LEAF power electronics and electric motor thermal management systems were benchmarked. Testing of the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid power electronics thermal management system started in FY15; however, due to time constraints it was not possible to include results for this system in this report. The focus of this project is to benchmark the thermal aspects of the systems. ORNL's benchmarking of electric and hybrid electric vehicle technology reports provide detailed descriptions of the electrical and packaging aspects of these automotive systems.« less

Developments in space power components for power management and distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renz, D. D.

1984-01-01

Advanced power electronic components development for space applications is discussed. The components described include transformers, inductors, semiconductor devices such as transistors and diodes, remote power controllers, and transmission lines.

Exploring the Components of Advanced Theory of Mind in Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedreño, C.; Pousa, E.; Navarro, J. B.; Pàmias, M.; Obiols, J. E.

2017-01-01

Performance of a group of 35 youth and adults with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) was compared with a typical developing (TD) group on three Advanced Theory of Mind tests. The distinction between the social-cognitive and social-perceptual components of Theory of Mind was also explored. The HFA group had more difficulties in all tasks. Performance…

Criteria for Evaluating Advancement Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heemann, Warren, Ed.

Criteria for evaluating college and university advancement programs are presented, based on the efforts of professional area trustees and advisory committees of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The criteria can be useful in three ways: as the basis of internal audits of advancement programs or program components; as the…

Robust Joining and Integration of Advanced Ceramics and Composites: Challenges, Opportunities, and Realities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Mrityunjay

2006-01-01

Advanced ceramics and fiber reinforced composites are under active consideration for use in a wide variety of high temperature applications within the aeronautics, space transportation, energy, and nuclear industries. The engineering designs of ceramic and composite components require fabrication and manufacturing of large and complex shaped parts of various thicknesses. In many instances, it is more economical to build up complex shapes by joining simple geometrical shapes. In addition, these components have to be joined or assembled with metallic sub-components. Thus, joining and attachment have been recognized as enabling technologies for successful utilization of ceramic components in various demanding applications. In this presentation, various challenges and opportunities in design, fabrication, and testing of high temperature joints in advanced ceramics and ceramic matrix composites will be presented. Silicon carbide based advanced ceramics and fiber reinforced composites in different shapes and sizes, have been joined using an affordable, robust ceramic joining technology. In addition, some examples of metal-ceramic brazing will also be presented. Microstructure and high temperature mechanical properties of joints in silicon carbide ceramics and composites will be reported. Various joint design philosophies and design issues in joining of ceramics and composites will be discussed.

A Transparent Translation from Legacy System Model into Common Information Model: Preprint

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

Ding, Fei; Simpson, Jeffrey; Zhang, Yingchen

Advance in smart grid is forcing utilities towards better monitoring, control and analysis of distribution systems, and requires extensive cyber-based intelligent systems and applications to realize various functionalities. The ability of systems, or components within systems, to interact and exchange services or information with each other is the key to the success of smart grid technologies, and it requires efficient information exchanging and data sharing infrastructure. The Common Information Model (CIM) is a standard that allows different applications to exchange information about an electrical system, and it has become a widely accepted solution for information exchange among different platforms andmore » applications. However, most existing legacy systems are not developed using CIM, but using their own languages. Integrating such legacy systems is a challenge for utilities, and the appropriate utilization of the integrated legacy systems is even more intricate. Thus, this paper has developed an approach and open-source tool in order to translate legacy system models into CIM format. The developed tool is tested for a commercial distribution management system and simulation results have proved its effectiveness.« less

Recent Advances and Applications in Synchrotron X-Ray Protein Footprinting for Protein Structure and Dynamics Elucidation.

PubMed

Gupta, Sayan; Feng, Jun; Chance, Mark; Ralston, Corie

2016-01-01

Synchrotron X-ray Footprinting is a powerful in situ hydroxyl radical labeling method for analysis of protein structure, interactions, folding and conformation change in solution. In this method, water is ionized by high flux density broad band synchrotron X-rays to produce a steady-state concentration of hydroxyl radicals, which then react with solvent accessible side-chains. The resulting stable modification products are analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. A comparative reactivity rate between known and unknown states of a protein provides local as well as global information on structural changes, which is then used to develop structural models for protein function and dynamics. In this review we describe the XF-MS method, its unique capabilities and its recent technical advances at the Advanced Light Source. We provide a comparison of other hydroxyl radical and mass spectrometry based methods with XFMS. We also discuss some of the latest developments in its usage for studying bound water, transmembrane proteins and photosynthetic protein components, and the synergy of the method with other synchrotron based structural biology methods.

A Biomimetic-Computational Approach to Optimizing the Quantum Efficiency of Photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Lisa M.; Holzenburg, Andreas

The most advanced low-cost organic photovoltaic cells have a quantum efficiency of 10%. This is in stark contrast to plant/bacterial light-harvesting systems which offer quantum efficiencies close to unity. Of particular interest is the highly effective quantum coherence-enabled energy transfer (Fig. 1). Noting that quantum coherence is promoted by charged residues and local dielectrics, classical atomistic simulations and time-dependent density functional theory (DFT) are used to identify charge/dielectric patterns and electronic coupling at exactly defined energy transfer interfaces. The calculations make use of structural information obtained on photosynthetic protein-pigment complexes while still in the native membrane making it possible to establish a link between supramolecular organization and quantum coherence in terms of what length scales enable fast energy transport and prevent quenching. Calculating energy transfer efficiencies between components based on different proximities will permit the search for patterns that enable defining material properties suitable for advanced photovoltaics.

NASA's Morphing Project Research Summaries in Fiscal Year 2002

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGowan, Anna-Maria R.; Waszak, Martin R.

2005-01-01

The Morphing Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Agency s (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) is part of the Breakthrough Vehicle Technologies Project, Vehicle Systems Program that conducts fundamental research on advanced technologies for future flight vehicles. The objectives of the Morphing Project are to develop and assess the advanced technologies and integrated component concepts to enable efficient, multi-point adaptability of flight vehicles; primarily through the application of adaptive structures and adaptive flow control to substantially alter vehicle performance characteristics. This document is a compilation of research summaries and other information on the project for fiscal year 2002. The focus is to provide a brief overview of the project content, technical results and lessons learned. At the time of publication, the Vehicle Systems Program (which includes the Morphing Project) is undergoing a program re-planning and reorganization. Accordingly, the programmatic descriptions of this document pertain only to the program as of fiscal year 2002.

Advancing Development and Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Vietnam's Wind Sector

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

Bilello, D.; Katz, J.; Esterly, S.

2014-09-01

Clean energy development is a key component of Vietnam's Green Growth Strategy, which establishes a target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from domestic energy activities by 20-30 percent by 2030 relative to a business-as-usual scenario. Vietnam has significant wind energy resources, which, if developed, could help the country reach this target while providing ancillary economic, social, and environmental benefits. Given Vietnam's ambitious clean energy goals and the relatively nascent state of wind energy development in the country, this paper seeks to fulfill two primary objectives: to distill timely and useful information to provincial-level planners, analysts, and project developers asmore » they evaluate opportunities to develop local wind resources; and, to provide insights to policymakers on how coordinated efforts may help advance large-scale wind development, deliver near-term GHG emission reductions, and promote national objectives in the context of a low emission development framework.« less

Biological soft X-ray tomography on beamline 2.1 at the Advanced Light Source.

PubMed

Le Gros, Mark A; McDermott, Gerry; Cinquin, Bertrand P; Smith, Elizabeth A; Do, Myan; Chao, Weilun L; Naulleau, Patrick P; Larabell, Carolyn A

2014-11-01

Beamline 2.1 (XM-2) is a transmission soft X-ray microscope in sector 2 of the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. XM-2 was designed, built and is now operated by the National Center for X-ray Tomography as a National Institutes of Health Biomedical Technology Research Resource. XM-2 is equipped with a cryogenic rotation stage to enable tomographic data collection from cryo-preserved cells, including large mammalian cells. During data collection the specimen is illuminated with `water window' X-rays (284-543 eV). Illuminating photons are attenuated an order of magnitude more strongly by biomolecules than by water. Consequently, differences in molecular composition generate quantitative contrast in images of the specimen. Soft X-ray tomography is an information-rich three-dimensional imaging method that can be applied either as a standalone technique or as a component modality in correlative imaging studies.

Hypothetical Scenario Generator for Fault-Tolerant Diagnosis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, Mark

2007-01-01

The Hypothetical Scenario Generator for Fault-tolerant Diagnostics (HSG) is an algorithm being developed in conjunction with other components of artificial- intelligence systems for automated diagnosis and prognosis of faults in spacecraft, aircraft, and other complex engineering systems. By incorporating prognostic capabilities along with advanced diagnostic capabilities, these developments hold promise to increase the safety and affordability of the affected engineering systems by making it possible to obtain timely and accurate information on the statuses of the systems and predicting impending failures well in advance. The HSG is a specific instance of a hypothetical- scenario generator that implements an innovative approach for performing diagnostic reasoning when data are missing. The special purpose served by the HSG is to (1) look for all possible ways in which the present state of the engineering system can be mapped with respect to a given model and (2) generate a prioritized set of future possible states and the scenarios of which they are parts.

Ceramic composites for rocket engine turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herbell, Thomas P.; Eckel, Andrew J.

1991-01-01

The use of ceramic materials in the hot section of the fuel turbopump of advanced reusable rocket engines promises increased performance and payload capability, improved component life and economics, and greater design flexibility. Severe thermal transients present during operation of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), push metallic components to the limit of their capabilities. Future engine requirements might be even more severe. In phase one of this two-phase program, performance benefits were quantified and continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite components demonstrated a potential to survive the hostile environment of an advanced rocket engine turbopump.

Advanced exergoenvironmental analysis of a near-zero emission power plant with chemical looping combustion.

PubMed

Petrakopoulou, Fontina; Tsatsaronis, George; Morosuk, Tatiana

2012-03-06

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) from power plants can be used to mitigate CO(2) emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels. However, CCS technologies are energy intensive, decreasing the operating efficiency of a plant and increasing its costs. Recently developed advanced exergy-based analyses can uncover the potential for improvement of complex energy conversion systems, as well as qualify and quantify plant component interactions. In this paper, an advanced exergoenvironmental analysis is used for the first time as means to evaluate an oxy-fuel power plant with CO(2) capture. The environmental impacts of each component are split into avoidable/unavoidable and endogenous/exogenous parts. In an effort to minimize the environmental impact of the plant operation, we focus on the avoidable part of the impact (which is also split into endogenous and exogenous parts) and we seek ways to decrease it. The results of the advanced exergoenvironmental analysis show that the majority of the environmental impact related to the exergy destruction of individual components is unavoidable and endogenous. Thus, the improvement potential is rather limited, and the interactions of the components are of lower importance. The environmental impact of construction of the components is found to be significantly lower than that associated with their operation; therefore, our suggestions for improvement focus on measures concerning the reduction of exergy destruction and pollutant formation.

Adapting the design of Anesthesia Information Management Systems to innovations depicted in Industrial Property documents.

PubMed

Spyropoulos, B; Tzavaras, A; Zogogianni, D; Botsivaly, M

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present the design and the current development status of an Anesthesia Information Management System (AIMS). For this system, the physical and technical advances, depicted in relevant, recently published Industrial Property documents, have been taken into account. Additional innovative sensors create further data-load to be managed. Novel wireless data-transmission modes demand eventually compliance to further proper standards, so that interoperability between AIMS and the existing Hospital Information Systems is being sustained. We attempted to define, the state-of-the-art concerning the functions, the design-prerequisites and the relevant standards and of an "emerging" AIMS that is combining hardware innovation, real-time data acquisition, processing and displaying and lastly enabling the necessary interoperability with the other components of the existing Hospital Information Systems. Finally, we report based on this approach, about the design and implementation status, of our "real-world" system under development and discuss the multifarious obstacles encountered during this still on-going project.

Landauer in the Age of Synthetic Biology: Energy Consumption and Information Processing in Biochemical Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Pankaj; Lang, Alex H.; Schwab, David J.

2016-03-01

A central goal of synthetic biology is to design sophisticated synthetic cellular circuits that can perform complex computations and information processing tasks in response to specific inputs. The tremendous advances in our ability to understand and manipulate cellular information processing networks raises several fundamental physics questions: How do the molecular components of cellular circuits exploit energy consumption to improve information processing? Can one utilize ideas from thermodynamics to improve the design of synthetic cellular circuits and modules? Here, we summarize recent theoretical work addressing these questions. Energy consumption in cellular circuits serves five basic purposes: (1) increasing specificity, (2) manipulating dynamics, (3) reducing variability, (4) amplifying signal, and (5) erasing memory. We demonstrate these ideas using several simple examples and discuss the implications of these theoretical ideas for the emerging field of synthetic biology. We conclude by discussing how it may be possible to overcome these limitations using "post-translational" synthetic biology that exploits reversible protein modification.

Implementing health information exchange for public health reporting: a comparison of decision and risk management of three regional health information organizations in New York state

PubMed Central

Phillips, Andrew B; Wilson, Rosalind V; Kaushal, Rainu; Merrill, Jacqueline A

2014-01-01

Health information exchange (HIE) is a significant component of healthcare transformation strategies at both the state and national levels. HIE is expected to improve care coordination, and advance public health, but implementation is massively complex and involves significant risk. In New York, three regional health information organizations (RHIOs) implemented an HIE use case for public health reporting by demonstrating capability to deliver accurate responses to electronic queries via a set of services called the Universal Public Health Node. We investigated process and outcomes of the implementation with a comparative case study. Qualitative analysis was structured around a decision and risk matrix. Although each RHIO had a unique operational model, two common factors influenced risk management and implementation success: leadership capable of agile decision-making and commitment to a strong organizational vision. While all three RHIOs achieved certification for the public health reporting, only one has elected to deploy a production version. PMID:23975626

Implementing health information exchange for public health reporting: a comparison of decision and risk management of three regional health information organizations in New York state.

PubMed

Phillips, Andrew B; Wilson, Rosalind V; Kaushal, Rainu; Merrill, Jacqueline A

2014-02-01

Health information exchange (HIE) is a significant component of healthcare transformation strategies at both the state and national levels. HIE is expected to improve care coordination, and advance public health, but implementation is massively complex and involves significant risk. In New York, three regional health information organizations (RHIOs) implemented an HIE use case for public health reporting by demonstrating capability to deliver accurate responses to electronic queries via a set of services called the Universal Public Health Node. We investigated process and outcomes of the implementation with a comparative case study. Qualitative analysis was structured around a decision and risk matrix. Although each RHIO had a unique operational model, two common factors influenced risk management and implementation success: leadership capable of agile decision-making and commitment to a strong organizational vision. While all three RHIOs achieved certification for the public health reporting, only one has elected to deploy a production version.

Enhancements of the "eHabitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoro, M.; Dubois, G.; Schulz, M.; Skøien, J. O.; Nativi, S.; Peedell, S.; Boldrini, E.

2012-04-01

The number of interoperable research infrastructures has increased significantly with the growing awareness of the efforts made by the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). One of the Social Benefit Areas (SBA) that is benefiting most from GEOSS is biodiversity, given the costs of monitoring the environment and managing complex information, from space observations to species records including their genetic characteristics. But GEOSS goes beyond the simple sharing of the data as it encourages the connectivity of models (the GEOSS Model Web), an approach easing the handling of often complex multi-disciplinary questions such as understanding the impact of environmental and climatological factors on ecosystems and habitats. In the context of GEOSS Architecture Implementation Pilot - Phase 3 (AIP-3), the EC-funded EuroGEOSS and GENESIS projects have developed and successfully demonstrated the "eHabitat" use scenario dealing with Climate Change and Biodiversity domains. Based on the EuroGEOSS multidisciplinary brokering infrastructure and on the DOPA (Digital Observatory for Protected Areas, see http://dopa.jrc.ec.europa.eu/), this scenario demonstrated how a GEOSS-based interoperability infrastructure can aid decision makers to assess and possibly forecast the irreplaceability of a given protected area, an essential indicator for assessing the criticality of threats this protected area is exposed to. The "eHabitat" use scenario was advanced in the GEOSS Sprint to Plenary activity; the advanced scenario will include the "EuroGEOSS Data Access Broker" and a new version of the eHabitat model in order to support the use of uncertain data. The multidisciplinary interoperability infrastructure which is used to demonstrate the "eHabitat" use scenario is composed of the following main components: a) A Discovery Broker: this component is able to discover resources from a plethora of different and heterogeneous geospatial services, presenting them on a single and standard discovery service; b) A Discovery Augmentation Component (DAC): this component builds on existing discovery and semantic services in order to provide the infrastructure with semantics enabled queries; c) A Data Access Broker: this component provides a seamless access of heterogeneous remote resources via a unique and standard service; d) Environmental Modeling Components (i.e. OGC WPS): these implement algorithms to predict evolution of protected areas This presentation introduces the advanced infrastructure developed to enhance the "eHabitat" use scenario. The presented infrastructure will be accessible through the GEO Portal and was used for demonstrating the "eHabitat" model at the last GEO Plenary Meeting - Istanbul, November 2011.

Durability and CMAS Resistance of Advanced Environmental Barrier Coatings Systems for SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming

2015-01-01

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) and SiCSiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) systems will play a crucial role in next generation turbine engines for hot-section component applications because of their ability to significantly increase engine operating temperatures with improved efficiency, reduce engine weight and cooling requirements. This paper will emphasize advanced environmental barrier coating developments for SiCSiC turbine airfoil components, by using advanced coating compositions and processing, in conjunction with mechanical and environment testing and durability validations. The coating-CMC degradations and durability in the laboratory simulated engine fatigue-creep and complex operating environments are being addressed. The effects of Calcium-Magnesium-Alumino-Silicate (CMAS) from road sand or volcano-ash deposits on the degradation mechanisms of the environmental barrier coating systems will be discussed. The results help understand the advanced EBC-CMC system performance, aiming at the durability improvements of more robust, prime-reliant environmental barrier coatings for successful applications of the component technologies and lifing methodologies.

Advances in optical information processing IV; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 18-20, 1990

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pape, Dennis R.

1990-09-01

The present conference discusses topics in optical image processing, optical signal processing, acoustooptic spectrum analyzer systems and components, and optical computing. Attention is given to tradeoffs in nonlinearly recorded matched filters, miniature spatial light modulators, detection and classification using higher-order statistics of optical matched filters, rapid traversal of an image data base using binary synthetic discriminant filters, wideband signal processing for emitter location, an acoustooptic processor for autonomous SAR guidance, and sampling of Fresnel transforms. Also discussed are an acoustooptic RF signal-acquisition system, scanning acoustooptic spectrum analyzers, the effects of aberrations on acoustooptic systems, fast optical digital arithmetic processors, information utilization in analog and digital processing, optical processors for smart structures, and a self-organizing neural network for unsupervised learning.

Technical Needs for Prototypic Prognostic Technique Demonstration for Advanced Small Modular Reactor Passive Components

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

Meyer, Ryan M.; Coble, Jamie B.; Hirt, Evelyn H.

2013-05-17

This report identifies a number of requirements for prognostics health management of passive systems in AdvSMRs, documents technical gaps in establishing a prototypical prognostic methodology for this purpose, and describes a preliminary research plan for addressing these technical gaps. AdvSMRs span multiple concepts; therefore a technology- and design-neutral approach is taken, with the focus being on characteristics that are likely to be common to all or several AdvSMR concepts. An evaluation of available literature is used to identify proposed concepts for AdvSMRs along with likely operational characteristics. Available operating experience of advanced reactors is used in identifying passive components thatmore » may be subject to degradation, materials likely to be used for these components, and potential modes of degradation of these components. This information helps in assessing measurement needs for PHM systems, as well as defining functional requirements of PHM systems. An assessment of current state-of-the-art approaches to measurements, sensors and instrumentation, diagnostics and prognostics is also documented. This state-of-the-art evaluation, combined with the requirements, may be used to identify technical gaps and research needs in the development, evaluation, and deployment of PHM systems for AdvSMRs. A preliminary research plan to address high-priority research needs for the deployment of PHM systems to AdvSMRs is described, with the objective being the demonstration of prototypic prognostics technology for passive components in AdvSMRs. Greater efficiency in achieving this objective can be gained through judicious selection of materials and degradation modes that are relevant to proposed AdvSMR concepts, and for which significant knowledge already exists. These selections were made based on multiple constraints including the analysis performed in this document, ready access to laboratory-scale facilities for materials testing and measurement, and potential synergies with other national laboratory and university partners.« less

Data to inform a social media component for professional development and practices: A design-based research study.

PubMed

Novakovich, Jeanette; Shaw, Steven; Miah, Sophia

2017-02-01

This DIB article includes the course artefacts, instruments, survey data, and descriptive statistics, along with in-depth correlational analysis for the first iteration of a design-based research study on designing curriculum for developing online professional identity and social media practices for a multi-major advanced professional writing course. Raw data was entered into SPSS software. For interpretation and discussion, please see the original article entitled, "Designing curriculum to shape professional social media skills and identity in virtual communities of practice" (J. Novakovich, S. Miah, S. Shaw, 2017) [1].

Dissertations Initiative for the Advancement of Limnology and Oceanography (DIALOG)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The DIALOG Program was founded by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), in order to reduce the historical, institutional and philosophical barriers that limit the exchange of information between limnologists and oceanographers, and to foster interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research. This was achieved by targeting a recent cohort of Ph.D. recipients whose work included a biological component of limnology or oceanography. The program included: (1) publication of the submitted Ph.D. dissertation abstracts; (2) a symposium to facilitate exchange across institutions and disciplines; and (3) establishment of a centralized data base for applicant characterization and tracking.

Familial ALS

PubMed Central

Boylan, Kevin

2015-01-01

Synopsis Genes linked to ALS susceptibility are being identified at an increasing rate owing to advances in molecular genetic technology. Genetic mechanisms in ALS pathogenesis appear to exert major effects in ~10% of patients, but genetic factors at some level may be important components of disease risk in most ALS patients. Identification of gene variants associated with ALS has informed concepts of the pathogenesis of ALS, aided the identification of therapeutic targets, facilitated research to develop new ALS biomarkers, and supported the establishment of clinical diagnostic tests for ALS-linked genes. Translation of this knowledge to ALS therapy development is ongoing. PMID:26515623

Flavonoids biosynthesis in plants and its further analysis by capillary electrophoresis.

PubMed

Singh, Baljinder; Kumar, Ashwini; Malik, Ashok Kumar

2017-03-01

Flavonoids represent an important bioactive component in plants. Accumulation of flavonoids often occurs in plants subjected to abiotic stresses, including the adaptation of plants to the environment and in overcoming their stress conditions. This fact makes their analysis and determination an attractive field in food science since they can give interesting information on the quality and safety of foods. In this study, we discuss reports on plants flavonoids biosynthesis against abiotic stresses and advances in analytical capillary electrophoresis used for their identification and quantification in plants. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Informatics Essentials for DNPs.

PubMed

Jenkins, Melinda L

2018-01-01

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs are proliferating around the US as advanced practice nursing programs evolve to build capacity by adding content on professional leadership, policy, and quality improvement to the traditional clinical content. One of the eight "Essentials" for DNP education is "Information systems/technology and patient care technology for the improvement and transformation of health care."[1] A required graduate course was revised and updated in 2017 to provide a foundation in clinical informatics for DNPs, as well as for nursing informatics specialists. Components of the online course, assignments, and free online resources linked to the DNP Essentials are described in this paper.

Flood Foresight: A near-real time flood monitoring and forecasting tool for rapid and predictive flood impact assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revilla-Romero, Beatriz; Shelton, Kay; Wood, Elizabeth; Berry, Robert; Bevington, John; Hankin, Barry; Lewis, Gavin; Gubbin, Andrew; Griffiths, Samuel; Barnard, Paul; Pinnell, Marc; Huyck, Charles

2017-04-01

The hours and days immediately after a major flood event are often chaotic and confusing, with first responders rushing to mobilise emergency responders, provide alleviation assistance and assess loss to assets of interest (e.g., population, buildings or utilities). Preparations in advance of a forthcoming event are becoming increasingly important; early warning systems have been demonstrated to be useful tools for decision markers. The extent of damage, human casualties and economic loss estimates can vary greatly during an event, and the timely availability of an accurate flood extent allows emergency response and resources to be optimised, reduces impacts, and helps prioritise recovery. In the insurance sector, for example, insurers are under pressure to respond in a proactive manner to claims rather than waiting for policyholders to report losses. Even though there is a great demand for flood inundation extents and severity information in different sectors, generating flood footprints for large areas from hydraulic models in real time remains a challenge. While such footprints can be produced in real time using remote sensing, weather conditions and sensor availability limit their ability to capture every single flood event across the globe. In this session, we will present Flood Foresight (www.floodforesight.com), an operational tool developed to meet the universal requirement for rapid geographic information, before, during and after major riverine flood events. The tool provides spatial data with which users can measure their current or predicted impact from an event - at building, basin, national or continental scales. Within Flood Foresight, the Screening component uses global rainfall predictions to provide a regional- to continental-scale view of heavy rainfall events up to a week in advance, alerting the user to potentially hazardous situations relevant to them. The Forecasting component enhances the predictive suite of tools by providing a local-scale view of the extent and depth of possible riverine flood events several days in advance by linking forecast river flow from a hydrological model to a global flood risk map. The Monitoring component provides a similar local-scale view of a flood inundation extent but in near real time, as an event unfolds, by combining the global flood risk map with observed river gauge telemetry. Immediately following an event, the maximum extent of the flood is also generated. Users of Flood Foresight will be able to receive current and forecast flood extents and depth information via API into their own GIS or analytics software. The set of tools is currently operational for the UK and Europe; the methods presented can be applied globally, allowing provision of service to any country or region. This project was supported by InnovateUK under the Solving Business Problems with Environmental Data competition.

Experiences integrating autonomous components and legacy systems into tsunami early warning systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reißland, S.; Herrnkind, S.; Guenther, M.; Babeyko, A.; Comoglu, M.; Hammitzsch, M.

2012-04-01

Fostered by and embedded in the general development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the evolution of Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS) shows a significant development from seismic-centred to multi-sensor system architectures using additional sensors, e.g. sea level stations for the detection of tsunami waves and GPS stations for the detection of ground displacements. Furthermore, the design and implementation of a robust and scalable service infrastructure supporting the integration and utilisation of existing resources serving near real-time data not only includes sensors but also other components and systems offering services such as the delivery of feasible simulations used for forecasting in an imminent tsunami threat. In the context of the development of the German Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (GITEWS) and the project Distant Early Warning System (DEWS) a service platform for both sensor integration and warning dissemination has been newly developed and demonstrated. In particular, standards of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) have been successfully incorporated. In the project Collaborative, Complex, and Critical Decision-Support in Evolving Crises (TRIDEC) new developments are used to extend the existing platform to realise a component-based technology framework for building distributed TEWS. This talk will describe experiences made in GITEWS, DEWS and TRIDEC while integrating legacy stand-alone systems and newly developed special-purpose software components into TEWS using different software adapters and communication strategies to make the systems work together in a corporate infrastructure. The talk will also cover task management and data conversion between the different systems. Practical approaches and software solutions for the integration of sensors, e.g. providing seismic and sea level data, and utilisation of special-purpose components, such as simulation systems, in TEWS will be presented.

Incorporating Equipment Condition Assessment in Risk Monitors for Advanced Small Modular Reactors

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

Coble, Jamie B.; Coles, Garill A.; Meyer, Ryan M.

2013-10-01

Advanced small modular reactors (aSMRs) can complement the current fleet of large light-water reactors in the USA for baseload and peak demand power production and process heat applications (e.g., water desalination, shale oil extraction, hydrogen production). The day-to-day costs of aSMRs are expected to be dominated by operations and maintenance (O&M); however, the effect of diverse operating missions and unit modularity on O&M is not fully understood. These costs could potentially be reduced by optimized scheduling, with risk-informed scheduling of maintenance, repair, and replacement of equipment. Currently, most nuclear power plants have a “living” probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), which reflectsmore » the as-operated, as-modified plant and combine event probabilities with population-based probability of failure (POF) for key components. “Risk monitors” extend the PRA by incorporating the actual and dynamic plant configuration (equipment availability, operating regime, environmental conditions, etc.) into risk assessment. In fact, PRAs are more integrated into plant management in today’s nuclear power plants than at any other time in the history of nuclear power. However, population-based POF curves are still used to populate fault trees; this approach neglects the time-varying condition of equipment that is relied on during standard and non-standard configurations. Equipment condition monitoring techniques can be used to estimate the component POF. Incorporating this unit-specific estimate of POF in the risk monitor can provide a more accurate estimate of risk in different operating and maintenance configurations. This enhanced risk assessment will be especially important for aSMRs that have advanced component designs, which don’t have an available operating history to draw from, and often use passive design features, which present challenges to PRA. This paper presents the requirements and technical gaps for developing a framework to integrate unit-specific estimates of POF into risk monitors, resulting in enhanced risk monitors that support optimized operation and maintenance of aSMRs.« less

Assessing Integrated Pest Management Adoption: Measurement Problems and Policy Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puente, Molly; Darnall, Nicole; Forkner, Rebecca E.

2011-11-01

For more than a decade, the U.S. government has promoted integrated pest management (IPM) to advance sustainable agriculture. However, the usefulness of this practice has been questioned because of lagging implementation. There are at least two plausible rationales for the slow implementation: (1) growers are not adopting IPM—for whatever reason—and (2) current assessment methods are inadequate at assessing IPM implementation. Our research addresses the second plausibility. We suggest that the traditional approach to measuring IPM implementation on its own fails to assess the distinct, biologically hierarchical components of IPM, and instead aggregates growers' management practices into an overall adoption score. Knowledge of these distinct components and the extent to which they are implemented can inform government officials as to how they should develop targeted assistance programs to encourage broader IPM use. We address these concerns by assessing the components of IPM adoption and comparing our method to the traditional approach alone. Our results indicate that there are four distinct components of adoption—weed, insect, general, and ecosystem management—and that growers implement the first two components significantly more often than the latter two. These findings suggest that using a more nuanced measure to assess IPM adoption that expands on the traditional approach, allows for a better understanding of the degree of IPM implementation.

National health information infrastructure model: a milestone for health information management education realignment.

PubMed

Meidani, Zahra; Sadoughi, Farhnaz; Ahmadi, Maryam; Maleki, Mohammad Reza; Zohoor, Alireza; Saddik, Basema

2012-01-01

Challenges and drawbacks of the health information management (HIM) curriculum at the Master's degree were examined, including lack of well-established computing sciences and inadequacy to give rise to specific competencies. Information management was condensed to the hospital setting to intensify the indispensability of a well-organized educational campaign. The healthcare information dimensions of a national health information infrastructure (NHII) model present novel requirements for HIM education. Articles related to challenges and barriers to adoption of the personal health record (PHR), the core component of personal health dimension of an NHII, were searched through sources including Science Direct, ProQuest, and PubMed. Through a literature review, concerns about the PHR that are associated with HIM functions and responsibilities were extracted. In the community/public health dimension of the NHII the main components have been specified, and the targeted information was gathered through literature review, e-mail, and navigation of international and national organizations. Again, topics related to HIM were evoked. Using an information system (decision support system, artificial neural network, etc.) to support PHR media and content, patient education, patient-HIM communication skills, consumer health information, conducting a surveillance system in other areas of healthcare such as a risk factor surveillance system, occupational health, using an information system to analyze aggregated data including a geographic information system, data mining, online analytical processing, public health vocabulary and classification system, and emerging automated coding systems pose major knowledge gaps in HIM education. Combining all required skills and expertise to handle personal and public dimensions of healthcare information in a single curriculum is simply impractical. Role expansion and role extension for HIM professionals should be defined based on the essence of HIM roles and responsibilities. Forming a curriculum development team consisting of various professional profiles brings divergent views regarding the HIM curriculum and paves the way for HIM to branch out at the Master's and Ph.D. levels based on advanced information technology.

Thermo-mechanical cyclic testing of carbon-carbon primary structure for an SSTO vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croop, Harold C.; Leger, Kenneth B.; Lowndes, Holland B.; Hahn, Steven E.; Barthel, Chris A.

1999-01-01

An advanced carbon-carbon structural component is being experimentally evaluated for use as primary load carrying structure for future single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicles. The component is a wing torque box section featuring an advanced, three-spar design. This design features 3D-woven, angle-interlock skins, 3D integrally woven spar webs and caps, oxidation inhibited matrix, chemical vapor deposited (CVD) oxidation protection coating, and ceramic matrix composite fasteners. The box spar caps are nested into the skins which, when processed together through the carbon-carbon processing cycle, resulted in monolithic box halves. The box half sections were then joined at the spar web intersections using ceramic matrix composite fasteners. This method of fabrication eliminated fasteners through both the upper and lower skins. Development of the carbon-carbon wing box structure was accomplished in a four phase design and fabrication effort, conducted by Boeing, Information, Space and Defense Systems, Seattle, WA, under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The box is now set up for testing and will soon begin cyclic loads testing in the AFRL Structural Test Facility at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), OH. This paper discusses the latest test setup accomplishments and the results of the pre-cyclic loads testing performed to date.

An intelligent approach to welding robot selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milano, J.; Mauk, S. D.; Flitter, L.; Morris, R.

1993-10-01

In a shipyard where multiple stationary and mobile workcells are employed in the fabrication of components of complex sub-assemblies,efficient operation requires an intelligent method of scheduling jobs and selecting workcells based on optimum throughput and cost. The achievement of this global solution requires the successful organization of resource availability,process requirements,and process constraints. The Off-line Planner (OLP) of the Programmable Automated Weld Systemd (PAWS) is capable of advanced modeling of weld processes and environments as well as the generation of complete weld procedures. These capabilities involve the integration of advanced Computer Aided Design (CAD), path planning, and obstacle detection and avoidance techniques as well as the synthesis of complex design and process information. These existing capabilities provide the basis of the functionality required for the successful implementation of an intelligent weld robot selector and material flow planner. Current efforts are focused on robot selection via the dynamic routing of components to the appropriate work cells. It is proposed that this problem is a variant of the “Traveling Salesman Problem” (TSP) that has been proven to belong to a larger set of optimization problems termed nondeterministic polynomial complete (NP complete). In this paper, a heuristic approach utilizing recurrent neural networks is explored as a rapid means of producing a near optimal, if not optimal, bdweld robot selection.

Applications of advanced data analysis and expert system technologies in the ATLAS Trigger-DAQ Controls framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avolio, G.; Corso Radu, A.; Kazarov, A.; Lehmann Miotto, G.; Magnoni, L.

2012-12-01

The Trigger and Data Acquisition (TDAQ) system of the ATLAS experiment is a very complex distributed computing system, composed of more than 20000 applications running on more than 2000 computers. The TDAQ Controls system has to guarantee the smooth and synchronous operations of all the TDAQ components and has to provide the means to minimize the downtime of the system caused by runtime failures. During data taking runs, streams of information messages sent or published by running applications are the main sources of knowledge about correctness of running operations. The huge flow of operational monitoring data produced is constantly monitored by experts in order to detect problems or misbehaviours. Given the scale of the system and the rates of data to be analyzed, the automation of the system functionality in the areas of operational monitoring, system verification, error detection and recovery is a strong requirement. To accomplish its objective, the Controls system includes some high-level components which are based on advanced software technologies, namely the rule-based Expert System and the Complex Event Processing engines. The chosen techniques allow to formalize, store and reuse the knowledge of experts and thus to assist the shifters in the ATLAS control room during the data-taking activities.

Lunar Plant Biology - A Review of the Apollo Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferl, Robert J.; Paul, Anna-Lisa

2010-04-01

Recent plans for human return to the Moon have significantly elevated scientific interest in the lunar environment with emphasis on the science to be done in preparation for the return and while on the lunar surface. Since the return to the Moon is envisioned as a dedicated and potentially longer-term commitment to lunar exploration, questions of the lunar environment and particularly its impact on biology and biological systems have become a significant part of the lunar science discussion. Plants are integral to the discussion of biology on the Moon. Plants are envisioned as important components of advanced habitats and fundamental components of advanced life-support systems. Moreover, plants are sophisticated multicellular eukaryotic life-forms with highly orchestrated developmental processes, well-characterized signal transduction pathways, and exceedingly fine-tuned responses to their environments. Therefore, plants represent key test organisms for understanding the biological impact of the lunar environment on terrestrial life-forms. Indeed, plants were among the initial and primary organisms that were exposed to returned lunar regolith from the Apollo lunar missions. This review discusses the original experiments involving plants in association with the Apollo samples, with the intent of understanding those studies within the context of the first lunar exploration program and drawing from those experiments the data to inform the studies critical within the next lunar exploration science agenda.

Solar Sail Propulsion Technology Readiness Level Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Charles L.

2004-01-01

The NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) Projects Office has been sponsoring 2 solar sail system design and development hardware demonstration activities over the past 20 months. Able Engineering Company (AEC) of Goleta, CA is leading one team and L Garde, Inc. of Tustin, CA is leading the other team. Component, subsystem and system fabrication and testing has been completed successfully. The goal of these activities is to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) of solar sail propulsion from 3 towards 6 by 2006. These activities will culminate in the deployment and testing of 20-meter solar sail system ground demonstration hardware in the 30 meter diameter thermal-vacuum chamber at NASA Glenn Plum Brook in 2005. This paper will describe the features of a computer database system that documents the results of the solar sail development activities to-date. Illustrations of the hardware components and systems, test results, analytical models, relevant space environment definition and current TRL assessment, as stored and manipulated within the database are presented. This database could serve as a central repository for all data related to the advancement of solar sail technology sponsored by the ISPT, providing an up-to-date assessment of the TRL of this technology. Current plans are to eventually make the database available to the Solar Sail community through the Space Transportation Information Network (STIN).

Lunar plant biology--a review of the Apollo era.

PubMed

Ferl, Robert J; Paul, Anna-Lisa

2010-04-01

Recent plans for human return to the Moon have significantly elevated scientific interest in the lunar environment with emphasis on the science to be done in preparation for the return and while on the lunar surface. Since the return to the Moon is envisioned as a dedicated and potentially longer-term commitment to lunar exploration, questions of the lunar environment and particularly its impact on biology and biological systems have become a significant part of the lunar science discussion. Plants are integral to the discussion of biology on the Moon. Plants are envisioned as important components of advanced habitats and fundamental components of advanced life-support systems. Moreover, plants are sophisticated multicellular eukaryotic life-forms with highly orchestrated developmental processes, well-characterized signal transduction pathways, and exceedingly fine-tuned responses to their environments. Therefore, plants represent key test organisms for understanding the biological impact of the lunar environment on terrestrial life-forms. Indeed, plants were among the initial and primary organisms that were exposed to returned lunar regolith from the Apollo lunar missions. This review discusses the original experiments involving plants in association with the Apollo samples, with the intent of understanding those studies within the context of the first lunar exploration program and drawing from those experiments the data to inform the studies critical within the next lunar exploration science agenda.

MEMS Deformable Mirror Technology Development for Space-Based Exoplanet Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bierden, Paul; Cornelissen, S.; Ryan, P.

2014-01-01

In the search for earth-like extrasolar planets that has become an important objective for NASA, a critical technology development requirement is to advance deformable mirror (DM) technology. High-actuator-count DMs are critical components for nearly all proposed coronagraph instrument concepts. The science case for exoplanet imaging is strong, and rapid recent advances in test beds with DMs made using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology have motivated a number of compelling mission concepts that set technical specifications for their use as wavefront controllers. This research will advance the technology readiness of the MEMS DMs components that are currently at the forefront of the field, and the project will be led by the manufacturer of those components, Boston Micromachines Corporation (BMC). The project aims to demonstrate basic functionality and performance of this key component in critical test environments and in simulated operational environments, while establishing model-based predictions of its performance relative to launch and space environments. Presented will be the current status of the project with modeling and initial test results.

Information Technologies (ITs) in Medical Education

PubMed Central

Masic, Izet; Pandza, Haris; Toromanovic, Selim; Masic, Fedja; Sivic, Suad; Zunic, Lejla; Masic, Zlatan

2011-01-01

Advances in medicine in recent decades are in significant correlation with the advances in the information technology. Modern information technologies (IT) have enabled faster, more reliable and comprehensive data collection. These technologies have started to create a large number of irrelevant information, which represents a limiting factor and a real growing gap, between the medical knowledge on one hand, and the ability of doctors to follow its growth on the other. Furthermore, in our environment, the term technology is generally reserved for its technical component. Education means, learning, teaching, or the process of acquiring skills or behavior modification through various exercises. Traditionally, medical education meant the oral, practical and more passive transferring of knowledge and skills from the educators to students and health professionals. For the clinical disciplines, of special importance are the principles, such as, “learning at bedside,” aided by the medical literature. In doing so, these techniques enable students to contact with their teachers, and to refer to the appropriate literature. The disadvantage of these educational methods is in the fact, that teachers often do not have enough time. Additionally they are not very convenient to the horizontal and vertical integration of teaching, create weak or almost no self education, as well as, low skill levels and poor integration of education with a real social environment. In this paper authors describe application of modern IT in medical education – their advantages and disadvantages comparing with traditional ways of education. PMID:23408471

Ceramic automotive Stirling engine program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The Ceramic Automotive Stirling Engine Program evaluated the application of advanced ceramic materials to an automotive Stirling engine. The objective of the program was to evaluate the technical feasibility of utilizing advanced ceramics to increase peak engine operating temperature, and to evaluate the performance benefits of such an increase. Manufacturing cost estimates were also developed for various ceramic engine components and compared with conventional metallic engine component costs.

A Primer In Advanced Fatigue Life Prediction Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halford, Gary R.

2000-01-01

Metal fatigue has plagued structural components for centuries, and it remains a critical durability issue in today's aerospace hardware. This is true despite vastly improved and advanced materials, increased mechanistic understanding, and development of accurate structural analysis and advanced fatigue life prediction tools. Each advance is quickly taken advantage of to produce safer, more reliable more cost effective, and better performing products. In other words, as the envelop is expanded, components are then designed to operate just as close to the newly expanded envelop as they were to the initial one. The problem is perennial. The economic importance of addressing structural durability issues early in the design process is emphasized. Tradeoffs with performance, cost, and legislated restrictions are pointed out. Several aspects of structural durability of advanced systems, advanced materials and advanced fatigue life prediction methods are presented. Specific items include the basic elements of durability analysis, conventional designs, barriers to be overcome for advanced systems, high-temperature life prediction for both creep-fatigue and thermomechanical fatigue, mean stress effects, multiaxial stress-strain states, and cumulative fatigue damage accumulation assessment.

AMS+ALS: Kinetic and Product Studies of the Heterogeneous Oxidation of Organic Aerosol at the Advanced Light Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroll, J. H.; Wilson, K. R.; Kessler, S. H.; Browne, E. C.; Nah, T.; Smith, J.; Worsnop, D. R.

2014-12-01

The atmospheric oxidation of condensed-phase organic species can have a major influence on the composition, properties, and impacts of organic aerosol (OA); however the rates and products of such "aging" reactions are poorly constrained. Here we describe a series of laboratory experiments aimed at better understanding one class of aging reactions, the heterogeneous oxidation of OA by gas-phase oxidants. Central to these experiments is the availability of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light at the Chemical Dynamics Beamline of the Advanced Light Source at LBNL, which enables the implementation of VUV photoionization aerosol mass spectrometry. This technique allows for the real-time, speciated measurement of OA composition, yielding molecular information that is highly complementary to ensemble data from electron-impact ionization. OA composition is measured with both ionization schemes as a function of oxidant exposure within a flow reactor, providing detailed information on the kinetics and products of heterogeneous oxidation over multiple generations of oxidation. Specific topics investigated include the branching between functionalization and fragmentation of OA components, the formation of secondary organic aerosol from photolytically-generated radical species, and the heterogeneous aging of soot-associated organic species.

Seagrass ecosystem services - What's next?

PubMed

Nordlund, Lina Mtwana; Jackson, Emma L; Nakaoka, Masahiro; Samper-Villarreal, Jimena; Beca-Carretero, Pedro; Creed, Joel C

2017-09-20

Seagrasses, marine flowering plants, provide a wide range of ecosystem services, defined here as natural processes and components that directly or indirectly benefit human needs. Recent research has shown that there are still many gaps in our comprehension of seagrass ecosystem service provision. Furthermore, there seems to be little public knowledge of seagrasses in general and the benefits they provide. This begs the questions: how do we move forward with the information we have? What other information do we need and what actions do we need to take in order to improve the situation and appreciation for seagrass? Based on the outcomes from an international expert knowledge eliciting workshop, three key areas to advance seagrass ecosystem service research were identified: 1) Variability of ecosystem services within seagrass meadows and among different meadows; 2) Seagrass ecosystem services in relation to, and their connection with, other coastal habitats; and 3) Improvement in the communication of seagrass ecosystem services to the public. Here we present ways forward to advance seagrass ecosystem service research in order to raise the profile of seagrass globally, as a means to establish more effective conservation and restoration of these important coastal habitats around the world. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Exploring the Components of Advanced Theory of Mind in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Pedreño, C; Pousa, E; Navarro, J B; Pàmias, M; Obiols, J E

2017-08-01

Performance of a group of 35 youth and adults with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) was compared with a typical developing (TD) group on three Advanced Theory of Mind tests. The distinction between the social-cognitive and social-perceptual components of Theory of Mind was also explored. The HFA group had more difficulties in all tasks. Performance on the two social-cognitive tests was highly correlated in the HFA group, but these were not related with the social-perceptual component. These results suggest that the youth with HFA have difficulties on all the components of social knowledge but may be using different underlying cognitive abilities depending on the nature of the task.

Neutron Characterization for Additive Manufacturing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watkins, Thomas; Bilheux, Hassina; An, Ke; Payzant, Andrew; DeHoff, Ryan; Duty, Chad; Peter, William; Blue, Craig; Brice, Craig A.

2013-01-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is leveraging decades of experience in neutron characterization of advanced materials together with resources such as the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) shown in Fig. 1 to solve challenging problems in additive manufacturing (AM). Additive manufacturing, or three-dimensional (3-D) printing, is a rapidly maturing technology wherein components are built by selectively adding feedstock material at locations specified by a computer model. The majority of these technologies use thermally driven phase change mechanisms to convert the feedstock into functioning material. As the molten material cools and solidifies, the component is subjected to significant thermal gradients, generating significant internal stresses throughout the part (Fig. 2). As layers are added, inherent residual stresses cause warping and distortions that lead to geometrical differences between the final part and the original computer generated design. This effect also limits geometries that can be fabricated using AM, such as thin-walled, high-aspect- ratio, and overhanging structures. Distortion may be minimized by intelligent toolpath planning or strategic placement of support structures, but these approaches are not well understood and often "Edisonian" in nature. Residual stresses can also impact component performance during operation. For example, in a thermally cycled environment such as a high-pressure turbine engine, residual stresses can cause components to distort unpredictably. Different thermal treatments on as-fabricated AM components have been used to minimize residual stress, but components still retain a nonhomogeneous stress state and/or demonstrate a relaxation-derived geometric distortion. Industry, federal laboratory, and university collaboration is needed to address these challenges and enable the U.S. to compete in the global market. Work is currently being conducted on AM technologies at the ORNL Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) sponsored by the DOE's Advanced Manufacturing Office. The MDF is focusing on R&D of both metal and polymer AM pertaining to in-situ process monitoring and closed-loop controls; implementation of advanced materials in AM technologies; and demonstration, characterization, and optimization of next-generation technologies. ORNL is working directly with industry partners to leverage world-leading facilities in fields such as high performance computing, advanced materials characterization, and neutron sciences to solve fundamental challenges in advanced manufacturing. Specifically, MDF is leveraging two of the world's most advanced neutron facilities, the HFIR and SNS, to characterize additive manufactured components.

Advanced Turbine Technology Applications Project (ATTAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

ATTAP activities during the past year were highlighted by an extensive materials assessment, execution of a reference powertrain design, test-bed engine design and development, ceramic component design, materials and component characterization, ceramic component process development and fabrication, component rig design and fabrication, test-bed engine fabrication, and hot gasifier rig and engine testing. Materials assessment activities entailed engine environment evaluation of domestically supplied radial gasifier turbine rotors that were available at the conclusion of the Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) Technology Development Project as well as an extensive survey of both domestic and foreign ceramic suppliers and Government laboratories performing ceramic materials research applicable to advanced heat engines. A reference powertrain design was executed to reflect the selection of the AGT-5 as the ceramic component test-bed engine for the ATTAP. Test-bed engine development activity focused on upgrading the AGT-5 from a 1038 C (1900 F) metal engine to a durable 1371 C (2500 F) structural ceramic component test-bed engine. Ceramic component design activities included the combustor, gasifier turbine static structure, and gasifier turbine rotor. The materials and component characterization efforts have included the testing and evaluation of several candidate ceramic materials and components being developed for use in the ATTAP. Ceramic component process development and fabrication activities were initiated for the gasifier turbine rotor, gasifier turbine vanes, gasifier turbine scroll, extruded regenerator disks, and thermal insulation. Component rig development activities included combustor, hot gasifier, and regenerator rigs. Test-bed engine fabrication activities consisted of the fabrication of an all-new AGT-5 durability test-bed engine and support of all engine test activities through instrumentation/build/repair. Hot gasifier rig and test-bed engine testing activities were performed.

The real-world problem of care coordination: a longitudinal qualitative study with patients living with advanced progressive illness and their unpaid caregivers.

PubMed

Daveson, Barbara A; Harding, Richard; Shipman, Cathy; Mason, Bruce L; Epiphaniou, Eleni; Higginson, Irene J; Ellis-Smith, Clare; Henson, Lesley; Munday, Dan; Nanton, Veronica; Dale, Jeremy R; Boyd, Kirsty; Worth, Allison; Barclay, Stephen; Donaldson, Anne; Murray, Scott

2014-01-01

To develop a model of care coordination for patients living with advanced progressive illness and their unpaid caregivers, and to understand their perspective regarding care coordination. A prospective longitudinal, multi-perspective qualitative study involving a case-study approach. Serial in-depth interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim and then analyzed through open and axial coding in order to construct categories for three cases (sites). This was followed by continued thematic analysis to identify underlying conceptual coherence across all cases in order to produce one coherent care coordination model. Fifty-six purposively sampled patients and 27 case-linked unpaid caregivers. Three cases from contrasting primary, secondary and tertiary settings within Britain. Coordination is a deliberate cross-cutting action that involves high-quality, caring and well-informed staff, patients and unpaid caregivers who must work in partnership together across health and social care settings. For coordination to occur, it must be adequately resourced with efficient systems and services that communicate. Patients and unpaid caregivers contribute substantially to the coordination of their care, which is sometimes volunteered at a personal cost to them. Coordination is facilitated through flexible and patient-centered care, characterized by accurate and timely information communicated in a way that considers patients' and caregivers' needs, preferences, circumstances and abilities. Within the midst of advanced progressive illness, coordination is a shared and complex intervention involving relational, structural and information components. Our study is one of the first to extensively examine patients' and caregivers' views about coordination, thus aiding conceptual fidelity. These findings can be used to help avoid oversimplifying a real-world problem, such as care coordination. Avoiding oversimplification can help with the development, evaluation and implementation of real-world coordination interventions for patients and their unpaid caregivers in the future.

Scaling Analysis Techniques to Establish Experimental Infrastructure for Component, Subsystem, and Integrated System Testing

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

Sabharwall, Piyush; O'Brien, James E.; McKellar, Michael G.

2015-03-01

Hybrid energy system research has the potential to expand the application for nuclear reactor technology beyond electricity. The purpose of this research is to reduce both technical and economic risks associated with energy systems of the future. Nuclear hybrid energy systems (NHES) mitigate the variability of renewable energy sources, provide opportunities to produce revenue from different product streams, and avoid capital inefficiencies by matching electrical output to demand by using excess generation capacity for other purposes when it is available. An essential step in the commercialization and deployment of this advanced technology is scaled testing to demonstrate integrated dynamic performancemore » of advanced systems and components when risks cannot be mitigated adequately by analysis or simulation. Further testing in a prototypical environment is needed for validation and higher confidence. This research supports the development of advanced nuclear reactor technology and NHES, and their adaptation to commercial industrial applications that will potentially advance U.S. energy security, economy, and reliability and further reduce carbon emissions. Experimental infrastructure development for testing and feasibility studies of coupled systems can similarly support other projects having similar developmental needs and can generate data required for validation of models in thermal energy storage and transport, energy, and conversion process development. Experiments performed in the Systems Integration Laboratory will acquire performance data, identify scalability issues, and quantify technology gaps and needs for various hybrid or other energy systems. This report discusses detailed scaling (component and integrated system) and heat transfer figures of merit that will establish the experimental infrastructure for component, subsystem, and integrated system testing to advance the technology readiness of components and systems to the level required for commercial application and demonstration under NHES.« less

Advanced expander test bed program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riccardi, D. P.; Mitchell, J. C.

1993-01-01

The Advanced Expander Test Bed (AETB) is a key element in NASA's Space Chemical Engine Technology Program for development and demonstration of expander cycle oxygen/hydrogen engine and advanced component technologies applicable to space engines as well as launch vehicle upper stage engines. The AETB will be used to validate the high-pressure expander cycle concept, investigate system interactions, and conduct investigations of advanced mission focused components and new health monitoring techniques in an engine system environment. The split expander cycle AETB will operate at combustion chamber pressures up to 1200 psia with propellant flow rates equivalent to 20,000 lbf vacuum thrust. Contract work began 27 Apr. 1990. During 1992, a major milestone was achieved with the review of the final design of the oxidizer turbopump in Sep. 1992.

Advanced Rotorcraft Transmission (ART) program-Boeing helicopters status report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lenski, Joseph W., Jr.; Valco, Mark J.

1991-01-01

The Advanced Rotorcraft Transmission (ART) program is structured to incorporate key emerging material and component technologies into an advanced rotorcraft transmission with the intention of making significant improvements in the state of the art (SOA). Specific objectives of ART are: (1) Reduce transmission weight by 25 pct.; (2) Reduce transmission noise by 10 dB; and (3) Improve transmission life and reliability, while extending Mean Time Between Removal to 5000 hr. Boeing selected a transmission sized for the Tactical Tilt Rotor (TTR) aircraft which meets the Future Air Attack Vehicle (FAVV) requirements. Component development testing will be conducted to evaluate the high risk concepts prior to finalizing the advanced transmission configuration. The results of tradeoff studies and development test which were completed are summarized.

7 CFR 29.68 - Advance information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Advance information. 29.68 Section 29.68 Agriculture... INSPECTION Regulations Permissive Inspection § 29.68 Advance information. Upon the request of an applicant.... Information relative to grade or other determinations contained or to be contained in a certificate shall not...

Multispectral and polarimetric photodetection using a plasmonic metasurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelzman, Charles; Cho, Sang-Yeon

2018-01-01

We present a metasurface-integrated Si 2-D CMOS sensor array for multispectral and polarimetric photodetection applications. The demonstrated sensor is based on the polarization selective extraordinary optical transmission from periodic subwavelength nanostructures, acting as artificial atoms, known as meta-atoms. The meta-atoms were created by patterning periodic rectangular apertures that support optical resonance at the designed spectral bands. By spatially separating meta-atom clusters with different lattice constants and orientations, the demonstrated metasurface can convert the polarization and spectral information of an optical input into a 2-D intensity pattern. As a proof-of-concept experiment, we measured the linear components of the Stokes parameters directly from captured images using a CMOS camera at four spectral bands. Compared to existing multispectral polarimetric sensors, the demonstrated metasurface-integrated CMOS system is compact and does not require any moving components, offering great potential for advanced photodetection applications.

Structures of archaeal DNA segregation machinery reveal bacterial and eukaryotic linkages.

PubMed

Schumacher, Maria A; Tonthat, Nam K; Lee, Jeehyun; Rodriguez-Castañeda, Fernando A; Chinnam, Naga Babu; Kalliomaa-Sanford, Anne K; Ng, Irene W; Barge, Madhuri T; Shaw, Porsha L R; Barillà, Daniela

2015-09-04

Although recent studies have provided a wealth of information about archaeal biology, nothing is known about the molecular basis of DNA segregation in these organisms. Here, we unveil the machinery and assembly mechanism of the archaeal Sulfolobus pNOB8 partition system. This system uses three proteins: ParA; an atypical ParB adaptor; and a centromere-binding component, AspA. AspA utilizes a spreading mechanism to create a DNA superhelix onto which ParB assembles. This supercomplex links to the ParA motor, which contains a bacteria-like Walker motif. The C domain of ParB harbors structural similarity to CenpA, which dictates eukaryotic segregation. Thus, this archaeal system combines bacteria-like and eukarya-like components, which suggests the possible conservation of DNA segregation principles across the three domains of life. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Gas engine heat pump cycle analysis. Volume 1: Model description and generic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, R. D.

1986-10-01

The task has prepared performance and cost information to assist in evaluating the selection of high voltage alternating current components, values for component design variables, and system configurations and operating strategy. A steady-state computer model for performance simulation of engine-driven and electrically driven heat pumps was prepared and effectively used for parametric and seasonal performance analyses. Parametric analysis showed the effect of variables associated with design of recuperators, brine coils, domestic hot water heat exchanger, compressor size, engine efficiency, insulation on exhaust and brine piping. Seasonal performance data were prepared for residential and commercial units in six cities with system configurations closely related to existing or contemplated hardware of the five GRI engine contractors. Similar data were prepared for an advanced variable-speed electric unit for comparison purposes. The effect of domestic hot water production on operating costs was determined. Four fan-operating strategies and two brine loop configurations were explored.

Energy Efficient Engine Flight Propulsion System Preliminary Analysis and Design Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bisset, J. W.; Howe, D. C.

1983-01-01

The final design and analysis of the flight propulsion system is presented. This system is the conceptual study engine defined to meet the performance, economic and environmental goals established for the Energy Efficient Engine Program. The design effort included a final definition of the engine, major components, internal subsystems, and nacelle. Various analytical representations and results from component technology programs are used to verify aerodynamic and structural design concepts and to predict performance. Specific design goals and specifications, reflecting future commercial aircraft propulsion system requirements for the mid-1980's, are detailed by NASA and used as guidelines during engine definition. Information is also included which details salient results from a separate study to define a turbofan propulsion system, known as the maximum efficiency engine, which reoptimized the advanced fuel saving technologies for improved fuel economy and direct operating costs relative to the flight propulsion system.

Development of Sensors for Ceramic Components in Advanced Propulsion Systems. Phase 2; Temperature Sensor Systems Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atkinson, W. H.; Cyr, M. A.; Strange, R. R.

1994-01-01

The 'development of sensors for ceramic components in advanced propulsion systems' program is divided into two phases. The objectives of Phase 1 were to analyze, evaluate and recommend sensor concepts for the measurement of surface temperature, strain and heat flux on ceramic components for advanced propulsion systems. The results of this effort were previously published in NASA CR-182111. As a result of Phase 1, three approaches were recommended for further development: pyrometry, thin-film sensors, and thermographic phosphors. The objective of Phase 2 were to fabricate and conduct laboratory demonstration tests of these systems. Six materials, mutually agreed upon by NASA and Pratt & Whitney, were investigated under this program. This report summarizes the Phase 2 effort and provides conclusions and recommendations for each of the categories evaluated.

Center for Center for Technology for Advanced Scientific Component Software (TASCS)

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

Kostadin, Damevski

A resounding success of the Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) program is that high-performance computational science is now universally recognized as a critical aspect of scientific discovery [71], complementing both theoretical and experimental research. As scientific communities prepare to exploit unprecedented computing capabilities of emerging leadership-class machines for multi-model simulations at the extreme scale [72], it is more important than ever to address the technical and social challenges of geographically distributed teams that combine expertise in domain science, applied mathematics, and computer science to build robust and flexible codes that can incorporate changes over time. The Center for Technologymore » for Advanced Scientific Component Software (TASCS)1 tackles these these issues by exploiting component-based software development to facilitate collaborative high-performance scientific computing.« less

Ubiquitous geospatial concept in evolution of the macro and micro spatial planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabri, S.; Ludin, A. N. M.; Majid, M. R.

2014-02-01

There are many examples of GIS application in planning such as urban land-use planning, cultural heritage conservation, coastal zone management, and the design of structure plans for sustainable economic development. All these applications are dealing with systems in which natural and human factors are interconnected. But an issue that should be addressed is to what extent the current information technology is able to connect all these parts together? Contemporary improvement in information technology made the computer so imbedded in our everyday practices that we use it without having to think about it. Thus, computing is becoming truly ubiquitous and is available anywhere anytime. Advances in the internet facilities and devices, such as high speed wireless networks, mobile middleware, and smart technologies, has pushed the concept of ubiquitous computing to the forefront of GIS research and development. There are developments in this regards, these are such as GeoWeb 2.0, voluntarily geographic Information (VGI), and Mashups, whereby the application of cloud computing was possible in visualizing urban air pollution and emergency responses to ensure the safety and security. These advancements therefore, have changed the conventional facet of macro and micro spatial planning. Every possible information system such as residential, medical, business, environmental, governmental, and the like can be linked through ubiquitous computing technologies and acts as a virtually one system which works for society. However, the journey to achieve a true ubiquitous GIS is not without challenges. Despite the current potentials there are many issues and obstacles need to be addressed before GIS can to be truly ubiquitous in planning context. Perhaps four criteria as explained by Goodchild et al (1997) can be applied to ubiquitous GIS in planning very well: the system must be distributed (data storage, processing and user interaction can occur at locations that are potentially widely scattered), disaggregated (the monolithic systems are replaced by 'plug and play' components designed to interoperate through conformance with industry-wide standards), decoupled (system must be able to access a number of components over many networks required to complete a specific task) and, interoperable (system is based on an "open" system).

Outcomes-focused knowledge translation: a framework for knowledge translation and patient outcomes improvement.

PubMed

Doran, Diane M; Sidani, Souraya

2007-01-01

Regularly accessing information that is current and reliable continues to be a challenge for front-line staff nurses. Reconceptualizing how nurses access information and designing appropriate decision support systems to facilitate timely access to information may be important for increasing research utilization. An outcomes-focused knowledge translation framework was developed to guide the continuous improvement of patient care through the uptake of research evidence and feedback data about patient outcomes. The framework operationalizes the three elements of the PARIHS framework at the point of care. Outcomes-focused knowledge translation involves four components: (a) patient outcomes measurement and real-time feedback about outcomes achievement; (b) best-practice guidelines, embedded in decision support tools that deliver key messages in response to patient assessment data; (c) clarification of patients' preferences for care; and (d) facilitation by advanced practice nurses and practice leaders. In this paper the framework is described and evidence is provided to support theorized relationships among the concepts in the framework. The framework guided the design of a knowledge translation intervention aimed at continuous improvement of patient care and evidence-based practice, which are fostered through real-time feedback data about patient outcomes, electronic access to evidence-based resources at the point of care, and facilitation by advanced practice nurses. The propositions in the framework need to be empirically tested through future research.

Development of electrical feedback controlled heat pipes and the advanced thermal control flight experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bienert, W. B.

1974-01-01

The development and characteristics of electrical feedback controlled heat pipes (FCHP) are discussed. An analytical model was produced to describe the performance of the FCHP under steady state and transient conditions. An advanced thermal control flight experiment was designed to demonstrate the performance of the thermal control component in a space environment. The thermal control equipment was evaluated on the ATS-F satellite to provide performance data for the components and to act as a thermal control system which can be used to provide temperature stability of spacecraft components in future applications.

Advanced technology for extended endurance alkaline fuel cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheibley, D. W.; Martin, R. A.

1987-01-01

Advanced components have been developed for alkaline fuel cells with a view to the satisfaction of NASA Space Station design requirements for extended endurance. The components include a platinum-on-carbon catalyst anode, a potassium titanate-bonded electrolyte matrix, a lightweight graphite electrolyte reservoir plate, a gold-plated nickel-perforated foil electrode substrate, a polyphenylene sulfide cell edge frame material, and a nonmagnesium cooler concept. When incorporated into the alkaline fuel cell unit, these components are expected to yield regenerative operation in a low earth orbit Space Station with a design life greater than 5 years.

From field data collection to earth sciences dissemination: mobile examples in the digital era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giardino, Marco; Ghiraldi, Luca; Palomba, Mauro; Perotti, Luigi

2015-04-01

In the framework of the technological and cultural revolution related to the massive diffusion of mobile devices, as smartphones and tablets, the information management and accessibility is changing, and many software houses and developer communities realized applications that can meet various people's needs. Modern collection, storing and sharing of data have radically changed, and advances in ICT increasingly involve field-based activities. Progresses in these researches and applications depend on three main components: hardware, software and web system. Since 2008 the geoSITLab multidisciplinary group (Earth Sciences Department and NatRisk Centre of the University of Torino and the Natural Sciences Museum of the Piemonte Region) is active in defining and testing methods for collecting, managing and sharing field information using mobile devices. Key issues include: Geomorphological Digital Mapping, Natural Hazards monitoring, Geoheritage assessment and applications for the teaching of Earth Sciences. An overview of the application studies is offered here, including the use of Mobile tools for data collection, the construction of relational databases for inventory activities and the test of Web-Mapping tools and mobile apps for data dissemination. The fil rouge of connection is a standardized digital approach allowing the use of mobile devices in each step of the process, which will be analysed within different projects set up by the research group (Geonathaz, EgeoFieldwork, Progeo Piemonte, GeomediaWeb). The hardware component mainly consists of the availability of handheld mobile devices (e.g. smartphones, PDAs and Tablets). The software component corresponds to applications for spatial data visualization on mobile devices, such as composite mobile GIS or simple location-based apps. The web component allows the integration of collected data into geodatabase based on client-server architecture, where the information can be easily loaded, uploaded and shared between field staff and data management team, in order to disseminate collected information to media or to inform the decision makers. Results demonstrated the possibility to record field observations in a fast and reliable way, using standardized formats that can improve the precision of collected information and lower the possibility of errors and data omission. Dedicated forms have been set up for gathering different thematic data (geologic/geomorphologic, faunal and floristic, path system…etc.). Field data allowed to arrange maps and SDI useful for many application purposes: from country-planning to disaster risk management, from Geoheritage management to Earth Science concepts dissemination.

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Academic Research Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loomer, S. A.

2004-12-01

"Know the Earth.Show the Way." In fulfillment of its vision, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) provides geospatial intelligence in all its forms and from whatever source-imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial data and information-to ensure the knowledge foundation for planning, decision, and action. To achieve this, NGA conducts a multi-disciplinary program of basic research in geospatial intelligence topics through grants and fellowships to the leading investigators, research universities, and colleges of the nation. This research provides the fundamental science support to NGA's applied and advanced research programs. The major components of the NGA Academic Research Program (NARP) are: - NGA University Research Initiatives (NURI): Three-year basic research grants awarded competitively to the best investigators across the US academic community. Topics are selected to provide the scientific basis for advanced and applied research in NGA core disciplines. - Historically Black College and University - Minority Institution Research Initiatives (HBCU-MI): Two-year basic research grants awarded competitively to the best investigators at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Minority Institutions across the US academic community. - Director of Central Intelligence Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships: Fellowships providing access to advanced research in science and technology applicable to the intelligence community's mission. The program provides a pool of researchers to support future intelligence community needs and develops long-term relationships with researchers as they move into career positions. This paper provides information about the NGA Academic Research Program, the projects it supports and how other researchers and institutions can apply for grants under the program.

A highly reliable, autonomous data communication subsystem for an advanced information processing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagle, Gail; Masotto, Thomas; Alger, Linda

1990-01-01

The need to meet the stringent performance and reliability requirements of advanced avionics systems has frequently led to implementations which are tailored to a specific application and are therefore difficult to modify or extend. Furthermore, many integrated flight critical systems are input/output intensive. By using a design methodology which customizes the input/output mechanism for each new application, the cost of implementing new systems becomes prohibitively expensive. One solution to this dilemma is to design computer systems and input/output subsystems which are general purpose, but which can be easily configured to support the needs of a specific application. The Advanced Information Processing System (AIPS), currently under development has these characteristics. The design and implementation of the prototype I/O communication system for AIPS is described. AIPS addresses reliability issues related to data communications by the use of reconfigurable I/O networks. When a fault or damage event occurs, communication is restored to functioning parts of the network and the failed or damage components are isolated. Performance issues are addressed by using a parallelized computer architecture which decouples Input/Output (I/O) redundancy management and I/O processing from the computational stream of an application. The autonomous nature of the system derives from the highly automated and independent manner in which I/O transactions are conducted for the application as well as from the fact that the hardware redundancy management is entirely transparent to the application.

Distribution of maternal age and birth order groups in cases with unclassified multiple congenital abnormalities according to the number of component abnormalities: a national population-based case-control study.

PubMed

Csermely, Gyula; Czeizel, Andrew E; Veszprémi, Béla

2015-02-01

Multiple congenital abnormalities are caused by chromosomal aberrations, mutant major genes and teratogens. A minor proportion of these patients are identified as syndromes but the major part belonging to the group of unclassified multiple CAs (UMCAs). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the maternal age and birth order in pregnant women who had offspring affected with UMCA. The strong association between numerical chromosomal aberrations, e.g., Down syndrome and advanced maternal age is well-known and tested here. The Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance of Congenital Abnormalities, 1980 to 1996, yielded a large population-based national data set with 22,843 malformed newborns or fetuses ("informative cases") included 1349 UMCA cases with their 2407 matched controls. Case-control comparison of maternal age and birth order was made for cases with UMCA, stratified by component numbers and their controls. In addition, 834 cases with Down syndrome were compared to 1432 matched controls. The well-known advanced maternal age with the higher risk for Down syndrome was confirmed. The findings of the study suggest that the young age of mothers associates with the higher risk of UMCA, in addition birth order 4 or more associates with the higher risk for UMCA with 2 and 3 component CAs. This study was the first to analyze the possible maternal and birth order effect for cases with UMCA, and the young age and higher birth order associated with a higher risk for UMCA. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The composition-explicit distillation curve technique: Relating chemical analysis and physical properties of complex fluids.

PubMed

Bruno, Thomas J; Ott, Lisa S; Lovestead, Tara M; Huber, Marcia L

2010-04-16

The analysis of complex fluids such as crude oils, fuels, vegetable oils and mixed waste streams poses significant challenges arising primarily from the multiplicity of components, the different properties of the components (polarity, polarizability, etc.) and matrix properties. We have recently introduced an analytical strategy that simplifies many of these analyses, and provides the added potential of linking compositional information with physical property information. This aspect can be used to facilitate equation of state development for the complex fluids. In addition to chemical characterization, the approach provides the ability to calculate thermodynamic properties for such complex heterogeneous streams. The technique is based on the advanced distillation curve (ADC) metrology, which separates a complex fluid by distillation into fractions that are sampled, and for which thermodynamically consistent temperatures are measured at atmospheric pressure. The collected sample fractions can be analyzed by any method that is appropriate. The analytical methods we have applied include gas chromatography (with flame ionization, mass spectrometric and sulfur chemiluminescence detection), thin layer chromatography, FTIR, corrosivity analysis, neutron activation analysis and cold neutron prompt gamma activation analysis. By far, the most widely used analytical technique we have used with the ADC is gas chromatography. This has enabled us to study finished fuels (gasoline, diesel fuels, aviation fuels, rocket propellants), crude oils (including a crude oil made from swine manure) and waste oils streams (used automotive and transformer oils). In this special issue of the Journal of Chromatography, specifically dedicated to extraction technologies, we describe the essential features of the advanced distillation curve metrology as an analytical strategy for complex fluids. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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

Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Hirt, Evelyn H.; Dib, Gerges

This project involved the development of enhanced risk monitors (ERMs) for active components in Advanced Reactor (AdvRx) designs by integrating real-time information about equipment condition with risk monitors. Health monitoring techniques in combination with predictive estimates of component failure based on condition and risk monitors can serve to indicate the risk posed by continued operation in the presence of detected degradation. This combination of predictive health monitoring based on equipment condition assessment and risk monitors can also enable optimization of maintenance scheduling with respect to the economics of plant operation. This report summarizes PNNL’s multi-year project on the development andmore » evaluation of an ERM concept for active components while highlighting FY2016 accomplishments. Specifically, this report provides a status summary of the integration and demonstration of the prototypic ERM framework with the plant supervisory control algorithms being developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and describes additional case studies conducted to assess sensitivity of the technology to different quantities. Supporting documentation on the software package to be provided to ONRL is incorporated in this report.« less

Liquid biopsy based biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer for diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

PubMed

Pérez-Callejo, David; Romero, Atocha; Provencio, Mariano; Torrente, María

2016-10-01

Advances in the knowledge of the biology of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have revealed molecular information used for systemic cancer therapy targeting metastatic disease, with an important impact on patients overall survival (OS) and quality of life. However, a biopsy of overt metastases is an invasive procedure limited to certain locations and not easily acceptable in the clinic. Moreover, a single biopsy cannot reflect the clonal heterogeneity of the tumor. The analysis of peripheral blood samples of cancer patients represents a new source of cancer-derived material, known as liquid biopsy, and its components can be obtained from almost all body fluids. These components have shown to reflect characteristics of the status of both the primary and metastatic diseases, helping the clinicians to move towards a personalized medicine. The present review focuses on the liquid biopsy components: circulating tumor cells (CTCS), circulating free DNA (cfDNA), exosomes and tumor-educated platelets (TEP); the isolation technologies used and their potential use for non-invasive screening, early diagnosis, prognosis, response to treatment and real time monitoring of the disease, in NSCLC patients.

Liquid biopsy based biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer for diagnosis and treatment monitoring

PubMed Central

Pérez-Callejo, David; Provencio, Mariano

2016-01-01

Advances in the knowledge of the biology of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have revealed molecular information used for systemic cancer therapy targeting metastatic disease, with an important impact on patients overall survival (OS) and quality of life. However, a biopsy of overt metastases is an invasive procedure limited to certain locations and not easily acceptable in the clinic. Moreover, a single biopsy cannot reflect the clonal heterogeneity of the tumor. The analysis of peripheral blood samples of cancer patients represents a new source of cancer-derived material, known as liquid biopsy, and its components can be obtained from almost all body fluids. These components have shown to reflect characteristics of the status of both the primary and metastatic diseases, helping the clinicians to move towards a personalized medicine. The present review focuses on the liquid biopsy components: circulating tumor cells (CTCS), circulating free DNA (cfDNA), exosomes and tumor-educated platelets (TEP); the isolation technologies used and their potential use for non-invasive screening, early diagnosis, prognosis, response to treatment and real time monitoring of the disease, in NSCLC patients. PMID:27826527

[Psychiatric education and cultural components during medical training: Latin American perspectives].

PubMed

Alarcón, Renato D; Suarez-Richards, Manuel; Sarabia, Silvana

2014-01-01

Medical education has incorporated psychiatric or mental health components more consistently during the last decades thanks to various factors such as: advances in neurobiological research; the increasing prevalence of mental disorders in global health; the increasingly close relationship between mental health and public health; comorbidities with medical conditions and the impact of sociocultural phenomena in clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and prevention. Based on acquisition of core competencies and ethical principles of universal acceptance, the teaching process examined in this article proposes an education based on the provision of clinical experiences integrated throughout the collection of adequate information, the development of diagnostic capabilities, and exposure to a wide variety of forms of academic assessment of students and residents in training. The cultural components of psychiatric education receive special mention; we provide examples of their systematic integration with the acquisition of general skills. The teaching tools include theoretical and applied activities and supervision. Particular attention is paid to how the principles of modern psychiatric medical education, including cultural aspects and practice of holistic health care objectives, can and should be in effect in Latin American countries.

Development of a railway wagon-track interaction model: Case studies on excited tracks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lei; Chen, Xianmai; Li, Xuwei; He, Xianglin

2018-02-01

In this paper, a theoretical framework for modeling the railway wagon-ballast track interactions is presented, in which the dynamic equations of motion of wagon-track systems are constructed by effectively coupling the linear and nonlinear dynamic characteristics of system components. For the linear components, the energy-variational principle is directly used to derive their dynamic matrices, while for the nonlinear components, the dynamic equilibrium method is implemented to deduce the load vectors, based on which a novel railway wagon-ballast track interaction model is developed, and being validated by comparing with the experimental data measured from a heavy haul railway and another advanced model. With this study, extensive contributions in figuring out the critical speed of instability, limits and localizations of track irregularities over derailment accidents are presented by effectively integrating the dynamic simulation model, the track irregularity probabilistic model and time-frequency analysis method. The proposed approaches can provide crucial information to guarantee the running safety and stability of the wagon-track system when considering track geometries and various running speeds.

Probabilistic structural analysis methods for select space propulsion system components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Millwater, H. R.; Cruse, T. A.

1989-01-01

The Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods (PSAM) project developed at the Southwest Research Institute integrates state-of-the-art structural analysis techniques with probability theory for the design and analysis of complex large-scale engineering structures. An advanced efficient software system (NESSUS) capable of performing complex probabilistic analysis has been developed. NESSUS contains a number of software components to perform probabilistic analysis of structures. These components include: an expert system, a probabilistic finite element code, a probabilistic boundary element code and a fast probability integrator. The NESSUS software system is shown. An expert system is included to capture and utilize PSAM knowledge and experience. NESSUS/EXPERT is an interactive menu-driven expert system that provides information to assist in the use of the probabilistic finite element code NESSUS/FEM and the fast probability integrator (FPI). The expert system menu structure is summarized. The NESSUS system contains a state-of-the-art nonlinear probabilistic finite element code, NESSUS/FEM, to determine the structural response and sensitivities. A broad range of analysis capabilities and an extensive element library is present.

Materials and structural aspects of advanced gas-turbine helicopter engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freche, J. C.; Acurio, J.

1979-01-01

The key to improved helicopter gas turbine engine performance lies in the development of advanced materials and advanced structural and design concepts. The modification of the low temperature components of helicopter engines (such as the inlet particle separator), the introduction of composites for use in the engine front frame, the development of advanced materials with increased use-temperature capability for the engine hot section, can result in improved performance and/or decreased engine maintenance cost. A major emphasis in helicopter engine design is the ability to design to meet a required lifetime. This, in turn, requires that the interrelated aspects of higher operating temperatures and pressures, cooling concepts, and environmental protection schemes be integrated into component design. The major material advances, coatings, and design life-prediction techniques pertinent to helicopter engines are reviewed; the current state-of-the-art is identified; and when appropriate, progress, problems, and future directions are assessed.

Defining Requirements and Applying Information Modeling for Protecting Enterprise Assets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortier, Stephen C.; Volk, Jennifer H.

The advent of terrorist threats has heightened local, regional, and national governments' interest in emergency response and disaster preparedness. The threat of natural disasters also challenges emergency responders to act swiftly and in a coordinated fashion. When a disaster occurs, an ad hoc coalition of pre-planned groups usually forms to respond to the incident. History has shown that these “system of systems” do not interoperate very well. Communications between fire, police and rescue components either do not work or are inefficient. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private industry use a wide array of software platforms for managing data about emergency conditions, resources and response activities. Most of these are stand-alone systems with very limited capability for data sharing with other agencies or other levels of government. Information technology advances have facilitated the movement towards an integrated and coordinated approach to emergency management. Other communication mechanisms, such as video teleconferencing, digital television and radio broadcasting, are being utilized to combat the challenges of emergency information exchange. Recent disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Indonesia, have illuminated the weaknesses in emergency response. This paper will discuss the need for defining requirements for components of ad hoc coalitions which are formed to respond to disasters. A goal of our effort was to develop a proof of concept that applying information modeling to the business processes used to protect and mitigate potential loss of an enterprise was feasible. These activities would be modeled both pre- and post-incident.

Long-chain bases, phosphatidic acid, MAPKs, and reactive oxygen species as nodal signal transducers in stress responses in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Saucedo-García, Mariana; Gavilanes-Ruíz, Marina; Arce-Cervantes, Oscar

2015-01-01

Due to their sessile condition, plants have developed sensitive, fast, and effective ways to contend with environmental changes. These mechanisms operate as informational wires conforming extensive and intricate networks that are connected in several points. The responses are designed as pathways orchestrated by molecules that are transducers of protein and non-protein nature. Their chemical nature imposes selective features such as specificity, formation rate, and generation site to the informational routes. Enzymes such as mitogen-activated protein kinases and non-protein, smaller molecules, such as long-chain bases, phosphatidic acid, and reactive oxygen species are recurrent transducers in the pleiotropic responses to biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. In this review, we considered these four components as nodal points of converging signaling pathways that start from very diverse stimuli and evoke very different responses. These pleiotropic effects may be explained by the potentiality that every one of these four mediators can be expressed from different sources, cellular location, temporality, or magnitude. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the interplay of these four specific signaling components in Arabidopsis cells, with an emphasis on drought, cold and pathogen stresses. PMID:25763001

Development of software for computing forming information using a component based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Kwang Hee; Park, Jiing Seo; Kim, Jung; Kim, Young Bum; Shin, Jong Gye

2009-12-01

In shipbuilding industry, the manufacturing technology> has advanced at an unprecedented pace for the last decade. As a result, many automatic systems for cutting, welding, etc. have been developed and employed in the manufacturing process and accordingly the productivity has been increased drastically. Despite such improvement in the manufacturing technology', however, development of an automatic system for fabricating a curved hull plate remains at the beginning stage since hardware and software for the automation of the curved hull fabrication process should be developed differently depending on the dimensions of plates, forming methods and manufacturing processes of each shipyard. To deal with this problem, it is necessary> to create a "plug-in ''framework, which can adopt various kinds of hardware and software to construct a full automatic fabrication system. In this paper, a frame-work for automatic fabrication of curved hull plates is proposed, which consists of four components and related software. In particular the software module for computing fabrication information is developed by using the ooCBD development methodology; which can interface with other hardware and software with minimum effort. Examples of the proposed framework applied to medium and large shipyards are presented.

Germany Briefing

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-27

Ion Battery Packs Advanced Chemistry Batteries EM Armor Power Brick 8 UNCLASSIFIED Concepts Platform Simulation Component Development Vehicle...Advanced Turbocharging, Supercharging, OPOC Efficient Powertrain Technologies Electrified Accessories Energy Harvesting SiC Electronics Lithium

NASA GRC Fatigue Crack Initiation Life Prediction Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arya, Vinod K.; Halford, Gary R.

2002-01-01

Metal fatigue has plagued structural components for centuries, and it remains a critical durability issue in today's aerospace hardware. This is true despite vastly improved and advanced materials, increased mechanistic understanding, and development of accurate structural analysis and advanced fatigue life prediction tools. Each advance is quickly taken advantage of to produce safer, more reliable, more cost effective, and better performing products. In other words, as the envelope is expanded, components are then designed to operate just as close to the newly expanded envelope as they were to the initial one. The problem is perennial. The economic importance of addressing structural durability issues early in the design process is emphasized. Tradeoffs with performance, cost, and legislated restrictions are pointed out. Several aspects of structural durability of advanced systems, advanced materials and advanced fatigue life prediction methods are presented. Specific items include the basic elements of durability analysis, conventional designs, barriers to be overcome for advanced systems, high-temperature life prediction for both creep-fatigue and thermomechanical fatigue, mean stress effects, multiaxial stress-strain states, and cumulative fatigue damage accumulation assessment.

NASA GRC Fatigue Crack Initiation Life Prediction Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arya, Vinod K.; Halford, Gary R.

2002-10-01

Metal fatigue has plagued structural components for centuries, and it remains a critical durability issue in today's aerospace hardware. This is true despite vastly improved and advanced materials, increased mechanistic understanding, and development of accurate structural analysis and advanced fatigue life prediction tools. Each advance is quickly taken advantage of to produce safer, more reliable, more cost effective, and better performing products. In other words, as the envelope is expanded, components are then designed to operate just as close to the newly expanded envelope as they were to the initial one. The problem is perennial. The economic importance of addressing structural durability issues early in the design process is emphasized. Tradeoffs with performance, cost, and legislated restrictions are pointed out. Several aspects of structural durability of advanced systems, advanced materials and advanced fatigue life prediction methods are presented. Specific items include the basic elements of durability analysis, conventional designs, barriers to be overcome for advanced systems, high-temperature life prediction for both creep-fatigue and thermomechanical fatigue, mean stress effects, multiaxial stress-strain states, and cumulative fatigue damage accumulation assessment.

Development of Advanced Environmental Barrier Coatings for SiC/SiC Composites at NASA GRC: Prime-Reliant Design and Durability Perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming

2017-01-01

Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) are considered technologically important because of the critical needs and their ability to effectively protect the turbine hot-section SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components in harsh engine combustion environments. The development of NASA's advanced environmental barrier coatings have been aimed at significantly improved the coating system temperature capability, stability, erosion-impact, and CMAS resistance for SiC/SiC turbine airfoil and combustors component applications. The NASA environmental barrier coating developments have also emphasized thermo-mechanical creep and fatigue resistance in simulated engine heat flux and environments. Experimental results and models for advanced EBC systems will be presented to help establishing advanced EBC composition design methodologies, performance modeling and life predictions, for achieving prime-reliant, durable environmental coating systems for 2700-3000 F engine component applications. Major technical barriers in developing environmental barrier coating systems and the coating integration with next generation composites having further improved temperature capability, environmental stability, EBC-CMC fatigue-environment system durability will be discussed.

Materials and structural aspects of advanced gas-turbine helicopter engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freche, J. C.; Acurio, J.

1979-01-01

Advances in materials, coatings, turbine cooling technology, structural and design concepts, and component-life prediction of helicopter gas-turbine-engine components are presented. Stationary parts including the inlet particle separator, the front frame, rotor tip seals, vanes and combustors and rotating components - compressor blades, disks, and turbine blades - are discussed. Advanced composite materials are considered for the front frame and compressor blades, prealloyed powder superalloys will increase strength and reduce costs of disks, the oxide dispersion strengthened alloys will have 100C higher use temperature in combustors and vanes than conventional superalloys, ceramics will provide the highest use temperature of 1400C for stator vanes and 1370C for turbine blades, and directionally solidified eutectics will afford up to 50C temperature advantage at turbine blade operating conditions. Coatings for surface protection at higher surface temperatures and design trends in turbine cooling technology are discussed. New analytical methods of life prediction such as strain gage partitioning for high temperature prediction, fatigue life, computerized prediction of oxidation resistance, and advanced techniques for estimating coating life are described.

Lifing of Engine Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

The successful development of advanced aerospace engines depends greatly on the capabilities of high performance materials and structures. Advanced materials, such as nickel based single crystal alloys, metal foam, advanced copper alloys, and ceramics matrix composites, have been engineered to provide higher engine temperature and stress capabilities. Thermal barrier coatings have been developed to improve component durability and fuel efficiency, by reducing the substrate hot wall metal temperature and protecting against oxidation and blanching. However, these coatings are prone to oxidation and delamination failures. In order to implement the use of these materials in advanced engines, it is necessary to understand and model the evolution of damage of the metal substrate as well as the coating under actual engine conditions. The models and the understanding of material behavior are utilized in the development of a life prediction methodology for hot section components. The research activities were focused on determining the stress and strain fields in an engine environment under combined thermo-mechanical loads to develop life prediction methodologies consistent with the observed damage formation of the coating and the substrates.

A next generation advanced traveler information precursor system (ATIS 2.0 precursor system) concept of operations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-27

Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) have experienced significant growth since its initial inception in the 1990s. Technologies have continued to evolve at a rapid pace, enabling the integration of advanced solutions for traveler information ...

7 CFR 56.58 - Advance information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Advance information. 56.58 Section 56.58 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards... EGGS Grading of Shell Eggs Grading Certificates § 56.58 Advance information. Upon request of an...

The outlook for advanced transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leavens, J. M., Jr.; Schaufele, R. D.; Jones, R. T.; Steiner, J. E.; Beteille, R.; Titcomb, G. A.; Coplin, J. F.; Rowe, B. H.; Lloyd-Jones, D. J.; Overend, W. J.

1982-01-01

The technological advances most likely to contribute to advanced aircraft designs and the efficiency, performance, and financial considerations driving the development directions for new aircraft are reviewed. Fuel-efficiency is perceived as the most critical factor for any new aircraft or component design, with most gains expected to come in areas of propulsion, aerodynamics, configurations, structural designs and materials, active controls, digital avionics, laminar flow control, and air-traffic control improvements. Any component area offers an efficiency improvement of 3-12%, with a maximum of 50% possible with a 4000 m range aircraft. Advanced turboprops have potential applications in short and medium haul subsonic aircraft, while a fuel efficient SST may be possible by the year 2000. Further discussion is devoted to the pivoted oblique wing aircraft, lightweight structures, and the necessity for short payback times.

Physician executives straddle the digital divide.

PubMed

Coile, R C

2001-01-01

e-Health is here to stay and experts predict that the Internet will become the hub of health care. Rapid advancements in biotechnology and medical research, increasingly curious patients who surf the Internet for medical information, and pressures from managed care companies to contain costs and speed treatments are the central components driving e-health. Despite physician reluctance to embrace the e-revolution, many hospitals and medical groups are employing the Internet and information technology to improve their customer interface, as well as to reduce business costs. This article offers seven e-strategies for health care performance improvement: (1) Supply chain management; (2) e-transactions; (3) care management; (4) improving quality; (5) boosting revenues; (6) outsourcing; and (7) provider networks (Intranets). By helping to incorporate these key e-solutions, physician executives can position their organizations for success in the new millennium.

A comprehensive typology for mainstreaming urban green infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Robert; Zanders, Julie; Lieberknecht, Katherine; Fassman-Beck, Elizabeth

2014-11-01

During a National Science Foundation (US) funded "International Greening of Cities Workshop" in Auckland, New Zealand, participants agreed an effective urban green infrastructure (GI) typology should identify cities' present stage of GI development and map next steps to mainstream GI as a component of urban infrastructure. Our review reveals current GI typologies do not systematically identify such opportunities. We address this knowledge gap by developing a new typology incorporating political, economic, and ecological forces shaping GI implementation. Applying this information allows symmetrical, place-based exploration of the social and ecological elements driving a city's GI systems. We use this information to distinguish current levels of GI development and clarify intervention opportunities to advance GI into the mainstream of metropolitan infrastructure. We employ three case studies (San Antonio, Texas; Auckland, New Zealand; and New York, New York) to test and refine our typology.

Videofile for Law Enforcement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Components of a videotape storage and retrieval system originally developed for NASA have been adapted as a tool for law enforcement agencies. Ampex Corp., Redwood City, Cal., built a unique system for NASA-Marshall. The first application of professional broadcast technology to computerized record-keeping, it incorporates new equipment for transporting tapes within the system. After completing the NASA system, Ampex continued development, primarily to improve image resolution. The resulting advanced system, known as the Ampex Videofile, offers advantages over microfilm for filing, storing, retrieving, and distributing large volumes of information. The system's computer stores information in digital code rather than in pictorial form. While microfilm allows visual storage of whole documents, it requires a step before usage--developing the film. With Videofile, the actual document is recorded, complete with photos and graphic material, and a picture of the document is available instantly.

Advanced Rankine and Brayton cycle power systems - Materials needs and opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grisaffe, S. J.; Guentert, D. C.

1974-01-01

Conceptual advanced potassium Rankine and closed Brayton power conversion cycles offer the potential for improved efficiency over steam systems through higher operating temperatures. However, for utility service of at least 100,000 hours, materials technology advances will be needed for such high temperature systems. Improved alloys and surface protection must be developed and demonstrated to resist coal combustion gases as well as potassium corrosion or helium surface degradation at high temperatures. Extensions in fabrication technology are necessary to produce large components of high temperature alloys. Long-time property data must be obtained under environments of interest to assure high component reliability.

Advanced Rankine and Brayton cycle power systems: Materials needs and opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grisaffe, S. J.; Guentert, D. C.

1974-01-01

Conceptual advanced potassium Rankine and closed Brayton power conversion cycles offer the potential for improved efficiency over steam systems through higher operating temperatures. However, for utility service of at least 100,000 hours, materials technology advances will be needed for such high temperature systems. Improved alloys and surface protection must be developed and demonstrated to resist coal combustion gases as well as potassium corrosion or helium surface degradation at high temperatures. Extensions in fabrication technology are necessary to produce large components of high temperature alloys. Long time property data must be obtained under environments of interest to assure high component reliability.

AGBT Advanced Counter-Rotating Gearbox Detailed Design Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, D. C.; Sundt, C. V.; Mckibbon, A. H.

1988-01-01

An Advanced Counter-Rotating (CR) Gearbox was designed and fabricated to evaluate gearbox efficiency, durability and weight characteristics for emerging propfan-powered airplanes. Component scavenge tests showed that a constant volume collector had high scavenge effectiveness, which was uneffected by added airflow. Lubrication tests showed that gearbox losses could be reduced by controlling the air/oil mixture and by directing the oil jets radially, with a slight axial component, into the sun/planet gears.

Advanced Transmission Components Investigation Program. Bearing and Seal Development.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

STATEMENT The purpose of the program was to evaluate a modified tapered roller bearing component incorporating a VASCO-X2 integral inner race and ribbed...cup for use on the spiral bevel input shaft of an advanced helicopter main transmission. The test results indicated that this bearing concept, with its...in future transmissions. The limited oil-off survivability testing conducted did not produce expected results; however, it shovged that this type of

Core components of the rural nurse specialist role in New Zealand.

PubMed

Bell, Jennie; Crawford, Ruth; Holloway, Kathy

2018-06-01

New Zealand has a rural population with unique healthcare needs. Traditionally, rural health care has been provided by medical general practitioners (GPs); however, as the number of GPs declines, the rural nurse specialist (RNS) role has emerged. The RNS is a registered nurse with advanced nursing skills that enable independent, autonomous practice within rural areas. The health needs of each rural community are specific to that area and the RNS role has been developed according to local healthcare needs. The purpose of this research was to provide a description of the RNS role in New Zealand. A descriptive exploratory approach was used in this qualitative study. The study was conducted in two parts. Phase 1 consisted of document content analysis of RNS position descriptions and phase 2 comprised four semi-structured interviews with RNSs. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The Modified Strong Model of Advanced Practice was utilised as a framework for thematic analysis during both phases. Rural nurse specialists demonstrated a wide variance in the understanding of the term 'RNS'. The RNS role was found to include provision of care across a wide range of settings according to local needs. Advanced assessment skills were expected by employers and considered a major component of the role by RNSs. Advanced assessments skills were utilised to enhance communication and thus increase collaboration with other health professionals. The ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with other health professionals was found to be a high priority. However, RNSs perceived that collaboration and thus patient care was affected by a lack of role clarity. The nurse practitioner (NP) role in New Zealand was considered more effective, with greater role recognition for the NP. Education was considered essential to maintain advanced assessment skills. RNSs identified providing education in the form of health promotion relevant to local needs as important. There was a lack of information regarding publication and professional leadership, highlighting this as an area for development. Another issue was the importance of stress management in an isolated area. The RNS role requires advanced knowledge to provide independent patient care. Advanced skills utilised include assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients. RNSs must have postgraduate education to develop the advanced skills required in this role. RNSs perceive the NP role as having better role clarity; therefore, all participants were considering becoming an NP. There are barriers to becoming an NP, thus an expansion of the current RNS role is recommended. Further recommendations from this study include increased professional leadership to improve RNS visibility and further continued interprofessional education to enhance collaboration.

Polymer, metal and ceramic matrix composites for advanced aircraft engine applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcdanels, D. L.; Serafini, T. T.; Dicarlo, J. A.

1985-01-01

Advanced aircraft engine research within NASA Lewis is being focused on propulsion systems for subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic aircraft. Each of these flight regimes requires different types of engines, but all require advanced materials to meet their goals of performance, thrust-to-weight ratio, and fuel efficiency. The high strength/weight and stiffness/weight properties of resin, metal, and ceramic matrix composites will play an increasingly key role in meeting these performance requirements. At NASA Lewis, research is ongoing to apply graphite/polyimide composites to engine components and to develop polymer matrices with higher operating temperature capabilities. Metal matrix composites, using magnesium, aluminum, titanium, and superalloy matrices, are being developed for application to static and rotating engine components, as well as for space applications, over a broad temperature range. Ceramic matrix composites are also being examined to increase the toughness and reliability of ceramics for application to high-temperature engine structures and components.

Latest developments in the Advanced Photovoltaic Solar Array Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stella, Paul M.; Kurland, Richard M.

1990-01-01

In 1985, the Advanced Photovoltaic Solar Array (APSA) Program was established to demonstrate a producible array system with a specific power greater than 130 W/kg at a 10-kW (BOL) power level. The latest program phase completed fabrication and initial functional testing of a prototype wing representative of a full-scale 5-kW (BOL) wing (except truncated in length to about 1 kW), with weight characteristics that could meet the 130-W/kg (BOL) specific power goal using thin silicon solar cell modules and weight-efficient structural components. The wing configuration and key design details are reviewed, along with results from key component-level and wing-level tests. Projections for future enhancements that may be expected through the use of advanced solar cells and structural components are shown. Performance estimates are given for solar electric propulsion orbital transfer missions through the Van Allen radiation belts. The latest APSA program plans are presented.

Conceptual design study: Forest Fire Advanced System Technology (FFAST)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nichols, J. D.; Warren, J. R.

1986-01-01

An integrated forest fire detection and mapping system that will be based upon technology available in the 1990s was defined. Uncertainties in emerging and advanced technologies related to the conceptual design were identified and recommended for inclusion as preferred system components. System component technologies identified for an end-to-end system include thermal infrared, linear array detectors, automatic georeferencing and signal processing, geosynchronous satellite communication links, and advanced data integration and display. Potential system configuration options were developed and examined for possible inclusion in the preferred system configuration. The preferred system configuration will provide increased performance and be cost effective over the system currently in use. Forest fire management user requirements and the system component emerging technologies were the basis for the system configuration design. A preferred system configuration was defined that warrants continued refinement and development, examined economic aspects of the current and preferred system, and provided preliminary cost estimates for follow-on system prototype development.

Advanced Learning Theories Applied to Leadership Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-01

Theory . We combined the cognitive , experiential and motivational components of advanced learning theories to develop a training application...Center for Army Leadership Technical Report 2006-2 Advanced Learning Theories Applied to Leadership Development Christina Curnow...2006 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W91QF4-05-F-0026 5b. GRANT NUMBER 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Advanced Learning Theories Applied to Leadership Development 5c

Automotive technology status and projections. Volume 2: Assessment report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dowdy, M.; Burke, A.; Schneider, H.; Edmiston, W.; Klose, G. J.; Heft, R.

1978-01-01

Current and advanced conventional engines, advanced alternative engines, advanced power train components, and other energy conserving automobile modifications which could be implemented by the end of this century are examined. Topics covered include gas turbine engines, Stirling engines, advanced automatic transmissions, alternative fuels, and metal and ceramic technology. Critical problems are examined and areas for future research are indicated.

7 CFR 70.93 - Advance information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Advance information. 70.93 Section 70.93 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards... Advance information. Upon request of an applicant, all or part of the contents of any grading certificate...

7 CFR 54.1016 - Advance information concerning service rendered.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Advance information concerning service rendered. 54..., Processing, and Packaging of Livestock and Poultry Products § 54.1016 Advance information concerning service... applicant under the regulations, or other notification concerning the determination of compliance of...

Improving online risk assessment with equipment prognostics and health monitoring

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

Coble, Jamie B.; Liu, Xiaotong; Briere, Chris

The current approach to evaluating the risk of nuclear power plant (NPP) operation relies on static probabilities of component failure, which are based on industry experience with the existing fleet of nominally similar light water reactors (LWRs). As the nuclear industry looks to advanced reactor designs that feature non-light water coolants (e.g., liquid metal, high temperature gas, molten salt), this operating history is not available. Many advanced reactor designs use advanced components, such as electromagnetic pumps, that have not been used in the US commercial nuclear fleet. Given the lack of rich operating experience, we cannot accurately estimate the evolvingmore » probability of failure for basic components to populate the fault trees and event trees that typically comprise probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) models. Online equipment prognostics and health management (PHM) technologies can bridge this gap to estimate the failure probabilities for components under operation. The enhanced risk monitor (ERM) incorporates equipment condition assessment into the existing PRA and risk monitor framework to provide accurate and timely estimates of operational risk.« less

Advanced Technologies For Heterodyne Radio Astronomy Instrumentation - Part1 By A. Pavolotsky, And Advanced Technologies For Heterodyne Radio Astronomy Instrumentation - Part2 By V. Desmaris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavolotsky, Alexey

2018-01-01

Modern and future heterodyne radio astronomy instrumentation critically depends on availability of advanced fabrication technologies and components. In Part1 of the Poster, we present the thin film fabrication process for SIS mixer receivers, utilizing either AlOx, or AlN barrier superconducting tunnel junctions developed and supported by GARD. The summary of the process design rules is presented. It is well known that performance of waveguide mixer components critically depends on accuracy of their geometrical dimensions. At GARD, all critical mechanical parts are 3D-mapped with a sub-um accuracy. Further progress of heterodyne instrumentation requires new efficient and compact sources of LO signal. We present SIS-based frequency multiplier, which could become a new option for LO source. Future radio astronomy THz receivers will need waveguide components, which fabricating due to their tiny dimensions is not feasible by traditional mechanical machining. We present the alternative micromachining technique for fabricating waveguide component for up 5 THz band and probably beyond.

Advanced High Temperature Polymer Matrix Composites for Gas Turbine Engines Program Expansion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanley, David; Carella, John

1999-01-01

This document, submitted by AlliedSignal Engines (AE), a division of AlliedSignal Aerospace Company, presents the program final report for the Advanced High Temperature Polymer Matrix Composites for Gas Turbine Engines Program Expansion in compliance with data requirements in the statement of work, Contract No. NAS3-97003. This document includes: 1 -Technical Summary: a) Component Design, b) Manufacturing Process Selection, c) Vendor Selection, and d) Testing Validation: 2-Program Conclusion and Perspective. Also, see the Appendix at the back of this report. This report covers the program accomplishments from December 1, 1996, to August 24, 1998. The Advanced High Temperature PMC's for Gas Turbine Engines Program Expansion was a one year long, five task technical effort aimed at designing, fabricating and testing a turbine engine component using NASA's high temperature resin system AMB-21. The fiber material chosen was graphite T650-35, 3K, 8HS with UC-309 sizing. The first four tasks included component design and manufacturing, process selection, vendor selection, component fabrication and validation testing. The final task involved monthly financial and technical reports.

Composition-driven Cu-speciation and reducibility in Cu-CHA zeolite catalysts: a multivariate XAS/FTIR approach to complexity† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Sample description and synthesis details, experimental setup for in situ XAS and FTIR spectroscopy, details on the MCR-ALS method, details on DFT-assisted XANES simulations, details on the determination of N pure by PCA, MCR-ALS results for downsized and upsized component spaces, additional information to support the assignment of theoretical XANES curves, details on EXAFS analysis, details on IR spectral deconvolution. See DOI: 10.1039/c7sc02266b Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Martini, A.; Lomachenko, K. A.; Pankin, I. A.; Negri, C.; Berlier, G.; Beato, P.; Falsig, H.; Bordiga, S.; Lamberti, C.

2017-01-01

The small pore Cu-CHA zeolite is attracting increasing attention as a versatile platform to design novel single-site catalysts for deNOx applications and for the direct conversion of methane to methanol. Understanding at the atomic scale how the catalyst composition influences the Cu-species formed during thermal activation is a key step to unveil the relevant composition–activity relationships. Herein, we explore by in situ XAS the impact of Cu-CHA catalyst composition on temperature-dependent Cu-speciation and reducibility. Advanced multivariate analysis of in situ XANES in combination with DFT-assisted simulation of XANES spectra and multi-component EXAFS fits as well as in situ FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed N2 allow us to obtain unprecedented quantitative structural information on the complex dynamics during the speciation of Cu-sites inside the framework of the CHA zeolite. PMID:29147509

Advanced electrical power system technology for the all electric aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finke, R. C.; Sundberg, G. R.

1983-01-01

The application of advanced electric power system technology to an all electric airplane results in an estimated reduction of the total takeoff gross weight of over 23,000 pounds for a large airplane. This will result in a 5 to 10 percent reduction in direct operating costs (DOC). Critical to this savings is the basic electrical power system component technology. These advanced electrical power components will provide a solid foundation for the materials, devices, circuits, and subsystems needed to satisfy the unique requirements of advanced all electric aircraft power systems. The program for the development of advanced electrical power component technology is described. The program is divided into five generic areas: semiconductor devices (transistors, thyristors, and diodes); conductors (materials and transmission lines); dielectrics; magnetic devices; and load management devices. Examples of progress in each of the five areas are discussed. Bipolar power transistors up to 1000 V at 100 A with a gain of 10 and a 0.5 microsec rise and fall time are presented. A class of semiconductor devices with a possibility of switching up to 100 kV is described. Solid state power controllers for load management at 120 to 1000 V and power levels to 25 kW were developed along with a 25 kW, 20 kHz transformer weighing only 3.2 kg.

Reconfigurable Transceiver and Software-Defined Radio Architecture and Technology Evaluated for NASA Space Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinhart, Richard C.; Kacpura, Thomas J.

2004-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center is investigating the development and suitability of a software-based open-architecture for space-based reconfigurable transceivers (RTs) and software-defined radios (SDRs). The main objectives of this project are to enable advanced operations and reduce mission costs. SDRs are becoming more common because of the capabilities of reconfigurable digital signal processing technologies such as field programmable gate arrays and digital signal processors, which place radio functions in firmware and software that were traditionally performed with analog hardware components. Features of interest of this communications architecture include nonproprietary open standards and application programming interfaces to enable software reuse and portability, independent hardware and software development, and hardware and software functional separation. The goals for RT and SDR technologies for NASA space missions include prelaunch and on-orbit frequency and waveform reconfigurability and programmability, high data rate capability, and overall communications and processing flexibility. These operational advances over current state-of-art transceivers will be provided to reduce the power, mass, and cost of RTs and SDRs for space communications. The open architecture for NASA communications will support existing (legacy) communications needs and capabilities while providing a path to more capable, advanced waveform development and mission concepts (e.g., ad hoc constellations with self-healing networks and high-rate science data return). A study was completed to assess the state of the art in RT architectures, implementations, and technologies. In-house researchers conducted literature searches and analysis, interviewed Government and industry contacts, and solicited information and white papers from industry on space-qualifiable RTs and SDRs and their associated technologies for space-based NASA applications. The white papers were evaluated, compiled, and used to assess RT and SDR system architectures and core technology elements to determine an appropriate investment strategy to advance these technologies to meet future mission needs. The use of these radios in the space environment represents a challenge because of the space radiation suitability of the components, which drastically reduces the processing capability. The radios available for space are considered to be RTs (as opposed to SDRs), which are digitally programmable radios with selectable changes from an architecture combining analog and digital components. The limited flexibility of this design contrasts against the desire to have a power-efficient solution and open architecture.

7 CFR 58.21 - Advance information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Advance information. 58.21 Section 58.21 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards... Grading Service § 58.21 Advance information. Upon request of an applicant, all or part of the contents of...

ViDI: Virtual Diagnostics Interface. Volume 2; Unified File Format and Web Services as Applied to Seamless Data Transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleming, Gary A. (Technical Monitor); Schwartz, Richard J.

2004-01-01

The desire to revolutionize the aircraft design cycle from its currently lethargic pace to a fast turn-around operation enabling the optimization of non-traditional configurations is a critical challenge facing the aeronautics industry. In response, a large scale effort is underway to not only advance the state of the art in wind tunnel testing, computational modeling, and information technology, but to unify these often disparate elements into a cohesive design resource. This paper will address Seamless Data Transfer, the critical central nervous system that will enable a wide variety of varied components to work together.

Photonics: Technology project summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Depaula, Ramon P.

1991-01-01

Photonics involves the use of light (photons) in conjunction with electronics for applications in communications, computing, control, and sensing. Components used in photonic systems include lasers, optical detectors, optical wave guide devices, fiber optics, and traditional electronic devices. The goal of this program is to develop hybrid optoelectronic devices and systems for sensing, information processing, communications, and control. It is hoped that these new devices will yield at least an order of magnitude improvement in performance over existing technology. The objective of the program is to conduct research and development in the following areas: (1) materials and devices; (2) networking and computing; (3) optical processing/advanced pattern recognition; and (4) sensing.

47 CFR 0.469 - Advance payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Advance payments. 0.469 Section 0.469 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL COMMISSION ORGANIZATION General Information Public Information and Inspection of Records § 0.469 Advance payments. (a) The Commission may not require advance...

47 CFR 0.469 - Advance payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Advance payments. 0.469 Section 0.469 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL COMMISSION ORGANIZATION General Information Public Information and Inspection of Records § 0.469 Advance payments. (a) The Commission may not require advance...

47 CFR 0.469 - Advance payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Advance payments. 0.469 Section 0.469 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL COMMISSION ORGANIZATION General Information Public Information and Inspection of Records § 0.469 Advance payments. (a) The Commission may not require advance...

Potentials of Advanced Database Technology for Military Information Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-01

UNCLASSIFIED Defense Technical Information Center Compilation Part Notice ADP010866 TITLE: Potentials of Advanced Database Technology for Military... Technology for Military Information Systems Sunil Choennia Ben Bruggemanb a National Aerospace Laboratory, NLR, P.O. Box 90502, 1006 BM Amsterdam...application of advanced information tech- nology, including database technology , as underpin- actions X and Y as dangerous or not? ning is

New understanding of rhizosphere processes enabled by advances in molecular and spatially resolved techniques

DOE PAGES

Hess, Nancy J.; Pasa-Tolic, Ljiljana; Bailey, Vanessa L.; ...

2017-04-12

Understanding the role played by microorganisms within soil systems is challenged by the unique intersection of physics, chemistry, mineralogy and biology in fostering habitat for soil microbial communities. To address these challenges will require observations across multiple spatial and temporal scales to capture the dynamics and emergent behavior from complex and interdependent processes. The heterogeneity and complexity of the rhizosphere require advanced techniques that press the simultaneous frontiers of spatial resolution, analyte sensitivity and specificity, reproducibility, large dynamic range, and high throughput. Fortunately many exciting technical advancements are now available to inform and guide the development of new hypotheses. Themore » aim of this Special issue is to provide a holistic view of the rhizosphere in the perspective of modern molecular biology methodologies that enabled a highly-focused, detailed view on the processes in the rhizosphere, including numerous, strong and complex interactions between plant roots, soil constituents and microorganisms. We discuss the current rhizosphere research challenges and knowledge gaps, as well as perspectives and approaches using newly available state-of-the-art toolboxes. These new approaches and methodologies allow the study of rhizosphere processes and properties, and rhizosphere as a central component of ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles.« less

New understanding of rhizosphere processes enabled by advances in molecular and spatially resolved techniques

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

Hess, Nancy J.; Paša-Tolić, Ljiljana; Bailey, Vanessa L.

Understanding the role played by microorganisms within soil systems is challenged by the unique intersection of physics, chemistry, mineralogy and biology in fostering habitat for soil microbial communities. To address these challenges will require observations across multiple spatial and temporal scales to capture the dynamics and emergent behavior from complex and interdependent processes. The heterogeneity and complexity of the rhizosphere require advanced techniques that press the simultaneous frontiers of spatial resolution, analyte sensitivity and specificity, reproducibility, large dynamic range, and high throughput. Fortunately many exciting technical advancements are now available to inform and guide the development of new hypotheses. Themore » aim of this Special issue is to provide a holistic view of the rhizosphere in the perspective of modern molecular biology methodologies that enabled a highly-focused, detailed view on the processes in the rhizosphere, including numerous, strong and complex interactions between plant roots, soil constituents and microorganisms. We discuss the current rhizosphere research challenges and knowledge gaps, as well as perspectives and approaches using newly available state-of-the-art toolboxes. These new approaches and methodologies allow the study of rhizosphere processes and properties, and rhizosphere as a central component of ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles.« less

Advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry based on metabolomics studies for food--a review.

PubMed

Rubert, Josep; Zachariasova, Milena; Hajslova, Jana

2015-01-01

Food authenticity becomes a necessity for global food policies, since food placed in the market without fail has to be authentic. It has always been a challenge, since in the past minor components, called also markers, have been mainly monitored by chromatographic methods in order to authenticate the food. Nevertheless, nowadays, advanced analytical methods have allowed food fingerprints to be achieved. At the same time they have been also combined with chemometrics, which uses statistical methods in order to verify food and to provide maximum information by analysing chemical data. These sophisticated methods based on different separation techniques or stand alone have been recently coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) in order to verify the authenticity of food. The new generation of HRMS detectors have experienced significant advances in resolving power, sensitivity, robustness, extended dynamic range, easier mass calibration and tandem mass capabilities, making HRMS more attractive and useful to the food metabolomics community, therefore becoming a reliable tool for food authenticity. The purpose of this review is to summarise and describe the most recent metabolomics approaches in the area of food metabolomics, and to discuss the strengths and drawbacks of the HRMS analytical platforms combined with chemometrics.

A Unique Digital Electrocardiographic Repository for the Development of Quantitative Electrocardiography and Cardiac Safety: The Telemetric and Holter ECG Warehouse (THEW)

PubMed Central

Couderc, Jean-Philippe

2010-01-01

The sharing of scientific data reinforces open scientific inquiry; it encourages diversity of analysis and opinion while promoting new research and facilitating the education of next generations of scientists. In this article, we present an initiative for the development of a repository containing continuous electrocardiographic information and their associated clinical information. This information is shared with the worldwide scientific community in order to improve quantitative electrocardiology and cardiac safety. First, we present the objectives of the initiative and its mission. Then, we describe the resources available in this initiative following three components: data, expertise and tools. The Data available in the Telemetric and Holter ECG Warehouse (THEW) includes continuous ECG signals and associated clinical information. The initiative attracted various academic and private partners whom expertise covers a large list of research arenas related to quantitative electrocardiography; their contribution to the THEW promotes cross-fertilization of scientific knowledge, resources, and ideas that will advance the field of quantitative electrocardiography. Finally, the tools of the THEW include software and servers to access and review the data available in the repository. To conclude, the THEW is an initiative developed to benefit the scientific community and to advance the field of quantitative electrocardiography and cardiac safety. It is a new repository designed to complement the existing ones such as Physionet, the AHA-BIH Arrhythmia Database, and the CSE database. The THEW hosts unique datasets from clinical trials and drug safety studies that, so far, were not available to the worldwide scientific community. PMID:20863512

Extracting semantically enriched events from biomedical literature

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Research into event-based text mining from the biomedical literature has been growing in popularity to facilitate the development of advanced biomedical text mining systems. Such technology permits advanced search, which goes beyond document or sentence-based retrieval. However, existing event-based systems typically ignore additional information within the textual context of events that can determine, amongst other things, whether an event represents a fact, hypothesis, experimental result or analysis of results, whether it describes new or previously reported knowledge, and whether it is speculated or negated. We refer to such contextual information as meta-knowledge. The automatic recognition of such information can permit the training of systems allowing finer-grained searching of events according to the meta-knowledge that is associated with them. Results Based on a corpus of 1,000 MEDLINE abstracts, fully manually annotated with both events and associated meta-knowledge, we have constructed a machine learning-based system that automatically assigns meta-knowledge information to events. This system has been integrated into EventMine, a state-of-the-art event extraction system, in order to create a more advanced system (EventMine-MK) that not only extracts events from text automatically, but also assigns five different types of meta-knowledge to these events. The meta-knowledge assignment module of EventMine-MK performs with macro-averaged F-scores in the range of 57-87% on the BioNLP’09 Shared Task corpus. EventMine-MK has been evaluated on the BioNLP’09 Shared Task subtask of detecting negated and speculated events. Our results show that EventMine-MK can outperform other state-of-the-art systems that participated in this task. Conclusions We have constructed the first practical system that extracts both events and associated, detailed meta-knowledge information from biomedical literature. The automatically assigned meta-knowledge information can be used to refine search systems, in order to provide an extra search layer beyond entities and assertions, dealing with phenomena such as rhetorical intent, speculations, contradictions and negations. This finer grained search functionality can assist in several important tasks, e.g., database curation (by locating new experimental knowledge) and pathway enrichment (by providing information for inference). To allow easy integration into text mining systems, EventMine-MK is provided as a UIMA component that can be used in the interoperable text mining infrastructure, U-Compare. PMID:22621266

Extracting semantically enriched events from biomedical literature.

PubMed

Miwa, Makoto; Thompson, Paul; McNaught, John; Kell, Douglas B; Ananiadou, Sophia

2012-05-23

Research into event-based text mining from the biomedical literature has been growing in popularity to facilitate the development of advanced biomedical text mining systems. Such technology permits advanced search, which goes beyond document or sentence-based retrieval. However, existing event-based systems typically ignore additional information within the textual context of events that can determine, amongst other things, whether an event represents a fact, hypothesis, experimental result or analysis of results, whether it describes new or previously reported knowledge, and whether it is speculated or negated. We refer to such contextual information as meta-knowledge. The automatic recognition of such information can permit the training of systems allowing finer-grained searching of events according to the meta-knowledge that is associated with them. Based on a corpus of 1,000 MEDLINE abstracts, fully manually annotated with both events and associated meta-knowledge, we have constructed a machine learning-based system that automatically assigns meta-knowledge information to events. This system has been integrated into EventMine, a state-of-the-art event extraction system, in order to create a more advanced system (EventMine-MK) that not only extracts events from text automatically, but also assigns five different types of meta-knowledge to these events. The meta-knowledge assignment module of EventMine-MK performs with macro-averaged F-scores in the range of 57-87% on the BioNLP'09 Shared Task corpus. EventMine-MK has been evaluated on the BioNLP'09 Shared Task subtask of detecting negated and speculated events. Our results show that EventMine-MK can outperform other state-of-the-art systems that participated in this task. We have constructed the first practical system that extracts both events and associated, detailed meta-knowledge information from biomedical literature. The automatically assigned meta-knowledge information can be used to refine search systems, in order to provide an extra search layer beyond entities and assertions, dealing with phenomena such as rhetorical intent, speculations, contradictions and negations. This finer grained search functionality can assist in several important tasks, e.g., database curation (by locating new experimental knowledge) and pathway enrichment (by providing information for inference). To allow easy integration into text mining systems, EventMine-MK is provided as a UIMA component that can be used in the interoperable text mining infrastructure, U-Compare.

78 FR 76753 - Standards of Performance for Petroleum Refineries for Which Construction, Reconstruction, or...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-19

..., or Use I. National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions... and Advancement Act Section 12(d) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995... information claimed to be confidential business information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is...

76 FR 33397 - 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: DS-4131 Advance Notification Form: Tourist and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

... Advance Notification Form: Tourist and Other Non-Governmental Activities in the Antarctic Treaty Area... of Information Collection: Advance Notification Form: Tourist and Other Non-Governmental Activities... proposed information collection is necessary for the proper performance of our functions. Evaluate the...

42 CFR 495.336 - Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements (HIT PAPD).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Health information technology planning advance... STANDARDS FOR THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVE PROGRAM Requirements Specific to the Medicaid Program § 495.336 Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements...

42 CFR 495.336 - Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements (HIT PAPD).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Health information technology planning advance... STANDARDS FOR THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVE PROGRAM Requirements Specific to the Medicaid Program § 495.336 Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements...

42 CFR 495.336 - Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements (HIT PAPD).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Health information technology planning advance... STANDARDS FOR THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVE PROGRAM Requirements Specific to the Medicaid Program § 495.336 Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements...

42 CFR 495.336 - Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements (HIT PAPD).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Health information technology planning advance... STANDARDS FOR THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVE PROGRAM Requirements Specific to the Medicaid Program § 495.336 Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements...

7 CFR 54.15 - Advance information concerning service rendered.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Advance information concerning service rendered. 54.15... Service § 54.15 Advance information concerning service rendered. Upon request of any applicant, all or any... concerning the determination of class, grade, other quality, or compliance of products for such applicant may...

78 FR 77418 - Notice of Request for Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-23

... to a currently approved information collection for the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. DATES... INFORMATION: Title: Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. OMB Number: OMB No. 0570-0063. Expiration Date of... collection. Abstract: The Advanced Biofuel Payment Program was authorized under section 9005 of Title IX of...

42 CFR 495.336 - Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements (HIT PAPD).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Health information technology planning advance... STANDARDS FOR THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVE PROGRAM Requirements Specific to the Medicaid Program § 495.336 Health information technology planning advance planning document requirements...

Facilitative and competitive interaction components among New England salt marsh plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intra- and interspecific interactions can be broken down into facilitative and competitive components. The net interaction between two organisms is simply the sum of these counteracting elements. Disentangling the positive and negative components of species interactions is a critical step in advanc...

Build a better mouse: directly-observed issues in computer use for adults with SMI.

PubMed

Black, Anne C; Serowik, Kristin L; Schensul, Jean J; Bowen, Anne M; Rosen, Marc I

2013-03-01

Integrating information technology into healthcare has the potential to bring treatment to hard-to-reach people. Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), however, may derive limited benefit from these advances in care because of lack of computer ownership and experience. To date, conclusions about the computer skills and attitudes of adults with SMI have been based primarily on self-report. In the current study, 28 psychiatric outpatients with co-occurring cocaine use were interviewed about their computer use and opinions, and 25 were then directly observed using task analysis and think aloud methods as they navigated a multi-component health informational website. Participants reported low rates of computer ownership and use, and negative attitudes towards computers. Self-reported computer skills were higher than demonstrated in the task analysis. However, some participants spontaneously expressed more positive attitudes and greater computer self-efficacy after navigating the website. Implications for increasing access to computer-based health information are discussed.

Development and use of Ontologies Inside the Neuroscience Information Framework: A Practical Approach

PubMed Central

Imam, Fahim T.; Larson, Stephen D.; Bandrowski, Anita; Grethe, Jeffery S.; Gupta, Amarnath; Martone, Maryann E.

2012-01-01

An initiative of the NIH Blueprint for neuroscience research, the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF) project advances neuroscience by enabling discovery and access to public research data and tools worldwide through an open source, semantically enhanced search portal. One of the critical components for the overall NIF system, the NIF Standardized Ontologies (NIFSTD), provides an extensive collection of standard neuroscience concepts along with their synonyms and relationships. The knowledge models defined in the NIFSTD ontologies enable an effective concept-based search over heterogeneous types of web-accessible information entities in NIF’s production system. NIFSTD covers major domains in neuroscience, including diseases, brain anatomy, cell types, sub-cellular anatomy, small molecules, techniques, and resource descriptors. Since the first production release in 2008, NIF has grown significantly in content and functionality, particularly with respect to the ontologies and ontology-based services that drive the NIF system. We present here on the structure, design principles, community engagement, and the current state of NIFSTD ontologies. PMID:22737162

Build a Better Mouse: Directly-Observed Issues in Computer Use for Adults with SMI

PubMed Central

Black, Anne C.; Serowik, Kristin L.; Schensul, Jean J.; Bowen, Anne M.; Rosen, Marc I.

2014-01-01

Integrating information technology into healthcare has the potential to bring treatment to hard-to-reach people. Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), however, may derive limited benefit from these advances in care because of lack of computer ownership and experience. To date, conclusions about the computer skills and attitudes of adults with SMI have been based primarily on self-report. In the current study, 28 psychiatric outpatients with co-occurring cocaine use were interviewed about their computer use and opinions, and 25 were then directly observed using task analysis and think aloud methods as they navigated a multi-component health informational website. Participants reported low rates of computer ownership and use, and negative attitudes towards computers. Self-reported computer skills were higher than demonstrated in the task analysis. However, some participants spontaneously expressed more positive attitudes and greater computer self-efficacy after navigating the website. Implications for increasing access to computer-based health information are discussed. PMID:22711454

Advance Directives as Support of Autonomy for Persons with Dementia? A Pilot Study among Persons with Dementia and Their Informal Caregivers.

PubMed

Schmidhuber, Martina; Haeupler, Sandra; Marinova-Schmidt, Velislava; Frewer, Andreas; Kolominsky-Rabas, Peter L

2017-01-01

Advance directives could be an important instrument to support a person's will once he/she is not able to consent anymore - if composed competently. A survey was conducted to identify the level of knowledge concerning possibilities and limits of advance directives. The study was conducted as part of the Bavarian Dementia Survey (BayDem). Data were collected from January 2014 to December 2015 by structured face-to-face interviews. Study participants were persons with dementia and their informal caregivers ( n = 74). In total, 66% reported having written an advance directive. Concerning the participants' knowledge about possibilities and limitations of advance directives, a lack of knowledge was noted about the possibility to revoke an advance directive. Furthermore, 70% of informal caregivers and 56% of persons with dementia were not aware of the possibility to include dementia-specific terms in the advance directive. It is necessary to optimize structures for public information and education concerning the topic of advance directives for persons with dementia.

IMPEDANCE MEASUREMENT OF VACUUM CHAMBER COMPONENTS FOR THE ADVANCE PHOTON SOURCE (APS) UPGRADE

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

Sangroula, M.; Lindberg, R.; Lill, R.

2017-06-16

The proposed Advance Photon Source Upgrade (APS-U) employs a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice to increase the photon brightness by two to three orders of magnitude. One of the main design challenges of the upgrade is to minimize rf heating and collective instabilities associated with the impedance of small-aperture vacuum components. As part of this effort, my research focuses on impedance measurement and simulation of various MBA vacuum components. Here, we present the summary of the impedance contributions for the APS-U and describe our planned impedance measurement technique, including some measurement results for the non-evaporative getter (NEG)-coated copper chamber and simulationmore » results for other critical components using a novel Goubau line (G-line) set up.« less

Impedance measurement of vacuum chamber components for the Advance Photon Source(APS) Upgrade

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

Sangroula, M.; Lindberg, R.; Lill, R.

2017-01-01

The proposed Advance Photon Source Upgrade (APS-U) employs a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice to increase the photon brightness by two to three orders of magnitude. One of the main design challenges of the upgrade is to minimize rf heating and collective instabilities associated with the impedance of small-aperture vacuum components. As part of this effort, my research focuses on impedance measurement and simulation of various MBA vacuum components. Here, we present the summary of the impedance contributions for the APS-U and describe our planned impedance measurement technique, including some measurement results for the non-evaporative getter (NEG)-coated copper chamber and simulationmore » results for other critical components using a novel Goubau line (G-line) set up.« less

Advanced Placement Environmental Science and the Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science (CCERS) Project in the New York City High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birney, Lauren; McNamara, Denise

2018-01-01

This paper explores the issue of social justice through the lens of equitable access to Advanced Placement courses in the City of New York High Schools, with focus on Advanced Placement Environmental Science. A critical component of the Advanced Placement Environmental Science course is the incorporation of environmental fieldwork. The National…

Smashing the Stovepipe: Leveraging the GMSEC Open Architecture and Advanced IT Automation to Rapidly Prototype, Develop and Deploy Next-Generation Multi-Mission Ground Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swenson, Paul

2017-01-01

Satellite/Payload Ground Systems - Typically highly-customized to a specific mission's use cases - Utilize hundreds (or thousands!) of specialized point-to-point interfaces for data flows / file transfers Documentation and tracking of these complex interfaces requires extensive time to develop and extremely high staffing costs Implementation and testing of these interfaces are even more cost-prohibitive, and documentation often lags behind implementation resulting in inconsistencies down the road With expanding threat vectors, IT Security, Information Assurance and Operational Security have become key Ground System architecture drivers New Federal security-related directives are generated on a daily basis, imposing new requirements on current / existing ground systems - These mandated activities and data calls typically carry little or no additional funding for implementation As a result, Ground System Sustaining Engineering groups and Information Technology staff continually struggle to keep up with the rolling tide of security Advancing security concerns and shrinking budgets are pushing these large stove-piped ground systems to begin sharing resources - I.e. Operational / SysAdmin staff, IT security baselines, architecture decisions or even networks / hosting infrastructure Refactoring these existing ground systems into multi-mission assets proves extremely challenging due to what is typically very tight coupling between legacy components As a result, many "Multi-Mission" ops. environments end up simply sharing compute resources and networks due to the difficulty of refactoring into true multi-mission systems Utilizing continuous integration / rapid system deployment technologies in conjunction with an open architecture messaging approach allows System Engineers and Architects to worry less about the low-level details of interfaces between components and configuration of systems GMSEC messaging is inherently designed to support multi-mission requirements, and allows components to aggregate data across multiple homogeneous or heterogeneous satellites or payloads - The highly-successful Goddard Science and Planetary Operations Control Center (SPOCC) utilizes GMSEC as the hub for it's automation and situational awareness capability Shifts focus towards getting GS to a final configuration-managed baseline, as well as multi-mission / big-picture capabilities that help increase situational awareness, promote cross-mission sharing and establish enhanced fleet management capabilities across all levels of the enterprise.

Standardization Efforts for Mechanical Testing and Design of Advanced Ceramic Materials and Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salem, Jonathan A.; Jenkins, Michael G.

2003-01-01

Advanced aerospace systems occasionally require the use of very brittle materials such as sapphire and ultra-high temperature ceramics. Although great progress has been made in the development of methods and standards for machining, testing and design of component from these materials, additional development and dissemination of standard practices is needed. ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics and ISO TC 206 have taken a lead role in the standardization of testing for ceramics, and recent efforts and needs in standards development by Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics will be summarized. In some cases, the engineers, etc. involved are unaware of the latest developments, and traditional approaches applicable to other material systems are applied. Two examples of flight hardware failures that might have been prevented via education and standardization will be presented.

Ceramic Technology for Advanced Heat Engines Project

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

Not Available

1989-08-01

The Ceramic Technology for Advanced Heat Engines Project was developed by the Department of Energy's Office of Transportation Systems (OTS) in Conservation and Renewable Energy. This project, part of the OTS's Advanced Materials Development Program, was developed to meet the ceramic technology requirements of the OTS's automotive technology programs. Significant accomplishments in fabricating ceramic components for the Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Department of Defense (DoD) advanced heat engine programs have provided evidence that the operation of ceramic parts in high-temperature engine environments is feasible. However, these programs have also demonstrated that additional researchmore » is needed in materials and processing development, design methodology, and data base and life prediction before industry will have a sufficient technology base from which to produce reliable cost-effective ceramic engine components commercially.« less

Design of Ontology-Based Sharing Mechanism for Web Services Recommendation Learning Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hong-Ren

The number of digital learning websites is growing as a result of advances in computer technology and new techniques in web page creation. These sites contain a wide variety of information but may be a source of confusion to learners who fail to find the information they are seeking. This has led to the concept of recommendation services to help learners acquire information and learning resources that suit their requirements. Learning content like this cannot be reused by other digital learning websites. A successful recommendation service that satisfies a certain learner must cooperate with many other digital learning objects so that it can achieve the required relevance. The study proposes using the theory of knowledge construction in ontology to make the sharing and reuse of digital learning resources possible. The learning recommendation system is accompanied by the recommendation of appropriate teaching materials to help learners enhance their learning abilities. A variety of diverse learning components scattered across the Internet can be organized through an ontological process so that learners can use information by storing, sharing, and reusing it.

Contributions of Raman spectroscopy to the understanding of bone strength.

PubMed

Mandair, Gurjit S; Morris, Michael D

2015-01-01

Raman spectroscopy is increasingly commonly used to understand how changes in bone composition and structure influence tissue-level bone mechanical properties. The spectroscopic technique provides information on bone mineral and matrix collagen components and on the effects of various matrix proteins on bone material properties as well. The Raman spectrum of bone not only contains information on bone mineral crystallinity that is related to bone hardness but also provides information on the orientation of mineral crystallites with respect to the collagen fibril axis. Indirect information on collagen cross-links is also available and will be discussed. After a short introduction to bone Raman spectroscopic parameters and collection methodologies, advances in in vivo Raman spectroscopic measurements for animal and human subject studies will be reviewed. A discussion on the effects of aging, osteogenesis imperfecta, osteoporosis and therapeutic agents on bone composition and mechanical properties will be highlighted, including genetic mouse models in which structure-function and exercise effects are explored. Similarly, extracellular matrix proteins, proteases and transcriptional proteins implicated in the regulation of bone material properties will be reviewed.