Integration of the Electrodynamic Dust Shield on a Lunar Habitat Demonstration Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, C. I.; Immer, C. D.; Ferreira, J.; Hogue, M. D.; Chen, A.; Csonka, M. W.; VanSuetendael, N.; Snyder, S. J.

2010-01-01

NASA is developing a Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) to investigate the feasibility of lunar surface technologies and lunar ground operations. The HDU will define and validate lunar scenario architecture through field analog testing. It will contain a four-port vertical habitat module with docking demonstration capabilities. The Electrodynamic Oust Shield (EDS) is being incorporated into the HDU to demonstrate dust removal from a viewport and from a door prior to docking procedures. In this paper, we will describe our efforts to scale up the EDS to protect a viewport 20 cm in diameter. We will also describe the development of several 20 cm x 25 cm EDS patches to demonstrate dust removal from one of the HDU doors.

Demonstration using field collections that Argentina fall armyworm populations exhibit strain-specific host plant preferences

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spodoptera frugiperda, the fall armyworm, is a major economic pest throughout the Western Hemisphere of corn (maize), cotton, sorghum, and a variety of agricultural grasses and vegetable crops. Studies in the United States, the Caribbean, and Brazil demonstrated the existence of two subpopulations ...

Habitat Demonstration Unit Project Leadership and Management Strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Kriss J.

2011-01-01

This paper gives an overview of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led multi-center Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) project leadership and management strategies. The HDU project team constructed and tested an analog prototype lunar surface habitat/laboratory called the Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) during 2010. The prototype unit subsystems were integrated in a short amount of time, utilizing a tiger team approach that brought together over 20 habitation-related technologies and innovations from a variety of NASA centers. This paper describes the leadership and management strategies as well as lessons learned pertaining to leading and managing a multi-center diverse team in a rapid prototype environment. The PEM configuration went from a paper design to an operational surface habitat demonstration unit in less than 12 months. The HDU project is part of the strategic plan from the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Directorate Integration Office (DIO) and the Exploration Mission Systems Office (EMSO) to test destination elements in analog environments. The 2011 HDU-Deep Space Habitat (DSH) configuration will build upon the PEM work, and emphasize validity of crew operations (remote working and living), EVA operations, mission operations, logistics operations, and science operations that might be required in a deep space context for Near Earth Object (NEO) exploration mission architectures. The 2011 HDU-DSH will be field-tested during the 2011 Desert Research and Technologies Studies (DRaTS) field tests. The HDU project is a "technology-pull" project that integrates technologies and innovations from multiple NASA centers. This project will repurpose the HDU 2010 demo unit that was field tested in the 2010 DRaTS, adding habitation functionality to the prototype unit. This paper will describe the strategy of establishing a multi-center project management team that put in place the key multi-center leadership skills and disciplines to enable a successful tiger team approach. Advocacy was established with key stakeholders and NASA Headquarters (HQ) by defining a strategic vision, mission, goals and objectives for the project and team. As a technology-pull testbed capability the HDU project was able to collaborate and leverage the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) and individual NASA center investments which capitalized on their respective center core competencies and skills. This approach enable the leveraging of over $7.5m of value to create an operational habitat demonstration unit 2010 PEM configuration.

Energy: Light, Sound, and Heat, Science (Experimental): 5311.04.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castaldi, June P.

This unit of instruction was designed as a basic course involving the study of light, sound, and heat at the junior high school level. The booklet lists the relevant state-adopted texts and states the performance objectives for the unit. It provides an outline of the course content and suggests experiments, demonstrations, field trips, and topics…

Giftedness as Property: Troubling Whiteness, Wealth, and Gifted Education in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansfield, Katherine Cumings

2015-01-01

The purposes of this article are to illumine the racist genealogy of gifted education policies and practices in the United States, to demonstrate how deficit discourses continue today, and to provide personal examples from the field of how educators can begin to question the status quo, resist taken-for-granted assumptions, and alternatively make…

Lensfree on-chip microscopy over a wide field-of-view using pixel super-resolution

PubMed Central

Bishara, Waheb; Su, Ting-Wei; Coskun, Ahmet F.; Ozcan, Aydogan

2010-01-01

We demonstrate lensfree holographic microscopy on a chip to achieve ~0.6 µm spatial resolution corresponding to a numerical aperture of ~0.5 over a large field-of-view of ~24 mm2. By using partially coherent illumination from a large aperture (~50 µm), we acquire lower resolution lensfree in-line holograms of the objects with unit fringe magnification. For each lensfree hologram, the pixel size at the sensor chip limits the spatial resolution of the reconstructed image. To circumvent this limitation, we implement a sub-pixel shifting based super-resolution algorithm to effectively recover much higher resolution digital holograms of the objects, permitting sub-micron spatial resolution to be achieved across the entire sensor chip active area, which is also equivalent to the imaging field-of-view (24 mm2) due to unit magnification. We demonstrate the success of this pixel super-resolution approach by imaging patterned transparent substrates, blood smear samples, as well as Caenoharbditis Elegans. PMID:20588977

SBIR Phase II Final Report: Low cost Autonomous NMR and Multi-sensor Soil Monitoring Instrument

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

Walsh, David O.

In this 32-month SBIR Phase 2 program, Vista Clara designed, assembled and successfully tested four new NMR instruments for soil moisture measurement and monitoring: An enhanced performance man-portable Dart NMR logging probe and control unit for rapid, mobile measurement in core holes and 2” PVC access wells; A prototype 4-level Dart NMR monitoring probe and prototype multi-sensor soil monitoring control unit for long-term unattended monitoring of soil moisture and other measurements in-situ; A non-invasive 1m x 1m Discus NMR soil moisture sensor with surface based magnet/coil array for rapid measurement of soil moisture in the top 50 cm of themore » subsurface; A non-invasive, ultra-lightweight Earth’s field surface NMR instrument for non-invasive measurement and mapping of soil moisture in the top 3 meters of the subsurface. The Phase 2 research and development achieved most, but not all of our technical objectives. The single-coil Dart in-situ sensor and control unit were fully developed, demonstrated and successfully commercialized within the Phase 2 period of performance. The multi-level version of the Dart probe was designed, assembled and demonstrated in Phase 2, but its final assembly and testing were delayed until close to the end of the Phase 2 performance period, which limited our opportunities for demonstration in field settings. Likewise, the multi-sensor version of the Dart control unit was designed and assembled, but not in time for it to be deployed for any long-term monitoring demonstrations. The prototype ultra-lightweight surface NMR instrument was developed and demonstrated, and this result will be carried forward into the development of a new flexible surface NMR instrument and commercial product in 2018.« less

Persistence and failure of mean-field approximations adapted to a class of systems of delay-coupled excitable units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franović, Igor; Todorović, Kristina; Vasović, Nebojša; Burić, Nikola

2014-02-01

We consider the approximations behind the typical mean-field model derived for a class of systems made up of type II excitable units influenced by noise and coupling delays. The formulation of the two approximations, referred to as the Gaussian and the quasi-independence approximation, as well as the fashion in which their validity is verified, are adapted to reflect the essential properties of the underlying system. It is demonstrated that the failure of the mean-field model associated with the breakdown of the quasi-independence approximation can be predicted by the noise-induced bistability in the dynamics of the mean-field system. As for the Gaussian approximation, its violation is related to the increase of noise intensity, but the actual condition for failure can be cast in qualitative, rather than quantitative terms. We also discuss how the fulfillment of the mean-field approximations affects the statistics of the first return times for the local and global variables, further exploring the link between the fulfillment of the quasi-independence approximation and certain forms of synchronization between the individual units.

Remote sensing of snow and ice: A review of the research in the United States 1975 - 1978

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rango, A.

1979-01-01

Research work in the United States from 1975-1978 in the field of remote sensing of snow and ice is reviewed. Topics covered include snowcover mapping, snowmelt runoff forecasting, demonstration projects, snow water equivalent and free water content determination, glaciers, river and lake ice, and sea ice. A bibliography of 200 references is included.

Decoding the cortical transformations for visually guided reaching in 3D space.

PubMed

Blohm, Gunnar; Keith, Gerald P; Crawford, J Douglas

2009-06-01

To explore the possible cortical mechanisms underlying the 3-dimensional (3D) visuomotor transformation for reaching, we trained a 4-layer feed-forward artificial neural network to compute a reach vector (output) from the visual positions of both the hand and target viewed from different eye and head orientations (inputs). The emergent properties of the intermediate layers reflected several known neurophysiological findings, for example, gain field-like modulations and position-dependent shifting of receptive fields (RFs). We performed a reference frame analysis for each individual network unit, simulating standard electrophysiological experiments, that is, RF mapping (unit input), motor field mapping, and microstimulation effects (unit outputs). At the level of individual units (in both intermediate layers), the 3 different electrophysiological approaches identified different reference frames, demonstrating that these techniques reveal different neuronal properties and suggesting that a comparison across these techniques is required to understand the neural code of physiological networks. This analysis showed fixed input-output relationships within each layer and, more importantly, within each unit. These local reference frame transformation modules provide the basic elements for the global transformation; their parallel contributions are combined in a gain field-like fashion at the population level to implement both the linear and nonlinear elements of the 3D visuomotor transformation.

First demonstration and field trial on multi-user UDWDM-PON full duplex PSK-PSK with single monolithic integrated dual-output-DFB-SOA based ONUs.

PubMed

Chu, GuangYong; Maho, Anaëlle; Cano, Iván; Polo, Victor; Brenot, Romain; Debrégeas, Hélène; Prat, Josep

2016-10-15

We demonstrate a monolithically integrated dual-output DFB-SOA, and conduct the field trial on a multi-user bidirectional coherent ultradense wavelength division multiplexing-passive optical network (UDWDM-PON). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first achievement of simplified single integrated laser-based neighboring coherent optical network units (ONUs) with a 12.5 GHz channel spaced ultra-dense access network, including both downstream and upstream, taking the benefits of low footprint and low-temperature dependence.

THOR Field and Wave Processor - FWP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soucek, Jan; Rothkaehl, Hanna; Balikhin, Michael; Zaslavsky, Arnaud; Nakamura, Rumi; Khotyaintsev, Yuri; Uhlir, Ludek; Lan, Radek; Yearby, Keith; Morawski, Marek; Winkler, Marek

2016-04-01

If selected, Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) will become the first mission ever flown in space dedicated to plasma turbulence. The Fields and Waves Processor (FWP) is an integrated electronics unit for all electromagnetic field measurements performed by THOR. FWP will interface with all fields sensors: electric field antennas of the EFI instrument, the MAG fluxgate magnetometer and search-coil magnetometer (SCM) and perform data digitization and on-board processing. FWP box will house multiple data acquisition sub-units and signal analyzers all sharing a common power supply and data processing unit and thus a single data and power interface to the spacecraft. Integrating all the electromagnetic field measurements in a single unit will improve the consistency of field measurement and accuracy of time synchronization. The feasibility of making highly sensitive electric and magnetic field measurements in space has been demonstrated by Cluster (among other spacecraft) and THOR instrumentation complemented by a thorough electromagnetic cleanliness program will further improve on this heritage. Taking advantage of the capabilities of modern electronics, FWP will provide simultaneous synchronized waveform and spectral data products at high time resolution from the numerous THOR sensors, taking advantage of the large telemetry bandwidth of THOR. FWP will also implement a plasma a resonance sounder and a digital plasma quasi-thermal noise analyzer designed to provide high cadence measurements of plasma density and temperature complementary to data from particle instruments. FWP will be interfaced with the particle instrument data processing unit (PPU) via a dedicated digital link which will enable performing on board correlation between waves and particles, quantifying the transfer of energy between waves and particles. The FWP instrument shall be designed and built by an international consortium of scientific institutes from Czech Republic, Poland, France, UK, Sweden and Austria.

The Impact of Labor Market Conditions on Choice of College Major

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Uisok

2010-01-01

From the 1960s to the 1990s in the United States, a distinctive feature was observed in variations in the number of Bachelor's degree recipients by field of study. The number in each field demonstrated certain cyclical patterns. Similarly, the U.S. economy experienced fluctuations during a comparable period. Given this 40-year trend, this study…

Defect Depth Measurement Using White Light Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Don; Starr, Stan

2009-01-01

The objectives of the White Light Interferometry project are the following: (1) Demonstrate a small hand-held instrument capable of performing inspections of identified defects on Orbiter outer pane window surfaces. (2) Build and field-test a prototype device using miniaturized optical components. (3) Modify the instrument based on field testing and begin the conversion of the unit to become a certified shop-aid.

Global Broadcast Service (GBS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

as to be unusable by smaller and more mobile units. To this end, GBS currently uses broadcast payloads on two Ultra-High Frequency Follow-On ( UFO ...operational on UFO satellites 8, 9, 10. - Full Satellite Broadcast Manager capability. - Field 20% of JPO Receive Suites (19 units). - Personnel training...capabilities. - Augment UFO GBS with leased commercial satellite services to cover gaps over CONUS. - Demonstrate smart push and user pull capability

Habitat Demonstration Unit Project: Leadership and Management Strategies for a Rapid Prototyping Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Kriss J.; Toup, Larry; Gill, Tracy; Tri, Terry; Howe, Scott; Smitherman, David

2011-01-01

This paper gives an overview of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led multi-center Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) project leadership and management strategies being used by the NASA HDU team for a rapid prototyping project. The HDU project team constructed and tested an analog prototype lunar surface habitat/laboratory called the Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) during 2010. The prototype unit subsystems were integrated in a short amount of time, utilizing a tiger team rapid prototyping approach that brought together over 20 habitation-related technologies and innovations from a variety of NASA centers. This paper describes the leadership and management strategies as well as lessons learned pertaining to leading and managing a multi-center diverse team in a rapid prototype environment. The PEM configuration went from a paper design to an operational surface habitat demonstration unit in less than 12 months. The HDU project is part of the strategic plan from the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Directorate Integration Office (DIO) and the Exploration Mission Systems Office (EMSO) to test destination elements in analog environments. The 2011 HDU-Deep Space Habitat (DSH) configuration will build upon the PEM work, and emphasize validity of crew operations (remote working and living), EVA operations, mission operations, logistics operations, and science operations that might be required in a deep space context for Near Earth Object (NEO) exploration mission architectures. The 2011 HDU-DSH will be field-tested during the 2011 Desert Research and Technologies Studies (DRaTS) field tests. The HDU project is a "technology-pull" project that integrates technologies and innovations from multiple NASA centers. This project will repurpose the HDU 2010 demo unit that was field tested in the 2010 DRaTS, adding habitation functionality to the prototype unit. This paper will describe the strategy of establishing a multi-center project management team that put in place the key multi-center leadership skills and disciplines to enable a successful tiger team approach. Advocacy was established with key stakeholders and NASA Headquarters (HQ) by defining a strategic vision, mission, goals and objectives for the project and team. As a technology-pull testbed capability the HDU project was able to collaborate and leverage the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) and individual NASA center investments which capitalized on their respective center core competencies and skills. This approach enable the leveraging of over $7.5m of value to create an operational habitat demonstration unit 2010 PEM configuration.

Climate Change Impacts for the Conterminous USA: An Integrated Assessment Part 7. Economic Analysis of Field Crops and Land Use with Climate Change

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

Sands, Ronald D.; Edmonds, James A.

PNNL's Agriculture and Land Use (AgLU) model is used to demonstrate the impact of potential changes in climate on agricultural production and land use in the United States. AgLU simulates production of four crop types in several world regions, in 15-year time steps from 1990 to 2095. Changes in yield of major field crops in the United States, for 12 climate scenarios, are obtained from simulations of the EPIC crop growth model. Results from the HUMUS model are used to constrain crop irrigation, and the BIOME3 model is used to simulate productivity of unmanaged ecosystems. Assumptions about changes in agriculturalmore » productivity outside the United States are treated on a scenario basis, either responding in the same way as in the United States, or not responding to climate.« less

Miller Creek Demonstration Forest - a forest born of fire: A field guide

Treesearch

Penelope A. Latham; Raymond C. Shearer; Kevin L. O' Hara

1998-01-01

Miller Creek, on the Flathead National Forest in northwest Montana, is a demonstration forest, showing up to 30 years of forest change after clearcutting and a wide range of fire treatments in 1967 and 1968. Differences in tree regeneration and vegetation development are explained for units that were clearcut and prescribed burned, clearcut and burned by wildfire,...

Design, Development, and Demonstration of a Prognostic and Diagnostics Health Monitoring System for the CROWS Platform

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

automatically appended onto the data packet by the CC2420 transceiver. The frame control field (FCF), data sequence number, and frame check sequence (FCS...by the CC2420 over the MAC protocol data unit (MPDU), i.e., the length field is not part of the FCS. This field is automatically generated and...verified by the CC2420 hardware when the AUTOCRC control bit is set in the MODEMCTRL0 control register’s field . If the FCS check indicates that a data

Longitudinal Patent Analysis for Nanoscale Science and Engineering: Country, Institution and Technology Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zan; Chen, Hsinchun; Yip, Alan; Ng, Gavin; Guo, Fei; Chen, Zhi-Kai; Roco, Mihail C.

2003-08-01

Nanoscale science and engineering (NSE) and related areas have seen rapid growth in recent years. The speed and scope of development in the field have made it essential for researchers to be informed on the progress across different laboratories, companies, industries and countries. In this project, we experimented with several analysis and visualization techniques on NSE-related United States patent documents to support various knowledge tasks. This paper presents results on the basic analysis of nanotechnology patents between 1976 and 2002, content map analysis and citation network analysis. The data have been obtained on individual countries, institutions and technology fields. The top 10 countries with the largest number of nanotechnology patents are the United States, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Korea, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and Australia. The fastest growth in the last 5 years has been in chemical and pharmaceutical fields, followed by semiconductor devices. The results demonstrate potential of information-based discovery and visualization technologies to capture knowledge regarding nanotechnology performance, transfer of knowledge and trends of development through analyzing the patent documents.

FIELD DEMONSTRATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Demonstration of innovative field devices for the measurement of mercury in soil and sediment is being conducted under the EPA's SITE Program in February 2003 at the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Department of Energy Oversight facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The primary purpose of the Demonstration is to evaluate innovative field devices for the measurement of mercury in soil and sediment based on their performance and cost as compared to a conventional, off-site laboratory analytical method. The five field measurement devices listed below will be demonstrated: .Metorex's X-M ET 2000 Metal Master Analyzer, X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzer .Milestone Inc.'s Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA-80), Thermal Decomposition Instrument.NITON's XL-700 Series Multi-Element Analyzer, X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzer .Ohio Lumex's RA-915+ Portable Mercury Analyzer, Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, Thermal Decompostion Attachment RP 91C .MTI, Inc.'s PDV 5000 Hand Held Instrument, Anodic Stripping Voltamm eter<1). This Demonstration Plan describes the procedures that will be used to verify the performance and cost of each field measurement device. The plan incorporates the quality assurance and quality control elements needed to generate data of sufficient quality to document each device's performance and cost. A separate Innovative Technology Verifica

A demonstration of a low cost approach to security at shipping facilities and ports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huck, Robert C.; Al Akkoumi, Mouhammad K.; Herath, Ruchira W.; Sluss, James J., Jr.; Radhakrishnan, Sridhar; Landers, Thomas L.

2010-04-01

Government funding for the security at shipping facilities and ports is limited so there is a need for low cost scalable security systems. With over 20 million sea, truck, and rail containers entering the United States every year, these facilities pose a large risk to security. Securing these facilities and monitoring the variety of traffic that enter and leave is a major task. To accomplish this, the authors have developed and fielded a low cost fully distributed building block approach to port security at the inland Port of Catoosa in Oklahoma. Based on prior work accomplished in the design and fielding of an intelligent transportation system in the United States, functional building blocks, (e.g. Network, Camera, Sensor, Display, and Operator Console blocks) can be assembled, mixed and matched, and scaled to provide a comprehensive security system. The following functions are demonstrated and scaled through analysis and demonstration: Barge tracking, credential checking, container inventory, vehicle tracking, and situational awareness. The concept behind this research is "any operator on any console can control any device at any time."

MUSE field splitter unit: fan-shaped separator for 24 integral field units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurent, Florence; Renault, Edgard; Anwand, Heiko; Boudon, Didier; Caillier, Patrick; Kosmalski, Johan; Loupias, Magali; Nicklas, Harald; Seifert, Walter; Salaun, Yves; Xu, Wenli

2014-07-01

MUSE (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer) is a second generation Very Large Telescope (VLT) integral field spectrograph developed for the European Southern Observatory (ESO). It combines a 1' x 1' field of view sampled at 0.2 arcsec for its Wide Field Mode (WFM) and a 7.5"x7.5" field of view for its Narrow Field Mode (NFM). Both modes will operate with the improved spatial resolution provided by GALACSI (Ground Atmospheric Layer Adaptive Optics for Spectroscopic Imaging), that will use the VLT deformable secondary mirror and 4 Laser Guide Stars (LGS) foreseen in 2015. MUSE operates in the visible wavelength range (0.465-0.93 μm). A consortium of seven institutes is currently commissioning MUSE in the Very Large Telescope for the Preliminary Acceptance in Chile, scheduled for September, 2014. MUSE is composed of several subsystems which are under the responsibility of each institute. The Fore Optics derotates and anamorphoses the image at the focal plane. A Splitting and Relay Optics feed the 24 identical Integral Field Units (IFU), that are mounted within a large monolithic instrument mechanical structure. Each IFU incorporates an image slicer, a fully refractive spectrograph with VPH-grating and a detector system connected to a global vacuum and cryogenic system. During 2012 and 2013, all MUSE subsystems were integrated, aligned and tested to the P.I. institute at Lyon. After successful PAE in September 2013, MUSE instrument was shipped to the Very Large Telescope in Chile where it was aligned and tested in ESO integration hall at Paranal. After, MUSE was directly transferred in monolithic way onto VLT telescope where the first light was achieved. This paper describes the MUSE main optical component: the Field Splitter Unit. It splits the VLT image into 24 subfields and provides the first separation of the beam for the 24 Integral Field Units. This talk depicts its manufacturing at Winlight Optics and its alignment into MUSE instrument. The success of the MUSE alignment is demonstrated by the excellent results obtained onto MUSE positioning, image quality and throughput onto the sky. MUSE commissioning at the VLT is planned for September, 2014.

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

Franović, Igor, E-mail: franovic@ipb.ac.rs; Todorović, Kristina; Burić, Nikola

We use the mean-field approach to analyze the collective dynamics in macroscopic networks of stochastic Fitzhugh-Nagumo units with delayed couplings. The conditions for validity of the two main approximations behind the model, called the Gaussian approximation and the Quasi-independence approximation, are examined. It is shown that the dynamics of the mean-field model may indicate in a self-consistent fashion the parameter domains where the Quasi-independence approximation fails. Apart from a network of globally coupled units, we also consider the paradigmatic setup of two interacting assemblies to demonstrate how our framework may be extended to hierarchical and modular networks. In both cases,more » the mean-field model can be used to qualitatively analyze the stability of the system, as well as the scenarios for the onset and the suppression of the collective mode. In quantitative terms, the mean-field model is capable of predicting the average oscillation frequency corresponding to the global variables of the exact system.« less

Lime utilization in the laboratory, field, and design of pavement layers : [research project capsule].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-05-01

Nearly two-thirds of highways in the United States are constructed on in-place soils : with poor or undesirable characteristics. These materials demonstrate undesirable : engineering behavior, such as low bearing capacity, high shrink/swell potential...

Microwave Hydrogen Production from Methane

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

combustion NOx control of reciprocating engine exhaust and fuel cell application of biogas . Our target is to obtain the methane conversion efficiency...demonstration of MW technology removing and destroying hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and siloxanes from biogas produced by Sacramento Regional Wastewater...running on biogas and is currently conducting the field demonstration of the unit at Tollenaar Dairy in Elk Grove, CA. SMUD, California Air Resources

Magnetohydrodynamics with GAMER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ui-Han; Schive, Hsi-Yu; Chiueh, Tzihong

2018-06-01

GAMER, a parallel Graphic-processing-unit-accelerated Adaptive-MEsh-Refinement (AMR) hydrodynamic code, has been extended to support magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) with both the corner-transport-upwind and MUSCL-Hancock schemes and the constraint transport technique. The divergent preserving operator for AMR has been applied to reinforce the divergence-free constraint on the magnetic field. GAMER-MHD has fully exploited the concurrent executions between the graphic process unit (GPU) MHD solver and other central processing unit computation pertinent to AMR. We perform various standard tests to demonstrate that GAMER-MHD is both second-order accurate and robust, producing results as accurate as those given by high-resolution uniform-grid runs. We also explore a new 3D MHD test, where the magnetic field assumes the Arnold–Beltrami–Childress configuration, temporarily becomes turbulent with current sheets, and finally settles to a lowest-energy equilibrium state. This 3D problem is adopted for the performance test of GAMER-MHD. The single-GPU performance reaches 1.2 × 108 and 5.5 × 107 cell updates per second for the single- and double-precision calculations, respectively, on Tesla P100. We also demonstrate a parallel efficiency of ∼70% for both weak and strong scaling using 1024 XK nodes on the Blue Waters supercomputers.

Low relative error in consumer-grade GPS units make them ideal for measuring small-scale animal movement patterns

PubMed Central

Severns, Paul M.

2015-01-01

Consumer-grade GPS units are a staple of modern field ecology, but the relatively large error radii reported by manufacturers (up to 10 m) ostensibly precludes their utility in measuring fine-scale movement of small animals such as insects. Here we demonstrate that for data collected at fine spatio-temporal scales, these devices can produce exceptionally accurate data on step-length and movement patterns of small animals. With an understanding of the properties of GPS error and how it arises, it is possible, using a simple field protocol, to use consumer grade GPS units to collect step-length data for the movement of small animals that introduces a median error as small as 11 cm. These small error rates were measured in controlled observations of real butterfly movement. Similar conclusions were reached using a ground-truth test track prepared with a field tape and compass and subsequently measured 20 times using the same methodology as the butterfly tracking. Median error in the ground-truth track was slightly higher than the field data, mostly between 20 and 30 cm, but even for the smallest ground-truth step (70 cm), this is still a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1, and for steps of 3 m or more, the ratio is greater than 10:1. Such small errors relative to the movements being measured make these inexpensive units useful for measuring insect and other small animal movements on small to intermediate scales with budgets orders of magnitude lower than survey-grade units used in past studies. As an additional advantage, these units are simpler to operate, and insect or other small animal trackways can be collected more quickly than either survey-grade units or more traditional ruler/gird approaches. PMID:26312190

Low relative error in consumer-grade GPS units make them ideal for measuring small-scale animal movement patterns.

PubMed

Breed, Greg A; Severns, Paul M

2015-01-01

Consumer-grade GPS units are a staple of modern field ecology, but the relatively large error radii reported by manufacturers (up to 10 m) ostensibly precludes their utility in measuring fine-scale movement of small animals such as insects. Here we demonstrate that for data collected at fine spatio-temporal scales, these devices can produce exceptionally accurate data on step-length and movement patterns of small animals. With an understanding of the properties of GPS error and how it arises, it is possible, using a simple field protocol, to use consumer grade GPS units to collect step-length data for the movement of small animals that introduces a median error as small as 11 cm. These small error rates were measured in controlled observations of real butterfly movement. Similar conclusions were reached using a ground-truth test track prepared with a field tape and compass and subsequently measured 20 times using the same methodology as the butterfly tracking. Median error in the ground-truth track was slightly higher than the field data, mostly between 20 and 30 cm, but even for the smallest ground-truth step (70 cm), this is still a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1, and for steps of 3 m or more, the ratio is greater than 10:1. Such small errors relative to the movements being measured make these inexpensive units useful for measuring insect and other small animal movements on small to intermediate scales with budgets orders of magnitude lower than survey-grade units used in past studies. As an additional advantage, these units are simpler to operate, and insect or other small animal trackways can be collected more quickly than either survey-grade units or more traditional ruler/gird approaches.

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

Baxter, V. D.; Rice, K.; Murphy, R.

Between October 2008 and May 2013 ORNL and ClimateMaster, Inc. (CM) engaged in a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop a groundsource integrated heat pump (GS-IHP) system for the US residential market. A initial prototype was designed and fabricated, lab-tested, and modeled in TRNSYS (SOLAR Energy Laboratory, et al, 2010) to predict annual performance relative to 1) a baseline suite of equipment meeting minimum efficiency standards in effect in 2006 (combination of air-source heat pump (ASHP) and resistance water heater) and 2) a state-of-the-art (SOA) two-capacity ground-source heat pump with desuperheater water heater (WH) option (GSHPwDS). Predicted totalmore » annual energy savings, while providing space conditioning and water heating for a 2600 ft{sup 2} (242 m{sup 2}) house at 5 U.S. locations, ranged from 52 to 59%, averaging 55%, relative to the minimum efficiency suite. Predicted energy use for water heating was reduced 68 to 78% relative to resistance WH. Predicted total annual savings for the GSHPwDS relative to the same baseline averaged 22.6% with water heating energy use reduced by 10 to 30% from desuperheater contributions. The 1st generation (or alpha) prototype design for the GS-IHP was finalized in 2010 and field test samples were fabricated for testing by CM and by ORNL. Two of the alpha units were installed in 3700 ft{sup 2} (345 m{sup 2}) houses at the ZEBRAlliance site in Oak Ridge and field tested during 2011. Based on the steady-state performance demonstrated by the GS-IHPs it was projected that it would achieve >52% energy savings relative to the minimum efficiency suite at this specific site. A number of operational issues with the alpha units were identified indicating design changes needed to the system before market introduction could be accomplished. These were communicated to CM throughout the field test period. Based on the alpha unit test results and the diagnostic information coming from the field test experience, CM developed a 2nd generation (or beta) prototype in 2012. Field test verification units were fabricated and installed at the ZEBRAlliance site in Oak Ridge in May 2012 and at several sites near CM headquarters in Oklahoma. Field testing of the units continued through February 2013. Annual performance analyses of the beta unit (prototype 2) with vertical well ground heat exchangers (GHX) in 5 U.S. locations predict annual energy savings of 57% to 61%, averaging 59% relative to the minimum efficiency suite and 38% to 56%, averaging 46% relative to the SOA GSHPwDS. Based on the steady-state performance demonstrated by the test units it was projected that the 2nd generation units would achieve ~58% energy savings relative to the minimum efficiency suite at the Zebra Alliance site with horizontal GHX. A new product based on the beta unit design was announced by CM in 2012 – the Trilogy 40® Q-mode™ (http://cmdealernet.com/trilogy_40.html). The unit was formally introduced in a March 2012 press release (see Appendix A) and was available for order beginning in December 2012.« less

DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF A REMOTELY DEPLOYABLE WATER QUALITY MONITORING SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

A prototype water quality monitoring system is described which offers almost continuous in situ monitoring. The two-man portable system features: (1) a microprocessor controlled central processing unit which allows preprogrammed sampling schedules and reprogramming in situ; (2) a...

Intercultural Education in European Classrooms: Intercultural Education Partnership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Susan, Ed.

This collection of papers demonstrates the role of the Intercultural Educational Partnership in the United Kingdom. It offers contributions from teachers, educationalists and academics in the field of second/additional language learning. The papers include: "Introduction: 'Learners' or 'Learned'" (Susan E. Shaw); "Second Language…

Results and analysis of saltstone cores taken from saltstone disposal unit cell 2A

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

Reigel, M. M.; Hill, K. A.

2016-03-01

As part of an ongoing Performance Assessment (PA) Maintenance Plan, Savannah River Remediation (SRR) has developed a sampling and analyses strategy to facilitate the comparison of field-emplaced samples (i.e., saltstone placed and cured in a Saltstone Disposal Unit (SDU)) with samples prepared and cured in the laboratory. The primary objectives of the Sampling and Analyses Plan (SAP) are; (1) to demonstrate a correlation between the measured properties of laboratory-prepared, simulant samples (termed Sample Set 3), and the field-emplaced saltstone samples (termed Sample Set 9), and (2) to validate property values assumed for the Saltstone Disposal Facility (SDF) PA modeling. Themore » analysis and property data for Sample Set 9 (i.e. six core samples extracted from SDU Cell 2A (SDU2A)) are documented in this report, and where applicable, the results are compared to the results for Sample Set 3. Relevant properties to demonstrate the aforementioned objectives include bulk density, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity (SHC), and radionuclide leaching behavior.« less

Operational data and thermodynamic modeling of a Stirling-dish demonstration installation in desert conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsson, Martin; Jamot, Jakob; Malm, Tommy

2017-06-01

To field test its Stirling-dish unit, Cleanergy AB of Sweden in Q1 2015 built a ten unit demo park in Dubai. The first STE (Solar Thermal Energy) generation of its Stirling genset, the C11S, had at its core an 11 kWel Stirling engine/generator combination. The genset was mated with a parabolic concentrator developed for the genset by a supplier. Local weather conditions in Dubai provide opportunities to test performance in an environment with high insolation and high ambient temperature. In addition, the conditions in Dubai are windy, salty, humid and dusty, historically challenging for solar technologies [1]. In Q1 2016 one of the C11S Stirling-dish units was replaced by the first prototype of Cleanergy's second generation Stirling genset, the Sunbox, and an in-house developed parabolic concentrator. Operational data from field testing during the spring of 2016 are presented and discussed and show the large performance improvement achieved with the Sunbox unit.

[Magnetotherapy of initial manifestations of cerebrovascular disorders in hypertension].

PubMed

Miasnikov, I G

1992-01-01

The paper is concerned with the data on 147 subjects who underwent magnetotherapy with the unit "Magniter-AMT-01" applied to the cervical area. The main group included 102 subjects, 45 person served as control. The purpose of the work was to base the application of MT under inpatient and home conditions with the use of the above-indicated unit. In view of this fact, a study was made of cerebral hemo- and thermodynamics with the aid of rheoencephalography and encephaloradiothermography under the action of different modes of the functioning of the unit "Magniter-AMT-01" (pulse and variable magnet induction fields 12-15 mTl and 30-35 mTl). A method of measuring magnetosensitivity of patients depending on the temperature reaction of the brain to a single MT session was elaborated. The greatest clinical effect was attained with the use of pulse magnetic field 15 mTl. Magnetotherapy with the use of the unit "Magniter-AMT-01" provided good results under inpatient and home conditions. The magnetosensitive patients demonstrated the highest effect.

A Field-Sweep/Field-Lock System for Superconducting Magnets-Application to High-Field EPR

PubMed Central

Maly, Thorsten; Bryant, Jeff; Ruben, David; Griffin, Robert G.

2007-01-01

We describe a field-lock/field-sweep system for the use in superconducting magnets. The system is based on a commercially available field mapping unit and a custom designed broad-band 1H-NMR probe. The NMR signal of a small water sample is used in a feedback loop to set and control the magnetic field to high accuracy. The current instrumental configuration allows field sweeps of ± 0.4 T and a resolution of up to 10-5 T (0.1 G) and the performance of the system is demonstrated in a high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) application. The system should also be of utility in other experiments requiring precise and reproducible sweeps of the magnetic field such as DNP, ENDOR or PELDOR. PMID:17027306

A field-sweep/field-lock system for superconducting magnets--Application to high-field EPR.

PubMed

Maly, Thorsten; Bryant, Jeff; Ruben, David; Griffin, Robert G

2006-12-01

We describe a field-lock/field-sweep system for the use in superconducting magnets. The system is based on a commercially available field mapping unit and a custom designed broad-band 1H NMR probe. The NMR signal of a small water sample is used in a feedback loop to set and control the magnetic field to high accuracy. The current instrumental configuration allows field sweeps of +/-0.4 T and a resolution of up to 10(-5) T (0.1 G) and the performance of the system is demonstrated in a high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) application. The system should also be of utility in other experiments requiring precise and reproducible sweeps of the magnetic field such as DNP, ENDOR or PELDOR.

Initial Field Deployment Results of Green PCB Removal from Sediment Systems (GPRSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeVor, Robert William

2014-01-01

The goal of this task order was to complete optimization and development of the Green PCB Remediation from Sediment Systems(GPRSSs) technology, culminating in the production of functioning demonstration test units which would be deployed at a suitable demonstration location. This location would be selected in conjunction with Toxicological & Ecological Associates who have entered into a SAA with NASA to partner with and further develop this technology. The GPRSSs technology was initially developed under ESC Task Order 83 with the purpose of providing a green remediation technology capable of in-situ removal and remediation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from contaminated sediments. The core concept of the technology, a polymeric blanket capable of absorbing PCBs when in contact with contaminated sediments was then transitioned to Task Order 165 where the primary objective was to fully design and optimize a functioning test unit capable of testing the theoretical and laboratory scale concepts in a real world situation. Results from both task orders are included in this report for completeness, although Task Order 165 focused on the blanket design and the small scale field demonstration in which is currently still ongoing in Altavista, VA.

The effects of glyphosate and aminopyralid on a multi-species plant field trial

EPA Science Inventory

In the United States, the US EPA has the responsibility for the registration of pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Prior to registration applicants must demonstrate their product will not adversely affect human health or the environment. Th...

Dual Coding of Frequency Modulation in the Ventral Cochlear Nucleus.

PubMed

Paraouty, Nihaad; Stasiak, Arkadiusz; Lorenzi, Christian; Varnet, Léo; Winter, Ian M

2018-04-25

Frequency modulation (FM) is a common acoustic feature of natural sounds and is known to play a role in robust sound source recognition. Auditory neurons show precise stimulus-synchronized discharge patterns that may be used for the representation of low-rate FM. However, it remains unclear whether this representation is based on synchronization to slow temporal envelope (ENV) cues resulting from cochlear filtering or phase locking to faster temporal fine structure (TFS) cues. To investigate the plausibility of those encoding schemes, single units of the ventral cochlear nucleus of guinea pigs of either sex were recorded in response to sine FM tones centered at the unit's best frequency (BF). The results show that, in contrast to high-BF units, for modulation depths within the receptive field, low-BF units (<4 kHz) demonstrate good phase locking to TFS. For modulation depths extending beyond the receptive field, the discharge patterns follow the ENV and fluctuate at the modulation rate. The receptive field proved to be a good predictor of the ENV responses for most primary-like and chopper units. The current in vivo data also reveal a high level of diversity in responses across unit types. TFS cues are mainly conveyed by low-frequency and primary-like units and ENV cues by chopper and onset units. The diversity of responses exhibited by cochlear nucleus neurons provides a neural basis for a dual-coding scheme of FM in the brainstem based on both ENV and TFS cues. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Natural sounds, including speech, convey informative temporal modulations in frequency. Understanding how the auditory system represents those frequency modulations (FM) has important implications as robust sound source recognition depends crucially on the reception of low-rate FM cues. Here, we recorded 115 single-unit responses from the ventral cochlear nucleus in response to FM and provide the first physiological evidence of a dual-coding mechanism of FM via synchronization to temporal envelope cues and phase locking to temporal fine structure cues. We also demonstrate a diversity of neural responses with different coding specializations. These results support the dual-coding scheme proposed by psychophysicists to account for FM sensitivity in humans and provide new insights on how this might be implemented in the early stages of the auditory pathway. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/384123-15$15.00/0.

Demonstration, Developmental and Research Project for Programs, Materials, Facilities and Educational Technology for Undereducated Adults: Ohio State Module. ABE Life-Centered Curriculum Development and Teaching Technique. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morehead State Univ., KY.

This workshop was held for the purpose of training selected staff members of the Ohio Module Field Unit of the Appalachian Adult Basic Education Demonstration Center (AABEDC). Twelve persons, six teachers and six paraprofessionals, were selected to participate in the workshop. While their specific jobs vary, all will be concerned with utilization…

A modular designed ultra-high-vacuum spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscope with controllable magnetic fields for investigating epitaxial thin films.

PubMed

Wang, Kangkang; Lin, Wenzhi; Chinchore, Abhijit V; Liu, Yinghao; Smith, Arthur R

2011-05-01

A room-temperature ultra-high-vacuum scanning tunneling microscope for in situ scanning freshly grown epitaxial films has been developed. The core unit of the microscope, which consists of critical components including scanner and approach motors, is modular designed. This enables easy adaptation of the same microscope units to new growth systems with different sample-transfer geometries. Furthermore the core unit is designed to be fully compatible with cryogenic temperatures and high magnetic field operations. A double-stage spring suspension system with eddy current damping has been implemented to achieve ≤5 pm z stability in a noisy environment and in the presence of an interconnected growth chamber. Both tips and samples can be quickly exchanged in situ; also a tunable external magnetic field can be introduced using a transferable permanent magnet shuttle. This allows spin-polarized tunneling with magnetically coated tips. The performance of this microscope is demonstrated by atomic-resolution imaging of surface reconstructions on wide band-gap GaN surfaces and spin-resolved experiments on antiferromagnetic Mn(3)N(2)(010) surfaces.

Surface runoff and tile drainage transport of phosphorus in the midwestern United States.

PubMed

Smith, Douglas R; King, Kevin W; Johnson, Laura; Francesconi, Wendy; Richards, Pete; Baker, Dave; Sharpley, Andrew N

2015-03-01

The midwestern United States offers some of the most productive agricultural soils in the world. Given the cool humid climate, much of the region would not be able to support agriculture without subsurface (tile) drainage because high water tables may damage crops and prevent machinery usage in fields at critical times. Although drainage is designed to remove excess soil water as quickly as possible, it can also rapidly transport agrochemicals, including phosphorus (P). This paper illustrates the potential importance of tile drainage for P transport throughout the midwestern United States. Surface runoff and tile drainage from fields in the St. Joseph River Watershed in northeastern Indiana have been monitored since 2008. Although the traditional concept of tile drainage has been that it slowly removes soil matrix flow, peak tile discharge occurred at the same time as peak surface runoff, which demonstrates a strong surface connection through macropore flow. On our research fields, 49% of soluble P and 48% of total P losses occurred via tile discharge. Edge-of-field soluble P and total P areal loads often exceeded watershed-scale areal loadings from the Maumee River, the primary source of nutrients to the western basin of Lake Erie, where algal blooms have been a pervasive problem for the last 10 yr. As farmers, researchers, and policymakers search for treatments to reduce P loading to surface waters, the present work demonstrates that treating only surface runoff may not be sufficient to reach the goal of 41% reduction in P loading for the Lake Erie Basin. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Coherent Microwave-to-Optical Conversion via Six-Wave Mixing in Rydberg Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jingshan; Vogt, Thibault; Gross, Christian; Jaksch, Dieter; Kiffner, Martin; Li, Wenhui

2018-03-01

We present an experimental demonstration of converting a microwave field to an optical field via frequency mixing in a cloud of cold 87Rb atoms, where the microwave field strongly couples to an electric dipole transition between Rydberg states. We show that the conversion allows the phase information of the microwave field to be coherently transferred to the optical field. With the current energy level scheme and experimental geometry, we achieve a photon-conversion efficiency of ˜0.3 % at low microwave intensities and a broad conversion bandwidth of more than 4 MHz. Theoretical simulations agree well with the experimental data, and they indicate that near-unit efficiency is possible in future experiments.

Near-Field Phase-Change Optical Recording of 1.36 Numerical Aperture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichimura, Isao; Kishima, Koichiro; Osato, Kiyoshi; Yamamoto, Kenji; Kuroda, Yuji; Saito, Kimihiro

2000-02-01

A bit density of 125 nm was demonstrated through near-field phase-change (PC) optical recording at the wavelength of 657 nm by using a supersphere solid immersion lens (SIL). The lens unit consists of a standard objective and a φ2.5 mm SIL@. Since this lens size still prevents the unit from being mounted on an air-bearing slider, we developed a one-axis positioning actuator and an active capacitance servo for precise gap control to thoroughly investigate near-field recording. An electrode was fabricated on the bottom of the SIL, and a capacitor was formed facing a disk material. This setup realized a stable air gap below 50 nm, and a new method of simulating modulation transfer function (MTF) optimized the PC disk structure at this gap height. Obtained jitter of 8.8% and a clear eye-pattern prove that our system successfully attained the designed numerical-aperture (\\mathit{NA}) of 1.36.

Research and development of energy-efficient appliance motor-compressors. Volume IV. Production demonstration and field test

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

Middleton, M.G.; Sauber, R.S.

Two models of a high-efficiency compressor were manufactured in a pilot production run. These compressors were for low back-pressure applications. While based on a production compressor, there were many changes that required production process changes. Some changes were performed within our company and others were made by outside vendors. The compressors were used in top mount refrigerator-freezers and sold in normal distribution channels. Forty units were placed in residences for a one-year field test. Additional compressors were built so that a life test program could be performed. The results of the field test reveal a 27.0% improvement in energy consumptionmore » for the 18 ft/sup 3/ high-efficiency model and a 15.6% improvement in the 21 ft/sup 3/ improvement in the 21 ft/sup 3/ high-efficiency model as compared to the standard production unit.« less

A Comparison of Classical Force-Fields for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Lubricants

PubMed Central

Ewen, James P.; Gattinoni, Chiara; Thakkar, Foram M.; Morgan, Neal; Spikes, Hugh A.; Dini, Daniele

2016-01-01

For the successful development and application of lubricants, a full understanding of their complex nanoscale behavior under a wide range of external conditions is required, but this is difficult to obtain experimentally. Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations can be used to yield unique insights into the atomic-scale structure and friction of lubricants and additives; however, the accuracy of the results depend on the chosen force-field. In this study, we demonstrate that the use of an accurate, all-atom force-field is critical in order to; (i) accurately predict important properties of long-chain, linear molecules; and (ii) reproduce experimental friction behavior of multi-component tribological systems. In particular, we focus on n-hexadecane, an important model lubricant with a wide range of industrial applications. Moreover, simulating conditions common in tribological systems, i.e., high temperatures and pressures (HTHP), allows the limits of the selected force-fields to be tested. In the first section, a large number of united-atom and all-atom force-fields are benchmarked in terms of their density and viscosity prediction accuracy of n-hexadecane using equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations at ambient and HTHP conditions. Whilst united-atom force-fields accurately reproduce experimental density, the viscosity is significantly under-predicted compared to all-atom force-fields and experiments. Moreover, some all-atom force-fields yield elevated melting points, leading to significant overestimation of both the density and viscosity. In the second section, the most accurate united-atom and all-atom force-field are compared in confined NEMD simulations which probe the structure and friction of stearic acid adsorbed on iron oxide and separated by a thin layer of n-hexadecane. The united-atom force-field provides an accurate representation of the structure of the confined stearic acid film; however, friction coefficients are consistently under-predicted and the friction-coverage and friction-velocity behavior deviates from that observed using all-atom force-fields and experimentally. This has important implications regarding force-field selection for NEMD simulations of systems containing long-chain, linear molecules; specifically, it is recommended that accurate all-atom potentials, such as L-OPLS-AA, are employed. PMID:28773773

A Comparison of Classical Force-Fields for Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Lubricants.

PubMed

Ewen, James P; Gattinoni, Chiara; Thakkar, Foram M; Morgan, Neal; Spikes, Hugh A; Dini, Daniele

2016-08-02

For the successful development and application of lubricants, a full understanding of their complex nanoscale behavior under a wide range of external conditions is required, but this is difficult to obtain experimentally. Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations can be used to yield unique insights into the atomic-scale structure and friction of lubricants and additives; however, the accuracy of the results depend on the chosen force-field. In this study, we demonstrate that the use of an accurate, all-atom force-field is critical in order to; (i) accurately predict important properties of long-chain, linear molecules; and (ii) reproduce experimental friction behavior of multi-component tribological systems. In particular, we focus on n -hexadecane, an important model lubricant with a wide range of industrial applications. Moreover, simulating conditions common in tribological systems, i.e., high temperatures and pressures (HTHP), allows the limits of the selected force-fields to be tested. In the first section, a large number of united-atom and all-atom force-fields are benchmarked in terms of their density and viscosity prediction accuracy of n -hexadecane using equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations at ambient and HTHP conditions. Whilst united-atom force-fields accurately reproduce experimental density, the viscosity is significantly under-predicted compared to all-atom force-fields and experiments. Moreover, some all-atom force-fields yield elevated melting points, leading to significant overestimation of both the density and viscosity. In the second section, the most accurate united-atom and all-atom force-field are compared in confined NEMD simulations which probe the structure and friction of stearic acid adsorbed on iron oxide and separated by a thin layer of n -hexadecane. The united-atom force-field provides an accurate representation of the structure of the confined stearic acid film; however, friction coefficients are consistently under-predicted and the friction-coverage and friction-velocity behavior deviates from that observed using all-atom force-fields and experimentally. This has important implications regarding force-field selection for NEMD simulations of systems containing long-chain, linear molecules; specifically, it is recommended that accurate all-atom potentials, such as L-OPLS-AA, are employed.

THOR Fields and Wave Processor - FWP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soucek, Jan; Rothkaehl, Hanna; Ahlen, Lennart; Balikhin, Michael; Carr, Christopher; Dekkali, Moustapha; Khotyaintsev, Yuri; Lan, Radek; Magnes, Werner; Morawski, Marek; Nakamura, Rumi; Uhlir, Ludek; Yearby, Keith; Winkler, Marek; Zaslavsky, Arnaud

2017-04-01

If selected, Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) will become the first spacecraft mission dedicated to the study of plasma turbulence. The Fields and Waves Processor (FWP) is an integrated electronics unit for all electromagnetic field measurements performed by THOR. FWP will interface with all THOR fields sensors: electric field antennas of the EFI instrument, the MAG fluxgate magnetometer, and search-coil magnetometer (SCM), and perform signal digitization and on-board data processing. FWP box will house multiple data acquisition sub-units and signal analyzers all sharing a common power supply and data processing unit and thus a single data and power interface to the spacecraft. Integrating all the electromagnetic field measurements in a single unit will improve the consistency of field measurement and accuracy of time synchronization. The scientific value of highly sensitive electric and magnetic field measurements in space has been demonstrated by Cluster (among other spacecraft) and THOR instrumentation will further improve on this heritage. Large dynamic range of the instruments will be complemented by a thorough electromagnetic cleanliness program, which will prevent perturbation of field measurements by interference from payload and platform subsystems. Taking advantage of the capabilities of modern electronics and the large telemetry bandwidth of THOR, FWP will provide multi-component electromagnetic field waveforms and spectral data products at a high time resolution. Fully synchronized sampling of many signals will allow to resolve wave phase information and estimate wavelength via interferometric correlations between EFI probes. FWP will also implement a plasma resonance sounder and a digital plasma quasi-thermal noise analyzer designed to provide high cadence measurements of plasma density and temperature complementary to data from particle instruments. FWP will rapidly transmit information about magnetic field vector and spacecraft potential to the particle instrument data processing unit (PPU) via a dedicated digital link. This information will help particle instruments to optimize energy and angular sweeps and calculate on-board moments. FWP will also coordinate the acquisition of high resolution waveform snapshots with very high time resolution electron data from the TEA instrument. This combined wave/particle measurement will provide the ultimate dataset for investigation of wave-particle interactions on electron scales. The FWP instrument shall be designed and built by an international consortium of scientific institutes from Czech Republic, Poland, France, UK, Sweden and Austria.

Camera-based micro interferometer for distance sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Will, Matthias; Schädel, Martin; Ortlepp, Thomas

2017-12-01

Interference of light provides a high precision, non-contact and fast method for measurement method for distances. Therefore this technology dominates in high precision systems. However, in the field of compact sensors capacitive, resistive or inductive methods dominates. The reason is, that the interferometric system has to be precise adjusted and needs a high mechanical stability. As a result, we have usual high-priced complex systems not suitable in the field of compact sensors. To overcome these we developed a new concept for a very small interferometric sensing setup. We combine a miniaturized laser unit, a low cost pixel detector and machine vision routines to realize a demonstrator for a Michelson type micro interferometer. We demonstrate a low cost sensor smaller 1cm3 including all electronics and demonstrate distance sensing up to 30 cm and resolution in nm range.

Valley-fill sequences and onlap geometries, Lower Cretaceous Muddy Sandstone, Kitty Field, Powder River basin, Wyoming

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

Gardner, M.H.; Gustason, E.R.

1987-05-01

The Muddy Sandstone at Kitty field is a valley-fill sequence that records a late Albian sea level rise and accompanying transgression. The valley was cut during a preceding sea level lowstand. Stratal geometries and facies successions within the valley fill demonstrate the history of transgression was not gradual and progressive. Rather, the valley fill comprises a series of discrete, time-bounded, depositional units which onlap the erosional surface. Five time-bounded depositional units were defined by facies successions and were used to define onlap geometries. Facies successions within individual units record progressive shoaling. Capping each succession, there may be a planar disconformity,more » a thin bioturbated interval, or the deepest water facies of the next depositional event. Thus, the termination of each depositional event is marked by an episode of rapid deepening. At a single geographic location, stratal successions within older depositional units represent more landward facies than those within younger units. Therefore, the onlap geometry of the valley-fill sequence consists of a landward-stepping arrangement of depositional units. The primary reservoirs within the valley-fill sequence, at Kitty field, are laterally coalesced, channel-belt sandstones at the base and barrier island sandstones at the top. Reservoir sandstones of lesser quality occur within the intermediate estuarine facies. The stacking pattern, developed by onlap of the units, results in multiple pay zones within mid-valley reaches. The boundaries of each depositional unit define a high-resolution, chronostratigraphic correlation of valley-fill strata, a correlation corroborated by bentonites. This correlation method gives an accurate description of the internal geometry of valley-fill strata and, therefore, provides a basis for understanding the process of transgressive onlap.« less

Field testing of a next generation pointer/tracker for IRCM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, Stuart; Wildgoose, Iain; McDonald, Eric; Duncan, Stuart

2008-10-01

SELEX Galileo has been involved in the development, manufacture and support of high performance electro-optic pointing and stabilisation systems for over forty years. The Company currently supplies the pointer/trackers for the AN/AAQ-24(V) NEMESIS DIRCM system, for which over 1,000 combat-proven units have been produced and deployed in the US, the UK and other nations. In 2007, SELEX Galileo embarked on an internally funded programme to develop ECLIPSE, a new advanced, lightweight, low-cost IRCM pointer/tracker, exploiting the extensive knowledge and experience gained from previous targeting and IRCM programmes. The ECLIPSE design is centred on a low inertia, two-axis servo mechanism with a strap-down inertial sensor and advanced sightline control algorithms, allowing effective tracking through the nadir and providing superior sightline performance. The programme involved the production of three demonstrator units in 2007, and two pre-production units in 2008. The demonstrator units were first trialled as part of a NEMESIS DIRCM system in late 2007, and in April 2008 100% success was achieved in jamming live-fire demonstrations. Helicopter installation and ground testing of a UK only trials system is complete, initial flight testing has just begun, and the airborne test and evaluation scheduled for late summer 2008 will bring the ECLIPSE System to technology readiness to level 7 (TRL7). This paper describes the Eclipse performance demonstrated to date.

Mapping attractor fields in face space: the atypicality bias in face recognition.

PubMed

Tanaka, J; Giles, M; Kremen, S; Simon, V

1998-09-01

A familiar face can be recognized across many changes in the stimulus input. In this research, the many-to-one mapping of face stimuli to a single face memory is referred to as a face memory's 'attractor field'. According to the attractor field approach, a face memory will be activated by any stimuli falling within the boundaries of its attractor field. It was predicted that by virtue of its location in a multi-dimensional face space, the attractor field of an atypical face will be larger than the attractor field of a typical face. To test this prediction, subjects make likeness judgments to morphed faces that contained a 50/50 contribution from an atypical and a typical parent face. The main result of four experiments was that the morph face was judged to bear a stronger resemblance to the atypical face parent than the typical face parent. The computational basis of the atypicality bias was demonstrated in a neural network simulation where morph inputs of atypical and typical representations elicited stronger activation of atypical output units than of typical output units. Together, the behavioral and simulation evidence supports the view that the attractor fields of atypical faces span over a broader region of face space that the attractor fields of typical faces.

Integration Process for the Habitat Demonstration Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Tracy; Merbitz, Jerad; Kennedy, Kriss; Tri, Terry; Howe, A. Scott

2010-01-01

The Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) is an experimental exploration habitat technology and architecture test platform designed for analog demonstration activities The HDU project has required a team to integrate a variety of contributions from NASA centers and outside collaborators and poses a challenge in integrating these disparate efforts into a cohesive architecture To complete the development of the HDU from conception in June 2009 to rollout for operations in July 2010, a cohesive integration strategy has been developed to integrate the various systems of HDU and the payloads, such as the Geology Lab, that those systems will support The utilization of interface design standards and uniquely tailored reviews have allowed for an accelerated design process Scheduled activities include early fit-checks and the utilization of a Habitat avionics test bed prior to equipment installation into HDU A coordinated effort to utilize modeling and simulation systems has aided in design and integration concept development Modeling tools have been effective in hardware systems layout, cable routing and length estimation, and human factors analysis Decision processes on the shell development including the assembly sequence and the transportation have been fleshed out early on HDU to maximize the efficiency of both integration and field operations Incremental test operations leading up to an integrated systems test allows for an orderly systems test program The HDU will begin its journey as an emulation of a Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) for 2010 field testing and then may evolve to a Pressurized Core Module (PCM) for 2011 and later field tests, depending on agency architecture decisions The HDU deployment will vary slightly from current lunar architecture plans to include developmental hardware and software items and additional systems called opportunities for technology demonstration One of the HDU challenges has been designing to be prepared for the integration of presently unanticipated systems Results of the HDU field tests will influence future designs of habitat systems.

The Survival of Professional Organizations: A New Thrust

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neil, Sharon Lund; Forde, Connie M.

2007-01-01

Perusing the pages of "A Chronology of Business Education in the United States" can bring only a sense of pride as history records the exemplary leadership and vision demonstrated by business educators to shape the field since business education was first taught in the Plymouth Colony in 1635. Since that time business education has recorded…

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT XRF TECHNOLOGIES FOR MEASURING TRACE ELEMENTS IN SOIL AND SEDIMENT OXFORD X-MTE 3000TX XRF ANALYZER

EPA Science Inventory

The Elvatech, Ltd. ElvaX (ElvaX) x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer distributed in the United States by Xcalibur XRF Services (Xcalibur), was demonstrated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program. The field por...

The Locus of Preparation and Privilege: College Choice and Social Reproduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

Despite the ostensible proposition of American higher education to create a level playing field and advance an individual's life opportunities, the history of access to higher education in the United States has demonstrated a lack of equality in enrollment patterns. This enrollment inequality appears most pronounced when considering family…

A Universal Early Childhood Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Christopher P.

2006-01-01

In this article, the author demonstrates how the current emphasis on viewing early childhood education (ECE) as an investment keeps ECE at the margins of U.S. political debates as well as in other discussions around the world. Historically, the field of ECE in the United States has struggled, and continues to struggle, for political positioning.…

Ferromagnetic resonance in a topographically modulated permalloy film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sklenar, J.; Tucciarone, P.; Lee, R. J.; Tice, D.; Chang, R. P. H.; Lee, S. J.; Nevirkovets, I. P.; Heinonen, O.; Ketterson, J. B.

2015-04-01

A major focus within the field of magnonics involves the manipulation and control of spin-wave modes. This is usually done by patterning continuous soft magnetic films. Here, we report on work in which we use topographic modifications of a continuous magnetic thin film, rather than lithographic patterning techniques, to modify the ferromagnetic resonance spectrum. To demonstrate this technique we have performed in-plane, broadband, ferromagnetic resonance studies on a 100-nm-thick permalloy film sputtered onto a colloidal crystal with individual sphere diameters of 200 nm. Effects resulting from the, ideally, sixfold-symmetric underlying colloidal crystal were studied as a function of the in-plane field angle through experiment and micromagnetic modeling. Experimentally, we find two primary modes; the ratio of the intensities of these two modes exhibits a sixfold dependence. Detailed micromagnetic modeling shows that both modes are quasiuniform and nodeless in the unit cell but that they reside in different demagnetized regions of the unit cell. Our results demonstrate that topographic modification of magnetic thin films opens additional directions for manipulating ferromagnetic resonant excitations.

Operational Evaluation of VEGGIE Food Production System in the Habitat Demonstration Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stutte, Gary W.; Newsham, Gerard; Morrow, Robert M.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

2011-01-01

The 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) of the VEGGIE Food Production System in the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) was the first operational evaluation of salad crop production technology in a NASA analog test. A systematic evaluation of rooting media and nutrient delivery systems were evaluated for three lettuce cultivars that have shown promise as candidates for a surface based food production system. The VEGGIE nutrient delivery system worked well, was able to be maintained by multiple operators with a minimum of training, and supported excellent lettuce growth for the duration of the test. A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) evaluation was performed using ProSan(tm) as sanitation agent prior to consumption was approved, and the crew was allowed to consume the lettuce grown using the VEGGIE light cap and gravity based nutrient delivery system at the completion of the 14-day DRAT field test. The DRAT field test validated the crew operations; Growth of all lettuce cultivars was excellent. The operational DRAT field testing in the HDU identified light quality issues related to morphology and pigment development that will need to be addressed through additional testing. Feedback from the crew, ground support personnel, and human factors leads was uniformly positive on the psychological value of having the crop production system in the excursion module. A number of areas have been identified for future work, to minimize the "footprint" of the Food Production system through creative use of unused wall and floor space in the unit.

Operation Evaluation of the VEGGIE Food Production System in the Habitat Demonstration Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stutte, Gary W.; Newsham, Gerard; Morrow, Robert M.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

2011-01-01

The 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) of the VEGGIE Food Production System in the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) was the first operational evaluation of salad crop production technology in a NASA analog test. A systematic evaluation of rooting media and nutrient delivery systems were evaluated for three lettuce cultivars that have shown promise as candidates for a surface based food production system. The VEGGIE nutrient delivery system worked well, was able to be maintained by multiple operators with a minimum of training, and supported excellent lettuce growth for the duration of the test. A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) evaluation was performed using ProSantm as sanitation agent prior to consumption was approved, and the crew was allowed to consume the lettuce grown using the VEGGIE light cap and gravity based nutrient delivery system at the completion of the 14-day DRAT field test. The DRAT field test validated the crew operations; Growth of all lettuce cultivars was excellent. The operational DRAT field testing in the HDU identified light quality issues related to morphology and pigment development that will need to be addressed through additional testing. Feedback from the crew, ground support personnel, and human factors leads was uniformly positive on the psychological value of having the crop production system in the excursion module. A number of areas have been identified for future work, to minimize the "footprint" of the Food Production system through creative use of unused wall and floor space in the unit.

Report for the MPV Demonstration at New Boston Air Force Base, New Hampshire: UXO Characterization in Challenging Survey Environments Using the MPV

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-28

EM Electromagnetic EMI Electromagnetic Induction ERDC Engineering Research and Development Center ESTCP Environmental Security Technology... bombs , HE bombs and incendiary bombs . The site hosted demonstrations with the MPV and the 2x2 TEMTADS, both with crews from CH2MHill. Each study...array of five receiver units that measure all three components of the EM field (Figure 2). This second-generation MPV is specifically designed to

A Near IR Fabry-Perot Interferometer for Wide Field, Low Resolution Hyperspectral Imaging on the Next Generation Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, R. K.; Satyapal, S.; Greenhouse, M. A.; Barclay, R.; Amato, D.; Arritt, B.; Brown, G.; Harvey, V.; Holt, C.; Kuhn, J.

2000-01-01

We discuss work in progress on a near-infrared tunable bandpass filter for the Goddard baseline wide field camera concept of the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). This filter, the Demonstration Unit for Low Order Cryogenic Etalon (DULCE), is designed to demonstrate a high efficiency scanning Fabry-Perot etalon operating in interference orders 1 - 4 at 30K with a high stability DSP based servo control system. DULCE is currently the only available tunable filter for lower order cryogenic operation in the near infrared. In this application, scanning etalons will illuminate the focal plane arrays with a single order of interference to enable wide field lower resolution hyperspectral imaging over a wide range of redshifts. We discuss why tunable filters are an important instrument component in future space-based observatories.

Orbital effect of the magnetic field in dynamical mean-field theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acheche, S.; Arsenault, L.-F.; Tremblay, A.-M. S.

2017-12-01

The availability of large magnetic fields at international facilities and of simulated magnetic fields that can reach the flux-quantum-per-unit-area level in cold atoms calls for systematic studies of orbital effects of the magnetic field on the self-energy of interacting systems. Here we demonstrate theoretically that orbital effects of magnetic fields can be treated within single-site dynamical mean-field theory with a translationally invariant quantum impurity problem. As an example, we study the one-band Hubbard model on the square lattice using iterated perturbation theory as an impurity solver. We recover the expected quantum oscillations in the scattering rate, and we show that the magnetic fields allow the interaction-induced effective mass to be measured through the single-particle density of states accessible in tunneling experiments. The orbital effect of magnetic fields on scattering becomes particularly important in the Hofstadter butterfly regime.

Multi-Scale Computational Modeling of Two-Phased Metal Using GMC Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moghaddam, Masoud Ghorbani; Achuthan, A.; Bednacyk, B. A.; Arnold, S. M.; Pineda, E. J.

2014-01-01

A multi-scale computational model for determining plastic behavior in two-phased CMSX-4 Ni-based superalloys is developed on a finite element analysis (FEA) framework employing crystal plasticity constitutive model that can capture the microstructural scale stress field. The generalized method of cells (GMC) micromechanics model is used for homogenizing the local field quantities. At first, GMC as stand-alone is validated by analyzing a repeating unit cell (RUC) as a two-phased sample with 72.9% volume fraction of gamma'-precipitate in the gamma-matrix phase and comparing the results with those predicted by finite element analysis (FEA) models incorporating the same crystal plasticity constitutive model. The global stress-strain behavior and the local field quantity distributions predicted by GMC demonstrated good agreement with FEA. High computational saving, at the expense of some accuracy in the components of local tensor field quantities, was obtained with GMC. Finally, the capability of the developed multi-scale model linking FEA and GMC to solve real life sized structures is demonstrated by analyzing an engine disc component and determining the microstructural scale details of the field quantities.

CAISI Operational Assessment (OA) data collection results. Final report

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

NONE

1997-01-31

One of the lessons learned from Operation Desert Shield/Storm was the inability of deployed Combat Service Support (CSS) computers to exchange data effectively in a battlefield environment. The work-around solution to this previously identified problem has been to physically carry floppy disks between computers. A General Officer Steering Committee, directed by the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, determined that immediate corrective action was necessary to ensure viability of the CSS Battlefield Mission Area. The study recommended that a three-phased system development plan address short-, mid- and long-term CSS automation communication interface requirements. In response to this study, Programmore » Executive Office (PEO) Standard Army Management Information System (STAMIS) authorized the development of the CSS Automated Information System Interface (CAISI). Phase I (Near-Term) equipped the {open_quotes}first to fight{close_quotes} Contingency Corps units. Phase II (Mid-Term) is being fielded to the remainder of Force Package One units in the active force. Phase III (Long-Term) will equip the remaining units. CAISI is now in the early stages of Phase II fielding. Prior to full Phase II fielding, CAISI must be approved for production by a Milestone III decision authority. Part of the data that will be used in the Milestone III decision is a demonstration of the CAISI`s operational suitability, as assessed by the US Army Operational Test and Evaluation Command (OPTEC). This assessment will be performed through an Operational Assessment (OA) using data provided from previous technical testing, such as the CAISI Customer User Test (CUT), and a field training exercise conducted by units of the XVIII Airborne Corps. The field training exercise data collection took place during two events.« less

Development and Evaluation of the Habitat Demonstration Unit Medical Operations Workstation and Opportunities for Future Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Robert L., Jr.

2012-01-01

As NASA develops missions to leave Earth orbit and explore distant destinations (Mars, Moon, Asteroids) it is necessary to rethink human spaceflight paradigms in the life sciences. Standards developed for low earth orbit human spaceflight may not be fully applicable and in-space research may be required to develop new standards. Preventative and emergency medical care may require new capabilities never before used in space. Due to spacecraft volume limitations, this work area may also be shared with various animal and plant life science research. This paper explores the prototype Medical Operations Workstation within the NASA Habitat Demonstration Unit and discusses some of the lessons learned from field analogue missions involving the workstation. Keywords: Exploration, medical, health, crew, injury emergency, biology, animal, plant, science, preventative, emergency.

Perchlorate Removal, Destruction, and Field Monitoring Demonstration

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-02

ion exchange unit. A pulsation dampener minimized pressure and flow fluctuations in the ion exchange system and a flow totalizer monitored total...instrumentation and controls, piping , electrical services, site work, service facilities, engineering, construction expenses, and other indirect costs were... Piping 113,750 157,500 Electrical services 48,750 67,500 Site work 65,000 90,000

From Autonomy to Creativity: A Multilevel Investigation of the Mediating Role of Harmonious Passion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Dong; Chen, Xiao-Ping; Yao, Xin

2011-01-01

Building on self-determination theory, we theorized about and demonstrated, through 2 multilevel field studies, the pivotal role of harmonious passion in translating organizational autonomy support and individual autonomy orientation into job creativity. Results based on 3-level data from 856 members in 111 teams within 23 work units of a porous…

Investigation on the Practice of the Functional Behavioral Assessment: Survey of Educators and Their Experiences in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreno, Gerardo; Wong-Lo, Mickie; Bullock, Lyndal M.

2017-01-01

The functional behavioral assessment (FBA) has been a hallmark practice amongst educators working with students demonstrating challenging behaviors. Although the process has been mandated in special education since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997, the FBA varies in form and implementation across the United States of America…

Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) Systems Integration Strategy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Tracy; Merbitz, Jerad; Kennedy, Kriss; Tri, Terry; Toups, Larry; Howe, A. Scott

2011-01-01

The Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) project team constructed an analog prototype lunar surface laboratory called the Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM). The prototype unit subsystems were integrated in a short amount of time, utilizing a rapid prototyping approach that brought together over 20 habitation-related technologies from a variety of NASA centers. This paper describes the system integration strategies and lessons learned, that allowed the PEM to be brought from paper design to working field prototype using a multi-center team. The system integration process was based on a rapid prototyping approach. Tailored design review and test and integration processes facilitated that approach. The use of collaboration tools including electronic tools as well as documentation enabled a geographically distributed team take a paper concept to an operational prototype in approximately one year. One of the major tools used in the integration strategy was a coordinated effort to accurately model all the subsystems using computer aided design (CAD), so conflicts were identified before physical components came together. A deliberate effort was made following the deployment of the HDU PEM for field operations to collect lessons learned to facilitate process improvement and inform the design of future flight or analog versions of habitat systems. Significant items within those lessons learned were limitations with the CAD integration approach and the impact of shell design on flexibility of placing systems within the HDU shell.

Management of change through force field analysis.

PubMed

Baulcomb, Jean Sandra

2003-07-01

Today's NHS is rapidly changing, placing more emphasis on the managerial responsibilities of ward managers. Managing change is seen as being skilled at creating, acquiring and transferring knowledge to reflect new knowledge and insights. Defining core concepts is often difficult and requires the drawing on models/theories of change for guidance. Guidance from Lewin's (1951) force field analysis demonstrates the complexities of the change process and how driving and resisting forces were incorporated within the planning and implementation phases. Findings outline the benefits of a small scale change for staff, patients and the organization when successfully used to introduce a change of shift pattern within a progressively busy haematology day unit, in order to meet service demands without additional funding. Conclusions have been drawn in relation to the process and recommendations for practice made to further enhance care delivery within the unit.

Influences of different parameters on the microstructure of magnetic-field-induced self-assembled film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dan, X.; Yang, J. J.

2016-07-01

Self-assembled films with needle-like microarrays were fabricated using a mixture of cobalt and fluorocarbon resin under a magnetic field. The various influences of magnetic powder content, viscosity and size distribution on the structure of the self-assembled films were investigated. The self-assembled film morphologies were characterized by stereomicroscope and scanning electron microscopy. Experimental results indicate that an increase in magnetic powder content results in greater unit height and diameter, and that a reduction in viscosity results in increasing array density and decreasing unit width. Additionally, particles with narrow size distribution were able to attain more regular microarray structures. The structural alterations were closely related to numerous effects such as van der Waals forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and external-dipole interactions. The self-assembled film demonstrated magnetic anisotropy, as identified by vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM).

Awake craniotomy, electrophysiologic mapping, and tumor resection with high-field intraoperative MRI.

PubMed

Parney, Ian F; Goerss, Stephan J; McGee, Kiaran; Huston, John; Perkins, William J; Meyer, Frederic B

2010-05-01

Awake craniotomy and electrophysiologic mapping (EPM) is an established technique to facilitate the resection of near eloquent cortex. Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) is increasingly used to aid in the resection of intracranial lesions. Standard draping protocols in high-field iMRI units make awake craniotomies challenging, and only two groups have previously reported combined EPM and high-field iMRI. We present an illustrative case describing a simple technique for combining awake craniotomy and EPM with high-field iMRI. A movable platter is used to transfer the patient from the operating table to a transport trolley and into the adjacent MRI and still maintaining the patient's surgical position. This system allows excess drapes to be removed, facilitating awake craniotomy. A 57-year-old right-handed man presented with new onset seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a large left temporal mass. The patient underwent an awake, left frontotemporal craniotomy. The EPM demonstrated a single critical area for speech in his inferior frontal gyrus. After an initial tumor debulking, the scalp flap was loosely approximated, the wound was covered with additional drapes, and the excess surrounding drapes were trimmed. An iMRI was obtained. The image-guidance system was re-registered and the patient was redraped. Additional resection was performed, allowing extensive removal of what proved to be an anaplastic astrocytoma. The patient tolerated this well without any new neurological deficits. Standard protocols for positioning and draping in high-field iMRI units make awake craniotomies problematic. This straightforward technique for combined awake EPM and iMRI may facilitate safe removal of large lesions in eloquent cortex. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HDU Deep Space Habitat (DSH) Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Kriss J.

2011-01-01

This paper gives an overview of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led multi-center Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) project Deep Space Habitat (DSH) analog that will be field-tested during the 2011 Desert Research and Technologies Studies (D-RATS) field tests. The HDU project is a technology pull project that integrates technologies and innovations from multiple NASA centers. This project will repurpose the HDU Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) that was field tested in the 2010 D-RATS, adding habitation functionality to the prototype unit. The 2010 configuration of the HDU-PEM consisted of a lunar surface laboratory module that was used to bring over 20 habitation-related technologies together in a single platform that could be tested as an advanced habitation analog in the context of mission architectures and surface operations. The 2011 HDU-DSH configuration will build upon the PEM work, and emphasize validity of crew operations (habitation and living, etc), EVA operations, mission operations, logistics operations, and science operations that might be required in a deep space context for Near Earth Object (NEO) exploration mission architectures. The HDU project consists of a multi-center team brought together in a skunkworks approach to quickly build and validate hardware in analog environments. The HDU project is part of the strategic plan from the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Directorate Integration Office (DIO) and the Exploration Mission Systems Office (EMSO) to test destination elements in analog environments. The 2011 analog field test will include Multi Mission Space Exploration Vehicles (MMSEV) and the DSH among other demonstration elements to be brought together in a mission architecture context. This paper will describe overall objectives, various habitat configurations, strategic plan, and technology integration as it pertains to the 2011 field tests.

Design, development, and field demonstration of a remotely deployable water quality monitoring system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, J. W.; Lovelady, R. W.; Ferguson, R. L.

1981-01-01

A prototype water quality monitoring system is described which offers almost continuous in situ monitoring. The two-man portable system features: (1) a microprocessor controlled central processing unit which allows preprogrammed sampling schedules and reprogramming in situ; (2) a subsurface unit for multiple depth capability and security from vandalism; (3) an acoustic data link for communications between the subsurface unit and the surface control unit; (4) eight water quality parameter sensors; (5) a nonvolatile magnetic bubble memory which prevents data loss in the event of power interruption; (6) a rechargeable power supply sufficient for 2 weeks of unattended operation; (7) a water sampler which can collect samples for laboratory analysis; (8) data output in direct engineering units on printed tape or through a computer compatible link; (9) internal electronic calibration eliminating external sensor adjustment; and (10) acoustic location and recovery systems. Data obtained in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron are tabulated.

Reserve growth of the world's giant oil fields

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klett, T.R.; Schmoker, J.W.

2005-01-01

Analysis of estimated total recoverable oil volume (field size) of 186 well-known giant oil fields of the world (>0.5 billion bbl of oil, discovered prior to 1981), exclusive of the United States and Canada, demonstrates general increases in field sizes through time. Field sizes were analyzed as a group and within subgroups of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries. From 1981 through 1996, the estimated volume of oil in the 186 fields for which adequate data were available increased from 617 billion to 777 billion bbl of oil (26%). Processes other than new field discoveries added an estimated 160 billion bbl of oil to known reserves in this subset of the world's oil fields. Although methods for estimating field sizes vary among countries, estimated sizes of the giant oil fields of the world increased, probably for many of the same reasons that estimated sizes of oil fields in the United States increased over the same time period. Estimated volumes in OPEC fields increased from a total of 550 billion to 668 billion bbl of oil and volumes in non-OPEC fields increased from 67 billion to 109 billion bbl of oil. In terms of percent change, non-OPEC field sizes increased more than OPEC field sizes (63% versus 22%). The changes in estimated total recoverable oil volumes that occurred within three 5-year increments between 1981 and 1996 were all positive. Between 1981 and 1986, the increase in estimated total recoverable oil volume within the 186 giant oil fields was 11 billion bbl of oil; between 1986 and 1991, the increase was 120 billion bbl of oil; and between 1991 and 1996, the increase was 29 billion bbl of oil. Fields in both OPEC and non-OPEC countries followed trends of substantial reserve growth.

Accuracy of the Generalized Self-Consistent Method in Modelling the Elastic Behaviour of Periodic Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Kevin P.; Freed, Alan D.; Jordan, Eric H.

1993-01-01

Local stress and strain fields in the unit cell of an infinite, two-dimensional, periodic fibrous lattice have been determined by an integral equation approach. The effect of the fibres is assimilated to an infinite two-dimensional array of fictitious body forces in the matrix constituent phase of the unit cell. By subtracting a volume averaged strain polarization term from the integral equation we effectively embed a finite number of unit cells in a homogenized medium in which the overall stress and strain correspond to the volume averaged stress and strain of the constrained unit cell. This paper demonstrates that the zeroth term in the governing integral equation expansion, which embeds one unit cell in the homogenized medium, corresponds to the generalized self-consistent approximation. By comparing the zeroth term approximation with higher order approximations to the integral equation summation, both the accuracy of the generalized self-consistent composite model and the rate of convergence of the integral summation can be assessed. Two example composites are studied. For a tungsten/copper elastic fibrous composite the generalized self-consistent model is shown to provide accurate, effective, elastic moduli and local field representations. The local elastic transverse stress field within the representative volume element of the generalized self-consistent method is shown to be in error by much larger amounts for a composite with periodically distributed voids, but homogenization leads to a cancelling of errors, and the effective transverse Young's modulus of the voided composite is shown to be in error by only 23% at a void volume fraction of 75%.

Field Demonstration of a Centrifugal Ultra High Pressure (UHP) P-19

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

States Air Force  Tyndall Air Force Base, FL 32403-5323 DISTRIBUTION A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. NOTICE AND SIGNATURE...PUBLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ASSIGNED DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT. ___//SIGNATURE//______________________ ___//SIGNATURE//______________________ R...PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8

Evaluating the Validity of Accommodations for English Learners through Evidence Based on Response Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crotts, Katrina M.

2013-01-01

English learners (ELs) represent one of the fastest growing student populations in the United States. Given that language can serve as a barrier in EL performance, test accommodations are provided to help level the playing field and allow ELs to better demonstrate their true performance level. Test accommodations on the computer offer the ability…

Thermal history determined by fission-track dating for three sedimentary basins in California and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Naeser, Nancy D.

1984-01-01

The use of fission-tracks is demonstrated in studies of time-temperature relationships in three sedimentary basins in the western United States; in the Tejon Oil Field area of the southern San Joaquin Valley, California; in the northeastern Green River basin, Wyoming, and in drill holes in the southern Powder River Basin, Wyoming.

Engaging Actively with Issues in the Responsible Conduct of Science: Lessons from International Efforts Are Relevant for Undergraduate Education in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, John D.; Connell, Nancy D.; Dirks, Clarissa; El-Faham, Mohamed; Hay, Alastair; Heitman, Elizabeth; Stith, James H.; Bond, Enriqueta C.; Colwell, Rita R.; Anestidou, Lida; Husbands, Jo L.; Labov, Jay B.

2013-01-01

Numerous studies are demonstrating that engaging undergraduate students in original research can improve their achievement in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and increase the likelihood that some of them will decide to pursue careers in these disciplines. Associated with this increased prominence of research in…

The Healthy Heart Race: A Short-Duration, Hands-on Activity in Cardiovascular Physiology for Museums and Science Festivals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pressley, Thomas A.; Limson, Melvin; Byse, Miranda; Matyas, Marsha Lakes

2011-01-01

The "Healthy Heart Race" activity provides a hands-on demonstration of cardiovascular function suitable for lay audiences. It was field tested during the United States of America Science and Engineering Festival held in Washington, DC, in October 2010. The basic equipment for the activity consisted of lengths of plastic tubing, a hand…

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Researchers conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Researchers conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

Ferromagnetic resonance in a topographically modulated permalloy film

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

Sklenar, J.; Tucciarone, P.; Lee, R. J.

2015-04-01

A major focus within the field of magnonics involves the manipulation and control spin wave modes. This is usually done by patterning continuous soft magnetic films. Here, we report on work in which we use topographic modifications of a continuous magnetic thin film, rather than lithographic patterning techniques, to modify the magnon spectrum. To demonstrate this technique we have performed in-plane, broad-band, ferromagnetic res- onance studies on a 100 nm Permalloy film sputtered unto a colloidal crystal with individual sphere diameters of 200 nm. Effects resulting from the, ideally, six-fold symmetric underlying colloidal crystal were studied as a function ofmore » the in plane field angle through experiment and micromagnetic modeling. Experimentally, we find two primary spin wave modes; the ratio of the amplitude of these two modes exhibits a six-fold dependence. Modeling shows that both modes are fundamental modes that are nodeless in the unit cell but reside in different demagnetized regions of the unit cell. Additionally, modeling suggests the presence of new higher order topographically modified spin wave modes. Our results demonstrate that topographic modification of magnetic thin films opens new directions for manipulating spin wave modes.« less

SAN PEDRO PARKS WILDERNESS, NEW MEXICO.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Santos, Elmer S.; Weisner, Robert C.

1984-01-01

The San Pedro Parks Wilderness occupies 62. 7 sq mi of the Santa Fe National Forest in north-central New Mexico. Several copper mines, many copper prospects, and a few uranium prospects occur in sedimentary units in the vicinity of the wilderness. These units, where they extend into the wilderness, constitute only a small volume of rock and, judging from analyses of samples and from field observations, are devoid of copper and uranium concentration. Prospects on several of about 65 mining claims within the wilderness revealed concentrations of manganese or barite but only in volumes too small to be considered a demonstrated resource.

Improving care and efficiency: appointment times in a haemodialysis unit.

PubMed

Lunts, P

2002-01-01

Shortage of nurses and dialysis spaces and the desire to improve patient care are the two main driving forces in the dialysis field today. This paper suggests that these issues can be addressed by organisational change. We describe a simple, dramatically effective but rarely used example - the effect on a haemodialysis unit of the introduction of patient appointment times. This paper will demonstrate that appointment times can be highly effective in reducing waiting times for patients and in utilizing staff and resources more efficiently, as long as there is commitment from key staff to implement and maintain them effectively

Giant angular dependence of electromagnetic induced transparency in THz metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Changji; Huang, Yuanyuan; Yao, Zehan; Yu, Leilei; Jin, Yanping; Xu, Xinlong

2018-02-01

The giant electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT) phenomenon is observed in symmetrical metamaterials with angular dependence in the THz region. This is due to the asymmetrical electromagnetic field distribution on the surface of the metamaterials, which induces asymmetric current distribution. Blueshift with the increase of the unit cell period has been observed, which is due to the unusual electromagnetic interaction between units at oblique incidence. This EIT demonstrates an angular dependent high Q-factor, which is sensitive to the dielectric environment. The angle-induced EIT effect could pave the way for future tunable sensing applications in the THz region.

Landsat Evapotranspiration for Historical Field-scale Water Use (1984-2015) in the Upper Rio Grande River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senay, G. B.; Schauer, M.; Singh, R. K.; Friedrichs, M.

2017-12-01

Field-scale water use maps derived from evapotranspiration (ET) can characterize water use patterns and the impacts of water management decisions. This project generated historical (1984-2015) Landsat-based ET maps for the entire Upper Rio Grande basin which makes this one of the largest regions in the United States with remotely sensed historical ET at Landsat resolution. More than 10,000 Landsat images spanning 32 years were processed using the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model which integrates weather data and remotely sensed images to estimate monthly and annual ET. Time-series analysis focused on three water-intensive study areas within the basin: the San Luis Valley in Colorado, irrigated fields along the Rio Grande River near Albuquerque, NM, and irrigated fields near Las Cruces, NM. Preliminary analysis suggests land use changes result in declining water use in irrigated areas of the basin which corresponds with increases in land surface temperatures. Time-series analysis of water use patterns at multiple temporal and spatial scales demonstrates the impact of water management decisions on the availability of water in the basin. Comparisons with cropland data from the USDA (NASS CDL) demonstrate how water use for particular crop types changes over time in response to land use changes and shifts in water management. This study illustrates a useful application of "Big Data" earth observation science for quantifying impacts of climate and land use changes on water availability within the United States as well as applications in planning water resource allocation, managing water rights, and sustaining agricultural production in the Upper Rio Grande basin.

Field emission device driven by self-powered contact-electrification: Simulation and experimental analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiangyu; Jiang, Tao; Sun, Zhuo; Ou-Yang, Wei

2015-09-01

A self-powered field emission device (FED) driven by a single-electrode tribo-electric nanogenerator (TENG) is demonstrated. The mechanical motion works as both a power supply to drive the FED and a control unit to regulate the amount of emitted electrons. By using the Fowler-Nordheim equation and Kirchhoff laws, a theoretical model of this self-powered FED is proposed, and accordingly the real-time output characteristics of the device are systematically investigated. It is found that the motion distance of the TENG controls switch-on of the FED and determines the charge amount for emission, while the motion velocity regulates the amplitude of emission current. The minimum contact area for the TENG to generate field emission is about 9 cm2, which can be improved by optimizing FED structure and the tribo-materials of TENG. The demonstrated concept of this self-powered FED as well as the proposed physical analysis can serve as guidance for further applications of FED in such fields of self-powered electronics and soft electronics.

Field emission device driven by self-powered contact-electrification: Simulation and experimental analysis

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

Chen, Xiangyu, E-mail: chenxiangyu@binn.cas.cn, E-mail: ouyangwei@phy.ecnu.edu.cn; Jiang, Tao; Sun, Zhuo

A self-powered field emission device (FED) driven by a single-electrode tribo-electric nanogenerator (TENG) is demonstrated. The mechanical motion works as both a power supply to drive the FED and a control unit to regulate the amount of emitted electrons. By using the Fowler-Nordheim equation and Kirchhoff laws, a theoretical model of this self-powered FED is proposed, and accordingly the real-time output characteristics of the device are systematically investigated. It is found that the motion distance of the TENG controls switch-on of the FED and determines the charge amount for emission, while the motion velocity regulates the amplitude of emission current.more » The minimum contact area for the TENG to generate field emission is about 9 cm{sup 2}, which can be improved by optimizing FED structure and the tribo-materials of TENG. The demonstrated concept of this self-powered FED as well as the proposed physical analysis can serve as guidance for further applications of FED in such fields of self-powered electronics and soft electronics.« less

Geologic Interpretation of Data Sets Collected by Planetary Analog Geology Traverses and by Standard Geologic Field Mapping. Part 1; A Comparison Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppler, Dean B.; Bleacher, Jacob F.; Evans, Cynthia A.; Feng, Wanda; Gruener, John; Hurwitz, Debra M.; Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Whitson, Peggy; Janoiko, Barbara

2013-01-01

Geologic maps integrate the distributions, contacts, and compositions of rock and sediment bodies as a means to interpret local to regional formative histories. Applying terrestrial mapping techniques to other planets is challenging because data is collected primarily by orbiting instruments, with infrequent, spatiallylimited in situ human and robotic exploration. Although geologic maps developed using remote data sets and limited "Apollo-style" field access likely contain inaccuracies, the magnitude, type, and occurrence of these are only marginally understood. This project evaluates the interpretative and cartographic accuracy of both field- and remote-based mapping approaches by comparing two 1:24,000 scale geologic maps of the San Francisco Volcanic Field (SFVF), north-central Arizona. The first map is based on traditional field mapping techniques, while the second is based on remote data sets, augmented with limited field observations collected during NASA Desert Research & Technology Studies (RATS) 2010 exercises. The RATS mission used Apollo-style methods not only for pre-mission traverse planning but also to conduct geologic sampling as part of science operation tests. Cross-comparison demonstrates that the Apollo-style map identifies many of the same rock units and determines a similar broad history as the field-based map. However, field mapping techniques allow markedly improved discrimination of map units, particularly unconsolidated surficial deposits, and recognize a more complex eruptive history than was possible using Apollo-style data. Further, the distribution of unconsolidated surface units was more obvious in the remote sensing data to the field team after conducting the fieldwork. The study raises questions about the most effective approach to balancing mission costs with the rate of knowledge capture, suggesting that there is an inflection point in the "knowledge capture curve" beyond which additional resource investment yields progressively smaller gains in geologic knowledge.

Natural geochemical analogues of the near field of high-level nuclear waste repositories

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

Apps, J.A.

1995-09-01

United States practice has been to design high-level nuclear waste (HLW) geological repositories with waste densities sufficiently high that repository temperatures surrounding the waste will exceed 100{degrees}C and could reach 250{degrees}C. Basalt and devitrified vitroclastic tuff are among the host rocks considered for waste emplacement. Near-field repository thermal behavior and chemical alteration in such rocks is expected to be similar to that observed in many geothermal systems. Therefore, the predictive modeling required for performance assessment studies of the near field could be validated and calibrated using geothermal systems as natural analogues. Examples are given which demonstrate the need for refinementmore » of the thermodynamic databases used in geochemical modeling of near-field natural analogues and the extent to which present models can predict conditions in geothermal fields.« less

Tensor Minkowski Functionals for random fields on the sphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chingangbam, Pravabati; Yogendran, K. P.; Joby, P. K.; Ganesan, Vidhya; Appleby, Stephen; Park, Changbom

2017-12-01

We generalize the translation invariant tensor-valued Minkowski Functionals which are defined on two-dimensional flat space to the unit sphere. We apply them to level sets of random fields. The contours enclosing boundaries of level sets of random fields give a spatial distribution of random smooth closed curves. We outline a method to compute the tensor-valued Minkowski Functionals numerically for any random field on the sphere. Then we obtain analytic expressions for the ensemble expectation values of the matrix elements for isotropic Gaussian and Rayleigh fields. The results hold on flat as well as any curved space with affine connection. We elucidate the way in which the matrix elements encode information about the Gaussian nature and statistical isotropy (or departure from isotropy) of the field. Finally, we apply the method to maps of the Galactic foreground emissions from the 2015 PLANCK data and demonstrate their high level of statistical anisotropy and departure from Gaussianity.

Cosmo Cassette: A Microfluidic Microgravity Microbial System For Synthetic Biology Unit Tests and Satellite Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berliner, Aaron J.

2013-01-01

Although methods in the design-build-test life cycle of the synthetic biology field have grown rapidly, the expansion has been non-uniform. The design and build stages in development have seen innovations in the form of biological CAD and more efficient means for building DNA, RNA, and other biological constructs. The testing phase of the cycle remains in need of innovation. Presented will be both a theoretical abstraction of biological measurement and a practical demonstration of a microfluidics-based platform for characterizing synthetic biological phenomena. Such a platform demonstrates a design of additive manufacturing (3D printing) for construction of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to be used in experiments carried out in space. First, the biocompatibility of the polypropylene chassis will be demonstrated. The novel MFCs will be cheaper, and faster to make and iterate through designs. The novel design will contain a manifold switchingdistribution system and an integrated in-chip set of reagent reservoirs fabricated via 3D printing. The automated nature of the 3D printing yields itself to higher resolution switching valves and leads to smaller sized payloads, lower cost, reduced power and a standardized platform for synthetic biology unit tests on Earth and in space. It will be demonstrated that the application of unit testing in synthetic biology will lead to the automatic construction and validation of desired constructs. Unit testing methodologies offer benefits of preemptive problem identification, change of facility, simplicity of integration, ease of documentation, and separation of interface from implementation, and automated design.

Accelerated Molecular Dynamics Simulations with the AMOEBA Polarizable Force Field on Graphics Processing Units

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD) method has recently been shown to enhance the sampling of biomolecules in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, often by several orders of magnitude. Here, we describe an implementation of the aMD method for the OpenMM application layer that takes full advantage of graphics processing units (GPUs) computing. The aMD method is shown to work in combination with the AMOEBA polarizable force field (AMOEBA-aMD), allowing the simulation of long time-scale events with a polarizable force field. Benchmarks are provided to show that the AMOEBA-aMD method is efficiently implemented and produces accurate results in its standard parametrization. For the BPTI protein, we demonstrate that the protein structure described with AMOEBA remains stable even on the extended time scales accessed at high levels of accelerations. For the DNA repair metalloenzyme endonuclease IV, we show that the use of the AMOEBA force field is a significant improvement over fixed charged models for describing the enzyme active-site. The new AMOEBA-aMD method is publicly available (http://wiki.simtk.org/openmm/VirtualRepository) and promises to be interesting for studying complex systems that can benefit from both the use of a polarizable force field and enhanced sampling. PMID:24634618

Therapeutic ultrasound plus pulsed electromagnetic field improves recovery from peripheral arterial disease in hypertension

PubMed Central

Lu, Zhao-Yang; Zhou, Hong-Sheng; Su, Zhi-Xiao; Qi, Jia; Zhang, Jian; Xue, Guan-Hua; Li, Yue; Hao, Chang-Ning; Shi, Yi-Qin; Duan, Jun-Li

2017-01-01

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the therapy effect of combined therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) treatment and pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy on angiogenesis in hypertension-related hindlimb ischemia. After subjecting excision of the left femoral artery, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were randomly distributed to one of four groups: SHR; TUS treated SHR (SHR-TUS); PEMF treated SHR (PEMF-TUS); and TUS plus PEMF treated SHR (SHR-TUS-PEMF). Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs) with femoral artery excision were regarded as a control group. At day 14 after surgery, the TUS plus PEMF united administration had the greatest blood perfusion accompanied by elevated capillary density and the lowest TUNEL index. Interestingly, the united administration up-regulated the angiogenic factors expression of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (p-eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), anti-apoptotic protein of Bcl-2 and down-regulated pro-apoptotic protein levels of Bax and Cleaved caspase-3 in vivo. Our results demonstrated that the united administration could significantly rescue hypertension-related inhibition of ischemia-induced neovascularization partly by promoting angiogenesis and inhibiting apoptosis. PMID:28979692

Dithiopheneindenofluorene (TIF) Semiconducting Polymers with Very High Mobility in Field-Effect Transistors.

PubMed

Chen, Hu; Hurhangee, Michael; Nikolka, Mark; Zhang, Weimin; Kirkus, Mindaugas; Neophytou, Marios; Cryer, Samuel J; Harkin, David; Hayoz, Pascal; Abdi-Jalebi, Mojtaba; McNeill, Christopher R; Sirringhaus, Henning; McCulloch, Iain

2017-09-01

The charge-carrier mobility of organic semiconducting polymers is known to be enhanced when the energetic disorder of the polymer is minimized. Fused, planar aromatic ring structures contribute to reducing the polymer conformational disorder, as demonstrated by polymers containing the indacenodithiophene (IDT) repeat unit, which have both a low Urbach energy and a high mobility in thin-film-transistor (TFT) devices. Expanding on this design motif, copolymers containing the dithiopheneindenofluorene repeat unit are synthesized, which extends the fused aromatic structure with two additional phenyl rings, further rigidifying the polymer backbone. A range of copolymers are prepared and their electrical properties and thin-film morphology evaluated, with the co-benzothiadiazole polymer having a twofold increase in hole mobility when compared to the IDT analog, reaching values of almost 3 cm 2 V -1 s -1 in bottom-gate top-contact organic field-effect transistors. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hitting rock bottom: morphological responses of bedrock-confined streams to a catastrophic flood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baggs Sargood, M.; Cohen, T. J.; Thompson, C. J.; Croke, J.

2015-06-01

The role of extreme events in shaping the Earth's surface is one that has held the interests of Earth scientists for centuries. A catastrophic flood in a tectonically quiescent setting in eastern Australia in 2011 provides valuable insight into how semi-alluvial channels respond to such events. Field survey data (3 reaches) and desktop analyses (10 reaches) with catchment areas ranging from 0.5 to 168 km2 show that the predicted discharge for the 2011 event ranged from 415 to 933 m3 s-1, with unit stream power estimates of up to 1077 W m-2. Estimated entrainment relationships predict the mobility of the entire grain-size population, and field data suggest the localised mobility of boulders up to 4.8 m in diameter. Analysis of repeat lidar data demonstrates that all reaches (field and desktop) were areas of net degradation via extensive scouring of coarse-grained alluvium with a strong positive relationship between catchment area and normalised erosion (R2 = 0.72-0.74). The extensive scouring in the 2011 flood decreased thalweg variance significantly removing previous step pools and other coarse-grained in-channel units, forming lengths of plane-bed (cobble) reach morphology. This was also accompanied by the exposure of planar bedrock surfaces, marginal bedrock straths and bedrock steps. Post-flood field data indicate a slight increase in thalweg variance as a result of the smaller 2013 flood rebuilding the alluvial overprint with pool-riffle formation. However, the current form and distribution of channel morphological units does not conform to previous classifications of bedrock or headwater river systems. This variation in post-flood form indicates that in semi-alluvial systems extreme events are significant for re-setting the morphology of in-channel units and for exposing the underlying lithology to ongoing erosion.

Dynamic Control of Topological Defects in Artificial Colloidal Ice

DOE PAGES

Libál, A.; Nisoli, C.; Reichhardt, C.; ...

2017-04-05

We demonstrate the use of an external field to stabilize and control defect lines connecting topological monopoles in spin ice. For definiteness we perform Brownian dynamics simulations with realistic units mimicking experimentally realized artificial colloidal spin ice systems, and show how defect lines can grow, shrink or move under the action of direct and alternating fields. Asymmetric alternating biasing forces can cause the defect line to ratchet in either direction, making it possible to precisely position the line at a desired location. Such manipulation could be employed to achieve mobile information storage in these metamaterials.

Dynamic Control of Topological Defects in Artificial Colloidal Ice

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

Libál, A.; Nisoli, C.; Reichhardt, C.

We demonstrate the use of an external field to stabilize and control defect lines connecting topological monopoles in spin ice. For definiteness we perform Brownian dynamics simulations with realistic units mimicking experimentally realized artificial colloidal spin ice systems, and show how defect lines can grow, shrink or move under the action of direct and alternating fields. Asymmetric alternating biasing forces can cause the defect line to ratchet in either direction, making it possible to precisely position the line at a desired location. Such manipulation could be employed to achieve mobile information storage in these metamaterials.

Fixation of Radiological Contamination; International Collaborative Development

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

Rick Demmer

2013-03-01

A cooperative international project was conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the United Kingdom’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) to integrate a capture coating with a high performance atomizing process. The initial results were promising, and lead to further trials. The somewhat longer testing and optimization process has resulted in a product that could be demonstrated in the field to reduce airborne radiological dust and contamination.

Integrating field plots, lidar, and landsat time series to provide temporally consistent annual estimates of biomass from 1990 to present

Treesearch

Warren B. Cohen; Hans-Erik Andersen; Sean P. Healey; Gretchen G. Moisen; Todd A. Schroeder; Christopher W. Woodall; Grant M. Domke; Zhiqiang Yang; Robert E. Kennedy; Stephen V. Stehman; Curtis Woodcock; Jim Vogelmann; Zhe Zhu; Chengquan Huang

2015-01-01

We are developing a system that provides temporally consistent biomass estimates for national greenhouse gas inventory reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Our model-assisted estimation framework relies on remote sensing to scale from plot measurements to lidar strip samples, to Landsat time series-based maps. As a demonstration, new...

Field demonstration of polymer-amended in situ chemical oxidation (PA-ISCO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Jeff A. K.; Crimi, Michelle; Palaia, Thomas; Ko, Saebom; Davenport, Sean

2017-04-01

The methods and results of the first field-scale demonstration of polymer-amended in situ chemical oxidation (PA-ISCO) are presented. The demonstration took place at MCB CAMLEJ (Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune) Operable Unit (OU) 15, Site 88, in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina between October and December 2010. PA-ISCO was developed as an alternative treatment approach that utilizes viscosity-modified fluids to improve the in situ delivery and distribution (i.e. sweep-efficiency) of chemical oxidants within texturally heterogeneous contaminated aquifers. The enhanced viscosity of the fluid mitigates the effects of preferential flows, improving sweep-efficiency and enhancing the subsurface contact between the injected oxidant and the target contamination within the treatment zone. The PA-ISCO fluid formulation used in this demonstration included sodium permanganate as oxidant, xanthan gum biopolymer as a shear-thinning viscosifier, and sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) as an anti-coagulant. It was the goal of this demonstration to validate the utility of PA-ISCO within a heterogeneous aquifer. An approximate 100% improvement in sweep-efficiency was achieved for the PA-ISCO fluid, as compared to a permanganate-only injection within an adjacent control plot.

NASA Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Deep Space Habitat Analog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howe, A. Scott; Kennedy, Kriss J.; Gill, Tracy

2013-01-01

The NASA Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) vertical cylinder habitat was established as a exploration habitat testbed platform for integration and testing of a variety of technologies and subsystems that will be required in a human-occupied planetary surface outpost or Deep Space Habitat (DSH). The HDU functioned as a medium-fidelity habitat prototype from 2010-2012 and allowed teams from all over NASA to collaborate on field analog missions, mission operations tests, and system integration tests to help shake out equipment and provide feedback for technology development cycles and crew training. This paper documents the final 2012 configuration of the HDU, and discusses some of the testing that took place. Though much of the higher-fidelity functionality has 'graduated' into other NASA programs, as of this writing the HDU, renamed Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), will continue to be available as a volumetric and operational mockup for NASA Human Research Program (HRP) research from 2013 onward.

Third United States Microgravity Payload: One Year Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Currieri, P. A. (Compiler); McCauley, D. (Compiler); Walker, C. (Compiler)

1998-01-01

This document reports the one year science results for the Third United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-3). The USMP-3 major experiments were on a support structure in the Space Shuttle's payload bay and operated almost completely by the Principal Investigators through telescience. The mission included a Glovebox where the crew performed additional experiments for the investigators. Together about seven major scientific experiments were performed, advancing the state of knowledge in fields such as low temperature physics, solidification, and combustion. The results demonstrate the range of quality science that can be conducted utilizing orbital laboratories in microgravity and provide a look forward to a highly productive space station era.

Fourth United States Microgravity Payload: One Year Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ethridge, Edwin C. (Compiler); Curreri, Peter A. (Compiler); McCauley, D. E. (Compiler)

1999-01-01

This document reports the one year science results for the Fourth United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4). The USMP-4 major experiments were on a support structure in the Space Shuttle's payload bay and operated almost completely by the Principal Investigators through telescience. The mission included a Glovebox where the crew performed additional experiments for the investigators. Together about eight major scientific experiments were performed, advancing the state of knowledge in fields such as low temperature physics, solidification, and combustion. The results demonstrate the range of quality science that can be conducted utilizing orbital laboratories in microgravity and provide a look forward to a highly productive Space Station era.

Advanced Motor Control Test Facility for NASA GRC Flywheel Energy Storage System Technology Development Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, Barbara H.; Kascak, Peter E.; Hofmann, Heath; Mackin, Michael; Santiago, Walter; Jansen, Ralph

2001-01-01

This paper describes the flywheel test facility developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center with particular emphasis on the motor drive components and control. A four-pole permanent magnet synchronous machine, suspended on magnetic bearings, is controlled with a field orientation algorithm. A discussion of the estimation of the rotor position and speed from a "once around signal" is given. The elimination of small dc currents by using a concurrent stationary frame current regulator is discussed and demonstrated. Initial experimental results are presented showing the successful operation and control of the unit at speeds up to 20,000 rpm.

Drywall construction and asbestos exposure.

PubMed

Fischbein, A; Rohl, A N; Langer, A M; Selikoff, I J

1979-05-01

The rapid development of the drywall construction trade in the United States is described. It is estimated that some 75,000 U.S. construction workers are currently employed in this trade. The use of a variety of spackle and taping compounds is shown to be associated with significant asbestos exposure; air samples taken in the breathing zone by drywall tapers during sanding of taping compounds show fiber concentrations exceeding, by several times, the maximum level permitted by United States Government regulations. These findings are given together with the result of a clinical field survey of drywall construction workers demonstrating that asbestos disease may be an important health hazard in this trade.

Photon-Fluence-Weighted let for Radiation Fields Subjected to Epidemiological Studies.

PubMed

Sasaki, Michiya

2017-08-01

In order to estimate the uncertainty of the radiation risk associated with the photon energy in epidemiological studies, photon-fluence-weighted LET values were quantified for photon radiation fields with the target organs and irradiation conditions taken into consideration. The photon fluences giving a unit absorbed dose to the target organ were estimated by using photon energy spectra together with the dose conversion coefficients given in ICRP Publication 116 for the target organs of the colon, bone marrow, stomach, lung, skin and breast with three irradiation geometries. As a result, it was demonstrated that the weighted LET values did not show a clear difference among the photon radiation fields subjected to epidemiological studies, regardless of the target organ and the irradiation geometry.

Engineering development and demonstration of DETOX{sup SM} wet oxidation for mixed waste treatment

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

Dhooge, P.M.; Goldblatt, S.D.; Moslander, J.E.

1997-12-01

DETOX{sup SM}, a catalyzed chemical oxidation process, is under development for treatment of hazardous and mixed wastes at Department of Energy sites. To support this effort, developmental engineering studies have been formed for aspects of the process to help ensure safe and effective operation. Subscale agitation studies have been preformed to identify a suitable mixing head and speed for the primary reaction vessel agitator. Mechanisms for feeding solid waste materials to the primary reaction vessel have been investigated. Filtration to remove solid field process residue, and the use of various filtration aids, has been studied. Extended compatibility studies on themore » materials of construction have been performed. Due to a change to Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) for the mixed waste portion of the demonstration, types of wastes suitable and appropriate for treatment at RFETS had to be chosen. A Prototype unit has been fabricated and will be demonstrated on hazardous and mixed wastes at Savannah River Site (SRS) and RFETS during 1997 and 1998. The unit is in shakedown testing at present. Data validation and an engineering evaluation will be performed during the demonstration.« less

Demonstration of an Integrated Pest Management Program for Wheat in Tajikistan.

PubMed

Landis, Douglas A; Saidov, Nurali; Jaliov, Anvar; El Bouhssini, Mustapha; Kennelly, Megan; Bahlai, Christie; Landis, Joy N; Maredia, Karim

2016-01-01

Wheat is an important food security crop in central Asia but frequently suffers severe damage and yield losses from insect pests, pathogens, and weeds. With funding from the United States Agency for International Development, a team of scientists from three U.S. land-grant universities in collaboration with the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas and local institutions implemented an integrated pest management (IPM) demonstration program in three regions of Tajikistan from 2011 to 2014. An IPM package was developed and demonstrated in farmer fields using a combination of crop and pest management techniques including cultural practices, host plant resistance, biological control, and chemical approaches. The results from four years of demonstration/research indicated that the IPM package plots almost universally had lower pest abundance and damage and higher yields and were more profitable than the farmer practice plots. Wheat stripe rust infestation ranged from 30% to over 80% in farmer practice plots, while generally remaining below 10% in the IPM package plots. Overall yield varied among sites and years but was always at least 30% to as much as 69% greater in IPM package plots. More than 1,500 local farmers-40% women-were trained through farmer field schools and field days held at the IPM demonstration sites. In addition, students from local agricultural universities participated in on-site data collection. The IPM information generated by the project was widely disseminated to stakeholders through peer-reviewed scientific publications, bulletins and pamphlets in local languages, and via Tajik national television.

reaxFF Reactive Force Field for Disulfide Mechanochemistry, Fitted to Multireference ab Initio Data.

PubMed

Müller, Julian; Hartke, Bernd

2016-08-09

Mechanochemistry, in particular in the form of single-molecule atomic force microscopy experiments, is difficult to model theoretically, for two reasons: Covalent bond breaking is not captured accurately by single-determinant, single-reference quantum chemistry methods, and experimental times of milliseconds or longer are hard to simulate with any approach. Reactive force fields have the potential to alleviate both problems, as demonstrated in this work: Using nondeterministic global parameter optimization by evolutionary algorithms, we have fitted a reaxFF force field to high-level multireference ab initio data for disulfides. The resulting force field can be used to reliably model large, multifunctional mechanochemistry units with disulfide bonds as designed breaking points. Explorative calculations show that a significant part of the time scale gap between AFM experiments and dynamical simulations can be bridged with this approach.

Six-component semi-discrete integrable nonlinear Schrödinger system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakhnenko, Oleksiy O.

2018-01-01

We suggest the six-component integrable nonlinear system on a quasi-one-dimensional lattice. Due to its symmetrical form, the general system permits a number of reductions; one of which treated as the semi-discrete integrable nonlinear Schrödinger system on a lattice with three structural elements in the unit cell is considered in considerable details. Besides six truly independent basic field variables, the system is characterized by four concomitant fields whose background values produce three additional types of inter-site resonant interactions between the basic fields. As a result, the system dynamics becomes associated with the highly nonstandard form of Poisson structure. The elementary Poisson brackets between all field variables are calculated and presented explicitly. The richness of system dynamics is demonstrated on the multi-component soliton solution written in terms of properly parameterized soliton characteristics.

The effect of periodic wavy profile on suppressing window multipactor under arbitrary electromagnetic mode

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

Chang, C., E-mail: chang@slac.stanford.edu; Key Laboratory of Physical Electronics and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049; Liu, Y. S.

2015-01-05

The three-dimensional periodic ripple profile with each unit of rotational symmetric surface is proposed to suppress multipactor for arbitrary electromagnetic mode with any polarization. The field distribution and multipactor electron dynamics on the wavy surface are studied to illustrate the multipactor inhibition mechanism. High power microwave experiment was conducted to demonstrate the effect of wavy surface on significantly improving the window power capacity.

Long-Term Reliability of a Hard-Switched Boost Power Processing Unit Utilizing SiC Power MOSFETs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ikpe, Stanley A.; Lauenstein, Jean-Marie; Carr, Gregory A.; Hunter, Don; Ludwig, Lawrence L.; Wood, William; Iannello, Christopher J.; Del Castillo, Linda Y.; Fitzpatrick, Fred D.; Mojarradi, Mohammad M.;

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members work with acoustic cable during underwater acoustic research being conducted in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members work with acoustic cable during underwater acoustic research being conducted in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Researchers utilize several types of watercraft to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Researchers utilize several types of watercraft to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

Boundary effect on the elastic field of a semi-infinite solid containing inhomogeneities

PubMed Central

Liu, Y. J.; Song, G.; Yin, H. M.

2015-01-01

The boundary effect of one inhomogeneity embedded in a semi-infinite solid at different depths has firstly been investigated using the fundamental solution for Mindlin's problem. Expanding the eigenstrain in a polynomial form and using the Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method, one can calculate the eigenstrain and thus obtain the elastic field. When the inhomogeneity is far from the boundary, the solution recovers Eshelby's solution. The method has been extended to a many-particle system in a semi-infinite solid, which is first demonstrated by the cases of two spheres. The comparison of the asymptotic form solution with the finite-element results shows the accuracy and capability of this method. The solution has been used to illustrate the boundary effects on its effective material behaviour of a semi-infinite simple cubic lattice particulate composite. The local field of a semi-infinite composite has been calculated at different volume fractions. A representative unit cell has been taken with different depths to the surface. The average stress and strain of the unit cell have been calculated under uniform loading conditions of normal or shear force on the surface, respectively. The effective elastic moduli of the unit cell not only depend on the material proportion, but also on its distance to the surface. The present model can be extended to other types of particle distribution and ellipsoidal particles. PMID:26345084

Boundary effect on the elastic field of a semi-infinite solid containing inhomogeneities.

PubMed

Liu, Y J; Song, G; Yin, H M

2015-07-08

The boundary effect of one inhomogeneity embedded in a semi-infinite solid at different depths has firstly been investigated using the fundamental solution for Mindlin's problem. Expanding the eigenstrain in a polynomial form and using the Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method, one can calculate the eigenstrain and thus obtain the elastic field. When the inhomogeneity is far from the boundary, the solution recovers Eshelby's solution. The method has been extended to a many-particle system in a semi-infinite solid, which is first demonstrated by the cases of two spheres. The comparison of the asymptotic form solution with the finite-element results shows the accuracy and capability of this method. The solution has been used to illustrate the boundary effects on its effective material behaviour of a semi-infinite simple cubic lattice particulate composite. The local field of a semi-infinite composite has been calculated at different volume fractions. A representative unit cell has been taken with different depths to the surface. The average stress and strain of the unit cell have been calculated under uniform loading conditions of normal or shear force on the surface, respectively. The effective elastic moduli of the unit cell not only depend on the material proportion, but also on its distance to the surface. The present model can be extended to other types of particle distribution and ellipsoidal particles.

Common-path digital holographic microscopy based on a beam displacer unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di, Jianglei; Zhang, Jiwei; Song, Yu; Wang, Kaiqiang; Wei, Kun; Zhao, Jianlin

2018-02-01

Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) has become a novel tool with advantages of full field, non-destructive, high-resolution and 3D imaging, which captures the quantitative amplitude and phase information of microscopic specimens. It's a well-established method for digital recording and numerical reconstructing the full complex field of wavefront of the samples with a diffraction-limited lateral resolution down to 0.3 μm depending on the numerical aperture of microscope objective. Meanwhile, its axial resolution through axial direction is less than 10 nm due to the interferometric nature in phase imaging. Compared with the typical optical configurations such as Mach-Zehnder interferometer and Michelson interferometer, the common-path DHM has the advantages of simple and compact configuration, high stability, and so on. Here, a simple, compact, and low-cost common-path DHM based on a beam displacer unit is proposed for quantitative phase imaging of biological cells. The beam displacer unit is completely compatible with commercial microscope and can be easily set up in the output port of the microscope as a compact independent device. This technique can be used to achieve the quantitative phase measurement of biological cells with an excellent temporal stability of 0.51 nm, which makes it having a good prospect in the fields of biological and medical science. Living mouse osteoblastic cells are quantitatively measured with the system to demonstrate its capability and applicability.

Ground-Based Measurement Experiment and First Results with Geosynchronous-Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer Engineering Demonstration Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L.; Bingham, Gail E.; Huppi, Ronald J.; Revercomb, Henry E.; Zollinger, Lori J.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Tansock, Joseph J.; Reisse, Robert A.;

Solar and Magnetic Attitude Determination for Small Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodham, Kurt; Blackman, Kathie; Sanneman, Paul

1997-01-01

During the Phase B development of the NASA New Millennium Program (NMP) Earth Orbiter-1 (EO-1) spacecraft, detailed analyses were performed for on-board attitude determination using the Sun and the Earth's magnetic field. This work utilized the TRMM 'Contingency Mode' as a starting point but concentrated on implementation for a small spacecraft without a high performance mechanical gyro package. The analyses and simulations performed demonstrate a geographic dependence due to diurnal variations in the Earth magnetic field with respect to the Sun synchronous, nearly polar orbit. Sensitivity to uncompensated residual magnetic fields of the spacecraft and field modeling errors is shown to be the most significant obstacle for maximizing performance. Performance has been evaluated with a number of inertial reference units and various mounting orientations for the two-axis Fine Sun Sensors. Attitude determination accuracy using the six state Kalman Filter executing at 2 Hz is approximately 0.2 deg, 3-sigma, per axis. Although EO-1 was subsequently driven to a stellar-based attitude determination system as a result of tighter pointing requirements, solar/magnetic attitude determination is demonstrated to be applicable to a range of small spacecraft with medium precision pointing requirements.

Sucrose acceptance, discrimination and proboscis responses of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in the field and the laboratory.

PubMed

Mujagic, Samir; Erber, Joachim

2009-04-01

Laboratory studies in honey bees have shown positive correlations between sucrose responsiveness, division of labour and learning. We tested the relationships between sucrose acceptance and discrimination in the field and responsiveness in the laboratory. Based on acceptance in the field three groups of bees were differentiated: (1) bees that accept sucrose concentrations >10%, (2) bees that accept some but not all of the sucrose concentrations <10% and water, and (3) bees that accept water and all offered sucrose concentrations. Sucrose acceptance can be described in a model in which sucrose- and water-dependent responses interact additively. Responsiveness to sucrose was tested in the same bees in the laboratory by measuring the proboscis extension response (PER). The experiments demonstrated that PER responsiveness is lower than acceptance in the field and that it is not possible to infer from the PER measurements in the laboratory those concentrations the respective bees accepted in the field. Discrimination between sucrose concentrations was tested in three groups of free-flying bees collecting low, intermediate or high concentrations of sucrose. The experiments demonstrated that bees can discriminate between concentrations differences down to 0.2 relative log units. There exist only partial correlations between discrimination, acceptance and PER responsiveness.

Assessing the significance of pedobarographic signals using random field theory.

PubMed

Pataky, Todd C

2008-08-07

Traditional pedobarographic statistical analyses are conducted over discrete regions. Recent studies have demonstrated that regionalization can corrupt pedobarographic field data through conflation when arbitrary dividing lines inappropriately delineate smooth field processes. An alternative is to register images such that homologous structures optimally overlap and then conduct statistical tests at each pixel to generate statistical parametric maps (SPMs). The significance of SPM processes may be assessed within the framework of random field theory (RFT). RFT is ideally suited to pedobarographic image analysis because its fundamental data unit is a lattice sampling of a smooth and continuous spatial field. To correct for the vast number of multiple comparisons inherent in such data, recent pedobarographic studies have employed a Bonferroni correction to retain a constant family-wise error rate. This approach unfortunately neglects the spatial correlation of neighbouring pixels, so provides an overly conservative (albeit valid) statistical threshold. RFT generally relaxes the threshold depending on field smoothness and on the geometry of the search area, but it also provides a framework for assigning p values to suprathreshold clusters based on their spatial extent. The current paper provides an overview of basic RFT concepts and uses simulated and experimental data to validate both RFT-relevant field smoothness estimations and RFT predictions regarding the topological characteristics of random pedobarographic fields. Finally, previously published experimental data are re-analysed using RFT inference procedures to demonstrate how RFT yields easily understandable statistical results that may be incorporated into routine clinical and laboratory analyses.

Wide-field high-speed space-division multiplexing optical coherence tomography using an integrated photonic device

PubMed Central

Huang, Yongyang; Badar, Mudabbir; Nitkowski, Arthur; Weinroth, Aaron; Tansu, Nelson; Zhou, Chao

2017-01-01

Space-division multiplexing optical coherence tomography (SDM-OCT) is a recently developed parallel OCT imaging method in order to achieve multi-fold speed improvement. However, the assembly of fiber optics components used in the first prototype system was labor-intensive and susceptible to errors. Here, we demonstrate a high-speed SDM-OCT system using an integrated photonic chip that can be reliably manufactured with high precisions and low per-unit cost. A three-layer cascade of 1 × 2 splitters was integrated in the photonic chip to split the incident light into 8 parallel imaging channels with ~3.7 mm optical delay in air between each channel. High-speed imaging (~1s/volume) of porcine eyes ex vivo and wide-field imaging (~18.0 × 14.3 mm2) of human fingers in vivo were demonstrated with the chip-based SDM-OCT system. PMID:28856055

From gold-medal glory to prohibition: the early evolution of cocaine in the United Kingdom and the United States

PubMed Central

Gilchrist, Dawna

2013-01-01

As reported in the 2011 World Drug Report, cocaine is likely to be the most problematic drug worldwide in terms of trafficking-related violence and second only to heroin in terms of negative health consequences and drug deaths. Over a period of 60 years, cocaine evolved from the celebrated panacea of the 1860s to outlawed street drug of the 1920s. As demonstrated by the evolution of cocaine use and abuse in the United Kingdom and United States during this time period, cultural attitudes influenced both the acceptance of cocaine into the medical field and the reaction to the harmful effects of cocaine. Our review of articles on cocaine use in the United Kingdom and the United States from 1860 to 1920 reveals an attitude of caution in the United Kingdom compared with an attitude of progressivism in the United States. When the trends in medical literature are viewed in the context of the development of drug regulations, our analysis provides insight into the relationship between cultural attitudes and drug policy, supporting the premise that it is cultural and social factors which shape drug policy, rather than drug regulations changing culture. PMID:23772315

Upscaling of Solute Transport in Heterogeneous Media with Non-uniform Flow and Dispersion Fields

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

Xu, Zhijie; Meakin, Paul

2013-10-01

An analytical and computational model for non-reactive solute transport in periodic heterogeneous media with arbitrary non-uniform flow and dispersion fields within the unit cell of length ε is described. The model lumps the effect of non-uniform flow and dispersion into an effective advection velocity Ve and an effective dispersion coefficient De. It is shown that both Ve and De are scale-dependent (dependent on the length scale of the microscopic heterogeneity, ε), dependent on the Péclet number Pe, and on a dimensionless parameter α that represents the effects of microscopic heterogeneity. The parameter α, confined to the range of [-0.5, 0.5]more » for the numerical example presented, depends on the flow direction and non-uniform flow and dispersion fields. Effective advection velocity Ve and dispersion coefficient De can be derived for any given flow and dispersion fields, and . Homogenized solutions describing the macroscopic variations can be obtained from the effective model. Solutions with sub-unit-cell accuracy can be constructed by homogenized solutions and its spatial derivatives. A numerical implementation of the model compared with direct numerical solutions using a fine grid, demonstrated that the new method was in good agreement with direct solutions, but with significant computational savings.« less

Long-term continuous monitor demonstration program: Columbus and Southern Ohio Electric Company, Conesville Unit 6. Final report Dec 79-Mar 83

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

Peduto, E.F. Jr.; Porter, T.J.; Midgley, D.P.

1984-03-01

The report gives results of a continuous monitoring demonstration at the Columbus and Southern Ohio Electric Company's Conesville Generating Station. The purpose of the demonstration was to determine the feasibility of the requirements for monitoring and control of SO2 emissions as specified in 40 CFR, Part 60, Subpart Da, which promulgates new source performance standards (NSPS) for new utility steam generators. A secondary objective was to adhere to the draft quality assurance requirements scheduled for promulgation as Appendix F. The report describes program activities and results of the field portion, during which data were collected for about 12 months ofmore » a 16-month period.« less

Relationship between radicalism and ethnicity in southern Illinois coal fields

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

Booth, S.E.

1983-01-01

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the relationship between radicalism and ethnicity in the coal fields of southern Illinois between 1870 and 1940. Immigrant coal miners in these fields and in other fields throughout the United States have been linked by previous researchers to activities that have caused them to be labelled as radicals. They have also been judged as being detrimental to the union movement in this country because they worked for lower wages than native workers, served as strikebreakers, and did not become union members. To determine what relationship existed between radicalism and ethnicity in themore » southern Illinois coal fields, the ethnic background of the miners was obtained. After the ethnic background of the miners was known, the activities in which they participated were examined to determine where in the southern Illinois coal fields these radical activities were occurring and who was participating in them. This dissertation demonstrates that no relationship between ethnicity and radicalism existed during the period.« less

Cosmic Ray Anisotropies and Magnetic Turbulence Beyond the Heliopause

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florinski, V. A.

2016-12-01

The very local interstellar medium (VLISM), including the outer heliosheath, represents a quiet, almost laminar environment for cosmic-ray propagation. The dominant scale of magnetic-field fluctuations in the VLISM is about a million astronomical units - three orders of magnitude larger than the size of the heliosphere. Under these conditions the transport of cosmic rays is governed mainly by three effects: (a) draping of the magnetic field around the heliopause, (b) bending of magnetic field lines representing VLISM turbulence at large scales, and (c) local deformation of magnetic field lines by disturbances injected into VLISM as a result of solar-wind merged interaction regions impinging on the heliopause. Using analytic and computer-based models of the outer heliosheath magnetic field and phase space trajectory integration techniques to simulate charged particle transport, the relationship between the magnetic field properties and hundred MeV galactic cosmic ray ion anisotropies is investigated. It is demonstrated that anisotropy measurements can be used to deduce the amplitude and spatial scale of interstellar magnetic turbulence.

Single-molecule toroics in Ising-type lanthanide molecular clusters.

PubMed

Ungur, Liviu; Lin, Shuang-Yan; Tang, Jinkui; Chibotaru, Liviu F

2014-01-01

Single-molecule toroics (SMTs) are defined, by analogy with single-molecule magnets, as bistable molecules with a toroidal magnetic state, and seem to be most promising for future applications in quantum computing and information storage and use as multiferroic materials with magnetoelectric effect. As an interdisciplinary research area that spans chemistry, physics and material sciences, synthetic chemists have produced systems suitable for detailed study by physicists and materials scientists, while ab initio calculations have been playing a major role in the detection of toroidal magnetization and the advancement of this field. In this tutorial review, we demonstrate the research developed in the fascinating and challenging field of molecular-based SMTs with particular focus on how recent studies tend to address the issue of toroidal arrangement of the magnetic moment in these systems. Herein, nine typical SMTs are summarized, showing that the assembly of wheel-shaped complexes with the high symmetry of the molecule unit and strong intra-molecular dipolar interactions using strong anisotropy metal ions represents the most promising route toward the design of a toroidal moment. Furthermore, the linkage of such robust toroidal moment units with ferromagnetic type through appropriate bridging ligands enhances the toroidal magnetic moment per unit cell.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT XRF ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Elvatech, Ltd. ElvaX (ElvaX) x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer distributed in the United States by Xcalibur XRF Services (Xcalibur), was demonstrated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program. The field portion of the demonstration was conducted in January 2005 at the Kennedy Athletic, Recreational and Social Park (KARS) at Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. The demonstration was designed to collect reliable performance and cost data for the ElvaX analyzer and seven other commercially available XRF instruments for measuring trace elements in soil and sediment. The performance and cost data were evaluated to document the relative performance of each XRF instrument. This innovative technology verification report describes the objectives and the results of that evaluation and serves to verify the performance and cost of the ElvaX analyzer. Separate reports have been prepared for the other XRF instruments that were evaluated as part of the demonstration. The objectives of the evaluation included determining each XRF instrument’s accuracy, precision, sample throughput, and tendency for matrix effects. To fulfill these objectives, the field demonstration incorporated the analysis of 326 prepared samples of soil and sediment that contained 13 target elements. The prepared samples included blends of environmental samples from nine different sample collection sites as well as s

Sequential microfluidic droplet processing for rapid DNA extraction.

PubMed

Pan, Xiaoyan; Zeng, Shaojiang; Zhang, Qingquan; Lin, Bingcheng; Qin, Jianhua

2011-11-01

This work describes a novel droplet-based microfluidic device, which enables sequential droplet processing for rapid DNA extraction. The microdevice consists of a droplet generation unit, two reagent addition units and three droplet splitting units. The loading/washing/elution steps required for DNA extraction were carried out by sequential microfluidic droplet processing. The movement of superparamagnetic beads, which were used as extraction supports, was controlled with magnetic field. The microdevice could generate about 100 droplets per min, and it took about 1 min for each droplet to perform the whole extraction process. The extraction efficiency was measured to be 46% for λ-DNA, and the extracted DNA could be used in subsequent genetic analysis such as PCR, demonstrating the potential of the device for fast DNA extraction. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Standardized UXO Technology Demonstration Site, Open Field Scoring Record No. 893

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

EM) AMOS metal detector is a linear multichannel sensor array consisting of a 2-meter-wide transmitter coil and 16 receiver coils, mounted on a...ferrous and nonferrous metals : Will detect ammunition components 20-mm caliber and over at depths of up to 0.4 meter and ammunition components 100...robust, all-terrain trailer (fig. 1). b. The AMOS detector unit consists of the following main components: (1) Lower sensor level (dimensions

The Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety and Security Council. Volume 72, Number 4, Winter 2015-2016

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-13

prevention program realized immediate benefits , as numerous senior civilian and junior officer billets were added to field units nationwide to provide better...demonstrated benefits such as: • operational excellence, • improved investigator skills, • enhanced working relationships with external partners...follow. The Re-Enactment During the course of the interviews, it became apparent that the investigators could benefit from seeing the vicinity of

Remote sensing capacity of Raman spectroscopy in identification of mineral and organic constituents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Bin; Stoker, Carol; Cabrol, Nathalie; McKay, Christopher P.

2007-09-01

We present design, integration and test results for a field Raman spectrometer science payload, integrated into the Mars Analog Research and Technology (MARTE) drilling platform. During the drilling operation, the subsurface Raman spectroscopy inspection system has obtained signatures of organic and mineral compositions. We also performed ground truth studies using both this field unit and a laboratory micro Raman spectrometer equipped with multiple laser excitation wavelengths on series of field samples including Mojave rocks, Laguna Verde salty sediment and Rio Tinto topsoil. We have evaluated laser excitation conditions and optical probe designs for further improvement. We have demonstrated promising potential for Raman spectroscopy as a non-destructive in situ, high throughput, subsurface detection technique, as well as a desirable active remote sensing tool for future planetary and space missions.

Habitat Demonstration Unit-Deep Space Habitat (HDU-DSH) Integration and Preparation for Desert RATS 2011

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbeau, Zack

2011-01-01

The Habitat Demonstration Unit, or HDU, is a multi-purpose test bed that allows NASA scientists and engineers to design, develop, and test new living quarters, laboratories, and workspaces for the next generation space mission. Previous testing and integration has occurred during 2010 at the annual Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) field testing campaign in the Arizona desert. There the HDU team tests the configuration developed for the fiscal year, or FY configuration. For FY2011, the NASA mission calls for simulating a deep space condition. The HDU-DSH, or Deep Space Habitat, will be configured with new systems and modules that will outfit the test bed with new deep space capabilities. One such addition is the new X-HAB (eXploration Habitat) Inflatable Loft. With any deep space mission there is the need for safe, suitable living quarters. The current HDU configuration does not allow for any living space at all. In fact, Desert RATS 2010 saw the crew sleeping in the Space Exploration Vehicles (SEV) instead of the HDU. The X-HAB Challenge pitted three universities against each other: Oklahoma State University, University of Maryland, and the University of Wisconsin. The winning team will have their design implemented by NASA for field testing at DRATS 2011. This paper will highlight the primary objective of getting the X-HAB field ready which involves the implementation of an elevator/handrail system along with smaller logistical and integration tasks associated with getting the HDU-DSH ready for shipment to DRATS.

A new Ion Mobility Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, M. A.

1998-03-01

A new ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) concept has been demonstrated that traps ions in a potential well and then moves the well down a tube to a detector. The charge remaining in the well is measured as a function of well velocity or electric field that the ion experiences; thus separating the ions by mobility. The potential wave is generated and propagated down the tube by a series of ring electrodes along the tube under real-time computer control via an array of DACs. The operating characteristics of this device have been explored including the effects of ion "lifetime," well shape, and well velocity. The ion "lifetime" results from a radial field at the bottom of the potential well that pushes the ions toward the tube wall. This work was supported by the United States Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy.

Development of a Handheld Line Information Reader and Generator for Efficient Management of Optical Communication Lines

PubMed Central

Lee, Jaeyul; Kwon, Hyungwoo; Song, Jaewon; Jeon, Mansik; Kim, Jeehyun

2017-01-01

A handheld line information reader and a line information generator were developed for the efficient management of optical communication lines. The line information reader consists of a photo diode, trans-impedance amplifier, voltage amplifier, microcontroller unit, display panel, and communication modules. The line information generator consists of a laser diode, laser driving circuits, microcontroller unit, and communication modules. The line information reader can detect the optical radiation field of the test line by bending the optical fiber. To enhance the sensitivity of the line information reader, an additional lens was used with a focal length of 4.51 mm. Moreover, the simulation results obtained through BeamPROP® software from Synopsys, Inc. demonstrated a stronger optical radiation field of the fiber due to a longer transmission wavelength and larger bending angle of the fiber. Therefore, the developed devices can be considered as useful tools for the efficient management of optical communication lines. PMID:28837058

Surveillance Training for Ebola Preparedness in Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Mali.

PubMed

Cáceres, Victor M; Sidibe, Sekou; Andre, McKenzie; Traicoff, Denise; Lambert, Stephanie; King, Melanie; Kazambu, Ditu; Lopez, Augusto; Pedalino, Biagio; Guibert, Dionisio J Herrera; Wassawa, Peter; Cardoso, Placido; Assi, Bernard; Ly, Alioune; Traore, Bouyagui; Angulo, Frederick J; Quick, Linda

2017-12-01

The 2014-2015 epidemic of Ebola virus disease in West Africa primarily affected Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Several countries, including Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal, experienced Ebola importations. Realizing the importance of a trained field epidemiology workforce in neighboring countries to respond to Ebola importations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Field Epidemiology Training Program unit implemented the Surveillance Training for Ebola Preparedness (STEP) initiative. STEP was a mentored, competency-based initiative to rapidly build up surveillance capacity along the borders of the at-risk neighboring countries Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau. The target audience was district surveillance officers. STEP was delivered to 185 participants from 72 health units (districts or regions). Timeliness of reporting and the quality of surveillance analyses improved 3 months after training. STEP demonstrated that mentored, competency-based training, where learners attain competencies while delivering essential public health services, can be successfully implemented in an emergency response setting.

Second United States Microgravity Laboratory: One Year Report. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vlasse, M (Editor); McCauley, D. (Editor); Walker, C. (Editor)

1998-01-01

This document reports the one year science results for the important and highly successful Second United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2). The USML-2 mission consisted of a pressurized Spacelab module where the crew performed experiments. The mission also included a Glovebox where the crew performed additional experiments for the investigators. Together, about 36 major scientific experiments were performed, advancing the state of knowledge in fields such as fluid physics, solidification of metals, alloys, and semiconductors, combustion, and the growth of protein crystals. The results demonstrate the range of quality science that can be conducted utilizing orbital laboratories in microgravity and provide a look forward to a highly productive Space Station era.

Second United States Microgravity Laboratory: One Year Report. Volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vlasse, M. (Editor); McCauley, D. (Editor); Walker, C. (Editor)

1998-01-01

This document reports the one year science results for the important and highly successful Second United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2). The USML-2 mission consisted of a pressurized Spacelab module where the crew performed experiments. The mission also included a Glovebox where the crew performed additional experiments for the investigators. Together, about 36 major scientific experiments were performed, advancing the state of knowledge in fields such as fluid physics, solidification of metals, alloys, and semiconductors, combustion, and the growth of protein crystals. The results demonstrate the range of quality science that can be conducted utilizing orbital laboratories in microgravity and provide a look forward to a highly productive Space Station era.

A multi-functional high voltage experiment apparatus for vacuum surface flashover switch research.

PubMed

Zeng, Bo; Su, Jian-cang; Cheng, Jie; Wu, Xiao-long; Li, Rui; Zhao, Liang; Fang, Jin-peng; Wang, Li-min

2015-04-01

A multifunctional high voltage apparatus for experimental researches on surface flashover switch and high voltage insulation in vacuum has been developed. The apparatus is composed of five parts: pulse generating unit, axial field unit, radial field unit, and two switch units. Microsecond damped ringing pulse with peak-to-peak voltage 800 kV or unipolar pulse with maximum voltage 830 kV is generated, forming transient axial or radial electrical field. Different pulse waveforms and field distributions make up six experimental configurations in all. Based on this apparatus, preliminary experiments on vacuum surface flashover switch with different flashover dielectric materials have been conducted in the axial field unit, and nanosecond pulse is generated in the radial field unit which makes a pulse transmission line in the experiment. Basic work parameters of this kind of switch such as lifetime, breakdown voltage are obtained.

Current state of the art in small mass and force metrology within the International System of Units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, Gordon A.

2018-07-01

This review article summarizes new scientific trends in research for metrology of small mass (1 mg and lower) and small force (10 micronewtons and lower). After a brief introduction to the field, this paper provides an overview of recent developments in methods that demonstrate traceability to the International System of Units (SI) with emphasis on the implications of redefining the kilogram in terms of Planck’s constant. Specific research applications include new metrology facilities, calibration of small mass and force references such as milligram to submilligram masses or atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilevers, and laser power measurement using radiation pressure forces. Also discussed are recent scientific developments that may impact the field moving forward in the study of ultrasmall forces present in trapped and cooled quantum mechanical systems, resonant micro- and nanomechanical mass sensors, and other areas that are potentially well suited for SI metrology. The work reviewed is not intended as a comprehensive review of all research in which small forces are measured, but rather as an overview of a field in which the accurate measurement of small mass and force with quantified uncertainty is the primary goal.

Approximating the stress field within the unit cell of a fabric reinforced composite using replacement elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foye, R. L.

1993-01-01

This report concerns the prediction of the elastic moduli and the internal stresses within the unit cell of a fabric reinforced composite. In the proposed analysis no restrictions or assumptions are necessary concerning yarn or tow cross-sectional shapes or paths through the unit cell but the unit cell itself must be a right hexagonal parallelepiped. All the unit cell dimensions are assumed to be small with respect to the thickness of the composite structure that it models. The finite element analysis of a unit cell is usually complicated by the mesh generation problems and the non-standard, adjacent-cell boundary conditions. This analysis avoids these problems through the use of preprogrammed boundary conditions and replacement materials (or elements). With replacement elements it is not necessary to match all the constitutional material interfaces with finite element boundaries. Simple brick-shaped elements can be used to model the unit cell structure. The analysis predicts the elastic constants and the average stresses within each constituent material of each brick element. The application and results of this analysis are demonstrated through several example problems which include a number of composite microstructures.

A haptic unit designed for magnetic-resonance-guided biopsy.

PubMed

Tse, Z T H; Elhawary, H; Rea, M; Young, I; Davis, B L; Lamperth, M

2009-02-01

The magnetic fields present in the magnetic resonance (MR) environment impose severe constraints on any mechatronic device present in its midst, requiring alternative actuators, sensors, and materials to those conventionally used in traditional system engineering. In addition the spatial constraints of closed-bore scanners require a physical separation between the radiologist and the imaged region of the patient. This configuration produces a loss of the sense of touch from the target anatomy for the clinician, which often provides useful information. To recover the force feedback from the tissue, an MR-compatible haptic unit, designed to be integrated with a five-degrees-of-freedom mechatronic system for MR-guided prostate biopsy, has been developed which incorporates position control and force feedback to the operator. The haptic unit is designed to be located inside the scanner isocentre with the master console in the control room. MR compatibility of the device has been demonstrated, showing a negligible degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio and virtually no geometric distortion. By combining information from the position encoder and force sensor, tissue stiffness measurement along the needle trajectory is demonstrated in a lamb liver to aid diagnosis of suspected cancerous tissue.

Erosion and channel changes due to extreme flooding in the Fourmile Creek catchment, Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wicherski, Will; Dethier, David P.; Ouimet, William B.

2017-10-01

Infrequent, large magnitude geomorphic events generate quantifiable change on geologically short timescales and are crucial to understanding landscape evolution. Airborne lidar surveys and field measurements were used to investigate floodplain erosion and deposition along a 19.5 km reach of Fourmile Creek, Colorado that was devastated by severe flooding in 2013 that followed a 2010 wildfire. > 350 mm of rain fell on the Fourmile catchment from September 9-15, 2013, generating discharge that exceeded bankfull for > 120 h at the Orodell gage, with local unit stream power > 300 W m- 2 throughout the study reach. Debris flows occurred on steep hillslopes and tributary channels in the most intensely burned areas. Lidar difference measurements and field studies highlight zones of local deposition along the study reach, but demonstrate overall net erosion of 0.25 m for the 19.5 km reach of Fourmile floodplain, mainly by channel widening. Tributary junctions where debris-flow sediment entered the floodplain and local decreases in unit stream power controlled some zones of deposition. Overall, mass balance calculations show that a total sediment loss of 91,000-161,000 m3 from the Fourmile Creek floodplain and hillslopes, which is broadly consistent with channel sediment flux estimates of 71,000-111,000 m3. Measurements from the Fourmile catchment demonstrate that floodplain erosion was a major source of sediment in the 2013 flood and demonstrate that infrequent events marked by long-duration flooding and high total energy expenditure can account for a large fraction of total sediment transport in mountain streams.

Demonstration of an Integrated Pest Management Program for Wheat in Tajikistan

PubMed Central

Landis, Douglas A.; Saidov, Nurali; Jaliov, Anvar; El Bouhssini, Mustapha; Kennelly, Megan; Bahlai, Christie; Landis, Joy N.; Maredia, Karim

2016-01-01

Wheat is an important food security crop in central Asia but frequently suffers severe damage and yield losses from insect pests, pathogens, and weeds. With funding from the United States Agency for International Development, a team of scientists from three U.S. land-grant universities in collaboration with the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas and local institutions implemented an integrated pest management (IPM) demonstration program in three regions of Tajikistan from 2011 to 2014. An IPM package was developed and demonstrated in farmer fields using a combination of crop and pest management techniques including cultural practices, host plant resistance, biological control, and chemical approaches. The results from four years of demonstration/research indicated that the IPM package plots almost universally had lower pest abundance and damage and higher yields and were more profitable than the farmer practice plots. Wheat stripe rust infestation ranged from 30% to over 80% in farmer practice plots, while generally remaining below 10% in the IPM package plots. Overall yield varied among sites and years but was always at least 30% to as much as 69% greater in IPM package plots. More than 1,500 local farmers—40% women—were trained through farmer field schools and field days held at the IPM demonstration sites. In addition, students from local agricultural universities participated in on-site data collection. The IPM information generated by the project was widely disseminated to stakeholders through peer-reviewed scientific publications, bulletins and pamphlets in local languages, and via Tajik national television. PMID:28446990

The ChemCam Instrument Suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover: Science Objectives and Mast Unit Description

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maurice, S.; Wiens, R.C.; Saccoccio, M.; Barraclough, B.; Gasnault, O.; Forni, O.; Mangold, N.; Baratoux, D.; Bender, S.; Berger, G.; Bernardin, J.; Berthé, M.; Bridges, N.; Blaney, D.; Bouyé, M.; Caïs, P.; Clark, B.; Clegg, S.; Cousin, A.; Cremers, D.; Cros, A.; DeFlores, L.; Derycke, C.; Dingler, B.; Dromart, G.; Dubois, B.; Dupieux, M.; Durand, E.; d'Uston, L.; Fabre, C.; Faure, B.; Gaboriaud, A.; Gharsa, T.; Herkenhoff, K.; Kan, E.; Kirkland, L.; Kouach, D.; Lacour, J.-L.; Langevin, Y.; Lasue, J.; Le Mouélic, S.; Lescure, M.; Lewin, E.; Limonadi, D.; Manhès, G.; Mauchien, P.; McKay, C.; Meslin, P.-Y.; Michel, Y.; Miller, E.; Newsom, Horton E.; Orttner, G.; Paillet, A.; Parès, L.; Parot, Y.; Pérez, R.; Pinet, P.; Poitrasson, F.; Quertier, B.; Sallé, B.; Sotin, Christophe; Sautter, V.; Séran, H.; Simmonds, J.J.; Sirven, J.-B.; Stiglich, R.; Striebig, N.; Thocaven, J.-J.; Toplis, M.J.; Vaniman, D.

2012-01-01

ChemCam is a remote sensing instrument suite on board the "Curiosity" rover (NASA) that uses Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to provide the elemental composition of soils and rocks at the surface of Mars from a distance of 1.3 to 7 m, and a telescopic imager to return high resolution context and micro-images at distances greater than 1.16 m. We describe five analytical capabilities: rock classification, quantitative composition, depth profiling, context imaging, and passive spectroscopy. They serve as a toolbox to address most of the science questions at Gale crater. ChemCam consists of a Mast-Unit (laser, telescope, camera, and electronics) and a Body-Unit (spectrometers, digital processing unit, and optical demultiplexer), which are connected by an optical fiber and an electrical interface. We then report on the development, integration, and testing of the Mast-Unit, and summarize some key characteristics of ChemCam. This confirmed that nominal or better than nominal performances were achieved for critical parameters, in particular power density (>1 GW/cm2). The analysis spot diameter varies from 350 μm at 2 m to 550 μm at 7 m distance. For remote imaging, the camera field of view is 20 mrad for 1024×1024 pixels. Field tests demonstrated that the resolution (˜90 μrad) made it possible to identify laser shots on a wide variety of images. This is sufficient for visualizing laser shot pits and textures of rocks and soils. An auto-exposure capability optimizes the dynamical range of the images. Dedicated hardware and software focus the telescope, with precision that is appropriate for the LIBS and imaging depths-of-field. The light emitted by the plasma is collected and sent to the Body-Unit via a 6 m optical fiber. The companion to this paper (Wiens et al. this issue) reports on the development of the Body-Unit, on the analysis of the emitted light, and on the good match between instrument performance and science specifications.

Design of a cusped field thruster for drag-free flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, H.; Chen, P. B.; Sun, Q. Q.; Hu, P.; Meng, Y. C.; Mao, W.; Yu, D. R.

2016-09-01

Drag-free flight has played a more and more important role in many space missions. The thrust control system is the key unit to achieve drag-free flight by providing a precise compensation for the disturbing force except gravity. The cusped field thruster has shown a significant potential to be capable of the function due to its long life, high efficiency, and simplicity. This paper demonstrates a cusped field thruster's feasibility in drag-free flight based on its instinctive characteristics and describes a detailed design of a cusped field thruster made by Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). Furthermore, the performance test is conducted, which shows that the cusped field thruster can achieve a continuously variable thrust from 1 to 20 mN with a low noise and high resolution below 650 W, and the specific impulse can achieve 1800 s under a thrust of 18 mN and discharge voltage of 1000 V. The thruster's overall performance indicates that the cusped field thruster is quite capable of achieving drag-free flight. With the further optimization, the cusped field thruster will exhibit a more extensive application value.

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

Kaminski, Michael

The Irreversible Wash Aid Additive process has been under development by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne). This process for radioactive cesium mitigation consists of a solution to wash down contaminated structures, roadways, and vehicles and a sequestering agent to bind the radionuclides from the wash water and render them environmentally immobile. The purpose of this process is to restore functionality to basic services and immediately reduce the consequences of a radiologically-contaminated urban environment. Research and development have resulted in a down-selection of technologies for integration and demonstration at the pilot-scale level as part ofmore » the Wide Area Recovery and Resiliency Program (WARRP) under the Department of Homeland Security and the Denver Urban Area Security Initiative. As part of developing the methods for performing a pilot-scale demonstration at the WARRP conference in Denver in 2012, Argonne conducted small-scale field experiments at Separmatic Systems. The main purpose of these experiments was to refine the wash water collection and separations systems and demonstrate key unit operations to help in planning for the large scale demonstration in Denver. Since the purpose of these tests was to demonstrate the operations of the system, we used no radioactive materials. After a brief set of experiments with the LAKOS unit to familiarize ourselves with its operation, two experiments were completed on two separate dates with the Separmatic systems.« less

An Exchange-Only Qubit in Isotopically Enriched 28Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyure, Mark

2015-03-01

We demonstrate coherent manipulation and universal control of a qubit composed of a triple quantum dot implemented in an isotopically enhanced Si/SiGe heterostructure, which requires no local AC or DC magnetic fields for operation. Strong control over tunnel rates is enabled by a dopantless, accumulation-only device design, and an integrated measurement dot enables single-shot measurement. Reduction of magnetic noise is achieved via isotopic purification of the silicon quantum well. We demonstrate universal control using composite pulses and employ these pulses for spin-echo-type sequences to measure both magnetic noise and charge noise. The noise measured is sufficiently low to enable the long pulse sequences required for exchange-only quantum information processing. Sponsored by United States Department of Defense. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressly or implied, of the United States Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. Approved for public release, distribution unlimited.

Using polarizable POSSIM force field and fuzzy-border continuum solvent model to calculate pK(a) shifts of protein residues.

PubMed

Sharma, Ity; Kaminski, George A

2017-01-15

Our Fuzzy-Border (FB) continuum solvent model has been extended and modified to produce hydration parameters for small molecules using POlarizable Simulations Second-order Interaction Model (POSSIM) framework with an average error of 0.136 kcal/mol. It was then used to compute pK a shifts for carboxylic and basic residues of the turkey ovomucoid third domain (OMTKY3) protein. The average unsigned errors in the acid and base pK a values were 0.37 and 0.4 pH units, respectively, versus 0.58 and 0.7 pH units as calculated with a previous version of polarizable protein force field and Poisson Boltzmann continuum solvent. This POSSIM/FB result is produced with explicit refitting of the hydration parameters to the pK a values of the carboxylic and basic residues of the OMTKY3 protein; thus, the values of the acidity constants can be viewed as additional fitting target data. In addition to calculating pK a shifts for the OMTKY3 residues, we have studied aspartic acid residues of Rnase Sa. This was done without any further refitting of the parameters and agreement with the experimental pK a values is within an average unsigned error of 0.65 pH units. This result included the Asp79 residue that is buried and thus has a high experimental pK a value of 7.37 units. Thus, the presented model is capable or reproducing pK a results for residues in an environment that is significantly different from the solvated protein surface used in the fitting. Therefore, the POSSIM force field and the FB continuum solvent parameters have been demonstrated to be sufficiently robust and transferable. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of external magnetic fields and Rashba spin-orbit coupling on spin conductance in graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirkani, H.; Amiri, F.; Golshan, M. M.

2013-12-01

The present article is concerned with spin conductance in graphene (SCG) when both the application of an external magnetic field and Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC) are taken into account. Introducing a Casimir operator, we analyze the structure of total Hamiltonian and demonstrate how the matrix elements along with the summations involved in the suitably adopted Kubo’s formula, may be analytically calculated. From the results so-obtained one finds that, in addition to discrete and symmetric behavior of SCG against the external field, it exhibits large peaks as high as six times that in ordinary two dimensional electron gases. Moreover, it is shown that for any Fermi energy the SCG asymptotically approaches a value three times larger than the standard unit of (e/4π), for large magnetic fields. Effects of the magnetic field, RSOC and Fermi energy on the characteristics of SCG are also discussed. The material presented in this article thus provides novel means of controlling the SCG by external agents.

GPU-accelerated phase-field simulation of dendritic solidification in a binary alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamanaka, Akinori; Aoki, Takayuki; Ogawa, Satoi; Takaki, Tomohiro

2011-03-01

The phase-field simulation for dendritic solidification of a binary alloy has been accelerated by using a graphic processing unit (GPU). To perform the phase-field simulation of the alloy solidification on GPU, a program code was developed with computer unified device architecture (CUDA). In this paper, the implementation technique of the phase-field model on GPU is presented. Also, we evaluated the acceleration performance of the three-dimensional solidification simulation by using a single NVIDIA TESLA C1060 GPU and the developed program code. The results showed that the GPU calculation for 5763 computational grids achieved the performance of 170 GFLOPS by utilizing the shared memory as a software-managed cache. Furthermore, it can be demonstrated that the computation with the GPU is 100 times faster than that with a single CPU core. From the obtained results, we confirmed the feasibility of realizing a real-time full three-dimensional phase-field simulation of microstructure evolution on a personal desktop computer.

Graphics processing unit accelerated phase field dislocation dynamics: Application to bi-metallic interfaces

DOE PAGES

Eghtesad, Adnan; Germaschewski, Kai; Beyerlein, Irene J.; ...

2017-10-14

We present the first high-performance computing implementation of the meso-scale phase field dislocation dynamics (PFDD) model on a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based platform. The implementation takes advantage of the portable OpenACC standard directive pragmas along with Nvidia's compute unified device architecture (CUDA) fast Fourier transform (FFT) library called CUFFT to execute the FFT computations within the PFDD formulation on the same GPU platform. The overall implementation is termed ACCPFDD-CUFFT. The package is entirely performance portable due to the use of OPENACC-CUDA inter-operability, in which calls to CUDA functions are replaced with the OPENACC data regions for a host central processingmore » unit (CPU) and device (GPU). A comprehensive benchmark study has been conducted, which compares a number of FFT routines, the Numerical Recipes FFT (FOURN), Fastest Fourier Transform in the West (FFTW), and the CUFFT. The last one exploits the advantages of the GPU hardware for FFT calculations. The novel ACCPFDD-CUFFT implementation is verified using the analytical solutions for the stress field around an infinite edge dislocation and subsequently applied to simulate the interaction and motion of dislocations through a bi-phase copper-nickel (Cu–Ni) interface. It is demonstrated that the ACCPFDD-CUFFT implementation on a single TESLA K80 GPU offers a 27.6X speedup relative to the serial version and a 5X speedup relative to the 22-multicore Intel Xeon CPU E5-2699 v4 @ 2.20 GHz version of the code.« less

Graphics processing unit accelerated phase field dislocation dynamics: Application to bi-metallic interfaces

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

Eghtesad, Adnan; Germaschewski, Kai; Beyerlein, Irene J.

We present the first high-performance computing implementation of the meso-scale phase field dislocation dynamics (PFDD) model on a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based platform. The implementation takes advantage of the portable OpenACC standard directive pragmas along with Nvidia's compute unified device architecture (CUDA) fast Fourier transform (FFT) library called CUFFT to execute the FFT computations within the PFDD formulation on the same GPU platform. The overall implementation is termed ACCPFDD-CUFFT. The package is entirely performance portable due to the use of OPENACC-CUDA inter-operability, in which calls to CUDA functions are replaced with the OPENACC data regions for a host central processingmore » unit (CPU) and device (GPU). A comprehensive benchmark study has been conducted, which compares a number of FFT routines, the Numerical Recipes FFT (FOURN), Fastest Fourier Transform in the West (FFTW), and the CUFFT. The last one exploits the advantages of the GPU hardware for FFT calculations. The novel ACCPFDD-CUFFT implementation is verified using the analytical solutions for the stress field around an infinite edge dislocation and subsequently applied to simulate the interaction and motion of dislocations through a bi-phase copper-nickel (Cu–Ni) interface. It is demonstrated that the ACCPFDD-CUFFT implementation on a single TESLA K80 GPU offers a 27.6X speedup relative to the serial version and a 5X speedup relative to the 22-multicore Intel Xeon CPU E5-2699 v4 @ 2.20 GHz version of the code.« less

Skill Transfer and Virtual Training for IND Response Decision-Making: Analysis of Decision-Making Skills for Large-Scale Incidents

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-12

One example of communication issues comes from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011). The local medical health professional on staff at the...field of radiological and nuclear disaster management to help disaster management professionals develop and demonstrate relevant expertise [3]. The next...improvised nuclear device (IND) detonation in an urban area would be one of the most catastrophic incidents that could occur in the United States, resulting

Demonstration and Commercialization of the Sediment Ecosystem Assessment Protocol (SEAP)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-09

undergone severe erosion (Peeling 1975). Zuniga Jetty, which runs parallel to Point Loma at the bay’s inlet, was built to control erosion near the inlet...consistent conditions and level of effort required to run the tests. A per site unit cost is less amenable to a field-based deployment, given the many...support in situ tetsing: 1) a standard exposure of spores to a reference toxicant dilutuion series; and 2) exposure of sporophyll blades to a

Use of the LANDSAT-2 data collection system in the Colorado River basin weather modification program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahan, A. M. (Principal Investigator)

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Many types of environmental sensors can be interfaced to the LANDSAT DCP. The LANDSAT field installations proved to be remarkably reliable, weather resistant, and cost effective units able to relay high quality data in near real time. The wind averaging system demonstrated the feasibility of transmitting averaged wind data, stored over a period of several hours, from a remote site.

Multimodel Ensemble Methods for Prediction of Wake-Vortex Transport and Decay Originating NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korner, Stephan; Ahmad, Nashat N.; Holzapfel, Frank; VanValkenburg, Randal L.

2017-01-01

Several multimodel ensemble methods are selected and further developed to improve the deterministic and probabilistic prediction skills of individual wake-vortex transport and decay models. The different multimodel ensemble methods are introduced, and their suitability for wake applications is demonstrated. The selected methods include direct ensemble averaging, Bayesian model averaging, and Monte Carlo simulation. The different methodologies are evaluated employing data from wake-vortex field measurement campaigns conducted in the United States and Germany.

Microbial Monitoring from the Frontlines to Space: A Successful Validation of a Department of Defense (DoD) Funded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Technology on Board the International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oubre, Cherie; Khodadad, Christina; Castro, Victoria; Ott, Mark; Pollack, Lawrence; Roman, Monsi

2017-01-01

The RAZOR EX (Registered Trademark) PCR unit was initially developed by the DoD as part of an SBIR project to detect and identify biothreats during field deployment. The system was evaluated by NASA as a commercial technology for future microbial monitoring requirements and has been successfully demonstrated in microgravity on-board the International Space Station.

Evaluation Plan for the Gateway 2000 Demonstration Project

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-01

February 1990 United States Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences App’oved for publk -e2:ic ; distribution is unlimited. o_ M...mf( U.S. ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES A Field Operating Agency Under the Jurisdiction of the Deputy Chief of...Behavioral and Social Sciences. NOTE: The views, opinions, and findings in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Researchers are positioned on one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Researchers are positioned on one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

Sensitivity of Eimeria field isolates in the United States: responses of nicarbazin-containing anticoccidials.

PubMed

Bafundo, K W; Cervantes, H M; Mathis, G F

2008-09-01

A series of studies were conducted to assess the drug sensitivity of 26 coccidial field isolates to the anticoccidial effects of nicarbazin (NIC) and narasin + NIC (NAR + NIC). Isolates were collected from typical broiler farms in the United States from 2003 to 2006, propagated once in the absence of anticoccidial medication, and then used to inoculate broilers that were fed nonmedicated rations or those containing NIC 125 ppm or NAR + NIC 80 ppm. Results of these sensitivity trials indicated that 81% of these coccidial isolates were sensitive to the effects of NIC, but only 22% of these coccidia were controlled by NAR + NIC. Studies conducted to evaluate performance responses to these drugs demonstrated that birds fed NIC gained more weight and utilized feed more efficiently than those receiving NAR + NIC. The results of 2 floor pen tests, conducted to confirm the results of the above sensitivity trials, demonstrated that NIC provided a greater level of protection from coccidiosis than NAR + NIC. Lower lesion scores and improved performance were recorded for birds receiving NIC compared with NAR + NIC. Results of these studies revealed that changes in the susceptibility of Eimeria spp. to the activity of NAR + NIC are evident. These changes appear to be associated with the reduction in ionophore sensitivity that has been documented in most areas of the world.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Researchers utilize several types of watercraft to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin near Launch Pad 39A. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Researchers utilize several types of watercraft to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin near Launch Pad 39A. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dr. Grant Gilmore (left), Dynamac Corp., talks to another member of the research team conducting underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dr. Grant Gilmore (left), Dynamac Corp., talks to another member of the research team conducting underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members roll out acoustic cable to the water's edge during underwater acoustic research being conducted in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members roll out acoustic cable to the water's edge during underwater acoustic research being conducted in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Joe Bartoszek, NASA, is a member of the research team conducting underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin near Launch Pad 39A. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Joe Bartoszek, NASA, is a member of the research team conducting underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin near Launch Pad 39A. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members take their places on one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members take their places on one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dr. Grant Gilmore, Dynamac Corp., utilizes a laptop computer to explain aspects of the underwater acoustic research under way in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dr. Grant Gilmore, Dynamac Corp., utilizes a laptop computer to explain aspects of the underwater acoustic research under way in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

Long-chain amine-templated synthesis of gallium sulfide and gallium selenide nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seral-Ascaso, A.; Metel, S.; Pokle, A.; Backes, C.; Zhang, C. J.; Nerl, H. C.; Rode, K.; Berner, N. C.; Downing, C.; McEvoy, N.; Muñoz, E.; Harvey, A.; Gholamvand, Z.; Duesberg, G. S.; Coleman, J. N.; Nicolosi, V.

2016-06-01

We describe the soft chemistry synthesis of amine-templated gallium chalcogenide nanotubes through the reaction of gallium(iii) acetylacetonate and the chalcogen (sulfur, selenium) using a mixture of long-chain amines (hexadecylamine and dodecylamine) as a solvent. Beyond their role as solvent, the amines also act as a template, directing the growth of discrete units with a one-dimensional multilayer tubular nanostructure. These new materials, which broaden the family of amine-stabilized gallium chalcogenides, can be tentatively classified as direct large band gap semiconductors. Their preliminary performance as active material for electrodes in lithium ion batteries has also been tested, demonstrating great potential in energy storage field even without optimization.We describe the soft chemistry synthesis of amine-templated gallium chalcogenide nanotubes through the reaction of gallium(iii) acetylacetonate and the chalcogen (sulfur, selenium) using a mixture of long-chain amines (hexadecylamine and dodecylamine) as a solvent. Beyond their role as solvent, the amines also act as a template, directing the growth of discrete units with a one-dimensional multilayer tubular nanostructure. These new materials, which broaden the family of amine-stabilized gallium chalcogenides, can be tentatively classified as direct large band gap semiconductors. Their preliminary performance as active material for electrodes in lithium ion batteries has also been tested, demonstrating great potential in energy storage field even without optimization. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr01663d

GPU-computing in econophysics and statistical physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preis, T.

2011-03-01

A recent trend in computer science and related fields is general purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPUs), which can yield impressive performance. With multiple cores connected by high memory bandwidth, today's GPUs offer resources for non-graphics parallel processing. This article provides a brief introduction into the field of GPU computing and includes examples. In particular computationally expensive analyses employed in financial market context are coded on a graphics card architecture which leads to a significant reduction of computing time. In order to demonstrate the wide range of possible applications, a standard model in statistical physics - the Ising model - is ported to a graphics card architecture as well, resulting in large speedup values.

Wide-field fluorescent microscopy on a cell-phone.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongying; Yaglidere, Oguzhan; Su, Ting-Wei; Tseng, Derek; Ozcan, Aydogan

2011-01-01

We demonstrate wide-field fluorescent imaging on a cell-phone, using compact and cost-effective optical components that are mechanically attached to the existing camera unit of the cell-phone. Battery powered light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are used to side-pump the sample of interest using butt-coupling. The pump light is guided within the sample cuvette to excite the specimen uniformly. The fluorescent emission from the sample is then imaged with an additional lens that is put in front of the existing lens of the cell-phone camera. Because the excitation occurs through guided waves that propagate perpendicular to the detection path, an inexpensive plastic color filter is sufficient to create the dark-field background needed for fluorescent imaging. The imaging performance of this light-weight platform (~28 grams) is characterized with red and green fluorescent microbeads, achieving an imaging field-of-view of ~81 mm(2) and a spatial resolution of ~10 μm, which is enhanced through digital processing of the captured cell-phone images using compressive sampling based sparse signal recovery. We demonstrate the performance of this cell-phone fluorescent microscope by imaging labeled white-blood cells separated from whole blood samples as well as water-borne pathogenic protozoan parasites such as Giardia Lamblia cysts.

Enhancement of the sweep efficiency of waterflooding operations by the in-situ microbial population of petroleum reservoirs

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

Brown, L.R.; Vadie, A.A.; Stephens, J.O.

1995-12-31

Live cores were obtained from five reservoirs using special precautions to prevent contamination by exogenous microorganisms and minimize exposure to oxygen. The depths from which the cores were obtained ranged from 2,705 ft to 6,568 ft. Core plugs were cut radially from live cores, encased in heat-shrink plastic tubes, placed in core holders, and fitted with inlets and outlets. Nutrient additions stimulated the in-situ microbial population to increase, dissolve stratal material, produce gases, and release oil. Reduction in flow through the core plugs was observed in some cases, while in other cases flow was increased, probably due to the dissolutionmore » of carbonates in the formation. A field demonstration of the ability of the in-situ microbial population to increase oil recovery by blocking the more permeable zones of the reservoir is currently underway. This demonstration is being conducted in the North Blowhorn Creek Unit situated in Lamar County, Alabama. Live cores were obtained from a newly drilled well in the field and tested as described above. The field project involves four test patterns each including one injector, four to five producers, and a comparable control injector with its four to five producers. Nutrient injection in the field began November 1994.« less

Sparse Spectro-Temporal Receptive Fields Based on Multi-Unit and High-Gamma Responses in Human Auditory Cortex

PubMed Central

Jenison, Rick L.; Reale, Richard A.; Armstrong, Amanda L.; Oya, Hiroyuki; Kawasaki, Hiroto; Howard, Matthew A.

2015-01-01

Spectro-Temporal Receptive Fields (STRFs) were estimated from both multi-unit sorted clusters and high-gamma power responses in human auditory cortex. Intracranial electrophysiological recordings were used to measure responses to a random chord sequence of Gammatone stimuli. Traditional methods for estimating STRFs from single-unit recordings, such as spike-triggered-averages, tend to be noisy and are less robust to other response signals such as local field potentials. We present an extension to recently advanced methods for estimating STRFs from generalized linear models (GLM). A new variant of regression using regularization that penalizes non-zero coefficients is described, which results in a sparse solution. The frequency-time structure of the STRF tends toward grouping in different areas of frequency-time and we demonstrate that group sparsity-inducing penalties applied to GLM estimates of STRFs reduces the background noise while preserving the complex internal structure. The contribution of local spiking activity to the high-gamma power signal was factored out of the STRF using the GLM method, and this contribution was significant in 85 percent of the cases. Although the GLM methods have been used to estimate STRFs in animals, this study examines the detailed structure directly from auditory cortex in the awake human brain. We used this approach to identify an abrupt change in the best frequency of estimated STRFs along posteromedial-to-anterolateral recording locations along the long axis of Heschl’s gyrus. This change correlates well with a proposed transition from core to non-core auditory fields previously identified using the temporal response properties of Heschl’s gyrus recordings elicited by click-train stimuli. PMID:26367010

Personal customizing exercise with a wearable measurement and control unit.

PubMed

Wang, Zhihui; Kiryu, Tohru; Tamura, Naoki

2005-06-28

Recently, wearable technology has been used in various health-related fields to develop advanced monitoring solutions. However, the monitoring function alone cannot meet all the requirements of customizing machine-based exercise on an individual basis by relying on biosignal-based controls. We propose a new wearable unit design equipped with measurement and control functions to support the customization process. The wearable unit can measure the heart rate and electromyogram signals during exercise performance and output workload control commands to the exercise machines. The workload is continuously tracked with exercise programs set according to personally customized workload patterns and estimation results from the measured biosignals by a fuzzy control method. Exercise programs are adapted by relying on a computer workstation, which communicates with the wearable unit via wireless connections. A prototype of the wearable unit was tested together with an Internet-based cycle ergometer system to demonstrate that it is possible to customize exercise on an individual basis. We tested the wearable unit in nine people to assess its suitability to control cycle ergometer exercise. The results confirmed that the unit could successfully control the ergometer workload and continuously support gradual changes in physical activities. The design of wearable units equipped with measurement and control functions is an important step towards establishing a convenient and continuously supported wellness environment.

Microsurgical robotic system for the deep surgical field: development of a prototype and feasibility studies in animal and cadaveric models.

PubMed

Morita, Akio; Sora, Shigeo; Mitsuishi, Mamoru; Warisawa, Shinichi; Suruman, Katopo; Asai, Daisuke; Arata, Junpei; Baba, Shoichi; Takahashi, Hidechika; Mochizuki, Ryo; Kirino, Takaaki

2005-08-01

To enhance the surgeon's dexterity and maneuverability in the deep surgical field, the authors developed a master-slave microsurgical robotic system. This concept and the results of preliminary experiments are reported in this paper. The system has a master control unit, which conveys motion commands in six degrees of freedom (X, Y, and Z directions; rotation; tip flexion; and grasping) to two arms. The slave manipulator has a hanging base with an additional six degrees of freedom; it holds a motorized operating unit with two manipulators (5 mm in diameter, 18 cm in length). The accuracy of the prototype in both shallow and deep surgical fields was compared with routine freehand microsurgery. Closure of a partial arteriotomy and complete end-to-end anastomosis of the carotid artery (CA) in the deep operative field were performed in 20 Wistar rats. Three routine surgical procedures were also performed in cadavers. The accuracy of pointing with the nondominant hand in the deep surgical field was significantly improved through the use of robotics. The authors successfully closed the partial arteriotomy and completely anastomosed the rat CAs in the deep surgical field. The time needed for stitching was significantly shortened over the course of the first 10 rat experiments. The robotic instruments also moved satisfactorily in cadavers, but the manipulators still need to be smaller to fit into the narrow intracranial space. Computer-controlled surgical manipulation will be an important tool for neurosurgery, and preliminary experiments involving this robotic system demonstrate its promising maneuverability.

Isolation, crystallization in the macrogravitation field, preliminary X-ray investigation of uridine phosphorylase from Escherichia coli K-12.

PubMed

Mikhailov, A M; Smirnova, E A; Tsuprun, V L; Tagunova, I V; Vainshtein, B K; Linkova, E V; Komissarov, A A; Siprashvili, Z Z; Mironov, A S

1992-03-01

Uridine phosphorylase (UPH) from Escherichia coli K-12 has been purified to near homogeneity from a strain harbouring the udp gene, encoding UPH, on a multicopy plasmid. UPH was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity with the specific activity 230 units/mg with a recovery of 80%, yielding 120 mg of enzyme from 3g cells. Crystals of enzyme suitable for X-ray diffraction analysis were obtained in a preparative ultracentrifuge. The packing of the molecules in the crystals may be described by the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with the unit cell constants a = 90.4; b = 128.8; c = 136.8 A. There is one molecule per asymmetric unit, Vm = 2.4. These crystals diffract to at least 2.5-2.7 A resolution. The hexameric structure of UPH was directly demonstrated by electron microscopy study and image processing.

Magnetic Tracking of Gas Hydrate Deposits.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, C.; Enkin, R. J.; Judith, B.; Dallimore, S. R.

2005-12-01

Analysis of recovered core from the Mallik gas hydrate field in the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada demonstrates that the magnetic properties of hydrate-bearing strata differ significantly from those strata lacking gas hydrate. The recovered core, which extends from just above (885 m) to just below (1152 m) observed gas hydrate occurrences (891-1107 m), comprises a series of six stratigraphic units that are either sand or silt dominated. Gas hydrate is preferentially concentrated in the higher porosity, sand-dominated units. Although the sediment source region for the Mackenzie Delta is sufficiently large that silts and sands have similar primary mineralogy, their magnetic properties are distinct. Magnetite, apparent in silt units with porosities too low to accommodate significant gas hydrate deposits, is reduced to iron sulphide in the gas hydrate-bearing sand horizons. The degree of the observed magnetic reduction increases with increasing gas hydrate concentration. Furthermore, silts retain their primary magnetism, whereas sands are remagnetized. Two independent investigations of marine gas hydrate occurrences (Blake Ridge, offshore eastern USA and Cascadia, offshore western Canada) demonstrate similar magnetic reduction within known gas hydrate fields, and an even larger depletion of magnetic minerals in vent zones where methane is actively fluxing to surface. Collectively, the findings from these three regions indicate that porosity and structure are fundamental controls on methane pathways. Investigations are presently underway to determine the precise triggers and chemical pathways of the observed magnetic reductions. However, findings to date indicate that magnetic studies of host sediments in gas hydrate systems provide a powerful lithologic correlation tool, a window into the processes associated with gas hydrate formation, and form the basis of quantitative analysis of magnetic surveys over gas hydrate deposits.

Fellowship Training in the Emerging Fields of Fetal-Neonatal Neurology and Neonatal Neurocritical Care.

PubMed

Smyser, Christopher D; Tam, Emily W Y; Chang, Taeun; Soul, Janet S; Miller, Steven P; Glass, Hannah C

2016-10-01

Neonatal neurocritical care is a growing and rapidly evolving medical subspecialty, with increasing numbers of dedicated multidisciplinary clinical, educational, and research programs established at academic institutions. The growth of these programs has provided trainees in neurology, neonatology, and pediatrics with increased exposure to the field, sparking interest in dedicated fellowship training in fetal-neonatal neurology. To meet this rising demand, increasing numbers of training programs are being established to provide trainees with the requisite knowledge and skills to independently deliver care for infants with neurological injury or impairment from the fetal care center and neonatal intensive care unit to the outpatient clinic. This article provides an initial framework for standardization of training across these programs. Recommendations include goals and objectives for training in the field; core areas where clinical competency must be demonstrated; training activities and neuroimaging and neurodiagnostic modalities which require proficiency; and programmatic requirements necessary to support a comprehensive and well-rounded training program. With consistent implementation, the proposed model has the potential to establish recognized standards of professional excellence for training in the field, provide a pathway toward Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education certification for program graduates, and lead to continued improvements in medical and neurological care provided to patients in the neonatal intensive care unit. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparing Apollo and Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Operations Paradigms for Human Exploration During NASA Desert-Rats Science Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yingst, R. A.; Cohen, B. A.; Ming, D. W.; Eppler, D. B.

2011-01-01

NASA's Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) field test is one of several analog tests that NASA conducts each year to combine operations development, technology advances and science under planetary surface conditions. The D-RATS focus is testing preliminary operational concepts for extravehicular activity (EVA) systems in the field using simulated surface operations and EVA hardware and procedures. For 2010 hardware included the Space Exploration Vehicles, Habitat Demonstration Units, Tri-ATHLETE, and a suite of new geology sample collection tools, including a self-contained GeoLab glove box for conducting in-field analysis of various collected rock samples. The D-RATS activities develop technical skills and experience for the mission planners, engineers, scientists, technicians, and astronauts responsible for realizing the goals of exploring planetary surfaces.

Real-Time DNA Sequencing in the Antarctic Dry Valleys Using the Oxford Nanopore Sequencer

PubMed Central

Johnson, Sarah S.; Zaikova, Elena; Goerlitz, David S.; Bai, Yu; Tighe, Scott W.

2017-01-01

The ability to sequence DNA outside of the laboratory setting has enabled novel research questions to be addressed in the field in diverse areas, ranging from environmental microbiology to viral epidemics. Here, we demonstrate the application of offline DNA sequencing of environmental samples using a hand-held nanopore sequencer in a remote field location: the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Sequencing was performed using a MK1B MinION sequencer from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT; Oxford, United Kingdom) that was equipped with software to operate without internet connectivity. One-direction (1D) genomic libraries were prepared using portable field techniques on DNA isolated from desiccated microbial mats. By adequately insulating the sequencer and laptop, it was possible to run the sequencing protocol for up to 2½ h under arduous conditions. PMID:28337073

GenASiS Basics: Object-oriented utilitarian functionality for large-scale physics simulations

DOE PAGES

Cardall, Christian Y.; Budiardja, Reuben D.

2015-06-11

Aside from numerical algorithms and problem setup, large-scale physics simulations on distributed-memory supercomputers require more basic utilitarian functionality, such as physical units and constants; display to the screen or standard output device; message passing; I/O to disk; and runtime parameter management and usage statistics. Here we describe and make available Fortran 2003 classes furnishing extensible object-oriented implementations of this sort of rudimentary functionality, along with individual `unit test' programs and larger example problems demonstrating their use. Lastly, these classes compose the Basics division of our developing astrophysics simulation code GenASiS (General Astrophysical Simulation System), but their fundamental nature makes themmore » useful for physics simulations in many fields.« less

Influence of surrounding structures upon the aerodynamic and acoustic performance of the outdoor unit of a split air-conditioner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Chengjun; Liu, Jiang; Pan, Jie

2014-07-01

DC-inverter split air-conditioner is widely used in Chinese homes as a result of its high-efficiency and energy-saving. Recently, the researches on its outdoor unit have focused on the influence of surrounding structures upon the aerodynamic and acoustic performance, however they are only limited to the influence of a few parameters on the performance, and practical design of the unit requires more detailed parametric analysis. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics(CFD) and computational aerodynamic acoustics(CAA) simulation based on FLUENT solver is used to study the influence of surrounding structures upon the aforementioned properties of the unit. The flow rate and sound pressure level are predicted for different rotating speed, and agree well with the experimental results. The parametric influence of three main surrounding structures(i.e. the heat sink, the bell-mouth type shroud and the outlet grille) upon the aerodynamic performance of the unit is analyzed thoroughly. The results demonstrate that the tip vortex plays a major role in the flow fields near the blade tip and has a great effect on the flow field of the unit. The inlet ring's size and throat's depth of the bell-mouth type shroud, and the through-flow area and configuration of upwind and downwind sections of the outlet grille are the most important factors that affect the aerodynamic performance of the unit. Furthermore, two improved schemes against the existing prototype of the unit are developed, which both can significantly increase the flow rate more than 6 %(i.e. 100 m3·h-1) at given rotating speeds. The inevitable increase of flow noise level when flow rate is increased and the advantage of keeping a lower rotating speed are also discussed. The presented work could be a useful guideline in designing the aerodynamic and acoustic performance of the split air-conditioner in engineering practice.

Defensive aids suite prototype for light armored vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cantin, Andre; Fortin, Jean; Venter, Johan; Philip, Brian G.; Hagen, Russell; Krieger, Dietmar; Greenley, Mike

2001-09-01

The Defence Research Establishment Valcartier has initiated in 1998 R&D work to investigate and to demonstrate key technologies required for future Defensive Aid Suite to protect Light Armoured Vehicles. A basic Defensive Aid Suite demonstrator (Phase I) was built and integrated into the LAV vetronics by Litton Systems Canada and his consortium. The Defensive Aid Suite consisted of a 2-band HARLIDTM-based laser detection head, a processor capable to control and deploy countermeasures and a DAS touch-screen display all integrated in a Light Armored Vehicle. The crew was able to select the operation mode for direct fire or smoke deployment by pushing one of the pair of buttons available at the bottom of the display. This system was successfully demonstrated in October 1999 during an international trial. This article gives an overview of the results obtained in the field as well as some of the lessons learnt. It also describes laboratory and field measurements made on the Laser Warning Receiver unit itself. The results of the DAS tactical use and of Human factor evaluation will illustrate its performance within typical laser threat scenarios. This work will serve as the basis for the recommendation of a future DAS demonstrator (Phase II) integrating more sensors and countermeasures.

Field Demonstration of a High-Efficiency Packaged Rooftop Air Conditioning Unit at Fort Gordon, Augusta, GA

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

Armstrong, Peter R.; Sullivan, Gregory P.; Parker, Graham B.

2006-03-31

As part of a larger program targeting the market transformation of packaged rooftop air conditioning, five high-efficiency rooftop air conditioning products were selected in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the Unitary Air Conditioner (UAC) Technology Procurement (http://www.pnl.gov/uac). In February 2003, Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia was chosen as the demonstration site. With the goal of validating the field performance and operation of one of the awarded products, a 10-ton high-efficiency packaged rooftop unit (RTU) manufactured by Global Energy Group (GEG) was installed at Fort Gordon in October 2003. Following equipment installation, power metering, air- and refrigerant-sidemore » instrumentation was installed on the GEG RTU and a 4-year old typical-efficiency 20-ton RTU manufactured by AAON . The GEG and AAON units were instrumented identically and operated May through July, 2005, to observe performance under a range of conditions. Based on the data collected as part of this demonstration, the GEG equipment performed at least 8% better in stage-1 (single compressor running) cooling and at least 16% better in stage-2 (both compressors running) than the baseline AAON equipment. Performance comparisons are based on what we call application EER normalized to equivalent specific fan power. The full-load, specific-fan-power-normalized application EERs at ARI design conditions were 10.48 Btu/Wh for the GEG and 9.00 Btu/Wh for the baseline machine. With a cost premium of nearly 50%, and slightly higher maintenance costs, the life-cycle cost analysis shows that the GEG technology pays for itself--a positive net-present value (NPV)--only in climates and buildings with long cooling seasons. Manufacture of this equipment on a larger scale can be expected to reduce costs to the point where it is more broadly cost-effective. The assumed 10-ton baseline and new-technology unit costs are $3824.00 and $5525.00 respectively. If the new technology cost is assumed to drop as sales increase to $4674.50 for a 10-ton unit (i.e. the original cost difference is halved), the life-cycle costs improve. A grid of first cost, annual maintenance cost and electricity price is enumerated and the results presented in the report show the sensitivity of life cycle cost to these three financial parameters in each of eight different climates.« less

Skin Effect Modeling in Conductors of Arbitrary Shape Through a Surface Admittance Operator and the Contour Integral Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Utkarsh R.; Triverio, Piero

2016-09-01

An accurate modeling of skin effect inside conductors is of capital importance to solve transmission line and scattering problems. This paper presents a surface-based formulation to model skin effect in conductors of arbitrary cross section, and compute the per-unit-length impedance of a multiconductor transmission line. The proposed formulation is based on the Dirichlet-Neumann operator that relates the longitudinal electric field to the tangential magnetic field on the boundary of a conductor. We demonstrate how the surface operator can be obtained through the contour integral method for conductors of arbitrary shape. The proposed algorithm is simple to implement, efficient, and can handle arbitrary cross-sections, which is a main advantage over the existing approach based on eigenfunctions, which is available only for canonical conductor's shapes. The versatility of the method is illustrated through a diverse set of examples, which includes transmission lines with trapezoidal, curved, and V-shaped conductors. Numerical results demonstrate the accuracy, versatility, and efficiency of the proposed technique.

Teaching contact metamorphism, isograds, and mixed-volatile reactions: A suite-based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peck, W. H.

2003-12-01

An important goal of teaching Introductory Petrology is to demonstrate how different kinds of approaches are integrated in studying petrologic problems. Depending on the goals of the study data used can be from the field, hand-sample, microscope, electron beam instrument, or mass spectrometer. A suite of samples with a known geographical and geological context can help students in drawing connections between different petrologic approaches, as the `geologic story' of the samples becomes a unifying theme. For teaching a unit on calc-silicates I use a suite of siliceous dolomite samples collected from the Ubehebe contact aureole (Death Valley, NV) as well as published data (Roselle et al., 1997; 1999) in a linked series of laboratory exercises and problem sets. The geology of the contact aureole is introduced in a three-hour laboratory exercise, where students identify the appearance of tremolite, forsterite, and periclase/brucite and the disappearance of quartz as the intrusion is approached. A concurrent problem set uses simplified mineral assemblage maps from the aureole. In the problem set students delineate isograds and determine the balanced metamorphic reactions by which the metamorphic minerals formed. Lecture material during this unit focuses on the physical properties of fluids in the crust and the mineralogical evidence for fluid-flow (with an emphasis on mixed-volatile reactions and T-XCO2 diagrams). A concrete field example helps focus student attention on the interrelation of disparate approaches by which petrologic problems addressed. The Ubehebe suite then becomes a unifying theme throughout the course: the specimens or regional geology are used in subsequent laboratories and lectures when introducing concepts such as grain nucleation and growth, reaction overstepping, and replacement textures. A virtual field trip of the Alta aureole, UT (using field photographs, maps, and photomicrographs) concludes the unit. The geology of the Alta aureole is similar to that of Ubehebe, and the virtual field trip acts as a review that emphases the general usefulness of the approaches discussed.

Regulatory framework on bioequivalence criteria for locally acting gastrointestinal drugs: the case for oral modified release mesalamine formulations.

PubMed

Sferrazza, Gianluca; Siviero, Paolo D; Nicotera, Giuseppe; Turella, Paola; Serafino, Annalucia; Blandizzi, Corrado; Pierimarchi, Pasquale

2017-09-01

Bioequivalence testing for locally acting gastrointestinal drugs is a challenging issue for both regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical industries. The international regulatory framework has been characterized by the lack of specific bioequivalence tests that has generated a negative impact on the market competition and drug use in clinical practice. Areas covered: This review article provides an overview of the European Union and United States regulatory frameworks on bioequivalence criteria for locally acting gastrointestinal drugs, also discussing the most prominent scientific issues and advances that has been made in this field. A focus on oral modified release mesalamine formulations will be also provided, with practical examples of the regulatory pathways followed by pharmaceutical companies to determine bioequivalence. Expert commentary: The development of a scientific rationale to demonstrate bioequivalence in this field has been complex and often associated with uncertainties related to scientific and regulatory aspects. Only in recent years, thanks to advanced knowledge in this field, the criteria for bioequivalence assessment are undergoing substantial changes. This new scenario will likely result in a significant impact on pharmaceutical companies, promoting more competition through a clearer regulatory approach, conceived for streamlining the demonstration of therapeutic equivalence for locally acting gastrointestinal drugs.

The Role of Intuition in the Decision-Making Processes of United States Air Force Field Grade Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

to the fullest extent; it has then to become effective in concrete hallucination , since, it had no direct psychological access.... But with the...even though the ears are interfaced with the auditory cortex of both sides of the brain, the interface to the opposite side is much stronger. The...melodies, and recognition of faces has been demonstrated by female infants, but not male, as early as four months of age. Because female infants hear better

Technology-Enabled Capability Demonstration 4A Sustainability and Logistics-Basing: Initial Quality of Life and Soldier Readiness User Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-30

Eat (MRE), Meal Cold Weather/Long Range Patrol (MCW/LRP), Unitized Group Ration (UGR) Heat & Serve, UGR‐E...1000 PAX camp has the Soldiers receiving a hot meal (UGR‐A) for dinner in addition to breakfast. The 1000 PAX camp also has larger numbers of MWR...over AC in the TOC any day.” Figure 14: MWR Attribute Scores 3.1.3.5 Field Feeding The Soldiers prioritized breakfast rations slightly over dinner

ISST (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Silo Superhardening Technology) Structure with SIFCON (Slurry-Infiltrated Fiber Concrete) - HFC-2 Test

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

Government-related pro- curement, the United States Government incurs no responsibility or any obli -j gation whatsoever. The fact that the Government...Arizona. NIIERI then began a program to deveiop a slurry mix design for use in the structure, as well as construction techniques for placing the SIFCON in...OBJECTIVES 3 II CONSTRUCTION AND FIELDING OPERATIONS 4 INTRODUCTION 4 I DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM 4 Introduct ion 4 Procedure 4 Results 7 $ DESIGN 7 I ntrod uc

Balloon-like singlemode-tapered multimode-singlemode fiber structure for refractive index sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Biyao; Niu, Yanxiong; Yang, Bowen; Dai, Lingling; Hu, Yanhui; Yin, Yiheng; Ding, Ming

2017-10-01

A novel high sensitivity refractive index sensor based on balloon-like singlemode-tapered multimode-singlemode (STMS) fiber structure has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Combining the tapering and bending endows the proposed sensor with large evanescent field, resulting in high sensitivity. Experimental results show that the proposed sensor has an average sensitivity of 1104.75 nm/RIU (RI Unit) in the range of 1.33-1.41 and a maximum sensitivity of 3374.50 nm/RIU at RI of 1.41.

Identification of different geologic units using fuzzy constrained resistivity tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Anand; Sharma, S. P.

2018-01-01

Different geophysical inversion strategies are utilized as a component of an interpretation process that tries to separate geologic units based on the resistivity distribution. In the present study, we present the results of separating different geologic units using fuzzy constrained resistivity tomography. This was accomplished using fuzzy c means, a clustering procedure to improve the 2D resistivity image and geologic separation within the iterative minimization through inversion. First, we developed a Matlab-based inversion technique to obtain a reliable resistivity image using different geophysical data sets (electrical resistivity and electromagnetic data). Following this, the recovered resistivity model was converted into a fuzzy constrained resistivity model by assigning the highest probability value of each model cell to the cluster utilizing fuzzy c means clustering procedure during the iterative process. The efficacy of the algorithm is demonstrated using three synthetic plane wave electromagnetic data sets and one electrical resistivity field dataset. The presented approach shows improvement on the conventional inversion approach to differentiate between different geologic units if the correct number of geologic units will be identified. Further, fuzzy constrained resistivity tomography was performed to examine the augmentation of uranium mineralization in the Beldih open cast mine as a case study. We also compared geologic units identified by fuzzy constrained resistivity tomography with geologic units interpreted from the borehole information.

Signal-to-noise ratio and spectral linewidth improvements between 1.5 and 7 Tesla in proton echo-planar spectroscopic imaging.

PubMed

Otazo, Ricardo; Mueller, Bryon; Ugurbil, Kamil; Wald, Lawrence; Posse, Stefan

2006-12-01

This study characterizes gains in sensitivity and spectral resolution of proton echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (PEPSI) with increasing magnetic field strength (B(0)). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per unit volume and unit time, and intrinsic linewidth (LW) of N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cr), and choline (Cho) were measured with PEPSI at 1.5, 3, 4, and 7 Tesla on scanners that shared a similar software and hardware platform, using circularly polarized (CP) and eight-channel phased-array (PA) head coils. Data were corrected for relaxation effects and processed with a time-domain matched filter (MF) adapted to each B(0). The SNR and LW measured with PEPSI were very similar to those measured with conventional point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) SI. Measurements with the CP coil demonstrated a nearly linear SNR gain with respect to B(0) in central brain regions. For the PA coil, the SNR-B(0) relationship was less than linear, but there was a substantial SNR increase in comparison to the CP coil. The LW in units of ppm decreased with B(0), resulting in improved spectral resolution. These studies using PEPSI demonstrated linear gains in SNR with respect to B(0), consistent with theoretical expectations, and a decrease in ppm LW with increasing B(0).

The unit field sanitation team: a square peg in a round hole.

PubMed

Bosetti, Timothy; Bridges, Davin

2009-01-01

Basic field sanitation and hygiene is a lost art in today's modern Army. Today, more than ever, there is a need for the unit field sanitation team (FST) to serve as advisors to unit commanders in the area of basic field sanitation and hygiene. Soldiers should know how to construct field latrines, construct waste disposal devices, conduct pest management and control activities, disinfect field water supplies, and practice personal hygiene under field conditions. The current unit FST concept is centered on company-sized formations operating in open terrain. This concept does not support current operations, transformed formations, rapidly changing doctrine, and the expeditionary nature of the Army. This article does not present a new concept, but rather a new look at an existing concept and practice based upon the lessons-learned and after-action reports from the Global War on Terrorism to support the Army in transformation during an era of persistent conflict.

The Applicability of the Generalized Method of Cells for Analyzing Discontinuously Reinforced Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pahr, D. H.; Arnold, S. M.

2001-01-01

The paper begins with a short overview of the recent work done in the field of discontinuous reinforced composites, focusing on the different parameters which influence the material behavior of discontinuous reinforced composites, as well as the various analysis approaches undertaken. Based on this overview it became evident, that in order to investigate the enumerated effects in an efficient and comprehensive manner, an alternative approach to the computationally intensive finite-element based micromechanics approach is required. Therefore, an investigation is conducted to demonstrate the utility of utilizing the generalized method of cells (GMC), a semi-analytical micromechanics-based approach, to simulate the elastic and elastoplastic material behavior of aligned short fiber composites. The results are compared with (1) simulations using other micromechanical based mean field models and finite element (FE) unit cell models found in the literature given elastic material behavior, as well as (2) finite element unit cell and a new semianalytical elastoplastic shear lag model in the inelastic range. GMC is shown to definitely have a window of applicability when simulating discontinuously reinforced composite material behavior.

The Applicability of the Generalized Method of Cells for Analyzing Discontinuously Reinforced Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pahr, D. H.; Arnold, S. M.

2001-01-01

The paper begins with a short overview of the recent work done in the field of discontinuous reinforced composites, focusing on the different parameters which influence the material behavior of discontinuous reinforced composites, as well as the various analysis approaches undertaken. Based on this overview it became evident that in order to investigate the enumerated effects in an efficient and comprehensive manner, an alternative approach to the computationally intensive finite-element based micromechanics approach is required. Therefore, an investigation is conducted to demonstrate the utility of utilizing the generalized method of cells (GMC), a semi-analytical micromechanics-based approach, to simulate the elastic and elastoplastic material behavior of aligned short fiber composites. The results are compared with simulations using other micromechanical based mean field models and finite element (FE) unit cell models found in the literature given elastic material behavior, as well as finite element unit cell and a new semianalytical elastoplastic shear lag model in the inelastic range. GMC is shown to definitely have a window of applicability when simulating discontinuously reinforced composite material behavior.

Experimental realization for abnormal reflection caused by an acoustic metasurface with subwavelength apertures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xuanjun; Zeng, Xinwu; Gao, Dongbao; Shen, Weidong; Wang, Jianli; Wang, Shengchun

2017-03-01

The reflection characteristics of the unit cell, consisting of a subwavelength circular hole and a rigid wall, was discussed theoretically, and it was found that the phase shift of the reflected waves could cover almost 2π span by adjusting the hole radius when the acoustic waves normally impinge on it. Based on the analytical formulas, an acoustic metasurface (AMS) sample constructed by an array of unit cells with different radii was designed and fabricated. The sound pressure fields induced by the sample were then measured through the experimental setup and the reflected field pattern was derived after data processing. Experimental results and COMSOL simulations both demonstrated the fact that the designed AMS has the ability to reflect acoustic waves into an unusual yet controllable direction, verifying the correctness of the theory and design about the AMS in this paper. Simulations also show that the designed AMS has a narrow working bandwidth of 50 Hz around 800 Hz and its total thickness is about 1/8 of the incident wavelength, giving it the potential for the miniaturization and integration of acoustic devices.

Field measurement and analysis of climatic factors affecting dune mobility near Grand Falls on the Navajo Nation, southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bogle, Rian; Redsteer, Margaret Hiza; Vogel, John M.

2015-01-01

Aeolian sand covers extensive areas of the Navajo Nation in the southwestern United States. Much of this sand is currently stabilized by vegetation, although many drier parts of these Native lands also have active and partly active dunes. Current prolonged drought conditions that started in the mid-1990s are producing significant changes in dune mobility. Reactivation of regional aeolian deposits due to drought or increasing aridity from rising temperatures resulting from climate change could have serious consequences for human and animal populations, agriculture, grazing, and infrastructure. To understand and document the current and future potential for mobility, seasonally repeated surveys were used to track the location of multiple active barchan dunes. By utilizing Real-Time Kinematic GPS field surveys and simultaneously collecting in-situ meteorological data, it is possible to examine climatic parameters and seasonal variations that affect dune mobility and their relative influences. Through analysis of the recorded data, we examined the fit of various climate parameters, and demonstrate that under the current prolonged drought, wind power is the dominant factor controlling dune mobility.

Automated Identification of Initial Storm Electrification and End-of-Storm Electrification Using Electric Field Mill Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maier, Launa M.; Huddleston, Lisa L.

2017-01-01

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) operations are located in a region which experiences one of the highest lightning densities across the United States. As a result, on average, KSC loses almost 30 minutes of operational availability each day for lightning sensitive activities. KSC is investigating using existing instrumentation and automated algorithms to improve the timeliness and accuracy of lightning warnings. Additionally, the automation routines will be warning on a grid to minimize under-warnings associated with not being located in the center of the warning area and over-warnings associated with encompassing too large an area. This study discusses utilization of electric field mill data to provide improved warning times. Specifically, this paper will demonstrate improved performance of an enveloping algorithm of the electric field mill data as compared with the electric field zero crossing to identify initial storm electrification. End-of-Storm-Oscillation (EOSO) identification algorithms will also be analyzed to identify performance improvement, if any, when compared with 30 minutes after the last lightning flash.

Evaluation of the effects of electric fields on implanted cardiac pacemakers. Final report

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

Moss, A.J.; Carstensen, E.

1985-02-01

The effects of extra high voltage (EHV) transmission line electric fields on pacemaker function were evaluated in 11 patients with seven different implanted pacemaker models from four manufacturers. Alteration in pacemaker function was demonstrated in five unipolar units (three different models) from two manufacturers during exposure to electric fields ranging from 2 to 9 kV/m, with total body currents from 47 to 175 ..mu..A. These electric fields and body currents are representative of values that can be encountered by individuals standing beneath EHV transmission lines. Transient alterations in pacemaker function observed in this study included inappropriate triggered activity, inhibition ofmore » impulse generation, reduction in rate, and reversion from demand to asynchronous mode. Electromagnetic interference from high voltage transmission lines can induce alterations in pacemaker function in certain designs of these devices. However, pacemaker manufacturers can incorporate appropriate circuits in the pacemaker design to eliminate this problem. 8 references.« less

Medicine Bow wind project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, L. L.

1982-05-01

The Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) conducted studies for a wind turbine field of 100 MW at a site near Medicine Bow, WY, one of the windiest areas in the United States. The wind turbine system would be electrically interconnected to the existing Federal power grid through the substation at Medicine Bow. Power output from the wind turbines would thus be integrated with the existing hydroelectric system, which serves as the energy storage system. An analysis based on 'willingness to pay' was developed. Based on information from the Department of Energy's Western Area Power Administration (Western), it was assumed that 90 mills per kWh would represent the 'willingness to pay' for onpeak power, and 45 mills per kWh for offpeak power. The report concludes that a 100-MW wind field at Medicine Bow has economic and financial feasibility. The Bureau's construction of the Medicine Bow wind field could demonstrate to the industry the feasibility of wind energy.

Field tests prove microscale NRU to upgrade low-btu gas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bhattacharya, Saibal; Newell, K. David; Watney, W. Lynn; Sigel, Micael

2009-01-01

The Kansas Geological Survey (University of Kansas) and the American Energies Corp., Wichita, have conducted field tests of a scalable, microscale, N2-rejection unit (NRU) to demonstrate its effectiveness to upgrade low-pressure ((<100 psig) and low-volume (=100 Mcfd) low-btu gas to pipeline quality. The tests aim to develop inexpensive NRU technology, which is designed for low- volume, low-pressure gas wells, to significantly increase the contribution of marginal low-btu gas to the gas supply of the US. The NRU uses two towers and uses three stages, namely, adsorption under pressure, venting to 2 psig, and desorption under vacuum. The modular design allows additional sets of towers to be added or removed to handle increases or decreases in feed volumes. The field tests also reveal that a strong compressor, which is capable of evacuating the tower (volume) as quickly as possible, should be employed to reduce process cycle time and increase plant throughput.

Top 100 cited articles on epilepsy and status epilepticus: A bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Park, Kang Min; Kim, Sung Eun; Lee, Byung In; Kim, Hyung Chan; Yoon, Dae Young; Song, Hong Ki; Bae, Jong Seok

2017-08-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the top 100-cited articles dedicated to epilepsy and status epilepticus published in journals from January, 1950 through February, 2016 that have made key contributions in the field. We performed a search of journals and selected the top 100-cited articles on epilepsy and status epilepticus, respectively, by utilizing the Institute for Scientific Information database available under the banner of the Web of Science. The top-cited articles on epilepsy and status epilepticus were all published in 24 journals, respectively. In both fields of epilepsy and status epilepticus, the most frequently cited journal was Epilepsia (26 articles on epilepsy and 19 articles on status epilepticus). The 100 most-cited articles in the field of both epilepsy and status epilepticus mainly originated from institutions in the United States of America. The articles on epilepsy included 25 laboratory studies, 15 pharmacotherapy studies, 13 general review studies, 12 surgery studies, 11 neuroimaging studies, eight epidemiology studies, eight neuropsychiatry studies, six genetic studies, and two electrophysiology studies, whereas 41 laboratory studies, 21 epidemiology studies, 16 pharmacotherapy studies, nine electrophysiology studies, nine general review studies, and four neuroimaging studies were included in the field of status epilepticus. We demonstrate that neuroimaging, genetics, and surgery are emerging topics in the field of epilepsy over the past decades. Moreover, we found that the majority of top-cited articles on epilepsy and status epilepticus originated from institutions in the United States of America and most were published in Epilepsia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing and monitoring the ecotoxicity of pulp and paper wastewater for irrigating reed fields using the polyurethane foam unit method based on monitoring protozoal communities.

PubMed

Ding, Cheng; Chen, Tianming; Li, Zhaoxia; Yan, Jinlong

2015-05-01

Using the standardized polyurethane foam unit (PFU) method, a preliminary investigation was carried out on the bioaccumulation and the ecotoxic effects of the pulp and paper wastewater for irrigating reed fields. Static ectoxicity test had shown protozoal communities were very sensitive to variations in toxin time and effective concentration (EC) of the pulp and paper wastewater. Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H) was a more suitable indicator of the extent of water pollution than Gleason and Margalef diversity index (d), Simpson's diversity index (D), and Pielou's index (J). The regression equation between S eq and EC was S eq  = - 0.118EC + 18.554. The relatively safe concentration and maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) of the wastewater for the protozoal communities were about 20 % and 42 %, respectively. To safely use this wastewater for irrigation, more than 58 % of the toxins must be removed or diluted by further processing. Monitoring of the wastewater in representative irrigated reed fields showed that the regularity of the protozoal colonization process was similar to the static ectoxicity, indicating that the toxicity of the irrigating pulp and paper wastewater was not lethal to protozoal communities in the reed fields. This study demonstrated the applicability of the PFU method in monitoring the ecotoxic effects of pulp and paper wastewater on the level of microbial communities and may guide the supervision and control of pulp and paper wastewater irrigating within the reed fields ecological system (RFES).

Personal customizing exercise with a wearable measurement and control unit

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhihui; Kiryu, Tohru; Tamura, Naoki

2005-01-01

Background Recently, wearable technology has been used in various health-related fields to develop advanced monitoring solutions. However, the monitoring function alone cannot meet all the requirements of customizing machine-based exercise on an individual basis by relying on biosignal-based controls. We propose a new wearable unit design equipped with measurement and control functions to support the customization process. Methods The wearable unit can measure the heart rate and electromyogram signals during exercise performance and output workload control commands to the exercise machines. The workload is continuously tracked with exercise programs set according to personally customized workload patterns and estimation results from the measured biosignals by a fuzzy control method. Exercise programs are adapted by relying on a computer workstation, which communicates with the wearable unit via wireless connections. A prototype of the wearable unit was tested together with an Internet-based cycle ergometer system to demonstrate that it is possible to customize exercise on an individual basis. Results We tested the wearable unit in nine people to assess its suitability to control cycle ergometer exercise. The results confirmed that the unit could successfully control the ergometer workload and continuously support gradual changes in physical activities. Conclusion The design of wearable units equipped with measurement and control functions is an important step towards establishing a convenient and continuously supported wellness environment. PMID:15982425

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin monitor some of the project's equipment just released into the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin monitor some of the project's equipment just released into the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

A portable data-logging system for industrial hygiene personal chlorine monitoring.

PubMed

Langhorst, M L; Illes, S P

1986-02-01

The combination of suitable portable sensors or instruments with small microprocessor-based data-logger units has made it possible to obtain detailed monitoring data for many health and environmental applications. Following data acquisition in field use, the logged data may be transferred to a desk-top personal computer for complete flexibility in manipulation of data and formating of results. A system has been assembled from commercial components and demonstrated for chlorine personal monitoring applications. The system consists of personal chlorine sensors, a Metrosonics data-logger and reader unit, and an Apple II Plus personal computer. The computer software was developed to handle sensor calibration, data evaluation and reduction, report formating and long-term storage of raw data on a disk. This system makes it possible to generate time-concentration profiles, evaluate dose above a threshold, quantitate short-term excursions and summarize time-weighted average (TWA) results. Field data from plant trials demonstrated feasibility of use, ruggedness and reliability. No significant differences were found between the time-weighted average chlorine concentrations determined by the sensor/logger system and two other methods: the sulfamic acid bubbler reference method and the 3M Poroplastic diffusional dosimeter. The sensor/data-logger system, however, provided far more information than the other two methods in terms of peak excursions, TWAs and exposure doses. For industrial hygiene applications, the system allows better definition of employee exposures, particularly for chemicals with acute as well as chronic health effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Justin Manley, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a member of the research team conducting underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin near Launch Pad 39A. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Justin Manley, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a member of the research team conducting underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin near Launch Pad 39A. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin release some of the project's equipment into the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin release some of the project's equipment into the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin retrieve some of the project's equipment from the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin retrieve some of the project's equipment from the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A research team member aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin lifts some of the project's equipment from the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A research team member aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin lifts some of the project's equipment from the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A research team member aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin releases some of the project's equipment into the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A research team member aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin releases some of the project's equipment into the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin prepare to release some of the project's equipment into the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin prepare to release some of the project's equipment into the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin secure some of the project's equipment back into the vessel. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin secure some of the project's equipment back into the vessel. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A research team member aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin prepares some of the project's equipment for placement in the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A research team member aboard one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin prepares some of the project's equipment for placement in the water. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members roll out acoustic cable to the water's edge as others stand by in a watercraft during underwater acoustic research being conducted in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-08-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Research team members roll out acoustic cable to the water's edge as others stand by in a watercraft during underwater acoustic research being conducted in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

Instrumentation and Baseband Telemetry for RLV-TD HEX Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jose, Smitha; Varghese, Bibin; Chauhan, Akshay; Elizabeth, Sheba; Sreelal, S.; Sreekumar, S.; Vinod, P.; Mookiah, T.

2017-12-01

In this work, the salient requirements and features of the baseband telemetry system used in Reusable Launch Vehicle—Technology Demonstrator Hypersonic Experiment mission are discussed. The configuration of the overall system, subsystem components and their features are described in brief. The unique requirements of the telemetry system, when compared to that in a conventional launch vehicle, by way of a large number of temperature and strain measurements that enable the assessment of structural integrity and mission performance in re-entry mission, are dealt with, along with the system configuration to cater to these. Subsequently, two new units have been described—Strain Data Acquisition Unit and Multiplexed Data Acquisition Unit that were inducted specifically to cater to strain measurements using strain gauges and temperature measurements using thermocouples respectively. The optimized subsystem configurations for these units are described and their field performance during flight is analyzed. This work further discusses a novel method of data recovery for those measurements affected by the baseline offset shift caused by the presence of a chassis voltage and poor isolation of sensor to chassis.

From autonomy to creativity: a multilevel investigation of the mediating role of harmonious passion.

PubMed

Liu, Dong; Chen, Xiao-Ping; Yao, Xin

2011-03-01

Building on self-determination theory, we theorized about and demonstrated, through 2 multilevel field studies, the pivotal role of harmonious passion in translating organizational autonomy support and individual autonomy orientation into job creativity. Results based on 3-level data from 856 members in 111 teams within 23 work units of a porous metal company (Study 1) and from 525 employees in 98 teams of 18 branches of a large commercial bank (Study 2) revealed 2 major findings. First, organizational autonomy support from a higher organizational level (unit or branch) compensated for the effect of autonomy support from a lower organizational level (team) or individual autonomy orientation on employees' harmonious passion. Second, harmonious passion mediated the interactive effects of unit (branch) autonomy support and team member autonomy orientation, of team autonomy support and team member autonomy orientation, and of unit (branch) autonomy support and team autonomy support on individual creativity. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings in the organizational context. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

The Mojave Subsurface Bio-Geochemistry Explorer (MOSBE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guerrero, J.; Beegle, L.; Abbey, W.; Bhartia, R.; Kounaves, S.; Russell, M.; Towles, D.

2012-01-01

The MOSBE Team has developed a terrestrial field campaign to explore two subsurface biological habitats under the Mojave Desert. This field campaign will not only help us understand terrestrial desert biology, but also will develop methodologies and strategies for potential future Mars missions that would seek to explore the Martian subsurface. We have proposed to the ASTEP program to integrate a suite of field demonstrated instruments with a 20 m subsurface drill as a coherent unit, the Mojave Subsurface Bio-geochemistry Explorer. The ATK Space Modular Planetary Drill System (MPDS) requires no drilling fluid, which allows aseptic sampling, can penetrate lithic ground up to 20 meters of depth, and utilizes less than 100 Watts throughout the entire depth. The drill has been developed and demonstrated in field testing to a depth of 10 meters in Arizona, December 2002. In addition to caching a continuous core throughout the drilling depth, it also generates and caches cuttings and fines that are strata-graphically correlated with the core. As a core segment is brought to the surface, it will be analyzed for texture and structure by a color microscopic imager and for relevant chemistry and mineralogy with a UV fluorescence/Raman spectrometer. Organic and soluble ionic species will be identified through two instruments -- a microcapillary electrophoresis, and an ion trap mass spectrometer that have been developed under PIDDP, ASTID and MIDP funding.

Smoldering Remediation of Coal-Tar-Contaminated Soil: Pilot Field Tests of STAR.

PubMed

Scholes, Grant C; Gerhard, Jason I; Grant, Gavin P; Major, David W; Vidumsky, John E; Switzer, Christine; Torero, Jose L

2015-12-15

Self-sustaining treatment for active remediation (STAR) is an emerging, smoldering-based technology for nonaqueous-phase liquid (NAPL) remediation. This work presents the first in situ field evaluation of STAR. Pilot field tests were performed at 3.0 m (shallow test) and 7.9 m (deep test) below ground surface within distinct lithological units contaminated with coal tar at a former industrial facility. Self-sustained smoldering (i.e., after the in-well ignition heater was terminated) was demonstrated below the water table for the first time. The outward propagation of a NAPL smoldering front was mapped, and the NAPL destruction rate was quantified in real time. A total of 3700 kg of coal tar over 12 days in the shallow test and 860 kg over 11 days in the deep test was destroyed; less than 2% of total mass removed was volatilized. Self-sustaining propagation was relatively uniform radially outward in the deep test, achieving a radius of influence of 3.7 m; strong permeability contrasts and installed barriers influenced the front propagation geometry in the shallow test. Reductions in soil hydrocarbon concentrations of 99.3% and 97.3% were achieved in the shallow and deep tests, respectively. Overall, this provides the first field evaluation of STAR and demonstrates that it is effective in situ and under a variety of conditions and provides the information necessary for designing the full-scale site treatment.

A high precision extrapolation method in multiphase-field model for simulating dendrite growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Cong; Xu, Qingyan; Liu, Baicheng

2018-05-01

The phase-field method coupling with thermodynamic data has become a trend for predicting the microstructure formation in technical alloys. Nevertheless, the frequent access to thermodynamic database and calculation of local equilibrium conditions can be time intensive. The extrapolation methods, which are derived based on Taylor expansion, can provide approximation results with a high computational efficiency, and have been proven successful in applications. This paper presents a high precision second order extrapolation method for calculating the driving force in phase transformation. To obtain the phase compositions, different methods in solving the quasi-equilibrium condition are tested, and the M-slope approach is chosen for its best accuracy. The developed second order extrapolation method along with the M-slope approach and the first order extrapolation method are applied to simulate dendrite growth in a Ni-Al-Cr ternary alloy. The results of the extrapolation methods are compared with the exact solution with respect to the composition profile and dendrite tip position, which demonstrate the high precision and efficiency of the newly developed algorithm. To accelerate the phase-field and extrapolation computation, the graphic processing unit (GPU) based parallel computing scheme is developed. The application to large-scale simulation of multi-dendrite growth in an isothermal cross-section has demonstrated the ability of the developed GPU-accelerated second order extrapolation approach for multiphase-field model.

Quantification and Compensation of Eddy-Current-Induced Magnetic Field Gradients

PubMed Central

Spees, William M.; Buhl, Niels; Sun, Peng; Ackerman, Joseph J.H.; Neil, Jeffrey J.; Garbow, Joel R.

2011-01-01

Two robust techniques for quantification and compensation of eddy-current-induced magnetic-field gradients and static magnetic-field shifts (ΔB0) in MRI systems are described. Purpose-built 1-D or 6-point phantoms are employed. Both procedures involve measuring the effects of a prior magnetic-field-gradient test pulse on the phantom’s free induction decay (FID). Phantom-specific analysis of the resulting FID data produces estimates of the time-dependent, eddy-current-induced magnetic field gradient(s) and ΔB0 shift. Using Bayesian methods, the time dependencies of the eddy-current-induced decays are modeled as sums of exponentially decaying components, each defined by an amplitude and time constant. These amplitudes and time constants are employed to adjust the scanner’s gradient pre-emphasis unit and eliminate undesirable eddy-current effects. Measurement with the six-point sample phantom allows for simultaneous, direct estimation of both on-axis and cross-term eddy-current-induced gradients. The two methods are demonstrated and validated on several MRI systems with actively-shielded gradient coil sets. PMID:21764614

Quantification and compensation of eddy-current-induced magnetic-field gradients.

PubMed

Spees, William M; Buhl, Niels; Sun, Peng; Ackerman, Joseph J H; Neil, Jeffrey J; Garbow, Joel R

2011-09-01

Two robust techniques for quantification and compensation of eddy-current-induced magnetic-field gradients and static magnetic-field shifts (ΔB0) in MRI systems are described. Purpose-built 1-D or six-point phantoms are employed. Both procedures involve measuring the effects of a prior magnetic-field-gradient test pulse on the phantom's free induction decay (FID). Phantom-specific analysis of the resulting FID data produces estimates of the time-dependent, eddy-current-induced magnetic field gradient(s) and ΔB0 shift. Using Bayesian methods, the time dependencies of the eddy-current-induced decays are modeled as sums of exponentially decaying components, each defined by an amplitude and time constant. These amplitudes and time constants are employed to adjust the scanner's gradient pre-emphasis unit and eliminate undesirable eddy-current effects. Measurement with the six-point sample phantom allows for simultaneous, direct estimation of both on-axis and cross-term eddy-current-induced gradients. The two methods are demonstrated and validated on several MRI systems with actively-shielded gradient coil sets. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Source-to-sink cycling of aeolian sediment in the north polar region of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, R. C.; Kocurek, G.

2012-12-01

Aeolian sand dunes are prominent features on the landscapes of Earth, Mars, Venus and Titan and sedimentary deposits interpreted as aeolian in origin are found in the rock records of Earth and Mars. The widespread occurrence of aeolian dunes on the surface of these worlds and within their deep-time depositional records suggests that aeolian systems are and likely have been a default depositional environment for the Solar System. Within an aeolian source-to-sink context, we hypothesize that planet-specific boundary conditions strongly impact production, transport, accumulation and preservation of aeolian sediment, whereas dunes and dune-field patterns remain largely similar. This hypothesis is explored within the north polar region of Mars, which hosts the most extensive aeolian dune fields and aeolian sedimentary deposits yet recognized on Mars and appears to be a region of dynamic source-to-sink cycling of aeolian sediments. The Planum Boreum Cavi Unit rests beneath north polar ice cap of Mars and is composed of several hundred meters of niveo-aeolian dune cross-stratification. The overall architecture of the unit consists of sets of preserved dune topography with an upward increase in the abundance of ice. Dune sets are defined by stabilized, polygonally fractured bounding surfaces, erosional bounding surfaces and typical internal lee foresets made of sediment and ice. The accumulation of the Cavi Unit is interpreted as occurring through freezing and serves as an example of a cold temperature boundary condition on aeolian sediment accumulation. Preservation of the Cavi Unit arises because of deposition of the overlying ice cap and contrasts with preservation of aeolian sediment on Earth, which is largely driven by eustasy and tectonics. The Cavi Unit is thought to be one source of sediment for the north polar Olympia Undae Dune Field. The region of Olympia Undae near the Cavi Unit shows a reticulate dune field pattern composed of two sets of nearly orthogonal dune crestlines, with slipfaces on the primary crests, wind ripples, coarse-grained ripples and deflated interdune areas with exposed dune stratigraphy. Wind transport directions interpreted from wind ripple orientations show that the interaction between dune topography and wind flow on Mars are largely the same as on Earth giving rise to basic types of lee-slope processes - grain flow, grain fall and wind ripples. Using wind flow reconstruction and pattern analysis the pattern is interpreted as complex in which a younger pattern superposes a larger, older pattern. The younger pattern may have emerged with the development of the retreat of the Cavi reentrant into the Cavi Unit and ice cap, which acted to channel katabatic winds and inject a new sediment source into Olympia Undae. The similarity of the Olympia Undae dune-field pattern to dune-field patterns on other planets shows the robustness of pattern formation across different planetary boundary conditions and the applicability of pattern-analysis methods for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The aeolian source-to-sink system of Mars' north polar region demonstrates how the stratigraphic and geomorphic principles of aeolian systems may differ because of different planetary boundary conditions and provides a framework for analysis of aeolian systems on other worlds.

United States Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Sandia Field Office NESHAP Annual Report CY2014 for Sandia National Laboratories New Mexico

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

evelo, stacie; Miller, Mark L.

2015-05-01

This report provides a summary of the radionuclide releases from the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration facilities at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) during Calendar Year (CY) 2014, including the data, calculations, and supporting documentation for demonstrating compliance with 40 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 61, Subpart H--NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR EMISSIONS OF RADIONUCLIDES OTHER THAN RADON FROM DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FACILITIES. A description is given of the sources and their contributions to the overall dose assessment. In addition, the maximally exposed individual (MEI) radiological dose calculation and the population dose to localmore » and regional residents are discussed.« less

Visual motion transforms visual space representations similarly throughout the human visual hierarchy.

PubMed

Harvey, Ben M; Dumoulin, Serge O

2016-02-15

Several studies demonstrate that visual stimulus motion affects neural receptive fields and fMRI response amplitudes. Here we unite results of these two approaches and extend them by examining the effects of visual motion on neural position preferences throughout the hierarchy of human visual field maps. We measured population receptive field (pRF) properties using high-field fMRI (7T), characterizing position preferences simultaneously over large regions of the visual cortex. We measured pRFs properties using sine wave gratings in stationary apertures, moving at various speeds in either the direction of pRF measurement or the orthogonal direction. We find direction- and speed-dependent changes in pRF preferred position and size in all visual field maps examined, including V1, V3A, and the MT+ map TO1. These effects on pRF properties increase up the hierarchy of visual field maps. However, both within and between visual field maps the extent of pRF changes was approximately proportional to pRF size. This suggests that visual motion transforms the representation of visual space similarly throughout the visual hierarchy. Visual motion can also produce an illusory displacement of perceived stimulus position. We demonstrate perceptual displacements using the same stimulus configuration. In contrast to effects on pRF properties, perceptual displacements show only weak effects of motion speed, with far larger speed-independent effects. We describe a model where low-level mechanisms could underlie the observed effects on neural position preferences. We conclude that visual motion induces similar transformations of visuo-spatial representations throughout the visual hierarchy, which may arise through low-level mechanisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advanced Turbine Technology Applications Project (ATTAP) 1993 annual report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This report summarizes work performed by AlliedSignal Engines, a unit of AlliedSignal Aerospace Company, during calendar year 1993, toward development and demonstration of structural ceramic technology for automotive gas turbine engines. This work was performed for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Contract DEN3-335, Advanced Turbine Technology Applications Project (ATFAP). During 1993, the test bed used to demonstrate ceramic technology was changed from the AlliedSignal Engines/Garrett Model AGT101 regenerated gas turbine engine to the Model 331-200(CT) engine. The 331-200(CT) ceramic demonstrator is a fully-developed test platform based on the existing production AlliedSignal 331-200(ER) gas turbine auxiliary power unit (APU), and is well suited to evaluating ceramic turbine blades and nozzles. In addition, commonality of the 331-200(CT) engine with existing gas turbine APU's in commercial service provides the potential for field testing of ceramic components. The 1993 ATTAP activities emphasized design modifications of the 331-200 engine test bed to accommodate ceramic first-stage turbine nozzles and blades, fabrication of the ceramic components, ceramic component proof and rig tests, operational tests of the test bed equipped with the ceramic components, and refinement of critical ceramic design technologies.

Modularized construction of general integrated circuits on individual carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Pei, Tian; Zhang, Panpan; Zhang, Zhiyong; Qiu, Chenguang; Liang, Shibo; Yang, Yingjun; Wang, Sheng; Peng, Lian-Mao

2014-06-11

While constructing general integrated circuits (ICs) with field-effect transistors (FETs) built on individual CNTs is among few viable ways to build ICs with small dimension and high performance that can be compared with that of state-of-the-art Si based ICs, this has not been demonstrated owing to the absence of valid and well-tolerant fabrication method. Here we demonstrate a modularized method for constructing general ICs on individual CNTs with different electric properties. A pass-transistor-logic style 8-transistor (8-T) unit is built, demonstrated as a multifunctional function generator with good tolerance to inhomogeneity in the CNTs used and used as a building block for constructing general ICs. As an example, an 8-bits BUS system that is widely used to transfer data between different systems in a computer is constructed. This is the most complicated IC fabricated on individual CNTs to date, containing 46 FETs built on six individual semiconducting CNTs. The 8-T unit provides a good basis for constructing complex ICs to explore the potential and limits of CNT ICs given the current imperfection in available CNT materials and may also be developed into a universal and efficient way for constructing general ICs on ideal CNT materials in the future.

Handheld Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography and Ultra-Wide-Field Optical Coherence Tomography in Retinopathy of Prematurity.

PubMed

Campbell, J Peter; Nudleman, Eric; Yang, Jianlong; Tan, Ou; Chan, R V Paul; Chiang, Michael F; Huang, David; Liu, Gangjun

2017-09-01

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has improved the care of adults with vitreoretinal disease, and OCT angiography (OCTA) is demonstrating promise as a technique to visualize the retinal vasculature with lower risk and cost than fluorescein angiography. However, to date, there are no commercially available devices able to obtain ultra-wide-field OCT or OCTA images in neonates. To obtain ultra-wide-field OCT and OCTA images in neonates with ROP using a prototype handheld OCT and OCTA device. This observational case series was conducted from March 1 to April 1, 2017, in an academic medical center among 4 neonates with ROP in the neonatal intensive care unit and in the operating room. Acquisition of wide-field OCT and OCTA images using a handheld prototype OCTA and ultra-wide-field OCT device. Images were obtained from 4 neonates (1 girl and 3 boys; mean age, 38 weeks' postmenstrual age [range, 34-43 weeks]) with various stages of ROP: 3 in the neonatal intensive care unit and 1 in the operating room. The system can obtain noncontact en face OCT images and horizontal line scans with an approximately 40° field of view and up to 100° (ultra-wide-field) using a contact lens-based approach in a single 2-second scan. In addition, 20° × 20° (approximately 4 × 4-mm) OCTA scans were obtained in patients with ROP in a single 2-second scan. Optical coherence tomography and OCTA are gaining popularity in pediatric retinal imaging. This study reports on OCTA and ultra-wide-field OCT images in 4 neonates with various stages of ROP that were obtained using a prototype handheld device. Additional studies will be needed to prove the clinical value of this technology.

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

Magee, Thoman

The Consolidated Edison, Inc., of New York (Con Edison) Secure Interoperable Open Smart Grid Demonstration Project (SGDP), sponsored by the United States (US) Department of Energy (DOE), demonstrated that the reliability, efficiency, and flexibility of the grid can be improved through a combination of enhanced monitoring and control capabilities using systems and resources that interoperate within a secure services framework. The project demonstrated the capability to shift, balance, and reduce load where and when needed in response to system contingencies or emergencies by leveraging controllable field assets. The range of field assets includes curtailable customer loads, distributed generation (DG), batterymore » storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, building management systems (BMS), home area networks (HANs), high-voltage monitoring, and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). The SGDP enables the seamless integration and control of these field assets through a common, cyber-secure, interoperable control platform, which integrates a number of existing legacy control and data systems, as well as new smart grid (SG) systems and applications. By integrating advanced technologies for monitoring and control, the SGDP helps target and reduce peak load growth, improves the reliability and efficiency of Con Edison’s grid, and increases the ability to accommodate the growing use of distributed resources. Con Edison is dedicated to lowering costs, improving reliability and customer service, and reducing its impact on the environment for its customers. These objectives also align with the policy objectives of New York State as a whole. To help meet these objectives, Con Edison’s long-term vision for the distribution grid relies on the successful integration and control of a growing penetration of distributed resources, including demand response (DR) resources, battery storage units, and DG. For example, Con Edison is expecting significant long-term growth of DG. The SGDP enables the efficient, flexible integration of these disparate resources and lays the architectural foundations for future scalability. Con Edison assembled an SGDP team of more than 16 different project partners, including technology vendors, and participating organizations, and the Con Edison team provided overall guidance and project management. Project team members are listed in Table 1-1.« less

7 CFR 12.22 - Highly erodible field determination criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... percent or more of the total field acreage is identified as soil map units which are highly erodible; or (2) 50 or more acres in such field are identified as soil map units which are highly erodible. (b...

7 CFR 12.22 - Highly erodible field determination criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... percent or more of the total field acreage is identified as soil map units which are highly erodible; or (2) 50 or more acres in such field are identified as soil map units which are highly erodible. (b...

7 CFR 12.22 - Highly erodible field determination criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... percent or more of the total field acreage is identified as soil map units which are highly erodible; or (2) 50 or more acres in such field are identified as soil map units which are highly erodible. (b...

7 CFR 12.22 - Highly erodible field determination criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... percent or more of the total field acreage is identified as soil map units which are highly erodible; or (2) 50 or more acres in such field are identified as soil map units which are highly erodible. (b...

Application of the graphics processor unit to simulate a near field diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zinchik, Alexander A.; Topalov, Oleg K.; Muzychenko, Yana B.

2017-06-01

For many years, computer modeling program used for lecture demonstrations. Most of the existing commercial software, such as Virtual Lab, LightTrans GmbH company are quite expensive and have a surplus capabilities for educational tasks. The complexity of the diffraction demonstrations in the near zone, due to the large amount of calculations required to obtain the two-dimensional distribution of the amplitude and phase. At this day, there are no demonstrations, allowing to show the resulting distribution of amplitude and phase without much time delay. Even when using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms diffraction calculation speed in the near zone for the input complex amplitude distributions with size more than 2000 × 2000 pixels is tens of seconds. Our program selects the appropriate propagation operator from a prescribed set of operators including Spectrum of Plane Waves propagation and Rayleigh-Sommerfeld propagation (using convolution). After implementation, we make a comparison between the calculation time for the near field diffraction: calculations made on GPU and CPU, showing that using GPU for calculations diffraction pattern in near zone does increase the overall speed of algorithm for an image of size 2048×2048 sampling points and more. The modules are implemented as separate dynamic-link libraries and can be used for lecture demonstrations, workshops, selfstudy and students in solving various problems such as the phase retrieval task.

Robust fully-compensated ferrimagnetism and semiconductivity in inverse Heusler compounds: Ti2VZ (Z = P, As, Sb, Bi)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y. J.; Liu, Z. H.; Liu, G. D.; Ma, X. Q.; Cheng, Z. X.

2018-03-01

Compensated ferrimagnets, due to their zero net magnetization and potential for large spin-polarization, have been attracting more and more attention in the field of spintronics. We demonstrate potential candidate materials among the inverse Heusler compounds Ti2VZ (Z = P, As, Sb, Bi) by first principles calculations. It is found that these compounds with 18 valence electrons per unit cell have zero net magnetic moment with compensated sublattice magnetization, as anticipated by a variant of Slater-Pauling rule of Mt = NV - 18, where Mt is the total spin magnetic moment per formula unit and NV is the number of valence electrons per formula unit, and show semiconducting behavior in both spin channels with a moderate exchange splitting, as with ordinary ferromagnetic semiconductors. Furthermore, the fully compensated ferrimagnetism and semiconductivity are rather robust over a wide range of lattice contraction and expansion. Due to the above distinct advantages, these compounds will be promising candidates for spintronic applications.

A Magnetic Field Sensor Based on a Magnetic Fluid-Filled FP-FBG Structure

PubMed Central

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

2016-01-01

Based on the characteristic magnetic-controlled refractive index property, in this paper, a magnetic fluid is used as a sensitive medium to detect the magnetic field in the fiber optic Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity. The temperature compensation in fiber Fabry-Perot magnetic sensor is demonstrated and achieved. The refractive index of the magnetic fluid varies with the applied magnetic field and external temperature, and a cross-sensitivity effect of the temperature and magnetic field occurs in the Fabry-Perot magnetic sensor and the accuracy of magnetic field measurements is affected by the thermal effect. In order to overcome this problem, we propose a modified sensor structure. With a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) written in the insert fiber end of the Fabry-Perot cavity, the FBG acts as a temperature compensation unit for the magnetic field measurement and it provides an effective solution to the cross-sensitivity effect. The experimental results show that the sensitivity of magnetic field detection improves from 0.23 nm/mT to 0.53 nm/mT, and the magnetic field measurement resolution finally reaches 37.7 T. The temperature-compensated FP-FBG magnetic sensor has obvious advantages of small volume and high sensitivity, and it has a good prospect in applications in the power industry and national defense technology areas. PMID:27136564

A Magnetic Field Sensor Based on a Magnetic Fluid-Filled FP-FBG Structure.

PubMed

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

2016-04-29

Based on the characteristic magnetic-controlled refractive index property, in this paper, a magnetic fluid is used as a sensitive medium to detect the magnetic field in the fiber optic Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity. The temperature compensation in fiber Fabry-Perot magnetic sensor is demonstrated and achieved. The refractive index of the magnetic fluid varies with the applied magnetic field and external temperature, and a cross-sensitivity effect of the temperature and magnetic field occurs in the Fabry-Perot magnetic sensor and the accuracy of magnetic field measurements is affected by the thermal effect. In order to overcome this problem, we propose a modified sensor structure. With a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) written in the insert fiber end of the Fabry-Perot cavity, the FBG acts as a temperature compensation unit for the magnetic field measurement and it provides an effective solution to the cross-sensitivity effect. The experimental results show that the sensitivity of magnetic field detection improves from 0.23 nm/mT to 0.53 nm/mT, and the magnetic field measurement resolution finally reaches 37.7 T. The temperature-compensated FP-FBG magnetic sensor has obvious advantages of small volume and high sensitivity, and it has a good prospect in applications in the power industry and national defense technology areas.

Gendered transitions to adulthood by college field of study in the United States.

PubMed

Han, Siqi; Tumin, Dmitry; Qian, Zhenchao

2016-01-01

Field of study may influence the timing of transitions to the labor market, marriage, and parenthood among college graduates. Research to date has yet to study how field of study is associated with the interweaving of these transitions in the USA. The current study examines gendered influences of college field of study on transitions to a series of adult roles, including full-time work, marriage, and parenthood. We use Cox proportional hazards models and multinomial logistic regression to examine gendered associations between field of study and the three transitions among college graduates of the NLSY97 (National Longitudinal Survey of Youth) cohort. Men majoring in STEM achieve early transitions to full-time work, marriage, and parenthood; women majoring in STEM show no significant advantage in finding full-time work and delayed marriage and childbearing; women in business have earlier transitions to full-time work and marriage than women in other fields, demonstrating an advantage similar to that of men in STEM. The contrast between men and women in STEM shows that transition to adulthood remains gendered; the contrast between women in STEM and women in business illustrates that a prestigious career may not necessarily delay family formation.

Pollution Prevention in the Land Maintenance System

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-04-01

pollutants, and greenhouse gases. Canada’s Land Maintenance System consists of first line field units, second line field units, base units and a repair...workshops. For example, extending maintenance schedules, using extended life products and using dehumidification for preservation of equipment will lower

Eucalyptus Energy Farm: feasibility study and demonstration. Phase 1: site and species selection

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

Mariani, E.O.; Wood, W.A.; Kouchoukos, P.C.

1978-06-01

The results of investigations to determine the feasibility for establishing ''Eucalyptus Energy Farms'' as a potential source of biomass derived energy are presented. Included in this report are: the results of an extensive literature search and numerous field interviews (both domestically and internationally) to identify those Eucalyptus species most suitable for use within the United States; a description of the site selection criteria, site selection process, and identification of potential sites for use in testing the Eucalyptus Energy Farm concept; a description of the Eucalyptus species selection criteria, species selection process, and an identification of the specific species recommended formore » testing at specific sites; preliminary engineering designs for each of the proposed plantation sites; and environmental impact considerations related to Eucalyptus growing. It is concluded that although the Eucalyptus are extremely temperature sensitive and the geographic areas which appear suitable for their planting (within the United States) are principally confined to western and central California and the warmest regions of the southeastern United States, each of the areas contain large amounts of marginal land which could be converted into Eucalyptus based biomass plantations. Suitable sites, which are representative of the larger marginal land areas, are immediately available for use in establishing Eucalyptus screening test sites. Furthermore, there are not significant environmental conditions which would preclude the establishment of these initial test sites. It is therefore recommended that efforts be initiated to obtain selected provenances of Eucalyptus seeds (of the designated species) for further field testing and data collection within the United States, and that actual site selection be initiated.« less

Variability of pesticide residues in eggplant units collected from a field trial and marketplaces in Greece.

PubMed

Prodhan, Mohammad Dalower Hossain; Papadakis, Emmanouil-Nikolaos; Papadopoulou-Mourkidou, Euphemia

2018-04-01

Variability of pesticide residues among food items is very important when assessing the risks and food safety for the consumers. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to estimate the unit-to-unit residue variability factors for eggplant. In total, 120 samples from a trial field and 142 samples from different marketplaces in Thessaloniki, Greece, were collected to estimate the variability of pesticide residues in eggplant units. They were extracted by the QuEChERS method and the residues were determined by LC-MS/MS. For the field samples, the unit-to-unit variability factors (VFs) obtained for cypermethrin and deltamethrin residues were 2.54 and 2.51, respectively. The mean residue levels of both pesticides were higher in the composite samples than in the individual samples. The average VFs for the marketplace samples was 3.89. The eggplant units exposed to pesticides were higher in residues than the non-exposed units. The variability factors obtained in the marketplace samples were higher than those in the samples collected from the field trial. A default VF value of 3 for field trials is appropriate for use when assessing the acute dietary intake but a VF for the marketplace samples should be reconsidered with a larger data. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Dominant, open nonverbal displays are attractive at zero-acquaintance

PubMed Central

Vacharkulksemsuk, Tanya; Reit, Emily; Khambatta, Poruz; Eastwick, Paul W.; Finkel, Eli J.; Carney, Dana R.

2016-01-01

Across two field studies of romantic attraction, we demonstrate that postural expansiveness makes humans more romantically appealing. In a field study (n = 144 speed-dates), we coded nonverbal behaviors associated with liking, love, and dominance. Postural expansiveness—expanding the body in physical space—was most predictive of attraction, with each one-unit increase in coded behavior from the video recordings nearly doubling a person’s odds of getting a “yes” response from one’s speed-dating partner. In a subsequent field experiment (n = 3,000), we tested the causality of postural expansion (vs. contraction) on attraction using a popular Global Positioning System-based online-dating application. Mate-seekers rapidly flipped through photographs of potential sexual/date partners, selecting those they desired to meet for a date. Mate-seekers were significantly more likely to select partners displaying an expansive (vs. contractive) nonverbal posture. Mediation analyses demonstrate one plausible mechanism through which expansiveness is appealing: Expansiveness makes the dating candidate appear more dominant. In a dating world in which success sometimes is determined by a split-second decision rendered after a brief interaction or exposure to a static photograph, single persons have very little time to make a good impression. Our research suggests that a nonverbal dominance display increases a person’s chances of being selected as a potential mate. PMID:27035937

Broken symmetry dielectric resonators for high quality factor Fano metasurfaces

DOE PAGES

Campione, Salvatore; Liu, Sheng; Basilio, Lorena I.; ...

2016-10-25

We present a new approach to dielectric metasurface design that relies on a single resonator per unit cell and produces robust, high quality factor Fano resonances. Our approach utilizes symmetry breaking of highly symmetric resonator geometries, such as cubes, to induce couplings between the otherwise orthogonal resonator modes. In particular, we design perturbations that couple “bright” dipole modes to “dark” dipole modes whose radiative decay is suppressed by local field effects in the array. Our approach is widely scalable from the near-infrared to radio frequencies. We first unravel the Fano resonance behavior through numerical simulations of a germanium resonator-based metasurfacemore » that achieves a quality factor of ~1300 at ~10.8 μm. Then, we present two experimental demonstrations operating in the near-infrared (~1 μm): a silicon-based implementation that achieves a quality factor of ~350; and a gallium arsenide-based structure that achieves a quality factor of ~600, the highest near-infrared quality factor experimentally demonstrated to date with this kind of metasurface. Importantly, large electromagnetic field enhancements appear within the resonators at the Fano resonant frequencies. Here, we envision that combining high quality factor, high field enhancement resonances with nonlinear and active/gain materials such as gallium arsenide will lead to new classes of active optical devices.« less

Dominant, open nonverbal displays are attractive at zero-acquaintance.

PubMed

Vacharkulksemsuk, Tanya; Reit, Emily; Khambatta, Poruz; Eastwick, Paul W; Finkel, Eli J; Carney, Dana R

2016-04-12

Across two field studies of romantic attraction, we demonstrate that postural expansiveness makes humans more romantically appealing. In a field study (n = 144 speed-dates), we coded nonverbal behaviors associated with liking, love, and dominance. Postural expansiveness-expanding the body in physical space-was most predictive of attraction, with each one-unit increase in coded behavior from the video recordings nearly doubling a person's odds of getting a "yes" response from one's speed-dating partner. In a subsequent field experiment (n = 3,000), we tested the causality of postural expansion (vs. contraction) on attraction using a popular Global Positioning System-based online-dating application. Mate-seekers rapidly flipped through photographs of potential sexual/date partners, selecting those they desired to meet for a date. Mate-seekers were significantly more likely to select partners displaying an expansive (vs. contractive) nonverbal posture. Mediation analyses demonstrate one plausible mechanism through which expansiveness is appealing: Expansiveness makes the dating candidate appear more dominant. In a dating world in which success sometimes is determined by a split-second decision rendered after a brief interaction or exposure to a static photograph, single persons have very little time to make a good impression. Our research suggests that a nonverbal dominance display increases a person's chances of being selected as a potential mate.

Theory, design, and experimental verification of a reflectionless bianisotropic Huygens' metasurface for wide-angle refraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Michael; Abdo-Sánchez, Elena; Epstein, Ariel; Eleftheriades, George V.

2018-03-01

Huygens' metasurfaces are electrically thin devices which allow arbitrary field transformations. Beam refraction is among the first demonstrations of realized metasurfaces. As previously shown for extreme-angle refraction, control over only the electric impedance and magnetic admittance of the Huygens' metasurface proved insufficient to produce the desired reflectionless field transformation. To maintain zero reflections for wide refraction angles, magnetoelectric coupling between the electric and magnetic response of the metasurface, leading to bianisotropy, can be introduced. In this paper, we report the theory, design, and experimental characterization of a reflectionless bianisotropic metasurface for extreme-angle refraction of a normally incident plane wave towards 71.8° at 20 GHz. The theory and design of three-layer asymmetric bianisotropic unit cells are discussed. The realized printed circuit board structure was tested via full-wave simulations as well as experimental characterization. To experimentally verify the prototype, two setups were used. A quasi-optical experiment was conducted to assess the specular reflections of the metasurface, while a far-field antenna measurement characterized its refraction nature. The measurements verify that the fabricated metasurface has negligible reflections and the majority of the scattered power is refracted to the desired Floquet mode. This provides an experimental demonstration of a reflectionless wide-angle refracting metasurface using a bianisotropic Huygens' metasurface at microwave frequencies.

Broken symmetry dielectric resonators for high quality factor Fano metasurfaces

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

Campione, Salvatore; Liu, Sheng; Basilio, Lorena I.

We present a new approach to dielectric metasurface design that relies on a single resonator per unit cell and produces robust, high quality factor Fano resonances. Our approach utilizes symmetry breaking of highly symmetric resonator geometries, such as cubes, to induce couplings between the otherwise orthogonal resonator modes. In particular, we design perturbations that couple “bright” dipole modes to “dark” dipole modes whose radiative decay is suppressed by local field effects in the array. Our approach is widely scalable from the near-infrared to radio frequencies. We first unravel the Fano resonance behavior through numerical simulations of a germanium resonator-based metasurfacemore » that achieves a quality factor of ~1300 at ~10.8 μm. Then, we present two experimental demonstrations operating in the near-infrared (~1 μm): a silicon-based implementation that achieves a quality factor of ~350; and a gallium arsenide-based structure that achieves a quality factor of ~600, the highest near-infrared quality factor experimentally demonstrated to date with this kind of metasurface. Importantly, large electromagnetic field enhancements appear within the resonators at the Fano resonant frequencies. Here, we envision that combining high quality factor, high field enhancement resonances with nonlinear and active/gain materials such as gallium arsenide will lead to new classes of active optical devices.« less

Orientational Order on Surfaces: The Coupling of Topology, Geometry, and Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nestler, M.; Nitschke, I.; Praetorius, S.; Voigt, A.

2018-02-01

We consider the numerical investigation of surface bound orientational order using unit tangential vector fields by means of a gradient flow equation of a weak surface Frank-Oseen energy. The energy is composed of intrinsic and extrinsic contributions, as well as a penalization term to enforce the unity of the vector field. Four different numerical discretizations, namely a discrete exterior calculus approach, a method based on vector spherical harmonics, a surface finite element method, and an approach utilizing an implicit surface description, the diffuse interface method, are described and compared with each other for surfaces with Euler characteristic 2. We demonstrate the influence of geometric properties on realizations of the Poincaré-Hopf theorem and show examples where the energy is decreased by introducing additional orientational defects.

Soliton switching in a site-dependent ferromagnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senjudarvannan, R.; Sathishkumar, P.; Vijayalakshmi, S.

2017-02-01

Switching of soliton in a ferromagnetic medium offers the possibility of developing a new innovative approach for information storage technologies. The nonlinear spin dynamics of a site-dependent Heisenberg ferromagnetic spin chain with Gilbert damping under the influence of external magnetic field is expressed in the form of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation in the classical continuum limit. The corresponding evolution equation is developed through stereographic projection technique by projecting the unit sphere of spin onto a complex plane. The exact soliton solutions are constructed by solving the associated evolution equation through the modified extended tanh-function method. The impact of damping and external magnetic field on the magnetic soliton under the invariant inhomogeneity is investigated and finally, the magnetization switching in the form of shape changing solitons are demonstrated.

A Hybrid Sport Education-Games for Understanding Striking/Fielding Unit for Upper Elementary Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtner-Smith, Matthew

2004-01-01

This article describes a hybrid Sport Education-Games for Understanding unit through which upper elementary pupils can learn to play basic striking/fielding games. The unit is written for a class of 30 pupils. The twenty-five lesson unit is described in detail within 10 stages: (1) Getting started and early skill, strategy, rule, and role work…

Research and evaluation in the transformation of primary care.

PubMed

Peek, C J; Cohen, Deborah J; deGruy, Frank V

2014-01-01

Across the United States, primary care practices are engaged in demonstration projects and quality improvement efforts aimed at integrating behavioral health and primary care. Efforts to make sustainable changes at the frontline of care have identified new research and evaluation needs. These efforts enable clinics and larger health care communities to learn from demonstration projects regarding what works and what does not when integrating mental health, substance use, and primary care under realistic circumstances. To do this, implementers need to measure their successes and failures to inform local improvement processes, including the efforts of those working on integration in separate but similar settings. We review how new research approaches, beyond the contributions of traditional controlled trials, are needed to inform integrated behavioral health. Illustrating with research examples from the field, we describe how research traditions can be extended to meet these new research and learning needs of frontline implementers. We further suggest that a shared language and set of definitions for the field (not just for a particular study) are critical for the aggregation of knowledge and learning across practices and for policymaking and business modeling.

Line-scanning, stage scanning confocal microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carucci, John A.; Stevenson, Mary; Gareau, Daniel

2016-03-01

We created a line-scanning, stage scanning confocal microscope as part of a new procedure: video assisted micrographic surgery (VAMS). The need for rapid pathological assessment of the tissue on the surface of skin excisions very large since there are 3.5 million new skin cancers diagnosed annually in the United States. The new design presented here is a confocal microscope without any scanning optics. Instead, a line is focused in space and the sample, which is flattened, is physically translated such that the line scans across its face in a direction perpendicular to the line its self. The line is 6mm long and the stage is capable of scanning 50 mm, hence the field of view is quite large. The theoretical diffraction-limited resolution is 0.7um lateral and 3.7um axial. However, in this preliminary report, we present initial results that are a factor of 5-7 poorer in resolution. The results are encouraging because they demonstrate that the linear array detector measures sufficient signal from fluorescently labeled tissue and also demonstrate the large field of view achievable with VAMS.

Feedstock Supply System Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels Conversion Pathway: Fast Pyrolysis and Hydrotreating Bio-Oil Pathway "The 2017 Design Case"

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

Kevin L. Kenney; Kara G. Cafferty; Jacob J. Jacobson

The U.S. Department of Energy promotes the production of liquid fuels from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass sustainable supply, logistics, conversion, and overall system sustainability. As part of its involvement in this program, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. Between 2000 and 2012, INL quantified and the economics and sustainability of moving biomass from the field or stand to the throat of the conversion process using conventional equipment and processes. All previous work to 2012 was designed to improve themore » efficiency and decrease costs under conventional supply systems. The 2012 programmatic target was to demonstrate a biomass logistics cost of $55/dry Ton for woody biomass delivered to fast pyrolysis conversion facility. The goal was achieved by applying field and process demonstration unit-scale data from harvest, collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation operations into INL’s biomass logistics model.« less

Ultrasensitive detection and characterization of molecules with infrared plasmonic metamaterials

PubMed Central

Cheng, Fei; Yang, Xiaodong; Gao, Jie

2015-01-01

Infrared vibrational spectroscopy is an effective technique which enables the direct probe of molecular fingerprints, and such detection can be further enhanced by the emerging engineered plasmonic metamaterials. Here we experimentally demonstrate ultrasensitive detection and characterization of polymer molecules based on an asymmetric infrared plasmonic metamaterial, and quantitatively analyze the molecule detection sensitivity and molecule-structure interactions. A sharp, non-radiative Fano resonance supported by the plasmonic metamaterial exhibits strongly enhanced near-field, and the resonance frequency is tailored to match the vibrational fingerprint of the target molecule. By utilizing the near-field nature of the plasmonic excitation, significantly enhanced absorption signal of molecules in the infrared spectroscopy are obtained, enabling ultrasensitive detection of only minute quantities of organic molecules. The enhancement of molecular absorption up to 105 fold is obtained, and sensitive detection of molecules at zeptomole levels (corresponding to a few tens of molecules within a unit cell) is achieved with high signal-to-noise ratio in our experiment. The demonstrated infrared plasmonic metamaterial sensing platform offers great potential for improving the specificity and sensitivity of label-free, biochemical detection. PMID:26388404

Eolian sand transport pathways in the southwestern United States: Importance of the Colorado River and local sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, D.R.; Reynolds, R.L.; Been, J.; Skipp, G.

2003-01-01

Geomorphologists have long recognized that eolian sand transport pathways extend over long distances in desert regions. Along such pathways, sediment transport by wind can surmount topographic obstacles and cross major drainages. Recent studies have suggested that three distinct eolian sand transport pathways exist (or once existed) in the Mojave and Sonoran Desert regions of the southwestern United States. One hypothesized pathway is colian sand transport from the eastern Mojave Desert of California into western Arizona, near Parker, and would require sand movement across what must have been at least a seasonally dry Colorado River valley. We tested this hypothesis by mineralogical, geochemical and magnetic analyses of eolian sands on both sides of the Colorado River, as well as sediment from the river itself. Results indicate that dunes on opposite sides of the Colorado River are mineralogically distinct: eastern California dunes are feldspar-rich whereas western Arizona dunes are quartz-rich, derived from quartz-rich Colorado River sediments. Because of historic vegetation changes, little new sediment from the Colorado River is presently available to supply the Parker dunes. Based on this study and previous work, the Colorado River is now known to be the source of sand for at least three of the major dune fields of the Sonoran Desert of western Arizona and northern Mexico. On the other hand, locally derived alluvium appears to be a more important source of dune fields in the Mojave Desert of California. Although many geomorphologists have stressed the importance of large fluvial systems in the origin of desert dune fields, few empirical data actually exist to support this theory. The results presented here demonstrate that a major river system in the southwestern United States is a barrier to the migration of some dune fields, but essential to the origin of others. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

A Review of Underground Coal Gasification Research and Development in the United States

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

Camp, D. W.

An intense and productive period of research and development on underground coal gasification (UCG) took place in the United States from the mid-1970’s through the late 1980’s. It began with the translation and review of Soviet literature and ended with the Rocky Mountain 1 field test. This demonstrated the feasibility of newly-developed technologies that form the basis of many UCG projects around the world today. This period began with little domestic understanding of UCG and ended with an accurate observation-based conceptual model and a corresponding predictive multi-physics mathematical model of the process. The many accomplishments of this period form themore » main content of this report. This report also covers recent U.S. activities and accomplishments during the period 2004-2015, and touches briefly on the Bureau of Mines efforts between 1948 and 1963. Most of the activities were funded by the United States Department of Energy and its predecessors. While private/commercially-funded activities are reviewed here, the emphasis is on government-funded work. It has a much greater extent of publicly available reports and papers, and they generally contain much greater technical detail. Field tests were the marquis activities around which an integrated multi-faceted program was built. These are described in detail in Section 4. Highlights from modeling efforts are briefly covered, as the program was integrated and well-rounded, with field results informing models and vice-versa. The primary goal of this report is to review what has been learned about UCG from the U.S. experience in aggregate. This includes observations, conclusions, lessons-learned, phenomena understood, and technology developed. The latter sections of this report review these things.« less

Field-Cage Evaluation of Survival, Reproduction, and Feeding Behavior of Adult Scymnus coniferarum (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a Predator of Adelges tsugae (Hemiptera: Adelgidae).

PubMed

Darr, M N; McAvoy, T J; Brewster, C C; Salom, S M

2016-12-01

The hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand, is an invasive pest of eastern (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) and Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana Engelmann) forests in the eastern United States. Scymnus (Pullus) coniferarum Crotch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is a lady beetle that preys on A. tsugae in the western United States, where A. tsugae infestations on western hemlocks are not lethal. It is thought that S. coniferarum could be an important predator that helps keep A. tsugae populations from reaching damaging levels in this region. This study assesses the potential of this predator as a biological control agent for A. tsugae in the eastern United States. S. coniferarum predation, reproductive potential, and survival were evaluated in field-cages on adelgid-infested T. canadensis at two sites in southwestern Virginia. Sampling was conducted between December 2012 and June 2014 to evaluate the impact of S. coniferarum on both generations of A. tsuage (sistens and progrediens). Adult S. coniferarum fed on both generations and all life stages of A. tsugae during both field trials at rates comparable to other adelgid-specific predators. Evidence of S. coniferarum oviposition was minimal, and may be attributed to low temperatures and prey availability. S. coniferarum mortality was greatest when exposed to winter temperatures at the higher elevation site in 2013, and least throughout the 2014 spring sample period. S. coniferarum demonstrated a high predation rate on A. tsugae and survived for extended periods of time at sites in southwest Virginia, indicating that this species could be an effective predator of hemlock woolly adelgid in similar climates. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

High gamma power in ECoG reflects cortical electrical stimulation effects on unit activity in layers V/VI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazdan-Shahmorad, Azadeh; Kipke, Daryl R.; Lehmkuhle, Mark J.

2013-12-01

Objective. Cortical electrical stimulation (CES) has been used extensively in experimental neuroscience to modulate neuronal or behavioral activity, which has led this technique to be considered in neurorehabilitation. Because the cortex and the surrounding anatomy have irregular geometries as well as inhomogeneous and anisotropic electrical properties, the mechanism by which CES has therapeutic effects is poorly understood. Therapeutic effects of CES can be improved by optimizing the stimulation parameters based on the effects of various stimulation parameters on target brain regions. Approach. In this study we have compared the effects of CES pulse polarity, frequency, and amplitude on unit activity recorded from rat primary motor cortex with the effects on the corresponding local field potentials (LFP), and electrocorticograms (ECoG). CES was applied at the surface of the cortex and the unit activity and LFPs were recorded using a penetrating electrode array, which was implanted below the stimulation site. ECoGs were recorded from the vicinity of the stimulation site. Main results. Time-frequency analysis of LFPs following CES showed correlation of gamma frequencies with unit activity response in all layers. More importantly, high gamma power of ECoG signals only correlated with the unit activity in lower layers (V-VI) following CES. Time-frequency correlations, which were found between LFPs, ECoGs and unit activity, were frequency- and amplitude-dependent. Significance. The signature of the neural activity observed in LFP and ECoG signals provides a better understanding of the effects of stimulation on network activity, representative of large numbers of neurons responding to stimulation. These results demonstrate that the neurorehabilitation and neuroprosthetic applications of CES targeting layered cortex can be further improved by using field potential recordings as surrogates to unit activity aimed at optimizing stimulation efficacy. Likewise, the signatures of unit activity observed as changes in high gamma power in ECoGs suggest that future cortical stimulation studies could rely on less invasive feedback schemes that incorporate surface stimulation with ECoG reporting of stimulation efficacy.

The Effects of Context and Attention on Spiking Activity in Human Early Visual Cortex.

PubMed

Self, Matthew W; Peters, Judith C; Possel, Jessy K; Reithler, Joel; Goebel, Rainer; Ris, Peterjan; Jeurissen, Danique; Reddy, Leila; Claus, Steven; Baayen, Johannes C; Roelfsema, Pieter R

2016-03-01

Here we report the first quantitative analysis of spiking activity in human early visual cortex. We recorded multi-unit activity from two electrodes in area V2/V3 of a human patient implanted with depth electrodes as part of her treatment for epilepsy. We observed well-localized multi-unit receptive fields with tunings for contrast, orientation, spatial frequency, and size, similar to those reported in the macaque. We also observed pronounced gamma oscillations in the local-field potential that could be used to estimate the underlying spiking response properties. Spiking responses were modulated by visual context and attention. We observed orientation-tuned surround suppression: responses were suppressed by image regions with a uniform orientation and enhanced by orientation contrast. Additionally, responses were enhanced on regions that perceptually segregated from the background, indicating that neurons in the human visual cortex are sensitive to figure-ground structure. Spiking responses were also modulated by object-based attention. When the patient mentally traced a curve through the neurons' receptive fields, the accompanying shift of attention enhanced neuronal activity. These results demonstrate that the tuning properties of cells in the human early visual cortex are similar to those in the macaque and that responses can be modulated by both contextual factors and behavioral relevance. Our results, therefore, imply that the macaque visual system is an excellent model for the human visual cortex.

Field portable low temperature porous layer open tubular cryoadsorption headspace sampling and analysis part II: Applications.

PubMed

Harries, Megan; Bukovsky-Reyes, Santiago; Bruno, Thomas J

2016-01-15

This paper details the sampling methods used with the field portable porous layer open tubular cryoadsorption (PLOT-cryo) approach, described in Part I of this two-part series, applied to several analytes of interest. We conducted tests with coumarin and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (two solutes that were used in initial development of PLOT-cryo technology), naphthalene, aviation turbine kerosene, and diesel fuel, on a variety of matrices and test beds. We demonstrated that these analytes can be easily detected and reliably identified using the portable unit for analyte collection. By leveraging efficiency-boosting temperature control and the high flow rate multiple capillary wafer, very short collection times (as low as 3s) yielded accurate detection. For diesel fuel spiked on glass beads, we determined a method detection limit below 1 ppm. We observed greater variability among separate samples analyzed with the portable unit than previously documented in work using the laboratory-based PLOT-cryo technology. We identify three likely sources that may help explain the additional variation: the use of a compressed air source to generate suction, matrix geometry, and variability in the local vapor concentration around the sampling probe as solute depletion occurs both locally around the probe and in the test bed as a whole. This field-portable adaptation of the PLOT-cryo approach has numerous and diverse potential applications. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Effects of Context and Attention on Spiking Activity in Human Early Visual Cortex

PubMed Central

Reithler, Joel; Goebel, Rainer; Ris, Peterjan; Jeurissen, Danique; Reddy, Leila; Claus, Steven; Baayen, Johannes C.; Roelfsema, Pieter R.

2016-01-01

Here we report the first quantitative analysis of spiking activity in human early visual cortex. We recorded multi-unit activity from two electrodes in area V2/V3 of a human patient implanted with depth electrodes as part of her treatment for epilepsy. We observed well-localized multi-unit receptive fields with tunings for contrast, orientation, spatial frequency, and size, similar to those reported in the macaque. We also observed pronounced gamma oscillations in the local-field potential that could be used to estimate the underlying spiking response properties. Spiking responses were modulated by visual context and attention. We observed orientation-tuned surround suppression: responses were suppressed by image regions with a uniform orientation and enhanced by orientation contrast. Additionally, responses were enhanced on regions that perceptually segregated from the background, indicating that neurons in the human visual cortex are sensitive to figure-ground structure. Spiking responses were also modulated by object-based attention. When the patient mentally traced a curve through the neurons’ receptive fields, the accompanying shift of attention enhanced neuronal activity. These results demonstrate that the tuning properties of cells in the human early visual cortex are similar to those in the macaque and that responses can be modulated by both contextual factors and behavioral relevance. Our results, therefore, imply that the macaque visual system is an excellent model for the human visual cortex. PMID:27015604

Ultra-compact swept-source optical coherence tomography handheld probe with motorized focus adjustment (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaRocca, Francesco; Nankivil, Derek; Keller, Brenton; Farsiu, Sina; Izatt, Joseph A.

2017-02-01

Handheld optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems facilitate imaging of young children, bedridden subjects, and those with less stable fixation. Smaller and lighter OCT probes allow for more efficient imaging and reduced operator fatigue, which is critical for prolonged use in either the operating room or neonatal intensive care unit. In addition to size and weight, the imaging speed, image quality, field of view, resolution, and focus correction capability are critical parameters that determine the clinical utility of a handheld probe. Here, we describe an ultra-compact swept source (SS) OCT handheld probe weighing only 211 g (half the weight of the next lightest handheld SSOCT probe in the literature) with 20.1 µm lateral resolution, 7 µm axial resolution, 102 dB peak sensitivity, a 27° x 23° field of view, and motorized focus adjustment for refraction correction between -10 to +16 D. A 2D microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scanner, a converging beam-at-scanner telescope configuration, and an optical design employing 6 different custom optics were used to minimize device size and weight while achieving diffraction limited performance throughout the system's field of view. Custom graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated software was used to provide real-time display of OCT B-scans and volumes. Retinal images were acquired from adult volunteers to demonstrate imaging performance.

Field Portable Low Temperature Porous Layer Open Tubular Cryoadsorption Headspace Sampling and Analysis Part II: Applications*

PubMed Central

Harries, Megan; Bukovsky-Reyes, Santiago; Bruno, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

This paper details the sampling methods used with the field portable porous layer open tubular cryoadsorption (PLOT-cryo) approach, described in Part I of this two-part series, applied to several analytes of interest. We conducted tests with coumarin and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (two solutes that were used in initial development of PLOT-cryo technology), naphthalene, aviation turbine kerosene, and diesel fuel, on a variety of matrices and test beds. We demonstrated that these analytes can be easily detected and reliably identified using the portable unit for analyte collection. By leveraging efficiency-boosting temperature control and the high flow rate multiple capillary wafer, very short collection times (as low as 3 s) yielded accurate detection. For diesel fuel spiked on glass beads, we determined a method detection limit below 1 ppm. We observed greater variability among separate samples analyzed with the portable unit than previously documented in work using the laboratory-based PLOT-cryo technology. We identify three likely sources that may help explain the additional variation: the use of a compressed air source to generate suction, matrix geometry, and variability in the local vapor concentration around the sampling probe as solute depletion occurs both locally around the probe and in the test bed as a whole. This field-portable adaptation of the PLOT-cryo approach has numerous and diverse potential applications. PMID:26726934

Real-time PCR to quantify composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities--marker design, verification, calibration and field validation.

PubMed

Thonar, C; Erb, A; Jansa, J

2012-03-01

Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is slowly becoming established as a tool to quantify abundance of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) taxa in roots and in soil. Here, we describe the development and field validation of qPCR markers (i.e. primers with associated hydrolysis probes), targeting taxon-specific motifs in the nuclear large ribosomal subunit RNA genes. Design of such markers is complicated by the multinuclear and multigenomic cellular organization of these fungi and the high DNA sequence diversity within the smallest biologically relevant units (i.e. single-spore isolates). These limitations are further compounded by inefficient biomass production of these fungi, resulting in limited availability of pure genomic DNA (gDNA) of well-defined isolates for cross-specificity testing of the markers. Here we demonstrate, using a number of AMF isolates, the possibility to establish stringent qPCR running conditions allowing quantification of phylogenetically disjunctive AMF taxa. Further, we show that these markers can more generally be used to quantify abundance (i.e. number of target gene copies or amount of gDNA) of what is usually considered the level of AMF species, regardless of the isolate identities. We also illustrate the range of variation within qPCR signal strength across different AMF taxa with respect to the detected number of gene copies per unit amount of gDNA. This information is paramount for interpretation of the qPCR analyses of field samples. Finally, the field validation of these markers confirmed their potential to assess composition of field AMF communities and monitor the changes owing to agricultural practices such as soil tillage. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Comparison of the Physical and Chemical Properties of Laboratory and Field-Aged Biochars.

PubMed

Bakshi, Santanu; Aller, Deborah M; Laird, David A; Chintala, Rajesh

2016-09-01

The long-term impact of biochar on soil properties and agronomic outcomes is influenced by changes in the physical and chemical properties of biochars that occur with time (aging) in soil environments. Fresh biochars, however, are often used in studies because aged biochars are generally unavailable. Therefore, a need exists to develop a method for rapid aging of biochars in the laboratory. The objectives of this study were to compare the physicochemical properties of fresh, laboratory-aged (LA), and field-aged (FA) (≥3 yr) biochars and to assess the appropriateness of a laboratory aging procedure that combines acidification, oxidation, and incubations as a mimic to field aging in neutral or acidic soil environments. Twenty-two biochars produced by fast and slow pyrolysis, and gasification techniques from five different biomass feedstocks (hardwood, corn stover, soybean stover, macadamia nut shells, and switchgrass) were studied. In general, both laboratory and field aging caused similar increases in ash-free volatile matter (% w/w), cation and anion exchange capacities, specific surface area, and modifications in oxygen-containing surface functional groups of the biochars. However, ash content increased for FA (18-195%) and decreased for LA (22-74%) biochars, and pH decreased to a greater extent for LA (2.8-6.7 units) than for FA (1.6-3.8 units) biochars. The results demonstrate that the proposed laboratory aging procedure is effective for predicting the direction of changes in biochar properties on field aging. However, in the future we recommend using a less aggressive acid treatment. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Stratigraphy of Citronelle Oil Field, AL: Perspectives from Enhanced Oil Recovery and Potential CO2 Sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hills, D. J.; Pashin, J. C.; Kopaska-Merkel, D. C.; Esposito, R. A.

2008-12-01

The Citronelle Dome is a giant salt-cored anticline in the eastern Mississippi Interior Salt Basin of south Alabama. The dome forms an elliptical structural closure containing multiple opportunities for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and large-capacity saline reservoir CO2 sequestration. The Citronelle Oil Field, which is on the crest of the dome, has produced more than 168 MMbbl of 42° gravity oil from marginal marine sandstone in the Lower Cretaceous Donovan Sand. Recently, EOR field tests have begun in the northeastern part of the oil field. Citronelle Unit B-19-10 #2 well (Alabama State Oil and Gas Board Permit No. 3232) will serve as the CO2 injector for the first field test. CO2 will be injected into the Upper Donovan 14-1 and 16-2 sandstone units. All well logs in the 4-square-mile area surrounding the test site have been digitized and used to construct a network of nineteen stratigraphic cross sections correlating Sands 12 through 20A in the Upper Donovan. Detailed study of Citronelle cores has shown that depositional environments in the Donovan Sand differed significantly from the earlier model that has guided past development of the Citronelle Field. The cross sections demonstrate the extreme facies heterogeneity of the Upper Donovan, and this heterogeneity is well expressed within the five-spot well pattern where the field test will be conducted. Many other features bearing on the performance of the CO2 injection test have been discovered. Of particular interest is the 16-2 sand, which is interpreted as a composite of two tiers of channel fills. Pay strata are typically developed in the lower tier, and this is where CO2 will be injected. The upper tier is highly heterogeneous and is interpreted to contain sandstone fills of variable reservoir quality, as well as mudstone plugs.

Internal electric fields and color shift in Cr3+-based gemstones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aramburu, J. A.; Garcia-Fernandez, P.; García-Lastra, J. M.; Barriuso, M. T.; Moreno, M.

2012-06-01

Seeking to better understand the origin of the different colors of emerald and ruby, both ab initio periodic and cluster calculations have been carried out. The calculations reproduce the interatomic distances measured for pure Be3Si6Al2O18 and Al2O3 as well as the Cr3+-O2- distances in emerald and ruby. The mean Cr3+-O2- distance for Be3Si6Al2O18:Cr3+ and Al2O3:Cr3+ is found to be practically equal to 1.97 Å, in agreement with recent experimental values. The present calculations confirm that the variations of optical properties due to Cr3+ impurities along the series of ionic oxides can be understood merely through the CrO69- unit but subject to the electric field due to the rest of the lattice ions. As a salient feature it is proved that changes in electronic density and covalency due to the internal field are not the cause of the color shift. Therefore, the red color of ruby is not due to the polarization of the electronic cloud around chromium as a result of the C3 local symmetry. The present study also demonstrates that the variation of the ligand field splitting parameter, 10Dq, induced by the internal electric field comes mainly from the contributions of first shells of ions around the CrO69- unit. As a consequence, 10Dq in emerald is not influenced by the internal field, as the contribution from Be2+ first neighbors is practically compensated by that of Si4+ second neighbors. In contrast, in ruby the t2g levels are shifted by the internal field 0.24 eV more than the eg ones, so explaining the color shift in this gemstone in comparison with emerald. This result is shown to arise partially from the asymmetric form of the internal electrostatic potential along the C3 axis in Al2O3.

Feasibility study on phyto-remediation techniques for soil contaminated by the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant accident

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

Yuu Ishimori; Akihiro Sakoda; Mina Yamada

2013-07-01

Tottori University and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency carried out jointly the feasibility study on phyto-remediation techniques, which apply to soil contaminated by the TEPCO's Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP accident. This paper illustrates the results from experimental investigations. Experimental investigations include both water-culture tests and field tests. Several plants, mainly halophytes that can specifically absorb more Na than K, and others like sunflower demonstrated for other domestic large-scale tests, were water-cultured and examined for screening. Easily cultivated and harvested plants without harmful effects on subsequent cultivation were also considered. New Zealand spinach was selected as a candidate for demonstrations in fields.more » The field tests were carried out at two sites of different agricultural types in Minami-soma, Fukushima prefecture. Concentration of {sup 137}Cs in soil is about 4.5 Bq/g-dry as the average of 10 cm depth. The aims of the field tests are to confirm absorption ability and environmental adaptation of the test plants and to document the cost and performance of projects. In conclusion, the absorption of {sup 137}Cs activity per unit area (Bq/m{sup 2}) by New Zealand spinach could be approximately 0.5%. To achieve an effective result in removal of {sup 137}Cs from soil in around a decade, it is required to find the plant which has ten or more times higher absorption capacity than New Zealand spinach. From the consistency of both results in water-culture and field tests, the water-culture test can be valid for screening. In addition, applicable sites will be limited to fields which are too steep or too narrow to use mechanical diggers, and which are free from any restrictions to enter. (authors)« less

North Anna Nuclear Power Plant Strong Motion Records of the Mineral, Virginia Earthquake of August 23, 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graizer, V.

2012-12-01

The MW 5.8 Mineral, Virginia earthquake was recorded at a relatively short epicentral distance of about 18 km at the North Anna Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) by the SMA-3 magnetic tape digital accelerographs installed inside the plant's containment at the foundation and deck levels. The North Anna NPP is operated by the Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) and has two pressurized water reactors (PWR) units that began operation in 1978 and 1980, respectively. Following the earthquake, both units were safely shutdown. The strong-motion records were processed to get velocity, displacement, Fourier and 5% damped response spectra. The basemat record demonstrated relatively high amplitudes of acceleration of 0.26 g and velocity of 13.8 cm/sec with a relatively short duration of strong motion of 2-3 sec. Recorded 5% damped Response Spectra exceed Design Basis Earthquake for the existing Units 1 and 2, while comprehensive plant inspections performed by VEPCO and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission have concluded that the damage to the plant was minimal not affecting any structures and equipment significant to plant operation. This can be explained in part by short duration of the earthquake ground motion at the plant. The North Anna NPP did not have free-field strong motion instrumentation at the time of the earthquake. Since the containment is founded on rock there is a tendency to consider basemat record as an approximation of the free-field recording. However, comparisons of deck and basemat records demonstrate that the basemat recording is also affected by structural resonance frequencies higher than 3 Hz. Structural resonances in the frequency range of 3-4 Hz can at least partially explain significant exceedance of observed motions relative to ground motion calculated using ground motion prediction equations.cceleration, velocity and displacement at the North Anna NPP basemat level. Amplitudes of acceleration, velocity and displacement at basemat and deck levels

From orogenic buildup to extensional unroofing: the evolution of the Adria - Europe collisional zone in the Medvednica Mountains of Croatia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beniest, Anouk; van Gelder, Inge; Matenco, Liviu; Willingshofer, Ernst; Gruic, Andrea; Tomljenovic, Bruno

2013-04-01

Quantifying the kinematics of the Miocene extension in the Pannonian Basin is of critical importance for understanding the evolution of Adria-Europe collision in particular in the transitional zone from the Alps (Adria the upper plate) to the Dinarides (Adria the lower plate). Recent studies have demonstrated that large-scale extensional unroofing and core-complex formation affected the Europe-Adria contact in the Dinarides during Miocene times. The relationship between this extensional exhumation of Adriatic units and the roughly coeval Miocene extension affecting the Alpine-derived units during their E-ward extrusion into the intra-Carpathians ALCAPA block and the formation of the Pannonian basin is still unknown. One key area situated in the transitional zone is the Medvednica Mountains of Croatia, an area that benefits from already existing and extensive petrological and structural studies. The area of the Medvednica Mountains has been targeted by the means of a field kinematic analysis complemented by low-temperature thermochronology, metamorphic petrology and sedimentological observations. The results demonstrate that two units, reflecting distinct Adriatic paleogeographical positions, make up the structural geometry of the mountains. The upper unit contains Paleozoic mostly fine clastic sequence metamorphosed in sub-greenschist facies, overlain by a proximal Adriatic facies consisting of Triassic shallow water carbonates. The lower unit is made up by a volcanic sequence overlain by gradual deepening Triassic carbonates metamorphosed in greenschist facies that bears a strong resemblance to the Triassic break-up volcanism and subsequent sedimentation affecting the distal Adriatic units observed elsewhere in the Jadar-Kopaonik unit of the Dinarides. The strong contrast between the Middle-Upper Triassic facies suggests large scale thrusting during Cretaceous nappe stacking. Subsequently, the studied area has been affected by significant extensional deformation creating the present-day turtleback geometry. This resulted in the formation of brittle normal faults in both units, locally tilted by the uplift of the mountain core, which indicate mostly NE-SW extension. The lower unit is affected by a pervasive deformation characterized by a wide mylonitic shear zone with stretching lineations indicating consistently top-NE to E sense of shear. The present-day structural geometry of the mountains was established during the Pliocene-Quaternary inversion. The exact ages of nappe-stacking and subsequent extensional exhumation will be clarified by the upcoming low-temperature thermochronology and absolute age dating study. However, available results demonstrate that the extensional geometry and sense of shear is typical for the Miocene extensional exhumation and basin formation that affected the Adria-Europe contact elsewhere in the Dinarids, e.g. Kozara-Prosara-Motajica and Fruska Gora extensional structures. By comparing similar extensional features observed in for instance the Rechnitz and Pohorje extensional structures, the combined study potentially demonstrates that the Miocene mechanism of extension and sense of shear is structurally coherent at the scale of the entire Dinaridic and Alpine margins.

Catalytic nucleic acids (DNAzymes) as functional units for logic gates and computing circuits: from basic principles to practical applications.

PubMed

Orbach, Ron; Willner, Bilha; Willner, Itamar

2015-03-11

This feature article addresses the implementation of catalytic nucleic acids as functional units for the construction of logic gates and computing circuits, and discusses the future applications of these systems. The assembly of computational modules composed of DNAzymes has led to the operation of a universal set of logic gates, to field programmable logic gates and computing circuits, to the development of multiplexers/demultiplexers, and to full-adder systems. Also, DNAzyme cascades operating as logic gates and computing circuits were demonstrated. DNAzyme logic systems find important practical applications. These include the use of DNAzyme-based systems for sensing and multiplexed analyses, for the development of controlled release and drug delivery systems, for regulating intracellular biosynthetic pathways, and for the programmed synthesis and operation of cascades.

Linking nursing unit's culture to organizational effectiveness: a measurement tool.

PubMed

Casida, Jesus

2008-01-01

Organizational culture consists of the deep underlying assumptions, beliefs, and values that are shared by members of the organization and typically operate unconsciously. The four organizational culture traits of the Denison Organizational Culture Model (DOCM) are characteristics of organizational effectiveness, which include adaptability, involvement, consistency, and mission. Effective organizations demonstrate high levels of the four cultural traits which reflect their ability to balance the dynamic tension between the need for stability and the need for flexibility within the organization. The Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS) is a measurement tool that was founded on the theoretical framework of the DOCM, and in the field of business, is one of the most commonly used tools for measuring organizational culture. The DOCS offers a promising approach to operationalizing and measuring the link between organizational culture and organizational effectiveness in the context of nursing units.

Big data integration for regional hydrostratigraphic mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedel, M. J.

2013-12-01

Numerical models provide a way to evaluate groundwater systems, but determining the hydrostratigraphic units (HSUs) used in devising these models remains subjective, nonunique, and uncertain. A novel geophysical-hydrogeologic data integration scheme is proposed to constrain the estimation of continuous HSUs. First, machine-learning and multivariate statistical techniques are used to simultaneously integrate borehole hydrogeologic (lithology, hydraulic conductivity, aqueous field parameters, dissolved constituents) and geophysical (gamma, spontaneous potential, and resistivity) measurements. Second, airborne electromagnetic measurements are numerically inverted to obtain subsurface resistivity structure at randomly selected locations. Third, the machine-learning algorithm is trained using the borehole hydrostratigraphic units and inverted airborne resistivity profiles. The trained machine-learning algorithm is then used to estimate HSUs at independent resistivity profile locations. We demonstrate efficacy of the proposed approach to map the hydrostratigraphy of a heterogeneous surficial aquifer in northwestern Nebraska.

The Big Mountain oil field, Ventura, California

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

Hall, E.A.

1967-06-02

The Big Mt. oil field is believed to be primarily a fault trap accumulation. All faults are hidden beneath the unconformity at the base of the Vaqueros Formation, or die out before reaching the surface. The Sespe Formation is divided into an upper sandy unit, a middle alternating sand and shale unit, and a lower sandy unit in the Big Mt. area. The producing zone is in the upper portion of the lower sandy unit. The sands are soft and friable, medium to coarse, and the reservoir characteristics are relatively good. The geology is similar to that observed in manymore » Sespe fields, such as the Oxnard and Montalvo oil fields, and the SE. portion of the South Mt. oil field. These fields are broken into many fault blocks and different production characteristics in each block. Good wells and poor ones are interspersed, with good wells downdip from poor ones and visa versa. The Big Mt. field is shallow, drilling and production costs are relatively inexpensive, and there is no royalty burden on the oil.« less

Marine and Environmental Studies Field Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cranston School Dept., RI.

This laboratory manual was developed for a field-oriented high school oceanology program. The organization of the units includes a selection of supplementary activities to allow students to explore ocean studies in more depth. Included are 19 units. The units include biological oceanography, physical oceanography, and some social science topics. A…

Field Demonstration of Enhanced Sorbent Injection for Mercury Control

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

Shin Kang; Robert Schrecengost

2009-01-07

Alstom Power Inc. has conducted a DOE/NETL-sponsored program (under DOE Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-04NT42306) to demonstrate Mer-Cure{trademark}, one of Alstom's mercury control technologies for coal-fired boilers. Mer-Cure{trademark} utilizes a small amount of Mer-Clean{trademark} sorbent that is injected into the flue gas stream for oxidation and adsorption of gaseous mercury. Mer-Clean{trademark} sorbents are carbon-based and prepared with chemical additives that promote oxidation and capture of mercury. Mer-Cure{trademark} is unique in that the sorbent is injected into an environment where the mercury capture kinetics is accelerated. This full-scale demonstration program was comprised of three seven-week long test campaigns at three host sites including PacifiCorp's 240-MW{sub e} Dave Johnston Unit No.3 burning a Powder River Basin (PRB) coal, Basin Electric's 220-MW{sub e} Leland Olds Unit No.1 burning a North Dakota lignite, and Reliant Energy's 170-MW{sub e} Portland Unit No.1 burning an Eastern bituminous coal. All three boilers are equipped with electrostatic precipitators. The goals for this Round 2 program, established by DOE/NETL under the original solicitation, were to reduce the uncontrolled mercury emissions by 50 to 70% at a cost 25 to 50% lower than the previous target ofmore » $$60,000/lb mercury removed. The results for all three host sites indicated that Mer-Cure{trademark} technology could achieve mercury removal of 90%. The estimated mercury removal costs were 25-92% lower than the benchmark of $$60,000/lb mercury removed. The estimated costs for control, at sorbent cost of $1.25 to $2.00/lb respectively, are as follows: (1) Dave Johnston Unit No.3--$2,650 to $4,328/lb Hg removed (92.8% less than $60k/lb); (2) Leland Olds Unit No.1--$8,680 to $13,860/lb Hg removed (76.7% less than $60k/lb); and (3) Portland Unit No.1--$28,540 to $45,065/lb Hg removed (24.9% less than $60k/lb). In summary, the results from demonstration testing at all three host sites show that the goals established by DOE/NETL were exceeded during this test program. Mercury removal performance4 of greater than 90% reduction was above the 50-70% reduction goal, and mercury removal cost of 25-92% lower than the benchmark was above the 25 to 50% cost reduction goal.« less

INLAND BIOLOGICAL FIELD STATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ARVEY, M. DALE; RIEMER, WILLIAM J.

INFORMATION ABOUT 42 INLAND BIOLOGY FIELD STATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES IS PRESENTED. DATA WERE OBTAINED THROUGH VISITS BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. IN AN INTRODUCTORY SECTION THE CHARACTERISTICS, FUNCTIONS, AND PROBLEMS GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH FIELD STATIONS ARE REVIEWED. INDIVIDUAL STATIONS ARE LISTED ALPHABETICALLY,…

Explicit integration with GPU acceleration for large kinetic networks

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

Brock, Benjamin; Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830; Belt, Andrew

2015-12-01

We demonstrate the first implementation of recently-developed fast explicit kinetic integration algorithms on modern graphics processing unit (GPU) accelerators. Taking as a generic test case a Type Ia supernova explosion with an extremely stiff thermonuclear network having 150 isotopic species and 1604 reactions coupled to hydrodynamics using operator splitting, we demonstrate the capability to solve of order 100 realistic kinetic networks in parallel in the same time that standard implicit methods can solve a single such network on a CPU. This orders-of-magnitude decrease in computation time for solving systems of realistic kinetic networks implies that important coupled, multiphysics problems inmore » various scientific and technical fields that were intractable, or could be simulated only with highly schematic kinetic networks, are now computationally feasible.« less

Single crystal functional oxides on silicon

PubMed Central

Bakaul, Saidur Rahman; Serrao, Claudy Rayan; Lee, Michelle; Yeung, Chun Wing; Sarker, Asis; Hsu, Shang-Lin; Yadav, Ajay Kumar; Dedon, Liv; You, Long; Khan, Asif Islam; Clarkson, James David; Hu, Chenming; Ramesh, Ramamoorthy; Salahuddin, Sayeef

2016-01-01

Single-crystalline thin films of complex oxides show a rich variety of functional properties such as ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, ferro and antiferromagnetism and so on that have the potential for completely new electronic applications. Direct synthesis of such oxides on silicon remains challenging because of the fundamental crystal chemistry and mechanical incompatibility of dissimilar interfaces. Here we report integration of thin (down to one unit cell) single crystalline, complex oxide films onto silicon substrates, by epitaxial transfer at room temperature. In a field-effect transistor using a transferred lead zirconate titanate layer as the gate insulator, we demonstrate direct reversible control of the semiconductor channel charge with polarization state. These results represent the realization of long pursued but yet to be demonstrated single-crystal functional oxides on-demand on silicon. PMID:26853112

Development of micro-mirror slicer integral field unit for space-borne solar spectrographs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suematsu, Yoshinori; Saito, Kosuke; Koyama, Masatsugu; Enokida, Yukiya; Okura, Yukinobu; Nakayasu, Tomoyasu; Sukegawa, Takashi

2017-12-01

We present an innovative optical design for image slicer integral field unit (IFU) and a manufacturing method that overcomes optical limitations of metallic mirrors. Our IFU consists of a micro-mirror slicer of 45 arrayed, highly narrow, flat metallic mirrors and a pseudo-pupil-mirror array of off-axis conic aspheres forming three pseudo slits of re-arranged slicer images. A prototype IFU demonstrates that the final optical quality is sufficiently high for a visible light spectrograph. Each slicer micro-mirror is 1.58 mm long and 30 μm wide with surface roughness ≤1 nm rms, and edge sharpness ≤ 0.1 μm, etc. This IFU is small size and can be implemented in a multi-slit spectrograph without any moving mechanism and fore optics, in which one slit is real and the others are pseudo slits from the IFU. The IFU mirrors were deposited by a space-qualified, protected silver coating for high reflectivity in visible and near IR wavelength regions. These properties are well suitable for space-borne spectrograph such as the future Japanese solar space mission SOLAR-C. We present the optical design, performance of prototype IFU, and space qualification tests of the silver coating.

Attention Influences Single Unit and Local Field Potential Response Latencies in Visual Cortical Area V4

PubMed Central

Sundberg, Kristy A.; Mitchell, Jude F.; Gawne, Timothy J.

2012-01-01

Many previous studies have demonstrated that changes in selective attention can alter the response magnitude of visual cortical neurons, but there has been little evidence for attention affecting response latency. Small latency differences, though hard to detect, can potentially be of functional importance, and may also give insight into the mechanisms of neuronal computation. We therefore reexamined the effect of attention on the response latency of both single units and the local field potential (LFP) in primate visual cortical area V4. We find that attention does produce small (1–2 ms) but significant reductions in the latency of both the spiking and LFP responses. Though attention, like contrast elevation, reduces response latencies, we find that the two have different effects on the magnitude of the LFP. Contrast elevations increase and attention decreases the magnitude of the initial deflection of the stimulus-evoked LFP. Both contrast elevation and attention increase the magnitude of the spiking response. We speculate that latencies may be reduced at higher contrast because stronger stimulus inputs drive neurons more rapidly to spiking threshold, while attention may reduce latencies by placing neurons in a more depolarized state closer to threshold before stimulus onset. PMID:23136440

Methodology and Implications of Maximum Paleodischarge Estimates for

USGS Publications Warehouse

Channels, M.; Pruess, J.; Wohl, E.E.; Jarrett, R.D.

1998-01-01

Historical and geologic records may be used to enhance magnitude estimates for extreme floods along mountain channels, as demonstrated in this study from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Historical photographs and local newspaper accounts from the October 1911 flood indicate the likely extent of flooding and damage. A checklist designed to organize and numerically score evidence of flooding was used in 15 field reconnaissance surveys in the upper Animas River valley of southwestern Colorado. Step-backwater flow modeling estimated the discharges necessary to create longitudinal flood bars observed at 6 additional field sites. According to these analyses, maximum unit discharge peaks at approximately 1.3 m3 s~' km"2 around 2200 m elevation, with decreased unit discharges at both higher and lower elevations. These results (1) are consistent with Jarrett's (1987, 1990, 1993) maximum 2300-m elevation limit for flash-flooding in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, and (2) suggest that current Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) estimates based on a 24-h rainfall of 30 cm at elevations above 2700 m are unrealistically large. The methodology used for this study should be readily applicable to other mountain regions where systematic streamflow records are of short duration or nonexistent. ?? 1998 Regents of the University of Colorado.

Fuel Gas Demonstration Plant Program: Small-Scale Industrial Project. Coal procurement activities. Technica report No. 9

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

Not Available

1979-04-14

This report consists of reference material taken from Erie Mining Company project files and includes the following: (1) Investigation of the Main Coal Producing Fields in the United States: This report identifies potential coal fiels for gasifier feedstock and factors influencing coal selection. The report analyzes coal fields located in five separate regions of the United States. Three design coals are discussed and lab reports have been included. Also included are cost considerations for selected coals and preliminary cost data and transportation routing. (2) Analysis of Test Coals Received at Erie Mining Company: Rosebud, Clarion, and Clarion-Brookfield-Kittaning coal samples weremore » received and analyzed at Erie Mining Company. The screen analysis indicated the severe decrepitation of the Rosebud western coal. (3) Criteria for Gasifier Coal: In this study, BCI states that gasifier feed should have the following characteristics: (1) the ratio between the upper and lower size for coal should be 3:1; (2) coal fines should not exceed 10%; (3) coal grading limits which can be handled are maximum range 3'' x 1'', minimum range - 1 1/2'' x 1/2''.« less

Learning a detection map for a network of unattended ground sensors.

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

Nguyen, Hung D.; Koch, Mark William

2010-03-01

We have developed algorithms to automatically learn a detection map of a deployed sensor field for a virtual presence and extended defense (VPED) system without apriori knowledge of the local terrain. The VPED system is an unattended network of sensor pods, with each pod containing acoustic and seismic sensors. Each pod has the ability to detect and classify moving targets at a limited range. By using a network of pods we can form a virtual perimeter with each pod responsible for a certain section of the perimeter. The site's geography and soil conditions can affect the detection performance of themore » pods. Thus, a network in the field may not have the same performance as a network designed in the lab. To solve this problem we automatically estimate a network's detection performance as it is being installed at a site by a mobile deployment unit (MDU). The MDU will wear a GPS unit, so the system not only knows when it can detect the MDU, but also the MDU's location. In this paper, we demonstrate how to handle anisotropic sensor-configurations, geography, and soil conditions.« less

Effect of electrical energy on the efficacy of biofilm treatment using the bioelectric effect

PubMed Central

Kim, Young Wook; Subramanian, Sowmya; Gerasopoulos, Konstantinos; Ben-Yoav, Hadar; Wu, Hsuan-Chen; Quan, David; Carter, Karen; Meyer, Mariana T; Bentley, William E; Ghodssi, Reza

2015-01-01

Background/Objectives: The use of electric fields in combination with small doses of antibiotics for enhanced treatment of biofilms is termed the ‘bioelectric effect’ (BE). Different mechanisms of action for the AC and DC fields have been reported in the literature over the last two decades. In this work, we conduct the first study on the correlation between the electrical energy and the treatment efficacy of the bioelectric effect on Escherichia coli K-12 W3110 biofilms. Methods: A thorough study was performed through the application of alternating (AC), direct (DC) and superimposed (SP) potentials of different amplitudes on mature E. coli biofilms. The electric fields were applied in combination with the antibiotic gentamicin (10 μg/ml) over a course of 24 h, after the biofilms had matured for 24 h. The biofilms were analysed using the crystal violet assay, the colony-forming unit method and fluorescence microscopy. Results: Results show that there is no statistical difference in treatment efficacy between the DC-, AC- and SP-based BE treatment of equivalent energies (analysis of variance (ANOVA) P>0.05) for voltages <1 V. We also demonstrate that the efficacy of the BE treatment as measured by the crystal violet staining method and colony-forming unit assay is proportional to the electrical energy applied (ANOVA P<0.05). We further verify that the treatment efficacy varies linearly with the energy of the BE treatment (r2 =0.984). Our results thus suggest that the energy of the electrical signal is the primary factor in determining the efficacy of the BE treatment, at potentials less than the media electrolysis voltage. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the energy of the electrical signal, and not the type of electrical signal (AC or DC or SP), is the key to determine the efficacy of the BE treatment. We anticipate that this observation will pave the way for further understanding of the mechanism of action of the BE treatment method and may open new doors to the use of electric fields in the treatment of bacterial biofilms. PMID:28721233

Human habitation field study of the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litaker, Harry L.; Archer, Ronald D.; Szabo, Richard; Twyford, Evan S.; Conlee, Carl S.; Howard, Robert L.

2013-10-01

Landing and supporting a permanent outpost on a planetary surface represents humankind's capability to expand its own horizons and challenge current technology. With this in mind, habitability of these structures becomes more essential given the longer durations of the missions. The purpose of this evaluation was to obtain preliminary human-in-the-loop performance data on the Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) in a Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM) configuration during a 14-day simulated lunar exploration field trial and to apply this knowledge to further enhance the habitat's capabilities for forward designs. Human factors engineers at the NASA/Johnson Space Center's Habitability and Human Factors Branch recorded approximately 96 h of crew task performance with four work stations. Human factors measures used during this study included the NASA Task Load Index (TLX) and customized post questionnaires. Overall the volume for the PEM was considered acceptable by the crew; however; the habitat's individual work station volume was constrained when setting up the vehicle for operation, medical operations, and suit maintenance while general maintenance, logistical resupply, and geo science was considered acceptable. Crew workload for each station indicated resupply as being the lowest rated, with medical operations, general maintenance, and geo science tasks as being light, while suit maintenance was considered moderate and general vehicle setup being rated the highest. Stowage was an issue around the habitat with the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) resupply stowage located in the center of the habitat as interfering with some work station volumes and activities. Ergonomics of the geo science station was considered a major issue, especially with the overhead touch screens.

Forebrain pathway for auditory space processing in the barn owl.

PubMed

Cohen, Y E; Miller, G L; Knudsen, E I

1998-02-01

The forebrain plays an important role in many aspects of sound localization behavior. Yet, the forebrain pathway that processes auditory spatial information is not known for any species. Using standard anatomic labeling techniques, we used a "top-down" approach to trace the flow of auditory spatial information from an output area of the forebrain sound localization pathway (the auditory archistriatum, AAr), back through the forebrain, and into the auditory midbrain. Previous work has demonstrated that AAr units are specialized for auditory space processing. The results presented here show that the AAr receives afferent input from Field L both directly and indirectly via the caudolateral neostriatum. Afferent input to Field L originates mainly in the auditory thalamus, nucleus ovoidalis, which, in turn, receives input from the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus. In addition, we confirmed previously reported projections of the AAr to the basal ganglia, the external nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICX), the deep layers of the optic tectum, and various brain stem nuclei. A series of inactivation experiments demonstrated that the sharp tuning of AAr sites for binaural spatial cues depends on Field L input but not on input from the auditory space map in the midbrain ICX: pharmacological inactivation of Field L eliminated completely auditory responses in the AAr, whereas bilateral ablation of the midbrain ICX had no appreciable effect on AAr responses. We conclude, therefore, that the forebrain sound localization pathway can process auditory spatial information independently of the midbrain localization pathway.

Matching of electron beams for conformal therapy of target volumes at moderate depths.

PubMed

Zackrisson, B; Karlsson, M

1996-06-01

The basic requirements for conformal electron therapy are an accelerator with a wide range of energies and field shapes. The beams should be well characterised in a full 3-D dose planning system which has been verified for the geometries of the current application. Differences in the basic design of treatment units have been shown to have a large influence on beam quality and dosimetry. Modern equipment can deliver electron beams of good quality with a high degree of accuracy. A race-track microtron with minimised electron scattering and a multi-leaf collimator (MLC) for electron collimating will facilitate the isocentric technique as a general treatment technique for electrons. This will improve the possibility of performing combined electron field techniques in order to conform the dose distribution with no or minimal use of a bolus. Furthermore, the isocentric technique will facilitate multiple field arrangements that decrease the problems with distortion of the dose distribution due to inhomogeneities, etc. These situations are demonstrated by clinical examples where isocentric, matched electron fields for treatment of the nose, thyroid and thoracic wall have been used.

A focusing reflectarray and its application in microwave virus sanitizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, Wan-Ting; Tung, Jen-Jung; Chen, Shih-Yuan

2014-10-01

In this paper, a focusing reflectarray based on the conductor-backed strip dipole unit cell is proposed and designed for use in the microwave virus sanitizer. Unlike traditional far-field antennas that form a planar phase front in a specified far-field direction, the focusing reflectarray is designed to coherently add the fields radiated from the feeding antenna at a predetermined focal point, typically within its radiating near-field region and to ensure adequate power density to inactivate the H3N2 virus sample. Furthermore, the focusing reflectarray has a simple and planar structure compared with conventional focusing antennas. Since the microwave resonant absorption frequency of the H3N2 virus is at about 8 GHz, an 8 × 8 focusing reflectarray is designed for operation at 8 GHz. A prototype antenna is then fabricated and used for H3N2 virus sanitization. It is demonstrated experimentally that the death rate of the H3N2 virus sample is up to 93%, verifying the feasibility of the microwave virus sanitizer as well as the proposed focusing reflectarray.

3D Biomimetic Magnetic Structures for Static Magnetic Field Stimulation of Osteogenesis.

PubMed

Paun, Irina Alexandra; Popescu, Roxana Cristina; Calin, Bogdan Stefanita; Mustaciosu, Cosmin Catalin; Dinescu, Maria; Luculescu, Catalin Romeo

2018-02-07

We designed, fabricated and optimized 3D biomimetic magnetic structures that stimulate the osteogenesis in static magnetic fields. The structures were fabricated by direct laser writing via two-photon polymerization of IP-L780 photopolymer and were based on ellipsoidal, hexagonal units organized in a multilayered architecture. The magnetic activity of the structures was assured by coating with a thin layer of collagen-chitosan-hydroxyapatite-magnetic nanoparticles composite. In vitro experiments using MG-63 osteoblast-like cells for 3D structures with gradients of pore size helped us to find an optimum pore size between 20-40 µm. Starting from optimized 3D structures, we evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively the effects of static magnetic fields of up to 250 mT on cell proliferation and differentiation, by ALP (alkaline phosphatase) production, Alizarin Red and osteocalcin secretion measurements. We demonstrated that the synergic effect of 3D structure optimization and static magnetic stimulation enhances the bone regeneration by a factor greater than 2 as compared with the same structure in the absence of a magnetic field.

High-Field Magnetization Study of R_{2} {Fe}_{17} {N}_{2} R 2 Fe 17 N 2 ( R = {Ho} R = Ho and Er) Nitrides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tereshina, I. S.; Tereshina-Chitrova, E. A.; Pelevin, I. A.; Doerr, M.; Law, J. M.; Verbetski, V. N.; Salamova, A. A.

2018-03-01

The structure and magnetic properties of the nitrided compounds R2Fe_{17}N2 (R = Ho and Er) are studied. The type of crystal structure Th2Ni_{17} is preserved upon nitrogenation, and the relative unit cell volume Δ V{/}V increase exceeds 6%. Magnetic studies are performed in fields up to 60 T at 4.2 K on aligned powder samples. Field-induced spin-reorientation (SR) transitions are observed in the M( H) curves of R2Fe_{17}N2. Unlike the parent R2Fe_{17} compounds, where the magnetization increases in steps as the field grows stronger, R2Fe_{17}N2 demonstrate a gradual increase in magnetization. It is indicative of the change of the SR transition from first to the second type. Extrapolation of magnetization curves to the theoretical value of magnetization in the forced ferromagnetic state yields the coefficient of the inter-sublattice R-Fe exchange interaction. The inter-sublattice exchange is found to decrease upon nitrogenation.

MAGSAT anomaly field inversion and interpretation for the US

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayhew, M. A. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

Long wavelength anomalies in the total magnetic field measured by MAGSAT over the United States and adjacent areas are inverted to an equivalent layer crustal magnetization distribution. The model is based on an equal area dipole grid at the Earth's surface. Model resolution, defined as the closest dipole spacing giving a solution having physical significance, is about 220 km for MAGSAT data in the elevation range 300-500 km. The magnetization contours correlate well with large scale tectonic provinces. A higher resolution (200 km) model based on relatively noise free synthetic "pseudodata" is also presented. Magnetic anomaly component data measured by MAGSAT is compared with synthetic anomaly component fields arising from an equivalent source dipole array at the Earth's surface generated from total field anomaly data alone. An excellent inverse correlation between apparent magnetization and heat flow in the western U.S. is demonstrated. A regional heat flow map which is presented and compared with published maps, predicts high heat flow in Nebraska and the Dakotas, suggesting the presence of a "blind" geothermal area of regional extent.

3D Biomimetic Magnetic Structures for Static Magnetic Field Stimulation of Osteogenesis

PubMed Central

Paun, Irina Alexandra; Popescu, Roxana Cristina; Calin, Bogdan Stefanita; Mustaciosu, Cosmin Catalin; Dinescu, Maria; Luculescu, Catalin Romeo

2018-01-01

We designed, fabricated and optimized 3D biomimetic magnetic structures that stimulate the osteogenesis in static magnetic fields. The structures were fabricated by direct laser writing via two-photon polymerization of IP-L780 photopolymer and were based on ellipsoidal, hexagonal units organized in a multilayered architecture. The magnetic activity of the structures was assured by coating with a thin layer of collagen-chitosan-hydroxyapatite-magnetic nanoparticles composite. In vitro experiments using MG-63 osteoblast-like cells for 3D structures with gradients of pore size helped us to find an optimum pore size between 20–40 µm. Starting from optimized 3D structures, we evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively the effects of static magnetic fields of up to 250 mT on cell proliferation and differentiation, by ALP (alkaline phosphatase) production, Alizarin Red and osteocalcin secretion measurements. We demonstrated that the synergic effect of 3D structure optimization and static magnetic stimulation enhances the bone regeneration by a factor greater than 2 as compared with the same structure in the absence of a magnetic field. PMID:29414875

Summary of 2006 to 2010 FPMU Measurements of International Space Station Frame Potential Variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minow, Joseph I.; Wright, Kenneth H., Jr.; Chandler, Michael O.; Coffey, Victoria N.; Craven, Paul D.; Schneider, Todd A.; Parker, Linda N.; Ferguson, Dale C.; Koontz, Steve L.; Alred, John W.

2010-01-01

Electric potential variations on the International Space Station (ISS) structure in low Earth orbit are dominated by contributions from interactions of the United States (US) 160 volt solar arrays with the relatively high density, low temperature plasma environment and inductive potentials generated by motion of the large vehicle across the Earth?s magnetic field. The Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) instrument suite comprising two Langmuir probes, a plasma impedance probe, and a floating potential probe was deployed in August 2006 for use in characterizing variations in ISS potential, the state of the ionosphere along the ISS orbit and its effect on ISS charging, evaluating effects of payloads and visiting vehicles, and for supporting ISS plasma hazard assessments. This presentation summarizes observations of ISS frame potential variations obtained from the FPMU from deployment in 2006 through the current time. We first describe ISS potential variations due to current collection by solar arrays in the day time sector of the orbit including eclipse exit and entry charging events, potential variations due to plasma environment variations in the equatorial anomaly, and visiting vehicles docked to the ISS structure. Next, we discuss potential variations due to inductive electric fields generated by motion of the vehicle across the geomagnetic field and the effects of external electric fields in the ionosphere. Examples of night time potential variations at high latitudes and their possible relationship to auroral charging are described and, finally, we demonstrate effects on the ISS potential due to European Space Agency and US plasma contactor devices.

Lava flow field emplacement studies of Manua Ulu (Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i, United States) and Venus, using field and remote sensing analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrnes, Jeffrey Myer

2002-04-01

This work examines lava emplacement processes by characterizing surface units using field and remote sensing analyses in order to understand the development of lava flow fields. Specific study areas are the 1969--1974 Mauna Ulu compound flow field, (Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i, USA), and five lava flow fields on Venus: Turgmam Fluctus, Zipaltonal Fluctus, the Tuli Mons/Uilata Fluctus flow complex, the Var Mons flow field, and Mylitta Fluctus. Lava surface units have been examined in the field and with visible-, thermal-, and radar-wavelength remote sensing datasets for Mauna Ulu, and with radar data for the Venusian study areas. For the Mauna Ulu flow field, visible characteristics are related to color, glass abundance, and dm- to m-scale surface irregularities, which reflect the lava flow regime, cooling, and modification due to processes such as coalescence and inflation. Thermal characteristics are primarily affected by the abundance of glass and small-scale roughness elements (such as vesicles), and reflect the history of cooling, vesiculation and degassing, and crystallization of the lava. Radar characteristics are primarily affected by unit topography and fracturing, which are related to flow inflation, remobilization, and collapse, and reflect the local supply of lava during and after unit emplacement. Mauna Ulu surface units are correlated with pre-eruption topography, lack a simple relationship to the main feeder lava tubes, and are distributed with respect to their position within compound flow lobes and with distance from the vent. The Venusian lava flow fields appear to have developed through emplacement of numerous, thin, simple and compound flows, presumably over extended periods of time, and show a wider range of radar roughness than is observed at Mauna Ulu. A potential correlation is suggested between flow rheology and surface roughness. Distributary flow morphologies may result from tube-fed flows, and flow inflation is consistent with observed surface characteristics. Furthermore, the significance of inflation at Mauna Ulu and comparison of radar characteristics indicates that inflation may, in fact, be more prevalent on Venus than at Mauna Ulu. Although the Venusian flow fields display morphologies similar to those observed within terrestrial flow fields, the Venusian flow units are significantly larger.

Development and Field Test of an Audit Tool and Tracer Methodology for Clinician Assessment of Quality in End-of-Life Care.

PubMed

Bookbinder, Marilyn; Hugodot, Amandine; Freeman, Katherine; Homel, Peter; Santiago, Elisabeth; Riggs, Alexa; Gavin, Maggie; Chu, Alice; Brady, Ellen; Lesage, Pauline; Portenoy, Russell K

2018-02-01

Quality improvement in end-of-life care generally acquires data from charts or caregivers. "Tracer" methodology, which assesses real-time information from multiple sources, may provide complementary information. The objective of this study was to develop a valid brief audit tool that can guide assessment and rate care when used in a clinician tracer to evaluate the quality of care for the dying patient. To identify items for a brief audit tool, 248 items were created to evaluate overall quality, quality in specific content areas (e.g., symptom management), and specific practices. Collected into three instruments, these items were used to interview professional caregivers and evaluate the charts of hospitalized patients who died. Evidence that this information could be validly captured using a small number of items was obtained through factor analyses, canonical correlations, and group comparisons. A nurse manager field tested tracer methodology using candidate items to evaluate the care provided to other patients who died. The survey of 145 deaths provided chart data and data from 445 interviews (26 physicians, 108 nurses, 18 social workers, and nine chaplains). The analyses yielded evidence of construct validity for a small number of items, demonstrating significant correlations between these items and content areas identified as latent variables in factor analyses. Criterion validity was suggested by significant differences in the ratings on these items between the palliative care unit and other units. The field test evaluated 127 deaths, demonstrated the feasibility of tracer methodology, and informed reworking of the candidate items into the 14-item Tracer EoLC v1. The Tracer EoLC v1 can be used with tracer methodology to guide the assessment and rate the quality of end-of-life care. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Naphthobischalcogenadiazole Conjugated Polymers: Emerging Materials for Organic Electronics.

PubMed

Osaka, Itaru; Takimiya, Kazuo

2017-07-01

π-Conjugated polymers are an important class of materials for organic electronics. In the past decade, numerous polymers with donor-acceptor molecular structures have been developed and used as the active materials for organic devices, such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The choice of the building unit is the primary step for designing the polymers. Benzochalcogenadiazoles (BXzs) are one of the most familiar acceptor building units studied in this area. As their doubly fused system, naphthobischalcogenadiazoles (NXzs), i.e., naphthobisthiadiazole (NTz), naphthobisoxadiazole (NOz), and naphthobisselenadiazole (NSz) are emerging building units that provide interesting electronic properties and highly self-assembling nature for π-conjugated polymers. With these fruitful features, π-conjugated polymers based on these building units demonstrate great performances in OFETs and OPVs. In particular, in OPVs, NTz-based polymers have exhibited more than 10% efficiency, which is among the highest values reported so far. In this Progress Report, the synthesis, properties, and structures of NXzs and their polymers is summarized. The device performance is also highlighted and the structure-property relationships of the polymers are discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Space vehicle field unit and ground station system

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

Judd, Stephen; Dallmann, Nicholas; Delapp, Jerry

A field unit and ground station may use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and share a common architecture, where differences in functionality are governed by software. The field units and ground stations may be easy to deploy, relatively inexpensive, and be relatively easy to operate. A novel file system may be used where datagrams of a file may be stored across multiple drives and/or devices. The datagrams may be received out of order and reassembled at the receiving device.

Space vehicle field unit and ground station system

DOEpatents

Judd, Stephen; Dallmann, Nicholas; Delapp, Jerry; Proicou, Michael; Seitz, Daniel; Michel, John; Enemark, Donald

2016-10-25

A field unit and ground station may use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and share a common architecture, where differences in functionality are governed by software. The field units and ground stations may be easy to deploy, relatively inexpensive, and be relatively easy to operate. A novel file system may be used where datagrams of a file may be stored across multiple drives and/or devices. The datagrams may be received out of order and reassembled at the receiving device.

A PLAN FOR FIELD TESTING R/I UNITS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WARDROP, JAMES L.; AND OTHERS

THIS PAPER DISCUSSES THE FIELD TESTING OF RESEARCH AND INSTRUCTION UNITS IN OPERATION IN A NUMBER OF WISCONSIN SCHOOLS. THE UNIT IS A REORGANIZED SCHOOL STRUCTURE WHICH IS MADE UP OF A LEARNING SPECIALIST LEADER, TEACHERS, PARAPROFESSIONALS, AND STUDENTS. THE MAJOR AIMS OF THIS EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION ARE (1) TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN AN…

Metamaterial bricks and quantization of meta-surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Memoli, Gianluca; Caleap, Mihai; Asakawa, Michihiro; Sahoo, Deepak R.; Drinkwater, Bruce W.; Subramanian, Sriram

2017-02-01

Controlling acoustic fields is crucial in diverse applications such as loudspeaker design, ultrasound imaging and therapy or acoustic particle manipulation. The current approaches use fixed lenses or expensive phased arrays. Here, using a process of analogue-to-digital conversion and wavelet decomposition, we develop the notion of quantal meta-surfaces. The quanta here are small, pre-manufactured three-dimensional units--which we call metamaterial bricks--each encoding a specific phase delay. These bricks can be assembled into meta-surfaces to generate any diffraction-limited acoustic field. We apply this methodology to show experimental examples of acoustic focusing, steering and, after stacking single meta-surfaces into layers, the more complex field of an acoustic tractor beam. We demonstrate experimentally single-sided air-borne acoustic levitation using meta-layers at various bit-rates: from a 4-bit uniform to 3-bit non-uniform quantization in phase. This powerful methodology dramatically simplifies the design of acoustic devices and provides a key-step towards realizing spatial sound modulators.

Metamaterial bricks and quantization of meta-surfaces.

PubMed

Memoli, Gianluca; Caleap, Mihai; Asakawa, Michihiro; Sahoo, Deepak R; Drinkwater, Bruce W; Subramanian, Sriram

2017-02-27

Controlling acoustic fields is crucial in diverse applications such as loudspeaker design, ultrasound imaging and therapy or acoustic particle manipulation. The current approaches use fixed lenses or expensive phased arrays. Here, using a process of analogue-to-digital conversion and wavelet decomposition, we develop the notion of quantal meta-surfaces. The quanta here are small, pre-manufactured three-dimensional units-which we call metamaterial bricks-each encoding a specific phase delay. These bricks can be assembled into meta-surfaces to generate any diffraction-limited acoustic field. We apply this methodology to show experimental examples of acoustic focusing, steering and, after stacking single meta-surfaces into layers, the more complex field of an acoustic tractor beam. We demonstrate experimentally single-sided air-borne acoustic levitation using meta-layers at various bit-rates: from a 4-bit uniform to 3-bit non-uniform quantization in phase. This powerful methodology dramatically simplifies the design of acoustic devices and provides a key-step towards realizing spatial sound modulators.

Superconducting magnetoresistance in ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet trilayers

PubMed Central

Stamopoulos, D.; Aristomenopoulou, E.

2015-01-01

Magnetoresistance is a multifaceted effect reflecting the diverse transport mechanisms exhibited by different kinds of plain materials and hybrid nanostructures; among other, giant, colossal, and extraordinary magnetoresistance versions exist, with the notation indicative of the intensity. Here we report on the superconducting magnetoresistance observed in ferromagnet/superconductor/ferromagnet trilayers, namely Co/Nb/Co trilayers, subjected to a parallel external magnetic field equal to the coercive field. By manipulating the transverse stray dipolar fields that originate from the out-of-plane magnetic domains of the outer layers that develop at coercivity, we can suppress the supercurrent of the interlayer. We experimentally demonstrate a scaling of the magnetoresistance magnitude that we reproduce with a closed-form phenomenological formula that incorporates relevant macroscopic parameters and microscopic length scales of the superconducting and ferromagnetic structural units. The generic approach introduced here can be used to design novel cryogenic devices that completely switch the supercurrent ‘on’ and ‘off’, thus exhibiting the ultimate magnetoresistance magnitude 100% on a regular basis. PMID:26306543

Perceptual organization and visual attention.

PubMed

Kimchi, Ruth

2009-01-01

Perceptual organization--the processes structuring visual information into coherent units--and visual attention--the processes by which some visual information in a scene is selected--are crucial for the perception of our visual environment and to visuomotor behavior. Recent research points to important relations between attentional and organizational processes. Several studies demonstrated that perceptual organization constrains attentional selectivity, and other studies suggest that attention can also constrain perceptual organization. In this chapter I focus on two aspects of the relationship between perceptual organization and attention. The first addresses the question of whether or not perceptual organization can take place without attention. I present findings demonstrating that some forms of grouping and figure-ground segmentation can occur without attention, whereas others require controlled attentional processing, depending on the processes involved and the conditions prevailing for each process. These findings challenge the traditional view, which assumes that perceptual organization is a unitary entity that operates preattentively. The second issue addresses the question of whether perceptual organization can affect the automatic deployment of attention. I present findings showing that the mere organization of some elements in the visual field by Gestalt factors into a coherent perceptual unit (an "object"), with no abrupt onset or any other unique transient, can capture attention automatically in a stimulus-driven manner. Taken together, the findings discussed in this chapter demonstrate the multifaceted, interactive relations between perceptual organization and visual attention.

The Habitat Demonstration Unit Project Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Kriss J.; Grill, Tracy R.; Tri, Terry O.; Howe, Alan S.

2010-01-01

This paper will describe an overview of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led multi-center Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) Project. The HDU project is a "technology-pull" project that integrates technologies and innovations from numerous NASA centers. This project will be used to investigate and validate surface architectures, operations concepts, and requirements definition of various habitation concepts. The first habitation configuration this project will build and test is the Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM). This habitat configuration - the PEM - is based on the Constellation Architecture Scenario 12.1 concept of a vertically oriented habitat module. The HDU project will be tested as part of the 2010 Desert Research and Technologies Simulations (D-RATS) test objectives. The purpose of this project is to develop, integrate, test, and evaluate a habitat configuration in the context of the mission architectures and surface operation concepts. A multi-center approach will be leveraged to build, integrate, and test the PEM through a shared collaborative effort of multiple NASA centers. The HDU project is part of the strategic plan from the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Directorate Integration Office (DIO) and the Lunar Surface Systems Project Office (LSSPO) to test surface elements in a surface analog environment. The 2010 analog field test will include two Lunar Electric Rovers (LER) and the PEM among other surface demonstration elements. This paper will describe the overall objectives, its various habitat configurations, strategic plan, and technology integration as it pertains to the 2010 and 2011 field analog tests. To accomplish the development of the PEM from conception in June 2009 to rollout for operations in July 2010, the HDU project team is using a set of design standards to define the interfaces between the various systems of PEM and to the payloads, such as the Geology Lab, that those systems will support. Scheduled activities such as early fit-checks and the utilization of a habitat avionics test bed prior to equipment installation into PEM are planned to facilitate the integration process.

AC field exposure study: human exposure to 60-Hz electric fields

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

Silva, J.M.

1985-04-01

The objective of this study was to develop a method of estimating human exposure to the 60 Hz electric fields created by transmission lines. The Activity Systems Model simulates human activities in a variety of situations where exposure to electric fields is possible. The model combines maps of electric fields, activity maps, and experimentally determined activity factors to provide histograms of time spent in electric fields of various strengths in the course of agricultural, recreational, and domestic activities. For corroboration, the study team measured actual human exposure at locations across the United States near transmission lines ranging in voltage frommore » 115 to 1200 kV. The data were collected with a specially designed vest that measures exposure. These data demonstrate the accuracy of the exposure model presented in this report and revealed that most exposure time is spent in fields of magnitudes similar to many household situations. The report provides annual exposure estimates for human activities near transmission lines and in the home and compares them with exposure data from typical laboratory animal experiments. For one exposure index, the cumulative product of time and electric field, exposure during some of the laboratory animal experiments is two to four orders of magnitude greater than cumulative exposure for a human during one year of outdoor work on a farm crossed by a transmission line.« less

Estimating hydraulic parameters of a heterogeneous aquitard using long-term multi-extensometer and groundwater level data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, Chao; Zhou, Zhifang; Illman, Walter A.; Guo, Qiaona; Wang, Jinguo

2017-09-01

The classical aquitard-drainage model COMPAC has been modified to simulate the compaction process of a heterogeneous aquitard consisting of multiple sub-units (Multi-COMPAC). By coupling Multi-COMPAC with the parameter estimation code PEST++, the vertical hydraulic conductivity ( K v) and elastic ( S ske) and inelastic ( S skp) skeletal specific-storage values of each sub-unit can be estimated using observed long-term multi-extensometer and groundwater level data. The approach was first tested through a synthetic case with known parameters. Results of the synthetic case revealed that it was possible to accurately estimate the three parameters for each sub-unit. Next, the methodology was applied to a field site located in Changzhou city, China. Based on the detailed stratigraphic information and extensometer data, the aquitard of interest was subdivided into three sub-units. Parameters K v, S ske and S skp of each sub-unit were estimated simultaneously and then were compared with laboratory results and with bulk values and geologic data from previous studies, demonstrating the reliability of parameter estimates. Estimated S skp values ranged within the magnitude of 10-4 m-1, while K v ranged over 10-10-10-8 m/s, suggesting moderately high heterogeneity of the aquitard. However, the elastic deformation of the third sub-unit, consisting of soft plastic silty clay, is masked by delayed drainage, and the inverse procedure leads to large uncertainty in the S ske estimate for this sub-unit.

Wearable, multimodal, vitals acquisition unit for intelligent field triage.

PubMed

Beck, Christoph; Georgiou, Julius

2016-09-01

In this Letter, the authors describe the characterisation design and development of the authors' wearable, multimodal vitals acquisition unit for intelligent field triage. The unit is able to record the standard electrocardiogram, blood oxygen and body temperature parameters and also has the unique capability to record up to eight custom designed acoustic streams for heart and lung sound auscultation. These acquisition channels are highly synchronised to fully maintain the time correlation of the signals. The unit is a key component enabling systematic and intelligent field triage to continuously acquire vital patient information. With the realised unit a novel data-set with highly synchronised vital signs was recorded. The new data-set may be used for algorithm design in vital sign analysis or decision making. The monitoring unit is the only known body worn system that records standard emergency parameters plus eight multi-channel auscultatory streams and stores the recordings and wirelessly transmits them to mobile response teams.

IRMS: Infrared Multi-Slit Spectrograph for TMT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

U, Vivian; Mobasher, B.

2014-07-01

As one of the first-light instruments on the TMT, the IRMS is a near-infrared multi-slit spectrograph and imager designed to sample near the diffraction limit with the help of adaptive optics. Fed by the Narrow-Field Infrared Adaptive Optics Systems (NFIRAOS) on the TMT, the IRMS will provide near-infrared imaging and multi-object spectroscopy at Y, J, H, and K bands (0.9-2.5 microns) with moderate spectral resolution. With a field of view of ~2 arcmin on a side, it has a multiplex capability of up to 46 slits using a slit mask system on a cryogenic configurable slit unit. Here we present a preliminary version of the exposure time calculator for sensitivity comparison with Keck/MOSFIRE. Selected science cases are highlighted to demonstrate the need for IRMS in this upcoming thirty-meter class telescope era.

GeoLab's First Field Trials, 2010 Desert RATS: Evaluating Tools for Early Sample Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Cindy A.; Bell, M. S.; Calaway, M. J.; Graff, Trevor; Young, Kelsey

2011-01-01

As part of an accelerated prototyping project to support science operations tests for future exploration missions, we designed and built a geological laboratory, GeoLab, that was integrated into NASA's first generation Habitat Demonstration Unit-1/Pressurized Excursion Module (HDU1-PEM). GeoLab includes a pressurized glovebox for transferring and handling samples collected on geological traverses, and a suite of instruments for collecting preliminary data to help characterize those samples. The GeoLab and the HDU1-PEM were tested for the first time as part of the 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), NASA's analog field exercise for testing mission technologies. The HDU1- PEM and GeoLab participated in two weeks of joint operations in northern Arizona with two crewed rovers and the DRATS science team.

Evolution of a Collaborative Model between Nursing and Computer Science Faculty and a Community Service Organization to Develop an Information System

PubMed Central

Carson, Anne; Troy, Douglas

2007-01-01

Nursing and computer science students and faculty worked with the American Red Cross to investigate the potential for information technology to provide Red Cross disaster services nurses with improved access to accurate community resources in times of disaster. Funded by a national three-year grant, this interdisciplinary partnership led to field testing of an information system to support local community disaster preparedness at seven Red Cross chapters across the United States. The field test results demonstrate the benefits of the technology and the value of interdisciplinary research. The work also created a sustainable learning and research model for the future. This paper describes the collaborative model employed in this interdisciplinary research and exemplifies the benefits to faculty and students of well-timed interdisciplinary and community collaboration. PMID:18600129

Field testing results for the R-BTEX{sup {trademark}} process for controlling glycol dehydrator emissions

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

Gamez, J.P.; Rueter, C.O.; Beitler, C.M.

1995-12-01

lncreasing regulatory pressure has made emissions of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (collectively known as BTEX) and total volatile organic compounds (VOC) from glycol dehydration units a major concern for the natural gas industry since there are over 40,000 of these units in operation. The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990 have been the impetus for air toxics regulations, and the Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards for the oil and gas industry will be proposed in June, 1995, and will include glycol dehydrators. In addition, several states are regulating or considering regulation of these units. The most commonmore » control systems that have been applied to glycol dehydrators are combustion or condensation systems. Combustion systems suffer from high operating costs since they do not recover the hydrocarbon for sale and require supplemental fuel. Many of the condensation systems may not achieve sufficiently low condenser temperatures to meet regulatory control limits. The R-BTEX{sup TM} process addresses this shortcoming by recovering the steam from the glycol dehydrator and converting it to cooling water; this allows R-BTEX to achieve the lowest condenser temperature possible without refrigeration. The Gas Research Institute (GRI) is conducting a field test program to demonstrate the process under a variety of conditions. Under this program, testing has been completed at one site in south Texas and at another site in western Colorado. Startup of a third unit at a Gulf Coast site in Texas should occur in late 1994. This paper presents the testing results for the first two sites and includes a side-by-side comparison of the R-BTEX process with other available control technologies.« less

Towards direct realisation of the SI unit of sound pressure in the audible hearing range based on optical free-field acoustic particle measurements

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

Koukoulas, Triantafillos, E-mail: triantafillos.koukoulas@npl.co.uk; Piper, Ben

Since the introduction of the International System of Units (the SI system) in 1960, weights, measures, standardised approaches, procedures, and protocols have been introduced, adapted, and extensively used. A major international effort and activity concentrate on the definition and traceability of the seven base SI units in terms of fundamental constants, and consequently those units that are derived from the base units. In airborne acoustical metrology and for the audible range of frequencies up to 20 kHz, the SI unit of sound pressure, the pascal, is realised indirectly and without any knowledge or measurement of the sound field. Though themore » principle of reciprocity was originally formulated by Lord Rayleigh nearly two centuries ago, it was devised in the 1940s and eventually became a calibration standard in the 1960s; however, it can only accommodate a limited number of acoustic sensors of specific types and dimensions. International standards determine the device sensitivity either through coupler or through free-field reciprocity but rely on the continuous availability of specific acoustical artefacts. Here, we show an optical method based on gated photon correlation spectroscopy that can measure sound pressures directly and absolutely in fully anechoic conditions, remotely, and without disturbing the propagating sound field. It neither relies on the availability or performance of any measurement artefact nor makes any assumptions of the device geometry and sound field characteristics. Most importantly, the required units of sound pressure and microphone sensitivity may now be experimentally realised, thus providing direct traceability to SI base units.« less

Demonstration and validation of automated agricultural field extraction from multi-temporal Landsat data for the majority of United States harvested cropland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, L.; Roy, D. P.

2014-12-01

The spatial distribution of agricultural fields is a fundamental description of rural landscapes and the location and extent of fields is important to establish the area of land utilized for agricultural yield prediction, resource allocation, and for economic planning, and may be indicative of the degree of agricultural capital investment, mechanization, and labor intensity. To date, field objects have not been extracted from satellite data over large areas because of computational constraints, the complexity of the extraction task, and because consistently processed appropriate resolution data have not been available or affordable. A recently published automated methodology to extract agricultural crop fields from weekly 30 m Web Enabled Landsat data (WELD) time series was refined and applied to 14 states that cover 70% of harvested U.S. cropland (USDA 2012 Census). The methodology was applied to 2010 combined weekly Landsat 5 and 7 WELD data. The field extraction and quantitative validation results are presented for the following 14 states: Iowa, North Dakota, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, South Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Michigan (sorted by area of harvested cropland). These states include the top 11 U.S states by harvested cropland area. Implications and recommendations for systematic application to global coverage Landsat data are discussed.

Gendered transitions to adulthood by college field of study in the United States

PubMed Central

Han, Siqi; Tumin, Dmitry; Qian, Zhenchao

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Field of study may influence the timing of transitions to the labor market, marriage, and parenthood among college graduates. Research to date has yet to study how field of study is associated with the interweaving of these transitions in the USA. OBJECTIVE The current study examines gendered influences of college field of study on transitions to a series of adult roles, including full-time work, marriage, and parenthood. METHODS We use Cox proportional hazards models and multinomial logistic regression to examine gendered associations between field of study and the three transitions among college graduates of the NLSY97 (National Longitudinal Survey of Youth) cohort. RESULTS Men majoring in STEM achieve early transitions to full-time work, marriage, and parenthood; women majoring in STEM show no significant advantage in finding full-time work and delayed marriage and childbearing; women in business have earlier transitions to full-time work and marriage than women in other fields, demonstrating an advantage similar to that of men in STEM. CONCLUSIONS The contrast between men and women in STEM shows that transition to adulthood remains gendered; the contrast between women in STEM and women in business illustrates that a prestigious career may not necessarily delay family formation. PMID:29075146

The Sport Education Model: A Track and Field Unit Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neil, Kason; Krause, Jennifer M.

2016-01-01

Track and field is a traditional instructional unit often taught in secondary physical education settings due to its history, variety of events, and potential for student interest. This article provides an approach to teaching this unit using the sport education model (SEM) of instruction, which has traditionally been presented as a model for team…

Configuration of the mudstones, gray- and coffee-colored shale lithologic units, zones of silica and epidote, and their relation to the tectonics of the Cerro Prieto geothermal field

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

Cobo R, J.M.

1981-01-01

Based on well cuttings, five lithological units have been recognized within the area of what is now the Cerro Prieto geothermal field. These five units are described. Differences in origin, mineralogy, grading, color, compaction, etc., are shown.

[Arizona] Field Test Report. Vol. 10. Learn to Earn. 1974-75.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Small, Charles; And Others

The field test report on the "Learn to Earn" instructional unit for grade 6 is one of a series of reports on the Arizona developed Career Education Curriculum Units. Presented is specific information as to the success of the units in terms of the learner's cognitive, affective, and psychomotor behavior according to expressed performance…

From Field Days to Olympic Gold: How Black Women Revitalized Track and Field in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilreath, Erin Lea; Zupin, Dagny; Judge, Lawrence W.

2017-01-01

The sport of track and field in the United States has a storied but tumultuous past, especially in women's collegiate athletics. In the late 19th century, it was enjoyed by women at elite colleges in the form of a "field day," but would have trouble surpassing that level, among middle class Whites especially. This hurdle in large part…

Collimating slicer for optical integral field spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurent, Florence; Hénault, François

2016-07-01

Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) is a technique that gives simultaneously the spectrum of each spatial sampling element of a given field. It is a powerful tool which rearranges the data cube represented by two spatial dimensions defining the field and the spectral decomposition (x, y, λ) in a detector plane. In IFS, the "spatial" unit reorganizes the field, the "spectral" unit is being composed of a classical spectrograph. For the spatial unit, three main techniques - microlens array, microlens array associated with fibres and image slicer - are used in astronomical instrumentations. The development of a Collimating Slicer is to propose a new type of optical integral field spectroscopy which should be more compact. The main idea is to combine the image slicer with the collimator of the spectrograph mixing the "spatial" and "spectral" units. The traditional combination of slicer, pupil and slit elements and spectrograph collimator is replaced by a new one composed of a slicer and spectrograph collimator only. After testing few configurations, this new system looks very promising for low resolution spectrographs. In this paper, the state of art of integral field spectroscopy using image slicers will be described. The new system based onto the development of a Collimating Slicer for optical integral field spectroscopy will be depicted. First system analysis results and future improvements will be discussed.

Space benefits: The secondary application of aerospace technology in other sectors of the economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Over 580 examples of the beneficial use of NASA aerospace technology by public and private organizations are described to demonstrate the effects of mission-oriented programs on technological progress in the United States. General observations regarding technology transfer activity are presented. Benefit cases are listed in 20 categories along with pertinent information such as communication link with NASA; the DRI transfer example file number and individual case numbers associated with the technology and examples used; and the date of the latest contract with user organizations. Subject, organization, geographic, and field center indexes are included.

Space Benefits: The secondary application of aerospace technology in other sectors of the economy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Some 585 examples of the beneficial use of NASA aerospace technology by public and private organizations are described to demonstrate the effects of mission-oriented programs on technological progress in the United States. General observations regarding technology transfer activity are presented. Benefit cases are listed in 20 categories along with pertinent information such as communication link with NASA; the DRI transfer example file number; and individual case numbers associated with the technology and examples used; and the date of the latest contract with user organizations. Subject, organization, geographic, and field center indexes are included.

Smartphone Based Platform for Colorimetric Sensing of Dyes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Sibasish; Nath, Pabitra

We demonstrate the working of a smartphone based optical sensor for measuring absorption band of coloured dyes. By integration of simple laboratory optical components with the camera unit of the smartphone we have converted it into a visible spectrometer with a pixel resolution of 0.345 nm/pixel. Light from a broadband optical source is allowed to transmit through a specific dye solution. The transmitted light signal is captured by the camera of the smartphone. The present sensor is inexpensive, portable and light weight making it an ideal handy sensor suitable for different on-field sensing.

KSC-03PD-2364

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Researchers conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navys Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

EMC tests on the RITA Ion Propulsion Assembly for the ARTEMIS satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, H.; Kukies, R.; Bassner, H.

1992-07-01

Objectives and results of EMC tests performed on the RITA Ion Propulsion Assembly to demonstrate its compatibility with the requirements of ARTEMIS are discussed. The tested configuration included the RIT 10 thruster, neutralizer, RF generator, power supply and control unit, and electrical ground support equipment. Test results show that the RIT 10 thruster fulfils the EMC requirements for radiated emission in the critical frequency ranges (L/S/KU bands). The emitted E- and H-fields are not expected to disturb the satellite electronics, and no special shielding or other measures to protect the antennas are needed.

Gemini Frontier Fields: Wide-field Adaptive Optics Ks-band Imaging of the Galaxy Clusters MACS J0416.1-2403 and Abell 2744

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schirmer, M.; Carrasco, E. R.; Pessev, P.; Garrel, V.; Winge, C.; Neichel, B.; Vidal, F.

2015-04-01

We have observed two of the six Frontier Fields galaxy clusters, MACS J0416.1-2403 and Abell 2744, using the Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System (GeMS) and the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI). With 0.″ 08-0.″ 10 FWHM our data are nearly diffraction-limited over a 100\\prime\\prime × 100\\prime\\prime wide area. GeMS/GSAOI complements the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) redwards of 1.6 μm with twice the angular resolution. We reach a 5σ depth of {{K}s}˜ 25.6 mag (AB) for compact sources. In this paper, we describe the observations, data processing, and initial public data release. We provide fully calibrated, co-added images matching the native GSAOI pixel scale as well as the larger plate scales of the HST release, adding to the legacy value of the Frontier Fields. Our work demonstrates that even for fields at high galactic latitude where natural guide stars are rare, current multi-conjugated adaptive optics technology at 8 m telescopes has opened a new window on the distant universe. Observations of a third Frontier Field, Abell 370, are planned. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brazil) and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina). Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla and Paranal Observatories, Chile.

39 CFR 221.6 - Field organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... functional units responsible for finance, human resources, marketing, and operations support. (2) Reporting... support, finance, human resources, information technology, administrative support, and marketing. (2... assigned, Headquarters field units are responsible for legal services, corporate relations, human resources...

ORAC-DR -- integral field spectroscopy data reduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, Stephen

ORAC-DR is a general-purpose automatic data-reduction pipeline environment. This document describes its use to reduce integral field unit (IFU) data collected at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) with the UIST instrument.

Manganese modified structural and optical properties of zinc soda lime silica glasses.

PubMed

Samsudin, Nur Farhana; Matori, Khamirul Amin; Wahab, Zaidan Abdul; Fen, Yap Wing; Liew, Josephine Ying Chi; Lim, Way Foong; Mohd Zaid, Mohd Hafiz; Omar, Nur Alia Sheh

2016-03-20

A series of MnO-doped zinc soda lime silica glass systems was prepared by a conventional melt and quenching technique. In this study, the x-ray diffraction analysis was applied to confirm the amorphous nature of the glasses. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows the glass network consists of MnO₄, SiO₄, and ZnO₄ units as basic structural units. The glass samples under field emission scanning electron microscopy observation demonstrated irregularity in shape and size with glassy phase-like structure. The optical absorption studies revealed that the optical bandgap (E_opt) values decrease with an increase of MnO content. Through the results of various measurements, the doping of MnO in the glass matrix had effects on the performance of the glasses and significantly improved the properties of the glass sample as a potential host for phosphor material.

Limiting (zero-load) speed of the rotary motor of Escherichia coli is independent of the number of torque-generating units

PubMed Central

Wang, Bin; Zhang, Rongjing; Yuan, Junhua

2017-01-01

Rotation of the bacterial flagellar motor is driven by multiple torque-generating units (stator elements). The torque-generating dynamics can be understood in terms of the “duty ratio” of the stator elements, that is, the fraction of time a stator element engages with the rotor during its mechanochemical cycle. The dependence of the limiting speed (zero-load speed) of the motor on the number of stator elements is the determining test of the duty ratio, which has been controversial experimentally and theoretically over the past decade. Here, we developed a method combining laser dark-field microscopy and optical trapping to resolve this controversy. We found that the zero-load speed is independent of the number of stator elements for the bacterial flagellar motor in Escherichia coli, demonstrating that these elements have a duty ratio close to 1. PMID:29109285

Limiting (zero-load) speed of the rotary motor of Escherichia coli is independent of the number of torque-generating units.

PubMed

Wang, Bin; Zhang, Rongjing; Yuan, Junhua

2017-11-21

Rotation of the bacterial flagellar motor is driven by multiple torque-generating units (stator elements). The torque-generating dynamics can be understood in terms of the "duty ratio" of the stator elements, that is, the fraction of time a stator element engages with the rotor during its mechanochemical cycle. The dependence of the limiting speed (zero-load speed) of the motor on the number of stator elements is the determining test of the duty ratio, which has been controversial experimentally and theoretically over the past decade. Here, we developed a method combining laser dark-field microscopy and optical trapping to resolve this controversy. We found that the zero-load speed is independent of the number of stator elements for the bacterial flagellar motor in Escherichia coli , demonstrating that these elements have a duty ratio close to 1.

Computer simulations and real-time control of ELT AO systems using graphical processing units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lianqi; Ellerbroek, Brent

2012-07-01

The adaptive optics (AO) simulations at the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) have been carried out using the efficient, C based multi-threaded adaptive optics simulator (MAOS, http://github.com/lianqiw/maos). By porting time-critical parts of MAOS to graphical processing units (GPU) using NVIDIA CUDA technology, we achieved a 10 fold speed up for each GTX 580 GPU used compared to a modern quad core CPU. Each time step of full scale end to end simulation for the TMT narrow field infrared AO system (NFIRAOS) takes only 0.11 second in a desktop with two GTX 580s. We also demonstrate that the TMT minimum variance reconstructor can be assembled in matrix vector multiply (MVM) format in 8 seconds with 8 GTX 580 GPUs, meeting the TMT requirement for updating the reconstructor. Analysis show that it is also possible to apply the MVM using 8 GTX 580s within the required latency.

Ultra-Thin Dual-Band Polarization-Insensitive and Wide-Angle Perfect Metamaterial Absorber Based on a Single Circular Sector Resonator Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Hao; Cheng, Yong Zhi

2018-01-01

We present a simple design for an ultra-thin dual-band polarization-insensitive and wide-angle perfect metamaterial absorber (PMMA) based on a single circular sector resonator structure (CSRS). Both simulation and experimental results reveal that two resonance peaks with average absorption above 99% can be achieved. The dual-band PMMA is ultra-thin with total thickness of 0.5 mm, which is

Synthetic magnetoelectric coupling in a nanocomposite multiferroic

DOE PAGES

Jain, P.; Wang, Q.; Roldan, M.; ...

2015-03-13

Given the paucity of single phase multiferroic materials (with large ferromagnetic moment), composite systems seem an attractive solution to realize magnetoelectric coupling between ferromagnetic and ferroelectric order parameters. Despite having antiferromagnetic order, BiFeO₃ (BFO) has nevertheless been a key material due to excellent ferroelectric properties at room temperature. We studied a superlattice composed of 8 repetitions of 6 unit cells of La₀.₇Sr₀.₃MnO₃ (LSMO) grown on 5 unit cells of BFO. Significant net uncompensated magnetization in BFO, an insulating superlattice, is demonstrated using polarized neutron reflectometry. Remarkably, the magnetization enables magnetic field to change the dielectric properties of the superlattice, whichmore » we cite as an example of synthetic magnetoelectric coupling. Importantly, controlled creation of magnetic moment in BFO is a much needed path toward design and implementation of integrated oxide devices for next generation magnetoelectric data storage platforms.« less

Integrating Buddhism and HIV prevention in U.S. southeast Asian communities.

PubMed

Loue, S; Lane, S D; Lloyd, L S; Loh, L

1999-02-01

Asian Pacific Islander communities in the United States have experienced an alarming increase in HIV infection over the past few years, possibly due to a lack of knowledge and the relative absence of appropriate educational interventions. The authors propose a new approach to the development of HIV prevention programs in U.S. southeast Asian communities. This article reviews the cultural and economic factors that may facilitate HIV transmission within these communities. Relying on the basic precepts of Buddhism, the dominant religion of many southeast Asian populations in the United States, the health belief model is utilized to demonstrate how recognizable, acceptable religious constructs can be integrated into the content of HIV prevention messages. This integration of religious concepts with HIV prevention messages may increase the likelihood that the message audience will accept the prevention messages as relevant. This nuanced approach to HIV prevention must be validated and refined through field research.

Investigation of Micro-Scale Architectural Effects on Damage of Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stier, Bertram; Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Simon, Jaan W.; Reese, Stefanie

2015-01-01

This paper presents a three-dimensional, energy based, anisotropic, stiffness reduction, progressive damage model for composite materials and composite material constituents. The model has been implemented as a user-defined constitutive model within the Abaqus finite element software package and applied to simulate the nonlinear behavior of a damaging epoxy matrix within a unidirectional composite material. Three different composite microstructures were considered as finite element repeating unit cells, with appropriate periodicity conditions applied at the boundaries. Results representing predicted transverse tensile, longitudinal shear, and transverse shear stress-strain curves are presented, along with plots of the local fields indicating the damage progression within the microstructure. It is demonstrated that the damage model functions appropriately at the matrix scale, enabling localization of the damage to simulate failure of the composite material. The influence of the repeating unit cell geometry and the effect of the directionality of the applied loading are investigated and discussed.

Lighting for Tomorrow: Building on the results of the first national energy-efficient lighting fixture design competition in the United States

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

Gordon, Kelly L.; Foster, Rebecca; McGowan, Terry

2005-05-09

Lighting for Tomorrow was the first residential lighting fixture design competition conducted in the United States to focus on energy-efficient light sources. Sponsored by the American Lighting Association, the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, and the U.S. Department of Energy, the competition was carried out in two phases between 2002 and 2004. Five winning fixture designs were selected from a field of 24 finalists. The paper describes the competition in detail, including its origins, sponsors, structure and rules, timeline, prizes, selection criteria, and judges. The paper describes the results of the competition, including industry response, promotion and publicity efforts, technical andmore » design innovations demonstrated by the winners, and retail placements to date. Finally, the paper offers several lessons learned that are instructive for future efforts to promote high-efficiency lighting through the design competition approach.« less

The United States Department Of Agriculture Northeast Area-wide Tick Control Project: history and protocol.

PubMed

Pound, Joe Mathews; Miller, John Allen; George, John E; Fish, Durland

2009-08-01

The Northeast Area-wide Tick Control Project (NEATCP) was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a large-scale cooperative demonstration project of the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-patented 4-Poster tick control technology (Pound et al. 1994) involving the USDA-ARS and a consortium of universities, state agencies, and a consulting firm at research locations in the five states of Connecticut (CT), Maryland (MD), New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), and Rhode Island (RI). The stated objective of the project was "A community-based field trial of ARS-patented tick control technology designed to reduce the risk of Lyme disease in northeastern states." Here we relate the rationale and history of the technology, a chronological listing of events leading to implementation of the project, the original protocol for selecting treatment, and control sites, and protocols for deployment of treatments, sampling, assays, data analyses, and estimates of efficacy.

Designing perturbative metamaterials from discrete models.

PubMed

Matlack, Kathryn H; Serra-Garcia, Marc; Palermo, Antonio; Huber, Sebastian D; Daraio, Chiara

2018-04-01

Identifying material geometries that lead to metamaterials with desired functionalities presents a challenge for the field. Discrete, or reduced-order, models provide a concise description of complex phenomena, such as negative refraction, or topological surface states; therefore, the combination of geometric building blocks to replicate discrete models presenting the desired features represents a promising approach. However, there is no reliable way to solve such an inverse problem. Here, we introduce 'perturbative metamaterials', a class of metamaterials consisting of weakly interacting unit cells. The weak interaction allows us to associate each element of the discrete model with individual geometric features of the metamaterial, thereby enabling a systematic design process. We demonstrate our approach by designing two-dimensional elastic metamaterials that realize Veselago lenses, zero-dispersion bands and topological surface phonons. While our selected examples are within the mechanical domain, the same design principle can be applied to acoustic, thermal and photonic metamaterials composed of weakly interacting unit cells.

Women Content in the Army - REFORGER 77 (REF WAC 77)

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-05-30

dsrbtoWnimtd T.TlNC𔃾CISFTEfl ICUITv CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGZMImm Data i-hiraM Since some support units on both sides of the REFORGER 77 exercise contained...whether performance during an extended field exercise was \\\\ affected by fatigue and stress more adversely in units containing women than in all-male...units. \\ Results support a conclusion that 10% women has negligible impact on unit performance in a 10 day field exercise for the types of companies

Anti-reflection coating design for metallic terahertz meta-materials

DOE PAGES

Pancaldi, Matteo; Freeman, Ryan; Hudl, Matthias; ...

2018-01-26

We demonstrate a silicon-based, single-layer anti-reflection coating that suppresses the reflectivity of metals at near-infrared frequencies, enabling optical probing of nano-scale structures embedded in highly reflective surroundings. Our design does not affect the interaction of terahertz radiation with metallic structures that can be used to achieve terahertz near-field enhancement. We have verified the functionality of the design by calculating and measuring the reflectivity of both infrared and terahertz radiation from a silicon/gold double layer as a function of the silicon thickness. We have also fabricated the unit cell of a terahertz meta-material, a dipole antenna comprising two 20-nm thick extendedmore » gold plates separated by a 2 μm gap, where the terahertz field is locally enhanced. We used the time-domain finite element method to demonstrate that such near-field enhancement is preserved in the presence of the anti-reflection coating. Finally, we performed magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements on a single 3-nm thick, 1-μm wide magnetic wire placed in the gap of such a dipole antenna. The wire only occupies 2% of the area probed by the laser beam, but its magneto-optical response can be clearly detected. Our design paves the way for ultrafast time-resolved studies, using table-top femtosecond near-infrared lasers, of dynamics in nano-structures driven by strong terahertz radiation.« less

Anti-reflection coating design for metallic terahertz meta-materials

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

Pancaldi, Matteo; Freeman, Ryan; Hudl, Matthias

We demonstrate a silicon-based, single-layer anti-reflection coating that suppresses the reflectivity of metals at near-infrared frequencies, enabling optical probing of nano-scale structures embedded in highly reflective surroundings. Our design does not affect the interaction of terahertz radiation with metallic structures that can be used to achieve terahertz near-field enhancement. We have verified the functionality of the design by calculating and measuring the reflectivity of both infrared and terahertz radiation from a silicon/gold double layer as a function of the silicon thickness. We have also fabricated the unit cell of a terahertz meta-material, a dipole antenna comprising two 20-nm thick extendedmore » gold plates separated by a 2 μm gap, where the terahertz field is locally enhanced. We used the time-domain finite element method to demonstrate that such near-field enhancement is preserved in the presence of the anti-reflection coating. Finally, we performed magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements on a single 3-nm thick, 1-μm wide magnetic wire placed in the gap of such a dipole antenna. The wire only occupies 2% of the area probed by the laser beam, but its magneto-optical response can be clearly detected. Our design paves the way for ultrafast time-resolved studies, using table-top femtosecond near-infrared lasers, of dynamics in nano-structures driven by strong terahertz radiation.« less

Anti-reflection coating design for metallic terahertz meta-materials.

PubMed

Pancaldi, Matteo; Freeman, Ryan; Hudl, Matthias; Hoffmann, Matthias C; Urazhdin, Sergei; Vavassori, Paolo; Bonetti, Stefano

2018-02-05

We demonstrate a silicon-based, single-layer anti-reflection coating that suppresses the reflectivity of metals at near-infrared frequencies, enabling optical probing of nano-scale structures embedded in highly reflective surroundings. Our design does not affect the interaction of terahertz radiation with metallic structures that can be used to achieve terahertz near-field enhancement. We have verified the functionality of the design by calculating and measuring the reflectivity of both infrared and terahertz radiation from a silicon/gold double layer as a function of the silicon thickness. We have also fabricated the unit cell of a terahertz meta-material, a dipole antenna comprising two 20-nm thick extended gold plates separated by a 2 μm gap, where the terahertz field is locally enhanced. We used the time-domain finite element method to demonstrate that such near-field enhancement is preserved in the presence of the anti-reflection coating. Finally, we performed magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements on a single 3-nm thick, 1-μm wide magnetic wire placed in the gap of such a dipole antenna. The wire only occupies 2% of the area probed by the laser beam, but its magneto-optical response can be clearly detected. Our design paves the way for ultrafast time-resolved studies, using table-top femtosecond near-infrared lasers, of dynamics in nano-structures driven by strong terahertz radiation.

Efficient calculation of many-body induced electrostatics in molecular systems

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

McLaughlin, Keith, E-mail: kmclaugh@mail.usf.edu; Cioce, Christian R.; Pham, Tony

Potential energy functions including many-body polarization are in widespread use in simulations of aqueous and biological systems, metal-organics, molecular clusters, and other systems where electronically induced redistribution of charge among local atomic sites is of importance. The polarization interactions, treated here via the methods of Thole and Applequist, while long-ranged, can be computed for moderate-sized periodic systems with extremely high accuracy by extending Ewald summation to the induced fields as demonstrated by Nymand, Sala, and others. These full Ewald polarization calculations, however, are expensive and often limited to very small systems, particularly in Monte Carlo simulations, which may require energymore » evaluation over several hundred-thousand configurations. For such situations, it shall be shown that sufficiently accurate computation of the polarization energy can be produced in a fraction of the central processing unit (CPU) time by neglecting the long-range extension to the induced fields while applying the long-range treatments of Ewald or Wolf to the static fields; these methods, denoted Ewald E-Static and Wolf E-Static (WES), respectively, provide an effective means to obtain polarization energies for intermediate and large systems including those with several thousand polarizable sites in a fraction of the CPU time. Furthermore, we shall demonstrate a means to optimize the damping for WES calculations via extrapolation from smaller trial systems.« less

SU-F-303-15: Ion Chamber Dose Response in Magnetic Fields as a Function of Incident Photon Energy

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

Malkov, V. N.; Rogers, D. W. O.

2015-06-15

Purpose: In considering the continued development of synergetic MRI-radiation therapy machines, we seek to quantify the variability of ion chamber response per unit dose in the presence of magnetic fields of varying strength as a function of incident photon beam quality and geometric configuration. Methods: To account for the effect of magnetic fields on the trajectory of charged particles a new algorithm was introduced into the EGSnrc Monte Carlo code. In the egs-chamber user code the dose to the cavity of an NE2571 ion chamber is calculated in two configurations, in 0 to 2 T magnetic fields, with an incomingmore » parallel 10×10 cm{sup 2} photon beam with energies ranging between 0.5 MeV and 8 MeV. In the first, the photon beam is incident on the long-axis of the ion chamber (config-1), and in the second the beam is parallel to the long-axis and incident from the conical end of the chamber (config-2). For both, the magnetic field is perpendicular to the direction of the beam and the long axis of the chamber. Results: The ion chamber response per unit dose to water at the same point is determined as a function of magnetic field and is normalized to the 0T case for each of incoming photon energies. For both configurations, accurate modeling of the ion chamber yielded closer agreement with the experimental results obtained by Meijsing et. al (2009). Config-1 yields a gradual increase in response with increasing field strength to a maximum of 13.4% and 1.4% for 1 MeV and 8 MeV photon beams, respectively. Config-2 produced a decrease in response of up to 6% and 13% for 0.5 MeV and 8 MeV beams, respectively. Conclusion: These results provide further support for ion chamber calibration in MRI-radiotherapy coupled systems and demonstrates noticeable energy dependence for clinically relevant fields.« less

A 5-year analysis of crop phenologies from the United States Heartland (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, D. M.

2010-12-01

Time series imagery data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was intersected with annually updated field-level crop data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). Phenological metrics were derived for major crop types found in the United States (US) Heartland region. The specific MODIS data consisted of the 16-day composited Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) 250 meter spatial resolution imagery from the Terra satellite. Crops evaluated included corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, sorghum, rice, and other small grains. Charts showing the annual average state-level NDVI phenologies by crop were constructed for the five years between 2006 and 2010. The states of interest covered the intensively cultivated regions in the US Great Plains, Corn Belt, and Mississippi River Alluvial Plain. Results demonstrated the recent biophysical growth cycles of prevalent and widespread US crops and how they varied by geography and year. Linkages between the time series data and planting practices, weather impacts, crop progress reports, and yields were also investigated.

Field of Bachelor's Degree in the United States: 2009. American Community Survey Reports. ACS-18

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siebens, Julie; Ryan, Camille L.

2012-01-01

This report provides information on fields of bachelor's degrees in the United States using data from the 2009 American Community Survey (ACS). It includes estimates of fields of bachelor's degree by demographic characteristics including age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, nativity, and educational attainment. This report also looks at geographic and…

Detection and measurement of clinically meaningful visual field progression in clinical trials for glaucoma.

PubMed

De Moraes, C Gustavo; Liebmann, Jeffrey M; Levin, Leonard A

2017-01-01

Glaucomatous visual field progression has both personal and societal costs and therefore has a serious impact on quality of life. At the present time, intraocular pressure (IOP) is considered to be the most important modifiable risk factor for glaucoma onset and progression. Reduction of IOP has been repeatedly demonstrated to be an effective intervention across the spectrum of glaucoma, regardless of subtype or disease stage. In the setting of approval of IOP-lowering therapies, it is expected that effects on IOP will translate into benefits in long-term patient-reported outcomes. Nonetheless, the effect of these medications on IOP and their associated risks can be consistently and objectively measured. This helps to explain why regulatory approval of new therapies in glaucoma has historically used IOP as the outcome variable. Although all approved treatments for glaucoma involve IOP reduction, patients frequently continue to progress despite treatment. It would therefore be beneficial to develop treatments that preserve visual function through mechanisms other than lowering IOP. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that they will accept a clinically meaningful definition of visual field progression using Glaucoma Change Probability criteria. Nonetheless, these criteria do not take into account the time (and hence, the speed) needed to reach significant change. In this paper we provide an analysis based on the existing literature to support the hypothesis that decreasing the rate of visual field progression by 30% in a trial lasting 12-18 months is clinically meaningful. We demonstrate that a 30% decrease in rate of visual field progression can be reliably projected to have a significant effect on health-related quality of life, as defined by validated instruments designed to measure that endpoint. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection and measurement of clinically meaningful visual field progression in clinical trials for glaucoma

PubMed Central

De Moraes, C. Gustavo; Liebmann, Jeffrey M.; Levin, Leonard A.

2016-01-01

Glaucomatous visual field progression has both personal and societal costs and therefore has a serious impact on quality of life. At the present time, intraocular pressure (IOP) is considered to be the most important modifiable risk factor for glaucoma onset and progression. Reduction of IOP has been repeatedly demonstrated to be an effective intervention across the spectrum of glaucoma, regardless of subtype or disease stage. In the setting of approval of IOP-lowering therapies, it is expected that effects on IOP will translate into benefits in long-term patient-reported outcomes. Nonetheless, the effect of these medications on IOP and their associated risks can be consistently and objectively measured. This helps to explain why regulatory approval of new therapies in glaucoma has historically used IOP as the outcome variable. Although all approved treatments for glaucoma involve IOP reduction, patients frequently continue to progress despite treatment. It would therefore be beneficial to develop treatments that preserve visual function through mechanisms other than lowering IOP. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that they will accept a clinically meaningful definition of visual field progression using Glaucoma Change Probability criteria. Nonetheless, these criteria do not take into account the time (and hence, the speed) needed to reach significant change. In this paper we provide an analysis based on the existing literature to support the hypothesis that decreasing the rate of visual field progression by 30% in a trial lasting 12–18 months is clinically meaningful. We demonstrate that a 30% decrease in rate of visual field progression can be reliably projected to have a significant effect on health-related quality of life, as defined by validated instruments designed to measure that endpoint. PMID:27773767

Saltcedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act Science Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shafroth, Patrick B.; Brown, Curtis A.; Merritt, David M.

2010-01-01

The primary intent of this document is to provide the science assessment called for under The Saltcedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-320; the Act). A secondary purpose is to provide a common background for applicants for prospective demonstration projects, should funds be appropriated for this second phase of the Act. This document synthesizes the state-of-the-science on the following topics: the distribution and abundance (extent) of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) in the Western United States, potential for water savings associated with controlling saltcedar and Russian olive and the associated restoration of occupied sites, considerations related to wildlife use of saltcedar and Russian olive habitat or restored habitats, methods to control saltcedar and Russian olive, possible utilization of dead biomass following removal of saltcedar and Russian olive, and approaches and challenges associated with revegetation or restoration following control efforts. A concluding chapter discusses possible long-term management strategies, needs for additional study, potentially useful field demonstration projects, and a planning process for on-the-ground projects involving removal of saltcedar and Russian olive.

Explicit integration with GPU acceleration for large kinetic networks

DOE PAGES

Brock, Benjamin; Belt, Andrew; Billings, Jay Jay; ...

2015-09-15

In this study, we demonstrate the first implementation of recently-developed fast explicit kinetic integration algorithms on modern graphics processing unit (GPU) accelerators. Taking as a generic test case a Type Ia supernova explosion with an extremely stiff thermonuclear network having 150 isotopic species and 1604 reactions coupled to hydrodynamics using operator splitting, we demonstrate the capability to solve of order 100 realistic kinetic networks in parallel in the same time that standard implicit methods can solve a single such network on a CPU. In addition, this orders-of-magnitude decrease in computation time for solving systems of realistic kinetic networks implies thatmore » important coupled, multiphysics problems in various scientific and technical fields that were intractable, or could be simulated only with highly schematic kinetic networks, are now computationally feasible.« less

Schoolyard Volcanoes: A Unit in Volcanology and Hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechner, H. N.; Gochis, E. E.; Brill, K. A.

2014-12-01

How do you teach volcanology and volcanic hazards to students when there is no volcano nearby? You bring the volcano to them! At Michigan Technological University we have developed a four-lesson-unit for middle and high school students which incorporates virtual, analogue and numerical models to increase students' interests in geosciences while simultaneously expanding the community of earth-science-literate individuals necessary for a disaster resilient society. The unit aims to build on students' prior geoscience knowledge by examining the physical properties that influence volcanic eruptions and introduces them to challenges and methods of communicating hazards and risk. Lesson one engages students in a series of hands-on investigations that explore the "3-Vs" of volcanology: Viscosity, Volatiles and Volume. The students learn about the relationship between magma composition and viscosity and the influence on eruption style, behavior and morphology of different volcanoes. Lesson two uses an analogue model of a volcano to demonstrate the forces involved in an explosive eruption and associated hazards. Students think critically about the factors that affect hazards and risk as well as the variables (such as topography) that affect the eruption and the hazard. During lesson three students use Google Earth for a virtual field trip to Pacaya volcano, Guatemala to examine changes in the landscape over time and other evidence of volcanic activity to make interpretations about the volcano. The final lesson has the students use numerical models and GIS to create hazard maps based on probabilistic lahar scenarios. Throughout the unit students are engaged in an inquiry-based exploration that covers several Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) content and practices. This four lesson unit has been field tested in two school districts and during a summer engineering program. Results from student work and post-surveys show that this strategy raises interests in and knowledge of volcanic hazards.

Water sample filtration unit

USGS Publications Warehouse

Skougstad, M.W.; Scarbro, G.F.

1968-01-01

A readily portable, all plastic, pressure filtration unit is described which greatly facilitates rapid micropore membrane field filtration of up to several liters of water with a minimum risk of inorganic chemical alteration or contamination of the sample. The unit accommodates standard 10.2-cm. (4-inch) diameter filters. The storage and carrying case serves as a convenient filter stand for both field and laboratory use.

Low Energy Technology. A Unit of Instruction on Energy Conservation in Field Crop Production.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, George; Scanlon, Dennis C.

This unit of instruction on energy conservation in field crop production was designed for use by agribusiness and natural resources teachers in Florida high schools and by agricultural extension agents as they work with adults and students. It is one of a series of 11 instructional units (see note) written to help teachers and agents to educate…

Extrapolating Accelerated UV Weathering Data: Perspective From PVQAT Task Group 5 (Presentation)

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

Miller, D.; Annigoni, E.; Ballion, A.

2015-02-01

Taskgroup 5 (TG5) is concerned with a accelerated aging standard incorporating factors including ultraviolet radiation, temperature, and moisture. Separate experiments are being conducted in support of a test standard via the regional sub-groups in Asia, Europe, and the United States. The authors will describe the objectives and timeline for the TG5 interlaboratory study being directed out of the USA. Qualitative preliminary data from the experiment is presented. To date, the encapsulation transmittance experiment has: replicated behaviors of fielded materials (including specimen location- and formulation additive-specific discoloration); demonstrated coupling between UV aging and temperature; demonstrated that degradation in EVA results frommore » UV- aging; and obtained good qualitative comparison between Xe and UVA-340 sources for EVA. To date, the encapsulation adhesion experiment (using the compressive shear test to quantify strength of attachment) has demonstrated that attachment strength can decrease drastically (>50%) with age; however, early results suggest significant factor (UV, T, RH) dependence. Much remains to be learned about adhesion.« less

Key considerations for the success of Medical Education Research and Innovation units in Canada: unit director perceptions.

PubMed

Varpio, Lara; Bidlake, Erin; Humphrey-Murto, Sue; Sutherland, Stephanie; Hamstra, Stanley J

2014-08-01

Growth in the field of medical education is evidenced by the proliferation of units dedicated to advancing Medical Education Research and Innovation (MERI). While a review of the literature discovered narrative accounts of MERI unit development, we found no systematic examinations of the dimensions of and structures that facilitate the success of these units. We conducted qualitative interviews with the directors of 12 MERI units across Canada. Data were analyzed using qualitative description (Sandelowski in Res Nurs Health 23:334-340, 2000). Final analysis drew on Bourdieu's (Outline of a theory of practice. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1977; Media, culture and society: a critical reader. Sage, London, 1986; Language and symbolic power. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1991) concepts of field, habitus, and capital, and more recent research investigating the field of MERI (Albert in Acad Med 79:948-954, 2004; Albert et al. in Adv Health Sci Educ 12:103-115, 2007). When asked about the metrics by which they define their success, directors cited: teaching, faculty mentoring, building collaborations, delivering conference presentations, winning grant funding, and disseminating publications. Analyzed using Bourdieu's concepts, these metrics are discussed as forms of capital that have been legitimized in the MERI field. All directors, with the exception of one, described success as being comprised of elements (capital) at both ends of the service-research spectrum (i.e., Albert's PP-PU structure). Our analysis highlights the forms of habitus (i.e., behaviors, attitudes, demeanors) directors use to negotiate, strategize and position the unit within their local context. These findings may assist institutions in developing a new-or reorganizing an existing-MERI unit. We posit that a better understanding of these complex social structures can help units become savvy participants in the MERI field. With such insight, units can improve their academic output and their status in the MERI context-locally, nationally, and internationally.

Status of E-ELT M5 scale-one demonstrator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barriga, Pablo; Sedghi, Babak; Dimmler, Martin; Kornweibel, Nick

2014-07-01

The fifth mirror of the European Extremely Large Telescope optical train is a field stabilization tip/tilt unit responsible for correcting the dynamical tip and tilt caused mainly by wind load on the telescope. A scale-one prototype including the inclined support, the fixed frame and a basic control system was designed and manufactured by NTE-SENER (Spain) and CSEM (Switzerland) as part of the prototyping and design activities. All interfaces to the mirror have been reproduced on a dummy structure reproducing the inertial characteristics of the optical element. The M5 unit is required to have sufficient bandwidth for tip/tilt reference commands coming from the wavefront control system. Such a bandwidth can be achieved using local active damping loop to damp the low frequency mechanical modes before closing a position loop. Prototyping on the M5 unit has been undertaken in order to demonstrate the E-ELT control system architecture, concepts and development standards and to further study active damping strategies. The control system consists of two nested loops: a local damping loop and a position loop. The development of this control system was undertaken following the E-ELT control system development standards in order to determine their applicability and performance and includes hardware selection, communication, synchronization, configuration, and data logging. In this paper we present the current status of the prototype M5 control system and the latest results on the active damping control strategy, in particular the promising results obtained with the method of positive position feedback.

Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) in the Western United States-A Report on the State of the Science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shafroth, Patrick

2010-01-01

The Salt Cedar and Russian Olive Control Demonstration Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-320) directs the Department of the Interior to submit a report to Congress that includes an assessment of several issues surrounding these two nonnative trees, now dominant components of the vegetation along many rivers in the Western United States. This report was published in 2010 as a U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report (available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2009/5247). The report was produced through a collaborative effort led by the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Geological Survey, with critical contributions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and from university researchers. The document synthesizes the state of the science and key research needs on the following topics related to management of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) in the Western United States: their distribution and abundance (extent); the potential for water savings associated with controlling these species; considerations related to wildlife use of saltcedar and Russian olive habitat and restored habitats; methods of control and removal; possible utilization of dead biomass following control and removal; and approaches and challenges associated with site revegetation or restoration. A concluding chapter discusses possible long-term management strategies, potentially useful field-demonstration projects, and a planning process for on-the-ground projects involving removal of saltcedar and Russian olive.

Neural chronometry and coherency across speed-accuracy demands reveal lack of homomorphism between computational and neural mechanisms of evidence accumulation.

PubMed

Heitz, Richard P; Schall, Jeffrey D

2013-10-19

The stochastic accumulation framework provides a mechanistic, quantitative account of perceptual decision-making and how task performance changes with experimental manipulations. Importantly, it provides an elegant account of the speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT), which has long been the litmus test for decision models, and also mimics the activity of single neurons in several key respects. Recently, we developed a paradigm whereby macaque monkeys trade speed for accuracy on cue during visual search task. Single-unit activity in frontal eye field (FEF) was not homomorphic with the architecture of models, demonstrating that stochastic accumulators are an incomplete description of neural activity under SAT. This paper summarizes and extends this work, further demonstrating that the SAT leads to extensive, widespread changes in brain activity never before predicted. We will begin by reviewing our recently published work that establishes how spiking activity in FEF accomplishes SAT. Next, we provide two important extensions of this work. First, we report a new chronometric analysis suggesting that increases in perceptual gain with speed stress are evident in FEF synaptic input, implicating afferent sensory-processing sources. Second, we report a new analysis demonstrating selective influence of SAT on frequency coupling between FEF neurons and local field potentials. None of these observations correspond to the mechanics of current accumulator models.

All-dielectric metasurface analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency [High Quality Factor Fano-Resonant All-Dielectric Metamaterials

DOE PAGES

Yang, Yuanmu; Kravchenko, Ivan I.; Briggs, Dayrl P.; ...

2014-12-16

Fano-resonant plasmonic metamaterials and nanostructures have become a major focus of the nanophotonics fields over the past several years due their ability to produce high quality factor (Q-factor) resonances. The origin of such resonances is the interference between a broad and narrow resonance, ultimately allowing suppression of radiative damping. However, Fano-resonant plasmonic structures still suffer non-radiative damping due to Ohmic loss, ultimately limiting the achievable Q-factors to values less than ~10. Here, we report experimental demonstration of Fano-resonant silicon-based metamaterials that have a response that mimics the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) found in atomic systems. Due to extremely low absorptionmore » loss, a record-high quality factor (Q-factor) of 306 was experimentally observed. Furthermore, the unit cell of the metamaterial was designed with a feed-gap which results in strong local field enhancement in the surrounding medium resulting in strong light-matter interaction. This allows the metamaterial to serve as a refractive index sensor with a figure-of-merit (FOM) of 101, far exceeding the performance of previously demonstrated localized surface plasmon resonance sensors.« less

Simulation of one-sided heating of boiler unit membrane-type water walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurepin, M. P.; Serbinovskiy, M. Yu.

2017-03-01

This study describes the results of simulation of the temperature field and the stress-strain state of membrane-type gastight water walls of boiler units using the finite element method. The methods of analytical and standard calculation of one-sided heating of fin-tube water walls by a radiative heat flux are analyzed. The methods and software for input data calculation in the finite-element simulation, including thermoelastic moments in welded panels that result from their one-sided heating, are proposed. The method and software modules are used for water wall simulation using ANSYS. The results of simulation of the temperature field, stress field, deformations and displacement of the membrane-type panel for the boiler furnace water wall using the finite-element method, as well as the results of calculation of the panel tube temperature, stresses and deformations using the known methods, are presented. The comparison of the known experimental results on heating and bending by given moments of membrane-type water walls and numerical simulations is performed. It is demonstrated that numerical results agree with high accuracy with the experimental data. The relative temperature difference does not exceed 1%. The relative difference of the experimental fin mutual turning angle caused by one-sided heating by radiative heat flux and the results obtained in the finite element simulation does not exceed 8.5% for nondisplaced fins and 7% for fins with displacement. The same difference for the theoretical results and the simulation using the finite-element method does not exceed 3% and 7.1%, respectively. The proposed method and software modules for simulation of the temperature field and stress-strain state of the water walls are verified and the feasibility of their application in practical design is proven.

A Multiscale Computational Model Combining a Single Crystal Plasticity Constitutive Model with the Generalized Method of Cells (GMC) for Metallic Polycrystals.

PubMed

Ghorbani Moghaddam, Masoud; Achuthan, Ajit; Bednarcyk, Brett A; Arnold, Steven M; Pineda, Evan J

2016-05-04

A multiscale computational model is developed for determining the elasto-plastic behavior of polycrystal metals by employing a single crystal plasticity constitutive model that can capture the microstructural scale stress field on a finite element analysis (FEA) framework. The generalized method of cells (GMC) micromechanics model is used for homogenizing the local field quantities. At first, the stand-alone GMC is applied for studying simple material microstructures such as a repeating unit cell (RUC) containing single grain or two grains under uniaxial loading conditions. For verification, the results obtained by the stand-alone GMC are compared to those from an analogous FEA model incorporating the same single crystal plasticity constitutive model. This verification is then extended to samples containing tens to hundreds of grains. The results demonstrate that the GMC homogenization combined with the crystal plasticity constitutive framework is a promising approach for failure analysis of structures as it allows for properly predicting the von Mises stress in the entire RUC, in an average sense, as well as in the local microstructural level, i.e. , each individual grain. Two-three orders of saving in computational cost, at the expense of some accuracy in prediction, especially in the prediction of the components of local tensor field quantities and the quantities near the grain boundaries, was obtained with GMC. Finally, the capability of the developed multiscale model linking FEA and GMC to solve real-life-sized structures is demonstrated by successfully analyzing an engine disc component and determining the microstructural scale details of the field quantities.

High-Performance Ultrathin Active Chiral Metamaterials.

PubMed

Wu, Zilong; Chen, Xiaodong; Wang, Mingsong; Dong, Jianwen; Zheng, Yuebing

2018-05-22

Ultrathin active chiral metamaterials with dynamically tunable and responsive optical chirality enable new optical sensors, modulators, and switches. Herein, we develop ultrathin active chiral metamaterials of highly tunable chiroptical responses by inducing tunable near-field coupling in the metamaterials and exploit the metamaterials as ultrasensitive sensors to detect trace amounts of solvent impurities. To demonstrate the active chiral metamaterials mediated by tunable near-field coupling, we design moiré chiral metamaterials (MCMs) as model metamaterials, which consist of two layers of identical Au nanohole arrays stacked upon one another in moiré patterns with a dielectric spacer layer between the Au layers. Our simulations, analytical fittings, and experiments reveal that spacer-dependent near-field coupling exists in the MCMs, which significantly enhances the spectral shift and line shape change of the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the MCMs. Furthermore, we use a silk fibroin thin film as the spacer layer in the MCM. With the solvent-controllable swelling of the silk fibroin thin films, we demonstrate actively tunable near-field coupling and chiroptical responses of the silk-MCMs. Impressively, we have achieved the spectral shift over a wavelength range that is more than one full width at half-maximum and the sign inversion of the CD spectra in a single ultrathin (1/5 of wavelength in thickness) MCM. Finally, we apply the silk-MCMs as ultrasensitive sensors to detect trace amounts of solvent impurities down to 200 ppm, corresponding to an ultrahigh sensitivity of >10 5 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) and a figure of merit of 10 5 /RIU.

DeepAnomaly: Combining Background Subtraction and Deep Learning for Detecting Obstacles and Anomalies in an Agricultural Field.

PubMed

Christiansen, Peter; Nielsen, Lars N; Steen, Kim A; Jørgensen, Rasmus N; Karstoft, Henrik

2016-11-11

Convolutional neural network (CNN)-based systems are increasingly used in autonomous vehicles for detecting obstacles. CNN-based object detection and per-pixel classification (semantic segmentation) algorithms are trained for detecting and classifying a predefined set of object types. These algorithms have difficulties in detecting distant and heavily occluded objects and are, by definition, not capable of detecting unknown object types or unusual scenarios. The visual characteristics of an agriculture field is homogeneous, and obstacles, like people, animals and other obstacles, occur rarely and are of distinct appearance compared to the field. This paper introduces DeepAnomaly, an algorithm combining deep learning and anomaly detection to exploit the homogenous characteristics of a field to perform anomaly detection. We demonstrate DeepAnomaly as a fast state-of-the-art detector for obstacles that are distant, heavily occluded and unknown. DeepAnomaly is compared to state-of-the-art obstacle detectors including "Faster R-CNN: Towards Real-Time Object Detection with Region Proposal Networks" (RCNN). In a human detector test case, we demonstrate that DeepAnomaly detects humans at longer ranges (45-90 m) than RCNN. RCNN has a similar performance at a short range (0-30 m). However, DeepAnomaly has much fewer model parameters and (182 ms/25 ms =) a 7.28-times faster processing time per image. Unlike most CNN-based methods, the high accuracy, the low computation time and the low memory footprint make it suitable for a real-time system running on a embedded GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

DeepAnomaly: Combining Background Subtraction and Deep Learning for Detecting Obstacles and Anomalies in an Agricultural Field

PubMed Central

Christiansen, Peter; Nielsen, Lars N.; Steen, Kim A.; Jørgensen, Rasmus N.; Karstoft, Henrik

2016-01-01

Convolutional neural network (CNN)-based systems are increasingly used in autonomous vehicles for detecting obstacles. CNN-based object detection and per-pixel classification (semantic segmentation) algorithms are trained for detecting and classifying a predefined set of object types. These algorithms have difficulties in detecting distant and heavily occluded objects and are, by definition, not capable of detecting unknown object types or unusual scenarios. The visual characteristics of an agriculture field is homogeneous, and obstacles, like people, animals and other obstacles, occur rarely and are of distinct appearance compared to the field. This paper introduces DeepAnomaly, an algorithm combining deep learning and anomaly detection to exploit the homogenous characteristics of a field to perform anomaly detection. We demonstrate DeepAnomaly as a fast state-of-the-art detector for obstacles that are distant, heavily occluded and unknown. DeepAnomaly is compared to state-of-the-art obstacle detectors including “Faster R-CNN: Towards Real-Time Object Detection with Region Proposal Networks” (RCNN). In a human detector test case, we demonstrate that DeepAnomaly detects humans at longer ranges (45–90 m) than RCNN. RCNN has a similar performance at a short range (0–30 m). However, DeepAnomaly has much fewer model parameters and (182 ms/25 ms =) a 7.28-times faster processing time per image. Unlike most CNN-based methods, the high accuracy, the low computation time and the low memory footprint make it suitable for a real-time system running on a embedded GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). PMID:27845717

A Multiscale Computational Model Combining a Single Crystal Plasticity Constitutive Model with the Generalized Method of Cells (GMC) for Metallic Polycrystals

PubMed Central

Ghorbani Moghaddam, Masoud; Achuthan, Ajit; Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Arnold, Steven M.; Pineda, Evan J.

2016-01-01

A multiscale computational model is developed for determining the elasto-plastic behavior of polycrystal metals by employing a single crystal plasticity constitutive model that can capture the microstructural scale stress field on a finite element analysis (FEA) framework. The generalized method of cells (GMC) micromechanics model is used for homogenizing the local field quantities. At first, the stand-alone GMC is applied for studying simple material microstructures such as a repeating unit cell (RUC) containing single grain or two grains under uniaxial loading conditions. For verification, the results obtained by the stand-alone GMC are compared to those from an analogous FEA model incorporating the same single crystal plasticity constitutive model. This verification is then extended to samples containing tens to hundreds of grains. The results demonstrate that the GMC homogenization combined with the crystal plasticity constitutive framework is a promising approach for failure analysis of structures as it allows for properly predicting the von Mises stress in the entire RUC, in an average sense, as well as in the local microstructural level, i.e., each individual grain. Two–three orders of saving in computational cost, at the expense of some accuracy in prediction, especially in the prediction of the components of local tensor field quantities and the quantities near the grain boundaries, was obtained with GMC. Finally, the capability of the developed multiscale model linking FEA and GMC to solve real-life-sized structures is demonstrated by successfully analyzing an engine disc component and determining the microstructural scale details of the field quantities. PMID:28773458

8 CFR 245.22 - Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a specific date.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a specific date. 245.22 Section 245.22 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT... PERMANENT RESIDENCE § 245.22 Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a...

8 CFR 245.22 - Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a specific date.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a specific date. 245.22 Section 245.22 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT... PERMANENT RESIDENCE § 245.22 Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a...

8 CFR 245.22 - Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a specific date.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a specific date. 245.22 Section 245.22 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT... PERMANENT RESIDENCE § 245.22 Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a...

8 CFR 245.22 - Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a specific date.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a specific date. 245.22 Section 245.22 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT... PERMANENT RESIDENCE § 245.22 Evidence to demonstrate an alien's physical presence in the United States on a...

Who Is Shaping the Field? Doctoral Education, Knowledge Creation and Postsecondary Education Research in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Daniel B.; Kolek, Ethan A.; Williams, Elizabeth A.; Wells, Ryan S.

2016-01-01

Previous research has found the field of higher education, particularly in the United States, is dominated by functionalist approaches, a preponderance of survey data, and the ubiquitous use of advanced quantitative methods to investigate educational phenomena. This descriptive study aims to illuminate why the field is constructed in this way.…

Full Scale Field Trial of the Low Temperature Mercury Capture Process

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

Locke, James; Winschel, Richard

2012-05-21

CONSOL Energy Inc., with partial funding from the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory, designed a full-scale installation for a field trial of the Low-Temperature Mercury Control (LTMC) process, which has the ability to reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants by over 90 percent, by cooling flue gas temperatures to approximately 230°F and absorbing the mercury on the native carbon in the fly ash, as was recently demonstrated by CONSOL R&D on a slip-stream pilot plant at the Allegheny Energy Mitchell Station with partial support by DOE. LTMC has the potential to remove over 90 percent ofmore » the flue gas mercury at a cost at least an order of magnitude lower (on a $/lb mercury removed basis) than activated carbon injection. The technology is suitable for retrofitting to existing and new plants, and, although it is best suited to bituminous coal-fired plants, it may have some applicability to the full range of coal types. Installation plans were altered and moved from the original project host site, PPL Martins Creek plant, to a second host site at Allegheny Energy's R. Paul Smith plant, before installation actually occurred at the Jamestown (New York) Board of Public Utilities (BPU) Samuel A. Carlson (Carlson) Municipal Generating Station Unit 12, where the LTMC system was operated on a limited basis. At Carlson, over 60% mercury removal was demonstrated by cooling the flue gas to 220-230°F at the ESP inlet via humidification. The host unit ESP operation was unaffected by the humidification and performed satisfactorily at low temperature conditions.« less

Regulation, reimbursement, and the long road of implementation of personalized medicine--a perspective from the United States.

PubMed

Frueh, Felix W

2013-01-01

There is undisputed evidence that personalized medicine, that is, a more precise assessment of which medical intervention might best serve an individual patient on the basis of novel technology, such as molecular profiling, can have a significant impact on clinical outcomes. The field, however, is still new, and the demonstration of improved effectiveness compared with standard of care comes at a cost. How can we be sure that personalized medicine indeed provides a measurable clinical benefit, that we will be able to afford it, and that we can provide adequate access? The risk-benefit evaluation that accompanies each medical decision requires not only good clinical data but also an assessment of cost and infrastructure needed to provide access to technology. Several examples from the last decade illustrate which types of personalized medicines and diagnostic tests are easily being taken up in clinical practice and which types are more difficult to introduce. And as regulators and payers in the United States and elsewhere are taking on personalized medicine, an interesting convergence can be observed: better, more complete information for both approval and coverage decisions could be gained from a coordination of regulatory and reimbursement questions. Health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) emerges as an approach that can satisfy both needs. Although HEOR represents a well-established approach to demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions in many areas of medical practice, few HEOR studies exist in the field of personalized medicine today. It is reasonable to expect that this will change over the next few years. Copyright © 2013, International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc.

Wearable, multimodal, vitals acquisition unit for intelligent field triage

PubMed Central

Georgiou, Julius

2016-01-01

In this Letter, the authors describe the characterisation design and development of the authors’ wearable, multimodal vitals acquisition unit for intelligent field triage. The unit is able to record the standard electrocardiogram, blood oxygen and body temperature parameters and also has the unique capability to record up to eight custom designed acoustic streams for heart and lung sound auscultation. These acquisition channels are highly synchronised to fully maintain the time correlation of the signals. The unit is a key component enabling systematic and intelligent field triage to continuously acquire vital patient information. With the realised unit a novel data-set with highly synchronised vital signs was recorded. The new data-set may be used for algorithm design in vital sign analysis or decision making. The monitoring unit is the only known body worn system that records standard emergency parameters plus eight multi-channel auscultatory streams and stores the recordings and wirelessly transmits them to mobile response teams. PMID:27733926

Cost-effective and compact wide-field fluorescent imaging on a cell-phone.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongying; Yaglidere, Oguzhan; Su, Ting-Wei; Tseng, Derek; Ozcan, Aydogan

2011-01-21

We demonstrate wide-field fluorescent and darkfield imaging on a cell-phone with compact, light-weight and cost-effective optical components that are mechanically attached to the existing camera unit of the cell-phone. For this purpose, we used battery powered light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to pump the sample of interest from the side using butt-coupling, where the pump light was guided within the sample cuvette to uniformly excite the specimen. The fluorescent emission from the sample was then imaged using an additional lens that was positioned right in front of the existing lens of the cell-phone camera. Because the excitation occurs through guided waves that propagate perpendicular to our detection path, an inexpensive plastic colour filter was sufficient to create the dark-field background required for fluorescent imaging, without the need for a thin-film interference filter. We validate the performance of this platform by imaging various fluorescent micro-objects in 2 colours (i.e., red and green) over a large field-of-view (FOV) of ∼81 mm(2) with a raw spatial resolution of ∼20 μm. With additional digital processing of the captured cell-phone images, through the use of compressive sampling theory, we demonstrate ∼2 fold improvement in our resolving power, achieving ∼10 μm resolution without a trade-off in our FOV. Further, we also demonstrate darkfield imaging of non-fluorescent specimen using the same interface, where this time the scattered light from the objects is detected without the use of any filters. The capability of imaging a wide FOV would be exceedingly important to probe large sample volumes (e.g., >0.1 mL) of e.g., blood, urine, sputum or water, and for this end we also demonstrate fluorescent imaging of labeled white-blood cells from whole blood samples, as well as water-borne pathogenic protozoan parasites such as Giardia Lamblia cysts. Weighing only ∼28 g (∼1 ounce), this compact and cost-effective fluorescent imaging platform attached to a cell-phone could be quite useful especially for resource-limited settings, and might provide an important tool for wide-field imaging and quantification of various lab-on-a-chip assays developed for global health applications, such as monitoring of HIV+ patients for CD4 counts or viral load measurements.

Cost-effective and compact wide-field fluorescent imaging on a cell-phone†

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hongying; Yaglidere, Oguzhan; Su, Ting-Wei; Tseng, Derek

2011-01-01

We demonstrate wide-field fluorescent and darkfield imaging on a cell-phone with compact, light-weight and cost-effective optical components that are mechanically attached to the existing camera unit of the cell-phone. For this purpose, we used battery powered light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to pump the sample of interest from the side using butt-coupling, where the pump light was guided within the sample cuvette to uniformly excite the specimen. The fluorescent emission from the sample was then imaged using an additional lens that was positioned right in front of the existing lens of the cell-phone camera. Because the excitation occurs through guided waves that propagate perpendicular to our detection path, an inexpensive plastic colour filter was sufficient to create the dark-field background required for fluorescent imaging, without the need for a thin-film interference filter. We validate the performance of this platform by imaging various fluorescent micro-objects in 2 colours (i.e., red and green) over a large field-of-view (FOV) of ~81 mm2 with a raw spatial resolution of ~20 μm. With additional digital processing of the captured cell-phone images, through the use of compressive sampling theory, we demonstrate ~2 fold improvement in our resolving power, achieving ~10 μm resolution without a trade-off in our FOV. Further, we also demonstrate darkfield imaging of non-fluorescent specimen using the same interface, where this time the scattered light from the objects is detected without the use of any filters. The capability of imaging a wide FOV would be exceedingly important to probe large sample volumes (e.g., >0.1 mL) of e.g., blood, urine, sputum or water, and for this end we also demonstrate fluorescent imaging of labeled white-blood cells from whole blood samples, as well as water-borne pathogenic protozoan parasites such as Giardia Lamblia cysts. Weighing only ~28 g (~1 ounce), this compact and cost-effective fluorescent imaging platform attached to a cell-phone could be quite useful especially for resource-limited settings, and might provide an important tool for wide-field imaging and quantification of various lab-on-a-chip assays developed for global health applications, such as monitoring of HIV+ patients for CD4 counts or viral load measurements. PMID:21063582

Microsurgical reconstruction of the head and neck region: Current concepts of maxillofacial surgery units worldwide.

PubMed

Kansy, Katinka; Mueller, Andreas Albert; Mücke, Thomas; Koersgen, Friederike; Wolff, Klaus Dietrich; Zeilhofer, Hans-Florian; Hölzle, Frank; Pradel, Winnie; Schneider, Matthias; Kolk, Andreas; Smeets, Ralf; Acero, Julio; Haers, Piet; Ghali, G E; Hoffmann, Jürgen

2015-10-01

Microvascular surgery following tumor resection has become an important field of oral maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Following the surveys on current reconstructive practice in German-speaking countries and Europe, this paper presents the third phase of the project when the survey was conducted globally. The DOESAK questionnaire has been developed via a multicenter approach with maxillofacial surgeons from 19 different hospitals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was distributed in three different phases to a growing number of maxillofacial units in German-speaking clinics, over Europe and then worldwide. Thirty-eight units from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 65 remaining European OMFS-departments and 226 units worldwide responded to the survey. There is wide agreement on the most commonly used flaps, intraoperative rapid sections and a trend towards primary bony reconstruction. No uniform concepts can be identified concerning osteosynthesis of bone transplants, microsurgical techniques, administration of supportive medication and postoperative monitoring protocols. Microsurgical reconstruction is the gold standard for the majority of oncologic cases in Europe, but worldwide, only every second unit has access to this technique. The DOESAK questionnaire has proven to be a valid and well accepted tool for gathering information about current practice in reconstructive OMFS surgery. The questionnaire has been able to demonstrate similarities, differences and global inequalities. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term trends in oil and gas discovery rates in lower 48 United States

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

Woods, T.J.

1985-09-01

The Gas Research Institute (GRI), in association with Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc. (EEA), has developed a data base characterizing the discovered oil and gas fields in the lower 48 United States. The number of fields in this data base reported to have been discovered since 1947 substantially exceeds the count presented in the AAPG survey of new-field discoveries since 1947. The greatest relative difference between the field counts is for fields larger than 10 million bbl of oil equivalent (BOE) (AAPG Class C fields or larger). Two factors contribute to the difference in reported discoveries by field size. First,more » the AAPG survey does not capture all new-field discoveries, particularly in the offshore. Second, the AAPG survey does not update field sizes past 6 years after the field discovery date. Because of reserve appreciation to discovered fields, discovery-trend data based on field-size data should be used with caution, particularly when field-size estimates have not been updated for a substantial period of time. Based on the GRI/EEA data base, the major decline in the discovery rates of large, new oil and gas fields in the lower 48 United States appears to have ended by the early 1960s. Since then, discovery rates seem to have improved. Thus, the outlook for future discoveries of large fields may be much better than previously believed.« less

Demonstration-site development and phytoremediation processes associated with trichloroethene (TCE) in ground water, Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Carswell Field, Fort Worth, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shah, Sachin D.; Braun, Christopher L.

2004-01-01

A field-scale phytoremediation demonstration study was initiated in 1996 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, at a site on Naval Air StationJoint Reserve Base Carswell Field (NAS–JRB) adjacent to Air Force Plant 4 (AFP4) in Fort Worth, Tex. (fig. 1). Trichloroethene (TCE) has been used at AFP4 in aircraft manufacturing processes for decades; spills and leaks from tanks in the manufacturing building have resulted in shallow ground-water contamination on-site and downgradient from the facility (Eberts and others, 2003). The objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of eastern cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) in decreasing the mass of dissolved TCE in ground water through phytoremediation. Phytoremediation is a process by which plants decrease the mass of a contaminant through a variety of chemical, physical, and biological means. Before development of the phytoremediation demonstration site, natural attenuation of TCE at the site occurred by sorption, dispersion, dilution, and possibly volatilization (Eberts and others, 2003).Long-term, field-scale monitoring and evaluation of this site contribute to the understanding of the processes associated with phytoremediation and provide practical information about field-scale applications of the method. This fact sheet briefly summarizes the development of the phytoremediation demonstration site at NAS–JRB and describes some of the physical and chemical processes associated with phytoremediation. The phytoremediation demonstration site is on the southern edge of the central lobe of a TCE plume in the surficial (alluvial) aquifer. The plume originates at AFP4 about 0.9 mile upgradient from the site (fig. 1). The 9.5-acre site is in the northwestern corner of the golf course on NAS–JRB. The saturated thickness of the alluvial aquifer, which is composed of clay, silt, sand, and gravel, ranges from about 1.5 to 5 feet at the site. The total thickness of the alluvial aquifer ranges from about 6 to 15 feet. The Goodland-Walnut confining unit, composed of massively bedded shaley limestone, underlies the alluvial aquifer. The general direction of ground-water flow in the study area (fig. 2) is from northwest to southeast, approximately perpendicular to the long sides of the cottonwood plantations. Ground water flows toward Farmers Branch Creek in the area southwest of the golf cart path. At the time of site characterization in August 1996, depth to water ranged from 8 to 13 feet below land surface.

Phase gradient metasurface with broadband anomalous reflection based on cross-shaped units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhaobin; Deng, Hui; Xiong, Qingxu; Liu, Chen

2018-03-01

It has been pointed out by many documents that a phase gradient metasurface with wideband characteristics can be designed by the unit with a low-quality factor ( Q value). In this paper, a cross-shaped unit with a low-quality factor Q is proposed. By changing the variable parameters of the unit, it is found that the reflection phase of the unit can achieve a stable distribution of phase gradient in the frequency range of 8.0-20.0 GHz. we analyze variation of the electromagnetic field distribution on the unit with frequency and find that the size along electrical field polarization of electromagnetic field distribution area changes with frequency. Based on our design, effective size of electromagnetic field distribution area keeps meeting the subwavelength condition, thus stable phase distribution is gained across broadened bandwidth. It is found by the analysis of the phase gradient metasurface composed of seven units that the metasurface can exhibit anomalous reflection in the wide frequency band of 8.0-20.0 GHz, and the efficiency of abnormal reflection is higher in the range of 10.0-18.0 GHz. The error between the simulation results of abnormal reflection angle and the theoretical result is only - 1.5° to 0.5° after the work of comparison. Therefore, the metasurface designed by the new cross-shaped unit has a good control on the deflection direction of the reflected wave, and shows obvious advantages in widening the bandwidth.

The Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS): 7. The relationship between control of intraocular pressure and visual field deterioration.The AGIS Investigators.

PubMed

2000-10-01

To investigate the association between control of intraocular pressure after surgical intervention for glaucoma and visual field deterioration. In the Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study, eyes were randomly assigned to one of two sequences of glaucoma surgery, one beginning with argon laser trabeculoplasty and the other trabeculectomy. In the present article we examine the relationship between intraocular pressure and progression of visual field damage over 6 or more years of follow-up. In the first analysis, designated Predictive Analysis, we categorize 738 eyes into three groups based on intraocular pressure determinations over the first three 6-month follow-up visits. In the second analysis, designated Associative Analysis, we categorize 586 eyes into four groups based on the percent of 6-month visits over the first 6 follow-up years in which eyes presented with intraocular pressure less than 18 mm Hg. The outcome measure in both analyses is change from baseline in follow-up visual field defect score (range, 0 to 20 units). In the Predictive Analysis, eyes with early average intraocular pressure greater than 17.5 mm Hg had an estimated worsening during subsequent follow-up that was 1 unit of visual field defect score greater than eyes with average intraocular pressure less than 14 mm Hg (P =.002). This amount of worsening was greater at 7 years (1.89 units; P <.001) than at 2 years (0.64 units; P =.071). In the Associative Analysis, eyes with 100% of visits with intraocular pressure less than 18 mm Hg over 6 years had mean changes from baseline in visual field defect score close to zero during follow-up, whereas eyes with less than 50% of visits with intraocular pressure less than 18 mm Hg had an estimated worsening over follow-up of 0.63 units of visual field defect score (P =.083). This amount of worsening was greater at 7 years (1.93 units; P <.001) than at 2 years (0.25 units; P =.572). In both analyses low intraocular pressure is associated with reduced progression of visual field defect, supporting evidence from earlier studies of a protective role for low intraocular pressure in visual field deterioration.

SU-F-T-588: Asymmetries in the CyberKnife Iris 2 Collimator

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

Cernica, G; Ji, H; McRae, D

Purpose: The Iris 2 dodecahedral collimator in the CyberKnife unit can demonstrate visible asymmetry in the shaped radiation field, as seen on routine films. Specifically some edges of the collimator project longer than others. PDDs and output factors remain unaffected by this asymmetry. An in-house program was written to analyze the impact of this asymmetry on profiles. Methods: Two years of routine chromodynamic films were retrospectively analyzed using an in-house developed program. Films were obtained on a weekly basis in a plastic phantom on the vendor-provided mount. Profiles were obtained every degree. A dodecahedron was fitted to the 50% isodosemore » line and the positions and sizes of the upper and lower hexagonal collimators were derived. The collimators’ profiles at every degree, symmetry and centering were calculated and trended over the months. Results: Asymmetries in the obtained profiles were apparent. The upper and lower collimators were off-centered (0.31 mm, p<10–8), they did not project the same field size at 80 cm (0.46 mm difference, p<10–31). Profiles as a function of angle demonstrate a periodicity, but short and long profiles are rarely 15° apart, but vary from 9° to 21°. In addition, a second, intermediate minimum is seen at every other short profile. A trend in the field size over time is noted and can be monitored to identify servicing needs. Conclusion: Despite its differences, the asymmetric Iris 2 collimator did not demonstrate large deviations in PDDs and output factors. Due to the asymmetry, the 15° apart profiles obtained at commissioning do not represent the true large and short blade profiles of the collimator. Averaging of the profiles in the commissioning process hides this difference.« less

Validation of an inertial measurement unit for the measurement of jump count and height.

PubMed

MacDonald, Kerry; Bahr, Roald; Baltich, Jennifer; Whittaker, Jackie L; Meeuwisse, Willem H

2017-05-01

To validate the use of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for the collection of total jump count and assess the validity of an IMU for the measurement of jump height against 3-D motion analysis. Cross sectional validation study. 3D motion-capture laboratory and field based settings. Thirteen elite adolescent volleyball players. Participants performed structured drills, played a 4 set volleyball match and performed twelve counter movement jumps. Jump counts from structured drills and match play were validated against visual count from recorded video. Jump height during the counter movement jumps was validated against concurrent 3-D motion-capture data. The IMU device captured more total jumps (1032) than visual inspection (977) during match play. During structured practice, device jump count sensitivity was strong (96.8%) while specificity was perfect (100%). The IMU underestimated jump height compared to 3D motion-capture with mean differences for maximal and submaximal jumps of 2.5 cm (95%CI: 1.3 to 3.8) and 4.1 cm (3.1-5.1), respectively. The IMU offers a valid measuring tool for jump count. Although the IMU underestimates maximal and submaximal jump height, our findings demonstrate its practical utility for field-based measurement of jump load. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methodology and implications of maximum paleodischarge estimates for mountain channels, upper Animas River basin, Colorado, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pruess, J.; Wohl, E.E.; Jarrett, R.D.

1998-01-01

Historical and geologic records may be used to enhance magnitude estimates for extreme floods along mountain channels, as demonstrated in this study from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Historical photographs and local newspaper accounts from the October 1911 flood indicate the likely extent of flooding and damage. A checklist designed to organize and numerically score evidence of flooding was used in 15 field reconnaissance surveys in the upper Animas River valley of southwestern Colorado. Step-backwater flow modeling estimated the discharges necessary to create longitudinal flood bars observed at 6 additional field sites. According to these analyses, maximum unit discharge peaks at approximately 1.3 m3 s-1 km-2 around 2200 m elevation, with decreased unit discharges at both higher and lower elevations. These results (1) are consistent with Jarrett's (1987, 1990, 1993) maximum 2300-m elevation limit for flash-flooding in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, and (2) suggest that current Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) estimates based on a 24-h rainfall of 30 cm at elevations above 2700 m are unrealistically large. The methodology used for this study should be readily applicable to other mountain regions where systematic streamflow records are of short duration or nonexistent.

Household expansion linked to agricultural intensification during emergence of Hawaiian archaic states

PubMed Central

Field, Julie S.; Ladefoged, Thegn N.; Kirch, Patrick V.

2011-01-01

The Leeward Kohala Field System (LKFS) covering ∼60 km2 on Hawai‘i Island is one of the world's best-studied archaeological examples of preindustrial agricultural intensification. Archaeological correlates for households over a 400-y period of intensification of the LKFS (A.D. 1400–1800) indicate that household age, number, and distribution closely match the expansion of agricultural features at both macro- and microscales. We excavated and dated residential complexes within portions of five traditional Hawaiian land units (ahupua‘a), two in the central core of the field system and three in the southern margins. Forty-eight radiocarbon dates from 43 residential features indicate an overall pattern of exponential increase in the numbers of households over time. Spatial distribution of these dates suggests that the core of the LKFS may have reached a population saturation point earlier than in the southern margins. Bayesian statistical analysis of radiocarbon dates from residential features in the core region, combined with spatial analysis of agricultural and residential construction sequences, demonstrates that the progressive subdivision of territories into smaller socioeconomic units was matched by addition of new residences, probably through a process of household fissioning. These results provide insights into the economic processes underlying the sociopolitical transformation from chiefdom to archaic state in precontact Hawai‘i. PMID:21502516

Real-time colouring and filtering with graphics shaders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vohl, D.; Fluke, C. J.; Barnes, D. G.; Hassan, A. H.

2017-11-01

Despite the popularity of the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for general purpose computing, one should not forget about the practicality of the GPU for fast scientific visualization. As astronomers have increasing access to three-dimensional (3D) data from instruments and facilities like integral field units and radio interferometers, visualization techniques such as volume rendering offer means to quickly explore spectral cubes as a whole. As most 3D visualization techniques have been developed in fields of research like medical imaging and fluid dynamics, many transfer functions are not optimal for astronomical data. We demonstrate how transfer functions and graphics shaders can be exploited to provide new astronomy-specific explorative colouring methods. We present 12 shaders, including four novel transfer functions specifically designed to produce intuitive and informative 3D visualizations of spectral cube data. We compare their utility to classic colour mapping. The remaining shaders highlight how common computation like filtering, smoothing and line ratio algorithms can be integrated as part of the graphics pipeline. We discuss how this can be achieved by utilizing the parallelism of modern GPUs along with a shading language, letting astronomers apply these new techniques at interactive frame rates. All shaders investigated in this work are included in the open source software shwirl (Vohl 2017).

Probing non-Hermitian physics with flying atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Jianming; Xiao, Yanhong; Peng, Peng; Cao, Wanxia; Shen, Ce; Qu, Weizhi; Jiang, Liang

2016-05-01

Non-Hermtian optical systems with parity-time (PT) symmetry provide new means for light manipulation and control. To date, most of experimental demonstrations on PT symmetry rely on advanced nanotechnologies and sophisticated fabrication techniques to manmade solid-state materials. Here, we report the first experimental realization of optical anti-PT symmetry, a counterpart of conventional PT symmetry, in a warm atomic-vapor cell. By exploiting rapid coherence transport via flying atoms, we observe essential features of anti-PT symmetry with an unprecedented precision on phase-transition threshold. Moreover, our system allows nonlocal interference of two spatially-separated fields as well as anti-PT assisted four-wave mixing. Besides, another intriguing feature offered by the system is refractionless (or unit-refraction) light propagation. Our results thus represent a significant advance in non-Hermitian physics by bridging a firm connection with the AMO field, where novel phenomena and applications in quantum and nonlinear optics aided by (anti-)PT symmetry can be anticipated.

Optical vortex knots in tightly-focused light beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennis, Mark; Sugic, Danica

Optical vortices, that is, zero lines of complex amplitude in a propagating light field, can be knotted or linked in a controlled way. This was demonstrated previously in experiments where a computer-controlled hologram determined the amplitude of paraxial laser light, meaning the longitudinal extent of the knot was several orders of magnitude larger than its width. We describe what happens to these optical knots when the transverse width of the beam, and hence the knot, is reduced. Outside the paraxial regime, the field's polarization becomes highly inhomogeneous, and knotted structures occur in a variety of polarization singularities. We propose experiments realising these knotted polarization structures in tightly-focused beams, which should yield optical knots of unit aspect ratio, of several optical wavelengths in size, which could be suitable for embedding knotted defect structures in liquid crystals, Bose-Einstein condensates and photopolymers. This work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust Programme Grant ''Scientific Properties of Complex Knots''.

Test techniques for determining laser ranging system performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zagwodzki, T. W.

1981-01-01

Procedures and results of an on going test program intended to evaluate laser ranging system performance levels in the field as well as in the laboratory are summarized. Tests show that laser ranging system design requires consideration of time biases and RMS jitters of individual system components. All simple Q switched lasers tested were found to be inadequate for 10 centimeter ranging systems. Timing discriminators operating over a typical 100:1 dynamic signal range may introduce as much as 7 to 9 centimeters of range bias. Time interval units commercially available today are capable of half centimeter performance and are adequate for all field systems currently deployed. Photomultipliers tested show typical tube time biases of one centimeter with single photoelectron transit time jitter of approximately 10 centimeters. Test results demonstrate that NASA's Mobile Laser Ranging System (MOBLAS) receiver configuration is limiting system performance below the 100 photoelectron level.

Wear Trends of the HERMeS Thruster as a Function of Throttle Point

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, George J., Jr.; Kamhawi, Hani; Choi, Maria; Haag, Thomas; Huang, Wensheng; Herman, Daniel A.; Gilland, James H.; Peterson, Peter Y.

2017-01-01

A series of short-duration (200 hour) wear tests were conducted with two Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS) technology demonstration units (TDU). Front pole covers, cathode keeper, and discharge channel wear were characterized as a function of discharge voltage, magnetic field strength, and chamber pressure. No discharge channel erosion was observed. Inner pole cover erosion was shown to be a weak function of discharge voltage with most erosion occurring at the lowest value, 300 volts. The TDU-3 keeper electrode eroded with each operating condition, with high magnetic field yielding the greatest erosion rate. The TDU-1 keeper electrode exhibited net deposition suggesting its configuration is more consistent with meeting overall HERMeS service life requirements. Ratios of molybdenum to graphite erosion rates suggests, with high uncertainty, that the sputtering ions are originating downstream of the thruster exit plane, striking the surface with small angles of incidence.

Methane emissions estimate from airborne measurements over a western United States natural gas field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karion, Anna; Sweeney, Colm; PéTron, Gabrielle; Frost, Gregory; Michael Hardesty, R.; Kofler, Jonathan; Miller, Ben R.; Newberger, Tim; Wolter, Sonja; Banta, Robert; Brewer, Alan; Dlugokencky, Ed; Lang, Patricia; Montzka, Stephen A.; Schnell, Russell; Tans, Pieter; Trainer, Michael; Zamora, Robert; Conley, Stephen

2013-08-01

(CH4) emissions from natural gas production are not well quantified and have the potential to offset the climate benefits of natural gas over other fossil fuels. We use atmospheric measurements in a mass balance approach to estimate CH4 emissions of 55 ± 15 × 103 kg h-1 from a natural gas and oil production field in Uintah County, Utah, on 1 day: 3 February 2012. This emission rate corresponds to 6.2%-11.7% (1σ) of average hourly natural gas production in Uintah County in the month of February. This study demonstrates the mass balance technique as a valuable tool for estimating emissions from oil and gas production regions and illustrates the need for further atmospheric measurements to determine the representativeness of our single-day estimate and to better assess inventories of CH4 emissions.

The Senior Living Lab: an example of nursing leadership

PubMed Central

Riva-Mossman, Susie; Kampel, Thomas; Cohen, Christine; Verloo, Henk

2016-01-01

The Senior Living Lab (SLL) is dedicated to the care of older adults and exemplifies how nursing leadership can influence clinical practice by designing research models capable of configuring interdisciplinary partnerships with the potential of generating innovative practices and better older patient outcomes. Demographic change resulting in growing numbers of older adults requires a societal approach, uniting stakeholders in social innovation processes. The LL approach is an innovative research method that values user perceptions and participation in the cocreation of new products and services. The SLL is crafting a platform responsive to change. It is a learning organization facilitating community-based participatory research methods in the field. Advanced nurse practitioners are well positioned to lead the way forward, fostering interdisciplinary academic collaborations dedicated to healthy aging at home. The SLL demonstrates how nursing science is taking the lead in the field of social innovation. PMID:27013869

Faraday-Shielded dc Stark-Shift-Free Optical Lattice Clock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beloy, K.; Zhang, X.; McGrew, W. F.; Hinkley, N.; Yoon, T. H.; Nicolodi, D.; Fasano, R. J.; Schäffer, S. A.; Brown, R. C.; Ludlow, A. D.

2018-05-01

We demonstrate the absence of a dc Stark shift in an ytterbium optical lattice clock. Stray electric fields are suppressed through the introduction of an in-vacuum Faraday shield. Still, the effectiveness of the shielding must be experimentally assessed. Such diagnostics are accomplished by applying high voltage to six electrodes, which are grounded in normal operation to form part of the Faraday shield. Our measurements place a constraint on the dc Stark shift at the 10-20 level, in units of the clock frequency. Moreover, we discuss a potential source of error in strategies to precisely measure or cancel nonzero dc Stark shifts, attributed to field gradients coupled with the finite spatial extent of the lattice-trapped atoms. With this consideration, we find that Faraday shielding, complemented with experimental validation, provides both a practically appealing and effective solution to the problem of dc Stark shifts in optical lattice clocks.

Faraday-Shielded dc Stark-Shift-Free Optical Lattice Clock.

PubMed

Beloy, K; Zhang, X; McGrew, W F; Hinkley, N; Yoon, T H; Nicolodi, D; Fasano, R J; Schäffer, S A; Brown, R C; Ludlow, A D

2018-05-04

We demonstrate the absence of a dc Stark shift in an ytterbium optical lattice clock. Stray electric fields are suppressed through the introduction of an in-vacuum Faraday shield. Still, the effectiveness of the shielding must be experimentally assessed. Such diagnostics are accomplished by applying high voltage to six electrodes, which are grounded in normal operation to form part of the Faraday shield. Our measurements place a constraint on the dc Stark shift at the 10^{-20} level, in units of the clock frequency. Moreover, we discuss a potential source of error in strategies to precisely measure or cancel nonzero dc Stark shifts, attributed to field gradients coupled with the finite spatial extent of the lattice-trapped atoms. With this consideration, we find that Faraday shielding, complemented with experimental validation, provides both a practically appealing and effective solution to the problem of dc Stark shifts in optical lattice clocks.

The Senior Living Lab: an example of nursing leadership.

PubMed

Riva-Mossman, Susie; Kampel, Thomas; Cohen, Christine; Verloo, Henk

2016-01-01

The Senior Living Lab (SLL) is dedicated to the care of older adults and exemplifies how nursing leadership can influence clinical practice by designing research models capable of configuring interdisciplinary partnerships with the potential of generating innovative practices and better older patient outcomes. Demographic change resulting in growing numbers of older adults requires a societal approach, uniting stakeholders in social innovation processes. The LL approach is an innovative research method that values user perceptions and participation in the cocreation of new products and services. The SLL is crafting a platform responsive to change. It is a learning organization facilitating community-based participatory research methods in the field. Advanced nurse practitioners are well positioned to lead the way forward, fostering interdisciplinary academic collaborations dedicated to healthy aging at home. The SLL demonstrates how nursing science is taking the lead in the field of social innovation.

Integrated Predictive Tools for Customizing Microstructure and Material Properties of Additively Manufactured Aerospace Components

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

Radhakrishnan, Balasubramaniam; Fattebert, Jean-Luc; Gorti, Sarma B.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) refers to a process by which digital three-dimensional (3-D) design data is converted to build up a component by depositing material layer-by-layer. United Technologies Corporation (UTC) is currently involved in fabrication and certification of several AM aerospace structural components made from aerospace materials. This is accomplished by using optimized process parameters determined through numerous design-of-experiments (DOE)-based studies. Certification of these components is broadly recognized as a significant challenge, with long lead times, very expensive new product development cycles and very high energy consumption. Because of these challenges, United Technologies Research Center (UTRC), together with UTC business unitsmore » have been developing and validating an advanced physics-based process model. The specific goal is to develop a physics-based framework of an AM process and reliably predict fatigue properties of built-up structures as based on detailed solidification microstructures. Microstructures are predicted using process control parameters including energy source power, scan velocity, deposition pattern, and powder properties. The multi-scale multi-physics model requires solution and coupling of governing physics that will allow prediction of the thermal field and enable solution at the microstructural scale. The state-of-the-art approach to solve these problems requires a huge computational framework and this kind of resource is only available within academia and national laboratories. The project utilized the parallel phase-fields codes at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), along with the high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities existing at the two labs to demonstrate the simulation of multiple dendrite growth in threedimensions (3-D). The LLNL code AMPE was used to implement the UTRC phase field model that was previously developed for a model binary alloy, and the simulation results were compared against the UTRC simulation results, followed by extension of the UTRC model to simulate multiple dendrite growth in 3-D. The ORNL MEUMAPPS code was used to simulate dendritic growth in a model ternary alloy with the same equilibrium solidification range as the Ni-base alloy 718 using realistic model parameters, including thermodynamic integration with a Calphad based model for the ternary alloy. Implementation of the UTRC model in AMPE met with several numerical and parametric issues that were resolved and good comparison between the simulation results obtained by the two codes was demonstrated for two dimensional (2-D) dendrites. 3-D dendrite growth was then demonstrated with the AMPE code using nondimensional parameters obtained in 2-D simulations. Multiple dendrite growth in 2-D and 3-D were demonstrated using ORNL’s MEUMAPPS code using simple thermal boundary conditions. MEUMAPPS was then modified to incorporate the complex, time-dependent thermal boundary conditions obtained by UTRC’s thermal modeling of single track AM experiments to drive the phase field simulations. The results were in good agreement with UTRC’s experimental measurements.« less

Electrical switching of an antiferromagnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jungwirth, Tomas

Louis Néel pointed out in his Nobel lecture that while abundant and interesting from theoretical viewpoint, antiferromagnets did not seem to have any applications. Indeed, the alternating directions of magnetic moments on individual atoms and the resulting zero net magnetization make antiferromagnets hard to control by tools common in ferromagnets. Strong coupling would be achieved if the externally generated field had a sign alternating on the scale of a lattice constant at which moments alternate in AFMs. However, generating such a field has been regarded unfeasible, hindering the research and applications of these abundant magnetic materials. We have recently predicted that relativistic quantum mechanics may offer staggered current induced fields with the sign alternating within the magnetic unit cell which can facilitate a reversible switching of an antiferromagnet by applying electrical currents with comparable efficiency to ferromagnets. Among suitable materials is a high Néel temperature antiferromagnet, tetragonal-phase CuMnAs, which we have recently synthesized in the form of single-crystal epilayers structurally compatible with common semiconductors. We demonstrate electrical writing and read-out, combined with the insensitivity to magnetic field perturbations, in a proof-of-concept antiferromagnetic memory device. We acknowledge support from European Research Council Advanced Grant No. 268066.

Modelling of particle-laden flow inside nanomaterials.

PubMed

Chan, Yue; Wylie, Jonathan J; Xia, Liang; Ren, Yong; Chen, Yung-Tsang

2016-08-01

In this paper, we demonstrate the usage of the Nernst-Planck equation in conjunction with mean-field theory to investigate particle-laden flow inside nanomaterials. Most theoretical studies in molecular encapsulation at the nanoscale do not take into account any macroscopic flow fields that are crucial in squeezing molecules into nanostructures. Here, a multi-scale idea is used to address this issue. The macroscopic transport of gas is described by the Nernst-Planck equation, whereas molecular interactions between gases and between the gas and the host material are described using a combination of molecular dynamics simulation and mean-field theory. In particular, we investigate flow-driven hydrogen storage inside doubly layered graphene sheets and graphene-oxide frameworks (GOFs). At room temperature and with slow velocity fields, we find that a single molecular layer is formed almost instantaneously on the inner surface of the graphene sheets, while molecular ligands between GOFs induce multi-layers. For higher velocities, multi-layers are also formed between graphene. For even larger velocities, the cavity of graphene is filled entirely with hydrogen, whereas for GOFs there exist two voids inside each periodic unit. The flow-driven hydrogen storage inside GOFs with various ligand densities is also investigated.

Modelling of particle-laden flow inside nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Yue; Wylie, Jonathan J.; Xia, Liang; Ren, Yong; Chen, Yung-Tsang

2016-08-01

In this paper, we demonstrate the usage of the Nernst-Planck equation in conjunction with mean-field theory to investigate particle-laden flow inside nanomaterials. Most theoretical studies in molecular encapsulation at the nanoscale do not take into account any macroscopic flow fields that are crucial in squeezing molecules into nanostructures. Here, a multi-scale idea is used to address this issue. The macroscopic transport of gas is described by the Nernst-Planck equation, whereas molecular interactions between gases and between the gas and the host material are described using a combination of molecular dynamics simulation and mean-field theory. In particular, we investigate flow-driven hydrogen storage inside doubly layered graphene sheets and graphene-oxide frameworks (GOFs). At room temperature and with slow velocity fields, we find that a single molecular layer is formed almost instantaneously on the inner surface of the graphene sheets, while molecular ligands between GOFs induce multi-layers. For higher velocities, multi-layers are also formed between graphene. For even larger velocities, the cavity of graphene is filled entirely with hydrogen, whereas for GOFs there exist two voids inside each periodic unit. The flow-driven hydrogen storage inside GOFs with various ligand densities is also investigated.

Real-time three-dimensional soft tissue reconstruction for laparoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Kowalczuk, Jędrzej; Meyer, Avishai; Carlson, Jay; Psota, Eric T; Buettner, Shelby; Pérez, Lance C; Farritor, Shane M; Oleynikov, Dmitry

2012-12-01

Accurate real-time 3D models of the operating field have the potential to enable augmented reality for endoscopic surgery. A new system is proposed to create real-time 3D models of the operating field that uses a custom miniaturized stereoscopic video camera attached to a laparoscope and an image-based reconstruction algorithm implemented on a graphics processing unit (GPU). The proposed system was evaluated in a porcine model that approximates the viewing conditions of in vivo surgery. To assess the quality of the models, a synthetic view of the operating field was produced by overlaying a color image on the reconstructed 3D model, and an image rendered from the 3D model was compared with a 2D image captured from the same view. Experiments conducted with an object of known geometry demonstrate that the system produces 3D models accurate to within 1.5 mm. The ability to produce accurate real-time 3D models of the operating field is a significant advancement toward augmented reality in minimally invasive surgery. An imaging system with this capability will potentially transform surgery by helping novice and expert surgeons alike to delineate variance in internal anatomy accurately.

Undoped GaAs bilayers for exciton condensation experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilly, M. P.

2005-03-01

Experimental progress in transport studies of exciton condensation of in electron and hole bilayers at high magnetic fields [1,2] has shown this novel physics can be observed. Fabrication of the bipolar electron-hole bilayers for zero field studies of exciton condensation still remains elusive. We describe a series of experiments on undoped GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures with the motivation of making electron-hole bilayers. In these undoped devices, external electric fields induce carriers rather than the traditional doping techniques. Single layer electron (or hole) devices demonstrate a high mobility over a wide range of density. More recently, fully undoped bilayers have been made where the density in each layer is independently controlled with gates on the top and bottom of the bilayer. In this talk we present high field transport of undoped electron-electron bilayers, and describe recent progress towards extending the fabrication techniques to creating electron-hole bilayers for exciton condensation studies at zero magnetic field. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. 1. M. Kellogg, J. P. Eisenstein, L. N. Pfeiffer, and K. W. West, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 036801 (2004). 2. E. Tutoc, M. Shayegan, and D. A. Huse, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 036802 (2004).

Low-level water vapor fields from the VAS split-window channels at 11 and 12 microns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chesters, D.; Uccellini, L. W.; Robinson, W.

1983-01-01

Originally, the VAS split window channels were designed to use the differential water vapor absorption between 11 and 12 microns to estimate sea surface temperature by correcting for the radiometric losses caused by atmospheric moisture. It is shown that it is possible to reverse the procedure in order to estimate the vertically integrated low level moisture content with the background surface (skin) temperature removed, even over the bright, complex background of the land. Because the lower troposphere's water vapor content is an important factor in convective instability, the derived fields are of considerable value to mesoscale meteorology. Moisture patterns are available as quantitative fields (centimeters of precipitable water) at full VAS resolution (as fine as 7 kilometers horizontal resolution every 15 minutes), and are readily converted to image format for false color movies. The technique, demonstrated with GOES-5, uses a sequence of split window radiances taken once every 3 hours from dawn to dusk over the Eastern and Central United States. The algorithm is calibrated with the morning radiosonde sites embedded within the first VAS radiance field; then, entire moisture fields are calculated at all five observation times. Cloud contamination is removed by rejecting any pixel having a radiance less than the atmospheric brightness determined at the radiosonde sites.

Two-dimensional imaging in a lightweight portable MRI scanner without gradient coils.

PubMed

Cooley, Clarissa Zimmerman; Stockmann, Jason P; Armstrong, Brandon D; Sarracanie, Mathieu; Lev, Michael H; Rosen, Matthew S; Wald, Lawrence L

2015-02-01

As the premiere modality for brain imaging, MRI could find wider applicability if lightweight, portable systems were available for siting in unconventional locations such as intensive care units, physician offices, surgical suites, ambulances, emergency rooms, sports facilities, or rural healthcare sites. We construct and validate a truly portable (<100 kg) and silent proof-of-concept MRI scanner which replaces conventional gradient encoding with a rotating lightweight cryogen-free, low-field magnet. When rotated about the object, the inhomogeneous field pattern is used as a rotating spatial encoding magnetic field (rSEM) to create generalized projections which encode the iteratively reconstructed two-dimensional (2D) image. Multiple receive channels are used to disambiguate the nonbijective encoding field. The system is validated with experimental images of 2D test phantoms. Similar to other nonlinear field encoding schemes, the spatial resolution is position dependent with blurring in the center, but is shown to be likely sufficient for many medical applications. The presented MRI scanner demonstrates the potential for portability by simultaneously relaxing the magnet homogeneity criteria and eliminating the gradient coil. This new architecture and encoding scheme shows convincing proof of concept images that are expected to be further improved with refinement of the calibration and methodology. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

2D Imaging in a Lightweight Portable MRI Scanner without Gradient Coils

PubMed Central

Cooley, Clarissa Zimmerman; Stockmann, Jason P.; Armstrong, Brandon D.; Sarracanie, Mathieu; Lev, Michael H.; Rosen, Matthew S.; Wald, Lawrence L.

2014-01-01

Purpose As the premiere modality for brain imaging, MRI could find wider applicability if lightweight, portable systems were available for siting in unconventional locations such as Intensive Care Units, physician offices, surgical suites, ambulances, emergency rooms, sports facilities, or rural healthcare sites. Methods We construct and validate a truly portable (<100kg) and silent proof-of-concept MRI scanner which replaces conventional gradient encoding with a rotating lightweight cryogen-free, low-field magnet. When rotated about the object, the inhomogeneous field pattern is used as a rotating Spatial Encoding Magnetic field (rSEM) to create generalized projections which encode the iteratively reconstructed 2D image. Multiple receive channels are used to disambiguate the non-bijective encoding field. Results The system is validated with experimental images of 2D test phantoms. Similar to other non-linear field encoding schemes, the spatial resolution is position dependent with blurring in the center, but is shown to be likely sufficient for many medical applications. Conclusion The presented MRI scanner demonstrates the potential for portability by simultaneously relaxing the magnet homogeneity criteria and eliminating the gradient coil. This new architecture and encoding scheme shows convincing proof of concept images that are expected to be further improved with refinement of the calibration and methodology. PMID:24668520

Magnetic field errors tolerances of Nuclotron booster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butenko, Andrey; Kazinova, Olha; Kostromin, Sergey; Mikhaylov, Vladimir; Tuzikov, Alexey; Khodzhibagiyan, Hamlet

2018-04-01

Generation of magnetic field in units of booster synchrotron for the NICA project is one of the most important conditions for getting the required parameters and qualitative accelerator operation. Research of linear and nonlinear dynamics of ion beam 197Au31+ in the booster have carried out with MADX program. Analytical estimation of magnetic field errors tolerance and numerical computation of dynamic aperture of booster DFO-magnetic lattice are presented. Closed orbit distortion with random errors of magnetic fields and errors in layout of booster units was evaluated.

Capturing field-scale variability in crop performance across a regional-scale climosequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, E. S.; Poggio, M.; Anderson, T. R.; Gasch, C.; Yourek, M. A.; Ward, N. K.; Magney, T. S.; Brown, D. J.; Huggins, D. R.

2014-12-01

With the increasing availability of variable rate technology for applying fertilizers and other agrichemicals in dryland agricultural production systems there is a growing need to better capture and understand the processes driving field scale variability in crop yield and soil water. This need for a better understanding of field scale variability has led to the recent designation of the R. J. Cook Agronomy Farm (CAF) (Pullman, WA, USA) as a United States Department of Agriculture Long-Term Agro-Ecosystem Research (LTAR) site. Field scale variability at the CAF is closely monitored using extensive environmental sensor networks and intensive hand sampling. As investigating land-soil-water dynamics at CAF is essential for improving precision agriculture, transferring this knowledge across the regional-scale climosequence is challenging. In this study we describe the hydropedologic functioning of the CAF in relation to five extensively instrumented field sites located within 50 km in the same climatic region. The formation of restrictive argillic soil horizons in the wetter, cooler eastern edge of the region results in the development of extensive perched water tables, surface saturation, and surface runoff, whereas excess water is not an issue in the warmer, drier, western edge of the region. Similarly, crop and tillage management varies across the region as well. We discuss the implications of these regional differences on field scale management decisions and demonstrate how we are using proximal soil sensing and remote sensing imagery to better understand and capture field scale variability at a particular field site.

A Survey of Laws and Court Decisions in the United States as Related to Teacher Responsibility and Liability During Field Trips.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuVall, Charles R.; Krepel, Wayne J.

The purpose of this study was to investigate existing state laws and court decisions in the United States related to teacher responsibility and liability while on field trips. Literature reviewed in the report deals with both teacher responsibility and the instructional aspect of field trips. During July and August, 1971 a three-item questionnaire…

A geothermal AMTEC system

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

Schuller, M.J.; LeMire, R.A.; Horner-Richardson, K.

1995-12-31

The Phillips Laboratory Power and Thermal Management Division (PL/VTP), with the support of ORION International Technologies, is investigating new methods of advanced thermal to electric power conversion for space and terrestrial applications. The alkali metal thermal-to-electric converter (AMTEC), manufactured primarily by Advanced Modular Power Systems (AMPS) of Ann Arbor, MI, has reached a level of technological maturity which would allow its use in a constant, unattended thermal source, such as a geothermal field. Approximately 95,000 square miles in the western United States has hot dry rock with thermal gradients of 60 C/km and higher. Several places in the United Statesmore » and the world have thermal gradients of 500 C/km. Such heat sources represent an excellent thermal source for a system of modular power units using AMTEC devices to convert the heat to electricity. AMTEC cells using sodium as a working fluid require heat input at temperatures between 500 and 1,000 C to generate power. The present state of the art is capable of 15% efficiency with 800 C heat input and has demonstrated 18% efficiency for single cells. This paper discusses the basics of AMTEC operation, current drilling technology as a cost driver, design of modular AMTEC power units, heat rejection technologies, materials considerations, and estimates of power production from a geothermal AMTEC concept.« less

22 CFR 63.7 - Grants to United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized programs. 63.7... United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or... to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized...

22 CFR 63.7 - Grants to United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized programs. 63.7... United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or... to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized...

22 CFR 63.7 - Grants to United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized programs. 63.7... United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or... to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized...

22 CFR 63.7 - Grants to United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized programs. 63.7... United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or... to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized...

22 CFR 63.7 - Grants to United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized programs. 63.7... United States participants to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or... to consult, lecture, teach, engage in research, demonstrate special skills, or engage in specialized...

ATLAS F MISSILE FIELDS IN THE UNITED STATES, ATLAS F ...

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

ATLAS F MISSILE FIELDS IN THE UNITED STATES, ATLAS F- TEXAS RING OF TWELVE - Dyess Air Force Base, Atlas F Missle Site S-8, Approximately 3 miles east of Winters, 500 feet southwest of Highway 177, Winters, Runnels County, TX

PHYTOREMEDIATION: INTEGRATING ART AND ENGINEERING THROUGH PLANTING

EPA Science Inventory

Landscape Architecture and Remediation Engineering are related fields, united by common areas of endeavor, yet they have strikingly different languages, techniques, and habits of thought. What unites the fields is the fact that they often work on the same site, with the common go...

Look at Me!! I'm a Tree!: A Literacy-Based Integrated Thematic Unit on Forestry and Conservation Designed for Field Experiences in Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayo, Karen E.

This paper describes a literacy-based thematic unit on forestry and conservation designed for field experiences in early childhood education. This unit responds to national and state initiatives and serves as a model for enacting reform of science instruction by equipping preservice teachers with the necessary strategies to foster science process…

Unit of Analysis: Impact of Silverman and Solmon's Article on Field-Based Intervention Research in Physical Education in the U.S.A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Weidong; Chen, Yung-Ju; Xiang, Ping; Xie, Xiuge; Li, Yilin

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to: (a) examine the impact of the Silverman and Solmon article (1998) on how researchers handle the unit of analysis issue in their field-based intervention research in physical education in the United States and summarize statistical approaches that have been used to analyze the data, and (b) provide…

The role of pre-field operations at four forest inventory units: We can see the trees, not just the forest

Treesearch

Sara A. Goeking; Greg C. Liknes

2009-01-01

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program attempts to inventory all forested lands throughout the United States. Each of the four FIA units has developed a process to minimize inventory costs by refraining from visiting those plots in the national inventory grid that are undoubtedly nonforest. We refer to this process as pre-field operations. Until recently, the...

Wireless power transmission for battery charging

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

Mi, Chris; Li, Siqi; Nguyen, Trong-Duy

A wireless power transmission system is provided for high power applications. The power transmission system is comprised generally of a charging unit configured to generate an alternating electromagnetic field and a receive unit configured to receive the alternating electromagnetic field from the charging unit. The charging unit includes a power source; an input rectifier; an inverter; and a transmit coil. The transmit coil has a spirangle arrangement segmented into n coil segments with capacitors interconnecting adjacent coil segments. The receive unit includes a receive coil and an output rectifier. The receive coil also has a spirangle arrangement segmented into mmore » coil segments with capacitors interconnecting adjacent coil segments.« less

Quantifying Power Grid Risk from Geomagnetic Storms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homeier, N.; Wei, L. H.; Gannon, J. L.

2012-12-01

We are creating a statistical model of the geophysical environment that can be used to quantify the geomagnetic storm hazard to power grid infrastructure. Our model is developed using a database of surface electric fields for the continental United States during a set of historical geomagnetic storms. These electric fields are derived from the SUPERMAG compilation of worldwide magnetometer data and surface impedances from the United States Geological Survey. This electric field data can be combined with a power grid model to determine GICs per node and reactive MVARs at each minute during a storm. Using publicly available substation locations, we derive relative risk maps by location by combining magnetic latitude and ground conductivity. We also estimate the surface electric fields during the August 1972 geomagnetic storm that caused a telephone cable outage across the middle of the United States. This event produced the largest surface electric fields in the continental U.S. in at least the past 40 years.

Trace anomaly and invariance under transformation of units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namavarian, Nadereh

2017-05-01

Paying attention to conformal invariance as the invariance under local transformations of units of measure, we take a conformal-invariant quantum field as a quantum matter theory in which one has the freedom to choose the values of units of mass, length, and time arbitrarily at each point. To be able to have this view, it is necessary that the background on which the quantum field is based be conformal invariant as well. Consequently, defining the unambiguous expectation value of the energy-momentum tensor of such a quantum field through the Wald renormalizing prescription necessitates breaking down the conformal symmetry of the background. Then, noticing the field equations suitable for describing the backreaction effect, we show that the existence of the "trace anomaly," known for indicating the brokenness of conformal symmetry in quantum field theory, can also indicate the above "gravitational" conformal symmetry brokenness.

Attitude Estimation for Large Field-of-View Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Yang; Crassidis, John L.; Markley, F. Landis

2005-01-01

The QUEST measurement noise model for unit vector observations has been widely used in spacecraft attitude estimation for more than twenty years. It was derived under the approximation that the noise lies in the tangent plane of the respective unit vector and is axially symmetrically distributed about the vector. For large field-of-view sensors, however, this approximation may be poor, especially when the measurement falls near the edge of the field of view. In this paper a new measurement noise model is derived based on a realistic noise distribution in the focal-plane of a large field-of-view sensor, which shows significant differences from the QUEST model for unit vector observations far away from the sensor boresight. An extended Kalman filter for attitude estimation is then designed with the new measurement noise model. Simulation results show that with the new measurement model the extended Kalman filter achieves better estimation performance using large field-of-view sensor observations.

A cross-level investigation of informal field-based learning and performance improvements.

PubMed

Wolfson, Mikhail A; Tannenbaum, Scott I; Mathieu, John E; Maynard, M Travis

2018-01-01

Organizations often operate in complex and dynamic environments which place a premium on employees' ongoing learning and acquisition of new competencies. Additionally, the majority of learning in organizations does not take place in formal training settings, but we know relatively little about how informal field-based learning (IFBL) behaviors relate to changes in job performance. In this study, we first clarified the construct of IFBL as a subset of informal learning. Second, on the basis of this clarified construct definition, we developed a measure of IFBL behaviors and demonstrated its psychometric properties using (a) a sample of subject matter experts who made item content validity judgments and (b) both an Amazon Mechanical Turk sample (N = 400) and a sample of 1,707 healthcare employees. Third, we advanced a grounded theory of IFBL in healthcare, and related it to individuals' regulatory foci and contextual moderators of IFBL behaviors-job performance relationships using a cross-level design and lagged nonmethod bound measures. Specifically, using a sample of 407 healthcare workers from 49 hospital units, our results suggested that promotion-focused individuals, especially in well-staffed units, readily engage in IFBL behaviors. Additionally, we found that the IFBL-changes in job performance relationship was strengthened to the extent that individuals worked in units with relatively nonpunitive climates. Interestingly, staffing levels had a weakening moderating effect on the positive IFBL-performance improvements relationship. Detailed follow-up analyses revealed that the peculiar effect was attributable to differential relationships from IFBL subdimensions. Implications for future theory building, research, and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of a Brillouin scattering based distributed fibre optic strain sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Anthony Wayne

2001-07-01

The parameters of the Brillouin spectrum of an optical fibre depend upon the strain and temperature conditions of the fibre. As a result, fibre optic distributed sensors based on Brillouin scattering can measure strain and temperature in arbitrary regions of a sensing fibre. In the past, such sensors have often been demonstrated under laboratory conditions, demonstrating the principle of operation. Although some field tests of temperature sensing have been reported, the actual deployment of such sensors in the field for strain measurements has been limited by poor spatial resolution (typically 1 m or more) and poor strain accuracy (+/-100 muepsilon). Also, cross-sensitivity of the Brillouin spectrum to temperature further reduces the accuracy of strain measurement while long acquisition times hinders field use. The high level of user knowledge and lack of automation required to operate the equipment is another limiting factor of the only commercially available unit. The potential benefits of distributed measurements are great for instrumentation of civil structures provided that the above limitations are overcome. However, before this system is used with confidence by practitioners, it is essential that it can be effectively operated in field conditions. In light of this, the fibre optics group at the University of New Brunswick has been developing an automated system for field measurement of strain in civil structures, particularly in reinforced concrete. The development of the sensing system hardware and software was the main focus of this thesis. This has been made possible, in part, by observation of the Brillouin spectrum for the case of using very short light pulses (<10 ns). The end product of the development is a sensor with a spatial resolution that has been improved to 100 mm. Measurement techniques that improve system performance to measure strain to an accuracy of 10 muepsilon; and allow the simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature to an accuracy of 204 muepsilon and 3°C are presented. Finally, the results of field measurement of strain on a concrete structure are presented.

In situ sediment treatment using activated carbon: a demonstrated sediment cleanup technology.

PubMed

Patmont, Clayton R; Ghosh, Upal; LaRosa, Paul; Menzie, Charles A; Luthy, Richard G; Greenberg, Marc S; Cornelissen, Gerard; Eek, Espen; Collins, John; Hull, John; Hjartland, Tore; Glaza, Edward; Bleiler, John; Quadrini, James

2015-04-01

This paper reviews general approaches for applying activated carbon (AC) amendments as an in situ sediment treatment remedy. In situ sediment treatment involves targeted placement of amendments using installation options that fall into two general approaches: 1) directly applying a thin layer of amendments (which potentially incorporates weighting or binding materials) to surface sediment, with or without initial mixing; and 2) incorporating amendments into a premixed, blended cover material of clean sand or sediment, which is also applied to the sediment surface. Over the past decade, pilot- or full-scale field sediment treatment projects using AC-globally recognized as one of the most effective sorbents for organic contaminants-were completed or were underway at more than 25 field sites in the United States, Norway, and the Netherlands. Collectively, these field projects (along with numerous laboratory experiments) have demonstrated the efficacy of AC for in situ treatment in a range of contaminated sediment conditions. Results from experimental studies and field applications indicate that in situ sequestration and immobilization treatment of hydrophobic organic compounds using either installation approach can reduce porewater concentrations and biouptake significantly, often becoming more effective over time due to progressive mass transfer. Certain conditions, such as use in unstable sediment environments, should be taken into account to maximize AC effectiveness over long time periods. In situ treatment is generally less disruptive and less expensive than traditional sediment cleanup technologies such as dredging or isolation capping. Proper site-specific balancing of the potential benefits, risks, ecological effects, and costs of in situ treatment technologies (in this case, AC) relative to other sediment cleanup technologies is important to successful full-scale field application. Extensive experimental studies and field trials have shown that when applied correctly, in situ treatment via contaminant sequestration and immobilization using a sorbent material such as AC has progressed from an innovative sediment remediation approach to a proven, reliable technology. © 2014 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-09

NASA Glenn Technician Mark Springowski works on a 10-kilowatt Stirling Power Conversion Unit, which is part of the Fission Surface Power Technology Demonstration Unit. This is a system level demonstration of a surface power system, which could potentially be used to support manned missions to the moon or Mars. A flight system would use 180 kilowatt nuclear fission reactor and four Stirling PCU’s to produce 40 kW of electricity for manned surface missions.

14 CFR 91.145 - Management of aircraft operations in the vicinity of aerial demonstrations and major sporting...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... and events may include: (1) United States Naval Flight Demonstration Team (Blue Angels); (2) United... nautical mile radius from the center of the demonstration and an altitude 17000 mean sea level (for high...

14 CFR 91.145 - Management of aircraft operations in the vicinity of aerial demonstrations and major sporting...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... and events may include: (1) United States Naval Flight Demonstration Team (Blue Angels); (2) United... nautical mile radius from the center of the demonstration and an altitude 17000 mean sea level (for high...

14 CFR 91.145 - Management of aircraft operations in the vicinity of aerial demonstrations and major sporting...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... and events may include: (1) United States Naval Flight Demonstration Team (Blue Angels); (2) United... nautical mile radius from the center of the demonstration and an altitude 17000 mean sea level (for high...

Passive acoustic source localization using sources of opportunity.

PubMed

Verlinden, Christopher M A; Sarkar, J; Hodgkiss, W S; Kuperman, W A; Sabra, K G

2015-07-01

The feasibility of using data derived replicas from ships of opportunity for implementing matched field processing is demonstrated. The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is used to provide the library coordinates for the replica library and a correlation based processing procedure is used to overcome the impediment that the replica library is constructed from sources with different spectra and will further be used to locate another source with its own unique spectral structure. The method is illustrated with simulation and then verified using acoustic data from a 2009 experiment for which AIS information was retrieved from the United States Coast Guard Navigation Center Nationwide AIS database.

Evaluation of the Frequencies for Canister Inspections for SCC

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

Stockman, Christine; Bryan, Charles R.

2016-02-02

This report fulfills the M3 milestone M3FT-15SN0802042, “Evaluate the Frequencies for Canister Inspections for SCC” under Work Package FT-15SN080204, “ST Field Demonstration Support – SNL”. It reviews the current state of knowledge on the potential for stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of dry storage canisters and evaluates the implications of this state of knowledge on the establishment of an SCC inspection frequency. Models for the prediction of SCC by the Japanese Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), the United States (U.S.) Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) are summarized, and their limitations discussed.

Arbitrary optical wavefront shaping via spin-to-orbit coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larocque, Hugo; Gagnon-Bischoff, Jérémie; Bouchard, Frédéric; Fickler, Robert; Upham, Jeremy; Boyd, Robert W.; Karimi, Ebrahim

2016-12-01

Converting spin angular momentum to orbital angular momentum has been shown to be a practical and efficient method for generating optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum and possessing a space-varying polarized field. Here, we present novel liquid crystal devices for tailoring the wavefront of optical beams through the Pancharatnam-Berry phase concept. We demonstrate the versatility of these devices by generating an extensive range of optical beams such as beams carrying ±200 units of orbital angular momentum along with Bessel, Airy and Ince-Gauss beams. We characterize both the phase and the polarization properties of the generated beams, confirming our devices’ performance.

KSC-03PD-2379

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Researchers are positioned on one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navys Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KSC-03PD-2365

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Researchers utilize several types of watercraft to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navys Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KSC-03PD-2376

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Researchers are positioned on one of the watercraft being utilized to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navys Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

KSC-03PD-2366

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Researchers utilize several types of watercraft to conduct underwater acoustic research in the Launch Complex 39 turn basin near Launch Pad 39A. Several government agencies, including NASA, NOAA, the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission are involved in the testing. The research involves demonstrations of passive and active sensor technologies, with applications in fields ranging from marine biological research to homeland security. The work is also serving as a pilot project to assess the cooperation between the agencies involved. Equipment under development includes a passive acoustic monitor developed by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and mobile robotic sensors from the Navys Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.

Chocolate and coronary heart disease: a systematic review.

PubMed

Khawaja, Owais; Gaziano, J Michael; Djoussé, Luc

2011-12-01

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. The high content of polyphenols and flavonoids present in cocoa has been reported to play an important protective role in the development of CHD. Although studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of chocolate on endothelial function, blood pressure, serum lipids, insulin resistance, and platelet function, it is unclear whether chocolate consumption influences the risk of CHD. This article reviews current evidence on the effects of cocoa/chocolate on clinical and subclinical CHD, CHD risk factors, and potential biologic mechanisms. It also discusses major limitations of currently available data and future directions in the field.

Metasurface Broadband Solar Absorber.

PubMed

Azad, Abul K; Kort-Kamp, Wilton J M; Sykora, Milan; Weisse-Bernstein, Nina R; Luk, Ting S; Taylor, Antoinette J; Dalvit, Diego A R; Chen, Hou-Tong

2016-02-01

We demonstrate a broadband, polarization independent, wide-angle absorber based on a metallic metasurface architecture, which accomplishes greater than 90% absorptance in the visible and near-infrared range of the solar spectrum, and exhibits low absorptivity (emissivity) at mid- and far-infrared wavelengths. The complex unit cell of the metasurface solar absorber consists of eight pairs of gold nano-resonators that are separated from a gold ground plane by a thin silicon dioxide spacer. Our experimental measurements reveal high-performance absorption over a wide range of incidence angles for both s- and p-polarizations. We also investigate numerically the frequency-dependent field and current distributions to elucidate how the absorption occurs within the metasurface structure.

PILOT TESTING: PRETREATMENT OPTIONS TO ALLOW RE-USE OF FRAC FLOWBACK AND PRODUCED BRINE FOR GAS SHALE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

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

Burnett, David

2012-12-31

The goal of the A&M DOE NETL Project No. DE-FE0000847 was to develop a mobile, multifunctional water treatment capability designed specifically for “pre-treatment” of field waste brine. The project consisted of constructing s mobile “field laboratory” incorporating new technology for treating high salinity produced water and using the lab to conduct a side-by-side comparison between this new technology and that already existing in field operations. A series of four field trials were performed utilizing the mobile unit to demonstrate the effectiveness of different technology suitable for use with high salinity flow back brines and produced water. The design of themore » mobile unit was based on previous and current work at the Texas A&M Separation Sciences Pilot Plant. The several treatment techniques which have been found to be successful in both pilot plant and field tests had been tested to incorporate into a single multifunctional process train. Eight different components were evaluated during the trials, two types of oil and grease removal, one BTEX removal step, three micro-filters, and two different nanofilters. The performance of each technique was measured by its separation efficiency, power consumption, and ability to withstand fouling. The field trials were a success. Four different field brines were evaluated in the first trial in New York. Over 16,000 gallons of brine were processed. Using a power cost of $.10 per kWh, media pretreatment power use averaged $0.004 per barrel, solids removal $.04 per barrel and brine “softening” $.84 per barrel. Total power cost was approximately $1.00 per barrel of fluid treated. In Pennsylvania, brines collected from frac ponds were tested in two additional trials. Each of the brines was converted to an oil-free, solids-free brine with no biological activity. Brines were stable over time and would be good candidates for use as a make-up fluid in a subsequent fracturing fluid design. Reports on all of the field trials and subcontractor research have been summarized in this Final Report. Individual field trial reports and research reports are contained in the companion volume titled “Appendices”« less

Soliton Microwave Generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degrassie, J. S.

1990-12-01

The Soliton Microwave Generator (SMG) represents a truly new concept in the field of high power microwave (HPM) generation. A nonlinear, dispersive transmission line is used to convert an input voltage pulse into an HPM burst at the output. The system is all solid state and projects to be efficient and reliable. Single module peak powers in excess of 1 GW appear feasible, while combining modular units leads to a 10 GW system projection. This project for the DOE has allowed the first steps necessary in experimentally demonstrating the SMG. The project has ended successfully. A relatively high power lumped circuit SMG operating in the uhf band was designed, fabricated, and tested. The maximum peak output RF power was 16 MW from this line approx. 90 cm in length and 2 sq cm in cross section with a peak power efficiency of roughly 20 percent. Additionally a low power continuous strip-line approach demonstrated microwave generation well into L band, at approx. 2 GHz.

A wide-angle camera module for disposable endoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shim, Dongha; Yeon, Jesun; Yi, Jason; Park, Jongwon; Park, Soo Nam; Lee, Nanhee

2016-08-01

A wide-angle miniaturized camera module for disposable endoscope is demonstrated in this paper. A lens module with 150° angle of view (AOV) is designed and manufactured. All plastic injection-molded lenses and a commercial CMOS image sensor are employed to reduce the manufacturing cost. The image sensor and LED illumination unit are assembled with a lens module. The camera module does not include a camera processor to further reduce its size and cost. The size of the camera module is 5.5 × 5.5 × 22.3 mm3. The diagonal field of view (FOV) of the camera module is measured to be 110°. A prototype of a disposable endoscope is implemented to perform a pre-clinical animal testing. The esophagus of an adult beagle dog is observed. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a cost-effective and high-performance camera module for disposable endoscopy.

The Habitat Demonstration Unit System Integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Tracy R.; Kennedy, Kriss J.; Tri, Terry O.; Howe, Alan S.

2010-01-01

The Lunar Surface System Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) will require a project team to integrate a variety of contributions from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) centers and potential outside collaborators and poses a challenge in integrating these disparate efforts into a cohesive architecture. To accomplish the development of the first version of the HDU, the Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM), from conception in June 2009 to rollout for operations in July 2010, the HDU project team is using several strategies to mitigate risks and bring the separate efforts together. First, a set of design standards is being developed to define the interfaces between the various systems of PEM and to the payloads, such as the Geology Laboratory, that those systems will support. Scheduled activities such as early fit-checks and the utilization of a habitat avionics test bed prior to equipment installation into HDU PEM are planned to facilitate the integration process. A coordinated effort to establish simplified Computer Aided Design (CAD) standards and the utilization of a modeling and simulation systems will aid in design and integration concept development. Finally, decision processes on the shell development including the assembly sequence and the transportation have been fleshed out early on HDU design to maximize the efficiency of both integration and field operations.

Power smart in-door optical wireless link design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marraccini, P. J.; Riza, N. A.

2011-12-01

Presented for the first time, to the best of the authors´ knowledge, is the design of a power smart in-door optical wireless link that provides lossless beam propagation between Transmitter (T) and Receiver (R) for changing link distances. Each T/R unit uses a combination of fixed and variable focal length optics to smartly adjust the laser beam propagation parameters of minimum beam waist size and its location to produce the optimal zero propagation loss coupling condition at the R for that link distance. An Electronically Controlled Variable Focus Lens (ECVFL) is used to form the wide field-of-view search beam and change the beam size at R to form a low loss beam. The T/R unit can also deploy camera optics and thermal energy harvesting electronics to improve link operational smartness and efficiency. To demonstrate the principles of the beam conditioned low loss indoor link, a visible 633 nm laser link using an electro-wetting technology liquid ECVFL is demonstrated for a variable 1 to 4 m link range. Measurements indicate a 53% improvement over an unconditioned laser link at 4 m. Applications for this power efficient wireless link includes mobile computer platform communications and agile server rack interconnections in data centres.

Development and On-Field Testing of Low-Cost Portable System for Monitoring PM2.5 Concentrations.

PubMed

N Genikomsakis, Konstantinos; Galatoulas, Nikolaos-Fivos; I Dallas, Panagiotis; Candanedo Ibarra, Luis Miguel; Margaritis, Dimitris; S Ioakimidis, Christos

2018-04-01

Recent developments in the field of low-cost sensors enable the design and implementation of compact, inexpensive and portable sensing units for air pollution monitoring with fine-detailed spatial and temporal resolution, in order to support applications of wider interest in the area of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). In this context, the present work advances the concept of developing a low-cost portable air pollution monitoring system (APMS) for measuring the concentrations of particulate matter (PM), in particular fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5). Specifically, this paper presents the on-field testing of the proposed low-cost APMS implementation using roadside measurements from a mobile laboratory equipped with a calibrated instrument as the basis of comparison and showcases its accuracy on characterizing the PM2.5 concentrations on 1 min resolution in an on-road trial. Moreover, it demonstrates the intended application of collecting fine-grained spatio-temporal PM2.5 profiles by mounting the developed APMS on an electric bike as a case study in the city of Mons, Belgium.

Development and On-Field Testing of Low-Cost Portable System for Monitoring PM2.5 Concentrations

PubMed Central

Galatoulas, Nikolaos-Fivos; I. Dallas, Panagiotis; Candanedo Ibarra, Luis Miguel; Margaritis, Dimitris; S. Ioakimidis, Christos

2018-01-01

Recent developments in the field of low-cost sensors enable the design and implementation of compact, inexpensive and portable sensing units for air pollution monitoring with fine-detailed spatial and temporal resolution, in order to support applications of wider interest in the area of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). In this context, the present work advances the concept of developing a low-cost portable air pollution monitoring system (APMS) for measuring the concentrations of particulate matter (PM), in particular fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5). Specifically, this paper presents the on-field testing of the proposed low-cost APMS implementation using roadside measurements from a mobile laboratory equipped with a calibrated instrument as the basis of comparison and showcases its accuracy on characterizing the PM2.5 concentrations on 1 min resolution in an on-road trial. Moreover, it demonstrates the intended application of collecting fine-grained spatio-temporal PM2.5 profiles by mounting the developed APMS on an electric bike as a case study in the city of Mons, Belgium. PMID:29614770

Ultrafast Plasmonic Control of Second Harmonic Generation

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

Davidson, Roderick B.; Yanchenko, Anna; Ziegler, Jed I.

Efficient frequency conversion techniques are crucial to the development of plasmonic metasurfaces for information processing and signal modulation. In principle, nanoscale electric-field confinement in nonlinear materials enables higher harmonic conversion efficiencies per unit volume than those attainable in bulk materials. Here we demonstrate efficient second-harmonic generation (SHG) in a serrated nanogap plasmonic geometry that generates steep electric field gradients on a dielectric metasurface. An ultrafast control pulse is used to control plasmon-induced electric fields in a thin-film material with inversion symmetry that, without plasmonic enhancement, does not exhibit an even-order nonlinear optical response. The temporal evolution of the plasmonic near-fieldmore » is characterized with ~100 as resolution using a novel nonlinear interferometric technique. The serrated nanogap is a unique platform in which to investigate optically controlled, plasmonically enhanced harmonic generation in dielectric materials on an ultrafast time scale. Lastly, this metamaterial geometry can also be readily extended to all-optical control of other nonlinear phenomena, such as four-wave mixing and sum- and difference-frequency generation, in a wide variety of dielectric materials.« less

Ultrafast Plasmonic Control of Second Harmonic Generation

DOE PAGES

Davidson, Roderick B.; Yanchenko, Anna; Ziegler, Jed I.; ...

2016-06-01

Efficient frequency conversion techniques are crucial to the development of plasmonic metasurfaces for information processing and signal modulation. In principle, nanoscale electric-field confinement in nonlinear materials enables higher harmonic conversion efficiencies per unit volume than those attainable in bulk materials. Here we demonstrate efficient second-harmonic generation (SHG) in a serrated nanogap plasmonic geometry that generates steep electric field gradients on a dielectric metasurface. An ultrafast control pulse is used to control plasmon-induced electric fields in a thin-film material with inversion symmetry that, without plasmonic enhancement, does not exhibit an even-order nonlinear optical response. The temporal evolution of the plasmonic near-fieldmore » is characterized with ~100 as resolution using a novel nonlinear interferometric technique. The serrated nanogap is a unique platform in which to investigate optically controlled, plasmonically enhanced harmonic generation in dielectric materials on an ultrafast time scale. Lastly, this metamaterial geometry can also be readily extended to all-optical control of other nonlinear phenomena, such as four-wave mixing and sum- and difference-frequency generation, in a wide variety of dielectric materials.« less

Self-consistent Green's function embedding for advanced electronic structure methods based on a dynamical mean-field concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chibani, Wael; Ren, Xinguo; Scheffler, Matthias; Rinke, Patrick

2016-04-01

We present an embedding scheme for periodic systems that facilitates the treatment of the physically important part (here a unit cell or a supercell) with advanced electronic structure methods, that are computationally too expensive for periodic systems. The rest of the periodic system is treated with computationally less demanding approaches, e.g., Kohn-Sham density-functional theory, in a self-consistent manner. Our scheme is based on the concept of dynamical mean-field theory formulated in terms of Green's functions. Our real-space dynamical mean-field embedding scheme features two nested Dyson equations, one for the embedded cluster and another for the periodic surrounding. The total energy is computed from the resulting Green's functions. The performance of our scheme is demonstrated by treating the embedded region with hybrid functionals and many-body perturbation theory in the GW approach for simple bulk systems. The total energy and the density of states converge rapidly with respect to the computational parameters and approach their bulk limit with increasing cluster (i.e., computational supercell) size.

Optically programmable electron spin memory using semiconductor quantum dots.

PubMed

Kroutvar, Miro; Ducommun, Yann; Heiss, Dominik; Bichler, Max; Schuh, Dieter; Abstreiter, Gerhard; Finley, Jonathan J

2004-11-04

The spin of a single electron subject to a static magnetic field provides a natural two-level system that is suitable for use as a quantum bit, the fundamental logical unit in a quantum computer. Semiconductor quantum dots fabricated by strain driven self-assembly are particularly attractive for the realization of spin quantum bits, as they can be controllably positioned, electronically coupled and embedded into active devices. It has been predicted that the atomic-like electronic structure of such quantum dots suppresses coupling of the spin to the solid-state quantum dot environment, thus protecting the 'spin' quantum information against decoherence. Here we demonstrate a single electron spin memory device in which the electron spin can be programmed by frequency selective optical excitation. We use the device to prepare single electron spins in semiconductor quantum dots with a well defined orientation, and directly measure the intrinsic spin flip time and its dependence on magnetic field. A very long spin lifetime is obtained, with a lower limit of about 20 milliseconds at a magnetic field of 4 tesla and at 1 kelvin.

Methane Hydrates: Chapter 8

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boswell, Ray; Yamamoto, Koji; Lee, Sung-Rock; Collett, Timothy S.; Kumar, Pushpendra; Dallimore, Scott

2008-01-01

Gas hydrate is a solid, naturally occurring substance consisting predominantly of methane gas and water. Recent scientific drilling programs in Japan, Canada, the United States, Korea and India have demonstrated that gas hydrate occurs broadly and in a variety of forms in shallow sediments of the outer continental shelves and in Arctic regions. Field, laboratory and numerical modelling studies conducted to date indicate that gas can be extracted from gas hydrates with existing production technologies, particularly for those deposits in which the gas hydrate exists as pore-filling grains at high saturation in sand-rich reservoirs. A series of regional resource assessments indicate that substantial volumes of gas hydrate likely exist in sand-rich deposits. Recent field programs in Japan, Canada and in the United States have demonstrated the technical viability of methane extraction from gas-hydrate-bearing sand reservoirs and have investigated a range of potential production scenarios. At present, basic reservoir depressurisation shows the greatest promise and can be conducted using primarily standard industry equipment and procedures. Depressurisation is expected to be the foundation of future production systems; additional processes, such as thermal stimulation, mechanical stimulation and chemical injection, will likely also be integrated as dictated by local geological and other conditions. An innovative carbon dioxide and methane swapping technology is also being studied as a method to produce gas from select gas hydrate deposits. In addition, substantial additional volumes of gas hydrate have been found in dense arrays of grain-displacing veins and nodules in fine-grained, clay-dominated sediments; however, to date, no field tests, and very limited numerical modelling, have been conducted with regard to the production potential of such accumulations. Work remains to further refine: (1) the marine resource volumes within potential accumulations that can be produced through exploratory drilling programs; (2) the tools for gas hydrate detection and characterisation from remote sensing data; (3) the details of gas hydrate reservoir production behaviour through additional, well-monitored and longer duration field tests and (4) the understanding of the potential environmental impacts of gas hydrate resource development. The results of future production tests, in the context of varying market and energy supply conditions around the globe, will be the key to determine the ultimate timing and scale of the commercial production of natural gas from gas hydrates.

Choosing a Field: How Graduate Student Choices of Field Sites Reflect Different Ideas of "Real" Anthropology in Colombia and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macia, Laura

2012-01-01

This paper examines the decisions and motivations of graduate students in cultural anthropology when defining the field sites and topics of their final projects. The decisions among students at the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia are contrasted with those at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States. A review of recent final projects…

Self-organization of porphyrin units induced by magnetic field during sol-gel polymerization.

PubMed

Lerouge, Frédéric; Cerveau, Geneviève; Corriu, Robert J P; Stern, Christine; Guilard, Roger

2007-04-21

The use of a magnetic field as a controlling factor during the hydrolysis-polycondensation of porphyrin precursors substituted by Si(OR)(3) groups, induces a self-organization of porphyrin moieties due to the stacking of these units in the hybrid material and this study also confirms the effect of the magnetic field in the nano- and micrometric organization during the kinetically controlled polycondensation process.

The UIST image slicing integral field unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramsay Howat, S.; Todd, S.; Wells, M.; Hastings, P.

2006-06-01

The UKIRT Imager Spectrometer (UIST) contains a deployable integral field unit which is one of the most popular modes of this common-user instrument. In this paper, we review all aspects of the UIST IFU from the design and production of the aluminium mirrors to the integration with the telescope system during commissioning. Reduction of the integral field data is fully supported by the UKIRT data reduction pipeline, ORAC-DR.

40 CFR 63.1282 - Test methods, compliance procedures, and compliance demonstrations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... compliance demonstrations. (a) Determination of glycol dehydration unit flowrate, benzene emissions, or BTEX... dehydration unit natural gas flowrate, benzene emissions, or BTEX emissions. (1) The determination of actual flowrate of natural gas to a glycol dehydration unit shall be made using the procedures of either paragraph...

40 CFR 63.1282 - Test methods, compliance procedures, and compliance demonstrations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... compliance demonstrations. (a) Determination of glycol dehydration unit flowrate, benzene emissions, or BTEX... dehydration unit natural gas flowrate, benzene emissions, or BTEX emissions. (1) The determination of actual flowrate of natural gas to a glycol dehydration unit shall be made using the procedures of either paragraph...

Decentralizing Centralized Control: Reorienting a Fundamental Tenet for Resilient Air Operation

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-22

Forward Air Controller FBIS Foreign Broadcast Information Service FCC Functional Component Commander FM Field Manual GBU - 39 Guided Bomb Unit - 39...Diameter Bomb ( GBU - 39 ) TEG Test and Evaluation Group TST Time Sensitive Target UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle USAF United States Air Force USAFWS United...www.afmc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123017916 (accessed November 11, 2007). Recent fielding of the GBU - 39 , Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), enables a

TECHNOLOGY SELECTION AND SYSTEM DESIGN, U.S. EPA ARSENIC DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ROUND 1

EPA Science Inventory

Battelle, under a contract with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is conducting full-scale demonstration studies on the removal of arsenic from drinking water supplies at 12 water treatment facilities throughout the United States. These demonstration studi...

Absolute dose calculations for Monte Carlo simulations of radiotherapy beams.

PubMed

Popescu, I A; Shaw, C P; Zavgorodni, S F; Beckham, W A

2005-07-21

Monte Carlo (MC) simulations have traditionally been used for single field relative comparisons with experimental data or commercial treatment planning systems (TPS). However, clinical treatment plans commonly involve more than one field. Since the contribution of each field must be accurately quantified, multiple field MC simulations are only possible by employing absolute dosimetry. Therefore, we have developed a rigorous calibration method that allows the incorporation of monitor units (MU) in MC simulations. This absolute dosimetry formalism can be easily implemented by any BEAMnrc/DOSXYZnrc user, and applies to any configuration of open and blocked fields, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans. Our approach involves the relationship between the dose scored in the monitor ionization chamber of a radiotherapy linear accelerator (linac), the number of initial particles incident on the target, and the field size. We found that for a 10 x 10 cm2 field of a 6 MV photon beam, 1 MU corresponds, in our model, to 8.129 x 10(13) +/- 1.0% electrons incident on the target and a total dose of 20.87 cGy +/- 1.0% in the monitor chambers of the virtual linac. We present an extensive experimental verification of our MC results for open and intensity-modulated fields, including a dynamic 7-field IMRT plan simulated on the CT data sets of a cylindrical phantom and of a Rando anthropomorphic phantom, which were validated by measurements using ionization chambers and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). Our simulation results are in excellent agreement with experiment, with percentage differences of less than 2%, in general, demonstrating the accuracy of our Monte Carlo absolute dose calculations.

GUIDANCE OF THE FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES

EPA Science Inventory

This paper will focus on the demonstration of hazardous waste cleanup technologies in the field. The technologies will be at the pilot- or full-scale, and further referred to as field-scale. The main objectives of demonstration at the field-scale are development of reliable perfo...

Folding kinetics of WW domains with the united residue force field for bridging microscopic motions and experimental measurements

PubMed Central

Zhou, Rui; Maisuradze, Gia G.; Suñol, David; Todorovski, Toni; Macias, Maria J.; Xiao, Yi; Scheraga, Harold A.; Czaplewski, Cezary; Liwo, Adam

2014-01-01

To demonstrate the utility of the coarse-grained united-residue (UNRES) force field to compare experimental and computed kinetic data for folding proteins, we have performed long-time millisecond-timescale canonical Langevin molecular dynamics simulations of the triple β-strand from the Formin binding protein 28 WW domain and six nonnatural variants, using UNRES. The results have been compared with available experimental data in both a qualitative and a quantitative manner. Complexities of the folding pathways, which cannot be determined experimentally, were revealed. The folding mechanisms obtained from the simulated folding kinetics are in agreement with experimental results, with a few discrepancies for which we have accounted. The origins of single- and double-exponential kinetics and their correlations with two- and three-state folding scenarios are shown to be related to the relative barrier heights between the various states. The rate constants obtained from time profiles of the fractions of the native, intermediate, and unfolded structures, and the kinetic equations fitted to them, correlate with the experimental values; however, they are about three orders of magnitude larger than the experimental ones for most of the systems. These differences are in agreement with the timescale extension derived by scaling down the friction of water and averaging out the fast degrees of freedom when passing from all-atom to a coarse-grained representation. Our results indicate that the UNRES force field can provide accurate predictions of folding kinetics of these WW domains, often used as models for the study of the mechanisms of proein folding. PMID:25489078

Impacts of the Invasive European Red Ant (Myrmica rubra (L.): Hymenoptera; Formicidae) on a Myrmecochorous System in the Northeastern United States.

PubMed

Gammans, Nicola; Drummond, Frank; Groden, Eleanor

2018-05-16

We investigated the impact of an invasive ant species from Europe, Myrmica rubra (L.), on a myrmecochorous system (seeds dispersed by ants) in its invaded range in North America. We assessed: 1) how M. rubra process the myrmecochorous diapsores (seeds and elaiosome as a single dispersal unit transported by ants) in comparison with native ants; 2) its preference for common native and invasive diaspore species relative to native ants; 3) how far they disperse diaspores in the field; and 4) the diaspore removal rate by invertebrates and vertebrates in infested areas compared to noninvaded sites. Field experiments demonstrated higher diaspore removal rates over a 10-min and 24-h period by M. rubra compared to native ants. M. rubra's diaspore dispersal distance was 40% greater compared to native ants. In two of three laboratory studies and one field study, there was no significant difference between the seed species which M. rubra and native ants selected. Our data suggest no long-term deleterious effects of M. rubra's invasion on diaspore dispersal in the Maine plant community that is comprised of both native and invasive species. This implies that M. rubra benefits from the myrmechorous plant species' diaspores by increasing their dispersal range away from the parent plant and potentially reducing seed predation. However, it is not known whether the fact that the native ant fauna and M. rubra are attracted to the same plant species' diaspores creates a high level of competition between the ants with deleterious effects on the native ant community.

The Geology of the Marcia Quadrangle of Asteroid 4Vesta: An Integrated Mapping Study Using Dawn Spacecraft Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David A.; Denevi, B. W.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Mest, S. C.; Schenk, P. M.; Jaumann, R.; DeSanctis, M. C.; Buczkowski, D. L.; Ammannito, E.; Prettyman, T. H.;

MUSE optical alignment procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurent, Florence; Renault, Edgard; Loupias, Magali; Kosmalski, Johan; Anwand, Heiko; Bacon, Roland; Boudon, Didier; Caillier, Patrick; Daguisé, Eric; Dubois, Jean-Pierre; Dupuy, Christophe; Kelz, Andreas; Lizon, Jean-Louis; Nicklas, Harald; Parès, Laurent; Remillieux, Alban; Seifert, Walter; Valentin, Hervé; Xu, Wenli

2012-09-01

MUSE (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer) is a second generation VLT integral field spectrograph (1x1arcmin² Field of View) developed for the European Southern Observatory (ESO), operating in the visible wavelength range (0.465-0.93 μm). A consortium of seven institutes is currently assembling and testing MUSE in the Integration Hall of the Observatoire de Lyon for the Preliminary Acceptance in Europe, scheduled for 2013. MUSE is composed of several subsystems which are under the responsibility of each institute. The Fore Optics derotates and anamorphoses the image at the focal plane. A Splitting and Relay Optics feed the 24 identical Integral Field Units (IFU), that are mounted within a large monolithic instrument mechanical structure. Each IFU incorporates an image slicer, a fully refractive spectrograph with VPH-grating and a detector system connected to a global vacuum and cryogenic system. During 2011, all MUSE subsystems were integrated, aligned and tested independently in each institute. After validations, the systems were shipped to the P.I. institute at Lyon and were assembled in the Integration Hall This paper describes the end-to-end optical alignment procedure of the MUSE instrument. The design strategy, mixing an optical alignment by manufacturing (plug and play approach) and few adjustments on key components, is presented. We depict the alignment method for identifying the optical axis using several references located in pupil and image planes. All tools required to perform the global alignment between each subsystem are described. The success of this alignment approach is demonstrated by the good results for the MUSE image quality. MUSE commissioning at the VLT (Very Large Telescope) is planned for 2013.

Folding kinetics of WW domains with the united residue force field for bridging microscopic motions and experimental measurements.

PubMed

Zhou, Rui; Maisuradze, Gia G; Suñol, David; Todorovski, Toni; Macias, Maria J; Xiao, Yi; Scheraga, Harold A; Czaplewski, Cezary; Liwo, Adam

2014-12-23

To demonstrate the utility of the coarse-grained united-residue (UNRES) force field to compare experimental and computed kinetic data for folding proteins, we have performed long-time millisecond-timescale canonical Langevin molecular dynamics simulations of the triple β-strand from the Formin binding protein 28 WW domain and six nonnatural variants, using UNRES. The results have been compared with available experimental data in both a qualitative and a quantitative manner. Complexities of the folding pathways, which cannot be determined experimentally, were revealed. The folding mechanisms obtained from the simulated folding kinetics are in agreement with experimental results, with a few discrepancies for which we have accounted. The origins of single- and double-exponential kinetics and their correlations with two- and three-state folding scenarios are shown to be related to the relative barrier heights between the various states. The rate constants obtained from time profiles of the fractions of the native, intermediate, and unfolded structures, and the kinetic equations fitted to them, correlate with the experimental values; however, they are about three orders of magnitude larger than the experimental ones for most of the systems. These differences are in agreement with the timescale extension derived by scaling down the friction of water and averaging out the fast degrees of freedom when passing from all-atom to a coarse-grained representation. Our results indicate that the UNRES force field can provide accurate predictions of folding kinetics of these WW domains, often used as models for the study of the mechanisms of proein folding.

A novel field generator for magnetic stimulation in cell culture experiments.

PubMed

Vogt, G; Schrefl, A; Mitteregger, R; Falkenhagen, D

1997-06-01

A novel field generator specially designed to examine the influence of low frequency magnetic fields on specific cell material was constructed and characterized. The exposure unit described in this paper consists of a controller unit and three sets of coils. The field generator permits a precious definition of the revelant signal parameters and allows the superposition of alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) magnetic fields. Critical system parameters were monitored continuously. The three sets of coils, each arranged in the Helmholtz Configuration were characterized. After data processing and visualization the results showed a constant and homogeneous field within the experimental area. The special coil design also allows their use in an incubator.

STUDY OF HOME DEMONSTRATION UNITS IN A SAMPLE OF 27 COUNTIES IN NEW YORK STATE, NUMBER 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ALEXANDER, FRANK D.; HARSHAW, JEAN

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY EXAMINED CHARACTERISTICS OF 1,128 HOME DEMONSTRATION UNITS TO SUGGEST HYPOTHESES AND SCOPE FOR A MORE INTENSIVE STUDY OF A SMALL SAMPLE OF UNITS, AND TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE IN SAMPLING. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM A SPECIALLY DESIGNED MEMBERSHIP CARD USED IN 1962. UNIT SIZE AVERAGED 23.6 MEMBERS BUT THE RANGE WAS FAIRLY GREAT. A NEED…

GPU COMPUTING FOR PARTICLE TRACKING

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

Nishimura, Hiroshi; Song, Kai; Muriki, Krishna

2011-03-25

This is a feasibility study of using a modern Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to parallelize the accelerator particle tracking code. To demonstrate the massive parallelization features provided by GPU computing, a simplified TracyGPU program is developed for dynamic aperture calculation. Performances, issues, and challenges from introducing GPU are also discussed. General purpose Computation on Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) bring massive parallel computing capabilities to numerical calculation. However, the unique architecture of GPU requires a comprehensive understanding of the hardware and programming model to be able to well optimize existing applications. In the field of accelerator physics, the dynamic aperture calculationmore » of a storage ring, which is often the most time consuming part of the accelerator modeling and simulation, can benefit from GPU due to its embarrassingly parallel feature, which fits well with the GPU programming model. In this paper, we use the Tesla C2050 GPU which consists of 14 multi-processois (MP) with 32 cores on each MP, therefore a total of 448 cores, to host thousands ot threads dynamically. Thread is a logical execution unit of the program on GPU. In the GPU programming model, threads are grouped into a collection of blocks Within each block, multiple threads share the same code, and up to 48 KB of shared memory. Multiple thread blocks form a grid, which is executed as a GPU kernel. A simplified code that is a subset of Tracy++ [2] is developed to demonstrate the possibility of using GPU to speed up the dynamic aperture calculation by having each thread track a particle.« less

Inferring hydraulic properties of alpine aquifers from the propagation of diurnal snowmelt signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurylyk, Barret L.; Hayashi, Masaki

2017-05-01

Alpine watersheds source major rivers throughout the world and supply essential water for irrigation, human consumption, and hydroelectricity. Coarse depositional units in alpine watersheds can store and transmit significant volumes of groundwater and thus augment stream discharge during the dry season. These environments are typically data scarce, which has limited the application of physically based models to investigate hydrologic sensitivity to environmental change. This study focuses on a coarse alpine talus unit within the Lake O'Hara watershed in the Canadian Rockies. We investigate processes controlling the hydrologic functioning of the talus unit using field observations and a numerical groundwater flow model driven with a distributed snowmelt model. The model hydraulic parameters are adjusted to investigate how these properties influence the propagation of snowmelt-induced diurnal signals. The model results expectedly demonstrate that diurnal signals at the talus outlet are progressively damped and lagged with lower hydraulic conductivity and higher specific yield. The simulations further indicate that the lag can be primarily controlled by a higher hydraulic conductivity upper layer, whereas the damping can be strongly influenced by a lower hydraulic conductivity layer along the base of the talus. The simulations specifically suggest that the talus slope can be represented as a two layer system with a high conductivity zone (0.02 m s-1) overlying a 10 cm thick lower conductivity zone (0.002 m s-1). This study demonstrates that diurnal signals can be used to elucidate the hydrologic functioning and hydraulic properties of shallow aquifers and thus aid in the parameterization of hydrological models.

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

Schultz, A.L.

The Lopez Field was discovered June 27, 1936, by the Mills Bennett Production Co.'s Jesus Lopez No. 1 near the middle of the west half of Sect. 73 (Tract 10) in Webb County, Texas. Over 380 wells have been drilled in the Lopez Field and over 180 of these were in what is now the South Lopez Unit. In 1959, water injection commenced and since then the field has been under some type of secondary recovery program. The first Mirando sand is an eocene lenticular sand composed of 2 units separated by a limy sand permeability barrier. The upper unitmore » appears to have been associated with a transgressive nearshore environment and the lower unit has been deposited in the Delta Plain facies of the high-constructive Delta. The abundance of lignite seen in cores in various wells places the deposition of both units very nearshore.« less

76 FR 68434 - 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-04

... Trainers (THT), 50 Field Handling Trainers (FHT), 2 GCU-31A/E Gas Charging Units, 110 Night Sights, 1...), 50 Field Handling Trainers (FHT), 2 GCU-31A/E Gas Charging Units, 110 Night Sights, 1 STINGER Troop... software; optical coatings; ultraviolet sensors; semi-conductor detectors infrared band sensors...

40 CFR 63.1282 - Test methods, compliance procedures, and compliance demonstrations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... demonstrations. (a) Determination of glycol dehydration unit flowrate or benzene emissions. The procedures of this paragraph shall be used by an owner or operator to determine glycol dehydration unit natural gas....1274(d). (1) The determination of actual flowrate of natural gas to a glycol dehydration unit shall be...

40 CFR 63.1282 - Test methods, compliance procedures, and compliance demonstrations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... demonstrations. (a) Determination of glycol dehydration unit flowrate or benzene emissions. The procedures of this paragraph shall be used by an owner or operator to determine glycol dehydration unit natural gas....1274(d). (1) The determination of actual flowrate of natural gas to a glycol dehydration unit shall be...

A field analysis of lampricide photodegradation in Great Lakes tributaries.

PubMed

McConville, Megan B; Cohen, Natan M; Nowicki, Shawn M; Lantz, Stephen R; Hixson, Jase L; Ward, Adam S; Remucal, Christina K

2017-07-19

The lampricides 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and 2',5-dichloro-4'-nitrosalicylanilide (niclosamide) are added to Great Lakes tributaries to target the sea lamprey, an invasive parasitic fish. This study examines the photochemical behavior of the lampricides in Carpenter Creek, Sullivan Creek, and the Manistique River. The observed loss of TFM in Carpenter and Sullivan Creeks (i.e., 34 and 19%) was similar to the loss of bromide in parallel time of passage studies (i.e., 30 and 29%), demonstrating that TFM photodegradation was minimal in both tributaries during the lampricide application. Furthermore, the absence of inorganic and organic photoproducts in the Manistique River demonstrates that TFM and niclosamide photodegradation was minimal in this large tributary, despite its long residence time (i.e., 3.3 days). Kinetic modeling was used to identify environmental variables primarily responsible for the limited photodegradation of TFM in the field compared to estimates from laboratory data. This analysis demonstrates that the lack of TFM photodegradation was attributable to the short residence times in Carpenter and Sullivan Creeks, while depth, time of year, time of day, and cloud cover influenced photochemical fate in the Manistique River. The modeling approach was extended to assess how many of the 140 United States tributaries treated with lampricides in 2015 and 2016 were amenable to TFM photolysis. While >50% removal of TFM due to photolysis could occur in 13 long and shallow tributaries, in most systems lampricides will reach the Great Lakes untransformed.

Groundwater conditions and studies in the Augusta–Richmond County area, Georgia, 2008–2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gonthier, Gerard; Lawrence, Stephen J.; Peck, Michael F.; Holloway, O. Gary

2011-01-01

Groundwater studies and monitoring efforts conducted during 2008–2009, as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Water Program with the City of Augusta in Richmond County, Georgia, provided data for the effective management of local water resources. During 2008–2009 the USGS completed: (1) installation of three monitoring wells and the collection of lithologic and geophysical logging data to determine the extent of hydrogeologic units, (2) collection of continuous groundwater-level data from wells near Well Fields 2 and 3, (3) collection of synoptic groundwater-level measurements and construction of potentiometric-surface maps in Richmond County to establish flow gradients and groundwater-flow directions in the Dublin and Midville aquifer systems, (4) completion of a 24-hour aquifer test to determine hydraulic characteristics of the lower Dublin aquifer, and upper and lower Midville aquifers in Well Field 2, and (5) collection of groundwater samples from selected wells in Well Field 2 for laboratory analysis of volatile organic compounds and groundwater tracers to assess groundwater quality and estimate the time of groundwater recharge. Potentiometric-surface maps of the Dublin and Midville aquifer systems for 2008–2009 indicate that the general groundwater flow direction within Richmond County is eastward toward the Savannah River, with the exception of the area around Well Field 2, where pumping interrupts the eastward flow of water toward the Savannah River and causes flow lines to bend toward the center of pumping. Results from a 24-hour aquifer test conducted in 2009 within the upper and lower Midville aquifers at Well Field 2 indicated a transmissivity and storativity for the upper and lower Midville aquifers, combined, of 4,000 feet-squared per day and 2x10-4, respectively. The upper and lower Midville aquifers and the middle lower Midville confining unit, which is 85-feet thick in this area, yielded horizontal hydraulic conductivity and specific storage values of about 45 feet per day and 2x10-6 ft-1, respectively. Results from the 24-hour aquifer test also indicate a low horizontal hydraulic conductivity for the lower Dublin aquifer of less than 1 foot per day. Of the 35 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) analyzed in 23 groundwater samples during 2008–2009, only six were detected above laboratory reporting limits in samples from eight wells. No concentration in groundwater samples collected during 2008–2009 exceeded drinking water standards. Trichloroethene had the maximum VOC concentration (1.9 micrograms per liter) collected from a water sample during 2008–2009. Water-quality sampling of several wells near Well Field 2 indicate that, while in operation, the northernmost production well might have diverted groundwater, containing low levels of trichloroethene from at least two other production wells. Analysis of sulfur hexafluoride data indicate the average year of recharge ranges between 1981 and 1984 for water samples from five wells open to the upper and lower Midville aquifers, and 1991 for a water sample from one shallow well open to the lower Dublin aquifer. All of these ages suggest a short flow path and nearby source of contamination. The actual source of low levels of VOCs at Well Field 2 remains unknown. Three newly installed monitoring wells indicate that hydrogeologic units beneath Well Fields 2 and 3 are composed of sand and clay layers. Hydrogeologic units, encountered at Well Field 2, in order of increasing depth are the lower Dublin confining unit, lower Dublin aquifer, upper Midville confining unit, upper Midville aquifer, lower Midville confining unit, and lower Midville aquifer. West of Well Field 3, hydrogeologic units, in order of increasing depth are the Upper Three Runs aquifer, Gordon confining unit, Gordon aquifer, lower Dublin confining unit, lower Dublin aquifer, upper Midville confining unit, upper Midville aquifer, lower Midville confining unit, and lower Midville aquifer.

Determining the folding and binding free energy of DNA-based nanodevices and nanoswitches using urea titration curves

PubMed Central

Idili, Andrea

2017-01-01

Abstract DNA nanotechnology takes advantage of the predictability of DNA interactions to build complex DNA-based functional nanoscale structures. However, when DNA functional and responsive units that are based on non-canonical DNA interactions are employed it becomes quite challenging to predict, understand and control their thermodynamics. In response to this limitation, here we demonstrate the use of isothermal urea titration experiments to estimate the free energy involved in a set of DNA-based systems ranging from unimolecular DNA-based nanoswitches to more complex DNA folds (e.g. aptamers) and nanodevices. We propose here a set of fitting equations that allow to analyze the urea titration curves of these DNA responsive units based on Watson–Crick and non-canonical interactions (stem-loop, G-quadruplex, triplex structures) and to correctly estimate their relative folding and binding free energy values under different experimental conditions. The results described herein will pave the way toward the use of urea titration experiments in the field of DNA nanotechnology to achieve easier and more reliable thermodynamic characterization of DNA-based functional responsive units. More generally, our results will be of general utility to characterize other complex supramolecular systems based on different biopolymers. PMID:28605461

Integration issues of a plasma contactor Power Electronics Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinero, Luis R.; York, Kenneth W.; Bowers, Glen E.

1995-01-01

A hollow cathode-based plasma contactor is baselined on International Space Station Alpha (ISSA) for spacecraft charge control. The plasma contactor system consists of a hollow cathode assembly (HCA), a power electronics unit (PEU), and an expellant management unit (EMU). The plasma contactor has recently been required to operate in a cyclic mode to conserve xenon expellant and extend system life. Originally, a DC cathode heater converter was baselined for a continuous operation mode because only a few ignitions of the hollow cathode were expected. However, for cyclic operation, a DC heater supply can potentially result in hollow cathode heater component failure due to the DC electrostatic field. This can prevent the heater from attaining the proper cathode tip temperature for reliable ignition of the hollow cathode. To mitigate this problem, an AC cathode heater supply was therefore designed, fabricated, and installed into a modified PEU. The PEU was tested using resistive loads and then integrated with an engineering model hollow cathode to demonstrate stable steady-state operation. Integration issues such as the effect of line and load impedance on the output of the AC cathode heater supply and the characterization of the temperature profile of the heater under AC excitation were investigated.