Method for curing polymers using variable-frequency microwave heating

DOEpatents

Lauf, R.J.; Bible, D.W.; Paulauskas, F.L.

1998-02-24

A method for curing polymers incorporating a variable frequency microwave furnace system designed to allow modulation of the frequency of the microwaves introduced into a furnace cavity is disclosed. By varying the frequency of the microwave signal, non-uniformities within the cavity are minimized, thereby achieving a more uniform cure throughout the workpiece. A directional coupler is provided for detecting the direction of a signal and further directing the signal depending on the detected direction. A first power meter is provided for measuring the power delivered to the microwave furnace. A second power meter detects the magnitude of reflected power. The furnace cavity may be adapted to be used to cure materials defining a continuous sheet or which require compressive forces during curing. 15 figs.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation modulates auditory temporal resolution in elderly people.

PubMed

Baltus, Alina; Vosskuhl, Johannes; Boetzel, Cindy; Herrmann, Christoph Siegfried

2018-05-13

Recent research provides evidence for a functional role of brain oscillations for perception. For example, auditory temporal resolution seems to be linked to individual gamma frequency of auditory cortex. Individual gamma frequency not only correlates with performance in between-channel gap detection tasks but can be modulated via auditory transcranial alternating current stimulation. Modulation of individual gamma frequency is accompanied by an improvement in gap detection performance. Aging changes electrophysiological frequency components and sensory processing mechanisms. Therefore, we conducted a study to investigate the link between individual gamma frequency and gap detection performance in elderly people using auditory transcranial alternating current stimulation. In a within-subject design, twelve participants were electrically stimulated with two individualized transcranial alternating current stimulation frequencies: 3 Hz above their individual gamma frequency (experimental condition) and 4 Hz below their individual gamma frequency (control condition) while they were performing a between-channel gap detection task. As expected, individual gamma frequencies correlated significantly with gap detection performance at baseline and in the experimental condition, transcranial alternating current stimulation modulated gap detection performance. In the control condition, stimulation did not modulate gap detection performance. In addition, in elderly, the effect of transcranial alternating current stimulation on auditory temporal resolution seems to be dependent on endogenous frequencies in auditory cortex: elderlies with slower individual gamma frequencies and lower auditory temporal resolution profit from auditory transcranial alternating current stimulation and show increased gap detection performance during stimulation. Our results strongly suggest individualized transcranial alternating current stimulation protocols for successful modulation of performance. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Development of a long-gauge vibration sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kung, Peter; Comanici, Maria I.; Li, Qian; Zhang, Yiwei

2014-11-01

Recently, we found that by terminating a long length of fiber of up to 1 km with an in-fiber cavity structure, the entire structure can detect vibrations over a frequency range from 5 Hz to 100 Hz. We want to determine whether the structure (including packaging) can be optimized to detect vibrations at even higher frequencies. The structure can be used as a distributed vibration sensor mounted on large motors and other rotating machines to capture the entire frequency spectrum of the associated vibration signals, and therefore, replace the many accelerometers, which add to the maintenance cost. Similarly, it will help detect in-slot vibrations which cause intermittent contact leading to sparking under high voltages inside air-cooled generators. However, that will require the sensor to detect frequencies associated with vibration sparking, ranging from 6 kHz to 15 kHz. Then, at even higher frequencies, the structure can be useful to detect acoustic vibrations (30 kHz to 150 kHz) associated with partial discharge (PD) in generators and transformers. Detecting lower frequencies in the range 2 Hz to 200 Hz makes the sensor suitable for seismic studies and falls well into the vibrations associated with rotating machines. Another application of interest is corrosion detection in large reenforced concrete structures by inserting the sensor along a long hole drilled around structures showing signs of corrosion. The frequency response for the proposed long-gauge vibration sensor depends on packaging.

FIND: difFerential chromatin INteractions Detection using a spatial Poisson process.

PubMed

Djekidel, Mohamed Nadhir; Chen, Yang; Zhang, Michael Q

2018-02-12

Polymer-based simulations and experimental studies indicate the existence of a spatial dependency between the adjacent DNA fibers involved in the formation of chromatin loops. However, the existing strategies for detecting differential chromatin interactions assume that the interacting segments are spatially independent from the other segments nearby. To resolve this issue, we developed a new computational method, FIND, which considers the local spatial dependency between interacting loci. FIND uses a spatial Poisson process to detect differential chromatin interactions that show a significant difference in their interaction frequency and the interaction frequency of their neighbors. Simulation and biological data analysis show that FIND outperforms the widely used count-based methods and has a better signal-to-noise ratio. © 2018 Djekidel et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Detection of Neutrinos from Galactic and Cosmic Supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beacom, John

2010-11-01

Detecting neutrinos is the key to understanding core-collapse supernovae, but this is notoriously difficult due to the small interaction cross section of neutrinos and the low frequency of supernovae. The prospects for detecting Galactic supernovae depend almost completely on the probability of a fluctuation from the low supernova rate; the detection aspects are largely under control. The prospects for detecting Cosmic supernovae instead depend almost completely on the detection aspects, especially regarding reducing detector backgrounds; the supernova rate and neutrino flux of the universe are now rather well measured or predicted. After decades of effort and patience, we have good reasons to anticipate that detecting supernova neutrinos is within reach.

Amplitude Variation of Bottom Simulating Reflection with Respect to Frequency - Transitional Base or Attenuation?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Myung W.

2007-01-01

The amplitude of a bottom simulating reflection (BSR), which occurs near the phase boundary between gas hydrate-bearing sediments and underlying gas-filled sediments, strongly depends on the frequency content of a seismic signal, as well as the impedance contrast across the phase boundary. A strong-amplitude BSR, detectable in a conventional seismic profile, is a good indicator of the presence of free gas beneath the phase boundary. However, the BSR as observed in low-frequency multichannel seismic data is generally difficult to identify in high-frequency, single-channel seismic data. To investigate the frequency dependence of BSR amplitudes, single-channel seismic data acquired with an air gun source at Blake Ridge, which is located off the shore of South Carolina, were analyzed in the frequency range of 10-240 Hz. The frequency-dependent impedance contrast caused by the velocity dispersion in partially gas saturated sediments is important to accurately analyze BSR amplitude. Analysis indicates that seismic attenuation of gas hydrate-bearing sediments, velocity dispersion, and a transitional base all contribute to the frequency-dependent BSR amplitude variation in the frequency range of 10-500 Hz. When velocity dispersion is incorporated into the BSR amplitude analysis, the frequency-dependent BSR amplitude at Blake Ridge can be explained with gas hydrate-bearing sediments having a quality factor of about 250 and a transitional base with a thickness of about 1 meter.

Method for curing polymers using variable-frequency microwave heating

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

Lauf, R.J.; Bible, D.W.; Paulauskas, F.L.

1998-02-24

A method for curing polymers incorporating a variable frequency microwave furnace system designed to allow modulation of the frequency of the microwaves introduced into a furnace cavity is disclosed. By varying the frequency of the microwave signal, non-uniformities within the cavity are minimized, thereby achieving a more uniform cure throughout the workpiece. A directional coupler is provided for detecting the direction of a signal and further directing the signal depending on the detected direction. A first power meter is provided for measuring the power delivered to the microwave furnace. A second power meter detects the magnitude of reflected power. Themore » furnace cavity may be adapted to be used to cure materials defining a continuous sheet or which require compressive forces during curing. 15 figs.« less

Method for curing polymers using variable-frequency microwave heating

DOEpatents

Lauf, Robert J.; Bible, Don W.; Paulauskas, Felix L.

1998-01-01

A method for curing polymers (11) incorporating a variable frequency microwave furnace system (10) designed to allow modulation of the frequency of the microwaves introduced into a furnace cavity (34). By varying the frequency of the microwave signal, non-uniformities within the cavity (34) are minimized, thereby achieving a more uniform cure throughout the workpiece (36). A directional coupler (24) is provided for detecting the direction of a signal and further directing the signal depending on the detected direction. A first power meter (30) is provided for measuring the power delivered to the microwave furnace (32). A second power meter (26) detects the magnitude of reflected power. The furnace cavity (34) may be adapted to be used to cure materials defining a continuous sheet or which require compressive forces during curing.

Psychophysical correspondence between vibrotactile intensity and intracortical microstimulation for tactile neuroprostheses in rats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devecioğlu, İsmail; Güçlü, Burak

2017-02-01

Objective. Recent studies showed that intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) generates artificial sensations which can be utilized as somatosensory feedback in cortical neuroprostheses. To mimic the natural psychophysical response, ICMS parameters are modulated according to psychometric equivalence functions (PEFs). PEFs match the intensity levels of ICMS and mechanical stimuli, which elicit equal detection probabilities, but they typically do not include the frequency as a control variable. We aimed to establish frequency-dependent PEFs for vibrotactile stimulation of the glabrous skin and ICMS in the primary somatosensory cortex of awake freely behaving rats. Approach. We collected psychometric data for vibrotactile and ICMS detection at three stimulation frequencies (40, 60 and 80 Hz). The psychometric data were fitted with a model equation of two independent variables (stimulus intensity and frequency) and four subject-dependent parameters. For each rat, we constructed a separate PEF which was used to estimate the ICMS current amplitude for a given displacement amplitude and frequency. The ICMS frequency was set equal to the vibrotactile frequency. We validated the PEFs in a modified task which included randomly selected probe trials presented either with a vibrotactile or an ICMS stimulus, and also at frequencies and intensity levels not tested before. Main results. The PEFs were generally successful in estimating the ICMS current intensities (no significant differences between vibrotactile and ICMS trials in Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests). Specifically, hit rates from both trial conditions were significantly correlated in 86% of the cases, and 52% of all data had perfect match in linear regression. Significance. The psychometric correspondence model presented in this study was constructed based on surface functions which define psychophysical detection probability as a function of stimulus intensity and frequency. Therefore, it may be used for the real-time modulation of the frequency and intensity of ICMS pulses in somatosensory neuroprostheses.

Psychophysical correspondence between vibrotactile intensity and intracortical microstimulation for tactile neuroprostheses in rats.

PubMed

Devecioğlu, İsmail; Güçlü, Burak

2017-02-01

Recent studies showed that intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) generates artificial sensations which can be utilized as somatosensory feedback in cortical neuroprostheses. To mimic the natural psychophysical response, ICMS parameters are modulated according to psychometric equivalence functions (PEFs). PEFs match the intensity levels of ICMS and mechanical stimuli, which elicit equal detection probabilities, but they typically do not include the frequency as a control variable. We aimed to establish frequency-dependent PEFs for vibrotactile stimulation of the glabrous skin and ICMS in the primary somatosensory cortex of awake freely behaving rats. We collected psychometric data for vibrotactile and ICMS detection at three stimulation frequencies (40, 60 and 80 Hz). The psychometric data were fitted with a model equation of two independent variables (stimulus intensity and frequency) and four subject-dependent parameters. For each rat, we constructed a separate PEF which was used to estimate the ICMS current amplitude for a given displacement amplitude and frequency. The ICMS frequency was set equal to the vibrotactile frequency. We validated the PEFs in a modified task which included randomly selected probe trials presented either with a vibrotactile or an ICMS stimulus, and also at frequencies and intensity levels not tested before. The PEFs were generally successful in estimating the ICMS current intensities (no significant differences between vibrotactile and ICMS trials in Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests). Specifically, hit rates from both trial conditions were significantly correlated in 86% of the cases, and 52% of all data had perfect match in linear regression. The psychometric correspondence model presented in this study was constructed based on surface functions which define psychophysical detection probability as a function of stimulus intensity and frequency. Therefore, it may be used for the real-time modulation of the frequency and intensity of ICMS pulses in somatosensory neuroprostheses.

Level of Automation and Failure Frequency Effects on Simulated Lunar Lander Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marquez, Jessica J.; Ramirez, Margarita

2014-01-01

A human-in-the-loop experiment was conducted at the NASA Ames Research Center Vertical Motion Simulator, where instrument-rated pilots completed a simulated terminal descent phase of a lunar landing. Ten pilots participated in a 2 x 2 mixed design experiment, with level of automation as the within-subjects factor and failure frequency as the between subjects factor. The two evaluated levels of automation were high (fully automated landing) and low (manual controlled landing). During test trials, participants were exposed to either a high number of failures (75% failure frequency) or low number of failures (25% failure frequency). In order to investigate the pilots' sensitivity to changes in levels of automation and failure frequency, the dependent measure selected for this experiment was accuracy of failure diagnosis, from which D Prime and Decision Criterion were derived. For each of the dependent measures, no significant difference was found for level of automation and no significant interaction was detected between level of automation and failure frequency. A significant effect was identified for failure frequency suggesting failure frequency has a significant effect on pilots' sensitivity to failure detection and diagnosis. Participants were more likely to correctly identify and diagnose failures if they experienced the higher levels of failures, regardless of level of automation

Development of a long-gauge vibration sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kung, Peter; Comanici, Maria I.; Li, Qian; Zhang, Yiwei

2015-03-01

We have recently found that a long length of fiber of up to 1 km terminated with an in-fiber cavity structure can detect vibrations over a frequency range from 5 Hz to 2 kHz. We want to determine whether the sensor (including packaging) can be optimized to detect vibrations at even higher frequencies. The structure can be used as a distributed vibration sensor mounted on large motors and other rotating machines to capture the entire frequency spectrum of the associated vibration signals, and therefore, replace the many accelerometers, which add to maintenance cost. The sensor may also help detect in-slot vibrations which cause intermittent contact leading to sparking under high voltages inside air-cooled generators. However, that requires the sensor to detect frequencies associated with vibration sparking, ranging from 6 kHz to 15 kHz. Acoustic vibration monitoring may need sensing at even higher frequencies (30 kHz to 150 kHz) associated with partial discharge (PD) in generators and transformers. Detecting lower frequencies in the range 2 Hz to 200 Hz makes the sensor suitable for seismic studies and falls well into the vibrations associated with rotating machines. Another application of interest is corrosion detection in large re-enforced concrete structures by inserting the sensor along a long hole drilled around structures showing signs of corrosion. The frequency response for the proposed longgauge vibration sensor depends on packaging.

Bubble measuring instrument and method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Magari, Patrick J. (Inventor); Kline-Schoder, Robert (Inventor)

2003-01-01

Method and apparatus are provided for a non-invasive bubble measuring instrument operable for detecting, distinguishing, and counting gaseous embolisms such as bubbles over a selectable range of bubble sizes of interest. A selected measurement volume in which bubbles may be detected is insonified by two distinct frequencies from a pump transducer and an image transducer, respectively. The image transducer frequency is much higher than the pump transducer frequency. The relatively low-frequency pump signal is used to excite bubbles to resonate at a frequency related to their diameter. The image transducer is operated in a pulse-echo mode at a controllable repetition rate that transmits bursts of high-frequency ultrasonic signal to the measurement volume in which bubbles may be detected and then receives the echo. From the echo or received signal, a beat signal related to the repetition rate may be extracted and used to indicate the presence or absence of a resonant bubble. In a preferred embodiment, software control maintains the beat signal at a preselected frequency while varying the pump transducer frequency to excite bubbles of different diameters to resonate depending on the range of bubble diameters selected for investigation.

Bubble Measuring Instrument and Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kline-Schoder, Robert (Inventor); Magari, Patrick J. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

Method and apparatus are provided for a non-invasive bubble measuring instrument operable for detecting, distinguishing, and counting gaseous embolisms such as bubbles over a selectable range of bubble sizes of interest. A selected measurement volume in which bubbles may be detected is insonified by two distinct frequencies from a pump transducer and an image transducer. respectively. The image transducer frequency is much higher than the pump transducer frequency. The relatively low-frequency pump signal is used to excite bubbles to resonate at a frequency related to their diameter. The image transducer is operated in a pulse-echo mode at a controllable repetition rate that transmits bursts of high-frequency ultrasonic signal to the measurement volume in which bubbles may be detected and then receives the echo. From the echo or received signal, a beat signal related to the repetition rate may be extracted and used to indicate the presence or absence of a resonant bubble. In a preferred embodiment, software control maintains the beat signal at a preselected frequency while varying the pump transducer frequency to excite bubbles of different diameters to resonate depending on the range of bubble diameters selected for investigation.

Time-dependent local density measurements in unsteady flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckenzie, R. L.; Monson, D. J.; Exberger, R. J.

1979-01-01

A laser-induced fluorescence technique for measuring the relative time-dependent density fluctuations in unsteady or turbulent flows is demonstrated. Using a 1.5-W continuous-wave Kr(+) laser, measurements have been obtained in 0.1-mm diameter by 1-mm-long sampling volumes in a Mach 3 flow of N2 seeded with biacetyl vapor. A signal amplitude resolution of 2% was achieved for a detection frequency bandwidth of 10 kHz. The measurement uncertainty was found to be dominated by noise behaving as photon statistical noise. The practical limits of signal-to-noise ratios have been characterized for a wide range of detection frequency bandwidths that encompasses those of interest in supersonic turbulence measurements.

Ultrasound Imaging of DNA-Damage Effects in Live Cultured Cells and in Brain Tissue.

PubMed

Tadayyon, Hadi; Gangeh, Mehrdad J; Vlad, Roxana; Kolios, Michael C; Czarnota, Gregory J

2017-01-01

High-frequency ultrasound (>20 MHz) spectroscopy can be used to detect noninvasively DNA damage in cell samples in vitro, and in live tissue both ex vivo and in vivo. This chapter focuses on the former two aspects. Experimental evidence suggests that morphological changes that occur in cells undergoing apoptosis result in changes in frequency-dependent ultrasound backscatter. With advances in research, ultrasound spectroscopy is advancing the boundaries of fast, label-free, noninvasive DNA damage detection technology with potential use in personalized medicine and early therapy response monitoring. Depending on the desired resolution, parametric ultrasound images can be computed and displayed within minutes to hours after ultrasound examination for cell death.

Development of a long-gauge vibration sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kung, Peter; Comanici, Maria I.

2014-06-01

Recently, we found that by terminating a long length of fiber of up to 2 km with an in-fiber cavity structure, the entire structure can detect vibrations over a frequency range from 5 Hz to 100 Hz. We want to determine whether the structure (including packaging) can be optimized to detect vibrations at even higher frequencies. The structure can be used as a distributed vibration sensor mounted on large motors and other rotating machines to capture the entire frequency spectrum of the associated vibration signals, and therefore, replace the many accelerometers, which add to the maintenance cost. Similarly, it will help detect in-slot vibrations which cause intermittent contact leading to sparking under high voltages inside air-cooled generators. However, that will require the sensor to detect frequencies associated with vibration sparking, ranging from 6 kHz to 15 kHz. Then, at even higher frequencies, the structure can be useful to detect acoustic vibrations (30 kHz to 150 kHz) associated with partial discharge (PD) in generators and transformers. Detecting lower frequencies in the range 2 Hz to 200 Hz makes the sensor suitable for seismic studies and falls well into the vibrations associated with rotating machines. Another application of interest is corrosion detection in large re-enforced concrete structures by inserting the sensor along a long hole drilled around structures showing signs of corrosion. The frequency response for the proposed long-gauge vibration sensor depends on packaging.

Age, cognitive style, and traffic signs.

PubMed

Lambert, L D; Fleury, M

1994-04-01

This study assessed the efficiency with which young and older adults of varying field dependence extract information from traffic signs. It also identified some visual attributes of signs which affect recognition time. Two experiments were conducted. In Exp. 1, digitized signs, embedded in rural and urban backgrounds, were presented on a computer monitor. Subjects indicated on which side a target sign had appeared. Analysis showed that recognition times were dependent on age and field-dependence scores. Also, visual backgrounds and spatial frequency of pictographs affected RTs. In Exp. 2, recognition RT to 2 signs with redesigned pictographs was measured as well as time taken to detect signs. The signs showing reduced spatial frequency were the fastest to recognize, although no effect was noticed during detection. The subjects who showed the worst performance when facing the original signs benefitted the most from the modifications.

Delamination Detection Using Guided Wave Phased Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tian, Zhenhua; Yu, Lingyu; Leckey, Cara

2016-01-01

This paper presents a method for detecting multiple delaminations in composite laminates using non-contact phased arrays. The phased arrays are implemented with a non-contact scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV). The array imaging algorithm is performed in the frequency domain where both the guided wave dispersion effect and direction dependent wave properties are considered. By using the non-contact SLDV array with a frequency domain imaging algorithm, an intensity image of the composite plate can be generated for delamination detection. For the proof of concept, a laboratory test is performed using a non-contact phased array to detect two delaminations (created through quasi-static impact test) at different locations in a composite plate. Using the non-contact phased array and frequency domain imaging, the two impact-induced delaminations are successfully detected. This study shows that the non-contact phased array method is a potentially effective method for rapid delamination inspection in large composite structures.

Study of vibrational modes in CuxAg1-xIn5S8 mixed crystals by infrared reflection measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasanly, N. M.

2018-04-01

Infrared reflection spectra of CuxAg1-xIn5S8 mixed crystals, grown by Bridgman method, were studied in the wide frequency range of 50-2000 cm-1. All four infrared-active modes were detected, which are in full agreement with the prediction of group-theoretical analysis. Real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function, refractive index and the energy losses function were evaluated from reflectivity measurements. The frequencies of TO and LO modes and oscillator strengths were also determined. The bands detected in IR spectra of studied crystals were assigned to various vibration types (valence and valence-deformation) on the basis of the symmetrized displacements of atoms obtained employing the Melvin projection operators. The linear dependencies of optical mode frequencies on the composition of CuxAg1-xIn5S8 mixed crystals were obtained. These dependencies display one-mode behavior.

High-Frequency X-ray Variability Detection in A Black Hole Transient with USA.

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

Shabad, Gayane

2000-10-16

Studies of high-frequency variability (above {approx}100 Hz) in X-ray binaries provide a unique opportunity to explore the fundamental physics of spacetime and matter, since the orbital timescale on the order of several milliseconds is a timescale of the motion of matter through the region located in close proximity to a compact stellar object. The detection of weak high-frequency signals in X-ray binaries depends on how well we understand the level of Poisson noise due to the photon counting statistics, i.e. how well we can understand and model the detector deadtime and other instrumental systematic effects. We describe the preflight timingmore » calibration work performed on the Unconventional Stellar Aspect (USA) X-ray detector to study deadtime and timing issues. We developed a Monte Carlo deadtime model and deadtime correction methods for the USA experiment. The instrumental noise power spectrum can be estimated within {approx}0.1% accuracy in the case when no energy-dependent instrumental effect is present. We also developed correction techniques to account for an energy-dependent instrumental effect. The developed methods were successfully tested on USA Cas A and Cygnus X-1 data. This work allowed us to make a detection of a weak signal in a black hole candidate (BHC) transient.« less

Integration of auditory and vibrotactile stimuli: Effects of frequency

PubMed Central

Wilson, E. Courtenay; Reed, Charlotte M.; Braida, Louis D.

2010-01-01

Perceptual integration of vibrotactile and auditory sinusoidal tone pulses was studied in detection experiments as a function of stimulation frequency. Vibrotactile stimuli were delivered through a single channel vibrator to the left middle fingertip. Auditory stimuli were presented diotically through headphones in a background of 50 dB sound pressure level broadband noise. Detection performance for combined auditory-tactile presentations was measured using stimulus levels that yielded 63% to 77% correct unimodal performance. In Experiment 1, the vibrotactile stimulus was 250 Hz and the auditory stimulus varied between 125 and 2000 Hz. In Experiment 2, the auditory stimulus was 250 Hz and the tactile stimulus varied between 50 and 400 Hz. In Experiment 3, the auditory and tactile stimuli were always equal in frequency and ranged from 50 to 400 Hz. The highest rates of detection for the combined-modality stimulus were obtained when stimulating frequencies in the two modalities were equal or closely spaced (and within the Pacinian range). Combined-modality detection for closely spaced frequencies was generally consistent with an algebraic sum model of perceptual integration; wider-frequency spacings were generally better fit by a Pythagorean sum model. Thus, perceptual integration of auditory and tactile stimuli at near-threshold levels appears to depend both on absolute frequency and relative frequency of stimulation within each modality. PMID:21117754

Frequency-dependent selection acting on the widely fluctuating sex ratio of the aphid Prociphilus oriens.

PubMed

Li, Y; Akimoto, S

2017-07-01

Frequency-dependent selection is a fundamental principle of adaptive sex ratio evolution in all sex ratio theories but has rarely been detected in the wild. Through long-term censuses, we confirmed large fluctuations in the population sex ratio of the aphid Prociphilus oriens and detected frequency-dependent selection acting on these fluctuations. Fluctuations in the population sex ratio were partly attributable to climatic factors during the growing season. Climatic factors likely affected the growth conditions of host plants, which in turn led to yearly fluctuations in maternal conditions and sex ratios. In the process of frequency-dependent selection, female proportion higher or lower than ca. 60% was associated with a reduction or increase in female proportion, respectively, the next year. The rearing of aphid clones in the laboratory indicated that mothers of each clone produced an increasing number of females as maternal size increased. However, the mean male number was not related to maternal size, but varied largely among clones. Given genetic variance in the ability to produce males among clones, selection should favour clones that can produce more numerous males in years with a high female proportion. Population-level sex allocation to females was on average 71%-73% for three localities and more female-biased when maternal conditions were better. This tendency was accounted for by the hypothesis of competition among foundresses rather than the hypothesis of local mate competition. We conclude that despite consistent operation of frequency-dependent selection, the sex ratio continues to fluctuate because environmental conditions always push it away from equilibrium. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Variability in echolocation call intensity in a community of horseshoe bats: a role for resource partitioning or communication?

PubMed

Schuchmann, Maike; Siemers, Björn M

2010-09-17

Only recently data on bat echolocation call intensities is starting to accumulate. Yet, intensity is an ecologically crucial parameter, as it determines the extent of the bats' perceptual space and, specifically, prey detection distance. Interspecifically, we thus asked whether sympatric, congeneric bat species differ in call intensities and whether differences play a role for niche differentiation. Specifically, we investigated whether R. mehelyi that calls at a frequency clearly above what is predicted by allometry, compensates for frequency-dependent loss in detection distance by using elevated call intensity. Maximum echolocation call intensities might depend on body size or condition and thus be used as an honest signal of quality for intraspecific communication. We for the first time investigated whether a size-intensity relation is present in echolocating bats. We measured maximum call intensities and frequencies for all five European horseshoe bat species. Maximum intensity differed among species largely due to R. euryale. Furthermore, we found no compensation for frequency-dependent loss in detection distance in R. mehelyi. Intraspecifically, there is a negative correlation between forearm lengths and intensity in R. euryale and a trend for a negative correlation between body condition index and intensity in R. ferrumequinum. In R. hipposideros, females had 8 dB higher intensities than males. There were no correlations with body size or sex differences and intensity for the other species. Based on call intensity and frequency measurements, we estimated echolocation ranges for our study community. These suggest that intensity differences result in different prey detection distances and thus likely play some role for resource access. It is interesting and at first glance counter-intuitive that, where a correlation was found, smaller bats called louder than large individuals. Such negative relationship between size or condition and vocal amplitude may indicate an as yet unknown physiological or sexual selection pressure.

Variability in Echolocation Call Intensity in a Community of Horseshoe Bats: A Role for Resource Partitioning or Communication?

PubMed Central

Schuchmann, Maike; Siemers, Björn M.

2010-01-01

Background Only recently data on bat echolocation call intensities is starting to accumulate. Yet, intensity is an ecologically crucial parameter, as it determines the extent of the bats' perceptual space and, specifically, prey detection distance. Interspecifically, we thus asked whether sympatric, congeneric bat species differ in call intensities and whether differences play a role for niche differentiation. Specifically, we investigated whether R. mehelyi that calls at a frequency clearly above what is predicted by allometry, compensates for frequency-dependent loss in detection distance by using elevated call intensity. Maximum echolocation call intensities might depend on body size or condition and thus be used as an honest signal of quality for intraspecific communication. We for the first time investigated whether a size-intensity relation is present in echolocating bats. Methodology/Principal Findings We measured maximum call intensities and frequencies for all five European horseshoe bat species. Maximum intensity differed among species largely due to R. euryale. Furthermore, we found no compensation for frequency-dependent loss in detection distance in R. mehelyi. Intraspecifically, there is a negative correlation between forearm lengths and intensity in R. euryale and a trend for a negative correlation between body condition index and intensity in R. ferrumequinum. In R. hipposideros, females had 8 dB higher intensities than males. There were no correlations with body size or sex differences and intensity for the other species. Conclusions/Significance Based on call intensity and frequency measurements, we estimated echolocation ranges for our study community. These suggest that intensity differences result in different prey detection distances and thus likely play some role for resource access. It is interesting and at first glance counter-intuitive that, where a correlation was found, smaller bats called louder than large individuals. Such negative relationship between size or condition and vocal amplitude may indicate an as yet unknown physiological or sexual selection pressure. PMID:20862252

Polarization-sensitive electro-optic detection of terahertz wave using three different types of crystal symmetry: Toward broadband polarization spectroscopy

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

Oguchi, Kenichi; Iwasaki, Hotsumi; Okano, Makoto

2016-01-04

We investigated polarization-sensitive electro-optic (EO) detection of terahertz (THz) waves by using two uniaxial crystals: a c-cut gallium selenide and a c-cut lithium niobate crystals. We formulated a general frequency-domain description of EO detection by in-plane isotropic EO crystals, which holds regardless of the frequency. Based on this description, the polarization of THz waves can be derived by analyzing EO sampling signals measured with two orthogonal configurations of the in-plane isotropic EO crystals as well as typical (111) zinc-blende EO crystals. In addition, we experimentally demonstrated that the frequency-dependent polarization of THz waves can be reproducibly retrieved using three EOmore » crystals with different crystal symmetries and with different phase matching conditions. Our description provides essential information for practical polarization sensing in the THz frequency range as well as in the mid-infrared range.« less

X-Ray Variability Characteristics of the Seyfert 1 Galaxy NGC 3783

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markowitz, A.

2005-12-01

We have characterized the energy-dependent X-ray variability properties of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3783 using archival XMM-Newton and Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer data. The high-frequency fluctuation power spectral density function (PSD) slope is consistent with flattening toward higher energies. Light-curve cross-correlation functions yield no significant lags, but peak coefficients generally decrease as energy separation of the bands increases on both short and long timescales. We have measured the coherence between various X-ray bands over the temporal frequency range of 6×10-8-1×10-4 Hz; this range includes the temporal frequency of the low-frequency PSD break tentatively detected by Markowitz et al. and includes the lowest temporal frequency over which coherence has been measured in any active galactic nucleus to date. Coherence is generally near unity at these temporal frequencies, although it decreases slightly as energy separation of the bands increases. Temporal frequency-dependent phase lags are detected on short timescales; phase lags are consistent with increasing as energy separation increases or as temporal frequency decreases. All of these results are similar to those obtained previously for several Seyfert galaxies and stellar mass black hole systems. Qualitatively, these results are consistent with the variability models of Kotov et al. and Lyubarskii, wherein the X-ray variability is due to inwardly propagating variations in the local mass accretion rate.

AC-conductance and capacitance measurements for ethanol vapor detection using carbon nanotube-polyvinyl alcohol composite based devices.

PubMed

Greenshields, Márcia W C C; Meruvia, Michelle S; Hümmelgen, Ivo A; Coville, Neil J; Mhlanga, Sabelo D; Ceragioli, Helder J; Quispe, Jose C Rojas; Baranauskas, Vitor

2011-03-01

We report the preparation of inexpensive ethanol sensor devices using multiwalled carbon nanotube-polyvinyl alcohol composite films deposited onto interdigitated electrodes patterned on phenolite substrates. We investigate the frequency dependent response of the device conductance and capacitance showing that higher sensitivity is obtained at higher frequency if the conductance is used as sensing parameter. In the case of capacitance measurements, higher sensitivity is obtained at low frequency. Ethanol detection at a concentration of 300 ppm in air is demonstrated. More than 80% of the sensor conductance and capacitance variation response occurs in less than 20 s.

Distributed measurement of acoustic vibration location with frequency multiplexed phase-OTDR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iida, Daisuke; Toge, Kunihiro; Manabe, Tetsuya

2017-07-01

All-fiber distributed vibration sensing is attracting attention in relation to structural health monitoring because it is cost effective, offers high coverage of the monitored area and can detect various structural problems. And in particular the demand for high-speed vibration sensing operating at more than 10 kHz has increased because high frequency vibration indicates high energy and severe trouble in the monitored object. Optical fiber vibration sensing with phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometry (phase-OTDR) has long been studied because it can be used for distributed vibration sensing in optical fiber. However, pulse reflectometry such as OTDR cannot measure high-frequency vibration whose cycle is shorter than the repetition time of the OTDR. That is, the maximum detectable frequency depends on fiber length. In this paper, we describe a vibration sensing technique with frequency-multiplexed OTDR that can detect the entire distribution of a high-frequency vibration thus allowing us to locate a high-speed vibration point. We can measure the position, frequency and dynamic change of a high-frequency vibration whose cycle is shorter than the repetition time. Both frequency and position are visualized simultaneously for a 5-km fiber with an 80-kHz frequency response and a 20-m spatial resolution.

Low-radio-frequency eclipses of the redback pulsar J2215+5135 observed in the image plane with LOFAR.

PubMed

Broderick, J W; Fender, R P; Breton, R P; Stewart, A J; Rowlinson, A; Swinbank, J D; Hessels, J W T; Staley, T D; van der Horst, A J; Bell, M E; Carbone, D; Cendes, Y; Corbel, S; Eislöffel, J; Falcke, H; Grießmeier, J-M; Hassall, T E; Jonker, P; Kramer, M; Kuniyoshi, M; Law, C J; Markoff, S; Molenaar, G J; Pietka, M; Scheers, L H A; Serylak, M; Stappers, B W; Ter Veen, S; van Leeuwen, J; Wijers, R A M J; Wijnands, R; Wise, M W; Zarka, P

2016-07-01

The eclipses of certain types of binary millisecond pulsars (i.e. 'black widows' and 'redbacks') are often studied using high-time-resolution, 'beamformed' radio observations. However, they may also be detected in images generated from interferometric data. As part of a larger imaging project to characterize the variable and transient sky at radio frequencies <200 MHz, we have blindly detected the redback system PSR J2215+5135 as a variable source of interest with the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR). Using observations with cadences of two weeks - six months, we find preliminary evidence that the eclipse duration is frequency dependent (∝ν -0.4 ), such that the pulsar is eclipsed for longer at lower frequencies, in broad agreement with beamformed studies of other similar sources. Furthermore, the detection of the eclipses in imaging data suggests an eclipsing medium that absorbs the pulsed emission, rather than scattering it. Our study is also a demonstration of the prospects of finding pulsars in wide-field imaging surveys with the current generation of low-frequency radio telescopes.

Fault detection for singular switched linear systems with multiple time-varying delay in finite frequency domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Ding; Lu, Anyang; Li, Jinghao; Zhang, Qingling

2016-10-01

This paper deals with the problem of the fault detection (FD) for continuous-time singular switched linear systems with multiple time-varying delay. In this paper, the actuator fault is considered. Besides, the systems faults and unknown disturbances are assumed in known frequency domains. Some finite frequency performance indices are initially introduced to design the switched FD filters which ensure that the filtering augmented systems under switching signal with average dwell time are exponentially admissible and guarantee the fault input sensitivity and disturbance robustness. By developing generalised Kalman-Yakubovic-Popov lemma and using Parseval's theorem and Fourier transform, finite frequency delay-dependent sufficient conditions for the existence of such a filter which can guarantee the finite-frequency H- and H∞ performance are derived and formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Four examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed finite frequency method.

Parametric Amplification Protocol for Frequency-Modulated Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy Signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrell, Lee; Moore, Eric; Lee, Sanggap; Hickman, Steven; Marohn, John

2011-03-01

We present data and theoretical signal and noise calculations for a protocol using parametric amplification to evade the inherent tradeoff between signal and detector frequency noise in force-gradient magnetic resonance force microscopy signals, which are manifested as a modulated frequency shift of a high- Q microcantilever. Substrate-induced frequency noise has a 1 / f frequency dependence, while detector noise exhibits an f2 dependence on modulation frequency f . Modulation of sample spins at a frequency that minimizes these two contributions typically results in a surface frequency noise power an order of magnitude or more above the thermal limit and may prove incompatible with sample spin relaxation times as well. We show that the frequency modulated force-gradient signal can be used to excite the fundamental resonant mode of the cantilever, resulting in an audio frequency amplitude signal that is readily detected with a low-noise fiber optic interferometer. This technique allows us to modulate the force-gradient signal at a sufficiently high frequency so that substrate-induced frequency noise is evaded without subjecting the signal to the normal f2 detector noise of conventional demodulation.

Frequency selective detection of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spin echoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somasundaram, Samuel D.; Jakobsson, Andreas; Smith, John A. S.; Althoefer, Kaspar A.

2006-05-01

Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR) is a radio frequency (RF) technique that can be used to detect the presence of quadrupolar nuclei, such as the 14N nucleus prevalent in many explosives and narcotics. The technique has been hampered by low signal-to-noise ratios and is further aggravated by the presence of RF interference (RFI). To ensure accurate detection, proposed detectors should exploit the rich form of the NQR signal. Furthermore, the detectors should also be robust to any remaining residual interference, left after suitable RFI mitigation has been employed. In this paper, we propose a new NQR data model, particularly for the realistic case where multiple pulse sequences are used to generate trains of spin echoes. Furthermore, we refine two recently proposed approximative maximum likelihood (AML) detectors, enabling the algorithm to optimally exploit the data model of the entire echo train and also incorporate knowledge of the temperature dependent spin-echo decay time. The AML-based detectors ensure accurate detection and robustness against residual RFI, even when the temperature of the sample is not precisely known, by exploiting the dependencies of the NQR resonant lines on temperature. Further robustness against residual interference is gained as the proposed detector is frequency selective; exploiting only those regions of the spectrum where the NQR signal is expected. Extensive numerical evaluations based on both simulated and measured NQR data indicate that the proposed Frequency selective Echo Train AML (FETAML) detector offers a significant improvement as compared to other existing detectors.

Comparison of optomagnetic and AC susceptibility readouts in a magnetic nanoparticle agglutination assay for detection of C-reactive protein.

PubMed

Fock, Jeppe; Parmvi, Mattias; Strömberg, Mattias; Svedlindh, Peter; Donolato, Marco; Hansen, Mikkel Fougt

2017-02-15

There is an increasing need to develop biosensor methods that are highly sensitive and that can be combined with low-cost consumables. The use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is attractive because their detection is compatible with low-cost disposables and because application of a magnetic field can be used to accelerate assay kinetics. We present the first study and comparison of the performance of magnetic susceptibility measurements and a newly proposed optomagnetic method. For the comparison we use the C-reactive protein (CRP) induced agglutination of identical samples of 100nm MNPs conjugated with CRP antibodies. Both methods detect agglutination as a shift to lower frequencies in measurements of the dynamics in response to an applied oscillating magnetic field. The magnetic susceptibility method probes the magnetic response whereas the optomagnetic technique probes the modulation of laser light transmitted through the sample. The two techniques provided highly correlated results upon agglutination when they measure the decrease of the signal from the individual MNPs (turn-off detection strategy), whereas the techniques provided different results, strongly depending on the read-out frequency, when detecting the signal due to MNP agglomerates (turn-on detection strategy). These observations are considered to be caused by differences in the volume-dependence of the magnetic and optical signals from agglomerates. The highest signal from agglomerates was found in the optomagnetic signal at low frequencies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The frequency of adverse drug reaction related admissions according to method of detection, admission urgency and medical department specialty

PubMed Central

Brvar, Miran; Fokter, Nina; Bunc, Matjaz; Mozina, Martin

2009-01-01

Background Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) have been regarded as a major public health problem since they represent a sizable percentage of admissions. Unfortunately, there is a wide variation of ADR related admissions among different studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of ADR related admissions and its dependency on reporting and method of detection, urgency of admissions and included medical departments reflecting department/hospital type within one study. Methods The study team of internal medicine specialists retrospectively reviewed 520 randomly selected medical records (3%) of patients treated in the medical departments of the primary city and tertiary referral governmental hospital for certain ADRs causing admissions regarding WHO causality criteria. All medical records were checked for whether the treating physicians recognised and documented ADRs causing admissions. The hospital information system was checked to ensure ADR related diagnoses were properly coded and the database of a national spontaneous reporting system was searched for patients with ADRs included in this study. Results The established frequency of admissions due to certain ADRs recognised by the study team and documented in medical records by the treating physicians was the same and represented 5.8% of all patients (30/520). The frequency of ADR causing admissions detected by employing a computer-assisted approach using an ICD-10 coding system was 0.2% (1/520), and no patient admitted due to ADRs was reported to the national reporting system (0/520). The recognized frequency of ADR related admissions also depends on the department's specialty (p = 0.001) and acceptance of urgently admitted patients (p = 0.001). Patients admitted due to ADRs were significantly older compared to patients without ADRs (p = 0.025). Gastrointestinal bleeding due to NSAID, acetylsalicylic acid and warfarin was the most common ADR that resulted in admission and represented 40% of all certain ADRs (12/30) according to WHO causality criteria. Conclusion ADRs cause 5.8% of admissions in medical departments in the primary city and tertiary referral hospital. The physicians recognise certain ADR related admissions according to WHO causality criteria and note them in medical records, but they rarely code and report ADRs. The established frequency of ADR related admissions depends on the detection method, department specialty and frequency of urgently admitted patients. PMID:19409112

[EEG features during olfactory stimulation in drug dependence persons].

PubMed

Batukhtina, E I; Nevidimova, T I; Vetlugina, T P; Kokorina, N P; Bokhan, N A

2013-01-01

Power spectra analysis EEG was used for baseline interval and during olfactory stimulation in drug dependence and healthy persons. Intergroup differences of EEG spectra were related with enhancement of cortex biopotential power in narcological patients at parietal and temporal sites. Interhemispheres features of frequency bands contribution in EEG spectra were identified. Increased biopotential power in drug dependence persons was observed at left temporal hemisphere in high-frequency bands in baseline interval and during olfactory stimulation. Increased power of alpha activity was typical for right temporal hemisphere in narcological patients as compare to healthy persons. Detected neurophysiological patterns may be related with psychological and behavioral features of addictive disorders.

Sex hormones and the elderly male voice.

PubMed

Gugatschka, Markus; Kiesler, Karl; Obermayer-Pietsch, Barbara; Schoekler, Bernadette; Schmid, Christoph; Groselj-Strele, Andrea; Friedrich, Gerhard

2010-05-01

The objective was to describe influences of sex hormones on the male voice in an elderly cohort. Sixty-three elderly males were recruited to undergo assessment of voice parameters, stroboscopy, voice-related questionnaires, a blood draw, and an ultrasound examination of the laryngeal skeleton. The group was divided into men with normal hormonal status and men with lowered levels of sex hormones, called hypogonades. Depending on the level of androgens, voice parameters did not differ. In subjects with decreased levels of estrogens, a significant increase in mean fundamental frequency, as well as changes of highest and lowest frequency plus a shift of the frequency range could be detected. We could detect significant changes of voice parameters depending on status of estrogens in elderly males. Androgens appear to have no impact on the elderly male voice. To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study that correlates sex hormones with voice parameters in elderly men. (c) 2010 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlated evolution between hearing sensitivity and social calls in bats

PubMed Central

Bohn, Kirsten M; Moss, Cynthia F; Wilkinson, Gerald S

2006-01-01

Echolocating bats are auditory specialists, with exquisite hearing that spans several octaves. In the ultrasonic range, bat audiograms typically show highest sensitivity in the spectral region of their species-specific echolocation calls. Well-developed hearing in the audible range has been commonly attributed to a need to detect sounds produced by prey. However, bat pups often emit isolation calls with low-frequency components that facilitate mother–young reunions. In this study, we examine whether low-frequency hearing in bats exhibits correlated evolution with (i) body size; (ii) high-frequency hearing sensitivity or (iii) pup isolation call frequency. Using published audiograms, we found that low-frequency hearing sensitivity is not dependent on body size but is related to high-frequency hearing. After controlling for high-frequency hearing, we found that low-frequency hearing exhibits correlated evolution with isolation call frequency. We infer that detection and discrimination of isolation calls have favoured enhanced low-frequency hearing because accurate parental investment is critical: bats have low reproductive rates, non-volant altricial young and must often identify their pups within large crèches. PMID:17148288

Tactile Sensitivity of Children: Effects of Frequency, Masking, and the Non-Pacinian I Psychophysical Channel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guclu, Burak; Oztek, Cigdem

2007-01-01

Tactile perception depends on the contributions of four psychophysical tactile channels mediated by four corresponding receptor systems. The sensitivity of the tactile channels is determined by detection thresholds that vary as a function of the stimulus frequency. It has been widely reported that tactile thresholds increase (i.e., sensitivity…

Method for generation of THz frequency radiation and sensing of large amplitude material strain waves in piezoelectric materials

DOEpatents

Reed, Evan J.; Armstrong, Michael R.

2010-09-07

Strain waves of THz frequencies can coherently generate radiation when they propagate past an interface between materials with different piezoelectric coefficients. Such radiation is of detectable amplitude and contains sufficient information to determine the time-dependence of the strain wave with unprecedented subpicosecond, nearly atomic time and space resolution.

Improving Interstellar Medium Mitigation in Millisecond PulsarTiming Models for Gravitational Wave Detection Sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Robert C.

2018-01-01

This study aims to increase the sensitivity of pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) used by astronomers ofthe North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) to detectgravitational waves (GWs). Millisecond pulsars with many epochs of observations will be used todetermine if dispersive, frequency-dependent pulse time-of-arrival (TOA) delays caused by theinterstellar medium (ISM) can be more accurately predicted over numerous frequency channels.This project will contribute to the ongoing work to detect low-frequency GWs using PTAs. Dataused for this study will be from both the 110m telescope at the Green Bank Observatory in WestVirginia and the 305m telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

Visual sensitivity to spatially sampled modulation in human observers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulligan, Jeffrey B.; Macleod, Donald I. A.

1991-01-01

Thresholds were measured for detecting spatial luminance modulation in regular lattices of visually discrete dots. Thresholds for modulation of a lattice are generally higher than the corresponding threshold for modulation of a continuous field, and the size of the threshold elevation, which depends on the spacing of the lattice elements, can be as large as a one log unit. The largest threshold elevations are seen when the sample spacing is 12 min arc or greater. Theories based on response compression cannot explain the further observation that the threshold elevations due to spatial sampling are also dependent on modulation frequency: the greatest elevations occur with higher modulation frequencies. The idea that this is due to masking of the modulation frequency by the spatial frequencies in the sampling lattice is considered.

Indoor detection of passive targets recast as an inverse scattering problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottardi, G.; Moriyama, T.

2017-10-01

The wireless local area networks represent an alternative to custom sensors and dedicated surveillance systems for target indoor detection. The availability of the channel state information has opened the exploitation of the spatial and frequency diversity given by the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. Such a fine-grained information can be used to solve the detection problem as an inverse scattering problem. The goal of the detection is to reconstruct the properties of the investigation domain, namely to estimate if the domain is empty or occupied by targets, starting from the measurement of the electromagnetic perturbation of the wireless channel. An innovative inversion strategy exploiting both the frequency and the spatial diversity of the channel state information is proposed. The target-dependent features are identified combining the Kruskal-Wallis test and the principal component analysis. The experimental validation points out the detection performance of the proposed method when applied to an existing wireless link of a WiFi architecture deployed in a real indoor scenario. False detection rates lower than 2 [%] have been obtained.

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

Kaznatcheev, K.; Bertwistle, D.; Cheng, C.

We have explored the capabilities of synchronous ('lock-in') point detection techniques to enhance the x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) contrast in scanning x-ray transmission microscopy (STXM) of magnetic thin-film microstructures. Local absorption contrast, measured synchronously with low-amplitude (<10 Oe) and low-frequency (<200 hz) longitudinal fields perturbing the near-remanent magnetization state, reveal a strong spatial dependence of the response, with a roll-off in frequency response above 200 Hz. In this context, synchronous measurement affords us a basis for imaging the relation between energy loss and the sweeping rate. We speculate that the lock-in approach will be uniquely suited for detailing stochasticmore » and deterministic frequency-dependent events in the process of magnetization reversal.« less

Nothing more than a pair of curvatures: A common mechanism for the detection of both radial and non-radial frequency patterns.

PubMed

Schmidtmann, Gunnar; Kingdom, Frederick A A

2017-05-01

Radial frequency (RF) patterns, which are sinusoidal modulations of a radius in polar coordinates, are commonly used to study shape perception. Previous studies have argued that the detection of RF patterns is either achieved globally by a specialized global shape mechanism, or locally using as cue the maximum tangent orientation difference between the RF pattern and the circle. Here we challenge both ideas and suggest instead a model that accounts not only for the detection of RF patterns but also for line frequency patterns (LF), i.e. contours sinusoidally modulated around a straight line. The model has two features. The first is that the detection of both RF and LF patterns is based on curvature differences along the contour. The second is that this curvature metric is subject to what we term the Curve Frequency Sensitivity Function, or CFSF, which is characterized by a flat followed by declining response to curvature as a function of modulation frequency, analogous to the modulation transfer function of the eye. The evidence that curvature forms the basis for detection is that at very low modulation frequencies (1-3 cycles for the RF pattern) there is a dramatic difference in thresholds between the RF and LF patterns, a difference however that disappears at medium and high modulation frequencies. The CFSF feature on the other hand explains why thresholds, rather than continuously declining with modulation frequency, asymptote at medium and high modulation frequencies. In summary, our analysis suggests that the detection of shape modulations is processed by a common curvature-sensitive mechanism that is subject to a shape-frequency-dependent transfer function. This mechanism is independent of whether the modulation is applied to a circle or a straight line. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gap Detection and Temporal Modulation Transfer Function as Behavioral Estimates of Auditory Temporal Acuity Using Band-Limited Stimuli in Young and Older Adults

PubMed Central

Shen, Yi

2015-01-01

Purpose Gap detection and the temporal modulation transfer function (TMTF) are 2 common methods to obtain behavioral estimates of auditory temporal acuity. However, the agreement between the 2 measures is not clear. This study compares results from these 2 methods and their dependencies on listener age and hearing status. Method Gap detection thresholds and the parameters that describe the TMTF (sensitivity and cutoff frequency) were estimated for young and older listeners who were naive to the experimental tasks. Stimuli were 800-Hz-wide noises with upper frequency limits of 2400 Hz, presented at 85 dB SPL. A 2-track procedure (Shen & Richards, 2013) was used for the efficient estimation of the TMTF. Results No significant correlation was found between gap detection threshold and the sensitivity or the cutoff frequency of the TMTF. No significant effect of age and hearing loss on either the gap detection threshold or the TMTF cutoff frequency was found, while the TMTF sensitivity improved with increasing hearing threshold and worsened with increasing age. Conclusion Estimates of temporal acuity using gap detection and TMTF paradigms do not seem to provide a consistent description of the effects of listener age and hearing status on temporal envelope processing. PMID:25087722

Tuning of Human Modulation Filters Is Carrier-Frequency Dependent

PubMed Central

Simpson, Andrew J. R.; Reiss, Joshua D.; McAlpine, David

2013-01-01

Recent studies employing speech stimuli to investigate ‘cocktail-party’ listening have focused on entrainment of cortical activity to modulations at syllabic (5 Hz) and phonemic (20 Hz) rates. The data suggest that cortical modulation filters (CMFs) are dependent on the sound-frequency channel in which modulations are conveyed, potentially underpinning a strategy for separating speech from background noise. Here, we characterize modulation filters in human listeners using a novel behavioral method. Within an ‘inverted’ adaptive forced-choice increment detection task, listening level was varied whilst contrast was held constant for ramped increments with effective modulation rates between 0.5 and 33 Hz. Our data suggest that modulation filters are tonotopically organized (i.e., vary along the primary, frequency-organized, dimension). This suggests that the human auditory system is optimized to track rapid (phonemic) modulations at high sound-frequencies and slow (prosodic/syllabic) modulations at low frequencies. PMID:24009759

Performance of laser Doppler velocimeter with polydisperse seed particles in high speed flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samimy, M.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Abu-Hijleh, B. A./K.

1988-01-01

The flowfield behind an oblique shock wave, where the LDV measured velocities are seed particle size dependent, was used to investigate the effects of LDV system parameters on the range of detectable polydisperse seed particles. The parameters included frequency shifting, laser power, scattered signal amplification level, and number of required fringe crossings. The results showed that with polydisperse seed particles ranging from 0.1 to 4.0 microns available in the flow, the average diameter of the detected particles could change from 0.2 to 3.0 microns by changing different LDV system parameters. The effects of this shift in the range of detectable particles on the frequency response of LDV was discussed.

Performance of laser Doppler velocimeter with polydisperse seed particles in high-speed flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samimy, M.; Abu-Hijleh, B. A. K.

1989-01-01

The flowfield behind an oblique shock wave, where the LDV measured velocities are seed-particle-size dependent, was used to investigate the effects of LDV system parameters on the range of detectable polydisperse seed particles. The parameters included frequency shifting, laser power, scattered signal amplification level, and number of required fringe crossings. The results showed that with polydisperse seed particles ranging from 0.1 to 4.0 microns available in the flow, the average diameter of the detected particles could change from 0.2 to 3.0 microns by changing different LDV system parameters. The effects of this shift in the range of detectable particles on the frequency response of LDV are discussed.

A simulation study of detection of weapon of mass destruction based on radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharifahmadian, E.; Choi, Y.; Latifi, S.

2013-05-01

Typical systems used for detection of Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) are based on sensing objects using gamma rays or neutrons. Nonetheless, depending on environmental conditions, current methods for detecting fissile materials have limited distance of effectiveness. Moreover, radiation related to gamma- rays can be easily shielded. Here, detecting concealed WMD from a distance is simulated and studied based on radar, especially WideBand (WB) technology. The WB-based method capitalizes on the fact that electromagnetic waves penetrate through different materials at different rates. While low-frequency waves can pass through objects more easily, high-frequency waves have a higher rate of absorption by objects, making the object recognition easier. Measuring the penetration depth allows one to identify the sensed material. During simulation, radar waves and propagation area including free space, and objects in the scene are modeled. In fact, each material is modeled as a layer with a certain thickness. At start of simulation, a modeled radar wave is radiated toward the layers. At the receiver side, based on the received signals from every layer, each layer can be identified. When an electromagnetic wave passes through an object, the wave's power will be subject to a certain level of attenuation depending of the object's characteristics. Simulation is performed using radar signals with different frequencies (ranges MHz-GHz) and powers to identify different layers.

[Alcoholism during pregnancy: an underestimated health problem].

PubMed

Montesinos Balboa, Jorge Eduardo; Altúzar González, Marlene; Benítez Castillejos, Fortunato

2004-10-01

To identify the frequency of consumption of alcohol in pregnant women who went to a module of prenatal control; to describe the consumption habits and to identify the number of cases in those that the physician of first level identified the addiction, using the institutional instruments. A descriptive and prospective study was carried out, the study population was selected by means of non randomized sampling of the total of pregnant women who went to receive services of prenatal control, in two units of family medicine of the Mexican Institute of Social Security, of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. The instrument AUDIT (Alcoholism Disorders Identification Test) was used, to identify use-frequency, abuse, dependence and physical/mental damage conditioned by the alcohol. In 132 studied women, it found a frequency of 45.5% of pregnant women with positive consumption and a case of dependence, none of which was identified by the family doctor. The consumption of alcohol in the studied population is high, even bigger than the frequency detected in populations of non pregnant women. The use of detection tests such as the AUDIT and the implementation of measures guided to the training and the personnel's of health sensitization about the magnitude and impact of this problem are recommended.

Sensitivity of new detection method for ultra-low frequency gravitational waves with pulsar spin-down rate statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yonemaru, Naoyuki; Kumamoto, Hiroki; Takahashi, Keitaro; Kuroyanagi, Sachiko

2018-04-01

A new detection method for ultra-low frequency gravitational waves (GWs) with a frequency much lower than the observational range of pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) was suggested in Yonemaru et al. (2016). In the PTA analysis, ultra-low frequency GWs (≲ 10-10 Hz) which evolve just linearly during the observation time span are absorbed by the pulsar spin-down rates since both have the same effect on the pulse arrival time. Therefore, such GWs cannot be detected by the conventional method of PTAs. However, the bias on the observed spin-down rates depends on relative direction of a pulsar and GW source and shows a quadrupole pattern in the sky. Thus, if we divide the pulsars according to the position in the sky and see the difference in the statistics of the spin-down rates, ultra-low frequency GWs from a single source can be detected. In this paper, we evaluate the potential of this method by Monte-Carlo simulations and estimate the sensitivity, considering only the "Earth term" while the "pulsar term" acts like random noise for GW frequencies 10-13 - 10-10 Hz. We find that with 3,000 milli-second pulsars, which are expected to be discovered by a future survey with the Square Kilometre Array, GWs with the derivative of amplitude of about 3 × 10^{-19} {s}^{-1} can in principle be detected. Implications for possible supermassive binary black holes in Sgr* and M87 are also given.

Subsurface Ice Detection via Low Frequency Surface Electromagnetic Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stillman, D. E.; Grimm, R. E.; Mcginnis, R. N.

2014-12-01

The geophysical detection of ice in the Cryosphere is typically conducted by measuring the absence of water. These interpretations can become non-unique in dry soils or in clay- and silt-rich soils that contain significant quantities of unfrozen water. Extensive laboratory measurements of electrical properties were made on permafrost samples as a function of frequency, temperature, and water content. These laboratory measurements show that the amount of ice can be uniquely obtained by measuring a frequency dependence of the electrical properties over a large frequency range (20 kHz - 10 Hz). In addition, the electrical properties of permafrost are temperature dependent, which can allow for an estimate of subsurface temperature. In order to test this approach in the field, we performed field surveys at four locations in Alaska. We used three low frequency electromagnetic methods: Spectral Induced Polarization (SIP: 20 kHz - 10 Hz), Capacively Coupled Resistivity (CCR: OhmMapper - 16.5 kHz), and DC Resistivity (Syscal ~ 8 Hz). At the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory permafrost tunnel near Fox, AK, we used SIP to measure the average ice concentration of 80 v% and determined the temperature to be -3±1°C by matching survey results to lab data. SIP data acquisition is very slow; therefore, at three sites near Tok, AK, we used CCR to perform reconnaissance of the area. Then SIP and DC resistivity were performed at anomalous areas. The three survey types give very similar absolute resistivity values. We found that while SIP gives the most quantitative results, the frequency dependence from the CCR and DC resistivity surveys is all that are needed to determine ice content in permafrost.

Detecting fixation on a target using time-frequency distributions of a retinal birefringence scanning signal

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The fovea, which is the most sensitive part of the retina, is known to have birefringent properties, i.e. it changes the polarization state of light upon reflection. Existing devices use this property to obtain information on the orientation of the fovea and the direction of gaze. Such devices employ specific frequency components that appear during moments of fixation on a target. To detect them, previous methods have used solely the power spectrum of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), which, unfortunately, is an integral method, and does not give information as to where exactly the events of interest occur. With very young patients who are not cooperative enough, this presents a problem, because central fixation may be present only during very short-lasting episodes, and can easily be missed by the FFT. Method This paper presents a method for detecting short-lasting moments of central fixation in existing devices for retinal birefringence scanning, with the goal of a reliable detection of eye alignment. Signal analysis is based on the Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT), which reliably localizes such events in the time-frequency plane. Even though the characteristic frequencies are not always strongly expressed due to possible artifacts, simple topological analysis of the time-frequency distribution can detect fixation reliably. Results In all six subjects tested, the CWT allowed precise identification of both frequency components. Moreover, in four of these subjects, episodes of intermittent but definitely present central fixation were detectable, similar to those in Figure 4. A simple FFT is likely to treat them as borderline cases, or entirely miss them, depending on the thresholds used. Conclusion Joint time-frequency analysis is a powerful tool in the detection of eye alignment, even in a noisy environment. The method is applicable to similar situations, where short-lasting diagnostic events need to be detected in time series acquired by means of scanning some substrate along a specific path. PMID:23668264

Non-contact feature detection using ultrasonic Lamb waves

DOEpatents

Sinha, Dipen N [Los Alamos, NM

2011-06-28

Apparatus and method for non-contact ultrasonic detection of features on or within the walls of hollow pipes are described. An air-coupled, high-power ultrasonic transducer for generating guided waves in the pipe wall, and a high-sensitivity, air-coupled transducer for detecting these waves, are disposed at a distance apart and at chosen angle with respect to the surface of the pipe, either inside of or outside of the pipe. Measurements may be made in reflection or transmission modes depending on the relative position of the transducers and the pipe. Data are taken by sweeping the frequency of the incident ultrasonic waves, using a tracking narrow-band filter to reduce detected noise, and transforming the frequency domain data into the time domain using fast Fourier transformation, if required.

Recent developments in terahertz sensing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shur, Michael

2016-05-01

Terahertz technology has found numerous applications for the detection of biological and chemical hazardous agents, medical diagnostics, detection of explosives, providing security in buildings, airports, and other public spaces, shortrange covert communications (in the THz and sub-THz windows), and applications in radio astronomy and space research. The expansion of these applications will depend on the development of efficient electronic terahertz sources and sensitive low-noise terahertz detectors. Schottky diode frequency multipliers have emerged as a viable THz source technology reaching a few THz. High speed three terminal electronic devices (FETs and HBTs) have entered the THz range (with cutoff frequencies and maximum frequencies of operation above 1 THz). A new approach called plasma wave electronics recently demonstrated an efficient terahertz detection in GaAs-based and GaN-based HEMTs and in Si MOS, SOI, FINFETs and in FET arrays. This progress in THz electronic technology has promise for a significant expansion of THz applications.

Micro-Optical Distributed Sensors for Aero Propulsion Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, S.; Otugen, V.

2003-01-01

The objective of this research is to develop micro-opto-mechanical system (MOMS)-based sensors for time- and space-resolved measurements of flow properties in aerodynamics applications. The measurement technique we propose uses optical resonances in dielectric micro-spheres that can be excited by radiation tunneling from optical fibers. It exploits the tunneling-induced and morphology-dependent shifts in the resonant frequencies. The shift in the resonant frequency is dependent on the size, shape, and index of refraction of the micro-sphere. A physical change in the environment surrounding a micro-bead can change one or more of these properties of the sphere thereby causing a shift in frequency of resonance. The change of the resonance frequency can be detected with high resolution by scanning a frequency-tunable laser that is coupled into the fiber and observing the transmission spectrum at the output of the fiber. It is expected that, in the future, the measurement concept will lead to a system of distributed micro-sensors providing spatial data resolved in time and space. The present project focuses on the development and demonstration of temperature sensors using the morphology-dependent optical resonances although in the latter part of the work, we will also develop a pressure sensor. During the period covered in this report, the optical and electronic equipment necessary for the experimental work was assembled and the experimental setup was designed for the single sensor temperature measurements. Software was developed for real-time tracking of the optical resonance shifts. Some preliminary experiments were also carried out to detect temperature using a single bead in a water bath.

Micro-optical Distributed Sensors for Aero Propulsion Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, S.; Otugen, V.; Seasholtz, Richard G. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The objective of this research is to develop micro-opto-mechanical system (MOMS)-based sensors for time- and space-resolved measurements of flow properties in aerodynamics applications. The measurement technique we propose uses optical resonances in dielectric micro-spheres that can be excited by radiation tunneling from optical fibers. It exploits the tunneling-induced and morphology-dependent shifts in the resonant frequencies. The shift in the resonant frequency is dependent on the size, shape, and index of refraction of the micro-sphere. A physical change in the environment surrounding a micro-bead can change one or more of these properties of the sphere thereby causing a shift in frequency of resonance. The change of the resonance frequency can be detected with high resolution by scanning a frequency-tunable laser that is coupled into the fiber and observing the transmission spectrum at the output of the fiber. It is expected that, in the future, the measurement concept will lead to a system of distributed micro-sensors providing spatial data resolved in time and space. The present project focuses on the development and demonstration of temperature sensors using the morphology-dependent optical resonances although in the latter part of the work, we will also develop a pressure sensor. During the period covered in this report, the optical and electronic equipment necessary for the experimental work was assembled and the experimental setup was designed for the single sensor temperature measurements. Software was developed for real-time tracking of the optical resonance shifts. Some preliminary experiments were also carried out to detect temperature using a single bead in a water bath.

Neural tuning matches frequency-dependent time differences between the ears

PubMed Central

Benichoux, Victor; Fontaine, Bertrand; Franken, Tom P; Karino, Shotaro; Joris, Philip X; Brette, Romain

2015-01-01

The time it takes a sound to travel from source to ear differs between the ears and creates an interaural delay. It varies systematically with spatial direction and is generally modeled as a pure time delay, independent of frequency. In acoustical recordings, we found that interaural delay varies with frequency at a fine scale. In physiological recordings of midbrain neurons sensitive to interaural delay, we found that preferred delay also varies with sound frequency. Similar observations reported earlier were not incorporated in a functional framework. We find that the frequency dependence of acoustical and physiological interaural delays are matched in key respects. This suggests that binaural neurons are tuned to acoustical features of ecological environments, rather than to fixed interaural delays. Using recordings from the nerve and brainstem we show that this tuning may emerge from neurons detecting coincidences between input fibers that are mistuned in frequency. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06072.001 PMID:25915620

Constraints on frequency-dependent violations of Shapiro delay from GW150914

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahya, Emre O.; Desai, Shantanu

2016-05-01

On 14th September 2015, a transient gravitational wave (GW150914) was detected by the two LIGO detectors at Hanford and Livingston from the coalescence of a binary black hole system located at a distance of about 400 Mpc. We point out that GW150914 experienced a Shapiro delay due to the gravitational potential of the mass distribution along the line of sight of about 1800 days. Also, the near-simultaneous arrival of gravitons over a frequency range of about 200 Hz within a 0.2 s window allows us to constrain any violations of Shapiro delay and Einstein's equivalence principle between the gravitons at different frequencies. From the calculated Shapiro delay and the observed duration of the signal, frequency-dependent violations of the equivalence principle for gravitons are constrained to an accuracy of O (10-9).

Cochlear spike synchronization and neuron coincidence detection model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bader, Rolf

2018-02-01

Coincidence detection of a spike pattern fed from the cochlea into a single neuron is investigated using a physical Finite-Difference model of the cochlea and a physiologically motivated neuron model. Previous studies have shown experimental evidence of increased spike synchronization in the nucleus cochlearis and the trapezoid body [Joris et al., J. Neurophysiol. 71(3), 1022-1036 and 1037-1051 (1994)] and models show tone partial phase synchronization at the transition from mechanical waves on the basilar membrane into spike patterns [Ch. F. Babbs, J. Biophys. 2011, 435135]. Still the traveling speed of waves on the basilar membrane cause a frequency-dependent time delay of simultaneously incoming sound wavefronts up to 10 ms. The present model shows nearly perfect synchronization of multiple spike inputs as neuron outputs with interspike intervals (ISI) at the periodicity of the incoming sound for frequencies from about 30 to 300 Hz for two different amounts of afferent nerve fiber neuron inputs. Coincidence detection serves here as a fusion of multiple inputs into one single event enhancing pitch periodicity detection for low frequencies, impulse detection, or increased sound or speech intelligibility due to dereverberation.

Comparison of across-frequency integration strategies in a binaural detection model.

PubMed

Breebaart, Jeroen

2013-11-01

Breebaart et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 110, 1089-1104 (2001)] reported that the masker bandwidth dependence of detection thresholds for an out-of-phase signal and an in-phase noise masker (N0Sπ) can be explained by principles of integration of information across critical bands. In this paper, different methods for such across-frequency integration process are evaluated as a function of the bandwidth and notch width of the masker. The results indicate that an "optimal detector" model assuming independent internal noise in each critical band provides a better fit to experimental data than a best filter or a simple across-frequency integrator model. Furthermore, the exponent used to model peripheral compression influences the accuracy of predictions in notched conditions.

Structural health monitoring in composite materials using frequency response methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessler, Seth S.; Spearing, S. Mark; Atalla, Mauro J.; Cesnik, Carlos E. S.; Soutis, Constantinos

2001-08-01

Cost effective and reliable damage detection is critical for the utilization of composite materials in structural applications. Non-destructive evaluation techniques (e.g. ultrasound, radiography, infra-red imaging) are available for use during standard repair and maintenance cycles, however by comparison to the techniques used for metals these are relatively expensive and time consuming. This paper presents part of an experimental and analytical survey of candidate methods for the detection of damage in composite materials. The experimental results are presented for the application of modal analysis techniques applied to rectangular laminated graphite/epoxy specimens containing representative damage modes, including delamination, transverse ply cracks and through-holes. Changes in natural frequencies and modes were then found using a scanning laser vibrometer, and 2-D finite element models were created for comparison with the experimental results. The models accurately predicted the response of the specimems at low frequencies, but the local excitation and coalescence of higher frequency modes make mode-dependent damage detection difficult and most likely impractical for structural applications. The frequency response method was found to be reliable for detecting even small amounts of damage in a simple composite structure, however the potentially important information about damage type, size, location and orientation were lost using this method since several combinations of these variables can yield identical response signatures.

Experimental observation and determination of the laser-induced frequency shift of hyperfine levels of ultracold polar molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenliang; Wang, Xiaofeng; Wu, Jizhou; Su, Xingliang; Wang, Shen; Sovkov, Vladimir B.; Ma, Jie; Xiao, Liantuan; Jia, Suotang

2017-08-01

We report on the experimental observation and quantitative determination of the laser-induced frequency shift (LIFS) of the ultracold polar molecules formed by photoassociation (PA). The experiments are performed by detecting a series of double PA spectra with a molecular hyperfine structure, which are induced by two PA lasers with a precise and adjustable frequency reference. We find that the LIFS of the molecular hyperfine levels shows a linear dependence on PA laser intensity.

A Model of High-Frequency Self-Mixing in Double-Barrier Rectifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palma, Fabrizio; Rao, R.

2018-03-01

In this paper, a new model of the frequency dependence of the double-barrier THz rectifier is presented. The new structure is of interest because it can be realized by CMOS image sensor technology. Its application in a complex field such as that of THz receivers requires the availability of an analytical model, which is reliable and able to highlight the dependence on the parameters of the physical structure. The model is based on the hydrodynamic semiconductor equations, solved in the small signal approximation. The model depicts the mechanisms of the THz modulation of the charge in the depleted regions of the double-barrier device and explains the self-mixing process, the frequency dependence, and the detection capability of the structure. The model thus substantially improves the analytical models of the THz rectification available in literature, mainly based on lamped equivalent circuits.

Tectonic Tremor analysis with the Taiwan Chelungpu-Fault Drilling Program (TCDP) downhole seismometer array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y.; Hillers, G.; Ma, K.; Campillo, M.

2011-12-01

We study tectonic tremor activity in the Taichung area, Taiwan, analyzing continuous seismic records from 6 short-period sensors of the TCDP borehole array situated around 1 km depth. The low background noise level facilitates the detection of low-amplitude tectonic tremor and low-frequency earthquake (LFE) waveforms. We apply a hierarchical analysis to first detect transient amplitude increases, and to subsequently verify its tectonic origin, i.e. to associate it with tremor signals. The frequency content of tremor usually exceeds the background noise around 2-8 Hz; hence, in the first step, we use BHS1, BHS4 and BHS7 (top, center, bottom sensor) records to detect amplitude anomalies in this frequency range. We calculate the smoothed spectra of 30 second non-overlapping windows taken daily from 5 night time hours to avoid increased day time amplitudes associated with cultural activities. Amplitude detection is then performed on frequency dependent median values of 5 minute advancing, 10 minute long time windows, yielding a series of threshold dependent increased-energy spectra-envelopes, indicating teleseismic waveforms, potential tremor records, or other transients related to anthropogenic or natural sources. To verify the transients' tectonic origin, potential tremor waveforms detected by the amplitude method are manually picked in the time domain. We apply the Brown et al. (2008) LFE matched filter technique to three-component data from the 6 available sensors. Initial few-second templates are taken from the analyst-picked, minute-long segments, and correlated component-wise with 24-h data. Significantly increased similarity between templates and matched waveform segments is detected using the array-average 7-fold MAD measure. Harvested waveforms associated with this initial `weak' detection are stacked, and the thus created master templates are used in an iterative correlation procedure to arrive at robust LFE detections. The increased similarity of waveforms, showing essentially no moveout across the array, suggests a common source and path effect, therefore increasing the likelihood of a tectonic origin. Preliminary results from a pilot analysis confirm the existence of tremor-like signals in the tremor-typical frequency range. We present results from a comprehensive analysis of at least 2 years of continuous data. A limited resolution location procedure is applied, testament to the receiver geometry, and the inferred locations are discussed in relation to the tectonic situation.

Mapping alternating current electroosmotic flow at the dielectrophoresis crossover frequency of a colloidal probe.

PubMed

Wang, Jingyu; Wei, Ming-Tzo; Cohen, Joel A; Ou-Yang, H Daniel

2013-07-01

AC electroosmotic (ACEO) flow above the gap between coplanar electrodes is mapped by the measurement of Stokes forces on an optically trapped polystyrene colloidal particle. E²-dependent forces on the probe particle are selected by amplitude modulation (AM) of the ACEO electric field (E) and lock-in detection at twice the AM frequency. E²-dependent DEP of the probe is eliminated by driving the ACEO at the probe's DEP crossover frequency. The location-independent DEP crossover frequency is determined, in a separate experiment, as the limiting frequency of zero horizontal force as the probe is moved toward the midpoint between the electrodes. The ACEO velocity field, uncoupled from probe DEP effects, was mapped in the region 1-9 μm above a 28 μm gap between the electrodes. By use of variously sized probes, each at its DEP crossover frequency, the frequency dependence of the ACEO flow was determined at a point 3 μm above the electrode gap and 4 μm from an electrode tip. At this location the ACEO flow was maximal at ∼117 kHz for a low salt solution. This optical trapping method, by eliminating DEP forces on the probe, provides unambiguous mapping of the ACEO velocity field. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The effects of intraspecific competition and stabilizing selection on a polygenic trait.

PubMed Central

Bürger, Reinhard; Gimelfarb, Alexander

2004-01-01

The equilibrium properties of an additive multilocus model of a quantitative trait under frequency- and density-dependent selection are investigated. Two opposing evolutionary forces are assumed to act: (i) stabilizing selection on the trait, which favors genotypes with an intermediate phenotype, and (ii) intraspecific competition mediated by that trait, which favors genotypes whose effect on the trait deviates most from that of the prevailing genotypes. Accordingly, fitnesses of genotypes have a frequency-independent component describing stabilizing selection and a frequency- and density-dependent component modeling competition. We study how the equilibrium structure, in particular, number, degree of polymorphism, and genetic variance of stable equilibria, is affected by the strength of frequency dependence, and what role the number of loci, the amount of recombination, and the demographic parameters play. To this end, we employ a statistical and numerical approach, complemented by analytical results, and explore how the equilibrium properties averaged over a large number of genetic systems with a given number of loci and average amount of recombination depend on the ecological and demographic parameters. We identify two parameter regions with a transitory region in between, in which the equilibrium properties of genetic systems are distinctively different. These regions depend on the strength of frequency dependence relative to pure stabilizing selection and on the demographic parameters, but not on the number of loci or the amount of recombination. We further study the shape of the fitness function observed at equilibrium and the extent to which the dynamics in this model are adaptive, and we present examples of equilibrium distributions of genotypic values under strong frequency dependence. Consequences for the maintenance of genetic variation, the detection of disruptive selection, and models of sympatric speciation are discussed. PMID:15280253

Multipath detection with the combination of SNR measurements - Example from urban environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Špánik, Peter; Hefty, Ján

2017-12-01

Multipath is one of the most severe station-dependent error sources in both static and kinematic positioning. Relatively new and simple detection technique using the Signal-to-Noise (SNR) measurements on three frequencies will be presented based on idea of Strode and Groves. Exploitation of SNR measurements is benefi cial especially for their unambiguous character. Method is based on the fact that SNR values are closely linked with estimation of pseudo-ranges and phase measurements during signal correlation processing. Due to this connection, combination of SNR values can be used to detect anomalous behavior in received signal, however some kind of calibration in low multipath environment has to be done previously. In case of multipath, phase measurements on different frequencies will not be affected in the same manner. Specular multipath, e.g. from building wall introduces additional path delay which is interpreted differently on each of the used carrier, due to different wavelengths. Experimental results of multipath detection in urban environment will be presented. Originally proposed method is designed to work with three different frequencies in each epoch, thus only utilization of GPS Block II-F and Galileo satellites is possible. Simplification of detection statistics to use only two frequencies is made and results using GPS and GLONASS systems are presented along with results obtained using original formula.

Temperature Dependence of Low-Frequency Spectra in Molten Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide Salts of Imidazolium Cations Studied by Femtosecond Raman-Induced Kerr Effect Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Shirota, Hideaki; Kakinuma, Shohei

2015-07-30

In this study, the temperature dependence of the low-frequency spectra of liquid bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide salts of the monocations 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium and the dications 1,6-bis(3-methylimidazolium-1-yl)hexane and 1,12-bis(3-methylimidazolium-1-yl)dodecane has been investigated by means of femtosecond optical heterodyne-detected Raman-induced Kerr effect spectroscopy. The intensity in the low-frequency region below 20 cm(-1) in the spectra of the four ionic liquids increases with rising temperature. From a line-shape analysis of the broadened low-frequency spectra of the ionic liquids, it is clear that the lowest-frequency component, which peaks at approximately 5 cm(-1), contributes to the temperature dependence of the spectra. This implies that the activity of the intermolecular translational vibrational motion is increasing with rising temperature. It is also possible that decoupling in the crossover process between intermolecular vibrational motion and structural relaxation occurs as a result of a deterioration of the non-Markovian feature or the loss of memory caused by the higher temperature. The peak of the highest-frequency component, which is due mainly to the imidazolium ring libration, shifts to lower frequency with increasing temperature. This is attributed to weaker interactions of the ionic liquids at higher temperatures. Temperature-dependent viscosities from 293 to 353 K of the four ionic liquids have also been characterized.

Spatial pattern separation of chemicals and frequency-independent components by terahertz spectroscopic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Yuuki; Kawase, Kodo; Ikari, Tomofumi; Ito, Hiromasa; Ishikawa, Youichi; Minamide, Hiroaki

2003-10-01

We separated the component spatial patterns of frequency-dependent absorption in chemicals and frequency-independent components such as plastic, paper, and measurement noise in terahertz (THz) spectroscopic images, using known spectral curves. Our measurement system, which uses a widely tunable coherent THz-wave parametric oscillator source, can image at a specific frequency in the range 1-2 THz. The component patterns of chemicals can easily be extracted by use of the frequency-independent components. This method could be successfully used for nondestructive inspection for the detection of illegal drugs and devices of bioterrorism concealed, e.g., inside mail and packages.

Treatment of Explosives Residues from Range Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

on the specific proportions of peat moss and crude soybean oil in the PMSO. Detections of TNT, HMX, and the RDX degradation products MNX, DNX, and...83 Table 5.8.1-1. Summary of explosive compound detections in all samples collected over the duration of the demonstration...reduced 12- to 50-fold, depending on the depth. Dissolved TNT and HMX were not detected with enough frequency to allow calculation of fluxes of these

A novel method for sensing metastatic cells in the CSF of pediatric population with medulloblastoma by frequency domain FLIM system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yahav, Gilad; Fixler, Dror; Gershanov, Sivan; Goldenberg-Cohen, Nitza

2016-03-01

Brain tumors are the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children, after leukemia. Patients with cancer in the central nervous system have a very low recovery rate. Today known imaging and cytology techniques are not always sensitive enough for an early detection of both tumor and its metastatic spread, moreover the detection is generally limited, reviewer dependent and takes a relatively long time. Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. The aim of our talk is to present the frequency domain fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy system as a possible method for an early detection of MB and its metastatic spread in the cerebrospinal fluids within the pediatric population.

Fast fMRI can detect oscillatory neural activity in humans.

PubMed

Lewis, Laura D; Setsompop, Kawin; Rosen, Bruce R; Polimeni, Jonathan R

2016-10-25

Oscillatory neural dynamics play an important role in the coordination of large-scale brain networks. High-level cognitive processes depend on dynamics evolving over hundreds of milliseconds, so measuring neural activity in this frequency range is important for cognitive neuroscience. However, current noninvasive neuroimaging methods are not able to precisely localize oscillatory neural activity above 0.2 Hz. Electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography have limited spatial resolution, whereas fMRI has limited temporal resolution because it measures vascular responses rather than directly recording neural activity. We hypothesized that the recent development of fast fMRI techniques, combined with the extra sensitivity afforded by ultra-high-field systems, could enable precise localization of neural oscillations. We tested whether fMRI can detect neural oscillations using human visual cortex as a model system. We detected small oscillatory fMRI signals in response to stimuli oscillating at up to 0.75 Hz within single scan sessions, and these responses were an order of magnitude larger than predicted by canonical linear models. Simultaneous EEG-fMRI and simulations based on a biophysical model of the hemodynamic response to neuronal activity suggested that the blood oxygen level-dependent response becomes faster for rapidly varying stimuli, enabling the detection of higher frequencies than expected. Accounting for phase delays across voxels further improved detection, demonstrating that identifying vascular delays will be of increasing importance with higher-frequency activity. These results challenge the assumption that the hemodynamic response is slow, and demonstrate that fMRI has the potential to map neural oscillations directly throughout the brain.

X-ray time lags in PG 1211+143

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobban, A. P.; Vaughan, S.; Pounds, K.; Reeves, J. N.

2018-05-01

We investigate the X-ray time lags of a recent ˜630 ks XMM-Newton observation of PG 1211+143. We find well-correlated variations across the XMM-Newton EPIC bandpass, with the first detection of a hard lag in this source with a mean time delay of up to ˜3 ks at the lowest frequencies. We find that the energy-dependence of the low-frequency hard lag scales approximately linearly with log(E) when averaged over all orbits, consistent with the propagating fluctuations model. However, we find that the low-frequency lag behaviour becomes more complex on time-scales longer than a single orbit, suggestive of additional modes of variability. We also detect a high-frequency soft lag at ˜10-4 Hz with the magnitude of the delay peaking at ≲ 0.8 ks, consistent with previous observations, which we discuss in terms of small-scale reverberation.

Multinuclear Detection of Nuclear Spin Optical Rotation at Low Field.

PubMed

Zhu, Yue; Gao, Yuheng; Rodocker, Shane; Savukov, Igor; Hilty, Christian

2018-06-06

We describe the multinuclear detection of nuclear spin optical rotation (NSOR), an effect dependent on the hyperfine interaction between nuclear spins and electrons. Signals of 1 H and 19 F are discriminated by frequency in a single spectrum acquired at sub-millitesla field. The simultaneously acquired optical signal along with the nuclear magnetic resonance signal allows the calculation of the relative magnitude of the NSOR constants corresponding to different nuclei within the sample molecules. This is illustrated by a larger NSOR signal measured at the 19 F frequency despite a smaller corresponding spin concentration. Second, it is shown that heteronuclear J-coupling is observable in the NSOR signal, which can be used to retrieve chemical information. Multinuclear frequency and J resolution can localize optical signals in the molecule. Properties of electronic states at multiple sites in a molecule may therefore ultimately be determined by frequency-resolved NSOR spectroscopy at low field.

Infrared differential absorption for atmospheric pollutant detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byer, R. L.

1974-01-01

Progress made in the generation of tunable infrared radiation and its application to remote pollutant detection by the differential absorption method are summarized. It is recognized that future remote pollutant measurements depended critically on the availability of high energy tunable transmitters. Futhermore, due to eye safety requirements, the transmitted frequency must lie in the 1.4 micron to 13 micron infrared spectral range.

The positive effects of high-frequency right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on memory, correlated with increases in brain metabolites detected by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients.

PubMed

Qiao, Jun; Jin, Guixing; Lei, Licun; Wang, Lan; Du, Yaqiang; Wang, Xueyi

2016-01-01

To explore the effect of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on memory, and its correlation with levels of hippocampal brain metabolites detected by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients. In this randomized, double-blind sham-controlled trial, alcohol-dependent patients were enrolled and randomized into two groups: the experimental group (rTMS, 10 Hz, on right DLPFC, 20 sessions) and the control group (sham stimulation). Memory function was assessed using Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) before and after treatment. 1 H-MRS was used to detect the levels of N -acetyl aspartic acid (NAA), choline (Cho), and creatine (Cr) in bilateral hippocampi before and after treatment. Thirty-eight patients (18 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group) were included in the analyses. The experimental group showed significantly greater changes in HVLT-R, BVMT-R, NAA/Cr, and Cho/Cr after rTMS from baseline than the control group. The percentage change in BVMT-R and HVLT-R correlated with the percentage change in NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr in the right brain. High-frequency right DLPFC rTMS was associated with improvement in memory dysfunction, which is correlated with levels of hippocampal brain metabolites detected by 1 H-MRS in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients.

Burst Oscillation Probes of Neutron Stars and Nuclear Burning with LOFT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strohmayer, Tod

2012-01-01

X-ray brightness oscillations during thermonuclear X-ray bursts--burst oscillations--have provided a new probe of neutron star spins as well as of the dependent nuclear burning processes. The frequency drift and amplitude evolution of the oscillations observed during bursts can in principle place constraints on the physics of thermonuclear flame spreading and the dynamics of the burning atmosphere. I use simulations appropriate to LOFT to explore the precision with which the time dependence of the oscillation frequency can be inferred. This can test, for example, different models for the frequency drift, such as up-lift versus geostrophic drift. I also explore the precision with which asymptotic frequencies can be constrained in order to estimate the capability for LOFT to detect the Doppler shifts induced by orbital motion of the neutron star from a sample of bursts at different orbital phases.

Picosecond acoustic phonon dynamics in LaF3:Pr3+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkpatrick, Sean M.; Yang, Ho-Soon; Dennis, W. M.

1998-09-01

A plasma switching technique is used to generate subnanosecond, far-infrared (FIR) pulses with frequency 113 cm-1. The generation of subnanosecond FIR pulses enables us to improve the time resolution of phonon spectroscopic measurements from 50 ns to 350 ps. As an application of this technique, we investigate the subnanosecond dynamics of high-frequency phonons in 0.5% LaF3:Pr3+. In particular, we report on the generation and detection of a subnanosecond nonequilibrium phonon population at 113 cm-1, and the temporal evolution of the resulting decay products. The frequency dependence of the phonon relaxation rates of acoustic phonons in this material is found to deviate from the ω5 frequency dependence predicted by an isotropic model with linear dispersion. A more realistic model based on the actual dispersion curves of the material is presented and compared with the data.

Variable frequency microwave furnace system

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

Bible, D.W.; Lauf, R.J.

1994-06-14

A variable frequency microwave furnace system designed to allow modulation of the frequency of the microwaves introduced into a furnace cavity for testing or other selected applications. The variable frequency microwave furnace system includes a microwave signal generator or microwave voltage-controlled oscillator for generating a low-power microwave signal for input to the microwave furnace. A first amplifier may be provided to amplify the magnitude of the signal output from the microwave signal generator or the microwave voltage-controlled oscillator. A second amplifier is provided for processing the signal output by the first amplifier. The second amplifier outputs the microwave signal inputmore » to the furnace cavity. In the preferred embodiment, the second amplifier is a traveling-wave tube (TWT). A power supply is provided for operation of the second amplifier. A directional coupler is provided for detecting the direction of a signal and further directing the signal depending on the detected direction. A first power meter is provided for measuring the power delivered to the microwave furnace. A second power meter detects the magnitude of reflected power. Reflected power is dissipated in the reflected power load. 5 figs.« less

Variable frequency microwave furnace system

DOEpatents

Bible, D.W.; Lauf, R.J.

1994-06-14

A variable frequency microwave furnace system designed to allow modulation of the frequency of the microwaves introduced into a furnace cavity for testing or other selected applications. The variable frequency microwave furnace system includes a microwave signal generator or microwave voltage-controlled oscillator for generating a low-power microwave signal for input to the microwave furnace. A first amplifier may be provided to amplify the magnitude of the signal output from the microwave signal generator or the microwave voltage-controlled oscillator. A second amplifier is provided for processing the signal output by the first amplifier. The second amplifier outputs the microwave signal input to the furnace cavity. In the preferred embodiment, the second amplifier is a traveling-wave tube (TWT). A power supply is provided for operation of the second amplifier. A directional coupler is provided for detecting the direction of a signal and further directing the signal depending on the detected direction. A first power meter is provided for measuring the power delivered to the microwave furnace. A second power meter detects the magnitude of reflected power. Reflected power is dissipated in the reflected power load. 5 figs.

The detection of brain oedema with frequency-dependent phase shift electromagnetic induction.

PubMed

González, César A; Rubinsky, Boris

2006-06-01

The spectroscopic distribution of inductive phase shift in the brain as a function of the relative volume of oedema was evaluated with theoretical and experimental methods in the frequency range 1 to 8 MHz. The theoretical study employed a simple mathematical model of electromagnetic induction in tissue and brain tissue data available from the literature to calculate the phase shift as a function of oedema in the bulk of the brain. Experimental data were generated from bulk measurements of ex vivo homogenized pig brain tissue mixed with various volumes of physiological saline in a volume sample typical of the human brain. There is good agreement between the analytical and the experimental results. Detectable changes in phase shift begin from a frequency of about 3 MHz to 4 MHz in the tested compositions and volume. The phase shift increases with frequency and fluid content. The results suggest that measuring phase shift in the bulk of the brain has the potential for becoming a robust means for non-contact detection of oedema in the brain.

Trapped Ion Oscillation Frequencies as Sensors for Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Vogel, Manuel; Quint, Wolfgang; Nörtershäuser, Wilfried

2010-01-01

The oscillation frequencies of charged particles in a Penning trap can serve as sensors for spectroscopy when additional field components are introduced to the magnetic and electric fields used for confinement. The presence of so-called “magnetic bottles” and specific electric anharmonicities creates calculable energy-dependences of the oscillation frequencies in the radiofrequency domain which may be used to detect the absorption or emission of photons both in the microwave and optical frequency domains. The precise electronic measurement of these oscillation frequencies therefore represents an optical sensor for spectroscopy. We discuss possible applications for precision laser and microwave spectroscopy and their role in the determination of magnetic moments and excited state life-times. Also, the trap-assisted measurement of radiative nuclear de-excitations in the X-ray domain is discussed. This way, the different applications range over more than 12 orders of magnitude in the detectable photon energies, from below μeV in the microwave domain to beyond MeV in the X-ray domain. PMID:22294921

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

Chandra, Anirban; Patra, Puneet Kumar; Bhattacharya, Baidurya, E-mail: baidurya@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in

A nanomechanical resonator based sensor works by detecting small changes in the natural frequency of the device in presence of external agents. In this study, we address the length and the temperature-dependent sensitivity of precompressed armchair Boron-Nitride nanotubes towards their use as sensors. The vibrational data, obtained using molecular dynamics simulations, are analyzed for frequency content through the fast Fourier transformation. As the temperature of the system rises, the vibrational spectrum becomes noisy, and the modal frequencies show a red-shift irrespective of the length of the nanotube, suggesting that the nanotube based sensors calibrated at a particular temperature may notmore » function desirably at other temperatures. Temperature-induced noise becomes increasingly pronounced with the decrease in the length of the nanotube. For the shorter nanotube at higher temperatures, we observe multiple closely spaced peaks near the natural frequency, that create a masking effect and reduce the sensitivity of detection. However, longer nanotubes do not show these spurious frequencies, and are considerably more sensitive than the shorter ones.« less

Apparatus and method for microwave processing of materials

DOEpatents

Johnson, A.C.; Lauf, R.J.; Bible, D.W.; Markunas, R.J.

1996-05-28

Disclosed is a variable frequency microwave heating apparatus designed to allow modulation of the frequency of the microwaves introduced into a furnace cavity for testing or other selected applications. The variable frequency heating apparatus is used in the method of the present invention to monitor the resonant processing frequency within the furnace cavity depending upon the material, including the state thereof, from which the workpiece is fabricated. The variable frequency microwave heating apparatus includes a microwave signal generator and a high-power microwave amplifier or a microwave voltage-controlled oscillator. A power supply is provided for operation of the high-power microwave oscillator or microwave amplifier. A directional coupler is provided for detecting the direction and amplitude of signals incident upon and reflected from the microwave cavity. A first power meter is provided for measuring the power delivered to the microwave furnace. A second power meter detects the magnitude of reflected power. Reflected power is dissipated in the reflected power load. 10 figs.

Propogation loss with frequency of ultrasound guided waves in a composite metal-honeycomb structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Indu F.; Baid, Harsh K.; Guzman, Narciso; Kempen, Lothar U.; Mal, Ajit

2009-05-01

Non-destructive testing of critical structural components is time consuming, while necessary for maintaining safe operation. Large aerospace structures, such as the vertical stabilizers of aircraft undergo inspection at regular intervals for damage diagnostics. However, conventional techniques for damage detection and identification before repair can be scheduled are conducted off-line and therefore can take weeks. The use of guided ultrasound waves is being investigated to expedite damage detection in composites. We measure the frequency dependent loss of ultrasonic guided waves for a structure comprising a boron-nitride composite skin sandwiching an aluminum honeycomb. A wide range of ultrasound frequencies propagate as measured using PZTs, with the lowest attenuation observed about 200-250 kHz. These measurements are confirmed using optical fiber Bragg grating arrays used as ultrasound transducers.

Auditory detection of non-speech and speech stimuli in noise: Effects of listeners' native language background.

PubMed

Liu, Chang; Jin, Su-Hyun

2015-11-01

This study investigated whether native listeners processed speech differently from non-native listeners in a speech detection task. Detection thresholds of Mandarin Chinese and Korean vowels and non-speech sounds in noise, frequency selectivity, and the nativeness of Mandarin Chinese and Korean vowels were measured for Mandarin Chinese- and Korean-native listeners. The two groups of listeners exhibited similar non-speech sound detection and frequency selectivity; however, the Korean listeners had better detection thresholds of Korean vowels than Chinese listeners, while the Chinese listeners performed no better at Chinese vowel detection than the Korean listeners. Moreover, thresholds predicted from an auditory model highly correlated with behavioral thresholds of the two groups of listeners, suggesting that detection of speech sounds not only depended on listeners' frequency selectivity, but also might be affected by their native language experience. Listeners evaluated their native vowels with higher nativeness scores than non-native listeners. Native listeners may have advantages over non-native listeners when processing speech sounds in noise, even without the required phonetic processing; however, such native speech advantages might be offset by Chinese listeners' lower sensitivity to vowel sounds, a characteristic possibly resulting from their sparse vowel system and their greater cognitive and attentional demands for vowel processing.

Imaging different components of a tectonic tremor sequence in southwestern Japan using an automatic statistical detection and location method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poiata, Natalia; Vilotte, Jean-Pierre; Bernard, Pascal; Satriano, Claudio; Obara, Kazushige

2018-06-01

In this study, we demonstrate the capability of an automatic network-based detection and location method to extract and analyse different components of tectonic tremor activity by analysing a 9-day energetic tectonic tremor sequence occurring at the downdip extension of the subducting slab in southwestern Japan. The applied method exploits the coherency of multiscale, frequency-selective characteristics of non-stationary signals recorded across the seismic network. Use of different characteristic functions, in the signal processing step of the method, allows to extract and locate the sources of short-duration impulsive signal transients associated with low-frequency earthquakes and of longer-duration energy transients during the tectonic tremor sequence. Frequency-dependent characteristic functions, based on higher-order statistics' properties of the seismic signals, are used for the detection and location of low-frequency earthquakes. This allows extracting a more complete (˜6.5 times more events) and time-resolved catalogue of low-frequency earthquakes than the routine catalogue provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency. As such, this catalogue allows resolving the space-time evolution of the low-frequency earthquakes activity in great detail, unravelling spatial and temporal clustering, modulation in response to tide, and different scales of space-time migration patterns. In the second part of the study, the detection and source location of longer-duration signal energy transients within the tectonic tremor sequence is performed using characteristic functions built from smoothed frequency-dependent energy envelopes. This leads to a catalogue of longer-duration energy sources during the tectonic tremor sequence, characterized by their durations and 3-D spatial likelihood maps of the energy-release source regions. The summary 3-D likelihood map for the 9-day tectonic tremor sequence, built from this catalogue, exhibits an along-strike spatial segmentation of the long-duration energy-release regions, matching the large-scale clustering features evidenced from the low-frequency earthquake's activity analysis. Further examination of the two catalogues showed that the extracted short-duration low-frequency earthquakes activity coincides in space, within about 10-15 km distance, with the longer-duration energy sources during the tectonic tremor sequence. This observation provides a potential constraint on the size of the longer-duration energy-radiating source region in relation with the clustering of low-frequency earthquakes activity during the analysed tectonic tremor sequence. We show that advanced statistical network-based methods offer new capabilities for automatic high-resolution detection, location and monitoring of different scale-components of tectonic tremor activity, enriching existing slow earthquakes catalogues. Systematic application of such methods to large continuous data sets will allow imaging the slow transient seismic energy-release activity at higher resolution, and therefore, provide new insights into the underlying multiscale mechanisms of slow earthquakes generation.

Imaging different components of a tectonic tremor sequence in southwestern Japan using an automatic statistical detection and location method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poiata, Natalia; Vilotte, Jean-Pierre; Bernard, Pascal; Satriano, Claudio; Obara, Kazushige

2018-02-01

In this study, we demonstrate the capability of an automatic network-based detection and location method to extract and analyse different components of tectonic tremor activity by analysing a 9-day energetic tectonic tremor sequence occurring at the down-dip extension of the subducting slab in southwestern Japan. The applied method exploits the coherency of multi-scale, frequency-selective characteristics of non-stationary signals recorded across the seismic network. Use of different characteristic functions, in the signal processing step of the method, allows to extract and locate the sources of short-duration impulsive signal transients associated with low-frequency earthquakes and of longer-duration energy transients during the tectonic tremor sequence. Frequency-dependent characteristic functions, based on higher-order statistics' properties of the seismic signals, are used for the detection and location of low-frequency earthquakes. This allows extracting a more complete (˜6.5 times more events) and time-resolved catalogue of low-frequency earthquakes than the routine catalogue provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency. As such, this catalogue allows resolving the space-time evolution of the low-frequency earthquakes activity in great detail, unravelling spatial and temporal clustering, modulation in response to tide, and different scales of space-time migration patterns. In the second part of the study, the detection and source location of longer-duration signal energy transients within the tectonic tremor sequence is performed using characteristic functions built from smoothed frequency-dependent energy envelopes. This leads to a catalogue of longer-duration energy sources during the tectonic tremor sequence, characterized by their durations and 3-D spatial likelihood maps of the energy-release source regions. The summary 3-D likelihood map for the 9-day tectonic tremor sequence, built from this catalogue, exhibits an along-strike spatial segmentation of the long-duration energy-release regions, matching the large-scale clustering features evidenced from the low-frequency earthquake's activity analysis. Further examination of the two catalogues showed that the extracted short-duration low-frequency earthquakes activity coincides in space, within about 10-15 km distance, with the longer-duration energy sources during the tectonic tremor sequence. This observation provides a potential constraint on the size of the longer-duration energy-radiating source region in relation with the clustering of low-frequency earthquakes activity during the analysed tectonic tremor sequence. We show that advanced statistical network-based methods offer new capabilities for automatic high-resolution detection, location and monitoring of different scale-components of tectonic tremor activity, enriching existing slow earthquakes catalogues. Systematic application of such methods to large continuous data sets will allow imaging the slow transient seismic energy-release activity at higher resolution, and therefore, provide new insights into the underlying multi-scale mechanisms of slow earthquakes generation.

Modeling of a latent fault detector in a digital system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagel, P. M.

1978-01-01

Methods of modeling the detection time or latency period of a hardware fault in a digital system are proposed that explain how a computer detects faults in a computational mode. The objectives were to study how software reacts to a fault, to account for as many variables as possible affecting detection and to forecast a given program's detecting ability prior to computation. A series of experiments were conducted on a small emulated microprocessor with fault injection capability. Results indicate that the detecting capability of a program largely depends on the instruction subset used during computation and the frequency of its use and has little direct dependence on such variables as fault mode, number set, degree of branching and program length. A model is discussed which employs an analog with balls in an urn to explain the rate of which subsequent repetitions of an instruction or instruction set detect a given fault.

[Immunodetection of bacteriophages by a piezoelectric resonator with lateral electric field].

PubMed

Gulii, O I; Zaitsev, B D; Shikhabudinov, A M; Teplykh, A A; Borodina, I A; Pavlii, S A; Larionova, O S; Fomin, A S; Staroverov, S A; Dykman, L A; Ignatov, O V

2016-01-01

It has been demonstrated that electroacoustic analysis with polyclonal antibodies can be used for bacteriophage detection. The frequency dependences of the real and imaginary parts of electrical impedance of a resonator with a viral suspension with antibodies were shown to be essentially different from the dependences of a resonator with control viral suspension without antibodies. It was shown that ΦAl-Sp59b bacteriophages were detected with the use of antibodies in the presence of foreign virus particles. The ΦAl-Sp59b bacteriophage content in the analyzed suspension was ~1010–106 phages/mL; the time of analysis was no more than 5 min. The optimally informative parameter for obtaining reliable information was the change in the real or imaginary part of electrical impedance at a fixed frequency near the resonance upon the addition of specific antibodies to the analyzed suspension. It was demonstrated that the interaction between bacteriophages and antibodies can be recorded, offering good prospects for the development of a biological sensor for liquid-phase identification and virus detection.

Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Exploration for Groundwater on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimm, Robert E.

2002-01-01

Water with even a small amount of dissolved solids has an electrical conductivity orders of magnitude higher than dry rock and is therefore a near-ideal exploration target on Mars for low frequency, diffusive electromagnetic methods. Models of the temperature- and frequency-dependent electrical properties of rock-ice-water mixtures are used to predict the electromagnetic response of the Martian subsurface. Detection of ice is difficult unless it is massively segregated. In contrast, liquid water profoundly affects soundings, and even a small amount of adsorbed water in the cryosphere can be detected. Subcryospheric water is readily distinguishable at frequencies as low as 100 Hz for fresh water to 10 mHz for brines. These responses can be measured using either natural or artificial sources. Ultra low frequency signals from solar wind and diurnal-heating perturbations of the ionosphere are likely, and disturbances of regional crustal magnetic fields may also be observable. Spherics, or extremely to very low frequency signals from lightning discharge, would provide optimal soundings; however, lightning may be the least likely of the possible natural sources. Among the active techniques, only the time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) method can accommodate a closely spaced transmitter and receiver and sound to depths of hundreds of meters or more. A ground- or aircraft-based TDEM system of several kilograms can detect water to a depth of several hundred meters, and a system of tens of kilograms featuring a large, fixed, rover- or ballistically deployed loop can detect water to several kilometers depth.

Phase lags of quasi-periodic oscillations across source states in the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636-53

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Avellar, Marcio G. B.

2017-06-01

The majority of attempts to explain the origin and phenomenology of the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) detected in low-mass X-ray binaries invoke dynamical models, and it was just in recent years that renewed attention has been given on how radiative processes occurring in these extreme environments gives rise to the variability features observed in the X-ray light curves of these systems. The study of the dependence of the phase lags upon the energy and frequency of the QPOs is a step towards this end. The methodology we developed here allowed us to study for the first time these dependencies for all QPOs detected in the range of 1 to 1300 Hz in the low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636-53 as the source changes its state during its cycle in the colour-colour diagram. Our results suggest that within the context of models of up-scattering Comptonization, the phase lags dependencies upon frequency and energy can be used to extract size scales and physical conditions of the medium that produces the lags.

Spectroscopic thermoacoustic imaging of water and fat composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Daniel R.; Wang, Xiong; Vollin, Jeff; Xin, Hao; Witte, Russell S.

2012-07-01

During clinical studies, thermoacoustic imaging (TAI) failed to reliably identify malignant breast tissue. To increase detection capability, we propose spectroscopic TAI to differentiate samples based on the slope of their dielectric absorption. Phantoms composed of different ratios of water and fat were imaged using excitation frequencies between 2.7 and 3.1 GHz. The frequency-dependent slope of the TA signal was highly correlated with that of its absorption coefficient (R2 = 0.98 and p < 0.01), indicating spectroscopic TAI can distinguish materials based on their intrinsic dielectric properties. This approach potentially enhances cancer detection due to the increased water content of many tumors.

A wide-band high-resolution spectrum analyzer.

PubMed

Quirk, M P; Garyantes, M F; Wilck, H C; Grimm, M J

1988-12-01

This paper describes a two-million-channel 40-MHz-bandwidth, digital spectrum analyzer under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The analyzer system will serve as a prototype processor for the sky survey portion of NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program and for other applications in the Deep Space Network. The analyzer digitizes an analog input, performs a 2(21)-point, Discrete Fourier Transform, accumulates the output power, normalizes the output to remove frequency-dependent gain, and automates simple signal detection algorithms. Due to its built-in frequency-domain processing functions and configuration flexibility, the analyzer is a very powerful tool for real-time signal analysis and detection.

The effect of signal duration on the underwater hearing thresholds of two harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) for single tonal signals between 0.2 and 40 kHz.

PubMed

Kastelein, Ronald A; Hoek, Lean; Wensveen, Paul J; Terhune, John M; de Jong, Christ A F

2010-02-01

The underwater hearing sensitivities of two 2-year-old female harbor seals were quantified in a pool built for acoustic research by using a behavioral psycho-acoustic technique. The animals were trained only to respond when they detected an acoustic signal ("go/no-go" response). Detection thresholds were obtained for pure tone signals (frequencies: 0.2-40 kHz; durations: 0.5-5000 ms, depending on the frequency; 59 frequency-duration combinations). Detection thresholds were quantified by varying the signal amplitude by the 1-up, 1-down staircase method, and were defined as the stimulus levels, resulting in a 50% detection rate. The hearing thresholds of the two seals were similar for all frequencies except for 40 kHz, for which the thresholds differed by, on average, 3.7 dB. There was an inverse relationship between the time constant (tau), derived from an exponential model of temporal integration, and the frequency [log(tau)=2.86-0.94 log(f);tau in ms and f in kHz]. Similarly, the thresholds increased when the pulse was shorter than approximately 780 cycles (independent of the frequency). For pulses shorter than the integration time, the thresholds increased by 9-16 dB per decade reduction in the duration or number of cycles in the pulse. The results of this study suggest that most published hearing thresholds

Noise Intensity-Intensity Correlations and the Fourth Cumulant of Photo-assisted Shot Noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forgues, Jean-Charles; Sane, Fatou Bintou; Blanchard, Simon; Spietz, Lafe; Lupien, Christian; Reulet, Bertrand

2013-10-01

We report the measurement of the fourth cumulant of current fluctuations in a tunnel junction under both dc and ac (microwave) excitation. This probes the non-Gaussian character of photo-assisted shot noise. Our measurement reveals the existence of correlations between noise power measured at two different frequencies, which corresponds to two-mode intensity correlations in optics. We observe positive correlations, i.e. photon bunching, which exist only for certain relations between the excitation frequency and the two detection frequencies, depending on the dc bias of the sample.

Detection and characterization of lightning-based sources using continuous wavelet transform: application to audio-magnetotellurics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larnier, H.; Sailhac, P.; Chambodut, A.

2018-01-01

Atmospheric electromagnetic waves created by global lightning activity contain information about electrical processes of the inner and the outer Earth. Large signal-to-noise ratio events are particularly interesting because they convey information about electromagnetic properties along their path. We introduce a new methodology to automatically detect and characterize lightning-based waves using a time-frequency decomposition obtained through the application of continuous wavelet transform. We focus specifically on three types of sources, namely, atmospherics, slow tails and whistlers, that cover the frequency range 10 Hz to 10 kHz. Each wave has distinguishable characteristics in the time-frequency domain due to source shape and dispersion processes. Our methodology allows automatic detection of each type of event in the time-frequency decomposition thanks to their specific signature. Horizontal polarization attributes are also recovered in the time-frequency domain. This procedure is first applied to synthetic extremely low frequency time-series with different signal-to-noise ratios to test for robustness. We then apply it on real data: three stations of audio-magnetotelluric data acquired in Guadeloupe, oversea French territories. Most of analysed atmospherics and slow tails display linear polarization, whereas analysed whistlers are elliptically polarized. The diversity of lightning activity is finally analysed in an audio-magnetotelluric data processing framework, as used in subsurface prospecting, through estimation of the impedance response functions. We show that audio-magnetotelluric processing results depend mainly on the frequency content of electromagnetic waves observed in processed time-series, with an emphasis on the difference between morning and afternoon acquisition. Our new methodology based on the time-frequency signature of lightning-induced electromagnetic waves allows automatic detection and characterization of events in audio-magnetotelluric time-series, providing the means to assess quality of response functions obtained through processing.

A comparative sonochemical reaction that is independent of the intensity of ultrasound and the geometry of the exposure apparatus.

PubMed

Sostaric, Joe Z

2008-09-01

Sonolysis of aqueous solutions of n-alkyl anionic surfactants results in the formation of secondary carbon-centered radicals (-*CH-). The yield of -*CH- depends on the bulk surfactant concentration up to a maximum attainable radical yield (the 'plateau yield') where an increasing surfactant concentration (below the critical micelle concentration) no longer affects the -*CH- yield. In an earlier study it was found that the ratio of -*CH- detected following sonolysis of aqueous solutions of sodium pentane sulfonate (SPSo) to that of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (i.e. CH(SPSo)/CH(SDS)) depended on the frequency of sonolysis, but was independent of the ultrasound intensity, at the plateau concentrations [J.Z. Sostaric, P. Riesz, Adsorption of surfactants at the gas/solution interface of cavitation bubbles: an ultrasound intensity-independent frequency effect in sonochemistry, J. Phys. Chem. B 106 (2002) 12537-12548]. In the current study, it was found that the CH(SPSo)/CH(SDS) ratio depended only on the ultrasound frequency and did not depend on the geometry of the ultrasound exposure apparatus considered.

Limits on radio emission from meteors using the MWA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiang; Hancock, Paul; Devillepoix, Hadrien A. R.; Wayth, Randall B.; Beardsley, A.; Crosse, B.; Emrich, D.; Franzen, T. M. O.; Gaensler, B. M.; Horsley, L.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Kaplan, D. L.; Kenney, D.; Morales, M. F.; Pallot, D.; Steele, K.; Tingay, S. J.; Trott, C. M.; Walker, M.; Williams, A.; Wu, C.; Ji, Jianghui; Ma, Yuehua

2018-04-01

Recently, low frequency, broadband radio emission has been observed accompanying bright meteors by the Long Wavelength Array (LWA). The broadband spectra between 20 and 60 MHz were captured for several events, while the spectral index (dependence of flux density on frequency, with Sν∝να) was estimated to be -4 ± 1 during the peak of meteor afterglows. Here we present a survey of meteor emission and other transient events using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) at 72-103 MHz. In our 322-hour survey, down to a 5σ detection threshold of 3.5 Jy/beam, no transient candidates were identified as intrinsic emission from meteors. We derived an upper limit of -3.7 (95% confidence limit) on the spectral index in our frequency range. We also report detections of other transient events, like reflected FM broadcast signals from small satellites, conclusively demonstrating the ability of the MWA to detect and track space debris on scales as small as 0.1 m in low Earth orbits.

A new strategy for fast radiofrequency CW EPR imaging: Direct detection with rapid scan and rotating gradients

PubMed Central

Subramanian, Sankaran; Koscielniak, Janusz W.; Devasahayam, Nallathamby; Pursley, Randall H.; Pohida, Thomas J.; Krishna, Murali C.

2007-01-01

Rapid field scan on the order of T/s using high frequency sinusoidal or triangular sweep fields superimposed on the main Zeeman field, was used for direct detection of signals without low-frequency field modulation. Simultaneous application of space-encoding rotating field gradients have been employed to perform fast CW EPR imaging using direct detection that could, in principle, approach the speed of pulsed FT EPR imaging. The method takes advantage of the well-known rapid-scan strategy in CW NMR and EPR that allows arbitrarily fast field sweep and the simultaneous application of spinning gradients that allows fast spatial encoding. This leads to fast functional EPR imaging and, depending on the spin concentration, spectrometer sensitivity and detection band width, can provide improved temporal resolution that is important to interrogate dynamics of spin perfusion, pharmacokinetics, spectral spatial imaging, dynamic oxymetry, etc. PMID:17350865

Sinc or Sine? The Band Excitation Method and Energy Dissipation Measurements by SPM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jesse, Stephen; Kalinin, Sergei

2007-03-01

Quantitative energy dissipation measurements in force-based SPM is the key to understanding fundamental mechanisms of energy transformations on the nanoscale, molecular, and atomic levels. To date, these measurements are invariably based on either phase and amplitude detection in constant frequency mode, or as amplitude detection in frequency-tracking mode. The analysis in both cases implicitly assumes that amplitude is inversely proportional to the Q-factor and is not applicable when the driving force is position dependent, as is the case for virtually all SPM measurements. All current SPM methods sample only a single frequency in the Fourier domain of the system. Thus, only two out of three parameters (amplitude, resonance, and Q) can be determined independently. Here, we developed and implemented a new approach for SPM detection based on the excitation and detection of a signal having a finite amplitude over a selected region in the Fourier domain and allows simultaneous determination of all three parameters. This band excitation method allows acquisition of the local spectral response at a 10ms/pixel rate, compatible with fast imaging, and is illustrated for electromechanical and mechanical imaging and force-distance spectroscopy. The BE method thus represents a new paradigm in SPM, beyond traditional single-frequency excitation.

Optical Dependence of Electrically Detected Magnetic Resonance in Lightly Doped Si:P Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Lihuang; van Schooten, Kipp J.; Guy, Mallory L.; Ramanathan, Chandrasekhar

2017-06-01

Using frequency-modulated electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR), we show that signals measured from lightly doped (1.2 - 5 ×1 015 cm-3 ) silicon devices vary significantly with the wavelength of the optical excitation used to generate the mobile carriers. We measure EDMR spectra at 4.2 K as a function of modulation frequency and applied microwave power using a 980-nm laser, a 405-nm laser, and a broadband white-light source. EDMR signals are observed from the phosphorus donor and two distinct defect species in all of the experiments. With near-infrared irradiation, we find that the EDMR signal primarily arises from donor-defect pairs, while, at higher photon energies, there are significant additional contributions from defect-defect pairs. The contribution of spins from different spatial regions to the EDMR signal is seen to vary as the optical penetration depth changes from about 120 nm at 405-nm illumination to 100 μ m at 980-nm illumination. The modulation frequency dependence of the EDMR signal shows that the energy of the optical excitation strongly modulates the kinetics of the underlying spin-dependent recombination (SDR) process. Careful tuning of the optical photon energy could therefore be used to control both the subset of spin pairs contributing to the EDMR signal and the dynamics of the SDR process.

Modeling the frequency-dependent detective quantum efficiency of photon-counting x-ray detectors.

PubMed

Stierstorfer, Karl

2018-01-01

To find a simple model for the frequency-dependent detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of photon-counting detectors in the low flux limit. Formula for the spatial cross-talk, the noise power spectrum and the DQE of a photon-counting detector working at a given threshold are derived. Parameters are probabilities for types of events like single counts in the central pixel, double counts in the central pixel and a neighboring pixel or single count in a neighboring pixel only. These probabilities can be derived in a simple model by extensive use of Monte Carlo techniques: The Monte Carlo x-ray propagation program MOCASSIM is used to simulate the energy deposition from the x-rays in the detector material. A simple charge cloud model using Gaussian clouds of fixed width is used for the propagation of the electric charge generated by the primary interactions. Both stages are combined in a Monte Carlo simulation randomizing the location of impact which finally produces the required probabilities. The parameters of the charge cloud model are fitted to the spectral response to a polychromatic spectrum measured with our prototype detector. Based on the Monte Carlo model, the DQE of photon-counting detectors as a function of spatial frequency is calculated for various pixel sizes, photon energies, and thresholds. The frequency-dependent DQE of a photon-counting detector in the low flux limit can be described with an equation containing only a small set of probabilities as input. Estimates for the probabilities can be derived from a simple model of the detector physics. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Electron spin resonance for the detection of long-range spin nematic order

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuya, Shunsuke C.; Momoi, Tsutomu

2018-03-01

Spin nematic phase is a quantum magnetic phase characterized by a quadrupolar order parameter. Since the quadrupole operators are directly coupled to neither the magnetic field nor the neutron, currently, it is an important issue to develop a method for detecting the long-range spin nematic order. In this paper, we propose that electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements enable us to detect the long-range spin nematic order. We show that the frequency of the paramagnetic resonance peak in the ESR spectrum is shifted by the ferroquadrupolar order parameter together with other quantities. The ferroquadrupolar order parameter is extractable from the angular dependence of the frequency shift. In contrast, the antiferroquadrupolar order parameter is usually invisible in the frequency shift. Instead, the long-range antiferroquadrupolar order yields a characteristic resonance peak in the ESR spectrum, which we call a magnon-pair resonance peak. This resonance corresponds to the excitation of the bound magnon pair at the wave vector k =0 . Reflecting the condensation of bound magnon pairs, the field dependence of the magnon-pair resonance frequency shows a singular upturn at the saturation field. Moreover, the intensity of the magnon-pair resonance peak shows a characteristic angular dependence and it vanishes when the magnetic field is parallel to one of the axes that diagonalize the weak anisotropic interactions. We confirm these general properties of the magnon-pair resonance peak in the spin nematic phase by studying an S =1 bilinear-biquadratic model on the square lattice in the linear flavor-wave approximation. In addition, we argue applications to the S =1/2 frustrated ferromagnets and also the S =1/2 orthogonal dimer spin system SrCu2(BO3)2, both of which are candidate materials of spin nematics. Our theory for the antiferroquadrupolar ordered phase is consistent with many features of the magnon-pair resonance peak experimentally observed in the low-magnetization regime of SrCu2(BO3)2.

Frequency Dependent Susceptibility Analysis of Magnetic Carriers: Application to Fe-Oxides on Mars surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adachi, T.; Kletetschka, G.; Mikula, V.

2007-12-01

On Mars, Fe-oxides mineral phases (inferred/detected) are mainly magnetite, pyrrhotite, and hematite. Kletetschka et al., 2005 suggested that the grain size dependent potential may contribute to the Mars surface magnetic anomaly. Grain size of Fe-oxides may play a role for the magnetic signature and anomaly on Mars. According to Kletetschka et al., 2005, the larger the grain size, the larger the magnetization (in this case hematite's TRM). Weather they are magnetite, pyrrhotite or hematite, nano-phase or superparamagnetic grains may contribute to the absence of remanent magnetization on the surface of Mars. In this contribution we tackle how to resolve grain size variations by frequency dependent susceptibility measured on terrestrial hematite samples such as hemo-ilmenite from Allard Lake, Canada, Mars analogue concretions from Utah and Czech Republic, and hematite aggregates from Hawaii. The magnetic characteristics of hematite-goethite mineralogies of Utah and Czech concretions suggested (Adachi et al., 2007) that they contain super paramagnetic (SP) to single domain (SD) magnetic states. Coercivity spectra analysis from acquisition of isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) data showed the distinct behaviors of hematite, goethite, and mixed composition of both. The estimated magnetic states are analyzed with the frequency-dependent susceptibility instrument (500-250,000 Hertz). The frequency- and size-dependent susceptibility for hematite, goethite, and magnetite are calibrated using the known size powdered (commercial) samples.

Shapes of Magnetically Controlled Electron Density Structures in the Dayside Martian Ionosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diéval, C.; Kopf, A. J.; Wild, J. A.

2018-05-01

Nonhorizontal localized electron density structures associated with regions of near-radial crustal magnetic fields are routinely detected via radar oblique echoes on the dayside of Mars with the ionospheric sounding mode of the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) radar onboard Mars Express. Previous studies mostly investigated these structures at a fixed plasma frequency and assumed that the larger apparent altitude of the structures compared to the normal surrounding ionosphere implied that they are bulges. However, the signal is subjected to dispersion when it propagates through the plasma, so interpretations based on the apparent altitude should be treated with caution. We go further by investigating the frequency dependence (i.e., the altitude dependence) of the shape of 48 density structure events, using time series of MARSIS electron density profiles corrected for signal dispersion. Four possible simplest shapes are detected in these time series, which can give oblique echoes: bulges, dips, downhill slopes, and uphill slopes. The altitude differences between the density structures and their edges are, in absolute value, larger at low frequency (high altitude) than at high frequency (low altitude), going from a few tens of kilometers to a few kilometers as frequency increases. Bulges dominate in numbers in most of the frequency range. Finally, the geographical extension of the density structures covers a wide range of crustal magnetic fields orientations, with near-vertical fields toward their center and near-horizontal fields toward their edges, as expected. Transport processes are suggested to be a key driver for these density structures.

Para-hydrogen induced polarization of amino acids, peptides and deuterium-hydrogen gas.

PubMed

Glöggler, Stefan; Müller, Rafael; Colell, Johannes; Emondts, Meike; Dabrowski, Martin; Blümich, Bernhard; Appelt, Stephan

2011-08-14

Signal Amplification by Reversible-Exchange (SABRE) is a method of hyperpolarizing substrates by polarization transfer from para-hydrogen without hydrogenation. Here, we demonstrate that this method can be applied to hyperpolarize small amounts of all proteinogenic amino acids and some chosen peptides down to the nanomole regime and can be detected in a single scan in low-magnetic fields down to 0.25 mT (10 kHz proton frequency). An outstanding feature is that depending on the chemical state of the used catalyst and the investigated amino acid or peptide, hyperpolarized hydrogen-deuterium gas is formed, which was detected with (1)H and (2)H NMR spectroscopy at low magnetic fields of B(0) = 3.9 mT (166 kHz proton frequency) and 3.2 mT (20 kHz deuterium frequency).

Masking potency and whiteness of noise at various noise check sizes.

PubMed

Kukkonen, H; Rovamo, J; Näsänen, R

1995-02-01

The masking effect of spatial noise can be increased by increasing either the rms contrast or check size of noise. In this study, the authors investigated the largest noise check size that still mimics the effect of white noise in grating detection and how it depends on the bandwidth and spatial frequency of a grating. The authors measured contrast energy thresholds, E, for vertical cosine gratings at various spatial frequencies and bandwidths. Gratings were embedded in two-dimensional spatial noise. The side length of the square noise checks was varied in the experiments. The spectral density, N(0,0), of white spatial noise at zero frequency was calculated by multiplying the noise check area by the rms contrast of noise squared. The physical signal-to-noise ratio at threshold [E/N(0,0)]0.5 was initially constant but then started to decrease. The largest noise check that still produced a constant physical signal-to-noise ratio at threshold was directly proportional to the spatial frequency. When expressed as a fraction of grating cycle, the largest noise check size depended only on stimulus bandwidth. The smallest number of noise checks per grating cycle needed to mimic the effect of white noise decreased from 4.2 to 2.6 when the number of grating cycles increased from 1 to 64. Spatial noise can be regarded as white in grating detection if there are at least four square noise checks per grating cycle at all spatial frequencies.

High-frequency guided ultrasonic waves for hidden defect detection in multi-layered aircraft structures.

PubMed

Masserey, Bernard; Raemy, Christian; Fromme, Paul

2014-09-01

Aerospace structures often contain multi-layered metallic components where hidden defects such as fatigue cracks and localized disbonds can develop, necessitating non-destructive testing. Employing standard wedge transducers, high frequency guided ultrasonic waves that penetrate through the complete thickness were generated in a model structure consisting of two adhesively bonded aluminium plates. Interference occurs between the wave modes during propagation along the structure, resulting in a frequency dependent variation of the energy through the thickness with distance. The wave propagation along the specimen was measured experimentally using a laser interferometer. Good agreement with theoretical predictions and two-dimensional finite element simulations was found. Significant propagation distance with a strong, non-dispersive main wave pulse was achieved. The interaction of the high frequency guided ultrasonic waves with small notches in the aluminium layer facing the sealant and on the bottom surface of the multilayer structure was investigated. Standard pulse-echo measurements were conducted to verify the detection sensitivity and the influence of the stand-off distance predicted from the finite element simulations. The results demonstrated the potential of high frequency guided waves for hidden defect detection at critical and difficult to access locations in aerospace structures from a stand-off distance. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Broadband Transmission EPR Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Hagen, Wilfred R.

2013-01-01

EPR spectroscopy employs a resonator operating at a single microwave frequency and phase-sensitive detection using modulation of the magnetic field. The X-band spectrometer is the general standard with a frequency in the 9–10 GHz range. Most (bio)molecular EPR spectra are determined by a combination of the frequency-dependent electronic Zeeman interaction and a number of frequency-independent interactions, notably, electron spin – nuclear spin interactions and electron spin – electron spin interactions, and unambiguous analysis requires data collection at different frequencies. Extant and long-standing practice is to use a different spectrometer for each frequency. We explore the alternative of replacing the narrow-band source plus single-mode resonator with a continuously tunable microwave source plus a non-resonant coaxial transmission cell in an unmodulated external field. Our source is an arbitrary wave digital signal generator producing an amplitude-modulated sinusoidal microwave in combination with a broadband amplifier for 0.8–2.7 GHz. Theory is developed for coaxial transmission with EPR detection as a function of cell dimensions and materials. We explore examples of a doublet system, a high-spin system, and an integer-spin system. Long, straigth, helical, and helico-toroidal cells are developed and tested with dilute aqueous solutions of spin label hydroxy-tempo. A detection limit of circa 5 µM HO-tempo in water at 800 MHz is obtained for the present setup, and possibilities for future improvement are discussed. PMID:23555819

High bit rate germanium single photon detectors for 1310nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seamons, J. A.; Carroll, M. S.

2008-04-01

There is increasing interest in development of high speed, low noise and readily fieldable near infrared (NIR) single photon detectors. InGaAs/InP Avalanche photodiodes (APD) operated in Geiger mode (GM) are a leading choice for NIR due to their preeminence in optical networking. After-pulsing is, however, a primary challenge to operating InGaAs/InP single photon detectors at high frequencies1. After-pulsing is the effect of charge being released from traps that trigger false ("dark") counts. To overcome this problem, hold-off times between detection windows are used to allow the traps to discharge to suppress after-pulsing. The hold-off time represents, however, an upper limit on detection frequency that shows degradation beginning at frequencies of ~100 kHz in InGaAs/InP. Alternatively, germanium (Ge) single photon avalanche photodiodes (SPAD) have been reported to have more than an order of magnitude smaller charge trap densities than InGaAs/InP SPADs2, which allowed them to be successfully operated with passive quenching2 (i.e., no gated hold off times necessary), which is not possible with InGaAs/InP SPADs, indicating a much weaker dark count dependence on hold-off time consistent with fewer charge traps. Despite these encouraging results suggesting a possible higher operating frequency limit for Ge SPADs, little has been reported on Ge SPAD performance at high frequencies presumably because previous work with Ge SPADs has been discouraged by a strong demand to work at 1550 nm. NIR SPADs require cooling, which in the case of Ge SPADs dramatically reduces the quantum efficiency of the Ge at 1550 nm. Recently, however, advantages to working at 1310 nm have been suggested which combined with a need to increase quantum bit rates for quantum key distribution (QKD) motivates examination of Ge detectors performance at very high detection rates where InGaAs/InP does not perform as well. Presented in this paper are measurements of a commercially available Ge APD operated at relatively short GM hold-off times to examine whether there are potential advantages to using Ge for 1310 nm single photon detection. A weaker after-pulsing dependence on frequency is observed offering initial indications of the potential that Ge APDs might provide better high frequency performance.

The effect of signal duration on the underwater detection thresholds of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) for single frequency-modulated tonal signals between 0.25 and 160 kHz.

PubMed

Kastelein, Ronald A; Hoek, Lean; de Jong, Christ A F; Wensveen, Paul J

2010-11-01

The underwater hearing sensitivity of a young male harbor porpoise for tonal signals of various signal durations was quantified by using a behavioral psychophysical technique. The animal was trained to respond only when it detected an acoustic signal. Fifty percent detection thresholds were obtained for tonal signals (15 frequencies between 0.25-160 kHz, durations 0.5-5000 ms depending on the frequency; 134 frequency-duration combinations in total). Detection thresholds were quantified by varying signal amplitude by the 1-up 1-down staircase method. The hearing thresholds increased when the signal duration fell below the time constant of integration. The time constants, derived from an exponential model of integration [Plomp and Bouman, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 31, 749-758 (1959)], varied from 629 ms at 2 kHz to 39 ms at 64 kHz. The integration times of the porpoises were similar to those of other mammals including humans, even though the porpoise is a marine mammal and a hearing specialist. The results enable more accurate estimations of the distances at which porpoises can detect short-duration environmental tonal signals. The audiogram thresholds presented by Kastelein et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 112, 334-344 (2002)], after correction for the frequency bandwidth of the FM signals, are similar to the results of the present study for signals of 1500 ms duration. Harbor porpoise hearing is more sensitive between 2 and 10 kHz, and less sensitive above 10 kHz, than formerly believed.

Seismic noise frequency dependent P and S wave sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stutzmann, E.; Schimmel, M.; Gualtieri, L.; Farra, V.; Ardhuin, F.

2013-12-01

Seismic noise in the period band 3-10 sec is generated in the oceans by the interaction of ocean waves. Noise signal is dominated by Rayleigh waves but body waves can be extracted using a beamforming approach. We select the TAPAS array deployed in South Spain between June 2008 and September 2009 and we use the vertical and horizontal components to extract noise P and S waves, respectively. Data are filtered in narrow frequency bands and we select beam azimuths and slownesses that correspond to the largest continuous sources per day. Our procedure automatically discard earthquakes which are localized during short time durations. Using this approach, we detect many more noise P-waves than S-waves. Source locations are determined by back-projecting the detected slowness/azimuth. P and S waves are generated in nearby areas and both source locations are frequency dependent. Long period sources are dominantly in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean whereas shorter period sources are rather in the North Atlantic Ocean. We further show that the detected S-waves are dominantly Sv-waves. We model the observed body waves using an ocean wave model that takes into account all possible wave interactions including coastal reflection. We use the wave model to separate direct and multiply reflected phases for P and S waves respectively. We show that in the South Atlantic the complex source pattern can be explained by the existence of both coastal and pelagic sources whereas in the North Atlantic most body wave sources are pelagic. For each detected source, we determine the equivalent source magnitude which is compared to the model.

Nonlinear theory of the narrow-band generation and detection of terahertz radiation in resonant tunneling heterostructures

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

Kapaev, V. V., E-mail: kapaev@lebedev.ru

The nonlinear regime of high-frequency response for resonant tunneling structures in a time-periodic electric field has been investigated using a technique for solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation based on a Floquet mode expansion of the wave functions. The dependences of current harmonic amplitudes on ac signal amplitude have been calculated and the limiting values of the generated field have been determined for singleand double-well resonant tunneling structures. The dynamic Stark effect is shown to play an important role in the formation of response. It leads to a quadratic (in ac field amplitude) shift in the positions of resonances E{sub r}more » in single-well structures and in double-well ones in the nonresonant case and to a splitting at resonance hν ≈ E{sub r2}–E{sub r1} (ν is the signal frequency, E{sub r1} and E{sub r2} are the energies of the size-quantization levels) in double-well structures proportional to the ac signal amplitude. The phenomenon of ac signal detection by resonant tunneling structures has been investigated. The effect of resonant direct-current amplification in double-well structures has been detected at a signal frequency satisfying the condition hν ≈ E{sub r2}–E{sub r1}. In asymmetric systems, detection is shown to be possible in the absence of a dc bias, which allows zero-biased detectors based on them to be created.« less

Visible Contrast Energy Metrics for Detection and Discrimination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahumada, Albert; Watson, Andrew

2013-01-01

Contrast energy was proposed by Watson, Robson, & Barlow as a useful metric for representing luminance contrast target stimuli because it represents the detectability of the stimulus in photon noise for an ideal observer. Like the eye, the ear is a complex transducer system, but relatively simple sound level meters are used to characterize sounds. These meters provide a range of frequency sensitivity functions and integration times depending on the intended use. We propose here the use of a range of contrast energy measures with different spatial frequency contrast sensitivity weightings, eccentricity sensitivity weightings, and temporal integration times. When detection threshold are plotting using such measures, the results show what the eye sees best when these variables are taken into account in a standard way. The suggested weighting functions revise the Standard Spatial Observer for luminance contrast detection and extend it into the near periphery. Under the assumption that the detection is limited only by internal noise, discrimination performance can be predicted by metrics based on the visible energy of the difference images

The Energy-Dependent X-Ray Timing Characteristics of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 MKN 766

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markowitz, A.; Papadakis, I.; Arevalo, P.; Turner, T. J.; Miller, L.; Reeves, J. N.

2007-01-01

We present the energy-dependent power spectral density (PSD) and cross-spectral properties of Mkn 766, obtained from combining data obtained during an XMM-Newton observation spanning six revolutions in 2005 with data obtained from an XMM-Newton long-look in 2001. The PSD shapes and rms-flux relations are found to be consistent between the 2001 and 2005 observations, suggesting the 2005 observation is simply a low-flux extension of the 2001 observation and permitting us to combine the two data sets. The resulting PSD has the highest temporal frequency resolution for any AGN PSD measured to date. Applying a broken power-law model yields break frequencies which increase in temporal frequency with photon energy. Obtaining a good fit when assuming energy-independent break frequencies requires the presence of a Lorentzian at 4.6 +/- 0.4 x 10(exp -4)Hz whose strength increases with photon energy, a behavior seen in black hole X-ray binaries. The cross-spectral properties are measured; temporal frequency-dependent soft-to-hard time lags are detected in this object for the first time. Cross-spectral results are consistent with those for other accreting black hole systems. The results are discussed in the context of several variability models, including those based on inwardly-propagating viscosity variations in the accretion disk.

X-ray Variability Characteristics of the Narrow line SEYFERT 1 MKN 766 I: Energy Dependent Timing Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markowitz, A.; Turner, T. J.; Papadakis, I.; Arevalo, P.; Reeves, J. N.; Miller, L.

2007-01-01

We present the energy-dependent power spectral density (PSD) and cross-spectral properties of Mkn 766 obtained from a six-revolution XMM-Newton observation in 2005. The resulting PSDs, which have highest temporal frequency resolution for an AGN PSD to date, show breaks which increase in temporal frequency as photon energy increases; break frequencies differ by an average of approx.0.4 in the log between the softest and hardest bands. The consistency of the 2001 and 2005 observations variability properties, namely PSD shapes and the linear rms-flux relation, suggests the 2005 observation is simply a low-flux extension of the 2001 observation. The coherence function is measured to be approx.0.6-0.9 at temporal frequencies below the PSD break, and is lower for relatively larger energy band separation; coherence also drops significantly towards zero above the PSD break frequency. Temporal frequency-dependent soft-to-hard time lags are detected in this object for the first time: lags increase towards longer time scales and as energy separation increases. Cross-spectral properties are the thus consistent with previous measurements for Mkn 766 (Vaughan & Fabian 2003) and other accreting black hole systems. The results are discussed in the context of several variability models, including those based on inwardly-propagating viscosity variations in the accretion disk.

Dielectrophoretic spectroscopy using a microscopic electrode array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirmani, Syed Abdul Mannan; Gudagunti, Fleming Dackson; Velmanickam, Logeeshan; Nawarathna, Dharmakeerthi; Lima, Ivan T.

2017-02-01

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a commonly used technique in biomedical engineering to manipulate biomolecules. DEP is defined as the force acting on dielectric particles when they are exposed to non-uniform electric fields. DEP effect can be divided in three categories: positive (dielectric particles are attracted to the electrodes), negative, and zero force DEP. The cross-over frequency is the frequency in which the DEP force is equal to zero. The cross-over frequency depends on the conductivity and the permittivity of the particles and of the suspended medium. The DEP cross-over frequency has been utilized in detecting/quantifying biomolecules. A manual procedure is commonly used to estimate the cross-over frequency of biomolecules. Therefore, the accuracy of this detection method is significantly limited. To address this issue, we designed and tested an automated procedure to carry out DEP spectroscopy in dielectric particles dissolved in a biological buffer solution. Our method efficiently measures the effect of the DEP force through a live video feed from the microscope camera and performs real-time image processing. It records the change in the fluorescence emission as the system automatically scans the electric frequency of the function generator over a specified time interval. We demonstrated the effectiveness of the method by extracting the crossover frequencies and the DEP spectrum of polystyrene beads with blue color dye (1000 nm diameter) and green fluorescent polystyrene beads with 500 nm diameter using this procedure. This approach can lead to the development of a biosensor with significantly higher sensitivity than existing detection methods.

Modulation-frequency encoded multi-color fluorescent DNA analysis in an optofluidic chip.

PubMed

Dongre, Chaitanya; van Weerd, Jasper; Besselink, Geert A J; Vazquez, Rebeca Martinez; Osellame, Roberto; Cerullo, Giulio; van Weeghel, Rob; van den Vlekkert, Hans H; Hoekstra, Hugo J W M; Pollnau, Markus

2011-02-21

We introduce a principle of parallel optical processing to an optofluidic lab-on-a-chip. During electrophoretic separation, the ultra-low limit of detection achieved with our set-up allows us to record fluorescence from covalently end-labeled DNA molecules. Different sets of exclusively color-labeled DNA fragments-otherwise rendered indistinguishable by spatio-temporal coincidence-are traced back to their origin by modulation-frequency-encoded multi-wavelength laser excitation, fluorescence detection with a single ultrasensitive, albeit color-blind photomultiplier, and Fourier analysis decoding. As a proof of principle, fragments obtained by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification from independent human genomic segments, associated with genetic predispositions to breast cancer and anemia, are simultaneously analyzed.

Physical mechanism of coherent acoustic phonons generation and detection in GaAs semiconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babilotte, P.; Morozov, E.; Ruello, P.; Mounier, D.; Edely, M.; Breteau, J.-M.; Bulou, A.; Gusev, V.

2007-12-01

We first describe the picosecond acoustic interferometry study of GaAs with two-colors pump-probe laser pulses. The dependence of the generation process on the pump wavelength and the detection process on the probe wavelength both can cause the shift in the phase of the Brillouin signal. Secondly, in order to distinguish the short high frequency wideband acoustic pulse from low frequency Brillouin contribution, we accomplished experiments with (100)GaAs semiconductor coated by a transparent and photoelastically inactive thin film, serving a delay line for the acoustic pulse. Even with highly penetrating pump light (approx 680nm), short acoustic disturbances of approx 7ps of duration have been registered.

Analysis of RF emissions from laser induced breakdown of atmospheric air and metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paturi, Prem Kiran; Lakshmi, Vinoth Kumar; Elle, Manikanta; Chelikani, Leela

2013-10-01

The low frequency (RF, microwave) emissions from laser produced plasma (LPP) are of great interest because of their variety of applications. The RF waves emitted by the nanosecond LPP of atmospheric air and metal (Al, Cu) targets were detected using antennas over frequency ranges (30 MHz-18 GHz) and were monitored using a spectrum analyzer (3 Hz-50 GHz). With different target materials, the dominant emission lines were observed to fall in different specific frequency ranges within the detection limit. The emissions from Cu were in the higher frequency range (100-200 MHz) than that of Al (30-100 MHz) may be due to the higher electron density of Cu, which contributes to the LPP conductivity. From the LPP of atmospheric air, the RF output was found to be increasing with the input laser energy up to certain value, beyond which almost no emission was observed. This effect is attributed to the modification in the net induced dipole moment due to the multiple plasma sources in the LPP at higher input laser energies. The detected radiation was observed to be dependent on laser and antenna polarization. Further studies may lead to an efficient technique for material identification from the RF characteristic peaks.

Laser-based sensor for detection of hazardous gases in the air using waveguide CO2 laser.

PubMed

Gondal, Mohammed A; Bakhtiari, Imran A; Dastageer, Abdul K

2007-06-01

A spectrometer based on the principle of photoacoustic spectroscopy has been developed recently at our laboratory for the detection of hazardous gases such as O3, C2H4, SO2, NO2 and SF6. In most of our earlier works, we employed a mechanical chopper to modulate the laser beam and this chopper modulation has the crucial disadvantage of instability in the chopper frequency. Even a minor shift of about 1 Hz in the modulation frequency could significantly reduce the photoacoustic signal by an order of magnitude at the acoustic resonant mode of the photoacoustic cell. To overcome this problem, we developed a photoacoustic spectrometer where a wave guided CW CO2 laser beam is modulated electronically with the external frequency generator. Our preliminary results show that the electronic modulation of CO2 laser beam improved the sensitivity of our spectrometer by a factor of 6. The parametric dependence of photoacoustic signal on laser power, modulation frequency and trace gas concentration, was investigated and the comparison between the two modulation techniques is presented in this paper for detection of trace gases such as C2H4.

Variable frequency microwave furnace system

DOEpatents

Bible, Don W.; Lauf, Robert J.

1994-01-01

A variable frequency microwave furnace system (10) designed to allow modulation of the frequency of the microwaves introduced into a furnace cavity (34) for testing or other selected applications. The variable frequency microwave furnace system (10) includes a microwave signal generator (12) or microwave voltage-controlled oscillator (14) for generating a low-power microwave signal for input to the microwave furnace. A first amplifier (18) may be provided to amplify the magnitude of the signal output from the microwave signal generator (12) or the microwave voltage-controlled oscillator (14). A second amplifier (20) is provided for processing the signal output by the first amplifier (18). The second amplifier (20) outputs the microwave signal input to the furnace cavity (34). In the preferred embodiment, the second amplifier (20) is a traveling-wave tube (TWT). A power supply (22) is provided for operation of the second amplifier (20). A directional coupler (24) is provided for detecting the direction of a signal and further directing the signal depending on the detected direction. A first power meter (30) is provided for measuring the power delivered to the microwave furnace (32). A second power meter (26) detects the magnitude of reflected power. Reflected power is dissipated in the reflected power load (28).

Natural frequency identification of smart washer by using adaptive observer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Hitoshi; Okugawa, Masayuki

2014-04-01

Bolted joints are used in many machines/structures and some of them have been loosened during long time use, and unluckily these bolt loosening may cause a great accident of machines/structures system. These bolted joint, especially in important places, are main object of maintenance inspection. Maintenance inspection with human- involvement is desired to be improved owing to time-consuming, labor-intensive and high-cost. By remote and full automation monitoring of the bolt loosening, constantly monitoring of bolted joint is achieved. In order to detect loosening of bolted joints without human-involvement, applying a structural health monitoring technique and smart structures/materials concept is the key objective. In this study, a new method of bolt loosening detection by adopting a smart washer has been proposed, and the basic detection principle was discussed with numerical analysis about frequency equation of the system, was confirmed experimentally. The smart washer used in this study is in cantilever type with piezoelectric material, which adds the washer the self-sensing and actuation function. The principle used to detect the loosening of the bolts is a method of a bolt loosening detection noted that the natural frequency of a smart washer system is decreasing by the change of the bolt tightening axial tension. The feature of this proposed method is achieving to identify the natural frequency at current condition on demand by adopting the self-sensing and actuation function and system identification algorithm for varying the natural frequency depending the bolt tightening axial tension. A novel bolt loosening detection method by adopting adaptive observer is proposed in this paper. The numerical simulations are performed to verify the possibility of the adaptive observer-based loosening detection. Improvement of the detection accuracy for a bolt loosening is confirmed by adopting initial parameter and variable adaptive gain by numerical simulation.

Seismic low-frequency-based calculation of reservoir fluid mobility and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xue-Hua; He, Zhen-Hua; Zhu, Si-Xin; Liu, Wei; Zhong, Wen-Li

2012-06-01

Low frequency content of seismic signals contains information related to the reservoir fluid mobility. Based on the asymptotic analysis theory of frequency-dependent reflectivity from a fluid-saturated poroelastic medium, we derive the computational implementation of reservoir fluid mobility and present the determination of optimal frequency in the implementation. We then calculate the reservoir fluid mobility using the optimal frequency instantaneous spectra at the low-frequency end of the seismic spectrum. The methodology is applied to synthetic seismic data from a permeable gas-bearing reservoir model and real land and marine seismic data. The results demonstrate that the fluid mobility shows excellent quality in imaging the gas reservoirs. It is feasible to detect the location and spatial distribution of gas reservoirs and reduce the non-uniqueness and uncertainty in fluid identification.

Network models of frequency modulated sweep detection.

PubMed

Skorheim, Steven; Razak, Khaleel; Bazhenov, Maxim

2014-01-01

Frequency modulated (FM) sweeps are common in species-specific vocalizations, including human speech. Auditory neurons selective for the direction and rate of frequency change in FM sweeps are present across species, but the synaptic mechanisms underlying such selectivity are only beginning to be understood. Even less is known about mechanisms of experience-dependent changes in FM sweep selectivity. We present three network models of synaptic mechanisms of FM sweep direction and rate selectivity that explains experimental data: (1) The 'facilitation' model contains frequency selective cells operating as coincidence detectors, summing up multiple excitatory inputs with different time delays. (2) The 'duration tuned' model depends on interactions between delayed excitation and early inhibition. The strength of delayed excitation determines the preferred duration. Inhibitory rebound can reinforce the delayed excitation. (3) The 'inhibitory sideband' model uses frequency selective inputs to a network of excitatory and inhibitory cells. The strength and asymmetry of these connections results in neurons responsive to sweeps in a single direction of sufficient sweep rate. Variations of these properties, can explain the diversity of rate-dependent direction selectivity seen across species. We show that the inhibitory sideband model can be trained using spike timing dependent plasticity (STDP) to develop direction selectivity from a non-selective network. These models provide a means to compare the proposed synaptic and spectrotemporal mechanisms of FM sweep processing and can be utilized to explore cellular mechanisms underlying experience- or training-dependent changes in spectrotemporal processing across animal models. Given the analogy between FM sweeps and visual motion, these models can serve a broader function in studying stimulus movement across sensory epithelia.

Transmission of vibration across honeycombs and its detection by bee leg receptors

PubMed

Sandeman; Tautz; Lindauer

1996-01-01

Vibration of the rims of open cells in a honeycomb, applied in the plane of the comb face, is transmitted across the comb. Attenuation or amplification of the vibratory signal depends on its frequency and on the type of comb. In general, framed combs, both large and small, strongly attenuate higher frequencies, whereas these are amplified in small open combs. The very poor transmission properties of the large framed combs used in commercial hives may explain the bees' habit of freeing an area of comb from the frame in those areas used for dancing. Extracellular electrical recordings from the leg of a honeybee detect large action potentials from receptors that monitor extension of the tibia on the femur. Measurements of threshold displacement amplitudes show these receptors to be sensitive to low frequencies. The amplification properties of unframed combs extend the range of these receptor systems to include frequencies that are emitted by the bee during its dance, namely the 15 Hz abdomen waggle and 250 Hz thorax vibration.

IR/THz Double Resonance Spectroscopy Approach for Remote Chemical Detection at Atmospheric Pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, Elizabeth A.; Phillips, Dane J.; De Lucia, Frank C.; Everitt, Henry O.

2013-06-01

A remote sensing methodology based on infrared/terahertz (IR/THz) double resonance (DR) spectroscopy is shown to overcome limitations traditionally associated with either IR or THz spectroscopic approaches for detecting trace gases in an atmosphere. The applicability of IR/THz DR spectroscopy is explored by estimating the IR and THz power requirements for detecting a 100 part-per-million-meter cloud of methyl fluoride, methyl chloride, or methyl bromide at ranges up to 1km in three atmospheric windows below 0.3 THz. These prototypical molecules are used to ascertain the dependence of the DR signal-to-noise ratio on IR and THz beam power. A line-tunable CO_2 laser with 100 ps pulse duration generates a DR signature in four rotational transitions on a time scale commensurate with collisional relaxations caused by atmospheric N_2 and O_2. A continuous wave THz beam is frequency tuned to probe one of these rotational transitions so that laser-induced absorption variations in the analyte cloud are detected as temporal power fluctuations synchronized with the laser pulses. A combination of molecule-specific physics and scenario-dependent atmospheric conditions are used to predict the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for detecting an analyte as a function of cloud column density. A methodology is presented by which the optimal IR/THz pump/probe frequencies are identified. These estimates show the potential for low concentration chemical detection in a challenging atmospheric scenario with currently available or near term hardware components.

Modelling the dependence of contrast sensitivity on grating area and spatial frequency.

PubMed

Rovamo, J; Luntinen, O; Näsänen, R

1993-12-01

We modelled the human foveal visual system in a detection task as a simple image processor comprising (i) low-pass filtering due to the optical transfer function of the eye, (ii) high-pass filtering of neural origin, (iii) addition of internal neural noise, and (iv) detection by a local matched filter. Its detection efficiency for gratings was constant up to a critical area but then decreased with increasing area. To test the model we measured Michelson contrast sensitivity as a function of grating area at spatial frequencies of 0.125-32 c/deg for simple vertical and circular cosine gratings. In circular gratings luminance was sinusoidally modulated as a function of the radius of the grating field. In agreement with the model, contrast sensitivity at all spatial frequencies increased in proportion to the square-root of grating area at small areas. When grating area exceeded critical area, the increase saturated and contrast sensitivity became independent of area at large grating areas. Spatial integration thus obeyed Piper's law at small grating areas. The critical area of spatial integration, marking the cessation of Piper's law, was constant in solid degrees at low spatial frequencies but inversely proportional to spatial frequency squared at medium and high spatial frequencies. At low spatial frequencies the maximum contrast sensitivity obtainable by spatial integration increased in proportion to spatial frequency but at high spatial frequencies it decreased in proportion to the cube of the increasing spatial frequency. The increase was due to high-pass filtering of neural origin (lateral inhibition) and the decrease was mainly due to the optical transfer function of the eye. Our model explained 95% of the total variance of the contrast sensitivity data.

Apparatus and method for microwave processing of materials

DOEpatents

Johnson, Arvid C.; Lauf, Robert J.; Bible, Don W.; Markunas, Robert J.

1996-01-01

A variable frequency microwave heating apparatus (10) designed to allow modulation of the frequency of the microwaves introduced into a furnace cavity (34) for testing or other selected applications. The variable frequency heating apparatus (10) is used in the method of the present invention to monitor the resonant processing frequency within the furnace cavity (34) depending upon the material, including the state thereof, from which the workpiece (36) is fabricated. The variable frequency microwave heating apparatus (10) includes a microwave signal generator (12) and a high-power microwave amplifier (20) or a microwave voltage-controlled oscillator (14). A power supply (22) is provided for operation of the high-power microwave oscillator (14) or microwave amplifier (20). A directional coupler (24) is provided for detecting the direction and amplitude of signals incident upon and reflected from the microwave cavity (34). A first power meter (30) is provided for measuring the power delivered to the microwave furnace (32). A second power meter (26) detects the magnitude of reflected power. Reflected power is dissipated in the reflected power load (28).

Dependence of cavitation, chemical effect, and mechanical effect thresholds on ultrasonic frequency.

PubMed

Thanh Nguyen, Tam; Asakura, Yoshiyuki; Koda, Shinobu; Yasuda, Keiji

2017-11-01

Cavitation, chemical effect, and mechanical effect thresholds were investigated in wide frequency ranges from 22 to 4880kHz. Each threshold was measured in terms of sound pressure at fundamental frequency. Broadband noise emitted from acoustic cavitation bubbles was detected by a hydrophone to determine the cavitation threshold. Potassium iodide oxidation caused by acoustic cavitation was used to quantify the chemical effect threshold. The ultrasonic erosion of aluminum foil was conducted to estimate the mechanical effect threshold. The cavitation, chemical effect, and mechanical effect thresholds increased with increasing frequency. The chemical effect threshold was close to the cavitation threshold for all frequencies. At low frequency below 98kHz, the mechanical effect threshold was nearly equal to the cavitation threshold. However, the mechanical effect threshold was greatly higher than the cavitation threshold at high frequency. In addition, the thresholds of the second harmonic and the first ultraharmonic signals were measured to detect bubble occurrence. The threshold of the second harmonic approximated to the cavitation threshold below 1000kHz. On the other hand, the threshold of the first ultraharmonic was higher than the cavitation threshold below 98kHz and near to the cavitation threshold at high frequency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Building of an Experimental Cline With Arabidopsis thaliana to Estimate Herbicide Fitness Cost

PubMed Central

Roux, Fabrice; Giancola, Sandra; Durand, Stéphanie; Reboud, Xavier

2006-01-01

Various management strategies aim at maintaining pesticide resistance frequency under a threshold value by taking advantage of the benefit of the fitness penalty (the cost) expressed by the resistance allele outside the treated area or during the pesticide selection “off years.” One method to estimate a fitness cost is to analyze the resistance allele frequency along transects across treated and untreated areas. On the basis of the shape of the cline, this method gives the relative contributions of both gene flow and the fitness difference between genotypes in the treated and untreated areas. Taking advantage of the properties of such migration–selection balance, an artificial cline was built up to optimize the conditions where the fitness cost of two herbicide-resistant mutants (acetolactate synthase and auxin-induced target genes) in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana could be more accurately measured. The analysis of the microevolutionary dynamics in these experimental populations indicated mean fitness costs of ∼15 and 92% for the csr1-1 and axr2-1 resistances, respectively. In addition, negative frequency dependence for the fitness cost was also detected for the axr2-1 resistance. The advantages and disadvantages of the cline approach are discussed in regard to other methods of cost estimation. This comparison highlights the powerful ability of an experimental cline to measure low fitness costs and detect sensibility to frequency-dependent variations. PMID:16582450

Fabrication of a Quartz-Crystal-Microbalance/Surface-Plasmon-Resonance Hybrid Sensor and Its Use for Detection of Polymer Thin-Film Deposition and Evaluation of Moisture Sorption Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinbo, Kazunari; Ishikawa, Hiroshi; Baba, Akira; Ohdaira, Yasuo; Kato, Keizo; Kaneko, Futao

2012-03-01

We fabricated a hybrid sensor utilizing quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. We confirmed its effectiveness by observing QCM frequency shifts and SPR wavelength changes for two processes: deposition of various transparent polymer thin films and moisture sorption. For thin-film deposition, the relationship between the QCM frequency and SPR wavelength was found to depend on the refractive index of the film material. For moisture sorption, the direction of SPR wavelength shift depended on the film thickness. This was estimated to be caused by film swelling and decrease in refractive index induced by moisture.

Was the Big Bang hot?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, E. L.

1983-01-01

Techniques for verifying the spectrum defined by Woody and Richards (WR, 1981), which serves as a base for dust-distorted models of the 3 K background, are discussed. WR detected a sharp deviation from the Planck curve in the 3 K background. The absolute intensity of the background may be determined by the frequency dependence of the dipole anisotropy of the background or the frequency dependence effect in galactic clusters. Both methods involve the Doppler shift; analytical formulae are defined for characterization of the dipole anisotropy. The measurement of the 30-300 GHz spectra of cold galactic dust may reveal the presence of significant amounts of needle-shaped grains, which would in turn support a theory of a cold Big Bang.

Apparatus and method for non-contact, acoustic resonance determination of intraocular pressure

DOEpatents

Sinha, Dipen N.; Wray, William O.

1994-01-01

Apparatus and method for measuring intraocular pressure changes in an eye under investigation by detection of vibrational resonances therein. An ultrasonic transducer operating at its resonant frequency is amplitude modulated and swept over a range of audio frequencies in which human eyes will resonate. The output therefrom is focused onto the eye under investigation, and the resonant vibrations of the eye observed using a fiber-optic reflection vibration sensor. Since the resonant frequency of the eye is dependent on the pressure therein, changes in intraocular pressure may readily be determined after a baseline pressure is established.

Apparatus and method for non-contact, acoustic resonance determination of intraocular pressure

DOEpatents

Sinha, D.N.; Wray, W.O.

1994-12-27

The apparatus and method for measuring intraocular pressure changes in an eye under investigation by detection of vibrational resonances therein. An ultrasonic transducer operating at its resonant frequency is amplitude modulated and swept over a range of audio frequencies in which human eyes will resonate. The output therefrom is focused onto the eye under investigation, and the resonant vibrations of the eye observed using a fiber-optic reflection vibration sensor. Since the resonant frequency of the eye is dependent on the pressure therein, changes in intraocular pressure may readily be determined after a baseline pressure is established. 3 figures.

Determining the linkage of disease-resistance genes to molecular markers: the LOD-SCORE method revisited with regard to necessary sample sizes.

PubMed

Hühn, M

1995-05-01

Some approaches to molecular marker-assisted linkage detection for a dominant disease-resistance trait based on a segregating F2 population are discussed. Analysis of two-point linkage is carried out by the traditional measure of maximum lod score. It depends on (1) the maximum-likelihood estimate of the recombination fraction between the marker and the disease-resistance gene locus, (2) the observed absolute frequencies, and (3) the unknown number of tested individuals. If one replaces the absolute frequencies by expressions depending on the unknown sample size and the maximum-likelihood estimate of recombination value, the conventional rule for significant linkage (maximum lod score exceeds a given linkage threshold) can be resolved for the sample size. For each sub-population used for linkage analysis [susceptible (= recessive) individuals, resistant (= dominant) individuals, complete F2] this approach gives a lower bound for the necessary number of individuals required for the detection of significant two-point linkage by the lod-score method.

Investigation of ELF/VLF waves created by a "beat-wave" HF ionospheric heating at high latitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shumilov, Oleg; Tereshchenko, Evgeniy; Kasatkina, Elena; Gomonov, Alexandr

2015-04-01

The generation of extremely low frequency (ELF, 3-3000 Hz) and very low frequency (VLF, 3-30 kHz) electromagnetic waves by modulated ionospheric high frequency (HF, 2-30 MHz) heating is one of the main directions of ionospheric modification experiments. In this work, we present observations of ELF waves generated during a "beat-wave" heating experiments at the EISCAT heating facility. ELF waves were registered with the ELF receiver located at Lovozero (68 N, 35 E), 660 km east from the EISCAT Tromso heating facility (69.6 N, 19.2 E). Frequency shifts between the generated beat-wave and received ELF waves were detected in all sessions. It is shown that the amplitudes of ELF waves depend on the auroral electrojet current strength. Our results showing a strong dependence of ELF signal intensities on the substorm development seem to support the conclusion that electrojet currents may affect the BW generation of ELF/VLF waves.

Brillouin Frequency Shift of Fiber Distributed Sensors Extracted from Noisy Signals by Quadratic Fitting.

PubMed

Zheng, Hanrong; Fang, Zujie; Wang, Zhaoyong; Lu, Bin; Cao, Yulong; Ye, Qing; Qu, Ronghui; Cai, Haiwen

2018-01-31

It is a basic task in Brillouin distributed fiber sensors to extract the peak frequency of the scattering spectrum, since the peak frequency shift gives information on the fiber temperature and strain changes. Because of high-level noise, quadratic fitting is often used in the data processing. Formulas of the dependence of the minimum detectable Brillouin frequency shift (BFS) on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and frequency step have been presented in publications, but in different expressions. A detailed deduction of new formulas of BFS variance and its average is given in this paper, showing especially their dependences on the data range used in fitting, including its length and its center respective to the real spectral peak. The theoretical analyses are experimentally verified. It is shown that the center of the data range has a direct impact on the accuracy of the extracted BFS. We propose and demonstrate an iterative fitting method to mitigate such effects and improve the accuracy of BFS measurement. The different expressions of BFS variances presented in previous papers are explained and discussed.

Repeat-aware modeling and correction of short read errors.

PubMed

Yang, Xiao; Aluru, Srinivas; Dorman, Karin S

2011-02-15

High-throughput short read sequencing is revolutionizing genomics and systems biology research by enabling cost-effective deep coverage sequencing of genomes and transcriptomes. Error detection and correction are crucial to many short read sequencing applications including de novo genome sequencing, genome resequencing, and digital gene expression analysis. Short read error detection is typically carried out by counting the observed frequencies of kmers in reads and validating those with frequencies exceeding a threshold. In case of genomes with high repeat content, an erroneous kmer may be frequently observed if it has few nucleotide differences with valid kmers with multiple occurrences in the genome. Error detection and correction were mostly applied to genomes with low repeat content and this remains a challenging problem for genomes with high repeat content. We develop a statistical model and a computational method for error detection and correction in the presence of genomic repeats. We propose a method to infer genomic frequencies of kmers from their observed frequencies by analyzing the misread relationships among observed kmers. We also propose a method to estimate the threshold useful for validating kmers whose estimated genomic frequency exceeds the threshold. We demonstrate that superior error detection is achieved using these methods. Furthermore, we break away from the common assumption of uniformly distributed errors within a read, and provide a framework to model position-dependent error occurrence frequencies common to many short read platforms. Lastly, we achieve better error correction in genomes with high repeat content. The software is implemented in C++ and is freely available under GNU GPL3 license and Boost Software V1.0 license at "http://aluru-sun.ece.iastate.edu/doku.php?id = redeem". We introduce a statistical framework to model sequencing errors in next-generation reads, which led to promising results in detecting and correcting errors for genomes with high repeat content.

A diode laser-based velocimeter providing point measurements in unseeded flows using modulated filtered Rayleigh scattering (MFRS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagodzinski, Jeremy James

2007-12-01

The development to date of a diode-laser based velocimeter providing point-velocity-measurements in unseeded flows using molecular Rayleigh scattering is discussed. The velocimeter is based on modulated filtered Rayleigh scattering (MFRS), a novel variation of filtered Rayleigh scattering (FRS), utilizing modulated absorption spectroscopy techniques to detect a strong absorption of a relatively weak Rayleigh scattered signal. A rubidium (Rb) vapor filter is used to provide the relatively strong absorption; alkali metal vapors have a high optical depth at modest vapor pressures, and their narrow linewidth is ideally suited for high-resolution velocimetry. Semiconductor diode lasers are used to generate the relatively weak Rayleigh scattered signal; due to their compact, rugged construction diode lasers are ideally suited for the environmental extremes encountered in many experiments. The MFRS technique utilizes the frequency-tuning capability of diode lasers to implement a homodyne detection scheme using lock-in amplifiers. The optical frequency of the diode-based laser system used to interrogate the flow is rapidly modulated about a reference frequency in the D2-line of Rb. The frequency modulation is imposed on the Rayleigh scattered light that is collected from the probe volume in the flow under investigation. The collected frequency modulating Rayleigh scattered light is transmitted through a Rb vapor filter before being detected. The detected modulated absorption signal is fed to two lock-in amplifers synchronized with the modulation frequency of the source laser. High levels of background rejection are attained since the lock-ins are both frequency and phase selective. The two lock-in amplifiers extract different Fourier components of the detected modulated absorption signal, which are ratioed to provide an intensity normalized frequency dependent signal from a single detector. A Doppler frequency shift in the collected Rayleigh scattered light due to a change in the velocity of the flow under investigation results in a change in the detected modulated absorption signal. This change in the detected signal provides a quantifiable measure of the Doppler frequency shift, and hence the velocity in the probe volume, provided that the laser source exhibits acceptable levels of frequency stability (determined by the magnitude of the velocities being measured). An extended cavity diode laser (ECDL) in the Littrow configuration provides frequency tunable, relatively narrow-linewidth lasing for the MFRS velocimeter. Frequency stabilization of the ECDL is provided by a proportional-integral-differential (PID) controller based on an error signal in the reference arm of the experiment. The optical power of the Littrow laser source is amplified by an antireflection coated (AR coated) broad stripe diode laser. The single-mode, frequency-modulatable, frequency-stable O(50 mW) of optical power provided by this extended cavity diode laser master oscillator power amplifier (ECDL-MOPA) system provided sufficient scattering signal from a condensing jet of CO2 to implement the MFRS technique in the frequency-locked mode of operation.

Incorrect evaluation of the frequency of malnutrition and of its screening in hospitalized children by health care professionals.

PubMed

Restier, Lioara; Duclos, Antoine; Jarri, Laura; Touzet, Sandrine; Denis, Angelique; Occelli, Pauline; Kassai-Koupai, Behrouz; Lachaux, Alain; Loras-Duclaux, Irene; Colin, Cyrille; Peretti, Noel

2015-10-01

Malnutrition screening is essential to detect and to treat patients with stunting or wasting. The aim was to evaluate the subjective perception of frequency and assessment of malnutrition by health care professionals. In a paediatric university hospital, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with a Likert scale approach to health care professionals and compared with objective measurements on a given day of frequency of malnutrition and of its screening. 279 health care professionals participated. The malnutrition rate, estimated versus measured, was 16.8% and 34.8%, respectively. Conversely, the estimated frequency of malnutrition screening versus measured frequency was 80.6% versus 43.1%, respectively. Furthermore, the perception of health care professionals did not differ depending on their professional category or speciality. In conclusion, health care staff underestimates the prevalence of malnutrition in children by half and overestimates the frequency of appropriate screening practices for detection of malnutrition. This flawed/unreliable perception may disrupt both screening and the management of malnourished children. There is an urgent need to find out the reasons behind these errors caused by subjective perception in order to develop appropriate educational training to remedy the situation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Single-silicon CCD-CMOS platform for multi-spectral detection from terahertz to x-rays.

PubMed

Shalaby, Mostafa; Vicario, Carlo; Hauri, Christoph P

2017-11-15

Charge-coupled devices (CCDs) are a well-established imaging technology in the visible and x-ray frequency ranges. However, the small quantum photon energies of terahertz radiation have hindered the use of this mature semiconductor technological platform in this frequency range, leaving terahertz imaging totally dependent on low-resolution bolometer technologies. Recently, it has been shown that silicon CCDs can detect terahertz photons at a high field, but the detection sensitivity is limited. Here we show that silicon, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology offers enhanced detection sensitivity of almost two orders of magnitude, compared to CCDs. Our findings allow us to extend the low-frequency terahertz cutoff to less than 2 THz, nearly closing the technological gap with electronic imagers operating up to 1 THz. Furthermore, with the silicon CCD/CMOS technology being sensitive to mid-infrared (mid-IR) and the x-ray ranges, we introduce silicon as a single detector platform from 1 EHz to 2 THz. This overcomes the present challenge in spatially overlapping a terahertz/mid-IR pump and x-ray probe radiation at facilities such as free electron lasers, synchrotron, and laser-based x-ray sources.

Planck 2015 results. XXVI. The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Planck Collaboration; Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Argüeso, F.; Arnaud, M.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Banday, A. J.; Barreiro, R. B.; Bartolo, N.; Battaner, E.; Beichman, C.; Benabed, K.; Benoît, A.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bock, J. J.; Böhringer, H.; Bonaldi, A.; Bonavera, L.; Bond, J. R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F. R.; Boulanger, F.; Bucher, M.; Burigana, C.; Butler, R. C.; Calabrese, E.; Cardoso, J.-F.; Carvalho, P.; Catalano, A.; Challinor, A.; Chamballu, A.; Chary, R.-R.; Chiang, H. C.; Christensen, P. R.; Clemens, M.; Clements, D. L.; Colombi, S.; Colombo, L. P. L.; Combet, C.; Couchot, F.; Coulais, A.; Crill, B. P.; Curto, A.; Cuttaia, F.; Danese, L.; Davies, R. D.; Davis, R. J.; de Bernardis, P.; de Rosa, A.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Désert, F.-X.; Dickinson, C.; Diego, J. M.; Dole, H.; Donzelli, S.; Doré, O.; Douspis, M.; Ducout, A.; Dupac, X.; Efstathiou, G.; Elsner, F.; Enßlin, T. A.; Eriksen, H. K.; Falgarone, E.; Fergusson, J.; Finelli, F.; Forni, O.; Frailis, M.; Fraisse, A. A.; Franceschi, E.; Frejsel, A.; Galeotta, S.; Galli, S.; Ganga, K.; Giard, M.; Giraud-Héraud, Y.; Gjerløw, E.; González-Nuevo, J.; Górski, K. M.; Gratton, S.; Gregorio, A.; Gruppuso, A.; Gudmundsson, J. E.; Hansen, F. K.; Hanson, D.; Harrison, D. L.; Helou, G.; Henrot-Versillé, S.; Hernández-Monteagudo, C.; Herranz, D.; Hildebrandt, S. R.; Hivon, E.; Hobson, M.; Holmes, W. A.; Hornstrup, A.; Hovest, W.; Huffenberger, K. M.; Hurier, G.; Jaffe, A. H.; Jaffe, T. R.; Jones, W. C.; Juvela, M.; Keihänen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kisner, T. S.; Kneissl, R.; Knoche, J.; Kunz, M.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Lagache, G.; Lähteenmäki, A.; Lamarre, J.-M.; Lasenby, A.; Lattanzi, M.; Lawrence, C. R.; Leahy, J. P.; Leonardi, R.; León-Tavares, J.; Lesgourgues, J.; Levrier, F.; Liguori, M.; Lilje, P. B.; Linden-Vørnle, M.; López-Caniego, M.; Lubin, P. M.; Macías-Pérez, J. F.; Maggio, G.; Maino, D.; Mandolesi, N.; Mangilli, A.; Maris, M.; Marshall, D. J.; Martin, P. G.; Martínez-González, E.; Masi, S.; Matarrese, S.; McGehee, P.; Meinhold, P. R.; Melchiorri, A.; Mendes, L.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Mitra, S.; Miville-Deschênes, M.-A.; Moneti, A.; Montier, L.; Morgante, G.; Mortlock, D.; Moss, A.; Munshi, D.; Murphy, J. A.; Naselsky, P.; Nati, F.; Natoli, P.; Negrello, M.; Netterfield, C. B.; Nørgaard-Nielsen, H. U.; Noviello, F.; Novikov, D.; Novikov, I.; Oxborrow, C. A.; Paci, F.; Pagano, L.; Pajot, F.; Paladini, R.; Paoletti, D.; Partridge, B.; Pasian, F.; Patanchon, G.; Pearson, T. J.; Perdereau, O.; Perotto, L.; Perrotta, F.; Pettorino, V.; Piacentini, F.; Piat, M.; Pierpaoli, E.; Pietrobon, D.; Plaszczynski, S.; Pointecouteau, E.; Polenta, G.; Pratt, G. W.; Prézeau, G.; Prunet, S.; Puget, J.-L.; Rachen, J. P.; Reach, W. T.; Rebolo, R.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renault, C.; Renzi, A.; Ristorcelli, I.; Rocha, G.; Rosset, C.; Rossetti, M.; Roudier, G.; Rowan-Robinson, M.; Rubiño-Martín, J. A.; Rusholme, B.; Sandri, M.; Sanghera, H. S.; Santos, D.; Savelainen, M.; Savini, G.; Scott, D.; Seiffert, M. D.; Shellard, E. P. S.; Spencer, L. D.; Stolyarov, V.; Sudiwala, R.; Sunyaev, R.; Sutton, D.; Suur-Uski, A.-S.; Sygnet, J.-F.; Tauber, J. A.; Terenzi, L.; Toffolatti, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tornikoski, M.; Tristram, M.; Tucci, M.; Tuovinen, J.; Türler, M.; Umana, G.; Valenziano, L.; Valiviita, J.; Van Tent, B.; Vielva, P.; Villa, F.; Wade, L. A.; Walter, B.; Wandelt, B. D.; Wehus, I. K.; Yvon, D.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.

2016-09-01

The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources is a list of discrete objects detected in single-frequency maps from the full duration of the Planck mission and supersedes previous versions. It consists of compact sources, both Galactic and extragalactic, detected over the entire sky. Compact sources detected in the lower frequency channels are assigned to the PCCS2, while at higher frequencies they are assigned to one of two subcatalogues, the PCCS2 or PCCS2E, depending on their location on the sky. The first of these (PCCS2) covers most of the sky and allows the user to produce subsamples at higher reliabilities than the target 80% integral reliability of the catalogue. The second (PCCS2E) contains sources detected in sky regions where the diffuse emission makes it difficult to quantify the reliability of the detections. Both the PCCS2 and PCCS2E include polarization measurements, in the form of polarized flux densities, or upper limits, and orientation angles for all seven polarization-sensitive Planck channels. The improved data-processing of the full-mission maps and their reduced noise levels allow us to increase the number of objects in the catalogue, improving its completeness for the target 80% reliability as compared with the previous versions, the PCCS and the Early Release Compact Source Catalogue (ERCSC).

Anatomical and functional assemblies of brain BOLD oscillations

PubMed Central

Baria, Alexis T.; Baliki, Marwan N.; Parrish, Todd; Apkarian, A. Vania

2011-01-01

Brain oscillatory activity has long been thought to have spatial properties, the details of which are unresolved. Here we examine spatial organizational rules for the human brain oscillatory activity as measured by blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD). Resting state BOLD signal was transformed into frequency space (Welch’s method), averaged across subjects, and its spatial distribution studied as a function of four frequency bands, spanning the full bandwidth of BOLD. The brain showed anatomically constrained distribution of power for each frequency band. This result was replicated on a repository dataset of 195 subjects. Next, we examined larger-scale organization by parceling the neocortex into regions approximating Brodmann Areas (BAs). This indicated that BAs of simple function/connectivity (unimodal), vs. complex properties (transmodal), are dominated by low frequency BOLD oscillations, and within the visual ventral stream we observe a graded shift of power to higher frequency bands for BAs further removed from the primary visual cortex (increased complexity), linking frequency properties of BOLD to hodology. Additionally, BOLD oscillation properties for the default mode network demonstrated that it is composed of distinct frequency dependent regions. When the same analysis was performed on a visual-motor task, frequency-dependent global and voxel-wise shifts in BOLD oscillations could be detected at brain sites mostly outside those identified with general linear modeling. Thus, analysis of BOLD oscillations in full bandwidth uncovers novel brain organizational rules, linking anatomical structures and functional networks to characteristic BOLD oscillations. The approach also identifies changes in brain intrinsic properties in relation to responses to external inputs. PMID:21613505

Sharing extended summary data from contemporary genetics studies is unlikely to threaten subject privacy.

PubMed

Bacanu, Silviu-Alin

2017-01-01

Starting from a forensic problem, Homer et al. showed that it was possible to detect if an individual contributes only 0.5% of the DNA in a pool. The finding was extended to prove the possibility of detecting whether a subject participated in a small homogeneous GWAS. We denote this as the detection of a subject belonging to a certain cohort (SBCC). Subsequently, Visscher and Hill showed that the power to detect SBCC signal for an ethnically homogeneous cohort depends roughly on the ratio of the number of independent markers and total sample size. However, it is not clear if the same holds for more ethnically diverse cohorts. Later, Masca et al. propose running as SBCC test a regression of departure from assumed population frequency of i) subject genotype on ii) cohort of interest frequency. They use simulations to show that the approach has better SBCC detection power than the original Homer method but is impeded by population stratification. To investigate the possibility of SBCC detection in multi-ethnic cohorts, we generalize the Masca et al. approach by theoretically deriving the correlation between a subject genotype and the cohort reference allele frequencies (RAFs) for stratified cohorts. Based on the derived formula, we theoretically show that, due to background stratification noise, SBCC detection is unlikely even for mildly stratified cohorts of size greater than around a thousand subjects. Thus, for the vast majority of contemporary cohorts, the fear of compromising privacy via SBCC detection is unfounded.

Spiking irregularity and frequency modulate the behavioral report of single-neuron stimulation.

PubMed

Doron, Guy; von Heimendahl, Moritz; Schlattmann, Peter; Houweling, Arthur R; Brecht, Michael

2014-02-05

The action potential activity of single cortical neurons can evoke measurable sensory effects, but it is not known how spiking parameters and neuronal subtypes affect the evoked sensations. Here, we examined the effects of spike train irregularity, spike frequency, and spike number on the detectability of single-neuron stimulation in rat somatosensory cortex. For regular-spiking, putative excitatory neurons, detectability increased with spike train irregularity and decreasing spike frequencies but was not affected by spike number. Stimulation of single, fast-spiking, putative inhibitory neurons led to a larger sensory effect compared to regular-spiking neurons, and the effect size depended only on spike irregularity. An ideal-observer analysis suggests that, under our experimental conditions, rats were using integration windows of a few hundred milliseconds or more. Our data imply that the behaving animal is sensitive to single neurons' spikes and even to their temporal patterning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Noise Spectroscopy-Based Selective Gas Sensing with MOX Gas Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomri, S.; Seguin, J.; Contaret, T.; Fiorido, T.; Aguir, K.

We propose a new method for obtaining a fluctuation-enhanced sensing (FES) signature of a gas using a single metal oxide (MOX) gas micro sensor. Starting from our model of adsorption-desorption (A-D) noise previously developed, we show theoretically that the product of frequency by the power spectrum density (PSD) of the gas sensing layer resistance fluctuations often has a maximum which is characteristic of the gas. This property was experimentally confirmed in the case of the detection of NO2 and O3 using a WO3 sensing layer. This method could be useful for classifying gases. Furthermore, our noise measurements confirm our previous model showing that PSD of the A-Dnoise in MOX gas sensor is a combination of Lorentzians having a low frequency magnitude and a cut-off frequency which depends on the nature of the detected gas.

Text familiarity, word frequency, and sentential constraints in error detection.

PubMed

Pilotti, Maura; Chodorow, Martin; Schauss, Frances

2009-12-01

The present study examines whether the frequency of an error-bearing word and its predictability, arising from sentential constraints and text familiarity, either independently or jointly, would impair error detection by making proofreading driven by top-down processes. Prior to a proofreading task, participants were asked to read, copy, memorize, or paraphrase sentences, half of which contained errors. These tasks represented a continuum of progressively more demanding and time-consuming activities, which were thought to lead to comparable increases in text familiarity and thus predictability. Proofreading times were unaffected by whether the sentences had been encountered earlier. Proofreading was slower and less accurate for high-frequency words and for highly constrained sentences. Prior memorization produced divergent effects on accuracy depending on sentential constraints. The latter finding suggested that a substantial level of predictability, such as that produced by memorizing highly constrained sentences, can increase the probability of overlooking errors.

Seasonal plasticity of auditory saccular sensitivity in the vocal plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus.

PubMed

Sisneros, Joseph A

2009-08-01

The plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus, is a seasonally breeding species of marine teleost fish that generates acoustic signals for intraspecific social and reproductive-related communication. Female midshipman use the inner ear saccule as the main acoustic endorgan for hearing to detect and locate vocalizing males that produce multiharmonic advertisement calls during the breeding season. Previous work showed that the frequency sensitivity of midshipman auditory saccular afferents changed seasonally with female reproductive state such that summer reproductive females became better suited than winter nonreproductive females to encode the dominant higher harmonics of the male advertisement calls. The focus of this study was to test the hypothesis that seasonal reproductive-dependent changes in saccular afferent tuning is paralleled by similar changes in saccular sensitivity at the level of the hair-cell receptor. Here, I examined the evoked response properties of midshipman saccular hair cells from winter nonreproductive and summer reproductive females to determine if reproductive state affects the frequency response and threshold of the saccule to behaviorally relevant single tone stimuli. Saccular potentials were recorded from populations of hair cells in vivo while sound was presented by an underwater speaker. Results indicate that saccular hair cells from reproductive females had thresholds that were approximately 8 to 13 dB lower than nonreproductive females across a broad range of frequencies that included the dominant higher harmonic components and the fundamental frequency of the male's advertisement call. These seasonal-reproductive-dependent changes in thresholds varied differentially across the three (rostral, middle, and caudal) regions of the saccule. Such reproductive-dependent changes in saccule sensitivity may represent an adaptive plasticity of the midshipman auditory sense to enhance mate detection, recognition, and localization during the breeding season.

Single Bacterium Detection Using Sers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonchukov, S. A.; Baikova, T. V.; Alushin, M. V.; Svistunova, T. S.; Minaeva, S. A.; Ionin, A. A.; Kudryashov, S. I.; Saraeva, I. N.; Zayarny, D. A.

2016-02-01

This work is devoted to the study of a single Staphylococcus aureus bacterium detection using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and resonant Raman spectroscopy (RS). It was shown that SERS allows increasing sensitivity of predominantly low frequency lines connected with the vibrations of Amide, Proteins and DNA. At the same time the lines of carotenoids inherent to this kind of bacterium are well-detected due to the resonance Raman scattering mechanism. The reproducibility and stability of Raman spectra strongly depend on the characteristics of nanostructured substrate, and molecular structure and size of the tested biological object.

Note: Focus error detection device for thermal expansion-recovery microscopy (ThERM).

PubMed

Domené, E A; Martínez, O E

2013-01-01

An innovative focus error detection method is presented that is only sensitive to surface curvature variations, canceling both thermoreflectance and photodefelection effects. The detection scheme consists of an astigmatic probe laser and a four-quadrant detector. Nonlinear curve fitting of the defocusing signal allows the retrieval of a cutoff frequency, which only depends on the thermal diffusivity of the sample and the pump beam size. Therefore, a straightforward retrieval of the thermal diffusivity of the sample is possible with microscopic lateral resolution and high axial resolution (~100 pm).

A model of anuran auditory periphery reveals frequency-dependent adaptation to be a contributing mechanism for two-tone suppression and amplitude modulation coding.

PubMed

Wotton, J M; Ferragamo, M J

2011-10-01

Anuran auditory nerve fibers (ANF) tuned to low frequencies display unusual frequency-dependent adaptation which results in a more phasic response to signals above best frequency (BF) and a more tonic response to signals below. A network model of the first two layers of the anuran auditory system was used to test the contribution of this dynamic peripheral adaptation on two-tone suppression and amplitude modulation (AM) tuning. The model included a peripheral sandwich component, leaky-integrate-and-fire cells and adaptation was implemented by means of a non-linear increase in threshold weighted by the signal frequency. The results of simulations showed that frequency-dependent adaptation was both necessary and sufficient to produce high-frequency-side two-tone suppression for the ANF and cells of the dorsal medullary nucleus (DMN). It seems likely that both suppression and this dynamic adaptation share a common mechanism. The response of ANFs to AM signals was influenced by adaptation and carrier frequency. Vector strength synchronization to an AM signal improved with increased adaptation. The spike rate response to a carrier at BF was the expected flat function with AM rate. However, for non-BF carrier frequencies the response showed a weak band-pass pattern due to the influence of signal sidebands and adaptation. The DMN received inputs from three ANFs and when the frequency tuning of inputs was near the carrier, then the rate response was a low-pass or all-pass shape. When most of the inputs were biased above or below the carrier, then band-pass responses were observed. Frequency-dependent adaptation enhanced the band-pass tuning for AM rate, particularly when the response of the inputs was predominantly phasic for a given carrier. Different combinations of inputs can therefore bias a DMN cell to be especially well suited to detect specific ranges of AM rates for a particular carrier frequency. Such selection of inputs would clearly be advantageous to the frog in recognizing distinct spectral and temporal parameters in communication calls. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Methods of Detection of Exceptional Sequences in Prokaryotic Genomes.

PubMed

Rusinov, I S; Ershova, A S; Karyagina, A S; Spirin, S A; Alexeevski, A V

2018-02-01

Many proteins need recognition of specific DNA sequences for functioning. The number of recognition sites and their distribution along the DNA might be of biological importance. For example, the number of restriction sites is often reduced in prokaryotic and phage genomes to decrease the probability of DNA cleavage by restriction endonucleases. We call a sequence an exceptional one if its frequency in a genome significantly differs from one predicted by some mathematical model. An exceptional sequence could be either under- or over-represented, depending on its frequency in comparison with the predicted one. Exceptional sequences could be considered biologically meaningful, for example, as targets of DNA-binding proteins or as parts of abundant repetitive elements. Several methods to predict frequency of a short sequence in a genome, based on actual frequencies of certain its subsequences, are used. The most popular are methods based on Markov chain models. But any rigorous comparison of the methods has not previously been performed. We compared three methods for the prediction of short sequence frequencies: the maximum-order Markov chain model-based method, the method that uses geometric mean of extended Markovian estimates, and the method that utilizes frequencies of all subsequences including discontiguous ones. We applied them to restriction sites in complete genomes of 2500 prokaryotic species and demonstrated that the results depend greatly on the method used: lists of 5% of the most under-represented sites differed by up to 50%. The method designed by Burge and coauthors in 1992, which utilizes all subsequences of the sequence, showed a higher precision than the other two methods both on prokaryotic genomes and randomly generated sequences after computational imitation of selective pressure. We propose this method as the first choice for detection of exceptional sequences in prokaryotic genomes.

Raman spectroscopy detection of biomolecules in biocrusts from differing environmental conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miralles, I.; Jorge-Villar, S. E.; van Wesemael, B.; Lázaro, R.

2017-01-01

Lichens and cyanobacteria colonize inhospitable places covering a wide climate range due to their different survival strategies, such as the synthesis of protective biomolecules. The effect of ecological factors on the synthesis of biomolecules has not been widely analysed. This study aimed to assess the effects of four factors (species, microclimate, seasonality and hydration state) and their interactions on the biomolecule frequency detected by Raman Spectroscopy. We included cyanobacterial biocrusts, and the lichens Diploschistes diacapsis, Squamarina lentigera, and Lepraria isidiata; two contrasted microclimates (typical and marginal), two contrasted seasons (hot and dry vs cool and wet) and two hydration states (dry and wet). ;Species; was the most influential factor in the identity and frequency of the main biomolecules. Microclimatic differences in the range of the local specific habitats only influenced the biomolecules in cyanobacteria. There was a quadruple interaction among the factors, the effects being different mainly depending on the species. At D. diacapsis, the production of their main biomolecules depended on microclimate, although it also depended on seasonality. Nevertheless, in L. isidiata and S. lentigera microclimatic differences did not significantly affect the production of biomolecules. In the lichen species, the microhabitats exposed to relatively larger incident radiation did not show significantly larger relative frequency of photoprotective biomolecules. No clear connection between higher production of oxalates and drier microhabitats was found, suggesting that the synthesis of oxalates is not related to water reserve strategy. The pros and cons of monitor biomolecules in biocrust by Raman spectrometry were also discussed.

Inclination dependence of QPO phase lags in black hole X-ray binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Eijnden, J.; Ingram, A.; Uttley, P.; Motta, S. E.; Belloni, T. M.; Gardenier, D. W.

2017-01-01

Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) with frequencies from ˜0.05to30 Hz are a common feature in the X-ray emission of accreting black hole binaries. As the QPOs originate from the innermost accretion flow, they provide the opportunity to probe the behaviour of matter in extreme gravity. In this paper, we present a systematic analysis of the inclination dependence of phase lags associated with both type-B and type-C QPOs in a sample of 15 Galactic black hole binaries. We find that the phase lag at the type-C QPO frequency strongly depends on inclination, both in evolution with the QPO frequency and sign. Although we find that the type-B QPO soft lags are associated with high-inclination sources, the source sample is too small to confirm that this as a significant inclination dependence. These results are consistent with a geometrical origin of type-C QPOs and a different origin for type-B and type-C QPOs. We discuss the possibility that the phase lags originate from a pivoting spectral power law during each QPO cycle, while the inclination dependence arises from differences in dominant relativistic effects. We also search for energy dependences in the type-C QPO frequency. We confirm this effect in the three known sources (GRS 1915+105, H1743-322 and XTE J1550-564) and newly detect it in XTE J1859+226. Lastly, our results indicate that the unknown inclination sources XTE J1859+226 and MAXI J1543-564 are most consistent with a high inclination.

Limits on radio emission from meteors using the MWA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.; Hancock, P.; Devillepoix, H. A. R.; Wayth, R. B.; Beardsley, A.; Crosse, B.; Emrich, D.; Franzen, T. M. O.; Gaensler, B. M.; Horsley, L.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Kaplan, D. L.; Kenney, D.; Morales, M. F.; Pallot, D.; Steele, K.; Tingay, S. J.; Trott, C. M.; Walker, M.; Williams, A.; Wu, C.; Ji, Jianghui; Ma, Yuehua

2018-07-01

Recently, low-frequency, broad-band radio emission has been observed accompanying bright meteors by the Long Wavelength Array (LWA). The broad-band spectra between 20 and 60 MHz were captured for several events, while the spectral index (dependence of flux density on frequency, with Sν ∝ να) was estimated to be -4 ± 1 during the peak of meteor afterglows. Here we present a survey of meteor emission and other transient events using the Murchison Wide Field Array (MWA) at 72-103 MHz. In our 322 h survey, down to a 5σ detection threshold of 3.5 Jy beam-1, no transient candidates were identified as intrinsic emission from meteors. We derived an upper limit of -3.7 (95 per cent confidence limit) on the spectral index in our frequency range. We also report detections of other transient events, such as reflected FM broadcast signals from small satellites, conclusively demonstrating the ability of the MWA to detect and track space debris on scales as small as 0.1 m in low Earth orbits.

A nanogenerator as a self-powered sensor for measuring the vibration spectrum of a drum membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Aifang; Zhao, Yong; Jiang, Peng; Wang, Zhong Lin

2013-02-01

A nanogenerator (NG) is a device that converts vibration energy into electricity. Here, a flexible, small size and lightweight NG is successfully demonstrated as an active sensor for detecting the vibration spectrum of a drum membrane without the use of an external power source. The output current/voltage signal of the NG is a direct measure of the strain of the local vibrating drum membrane that contains rich informational content, such as, notably, the vibration frequency, vibration speed and vibration amplitude. In comparison to the laser vibrometer, which is excessively complex and expensive, this kind of small and low cost sensor based on an NG is also capable of detecting the local vibration frequency of a drum membrane accurately. A spatial arrangement of the NGs on the membrane can provide position-dependent vibration information on the surface. The measured frequency spectrum can be understood on the basis of the theoretically calculated vibration modes. This work expands the application of NGs and reveals the potential for developing sound wave detection, environmental/infrastructure monitoring and many more applications.

Signatures of Relativistic Helical Motion in the Rotation Measures of Active Galactic Nucleus Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broderick, Avery E.; Loeb, Abraham

2009-10-01

Polarization has proven to be an invaluable tool for probing magnetic fields in relativistic jets. Maps of the intrinsic polarization vectors have provided the best evidence to date for uniform, toroidally dominated magnetic fields within jets. More recently, maps of the rotation measure (RM) in jets have for the first time probed the field geometry of the cool, moderately relativistic surrounding material. In most cases, clear signatures of the toroidal magnetic field are detected, corresponding to gradients in RM profiles transverse to the jet. However, in many objects, these profiles also display marked asymmetries that are difficult to explain in simple helical jet models. Furthermore, in some cases, the RM profiles are strongly frequency and/or time dependent. Here we show that these features may be naturally accounted for by including relativistic helical motion in the jet model. In particular, we are able to reproduce bent RM profiles observed in a variety of jets, frequency-dependent RM profile morphologies, and even the time dependence of the RM profiles of knots in 3C 273. Finally, we predict that some sources may show reversals in their RM profiles at sufficiently high frequencies, depending upon the ratio of the components of jet sheath velocity transverse and parallel to the jet. Thus, multi-frequency RM maps promise a novel way in which to probe the velocity structure of relativistic outflows.

Low-frequency quantitative ultrasound imaging of cell death in vivo

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

Sadeghi-Naini, Ali; Falou, Omar; Czarnota, Gregory J.

Purpose: Currently, no clinical imaging modality is used routinely to assess tumor response to cancer therapies within hours to days of the delivery of treatment. Here, the authors demonstrate the efficacy of ultrasound at a clinically relevant frequency to quantitatively detect changes in tumors in response to cancer therapies using preclinical mouse models.Methods: Conventional low-frequency and corresponding high-frequency ultrasound (ranging from 4 to 28 MHz) were used along with quantitative spectroscopic and signal envelope statistical analyses on data obtained from xenograft tumors treated with chemotherapy, x-ray radiation, as well as a novel vascular targeting microbubble therapy.Results: Ultrasound-based spectroscopic biomarkers indicatedmore » significant changes in cell-death associated parameters in responsive tumors. Specifically changes in the midband fit, spectral slope, and 0-MHz intercept biomarkers were investigated for different types of treatment and demonstrated cell-death related changes. The midband fit and 0-MHz intercept biomarker derived from low-frequency data demonstrated increases ranging approximately from 0 to 6 dBr and 0 to 8 dBr, respectively, depending on treatments administrated. These data paralleled results observed for high-frequency ultrasound data. Statistical analysis of ultrasound signal envelope was performed as an alternative method to obtain histogram-based biomarkers and provided confirmatory results. Histological analysis of tumor specimens indicated up to 61% cell death present in the tumors depending on treatments administered, consistent with quantitative ultrasound findings indicating cell death. Ultrasound-based spectroscopic biomarkers demonstrated a good correlation with histological morphological findings indicative of cell death (r{sup 2}= 0.71, 0.82; p < 0.001).Conclusions: In summary, the results provide preclinical evidence, for the first time, that quantitative ultrasound used at a clinically relevant frequency, in addition to high-frequency ultrasound, can detect tissue changes associated with cell death in vivo in response to cancer treatments.« less

Detection of the pedogenic magnetic fraction in volcanic soils developed on basalts using frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility: comparison of two instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grison, Hana; Petrovsky, Eduard; Kapicka, Ales; Hanzlikova, Hana

2017-05-01

In studies of the magnetic properties of soils, the frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility percentage (χFD%) is often used for the identification of ultrafine magnetically superparamagnetic/stable single-domain (SP/SSD) particles. This parameter is commonly used as an indicator for increased pedogenesis. In strongly magnetic soils, the SP/SSD magnetic signal (mostly bio-pedogenic) may be masked by lithological signals; making pedogenesis hard to detect. In this study, we compare results for the detection of ultrafine SP/SSD magnetic particles in andic soils using two instruments: a Bartington MS2B dual-frequency meter and an AGICO Kappabridge MFK1-FA. In particular, the study focuses on the effect of pedogenesis by investigating the relationship between specific soil magnetic and chemical properties (soil organic carbon and pHH2O). The values of χFD% obtained with the MS2B varied from 2.4 to 5.9 per cent, and mass-specific magnetic susceptibility (χLF) from 283 to 1688 × 10-8 m3 kg-1, while values of χFD% and χLF obtained with the MFK1-FA varied from 2.7 to 8.2 per cent and from 299 to 1859 × 10-8 m3 kg-1, respectively. Our results suggest that the detection of the SP/SSD magnetic fraction can be accomplished by comparing relative trends of χFD% along the soil profile. Moreover, the discrimination between bio-pedogenic and lithogenic magnetic contributions in the SP/SSD fraction is possible by comparing the χFD% and χLF data determined in the fine earth (<2 mm) and the coarse fraction (4-10 mm) samples down the soil profile.

[Acoustic detection of absorption of millimeter-band electromagnetic waves in biological objects].

PubMed

Polnikov, I G; Putvinskiĭ, A V

1988-01-01

Principles of photoacoustic spectroscopy were applied to elaborate a new method for controlling millimeter electromagnetic waves absorption in biological objects. The method was used in investigations of frequency dependence of millimeter wave power absorption in vitro and in vivo in the commonly used experimental irradiation systems.

Frequency Dependence and Spatial Distribution of Seismic Attenuation in France: Experimental Results and Possible Interpretations

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-12

and possible interpretations. M. Campillo Laboratoire de Geophysique Interne et Tectonophysique Universite Joseph Fourier and Observatoire de Grenoble...IRIGM, BP 53X, 38041 Grenoble, France J.L. Plantet Laboratoire de Detection Geophysique Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique BP 12, 91680 Bruyere-le

Tuning the Stiffness Balance Using Characteristic Frequencies as a Criterion for a Superconducting Gravity Gradiometer.

PubMed

Liu, Xikai; Ma, Dong; Chen, Liang; Liu, Xiangdong

2018-02-08

Tuning the stiffness balance is crucial to full-band common-mode rejection for a superconducting gravity gradiometer (SGG). A reliable method to do so has been proposed and experimentally tested. In the tuning scheme, the frequency response functions of the displacement of individual test mass upon common-mode accelerations were measured and thus determined a characteristic frequency for each test mass. A reduced difference in characteristic frequencies between the two test masses was utilized as the criterion for an effective tuning. Since the measurement of the characteristic frequencies does not depend on the scale factors of displacement detection, stiffness tuning can be done independently. We have tested this new method on a single-component SGG and obtained a reduction of two orders of magnitude in stiffness mismatch.

Effect of Frequency and Waveform on Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium in Salsa by Ohmic Heating

PubMed Central

Lee, Su-Yeon; Ryu, Sangryeol

2013-01-01

The effect of frequency of alternating current during ohmic heating on electrode corrosion, heating rate, inactivation of food-borne pathogens, and quality of salsa was investigated. The impact of waveform on heating rate was also investigated. Salsa was treated with various frequencies (60 Hz to 20 kHz) and waveforms (sine, square, and sawtooth) at a constant electric field strength of 12.5 V/cm. Electrode corrosion did not occur when the frequency exceeded 1 kHz. The heating rate of the sample was dependent on frequency up to 500 Hz, but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the heating rate when the frequency was increased above 1 kHz. The electrical conductivity of the sample increased with a rise in the frequency. At a frequency of 60 Hz, the square wave produced a lower heating rate than that of sine and sawtooth waves. The heating rate between waveforms was not significantly (P > 0.05) different when the frequency was >500 Hz. As the frequency increased, the treatment time required to reduce Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to below the detection limit (1 log CFU/g) decreased without affecting product quality. These results suggest that ohmic heating can be effectively used to pasteurize salsa and that the effect of inactivation is dependent on frequency and electrical conductivity rather than waveform. PMID:23023752

Effect of frequency and waveform on inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium in salsa by ohmic heating.

PubMed

Lee, Su-Yeon; Ryu, Sangryeol; Kang, Dong-Hyun

2013-01-01

The effect of frequency of alternating current during ohmic heating on electrode corrosion, heating rate, inactivation of food-borne pathogens, and quality of salsa was investigated. The impact of waveform on heating rate was also investigated. Salsa was treated with various frequencies (60 Hz to 20 kHz) and waveforms (sine, square, and sawtooth) at a constant electric field strength of 12.5 V/cm. Electrode corrosion did not occur when the frequency exceeded 1 kHz. The heating rate of the sample was dependent on frequency up to 500 Hz, but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the heating rate when the frequency was increased above 1 kHz. The electrical conductivity of the sample increased with a rise in the frequency. At a frequency of 60 Hz, the square wave produced a lower heating rate than that of sine and sawtooth waves. The heating rate between waveforms was not significantly (P > 0.05) different when the frequency was >500 Hz. As the frequency increased, the treatment time required to reduce Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to below the detection limit (1 log CFU/g) decreased without affecting product quality. These results suggest that ohmic heating can be effectively used to pasteurize salsa and that the effect of inactivation is dependent on frequency and electrical conductivity rather than waveform.

Redundant Calibration: breaking the constraints of limited sky information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, Ronniy C.

2018-05-01

The latest generation of low frequency radio interferometers, e.g. LOFAR, MWA, PAPER, has been pushing down the detection limits on the hydrogen signal from the Epoch of Reionisation. However, due to the challenges posed by foregrounds and instrumental systematics the signal has eluded detection thus far. To overcome these challenges we require a detailed understanding of the calibration of these relatively new telescopes. This led to a renewed interest in redundant calibration. Classical calibration schemes depend on sky models based on limited knowledge of the low frequency sky. Redundant calibration, however, allows us to escape our ignorance as it is sky model independent. We will review the field of redundant calibration, and present work we have undertaken to understand the limitations of this calibration method.

Migration of cell surface concanavalin A receptors in pulsed electric fields.

PubMed Central

Lin-Liu, S; Adey, W R; Poo, M M

1984-01-01

Concanavalin A (con A) receptors on the surface of cultured Xenopus myoblasts redistributed in response to monopolar, pulsed electric fields. The prefield uniform distribution of the receptors became asymmetrical, and was polarized toward the cathodal pole, in the same way as in DC fields. The extent of asymmetry depended on the duration of field exposure, pulse width (or alternatively, interpulse interval), frequency, and intensity. This relationship was most conveniently expressed by using duty cycle, a quantity determined by both pulse width and frequency. Pulses of average intensity 1.5 V/cm induced detectable asymmetry within 5 min. At the lowest average field intensity used, 0.8 V/cm, significant asymmetry was detected at 150 min. For pulses of high duty cycle (greater than 25%), steady state was reached after 30 min exposure and the steady state asymmetry was dependent on average field intensity. For low duty cycle fields, the time required to reach steady state was prolonged (greater than 50 min). Before reaching a steady state, effectiveness of the pulses, as compared with DC fields of equivalent intensity, was a function of duty cycle. A low duty cycle field (fixed number of pulses at low frequency or long interpulse interval) was less effective than high duty cycle fields or DC. PMID:6743751

An Effective Method for Substance Detection Using the Broad Spectrum THz Signal: A “Terahertz Nose”

PubMed Central

Trofimov, Vyacheslav A.; Varentsova, Svetlana A.

2015-01-01

We propose an effective method for the detection and identification of dangerous substances by using the broadband THz pulse. This pulse excites, for example, many vibrational or rotational energy levels of molecules simultaneously. By analyzing the time-dependent spectrum of the THz pulse transmitted through or reflected from a substance, we follow the average response spectrum dynamics. Comparing the absorption and emission spectrum dynamics of a substance under analysis with the corresponding data for a standard substance, one can detect and identify the substance under real conditions taking into account the influence of packing material, water vapor and substance surface. For quality assessment of the standard substance detection in the signal under analysis, we propose time-dependent integral correlation criteria. Restrictions of usually used detection and identification methods, based on a comparison between the absorption frequencies of a substance under analysis and a standard substance, are demonstrated using a physical experiment with paper napkins. PMID:26020281

Radio frequency charge parity meter.

PubMed

Schroer, M D; Jung, M; Petersson, K D; Petta, J R

2012-10-19

We demonstrate a total charge parity measurement by detecting the radio frequency signal that is reflected by a lumped-element resonator coupled to a single InAs nanowire double quantum dot. The high frequency response of the circuit is used to probe the effects of the Pauli exclusion principle at interdot charge transitions. Even parity charge transitions show a striking magnetic field dependence that is due to a singlet-triplet transition, while odd parity transitions are relatively insensitive to a magnetic field. The measured response agrees well with cavity input-output theory, allowing accurate measurements of the interdot tunnel coupling and the resonator-charge coupling rate g(c)/2π~17 MHz.

Multi-frequency properties of synthetic blazar radio light curves within the shock-in-jet scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fromm, C. M.; Fuhrmann, L.; Perucho, M.

2015-08-01

Context. Blazars are among the most powerful extragalactic objects as a sub-class of active galactic nuclei. They launch relativistic jets and their emitted radiation shows strong variability across the entire electro-magnetic spectrum. The mechanisms producing the variability are still controversial, and different models have been proposed to explain the observed variations in multi-frequency blazar light curves. Aims: We investigate the capabilities of the classical shock-in-jet model to explain and reconstruct the observed evolution of flares in the turnover frequency - turnover flux density (νm-Sm) plane and their frequency dependent light curve parameters. With a detailed parameter space study, we provide the framework for future, detailed comparisons of observed flare signatures with the shock-in-jet scenario. Methods: Based on the shock model, we compute synthetic single-dish light curves at different radio frequencies (2.6 to 345 GHz) and for different physical conditions in a conical jet (e.g. magnetic field geometry and Doppler factor). From those we extract the slopes of the different energy loss stages within the (νm-Sm) plane and deduce the frequency dependence of different light curve parameters, such as flare amplitude, time scale, and cross-band delays. Results: The evolution of the Doppler factor along the jet has the strongest influence on the evolution of the flare and on the frequency dependent light curve parameters. The synchrotron stage can be hidden in the Compton or in the adiabatic stage, depending mainly on the evolution of the Doppler factor, which makes it difficult to detect its signature in observations. In addition, we show that the time lags between different frequencies can be used as an efficient tool to better constrain the physical properties of these objects. Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Feasibility of anomaly detection and characterization using trans-admittance mammography with 60 × 60 electrode array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Mingkang; Wi, Hun; Lee, Eun Jung; Woo, Eung Je; In Oh, Tong

2014-10-01

Electrical impedance imaging has the potential to detect an early stage of breast cancer due to higher admittivity values compared with those of normal breast tissues. The tumor size and extent of axillary lymph node involvement are important parameters to evaluate the breast cancer survival rate. Additionally, the anomaly characterization is required to distinguish a malignant tumor from a benign tumor. In order to overcome the limitation of breast cancer detection using impedance measurement probes, we developed the high density trans-admittance mammography (TAM) system with 60 × 60 electrode array and produced trans-admittance maps obtained at several frequency pairs. We applied the anomaly detection algorithm to the high density TAM system for estimating the volume and position of breast tumor. We tested four different sizes of anomaly with three different conductivity contrasts at four different depths. From multifrequency trans-admittance maps, we can readily observe the transversal position and estimate its volume and depth. Specially, the depth estimated values were obtained accurately, which were independent to the size and conductivity contrast when applying the new formula using Laplacian of trans-admittance map. The volume estimation was dependent on the conductivity contrast between anomaly and background in the breast phantom. We characterized two testing anomalies using frequency difference trans-admittance data to eliminate the dependency of anomaly position and size. We confirmed the anomaly detection and characterization algorithm with the high density TAM system on bovine breast tissue. Both results showed the feasibility of detecting the size and position of anomaly and tissue characterization for screening the breast cancer.

Atmospheric and Fog Effects on Ultra-Wide Band Radar Operating at Extremely High Frequencies.

PubMed

Balal, Nezah; Pinhasi, Gad A; Pinhasi, Yosef

2016-05-23

The wide band at extremely high frequencies (EHF) above 30 GHz is applicable for high resolution directive radars, resolving the lack of free frequency bands within the lower part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Utilization of ultra-wideband signals in this EHF band is of interest, since it covers a relatively large spectrum, which is free of users, resulting in better resolution in both the longitudinal and transverse dimensions. Noting that frequencies in the millimeter band are subjected to high atmospheric attenuation and dispersion effects, a study of the degradation in the accuracy and resolution is presented. The fact that solid-state millimeter and sub-millimeter radiation sources are producing low power, the method of continuous-wave wideband frequency modulation becomes the natural technique for remote sensing and detection. Millimeter wave radars are used as complementary sensors for the detection of small radar cross-section objects under bad weather conditions, when small objects cannot be seen by optical cameras and infrared detectors. Theoretical analysis for the propagation of a wide "chirped" Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) radar signal in a dielectric medium is presented. It is shown that the frequency-dependent (complex) refractivity of the atmospheric medium causes distortions in the phase of the reflected signal, introducing noticeable errors in the longitudinal distance estimations, and at some frequencies may also degrade the resolution.

Atmospheric and Fog Effects on Ultra-Wide Band Radar Operating at Extremely High Frequencies

PubMed Central

Balal, Nezah; Pinhasi, Gad A.; Pinhasi, Yosef

2016-01-01

The wide band at extremely high frequencies (EHF) above 30 GHz is applicable for high resolution directive radars, resolving the lack of free frequency bands within the lower part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Utilization of ultra-wideband signals in this EHF band is of interest, since it covers a relatively large spectrum, which is free of users, resulting in better resolution in both the longitudinal and transverse dimensions. Noting that frequencies in the millimeter band are subjected to high atmospheric attenuation and dispersion effects, a study of the degradation in the accuracy and resolution is presented. The fact that solid-state millimeter and sub-millimeter radiation sources are producing low power, the method of continuous-wave wideband frequency modulation becomes the natural technique for remote sensing and detection. Millimeter wave radars are used as complementary sensors for the detection of small radar cross-section objects under bad weather conditions, when small objects cannot be seen by optical cameras and infrared detectors. Theoretical analysis for the propagation of a wide “chirped” Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) radar signal in a dielectric medium is presented. It is shown that the frequency-dependent (complex) refractivity of the atmospheric medium causes distortions in the phase of the reflected signal, introducing noticeable errors in the longitudinal distance estimations, and at some frequencies may also degrade the resolution. PMID:27223286

Quantum Mechanical Calculations of Vibrational Sum-Frequency-Generation (SFG) Spectra of Cellulose: Dependence of the CH and OH Peak Intensity on the Polarity of Cellulose Chains within the SFG Coherence Domain.

PubMed

Lee, Christopher M; Chen, Xing; Weiss, Philip A; Jensen, Lasse; Kim, Seong H

2017-01-05

Vibrational sum-frequency-generation (SFG) spectroscopy is capable of selectively detecting crystalline biopolymers interspersed in amorphous polymer matrices. However, the spectral interpretation is difficult due to the lack of knowledge on how spatial arrangements of crystalline segments influence SFG spectra features. Here we report time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations of cellulose crystallites in intimate contact with two different polarities: parallel versus antiparallel. TD-DFT calculations reveal that the CH/OH intensity ratio is very sensitive to the polarity of the crystallite packing. Theoretical calculations of hyperpolarizability tensors (β abc ) clearly show the dependence of SFG intensities on the polarity of crystallite packing within the SFG coherence length, which provides the basis for interpretation of the empirically observed SFG features of native cellulose in biological systems.

Optical microphone with fiber Bragg grating and signal processing techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tosi, Daniele; Olivero, Massimo; Perrone, Guido

2008-06-01

In this paper, we discuss the realization of an optical microphone array using fiber Bragg gratings as sensing elements. The wavelength shift induced by acoustic waves perturbing the sensing Bragg grating is transduced into an intensity modulation. The interrogation unit is based on a fixed-wavelength laser source and - as receiver - a photodetector with proper amplification; the system has been implemented using devices for standard optical communications, achieving a low-cost interrogator. One of the advantages of the proposed approach is that no voltage-to-strain calibration is required for tracking dynamic shifts. The optical sensor is complemented by signal processing tools, including a data-dependent frequency estimator and adaptive filters, in order to improve the frequency-domain analysis and mitigate the effects of disturbances. Feasibility and performances of the optical system have been tested measuring the output of a loudspeaker. With this configuration, the sensor is capable of correctly detecting sounds up to 3 kHz, with a frequency response that exhibits a top sensitivity within the range 200-500 Hz; single-frequency input sounds inducing an axial strain higher than ~10nɛ are correctly detected. The repeatability range is ~0.1%. The sensor has also been applied for the detection of pulsed stimuli generated from a metronome.

Leak location using the pattern of the frequency response diagram in pipelines: a numerical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Pedro J.; Vítkovský, John P.; Lambert, Martin F.; Simpson, Angus R.; Liggett, James A.

2005-06-01

This paper presents a method of leak detection in a single pipe where the behaviour of the system frequency response diagram (FRD) is used as an indicator of the pipe integrity. The presence of a leak in a pipe imposes a pattern on the resonance peaks of the FRD that can be used as a clear indication of leakage. Analytical expressions describing the pattern of the resonance peaks are derived. Illustrations of how this pattern can be used to individually locate and size multiple leaks within the system are presented. Practical issues with the technique, such as the procedure for frequency response extraction, the impact of measurement position, noise- and frequency-dependent friction are also discussed.

Method and apparatus for identifying conductive objects by monitoring the true resistive component of impedance change in a coil system caused by the object

DOEpatents

Gregory, William D.; Capots, Larry H.; George, James P.; Janik, Richard

1981-01-01

The type of conductor, its property, and if a metal, its type and cross-sectional area can be obtained from measurements made at different frequencies for the amount of unbalance created in a previously balanced stable coil detection system. The true resistive component is accurately measured and thus reflects only the voltage loss attributable to eddy currents caused by introduction of the test sample to the coil system. This voltage divided by corresponding applied frequency gives a curve which peaks at a frequency dependent upon type of conductor. For a metal this peak frequency is proportional to the samples resistivity divided by its cross-sectional area.

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

Vecchio, Alberto; Wickham, Elizabeth D.L.

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is expected to provide the largest observational sample of binary systems of faint subsolar mass compact objects, in particular, white-dwarfs, whose radiation is monochromatic over most of the LISA observational window. Current astrophysical estimates suggest that the instrument will be able to resolve {approx}10{sup 4} such systems, with a large fraction of them at frequencies > or approx. 3 mHz, where the wavelength of gravitational waves becomes comparable to or shorter than the LISA armlength. This affects the structure of the so-called LISA transfer function which cannot be treated as constant in this frequencymore » range: it introduces characteristic phase and amplitude modulations that depend on the source location in the sky and the emission frequency. Here we investigate the effect of the LISA transfer function on detection and parameter estimation for monochromatic sources. For signal detection we show that filters constructed by approximating the transfer function as a constant (long-wavelength approximation) introduce a negligible loss of signal-to-noise ratio--the fitting factor always exceeds 0.97--for f{<=}10 mHz, therefore in a frequency range where one would actually expect the approximation to fail. For parameter estimation, we conclude that in the range 3 mHz < or approx. f < or approx. 30 mHz the errors associated with parameter measurements differ from {approx_equal}5% up to a factor {approx}10 (depending on the actual source parameters and emission frequency) with respect to those computed using the long-wavelength approximation.« less

Adaptive hearing in the vocal plainfin midshipman fish: getting in tune for the breeding season and implications for acoustic communication.

PubMed

Sisneros, Joseph A

2009-03-01

The plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus Girard, 1854) is a vocal species of batrachoidid fish that generates acoustic signals for intraspecific communication during social and reproductive activity and has become a good model for investigating the neural and endocrine mechanisms of vocal-acoustic communication. Reproductively active female plainfin midshipman fish use their auditory sense to detect and locate "singing" males, which produce a multiharmonic advertisement call to attract females for spawning. The seasonal onset of male advertisement calling in the midshipman fish coincides with an increase in the range of frequency sensitivity of the female's inner ear saccule, the main organ of hearing, thus leading to enhanced encoding of the dominant frequency components of male advertisement calls. Non-reproductive females treated with either testosterone or 17β-estradiol exhibit a dramatic increase in the inner ear's frequency sensitivity that mimics the reproductive female's auditory phenotype and leads to an increased detection of the male's advertisement call. This novel form of auditory plasticity provides an adaptable mechanism that enhances coupling between sender and receiver in vocal communication. This review focuses on recent evidence for seasonal reproductive-state and steroid-dependent plasticity of auditory frequency sensitivity in the peripheral auditory system of the midshipman fish. The potential steroid-dependent mechanism(s) that lead to this novel form of auditory and behavioral plasticity are also discussed. © 2009 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Terahertz microfluidic sensing using a parallel-plate waveguide sensor.

PubMed

Astley, Victoria; Reichel, Kimberly; Mendis, Rajind; Mittleman, Daniel M

2012-08-30

Refractive index (RI) sensing is a powerful noninvasive and label-free sensing technique for the identification, detection and monitoring of microfluidic samples with a wide range of possible sensor designs such as interferometers and resonators. Most of the existing RI sensing applications focus on biological materials in aqueous solutions in visible and IR frequencies, such as DNA hybridization and genome sequencing. At terahertz frequencies, applications include quality control, monitoring of industrial processes and sensing and detection applications involving nonpolar materials. Several potential designs for refractive index sensors in the terahertz regime exist, including photonic crystal waveguides, asymmetric split-ring resonators, and photonic band gap structures integrated into parallel-plate waveguides. Many of these designs are based on optical resonators such as rings or cavities. The resonant frequencies of these structures are dependent on the refractive index of the material in or around the resonator. By monitoring the shifts in resonant frequency the refractive index of a sample can be accurately measured and this in turn can be used to identify a material, monitor contamination or dilution, etc. The sensor design we use here is based on a simple parallel-plate waveguide. A rectangular groove machined into one face acts as a resonant cavity (Figures 1 and 2). When terahertz radiation is coupled into the waveguide and propagates in the lowest-order transverse-electric (TE1) mode, the result is a single strong resonant feature with a tunable resonant frequency that is dependent on the geometry of the groove. This groove can be filled with nonpolar liquid microfluidic samples which cause a shift in the observed resonant frequency that depends on the amount of liquid in the groove and its refractive index. Our technique has an advantage over other terahertz techniques in its simplicity, both in fabrication and implementation, since the procedure can be accomplished with standard laboratory equipment without the need for a clean room or any special fabrication or experimental techniques. It can also be easily expanded to multichannel operation by the incorporation of multiple grooves. In this video we will describe our complete experimental procedure, from the design of the sensor to the data analysis and determination of the sample refractive index.

Method for detection of a few pathogenic bacteria and determination of live versus dead cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horikawa, Shin; Chen, I.-Hsuan; Du, Songtao; Liu, Yuzhe; Wikle, Howard C.; Suh, Sang-Jin; Barbaree, James M.; Chin, Bryan A.

2016-05-01

This paper presents a method for detection of a few pathogenic bacteria and determination of live versus dead cells. The method combines wireless phage-coated magnetoelastic (ME) biosensors and a surface-scanning dectector, enabling real-time monitoring of the growth of specific bacteria in a nutrient broth. The ME biosensor used in this investigation is composed of a strip-shaped ME resonator upon which an engineered bacteriophage is coated to capture a pathogen of interest. E2 phage with high binding affinity for Salmonella Typhimurium was used as a model study. The specificity of E2 phage has been reported to be 1 in 105 background bacteria. The phage-coated ME biosensors were first exposed to a low-concentration Salmonella suspension to capture roughly 300 cells on the sensor surface. When the growth of Salmonella in the broth occurs, the mass of the biosensor increases, which results in a decrease in the biosensor's resonant frequency. Monitoring of this mass- induced resonant frequency change allows for real-time detection of the presence of Salmonella. Detection of a few bacteria is also possible by growing them to a sufficient number. The surface-scanning detector was used to measure resonant frequency changes of 25 biosensors sequentially in an automated manner as a function of time. This methodology offers direct, real-time detection, quantification, and viability determination of specific bacteria. The rate of the sensor's resonant frequency change was found to be largely dependent on the number of initially bound cells and the efficiency of cell growth.

Planck 2015 results: XXVI. The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources

DOE PAGES

Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Argüeso, F.; ...

2016-09-20

The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources is a list of discrete objects detected in single-frequency maps from the full duration of the Planck mission and supersedes previous versions. Also, it consists of compact sources, both Galactic and extragalactic, detected over the entire sky. Compact sources detected in the lower frequency channels are assigned to the PCCS2, while at higher frequencies they are assigned to one of two subcatalogues, the PCCS2 or PCCS2E, depending on their location on the sky. The first of these (PCCS2) covers most of the sky and allows the user to produce subsamples at higher reliabilitiesmore » than the target 80% integral reliability of the catalogue. The second (PCCS2E) contains sources detected in sky regions where the diffuse emission makes it difficult to quantify the reliability of the detections. Both the PCCS2 and PCCS2E include polarization measurements, in the form of polarized flux densities, or upper limits, and orientation angles for all seven polarization-sensitive Planck channels. Finally, the improved data-processing of the full-mission maps and their reduced noise levels allow us to increase the number of objects in the catalogue, improving its completeness for the target 80% reliability as compared with the previous versions, the PCCS and the Early Release Compact Source Catalogue (ERCSC).« less

Planck 2015 results: XXVI. The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources

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

Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Argüeso, F.

The Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources is a list of discrete objects detected in single-frequency maps from the full duration of the Planck mission and supersedes previous versions. Also, it consists of compact sources, both Galactic and extragalactic, detected over the entire sky. Compact sources detected in the lower frequency channels are assigned to the PCCS2, while at higher frequencies they are assigned to one of two subcatalogues, the PCCS2 or PCCS2E, depending on their location on the sky. The first of these (PCCS2) covers most of the sky and allows the user to produce subsamples at higher reliabilitiesmore » than the target 80% integral reliability of the catalogue. The second (PCCS2E) contains sources detected in sky regions where the diffuse emission makes it difficult to quantify the reliability of the detections. Both the PCCS2 and PCCS2E include polarization measurements, in the form of polarized flux densities, or upper limits, and orientation angles for all seven polarization-sensitive Planck channels. Finally, the improved data-processing of the full-mission maps and their reduced noise levels allow us to increase the number of objects in the catalogue, improving its completeness for the target 80% reliability as compared with the previous versions, the PCCS and the Early Release Compact Source Catalogue (ERCSC).« less

Stay tuned: active amplification tunes tree cricket ears to track temperature-dependent song frequency.

PubMed

Mhatre, Natasha; Pollack, Gerald; Mason, Andrew

2016-04-01

Tree cricket males produce tonal songs, used for mate attraction and male-male interactions. Active mechanics tunes hearing to conspecific song frequency. However, tree cricket song frequency increases with temperature, presenting a problem for tuned listeners. We show that the actively amplified frequency increases with temperature, thus shifting mechanical and neuronal auditory tuning to maintain a match with conspecific song frequency. Active auditory processes are known from several taxa, but their adaptive function has rarely been demonstrated. We show that tree crickets harness active processes to ensure that auditory tuning remains matched to conspecific song frequency, despite changing environmental conditions and signal characteristics. Adaptive tuning allows tree crickets to selectively detect potential mates or rivals over large distances and is likely to bestow a strong selective advantage by reducing mate-finding effort and facilitating intermale interactions. © 2016 The Author(s).

Improving surface EMG burst detection in infrahyoid muscles during swallowing using digital filters and discrete wavelet analysis.

PubMed

Restrepo-Agudelo, Sebastian; Roldan-Vasco, Sebastian; Ramirez-Arbelaez, Lina; Cadavid-Arboleda, Santiago; Perez-Giraldo, Estefania; Orozco-Duque, Andres

2017-08-01

The visual inspection is a widely used method for evaluating the surface electromyographic signal (sEMG) during deglutition, a process highly dependent of the examiners expertise. It is desirable to have a less subjective and automated technique to improve the onset detection in swallowing related muscles, which have a low signal-to-noise ratio. In this work, we acquired sEMG measured in infrahyoid muscles with high baseline noise of ten healthy adults during water swallowing tasks. Two methods were applied to find the combination of cutoff frequencies that achieve the most accurate onset detection: discrete wavelet decomposition based method and fixed steps variations of low and high cutoff frequencies of a digital bandpass filter. Teager-Kaiser Energy operator, root mean square and simple threshold method were applied for both techniques. Results show a narrowing of the effective bandwidth vs. the literature recommended parameters for sEMG acquisition. Both level 3 decomposition with mother wavelet db4 and bandpass filter with cutoff frequencies between 130 and 180Hz were optimal for onset detection in infrahyoid muscles. The proposed methodologies recognized the onset time with predictive power above 0.95, that is similar to previous findings but in larger and more superficial muscles in limbs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stepped-frequency GPR for utility line detection using polarization-dependent scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Ole K.; Gregersen, Ole G.

2000-04-01

A GPR for detection of buried cables and pipes is developed by Ekko Dane Production in cooperation with Aalborg University. The appearance is a 'lawn mower' model including antennas, electronics and on-line data processing. A successful result is obtained by combining dedicated hardware and signal processing. The inherent signal to clutter ratio is bad, but making measurements at many polarization angles and subsequent signal processing improves the ratio. A simple model of the polarization dependence of the scattering from the target is used. The method is improved by combining the polarization filtering with averaging over small horizontal displacements. A stepped frequency measurement system is used. The method often implies long measurement times, but this problem is overcome by development of fast RF-electronics. Standard signal processors are used for real-time data processing. Several antenna array configurations are tested and optimized for low coupling between transmitter and receiver and for a short impulse response. A large number of tests have been made for different targets, e.g. metal cables and plastic pipes filled with air or water. Tests have been made under realistic ground conditions, including sand, wet clay, pavements and grass covered soil. The results show reliable detection even when the conditions are difficult.

Impact Induced Delamination Detection and Quantification With Guided Wavefield Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tian, Zhenhua; Leckey, Cara A. C.; Yu, Lingyu; Seebo, Jeffrey P.

2015-01-01

This paper studies impact induced delamination detection and quantification by using guided wavefield data and spatial wavenumber imaging. The complex geometry impact-like delamination is created through a quasi-static indentation on a CFRP plate. To detect and quantify the impact delamination in the CFRP plate, PZT-SLDV sensing and spatial wavenumber imaging are performed. In the PZT-SLDV sensing, the guided waves are generated from the PZT, and the high spatial resolution guided wavefields are measured by the SLDV. The guided wavefield data acquired from the PZT-SLDV sensing represent guided wave propagation in the composite laminate and include guided wave interaction with the delamination damage. The measured guided wavefields are analyzed through the spatial wavenumber imaging method, which generates an image containing the dominant local wavenumber at each spatial location. The spatial wavenumber imaging result for the simple single layer Teflon insert delamination provided quantitative information on delamination damage size and location. The location of delamination damage is indicated by the area with larger wavenumbers in the spatial wavenumber image. The impact-like delamination results only partially agreed with the damage size and shape. The results also demonstrated the dependence on excitation frequency. Future work will further investigate the accuracy of the wavenumber imaging method for real composite damage and the dependence on frequency of excitation.

Forecasting the Contribution of Polarized Extragalactic Radio Sources in CMB Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puglisi, G.; Galluzzi, V.; Bonavera, L.; Gonzalez-Nuevo, J.; Lapi, A.; Massardi, M.; Perrotta, F.; Baccigalupi, C.; Celotti, A.; Danese, L.

2018-05-01

We combine the latest data sets obtained with different surveys to study the frequency dependence of polarized emission coming from extragalactic radio sources (ERS). We consider data over a very wide frequency range starting from 1.4 GHz up to 217 GHz. This range is particularly interesting since it overlaps the frequencies of the current and forthcoming cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments. Current data suggest that at high radio frequencies (ν ≥ 20 GHz) the fractional polarization of ERS does not depend on the total flux density. Conversely, recent data sets indicate a moderate increase of polarization fraction as a function of frequency, physically motivated by the fact that Faraday depolarization is expected to be less relevant at high radio frequencies. We compute ERS number counts using updated models based on recent data, and we forecast the contribution of unresolved ERS in CMB polarization spectra. Given the expected sensitivities and the observational patch sizes of forthcoming CMB experiments, about ∼200 (up to ∼2000) polarized ERS are expected to be detected. Finally, we assess that polarized ERS can contaminate the cosmological B-mode polarization if the tensor-to-scalar ratio is <0.05 and they have to be robustly controlled to de-lens CMB B-modes at the arcminute angular scales.

Tuning the Stiffness Balance Using Characteristic Frequencies as a Criterion for a Superconducting Gravity Gradiometer

PubMed Central

Liu, Xikai; Ma, Dong; Chen, Liang; Liu, Xiangdong

2018-01-01

Tuning the stiffness balance is crucial to full-band common-mode rejection for a superconducting gravity gradiometer (SGG). A reliable method to do so has been proposed and experimentally tested. In the tuning scheme, the frequency response functions of the displacement of individual test mass upon common-mode accelerations were measured and thus determined a characteristic frequency for each test mass. A reduced difference in characteristic frequencies between the two test masses was utilized as the criterion for an effective tuning. Since the measurement of the characteristic frequencies does not depend on the scale factors of displacement detection, stiffness tuning can be done independently. We have tested this new method on a single-component SGG and obtained a reduction of two orders of magnitude in stiffness mismatch. PMID:29419796

Detection and characterization of red blood cell (RBC) aggregation with photoacoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hysi, Eno; Saha, Ratan K.; Rui, Min; Kolios, Michael C.

2012-02-01

Red blood cells (RBCs) aggregate in the presence of increased plasma fibrinogen and low shear forces during blood flow. RBC aggregation has been observed in deep vein thrombosis, sepsis and diabetes. We propose using photoacoustics (PA) as a non-invasive imaging modality to detect RBC aggregation. The theoretical and experimental feasibility of PA for detecting and characterizing aggregation was assessed. A simulation study was performed to generate PA signals from non-aggregated and aggregated RBCs using a frequency domain approach and to study the PA signals' dependence on hematocrit and aggregate size. The effect of the finite bandwidth nature of transducers on the PA power spectra was also investigated. Experimental confirmation of theoretical results was conducted using porcine RBC samples exposed to 1064 nm optical wavelength using the Imagio Small Animal PA imaging system (Seno Medical Instruments, Inc., San Antonio, TX). Aggregation was induced with Dextran-70 (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) and the effect of hematocrit and aggregation level was investigated. The theoretical and experimental PA signal amplitude increased linearly with increasing hematocrit. The theoretical dominant frequency content of PA signals shifted towards lower frequencies (<30 MHz) and 9 dB enhancements in spectral power were observed as the size of aggregates increased compared to non-aggregating RBCs. Calibration of the PA spectra with the transducer response obtained from a 200 nm gold film was performed to remove system dependencies. Analysis of the spectral parameters from the calibrated spectra suggested that PA can assess the degree of aggregation at multiple hematocrit and aggregation levels.

Feature selection and classifier parameters estimation for EEG signals peak detection using particle swarm optimization.

PubMed

Adam, Asrul; Shapiai, Mohd Ibrahim; Tumari, Mohd Zaidi Mohd; Mohamad, Mohd Saberi; Mubin, Marizan

2014-01-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal peak detection is widely used in clinical applications. The peak point can be detected using several approaches, including time, frequency, time-frequency, and nonlinear domains depending on various peak features from several models. However, there is no study that provides the importance of every peak feature in contributing to a good and generalized model. In this study, feature selection and classifier parameters estimation based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) are proposed as a framework for peak detection on EEG signals in time domain analysis. Two versions of PSO are used in the study: (1) standard PSO and (2) random asynchronous particle swarm optimization (RA-PSO). The proposed framework tries to find the best combination of all the available features that offers good peak detection and a high classification rate from the results in the conducted experiments. The evaluation results indicate that the accuracy of the peak detection can be improved up to 99.90% and 98.59% for training and testing, respectively, as compared to the framework without feature selection adaptation. Additionally, the proposed framework based on RA-PSO offers a better and reliable classification rate as compared to standard PSO as it produces low variance model.

Raman spectroscopy detection of biomolecules in biocrusts from differing environmental conditions.

PubMed

Miralles, I; Jorge-Villar, S E; van Wesemael, B; Lázaro, R

2017-01-15

Lichens and cyanobacteria colonize inhospitable places covering a wide climate range due to their different survival strategies, such as the synthesis of protective biomolecules. The effect of ecological factors on the synthesis of biomolecules has not been widely analysed. This study aimed to assess the effects of four factors (species, microclimate, seasonality and hydration state) and their interactions on the biomolecule frequency detected by Raman Spectroscopy. We included cyanobacterial biocrusts, and the lichens Diploschistes diacapsis, Squamarina lentigera, and Lepraria isidiata; two contrasted microclimates (typical and marginal), two contrasted seasons (hot and dry vs cool and wet) and two hydration states (dry and wet). "Species" was the most influential factor in the identity and frequency of the main biomolecules. Microclimatic differences in the range of the local specific habitats only influenced the biomolecules in cyanobacteria. There was a quadruple interaction among the factors, the effects being different mainly depending on the species. At D. diacapsis, the production of their main biomolecules depended on microclimate, although it also depended on seasonality. Nevertheless, in L. isidiata and S. lentigera microclimatic differences did not significantly affect the production of biomolecules. In the lichen species, the microhabitats exposed to relatively larger incident radiation did not show significantly larger relative frequency of photoprotective biomolecules. No clear connection between higher production of oxalates and drier microhabitats was found, suggesting that the synthesis of oxalates is not related to water reserve strategy. The pros and cons of monitor biomolecules in biocrust by Raman spectrometry were also discussed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

High-resolution high-sensitivity and truly distributed optical frequency domain reflectometry for structural crack detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wenhai; Bao, Xiaoyi; Chen, Liang

2014-05-01

Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) with the use of polarization maintaining fiber (PMF) is capable of distinguishing strain and temperature, which is critical for successful field applications such as structural health monitoring (SHM) and smart material. Location-dependent measurement sensitivities along PMF are compensated by cross- and auto-correlations measurements of the spectra form a distributed parameter matrix. Simultaneous temperature and strain measurement accuracy of 1μstrain and 0.1°C is achieved with 2.5mm spatial resolution in over 180m range.

The First Laboratory Detection of Vibration-rotation Transitions of 12CH+ and 13CH+ and Improved Measurement of Their Rotational Transition Frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doménech, José L.; Jusko, Pavol; Schlemmer, Stephan; Asvany, Oskar

2018-04-01

C–H stretches of the fundamental ions CH+ and 13CH+, which have long been searched for, have been observed for the first time in the laboratory. The state-dependent attachment of He atoms to these ions at cryogenic temperatures has been exploited to obtain high-resolution rovibrational data. In addition, the lowest rotational transitions of CH+, 13CH+ and CD+ have been revisited and their rest frequency values have improved substantially.

CORRECTING FOR INTERSTELLAR SCATTERING DELAY IN HIGH-PRECISION PULSAR TIMING: SIMULATION RESULTS

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

Palliyaguru, Nipuni; McLaughlin, Maura; Stinebring, Daniel

2015-12-20

Light travel time changes due to gravitational waves (GWs) may be detected within the next decade through precision timing of millisecond pulsars. Removal of frequency-dependent interstellar medium (ISM) delays due to dispersion and scattering is a key issue in the detection process. Current timing algorithms routinely correct pulse times of arrival (TOAs) for time-variable delays due to cold plasma dispersion. However, none of the major pulsar timing groups correct for delays due to scattering from multi-path propagation in the ISM. Scattering introduces a frequency-dependent phase change in the signal that results in pulse broadening and arrival time delays. Any methodmore » to correct the TOA for interstellar propagation effects must be based on multi-frequency measurements that can effectively separate dispersion and scattering delay terms from frequency-independent perturbations such as those due to a GW. Cyclic spectroscopy, first described in an astronomical context by Demorest (2011), is a potentially powerful tool to assist in this multi-frequency decomposition. As a step toward a more comprehensive ISM propagation delay correction, we demonstrate through a simulation that we can accurately recover impulse response functions (IRFs), such as those that would be introduced by multi-path scattering, with a realistic signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). We demonstrate that timing precision is improved when scatter-corrected TOAs are used, under the assumptions of a high S/N and highly scattered signal. We also show that the effect of pulse-to-pulse “jitter” is not a serious problem for IRF reconstruction, at least for jitter levels comparable to those observed in several bright pulsars.« less

Nonlinear electromagnetic responses of active membrane protein complexes in live cells and organelles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nawarathna, Dharmakirthi

The response of biological cells to an applied oscillating electric field contains both linear and nonlinear components (eg. induced harmonics). Such noninvasive measurements can be used to study active processes taking place inside the cells. The measurement of induced harmonics is the tool used for the study described here. A highly sensitive superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) is used to detect the response at low frequencies, which greatly reduces electrode polarization effects. At high frequencies, a four- probe method is used. At low frequencies, harmonic generation by budding yeast cells in response to a sinusoidal electric field is reported, which is seen to be minimal when the field amplitude is less than a threshold value. Surprisingly, sodium metavanadate, an inhibitor of P-type ATPases and glucose, a substrate of P-type ATPase responsible for nonlinear response in yeast, reduces the threshold field amplitude, increasing harmonic generation at low amplitudes while reducing it at large amplitudes. We have thus proposed a model that explicitly introduces a threshold field, similar to those observed in density waves, where fields above threshold drive charge transport through an energy landscape with multiple wells, and in Coulomb blockade tunnel junctions, recently exploited to define the current standard. At high frequencies, the induced harmonics exhibit pronounced features that depend on the specific organism. Budding yeast (S. cerevisiae ) cells produce numerous harmonics. When the second or third harmonic amplitude is plotted vs. applied frequency, we observe two peaks, around 3 kHz and 12 kHz, which are suppressed by the respiratory inhibitor potassium cyanide. We then measured the response to oscillatory electric fields of intact bovine heart mitochondria, a reproducible second harmonic (at ˜3-4 kHz applied frequency) was detected. Further, with coupled mouse mitochondria, an ADP sensitive peak (˜ 12-15 kHz applied frequency) was observed, possibly due to the F0 domain of ATP synthase. Finally, harmonics generated by chloroplasts, the plant organelles responsible for photosynthesis, were measured, which are similar in structure and function to mitochondria, depend dramatically on incident light, and vanish in the absence of light. Using spinach chloroplasts, light sensitive peaks were detected in the range of 0--12 kHz, again suggesting that these harmonics are indicative of electron processes in the light harvesting complexes, reaction center, and/or photosynthetic electron transport chain.

Determination of the Potential Benefit of Time-Frequency Gain Manipulation

PubMed Central

Anzalone, Michael C.; Calandruccio, Lauren; Doherty, Karen A.; Carney, Laurel H.

2008-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the maximum benefit provided by a time-frequency gain-manipulation algorithm for noise-reduction (NR) based on an ideal detector of speech energy. The amount of detected energy necessary to show benefit using this type of NR algorithm was examined, as well as the necessary speed and frequency resolution of the gain manipulation. Design NR was performed using time-frequency gain manipulation, wherein the gains of individual frequency bands depended on the absence or presence of speech energy within each band. Three different experiments were performed: (1) NR using ideal detectors, (2) NR with nonideal detectors, and (3) NR with ideal detectors and different processing speeds and frequency resolutions. All experiments were performed using the Hearing-in-Noise test (HINT). A total of 6 listeners with normal hearing and 14 listeners with hearing loss were tested. Results HINT thresholds improved for all listeners with NR based on the ideal detectors used in Experiment I. The nonideal detectors of Experiment II required detection of at least 90% of the speech energy before an improvement was seen in HINT thresholds. The results of Experiment III demonstrated that relatively high temporal resolution (<100 msec) was required by the NR algorithm to improve HINT thresholds. Conclusions The results indicated that a single-microphone NR system based on time-frequency gain manipulation improved the HINT thresholds of listeners. However, to obtain benefit in speech intelligibility, the detectors used in such a strategy were required to detect an unrealistically high percentage of the speech energy and to perform the gain manipulations on a fast temporal basis. PMID:16957499

A new cloud and aerosol layer detection method based on micropulse lidar measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Chuanfeng; Wang, Yuzhao; Wang, Qianqian; Li, Zhanqing; Wang, Zhien; Liu, Dong

2014-06-01

This paper introduces a new algorithm to detect aerosols and clouds based on micropulse lidar measurements. A semidiscretization processing technique is first used to inhibit the impact of increasing noise with distance. The value distribution equalization method which reduces the magnitude of signal variations with distance is then introduced. Combined with empirical threshold values, we determine if the signal waves indicate clouds or aerosols. This method can separate clouds and aerosols with high accuracy, although differentiation between aerosols and clouds are subject to more uncertainties depending on the thresholds selected. Compared with the existing Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program lidar-based cloud product, the new method appears more reliable and detects more clouds with high bases. The algorithm is applied to a year of observations at both the U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP) and China Taihu sites. At the SGP site, the cloud frequency shows a clear seasonal variation with maximum values in winter and spring and shows bimodal vertical distributions with maximum occurrences at around 3-6 km and 8-12 km. The annual averaged cloud frequency is about 50%. The dominant clouds are stratiform in winter and convective in summer. By contrast, the cloud frequency at the Taihu site shows no clear seasonal variation and the maximum occurrence is at around 1 km. The annual averaged cloud frequency is about 15% higher than that at the SGP site. A seasonal analysis of cloud base occurrence frequency suggests that stratiform clouds dominate at the Taihu site.

Inductive sensor performance in partial discharges and noise separation by means of spectral power ratios.

PubMed

Ardila-Rey, Jorge Alfredo; Rojas-Moreno, Mónica Victoria; Martínez-Tarifa, Juan Manuel; Robles, Guillermo

2014-02-19

Partial discharge (PD) detection is a standardized technique to qualify electrical insulation in machines and power cables. Several techniques that analyze the waveform of the pulses have been proposed to discriminate noise from PD activity. Among them, spectral power ratio representation shows great flexibility in the separation of the sources of PD. Mapping spectral power ratios in two-dimensional plots leads to clusters of points which group pulses with similar characteristics. The position in the map depends on the nature of the partial discharge, the setup and the frequency response of the sensors. If these clusters are clearly separated, the subsequent task of identifying the source of the discharge is straightforward so the distance between clusters can be a figure of merit to suggest the best option for PD recognition. In this paper, two inductive sensors with different frequency responses to pulsed signals, a high frequency current transformer and an inductive loop sensor, are analyzed to test their performance in detecting and separating the sources of partial discharges.

Organ-specific antibodies in LADA patients for the prediction of insulin dependence.

PubMed

Delitala, Alessandro P; Pes, Giovanni M; Fanciulli, Giuseppe; Maioli, Margherita; Secchi, Giannina; Sanciu, Franca; Delitala, Giuseppe; Manetti, Roberto

2016-08-01

The aim of the present study was to define the frequency of organ-specific and non-organ-specific autoantibodies in a cohort of Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) patients and to test whether multiple antibodies positivity could be a predictor of early insulin dependence. We enrolled 210 LADA and 210 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) patients. In all subjects anti-islet antigen-2 (IA-2Ab), anti-thyroperoxidase (TPOAb), anti-zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8Ab), anti-nuclear (ANA), anti-parietal cell (APCA), anti-smooth muscle (ASMA), anti-mitochondrial (AMA), anti-liver kidney microsomes (LKM), and anti-reticulin (ARA) circulating antibodies were assessed. The frequency of TPOAb, ZnT8Ab, APCA, and IA-2Ab positivity was, respectively, detected in 40.0%, 32.4%, 24.7%, and 9.5% of LADA patients, whereas their frequency was significantly lower in T2D patients (11.4%, 1.9%, 9.5%, and 0.0%, respectively, p < 0.001). The frequency of ANA was the same in both groups whereas the frequency of ASMA, ARA, AMA, and LKM was very low (range 0.0-3.3%). The presence of TPOAb associated with ZnT8Ab, IA-2Ab, or APCA allows one to predict the progression of disease with a high specificity but low sensibility. LADA patients show an increased frequency of organ- and non-organ-specific antibodies. Consequently, a screening is worthwhile in these patients. The simultaneous presence of TPOAb with ZnT8, IA-2Ab, or APCA may help differentiate clinical phenotypes and predict faster insulin dependence in LADA patients.

Direct measurement of density oscillation induced by a radio-frequency wave.

PubMed

Yamada, T; Ejiri, A; Shimada, Y; Oosako, T; Tsujimura, J; Takase, Y; Kasahara, H

2007-08-01

An O-mode reflectometer at a frequency of 25.85 GHz was applied to plasmas heated by the high harmonic fast wave (21 MHz) in the TST-2 spherical tokamak. An oscillation in the phase of the reflected microwave in the rf range was observed directly for the first time. In TST-2, the rf (250 kW) induced density oscillation depends mainly on the poloidal rf electric field, which is estimated to be about 0.2 kV/m rms by the reflectometer measurement. Sideband peaks separated in frequency by ion cyclotron harmonics from 21 MHz, and peaks at ion cyclotron harmonics which are suggested to be quasimodes generated by parametric decay, were detected.

Detecting Topological Defect Dark Matter Using Coherent Laser Ranging System

PubMed Central

Yang, Wanpeng; Leng, Jianxiao; Zhang, Shuangyou; Zhao, Jianye

2016-01-01

In the last few decades, optical frequency combs with high intensity, broad optical bandwidth, and directly traceable discrete wavelengths have triggered rapid developments in distance metrology. However, optical frequency combs to date have been limited to determine the absolute distance to an object (such as satellite missions). We propose a scheme for the detection of topological defect dark matter using a coherent laser ranging system composed of dual-combs and an optical clock via nongravitational signatures. The dark matter field, which comprises a defect, may interact with standard model particles, including quarks and photons, resulting in the alteration of their masses. Thus, a topological defect may function as a dielectric material with a distinctive frequency-depend index of refraction, which would cause the time delay of a periodic extraterrestrial or terrestrial light. When a topological defect passes through the Earth, the optical path of long-distance vacuum path is altered, this change in optical path can be detected through the coherent laser ranging system. Compared to continuous wavelength(cw) laser interferometry methods, dual-comb interferometry in our scheme excludes systematic misjudgement by measuring the absolute optical path length. PMID:27389642

High speed strain measurement of active mode locking FBG laser sensor using chirped FBG cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Gyeong Hun; Kim, Joon Young; Park, Chang Hyun; Kim, Chang-Seok; Lee, Hwi Don; Chung, Youngjoo

2017-04-01

We propose a high speed strain measurement method using an active mode locking (AML) fiber Bragg grating (FBG) laser sensor with a chirped FBG cavity. The mode-locked frequency of the AML laser depends on both the position and Bragg wavelength of the FBG. Thus, the mode-locked frequency of cascaded FBGs can be detected independently along the cavity length of cascaded FBGs. The strain across FBGs can be interrogated dynamically by monitoring the change in mode-locked frequency. In this respect, the chirped FBG critically improves the frequency sensitivity to Bragg wavelength shift as a function of increasing dispersion in the AML cavity. The strain measurement of the FBG sensor shows a highly linear response, with an R-squared value of 0.9997.

One-shot and aberration-tolerable homodyne detection for holographic storage readout through double-frequency grating-based lateral shearing interferometry.

PubMed

Yu, Yeh-Wei; Xiao, Shuai; Cheng, Chih-Yuan; Sun, Ching-Cherng

2016-05-16

A simple method to decode the stored phase signal of volume holographic data storage with adequate wave aberration tolerance is highly demanded. We proposed and demonstrated a one-shot scheme to decode a binary-phase encoding signal through double-frequency-grating based shearing interferometry (DFGSI). The lateral shearing amount is dependent on the focal length of the collimated lens and the frequency difference between the gratings. Diffracted waves with phase encoding were successfully decoded through experimentation. An optical model for the DFGSI was built to analyze phase-error induction and phase-difference control by shifting the double-frequency grating longitudinally and laterally, respectively. The optical model was demonstrated experimentally. Finally, a high aberration tolerance of the DFGSI was demonstrated using the optical model.

False Detection of Dangerous and Netural Substances in Commonly Used Materials by Means of the Standard THz Time Domain Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trofimov, V. A.; Varentsova, S. A.

2016-04-01

Essential limitations of the standard THz Time Domain Spectroscopy (TDS), which lead to false detection of dangerous and neutral substances in commonly used materials, are demonstrated using the physical experiment with chocolate under real conditions as well as with semiconductors under laboratory conditions. To overcome this disadvantage, we propose using the time-dependent spectrum of the THz pulse, transmitted through or reflected from a substance. For quality assessment of the standard substance absorption frequency presence in the signal under analysis, we use time-dependent integral correlation criteria. The influence of aperture placed in front of the sample on spectral properties of silicon wafers with different resistivity is demonstrated as well.

Dependence of thresholds for pulmonary capillary hemorrhage on diagnostic ultrasound frequency.

PubMed

Miller, Douglas L; Dou, Chunyan; Raghavendran, Krishnan

2015-06-01

Pulmonary ultrasound examination has become routine for diagnosis in many clinical and point-of-care medical settings. However, the phenomenon of pulmonary capillary hemorrhage (PCH) induction during diagnostic ultrasound imaging presents a poorly understood risk factor. PCH was observed in anesthetized rats exposed to 1.5-, 4.5- and 12.0-MHz diagnostic ultrasound to investigate the frequency dependence of PCH thresholds. PCH was detected in the ultrasound images as growing comet tail artifacts and was assessed using photographs of the surface of excised lungs. Previous photographs acquired after exposure to 7.6-MHz diagnostic ultrasound were included for analysis. In addition, at each frequency we measured dosimetric parameters, including peak rarefactional pressure amplitude and spatial peak, pulse average intensity attenuated by rat chest wall samples. Peak rarefactional pressure amplitude thresholds determined at each frequency, based on the proportion of PCH in groups of five rats, were 1.03 ± 0.02, 1.28 ± 0.14, 1.18 ± 0.12 and 1.36 ± 0.15 MPa at 1.5, 4.5, 7.6 and 12.0 MHz, respectively. Although the PCH lesions decreased in size with increasing ultrasonic frequency, owing to the smaller beam widths and scan lengths, the peak rarefactional pressure amplitude thresholds remained approximately constant. This dependence was different from that of the mechanical index, which indicates a need for a specific dosimetric parameter for safety guidance in pulmonary ultrasound. Copyright © 2015 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oblique reconstructions in tomosynthesis. II. Super-resolution

PubMed Central

Acciavatti, Raymond J.; Maidment, Andrew D. A.

2013-01-01

Purpose: In tomosynthesis, super-resolution has been demonstrated using reconstruction planes parallel to the detector. Super-resolution allows for subpixel resolution relative to the detector. The purpose of this work is to develop an analytical model that generalizes super-resolution to oblique reconstruction planes. Methods: In a digital tomosynthesis system, a sinusoidal test object is modeled along oblique angles (i.e., “pitches”) relative to the plane of the detector in a 3D divergent-beam acquisition geometry. To investigate the potential for super-resolution, the input frequency is specified to be greater than the alias frequency of the detector. Reconstructions are evaluated in an oblique plane along the extent of the object using simple backprojection (SBP) and filtered backprojection (FBP). By comparing the amplitude of the reconstruction against the attenuation coefficient of the object at various frequencies, the modulation transfer function (MTF) is calculated to determine whether modulation is within detectable limits for super-resolution. For experimental validation of super-resolution, a goniometry stand was used to orient a bar pattern phantom along various pitches relative to the breast support in a commercial digital breast tomosynthesis system. Results: Using theoretical modeling, it is shown that a single projection image cannot resolve a sine input whose frequency exceeds the detector alias frequency. The high frequency input is correctly visualized in SBP or FBP reconstruction using a slice along the pitch of the object. The Fourier transform of this reconstructed slice is maximized at the input frequency as proof that the object is resolved. Consistent with the theoretical results, experimental images of a bar pattern phantom showed super-resolution in oblique reconstructions. At various pitches, the highest frequency with detectable modulation was determined by visual inspection of the bar patterns. The dependency of the highest detectable frequency on pitch followed the same trend as the analytical model. It was demonstrated that super-resolution is not achievable if the pitch of the object approaches 90°, corresponding to the case in which the test frequency is perpendicular to the breast support. Only low frequency objects are detectable at pitches close to 90°. Conclusions: This work provides a platform for investigating super-resolution in oblique reconstructions for tomosynthesis. In breast imaging, this study should have applications in visualizing microcalcifications and other subtle signs of cancer. PMID:24320445

Buried Object Detection Method Using Optimum Frequency Range in Extremely Shallow Underground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugimoto, Tsuneyoshi; Abe, Touma

2011-07-01

We propose a new detection method for buried objects using the optimum frequency response range of the corresponding vibration velocity. Flat speakers and a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV) are used for noncontact acoustic imaging in the extremely shallow underground. The exploration depth depends on the sound pressure, but it is usually less than 10 cm. Styrofoam, wood (silver fir), and acrylic boards of the same size, different size styrofoam boards, a hollow toy duck, a hollow plastic container, a plastic container filled with sand, a hollow steel can and an unglazed pot are used as buried objects which are buried in sand to about 2 cm depth. The imaging procedure of buried objects using the optimum frequency range is given below. First, the standardized difference from the average vibration velocity is calculated for all scan points. Next, using this result, underground images are made using a constant frequency width to search for the frequency response range of the buried object. After choosing an approximate frequency response range, the difference between the average vibration velocity for all points and that for several points that showed a clear response is calculated for the final confirmation of the optimum frequency range. Using this optimum frequency range, we can obtain the clearest image of the buried object. From the experimental results, we confirmed the effectiveness of our proposed method. In particular, a clear image of the buried object was obtained when the SLDV image was unclear.

Use of a three-color chromosome in situ suppression technique for the detection of past radiation exposure

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

Gebhart, E.; Neubauer, S.; Schmitt, G.

1996-01-01

A three-color chromosome in situ suppression technique and classical cytogenetic analysis were compared for the detection of chromosomal aberrations in blood lymphocytes of 27 patients who had undergone radiation therapies from 1 month to 9 years ago. Depending on the respective regimens of therapy, a high variability was found in the aberration data. Aberration rates depended on the interval between exposure and scoring rather than on the locally applied radiation doses, which were rather uniform among most patients. Chromosome in situ suppression was found to be superior to classical cytogenetics with respect not only to the spectrum of detectable aberrationsmore » but also to the uncovering of long-term effects of irradiation. Of particular interest were the relative stability of the frequency of radiation-induced reciprocal translocations and the utility of chromosome in situ suppression to uncover complex rearrangements. 27 refs., 4 figs.« less

Reduced electrical bandwidth receivers for direct detection 4-ary PPM optical communication intersatellite links

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, Frederic M.; Sun, Xiaoli

1993-01-01

One of the major sources of noise in a direct detection optical communication receiver is the shot noise due to the quantum nature of the photodetector. The shot noise is signal dependent and is neither Gaussian nor wide sense stationary. When a photomultiplier tube (PMT) or an avalanche photodiode (APD) is used, there is also a multiplicative excess noise due to the randomness of the internal photodetector gain. Generally speaking, the radio frequency (RF) communication theory cannot be applied to direct detection optical communication systems because noise in RF communication systems is usually additive and Gaussian. A receiver structure which is mathematically optimal for signal dependent shot noise is derived. Several suboptimal receiver structures are discussed and compared with the optimal receiver. The objective is to find a receiver structure which is easy to implement and gives close to optimal performance.

A living cell quartz crystal microbalance biosensor for continuous monitoring of cytotoxic responses of macrophages to single-walled carbon nanotubes

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Numerous engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) exist and new ENMs are being developed. A challenge to nanotoxicology and environmental health and safety is evaluating toxicity of ENMs before they become widely utilized. Cellular assays remain the predominant test platform yet these methods are limited by using discrete time endpoints and reliance on organic dyes, vulnerable to interference from ENMs. Label-free, continuous, rapid response systems with biologically meaningful endpoints are needed. We have developed a device to detect and monitor in real time responses of living cells to ENMs. The device, a living cell quartz crystal microbalance biosensor (QCMB), uses macrophages adherent to a quartz crystal. The communal response of macrophages to treatments is monitored continuously as changes in crystal oscillation frequency (Δf). We report the ability of this QCMB to distinguish benign from toxic exposures and reveal unique kinetic information about cellular responses to varying doses of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Results We analyzed macrophage responses to additions of Zymosan A, polystyrene beads (PBs) (benign substances) or SWCNT (3-150 μg/ml) in the QCMB over 18 hrs. In parallel, toxicity was monitored over 24/48 hrs using conventional viability assays and histological stains to detect apoptosis. In the QCMB, a stable unchanging oscillation frequency occurred when cells alone, Zymosan A alone, PBs alone or SWCNTs without cells at the highest dose alone were used. With living cells in the QCMB, when Zymosan A, PBs or SWCNTs were added, a significant decrease in frequency occurred from 1-6 hrs. For SWCNTs, this Δf was dose-dependent. From 6-18 hrs, benign substances or low dose SWCNT (3-30 μg/ml) treatments showed a reversal of the decrease of oscillation frequency, returning to or exceeding pre-treatment levels. Cell recovery was confirmed in conventional assays. The lag time to see the Δf reversal in QCMB plots was linearly SWCNT-dose dependent. Lastly, the frequency never reversed at high dose SWCNT (100-150 μg/ml), and apoptosis/necrosis was documented in conventional 24 and 48 hr-assays. Conclusion These data suggest that the new QCMB detects and provides unique information about peak, sub-lethal and toxic exposures of living cells to ENMs before they are detected using conventional cell assays. PMID:21266033

High frequency of ribosomal protein gene deletions in Italian Diamond-Blackfan anemia patients detected by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay

PubMed Central

Quarello, Paola; Garelli, Emanuela; Brusco, Alfredo; Carando, Adriana; Mancini, Cecilia; Pappi, Patrizia; Vinti, Luciana; Svahn, Johanna; Dianzani, Irma; Ramenghi, Ugo

2012-01-01

Diamond-Blackfan anemia is an autosomal dominant disease due to mutations in nine ribosomal protein encoding genes. Because most mutations are loss of function and detected by direct sequencing of coding exons, we reasoned that part of the approximately 50% mutation negative patients may have carried a copy number variant of ribosomal protein genes. As a proof of concept, we designed a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay targeted to screen the six genes that are most frequently mutated in Diamond-Blackfan anemia patients: RPS17, RPS19, RPS26, RPL5, RPL11, and RPL35A. Using this assay we showed that deletions represent approximately 20% of all mutations. The combination of sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis of these six genes allows the genetic characterization of approximately 65% of patients, showing that Diamond-Blackfan anemia is indisputably a ribosomopathy. PMID:22689679

CW and pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 263 GHz/12 T on operating amorphous silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhtar, W.; Schnegg, A.; Veber, S.; Meier, C.; Fehr, M.; Lips, K.

2015-08-01

Here we describe a new high frequency/high field continuous wave and pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance (CW EDMR and pEDMR) setup, operating at 263 GHz and resonance fields between 0 and 12 T. Spin dependent transport in illuminated hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n solar cells at 5 K and 90 K was studied by in operando 263 GHz CW and pEDMR alongside complementary X-band CW EDMR. Benefiting from the superior resolution at 263 GHz, we were able to better resolve EDMR signals originating from spin dependent hopping and recombination processes. 5 K EDMR spectra were found to be dominated by conduction and valence band tail states involved in spin dependent hopping, with additional contributions from triplet exciton states. 90 K EDMR spectra could be assigned to spin pair recombination involving conduction band tail states and dangling bonds as the dominating spin dependent transport process, with additional contributions from valence band tail and triplet exciton states.

Simultaneous Planck , Swift , and Fermi observations of X-ray and γ -ray selected blazars

DOE PAGES

Giommi, P.; Polenta, G.; Lähteenmäki, A.; ...

2012-05-22

We present simultaneous Planck, Swift, Fermi, and ground-based data for 105 blazars belonging to three samples with flux limits in the soft X-ray, hard X-ray, and γ-ray bands, with additional 5GHz flux-density limits to ensure a good probability of a Planck detection. We compare our results to those of a companion paper presenting simultaneous Planck and multi-frequency observations of 104 radio-loud northern active galactic nuclei selected at radio frequencies. While we confirm several previous results, our unique data set allows us to demonstrate that the selection method strongly influences the results, producing biases that cannot be ignored. Almost all themore » BL Lac objects have been detected by the Fermi Large AreaTelescope (LAT), whereas 30% to 40% of the flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) in the radio, soft X-ray, and hard X-ray selected samples are still below the γ-ray detection limit even after integrating 27 months of Fermi-LAT data. The radio to sub-millimetre spectral slope of blazars is quite flat, with >α> ~ 0 up to about 70GHz, above which it steepens to ~ -0.65. The BL Lacs have significantly flatter spectra than FSRQs at higher frequencies. The distribution of the rest-frame synchrotron peak frequency (ν peak S) in the spectral energy distribution (SED) of FSRQs is the same in all the blazar samples with peak S> = 10 13.1 ± 0.1 Hz, while the mean inverse Compton peak frequency, >ν peak IC>, ranges from 1021 to 1022 Hz. The distributions of ν peak S and ν peak IC of BL Lacs are much broader and are shifted to higher energies than those of FSRQs; their shapes strongly depend on the selection method. The Compton dominance of blazars, defined as the ratio of the inverse Compton to synchrotron peak luminosities, ranges from less than 0.2 to nearly 100, with only FSRQs reaching values larger than about 3. Its distribution is broad and depends strongly on the selection method, with γ-ray selected blazars peaking at ~7 or more, and radio-selected blazars at values close to 1, thus implying that the common assumption that the blazar power budget is largely dominated by high-energy emission is a selection effect. A comparison of our multi-frequency data with theoretical predictions shows that simple homogeneous SSC models cannot explain the simultaneous SEDs of most of the γ-ray detected blazars in all samples. The SED of the blazars that were not detected by Fermi-LAT may instead be consistent with SSC emission. Our data challenge the correlation between bolometric luminosity and ν peak S predicted by the blazar sequence.« less

Prospects for the Detection of Fast Radio Bursts with the Murchison Widefield Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trott, Cathryn M.; Tingay, Steven J.; Wayth, Randall B.

2013-10-01

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are short timescale (Lt1 s) astrophysical radio signals, presumed to be a signature of cataclysmic events of extragalactic origin. The discovery of six high-redshift events at ~1400 MHz from the Parkes radio telescope suggests that FRBs may occur at a high rate across the sky. The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) operates at low radio frequencies (80-300 MHz) and is expected to detect FRBs due to its large collecting area (~2500 m2) and wide field-of-view (FOV, ~ 1000 deg2 at ν = 200 MHz). We compute the expected number of FRB detections for the MWA assuming a source population consistent with the reported detections. Our formalism properly accounts for the frequency-dependence of the antenna primary beam, the MWA system temperature, and unknown spectral index of the source population, for three modes of FRB detection: coherent; incoherent; and fast imaging. We find that the MWA's sensitivity and large FOV combine to provide the expectation of multiple detectable events per week in all modes, potentially making it an excellent high time resolution science instrument. Deviations of the expected number of detections from actual results will provide a strong constraint on the assumptions made for the underlying source population and intervening plasma distribution.

Multi-resonance frequency spin dependent charge pumping and spin dependent recombination - applied to the 4H-SiC/SiO2 interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anders, M. A.; Lenahan, P. M.; Lelis, A. J.

2017-12-01

We report on a new electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) approach involving spin dependent charge pumping (SDCP) and spin dependent recombination (SDR) at high (K band, about 16 GHz) and ultra-low (360 and 85 MHz) magnetic resonance frequencies to investigate the dielectric/semiconductor interface in 4H-SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). A comparison of SDCP and SDR allows for a comparison of deep level defects and defects with energy levels throughout most of the bandgap. Additionally, a comparison of high frequency and ultra-low frequency measurements allows for (1) the partial separation of spin-orbit coupling and hyperfine effects on magnetic resonance spectra, (2) the observation of otherwise forbidden half-field effects, which make EDMR, at least, in principle, quantitative, and (3) the observation of Breit-Rabi shifts in superhyperfine measurements. (Observation of the Breit-Rabi shift helps in both the assignment and the measurement of superhyperfine parameters.) We find that, as earlier work also indicates, the SiC silicon vacancy is the dominating defect in n-MOSFETs with as-grown oxides and that post-oxidation NO anneals significantly reduce their population. In addition, we provide strong evidence that NO anneals result in the presence of nitrogen very close to a large fraction of the silicon vacancies. The results indicate that the presence of nearby nitrogen significantly shifts the silicon vacancy energy levels. Our results also show that the introduction of nitrogen introduces a disorder at the interface. This nitrogen induced disorder may provide at least a partial explanation for the relatively modest improvement in mobility after the NO anneals. Finally, we compare the charge pumping and SDCP response as a function of gate amplitude and charge pumping frequency.

Polarization-dependent optical reflection ultrasonic detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiaoyi; Huang, Zhiyu; Wang, Guohe; Li, Wenzhao; Li, Changhui

2017-03-01

Although ultrasound transducers based on commercial piezoelectric-material have been widely used, they generally have limited bandwidth centered at the resonant frequency. Currently, several pure-optical ultrasonic detection methods have gained increasing interest due to their wide bandwidth and high sensitivity. However, most of them require customized components (such as micro-ring, SPR, Fabry-Perot film, etc), which limit their broad implementations. In this study, we presented a simple pure-optical ultrasound detection method, called "Polarization-dependent Reflection Ultrasonic Detection" (PRUD). It detects the intensity difference between two polarization components of the probe beam that is modulated by ultrasound waves. PRUD detect the two components by using a balanced detector, which effectively suppressed much of the unwanted noise. We have achieved the sensitivity (noise equivalent pressure) to be 1.7kPa, and this can be further improved. In addition, like many other pure-optical ultrasonic detection methods, PRUD also has a flat and broad bandwidth from almost zero to over 100MHz. Besides theoretical analysis, we did a phantom study by imaging a tungsten filament to demonstrate the performance of PRUD. We believe this simple and economic method will attract both researchers and engineers in optical and ultrasound fields.

The physics of heterodyne detection in the far-infrared: Transition from electric-field to photon-absorption detection in a simple system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teich, M. C.

1980-01-01

The history of heterodyne detection is reviewed from the radiowave to the optical regions of the electromagnetic spectrum with emphasion the submillimeter/far infrared. The transition from electric field to photon absorption detection in a simple system is investigated. The response of an isolated two level detector to a coherent source of incident radiation is calculated for both heterodyne and video detection. When the processes of photon absorption and photon emission cannot be distinguished, the relative detected power at double- and sum-frequencies is found to be multiplied by a coefficient, which is less than or equal to unity, and which depends on the incident photon energy and on the effective temperature of the system.

Pesticides in near-surface aquifers: An assessment using highly sensitive analytical methods and tritium

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolpin, D.W.; Goolsby, D.A.; Thurman, E.M.

1995-01-01

In 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) determined the distribution of pesticides in near-surface aquifers of the midwestern USA to be much more widespread than originally determined during a 1991 USGS study. The frequency of pesticide detection increased from 28.4% during the 1991 study to 59.0% during the 1992 study. This increase in pesticide detection was primarily the result of a more sensitive analytical method that used reporting limits as much as 20 times lower than previously available and a threefold increase in the number of pesticide metabolites analyzed. No pesticide concentrations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPAs) maximum contaminant levels or health advisory levels for drinking water. However, five of the six most frequently detected compounds during 1992 were pesticide metabolites that currently do not have drinking water standards determined. The frequent presence of pesticide metabolites for this study documents the importance of obtaining information on these compounds to understand the fate and transport of pesticides in the hydrologic system. It appears that the 56 parent compounds analyzed follow similar pathways through the hydrologic system as atrazine. When atrazine was detected by routine or sensitive analytical methods, there was an increased likelihood of detecting additional parent compounds. As expected, the frequency of pesticide detection was highly dependent on the analytical reporting limit. The number of atrazine detections more than doubled as the reporting limit decreased from 0.10 to 0.01 µg/L. The 1992 data provided no indication that the frequency of pesticide detection would level off as improved analytical methods provide concentrations below 0.003 µg/L. A relation was determined between groundwater age and the frequency of pesticide detection, with 15.8% of the samples composed of pre-1953 water and 70.3% of the samples of post-1953 water having a detection of at least one pesticide or metabolite. Pre-1953 water is less likely to contain pesticides because it tends to predate the use of pesticides to increase crop production in the Midwest. Pre-1953 water was more likely to occur in the near-surface bedrock aquifers (50.0%) than in the near-surface unconsolidated aquifers (9.1%) sampled.

DETECTION OF FLUX EMERGENCE, SPLITTING, MERGING, AND CANCELLATION OF NETWORK FIELD. I. SPLITTING AND MERGING

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

Iida, Y.; Yokoyama, T.; Hagenaar, H. J.

2012-06-20

Frequencies of magnetic patch processes on the supergranule boundary, namely, flux emergence, splitting, merging, and cancellation, are investigated through automatic detection. We use a set of line-of-sight magnetograms taken by the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on board the Hinode satellite. We found 1636 positive patches and 1637 negative patches in the data set, whose time duration is 3.5 hr and field of view is 112'' Multiplication-Sign 112''. The total numbers of magnetic processes are as follows: 493 positive and 482 negative splittings, 536 positive and 535 negative mergings, 86 cancellations, and 3 emergences. The total numbers of emergence and cancellationmore » are significantly smaller than those of splitting and merging. Further, the frequency dependence of the merging and splitting processes on the flux content are investigated. Merging has a weak dependence on the flux content with a power-law index of only 0.28. The timescale for splitting is found to be independent of the parent flux content before splitting, which corresponds to {approx}33 minutes. It is also found that patches split into any flux contents with the same probability. This splitting has a power-law distribution of the flux content with an index of -2 as a time-independent solution. These results support that the frequency distribution of the flux content in the analyzed flux range is rapidly maintained by merging and splitting, namely, surface processes. We suggest a model for frequency distributions of cancellation and emergence based on this idea.« less

Identification of constrained cancer driver genes based on mutation timing.

PubMed

Sakoparnig, Thomas; Fried, Patrick; Beerenwinkel, Niko

2015-01-01

Cancer drivers are genomic alterations that provide cells containing them with a selective advantage over their local competitors, whereas neutral passengers do not change the somatic fitness of cells. Cancer-driving mutations are usually discriminated from passenger mutations by their higher degree of recurrence in tumor samples. However, there is increasing evidence that many additional driver mutations may exist that occur at very low frequencies among tumors. This observation has prompted alternative methods for driver detection, including finding groups of mutually exclusive mutations and incorporating prior biological knowledge about gene function or network structure. Dependencies among drivers due to epistatic interactions can also result in low mutation frequencies, but this effect has been ignored in driver detection so far. Here, we present a new computational approach for identifying genomic alterations that occur at low frequencies because they depend on other events. Unlike passengers, these constrained mutations display punctuated patterns of occurrence in time. We test this driver-passenger discrimination approach based on mutation timing in extensive simulation studies, and we apply it to cross-sectional copy number alteration (CNA) data from ovarian cancer, CNA and single-nucleotide variant (SNV) data from breast tumors and SNV data from colorectal cancer. Among the top ranked predicted drivers, we find low-frequency genes that have already been shown to be involved in carcinogenesis, as well as many new candidate drivers. The mutation timing approach is orthogonal and complementary to existing driver prediction methods. It will help identifying from cancer genome data the alterations that drive tumor progression.

Identification of Constrained Cancer Driver Genes Based on Mutation Timing

PubMed Central

Sakoparnig, Thomas; Fried, Patrick; Beerenwinkel, Niko

2015-01-01

Cancer drivers are genomic alterations that provide cells containing them with a selective advantage over their local competitors, whereas neutral passengers do not change the somatic fitness of cells. Cancer-driving mutations are usually discriminated from passenger mutations by their higher degree of recurrence in tumor samples. However, there is increasing evidence that many additional driver mutations may exist that occur at very low frequencies among tumors. This observation has prompted alternative methods for driver detection, including finding groups of mutually exclusive mutations and incorporating prior biological knowledge about gene function or network structure. Dependencies among drivers due to epistatic interactions can also result in low mutation frequencies, but this effect has been ignored in driver detection so far. Here, we present a new computational approach for identifying genomic alterations that occur at low frequencies because they depend on other events. Unlike passengers, these constrained mutations display punctuated patterns of occurrence in time. We test this driver–passenger discrimination approach based on mutation timing in extensive simulation studies, and we apply it to cross-sectional copy number alteration (CNA) data from ovarian cancer, CNA and single-nucleotide variant (SNV) data from breast tumors and SNV data from colorectal cancer. Among the top ranked predicted drivers, we find low-frequency genes that have already been shown to be involved in carcinogenesis, as well as many new candidate drivers. The mutation timing approach is orthogonal and complementary to existing driver prediction methods. It will help identifying from cancer genome data the alterations that drive tumor progression. PMID:25569148

Dispersion of Dielectric Permittivity in a Nanocrystalline Cellulose-Triglycine Sulfate Composite at Low and Ultralow Frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thu'o'ng, Nguyen Hoai; Sidorkin, A. S.; Milovidova, S. D.

2018-03-01

The dispersion of dielectric permittivity in nanocrystalline cellulose-triglycine sulfate composites is studied in the range of frequencies from 10-3 to 106 Hz, at temperatures varying from room temperature to the temperature of phase transition in this composite (54°C), in weak electric fields (1 V cm-1). Two behaviors for the dielectric dispersion are identified in the studied frequency range: at ultralow frequencies (10-3-10 Hz), the dispersion is due to Maxwell-Wagner polarization, while at higher frequencies (10-106 Hz), the dispersion is due to the movement of domain walls in the embedded triglycine sulfate crystallites. An additional peak in the temperature-dependent profiles of dielectric permittivity is detected at lower temperatures in freshly prepared samples of the considered composite; we associate it with the presence of residual water in these samples.

Detection experiments with humans implicate visual predation as a driver of colour polymorphism dynamics in pygmy grasshoppers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Animal colour patterns offer good model systems for studies of biodiversity and evolution of local adaptations. An increasingly popular approach to study the role of selection for camouflage for evolutionary trajectories of animal colour patterns is to present images of prey on paper or computer screens to human ‘predators’. Yet, few attempts have been made to confirm that rates of detection by humans can predict patterns of selection and evolutionary modifications of prey colour patterns in nature. In this study, we first analyzed encounters between human ‘predators’ and images of natural black, grey and striped colour morphs of the polymorphic Tetrix subulata pygmy grasshoppers presented on background images of unburnt, intermediate or completely burnt natural habitats. Next, we compared detection rates with estimates of capture probabilities and survival of free-ranging grasshoppers, and with estimates of relative morph frequencies in natural populations. Results The proportion of grasshoppers that were detected and time to detection depended on both the colour pattern of the prey and on the type of visual background. Grasshoppers were detected more often and faster on unburnt backgrounds than on 50% and 100% burnt backgrounds. Striped prey were detected less often than grey or black prey on unburnt backgrounds; grey prey were detected more often than black or striped prey on 50% burnt backgrounds; and black prey were detected less often than grey prey on 100% burnt backgrounds. Rates of detection mirrored previously reported rates of capture by humans of free-ranging grasshoppers, as well as morph specific survival in the wild. Rates of detection were also correlated with frequencies of striped, black and grey morphs in samples of T. subulata from natural populations that occupied the three habitat types used for the detection experiment. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that crypsis is background-dependent, and implicate visual predation as an important driver of evolutionary modifications of colour polymorphism in pygmy grasshoppers. Our study provides the clearest evidence to date that using humans as ‘predators’ in detection experiments may provide reliable information on the protective values of prey colour patterns and of natural selection and microevolution of camouflage in the wild. PMID:23639215

Why earthquakes correlate weakly with the solid Earth tides: Effects of periodic stress on the rate and probability of earthquake occurrence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beeler, N.M.; Lockner, D.A.

2003-01-01

We provide an explanation why earthquake occurrence does not correlate well with the daily solid Earth tides. The explanation is derived from analysis of laboratory experiments in which faults are loaded to quasiperiodic failure by the combined action of a constant stressing rate, intended to simulate tectonic loading, and a small sinusoidal stress, analogous to the Earth tides. Event populations whose failure times correlate with the oscillating stress show two modes of response; the response mode depends on the stressing frequency. Correlation that is consistent with stress threshold failure models, e.g., Coulomb failure, results when the period of stress oscillation exceeds a characteristic time tn; the degree of correlation between failure time and the phase of the driving stress depends on the amplitude and frequency of the stress oscillation and on the stressing rate. When the period of the oscillating stress is less than tn, the correlation is not consistent with threshold failure models, and much higher stress amplitudes are required to induce detectable correlation with the oscillating stress. The physical interpretation of tn is the duration of failure nucleation. Behavior at the higher frequencies is consistent with a second-order dependence of the fault strength on sliding rate which determines the duration of nucleation and damps the response to stress change at frequencies greater than 1/tn. Simple extrapolation of these results to the Earth suggests a very weak correlation of earthquakes with the daily Earth tides, one that would require >13,000 earthquakes to detect. On the basis of our experiments and analysis, the absence of definitive daily triggering of earthquakes by the Earth tides requires that for earthquakes, tn exceeds the daily tidal period. The experiments suggest that the minimum typical duration of earthquake nucleation on the San Andreas fault system is ???1 year.

Controller for controlling operation of at least one electrical load operating on an AC supply, and a method thereof

DOEpatents

Cantin, Luc; Deschenes, Mario; D'Amours, Mario

1995-08-15

A controller is provided for controlling operation of at least one electrical load operating on an AC supply having a typical frequency, the AC supply being provided via power transformers by an electrical power distribution grid. The controller is associated with the load and comprises an input interface for coupling the controller to the grid, a frequency detector for detecting the frequency of the AC supply and producing a signal indicative of the frequency, memory modules for storing preprogrammed commands, a frequency monitor for reading the signal indicative of the frequency and producing frequency data derived thereof, a selector for selecting at least one of the preprogrammed commands with respect to the frequency data, a control unit for producing at least one command signal representative of the selected preprogrammed commands, and an output interface including a device responsive to the command signal for controlling the load. Therefore, the load can be controlled by means of the controller depending on the frequency of the AC supply.

Establishing a direct connection between detrended fluctuation analysis and Fourier analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiyono, Ken

2015-10-01

To understand methodological features of the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) using a higher-order polynomial fitting, we establish the direct connection between DFA and Fourier analysis. Based on an exact calculation of the single-frequency response of the DFA, the following facts are shown analytically: (1) in the analysis of stochastic processes exhibiting a power-law scaling of the power spectral density (PSD), S (f ) ˜f-β , a higher-order detrending in the DFA has no adverse effect in the estimation of the DFA scaling exponent α , which satisfies the scaling relation α =(β +1 )/2 ; (2) the upper limit of the scaling exponents detectable by the DFA depends on the order of polynomial fit used in the DFA, and is bounded by m +1 , where m is the order of the polynomial fit; (3) the relation between the time scale in the DFA and the corresponding frequency in the PSD are distorted depending on both the order of the DFA and the frequency dependence of the PSD. We can improve the scale distortion by introducing the corrected time scale in the DFA corresponding to the inverse of the frequency scale in the PSD. In addition, our analytical approach makes it possible to characterize variants of the DFA using different types of detrending. As an application, properties of the detrending moving average algorithm are discussed.

Dynamic crossmodal links revealed by steady-state responses in auditory-visual divided attention.

PubMed

de Jong, Ritske; Toffanin, Paolo; Harbers, Marten

2010-01-01

Frequency tagging has been often used to study intramodal attention but not intermodal attention. We used EEG and simultaneous frequency tagging of auditory and visual sources to study intermodal focused and divided attention in detection and discrimination performance. Divided-attention costs were smaller, but still significant, in detection than in discrimination. The auditory steady-state response (SSR) showed no effects of attention at frontocentral locations, but did so at occipital locations where it was evident only when attention was divided between audition and vision. Similarly, the visual SSR at occipital locations was substantially enhanced when attention was divided across modalities. Both effects were equally present in detection and discrimination. We suggest that both effects reflect a common cause: An attention-dependent influence of auditory information processing on early cortical stages of visual information processing, mediated by enhanced effective connectivity between the two modalities under conditions of divided attention. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A high sensitivity real-time NVR monitor. [Nonvolatile Residue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowers, William D.; Chuan, R. L.

1992-01-01

The use of a temperature-controlled 200-MHz SAW resonator piezoelectric mass microbalance to monitor the mass of nonvolatile residue (NVR) deposited on its surface in real time is reported. The fundamental frequency of this device is mainly dependent on the configuration of the transducers and not on the thickness of the substrate. Therefore, higher operating frequencies can be achieved without reducing the thickness of the crystal. The real-time instrument was integrated onto a conventional stainless steel NVR plate and operated flawlessly over a 14-d period at Kennedy Space Center and successfully measured less than 1 ng/sq cm d NVR contamination. Contamination episodes detected by the instrument were correlated with scheduled activities on the test stand. Under the assumption of a baseline noise level of +/- 2 Hz, the absolute mass lower limit of detection would be 0.065 ng/sq cm. This would enable the detection of a daily NVR deposition rate of less than 0.1 ng/sq cm d.

Joint Spatial-Spectral Feature Space Clustering for Speech Activity Detection from ECoG Signals

PubMed Central

Kanas, Vasileios G.; Mporas, Iosif; Benz, Heather L.; Sgarbas, Kyriakos N.; Bezerianos, Anastasios; Crone, Nathan E.

2014-01-01

Brain machine interfaces for speech restoration have been extensively studied for more than two decades. The success of such a system will depend in part on selecting the best brain recording sites and signal features corresponding to speech production. The purpose of this study was to detect speech activity automatically from electrocorticographic signals based on joint spatial-frequency clustering of the ECoG feature space. For this study, the ECoG signals were recorded while a subject performed two different syllable repetition tasks. We found that the optimal frequency resolution to detect speech activity from ECoG signals was 8 Hz, achieving 98.8% accuracy by employing support vector machines (SVM) as a classifier. We also defined the cortical areas that held the most information about the discrimination of speech and non-speech time intervals. Additionally, the results shed light on the distinct cortical areas associated with the two syllable repetition tasks and may contribute to the development of portable ECoG-based communication. PMID:24658248

Relative saliency in change signals affects perceptual comparison and decision processes in change detection.

PubMed

Yang, Cheng-Ta

2011-12-01

Change detection requires perceptual comparison and decision processes on different features of multiattribute objects. How relative salience between two feature-changes influences the processes has not been addressed. This study used the systems factorial technology to investigate the processes when detecting changes in a Gabor patch with visual inputs from orientation and spatial frequency channels. Two feature-changes were equally salient in Experiment 1, but a frequency-change was more salient than an orientation-change in Experiment 2. Results showed that all four observers adopted parallel self-terminating processing with limited- to unlimited-capacity processing in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, one observer used parallel self-terminating processing with unlimited-capacity processing, and the others adopted serial self-terminating processing with limited- to unlimited-capacity processing to detect changes. Postexperimental interview revealed that subjective utility of feature information underlay the adoption of a decision strategy. These results highlight that observers alter decision strategies in change detection depending on the relative saliency in change signals, with relative saliency being determined by both physical salience and subjective weight of feature information. When relative salience exists, individual differences in the process characteristics emerge.

Coherent Rayleigh-Brillouin scattering for in situ detection of nanoparticles and large molecules in gas and plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerakis, A.; Shneider, M. N.; Stratton, B. C.; Santra, B.; Car, R.; Raitses, Y.

2016-09-01

Laser-based diagnostics methods, such as Spontaneous and Coherent Rayleigh and Rayleigh-Brillouin scattering (SRBS and CRBS), can be used for in-situ detection and characterization of nanoparticle shape and size as well as their concentration in an inert gas atmosphere. We recently developed and tested this advanced diagnostic at PPPL. It was shown that the signal intensity of the CRBS signal depends on the gas-nanoparticle mixture composition, density and the polarizabilities of the mixture components. The measured results agree well with theoretical predictions of Refs. In this work, we report the application of this diagnostic to monitor nucleation and growth of nanoparticles in a carbon arc discharge. In support of these measurements, A time-dependent density functional theory was used to compute the frequency-dependent polarizabilities of various nanostructures in order to predict the corresponding Rayleigh scattering intensities as well as light depolarization. Preliminary results of measurements demonstrate that CRBS is capable to detect nanoparticles in volume. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division.

New insights of seismic disturbances due to wind turbines - long and short term measurements in SW Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zieger, Toni; Ritter, Joachim

2017-04-01

Within the scope of the project "TremAc", we present new insights of ground motion disturbances due to wind turbines (WTs) in the vicinity of the town of Landau, SW Germany. The main goal of this project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is the detection of influences from WTs on human health and buildings in an interdisciplinary way. The interaction between WTs, humans, infrastructure (incl.seismic stations) becomes more and more an important role with the increase of installed WTs. We present averaged one hour long PSD-spectra in a frequency range from 0.5 Hz to 7 Hz depending on the wind speed before and after the installation of characteristic WTs, especially for seismic borehole stations, during one month measurements. The results show a clear increase of the ground motion and a related disturbance of the seismic recordings. The station threshold for signal detection below 2 Hz is reduced after the installation of a new wind farm in the area around Landau. This effect occurs even up to distances to the WTs of more than 5 kilometers. The increasing noise level depends also clearly on wind speed, which indicate also the WT origin related with the signals. Using short-term measurements during few hours, we are able to determine the maximum of the PSD values for different discrete frequencies as function of distance to the next WT and to fit a power-law decay curve proportional to 1/rb to the data. In this way we can differentiate between near- and far-field effects of the seismic wave propagation of WTs. A clear frequency dependent decay can be observed, for which high frequencies are more attenuated than lower frequencies, probably due to scattering processes. The new results will help for a better understanding of WTs as a seismic noise source and their interaction with nearby seismic stations and other infrastructure. Seismic data were provided by "Erdbebendienst Südwest", "Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources" and "KArlsruher BroadBand Array (KABBA)". Meteorological data were provided by "KIT Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Department Troposphere Research".

Chirp-Z analysis for sol-gel transition monitoring.

PubMed

Martinez, Loïc; Caplain, Emmanuel; Serfaty, Stéphane; Griesmar, Pascal; Gouedard, Gérard; Gindre, Marcel

2004-04-01

Gelation is a complex reaction that transforms a liquid medium into a solid one: the gel. In gel state, some gel materials (DMAP) have the singular property to ring in an audible frequency range when a pulse is applied. Before the gelation point, there is no transmission of slow waves observed; after the gelation point, the speed of sound in the gel rapidly increases from 0.1 to 10 m/s. The time evolution of the speed of sound can be measured, in frequency domain, by following the frequency spacing of the resonance peaks from the Synchronous Detection (SD) measurement method. Unfortunately, due to a constant frequency sampling rate, the relative error for low speeds (0.1 m/s) is 100%. In order to maintain a low constant relative error, in the whole speed time evolution range, Chirp-Z Transform (CZT) is used. This operation transforms a time variant signal to a time invariant one using only a time dependant stretching factor (S). In the frequency domain, the CZT enables us to stretch each collected spectrum from time signals. The blind identification of the S factor gives us the complete time evolution law of the speed of sound. Moreover, this method proves that the frequency bandwidth follows the same time law. These results point out that the minimum wavelength stays constant and that it only depends on the gel.

Investigation and optimization of low-frequency noise performance in readout electronics of dc superconducting quantum interference device

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

Zhao, Jing; Peter Grünberg Institute; Zhang, Yi

2014-05-15

We investigated and optimized the low-frequency noise characteristics of a preamplifier used for readout of direct current superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). When the SQUID output was detected directly using a room-temperature low-voltage-noise preamplifier, the low-frequency noise of a SQUID system was found to be dominated by the input current noise of the preamplifiers in case of a large dynamic resistance of the SQUID. To reduce the current noise of the preamplifier in the low-frequency range, we investigated the dependence of total preamplifier noise on the collector current and source resistance. When the collector current was decreased from 8.4 mAmore » to 3 mA in the preamplifier made of 3 parallel SSM2220 transistor pairs, the low-frequency total voltage noise of the preamplifier (at 0.1 Hz) decreased by about 3 times for a source resistance of 30 Ω whereas the white noise level remained nearly unchanged. Since the relative contribution of preamplifier's input voltage and current noise is different depending on the dynamic resistance or flux-to-voltage transfer of the SQUID, the results showed that the total noise of a SQUID system at low-frequency range can be improved significantly by optimizing the preamplifier circuit parameters, mainly the collector current in case of low-noise bipolar transistor pairs.« less

Investigation and optimization of low-frequency noise performance in readout electronics of dc superconducting quantum interference device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Yi; Lee, Yong-Ho; Krause, Hans-Joachim

2014-05-01

We investigated and optimized the low-frequency noise characteristics of a preamplifier used for readout of direct current superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). When the SQUID output was detected directly using a room-temperature low-voltage-noise preamplifier, the low-frequency noise of a SQUID system was found to be dominated by the input current noise of the preamplifiers in case of a large dynamic resistance of the SQUID. To reduce the current noise of the preamplifier in the low-frequency range, we investigated the dependence of total preamplifier noise on the collector current and source resistance. When the collector current was decreased from 8.4 mA to 3 mA in the preamplifier made of 3 parallel SSM2220 transistor pairs, the low-frequency total voltage noise of the preamplifier (at 0.1 Hz) decreased by about 3 times for a source resistance of 30 Ω whereas the white noise level remained nearly unchanged. Since the relative contribution of preamplifier's input voltage and current noise is different depending on the dynamic resistance or flux-to-voltage transfer of the SQUID, the results showed that the total noise of a SQUID system at low-frequency range can be improved significantly by optimizing the preamplifier circuit parameters, mainly the collector current in case of low-noise bipolar transistor pairs.

High precision pulsar timing and spin frequency second derivatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X. J.; Bassa, C. G.; Stappers, B. W.

2018-05-01

We investigate the impact of intrinsic, kinematic and gravitational effects on high precision pulsar timing. We present an analytical derivation and a numerical computation of the impact of these effects on the first and second derivative of the pulsar spin frequency. In addition, in the presence of white noise, we derive an expression to determine the expected measurement uncertainty of a second derivative of the spin frequency for a given timing precision, observing cadence and timing baseline and find that it strongly depends on the latter (∝t-7/2). We show that for pulsars with significant proper motion, the spin frequency second derivative is dominated by a term dependent on the radial velocity of the pulsar. Considering the data sets from three Pulsar Timing Arrays, we find that for PSR J0437-4715 a detectable spin frequency second derivative will be present if the absolute value of the radial velocity exceeds 33 km s-1. Similarly, at the current timing precision and cadence, continued timing observations of PSR J1909-3744 for about another eleven years, will allow the measurement of its frequency second derivative and determine the radial velocity with an accuracy better than 14 km s-1. With the ever increasing timing precision and observing baselines, the impact of the, largely unknown, radial velocities of pulsars on high precision pulsar timing can not be neglected.

A flexural crack model for damage detection in reinforced concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamad, W. I.; Owen, J. S.; Hussein, M. F. M.

2011-07-01

The use of changes in vibration data for damage detection of reinforced concrete structures faces many challenges that obstruct its transition from a research topic to field applications. Among these is the lack of appropriate damage models that can be deployed in the damage detection methods. In this paper, a model of a simply supported reinforced concrete beam with multiple cracks is developed to examine its use for damage detection and structural health monitoring. The cracks are simulated by a model that accounts for crack formation, propagation and closure. The beam model is studied under different dynamic excitations, including sine sweep and single excitation frequency, for various damage levels. The changes in resonant frequency with increasing loads are examined along with the nonlinear vibration characteristics. The model demonstrates that the resonant frequency reduces by about 10% at the application of 30% of the ultimate load and then drops gradually by about 25% at 70% of the ultimate load. The model also illustrates some nonlinearity in the dynamic response of damaged beams. The appearance of super-harmonics shows that the nonlinearity is higher when the damage level is about 35% and then decreases with increasing damage. The restoring force-displacement relationship predicted the reduction in the overall stiffness of the damaged beam. The model quantitatively predicts the experimental vibration behaviour of damaged RC beams and also shows the damage dependency of nonlinear vibration behaviour.

Linear analysis of time dependent properties of Child-Langmuir flow

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

Rokhlenko, A.

We continue our analysis of the time dependent behavior of the electron flow in the Child-Langmuir system, removing an approximation used earlier. We find a modified set of oscillatory decaying modes with frequencies of the same order as the inverse of the electron transient time. This range (typically MHz) allows simple experimental detection and maybe exploitation. We then study the time evolution of the current in response to a slow change of the anode voltage where the same modes of oscillations appear too. The cathode current in this case is systematically advanced or retarded depending on the direction of themore » voltage change.« less

Linear analysis of time dependent properties of Child-Langmuir flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rokhlenko, A.

2013-01-01

We continue our analysis of the time dependent behavior of the electron flow in the Child-Langmuir system, removing an approximation used earlier. We find a modified set of oscillatory decaying modes with frequencies of the same order as the inverse of the electron transient time. This range (typically MHz) allows simple experimental detection and maybe exploitation. We then study the time evolution of the current in response to a slow change of the anode voltage where the same modes of oscillations appear too. The cathode current in this case is systematically advanced or retarded depending on the direction of the voltage change.

Clinically guided genetic screening in a large cohort of italian patients with pheochromocytomas and/or functional or nonfunctional paragangliomas.

PubMed

Mannelli, Massimo; Castellano, Maurizio; Schiavi, Francesca; Filetti, Sebastiano; Giacchè, Mara; Mori, Luigi; Pignataro, Viviana; Bernini, Gianpaolo; Giachè, Valentino; Bacca, Alessandra; Biondi, Bernadette; Corona, Giovanni; Di Trapani, Giuseppe; Grossrubatscher, Erika; Reimondo, Giuseppe; Arnaldi, Giorgio; Giacchetti, Gilberta; Veglio, Franco; Loli, Paola; Colao, Annamaria; Ambrosio, Maria Rosaria; Terzolo, Massimo; Letizia, Claudio; Ercolino, Tonino; Opocher, Giuseppe

2009-05-01

The aim of the study was to define the frequency of hereditary forms and the genotype/phenotype correlations in a large cohort of Italian patients with pheochromocytomas and/or functional or nonfunctional paragangliomas. We examined 501 consecutive patients with pheochromocytomas and/or paragangliomas (secreting or nonsecreting). Complete medical and family histories, as well as the results of clinical, laboratory, and imaging studies, were recorded in a database. Patients were divided into different groups according to their family history, the presence of lesions outside adrenals/paraganglia considered syndromic for VHL disease, MEN2, and NF1, and the number and types of pheochromocytomas and/or paragangliomas. Germ-line mutations in known susceptibility genes were investigated by gene sequencing (VHL, RET, SDHB, SDHC, SDHD) or diagnosed according to phenotype (NF1). In 160 patients younger than 50 yr with a wild-type profile, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assays were performed to detect genomic rearrangements. Germline mutations were detected in 32.1% of cases, but frequencies varied widely depending on the classification criteria and ranged from 100% in patients with associated syndromic lesions to 11.6% in patients with a single tumor and a negative family history. The types and number of pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas as well as age at presentation and malignancy suggest which gene should be screened first. Genomic rearrangements were found in two of 160 patients (1.2%). The frequency of the hereditary forms of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma varies depending on the family history and the clinical presentation. A positive family history and an accurate clinical evaluation of patients are strong indicators of which genes should be screened first.

Interaural time discrimination of envelopes carried on high-frequency tones as a function of level and interaural carrier mismatch

PubMed Central

Blanks, Deidra A.; Buss, Emily; Grose, John H.; Fitzpatrick, Douglas C.; Hall, Joseph W.

2009-01-01

Objectives The present study investigated interaural time discrimination for binaurally mismatched carrier frequencies in listeners with normal hearing. One goal of the investigation was to gain insights into binaural hearing in patients with bilateral cochlear implants, where the coding of interaural time differences may be limited by mismatches in the neural populations receiving stimulation on each side. Design Temporal envelopes were manipulated to present low frequency timing cues to high frequency auditory channels. Carrier frequencies near 4 kHz were amplitude modulated at 128 Hz via multiplication with a half-wave rectified sinusoid, and that modulation was either in-phase across ears or delayed to one ear. Detection thresholds for non-zero interaural time differences were measured for a range of stimulus levels and a range of carrier frequency mismatches. Data were also collected under conditions designed to limit cues based on stimulus spectral spread, including masking and truncation of sidebands associated with modulation. Results Listeners with normal hearing can detect interaural time differences in the face of substantial mismatches in carrier frequency across ears. Conclusions The processing of interaural time differences in listeners with normal hearing is likely based on spread of excitation into binaurally matched auditory channels. Sensitivity to interaural time differences in listeners with cochlear implants may depend upon spread of current that results in the stimulation of neural populations that share common tonotopic space bilaterally. PMID:18596646

Breathing of Graphite Particles in a Lithium-Ion Battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takata, Keiji; Okuda, Mitsuhiro; Yura, Nobuki; Tamura, Ryota

2012-04-01

We imaged changes in volume of graphite particles in a Li-ion battery due to the insertion and extraction of Li ions using scanning probe microscopy. When Li ions were extracted from the graphite particles, the particles were contracted, while expansion was induced in the interspaces between the particles. Variations of the images of volume changes depending on modulation frequencies clearly showed lithium intercalation. A linear relationship between the amplitudes of volume changes and the products of the diffusion elements and the reciprocals of the frequencies has been proven. Thus, the detected signals quantitatively well corresponded to the lithium ion movements.

Measurement of visual contrast sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vongierke, H. E.; Marko, A. R.

1985-04-01

This invention involves measurement of the visual contrast sensitivity (modulation transfer) function of a human subject by means of linear or circular spatial frequency pattern on a cathode ray tube whose contrast is automatically decreasing or increasing depending on the subject pressing or releasing a hand-switch button. The threshold of detection of the pattern modulation is found by the subject by adjusting the contrast to values which vary about the subject's threshold thereby determining the threshold and also providing by the magnitude of the contrast fluctuations between reversals some estimate of the variability of the subject's absolute threshold. The invention also involves the slow automatic sweeping of the spatial frequency of the pattern over the spatial frequencies after preset time intervals or after threshold has been defined at each frequency by a selected number of subject-determined threshold crossings; i.e., contrast reversals.

Corrosion detection in steel-reinforced concrete using a spectroscopic technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garboczi, E. J.; Stutzman, P. E.; Wang, S.; Martys, N. S.; Hassan, A. M.; Duthinh, D.; Provenzano, V.; Chou, S. G.; Plusquellic, D. F.; Surek, J. T.; Kim, S.; McMichael, R. D.; Stiles, M. D.

2014-02-01

Detecting the early corrosion of steel that is embedded in reinforced concrete (rebar) is a goal that would greatly facilitate the inspection and measurement of corrosion in the US physical infrastructure. Since 2010, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been working on a large project to develop an electromagnetic (EM) probe that detects the specific corrosion products via spectroscopic means. Several principal iron corrosion products, such as hematite and goethite, are antiferromagnetic at field temperatures. At a given applied EM frequency, which depends on temperature, these compounds undergo a unique absorption resonance that identifies the presence of these particular iron corrosion products. The frequency of the resonances tends to be on the order of 100 GHz or higher, so transmitting EM waves through the cover concrete and back out again at a detectable level has been challenging. NIST has successfully detected these two iron corrosion products, and is developing equipment and methodologies that will be capable of penetrating the typical 50 mm of cover concrete in the field. The novel part of this project is the detection of specific compounds, rather than only geometrical changes in rebar cross-section. This method has the potential of providing an early-corrosion probe for steel in reinforced concrete, and for other applications where steel is covered by various layers and coatings.

Heart rate detection from an electronic weighing scale.

PubMed

González-Landaeta, R; Casas, O; Pallàs-Areny, R

2008-08-01

We propose a novel technique for beat-to-beat heart rate detection based on the ballistocardiographic (BCG) force signal from a subject standing on a common electronic weighing scale. The detection relies on sensing force variations related to the blood acceleration in the aorta, works even if wearing footwear and does not require any sensors attached to the body because it uses the load cells in the scale. We have devised an approach to estimate the sensitivity and frequency response of three commercial weighing scales to assess their capability to detect the BCG force signal. Static sensitivities ranged from 490 nV V(-1) N(-1) to 1670 nV V(-1) N(-1). The frequency response depended on the subject's mass but it was broad enough for heart rate estimation. We have designed an electronic pulse detection system based on off-the-shelf integrated circuits to sense heart-beat-related force variations of about 0.24 N. The signal-to-noise ratio of the main peaks of the force signal detected was higher than 30 dB. A Bland-Altman plot was used to compare the RR time intervals estimated from the ECG and BCG force signals for 17 volunteers. The error was +/-21 ms, which makes the proposed technique suitable for short-term monitoring of the heart rate.

Feature Selection and Classifier Parameters Estimation for EEG Signals Peak Detection Using Particle Swarm Optimization

PubMed Central

Adam, Asrul; Mohd Tumari, Mohd Zaidi; Mohamad, Mohd Saberi

2014-01-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal peak detection is widely used in clinical applications. The peak point can be detected using several approaches, including time, frequency, time-frequency, and nonlinear domains depending on various peak features from several models. However, there is no study that provides the importance of every peak feature in contributing to a good and generalized model. In this study, feature selection and classifier parameters estimation based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) are proposed as a framework for peak detection on EEG signals in time domain analysis. Two versions of PSO are used in the study: (1) standard PSO and (2) random asynchronous particle swarm optimization (RA-PSO). The proposed framework tries to find the best combination of all the available features that offers good peak detection and a high classification rate from the results in the conducted experiments. The evaluation results indicate that the accuracy of the peak detection can be improved up to 99.90% and 98.59% for training and testing, respectively, as compared to the framework without feature selection adaptation. Additionally, the proposed framework based on RA-PSO offers a better and reliable classification rate as compared to standard PSO as it produces low variance model. PMID:25243236

Sex-dependent modulation of ultrasonic vocalizations in house mice (Mus musculus musculus)

PubMed Central

Reitschmidt, Doris; Noll, Anton; Balazs, Peter; Penn, Dustin J.

2017-01-01

House mice (Mus musculus) emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which are surprisingly complex and have features of bird song, but their functions are not well understood. Previous studies have reported mixed evidence on whether there are sex differences in USV emission, though vocalization rate or other features may depend upon whether potential receivers are of the same or opposite sex. We recorded the USVs of wild-derived adult house mice (F1 of wild-caught Mus musculus musculus), and we compared the vocalizations of males and females in response to a stimulus mouse of the same- or opposite-sex. To detect and quantify vocalizations, we used an algorithm that automatically detects USVs (Automatic Mouse Ultrasound Detector or A-MUD). We found high individual variation in USV emission rates (4 to 2083 elements/10 min trial) and a skewed distribution, with most mice (60%) emitting few (≤50) elements. We found no differences in the rates of calling between the sexes overall, but mice of both sexes emitted vocalizations at a higher rate and higher frequencies during opposite- compared to same-sex interactions. We also observed a trend toward higher amplitudes by males when presented with a male compared to a female stimulus. Our results suggest that mice modulate the rate and frequency of vocalizations depending upon the sex of potential receivers. PMID:29236704

Radio frequency detection assembly and method for detecting radio frequencies

DOEpatents

Cown, Steven H.; Derr, Kurt Warren

2010-03-16

A radio frequency detection assembly is described and which includes a radio frequency detector which detects a radio frequency emission produced by a radio frequency emitter from a given location which is remote relative to the radio frequency detector; a location assembly electrically coupled with the radio frequency detector and which is operable to estimate the location of the radio frequency emitter from the radio frequency emission which has been received; and a radio frequency transmitter electrically coupled with the radio frequency detector and the location assembly, and which transmits a radio frequency signal which reports the presence of the radio frequency emitter.

Development and initial validation of a caffeine craving questionnaire.

PubMed

West, Oliver; Roderique-Davies, Gareth

2008-01-01

Craving for caffeine has received little empirical attention, despite considerable research into the potential for caffeine dependence. The main aim of this study was to develop, and initially validate, a multi-item, multidimensional instrument to measure cravings for caffeine. Participants were 189 caffeine consumers who completed the Questionnaire of Caffeine Cravings, which was based on the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU), in one of five naturally occurring periods of abstinence; 1-15 min; 16-120 mins; 3-7 h; 12-48 h and +48 h. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a three-factor solution best described the data; Factor 1 reflected strong desires, intentions and positive reinforcement; Factor 2 reflected mild/general positive and negative reinforcement and Factor 3 reflected functional/mood-based negative reinforcement. Significantly higher Factor 1 and Factor 2 scores were recorded for high frequency users; significantly higher Factor 1 and Factor 3 scores were recorded as a function of increased levels of dependence. Duration of abstinence did not significantly effect cravings across all three factors. Regression analyses suggested level of dependence best predicted both current cravings and frequency of daily use. These findings suggest caffeine cravings may be conceptualized multidimensionally and further validates the use of multidimensional, multi-item instruments. Cravings for caffeine may manifest and be detected across varying levels of dependence and, frequency of use and independently of duration of abstinence.

An initial investigation into pseudo-coloring for ultrasonic NDE of polycrystalline materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Pamel, A.; Brett, C. R.; Lowe, M. J. S.

2015-03-01

Ultrasonic imaging for NDE is limited by the challenge of detection, which relies on discriminating between objects based on their intensity. Whilst this works well in ultrasonically transparent media, in polycrystalline materials however, a host where scatterers are abundant, this is no longer the case. In such media, intensity information, as a means of interpreting an image, is compromised by the background of coherent microstructural noise. In a bid to improve this, it is suggested here to use pseudo-coloring to consider frequency information and distinguish objects based on their emitted frequency spectra. This approach exploits the frequency diversity; namely the difference in frequency dependence of the noise stemming from the material's microstructure, or backscatter, and that exhibited by the targets of interest: defects. Whereas established frequency diversity techniques exploit this additional information to reconvert it into amplitude data, color enables encoding frequency and intensity information independently. This article serves as an initial exploration of pseudo-coloring ultrasonic images for ultrasonic NDE of polycrystalline materials.

Terahertz Microfluidic Sensing Using a Parallel-plate Waveguide Sensor

PubMed Central

Astley, Victoria; Reichel, Kimberly; Mendis, Rajind; Mittleman, Daniel M.

2012-01-01

Refractive index (RI) sensing is a powerful noninvasive and label-free sensing technique for the identification, detection and monitoring of microfluidic samples with a wide range of possible sensor designs such as interferometers and resonators 1,2. Most of the existing RI sensing applications focus on biological materials in aqueous solutions in visible and IR frequencies, such as DNA hybridization and genome sequencing. At terahertz frequencies, applications include quality control, monitoring of industrial processes and sensing and detection applications involving nonpolar materials. Several potential designs for refractive index sensors in the terahertz regime exist, including photonic crystal waveguides 3, asymmetric split-ring resonators 4, and photonic band gap structures integrated into parallel-plate waveguides 5. Many of these designs are based on optical resonators such as rings or cavities. The resonant frequencies of these structures are dependent on the refractive index of the material in or around the resonator. By monitoring the shifts in resonant frequency the refractive index of a sample can be accurately measured and this in turn can be used to identify a material, monitor contamination or dilution, etc. The sensor design we use here is based on a simple parallel-plate waveguide 6,7. A rectangular groove machined into one face acts as a resonant cavity (Figures 1 and 2). When terahertz radiation is coupled into the waveguide and propagates in the lowest-order transverse-electric (TE1) mode, the result is a single strong resonant feature with a tunable resonant frequency that is dependent on the geometry of the groove 6,8. This groove can be filled with nonpolar liquid microfluidic samples which cause a shift in the observed resonant frequency that depends on the amount of liquid in the groove and its refractive index 9. Our technique has an advantage over other terahertz techniques in its simplicity, both in fabrication and implementation, since the procedure can be accomplished with standard laboratory equipment without the need for a clean room or any special fabrication or experimental techniques. It can also be easily expanded to multichannel operation by the incorporation of multiple grooves 10. In this video we will describe our complete experimental procedure, from the design of the sensor to the data analysis and determination of the sample refractive index. PMID:22951593

Separating hyperfine from spin-orbit interactions in organic semiconductors by multi-octave magnetic resonance using coplanar waveguide microresonators

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

Joshi, G.; Miller, R.; Ogden, L.

2016-09-05

Separating the influence of hyperfine from spin-orbit interactions in spin-dependent carrier recombination and dissociation processes necessitates magnetic resonance spectroscopy over a wide range of frequencies. We have designed compact and versatile coplanar waveguide resonators for continuous-wave electrically detected magnetic resonance and tested these on organic light-emitting diodes. By exploiting both the fundamental and higher-harmonic modes of the resonators, we cover almost five octaves in resonance frequency within a single setup. The measurements with a common π-conjugated polymer as the active material reveal small but non-negligible effects of spin-orbit interactions, which give rise to a broadening of the magnetic resonance spectrummore » with increasing frequency.« less

Distributed micro-radar system for detection and tracking of low-profile, low-altitude targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorwara, Ashok; Molchanov, Pavlo

2016-05-01

Proposed airborne surveillance radar system can detect, locate, track, and classify low-profile, low-altitude targets: from traditional fixed and rotary wing aircraft to non-traditional targets like unmanned aircraft systems (drones) and even small projectiles. Distributed micro-radar system is the next step in the development of passive monopulse direction finder proposed by Stephen E. Lipsky in the 80s. To extend high frequency limit and provide high sensitivity over the broadband of frequencies, multiple angularly spaced directional antennas are coupled with front end circuits and separately connected to a direction finder processor by a digital interface. Integration of antennas with front end circuits allows to exclude waveguide lines which limits system bandwidth and creates frequency dependent phase errors. Digitizing of received signals proximate to antennas allows loose distribution of antennas and dramatically decrease phase errors connected with waveguides. Accuracy of direction finding in proposed micro-radar in this case will be determined by time accuracy of digital processor and sampling frequency. Multi-band, multi-functional antennas can be distributed around the perimeter of a Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and connected to the processor by digital interface or can be distributed between swarm/formation of mini/micro UAS and connected wirelessly. Expendable micro-radars can be distributed by perimeter of defense object and create multi-static radar network. Low-profile, lowaltitude, high speed targets, like small projectiles, create a Doppler shift in a narrow frequency band. This signal can be effectively filtrated and detected with high probability. Proposed micro-radar can work in passive, monostatic or bistatic regime.

Peptide backbone orientation and dynamics in spider dragline silk and two-photon excitation in nuclear magnetic and quadrupole resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eles, Philip Thomas

2005-07-01

In the first part of the dissertation, spider dragline silk is studied by solid state NMR techniques. The dependence of NMR frequency on molecular orientation is exploited using the DECODER experiment to determine the orientation of the protein backbone within the silk fibre. Practical experimental considerations require that the silk fibres be wound about a cylindrical axis perpendicular to the external magnetic field, complicating the reconstruction of the underlying orientation distribution and necess-itating the development of numerical techniques for this purpose. A two-component model of silk incorporating static b-sheets and polyglycine II helices adequately fits the NMR data and suggests that the b-sheets are well aligned along the silk axis (20 FWHM) while the helices are poorly aligned (68 FWHM). The effects of fibre strain, draw rate and hydration on orientation are measured. Measurements of the time-scale for peptide backbone motion indicate that when wet, a strain-dependent frac-tion of the poorly aligned component becomes mobile. This suggests a mechanism for the supercontraction of silk involving latent entropic springs that undergo a local strain-dependent phase transition, driving supercontraction. In the second part of this dissertation a novel method is developed for exciting NMR and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) by rf irradiation at multiple frequencies that sum to (or differ by) the resonance frequency. This is fundamentally different than traditional NMR experiments where irradiation is applied on-resonance. With excitation outside the detection bandwidth, two-photon excitation allows for detection of free induction signals during excitation, completely eliminating receiver dead-time. A theoretical approach to describing two-photon excitation is developed based on average Hamiltonian theory. An intuition for two-photon excitation is gained by analogy to the coherent absorption of multiple photons requiring conservation of total energy and momentum. It is shown that two-photon excitation efficiency impro-ves when the two applied rf frequencies deviate from half-resonance. For two-photon NQR, it is shown that observable magnetization appears perpendicular to the excita-tion coil, requiring a second coil for detection, and that double quantum coherences are also generated. Several model systems and experimental geometries are used to demonstrate the peculiarities of two-photon excitation in NMR and NQR.

Solution pH change in non-uniform alternating current electric fields at frequencies above the electrode charging frequency

PubMed Central

An, Ran; Massa, Katherine

2014-01-01

AC Faradaic reactions have been reported as a mechanism inducing non-ideal phenomena such as flow reversal and cell deformation in electrokinetic microfluidic systems. Prior published work described experiments in parallel electrode arrays below the electrode charging frequency (fc), the frequency for electrical double layer charging at the electrode. However, 2D spatially non-uniform AC electric fields are required for applications such as in plane AC electroosmosis, AC electrothermal pumps, and dielectrophoresis. Many microscale experimental applications utilize AC frequencies around or above fc. In this work, a pH sensitive fluorescein sodium salt dye was used to detect [H+] as an indicator of Faradaic reactions in aqueous solutions within non-uniform AC electric fields. Comparison experiments with (a) parallel (2D uniform fields) electrodes and (b) organic media were employed to deduce the electrode charging mechanism at 5 kHz (1.5fc). Time dependency analysis illustrated that Faradaic reactions exist above the theoretically predicted electrode charging frequency. Spatial analysis showed [H+] varied spatially due to electric field non-uniformities and local pH changed at length scales greater than 50 μm away from the electrode surface. Thus, non-uniform AC fields yielded spatially varied pH gradients as a direct consequence of ion path length differences while uniform fields did not yield pH gradients; the latter is consistent with prior published data. Frequency dependence was examined from 5 kHz to 12 kHz at 5.5 Vpp potential, and voltage dependency was explored from 3.5 to 7.5 Vpp at 5 kHz. Results suggest that Faradaic reactions can still proceed within electrochemical systems in the absence of well-established electrical double layers. This work also illustrates that in microfluidic systems, spatial medium variations must be considered as a function of experiment time, initial medium conditions, electric signal potential, frequency, and spatial position. PMID:25553200

Detection and identification of substances using noisy THz signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trofimov, Vyacheslav A.; Zakharova, Irina G.; Zagursky, Dmitry Yu.; Varentsova, Svetlana A.

2017-05-01

We discuss an effective method for the detection and identification of substances using a high noisy THz signal. In order to model such a noisy signal, we add to the THz signal transmitted through a pure substance, a noisy THz signal obtained in real conditions at a long distance (more than 3.5 m) from the receiver in air. The insufficiency of the standard THz-TDS method is demonstrated. The method discussed in the paper is based on time-dependent integral correlation criteria calculated using spectral dynamics of medium response. A new type of the integral correlation criterion, which is less dependent on spectral characteristics of the noisy signal under investigation, is used for the substance identification. To demonstrate the possibilities of the integral correlation criteria in real experiment, they are applied for the identification of explosive HMX in the reflection mode. To explain the physical mechanism for the false absorption frequencies appearance in the signal we make a computer simulation using 1D Maxwell's equations and density matrix formalism. We propose also new method for the substance identification by using the THz pulse frequency up-conversion and discuss an application of the cascade mechanism of molecules high energy levels excitation for the substance identification.

Advanced NDE research in electromagnetic, thermal, and coherent optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, S. Ballou

1992-01-01

A new inspection technology called magneto-optic/eddy current imaging was investigated. The magneto-optic imager makes readily visible irregularities and inconsistencies in airframe components. Other research observed in electromagnetics included (1) disbond detection via resonant modal analysis; (2) AC magnetic field frequency dependence of magnetoacoustic emission; and (3) multi-view magneto-optic imaging. Research observed in the thermal group included (1) thermographic detection and characterization of corrosion in aircraft aluminum; (2) a multipurpose infrared imaging system for thermoelastic stress detection; (3) thermal diffusivity imaging of stress induced damage in composites; and (4) detection and measurement of ice formation on the space shuttle main fuel tank. Research observed in the optics group included advancements in optical nondestructive evaluation (NDE).

Development of a model to simulate infection dynamics of Mycobacterium bovis in cattle herds in the United States

PubMed Central

Smith, Rebecca L.; Schukken, Ynte H.; Lu, Zhao; Mitchell, Rebecca M.; Grohn, Yrjo T.

2013-01-01

Objective To develop a mathematical model to simulate infection dynamics of Mycobacterium bovis in cattle herds in the United States and predict efficacy of the current national control strategy for tuberculosis in cattle. Design Stochastic simulation model. Sample Theoretical cattle herds in the United States. Procedures A model of within-herd M bovis transmission dynamics following introduction of 1 latently infected cow was developed. Frequency- and density-dependent transmission modes and 3 tuberculin-test based culling strategies (no test-based culling, constant (annual) testing with test-based culling, and the current strategy of slaughterhouse detection-based testing and culling) were investigated. Results were evaluated for 3 herd sizes over a 10-year period and validated via simulation of known outbreaks of M bovis infection. Results On the basis of 1,000 simulations (1000 herds each) at replacement rates typical for dairy cattle (0.33/y), median time to detection of M bovis infection in medium-sized herds (276 adult cattle) via slaughterhouse surveillance was 27 months after introduction, and 58% of these herds would spontaneously clear the infection prior to that time. Sixty-two percent of medium-sized herds without intervention and 99% of those managed with constant test-based culling were predicted to clear infection < 10 years after introduction. The model predicted observed outbreaks best for frequency-dependent transmission, and probability of clearance was most sensitive to replacement rate. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Although modeling indicated the current national control strategy was sufficient for elimination of M bovis infection from dairy herds after detection, slaughterhouse surveillance was not sufficient to detect M bovis infection in all herds and resulted in subjectively delayed detection, compared with the constant testing method. Further research is required to economically optimize this strategy. PMID:23865885

Using frequency tagging to quantify attentional deployment in a visual divided attention task.

PubMed

Toffanin, Paolo; de Jong, Ritske; Johnson, Addie; Martens, Sander

2009-06-01

Frequency tagging is an EEG method based on the quantification of the steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) elicited from stimuli which flicker with a distinctive frequency. Because the amplitude of the SSVEP is modulated by attention such that attended stimuli elicit higher SSVEP amplitudes than do ignored stimuli, the method has been used to investigate the neural mechanisms of spatial attention. However, up to now it has not been shown whether the amplitude of the SSVEP is sensitive to gradations of attention and there has been debate about whether attention effects on the SSVEP are dependent on the tagging frequency used. We thus compared attention effects on SSVEP across three attention conditions-focused, divided, and ignored-with six different tagging frequencies. Participants performed a visual detection task (respond to the digit 5 embedded in a stream of characters). Two stimulus streams, one to the left and one to the right of fixation, were displayed simultaneously, each with a background grey square whose hue was sine-modulated with one of the six tagging frequencies. At the beginning of each trial a cue indicated whether targets on the left, right, or both sides should be responded to. Accuracy was higher in the focused- than in the divided-attention condition. SSVEP amplitudes were greatest in the focused-attention condition, intermediate in the divided-attention condition, and smallest in the ignored-attention condition. The effect of attention on SSVEP amplitude did not depend on the tagging frequency used. Frequency tagging appears to be a flexible technique for studying attention.

SU-D-204-05: Quantitative Comparison of a High Resolution Micro-Angiographic Fluoroscopic (MAF) Detector with a Standard Flat Panel Detector (FPD) Using the New Metric of Generalized Measured Relative Object Detectability (GM-ROD)

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

Russ, M; Ionita, C; Bednarek, D

Purpose: In endovascular image-guided neuro-interventions, visualization of fine detail is paramount. For example, the ability of the interventionist to visualize the stent struts depends heavily on the x-ray imaging detector performance. Methods: A study to examine the relative performance of the high resolution MAF-CMOS (pixel size 75µm, Nyquist frequency 6.6 cycles/mm) and a standard Flat Panel Detector (pixel size 194µm, Nyquist frequency 2.5 cycles/mm) detectors in imaging a neuro stent was done using the Generalized Measured Relative Object Detectability (GM-ROD) metric. Low quantum noise images of a deployed stent were obtained by averaging 95 frames obtained by both detectors withoutmore » changing other exposure or geometric parameters. The square of the Fourier transform of each image is taken and divided by the generalized normalized noise power spectrum to give an effective measured task-specific signal-to-noise ratio. This expression is then integrated from 0 to each of the detector’s Nyquist frequencies, and the GM-ROD value is determined by taking a ratio of the integrals for the MAF-CMOS to that of the FPD. The lower bound of integration can be varied to emphasize high frequencies in the detector comparisons. Results: The MAF-CMOS detector exhibits vastly superior performance over the FPD when integrating over all frequencies, yielding a GM-ROD value of 63.1. The lower bound of integration was stepped up in increments of 0.5 cycles/mm for higher frequency comparisons. As the lower bound increased, the GM-ROD value was augmented, reflecting the superior performance of the MAF-CMOS in the high frequency regime. Conclusion: GM-ROD is a versatile metric that can provide quantitative detector and task dependent comparisons that can be used as a basis for detector selection. Supported by NIH Grant: 2R01EB002873 and an equipment grant from Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.« less

Quantitative Surface Chirality Detection with Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy: Twin Polarization Angle Approach

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

Wei, Feng; Xu, Yanyan; Guo, Yuan

2009-12-27

Here we report a novel twin polarization angle (TPA) approach in the quantitative chirality detection with the surface sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS). Generally, the achiral contribution dominates the surface SFG-VS signal, and the pure chiral signal is usually two or three orders of magnitude smaller. Therefore, it has been difficult to make quantitative detection and analysis of the chiral contributions to the surface SFG- VS signal. In the TPA method, by varying together the polarization angles of the incoming visible light and the sum frequency signal at fixed s or p polarization of the incoming infrared beam, the polarizationmore » dependent SFG signal can give not only direct signature of the chiral contribution in the total SFG-VS signal, but also the accurate measurement of the chiral and achiral components in the surface SFG signal. The general description of the TPA method is presented and the experiment test of the TPA approach is also presented for the SFG-VS from the S- and R-limonene chiral liquid surfaces. The most accurate degree of chiral excess values thus obtained for the 2878 cm⁻¹ spectral peak of the S- and R-limonene liquid surfaces are (23.7±0.4)% and ({25.4±1.3)%, respectively.« less

Inductive Sensor Performance in Partial Discharges and Noise Separation by Means of Spectral Power Ratios

PubMed Central

Ardila-Rey, Jorge Alfredo; Rojas-Moreno, Mónica Victoria; Martínez-Tarifa, Juan Manuel; Robles, Guillermo

2014-01-01

Partial discharge (PD) detection is a standardized technique to qualify electrical insulation in machines and power cables. Several techniques that analyze the waveform of the pulses have been proposed to discriminate noise from PD activity. Among them, spectral power ratio representation shows great flexibility in the separation of the sources of PD. Mapping spectral power ratios in two-dimensional plots leads to clusters of points which group pulses with similar characteristics. The position in the map depends on the nature of the partial discharge, the setup and the frequency response of the sensors. If these clusters are clearly separated, the subsequent task of identifying the source of the discharge is straightforward so the distance between clusters can be a figure of merit to suggest the best option for PD recognition. In this paper, two inductive sensors with different frequency responses to pulsed signals, a high frequency current transformer and an inductive loop sensor, are analyzed to test their performance in detecting and separating the sources of partial discharges. PMID:24556674

Baseline coral disease surveys within three marine parks in Sabah, Borneo.

PubMed

Miller, Jennifer; Sweet, Michael J; Wood, Elizabeth; Bythell, John

2015-01-01

Two of the most significant threats to coral reefs worldwide are bleaching and disease. However, there has been a scarcity of research on coral disease in South-East Asia, despite the high biodiversity and the strong dependence of local communities on the reefs in the region. This study provides baseline data on coral disease frequencies within three national parks in Sabah, Borneo, which exhibit different levels of human impacts and management histories. High mean coral cover (55%) and variable disease frequency (mean 0.25 diseased colonies m(-2)) were found across the three sites. Highest disease frequency (0.44 diseased colonies per m(2)) was seen at the site closest to coastal population centres. Bleaching and pigmentation responses were actually higher at Sipadan, the more remote, offshore site, whereas none of the other coral diseases detected in the other two parks were detected in Sipadan. Results of this study offer a baseline dataset of disease in these parks and indicate the need for continued monitoring, and suggest that coral colonies in parks under higher anthropogenic stressors and with lower coral cover may be more susceptible to contracting disease.

Quantifying facial expression recognition across viewing conditions.

PubMed

Goren, Deborah; Wilson, Hugh R

2006-04-01

Facial expressions are key to social interactions and to assessment of potential danger in various situations. Therefore, our brains must be able to recognize facial expressions when they are transformed in biologically plausible ways. We used synthetic happy, sad, angry and fearful faces to determine the amount of geometric change required to recognize these emotions during brief presentations. Five-alternative forced choice conditions involving central viewing, peripheral viewing and inversion were used to study recognition among the four emotions. Two-alternative forced choice was used to study affect discrimination when spatial frequency information in the stimulus was modified. The results show an emotion and task-dependent pattern of detection. Facial expressions presented with low peak frequencies are much harder to discriminate from neutral than faces defined by either mid or high peak frequencies. Peripheral presentation of faces also makes recognition much more difficult, except for happy faces. Differences between fearful detection and recognition tasks are probably due to common confusions with sadness when recognizing fear from among other emotions. These findings further support the idea that these emotions are processed separately from each other.

Critical ratios of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) and masked signal duration.

PubMed

Erbe, Christine

2008-10-01

This article examines the masking of a complex beluga vocalization by natural and anthropogenic noise. The call consisted of six 150 ms pulses exhibiting spectral peaks between 800 Hz and 8 kHz. Comparing the spectra and spectrograms of the call and noises at detection threshold showed that the animal did not hear the entire call at threshold. It only heard parts of the call in frequency and time. From the masked hearing thresholds in broadband continuous noises, critical ratios were computed. Fletcher critical bands were narrower than either 15 or 111 of an octave at the low frequencies of the call (<2 kHz), depending on which frequency the animal cued on. From the masked hearing thresholds in intermittent noises, the audible signal duration at detection threshold was computed. The intermittent noises differed in gap length, gap number, and masking, but the total audible signal duration at threshold was the same: 660 ms. This observation supports a multiple-looks model. The two amplitude modulated noises exhibited weaker masking than the unmodulated noises hinting at a comodulation masking release.

SETI Observations of Exoplanets with the Allen Telescope Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harp, G. R.; Richards, Jon; Tarter, Jill C.; Dreher, John; Jordan, Jane; Shostak, Seth; Smolek, Ken; Kilsdonk, Tom; Wilcox, Bethany R.; Wimberly, M. K. R.; Ross, John; Barott, W. C.; Ackermann, R. F.; Blair, Samantha

2016-12-01

We report radio SETI observations on a large number of known exoplanets and other nearby star systems using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA). Observations were made over about 19000 hr from 2009 May to 2015 December. This search focused on narrowband radio signals from a set totaling 9293 stars, including 2015 exoplanet stars and Kepler objects of interest and an additional 65 whose planets may be close to their habitable zones. The ATA observations were made using multiple synthesized beams and an anticoincidence filter to help identify terrestrial radio interference. Stars were observed over frequencies from 1 to 9 GHz in multiple bands that avoid strong terrestrial communication frequencies. Data were processed in near-real time for narrowband (0.7-100 Hz) continuous and pulsed signals with transmitter/receiver relative accelerations from -0.3 to 0.3 m s-2. A total of 1.9 × 108 unique signals requiring immediate follow-up were detected in observations covering more than 8 × 106 star-MHz. We detected no persistent signals from extraterrestrial technology exceeding our frequency-dependent sensitivity threshold of 180-310 × 10-26 W m-2.

pH imaging of mouse kidneys in vivo using a frequency-dependent paraCEST agent

PubMed Central

Wu, Yunkou; Zhang, Shanrong; Soesbe, Todd C.; Yu, Jing; Vinogradov, Elena; Lenkinski, Robert E.; Sherry, A. Dean

2015-01-01

Purpose This study explored the feasibility of using a pH responsive paraCEST agent to image the pH gradient in kidneys of healthy mice. Methods CEST signals were acquired on an Agilent 9.4 T small animal MRI system using a steady-state gradient echo pulse sequence after a bolus injection of agent. The magnetic field inhomogeneity across each kidney was corrected using the WASSR method and pH maps were calculated by measuring the frequency of water exchange signal arising from the agent. Results Dynamic CEST studies demonstrated that the agent was readily detectable in kidneys only between 4 to 12 min post-injection. The CEST images showed a higher signal intensity in the pelvis and calyx regions and lower signal intensity in the medulla and cortex regions. The pH maps reflected tissue pH values spanning from 6.0 to 7.5 in kidneys of healthy mice. Conclusion This study demonstrated that pH maps of the kidney can be imaged in vivo by measuring the pH-dependent chemical shift of a single water exchange CEST peak without prior knowledge of the agent concentration in vivo. The results demonstrate the potential of using a simple frequency-dependent paraCEST agent for mapping tissue pH in vivo. PMID:26173637

Influence of Plasma Unsteadiness on the Spectrum and Shape of Microwave Pulses in a Plasma Relativistic Microwave Amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kartashov, I. N.; Kuzelev, M. V.; Strelkov, P. S.; Tarakanov, V. P.

2018-02-01

Dependence of the shape of a microwave pulse in a plasma relativistic microwave amplifier (PRMA) on the initial plasma electron density in the system is detected experimentally. Depending on the plasma density, fast disruption of amplification, stable operation of the amplifier during the relativistic electron beam (REB) pulse, and its delayed actuation can take place. A reduction in the output signal frequency relative to the input frequency is observed experimentally. The change in the shape of the microwave signal and the reduction in its frequency are explained by a decrease in the plasma density in the system. The dynamics of the plasma density during the REB pulse is determined qualitatively from the experimental data by using the linear theory of a PRMA with a thin-wall hollow electron beam. The processes in a PRMA are analyzed by means of the KARAT particle-in-cell code. It is shown that REB injection is accompanied by an increase in the mean energy of plasma electrons and a significant decrease in their density.

Distance-dependent pattern blending can camouflage salient aposematic signals.

PubMed

Barnett, James B; Cuthill, Innes C; Scott-Samuel, Nicholas E

2017-07-12

The effect of viewing distance on the perception of visual texture is well known: spatial frequencies higher than the resolution limit of an observer's visual system will be summed and perceived as a single combined colour. In animal defensive colour patterns, distance-dependent pattern blending may allow aposematic patterns, salient at close range, to match the background to distant observers. Indeed, recent research has indicated that reducing the distance from which a salient signal can be detected can increase survival over camouflage or conspicuous aposematism alone. We investigated whether the spatial frequency of conspicuous and cryptically coloured stripes affects the rate of avian predation. Our results are consistent with pattern blending acting to camouflage salient aposematic signals effectively at a distance. Experiments into the relative rate of avian predation on edible model caterpillars found that increasing spatial frequency (thinner stripes) increased survival. Similarly, visual modelling of avian predators showed that pattern blending increased the similarity between caterpillar and background. These results show how a colour pattern can be tuned to reveal or conceal different information at different distances, and produce tangible survival benefits. © 2017 The Author(s).

Optimised frequency modulation for continuous-wave optical magnetic resonance sensing using nitrogen-vacancy ensembles.

PubMed

El-Ella, Haitham A R; Ahmadi, Sepehr; Wojciechowski, Adam M; Huck, Alexander; Andersen, Ulrik L

2017-06-26

Magnetometers based on ensembles of nitrogen-vacancy centres are a promising platform for continuously sensing static and low-frequency magnetic fields. Their combination with phase-sensitive (lock-in) detection creates a highly versatile sensor with a sensitivity that is proportional to the derivative of the optical magnetic resonance lock-in spectrum, which is in turn dependant on the lock-in modulation parameters. Here we study the dependence of the lock-in spectral slope on the modulation of the spin-driving microwave field. Given the presence of the intrinsic nitrogen hyperfine spin transitions, we experimentally show that when the ratio between the hyperfine linewidth and their separation is ≳ 1/4, square-wave based frequency modulation generates the steepest slope at modulation depths exceeding the separation of the hyperfine lines, compared to sine-wave based modulation. We formulate a model for calculating lock-in spectra which shows excellent agreement with our experiments, and which shows that an optimum slope is achieved when the linewidth/separation ratio is ≲ 1/4 and the modulation depth is less then the resonance linewidth, irrespective of the modulation function used.

Frequency domain photothermoacoustic signal amplitude dependence on the optical properties of water: turbid polyvinyl chloride-plastisol system.

PubMed

Spirou, Gloria M; Mandelis, Andreas; Vitkin, I Alex; Whelan, William M

2008-05-10

Photoacoustic (more precisely, photothermoacoustic) signals generated by the absorption of photons can be related to the incident laser fluence rate. The dependence of frequency domain photoacoustic (FD-PA) signals on the optical absorption coefficient (micro(a)) and the effective attenuation coefficient (micro(eff)) of a turbid medium [polyvinyl chloride-plastisol (PVCP)] with tissuelike optical properties was measured, and empirical relationships between these optical properties and the photoacoustic (PA) signal amplitude and the laser fluence rate were derived for the water (PVCP system with and without optical scatterers). The measured relationships between these sample optical properties and the PA signal amplitude were found to be linear, consistent with FD-PA theory: micro(a)=a(A/Phi)-b and micro(eff)=c(A/Phi)+d, where Phi is the laser fluence, A is the FD-PA amplitude, and a, ...,d are empirical coefficients determined from the experiment using linear frequency-swept modulation and a lock-in heterodyne detection technique. This quantitative technique can easily be used to measure the optical properties of general turbid media using FD-PAs.

Bulk Genotyping of Biopsies Can Create Spurious Evidence for Hetereogeneity in Mutation Content.

PubMed

Kostadinov, Rumen; Maley, Carlo C; Kuhner, Mary K

2016-04-01

When multiple samples are taken from the neoplastic tissues of a single patient, it is natural to compare their mutation content. This is often done by bulk genotyping of whole biopsies, but the chance that a mutation will be detected in bulk genotyping depends on its local frequency in the sample. When the underlying mutation count per cell is equal, homogenous biopsies will have more high-frequency mutations, and thus more detectable mutations, than heterogeneous ones. Using simulations, we show that bulk genotyping of data simulated under a neutral model of somatic evolution generates strong spurious evidence for non-neutrality, because the pattern of tissue growth systematically generates differences in biopsy heterogeneity. Any experiment which compares mutation content across bulk-genotyped biopsies may therefore suggest mutation rate or selection intensity variation even when these forces are absent. We discuss computational and experimental approaches for resolving this problem.

On the local time dependence of the bow shock wave structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, J. V.; Holzer, R. E.

1974-01-01

In the first 6 months after its launch, Ogo 3 crossed the earth's bow shock over 500 times. From this group, a set of 494 shock crossings were chosen for analysis. These crossings, as they were recorded by the UCLA/JPL search coil magnetometer, were scanned and classified according to the nature of the plasma waves detected near the shock. More than 85% of the shocks detected fell into a single category showing the predominance of two independent wave trains near the shock, the higher frequency appearing upstream and the lower downstream. The other 15%, which constitute an upper limit, appear to be composed of shocks dominated by a single wave pattern and of chaotic shocks showing no orderly progression of wave frequencies as the shock was penetrated. This division of wave pattern was found to occur at all local times, that is, in all regions where the satellite penetrated the shock.

Simultaneous Planck, Swift, and Fermi Observations of X-ray and Gamma-ray Selected Blazars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giommi, P.; Polenta, G.; Laehteenmaeki, A.; Thompson, D. J.; Capalbi, M.; Cutini, S.; Gasparrini, D.; Gonzalez, Nuevo, J.; Leon-Tavares, J.; Lopez-Caniego, M.;

The meaning of vaguely quantified frequency response options on a quality of life scale depends on respondents’ medical status and age

PubMed Central

Schneider, Stefan; Stone, Arthur A.

2017-01-01

Purpose Self-report items in quality of life (QoL) scales commonly use vague quantifiers like “sometimes” or “often” to measure the frequency of health-related experiences. This study examined whether the meaning of such vaguely quantified response options differs depending on people’s medical status and age, which may undermine the validity of QoL group comparisons. Methods Respondents (n = 600) rated the frequency of positive and negative QoL experiences using vague quantifiers (never, rarely, sometimes, often, always) and provided open-ended numeric frequency counts for the same items. Negative binomial regression analyses examined whether the numeric frequencies associated with each vague quantifier differed between medical status (no vs. one or more medical conditions) and age (18–40 years vs. 60+ years) groups. Results Compared to respondents without a chronic condition, those with a medical condition assigned a higher numeric frequency to the same vague quantifiers for negative QoL experiences; this effect was not evident for positive QoL experiences. Older respondents’ numeric frequencies were more extreme (i.e., lower at the low end and somewhat higher at the high end of the response range) than those of younger respondents. After adjusting for these effects, differences in QoL became somewhat more pronounced between medical status groups, but not between age groups. Conclusions The results suggest that people with different medical backgrounds and age do not interpret vague frequency quantifiers on a QoL scale in the same way. Open-ended numeric frequency reports may be useful to detect and potentially correct for differences in the meaning of vague quantifiers. PMID:27071685

The Benefits of Using Time-Frequency Analysis with Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique

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

Albright, Austin P; Clayton, Dwight A

2015-01-01

Improvements in detection and resolution are always desired and needed. There are various instruments available for the inspection of concrete structures that can be used with confidence for detecting different defects. However, more often than not that confidence is heavily dependent on the experience of the operator rather than the clear, objective discernibility of the output of the instrument. The challenge of objective discernment is amplified when the concrete structures contain multiple layers of reinforcement, are of significant thickness, or both, such as concrete structures in nuclear power plants. We seek to improve and extend the usefulness of results producedmore » using the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) on data collected from thick, complex concrete structures. A secondary goal is to improve existing SAFT results, with regards to repeatedly and objectively identifying defects and/or internal structure of concrete structures. Towards these goals, we are applying the time-frequency technique of wavelet packet decomposition and reconstruction using a mother wavelet that possesses the exact reconstruction property. However, instead of analyzing the coefficients of each decomposition node, we select and reconstruct specific nodes based on the frequency band it contains to produce a frequency band specific time-series representation. SAFT is then applied to these frequency specific reconstructions allowing SAFT to be used to visualize the reflectivity of a frequency band and that band s interaction with the contents of the concrete structure. We apply our technique to data sets collected using a commercial, ultrasonic linear array (MIRA) from two 1.5m x 2m x 25cm concrete test specimens. One specimen contains multiple layers of rebar. The other contains honeycomb, crack, and rebar bonding defect analogs. This approach opens up a multitude of possibilities for improved detection, readability, and overall improved objectivity. We will focus on improved defect/reinforcement isolation in thick and multilayered reinforcement environments. Additionally, the ability to empirically explore the possibility of a frequency-band-defect-type relationship or sensitivity becomes available.« less

The benefits of using time-frequency analysis with synthetic aperture focusing technique

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

Albright, Austin, E-mail: albrightap@ornl.gov, E-mail: claytonda@ornl.gov; Clayton, Dwight, E-mail: albrightap@ornl.gov, E-mail: claytonda@ornl.gov

2015-03-31

Improvements in detection and resolution are always desired and needed. There are various instruments available for the inspection of concrete structures that can be used with confidence for detecting different defects. However, more often than not that confidence is heavily dependent on the experience of the operator rather than the clear, objective discernibility of the output of the instrument. The challenge of objective discernment is amplified when the concrete structures contain multiple layers of reinforcement, are of significant thickness, or both, such as concrete structures in nuclear power plants. We seek to improve and extend the usefulness of results producedmore » using the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) on data collected from thick, complex concrete structures. A secondary goal is to improve existing SAFT results, with regards to repeatedly and objectively identifying defects and/or internal structure of concrete structures. Towards these goals, we are applying the time-frequency technique of wavelet packet decomposition and reconstruction using a mother wavelet that possesses the exact reconstruction property. However, instead of analyzing the coefficients of each decomposition node, we select and reconstruct specific nodes based on the frequency band it contains to produce a frequency band specific time-series representation. SAFT is then applied to these frequency specific reconstructions allowing SAFT to be used to visualize the reflectivity of a frequency band and that band's interaction with the contents of the concrete structure. We apply our technique to data sets collected using a commercial, ultrasonic linear array (MIRA) from two 1.5m × 2m × 25cm concrete test specimens. One specimen contains multiple layers of rebar. The other contains honeycomb, crack, and rebar bonding defect analogs. This approach opens up a multitude of possibilities for improved detection, readability, and overall improved objectivity. We will focus on improved defect/reinforcement isolation in thick and multilayered reinforcement environments. Additionally, the ability to empirically explore the possibility of a frequency-band-defect-type relationship or sensitivity becomes available.« less

Gap detection threshold in the rat before and after auditory cortex ablation.

PubMed

Syka, J; Rybalko, N; Mazelová, J; Druga, R

2002-10-01

Gap detection threshold (GDT) was measured in adult female pigmented rats (strain Long-Evans) by an operant conditioning technique with food reinforcement, before and after bilateral ablation of the auditory cortex. GDT was dependent on the frequency spectrum and intensity of the continuously present noise in which the gaps were embedded. The mean values of GDT for gaps embedded in white noise or low-frequency noise (upper cutoff frequency 3 kHz) at 70 dB sound pressure level (SPL) were 1.57+/-0.07 ms and 2.9+/-0.34 ms, respectively. Decreasing noise intensity from 80 dB SPL to 20 dB SPL produced a significant increase in GDT. The increase in GDT was relatively small in the range of 80-50 dB SPL for white noise and in the range of 80-60 dB for low-frequency noise. The minimal intensity level of the noise that enabled GDT measurement was 20 dB SPL for white noise and 30 dB SPL for low-frequency noise. Mean GDT values at these intensities were 10.6+/-3.9 ms and 31.3+/-4.2 ms, respectively. Bilateral ablation of the primary auditory cortex (complete destruction of the Te1 and partial destruction of the Te2 and Te3 areas) resulted in an increase in GDT values. The fifth day after surgery, the rats were able to detect gaps in the noise. The values of GDT observed at this time were 4.2+/-1.1 ms for white noise and 7.4+/-3.1 ms for low-frequency noise at 70 dB SPL. During the first month after cortical ablation, recovery of GDT was observed. However, 1 month after cortical ablation GDT still remained slightly higher than in controls (1.8+/-0.18 for white noise, 3.22+/-0.15 for low-frequency noise, P<0.05). A decrease in GDT values during the subsequent months was not observed.

The benefits of using time-frequency analysis with synthetic aperture focusing technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albright, Austin; Clayton, Dwight

2015-03-01

Improvements in detection and resolution are always desired and needed. There are various instruments available for the inspection of concrete structures that can be used with confidence for detecting different defects. However, more often than not that confidence is heavily dependent on the experience of the operator rather than the clear, objective discernibility of the output of the instrument. The challenge of objective discernment is amplified when the concrete structures contain multiple layers of reinforcement, are of significant thickness, or both, such as concrete structures in nuclear power plants. We seek to improve and extend the usefulness of results produced using the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) on data collected from thick, complex concrete structures. A secondary goal is to improve existing SAFT results, with regards to repeatedly and objectively identifying defects and/or internal structure of concrete structures. Towards these goals, we are applying the time-frequency technique of wavelet packet decomposition and reconstruction using a mother wavelet that possesses the exact reconstruction property. However, instead of analyzing the coefficients of each decomposition node, we select and reconstruct specific nodes based on the frequency band it contains to produce a frequency band specific time-series representation. SAFT is then applied to these frequency specific reconstructions allowing SAFT to be used to visualize the reflectivity of a frequency band and that band's interaction with the contents of the concrete structure. We apply our technique to data sets collected using a commercial, ultrasonic linear array (MIRA) from two 1.5m × 2m × 25cm concrete test specimens. One specimen contains multiple layers of rebar. The other contains honeycomb, crack, and rebar bonding defect analogs. This approach opens up a multitude of possibilities for improved detection, readability, and overall improved objectivity. We will focus on improved defect/reinforcement isolation in thick and multilayered reinforcement environments. Additionally, the ability to empirically explore the possibility of a frequency-band-defect-type relationship or sensitivity becomes available.

Hole Fermi surface in Bi2Se3 probed by quantum oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piot, B. A.; Desrat, W.; Maude, D. K.; Orlita, M.; Potemski, M.; Martinez, G.; Hor, Y. S.

2016-04-01

Transport and torque magnetometry measurements are performed at high magnetic fields and low temperatures in a series of p-type (Ca-doped) Bi2Se3 crystals. The angular dependence of the Shubnikov-de Haas and de Haas-van Alphen quantum oscillations enables us to determine the Fermi surface of the bulk valence band states as a function of the carrier density. At low density, the angular dependence exhibits a downturn in the oscillations frequency between 0∘ and 90∘, reflecting a bag-shaped hole Fermi surface. The detection of a single frequency for all tilt angles rules out the existence of a Fermi surface with different extremal cross sections down to 24 meV. There is therefore no signature of a camelback in the valence band of our bulk samples, in accordance with the direct band gap predicted by G W calculations.

Adult trees cause density-dependent mortality in conspecific seedlings by regulating the frequency of pathogenic soil fungi.

PubMed

Liang, Minxia; Liu, Xubing; Gilbert, Gregory S; Zheng, Yi; Luo, Shan; Huang, Fengmin; Yu, Shixiao

2016-12-01

Negative density-dependent seedling mortality has been widely detected in tropical, subtropical and temperate forests, with soil pathogens as a major driver. Here we investigated how host density affects the composition of soil pathogen communities and consequently influences the strength of plant-soil feedbacks. In field censuses of six 1-ha permanent plots, we found that survival was much lower for newly germinated seedlings that were surrounded by more conspecific adults. The relative abundance of pathogenic fungi in soil increased with increasing conspecific tree density for five of nine tree species; more soil pathogens accumulated around roots where adult tree density was higher, and this greater pathogen frequency was associated with lower seedling survival. Our findings show how tree density influences populations of soil pathogens, which creates plant-soil feedbacks that contribute to community-level and population-level compensatory trends in seedling survival. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Nondestructive In Situ Measurement Method for Kernel Moisture Content in Corn Ear.

PubMed

Zhang, Han-Lin; Ma, Qin; Fan, Li-Feng; Zhao, Peng-Fei; Wang, Jian-Xu; Zhang, Xiao-Dong; Zhu, De-Hai; Huang, Lan; Zhao, Dong-Jie; Wang, Zhong-Yi

2016-12-20

Moisture content is an important factor in corn breeding and cultivation. A corn breed with low moisture at harvest is beneficial for mechanical operations, reduces drying and storage costs after harvesting and, thus, reduces energy consumption. Nondestructive measurement of kernel moisture in an intact corn ear allows us to select corn varieties with seeds that have high dehydration speeds in the mature period. We designed a sensor using a ring electrode pair for nondestructive measurement of the kernel moisture in a corn ear based on a high-frequency detection circuit. Through experiments using the effective scope of the electrodes' electric field, we confirmed that the moisture in the corn cob has little effect on corn kernel moisture measurement. Before the sensor was applied in practice, we investigated temperature and conductivity effects on the output impedance. Results showed that the temperature was linearly related to the output impedance (both real and imaginary parts) of the measurement electrodes and the detection circuit's output voltage. However, the conductivity has a non-monotonic dependence on the output impedance (both real and imaginary parts) of the measurement electrodes and the output voltage of the high-frequency detection circuit. Therefore, we reduced the effect of conductivity on the measurement results through measurement frequency selection. Corn moisture measurement results showed a quadric regression between corn ear moisture and the imaginary part of the output impedance, and there is also a quadric regression between corn kernel moisture and the high-frequency detection circuit output voltage at 100 MHz. In this study, two corn breeds were measured using our sensor and gave R ² values for the quadric regression equation of 0.7853 and 0.8496.

Target vessel detection by epicardial ultrasound in off-pump coronary bypass surgery.

PubMed

Hayakawa, Masato; Asai, Tohru; Kinoshita, Takeshi; Suzuki, Tomoaki; Shiraishi, Shoichiro

2013-01-01

The detection of embedded coronary arteries is difficult especially in off-pump coronary bypass surgery. From June 2010, we introduced high-frequency epicardial ultrasound (ECUS) to assess and evaluate embedded arteries during off-pump coronary bypass surgery. Between June 2010 and June 2011, a total of 89 consecutive patients underwent isolated coronary bypass surgery at our institution. The patients consisted of 72 men and 17 women with a mean age of 67.9 years. We routinely use the VeriQC system (MediStim, Oslo, Norway) to detect the target vessels in the operation. The patients were assigned to one of two groups, depending on whether ECUS was used in the operation (n = 10, ECUS group) or not (n = 79, non-ECUS group). We analyzed the impact of introducing the ECUS in terms of operative outcome. All patients underwent revascularization using the off-pump technique without emergent conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass during surgery. The total number of distal anastomoses was 299, and 12 target vessels could not be identified either visually or on palpation. Thus, the frequency of the embedded coronary arteries was 4.01% (12/299 cases). The preoperative profiles of the two groups were not significantly different. Operation time was significantly longer in the ECUS group (P = 0.02). There were no significant differences in postoperative outcome between the two groups. In the present study, in which the target coronary arteries could not be detected either visually or on palpation in 12 (4.01%) of 299 cases, the use of high-frequency ECUS allowed all patients to undergo off-pump coronary bypass surgery without conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass during the operation. High-frequency ECUS is therefore useful in off-pump coronary bypass surgery.

Detection of fresh bruises in apples by structured-illumination reflectance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yuzhen; Li, Richard; Lu, Renfu

2016-05-01

Detection of fresh bruises in apples remains a challenging task due to the absence of visual symptoms and significant chemical alterations of fruit tissues during the initial stage after the fruit have been bruised. This paper reports on a new structured-illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) technique for enhanced detection of fresh bruises in apples. Using a digital light projector engine, sinusoidally-modulated illumination at the spatial frequencies of 50, 100, 150 and 200 cycles/m was generated. A digital camera was then used to capture the reflectance images from `Gala' and `Jonagold' apples, immediately after they had been subjected to two levels of bruising by impact tests. A conventional three-phase demodulation (TPD) scheme was applied to the acquired images for obtaining the planar (direct component or DC) and amplitude (alternating component or AC) images. Bruises were identified in the amplitude images with varying image contrasts, depending on spatial frequency. The bruise visibility was further enhanced through post-processing of the amplitude images. Furthermore, three spiral phase transform (SPT)-based demodulation methods, using single and two images and two phase-shifted images, were proposed for obtaining AC images. Results showed that the demodulation methods greatly enhanced the contrast and spatial resolution of the AC images, making it feasible to detect the fresh bruises that, otherwise, could not be achieved by conventional imaging technique with planar or uniform illumination. The effectiveness of image enhancement, however, varied with spatial frequency. Both 2-image and 2-phase SPT methods achieved the performance similar to that by conventional TPD. SIRI technique has demonstrated the capability of detecting fresh bruises in apples, and it has the potential as a new imaging modality for enhancing food quality and safety detection.

Dielectric studies of the paracetamol-lenticular tissue interactions.

PubMed

Marzec, E; Olszewski, J; Grześkowiak, E; Kamińska, A; Bienert, A; Iwanik, K

2011-05-01

This paper reports on the effect of paracetamol on the dielectric behavior of the rabbit lens. Measurements were performed over the frequency range of 100 Hz-100 kHz in air and at the temperature of 35°C. The frequency dependencies of the relative permittivity and dielectric loss for the control and paracetamol-control lenses are described in terms of a power-low, Debye and Cole-Cole relations. The effect of paracetamol on the dielectric properties of the lens is visible in the lower values of the relative permittivity than those for the control sample at the same frequency. In addition, the relaxations around 18 and 46 kHz for the paracetamol-control lens are shifted to lower frequencies compared with the control lens. The results of this work indicate that the present method is useful in detection of the lens toxicity elicited by overdoses of paracetamol in animal. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Directed search for continuous gravitational waves from the Galactic center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aasi, J.; Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amariutei, D.; Anderson, R. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J.; Ast, S.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Austin, L.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barker, D.; Barnum, S. H.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bebronne, M.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Belopolski, I.; Bergmann, G.; Berliner, J. M.; Bertolini, A.; Bessis, D.; Betzwieser, J.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bhadbhade, T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bowers, J.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brannen, C. A.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castiglia, A.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, D. E.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Constancio, M., Jr.; Conte, A.; Conte, R.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Dal Canton, T.; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; De Rosa, R.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Del Pozzo, W.; Deleeuw, E.; Deléglise, S.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; DeRosa, R.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; Dmitry, K.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dumas, J.-C.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Endrőczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, K.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fang, Q.; Farr, B.; Farr, W.; Favata, M.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Ferrante, I.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R.; Flaminio, R.; Foley, E.; Foley, S.; Forsi, E.; Forte, L. A.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fujimoto, M.-K.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Gammaitoni, L.; Garcia, J.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gergely, L.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gil-Casanova, S.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Griffo, C.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hall, B.; Hall, E.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hartman, M. T.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Heefner, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Holtrop, M.; Hong, T.; Hooper, S.; Horrom, T.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Hua, Z.; Huang, V.; Huerta, E. A.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Iafrate, J.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, H.; Jang, Y. J.; Jaranowski, P.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kasprzack, M.; Kasturi, R.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kaufman, K.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, B. K.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, W.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Kremin, A.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kucharczyk, C.; Kudla, S.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kurdyumov, R.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Le Roux, A.; Leaci, P.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C.-H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J.; Lee, J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J. B.; Lhuillier, V.; Li, T. G. F.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Litvine, V.; Liu, F.; Liu, H.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Lloyd, D.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Luan, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Macarthur, J.; Macdonald, E.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magana-Sandoval, F.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinelli, L.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; May, G.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Mokler, F.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Mori, T.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nanda Kumar, D.; Nardecchia, I.; Nash, T.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R.; Necula, V.; Neri, I.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nishida, E.; Nishizawa, A.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; O'Reilly, B.; Ortega Larcher, W.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Ou, J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoletti, R.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Pedraza, M.; Peiris, P.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pinard, L.; Pindor, B.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Pletsch, H. J.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poole, V.; Poux, C.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Rodriguez, C.; Rodruck, M.; Roever, C.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G. R.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Soden, K.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Sperandio, L.; Staley, A.; Steinert, E.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stevens, D.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Strigin, S.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Szeifert, G.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tang, L.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; ter Braack, A. P. M.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Verma, S.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vlcek, B.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vrinceanu, D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Waldman, S. J.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Wan, Y.; Wang, J.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wibowo, S.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yum, H.; Yvert, M.; Zadrożny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, X. J.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.

2013-11-01

We present the results of a directed search for continuous gravitational waves from unknown, isolated neutron stars in the Galactic center region, performed on two years of data from LIGO’s fifth science run from two LIGO detectors. The search uses a semicoherent approach, analyzing coherently 630 segments, each spanning 11.5 hours, and then incoherently combining the results of the single segments. It covers gravitational wave frequencies in a range from 78 to 496 Hz and a frequency-dependent range of first-order spindown values down to -7.86×10-8Hz/s at the highest frequency. No gravitational waves were detected. The 90% confidence upper limits on the gravitational wave amplitude of sources at the Galactic center are ˜3.35×10-25 for frequencies near 150 Hz. These upper limits are the most constraining to date for a large-parameter-space search for continuous gravitational wave signals.

Localization of optic disc and fovea in retinal images using intensity based line scanning analysis.

PubMed

Kamble, Ravi; Kokare, Manesh; Deshmukh, Girish; Hussin, Fawnizu Azmadi; Mériaudeau, Fabrice

2017-08-01

Accurate detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) mainly depends on identification of retinal landmarks such as optic disc and fovea. Present methods suffer from challenges like less accuracy and high computational complexity. To address this issue, this paper presents a novel approach for fast and accurate localization of optic disc (OD) and fovea using one-dimensional scanned intensity profile analysis. The proposed method utilizes both time and frequency domain information effectively for localization of OD. The final OD center is located using signal peak-valley detection in time domain and discontinuity detection in frequency domain analysis. However, with the help of detected OD location, the fovea center is located using signal valley analysis. Experiments were conducted on MESSIDOR dataset, where OD was successfully located in 1197 out of 1200 images (99.75%) and fovea in 1196 out of 1200 images (99.66%) with an average computation time of 0.52s. The large scale evaluation has been carried out extensively on nine publicly available databases. The proposed method is highly efficient in terms of quickly and accurately localizing OD and fovea structure together compared with the other state-of-the-art methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Matching Condition of Direct THz-Signal Detection from On-Chip Resonating Antennas with CMOS Transistors in Non-resonant Plasma Wave Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, S.; Lim, S.; Kim, C.-Y.; Hong, S.

2018-06-01

This paper presents matching condition for detector at THz frequencies, which directly read signals from an integrated antenna. We use direct THz-signal detections with CMOS transistors in non-resonant plasma wave mode, which are embedded in on-chip resonating antennas. The detector detects THz envelope signals directly from the side edges of the on-chip patch antennas. The signal detection mechanism is studied in the view of the impedance conditions of the antenna and the detector. The detectors are implemented with stacked transistors structures to achieve high responsivity. The measured responsivities of the detectors with antenna impedances that were simulated to be 599.7, 912.3, 1565, and 3190.6 Ω agree well with the calculated values. Moreover, the responsivity dependence on the detector impedance is shown with two different input impedances of the detectors. Since CMOS circuit models from foundry are not accurate at frequencies higher than f t , the matching guideline between the antenna and the detector is very useful in designing high responsivity detectors. This study found that a detector has to have a large input impedance conjugately matched to the antenna's impedance to have high responsivity.

Matching Condition of Direct THz-Signal Detection from On-Chip Resonating Antennas with CMOS Transistors in Non-resonant Plasma Wave Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, S.; Lim, S.; Kim, C.-Y.; Hong, S.

2018-04-01

This paper presents matching condition for detector at THz frequencies, which directly read signals from an integrated antenna. We use direct THz-signal detections with CMOS transistors in non-resonant plasma wave mode, which are embedded in on-chip resonating antennas. The detector detects THz envelope signals directly from the side edges of the on-chip patch antennas. The signal detection mechanism is studied in the view of the impedance conditions of the antenna and the detector. The detectors are implemented with stacked transistors structures to achieve high responsivity. The measured responsivities of the detectors with antenna impedances that were simulated to be 599.7, 912.3, 1565, and 3190.6 Ω agree well with the calculated values. Moreover, the responsivity dependence on the detector impedance is shown with two different input impedances of the detectors. Since CMOS circuit models from foundry are not accurate at frequencies higher than f t , the matching guideline between the antenna and the detector is very useful in designing high responsivity detectors. This study found that a detector has to have a large input impedance conjugately matched to the antenna's impedance to have high responsivity.

Single Frequency Impedance Analysis on Reduced Graphene Oxide Screen-Printed Electrode for Biomolecular Detection.

PubMed

Rajesh; Singal, Shobhita; Kotnala, Ravinder K

2017-10-01

A biofunctionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was constructed as an immunosensor for C-reactive protein (CRP) detection, a biomarker released in early stage acute myocardial infarction. A different approach of single frequency analysis (SFA) study was utilized for the biomolecular sensing, by monitoring the response in phase angle changes obtained at an optimized frequency resulting from antigen-antibody interactions. A set of measurements were carried out to optimize a frequency where a maximum change in phase angle was observed, and in this case, we found it at around 10 Hz. The bioelectrode was characterized by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical techniques. A concentration-dependent response of immunosensor to CRP with the change in phase angle, at a fixed frequency of 10 Hz, was found to be in the range of 10 ng mL -1 to 10 μg mL -1 in PBS and was fit quantitative well with the Hill-Langmuir equation. Based on the concentration-response data, the dissociation constant (K d ) was found to be 3.5 nM (with a Hill coefficient n = 0.57), which indicated a negative cooperativity with high anti-CRP (antibody)-CRP (antigen) binding at the electrode surface. A low-frequency analysis of sensing with an ease of measurement on a disposable electroactive rGO-modified electrode with high selectivity and sensitivity makes it a potential tool for biological sensors.

Asymmetric micro-Doppler frequency comb generation via magnetoelectric coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filonov, Dmitry; Steinberg, Ben Z.; Ginzburg, Pavel

2017-06-01

Electromagnetic scattering from moving bodies, being an inherently time-dependent phenomenon, gives rise to a generation of new frequencies, which can be used to characterize the motion. Whereas an ordinary motion along a linear path produces a constant Doppler shift, an accelerated scatterer can generate a micro-Doppler frequency comb. The spectra produced by rotating objects were studied and observed in a bistatic lock-in detection scheme. The internal geometry of a scatterer was shown to determine the spectrum, and the degree of structural asymmetry was suggested to be identified via signatures in the micro-Doppler comb. In particular, hybrid magnetoelectric particles, showing an ultimate degree of asymmetry in forward and backward scattering directions, were investigated. It was shown that the comb in the backward direction has signatures at the fundamental rotation frequency and its odd harmonics, whereas the comb of the forward scattered field has a prevailing peak at the doubled frequency and its multiples. Additional features of the comb were shown to be affected by the dimensions of the particle and by the strength of the magnetoelectric coupling. Experimental verification was performed with a printed circuit board antenna based on a wire and a split ring, while the structure was illuminated at a 2 GHz carrier frequency. Detailed analysis of micro-Doppler combs enables remote detection of asymmetric features of distant objects and could find use in a span of applications, including stellar radiometry and radio identification.

Transmission of 100-MHz-range ultrasound through a fused quartz fiber.

PubMed

Irie, Takasuke; Tagawa, Norio; Tanabe, Masayuki; Moriya, Tadashi; Yoshizawa, Masasumi; Iijima, Takashi; Itoh, Kouichi; Yokoyama, Taku; Kumagai, Hideki; Taniguchi, Nobuyuki

2011-07-01

This paper describes an investigation into direct observation of microscopic images of tissue using a thin acoustic wave guide. First, the characteristics of the ultrasonic wave propagated in a fused quartz fiber were measured using the reflection method in order to study the insertion loss and the frequency shift of the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transducer. Next, a receiving transducer was placed close to the end of the fiber, and the characteristics of the ultrasonic waves propagated through the acoustic coupling medium were measured using the penetration method in order to study the insertion loss and the frequency-dependent attenuation of the penetrated waves. Finally, a C-mode image was obtained by optimizing the measuring conditions using the results of the above measurements and scanning the ultrasonic beams on a target (coin) in water. A reflected wave with a peak frequency of approximately 220 MHz was obtained from the end of the fiber. The transmitted ultrasonic waves propagated through the acoustic coupling medium were detected with a frequency range of approximately 125-170 MHz, and the maximum detectable distance of the waves was approximately 1.2 mm within the 100-MHz frequency range. Finally, a high-frequency C-mode image of a coin in water was obtained using a tapered fused quartz fiber. The results suggest that it is necessary to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and reduce the insertion loss in the experimental system in order to make it possible to obtain microscopic images of tissue.

Stimulus-specific suppression preserves information in auditory short-term memory.

PubMed

Linke, Annika C; Vicente-Grabovetsky, Alejandro; Cusack, Rhodri

2011-08-02

Philosophers and scientists have puzzled for millennia over how perceptual information is stored in short-term memory. Some have suggested that early sensory representations are involved, but their precise role has remained unclear. The current study asks whether auditory cortex shows sustained frequency-specific activation while sounds are maintained in short-term memory using high-resolution functional MRI (fMRI). Investigating short-term memory representations within regions of human auditory cortex with fMRI has been difficult because of their small size and high anatomical variability between subjects. However, we overcame these constraints by using multivoxel pattern analysis. It clearly revealed frequency-specific activity during the encoding phase of a change detection task, and the degree of this frequency-specific activation was positively related to performance in the task. Although the sounds had to be maintained in memory, activity in auditory cortex was significantly suppressed. Strikingly, patterns of activity in this maintenance period correlated negatively with the patterns evoked by the same frequencies during encoding. Furthermore, individuals who used a rehearsal strategy to remember the sounds showed reduced frequency-specific suppression during the maintenance period. Although negative activations are often disregarded in fMRI research, our findings imply that decreases in blood oxygenation level-dependent response carry important stimulus-specific information and can be related to cognitive processes. We hypothesize that, during auditory change detection, frequency-specific suppression protects short-term memory representations from being overwritten by inhibiting the encoding of interfering sounds.

Photoacoustic Studies on Iodine.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhan, Avtar N.

A photoacoustic cavity was constructed which employs a temperature-controlled cylindrical cavity with optical windows at either end. It was operated in the lowest longitudinal mode using a small electret microphone for detecting the acoustic signal and a photomultiplier tube for detecting the optical signal. Molecular Iodine was used as the specimen gas and argon as the buffer gas. The photoacoustic characteristics of the system were studied. Iodine molecules, excited periodically by intensity modulated optical radiation (xenon discharge), de-excited by non-radiative processes which result in pressure waves having the same modulation frequency as that of the light. These pressure waves are detected as acoustical pulses by the microphone situated in the wall of the cavity. Studies were conducted for different pressures of buffer gas (100 torr to 800 torr) at several different Iodine pressures in the range between 0.3 and 1 torr. The longitudinal mode of excitation provides an opportunity to compare the response of the cavity under acoustical excitation with that under optical excitation. The relevant parameters in the investigation were: Q, the quality factor of the cavity; the resonant frequency, partial pressures of argon and Iodine; temperature; and the signal amplitude. It was found that the Q of the cavity was well -behaved following the theoretically predicted dependence on SQRT.(P and on T('- 3/4). The absorption coefficient of Iodine determined photometrically, increased with increasing argon pressure up to a limiting value of pressure that depended on Iodine concentration. The photoacoustic signal showed a similar increase with increasing argon pressure. This signal reached a limiting value at a pressure which corresponded closely with that found optically. This is taken to indicate that the extinction coefficient of Iodine in argon, at the level of dilution used in these studies, depends on the argon pressure. A method was developed for measuring the concentration of Iodine at low levels through application of the shift in the frequency of the longitudinal mode resonance of the cavity. Also, resonance technique was employed for determining the velocity of sound in argon. A value of 307.7 M/sec was established as compared with the value of 319 M/sec as reported in various standard handbooks.

Biosensor method and system based on feature vector extraction

DOEpatents

Greenbaum, Elias; Rodriguez, Jr., Miguel; Qi, Hairong; Wang, Xiaoling

2013-07-02

A system for biosensor-based detection of toxins includes providing at least one time-dependent control signal generated by a biosensor in a gas or liquid medium, and obtaining a time-dependent biosensor signal from the biosensor in the gas or liquid medium to be monitored or analyzed for the presence of one or more toxins selected from chemical, biological or radiological agents. The time-dependent biosensor signal is processed to obtain a plurality of feature vectors using at least one of amplitude statistics and a time-frequency analysis. At least one parameter relating to toxicity of the gas or liquid medium is then determined from the feature vectors based on reference to the control signal.

Blinking supervision in a working environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morcego, Bernardo; Argilés, Marc; Cabrerizo, Marc; Cardona, Genís; Pérez, Ramon; Pérez-Cabré, Elisabet; Gispets, Joan

2016-02-01

The health of the ocular surface requires blinks of the eye to be frequent in order to provide moisture and to renew the tear film. However, blinking frequency has been shown to decrease in certain conditions such as when subjects are conducting tasks with high cognitive and visual demands. These conditions are becoming more common as people work or spend their leisure time in front of video display terminals. Supervision of blinking frequency in such environments is possible, thanks to the availability of computer-integrated cameras. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to develop an algorithm for the detection of eye blinks and to test it, in a number of videos captured, while subjects are conducting a variety of tasks in front of the computer. The sensitivity of the algorithm for blink detection was found to be of 87.54% (range 30% to 100%), with a mean false-positive rate of 0.19% (range 0% to 1.7%), depending on the illumination conditions during which the image was captured and other computer-user spatial configurations. The current automatic process is based on a partly modified pre-existing eye detection and image processing algorithms and consists of four stages that are aimed at eye detection, eye tracking, iris detection and segmentation, and iris height/width ratio assessment.

On the choice of statistical models for estimating occurrence and extinction from animal surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dorazio, R.M.

2007-01-01

In surveys of natural animal populations the number of animals that are present and available to be detected at a sample location is often low, resulting in few or no detections. Low detection frequencies are especially common in surveys of imperiled species; however, the choice of sampling method and protocol also may influence the size of the population that is vulnerable to detection. In these circumstances, probabilities of animal occurrence and extinction will generally be estimated more accurately if the models used in data analysis account for differences in abundance among sample locations and for the dependence between site-specific abundance and detection. Simulation experiments are used to illustrate conditions wherein these types of models can be expected to outperform alternative estimators of population site occupancy and extinction. ?? 2007 by the Ecological Society of America.

Auditory mechanics and sensitivity in the tropical butterfly Morpho peleides (Papilionoidea, Nymphalidae).

PubMed

Lucas, Kathleen M; Windmill, James F C; Robert, Daniel; Yack, Jayne E

2009-11-01

The ears of insects exhibit a broad functional diversity with the ability to detect sounds across a wide range of frequencies and intensities. In tympanal ears, the membrane is a crucial step in the transduction of the acoustic stimulus into a neural signal. The tropical butterfly Morpho peleides has an oval-shaped membrane at the base of the forewing with an unusual dome in the middle of the structure. We are testing the hypothesis that this unconventional anatomical arrangement determines the mechanical tuning properties of this butterfly ear. Using microscanning laser Doppler vibrometry to measure the vibrational characteristics of this novel tympanum, the membrane was found to vibrate in two distinct modes, depending on the frequency range: at lower frequencies (1-5 kHz) the vibration was focused at the proximal half of the posterior side of the outer membrane, while at higher frequencies (5-20 kHz) the entire membrane contributed to the vibration. The maximum deflection points of the two vibrational modes correspond to the locations of the associated chordotonal organs, suggesting that M. peleides has the capacity for frequency partitioning because of the different vibrational properties of the two membrane components. Extracellular nerve recordings confirm that the innervating chordotonal organs respond to the same frequency range of 1-20 kHz, and are most sensitive between 2 and 4 kHz, although distinct frequency discrimination was not observed. We suggest that this remarkable variation in structure is associated with function that provides a selective advantage, particularly in predator detection.

Rate and timing cues associated with the cochlear amplifier: level discrimination based on monaural cross-frequency coincidence detection.

PubMed

Heinz, M G; Colburn, H S; Carney, L H

2001-10-01

The perceptual significance of the cochlear amplifier was evaluated by predicting level-discrimination performance based on stochastic auditory-nerve (AN) activity. Performance was calculated for three models of processing: the optimal all-information processor (based on discharge times), the optimal rate-place processor (based on discharge counts), and a monaural coincidence-based processor that uses a non-optimal combination of rate and temporal information. An analytical AN model included compressive magnitude and level-dependent-phase responses associated with the cochlear amplifier, and high-, medium-, and low-spontaneous-rate (SR) fibers with characteristic frequencies (CFs) spanning the AN population. The relative contributions of nonlinear magnitude and nonlinear phase responses to level encoding were compared by using four versions of the model, which included and excluded the nonlinear gain and phase responses in all possible combinations. Nonlinear basilar-membrane (BM) phase responses are robustly encoded in near-CF AN fibers at low frequencies. Strongly compressive BM responses at high frequencies near CF interact with the high thresholds of low-SR AN fibers to produce large dynamic ranges. Coincidence performance based on a narrow range of AN CFs was robust across a wide dynamic range at both low and high frequencies, and matched human performance levels. Coincidence performance based on all CFs demonstrated the "near-miss" to Weber's law at low frequencies and the high-frequency "mid-level bump." Monaural coincidence detection is a physiologically realistic mechanism that is extremely general in that it can utilize AN information (average-rate, synchrony, and nonlinear-phase cues) from all SR groups.

Dipolar resonances in conductive carbon micro-fibers probed by near-field terahertz spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Khromova, I.; Navarro-Cia, M.; Brener, I.; ...

2015-07-13

In this study, we observe dipole resonances in thin conductive carbon micro-fibers by detecting an enhanced electric field in the near-field of a single fiber at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Time-domain analysis of the electric field shows that each fiber sustains resonant current oscillations at the frequency defined by the fiber's length. Strong dependence of the observed resonance frequency and degree of field enhancement on the fibers' conductive properties enable direct non-contact probing of the THz conductivity in single carbon micro-fibers. We find the conductivity of the fibers to be within the range of 1– 5∙10 4 S/m. This approach ismore » suitable for experimental characterization of individual doped semiconductor resonators for THz metamaterials and devices.« less

Thermal noise limit for ultra-high vacuum noncontact atomic force microscopy

PubMed Central

Lübbe, Jannis; Temmen, Matthias; Rode, Sebastian; Rahe, Philipp; Kühnle, Angelika

2013-01-01

Summary The noise of the frequency-shift signal Δf in noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) consists of cantilever thermal noise, tip–surface-interaction noise and instrumental noise from the detection and signal processing systems. We investigate how the displacement-noise spectral density d z at the input of the frequency demodulator propagates to the frequency-shift-noise spectral density d Δ f at the demodulator output in dependence of cantilever properties and settings of the signal processing electronics in the limit of a negligible tip–surface interaction and a measurement under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. For a quantification of the noise figures, we calibrate the cantilever displacement signal and determine the transfer function of the signal-processing electronics. From the transfer function and the measured d z, we predict d Δ f for specific filter settings, a given level of detection-system noise spectral density d z ds and the cantilever-thermal-noise spectral density d z th. We find an excellent agreement between the calculated and measured values for d Δ f. Furthermore, we demonstrate that thermal noise in d Δ f, defining the ultimate limit in NC-AFM signal detection, can be kept low by a proper choice of the cantilever whereby its Q-factor should be given most attention. A system with a low-noise signal detection and a suitable cantilever, operated with appropriate filter and feedback-loop settings allows room temperature NC-AFM measurements at a low thermal-noise limit with a significant bandwidth. PMID:23400758

Thermal noise limit for ultra-high vacuum noncontact atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Lübbe, Jannis; Temmen, Matthias; Rode, Sebastian; Rahe, Philipp; Kühnle, Angelika; Reichling, Michael

2013-01-01

The noise of the frequency-shift signal Δf in noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) consists of cantilever thermal noise, tip-surface-interaction noise and instrumental noise from the detection and signal processing systems. We investigate how the displacement-noise spectral density d(z) at the input of the frequency demodulator propagates to the frequency-shift-noise spectral density d(Δ) (f) at the demodulator output in dependence of cantilever properties and settings of the signal processing electronics in the limit of a negligible tip-surface interaction and a measurement under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. For a quantification of the noise figures, we calibrate the cantilever displacement signal and determine the transfer function of the signal-processing electronics. From the transfer function and the measured d(z), we predict d(Δ) (f) for specific filter settings, a given level of detection-system noise spectral density d(z) (ds) and the cantilever-thermal-noise spectral density d(z) (th). We find an excellent agreement between the calculated and measured values for d(Δ) (f). Furthermore, we demonstrate that thermal noise in d(Δ) (f), defining the ultimate limit in NC-AFM signal detection, can be kept low by a proper choice of the cantilever whereby its Q-factor should be given most attention. A system with a low-noise signal detection and a suitable cantilever, operated with appropriate filter and feedback-loop settings allows room temperature NC-AFM measurements at a low thermal-noise limit with a significant bandwidth.

Fault detection in reciprocating compressor valves under varying load conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pichler, Kurt; Lughofer, Edwin; Pichler, Markus; Buchegger, Thomas; Klement, Erich Peter; Huschenbett, Matthias

2016-03-01

This paper presents a novel approach for detecting cracked or broken reciprocating compressor valves under varying load conditions. The main idea is that the time frequency representation of vibration measurement data will show typical patterns depending on the fault state. The problem is to detect these patterns reliably. For the detection task, we make a detour via the two dimensional autocorrelation. The autocorrelation emphasizes the patterns and reduces noise effects. This makes it easier to define appropriate features. After feature extraction, classification is done using logistic regression and support vector machines. The method's performance is validated by analyzing real world measurement data. The results will show a very high detection accuracy while keeping the false alarm rates at a very low level for different compressor loads, thus achieving a load-independent method. The proposed approach is, to our best knowledge, the first automated method for reciprocating compressor valve fault detection that can handle varying load conditions.

Detection of tiny amounts of fissile materials in large-sized containers with radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batyaev, V. F.; Skliarov, S. V.

2018-01-01

The paper is devoted to non-destructive control of tiny amounts of fissile materials in large-sized containers filled with radioactive waste (RAW). The aim of this work is to model an active neutron interrogation facility for detection of fissile ma-terials inside NZK type containers with RAW and determine the minimal detectable mass of U-235 as a function of various param-eters: matrix type, nonuniformity of container filling, neutron gen-erator parameters (flux, pulse frequency, pulse duration), meas-urement time. As a result the dependence of minimal detectable mass on fissile materials location inside container is shown. Nonu-niformity of the thermal neutron flux inside a container is the main reason of the space-heterogeneity of minimal detectable mass in-side a large-sized container. Our experiments with tiny amounts of uranium-235 (<1 g) confirm the detection of fissile materials in NZK containers by using active neutron interrogation technique.

Fiber-optic Michelson interferometer fixed in a tilted tube for direction-dependent ultrasonic detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gang, Tingting; Hu, Manli; Qiao, Xueguang; Li, JiaCheng; Shao, Zhihua; Tong, Rongxin; Rong, Qiangzhou

2017-01-01

A fiber-optic interferometer is proposed and demonstrated experimentally for ultrasonic detection. The sensor consists of a compact Michelson interferometer (MI), which is fixed in a tilted-tube end-face (45°). Thin gold films are used for the reflective coatings of two arms and one of the interference arms is etched serving as the sensing arm. The spectral sideband filter technique is used to interrogate the continuous and pulse ultrasonic signals (with frequency of 300 KHz). Furthermore, because of the asymmetrical structure of the sensor, it presents strong direction-dependent ultrasonic sensitivity, such that the sensor can be considered a vector detector. The experimental results show that the sensor is highly sensitive to ultrasonic signals, and thus it can be a candidate for ultrasonic imaging of seismic physical models.

Gravitational waves in cold dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flauger, Raphael; Weinberg, Steven

2018-06-01

We study the effects of cold dark matter on the propagation of gravitational waves of astrophysical and primordial origin. We show that the dominant effect of cold dark matter on gravitational waves from astrophysical sources is a small frequency dependent modification of the propagation speed of gravitational waves. However, the magnitude of the effect is too small to be detected in the near future. We furthermore show that the spectrum of primordial gravitational waves in principle contains detailed information about the properties of dark matter. However, depending on the wavelength, the effects are either suppressed because the dark matter is highly nonrelativistic or because it contributes a small fraction of the energy density of the universe. As a consequence, the effects of cold dark matter on primordial gravitational waves in practice also appear too small to be detectable.

3C-SiC microdisk mechanical resonators with multimode resonances at radio frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jaesung; Zamani, Hamidrera; Rajgopal, Srihari; Zorman, Christian A.; X-L Feng, Philip

2017-07-01

We report on the design, modeling, fabrication and measurement of single-crystal 3C-silicon carbide (SiC) microdisk mechanical resonators with multimode resonances operating at radio frequencies (RF). These microdisk resonators (center-clamped on a vertical stem pedestal) offer multiple flexural-mode resonances with frequencies dependent on both disk and anchor dimensions. The resonators are made using a novel fabrication method comprised of focused ion beam nanomachining and hydroflouic : nitric : acetic (HNA) acid etching. Resonance peaks (in the frequency spectrum) are detected through laser-interferometry measurements. Resonators with different dimensions are tested, and multimode resonances, mode splitting, energy dissipation (in the form of quality factor measurement) are investigated. Further, we demonstrate a feedback oscillator based on a passive 3C-SiC resonator. This investigation provides important guidelines for microdisk resonator development, ranging from an analytical prediction of frequency scaling law to fabrication, suggesting RF microdisk resonators can be good candidates for future sensing applications in harsh environments.

Infrared light detection using a whispering-gallery-mode optical microcavity

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

Zhu, Jiangang, E-mail: jzhu@seas.wustl.edu, E-mail: ozdemir@seas.wustl.edu, E-mail: yang@seas.wustl.edu; Ozdemir, Sahin Kaya, E-mail: jzhu@seas.wustl.edu, E-mail: ozdemir@seas.wustl.edu, E-mail: yang@seas.wustl.edu; Yang, Lan, E-mail: jzhu@seas.wustl.edu, E-mail: ozdemir@seas.wustl.edu, E-mail: yang@seas.wustl.edu

2014-04-28

We demonstrate a thermal infrared (IR) detector based on an ultra-high-quality-factor (Q) whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microtoroidal silica resonator and investigate its performance to detect IR radiation at 10 μm wavelength. The bandwidth and the sensitivity of the detector are dependent on the power of a probe laser and the detuning between the probe laser and the resonance frequency of the resonator. The microtoroid IR sensor achieved a noise-equivalent-power (NEP) of 7.46 nW, corresponding to an IR intensity of 0.095 mW/cm{sup 2}.

A wideband, high-resolution spectrum analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quirk, M. P.; Wilck, H. C.; Garyantes, M. F.; Grimm, M. J.

1988-01-01

A two-million-channel, 40 MHz bandwidth, digital spectrum analyzer under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is described. The analyzer system will serve as a prototype processor for the sky survey portion of NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program and for other applications in the Deep Space Network. The analyzer digitizes an analog input, performs a 2 (sup 21) point Discrete Fourier Transform, accumulates the output power, normalizes the output to remove frequency-dependent gain, and automates simple signal detection algorithms. Due to its built-in frequency-domain processing functions and configuration flexibility, the analyzer is a very powerful tool for real-time signal analysis.

A wide-band high-resolution spectrum analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quirk, Maureen P.; Garyantes, Michael F.; Wilck, Helmut C.; Grimm, Michael J.

1988-01-01

A two-million-channel, 40 MHz bandwidth, digital spectrum analyzer under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is described. The analyzer system will serve as a prototype processor for the sky survey portion of NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program and for other applications in the Deep Space Network. The analyzer digitizes an analog input, performs a 2 (sup 21) point Discrete Fourier Transform, accumulates the output power, normalizes the output to remove frequency-dependent gain, and automates simple detection algorithms. Due to its built-in frequency-domain processing functions and configuration flexibility, the analyzer is a very powerful tool for real-time signal analysis.

Humming in Tune: Sex and Species Recognition by Mosquitoes on the Wing

PubMed Central

Gibson, Gabriella; Warren, Ben

2010-01-01

Mosquitoes are more sensitive to sound than any other insect due to the remarkable properties of their antennae and Johnston’s organ at the base of each antenna. Male mosquitoes detect and locate female mosquitoes by hearing the female’s flight tone, but until recently we had no idea that females also respond to male flight tones. Our investigation of a novel mechanism of sex recognition in Toxorhynchites brevipalpis revealed that male and female mosquitoes actively respond to the flight tones of other flying mosquitoes by altering their own wing-beat frequencies. Male–female pairs converge on a shared harmonic of their respective fundamental flight tones, whereas same sex pairs diverge. Most frequency matching occurs at frequencies beyond the detection range of the Johnston’s organ but within the range of mechanical responsiveness of the antennae. We have shown that this is possible because the Johnston’s organ is tuned to, and able to detect difference tones in, the harmonics of antennal vibrations which are generated by the combined input of flight tones from both mosquitoes. Acoustic distortion in hearing organs exists usually as an interesting epiphenomenon. Mosquitoes, however, appear to use it as a sensory cue that enables male–female pairs to communicate through a signal that depends on auditory interactions between them. Frequency matching may also provide a means of species recognition. Morphologically identical but reproductively isolated molecular forms of Anopheles gambiae fly in the same mating swarms, but rarely hybridize. Extended frequency matching occurs almost exclusively between males and females of the same molecular form, suggesting that this behavior is associated with observed assortative mating. PMID:20976515

Simultaneous Planck, Swift, and Fermi Observations of X-Ray and gamma-Ray Selected Blazars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giommi, P.; Polenta, G.; Laehteenmaeki, A.; Thompson, D. J.; Capalbi, M.; Cutini, S.; Gasparrini, D.; Gonzalez-Nuevo, J.; Leon-Tavares, J.; Lopez-Caniego, M.;

Organic-vapor detection using carbon-nanotubes nanocomposite microacoustic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penza, M.; Tagliente, M. A.; Aversa, P.; Cassano, G.

2005-06-01

We have developed highly sensitive microacoustic vapor sensors based on surface acoustic waves (SAWs) ST,X quartz 315 and 433 MHz two-port resonator oscillators. A nanocomposite film of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) embedded in a cadmium arachidate (CdA) amphiphilic matrix was prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett technique with a fixed SWCNTs weight filler-content as nanostructured and nanosensing interface, for vapor detection at room temperature. The structural properties and surface morphology of the nanocomposite have been examined by X-ray Specular Reflectivity and Field-Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscopy, respectively. The measured acoustic sensing characteristics indicate that the SAW sensitivity to polar and nonpolar tested organic molecules (ethanol, ethylacetate, and toluene) of the SWCNTs/CdA nanocomposite is up to two times higher than that of unembedded CdA device; also the SWCNTs/CdA nanocomposite vapor sensitivity results significantly enhanced with respect to traditional organic molecular cavities materials and increases with SAW oscillating frequency with a linear dependence in the frequency change response up to a very low sub-ppm limit of detection.

Detection of concealed explosives at stand-off distances using wide band swept millimetre waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, David A.; Rezgui, Nacer D.; Smith, Sarah E.; Bowring, Nicholas; Southgate, Matthew; Baker, John G.

2008-10-01

Millimetre waves in the range 20 to 110 GHz have been used to detect the presence and thickness of dielectric materials, such as explosives, by measuring the frequency response of the return signal. Interference between the reflected signals from the front and back surfaces of the dielectric provides a characteristic frequency variation in the return signal, which may be processed to yield its optical depth [Bowring et al, Meas. Sci. Technol. 19, 024004 (2008)]. The depth resolution depends on the sweep bandwidth, which is typically 10 to 30 GHz. By using super-heterodyne detection the range of the object can also be determined, which enables a signal from a target, such as a suicide bomber to be extracted from background clutter. Using millimetre wave optics only a small area of the target is illuminated at a time, thus reducing interference from different parts of a human target. Results are presented for simulated explosive materials with water or human backing at stand-off distances. A method of data analysis that involves pattern recognition enables effective differentiation of target types.

Estimated communication range of social sounds used by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

PubMed

Quintana-Rizzo, Ester; Mann, David A; Wells, Randall S

2006-09-01

Bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, exhibit flexible associations in which the compositions of groups change frequently. We investigated the potential distances over which female dolphins and their dependent calves could remain in acoustic contact. We quantified the propagation of sounds in the frequency range of typical dolphin whistles in shallow water areas and channels of Sarasota Bay, Florida. Our results indicated that detection range was noise limited as opposed to being limited by hearing sensitivity. Sounds were attenuated to a greater extent in areas with seagrass than any other habitat. Estimates of active space of whistles showed that in seagrass shallow water areas, low-frequency whistles (7-13 kHz) with a 165 dB source level could be heard by dolphins at 487 m. In shallow areas with a mud bottom, all whistle frequency components of the same whistle could be heard by dolphins travel up to 2 km. In channels, high-frequency whistles (13-19 kHz) could be detectable potentially over a much longer distance (> 20 km). Our findings indicate that the communication range of social sounds likely exceeds the mean separation distances between females and their calves. Ecological pressures might play an important role in determining the separation distances within communication range.

Changes in ryanodine-induced contractures by stimulus frequency in malignant hyperthermia susceptible and malignant hyperthermia nonsusceptible dog skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Sudo, R T; Nelson, T E

1997-09-01

Elective diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia depends on halothane and caffeine contracture testing of biopsied skeletal muscle. Ryanodine-induced contractures may provide greater sensitivity and specificity for malignant hyperthermia (MH) diagnosis. This study investigated the effects of ryanodine concentration and stimulus frequency to distinguish between MH susceptible (MHS) and MH non-susceptible (MHN) dogs. Increasing ryanodine concentrations (1, 2.5 and 5 microM) increased peak isometric contracture tension, but similar responses in MHS and MHN muscle precluded use for diagnosis. Time to tension onset and to peak tension decreased with increasing ryanodine concentration, and these times were shorter in MH skeletal muscle. Increasing stimulus frequency (0.1, 0.5 and 1 Hz) decreased the time to tension onset and to peak tension, but the effect was greater in MHN muscle which decreased the difference between MHN and MHS muscle responses. When ryanodine contracture tension onset time was selected to detect MHS muscle, combinations of either 0.1 Hz and 1 microM ryanodine or 0.5 Hz and 1 microM ryanodine reduced the probabilty of a false diagnosis to less than 1%. Similar studies performed on human muscle might identify optimal stimulus frequency and ryanodine concentration for detecting MH in patients.

Accounting for binaural detection as a function of masker interaural correlation: effects of center frequency and bandwidth.

PubMed

Bernstein, Leslie R; Trahiotis, Constantine

2014-12-01

Binaural detection was measured as a function of the center frequency, bandwidth, and interaural correlation of masking noise. Thresholds were obtained for 500-Hz or 125-Hz Sπ tonal signals and for the latter stimuli (noise or signal-plus-noise) transposed to 4 kHz. A primary goal was assessment of the generality of van der Heijden and Trahiotis' [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 101, 1019-1022 (1997)] hypothesis that thresholds could be accounted for by the "additive" masking effects of the underlying No and Nπ components of a masker having an interaural correlation of ρ. Results indicated that (1) the overall patterning of the data depended neither upon center frequency nor whether information was conveyed via the waveform or by its envelope; (2) thresholds for transposed stimuli improved relative to their low-frequency counterparts as bandwidth of the masker was increased; (3) the additivity approach accounted well for the data across stimulus conditions but consistently overestimated MLDs, especially for narrowband maskers; (4) a quantitative approach explicitly taking into account the distributions of time-varying ITD-based lateral positions produced by masker-alone and signal-plus-masker waveforms proved more successful, albeit while employing a larger set of assumptions, parameters, and computational complexity.

Sample size requirements for indirect association studies of gene-environment interactions (G x E).

PubMed

Hein, Rebecca; Beckmann, Lars; Chang-Claude, Jenny

2008-04-01

Association studies accounting for gene-environment interactions (G x E) may be useful for detecting genetic effects. Although current technology enables very dense marker spacing in genetic association studies, the true disease variants may not be genotyped. Thus, causal genes are searched for by indirect association using genetic markers in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the true disease variants. Sample sizes needed to detect G x E effects in indirect case-control association studies depend on the true genetic main effects, disease allele frequencies, whether marker and disease allele frequencies match, LD between loci, main effects and prevalence of environmental exposures, and the magnitude of interactions. We explored variables influencing sample sizes needed to detect G x E, compared these sample sizes with those required to detect genetic marginal effects, and provide an algorithm for power and sample size estimations. Required sample sizes may be heavily inflated if LD between marker and disease loci decreases. More than 10,000 case-control pairs may be required to detect G x E. However, given weak true genetic main effects, moderate prevalence of environmental exposures, as well as strong interactions, G x E effects may be detected with smaller sample sizes than those needed for the detection of genetic marginal effects. Moreover, in this scenario, rare disease variants may only be detectable when G x E is included in the analyses. Thus, the analysis of G x E appears to be an attractive option for the detection of weak genetic main effects of rare variants that may not be detectable in the analysis of genetic marginal effects only.

Statistical and population genetics issues of two Hungarian datasets from the aspect of DNA evidence interpretation.

PubMed

Szabolcsi, Zoltán; Farkas, Zsuzsa; Borbély, Andrea; Bárány, Gusztáv; Varga, Dániel; Heinrich, Attila; Völgyi, Antónia; Pamjav, Horolma

2015-11-01

When the DNA profile from a crime-scene matches that of a suspect, the weight of DNA evidence depends on the unbiased estimation of the match probability of the profiles. For this reason, it is required to establish and expand the databases that reflect the actual allele frequencies in the population applied. 21,473 complete DNA profiles from Databank samples were used to establish the allele frequency database to represent the population of Hungarian suspects. We used fifteen STR loci (PowerPlex ESI16) including five, new ESS loci. The aim was to calculate the statistical, forensic efficiency parameters for the Databank samples and compare the newly detected data to the earlier report. The population substructure caused by relatedness may influence the frequency of profiles estimated. As our Databank profiles were considered non-random samples, possible relationships between the suspects can be assumed. Therefore, population inbreeding effect was estimated using the FIS calculation. The overall inbreeding parameter was found to be 0.0106. Furthermore, we tested the impact of the two allele frequency datasets on 101 randomly chosen STR profiles, including full and partial profiles. The 95% confidence interval estimates for the profile frequencies (pM) resulted in a tighter range when we used the new dataset compared to the previously published ones. We found that the FIS had less effect on frequency values in the 21,473 samples than the application of minimum allele frequency. No genetic substructure was detected by STRUCTURE analysis. Due to the low level of inbreeding effect and the high number of samples, the new dataset provides unbiased and precise estimates of LR for statistical interpretation of forensic casework and allows us to use lower allele frequencies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent enhancements of the PMCC infrasound signal detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brachet, N.; Mialle, P.; Matoza, R. S.; Le Pichon, A.; Cansi, Y.; Ceranna, L.

2010-12-01

The Progressive Multi-Channel Correlation (PMCC) is an antenna technique that is commonly being used by the scientific community for detecting coherent signals recorded on infrasound arrays. The PMCC detector, originally developed by CEA/DASE (Cansi, 1995), was installed in 2004 in the operational environment of the International Data Centre (IDC) of the Comprehensive nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in Vienna. During the last 5 years, several changes have been made by the IDC to enhance the PMCC source code and parameter configuration, and the detector has exhibited good performance in terms of detection sensitivity and robustness. Recent studies performed at the CEA/DASE have shown that the IDC version (DFX/Geotool-PMCC) and the DASE version (WinPMCC) of PMCC software benefit from the implementation of the adaptive processing window duration and a log-spaced frequency bands. This tested configuration enables better detection and characterization of all received signals in their wave-front parameter space (e.g., frequency-azimuth space, frequency-trace-velocity space). A new release of the WinPMCC software - running under Windows or Linux operating systems - including a fully configurable filtering and detection parameters is now available upon request. We present the results of a statistical analysis on 10 years of infrasound data recorded at the IMS stations IS26, Germany and IS22, New Caledonia. A comparison is made between the automatic detections produced by the IDC, and the reprocessed detections using the optimized filtering and detection configuration parameters. Work is also underway at the CEA/DASE to determine more rigorously the azimuth and speed uncertainties. The current algorithm estimates the uncertainties based on statistical analysis of the distribution of PMCC detection pixels in the azimuth-speed space. The new code that is being considered performs the calculation of infrasound measurement errors as a function of physical parameters, i.e. dependant on the array geometry and the wave properties.

Electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of TlInS2 single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Nahass, M. M.; Youssef, S. B.; Ali, H. A. M.; Hassan, A.

2011-07-01

TlInS2 single crystals were grown by using Bridgman-Stockbauer technique. Measurements of DC conductivity were carried out in parallel (σ//) and perpendicular (σ⊥) directions to the c-axis over a temperature range from 303 to 463 K. The anisotropic behaviour of the electrical conductivity was also detected. AC conductivity and dielectric measurements were studied as a function of both frequency (102-106 Hz) and temperature (297-375 K). The frequency dependence of the AC conductivity revealed that σac(ω) obeys the universal law: σac(ω) = Aωs. The mechanism of the ac charge transport across the layers of TlInS2 single crystals was referred to the hopping over localized states near the Fermi level in the frequency range >3.5 × 103 Hz. The temperature dependence of σac(ω) for TlInS2 showed that σac is thermally activated process. Both of ɛ1 and ɛ2 decrease by increasing frequency and increase by increasing temperature. Some parameters were calculated as: the density of localized states near the Fermi level NF = 1.5 × 1020 eV-1 cm-3, the average time of charge carrier hoping between localized states τ = 3.79 μs and the average hopping distance R = 6.07 nm.

Design and Implementation of Real-Time Off-Grid Detection Tool Based on FNET/GridEye

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

Guo, Jiahui; Zhang, Ye; Liu, Yilu

2014-01-01

Real-time situational awareness tools are of critical importance to power system operators, especially during emergencies. The availability of electric power has become a linchpin of most post disaster response efforts as it is the primary dependency for public and private sector services, as well as individuals. Knowledge of the scope and extent of facilities impacted, as well as the duration of their dependence on backup power, enables emergency response officials to plan for contingencies and provide better overall response. Based on real-time data acquired by Frequency Disturbance Recorders (FDRs) deployed in the North American power grid, a real-time detection methodmore » is proposed. This method monitors critical electrical loads and detects the transition of these loads from an on-grid state, where the loads are fed by the power grid to an off-grid state, where the loads are fed by an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) or a backup generation system. The details of the proposed detection algorithm are presented, and some case studies and off-grid detection scenarios are also provided to verify the effectiveness and robustness. Meanwhile, the algorithm has already been implemented based on the Grid Solutions Framework (GSF) and has effectively detected several off-grid situations.« less

Electric field-induced coherent control in GaAs: polarization dependence and electrical measurement [Invited].

PubMed

Wahlstrand, J K; Zhang, H; Choi, S B; Sipe, J E; Cundiff, S T

2011-11-07

A static electric field enables coherent control of the photoexcited carrier density in a semiconductor through the interference of one- and two-photon absorption. An experiment using optical detection is described. The polarization dependence of the signal is consistent with a calculation using a 14-band k · p model for GaAs. We also describe an electrical measurement. A strong enhancement of the phase-dependent photocurrent through a metal-semiconductor-metal structure is observed when a bias of a few volts is applied. The dependence of the signal on bias and laser spot position is studied. The field-induced enhancement of the signal could increase the sensitivity of semiconductor-based carrier-envelope phase detectors, useful in stabilizing mode-locked lasers for use in frequency combs.

Analysis of Single-Frequency GNSS Data for Determination of Time-Dependent Flow and Deformation of Fast-Moving Glaciers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, J. L.; Elosegui, P.; Nettles, M.

2012-12-01

Single-frequency GNSS data has not generally been used for high-accuracy geodetic applications since the 1990s, but there are significant advantages if single-frequency GNSS receivers can be usefully deployed for studies of fast-moving outlet glaciers. The cost for these receivers is significantly lower (~50%) than for dual-frequency receivers, a significant benefit given the high spatial density at which these system are deployed on the glacier and the high risk for damage or loss in the glacial environment. In addition, the size of the data files that need to be transferred from extremely remote locations, often at very slow transmission rates, is significantly reduced. Consideration of single-frequency systems for this application is viable because of the relatively small extent (< 50 km) of the entire network to be deployed. Unfortunately, the availability of research-quality software that can perform kinematic solutions on single-frequency data is limited. We have developed the BAKAR software employing a stochastic filter to analyze single-frequency GNSS data. The software can implement a range of stochastic models for time-dependent site position. In this presentation, we describe the BAKAR software, and discuss its strengths and weaknesses. On one hand, chief among the challenges we have encountered are determination of accurate prior positions, and bursts of polar ionospheric activity that impede cycle-slip detection, even over intersite distances as short as 10 km. On the other hand, use of a single-frequency observable is theoretically less sensitive to multipath and signal scattering. We will quantitatively assess these effects, and assess the accuracy of BAKAR in a range of situations and applications.

Dual-frequency ultrasound for detecting and sizing bubbles.

PubMed

Buckey, Jay C; Knaus, Darin A; Alvarenga, Donna L; Kenton, Marc A; Magari, Patrick J

2005-01-01

ISS construction and Mars exploration require extensive extravehicular activity (EVA), exposing crewmembers to increased decompression sickness risk. Improved bubble detection technologies could help increase EVA efficiency and safety. Creare Inc. has developed a bubble detection and sizing instrument using dual-frequency ultrasound. The device emits "pump" and "image" signals at two frequencies. The low-frequency pump signal causes an appropriately-sized bubble to resonate. When the image frequency hits a resonating bubble, mixing signals are returned at the sum and difference of the two frequencies. To test the feasibility of transcutaneous intravascular detection, intravascular bubbles in anesthetized swine were produced using agitated saline and decompression stress. Ultrasonic transducers on the chest provided the two frequencies. Mixing signals were detected transthoracically in the right atrium using both methods. A histogram of estimated bubble sizes could be constructed. Bubbles can be detected and sized transthoracically in the right atrium using dual-frequency ultrasound. c2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of ultrafast devices using novel optical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Md Ershad

Optical techniques have been extensively used to examine the high frequency performance of a number of devices including High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), Heterojunction Bipolar Phototransistors (HPTs) and Low Temperature GaAs (LT-GaAs) Photoconductive Switches. To characterize devices, frequency and time domain techniques, namely optical heterodyning and electro-optic sampling, having measurement bandwidths in excess of 200 GHz, were employed. Optical mixing in three-terminal devices has been extended for the first time to submillimeter wave frequencies. Using a new generation of 50-nm gate pseudomorphic InP-based HEMTs, optically mixed signals were detected to 552 GHz with a signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 5 dB. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest frequency optical mixing obtained in three- terminal devices to date. A novel harmonic three-wave detection scheme was used for the detection of the optically generated signals. The technique involved downconversion of the signal in the device by the second harmonic of a gate-injected millimeter wave local oscillator. Measurements were also conducted up to 212 GHz using direct optical mixing and up to 382 GHz using a fundamental three-wave detection scheme. New interesting features in the bias dependence of the optically mixed signals have been reported. An exciting novel development from this work is the successful integration of near-field optics with optical heterodyning. The technique, called near-field optical heterodyning (NFOH), allows for extremely localized injection of high-frequency stimulus to any arbitrary point of an ultrafast device or circuit. Scanning the point of injection across the sample provides details of the high frequency operation of the device with high spatial resolution. For the implementation of the technique, fiber-optic probes with 100 nm apertures were fabricated. A feedback controlled positioning system was built for accurate placement and scanning of the fiber probe with nanometric precision. The applicability of the NFOH technique was first confirmed by measurements on heterojunction phototransistors at 100 GHz. Later NFOH scans were performed at 63 GHz on two other important devices, HEMTs and LT-GaAs Photoconductive Switches. Spatially resolved response characteristics of these devices revealed interesting details of their operation.

Methods, computer readable media, and graphical user interfaces for analysis of frequency selective surfaces

DOEpatents

Kotter, Dale K [Shelley, ID; Rohrbaugh, David T [Idaho Falls, ID

2010-09-07

A frequency selective surface (FSS) and associated methods for modeling, analyzing and designing the FSS are disclosed. The FSS includes a pattern of conductive material formed on a substrate to form an array of resonance elements. At least one aspect of the frequency selective surface is determined by defining a frequency range including multiple frequency values, determining a frequency dependent permittivity across the frequency range for the substrate, determining a frequency dependent conductivity across the frequency range for the conductive material, and analyzing the frequency selective surface using a method of moments analysis at each of the multiple frequency values for an incident electromagnetic energy impinging on the frequency selective surface. The frequency dependent permittivity and the frequency dependent conductivity are included in the method of moments analysis.

Identifying and detecting facial expressions of emotion in peripheral vision.

PubMed

Smith, Fraser W; Rossit, Stephanie

2018-01-01

Facial expressions of emotion are signals of high biological value. Whilst recognition of facial expressions has been much studied in central vision, the ability to perceive these signals in peripheral vision has only seen limited research to date, despite the potential adaptive advantages of such perception. In the present experiment, we investigate facial expression recognition and detection performance for each of the basic emotions (plus neutral) at up to 30 degrees of eccentricity. We demonstrate, as expected, a decrease in recognition and detection performance with increasing eccentricity, with happiness and surprised being the best recognized expressions in peripheral vision. In detection however, while happiness and surprised are still well detected, fear is also a well detected expression. We show that fear is a better detected than recognized expression. Our results demonstrate that task constraints shape the perception of expression in peripheral vision and provide novel evidence that detection and recognition rely on partially separate underlying mechanisms, with the latter more dependent on the higher spatial frequency content of the face stimulus.

Identifying and detecting facial expressions of emotion in peripheral vision

PubMed Central

Rossit, Stephanie

2018-01-01

Facial expressions of emotion are signals of high biological value. Whilst recognition of facial expressions has been much studied in central vision, the ability to perceive these signals in peripheral vision has only seen limited research to date, despite the potential adaptive advantages of such perception. In the present experiment, we investigate facial expression recognition and detection performance for each of the basic emotions (plus neutral) at up to 30 degrees of eccentricity. We demonstrate, as expected, a decrease in recognition and detection performance with increasing eccentricity, with happiness and surprised being the best recognized expressions in peripheral vision. In detection however, while happiness and surprised are still well detected, fear is also a well detected expression. We show that fear is a better detected than recognized expression. Our results demonstrate that task constraints shape the perception of expression in peripheral vision and provide novel evidence that detection and recognition rely on partially separate underlying mechanisms, with the latter more dependent on the higher spatial frequency content of the face stimulus. PMID:29847562

Tripartite correlations over two octaves from cascaded harmonic generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, M. K.

2018-03-01

We analyse the output quantum tripartite correlations from an intracavity nonlinear optical system which uses cascaded nonlinearities to produce both second and fourth harmonic outputs from an input field at the fundamental frequency. Using fully quantum equations of motion, we investigate two parameter regimes and show that the system produces tripartite inseparability, entanglement and EPR steering, with the detection of these depending on the correlations being considered.

Two modulator generalized ellipsometer for complete mueller matrix measurement

DOEpatents

Jellison, Jr., Gerald E.; Modine, Frank A.

1999-01-01

A two-modulator generalized ellipsometer (2-MGE) comprising two polarizer-photoelastic modulator (PEM) pairs, an optical light source, an optical detection system, and associated data processing and control electronics, where the PEMs are free-running. The input light passes through the first polarizer-PEM pair, reflects off the sample surface or passes through the sample, passes through the second PEM-polarizer pair, and is detected. Each PEM is free running and operates at a different resonant frequency, e.g., 50 and 60 kHz. The resulting time-dependent waveform of the light intensity is a complicated function of time, and depends upon the exact operating frequency and phase of each PEM, the sample, and the azimuthal angles of the polarizer-PEM pairs, but can be resolved into a dc component and eight periodic components. In one embodiment, the waveform is analyzed using a new spectral analysis technique that is similar to Fourier analysis to determine eight sample Mueller matrix elements (normalized to the m.sub.00 Mueller matrix element). The other seven normalized elements of the general 4.times.4 Mueller matrix can be determined by changing the azimuthal angles of the PEM-polarizer pairs with respect to the plane of incidence. Since this instrument can measure all elements of the sample Mueller matrix, it is much more powerful than standard ellipsometers.

Power Analysis of Artificial Selection Experiments Using Efficient Whole Genome Simulation of Quantitative Traits

PubMed Central

Kessner, Darren; Novembre, John

2015-01-01

Evolve and resequence studies combine artificial selection experiments with massively parallel sequencing technology to study the genetic basis for complex traits. In these experiments, individuals are selected for extreme values of a trait, causing alleles at quantitative trait loci (QTL) to increase or decrease in frequency in the experimental population. We present a new analysis of the power of artificial selection experiments to detect and localize quantitative trait loci. This analysis uses a simulation framework that explicitly models whole genomes of individuals, quantitative traits, and selection based on individual trait values. We find that explicitly modeling QTL provides qualitatively different insights than considering independent loci with constant selection coefficients. Specifically, we observe how interference between QTL under selection affects the trajectories and lengthens the fixation times of selected alleles. We also show that a substantial portion of the genetic variance of the trait (50–100%) can be explained by detected QTL in as little as 20 generations of selection, depending on the trait architecture and experimental design. Furthermore, we show that power depends crucially on the opportunity for recombination during the experiment. Finally, we show that an increase in power is obtained by leveraging founder haplotype information to obtain allele frequency estimates. PMID:25672748

Multi-Frequency Signal Detection Based on Frequency Exchange and Re-Scaling Stochastic Resonance and Its Application to Weak Fault Diagnosis.

PubMed

Liu, Jinjun; Leng, Yonggang; Lai, Zhihui; Fan, Shengbo

2018-04-25

Mechanical fault diagnosis usually requires not only identification of the fault characteristic frequency, but also detection of its second and/or higher harmonics. However, it is difficult to detect a multi-frequency fault signal through the existing Stochastic Resonance (SR) methods, because the characteristic frequency of the fault signal as well as its second and higher harmonics frequencies tend to be large parameters. To solve the problem, this paper proposes a multi-frequency signal detection method based on Frequency Exchange and Re-scaling Stochastic Resonance (FERSR). In the method, frequency exchange is implemented using filtering technique and Single SideBand (SSB) modulation. This new method can overcome the limitation of "sampling ratio" which is the ratio of the sampling frequency to the frequency of target signal. It also ensures that the multi-frequency target signals can be processed to meet the small-parameter conditions. Simulation results demonstrate that the method shows good performance for detecting a multi-frequency signal with low sampling ratio. Two practical cases are employed to further validate the effectiveness and applicability of this method.

Gap Detection in School-Age Children and Adults: Center Frequency and Ramp Duration

PubMed Central

Porter, Heather L.; Hall, Joseph W.; Grose, John H.

2017-01-01

Purpose The age at which gap detection becomes adultlike differs, depending on the stimulus characteristics. The present study evaluated whether the developmental trajectory differs as a function of stimulus frequency region or duration of the onset and offset ramps bounding the gap. Method Thresholds were obtained for wideband noise (500–4500 Hz) with 4- or 40-ms raised-cosine ramps and for a 25-Hz-wide low-fluctuation narrowband noise centered on either 500 or 5000 Hz with 40-ms ramps. Stimuli were played continuously at 70 dB SPL, and the task was to indicate which of 3 intervals contained a gap. Listeners were 5.2- to 15.1-year-old children (n = 40) and adults (n = 10) with normal hearing. Results Regardless of listener age, gap detection thresholds for the wideband noise tended to be lower when gaps were shaped using 4-ms rather than 40-ms ramps. Thresholds also tended to be lower for the low-fluctuation narrowband noise centered on 5000 Hz than 500 Hz. Performance reached adult levels after 11 years of age for all 4 stimuli. Maturation was not uniform across individuals, however; a subset of young children performed like adults, including some 5-year-olds. Conclusion For these stimuli, the developmental trajectory was similar regardless of narrowband noise center frequency or wideband noise onset and offset ramp duration. PMID:28056469

Coherent ambient infrasound recorded by the International Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matoza, Robin S.; LandèS, Matthieu; Le Pichon, Alexis; Ceranna, Lars; Brown, David

2013-01-01

The ability of the International Monitoring System (IMS) infrasound network to detect atmospheric nuclear explosions and other signals of interest is strongly dependent on station-specific ambient noise. This ambient noise includes both incoherent wind noise and real coherent infrasonic waves. Previous ambient infrasound noise models have not distinguished between incoherent and coherent components. We present a first attempt at statistically and systematically characterizing coherent infrasound recorded by the IMS. We perform broadband (0.01-5 Hz) array processing with the IMS continuous waveform archive (39 stations from 1 April 2005 to 31 December 2010) using an implementation of the Progressive Multi-Channel Correlation algorithm in log-frequency space. From these results, we estimate multi-year 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles of the RMS pressure of coherent signals in 15 frequency bands for each station. We compare the resulting coherent infrasound models with raw power spectral density noise models, which inherently include both incoherent and coherent components. Our results indicate that IMS arrays consistently record coherent ambient infrasound across the broad frequency range from 0.01 to 5 Hz when wind noise levels permit. The multi-year averaging emphasizes continuous signals such as oceanic microbaroms, as well as persistent transient signals such as repetitive volcanic, surf, thunder, or anthropogenic activity. Systematic characterization of coherent infrasound detection is important for quantifying a station's recording environment, signal-to-noise ratio as a function of frequency and direction, and overall performance, which all influence the detection probability of specific signals of interest.

Detecting fast radio bursts at decametric wavelengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajwade, K. M.; Lorimer, D. R.

2017-02-01

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are highly dispersed, sporadic radio pulses which are likely extragalactic in nature. Here, we investigate the constraints on the source population from surveys carried out at frequencies <1 GHz. All but one FRB has so far been discovered in the 1-2 GHz band, but new and emerging instruments look set to become valuable probes of the FRB population at sub-GHz frequencies in the near future. In this paper, we consider the impacts of free-free absorption and multipath scattering in our analysis via a number of different assumptions about the intervening medium. We consider previous low-frequency surveys along with an ongoing survey with University of Technology digital backend for the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (UTMOST) as well as future observations with the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) and the Hydrogen Intensity and Real-time Analysis eXperiment (HIRAX). We predict that CHIME and HIRAX will be able to observe ˜30 or more FRBs per day, even in the most extreme scenarios where free-free absorption and scattering can significantly impact the fluxes below 1 GHz. We also show that UTMOST will detect 1-2 FRBs per month of observations. For CHIME and HIRAX, the detection rates also depend greatly on the assumed FRB distance scale. Some of the models we investigated predict an increase in the FRB flux as a function of redshift at low frequencies. If FRBs are truly cosmological sources, this effect may impact future surveys in this band, particularly if the FRB population traces the cosmic star formation rate.

Optical filtering in directly modulated/detected OOFDM systems.

PubMed

Sánchez, C; Ortega, B; Wei, J L; Capmany, J

2013-12-16

This work presents a theoretical investigation on the performance of directly modulated/detected (DM/DD) optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OOFDM) systems subject to optical filtering. The impact of both linear and nonlinear distortion effects are taken into account to calculate the effective signal-to-noise ratio of each subcarrier. These results are then employed to optimize the design parameters of two simple optical filtering structures: a Mach Zehnder interferometer and a uniform fiber Bragg grating, leading to a significant optical power budget improvement given by 3.3 and 3dB, respectively. These can be further increased to 5.5 and 4.2dB respectively when balanced detection configurations are employed. We find as well that this improvement is highly dependent on the clipping ratio.

Applying the erythrocyte Pig-a assay concept to rat epididymal sperm for germ cell mutagenicity evaluation.

PubMed

Ji, Zhiying; LeBaron, Matthew J

2017-08-01

The Pig-a assay, a recently developed in vivo somatic gene mutation assay, is based on the identification of mutant erythrocytes that have an altered repertoire of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored cell surface markers. We hypothesized that the erythrocyte Pig-a assay concept could be applied to rat cauda epididymal spermatozoa (sperm) for germ cell mutagenicity evaluation. We used GPI-anchored CD59 as the Pig-a mutation marker and examined the frequency of CD59-negative sperm using flow cytometry. A reconstruction experiment that spiked un-labeled sperm (mutant-mimic) into labeled sperm at specific ratios yielded good agreement between the detected and expected frequencies of mutant-mimic sperm, demonstrating the analytical ability for CD59-negative sperm detection. Furthermore, this methodology was assessed in F344/DuCrl rats administered N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), a prototypical mutagen, or clofibrate, a lipid-lowering drug. Rats treated with 1, 10, or 20 mg/kg body weight/day (mkd) ENU via daily oral garage for five consecutive days showed a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of CD59-negative sperm on study day 63 (i.e., 58 days after the last ENU dose). This ENU dosing regimen also increased the frequency of CD59-negative erythrocytes. In rats treated with 300 mkd clofibrate via daily oral garage for consecutive 28 days, no treatment-related changes were detected in the frequency of CD59-negative sperm on study day 85 (i.e., 57 days after the last dose) or in the frequency of CD59-negative erythrocytes on study day 29. In conclusion, these data suggest that the epidiymal sperm Pig-a assay in rats is a promising method for evaluating germ cell mutagenicity. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:485-493, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ontogenetic Development of Weberian Ossicles and Hearing Abilities in the African Bullhead Catfish

PubMed Central

Lechner, Walter; Heiss, Egon; Schwaha, Thomas; Glösmann, Martin; Ladich, Friedrich

2011-01-01

Background The Weberian apparatus of otophysine fishes facilitates sound transmission from the swimbladder to the inner ear to increase hearing sensitivity. It has been of great interest to biologists since the 19th century. No studies, however, are available on the development of the Weberian ossicles and its effect on the development of hearing in catfishes. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated the development of the Weberian apparatus and auditory sensitivity in the catfish Lophiobagrus cyclurus. Specimens from 11.3 mm to 85.5 mm in standard length were studied. Morphology was assessed using sectioning, histology, and X-ray computed tomography, along with 3D reconstruction. Hearing thresholds were measured utilizing the auditory evoked potentials recording technique. Weberian ossicles and interossicular ligaments were fully developed in all stages investigated except in the smallest size group. In the smallest catfish, the intercalarium and the interossicular ligaments were still missing and the tripus was not yet fully developed. Smallest juveniles revealed lowest auditory sensitivity and were unable to detect frequencies higher than 2 or 3 kHz; sensitivity increased in larger specimens by up to 40 dB, and frequency detection up to 6 kHz. In the size groups capable of perceiving frequencies up to 6 kHz, larger individuals had better hearing abilities at low frequencies (0.05–2 kHz), whereas smaller individuals showed better hearing at the highest frequencies (4–6 kHz). Conclusions/Significance Our data indicate that the ability of otophysine fish to detect sounds at low levels and high frequencies largely depends on the development of the Weberian apparatus. A significant increase in auditory sensitivity was observed as soon as all Weberian ossicles and interossicular ligaments are present and the chain for transmitting sounds from the swimbladder to the inner ear is complete. This contrasts with findings in another otophysine, the zebrafish, where no threshold changes have been observed. PMID:21533262

Characteristics of cloud occurrence using ceilometer measurements and its relationship to precipitation over Seoul

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sanghee; Hwang, Seung-On; Kim, Jhoon; Ahn, Myoung-Hwan

2018-03-01

Clouds are an important component of the atmosphere that affects both climate and weather, however, their contributions can be very difficult to determine. Ceilometer measurements can provide high resolution information on atmospheric conditions such as cloud base height (CBH) and vertical frequency of cloud occurrence (CVF). This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of CBH and CVF derived using Vaisala CL51 ceilometers at two urban stations in Seoul, Korea, during a three-year period from January 2014 to December 2016. The average frequency of cloud occurrence detected by the ceilometers is 54.3%. It is found that the CL51 is better able to capture CBH as compared to another ceilometer CL31 at a nearby meteorological station because it could detect high clouds more accurately. Frequency distributions for CBH up to 13,000 m providing detailed vertical features with 500-m interval show 55% of CBHs below 2 km for aggregated CBHs. A bimodal frequency distribution was observed for three-layers CBHs. A monthly variation of CVF reveals that frequency concentration of lower clouds is found in summer and winter, and higher clouds more often detected in spring and autumn. Monthly distribution features of cloud occurrence and precipitation are depending on seasons and it might be easy to define their relationship due to higher degree of variability of precipitation than cloud occurrence. However, a fluctuation of cloud occurrence frequency in summer is similar to precipitation in trend, whereas clouds in winter are relatively frequent but precipitation is not accompanied. In addition, recent decrease of summer precipitation could be mostly explained by a decrease of cloud occurrence. Anomalous precipitation recorded sometimes is considerably related to corresponding cloud occurrence. The diurnal and daily variations of CBH and CVF from ceilometer observations and the analysis of microwave radiometer measurements for two typical cloudiness cases are also reviewed in parallel. This analysis in finer temporal scale exhibits that utilization of ground-based observations together could help to analyze the cloud behaviors.

MEMS based shock pulse detection sensor for improved rotary Stirling cooler end of life prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hübner, M.; Münzberg, M.

2018-05-01

The widespread use of rotary Stirling coolers in high performance thermal imagers used for critical 24/7 surveillance tasks justifies any effort to significantly enhance the reliability and predictable uptime of those coolers. Typically the lifetime of the whole imaging device is limited due to continuous wear and finally failure of the rotary compressor of the Stirling cooler, especially due to failure of the comprised bearings. MTTF based lifetime predictions, even based on refined MTTF models taking operational scenario dependent scaling factors into account, still lack in precision to forecast accurately the end of life (EOL) of individual coolers. Consequently preventive maintenance of individual coolers to avoid failures of the main sensor in critical operational scenarios are very costly or even useless. We have developed an integrated test method based on `Micro Electromechanical Systems', so called MEMS sensors, which significantly improves the cooler EOL prediction. The recently commercially available MEMS acceleration sensors have mechanical resonance frequencies up to 50 kHz. They are able to detect solid borne shock pulses in the cooler structure, originating from e.g. metal on metal impacts driven by periodical forces acting on moving inner parts of the rotary compressor within wear dependent slack and play. The impact driven transient shock pulse analyses uses only the high frequency signal <10kHz and differs therefore from the commonly used broadband low frequencies vibrational analysis of reciprocating machines. It offers a direct indicator of the individual state of wear. The predictive cooler lifetime model based on the shock pulse analysis is presented and results are discussed.

Biosensor method and system based on feature vector extraction

DOEpatents

Greenbaum, Elias [Knoxville, TN; Rodriguez, Jr., Miguel; Qi, Hairong [Knoxville, TN; Wang, Xiaoling [San Jose, CA

2012-04-17

A method of biosensor-based detection of toxins comprises the steps of providing at least one time-dependent control signal generated by a biosensor in a gas or liquid medium, and obtaining a time-dependent biosensor signal from the biosensor in the gas or liquid medium to be monitored or analyzed for the presence of one or more toxins selected from chemical, biological or radiological agents. The time-dependent biosensor signal is processed to obtain a plurality of feature vectors using at least one of amplitude statistics and a time-frequency analysis. At least one parameter relating to toxicity of the gas or liquid medium is then determined from the feature vectors based on reference to the control signal.

pH imaging of mouse kidneys in vivo using a frequency-dependent paraCEST agent.

PubMed

Wu, Yunkou; Zhang, Shanrong; Soesbe, Todd C; Yu, Jing; Vinogradov, Elena; Lenkinski, Robert E; Sherry, A Dean

2016-06-01

This study explored the feasibility of using a pH responsive paramagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer (paraCEST) agent to image the pH gradient in kidneys of healthy mice. CEST signals were acquired on an Agilent 9.4 Tesla small animal MRI system using a steady-state gradient echo pulse sequence after a bolus injection of agent. The magnetic field inhomogeneity across each kidney was corrected using the WASSR method and pH maps were calculated by measuring the frequency of water exchange signal arising from the agent. Dynamic CEST studies demonstrated that the agent was readily detectable in kidneys only between 4 to 12 min postinjection. The CEST images showed a higher signal intensity in the pelvis and calyx regions and lower signal intensity in the medulla and cortex regions. The pH maps reflected tissue pH values spanning from 6.0 to 7.5 in kidneys of healthy mice. This study demonstrated that pH maps of the kidney can be imaged in vivo by measuring the pH-dependent chemical shift of a single water exchange CEST peak without prior knowledge of the agent concentration in vivo. The results demonstrate the potential of using a simple frequency-dependent paraCEST agent for mapping tissue pH in vivo. Magn Reson Med 75:2432-2441, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Dynamic response of RC beams strengthened with near surface mounted Carbon-FRP rods subjected to damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capozucca, R.; Blasi, M. G.; Corina, V.

2015-07-01

Near surface mounted (NSM) technique with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) is becoming a common method in the strengthening of concrete beams. The availability of NSM FRP technique depends on many factors linked to materials and geometry - dimensions of the rods used, type of FRP material employed, rods’ surface configuration, groove size - and to adhesion between concrete and FRP rods. In this paper detection of damage is investigated measuring the natural frequency values of beam in the case of free-free ends. Damage was due both to reduction of adhesion between concrete and carbon-FRP rectangular and circular rods and cracking of concrete under static bending tests on beams. Comparison between experimental and theoretical frequency values evaluating frequency changes due to damage permits to monitor actual behaviour of RC beams strengthened by NSM CFRP rods.

Study of the temperature dependent immuno-reaction kinetics for the bio-functionalized magnetic nanoparticle assay of bio-markers of colorectal cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, S. Y.; Chang, J. F.; Chen, T. C.; Yang, C. C.; Ho, C. S.

2014-01-01

By conjugating antibodies on magnetic nanoparticles, target antigens can be quantitatively detected by measuring the magnetic signals of the magnetic nanoparticles due to their association with target antigens. This method of detection is called magnetically labeled immunoassay. The assay characteristics of magnetically labeled immunoassay have been reported widely. However, the immuno-reaction kinetics of magnetically labeled immunoassay has not been studied. In this work, the reaction rates between magnetic nanoparticles and target antigens are measured at various temperatures. It is found that the temperature dependent reaction rate obeys Arrhenius's equation, which shows the collision frequency and activation energy for the immuno-reaction between antibody-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles and target antigens. The carcinoembryonic antigen, which is a regular blood bio-marker for in-vitro diagnosis of colorectal cancer, is used as a target antigen for the example.

Crossed-coil detection of two-photon excited nuclear quadrupole resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eles, Philip T.; Michal, Carl A.

2005-08-01

Applying a recently developed theoretical framework for determining two-photon excitation Hamiltonians using average Hamiltonian theory, we calculate the excitation produced by half-resonant irradiation of the pure quadrupole resonance of a spin-3/2 system. This formalism provides expressions for the single-quantum and double-quantum nutation frequencies as well as the Bloch-Siegert shift. The dependence of the excitation strength on RF field orientation and the appearance of the free-induction signal along an axis perpendicular to the excitation field provide an unmistakable signature of two-photon excitation. We demonstrate single- and double-quantum excitation in an axially symmetric system using 35Cl in a single crystal of potassium chlorate ( ωQ = 28 MHz) with crossed-coil detection. A rotation plot verifies the orientation dependence of the two-photon excitation, and double-quantum coherences are observed directly with the application of a static external magnetic field.

Origin of the positive spin- 1 2 photoluminescence-detected magnetic resonance in π-conjugated materials and devices

DOE PAGES

Chen, Ying; Cai, Min; Hellerich, Emily; ...

2015-09-02

The spin-1/2 single-modulation (SM) and double-modulation (DM) photoluminescence (PL) detected magnetic resonance (PLDMR) in poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl)–hexoxy-1,4- phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV) films and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films is described, analyzed, and discussed. In particular, the models based on spin-dependent recombination of charge pairs (SDR) and triplet-polaron quenching (TPQ) are evaluated. By analyzing the dependence of the resonance amplitude on the microwave chopping (modulation) frequency using rate equations, it is demonstrated that the TPQ model can well explain the observed resonance behavior, while SDR model cannot reproduce the results of the observed DM-PLDMR. As a result, the observed spin-1/2 PLDMR is assigned to TPQ rathermore » than SDR, even though the latter may also be present.« less

CTBT infrasound network performance to detect the 2013 Russian fireball event

DOE PAGES

Pilger, Christoph; Ceranna, Lars; Ross, J. Ole; ...

2015-03-18

The explosive fragmentation of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite generated a large airburst with an equivalent yield of 500 kT TNT. It is the most energetic event recorded by the infrasound component of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty-International Monitoring System (CTBT-IMS), globally detected by 20 out of 42 operational stations. This study performs a station-by-station estimation of the IMS detection capability to explain infrasound detections and nondetections from short to long distances, using the Chelyabinsk meteorite as global reference event. Investigated parameters influencing the detection capability are the directivity of the line source signal, the ducting of acoustic energy, and the individualmore » noise conditions at each station. Findings include a clear detection preference for stations perpendicular to the meteorite trajectory, even over large distances. Only a weak influence of stratospheric ducting is observed for this low-frequency case. As a result, a strong dependence on the diurnal variability of background noise levels at each station is observed, favoring nocturnal detections.« less

Quantitative Ultrasound Comparison of MAT and 4T1 Mammary Tumors in Mice and Rats Across Multiple Imaging Systems.

PubMed

Wirtzfeld, Lauren A; Ghoshal, Goutam; Rosado-Mendez, Ivan M; Nam, Kibo; Park, Yeonjoo; Pawlicki, Alexander D; Miller, Rita J; Simpson, Douglas G; Zagzebski, James A; Oelze, Michael L; Hall, Timothy J; O'Brien, William D

2015-08-01

Quantitative ultrasound estimates such as the frequency-dependent backscatter coefficient (BSC) have the potential to enhance noninvasive tissue characterization and to identify tumors better than traditional B-mode imaging. Thus, investigating system independence of BSC estimates from multiple imaging platforms is important for assessing their capabilities to detect tissue differences. Mouse and rat mammary tumor models, 4T1 and MAT, respectively, were used in a comparative experiment using 3 imaging systems (Siemens, Ultrasonix, and VisualSonics) with 5 different transducers covering a range of ultrasonic frequencies. Functional analysis of variance of the MAT and 4T1 BSC-versus-frequency curves revealed statistically significant differences between the two tumor types. Variations also were found among results from different transducers, attributable to frequency range effects. At 3 to 8 MHz, tumor BSC functions using different systems showed no differences between tumor type, but at 10 to 20 MHz, there were differences between 4T1 and MAT tumors. Fitting an average spline model to the combined BSC estimates (3-22 MHz) demonstrated that the BSC differences between tumors increased with increasing frequency, with the greatest separation above 15 MHz. Confining the analysis to larger tumors resulted in better discrimination over a wider bandwidth. Confining the comparison to higher ultrasonic frequencies or larger tumor sizes allowed for separation of BSC-versus-frequency curves from 4T1 and MAT tumors. These constraints ensure that a greater fraction of the backscattered signals originated from within the tumor, thus demonstrating that statistically significant tumor differences were detected. © 2015 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Microstrip Patch Sensor for Salinity Determination.

PubMed

Lee, Kibae; Hassan, Arshad; Lee, Chong Hyun; Bae, Jinho

2017-12-18

In this paper, a compact microstrip feed inset patch sensor is proposed for measuring the salinities in seawater. The working principle of the proposed sensor depends on the fact that different salinities in liquid have different relative permittivities and cause different resonance frequencies. The proposed sensor can obtain better sensitivity to salinity changes than common sensors using conductivity change, since the relative permittivity change to salinity is 2.5 times more sensitive than the conductivity change. The patch and ground plane of the proposed sensor are fabricated by conductive copper spray coating on the masks made by 3D printer. The fabricated patch and the ground plane are bonded to a commercial silicon substrate and then attached to 5 mm-high chamber made by 3D printer so that it contains only 1 mL seawater. For easy fabrication and testing, the maximum resonance frequency was selected under 3 GHz and to cover salinities in real seawater, it was assumed that the salinity changes from 20 to 35 ppt. The sensor was designed by the finite element method-based ANSYS high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS), and it can detect the salinity with 0.01 ppt resolution. The designed sensor has a resonance frequency separation of 37.9 kHz and reflection coefficients under -20 dB at the resonant frequencies. The fabricated sensor showed better performance with average frequency separation of 48 kHz and maximum reflection coefficient of -35 dB. By comparing with the existing sensors, the proposed compact and low-cost sensor showed a better detection capability. Therefore, the proposed patch sensor can be utilized in radio frequency (RF) tunable sensors for salinity determination.

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

Harp, G. R.; Richards, Jon; Tarter, Jill C.

We report radio SETI observations on a large number of known exoplanets and other nearby star systems using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA). Observations were made over about 19000 hr from 2009 May to 2015 December. This search focused on narrowband radio signals from a set totaling 9293 stars, including 2015 exoplanet stars and Kepler objects of interest and an additional 65 whose planets may be close to their habitable zones. The ATA observations were made using multiple synthesized beams and an anticoincidence filter to help identify terrestrial radio interference. Stars were observed over frequencies from 1 to 9 GHzmore » in multiple bands that avoid strong terrestrial communication frequencies. Data were processed in near-real time for narrowband (0.7–100 Hz) continuous and pulsed signals with transmitter/receiver relative accelerations from −0.3 to 0.3 m s{sup −2}. A total of 1.9 × 10{sup 8} unique signals requiring immediate follow-up were detected in observations covering more than 8 × 10{sup 6} star-MHz. We detected no persistent signals from extraterrestrial technology exceeding our frequency-dependent sensitivity threshold of 180–310 × 10{sup −26} W m{sup −2}.« less

Volatile organic compounds discrimination based on dual mode detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yuanyuan; Wu, Enxiu; Chen, Yan; Feng, Zhihong; Zheng, Shijun; Zhang, Hao; Pang, Wei; Liu, Jing; Zhang, Daihua

2018-06-01

We report on a volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor that can provide concentration-independent signals toward target gases. The device is based on a dual-mode detection mechanism that can simultaneously record the mechanical (resonant frequency, f r) and electrical (current, I) responses of the same gas adsorption event. The two independent signals form a unique I–f r trace for each target VOC as the concentration varies. The mechanical response (frequency shift, Δf r) resulting from mass load on the device is directly related to the amount of surface adsorptions, while the electrical response (current variation, ΔI) is associated with charge transfer across the sensing interface and changes in carrier mobility. The two responses resulting from independent physical processes reflect intrinsic physical properties of each target gas. The ΔI–Δf r trace combined with the concentration dependent frequency (or current) signals can therefore be used to achieve target both recognition and quantification. The dual-mode device is designed and fabricated using standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible processes. It exhibits consistent and stable performance in our tests with six different VOCs including ethanol, methanol, acetone, formaldehyde, benzene and hexane.

Effect of CoFeB electrode compositions on low frequency magnetic noise in tunneling magnetoresistance sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wisniowski, P.; Dabek, M.; Wrona, J.; Cardoso, S.; Freitas, P. P.

2017-12-01

We study the effect of CoFeB electrode compositions on frequency dependent magnetic noise in tunneling magnetoresistance sensors with variable field sensitivity. We use the relationship between the normalized 1/f noise parameter (αt) and the magnetoresistance sensitivity product (MSP) to compare the magnetic noise of sensors with Co40Fe40B20, Co60Fe20B20, and Co20Fe60B20 electrodes. We observed the lowest slope of the αt vs. MSP curve of 9.1 × 10-13 μm3 T and a 1/f noise corner as low as 300 Hz for the sensors with Co60Fe20B20 electrodes. Furthermore, all sensors at a specific value of the magnetoresistance sensitivity product showed a deviation from the linear relationship between αt and MSP. The results show that in the design of high sensitivity CoFeB-MgO-CoFeB based tunneling magnetoresistance sensors for low field detection, selection of CoFeB electrodes is important and can be used to significantly improve the low frequency field detection limit.

THE NANOGRAV NINE-YEAR DATA SET: OBSERVATIONS, ARRIVAL TIME MEASUREMENTS, AND ANALYSIS OF 37 MILLISECOND PULSARS

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

Arzoumanian, Zaven; Brazier, Adam; Chatterjee, Shami

2015-11-01

We present high-precision timing observations spanning up to nine years for 37 millisecond pulsars monitored with the Green Bank and Arecibo radio telescopes as part of the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) project. We describe the observational and instrumental setups used to collect the data, and methodology applied for calculating pulse times of arrival; these include novel methods for measuring instrumental offsets and characterizing low signal-to-noise ratio timing results. The time of arrival data are fit to a physical timing model for each source, including terms that characterize time-variable dispersion measure and frequency-dependent pulse shape evolution. Inmore » conjunction with the timing model fit, we have performed a Bayesian analysis of a parameterized timing noise model for each source, and detect evidence for excess low-frequency, or “red,” timing noise in 10 of the pulsars. For 5 of these cases this is likely due to interstellar medium propagation effects rather than intrisic spin variations. Subsequent papers in this series will present further analysis of this data set aimed at detecting or limiting the presence of nanohertz-frequency gravitational wave signals.« less

Passive millimetre wave imaging for ballistic missile launch detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higgins, Christopher J.; Salmon, Neil A.

2008-10-01

QinetiQ has used a suite of modelling tools to predict the millimetric plume signatures from a range of ballistic missile types, based on the accepted theory that Bremsstrahlung emission, generated by the collision of free electrons with neutral species in a rocket motor plume, is the dominant signature mechanism. Plume signatures in terms of radiation temperatures varied from a few hundred Kelvin to over one thousand Kelvin, and were predicted to be dependent on emission frequency, propellant type and missile thrust. Two types of platform were considered for the passive mmw imager launch detection system; a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) and a satellite based platform in low, mid and geosynchronous earth orbits. It was concluded that the optimum operating frequency for a HAPS based imager would be 35GHz with a 4.5m aperture and a sensitivity of 20mK providing visibility through 500 vertical feet of cloud. For a satellite based platform with a nadir view, the optimum frequency is 220 GHz. With such a system, in a low earth orbit at an altitude of 320km, with a sensitivity of 20mK, a 29cm aperture would be desirable.

Volatile organic compounds discrimination based on dual mode detection.

PubMed

Yu, Yuanyuan; Wu, Enxiu; Chen, Yan; Feng, Zhihong; Zheng, Shijun; Zhang, Hao; Pang, Wei; Liu, Jing; Zhang, Daihua

2018-06-15

We report on a volatile organic compound (VOC) sensor that can provide concentration-independent signals toward target gases. The device is based on a dual-mode detection mechanism that can simultaneously record the mechanical (resonant frequency, f r ) and electrical (current, I) responses of the same gas adsorption event. The two independent signals form a unique I-f r trace for each target VOC as the concentration varies. The mechanical response (frequency shift, Δf r ) resulting from mass load on the device is directly related to the amount of surface adsorptions, while the electrical response (current variation, ΔI) is associated with charge transfer across the sensing interface and changes in carrier mobility. The two responses resulting from independent physical processes reflect intrinsic physical properties of each target gas. The ΔI-Δf r trace combined with the concentration dependent frequency (or current) signals can therefore be used to achieve target both recognition and quantification. The dual-mode device is designed and fabricated using standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible processes. It exhibits consistent and stable performance in our tests with six different VOCs including ethanol, methanol, acetone, formaldehyde, benzene and hexane.

Frequency-dependent baroreflex control of blood pressure and heart rate during physical exercise.

PubMed

Spadacini, Giammario; Passino, Claudio; Leuzzi, Stefano; Valle, Felice; Piepoli, Massimo; Calciati, Alessandro; Sleight, Peter; Bernardi, Luciano

2006-02-15

It is widely recognised that during exercise vagal heart rate control is markedly impaired but blood pressure control may or may not be retained. We hypothesised that this uncertainty arose from the differing responses of the vagus (fast) and sympathetic (slow) arms of the autonomic effectors, and to differing sympatho-vagal balance at different exercise intensities. We studied 12 normals at rest, during moderate (50% maximal heart rate) and submaximal (80% maximal heart rate) exercise. The carotid baroreceptors were stimulated by sinusoidal neck suction at the frequency of the spontaneous high- (during moderate exercise) and low-frequency (during submaximal) fluctuations in heart period and blood pressure. The increases in these oscillations induced by neck suction were measured by autoregressive spectral analysis. At rest neck stimulation increased variability at low frequency (RR: from 6.99+/-0.24 to 8.87+/-0.18 ln-ms2; systolic pressure: from 3.05+/-1.7 to 4.09+/-0.17 ln-mm Hg2) and high frequency (RR: from 4.67+/-0.25 to 6.79+/-0.31 ln-ms2; systolic pressure: from 1.93+/-0.2 to 2.67+/-0.125 ln-mm Hg2) (all p<0.001). During submaximal exercise RR variability decreased but systolic pressure variability rose (p<0.01 vs rest); during submaximal exercise low-frequency neck stimulation increased the low-frequency fluctuations in blood pressure (2.35+/-0.51 to 4.25+/-0.38 ln-mm Hg2, p<0.05) and RR. Conversely, neck suction at high frequency was ineffective on systolic pressure, and had only minor effects on RR interval during moderate exercise. During exercise baroreflex control is active on blood pressure, but the efferent response on blood pressure and heart rate is only detected during low frequency stimulation, indicating a frequency-dependent effect.

Spectrotemporal modulation sensitivity for hearing-impaired listeners: dependence on carrier center frequency and the relationship to speech intelligibility.

PubMed

Mehraei, Golbarg; Gallun, Frederick J; Leek, Marjorie R; Bernstein, Joshua G W

2014-07-01

Poor speech understanding in noise by hearing-impaired (HI) listeners is only partly explained by elevated audiometric thresholds. Suprathreshold-processing impairments such as reduced temporal or spectral resolution or temporal fine-structure (TFS) processing ability might also contribute. Although speech contains dynamic combinations of temporal and spectral modulation and TFS content, these capabilities are often treated separately. Modulation-depth detection thresholds for spectrotemporal modulation (STM) applied to octave-band noise were measured for normal-hearing and HI listeners as a function of temporal modulation rate (4-32 Hz), spectral ripple density [0.5-4 cycles/octave (c/o)] and carrier center frequency (500-4000 Hz). STM sensitivity was worse than normal for HI listeners only for a low-frequency carrier (1000 Hz) at low temporal modulation rates (4-12 Hz) and a spectral ripple density of 2 c/o, and for a high-frequency carrier (4000 Hz) at a high spectral ripple density (4 c/o). STM sensitivity for the 4-Hz, 4-c/o condition for a 4000-Hz carrier and for the 4-Hz, 2-c/o condition for a 1000-Hz carrier were correlated with speech-recognition performance in noise after partialling out the audiogram-based speech-intelligibility index. Poor speech-reception and STM-detection performance for HI listeners may be related to a combination of reduced frequency selectivity and a TFS-processing deficit limiting the ability to track spectral-peak movements.

Detecting an atomic clock frequency anomaly using an adaptive Kalman filter algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Huijie; Dong, Shaowu; Wu, Wenjun; Jiang, Meng; Wang, Weixiong

2018-06-01

The abnormal frequencies of an atomic clock mainly include frequency jump and frequency drift jump. Atomic clock frequency anomaly detection is a key technique in time-keeping. The Kalman filter algorithm, as a linear optimal algorithm, has been widely used in real-time detection for abnormal frequency. In order to obtain an optimal state estimation, the observation model and dynamic model of the Kalman filter algorithm should satisfy Gaussian white noise conditions. The detection performance is degraded if anomalies affect the observation model or dynamic model. The idea of the adaptive Kalman filter algorithm, applied to clock frequency anomaly detection, uses the residuals given by the prediction for building ‘an adaptive factor’ the prediction state covariance matrix is real-time corrected by the adaptive factor. The results show that the model error is reduced and the detection performance is improved. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by the frequency jump simulation, the frequency drift jump simulation and the measured data of the atomic clock by using the chi-square test.

Using Entanglement to Measure Temperatures and Frequencies of Individual Normal Modes in a Strongly Coupled 2D Plasma of Be+

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawyer, Brian; Britton, Joseph; Keith, Adam; Wang, C.-C. Joseph; Freericks, James; Bollinger, John

2013-10-01

Confined non-neutral plasmas of ions in the regime of strong coupling serve as a platform for studying a diverse range of phenomena including: dense astrophysical matter, quantum computation/simulation, dynamical decoupling, and precision measurements. We describe a method of simultaneously detecting and measuring the temperature of transverse plasma modes in two-dimensional crystals of cold 9Be+ confined within a Penning trap. We employ a spin-dependent optical dipole force (ODF) generated from off-resonant laser beams to directly excite plasma modes transverse to the crystal plane of ~ 100 ions. Extremely small mode excitations (~ 1 nm) may be detected through spin-motion entanglement induced by an ODF as small as 10 yN , and even the shortest-wavelength (~ 20 μm) modes are excited and detected through the spin dependence of the force. This mode-specific thermometry has facilitated characterization and mitigation of ion heating sources in this system. Future work may include sub-yN force detection, spectroscopy/thermometry of the more complex in-plane oscillations, and implementation/confirmation of sub-Doppler cooling. The authors acknowledge support from the DARPA-OLE program.

Low-amplitude non-linear volume vibrations of single microbubbles measured with an "acoustical camera".

PubMed

Renaud, Guillaume; Bosch, Johan G; Van Der Steen, Antonius F W; De Jong, Nico

2014-06-01

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging is based on the detection of non-linear vibrational responses of a contrast agent after its intravenous administration. Improving contrast-enhanced images requires an accurate understanding of the vibrational response to ultrasound of the lipid-coated gas microbubbles that constitute most ultrasound contrast agents. Variations in the volume of microbubbles provide the most efficient radiation of ultrasound and, therefore, are the most important bubble vibrations for medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging. We developed an "acoustical camera" that measures the dynamic volume change of individual microbubbles when excited by a pressure wave. In the work described here, the technique was applied to the characterization of low-amplitude non-linear behaviors of BR14 microbubbles (Bracco Research, Geneva, Switzerland). The amplitude dependence of the resonance frequency and the damping, the prevalence of efficient subharmonic and ultraharmonic vibrations and the amplitude dependence of the response at the fundamental frequency and at the second harmonic frequency were investigated. Because of the large number of measurements, we provide a statistical characterization of the low-amplitude non-linear properties of the contrast agent. Copyright © 2014 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lower bound for LCD image quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, William P.; Balram, Nikhil

1996-03-01

The paper presents an objective lower bound for the discrimination of patterns and fine detail in images on a monochrome LCD. In applications such as medical imaging and military avionics the information of interest is often at the highest frequencies in the image. Since LCDs are sampled data systems, their output modulation is dependent on the phase between the input signal and the sampling points. This phase dependence becomes particularly significant at high spatial frequencies. In order to use an LCD for applications such as those mentioned above it is essential to have a lower (worst case) bound on the performance of the display. We address this problem by providing a mathematical model for the worst case output modulation of an LCD in response to a sine wave input. This function can be interpreted as a worst case modulation transfer function (MTF). The intersection of the worst case MTF with the contrast threshold function (CTF) of the human visual system defines the highest spatial frequency that will always be detectable. In addition to providing the worst case limiting resolution, this MTF is combined with the CTF to produce objective worst case image quality values using the modulation transfer function area (MTFA) metric.

Floating Gate CMOS Dosimeter With Frequency Output

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Moreno, E.; Isern, E.; Roca, M.; Picos, R.; Font, J.; Cesari, J.; Pineda, A.

2012-04-01

This paper presents a gamma radiation dosimeter based on a floating gate sensor. The sensor is coupled with a signal processing circuitry, which furnishes a square wave output signal, the frequency of which depends on the total dose. Like any other floating gate dosimeter, it exhibits zero bias operation and reprogramming capabilities. The dosimeter has been designed in a standard 0.6 m CMOS technology. The whole dosimeter occupies a silicon area of 450 m250 m. The initial sensitivity to a radiation dose is Hz/rad, and to temperature and supply voltage is kHz/°C and 0.067 kHz/mV, respectively. The lowest detectable dose is less than 1 rad.

A 200 MHz surface acoustic wave mass microbalance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowers, William D.; Chuan, Raymond L.

1990-01-01

The principle of operation of the surface acoustic wave (SAW) piezoelectric crystals used as microgravimetric sensors in mass microbalances is discussed. Special attention is given to a SAW 200-MHz crystal developed for measuring molecular deposition on spacecrafts, whose operating frequency does not depend on the thickness of the crystal. The frequency stability of the 200 MHz SAW device is better than 5 x 10 exp -9, which corresponds to a lower limit-of-detection of 3 x 10 exp -12 g for a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. A block diagram of the 200 MHz SAW mass microbalance and a schematic diagram of SAW resonator are presented together with performance data of this device.

Heterogeneity and frequency of BRAF mutations in primary melanoma: Comparison between molecular methods and immunohistochemistry

PubMed Central

Bruno, William; Martinuzzi, Claudia; Andreotti, Virginia; Pastorino, Lorenza; Spagnolo, Francesco; Dalmasso, Bruna; Cabiddu, Francesco; Gualco, Marina; Ballestrero, Alberto; Bianchi-Scarrà, Giovanna; Queirolo, Paola

2017-01-01

Finding the best technique to identify BRAF mutations with a high sensitivity and specificity is mandatory for accurate patient selection for target therapy. BRAF mutation frequency ranges from 40 to 60% depending on melanoma clinical characteristics and detection technique used. Intertumoral heterogeneity could lead to misinterpretation of BRAF mutational status; this is especially important if testing is performed on primary specimens, when metastatic lesions are unavailable. Aim of this study was to identify the best combination of methods for detecting BRAF mutations (among peptide nucleic acid – PNA-clamping real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry and capillary sequencing) and investigate BRAF mutation heterogeneity in a series of 100 primary melanomas and a subset of 25 matched metastatic samples. Overall, we obtained a BRAF mutation frequency of 62%, based on the combination of at least two techniques. Concordance between mutation status in primary and metastatic tumor was good but not complete (67%), when agreement of at least two techniques were considered. Next generation sequencing was used to quantify the threshold of detected mutant alleles in discordant samples. Combining different methods excludes that the observed heterogeneity is technique-based. We propose an algorithm for BRAF mutation testing based on agreement between immunohistochemistry and PNA; a third molecular method could be added in case of discordance of the results. Testing the primary tumor when the metastatic sample is unavailable is a good option if at least two methods of detection are used, however the presence of intertumoral heterogeneity or the occurrence of additional primaries should be carefully considered. PMID:28039443

Multi-Frequency Signal Detection Based on Frequency Exchange and Re-Scaling Stochastic Resonance and Its Application to Weak Fault Diagnosis

PubMed Central

Leng, Yonggang; Fan, Shengbo

2018-01-01

Mechanical fault diagnosis usually requires not only identification of the fault characteristic frequency, but also detection of its second and/or higher harmonics. However, it is difficult to detect a multi-frequency fault signal through the existing Stochastic Resonance (SR) methods, because the characteristic frequency of the fault signal as well as its second and higher harmonics frequencies tend to be large parameters. To solve the problem, this paper proposes a multi-frequency signal detection method based on Frequency Exchange and Re-scaling Stochastic Resonance (FERSR). In the method, frequency exchange is implemented using filtering technique and Single SideBand (SSB) modulation. This new method can overcome the limitation of "sampling ratio" which is the ratio of the sampling frequency to the frequency of target signal. It also ensures that the multi-frequency target signals can be processed to meet the small-parameter conditions. Simulation results demonstrate that the method shows good performance for detecting a multi-frequency signal with low sampling ratio. Two practical cases are employed to further validate the effectiveness and applicability of this method. PMID:29693577

Detection of Rotational Sequences for Global Oscillation Modes inside the Sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolff, Charles L.; Niemann, Hasso B. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A very simple mathematical sequence is detected in a half century of thermal radio flux from the Sun. Since the only known physical cause of the sequence is global oscillations trapped in the nonconvecting solar interior, g-modes and probably r-modes are active. If so, their rotation frequencies are detected and some previously reported difference frequencies are confirmed with high confidence. All angular harmonics for 2 less than or = l less than or = 7 are detected as well as some others up to the limit l less than or = 14 resolvable by the observations (a Fourier spectrum of the 10.7 cm flux time series). The mean sidereal rotation of the nonconvecting interior is 428.2 nHz as averaged by g-modes and 429.8 nHz by the r-modes, indicating that g-mode energy is a bit more centrally concentrated. Helioseismology measures such rotation rates near 0.36R (R = solar radius), so the global modes would have about half their kinetic energy above and below that level. This, and the known log(r) energy dependence of most modes implies that these oscillations are significantly reflected near 0.18R, the same level at which sound speed measurements display a maximum departure from theoretical models.

SOME DATA ON THE ROTATIONAL MAGNETO-MECHANIC EFFECT IN A LOW-PRESSURE PLASMA (in Russian)

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

Urazakov, E.I.

1963-01-01

The rotational magneto-mechanic effect in a low pressure plasma previously discovered is studied quantitatively. The dependence of the angular momentum in the plasma on the magnetic field strength, pressure and nature of gas and magnitude of current flowing through the plasma are determined. The rotational magneto-mechanical effect has also been detected in the plasma of inert gas produced by a high frequency field. (auth)

Tracking Temperature-Dependent Relaxation Times of Ferritin Nanomagnets with a Wideband Quantum Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schäfer-Nolte, Eike; Schlipf, Lukas; Ternes, Markus; Reinhard, Friedemann; Kern, Klaus; Wrachtrup, Jörg

2014-11-01

We demonstrate the tracking of the spin dynamics of ensemble and individual magnetic ferritin proteins from cryogenic up to room temperature using the nitrogen-vacancy color center in diamond as a magnetic sensor. We employ different detection protocols to probe the influence of the ferritin nanomagnets on the longitudinal and transverse relaxation of the nitrogen-vacancy center, which enables magnetic sensing over a wide frequency range from Hz to GHz. The temperature dependence of the observed spectral features can be well understood by the thermally induced magnetization reversals of the ferritin and enables the determination of the anisotropy barrier of single ferritin molecules.

Surface potential measurement of n-type organic semiconductor thin films by mist deposition via Kelvin probe microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odaka, Akihiro; Satoh, Nobuo; Katori, Shigetaka

2017-08-01

We partially deposited fullerene (C60) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester thin films that are typical n-type semiconductor materials on indium-tin oxide by mist deposition at various substrate temperatures. The topographic and surface potential images were observed via dynamic force microscopy/Kelvin probe force microscopy with the frequency modulation detection method. We proved that the area where a thin film is deposited depends on the substrate temperature during deposition from the topographic images. It was also found that the surface potential depends on the substrate temperature from the surface potential images.

Automatic seizure detection in SEEG using high frequency activities in wavelet domain.

PubMed

Ayoubian, L; Lacoma, H; Gotman, J

2013-03-01

Existing automatic detection techniques show high sensitivity and moderate specificity, and detect seizures a relatively long time after onset. High frequency (80-500 Hz) activity has recently been shown to be prominent in the intracranial EEG of epileptic patients but has not been used in seizure detection. The purpose of this study is to investigate if these frequencies can contribute to seizure detection. The system was designed using 30 h of intracranial EEG, including 15 seizures in 15 patients. Wavelet decomposition, feature extraction, adaptive thresholding and artifact removal were employed in training data. An EMG removal algorithm was developed based on two features: Lack of correlation between frequency bands and energy-spread in frequency. Results based on the analysis of testing data (36 h of intracranial EEG, including 18 seizures) show a sensitivity of 72%, a false detection of 0.7/h and a median delay of 5.7 s. Missed seizures originated mainly from seizures with subtle or absent high frequencies or from EMG removal procedures. False detections were mainly due to weak EMG or interictal high frequency activities. The system performed sufficiently well to be considered for clinical use, despite the exclusive use of frequencies not usually considered in clinical interpretation. High frequencies have the potential to contribute significantly to the detection of epileptic seizures. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automatic seizure detection in SEEG using high frequency activities in wavelet domain

PubMed Central

Ayoubian, L.; Lacoma, H.; Gotman, J.

2015-01-01

Existing automatic detection techniques show high sensitivity and moderate specificity, and detect seizures a relatively long time after onset. High frequency (80–500 Hz) activity has recently been shown to be prominent in the intracranial EEG of epileptic patients but has not been used in seizure detection. The purpose of this study is to investigate if these frequencies can contribute to seizure detection. The system was designed using 30 h of intracranial EEG, including 15 seizures in 15 patients. Wavelet decomposition, feature extraction, adaptive thresholding and artifact removal were employed in training data. An EMG removal algorithm was developed based on two features: Lack of correlation between frequency bands and energy-spread in frequency. Results based on the analysis of testing data (36 h of intracranial EEG, including 18 seizures) show a sensitivity of 72%, a false detection of 0.7/h and a median delay of 5.7 s. Missed seizures originated mainly from seizures with subtle or absent high frequencies or from EMG removal procedures. False detections were mainly due to weak EMG or interictal high frequency activities. The system performed sufficiently well to be considered for clinical use, despite the exclusive use of frequencies not usually considered in clinical interpretation. High frequencies have the potential to contribute significantly to the detection of epileptic seizures. PMID:22647836

On the room temperature multiferroic BiFeO3: magnetic, dielectric and thermal properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, J.; Günther, A.; Schrettle, F.; Mayr, F.; Krohns, S.; Lunkenheimer, P.; Pimenov, A.; Travkin, V. D.; Mukhin, A. A.; Loidl, A.

2010-06-01

Magnetic dc susceptibility between 1.5 and 800 K, ac susceptibility and magnetization, thermodynamic properties, temperature dependence of radio and audio-wave dielectric constants and conductivity, contact-free dielectric constants at mm-wavelengths, as well as ferroelectric polarization are reported for single crystalline BiFeO3. A well developed anomaly in the magnetic susceptibility signals the onset of antiferromagnetic order close to 635 K. Beside this anomaly no further indications of phase or glass transitions are indicated in the magnetic dc and ac susceptibilities down to the lowest temperatures. The heat capacity has been measured from 2 K up to room temperature and significant contributions from magnon excitations have been detected. From the low-temperature heat capacity an anisotropy gap of the magnon modes of the order of 6 meV has been determined. The dielectric constants measured in standard two-point configuration are dominated by Maxwell-Wagner like effects for temperatures T > 300 K and frequencies below 1 MHz. At lower temperatures the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and loss reveals no anomalies outside the experimental errors, indicating neither phase transitions nor strong spin phonon coupling. The temperature dependence of the dielectric constant was measured contact free at microwave frequencies. At room temperature the dielectric constant has an intrinsic value of 53. The loss is substantial and strongly frequency dependent indicating the predominance of hopping conductivity. Finally, in small thin samples we were able to measure the ferroelectric polarization between 10 and 200 K. The saturation polarization is of the order of 40 μC/cm2, comparable to reports in literature.

Adaptive spatial filtering using photochromic glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potton, R. J.

1999-12-01

Commercially available photochromic glasses exhibit a wide range of spectral sensitivities and darkening response times. Short wavelengths are more effective than long ones for causing darkening but at least one type of glass is effectively darkened by red light (icons/Journals/Common/lambda" ALT="lambda" ALIGN="TOP"/> = 633 nm) with an intensity of about 1 kW m-2. Used as adaptive spatial filters, these glasses attenuate a wavefront by an amount that depends on their recent exposure to light. One type of optical processing that can be performed with such filters is drift nulling in an interferometer excited by light of a wavelength within the sensitivity spectrum of the photochrome. This form of processing has been demonstrated by dithering the speckle pattern in a single-fibre multimode interferometer. The dither allows phase-sensitive detection techniques to be used in the detection of signal-induced phase variations in a frequency band extending from the inverse response time of the photochrome to the dither frequency.

Lumped element kinetic inductance detectors based on two-gap MgB2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, C.; Niu, R. R.; Guo, Z. S.; Cai, X. W.; Chu, H. M.; Yang, K.; Wang, Y.; Feng, Q. R.; Gan, Z. Z.

2018-01-01

Lumped element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs) are made from a single layer superconducting thin film. Because of their low noise and highly multiplexibility, LEKIDs provide a sensitive technology for the detection of millimeter and submillimeter waves. In this work, a 5-pixel 50-nm-thick MgB2 array is made. The microwave properties of the array are measured under dark conditions. We show that the loaded quality factor Q of the resonant circuit is 30 000 at 7.5 K, which is comparable to that of lower-operating-temperature (usually several hundred mK) LEKIDs made from superconductors such as Al and Nb. Moreover, the temperature dependence of resonance frequency gives the two-gap character of MgB2, Δπ (0) = 2.58 meV and Δσ (0) = 8.26 meV. The gap frequency (f = 2Δ/h) indicates that MgB2 LEKIDs have a promising application on terahertz detection.

Perceptual Grouping Affects Pitch Judgments Across Time and Frequency

PubMed Central

Borchert, Elizabeth M. O.; Micheyl, Christophe; Oxenham, Andrew J.

2010-01-01

Pitch, the perceptual correlate of fundamental frequency (F0), plays an important role in speech, music and animal vocalizations. Changes in F0 over time help define musical melodies and speech prosody, while comparisons of simultaneous F0 are important for musical harmony, and for segregating competing sound sources. This study compared listeners’ ability to detect differences in F0 between pairs of sequential or simultaneous tones that were filtered into separate, non-overlapping spectral regions. The timbre differences induced by filtering led to poor F0 discrimination in the sequential, but not the simultaneous, conditions. Temporal overlap of the two tones was not sufficient to produce good performance; instead performance appeared to depend on the two tones being integrated into the same perceptual object. The results confirm the difficulty of comparing the pitches of sequential sounds with different timbres and suggest that, for simultaneous sounds, pitch differences may be detected through a decrease in perceptual fusion rather than an explicit coding and comparison of the underlying F0s. PMID:21077719

TeV-detected young pulsar wind nebulae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cillis, Analia; Torres, D. F.; Martin, J.; de Oña, E.

2014-01-01

More than 20 young pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) have been detected at very high energies (VHE) by the current Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT). Such sources constitute the largest population of Galactic sources in this energy range. They are associated to very energetic, young pulsars and usually show an extended emission up to a few tens of parsecs. In this work we present spectral characterization for the young PWNe detected at VHE, using a time-dependent model, spanning over 20 decades in frequency. The PWNe that have been studied in this work are: Crab Nebula, G54.1+0.3, G0.9 +0.1, G21.5-0.9, MSH 15-52, G292.2-0.5, Kes 75 , HESS J1356-645 , CTA 1, HESS J1813-178 . Other young PWNe that have been detected at VHE have not been incorporated due to controversies in the association between the PWN and pulsar or lack of observational data at radio and X-ray frequencies. Some of the most robust findings, which are not affected by the uncertainties of the model, is that all detected PWNe in TeV are particle dominated with magnetic fractions that do not exceed a few percent. None of the PWNe detected at high energies and youth is in equipartition. With respect to the spectrum of particle injection, our result suggest that the process of acceleration in the termination shock wave from the pulsar wind, cooling, advection and diffusion of the accelerated particles is common in young PWNe.

A Comparative Analysis for Selection of Appropriate Mother Wavelet for Detection of Stationary Disturbances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamble, Saurabh Prakash; Thawkar, Shashank; Gaikwad, Vinayak G.; Kothari, D. P.

2017-12-01

Detection of disturbances is the first step of mitigation. Power electronics plays a crucial role in modern power system which makes system operation efficient but it also bring stationary disturbances in the power system and added impurities to the supply. It happens because of the non-linear loads used in modern day power system which inject disturbances like harmonic disturbances, flickers, sag etc. in power grid. These impurities can damage equipments so it is necessary to mitigate these impurities present in the supply very quickly. So, digital signal processing techniques are incorporated for detection purpose. Signal processing techniques like fast Fourier transform, short-time Fourier transform, Wavelet transform etc. are widely used for the detection of disturbances. Among all, wavelet transform is widely used because of its better detection capabilities. But, which mother wavelet has to use for detection is still a mystery. Depending upon the periodicity, the disturbances are classified as stationary and non-stationary disturbances. This paper presents the importance of selection of mother wavelet for analyzing stationary disturbances using discrete wavelet transform. Signals with stationary disturbances of various frequencies are generated using MATLAB. The analysis of these signals is done using various mother wavelets like Daubechies and bi-orthogonal wavelets and the measured root mean square value of stationary disturbance is obtained. The measured value obtained by discrete wavelet transform is compared with the exact RMS value of the frequency component and the percentage differences are presented which helps to select optimum mother wavelet.

Spatial cue reliability drives frequency tuning in the barn Owl's midbrain

PubMed Central

Cazettes, Fanny; Fischer, Brian J; Pena, Jose L

2014-01-01

The robust representation of the environment from unreliable sensory cues is vital for the efficient function of the brain. However, how the neural processing captures the most reliable cues is unknown. The interaural time difference (ITD) is the primary cue to localize sound in horizontal space. ITD is encoded in the firing rate of neurons that detect interaural phase difference (IPD). Due to the filtering effect of the head, IPD for a given location varies depending on the environmental context. We found that, in barn owls, at each location there is a frequency range where the head filtering yields the most reliable IPDs across contexts. Remarkably, the frequency tuning of space-specific neurons in the owl's midbrain varies with their preferred sound location, matching the range that carries the most reliable IPD. Thus, frequency tuning in the owl's space-specific neurons reflects a higher-order feature of the code that captures cue reliability. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04854.001 PMID:25531067

Nonlinear electromagnetic responses of active molecular motors in live cells and organelles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nawarathna, Dharmakirthi; Gardner, Jeffrey; Cardenas, Gustavo; Warmflash, David; Miller, John; Widger, William; Claycomb, James

2006-03-01

The response of biological cells to an oscillatory electric field contains both linear and nonlinear (eg. induced harmonic) components. At low frequencies (about 10Hz), harmonic generation by budding yeast cells is observed. These induced harmonics are sensitive to sodium metavanadate, an inhibitor, and glucose, a substrate, respectively, of P-type ATPase membrane pumps. At higher frequencies, two peaks, around 3kHz and 12kHz, are observed in the frequency-dependent harmonic responses. These are sensitive to potassium cyanide, a respiratory inhibitor that blocks cytochrome c oxidase, an enzyme of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. We have also measured the response of uncoupled mitochondria extracted from bovine heart cells, for which a second harmonic sensitive to pericidin A and carboxin is detected at applied frequencies of 3-4kHz. Finally, in coupled mouse mitochondria, an ADP sensitive peak (12-15kHz) is observed, likely due to the F0 domain of ATP synthase, which acts as a molecular turbine.

Strings on a Violin: Location Dependence of Frequency Tuning in Active Dendrites.

PubMed

Das, Anindita; Rathour, Rahul K; Narayanan, Rishikesh

2017-01-01

Strings on a violin are tuned to generate distinct sound frequencies in a manner that is firmly dependent on finger location along the fingerboard. Sound frequencies emerging from different violins could be very different based on their architecture, the nature of strings and their tuning. Analogously, active neuronal dendrites, dendrites endowed with active channel conductances, are tuned to distinct input frequencies in a manner that is dependent on the dendritic location of the synaptic inputs. Further, disparate channel expression profiles and differences in morphological characteristics could result in dendrites on different neurons of the same subtype tuned to distinct frequency ranges. Alternately, similar location-dependence along dendritic structures could be achieved through disparate combinations of channel profiles and morphological characteristics, leading to degeneracy in active dendritic spectral tuning. Akin to strings on a violin being tuned to different frequencies than those on a viola or a cello, different neuronal subtypes exhibit distinct channel profiles and disparate morphological characteristics endowing each neuronal subtype with unique location-dependent frequency selectivity. Finally, similar to the tunability of musical instruments to elicit distinct location-dependent sounds, neuronal frequency selectivity and its location-dependence are tunable through activity-dependent plasticity of ion channels and morphology. In this morceau, we explore the origins of neuronal frequency selectivity, and survey the literature on the mechanisms behind the emergence of location-dependence in distinct forms of frequency tuning. As a coda to this composition, we present some future directions for this exciting convergence of biophysical mechanisms that endow a neuron with frequency multiplexing capabilities.

Aligning fast alternating current electroosmotic flow fields and characteristic frequencies with dielectrophoretic traps to achieve rapid bacteria detection.

PubMed

Gagnon, Zachary; Chang, Hsueh-Chia

2005-10-01

Tailor-designed alternating current electroosmotic (AC-EO) stagnation flows are used to convect bioparticles globally from a bulk solution to localized dielectrophoretic (DEP) traps that are aligned at the flow stagnation points. The multiscale trap, with a typical trapping time of seconds for a dilute 70 microL volume of 10(3) particles per cc sample, is several orders of magnitude faster than conventional DEP traps and earlier AC-EO traps with parallel, castellated, or finger electrodes. A novel serpentine wire capable of sustaining a high voltage, up to 2500 V(RMS), without causing excessive heat dissipation or Faradaic reaction in strong electrolytes is fabricated to produce the strong AC-EO flow with two separated stagnation lines, one aligned with the field minimum and one with the field maximum. The continuous wire design allows a large applied voltage without inducing Faradaic electrode reactions. Particles are trapped within seconds at one of the traps depending on whether they suffer negative or positive DEP. The particles can also be rapidly released from their respective traps by varying the frequency of the applied AC field below particle-distinct cross-over frequencies. Zwitterion addition to the buffer allows further geometric and frequency alignments of the AC-EO and DEP motions. The same device hence allows fast trapping, detection, sorting, and characterization on a sample with realistic conductivity, volume, and bacteria count.

Spatially resolved frequency domain phosphorescence lifetime-based oxygen sensing for photodynamic therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Benjamin; Gurari, Mark; Wee, Wallace; Lilge, Lothar

2008-06-01

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive treatment that uses a photosensitive drug into convert triplet state oxygen (3O2) to singlet oxygen (1O2) to destroy malignant tissue. A fiber-optic system based on frequency domain detection of phosphorescence quenching by 3O2 is described which optically measures the distribution of 3O2 in the treatment volume during PDT to permit adjustments of treatment parameters to improve outcome. A specially designed fiber optic probe containing phosphorescent sensors embedded along its length permit spatially resolved measurements. Each sensor is composed of a phosphorescent metalloporphyrin compound that emits a characteristic spectrum. Four candidate sensors with high absorption at the excitation wavelength of 405nm and emission in the 650nm to 700nm region are considered. The dependence of phosphorescence lifetime (τ) on 3O2 concentration is described by the linearized Stern-Volmer relationship as being inversely proportional. Determination of τ, and hence 3O2 concentration, is accomplished in the frequency domain by means of phase-modulation detection of the phosphorescence signal due to an amplitude modulated excitation. The τ's of each sensor are recovered by performing global non-linear least squares fit on the measured phase and modulation index over a range of frequencies and wavelengths. With the τ of each sensor known, the oxygen concentration at each sensor's location can be determined with the Stern-Volmer relationship.

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

Lewis, Antony, E-mail: antony@cosmologist.info

Rayleigh scattering from neutral hydrogen during and shortly after recombination causes the CMB anisotropies to be significantly frequency dependent at high frequencies. This may be detectable with Planck, and would be a strong signal in any future space-based CMB missions. The later peak of the Rayleigh visibility compared to Thomson scattering gives an increased large-scale CMB polarization signal that is a greater than 4% effect for observed frequencies ν ∼> 500GHz. There is a similar magnitude suppression on small scales from additional damping. Due to strong correlation between the Rayleigh and primary signal, measurement of the Rayleigh component is limitedmore » by noise and foregrounds, not cosmic variance of the primary CMB, and should observable over a wide range of angular scales at frequencies 200GHz ∼< ν ∼< 800GHz. I give new numerical calculations of the temperature and polarization power spectra, and show that future CMB missions could measure the temperature Rayleigh cross-spectrum at high precision, detect the polarization from Rayleigh scattering, and also accurately determine the cross-spectra between the Rayleigh temperature signal and primary polarization. The Rayleigh scattering signal may provide a powerful consistency check on recombination physics. In principle it can be used to measure additional horizon-scale primordial perturbation modes at recombination, and distinguish a significant tensor mode B-polarization signal from gravitational lensing at the power spectrum level.« less

Engineering frequency-dependent superfluidity in Bose-Fermi mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arzamasovs, Maksims; Liu, Bo

2018-04-01

Unconventional superconductivity and superfluidity are among the most exciting and fascinating quantum phenomena in condensed-matter physics. Usually such states are characterized by nontrivial spin or spatial symmetry of the pairing order parameter, such as "spin triplet" or "p wave." However, besides spin and spatial dependence the order parameter may have unconventional frequency dependence which is also permitted by Fermi-Dirac statistics. Odd-frequency fermionic pairing is an exciting paradigm when discussing exotic superfluidity or superconductivity and is yet to be realized in experiments. In this paper we propose a symmetry-based method of controlling frequency dependence of the pairing order parameter via manipulating the inversion symmetry of the system. First, a toy model is introduced to illustrate that frequency dependence of the order parameter can be achieved through our proposed approach. Second, by taking advantage of recent rapid developments in producing spin-orbit-coupled dispersions in ultracold gases, we propose a Bose-Fermi mixture to realize such frequency-dependent superfluid. The key idea is introducing the frequency-dependent attraction between fermions mediated by Bogoliubov phonons with asymmetric dispersion. Our proposal should pave an alternative way for exploring frequency-dependent superfluids with cold atoms.

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

Liu, Liwang, E-mail: liwang.liu@hotmail.com; Meng, Lei; Wang, Ling

The temperature dependence of the fluorescence spectrum of CdSe−ZnS core–shell quantum dots embedded in a polystyrene matrix is characterized between 30 °C and 60 °C. The spectrally integrated photoluminescence intensity is found to linearly decrease with −1.3%/ °C. This feature is exploited in a dual coating-substrate-configuration, consisting of a layer of this nanocomposite material, acting as a temperature sensor with optical readout, on top of an optically absorbing and opaque layer, acting as a photothermal excitation source, and covering a substrate material or structure of interest. From the frequency dependence of the optically detected photothermal signal in the frequency range between 5 Hz andmore » 150 Hz, different thermal parameters of the constituent layers are determined. The fitted values of thermal properties of the different layers, determined in different scenarios in terms of the used a priori information about the layers, are found to be internally consistent, and consistent with literature values.« less

Novel laser induced photoacoustic spectroscopy for instantaneous trace detection of explosive materials.

PubMed

El-Sharkawy, Yasser H; Elbasuney, Sherif

2017-08-01

Laser photoacoustic spectroscopy (LPAS) is an attractive technology in terms of simplicity, ruggedness, and overall sensitivity; it detects the time dependent heat generated (thermo-elastic effect) in the target via interaction with pulsed optical radiation. This study reports on novel LPAS technique that offers instant and standoff detection capabilities of trace explosives. Over the current study, light is generated using pulsed Q-switched Nd:YAG laser; the generated photoacoustic response in stimulated explosive material offers signature values that depend on the optical, thermal, and acoustical properties. The generated acoustic waves were captured using piezoelectric transducer as well as novel customized optical sensor with remotely laser interferometer probe. A digital signal processing algorithm was employed to identify explosive material signatures via calculation of characteristic optical properties (absorption coefficient), sound velocity, and frequency response of the generated photoacoustic signal. Customized LPAS technique was employed for instantaneous trace detection of three main different high explosive materials including TNT, RDX, and HMX. The main outcome of this study is that the novel customized optical sensor signals were validated with traditional piezoelectric transducer. Furthermore, the customized optical sensor offered standoff detection capabilities (10cm), fast response, high sensitivity, and enhanced signal to noise ratio. This manuscript shaded the light on the instant detection of trace explosive materials from significant standoffs using novel customized LPAS technique. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry at the Cyclotron Frequency.

PubMed

Nagornov, Konstantin O; Kozhinov, Anton N; Tsybin, Yury O

2017-04-01

The phenomenon of ion cyclotron resonance allows for determining mass-to-charge ratio, m/z, of an ensemble of ions by means of measurements of their cyclotron frequency, ω c . In Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), the ω c quantity is usually unavailable for direct measurements: the resonant state is located close to the reduced cyclotron frequency (ω + ), whereas the ω c and the corresponding m/z values may be calculated via theoretical derivation from an experimental estimate of the ω + quantity. Here, we describe an experimental observation of a new resonant state, which is located close to the ω c frequency and is established because of azimuthally-dependent trapping electric fields of the recently developed ICR cells with narrow aperture detection electrodes. We show that in mass spectra, peaks close to ω + frequencies can be reduced to negligible levels relative to peaks close to ω c frequencies. Due to reduced errors with which the ω c quantity is obtained, the new resonance provides a means of cyclotron frequency measurements with precision greater than that achieved when ω + frequency peaks are employed. The described phenomenon may be considered for a development into an FT-ICR MS technology with increased mass accuracy for applications in basic research, life, and environmental sciences. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Precise measurement of dielectric anisotropy in ice Ih at 39 GHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuoka, Takeshi; Fujita, Shuji; Morishima, Shigenori; Mae, Shinji

1997-03-01

The dielectric permittivities parallel and perpendicular to the c axis (optic axis) of ice Ih were measured using an open resonator at 39 GHz in the temperature range 194-262 K. The dielectric anisotropy in ice at microwave frequencies is important for understanding remote sensing data in polar regions, obtained by ice radar and satellite-born microwave radar and radiometer. The measured samples were natural single-crystal ice collected from Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska. A very precise measurement was achieved by detecting two resonant peaks, one from the ordinary component and the other from the extraordinary component, simultaneously, from one sample. The real part of dielectric anisotropy, Δɛ'=ɛ∥c'-ɛ⊥c', at 39 GHz was 0.0339±0.0007 (1.07%±0.02%) at 252 K and slightly depended on temperature. Reference measurements at 1 MHz using parallel plate electrodes were also carried out. The measured dielectric anisotropy at microwave frequencies agrees very well with the value at 1 MHz. The absolute values of ɛ∥c' and ɛ⊥c' at 39 GHz were, respectively, smaller than those at 1 MHz and the difference was about 0.044 at 252 K. The results suggest that a small dispersion exists between GHz and MHz frequencies, but there is no frequency dependence in the value of anisotropy.

Measurement of the ultrasound attenuation and dispersion in whole human blood and its components from 0-70 MHz.

PubMed

Treeby, Bradley E; Zhang, Edward Z; Thomas, Alison S; Cox, Ben T

2011-02-01

The ultrasound attenuation coefficient and dispersion from 0-70 MHz in whole human blood and its components (red blood cells and plasma) at 37°C is reported. The measurements are made using a fixed path substitution technique that exploits optical mechanisms for the generation and detection of ultrasound. This allows the measurements to cover a broad frequency range with a single source and receiver. The measured attenuation coefficient and dispersion in solutions of red blood cells and physiological saline for total haemoglobin concentrations of 10, 15 and 20 g/dL are presented. The attenuation coefficient and dispersion in whole human blood taken from four healthy volunteers by venipuncture is also reported. The power law dependence of the attenuation coefficient is shown to vary across the measured frequency range. This is due to the varying frequency dependence of the different mechanisms responsible for the attenuation. The attenuation coefficient measured at high frequencies is found to be significantly higher than that predicted by historical power law parameters. A review of the attenuation mechanisms in blood along with previously reported experimental measurements is given. Values for the sound speed and density in the tested samples are also presented. Copyright © 2011 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oscillatory encoding of visual stimulus familiarity.

PubMed

Kissinger, Samuel T; Pak, Alexandr; Tang, Yu; Masmanidis, Sotiris C; Chubykin, Alexander A

2018-06-18

Familiarity of the environment changes the way we perceive and encode incoming information. However, the neural substrates underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood. Here we describe a new form of experience-dependent low frequency oscillations in the primary visual cortex (V1) of awake adult male mice. The oscillations emerged in visually evoked potentials (VEPs) and single-unit activity following repeated visual stimulation. The oscillations were sensitive to the spatial frequency content of a visual stimulus and required the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) for their induction and expression. Finally, ongoing visually evoked theta (4-6 Hz) oscillations boost the VEP amplitude of incoming visual stimuli if the stimuli are presented at the high excitability phase of the oscillations. Our results demonstrate that an oscillatory code can be used to encode familiarity and serves as a gate for oncoming sensory inputs. Significance Statement. Previous experience can influence the processing of incoming sensory information by the brain and alter perception. However, the mechanistic understanding of how this process takes place is lacking. We have discovered that persistent low frequency oscillations in the primary visual cortex encode information about familiarity and the spatial frequency of the stimulus. These familiarity evoked oscillations influence neuronal responses to the oncoming stimuli in a way that depends on the oscillation phase. Our work demonstrates a new mechanism of visual stimulus feature detection and learning. Copyright © 2018 the authors.

Computational method for exact frequency-dependent rays on the basis of the solution of the Helmholtz equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Protasov, M.; Gadylshin, K.

2017-07-01

A numerical method is proposed for the calculation of exact frequency-dependent rays when the solution of the Helmholtz equation is known. The properties of frequency-dependent rays are analysed and compared with classical ray theory and with the method of finite-difference modelling for the first time. In this paper, we study the dependence of these rays on the frequency of signals and show the convergence of the exact rays to the classical rays with increasing frequency. A number of numerical experiments demonstrate the distinctive features of exact frequency-dependent rays, in particular, their ability to penetrate into shadow zones that are impenetrable for classical rays.

A wireless and sensitive detection of octachlorostyrene using modified AuNPs as signal-amplifying tags.

PubMed

Chen, Lan; Li, Jiezhen; ThanhThuy, T Tran; Zhou, Liping; Huang, Chen'an; Yuan, Lijuan; Cai, Qingyun

2014-02-15

A wireless, remote query octachlorostyrene (OCS) biosensor was fabricated by coating a mass-sensitive magnetoelastic ribbon with anti-OCS antibody. In response to a time-varying magnetic field, the magnetoelastic sensor mechanically vibrates at a characteristic resonance frequency which inversely depends on the sensor mass loading. As the magnetoelastic film is magnetostrictive itself, the vibrations launch magnetic flux that can be remotely detected using a pickup coil. Au nanoparticles (NPs) were used to amplify the mass loading. In a sample solution containing OCS target and OCS-modified AuNPs (OCS-AuNPs), both OCS and OCS-AuNPs react with the anti-OCS antibody immobilized on the sensor surface in a competition mode. The bound OCS-AuNPs amount is inversely proportional to the OCS target concentration. The reduction of bound OCS-AuNPs induced by free OCS results in significant change in mass loading, which amplifies the responses. The biosensor demonstrates a linear shift in resonance frequency with OCS concentration between 7.4 μM and 9 nM, with a detection limit of 2.8 nM. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Fourier and Wavelet Analysis of Coronal Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auchère, F.; Froment, C.; Bocchialini, K.; Buchlin, E.; Solomon, J.

2016-10-01

Using Fourier and wavelet analysis, we critically re-assess the significance of our detection of periodic pulsations in coronal loops. We show that the proper identification of the frequency dependence and statistical properties of the different components of the power spectra provies a strong argument against the common practice of data detrending, which tends to produce spurious detections around the cut-off frequency of the filter. In addition, the white and red noise models built into the widely used wavelet code of Torrence & Compo cannot, in most cases, adequately represent the power spectra of coronal time series, thus also possibly causing false positives. Both effects suggest that several reports of periodic phenomena should be re-examined. The Torrence & Compo code nonetheless effectively computes rigorous confidence levels if provided with pertinent models of mean power spectra, and we describe the appropriate manner in which to call its core routines. We recall the meaning of the default confidence levels output from the code, and we propose new Monte-Carlo-derived levels that take into account the total number of degrees of freedom in the wavelet spectra. These improvements allow us to confirm that the power peaks that we detected have a very low probability of being caused by noise.

On the detection of a stochastic background of gravitational radiation by the Doppler tracking of spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mashhoon, B.; Grishchuk, L. P.

1980-01-01

Consideration is given to the possibility of detection of an isotropic background gravitational radiation of a stochastic nature by the method of Doppler tracking of spacecraft. Attention is given in the geometrical optics limit, to the general formula for the frequency shift of an electromagnetic signal in the gravitational radiation field, and it is shown to be gauge independent. The propagation of a free electromagnetic wave in a gravitational radiation field is examined with the conclusion that no resonance phenomena can be expected. Finally, the 'Doppler noise' due to a stochastic background is evaluated, and it is shown to depend on the total energy density of the background and a parameter that is a characteristic of the radiation spectrum and the detection system used.

Real-time optically sectioned wide-field microscopy employing structured light illumination and a CMOS detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitic, Jelena; Anhut, Tiemo; Serov, Alexandre; Lasser, Theo; Bourquin, Stephane

2003-07-01

Real-time optically sectioned microscopy is demonstrated using an AC-sensitive detection concept realized with smart CMOS image sensor and structured light illumination by a continuously moving periodic pattern. We describe two different detection systems based on CMOS image sensors for the detection and on-chip processing of the sectioned images in real time. A region-of-interest is sampled at high frame rate. The demodulated signal delivered by the detector corresponds to the depth discriminated image of the sample. The measured FWHM of the axial response depends on the spatial frequency of the projected grid illumination and is in the μm-range. The effect of using broadband incoherent illumination is discussed. The performance of these systems is demonstrated by imaging technical as well as biological samples.

Spin Noise Detection of Nuclear Hyperpolarization at 1.2 K

PubMed Central

Pöschko, Maria Theresia; Vuichoud, Basile; Milani, Jonas; Bornet, Aurélien; Bechmann, Matthias; Bodenhausen, Geoffrey; Jannin, Sami; Müller, Norbert

2015-01-01

We report proton spin noise spectra of a hyperpolarized solid sample of commonly used “DNP (dynamic nuclear polarization) juice” containing TEMPOL (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine N-oxide) and irradiated by a microwave field at a temperature of 1.2 K in a magnetic field of 6.7 T. The line shapes of the spin noise power spectra are sensitive to the variation of the microwave irradiation frequency and change from dip to bump, when the electron Larmor frequency is crossed, which is shown to be in good accordance with theory by simulations. Small but significant deviations from these predictions are observed, which can be related to spin noise and radiation damping phenomena that have been reported in thermally polarized systems. The non-linear dependence of the spin noise integral on nuclear polarization provides a means to monitor hyperpolarization semi-quantitatively without any perturbation of the spin system by radio frequency irradiation. PMID:26477605

Effect of substrate bending on the piezoelectric measurement of PZT thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiaohui; Tang, Jianhong; He, Liangna

2009-05-01

Bonding conditions between PZT thin film and sample holder greatly affect the strain measurement of the PZT sample. The influence of various bonding conditions on the measured displacement were analyzed using finite element analysis (FEA). One-end fixed sample induces the maximum bending displacement. Experiments were performed on sol-gel derived PZT thin film. The voltage-displacement curve and "butterfly" loop were measured using laser Doppler method with phase detection. Experimental results agreed well with the simulated ones. The measured frequency dependence of piezoelectric response of PZT thin film indicated that, if the operating frequency was lower than 2 kHz, good bonding effect could be obtained when the entire back surface of the sample was glued to a rigid supporter using epoxy resin. A simple bonding model which considered the adhesives as a spring was used to estimate the frequency response of PZT thin film sample.

Molecular Mechanisms of Radiation-Induced Genomic Instability in Human Cells

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

Howard L. Liber; Jeffrey L. Schwartz

2005-10-31

There are many different model systems that have been used to study chromosome instability. What is clear from all these studies is that conclusions concerning chromosome instability depend greatly on the model system and instability endpoint that is studied. The model system for our studies was the human B-lymphoblastoid cell line TK6. TK6 was isolated from a spontaneously immortalized lymphoblast culture. Thus there was no outside genetic manipulation used to immortalize them. TK6 is a relatively stable p53-normal immortal cell line (37). It shows low gene and chromosome mutation frequencies (19;28;31). Our general approach to studying instability in TK6 cellsmore » has been to isolate individual clones and analyze gene and chromosome mutation frequencies in each. This approach maximizes the possibility of detecting low frequency events that might be selected against in mass cultures.« less

The observed human sperm mutation frequency cannot explain the achondroplasia paternal age effect

PubMed Central

Tiemann-Boege, Irene; Navidi, William; Grewal, Raji; Cohn, Dan; Eskenazi, Brenda; Wyrobek, Andrew J.; Arnheim, Norman

2002-01-01

The lifelong spermatogonial stem cell divisions unique to male germ cell production are thought to contribute to a higher mutation frequency in males. The fact that certain de novo human genetic conditions (e.g., achondroplasia) increase in incidence with the age of the father is consistent with this idea. Although it is assumed that the paternal age effect is the result of an increasing frequency of mutant sperm as a man grows older, no direct molecular measurement of the germ-line mutation frequency has been made to confirm this hypothesis. Using sperm DNA from donors of different ages, we determined the frequency of the nucleotide substitution in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene that causes achondroplasia. Surprisingly, the magnitude of the increase in mutation frequency with age appears insufficient to explain why older fathers have a greater chance of having a child with this condition. A number of alternatives may explain this discrepancy, including selection for sperm that carry the mutation or an age-dependent increase in premutagenic lesions that remain unrepaired in sperm and are inefficiently detected by the PCR assay. PMID:12397172

Accurate step-FMCW ultrasound ranging and comparison with pulse-echo signaling methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natarajan, Shyam; Singh, Rahul S.; Lee, Michael; Cox, Brian P.; Culjat, Martin O.; Grundfest, Warren S.; Lee, Hua

2010-03-01

This paper presents a method setup for high-frequency ultrasound ranging based on stepped frequency-modulated continuous waves (FMCW), potentially capable of producing a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to traditional pulse-echo signaling. In current ultrasound systems, the use of higher frequencies (10-20 MHz) to enhance resolution lowers signal quality due to frequency-dependent attenuation. The proposed ultrasound signaling format, step-FMCW, is well-known in the radar community, and features lower peak power, wider dynamic range, lower noise figure and simpler electronics in comparison to pulse-echo systems. In pulse-echo ultrasound ranging, distances are calculated using the transmit times between a pulse and its subsequent echoes. In step-FMCW ultrasonic ranging, the phase and magnitude differences at stepped frequencies are used to sample the frequency domain. Thus, by taking the inverse Fourier transform, a comprehensive range profile is recovered that has increased immunity to noise over conventional ranging methods. Step-FMCW and pulse-echo waveforms were created using custom-built hardware consisting of an arbitrary waveform generator and dual-channel super heterodyne receiver, providing high SNR and in turn, accuracy in detection.

2D heterodyne-detected sum frequency generation study on the ultrafast vibrational dynamics of H{sub 2}O and HOD water at charged interfaces

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

Inoue, Ken-ichi; Singh, Prashant C.; Nihonyanagi, Satoshi

2015-06-07

Two-dimensional heterodyne-detected vibrational sum-frequency generation (2D HD-VSFG) spectroscopy is applied to study the ultrafast vibrational dynamics of water at positively charged aqueous interfaces, and 2D HD-VSFG spectra of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/water interfaces in the whole hydrogen-bonded OH stretch region (3000 cm{sup −1} ≤ ω{sub pump} ≤ 3600 cm{sup −1}) are measured. 2D HD-VSFG spectrum of the CTAB/isotopically diluted water (HOD-D{sub 2}O) interface exhibits a diagonally elongated bleaching lobe immediately after excitation, which becomes round with a time constant of ∼0.3 ps due to spectral diffusion. In contrast, 2D HD-VSFG spectrum of the CTAB/H{sub 2}O interface at 0.0 ps clearly showsmore » two diagonal peaks and their cross peaks in the bleaching region, corresponding to the double peaks observed at 3230 cm{sup −1} and 3420 cm{sup −1} in the steady-state HD-VSFG spectrum. Horizontal slices of the 2D spectrum show that the relative intensity of the two peaks of the bleaching at the CTAB/H{sub 2}O interface gradually change with the change of the pump frequency. We simulate the pump-frequency dependence of the bleaching feature using a model that takes account of the Fermi resonance and inhomogeneity of the OH stretch vibration, and the simulated spectra reproduce the essential features of the 2D HD-VSFG spectra of the CTAB/H{sub 2}O interface. The present study demonstrates that heterodyne detection of the time-resolved VSFG is critically important for studying the ultrafast dynamics of water interfaces and for unveiling the underlying mechanism.« less

Simultaneous ultrasound and photoacoustics based flow cytometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gnyawali, Vaskar; Strohm, Eric M.; Tsai, Scott S. H.; Kolios, Michael C.

2018-04-01

We have developed a flow cytometer based on simultaneous detection of ultrasound and photoacoustic waves from individual particles/cells flowing in a microfluidic channel. Our polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based hydrodynamic 3-dimensional (3D) flow-focusing microfluidic device contains a cross-junction channel, a micro-needle (ID 100 μm and OD 200 μm) insert, and a 3D printed frame to hold and align a high frequency (center frequency 375 MHz) ultrasound transducer. The focused flow passes through a narrow focal zone with lateral and axial focal lengths of 6-8 μm and 15-20 μm, respectively. Both the lateral and axial alignments are achieved by screwing the transducer to the frame onto the PDMS device. Individual particles pass through an interrogation zone in the microfluidic channel with a collinearly aligned ultrasound transducer and a focused 532 nm wavelength laser beam. The particles are simultaneously insonified by high-frequency ultrasound and irradiated by a laser beam. The ultrasound backscatter and laser generated photoacoustic waves are detected for each passing particle. The backscattered ultrasound and photoacoustic signal are strongly dependent on the size, morphology, mechanical properties, and material properties of the flowing particles; these parameters can be extracted by analyzing unique features in the power spectrum of the signals. Frequencies less than 100 MHz do not have these unique spectral signatures. We show that we can reliably distinguish between different particles in a sample using the acoustic-based flow cytometer. This technique, when extended to biomedical applications, allows us to rapidly analyze the spectral signatures from individual single cells of a large cell population, with applications towards label-free detection and characterization of healthy and diseased cells.

Dependence of the subharmonic signal from contrast agent microbubbles on ambient pressure: A theoretical analysis.

PubMed

Jiménez-Fernández, J

2018-01-01

This paper investigates the dependence of the subharmonic response in a signal scattered by contrast agent microbubbles on ambient pressure to provide quantitative estimations of local blood pressure. The problem is formulated by assuming a gas bubble encapsulated by a shell of finite thickness with dynamic behavior modeled by a nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive equation. For ambient overpressure compatible with the clinical range, the acoustic pressure intervals where the subharmonic signal may be detected (above the threshold for the onset and below the limit value for the first chaotic transition) are determined. The analysis shows that as the overpressure is increased, all harmonic components are displaced to higher frequencies. This displacement is significant for the subharmonic of order 1/2 and explains the increase or decrease in the subharmonic amplitude with ambient pressure described in previous works. Thus, some questions related to the monotonic dependence of the subharmonic amplitude on ambient pressure are clarified. For different acoustic pressures, quantitative conditions for determining the intervals where the subharmonic amplitude is a monotonic or non-monotonic function of the ambient pressure are provided. Finally, the influence of the ambient pressure on the subharmonic resonance frequency is analyzed.

Highly sensitive BTX detection using surface functionalized QCM sensor

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

Bozkurt, Asuman Aşıkoğlu; Özdemir, Okan; Altındal, Ahmet, E-mail: altindal@yildiz.edu.tr

2016-03-25

A novel organic compound was designed and successfully synthesized for the fabrication of QCM based sensors to detect the low concentrations of BTX gases in indoor air. The effect of the long-range electron orbital delocalization on the BTX vapour sensing properties of azo-bridged Pcs based chemiresistor-type sensors have also been investigated in this work. The sensing behaviour of the film for the online detection of volatile organic solvent vapors was investigated by utilizing an AT-cut quartz crystal resonator. It was observed that the adsorption of the target molecules on the coating surface cause a reversible negative frequency shift of themore » resonator. Thus, a variety of solvent vapors can be detected by using the phthalocyanine film as sensitive coating, with sensitivity in the ppm range and response times in the order of several seconds depending on the molecular structure of the organic solvent.« less

Highly sensitive BTX detection using surface functionalized QCM sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozkurt, Asuman Aşıkoǧlu; Özdemir, Okan; Altındal, Ahmet

2016-03-01

A novel organic compound was designed and successfully synthesized for the fabrication of QCM based sensors to detect the low concentrations of BTX gases in indoor air. The effect of the long-range electron orbital delocalization on the BTX vapour sensing properties of azo-bridged Pcs based chemiresistor-type sensors have also been investigated in this work. The sensing behaviour of the film for the online detection of volatile organic solvent vapors was investigated by utilizing an AT-cut quartz crystal resonator. It was observed that the adsorption of the target molecules on the coating surface cause a reversible negative frequency shift of the resonator. Thus, a variety of solvent vapors can be detected by using the phthalocyanine film as sensitive coating, with sensitivity in the ppm range and response times in the order of several seconds depending on the molecular structure of the organic solvent.

ECG Based Heart Arrhythmia Detection Using Wavelet Coherence and Bat Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kora, Padmavathi; Sri Rama Krishna, K.

2016-12-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of heart abnormality, during the AF electrical discharges in the atrium are rapid, results in abnormal heart beat. The morphology of ECG changes due to the abnormalities in the heart. This paper consists of three major steps for the detection of heart diseases: signal pre-processing, feature extraction and classification. Feature extraction is the key process in detecting the heart abnormality. Most of the ECG detection systems depend on the time domain features for cardiac signal classification. In this paper we proposed a wavelet coherence (WTC) technique for ECG signal analysis. The WTC calculates the similarity between two waveforms in frequency domain. Parameters extracted from WTC function is used as the features of the ECG signal. These features are optimized using Bat algorithm. The Levenberg Marquardt neural network classifier is used to classify the optimized features. The performance of the classifier can be improved with the optimized features.

Dynamic changes of central thyroid functions in the management of Cushing's syndrome.

PubMed

Dogansen, Sema Ciftci; Yalin, Gulsah Yenidunya; Canbaz, Bulent; Tanrikulu, Seher; Yarman, Sema

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of central thyroid dysfunctions in Cushing's syndrome (CS). We also aimed to evaluate the frequency of hyperthyroidism due to the syndrome of the inappropriate secretion of TSH (SITSH), which was recently defined in patients with insufficient hydrocortisone replacement after surgery. We evaluated thyroid functions (TSH and free thyroxine [fT4]) at the time of diagnosis, during the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis recovery, and after surgery in 35 patients with CS. The patients were separated into two groups: ACTH-dependent CS (group 1, n = 20) and ACTH-independent CS (group 2, n = 15). Patients' clinical and laboratory findings were evaluated in five visits in the outpatient clinic of the endocrinology department. The frequency of baseline suppressed TSH levels and central hypothyroidism were determined to be 37% (n = 13) and 26% (n = 9), respectively. A negative correlation was found between baseline cortisol and TSH levels (r = -0.45, p = 0.006). All patients with central hypothyroidism and suppressed TSH levels showed recovery at the first visit without levothyroxine treatment. SITSH was not detected in any of the patients during the postoperative period. No correlation was found between prednisolone replacement after surgery and TSH or fT4 levels on each visit. Suppressed TSH levels and central hypothyroidism may be detected in CS, independent of etiology. SITSH was not detected in the early postoperative period due to our adequate prednisolone replacement doses.

Sequential multipoint motion of the tympanic membrane measured by laser Doppler vibrometry: preliminary results for normal tympanic membrane.

PubMed

Kunimoto, Yasuomi; Hasegawa, Kensaku; Arii, Shiro; Kataoka, Hideyuki; Yazama, Hiroaki; Kuya, Junko; Kitano, Hiroya

2014-04-01

Numerous studies have reported sound-induced motion of the tympanic membrane (TM). To demonstrate sequential motion characteristics of the entire TM by noncontact laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV), we have investigated multipoint TM measurement. A laser Doppler vibrometer was mounted on a surgical microscope. The velocity was measured at 33 points on the TM using noncontact LDV without any reflectors. Measurements were performed with tonal stimuli of 1, 3, and 6 kHz. Amplitudes were calculated from these measurements, and time-dependent changes in TM motion were described using a graphics application. TM motions were detected more clearly and stably at 1 and 3 kHz than at other frequencies. This is because the external auditory canal acted as a resonant tube near 3 kHz. TM motion displayed 1 peak at 1 kHz and 2 peaks at 3 kHz. Large amplitudes were detected in the posterosuperior quadrant (PSQ) at 1 kHz and in the PSQ and anteroinferior quadrant (AIQ) at 3 kHz. The entire TM showed synchronized movement centered on the PSQ at 1 kHz, with phase-shifting between PSQ and AIQ movement at 3 kHz. Amplitude was smaller at the umbo than at other parts. In contrast, amplitudes at high frequencies were too small and complicated to detect any obvious peaks. Sequential multipoint motion of the tympanic membrane showed that vibration characteristics of the TM differ according to the part and frequency.

Remote Monitoring of Dolphins and Whales in the High Naval Activity Areas in Hawaiian Waters

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

developed by Holger Klinck and David Mellinger at Oregon State University to detect beaked (Cuvier’s and Blainville’s) whale biosonar signals is... biosonar signals with durations greater than approximately 250 µs. They are also the only odontocetes that produce frequency modulated clicks which...between 250 and 400 ms, depending on the species. The biosonar signals of sperm whales are also easy to discriminate visually from other deep diving

Predissociation of tif by tunneling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, U.; Tiemann, E.

1987-01-01

The UV spectra of the B 3Π 1-X 1Σ + transition in TIF were recorded applying frequency-doubled laser radiation and fluorescence or direct absorption detection. The observed J' -dependent predissociation in the upper levels v' = 2 and v' = 3 is explained quantitatively by invoking tunneling through a potential hump. The line positions and widths are fitted to a potential curve of the B 3Π 1 state using the semiclassical approximation for bound and quasibound levels.

Investigation of the Impedance Modulation of Thin Films with a Chemically-Sensitive Field-Effect Transistor

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-05

CHEMFET, both in the time-domain and frequency domain, was evaluated for detecting changes in the molecular structure and chemical composition in three thin...compounds cause corrosion of the munition’s firing mechanism (3). The military also has substantial interest in the use of composite materials for...fabricating military hardware (4). However, the synthesis of a composite material is highly process dependent, and thus, its physical properties may

Sensing specific adhesion of liposomal and micellar systems with attached carbohydrate recognition structures at lectin surfaces.

PubMed

Hildebrand, Annegret; Schaedlich, Anita; Rothe, Ulrich; Neubert, Reinhard H H

2002-05-15

A quartz crystal microbalance was used to investigate the adsorption behavior of liposomes and mixed micelles with attached carbohydrate recognition structures at lectin-coated quartz plates. With a self-assembly technique, the quartz was coated with the lectin Concanavalin A. In a first attempt, liposomes of natural soybean PC as well as synthetic POPC, containing 10% reactive N-Glut-PE each, were decorated with a mannopyranoside recognition structure to investigate the specific adsorption at the lectin-coated quartz surface in dependence on the concentration. In a second model, the bile salt sodium cholate was introduced to solubilize the mannopyranoside-modified liposomes and to transform them into mannopyranoside-modified binary mixed micelles. The adsorption of these micelles was further investigated. In a third approach, the adsorption behavior of mannopyranoside-modified ternary mixed bile salt-phosphatidylcholine-fatty acid micelles was characterized with sodium laurate, palmitate, and oleate as fatty acids. The micelles with oleate showed only a small frequency decrease, whereas the micelles with laurate and palmitate induced higher frequency changes. A dependence on the alkyl chain length could be detected. While the adsorption of liposomes containing recognition structures at QCM surfaces is nowadays well-established, the QCM detection of the adsorption of mixed bile salt micelles, transformed from these liposomes by solubilization, is a novel and very promising field for the development of innovative colloidal drug delivery systems.

A deep X-ray view of the bare AGN Ark 120. III. X-ray timing analysis and multiwavelength variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobban, A. P.; Porquet, D.; Reeves, J. N.; Markowitz, A.; Nardini, E.; Grosso, N.

2018-03-01

We present the spectral/timing properties of the bare Seyfert galaxy Ark 120 through a deep ˜420 ks XMM-Newton campaign plus recent NuSTAR observations and a ˜6-month Swift monitoring campaign. We investigate the spectral decomposition through fractional rms, covariance and difference spectra, finding the mid- to long-time-scale (˜day-year) variability to be dominated by a relatively smooth, steep component, peaking in the soft X-ray band. Additionally, we find evidence for variable Fe K emission redward of the Fe Kα core on long time-scales, consistent with previous findings. We detect a clearly defined power spectrum which we model with a power law with a slope of α ˜ 1.9. By extending the power spectrum to lower frequencies through the inclusion of Swift and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer data, we find tentative evidence of a high-frequency break, consistent with existing scaling relations. We also explore frequency-dependent Fourier time lags, detecting a negative (`soft') lag for the first time in this source with the 0.3-1 keV band lagging behind the 1-4 keV band with a time delay, τ, of ˜900 s. Finally, we analyse the variability in the optical and ultraviolet (UV) bands using the Optical/UV Monitor onboard XMM-Newton and the Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope onboard Swift and search for time-dependent correlations between the optical/UV/X-ray bands. We find tentative evidence for the U-band emission lagging behind the X-rays with a time delay of τ = 2.4 ± 1.8 d, which we discuss in the context of disc reprocessing.

Frequency and voltage dependent electrical responses of poly(triarylamine) thin film-based organic Schottky diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anuar Mohamad, Khairul; Tak Hoh, Hang; Alias, Afishah; Ghosh, Bablu Kumar; Fukuda, Hisashi

2017-11-01

A metal-organic-metal (MOM) type Schottky diode based on poly (triarylamine) (PTAA) thin films has been fabricated by using the spin coating method. Investigation of the frequency dependent conductance-voltage (G-V-f) and capacitance-voltage (C-V-f) characteristics of the ITO/PTAA/Al MOM type diode were carried out in the frequency range from 12 Hz to 100 kHz using an LCR meter at room temperature. The frequency and bias voltage dependent electrical response were determined by admittance-based measured method in terms of an equivalent circuit model of the parallel combination of resistance and capacitance (RC circuit). Investigation revealed that the conductance is frequency and a bias voltage dependent in which conductance continuous increase as the increasing frequency, respectively. Meanwhile, the capacitance is dependent on frequency up to a certain value of frequency (100 Hz) but decreases at high frequency (1 - 10 kHz). The interface state density in the Schottky diode was determined from G-V and C-V characteristics. The interface state density has values almost constant of 2.8 x 1012 eV-1cm-2 with slightly decrease by increasing frequencies. Consequently, both series resistance and interface trap density were found to decrease with increasing frequency. The frequency dependence of the electrical responses is attributed the distribution density of interface states that could follow the alternating current (AC) signal.

Spectrotemporal Modulation Sensitivity as a Predictor of Speech-Reception Performance in Noise With Hearing Aids

PubMed Central

Danielsson, Henrik; Hällgren, Mathias; Stenfelt, Stefan; Rönnberg, Jerker; Lunner, Thomas

2016-01-01

The audiogram predicts <30% of the variance in speech-reception thresholds (SRTs) for hearing-impaired (HI) listeners fitted with individualized frequency-dependent gain. The remaining variance could reflect suprathreshold distortion in the auditory pathways or nonauditory factors such as cognitive processing. The relationship between a measure of suprathreshold auditory function—spectrotemporal modulation (STM) sensitivity—and SRTs in noise was examined for 154 HI listeners fitted with individualized frequency-specific gain. SRTs were measured for 65-dB SPL sentences presented in speech-weighted noise or four-talker babble to an individually programmed master hearing aid, with the output of an ear-simulating coupler played through insert earphones. Modulation-depth detection thresholds were measured over headphones for STM (2cycles/octave density, 4-Hz rate) applied to an 85-dB SPL, 2-kHz lowpass-filtered pink-noise carrier. SRTs were correlated with both the high-frequency (2–6 kHz) pure-tone average (HFA; R2 = .31) and STM sensitivity (R2 = .28). Combined with the HFA, STM sensitivity significantly improved the SRT prediction (ΔR2 = .13; total R2 = .44). The remaining unaccounted variance might be attributable to variability in cognitive function and other dimensions of suprathreshold distortion. STM sensitivity was most critical in predicting SRTs for listeners < 65 years old or with HFA <53 dB HL. Results are discussed in the context of previous work suggesting that STM sensitivity for low rates and low-frequency carriers is impaired by a reduced ability to use temporal fine-structure information to detect dynamic spectra. STM detection is a fast test of suprathreshold auditory function for frequencies <2 kHz that complements the HFA to predict variability in hearing-aid outcomes for speech perception in noise. PMID:27815546

The use of multifrequency and polarimetric SIR-C/X-SAR data in geologic studies of Bir Safsaf, Egypt

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaber, G.G.; McCauley, J.F.; Breed, C.S.

1997-01-01

Bir Safsaf, within the hyperarid 'core' of the Sahara in the Western Desert of Egypt, was recognized following the SIR-A and SIR-B missions in the 1980s as one of the key localities in northeast Africa, where penetration of dry sand by radar signals delineates previously unknown, sand-buried paleodrainage valleys ('radar-rivers') of middle Tertiary to Quaternary age. The Bir Safsaf area was targeted as a focal point for further research in sand penetration and geologic mapping using the multifrequency and polarimetric SIR-C/X-SAR sensors. Analysis of the SIR-C/X-SAR data from Bir Safsaf provides important new information on the roles of multiple SAR frequency and polarimetry in portraying specific types of geologic units, materials, and structures mostly hidden from view on the ground and on Landsat TM images by a relatively thin, but extensive blanket of blow sand. Basement rock units (granitoids and gneisses) and the fractures associated with them at Bir Safsaf are shown here for the first time to be clearly delineated using C- and L-band SAR images. The detectability of most geologic features is dependent primarily on radar frequency, as shown for wind erosion patterns in bedrock at X-band (3 cm wavelength), and for geologic units and sand and clay-filled fractures in weathered crystal-line basement rocks at C-band (6 cm) and L-band (24 cm). By contrast, Quaternary paleodrainage channels are detectable at all three radar frequencies owing, among other things, to an usually thin cover of blow sand. The SIR-C/X-SAR data investigated to date enable us to make specific recommendations about the utility of certain radar sensor configurations for geologic and paleoenvironmental reconnaissance in desert regions.Analysis of the shuttle imaging radar-C/X-synthetic aperture radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) data from Bir Safsaf provides important new information on the roles of multiple SAR frequency and polarimetry in portraying specific types of geologic units, materials, and structures mostly hidden from view on the ground and on Landsat images by a relatively thin, but extensive blanket of blow sand. Basement rock units and associated fractures at the Bir Safsaf are clearly delineated using C- and L-band SAR images. The detectability of most geologic features depend primarily on radar frequency. The SIR-C/X-SAR data also provide recommendations about the utility of certain radar configurations for geologic and paleoenvironmental reconnaissance in deserts.

Neuroimaging paradigms for tonotopic mapping (II): the influence of acquisition protocol.

PubMed

Langers, Dave R M; Sanchez-Panchuelo, Rosa M; Francis, Susan T; Krumbholz, Katrin; Hall, Deborah A

2014-10-15

Numerous studies on the tonotopic organisation of auditory cortex in humans have employed a wide range of neuroimaging protocols to assess cortical frequency tuning. In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we made a systematic comparison between acquisition protocols with variable levels of interference from acoustic scanner noise. Using sweep stimuli to evoke travelling waves of activation, we measured sound-evoked response signals using sparse, clustered, and continuous imaging protocols that were characterised by inter-scan intervals of 8.8, 2.2, or 0.0 s, respectively. With regard to sensitivity to sound-evoked activation, the sparse and clustered protocols performed similarly, and both detected more activation than the continuous method. Qualitatively, tonotopic maps in activated areas proved highly similar, in the sense that the overall pattern of tonotopic gradients was reproducible across all three protocols. However, quantitatively, we observed substantial reductions in response amplitudes to moderately low stimulus frequencies that coincided with regions of strong energy in the scanner noise spectrum for the clustered and continuous protocols compared to the sparse protocol. At the same time, extreme frequencies became over-represented for these two protocols, and high best frequencies became relatively more abundant. Our results indicate that although all three scanning protocols are suitable to determine the layout of tonotopic fields, an exact quantitative assessment of the representation of various sound frequencies is substantially confounded by the presence of scanner noise. In addition, we noticed anomalous signal dynamics in response to our travelling wave paradigm that suggest that the assessment of frequency-dependent tuning is non-trivially influenced by time-dependent (hemo)dynamics when using sweep stimuli. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Novel directed search strategy to detect continuous gravitational waves from neutron stars in low- and high-eccentricity binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leaci, Paola; Astone, Pia; D'Antonio, Sabrina; Frasca, Sergio; Palomba, Cristiano; Piccinni, Ornella; Mastrogiovanni, Simone

2017-06-01

We describe a novel, very fast and robust, directed search incoherent method (which means that the phase information is lost) for periodic gravitational waves from neutron stars in binary systems. As a directed search, we assume the source sky position to be known with enough accuracy, but all other parameters (including orbital ones) are supposed to be unknown. We exploit the frequency modulation due to source orbital motion to unveil the signal signature by commencing from a collection of time and frequency peaks (the so-called "peakmap"). We validate our algorithm (pipeline), adding 131 artificial continuous-wave signals from pulsars in binary systems to simulated detector Gaussian noise, characterized by a power spectral density Sh=4 ×10-24 Hz-1 /2 in the frequency interval [70, 200] Hz, which is overall commensurate with the advanced detector design sensitivities. The pipeline detected 128 signals, and the weakest signal injected (added) and detected has a gravitational-wave strain amplitude of ˜10-24, assuming one month of gapless data collected by a single advanced detector. We also provide sensitivity estimations, which show that, for a single-detector data covering one month of observation time, depending on the source orbital Doppler modulation, we can detect signals with an amplitude of ˜7 ×10-25. By using three detectors, and one year of data, we would easily gain a factor 3 in sensitivity, translating into being able to detect weaker signals. We also discuss the parameter estimate proficiency of our method, as well as computational budget: sifting one month of single-detector data and 131 Hz-wide frequency range takes roughly 2.4 CPU hours. Hence, the current procedure can be readily applied in ally-sky schemes, sieving in parallel as many sky positions as permitted by the available computational power. Finally, we introduce (ongoing and future) approaches to attain sensitivity improvements and better accuracy on parameter estimates in view of the use on real advanced detector data.

Self-reported cue-induced physical symptoms of craving as an indicator of cocaine dependence.

PubMed

Vorspan, Florence; Fortias, Maeva; Zerdazi, El-Hadi; Karsinti, Emily; Bloch, Vanessa; Lépine, Jean-Pierre; Bellivier, Frank; Brousse, Georges; van den Brink, Wim; Derks, Eske M

2015-12-01

The presence of cocaine dependence is under-recognized by cocaine users and requires a careful standardized interview to be ascertained by clinicians. To test if past experiences of cue-induced physical symptoms of craving (nausea, vomiting, sweating, shaking, nervousness) before cocaine use could be a useful way to boost the diagnosis of cocaine dependence. A cross-sectional study of 221 cocaine users from several outpatient addiction treatment services in France, addressing the most severe period of cocaine use. DSM-IV cocaine dependence was determined with the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Physical symptoms before using cocaine were retrospectively assessed with a single item rated on a 0-5 scale. The prevalence of DSM-IV cocaine dependence was 84.6%. The mean score on the physical symptoms item was 1.3 (SD 1.3). A cut-off score of ≥ 1 on this item alone resulted in a sensitivity of 62%, a specificity of 88.2%, a positive predictive value of 96.6% and a negative predictive value of 29.7% to detect DSM IV cocaine dependence in this sample. Adding this item to a model with the frequency of cocaine use significantly increased the predictive power: Nagelkerke's R(2) increased from .149 to .326 (p < .001). Recalling past experiences of cue-induced physical signs of cocaine craving is associated with a clinical diagnosis of lifetime cocaine dependence and could be a simple way to improve its detection in clinical settings. © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Multi-frequency Optical-depth Maps And The Case For Free-free Absorption In Two Compact Symmetric Objects: 1321+410 And 0026+346

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, Thomas M.; Marr, J. M.; Read, J. W.; Taylor, G. B.

2011-01-01

We obtained VLBI observations at six frequencies of two Compact Symmetric Objects, 1321+410 and 0026+346. By comparing the lower frequency maps with spectral extrapolations of the higher frequency maps, we produced maps of the optical depth as a function of frequency. The optical-depth maps of 1321+410 are strikingly uniform, consistent with a foreground screen of absorbing gas; the optical depths as a function of frequency are consistent with free-free absorption; and no net polarization was detected. We conclude that the case for free-free absorption in 1321+410 is strong. The optical-depth maps of 0026+346 exhibit structure but the morphology does not correlate with that in the intensity maps, in conflict with that expected in the case of synchrotron self-absorption. No net polarization was detected. The frequency dependence of the optical depths does not fit well to a simple free-free absorption model, but this does not take into account possible structure in the absorbing gas on smaller scales. We conclude that free-free absorption by a thin amount of gas with structure on the scale of our maps and smaller is possible in 0026+346, although no definitive conclusion can be made. A compact feature between the lobes in 0026+346 has an inverted spectrum even at the highest frequencies, suggesting that this component is synchrotron self-absorbed. We infer this to be the location of the core. We estimate an upper limit to the magnetic field in the core of 50 Gauss at a radius of 1 pc. This research was supported by an award from the Research Corporation, a NASA NY Space Grant, and a Booth-Ferris Research Fellowship. The VLBA is operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Use of the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) P band for detection of the Moche and Lambayeque canal networks in the Apurlec region, Perù

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilaria Pannaccione Apa, Maria; Santovito, Maria Rosaria; Pica, Giulia; Catapano, Ilaria; Fornaro, Gianfranco; Lanari, Riccardo; Soldovieri, Francesco; Wester La Torre, Carlos; Fernandez Manayalle, Marco Antonio; Longo, Francesco; Facchinetti, Claudia; Formaro, Roberto

2016-04-01

In recent years, research attention has been devoted to the development of a new class of airborne radar systems using low frequency bands ranging from VHF/UHF to P and L ones. In this frame, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) has promoted the development of a new multi-mode and multi-band airborne radar system, which can be considered even a "proof-of-concept" for the next space-borne missions. In particular, in agreement with the ASI, the research consortium CO.RI.S.T.A. has in charge the design, development and flight validation of such a kind of system, which is the first airborne radar entirely built in Italy. The aim was to design and realize a radar system able to work in different modalities as: nadir-looking sounder at VHF band (163 MHz); side-looking imager (SAR) at P band with two channels at 450 MHz and 900 MHz. The P-band is a penetration radar. Exploiting penetration features of low frequency electromagnetic waves, dielectric discontinuities of observed scene due to inhomogeneous materials rise up and can be detected on the resulting image. Therefore buried objects or targets placed under vegetation may be detected. Penetration capabilities essentially depend on microwave frequency. Typically, penetration distance is inversely proportional to microwave frequency. The higher the frequency, the lower the penetration depth. Terrain characteristics affect penetration capabilities. Humidity acts as a shield to microwave penetration. Hence terrain with high water content are not good targets for P-band applicability. Science community, governments and space agencies have increased their interest about low frequency radar for their useful applicability in climatology, ecosystem monitoring, glaciology, archaeology. The combination of low frequency and high relative bandwidth of such a systems has a large applicability in both military and civilian applications, ranging from forestry applications, biomass measuring, archaeological and geological exploration, glaciers investigation, biomass monitoring, detection of buried targets. Its extension to non-civil application concerns sub-surface target detection and foliage penetration (FOPEN). In order to achieve the flexibility to face all the above mentioned fields of application, the CORISTA system has been designed as a multi-mode and multi-frequency radar. Multimode stands for the functionality of the system both as Sounder and Imager. In addition, P-band radar is a multi-frequency instrument, since it is designed to work in three different frequency bands, as mentioned above: lower frequency band is used in sounder operative mode, higher frequency in imager operative mode. In the Imager operative mode, low resolution and high resolution capabilities are implemented. The data collected by the radar system have been processed using a model-based microwave tomographic approach, recently developed by IREA-CNR, with the aim to enhance the interpretability of the raw-data radar images. Currently, the non-invasive SAR P band application is under evaluation for testing in the Northern Coast of Perù, in collaboration with the Museo Arqueológico Nacional Brüning. The project will aim to recognize the subsurface ancient Moche (100-700 d.C.) and Lambayeque (700-1375 d.C.) canal networks, whose water supply comes from the Canal Taymi, started to be dug by the Mochicas, still in use by local communities.

Beat frequency ultrasonic microsphere contrast agent detection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pretlow, Robert A., III (Inventor); Yost, William T. (Inventor); Cantrell, John H., Jr. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

A system for and method of detecting and measuring concentrations of an ultrasonically-reflective microsphere contrast agent involving detecting non-linear sum and difference beat frequencies produced by the microspheres when two impinging signals with non-identical frequencies are combined by mixing. These beat frequencies can be used for a variety of applications such as detecting the presence of and measuring the flow rates of biological fluids and industrial liquids, including determining the concentration level of microspheres in the myocardium.

Beat frequency ultrasonic microsphere contrast agent detection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pretlow, III, Robert A. (Inventor); Yost, William T. (Inventor); Cantrell, Jr., John H. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

A system for and method of detecting and measuring concentrations of an ultrasonically-reflective microsphere contrast agent involving detecting non-linear sum and difference beat frequencies produced by the microspheres when two impinging signals with non-identical frequencies are combined by mixing. These beat frequencies can be used for a variety of applications such as detecting the presence of and measuring the flow rates of biological fluids and industrial liquids, including determining the concentration level of microspheres in the myocardium.

A STUDY OF BROADBAND FARADAY ROTATION AND POLARIZATION BEHAVIOR OVER 1.3–10 GHz IN 36 DISCRETE RADIO SOURCES

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

Anderson, C. S.; Gaensler, B. M.; Feain, I. J., E-mail: craiga@physics.usyd.edu.au

We present a broadband polarization analysis of 36 discrete polarized radio sources over a very broad, densely sampled frequency band. Our sample was selected on the basis of polarization behavior apparent in narrowband archival data at 1.4 GHz: half the sample shows complicated frequency-dependent polarization behavior (i.e., Faraday complexity) at these frequencies, while half shows comparatively simple behavior (i.e., they appear Faraday simple ). We re-observed the sample using the Australia Telescope Compact Array in full polarization, with 6 GHz of densely sampled frequency coverage spanning 1.3–10 GHz. We have devised a general polarization modeling technique that allows us tomore » identify multiple polarized emission components in a source, and to characterize their properties. We detect Faraday complex behavior in almost every source in our sample. Several sources exhibit particularly remarkable polarization behavior. By comparing our new and archival data, we have identified temporal variability in the broadband integrated polarization spectra of some sources. In a number of cases, the characteristics of the polarized emission components, including the range of Faraday depths over which they emit, their temporal variability, spectral index, and the linear extent of the source, allow us to argue that the spectropolarimetric data encode information about the magneto-ionic environment of active galactic nuclei themselves. Furthermore, the data place direct constraints on the geometry and magneto-ionic structure of this material. We discuss the consequences of restricted frequency bands on the detection and interpretation of polarization structures, and the implications for upcoming spectropolarimetric surveys.« less

Probing a chemical compass: novel variants of low-frequency reaction yield detected magnetic resonance.

PubMed

Maeda, Kiminori; Storey, Jonathan G; Liddell, Paul A; Gust, Devens; Hore, P J; Wedge, C J; Timmel, Christiane R

2015-02-07

We present a study of a carotenoid-porphyrin-fullerene triad previously shown to function as a chemical compass: the photogenerated carotenoid-fullerene radical pair recombines at a rate sensitive to the orientation of an applied magnetic field. To characterize the system we develop a time-resolved Low-Frequency Reaction Yield Detected Magnetic Resonance (tr-LF-RYDMR) technique; the effect of varying the relative orientation of applied static and 36 MHz oscillating magnetic fields is shown to be strongly dependent on the strength of the oscillating magnetic field. RYDMR is a diagnostic test for involvement of the radical pair mechanism in the magnetic field sensitivity of reaction rates or yields, and has previously been applied in animal behavioural experiments to verify the involvement of radical-pair-based intermediates in the magnetic compass sense of migratory birds. The spectroscopic selection rules governing RYDMR are well understood at microwave frequencies for which the so-called 'high-field approximation' is valid, but at lower frequencies different models are required. For example, the breakdown of the rotating frame approximation has recently been investigated, but less attention has so far been given to orientation effects. Here we gain physical insights into the interplay of the different magnetic interactions affecting low-frequency RYDMR experiments performed in the challenging regime in which static and oscillating applied magnetic fields as well as internal electron-nuclear hyperfine interactions are of comparable magnitude. Our observations aid the interpretation of existing RYDMR-based animal behavioural studies and will inform future applications of the technique to verify and characterize further the biological receptors involved in avian magnetoreception.

Spectrotemporal modulation sensitivity for hearing-impaired listeners: Dependence on carrier center frequency and the relationship to speech intelligibility

PubMed Central

Mehraei, Golbarg; Gallun, Frederick J.; Leek, Marjorie R.; Bernstein, Joshua G. W.

2014-01-01

Poor speech understanding in noise by hearing-impaired (HI) listeners is only partly explained by elevated audiometric thresholds. Suprathreshold-processing impairments such as reduced temporal or spectral resolution or temporal fine-structure (TFS) processing ability might also contribute. Although speech contains dynamic combinations of temporal and spectral modulation and TFS content, these capabilities are often treated separately. Modulation-depth detection thresholds for spectrotemporal modulation (STM) applied to octave-band noise were measured for normal-hearing and HI listeners as a function of temporal modulation rate (4–32 Hz), spectral ripple density [0.5–4 cycles/octave (c/o)] and carrier center frequency (500–4000 Hz). STM sensitivity was worse than normal for HI listeners only for a low-frequency carrier (1000 Hz) at low temporal modulation rates (4–12 Hz) and a spectral ripple density of 2 c/o, and for a high-frequency carrier (4000 Hz) at a high spectral ripple density (4 c/o). STM sensitivity for the 4-Hz, 4-c/o condition for a 4000-Hz carrier and for the 4-Hz, 2-c/o condition for a 1000-Hz carrier were correlated with speech-recognition performance in noise after partialling out the audiogram-based speech-intelligibility index. Poor speech-reception and STM-detection performance for HI listeners may be related to a combination of reduced frequency selectivity and a TFS-processing deficit limiting the ability to track spectral-peak movements. PMID:24993215

Communication: Probing anomalous diffusion in frequency space

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

Stachura, Sławomir; Synchrotron Soleil, L’Orme de Merisiers, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette; Kneller, Gerald R., E-mail: gerald.kneller@cnrs-orleans.fr

Anomalous diffusion processes are usually detected by analyzing the time-dependent mean square displacement of the diffusing particles. The latter evolves asymptotically as W(t) ∼ 2D{sub α}t{sup α}, where D{sub α} is the fractional diffusion constant and 0 < α < 2. In this article we show that both D{sub α} and α can also be extracted from the low-frequency Fourier spectrum of the corresponding velocity autocorrelation function. This offers a simple method for the interpretation of quasielastic neutron scattering spectra from complex (bio)molecular systems, in which subdiffusive transport is frequently encountered. The approach is illustrated and validated by analyzing molecularmore » dynamics simulations of molecular diffusion in a lipid POPC bilayer.« less

Photocurrent characteristics of metal–AlGaN/GaN Schottky-on-heterojunction diodes induced by GaN interband excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xi; Li, Baikui; Chen, Kevin J.; Wang, Jiannong

2018-05-01

The photocurrent characteristics of metal–AlGaN/GaN Schottky-on-heterojunction diodes were investigated. When the photon energy of incident light was larger than the bandgap of GaN but smaller than that of AlGaN, the alternating-current (ac) photocurrent measured using lock-in techniques increased with the chopper frequency. Analyzing the generation and flow processes of photocarriers revealed that the photocurrent induced by GaN interband excitation featured a transient behavior, and its direction reversed when the light excitation was removed. The abnormal dependence of the measured ac photocurrent magnitude on the chopper frequency was explained considering the detection principles of a lock-in amplifier.

Frequency-domain photoacoustic and fluorescence microscopy: application on labeled and unlabeled cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langer, Gregor; Buchegger, Bianca; Jacak, Jaroslaw; Pfeffer, Karoline; Wohlfarth, Sven; Hannesschläger, Günther; Klar, Thomas A.; Berer, Thomas

2018-02-01

In this paper, multimodal optical-resolution frequency-domain photoacoustic and fluorescence scanning microscopy is presented on labeled and unlabeled cells. In many molecules, excited electrons relax radiatively and non-radiatively, leading to fluorescence and photoacoustic signals, respectively. Both signals can then be detected simultaneously. There also exist molecules, e.g. hemoglobin, which do not exhibit fluorescence, but provide photoacoustic signals solely. Other molecules, especially fluorescent dyes, preferentially exhibit fluorescence. The fluorescence quantum yield of a molecule and with it the strength of photoacoustic and fluorescence signals depends on the local environment, e.g. on the pH. Therefore, the local distribution of the simultaneously recorded photoacoustic and fluorescence signals may be used in order to obtain information about the local chemistry.

Herbicides and nitrate in near-surface aquifers in the midcontinental United States, 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolpin, Dana W.; Burkart, Michael R.; Thurman, E. Michael

1994-01-01

Hydrogeologic factors, land use, agricultural practices, local features, and water chemistry were analyzed for possible relation to herbicide and excess-nitrate detections. Herbicides and excess nitrate were detected more frequently in near-surface unconsolidated aquifers than in nearsurface bedrock aquifers. The depth to the top of the aquifer was inversely related to the frequency of detection of herbicides and excess nitrate. The proximity of streams to sampled wells also affected the frequency of herbicide detection. Significant seasonal differences were determined for the frequency of herbicide detection, but not for the frequency of excess nitrate.

Scheme for efficient extraction of low-frequency signal beyond the quantum limit by frequency-shift detection.

PubMed

Yang, R G; Zhang, J; Zhai, Z H; Zhai, S Q; Liu, K; Gao, J R

2015-08-10

Low-frequency (Hz~kHz) squeezing is very important in many schemes of quantum precision measurement. But it is more difficult than that at megahertz-frequency because of the introduction of laser low-frequency technical noise. In this paper, we propose a scheme to obtain a low-frequency signal beyond the quantum limit from the frequency comb in a non-degenerate frequency and degenerate polarization optical parametric amplifier (NOPA) operating below threshold with type I phase matching by frequency-shift detection. Low-frequency squeezing immune to laser technical noise is obtained by a detection system with a local beam of two-frequency intense laser. Furthermore, the low-frequency squeezing can be used for phase measurement in Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be enhanced greatly.

Object detection with a multistatic array using singular value decomposition

DOEpatents

Hallquist, Aaron T.; Chambers, David H.

2014-07-01

A method and system for detecting the presence of subsurface objects within a medium is provided. In some embodiments, the detection system operates in a multistatic mode to collect radar return signals generated by an array of transceiver antenna pairs that is positioned across a surface and that travels down the surface. The detection system converts the return signals from a time domain to a frequency domain, resulting in frequency return signals. The detection system then performs a singular value decomposition for each frequency to identify singular values for each frequency. The detection system then detects the presence of a subsurface object based on a comparison of the identified singular values to expected singular values when no subsurface object is present.

Hybrid broadband Ground Motion simulation based on a dynamic rupture model of the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku earthquake.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galvez, P.; Somerville, P.; Bayless, J.; Dalguer, L. A.

2015-12-01

The rupture process of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake exhibits depth-dependent variations in the frequency content of seismic radiation from the plate interface. This depth-varying rupture property has also been observed in other subduction zones (Lay et al, 2012). During the Tohoku earthquake, the shallow region radiated coherent low frequency seismic waves whereas the deeper region radiated high frequency waves. Several kinematic inversions (Suzuki et al, 2011; Lee et al, 2011; Bletery et al, 2014; Minson et al, 2014) detected seismic waves below 0.1 Hz coming from the shallow depths that produced slip larger than 40-50 meters close to the trench. Using empirical green functions, Asano & Iwata (2012), Kurahashi and Irikura (2011) and others detected regions of strong ground motion radiation at frequencies up to 10Hz located mainly at the bottom of the plate interface. A recent dynamic model that embodies this depth-dependent radiation using physical models has been developed by Galvez et al (2014, 2015). In this model the rupture process is modeled using a linear weakening friction law with slip reactivation on the shallow region of the plate interface (Galvez et al, 2015). This model reproduces the multiple seismic wave fronts recorded on the Kik-net seismic network along the Japanese coast up to 0.1 Hz as well as the GPS displacements. In the deep region, the rupture sequence is consistent with the sequence of the strong ground motion generation areas (SMGAs) that radiate high frequency ground motion at the bottom of the plate interface (Kurahashi and Irikura, 2013). It remains challenging to perform ground motions fully coupled with a dynamic rupture up to 10 Hz for a megathrust event. Therefore, to generate high frequency ground motions, we make use of the stochastic approach of Graves and Pitarka (2010) but add to the source spectrum the slip rate function of the dynamic model. In this hybrid-dynamic approach, the slip rate function is windowed with Gaussian noise where the duration of the time window and the starting rupture is determined by the slip rate function at each point in the fault (Dalguer et al, 2002). Finally, to validate this method we compare the synthetic seismograms with the recorded ground motion for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake up to 10 Hz.

Study of the GPS inter-frequency calibration of timing receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defraigne, P.; Huang, W.; Bertrand, B.; Rovera, D.

2018-02-01

When calibrating Global Positioning System (GPS) stations dedicated to timing, the hardware delays of P1 and P2, the P(Y)-codes on frequencies L1 and L2, are determined separately. In the international atomic time (TAI) network the GPS stations of the time laboratories are calibrated relatively against reference stations. This paper aims at determining the consistency between the P1 and P2 hardware delays (called dP1 and dP2) of these reference stations, and to look at the stability of the inter-signal hardware delays dP1-dP2 of all the stations in the network. The method consists of determining the dP1-dP2 directly from the GPS pseudorange measurements corrected for the frequency-dependent antenna phase center and the frequency-dependent ionosphere corrections, and then to compare these computed dP1-dP2 to the calibrated values. Our results show that the differences between the computed and calibrated dP1-dP2 are well inside the expected combined uncertainty of the two quantities. Furthermore, the consistency between the calibrated time transfer solution obtained from either single-frequency P1 or dual-frequency P3 for reference laboratories is shown to be about 1.0 ns, well inside the 2.1 ns uB uncertainty of a time transfer link based on GPS P3 or Precise Point Positioning. This demonstrates the good consistency between the P1 and P2 hardware delays of the reference stations used for calibration in the TAI network. The long-term stability of the inter-signal hardware delays is also analysed from the computed dP1-dP2. It is shown that only variations larger than 2 ns can be detected for a particular station, while variations of 200 ps can be detected when differentiating the results between two stations. Finally, we also show that in the differential calibration process as used in the TAI network, using the same antenna phase center or using different positions for L1 and L2 signals gives maximum differences of 200 ps on the hardware delays of the separate codes P1 and P2; however, the final impact on the P3 combination is less than 10 ps.

21-cm signature of the first sources in the Universe: prospects of detection with SKA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghara, Raghunath; Choudhury, T. Roy; Datta, Kanan K.

2016-07-01

Currently several low-frequency experiments are being planned to study the nature of the first stars using the redshifted 21-cm signal from the cosmic dawn and Epoch of Reionization. Using a one-dimensional radiative transfer code, we model the 21-cm signal pattern around the early sources for different source models, I.e. the metal-free Population III (PopIII) stars, primordial galaxies consisting of Population II (PopII) stars, mini-QSOs and high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). We investigate the detectability of these sources by comparing the 21-cm visibility signal with the system noise appropriate for a telescope like the SKA1-low. Upon integrating the visibility around a typical source over all baselines and over a frequency interval of 16 MHz, we find that it will be possible to make a ˜9σ detection of the isolated sources like PopII galaxies, mini-QSOs and HMXBs at z ˜ 15 with the SKA1-low in 1000 h. The exact value of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) will depend on the source properties, in particular on the mass and age of the source and the escape fraction of ionizing photons. The predicted SNR decreases with increasing redshift. We provide simple scaling laws to estimate the SNR for different values of the parameters which characterize the source and the surrounding medium. We also argue that it will be possible to achieve an SNR ˜9 even in the presence of the astrophysical foregrounds by subtracting out the frequency-independent component of the observed signal. These calculations will be useful in planning 21-cm observations to detect the first sources.

Sensorless speed detection of squirrel-cage induction machines using stator neutral point voltage harmonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrovic, Goran; Kilic, Tomislav; Terzic, Bozo

2009-04-01

In this paper a sensorless speed detection method of induction squirrel-cage machines is presented. This method is based on frequency determination of the stator neutral point voltage primary slot harmonic, which is dependent on rotor speed. In order to prove method in steady state and dynamic conditions the simulation and experimental study was carried out. For theoretical investigation the mathematical model of squirrel cage induction machines, which takes into consideration actual geometry and windings layout, is used. Speed-related harmonics that arise from rotor slotting are analyzed using digital signal processing and DFT algorithm with Hanning window. The performance of the method is demonstrated over a wide range of load conditions.

Ultra-High Q Acoustic Resonance in Superfluid ^4He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Lorenzo, L. A.; Schwab, K. C.

2017-02-01

We report the measurement of the acoustic quality factor of a gram-scale, kilohertz-frequency superfluid resonator, detected through the parametric coupling to a superconducting niobium microwave cavity. For temperatures between 400 mK and 50 mK, we observe a T^{-4} temperature dependence of the quality factor, consistent with a 3-phonon dissipation mechanism. We observe Q factors up to 1.4× 10^8, consistent with the dissipation due to dilute ^3He impurities, and expect that significant further improvements are possible. These experiments are relevant to exploring quantum behavior and decoherence of massive macroscopic objects, the laboratory detection of continuous gravitational waves from pulsars, and the probing of possible limits to physical length scales.

Acoustic Radiation Force-Induced Creep-Recovery (ARFICR): A Noninvasive Method to Characterize Tissue Viscoelasticity.

PubMed

Amador Carrascal, Carolina; Chen, Shigao; Urban, Matthew W; Greenleaf, James F

2018-01-01

Ultrasound shear wave elastography is a promising noninvasive, low cost, and clinically viable tool for liver fibrosis staging. Current shear wave imaging technologies on clinical ultrasound scanners ignore shear wave dispersion and use a single group velocity measured over the shear wave bandwidth to estimate tissue elasticity. The center frequency and bandwidth of shear waves induced by acoustic radiation force depend on the ultrasound push beam (push duration, -number, etc.) and the viscoelasticity of the medium, and therefore are different across scanners from different vendors. As a result, scanners from different vendors may give different tissue elasticity measurements within the same patient. Various methods have been proposed to evaluate shear wave dispersion to better estimate tissue viscoelasticity. A rheological model such as the Kelvin-Voigt model is typically fitted to the shear wave dispersion to solve for the elasticity and viscosity of tissue. However, these rheological models impose strong assumptions about frequency dependence of elasticity and viscosity. Here, we propose a new method called Acoustic Radiation Force Induced Creep-Recovery (ARFICR) capable of quantifying rheological model-independent measurements of elasticity and viscosity for more robust tissue health assessment. In ARFICR, the creep-recovery time signal at the focus of the push beam is used to calculate the relative elasticity and viscosity (scaled by an unknown constant) over a wide frequency range. Shear waves generated during the ARFICR measurement are also detected and used to calculate the shear wave velocity at its center frequency, which is then used to calibrate the relative elasticity and viscosity to absolute elasticity and viscosity. In this paper, finite-element method simulations and experiments in tissue mimicking phantoms are used to validate and characterize the extent of viscoelastic quantification of ARFICR. The results suggest that ARFICR can measure tissue viscoelasticity reliably. Moreover, the results showed the strong frequency dependence of viscoelastic parameters in tissue mimicking phantoms and healthy liver.

Theoretical modeling insights into elastic wave attenuation mechanisms in marine sediments with pore-filling methane hydrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marín-Moreno, H.; Sahoo, S. K.; Best, A. I.

2017-03-01

The majority of presently exploitable marine methane hydrate reservoirs are likely to host hydrate in disseminated form in coarse grain sediments. For hydrate concentrations below 25-40%, disseminated or pore-filling hydrate does not increase elastic frame moduli, thus making impotent traditional seismic velocity-based methods. Here, we present a theoretical model to calculate frequency-dependent P and S wave velocity and attenuation of an effective porous medium composed of solid mineral grains, methane hydrate, methane gas, and water. The model considers elastic wave energy losses caused by local viscous flow both (i) between fluid inclusions in hydrate and pores and (ii) between different aspect ratio pores (created when hydrate grows); the inertial motion of the frame with respect to the pore fluid (Biot's type fluid flow); and gas bubble damping. The sole presence of pore-filling hydrate in the sediment reduces the available porosity and intrinsic permeability of the sediment affecting Biot's type attenuation at high frequencies. Our model shows that attenuation maxima due to fluid inclusions in hydrate are possible over the entire frequency range of interest to exploration seismology (1-106 Hz), depending on the aspect ratio of the inclusions, whereas maxima due to different aspect ratio pores occur only at sonic to ultrasound frequencies (104-106 Hz). This frequency response imposes further constraints on possible hydrate saturations able to reproduce broadband elastic measurements of velocity and attenuation. Our results provide a physical basis for detecting the presence and amount of pore-filling hydrate in seafloor sediments using conventional seismic surveys.

Cholinergic Interneurons Underlie Spontaneous Dopamine Release in Nucleus Accumbens

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The release of dopamine from terminals in the NAc is regulated by a number of factors, including voltage-gated ion channels, D2-autoreceptors, and nAChRs. Cholinergic interneurons (CINs) drive dopamine release through activation of nAChRs on dopamine terminals. Using cyclic voltammetry in mouse brain slices, nAChR-dependent spontaneous dopamine transients and the mechanisms underlying the origin were examined in the NAc. Spontaneous events were infrequent (0.3 per minute), but the rate and amplitude were increased after blocking Kv channels with 4-aminopyridine. Although the firing frequency of CINs was increased by blocking glutamate reuptake with TBOA and the Sk blocker apamin, only 4-aminopyridine increased the frequency of dopamine transients. In contrast, inhibition of CIN firing with the μ/δ selective opioid [Met5]enkephalin (1 μm) decreased spontaneous dopamine transients. Cocaine increased the rate and amplitude of dopamine transients, suggesting that the activity of the dopamine transporter limits the detection of these events. In the presence of cocaine, the rate of spontaneous dopamine transients was further increased after blocking D2-autoreceptors. Blockade of muscarinic receptors had no effect on evoked dopamine release, suggesting that feedback inhibition of acetylcholine release was not involved. Thus, although spontaneous dopamine transients are reliant on nAChRs, the frequency was not strictly governed by the activity of CINs. The increase in frequency of spontaneous dopamine transients induced by cocaine was not due to an increase in cholinergic tone and is likely a product of an increase in detection resulting from decreased dopamine reuptake. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The actions of dopamine in the NAc are thought to be responsible for endogenous reward and the reinforcing properties of drugs of abuse, such as psychostimulants. The present work examines the mechanisms underlying nAChR-induced spontaneous dopamine release. This study demonstrates that spontaneous dopamine release is (1) dependent of the activation of nicotinic receptors, (2) independent on the spontaneous activity of cholinergic interneurons, and (3) that cocaine increased the detection of dopamine transients by prolonging the presence and increasing the diffusion of dopamine in the extracellular space. The release of acetylcholine is therefore responsible for spontaneous dopamine transients, and cocaine augments dopamine tone without altering activity of cholinergic interneurons. PMID:28115487

Radar network communication through sensing of frequency hopping

DOEpatents

Dowla, Farid; Nekoogar, Faranak

2013-05-28

In one embodiment, a radar communication system includes a plurality of radars having a communication range and being capable of operating at a sensing frequency and a reporting frequency, wherein the reporting frequency is different than the sensing frequency, each radar is adapted for operating at the sensing frequency until an event is detected, each radar in the plurality of radars has an identification/location frequency for reporting information different from the sensing frequency, a first radar of the radars which senses the event sends a reporting frequency corresponding to its identification/location frequency when the event is detected, and all other radars in the plurality of radars switch their reporting frequencies to match the reporting frequency of the first radar upon detecting the reporting frequency switch of a radar within the communication range. In another embodiment, a method is presented for communicating information in a radar system.

A complex-polarization-propagator protocol for magneto-chiral axial dichroism and birefringence dispersion.

PubMed

Cukras, Janusz; Kauczor, Joanna; Norman, Patrick; Rizzo, Antonio; Rikken, Geert L J A; Coriani, Sonia

2016-05-21

A computational protocol for magneto-chiral dichroism and magneto-chiral birefringence dispersion is presented within the framework of damped response theory, also known as complex polarization propagator theory, at the level of time-dependent Hartree-Fock and time-dependent density functional theory. Magneto-chiral dichroism and magneto-chiral birefringence spectra in the (resonant) frequency region below the first ionization threshold of R-methyloxirane and l-alanine are presented and compared with the corresponding results obtained for both the electronic circular dichroism and the magnetic circular dichroism. The additional information content yielded by the magneto-chiral phenomena, as well as their potential experimental detectability for the selected species, is discussed.

Electric field-induced ferromagnetic resonance in a CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junction under dc bias voltages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanai, Shun; Gajek, Martin; Worledge, D. C.; Matsukura, Fumihiro; Ohno, Hideo

2014-12-01

We measure homodyne-detected ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) induced by the electric-field effect in a CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with perpendicular magnetic easy axis under dc bias voltages up to 0.1 V. From the bias dependence of the resonant frequency, we find that the first order perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is modulated by the applied electric field, whereas the second order component is virtually independent of the electric field. The lineshapes of the FMR spectra are bias dependent, which are explained by the combination of electric-field effect and reflection of the bias voltage from the MTJ.

The time-domain behavior of power-law noises. [of many geophysical phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agnew, Duncan C.

1992-01-01

The power spectra of many geophysical phenomena are well approximated by a power-law dependence on frequency or wavenumber. A simple expression for the root-mean-square variability of a process with such a spectrum over an interval of time or space is derived. The resulting expression yields the powerlaw time dependence characteristic of fractal processes, but can be generalized to give the temporal variability for more general spectral behaviors. The method is applied to spectra of crustal strain (to show what size of strain events can be detected over periods of months to seconds) and of sea level (to show the difficulty of extracting long-term rates from short records).

Sensitive Detection of Small Particles in Fluids Using Optical Fiber Tip with Dielectrophoresis

PubMed Central

Tai, Yi-Hsin; Chang, Dao-Ming; Pan, Ming-Yang; Huang, Ding-Wei; Wei, Pei-Kuen

2016-01-01

This work presents using a tapered fiber tip coated with thin metallic film to detect small particles in water with high sensitivity. When an AC voltage applied to the Ti/Al coated fiber tip and indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate, a gradient electric field at the fiber tip induced attractive/repulsive force to suspended small particles due to the frequency-dependent dielectrophoresis (DEP) effect. Such DEP force greatly enhanced the concentration of the small particles near the tip. The increase of the local concentration also increased the scattering of surface plasmon wave near the fiber tip. Combined both DEP effect and scattering optical near-field, we show the detection limit of the concentration for 1.36 μm polystyrene beads can be down to 1 particle/mL. The detection limit of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria was 20 CFU/mL. The fiber tip sensor takes advantages of ultrasmall volume, label-free and simple detection system. PMID:26927128

RX and Z Mode Growth Rates and Propagation at Cavity Boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutel, R. L.; Christopher, I. W.; Menietti, J. D.; Gurnett, D. A.; Pickett, J. S.; Masson, A.; Fazakerley, A.; Lucek, E.

Recent Cluster WBD observations in the Earth's auroral acceleration region have detected trapped Z mode auroral kilometric radiation while the spacecraft were entering a deep density cavity. The Z mode has a clear cutoff at the local upper hybrid resonance frequency, while RX mode radiation is detected above the RX mode cutoff frequency. The small gap between the upper hybrid resonance and the RX mode cutoff frequencies is proportional to the local electron density as expected from cold plasma theory. The width of the observed gap provides a new sensitive measure of the ambient electron density. In addition, the relative intensities of RX and Z mode radiation provide a sensitive probe of the plasma β = Ω_pe /Ω_ce at the source since the growth rates, although identical in form, have different ranges of allowed resonant radii which depend on β. In particular, the RX mode growth is favored for low β, while the Z mode is favored at higher β. The observed mode intensities and β's appear to be consistent with this model, and favor generation of Z mode at the source over models in which Z mode is generated by mode-conversion at cavity boundaries. These are the first multi-point direct measurements of mode-specific AKR propagation in the auroral acceleration region of any planet.

How far can we go in chronic disorders of consciousness differential diagnosis? The use of neuromodulation in detecting internal and external awareness.

PubMed

Naro, Antonino; Leo, Antonino; Manuli, Alfredo; Cannavò, Antonino; Bramanti, Alessia; Bramanti, Placido; Calabrò, Rocco Salvatore

2017-05-04

Awareness generation and modulation may depend on a balanced information integration and differentiation across default mode network (DMN) and external awareness networks (EAN). Neuromodulation approaches, capable of shaping information processing, may highlight residual network activities supporting awareness, which are not detectable through active paradigms, thus allowing to differentiate chronic disorders of consciousness (DoC). We studied aftereffects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) by applying graph theory within canonical frequency bands to compare the markers of these networks in the electroencephalographic data from 20 patients with DoC. We found that patients' high-frequency networks suffered from a large-scale connectivity breakdown, paralleled by a local hyperconnectivity, whereas low-frequency networks showed a preserved but dysfunctional large-scale connectivity. There was a correlation between metrics and the behavioral awareness. Interestingly, two persons with UWS showed a residual rTMS-induced modulation of the functional correlations between the DMN and the EAN, as observed in patients with MCS. Hence, we may hypothesize that the patients with UWS who demonstrate evidence of residual DMN-EAN functional correlation may be misdiagnosed, given that such residual network correlations could support covert consciousness. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Constraining the equation of state of neutron stars from binary mergers.

PubMed

Takami, Kentaro; Rezzolla, Luciano; Baiotti, Luca

2014-08-29

Determining the equation of state of matter at nuclear density and hence the structure of neutron stars has been a riddle for decades. We show how the imminent detection of gravitational waves from merging neutron star binaries can be used to solve this riddle. Using a large number of accurate numerical-relativity simulations of binaries with nuclear equations of state, we find that the postmerger emission is characterized by two distinct and robust spectral features. While the high-frequency peak has already been associated with the oscillations of the hypermassive neutron star produced by the merger and depends on the equation of state, a new correlation emerges between the low-frequency peak, related to the merger process, and the total compactness of the stars in the binary. More importantly, such a correlation is essentially universal, thus providing a powerful tool to set tight constraints on the equation of state. If the mass of the binary is known from the inspiral signal, the combined use of the two frequency peaks sets four simultaneous constraints to be satisfied. Ideally, even a single detection would be sufficient to select one equation of state over the others. We test our approach with simulated data and verify it works well for all the equations of state considered.

Detection of Linear Polarization from SNR Cassiopeia A at Low Radio Frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, Wasim; Deshpande, Avinash A.

2015-03-01

We report detection of the weak but significant linear polarization from the Supernova Remnant Cas A at low radio frequencies (327 MHz) using the GMRT. The spectro-polarimetric data (16 MHz bandwidth with 256 spectral channels) was analyzed using the technique of Faraday Tomography. Ascertaining association of this weak polarization to the source is non-trivial in the presence of the remnant instrumental polarization (<1% in our case) - the expected anti-correlation ρlp,x, between the linear polarized intensity and the soft X-ray counts gets masked by the correlation between the Stokes-I dependent instrumental leakage and the X-radiation that is spatially correlated with Stokes-I, if ρ lp,x is computed naively. Hence, we compute ρ lp,x using pixels within ultra narrow bins of Stokes-I within which the instrumental leakage is expected to remain constant, and establish the anti-correlation as well as the correspondence of this correlation with the mean X-ray profile (Figure 1). Given the angular and RM-resolution in our data, the observed depolarization relative to that at higher frequencies, implies that the mixing of thermal and non-thermal plasma within the source might be occurring on spatial scales ~ 1000 AU, assuming random superposition of polarization states.

Temperature dependent charge transport studies across thermodynamic glass transition in P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction: insight from J-V and impedance spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Atri; Rahaman, Abdulla Bin; Banerjee, Debamalya

2018-03-01

Temperature dependent charge transport properties of P3HT:PCBM bulk heterojunction are analysed by dc and ac measurements under dark conditions across a wide temperature range of 110-473 K, which includes the thermodynamic glass transition temperature (Tg ˜320 K) of the system. A change from Ohmic conduction to space charge limited current conduction at higher (⩾1.2 V) applied bias voltages above  ⩾200 K is observed from J-V characteristics. From capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement at room temperature, the occurrence of a peak near the built-in voltage is observed below the dielectric relaxation frequency, originating from the competition between drift and diffusion driven motions of charges. Carrier concentration (N) is calculated from C-V measurements taken at different temperatures. Room temperature mobility values at various applied bias voltages are in accordance with that obtained from transient charge extraction by linearly increasing voltage measurement. Sample impedance is measured over five decades of frequency across temperature range by using lock-in detection. This data is used to extract temperature dependence of carrier mobility (μ), and dc conductivity (σ_dc ) which is low frequency extrapolation of ac conductivity. An activation energy of  ˜126 meV for the carrier hopping process at the metal-semiconductor interface is estimated from temperature dependence of σ_dc . Above T g, μ levels off to a constant value, whereas σ_dc starts to decrease after a transition knee at T g that can be seen as a combined effect of changes in μ and N. All these observed changes across T g can be correlated to enhanced polymer motion above the glass transition.

Frequency-dependent learning achieved using semiconducting polymer/electrolyte composite cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, W. S.; Zeng, F.; Lu, S. H.; Liu, A.; Li, X. J.; Pan, F.

2015-10-01

Frequency-dependent learning has been achieved using semiconducting polymer/electrolyte composite cells. The cells composed of polymer/electrolyte double layers realized the conventional spike-rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP) learning model. These cells responded to depression upon low-frequency stimulation and to potentiation upon high-frequency stimulation and presented long-term memory. The transition threshold θm from depression to potentiation varied depending on the previous stimulations. A nanostructure resembling a bio-synapse in its transport passages was demonstrated and a random channel model was proposed to describe the ionic kinetics at the polymer/electrolyte interface during and after stimulations with various frequencies, accounting for the observed SRDP.Frequency-dependent learning has been achieved using semiconducting polymer/electrolyte composite cells. The cells composed of polymer/electrolyte double layers realized the conventional spike-rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP) learning model. These cells responded to depression upon low-frequency stimulation and to potentiation upon high-frequency stimulation and presented long-term memory. The transition threshold θm from depression to potentiation varied depending on the previous stimulations. A nanostructure resembling a bio-synapse in its transport passages was demonstrated and a random channel model was proposed to describe the ionic kinetics at the polymer/electrolyte interface during and after stimulations with various frequencies, accounting for the observed SRDP. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr02891d

Adaptive threshold determination for efficient channel sensing in cognitive radio network using mobile sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morshed, M. N.; Khatun, S.; Kamarudin, L. M.; Aljunid, S. A.; Ahmad, R. B.; Zakaria, A.; Fakir, M. M.

2017-03-01

Spectrum saturation problem is a major issue in wireless communication systems all over the world. Huge number of users is joining each day to the existing fixed band frequency but the bandwidth is not increasing. These requirements demand for efficient and intelligent use of spectrum. To solve this issue, the Cognitive Radio (CR) is the best choice. Spectrum sensing of a wireless heterogeneous network is a fundamental issue to detect the presence of primary users' signals in CR networks. In order to protect primary users (PUs) from harmful interference, the spectrum sensing scheme is required to perform well even in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environments. Meanwhile, the sensing period is usually required to be short enough so that secondary (unlicensed) users (SUs) can fully utilize the available spectrum. CR networks can be designed to manage the radio spectrum more efficiently by utilizing the spectrum holes in primary user's licensed frequency bands. In this paper, we have proposed an adaptive threshold detection method to detect presence of PU signal using free space path loss (FSPL) model in 2.4 GHz WLAN network. The model is designed for mobile sensors embedded in smartphones. The mobile sensors acts as SU while the existing WLAN network (channels) works as PU. The theoretical results show that the desired threshold range detection of mobile sensors mainly depends on the noise floor level of the location in consideration.

Fly Eye radar: detection through high scattered media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molchanov, Pavlo; Gorwara, Ashok

2017-05-01

Longer radio frequency waves better penetrating through high scattered media than millimeter waves, but imaging resolution limited by diffraction at longer wavelength. Same time frequency and amplitudes of diffracted waves (frequency domain measurement) provides information of object. Phase shift of diffracted waves (phase front in time domain) consists information about shape of object and can be applied for reconstruction of object shape or even image by recording of multi-frequency digital hologram. Spectrum signature or refracted waves allows identify the object content. Application of monopulse method with overlap closely spaced antenna patterns provides high accuracy measurement of amplitude, phase, and direction to signal source. Digitizing of received signals separately in each antenna relative to processor time provides phase/frequency independence. Fly eye non-scanning multi-frequency radar system provides simultaneous continuous observation of multiple targets and wide possibilities for stepped frequency, simultaneous frequency, chaotic frequency sweeping waveform (CFS), polarization modulation for reliable object detection. Proposed c-band fly eye radar demonstrated human detection through 40 cm concrete brick wall with human and wall material spectrum signatures and can be applied for through wall human detection, landmines, improvised explosive devices detection, underground or camouflaged object imaging.

Between-Frequency and Between-Ear Gap Detections and Their Relation to Perception of Stop Consonants.

PubMed

Mori, Shuji; Oyama, Kazuki; Kikuchi, Yousuke; Mitsudo, Takako; Hirose, Nobuyuki

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the hypothesis that between-channel gap detection, which includes between-frequency and between-ear gap detection, and perception of stop consonants, which is mediated by the length of voice-onset time (VOT), share common mechanisms, namely relative-timing operation in monitoring separate perceptual channels. The authors measured gap detection thresholds and identification functions of /ba/ and /pa/ along VOT in 49 native young adult Japanese listeners. There were three gap detection tasks. In the between-frequency task, the leading and trailing markers differed in terms of center frequency (Fc). The leading marker was a broadband noise of 10 to 20,000 Hz. The trailing marker was a 0.5-octave band-passed noise of 1000-, 2000-, 4000-, or 8000-Hz Fc. In the between-ear task, the two markers were spectrally identical but presented to separate ears. In the within-frequency task, the two spectrally identical markers were presented to the same ear. The /ba/-/pa/ identification functions were obtained in a task in which the listeners were presented synthesized speech stimuli of varying VOTs from 10 to 46 msec and asked to identify them as /ba/ or /pa/. The between-ear gap thresholds were significantly positively correlated with the between-frequency gap thresholds (except those obtained with the trailing marker of 4000-Hz Fc). The between-ear gap thresholds were not significantly correlated with the within-frequency gap thresholds, which were significantly correlated with all the between-frequency gap thresholds. The VOT boundaries and slopes of /ba/-/pa/ identification functions were not significantly correlated with any of these gap thresholds. There was a close relation between the between-ear and between-frequency gap detection, supporting the view that these two types of gap detection share common mechanisms of between-channel gap detection. However, there was no evidence for a relation between the perception of stop consonants and the between-frequency/ear gap detection in native Japanese speakers.

Discovery of Fast X-ray Oscillations During the 1998 Giant Flare from SGR 1900+14

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strohmayer, T.; Watts, A.

2005-01-01

We report the discovery of complex high frequency variability during the August 27, 1998 giant flare from SGR 1900+14 using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). We detect an approx. equals 84 Hz oscillation (QPO) during a 1 s interval beginning approximately 1 min after the initial hard spike. The amplitude is energy dependent, reaching a maximum of 26% (rms) for photons above 30 keV, and is not detected below 11 keV, with a 90% confidence upper limit of 14% (rms). Remarkably, additional QPOs are detected in the average power spectrum of data segments centered on the rotational phase at which the 84 Hz signal was detected. Two signals, at 53.5 and 155.1 Hz, are strongly detected, while a third feature at 28 Hz is found with lower significance. These QPOs are not detected at other rotational phases. The phenomenology seen in the SGR 1900+14 flare is similar to that of QPOs recently reported by Israel et al. (2005) from the December 27, 2004 flare from SGR 1806-20, suggesting they may have a common origin, perhaps torsional vibrations of the neutron star crust. Indeed, an association of the four frequencies (in increasing order) found in SGR 1900+14 with l = 2, 4, 7, and 13 toroidal modes appears plausible. We discuss our findings in the context of this model and show that if the stars have similar masses then the magnetic field in SGR 1806-20 must be about twice as large as in SGR 1900+14, broadly consistent with estimates from pulse timing.

Detection of Ultrasonic Stress Waves in Structures Using 3D Shaped Optic Fiber Based on a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer.

PubMed

Lan, Chengming; Zhou, Wensong; Xie, Yawen

2018-04-16

This work proposes a 3D shaped optic fiber sensor for ultrasonic stress waves detection based on the principle of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. This sensor can be used to receive acoustic emission signals in the passive damage detection methods and other types of ultrasonic signals propagating in the active damage detection methods, such as guided wave-based methods. The sensitivity of an ultrasonic fiber sensor based on the Mach–Zehnder interferometer mainly depends on the length of the sensing optical fiber; therefore, the proposed sensor achieves the maximum possible sensitivity by wrapping an optical fiber on a hollow cylinder with a base. The deformation of the optical fiber is produced by the displacement field of guided waves in the hollow cylinder. The sensor was first analyzed using the finite element method, which demonstrated its basic sensing capacity, and the simulation signals have the same characteristics in the frequency domain as the excitation signal. Subsequently, the primary investigations were conducted via a series of experiments. The sensor was used to detect guided wave signals excited by a piezoelectric wafer in an aluminum plate, and subsequently it was tested on a reinforced concrete beam, which produced acoustic emission signals via impact loading and crack extension when it was loaded to failure. The signals obtained from a piezoelectric acoustic emission sensor were used for comparison, and the results indicated that the proposed 3D fiber optic sensor can detect ultrasonic signals in the specific frequency response range.

Detection of Ultrasonic Stress Waves in Structures Using 3D Shaped Optic Fiber Based on a Mach–Zehnder Interferometer

PubMed Central

Xie, Yawen

2018-01-01

This work proposes a 3D shaped optic fiber sensor for ultrasonic stress waves detection based on the principle of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. This sensor can be used to receive acoustic emission signals in the passive damage detection methods and other types of ultrasonic signals propagating in the active damage detection methods, such as guided wave-based methods. The sensitivity of an ultrasonic fiber sensor based on the Mach–Zehnder interferometer mainly depends on the length of the sensing optical fiber; therefore, the proposed sensor achieves the maximum possible sensitivity by wrapping an optical fiber on a hollow cylinder with a base. The deformation of the optical fiber is produced by the displacement field of guided waves in the hollow cylinder. The sensor was first analyzed using the finite element method, which demonstrated its basic sensing capacity, and the simulation signals have the same characteristics in the frequency domain as the excitation signal. Subsequently, the primary investigations were conducted via a series of experiments. The sensor was used to detect guided wave signals excited by a piezoelectric wafer in an aluminum plate, and subsequently it was tested on a reinforced concrete beam, which produced acoustic emission signals via impact loading and crack extension when it was loaded to failure. The signals obtained from a piezoelectric acoustic emission sensor were used for comparison, and the results indicated that the proposed 3D fiber optic sensor can detect ultrasonic signals in the specific frequency response range. PMID:29659540

Adaptive shaping of cortical response selectivity in the vibrissa pathway

PubMed Central

Zheng, He J. V.; Wang, Qi

2015-01-01

One embodiment of context-dependent sensory processing is bottom-up adaptation, where persistent stimuli decrease neuronal firing rate over hundreds of milliseconds. Adaptation is not, however, simply the fatigue of the sensory pathway, but shapes the information flow and selectivity to stimulus features. Adaptation enhances spatial discriminability (distinguishing stimulus location) while degrading detectability (reporting presence of the stimulus), for both the ideal observer of the cortex and awake, behaving animals. However, how the dynamics of the adaptation shape the cortical response and this detection and discrimination tradeoff is unknown, as is to what degree this phenomenon occurs on a continuum as opposed to a switching of processing modes. Using voltage-sensitive dye imaging in anesthetized rats to capture the temporal and spatial characteristics of the cortical response to tactile inputs, we showed that the suppression of the cortical response, in both magnitude and spatial spread, is continuously modulated by the increasing amount of energy in the adapting stimulus, which is nonuniquely determined by its frequency and velocity. Single-trial ideal observer analysis demonstrated a tradeoff between detectability and spatial discriminability up to a moderate amount of adaptation, which corresponds to the frequency range in natural whisking. This was accompanied by a decrease in both detectability and discriminability with high-energy adaptation, which indicates a more complex coupling between detection and discrimination than a simple switching of modes. Taken together, the results suggest that adaptation operates on a continuum and modulates the tradeoff between detectability and discriminability that has implications for information processing in ethological contexts. PMID:25787959

Assessing the detection capability of a dense infrasound network in the southern Korean Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Che, Il-Young; Le Pichon, Alexis; Kim, Kwangsu; Shin, In-Cheol

2017-08-01

The Korea Infrasound Network (KIN) is a dense seismoacoustic array network consisting of eight small-aperture arrays with an average interarray spacing of ∼100 km. The processing of the KIN historical recordings over 10 yr in the 0.05-5 Hz frequency band shows that the dominant sources of signals are microbaroms and human activities. The number of detections correlates well with the seasonal and daily variability of the stratospheric wind dynamics. The quantification of the spatiotemporal variability of the KIN detection performance is simulated using a frequency-dependent semi-empirical propagation modelling technique. The average detection thresholds predicted for the region of interest by using both the KIN arrays and the International Monitoring System (IMS) infrasound station network at a given frequency of 1.6 Hz are estimated to be 5.6 and 10.0 Pa for two- and three-station coverage, respectively, which was about three times lower than the thresholds predicted by using only the IMS stations. The network performance is significantly enhanced from May to August, with detection thresholds being one order of magnitude lower than the rest of the year due to prevailing steady stratospheric winds. To validate the simulations, the amplitudes of ground-truth repeated surface mining explosions at an open-pit limestone mine were measured over a 19-month period. Focusing on the spatiotemporal variability of the stratospheric winds which control to first order where infrasound signals are expected to be detected, the predicted detectable signal amplitude at the mine and the detection capability at one KIN array located at a distance of 175 km are found to be in good agreement with the observations from the measurement campaign. The detection threshold in summer is ∼2 Pa and increases up to ∼300 Pa in winter. Compared with the low and stable thresholds in summer, the high temporal variability of the KIN performance is well predicted throughout the year. Simulations show that the performance of the global infrasound network of the IMS is significantly improved by adding KIN. This study shows the usefulness of dense regional networks to enhance detection capability in regions of interest in the context of future verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

The present status of high-T c superconducting terahertz emitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashiwagi, T.; Kubo, H.; Sakamoto, K.; Yuasa, T.; Tanabe, Y.; Watanabe, C.; Tanaka, T.; Komori, Y.; Ota, R.; Kuwano, G.; Nakamura, K.; Katsuragawa, T.; Tsujimoto, M.; Yamamoto, T.; Yoshizaki, R.; Minami, H.; Kadowaki, K.; Klemm, R. A.

2017-07-01

A terahertz (THz) wave emitter using the stack of intrinsic Josephson junctions present in the high-T c superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212) has been developed. By applying a dc voltage V across the stack, the ac-Josephson effect converts this to an ac-current that emits photons at the Josephson frequency proportional to V. The Bi2212 device also behaves as and electromagnetic (EM) cavity, so depending upon the shape of the Bi2212 crystal, when the Josephson frequency matches that of a cavity resonance, the emission power is enhanced. However, the EM radiation characteristics also strongly depend upon the effects of Joule self heating of the device. In order to alleviate this Joule heating problem, we fabricated three distinct stand-alone Bi2212 sandwich device shapes, each crystal being first covered with Au on its top and bottom, and then sandwiched between sapphire plates. From our comparative studies of the three devices, we obtained important clues that could help to increase the emission power up to ∼mW and the frequency range up to several THz, as necessary for many applications such as security screening, high speed communications, medical and biological sensing, and astronomical detection, etc.

Coherent-subspace array processing based on wavelet covariance: an application to broad-band, seismo-volcanic signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saccorotti, G.; Nisii, V.; Del Pezzo, E.

2008-07-01

Long-Period (LP) and Very-Long-Period (VLP) signals are the most characteristic seismic signature of volcano dynamics, and provide important information about the physical processes occurring in magmatic and hydrothermal systems. These events are usually characterized by sharp spectral peaks, which may span several frequency decades, by emergent onsets, and by a lack of clear S-wave arrivals. These two latter features make both signal detection and location a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a processing procedure based on Continuous Wavelet Transform of multichannel, broad-band data to simultaneously solve the signal detection and location problems. Our method consists of two steps. First, we apply a frequency-dependent threshold to the estimates of the array-averaged WCO in order to locate the time-frequency regions spanned by coherent arrivals. For these data, we then use the time-series of the complex wavelet coefficients for deriving the elements of the spatial Cross-Spectral Matrix. From the eigenstructure of this matrix, we eventually estimate the kinematic signals' parameters using the MUltiple SIgnal Characterization (MUSIC) algorithm. The whole procedure greatly facilitates the detection and location of weak, broad-band signals, in turn avoiding the time-frequency resolution trade-off and frequency leakage effects which affect conventional covariance estimates based upon Windowed Fourier Transform. The method is applied to explosion signals recorded at Stromboli volcano by either a short-period, small aperture antenna, or a large-aperture, broad-band network. The LP (0.2 < T < 2s) components of the explosive signals are analysed using data from the small-aperture array and under the plane-wave assumption. In this manner, we obtain a precise time- and frequency-localization of the directional properties for waves impinging at the array. We then extend the wavefield decomposition method using a spherical wave front model, and analyse the VLP components (T > 2s) of the explosion recordings from the broad-band network. Source locations obtained this way are fully compatible with those retrieved from application of more traditional (and computationally expensive) time-domain techniques, such as the Radial Semblance method.

Morphology effects on spin-dependent transport and recombination in polyfluorene thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Richards; van Schooten, K. J.; Malissa, H.; Joshi, G.; Jamali, S.; Lupton, J. M.; Boehme, C.

2016-12-01

We have studied the role of spin-dependent processes on conductivity in polyfluorene (PFO) thin films by preforming continuous wave (cw) electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) spectroscopy at temperatures between 10 K and room temperature using microwave frequencies between about 1 GHz and 20 GHz, as well as pulsed EDMR at the X band (10 GHz). Variable frequency EDMR allows us to establish the role of spin-orbit coupling in spin-dependent processes whereas pulsed EDMR allows for the observation of coherent spin motion effects. We used PFO for this study in order to allow for the investigation of the effects of microscopic morphological ordering since this material can adopt two distinct intrachain morphologies: an amorphous (glassy) phase, in which monomer units are twisted with respect to each other, and an ordered (β) phase, where all monomers lie within one plane. In thin films of organic light-emitting diodes, the appearance of a particular phase can be controlled by deposition parameters and solvent vapor annealing, and is verified by electroluminescence spectroscopy. Under bipolar charge-carrier injection conditions, we conducted multifrequency cw EDMR, electrically detected Rabi spin-beat experiments, and Hahn echo and inversion-recovery measurements. Coherent echo spectroscopy reveals electrically detected electron-spin-echo envelope modulation due to the coupling of the carrier spins to nearby nuclear spins. Our results demonstrate that, while conformational disorder can influence the observed EDMR signals, including the sign of the current changes on resonance as well as the magnitudes of local hyperfine fields and charge-carrier spin-orbit interactions, it does not qualitatively affect the nature of spin-dependent transitions in this material. In both morphologies, we observe the presence of at least two different spin-dependent recombination processes. At room temperature and 10 K, polaron-pair recombination through weakly spin-spin coupled intermediate charge-carrier pair states is dominant, while at low temperatures, additional signatures of spin-dependent charge transport through the interaction of polarons with triplet excitons are seen in the half-field resonance of a triplet spin-1 species. This additional contribution arises since triplet lifetimes are increased at lower temperatures. We tentatively conclude that spectral broadening induced by hyperfine coupling is slightly weaker in the more ordered β-phase than in the glassy phase since protons are more evenly spaced, whereas broadening effects due to spin-orbit coupling, which impacts the distribution of g -factors, appear to be somewhat more significant in the β-phase.

Sex-dependent alterations in resting-state cerebral blood flow, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and their coupling relationship in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Ma, Xiaomei; Wang, Di; Zhou, Yujing; Zhuo, Chuanjun; Qin, Wen; Zhu, Jiajia; Yu, Chunshui

2016-04-01

We aimed to investigate sex-dependent alterations in resting-state relative cerebral blood flow, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and relative cerebral blood flow-amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations coupling in patients with schizophrenia. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling imaging were performed to obtain resting-state amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and relative cerebral blood flow in 95 schizophrenia patients and 99 healthy controls. Sex differences in relative cerebral blood flow and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations were compared in both groups. Diagnostic group differences in relative cerebral blood flow, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and relative cerebral blood flow-amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations coupling were compared in male and female subjects, respectively. In both healthy controls and schizophrenia patients, the males had higher relative cerebral blood flow in anterior brain regions and lower relative cerebral blood flow in posterior brain regions than did the females. Compared with multiple regions exhibiting sex differences in relative cerebral blood flow, only the left middle frontal gyrus had a significant sex difference in amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations. In the females, schizophrenia patients exhibited increased relative cerebral blood flow and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the basal ganglia, thalamus and hippocampus and reduced relative cerebral blood flow and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the frontal, parietal and occipital regions compared with those of healthy controls. However, there were fewer brain regions with diagnostic group differences in the males than in the females. Brain regions with diagnostic group differences in relative cerebral blood flow and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations only partially overlapped. Only the female patients exhibited increased relative cerebral blood flow-amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations couplings compared with those of healthy females. The alterations in the relative cerebral blood flow and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in schizophrenia are sex-specific, which should be considered in future neuroimaging studies. The relative cerebral blood flow and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations have different sensitivity in detecting changes in neuronal activity in schizophrenia and can provide complementary information. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Amplitude modulation detection with concurrent frequency modulation.

PubMed

Nagaraj, Naveen K

2016-09-01

Human speech consists of concomitant temporal modulations in amplitude and frequency that are crucial for speech perception. In this study, amplitude modulation (AM) detection thresholds were measured for 550 and 5000 Hz carriers with and without concurrent frequency modulation (FM), at AM rates crucial for speech perception. Results indicate that adding 40 Hz FM interferes with AM detection, more so for 5000 Hz carrier and for frequency deviations exceeding the critical bandwidth of the carrier frequency. These findings suggest that future cochlear implant processors, encoding speech fine-structures may consider limiting the FM to narrow bandwidth and to low frequencies.

The impact of the microphone position on the frequency analysis of snoring sounds.

PubMed

Herzog, Michael; Kühnel, Thomas; Bremert, Thomas; Herzog, Beatrice; Hosemann, Werner; Kaftan, Holger

2009-08-01

Frequency analysis of snoring sounds has been reported as a diagnostic tool to differentiate between different sources of snoring. Several studies have been published presenting diverging results of the frequency analyses of snoring sounds. Depending on the position of the used microphones, the results of the frequency analysis of snoring sounds vary. The present study investigated the influence of different microphone positions on the outcome of the frequency analysis of snoring sounds. Nocturnal snoring was recorded simultaneously at six positions (air-coupled: 30 cm middle, 100 cm middle, 30 cm lateral to both sides of the patients' head; body contact: neck and parasternal) in five patients. The used microphones had a flat frequency response and a similar frequency range (10/40 Hz-18 kHz). Frequency analysis was performed by fast Fourier transformation and frequency bands as well as peak intensities (Peaks 1-5) were detected. Air-coupled microphones presented a wider frequency range (60 Hz-10 kHz) compared to contact microphones. The contact microphone at cervical position presented a cut off at frequencies above 300 Hz, whereas the contact microphone at parasternal position revealed a cut off above 100 Hz. On an exemplary base, the study demonstrates that frequencies above 1,000 Hz do appear in complex snoring patterns, and it is emphasised that high frequencies are imported for the interpretation of snoring sounds with respect to the identification of the source of snoring. Contact microphones might be used in screening devices, but for a natural analysis of snoring sounds the use of air-coupled microphones is indispensable.

Instantaneous frequency based newborn EEG seizure characterisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesbah, Mostefa; O'Toole, John M.; Colditz, Paul B.; Boashash, Boualem

2012-12-01

The electroencephalogram (EEG), used to noninvasively monitor brain activity, remains the most reliable tool in the diagnosis of neonatal seizures. Due to their nonstationary and multi-component nature, newborn EEG seizures are better represented in the joint time-frequency domain than in either the time domain or the frequency domain. Characterising newborn EEG seizure nonstationarities helps to better understand their time-varying nature and, therefore, allow developing efficient signal processing methods for both modelling and seizure detection and classification. In this article, we used the instantaneous frequency (IF) extracted from a time-frequency distribution to characterise newborn EEG seizures. We fitted four frequency modulated (FM) models to the extracted IFs, namely a linear FM, a piecewise-linear FM, a sinusoidal FM, and a hyperbolic FM. Using a database of 30-s EEG seizure epochs acquired from 35 newborns, we were able to show that, depending on EEG channel, the sinusoidal and piecewise-linear FM models best fitted 80-98% of seizure epochs. To further characterise the EEG seizures, we calculated the mean frequency and frequency span of the extracted IFs. We showed that in the majority of the cases (>95%), the mean frequency resides in the 0.6-3 Hz band with a frequency span of 0.2-1 Hz. In terms of the frequency of occurrence of the four seizure models, the statistical analysis showed that there is no significant difference( p = 0.332) between the two hemispheres. The results also indicate that there is no significant differences between the two hemispheres in terms of the mean frequency ( p = 0.186) and the frequency span ( p = 0.302).

High resolution subsurface imaging using resonance-enhanced detection in 2nd-harmonic KPFM.

PubMed

Cadena, Maria Jose; Reifenberger, Ronald G; Raman, Arvind

2018-06-28

Second harmonic Kelvin probe force microscopy is a robust mechanism for subsurface imaging at the nanoscale. Here we exploit resonance-enhanced detection as a way to boost the subsurface contrast with higher force sensitivity using lower bias voltages, in comparison to the traditional off-resonance case. In this mode, the second harmonic signal of the electrostatic force is acquired at one of the eigenmode frequencies of the microcantilever. As a result, high-resolution subsurface images are obtained in a variety of nanocomposites. To further understand the subsurface imaging detection upon electrostatic forces, we use a finite element model that approximates the geometry of the probe and sample. This allows the investigation of the contrast mechanism, the depth sensitivity and lateral resolution depending on tip-sample properties. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

New radio detections of early-type pre-main-sequence stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, Stephen L.; Brown, Alexander; Linsky, Jeffrey L.

1990-01-01

Results of VLA radio continuum observations of 13 early-type pre-main-sequence stars selected from the 1984 catalog of Finkenzeller and Mundt are presented. The stars HD 259431 and MWC 1080 were detected at 3.6 cm, while HD 200775 and TY CrA were detected at both 3.6 and 6 cm. The flux density of HD 200775 has a frequency dependence consistent with the behavior expected for free-free emission originating in a fully ionized wind. However, an observation in A configuration suggests that the source geometry may not be spherically symmetric. In contrast, the spectral index of TY CrA is negative with a flux behavior implying nonthermal emission. The physical mechanism responsible for the nonthermal emission has not yet been identified, although gyrosynchrotron and synchrotron processes cannot be ruled out.

Frequency hopping signal detection based on wavelet decomposition and Hilbert-Huang transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yang; Chen, Xihao; Zhu, Rui

2017-07-01

Frequency hopping (FH) signal is widely adopted by military communications as a kind of low probability interception signal. Therefore, it is very important to research the FH signal detection algorithm. The existing detection algorithm of FH signals based on the time-frequency analysis cannot satisfy the time and frequency resolution requirement at the same time due to the influence of window function. In order to solve this problem, an algorithm based on wavelet decomposition and Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) was proposed. The proposed algorithm removes the noise of the received signals by wavelet decomposition and detects the FH signals by Hilbert-Huang transform. Simulation results show the proposed algorithm takes into account both the time resolution and the frequency resolution. Correspondingly, the accuracy of FH signals detection can be improved.

Artificial sensory hairs based on the flow sensitive receptor hairs of crickets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dijkstra, M.; van Baar, J. J.; Wiegerink, R. J.; Lammerink, T. S. J.; de Boer, J. H.; Krijnen, G. J. M.

2005-07-01

This paper presents the modelling, design, fabrication and characterization of flow sensors based on the wind-receptor hairs of crickets. Cricket sensory hairs are highly sensitive to drag-forces exerted on the hair shaft. Artificial sensory hairs have been realized in SU-8 on suspended SixNy membranes. The movement of the membranes is detected capacitively. Capacitance versus voltage, frequency dependence and directional sensitivity measurements have been successfully carried out on fabricated sensor arrays, showing the viability of the concept.

Magnetic Fields Generated by Internal Ocean Seawater Motion

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

detection; Internal Waves; Boundary laver turbulence A’• S’N AC’ :Conrinue on re~erse ,f necessary and ,denbly by blo( k nurlbu.r) This thesis models...to a two- dimensional spectrum, and integrated over wavenumber from a minimum, k ~i, to infinity to give B,𔃼(W) . In the other, application of a...order of magnitude as ionospherically generated signals. The first k -dependence method yielded frequency responses that do not follow the 1/f 2

Small Fermi surfaces of PtSn4 and Pt3In7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yara, T.; Kakihana, M.; Nishimura, K.; Hedo, M.; Nakama, T.; Ōnuki, Y.; Harima, H.

2018-05-01

An extremely large magnetoresistance of PtSn4 has been recently observed and discussed from a viewpoint of de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations and theoretical small Fermi surfaces. We have studied precisely the Fermi surfaces by measuring angular dependences of dHvA frequencies and have also carried out the full potential LAPW band calculation. Furthermore, small Fermi surfaces have been detected in another Pt-based compound of Pt3In7 with the cubic structure.

Photodiodes for ten micrometer laser communication systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, S. C.

1972-01-01

The performance is discussed of 10-micron mercury-cadmiumtelluride and lead-tin-telluride photodiodes in laser heterodyne communication systems. The dependence of detector quantum efficiency, resistance, frequency response, and signal-to-noise ratio on temperature, bias, and local oscillator power are examined. Included in the discussion is an analysis of the feasibility of high temperature operation, and ability of the detector to dissipate power to a heat sink is explored. Some aspects of direct detection response are considered and figures showing flux levels from a blackbody presented.

Interferometric Quantum-Nondemolition Single-Photon Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kok, Peter; Lee, Hwang; Dowling, Jonathan

2007-01-01

Two interferometric quantum-nondemolition (QND) devices have been proposed: (1) a polarization-independent device and (2) a polarization-preserving device. The prolarization-independent device works on an input state of up to two photons, whereas the polarization-preserving device works on a superposition of vacuum and single- photon states. The overall function of the device would be to probabilistically generate a unique detector output only when its input electromagnetic mode was populated by a single photon, in which case its output mode would also be populated by a single photon. Like other QND devices, the proposed devices are potentially useful for a variety of applications, including such areas of NASA interest as quantum computing, quantum communication, detection of gravity waves, as well as pedagogical demonstrations of the quantum nature of light. Many protocols in quantum computation and quantum communication require the possibility of detecting a photon without destroying it. The only prior single- photon-detecting QND device is based on quantum electrodynamics in a resonant cavity and, as such, it depends on the photon frequency. Moreover, the prior device can distinguish only between one photon and no photon. The proposed interferometric QND devices would not depend on frequency and could distinguish between (a) one photon and (b) zero or two photons. The first proposed device is depicted schematically in Figure 1. The input electromagnetic mode would be a superposition of a zero-, a one-, and a two-photon quantum state. The overall function of the device would be to probabilistically generate a unique detector output only when its input electromagnetic mode was populated by a single photon, in which case its output mode also would be populated by a single photon.

Zebra pattern in decametric radio emission of Jupiter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panchenko, M.; Rošker, S.; Rucker, H. O.; Brazhenko, A.; Zarka, P.; Litvinenko, G.; Shaposhnikov, V. E.; Konovalenko, A. A.; Melnik, V.; Franzuzenko, A. V.; Schiemel, J.

2018-03-01

We report the systematic analysis of zebra-like fine spectral structures in decametric frequency range of Jovian radio emission. Observations were performed by the large ground-based radio telescope URAN-2 during three observation campaigns between, Sep., 2012, and May, 2015. In total, 51 zebra pattern (ZP) events were detected. These rare fine radio features are observed in frequency range from 12.5 to 29.7 MHz as quasi-harmonically related bands of enhanced brightness. ZPs are strongly polarized radio emission with a duration from 20 s to 290 s and flux densities 105-106 Jy (normalized to 1 AU), that is, 1-2 orders lower than for Io-decametric radio emission (DAM). Occurrence of the events does not depend on the position of Io satellite but is strongly controlled by the Jovian central meridian longitude (CML). ZPs are mainly detected in two active sectors of Jovian CMLs: 100∘ to 160∘ for Northern sources (right-handed polarized) and 300∘ and 60∘ (via 360∘) for the Southern sources (left-handed). The frequency interval between neighboring stripes is from 0.26 to 1.5 MHz and in most cases this interval increases with frequency. We discussed the double plasma resonance with electrons or ions as a possible source of the ZPs. The performed analysis of the observations allows us to conclude that the observed ZPs are a new type of narrow band spectral structures in the Jovian DAM.