Langley Aerothermodynamic Facilities Complex: Enhancements and Testing Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Micol, J. R.

1998-01-01

Description, capabilities, recent upgrades, and utilization of the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Aerothermodynamic Facilities Complex (AFC) are presented. The AFC consists of five hypersonic, blow-down-to-vacuum wind tunnels that collectively provide a range of Mach number from 6 to 20, unit Reynolds number from 0.04 to 22 million per foot and, most importantly for blunt configurations, normal shock density ratio from 4 to 12. These wide ranges of hypersonic simulation parameters are due, in part, to the use of three different test gases (air, helium, and tetrafluoromethane), thereby making several of the facilities unique. The Complex represents nearly three-fourths of the conventional (as opposed to impulse)-type hypersonic wind tunnels operational in this country. AFC facilities are used to assess and optimize the hypersonic aerodynamic performance and aeroheating characteristics of aerospace vehicle concepts and to provide benchmark aerodynamic/aeroheating data fr generating the flight aerodynamic databook and final design of the thermal protection system (TPS) (e.g., establishment of flight limitations not to exceed TPS design limits). Modifications and enhancements of AFC hardware components and instrumentation have been pursued to increase capability, reliability, and productivity in support of programmatic goals. Examples illustrating facility utilization in recent years to generate essentially all of the experimental hypersonic aerodynamic and aeroheating information for high-priority, fast-paced Agency programs are presented. These programs include Phase I of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Advanced Technology Demonstrator, X-33 program, PHase II of the X-33 program, X-34 program, the Hyper-X program ( a Mach 5,7, and 10 airbreathing propulsion flight experiment), and the X-38 program (Experimental Crew Return Vehicle, X-CRV). Current upgrades/enchancements and future plans for the AFC are discussed.

Shuttle Tethered Aerothermodynamics Research Facility (STARFAC) Instrumentation Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, George M.; Siemers, Paul M.; Carlomagno, Giovanni M.; Hoffman, John

1986-01-01

The instrumentation requirements for the Shuttle Tethered Aerothermodynamic Research Facility (STARFAC) are presented. The typical physical properties of the terrestrial atmosphere are given along with representative atmospheric daytime ion concentrations and the equilibrium and nonequilibrium gas property comparison from a point away from a wall. STARFAC science and engineering measurements are given as are the TSS free stream gas analysis. The potential nonintrusive measurement techniques for hypersonic boundary layer research are outlined along with the quantitative physical measurement methods for aerothermodynamic studies.

Experimental facility for testing nuclear instruments for planetary landing missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golovin, Dmitry; Mitrofanov, Igor; Litvak, Maxim; Kozyrev, Alexander; Sanin, Anton; Vostrukhin, Andrey

2017-04-01

The experimental facility for testing and calibration of nuclear planetology instruments has been built in the frame of JINR and Space Research Institute (Moscow) cooperation. The Martian soil model from silicate glass with dimensions 3.82 x 3.21 m and total weight near 30 tons has been assembled in the facility. The glass material was chosen for imitation of dry Martian regolith. The heterogeneous model has been proposed and developed to achieve the most possible similarity with Martian soil in part of the average elemental composition by adding layers of necessary materials, such as iron, aluminum, and chlorine. The presence of subsurface water ice is simulated by adding layers of polyethylene at different depths inside glass model assembly. Neutron generator was used as a neutron source to induce characteristic gamma rays for testing active neutron and gamma spectrometers to define elements composition of the model. The instrumentation was able to detect gamma lines attributed to H, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Cl, K, Ca and Fe. The identified elements compose up to 95 wt % of total mass of the planetary soil model. This results will be used for designing scientific instruments to performing experiments of active neutron and gamma ray spectroscopy on the surface of the planets during Russian and international missions Luna-Glob, Luna-Resource and ExoMars-2020.

Facilities for meteorological research at NASA Goddard/Wallops Flight Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerlach, J. C.; Carr, R. E.

1984-01-01

The technical characteristics of the Atmospheric Sciences Research Facility, the improvements being made to the instrumentation there which will enhance its usefulness in atmospheric research, and several of the on-going research programs are described. Among the area of atmospheric research discussed are clouds and precipitation, lightning, ozone, wind, and storms. Meteorological instruments including Doppler radar, spectrophotometers, and ozone sensors are mentioned. Atmospheric research relevant to aircraft design and COMSTAR communication satellites is briefly discussed.

Integrated development facility for the calibration of low-energy charged particle flight instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biddle, A. P.; Reynolds, J. M.

1986-01-01

The design of a low-energy ion facility for development and calibration of thermal ion instrumentation is examined. A directly heated cathode provides the electrons used to produce ions by impact ionization and an applied magnetic field increases the path length followed by the electrons. The electrostatic and variable geometry magnetic mirror configuration in the ion source is studied. The procedures for the charge neutralization of the beam and the configuration and function of the 1.4-m drift tube are analyzed. A microcomputer is utilized to control and monitor the beam energy and composition, and the mass- and angle-dependent response of the instrument under testing. The facility produces a high-quality ion beam with an adjustable range of energies up to 150 eV; the angular divergence and uniformity of the beam is obtained from two independent retarding potential analyzers. The procedures for calibrating the instrument being developed are described.

Development of a facility using robotics for testing automation of inertial instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greig, Joy Y.; Lamont, Gary B.; Biezad, Daniel J.; Lewantowicz, Zdsislaw H.; Greig, Joy Y.

1987-01-01

The Integrated Robotics System Simulation (ROBSIM) was used to evaluate the performance of the PUMA 560 arm as applied to testing of inertial sensors. Results of this effort were used in the design and development of a feasibility test environment using a PUMA 560 arm. The implemented facility demonstrated the ability to perform conventional static inertial instrument tests (rotation and tumble). The facility included an efficient data acquisitions capability along with a precision test servomechanism function resulting in various data presentations which are included in the paper. Analysis of inertial instrument testing accuracy, repeatability and noise characteristics are provided for the PUMA 560 as well as for other possible commercial arm configurations. Another integral aspect of the effort was an in-depth economic analysis and comparison of robot arm testing versus use of contemporary precision test equipment.

A Unique Outside Neutron and Gamma Ray Instrumentation Development Test Facility at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bodnarik, J.; Evans, L.; Floyd, S.; Lim, L.; McClanahan, T.; Namkung, M.; Parsons, A.; Schweitzer, J.; Starr, R.; Trombka, J.

2010-01-01

An outside neutron and gamma ray instrumentation test facility has been constructed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to evaluate conceptual designs of gamma ray and neutron systems that we intend to propose for future planetary lander and rover missions. We will describe this test facility and its current capabilities for operation of planetary in situ instrumentation, utilizing a l4 MeV pulsed neutron generator as the gamma ray excitation source with gamma ray and neutron detectors, in an open field with the ability to remotely monitor and operate experiments from a safe distance at an on-site building. The advantage of a permanent test facility with the ability to operate a neutron generator outside and the flexibility to modify testing configurations is essential for efficient testing of this type of technology. Until now, there have been no outdoor test facilities for realistically testing neutron and gamma ray instruments planned for solar system exploration

16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

Rapid assessment of infrastructure of primary health care facilities - a relevant instrument for health care systems management.

PubMed

Scholz, Stefan; Ngoli, Baltazar; Flessa, Steffen

2015-05-01

Health care infrastructure constitutes a major component of the structural quality of a health system. Infrastructural deficiencies of health services are reported in literature and research. A number of instruments exist for the assessment of infrastructure. However, no easy-to-use instruments to assess health facility infrastructure in developing countries are available. Present tools are not applicable for a rapid assessment by health facility staff. Therefore, health information systems lack data on facility infrastructure. A rapid assessment tool for the infrastructure of primary health care facilities was developed by the authors and pilot-tested in Tanzania. The tool measures the quality of all infrastructural components comprehensively and with high standardization. Ratings use a 2-1-0 scheme which is frequently used in Tanzanian health care services. Infrastructural indicators and indices are obtained from the assessment and serve for reporting and tracing of interventions. The tool was pilot-tested in Tanga Region (Tanzania). The pilot test covered seven primary care facilities in the range between dispensary and district hospital. The assessment encompassed the facilities as entities as well as 42 facility buildings and 80 pieces of technical medical equipment. A full assessment of facility infrastructure was undertaken by health care professionals while the rapid assessment was performed by facility staff. Serious infrastructural deficiencies were revealed. The rapid assessment tool proved a reliable instrument of routine data collection by health facility staff. The authors recommend integrating the rapid assessment tool in the health information systems of developing countries. Health authorities in a decentralized health system are thus enabled to detect infrastructural deficiencies and trace the effects of interventions. The tool can lay the data foundation for district facility infrastructure management.

A new generation of x-ray spectrometry UHV instruments at the SR facilities BESSY II, ELETTRA and SOLEIL

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

Lubeck, J., E-mail: janin.lubeck@ptb.de; Fliegauf, R.; Holfelder, I.

A novel type of ultra-high vacuum instrument for X-ray reflectometry and spectrometry-related techniques for nanoanalytics by means of synchrotron radiation (SR) has been constructed and commissioned at BESSY II. This versa-tile instrument was developed by the PTB, Germany’s national metrology institute, and includes a 9-axis manipulator that allows for an independent alignment of the samples with respect to all degrees of freedom. In addition, it integrates a rotational and translational movement of several photodiodes as well as a translational movement of a beam-geometry-defining aperture system. Thus, the new instrument enables various analytical techniques based on energy dispersive X-ray detectors suchmore » as reference-free X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis, total-reflection XRF, grazing-incidence XRF, in addition to optional X-Ray Reflectometry (XRR) measurements or polarization-dependent X-ray absorption fine structure analyses (XAFS). Samples having a size of up to (100 × 100) mm{sup 2}; can be analyzed with respect to their mass deposition, elemental, spatial or species composition. Surface contamination, nanolayer composition and thickness, depth pro-file of matrix elements or implants, nanoparticles or buried interfaces as well as molecular orientation of bonds can be accessed. Three technology transfer projects of adapted instruments have enhanced X-Ray Spectrometry (XRS) research activities within Europe at the synchrotron radiation facilities ELETTRA (IAEA) and SOLEIL (CEA/LNE-LNHB) as well as at the X-ray innovation laboratory BLiX (TU Berlin) where different laboratory sources are used. Here, smaller chamber requirements led PTB in cooperation with TU Berlin to develop a modified instrument equipped with a 7-axis manipulator: reduced freedom in the choice of experimental geometry modifications (absence of out-of-SR-plane and reference-free XRS options) has been compensated by encoder-enhanced angular accuracy for GIXRF and XRR.« less

Advanced Spectroscopic and Thermal Imaging Instrumentation for Shock Tube and Ballistic Range Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grinstead, Jay H.; Wilder, Michael C.; Reda, Daniel C.; Cruden, Brett A.; Bogdanoff, David W.

2010-01-01

The Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) facility and Hypervelocity Free Flight Aerodynamic Facility (HFFAF, an aeroballistic range) at NASA Ames support basic research in aerothermodynamic phenomena of atmospheric entry, specifically shock layer radiation spectroscopy, convective and radiative heat transfer, and transition to turbulence. Innovative optical instrumentation has been developed and implemented to meet the challenges posed from obtaining such data in these impulse facilities. Spatially and spectrally resolved measurements of absolute radiance of a travelling shock wave in EAST are acquired using multiplexed, time-gated imaging spectrographs. Nearly complete spectral coverage from the vacuum ultraviolet to the near infrared is possible in a single experiment. Time-gated thermal imaging of ballistic range models in flight enables quantitative, global measurements of surface temperature. These images can be interpreted to determine convective heat transfer rates and reveal transition to turbulence due to isolated and distributed surface roughness at hypersonic velocities. The focus of this paper is a detailed description of the optical instrumentation currently in use in the EAST and HFFAF.

Calibration facility for environment dosimetry instruments

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

Bercea, Sorin; Celarel, Aurelia; Cenusa, Constantin

2013-12-16

In the last ten years, the nuclear activities, as well as the major nuclear events (see Fukushima accident) had an increasing impact on the environment, merely by contamination with radioactive materials. The most conferment way to quickly identify the presence of some radioactive elements in the environment, is to measure the dose-equivalent rate H. In this situation, information concerning the values of H due only to the natural radiation background must exist. Usually, the values of H due to the natural radiation background, are very low (∼10{sup −9} - 10{sup −8} Sv/h). A correct measurement of H in this rangemore » involve a performing calibration of the measuring instruments in the measuring range corresponding to the natural radiation background lead to important problems due to the presence of the natural background itself the best way to overlap this difficulty is to set up the calibration stand in an area with very low natural radiation background. In Romania, we identified an area with such special conditions at 200 m dept, in a salt mine. This paper deals with the necessary requirements for such a calibration facility, as well as with the calibration stand itself. The paper includes also, a description of the calibration stand (and images) as well as the radiological and metrological parameters. This calibration facilities for environment dosimetry is one of the few laboratories in this field in Europe.« less

Facile synthesis of porous Pt-Pd nanospheres supported on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets for enhanced methanol electrooxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shan-Shan; Lv, Jing-Jing; Hu, Yuan-Yuan; Zheng, Jie-Ning; Chen, Jian-Rong; Wang, Ai-Jun; Feng, Jiu-Ju

2014-02-01

In this study, a simple, facile, and effective wet-chemical strategy was developed in the synthesis of uniform porous Pt-Pd nanospheres (Pt-Pd NSs) supported on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (RGOs) under ambient temperature, where octylphenoxypolye thoxyethanol (NP-40) is used as a soft template, without any seed, organic solvent or special instruments. The as-prepared nanocomposites display enhanced electrocatalytic activity and good stability toward methanol oxidation, compared with commercial Pd/C and Pt/C catalysts. This strategy may open a new route to design and prepare advanced electrocatalysts for fuel cells.

Recent Enhancements to the National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kilgore, W. A.; Balakrishna, S.; Bobbitt, C. W.; Underwood, P.

2003-01-01

The National Transonic Facility continues to make enhancements to provide quality data in a safe, efficient and cost effective method for aerodynamic ground testing. Recent enhancements discussed in this paper include the restoration of reliability and improved performance of the heat exchanger systems resulting in the expansion of the NTF air operations envelope. Additionally, results are presented from a continued effort to reduce model dynamics through the use of a new stiffer balance and sting

Current status of the facility instrumentation suite at the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothberg, Barry; Kuhn, Olga; Edwards, Michelle L.; Hill, John M.; Thompson, David; Veillet, Christian; Wagner, R. Mark

2016-07-01

The current status of the facility instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) is reviewed. The LBT encompasses two 8.4 meter primary mirrors on a single mount yielding an effective collecting area of 11.8 meters or 23 meters when interferometrically combined. The three facility instruments at LBT include: 1) the Large Binocular Cameras (LBCs), each with a 23'× 25' field of view (FOV). The blue optimized and red optimized optical wavelength LBCs are mounted at the prime focus of the SX (left) and DX (right) primary mirrors, respectively. Combined, the filter suite of the two LBCs cover 0.3-1.1 μm, including the addition of new medium-band filters centered on TiO (0.78 μm) and CN (0.82 μm) 2) the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS), two identical optical spectrographs each mounted at the straight through f/15 Gregorian focus of the primary mirrors. The capabilities of MODS-1 and -2 include imaging with Sloan filters (u, g, r, i, and z) and medium resolution (R ˜ 2000) spectroscopy, each with 24 interchangeable masks (multi-object or longslit) over a 6'× 6' FOV. Each MODS is capable of blue (0.32-0.6 μm) and red (0.5-1.05 μm) wavelength only spectroscopy coverage or both can employ a dichroic for 0.32-1.05 μm wavelength coverage (with reduced coverage from 0.56- 0.57 μm) and 3) the two LBT Utility Camera in the Infrared instruments (LUCIs), are each mounted at a bent-front Gregorian f/15 focus of a primary mirror. LUCI-1 and 2 are designed for seeing-limited (4'× 4' FOV) and active optics using thin-shell adaptive secondary mirrors (0.5'× 0.5' FOV) imaging and spectroscopy over the wavelength range of 0.95-2.5 μm and spectroscopic resolutions of 400 <= R <= 11000 (depending on the combination of grating, slits, and cameras used). The spectroscopic capabilities also include 32 interchangeable multi-object or longslit masks which are cryogenically cooled. Currently all facility instruments are in-place at the LBT and, for the first time

78 FR 39757 - Current List of Laboratories and Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities Which Meet Minimum...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

... Engage in Urine Drug Testing for Federal Agencies AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services... the standards of the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (Mandatory... and Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities [[Page 39758

A study of electro-mechanical and infrastructure instrumentation facilities in environmental laboratory.

PubMed

Dhawangale, R M; Kawale, S M; Waghmare, Maya; Pandya, G H; Kondawar, V K

2006-01-01

Environmental laboratories carry out measurement and analysis of a number of physical, chemical and biological parameters. Each parameter requires some sort of instrument for its determination. Providing efficient instrumentation services to various departments of the Institute is an stupendous task. Instrumentation services in the form of installation, operation, repair and maintenanace of electro-mechanical equipment requires an in-depth experience and knowledge of the working, fabrication, design and repair of similar type of instruments so that the need of space, installation pre-requisites, budget constraints, availability of essential spares parts could be assessed. The paper discusses the operation of an environmental instrument repairs and maintenance, and audio-visual facilities. Suggestions for drafting of the proper specifications for procurement of laboratory equipments, such as ovens, furnaces, refrigerators, blowers, audio visual aids, and spares and accessories are given in this paper. The paper also gives the detailed information on various aspects that are needed for checking and testing of the equipment against specification before putting it in operational use. Development of a preventive maintenance program involving QC checks and keeping an inventory of essential spares required are also discussed in this paper. It is felt that such services are essential in providing smooth support to carry out research and development activities of the Institute.

New Platforms for Suborbital Astronomical Observations and In Situ Atmospheric Measurements: Spacecraft, Instruments, and Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodway, K.; DeForest, C. E.; Diller, J.; Vilas, F.; Sollitt, L. S.; Reyes, M. F.; Filo, A. S.; Anderson, E.

2014-12-01

Suborbital astronomical observations have over 50 years' history using NASA's sounding rockets and experimental space planes. The new commercial space industry is developing suborbital reusable launch vehicles (sRLV's) to provide low-cost, flexible, and frequent access to space at ~100 km altitude. In the case of XCOR Aerospace's Lynx spacecraft, the vehicle design and capabilities work well for hosting specially designed experiments that can be flown with a human-tended researcher or alone with the pilot on a customized mission. Some of the first-generation instruments and facilities that will conduct solar observations on dedicated Lynx science missions include the SwRI Solar Instrument Pointing Platform (SSIPP) and Atsa Suborbital Observatory, as well as KickSat sprites, which are picosatellites for in situ atmospheric and solar phenomena measurements. The SSIPP is a demonstration two-stage pointed solar observatory that operates inside the Lynx cockpit. The coarse pointing stage includes the pilot in the feedback loop, and the fine stage stabilizes the solar image to achieve arcsecond class pointing. SSIPP is a stepping-stone to future external instruments that can operate with larger apertures and shorter wavelengths in the solar atmosphere. The Planetary Science Institute's Atsa Suborbital Observatory combines the strengths of ground-based observatories and space-based observing to create a facility where a telescope is maintained and used interchangeably with either in-house facility instruments or user-provided instruments. The Atsa prototype is a proof of concept, hand-guided camera that mounts on the interior of the Lynx cockpit to test target acquisition and tracking for human-operated suborbital astronomy. KickSat sprites are mass-producible, one inch printed circuit boards (PCBs) populated by programmable off the shelf microprocessors and radios for real time data transmission. The sprite PCBs can integrate chip-based radiometers, magnetometers

34 CFR 225.3 - What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Charter School Facilities Program? 225.3 Section 225.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the... ENHANCEMENT FOR CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES PROGRAM General § 225.3 What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program? The following regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement...

34 CFR 225.3 - What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Charter School Facilities Program? 225.3 Section 225.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the... ENHANCEMENT FOR CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES PROGRAM General § 225.3 What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program? The following regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement...

34 CFR 225.3 - What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Charter School Facilities Program? 225.3 Section 225.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the... ENHANCEMENT FOR CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES PROGRAM General § 225.3 What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program? The following regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement...

34 CFR 225.3 - What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Charter School Facilities Program? 225.3 Section 225.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the... ENHANCEMENT FOR CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES PROGRAM General § 225.3 What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program? The following regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement...

34 CFR 225.3 - What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Charter School Facilities Program? 225.3 Section 225.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the... ENHANCEMENT FOR CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES PROGRAM General § 225.3 What regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities Program? The following regulations apply to the Credit Enhancement...

Strategies to Enhance Online Learning Teams. Team Assessment and Diagnostics Instrument and Agent-based Modeling

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-12

Strategies to Enhance Online Learning Teams Team Assessment and Diagnostics Instrument and Agent-based Modeling Tristan E. Johnson, Ph.D. Learning ...REPORT DATE AUG 2010 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Strategies to Enhance Online Learning ...TeamsTeam Strategies to Enhance Online Learning Teams: Team Assessment and Diagnostics Instrument and Agent-based Modeling 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT

78 FR 46996 - Current List of Laboratories and Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities Which Meet Minimum...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

... Engage in Urine Drug Testing for Federal Agencies AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services... the standards of the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs (Mandatory... and Instrumented Initial Testing Facilities (IITF) must meet in order to conduct drug and specimen...

Novel spinal instrumentation to enhance osteogenesis and fusion: a preliminary study.

PubMed

MacEwan, Matthew R; Talcott, Michael R; Moran, Daniel W; Leuthardt, Eric C

2016-09-01

OBJECTIVE Instrumented spinal fusion continues to exhibit high failure rates in patients undergoing multilevel lumbar fusion or pseudarthrosis revision; with Grade II or higher spondylolisthesis; or in those possessing risk factors such as obesity, tobacco use, or metabolic disorders. Direct current (DC) electrical stimulation of bone growth represents a unique surgical adjunct in vertebral fusion procedures, yet existing spinal fusion stimulators are not optimized to enhance interbody fusion. To develop an advanced method of applying DC electrical stimulation to promote interbody fusion, a novel osteogenic spinal system capable of routing DC through rigid instrumentation and into the vertebral bodies was fabricated. A pilot study was designed to assess the feasibility of osteogenic instrumentation and compare the ability of osteogenic instrumentation to promote successful interbody fusion in vivo to standard spinal instrumentation with autograft. METHODS Instrumented, single-level, posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with autologous graft was performed at L4-5 in adult Toggenburg/Alpine goats, using both osteogenic spinal instrumentation (plus electrical stimulation) and standard spinal instrumentation (no electrical stimulation). At terminal time points (3 months, 6 months), animals were killed and lumbar spines were explanted for radiographic analysis using a SOMATOM Dual Source Definition CT Scanner and high-resolution Microcat II CT Scanner. Trabecular continuity, radiodensity within the fusion mass, and regional bone formation were examined to determine successful spinal fusion. RESULTS Quantitative analysis of average bone density in pedicle screw beds confirmed that electroactive pedicle screws used in the osteogenic spinal system focally enhanced bone density in instrumented vertebral bodies. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of high-resolution CT scans of explanted lumbar spines further demonstrated that the osteogenic spinal system induced solid

Preliminary Results From a Heavily Instrumented Engine Ice Crystal Icing Test in a Ground Based Altitude Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flegel, Ashlie B.; Oliver, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Preliminary results from the Heavily Instrumented ALF503R-5 Engine test conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center Propulsion Systems Laboratory will be discussed. The effects of ice crystal icing on a full scale engine is examined and documented. This model engine, serial number LF01, was used during the inaugural icing test in the PSL facility. The reduction of thrust (rollback) events experienced by this engine in flight were replicated in the facility. Limited instrumentation was used to detect icing. Metal temperature on the exit guide vanes and outer shroud and the load measurement were the only indicators of ice formation. The current study features a similar engine, serial number LF11, which is instrumented to characterize the cloud entering the engine, detect characterize ice accretion, and visualize the ice accretion in the region of interest.

Observations of Jupiter thermal emission made by the Infrared Telescope Facility and the Galileo NIMS instrument

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-03-26

These observations of Jupiter equator in thermal heat emission were made by NASA Infrared Telescope Facility top panel within hours of the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer NIMS instrument image middle inset and the spectra bottom.

The ARM Climate Research Facility - New Capabilities and the Expected Impacts on Climate Science and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voyles, J.; Mather, J. H.

2010-12-01

The ARM Climate Research Facility is a Department of Energy national scientific user facility. Research sites include fixed and mobile facilities, which collect research quality data for climate research. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science allocated $60 million to the ARM Climate Research Facility for the purchase of instruments and improvement of research sites. With these funds, ARM is in the process of deploying a broad variety of new instruments that will greatly enhance the measurement capabilities of the facility. New instruments being purchased include dual-frequency scanning cloud radars, scanning precipitation radars, Doppler lidars, a mobile Aerosol Observing System and many others. A list of instruments being purchased is available at http://www.arm.gov/about/recovery-act. Orders for all instruments have now been placed and activities are underway to integrate these new systems with our research sites. The overarching goal is to provide instantaneous and statistical measurements of the climate that can be used to advance the physical understanding and predictive performance of climate models. The Recovery Act investments enable the ARM Climate Research Facility to enhance existing and add new measurements, which enable a more complete understanding of the 3-dimensional evolution of cloud processes and related atmospheric properties. Understanding cloud processes are important globally, to reduce climate-modeling uncertainties and help improve our nation’s ability to manage climate impacts. Domer Plot of W-Band Reflectivity

16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... CITIZENS BAND BASE STATION ANTENNAS Pt. 1204, Figs. 1, 2 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204—Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... CITIZENS BAND BASE STATION ANTENNAS Pt. 1204, Figs. 1, 2 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204—Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility of the U.S. Geological Survey, annual report for fiscal year 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Latkovich, V.J.; Tracey, Debra C.

1994-01-01

The Hydrologic lnstrumentation Facility (HIF) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has nationwide responsibility for all aspects of hydrologic field instrumentation in support of Survey data-collection programs. Each year the HIF publishes a report to inform Water Resources Division (WRD) personnel of progress made by the HIF in fulfilling its mission to improve instrumentation services to the Division. The report for fiscal year 1993 (FY93) describes the activities of the HIF, including major accomplish- ments for the year; personnel actions; active projects (reported by section--Technical Services Section, Administrative Services Section, Field Coordination, Applications and Development Section, Test and Evaluation Section, Field Service and Supply Section); and planned activities for the coming year. Also presented in the appendixes are detailed listings of the memberships of the Instrumentation Committee and the Instrumentation Technical Advisory Subcommittee; district, sub- district, and field office visits by HIF personnel; professional and technical meetings attended by HIF personnel; vendor visits; and reports prepared by HIF personnel.

A micropixelated ion-imaging detector for mass resolution enhancement of a QMS instrument.

PubMed

Syed, Sarfaraz U A H; Eijkel, Gert B; Maher, Simon; Kistemaker, Piet; Taylor, Stephen; Heeren, Ron M A

2015-03-01

An in-vacuum position-sensitive micropixelated detector (Timepix) is used to investigate the time-dependent spatial distribution of different charge state (and hence different mass-to-charge (m/z)) ions exiting an electrospray ionization (ESI)-based quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) instrument. Ion images obtained from the Timepix detector provide a detailed insight into the positions of stable and unstable ions of the mass peak as they exit the QMS. With the help of image processing algorithms and by selecting areas on the ion images where more stable ions impact the detector, an improvement in mass resolution by a factor of 5 was obtained for certain operating conditions. Moreover, our experimental approach of mass resolution enhancement was confirmed by in-house-developed novel QMS instrument simulation software. Utilizing the imaging-based mass resolution enhancement approach, the software predicts instrument mass resolution of ∼1,0000 for a single-filter QMS instrument with a 210-mm long mass filter and a low operating frequency (880 kHz) of the radio frequency (RF) voltage.

77 FR 4553 - Proposed Revision to Selection Criteria-Enhanced Assessment Instruments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-30

... Selection Criteria--Enhanced Assessment Instruments AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary..., Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (Attention: EAG Comments), U.S. Department of Education, 400...

Detailed Calibration of SphinX instrument at the Palermo XACT facility of INAF-OAPA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szymon, Gburek; Collura, Alfonso; Barbera, Marco; Reale, Fabio; Sylwester, Janusz; Kowalinski, Miroslaw; Bakala, Jaroslaw; Kordylewski, Zbigniew; Plocieniak, Stefan; Podgorski, Piotr; Trzebinski, Witold; Varisco, Salvatore

The Solar photometer in X-rays (SphinX) experiment is scheduled for launch late summer 2008 on-board the Russian CORONAS-Photon satellite. SphinX will use three silicon PIN diode detectors with selected effective areas in order to record solar spectra in the X-ray energy range 0.3-15 keV with unprecedented temporal and medium energy resolution. High sensitivity and large dynamic range of the SphinX instrument will give for the first time possibility of observing solar soft X-ray variability from the weakest levels, ten times below present thresholds, to the largest X20+ flares. We present the results of the ground X-ray calibrations of the SphinX instrument performed at the X-ray Astronomy Calibration and Testing (XACT) facility of INAF-OAPA. The calibrations were essential for determination of SphinX detector energy resolution and efficiency. We describe the ground tests instrumental set-up, adopted measurement techniques and present results of the calibration data analysis.

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program facilities newsletter, July 2000.

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

Sisterson, D. L.; Holdridge, D. J., ed.

2000-08-03

For improved safety in and around the ARM SGP CART site, the ARM Program recently purchased and installed an aircraft detection radar system at the central facility near Lamont, Oklahoma. The new system will enhance safety measures already in place at the central facility. The SGP CART site, especially the central facility, houses several instruments employing laser technology. These instruments are designed to be eye-safe and are not a hazard to personnel at the site or pilots of low-flying aircraft over the site. However, some of the specialized equipment brought to the central facility by visiting scientists during scheduled intensivemore » observation periods (IOPs) might use higher-power laser beams that point skyward to make measurements of clouds or aerosols in the atmosphere. If these beams were to strike the eye of a person in an aircraft flying above the instrument, damage to the person's eyesight could result. During IOPs, CART site personnel have obtained Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to temporarily close the airspace directly over the central facility and keep aircraft from flying into the path of the instrument's laser beam. Information about the blocked airspace is easily transmitted to commercial aircraft, but that does not guarantee that the airspace remains completely plane-free. For this reason, during IOPs in which non-eye-safe lasers were in use in the past, ARM technicians watched for low-flying aircraft in and around the airspace over the central facility. If the technicians spotted such an aircraft, they would manually trigger a safety shutter to block the laser beam's path skyward until the plane had cleared the area.« less

Development of the FPI+ as facility science instrument for SOFIA cycle four observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfüller, Enrico; Wiedemann, Manuel; Wolf, Jürgen; Krabbe, Alfred

2016-08-01

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a heavily modified Boeing 747SP aircraft, accommodating a 2.5m infrared telescope. This airborne observation platform takes astronomers to flight altitudes of up to 13.7 km (45,000ft) and therefore allows an unobstructed view of the infrared universe at wavelengths between 0.3 m and 1600 m. SOFIA is currently completing its fourth cycle of observations and utilizes eight different imaging and spectroscopic science instruments. New instruments for SOFIAs cycle 4 observations are the High-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera-plus (HAWC+) and the Focal Plane Imager (FPI+). The latter is an integral part of the telescope assembly and is used on every SOFIA flight to ensure precise tracking on the desired targets. The FPI+ is used as a visual-light photometer in its role as facility science instrument. Since the upgrade of the FPI camera and electronics in 2013, it uses a thermo-electrically cooled science grade EM-CCD sensor inside a commercial-off-the-shelf Andor camera. The back-illuminated sensor has a peak quantum efficiency of 95% and the dark current is as low as 0.01 e-/pix/sec. With this new hardware the telescope has successfully tracked on 16th magnitude stars and thus the sky coverage, e.g. the area of sky that has suitable tracking stars, has increased to 99%. Before its use as an integrated tracking imager, the same type of camera has been used as a standalone diagnostic tool to analyze the telescope pointing stability at frequencies up to 200 Hz (imaging with 400 fps). These measurements help to improve the telescope pointing control algorithms and therefore reduce the image jitter in the focal plane. Science instruments benefit from this improvement with smaller image sizes for longer exposure times. The FPI has also been used to support astronomical observations like stellar occultations by the dwarf planet Pluto and a number of exoplanet transits. Especially the observation of the

The DOE ARM Aerial Facility

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

Schmid, Beat; Tomlinson, Jason M.; Hubbe, John M.

2014-05-01

The Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is a climate research user facility operating stationary ground sites that provide long-term measurements of climate relevant properties, mobile ground- and ship-based facilities to conduct shorter field campaigns (6-12 months), and the ARM Aerial Facility (AAF). The airborne observations acquired by the AAF enhance the surface-based ARM measurements by providing high-resolution in-situ measurements for process understanding, retrieval-algorithm development, and model evaluation that are not possible using ground- or satellite-based techniques. Several ARM aerial efforts were consolidated into the AAF in 2006. With the exception of a small aircraft used for routinemore » measurements of aerosols and carbon cycle gases, AAF at the time had no dedicated aircraft and only a small number of instruments at its disposal. In this "virtual hangar" mode, AAF successfully carried out several missions contracting with organizations and investigators who provided their research aircraft and instrumentation. In 2009, AAF started managing operations of the Battelle-owned Gulfstream I (G-1) large twin-turboprop research aircraft. Furthermore, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided funding for the procurement of over twenty new instruments to be used aboard the G-1 and other AAF virtual-hangar aircraft. AAF now executes missions in the virtual- and real-hangar mode producing freely available datasets for studying aerosol, cloud, and radiative processes in the atmosphere. AAF is also engaged in the maturation and testing of newly developed airborne sensors to help foster the next generation of airborne instruments.« less

Protecting and Enhancing Campus Facilities: 6 Principles for Boards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaiser, Harvey H.

2012-01-01

Dormitories, student centers, lecture halls, laboratories, athletic facilities, quads--just try to imagine a residential campus without them. Impossible. They are among its most important assets. As fiduciaries, boards must ensure that those assets are protected and enhanced over time. But how to do so effectively when growing internal and…

Low-Energy Microfocus X-Ray Source for Enhanced Testing Capability in the Stray Light Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaskin, Jessica; O'Dell, Stephen; Kolodziejczak, Jeff

2015-01-01

Research toward high-resolution, soft x-ray optics (mirrors and gratings) necessary for the next generation large x-ray observatories requires x-ray testing using a low-energy x-ray source with fine angular size (<1 arcsecond). To accommodate this somewhat demanding requirement, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has procured a custom, windowless low-energy microfocus (approximately 0.1 mm spot) x-ray source from TruFocus Corporation that mates directly to the Stray Light Facility (SLF). MSFC X-ray Astronomy team members are internationally recognized for their expertise in the development, fabrication, and testing of grazing-incidence optics for x-ray telescopes. One of the key MSFC facilities for testing novel x-ray instrumentation is the SLF. This facility is an approximately 100-m-long beam line equipped with multiple x-ray sources and detectors. This new source adds to the already robust compliment of instrumentation, allowing MSFC to support additional internal and community x-ray testing needs.

Instrument intercomparison in the high-energy mixed field at the CERN-EU reference field (CERF) facility.

PubMed

Caresana, Marco; Helmecke, Manuela; Kubancak, Jan; Manessi, Giacomo Paolo; Ott, Klaus; Scherpelz, Robert; Silari, Marco

2014-10-01

This paper discusses an intercomparison campaign performed in the mixed radiation field at the CERN-EU (CERF) reference field facility. Various instruments were employed: conventional and extended-range rem counters including a novel instrument called LUPIN, a bubble detector using an active counting system (ABC 1260) and two tissue-equivalent proportional counters (TEPCs). The results show that the extended range instruments agree well within their uncertainties and within 1σ with the H*(10) FLUKA value. The conventional rem counters are in good agreement within their uncertainties and underestimate H*(10) as measured by the extended range instruments and as predicted by FLUKA. The TEPCs slightly overestimate the FLUKA value but they are anyhow consistent with it when taking the comparatively large total uncertainties into account, and indicate that the non-neutron part of the stray field accounts for ∼30 % of the total H*(10). © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Preliminary Results From a Heavily Instrumented Engine Ice Crystal Icing Test in a Ground Based Altitude Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flegel, Ashlie B.; Oliver, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Preliminary results from the heavily instrumented ALF502R-5 engine test conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center Propulsion Systems Laboratory are discussed. The effects of ice crystal icing on a full scale engine is examined and documented. This same model engine, serial number LF01, was used during the inaugural icing test in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory facility. The uncommanded reduction of thrust (rollback) events experienced by this engine in flight were simulated in the facility. Limited instrumentation was used to detect icing on the LF01 engine. Metal temperatures on the exit guide vanes and outer shroud and the load measurement were the only indicators of ice formation. The current study features a similar engine, serial number LF11, which is instrumented to characterize the cloud entering the engine, detect/ characterize ice accretion, and visualize the ice accretion in the region of interest. Data were acquired at key LF01 test points and additional points that explored: icing threshold regions, low altitude, high altitude, spinner heat effects, and the influence of varying the facility and engine parameters. For each condition of interest, data were obtained from some selected variations of ice particle median volumetric diameter, total water content, fan speed, and ambient temperature. For several cases the NASA in-house engine icing risk assessment code was used to find conditions that would lead to a rollback event. This study further helped NASA develop necessary icing diagnostic instrumentation, expand the capabilities of the Propulsion Systems Laboratory, and generate a dataset that will be used to develop and validate in-house icing prediction and risk mitigation computational tools. The ice accretion on the outer shroud region was acquired by internal video cameras. The heavily instrumented engine showed good repeatability of icing responses when compared to the key LF01 test points and during day-to-day operation. Other noticeable

Preliminary Results From a Heavily Instrumented Engine Ice Crystal Icing Test in a Ground Based Altitude Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flegel, Ashlie B.; Oliver, Michael J.

2016-01-01

Preliminary results from the heavily instrumented ALF502R-5 engine test conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center Propulsion Systems Laboratory are discussed. The effects of ice crystal icing on a full scale engine is examined and documented. This same model engine, serial number LF01, was used during the inaugural icing test in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory facility. The uncommanded reduction of thrust (rollback) events experienced by this engine in flight were simulated in the facility. Limited instrumentation was used to detect icing on the LF01 engine. Metal temperatures on the exit guide vanes and outer shroud and the load measurement were the only indicators of ice formation. The current study features a similar engine, serial number LF11, which is instrumented to characterize the cloud entering the engine, detect/characterize ice accretion, and visualize the ice accretion in the region of interest. Data were acquired at key LF01 test points and additional points that explored: icing threshold regions, low altitude, high altitude, spinner heat effects, and the influence of varying the facility and engine parameters. For each condition of interest, data were obtained from some selected variations of ice particle median volumetric diameter, total water content, fan speed, and ambient temperature. For several cases the NASA in-house engine icing risk assessment code was used to find conditions that would lead to a rollback event. This study further helped NASA develop necessary icing diagnostic instrumentation, expand the capabilities of the Propulsion Systems Laboratory, and generate a dataset that will be used to develop and validate in-house icing prediction and risk mitigation computational tools. The ice accretion on the outer shroud region was acquired by internal video cameras. The heavily instrumented engine showed good repeatability of icing responses when compared to the key LF01 test points and during day-to-day operation. Other noticeable

A new gated x-ray detector for the Orion laser facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, David D.; Aragonez, Robert; Archuleta, Thomas; Fatherley, Valerie; Hsu, Albert; Jorgenson, Justin; Mares, Danielle; Oertel, John; Oades, Kevin; Kemshall, Paul; Thomas, Phillip; Young, Trevor; Pederson, Neal

2012-10-01

Gated X-Ray Detectors (GXD) are considered the work-horse target diagnostic of the laser based inertial confinement fusion (ICF) program. Recently, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has constructed three new GXDs for the Orion laser facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in the United Kingdom. What sets these three new instruments apart from what has previously been constructed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is: improvements in detector head microwave transmission lines, solid state embedded hard drive and updated control software, and lighter air box design and other incremental mechanical improvements. In this paper we will present the latest GXD design enhancements and sample calibration data taken on the Trident laser facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory using the newly constructed instruments.

Environmental Assessment for Developing Renewable Energy Enhanced Use Lease Facilities at Robins Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-15

Blufftown is underlain by igneous and metamorphic rocks which are equivalent to those of the Georgia Piedmont. Potable and process waters are produced...Final Environmental Assessment for Developing Renewable Energy Enhanced Use Lease Facilities at Robins Air Force Base...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Final Environmental Assessment for Developing Renewable Energy Enhanced Use Lease Facilities at Robins Air Force Base 5a. CONTRACT

A guideline for interpersonal capabilities enhancement to support sustainable facility management practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarpin, Norliana; Kasim, Narimah; Zainal, Rozlin; Noh, Hamidun Mohd

2018-04-01

Facility management is the key phase in the development cycle of an assets and spans over a considerable length of time. Therefore, facility managers are in a commanding position to maximise the potential of sustainability through the development phases from construction, operation, maintenance and upgrade leading to decommission and deconstruction. Sustainability endeavours in facility management practices will contribute to reducing energy consumption, waste and running costs. Furthermore, it can also help in improving organisational productivity, financial return and community standing of the organisation. Facility manager should be empowered with the necessary knowledge and capabilities at the forefront facing sustainability challenge. However, literature studies show a gap between the level of awareness, specific knowledge and the necessary skills required to pursue sustainability in the facility management professional. People capability is considered as the key enabler in managing the sustainability agenda as well as being central to the improvement of competency and innovation in an organisation. This paper aims to develop a guidelines for interpersonal capabilities to support sustainability in facility management practice. Starting with a total of 7 critical interpersonal capabilities factors identified from previous questionnaire survey, the authors conducted an interview with 3 experts in facility management to assess the perceived importance of these factors. The findings reveal a set of guidelines for the enhancement of interpersonal capabilities among facility managers by providing what can be done to acquire these factors and how it can support the application of sustainability in their practice. The findings of this paper are expected to form the basis of a mechanism framework developed to equip facility managers with the right knowledge, to continue education and training and to develop new mind-sets to enhance the implementation of sustainability

Recent Enhancements to the National Transonic Facility (Mixed Mode Operations)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kilgore, W. Allen; Chan, David; Balakrishna, S.; Wahls, Richard A.

2006-01-01

The U.S. National Transonic Facility continues to make enhancements to provide quality data in a safe, efficient and cost effective method for aerodynamic ground testing. Recent enhancements discussed in this paper include the development of a Mixed-mode of operations that combine Air-mode operations with Nitrogen-mode operations. This implementation and operational results of this new Mixed-mode expands the ambient temperature transonic region of testing beyond the Air-mode limitations at a significantly reduced cost over Nitrogen Mode operation.

Environmental Assessment for Developing Renewable Energy Enhanced Use Lease Facilities at Robins Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-15

underlain by igneous and metamorphic rocks which are equivalent to those of the Georgia Piedmont. Potable and process waters are produced from the...Final Environmental Assessment for Developing Renewable Energy Enhanced Use Lease Facilities at Robins Air Force Base...RENEWABLE ENERGY ENHANCED USE LEASE FACILITIES AT ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S

Proof-of-Concept Part-Task Trainer to Enhance Situation Awareness for Instrument Approach Procedures in Aviation Domain

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

able.  If the autopilot is engaged on the INAV controlling solution side and the  CDI source is changed to set up for the approach , the NAV mode...release. Distribution is unlimited. PROOF-OF-CONCEPT PART-TASK TRAINER TO ENHANCE SITUATION AWARENESS FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURES IN AVIATION...CONCEPT PART-TASK TRAINER TO ENHANCE SITUATION AWARENESS FOR INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURES IN AVIATION DOMAIN 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S

Decadal Vision Progress Report Implementation Plans and Status for the Next Generation ARM Facility

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

Mather, James

The reconfiguration of the ARM facility, formally initiated in early 2014, is geared toward implementing the Next Generation of the ARM Facility, which will more tightly link ARM measurements and atmospheric models. The strategy is outlined in the ARM Climate Research Facility Decadal Vision (DOE 2014a). The strategy includes the implementation of a high-resolution model, initially at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site, and enhancements at the SGP and North Slope of Alaska (NSA) sites to provide additional observations to support modeling and process studies. Enhancements at the SGP site focus on ground-based instruments while enhancements at the NSA makemore » use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Tethered Balloon Systems (TBS). It is also recognized that new data tools and data products will need to be developed to take full advantage of these improvements. This document provides an update on the status of these ARM facility enhancements, beginning with the measurement enhancements at the SGP and NSA, followed by a discussion of the modeling project including associated data-processing activities.« less

Technology-enhanced focus groups as a component of instrument development.

PubMed

Strout, Tania D; DiFazio, Rachel L; Vessey, Judith A

2017-06-22

Background Bullying is a critical public health problem and a screening tool for use in healthcare is needed. Focus groups are a common tool for generating qualitative data when developing an instrument and evidence suggests that technology-enhanced focus groups can be effective in simultaneously engaging participants from diverse settings. Aim To examine the use of technology-enhanced focus groups in generating an item pool to develop a youth-bullying screening tool. Discussion The authors explore methodological and ethical issues related to conducting technology-enhanced focus groups, drawing on their experience in developing a youth-bullying measure. They conducted qualitative focus groups with professionals from the front lines of bullying response and intervention. They describe the experience of conducting technology-enhanced focus group sessions, focusing on the methodological and ethical issues that researchers engaging in similar work may encounter. Challenges associated with this methodology include establishing rapport among participants, privacy concerns and limited non-verbal communication. Conclusion The use of technology-enhanced focus groups can be valuable in obtaining rich data from a wide variety of disciplines and contexts. Organising these focus groups was inexpensive and preferred by the study's participants. Implications for practice Researchers should consider using technology-enhanced focus groups to generate data to develop health-related measurement tools.

Outcomes for implementation science: an enhanced systematic review of instruments using evidence-based rating criteria.

PubMed

Lewis, Cara C; Fischer, Sarah; Weiner, Bryan J; Stanick, Cameo; Kim, Mimi; Martinez, Ruben G

2015-11-04

High-quality measurement is critical to advancing knowledge in any field. New fields, such as implementation science, are often beset with measurement gaps and poor quality instruments, a weakness that can be more easily addressed in light of systematic review findings. Although several reviews of quantitative instruments used in implementation science have been published, no studies have focused on instruments that measure implementation outcomes. Proctor and colleagues established a core set of implementation outcomes including: acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, cost, feasibility, fidelity, penetration, sustainability (Adm Policy Ment Health Ment Health Serv Res 36:24-34, 2009). The Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) Instrument Review Project employed an enhanced systematic review methodology (Implement Sci 2: 2015) to identify quantitative instruments of implementation outcomes relevant to mental or behavioral health settings. Full details of the enhanced systematic review methodology are available (Implement Sci 2: 2015). To increase the feasibility of the review, and consistent with the scope of SIRC, only instruments that were applicable to mental or behavioral health were included. The review, synthesis, and evaluation included the following: (1) a search protocol for the literature review of constructs; (2) the literature review of instruments using Web of Science and PsycINFO; and (3) data extraction and instrument quality ratings to inform knowledge synthesis. Our evidence-based assessment rating criteria quantified fundamental psychometric properties as well as a crude measure of usability. Two independent raters applied the evidence-based assessment rating criteria to each instrument to generate a quality profile. We identified 104 instruments across eight constructs, with nearly half (n = 50) assessing acceptability and 19 identified for adoption, with all other implementation outcomes revealing fewer than 10

Data enhancement and analysis through mathematical deconvolution of signals from scientific measuring instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, G. M.; Rayborn, G. H.; Ioup, J. W.; Ioup, G. E.; Upchurch, B. T.; Howard, S. J.

1981-01-01

Mathematical deconvolution of digitized analog signals from scientific measuring instruments is shown to be a means of extracting important information which is otherwise hidden due to time-constant and other broadening or distortion effects caused by the experiment. Three different approaches to deconvolution and their subsequent application to recorded data from three analytical instruments are considered. To demonstrate the efficacy of deconvolution, the use of these approaches to solve the convolution integral for the gas chromatograph, magnetic mass spectrometer, and the time-of-flight mass spectrometer are described. Other possible applications of these types of numerical treatment of data to yield superior results from analog signals of the physical parameters normally measured in aerospace simulation facilities are suggested and briefly discussed.

ICIASF '85 - International Congress on Instrumentation in Aerospace Simulation Facilities, 11th, Stanford University, CA, August 26-28, 1985, Record

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

Developments related to laser Doppler velocimetry are discussed, taking into account a three-component dual beam laser-Doppler-anemometer to be operated in large wind tunnels, a new optical system for three-dimensional laser-Doppler-anemometry using an argon-ion and a dye laser, and a two-component laser Doppler velocimeter by switching fringe orientation. Other topics studied are concerned with facilities, instrumentation, control, hot wire/thin film measurements, optical diagnostic techniques, signal and data processing, facilities and adaptive wall test sections, data acquisition and processing, ballistic instrument systems, dynamic testing and material deformation measurements, optical flow measurements, test techniques, force measurement systems, and holography. Attention is given to nonlinear calibration of integral wind tunnel balances, a microcomputer system for real time digitized image compression, and two phase flow diagnostics in propulsion systems.

Validation of an instrument for mathematics enhancement teaching efficacy of Pacific Northwest agricultural educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansen, Daniel J.

Teacher efficacy continues to be an important area of study in educational research. This study tested an instrument designed to assess the perceived efficacy of agricultural education teachers when engaged in lessons involving mathematics instruction. The study population of Oregon and Washington agricultural educators utilized in the validation of the instrument revealed important demographic findings and specific results related to teacher efficacy for the study population. An instrument was developed from the assimilation of three scales previously used and validated in efficacy research. Participants' mathematics teaching efficacy was assessed using a portion of the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI), and personal mathematics efficacy was evaluated by the mathematics self-belief instrument which was derived from the Betz and Hackett's Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale. The final scale, the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) created by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy, examined perceived personal teaching efficacy. Structural equation modeling was used as the statistical analyses tool to validate the instrument and examine correlations between efficacy constructs used to determine potential professional development needs of the survey population. As part of the data required for validation of the Mathematics Enhancement Teaching Efficacy instrument, demographic information defining the population of Oregon and Washington agricultural educators was obtained and reported. A hypothetical model derived from teacher efficacy literature was found to be an acceptable model to verify construct validity and determine strength of correlations between the scales that defined the instrument. The instrument produced an alpha coefficient of .905 for reliability. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to verify construct and discriminate validity. Specifics results related to the survey population of agricultural educators

Enhancing compliance at Department of Defense facilities: comparison of three environmental audit tools.

PubMed

Hepler, Jeff A; Neumann, Cathy

2003-04-01

To enhance environmental compliance, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) recently developed and implemented a standardized environmental audit tool called The Environmental Assessment and Management (TEAM) Guide. Utilization of a common audit tool (TEAM Guide) throughout DOD agencies could be an effective agent of positive change. If, however, the audit tool is inappropriate, environmental compliance at DOD facilities could worsen. Furthermore, existing audit systems such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA's) Generic Protocol for Conducting Environmental Audits of Federal Facilities and the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO's) Standard 14001, "Environmental Management System Audits," may be abandoned even if they offer significant advantages over TEAM Guide audit tool. Widespread use of TEAM Guide should not take place until thorough and independent evaluation has been performed. The purpose of this paper is to compare DOD's TEAM Guide audit tool with U.S. EPA's Generic Protocol for Conducting Environmental Audits of Federal Facilities and ISO 14001, in order to assess which is most appropriate and effective for DOD facilities, and in particular those operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). USACE was selected as a result of one author's recent experience as a district environmental compliance coordinator responsible for the audit mission at this agency. Specific recommendations for enhancing the quality of environmental audits at all DOD facilities also are given.

The LST scientific instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levin, G. M.

1975-01-01

Seven scientific instruments are presently being studied for use with the Large Space Telescope (LST). These instruments are the F/24 Field Camera, the F/48-F/96 Planetary Camera, the High Resolution Spectrograph, the Faint Object Spectrograph, the Infrared Photometer, and the Astrometer. These instruments are being designed as facility instruments to be replaceable during the life of the Observatory.

NASA Wallops Flight Facility Air-Sea Interaction Research Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Long, Steven R.

1992-01-01

This publication serves as an introduction to the Air-Sea Interaction Research Facility at NASA/GSFC/Wallops Flight Facility. The purpose of this publication is to provide background information on the research facility itself, including capabilities, available instrumentation, the types of experiments already done, ongoing experiments, and future plans.

Integrated instrumentation & computation environment for GRACE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhekne, P. S.

2002-03-01

The project GRACE (Gamma Ray Astrophysics with Coordinated Experiments) aims at setting up a state of the art Gamma Ray Observatory at Mt. Abu, Rajasthan for undertaking comprehensive scientific exploration over a wide spectral window (10's keV - 100's TeV) from a single location through 4 coordinated experiments. The cumulative data collection rate of all the telescopes is expected to be about 1 GB/hr, necessitating innovations in the data management environment. As real-time data acquisition and control as well as off-line data processing, analysis and visualization environment of these systems is based on the us cutting edge and affordable technologies in the field of computers, communications and Internet. We propose to provide a single, unified environment by seamless integration of instrumentation and computations by taking advantage of the recent advancements in Web based technologies. This new environment will allow researchers better acces to facilities, improve resource utilization and enhance collaborations by having identical environments for online as well as offline usage of this facility from any location. We present here a proposed implementation strategy for a platform independent web-based system that supplements automated functions with video-guided interactive and collaborative remote viewing, remote control through virtual instrumentation console, remote acquisition of telescope data, data analysis, data visualization and active imaging system. This end-to-end web-based solution will enhance collaboration among researchers at the national and international level for undertaking scientific studies, using the telescope systems of the GRACE project.

Measurement Capabilities of the DOE ARM Aerial Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, B.; Tomlinson, J. M.; Hubbe, J.; Comstock, J. M.; Kluzek, C. D.; Chand, D.; Pekour, M. S.

2012-12-01

The Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program is a climate research user facility operating stationary ground sites in three important climatic regimes that provide long-term measurements of climate relevant properties. ARM also operates mobile ground- and ship-based facilities to conduct shorter field campaigns (6-12 months) to investigate understudied climate regimes around the globe. Finally, airborne observations by ARM's Aerial Facility (AAF) enhance the surface-based ARM measurements by providing high-resolution in situ measurements for process understanding, retrieval algorithm development, and model evaluation that is not possible using ground-based techniques. AAF started out in 2007 as a "virtual hangar" with no dedicated aircraft and only a small number of instruments owned by ARM. In this mode, AAF successfully carried out several missions contracting with organizations and investigators who provided their research aircraft and instrumentation. In 2009, the Battelle owned G-1 aircraft was included in the ARM facility. The G-1 is a large twin turboprop aircraft, capable of measurements up to altitudes of 7.5 km and a range of 2,800 kilometers. Furthermore the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided funding for the procurement of seventeen new instruments to be used aboard the G-1 and other AAF virtual-hangar aircraft. AAF now executes missions in the virtual- and real-hangar mode producing freely available datasets for studying aerosol, cloud, and radiative processes in the atmosphere. AAF is also heavily engaged in the maturation and testing of newly developed airborne sensors to help foster the next generation of airborne instruments. In the presentation we will showcase science applications based on measurements from recent field campaigns such as CARES, CALWATER and TCAP.

VESUVIO: a novel instrument for performing spectroscopic studies in condensed matter with eV neutrons at the ISIS facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senesi, R.; Andreani, C.; Bowden, Z.; Colognesi, D.; Degiorgi, E.; Fielding, A. L.; Mayers, J.; Nardone, M.; Norris, J.; Praitano, M.; Rhodes, N. J.; Stirling, W. G.; Tomkinson, J.; Uden, C.

2000-03-01

The VESUVIO project aims to provide unique prototype instrumentation at the ISIS-pulsed neutron source and to establish a routine experimental and theoretical program in neutron scattering spectroscopy at eV energies. This instrumentation will be specifically designed for high momentum, (20 Å-11 eV) inelastic neutron scattering studies of microscopic dynamical processes in materials and will represent a unique facility for EU researchers. It will allow to derive single-particle kinetic energies and single-particle momentum distributions, n(p), providing additional and/or complementary information to other neutron inelastic spectroscopic techniques.

A software for managing after-hours activities in research user facilities

DOE PAGES

Camino, F. E.

2017-05-01

Here, we present an afterhours activity management program for shared facilities, which handles the processes required for afterhours access (request, approval, extension, etc.). It implements the concept of permitted afterhours activities, which consists of a list of well-defined activities that each user can perform afterhours. The program provides an easy and unambiguous way for users to know which activities they are allowed to perform afterhours. In addition, the program can enhance its safety efficacy by interacting with lab and instrument access control systems commonly present in user facilities.

A software for managing after-hours activities in research user facilities

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

Camino, F. E.

Here, we present an afterhours activity management program for shared facilities, which handles the processes required for afterhours access (request, approval, extension, etc.). It implements the concept of permitted afterhours activities, which consists of a list of well-defined activities that each user can perform afterhours. The program provides an easy and unambiguous way for users to know which activities they are allowed to perform afterhours. In addition, the program can enhance its safety efficacy by interacting with lab and instrument access control systems commonly present in user facilities.

Measurement of frost characteristics on heat exchanger fins. Part 1: Test facility and instrumentation

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

Thomas, L.; Chen, H.; Besant, R.W.

1999-07-01

A special test facility was developed to characterize frost growing on heat exchanger fins where the cold surfaces and the air supply conditions were similar to those experienced in freezers, i.e., cold surface temperatures ranging from {minus}35 C to {minus}40 C, air supply temperatures from {minus}10 C to {minus}20 C, and 80% to 100% relative humidity (RH). This test facility included a test section with removable fins to measure the frost height and mass concentration. Frost height on heat exchanger fins was measured using a new automated laser scanning system to measure the height of frost and its distribution onmore » selected fins. The increase in air pressure loss resulting from frost growth on the fins was measured directly in the test loop. The frost mass accumulation distribution was measured for each test using special pre-etched fins that could be easily subdivided and weighed. The total heat rate was measured using a heat flux meter. These frost-measuring instruments were calibrated and the uncertainty of each is stated.« less

The Study of Programs of Instruction for Handicapped Children and Youth in Day and Residential Facilities. Volume IV. Survey Instruments and Materials for the Survey of Separate Facilities and the Survey of SEA Special Education Divisions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, Susan A.; Lakin, K. Charlie

This document, the fourth of five volumes of a study of programs of instruction for handicapped children and youth in separate day and residential facilities throughout the United States, contains instruments and materials used in two surveys designed to gather data for the study: (1) a survey of separate facilities; and (2) a survey of State…

Facebook as an Instrument to Enhance the Career Construction Journeys of Adolescent Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wessels, Cornelius J. J.; Diale, Boitumelo

2017-01-01

Globally, the effects of Facebook® as a social media instrument are far-reaching for all, but more so for the 21st-century adolescent. Although most adolescents spend time on Facebook, this form of social media is inadequately used to enhance their teaching, learning and counselling experiences. Schools increasingly use Facebook for social…

Thirty Years Supporting Portable Arrays: The IRIS Passcal Instrument Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaudoin, B. C.; Anderson, K. R.; Bilek, S. L.; Woodward, R.

2014-12-01

Thirty years have passed since establishment of the IRIS Program for the Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (PASSCAL). PASSCAL was part of a coordinated plan proposed to the National Science Foundation (NSF) defining the instrumentation, data collection and management structure to support a wide range of research in seismology. The PASSCAL program has surpassed the early goal of 6000 data acquisition channels with a current inventory of instrumentation capable of imaging from the near surface to the inner core. Here we present the evolution of the PASSCAL program from instrument depot to full service community resource. PASSCAL has supported close to 1100 PI driven seismic experiments since its inception. Instruments from PASSCAL have covered the globe and have contributed over 7400 SEED stations and 242 assembled data sets to the IRIS Data Management Center in Seattle. Since the combination in 1998 of the Stanford and Lamont instrument centers into the single PASSCAL Instrument Center (PIC) at New Mexico Tech, the facility has grown in scope by adding the EarthScope Array Operations Facility in 2005, the incorporation of the EarthScope Flexible Array, and a Polar support group in 2006. The polar support group enhances portable seismic experiments in extremely harsh polar environments and also extends to special projects such as the Greenland Ice Sheet Monitoring Network (GLISN) and the recent development effort for Geophysical Earth Observatory for Ice Covered Environments (GEOICE). Through these support efforts the PIC has established itself as a resource for field practices, engineered solutions for autonomous seismic stations, and a pioneer in successful seismic recording in polar environments. We are on the cusp of a new generation of instrumentation driven in part by the academic community's desire to record unaliased wavefields in multiple frequency bands and industry's interest in utilizing lower frequency data. As part of the recently

Status Report on Efforts to Enhance Instrumentation to Support Advanced Test Reactor Irradiations

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

J. Rempe; D. Knudson; J. Daw

2014-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) designated the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) as a National Scientific User Facility (NSUF) in April 2007 to support the growth of nuclear science and technology in the United States (US). By attracting new research users - universities, laboratories, and industry - the ATR NSUF facilitates basic and applied nuclear research and development, further advancing the nation's energy security needs. A key component of the ATR NSUF effort at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is to design, develop, and deploy new in-pile instrumentation techniques that are capable of providing real-time measurements of key parameters during irradiation.more » To address this need, an assessment of instrumentation available and under-development at other test reactors was completed. Based on this initial review, recommendations were made with respect to what instrumentation is needed at the ATR, and a strategy was developed for obtaining these sensors. In 2009, a report was issued documenting this program’s strategy and initial progress toward accomplishing program objectives. Since 2009, annual reports have been issued to provide updates on the program strategy and the progress made on implementing the strategy. This report provides an update reflecting progress as of January 2014.« less

NIST display colorimeter calibration facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Steven W.; Ohno, Yoshihiro

2003-07-01

A facility has been developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to provide calibration services for color-measuring instruments to address the need for improving and certifying the measurement uncertainties of this type of instrument. While NIST has active programs in photometry, flat panel display metrology, and color and appearance measurements, these are the first services offered by NIST tailored to color-measuring instruments for displays. An overview of the facility, the calibration approach, and associated uncertainties are presented. Details of a new tunable colorimetric source and the development of new transfer standard instruments are discussed.

Collaborative Creativity in Instrumental Group Music Learning as a Site for Enhancing Pupil Wellbeing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnard, Pamela; Dragovic, Tatjana

2015-01-01

This study explores the nature of the elements that co-influence collaborative creativity in nd the intrinsic potential for enhancing pupil wellbeing as evidenced in a particular secondary-school (extra-curricular) group instrumental programme "Percussion 1." Wenger's Community of Practice (CoP) and Engestrom's Activity Theory (AT)…

The X-ray Spectrometer - A cryogenic instrument on the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breon, Susan R.; Hopkins, Richard A.; Nieczkoski, Stephen J.

1991-01-01

The X-ray Spectrometer (XRS) is an instrument on the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), the third of NASA's Great Observatories scheduled for launch in 1998. The XRS detectors have a resolution of approximately 10 eV over the range 0.3 - 10 keV. To achieve this resolution, the detectors are maintained at or below 0.1 Kelvin using an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator inside a superfluid helium dewar. In addition, split-Stirling-cycle mechanical coolers are used to extend the anticipated on-orbit helium lifetime to a minimum of 4 years. This paper describes the challenges of developing this hybrid cryogenic system and presents an overview of the current design of the system.

Mobile Geochemistry Instrument Package Facility (MGIPF) for In Situ Mineralogical and Chemical Analysis of Planetary Surface Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klingelhöfer, G.; Romstedt, J.; Henkel, H.; Michaelis, H.; Brückner, J.; D'Uston, C.

A first order requirement for any spacecraft mission to land on a solid planetary or moon surface is instrumentation for in-situ mineralogical and chemical analysis 2 Such analysis provide data needed for primary classification and characterization of surface materials present We will discuss a mobile instrument package we have developed for in-situ investigations under harsh environmental conditions like on Mercury or Mars This Geochemistry Instrument Package Facility is a compact box also called payload cab containing three small advanced geochemistry mineralogy instruments the chemical spectrometer APXS the mineralogical M o ssbauer spectrometer MIMOS II 3 and a textural imager close-up camera The payload cab is equipped with two actuating arms with two degrees of freedom permitting precision placement of all instruments at a chosen sample This payload cab is the central part of the small rover Nanokhod which has the size of a shoebox 1 The Nanokhod rover is a tethered system with a typical operational range of sim 100 m Of course the payload cab itself can be attached by means of its arms to any deployment device of any other rover or deployment device 1 Andre Schiele Jens Romstedt Chris Lee Sabine Klinkner Rudi Rieder Ralf Gellert G o star Klingelh o fer Bodo Bernhardt Harald Michaelis The new NANOKHOD Engineeering model for extreme cold environments 8th International symposium on Artificial Intelligence Robotics and Automation in Space 5 - 9 September 2005

77 FR 25470 - Final Revision to Selection Criteria-Enhanced Assessment Instruments; CFDA Number: 84.368

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-30

...--Enhanced Assessment Instruments; CFDA Number: 84.368 AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary... used by States for measuring the academic achievement of elementary and secondary school students...

Processing loaner instruments in an ambulatory surgery center.

PubMed

Huter-Kunish, Gloria G

2009-05-01

Loaner instruments often do not arrive at receiving facilities in the time frame or the condition that is needed to use them safely. Their cleaning and decontamination status may be unknown. There may be no inventory of what has been loaned or information about processing requirements for the instrument's use. These situations can create problems for both the loaning facility and the receiving facility and must be addressed to reduce costs from damage to or loss of instruments.The use of documents and checklists to verify the cleaning,decontamination, and sterilization processes used allows ambulatory surgery centers to solve these problems,cut costs, and protect staff members and patients.

Marshall Space Flight Center's Impact Testing Facility Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Steve; Finchum, Andy; Hubbs, Whitney; Gray, Perry

2008-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Impact Testing Facility (ITF) serves as an important installation for space and missile related materials science research. The ITF was established and began its research in spacecraft debris shielding in the early 1960s, then played a major role in the International Space Station debris shield development. As NASA became more interested in launch debris and in-flight impact concerns, the ITF grew to include research in a variety of impact genres. Collaborative partnerships with the DoD led to a wider range of impact capabilities being relocated to MSFC as a result of the closure of Particle Impact Facilities in Santa Barbara, California, The Particle Impact Facility had a 30 year history in providing evaluations of aerospace materials and components during flights through rain, ice, and solid particle environments at subsonic through hypersonic velocities. The facility's unique capabilities were deemed a 'National Asset' by the DoD, The ITF now has capabilities including environmental, ballistic, and hypervelocity impact testing utilizing an array of air, powder, and two-stage light gas guns to accommodate a variety of projectile and target types and sizes. Relocated test equipment was dated and in need of upgrade. Numerous upgrades including new instrumentation, triggering circuitry, high speed photography, and optimized sabot designs have been implemented. Other recent research has included rain drop demise characterization tests to obtain data for inclusion in on-going model development. Future ITF improvements will be focused on continued instrumentation and performance enhancements. These enhancements will allow further, more in-depth, characterization of rain drop demise characterization and evaluation of ice crystal impact. Performance enhancements also include increasing the upper velocity limit of the current environmental guns to allow direct environmental simulation for missile components. The current and proposed

Marshall Space Flight Center's Impact Testing Facility Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Steve; Finchum, Andy; Hubbs, Whitney

2008-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Impact Testing Facility (ITF) serves as an important installation for space and missile related materials science research. The ITF was established and began its research in spacecraft debris shielding in the early 1960% then played a major role in the International Space Station debris shield development. As NASA became more interested in launch debris and in-flight impact concerns, the ITF grew to include research in a variety of impact genres. Collaborative partnerships with the DoD led to a wider range of impact capabilities being relocated to MSFC as a result of the closure of Particle Impact Facilities in Santa Barbara, California. The Particle Impact Facility had a 30 year history in providing evaluations of aerospace materials and components during flights through rain, ice, and solid particle environments at subsonic through hypersonic velocities. The facility's unique capabilities were deemed a "National Asset" by the DoD. The ITF now has capabilities including environmental, ballistic, and hypervelocity impact testing utilizing an array of air, powder, and two-stage light gas guns to accommodate a variety of projectile and target types and sizes. Relocated test equipment was dated and in need of upgrade. Numerous upgrades including new instrumentation, triggering circuitry, high speed photography, and optimized sabot designs have been implemented. Other recent research has included rain drop demise characterization tests to obtain data for inclusion in on-going model development. Future ITF improvements will be focused on continued instrumentation and performance enhancements. These enhancements will allow further, more in-depth, characterization of rain drop demise characterization and evaluation of ice crystal impact. Performance enhancements also include increasing the upper velocity limit of the current environmental guns to allow direct environmental simulation for missile components. The current and proposed

Technician Program Uses Advanced Instruments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stinson, Stephen

1981-01-01

Describes various aspects of a newly-developed computer-assisted drafting/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) facility in the chemical engineering technology department at Broome Community College, Binghamton, New York. Stresses the use of new instruments such as microcomputers and microprocessor-equipped instruments. (CS)

University of Maryland MRSEC - Facilities: Instrumentation Infrastructure

Science.gov Websites

Instrumentation Infrastructure In order to establish a broader campus context, each MRSEC Shared Experimental without alteration is granted to educational institutions for non-profit administrative or educational

Diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst: Facile deposition synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Baoying; Huang, Hongwei; Guo, Yuxi; Zhang, Yihe

2015-10-01

A novel diatomite-immobilized BiOI hybrid photocatalyst has been prepared by a facile one-step deposition process for the first time. The structure, morphology and optical property of the products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic performance of the as-prepared BiOI/diatomite photocatalysts was studied by photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) and monitoring photocurrent generation under visible light (λ > 420 nm). The results revealed that BiOI/diatomite composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to the pristine BiOI sample. This enhancement should be attributed to that diatomite can play as an excellent carrier platform to increase the reactive sites and promote the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. In addition, the corresponding photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the active species trapping experiments. This work shed new light on facile fabrication of novel composite photocatalyst based on natural mineral.

Advanced technologies for maintenance of electrical systems and equipment at the Savannah River Site Defense Waste Processing Facility

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

Husler, R.O.; Weir, T.J.

1991-01-01

An enhanced maintenance program is being established to characterize and monitor cables, components, and process response at the Savannah River Site, Defense Waste Processing Facility. This facility was designed and constructed to immobilize the radioactive waste currently stored in underground storage tanks and is expected to begin operation in 1993. The plant is initiating the program to baseline and monitor instrument and control (I C) and electrical equipment, remote process equipment, embedded instrument and control cables, and in-cell jumper cables used in the facility. This program is based on the electronic characterization and diagnostic (ECAD) system which was modified tomore » include process response analysis and to meet rigid Department of Energy equipment requirements. The system consists of computer-automated, state-of-the-art electronics. The data that are gathered are stored in a computerized database for analysis, trending, and troubleshooting. It is anticipated that the data which are gathered and trended will aid in life extension for the facility.« less

Advanced technologies for maintenance of electrical systems and equipment at the Savannah River Site Defense Waste Processing Facility

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

Husler, R.O.; Weir, T.J.

1991-12-31

An enhanced maintenance program is being established to characterize and monitor cables, components, and process response at the Savannah River Site, Defense Waste Processing Facility. This facility was designed and constructed to immobilize the radioactive waste currently stored in underground storage tanks and is expected to begin operation in 1993. The plant is initiating the program to baseline and monitor instrument and control (I&C) and electrical equipment, remote process equipment, embedded instrument and control cables, and in-cell jumper cables used in the facility. This program is based on the electronic characterization and diagnostic (ECAD) system which was modified to includemore » process response analysis and to meet rigid Department of Energy equipment requirements. The system consists of computer-automated, state-of-the-art electronics. The data that are gathered are stored in a computerized database for analysis, trending, and troubleshooting. It is anticipated that the data which are gathered and trended will aid in life extension for the facility.« less

Nanostructured Surfaces and Detection Instrumentation for Photonic Crystal Enhanced Fluorescence

PubMed Central

Chaudhery, Vikram; George, Sherine; Lu, Meng; Pokhriyal, Anusha; Cunningham, Brian T.

2013-01-01

Photonic crystal (PC) surfaces have been demonstrated as a compelling platform for improving the sensitivity of surface-based fluorescent assays used in disease diagnostics and life science research. PCs can be engineered to support optical resonances at specific wavelengths at which strong electromagnetic fields are utilized to enhance the intensity of surface-bound fluorophore excitation. Meanwhile, the leaky resonant modes of PCs can be used to direct emitted photons within a narrow range of angles for more efficient collection by a fluorescence detection system. The multiplicative effects of enhanced excitation combined with enhanced photon extraction combine to provide improved signal-to-noise ratios for detection of fluorescent emitters, which in turn can be used to reduce the limits of detection of low concentration analytes, such as disease biomarker proteins. Fabrication of PCs using inexpensive manufacturing methods and materials that include replica molding on plastic, nano-imprint lithography on quartz substrates result in devices that are practical for single-use disposable applications. In this review, we will describe the motivation for implementing high-sensitivity fluorescence detection in the context of molecular diagnosis and gene expression analysis though the use of PC surfaces. Recent efforts to improve the design and fabrication of PCs and their associated detection instrumentation are summarized, including the use of PCs coupled with Fabry-Perot cavities and external cavity lasers. PMID:23624689

Vacuum enhanced cutaneous biopsy instrument

DOEpatents

Collins, Joseph

2000-01-01

A syringe-like disposable cutaneous biopsy instrument equipped with a tubular blade at its lower end, and designed so that a vacuum is created during use, said vacuum serving to retain undeformed a plug of tissue cut from a patient's skin.

A facile approach to enhance antigen response for personalized cancer vaccination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Aileen Weiwei; Sobral, Miguel C.; Badrinath, Soumya; Choi, Youngjin; Graveline, Amanda; Stafford, Alexander G.; Weaver, James C.; Dellacherie, Maxence O.; Shih, Ting-Yu; Ali, Omar A.; Kim, Jaeyun; Wucherpfennig, Kai W.; Mooney, David J.

2018-06-01

Existing strategies to enhance peptide immunogenicity for cancer vaccination generally require direct peptide alteration, which, beyond practical issues, may impact peptide presentation and result in vaccine variability. Here, we report a simple adsorption approach using polyethyleneimine (PEI) in a mesoporous silica microrod (MSR) vaccine to enhance antigen immunogenicity. The MSR-PEI vaccine significantly enhanced host dendritic cell activation and T-cell response over the existing MSR vaccine and bolus vaccine formulations. Impressively, a single injection of the MSR-PEI vaccine using an E7 peptide completely eradicated large, established TC-1 tumours in about 80% of mice and generated immunological memory. When immunized with a pool of B16F10 or CT26 neoantigens, the MSR-PEI vaccine eradicated established lung metastases, controlled tumour growth and synergized with anti-CTLA4 therapy. Our findings from three independent tumour models suggest that the MSR-PEI vaccine approach may serve as a facile and powerful multi-antigen platform to enable robust personalized cancer vaccination.

[Controlling instruments in radiology].

PubMed

Maurer, M

2013-10-01

Due to the rising costs and competitive pressures radiological clinics and practices are now facing, controlling instruments are gaining importance in the optimization of structures and processes of the various diagnostic examinations and interventional procedures. It will be shown how the use of selected controlling instruments can secure and improve the performance of radiological facilities. A definition of the concept of controlling will be provided. It will be shown which controlling instruments can be applied in radiological departments and practices. As an example, two of the controlling instruments, material cost analysis and benchmarking, will be illustrated.

Intercomparison of active, passive and continuous instruments for radon and radon progeny measurements in the EML chamber and test facility

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

George, A.C.; Knutson, E.O.; Tu, K.W.

1995-12-01

The results from the May 1995 Intercomparison of Active, Passive and Continuous Instruments for Radon and Radon Progeny Measurement conducted in the EML radon exposure and test facility are presented. Represented were 13 participants that measure radon with open faced and diffusion barrier activated carbon collectors, 10 with nuclear alpha track detectors, 9 with short-term and long-term electret/ionization chambers, and 13 with active and passive commercial electronic continuous monitors. For radon progeny, there were four participants that came in person to take part in the grab sampling methodology for measuring individual radon progeny and the potential alpha energy concentration (PAEC).more » There were 11 participants with continuous and integrating commercial electronic instruments that are used for measuring the PAEC. The results indicate that all the tested instruments that measure radon fulfill their intended purpose. All instruments and methods used for grab sampling for radon progeny did very well. However, most of the continuous and integrating electronic instruments used for measuring the PAEC or working level appear to underestimate the potential risk from radon progeny when the concentration of particles onto which the radon progeny are attached is <5,000 cm{sup -3}.« less

Enhanced Soundings for Local Coupling Studies: 2015 ARM Climate Research Facility Field Campaign

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

Ferguson, CR; Santanello, JA; Gentine, P

2015-11-01

Matching observed diurnal cycles is a fundamental yet extremely complex test for models. High temporal resolution measurements of surface turbulent heat fluxes and boundary layer properties are required to evaluate the daytime evolution of the boundary layer and its sensitivity to land-atmosphere coupling. To address this need, (12) one-day intensive observing periods (IOP) with enhanced radiosonding will be carried out at the ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) Central Facility (CF) during summer 2015. Each IOP will comprise a single launch to correspond with the nighttime overpass of the A-Train of satellites (~0830 UTC) and hourly launches during daytime beginning frommore » 1130 UTC and ending at 2130 UTC. At 3-hourly intervals (i.e., 1140 UTC, 1440 UTC, 1740 UTC, and 2040 UTC) a duplicate second radiosonde will be launched 10 minutes subsequent to launch of the on-hour radiosonde for the purpose of assessing horizontal atmospheric variability. In summary, each IOP will have a 14-sounding supplement to the 6-hourly operational sounding schedule at the ARM-SGP CF. The IOP days will be decided before sunset on the preceding day, according to the judgment of the PI’s and taking into consideration daily weather forecasts and the operability of complimentary ARM-SGP CF instrumentation. An overarching goal of the project is to address how ARM could better observe land-atmosphere coupling to support the evaluation and refinement of coupled weather and climate models.« less

Two mirror X-ray pulse split and delay instrument for femtosecond time resolved investigations at the LCLS free electron laser facility

DOE PAGES

Berrah, Nora; Fang, Li; Murphy, Brendan F.; ...

2016-05-20

We built a two-mirror based X-ray split and delay (XRSD) device for soft X-rays at the Linac Coherent Light Source free electron laser facility. The instrument is based on an edge-polished mirror design covering an energy range of 250 eV-1800 eV and producing a delay between the two split pulses variable up to 400 femtoseconds with a sub-100 attosecond resolution. We present experimental and simulation results regarding molecular dissociation dynamics in CH3I and CO probed by the XRSD device. In conclusion, we observed ion kinetic energy and branching ratio dependence on the delay times which were reliably produced by themore » XRSD instrument.« less

Enhancing the quality of supportive supervisory behavior in long-term care facilities.

PubMed

McGillis Hall, Linda; McGilton, Katherine S; Krejci, Janet; Pringle, Dorothy; Johnston, Erin; Fairley, Laura; Brown, Maryanne

2005-04-01

The practices of managers and registered nurses (RNs) in long-term care facilities are frequently ineffective in assisting the licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and healthcare aides (HCAs) whom they supervise. Little research exists that examines the area of supportive relationships between nursing staff and supervisors in these settings. The purpose of this study was to gather data that could improve management practices in long-term care residential facilities and enhance the quality of the supervisory relationships between supervisors (nurse managers and RNs) and care providers (HCAs and LPNs) in these settings. The study also identified factors that influence the supervisors' ability to establish supportive relationships with care providers. The challenges and barriers to nurse managers and leaders related to enacting supportive behaviors are discussed as well as their implications for long-term care settings.

Heat transfer and instrumentation studies on rotating turbine blades in a transient facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allan, William D. E.

1990-08-01

The current demands of modern aviation have encouraged engine manufacturers to develop larger, more powerful, yet quieter and more fuel efficient gas turbine engines. This has promoted particular interest in the heat loads borne by turbines, for efficiency can be improved if turbine entry temperature is increased. Presently, ceilings for this parameter are set by the thermal properties of the blade materials and their internal cooling capabilities. It has been established that flow unsteadiness and secondary flows in the turbine passages greatly influence the heat transfer rate on turbine blades and endwall surfaces. The three-dimensionality of the rotating turbine flowfield, however, complicates the interaction of these unsteady effects and their combined role in heat transfer on turbine blades. To fulfill the need to study this complex fluid environment, a model turbine stage has been installed in the working section of the Isentropic Light Piston Tunnel at Oxford. This transient facility enables the rotor to be operated at engine representative conditions. Novel high density instrumentation has been development for use on the turbine blade. Both the production and calibration of the thin film gauges will be explained and the theory supporting heat transfer measurement using this instrumentation is presented in this thesis. Perhaps the most important feature of this thesis lies in the extensive mean and unsteady heat transfer rates measured on the blade profile. These were determined on a total of 5 streamlines and represent a significant contribution to the total experimental data available on 3-dimensional profiles at engine representative conditions.

24 CFR 232.555 - Security instrument and lien.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... AUTHORITIES MORTGAGE INSURANCE FOR NURSING HOMES, INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES, BOARD AND CARE HOMES, AND... of Fire Safety Equipment Eligible Security Instruments § 232.555 Security instrument and lien. The...

External Long-Duration Materials Instrument Research Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelhardt, J. P.; Heath, K.

2018-02-01

The External Long-duration Materials and Instrument Research Observatory (ELMIRO) is a commercial facility that will allow for continuous and repeatable external testing on the Deep Space Gateway of materials, electronics/instruments for future deep space spacecraft.

Advanced Hypervelocity Aerophysics Facility Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witcofski, Robert D. (Compiler); Scallion, William I. (Compiler)

1989-01-01

The primary objective of the workshop was to obtain a critical assessment of a concept for a large, advanced hypervelocity ballistic range test facility powered by an electromagnetic launcher, which was proposed by the Langley Research Center. It was concluded that the subject large-scale facility was feasible and would provide the required ground-based capability for performing tests at entry flight conditions (velocity and density) on large, complex, instrumented models. It was also concluded that advances in remote measurement techniques and particularly onboard model instrumentation, light-weight model construction techniques, and model electromagnetic launcher (EML) systems must be made before any commitment for the construction of such a facility can be made.

Facile fabrication of palladium-ionic liquids-nitrogen-doped graphene nanocomposites as enhanced electro-catalyst for ethanol oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shuwen; Yang, Honglei; Ren, Ren; Ma, Jianxin; Jin, Jun; Ma, Jiantai

2015-10-01

The palladium-ionic liquids-nitrogen-doped graphene nanocomposites are facile fabricated as enhanced electro-catalyst for ethanol oxidation. First, the ionic liquids functionalized nitrogen-doping graphene nanosheets (PDIL-NGS) with few layers is synthesized through a facile and effective one-pot hydrothermal method with graphene oxide as raw material, urea as reducing-doping agents and ionic liquids (ILs) derived from 3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic acid as functional molecules. The results of systematic characterization reveal that the PDIL molecules not only can functionalize NGS by π-π stacking with no affecting the nitrogen doping but also prevent the agglomeration of NGS. More importantly, the processing performance and the property of electron transfer are remarkably enhanced duo to introducing a large number of ILs groups. Then, the enhanced electrocatalytic Pd nanoparticles are successfully anchored on PDIL-NGS by a facile and surfactant-free synthetic technique. As an anode catalyst, the novel catalyst exhibits better kinetics, more superior electrocatalytic performance, higher tolerance and electrochemical stability than the other catalysts toward ethanol electrooxidation, owing to the role of PDIL molecules. Therefore, the new catalyst is believed to have the potential use for direct alcohol fuel cells in the future and the functionalized NGS is promising useful materials applied in other fields.

The beam diagnostic instruments in Beijing radioactive ion-beam facilities isotope separator on-line

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

Ma, Y., E-mail: yjma@ciae.ac.cn; Cui, B.; Ma, R.

The beam diagnostic instruments for Beijing Radioactive Ion-beam Facilities Isotope Separator On-Line are introduced [B. Q. Cui, Z. H. Peng, Y. J. Ma, R. G. Ma, B. Tang, T. Zhang, and W. S. Jiang, Nucl. Instrum. Methods 266, 4113 (2008); T. J. Zhang, X. L. Guan, and B. Q. Cui, in Proceedings of APAC 2004, Gyeongju, Korea, 2004, http://www.jacow.org , p. 267]. For low intensity ion beam [30–300 keV/1 pA–10 μA], the beam profile monitor, the emittance measurement unit, and the analyzing slit will be installed. For the primary proton beam [100 MeV/200 μA], the beam profile scanner will bemore » installed. For identification of the nuclide, a beam identification unit will be installed. The details of prototype of the beam diagnostic units and some experiment results will be described in this article.« less

Next Generation Instrumentation for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quirrenbach, A.

The scientific capabilities of the VLT Interferometer can be substantially enhanced through new focal-plane instruments. Many interferometric techniques - astrometry, phase-referenced imaging, nulling, and differential phase measurements - require control of the phase to <~ 1 rad; this capability will be provided at the VLTI by the PRIMA facility. Phase-coherent operation of the VLTI will also make it possible to perform interferometry with spectral resolution up to R ~ 100,000 by building fiber links to the high-resolution spectrographs UVES and CRIRES. These developments will open new approaches to fundamental problems in fields as diverse as extrasolar planets, stellar atmospheres, circumstellar matter, and active galactic nuclei.

Prevalence of inappropriate medication use in residential long-term care facilities for the elderly: A systematic review.

PubMed

Storms, Hannelore; Marquet, Kristel; Aertgeerts, Bert; Claes, Neree

2017-12-01

Multi-morbidity and polypharmacy of the elderly population enhances the probability of elderly in residential long-term care facilities experiencing inappropriate medication use. The aim is to systematically review literature to assess the prevalence of inappropriate medication use in residential long-term care facilities for the elderly. Databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE) were searched for literature from 2004 to 2016 to identify studies examining inappropriate medication use in residential long-term care facilities for the elderly. Studies were eligible when relying on Beers criteria, STOPP, START, PRISCUS list, ACOVE, BEDNURS or MAI instruments. Inappropriate medication use was defined by the criteria of these seven instruments. Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Seventeen studies relied on a version of Beers criteria with prevalence ranging between 18.5% and 82.6% (median 46.5%) residents experiencing inappropriate medication use. A smaller range, from 21.3% to 63.0% (median 35.1%), was reported when considering solely the 10 studies that used Beers criteria updated in 2003. Prevalence varied from 23.7% to 79.8% (median 61.1%) in seven studies relying on STOPP. START and ACOVE were relied on in respectively four (prevalence: 30.5-74.0%) and two studies (prevalence: 28.9-58.0%); PRISCUS, BEDNURS and MAI were all used in one study each. Beers criteria of 2003 and STOPP were most frequently used to determine inappropriate medication use in residential long-term care facilities. Prevalence of inappropriate medication use strongly varied, despite similarities in research design and assessment with identical instrument(s).

Prevalence of inappropriate medication use in residential long-term care facilities for the elderly: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Storms, Hannelore; Marquet, Kristel; Aertgeerts, Bert; Claes, Neree

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Multi-morbidity and polypharmacy of the elderly population enhances the probability of elderly in residential long-term care facilities experiencing inappropriate medication use. Objectives: The aim is to systematically review literature to assess the prevalence of inappropriate medication use in residential long-term care facilities for the elderly. Methods: Databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE) were searched for literature from 2004 to 2016 to identify studies examining inappropriate medication use in residential long-term care facilities for the elderly. Studies were eligible when relying on Beers criteria, STOPP, START, PRISCUS list, ACOVE, BEDNURS or MAI instruments. Inappropriate medication use was defined by the criteria of these seven instruments. Results: Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Seventeen studies relied on a version of Beers criteria with prevalence ranging between 18.5% and 82.6% (median 46.5%) residents experiencing inappropriate medication use. A smaller range, from 21.3% to 63.0% (median 35.1%), was reported when considering solely the 10 studies that used Beers criteria updated in 2003. Prevalence varied from 23.7% to 79.8% (median 61.1%) in seven studies relying on STOPP. START and ACOVE were relied on in respectively four (prevalence: 30.5–74.0%) and two studies (prevalence: 28.9–58.0%); PRISCUS, BEDNURS and MAI were all used in one study each. Conclusions: Beers criteria of 2003 and STOPP were most frequently used to determine inappropriate medication use in residential long-term care facilities. Prevalence of inappropriate medication use strongly varied, despite similarities in research design and assessment with identical instrument(s). PMID:28271916

X-ray Cryogenic Facility (XRCF) Handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kegley, Jeffrey R.

2016-01-01

The X-ray & Cryogenic Facility (XRCF) Handbook is a guide for planning operations at the facility. A summary of the capabilities, policies, and procedures is provided to enhance project coordination between the facility user and XRCF personnel. This handbook includes basic information that will enable the XRCF to effectively plan and support test activities. In addition, this handbook describes the facilities and systems available at the XRCF for supporting test operations. 1.2 General Facility Description The XRCF was built in 1989 to meet the stringent requirements associated with calibration of X-ray optics, instruments, and telescopes and was subsequently modified in 1999 & 2005 to perform the challenging cryogenic verification of Ultraviolet, Optical, and Infrared mirrors. These unique and premier specialty capabilities, coupled with its ability to meet multiple generic thermal vacuum test requirements for large payloads, make the XRCF the most versatile and adaptable space environmental test facility in the Agency. XRCF is also recognized as the newest, most cost effective, most highly utilized facility in the portfolio and as one of only five NASA facilities having unique capabilities. The XRCF is capable of supporting and has supported missions during all phases from technology development to flight verification. Programs/projects that have benefited from XRCF include Chandra, Solar X-ray Imager, Hinode, and James Webb Space Telescope. All test programs have been completed on-schedule and within budget and have experienced no delays due to facility readiness or failures. XRCF is currently supporting Strategic Astrophysics Technology Development for Cosmic Origins. Throughout the years, XRCF has partnered with and continues to maintain positive working relationships with organizations such as ATK, Ball Aerospace, Northrop Grumman Aerospace, Excelis (formerly Kodak/ITT), Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Alabama

National facilities study. Volume 4: Space operations facilities task group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The principal objectives of the National Facilities Study (NFS) were to: (1) determine where U.S. facilities do not meet national aerospace needs; (2) define new facilities required to make U.S. capabilities 'world class' where such improvements are in the national interest; (3) define where consolidation and phase-out of existing facilities is appropriate; and (4) develop a long-term national plan for world-class facility acquisition and shared usage. The Space Operations Facilities Task Group defined discrete tasks to accomplish the above objectives within the scope of the study. An assessment of national space operations facilities was conducted to determine the nation's capability to meet the requirements of space operations during the next 30 years. The mission model used in the study to define facility requirements is described in Volume 3. Based on this model, the major focus of the Task Group was to identify any substantive overlap or underutilization of space operations facilities and to identify any facility shortfalls that would necessitate facility upgrades or new facilities. The focus of this initial study was directed toward facility recommendations related to consolidations, closures, enhancements, and upgrades considered necessary to efficiently and effectively support the baseline requirements model. Activities related to identifying facility needs or recommendations for enhancing U.S. international competitiveness and achieving world-class capability, where appropriate, were deferred to a subsequent study phase.

Use of Telemedicine to Enhance Pharmacist Services in the Nursing Facility.

PubMed

Kane-Gill, Sandra L; Niznik, Joshua D; Kellum, John A; Culley, Colleen M; Boyce, Richard D; Marcum, Zachary A; He, Harvey; Perera, Subashan; Handler, Steven M

2017-02-01

To conduct a systematic literature review to determine what telemedicine services are provided by pharmacists and the impact of these services in the nursing facility setting. MEDLINE®, Scopus®, and Embase® databases. The terms "telemedicine" or "telehealth" were combined by "and" with the terms "pharmacist" or "pharmacy" to identify pharmacists' use of telemedicine. Also, "telepharmacy" was added as a search term. The initial search yielded 322 results. These abstracts were reviewed by two individuals independently, for selection of articles that discussed telemedicine and involvement of a pharmacist, either as the primary user of the service or as part of an interprofessional health care team. Those abstracts discussing the pharmacist service for purpose of dispensing or product preparation were excluded. A description of pharmacists' services provided and the impact on resident care. Only three manuscripts met inclusion criteria. One was a narrative proposition of the benefits of using telemedicine by senior care pharmacists. Two published original research studies indirectly assessed the pharmacists' use of telemedicine in the nursing facility through an anticoagulation program and an osteoporosis management service. Both services demonstrated improvement in patient care. There is a general paucity of practice-related research to demonstrate potential benefits of pharmacists' services incorporating telemedicine. Telemedicine may be a resource-efficient approach to enhance pharmacist services in the nursing facility and improve resident care.

Webb Instrument Undergoes Alignment Testing

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-08-18

The Mid-Infrared Instrument, a component of NASA James Webb Space Telescope, underwent alignment testing at the Science and Technology Facilities Council Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Space in Oxfordshire, England.

Intercomparison of active, passive and continuous instruments for radon and radon progeny measurements in the EML chamber and test facility

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

Scarpitta, S.C.; Tu, K.W.; Fisenne, I.M.

1996-10-01

Results are presented from the Fifth Intercomparison of Active, Passive and Continuous Instruments for Radon and Radon Progeny Measurements conducted in the EML radon exposure and test facility in May 1996. In total, thirty-four government, private and academic facilities participated in the exercise with over 170 passive and electronic devices exposed in the EML test chamber. During the first week of the exercise, passive and continuous measuring devices were exposed (usually in quadruplicate) to about 1,280 Bq m{sup {minus}3} {sup 222}Rn for 1--7 days. Radon progeny measurements were made during the second week of the exercise. The results indicate thatmore » all of the tested devices that measure radon gas performed well and fulfill their intended purpose. The grand mean (GM) ratio of the participants` reported values to the EML values, for all four radon device categories, was 0.99 {plus_minus} 0.08. Eighty-five percent of all the radon measuring devices that were exposed in the EML radon test chamber were within {plus_minus}1 standard deviation (SD) of the EML reference values. For the most part, radon progeny measurements were also quite good as compared to the EML values. The GM ratio for the 10 continuous PAEC instruments was 0.90 {plus_minus} 0.12 with 75% of the devices within 1 SD of the EML reference values. Most of the continuous and integrating electronic instruments used for measuring the PAEC underestimated the EML values by about 10--15% probably because the concentration of particles onto which the radon progeny were attached was low (1,200--3,800 particles cm{sup {minus}3}). The equilibrium factor at that particle concentration level was 0.10--0.22.« less

An automated calibration laboratory for flight research instrumentation: Requirements and a proposed design approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oneill-Rood, Nora; Glover, Richard D.

1990-01-01

NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility (Ames-Dryden), operates a diverse fleet of research aircraft which are heavily instrumented to provide both real time data for in-flight monitoring and recorded data for postflight analysis. Ames-Dryden's existing automated calibration (AUTOCAL) laboratory is a computerized facility which tests aircraft sensors to certify accuracy for anticipated harsh flight environments. Recently, a major AUTOCAL lab upgrade was initiated; the goal of this modernization is to enhance productivity and improve configuration management for both software and test data. The new system will have multiple testing stations employing distributed processing linked by a local area network to a centralized database. The baseline requirements for the new AUTOCAL lab and the design approach being taken for its mechanization are described.

78 FR 47859 - Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-06

...This final rule updates the prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for federal fiscal year (FY) 2014 (for discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2013 and on or before September 30, 2014) as required by the statute. This final rule also revised the list of diagnosis codes that may be counted toward an IRF's ``60 percent rule'' compliance calculation to determine ``presumptive compliance,'' update the IRF facility-level adjustment factors using an enhanced estimation methodology, revise sections of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility-Patient Assessment Instrument, revise requirements for acute care hospitals that have IRF units, clarify the IRF regulation text regarding limitation of review, update references to previously changed sections in the regulations text, and revise and update quality measures and reporting requirements under the IRF quality reporting program.

Ultrasonic correlator versus signal averager as a signal to noise enhancement instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kishoni, Doron; Pietsch, Benjamin E.

1989-01-01

Ultrasonic inspection of thick and attenuating materials is hampered by the reduced amplitudes of the propagated waves to a degree that the noise is too high to enable meaningful interpretation of the data. In order to overcome the low Signal to Noise (S/N) ratio, a correlation technique has been developed. In this method, a continuous pseudo-random pattern generated digitally is transmitted and detected by piezoelectric transducers. A correlation is performed in the instrument between the received signal and a variable delayed image of the transmitted one. The result is shown to be proportional to the impulse response of the investigated material, analogous to a signal received from a pulsed system, with an improved S/N ratio. The degree of S/N enhancement depends on the sweep rate. This paper describes the correlator, and compares it to the method of enhancing S/N ratio by averaging the signals. The similarities and differences between the two are highlighted and the potential advantage of the correlator system is explained.

Ultrasonic correlator versus signal averager as a signal to noise enhancement instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kishoni, Doron; Pietsch, Benjamin E.

1990-01-01

Ultrasonic inspection of thick and attenuating materials is hampered by the reduce amplitudes of the propagated waves to a degree that the noise is too high to enable meaningful interpretation of the data. In order to overcome the low signal to noise ratio (S/N), a correlation technique has been developed. In this method, a continuous pseudo-random pattern generated digitally is transmitted and detected by piezoelectric transducers. A correlation is performed in the instrument between the received signal and a variable delayed image of the transmitted one. The result is shown to be proportional to the impulse response of the investigated material, analogous to a signal received from a pulsed system, with an improved S/N ratio. The degree of S/N enhancement depends on the sweep rate. The correlator is described, and it is compared to the method of enhancing S/N ratio by averaging the signals. The similarities and differences between the two are highlighted and the potential advantage of the correlator system is explained.

14 CFR 91.1069 - Flight crew: Instrument proficiency check requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... procedures. The instrument approach procedure or procedures must include at least one straight-in approach... conducted to published minimums for that procedure. (d) The instrument proficiency checks required by... emergencies, and standard instrument approaches involving navigational facilities which that pilot is to be...

14 CFR 91.1069 - Flight crew: Instrument proficiency check requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... procedures. The instrument approach procedure or procedures must include at least one straight-in approach... conducted to published minimums for that procedure. (d) The instrument proficiency checks required by... emergencies, and standard instrument approaches involving navigational facilities which that pilot is to be...

Webb Instrument Inside Test Chamber

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-08-18

The Mid-Infrared Instrument, a component of NASA James Webb Space Telescope, underwent testing inside the thermal space test chamber at the Science and Technology Facilities Council Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Space in Oxfordshire, England.

The interactive astronomical data analysis facility - image enhancement techniques to Comet Halley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klinglesmith, D. A.

1981-10-01

PDP 11/40 computer is at the heart of a general purpose interactive data analysis facility designed to permit easy access to data in both visual imagery and graphic representations. The major components consist of: the 11/40 CPU and 256 K bytes of 16-bit memory; two TU10 tape drives; 20 million bytes of disk storage; three user terminals; and the COMTAL image processing display system. The application of image enhancement techniques to two sequences of photographs of Comet Halley taken in Egypt in 1910 provides evidence for eruptions from the comet's nucleus.

Remote sensing optical instrumentation for enhanced space weather monitoring from the L1 and L5 Lagrange points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, S.; Puschmann, K. G.; Luntama, J. P.

2017-09-01

As part of the Space Situational Awareness Programme (SSA), ESA has initiated the assessment of two missions currently foreseen to be implemented to enable enhanced space weather monitoring. These missions utilize the positioning of satellites at the Lagrangian L1 and L5 points. These Phase 0 or Pre-Phase A mission studies are about to be completed and will thereby have soon passed the Mission Definition Review. Phase A studies are planned to start in 2017. The space weather monitoring system currently considers four remote sensing optical instruments and several in-situ instruments to analyse the Sun and the solar wind conditions, in order to provide early warnings of increased solar activity and to identify and mitigate potential threats to society and ground, airborne and space based infrastructure. The suggested optical instruments take heritage from ESA and NASA science missions like SOHO, STEREO and Solar Orbiter, but the instruments are foreseen to be optimized for operational space weather monitoring purposes with high reliability and robustness demands. The instruments are required to provide high quality measurements particularly during severe space weather events. The program intends to utilize the results of the on-going ESA instrument prototyping and technology development activities, and to initiate pre-developments of the operational space weather instruments to ensure the required maturity before the mission implementation.

Facile one-pot synthesis of flower-like AgCl microstructures and enhancing of visible light photocatalysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Flower-like AgCl microstructures with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalysis are synthesized by a facile one-pot hydrothermal process for the first time. The evolution process of AgCl from dendritic structures to flower-like octagonal microstructures is investigated quantitatively. Furthermore, the flower-like AgCl microstructures exhibit enhanced ability of visible light-assisted photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the flower-like AgCl microstructure is attributed to its three-dimensional hierarchical structure exposing with [100] facets. This work provides a fresh view into the insight of electrochemical process and the application area of visible light photocatalysts. PMID:24153176

Music Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ontario Dept. of Education, Toronto. School Planning and Building Research Section.

The layouts and specifications in this booklet are intended to assist those involved in planning music facilities for elementary and secondary schools. Drawings, room plans, and text illustrate specifications for location; space relationship; combined and separate instrumental and vocal rooms; practice rooms; and auxiliary areas. Particular…

NENIMF: Northeast National Ion Microprobe Facility - A Multi-User Facility for SIMS Microanalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Layne, G. D.; Shimizu, N.

2002-12-01

The MIT-Brown-Harvard Regional Ion Microprobe Facility was one of the earliest multi-user facilities enabled by Dan Weill's Instrumentation and Facilities Program - and began with the delivery of a Cameca IMS 3f ion microprobe to MIT in 1978. The Northeast National Ion Microprobe Facility (NENIMF) is the direct descendant of this original facility. Now housed at WHOI, the facility incorporates both the original IMS 3f, and a new generation, high transmission-high resolution instrument - the Cameca IMS 1270. Purchased with support from NSF, and from a consortium of academic institutions in the Northeast (The American Museum of Natural History, Brown University, The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, MIT, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, WHOI) - this latest instrument was delivered and installed during 1996. NENIMF continues to be supported by NSF EAR I&F as a multi-user facility for geochemical research. Work at NENIMF has extended the original design strength of the IMS 1270 for microanalytical U-Pb zircon geochronology to a wide variety of novel and improved techniques for geochemical research. Isotope microanalysis for studies in volcanology and petrology is currently the largest single component of facility activity. This includes the direct measurement of Pb isotopes in melt inclusions, an application developed at NENIMF, which is making an increasingly significant contribution to our understanding of basalt petrogenesis. This same technique has also been extended to the determination of Pb isotopes in detrital feldspar grains, for the study of sedimentary provenance and tectonics of the Himalayas and other terrains. The determination of δ11B in volcanic melt inclusions has also proven to be a powerful tool in the modeling of subduction-related magmatism. The recent development of δ34S and δ37Cl determination in glasses is being applied to studies of the behavior of these volatile elements in both natural and experimental systems. Other recent undertakings

Medicare program; inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system for federal fiscal year 2014. Final rule.

PubMed

2013-08-06

This final rule updates the prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for federal fiscal year (FY) 2014 (for discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2013 and on or before September 30, 2014) as required by the statute. This final rule also revised the list of diagnosis codes that may be counted toward an IRF's "60 percent rule'' compliance calculation to determine "presumptive compliance,'' update the IRF facility-level adjustment factors using an enhanced estimation methodology, revise sections of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility-Patient Assessment Instrument, revise requirements for acute care hospitals that have IRF units, clarify the IRF regulation text regarding limitation of review, update references to previously changed sections in the regulations text, and revise and update quality measures and reporting requirements under the IRF quality reporting program.

PISA for Development Technical Strand A: Enhancement of PISA Cognitive Instruments. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 126

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Ray; Cresswell, John

2016-01-01

The OECD is planning to enhance existing PISA assessment instruments in reading, mathematics and science so that they will be more suitable to the context of developing countries. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the main technical issues associated with this aim. The paper reports detailed analysis of the existing PISA item pool and…

24 CFR 232.570 - Endorsement of credit instrument.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... AUTHORITIES MORTGAGE INSURANCE FOR NURSING HOMES, INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES, BOARD AND CARE HOMES, AND... of Fire Safety Equipment Eligible Security Instruments § 232.570 Endorsement of credit instrument.... (c) Statement by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that the fire safety equipment noted in...

LST and instrument considerations. [modular design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levin, G. M.

1974-01-01

In order that the LST meet its scientific objectives and also be a National Astronomical Space Facility during the 1980's and 1990's, broad requirements have been levied by the scientific community. These scientific requirements can be directly translated into design requirements and specifications for the scientific instruments. The instrument ensemble design must be consistent with a 15-year operational lifetime. Downtime for major repair/refurbishment or instrument updating must be minimized. The overall efficiency and performance of the instruments should be maximized. Modularization of instruments and instrument subsystems, some degree of on-orbit servicing (both repair and replacement), on-axis location, minimizing the number of reflections within instruments, minimizing polarization effects, and simultaneous operation of the F/24 camera with other instruments, are just a few of the design guidelines and specifications which can and will be met in order that these broader scientific requirements be satisfied.-

Recent Enhancements to the NASA Langley Structural Acoustics Loads and Transmission (SALT) Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rizzi, Stephen A.; Cabell, Randolph H.; Allen, Albert R.

2013-01-01

The Structural Acoustics Loads and Transmission (SALT) facility at the NASA Langley Research Center is comprised of an anechoic room and a reverberant room, and may act as a transmission loss suite when test articles are mounted in a window connecting the two rooms. In the latter configuration, the reverberant room acts as the noise source side and the anechoic room as the receiver side. The noise generation system used for qualification testing in the reverberant room was previously shown to achieve a maximum overall sound pressure level of 141 dB. This is considered to be marginally adequate for generating sound pressure levels typically required for launch vehicle payload qualification testing. Recent enhancements to the noise generation system increased the maximum overall sound pressure level to 154 dB, through the use of two airstream modulators coupled to 35 Hz and 160 Hz horns. This paper documents the acoustic performance of the enhanced noise generation system for a variety of relevant test spectra. Additionally, it demonstrates the capability of the SALT facility to conduct transmission loss and absorption testing in accordance with ASTM and ISO standards, respectively. A few examples of test capabilities are shown and include transmission loss testing of simple unstiffened and built up structures and measurement of the diffuse field absorption coefficient of a fibrous acoustic blanket.

Instrument Would Detect and Collect Biological Aerosols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savoy, Steve; Mayo, Mike

2006-01-01

A proposed compact, portable instrument would sample micron-sized airborne particles, would discriminate between biological ones (e.g., bacteria) and nonbiological ones (e.g., dust particles), and would collect the detected biological particles for further analysis. The instrument is intended to satisfy a growing need for means of rapid, inexpensive collection of bioaerosols in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. Purposes that could be served by such collection include detecting airborne pathogens inside buildings and their ventilation systems, measuring concentrations of airborne biological contaminants around municipal waste-processing facilities, monitoring airborne effluents from suspected biowarfare facilities, and warning of the presence of airborne biowarfare agents

Instrumentation at Paranal Observatory: maintaining the instrument suite of five large telescopes and its interferometer alive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillet, Gordon; Alvarez, José Luis; Beltrán, Juan; Bourget, Pierre; Castillo, Roberto; Diaz, Álvaro; Haddad, Nicolás; Leiva, Alfredo; Mardones, Pedro; O'Neal, Jared; Ribes, Mauricio; Riquelme, Miguel; Robert, Pascal; Rojas, Chester; Valenzuela, Javier

2010-07-01

This presentation provides interesting miscellaneous information regarding the instrumentation activities at Paranal Observatory. It introduces the suite of 23 instruments and auxiliary systems that are under the responsibility of the Paranal Instrumentation group, information on the type of instruments, their usage and downtime statistics. The data is based on comprehensive data recorded in the Paranal Night Log System and the Paranal Problem Reporting System whose principles are explained as well. The work organization of the 15 team members around the high number of instruments is laid out, which includes: - Maintaining older instruments with obsolete components - Receiving new instruments and supporting their integration and commissioning - Contributing to future instruments in their developing phase. The assignments of the Instrumentation staff to the actual instruments as well as auxiliary equipment (Laser Guide Star Facility, Mask Manufacturing Unit, Cloud Observation Tool) are explained with respect to responsibility and scheduling issues. The essential activities regarding hardware & software are presented, as well as the technical and organizational developments within the group towards its present and future challenges.

Facilities Performance Indicators Report 2011-12: Tracking Your Facilities Vital Signs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

APPA: Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers, 2013

2013-01-01

This paper provides an expanded Web-based "Facilities Performance Indicators (FPI) Report." The purpose of APPA's Facilities Performance Indicators is to provide a representative set of statistics about facilities in educational institutions. APPA's Information and Research Committee's goal for this year was to enhance the…

The National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, H. K.

1986-01-01

The National Transonic Facility, NTF, is a high Reynolds Number facility where the increase in Reynolds Number is obtained by operating at high pressures and low temperatures. Liquid nitrogen is allowed to vaporize, making gaseous nitrogen the test medium with temperatures extending down to approximately 100 degrees Kelvin. These factors have created unique, new challenges to those developing sensors and instrumentation. Pressure vessels, thermal enclosures or elaborate temperature compensations schemes, are needed for environmental protection and special materials are needed for sensors and model fabrication. The need for a new measurement, model deformation, was also created. An extensive program to develop the unique sensors and instrumentation was initiated. The data acquisition system and systems to measure aerodynamic forces and pressures, model attitude, and model deformation, are discussed.

Radiance Research Particle Soot/Absorption Photometer Instrument Handbook

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

Springston, S. R.

2016-03-01

Radiance Research PSAPs as described in this Handbook are deployed in the second ARM Mobile Facility (AMF2) Aerosol Observing System (AOS), the third ARM Mobile Facility (AMF3) AOS, ENA AOS and Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS)-A. An earlier version of the PSAP is currently operated in the ARM Aerial Facility and at SGP. The older SGP instrument is covered in a separate Handbook.

Improving the accuracy of total quality management instruments.

PubMed

Bechtel, G A; Wood, D

1996-03-01

Total quality management (TQM) instruments are essential tools in defining concepts identified in an Ishikawa or ¿cause-and-effect¿ diagram. Collecting meaningful and accurate data using TQM instruments is imperative if productivity and quality of care are to be enhanced. This article provides managers with techniques and guidelines that will enhance the reliability and validity of TQM instruments, thereby promoting organization efficiency and customer satisfaction.

ACRF Instrumentation Status: New, Current, and Future - October – November 2007

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

JW Voyles

2007-11-30

The purpose of this report is to provide a concise but comprehensive overview of Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility (ACRF) instrumentation status. The report is divided into the following four sections: (1) new instrumentation in the process of being acquired and deployed, (2) existing instrumentation and progress on improvements or upgrades, (3) proposed future instrumentation, and (4) SBIR instrument development.

Design of a nondestructive two-in-one instrument for measuring the polarization and energy spectrum at an X-ray FEL facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qingmin; Deng, Bangjie; Chen, Yuanmiaoliang; Liu, Bochao; Chen, Shaofei; Fan, Jinquan; Feng, Lie; Deng, Haixiao; Liu, Bo; Wang, Dong

2017-10-01

The free electron laser (FEL), as a next-generation light source, is an attractive tool in scientific frontier research because of its advantages of full coherence, ultra-short pulse duration, and controllable polarization. Owing to the demand of real-time bunch diagnosis during FEL experiments, precise nondestructive measurements of the polarization and X-ray energy spectrum using one instrument are preferred. In this paper, such an instrument based on the electron time-of-flight technique is proposed. By considering the complexity and nonlinearity, a numerical model in the framework of Geant4 has been developed for optimization. Taking the Shanghai Soft X-ray FEL user facility as an example, its measurement performances' dependence on the critical parameters was studied systematically, and, finally, an optimal design was obtained, achieving resolutions of 0.5% for the polarization degree and 0.3 eV for the X-ray energy spectrum.

A Medical Decision Support System for the Space Station Health Maintenance Facility

PubMed Central

Ostler, David V.; Gardner, Reed M.; Logan, James S.

1988-01-01

NASA is developing a Health Maintenance Facility (HMF) to provide the equipment and supplies necessary to deliver medical care in the Space Station. An essential part of the Health Maintenance Facility is a computerized Medical Decision Support System (MDSS) that will enhance the ability of the medical officer (“paramedic” or “physician”) to maintain the crew's health, and to provide emergency medical care. The computer system has four major functions: 1) collect and integrate medical information into an electronic medical record from Space Station medical officers, HMF instrumentation, and exercise equipment; 2) provide an integrated medical record and medical reference information management system; 3) manage inventory for logistical support of supplies and secure pharmaceuticals; 4) supply audio and electronic mail communications between the medical officer and ground based flight surgeons. ImagesFigure 1

Thirty Meter Telescope science instruments: a status report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simard, Luc; Ellerbroek, Brent; Bhatia, Ravinder; Radovan, Matthew; Chisholm, Eric

2016-08-01

An overview of the current status of the science instruments for the Thirty Meter Telescope is presented. Three first-light instruments as well as a science calibration unit for AO-assisted instruments are under development. Developing instrument collaborations that can design and build these challenging instruments remains an area of intense activity. In addition to the instruments themselves, a preliminary design for a facility cryogenic cooling system based on gaseous helium turbine expanders has been completed. This system can deliver a total of 2.4 kilowatts of cooling power at 65K to the instruments with essentially no vibrations. Finally, the process for developing future instruments beyond first light has been extensively discussed and will get under way in early 2017.

Research Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The GENETI-SCANNER, newest product of Perceptive Scientific Instruments, Inc. (PSI), rapidly scans slides, locates, digitizes, measures and classifies specific objects and events in research and diagnostic applications. Founded by former NASA employees, PSI's primary product line is based on NASA image processing technology. The instruments karyotype - a process employed in analysis and classification of chromosomes - using a video camera mounted on a microscope. Images are digitized, enabling chromosome image enhancement. The system enables karyotyping to be done significantly faster, increasing productivity and lowering costs. Product is no longer being manufactured.

Facile fabrication of microfluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering devices via lift-up lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuanzi; Jiang, Ye; Zheng, Xiaoshan; Jia, Shasha; Zhu, Zhi; Ren, Bin; Ma, Hongwei

2018-04-01

We describe a facile and low-cost approach for a flexibly integrated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate in microfluidic chips. Briefly, a SERS substrate was fabricated by the electrostatic assembling of gold nanoparticles, and shaped into designed patterns by subsequent lift-up soft lithography. The SERS micro-pattern could be further integrated within microfluidic channels conveniently. The resulting microfluidic SERS chip allowed ultrasensitive in situ SERS monitoring from the transparent glass window. With its advantages in simplicity, functionality and cost-effectiveness, this method could be readily expanded into optical microfluidic fabrication for biochemical applications.

40 CFR 267.151 - Wording of the instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PERMIT Financial Requirements § 267.151 Wording of the instruments. (a) The chief financial officer of an owner or operator of a facility with a standardized permit who uses a financial test to demonstrate financial assurance for that facility must complete a letter as specified in § 267.143(f) of this chapter...

Circuits Enhance Scientific Instruments and Safety Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

Since its founding in 1958, NASA has pioneered the use of different frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum - including X-ray, microwave, and infrared wavelengths - to gather information about distant celestial bodies. During the 1962 Mariner 2 mission, NASA used microwave radiometers that operated in the range of 15-23 gigahertz (GHz) to assess the surface temperature of Venus and to determine the percentage of water vapor in its atmosphere. Today, there is another area on the spectrum proving uniquely useful to scientists: the terahertz (THz) range, spanning from about 100 GHz-10,000 GHz. (1 THz equals approximately 1,000 GHz.) Terahertz frequencies span the lesser-known gap on the electromagnetic spectrum between microwave radiation and infrared (and visible) light, falling within the spectral range where most simple molecules resonate. This molecular resonance makes terahertz particularly useful for chemical spectroscopy and the remote sensing of specific molecules. In the 1990s, NASA began using frequencies above 300 GHz (more than an order of magnitude higher than the instrumentation on Mariner 2) to perform spectral analysis of molecular clouds and planetary atmospheres. Instruments using these higher frequencies have included the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), deployed from 1991-2001, and the Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter (MIRO), launched in 2004. With UARS-MLS, NASA used advanced terahertz receivers to measure the emission signatures from atmospheric molecules, providing researchers with valuable data about the changes in the Earth s protective ozone layer. MIRO, set to rendezvous with the comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014, will use terahertz instrumentation to analyze the comet s dust and gases. Although NASA has been a driving force behind the development of terahertz technology, scientific equipment for terahertz research - including transmitters, receivers, and basic test and

The instrumentation program for the Thirty Meter Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simard, Luc; Crampton, David; Ellerbroek, Brent; Boyer, Corinne

2012-09-01

An overview of the current status of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) instrumentation program is presented. Science cases and operational concepts as well as their links to the instruments are continually revisited and updated through a series of workshops and conferences. Work on the three first-light instruments (WFOS IRIS, and IRMS) has made significant progress, and many groups in TMT partner communities are developing future instrument concepts. Other instrument-related subsystems are also receiving considerable attention given their importance to the scientific end-to-end performance of the Observatory. As an example, we describe aspects of the facility instrument cooling system that are crucially important to successful diffraction-limited observations on an extremely large telescope.

Acute Perioperative Comparison of Patient-Specific Instrumentation versus Conventional Instrumentation Utilization during Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Steimle, Jerrod A; Groover, Michael T; Webb, Brad A; Ceccarelli, Brian J

2018-01-01

Utilizing patient-specific instrumentation during total knee arthroplasty has gained popularity in recent years with theoretical advantages in blood loss, intraoperative time, length of stay, postoperative alignment, and functional outcome, amongst others. No study has compared acute perioperative measures between patient-specific instrumentation and conventional instrumentation in the bilateral total knee arthroplasty setting. We compared patient-specific instrumentation versus conventional instrumentation in the setting of bilateral total knee arthroplasty to determine any benefits in the immediate perioperative period including surgical time, blood loss, pain medication use, length of stay, and discharge disposition. A total of 49 patients with standard instrumentation and 31 patients with patient-specific instrumentation were retrospectively reviewed in a two-year period at one facility. At baseline, the groups were comparable with respect to age, ASA, BMI, and comorbid conditions. We analyzed data on operative time, blood loss, hemoglobin change, need for transfusion, pain medication use, length of stay, and discharge disposition. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in regards to these parameters. Patient-specific instrumentation in the setting of bilateral total knee arthroplasty did not provide any immediate perioperative benefit compared to conventional instrumentation.

New findings and instrumentation from the NASA Lewis microgravity facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Howard D.; Greenberg, Paul S.

1990-01-01

The study of fundamental combustion and fluid physics in a microgravity environment is a relatively new scientific endeavor. The microgravity environment enables a new range of experiments to be performed since: buoyancy-induced flows are nearly eliminated; normally obscured forces and flows may be isolated; gravitational settling or sedimentation is nearly eliminated; and larger time or length scales in experiments become permissible. Unexpected phenomena have been observed, with surprising frequency, in microgravity experiments, raising questions about the degree of accuracy and completeness of the classical understanding. An overview is provided of some new phenomena found through ground-based, microgravity research, the instrumentation used in this research, and plans for new instrumentation.

Temperature Measurement in PV Facilities on a Per-Panel Scale

PubMed Central

Martínez, Miguel A.; Andújar, José M.; Enrique, Juan M.

2014-01-01

This paper presents the design, construction and testing of an instrumentation system for temperature measurement in PV facilities on a per-panel scale (i.e., one or more temperature measurements per panel). Its main characteristics are: precision, ease of connection, immunity to noise, remote operation, easy scaling; and all of this at a very low cost. The paper discusses the advantages of temperature measurements in PV facilities on a per-panel scale. The paper presents the whole development to implementation of a real system that is being tested in an actual facility. This has enabled the authors to provide the readers with practical guidelines, which would be very difficult to achieve if the developments were implemented by just simulation or in a theoretical way. The instrumentation system is fully developed, from the temperature sensing to its presentation in a virtual instrument. The developed instrumentation system is able to work both locally and remotely connected to both wired and wireless network. PMID:25061834

Temperature measurement in PV facilities on a per-panel scale.

PubMed

Martínez, Miguel A; Andújar, José M; Enrique, Juan M

2014-07-24

This paper presents the design, construction and testing of an instrumentation system for temperature measurement in PV facilities on a per-panel scale (i.e., one or more temperature measurements per panel). Its main characteristics are: precision, ease of connection, immunity to noise, remote operation, easy scaling; and all of this at a very low cost. The paper discusses the advantages of temperature measurements in PV facilities on a per-panel scale. The paper presents the whole development to implementation of a real system that is being tested in an actual facility. This has enabled the authors to provide the readers with practical guidelines, which would be very difficult to achieve if the developments were implemented by just simulation or in a theoretical way. The instrumentation system is fully developed, from the temperature sensing to its presentation in a virtual instrument. The developed instrumentation system is able to work both locally and remotely connected to both wired and wireless network.

Current status and some future test directions for the U.S. National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gloss, Blair B.

1992-01-01

The construction of the National Transonic Facility was completed in September 1982 and the start-up and checkout of the tunnel systems were performed over the following two years. In August 1984, the facility was declared operational for final checkout of cryogenic instrumentation and control systems, and for the aerodynamics calibration and testing to commence. Since 1984 several operational problems have been identified and successfully solved which is demonstrated by the fact that the facility has operated the last year with no significant facility down times. Also during this time period, development of test techniques and instrumentation has continued. This paper will review some of the recent test techniques and instrumentation developments, and will briefly review the status of the facility.

Integrated Component-based Data Acquisition Systems for Aerospace Test Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Richard W.

2001-01-01

The Multi-Instrument Integrated Data Acquisition System (MIIDAS), developed by the NASA Langley Research Center, uses commercial off the shelf (COTS) products, integrated with custom software, to provide a broad range of capabilities at a low cost throughout the system s entire life cycle. MIIDAS combines data acquisition capabilities with online and post-test data reduction computations. COTS products lower purchase and maintenance costs by reducing the level of effort required to meet system requirements. Object-oriented methods are used to enhance modularity, encourage reusability, and to promote adaptability, reducing software development costs. Using only COTS products and custom software supported on multiple platforms reduces the cost of porting the system to other platforms. The post-test data reduction capabilities of MIIDAS have been installed at four aerospace testing facilities at NASA Langley Research Center. The systems installed at these facilities provide a common user interface, reducing the training time required for personnel that work across multiple facilities. The techniques employed by MIIDAS enable NASA to build a system with a lower initial purchase price and reduced sustaining maintenance costs. With MIIDAS, NASA has built a highly flexible next generation data acquisition and reduction system for aerospace test facilities that meets customer expectations.

Enhancing Three-dimensional Movement Control System for Assemblies of Machine-Building Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzyakov, O. N.; Andreeva, M. A.

2018-01-01

Aspects of enhancing three-dimensional movement control system are given in the paper. Such system is to be used while controlling assemblies of machine-building facilities, which is a relevant issue. The base of the system known is three-dimensional movement control device with optical principle of action. The device consists of multi point light emitter and light receiver matrix. The processing of signals is enhanced to increase accuracy of measurements by switching from discrete to analog signals. Light receiver matrix is divided into four areas, and the output value of each light emitter in each matrix area is proportional to its luminance level. Thus, determing output electric signal value of each light emitter in corresponding area leads to determing position of multipoint light emitter and position of object tracked. This is done by using Case-based reasoning method, the precedent in which is described as integral signal value of each matrix area, coordinates of light receivers, which luminance level is high, and decision to be made in this situation.

Testing Aircraft Instruments.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-11

1. Have test data been collected, recorded, and presented in accordance with this TOP? Yes No Comment : 2. Were the facilities, test equipment...instrumentation, and support accommodations adequate to accomplish the test objectives? Yes No Comment : 3. Have all data collected been reviewed for...correctness and completeness? Yes No Comment : 4. Were the test results compromised in any way due to insufficient test planning? Yes No Comment : 5. Were the

First-generation instrumentation for the Discovery Channel Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bida, Thomas A.; Dunham, Edward W.; Massey, Philip; Roe, Henry G.

2014-07-01

The 4.3m Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) has been conducting part-time science operations since January 2013. The f/6.1, 0.5° field-of-view at the RC focus is accessible through the Cassegrain instrument cube assembly, which can support 5 co-mounted instruments with rapid feed selection via deployable fold mirrors. Lowell Observatory has developed the Large Monolithic Imager (LMI), a 12.3' FOV 6K x 6K single CCD camera with a dual filter wheel, and installed at the straight-through, field-corrected RC focal station, which has served as the primary early science DCT instrument. Two low-resolution facility spectrographs are currently under development with first light for each anticipated by early 2015: the upgraded DeVeny Spectrograph, to be utilized for single object optical spectroscopy, and the unique Near-Infrared High-Throughput Spectrograph (NIHTS), optimized for single-shot JHK spectroscopy of faint solar system objects. These spectrographs will be mounted at folded RC ports, and the NIHTS installation will feature simultaneous optical imaging with LMI through use of a dichroic fold mirror. We report on the design, construction, commissioning, and progress of these 3 instruments in detail. We also discuss plans for installation of additional facility instrumentation on the DCT.

The Deep Space Network. [tracking and communication functions and facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The objectives, functions, and organization of the Deep Space Network are summarized. The Deep Space Instrumentation Facility, the Ground Communications Facility, and the Network Control System are described.

JAERI instrumented spool piece performance in two-phase flow

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

Colson, J.B.; Gilbert, J.V.

1979-01-01

Instrumented spool pieces to be installed in horizontal piping on the Cylindrical Core Test Facility (CCTF) at the Japanese Atomic Energy Institute (JAERI) have been designed and tested. The instrumented spool pieces will provide measurements from which mass flow rates can be computed. The primary instruments included in the spool pieces are a full-flow turbine, a full-flow perforated drag plate, and a low energy three-beam photon densitometer. Secondary instruments are provided to measured absolute pressure, fluid temperature, and differential pressure across the full-flow perforated drag plate.

Hexagonal pencil-like CdS nanorods: Facile synthesis and enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Liang; Wang, Guanghui; Zhao, Lei; Zhou, Yong; Gao, Fang; Cheng, Yang

2015-07-01

In the present study, hexagonal pencil-like CdS nanorods have been successfully synthesized through a typical facile and economical one-step hydrothermal method without using any surfactant or template. The product was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDX). The results revealed that the prepared CdS photocatalyst consisted of a large quantity of straight and smooth solid hexagonal nanorods and a few nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activities of CdS nanorods and commercial CdS powders were investigated by the photodegradation of Orange II (OII) in aqueous solution under visible light, and the CdS nanorods presented the highest photocatalytic activity. Its photocatalytic efficiency enhancement was attributed to the improved transmission of photogenerated electron-hole pairs in the CdS nanostructures. The present findings may provide a facile approach to synthesize high efficient CdS photocatalysts.

Enhancing homework adherence of Chinese older adults: A case study using Instrumental Reminiscence Intervention.

PubMed

Lou, Vivian Wei Qun; Au, Judith Wing Nam; Choy, Jacky Chak Pui

2016-10-01

The present study aimed to examine effective clinical strategies that facilitate homework adherence among Chinese older adults who participated in group therapy using Instrumental Reminiscence Intervention (IRI) to reduce depressive symptoms. Examination was based on IRI for 15 groups of older adults, with four to eight participants in each group. Homework assignment was included as a core component of the intervention in each session, except the first session. Particular emphasis was put on both homework design and assignment strategies. Two effective strategies were developed. The first was the development of a tactic card as a tool for homework content and assignment. The second strategy was interventionist training. Clinical examples are used to illustrate how these strategies can enhance homework adherence in a Chinese context. The two clinical strategies were found to be effective in enhancing homework adherence among Chinese older participants in a group therapy setting. These strategies are recommended for use in group clinical settings for Chinese participants. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 1153-1160. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Cavity-Enhanced Quantum-Cascade Laser-Based Instrument for Trace gas Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provencal, R.; Gupta, M.; Owano, T.; Baer, D.; Ricci, K.; O'Keefe, A.

2005-12-01

An autonomous instrument based on Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy has been successfully deployed for measurements of CO in the troposphere and tropopause onboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft. The instrument consists of a measurement cell comprised of two high reflectivity mirrors, a continuous-wave quantum-cascade laser, gas sampling system, control and data acquisition electronics, and data analysis software. The instrument reports CO mixing ratio at a 1-Hz rate based on measured absorption, gas temperature and pressure using Beer's Law. During several flights in May-June 2004 and January 2005 that reached altitudes of 41000 ft, the instrument recorded CO values with a precision of 0.2 ppbv (1-s averaging time). Despite moderate turbulence and measurements of particulate-laden airflows, the instrument operated consistently and did not require any maintenance, mirror cleaning, or optical realignment during the flights. We will also present recent development efforts to extend the instrument's capabilities for the measurements of CH4, N2O and CO in real time.

Science Instruments for the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winkler, Carl E.; Cumings, Nesbitt P.; Randolph, Joseph L.; Talley, Drayton H.

1993-01-01

The AXAF program has undergone major changes since the Announcement of Opportunity was extended by NASA Headquarters in 1983. The Science Instruments (SI's) for AXAF have also experienced several design changes since they were competitively selected in 1985. Moreover, two separate complementary missions are now being baselined for AXAF; one is designated AXAF-I for imaging and will include the high precision Wolter type I optics, and the other is called AXAF-S for spectroscopy. The resulting less-costly AXAF will still be superior to any previous x-ray observatories. Both missions continue to be managed. AXAF-I contains two focal plane SI's, the High Resolution Camera (HRC), and the AXAF Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) imaging spectrometer (ACIS), as well as the High-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) and the Low-Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (LETGS). Optics/Cryogenics Division (BECD). AXAF-S features only one focal plane SI, the X-Ray Spectrometer (XRS). The grazing incidence mirrors for this mission are mainly to provide a large collecting area and to concentrate these x-ray photons onto the XRS detector. Precise focusing, although preferred, is of secondary importance. Nested conical foil mirrors are currently baselined; however, replicated imaging optics are being evaluated for collecting efficiency and cost. AXAF-S is scheduled to be launched in late 1999. It has been designated as an MSFC in-house project. In addition to overall management, MSFC is fully responsible for the design, development, integration, and test of the complete AXAF-S observatory, including the XRS which will be furnished by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Together, AXAF-I and AXAF-S constitute the third of NASA's series of Great Observatories, joining the Hubble space telescope (HST) and the Gamma-Ray Observatory (GRO) which are already operational. The develop- ment, launch, and operation of the Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF) will follow later to

Cervical Spine Instrumentation in Children.

PubMed

Hedequist, Daniel J; Emans, John B

2016-06-01

Instrumentation of the cervical spine enhances stability and improves arthrodesis rates in children undergoing surgery for deformity or instability. Various morphologic and clinical studies have been conducted in children, confirming the feasibility of anterior or posterior instrumentation of the cervical spine with modern implants. Knowledge of the relevant spine anatomy and preoperative imaging studies can aid the clinician in understanding the pitfalls of instrumentation for each patient. Preoperative planning, intraoperative positioning, and adherence to strict surgical techniques are required given the small size of children. Instrumentation options include anterior plating, occipital plating, and a variety of posterior screw techniques. Complications related to screw malposition include injury to the vertebral artery, neurologic injury, and instrumentation failure.

A review of instrumentation kinematics of engine-driven nickel-titanium instruments.

PubMed

Çapar, I D; Arslan, H

2016-02-01

Over the years, NiTi alloys have become indispensable materials in endodontic treatment. With technological advancements in metallurgy, manufacturers have attempted to produce instruments with enhanced features. In parallel with these developments, endodontic motors have undergone improvements in terms of torque control and kinematics that are adjustable in different directions. This review presents an overview of the advancements in instrumentation kinematics and the effect of instrumentation kinematics on root canal shaping procedures and instrument performance. The literature search for this narrative review was conducted in Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science using the keywords 'kinematics and endodontics' and 'reciprocation and endodontics'. In addition, historical literature was searched using the keyword 'nickel-titanium and endodontics'. Overall, 143 articles were included up to 2015. © 2015 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A new approach for instrument software at Gemini

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillies, Kim; Nunez, Arturo; Dunn, Jennifer

2008-07-01

Gemini Observatory is now developing its next generation of astronomical instruments, the Aspen instruments. These new instruments are sophisticated and costly requiring large distributed, collaborative teams. Instrument software groups often include experienced team members with existing mature code. Gemini has taken its experience from the previous generation of instruments and current hardware and software technology to create an approach for developing instrument software that takes advantage of the strengths of our instrument builders and our own operations needs. This paper describes this new software approach that couples a lightweight infrastructure and software library with aspects of modern agile software development. The Gemini Planet Imager instrument project, which is currently approaching its critical design review, is used to demonstrate aspects of this approach. New facilities under development will face similar issues in the future, and the approach presented here can be applied to other projects.

Investigation of self-adaptive LED surgical lighting based on entropy contrast enhancing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Peng; Wang, Huihui; Zhang, Yaqin; Shen, Junfei; Wu, Rengmao; Zheng, Zhenrong; Li, Haifeng; Liu, Xu

2014-05-01

Investigation was performed to explore the possibility of enhancing contrast by varying the spectral distribution (SPD) of the surgical lighting. The illumination scenes with different SPDs were generated by the combination of a self-adaptive white light optimization method and the LED ceiling system, the images of biological sample are taken by a CCD camera and then processed by an 'Entropy' based contrast evaluation model which is proposed specific for surgery occasion. Compared with the neutral white LED based and traditional algorithm based image enhancing methods, the illumination based enhancing method turns out a better performance in contrast enhancing and improves the average contrast value about 9% and 6%, respectively. This low cost method is simple, practicable, and thus may provide an alternative solution for the expensive visual facility medical instruments.

Optoelectronic instrumentation enhancement using data mining feedback for a 3D measurement system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-Fuentes, Wendy; Sergiyenko, Oleg; Gonzalez-Navarro, Félix F.; Rivas-López, Moisés; Hernandez-Balbuena, Daniel; Rodríguez-Quiñonez, Julio C.; Tyrsa, Vera; Lindner, Lars

2016-12-01

3D measurement by a cyber-physical system based on optoelectronic scanning instrumentation has been enhanced by outliers and regression data mining feedback. The prototype has applications in (1) industrial manufacturing systems that include: robotic machinery, embedded vision, and motion control, (2) health care systems for measurement scanning, and (3) infrastructure by providing structural health monitoring. This paper presents new research performed in data processing of a 3D measurement vision sensing database. Outliers from multivariate data have been detected and removal to improve artificial intelligence regression algorithm results. Physical measurement error regression data has been used for 3D measurements error correction. Concluding, that the joint of physical phenomena, measurement and computation is an effectiveness action for feedback loops in the control of industrial, medical and civil tasks.

Window Observational Research Facility (WORF)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelfrey, Joseph; Sledd, Annette

2007-01-01

This viewgraph document concerns the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) Rack, a unique facility designed for use with the US Lab Destiny Module window. WORF will provide valuable resources for Earth Science payloads along with serving the purpose of protecting the lab window. The facility can be used for remote sensing instrumentation test and validation in a shirt sleeve environment. WORF will also provide a training platform for crewmembers to do orbital observations of other planetary bodies. WORF payloads will be able to conduct terrestrial studies utilizing the data collected from utilizing WORF and the lab window.

A proof-of-principle simulation for closed-loop control based on preexisting experimental thalamic DBS-enhanced instrumental learning.

PubMed

Wang, Ching-Fu; Yang, Shih-Hung; Lin, Sheng-Huang; Chen, Po-Chuan; Lo, Yu-Chun; Pan, Han-Chi; Lai, Hsin-Yi; Liao, Lun-De; Lin, Hui-Ching; Chen, Hsu-Yan; Huang, Wei-Chen; Huang, Wun-Jhu; Chen, You-Yin

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been applied as an effective therapy for treating Parkinson's disease or essential tremor. Several open-loop DBS control strategies have been developed for clinical experiments, but they are limited by short battery life and inefficient therapy. Therefore, many closed-loop DBS control systems have been designed to tackle these problems by automatically adjusting the stimulation parameters via feedback from neural signals, which has been reported to reduce the power consumption. However, when the association between the biomarkers of the model and stimulation is unclear, it is difficult to develop an optimal control scheme for other DBS applications, i.e., DBS-enhanced instrumental learning. Furthermore, few studies have investigated the effect of closed-loop DBS control for cognition function, such as instrumental skill learning, and have been implemented in simulation environments. In this paper, we proposed a proof-of-principle design for a closed-loop DBS system, cognitive-enhancing DBS (ceDBS), which enhanced skill learning based on in vivo experimental data. The ceDBS acquired local field potential (LFP) signal from the thalamic central lateral (CL) nuclei of animals through a neural signal processing system. A strong coupling of the theta oscillation (4-7 Hz) and the learning period was found in the water reward-related lever-pressing learning task. Therefore, the theta-band power ratio, which was the averaged theta band to averaged total band (1-55 Hz) power ratio, could be used as a physiological marker for enhancement of instrumental skill learning. The on-line extraction of the theta-band power ratio was implemented on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). An autoregressive with exogenous inputs (ARX)-based predictor was designed to construct a CL-thalamic DBS model and forecast the future physiological marker according to the past physiological marker and applied DBS. The prediction could further assist the design of

Europlanet Research Infrastructure: Planetary Sample Analysis Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cloquet, C.; Mason, N. J.; Davies, G. R.; Marty, B.

2008-09-01

EuroPlanet The Europlanet Research Infrastructure consortium funded under FP7 aims to provide the EU Planetary Science community greater access for to research infrastructure. A series of networking and outreach initiatives will be complimented by joint research activities and the formation of three Trans National Access distributed service laboratories (TNA's) to provide a unique and comprehensive set of analogue field sites, laboratory simulation facilities, and extraterrestrial sample analysis tools. Here we report on the infrastructure that comprises the third TNA: Planetary Sample Analysis Facilities. The modular infrastructure represents a major commitment of analytical instrumentation by three institutes and together forms a state-of-the-art analytical facility of unprecedented breadth. These centres perform research in the fields of geochemistry and cosmochemistry, studying fluids and rocks in order to better understand the keys cof the universe. Europlanet Research Infrastructure Facilities: Ion Probe facilities at CRPG and OU The Cameca 1270 Ion microprobe is a CNRS-INSU national facility. About a third of the useful analytical time of the ion probe (about 3 months each year) is allocated to the national community. French scientists have to submit their projects to a national committee for selection. The selected projects are allocated time in the following 6 months twice a year. About 15 to 20 projects are run each year. There are only two such instruments in Europe, with cosmochemistry only performed at CRPG. Different analyses can be performed on a routine basis, such as U-Pb dating on Zircon, Monazite or Pechblende, Li, B, C, O, Si isotopic ratios determination on different matrix, 26Al, 60Fe extinct radioactivity ages, light and trace elements contents . The NanoSIMS 50L - producing element or isotope maps with a spatial resolution down to ≈50nm. This is one of the cornerstone facilities of UKCAN, with 75% of available instrument time funded and

Conceptual Design of an In-Space Cryogenic Fluid Management Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willen, G. S.; Riemer, D. H.; Hustvedt, D. C.

1981-01-01

The conceptual design of a Spacelab experiment to develop the technology associated with low gravity propellant management is presented. The proposed facility consisting of a supply tank, receiver tank, pressurization system, instrumentation, and supporting hardware, is described. The experimental objectives, the receiver tank to be modeled, and constraints imposed on the design by the space shuttle, Spacelab, and scaling requirements, are described. The conceptual design, including the general configurations, flow schematics, insulation systems, instrumentation requirements, and internal tank configurations for the supply tank and the receiver tank, is described. Thermal, structural, fluid, and safety and reliability aspects of the facility are analyzed. The facility development plan, including schedule and cost estimates for the facility, is presented. A program work breakdown structure and master program schedule for a seven year program are included.

Cryogenic test facility instrumentation with fiber optic and fiber optic sensors for testing superconducting accelerator magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiuchiolo, A.; Bajas, H.; Bajko, M.; Castaldo, B.; Consales, M.; Cusano, A.; Giordano, M.; Giloux, C.; Perez, J. C.; Sansone, L.; Viret, P.

2017-12-01

The magnets for the next steps in accelerator physics, such as the High Luminosity upgrade of the LHC (HL- LHC) and the Future Circular Collider (FCC), require the development of new technologies for manufacturing and monitoring. To meet the HL-LHC new requirements, a large upgrade of the CERN SM18 cryogenic test facilities is ongoing with the implementation of new cryostats and cryogenic instrumentation. The paper deals with the advances in the development and the calibration of fiber optic sensors in the range 300 - 4 K using a dedicated closed-cycle refrigerator system composed of a pulse tube and a cryogen-free cryostat. The calibrated fiber optic sensors (FOS) have been installed in three vertical cryostats used for testing superconducting magnets down to 1.9 K or 4.2 K and in the variable temperature test bench (100 - 4.2 K). Some examples of FOS measurements of cryostat temperature evolution are presented as well as measurements of strain performed on a subscale of High Temperature Superconducting magnet during its powering tests.

Facile synthesis of hierarchical dendritic PtPd nanogarlands supported on reduced graphene oxide with enhanced electrocatalytic properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shan-Shan; Zheng, Jie-Ning; Ma, Xiaohong; Hu, Yuan-Yuan; Wang, Ai-Jun; Chen, Jian-Rong; Feng, Jiu-Ju

2014-05-01

A simple and facile method is developed for one-pot preparation of hierarchical dendritic PtPd nanogarlands supported on reduced graphene oxide (PtPd/RGO) at room temperature, without using any seed, organic solvent, or complex apparatus. It is found that octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (NP-40) as a soft template and its amount are critical to the formation of PtPd garlands. The as-prepared nanocomposites are further applied to methanol and ethanol oxidation with significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activity and better stability in alkaline media.A simple and facile method is developed for one-pot preparation of hierarchical dendritic PtPd nanogarlands supported on reduced graphene oxide (PtPd/RGO) at room temperature, without using any seed, organic solvent, or complex apparatus. It is found that octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (NP-40) as a soft template and its amount are critical to the formation of PtPd garlands. The as-prepared nanocomposites are further applied to methanol and ethanol oxidation with significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activity and better stability in alkaline media. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental section, Fig. S1-S12 and Tables S1 and S2. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr06808k

High-sensitivity ESCA instrument

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

Davies, R.D.; Herglotz, H.K.; Lee, J.D.

1973-01-01

A new electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) instrument has been developed to provide high sensitivity and efficient operation for laboratory analysis of composition and chemical bonding in very thin surface layers of solid samples. High sensitivity is achieved by means of the high-intensity, efficient x-ray source described by Davies and Herglotz at the 1968 Denver X-Ray Conference, in combination with the new electron energy analyzer described by Lee at the 1972 Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy. A sample chamber designed to provide for rapid introduction and replacement of samples has adequate facilities for various sample treatmentsmore » and conditiouing followed immediately by ESCA analysis of the sample. Examples of application are presented, demonstrating the sensitivity and resolution achievable with this instrument. Its usefulness in trace surface analysis is shown and some chemical shifts'' measured by the instrument are compared with those obtained by x-ray spectroscopy. (auth)« less

An improved measurement of Vickers indentation behaviour through enhanced instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faisal, N. H.; Reuben, R. L.; Ahmed, R.

2011-01-01

This work presents an enhanced instrumented Vickers indentation technique capable of recording force, displacement and acoustic emission (AE) during loading condition. Four materials were chosen for examination; copper, aluminium, steel and as-sprayed HVOF WC-12%Co coating. Results indicate that force-displacement (P-h) profiles are essentially bilinear with two characteristic slopes separated by a distinct displacement arrest for all loads above 98 N. The P-h curve indicates three distinct loading stages (I, II and III) and the stage III mechanical energy increases with loads. About 66% of the hardened steel indentations but only about 18% of the as-sprayed HVOF WC-12%Co coating indentations exhibited an AE record that could be separated into three distinct zones (A, B and C). Where zoning was possible the AE corresponding to a zone correlated well with the AE associated with a loading stage. It is concluded that plastic deformation in soft metals produced little AE, whereas brittle fracture in hardened steel and as-sprayed HVOF WC-12%Co coating produced significant AE. AE may or may not be focused onto particular stages of the indentation and a full measure of crack prevalence would require fractal dimension analysis, which is time consuming, offering a motivation for AE-based indentation testing.

International Energy Agency instrumented facilities survey for solar assisted low energy dwellings

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

None

1982-02-01

Compiled are surveys outlining the instrumentation of 38 active and passive solar projects in 9 countries (Denmark, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and West Germany). After the surveys themselves are presented, the data are rearranged to compare answers from similar survey questions for each of the projects. These questions address building, solar system and instrumentation descriptions and meteorological, solar system and building system instrumentatation capabilities. (LEW)

Assessing the validity and intra-observer agreement of the MIDAM-LTC; an instrument measuring factors that influence personal dignity in long-term care facilities

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Patients who are cared for in long-term care facilities are vulnerable to lose personal dignity. An instrument measuring factors that influence dignity can be used to better target dignity-conserving care to an individual patient, but no such instrument is yet available for the long-term care setting. The aim of this study was to create the Measurement Instrument for Dignity AMsterdam - for Long-Term Care facilities (MIDAM-LTC) and to assess its validity and intra-observer agreement. Methods Thirteen items specific for the LTC setting were added to the earlier developed, more general MIDAM. The MIDAM-LTC consisted of 39 symptoms or experiences for which presence as well as influence on dignity were asked, and a single item score for overall personal dignity. Questionnaires containing the MIDAM-LTC were administered face-to-face at two moments (with a 1-week interval) to 95 nursing home residents residing on general medical wards of six nursing homes in the Netherlands. Constructs related to dignity (WHO Well-Being Five Index, quality of life and physical health status) were also measured. Ten residents answered the questions while thinking aloud. Content validity, construct validity and intra-observer agreement were examined. Results Nine of the 39 items barely exerted influence on dignity. Eight of them could be omitted from the MIDAM-LTC, because the thinking aloud method revealed sensible explanations for their small influence on dignity. Residents reported that they missed no important items. Hypotheses to support construct validity, about the strength of correlations between on the one hand personal dignity and on the other hand well-being, quality of life or physical health status, were confirmed. On average, 83% of the scores given for each item’s influence on dignity were practically consistent over 1 week, and more than 80% of the residents gave consistent scores for the single item score for overall dignity. Conclusion The MIDAM-LTC has good

Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) science instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winkler, Carl E.; Dailey, Carroll C.; Cumings, Nesbitt P.

1991-01-01

The overall AXAF program is summarized, with particular emphasis given to its science instruments. The science objectives established for AXAF are to determine the nature of celestial objects, from normal stars to quasars, to elucidate the nature of the physical processes which take place in and between astronomical objects, and to shed light on the history and evolution of the universe. Attention is given to the AXAF CCD imaging spectrometer, which is to provide spectrally and temporally resolved imaging, or, in conjunction with transmission grating, high-resolution dispersed spectral images of celestial sources. A high-resolution camera, an X-ray spectrometer, and the Bragg Crystal Spectrometer are also discussed.

Results of qualification tests on water-level sensing instruments, 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olive, T.E.

1989-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey 's Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility at the Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, conducts qualification tests on water level sensing instruments. Instrument systems, which meet or exceed the Survey 's minimum performance requirements, are placed on the Survey 's Qualified Products List. The qualification tests conducted in 1987 added two instrument systems to the Survey 's Qualified Products List. One system met requirements for use at a daily-discharge station , and the other system met requirements for a special-case station. The report is prepared for users of hydrologic instruments. The report provides a list of instrument features, describes the instrument systems, summarizes test procedures, and presents test results for the two instrument systems that met the Survey 's minimum performance standards for the 1987 round of qualification tests. (USGS)

Remediation System Evaluation, SMS Instruments Superfund Site

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The SMS Instruments Superfund Site is located at 120 Marcus Boulevard in Deer Park, Suffolk County,New York. The site consists of a 34,000 square foot building located on a 1.5-acre lot that is surroundedby other light industrial facilities.

Saturn V Instrument Unit Being Checked At MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1967-01-01

A technician checks the systems of the Saturn V instrument unit in a test facility in Huntsville. This instrument unit was flown aboard Apollo 4 on November 7, 1967, which was the first test flight of the Saturn V. The towering 363-foot Saturn V was a multi-stage, multi-engine launch vehicle standing taller than the Statue of Liberty. Altogether, the Saturn V engines produced as much power as 85 Hoover Dams.

Telescience capability for the Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland, incoherent-scatter radar facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zambre, Yadunath B.

1993-01-01

SRI International (SRI) operates an upper-atmospheric research facility in Sondre Stromfjord (Sondrestrom), Greenland. In the past, the facility's remote location and limited logistical support imposed constraints on the research that could be carried out at the site. Campaigns involving multiple instruments were often constrained due to limited space, and experiments requiring coordination with other geographically separated facilities, though possible, were difficult. To provide greater access to the facility, an electronic connection between Sondrestrom and the mainland U.S.A. was established, providing access to the National Science Internet. SRI developed telescience software that sends data from the incoherent scatter radar at the Sondrestrom facility to SRI's offices in Menlo Park, California. This software uses the transmission control protocol (TCP/IP) to transmit the data in near real time between the two locations and the X window system to generate displays of the data in Menlo Park. This is in contrast to using the X window system to display data remotely across a wide-area network. Using CP to transport data over the long distance network has resulted in significantly improved network throughput and latency. While currently used to transport radar data, the telescience software is designed and intended for simultaneous use with other instruments at Sondrestrom and other facilities. Work incorporating additional instruments is currently in progress.

Application of modern online instrumentation for chemical analysis of gas and particulate phases of exhaust at the European Commission heavy-duty vehicle emission laboratory.

PubMed

Adam, T W; Chirico, R; Clairotte, M; Elsasser, M; Manfredi, U; Martini, G; Sklorz, M; Streibel, T; Heringa, M F; Decarlo, P F; Baltensperger, U; De Santi, G; Krasenbrink, A; Zimmermann, R; Prevot, A S H; Astorga, C

2011-01-01

The European Commission recently established a novel test facility for heavy-duty vehicles to enhance more sustainable transport. The facility enables the study of energy efficiency of various fuels/scenarios as well as the chemical composition of evolved exhaust emissions. Sophisticated instrumentation for real-time analysis of the gas and particulate phases of exhaust has been implemented. Thereby, gas-phase characterization was carried out by a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR; carbonyls, nitrogen-containing species, small hydrocarbons) and a resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (REMPI-TOFMS; monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). For analysis of the particulate phase, a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-TOF-AMS; organic matter, chloride, nitrate), a condensation particle counter (CPC; particle number), and a multiangle absorption photometer (MAAP; black carbon) were applied. In this paper, the first application of the new facility in combination with the described instruments is presented, whereby a medium-size truck was investigated by applying different driving cycles. The goal was simultaneous chemical characterization of a great variety of gaseous compounds and particulate matter in exhaust on a real-time basis. The time-resolved data allowed new approaches to view the results; for example, emission factors were normalized to time-resolved consumption of fuel and were related to emission factors evolved during high speeds. Compounds could be identified that followed the fuel consumption, others showed very different behavior. In particular, engine cold start, engine ignition (unburned fuel), and high-speed events resulted in unique emission patterns.

Cryogenic Test Capability at Marshall Space Flight Center's X-ray Cryogenic Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kegley, Jeffrey; Baker, Mark; Carpenter, Jay; Eng, Ron; Haight, Harlan; Hogue, William; McCracken, Jeff; Siler, Richard; Wright, Ernie

2006-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center's X-ray & Cryogenic Test Facility (XRCF) has been performing sub-liquid nitrogen temperature testing since 1999. Optical wavefront measurement, thermal structural deformation, mechanism functional & calibration, and simple cryo-conditioning tests have been completed. Recent modifications have been made to the facility in support of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) program. The chamber's payload envelope and the facility s refrigeration capacity have both been increased. Modifications have also been made to the optical instrumentation area improving access for both the installation and operation of optical instrumentation outside the vacuum chamber. The facility's capabilities, configuration, and performance data will be presented.

OBSIP: An Evolving Facility for the Future of Geoscience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evers, B.; Lodewyk, J. A.

2013-12-01

The Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Pool 'OBSIP' was founded in 1999 as a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored instrument facility that provides ocean bottom seismometers and technical support for research in the areas of marine geology, seismology, and geodynamics. OBSIP provides both short period instruments (for active source seismic refraction studies) and long period instruments (for long term passive experiments). OBSIP is comprised of three Institutional Instrument Contributors - Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), each of whom contribute instruments and technical support to the pool. In 2012, NSF funded the Incorporated Research Institutions of Seismology (IRIS) to develop an OBSIP Management Office. Through the management office, IRIS will bring is extensive experience in managing facilities (PASSCAL instrument center), supporting large research experiments (Earthscope), and providing high quality data through the DMC to OBSIP. In the past year, OBSIP has provided instruments for eight experiments and supported over 20 research cruises recovering and/or deploying instruments. The most extensive OBSIP experiment in the past few years has been the Cascadia Initiative. The Cascadia Initiative is an onshore/offshore seismic and geodetic experiment deployed in the Pacific Northwest to study questions surrounding the evolution of the Juan de Fuca plate and the Gorda plate. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, OBSIP IIC's built 60 new ocean bottom seismometers. Both LDEO and SIO designed new seismometer packages to withstand trawling by local fisherman for deployment in shallow areas. The Cascadia Initiative has required close cooperation between the OBSIP, the Deep Submergence Facility, the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (who coordinates ship schedules for the cruises), and the Cascadia Initiative Expedition Team. At

Report of the facility definition team spacelab UV-Optical Telescope Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Scientific requirements for the Spacelab Ultraviolet-Optical Telescope (SUOT) facility are presented. Specific programs involving high angular resolution imagery over wide fields, far ultraviolet spectroscopy, precisely calibrated spectrophotometry and spectropolarimetry over a wide wavelength range, and planetary studies, including high resolution synoptic imagery, are recommended. Specifications for the mounting configuration, instruments for the mounting configuration, instrument mounting system, optical parameters, and the pointing and stabilization system are presented. Concepts for the focal plane instruments are defined. The functional requirements of the direct imaging camera, far ultraviolet spectrograph, and the precisely calibrated spectrophotometer are detailed, and the planetary camera concept is outlined. Operational concepts described in detail are: the makeup and functions of shuttle payload crew, extravehicular activity requirements, telescope control and data management, payload operations control room, orbital constraints, and orbital interfaces (stabilization, maneuvering requirements and attitude control, contamination, utilities, and payload weight considerations).

Residents' self-reported quality of life in long-term care facilities in Canada.

PubMed

Kehyayan, Vahe; Hirdes, John P; Tyas, Suzanne L; Stolee, Paul

2015-06-01

Quality of life (QoL) of long-term care (LTC) facility residents is an important outcome of care. This cross-sectional, descriptive study examined the self-reported QoL of LTC facility residents in Canada using the interRAI Self-Report Nursing Home Quality of Life Survey instrument. A secondary purpose was to test the instrument's psychometric properties. Psychometric testing of the instrument supported its reliability and its convergent and content validity for assessing the residents' QoL. Findings showed that residents rated positively several aspects of their life, such as having privacy during visits (76.9%) and staff's being honest with them (73.6%). Residents gave lower ratings to other aspects such as autonomy, staff-resident bonding, and personal relationships. The findings point to gaps between facility philosophies of care and their translation into a care environment where care is truly resident-directed. Moreover, the findings have potential implications for resident care planning, facility programming, social policy development, and future research.

Cavity-enhanced quantum-cascade laser-based instrument for carbon monoxide measurements.

PubMed

Provencal, Robert; Gupta, Manish; Owano, Thomas G; Baer, Douglas S; Ricci, Kenneth N; O'Keefe, Anthony; Podolske, James R

2005-11-01

An autonomous instrument based on off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy has been developed and successfully deployed for measurements of carbon monoxide in the troposphere and tropopause onboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft. The instrument (Carbon Monoxide Gas Analyzer) consists of a measurement cell comprised of two high-reflectivity mirrors, a continuous-wave quantum-cascade laser, gas sampling system, control and data-acquisition electronics, and data-analysis software. CO measurements were determined from high-resolution CO absorption line shapes obtained by tuning the laser wavelength over the R(7) transition of the fundamental vibration band near 2172.8 cm(-1). The instrument reports CO mixing ratio (mole fraction) at a 1-Hz rate based on measured absorption, gas temperature, and pressure using Beer's Law. During several flights in May-June 2004 and January 2005 that reached altitudes of 41,000 ft (12.5 km), the instrument recorded CO values with a precision of 0.2 ppbv (1-s averaging time) and an accuracy limited by the reference CO gas cylinder (uncertainty < 1.0%). Despite moderate turbulence and measurements of particulate-laden airflows, the instrument operated consistently and did not require any maintenance, mirror cleaning, or optical realignment during the flights.

Preliminary design study for an atomospheric science facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hutchison, R.

1972-01-01

The activities and results of the Atmospheric Science Facility preliminary design study are reported. The objectives of the study were to define the scientific goals, to determine the range of experiment types, and to develop the preliminary instrument design requirements for a reusable, general purpose, optical research facility for investigating the earth's atmosphere from a space shuttle orbital vehicle.

Instrumental Landing Using Audio Indication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burlak, E. A.; Nabatchikov, A. M.; Korsun, O. N.

2018-02-01

The paper proposes an audio indication method for presenting to a pilot the information regarding the relative positions of an aircraft in the tasks of precision piloting. The implementation of the method is presented, the use of such parameters of audio signal as loudness, frequency and modulation are discussed. To confirm the operability of the audio indication channel the experiments using modern aircraft simulation facility were carried out. The simulated performed the instrument landing using the proposed audio method to indicate the aircraft deviations in relation to the slide path. The results proved compatible with the simulated instrumental landings using the traditional glidescope pointers. It inspires to develop the method in order to solve other precision piloting tasks.

Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus radiometric calibration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Markham, B.L.; Boncyk, Wayne C.; Helder, D.L.; Barker, J.L.

1997-01-01

Landsat-7 is currently being built and tested for launch in 1998. The Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor for Landsat-7, a derivative of the highly successful Thematic Mapper (TM) sensors on Landsats 4 and 5, and the Landsat-7 ground system are being built to provide enhanced radiometric calibration performance. In addition, regular vicarious calibration campaigns are being planned to provide additional information for calibration of the ETM+ instrument. The primary upgrades to the instrument include the addition of two solar calibrators: the full aperture solar calibrator, a deployable diffuser, and the partial aperture solar calibrator, a passive device that allows the ETM+ to image the sun. The ground processing incorporates for the first time an off-line facility, the Image Assessment System (IAS), to perform calibration, evaluation and analysis. Within the IAS, processing capabilities include radiometric artifact characterization and correction, radiometric calibration from the multiple calibrator sources, inclusion of results from vicarious calibration and statistical trending of calibration data to improve calibration estimation. The Landsat Product Generation System, the portion of the ground system responsible for producing calibrated products, will incorporate the radiometric artifact correction algorithms and will use the calibration information generated by the IAS. This calibration information will also be supplied to ground processing systems throughout the world.

The Zwicky Transient Facility Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dekany, Richard; Smith, Roger M.; Belicki, Justin; Delacroix, Alexandre; Duggan, Gina; Feeney, Michael; Hale, David; Kaye, Stephen; Milburn, Jennifer; Murphy, Patrick; Porter, Michael; Reiley, Daniel J.; Riddle, Reed L.; Rodriguez, Hector; Bellm, Eric C.

2016-08-01

The Zwicky Transient Facility Camera (ZTFC) is a key element of the ZTF Observing System, the integrated system of optoelectromechanical instrumentation tasked to acquire the wide-field, high-cadence time-domain astronomical data at the heart of the Zwicky Transient Facility. The ZTFC consists of a compact cryostat with large vacuum window protecting a mosaic of 16 large, wafer-scale science CCDs and 4 smaller guide/focus CCDs, a sophisticated vacuum interface board which carries data as electrical signals out of the cryostat, an electromechanical window frame for securing externally inserted optical filter selections, and associated cryo-thermal/vacuum system support elements. The ZTFC provides an instantaneous 47 deg2 field of view, limited by primary mirror vignetting in its Schmidt telescope prime focus configuration. We report here on the design and performance of the ZTF CCD camera cryostat and report results from extensive Joule-Thompson cryocooler tests that may be of broad interest to the instrumentation community.

Enhancing Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells to Moisture by the Facile Hydrophobic Passivation.

PubMed

Hwang, Insung; Jeong, Inyoung; Lee, Jinwoo; Ko, Min Jae; Yong, Kijung

2015-08-12

In this study, a novel and facile passivation process for a perovskite solar cell is reported. Poor stability in ambient atmosphere, which is the most critical demerit of a perovskite solar cell, is overcome by a simple passivation process using a hydrophobic polymer layer. Teflon, the hydrophobic polymer, is deposited on the top of a perovskite solar cell by a spin-coating method. With the hydrophobic passivation, the perovskite solar cell shows negligible degradation after a 30 day storage in ambient atmosphere. Suppressed degradation of the perovskite film is proved in various ways: X-ray diffraction, light absorption spectrum, and quartz crystal microbalance. This simple but effective passivation process suggests new kind of approach to enhance stability of perovskite solar cells to moisture.

The Multistage Compressor Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flegel, Ashlie

2004-01-01

Research and developments of new aerospace technologies is one of Glenn Research Center's specialties. One facility that deals with the research of aerospace technologies is the High-speed Multistage Compressor Facility. This facility will be testing the performance and efficiency of an Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) two-stage compressor. There is a lot of preparation involved with testing something of this caliber. Before the test article can be installed into the test rig, the facility must be fully operational and ready to run. Meaning all the necessary instrumentation must be calibrated and installed in the facility. The test rig should also be in safe operating condition, and the proper safety permits obtained. In preparation for the test, the Multistage Compressor Facility went through a few changes. For instance the facility will now be utilizing slip rings, the gearbox went through some maintenance, new lubrications systems replaced the old ones, and special instrumentation needs to be fine tuned to achieve the maximum amount of accurate data. Slips rings help gather information off of a rotating device - in this case from a shaft - onto stationary contacts. The contacts (or brushes) need to be cooled to reduce the amount of frictional heat produced between the slip ring and brushes. The coolant being run through the slip ring is AK-225, a material hazardous to the ozone. To abide by the safety regulations the coolant must be run through a closed chiller system. A new chiller system was purchased but the reservoir that holds the coolant was ventilated which doesn t make the system truly closed and sealed. My task was to design and have a new reservoir built for the chiller system that complies with the safety guidelines. The gearbox had some safety issues also. Located in the back of the gearbox an inching drive was set up. When the inching drive is in use the gears and chain are bare and someone can easily get caught up in it. So to prevent

Precision of radio science instrumentation for planetary exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asmar, S. W.; Armstrong, J. W.; Iess, L.; Tortora, P.

2004-01-01

The Deep Space Network is the largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications facility Primary function: providing two-way communication between the Earth and spacecraft exploring the solar system Instrumented with large parabolic reflectors, high-power transmitters, low-noise amplifiers & receivers.

KOSMOS and COSMOS: new facility instruments for the NOAO 4-meter telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martini, Paul; Elias, J.; Points, S.; Sprayberry, D.; Derwent, Mark A.; Gonzalez, Raymond; Mason, J. A.; O'Brien, T. P.; Pappalardo, D. P.; Pogge, Richard W.; Stoll, R.; Zhelem, R.; Daly, Phil; Fitzpatrick, M.; George, J. R.; Hunten, M.; Marshall, R.; Poczulp, Gary; Rath, S.; Seaman, R.; Trueblood, M.; Zelaya, K.

2014-07-01

We describe the design, construction and measured performance of the Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph (KOSMOS) for the 4-m Mayall telescope and the Cerro Tololo Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph (COSMOS) for the 4-m Blanco telescope. These nearly identical imaging spectrographs are modified versions of the OSMOS instrument; they provide a pair of new, high-efficiency instruments to the NOAO user community. KOSMOS and COSMOS may be used for imaging, long-slit, and multi-slit spectroscopy over a 100 square arcminute field of view with a pixel scale of 0.29 arcseconds. Each contains two VPH grisms that provide R~2500 with a one arcsecond slit and their wavelengths of peak diffraction efficiency are approximately 510nm and 750nm. Both may also be used with either a thin, blue-optimized CCD from e2v or a thick, fully depleted, red-optimized CCD from LBNL. These instruments were developed in response to the ReSTAR process. KOSMOS was commissioned in 2013B and COSMOS was commissioned in 2014A.

Experience with advanced instrumentation in a hot section cascade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, Frederick C.; Gladden, Herbert J.

1989-01-01

The Lewis Research Center gas turbine Hot Section Test Facility was developed to provide a real engine environment with known boundary conditions for the aerothermal performance evaluation and verification of computer design codes. This verification process requires experimental measurements in a hostile environment. The research instruments used in this facility are presented, and their characteristics and how they perform in this environment are discussed. The research instrumentation consisted of conventional pressure and temperature sensors, as well as thin-film thermocouples and heat flux gages. The hot gas temperature was measured by an aspirated temperature probe and by a dual-element, fast-response temperature probe. The data acquisition mode was both steady state and time dependent. These experiments were conducted over a wide range of gas Reynolds numbers, exit gas Mach numbers, and heat flux levels. This facility was capable of testing at temperatures up to 1600 K, and at pressures up to 18 atm. These corresponded to an airfoil exit Reynolds number range of 0.5 x 10(6) to 2.5 x 10(6) based on the airfoil chord of 5.55 cm. The results characterize the performance capability and the durability of the instrumentation. The challenge of making measurements in hostile environments is also discussed. The instruments exhibited more than adequate durability to achieve the measurement profile. About 70 percent of the thin-film thermocouples and the dual-element temperature probe survived several hundred thermal cycles and more than 35 hr at gas temperatures up to 1600 K. Within the experimental uncertainty, the steady-state and transient heat flux measurements were comparable and consistent over the range of Reynolds numbers tested.

Experience with advanced instrumentation in a hot section cascade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, Frederick C.; Gladden, Herbert J.

The Lewis Research Center gas turbine Hot Section Test Facility was developed to provide a real engine environment with known boundary conditions for the aerothermal performance evaluation and verification of computer design codes. This verification process requires experimental measurements in a hostile environment. The research instruments used in this facility are presented, and their characteristics and how they perform in this environment are discussed. The research instrumentation consisted of conventional pressure and temperature sensors, as well as thin-film thermocouples and heat flux gages. The hot gas temperature was measured by an aspirated temperature probe and by a dual-element, fast-response temperature probe. The data acquisition mode was both steady state and time dependent. These experiments were conducted over a wide range of gas Reynolds numbers, exit gas Mach numbers, and heat flux levels. This facility was capable of testing at temperatures up to 1600 K, and at pressures up to 18 atm. These corresponded to an airfoil exit Reynolds number range of 0.5 x 10(6) to 2.5 x 10(6) based on the airfoil chord of 5.55 cm. The results characterize the performance capability and the durability of the instrumentation. The challenge of making measurements in hostile environments is also discussed. The instruments exhibited more than adequate durability to achieve the measurement profile. About 70 percent of the thin-film thermocouples and the dual-element temperature probe survived several hundred thermal cycles and more than 35 hr at gas temperatures up to 1600 K. Within the experimental uncertainty, the steady-state and transient heat flux measurements were comparable and consistent over the range of Reynolds numbers tested.

Development of non-intrusive instrumentation for NASA-Ames Ballistic Range and Shock Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strawa, A. W.; Cavolowsky, J. A.

1990-01-01

The use of nonintrusive instrumentation in high-enthalpy facilities offers the opportunity to collect data that has previously been difficult or impossible to obtain. Three such instruments, now under development, are described: an OH absorption system which can measure OH species concentration and temperature, a holographic interferometer for flow visualization and density measurement at low density, and a telemetry system which allows the measurement of surface quantities on model in free-flight at hypervelocity. The challenges and opportunities encountered when employing these advanced diagnostics to high-enthalpy facilities are discussed.

International Instrumentation Symposium, 34th, Albuquerque, NM, May 2-6, 1988, Proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Various papers on aerospace instrumentation are presented. The general topics addressed include: blast and shock, wind tunnel instrumentations and controls, digital/optical sensors, software design/development, special test facilities, fiber optic techniques, electro/fiber optical measurement systems, measurement uncertainty, real time systems, pressure. Also discussed are: flight test and avionics instrumentation, data acquisition techniques, computer applications, thermal force and displacement, science and government, modeling techniques, reentry vehicle testing, strain and pressure.

Impact Disdrometers Instrument Handbook

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

Bartholomew, Mary Jane

2016-03-01

To improve the quantitative description of precipitation processes in climate models, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility has been collecting observations of the drop size spectra of rain events since early in 2006. Impact disdrometers were the initial choice due to their reliability, ease of maintenance, and relatively low cost. Each of the two units deployed was accompanied by a nearby tipping bucket. In 2010, the tipping buckets were replaced by weighing buckets rain gauges. Five video disdrometers were subsequently purchased and are described in ARM’s VDIS Handbook.1 As of April 2011, three ofmore » the weighing bucket instruments were deployed, one was to travel with the second ARM Mobile Facility, and the fifth was a spare. Two of the video disdrometers were deployed, a third was to be deployed later in the spring of 2011, one was to travel with the second ARM Mobile Facility, and the last was a spare. Detailed descriptions of impact disdrometers and their datastreams are provided in this document.« less

Results of qualification tests on water-level sensing instruments, 1986

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holland, Randolph R.; Rapp, Donald H.

1988-01-01

This report presents to users of hydrological instrumentation and U.S. Geological Survey procurement personnel a list of instruments that have met or exceeded the Survey 's minimum performance requirements for water level sensing instruments. The Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility at the National Space Technology Laboratories, Mississippi conducted qualification tests on four instrument systems. The data collected are summarized, brief system descriptions are given, qualification testing purposes and procedures are summarized, and results are given for each of the three systems that met performance requirements. The fourth system was returned to the manufacturer , because in preliminary testing the instrument system did not perform properly according to the manufacturer 's operating procedures. As a result of the qualification tests, the three systems that met performance requirements have been included on the Survey 's Qualified Products List. (USGS)

A facile electrochemical sensor for nonylphenol determination based on the enhancement effect of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide.

PubMed

Lu, Qing; Zhang, Weina; Wang, Zhihui; Yu, Guangxia; Yuan, Yuan; Zhou, Yikai

2013-01-07

A facile electrochemical sensor for the determination of nonylphenol (NP) was fabricated in this work. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), which formed a bilayer on the surface of the carbon paste (CP) electrode, displayed a remarkable enhancement effect for the electrochemical oxidation of NP. Moreover, the oxidation peak current of NP at the CTAB/CP electrode demonstrated a linear relationship with NP concentration, which could be applied in the direct determination of NP. Some experimental parameters were investigated, such as external solution pH, mode and time of accumulation, concentration and modification time of CTAB and so on. Under optimized conditions, a wide linear range from 1.0 × 10(-7) mol·L(-1) to 2.5 × 10(-5) mol·L(-1) was obtained for the sensor, with a low limit of detection at 1.0 × 10(-8) mol·L(-1). Several distinguishing advantages of the as-prepared sensor, including facile fabrication, easy operation, low cost and so on, suggest a great potential for its practical applications.

The Sondrestrom Research Facility All-sky Imagers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendall, E. A.; Grill, M.; Gudmundsson, E.; Stromme, A.

2010-12-01

The Sondrestrom Upper Atmospheric Research Facility is located near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, just north of the Arctic Circle and 100 km inland from the west coast of Greenland. The facility is operated by SRI International in Menlo Park, California, under the auspices of the U.S. National Science Foundation. Operating in Greenland since 1983, the Sondrestrom facility is host to more than 20 instruments, the majority of which provide unique and complementary information about the arctic upper atmosphere. Together these instruments advance our knowledge of upper atmospheric physics and determine how the tenuous neutral gas interacts with the charged space plasma environment. The suite of instrumentation supports many disciplines of research - from plate tectonics to auroral physics and space weather. The Sondrestrom facility has recently acquired two new all-sky imagers. In this paper, we present images from both new imagers, placing them in context with other instruments at the site and detailing to the community how to gain access to this new data set. The first new camera replaces the intensified auroral system which has been on site for nearly three decades. This new all-sky imager (ASI), designed and assembled by Keo Scientific Ltd., employs a medium format 180° fisheye lens coupled to a set of five 3-inch narrowband interference filters. The current filter suite allows operation at the following wavelengths: 750 nm, 557.7 nm, 777.4 nm, 630.0 nm, and 732/3 nm. Monochromatic images from the ASI are acquired at a specific filter and integration time as determined by a unique configuration file. Integrations as short as 0.5 sec can be commanded for exceptionally bright features. Preview images are posted to the internet in near real-time, with final images posted weeks later. While images are continuously collected in a "patrol mode," users can request special collection sequences for targeted experiments. The second new imager installed at the Sondrestrom

Two Readily-Constructed Instruments for the Teaching Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaacs, Neil S.

1983-01-01

Reported are designs for a colorimeter (absorptiometer) and polarimeter, both of which may be constructed readily with average workshop facilities and whose performance is superior to many commercial instruments commonly used in teaching laboratories. Includes pertinent diagrams, operating instructions, and sample output. (JN)

20. CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTO OF INSTRUMENT PANEL IN PLACE IN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

20. CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTO OF INSTRUMENT PANEL IN PLACE IN OPERATING CORRIDOR. INEEL PHOTO NUMBER NRTS-59-6091. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Old Waste Calcining Facility, Scoville, Butte County, ID

The Pinhole/Occulter Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tandberg-Hanssen, E. A. (Editor); Hudson, H. S. (Editor); Dabbs, J. R. (Editor); Baity, W. A. (Editor)

1983-01-01

Scientific objectives and requirements are discussed for solar X-ray observations, coronagraph observations, studies of coronal particle acceleration, and cosmic X-ray observations. Improved sensitivity and resolution can be provided for these studies using the pinhole/occulter facility which consists of a self-deployed boom of 50 m length separating an occulter plane from a detector plane. The X-ray detectors and coronagraphic optics mounted on the detector plane are analogous to the focal plane instrumentation of an ordinary telescope except that they use the occulter only for providing a shadow pattern. The occulter plane is passive and has no electrical interface with the rest of the facility.

Sanford Underground Research Facility - The United State's Deep Underground Research Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vardiman, D.

2012-12-01

The 2.5 km deep Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) is managed by the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) at the former Homestake Mine site in Lead, South Dakota. The US Department of Energy currently supports the development of the facility using a phased approach for underground deployment of experiments as they obtain an advanced design stage. The geology of the Sanford Laboratory site has been studied during the 125 years of operations at the Homestake Mine and more recently as part of the preliminary geotechnical site investigations for the NSF's Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory project. The overall geology at DUSEL is a well-defined stratigraphic sequence of schist and phyllites. The three major Proterozoic units encountered in the underground consist of interbedded schist, metasediments, and amphibolite schist which are crosscut by Tertiary rhyolite dikes. Preliminary geotechnical site investigations included drift mapping, borehole drilling, borehole televiewing, in-situ stress analysis, laboratory analysis of core, mapping and laser scanning of new excavations, modeling and analysis of all geotechnical information. The investigation was focused upon the determination if the proposed site rock mass could support the world's largest (66 meter diameter) deep underground excavation. While the DUSEL project has subsequently been significantly modified, these data are still available to provide a baseline of the ground conditions which may be judiciously extrapolated throughout the entire Proterozoic rock assemblage for future excavations. Recommendations for facility instrumentation and monitoring were included in the preliminary design of the DUSEL project design and include; single and multiple point extensometers, tape extensometers and convergence measurements (pins), load cells and pressure cells, smart cables, inclinometers/Tiltmeters, Piezometers, thermistors, seismographs and accelerometers, scanners (laser

Technical basis for implementation of remote reading capabilities for radiological control instruments at tank farms

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

PIERSON, R.M.

1999-10-27

This document provides the technical basis for use of remote reading capabilities with radiological control instruments at River Protection Project facilities. The purpose of this document is to evaluate applications of remote reading capabilities with Radiological Control instrumentation to allow continuous monitoring of radiation dose rates at River Protection Project (RPP) facilities. In addition this document provides a technical basis and implementing guidelines for remote monitoring of dose rates and their potential contribution to maintaining radiation exposures ALARA.

Mathematical enhancement of data from scientific measuring instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ioup, J. W.

1982-01-01

The accuracy of any physical measurement is limited by the instruments performing it. The proposed activities of this grant are related to the study of and application of mathematical techniques of deconvolution. Two techniques are being investigated: an iterative method and a function continuation Fourier method. This final status report describes the work performed during the period July 1 to December 31, 1982.

SPERTI Instrument Cell Building (PER606) elevation; plan of Guard House ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SPERT-I Instrument Cell Building (PER-606) elevation; plan of Guard House (PER-607); elevations for Pit Building (PER-605) southwest, southeast, and northeast sides. Earthen shield is mounded between back wall of Instrument Cell Building and the southwest elevation of Pit Building. Detail of filtered louver in door of Instrument Cell Building. Idaho Operations Office PER-605-IDO-3. INEEL index no. 761-0605-00-396-109183 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Operational Experience of an Open-Access, Subscription-Based Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility.

PubMed

Williamson, Nicholas A

2018-03-01

This paper discusses the successful adoption of a subscription-based, open-access model of service delivery for a mass spectrometry and proteomics facility. In 2009, the Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility at the University of Melbourne (Australia) moved away from the standard fee for service model of service provision. Instead, the facility adopted a subscription- or membership-based, open-access model of service delivery. For a low fixed yearly cost, users could directly operate the instrumentation but, more importantly, there were no limits on usage other than the necessity to share available instrument time with all other users. All necessary training from platform staff and many of the base reagents were also provided as part of the membership cost. These changes proved to be very successful in terms of financial outcomes for the facility, instrument access and usage, and overall research output. This article describes the systems put in place as well as the overall successes and challenges associated with the operation of a mass spectrometry/proteomics core in this manner. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Operational Experience of an Open-Access, Subscription-Based Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson, Nicholas A.

2018-03-01

This paper discusses the successful adoption of a subscription-based, open-access model of service delivery for a mass spectrometry and proteomics facility. In 2009, the Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility at the University of Melbourne (Australia) moved away from the standard fee for service model of service provision. Instead, the facility adopted a subscription- or membership-based, open-access model of service delivery. For a low fixed yearly cost, users could directly operate the instrumentation but, more importantly, there were no limits on usage other than the necessity to share available instrument time with all other users. All necessary training from platform staff and many of the base reagents were also provided as part of the membership cost. These changes proved to be very successful in terms of financial outcomes for the facility, instrument access and usage, and overall research output. This article describes the systems put in place as well as the overall successes and challenges associated with the operation of a mass spectrometry/proteomics core in this manner. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Design philosophy of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory infrared detector test facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burns, R.; Blessinger, M. A.

1983-01-01

To support the development of advanced infrared remote sensing instrumentation using line and area arrays, a test facility has been developed to characterize the detectors. The necessary performance characteristics of the facility were defined by considering current and projected requirements for detector testing. The completed facility provides the desired level of detector testing capability as well as providing ease of human interaction.

Research instrumentation for hot section components of turbine engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Englund, D. R.

1986-01-01

Programs to develop research instrumentation for use on hot section components of turbine engines are discussed. These programs can be separated into two categories: one category includes instruments which can measure the environment within the combustor and turbine components, the other includes instruments which measure the response of engine components to the imposed environment. Included in the first category are instruments to measure total heat flux and fluctuating gas temperature. High temperature strain measuring systems, thin film sensors (e.g., turbine blade thermocouples) and a system to view the interior of a combustor during engine operation are programs which comprise the second category. The paper will describe the state of development of these sensors and measuring systems and, in some cases, show examples of measurements made with this instrumentation. The discussion will cover work done at NASA Lewis and at various contractor facilities.

Near-infrared incoherent broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (NIR-IBBCEAS) for detection and quantification of natural gas components.

PubMed

Prakash, Neeraj; Ramachandran, Arun; Varma, Ravi; Chen, Jun; Mazzoleni, Claudio; Du, Ke

2018-06-28

The principle of near-infrared incoherent broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy was employed to develop a novel instrument for detecting natural gas leaks as well as for testing the quality of natural gas mixtures. The instrument utilizes the absorption features of methane, butane, ethane, and propane in the wavelength region of 1100 nm to 1250 nm. The absorption cross-section spectrum in this region for methane was adopted from the HITRAN database, and those for the other three gases were measured in the laboratory. A singular-value decomposition (SVD) based analysis scheme was employed for quantifying methane, butane, ethane, and propane by performing a linear least-square fit. The developed instrument achieved a detection limit of 460 ppm, 141 ppm, 175 ppm and 173 ppm for methane, butane, ethane, and propane, respectively, with a measurement time of 1 second and a cavity length of 0.59 m. These detection limits are less than 1% of the Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) for each gas. The sensitivity can be further enhanced by changing the experimental parameters (such as cavity length, lamp power etc.) and using longer averaging intervals. The detection system is a low-cost and portable instrument suitable for performing field monitorings. The results obtained on the gas mixture emphasize the instrument's potential for deployment at industrial facilities dealing with natural gas, where potential leaks pose a threat to public safety.

DOE LeRC photovoltaic systems test facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cull, R. C.; Forestieri, A. F.

1978-01-01

The facility was designed and built and is being operated as a national facility to serve the needs of the entire DOE National Photovoltaic Program. The object of the facility is to provide a place where photovoltaic systems may be assembled and electrically configured, without specific physical configuration, for operation and testing to evaluate their performance and characteristics. The facility as a breadboard system allows investigation of operational characteristics and checkout of components, subsystems and systems before they are mounted in field experiments or demonstrations. The facility as currently configured consist of 10 kW of solar arrays built from modules, two inverter test stations, a battery storage system, interface with local load and the utility grid, and instrumentation and control necessary to make a flexible operating facility. Expansion to 30 kW is planned for 1978. Test results and operating experience are summaried to show the variety of work that can be done with this facility.

SPERTI. Detail view of Reactor Pit Building (PER605) and Instrument ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SPERT-I. Detail view of Reactor Pit Building (PER-605) and Instrument Cell (PER-606). Earth shielding covers side of Cell Building next to reactor. Instrumentation required protection from radiation emitted during reactor operation. Photographer: R.G. Larsen. Date: May 20, 1955. INEEL negative no. 55-1290 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

A new test facility for the E-ELT infrared detector program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizon, Jean Louis; Amico, Paola; Brinkmann, Martin; Delabre, Bernard; Finger, Gert; Guidolin, Ivan Maria; Guzman, Ronald; Hinterschuster, Renate; Ives, Derek; Klein, Barbara; Quattri, Marco

2016-08-01

During the development of the VLT instrumentation program, ESO acquired considerable expertise in the area of infrared detectors, their testing and optimizing their performance. This can mainly be attributed to a very competent team and most importantly to the availability of a very well suited test facility, namely, IRATEC. This test facility was designed more than 15 years ago, specifically for 1K × 1K detectors such as the Aladdin device, with a maximum field of only 30 mm square. Unfortunately, this facility is no longer suited for the testing of the new larger format detectors that are going to be used to equip the future E-ELT instruments. It is projected that over the next 20 years, there will be of the order of 50-100 very large format detectors to be procured and tested for use with E-ELT first and second generation instruments and VLT third generation instruments. For this reason ESO has initiated the in-house design and construction of a dedicated new IR detector arrays test facility: the Facility for Infrared Array Testing (FIAT). It will be possible to mount up to four 60 mm square detectors in the facility, as well as mosaics of smaller detectors. It is being designed to have a very low thermal background such that detectors with 5.3 μm cut-off material can routinely be tested. The paper introduces the most important use cases for which FIAT is designed: they range from performing routine performance measurements on acquired devices, optimization setups for custom applications (like spot scan intra-pixel response, persistence and surface reflectivity measurements), test of new complex operation modes (e.g. high speed subwindowing mode for low order sensing, flexure control, etc.) and the development of new tests and calibration procedures to support the scientific requirements of the E-ELT and to allow troubleshooting the unexpected challenges that arise when a new detector system is brought online. The facility is also being designed to minimize

Facilities for music education and their acoustical design.

PubMed

Koskinen, Heli; Toppila, Esko; Olkinuora, Pekka

2010-01-01

Good rehearsal facilities for musicians are essential. Directive 2003/10/EC necessitates that musicians are protected from noise exposure. A code of conduct gives the guidelines how this should be done. This study examines room acoustics recommendations provided by the Finnish code of conduct, and discusses whether they are adequate. Small teaching facilities were measured after renovation and compared to earlier measurements. Teachers' opinions were inquired about the facilities before and after. The renovation did not decrease the noise exposure of the teachers. However, the majority preferred the facilities after the renovation. The Finnish code of conduct is not sufficient for facilities where loud instruments are played, or band practise. Good facilities can be designed but they must be specified at the designing stage for their intended use.

"Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Research Facility at Oliktok Point Alaska"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helsel, F.; Ivey, M.; Hardesty, J.; Roesler, E. L.; Dexheimer, D.

2017-12-01

Scientific Infrastructure To Support Atmospheric Science, Aerosol Science and UAS's for The Department Of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Programs At The Mobile Facility 3 Located At Oliktok Point, Alaska.The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program's Mobile Facility 3 (AMF3) located at Oliktok Point, Alaska is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) site designed to collect data and help determine the impact that clouds and aerosols have on solar radiation. AMF3 provides a scientific infrastructure to support instruments and collect arctic data for the international arctic research community. The infrastructure at AMF3/Oliktok is designed to be mobile and it may be relocated in the future to support other ARM science missions. AMF3's present base line instruments include: scanning precipitation Radars, cloud Radar, Raman Lidar, Eddy correlation flux systems, Ceilometer, Balloon sounding system, Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI), Micro-pulse Lidar (MPL) Along with all the standard metrological measurements. In addition AMF3 provides aerosol measurements with a Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS). Ground support for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and tethered balloon flights. Data from these instruments and systems are placed in the ARM data archives and are available to the international research community. This poster will discuss what instruments and systems are at the ARM Research Facility at Oliktok Point Alaska.

The Deep Space Network: A Radio Communications Instrument for Deep Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renzetti, N. A.; Stelzried, C. T.; Noreen, G. K.; Slobin, S. D.; Petty, S. M.; Trowbridge, D. L.; Donnelly, H.; Kinman, P. W.; Armstrong, J. W.; Burow, N. A.

1983-01-01

The primary purpose of the Deep Space Network (DSN) is to serve as a communications instrument for deep space exploration, providing communications between the spacecraft and the ground facilities. The uplink communications channel provides instructions or commands to the spacecraft. The downlink communications channel provides command verification and spacecraft engineering and science instrument payload data.

Advances in instrumentation at the W. M. Keck Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adkins, Sean M.; Armandroff, Taft; Lewis, Hilton; Martin, Chris; McLean, Ian S.; Rockosi, Constance; Wizinowich, Peter

2010-07-01

In this paper we describe both recently completed instrumentation projects and our current development efforts in the context of the Observatory's science driven strategic plan which seeks to address key questions in observational astronomy for extra-galactic, Galactic, and planetary science with both seeing limited capabilities and high angular resolution adaptive optics capabilities. This paper will review recently completed projects as well as new instruments in development including MOSFIRE, a near IR multi-object spectrograph nearing completion, a new seeing limited integral field spectrograph for the visible wavelength range called the Keck Cosmic Web Imager, and the Keck Next Generation Adaptive Optics facility and its first light science instrument DAVINCI.

The 4MOST facility control software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pramskiy, Alexander; Mandel, Holger; Rothmaier, Florian; Stilz, Ingo; Winkler, Roland; Hahn, Thomas

2016-07-01

The 4-m Multi-Object Spectrographic Telescope (4MOST) is one high-resolution (R 18000) and two lowresolution (R fi 5000) spectrographs covering the wavelength range between 390 and 950 nm. The spectrographs will be installed on ESO VISTA telescope and will be fed by approximately 2400 fibres. The instrument is capable to simultaneously obtain spectra of about 2400 objects distributed over an hexagonal field-of-view of four square degrees. This paper aims at giving an overview of the control software design, which is based on the standard ESO VLT software architecture and customised to fit the needs of the 4MOST instrument. In particular, the facility control software is intended to arrange the precise positioning of the fibres, to schedule and observe many surveys in parallel, and to combine the output from the three spectrographs. Moreover, 4MOST's software will include user-friendly graphical user interfaces that enable users to interact with the facility control system and to monitor all data-taking and calibration tasks of the instrument. A secondary guiding system will be implemented to correct for any fibre exure and thus to improve 4MOST's guiding performance. The large amount of fibres requires the custom design of data exchange to avoid performance issues. The observation sequences are designed to use spectrographs in parallel with synchronous points for data exchange between subsystems. In order to control hardware devices, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) components will be used, the new standard for future instruments at ESO.

Clinical Physiologic Research Instrumentation: An Approach Using Modular Elements and Distributed Processing

PubMed Central

Hagen, R. W.; Ambos, H. D.; Browder, M. W.; Roloff, W. R.; Thomas, L. J.

1979-01-01

The Clinical Physiologic Research System (CPRS) developed from our experience in applying computers to medical instrumentation problems. This experience revealed a set of applications with a commonality in data acquisition, analysis, input/output, and control needs that could be met by a portable system. The CPRS demonstrates a practical methodology for integrating commercial instruments with distributed modular elements of local design in order to make facile responses to changing instrumentation needs in clinical environments. ImagesFigure 3

Small engine components test facility compressor testing cell at NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brokopp, Richard A.; Gronski, Robert S.

1992-01-01

LeRC has designed and constructed a new test facility. This facility, called the Small Engine Components Facility (SECTF) is used to test gas turbines and compressors at conditions similar to actual engine conditions. The SECTF is comprised of a compressor testing cell and a turbine testing cell. Only the compressor testing cell is described. The capability of the facility, the overall facility design, the instrumentation used in the facility, and the data acquisition system are discussed in detail.

The NASA Lewis Research Center Water Tunnel Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wasserbauer, Charles A.

1997-01-01

A water tunnel facility specifically designed to investigate internal fluid duct flows has been built at the NASA Research Center. It is built in a modular fashion so that a variety of internal flow test hardware can be installed in the facility with minimal facility reconfiguration. The facility and test hardware interfaces are discussed along with design constraints for future test hardware. The inlet chamber flow conditioning approach is also detailed. Instrumentation and data acquisition capabilities are discussed. The incoming flow quality has been documented for about one quarter of the current facility operating range. At that range, there is some scatter in the data in the turbulent boundary layer which approaches 10 percent of the duct radius leading to a uniform core.

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Climate Research Facility Operations Quarterly Report. October 1 - December 31, 2009.

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

D. L. Sisterson

2010-01-12

Individual raw data streams from instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Climate Research Facility (ACRF) fixed and mobile sites are collected and sent to the Data Management Facility (DMF) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for processing in near real-time. Raw and processed data are then sent approximately daily to the ACRF Archive, where they are made available to users. For each instrument, we calculate the ratio of the actual number of data records received daily at the Archive to the expected number of data records. The results are tabulated by (1) individual data stream, site, and monthmore » for the current year and (2) site and fiscal year (FY) dating back to 1998. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires national user facilities to report time-based operating data. The requirements concern the actual hours of operation (ACTUAL); the estimated maximum operation or uptime goal (OPSMAX), which accounts for planned downtime; and the VARIANCE [1 - (ACTUAL/OPSMAX)], which accounts for unplanned downtime. The OPSMAX time for the first quarter of FY 2010 for the North Slope Alaska (NSA) locale is 1,987.20 hours (0.90 x 2,208); for the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site is 2,097.60 hours (0.95 x 2,208); and for the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) locale is 1,876.8 hours (0.85 x 2,208). The ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) deployment in Graciosa Island, the Azores, Portugal, continues; its OPSMAX time this quarter is 2,097.60 hours (0.95 x 2,208). The differences in OPSMAX performance reflect the complexity of local logistics and the frequency of extreme weather events. It is impractical to measure OPSMAX for each instrument or data stream. Data availability reported here refers to the average of the individual, continuous data streams that have been received by the Archive. Data not at the Archive are the result of downtime (scheduled or unplanned) of the individual instruments. Therefore, data availability is directly

Green-synthetized silver nanoparticles for Nanoparticle-Enhanced Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NELIBS) using a mobile instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poggialini, F.; Campanella, B.; Giannarelli, S.; Grifoni, E.; Legnaioli, S.; Lorenzetti, G.; Pagnotta, S.; Safi, A.; Palleschi, V.

2018-03-01

When compared to other analytical techniques, LIBS shows relatively low precision and, generally, high Limits of Detection (LODs). Until recently, the attempts in improving the LIBS performances have been based on the use of more stable/powerful lasers, high sensitivity detectors or controlled environmental parameters. This can hinder the competitiveness of LIBS by increasing the instrumental setup cost and the difficulty of operation. Sample treatment has proved to be a viable and simple way to increase the LIBS signal; in particular, the Nanoparticle-Enhanced Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (NELIBS) methodology uses a deposition of metal nanoparticles on the sample to greatly increase the emission of the LIBS plasma. In this work, we used a simple, fast, "green" and low-cost method to synthetize silver nanoparticles by using coffee extract as reducing agents for a silver nitrate solution. This allowed us to obtain nanoparticles of about 25 nm in diameter. We then explored the application of such nanoparticles to the NELIBS analysis of metallic samples with a mobile LIBS instrument. By adjusting the laser parameters and optimizing the sample preparation procedure, we obtained a NELIBS signal that is 4 times the LIBS one. This showed the potential of green-synthetized nanoparticle for NELIBS applications and suggests the possibility of an in-situ application of the technique.

Instrument performance and simulation verification of the POLAR detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kole, M.; Li, Z. H.; Produit, N.; Tymieniecka, T.; Zhang, J.; Zwolinska, A.; Bao, T. W.; Bernasconi, T.; Cadoux, F.; Feng, M. Z.; Gauvin, N.; Hajdas, W.; Kong, S. W.; Li, H. C.; Li, L.; Liu, X.; Marcinkowski, R.; Orsi, S.; Pohl, M.; Rybka, D.; Sun, J. C.; Song, L. M.; Szabelski, J.; Wang, R. J.; Wang, Y. H.; Wen, X.; Wu, B. B.; Wu, X.; Xiao, H. L.; Xiong, S. L.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, L. Y.; Zhang, S. N.; Zhang, X. F.; Zhang, Y. J.; Zhao, Y.

2017-11-01

POLAR is a new satellite-born detector aiming to measure the polarization of an unprecedented number of Gamma-Ray Bursts in the 50-500 keV energy range. The instrument, launched on-board the Tiangong-2 Chinese Space lab on the 15th of September 2016, is designed to measure the polarization of the hard X-ray flux by measuring the distribution of the azimuthal scattering angles of the incoming photons. A detailed understanding of the polarimeter and specifically of the systematic effects induced by the instrument's non-uniformity are required for this purpose. In order to study the instrument's response to polarization, POLAR underwent a beam test at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France. In this paper both the beam test and the instrument performance will be described. This is followed by an overview of the Monte Carlo simulation tools developed for the instrument. Finally a comparison of the measured and simulated instrument performance will be provided and the instrument response to polarization will be presented.

The ERDA/LeRC photovoltaic systems test facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forestieri, A. F.

1977-01-01

A test facility was designed, and built to provide a place where photovoltaic systems may be assembled and electrically configured, to evaluate system performance and characteristics. The facility consists of a solar cell array of an initial 10-kW peak power rating, test hardware for several alternate methods of power conditioning, a variety of loads, an electrical energy storage system, and an instrumentation and data acquisition system.

10. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE SOUTHEAST OF INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

10. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE SOUTHEAST OF INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT IN ROOM 1. - Nevada Test Site, Test Cell A Facility, Test Cell A Building & Addition, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Road F, Mercury, Nye County, NV

11. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE SOUTH OF INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

11. INTERIOR VIEW TO THE SOUTH OF INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT IN ROOM 1. - Nevada Test Site, Test Cell A Facility, Test Cell A Building & Addition, Area 25, Jackass Flats, Road F, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Users Guide for the National Transonic Facility Research Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, Jean M.; Adcock, Jerry B.

1996-01-01

The National Transonic Facility is a complex cryogenic wind tunnel facility. This report briefly describes the facility, the data systems, and the instrumentation used to acquire research data. The computational methods and equations are discussed in detail and many references are listed for those who need additional technical information. This report is intended to be a user's guide, not a programmer's guide; therefore, the data reduction code itself is not documented. The purpose of this report is to assist personnel involved in conducting a test in the National Transonic Facility.

The recalibration of the IUE scientific instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Imhoff, Catherine L.; Oliversen, Nancy A.; Nichols-Bohlin, Joy; Casatella, Angelo; Lloyd, Christopher

1988-01-01

The IUE instrument was recalibrated because of long time-scale changes in the scientific instrument, a better understanding of the performance of the instrument, improved sets of calibration data, and improved analysis techniques. Calibrations completed or planned include intensity transfer functions (ITF), low-dispersion absolute calibrations, high-dispersion ripple corrections and absolute calibrations, improved geometric mapping of the ITFs to spectral images, studies to improve the signal-to-noise, enhanced absolute calibrations employing corrections for time, temperature, and aperture dependence, and photometric and geometric calibrations for the FES.

HARMONI instrument control electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gigante, José V.; Rodríguez Ramos, Luis F.; Zins, Gerard; Schnetler, Hermine; Pecontal, Arlette; Herreros, José Miguel; Clarke, Fraser; Bryson, Ian; Thatte, Niranjan

2014-07-01

HARMONI is an integral field spectrograph working at visible and near-infrared wavelengths over a range of spatial scales from ground layer corrected to fully diffraction-limited. The instrument has been chosen to be part of the first-light complement at the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). This paper describes the instrument control electronics to be developed at IAC. The large size of the HARMONI instrument, its cryogenic operation, and the fact that it must operate with enhanced reliability is a challenge from the point of view of the control electronics design. The present paper describes a design proposal based on the current instrument requirements and intended to be fully compliant with the ESO E-ELT standards, as well as with the European EMC and safety standards. The modularity of the design and the use of COTS standard hardware will benefit the project in several aspects, as reduced costs, shorter schedule by the use of commercially available components, and improved quality by the use of well proven solutions.

Enhancing Medical Decision-Making Evaluations: Introduction of Normative Data for the Capacity to Consent to Treatment Instrument.

PubMed

Gerstenecker, Adam; Niccolai, Lindsay; Marson, Daniel; Triebel, Kristen L

2016-04-01

A number of measures have been developed to assess medical decision-making capacity (MDC) in adults. However, their clinical utility is limited by a lack of available normative data. In the current study, we introduce age-independent and age-adjusted normative data for a measure of MDC: the Capacity to Consent to Treatment Instrument. The sample consisted of 308 cognitively normal, community-dwelling adults ranging in age from 19 to 86 years. For age-adjusted norms, individual raw scores were first converted to age-corrected scaled scores based on position within a cumulative frequency distribution and then grouped according to empirically supported age ranges. For age-independent norms, the same method was utilized but without age-corrections being applied or participants being grouped into age ranges. This study has the potential to enhance MDC evaluations by allowing clinicians to compare a patient's performance on the Capacity to Consent to Treatment Instrument with that of adults regardless of age as well as to same age peers. Tables containing normative corrections are supplementary material available online at http://asm.sagepub.com/supplemental. © The Author(s) 2015.

4. GENERAL VIEW SHOWING EARTHEN BERM AROUND STRUCTURE. NOTE INSTRUMENTATION ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. GENERAL VIEW SHOWING EARTHEN BERM AROUND STRUCTURE. NOTE INSTRUMENTATION TRENCH IN FOREGROUND RIGHT; VIEW TO WEST. - Cape Canaveral Air Station, Launch Complex 17, Facility 28401, East end of Lighthouse Road, Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, FL

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Climate Research Facility Operation quarterly report July 1 - September 30, 2010.

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

Sisterson, D. L.

2010-10-26

Individual raw datastreams from instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility fixed and mobile sites are collected and sent to the Data Management Facility (DMF) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for processing in near real-time. Raw and processed data are then sent approximately daily to the ARM Archive, where they are made available to users. For each instrument, we calculate the ratio of the actual number of data records received daily at the Archive to the expected number of data records. The results are tabulated by (1) individual datastream, site, and month for the current yearmore » and (2) site and fiscal year (FY) dating back to 1998. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires national user facilities to report time-based operating data. The requirements concern the actual hours of operation (ACTUAL); the estimated maximum operation or uptime goal (OPSMAX), which accounts for planned downtime; and the VARIANCE [1-(ACTUAL/OPSMAX)], which accounts for unplanned downtime. The OPSMAX time for the fourth quarter of FY2010 for the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site is 2097.60 hours (0.95 2208 hours this quarter). The OPSMAX for the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) locale is 1987.20 hours (0.90 2208) and for the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) locale is 1876.80 hours (0.85 2208). The first ARM Mobile Facility (AMF1) deployment in Graciosa Island, the Azores, Portugal, continues, so the OPSMAX time this quarter is 2097.60 hours (0.95 x 2208). The differences in OPSMAX performance reflect the complexity of local logistics and the frequency of extreme weather events. It is impractical to measure OPSMAX for each instrument or datastream. Data availability reported here refers to the average of the individual, continuous datastreams that have been received by the Archive. Data not at the Archive are caused by downtime (scheduled or unplanned) of the individual instruments. Therefore, data availability is directly

Dynamic high energy density plasma environments at the National Ignition Facility for nuclear science research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerjan, Ch J.; Bernstein, L.; Berzak Hopkins, L.; Bionta, R. M.; Bleuel, D. L.; Caggiano, J. A.; Cassata, W. S.; Brune, C. R.; Frenje, J.; Gatu-Johnson, M.; Gharibyan, N.; Grim, G.; Hagmann, Chr; Hamza, A.; Hatarik, R.; Hartouni, E. P.; Henry, E. A.; Herrmann, H.; Izumi, N.; Kalantar, D. H.; Khater, H. Y.; Kim, Y.; Kritcher, A.; Litvinov, Yu A.; Merrill, F.; Moody, K.; Neumayer, P.; Ratkiewicz, A.; Rinderknecht, H. G.; Sayre, D.; Shaughnessy, D.; Spears, B.; Stoeffl, W.; Tommasini, R.; Yeamans, Ch; Velsko, C.; Wiescher, M.; Couder, M.; Zylstra, A.; Schneider, D.

2018-03-01

The generation of dynamic high energy density plasmas in the pico- to nano-second time domain at high-energy laser facilities affords unprecedented nuclear science research possibilities. At the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the primary goal of inertial confinement fusion research has led to the synergistic development of a unique high brightness neutron source, sophisticated nuclear diagnostic instrumentation, and versatile experimental platforms. These novel experimental capabilities provide a new path to investigate nuclear processes and structural effects in the time, mass and energy density domains relevant to astrophysical phenomena in a unique terrestrial environment. Some immediate applications include neutron capture cross-section evaluation, fission fragment production, and ion energy loss measurement in electron-degenerate plasmas. More generally, the NIF conditions provide a singular environment to investigate the interplay of atomic and nuclear processes such as plasma screening effects upon thermonuclear reactivity. Achieving enhanced understanding of many of these effects will also significantly advance fusion energy research and challenge existing theoretical models.

Preliminary results from the Small Negative Ion Facility (SNIF) at CCFE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacks, J.; McAdams, R.; Booth, J.; Flinders, K.; Holmes, A. J. T.; Simmonds, M.; Stevens, B.; Stevenson, P.; Surrey, E.; Warder, S.; Whitehead, A.; Young, D.

2013-02-01

At Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, a new beam extraction test facility has been built with the purpose of studying and enhancing negative ion beam production and transport. The multipole hydrogen ion source is based on a RF generated plasma using a continuous 5kW power supply operating at the industrial standard frequency of 13.56MHz. The cylindrical source has a diameter of 30cm and a depth of 20cm, with a flat spiral antenna driving the source through a quartz window. The magnet configuration is arranged to produce a dipole filter field across the ion source close to the plasma grid. The plasma load is matched to the RF generator using a Pi matching network. The accelerator uses a single extraction aperture of 14mm diameter, with a biased insert for electron suppression. The accelerator is a triode design with a beam energy of up to 30kV. The beamline consists of a turbomolecular pumped vacuum tank with an instrumented beam dump and ports for additional diagnostics. The ITER Neutral Beam source operates with the enhancement of caesium, which, when scaled up to a reactor, will be heavily consumed. The small size of SNIF allows for fast turn around of modifications and alternative materials to caesium can be tested. A full description of the facility and planned diagnostics is given. Initial results are presented, including measurements and calculations of the plasma load on the RF generator, and beam extraction measurements.

[The application of operating room quality backward system in instrument place management].

PubMed

Du, Hui; He, Anjie; Zeng, Leilei

2010-09-01

Improvement of the surgery instrument's clean quality, the optimized preparation way, reasonable arrangement in groups, raising the working efficiency. We use the quality backward system into the instrument clean, the pack and the preparation way's question, carry on the analysis and the optimization, and appraise the effect after trying out 6 months. After finally the way optimized, instrument clean quality distinct enhancement; The flaws in the instrument clean, the pack way and the total operating time reduce; the contradictory between nurses and the cleans arising from the unclear connection reduces, the satisfaction degree of nurse and doctor to the instrument enhances. Using of operating room quality backward system in the management of the instrument clean, the pack and the preparation way optimized, may reduce flaws in the work and the waste of human resources, raise the working efficiency.

Teacher Enhancement Institute

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall-Bradley, Tina

1994-01-01

/Mathematics model school has been established. Teachers selected for this project represented school systems where income levels are extremely low, and students served tend not to receive innovative instruction in mathematics and science and their use of technology is limited. The Teacher Enhancement Institute contained several features, that when combined, allowed for a unique experience. Some of these features included local teachers, administrators and school board members as presenters, instruction and use of technology every day, tours of select features of the research facility, briefings by NASA/LaRC scientists, engineers and researchers as well as individuals from the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF). Another unique feature of this program is to have participants convene on three separate occasions throughout the academic year to discuss strategies for information dissemination and implementation results. Teachers' attitudes towards the use of technology, their ability to develop lessons using technology and their ability to develop lessons using information obtained through TEI were assessed using instruments developed by TEI summer faculty members. Data from these instruments were analyzed and reported in a final report submitted to the director of the Office of Education.

Varying ultrasound power level to distinguish surgical instruments and tissue.

PubMed

Ren, Hongliang; Anuraj, Banani; Dupont, Pierre E

2018-03-01

We investigate a new framework of surgical instrument detection based on power-varying ultrasound images with simple and efficient pixel-wise intensity processing. Without using complicated feature extraction methods, we identified the instrument with an estimated optimal power level and by comparing pixel values of varying transducer power level images. The proposed framework exploits the physics of ultrasound imaging system by varying the transducer power level to effectively distinguish metallic surgical instruments from tissue. This power-varying image-guidance is motivated from our observations that ultrasound imaging at different power levels exhibit different contrast enhancement capabilities between tissue and instruments in ultrasound-guided robotic beating-heart surgery. Using lower transducer power levels (ranging from 40 to 75% of the rated lowest ultrasound power levels of the two tested ultrasound scanners) can effectively suppress the strong imaging artifacts from metallic instruments and thus, can be utilized together with the images from normal transducer power levels to enhance the separability between instrument and tissue, improving intraoperative instrument tracking accuracy from the acquired noisy ultrasound volumetric images. We performed experiments in phantoms and ex vivo hearts in water tank environments. The proposed multi-level power-varying ultrasound imaging approach can identify robotic instruments of high acoustic impedance from low-signal-to-noise-ratio ultrasound images by power adjustments.

Use of PROFIBUS for cryogenic instrumentation at XFEL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boeckmann, T.; Bolte, J.; Bozhko, Y.; Clausen, M.; Escherich, K.; Korth, O.; Penning, J.; Rickens, H.; Schnautz, T.; Schoeneburg, B.; Zhirnov, A.

2017-12-01

The European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) is a research facility and since December 2016 under commissioning at DESY in Hamburg. The XFEL superconducting accelerator is 1.5 km long and contains 96 superconducting accelerator modules. The control system EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) is used to control and operate the XFEL cryogenic system consisting of the XFEL refrigerator, cryogenic distribution systems and the XFEL accelerator. The PROFIBUS fieldbus technology is the key technology of the cryogenic instrumentation and the link to the control system. More than 650 PROFIBUS nodes are implemented in the different parts of the XFEL cryogenic facilities. The presentation will give an overview of PROFIBUS installation in these facilities regarding engineering, possibilities of diagnostics, commissioning and the first operating experience.

40 CFR 264.151 - Wording of the instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Wording of the instruments. 264.151 Section 264.151 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT, STORAGE, AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES Financial Requirements § 264.151 Wording o...

Enhancement of numeric cognition in children with low achievement in mathematic after a non-instrumental musical training.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Fabiana Silva; Santos, Flávia H

2017-03-01

Studies suggest that musical training enhances spatial-temporal reasoning and leads to greater learning of mathematical concepts. The aim of this prospective study was to verify the efficacy of a Non-Instrumental Musical Training (NIMT) on the Numerical Cognition systems in children with low achievement in math. For this purpose, we examined, with a cluster analysis, whether children with low scores on Numerical Cognition would be grouped in the same cluster at pre and post-NIMT. Participants were primary school children divided into two groups according to their scores on an Arithmetic test. Results with a specialized battery of Numerical Cognition revealed improvements for Cluster 2 (children with low achievement in math) especially for number production capacity compared to normative data. Besides, the number of children with low scores in Numerical Cognition decreased at post-NIMT. These findings suggest that NIMT enhances Numerical Cognition and seems to be a useful tool for rehabilitation of children with low achievement in math. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medical Image Analysis Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

To improve the quality of photos sent to Earth by unmanned spacecraft. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) developed a computerized image enhancement process that brings out detail not visible in the basic photo. JPL is now applying this technology to biomedical research in its Medical lrnage Analysis Facility, which employs computer enhancement techniques to analyze x-ray films of internal organs, such as the heart and lung. A major objective is study of the effects of I stress on persons with heart disease. In animal tests, computerized image processing is being used to study coronary artery lesions and the degree to which they reduce arterial blood flow when stress is applied. The photos illustrate the enhancement process. The upper picture is an x-ray photo in which the artery (dotted line) is barely discernible; in the post-enhancement photo at right, the whole artery and the lesions along its wall are clearly visible. The Medical lrnage Analysis Facility offers a faster means of studying the effects of complex coronary lesions in humans, and the research now being conducted on animals is expected to have important application to diagnosis and treatment of human coronary disease. Other uses of the facility's image processing capability include analysis of muscle biopsy and pap smear specimens, and study of the microscopic structure of fibroprotein in the human lung. Working with JPL on experiments are NASA's Ames Research Center, the University of Southern California School of Medicine, and Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, Downey, California.

Perceptions of Organizational Functioning in Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowles, Steven; Louw, Johann; Myers, Bronwyn

2011-01-01

Directors' and treatment staff's perceptions of organizational functioning within substance abuse treatment facilities in four provinces in South Africa were examined via the Texas Christian University's Organizational Readiness for Change instrument. Forty-four treatment facilities (out of 89) participated in the study. Results indicated that…

Calibration of space instruments at the Metrology Light Source

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

Klein, R., E-mail: roman.klein@ptb.de; Fliegauf, R.; Gottwald, A.

2016-07-27

PTB has more than 20 years of experience in the calibration of space-based instruments using synchrotron radiation to cover the UV, VUV and X-ray spectral range. New instrumentation at the electron storage ring Metrology Light Source (MLS) opens up extended calibration possibilities within this framework. In particular, the set-up of a large vacuum vessel that can accommodate entire space instruments opens up new prospects. Moreover, a new facility for the calibration of radiation transfer source standards with a considerably extended spectral range has been put into operation. Besides, characterization and calibration of single components like e.g. mirrors, filters, gratings, andmore » detectors is continued.« less

Assessing Spectral Shortwave Cloud Observations at the Southern Great Plains Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McBride, P. J.; Marshak, A.; Wiscombe, W. J.; Flynn, C. J.; Vogelmann, A. M.

2012-01-01

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program (now Atmospheric System Research) was established, in part, to improve radiation models so that they could be used reliably to compute radiation fluxes through the atmosphere, given knowledge of the surface albedo, atmospheric gases, and the aerosol and cloud properties. Despite years of observations, discrepancies still exist between radiative transfer models and observations, particularly in the presence of clouds. Progress has been made at closing discrepancies in the spectral region beyond 3 micron, but the progress lags at shorter wavelengths. Ratios of observed visible and near infrared cloud albedo from aircraft and satellite have shown both localized and global discrepancies between model and observations that are, thus far, unexplained. The capabilities of shortwave surface spectrometry have been improved in recent years at the Southern Great Plains facility (SGP) of the ARM Climate Research Facility through the addition of new instrumentation, the Shortwave Array Spectroradiometer, and upgrades to existing instrumentation, the Shortwave Spectroradiometer and the Rotating Shadowband Spectroradiometer. An airborne-based instrument, the HydroRad Spectroradiometer, was also deployed at the ARM site during the Routine ARM Aerial Facility Clouds with Low Optical Water Depths (CLOWD) Optical Radiative Observations (RACORO) field campaign. Using the new and upgraded spectral observations along with radiative transfer models, cloud scenes at the SGP are presented with the goal of characterizing the instrumentation and the cloud fields themselves.

Facile synthesis of NiAl-layered double hydroxide/graphene hybrid with enhanced electrochemical properties for detection of dopamine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Meixia; Zhu, Jun E.; Zhang, Lili; Chen, Xu; Zhang, Huimin; Zhang, Fazhi; Xu, Sailong; Evans, David G.

2011-10-01

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), also known as hydrotalcite-like anionic clays, have been investigated widely as promising electrochemical active materials. Due to the inherently weak conductivity, the electrochemical properties of LDHs were improved typically by utilization of either functional molecules intercalated between LDH interlayer galleries, or proteins confined between exfoliated LDH nanosheets. Here, we report a facile protocol to prepare NiAl-LDH/graphene (NiAl-LDH/G) nanocomposites using a conventional coprecipitation process under low-temperature conditions and subsequent reduction of the supporting graphene oxide. Electrochemical tests showed that the NiAl-LDH/G modified electrode exhibited highly enhanced electrochemical performance of dopamine electrooxidation in comparison with the pristine NiAl-LDH modified electrode. Results of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectra provide convincing information on the nanostructure and composition underlying the enhancement. Our results of the NiAl-LDH/G modified electrodes with the enhanced electrochemical performance may allow designing a variety of promising hybrid sensors via a simple and feasible approach.Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), also known as hydrotalcite-like anionic clays, have been investigated widely as promising electrochemical active materials. Due to the inherently weak conductivity, the electrochemical properties of LDHs were improved typically by utilization of either functional molecules intercalated between LDH interlayer galleries, or proteins confined between exfoliated LDH nanosheets. Here, we report a facile protocol to prepare NiAl-LDH/graphene (NiAl-LDH/G) nanocomposites using a conventional coprecipitation process under low-temperature conditions and subsequent reduction of the supporting graphene oxide. Electrochemical tests showed that the NiAl-LDH/G modified electrode exhibited highly enhanced electrochemical performance of dopamine

Head-mounted spatial instruments II: Synthetic reality or impossible dream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Stephen R.; Grunwald, Arthur

1989-01-01

A spatial instrument is defined as a spatial display which has been either geometrically or symbolically enhanced to enable a user to accomplish a particular task. Research conducted over the past several years on 3-D spatial instruments has shown that perspective displays, even when viewed from the correct viewpoint, are subject to systematic viewer biases. These biases interfere with correct spatial judgements of the presented pictorial information. The design of spatial instruments may not only require the introduction of compensatory distortions to remove the naturally occurring biases but also may significantly benefit from the introduction of artificial distortions which enhance performance. However, these image manipulations can cause a loss of visual-vestibular coordination and induce motion sickness. Consequently, the design of head-mounted spatial instruments will require an understanding of the tolerable limits of visual-vestibular discord.

Safe design of healthcare facilities

PubMed Central

Reiling, J

2006-01-01

The physical environment has a significant impact on health and safety; however, hospitals have not been designed with the explicit goal of enhancing patient safety through facility design. In April 2002, St Joseph's Community Hospital of West Bend, a member of SynergyHealth, brought together leaders in healthcare and systems engineering to develop a set of safety‐driven facility design recommendations and principles that would guide the design of a new hospital facility focused on patient safety. By introducing safety‐driven innovations into the facility design process, environmental designers and healthcare leaders will be able to make significant contributions to patient safety. PMID:17142606

Experimental instrumentation system for the Phased Array Mirror Extendible Large Aperture (PAMELA) test program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boykin, William H., Jr.

1993-01-01

Adaptive optics are used in telescopes for both viewing objects with minimum distortion and for transmitting laser beams with minimum beam divergence and dance. In order to test concepts on a smaller scale, NASA MSFC is in the process of setting up an adaptive optics test facility with precision (fraction of wavelengths) measurement equipment. The initial system under test is the adaptive optical telescope called PAMELA (Phased Array Mirror Extendible Large Aperture). Goals of this test are: assessment of test hardware specifications for PAMELA application and the determination of the sensitivities of instruments for measuring PAMELA (and other adaptive optical telescopes) imperfections; evaluation of the PAMELA system integration effort and test progress and recommended actions to enhance these activities; and development of concepts and prototypes of experimental apparatuses for PAMELA.

SPERTI, Instrument Cell Building (PER606). North facade. Date: August 2003. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SPERT-I, Instrument Cell Building (PER-606). North facade. Date: August 2003. INEEL negative no. HD-35-3-3 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

SPRT Calibration Uncertainties and Internal Quality Control at a Commercial SPRT Calibration Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiandt, T. J.

2008-06-01

The Hart Scientific Division of the Fluke Corporation operates two accredited standard platinum resistance thermometer (SPRT) calibration facilities, one at the Hart Scientific factory in Utah, USA, and the other at a service facility in Norwich, UK. The US facility is accredited through National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), and the UK facility is accredited through UKAS. Both provide SPRT calibrations using similar equipment and procedures, and at similar levels of uncertainty. These uncertainties are among the lowest available commercially. To achieve and maintain low uncertainties, it is required that the calibration procedures be thorough and optimized. However, to minimize customer downtime, it is also important that the instruments be calibrated in a timely manner and returned to the customer. Consequently, subjecting the instrument to repeated calibrations or extensive repeated measurements is not a viable approach. Additionally, these laboratories provide SPRT calibration services involving a wide variety of SPRT designs. These designs behave differently, yet predictably, when subjected to calibration measurements. To this end, an evaluation strategy involving both statistical process control and internal consistency measures is utilized to provide confidence in both the instrument calibration and the calibration process. This article describes the calibration facilities, procedure, uncertainty analysis, and internal quality assurance measures employed in the calibration of SPRTs. Data will be reviewed and generalities will be presented. Finally, challenges and considerations for future improvements will be discussed.

Advanced Instrumentation for Ultrafast Science at the LCLS

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

Berrah, Nora

2015-10-13

This grant supported a Single Investigator and Small Group Research (SISGR) application to enable multi-user research in Ultrafast Science using the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world’s first hard x-ray free electron laser (FEL) which lased for the first time at 1.5 Å on April 20, 2009. The goal of our proposal was to enable a New Era of Science by requesting funds to purchase and build Advanced Instrumentation for Ultrafast Science (AIUS), to utilize the intense, short x-ray pulses produced by the LCLS. The proposed instrumentation will allow peer review selected users to probe the ultrasmall and capture themore » ultrafast. These tools will expand on the investment already made in the construction of the light source and its instrumentation in both the LCLS and LUSI projects. The AIUS will provide researchers in the AMO, Chemical, Biological and Condensed Matter communities with greater flexibility in defining their scientific agenda at the LCLS. The proposed instrumentation will complement and significantly augment the present AMO instrument (funded through the LCLS project) through detectors and capabilities not included in the initial suite of instrumentation at the facility. We have built all of the instrumentations and they have been utilized by scientists. Please see report attached.« less

Instrumentation progress at the Giant Magellan Telescope project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacoby, George H.; Bernstein, R.; Bouchez, A.; Colless, M.; Crane, Jeff; DePoy, D.; Espeland, B.; Hare, Tyson; Jaffe, D.; Lawrence, J.; Marshall, J.; McGregor, P.; Shectman, Stephen; Sharp, R.; Szentgyorgyi, A.; Uomoto, Alan; Walls, B.

2016-08-01

Instrument development for the 24m Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is described: current activities, progress, status, and schedule. One instrument team has completed its preliminary design and is currently beginning its final design (GCLEF, an optical 350-950 nm, high-resolution and precision radial velocity echelle spectrograph). A second instrument team is in its conceptual design phase (GMACS, an optical 350-950 nm, medium resolution, 6-10 arcmin field, multi-object spectrograph). A third instrument team is midway through its preliminary design phase (GMTIFS, a near-IR YJHK diffraction-limited imager/integral-field-spectrograph), focused on risk reduction prototyping and design optimization. A fourth instrument team is currently fabricating the 5 silicon immersion gratings needed to begin its preliminary design phase (GMTNIRS, a simultaneous JHKLM high-resolution, AO-fed, echelle spectrograph). And, another instrument team is focusing on technical development and prototyping (MANIFEST, a facility robotic, multifiber feed, with a 20 arcmin field of view). In addition, a medium-field (6 arcmin, 0.06 arcsec/pix) optical imager will support telescope and AO commissioning activities, and will excel at narrow-band imaging. In the spirit of advancing synergies with other groups, the challenges of running an ELT instrument program and opportunities for cross-ELT collaborations are discussed.

Advances in instrumentation for nuclear astrophysics

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

Pain, S. D.

The study of the nuclear physics properties which govern energy generation and nucleosynthesis in the astrophysical phenomena we observe in the universe is crucial to understanding how these objects behave and how the chemical history of the universe evolved to its present state. The low cross sections and short nuclear lifetimes involved in many of these reactions make their experimental determination challenging, requiring developments in beams and instrumentation. A selection of developments in nuclear astrophysics instrumentation is discussed, using as examples projects involving the nuclear astrophysics group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. These developments will be key to the instrumentationmore » necessary to fully exploit nuclear astrophysics opportunities at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams which is currently under construction.« less

Cryo Testing of tbe James Webb Space Telescope's Integrated Science Instrument Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanCampen, Julie

2004-01-01

The Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) of the James Webb Space Telescope will be integrated and tested at the Environmental Test Facilities at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The cryogenic thermal vacuum testing of the ISIM will be the most difficult and problematic portion of the GSFC Integration and Test flow. The test is to validate the coupled interface of the science instruments and the ISIM structure and to sufficiently stress that interface while validating image quality of the science instruments. The instruments and the structure are not made from the same materials and have different CTE. Test objectives and verification rationale are currently being evaluated in Phase B of the project plan. The test program will encounter engineering challenges and limitations, which are derived by cost and technology many of which can be mitigated by facility upgrades, creative GSE, and thorough forethought. The cryogenic testing of the ISIM will involve a number of risks such as the implementation of unique metrology techniques, mechanical, electrical and optical simulators housed within the cryogenic vacuum environment. These potential risks are investigated and possible solutions are proposed.

Instrumentation complex for Langley Research Center's National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C. H.; Bryant, C. S.

1977-01-01

The instrumentation discussed in the present paper was developed to ensure reliable operation for a 2.5-meter cryogenic high-Reynolds-number fan-driven transonic wind tunnel. It will incorporate four CPU's and associated analog and digital input/output equipment, necessary for acquiring research data, controlling the tunnel parameters, and monitoring the process conditions. Connected in a multipoint distributed network, the CPU's will support data base management and processing; research measurement data acquisition and display; process monitoring; and communication control. The design will allow essential processes to continue, in the case of major hardware failures, by switching input/output equipment to alternate CPU's and by eliminating nonessential functions. It will also permit software modularization by CPU activity and thereby reduce complexity and development time.

UAVSAR Program: Initial Results from New Instrument Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lou, Yunling; Hensley, Scott; Moghaddam, Mahta; Moller, Delwyn; Chapin, Elaine; Chau, Alexandra; Clark, Duane; Hawkins, Brian; Jones, Cathleen; Marks, Phillip;

The Airborne Research Instrumentation Testing Opportunity (ARISTO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff, C.; Romashkin, P.; Lussier, L.; Baeuerle, B.; Stith, J. L.

2016-12-01

In 2015 the National Science Foundation (NSF) began a program to sponsor an annual flight campaign on one of its research aircraft (the C-130 and GV) operated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The aircraft are managed by the Research Aviation Facility (RAF), which is part of the Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) and responsible for planning and executing the campaigns. The purpose of this program, known as the Airborne Research Instrumentation Testing Opportunity or ARISTO, is to provide regular flight test opportunities for newly developed or highly modified instruments as part of their development effort. The NSF community has expressed a strong desire for regularly scheduled flight-testing programs to be able to test instrumentation, data systems, inlets, and software. ARISTO allows this testing in a low-pressure environment where any issues or problems will not affect the scientific goals of a large-scale field campaign. For this reason it is also a good experience for students who may be learning about the operation of an instrument or have not had previous exposure to a field project. They are also able to contribute to flight planning exercises and gain experience in acting as an instrument scientist during the program. A goal of the program is to incorporate students into the project operations to prepare the next generation of airborne researchers. ARISTO is conducted at the Research Aviation Facility at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield, Colorado. The flight campaign consists of 20 flight hours, spread over three weeks. Flights are planned to allow the ARISTO participants to successfully test their instruments based on requirements they described in the initial application. Due to the limited hours most flights are focused in and around Colorado, though some have gone as far as Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest to find the right conditions to meet testing requirements. Two ARISTO campaigns were successfully completed

Integrated Framework for Patient Safety and Energy Efficiency in Healthcare Facilities Retrofit Projects.

PubMed

Mohammadpour, Atefeh; Anumba, Chimay J; Messner, John I

2016-07-01

There is a growing focus on enhancing energy efficiency in healthcare facilities, many of which are decades old. Since replacement of all aging healthcare facilities is not economically feasible, the retrofitting of these facilities is an appropriate path, which also provides an opportunity to incorporate energy efficiency measures. In undertaking energy efficiency retrofits, it is vital that the safety of the patients in these facilities is maintained or enhanced. However, the interactions between patient safety and energy efficiency have not been adequately addressed to realize the full benefits of retrofitting healthcare facilities. To address this, an innovative integrated framework, the Patient Safety and Energy Efficiency (PATSiE) framework, was developed to simultaneously enhance patient safety and energy efficiency. The framework includes a step -: by -: step procedure for enhancing both patient safety and energy efficiency. It provides a structured overview of the different stages involved in retrofitting healthcare facilities and improves understanding of the intricacies associated with integrating patient safety improvements with energy efficiency enhancements. Evaluation of the PATSiE framework was conducted through focus groups with the key stakeholders in two case study healthcare facilities. The feedback from these stakeholders was generally positive, as they considered the framework useful and applicable to retrofit projects in the healthcare industry. © The Author(s) 2016.

An ARM Mobile Facility Designed for Marine Deployments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiscombe, W. J.

2007-05-01

The U.S. Dept. of Energy's ARM (Atmospheric Radiation Measurements) Program is designing a Mobile Facility exclusively for marine deployments. This marine facility is patterned after ARM's land Mobile Facility, which had its inaugural deployment at Point Reyes, California, in 2005, followed by deployments to Niger in 2006 and Germany in 2007 (ongoing), and a planned deployment to China in 2008. These facilities are primarily intended for the study of clouds, radiation, aerosols, and surface processes with a goal to include these processes accurately in climate models. They are preferably embedded within larger field campaigns which provide context. They carry extensive instrumentation (in several large containers) including: cloud radar, lidar, microwave radiometers, infrared spectrometers, broadband and narrowband radiometers, sonde-launching facilities, extensive surface aerosol measurements, sky imagers, and surface latent and sensible heat flux devices. ARM's Mobile Facilities are designed for 6-10 month deployments in order to capture climatically-relevant datasets. They are available to any scientist, U.S. or international, who wishes to submit a proposal during the annual Spring call. The marine facility will be adapted to, and ruggedized for, the harsh marine environment and will add a scanning two-frequency radar, a boundary-layer wind profiler, a shortwave spectrometer, and aerosol instrumentation adapted to typical marine aerosols like sea salt. Plans also include the use of roving small UAVs, automated small boats, and undersea autonomous vehicles in order to address the point-to-area-average problem which is so crucial for informing climate models. Initial deployments are planned for small islands in climatically- interesting cloud regimes, followed by deployments on oceanic platforms (like decommissioned oil rigs and the quasi-permanent platform of this session's title) and eventually on large ships like car carriers plying routine routes.

Research and test facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

A description is given of each of the following Langley research and test facilities: 0.3-Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel, 7-by 10-Foot High Speed Tunnel, 8-Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel, 13-Inch Magnetic Suspension & Balance System, 14-by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel, 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel, 16-by 24-Inch Water Tunnel, 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel, 30-by 60-Foot Wind Tunnel, Advanced Civil Transport Simulator (ACTS), Advanced Technology Research Laboratory, Aerospace Controls Research Laboratory (ACRL), Aerothermal Loads Complex, Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility (ALDF), Avionics Integration Research Laboratory, Basic Aerodynamics Research Tunnel (BART), Compact Range Test Facility, Differential Maneuvering Simulator (DMS), Enhanced/Synthetic Vision & Spatial Displays Laboratory, Experimental Test Range (ETR) Flight Research Facility, General Aviation Simulator (GAS), High Intensity Radiated Fields Facility, Human Engineering Methods Laboratory, Hypersonic Facilities Complex, Impact Dynamics Research Facility, Jet Noise Laboratory & Anechoic Jet Facility, Light Alloy Laboratory, Low Frequency Antenna Test Facility, Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel, Mechanics of Metals Laboratory, National Transonic Facility (NTF), NDE Research Laboratory, Polymers & Composites Laboratory, Pyrotechnic Test Facility, Quiet Flow Facility, Robotics Facilities, Scientific Visualization System, Scramjet Test Complex, Space Materials Research Laboratory, Space Simulation & Environmental Test Complex, Structural Dynamics Research Laboratory, Structural Dynamics Test Beds, Structures & Materials Research Laboratory, Supersonic Low Disturbance Pilot Tunnel, Thermal Acoustic Fatigue Apparatus (TAFA), Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT), Transport Systems Research Vehicle, Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, and the Visual Motion Simulator (VMS).

Head-mounted spatial instruments: Synthetic reality or impossible dream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Stephen R.; Grunwald, Arthur; Velger, Mordekhai

1988-01-01

A spatial instrument is defined as a display device which has been either geometrically or symbolically enhanced to better enable a user to accomplish a particular task. Research conducted over the past several years on 3-D spatial instruments has shown that perspective displays, even when viewed from the correct viewpoint, are subject to systematic viewer biases. These biases interfere with correct spatial judgements of the presented pictorial information. It is also found that deliberate, appropriate geometric distortion of the perspective projection of an image can improve user performance. These two findings raise intriguing questions concerning the design of head-mounted spatial instruments. The design of such instruments may not only require the introduction of compensatory distortions to remove the neutrally occurring biases but also may significantly benefit from the introduction of artificial distortions which enhance performance. These image manipulations, however, can cause a loss of visual-vestibular coordination and induce motion sickness. Additionally, adaptation to these manipulations is apt to be impaired by computational delays in the image display. Consequently, the design of head-mounted spatial instruments will require an understanding of the tolerable limits of visual-vestibular discord.

Antennas and Electromagnetics Instrumentation for Research and Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

Antennas and Electromagnetics Instrumentation for Research and Education The objective of this proposal is to enhance the instrumentation of FIU’s... ElectroMagnetics Lab (EMLab) directed by Dr. Georgakopoulos and create a state-of-the art lab that will support the following: (a) Dr. Georgakopoulos...funded research on reconfigurable antennas and wireless power transfer, (b) other research on advanced electromagnetic technologies that support

The spectral imaging facility: Setup characterization

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

De Angelis, Simone, E-mail: simone.deangelis@iaps.inaf.it; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Manzari, Paola Olga

2015-09-15

The SPectral IMager (SPIM) facility is a laboratory visible infrared spectrometer developed to support space borne observations of rocky bodies of the solar system. Currently, this laboratory setup is used to support the DAWN mission, which is in its journey towards the asteroid 1-Ceres, and to support the 2018 Exo-Mars mission in the spectral investigation of the Martian subsurface. The main part of this setup is an imaging spectrometer that is a spare of the DAWN visible infrared spectrometer. The spectrometer has been assembled and calibrated at Selex ES and then installed in the facility developed at the INAF-IAPS laboratorymore » in Rome. The goal of SPIM is to collect data to build spectral libraries for the interpretation of the space borne and in situ hyperspectral measurements of planetary materials. Given its very high spatial resolution combined with the imaging capability, this instrument can also help in the detailed study of minerals and rocks. In this paper, the instrument setup is first described, and then a series of test measurements, aimed to the characterization of the main subsystems, are reported. In particular, laboratory tests have been performed concerning (i) the radiation sources, (ii) the reference targets, and (iii) linearity of detector response; the instrumental imaging artifacts have also been investigated.« less

VICS-120 - A tube-vehicle system test facility.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marte, J. E.

1973-01-01

Description of a large test facility for carrying out research in support of the aerodynamic and ventilation section of a handbook on subway design. The facility described is vertically oriented and has a test section with a nominal inside diameter of 2 in. and a length of 109 ft. It is capable of operating at Reynolds numbers up to full-scale (60,000,000) under open-end tube conditions. The facility is distinguished by a high degree of flexibility in configuration and operational limits. Details are given concerning the plenum assembly, the test section tubes, the scaffold, the instrumentation, the model launcher, the model arrestor, and the models themselves. A step-by-step account is given of the operation of the facility, and a brief sample of the type of data obtained from the facility is presented.

GEOScan: A GEOScience Facility From Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyrud, L. P.; Fentzke, J. T.; Anderson, B. J.; Bishop, R. L.; Bust, G. S.; Cahoy, K.; Erlandson, R. E.; Fish, C. S.; Gunter, B. C.; Hall, F. G.; Hilker, T.; Lorentz, S. R.; Mazur, J. E.; Murphy, S. D.; Mustard, J. F.; O'Brien, P. P.; Slagowski, S.; Trenberth, K. E.; Wiscombe, W. J.

2012-12-01

GEOScan is a proposed globally networked orbiting facility that will provide revolutionary, massively dense global geosciences observations. Major scientific research projects are typically conducted using two approaches: community facilities, or investigator led focused missions. GEOScan is a new concept in space science, blending the PI mission and community facility models: it is PI-led, but it carries sensors that are the result of a grass-roots competition, and, uniquely, it preserves open slots for sensors which are purposely not yet decided. The goal is threefold: first, to select sensors that maximize science value for the greatest number of scientific disciplines, second, to target science questions that cannot be answered without simultaneous global space-based measurements, and third to reap the cost advantages of scale manufacturing for space instrumentation. The relatively small size, mass, and power requirements of the GEOScan sensor suite would make it an ideal hosted payload aboard a global constellation of communication satellites, such as Iridium NEXT's 66-satellite constellation or as hosted small-sat payload. Each GEOScan sensor suite consists of 6 instruments: a Radiometer to measure Earth's total outgoing radiation; a GPS Compact Total Electron Content Sensor to image Earth's plasma environment and gravity field; a MicroCam Multispectral Imager to provide the first uniform, instantaneous image of Earth and measure global cloud cover, vegetation, land use, and bright aurora; a Radiation Belt Mapping System (dosimeter) to measure energetic electron and proton distributions; a Compact Earth Observing Spectrometer to measure aerosol-atmospheric composition and vegetation; and MEMS Accelerometers to deduce non-conservative forces aiding gravity and neutral drag studies. These instruments, employed in a constellation, can provide major breakthroughs in Earth and Geospace science, as well as offering a low-cost technology demonstration for

A facile route towards large area self-assembled nanoscale silver film morphologies and their applications towards metal enhanced fluorescence

DOE PAGES

Hohenberger, Erik; Freitag, Nathan; Rosenmann, Daniel; ...

2017-04-19

Here, we present a facile method for fabricating nanostructured silver films containing a high density of nanoscopic gap features through a surface directed phenomenon utilizing nanoporous scaffolds rather than through traditional lithographic patterning processes. This method enables tunability of the silver film growth by simply adjusting the formulation and processing conditions of the nanoporous film prior to metallization. We further demonstrate that this process can produce nanoscopic gaps in thick (100 nm) silver films supporting localized surface plasmon resonance with large field amplification within the gaps while enabling launching of propagating surface plasmons within the silver grains. These enhanced fieldsmore » provide metal enhanced fluorescence with enhancement factors as high as 21 times compared to glass, as well as enable visualization of single fluorophore emission. This work provides a low-cost rapid approach for producing novel nanostructures capable of broadband fluorescence amplification, with potential applications including plasmonic and fluorescence based optical sensing and imaging applications.« less

International Instrumentation Symposium, 32nd, Seattle, WA, May 5-8, 1986, Proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The conference presents papers on blast, shock, and vibration instrumentation; wind tunnel instrumentation and controls; electrooptic and fiber optic instrumentation; special test facilities; reentry vehicle testing; and nondestructive test and acoustic test instrumentation. Other topic include real time systems, flight test and avionics instrumentation, data aquisition and analysis systems, thermal measurements, and advances in measurement technology. Particular attention is given to an automated fringe counting laser interferometer for low frequency vibration measurements, dynamic pressure measurements in pneumatic lines, optically interfaced sensor system for aerospace applications, the picobalance for single microparticle measurements, ellipsometric film thickness, nanometer wear measurement by ultrathin surface layer activation, a rugged electronic scanner designed for turbine test, failure mechanism characterization of platinum alloy, and the thick film strain gage.

AMF3 ARM's Research Facility at Oliktok Point Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helsel, F.; Lucero, D. A.; Ivey, M.; Dexheimer, D.; Hardesty, J.; Roesler, E. L.

2015-12-01

Scientific Infrastructure To Support Atmospheric Science And Aerosol Science For The Department Of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Programs Mobile Facility 3 Located At Oliktok Point, Alaska.The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program's Mobile Facility 3 (AMF3) located at Oliktok Point, Alaska is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) site. The site provides a scientific infrastructure and data archives for the international Arctic research community. The infrastructure at Oliktok is designed to be mobile and it may be relocated in the future to support other ARM science missions. AMF-3 instruments include: scanning precipitation Radar-cloud radar, Raman Lidar, Eddy correlation flux systems, Ceilometer, Balloon sounding system, Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI), Micro-pulse Lidar (MPL), Millimeter cloud radar along with all the standard metrological measurements. Data from these instruments is placed in the ARM data archives and are available to the international research community. This poster will discuss what instruments are at AMF3 and the challenges of powering an Arctic site without the use of grid power.

SPERTI, Instrument Cell Building (PER606). West facade. Camera facing northeast. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SPERT-I, Instrument Cell Building (PER-606). West facade. Camera facing northeast. Date: August 2003. INEEL negative no. HD-35-3-1 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

SPERTI, Instrument Cell Building (PER606). East facade. Camera facing southwest. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SPERT-I, Instrument Cell Building (PER-606). East facade. Camera facing southwest. Date: August 2003. INEEL negative no. HD-35-3-2 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

The US National Transonic Facility, NTF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruce, Walter E., Jr.; Gloss, Blair B.

1989-01-01

The construction of the National Transonic Facility was completed in September 1982 and the start-up and checkout of tunnel systems were performed over the next two years. In August 1984, the Operational Readiness Review (ORR) was conducted and the facility was declared operational for final checkout of cryogenic instrumentation and control systems, and for the aerodynamic calibration and testing to commence. Also, the model access system for the cryogenic mode of operation would be placed into operation along with tunnel testing. Since the ORR, a host of operating problems resulting from the cryogenic environment were identified and solved. These range from making mechanical and electrical systems functional to eliminating temperature induced model vibration to coping with the outgassing of moisture from the thermal insulation. Additionally, a series of aerodynamic tests have demonstrated data quality and provided research data on several configurations. Some of the more significant efforts are reviewed since the ORR and the NTF status concerning hardware, instrumentation and process controls systems, operating constraints imposed by the cryogenic environment, and data quality are summarized.

Review of biological mechanisms for application to instrument design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Healer, J.

1967-01-01

Biological sensors are the mechanisms which enable a living organism to monitor its environment. Ways in which the functional mechanism of biosensors can be applied to develop new concepts of instrumentation, enhance and extend the human senses, and improve the sensitivity of existing instrumentation are described in a review of these mechanisms.

Integrated Test Facility (ITF)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The NASA-Dryden Integrated Test Facility (ITF), also known as the Walter C. Williams Research Aircraft Integration Facility (RAIF), provides an environment for conducting efficient and thorough testing of advanced, highly integrated research aircraft. Flight test confidence is greatly enhanced by the ability to qualify interactive aircraft systems in a controlled environment. In the ITF, each element of a flight vehicle can be regulated and monitored in real time as it interacts with the rest of the aircraft systems. Testing in the ITF is accomplished through automated techniques in which the research aircraft is interfaced to a high-fidelity real-time simulation. Electric and hydraulic power are also supplied, allowing all systems except the engines to function as if in flight. The testing process is controlled by an engineering workstation that sets up initial conditions for a test, initiates the test run, monitors its progress, and archives the data generated. The workstation is also capable of analyzing results of individual tests, comparing results of multiple tests, and producing reports. The computers used in the automated aircraft testing process are also capable of operating in a stand-alone mode with a simulation cockpit, complete with its own instruments and controls. Control law development and modification, aerodynamic, propulsion, guidance model qualification, and flight planning -- functions traditionally associated with real-time simulation -- can all be performed in this manner. The Remotely Augmented Vehicles (RAV) function, now located in the ITF, is a mainstay in the research techniques employed at Dryden. This function is used for tests that are too dangerous for direct human involvement or for which computational capacity does not exist onboard a research aircraft. RAV provides the researcher with a ground-based computer that is radio linked to the test aircraft during actual flight. The Ground Vibration Testing (GVT) system, formerly housed

Integrated Test Facility (ITF)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The NASA-Dryden Integrated Test Facility (ITF), also known as the Walter C. Williams Research Aircraft Integration Facility (RAIF), provides an environment for conducting efficient and thorough testing of advanced, highly integrated research aircraft. Flight test confidence is greatly enhanced by the ability to qualify interactive aircraft systems in a controlled environment. In the ITF, each element of a flight vehicle can be regulated and monitored in real time as it interacts with the rest of the aircraft systems. Testing in the ITF is accomplished through automated techniques in which the research aircraft is interfaced to a high-fidelity real-time simulation. Electric and hydraulic power are also supplied, allowing all systems except the engines to function as if in flight. The testing process is controlled by an engineering workstation that sets up initial conditions for a test, initiates the test run, monitors its progress, and archives the data generated. The workstation is also capable of analyzing results of individual tests, comparing results of multiple tests, and producing reports. The computers used in the automated aircraft testing process are also capable of operating in a stand-alone mode with a simulation cockpit, complete with its own instruments and controls. Control law development and modification, aerodynamic, propulsion, guidance model qualification, and flight planning -- functions traditionally associated with real-time simulation -- can all be performed in this manner. The Remotely Augmented Vehicles (RAV) function, now located in the ITF, is a mainstay in the research techniques employed at Dryden. This function is used for tests that are too dangerous for direct human involvement or for which computational capacity does not exist onboard a research aircraft. RAV provides the researcher with a ground-based computer that is radio linked to the test aircraft during actual flight. The Ground Vibration Testing (GVT) system, formerly housed

Advanced Instrumentation for Transient Reactor Testing

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

Corradini, Michael L.; Anderson, Mark; Imel, George

Transient testing involves placing fuel or material into the core of specialized materials test reactors that are capable of simulating a range of design basis accidents, including reactivity insertion accidents, that require the reactor produce short bursts of intense highpower neutron flux and gamma radiation. Testing fuel behavior in a prototypic neutron environment under high-power, accident-simulation conditions is a key step in licensing nuclear fuels for use in existing and future nuclear power plants. Transient testing of nuclear fuels is needed to develop and prove the safety basis for advanced reactors and fuels. In addition, modern fuel development and designmore » increasingly relies on modeling and simulation efforts that must be informed and validated using specially designed material performance separate effects studies. These studies will require experimental facilities that are able to support variable scale, highly instrumented tests providing data that have appropriate spatial and temporal resolution. Finally, there are efforts now underway to develop advanced light water reactor (LWR) fuels with enhanced performance and accident tolerance. These advanced reactor designs will also require new fuel types. These new fuels need to be tested in a controlled environment in order to learn how they respond to accident conditions. For these applications, transient reactor testing is needed to help design fuels with improved performance. In order to maximize the value of transient testing, there is a need for in-situ transient realtime imaging technology (e.g., the neutron detection and imaging system like the hodoscope) to see fuel motion during rapid transient excursions with a higher degree of spatial and temporal resolution and accuracy. There also exists a need for new small, compact local sensors and instrumentation that are capable of collecting data during transients (e.g., local displacements, temperatures, thermal conductivity, neutron flux

Obstetric Facility Quality and Newborn Mortality in Malawi: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Fink, Günther; Nsona, Humphreys

2016-01-01

Background Ending preventable newborn deaths is a global health priority, but efforts to improve coverage of maternal and newborn care have not yielded expected gains in infant survival in many settings. One possible explanation is poor quality of clinical care. We assess facility quality and estimate the association of facility quality with neonatal mortality in Malawi. Methods and Findings Data on facility infrastructure as well as processes of routine and basic emergency obstetric care for all facilities in the country were obtained from 2013 Malawi Service Provision Assessment. Birth location and mortality for children born in the preceding two years were obtained from the 2013–2014 Millennium Development Goals Endline Survey. Facilities were classified as higher quality if they ranked in the top 25% of delivery facilities based on an index of 25 predefined quality indicators. To address risk selection (sicker mothers choosing or being referred to higher-quality facilities), we employed instrumental variable (IV) analysis to estimate the association of facility quality of care with neonatal mortality. We used the difference between distance to the nearest facility and distance to a higher-quality delivery facility as the instrument. Four hundred sixty-seven of the 540 delivery facilities in Malawi, including 134 rated as higher quality, were linked to births in the population survey. The difference between higher- and lower-quality facilities was most pronounced in indicators of basic emergency obstetric care procedures. Higher-quality facilities were located a median distance of 3.3 km further from women than the nearest delivery facility and were more likely to be in urban areas. Among the 6,686 neonates analyzed, the overall neonatal mortality rate was 17 per 1,000 live births. Delivery in a higher-quality facility (top 25%) was associated with a 2.3 percentage point lower newborn mortality (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.046, 0.000, p-value 0.047). These

28 CFR 115.218 - Upgrades to facilities and technologies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Upgrades to facilities and technologies....218 Upgrades to facilities and technologies. (a) When designing or acquiring any new facility and in... surveillance system, or other monitoring technology, the agency shall consider how such technology may enhance...

28 CFR 115.318 - Upgrades to facilities and technologies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Upgrades to facilities and technologies... facilities and technologies. (a) When designing or acquiring any new facility and in planning any substantial... monitoring technology, the agency shall consider how such technology may enhance the agency's ability to...

28 CFR 115.218 - Upgrades to facilities and technologies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Upgrades to facilities and technologies....218 Upgrades to facilities and technologies. (a) When designing or acquiring any new facility and in... surveillance system, or other monitoring technology, the agency shall consider how such technology may enhance...

28 CFR 115.218 - Upgrades to facilities and technologies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Upgrades to facilities and technologies....218 Upgrades to facilities and technologies. (a) When designing or acquiring any new facility and in... surveillance system, or other monitoring technology, the agency shall consider how such technology may enhance...

28 CFR 115.318 - Upgrades to facilities and technologies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Upgrades to facilities and technologies... facilities and technologies. (a) When designing or acquiring any new facility and in planning any substantial... monitoring technology, the agency shall consider how such technology may enhance the agency's ability to...

28 CFR 115.318 - Upgrades to facilities and technologies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Upgrades to facilities and technologies... facilities and technologies. (a) When designing or acquiring any new facility and in planning any substantial... monitoring technology, the agency shall consider how such technology may enhance the agency's ability to...

Challenges and Opportunities for Biological Mass Spectrometry Core Facilities in the Developing World.

PubMed

Bell, Liam; Calder, Bridget; Hiller, Reinhard; Klein, Ashwil; Soares, Nelson C; Stoychev, Stoyan H; Vorster, Barend C; Tabb, David L

2018-04-01

The developing world is seeing rapid growth in the availability of biological mass spectrometry (MS), particularly through core facilities. As proteomics and metabolomics becomes locally feasible for investigators in these nations, application areas associated with high burden in these nations, such as infectious disease, will see greatly increased research output. This article evaluates the rapid growth of MS in South Africa (currently approaching 20 laboratories) as a model for establishing MS core facilities in other nations of the developing world. Facilities should emphasize new services rather than new instruments. The reduction of the delays associated with reagent and other supply acquisition would benefit both facilities and the users who make use of their services. Instrument maintenance and repair, often mediated by an in-country business for an international vendor, is also likely to operate on a slower schedule than in the wealthiest nations. A key challenge to facilities in the developing world is educating potential facility users in how best to design experiments for proteomics and metabolomics, what reagents are most likely to introduce problematic artifacts, and how to interpret results from the facility. Here, we summarize the experience of 6 different institutions to raise the level of biological MS available to researchers in South Africa.

The NASA Lewis Research Center Internal Fluid Mechanics Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Porro, A. R.; Hingst, W. R.; Wasserbauer, C. A.; Andrews, T. B.

1991-01-01

An experimental facility specifically designed to investigate internal fluid duct flows is described. It is built in a modular fashion so that a variety of internal flow test hardware can be installed in the facility with minimal facility reconfiguration. The facility and test hardware interfaces are discussed along with design constraints of future test hardware. The plenum flow conditioning approach is also detailed. Available instrumentation and data acquisition capabilities are discussed. The incoming flow quality was documented over the current facility operating range. The incoming flow produces well behaved turbulent boundary layers with a uniform core. For the calibration duct used, the boundary layers approached 10 percent of the duct radius. Freestream turbulence levels at the various operating conditions varied from 0.64 to 0.69 percent of the average freestream velocity.

New Ground Based facilities in QSO research; The GTC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Espinosa, J. M.

New ground based observing opportunities are becoming, or about to become, available to astronomers for QSO research. These, combined with state of the art focal plane instruments, provide unprecedented sensitivity for detecting faint surface brightness features. During the talk I will take the liberty of talking about one of these new large telescope facilities currently being built in Spain, and will discuss some of the advantages for QSO research offered by these new facilities.

SPERTI Reactor Pit Building (PER605). Earth shielding protect adjacent Instrument ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SPERT-I Reactor Pit Building (PER-605). Earth shielding protect adjacent Instrument Cell (PER-606). Security fencing surrounds complex, to which gate entry is provided next to Guard House (PER-607). Note gravel road leading to control area. Earth-covered conduit leads from instrument cell to terminal building out of view. Photographer: R.G. Larsen. Date: June 22, 1955. INEEL negative no. 55-1701 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Integrated Science Instruments Module (ISIM) Cryo-Vacuum (CV) Test Campaign Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yew, Calinda; Lui, Yan; Whitehouse, Paul; Banks, Kimberly

2016-01-01

JWST Integrated Science Instruments Module (ISIM) completed its system-level space simulation testing program at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). In March 2016, ISIM was successfully delivered to the next level of integration with the Optical Telescope Element (OTE), to form OTIS (OTE + ISIM), after concluding a series of three cryo-vacuum (CV) tests. During these tests, the complexity of the mission has generated challenging requirements that demand highly reliable system performance and capabilities from the Space Environment Simulator (SES) vacuum chamber. The first test served as a risk reduction test; the second test provided the initial verification of the fully-integrated flight instruments; and the third test verified the system in its final flight configuration following mechanical environmental tests (vibration and acoustics). From one test to the next, shortcomings of the facility were uncovered and associated improvements in operational capabilities and reliability of the facility were required to enable the project to verify system-level requirements. This paper: (1) provides an overview of the integrated mechanical and thermal facility systems required to achieve the objectives of JWST ISIM testing, (2) compares the overall facility performance and instrumentation results from the three ISIM CV tests, and (3) summarizes lessons learned from the ISIM testing campaign.

Instrumentation for the detection and characterization of exoplanets.

PubMed

Pepe, Francesco; Ehrenreich, David; Meyer, Michael R

2014-09-18

In no other field of astrophysics has the impact of new instrumentation been as substantial as in the domain of exoplanets. Before 1995 our knowledge of exoplanets was mainly based on philosophical and theoretical considerations. The years that followed have been marked, instead, by surprising discoveries made possible by high-precision instruments. Over the past decade, the availability of new techniques has moved the focus of research from the detection to the characterization of exoplanets. Next-generation facilities will produce even more complementary data that will lead to a comprehensive view of exoplanet characteristics and, by comparison with theoretical models, to a better understanding of planet formation.

Spacelab Data Processing Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The Spacelab Data Processing Facility (SDPF) processes, monitors, and accounts for the payload data from Spacelab and other Shuttle missions and forwards relevant data to various user facilities worldwide. The SLDPF is divided into the Spacelab Input Processing System (SIPS) and the Spacelab Output Processing System (SOPS). The SIPS division demultiplexes, synchronizes, time tags, quality checks, accounts for the data, and formats the data onto tapes. The SOPS division further edits, blocks, formats, and records the data on tape for shipment to users. User experiments must conform to the Spacelab's onboard High Rate Multiplexer (HRM) format for maximum process ability. Audio, analog, instrumentation, high density, experiment data, input/output data, quality control and accounting, and experimental channel tapes along with a variety of spacelab ancillary tapes are provided to the user by SLDPF.

GTC Science Operations and Instrumentation Plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrera-Lavers, A.

2017-03-01

The 10.4 m Gran Telescopio CANARIAS came into operation in 2009, and now we can clearly state without any doubt that we have in our hands an extraordinary tool to produce science with all its capabilities and functionalities operating under specs. This contribution summarizes the current status of the night operation of the telescope and describe GTC short- and medium- term instrumentation plan, that will make possible to provide access up to five different instruments to the users community from middle 2017, largely enhancing the scientific return from the telescope.

Status of the Neutron Imaging and Diffraction Instrument IMAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kockelmann, Winfried; Burca, Genoveva; Kelleher, Joe F.; Kabra, Saurabh; Zhang, Shu-Yan; Rhodes, Nigel J.; Schooneveld, Erik M.; Sykora, Jeff; Pooley, Daniel E.; Nightingale, Jim B.; Aliotta, Francesco; Ponterio, Rosa C.; Salvato, Gabriele; Tresoldi, Dario; Vasi, Cirino; McPhate, Jason B.; Tremsin, Anton S.

A cold neutron imaging and diffraction instrument, IMAT, is currently being constructed at the ISIS second target station. IMAT will capitalize on time-of-flight transmission and diffraction techniques available at a pulsed neutron source. Analytical techniques will include neutron radiography, neutron tomography, energy-selective neutron imaging, and spatially resolved diffraction scans for residual strain and texture determination. Commissioning of the instrument will start in 2015, with time-resolving imaging detectors and two diffraction detector prototype modules. IMAT will be operated as a user facility for material science applications and will be open for developments of time-of-flight imaging methods.

The VUV instrument SPICE for Solar Orbiter: performance ground testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldwell, Martin E.; Morris, Nigel; Griffin, Douglas K.; Eccleston, Paul; Anderson, Mark; Pastor Santos, Carmen; Bruzzi, Davide; Tustain, Samuel; Howe, Chris; Davenne, Jenny; Grundy, Timothy; Speight, Roisin; Sidher, Sunil D.; Giunta, Alessandra; Fludra, Andrzej; Philippon, Anne; Auchere, Frederic; Hassler, Don; Davila, Joseph M.; Thompson, William T.; Schuehle, Udo H.; Meining, Stefan; Walls, Buddy; Phelan, P.; Dunn, Greg; Klein, Roman M.; Reichel, Thomas; Gyo, Manfred; Munro, Grant J.; Holmes, William; Doyle, Peter

2017-08-01

SPICE is an imaging spectrometer operating at vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelengths, 70.4 - 79.0 nm and 97.3 - 104.9 nm. It is a facility instrument on the Solar Orbiter mission, which carries 10 science instruments in all, to make observations of the Sun's atmosphere and heliosphere, at close proximity to the Sun, i.e to 0.28 A.U. at perihelion. SPICE's role is to make VUV measurements of plasma in the solar atmosphere. SPICE is designed to achieve spectral imaging at spectral resolution >1500, spatial resolution of several arcsec, and two-dimensional FOV of 11 x16arcmins. The many strong constraints on the instrument design imposed by the mission requirements prevent the imaging performance from exceeding those of previous instruments, but by being closer to the sun there is a gain in spatial resolution. The price which is paid is the harsher environment, particularly thermal. This leads to some novel features in the design, which needed to be proven by ground test programs. These include a dichroic solar-transmitting primary mirror to dump the solar heat, a high in-flight temperature (60deg.C) and gradients in the optics box, and a bespoke variable-line-spacing grating to minimise the number of reflective components used. The tests culminate in the systemlevel test of VUV imaging performance and pointing stability. We will describe how our dedicated facility with heritage from previous solar instruments, is used to make these tests, and show the results, firstly on the Engineering Model of the optics unit, and more recently on the Flight Model. For the keywords, select up to 8 key terms for a search on your manuscript's subject.

SPERTI, Instrument Cell Building (PER606). Oblique view of north and ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SPERT-I, Instrument Cell Building (PER-606). Oblique view of north and east facades. Camera facing southwest. Date: August 2003. INEEL negative no. HD-35-4-1 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Preschool Facilities: Are States Providing Adequate Guidance?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lea, Dennis R.; Polster, Patty Poppe

2010-01-01

The preschool facility is a critical element of an effective preschool program. The recent economic downturn in the United States makes it difficult for states and individual school districts to consider developing new preschool programs or enhancing current programs or facilities. Yet many Americans still agree that public investment in preschool…

14. Photocopy of engineering drawing. PROJECT WS315A: INSTRUMENTATION TRENCH DETAILSSTRUCTURAL, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. Photocopy of engineering drawing. PROJECT WS-315A: INSTRUMENTATION TRENCH DETAILS-STRUCTURAL, 17, APRIL 1956. - Cape Canaveral Air Station, Launch Complex 17, Facility 28401, East end of Lighthouse Road, Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, FL

Systematic monitoring of male circumcision scale-up in Nyanza, Kenya: exploratory factor analysis of service quality instrument and performance ranking.

PubMed

Omondi Aduda, Dickens S; Ouma, Collins; Onyango, Rosebella; Onyango, Mathews; Bertrand, Jane

2014-01-01

Considerable conceptual and operational complexities related to service quality measurements and variability in delivery contexts of scaled-up medical male circumcision, pose real challenges to monitoring implementation of quality and safety. Clarifying latent factors of the quality instruments can enhance contextual applicability and the likelihood that observed service outcomes are appropriately assessed. To explore factors underlying SYMMACS service quality assessment tool (adopted from the WHO VMMC quality toolkit) and; determine service quality performance using composite quality index derived from the latent factors. Using a comparative process evaluation of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Scale-Up in Kenya site level data was collected among health facilities providing VMMC over two years. Systematic Monitoring of the Medical Male Circumcision Scale-Up quality instrument was used to assess availability of guidelines, supplies and equipment, infection control, and continuity of care services. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to clarify quality structure. Fifty four items and 246 responses were analyzed. Based on Eigenvalue >1.00 cut-off, factors 1, 2 & 3 were retained each respectively having eigenvalues of 5.78; 4.29; 2.99. These cumulatively accounted for 29.1% of the total variance (12.9%; 9.5%; 6.7%) with final communality estimates being 13.06. Using a cut-off factor loading value of ≥0.4, fifteen items loading on factor 1, five on factor 2 and one on factor 3 were retained. Factor 1 closely relates to preparedness to deliver safe male circumcisions while factor two depicts skilled task performance and compliance with protocols. Of the 28 facilities, 32% attained between 90th and 95th percentile (excellent); 45% between 50th and 75th percentiles (average) and 14.3% below 25th percentile (poor). the service quality assessment instrument may be simplified to have nearly 20 items that relate more closely to service outcomes. Ranking of

Design techniques for developing a computerized instrumentation test plan. [for wind tunnel test data acquisition system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burnett, S. Kay; Forsyth, Theodore J.; Maynard, Everett E.

1987-01-01

The development of a computerized instrumentation test plan (ITP) for the NASA/Ames Research Center National Full Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) is discussed. The objective of the ITP program was to aid the instrumentation engineer in documenting the configuration and calibration of data acquisition systems for a given test at any of four low speed wind tunnel facilities (Outdoor Aerodynamic Research Facility, 7 x 10, 40 x 80, and 80 x 120) at the NFAC. It is noted that automation of the ITP has decreased errors, engineering hours, and setup time while adding a higher level of consistency and traceability.

Facility Concepts for Mars Returned Sample Handling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Marc M.; Briggs, Geoff (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Samples returned from Mars must be held in quarantine until their biological safety has been determined. A significant challenge, unique to NASA's needs, is how to contain the samples (to protect the blaspheme) while simultaneously protecting their pristine nature. This paper presents a comparative analysis of several quarantine facility concepts for handling and analyzing these samples. The considerations in this design analysis include: modes of manipulation; capability for destructive as well as non-destructive testing; avoidance of cross-contamination; linear versus recursive processing; and sample storage and retrieval within a closed system. The ability to rigorously contain biologically hazardous materials has been amply demonstrated by facilities that meet the specifications of the Center for Disease Control Biosafety Level 4. The newly defined Planetary Protection Level Alpha must provide comparable containment while assuring that the samples remain pristine; the latter requirement is based on the need to avoid compromising science analyses by instrumentation of the highest possible sensitivity (among other things this will assure that there is no false positive detection of organisms or organic molecules - a situation that would delay or prevent the release of the samples from quarantine). Protection of the samples against contamination by terrestrial organisms and organic molecules makes a considerable impact upon the sample handling facility. The use of glove boxes appears to be impractical because of their tendency to leak and to surges. As a result, a returned sample quarantine facility must consider the use of automation and remote manipulation to carry out the various functions of sample handling and transfer within the system. The problem of maintaining sensitive and bulky instrumentation under the constraints of simultaneous sample containment and contamination protection also places demands on the architectural configuration of the facility that

Enhanced preventive programme at a beryllium oxide ceramics facility reduces beryllium sensitisation among new workers

PubMed Central

Cummings, Kristin J; Deubner, David C; Day, Gregory A; Henneberger, Paul K; Kitt, Margaret M; Kent, Michael S; Kreiss, Kathleen; Schuler, Christine R

2007-01-01

Background A 1998 survey at a beryllium oxide ceramics manufacturing facility found that 10% of workers hired in the previous 6 years had beryllium sensitisation as determined by the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT). In response, the facility implemented an enhanced preventive programme to reduce sensitisation, including increased respiratory and dermal protection and particle migration control. Aim To assess the programme's effectiveness in preventing sensitisation. Methods In 2000, the facility began testing newly hired workers for beryllium sensitisation with the BeLPT at time of hire and during employment. The sensitisation rate and prevalence for workers hired from 2000 to 2004 were compared with that for workers hired from 1993 to 1998, who were tested in the 1998 survey. Facility environmental conditions for both time periods were evaluated. Results Newly hired workers in both cohorts worked for a mean of 16 months. Of the 97 workers hired from 2000 to 2004 with at least one employment BeLPT result, four had abnormal results at time of hire and one became sensitised during employment. Of the 69 workers hired from 1993 to 1998 and tested in 1998, six were found to be sensitised. The sensitisation rate for the 2000–4 workers was 0.7–2.7/1000 person‐months of employment, and that for the 1993–8 workers was 5.6/1000 person‐months, at least 2.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6 to 8.4) and up to 8.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 188.8) times higher than that for the 2000–4 workers. The sensitisation prevalence for the 2000–4 workers was 1% and that for the 1993–8 workers was 8.7%, 8.4 (95% CI 1.04 to 68.49) times higher than that for the 2000–4 workers. Airborne beryllium levels for production workers for the two time periods were similar. Conclusions A comprehensive preventive programme reduced beryllium sensitisation in new workers during the first years of employment, despite airborne beryllium levels for production workers that were

Dynamic high energy density plasma environments at the National Ignition Facility for nuclear science research

DOE PAGES

Cerjan, Ch J.; Bernstein, L.; Hopkins, L. Berzak; ...

2017-08-16

We present the generation of dynamic high energy density plasmas in the pico- to nano-second time domain at high-energy laser facilities affords unprecedented nuclear science research possibilities. At the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the primary goal of inertial confinement fusion research has led to the synergistic development of a unique high brightness neutron source, sophisticated nuclear diagnostic instrumentation, and versatile experimental platforms. These novel experimental capabilities provide a new path to investigate nuclear processes and structural effects in the time, mass and energy density domains relevant to astrophysical phenomena in a unique terrestrial environment. Some immediate applications include neutron capturemore » cross-section evaluation, fission fragment production, and ion energy loss measurement in electron-degenerate plasmas. More generally, the NIF conditions provide a singular environment to investigate the interplay of atomic and nuclear processes such as plasma screening effects upon thermonuclear reactivity. Lastly, achieving enhanced understanding of many of these effects will also significantly advance fusion energy research and challenge existing theoretical models.« less

Dynamic high energy density plasma environments at the National Ignition Facility for nuclear science research

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

Cerjan, Ch J.; Bernstein, L.; Hopkins, L. Berzak

We present the generation of dynamic high energy density plasmas in the pico- to nano-second time domain at high-energy laser facilities affords unprecedented nuclear science research possibilities. At the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the primary goal of inertial confinement fusion research has led to the synergistic development of a unique high brightness neutron source, sophisticated nuclear diagnostic instrumentation, and versatile experimental platforms. These novel experimental capabilities provide a new path to investigate nuclear processes and structural effects in the time, mass and energy density domains relevant to astrophysical phenomena in a unique terrestrial environment. Some immediate applications include neutron capturemore » cross-section evaluation, fission fragment production, and ion energy loss measurement in electron-degenerate plasmas. More generally, the NIF conditions provide a singular environment to investigate the interplay of atomic and nuclear processes such as plasma screening effects upon thermonuclear reactivity. Lastly, achieving enhanced understanding of many of these effects will also significantly advance fusion energy research and challenge existing theoretical models.« less

The DFVLR wind-energy test facility 'Ulrich Huetter' on Schnittlinger Berg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kussmann, Alfred

1986-11-01

The DFVLR test facility for wind-energy systems (named after Ulrich Huetter, the designer of the 100-kW GFRP-rotor W 34 wind turbine first manufactured and tested in the 1950s) is described and illustrated with photographs. The history of the facility is traced, and current operations in gathering, archiving, processing, interpreting, and documenting performance-test data are outlined. The facility includes instrumentation for rotor telemetry, gondola motion measurements, and ground measurements and provides testing services to private users on both contract and leasing bases.

Astronomy, New Instrumentation, and the News Media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maran, Stephen P.

2000-01-01

Reporting of astronomical discoveries and events in the news media continues to expand to satisfy a seemingly voracious public interest. New telescopes, instruments, and facilities both up in space and on the ground, provide unique opportunities for media outreach on what scientists are accomplishing. And, new media such as website news providers, high-definition television, and video news walls help to fuel the growing activity. Ever since Tycho Brahe operated his own printing press, astronomers have striven to document their accomplishments for the wider world. In recent years, astronomers' media outreach has been successful in reaching the mass television audience through successful efforts at animation and scientific visualization, and through dramatic images acquired by some facilities, such as the solar physics satellites and ground observatories.

High-temperature test facility at the NASA Lewis engine components research laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colantonio, Renato O.

1990-01-01

The high temperature test facility (HTTF) at NASA-Lewis Engine Components Research Laboratory (ECRL) is presently used to evaluate the survivability of aerospace materials and the effectiveness of new sensing instrumentation in a realistic afterburner environment. The HTTF has also been used for advanced heat transfer studies on aerospace components. The research rig uses pressurized air which is heated with two combustors to simulate high temperature flow conditions for test specimens. Maximum airflow is 31 pps. The HTTF is pressure rated for up to 150 psig. Combustors are used to regulate test specimen temperatures up to 2500 F. Generic test sections are available to house test plates and advanced instrumentation. Customized test sections can be fabricated for programs requiring specialized features and functions. The high temperature test facility provides government and industry with a facility for testing aerospace components. Its operation and capabilities are described.

Buffet test in the National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Clarence P., Jr.; Hergert, Dennis W.; Butler, Thomas W.; Herring, Fred M.

1992-01-01

A buffet test of a commercial transport model was accomplished in the National Transonic Facility at the NASA Langley Research Center. This aeroelastic test was unprecedented for this wind tunnel and posed a high risk for the facility. Presented here are the test results from a structural dynamics and aeroelastic response point of view. The activities required for the safety analysis and risk assessment are described. The test was conducted in the same manner as a flutter test and employed on-board dynamic instrumentation, real time dynamic data monitoring, and automatic and manual tunnel interlock systems for protecting the model.

ERDA/Lewis research center photovoltaic systems test facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forestieri, A. F.; Johnson, J. A.; Knapp, W. D.; Rigo, H.; Stover, J.; Suhay, R.

1977-01-01

A national photovoltaic power systems test facility (of initial 10-kW peak power rating) is described. It consists of a solar array to generate electrical power, test-hardware for several alternate methods of power conversion, electrical energy storage systems, and an instrumentation and data acquisition system.

SIRTF Telescope Instrument Changeout and Cryogen Replenishment (STICCR) Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nast, T. C.; Frank, D.; Liu, C. K.; Parmley, R. T.; Jaekle, D.; Builteman, H.; Schmidt, J.; Frederking, T. H. K.

1985-01-01

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a long-life cryogenically cooled space-based telescope for infrared astronomy from 2 to 700 micrometers. SIRTF is currently under study by NASA-ARC (Reference AP) and planned for launch in approximately the mid 1990s. SIRTF will operate as a multiuser facility, initially carrying three instruments at the focal plane. It will be cooled to below 2 K by superfluid liquid helium to achieve radiometric sensitivity limited only by the statistical fluctuations in the natural infrared background radiation over most of its spectral range. The lifetime of the mission will be limited by the lifetime of the liquid helium supply, and baseline is currently to be 2 years. The telescope changes required to allow in-space replenishment of the 4,000-L superfluid helium tank was investigated. A preliminary design for the space services equipment was also developed. The impacts of basing the equipment and servicing on the space station were investigated. Space replenishment and changeout of instruments required changes to the telescope design. Preliminary concepts are presented.

University multi-user facility survey-2010.

PubMed

Riley, Melissa B

2011-12-01

Multi-user facilities serve as a resource for many universities. In 2010, a survey was conducted investigating possible changes and successful characteristics of multi-user facilities, as well as identifying problems in facilities. Over 300 surveys were e-mailed to persons identified from university websites as being involved with multi-user facilities. Complete responses were received from 36 facilities with an average of 20 years of operation. Facilities were associated with specific departments (22%), colleges (22%), and university research centers (8.3%) or were not affiliated with any department or college within the university (47%). The five most important factors to succeed as a multi-user facility were: 1) maintaining an experienced, professional staff in an open atmosphere; 2) university-level support providing partial funding; 3) broad client base; 4) instrument training programs; and 5) an effective leader and engaged strategic advisory group. The most significant problems were: 1) inadequate university financial support and commitment; 2) problems recovering full service costs from university subsidies and user fees; 3) availability of funds to repair and upgrade equipment; 4) inability to retain highly qualified staff; and 5) unqualified users dirtying/damaging equipment. Further information related to these issues and to fee structure was solicited. Overall, there appeared to be a decline in university support for facilities and more emphasis on securing income by serving clients outside of the institution and by obtaining grants from entities outside of the university.

Higher Education and Students with Orthopedic Disabilities: A Survey Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Delar K.

A survey instrument is presented that was used in a national survey of 160 colleges and universities to explore facilities and services to students with orthopedic disabilities. The survey contains 33 items that focus on the following areas: structural accessibility, academic accessibility, dorm-living, and recreational opportunities. The total…

The CERN-EU high-energy Reference Field (CERF) facility: applications and latest developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silari, Marco; Pozzi, Fabio

2017-09-01

The CERF facility at CERN provides an almost unique high-energy workplace reference radiation field for the calibration and test of radiation protection instrumentation employed at high-energy accelerator facilities and for aircraft and space dosimetry. This paper describes the main features of the facility and supplies a non-exhaustive list of recent (as of 2005) applications for which CERF is used. Upgrade work started in 2015 to provide the scientific and industrial communities with a state-of-the-art reference facility is also discussed.

Proposal for a slow positron facility at Jefferson National Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, Allen P.

2018-05-01

One goal of the JPos-17 International Workshop on Physics with Positrons was to ascertain whether it would be a good idea to expand the mission of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) to include science with low energy (i.e. "slow") spin polarized positrons. It is probably true that experimentation with slow positrons would potentially have wide-ranging benefits comparable to those obtained with neutron and x-ray scattering, but it is certain that the full range of these benefits will never be fully available without an infrastructure comparable to that of existing neutron and x-ray facilities. The role for Jefferson Laboratory would therefore be to provide and maintain (1) a dedicated set of machines for making and manipulating high intensity, high brightness beams of polarized slow positrons; (2) a suite of unique and easily used instruments of wide utility that will make efficient use of the positrons; and (3) a group of on-site positron scientists to provide scientific leadership, instrument development, and user support. In this note some examples will be given of the science that might make a serious investment in a positron facility worthwhile. At the same time, the lessons learned from various proposed and successful positron facilities will be presented for consideration.

Quantification of wind flow in the European Mars Simulation Wind Tunnel Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holstein-Rathlou, C.; Merrison, J. P.; Iversen, J. J.; Nornberg, P.

2012-04-01

We present the European Mars Simulation Wind Tunnel facility, a unique prototype facility capable of simulating a wide range of environmental conditions, such as those which can be found at the surface of Earth or Mars. The chamber complements several other large-scale simulation facilities at Aarhus University, Denmark. The facility consists of a 50 m3 environmental chamber capable of operating at low pressure (0.02 - 1000 mbar) and cryogenic temperatures (-130 °C up to +60 °C). This chamber houses a re-circulating wind tunnel capable of generating wind speeds up to 25 m/s and has a dust injection system that can produce suspended particulates (aerosols). It employs a unique LED based optical illumination system (solar simulator) and an advanced network based control system. Laser based optoelectronic instrumentation is used to quantify and monitor wind flow, dust suspension and deposition. This involves a commercial Laser Doppler Anemometer (LDA) and a Particle Dynamics Analysis receiver (PDA), which are small laser based instruments specifically designed for measuring wind speed and sizes of particles situated in a wind flow. Wind flow calibrations will be performed with the LDA system and presented. Pressure and temperature calibrations will follow in order to enable the facility to be used for the testing, development, calibration and comparison of e.g. meteorological sensors under a wide range of environmental conditions as well as multi-disciplinary scientific studies. The wind tunnel is accessible to international collaborators and space agencies for instrument testing, calibration and qualification. It has been financed by the European Space Agency (ESA) as well as the Aarhus University Science Faculty and the Villum Kann Rasmussen Foundation.

Linking Publications to Instruments, Field Campaigns, Sites and Working Groups: The ARM Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehnert, K.; Parsons, M. A.; Ramachandran, R.; Fils, D.; Narock, T.; Fox, P. A.; Troyan, D.; Cialella, A. T.; Gregory, L.; Lazar, K.; Liang, M.; Ma, L.; Tilp, A.; Wagener, R.

2017-12-01

For the past 25 years, the ARM Climate Research Facility - a US Department of Energy scientific user facility - has been collecting atmospheric data in different climatic regimes using both in situ and remote instrumentation. Configuration of the facility's components has been designed to improve the understanding and representation, in climate and earth system models, of clouds and aerosols. Placing a premium on long-term continuous data collection resulted in terabytes of data having been collected, stored, and made accessible to any interested person. All data is accessible via the ARM.gov website and the ARM Data Discovery Tool. A team of metadata professionals assign appropriate tags to help facilitate searching the databases for desired data. The knowledge organization tools and concepts are used to create connections between data, instruments, field campaigns, sites, and measurements are familiar to informatics professionals. Ontology, taxonomy, classification, and thesauri are among the customized concepts put into practice for ARM's purposes. In addition to the multitude of data available, there have been approximately 3,000 journal articles that utilize ARM data. These have been linked to specific ARM web pages. Searches of the complete ARM publication database can be done using a separate interface. This presentation describes how ARM data is linked to instruments, sites, field campaigns, and publications through the application of standard knowledge organization tools and concepts.

Detection of Transionospheric SuperDARN HF Waves by the Radio Receiver Instrument on the enhanced Polar Outflow Probe Satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillies, R. G.; Yau, A. W.; James, H. G.; Hussey, G. C.; McWilliams, K. A.

2014-12-01

The enhanced Polar Outflow Probe (ePOP) Canadian small-satellite was launched in September 2013. Included in this suite of eight scientific instruments is the Radio Receiver Instrument (RRI). The RRI has been used to measure VLF and HF radio waves from various ground and spontaneous ionospheric sources. The first dedicated ground transmission that was detected by RRI was from the Saskatoon Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radar on Nov. 7, 2013 at 14 MHz. Several other passes over the Saskatoon SuperDARN radar have been recorded since then. Ground transmissions have also been observed from other radars, such as the SPEAR, HAARP, and SURA ionospheric heaters. However, the focus of this study will be on the results obtained from the SuperDARN passes. An analysis of the signal recorded by the RRI provides estimates of signal power, Doppler shift, polarization, absolute time delay, differential mode delay, and angle of arrival. By comparing these parameters to similar parameters derived from ray tracing simulations, ionospheric electron density structures may be detected and measured. Further analysis of the results from the other ground transmitters and future SuperDARN passes will be used to refine these results.

Ozone monitoring at remote sites using low-power instrumentation

Treesearch

John L. Korfmacher; Robert C. Musselman

2014-01-01

Collection of non-urban ambient ozone data at regional or larger scales (for example, Peake and Fong 1990; Bytnerowicz et al. 2004) is cost- and labor-intensive. Collection efforts are often further complicated by difficulty of access to data collection sites, the need for climate-controlled facilities to house instrumentation, and a requirement for a connection to...

A descriptive inquiry of the definitions of critical thinking and enhancers and barriers reported by nurses working in long-term care facilities.

PubMed

Raterink, Ginger

2008-09-01

Critical thinking has been an outcome of nursing education since the 1980s. There remains a lack of agreement on definitions, methods of teaching, and methods of evaluation among practicing nurses. This study asked practicing nurses to define critical thinking. It also asked nurses to describe what work-related factors enhanced or posed barriers to the use of critical thinking in practice. Elements of the definitions presented were found to be consistent with current nursing definitions of critical thinking. Enhancers and barriers overlapped and were found to be consistent among the nurses at all facilities studied, with implications for continuing education and staff development.

Atmospheric science facility pallet-only mode space transportation system payload (feasibility study), Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The economic and technical feasibility is assessed of employing a pallet-only mode for conducting Atmospheric Magnetospheric Plasmas-in-Space experiments. A baseline design incorporating the experiment and instrument descriptions is developed. The prime instruments are packaged into four pallets in a physical and functional manner compatible with the Space Transportation System capabilities and/or constraints and an orbiter seven-day mission timeline. Operational compatibility is verified between the orbiter/payload and supporting facilities. The development status and the schedule requirements applicable to the Atmospheric Science Facility mission are identified. Conclusions and recommendations are presented and discussed.

OBSIP: An Evolving Facility for the Future of Geoscience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evers, B.; Aderhold, K.

2015-12-01

The Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Pool "OBSIP" is a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored instrument facility that provides ocean bottom seismometers and technical support for research in the areas of marine geology, seismology, and geodynamics. OBSIP provides both short period instruments (for active source seismic refraction studies) and long period instruments (for long term passive experiments). OBSIP is comprised of three Institutional Instrument Contributors each of whom contribute instruments and technical support to the pool and an OBSIP Management Office. In 2015, OBSIP will provide instruments for six experiments and support nine research cruises recovering and/or deploying instruments. This includes the final recoveries for the Cascadia Initiative experiment and the Eastern North American Margin experiment, both multi-year community seismic experiments integrating large onshore and offshore deployments of instruments from multiple IICs. OBSIp supported additional experiments in New Zealand and Malawi, Africa. An active source experiment to image the magma plumbing of Santorini employs OBSIP's entire short period sensor pool. OBSIP is also incorporating new technical developments in the OBSIP fleet including long duration OBS technology, new shielding designs, and sensor upgrades. OBSIP continues to enable innovation in experiment design, instrument capabilities, and data return/QAQC tracking and adapts to the needs of a rapidly increasing and diversifying pool of users.

Automated System Calibration and Verification of the Position Measurements for the Los Alamos Isotope Production Facility and the Switchyard Kicker Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barr, D.; Gilpatrick, J. D.; Martinez, D.; Shurter, R. B.

2004-11-01

The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory has constructed both an Isotope Production Facility (IPF) and a Switchyard Kicker (XDK) as additions to the H+ and H- accelerator. These additions contain eleven Beam Position Monitors (BPMs) that measure the beam's position throughout the transport. The analog electronics within each processing module determines the beam position using the log-ratio technique. For system reliability, calibrations compensate for various temperature drifts and other imperfections in the processing electronics components. Additionally, verifications are periodically implemented by a PC running a National Instruments LabVIEW virtual instrument (VI) to verify continued system and cable integrity. The VI communicates with the processor cards via a PCI/MXI-3 VXI-crate communication module. Previously, accelerator operators performed BPM system calibrations typically once per day while beam was explicitly turned off. One of this new measurement system's unique achievements is its automated calibration and verification capability. Taking advantage of the pulsed nature of the LANSCE-facility beams, the integrated electronics hardware and VI perform calibration and verification operations between beam pulses without interrupting production beam delivery. The design, construction, and performance results of the automated calibration and verification portion of this position measurement system will be the topic of this paper.

Report on monitoring and support instruments for solar physics research from Spacelab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The Quick Reaction and Special Purpose Facility Definition Team for Solar Physics Spacelab Payloads examined a variety of instruments to fulfill the following functions: (1) solar physics research appropriate to Spacelab, (2) correlative data for research in such fields as aeronomy, magnetospheric physics, ionospheric physics, meteorology and climatology, (3) target selection for activity alert monitoring and (4) pointing accuracy monitoring of Spacelab platforms. In this examination the team accepted a number of restrictions and qualifications: (1) the cost of such instruments must be low, so as not to adversely impact the development of new, research class instrumentation in the early Spacelab era; (2) the instruments should be of such a size that they each would occupy a small fraction of a pointing system, and (3) the weight and power consumption of the instruments should also be small. With these restrictions, the instruments chosen are: the visible light telescope and magnetograph, the extreme-ultraviolet telescope, and the solar irradiance monitor.

Facile synthesis and enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of N and Zr co-doped TiO2 nanostructures from nanotubular titanic acid precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Min; Yu, Xinluan; Lu, Dandan; Yang, Jianjun

2013-12-01

Zr/N co-doped TiO2 nanostructures were successfully synthesized using nanotubular titanic acid (NTA) as precursors by a facile wet chemical route and subsequent calcination. These Zr/N-doped TiO2 nanostructures made by NTA precursors show significantly enhanced visible light absorption and much higher photocatalytic performance than the Zr/N-doped P25 TiO2 nanoparticles. Impacts of Zr/N co-doping on the morphologies, optical properties, and photocatalytic activities of the NTA precursor-based TiO2 were thoroughly investigated. The origin of the enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity is discussed in detail.

Facile synthesis and enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of N and Zr co-doped TiO2 nanostructures from nanotubular titanic acid precursors

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Zr/N co-doped TiO2 nanostructures were successfully synthesized using nanotubular titanic acid (NTA) as precursors by a facile wet chemical route and subsequent calcination. These Zr/N-doped TiO2 nanostructures made by NTA precursors show significantly enhanced visible light absorption and much higher photocatalytic performance than the Zr/N-doped P25 TiO2 nanoparticles. Impacts of Zr/N co-doping on the morphologies, optical properties, and photocatalytic activities of the NTA precursor-based TiO2 were thoroughly investigated. The origin of the enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity is discussed in detail. PMID:24369051

Facile synthesis and enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of N and Zr co-doped TiO2 nanostructures from nanotubular titanic acid precursors.

PubMed

Zhang, Min; Yu, Xinluan; Lu, Dandan; Yang, Jianjun

2013-12-26

Zr/N co-doped TiO2 nanostructures were successfully synthesized using nanotubular titanic acid (NTA) as precursors by a facile wet chemical route and subsequent calcination. These Zr/N-doped TiO2 nanostructures made by NTA precursors show significantly enhanced visible light absorption and much higher photocatalytic performance than the Zr/N-doped P25 TiO2 nanoparticles. Impacts of Zr/N co-doping on the morphologies, optical properties, and photocatalytic activities of the NTA precursor-based TiO2 were thoroughly investigated. The origin of the enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity is discussed in detail.

netherland hydrological modeling instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoogewoud, J. C.; de Lange, W. J.; Veldhuizen, A.; Prinsen, G.

2012-04-01

Netherlands Hydrological Modeling Instrument A decision support system for water basin management. J.C. Hoogewoud , W.J. de Lange ,A. Veldhuizen , G. Prinsen , The Netherlands Hydrological modeling Instrument (NHI) is the center point of a framework of models, to coherently model the hydrological system and the multitude of functions it supports. Dutch hydrological institutes Deltares, Alterra, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, RWS Waterdienst, STOWA and Vewin are cooperating in enhancing the NHI for adequate decision support. The instrument is used by three different ministries involved in national water policy matters, for instance the WFD, drought management, manure policy and climate change issues. The basis of the modeling instrument is a state-of-the-art on-line coupling of the groundwater system (MODFLOW), the unsaturated zone (metaSWAP) and the surface water system (MOZART-DM). It brings together hydro(geo)logical processes from the column to the basin scale, ranging from 250x250m plots to the river Rhine and includes salt water flow. The NHI is validated with an eight year run (1998-2006) with dry and wet periods. For this run different parts of the hydrology have been compared with measurements. For instance, water demands in dry periods (e.g. for irrigation), discharges at outlets, groundwater levels and evaporation. A validation alone is not enough to get support from stakeholders. Involvement from stakeholders in the modeling process is needed. There fore to gain sufficient support and trust in the instrument on different (policy) levels a couple of actions have been taken: 1. a transparent evaluation of modeling-results has been set up 2. an extensive program is running to cooperate with regional waterboards and suppliers of drinking water in improving the NHI 3. sharing (hydrological) data via newly setup Modeling Database for local and national models 4. Enhancing the NHI with "local" information. The NHI is and has been used for many

Acoustic buffeting by infrasound in a low vibration facility.

PubMed

MacLeod, B P; Hoffman, J E; Burke, S A; Bonn, D A

2016-09-01

Measurement instruments and fabrication tools with spatial resolution on the atomic scale require facilities that mitigate the impact of vibration sources in the environment. One approach to protection from vibration in a building's foundation is to place the instrument on a massive inertia block, supported on pneumatic isolators. This opens the questions of whether or not a massive floating block is susceptible to acoustic forces, and how to mitigate the effects of any such acoustic buffeting. Here this is investigated with quantitative measurements of vibrations and sound pressure, together with finite element modeling. It is shown that a particular concern, even in a facility with multiple acoustic enclosures, is the excitation of the lowest fundamental acoustic modes of the room by infrasound in the low tens of Hz range, and the efficient coupling of the fundamental room modes to a large inertia block centered in the room.

The Berkeley extreme ultraviolet calibration facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welsh, Barry Y.; Jelinsky, Patrick; Malina, Roger F.

1988-01-01

The vacuum calibration facilities of the Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley are designed for the calibration and testing of EUV and FUV spaceborne instrumentation (spectral range 44-2500 A). The facility includes one large cylindrical vacuum chamber (3 x 5 m) containing two EUV collimators, and it is equipped with a 4-axis manipulator of angular-control resolution 1 arcsec for payloads weighing up to 500 kg. In addition, two smaller cylindrical chambers, each 0.9 x 1.2 m, are available for vacuum and thermal testing of UV detectors, filters, and space electronics hardware. All three chambers open into class-10,000 clean rooms, and all calibrations are referred to NBS secondary standards.

Building Bigger, Better Instruments with Dry Cryostats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benford, Dominic J.; Voellmer, George

2010-01-01

The cylindrical instrument volume allowable n SOFIA is large, comprising perhaps 400 liters at 4K. However, the cryogen accommodation to enable this environment consumes roughly 20% of the volume, and worsens rues, airworthiness/safety, and handling/operation, Present-day pulse tube coolers have negligible cold volumes, provide adequate cooling powers, and reach colder temperatures than stored cryogen. In addition, they permit safer, more reliable, lower maintenance instrument operation. While the advantages of dry cryostats are well-known and commonly used in labs and ground-based astronomical facilities, SOFIA would require some charges in accommodations to permit a pulse tube cooler to operate on board, Whil e these changes are not negligible, we present our investigation into the feasibility and desirability of making SOFIA a dry cryostat-capable observatory

Role Of High Speed Photography In The Testing Capabilities Of The Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) Range And Track Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendrix, Roy E.; Dugger, Paul H.

1983-03-01

Since the onset of user testing in the AEDC aeroballistic ranges in 1961, concentrated efforts in such areas as model launching techniques, test environment simulation, and specialized instrumentation have been made to enhance the usefulness of these test facilities. A wide selection of specialized instrumentation has been developed over the years to provide, among other features, panoramic photographic coverage of test models during flight. Pulsed ruby lasers, xenon flash lamps, visible-light spark sources, and flash X-ray systems are employed as short-duration radiation sources in various front-light and back-light photographic systems. Visible-light and near infrared image intensifier diodes are used to achieve high-speed shuttering in photographic pyrometry systems that measure surface temperatures of test models in flight. Turbine-driven framing cameras are used to provide multiframe photography of such high-speed phenomena as impact debris formation and model encounter with erosive fields. As a result, the capabilities of these ballistic range test units have increased significantly in regard to the types of tests that can be accommodated and to the quality and quantity of data that can be provided. Presently, five major range and companion track facilities are active in conducting hypervelocity testing in AEDC's von K6rman Gas Dynamics Facility (VKF): Ranges G, K, and S-1 and Tracks G and K. The following types of tests are conducted in these test units: ablation/erosion, transpiration-cooled nosetip (TCNT), nosetip transition, heat transfer, aerodynamic, cannon projectile, rocket contrail, reentry physics, and hypervelocity impact. The parallel achievements in high-speed photography and testing capabilities are discussed, and the significant role of photographic systems in the development of the overall testing capabilities of the AEDC range and track facilities is illustrated in numerous examples of photographic results.

IFR approval of differential global positioning system (DGPS) special category I instrument approaches using private ground facilities

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-08-14

This order identifies specific criteria, not presently found in existing standards, which shall be satisfied before Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations can be authorized using differential global positioning systems (DGPS) Special Instrument App...

Results of instrument reliability study for high-level nuclear-waste repositories. [Geotechnical parameters

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

Rogue, F.; Binnall, E.P.

1982-10-01

Reliable instrumentation will be needed to monitor the performance of future high-level waste repository sites. A study has been made to assess instrument reliability at Department of Energy (DOE) waste repository related experiments. Though the study covers a wide variety of instrumentation, this paper concentrates on experiences with geotechnical instrumentation in hostile repository-type environments. Manufacturers have made some changes to improve the reliability of instruments for repositories. This paper reviews the failure modes, rates, and mechanisms, along with manufacturer modifications and recommendations for additional improvements to enhance instrument performance. 4 tables.

Illinois Educational Facilities Authority Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Educational Facilities Authority, Chicago.

The Illinois Educational Facilities Authority (IEFA) is a public instrumentality created to provide assistance to not-for-profit, private institutions of higher education. It does so by furnishing the means for such institutions to finance or refinance the construction or acquisition of educational facilities throughout the state. The 1996 annual…

Dual-Spool Turbine Facility Design Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giel, Paul; Pachlhofer, Pete

2003-01-01

The next generation of aircraft engines, both commercial and military, will attempt to capitalize on the benefits of close-coupled, vaneless, counter-rotating turbine systems. Experience has shown that significant risks and challenges are present with close-coupled systems in terms of efficiency and durability. The UEET program needs to demonstrate aerodynamic loading and efficiency goals for close-coupled, reduced-stage HP/LP turbine systems as a Level 1 Milestone for FY05. No research facility exists in the U.S. to provide risk reduction for successful development of close-coupled, high and low pressure turbine systems for the next generations of engines. To meet these objectives, the design, construction, and integrated systems testing of a Dual-Spool Turbine Facility (DSTF) facility has been initiated at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The facility will be a warm (-IOOO'F), continuous flow facility for overall aerodynamic performance and detailed flow field measurement acquisition. The facility will have state-of-the-art instrumentation to capture flow physics details. Accurate and reliable speed control will be achieved by utilizing the existing Variable Frequency Drive System. Utilization of this and other existing GRC centralized utilities will reduce the overall construction costs. The design allows for future installation of a turbine inlet combustor profile simulator. This presentation details the objectives of the facility and the concepts used in specifying its capabilities. Some preliminary design results will be presented along with a discussion of plans and schedules.

Instrumentation concepts and requirements for a space vacuum research facility. [molecular shield for spaceborne experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norton, H. N.

1979-01-01

An earth-orbiting molecular shield that offers a unique opportunity for conducting physics, chemistry, and material processing experiments under a combination of environmental conditions that are not available in terrestrial laboratories is equipped with apparatus for forming a molecular beam from the freestream. Experiments are carried out using a moderate energy, high flux density, high purity atomic oxygen beam in the very low density environment within the molecular shield. As a minimum, the following instruments are required for the molecular shield: (1) a mass spectrometer; (2) a multifunction material analysis instrumentation system; and (3) optical spectrometry equipment. The design is given of a furlable molecular shield that allows deployment and retrieval of the system (including instrumentation and experiments) to be performed without contamination. Interfaces between the molecular shield system and the associated spacecraft are given. An in-flight deployment sequence is discussed that minimizes the spacecraft-induced contamination in the vicinity of the shield. Design approaches toward a precursor molecular shield system are shown.

[Development of an evaluation instrument for service quality in nursing homes].

PubMed

Lee, Jia; Ji, Eun Sun

2011-08-01

The purposes of this study were to identify the factors influencing service quality in nursing homes, and to develop an evaluation instrument for service quality. A three-phase process was employed for the study. 1) The important factors to evaluate the service quality in nursing homes were identified through a literature review, panel discussion and focus group interview, 2) the evaluation instrument was developed, and 3) validity and reliability of the study instrument were tested by factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, Cronbach's α and Cohen's Kappa. Factor analysis showed that the factors influencing service quality in nursing homes were healthcare, diet/assistance, therapy, environment and staff. To improve objectivity of the instrument, quantitative as well as qualitative evaluation approaches were adopted. The study instrument was developed with 30 items and showed acceptable construct validity. The criterion-related validity was a Pearson correlation coefficient of .85 in 151 care facilities. The internal consistency was Cronbach's α=.95. The instrument has acceptable validity and a high degree of reliability. Staff in nursing homes can continuously improve and manage their services using the results of the evaluation instrument.

Enhanced Time Out: An Improved Communication Process.

PubMed

Nelson, Patricia E

2017-06-01

An enhanced time out is an improved communication process initiated to prevent such surgical errors as wrong-site, wrong-procedure, or wrong-patient surgery. The enhanced time out at my facility mandates participation from all members of the surgical team and requires designated members to respond to specified time out elements on the surgical safety checklist. The enhanced time out incorporated at my facility expands upon the safety measures from the World Health Organization's surgical safety checklist and ensures that all personnel involved in a surgical intervention perform a final check of relevant information. Initiating the enhanced time out at my facility was intended to improve communication and teamwork among surgical team members and provide a highly reliable safety process to prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient surgery. Copyright © 2017 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coordinated Instruments for Source Detection and Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, G. W.

2007-10-01

I describe two instruments designed for coordinated observations of the submillimeter galaxy population. AzTEC is a 144-element bolometer camera designed to survey fields and detect submillimeter galaxies in the 1.1 mm band. In June of 2005, AzTEC completed a successful engineering run at the JCMT. The instrument then returned to the JCMT in October for a series of science programs, which will result in a set of catalogs of the submillimeter galaxy population that span a wide range of environments. SPEED is a 4-pixel photometer that uses frequency selective bolometers to observe in four colors simultaneously in each pixel (for a total of 16 detectors). SPEED will be used for follow-up observations of sources found by AzTEC as well as for the measurement of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect in clusters. SPEED's band centers are 2.1 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.1 mm, and 0.85 mm. Because each color is observed through the same optics, the relative calibration of the four bands will be excellent. SPEED is under construction now with a planned deployment to the SMT in 2006. These two instruments will eventually be installed at the LMT as facility instruments.

Wire Chambers and Cherenkov Detectors at Fermilab Test Beam Facility

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

Tame Narvaez, Karla

2017-01-01

Fermilab Test Beam Facility (FTBF) is dedicated to helping scientists test their prototypes. For this, FTBF has instrumentation that is very useful for the users. However, before a user can test a detector, it is necessary to ensure the facility has the characteristics they need. During this summer, we studied beam properties by collecting Cherenkov and wire chamber data. Analyzed data will be used for updating the general information that FTBF posts on a web page.

An integrated development facility for the calibration of low-energy charged particle flight instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biddle, A. P.; Reynolds, J. M.

1985-01-01

A system was developed for the calibration and development of thermal ion instrumentation. The system provides an extended beam with usable current rates, approx. 1 pA/sq cm, at beam energies as low as 1 eV, with much higher values available with increasing energy. A tandem electrostatic and variable geometry magnetic mirror configuration within the ion source optimizes the use of the ionizing electrons. The system is integrated under microcomputer control to allow automatic control and monitoring of the beam energy and composition and the mass and angle-dependent response of the instrument under test. The system is pumped by a combination of carbon vane and cryogenic sorption roughing pumps and ion and liquid helium operating pumps.

Computational and Experimental Characterization of the Mach 6 Facility Nozzle Flow for the Enhanced Injection and Mixing Project at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drozda, Tomasz G.; Cabell, Karen F.; Passe, Bradley J.; Baurle, Robert A.

2017-01-01

Computational fluid dynamics analyses and experimental data are presented for the Mach 6 facility nozzle used in the Arc-Heated Scramjet Test Facility for the Enhanced Injection and Mixing Project (EIMP). This project, conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center, aims to investigate supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) fuel injection and mixing physics relevant to flight Mach numbers greater than 8. The EIMP experiments use a two-dimensional Mach 6 facility nozzle to provide the high-speed air simulating the combustor entrance flow of a scramjet engine. Of interest are the physical extent and the thermodynamic properties of the core flow at the nozzle exit plane. The detailed characterization of this flow is obtained from three-dimensional, viscous, Reynolds-averaged simulations. Thermodynamic nonequilibrium effects are also investigated. The simulations are compared with the available experimental data, which includes wall static pressures as well as in-stream static pressure, pitot pressure and total temperature obtained via in-stream probes positioned just downstream of the nozzle exit plane.

The use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering for detecting molecular evidence of life in rocks, sediments, and sedimentary deposits.

PubMed

Bowden, Stephen A; Wilson, Rab; Cooper, Jonathan M; Parnell, John

2010-01-01

Raman spectroscopy is a versatile analytical technique capable of characterizing the composition of both inorganic and organic materials. Consequently, it is frequently suggested as a payload on many planetary landers. Only approximately 1 in every 10(6) photons are Raman scattered; therefore, the detection of trace quantities of an analyte dispersed in a sample matrix can be much harder to achieve. To overcome this, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) both provide greatly enhanced signals (enhancements between 10(5) and 10(9)) through the analyte's interaction with the locally generated surface plasmons, which occur at a "roughened" or nanostructured metallic surface (e.g., Cu, Au, and Ag). Both SERS and SERRS may therefore provide a viable technique for trace analysis of samples. In this paper, we describe the development of SERS assays for analyzing trace amounts of compounds present in the solvent extracts of sedimentary deposits. These assays were used to detect biological pigments present in an Arctic microoasis (a small locale of elevated biological productivity) and its detrital regolith, characterize the pigmentation of microbial mats around hydrothermal springs, and detect fossil organic matter in hydrothermal deposits. These field study examples demonstrate that SERS technology is sufficiently mature to be applied to many astrobiological analog studies on Earth. Many current and proposed imaging systems intended for remote deployment already posses the instrumental components needed for SERS. The addition of wet chemistry sample processing facilities to these instruments could yield field-deployable analytical instruments with a broadened analytical window for detecting organic compounds with a biological or geological origin.

Structural biology at the European X-ray free-electron laser facility

PubMed Central

Altarelli, Massimo; Mancuso, Adrian P.

2014-01-01

The European X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) facility, under construction in the Hamburg region, will provide high-peak brilliance (greater than 1033 photons s−1 mm−2 mrad−2 per 0.1% BW), ultrashort pulses (approx. 10 fs) of X-rays, with a high repetition rate (up to 27 000 pulses s−1) from 2016 onwards. The main features of this exceptional X-ray source, and the instrumentation developments necessary to exploit them fully, for application to a variety of scientific disciplines, are briefly summarized. In the case of structural biology, that has a central role in the scientific case of this new facility, the instruments and ancillary laboratories that are being planned and built within the baseline programme of the European XFEL and by consortia of users are also discussed. It is expected that the unique features of the source and the advanced features of the instrumentation will allow operation modes with more efficient use of sample materials, faster acquisition times, and conditions better approaching feasibility of single molecule imaging. PMID:24914145

Some Determinants of Employee Turnover in a Psychiatric Facility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zautra, Alex J.; And Others

1987-01-01

Used research from illness-prevention and job-enrichment approaches to enhancing quality of work environments to create instruments assessing number of job stressors and level of task interest on psychiatric hospital units. Instruments successfully predicted employee turnover during one year. Job stress and interaction between job stress and task…

Buffet test in the National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Clarence P., Jr.; Hergert, Dennis W.; Butler, Thomas W.; Herring, Fred M.

1992-01-01

A buffet test of a commercial transport model was accomplished in the National Transonic Facility at the NASA Langley Research Center. This aeroelastic test was unprecedented for this wind tunnel and posed a high risk to the facility. This paper presents the test results from a structural dynamics and aeroelastic response point of view and describes the activities required for the safety analysis and risk assessment. The test was conducted in the same manner as a flutter test and employed onboard dynamic instrumentation, real time dynamic data monitoring, automatic, and manual tunnel interlock systems for protecting the model. The procedures and test techniques employed for this test are expected to serve as the basis for future aeroelastic testing in the National Transonic Facility. This test program was a cooperative effort between the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company and the NASA Langley Research Center.

Modularized Parallel Neutron Instrument Simulation on the TeraGrid

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

Chen, Meili; Cobb, John W; Hagen, Mark E

2007-01-01

In order to build a bridge between the TeraGrid (TG), a national scale cyberinfrastructure resource, and neutron science, the Neutron Science TeraGrid Gateway (NSTG) is focused on introducing productive HPC usage to the neutron science community, primarily the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Monte Carlo simulations are used as a powerful tool for instrument design and optimization at SNS. One of the successful efforts of a collaboration team composed of NSTG HPC experts and SNS instrument scientists is the development of a software facility named PSoNI, Parallelizing Simulations of Neutron Instruments. Parallelizing the traditional serialmore » instrument simulation on TeraGrid resources, PSoNI quickly computes full instrument simulation at sufficient statistical levels in instrument de-sign. Upon SNS successful commissioning, to the end of 2007, three out of five commissioned instruments in SNS target station will be available for initial users. Advanced instrument study, proposal feasibility evalua-tion, and experiment planning are on the immediate schedule of SNS, which pose further requirements such as flexibility and high runtime efficiency on fast instrument simulation. PSoNI has been redesigned to meet the new challenges and a preliminary version is developed on TeraGrid. This paper explores the motivation and goals of the new design, and the improved software structure. Further, it describes the realized new fea-tures seen from MPI parallelized McStas running high resolution design simulations of the SEQUOIA and BSS instruments at SNS. A discussion regarding future work, which is targeted to do fast simulation for automated experiment adjustment and comparing models to data in analysis, is also presented.« less

Health facility committees and facility management - exploring the nature and depth of their roles in Coast Province, Kenya

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Community participation has been emphasized internationally as a way of enhancing accountability, as well as a means to enhance health goals in terms of coverage, access and effective utilization. In rural health facilities in Kenya, initiatives to increase community accountability have focused on Health Facility Committees (HFCs). In Coast Province the role of HFCs has been expanded with the introduction of direct funding of rural facilities. We explored the nature and depth of managerial engagement of HFCs at the facility level in two rural districts in this Coastal setting, and how this has contributed to community accountability Methods We conducted structured interviews with the health worker in-charge and with patients in 30 health centres and dispensaries. These data were supplemented with in-depth interviews with district managers, and with health workers and HFC members in 12 health centres and dispensaries. In-depth interviews with health workers and HFC members included a participatory exercise to stimulate discussion of the nature and depth of their roles in facility management. Results HFCs were generally functioning well and played an important role in facility operations. The breadth and depth of engagement had reportedly increased after the introduction of direct funding of health facilities which allowed HFCs to manage their own budgets. Although relations with facility staff were generally good, some mistrust was expressed between HFC members and health workers, and between HFC members and the broader community, partially reflecting a lack of clarity in HFC roles. Moreover, over half of exit interviewees were not aware of the HFC's existence. Women and less well-educated respondents were particularly unlikely to know about the HFC. Conclusions There is potential for HFCs to play an active and important role in health facility management, particularly where they have control over some facility level resources. However, to optimise their

Health facility committees and facility management - exploring the nature and depth of their roles in Coast Province, Kenya.

PubMed

Goodman, Catherine; Opwora, Antony; Kabare, Margaret; Molyneux, Sassy

2011-09-22

Community participation has been emphasized internationally as a way of enhancing accountability, as well as a means to enhance health goals in terms of coverage, access and effective utilization. In rural health facilities in Kenya, initiatives to increase community accountability have focused on Health Facility Committees (HFCs). In Coast Province the role of HFCs has been expanded with the introduction of direct funding of rural facilities. We explored the nature and depth of managerial engagement of HFCs at the facility level in two rural districts in this Coastal setting, and how this has contributed to community accountability We conducted structured interviews with the health worker in-charge and with patients in 30 health centres and dispensaries. These data were supplemented with in-depth interviews with district managers, and with health workers and HFC members in 12 health centres and dispensaries. In-depth interviews with health workers and HFC members included a participatory exercise to stimulate discussion of the nature and depth of their roles in facility management. HFCs were generally functioning well and played an important role in facility operations. The breadth and depth of engagement had reportedly increased after the introduction of direct funding of health facilities which allowed HFCs to manage their own budgets. Although relations with facility staff were generally good, some mistrust was expressed between HFC members and health workers, and between HFC members and the broader community, partially reflecting a lack of clarity in HFC roles. Moreover, over half of exit interviewees were not aware of the HFC's existence. Women and less well-educated respondents were particularly unlikely to know about the HFC. There is potential for HFCs to play an active and important role in health facility management, particularly where they have control over some facility level resources. However, to optimise their contribution, efforts are needed to

The problem of bias when nursing facility staff administer customer satisfaction surveys.

PubMed

Hodlewsky, R Tamara; Decker, Frederic H

2002-10-01

Customer satisfaction instruments are being used with increasing frequency to assess and monitor residents' assessments of quality of care in nursing facilities. There is no standard protocol, however, for how or by whom the instruments should be administered when anonymous, written responses are not feasible. Researchers often use outside interviewers to assess satisfaction, but cost considerations may limit the extent to which facilities are able to hire outside interviewers on a regular basis. This study was designed to investigate the existence and extent of any bias caused by staff administering customer satisfaction surveys. Customer satisfaction data were collected in 1998 from 265 residents in 21 nursing facilities in North Dakota. Half the residents in each facility were interviewed by staff members and the other half by outside consultants; scores were compared by interviewer type. In addition to a tabulation of raw scores, ordinary least-squares analysis with facility fixed effects was used to control for resident characteristics and unmeasured facility-level factors that could influence scores. Significant positive bias was found when staff members interviewed residents. The bias was not limited to questions directly affecting staff responsibilities but applied across all types of issues. The bias was robust under varying constructions of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. A uniform method of survey administration appears to be important if satisfaction data are to be used to compare facilities. Bias is an important factor that should be considered and weighed against the costs of obtaining outside interviewers when assessing customer satisfaction among long term care residents.

Job role quality and intention to leave current facility and to leave profession of direct care workers in Japanese residential facilities for elderly.

PubMed

Nakanishi, Miharu; Imai, Hisato

2012-01-01

The aim of the present study is to examine job role quality relating to intention to leave current facility and to leave profession among direct care workers in residential facilities for elderly in Japan. Direct care workers completed a paper questionnaire on October 2009. From 746 facilities in three prefectures (Tokyo, Shizuoka, and Yamagata) 6428 direct care workers with complete data were included in the analyses. The Job Role Quality (JRQ) scale was translated into Japanese language to assess job role quality. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that intention to leave current facility was primarily associated with job role quality: poor skill discretion, high job demand, and poor relationship with supervisor. Intention to leave profession was primarily associated with poor skill discretion. The results of the present study imply the strategies to direct care worker retention for each facility and policy efforts. Each facility can implement specific strategies such as enhanced variety of work and opportunity for use of skills, adequate job allocation, and improvement of supervisor-employee relationship in work place. Policy efforts should enhance broader career opportunities in care working such as advanced specialization and authorized medical practice. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A survey of experiments and experimental facilities for control of flexible structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sparks, Dean W., Jr.; Juang, Jer-Nan; Klose, Gerhard J.

1989-01-01

This paper presents a survey of U.S. ground experiments and facilities dedicated to the study of active control of flexible structures. The facilities will be briefly described in terms of capability, configuration, size and instrumentation. Topics on the experiments include vibration suppression, slewing and system identification. Future research directions, particularly of the NASA Langley Research Center's Controls/Structures Interaction (CSI) ground test program, will be discussed.

National Transonic Facility status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckinney, L. W.; Bruce, W. E., Jr.; Gloss, B. B.

1989-01-01

The National Transonic Facility (NTF) was operational in a combined checkout and test mode for about 3 years. During this time there were many challenges associated with movement of mechanical components, operation of instrumentation systems, and drying of insulation in the cryogenic environment. Most of these challenges were met to date along with completion of a basic flow calibration and aerodynamic tests of a number of configurations. Some of the major challenges resulting from cryogenic environment are reviewed with regard to hardware systems and data quality. Reynolds number effects on several configurations are also discussed.

BASD: SIRTF Telescope Instrument Changeout and Cryogen Replenishment (STICCR) study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mord, A. J.; Urbach, A. R.; Poyer, M. E.; Andreozzi, L. C.; Hermanson, L. A.; Snyder, H. A.; Blalock, W. R.; Haight, R. P.

1985-01-01

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a long-life cryogenically cooled space-based telescope for infrared astronomy from 2 micrometer to 700 miocrometers currently under study by NASA-ARC, and planned for launch in approximately the mid 90's. SIRTF will operate as a multi-user facility, initially carrying 3 instruments at the focal plane. It will be cooled to below 2 K by superfluid liquid helium to achieve radiometric sensitivity limited only by the statistical fluctuations in the natural infrared background radiation over most of its spectral range. The lifetime of the mission will be limited by the lifetime of the liquid helium supply, and is currently baselined to be 2 years. The telescope changes required to allow in-space replenishment of the 2,000 liter superfluid helium tank are investigated. A preliminary design for the space services equipment is also developed. The impacts of basing the equipment and servicing on the space station are investigated. Space replenishment and changeout of instruments requires changes to the telescope design and preliminary concepts are presented.

Proposed Facility Modifications to Support Propulsion Systems Testing Under Simulated Space Conditions at Plum Brook Station's Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility (B-2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Daryl A.

2007-01-01

Preparing NASA's Plum Brook Station's Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility (B-2) to support NASA's new generation of launch vehicles has raised many challenges for B-2 s support staff. The facility provides a unique capability to test chemical propulsion systems/vehicles while simulating space thermal and vacuum environments. Designed and constructed 4 decades ago to support upper stage cryogenic engine/vehicle system development, the Plum Brook Station B-2 facility will require modifications to support the larger, more powerful, and more advanced engine systems for the next generation of vehicles leaving earth's orbit. Engine design improvements over the years have included large area expansion ratio nozzles, greater combustion chamber pressures, and advanced materials. Consequently, it has become necessary to determine what facility changes are required and how the facility can be adapted to support varying customers and their specific test needs. Instrumental in this task is understanding the present facility capabilities and identifying what reasonable changes can be implemented. A variety of approaches and analytical tools are being employed to gain this understanding. This paper discusses some of the challenges in applying these tools to this project and expected facility configuration to support the varying customer needs.

The Lewis Research Center geomagnetic substorm simulation facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berkopec, F. D.; Stevens, N. J.; Sturman, J. C.

1977-01-01

A simulation facility was established to determine the response of typical spacecraft materials to the geomagnetic substorm environment and to evaluate instrumentation that will be used to monitor spacecraft system response to this environment. Space environment conditions simulated include the thermal-vacuum conditions of space, solar simulation, geomagnetic substorm electron fluxes and energies, and the low energy plasma environment. Measurements for spacecraft material tests include sample currents, sample surface potentials, and the cumulative number of discharges. Discharge transients are measured by means of current probes and oscilloscopes and are verified by a photomultiplier. Details of this facility and typical operating procedures are presented.

Limited-scope probabilistic safety analysis for the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF)

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

Sharirli, M.; Rand, J.L.; Sasser, M.K.

1992-01-01

The reliability of instrumentation and safety systems is a major issue in the operation of accelerator facilities. A probabilistic safety analysis was performed or the key safety and instrumentation systems at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). in Phase I of this unique study, the Personnel Safety System (PSS) and the Current Limiters (XLs) were analyzed through the use of the fault tree analyses, failure modes and effects analysis, and criticality analysis. Phase II of the program was done to update and reevaluate the safety systems after the Phase I recommendations were implemented. This paper provides a brief reviewmore » of the studies involved in Phases I and II of the program.« less

Limited-scope probabilistic safety analysis for the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF)

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

Sharirli, M.; Rand, J.L.; Sasser, M.K.

1992-12-01

The reliability of instrumentation and safety systems is a major issue in the operation of accelerator facilities. A probabilistic safety analysis was performed or the key safety and instrumentation systems at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). in Phase I of this unique study, the Personnel Safety System (PSS) and the Current Limiters (XLs) were analyzed through the use of the fault tree analyses, failure modes and effects analysis, and criticality analysis. Phase II of the program was done to update and reevaluate the safety systems after the Phase I recommendations were implemented. This paper provides a brief reviewmore » of the studies involved in Phases I and II of the program.« less

Advanced instrumentation for aeronautical propulsion research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartmann, M. J.

1986-01-01

The development and use of advanced instrumentation and measurement systems are key to extending the understanding of the physical phenomena that limit the advancement of aeropropulsion systems. The data collected by using these systems are necessary to verify numerical models and to increase the technologists' intuition into the physical phenomena. The systems must be versatile enough to allow their use with older technology measurement systems, with computer-based data reduction systems, and with existing test facilities. Researchers in all aeropropulsion fields contribute to the development of these systems.

Gyroscopic Instruments for Instrument Flying

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brombacher, W G; Trent, W C

1938-01-01

The gyroscopic instruments commonly used in instrument flying in the United States are the turn indicator, the directional gyro, the gyromagnetic compass, the gyroscopic horizon, and the automatic pilot. These instruments are described. Performance data and the method of testing in the laboratory are given for the turn indicator, the directional gyro, and the gyroscopic horizon. Apparatus for driving the instruments is discussed.

Facile formation of Ag{sub 2}WO{sub 4}/AgX (X = Cl, Br, I) hybrid nanorods with enhanced visible-light-driven photoelectrochemical properties

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

Li, Jingjing; Yu, Caiyun; Zheng, Changcheng

2015-01-15

Highlights: • Ag{sub 2}WO{sub 4}/AgX hybrid nanorods were prepared by a facile in-situ anion exchange reaction. • Ag{sub 2}WO{sub 4} nanorods and different X{sup −} ions were reacted in water at room temperature. • The hybrids possess significantly enhanced photoelectrochemical properties. • Ag{sub 2}WO{sub 4}/AgBr hybrids exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity among three samples. • The active species tests were also investigated to confirm photocatalytic mechanism. - Abstract: In this work, we demonstrated a general strategy for the preparation of a series of uniform Ag{sub 2}WO{sub 4}/AgX (X = Cl, Br, I) hybrid nanorods by a facile in-situ anion exchangemore » reaction occurring at room temperature between pregrown Ag{sub 2}WO{sub 4} nanorods and different X{sup −} ions in water. Compared with Ag{sub 2}WO{sub 4} nanorods, further investigation has revealed that the as-prepared hybrid nanorods possess significantly enhanced photocurrent response and photocatalytic activity in degrading methyl orange (MO) under visible-light irradiation. In particular, the Ag{sub 2}WO{sub 4}/AgBr hybrid nanorods exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity among the three kinds of samples. The active species tests indicate that superoxide anion radicals and photogenerated holes are responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic performance.« less

Catecholaminergic challenge uncovers distinct Pavlovian and instrumental mechanisms of motivated (in)action

PubMed Central

Swart, Jennifer C; Froböse, Monja I; Cook, Jennifer L; Geurts, Dirk EM; Frank, Michael J; Cools, Roshan; den Ouden, Hanneke EM

2017-01-01

Catecholamines modulate the impact of motivational cues on action. Such motivational biases have been proposed to reflect cue-based, ‘Pavlovian’ effects. Here, we assess whether motivational biases may also arise from asymmetrical instrumental learning of active and passive responses following reward and punishment outcomes. We present a novel paradigm, allowing us to disentangle the impact of reward and punishment on instrumental learning from Pavlovian response biasing. Computational analyses showed that motivational biases reflect both Pavlovian and instrumental effects: reward and punishment cues promoted generalized (in)action in a Pavlovian manner, whereas outcomes enhanced instrumental (un)learning of chosen actions. These cue- and outcome-based biases were altered independently by the catecholamine enhancer melthylphenidate. Methylphenidate’s effect varied across individuals with a putative proxy of baseline dopamine synthesis capacity, working memory span. Our study uncovers two distinct mechanisms by which motivation impacts behaviour, and helps refine current models of catecholaminergic modulation of motivated action. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22169.001 PMID:28504638

Catecholaminergic challenge uncovers distinct Pavlovian and instrumental mechanisms of motivated (in)action.

PubMed

Swart, Jennifer C; Froböse, Monja I; Cook, Jennifer L; Geurts, Dirk Em; Frank, Michael J; Cools, Roshan; den Ouden, Hanneke Em

2017-05-15

Catecholamines modulate the impact of motivational cues on action. Such motivational biases have been proposed to reflect cue-based, 'Pavlovian' effects. Here, we assess whether motivational biases may also arise from asymmetrical instrumental learning of active and passive responses following reward and punishment outcomes. We present a novel paradigm, allowing us to disentangle the impact of reward and punishment on instrumental learning from Pavlovian response biasing. Computational analyses showed that motivational biases reflect both Pavlovian and instrumental effects: reward and punishment cues promoted generalized (in)action in a Pavlovian manner, whereas outcomes enhanced instrumental (un)learning of chosen actions. These cue- and outcome-based biases were altered independently by the catecholamine enhancer melthylphenidate. Methylphenidate's effect varied across individuals with a putative proxy of baseline dopamine synthesis capacity, working memory span. Our study uncovers two distinct mechanisms by which motivation impacts behaviour, and helps refine current models of catecholaminergic modulation of motivated action.

Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF): Science working group report. [space shuttle payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) mission concept is examined from a scientific viewpoint. A brief description of the development of X-ray astronomy and a summary description of AXAF, the scientific objectives of the facility, a description of representative scientific instruments, requirements for X-ray ground testing, and a summary of studies related to spacecraft and support subsystems, are included.

Characterisation and optimisation of the new Prompt Gamma-ray Activation Analysis (PGAA) facility at FRM II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canella, Lea; Kudějová, Petra; Schulze, Ralf; Türler, Andreas; Jolie, Jan

2011-04-01

At the research reactor Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) a new Prompt Gamma-ray Activation Analysis (PGAA) facility was installed. The instrument was originally built and operating at the spallation source at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. After a careful re-design in 2004-2006, the new PGAA instrument was ready for operation at FRM II. In this paper the main characteristics and the current operation conditions of the facility are described. The neutron flux at the sample position can reach up 6.07×1010 [cm-2 s-1], thus the optimisation of some parameters, e.g. the beam background, was necessary in order to achieve a satisfactory analytical sensitivity for routine measurements. Once the optimal conditions were reached, detection limits and sensitivities for some elements, like for example H, B, C, Si, or Pb, were calculated and compared with other PGAA facilities. A standard reference material was also measured in order to show the reliability of the analysis under different conditions at this instrument.

Use of IRIS image-enhancement facilities on digital images by radiologists during a clinical trial at the Ottawa Civic Hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coristine, Marjorie; Goldberg, Morris; Beeton, Carolyn; Dillon, Richard F.; Tombaugh, Jo W.; Belanger, Garry; Ahuja, J.

1990-07-01

The Integrated Radiological Information System (IRIS) supports the capture and distribution of digitized x-ray images and voice reports in the form of " electronic" patient folders which can be accessed at physician workstations throughout the hospital. Each workstation has an image screen to display documents and x-ray images a control screen to access patient folders and a hands-free telephone to dictate and play back reports and enable consultation between radiologist and clinician workstations. A seven week clinical trial of IRIS was conducted at the Ottawa Civic Hospital during April and May 1989. The system operated to process cases from the Department of Emergency Medicine weekday afternoons. Observers recorded for each case how radiologists used the system. After the trial radiologists participated in an extensive debriefing interview during which they were asked to complete a number of rating scales addressing the following issues: 1) willingness to diagnose by tissue type and by type of pathology 2) seriousness of problems due to system limitations 3) the perceived usefulness of enhancement capabilities and measurement tools. Overall the system was found to be acceptable by the radiologists. There was some concern about diagnosis in soft tissue regions. Most of the system features were regarded as acceptable but there were areas which needed improvement. The suggested improvements are described where applicable. The enhancement facilities and the means of using the facilities were acceptable overall. 426 /

Status report on the activities of National Balloon Facility at Hyderabad

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shankarnarayan, Sreenivasan; S, Sreenivasan; Shankarnarayan, Sreenivasan; Manchanda, R. K.; Subba Rao Jonnalagadda, Venkata; Buduru, Suneelkumar

National balloon facility at Hyderabad has been mandated to provide launch support for Indian and International scientific balloon experiments and also perform the necessary research and development in the design and fabrication of plastic balloons. In the last 4 years, since our last report, NBF has launched many successful balloon flights for the astronomy payloads and a large number of high altitude GPS Sonde flights at different places in the country. We have also continued our efforts on qualification of raw materials for zero-failure performance of our balloons and major focus on upgrading of various facilities and load-line instrumentation for launching from remote sites. We foresee a surge of balloon based experimental activity for in-situ measurements in atmospheric sciences and concept validation payloads for future space based instruments. A new centre for research in Environmental Sciences and Payload Engineering (ESPE) has also been set up at the National Balloon Facility campus to develop and conduct research in various aspects of Environmental sciences in collaboration with other groups, with a specific goal to identify, development of advanced technologies leading to an improved understanding of the earth system. The Payload Engineering facility is geared to the Design and Fabrication of Micro and Nano Satellites and will act as Inter -University Centre for payload fabrication. In this paper we present an overview of the present and planned activities in scientific ballooning at National Balloon Facility Hyderabad.

Neutron Depth Profiling: Overview and Description of NIST Facilities

PubMed Central

Downing, R. G.; Lamaze, G. P.; Langland, J. K.; Hwang, S. T.

1993-01-01

The Cold Neutron Depth Profiling (CNDP) instrument at the NIST Cold Neutron Research Facility (CNRF) is now operational. The neutron beam originates from a 16 L D2O ice cold source and passes through a filter of 135 mm of single crystal sapphire. The neutron energy spectrum may be described by a 65 K Maxwellian distribution. The sample chamber configuration allows for remote controlled scanning of 150 × 150 mm sample areas including the varying of both sample and detector angle. The improved sensitivity over the current thermal depth profiling instrument has permitted the first nondestructive measurements of 17O profiles. This paper describes the CNDP instrument, illustrates the neutron depth profiling (NDP) technique with examples, and gives a separate bibliography of NDP publications. PMID:28053461

New synchrotron powder diffraction facility for long-duration experiments

PubMed Central

Murray, Claire A.; Potter, Jonathan; Day, Sarah J.; Baker, Annabelle R.; Thompson, Stephen P.; Kelly, Jon; Morris, Christopher G.; Tang, Chiu C.

2017-01-01

A new synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction instrument has been built and commissioned for long-duration experiments on beamline I11 at Diamond Light Source. The concept is unique, with design features to house multiple experiments running in parallel, in particular with specific stages for sample environments to study slow kinetic systems or processes. The instrument benefits from a high-brightness X-ray beam and a large area detector. Diffraction data from the commissioning work have shown that the objectives and criteria are met. Supported by two case studies, the results from months of measurements have demonstrated the viability of this large-scale instrument, which is the world’s first dedicated facility for long-term studies (weeks to years) using synchrotron radiation. PMID:28190992

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Cryogenic Component Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Packard, Edward A.

2004-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides information on the design, construction, and operation of a cryogenic chamber, and its use in testing the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility

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

Grames, Joseph; Higinbotham, Douglas; Montgomery, Hugh

The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in Newport News, Virginia, USA, is one of ten national laboratories under the aegis of the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It is managed and operated by Jefferson Science Associates, LLC. The primary facility at Jefferson Lab is the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) as shown in an aerial photograph in Figure 1. Jefferson Lab was created in 1984 as CEBAF and started operations for physics in 1995. The accelerator uses superconducting radio-frequency (srf) techniques to generate high-quality beams of electrons with high-intensity, well-controlled polarization. Themore » technology has enabled ancillary facilities to be created. The CEBAF facility is used by an international user community of more than 1200 physicists for a program of exploration and study of nuclear, hadronic matter, the strong interaction and quantum chromodynamics. Additionally, the exceptional quality of the beams facilitates studies of the fundamental symmetries of nature, which complement those of atomic physics on the one hand and of high-energy particle physics on the other. The facility is in the midst of a project to double the energy of the facility and to enhance and expand its experimental facilities. Studies are also pursued with a Free-Electron Laser produced by an energy-recovering linear accelerator.« less

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Integrated Science Instruments Module (ISIM) Cryo-Vacuum (CV) Test Campaign Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yew, Calinda; Whitehouse, Paul; Lui, Yan; Banks, Kimberly

2016-01-01

JWST Integrated Science Instruments Module (ISIM) has completed its system-level testing program at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). In March 2016, ISIM was successfully delivered for integration with the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) after the successful verification of the system through a series of three cryo-vacuum (CV) tests. The first test served as a risk reduction test; the second test provided the initial verification of the fully-integrated flight instruments; and the third test verified the system in its final flight configuration. The complexity of the mission has generated challenging requirements that demand highly reliable system performance and capabilities from the Space Environment Simulator (SES) vacuum chamber. As JWST progressed through its CV testing campaign, deficiencies in the test configuration and support equipment were uncovered from one test to the next. Subsequent upgrades and modifications were implemented to improve the facility support capabilities required to achieve test requirements. This paper: (1) provides an overview of the integrated mechanical and thermal facility systems required to achieve the objectives of JWST ISIM testing, (2) compares the overall facility performance and instrumentation results from the three ISIM CV tests, and (3) summarizes lessons learned from the ISIM testing campaign.

Europlanet Research Infrastructure: Planetary Simulation Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, G. R.; Mason, N. J.; Green, S.; Gómez, F.; Prieto, O.; Helbert, J.; Colangeli, L.; Srama, R.; Grande, M.; Merrison, J.

2008-09-01

EuroPlanet The Europlanet Research Infrastructure consortium funded under FP7 aims to provide the EU Planetary Science community greater access for to research infrastructure. A series of networking and outreach initiatives will be complimented by joint research activities and the formation of three Trans National Access distributed service laboratories (TNA's) to provide a unique and comprehensive set of analogue field sites, laboratory simulation facilities, and extraterrestrial sample analysis tools. Here we report on the infrastructure that comprises the second TNA; Planetary Simulation Facilities. 11 laboratory based facilities are able to recreate the conditions found in the atmospheres and on the surfaces of planetary systems with specific emphasis on Martian, Titan and Europa analogues. The strategy has been to offer some overlap in capabilities to ensure access to the highest number of users and to allow for progressive and efficient development strategies. For example initial testing of mobility capability prior to the step wise development within planetary atmospheres that can be made progressively more hostile through the introduction of extreme temperatures, radiation, wind and dust. Europlanet Research Infrastructure Facilties: Mars atmosphere simulation chambers at VUA and OU These relatively large chambers (up to 1 x 0.5 x 0.5 m) simulate Martian atmospheric conditions and the dual cooling options at VUA allows stabilised instrument temperatures while the remainder of the sample chamber can be varied between 220K and 350K. Researchers can therefore assess analytical protocols for instruments operating on Mars; e.g. effect of pCO2, temperature and material (e.g., ± ice) on spectroscopic and laser ablation techniques while monitoring the performance of detection technologies such as CCD at low T & variable p H2O & pCO2. Titan atmosphere and surface simulation chamber at OU The chamber simulates Titan's atmospheric composition under a range of

Thermal Radiation Source Test Facility, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico

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

Taylor, W.F.

This report describes the Thermal Radiation Source (TRS) Test Facility at Kirtland AF Base, New Mexico. It lists the instrumentation and equipment available for use by DOD and other government agencies studying the effects produced by nuclear weapons.

Description of Liquid Nitrogen Experimental Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurns, John M.; Jacobs, Richard E.; Saiyed, Naseem H.

1991-01-01

The Liquid Nitrogen Test Facility is a unique test facility for ground-based liquid nitrogen experimentation. The test rig consists of an insulated tank of approximately 12.5 cubic ft in volume, which is supplied with liquid nitrogen from a 300 gal dewar via a vacuum jacketed piping system. The test tank is fitted with pressure and temperature measuring instrumentation, and with two view ports which allow visual observation of test conditions. To demonstrate the capabilities of the facility, the initial test program is briefly described. The objective of the test program is to measure the condensation rate by injecting liquid nitrogen as a subcooled spray into the ullage of a tank 50 percent full of liquid nitrogen at saturated conditions. The condensation rate of the nitrogen vapor on the subcooled spray can be analytically modeled, and results validated and corrected by experimentally measuring the vapor condensation on liquid sprays.

Description of liquid nitrogen experimental test facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurns, J. M.; Jacobs, R. E.; Saiyed, N. H.

1992-01-01

The Liquid Nitrogen Test Facility is a unique test facility for ground-based liquid nitrogen experimentation. The test rig consists of an insulated tank of approximately 12.5 cubic ft in volume, which is supplied with liquid nitrogen from a 300 gal dewar via a vacuum jacketed piping system. The test tank is fitted with pressure and temperature measuring instrumentation, and with two view ports which allow visual observation of test conditions. To demonstrate the capabilities of the facility, the initial test program is briefly described. The objective of the test program is to measure the condensation rate by injecting liquid nitrogen as a subcooled spray into the ullage of a tank 50 percent full of liquid nitrogen at saturated conditions. The condensation rate of the nitrogen vapor on the subcooled spray can be analytically modeled, and results validated and corrected by experimentally measuring the vapor condensation on liquid sprays.

Multidimensional Testing of Thermal Protection Materials in the Arcjet Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agrawal, Parul; Ellerby, Donald T.; Switzer, Matt R.; Squire, Thomas Howard

2010-01-01

Many thermal protection system materials used for spacecraft heatshields have anisotropic thermal properties, causing them to display significantly different thermal characteristics in different directions, when subjected to a heating environment during flight or arcjet tests. The anisotropic effects are enhanced in the presence of sidewall heating. This paper investigates the effects of anisotropic thermal properties of thermal protection materials coupled with sidewall heating in the arcjet environment. Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) and LI-2200 materials (the insulation material of Shuttle tiles) were used for this study. First, conduction-based thermal response simulations were carried out, using the Marc.Mentat finite element solver, to study the effects of sidewall heating on PICA arcjet coupons. The simulation showed that sidewall heating plays a significant role in thermal response of these models. Arcjet tests at the Aerodynamic Heating Facility (AHF) at NASA Ames Research Center were performed later on instrumented coupons to obtain temperature history at sidewall and various radial locations. The details of instrumentation and experimental technique are the prime focus of this paper. The results obtained from testing confirmed that sidewall heating plays a significant role in thermal response of these models. The test results were later used to validate the two-dimensional ablation, thermal response, and sizing program, TITAN. The test data and model predictions were found to be in excellent agreement

Caesium sputter ion source compatible with commercial SIMS instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belykh, S. F.; Palitsin, V. V.; Veryovkin, I. V.; Kovarsky, A. P.; Chang, R. J. H.; Adriaens, A.; Dowsett, M.; Adams, F.

2006-07-01

A simple design for a caesium sputter cluster ion source compatible with commercially available secondary ion mass spectrometers is reported. This source has been tested with the Cameca IMS 4f instrument using the cluster Si n- and Cu n- ions, and will shortly be retrofitted to the floating low energy ion gun (FLIG) of the type used on the Cameca 4500/4550 quadruple instruments. Our experiments with surface characterization and depth profiling conducted to date demonstrate improvements of analytical capabilities of the SIMS instrument due to the non-additive enhancement of secondary ion emission and shorter ion ranges of polyatomic projectiles compared to atomic ions with the same impact energy.

AN INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF ARC PLASMA JETS

DTIC Science & Technology

The instrument was calibrated by moving aluminum or graphite rods through the transducer. By using thin-wall, stainless steel tubing, the influence ... function for the transducer was also obtained. Tests were run on two different arc plasma jet facilities. Values of s, u ranged from 0.02 to 9 megamhos per second. (Author)

Instrument Development of Real Time Holographic Water Drop Size Measurement System

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

Springston, Stephen

2007-02-09

BNL participated with multiple correspondences with Physical Optics Corporation (POC) on the design considerations of an airbome instrument. A pod for extemal deployment ofthe POC unit on the DOE Research Aircraft Facility (RAF), an instrumented, Grumman G-1 aircraft was loaned to POC. BNL proposed evaluation flight tests between the POC unit and the BNL Cloud Aerosol Probe Spectrometer (CAPS) as a reference method. BNL's involvement is described in the semi-annual report ofPOC to DOE. Because of unanticipated technical and engineering difficulties, POC was unable to fit their instrument into an aircraft pod. As a result they are now focusing onmore » a ground-based version first. A prototype laboratory version of the Real-Time Holographic Water Drop Size Measurement (WDSM) System has been constructed.« less

AMF3 ARM's Research Facility and MAOS at Oliktok Point Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helsel, F.; Ivey, M.; Dexheimer, D.; Hardesty, J.; Lucero, D. A.; Roesler, E. L.

2016-12-01

Scientific Infrastructure To Support Atmospheric Science And Aerosol Science For The Department Of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Programs Mobile Facility 3 Located At Oliktok Point, Alaska.The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program's Mobile Facility 3 (AMF3) located at Oliktok Point, Alaska is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) site designed to collect data to determine the impact that clouds and aerosols have on solar radiation. The site provides a scientific infrastructure and data archives for the international Arctic research community. The infrastructure at Oliktok is designed to be mobile and it may be relocated in the future to support other ARM science missions. AMF3's present instruments include: scanning precipitation Radar-cloud radar, Raman Lidar, Eddy correlation flux systems, Ceilometer, Balloon sounding system, Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI), Micro-pulse Lidar (MPL), Millimeter cloud radar along with all the standard metrological measurements. A Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS) has been added to AMF3 in 2016 more details of the instrumentation at www.arm.gov/sites/amf/mobile-aos. Data from these instruments are placed in the ARM data archives and are available to the international research community. This poster will discuss what instruments are at the ARM Program's AMF3 and highlight the newest addition to AMF3, the Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS).

Eroding market stability by proliferation of financial instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caccioli, F.; Marsili, M.; Vivo, P.

2009-10-01

We contrast Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT), the theoretical basis for the development of financial instruments, with a dynamical picture of an interacting market, in a simple setting. The proliferation of financial instruments apparently provides more means for risk diversification, making the market more efficient and complete. In the simple market of interacting traders discussed here, the proliferation of financial instruments erodes systemic stability and it drives the market to a critical state characterized by large susceptibility, strong fluctuations and enhanced correlations among risks. This suggests that the hypothesis of APT may not be compatible with a stable market dynamics. In this perspective, market stability acquires the properties of a common good, which suggests that appropriate measures should be introduced in derivative markets, to preserve stability. in here

Instrumentation for optical remote sensing from space; Proceedings of the Meeting, Cannes, France, November 27-29, 1985

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seeley, John S. (Editor); Lear, John W. (Editor); Russak, Sidney L. (Editor); Monfils, Andre (Editor)

1986-01-01

Papers are presented on such topics as the development of the Imaging Spectrometer for Shuttle and space platform applications; the in-flight calibration of pushbroom remote sensing instruments for the SPOT program; buttable detector arrays for 1.55-1.7 micron imaging; the design of the Improved Stratospheric and Mesospheric Sounder on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite; and SAGE II design and in-orbit performance. Consideration is also given to the Shuttle Imaging Radar-B/C instruments; the Venus Radar Mapper multimode radar system design; various ISO instruments (ISOCAM, ISOPHOT, and SWS and LWS); and instrumentation for the Space Infrared Telescope Facility.

121. VIEW OF CABINETS ON WEST SIDE OF LANDLINE INSTRUMENTATION ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

121. VIEW OF CABINETS ON WEST SIDE OF LANDLINE INSTRUMENTATION ROOM (206), LSB (BLDG. 751). FEATURES LEFT TO RIGHT: FACILITY DISTRIBUTION CONSOLE FOR WATER CONTROL SYSTEMS, PROPULSION ELECTRICAL CHECKOUT SYSTEM (PECOS), LOGIC CONTROL AND MONITOR UNITS FOR BOOSTER AND FUEL SYSTEMS. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

Basic instrumentation for Hall A at Jefferson Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcorn, J.; Anderson, B. D.; Aniol, K. A.; Annand, J. R. M.; Auerbach, L.; Arrington, J.; Averett, T.; Baker, F. T.; Baylac, M.; Beise, E. J.; Berthot, J.; Bertin, P. Y.; Bertozzi, W.; Bimbot, L.; Black, T.; Boeglin, W. U.; Boykin, D. V.; Brash, E. J.; Breton, V.; Breuer, H.; Brindza, P.; Brown, D.; Burtin, E.; Calarco, J. R.; Cardman, L. S.; Carr, R.; Cates, G. D.; Cavata, C.; Chai, Z.; Chang, C. C.; Chant, N. S.; Chen, J.-P.; Choi, S.; Chudakov, E.; Churchwell, S.; Coman, M.; Cisbani, E.; Colilli, S.; Colombel, N.; Crateri, R.; Dale, D. S.; Degrande, N.; de Jager, C. W.; De Leo, R.; Deur, A.; Dezern, G.; Diederich, B.; Dieterich, S.; di Salvo, R.; Djawotho, P.; Domingo, J.; Ducret, J.-E.; Dutta, D.; Egiyan, K.; Epstein, M. B.; Escoffier, S.; Esp, S.; Ewell, L. A.; Finn, J. M.; Fissum, K. G.; Folts, E.; Fonvieille, H.; Frois, B.; Frullani, S.; Gao, H.; Gao, J.; Garibaldi, F.; Gasparian, A.; Gavalya, A.; Gayou, O.; Gilad, S.; Gilman, R.; Giuliani, F.; Glamazdin, A.; Glashausser, C.; Gomez, J.; Gorbenko, V.; Gorringe, T.; Gricia, M.; Griffioen, K.; Hamilton, D.; Hansen, J.-O.; Hersman, F. W.; Higinbotham, D. W.; Holmes, R.; Holmgren, H.; Holtrop, M.; d'Hose, N.; Hovhannisyan, E.; Howell, C.; Huber, G. M.; Hughes, E.; Hyde-Wright, C. E.; Ibrahim, H.; Incerti, S.; Iodice, M.; Iommi, R.; Ireland, D.; Jaminion, S.; Jardillier, J.; Jensen, S.; Jiang, X.; Jones, C. E.; Jones, M. K.; Joo, K.; Jutier, C.; Kahl, W.; Kato, S.; Katramatou, A. T.; Kelly, J. J.; Kerhoas, S.; Ketikyan, A.; Khandaker, M.; Khayat, M.; Kino, K.; Kominis, I.; Korsch, W.; Kox, S.; Kramer, K.; Kumar, K. S.; Kumbartzki, G.; Kuss, M.; Lagamba, L.; Laveissière, G.; Leone, A.; LeRose, J. J.; Marie, F.; Levchuk, L.; Leuschner, M.; Lhuillier, D.; Liang, M.; Livingston, K.; Lindgren, R. A.; Liyanage, N.; Lolos, G. J.; Lourie, R. W.; Lucentini, M.; Madey, R.; Maeda, K.; Malov, S.; Manley, D. M.; Margaziotis, D. J.; Markowitz, P.; Marroncle, J.; Martine, J.; Mayilyan, S.; McCarthy, J. S.; McCormick, K.; Mclntyre, J.; McKeown, R. D.; Meekins, D.; van der Meer, R. L. J.; Meziani, Z.-E.; Michaels, R.; Milbrath, B.; Miller, J. A.; Miller, W.; Mitchell, J.; Mougey, J.; Nanda, S.; Nathan, A.; Neyret, D.; Offermann, E. A. J. M.; Papandreou, Z.; Perdrisat, C. F.; Perrino, R.; Petratos, G. G.; Petrosyan, A.; Pierangeli, L.; Platchkov, S.; Pomatsalyuk, R.; Pripstein, D.; Prout, D. L.; Punjabi, V. A.; Pussieux, T.; Quéméner, G.; Ransomez, R. D.; Ravel, O.; Reitz, B.; Roblin, Y.; Roche, R.; Roedelbronn, M.; Rondon-Aramayo, O. A.; Roos, P. G.; Rosner, G.; Rowntree, D.; Rutledge, G. A.; Rutt, P. M.; Rvachev, M.; Sabatavenere, F.; Saha, A.; Saito, T.; Santavenere, F.; Sarty, A. J.; Schneider, W. J.; Segal, J. P.; Serdarevic-Offermann, A.; Shahinyan, A.; Slifer, K.; Smith, T. P.; Soldi, A.; Sorokin, P.; Souder, P.; Spiegel, S. L.; Stevens, M. A.; Strauch, S.; Suleiman, R.; Templon, J. A.; Terasawa, T.; Todor, L.; Tsubota, H.; Ueno, H.; Ulmer, P. E.; Urciuoli, G. M.; Van Hoorebeke, L.; Van de Vyver, R.; van Verst, S.; Vernin, P.; Vlahovic, B.; Voskanyan, H.; Voutier, E.; Walter, R.; Watson, J. W.; Watts, D. P.; Weinstein, L. B.; Wijesooriya, K.; Wojtsekhowski, B.; Xiang, H.; Xiong, F.; Xu, W.; Zainea, D. G.; Zeps, V.; Zhao, J.; Zheng, X.; Zhou, Z.-L.; Zhu, L.; Zolnierczuk, P. A.

2004-04-01

The instrumentation in Hall A at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility was designed to study electro- and photo-induced reactions at very high luminosity and good momentum and angular resolution for at least one of the reaction products. The central components of Hall A are two identical high resolution spectrometers, which allow the vertical drift chambers in the focal plane to provide a momentum resolution of better than 2×10 -4. A variety of Cherenkov counters, scintillators and lead-glass calorimeters provide excellent particle identification. The facility has been operated successfully at a luminosity well in excess of 10 38 cm-2 s-1. The research program is aimed at a variety of subjects, including nucleon structure functions, nucleon form factors and properties of the nuclear medium.

A Change Management Approach to Enhance Facility Maintenance Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

dependent on the particular research effort and the researcher’s experience. Large groups tend to increase the decision quality but can be difficult...consolidate SME opinions on facility maintenance criteria. The Delphi method utilizes numerous questionnaire rounds to capitalize on a group think...effort provides the discussion and conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions for follow on research . 9 II. Literature Review This

Structural biology at the European X-ray free-electron laser facility.

PubMed

Altarelli, Massimo; Mancuso, Adrian P

2014-07-17

The European X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) facility, under construction in the Hamburg region, will provide high-peak brilliance (greater than 10(33) photons s(-1) mm(-2) mrad(-2) per 0.1% BW), ultrashort pulses (approx. 10 fs) of X-rays, with a high repetition rate (up to 27 000 pulses s(-1)) from 2016 onwards. The main features of this exceptional X-ray source, and the instrumentation developments necessary to exploit them fully, for application to a variety of scientific disciplines, are briefly summarized. In the case of structural biology, that has a central role in the scientific case of this new facility, the instruments and ancillary laboratories that are being planned and built within the baseline programme of the European XFEL and by consortia of users are also discussed. It is expected that the unique features of the source and the advanced features of the instrumentation will allow operation modes with more efficient use of sample materials, faster acquisition times, and conditions better approaching feasibility of single molecule imaging. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Facile synthesis of gold coated copper(II) hydroxide pine-needle-like micro/nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Kailin; Du, Deyang; Luo, Xiaoguang; Zhao, Weiwei; Wu, Zhangting; Si, Lifang; Qiu, Teng

2014-08-01

This work reports a facile method to fabricate gold coated copper(II) hydroxide pine-needle-like micro/nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) application. The effects of reaction parameters on the shape, size and surface morphology of the products are systematically investigated. The as-prepared 3D hierarchical structures have the advantage of a large surface area available for the formation of hot spots and the adsorption of target analytes, thus dramatically improving the Raman signals. The finite difference time domain calculations indicate that the pine-needle-like model pattern may demonstrate a high quality SERS property owing to the high density and abundant hot spot characteristic in closely spaced needle-like arms.

Facile synthesis of ultrahigh-surface-area hollow carbon nanospheres for enhanced adsorption and energy storage

PubMed Central

Xu, Fei; Tang, Zhiwei; Huang, Siqi; Chen, Luyi; Liang, Yeru; Mai, Weicong; Zhong, Hui; Fu, Ruowen; Wu, Dingcai

2015-01-01

Exceptionally large surface area and well-defined nanostructure are both critical in the field of nanoporous carbons for challenging energy and environmental issues. The pursuit of ultrahigh surface area while maintaining definite nanostructure remains a formidable challenge because extensive creation of pores will undoubtedly give rise to the damage of nanostructures, especially below 100 nm. Here we report that high surface area of up to 3,022 m2 g−1 can be achieved for hollow carbon nanospheres with an outer diameter of 69 nm by a simple carbonization procedure with carefully selected carbon precursors and carbonization conditions. The tailor-made pore structure of hollow carbon nanospheres enables target-oriented applications, as exemplified by their enhanced adsorption capability towards organic vapours, and electrochemical performances as electrodes for supercapacitors and sulphur host materials for lithium–sulphur batteries. The facile approach may open the doors for preparation of highly porous carbons with desired nanostructure for numerous applications. PMID:26072734

SPICE: An innovative, flexible instrument concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nishioka, Kenji; Cauffman, D. P.; Jurcevich, B.; Mendez, David J.; Ryder, James T.

1994-01-01

Studies and plans for orbital capture of cosmic dust and interplanetary dust particles (IDP's) looked very bright with the advent of space station Freedom (SSF) and formal selection of Cosmic Dust Collection Facility (CDCF) as an attached payload in 1990. Unfortunately it has been downhill since its selection, culminating in CDCF being dropped as attached payload in the SSF redesign process this year. This action was without any input from the science or cosmic dust communities. The Exobiology Intact Capture Experiment (Exo-ICE) as an experiment on CDCF was also lost. Without CDCF, no facility-class instrument for cosmic dust studies is available or planned. When CDCF (and Exo-ICE) was selected as a SSF attached payload, an exercise called the small particle intact capture experiment (SPICE) was started for Exo-ICE to develop an understanding and early testing of the necessary expertise and technology for intact capture of cosmic dust and IDP's. This SPICE activity looks to fly small, meter square or less, collection area experiments on early orbital platforms of opportunity such as EURECA, MIR, WESTAR, and others, including the shuttle. The SPICE activity has focused on developing techniques and instrument concepts to capture particles intact and without inadvertent contamination. It began with a survey and screening of available capture media concepts and then focused on the development of a capture medium that can meet these requirements. Evaluation and development of the chosen capture medium, aerogel (a silicon oxide gel), has so far lived up to the expectations of meeting the requirements and is highlighted in a companion paper at this workshop. Others such as McDonnell's Timeband Capture Cell Experiment (TICCE) on EuReCa and Tsuo's GAS-CAN lid experiments on STS 47 and 57 have flown aerogel, but without addressing the contamination issue/requirement, especially regarding organics. Horz, Zolenskym and others have studied and have also been advocates for its

The effects of self-efficacy enhancing program on foot self-care behaviour of older adults with diabetes: A randomised controlled trial in elderly care facility, Peninsular Malaysia.

PubMed

Ahmad Sharoni, Siti Khuzaimah; Abdul Rahman, Hejar; Minhat, Halimatus Sakdiah; Shariff-Ghazali, Sazlina; Azman Ong, Mohd Hanafi

2018-01-01

Self-care behaviour is essential in preventing diabetes foot problems. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of health education programs based on the self-efficacy theory on foot self-care behaviour for older adults with diabetes. A randomised controlled trial was conducted for 12 weeks among older adults with diabetes in elderly care facility in Peninsular Malaysia. Six elderly care facility were randomly allocated by an independent person into two groups (intervention and control). The intervention group (three elderly care facility) received a health education program on foot self-care behaviour while the control group (three elderly care facility) received standard care. Participants were assessed at baseline, and at week-4 and week-12 follow-ups. The primary outcome was foot-self-care behaviour. Foot care self-efficacy (efficacy expectation), foot care outcome expectation, knowledge of foot care and quality of life were the secondary outcomes. Data were analysed with Mixed Design Analysis of Variance using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.0. 184 respondents were recruited but only 76 met the selection criteria and were included in the analysis. Foot self-care behaviour, foot care self-efficacy (efficacy expectation), foot care outcome expectation and knowledge of foot care improved in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). However, some of these improvements did not significantly differ compared to the control group for QoL physical symptoms and QoL psychosocial functioning (p > 0.05). The self-efficacy enhancing program improved foot self-care behaviour with respect to the delivered program. It is expected that in the future, the self-efficacy theory can be incorporated into diabetes education to enhance foot self-care behaviour for elderly with diabetes living in other institutional care facilities. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12616000210471.

The effects of self-efficacy enhancing program on foot self-care behaviour of older adults with diabetes: A randomised controlled trial in elderly care facility, Peninsular Malaysia

PubMed Central

Abdul Rahman, Hejar; Minhat, Halimatus Sakdiah; Shariff-Ghazali, Sazlina; Azman Ong, Mohd Hanafi

2018-01-01

Background Self-care behaviour is essential in preventing diabetes foot problems. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of health education programs based on the self-efficacy theory on foot self-care behaviour for older adults with diabetes. Methods A randomised controlled trial was conducted for 12 weeks among older adults with diabetes in elderly care facility in Peninsular Malaysia. Six elderly care facility were randomly allocated by an independent person into two groups (intervention and control). The intervention group (three elderly care facility) received a health education program on foot self-care behaviour while the control group (three elderly care facility) received standard care. Participants were assessed at baseline, and at week-4 and week-12 follow-ups. The primary outcome was foot-self-care behaviour. Foot care self-efficacy (efficacy expectation), foot care outcome expectation, knowledge of foot care and quality of life were the secondary outcomes. Data were analysed with Mixed Design Analysis of Variance using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.0. Results 184 respondents were recruited but only 76 met the selection criteria and were included in the analysis. Foot self-care behaviour, foot care self-efficacy (efficacy expectation), foot care outcome expectation and knowledge of foot care improved in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). However, some of these improvements did not significantly differ compared to the control group for QoL physical symptoms and QoL psychosocial functioning (p > 0.05). Conclusion The self-efficacy enhancing program improved foot self-care behaviour with respect to the delivered program. It is expected that in the future, the self-efficacy theory can be incorporated into diabetes education to enhance foot self-care behaviour for elderly with diabetes living in other institutional care facilities. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial

The JWST Science Instrument Payload: Mission Context and Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenhouse, Matthew A.

2015-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the scientific successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It is a cryogenic infrared space observatory with a 25 sq m aperture (6 m class) telescope that will achieve diffraction limited angular resolution at a wavelength of 2 micrometers. The science instrument payload includes four passively cooled near-infrared instruments providing broad- and narrow-band imagery, coronography, as well as multi-object and integral-field spectroscopy over the 0.6 is less than lambda is less than 5.0 micrometers spectrum. An actively cooled mid-infrared instrument provides broad-band imagery, coronography, and integral-field spectroscopy over the 5.0 is less than lambda is less than 29 micrometers spectrum. The JWST is being developed by NASA, in partnership with the European and Canadian Space Agencies, as a general user facility with science observations proposed by the international astronomical community in a manner similar to the Hubble Space Telescope. Technology development and mission design are complete. The science instrument payload is in the final stage of testing ahead of delivery for integration with the telescope during early 2016. The JWST is on schedule for launch during 2018.

Molecular Structure Laboratory. Fourier Transform Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (FTNMR) Spectrometer and Ancillary Instrumentation at SUNY Geneseo

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

Geiger, David K

2015-12-31

An Agilent 400-MR nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer and ancillary equipment were purchased, which are being used for molecular structure elucidation.  The instrumentation is housed in a pre-existing facility designed specifically for its use. This instrument package is being used to expand the research and educational efforts of the faculty and students at SUNY-Geneseo and is made available to neighboring educational institutions and business concerns.  Funds were also used for training of College personnel, maintenance of the instrumentation, and installation of the equipment.

Virtual Sensor Test Instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Roy

2011-01-01

Virtual Sensor Test Instrumentation is based on the concept of smart sensor technology for testing with intelligence needed to perform sell-diagnosis of health, and to participate in a hierarchy of health determination at sensor, process, and system levels. A virtual sensor test instrumentation consists of five elements: (1) a common sensor interface, (2) microprocessor, (3) wireless interface, (4) signal conditioning and ADC/DAC (analog-to-digital conversion/ digital-to-analog conversion), and (5) onboard EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) for metadata storage and executable software to create powerful, scalable, reconfigurable, and reliable embedded and distributed test instruments. In order to maximize the efficient data conversion through the smart sensor node, plug-and-play functionality is required to interface with traditional sensors to enhance their identity and capabilities for data processing and communications. Virtual sensor test instrumentation can be accessible wirelessly via a Network Capable Application Processor (NCAP) or a Smart Transducer Interlace Module (STIM) that may be managed under real-time rule engines for mission-critical applications. The transducer senses the physical quantity being measured and converts it into an electrical signal. The signal is fed to an A/D converter, and is ready for use by the processor to execute functional transformation based on the sensor characteristics stored in a Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS). Virtual sensor test instrumentation is built upon an open-system architecture with standardized protocol modules/stacks to interface with industry standards and commonly used software. One major benefit for deploying the virtual sensor test instrumentation is the ability, through a plug-and-play common interface, to convert raw sensor data in either analog or digital form, to an IEEE 1451 standard-based smart sensor, which has instructions to program sensors for a wide variety of

Cost-effective design of economic instruments in nutrition policy.

PubMed

Jensen, Jørgen D; Smed, Sinne

2007-04-04

This paper addresses the potential for using economic regulation, e.g. taxes or subsidies, as instruments to combat the increasing problems of inappropriate diets, leading to health problems such as obesity, diabetes 2, cardiovascular diseases etc. in most countries. Such policy measures may be considered as alternatives or supplements to other regulation instruments, including information campaigns, bans or enhancement of technological solutions to the problems of obesity or related diseases. 7 different food tax and subsidy instruments or combinations of instruments are analysed quantitatively. The analyses demonstrate that the average cost-effectiveness with regard to changing the intake of selected nutritional variables can be improved by 10-30 per cent if taxes/subsidies are targeted against these nutrients, compared with targeting selected food categories. Finally, the paper raises a range of issues, which need to be investigated further, before firm conclusions about the suitability of economic instruments in nutrition policy can be drawn.

Cost-effective design of economic instruments in nutrition policy

PubMed Central

Jensen, Jørgen D; Smed, Sinne

2007-01-01

This paper addresses the potential for using economic regulation, e.g. taxes or subsidies, as instruments to combat the increasing problems of inappropriate diets, leading to health problems such as obesity, diabetes 2, cardiovascular diseases etc. in most countries. Such policy measures may be considered as alternatives or supplements to other regulation instruments, including information campaigns, bans or enhancement of technological solutions to the problems of obesity or related diseases. 7 different food tax and subsidy instruments or combinations of instruments are analysed quantitatively. The analyses demonstrate that the average cost-effectiveness with regard to changing the intake of selected nutritional variables can be improved by 10–30 per cent if taxes/subsidies are targeted against these nutrients, compared with targeting selected food categories. Finally, the paper raises a range of issues, which need to be investigated further, before firm conclusions about the suitability of economic instruments in nutrition policy can be drawn. PMID:17408494

Neutron scattering facilities at Chalk River

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

Holden, T.M.; Powell, B.M.; Dolling, G.

1995-12-31

The Chalk River Laboratories of AECL Research provides neutron beams for research with the NRU reactor. The NRU reactor has eight reactor loops for engineering test experiments, 30 isotope irradiation sites and beam tubes, six of which feed the neutron scattering instruments. The peak thermal flux is 3 {times} 10{sup 14}n cm{sup {minus}2} s{sup {minus}1}. The neutron spectrometers are operated as national facilities for Canadian neutron scattering research. Since the research requirements for the Canadian nuclear industry are changing, and since the NRU reactor is unlikely to operate much beyond the year 2000, a new Irradiation Research Facility (IRF) ismore » being considered for start-up in the first decade of the next century. An outline is given of this proposed new neutron source.« less

Addendum report to atmospheric science facility pallet-only mode space transportation system payload feasibility study, volume 3, revision A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The feasibility of accomplishing selected atmospheric science mission using a pallet-only mode was studied. Certain unresolved issues were identified. The first issue was that of assuring that the on-board computer facility was adequate to process scientific data, control subsystems such as instrument pointing, provide mission operational program capability, and accomplish display and control. The second issue evolved from an investigation of the availability of existing substitute instruments that could be used instead of the prime instrumentation where the development tests and schedules are incompatible with the realistic budgets and shuttle vehicle schedules. Some effort was expended on identifying candidate substitute instruments, and the performance, cost, and development schedule trade-offs found during that effort were significant enough to warrant a follow-on investigation. This addendum documents the results of that follow-on effort, as it applies to the Atmospheric Sciences Facility.

On-instrument wavefront sensor design for the TMT infrared imaging spectrograph (IRIS) update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, Jennifer; Reshetov, Vladimir; Atwood, Jenny; Pazder, John; Wooff, Bob; Loop, David; Saddlemyer, Leslie; Moore, Anna M.; Larkin, James E.

2014-08-01

The first light instrument on the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project will be the InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). IRIS will be mounted on a bottom port of the facility AO instrument NFIRAOS. IRIS will report guiding information to the NFIRAOS through the On-Instrument Wavefront Sensor (OIWFS) that is part of IRIS. This will be in a self-contained compartment of IRIS and will provide three deployable wavefront sensor probe arms. This entire unit will be rotated to provide field de-rotation. Currently in our preliminary design stage our efforts have included: prototyping of the probe arm to determine the accuracy of this critical component, handling cart design and reviewing different types of glass for the atmospheric dispersion.

A feasibility study of a hypersonic real-gas facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gully, J. H.; Driga, M. D.; Weldon, W. F.

1987-01-01

A four month feasibility study of a hypersonic real-gas free flight test facility for NASA Langley Research Center (LARC) was performed. The feasibility of using a high-energy electromagnetic launcher (EML) to accelerate complex models (lifting and nonlifting) in the hypersonic, real-gas facility was examined. Issues addressed include: design and performance of the accelerator; design and performance of the power supply; design and operation of the sabot and payload during acceleration and separation; effects of high current, magnetic fields, temperature, and stress on the sabot and payload; and survivability of payload instrumentation during acceleration, flight, and soft catch.

ADA Compliance and Accessibility of Fitness Facilities in Western Wisconsin.

PubMed

Johnson, Marquell J; Stoelzle, Hannah Y; Finco, Kristi L; Foss, Sadie E; Carstens, Katie

2012-01-01

The study expands the research on fitness facility accessibility by determining how compliant fitness facilities in rural western Wisconsin were with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Comparisons were made with 4 other studies that were conducted in different geographical regions. The study also examined fitness professionals' disability knowledge and awareness. An ADA fitness facility compliance instrument and a fitness professional disability awareness survey were used. Direct observation and physical measurements were taken during on-site visits to 16 of 36 eligible fitness facilities in rural western Wisconsin. Ten fitness professionals from participating facilities completed an online survey. Frequencies were used to analyze the results. None of the participating facilities were in 100% compliance with ADA. Customer service desk (84%) and path of travel throughout the facility (72%) were the highest compliance areas. Telephone (6%) and locker rooms (32%) were the lowest compliance areas. No fitness professional was trained in wheelchair transfers and very few had received training in providing services to individuals with disabilities. Fitness facility accessibility remains a concern nationally. Continued efforts need to be made to raise the awareness of ADA compliance among fitness professionals across the United States, especially in rural areas where fitness facility availability is limited.

Upper Atmospheric Effects of the HF Active Auroral Research Program Ionospheric Research Instrument (HAARP IRI)

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-01

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT ( HAARP IRI) V. Eccles R. Armstrong Mission Research Corporation One Tara Blvd Nashua, NH 03062-2801 May 1993 Scientific Report No...INSTRUMENT ( HAARP IRI) PR 2310 STA G3 WU BM6. AUTHOR(S) V. Eccles and R. Armstrong 7. PERFOR•IlNG ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND AOORESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING...Because the HAARP (HF Active Auroral Research Program) facility is designed to mimic and investigate certain natural processes, a study of possible

{open_quotes}Airborne Research Australia (ARA){close_quotes} a new research aircraft facility on the southern hemisphere

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

Hacker, J.M.

1996-11-01

{open_quotes}Airborne Research Australia{close_quotes} (ARA) is a new research aircraft facility in Australia. It will serve the scientific community of Australia and will also make its aircraft and expertise available for commercial users. To cover the widest possible range of applications, the facility will operate up to five research aircraft, from a small, low-cost platform to medium-sized multi-purpose aircraft, as well as a unique high altitude aircraft capable of carrying scientific loads to altitudes of up to 15km. The aircraft will be equipped with basic instrumentation and data systems, as well as facilities to mount user-supplied instrumentation and systems internally andmore » externally on the aircraft. The ARA operations base consisting of a hangar, workshops, offices, laboratories, etc. is currently being constructed at Parafield Airport near Adelaide/South Australia. The following text reports about the current state of development of the facility. An update will be given in a presentation at the Conference. 6 figs.« less

The association between the physical environment and the well-being of older people in residential care facilities: A multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Nordin, Susanna; McKee, Kevin; Wijk, Helle; Elf, Marie

2017-12-01

To investigate the associations between the quality of the physical environment and the psychological and social well-being of older people living in residential care facilities. Many older people in care facilities have cognitive and physical frailties and are at risk of experiencing low levels of well-being. High-quality physical environments can support older people as frailty increases and promote their well-being. Although the importance of the physical environment for residents' well-being is recognized, more research is needed. A cross-sectional survey of 20 care facilities from each of which 10 residents were sampled. As the individual resident data were nested in the facilities, a multilevel analysis was conducted. Data were collected during 2013 and 2014. The care facilities were purposely sampled to ensure a high level of variation in their physical characteristics. Residents' demographic and health data were collected via medical records and interviews. Residents' well-being and perceived quality of care were assessed via questionnaires and interviews. Environmental quality was assessed with a structured observational instrument. Multilevel analysis indicated that cognitive support in the physical environment was associated with residents' social well-being, after controlling for independence and perceived care quality. However, no significant association was found between the physical environment and residents' psychological well-being. Our study demonstrates the role of the physical environment for enhancing the social well-being of frail older people. Professionals and practitioners involved in the design of care facilities have a responsibility to ensure that such facilities meet high-quality specifications. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Facile formation of dendrimer-stabilized gold nanoparticles modified with diatrizoic acid for enhanced computed tomography imaging applications.

PubMed

Peng, Chen; Li, Kangan; Cao, Xueyan; Xiao, Tingting; Hou, Wenxiu; Zheng, Linfeng; Guo, Rui; Shen, Mingwu; Zhang, Guixiang; Shi, Xiangyang

2012-11-07

We report a facile approach to forming dendrimer-stabilized gold nanoparticles (Au DSNPs) through the use of amine-terminated fifth-generation poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers modified by diatrizoic acid (G5.NH(2)-DTA) as stabilizers for enhanced computed tomography (CT) imaging applications. In this study, by simply mixing G5.NH(2)-DTA dendrimers with gold salt in aqueous solution at room temperature, dendrimer-entrapped gold nanoparticles (Au DENPs) with a mean core size of 2.5 nm were able to be spontaneously formed. Followed by an acetylation reaction to neutralize the dendrimer remaining terminal amines, Au DSNPs with a mean size of 6 nm were formed. The formed DTA-containing [(Au(0))(50)-G5.NHAc-DTA] DSNPs were characterized via different techniques. We show that the Au DSNPs are colloid stable in aqueous solution under different pH and temperature conditions. In vitro hemolytic assay, cytotoxicity assay, flow cytometry analysis, and cell morphology observation reveal that the formed Au DSNPs have good hemocompatibility and are non-cytotoxic at a concentration up to 3.0 μM. X-ray absorption coefficient measurements show that the DTA-containing Au DSNPs have enhanced attenuation intensity, much higher than that of [(Au(0))(50)-G5.NHAc] DENPs without DTA or Omnipaque at the same molar concentration of the active element (Au or iodine). The formed DTA-containing Au DSNPs can be used for CT imaging of cancer cells in vitro as well as for blood pool CT imaging of mice in vivo with significantly improved signal enhancement. With the two radiodense elements of Au and iodine incorporated within one particle, the formed DTA-containing Au DSNPs may be applicable for CT imaging of various biological systems with enhanced X-ray attenuation property and detection sensitivity.

Research Aircraft - Controlling Instruments from the Ground in a Secure and Authenticated Fashion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baltzer, T.; Martin, C.; Fawaz, S.; Webster, C.

2012-12-01

At NCAR's Research Aviation Facility (RAF) we're finding a number of factors motivating the desire to be able to control instruments fielded on the aircraft we operate for the NSF. Investigators are increasingly interested in fielding greater numbers of research instruments for projects, instruments are becoming increasingly complicated, and adjustment of instrument behavior to adapt to changing conditions around the aircraft and to meet project goals are just a few of these factors. Usually there are not enough seats on the aircraft to accommodate all the instrument PIs and crew members who do occupy the seats are being asked to monitor and control increasing numbers of instruments about which they have limited knowledge. We use Satellite Communications (SatCom) to allow researchers to communicate with colleagues/crew on the aircraft and so that some of the real-time data can be sent to the ground for helping to optimize the research. Historically, challenges of authentication, security and the disruptive SatCom system have motivated us to avoid providing for remote instrument control. Now we have now reached an era where remote instrument control is a necessity. This poster will discuss the approach we are implementing to provide this capability for our instrument investigators. Particular attention is paid to how we assure authentication and security so that only the instrument investigators are capable of communicating with their instruments.;

Improved Cryogenic Optical Test Capability at Marshall Space Flight Center's X-ray Cryogenic Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kegley, Jeffrey; Haight, Harlan; Hogue, William; Carpenter, Jay; Siler, Richard; Wright, Ernie; Eng, Ron; Baker, Mark; McCracken, Jeff

2005-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center's X-ray & Cryogenic Test Facility (XRCF) has been performing optical wavefront testing and thermal structural deformation testing at subliquid nitrogen cryogenic temperatures since 1999. Recent modifications have been made to the facility in support of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) program. The test article envelope and the chamber's refrigeration capacity have both been increased. A new larger helium-cooled enclosure has been added to the existing enclosure increasing both the cross-sectional area and the length. This new enclosure is capable of supporting six JWST Primary Mirror Segment Assemblies. A second helium refrigeration system has been installed essentially doubling the cooling capacity available at the facility. Modifications have also been made to the optical instrumentation area. Improved access is now available for both the installation and operation of optical instrumentation outside the vacuum chamber. Chamber configuration, specifications, and performance data will be presented.

A Review of the Various Surface Treatments of NiTi Instruments

PubMed Central

Mohammadi, Zahed; Soltani, Mohammad Karim; Shalavi, Sousan; Asgary, Saeed

2014-01-01

Since the introduction of engine-driven nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments, attempts have been made to minimize or eliminate their inherent defects, increase their surface hardness/flexibility and also improve their resistance to cyclic fatigue and cutting efficiency. The various strategies of enhancing instrument surface include ion implantation, thermal nitridation, cryogenic treatment and electropolishing. The purpose of this paper was to review the metallurgy and crystal characteristics of NiTi alloy and to present a general over review of the published articles on surface treatment of NiTi endodontic instruments. PMID:25386201

WTEC monograph on instrumentation, control and safety systems of Canadian nuclear facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uhrig, Robert E.; Carter, Richard J.

1993-01-01

This report updates a 1989-90 survey of advanced instrumentation and controls (I&C) technologies and associated human factors issues in the U.S. and Canadian nuclear industries carried out by a team from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Carter and Uhrig 1990). The authors found that the most advanced I&C systems are in the Canadian CANDU plants, where the newest plant (Darlington) has digital systems in almost 100 percent of its control systems and in over 70 percent of its plant protection system. Increased emphasis on human factors and cognitive science in modern control rooms has resulted in a reduced workload for the operators and the elimination of many human errors. Automation implemented through digital instrumentation and control is effectively changing the role of the operator to that of a systems manager. The hypothesis that properly introducing digital systems increases safety is supported by the Canadian experience. The performance of these digital systems has been achieved using appropriate quality assurance programs for both hardware and software development. Recent regulatory authority review of the development of safety-critical software has resulted in the creation of isolated software modules with well defined interfaces and more formal structure in the software generation. The ability of digital systems to detect impending failures and initiate a fail-safe action is a significant safety issue that should be of special interest to nuclear utilities and regulatory authorities around the world.

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) at Lockheed Facility during preflight assembly

NASA Image and Video Library

1988-03-31

A mechanical arm positions the axial scientific instrument (SI) module (orbital replacement unit (ORU)) just outside the open doors of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Support System Module (SSM) as clean-suited technicians oversee the process. HST assembly is being completed at the Lockheed Facility in Sunnyvale, California.

Enhanced Microbial Detection Capabilities by a Rapid Portable Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, Heather; Monaco, Lisa; Wainwright, Norm; Steele, Andrew; Damon, Michael; Schenk, Alison; Stimpson, Eric; Maule, Jake; Effinger, Michael

2010-01-01

We present data describing a progression of continuing technology development - from expanding the detection capabilities of the current PTS unit to re-outfitting the instrument with a protein microarray increasing the number of detectable compounds. To illustrate the adaptability of the cartridge format, on-orbit operations data from the ISS demonstrate the detection of the fungal cell wall compound beta-glucan using applicable LOCAD-PTS cartridges. LOCAD-PTS is a handheld device consisting of a spectrophotometer, an onboard pumping mechanism, and data storage capabilities. A suite of interchangeable cartridges lined with four distinct capillaries allow a hydrated sample to mix with necessary reagents in the channels before being pumped to the optical well for spectrophotometric analysis. The reagents housed in one type of cartridge trigger a reaction based on the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay, which results in the release of paranitroaniline dye. The dye is measured using a 395 nm filter. The LAL assay detects the Gram-negative bacterial cell wall molecule, endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The more dye released, the greater the concentration of endotoxin in the sample. Sampling, quantitative analysis, and data retrieval require less than 20 minutes. This is significantly faster than standard culture-based methods, which require at least a 24 hour incubation period.Using modified cartridges, we demonstrate the detection of Gram negative bacteria with protein microarray technology. Additionally, we provide data from multiple field tests where both standard and advanced PTS technologies were used. These tests investigate the transfer of target microbial molecules from one surface to another. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the new cartridges expand the number of compounds detected by LOCAD-PTS, while maintaining the rapid, in situ analysis characteristic of the instrument. The unit provides relevant data for verifying sterile sample collection

[Survey of analytical works for drugs at emergency and critical care centers with high-performance instruments provided by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (at present: Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare) in fiscal 1998--continuation of survey with 2008 survey results as point of reference].

PubMed

Saito, Takeshi; Tominaga, Aya; Nozawa, Mayu; Unei, Hiroko; Hatano, Yayoi; Fujita, Yuji; Iseki, Ken; Hori, Yasushi

2013-09-01

In a 2008 survey of the 73 emergency and critical care centers around the nation that were equipped with the drug and chemical analytical instrument provided by the Ministry of Welfare (currently the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare) in 1998, 36 of those facilities were using the analytical instruments. Of these 36 facilities, a follow-up survey of the 17 facilities that recorded 50 or analyses per year. Responses were gained from 16 of the facilities and we learned that of those, 14 facilities (87.5%) were conducting analyses using the instrument. There was a positive mutual correlation between the annual number of cases of the 14 facilities conducting analyses with the instrument and the number of work hours. Depending on the instrument in use, average analytical instrument parts and maintenance expenses were roughly three million yen and consumables required a maximum three million yen for analysis of 51-200 cases per year. From this, we calculate that such expenses can be covered under the allowed budget for advanced emergency and critical care centers of 5,000 NHI points (1 point = 10 yen). We found there were few facilities using the instrument for all 15 of the toxic substances recommended for testing by the Japanese Society for Clinical Toxicology. There tended to be no use of the analytical instrument for compounds with no toxicology cases. However, flexible responses were noted at each facility in relation to frequently analyzed compounds. It is thought that a reevaluation of compounds subject to analysis is required.

Conceptual designs of NDA instruments for the NRTA system at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant

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

Li, T.K.; Klosterbuer, S.F.; Menlove, H.O.

The authors are studying conceptual designs of selected nondestructive assay (NDA) instruments for the near-real-time accounting system at the rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) of Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL). The JNFL RRP is a large-scale commercial reprocessing facility for spent fuel from boiling-water and pressurized-water reactors. The facility comprises two major components: the main process area to separate and produce purified plutonium nitrate and uranyl nitrate from irradiated reactor spent fuels, and the co-denitration process area to combine and convert the plutonium nitrate and uranyl nitrate into mixed oxide (MOX). The selected NDA instruments for conceptual design studies are themore » MOX-product canister counter, holdup measurement systems for calcination and reduction furnaces and for blenders in the co-denitration process, the isotope dilution gamma-ray spectrometer for the spent fuel dissolver solution, and unattended verification systems. For more effective and practical safeguards and material control and accounting at RRP, the authors are also studying the conceptual design for the UO{sub 3} large-barrel counter. This paper discusses the state-of-the-art NDA conceptual design and research and development activities for the above instruments.« less

A High-Throughput Biological Calorimetry Core: Steps to Startup, Run, and Maintain a Multiuser Facility.

PubMed

Yennawar, Neela H; Fecko, Julia A; Showalter, Scott A; Bevilacqua, Philip C

2016-01-01

Many labs have conventional calorimeters where denaturation and binding experiments are setup and run one at a time. While these systems are highly informative to biopolymer folding and ligand interaction, they require considerable manual intervention for cleaning and setup. As such, the throughput for such setups is limited typically to a few runs a day. With a large number of experimental parameters to explore including different buffers, macromolecule concentrations, temperatures, ligands, mutants, controls, replicates, and instrument tests, the need for high-throughput automated calorimeters is on the rise. Lower sample volume requirements and reduced user intervention time compared to the manual instruments have improved turnover of calorimetry experiments in a high-throughput format where 25 or more runs can be conducted per day. The cost and efforts to maintain high-throughput equipment typically demands that these instruments be housed in a multiuser core facility. We describe here the steps taken to successfully start and run an automated biological calorimetry facility at Pennsylvania State University. Scientists from various departments at Penn State including Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Biology, Food Science, and Chemical Engineering are benefiting from this core facility. Samples studied include proteins, nucleic acids, sugars, lipids, synthetic polymers, small molecules, natural products, and virus capsids. This facility has led to higher throughput of data, which has been leveraged into grant support, attracting new faculty hire and has led to some exciting publications. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advanced instrumentation: Technology database enhancement, volume 4, appendix G

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The purpose of this task was to add to the McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company's Sensors Database, including providing additional information on the instruments and sensors applicable to physical/chemical Environmental Control and Life Support System (P/C ECLSS) or Closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) which were not previously included. The Sensors Database was reviewed in order to determine the types of data required, define the data categories, and develop an understanding of the data record structure. An assessment of the MDSSC Sensors Database identified limitations and problems in the database. Guidelines and solutions were developed to address these limitations and problems in order that the requirements of the task could be fulfilled.

Practical SQUID Instrument for Nondestructive Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tralshawala, N.; Claycomb, J. R.; Miller, John H., Jr.

1997-01-01

We report on the development of a scanning eddy-current imaging system designed to detect deep subsurface flaws in conducting materials. A high transition temperature (high-T c) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer is employed to provide the required sensitivity at low frequencies, while a combination of small cylindrical high-Tc superconducting and A-metal shields enable the instrument to be scanned in a magnetically noisy environment, rather than the object under test. The shields are arranged to prevent unwanted excitation and ambient noise fields from reaching the SQUID, and to enhance spatial resolution and minimize undesirable edge effects. Thus far, the instrument has successfully detected cracks and pits through 10 layers of aluminum, with a combined thickness of 5 cm at room temperature.

Design, development, and testing of the DCT Cassegrain instrument support assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bida, Thomas A.; Dunham, Edward W.; Nye, Ralph A.; Chylek, Tomas; Oliver, Richard C.

2012-09-01

The 4.3m Discovery Channel Telescope delivers an f/6.1 unvignetted 0.5° field to its RC focal plane. In order to support guiding, wavefront sensing, and instrument installations, a Cassegrain instrument support assembly has been developed which includes a facility guider and wavefront sensor package (GWAVES) and multiple interfaces for instrumentation. A 2-element, all-spherical, fused-silica corrector compensates for field curvature and astigmatism over the 0.5° FOV, while reducing ghost pupil reflections to minimal levels. Dual roving GWAVES camera probes pick off stars in the outer annulus of the corrected field, providing simultaneous guiding and wavefront sensing for telescope operations. The instrument cube supports 5 co-mounted instruments with rapid feed selection via deployable fold mirrors. The corrected beam passes through a dual filter wheel before imaging with the 6K x 6K single CCD of the Large Monolithic Imager (LMI). We describe key development strategies for the DCT Cassegrain instrument assembly and GWAVES, including construction of a prime focus test assembly with wavefront sensor utilized in fall 2011 to begin characterization of the DCT primary mirror support. We also report on 2012 on-sky test results of wavefront sensing, guiding, and imaging with the integrated Cassegrain cube.

Instrument intercomparison of glyoxal, methyl glyoxal and NO2 under simulated atmospheric conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thalman, R.; Baeza-Romero, M. T.; Ball, S. M.; Borrás, E.; Daniels, M. J. S.; Goodall, I. C. A.; Henry, S. B.; Karl, T.; Keutsch, F. N.; Kim, S.; Mak, J.; Monks, P. S.; Muñoz, A.; Orlando, J.; Peppe, S.; Rickard, A. R.; Ródenas, M.; Sánchez, P.; Seco, R.; Su, L.; Tyndall, G.; Vázquez, M.; Vera, T.; Waxman, E.; Volkamer, R.

2015-04-01

The α-dicarbonyl compounds glyoxal (CHOCHO) and methyl glyoxal (CH3C(O)CHO) are produced in the atmosphere by the oxidation of hydrocarbons and emitted directly from pyrogenic sources. Measurements of ambient concentrations inform about the rate of hydrocarbon oxidation, oxidative capacity, and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. We present results from a comprehensive instrument comparison effort at two simulation chamber facilities in the US and Europe that included nine instruments, and seven different measurement techniques: broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (BBCEAS), cavity-enhanced differential optical absorption spectroscopy (CE-DOAS), white-cell DOAS, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, two separate instruments), laser-induced phosphorescence (LIP), solid-phase micro extraction (SPME), and proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS, two separate instruments; for methyl glyoxal only because no significant response was observed for glyoxal). Experiments at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) compare three independent sources of calibration as a function of temperature (293-330 K). Calibrations from absorption cross-section spectra at UV-visible and IR wavelengths are found to agree within 2% for glyoxal, and 4% for methyl glyoxal at all temperatures; further calibrations based on ion-molecule rate constant calculations agreed within 5% for methyl glyoxal at all temperatures. At the European Photoreactor (EUPHORE) all measurements are calibrated from the same UV-visible spectra (either directly or indirectly), thus minimizing potential systematic bias. We find excellent linearity under idealized conditions (pure glyoxal or methyl glyoxal, R2 > 0.96), and in complex gas mixtures characteristic of dry photochemical smog systems (o-xylene/NOx and isoprene/NOx, R2 > 0.95; R2 ∼ 0.65 for offline SPME measurements of methyl glyoxal). The correlations are more variable in humid ambient air mixtures (RH

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program climate research facility operations quarterly report.

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

Sisterson, D. L.; Decision and Information Sciences

2006-09-06

Individual raw data streams from instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Climate Research Facility (ACRF) fixed and mobile sites are collected and sent to the Data Management Facility (DMF) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for processing in near real time. Raw and processed data are then sent daily to the ACRF Archive, where they are made available to users. For each instrument, we calculate the ratio of the actual number of data records received daily at the Archive to the expected number of data records. The results are tabulated by (1) individual data stream, site, and monthmore » for the current year and (2) site and fiscal year dating back to 1998. The U.S. Department of Energy requires national user facilities to report time-based operating data. The requirements concern the actual hours of operation (ACTUAL); the estimated maximum operation or uptime goal (OPSMAX), which accounts for planned downtime; and the VARIANCE [1-(ACTUAL/OPSMAX)], which accounts for unplanned downtime. The OPSMAX time for the third quarter for the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site is 2,074.80 hours (0.95 x 2,184 hours this quarter). The OPSMAX for the North Slope Alaska (NSA) locale is 1,965.60 hours (0.90 x 2,184), and that for the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) locale is 1,856.40 hours (0.85 x 2,184). The OPSMAX time for the ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) is 2,074.80 hours (0.95 x 2,184). The differences in OPSMAX performance reflect the complexity of local logistics and the frequency of extreme weather events. It is impractical to measure OPSMAX for each instrument or data stream. Data availability reported here refers to the average of the individual, continuous data streams that have been received by the Archive. Data not at the Archive are caused by downtime (scheduled or unplanned) of the individual instruments. Therefore, data availability is directly related to individual instrument uptime. Thus, the average percent of data in the

The effects of acute stress on Pavlovian-instrumental transfer in rats.

PubMed

Pielock, Steffi M; Braun, Stephanie; Hauber, Wolfgang

2013-03-01

Pavlovian stimuli invigorate ongoing instrumental action, a phenomenon termed the Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) effect. Acute stressors can markedly enhance the release of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and CRF injection into the nucleus accumbens increases the PIT effect. However, it is unknown whether acute stressors by themselves would amplify the PIT effect. Here, we examined the effects of acute stressors on PIT. Rats first received Pavlovian and instrumental training, and then the impact of the Pavlovian stimuli on instrumental responding was analyzed in the subsequent PIT test. Acute stressors were applied prior to the PIT test. Because the effects of acute stressors critically depend on stressor type and time of day, we used two acute stressors that involved one or several distinct stressors (denoted here as "single" vs. "multiple" stressors) applied either in the light or the dark period of the light:dark cycle. The results revealed that single and multiple stressors applied in the light period did not alter the PIT effect--that is, the ability of an appetitive Pavlovian stimulus to enhance leverpressing--or the basal leverpress rate. When applied in the dark period, single and multiple stressors also did not alter the PIT effect, but they did markedly reduce the basal leverpress rate. Diazepam pretreatment did not counteract the declines in basal instrumental responding in the PIT test that were induced by either a single or multiple stressors. Our findings suggest that acute stressors were unable to amplify the incentive salience of reward-predictive Pavlovian stimuli to activate instrumental responding, but, depending on the time of day of stressor exposure, they did reduce basal instrumental responding.

Line pilot perspectives on complexity of terminal instrument flight procedures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-07-25

Instrument flight procedures (IFPs) based on RNAV and RNP offer safety enhancements along with new levels of flexibility to negotiate terrain, airspace, and environmental considerations. However, operational implementation of performance-based IFPs d...

Video instrumentation for radionuclide angiocardiography.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kriss, J. P.

1973-01-01

Two types of videoscintiscopes for performing radioisotopic angiocardiography with a scintillation camera are described, and use of these instruments in performing clinical studies is illustrated. Radionuclide angiocardiography is a simple, quick and accurate procedure recommended as a screening test for patients with a variety of congenital and acquired cardiovascular lesions. When performed in conjunction with coronary arterial catheterization, dynamic radionuclide angiography may provide useful information about regional myocardial perfusion. Quantitative capabilities greatly enhance the potential of this diagnostic tool.

Developing the Muon Facilities at ISIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillier, A. D.; Aramini, M.; Baker, P. J.; Berlie, A.; Biswas, P. K.; Cottrell, S. P.; Ishida, K.; Loe, T.; Lord, J. S.; Pooley, D. E.; Pratt, F. L.; Rhodes, N. J.; da Silva Afonso, R. J.; Telling, M. T. F.; Yokoyama, K.

For the last 30 years, muon experiments at ISIS have been making a significant contribution to a number of scientific fields. However, as a community of researchers, we are always aiming to improve and extend the instruments' capabilities. In this paper, we will review key developments at the ISIS muon facility, the primary beamline upgrade and recent technique developments, before taking a forward look to new projects, such as: the upgrade for MuSR, e-learning, detector development and sample environment.

Payload Instrument Design Rules for Safe and Efficient Flight Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montagnon, E.; Ferri, P.

2004-04-01

Payload operations are often being neglected in favour of optimisation of scientific performance of the instrument design. This has major drawbacks in terms of cost, safety, efficiency of operations and finally science return. By taking operational aspects into account in the early phases of the instrument design, with a minimum more cultural than financial or technological additional effort, many problems can be avoided or minimized, with significant benefits to be gained in the mission execution phases. This paper presents possible improvements based on the use of the telemetry and telecommand packet standard, proper sharing of autonomy functions between instrument and platform, and enhanced interface documents.

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Climate Research Facility Operations Quarterly Report July 1 – September 30, 2008

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

Sisterson, DL

2008-09-30

Individual raw data streams from instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Climate Research Facility (ACRF) fixed and mobile sites are collected and sent to the Data Management Facility (DMF) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for processing in near real-time. Raw and processed data are then sent daily to the ACRF Archive, where they are made available to users. For each instrument, we calculate the ratio of the actual number of data records received daily at the Archive to the expected number of data records. The results are tabulated by (1) individual data stream, site, and month formore » the current year and (2) site and fiscal year (FY) dating back to 1998. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requires national user facilities to report time-based operating data. The requirements concern the actual hours of operation (ACTUAL); the estimated maximum operation or uptime goal (OPSMAX), which accounts for planned downtime; and the VARIANCE [1 – (ACTUAL/OPSMAX)], which accounts for unplanned downtime. The OPSMAX time for the fourth quarter of FY 2008 for the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site is 2,097.60 hours (0.95 x 2,208 hours this quarter). The OPSMAX for the North Slope Alaska (NSA) locale is 1,987.20 hours (0.90 x 2,208), and for the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) locale is 1,876.80 hours (0.85 x 2,208). The OPSMAX time for the ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) is not reported this quarter because the data have not yet been released from China to the DMF for processing. The differences in OPSMAX performance reflect the complexity of local logistics and the frequency of extreme weather events. It is impractical to measure OPSMAX for each instrument or data stream. Data availability reported here refers to the average of the individual, continuous data streams that have been received by the Archive. Data not at the Archive are caused by downtime (scheduled or unplanned) of the individual instruments. Therefore, data

Facile Photochemical Synthesis of Au/Pt/g-C3N4 with Plasmon-Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Antibiotic Degradation.

PubMed

Xue, Jinjuan; Ma, Shuaishuai; Zhou, Yuming; Zhang, Zewu; He, Man

2015-05-13

A novel plasmonic photocatalyst, Au/Pt/g-C3N4, was prepared by a facile calcination-photodeposition technique. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and the results demonstrated that the Au and Pt nanoparticles (7-15 nm) were well-dispersed on the surfaces of g-C3N4. The Au/Pt codecorated g-C3N4 heterostructure displayed enhanced photocatalytic activity for antibiotic tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) degradation, and the degradation rate was 3.4 times higher than that of pure g-C3N4 under visible light irradiation. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the surface plasmon resonance effect of Au and electron-sink function of Pt nanoparticles, which improve the optical absorption property and photogenerated charge carriers separation of g-C3N4, synergistically facilitating the photocatalysis process. Finally, a possible photocatalytic mechanism for degrading TC-HCl by Au/Pt/g-C3N4 heterostructure was tentatively proposed.

The 4MOST instrument concept overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haynes, Roger; Barden, Samuel; de Jong, Roelof; Schnurr, Olivier; Bellido, Olga; Walcher, Jakob; Haynes, Dionne; Winkler, Roland; Bauer, Svend-Marian; Dionies, Frank; Saviauk, Allar; Chiappini, Cristina; Schwope, Axel; Brynnel, Joar; Steinmetz, Matthias; McMahon, Richard; Feltzing, Sofia; Francois, Patrick; Trager, Scott; Parry, Ian; Irwin, Mike; Walton, Nicholas; King, David; Sun, David; Gonzalez-Solares, Eduaro; Tosh, Ian; Dalton, Gavin; Middleton, Kevin; Bonifacio, Piercarlo; Jagourel, Pascal; Mignot, Shan; Cohen, Mathieu; Amans, Jean-Philippe; Royer, Frederic; Sartoretti, Paola; Pragt, Johan; Gerlofsma, Gerrit; Roelfsema, Ronald; Navarro, Ramon; Thimm, Guido; Seifert, Walter; Christlieb, Norbert; Mandel, Holger; Trifonov, Trifon; Xu, Wenli; Lang-Bardl, Florian; Muschielok, Bernard; Schlichter, Jörg; Hess, Hans-Joachim; Grupp, Frank; Boehringer, Hans; Boller, Thomas; Dwelly, Tom; Bender, Ralf; Rosati, Piero; Iwert, Olaf; Finger, Gert; Lizon L'Allemand, Jean-Louis; Saunders, Will; Sheinis, Andrew; Frost, Gabriella; Farrell, Tony; Waller, Lewis; Depagne, Eric; Laurent, Florence; Caillier, Patrick; Kosmalski, Johan; Richard, Johan; Bacon, Roland; Ansorge, Wolfgang

2014-07-01

The 4MOST[1] instrument is a concept for a wide-field, fibre-fed high multiplex spectroscopic instrument facility on the ESO VISTA telescope designed to perform a massive (initially >25x106 spectra in 5 years) combined all-sky public survey. The main science drivers are: Gaia follow up of chemo-dynamical structure of the Milky Way, stellar radial velocities, parameters and abundances, chemical tagging; eROSITA follow up of cosmology with x-ray clusters of galaxies, X-ray AGN/galaxy evolution to z~5, Galactic X-ray sources and resolving the Galactic edge; Euclid/LSST/SKA and other survey follow up of Dark Energy, Galaxy evolution and transients. The surveys will be undertaken simultaneously requiring: highly advanced targeting and scheduling software, also comprehensive data reduction and analysis tools to produce high-level data products. The instrument will allow simultaneous observations of ~1600 targets at R~5,000 from 390-900nm and ~800 targets at R<18,000 in three channels between ~395-675nm (channel bandwidth: 45nm blue, 57nm green and 69nm red) over a hexagonal field of view of ~ 4.1 degrees. The initial 5-year 4MOST survey is currently expect to start in 2020. We provide and overview of the 4MOST systems: optomechanical, control, data management and operations concepts; and initial performance estimates.

Review of Aeronautical Wind Tunnel Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The nation's aeronautical wind tunnel facilities constitute a valuable technological resource and make a significant contribution to the global supremacy of U.S. aircraft, both civil and military. At the request of NASA, the National Research Council's Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board organized a commitee to review the state of repair, adequacy, and future needs of major aeronautical wind tunnel facilities in meeting national goals. The comittee identified three main areas where actions are needed to sustain the capability of NASA's aeronautical wind tunnel facilities to support the national aeronautical research and development activities: tunnel maintenance and upgrading, productivity enhancement, and accommodation of new requirements (particularly in hypersonics). Each of these areas are addressed and the committee recommendations for appropriate actions presented.

Challenging developments in three decades of accelerator mass spectrometry at ETH: from large particle accelerators to table size instruments.

PubMed

Suter, Martin

2010-01-01

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was invented for the detection of radiocarbon at natural isotopic concentrations (10(-12) to 10(-15)) more than 30 years ago. Meanwhile this method has also been applied for the analysis of many other long-lived radioisotopes, which are found at very low concentrations. The first investigations were made at large tandem accelerators originally built for nuclear physics research and operating at voltages of 6-12 MV. Today dedicated instruments are mostly used for AMS, which are optimized for associated applications. In the past 15 years, a new generation of much smaller instruments has been developed. For many years it was believed that accelerators with voltages of 2 MV or higher are needed to eliminate the molecular interferences. At these energies the ions are predominantly stripped to charge state 3+, thereby removing the binding electrons of the molecules. In contrast, the new compact facilities use 1+ or 2+ ions. In this case the molecular destruction process is based on molecule-atom collisions in the gas cell. The cross sections for this destruction are sufficiently large that the intensity of molecular components such as (12)CH(2) and (13)CH can be reduced by 10 orders of magnitude. These new facilities can be built much smaller due to the lower energies. Universal instruments providing analysis for many isotopes over the whole range of periodic table have a space requirement of about 4 x 6 m(2); dedicated radiocarbon facilities based on a 200 kV accelerator have a footprint of about 2.5 x 3 m(2). This smallest category of instruments use special technologies: The high voltage terminal with the gas stripper canal is vacuum insulated and the gas is pumped to ground potential through a ceramic pipe. A conventional 200 kV power supply provides the terminal voltage from outside. A review of this new generation of compact AMS facilities is given. Design considerations and performance of these new instruments will be presented

The ATOVS and AVHRR product processing facility for EPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaes, D.; Ackermann, J.; Schraidt, R.; Patterson, T.; Schlüssel, P.; Phillips, P.; Arriaga, A.; Grandell, J.

The ATOVS/AVHRR Product Processing Facility (PPF) of the EPS (EUMETSAT Polar System) Core Ground Segment comprises the Level 1 processing of the data from the ATOVS sounding instruments AMSU-A, MHS and HIRS/4, and the imager AVHRR/3 into calibrated and navigated radiances. A second component includes the level 2 processing, which uses as input the level 1 products of the aforementioned instruments. The specification of the PPF is based on two well-known and well-established software packages, which have been used by the international community for some years: The AAPP (ATOVS and AVHRR Pre-processing Package) and ICI (Inversion Coupled with Imager). The PPF is able to process data from instruments flown on the Metop and NOAA satellites. For the level 1 processing of the sounding instruments' data (HIRS, AMSU-A and MHS), the basic functionality of AAPP has been kept; however, the individual chains for each instrument have been separated and additional functionality has been integrated. For HIRS a global calibration, as performed by NOAA/NESDIS today, has been included. For AMSU-A and MHS the moon contamination of the calibration space view can be corrected for. Additional functionality has also been included in the AVHRR processing. In particular, an enhanced navigation by landmark processing has been implemented to ensure accurate geo-location. Additionally, the PPF can digest and process the global AVHRR data either at full pixel resolution (1 km at nadir), which is the nominal mode for the Metop processing, or at the reduced resolution of the NOAA/GAC (Global Area Coverage) data (about 4 km resolution at nadir). For the level 2 processing the ICI had to be modified to include the most recent improvement in fast radiative transfer modelling as included in the RTTOV-7. As a first step towards the realisation of the PPF a prototype has been generated for the purpose to help specifying the details of the PPF, and for verification of the latter by generation of

An Instrumental Innovation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Think of guitars and you think of rock and country music, or the vigorous rhythms of the gypsy flamenco, or perhaps the classical strumming of a Segovia. About the last thing you would associate with guitars is aerospace technology. Yet there is a connection. A whole family of quality guitars is an outgrowth of helicopter rotor research conducted for the military services and NASA by an aerospace contractor. These musical spinoffs, commercially available and rapidly gaining in popularity, are the Ovation guitar line, manufactured by Ovation Instruments, Inc., Bloomfield, Connecticut. Ovation Instruments is a subsidiary of Kaman Corporation, a diversified company originally formed to develop and build helicopters. A helicopter's rotor system, with thousands of moving parts, is highly susceptible to vibration. For rotor efficiency, vibration must be "dampened," or reduced. Like other helicopter builders, Kaman Corporation spent years of research toward that end. The technology thus developed, together with the availability of staff experts in vibration engineering, sparked an idea in the mind of the company's president and founder, Charles H. Karnan. A guitarist of professional caliber, Kaman reasoned that vibration-dampening technology could be turned around to enhance vibration and thereby produce a guitar with superior sound.

Flight experience with lightweight, low-power miniaturized instrumentation systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamory, Philip J.; Murray, James E.

1992-01-01

Engineers at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility (NASA-Dryden) have conducted two flight research programs with lightweight, low-power miniaturized instrumentation systems built around commercial data loggers. One program quantified the performance of a radio-controlled model airplane. The other program was a laminar boundary-layer transition experiment on a manned sailplane. The purpose of this paper is to report NASA-Dryden personnel's flight experience with the miniaturized instrumentation systems used on these two programs. The paper will describe the data loggers, the sensors, and the hardware and software developed to complete the systems. The paper also describes how the systems were used and covers the challenges encountered to make them work. Examples of raw data and derived results will be shown as well. Finally, future plans for these systems will be discussed.

Advanced high temperature instrument for hot section research applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Englund, D. R.; Seasholtz, R. G.

1989-01-01

Programs to develop research instrumentation for use in turbine engine hot sections are described. These programs were initiated to provide improved measurements capability as support for a multidisciplinary effort to establish technology leading to improved hot section durability. Specific measurement systems described here include heat flux sensors, a dynamic gas temperature measuring system, laser anemometry for hot section applications, an optical system for viewing the interior of a combustor during operation, thin film sensors for surface temperature and strain measurements, and high temperature strain measuring systems. The state of development of these sensors and measuring systems is described, and, in some cases, examples of measurements made with these instruments are shown. Work done at the NASA Lewis Research Center and at various contract and grant facilities is covered.

Advances in instrumentation at the W. M. Keck Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adkins, Sean M.; Armandroff, Taft E.; Johnson, James; Lewis, Hilton A.; Martin, Christopher; McLean, Ian S.; Wizinowich, Peter

2012-09-01

In this paper we describe both recently completed instrumentation projects and our current development efforts in terms of their role in the strategic plan, the key science areas they address, and their performance as measured or predicted. Projects reaching completion in 2012 include MOSFIRE, a near IR multi-object spectrograph, a laser guide star adaptive optics facility on the Keck I telescope, and an upgrade to the guide camera for the HIRES instrument on Keck I. Projects in development include a new seeing limited integral field spectrograph for the visible wavelength range called the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI), an upgrade to the telescope control systems on both Keck telescopes, a near-IR tip/tilt sensor for the Keck I adaptive optics system, and a new grating for the OSIRIS integral field spectrograph.

Enhanced performance of aged rats in contingency degradation and instrumental extinction tasks.

PubMed

Samson, Rachel D; Venkatesh, Anu; Patel, Dhara H; Lipa, Peter; Barnes, Carol A

2014-04-01

Normal aging in rats affects behavioral performance on a variety of associative learning tasks under Pavlovian conditions. There is little information, however, on whether aging also impacts performance of instrumental tasks. Young (9-12 months) and aged (24-27 months) Fisher 344 rats were trained to press distinct levers associated with either maltodextrin or sucrose. The rats in both age groups increased their lever press frequency at a similar rate, suggesting that the initial acquisition of this instrumental task is not affected by aging. Using a contingency degradation procedure, we then addressed whether aged rats could adapt their behavior to changes in action-outcome contingencies. We found that young and aged rats do adapt, but that a different schedule of reinforcement is necessary to optimize performance in each age group. Finally, we also addressed whether aged rats can extinguish a lever press action as well as young rats, using 2 40-min extinction sessions on consecutive days. While extinction profiles were similar in young and aged rats on the first day of training, aged rats were faster to extinguish their lever presses on the second day, in spite of their performance levels being similar at the beginning of the session. Together these data support the finding that acquisition of instrumental lever press behaviors is preserved in aged rats and suggest that they have a different threshold for switching strategies in response to changes in action-outcome associations. This pattern of result implies that age-related changes in the brain are heterogeneous and widespread across structures.

Enhanced performance of aged rats in contingency degradation and instrumental extinction tasks

PubMed Central

Samson, Rachel D.; Venkatesh, Anu; Patel, Dhara H.; Lipa, Peter; Barnes, Carol A.

2014-01-01

Normal aging in rats affects behavioral performance on a variety of associative learning tasks under Pavlovian conditions. There is little information, however, on whether aging also impacts performance of instrumental tasks. Young (9–12 mo) and aged (24–27 mo) Fisher 344 rats were trained to press distinct levers associated with either maltodextrin or sucrose. The rats in both age groups increased their lever press frequency at a similar rate, suggesting that the initial acquisition of this instrumental task is not affected by aging. Using a contingency degradation procedure, we then addressed whether aged rats could adapt their behavior to changes in action-outcome contingencies. We found that young and aged rats do adapt, but that a different schedule of reinforcement is necessary to optimize performance in each age group. Finally, we also addressed whether aged rats can extinguish a lever press action as well as young rats, using two forty minute extinction sessions on consecutive days. While extinction profiles were similar in young and aged rats on the first day of training, aged rats were faster to extinguish their lever presses on the second day, in spite of their performance levels being similar at the beginning of the session. Together these data support the finding that acquisition of instrumental lever press behaviors is preserved in aged rats, and suggest that they have a different threshold for switching strategies in response to changes in action-outcome associations. This pattern of result implies that age-related changes in the brain are heterogeneous and widespread across structures. PMID:24773433

The JWST Science Instrument Payload: Mission Context and Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenhouse, Matthew A.

2014-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the scientific successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It is a cryogenic infrared space observatory with a 25 sq m aperture (6 m class) telescope that will achieve diffraction limited angular resolution at a wavelength of 2 microns. The science instrument payload includes four passively cooled near-infrared instruments providing broad- and narrow-band imagery, coronography, as well as multi-object and integral-field spectroscopy over the 0.6 < lambda < 5.0 microns spectrum. An actively cooled mid-infrared instrument provides broad-band imagery, coronography, and integral-field spectroscopy over the 5.0 < lambda < 29 microns spectrum. The JWST is being developed by NASA, in partnership with the European and Canadian Space Agencies, as a general user facility with science observations to be proposed by the international astronomical community in a manner similar to the Hubble Space Telescope. Technology development and mission design are complete. Construction, integration and verification testing is underway in all areas of the program. The JWST is on schedule for launch during 2018.

Posttest examination of Sodium Loop Safety Facility experiments. [LMFBR

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

Holland, J.W.

In-reactor, safety experiments performed in the Sodium Loop Safety Facility (SLSF) rely on comprehensive posttest examinations (PTE) to characterize the postirradiation condition of the cladding, fuel, and other test-subassembly components. PTE information and on-line instrumentation data, are analyzed to identify the sequence of events and the severity of the accident for each experiment. Following in-reactor experimentation, the SLSF loop and test assembly are transported to the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) for initial disassembly. Goals of the HFEF-phase of the PTE are to retrieve the fuel bundle by dismantling the loop and withdrawing the test assembly, to assess the macro-conditionmore » of the fuel bundle by nondestructive examination techniques, and to prepare the fuel bundle for shipment to the Alpha-Gamma Hot Cell Facility (AGHCF) at Argonne National Laboratory.« less

Mars2020 Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation (MEDLI2): Science Objectives and Instrument Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bose, Deepak; White, Todd; Schoenenberger, Mark; Karlgaard, Chris; Wright, Henry

2015-01-01

NASAs exploration and technology roadmaps call for capability advancements in Mars entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems to enable increased landed mass, a higher landing precision, and a wider planetary access. It is also recognized that these ambitious EDL performance goals must be met while maintaining a low mission risk in order to pave the way for future human missions. As NASA is engaged in developing new EDL systems and technologies via testing at Earth, instrumentation of existing Mars missions is providing valuable engineering data for performance improvement, risk reduction, and an improved definition of entry loads and environment. The most notable recent example is the Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Instrument (MEDLI) suite hosted by Mars Science Laboratory for its entry in Aug 2012. The MEDLI suite provided a comprehensive dataset for Mars entry aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics and thermal protection system (TPS) performance. MEDLI data has since been used for unprecedented reconstruction of aerodynamic drag, vehicle attitude, in-situ atmospheric density, aerothermal heating, and transition to turbulence, in-depth TPS performance and TPS ablation. [1,2] In addition to validating predictive models, MEDLI data has demonstrated extra margin available in the MSL forebody TPS, which can potentially be used to reduce vehicle parasitic mass. The presentation will introduce a follow-on MEDLI instrumentation suite (called MEDLI2) that is being developed for Mars-2020 mission. MEDLI2 has an enhanced scope that includes backshell instrumentation, a wider forebody coverage, and instruments that specifically target supersonic aerodynamics. Similar to MEDLI, MEDLI2 uses thermal plugs with embedded thermocouples and ports through the TPS to measure surface pressure. MEDLI2, however, also includes heat flux sensors in the backshell and a low range pressure transducer to measure afterbody pressure.

Advanced CO2 removal process control and monitor instrumentation development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heppner, D. B.; Dalhausen, M. J.; Klimes, R.

1982-01-01

A progam to evaluate, design and demonstrate major advances in control and monitor instrumentation was undertaken. A carbon dioxide removal process, one whose maturity level makes it a prime candidate for early flight demonstration was investigated. The instrumentation design incorporates features which are compatible with anticipated flight requirements. Current electronics technology and projected advances are included. In addition, the program established commonality of components for all advanced life support subsystems. It was concluded from the studies and design activities conducted under this program that the next generation of instrumentation will be greatly smaller than the prior one. Not only physical size but weight, power and heat rejection requirements were reduced in the range of 80 to 85% from the former level of research and development instrumentation. Using a microprocessor based computer, a standard computer bus structure and nonvolatile memory, improved fabrication techniques and aerospace packaging this instrumentation will greatly enhance overall reliability and total system availability.

Exploratory studies of the cruise performance of upper surface blown configurations. Experimental program: Test facilities, model design instrumentation, and lowspeed, high-lift tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braden, J. A.; Hancock, J. P.; Burdges, K. P.; Hackett, J. E.

1980-01-01

The model hardware, test facilities and instrumentation utilized in an experimental study of upper surface blown configurations at cruise is described. The high speed (subsonic) experimental work, studying the aerodynamic effects of wing nacelle geometric variations, was conducted around semispan model configurations composed of diversified, interchangeable components. Power simulation was provided by high pressure air ducted through closed forebody nacelles. Nozzle geometry was varied across size, exit aspect ratio, exit position and boattail angle. Three dimensional force and two dimensional pressure measurements were obtained at cruise Mach numbers from 0.5 to 0.8 and at nozzle pressure ratios up to about 3.0. The experimental investigation was supported by an analytical synthesis of the system using a vortex lattice representation with first order power effects. Results are also presented from a compatibility study in which a short haul transport is designed on the basis of the aerodynamic findings in the experimental study as well as acoustical data obtained in a concurrent program. High lift test data are used to substantiate the projected performance of the selected transport design.

Smartphone measurement engineering - Innovative challenges for science & education, instrumentation & training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, D.; Dittrich, P.-G.; Duentsch, E.

2010-07-01

Smartphones have an enormous conceptual and structural influence on measurement science & education, instrumentation & training. Smartphones are matured. They became convenient, reliable and affordable. In 2009 worldwide 174 million Smartphones has been delivered. Measurement with Smartphones is ready for the future. In only 10 years the German vision industry tripled its global sales volume to one Billion Euro/Year. Machine vision is used for mobile object identification, contactless industrial quality control, personalized health care, remote facility and transport management, safety critical surveillance and all tasks which are too complex for the human eye or too monotonous for the human brain. Aim of the paper is to describe selected success stories for the application of Smartphones for measurement engineering in science and education, instrumentation and training.

17 CFR 229.1114 - (Item 1114) Credit enhancement and other support, except for certain derivatives instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... and other support, except for certain derivatives instruments. 229.1114 Section 229.1114 Commodity and... support, except for certain derivatives instruments. (a) Descriptive information. To the extent material..., guaranteed investment contracts and minimum principal payment agreements. (3) Any derivatives whose primary...

Galileo Avionica's technologies and instruments for planetary exploration.

PubMed

Battistelli, E; Falciani, P; Magnani, P; Midollini, B; Preti, G; Re, E

2006-12-01

Several missions for planetary exploration, including comets and asteroids, are ongoing or planned by the European Space Agencies: Rosetta, Venus Express, Bepi Colombo, Dawn, Aurora and all Mars Programme (in its past and next missions) are good examples. The satisfaction of the scientific request for the mentioned programmes calls for the development of new instruments and facilities devoted to investigate the body (planet, asteroid or comet) both remotely and by in situ measurements. The paper is an overview of some instruments for remote sensing and in situ planetary exploration already developed or under study by Galileo Avionica Space & Electro-Optics B.U. (in the following shortened as Galileo Avionica) for both the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and for the European Space Agency (ESA). Main technologies and specifications are outlined; for more detailed information please refer to Galileo Avionica's web-site at: http://www.galileoavionica.com .

Best Practices for Core Facilities: Handling External Customers

PubMed Central

Hockberger, Philip; Meyn, Susan; Nicklin, Connie; Tabarini, Diane; Turpen, Paula; Auger, Julie

2013-01-01

This article addresses the growing interest among U.S. scientific organizations and federal funding agencies in strengthening research partnerships between American universities and the private sector. It outlines how core facilities at universities can contribute to this partnership by offering services and access to high-end instrumentation to both nonprofit organizations and commercial organizations. We describe institutional policies (best practices) and procedures (terms and conditions) that are essential for facilitating and enabling such partnerships. In addition, we provide an overview of the relevant federal regulations that apply to external use of academic core facilities and offer a set of guidelines for handling them. We conclude by encouraging directors and managers of core facilities to work with the relevant organizational offices to promote and nurture such partnerships. If handled appropriately, we believe such partnerships can be a win-win situation for both organizations that will support research and bolster the American economy. PMID:23814500