30 CFR 57.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 57.7053 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held...

30 CFR 57.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 57.7053 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held...

30 CFR 57.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 57.7053 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held...

30 CFR 57.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 57.7053 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling-Surface and Underground § 57.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held...

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

30 CFR 57.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 57.12033 Section 57.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL... Surface and Underground § 57.12033 Hand-held electric tools. Hand-held electric tools shall not be...

30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

30 CFR 56.7053 - Moving hand-held drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Moving hand-held drills. 56.7053 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Drilling and Rotary Jet Piercing Drilling § 56.7053 Moving hand-held drills. Before hand-held drills are moved from one...

Hand-held radiometry: A set of notes developed for use at the Workshop of Hand-held radiometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, R. D.; Pinter, P. J., Jr.; Reginato, R. J.; Idso, S. B. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

A set of notes was developed to aid the beginner in hand-held radiometry. The electromagnetic spectrum is reviewed, and pertinent terms are defined. View areas of multiband radiometers are developed to show the areas of coincidence of adjacent bands. The amounts of plant cover seen by radiometers having different fields of view are described. Vegetation indices are derived and discussed. Response functions of several radiometers are shown and applied to spectrometer data taken over 12 wheat plots, to provide a comparison of instruments and bands within and among instruments. The calculation of solar time is reviewed and applied to the calculation of the local time of LANDSAT satellite overpasses for any particular location in the Northern Hemisphere. The use and misuse of hand-held infrared thermometers are discussed, and a procedure for photographic determination of plant cover is described. Some suggestions are offered concerning procedures to be followed when collecting hand-held spectral and thermal data. A list of references pertinent to hand-held radiometry is included.

Choosing a Hand-Held Inventory Device

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Lois; Hughes, Janet; Neff, Verne; Notartomas, Trish

2008-01-01

In spring of 2006, a task force was charged to look at the feasibility of acquiring hand-held inventory devices for the Pennsylvania State University Libraries (PSUL). The task force's charge was not to look at the whole concept of doing an inventory, but rather to focus on the feasibility of acquiring hand-held devices to use in an inventory.…

Practical applications of hand-held computers in dermatology.

PubMed

Goldblum, Orin M

2002-09-01

For physicians, hand-held computers are gaining popularity as point of care reference tools. The convergence of hand-held computers, the Internet, and wireless networks will enable these devices to assume more essential roles as mobile transmitters and receivers of digital medical Information. In addition to serving as portable medical reference sources, these devices can be Internet-enabled, allowing them to communicate over wireless wide and local area networks. With enhanced wireless connectivity, hand-held computers can be used at the point of patient care for charge capture, electronic prescribing, laboratory test ordering, laboratory result retrieval, web access, e-mail communication, and other clinical and administrative tasks. Physicians In virtually every medical specialty have begun using these devices in various ways. This review of hand-held computer use in dermatology illustrates practical examples of the many different ways hand-held computers can be effectively used by the practicing dermatologist.

Hand-held optical imager (Gen-2): improved instrumentation and target detectability

PubMed Central

Gonzalez, Jean; DeCerce, Joseph; Erickson, Sarah J.; Martinez, Sergio L.; Nunez, Annie; Roman, Manuela; Traub, Barbara; Flores, Cecilia A.; Roberts, Seigbeh M.; Hernandez, Estrella; Aguirre, Wenceslao; Kiszonas, Richard

2012-01-01

Abstract. Hand-held optical imagers are developed by various researchers towards reflectance-based spectroscopic imaging of breast cancer. Recently, a Gen-1 handheld optical imager was developed with capabilities to perform two-dimensional (2-D) spectroscopic as well as three-dimensional (3-D) tomographic imaging studies. However, the imager was bulky with poor surface contact (∼30%) along curved tissues, and limited sensitivity to detect targets consistently. Herein, a Gen-2 hand-held optical imager that overcame the above limitations of the Gen-1 imager has been developed and the instrumentation described. The Gen-2 hand-held imager is less bulky, portable, and has improved surface contact (∼86%) on curved tissues. Additionally, the forked probe head design is capable of simultaneous bilateral reflectance imaging of both breast tissues, and also transillumination imaging of a single breast tissue. Experimental studies were performed on tissue phantoms to demonstrate the improved sensitivity in detecting targets using the Gen-2 imager. The improved instrumentation of the Gen-2 imager allowed detection of targets independent of their location with respect to the illumination points, unlike in Gen-1 imager. The developed imager has potential for future clinical breast imaging with enhanced sensitivity, via both reflectance and transillumination imaging. PMID:23224163

30 CFR 56.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 56.14116 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 56.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

30 CFR 56.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 56.14116 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 56.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

30 CFR 56.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 56.14116 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 56.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

30 CFR 57.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 57.14116 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 57.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

30 CFR 56.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 56.14116 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 56.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

30 CFR 57.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 57.14116 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 57.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

30 CFR 57.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 57.14116 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 57.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

30 CFR 56.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 56.14116 Section 56... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 56.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

30 CFR 57.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 57.14116 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 57.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

30 CFR 57.14116 - Hand-held power tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hand-held power tools. 57.14116 Section 57... MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 57.14116 Hand-held power tools. (a) Power drills...

Gen-2 hand-held optical imager towards cancer imaging: reflectance and transillumination phantom studies.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Jean; Roman, Manuela; Hall, Michael; Godavarty, Anuradha

2012-01-01

Hand-held near-infrared (NIR) optical imagers are developed by various researchers towards non-invasive clinical breast imaging. Unlike these existing imagers that can perform only reflectance imaging, a generation-2 (Gen-2) hand-held optical imager has been recently developed to perform both reflectance and transillumination imaging. The unique forked design of the hand-held probe head(s) allows for reflectance imaging (as in ultrasound) and transillumination or compressed imaging (as in X-ray mammography). Phantom studies were performed to demonstrate two-dimensional (2D) target detection via reflectance and transillumination imaging at various target depths (1-5 cm deep) and using simultaneous multiple point illumination approach. It was observed that 0.45 cc targets were detected up to 5 cm deep during transillumination, but limited to 2.5 cm deep during reflectance imaging. Additionally, implementing appropriate data post-processing techniques along with a polynomial fitting approach, to plot 2D surface contours of the detected signal, yields distinct target detectability and localization. The ability of the gen-2 imager to perform both reflectance and transillumination imaging allows its direct comparison to ultrasound and X-ray mammography results, respectively, in future clinical breast imaging studies.

Automated Hand-Held UXO Detection, Classification & Discrimination Sensor

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

Bell, Thomas H.

2000-06-12

The research focused on procedures for target discrimination and classification using hand-held EMI sensors. The idea is to have a small, portable sensor that can be operated in a sweep or similar pattern in front of the operator, and that is capable of distinguishing between buried UXO and clutter on the spot. Curing Phase 1, we developed the processing techniques for distinguishing between buried UXO and clutter using the EM61-HH hand-held metal detector.

Intrinsic fluorescence based in-vivo detection of cervical precancer with hand held prototype device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meena, Bharat Lal; Raikwar, Akanksha; Pandey, Kiran; Agarwal, Asha; Pantola, Chayanika; Pradhan, Asima

2018-02-01

A prototype device (hand held probe) designed and fabricated in the lab has been tested for cervical precancer detection using intrinsic fluorescence. The intrinsic fluorescence gets strongly modulated by the interplay of scattering and absorption. This masks valuable biochemical information which is present in the intrinsic fluorescence. These distortion effects can be minimized by normalizing the polarized fluorescence spectra by the polarized elastic scattering spectra. The measurements have been made with a in-house fabricated device using a 405 nm diode laser and white light source respectively. 166 sites of different grades of cervical pre-cancer biopsy samples (CIN I and CIN II) (CIN: cervical intraepithelial neoplastic) have been discriminated from 29 sites of normal biopsy samples using principal component analysis (PCA) based linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The sensitivity and specificity for discrimination of normal samples from CIN I are found to be 99% and 96% respectively. Further the normal samples can be discriminated from CIN II samples with 96% sensitivity and 96% specificity. Based on these promising ex-vivo results an in-vivo study on patients has been initiated in the hospital. The hand held device built in-house shows promise as a useful tool for in vivo cervical precancer detection by polarized fluorescence. Preliminary in-vivo results on 10 patients indicate the efficacy of the hand held device for screening cervical precancers using intrinsic fluorescence.

Hand held phase-shifting diffraction Moire interferometer

DOEpatents

Deason, V.A.; Ward, M.B.

1994-09-20

An interferometer is described in which a coherent beam of light is generated within a remote case and transmitted to a hand held unit tethered to said remote case, said hand held unit having optical elements for directing a pair of mutually coherent collimated laser beams at a diffraction grating. Data from the secondary or diffracted beams are then transmitted to a separate video and data acquisition system for recording and analysis for load induced deformation or for identification purposes. Means are also provided for shifting the phase of one incident beam relative to the other incident beam and being controlled from within said remote case. 4 figs.

Hand held phase-shifting diffraction moire interferometer

DOEpatents

Deason, Vance A.; Ward, Michael B.

1994-01-01

An interferometer in which a coherent beam of light is generated within a remote case and transmitted to a hand held unit tethered to said remote case, said hand held unit having optical elements for directing a pair of mutually coherent collimated laser beams at a diffraction grating. Data from the secondary or diffracted beams are then transmitted to a separate video and data acquisition system for recording and analysis for load induced deformation or for identification purposes. Means are also provided for shifting the phase of one incident beam relative to the other incident beam and being controlled from within said remote case.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2007-01-01

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

Driver hand-held cellular phone use: a four-year analysis.

PubMed

Eby, David W; Vivoda, Jonathon M; St Louis, Renée M

2006-01-01

The use of hand-held cellular (mobile) phones while driving has stirred more debate, passion, and research than perhaps any other traffic safety issue in the past several years. There is ample research showing that the use of either hand-held or hands-free cellular phones can lead to unsafe driving patterns. Whether or not these performance deficits increase the risk of crash is difficult to establish, but recent studies are beginning to suggest that cellular phone use elevates crash risk. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in the rate of hand-held cellular phone use by motor-vehicle drivers on a statewide level in Michigan. This study presents the results of 13 statewide surveys of cellular phone use over a 4-year period. Hand-held cellular phone use data were collected through direct observation while vehicles were stopped at intersections and freeway exit ramps. Data were weighted to be representative of all drivers traveling during daylight hours in Michigan. The study found that driver hand-held cellular phone use has more than doubled between 2001 and 2005, from 2.7% to 5.8%. This change represents an average increase of 0.78 percentage points per year. The 5.8% use rate observed in 2005 means that at any given daylight hour, around 36,550 drivers were conversing on cellular phones while driving on Michigan roadways. The trend line fitted to these data predicts that by the year 2010, driver hand-held cellular phone use will be around 8.6%, or 55,000 drivers at any given daylight hour. These results make it clear that cellular phone use while driving will continue to be an important traffic safety issue, and highlight the importance of continued attempts to generate new ways of alleviating this potential hazard.

Simultaneous hand-held contact color fundus and SD-OCT imaging for pediatric retinal diseases (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruggeri, Marco; Hernandez, Victor; De Freitas, Carolina; Relhan, Nidhi; Silgado, Juan; Manns, Fabrice; Parel, Jean-Marie

2016-03-01

Hand-held wide-field contact color fundus photography is currently the standard method to acquire diagnostic images of children during examination under anesthesia and in the neonatal intensive care unit. The recent development of portable non-contact hand-held OCT retinal imaging systems has proved that OCT is of tremendous help to complement fundus photography in the management of pediatric patients. Currently, there is no commercial or research system that combines color wide-field digital fundus and OCT imaging in a contact-fashion. The contact of the probe with the cornea has the advantages of reducing motion experienced by the photographer during the imaging and providing fundus and OCT images with wider field of view that includes the periphery of the retina. In this study we produce proof of concept for a contact-type hand-held unit for simultaneous color fundus and OCT live view of the retina of pediatric patients. The front piece of the hand-held unit consists of a contact ophthalmoscopy lens integrating a circular light guide that was recovered from a digital fundus camera for pediatric imaging. The custom-made rear piece consists of the optics to: 1) fold the visible aerial image of the fundus generated by the ophthalmoscopy lens on a miniaturized level board digital color camera; 2) conjugate the eye pupil to the galvanometric scanning mirrors of an OCT delivery system. Wide-field color fundus and OCT images were simultaneously obtained in an eye model and sequentially obtained on the eye of a conscious 25 year-old human subject with healthy retina.

Gamma-Ray Pulsar Light Curves as Probes of Magnetospheric Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harding, A. K.

2016-01-01

The large number of gamma-ray pulsars discovered by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope since its launch in 2008 dwarfs the handful that were previously known. The variety of observed light curves makes possible a tomography of both the ensemble-averaged field structure and the high-energy emission regions of a pulsar magnetosphere. Fitting the gamma-ray pulsar light curves with model magnetospheres and emission models has revealed that most of the high-energy emission, and the particles acceleration, takes place near or beyond the light cylinder, near the current sheet. As pulsar magnetosphere models become more sophisticated, it is possible to probe magnetic field structure and emission that are self-consistently determined. Light curve modeling will continue to be a powerful tool for constraining the pulsar magnetosphere physics.

Vibration and impulsivity analysis of hand held olive beaters.

PubMed

Deboli, Roberto; Calvo, Angela; Preti, Christian

2016-07-01

To provide more effective evaluations of hand arm vibration syndromes caused by hand held olive beaters, this study focused on two aspects: the acceleration measured at the tool pole and the analysis of the impulsivity, using the crest factor. The signals were frequency weighted using the weighting curve Wh as described in the ISO 5349-1 standard. The same source signals were also filtered by the Wh-bl filter (ISO/TS 15694), because the weighting filter Wh (unlike the Wh-bl filter) could underestimate the effect of high frequency vibration on vibration-induced finger disorders. Ten (experienced) male operators used three beater models (battery powered) in the real olive harvesting condition. High vibration total values were obtained with values never lower than 20 m(-2). Concerning the crest factor, the values ranged from 5 to more than 22. This work demonstrated that the hand held olive beaters produced high impulsive loads comparable to the industry hand held tools. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Distributing Data from Desktop to Hand-Held Computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elmore, Jason L.

2005-01-01

A system of server and client software formats and redistributes data from commercially available desktop to commercially available hand-held computers via both wired and wireless networks. This software is an inexpensive means of enabling engineers and technicians to gain access to current sensor data while working in locations in which such data would otherwise be inaccessible. The sensor data are first gathered by a data-acquisition server computer, then transmitted via a wired network to a data-distribution computer that executes the server portion of the present software. Data in all sensor channels -- both raw sensor outputs in millivolt units and results of conversion to engineering units -- are made available for distribution. Selected subsets of the data are transmitted to each hand-held computer via the wired and then a wireless network. The selection of the subsets and the choice of the sequences and formats for displaying the data is made by means of a user interface generated by the client portion of the software. The data displayed on the screens of hand-held units can be updated at rates from 1 to

Development of Hand-Held Thermographic Inspection Technologies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

This study explored the application of hand-held thermographic cameras for the detection of subsurface delaminations in concrete bridges. The goal of the research was to provide maintenance and inspection personnel with an effective tool for detectin...

Development of hand-held thermographic inspection technologies.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

This study explored the application of hand-held thermographic cameras for the detection of subsurface delaminations in concrete : bridges. The goal of the research was to provide maintenance and inspection personnel with an effective tool for detect...

Attentionally splitting the mass distribution of hand-held rods.

PubMed

Burton, G; Turvey, M T

1991-08-01

Two experiments on the length-perception capabilities of effortful or dynamic touch differed only in terms of what the subject intended to perceive, while experimental conditions and apparatus were held constant. In each trial, a visually occluded rod was held as still as possible by the subject at an intermediate position. For two thirds of the trials, a weight was attached to the rod above or below the hand. In Experiment 1, in which the subject's task was to perceive the distance reachable with the portion of the rod forward of the hand, perceived extent was a function of the first moment of the mass distribution associated with the forward portion of the rod, and indifferent to the first moment of the entire rod. In Experiment 2, in which the task was to perceive the distance reachable with the entire rod if it was held at an end, the pattern of results was reversed. These results indicate the capability of selective sensitivity to different aspects of a hand-held object's mass distribution, without the possibility of differential exploration specific to these two tasks. Results are discussed in relation to possible roles of differential information, intention, and self-organization in the explanations of selective perceptual abilities.

Implications of Hand Held Electronic Games and Microcomputers for Informal Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kee, Daniel W.

The use of hand-held electronic devices and microcomputers in places of public access and in the home are discussed. First, the different activities supported by this technology are described, with emphasis on the commonality of game playing to both hand-held devices and microcomputers. The need for research to investigate the motivational…

Hand-held internet tablets for school-based data collection.

PubMed

Denny, Simon J; Milfont, Taciano L; Utter, Jennifer; Robinson, Elizabeth M; Ameratunga, Shanthi N; Merry, Sally N; Fleming, Theresa M; Watson, Peter D

2008-07-26

In the last 20 years, researchers have been using computer self-administered questionnaires to gather data on a wide range of adolescent health related behaviours. More recently, researchers collecting data in schools have started to use smaller hand-held computers for their ease of use and portability. The aim of this study is to describe a new technology with wi-fi enabled hand-held internet tablets and to compare adolescent preferences of laptop computers or hand-held internet tablets in administering a youth health and well-being questionnaire in a school setting. A total of 177 students took part in a pilot study of a national youth health and wellbeing survey. Students were randomly assigned to internet tablets or laptops at the start of the survey and were changed to the alternate mode of administration about half-way through the questionnaire. Students at the end of the questionnaire were asked which of the two modes of administration (1) they preferred, (2) was easier to use, (3) was more private and confidential, and (4) was easier to answer truthfully. Many students expressed no preference between laptop computers or internet tablets. However, among the students who expressed a preference between laptop computers or internet tablets, the majority of students found the internet tablets more private and confidential (p < 0.001) and easier to answer questions truthfully (p < 0.001) compared to laptop computers. This study demonstrates that using wi-fi enabled hand-held internet tablets is a feasible methodology for school-based surveys especially when asking about sensitive information.

Hand-held internet tablets for school-based data collection

PubMed Central

Denny, Simon J; Milfont, Taciano L; Utter, Jennifer; Robinson, Elizabeth M; Ameratunga, Shanthi N; Merry, Sally N; Fleming, Theresa M; Watson, Peter D

2008-01-01

Background In the last 20 years, researchers have been using computer self-administered questionnaires to gather data on a wide range of adolescent health related behaviours. More recently, researchers collecting data in schools have started to use smaller hand-held computers for their ease of use and portability. The aim of this study is to describe a new technology with wi-fi enabled hand-held internet tablets and to compare adolescent preferences of laptop computers or hand-held internet tablets in administering a youth health and well-being questionnaire in a school setting. Methods A total of 177 students took part in a pilot study of a national youth health and wellbeing survey. Students were randomly assigned to internet tablets or laptops at the start of the survey and were changed to the alternate mode of administration about half-way through the questionnaire. Students at the end of the questionnaire were asked which of the two modes of administration (1) they preferred, (2) was easier to use, (3) was more private and confidential, and (4) was easier to answer truthfully. Results Many students expressed no preference between laptop computers or internet tablets. However, among the students who expressed a preference between laptop computers or internet tablets, the majority of students found the internet tablets more private and confidential (p < 0.001) and easier to answer questions truthfully (p < 0.001) compared to laptop computers. Conclusion This study demonstrates that using wi-fi enabled hand-held internet tablets is a feasible methodology for school-based surveys especially when asking about sensitive information. PMID:18710505

The GSFC Mark-2 three band hand-held radiometer. [thematic mapper for ground truth data collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, C. J.; Jones, W. H.; Kley, W. A.; Sundstrom, G. J.

1980-01-01

A self-contained, portable, hand-radiometer designed for field usage was constructed and tested. The device, consisting of a hand-held probe containing three sensors and a strap supported electronic module, weighs 4 1/2 kilograms. It is powered by flashlight and transistor radio batteries, utilizes two silicon and one lead sulfide detectors, has three liquid crystal displays, sample and hold radiometric sampling, and its spectral configuration corresponds to LANDSAT-D's thematic mapper bands. The device was designed to support thematic mapper ground-truth data collection efforts and to facilitate 'in situ' ground-based remote sensing studies of natural materials. Prototype instruments were extensively tested under laboratory and field conditions with excellent results.

Computer implemented method, and apparatus for controlling a hand-held tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, Kenneth William (Inventor); Taylor, James Clayton (Inventor)

1999-01-01

The invention described here in is a computer-implemented method and apparatus for controlling a hand-held tool. In particular, the control of a hand held tool is for the purpose of controlling the speed of a fastener interface mechanism and the torque applied to fasteners by the fastener interface mechanism of the hand-held tool and monitoring the operating parameters of the tool. The control is embodied in intool software embedded on a processor within the tool which also communicates with remote software. An operator can run the tool, or through the interaction of both software, operate the tool from a remote location, analyze data from a performance history recorded by the tool, and select various torque and speed parameters for each fastener.

SHIELDING AND DETECTOR RESPONSE CALCULATIONS PERTAINING TO CATEGORY 1 QUANTITIES OF PLUTONIUM AND HAND-HELD PLASTIC SCINTILLATORS

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

Couture, A.

2013-06-07

Nuclear facilities sometimes use hand-held plastic scintillator detectors to detect attempts to divert special nuclear material in situations where portal monitors are impractical. MCNP calculations have been performed to determine the neutron and gamma radiation field arising from a Category I quantity of weapons-grade plutonium in various shielding configurations. The shields considered were composed of combinations of lead and high-density polyethylene such that the mass of the plutonium plus shield was 22.7 kilograms. Monte-Carlo techniques were also used to determine the detector response to each of the shielding configurations. The detector response calculations were verified using field measurements of high-,more » medium-, and low- energy gamma-ray sources as well as a Cf-252 neutron source.« less

Engineering issues for hand-held sensing devices, with examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freiwald, David A.; Freiwald, Joyce

1994-03-01

It is now U.S. defense policy that there will be no new platform starts. The emphasis for platforms will be on O&M cost reduction, life-extension improvements, and force-multiplier- device upgrades. There is also an increasing emphasis on hand-held force-multiplier devices for individuals, which is the focus of this paper. Engineering issues include operations analysis, weight, cube, cost, prime power, ease of use, data storage, reliability, fault tolerance, data communications and human factors. Two examples of hand-held devices are given. Applications include USMC, Army, SOCOM, DEA, FBI, SS, Border Patrol and others. Barriers to adoption of such technology are also discussed.

Epilepsy Forewarning Using A Hand-Held Device

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

Hively, LM

2005-02-21

Over the last decade, ORNL has developed and patented a novel approach for forewarning of a large variety of machine and biomedical events. The present implementation uses desktop computers to analyze archival data. This report describes the next logical step in this effort, namely use of a hand-held device for the analysis.

Hand-held Calculators: Past, Present, and Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Max; And Others

1977-01-01

Recommendations of several publications with regard to the use of hand-held calculators in the mathematics curriculum are presented. Relevant portions of the NACOME and Euclid Conference reports are cited as well as a report to NSF and recommendations from an NIE/NSF conference. Recommendations support expanded use of, and research concerning,…

Hand-held photomicroscope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zabower, H. R. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

A small, lightweight, compact, hand-held photomicroscope provides simultaneous viewing and photographing, with adjustable specimen illumination and exchangeable camera format. The novel photomicroscope comprises a main housing having a top plate, bottom plate, and side walls. The objective lens is mounted on the top plate in an inverted manner relative to the normal type of mounting. The specimen holder has an adjusting mechanism for adjustably moving the specimen vertically along an axis extending through the objective lens as well as transverse of the axis. The lens system serves to split the beam of light into two paths, one to the eyepiece and the other to a camera mounting. A light source is mounted on the top plate and directs light onto the specimen. A rheostat device is mounted on the top plate and coupled to the power supply for the light source so that the intensity of the light may be varied.

Hand-held computer operating system program for collection of resident experience data.

PubMed

Malan, T K; Haffner, W H; Armstrong, A Y; Satin, A J

2000-11-01

To describe a system for recording resident experience involving hand-held computers with the Palm Operating System (3 Com, Inc., Santa Clara, CA). Hand-held personal computers (PCs) are popular, easy to use, inexpensive, portable, and can share data among other operating systems. Residents in our program carry individual hand-held database computers to record Residency Review Committee (RRC) reportable patient encounters. Each resident's data is transferred to a single central relational database compatible with Microsoft Access (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA). Patient data entry and subsequent transfer to a central database is accomplished with commercially available software that requires minimal computer expertise to implement and maintain. The central database can then be used for statistical analysis or to create required RRC resident experience reports. As a result, the data collection and transfer process takes less time for residents and program director alike, than paper-based or central computer-based systems. The system of collecting resident encounter data using hand-held computers with the Palm Operating System is easy to use, relatively inexpensive, accurate, and secure. The user-friendly system provides prompt, complete, and accurate data, enhancing the education of residents while facilitating the job of the program director.

Sentinel node detection in early breast cancer with intraoperative portable gamma camera: UK experience.

PubMed

Ghosh, Debashis; Michalopoulos, Nikolaos V; Davidson, Timothy; Wickham, Fred; Williams, Norman R; Keshtgar, Mohammed R

2017-04-01

Access to nuclear medicine department for sentinel node imaging remains an issue in number of hospitals in the UK and many parts of the world. Sentinella ® is a portable imaging camera used intra-operatively to produce real time visual localisation of sentinel lymph nodes. Sentinella ® was tested in a controlled laboratory environment at our centre and we report our experience on the first use of this technology from UK. Moreover, preoperative scintigrams of the axilla were obtained in 144 patients undergoing sentinel node biopsy using conventional gamma camera. Sentinella ® scans were done intra-operatively to correlate with the pre-operative scintigram and to determine presence of any residual hot node after the axilla was deemed to be clear based on the silence of the hand held gamma probe. Sentinella ® detected significantly more nodes compared with CGC (p < 0.0001). Sentinella ® picked up extra nodes in 5/144 cases after the axilla was found silent using hand held gamma probe. In 2/144 cases, extra nodes detected by Sentinella ® confirmed presence of tumour cells that led to a complete axillary clearance. Sentinella ® is a reliable technique for intra-operative localisation of radioactive nodes. It provides increased nodal visualisation rates compared to static scintigram imaging and proves to be an important tool for harvesting all hot sentinel nodes. This portable gamma camera can definitely replace the use of conventional lymphoscintigrams saving time and money both for patients and the health system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 27441 - NIJ Evaluation of Hand-Held Cell Phone Detector Devices

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-10

... Hand-Held Cell Phone Detector Devices AGENCY: National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice...-held cell phone detector devices for participation in an evaluation by the NIJ Corrections Technology...-held cell phone detector devices for participation in an evaluation by the NIJ Corrections Technology...

A Cheap, Semiquantitative Hand-Held Conductivity Tester.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zawacky, Susan K. S.

1995-01-01

Describes a design for a hand-held conductivity tester powered by a 9V battery that gives semi-quantitative results for aqueous electrolyte solutions of concentrations ranging from 0.001 M to 0.1 M. The tester uses a bar-graph LED driven by an LM3914 integrated circuit to indicate the level of conductivity. A list of parts, procedures, and results…

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

30 CFR 56.12033 - Hand-held electric tools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hand-held electric tools. 56.12033 Section 56.12033 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56...

Promoting Physical Activity through Hand-Held Computer Technology

PubMed Central

King, Abby C.; Ahn, David K.; Oliveira, Brian M.; Atienza, Audie A.; Castro, Cynthia M.; Gardner, Christopher D.

2009-01-01

Background Efforts to achieve population-wide increases in walking and similar moderate-intensity physical activities potentially can be enhanced through relevant applications of state-of-the-art interactive communication technologies. Yet few systematic efforts to evaluate the efficacy of hand-held computers and similar devices for enhancing physical activity levels have occurred. The purpose of this first-generation study was to evaluate the efficacy of a hand-held computer (i.e., personal digital assistant [PDA]) for increasing moderate intensity or more vigorous (MOD+) physical activity levels over 8 weeks in mid-life and older adults relative to a standard information control arm. Design Randomized, controlled 8-week experiment. Data were collected in 2005 and analyzed in 2006-2007. Setting/Participants Community-based study of 37 healthy, initially underactive adults aged 50 years and older who were randomized and completed the 8-week study (intervention=19, control=18). Intervention Participants received an instructional session and a PDA programmed to monitor their physical activity levels twice per day and provide daily and weekly individualized feedback, goal setting, and support. Controls received standard, age-appropriate written physical activity educational materials. Main Outcome Measure Physical activity was assessed via the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire at baseline and 8 weeks. Results Relative to controls, intervention participants reported significantly greater 8-week mean estimated caloric expenditure levels and minutes per week in MOD+ activity (p<0.04). Satisfaction with the PDA was reasonably high in this largely PDA-naive sample. Conclusions Results from this first-generation study indicate that hand-held computers may be effective tools for increasing initial physical activity levels among underactive adults. PMID:18201644

Bone age maturity assessment using hand-held device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratib, Osman M.; Gilsanz, Vicente; Liu, Xiaodong; Boechat, M. I.

2004-04-01

Purpose: Assessment of bone maturity is traditionally performed through visual comparison of hand and wrist radiograph with existing reference images in textbooks. Our goal was to develop a digital index based on idealized hand Xray images that can be incorporated in a hand held computer and used for visual assessment of bone age for patients. Material and methods: Due to the large variability in bone maturation in normals, we generated a set of "ideal" images obtained by computer combinations of images from our normal reference data sets. Software for hand-held PDA devices was developed for easy navigation through the set of images and visual selection of matching images. A formula based on our statistical analysis provides the standard deviation from normal based on the chronological age of the patient. The accuracy of the program was compared to traditional interpretation by two radiologists in a double blind reading of 200 normal Caucasian children (100 boys, 100 girls). Results: Strong correlations were present between chronological age and bone age (r > 0.9) with no statistical difference between the digital and traditional assessment methods. Determinations of carpal bone maturity in adolescents was slightly more accurate using the digital system. The users did praise the convenience and effectiveness of the digital Palm Index in clinical practice. Conclusion: An idealized digital Palm Bone Age Index provides a convenient and effective alternative to conventional atlases for the assessment of skeletal maturity.

Revolutionizing (robot-assisted) laparoscopic gamma tracing using a drop-in gamma probe technology

PubMed Central

van Oosterom, Matthias N; Simon, Hervé; Mengus, Laurent; Welling, Mick M; van der Poel, Henk G; van den Berg, Nynke S; van Leeuwen, Fijs WB

2016-01-01

In complex (robot-assisted) laparoscopic radioguided surgery procedures, or when low activity lesions are located nearby a high activity background, the limited maneuverability of a laparoscopic gamma probe (LGP; 4 degrees of freedom (DOF)) may hinder lesion identification. We investigated a drop-in gamma probe (DIGP) technology to be inserted via a trocar, after which the laparoscopic surgical tool at hand can pick it up and maneuver it. Phantom experiments showed that distinguishing a low objective from a high background source (1:100 ratio) was only possible with the detector faced >90° from the high background source. Signal-low-objective-to-background ratios of 3.77, 2.01 and 1.84 were found for detector angles of 90°, 135° and 180°, respectively, whereas detector angles of 0° and 45° were unable to distinguish the sources. This underlines the critical role probe positioning plays. We then focused on engineering of the gripping part for optimal DIGP pick-up with a conventional laparoscopic forceps (4 DOF) or a robotic forceps (6 DOF). DIGPs with 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135° -grip orientations were designed, and their maneuverability- and scanning direction were evaluated and compared to a conventional LGP. The maneuverability- and scanning direction of the DIGP was found highest when using the robotic forceps, with the largest effective scanning direction range obtained with the 90° -grip design (0-180° versus 0-111°, 0-140°, and 37-180° for 0°, 45° and 135° -grip designs, respectively). For the laparoscopic forceps, the scan direction directly translated from the angle of the grip design with the advantage that the 135° -gripped DIGP could be faced backwards (not possible with the conventional LGP). In the ex vivo clinical setup, the surgeon rated DIGP pick-up most convenient for the 45°-grip design. Concluding, the DIGP technology was successfully introduced. Optimization of the grip design and grasping angle of the DIGP increased its utility

Feasibility of a wireless gamma probe in radioguided surgery.

PubMed

Park, Hye Min; Joo, Koan Sik

2016-06-21

Radioguided surgery through the use of a gamma probe is an established practice, and has been widely applied in the case of sentinel lymph node biopsies. A wide range of intraoperative gamma probes is commercially available. The primary characteristics of the gamma probes include their sensitivity, spatial resolution, and energy resolution. We present the results obtained from a prototype of a new wireless gamma probe. This prototype is composed of a 20 mm thick cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum gallium garnet (Ce:GAGG) inorganic scintillation crystal from Furukawa Denshi and a Hamamatsu S12572-100C multi-pixel photon counter equipped with a designed electronics. The measured performance characteristics include the energy resolution, energy linearity, angular aperture, spatial resolution and sensitivity. Measurements were carried out using (57)Co, (133)Ba, (22)Na, and (137)Cs sources. The energy resolutions for 0.122 and 0.511 MeV were 17.2% and 6.9%, respectively. The designed prototype consumes an energy of approximately 4.4 W, weighs about 310 g (including battery) having a dimension of 20 mm (D)  ×  130 mm (L).

Feasibility of a wireless gamma probe in radioguided surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Hye Min; Joo, Koan Sik

2016-06-01

Radioguided surgery through the use of a gamma probe is an established practice, and has been widely applied in the case of sentinel lymph node biopsies. A wide range of intraoperative gamma probes is commercially available. The primary characteristics of the gamma probes include their sensitivity, spatial resolution, and energy resolution. We present the results obtained from a prototype of a new wireless gamma probe. This prototype is composed of a 20 mm thick cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum gallium garnet (Ce:GAGG) inorganic scintillation crystal from Furukawa Denshi and a Hamamatsu S12572-100C multi-pixel photon counter equipped with a designed electronics. The measured performance characteristics include the energy resolution, energy linearity, angular aperture, spatial resolution and sensitivity. Measurements were carried out using 57Co, 133Ba, 22Na, and 137Cs sources. The energy resolutions for 0.122 and 0.511 MeV were 17.2% and 6.9%, respectively. The designed prototype consumes an energy of approximately 4.4 W, weighs about 310 g (including battery) having a dimension of 20 mm (D)  ×  130 mm (L).

The accuracy of a hand-held navigation system in total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Loh, Bryan; Chen, Jerry Yongqiang; Yew, Andy Khye Soon; Pang, Hee Nee; Tay, Darren Keng Jin; Chia, Shi-Lu; Lo, Ngai Nung; Yeo, Seng Jin

2017-03-01

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a new hand-held navigation system. The authors of this study hypothesize that this navigation system will improve overall lower limb alignment and implant placement without causing a delay in surgery. Two hundred consecutive patients diagnosed with tricompartmental osteoarthritis and underwent total knee arthroplasty by a senior surgeon were included in this study. One hundred patients underwent TKA using the hand-held navigation system, while the other 100 patients underwent TKA using the conventional technique. The primary outcomes of this study were the overall alignment of the lower limb and the position of the components. This was determined radiologically using the: (1) Hip-Knee-Ankle angle (HKA) for lower limb alignment; (2) Coronal Femoral-Component angle (CFA); and (3) Coronal Tibia-Component angle (CTA) for component position. Normal alignment was taken as 180° ± 3° for the HKA and 90° ± 3° for both the CFA and CTA. For the CFA, the proportion of outliers was 7 and 17% in the hand-held navigation and conventional group, respectively (p = 0.030). For the HKA and CTA, there was no difference in the proportion of outliers between the two groups. The duration of surgery was 73 ± 9 min and 87 ± 15 min in the hand-held navigation and conventional group, respectively (p < 0.001). This hand-held navigation system is an effective intraoperative tool for reducing the proportion of outliers for femoral implant placement as well as the duration of surgery. The authors conclude that it can be considered for use to check femoral implant placement intra-operatively. III.

Ultratrace detector for hand-held gas chromatography

DOEpatents

Andresen, Brian D.; Miller, Fred S.

1999-01-01

An ultratrace detector system for hand-held gas chromatography having high sensitivity, for example, to emissions generated during production of weapons, biological compounds, drugs, etc. The detector system is insensitive to water, air, helium, argon, oxygen, and C0.sub.2. The detector system is basically composed of a hand-held capillary gas chromatography (GC), an insulated heated redox-chamber, a detection chamber, and a vapor trap. For example, the detector system may use gas phase redox reactions and spectral absorption of mercury vapor. The gas chromatograph initially separates compounds that percolate through a bed of heated mercuric oxide (HgO) in a silica--or other metal--aerogel material which acts as an insulator. Compounds easily oxidized by HgO liberate atomic mercury that subsequently pass through a detection chamber which includes a detector cell, such as quartz, that is illuminated with a 254 nm ultra-violet (UV) mercury discharge lamp which generates the exact mercury absorption bands that are used to detect the liberated mercury atoms. Atomic mercury strongly absorbs 254 nm energy is therefore a specific signal for reducing compounds eluting from the capillary GC, whereafter the atomic mercury is trapped for example, in a silicon-aerogel trap.

Hand held data collection and monitoring system for nuclear facilities

DOEpatents

Brayton, D.D.; Scharold, P.G.; Thornton, M.W.; Marquez, D.L.

1999-01-26

Apparatus and method is disclosed for a data collection and monitoring system that utilizes a pen based hand held computer unit which has contained therein interaction software that allows the user to review maintenance procedures, collect data, compare data with historical trends and safety limits, and input new information at various collection sites. The system has a means to allow automatic transfer of the collected data to a main computer data base for further review, reporting, and distribution purposes and uploading updated collection and maintenance procedures. The hand held computer has a running to-do list so sample collection and other general tasks, such as housekeeping are automatically scheduled for timely completion. A done list helps users to keep track of all completed tasks. The built-in check list assures that work process will meet the applicable processes and procedures. Users can hand write comments or drawings with an electronic pen that allows the users to directly interface information on the screen. 15 figs.

Hand held data collection and monitoring system for nuclear facilities

DOEpatents

Brayton, Darryl D.; Scharold, Paul G.; Thornton, Michael W.; Marquez, Diana L.

1999-01-01

Apparatus and method is disclosed for a data collection and monitoring system that utilizes a pen based hand held computer unit which has contained therein interaction software that allows the user to review maintenance procedures, collect data, compare data with historical trends and safety limits, and input new information at various collection sites. The system has a means to allow automatic transfer of the collected data to a main computer data base for further review, reporting, and distribution purposes and uploading updated collection and maintenance procedures. The hand held computer has a running to-do list so sample collection and other general tasks, such as housekeeping are automatically scheduled for timely completion. A done list helps users to keep track of all completed tasks. The built-in check list assures that work process will meet the applicable processes and procedures. Users can hand write comments or drawings with an electronic pen that allows the users to directly interface information on the screen.

Hand-Held Ultrasonic Instrument for Reading Matrix Symbols

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schramm, Harry F.; Kula, John P.; Gurney, John W.; Lior, Ephraim D.

2008-01-01

A hand-held instrument that would include an ultrasonic camera has been proposed as an efficient means of reading matrix symbols. The proposed instrument could be operated without mechanical raster scanning. All electronic functions from excitation of ultrasonic pulses through final digital processing for decoding matrix symbols would be performed by dedicated circuitry within the single, compact instrument housing.

Validity of maximal isometric knee extension strength measurements obtained via belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry in healthy adults.

PubMed

Ushiyama, Naoko; Kurobe, Yasushi; Momose, Kimito

2017-11-01

[Purpose] To determine the validity of knee extension muscle strength measurements using belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry with and without body stabilization compared with the gold standard isokinetic dynamometry in healthy adults. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-nine healthy adults (mean age, 21.3 years) were included. Study parameters involved right side measurements of maximal isometric knee extension strength obtained using belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry with and without body stabilization and the gold standard. Measurements were performed in all subjects. [Results] A moderate correlation and fixed bias were found between measurements obtained using belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry with body stabilization and the gold standard. No significant correlation and proportional bias were found between measurements obtained using belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry without body stabilization and the gold standard. The strength identified using belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry with body stabilization may not be commensurate with the maximum strength individuals can generate; however, it reflects such strength. In contrast, the strength identified using belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry without body stabilization does not reflect the maximum strength. Therefore, a chair should be used to stabilize the body when performing measurements of maximal isometric knee extension strength using belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry in healthy adults. [Conclusion] Belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry with body stabilization is more convenient than the gold standard in clinical settings.

Hand-held radiometer red and photographic infrared spectral measurements of agricultural crops

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, C. J.; Fan, C. J.; Elgin, J. H., Jr.; Mcmurtrey, J. E., III

1978-01-01

Red and photographic infrared radiance data, collected under a variety of conditions at weekly intervals throughout the growing season using a hand-held radiometer, were used to monitor crop growth and development. The vegetation index transformation was used to effectively compensate for the different irradiational conditions encountered during the study period. These data, plotted against time, compared the different crops measured by comparing their green leaf biomass dynamics. This approach, based entirely upon spectral inputs, closely monitors crop growth and development and indicates the promise of ground-based hand-held radiometer measurements of crops.

US-ROK Action Sheet 34: Safeguards Application of a Hand-held Mechanically Cooled Germanium Spectrometer

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

Dreyer, J.; Burks, M.; Ham, Y.

2015-10-20

This report summarizes results of Action Sheet 34 - for the cooperative efforts on the field testing and evaluation of a high-resolution, hand-held, gamma-ray spectrometer, known as SPG (Spectroscopic Planar Germanium), for safeguards application such as short notice inspections, UF6 analysis, enrichment determination, and other potential applications. The Spectroscopic Planar Germanium (SPG) has been demonstrated IAEA Physical Inventory Verification (PIV) in South Korea. This field test was a success and the feedback provided by KINAC, IAEA, and national laboratory staff was used to direct efforts to improve the instrument this year. Key points in this report include measurement results frommore » PIV, analysis of spectra with commercially available Ortec U235 and PC-FRAM, and completion of tripod and tungsten collimator and integration of user feedback.« less

System design of a hand-held mobile robot for craniotomy.

PubMed

Kane, Gavin; Eggers, Georg; Boesecke, Robert; Raczkowsky, Jörg; Wörn, Heinz; Marmulla, Rüdiger; Mühling, Joachim

2009-01-01

This contribution reports the development and initial testing of a Mobile Robot System for Surgical Craniotomy, the Craniostar. A kinematic system based on a unicycle robot is analysed to provide local positioning through two spiked wheels gripping directly onto a patients skull. A control system based on a shared control system between both the Surgeon and Robot is employed in a hand-held design that is tested initially on plastic phantom and swine skulls. Results indicate that the system has substantially lower risk than present robotically assisted craniotomies, and despite being a hand-held mobile robot, the Craniostar is still capable of sub-millimetre accuracy in tracking along a trajectory and thus achieving an accurate transfer of pre-surgical plan to the operating room procedure, without the large impact of current medical robots based on modified industrial robots.

Gamma-ray blind beta particle probe

DOEpatents

Weisenberger, Andrew G.

2001-01-01

An intra-operative beta particle probe is provided by placing a suitable photomultiplier tube (PMT), micro channel plate (MCP) or other electron multiplier device within a vacuum housing equipped with: 1) an appropriate beta particle permeable window; and 2) electron detection circuitry. Beta particles emitted in the immediate vicinity of the probe window will be received by the electron multiplier device and amplified to produce a detectable signal. Such a device is useful as a gamma insensitive, intra-operative, beta particle probe in surgeries where the patient has been injected with a beta emitting radiopharmaceutical. The method of use of such a device is also described, as is a position sensitive such device.

Hand-held cell phone use while driving legislation and observed driver behavior among population sub-groups in the United States.

PubMed

Rudisill, Toni M; Zhu, Motao

2017-05-12

Cell phone use behaviors are known to vary across demographic sub-groups and geographic locations. This study examined whether universal hand-held calling while driving bans were associated with lower road-side observed hand-held cell phone conversations across drivers of different ages (16-24, 25-59, ≥60 years), sexes, races (White, African American, or other), ruralities (suburban, rural, or urban), and regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West). Data from the 2008-2013 National Occupant Protection Use Survey were merged with states' cell phone use while driving legislation. The exposure was presence of a universal hand-held cell phone ban at time of observation. Logistic regression was used to assess the odds of drivers having a hand-held cell phone conversation. Sub-groups differences were assessed using models with interaction terms. When universal hand-held cell phone bans were effective, hand-held cell phone conversations were lower across all driver demographic sub-groups and regions. Sub-group differences existed among the sexes (p-value, <0.0001) and regions (p-value, 0.0003). Compared to states without universal hand-held cell phone bans, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of a driver hand-held phone conversation was 0.34 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28, 0.41] for females versus 0.47 (CI 0.40, 0.55) for males and 0.31 (CI 0.25, 0.38) for drivers in Western states compared to 0.47 (CI 0.30, 0.72) in the Northeast and 0.50 (CI 0.38, 0.66) in the South. The presence of universal hand-held cell phone bans were associated lower hand-held cell phone conversations across all driver sub-groups and regions. Hand-held phone conversations were particularly lower among female drivers and those from Western states when these bans were in effect. Public health interventions concerning hand-held cell phone use while driving could reasonably target all drivers.

A Novel Hand-Held Optical Imager with Real-Time Coregistration Facilities Toward Diagnostic Mammography

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Journal Publications (1) S.J. Erickson, S.L. Martinez, J. Gonzalez, L. Caldera , and A. Godavarty. “Improved detection limits using a hand-held...Erickson, S. Martinez, J. Gonzalez, L. Caldera , and A. Godavarty. “Non- invasive Diagnostic Breast Imaging using a Hand-held Optical Imager...Proceedings of the 14th World Multi-Conference on Systems, Cybernetics and Informatics, 2010. (4) S.J. Erickson, S. Martinez, L. Caldera , and A

Spring wheat-leaf phytomass and yield estimates from airborne scanner and hand-held radiometer measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aase, J. K.; Siddoway, F. H.; Millard, J. P.

1984-01-01

An attempt has been made to relate hand-held radiometer measurements, and airborne multispectral scanner readings, with both different wheat stand densities and grain yield. Aircraft overflights were conducted during the tillering, stem extension and heading period stages of growth, while hand-held radiometer readings were taken throughout the growing season. The near-IR/red ratio was used in the analysis, which indicated that both the aircraft and the ground measurements made possible a differentiation and evaluation of wheat stand densities at an early enough growth stage to serve as the basis of management decisions. The aircraft data also corroborated the hand-held radiometer measurements with respect to yield prediction. Winterkill was readily evaluated.

Use of a hand-held meter for detecting subclinical ketosis in dairy cows.

PubMed

Voyvoda, Huseyin; Erdogan, Hasan

2010-12-01

The Optium Xceed is a new hand-held meter for determining blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and glucose in human medicine. The objective of this study was to compare BHBA and glucose results obtained using the hand-held meter with those results made with a laboratory method and to evaluate its usefulness as a cowside test in the diagnosis of subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy cows. Seventy-eight blood samples from clinically healthy Holstein cows between 5 and 60 days post-calving were analysed. BHBA and glucose values were significantly higher with the hand-held meter versus laboratory methods. Correlation coefficients (r) for BHBA and glucose with the Optium Xceed versus laboratory methods were 0.97 and 0.63, respectively. Based on Bland-Altman plot and Passing-Bablok regression, agreement between two methods was good for BHBA but the agreement for glucose was only fair. When SCK was defined as plasma BHBA levels ≥ 1200 μmol/L, the sensitivity and specificity of the hand-held meter ketone testing in determining SCK were 85% and 94%, respectively. Raising the threshold of the laboratory method to ≥ 1400 μmol/L, the sensitivity and specificity incremented to 0.90 and 0.98, respectively. In conclusion, the blood ketone-monitoring device can be used as a rapid and reliable diagnostic test to detect SCK under field conditions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combining heterogenous features for 3D hand-held object recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Xiong; Wang, Shuang; Li, Xiangyang; Jiang, Shuqiang

2014-10-01

Object recognition has wide applications in the area of human-machine interaction and multimedia retrieval. However, due to the problem of visual polysemous and concept polymorphism, it is still a great challenge to obtain reliable recognition result for the 2D images. Recently, with the emergence and easy availability of RGB-D equipment such as Kinect, this challenge could be relieved because the depth channel could bring more information. A very special and important case of object recognition is hand-held object recognition, as hand is a straight and natural way for both human-human interaction and human-machine interaction. In this paper, we study the problem of 3D object recognition by combining heterogenous features with different modalities and extraction techniques. For hand-craft feature, although it reserves the low-level information such as shape and color, it has shown weakness in representing hiconvolutionalgh-level semantic information compared with the automatic learned feature, especially deep feature. Deep feature has shown its great advantages in large scale dataset recognition but is not always robust to rotation or scale variance compared with hand-craft feature. In this paper, we propose a method to combine hand-craft point cloud features and deep learned features in RGB and depth channle. First, hand-held object segmentation is implemented by using depth cues and human skeleton information. Second, we combine the extracted hetegerogenous 3D features in different stages using linear concatenation and multiple kernel learning (MKL). Then a training model is used to recognize 3D handheld objects. Experimental results validate the effectiveness and gerneralization ability of the proposed method.

Hand-held digital books in radiology: convenient access to information.

PubMed

D'Alessandro, M P; Galvin, J R; Santer, D M; Erkonen, W E

1995-02-01

Radiologists need constant, convenient access to current information throughout the course of their daily work. Today most learning in radiology is obtained from the printed word in books, journals, and teaching files, supplemented by the spoken word in lectures and conferences. Although learning from printed material and lectures has been proved efficacious over time, these media share the disadvantage of not being conveniently available for reference during the course of daily work at the alternator or in the examination room when accurate and up-to-date information is needed the most. As a result, many important questions about patient care go unanswered. We have developed a technique--hand-held digital books--to lower this barrier to searching and retrieval. When radiologists have a digital library that can be carried with them, they will be able to incorporate current radiology information into their daily decision making. We describe a technique for creating hand-held digital books and their future use in radiology.

Development of dual sensor hand-held detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sezgin, Mehmet

2010-04-01

In this paper hand-held dual sensor detector development requirements are considered dedicated to buried object detection. Design characteristics of such a system are categorized and listed. Hardware and software structures, ergonomics, user interface, environmental and EMC/EMI tests to be applied and performance test issues are studied. Main properties of the developed system (SEZER) are presented, which contains Metal Detector (MD) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). The realized system has ergonomic structure and can detect both metallic and non-metallic buried objects. Moreover classification of target is possible if it was defined to the signal processing software in learning phase.

49 CFR 392.82 - Using a hand-held mobile telephone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Definitions. For the purpose of this section only, driving means operating a commercial motor vehicle on a... SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS DRIVING OF.... (a)(1) No driver shall use a hand-held mobile telephone while driving a CMV. (2) No motor carrier...

49 CFR 392.82 - Using a hand-held mobile telephone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Definitions. For the purpose of this section only, driving means operating a commercial motor vehicle on a... SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS DRIVING OF.... (a)(1) No driver shall use a hand-held mobile telephone while driving a CMV. (2) No motor carrier...

49 CFR 392.82 - Using a hand-held mobile telephone.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) Definitions. For the purpose of this section only, driving means operating a commercial motor vehicle on a... SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS DRIVING OF.... (a)(1) No driver shall use a hand-held mobile telephone while driving a CMV. (2) No motor carrier...

A hand-held EPR scanner for transcutaneous oximetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfson, Helen; Ahmad, Rizwan; Twig, Ygal; Blank, Aharon; Kuppusamy, Periannan

2015-03-01

Cutaneous (skin) oxygenation is an important prognostic factor for the treatment of chronic wounds, skin cancer, diabetes side effects, and limb amputation. Currently, there are no reliable methods for measuring this parameter. Oximetry, using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, is emerging as a potential tool for clinical oximetry, including cutaneous applications. The problem with EPR oximetry, however, is that the conventional EPR design requires the use of a large magnet that can generate homogeneous field across the sample, making it unattractive for clinical practice. We present a novel approach that makes use of a miniature permanent magnet, combined with a small microwave resonator, to enable the acquisition of EPR signals from paramagnetic species placed on the skin. The instrumentation consists of a hand-held, modular, cylindrical probehead with overall dimensions of 36-mm diameter and 24-mm height, with 150-g weight. The probehead includes a Halbach array of 16 pieces (4×4×8 mm3) of Sm-Co permanent magnet and a loop-gap resonator (2.24 GHz). Preliminary measurements using a Hahn-echo pulse sequence (800 echos in 20 ms) showed a signalto- noise ratio of ~70 compared to ~435 in a homogenous magnet under identical settings. Further work is in progress to improve the performance of the probehead and to optimize the hand-held system for clinical use

Online Responses towards Parental Rearing Styles Regarding Hand-Held Devices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geng, Gretchen; Disney, Leigh

2014-01-01

This article reviewed the literature on parental rearing styles and used responses from an online discussion forum to investigate people's opinions towards parental rearing styles and strategies when children use hand-held devices. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) was used as an analysis method via micro, meso and macro multi-level…

Performance of a new hand-held device for exhaled nitric oxide measurement in adults and children

PubMed Central

Alving, K; Janson, C; Nordvall, L

2006-01-01

Background Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) measurement has been shown to be a valuable tool in the management of patients with asthma. Up to now, most measurements have been done with stationary, chemiluminescence-based NO analysers, which are not suitable for the primary health care setting. A hand-held NO analyser which simplifies the measurement would be of value both in specialized and primary health care. In this study, the performance of a new electrochemical hand-held device for exhaled NO measurements (NIOX MINO) was compared with a standard stationary chemiluminescence unit (NIOX). Methods A total of 71 subjects (6–60 years; 36 males), both healthy controls and atopic patients with and without asthma were included. The mean of three approved exhalations (50 ml/s) in each device, and the first approved measurement in the hand-held device, were compared with regard to NO readings (Bland-Altman plots), measurement feasibility (success rate with 6 attempts) and repeatability (intrasubject SD). Results Success rate was high (≥ 84%) in both devices for both adults and children. The subjects represented a FENO range of 8–147 parts per billion (ppb). When comparing the mean of three measurements (n = 61), the median of the intrasubject difference in exhaled NO for the two devices was -1.2 ppb; thus generally the hand-held device gave slightly higher readings. The Bland-Altman plot shows that the 95% limits of agreement were -9.8 and 8.0 ppb. The intrasubject median difference between the NIOX and the first approved measurement in the NIOX MINO was -2.0 ppb, and limits of agreement were -13.2 and 10.2 ppb. The median repeatability for NIOX and NIOX MINO were 1.1 and 1.2 ppb, respectively. Conclusion The hand-held device (NIOX MINO) and the stationary system (NIOX) are in clinically acceptable agreement both when the mean of three measurements and the first approved measurement (NIOX MINO) is used. The hand-held device shows good repeatability, and it can be used

Performance of a new hand-held device for exhaled nitric oxide measurement in adults and children.

PubMed

Alving, K; Janson, C; Nordvall, L

2006-04-20

Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) measurement has been shown to be a valuable tool in the management of patients with asthma. Up to now, most measurements have been done with stationary, chemiluminescence-based NO analysers, which are not suitable for the primary health care setting. A hand-held NO analyser which simplifies the measurement would be of value both in specialized and primary health care. In this study, the performance of a new electrochemical hand-held device for exhaled NO measurements (NIOX MINO) was compared with a standard stationary chemiluminescence unit (NIOX). A total of 71 subjects (6-60 years; 36 males), both healthy controls and atopic patients with and without asthma were included. The mean of three approved exhalations (50 ml/s) in each device, and the first approved measurement in the hand-held device, were compared with regard to NO readings (Bland-Altman plots), measurement feasibility (success rate with 6 attempts) and repeatability (intrasubject SD). Success rate was high (> or = 84%) in both devices for both adults and children. The subjects represented a FENO range of 8-147 parts per billion (ppb). When comparing the mean of three measurements (n = 61), the median of the intrasubject difference in exhaled NO for the two devices was -1.2 ppb; thus generally the hand-held device gave slightly higher readings. The Bland-Altman plot shows that the 95% limits of agreement were -9.8 and 8.0 ppb. The intrasubject median difference between the NIOX and the first approved measurement in the NIOX MINO was -2.0 ppb, and limits of agreement were -13.2 and 10.2 ppb. The median repeatability for NIOX and NIOX MINO were 1.1 and 1.2 ppb, respectively. The hand-held device (NIOX MINO) and the stationary system (NIOX) are in clinically acceptable agreement both when the mean of three measurements and the first approved measurement (NIOX MINO) is used. The hand-held device shows good repeatability, and it can be used successfully on adults and most children

How to use hand-held computers to evaluate wood drying.

Treesearch

Howard N. Rosen; Darrell S. Martin

1985-01-01

Techniques have been developed to evaluate end generate wood drying curves with hand-held computers (3-5K memory). Predictions of time to dry to a specific moisture content, drying rates, and other characteristics of wood drying curves can be made. The paper describes the development of programs and illustrates their use.

The Weak Link HP-41C hand-held calculator program

Treesearch

Ross A. Phillips; Penn A. Peters; Gary D. Falk

1982-01-01

The Weak Link hand-held calculator program (HP-41C) quickly analyzes a system for logging production and costs. The production equations model conventional chain saw, skidder, loader, and tandemaxle truck operations in eastern mountain areas. Production of each function of the logging system may be determined so that the system may be balanced for minimum cost. The...

Evaluation of U.S. Commercial-Off-the-Shelf Hand-Held Assays to Detect Opiate Pain Reliever Compounds in Multiple Biofluids

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

EVALUATION OF U.S. COMMERCIAL-OFF-THE-SHELF HAND-HELD ASSAYS TO DETECT OPIATE PAIN RELIEVER COMPOUNDS IN...Commercial-Off-the-Shelf Hand-Held Assays to Detect Opiate Pain Reliever Compounds in Multiple Biofluids 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER R...study, we evaluated the potential for several U.S. commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hand-held assays (HHAs) to detect members of the opiate pain reliever

PET Probe-Guided Surgery in Patients with Breast Cancer: Proposal for a Methodological Approach.

PubMed

Orsaria, Paolo; Chiaravalloti, Agostino; Fiorentini, Alessandro; Pistolese, Chiara; Vanni, Gianluca; Granai, Alessandra Vittoria; Varvaras, Dimitrios; Danieli, Roberta; Schillaci, Orazio; Petrella, Giuseppe; Buonomo, Oreste Claudio

2017-01-02

Although it is valuable for detecting distant metastases, identifying recurrence, and evaluating responses to chemotherapy, the role of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) in assessing locoregional nodal status for initial staging of breast cancer has not yet been well-defined in clinical practice. In the current report, we describe a new PET probe-based clinical approach, with evaluation of the technical performance of a handheld high-energy gamma probe for intraoperative localization of breast carcinomas, and evaluation of lymph node metastases during radio-guided oncological surgery. Three patients underwent a PET/CT scan immediately prior to surgery following the standard clinical protocol. Intraoperatively, tumors were localized and resected with the assistance of a hand-held gamma probe. PET-guided assessment of the presence or absence of regional nodal spread of malignancy was compared with the reference standard of histopathological examination. In all three cases, perioperative 18 F-FDG PET/CT imaging and intraoperative gamma probe detection verified complete resection of the hypermetabolic lesions and demonstrated no additional suspicious occult disease. This innovative approach demonstrates great promise for providing real-time access to metabolic and morphological tumor information that may lead to an optimal disease-tailored approach. In carefully selected indications, a PET probe can be a useful adjunct in surgical practice, but further trials with a larger number of patients need to be performed to verify these findings. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Hands-Free Transcranial Color Doppler Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chin, Robert; Madala, Srihdar; Sattler, Graham

2012-01-01

Current transcranial color Doppler (TCD) transducer probes are bulky and difficult to move in tiny increments to search and optimize TCD signals. This invention provides miniature motions of a TCD transducer probe to optimize TCD signals. The mechanical probe uses a spherical bearing in guiding and locating the tilting crystal face. The lateral motion of the crystal face as it tilts across the full range of motion was achieved by minimizing the distance between the pivot location and the crystal face. The smallest commonly available metal spherical bearing was used with an outer diameter of 12 mm, a 3-mm tall retaining ring, and 5-mm overall height. Small geared motors were used that would provide sufficient power in a very compact package. After confirming the validity of the basic positioning concept, optimization design loops were completed to yield the final design. A parallel motor configuration was used to minimize the amount of space wasted inside the probe case while minimizing the overall case dimensions. The distance from the front edge of the crystal to the edge of the case was also minimized to allow positioning of the probe very close to the ear on the temporal lobe. The mechanical probe is able to achieve a +/-20deg tip and tilt with smooth repeatable action in a very compact package. The enclosed probe is about 7 cm long, 4 cm wide, and 1.8 cm tall. The device is compact, hands-free, and can be adjusted via an innovative touchscreen. Positioning of the probe to the head is performed via conventional transducer gels and pillows. This device is amendable to having advanced software, which could intelligently focus and optimize the TCD signal.

Prediction of essential oil content of oregano by hand-held and Fourier transform NIR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Camps, Cédric; Gérard, Marianne; Quennoz, Mélanie; Brabant, Cécile; Oberson, Carine; Simonnet, Xavier

2014-05-01

In the framework of a breeding programme, the analysis of hundreds of oregano samples to determine their essential oil content (EOC) is time-consuming and expensive in terms of labour. Therefore developing a new method that is rapid, accurate and less expensive to use would be an asset to breeders. The aim of the present study was to develop a method based on near-inrared (NIR) spectroscopy to determine the EOC of oregano dried powder. Two spectroscopic approaches were compared, the first using a hand-held NIR device and the second a Fourier transform (FT) NIR spectrometer. Hand-held NIR (1000-1800 nm) measurements and partial least squares regression allowed the determination of EOC with R² and SEP values of 0.58 and 0.81 mL per 100 g dry matter (DM) respectively. Measurements with FT-NIR (1000-2500 nm) allowed the determination of EOC with R² and SEP values of 0.91 and 0.68 mL per 100 g DM respectively. RPD, RER and RPIQ values for the model implemented with FT-NIR data were satisfactory for screening application, while those obtained with hand-held NIR data were below the level required to consider the model as enough accurate for screening application. The FT-NIR approach allowed the development of an accurate model for EOC prediction. Although the hand-held NIR approach is promising, it needs additional development before it can be used in practice. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Noise reduction techniques in the design of a pneumatic-driven hand held power tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, Christian M.

2005-09-01

Pneumatic-driven hand-held power tools generate noise in the workplace. Current legislation in Europe and the USA aims at protecting workers against noise exposure. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that employers create a hearing conservation program if the noise exposure exceeds 85 dB(A). In the European Community under the Directive 2003/10/EC, employers are required to provide hearing protection if the noise exposure within the working environment exceeds 80 dB(A) and must require hearing protection to be worn if the noise exposure exceeds 85 dB(A). This paper examines the sources of noise which contribute to the overall noise from a hand-held power tool. A test plan was developed to identify these individual sources of noise and to determine if structure-borne noise or airborne noise is the dominant source relative to the overall noise level. The measurements were performed per International Standards Organization (ISO) 15744. This paper will describe the methodology used to identify the noise sources and reduce the overall noise of a hand-held power tool.

Hand-Held Calculators in the Classroom: A Review of the Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkhurst, Scott

This report surveys many of the recent investigations on calculators and their use in mathematics education. The review notes that the widespread availability of hand-held calculators and their affordability has led to their consideration as a viable tool to aid in mathematics instruction. The studies reviewed suggest that many questions are still…

Hand held lasers, a hazard to aircraft: How do we address this?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barat, K.

2015-10-01

The availability of hand held lasers, commonly termed "laser pointers" is easy and wide spread, through commercial web sites and brick & mortar stores. The output of these hand held devices ranges from 1-5 milliWatts (mW) the legal laser pointer output limit, to 5000mW (5Watts). This is thousand times the maximum limit for pointers. Sadly the abuse of these devices is also wide spread. Over the last few years over 3000 aircraft are exposed to laser hits per year. While these aircraft exposures are of no danger to the aircraft frame but they can cause pilot distractions with the potential to cause a serve accident. The presentation will discuss the problem review visual effects, the regulatory response and how educators need to be aware of the problem and can take steps to educate students in the hope of having an effect.

Issues Arising on the Use of Hand-Held Calculators in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Ambrosio, Ubiratan

This paper notes three objections to the use of hand-held calculators in schools: they would (1) block reasoning, (2) make individuals machine-dependent, and (3) broaden the gap between developed and underdeveloped nations. Each is addressed, with specific examples used to refute them. The belief is strongly expressed that calculators can aid in…

A high resolution hand-held focused beam profiler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapata-Farfan, J.; Garduño-Mejía, J.; Rosete-Aguilar, M.; Ascanio, G.; Román-Moreno, C. J.

2017-05-01

The shape of a beam is important in any laser application and depending on the final implementation, there exists a preferred one which is defined by the irradiance distribution.1 The energy distribution (or laser beam profile) is an important parameter in a focused beam, for instance, in laser cut industry, where the beam shape determines the quality of the cut. In terms of alignment and focusing, the energy distribution also plays an important role since the system must be configured in order to reduce the aberration effects and achieve the highest intensity. Nowadays a beam profiler is used in both industry and research laboratories with the aim to characterize laser beams used in free-space communications, focusing and welding, among other systems. The purpose of the profile analyzers is to know the main parameters of the beam, to control its characteristics as uniformity, shape and beam size as a guide to align the focusing system. In this work is presented a high resolution hand-held and compact design of a beam profiler capable to measure at the focal plane, with covered range from 400 nm to 1000 nm. The detection is reached with a CMOS sensor sized in 3673.6 μm x 2738.4 μm which acquire a snap shot of the previously attenuated focused beam to avoid the sensor damage, the result is an image of beam intensity distribution, which is digitally processed with a RaspberryTMmodule gathering significant parameters such as beam waist, centroid, uniformity and also some aberrations. The profiler resolution is 1.4 μm and was probed and validated in three different focusing systems. The spot sizes measurements were compared with the Foucault knife-edge test.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening program using hand-held ultrasound in primary healthcare

PubMed Central

Kostov, Belchin; Navarro González, Marta; Cararach Salami, Daniel; Pérez Jiménez, Alfonso; Gilabert Solé, Rosa; Bru Saumell, Concepció; Donoso Bach, Lluís; Villalta Martí, Mireia; González-de Paz, Luis; Ruiz Riera, Rafael; Riambau Alonso, Vicenç; Acar-Denizli, Nihan; Farré Almacellas, Marta; Ramos-Casals, Manuel; Benavent Àreu, Jaume

2017-01-01

We determined the feasibility of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening program led by family physicians in public primary healthcare setting using hand-held ultrasound device. The potential study population was 11,214 men aged ≥ 60 years attended by three urban, public primary healthcare centers. Participants were recruited by randomly-selected telephone calls. Ultrasound examinations were performed by four trained family physicians with a hand-held ultrasound device (Vscan®). AAA observed were verified by confirmatory imaging using standard ultrasound or computed tomography. Cardiovascular risk factors were determined. The prevalence of AAA was computed as the sum of previously-known aneurysms, aneurysms detected by the screening program and model-based estimated undiagnosed aneurysms. We screened 1,010 men, with mean age of 71.3 (SD 6.9) years; 995 (98.5%) men had normal aortas and 15 (1.5%) had AAA on Vscan®. Eleven out of 14 AAA-cases (78.6%) had AAA on confirmatory imaging (one patient died). The total prevalence of AAA was 2.49% (95%CI 2.20 to 2.78). The median aortic diameter at diagnosis was 3.5 cm in screened patients and 4.7 cm (p<0.001) in patients in whom AAA was diagnosed incidentally. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified coronary heart disease (OR = 4.6, 95%CI 1.3 to 15.9) as the independent factor with the highest odds ratio. A screening program led by trained family physicians using hand-held ultrasound was a feasible, safe and reliable tool for the early detection of AAA. PMID:28453577

Library service delivery via hand-held computers--the right information at the point of care.

PubMed

Peterson, Mary

2004-03-01

Today's health and medical librarians are well aware of the move towards evidence-based clinical practice which has emerged during the past decade. Hand-in-hand with this trend is the need for health practitioners to have access to the best possible evidence to help them in their clinical decision making. Libraries have a key role in the provision of information to their clients, and this means keeping abreast, not only of the various information sources available, but also the means by which those sources may be used. This paper will examine the effects that the hand-held computer is having on the work practices of our clients-library users. It is hoped that the paper will give an insight into the various types of library material which are suitable for use with hand-held devices, and an understanding of their advantages and limitations.

Four dimensional hybrid ultrasound and optoacoustic imaging via passive element optical excitation in a hand-held probe

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

Fehm, Thomas Felix; Razansky, Daniel, E-mail: dr@tum.de; Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich

2014-10-27

Ultrasonography and optoacoustic imaging share powerful advantages related to the natural aptitude for real-time image rendering with high resolution, the hand-held operation, and lack of ionizing radiation. The two methods also possess very different yet highly complementary advantages of the mechanical and optical contrast in living tissues. Nonetheless, efficient integration of these modalities remains challenging owing to the fundamental differences in the underlying physical contrast, optimal signal acquisition, and image reconstruction approaches. We report on a method for hybrid acquisition and reconstruction of three-dimensional pulse-echo ultrasound and optoacoustic images in real time based on passive ultrasound generation with an opticalmore » absorber, thus avoiding the hardware complexity of active ultrasound generation. In this way, complete hybrid datasets are generated with a single laser interrogation pulse, resulting in simultaneous rendering of ultrasound and optoacoustic images at an unprecedented rate of 10 volumetric frames per second. Performance is subsequently showcased in phantom experiments and in-vivo measurements from a healthy human volunteer, confirming general clinical applicability of the method.« less

Four dimensional hybrid ultrasound and optoacoustic imaging via passive element optical excitation in a hand-held probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehm, Thomas Felix; Deán-Ben, Xosé Luís; Razansky, Daniel

2014-10-01

Ultrasonography and optoacoustic imaging share powerful advantages related to the natural aptitude for real-time image rendering with high resolution, the hand-held operation, and lack of ionizing radiation. The two methods also possess very different yet highly complementary advantages of the mechanical and optical contrast in living tissues. Nonetheless, efficient integration of these modalities remains challenging owing to the fundamental differences in the underlying physical contrast, optimal signal acquisition, and image reconstruction approaches. We report on a method for hybrid acquisition and reconstruction of three-dimensional pulse-echo ultrasound and optoacoustic images in real time based on passive ultrasound generation with an optical absorber, thus avoiding the hardware complexity of active ultrasound generation. In this way, complete hybrid datasets are generated with a single laser interrogation pulse, resulting in simultaneous rendering of ultrasound and optoacoustic images at an unprecedented rate of 10 volumetric frames per second. Performance is subsequently showcased in phantom experiments and in-vivo measurements from a healthy human volunteer, confirming general clinical applicability of the method.

Hand-held spectrophotometer design for textile fabrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Böcekçi, Veysel Gökhan; Yıldız, Kazım

2017-09-01

In this study, a hand-held spectrophotometer was designed by taking advantage of the developments in modern optoelectronic technology. Spectrophotometer devices are used to determine the color information from the optic properties of the materials. As an alternative to a desktop spectrophotometer device we have implemented, it is the first prototype, low cost and portable. The prototype model designed for the textile industry can detect the color tone of any fabric. The prototype model consists of optic sensor, processor, display floors. According to the color applied on the optic sensor, it produces special frequency information on its output at that color value. In Arduino type processor, the frequency information is evaluated by the program we have written and the color tone information between 0-255 ton is decided and displayed on the screen.

Balancing fast-rotating parts of hand-held machine drive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korotkov, V. S.; Sicora, E. A.; Nadeina, L. V.; Yongzheng, Wang

2018-03-01

The article considers the issues related to the balancing of fast rotating parts of the hand-held machine drive including a wave transmission with intermediate rolling elements, which is constructed on the basis of the single-phase collector motor with a useful power of 1 kW and a nominal rotation frequency of 15000 rpm. The forms of balancers and their location are chosen. The method of balancing is described. The scheme for determining of residual unbalance in two correction planes is presented. Measurement results are given in tables.

A hand-held electronic tongue based on fluorometry for taste assessment of tea.

PubMed

Chang, Kuang-Hua; Chen, Richie L C; Hsieh, Bo-Chuan; Chen, Po-Chung; Hsiao, Hsien-Yi; Nieh, Chi-Hua; Cheng, Tzong-Jih

2010-12-15

A hand-held electronic tongue was developed for determining taste levels of astringency and umami in tea infusions. The sensing principles are based on quenching the fluorescence of 3-aminophthalate by tannin, and the fluorogenic reaction of o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) with amino acids to determine astringency and umami levels, respectively. Both reactions were measured by a single fluorescence sensing system with same excitation and emission wavelengths (340/425 nm). This work describes in detail the design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a hand-held fluorometer with an ultra-violet light emitted diode (UVLED) and a photo-detector with a filter built-in. The dimension and the weight of proposed electronic tongue prototype are only 120×60×65 mm(3) and 150 g, respectively. The detection limits of this prototype for theanine and tannic acid were 0.2 μg/ml and 1 μg/ml, respectively. Correlation coefficients of this prototype compared with a commercial fluorescence instrument are both higher than 0.995 in determinations of tannin acid and theanine. Linear detection ranges of the hand-held fluorometer for tannic acid and theanine are 1-20 μg/ml and 0.2-10 μg/ml (CV<5%, n=3), respectively. A specified taste indicator for tea, defined as ratio of umami to astringency, was adopted here to effectively distinguish flavour quality of partially fermented Oolong teas. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative Geometrical Accuracy Investigations of Hand-Held 3d Scanning Systems - AN Update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kersten, T. P.; Lindstaedt, M.; Starosta, D.

2018-05-01

Hand-held 3D scanning systems are increasingly available on the market from several system manufacturers. These systems are deployed for 3D recording of objects with different size in diverse applications, such as industrial reverse engineering, and documentation of museum exhibits etc. Typical measurement distances range from 0.5 m to 4.5 m. Although they are often easy-to-use, the geometric performance of these systems, especially the precision and accuracy, are not well known to many users. First geometrical investigations of a variety of diverse hand-held 3D scanning systems were already carried out by the Photogrammetry & Laser Scanning Lab of the HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU Hamburg) in cooperation with two other universities in 2016. To obtain more information about the accuracy behaviour of the latest generation of hand-held 3D scanning systems, HCU Hamburg conducted further comparative geometrical investigations using structured light systems with speckle pattern (Artec Spider, Mantis Vision PocketScan 3D, Mantis Vision F5-SR, Mantis Vision F5-B, and Mantis Vision F6), and photogrammetric systems (Creaform HandySCAN 700 and Shining FreeScan X7). In the framework of these comparative investigations geometrically stable reference bodies were used. The appropriate reference data was acquired by measurements with two structured light projection systems (AICON smartSCAN and GOM ATOS I 2M). The comprehensive test results of the different test scenarios are presented and critically discussed in this contribution.

Gamma-Ray Imaging Probes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wild, Walter James

1988-12-01

External nuclear medicine diagnostic imaging of early primary and metastatic lung cancer tumors is difficult due to the poor sensitivity and resolution of existing gamma cameras. Nonimaging counting detectors used for internal tumor detection give ambiguous results because distant background variations are difficult to discriminate from neighboring tumor sites. This suggests that an internal imaging nuclear medicine probe, particularly an esophageal probe, may be advantageously used to detect small tumors because of the ability to discriminate against background variations and the capability to get close to sites neighboring the esophagus. The design, theory of operation, preliminary bench tests, characterization of noise behavior and optimization of such an imaging probe is the central theme of this work. The central concept lies in the representation of the aperture shell by a sequence of binary digits. This, coupled with the mode of operation which is data encoding within an axial slice of space, leads to the fundamental imaging equation in which the coding operation is conveniently described by a circulant matrix operator. The coding/decoding process is a classic coded-aperture problem, and various estimators to achieve decoding are discussed. Some estimators require a priori information about the object (or object class) being imaged; the only unbiased estimator that does not impose this requirement is the simple inverse-matrix operator. The effects of noise on the estimate (or reconstruction) is discussed for general noise models and various codes/decoding operators. The choice of an optimal aperture for detector count times of clinical relevance is examined using a statistical class-separability formalism.

Magnification concepts: The use of video-probe microscopy to stimulate excitement and hands-on discovery in the science classroom K-12

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

Henk, C.; Garner, J.; Wandersee, J.H.

1994-12-31

We acquired and loaned several durable, easy-to use, though expensive video-probe microscopes. This hand-held, automatically focusing instrument can be used by a five year old and provides instant, excellent, in-focus images up to 200X on a video screen visible to all students simultaneously. The teacher is thus freed from the technical and logistic considerations involved in conventional classroom microscopy. K-12 teachers preview our videotape on probe utilization. They assemble and demonstrate the unit in the presence of our personnel, then check out the probe for use in their own classrooms. Extremely enthusiastic students examine samples ranging from their own fingerprintsmore » and clothing (on TV!) to pond water, prepared microscope slides, and microscope polarizing light phenomena. Teachers report heightened interest in conventional microscope use once the {open_quotes}microscopy connection{close_quotes} has been made.« less

Impedance-controlled ultrasound probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbertson, Matthew W.; Anthony, Brian W.

2011-03-01

An actuated hand-held impedance-controlled ultrasound probe has been developed. The controller maintains a prescribed contact state (force and velocity) between the probe and a patient's body. The device will enhance the diagnostic capability of free-hand elastography and swept-force compound imaging, and also make it easier for a technician to acquire repeatable (i.e. directly comparable) images over time. The mechanical system consists of an ultrasound probe, ball-screw-driven linear actuator, and a force/torque sensor. The feedback controller commands the motor to rotate the ball-screw to translate the ultrasound probe in order to maintain a desired contact force. It was found that users of the device, with the control system engaged, maintain a constant contact force with 15 times less variation than without the controller engaged. The system was used to determine the elastic properties of soft tissue.

Hand-Held Devices Detect Explosives and Chemical Agents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

Ion Applications Inc., of West Palm Beach, Florida, partnered with Ames Research Center through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) agreements to develop a miniature version ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). While NASA was interested in the instrument for detecting chemicals during exploration of distant planets, moons, and comets, the company has incorporated the technology into a commercial hand-held IMS device for use by the military and other public safety organizations. Capable of detecting and identifying molecules with part-per-billion sensitivity, the technology now provides soldiers with portable explosives and chemical warfare agent detection. The device is also being adapted for detecting drugs and is employed in industrial processes such as semiconductor manufacturing.

Hand-held monitor of sympathetic nervous system using salivary amylase activity and its validation by driver fatigue assessment.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Masaki; Deguchi, Mitsuo; Wakasugi, Junichi; Ono, Shin; Takai, Noriyasu; Higashi, Tomoyuki; Mizuno, Yasufumi

2006-01-15

In order to realize a hand-held monitor of the sympathetic nervous system, we fabricated a completely automated analytical system for salivary amylase activity using a dry-chemistry system. This was made possible by the fabrication of a disposable test-strip equipped with built-in collecting and reagent papers and an automatic saliva transfer device. In order to cancel out the effects of variations in environmental temperature and pH of saliva, temperature- and pH-adjusted equations were experimentally determined, and each theoretical value was input into the memory of the hand-held monitor. Within a range of salivary amylase activity between 10 and 140 kU/l, the calibration curve for the hand-held monitor showed a coefficient with R(2)=0.97. Accordingly, it was demonstrated that the hand-held monitor enabled a user to automatically measure the salivary amylase activity with high accuracy with only 30 microl sample of saliva within a minute from collection to completion of the measurement. In order to make individual variations of salivary amylase activity negligible during driver fatigue assessment, a normalized equation was proposed. The normalized salivary amylase activity correlated with the mental and physical fatigue states. Thus, this study demonstrated that an excellent hand-held monitor with an algorithm for normalization of individuals' differences in salivary amylase activity, which could be easily and quickly used for evaluating the activity of the sympathetic nervous system at any time. Furthermore, it is suggested that the salivary amylase activity might be used as a better index for psychological research.

Integrating a Hand Held computer and Stethoscope into a Fetal Monitor

PubMed Central

Ahmad Soltani, Mitra

2009-01-01

This article presents procedures for modifying a hand held computer or personal digital assistant (PDA) into a versatile device functioning as an electronic stethoscope for fetal monitoring. Along with functioning as an electronic stethoscope, a PDA can provide a useful information source for a medical trainee. Feedback from medical students, residents and interns suggests the device is well accepted by medical trainees. PMID:20165517

Do hand-held calorimeters provide reliable and accurate estimates of resting metabolic rate?

PubMed

Van Loan, Marta D

2007-12-01

This paper provides an overview of a new technique for indirect calorimetry and the assessment of resting metabolic rate. Information from the research literature includes findings on the reliability and validity of a new hand-held indirect calorimeter as well as use in clinical and field settings. Research findings to date are of mixed results. The MedGem instrument has provided more consistent results when compared to the Douglas bag method of measuring metabolic rate. The BodyGem instrument has been shown to be less accurate when compared to standard metabolic carts. Furthermore, when the Body Gem has been used with clinical patients or with under nourished individuals the results have not been acceptable. Overall, there is not a large enough body of evidence to definitively support the use of these hand-held devices for assessment of metabolic rate in a wide variety of clinical or research environments.

Hand-Held Self-Maneuvering Unit to be used during EVA on Gemini 4

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-06-02

Hand-Held Self-Maneuvering Unit to be used during extravehicular activity (EVA) on Gemini 4 flight. It is an integral unit that contains its own high pressure metering valves and nozzles required to produce controlled thrust. A camera is mounted on the front of the unit.

Maintaining radiation exposures as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) for dental personnel operating portable hand-held x-ray equipment.

PubMed

McGiff, Thomas J; Danforth, Robert A; Herschaft, Edward E

2012-08-01

Clinical experience indicates that newly available portable hand-held x-ray units provide advantages compared to traditional fixed properly installed and operated x-ray units in dental radiography. However, concern that hand-held x-ray units produce higher operator doses than fixed x-ray units has caused regulatory agencies to mandate requirements for use of hand-held units that go beyond those recommended by the manufacturer and can discourage the use of this technology. To assess the need for additional requirements, a hand-held x-ray unit and a pair of manikins were used to measure the dose to a simulated operator under two conditions: exposures made according to the manufacturer's recommendations and exposures made according to manufacturer's recommendation except for the removal of the x-ray unit's protective backscatter shield. Dose to the simulated operator was determined using an array of personal dosimeters and a pair of pressurized ion chambers. The results indicate that the dose to an operator of this equipment will be less than 0.6 mSv y⁻¹ if the device is used according to the manufacturer's recommendations. This suggests that doses to properly trained operators of well-designed, hand-held dental x-ray units will be below 1.0 mSv y⁻¹ (2% of the annual occupational dose limit) even if additional no additional operational requirements are established by regulatory agencies. This level of annual dose is similar to those reported as typical dental personnel using fixed x-ray units and appears to satisfy the ALARA principal for this class of occupational exposures.

75 FR 27504 - Substantial Product Hazard List: Hand-Held Hair Dryers

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-17

...The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (``CPSIA''), authorizes the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (``Commission'') to specify, by rule, for any consumer product or class of consumer products, characteristics whose existence or absence shall be deemed a substantial product hazard under certain circumstances. In this document, the Commission is proposing a rule to determine that any hand-held hair dryer without integral immersion protection presents a substantial product hazard.

DataPlus™ - a revolutionary applications generator for DOS hand-held computers

Treesearch

David Dean; Linda Dean

2000-01-01

DataPlus allows the user to easily design data collection templates for DOS-based hand-held computers that mimic clipboard data sheets. The user designs and tests the application on the desktop PC and then transfers it to a DOS field computer. Other features include: error checking, missing data checks, and sensor input from RS-232 devices such as bar code wands,...

Driver hand-held mobile phone use and safety belt use.

PubMed

Eby, David W; Vivoda, Jonathon M

2003-11-01

The purposes of the study were to identify hand-held mobile phone use trends for Michigan and to compare safety belt use between users and nonusers. Mobile phone and safety belt use was investigated by a direct observation survey of drivers at intersections in Michigan. Data were weighted to calculate mobile phone use and safety belt use rates statewide. The study showed 2.7% of Michigan drivers were using a mobile phone at any given daylight time. Safety belt use of current mobile phone users was significantly lower than those not using mobile phones.

An efficient solid modeling system based on a hand-held 3D laser scan device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Hanwei; Xu, Jun; Xu, Chenxi; Pan, Ming

2014-12-01

The hand-held 3D laser scanner sold in the market is appealing for its port and convenient to use, but price is expensive. To develop such a system based cheap devices using the same principles as the commercial systems is impossible. In this paper, a simple hand-held 3D laser scanner is developed based on a volume reconstruction method using cheap devices. Unlike convenient laser scanner to collect point cloud of an object surface, the proposed method only scan few key profile curves on the surface. Planar section curve network can be generated from these profile curves to construct a volume model of the object. The details of design are presented, and illustrated by the example of a complex shaped object.

Survey reveals public open to ban on hand-held cell phone use and texting.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

A study performed by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics : (BTS) reveals that the public is open to a ban on : hand-held cell phone use while driving. The study is based : on data from 2009s Omnibus Household Survey (OHS), : which is administe...

Diolistic labeling of neuronal cultures and intact tissue using a hand-held gene gun

PubMed Central

O'Brien, John A; Lummis, Sarah CR

2009-01-01

Diolistic labeling is a highly efficient method for introducing dyes into cells using biolistic techniques. The use of lipophilic carbocyanine dyes, combined with particle-mediated biolistic delivery using a hand-held gene gun, allows non-toxic labeling of multiple cells in both living and fixed tissue. The technique is rapid (labeled cells can be visualized in minutes) and technically undemanding. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for diolistic labeling of cultured human embryonic kidney 293 cells and whole brain using a hand-held gene gun. There are four major steps: (i) coating gold microcarriers with one or more dyes; (ii) transferring the microcarriers into a cartridge to make a bullet; (iii) preparation of cells or intact tissue; and (iv) firing the microcarriers into cells or tissue. The method can be readily adapted to other cell types and tissues. This protocol can be completed in less than 1 h. PMID:17406443

Applying Hand-Held 3D Printing Technology to the Teaching of VSEPR Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dean, Natalie L.; Ewan, Corrina; McIndoe, J. Scott

2016-01-01

The use of hand-held 3D printing technology provides a unique and engaging approach to learning VSEPR theory by enabling students to draw three-dimensional depictions of different molecular geometries, giving them an appreciation of the shapes of the building blocks of complex molecular structures. Students are provided with 3D printing pens and…

A comprehensive overview of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology

PubMed Central

Povoski, Stephen P; Neff, Ryan L; Mojzisik, Cathy M; O'Malley, David M; Hinkle, George H; Hall, Nathan C; Murrey, Douglas A; Knopp, Michael V; Martin, Edward W

2009-01-01

The concept of radioguided surgery, which was first developed some 60 years ago, involves the use of a radiation detection probe system for the intraoperative detection of radionuclides. The use of gamma detection probe technology in radioguided surgery has tremendously expanded and has evolved into what is now considered an established discipline within the practice of surgery, revolutionizing the surgical management of many malignancies, including breast cancer, melanoma, and colorectal cancer, as well as the surgical management of parathyroid disease. The impact of radioguided surgery on the surgical management of cancer patients includes providing vital and real-time information to the surgeon regarding the location and extent of disease, as well as regarding the assessment of surgical resection margins. Additionally, it has allowed the surgeon to minimize the surgical invasiveness of many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, while still maintaining maximum benefit to the cancer patient. In the current review, we have attempted to comprehensively evaluate the history, technical aspects, and clinical applications of radioguided surgery using gamma detection probe technology. PMID:19173715

Planetary Geochemistry Techniques: Probing In-Situ with Neutron and Gamma Rays (PING) Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, A.; Bodnarik, J.; Burger, D.; Evans, L.; Floyd, S.; Lin, L.; McClanahan, T.; Nankung, M.; Nowicki, S.; Schweitzer, J.;

Smartphone based hand-held quantitative phase microscope using the transport of intensity equation method.

PubMed

Meng, Xin; Huang, Huachuan; Yan, Keding; Tian, Xiaolin; Yu, Wei; Cui, Haoyang; Kong, Yan; Xue, Liang; Liu, Cheng; Wang, Shouyu

2016-12-20

In order to realize high contrast imaging with portable devices for potential mobile healthcare, we demonstrate a hand-held smartphone based quantitative phase microscope using the transport of intensity equation method. With a cost-effective illumination source and compact microscope system, multi-focal images of samples can be captured by the smartphone's camera via manual focusing. Phase retrieval is performed using a self-developed Android application, which calculates sample phases from multi-plane intensities via solving the Poisson equation. We test the portable microscope using a random phase plate with known phases, and to further demonstrate its performance, a red blood cell smear, a Pap smear and monocot root and broad bean epidermis sections are also successfully imaged. Considering its advantages as an accurate, high-contrast, cost-effective and field-portable device, the smartphone based hand-held quantitative phase microscope is a promising tool which can be adopted in the future in remote healthcare and medical diagnosis.

Spray distribution evaluation of different settings of a hand-held-trolley sprayer used in greenhouse tomato crops.

PubMed

Llop, Jordi; Gil, Emilio; Gallart, Montserrat; Contador, Felipe; Ercilla, Mireia

2016-03-01

Hand-held-trolley sprayers have recently been promoted to improve spray application techniques in greenhouses in south-eastern Spain. However, certain aspects remain to be improved. A modified hand-held-trolley sprayer was evaluated under two different canopy conditions (high and low canopy density) and with several sprayer settings (nozzle type, air assistance and spray volume). In this study, the deposition, coverage and uniformity of distribution of the spray on the canopy have been assessed. The deposition on leaves was significantly higher when flat-fan nozzles and air assistance were used at both high and low spray volumes. No differences were detected between the reference system at a high spray volume and the modified trolley at a low spray volume. Flat-fan nozzles with air assistance increased penetrability into the canopy. Air assistance and flat-fan nozzles allow volume rates to be reduced while maintaining or improving spray quality distribution. The working parameters of hand-held sprayers must be considered to reduce environmental risk and increase the efficacy of the spraying process. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

The reliability and validity of hand-held refractometry water content measures of hydrogel lenses.

PubMed

Nichols, Jason J; Mitchell, G Lynn; Good, Gregory W

2003-06-01

To investigate within- and between-examiner reliability and validity of hand-held refractometry water content measures of hydrogel lenses. Nineteen lenses of various nominal water contents were examined by two examiners on two occasions separated by 1 hour. An Atago N2 hand-held refractometer was used for all water content measures. Lenses were presented in a random order to each examiner by a third party, and examiners were masked to any potential lens identifiers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), 95% limits of agreement, and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to characterize the within- and between-examiner reliability and validity of lens water content measures. Within-examiner reliability was excellent (ICC, 0.97; 95% limits of agreement, -3.6% to +5.7%), and the inter-visit mean difference of 1.1 +/- 2.4% was not biased (p = 0.08). Between-examiner reliability was also excellent (ICC, 0.98; 95% limits of agreement, -4.1% to +3.9%). The mean difference between examiners was -0.1 +/- 2.1% (p = 0.83). The mean difference between the nominally reported water content and our water content measures was -2.1 +/- 1.7% (p < 0.001); the 95% limits of agreement for this difference were -5.4% to +1.1%. There is good reliability within and between examiners in measuring water content of hydrogel lenses. However, with our sample of lenses, examiners tended to overestimate the nominal water content of hydrogel lenses. As discussed, this bias may be associated with the Brix scale used in refractometry and is material dependent. Therefore, investigators may need to account for bias when measuring hydrogel lens water content via hand-held refractometry.

Comparative Geometrical Investigations of Hand-Held Scanning Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kersten, T. P.; Przybilla, H.-J.; Lindstaedt, M.; Tschirschwitz, F.; Misgaiski-Hass, M.

2016-06-01

An increasing number of hand-held scanning systems by different manufacturers are becoming available on the market. However, their geometrical performance is little-known to many users. Therefore the Laboratory for Photogrammetry & Laser Scanning of the HafenCity University Hamburg has carried out geometrical accuracy tests with the following systems in co-operation with the Bochum University of Applied Sciences (Laboratory for Photogrammetry) as well as the Humboldt University in Berlin (Institute for Computer Science): DOTProduct DPI-7, Artec Spider, Mantis Vision F5 SR, Kinect v1 + v2, Structure Sensor and Google's Project Tango. In the framework of these comparative investigations geometrically stable reference bodies were used. The appropriate reference data were acquired by measurement with two structured light projection systems (AICON smartSCAN and GOM ATOS I 2M). The comprehensive test results of the different test scenarios are presented and critically discussed in this contribution.

78 FR 20695 - Walk-Through Metal Detectors and Hand-Held Metal Detectors Test Method Validation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-05

... Detectors and Hand-Held Metal Detectors Test Method Validation AGENCY: National Institute of Justice, DOJ... ensure that the test methods in the standards are properly documented, NIJ is requesting proposals (including price quotes) for test method validation efforts from testing laboratories. NIJ is also seeking...

Probing Intrinsic Properties of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts with Gravitational Waves.

PubMed

Fan, Xilong; Messenger, Christopher; Heng, Ik Siong

2017-11-03

Progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts are thought to be neutron stars coalescing with their companion black hole or neutron star, which are one of the main gravitational wave sources. We have devised a Bayesian framework for combining gamma-ray burst and gravitational wave information that allows us to probe short gamma-ray burst luminosities. We show that combined short gamma-ray burst and gravitational wave observations not only improve progenitor distance and inclination angle estimates, they also allow the isotropic luminosities of short gamma-ray bursts to be determined without the need for host galaxy or light-curve information. We characterize our approach by simulating 1000 joint short gamma-ray burst and gravitational wave detections by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. We show that ∼90% of the simulations have uncertainties on short gamma-ray burst isotropic luminosity estimates that are within a factor of two of the ideal scenario, where the distance is known exactly. Therefore, isotropic luminosities can be confidently determined for short gamma-ray bursts observed jointly with gravitational waves detected by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. Planned enhancements to Advanced LIGO will extend its range and likely produce several joint detections of short gamma-ray bursts and gravitational waves. Third-generation gravitational wave detectors will allow for isotropic luminosity estimates for the majority of the short gamma-ray burst population within a redshift of z∼1.

77 FR 40637 - Honeywell International, Scanning and Mobility Division, Formerly Known as Hand Held Products...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-10

..., Scanning and Mobility Division, Formerly Known as Hand Held Products, Inc., Including On-Site Leased Workers From Manpower, Skaneatelles Falls, NY; Amended Certification Regarding Eligibility To Apply for...''), 19 U.S.C. 2273, the Department of Labor issued a Certification of Eligibility to Apply for Worker...

Evaluation of a focussed protocol for hand-held echocardiography and computer-assisted auscultation in detecting latent rheumatic heart disease in scholars.

PubMed

Zühlke, Liesl J; Engel, Mark E; Nkepu, Simpiwe; Mayosi, Bongani M

2016-08-01

Introduction Echocardiography is the diagnostic test of choice for latent rheumatic heart disease. The utility of echocardiography for large-scale screening is limited by high cost, complex diagnostic protocols, and time to acquire multiple images. We evaluated the performance of a brief hand-held echocardiography protocol and computer-assisted auscultation in detecting latent rheumatic heart disease with or without pathological murmur. A total of 27 asymptomatic patients with latent rheumatic heart disease based on the World Heart Federation criteria and 66 healthy controls were examined by standard cardiac auscultation to detect pathological murmur. Hand-held echocardiography using a focussed protocol that utilises one view - that is, the parasternal long-axis view - and one measurement - that is, mitral regurgitant jet - and a computer-assisted auscultation utilising an automated decision tool were performed on all patients. The sensitivity and specificity of computer-assisted auscultation in latent rheumatic heart disease were 4% (95% CI 1.0-20.4%) and 93.7% (95% CI 84.5-98.3%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the focussed hand-held echocardiography protocol for definite rheumatic heart disease were 92.3% (95% CI 63.9-99.8%) and 100%, respectively. The test reliability of hand-held echocardiography was 98.7% for definite and 94.7% for borderline disease, and the adjusted diagnostic odds ratios were 1041 and 263.9 for definite and borderline disease, respectively. Computer-assisted auscultation has extremely low sensitivity but high specificity for pathological murmur in latent rheumatic heart disease. Focussed hand-held echocardiography has fair sensitivity but high specificity and diagnostic utility for definite or borderline rheumatic heart disease in asymptomatic patients.

Gamma Ray Bursts as Cosmological Probes with EXIST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, Dieter; EXIST Team

2006-12-01

The EXIST mission, studied as a Black Hole Finder Probe within NASA's Beyond Einstein Program, would, in its current design, trigger on 1000 Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) per year (Grindlay et al, this meeting). The redshift distribution of these GRBs, using results from Swift as a guide, would probe the z > 7 epoch at an event rate of > 50 per year. These bursts trace early cosmic star formation history, point to a first generation of stellar objects that reionize the universe, and provide bright beacons for absorption line studies with groundand space-based observatories. We discuss how EXIST, in conjunction with other space missions and future large survey programs such as LSST, can be utilized to advance our understanding of cosmic chemical evolution, the structure and evolution of the baryonic cosmic web, and the formation of stars in low metallicity environments.

Applications of a hand-held GPS receiver in South American rain forests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baksh, Michael

1991-01-01

A hand-held Global Positioning System receiver was used to determine the precise locations of villages, houses, gardens, and other cultural and environmental features in poorly mapped South American rain forests. The Magellan NAV 1000 unit profides extremely accurate latitude and longitude information, but determination of altitude is problematical. Overall, the receiver effectively allows anthropologists to obtain essential locational data useful for categorizing land uses, mapping tribal boundaries, and other applications in regions where environmental conditions are harsh and/or accessibility is difficult.

Rapid Diagnosis of an Ulnar Fracture with Portable Hand-Held Ultrasound

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkpatrick, Andrew W.; Brown, Ross; Diebel, Lawrence N.; Nicolaou, Savvas; Marshburn, Tom; Dulchavsky, Scott A.

2002-01-01

Orthopedic fractures are a common injury in operational activities, injuries that often occur in isolated or hostile environments. Clinical ultrasound devices have become more user friendly and lighter allowing them to be easily transported with forward medical teams. The bone-soft tissue interface has a very large acoustic impedance, with a high reflectance that can be used to visualize breaks in contour including fractures. Herein reported is a case of an ulnar fracture that was quickly visualized in the early phase of a multi-system trauma resuscitation with a hand-held ultrasound device. The implications for operational medicine are discussed.

Rapid and automatic chemical identification of the medicinal flower buds of Lonicera plants by the benchtop and hand-held Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jianbo; Guo, Baolin; Yan, Rui; Sun, Suqin; Zhou, Qun

2017-07-01

With the utilization of the hand-held equipment, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is a promising analytical technique to minimize the time cost for the chemical identification of herbal materials. This research examines the feasibility of the hand-held FT-IR spectrometer for the on-site testing of herbal materials, using Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) and Lonicerae Flos (LF) as examples. Correlation-based linear discriminant models for LJF and LF are established based on the benchtop and hand-held FT-IR instruments. The benchtop FT-IR models can exactly recognize all articles of LJF and LF. Although a few LF articles are misjudged at the sub-class level, the hand-held FT-IR models are able to exactly discriminate LJF and LF. As a direct and label-free analytical technique, FT-IR spectroscopy has great potential in the rapid and automatic chemical identification of herbal materials either in laboratories or in fields. This is helpful to prevent the spread and use of adulterated herbal materials in time.

Hand-held indirect calorimeter offers advantages compared with prediction equations, in a group of overweight women, to determine resting energy expenditures and estimated total energy expenditures during research screening.

PubMed

Spears, Karen E; Kim, Hyunsook; Behall, Kay M; Conway, Joan M

2009-05-01

To compare standardized prediction equations to a hand-held indirect calorimeter in estimating resting energy and total energy requirements in overweight women. Resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured by hand-held indirect calorimeter and calculated by prediction equations Harris-Benedict, Mifflin-St Jeor, World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization/United Nations University (WHO), and Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). Physical activity level, assessed by questionnaire, was used to estimate total energy expenditure (TEE). Subjects (n=39) were female nonsmokers older than 25 years of age with body mass index more than 25. Repeated measures analysis of variance, Bland-Altman plot, and fitted regression line of difference. A difference within +/-10% of two methods indicated agreement. Significant proportional bias was present between hand-held indirect calorimeter and prediction equations for REE and TEE (P<0.01); prediction equations overestimated at lower values and underestimated at higher values. Mean differences (+/-standard error) for REE and TEE between hand-held indirect calorimeter and Harris-Benedict were -5.98+/-46.7 kcal/day (P=0.90) and 21.40+/-75.7 kcal/day (P=0.78); between hand-held indirect calorimeter and Mifflin-St Jeor were 69.93+/-46.7 kcal/day (P=0.14) and 116.44+/-75.9 kcal/day (P=0.13); between hand-held indirect calorimeter and WHO were -22.03+/-48.4 kcal/day (P=0.65) and -15.8+/-77.9 kcal/day (P=0.84); and between hand-held indirect calorimeter and DRI were 39.65+/-47.4 kcal/day (P=0.41) and 56.36+/-85.5 kcal/day (P=0.51). Less than 50% of predictive equation values were within +/-10% of hand-held indirect calorimeter values, indicating poor agreement. A significant discrepancy between predicted and measured energy expenditure was observed. Further evaluation of hand-held indirect calorimeter research screening is needed.

Finger tracking for hand-held device interface using profile-matching stereo vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Yung-Ping; Lee, Dah-Jye; Moore, Jason; Desai, Alok; Tippetts, Beau

2013-01-01

Hundreds of millions of people use hand-held devices frequently and control them by touching the screen with their fingers. If this method of operation is being used by people who are driving, the probability of deaths and accidents occurring substantially increases. With a non-contact control interface, people do not need to touch the screen. As a result, people will not need to pay as much attention to their phones and thus drive more safely than they would otherwise. This interface can be achieved with real-time stereovision. A novel Intensity Profile Shape-Matching Algorithm is able to obtain 3-D information from a pair of stereo images in real time. While this algorithm does have a trade-off between accuracy and processing speed, the result of this algorithm proves the accuracy is sufficient for the practical use of recognizing human poses and finger movement tracking. By choosing an interval of disparity, an object at a certain distance range can be segmented. In other words, we detect the object by its distance to the cameras. The advantage of this profile shape-matching algorithm is that detection of correspondences relies on the shape of profile and not on intensity values, which are subjected to lighting variations. Based on the resulting 3-D information, the movement of fingers in space from a specific distance can be determined. Finger location and movement can then be analyzed for non-contact control of hand-held devices.

Reliability of the hand held dynamometer in measuring muscle strength in people with interstitial lung disease.

PubMed

Dowman, Leona; McDonald, Christine F; Hill, Catherine J; Lee, Annemarie; Barker, Kathryn; Boote, Claire; Glaspole, Ian; Goh, Nicole; Southcott, Annemarie; Burge, Angela; Ndongo, Rebecca; Martin, Alicia; Holland, Anne E

2016-09-01

To evaluate the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the hand held dynamometer in measuring muscle strength in people with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Test retest reliability of hand-held dynamometry for elbow flexor and knee extensor strength between two independent raters and two testing sessions. Physiotherapy department within a tertiary hospital. Thirty participants with ILD of varying aetiology were included. Twenty participants completed the inter-rater reliability protocol (10 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, mean (SD) age 73 (10) years, 11 male) and 21 participants completed the intra-rater reliability protocol (10 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, mean age 71 (10) years, 11 male). Mean muscle strength (kg). Agreement between the two raters and testing sessions was analyzed using Bland-Altman plots and reliability was estimated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). For elbow flexor strength there was a mean difference between raters of -0.6kg (limits of agreement (LOA) -5.6 to 4.4kg) and within raters of -0.3kg (LOA -2.8 to 2.3kg). The ICCs were 0.95 and 0.98, respectively. For knee extensor strength there was a mean difference between raters of -1.5kg (LOA -6.9 to 3.9kg) and within raters of -0.7kg (LOA -3.9 to 2.4kg). The ICCs were 0.95 and 0.97, respectively. Hand-held dynamometry is reliable in measuring elbow flexor and knee extensor strength in people with ILD. Copyright © 2015 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gamma-ray lines from neutron stars as probes of fundamental physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brecher, K.

1978-01-01

The detection of gamma-ray lines produced at the surface of neutron stars will serve to test both the strong and gravitational interactions under conditions unavailable in terrestrial laboratories. Observation of a single redshifted gamma-ray line, combined with an estimate of the mass of the star will serve as a strong constraint on allowable equations of state of matter at supernuclear densities. Detection of two redshifted lines arising from different physical processes at the neutron star surface can provide a test of the strong principle of equivalence. Expected fluxes of nuclear gamma-ray lines from accreting neutron stars were calculated, including threshold, radiative transfer and redshift effects. The most promising probes of neutron star structure are the deuterium formation line and the positron annihilation line. Detection of sharp redshifted gamma-ray lines from X-ray sources such as Cyg X-1 would argue strongly in favor of a neutron star rather than black hole identification for the object.

Multi-Sensor Systems Development for UXO Detection and Discrimination: Hand-Held Dual Magnetic/Electromagnetic Induction Sensor

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-01

5 Fluxgate magnetometer ... magnetometer into digital format, and transmitted as a single serial data string to log the Cs and fluxgate magnetometer data. After procurement...Hardware The system hardware comprises an EMI sensor, Cs vapor magnetometer , fluxgate magnetometer , hand-held data acquisition computer, integrated

Occupational risk identification using hand-held or laptop computers.

PubMed

Naumanen, Paula; Savolainen, Heikki; Liesivuori, Jyrki

2008-01-01

This paper describes the Work Environment Profile (WEP) program and its use in risk identification by computer. It is installed into a hand-held computer or a laptop to be used in risk identification during work site visits. A 5-category system is used to describe the identified risks in 7 groups, i.e., accidents, biological and physical hazards, ergonomic and psychosocial load, chemicals, and information technology hazards. Each group contains several qualifying factors. These 5 categories are colour-coded at this stage to aid with visualization. Risk identification produces visual summary images the interpretation of which is facilitated by colours. The WEP program is a tool for risk assessment which is easy to learn and to use both by experts and nonprofessionals. It is especially well adapted to be used both in small and in larger enterprises. Considerable time is saved as no paper notes are needed.

Hand-Held Model of a Sarcomere to Illustrate the Sliding Filament Mechanism in Muscle Contraction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jittivadhna, Karnyupha; Ruenwongsa, Pintip; Panijpan, Bhinyo

2009-01-01

From our teaching of the contractile unit of the striated muscle, we have found limitations in using textbook illustrations of sarcomere structure and its related dynamic molecular physiological details. A hand-held model of a striated muscle sarcomere made from common items has thus been made by us to enhance students' understanding of the…

Real-Time Hand-Held Magnetometer Array

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

54 7.2.4 Detection : Probe Laser...oscillations in the F=4 hyperfine ground state and the probe beam is used to detect the oscillations. ............ 50 Figure 52. Sensor Larmor signal...level detectable by the magnetometer with a signal to noise ratio of 1:1

Hand-Held Sunphotometers for High School Student Construction and Measuring Aerosol Optical Thickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Almonor, Linda; Baldwin, C.; Craig, R.; Johnson, L. P.

2000-01-01

Science education is taking the teaching of science from a traditional (lecture) approach to a multidimensional sense-making approach which allows teachers to support students by providing exploratory experiences. Using projects is one way of providing students with opportunities to observe and participate in sense-making activity. We created a learning environment that fostered inquiry-based learning. Students were engaged in a variety of Inquiry activities that enabled them to work in cooperative planning teams where respect for each other was encouraged and their ability to grasp, transform and transfer information was enhanced. Summer, 1998: An air pollution workshop was conducted for high school students in the Medgar Evers College/Middle College High School Liberty Partnership Summer Program. Students learned the basics of meteorology: structure and composition of the atmosphere and the processes that cause weather. The highlight of this workshop was the building of hand-held sunphotometers, which measure the intensity of the sunlight striking the Earth. Summer, 1999: high school students conducted a research project which measured the mass and size of ambient particulates and enhanced our ability to observe through land based measurements changes in the optical depth of ambient aerosols over Brooklyn. Students used hand held Sunphotometers to collect data over a two week period and entered it into the NASA GISS database by way of the internet.

Battery driven 8 channel pulse height analyzer with compact, single gamma-peak display

DOEpatents

Morgan, John P.; Piper, Thomas C.

1991-01-01

The invention comprises a hand-held wand including an l.e.d. display and a aI photomultiplier tube encased in lead or other suitable gamma shielding material, and an electronics and battery back-pack package connected to the wand.

Cordless hand-held optical 3D sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munkelt, Christoph; Bräuer-Burchardt, Christian; Kühmstedt, Peter; Schmidt, Ingo; Notni, Gunther

2007-07-01

A new mobile optical 3D measurement system using phase correlation based fringe projection technique will be presented. The sensor consist of a digital projection unit and two cameras in a stereo arrangement, whereby both are battery powered. The data transfer to a base station will be done via WLAN. This gives the possibility to use the system in complicate, remote measurement situations, which are typical in archaeology and architecture. In the measurement procedure the sensor will be hand-held by the user, illuminating the object with a sequence of less than 10 fringe patterns, within a time below 200 ms. This short sequence duration was achieved by a new approach, which combines the epipolar constraint with robust phase correlation utilizing a pre-calibrated sensor head, containing two cameras and a digital fringe projector. Furthermore, the system can be utilized to acquire the all around shape of objects by using the phasogrammetric approach with virtual land marks introduced by the authors 1, 2. This way no matching procedures or markers are necessary for the registration of multiple views, which makes the system very flexible in accomplishing different measurement tasks. The realized measurement field is approx. 100 mm up to 400 mm in diameter. The mobile character makes the measurement system useful for a wide range of applications in arts, architecture, archaeology and criminology, which will be shown in the paper.

Sentinel lymph node detection in early stage cervical cancer: a prospective study comparing preoperative lymphoscintigraphy, intraoperative gamma probe, and blue dye.

PubMed

Kara, P Pelin; Ayhan, Ali; Caner, Biray; Gültekin, Murat; Ugur, Omer; Bozkurt, M Fani; Usubutun, Alp

2008-07-01

The objective of this prospective study was to determine the feasibility of sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection in patients with cervical cancer using lymphoscintigraphy (LS), gamma probe, and blue dye. A total of 32 patients with early stage cervical cancer (FIGO IA2-IIA) who were treated with total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic and paraortic lymphadenectomy underwent SLN biopsy. LS was performed on all the patients following the injection of 74 MBq technetium-99m-nanocolloid pericervically. The first appearing persistent focal accumulation on either dynamic or static images of LS was considered to be an SLN. Blue dye was injected just prior to surgical incision in 16 patients (50%) at the same locations as the radioactive isotope injection. During the operation, blue-stained node(s) were excised as SLNs. For gamma probe, a lymph node was accepted as an SLN, if its ex vivo radioactive counts were at least 10-fold above background radioactivity. SLNs, which were negative by routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) examination, were histopathologically reevaluated for the presence of micrometastases by step sectioning and immunohistochemical staining with pancytokeratin. At least one SLN was identified for each patient by gamma probe. Intraoperative gamma probe was the most sensitive method with a technical success rate of SLN detection of 100% (32/32), followed by LS 87.5% (28/32) and blue dye 68.8% (11/16), respectively. The average number of SLNs per patient detected by gamma probe was 2.09 (range 1-5). The localizations of the SLNs were external iliac 47.8%, obturatory 32.8%, common iliac 9%, paraaortic 4.4%, and paracervical 6%. Micrometastases, not detected by routine H&E were found by immunohistochemistry in one patient. On the basis of the histopathological analysis, the negative predictive value for predicting metastases was 100%, and there were no false-negative results. Preoperative LS with radiocolloids, intraoperative lymphatic mapping with

Handheld real-time volumetric 3-D gamma-ray imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haefner, Andrew; Barnowski, Ross; Luke, Paul; Amman, Mark; Vetter, Kai

2017-06-01

This paper presents the concept of real-time fusion of gamma-ray imaging and visual scene data for a hand-held mobile Compton imaging system in 3-D. The ability to obtain and integrate both gamma-ray and scene data from a mobile platform enables improved capabilities in the localization and mapping of radioactive materials. This not only enhances the ability to localize these materials, but it also provides important contextual information of the scene which once acquired can be reviewed and further analyzed subsequently. To demonstrate these concepts, the high-efficiency multimode imager (HEMI) is used in a hand-portable implementation in combination with a Microsoft Kinect sensor. This sensor, in conjunction with open-source software, provides the ability to create a 3-D model of the scene and to track the position and orientation of HEMI in real-time. By combining the gamma-ray data and visual data, accurate 3-D maps of gamma-ray sources are produced in real-time. This approach is extended to map the location of radioactive materials within objects with unknown geometry.

A new approach for the screening of carotid lesions: a 'fast-track' method with the use of new generation hand-held ultrasound devices.

PubMed

Aboyans, V; Lacroix, P; Jeannicot, A; Guilloux, J; Bertin, F; Laskar, M

2004-09-01

We assessed the usefulness of fast-track neck sonography with a new-generation hand-held ultrasound scanner in the detection of > or =60% carotid stenosis. Patients with a past history of atherosclerotic disease or presence of risk factors were enrolled. All had fast-track carotid screening with a hand-held ultrasound scanner. Initial assessment was performed with our quick imaging protocol. A second examiner performed a conventional complete carotid duplex as gold-standard. We enrolled 197 consecutive patients with a mean age of 67 years (range 35-94). A carotid stenosis >60% was detected in 13 cases (6%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of fast-track sonography was 100%, 64%, 17% and 100%, respectively. Concomitant power Doppler imaging during the fast-track method did not improve accuracy. The use of a fast-track method with a hand-held ultrasound device can reduce the number of unnecessary carotid Duplex and enhance the screening efficiency without missing significant carotid stenoses.

[Intraoperative Measurement of Refraction with a Hand-Held Autorefractometer].

PubMed

Gesser, C; Küper, T; Richard, G; Hassenstein, A

2015-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate an intraoperative measurement of objective refraction with a hand-held retinomax instrument. At the end of cataract surgery objective refraction in a lying position was measured with a retinomax instrument. On the first postoperative day the same measurement was performed with a retinomax and a standard autorefractometer. To evaluate the differences between measurements, the spherical equivalent (SE) and Jackson's cross cylinder at 0° (J0) and 45° (J45) was used. 103 eyes were included. 95 of them had normal cataract surgery. Differences between retinomax at the operative day and the standard autorefractometer were 0.68 ± 2.58 D in SE, 0.05 ± 1.4D in J0 and 0.05 ± 1.4D in J45. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups. Intraoperative measurement of the refraction with a retinomax can predict the postoperative refraction. Nevertheless, in a few patients great differences may occur. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Hand-held analyser based on microchip electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection for measurement of chemical warfare agent degradation products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duran, Karolina-Petkovic; Zhu, Yonggang; Chen, Chuanpin; Swallow, Anthony; Stewart, Robert; Hoobin, Pam; Leech, Patrick; Ovenden, Simon

2008-12-01

This paper reports on the development of a hand-held device for on-site detection of organophosphonate nerve agent degradation products. This field-deployable analyzer relies on efficient microchip electrophoresis separation of alkyl methylphosphonic acids and their sensitive contactless conductivity detection. Miniaturized, low-powered design is coupled with promising analytical performance for separating the breakdown products of chemical warfare agents such as Soman, Sarin and VX . The detector has a detection limit of about 10 μg/mL and has a good linear response in the range 10-300 μg/mL concentration range. Applicability to environmental samples is demonstrated .The new hand-held analyzer offers great promise for converting conventional ion chromatography or capillary electrophoresis sophisticated systems into a portable forensic laboratory for faster, simpler and more reliable on-site screening.

Cost effective spectral sensor solutions for hand held and field applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reetz, Edgar; Correns, Martin; Notni, Gunther

2015-05-01

Optical spectroscopy is without doubt one of the most important non-contact measurement principles. It is used in a wide range of applications from bio-medical to industrial fields. One recent trend is to miniaturize spectral sensors to address new areas of application. The most common spectral sensor type is based on diffraction gratings, while other types are based on micro mechanical systems (MEMS) or filter technologies. The authors represent the opinion that there is a potentially wide spread field of applications for spectrometers, but the market limits the range of applications since they cannot keep up with targeted cost requirements for consumer products. The present article explains an alternative approach for miniature multichannel spectrometer to enhance robustness for hand held field applications at a cost efficient price point.

Utility of hand-held devices in diagnosis and triage of cardiovascular emergencies. Observations during implementation of a PACS-based system in an acute aortic syndrome (AAS) network.

PubMed

Matar, Ralph; Renapurkar, Rahul; Obuchowski, Nancy; Menon, Venu; Piraino, David; Schoenhagen, Paul

2015-01-01

Prompt diagnosis and early referral to specialized centers is critical for patients presenting with cardiovascular emergencies, including acute aortic syndromes (AAS). Prior data has suggested that mobile access to imaging studies with hand-held devices can accelerate diagnosis and management. We conducted a study to determine the diagnostic accuracy of a hand-held device compared to conventional dedicated work-stations for diagnosing a spectrum of cardiovascular emergencies, predominantly acute aortic pathology. This study included 104 cases who underwent computed tomography (CT)-scan during "on-call'' hours between January, 2013 and August, 2014 for suspected AAS. Assessment was performed on a hand-held device independently by two readers using an iPhone5 connected via secure connection to web-based PACS servers. The subsequent interpretation from a dedicated workstation coupled with the diagnosis at the time of discharge was used as the reference standard for determining the presence or absence of an acute abnormality. Sensitivity and Specificity were calculated on a per patient basis. Readers' sensitivity and specificity using the hand-held device to diagnose acute chest pathology were calculated. Hand-held device evaluation was determined to have a sensitivity of 85.2% and a specificity of 98.6% by reader A and a sensitivity of 96.3% and specificity of 100% by reader B. Of 103 cases interpreted by both readers, the readers agreed about the diagnosis in 98 cases (95.1%). This study demonstrates that hand-held devices can be a potential useful tool to assist in diagnosis and triage of patients presenting with cardiovascular emergencies. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of screen size and resolution. Copyright © 2015 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new hand-held microfluidic cytometer for evaluating irradiation damage by analysis of the damaged cells distribution.

PubMed

Wang, Junsheng; Fan, Zhiqiang; Zhao, Yile; Song, Younan; Chu, Hui; Song, Wendong; Song, Yongxin; Pan, Xinxiang; Sun, Yeqing; Li, Dongqing

2016-03-17

Space radiation brings uneven damages to cells. The detection of the distribution of cell damage plays a very important role in radiation medicine and the related research. In this paper, a new hand-held microfluidic flow cytometer was developed to evaluate the degree of radiation damage of cells. The device we propose overcomes the shortcomings (e.g., large volume and high cost) of commercial flow cytometers and can evaluate the radiation damage of cells accurately and quickly with potential for onsite applications. The distribution of radiation-damaged cells is analyzed by a simultaneous detection of immunofluorescence intensity of γ-H2AX and resistance pulse sensor (RPS) signal. The γ-H2AX fluorescence intensity provides information of the degree of radiation damage in cells. The ratio of the number of cells with γ-H2AX fluorescence signals to the total numbers of cells detected by RPS indicates the percentage of the cells that are damaged by radiation. The comparison experiment between the developed hand-held microfluidic flow cytometer and a commercial confocal microscope indicates a consistent and comparable detection performance.

A new hand-held microfluidic cytometer for evaluating irradiation damage by analysis of the damaged cells distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Junsheng; Fan, Zhiqiang; Zhao, Yile; Song, Younan; Chu, Hui; Song, Wendong; Song, Yongxin; Pan, Xinxiang; Sun, Yeqing; Li, Dongqing

2016-03-01

Space radiation brings uneven damages to cells. The detection of the distribution of cell damage plays a very important role in radiation medicine and the related research. In this paper, a new hand-held microfluidic flow cytometer was developed to evaluate the degree of radiation damage of cells. The device we propose overcomes the shortcomings (e.g., large volume and high cost) of commercial flow cytometers and can evaluate the radiation damage of cells accurately and quickly with potential for onsite applications. The distribution of radiation-damaged cells is analyzed by a simultaneous detection of immunofluorescence intensity of γ-H2AX and resistance pulse sensor (RPS) signal. The γ-H2AX fluorescence intensity provides information of the degree of radiation damage in cells. The ratio of the number of cells with γ-H2AX fluorescence signals to the total numbers of cells detected by RPS indicates the percentage of the cells that are damaged by radiation. The comparison experiment between the developed hand-held microfluidic flow cytometer and a commercial confocal microscope indicates a consistent and comparable detection performance.

Application of computer image enhancement techniques to shuttle hand-held photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

David, B. E.

1986-01-01

With the advent of frequent Space Transportation System Shuttle missions, photography from hyperaltitudes stands to become an accessible and convenient resource for scientists and environmental managers. As satellite products (such as LANDSAT) continue to spiral in costs, all but the most affluent consumer is finding Earth imagery from space to be more and more unavailable. Therefore, the potential for Shuttle photography to serve a wide variety of users is increasing. However, despite the popularity of photos from space as public relations tools and report illustrations, little work has been performed to prove their scientific worth beyond that as basic mapping bases. It is the hypothesis of this project that hand-held Earth photography from the Space Shuttle has potentially high scientific merit and that primary data can be extracted. In effect, Shuttle photography should be considered a major remote sensing information resource.

System stability and calibrations for hand-held electromagnetic frequency domain instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saksa, Pauli J.; Sorsa, Joona

2017-05-01

There are a few multiple-frequency domain electromagnetic induction (EMI) hand-held rigid boom systems available for shallow geophysical resistivity investigations. They basically measure secondary field real and imaginary components after the system calibrations. One multiple-frequency system, the EMP-400 Profiler from Geophysical Survey Systems Inc., was tested for system calibrations, stability and various effects present in normal measurements like height variation, tilting, signal stacking and time stability. Results indicated that in test conditions, repeatable high-accuracy imaginary component values can be recorded for near-surface frequency soundings. In test conditions, real components are also stable but vary strongly in normal surveying measurements. However, certain calibration issues related to the combination of user influence and measurement system height were recognised as an important factor in reducing for data errors and for further processing like static offset corrections.

Probing the Intergalactic Magnetic Field with the Anisotropy of the Extragalactic Gamma-ray Background

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venters, T. M.; Pavlidou, V.

2013-01-01

The intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) may leave an imprint on the angular anisotropy of the extragalactic gamma-ray background through its effect on electromagnetic cascades triggered by interactions between very high energy photons and the extragalactic background light. A strong IGMF will deflect secondary particles produced in these cascades and will thus tend to isotropize lower energy cascade photons, thereby inducing a modulation in the anisotropy energy spectrum of the gamma-ray background. Here we present a simple, proof-of-concept calculation of the magnitude of this effect and demonstrate that current Fermi data already seem to prefer nonnegligible IGMF values. The anisotropy energy spectrum of the Fermi gamma-ray background could thus be used as a probe of the IGMF strength.

Probing the Intergalactic Magnetic Field with the Anisotropy of the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Background

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venters, T. M.; Pavlidou, V.

2012-01-01

The intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF) may leave an imprint on the anisotropy properties of the extragalactic gamma-ray background, through its effect on electromagnetic cascades triggered by interactions between very high energy photons and the extragalactic background light. A strong IGMF will deflect secondary particles produced in these cascades and will thus tend to isotropize lower energy cascade photons, thus inducing a modulation in the anisotropy energy spectrum of the gamma-ray background. Here we present a simple, proof-of-concept calculation of the magnitude of this effect and demonstrate that the two extreme cases (zero IGMF and IGMF strong enough to completely isotropize cascade photons) would be separable by ten years of Fermi observations and reasonable model parameters for the gamma-ray background. The anisotropy energy spectrum of the Fermi gamma-ray background could thus be used as a probe of the IGMF strength.

Hand-Held Units for Short-Range Wireless Biotelemetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miranda, Felix A.; Simons, Rainee N.

2008-01-01

Special-purpose hand-held radiotransceiver units have been proposed as means of short-range radio powering and interrogation of surgically implanted microelectromechanical sensors and actuators. These units are based partly on the same principles as those of the units described in "Printed Multi- Turn Loop Antennas for RF Biotelemetry" (LEW-17879-1), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31, No. 6 (June 2007), page 48. Like the previously reported units, these units would make it unnecessary to have wire connections between the implanted devices and the external equipment used to activate and interrogate them. Like a unit of the previously reported type, a unit of the type now proposed would include a printed-circuit antenna on a dielectric substrate. The antenna circuitry would include integrated surface-mount inductors for impedance tuning. Circuits for processing the signals transmitted and received by the antenna would be included on the substrate. During operation, the unit would be positioned near (but not in electrical contact with) a human subject, in proximity to a microelectromechanical sensor or actuator that has been surgically implanted in the subject. It has been demonstrated that significant electromagnetic coupling with an implanted device could be established at a distance of as much as 4 in. (.10 cm). During operation in the interrogation mode, the antenna of the unit would receive a radio telemetry signal transmitted by the surgically implanted device. The antenna substrate would have dimensions of approximately 3.25 by 3.75 inches (approximately 8.3 by 9.5 cm). The substrate would have a thickness of the order of 30 mils (of the order of a somewhat less than a millimeter). The substrate would be made of low-radiofrequency- loss dielectric material that could be, for example, fused quartz, alumina, or any of a number of commercially available radio-frequency dielectric composite materials. The antenna conductors would typically be made of copper or a

Biolistic transfection of neuronal cultures using a hand-held gene gun

PubMed Central

O'Brien, John A; Lummis, Sarah C R

2009-01-01

Biolistic transfection is a technique in which subcellular-sized particles coated with DNA are accelerated to high velocity to propel them into cells. This method is applicable to tissues, cells and organelles, and can be used for both in vitro and in vivo transformations; with the right equipment, it is simple, rapid and efficient. Here we provide a detailed protocol for biolistic transfection of plasmids into cultured human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells and organotypic brain slices using a hand-held gene gun. There are three major steps: (i) coating microcarriers with DNA, (ii) transferring the microcarriers into a cartridge to make a ‘bullet’, and (iii) firing the DNA-coated microcarriers into cells using a pulse of helium gas. The method can be readily adapted to other cell types and tissues. The protocol can be completed in 1–2 h. PMID:17406333

Background adaptive division filtering for hand-held ground penetrating radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Matthew A.; Anderson, Derek T.; Ball, John E.; White, Julie L.

2016-05-01

The challenge in detecting explosive hazards is that there are multiple types of targets buried at different depths in a highlycluttered environment. A wide array of target and clutter signatures exist, which makes detection algorithm design difficult. Such explosive hazards are typically deployed in past and present war zones and they pose a grave threat to the safety of civilians and soldiers alike. This paper focuses on a new image enhancement technique for hand-held ground penetrating radar (GPR). Advantages of the proposed technique is it runs in real-time and it does not require the radar to remain at a constant distance from the ground. Herein, we evaluate the performance of the proposed technique using data collected from a U.S. Army test site, which includes targets with varying amounts of metal content, placement depths, clutter and times of day. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve-based results are presented for the detection of shallow, medium and deeply buried targets. Preliminary results are very encouraging and they demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed filtering technique.

Use of radioguided surgery with [111In]-pentetreotide in the management of an ACTH-secreting bronchial carcinoid causing ectopic Cushing's syndrome.

PubMed

Grossrubatscher, E; Vignati, F; Dalino, P; Possa, M; Belloni, P A; Vanzulli, A; Bramerio, M; Marocchi, A; Rossetti, O; Zurleni, F; Loli, P

2005-01-01

Intraoperative [111In]-pentetreotide scintigraphy with a hand-held gamma detector probe has recently been proposed to increase the intraoperative detection rate of small neuroendocrine tumors and their metastases. We report a case of a 28-yr-old woman with ectopic Cushing's syndrome due to an ACTH-secreting bronchial carcinoid, in whom the use of radioguided surgery improved disease management. At presentation, radiolabeled pentetreotide scintigraphy was the only procedure able to detect the ectopic source of ACTH. After radiologic confirmation, the patient underwent removal of a bronchial carcinoid, with disease persistence. After surgery, pentetreotide scintigraphy showed pathologic uptake in the mediastinum not previously detected at surgery and only subsequently confirmed by radiologic studies. Despite a second thoracic exploration, hormonal, scintigraphic, and radiological evidence of residual disease persisted. Radioguided surgery was then performed using a hand-held gamma probe 48 h after iv administration of a tracer dose of radiolabeled [111In-DTPA-D-Phe1]-pentetreotide, which permitted detection and removal of multiple residual mediastinal lymph node metastases. Clinical and radiologic cure, with no evidence of tracer uptake at pentetreotide scintigraphy, was subsequently observed. The use of an intraoperative gamma counter appears a promising procedure in the management of metastatic ACTH-secreting bronchial carcinoids.

Hand-Held EMI Sensor Combined with Inertial Positioning for Cued UXO Discrimination - APG Standardized UXO Test Site

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

Measurement Tracking System (SAINT) with an advanced hand-held, time-domain electromagnetic sensor (TEM-HH) and document classification performance at...rejecting 77% of the clutter. 15. SUBJECT TERMS EMI, electromagnetic induction, UXO classification, UXO, IMU, inertial measurement unit, 16. SECURITY...U c. THIS PAGE U UU 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (include area code) 919-677-1560 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18

Intraoperative gamma probe guidance with 99mTc-pertechnetate in the completion thyroidectomy.

PubMed

Aras, Gülseren; Gültekin, Salih Sinan; Küçük, Nuriye Ozlem; Demirer, Seher; Tuğ, Tuğbay

2009-07-01

Intraoperative gamma probe (GP) guidance with (99m)Tc-pertechnetate in the completion total thyroidectomy after a first thyroidectomy was investigated in this prospective study. The study group comprises of fourteen consecutive patients (14 females, age mean 50.2 +/- 12.0 years, age range 29-73 years). All patients underwent a second thyroidectomy due to inadequate (5/14 patients) and complementary (9/14 patients) interventions. Serum-free three iodothyronine, free thyroxin and thyroid stimulating hormone measurements, a neck ultrasonography (USG) and thyroid scintigraphy (TS) were performed in the preoperative and postoperative period. After a 185 MBq (5 mCi) injection of (99m)Tc-pertechnetate, background (BG), left thyroid lobe (LTL), right thyroid lobe (RTL) and pyramidal tyroid lobe (PTL) regions were counted in time before and after resection of thyroid remnants by intraoperative GP. All resection materials were evaluated by histopathologic examination. Preoperative TSH was less than 30 mIU/mL (mean 21 +/- 7) in all patients. Functioning thyroid remnants were shown in 13/14 patients on the preoperative TS and USG, which were diagnosed by USG in one but by TS in other one. We calculated that percentage median (minimum-maximum) values were 220.90% (56.00-411.11%) in LTL, 80.43% (11.54-471.05%) in RTL and 66.60% (-3.33 to 158.33%) in PTL for counts before resection, on the other hand, 15.96% (-20.55 to 47.62%) in LTL, 17.59% (-15.07 to 38.46%) in RTL and 17.59% (-1.96 to 57.14%) in PTL regions for counts after resection. There were statistically significant differences between these values belonging to before and after resection for LTL (p = 0.001), RTL (p = 0.001) and PTL (p = 0.008). Bilateral small foci in a patient and unilateral focus in other patient were observed in postoperative TS. Unilateral focus was detected on the RTL by GP, but not bilateral foci. Postoperative TSH levels increased to 30 mIU/mL (mean 69 +/- 26) at least. There was a statistically

PET-Probe: Evaluation of Technical Performance and Clinical Utility of a Handheld High-Energy Gamma Probe in Oncologic Surgery.

PubMed

Gulec, Seza A; Daghighian, Farhad; Essner, Richard

2016-12-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) has become an invaluable part of patient evaluation in surgical oncology. PET is less than optimal for detecting lesions <1 cm, and the intraoperative localization of small PET-positive lesions can be challenging as a result of difficulties in surgical exposure. We undertook this investigation to assess the utility of a handheld high-energy gamma probe (PET-Probe) for intraoperative identification of 18 F-deoxyglucose (FDG)-avid tumors. Forty patients underwent a diagnostic whole-body FDG-PET scan for consideration for surgical exploration and resection. Before surgery, all patients received an intravenous injection of 7 to 10 mCi of FDG. At surgery, the PET-Probe was used to determine absolute counts per second at the known tumor site(s) demonstrated by whole-body PET and at adjacent normal tissue (at least 4 cm away from tumor-bearing sites). Tumor-to-background ratios were calculated. Thirty-two patients (80%) underwent PET-Probe-guided surgery with therapeutic intent in a recurrent or metastatic disease setting. Eight patients underwent surgery for diagnostic exploration. Anatomical locations of the PET-identified lesions were neck and supraclavicular (n = 8), axilla (n = 5), groin and deep iliac (n = 4), trunk and extremity soft tissue (n = 3), abdominal and retroperitoneal (n = 19), and lung (n = 2). PET-Probe detected all PET-positive lesions. The PET-Probe was instrumental in localization of lesions in 15 patients that were not immediately apparent by surgical exploration. The PET-Probe identified all lesions demonstrated by PET scanning and, in selected cases, was useful in localizing FDG-avid disease not seen with conventional PET scanning.

Hand-Held Instrument Fights Acne, Tops Over-the-Counter Market

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Tyrell Inc., a Houston-based medical technologies company, was able to access engineering support in redesigning a heating element for a hand-held acne-fighting device through SATOP, NASA's Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program. SATOP put Tyrell in contact with The Boeing Company, which assessed the design and made several major contributions. The product, named Zeno, is now the highest selling over-the-counter medical device for the treatment of acne, and in 2006, Zeno was named the "SATOP Texas, Success Story of the Year." Zeno employs proprietary ClearPoint technology to provide relief of mild to moderate inflammatory acne by delivering a precisely controlled low-level dosage of heat to the blemish, causing the bacteria at the root of more than 90 percent of acne to self-destruct. Within its first year on the market, Zeno was cited by various publications for several awards, including Allure's 2005 "Best of Beauty," Marie Claire's "10 Best Gadgets for Girls," and Popular Science's 2005 "Best of What's New." A variation of the Zeno for use in treating herpetic lesions such as cold sores, by killing the virus that causes them, is currently undergoing FDA trials.

Reliability of measuring hip abductor strength following total knee arthroplasty using a hand-held dynamometer.

PubMed

Schache, Margaret B; McClelland, Jodie A; Webster, Kate E

2016-01-01

To investigate the test-retest reliability of measuring hip abductor strength in patients with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) with two different types of resistance: belt and manual resistance. Test-retest reliability of 30 subjects (17 female, 13 male, 71.9 ± 7.4 years old), 9.2 ± 2.7 days post TKA was measured using belt and therapist resistance. Retest reliability was calculated with intra-class coefficients (ICC3,1) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for both the group average and the individual scores. A paired t-test assessed whether a difference existed between the belt and therapist methods of resistance. ICCs were 0.82 and 0.80 for the belt and therapist resisted methods, respectively. Hip abductor strength increases of 8 N (14%) for belt resisted and 14 N (17%) for therapist resisted measurements of the group average exceeded the 95% CI and may represent real change. For individuals, hip abductor strength increases of 33 N (72%) (belt resisted) and 57 N (79%) (therapist resisted) could be interpreted as real change. Hip abductor strength can be reliably measured using HHD in the clinical setting with the described protocol. Belt resistance demonstrated slightly higher test-retest reliability. Reliable measurement of hip abductor muscle strength in patients with TKA is important to ensure deficiencies are addressed in rehabilitation programs and function is maximized. Hip abductor strength can be reliably measured with a hand-held dynamometer in the clinical setting using manual or belt resistance.

A small field of view camera for hybrid gamma and optical imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lees, J. E.; Bugby, S. L.; Bhatia, B. S.; Jambi, L. K.; Alqahtani, M. S.; McKnight, W. R.; Ng, A. H.; Perkins, A. C.

2014-12-01

The development of compact low profile gamma-ray detectors has allowed the production of small field of view, hand held imaging devices for use at the patient bedside and in operating theatres. The combination of an optical and a gamma camera, in a co-aligned configuration, offers high spatial resolution multi-modal imaging giving a superimposed scintigraphic and optical image. This innovative introduction of hybrid imaging offers new possibilities for assisting surgeons in localising the site of uptake in procedures such as sentinel node detection. Recent improvements to the camera system along with results of phantom and clinical imaging are reported.

Hand-Held Volatilome Analyzer Based on Elastically Deformable Nanofibers.

PubMed

Yucel, Muge; Akin, Osman; Cayoren, Mehmet; Akduman, Ibrahim; Palaniappan, Alagappan; Liedberg, Bo; Hizal, Gurkan; Inci, Fatih; Yildiz, Umit Hakan

2018-04-17

This study reports on a hand-held volatilome analyzer for selective determination of clinically relevant biomarkers in exhaled breath. The sensing platform is based on electrospun polymer nanofiber-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) sensing microchannels. Polymer nanofibers of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), polystyrene (PS), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) incorporated with MWCNT exhibits a stable response to interferences of humidity and CO 2 and provides selective deformations upon exposure of exhaled breath target volatilomes acetone and toluene, exhibiting correlation to diabetes and lung cancer, respectively. The sensing microchannels "P1" (PVDF-MWCNT), "P2" (PS-MWCNT), and "P3" (PMMA-MWCNT) are integrated with a microfluidic cartridge (μ-card) that facilitates collection and concentration of exhaled breath. The volatilome analyzer consists of a conductivity monitoring unit, signal conditioning circuitries and a low energy display module. A combinatorial operation algorithm was developed for analyzing normalized resistivity changes of the sensing microchannels upon exposure to breath in the concentration ranges between 35 ppb and 3.0 ppm for acetone and 1 ppb and 10 ppm for toluene. Subsequently, responses of volatilomes from individuals in the different risk groups of diabetes were evaluated for validation of the proposed methodology. We foresee that proposed methodology provides an avenue for rapid detection of volatilomes thereby enabling point of care diagnosis in high-risk group individuals.

Hand-held synchronous scan spectrometer for in situ and immediate detection of live/dead bacteria ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Runze; Goswami, Umang; Walck, Matthew; Khan, Kasfia; Chen, Jie; Cesario, Thomas C.; Rentzepis, Peter M.

2017-11-01

The design, construction, and operation of a hand-held synchronously scanned, excitation-emission, double monochromator spectrometer is described. Data show that it is possible to record and display within minutes the fluorescence spectra and ratio of live/dead bacteria in situ. Excitation emission matrix contour plots display clearly bacteria fluorescence spectra before and after UV inactivation, respectively. The separation of the fluorescence band maxima of molecular components, such as tryptophan, tyrosine, and DNA, may be distinguished in the diffused fluorescence spectra of bacteria and mixtures.

Hand-held synchronous scan spectrometer for in situ and immediate detection of live/dead bacteria ratio.

PubMed

Li, Runze; Goswami, Umang; Walck, Matthew; Khan, Kasfia; Chen, Jie; Cesario, Thomas C; Rentzepis, Peter M

2017-11-01

The design, construction, and operation of a hand-held synchronously scanned, excitation-emission, double monochromator spectrometer is described. Data show that it is possible to record and display within minutes the fluorescence spectra and ratio of live/dead bacteria in situ. Excitation emission matrix contour plots display clearly bacteria fluorescence spectra before and after UV inactivation, respectively. The separation of the fluorescence band maxima of molecular components, such as tryptophan, tyrosine, and DNA, may be distinguished in the diffused fluorescence spectra of bacteria and mixtures.

Fast retrospective determination of radon exposure with a sensitive alpha scintillation probe.

PubMed

von Philipsborn, Henning; Just, Günther

2005-09-01

The background of a hand-held alpha ZnS scintillation probe of 44 cm(2) was reduced from the normal 50 counts per hour (cph) to 4 +/- 2 cph and the efficiency increased to 34%. The limit of detection for a 30 min measurement is now 5 Bq m(-2) Po-210 on glass surfaces, corresponding to about 200 Bq m(-3) indoor Rn-222 exposure for 20 years. The probe was successfully used for retrospective determination of radon exposure. The probe is simpler, faster and more convenient, and more economic than alpha spectrometry or nuclear track detectors currently used in the field of lung cancer epidemiology and long term radon exposure.

Handheld optical coherence tomography-reflectance confocal microscopy probe for detection of basal cell carcinoma and delineation of margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iftimia, Nicusor; Yélamos, Oriol; Chen, Chih-Shan J.; Maguluri, Gopi; Cordova, Miguel A.; Sahu, Aditi; Park, Jesung; Fox, William; Alessi-Fox, Christi; Rajadhyaksha, Milind

2017-07-01

We present a hand-held implementation and preliminary evaluation of a combined optical coherence tomography (OCT) and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) probe for detecting and delineating the margins of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in human skin in vivo. A standard OCT approach (spectrometer-based) with a central wavelength of 1310 nm and 0.11 numerical aperture (NA) was combined with a standard RCM approach (830-nm wavelength and 0.9 NA) into a common path hand-held probe. Cross-sectional OCT images and enface RCM images are simultaneously displayed, allowing for three-dimensional microscopic assessment of tumor morphology in real time. Depending on the subtype and depth of the BCC tumor and surrounding skin conditions, OCT and RCM imaging are able to complement each other, the strengths of each helping overcome the limitations of the other. Four representative cases are summarized, out of the 15 investigated in a preliminary pilot study, demonstrating how OCT and RCM imaging may be synergistically combined to more accurately detect BCCs and more completely delineate margins. Our preliminary results highlight the potential benefits of combining the two technologies within a single probe to potentially guide diagnosis as well as treatment of BCCs.

Catalog of Space Shuttle Earth Observations Hand-Held Photography: Space Transportation System (STS) 41-6 Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nowakowski, Barbara S.; Palmer, Wesley F.

1985-01-01

This document catalogs Space Shuttle hand-held Earth observations photography which was collected on the Space Transportation System (STS) 41-G mission of October 1984. The catalog includes the following data for each of 2480 frames: geographical name, feature description, latitude and longitude, percentage of cloud cover, look direction and tilt, lens focal length, exposure evaluation, stereopairs, and orbit number. The catalog is a product of the Space Shuttle Earth Observations Project, Solar System Exploration Division, Space and Life Sciences Directorate, of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

An Examination of Hand-Held Computer-Assisted Instruction on Subtraction Skills for Second Grade Students with Learning and Behavioral Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordness, Philip D.; Haverkost, Ann; Volberding, Annette

2011-01-01

The effect of a mathematic flashcard application on a hand-held computing device was examined across three individual second grade students with learning and behavioral disabilities. All of the students improved their subtraction scores by an average of 17% as measured by the district-created, curriculum-based assessment. The results of this study…

Potential air contamination during CO2 angiography using a hand-held syringe: theoretical considerations and gas chromatography.

PubMed

Cho, David R; Cho, Kyung J; Hawkins, Irvin F

2006-01-01

To assess air contamination in the hand-held syringes currently used for CO2 delivery and to determine whether there is an association between their position and the rate of air contamination. Assessment of air contamination in the syringe (20 ml) included theoretical modeling, mathematical calculation, and gas chromatography (GC). The model was used with Fick's first law to calculate the diffusion of CO2 and the amount of air contamination. For GC studies, the syringes were placed in the upright, horizontal, and inverted positions and gas samples were obtained after 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min. All trials with each position for each sampling time were performed five times. The amounts of air contamination with time calculated mathematically were 5-10% less than those of GC. With the diffusivity of air-CO2 at 0.1599 cm2/sec (9.594 cm2/min), air contamination was calculated to be 60% at 60 min. With GC air contamination was 13% at 5 min, 31% at 20 min, 43% at 30 min, and 68% at 60 min. There was no difference in air contamination between the different syringe positions. Air contamination occurs in hand-held syringes filled with CO2 when they are open to the ambient air. The amounts of air contamination over time are similar among syringes placed in the upright, horizontal, and inverted positions.

Hand-held hyperspectral imager for chemical/biological and environmental applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinnrichs, Michele; Piatek, Bob

2004-03-01

A small, hand held, battery operated imaging infrared spectrometer, Sherlock, has been developed by Pacific Advanced Technology and was field tested in early 2003. The Sherlock spectral imaging camera has been designed for remote gas leak detection, however, the architecture of the camera is versatile enough that it can be applied to numerous other applications such as homeland security, chemical/biological agent detection, medical and pharmaceutical applications as well as standard research and development. This paper describes the Sherlock camera, theory of operations, shows current applications and touches on potential future applications for the camera. The Sherlock has an embedded Power PC and performs real-time-image processing function in an embedded FPGA. The camera has a built in LCD display as well as output to a standard monitor, or NTSC display. It has several I/O ports, ethernet, firewire, RS232 and thus can be easily controlled from a remote location. In addition, software upgrades can be performed over the ethernet eliminating the need to send the camera back to the factory for a retrofit. Using the USB port a mouse and key board can be connected and the camera can be used in a laboratory environment as a stand alone imaging spectrometer.

Development of a minimum performance standard for hand-held fire extinguishers as a replacement for Halon 1211 on civilian transport category aircraft

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-08-01

One or more Halon 1211 hand-held fire extinguishers are specified in Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 25.851 as a requirement on transport category aircraft with 31 or more seats. Halon 1211 has been linked to the destruction of the ozone layer...

Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of the Rate of Force Development of Hip Abductor Muscles Measured by Hand-Held Dynamometer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takeda, Kazuya; Tanabe, Shigeo; Koyama, Soichiro; Nagai, Tomoko; Sakurai, Hiroaki; Kanada, Yoshikiyo; Shomoto, Koji

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to clarify the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the rate of force development in hip abductor muscle force measurements using a hand-held dynamometer. Thirty healthy adults were separately assessed by two independent raters on two separate days. Rate of force development was calculated from the slope of the…

Initial Usability Testing of a Hand-Held Electronic Logbook Prototype for the Human Research Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berman, Andrea H.; Whitmore, Mihriban

1996-01-01

The Apple(R) Newton(TM) MessagePad 110 was flown aboard the KC-135 reduced gravity aircraft for microgravity usability testing. The Newton served as the initial hand-held electronic logbook prototype for the International Space Station (ISS) Human Research Facility (HRF). Subjects performed three different tasks with the Newton: (1) using the stylus to tap on different sections of the screen in order to launch an application and to select options within it; (2) using the stylus to write, and; (3) correcting handwriting recognition errors in a handwriting-intensive application. Subjects rated handwriting in microgravity 'Borderline' and had great difficulties finding a way in which to adequately restrain themselves at the lower body in order to have their hands free for the Newton. Handwriting recognition was rated 'Unacceptable,' but this issue is hardware-related and not unique to the microgravity environment. It is suggested that the restraint and handwriting issues are related and require further joint research with the current Handheld Electronic Logbook prototype: the Norand Pen*key Model #6300.

Assessment of foot and ankle muscle strength using hand held dynamometry in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Carroll, Matthew; Joyce, William; Brenton-Rule, Angela; Dalbeth, Nicola; Rome, Keith

2013-03-22

The foot and ankle are frequently affected in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One of the negative consequences of RA on the physical function of patients is a decrease in muscle strength. However, little is known about foot and muscle strength in this population. The aim of the study was to evaluate significant differences in foot and ankle muscle strength between patients with established RA against age and sex-matched controls using hand-held dynamometry. The maximal muscle strength of ankle plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, eversion and inversion was assessed in 14 patients with RA, mean (SD) disease duration of 22 (14.1) years, and 20 age and sex-matched control participants using hand-held dynamometry. Significant differences were observed in muscle strength between the two groups in plantarflexion (p = 0.00), eversion (p = 0.04) and inversion (p = 0.01). No significant difference was found in dorsiflexion (p > 0.05). The patients with RA displayed a significantly lower plantarflexion-dorsiflexion ratio than the control participants (p = 0.03). The results from this study showed that the RA patients displayed a significant decrease in ankle dorsiflexion, eversion and inversion when compared to the non-RA control group suggesting that foot and ankle muscle strength may be affected by the pathological processes in RA. This study is a preliminary step for the measurement of muscle impairments within the RA population.

Assessment of foot and ankle muscle strength using hand held dynamometry in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The foot and ankle are frequently affected in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). One of the negative consequences of RA on the physical function of patients is a decrease in muscle strength. However, little is known about foot and muscle strength in this population. The aim of the study was to evaluate significant differences in foot and ankle muscle strength between patients with established RA against age and sex-matched controls using hand-held dynamometry. Methods The maximal muscle strength of ankle plantarflexion, dorsiflexion, eversion and inversion was assessed in 14 patients with RA, mean (SD) disease duration of 22 (14.1) years, and 20 age and sex-matched control participants using hand-held dynamometry. Results Significant differences were observed in muscle strength between the two groups in plantarflexion (p = 0.00), eversion (p = 0.04) and inversion (p = 0.01). No significant difference was found in dorsiflexion (p > 0.05). The patients with RA displayed a significantly lower plantarflexion-dorsiflexion ratio than the control participants (p = 0.03). Conclusions The results from this study showed that the RA patients displayed a significant decrease in ankle dorsiflexion, eversion and inversion when compared to the non-RA control group suggesting that foot and ankle muscle strength may be affected by the pathological processes in RA. This study is a preliminary step for the measurement of muscle impairments within the RA population. PMID:23522448

A new miniature hand-held solar-blind reagentless standoff chemical, biological, and explosives (CBE) sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hug, W. F.; Reid, R. D.; Bhartia, R.; Lane, A. L.

2008-04-01

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), and suicide bombers are a major threat to many countries and their citizenry. The ability to detect trace levels of these threats with a miniature, hand-held, reagentless, standoff sensor represents a major improvement in the state of the art of CBE surface sensors. Photon Systems, Inc., in collaboration with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, recently demonstrated a new technology hand-held sensor for reagentless, close-range, standoff detection and identification of trace levels CBE materials on surfaces. This targeted ultraviolet CBE (TUCBE) sensor is the result of an Army Phase I STTR program. The resulting 5lb, 5W, flashlight-sized sensor can discriminate CBE from background materials using a combination of deep UV excited resonance Raman (RR) and laser induced native fluorescence (LINF) emissions resulting from excitation by a new technology deep UV laser. Detection and identification is accomplished in less than 1ms. Standoff excitation of suspicious packages, vehicles, persons, and other objects that may contain hazardous materials is accomplished using wavelengths below 250nm where Raman and native fluorescence emissions occupy distinctly different wavelength regions. This enables simultaneous detection of RR and LINF emissions with no interferences. The sensor employs fused RR/LINF chemometric methods to extract the identity of targeted materials from background clutter. Photon Systems has demonstrated detection and identification of 100ng/cm2 of explosives materials at a distance of 1 meter using a sensor with 3.8 cm optical aperture. Expansion of the optical aperture to 38 cm in a lantern-sized sensor will enable similar detection and identification of CBE materials at standoff distances of 10 meters. As a result of excitation and detection in the deep UV and the use of a gated detection system, the sensor is solar blind and can operate in full daylight conditions.

Detection of Francisella tularensis within infected mouse tissues by using a hand-held PCR thermocycler.

PubMed

Emanuel, Peter A; Bell, Ryan; Dang, Jessica L; McClanahan, Rebecca; David, John C; Burgess, Robert J; Thompson, Joseph; Collins, Lisa; Hadfield, Ted

2003-02-01

The diagnosis of human cases of tularemia often relies upon the demonstration of an antibody response to Francisella tularensis or the direct culturing of the bacteria from the patient. Antibody response is not detectable until 2 weeks or more after infection, and culturing requires special media and suspicion of tularemia. In addition, handling live Francisella poses a risk to laboratory personnel due to the highly infectious nature of this pathogen. In an effort to develop a rapid diagnostic assay for tularemia, we investigated the use of TaqMan 5' hydrolysis fluorogenic PCR to detect the organism in tissues of infected mice. Mice were infected to produce respiratory tularemia. The fopA and tul4 genes of F. tularensis were amplified from infected spleen, lung, liver, and kidney tissues sampled over a 5-day period. The samples were analyzed using the laboratory-based Applied Biosystems International 7900 and the Smiths Detection-Edgewood BioSeeq, a hand-held portable fluorescence thermocycler designed for use in the field. A comparison of culturing and PCR for detection of bacteria in infected tissues shows that culturing was more sensitive than PCR. However, the results for culture take 72 h, whereas PCR results were available within 4 h. PCR was able to detect infection in all the tissues tested. Lung tissue showed the earliest response at 2 days when tested with the ABI 7900 and in 3 days when tested with the BioSeeq. The results were in agreement between the ABI 7900 and the BioSeeq when presented with the same sample. Template preparation may account for the loss of sensitivity compared to culturing techniques. The hand-held BioSeeq thermocycler shows promise as an expedient means of forward diagnosis of infection in the field.

Detection of Francisella tularensis within Infected Mouse Tissues by Using a Hand-Held PCR Thermocycler

PubMed Central

Emanuel, Peter A.; Bell, Ryan; Dang, Jessica L.; McClanahan, Rebecca; David, John C.; Burgess, Robert J.; Thompson, Joseph; Collins, Lisa; Hadfield, Ted

2003-01-01

The diagnosis of human cases of tularemia often relies upon the demonstration of an antibody response to Francisella tularensis or the direct culturing of the bacteria from the patient. Antibody response is not detectable until 2 weeks or more after infection, and culturing requires special media and suspicion of tularemia. In addition, handling live Francisella poses a risk to laboratory personnel due to the highly infectious nature of this pathogen. In an effort to develop a rapid diagnostic assay for tularemia, we investigated the use of TaqMan 5′ hydrolysis fluorogenic PCR to detect the organism in tissues of infected mice. Mice were infected to produce respiratory tularemia. The fopA and tul4 genes of F. tularensis were amplified from infected spleen, lung, liver, and kidney tissues sampled over a 5-day period. The samples were analyzed using the laboratory-based Applied Biosystems International 7900 and the Smiths Detection-Edgewood BioSeeq, a hand-held portable fluorescence thermocycler designed for use in the field. A comparison of culturing and PCR for detection of bacteria in infected tissues shows that culturing was more sensitive than PCR. However, the results for culture take 72 h, whereas PCR results were available within 4 h. PCR was able to detect infection in all the tissues tested. Lung tissue showed the earliest response at 2 days when tested with the ABI 7900 and in 3 days when tested with the BioSeeq. The results were in agreement between the ABI 7900 and the BioSeeq when presented with the same sample. Template preparation may account for the loss of sensitivity compared to culturing techniques. The hand-held BioSeeq thermocycler shows promise as an expedient means of forward diagnosis of infection in the field. PMID:12574268

Improving gross count gamma-ray logging in uranium mining with the NGRS probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carasco, C.; Pérot, B.; Ma, J.-L.; Toubon, H.; Dubille-Auchère, A.

2018-01-01

AREVA Mines and the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA Cadarache are collaborating to improve the sensitivity and precision of uranium concentration measurement by means of gamma ray logging. The determination of uranium concentration in boreholes is performed with the Natural Gamma Ray Sonde (NGRS) based on a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. The total gamma count rate is converted into uranium concentration using a calibration coefficient measured in concrete blocks with known uranium concentration in the AREVA Mines calibration facility located in Bessines, France. Until now, to take into account gamma attenuation in a variety of boreholes diameters, tubing materials, diameters and thicknesses, filling fluid densities and compositions, a semi-empirical formula was used to correct the calibration coefficient measured in Bessines facility. In this work, we propose to use Monte Carlo simulations to improve gamma attenuation corrections. To this purpose, the NGRS probe and the calibration measurements in the standard concrete blocks have been modeled with MCNP computer code. The calibration coefficient determined by simulation, 5.3 s-1.ppmU-1 ± 10%, is in good agreement with the one measured in Bessines, 5.2 s-1.ppmU-1. Based on the validated MCNP model, several parametric studies have been performed. For instance, the rock density and chemical composition proved to have a limited impact on the calibration coefficient. However, gamma self-absorption in uranium leads to a nonlinear relationship between count rate and uranium concentration beyond approximately 1% of uranium weight fraction, the underestimation of the uranium content reaching more than a factor 2.5 for a 50 % uranium weight fraction. Next steps will concern parametric studies with different tubing materials, diameters and thicknesses, as well as different borehole filling fluids representative of real measurement conditions.

COMPARISON OF GEOPROBE PRT AND AMS GVP SOIL-GAS SAMPLING SYSTEMS WITH DEDICATED VAPOR PROBES IN SANDY SOILS AT THE RAYMARK SUPERFUND SITE

EPA Science Inventory

A study was conducted near the Raymark Superfund Site in Stratford, Connecticut to compare results of soil-gas sampling using dedicated vapor probes, a truck-mounted direct-push technique - the Geoprobe Post-Run-Tubing (PRT) system, and a hand-held rotary hammer technique - the A...

Hands-Free Transcranial Color Doppler Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chin, Robert; Madala, Srihdar; Sattler, Graham

2012-01-01

Current transcranial color Doppler (TCD) transducer probes are bulky and difficult to move in tiny increments to search and optimize TCD signals. This invention provides miniature motions of a TCD transducer probe to optimize TCD signals. The mechanical probe uses spherical bearing in guiding and locating the tilting crystal face. The lateral motion of the crystal face as it tilts across the full range of motion was achieved by minimizing the distance between the pivot location and the crystal face. The smallest commonly available metal spherical bearing was used with an outer diameter of 12 mm, a 3-mm tall retaining ring, and 5-mm overall height. Small geared motors were used that would provide sufficient power in a very compact package. After confirming the validity of the basic positioning concept, optimization design loops were completed to yield the final design.

Demonstration of the B4C/NaIO4/PTFE Delay in the U.S. Army Hand-Held Signal

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-20

Figure 1. Partial cross section diagram of a hand-held signal showing the rocket motor , delay element, expelling charge, and pyrotechnic payload as...The black powder-based rocket motor , consisting of propellant pellets (G) encased in a cardboard tube, contains an axial core hole to accommodate the...that ignites the rocket motor . Simultaneously, the delay element is ignited and burns for an interval (preferably 5−6 s) before it ignites the black

Is it Time to Replace Physical Examination with a Hand-Held Ultrasound Device?

PubMed Central

Kaul, Sanjiv

2014-01-01

Attempts at using physical examination (PE) go back centuries, with inspection, palpation, and percussion being the mainstay of this approach until 2 centuries ago when the stethoscope was invented and auscultation became probably the most important element of PE for patients with known or suspected cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite its several limitations, PE is still used, sometimes as the only means, of evaluating and following patients with CVD. In this paper I shall argue for the substitution of this inaccurate and archaic approach by direct visualization of the heart using a hand-held ultrasound (HHU) device. I am not in any way suggesting the substitution of a comprehensive echocardiographic examination by an expert sonographer/echocardiographer by HHU in patients with significant CVD. Instead, I am arguing for the replacement of PE for evaluation of the heart at the point of care as well as at the bedside, simply because HHU is more accurate and provides more meaningful information. PMID:28465916

Is it Time to Replace Physical Examination with a Hand-Held Ultrasound Device?

PubMed

Kaul, Sanjiv

2014-01-01

Attempts at using physical examination (PE) go back centuries, with inspection, palpation, and percussion being the mainstay of this approach until 2 centuries ago when the stethoscope was invented and auscultation became probably the most important element of PE for patients with known or suspected cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite its several limitations, PE is still used, sometimes as the only means, of evaluating and following patients with CVD. In this paper I shall argue for the substitution of this inaccurate and archaic approach by direct visualization of the heart using a hand-held ultrasound (HHU) device. I am not in any way suggesting the substitution of a comprehensive echocardiographic examination by an expert sonographer/echocardiographer by HHU in patients with significant CVD. Instead, I am arguing for the replacement of PE for evaluation of the heart at the point of care as well as at the bedside, simply because HHU is more accurate and provides more meaningful information.

Rapid, chemical-free breaking of microfluidic emulsions with a hand-held antistatic gun

PubMed Central

Shahi, Payam; Abate, Adam R.

2017-01-01

Droplet microfluidics can form and process millions of picoliter droplets with speed and ease, allowing the execution of huge numbers of biological reactions for high-throughput studies. However, at the conclusion of most experiments, the emulsions must be broken to recover and analyze their contents. This is usually achieved with demulsifiers, like perfluorooctanol and chloroform, which can interfere with downstream reactions and harm cells. Here, we describe a simple approach to rapidly and efficiently break microfluidic emulsions, which requires no chemicals. Our method allows one-pot multi-step reactions, making it useful for large scale automated processing of reactions requiring demulsification. Using a hand-held antistatic gun, we pulse emulsions with the electric field, coalescing ∼100 μl of droplets in ∼10 s. We show that while emulsions broken with chemical demulsifiers exhibit potent PCR inhibition, the antistatic-broken emulsions amplify efficiently. The ability to break emulsions quickly without chemicals should make our approach valuable for most demulsification needs in microfluidics. PMID:28794817

Three-dimensional multispectral hand-held optoacoustic imaging with microsecond-level delayed laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deán-Ben, X. L.; Bay, Erwin; Razansky, Daniel

2015-03-01

Three-dimensional hand-held optoacoustic imaging comes with important advantages that prompt the clinical translation of this modality, with applications envisioned in cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease, disorders of the lymphatic system, breast cancer, arthritis or inflammation. Of particular importance is the multispectral acquisition of data by exciting the tissue at several wavelengths, which enables functional imaging applications. However, multispectral imaging of entire three-dimensional regions is significantly challenged by motion artefacts in concurrent acquisitions at different wavelengths. A method based on acquisition of volumetric datasets having a microsecond-level delay between pulses at different wavelengths is described in this work. This method can avoid image artefacts imposed by a scanning velocity greater than 2 m/s, thus, does not only facilitate imaging influenced by respiratory, cardiac or other intrinsic fast movements in living tissues, but can achieve artifact-free imaging in the presence of more significant motion, e.g., abrupt displacements during handheld-mode operation in a clinical environment.

Hand-held portable desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion source for in situ analysis of nitroaromatic explosives.

PubMed

Jjunju, Fred P M; Maher, Simon; Li, Anyin; Syed, Sarfaraz U; Smith, Barry; Heeren, Ron M A; Taylor, Stephen; Cooks, R Graham

2015-10-06

A novel, lightweight (0.6 kg), solvent- and gas-cylinder-free, hand-held ion source based on desorption atmospheric pressure chemical ionization has been developed and deployed for the analysis of nitroaromatic explosives on surfaces in open air, offering portability for in-field analysis. A small, inexpensive, rechargeable lithium polymer battery was used to power the custom-designed circuitry within the device, which generates up to ±5 kV dc voltage to ignite a corona discharge plasma in air for up to 12 h of continuous operation, and allowing positive- and negative-ion mass spectrometry. The generated plasma is pneumatically transported to the surface to be interrogated by ambient air at a rate of 1-3.5 L/min, compressed using a small on-board diaphragm pump. The plasma source allows liquid or solid samples to be examined almost instantaneously without any sample preparation in the open environment. The advantages of low carrier gas and low power consumption (<6 W), as well as zero solvent usage, have aided in developing the field-ready, hand-held device for trigger-based, "near-real-time" sampling/ionization. Individual nitroaromatic explosives (such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) can be easily detected in amounts as low as 5.8 pg with a linear dynamic range of at least 10 (10-100 pg), a relative standard deviation of ca. 7%, and an R(2) value of 0.9986. Direct detection of several nitroaromatic compounds in a complex mixture without prior sample preparation is demonstrated, and their identities are confirmed by tandem mass spectrometry fragmentation patterns.

So the Kids Are Busy, What Now? Teacher Perceptions of the Use of Hand-Held Game Consoles in West Australian Primary Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Rourke, John; Main, Susan; Ellis, Michelle

2013-01-01

Games technology in the form of hand-held game consoles (HGCs) when focussed on specific academic skill development has the capacity to engage students in learning and in turn produce positive academic results. This current research explores teacher perceptions of the implementation of HGCs to enhance the development of mental maths skills (namely…

Hand-held dynamic visual noise reduces naturally occurring food cravings and craving-related consumption.

PubMed

Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

2013-09-01

This study demonstrated the applicability of the well-established laboratory task, dynamic visual noise, as a technique for reducing naturally occurring food cravings and subsequent food intake. Dynamic visual noise was delivered on a hand-held computer device. Its effects were assessed within the context of a diary study. Over a 4-week period, 48 undergraduate women recorded their food cravings and consumption. Following a 2-week baseline, half the participants watched the dynamic visual noise display whenever they experienced a food craving. Compared to a control group, these participants reported less intense cravings. They were also less likely to eat following a craving and consequently consumed fewer total calories following craving. These findings hold promise for curbing unwanted food cravings and craving-driven consumption in real-world settings. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hand-Held Color Meters Based on Interference Filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, G. Jeffrey; Fleurial, Jean-Pierre; Caillat, Thierry; Chen, Gang; Yang, Rong Gui

2004-01-01

Small, inexpensive, hand-held optoelectronic color-measuring devices based on metal-film/dielectric-film interference filters are undergoing development. These color meters could be suitable for use in a variety of applications in which there are requirements to quantify or match colors for aesthetic purposes but there is no need for the high spectral resolution of scientific-grade spectrometers. Such applications typically occur in the paint, printing, and cosmetic industries, for example. The figure schematically depicts a color meter of this type being used to measure the color of a sample in terms of the spectrum of light reflected from the sample. Light from a white source (for example, a white light-emitting diode) passes through a collimating lens to the sample. Another lens collects some of the light reflected from the sample and focuses the light onto the input end of optical fiber. Light emerging from the output end of the optical fiber illuminates an array of photodetectors covered with metal/dielectric-film interference filters like those described in Metal/Dielectric-film Interference Color Filters (NPO-20217), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 23, No. 2 (February 1999), page 70. Typically, these are wide-band-pass filters, as shown at the bottom of the figure. The photodetector array need not be of any particular design: it could be something as simple as an assembly containing several photodiodes or something as elaborate as an active-pixel sensor or other imaging device. What is essential is that each of the photodetectors or each of several groups of photodetectors is covered with a metal/dielectric-film filter of a different color. In most applications, it would be desirable to have at least three different filters, each for a spectral band that contains one of the three primary additive red, green, and blue colors. In some applications, it may be necessary to have more than three different color filters in order to characterize subtle differences in color

Hand-held microwave search detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniels, David J.; Philippakis, Mike

2005-05-01

This paper describes the further development of a patented, novel, low cost, microwave search detector using noise radar technology operating in the 27-40GHz range of frequencies, initially reported in SPIE 2004. Initial experiments have shown that plastic explosives, ceramics and plastic material hidden on the body can be detected with the system. This paper considers the basic physics of the technique and reports on the development of a initial prototype system for hand search of suspects and addresses the work carried out on optimisation of PD and FAR. The radar uses a novel lens system and the design and modelling of this for optimum depth of field of focus will be reported.

Cellphone-Based Hand-Held Microplate Reader for Point-of-Care Testing of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays.

PubMed

Berg, Brandon; Cortazar, Bingen; Tseng, Derek; Ozkan, Haydar; Feng, Steve; Wei, Qingshan; Chan, Raymond Yan-Lok; Burbano, Jordi; Farooqui, Qamar; Lewinski, Michael; Di Carlo, Dino; Garner, Omai B; Ozcan, Aydogan

2015-08-25

Standard microplate based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are widely utilized for various nanomedicine, molecular sensing, and disease screening applications, and this multiwell plate batched analysis dramatically reduces diagnosis costs per patient compared to nonbatched or nonstandard tests. However, their use in resource-limited and field-settings is inhibited by the necessity for relatively large and expensive readout instruments. To mitigate this problem, we created a hand-held and cost-effective cellphone-based colorimetric microplate reader, which uses a 3D-printed opto-mechanical attachment to hold and illuminate a 96-well plate using a light-emitting-diode (LED) array. This LED light is transmitted through each well, and is then collected via 96 individual optical fibers. Captured images of this fiber-bundle are transmitted to our servers through a custom-designed app for processing using a machine learning algorithm, yielding diagnostic results, which are delivered to the user within ∼1 min per 96-well plate, and are visualized using the same app. We successfully tested this mobile platform in a clinical microbiology laboratory using FDA-approved mumps IgG, measles IgG, and herpes simplex virus IgG (HSV-1 and HSV-2) ELISA tests using a total of 567 and 571 patient samples for training and blind testing, respectively, and achieved an accuracy of 99.6%, 98.6%, 99.4%, and 99.4% for mumps, measles, HSV-1, and HSV-2 tests, respectively. This cost-effective and hand-held platform could assist health-care professionals to perform high-throughput disease screening or tracking of vaccination campaigns at the point-of-care, even in resource-poor and field-settings. Also, its intrinsic wireless connectivity can serve epidemiological studies, generating spatiotemporal maps of disease prevalence and immunity.

Hand-held Raman sensor head for in-situ characterization of meat quality applying a microsystem 671 nm diode laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Heinar; Sowoidnich, Kay; Maiwald, Martin; Sumpf, Bernd; Kronfeldt, Heinz-Detlef

2009-05-01

A hand-held Raman sensor head was developed for the in-situ characterization of meat quality. As light source, a microsystem based external cavity diode laser module (ECDL) emitting at 671 nm was integrated in the sensor head and attached to a miniaturized optical bench which contains lens optics for excitation and signal collection as well as a Raman filter stage for Rayleigh rejection. The signal is transported with an optical fiber to the detection unit which was in the initial phase a laboratory spectrometer with CCD detector. All elements of the ECDL are aligned on a micro optical bench with 13 x 4 mm2 footprint. The wavelength stability is provided by a reflection Bragg grating and the laser has an optical power of up to 200 mW. However, for the Raman measurements of meat only 35 mW are needed to obtain Raman spectra within 1 - 5 seconds. Short measuring times are essential for the hand-held device. The laser and the sensor head are characterized in terms of stability and performance for in-situ Raman investigations. The function is demonstrated in a series of measurements with raw and packaged pork meat as samples. The suitability of the Raman sensor head for the quality control of meat and other products will be discussed.

Sneaky Gamma-Rays: Using Gravitational Lensing to Avoid Gamma-Gamma-Absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boettcher, Markus; Barnacka, Anna

2014-08-01

It has recently been suggested that gravitational lensing studies of gamma-ray blazars might be a promising avenue to probe the location of the gamma-ray emitting region in blazars. Motivated by these prospects, we have investigated potential gamma-gamma absorption signatures of intervening lenses in the very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from lensedblazars. We considered intervening galaxies and individual stars within these galaxies. We find that the collective radiation field of galaxies acting as sources of macrolensing are not expected to lead to significant gamma-gamma absorption. Individual stars within intervening galaxies could, in principle, cause a significant opacity to gamma-gamma absorption for VHE gamma-rays if the impact parameter (the distance of closest approach of the gamma-ray to the center of the star) is small enough. However, we find that the curvature of the photon path due to gravitational lensing will cause gamma-ray photons to maintain a sufficiently large distance from such stars to avoid significant gamma-gamma absorption. This re-inforces the prospect of gravitational-lensing studies of gamma-ray blazars without interference due to gamma-gamma absorption due to the lensing objects.

Multiphoton microscopy system with a compact fiber-based femtosecond-pulse laser and handheld probe

PubMed Central

Liu, Gangjun; Kieu, Khanh; Wise, Frank W.; Chen, Zhongping

2012-01-01

We report on the development of a compact multiphoton microscopy (MPM) system that integrates a compact and robust fiber laser with a miniature probe. The all normal dispersion fiber femtosecond laser has a central wavelength of 1.06 μm, pulse width of 125 fs and average power of more than 1 W. A double cladding photonic crystal fiber was used to deliver the excitation beam and to collect the two-photon signal. The hand-held probe included galvanometer-based mirror scanners, relay lenses and a focusing lens. The packaged probe had a diameter of 16 mm. Second harmonic generation (SHG) images and two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) images of biological tissues were demonstrated using the system. MPM images of different biological tissues acquired by the compact system which integrates an FBFP laser, an DCPCF and a miniature handheld probe. PMID:20635426

Inter-Tester Reliability and Precision of Manual Muscle Testing and Hand-Held Dynamometry in Lower Limb Muscles of Children with Spina Bifida

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahony, Kate; Hunt, Adrienne; Daley, Deborah; Sims, Susan; Adams, Roger

2009-01-01

Reliability and measurement precision of manual muscle testing (MMT) and hand-held dynamometry (HHD) were compared for children with spina bifida. Strength measures were obtained of the hip flexors, hip abductors, and knee extensors of 20 children (10 males, 10 females; mean age 9 years 10 months; range: 5 to 15 years) by two experienced physical…

Assessment of isometric muscle strength and rate of torque development with hand-held dynamometry: Test-retest reliability and relationship with gait velocity after stroke.

PubMed

Mentiplay, Benjamin F; Tan, Dawn; Williams, Gavin; Adair, Brooke; Pua, Yong-Hao; Bower, Kelly J; Clark, Ross A

2018-04-27

Isometric rate of torque development examines how quickly force can be exerted and may resemble everyday task demands more closely than isometric strength. Rate of torque development may provide further insight into the relationship between muscle function and gait following stroke. Aims of this study were to examine the test-retest reliability of hand-held dynamometry to measure isometric rate of torque development following stroke, to examine associations between strength and rate of torque development, and to compare the relationships of strength and rate of torque development to gait velocity. Sixty-three post-stroke adults participated (60 years, 34 male). Gait velocity was assessed using the fast-paced 10 m walk test. Isometric strength and rate of torque development of seven lower-limb muscle groups were assessed with hand-held dynamometry. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated for reliability and Spearman's rho correlations were calculated for associations. Regression analyses using partial F-tests were used to compare strength and rate of torque development in their relationship with gait velocity. Good to excellent reliability was shown for strength and rate of torque development (0.82-0.97). Strong associations were found between strength and rate of torque development (0.71-0.94). Despite high correlations between strength and rate of torque development, rate of torque development failed to provide significant value to regression models that already contained strength. Assessment of isometric rate of torque development with hand-held dynamometry is reliable following stroke, however isometric strength demonstrated greater relationships with gait velocity. Further research should examine the relationship between dynamic measures of muscle strength/torque and gait after stroke. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeled Martian subsurface elemental composition measurements with the Probing In situ with Neutron and Gamma ray instrument: Gamma and Neutron Measurements on Mars

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

Nowicki, Suzanne F.; Evans, Larry G.; Starr, Richard D.

Here, the Probing In situ with Neutrons and Gamma rays (PING) instrument is an innovative application of active neutron-induced gamma-ray technology. The objective of PING is to measure the elemental composition of the Martian regolith. As part 2 of a two-part submission, this manuscript presents PING's sensitivities as a function of the Martian regolith depth and PING's uncertainties in the measurements as a function of observation time in passive and active mode. Part 1 of our submission models the associated regolith types. The modeled sensitivities show that in PING's active mode, where both a Pulsed Neutron Generator (PNG) and amore » Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) are used, PING can interrogate the material below the rover to about 20 cm due to the penetrating nature of the high-energy neutrons and the resulting secondary gamma rays observed with the GRS. PING is capable of identifying most major and minor rock-forming elements, including H, O, Na, Mn, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Cr, K, Ca, Ti, Fe and Th. The modeled uncertainties show that PING's use of a PNG reduces the required observation times by an order of magnitude over a passive operating mode where the PNG is turned off. While the active mode allows for more complete elemental inventories with higher sensitivity, the gamma-ray signatures of some elements are strong enough to detect in passive mode. We show that PING can detect changes in key marker elements and make thermal neutron measurements in about 1 minute that are sensitive to H and Cl.« less

Modeled Martian subsurface elemental composition measurements with the Probing In situ with Neutron and Gamma ray instrument: Gamma and Neutron Measurements on Mars

DOE PAGES

Nowicki, Suzanne F.; Evans, Larry G.; Starr, Richard D.; ...

2017-02-01

Here, the Probing In situ with Neutrons and Gamma rays (PING) instrument is an innovative application of active neutron-induced gamma-ray technology. The objective of PING is to measure the elemental composition of the Martian regolith. As part 2 of a two-part submission, this manuscript presents PING's sensitivities as a function of the Martian regolith depth and PING's uncertainties in the measurements as a function of observation time in passive and active mode. Part 1 of our submission models the associated regolith types. The modeled sensitivities show that in PING's active mode, where both a Pulsed Neutron Generator (PNG) and amore » Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) are used, PING can interrogate the material below the rover to about 20 cm due to the penetrating nature of the high-energy neutrons and the resulting secondary gamma rays observed with the GRS. PING is capable of identifying most major and minor rock-forming elements, including H, O, Na, Mn, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Cr, K, Ca, Ti, Fe and Th. The modeled uncertainties show that PING's use of a PNG reduces the required observation times by an order of magnitude over a passive operating mode where the PNG is turned off. While the active mode allows for more complete elemental inventories with higher sensitivity, the gamma-ray signatures of some elements are strong enough to detect in passive mode. We show that PING can detect changes in key marker elements and make thermal neutron measurements in about 1 minute that are sensitive to H and Cl.« less

CO2 laser myringotomy with a hand-held otoscope and fiber optic delivery system: animal experimentation and preclinical trials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeRowe, Ari; Ophir, Dov; Finkelstein, Y.; Katzir, Abraham

1993-07-01

CO2 laser myringotomy has previously been proven effective in patients with serous otitis media for short term aeration of the middle ear. However, the system based on a microscope and a coaxially aligned laser is cumbersome and expensive. Also, conventional optical fibers do not transmit CO2 laser energy ((lambda) equals 10.6 micrometers ). We have developed a silver halide optical fiber of diameter 0.9 mm and lengths of several meters, with high transmission at 10.6 micrometers . Using a hand held otoscope coupled to a fiberoptic delivery system CO2 laser myringotomies were performed first in guinea pigs and then in humans. In the animal model the feasibility of the procedure was proven. Different irradiation parameters were studied and a `dose dependent' relationship was found between the total energy used and the duration of a patent myringotomy. This system was used to perform CO2 laser myringotomies under local anesthesia in five patients with serous otitis media and conductive hearing loss. None of the patients complained of discomfort and no scarring was noted. All patients had subjective and audiometric documentation of hearing improvement. The average duration of a patent myringotomy was 21 days. In two patients the effusion recurred. CO2 laser myringotomy utilizing a hand held otoscope coupled to an optical fiber capable of transmitting CO2 laser energy may prove simple and effective in the treatment of serous otitis media.

Beyond Textbook Illustrations: Hand-Held Models of Ordered DNA and Protein Structures as 3D Supplements to Enhance Student Learning of Helical Biopolymers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jittivadhna, Karnyupha; Ruenwongsa, Pintip; Panijpan, Bhinyo

2010-01-01

Textbook illustrations of 3D biopolymers on printed paper, regardless of how detailed and colorful, suffer from its two-dimensionality. For beginners, computer screen display of skeletal models of biopolymers and their animation usually does not provide the at-a-glance 3D perception and details, which can be done by good hand-held models. Here, we…

Automatic detection of a hand-held needle in ultrasound via phased-based analysis of the tremor motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beigi, Parmida; Salcudean, Septimiu E.; Rohling, Robert; Ng, Gary C.

2016-03-01

This paper presents an automatic localization method for a standard hand-held needle in ultrasound based on temporal motion analysis of spatially decomposed data. Subtle displacement arising from tremor motion has a periodic pattern which is usually imperceptible in the intensity image but may convey information in the phase image. Our method aims to detect such periodic motion of a hand-held needle and distinguish it from intrinsic tissue motion, using a technique inspired by video magnification. Complex steerable pyramids allow specific design of the wavelets' orientations according to the insertion angle as well as the measurement of the local phase. We therefore use steerable pairs of even and odd Gabor wavelets to decompose the ultrasound B-mode sequence into various spatial frequency bands. Variations of the local phase measurements in the spatially decomposed input data is then temporally analyzed using a finite impulse response bandpass filter to detect regions with a tremor motion pattern. Results obtained from different pyramid levels are then combined and thresholded to generate the binary mask input for the Hough transform, which determines an estimate of the direction angle and discards some of the outliers. Polynomial fitting is used at the final stage to remove any remaining outliers and improve the trajectory detection. The detected needle is finally added back to the input sequence as an overlay of a cloud of points. We demonstrate the efficiency of our approach to detect the needle using subtle tremor motion in an agar phantom and in-vivo porcine cases where intrinsic motion is also present. The localization accuracy was calculated by comparing to expert manual segmentation, and presented in (mean, standard deviation and root-mean-square error) of (0.93°, 1.26° and 0.87°) and (1.53 mm, 1.02 mm and 1.82 mm) for the trajectory and the tip, respectively.

Micro-fluidic (Lab-on the- Chip) PCR Array Cartridge for Biological Screening in a Hand Held Device: FInal Report for CRADA no 264. PNNL-T2-258-RU with CombiMatrix Corp

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

Rainina, Evguenia I.

2010-10-31

The worldwide emergence of both new and old diseases resulting from human expansion and also human and materials mobility has and will continue to place stress on both medical and clinical diagnostics. The classical approach to bioagents detection involves the use of differential metabolic assays to determine species type in the case of most bacteria, or the use of cell culture and electron microscopy to diagnose viruses and some bacteria that are intracellular parasites. The long-term goal in bioagent detection is to develop a hand-held instrument featuring disposable cartridges which contain all the necessary reagents, reaction chambers, waste chambers, andmore » micro-fluidics to extract, concentrate, amplify, and analyze nucleic acids. This GIPP project began development of a sensory platform using nucleic-acid based probes. Although research was not completed, initial findings indicated that an advanced sensing device could theoretically be built on a DNA/RNA-based technology platform.« less

Utility of hand-held echocardiography in outpatient pediatric cardiology management.

PubMed

Riley, Alan; Sable, Craig; Prasad, Aparna; Spurney, Christopher; Harahsheh, Ashraf; Clauss, Sarah; Colyer, Jessica; Gierdalski, Marcin; Johnson, Ashley; Pearson, Gail D; Rosenthal, Joanna

2014-12-01

Adult patient series have shown hand-held echocardiography (echo) units (HHE) to be accurate for rapid diagnosis and triage. This is the first study to evaluate the ability of HHE to inform decision making in outpatient pediatric cardiology. New pediatric cardiology patients in outpatient clinics staffed by six pediatric cardiologists (experience 1-17 years) were prospectively enrolled if an echocardiogram (echo) was ordered during their initial visit. After history and physical examination and before a standard echo, the cardiologists performed a bedside HHE examination (GE Vscan 1.7-3.8 MHz), documented findings, and made a clinical decision. Diagnoses and decisions based on HHE were compared with final management after the standard echo. The study enrolled 101 subjects (ages 9 days to 19 years). The cardiologists considered HHE imaging adequate for decision making for 80 of the 101 subjects. For 77 of the 80 subjects with acceptable HHE imaging (68/68 normal and 9/12 abnormal standard echoes), the HHE-based primary diagnoses and decisions agreed with the final management. The sensitivity of HHE was 75 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 43-94 %) and the positive predictive value 100 % (95 % CI 66-100 %) for pediatric heart disease. The agreement between standard echocardiography and HHE imaging was substantial (κ = 0.82). Excluding one of the least experienced cardiologists, HHE provided the basis for correct cardiac diagnoses and management for all the subjects with acceptable HHE imaging (58/58 normal and 9/9 abnormal echoes). In outpatient pediatric cardiology, HHE has potential as a tool to complement physical examination. Further investigation is needed to evaluate how value improves with clinical experience.

Into the Wild: Neuroergonomic Differentiation of Hand-Held and Augmented Reality Wearable Displays during Outdoor Navigation with Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy.

PubMed

McKendrick, Ryan; Parasuraman, Raja; Murtza, Rabia; Formwalt, Alice; Baccus, Wendy; Paczynski, Martin; Ayaz, Hasan

2016-01-01

Highly mobile computing devices promise to improve quality of life, productivity, and performance. Increased situation awareness and reduced mental workload are two potential means by which this can be accomplished. However, it is difficult to measure these concepts in the "wild". We employed ultra-portable battery operated and wireless functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to non-invasively measure hemodynamic changes in the brain's Prefrontal cortex (PFC). Measurements were taken during navigation of a college campus with either a hand-held display, or an Augmented reality wearable display (ARWD). Hemodynamic measures were also paired with secondary tasks of visual perception and auditory working memory to provide behavioral assessment of situation awareness and mental workload. Navigating with an augmented reality wearable display produced the least workload during the auditory working memory task, and a trend for improved situation awareness in our measures of prefrontal hemodynamics. The hemodynamics associated with errors were also different between the two devices. Errors with an augmented reality wearable display were associated with increased prefrontal activity and the opposite was observed for the hand-held display. This suggests that the cognitive mechanisms underlying errors between the two devices differ. These findings show fNIRS is a valuable tool for assessing new technology in ecologically valid settings and that ARWDs offer benefits with regards to mental workload while navigating, and potentially superior situation awareness with improved display design.

Spectrophotometric probe

DOEpatents

Prather, W.S.; O'Rourke, P.E.

1994-08-02

A support structure is described bearing at least one probe for making spectrophotometric measurements of a fluid using a source of light and a spectrophotometer. The probe includes a housing with two optical fibers and a planoconvex lens. A sleeve bearing a mirror surrounds the housing. The lens is separated from the mirror by a fixed distance, defining an interior space for receiving a volume of the fluid sample. A plurality of throughholes extending through the sleeve communicate between the sample volume and the exterior of the probe, all but one hole bearing a screen. A protective jacket surrounds the probe. A hollow conduit bearing a tube is formed in the wall of the probe for venting any air in the interior space when fluid enters. The probe is held at an acute angle so the optic fibers carrying the light to and from the probe are not bent severely on emergence from the probe. 3 figs.

Spectrophotometric probe

DOEpatents

Prather, William S.; O'Rourke, Patrick E.

1994-01-01

A support structure bearing at least one probe for making spectrophotometric measurements of a fluid using a source of light and a spectrophotometer. The probe includes a housing with two optical fibers and a planoconvex lens. A sleeve bearing a mirror surrounds the housing. The lens is separated from the mirror by a fixed distance, defining an interior space for receiving a volume of the fluid sample. A plurality of throughholes extending through the sleeve communicate between the sample volume and the exterior of the probe, all but one hole bearing a screen. A protective jacket surrounds the probe. A hollow conduit bearing a tube is formed in the wall of the probe for venting any air in the interior space when fluid enters. The probe is held at an acute angle so the optic fibers carrying the light to and from the probe are not bent severely on emergence from the probe.

Novel hand-held device for exhaled nitric oxide-analysis in research and clinical applications.

PubMed

Hemmingsson, Tryggve; Linnarsson, Dag; Gambert, Rudolf

2004-12-01

Changes in expired nitric oxide (NO) occur in airway inflammation and have proved to be important in the monitoring of inflammatory disease processes such as asthma. We set out to develop a novel hand-held NO-analyzer with a performance comparable to the present more costly and complex chemiluminescence instruments. The new device is based on a specially designed electrochemical sensor, where we have developed a novel sampling and analysis technology, compensating for the relatively slow response properties of the electrochemical sensor technique. A Lowest Detection Limit in NO-analysis from reference gas tests of less than 3 ppb and a response time of 15 seconds together with an average precision in human breath measurements of 1.4 ppb were obtained. We also show an agreement with the existing 'gold standard' FENO measurement technique, within 0.5 ppb in a group of 19 subjects together with a high linearity and accuracy compared to reference gases. The new analyzer enables affordable monitoring of inflammatory airway diseases in research and routine clinical practice.

InfraCAM (trade mark): A Hand-Held Commercial Infrared Camera Modified for Spaceborne Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manitakos, Daniel; Jones, Jeffrey; Melikian, Simon

1996-01-01

In 1994, Inframetrics introduced the InfraCAM(TM), a high resolution hand-held thermal imager. As the world's smallest, lightest and lowest power PtSi based infrared camera, the InfraCAM is ideal for a wise range of industrial, non destructive testing, surveillance and scientific applications. In addition to numerous commercial applications, the light weight and low power consumption of the InfraCAM make it extremely valuable for adaptation to space borne applications. Consequently, the InfraCAM has been selected by NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) in Cleveland, Ohio, for use as part of the DARTFire (Diffusive and Radiative Transport in Fires) space borne experiment. In this experiment, a solid fuel is ignited in a low gravity environment. The combustion period is recorded by both visible and infrared cameras. The infrared camera measures the emission from polymethyl methacrylate, (PMMA) and combustion products in six distinct narrow spectral bands. Four cameras successfully completed all qualification tests at Inframetrics and at NASA Lewis. They are presently being used for ground based testing in preparation for space flight in the fall of 1995.

Formative Assessment Probes: Constructing Cl-Ev-R Explanations to Formative Assessment Probes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keeley, Page

2015-01-01

A distinguishing feature of all the formative assessment probes in the "Uncovering Student Ideas" series is that each probe has two parts: (1) a selected answer choice that usually mirrors the research on commonly held ideas students have about concepts or phenomena; and (2) an explanation that supports their answer choice. It is this…

Angular Distribution of Gamma-Ray Bursts: An Observational Probe of Cosmological Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mészáros, A.; Balázs, L. G.; Vavrek, R.; Horváth, I.; Bagoly, Z.

The test of the isotropy in the angular distribution of the gamma-ray bursts collected in BATSE Catalog (Meegan C. A. et al., http://www.batse.msfc.nasa.gov/data, 2000) is a test of cosmological principle itself, because the gamma-ray bursts are at cosmological distances. Several articles of the authors study this question (Balázs L. G., Mészáros A., & Horváth I., Astron. Astrophys., 339, 1, 1998; Balázs L. G., Mészáros A., Horváth I., & Vavrek R., Astron. Astrophys. Suppl., 138, 417, 1999; Mészáros A., Bagoly Z., & Vavrek R. Astron. Astrophys., in press, 2000). The final conclusion concerning the validity of isotropy is complicated both by instrumental effects and by the fact that there are three subgroups of gamma-ray bursts ("short", "intermediate", "long"; separation is done with respect to the duration of bursts). The long bursts are surely up to z ≃ 4 (z is the redshift); for the remaining two subclasses the redshifts are unknown. The done tests of isotropy suggest (after the elimination of instrumental effects) the existence of anisotropy for the intermediate subclass on the confidence level > 95%. On the other hand, for the remaining two subclasses the situation is unclear; there is no unambiguous rejection of isotropy for them yet on the higher than 95% confidence level. If the bursts of intermediate subclass are at high z-s (say, at, z > 0.1), then the validity of cosmological principle would be at a serious doubt.

Gamma rays as probe of fission and quasi-fission dynamics in the reaction 32S + 197Au near the Coulomb barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulcini, A.; Vardaci, E.; Kozulin, E.; Ashaduzzaman, M.; Borcea, C.; Bracco, A.; Brambilla, S.; Calinescu, S.; Camera, F.; Ciemala, M.; de Canditiis, B.; Dorvaux, O.; Harca, I. M.; Itkis, I.; Kirakosyan, V. V.; Knyazheva, G.; Kozulina, N.; Kolesov, I. V.; La Rana, G.; Maj, A.; Matea, I.; Novikov, K.; Petrone, C.; Quero, D.; Rath, P.; Saveleva, E.; Schmitt, C.; Sposito, G.; Stezowski, O.; Trzaska, W. H.; Wilson, J.

2018-05-01

Compound nucleus fission and quasi-fission are both binary decay channels whose common properties make the experimental separation between them difficult. A way to achieve this separation could be to probe the angular momentum of the binary fragments. This can be done detecting gamma rays in coincidence with the two fragments. As a case study, the reaction 32S + 197Au near the Coulomb barrier has been performed at the Tandem ALTO facility at IPN ORSAY. ORGAM and PARIS, two different gamma detectors arrays, are coupled with the CORSET detector, a two-arm time-of-flight spectrometer. TOF-TOF data were analyzed to reconstruct the mass-energy distribution of the primary fragments coupled with gamma multiplicity and spectroscopic analysis. Preliminary results of will be shown.

Drift from the Use of Hand-Held Knapsack Pesticide Sprayers in Boyacá (Colombian Andes).

PubMed

García-Santos, Glenda; Feola, Giuseppe; Nuyttens, David; Diaz, Jaime

2016-05-25

Offsite pesticide losses in tropical mountainous regions have been little studied. One example is measuring pesticide drift soil deposition, which can support pesticide risk assessment for surface water, soil, bystanders, and off-target plants and fauna. This is considered a serious gap, given the evidence of pesticide-related poisoning in those regions. Empirical data of drift deposition of a pesticide surrogate, Uranine tracer, within one of the highest potato-producing regions in Colombia, characterized by small plots and mountain orography, is presented. High drift values encountered in this study reflect the actual spray conditions using hand-held knapsack sprayers. Comparison between measured and predicted drift values using three existing empirical equations showed important underestimation. However, after their optimization based on measured drift information, the equations showed a strong predictive power for this study area and the study conditions. The most suitable curve to assess mean relative drift was the IMAG calculator after optimization.

Modeled Martian subsurface elemental composition measurements with the Probing In situ with Neutron and Gamma ray instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowicki, Suzanne F.; Evans, Larry G.; Starr, Richard D.; Schweitzer, Jeffrey S.; Karunatillake, Suniti; McClanahan, Timothy P.; Moersch, Jeffrey E.; Parsons, Ann M.; Tate, Christopher G.

2017-02-01

The Probing In situ with Neutron and Gamma ray (PING) instrument is an innovative application of active neutron-induced gamma ray technology. The objective of PING is to measure the elemental composition of the Martian regolith. This manuscript presents PING's sensitivities as a function of the Martian regolith depth and PING's uncertainties in the measurements as a function of observation time in passive and active mode. The modeled sensitivities show that in PING's active mode, where both a pulsed neutron generator (PNG) and a gamma ray spectrometer (GRS) are used, PING can interrogate the material below the rover to about 20 cm due to the penetrating nature of the high-energy neutrons and the resulting secondary gamma rays observed with the GRS. PING is capable of identifying most major and minor rock-forming elements, including H, O, Na, Mn, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Cr, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, and Th. The modeled uncertainties show that PING's use of a PNG reduces the required observation times by an order of magnitude over a passive operating mode where the PNG is turned off. While the active mode allows for more complete elemental inventories with higher sensitivity, the gamma ray signatures of some elements are strong enough to detect in passive mode. We show that PING can detect changes in key marker elements and make thermal neutron measurements in about 1 min that are sensitive to H and Cl.

Both hand position and movement direction modulate visual attention

PubMed Central

Festman, Yariv; Adam, Jos J.; Pratt, Jay; Fischer, Martin H.

2013-01-01

The current study explored effects of continuous hand motion on the allocation of visual attention. A concurrent paradigm was used to combine visually concealed continuous hand movements with an attentionally demanding letter discrimination task. The letter probe appeared contingent upon the moving right hand passing through one of six positions. Discrimination responses were then collected via a keyboard press with the static left hand. Both the right hand's position and its movement direction systematically contributed to participants' visual sensitivity. Discrimination performance increased substantially when the right hand was distant from, but moving toward the visual probe location (replicating the far-hand effect, Festman et al., 2013). However, this effect disappeared when the probe appeared close to the static left hand, supporting the view that static and dynamic features of both hands combine in modulating pragmatic maps of attention. PMID:24098288

Hands beat machines for collecting native seed

Treesearch

Mary Ann Davies; Scott Jensen

2008-01-01

A hedge trimmer (Garden Groom Pro) and a hand-held vacuum (Euro-Pro Shark) were tested to determine whether they might be more effective for collecting the seed of native plants than common hand methods. The common hand methods worked best.

Hands-on Science. Exploring Magnification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kepler, Lynne

1993-01-01

Presents hands-on science activities using inexpensive, hand-held microscopes and slides made from simple, readily available materials. The article describes how to introduce students to microscopes and presents directions for using the microscopes and making slides. A student page investigates fingerprints with microscopes. (SM)

An evolution of technologies and applications of gamma imagers in the nuclear cycle industry

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

Khalil, R. A.; Carrel, F.; Menaa, N.

The tracking of radiation contamination and distribution has become a high priority in the nuclear cycle industry in order to respect the ALARA principle which is a main challenge during decontamination and dismantling activities. To support this need, AREVA/CANBERRA and CEA LIST have been actively carrying out research and development on a gamma-radiation imager. In this paper we will present the new generation of gamma camera, called GAMPIX. This system is based on the Timepix chip, hybridized with a CdTe substrate. A coded mask could be used in order to increase the sensitivity of the camera. Moreover, due to themore » USB connection with a standard computer, this gamma camera is immediately operational and user-friendly. The final system is a very compact gamma camera (global weight is less than 1 kg without any shielding) which could be used as a hand-held device for radioprotection purposes. In this article, we present the main characteristics of this new generation of gamma camera and we expose experimental results obtained during in situ measurements. Even though we present preliminary results the final product is under industrialization phase to address various applications specifications. (authors)« less

Hand-Held Femtogram Detection of Hazardous Picric Acid with Hydrophobic Ag Nanopillar SERS Substrates and Mechanism of Elasto-Capillarity.

PubMed

Hakonen, Aron; Wang, FengChao; Andersson, Per Ola; Wingfors, Håkan; Rindzevicius, Tomas; Schmidt, Michael Stenbæk; Soma, Venugopal Rao; Xu, Shicai; Li, YingQi; Boisen, Anja; Wu, HengAn

2017-02-24

Picric acid (PA) is a severe environmental and security risk due to its unstable, toxic, and explosive properties. It is also challenging to detect in trace amounts and in situ because of its highly acidic and anionic character. Here, we assess sensing of PA under nonlaboratory conditions using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) silver nanopillar substrates and hand-held Raman spectroscopy equipment. The advancing elasto-capillarity effects are explained by molecular dynamics simulations. We obtain a SERS PA detection limit on the order of 20 ppt, corresponding attomole amounts, which together with the simple analysis methodology demonstrates that the presented approach is highly competitive for ultrasensitive analysis in the field.

Hand-transmitted vibration and biodynamic response of the human hand-arm: a critical review.

PubMed

Dong, R G; Rakheja, S; Schopper, A W; Han, B; Smutz, W P

2001-01-01

Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) has been associated with prolonged exposure to vibration transmitted to the human hand-arm system from hand-held power tools, vibrating machines, or hand-held vibrating workpieces. The biodynamic response of the human hand and arm to hand transmitted vibration (HTV) forms an essential basis for effective evaluations of exposures, vibration-attenuation mechanisms, and potential injury mechanisms. The biodynamic response to HTV and its relationship to HAVS are critically reviewed and discussed to highlight the advances and the need for further research. In view of its strong dependence on the nature of HTV and the lack of general agreement on the characteristics of HTV, the reported studies are first reviewed to enhance an understanding of HTV and related issues. The characteristics of HTV and relevant unresolved issues are discussed on the basis of measured data, proposed standards, and measurement methods, while the need for further developments in measurement systems is emphasized. The studies on biodynamic response and their findings are grouped into four categories based on the methodology used and the objective. These include studies on (1) through-the-hand-arm response, expressed in terms of vibration transmissibility; (2) to-the-hand response, expressed in terms of the force-motion relationship of the hand-arm system; (3) to-the-hand biodynamic response function, expressed in terms of vibration energy absorption; and (4) computer modeling of the biodynamic response characteristics.

The Probing In-Situ With Neutron and Gamma Rays (PING) Instrument for Planetary Composition Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2012-01-01

The Probing In situ with Neutrons and Gamma rays (PING) instrument (formerly named PNG-GRAND) [I] experiment is an innovative application of the active neutron-gamma ray technology successfully used in oil field well logging and mineral exploration on Earth over many decades. The objective of our active neutron-gamma ray technology program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC) is to bring PING to the point where it can be flown on a variety of surface lander or rover missions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, asteroids, comets and the satellites of the outer planets and measure their bulk surface and subsurface elemental composition without the need to drill into the surface. Gamma-Ray Spectrometers (GRS) have been incorporated into numerous orbital planetary science missions. While orbital measurements can map a planet, they have low spatial and elemental sensitivity due to the low surface gamma ray emission rates reSUlting from using cosmic rays as an excitation source, PING overcomes this limitation in situ by incorporating a powerful neutron excitation source that permits significantly higher elemental sensitivity elemental composition measurements. PING combines a 14 MeV deuterium-tritium Pulsed Neutron Generator (PNG) with a gamma ray spectrometer and two neutron detectors to produce a landed instrument that can determine the elemental composition of a planet down to 30 - 50 cm below the planet's surface, The penetrating nature of .5 - 10 MeV gamma rays and 14 MeV neutrons allows such sub-surface composition measurements to be made without the need to drill into or otherwise disturb the planetary surface, thus greatly simplifying the lander design, We are cun'ently testing a PING prototype at a unique outdoor neutron instrumentation test facility at NASA/GSFC that provides two large (1.8 m x 1.8 m x ,9 m) granite and basalt test formations placed outdoors in an empty field, Since an independent trace elemental analysis has been performed on both these

Into the Wild: Neuroergonomic Differentiation of Hand-Held and Augmented Reality Wearable Displays during Outdoor Navigation with Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

McKendrick, Ryan; Parasuraman, Raja; Murtza, Rabia; Formwalt, Alice; Baccus, Wendy; Paczynski, Martin; Ayaz, Hasan

2016-01-01

Highly mobile computing devices promise to improve quality of life, productivity, and performance. Increased situation awareness and reduced mental workload are two potential means by which this can be accomplished. However, it is difficult to measure these concepts in the “wild”. We employed ultra-portable battery operated and wireless functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to non-invasively measure hemodynamic changes in the brain’s Prefrontal cortex (PFC). Measurements were taken during navigation of a college campus with either a hand-held display, or an Augmented reality wearable display (ARWD). Hemodynamic measures were also paired with secondary tasks of visual perception and auditory working memory to provide behavioral assessment of situation awareness and mental workload. Navigating with an augmented reality wearable display produced the least workload during the auditory working memory task, and a trend for improved situation awareness in our measures of prefrontal hemodynamics. The hemodynamics associated with errors were also different between the two devices. Errors with an augmented reality wearable display were associated with increased prefrontal activity and the opposite was observed for the hand-held display. This suggests that the cognitive mechanisms underlying errors between the two devices differ. These findings show fNIRS is a valuable tool for assessing new technology in ecologically valid settings and that ARWDs offer benefits with regards to mental workload while navigating, and potentially superior situation awareness with improved display design. PMID:27242480

OCT-based angiography in real time with hand-held probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelikonov, Grigory V.; Moiseev, Alexander A.; Ksenofontov, Sergey Y.; Terpelov, Dmitry A.; Gelikonov, Valentine M.

2018-03-01

This work is dedicated to development of the OCT system capable to visualize blood vessel network for everyday clinical use. Following problems were solved during the development: compensation of specific natural tissue displacements, induced by contact scanning mode and physiological motion of patients (e.g. respiratory and cardiac motions) and on-line visualization of vessel net to provide the feedback for system operator.

21 CFR 872.4565 - Dental hand instrument.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Dental hand instrument. 872.4565 Section 872.4565...) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Surgical Devices § 872.4565 Dental hand instrument. (a) Identification. A dental hand instrument is a hand-held device intended to perform various tasks in general dentistry and...

21 CFR 872.4565 - Dental hand instrument.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Dental hand instrument. 872.4565 Section 872.4565...) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Surgical Devices § 872.4565 Dental hand instrument. (a) Identification. A dental hand instrument is a hand-held device intended to perform various tasks in general dentistry and...

21 CFR 872.4565 - Dental hand instrument.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Dental hand instrument. 872.4565 Section 872.4565...) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Surgical Devices § 872.4565 Dental hand instrument. (a) Identification. A dental hand instrument is a hand-held device intended to perform various tasks in general dentistry and...

21 CFR 872.4565 - Dental hand instrument.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Dental hand instrument. 872.4565 Section 872.4565...) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Surgical Devices § 872.4565 Dental hand instrument. (a) Identification. A dental hand instrument is a hand-held device intended to perform various tasks in general dentistry and...

21 CFR 872.4565 - Dental hand instrument.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Dental hand instrument. 872.4565 Section 872.4565...) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Surgical Devices § 872.4565 Dental hand instrument. (a) Identification. A dental hand instrument is a hand-held device intended to perform various tasks in general dentistry and...

Thresholds of whole-blood β-hydroxybutyrate and glucose concentrations measured with an electronic hand-held device to identify ovine hyperketonemia.

PubMed

Pichler, M; Damberger, A; Schwendenwein, I; Gasteiner, J; Drillich, M; Iwersen, M

2014-03-01

Metabolic disorders, especially hyperketonemia, are very common in dairy sheep. The whole-blood concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and glucose can be determined by commercially available electronic hand-held devices, which are used in human medicine and for the detection of ketosis in dairy cows. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the hand-held device Precision Xceed (PX; Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Park, IL) to detect hyperketonemia in ewes. An additional objective of this study was to evaluate the agreement between samples obtained by minimal invasive venipuncture of an ear vein and measurements of whole-blood samples from the jugular vein (vena jugularis, v. jug.). Blood samples taken from the v. jug. were collected from 358 ewes on 4 different farms. These samples and a blood drop obtained from an ear vein were analyzed simultaneously on farm with the PX. For method comparison, the samples obtained from the v. jug. were also analyzed by standard methods, which served as the gold standard at the Central Laboratory of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria. The correlation coefficients between the serum BHBA concentration and the concentrations measured with the hand-held meter in the whole blood from an ear vein and the v. jug. were 0.94 and 0.96, respectively. The correlation coefficients of plasma and whole-blood glucose concentration were 0.68 for the v. jug. and 0.47 for the ear vein. The mean glucose concentration was significantly lower in animals classified as hyperketonemic (BHBA ≥ 1.6 mmol/L) compared with healthy ewes. Whole-blood concentrations of BHBA and glucose measured with the PX from v. jug. showed a constant negative bias of 0.15 mmol/L and 8.4 mg/dL, respectively. Hence, a receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine thresholds for the PX to detect hyperketonemia in ewes. This resulted in thresholds for moderate ketosis of BHBA concentrations of 0.7 mmol/L in blood

Hand-held triangulation laser profilometer with audio output for blind people Profilométre laser à triangulation tenu en main avec sortie sonare pour non-voyants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farcy, R.; Damaschini, R.

1998-06-01

We describe a device currently under industrial development which will give to the blind a means of three-dimensional space perception. It consists of a 350 g hand-held triangulating laser telemeter including electronic parts and batteries, with auditory feedback either inside the apparatus or close to the ear. The microprocessor unit converts in real time the distance measured by the telemeter into a musical note. Scanning the space with an adequate movement of the hand produces musical lines corresponding to the profiles of the environment. We discuss the optical configuration of the system relative to our first year of clinical experimentation.

Optical Sensors for Monitoring Gamma and Neutron Radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyd, Clark D.

2011-01-01

For safety and efficiency, nuclear reactors must be carefully monitored to provide feedback that enables the fission rate to be held at a constant target level via adjustments in the position of neutron-absorbing rods and moderating coolant flow rates. For automated reactor control, the monitoring system should provide calibrated analog or digital output. The sensors must survive and produce reliable output with minimal drift for at least one to two years, for replacement only during refueling. Small sensor size is preferred to enable more sensors to be placed in the core for more detailed characterization of the local fission rate and fuel consumption, since local deviations from the norm tend to amplify themselves. Currently, reactors are monitored by local power range meters (LPRMs) based on the neutron flux or gamma thermometers based on the gamma flux. LPRMs tend to be bulky, while gamma thermometers are subject to unwanted drift. Both electronic reactor sensors are plagued by electrical noise induced by ionizing radiation near the reactor core. A fiber optic sensor system was developed that is capable of tracking thermal neutron fluence and gamma flux in order to monitor nuclear reactor fission rates. The system provides near-real-time feedback from small- profile probes that are not sensitive to electromagnetic noise. The key novel feature is the practical design of fiber optic radiation sensors. The use of an actinoid element to monitor neutron flux in fiber optic EFPI (extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric) sensors is a new use of material. The materials and structure used in the sensor construction can be adjusted to result in a sensor that is sensitive to just thermal, gamma, or neutron stimulus, or any combination of the three. The tested design showed low sensitivity to thermal and gamma stimuli and high sensitivity to neutrons, with a fast response time.

Flexible CMOS low-noise amplifiers for beyond-3G wireless hand-held devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becerra-Alvarez, Edwin C.; Sandoval-Ibarra, Federico; de la Rosa, José M.

2009-05-01

This paper explores the use of reconfigurable Low-Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) for the implementation of CMOS Radio Frequency (RF) front-ends in the next generation of multi-standard wireless transceivers. Main circuit strategies reported so far for multi-standard LNAs are reviewed and a novel flexible LNA intended for Beyond-3G RF hand-held terminals is presented. The proposed LNA circuit consists of a two-stage topology that combines inductive-source degeneration with PMOS-varactor based tuning network and a programmable load to adapt its performance to different standard specifications without penalizing the circuit noise and with a reduced number of inductors as compared to previous reported reconfigurable LNAs. The circuit has been designed in a 90-nm CMOS technology to cope with the requirements of the GSM, WCDMA, Bluetooth and WLAN (IEEE 802.11b-g) standards. Simulation results, including technology and packaging parasitics, demonstrate correct operation of the circuit for all the standards under study, featuring NF<2.8dB, S21>13.3dB and IIP3>10.9dBm, over a 1.85GHz-2.4GHz band, with an adaptive power consumption between 17mW and 22mW from a 1-V supply voltage. Preliminary experimental measurements are included, showing a correct reconfiguration operation within the operation band.

Automation Study for Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant Hand Held Signal Flight Assembly, Rocket Barrel Assembly, 40 MM Signal, Final Packaging/Pack-Out, and Star Finishing

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

J.B. Webb Jonesboro , AR Farmington, MI Crimping Press Joraco Drake Corp. Smithfield, RI Phoenix, AZ Die Cutter Roll Cut Peerless Machinery Co. Harbour...be taken are detailed for each assembly procedure. The report provides overall system integration requirements. The layouts of the two manufacturing...buildings are detailed. Several component changes to the Hand Held Signals are proposed. None of these will affect the operation of the-final product

Hand-Held Photometer for Instant On-Spot Quantification of Nucleic Acids, Proteins, and Cells.

PubMed

Li, Shi-Hao; Jain, Abhinav; Tscharntke, Timo; Arnold, Tobias; Trau, Dieter W

2018-02-20

This paper presents a novel hand-held photometer, termed "Photopette", for on-spot absorbance measurements of biochemical analytes. The Photopette is a multicomponent, highly portable device with an overall weight of 160 g, which fits within 202 mm × 47 mm × 42 mm. Designed in the form factor of a micropipette, Photopette integrates a photodiode detector with light emitting diodes (LEDs) to form a highly customizable photometer which supports a wide variety of applications within the wavelengths between 260 and 1050 nm. A dual-purpose disposable reflective tip was designed to act as a sample holder and a light-reflecting system, which is in stark contrast to the operation of mainstream spectrophotometers and photometers. Small volume analytes may be measured with low sample loss using this proprietary CuveTip. A user-friendly software application running on smart devices was developed to control and read the values from Photopette via a low-energy Bluetooth link. This one-step strategy allows measurements on-spot without sample transfer, minimizing cross-contamination and human error. The results reported in this paper demonstrate Photopette's great potential to quantify DNA, direct protein, and cell density directly within the laminar flow hood. Results are compared with a Nanodrop 2000c spectrophotometer, a mainstream spectrophotometer for small-volume measurements.

Surgical Force-Measuring Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tcheng, Ping; Roberts, Paul W.; Scott, Charles E.

1993-01-01

Aerodynamic balance adapted to medical use. Electromechanical probe measures forces and moments applied to human tissue during surgery. Measurements used to document optimum forces and moments for surgical research and training. In neurosurgical research, measurements correlated with monitored responses of nerves. In training, students learn procedures by emulating forces used by experienced surgeons. Lightweight, pen-shaped probe easily held by surgeon. Cable feeds output signals to processing circuitry.

Reliability and Validity of Isometric Knee Extensor Strength Test With Hand-Held Dynamometer Depending on Its Fixation: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Kim, Won Kuel; Seo, Kyung Mook; Kang, Si Hyun

2014-01-01

Objective To determine the reliability and validity of hand-held dynamometer (HHD) depending on its fixation in measuring isometric knee extensor strength by comparing the results with an isokinetic dynamometer. Methods Twenty-seven healthy female volunteers participated in this study. The subjects were tested in seated and supine position using three measurement methods: isometric knee extension by isokinetic dynamometer, non-fixed HHD, and fixed HHD. During the measurement, the knee joints of subjects were fixed at a 35° angle from the extended position. The fixed HHD measurement was conducted with the HHD fixed to distal tibia with a Velcro strap; non-fixed HHD was performed with a hand-held method without Velcro fixation. All the measurements were repeated three times and among them, the maximum values of peak torque were used for the analysis. Results The data from the fixed HHD method showed higher validity than the non-fixed method compared with the results of the isokinetic dynamometer. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) between fixed HHD and isokinetic dynamometer method were statistically significant (supine-right: r=0.806, p<0.05; seating-right: r=0.473, p<0.05; supine-left: r=0.524, p<0.05), whereas Pearson correlation coefficients between non-fixed dynamometer and isokinetic dynamometer methods were not statistically significant, except for the result of the supine position of the left leg (r=0.384, p<0.05). Both fixed and non-fixed HHD methods showed excellent inter-rater reliability. However, the fixed HHD method showed a higher reliability than the non-fixed HHD method by considering the intraclass correlation coefficient (fixed HHD, 0.952-0.984; non-fixed HHD, 0.940-0.963). Conclusion Fixation of HHD during measurement in the supine position increases the reliability and validity in measuring the quadriceps strength. PMID:24639931

Extra-oral dental radiography for disaster victims using a flat panel X-ray detector and a hand-held X-ray generator.

PubMed

Ohtani, M; Oshima, T; Mimasaka, S

2017-12-01

Forensic odontologists commonly incise the skin for post-mortem dental examinations when it is difficult to open the victim's mouth. However, it is prohibited by law to incise dead bodies without permission in Japan. Therefore, we attempted using extra-oral dental radiography, using a digital X-ray equipment with rechargeable batteries, to overcome this restriction. A phantom was placed in the prone position on a table, and three plain dental radiographs were used per case: "lateral oblique radiographs" for left and right posterior teeth and a "contact radiograph" for anterior teeth were taken using a flat panel X-ray detector and a hand-held X-ray generator. The resolving power of the images was measured by a resolution test chart, and the scattered X-ray dose was measured using an ionization chamber-type survey meter. The resolving power of the flat panel X-ray detector was 3.0 lp/mm, which was less than that of intra-oral dental methods, but the three extra-oral plain dental radiographs provided the overall dental information from outside of the mouth, and this approach was less time-consuming. In addition, the higher dose of scattered X-rays was laterally distributed, but the dose per case was much less than that of intra-oral dental radiographs. Extra-oral plain dental radiography can be used for disaster victim identification by dental methods even when it is difficult to open the mouth. Portable and rechargeable devices, such as a flat panel X-ray detector and a hand-held X-ray generator, are convenient to bring and use anywhere, even at a disaster scene lacking electricity and water.

3D indoor modeling using a hand-held embedded system with multiple laser range scanners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Shaoxing; Wang, Duhu; Xu, Shike

2016-10-01

Accurate three-dimensional perception is a key technology for many engineering applications, including mobile mapping, obstacle detection and virtual reality. In this article, we present a hand-held embedded system designed for constructing 3D representation of structured indoor environments. Different from traditional vehicle-borne mobile mapping methods, the system presented here is capable of efficiently acquiring 3D data while an operator carrying the device traverses through the site. It consists of a simultaneous localization and mapping(SLAM) module, a 3D attitude estimate module and a point cloud processing module. The SLAM is based on a scan matching approach using a modern LIDAR system, and the 3D attitude estimate is generated by a navigation filter using inertial sensors. The hardware comprises three 2D time-flight laser range finders and an inertial measurement unit(IMU). All the sensors are rigidly mounted on a body frame. The algorithms are developed on the frame of robot operating system(ROS). The 3D model is constructed using the point cloud library(PCL). Multiple datasets have shown robust performance of the presented system in indoor scenarios.

Radioimmunoguided surgery using iodine 125 B72. 3 in patients with colorectal cancer

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

Cohen, A.M.; Martin, E.W. Jr.; Lavery, I.

1991-03-01

Preliminary data using B72.3 murine monoclonal antibody labeled with iodine 125 suggested that both clinically apparent as well as occult sites of colorectal cancer could be identified intraoperatively using a hand-held gamma detecting probe. We report the preliminary data of a multicenter trial of this approach in patients with primary or recurrent colorectal cancer. One hundred four patients with primary, suspected, or known recurrent colorectal cancer received an intravenous infusion of 1 mg of B72.3 monoclonal antibody radiolabeled with 7.4 x 10 Bq of iodine 125. Twenty-six patients with primary colorectal cancer and 72 patients with recurrent colorectal cancer weremore » examined. Using the gamma detecting probe, 78% of the patients had localization of the antibody in their tumor; this included 75% of primary tumor sites and 63% of all recurrent tumor sites; 9.2% of all tumor sites identified represented occult sites detected only with the gamma detecting probe. The overall sensitivity was 77% and a predictive value of a positive detection was 78%. A total of 30 occult sites in 26 patients were identified. In patients with recurrent cancer, the antibody study provided unique data that precluded resection in 10 patients, and in another eight patients it extended the potentially curative procedure.« less

Development of a Minimum Performance Standard for Hand-Held Fire Extinguishers as a Replacement for Halon 1211 on Civilian Transport Category Aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, Harry

2002-08-01

One or more Halon 1211 hand-held fire extinguishers are specified in Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 25.851 as a requirement on transport category aircraft with 31 or more seats. Halon 1211 has been linked to the destruction of the ozone layer and production of new Halon 1211 has been halted per the Montreal Protocol in 1993. The phase out of Halon 1211, as the hand-held firefighting agent of choice, for civilian transport category aircraft has necessitated the development of a Minimum Performance Standard (MPS) to evaluate replacement agents. The purpose of the MPS is to insure that there is no reduction in safety, both in terms of effectiveness in fighting onboard fires and toxicity to the passengers and crew. The MPS specifies two new tests that replacement agents must pass in addition to requiring national certifications such as provided by Underwriters Laboratories. The first test evaluates the "flooding" characteristics of the agent against a hidden in-flight fire. This test determines the ability of a streaming agent to function as a flooding agent. The second test evaluates the performance of the agent in fighting a terrorist fire scenario and the associated toxicity hazard. This test measures the agent's ability to extinguish a triple-seat fire in an aircraft cabin under in-flight conditions and the toxicity characteristics of both the neat agent and the products of decomposition. This MPS will insure that the replacement agents will meet or exceed the performance of Halon 1211 both in fighting fires and maintaining a safe breathing environment in aircraft cabins.

Suitability of capillary blood obtained by a minimally invasive lancet technique to detect subclinical ketosis in dairy cows by using 3 different electronic hand-held devices.

PubMed

Kanz, P; Drillich, M; Klein-Jöbstl, D; Mair, B; Borchardt, S; Meyer, L; Schwendenwein, I; Iwersen, M

2015-09-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of capillary blood obtained by a minimally invasive lancet technique to detect subclinical ketosis in 49 prepartum and 191 postpartum Holstein-Friesian cows using 3 different electronic hand-held devices [FreeStyle Precision (FSP, Abbott), GlucoMen LX Plus (GLX, A. Menarini), NovaVet (NOV, Nova Biomedical)]. The β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentration in serum harvested from coccygeal blood samples was analyzed in a laboratory and used as a reference value. Capillary samples were obtained from the skin of the exterior vulva by using 1 of 3 different lancets. In all samples, the concentration of BHBA was immediately analyzed with all 3 hand-held devices used in random order. All lancets used in the study were eligible for capillary blood collection but differed in the total number of incisions needed. Spearman correlation coefficients between the BHBA concentrations in capillary blood and the reference test were highly significant with 83% for the FSP, 73% for the NOV, and 63% for the GLX. Using capillary blood, the FSP overestimated the mean BHBA concentration compared with the reference test (+0.08 mmol/L), whereas the GLX and NOV underestimated the mean concentration (-0.07 and -0.01 mmol/L). When a BHBA concentration of 1.2 mmol/L in serum was used to define subclinical ketosis, the corresponding analyses of receiver operating characteristics resulted in optimized thresholds for capillary blood of 1.1 mmol/L for the NOV and GLX devices, and of 1.0 mmol/L for the FSP. Based on these thresholds, sensitivities (Se) and specificities (Sp) were 89 and 84% for the NOV, 80 and 89% for the GLX, and 100 and 76% for the FSP. Based on a serum BHBA concentration of 1.4 mmol/L, analyses of receiver operating characteristics resulted in optimized cut-offs of 1.4 mmol/L for the FSP (Se 100%, Sp 92%), 1.3 mmol/L for the NOV (Se 80%, Sp 95%), and 1.1 mmol/L (Se 90%, Sp 85%) for the GLX. Using these optimized thresholds

Learning "Hands On."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritter, Janice T.

2001-01-01

Discusses a computer teacher's incorporation of hand-held computer technology into her third- and fifth-grade students' study of acid rain. The project successfully brought two grade levels together for cross-grade research, provided an opportunity for classroom teachers and technology specialists to work collaboratively, and enhanced students'…

Hand-arm vibration disorder among grass-cutter workers in Malaysia.

PubMed

Azmir, Nor Azali; Ghazali, Mohd Imran; Yahya, Musli Nizam; Ali, Mohamad Hanafi

2016-09-01

Prolonged exposure to hand-transmitted vibration from grass-cutting machines has been associated with increasing occurrences of symptoms and signs of occupational diseases related to hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). A cross-sectional study was carried out using an adopted HAVS questionnaire on hand-arm vibration exposure and symptoms distributed to 168 male workers from the grass and turf maintenance industry who use hand-held grass-cutting machines as part of their work. The prevalence ratio and symptom correlation to HAVS between high and low-moderate exposure risk groups were evaluated. There were positive HAVS symptoms relationships between the low-moderate exposure group and the high exposure group among hand-held grass-cutting workers. The prevalence ratio was considered high because there were indicators that fingers turned white and felt numb, 3.63, 95% CI [1.41, 9.39] and 4.24, 95% CI [2.18, 8.27], respectively. Less than 14.3% of workers stated that they were aware of the occupational hand-arm vibration, and it seemed to be related to the finger blanching and numbness. The results suggest that HAVS is under-diagnosed in Malaysia, especially in the agricultural sectors. More information related to safety and health awareness programmes for HAVS exposure is required among hand-held grass-cutting workers.

Sizing up the population of gamma-ray binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubus, Guillaume; Guillard, Nicolas; Petrucci, Pierre-Olivier; Martin, Pierrick

2017-12-01

Context. Gamma-ray binaries are thought to be composed of a young pulsar in orbit around a massive O or Be star with their gamma-ray emission powered by pulsar spin-down. The number of such systems in our Galaxy is not known. Aims: We aim to estimate the total number of gamma-ray binaries in our Galaxy and to evaluate the prospects for new detections in the GeV and TeV energy range, taking into account that their gamma-ray emission is modulated on the orbital period. Methods: We modelled the population of gamma-ray binaries and evaluated the fraction of detected systems in surveys with the Fermi-LAT (GeV), H.E.S.S., HAWC and CTA (TeV) using observation-based and synthetic template light curves. Results: The detected fraction depends more on the orbit-average flux than on the light-curve shape. Our best estimate for the number of gamma-ray binaries is 101-52+89 systems. A handful of discoveries are expected by pursuing the Fermi-LAT survey. Discoveries in TeV surveys are less likely. However, this depends on the relative amounts of power emitted in GeV and TeV domains. There could be as many as ≈ 200 HESS J0632+057-like systems with a high ratio of TeV to GeV emission compared to other gamma-ray binaries. Statistics allow for as many as three discoveries in five years of HAWC observations and five discoveries in the first two years of the CTA Galactic Plane survey. Conclusions: We favour continued Fermi-LAT observations over ground-based TeV surveys to find new gamma-ray binaries. Gamma-ray observations are most sensitive to short orbital period systems with a high spin-down pulsar power. Radio pulsar surveys (SKA) are likely to be more efficient in detecting long orbital period systems, providing a complementary probe into the gamma-ray binary population.

Assessment of Lower Limb Muscle Strength and Power Using Hand-Held and Fixed Dynamometry: A Reliability and Validity Study

PubMed Central

Perraton, Luke G.; Bower, Kelly J.; Adair, Brooke; Pua, Yong-Hao; Williams, Gavin P.; McGaw, Rebekah

2015-01-01

Introduction Hand-held dynamometry (HHD) has never previously been used to examine isometric muscle power. Rate of force development (RFD) is often used for muscle power assessment, however no consensus currently exists on the most appropriate method of calculation. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability of different algorithms for RFD calculation and to examine the intra-rater, inter-rater, and inter-device reliability of HHD as well as the concurrent validity of HHD for the assessment of isometric lower limb muscle strength and power. Methods 30 healthy young adults (age: 23±5yrs, male: 15) were assessed on two sessions. Isometric muscle strength and power were measured using peak force and RFD respectively using two HHDs (Lafayette Model-01165 and Hoggan microFET2) and a criterion-reference KinCom dynamometer. Statistical analysis of reliability and validity comprised intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Pearson correlations, concordance correlations, standard error of measurement, and minimal detectable change. Results Comparison of RFD methods revealed that a peak 200ms moving window algorithm provided optimal reliability results. Intra-rater, inter-rater, and inter-device reliability analysis of peak force and RFD revealed mostly good to excellent reliability (coefficients ≥ 0.70) for all muscle groups. Concurrent validity analysis showed moderate to excellent relationships between HHD and fixed dynamometry for the hip and knee (ICCs ≥ 0.70) for both peak force and RFD, with mostly poor to good results shown for the ankle muscles (ICCs = 0.31–0.79). Conclusions Hand-held dynamometry has good to excellent reliability and validity for most measures of isometric lower limb strength and power in a healthy population, particularly for proximal muscle groups. To aid implementation we have created freely available software to extract these variables from data stored on the Lafayette device. Future research should examine the reliability

An embedded system developed for hand held assay used in water monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Lin; Wang, Jianwei; Ramakrishna, Bharath; Hsueh, Mingkai; Liu, Jonathan; Wu, Qufei; Wu, Chao-Cheng; Cao, Mang; Chang, Chein-I.; Jensen, Janet L.; Jensen, James O.; Knapp, Harlan; Daniel, Robert; Yin, Ray

2005-11-01

The US Army Joint Service Agent Water Monitor (JSAWM) program is currently interested in an approach that can implement a hardware- designed device in ticket-based hand-held assay (currently being developed) used for chemical/biological agent detection. This paper presents a preliminary investigation of the proof of concept. Three components are envisioned to accomplish the task. One is the ticket development which has been undertaken by the ANP, Inc. Another component is the software development which has been carried out by the Remote Sensing Signal and Image Processing Laboratory (RSSIPL) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). A third component is an embedded system development which can be used to drive the UMBC-developed software to analyze the ANP-developed HHA tickets on a small pocket-size device like a PDA. The main focus of this paper is to investigate the third component that is viable and is yet to be explored. In order to facilitate to prove the concept, a flatbed scanner is used to replace a ticket reader to serve as an input device. The Stargate processor board is used as the embedded System with Embedded Linux installed. It is connected to an input device such as scanner as well as output devices such as LCD display or laptop etc. It executes the C-Coded processing program developed for this embedded system and outputs its findings on a display device. The embedded system to be developed and investigated in this paper is the core of a future hardware device. Several issues arising in such an embedded system will be addressed. Finally, the proof-of-concept pilot embedded system will be demonstrated.

GAMMA-RAY AND HARD X-RAY EMISSION FROM PULSAR-AIDED SUPERNOVAE AS A PROBE OF PARTICLE ACCELERATION IN EMBRYONIC PULSAR WIND NEBULAE

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

Murase, Kohta; Kashiyama, Kazumi; Kiuchi, Kenta

2015-05-20

It has been suggested that some classes of luminous supernovae (SNe) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are driven by newborn magnetars. Fast-rotating proto-neutron stars have also been of interest as potential sources of gravitational waves (GWs). We show that for a range of rotation periods and magnetic fields, hard X-rays and GeV gamma rays provide us with a promising probe of pulsar-aided SNe. It is observationally known that young pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) in the Milky Way are very efficient lepton accelerators. We argue that, if embryonic PWNe satisfy similar conditions at early stages of SNe (in ∼1–10 months after themore » explosion), external inverse-Compton emission via upscatterings of SN photons is naturally expected in the GeV range as well as broadband synchrotron emission. To fully take into account the Klein–Nishina effect and two-photon annihilation process that are important at early times, we perform detailed calculations including electromagnetic cascades. Our results suggest that hard X-ray telescopes such as NuSTAR can observe such early PWN emission by follow-up observations in months to years. GeV gamma-rays may also be detected by Fermi for nearby SNe, which serve as counterparts of these GW sources. Detecting the signals will give us an interesting probe of particle acceleration at early times of PWNe, as well as clues to driving mechanisms of luminous SNe and GRBs. Since the Bethe–Heitler cross section is lower than the Thomson cross section, gamma rays would allow us to study subphotospheric dissipation. We encourage searches for high-energy emission from nearby SNe, especially SNe Ibc including super-luminous objects.« less

Intraoperative detection of 18F-FDG-avid tissue sites using the increased probe counting efficiency of the K-alpha probe design and variance-based statistical analysis with the three-sigma criteria

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Intraoperative detection of 18F-FDG-avid tissue sites during 18F-FDG-directed surgery can be very challenging when utilizing gamma detection probes that rely on a fixed target-to-background (T/B) ratio (ratiometric threshold) for determination of probe positivity. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the counting efficiency and the success rate of in situ intraoperative detection of 18F-FDG-avid tissue sites (using the three-sigma statistical threshold criteria method and the ratiometric threshold criteria method) for three different gamma detection probe systems. Methods Of 58 patients undergoing 18F-FDG-directed surgery for known or suspected malignancy using gamma detection probes, we identified nine 18F-FDG-avid tissue sites (from amongst seven patients) that were seen on same-day preoperative diagnostic PET/CT imaging, and for which each 18F-FDG-avid tissue site underwent attempted in situ intraoperative detection concurrently using three gamma detection probe systems (K-alpha probe, and two commercially-available PET-probe systems), and then were subsequently surgical excised. Results The mean relative probe counting efficiency ratio was 6.9 (± 4.4, range 2.2–15.4) for the K-alpha probe, as compared to 1.5 (± 0.3, range 1.0–2.1) and 1.0 (± 0, range 1.0–1.0), respectively, for two commercially-available PET-probe systems (P < 0.001). Successful in situ intraoperative detection of 18F-FDG-avid tissue sites was more frequently accomplished with each of the three gamma detection probes tested by using the three-sigma statistical threshold criteria method than by using the ratiometric threshold criteria method, specifically with the three-sigma statistical threshold criteria method being significantly better than the ratiometric threshold criteria method for determining probe positivity for the K-alpha probe (P = 0.05). Conclusions Our results suggest that the improved probe counting efficiency of the K-alpha probe design used in

Optimization of the extent of surgical treatment in patients with stage I in cervical cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernyshova, A. L.; Kolomiets, L. A.; Sinilkin, I. G.; Chernov, V. I.; Lyapunov, A. Yu.

2016-08-01

The study included 26 patients with FIGO stage Ia1-Ib1 cervical cancer who underwent fertility-sparing surgery (transabdominaltrachelectomy). To visualize sentinel lymph nodes, lymphoscintigraphy with injection of 99mTc-labelled nanocolloid was performed the day before surgery. Intraoperative identification of sentinel lymph nodes using hand-held gamma probe was carried out to determine the radioactive counts over the draining lymph node basin. The sentinel lymph node detection in cervical cancer patients contributes to the accurate clinical assessment of the pelvic lymph node status, precise staging of the disease and tailoring of surgical treatment to individual patient.

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

Chernyshova, A. L.; Lyapunov, A. Yu., E-mail: Lyapunov1720.90@mail.ru; Kolomiets, L. A.

The study included 26 patients with FIGO stage Ia1–Ib1 cervical cancer who underwent fertility-sparing surgery (transabdominaltrachelectomy). To visualize sentinel lymph nodes, lymphoscintigraphy with injection of 99mTc-labelled nanocolloid was performed the day before surgery. Intraoperative identification of sentinel lymph nodes using hand-held gamma probe was carried out to determine the radioactive counts over the draining lymph node basin. The sentinel lymph node detection in cervical cancer patients contributes to the accurate clinical assessment of the pelvic lymph node status, precise staging of the disease and tailoring of surgical treatment to individual patient.

Development of the Probing In-Situ with Neutron and Gamma Rays (PING) Instrument for Planetary Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, A.; Bodnarik, J.; Burger, D.; Evans, L.; Floyd, S; Lim, L.; McClanahan, T.; Namkung, M.; Nowicki, S.; Schweitzer, J.;

Hand function in workers with hand-arm vibration syndrome.

PubMed

Cederlund, R; Isacsson, A; Lundborg, G

1999-01-01

Hand-arm vibration syndrome has been specially addressed in the Scandinavian countries in recent years, but the syndrome is still not sufficiently recognized in many countries. The object of this preliminary study was to describe the nature and character of vibration-induced impairment in the hands of exposed workers. Twenty symptomatic male workers (aged 28 to 65 years) subjected to vibration by hand-held tools were interviewed about subjective symptoms and activities of daily living and were assessed with a battery of objective tests for sensibility, dexterity, grip function, and grip strength. The test results were compared with normative data. The majority of patients complained of cold intolerance, numbness, pain, sensory impairment, and difficulties in handling manual tools and in handwriting. The various objective tests showed considerable variation in indications of pathologic outcome, revealing differences in sensitivity to detect impaired hand function. Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing for perception of light touch-deep pressure sensation, the small-object shape identification test, and moving two-point discrimination testing for functional sensibility provided the most indications of pathologic outcomes. The authors conclude that vibration-exposed patients present considerable impairment in hand function.

Prosthetic Hand Lifts Heavy Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carden, James R.; Norton, William; Belcher, Jewell G.; Vest, Thomas W.

1991-01-01

Prosthetic hand designed to enable amputee to lift diverse heavy objects like rocks and logs. Has simple serrated end effector with no moving parts. Prosthesis held on forearm by system of flexible straps. Features include ruggedness, simplicity, and relatively low cost.

Breast-density assessment with hand-held ultrasound: A novel biomarker to assess breast cancer risk and to tailor screening?

PubMed

Sanabria, Sergio J; Goksel, Orcun; Martini, Katharina; Forte, Serafino; Frauenfelder, Thomas; Kubik-Huch, Rahel A; Rominger, Marga B

2018-03-19

To assess feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of a novel hand-held ultrasound (US) method for breast density assessment that measures the speed of sound (SoS), in comparison to the ACR mammographic (MG) categories. ACR-MG density (a=fatty to d=extremely dense) and SoS-US were assessed in the retromamillary, inner and outer segments of 106 women by two radiographers. A conventional US system was used for SoS-US. A reflector served as timing reference for US signals transmitted through the breasts. Four blinded readers assessed average SoS (m/s), ΔSoS (segment-variation SoS; m/s) and the ACR-MG density. The highest SoS and ΔSoS values of the three segments were used for MG-ACR whole breast comparison. SoS-US breasts were examined in <2 min. Mean SoS values of densities a-d were 1,421 m/s (SD 14), 1,432 m/s (SD 17), 1,448 m/s (SD 20) and 1,500 m/s (SD 31), with significant differences between all groups (p<0.001). The SoS-US comfort scores and inter-reader agreement were significantly better than those for MG (1.05 vs. 2.05 and 0.982 vs. 0.774; respectively). A strong segment correlation between SoS and ACR-MG breast density was evident (r s =0.622, p=<0.001) and increased for full breast classification (r s =0.746, p=<0.001). SoS-US allowed diagnosis of dense breasts (ACR c and d) with sensitivity 86.2 %, specificity 85.2 % and AUC 0.887. Using hand-held SoS-US, radiographers measured breast density without discomfort, readers evaluated measurements with high inter-reader agreement, and SoS-US correlated significantly with ACR-MG breast-density categories. • The novel speed-of-sound ultrasound correlated significantly with mammographic ACR breast density categories. • Radiographers measured breast density without women discomfort or radiation. • SoS-US can be implemented on a standard US machine. • SoS-US shows potential for a quantifiable, cost-effective assessment of breast density.

Hand-held, mechanically cooled, radiation detection system for gamma-ray spectroscopy

DOEpatents

Burks, Morgan Thomas; Eckels, Joel Del

2010-06-08

In one embodiment, a radiation detection system is provided including a radiation detector and a first enclosure encapsulating the radiation detector, the first enclosure including a low-emissivity infra-red (IR) reflective coating used to thermally isolate the radiation detector. Additionally, a second enclosure encapsulating the first enclosure is included, the first enclosure being suspension mounted to the second enclosure. Further, a cooler capable of cooling the radiation detector is included. Still yet, a first cooling interface positioned on the second enclosure is included for coupling the cooler and the first enclosure. Furthermore, a second cooling interface positioned on the second enclosure and capable of coupling the first enclosure to a cooler separate from the radiation detection system is included. Other embodiments are also presented.

Reproducibility of corneal astigmatism measurements with a hand held keratometer in preschool children.

PubMed Central

Harvey, E M; Miller, J M; Dobson, V

1995-01-01

AIMS--To evaluate the overall accuracy and reproducibility of the Alcon portable autokeratometer (PAK) measurements in infants and young children. METHODS--The accuracy of the Alcon PAK in measuring toric reference surfaces (1, 3, 5, and 7 D) under various suboptimal measurement conditions was assessed, and the reproducibility of PAK measurements of corneal astigmatism in newborn infants (n = 5), children (n = 19, age 3-5 years), and adults (n = 14) was evaluated. RESULTS--Measurements of toric reference surfaces indicated (a) no significant effect of distance (17-30 mm) on accuracy of measurements, (b) no systematic relation between amount of toricity and accuracy of measurements, (c) no systematic relation between angle of measurement and accuracy, (d) no difference in accuracy of measurements when the PAK is hand held in comparison with when it is mounted, (e) no difference in accuracy of measurements when axis of toricity is oriented obliquely than when it is oriented horizontally, with respect to the PAK, and (f) a small positive bias (+0.16 D) in measurement of spherical equivalent. The PAK did not prove useful for screening newborns. However, measurements were successfully obtained from 18/19 children and 14/14 adults. There was no significant difference in median measurement deviation (deviation of a subject's five measurements from his/her mean) between children (0.21 D) and adults (0.13 D). CONCLUSIONS--The PAK produces accurate measurements of surface curvature under a variety of suboptimal conditions. Variability of PAK measurements in preschool children is small enough to suggest that it would be useful for screening for corneal astigmatism in young children. PMID:8534668

Hand-held dynamometry in patients with haematological malignancies: Measurement error in the clinical assessment of knee extension strength

PubMed Central

Knols, Ruud H; Aufdemkampe, Geert; de Bruin, Eling D; Uebelhart, Daniel; Aaronson, Neil K

2009-01-01

Background Hand-held dynamometry is a portable and inexpensive method to quantify muscle strength. To determine if muscle strength has changed, an examiner must know what part of the difference between a patient's pre-treatment and post-treatment measurements is attributable to real change, and what part is due to measurement error. This study aimed to determine the relative and absolute reliability of intra and inter-observer strength measurements with a hand-held dynamometer (HHD). Methods Two observers performed maximum voluntary peak torque measurements (MVPT) for isometric knee extension in 24 patients with haematological malignancies. For each patient, the measurements were carried out on the same day. The main outcome measures were the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC ± 95%CI), the standard error of measurement (SEM), the smallest detectable difference (SDD), the relative values as % of the grand mean of the SEM and SDD, and the limits of agreement for the intra- and inter-observer '3 repetition average' and the 'highest value of 3 MVPT' knee extension strength measures. Results The intra-observer ICCs were 0.94 for the average of 3 MVPT (95%CI: 0.86–0.97) and 0.86 for the highest value of 3 MVPT (95%CI: 0.71–0.94). The ICCs for the inter-observer measurements were 0.89 for the average of 3 MVPT (95%CI: 0.75–0.95) and 0.77 for the highest value of 3 MVPT (95%CI: 0.54–0.90). The SEMs for the intra-observer measurements were 6.22 Nm (3.98% of the grand mean (GM) and 9.83 Nm (5.88% of GM). For the inter-observer measurements, the SEMs were 9.65 Nm (6.65% of GM) and 11.41 Nm (6.73% of GM). The SDDs for the generated parameters varied from 17.23 Nm (11.04% of GM) to 27.26 Nm (17.09% of GM) for intra-observer measurements, and 26.76 Nm (16.77% of GM) to 31.62 Nm (18.66% of GM) for inter-observer measurements, with similar results for the limits of agreement. Conclusion The results indicate that there is acceptable relative reliability for

Use of a hand-held bladder ultrasound scanner in the assessment of dehydration and monitoring response to treatment in a paediatric emergency department.

PubMed

Enright, Kevin; Beattie, Tom; Taheri, Sepideh

2010-10-01

Dehydration is a common concern in paediatric emergency care. Limited tools are available to assess reduced urine production, which is commonly cited as a reliable marker of dehydration. To evaluate the utility of a hand-held bladder ultrasound scanner in monitoring urine production in children attending the emergency department with suspected dehydration. A prospective pilot study was undertaken on a convenience sample of patients presenting with suspected dehydration. Serial bladder ultrasound scanning was performed to monitor urine output. Dehydration was assessed clinically using the WHO guide to dehydration assessment. Decisions about treatment and admission were made independently of the urine output measurements obtained using the bladder scanner. 45 children were studied. Using the WHO guide, 33 (73%) had mild dehydration, 8 (18%) had moderate dehydration and 4 (9%) had severe dehydration. There was a significant difference in estimated urine production between those admitted and those discharged (0.9±1.2 ml/kg/h vs 1.8±1.5 ml/kg/h, p=0.01) and between those with mild dehydration versus moderate/severe dehydration (2.3±1.5 ml/kg/h vs 0.6±0.7 ml/kg/h, p=0.0011). Urine output had been significantly reduced in those who had received an intravenous fluid bolus compared with those who had not (0.4±0.46 ml/kg/h vs 1.9±1.6 ml/kg/h, p=0.001). The hand-held bladder scanner is a convenient, non-invasive and objective adjunct in the assessment and management of children attending the emergency department with suspected dehydration.

A celestial gamma-ray foreground due to the albedo of small solar system bodies and a remote probe of the interstellar cosmic ray spectrum

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

Moskalenko, Igor V.; Porter, Troy A.; Digel, Seth W.

2007-12-17

We calculate the {gamma}-ray albedo flux from cosmic-ray (CR) interactions with the solid rock and ice in Main Belt asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) using the Moon as a template. We show that the {gamma}-ray albedo for the Main Belt and Kuiper Belt strongly depends on the small-body mass spectrum of each system and may be detectable by the forthcoming Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST). The orbits of the Main Belt asteroids and KBOs are distributed near the ecliptic, which passes through the Galactic center and high Galactic latitudes. If detected, the {gamma}-ray emission by the Mainmore » Belt and Kuiper Belt has to be taken into account when analyzing weak {gamma}-ray sources close to the ecliptic, especially near the Galactic center and for signals at high Galactic latitudes, such as the extragalactic {gamma}-ray emission. Additionally, it can be used to probe the spectrum of CR nuclei at close-to-interstellar conditions, and the mass spectrum of small bodies in the Main Belt and Kuiper Belt. The asteroid albedo spectrum also exhibits a 511 keV line due to secondary positrons annihilating in the rock. This may be an important and previously unrecognized celestial foreground for the INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) observations of the Galactic 511 keV line emission including the direction of the Galactic center.« less

Integrated optical detection of autonomous capillary microfluidic immunoassays:a hand-held point-of-care prototype.

PubMed

Novo, P; Chu, V; Conde, J P

2014-07-15

The miniaturization of biosensors using microfluidics has potential in enabling the development of point-of-care devices, with the added advantages of reduced time and cost of analysis with limits-of-detection comparable to those obtained through traditional laboratory techniques. Interfacing microfluidic devices with the external world can be difficult especially in aspects involving fluid handling and the need for simple sample insertion that avoids special equipment or trained personnel. In this work we present a point-of-care prototype system by integrating capillary microfluidics with a microfabricated photodiode array and electronic instrumentation into a hand-held unit. The capillary microfluidic device is capable of autonomous and sequential fluid flow, including control of the average fluid velocity at any given point of the analysis. To demonstrate the functionality of the prototype, a model chemiluminescence ELISA was performed. The performance of the integrated optical detection in the point-of-care prototype is equal to that obtained with traditional bench-top instrumentation. The photodiode signals were acquired, displayed and processed by a simple graphical user interface using a computer connected to the microcontroller through USB. The prototype performed integrated chemiluminescence ELISA detection in about 15 min with a limit-of-detection of ≈2 nM with an antibody-antigen affinity constant of ≈2×10(7) M(-1). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Does the hand solely belong in the hands of a qualified hand surgeon?

PubMed

Güven, Asim; Kols, Kerstin; Fischer, Klaus; Schönberger, Michael; Allert, Sixtus

2017-09-01

Background In Germany, Hand Surgery is an additional qualification that can only be obtained by a three-year training after a completed residency in General Surgery, Plastic Surgery or Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery. Nevertheless, injuries and diseases of the hand are also treated by physicians without this particular qualification. It is questionable whether these treatments more often lead to medical malpractice. Material and Methods 376 charges of medical malpractice in surgical treatments of the hand and forearm that were closed in 2014 and 2015 were collected by the Arbitration Board for Medical Liability Issues of the Medical Association of North Germany.Cases with proven medical malpractice were classified by the qualification of the physician in charge and analysed. A statistical analysis was performed with the use of the program SPSS (IBM). Results Medical malpractice was proven in 42 of 113 cases with an attending physician who held the additional qualification for Hand Surgery (37.2 %). For physicians without this qualification, the figures were 79 out of 155 (51.0 %) in the group of trauma and orthopaedic surgeons and 54 out of 108 (50.0 %) in the group of general surgeons. The differences between the hand surgeons and the trauma and orthopaedic surgeons (p = 0.017) and between hand surgeons and general surgeons were significant (p = 0.037). Conclusions It was shown that physicians with an additional qualification in hand surgery had signifcantly fewer proven medical malpratice cases than physicians without this qualification. The following trends were observed in the cases of the physicians without the additional qualification in hand surgery: underestimation of the severity of trauma to soft tissues and infections of the hand, errors in the surgical examination of the hand, including functional tests of tendons and nerves, as well as in diagnostic findings after X-ray studies of the hand. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

TEMPORAL EVOLUTION OF SUB-NANOMETER COMPOSITIONAL PROFILES ACROSS THE GAMMA/GAMMA' INTERFACE IN A MODEL Ni-Al-Cr SUPERALLOY

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sudbrack, Chantal K.; Noebe, Ronald D.; Seidman, David N.

2005-01-01

Early-stage phase separation in a Ni-5.2 Al-14.2 Cr at.% superalloy, isothermally decomposing at 873 K, is investigated with atom-probe tomography. Sub-nanometer scale compositional profiles across the gamma/gamma'(L12) interfaces demonstrate that both the gamma-matrix and the gamma'-precipitate compositions evolve with time. Observed chemical gradients of Al depletion and Cr enrichment adjacent to the gamma'-precipitates are transient, consistent with well-established model predictions for diffusion-limited growth, and mark the first detailed observation of this phenomenon. Furthermore, it is shown that Cr atoms are kinetically trapped in the growing precipitates.

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

Ivanov, Oleg P.; Semin, Ilya A.; Potapov, Victor N.

Gamma-ray imaging is the most important way to identify unknown gamma-ray emitting objects in decommissioning, security, overcoming accidents. Over the past two decades a system for producing of gamma images in these conditions became more or less portable devices. But in recent years these systems have become the hand-held devices. This is very important, especially in emergency situations, and measurements for safety reasons. We describe the first integrated hand-held instrument for emergency and security applications. The device is based on the coded aperture image formation, position sensitive gamma-ray (X-ray) detector Medipix2 (detectors produces by X-ray Imaging Europe) and tablet computer.more » The development was aimed at creating a very low weight system with high angular resolution. We present some sample gamma-ray images by camera. Main estimated parameters of the system are the following. The field of view video channel ∼ 490 deg. The field of view gamma channel ∼ 300 deg. The sensitivity of the system with a hexagonal mask for the source of Cs-137 (Eg = 662 keV), is in units of dose D ∼ 100 mR. This option is less then order of magnitude worse than for the heavy, non-hand-held systems (e.g., gamma-camera Cartogam, by Canberra.) The angular resolution of the gamma channel for the sources of Cs-137 (Eg = 662 keV) is about 1.20 deg. (authors)« less

Radio-guided occult lesion localisation using iodine 125 Seeds “ROLLIS” to guide surgical removal of an impalpable posterior chest wall melanoma metastasis

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

Dissanayake, Shashini; Dissanayake, Deepthi; Taylor, Donna B

Cancer screening and surveillance programmes and the use of sophisticated imaging tools such as positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) have increased the detection of impalpable lesions requiring imaging guidance for excision. A new technique involves intra-lesional insertion of a low-activity iodine-125 ({sup 125}I) seed and detection of the radioactive signal in theatre using a hand-held gamma probe to guide surgery. Whilst several studies describe using this method to guide the removal of impalpable breast lesions, only a handful of publications report its use to guide excision of lesions outside the breast. We describe a case in which radio-guided occult lesionmore » localisation using an iodine 125 seed was used to guide excision of an impalpable posterior chest wall metastasis detected on PET-CT.« less

Accuracy of non-operative identification of the sentinel lymph node using combined gamma and ultrasound scanning.

PubMed

Whelehan, P; Vinnicombe, S J; Brown, D C; McLean, D; Evans, A

2014-08-01

To assess how accurately the sentinel lymph node (SLN) can be identified percutaneously, using gamma probe and ultrasound technology. Women with breast cancer, scheduled for wide local excision or mastectomy with SLN biopsy (SLNB), were included. Peri-areolar intradermal injection of technetium-99 nanocolloid was performed on the morning of surgery and 1-2 ml of blue dye was injected in the peri-areolar region once the patient was anaesthetized. Prior to surgery, a gamma probe was used over the skin to identify any hot spot that could represent a SLN. Ultrasound, guided by the hot spot, was then used to visualize potential SLNs and guide the insertion of a localizing wire. The accuracy in localizing the SLN by preoperative gamma-probe guided ultrasonography was assessed by comparison to SLNB. A SLN was correctly identified and marked using gamma-probe guided ultrasonography in 44 of 59 cases (75%; 95% CI: 63-86%). This study supports the case for investigating percutaneous gamma probe and ultrasound guided interventions in the axilla in women with breast cancer, as a potential alternative to surgical SLNB. Copyright © 2014 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Commissioning of a new SeHCAT detector and comparison with an uncollimated gamma camera.

PubMed

Taylor, Jonathan C; Hillel, Philip G; Himsworth, John M

2014-10-01

Measurements of SeHCAT (tauroselcholic [75selenium] acid) retention have been used to diagnose bile acid malabsorption for a number of years. In current UK practice the vast majority of centres calculate uptake using an uncollimated gamma camera. Because of ever-increasing demands on gamma camera time, a new 'probe' detector was designed, assembled and commissioned. To validate the system, nine patients were scanned at day 0 and day 7 with both the new probe detector and an uncollimated gamma camera. Commissioning results were largely in line with expectations. Spatial resolution (full-width 95% of maximum) at 1 m was 36.6 cm, the background count rate was 24.7 cps and sensitivity at 1 m was 720.8 cps/MBq. The patient comparison study showed a mean absolute difference in retention measurements of 0.8% between the probe and uncollimated gamma camera, and SD of ± 1.8%. The study demonstrated that it is possible to create a simple, reproducible SeHCAT measurement system using a commercially available scintillation detector. Retention results from the probe closely agreed with those from the uncollimated gamma camera.

Right-handed neutrinos and T-violating, P-conserving interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Menoufi, Basem Kamal; Ramsey-Musolf, Michael J.; Seng, Chien-Yeah

2017-02-01

We show that experimental probes of the P-conserving, T-violating triple correlation in polarized neutron or nuclear β-decay provide a unique probe of possible T-violation at the TeV scale in the presence of right-handed neutrinos. In contrast to other possible sources of semileptonic T-violation involving only left-handed neutrinos, those involving right-handed neutrinos are relatively unconstrained by present limits on the permanent electric dipole moments of the electron, neutral atoms, and the neutron. On the other hand, LHC results for pp → e + missing transverse energy imply that an order of magnitude of improvement in D-coefficient sensitivity would be needed for discovery. Finally, we discuss the interplay with the scale of neutrino mass and naturalness considerations.

Camera, Hand Lens, and Microscope Probe (CHAMP): An Instrument Proposed for the 2009 MSL Rover Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mungas, Greg S.; Beegle, Luther W.; Boynton, John E.; Lee, Pascal; Shidemantle, Ritch; Fisher, Ted

2004-01-01

The Camera, Hand Lens, and Microscope Probe (CHAMP) will allow examination of martian surface features and materials (terrain, rocks, soils, samples) on spatial scales ranging from kilometers to micrometers, thus enabling both microscopy and context imaging with high operational flexibility. CHAMP is designed to allow the detailed and quantitative investigation of a wide range of geologic features and processes on Mars, leading to a better quantitative understanding of the evolution of the martian surface environment through time. In particular, CHAMP will provide key data that will help understand the local region explored by Mars Surface Laboratory (MSL) as a potential habitat for life. CHAMP will also support other anticipated MSL investigations, in particular by helping identify and select the highest priority targets for sample collection and analysis by the MSL's analytical suite.

Portable computing for taking part of the lab to the sample types of applications. From hand held personal digital assistants to smart phones for mobile spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weagant, Scott; Karanassios, Vassili

2015-06-01

The use of portable hand held computing devices for the acquisition of spectrochemical data is briefly discussed using examples from the author's laboratory. Several network topologies are evaluated. At present, one topology that involves a portable computing device for data acquisition and spectrometer control and that has wireless access to the internet at one end and communicates with a smart phone at the other end appears to be better suited for "taking part of the lab to the sample" types of applications. Thus, spectrometric data can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

Right-handed neutrinos and T-violating, P-conserving interactions

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

El-Menoufi, Basem Kamal; Ramsey-Musolf, Michael J.; Seng, Chien -Yeah

We show that experimental probes of the P-conserving, T-violating triple correlation in polarized neutron or nuclear β-decay provide a unique probe of possible T-violation at the TeV scale in the presence of right-handed neutrinos. In contrast to other possible sources of semileptonic T-violation involving only left-handed neutrinos, those involving right-handed neutrinos are relatively unconstrained by present limits on the permanent electric dipole moments of the electron, neutral atoms, and the neutron. On the other hand, LHC results for pp→e+ missing transverse energy imply that an order of magnitude of improvement in D-coefficient sensitivity would be needed for discovery. Lastly, wemore » discuss the interplay with the scale of neutrino mass and naturalness considerations.« less

Right-handed neutrinos and T-violating, P-conserving interactions

DOE PAGES

El-Menoufi, Basem Kamal; Ramsey-Musolf, Michael J.; Seng, Chien -Yeah

2016-12-02

We show that experimental probes of the P-conserving, T-violating triple correlation in polarized neutron or nuclear β-decay provide a unique probe of possible T-violation at the TeV scale in the presence of right-handed neutrinos. In contrast to other possible sources of semileptonic T-violation involving only left-handed neutrinos, those involving right-handed neutrinos are relatively unconstrained by present limits on the permanent electric dipole moments of the electron, neutral atoms, and the neutron. On the other hand, LHC results for pp→e+ missing transverse energy imply that an order of magnitude of improvement in D-coefficient sensitivity would be needed for discovery. Lastly, wemore » discuss the interplay with the scale of neutrino mass and naturalness considerations.« less

Probing Pre-galactic Metal Enrichment with High-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, F. Y.; Bromm, Volker; Greif, Thomas H.; Stacy, Athena; Dai, Z. G.; Loeb, Abraham; Cheng, K. S.

2012-11-01

We explore high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as promising tools to probe pre-galactic metal enrichment. We utilize the bright afterglow of a Population III (Pop III) GRB exploding in a primordial dwarf galaxy as a luminous background source, and calculate the strength of metal absorption lines that are imprinted by the first heavy elements in the intergalactic medium (IGM). To derive the GRB absorption line diagnostics, we use an existing highly resolved simulation of the formation of a first galaxy which is characterized by the onset of atomic hydrogen cooling in a halo with virial temperature >~ 104 K. We explore the unusual circumburst environment inside the systems that hosted Pop III stars, modeling the density evolution with the self-similar solution for a champagne flow. For minihalos close to the cooling threshold, the circumburst density is roughly proportional to (1 + z) with values of about a few cm-3. In more massive halos, corresponding to the first galaxies, the density may be larger, n >~ 100 cm-3. The resulting afterglow fluxes are weakly dependent on redshift at a fixed observed time, and may be detectable with the James Webb Space Telescope and Very Large Array in the near-IR and radio wavebands, respectively, out to redshift z >~ 20. We predict that the maximum of the afterglow emission shifts from near-IR to millimeter bands with peak fluxes from mJy to Jy at different observed times. The metal absorption line signature is expected to be detectable in the near future. GRBs are ideal tools for probing the metal enrichment in the early IGM, due to their high luminosities and featureless power-law spectra. The metals in the first galaxies produced by the first supernova (SN) explosions are likely to reside in low-ionization stages (C II, O I, Si II and Fe II). We show that, if the afterglow can be observed sufficiently early, analysis of the metal lines may distinguish whether the first heavy elements were produced in a pair

Probing Pre-Galactic Metal Enrichment with High-Redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, F. Y.; Bromm, Volker; Greif, Thomas H.; Stacy, Athena; Dai, Z. G.; Loeb, Abraham; Cheng, K. S.

2012-01-01

We explore high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as promising tools to probe pre-galactic metal enrichment. We utilize the bright afterglow of a Population III (Pop III) GRB exploding in a primordial dwarf galaxy as a luminous background source, and calculate the strength of metal absorption lines that are imprinted by the first heavy elements in the intergalactic medium (IGM). To derive the GRB absorption line diagnostics, we use an existing highly resolved simulation of the formation of a first galaxy which is characterized by the onset of atomic hydrogen cooling in a halo with virial temperature approximately greater than10(exp 4) K.We explore the unusual circumburst environment inside the systems that hosted Pop III stars, modeling the density evolution with the self-similar solution for a champagne flow. For minihalos close to the cooling threshold, the circumburst density is roughly proportional to (1 + z) with values of about a few cm(exp -3). In more massive halos, corresponding to the first galaxies, the density may be larger, n approximately greater than100 cm(exp -3). The resulting afterglow fluxes are weakly dependent on redshift at a fixed observed time, and may be detectable with the James Webb Space Telescope and Very Large Array in the near-IR and radio wavebands, respectively, out to redshift z approximately greater than 20. We predict that the maximum of the afterglow emission shifts from near-IR to millimeter bands with peak fluxes from mJy to Jy at different observed times. The metal absorption line signature is expected to be detectable in the near future. GRBs are ideal tools for probing the metal enrichment in the early IGM, due to their high luminosities and featureless power-law spectra. The metals in the first galaxies produced by the first supernova (SN) explosions are likely to reside in low-ionization stages (C II, O I, Si II and Fe II). We show that, if the afterglow can be observed sufficiently early, analysis of the metal lines may

Looking inside jets: optical polarimetry as a probe of Gamma-Ray Bursts physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopac, D.; Mundell, C.

2015-07-01

It is broadly accepted that gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are powered by accretion of matter by black holes, formed during massive stellar collapse, which launch ultra-relativistic, collimated outflows or jets. The nature of the progenitor star, the structure of the jet, and thus the underlying mechanisms that drive the explosion and provide collimation, remain some of the key unanswered questions. To approach these problems, and in particular the role of magnetic fields in GRBs, early time-resolved polarimetry is the key, because it is the only direct probe of the magnetic fields structure. Using novel fast RINGO polarimeter developed for use on the 2-m robotic optical Liverpool Telescope, we have made the first measurements of optical linear polarization of the early optical afterglows of GRBs, finding linear percentage polarization as high as 30% and, for the first time, making time-resolved polarization measurements. I will present the past 8 years of RINGO observations, discuss how the results fit into the GRB theoretical picture, and highlight recent data, in particular high-time resolution multi-colour optical photometry performed during the prompt GRB phase, which also provides some limits on polarization.

Molecular Imaging Probes for Positron Emission Tomography and Optical Imaging of Sentinel Lymph Node and Tumor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Zhengtao

Molecular imaging is visualizations and measurements of in vivo biological processes at the molecular or cellular level using specific imaging probes. As an emerging technology, biocompatible macromolecular or nanoparticle based targeted imaging probes have gained increasing popularities. Those complexes consist of a carrier, an imaging reporter, and a targeting ligand. The active targeting ability dramatically increases the specificity. And the multivalency effect may further reduce the dose while providing a decent signal. In this thesis, sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping and cancer imaging are two research topics. The focus is to develop molecular imaging probes with high specificity and sensitivity, for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and optical imaging. The objective of this thesis is to explore dextran radiopharmaceuticals and porous silicon nanoparticles based molecular imaging agents. Dextran polymers are excellent carriers to deliver imaging reporters or therapeutic agents due to its well established safety profile and oligosaccharide conjugation chemistry. There is also a wide selection of dextran polymers with different lengths. On the other hand, Silicon nanoparticles represent another class of biodegradable materials for imaging and drug delivery. The success in fluorescence lifetime imaging and enhancements of the immune activation potency was briefly discussed. Chapter 1 begins with an overview on current molecular imaging techniques and imaging probes. Chapter 2 presents a near-IR dye conjugated probe, IRDye 800CW-tilmanocept. Fluorophore density was optimized to generate the maximum brightness. It was labeled with 68Ga and 99mTc and in vivo SLN mapping was successfully performed in different animals, such as mice, rabbits, dogs and pigs. With 99mTc labeled IRDye 800CW-tilmanocept, chapter 3 introduces a two-day imaging protocol with a hand-held imager. Chapter 4 proposed a method to dual radiolabel the IRDye 800CW-tilmanocept with both 68Ga and

Low-energy gamma ray inspection of brazed aluminum joints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, J. A.

1967-01-01

Americium 241 serves as a suitable radioisotope /gamma ray source/ and exposure probe for radiographic inspection of brazed aluminum joints in areas of limited accessibility. The powdered isotope is contained in a sealed capsule mounted at the end of a spring-loaded pushrod in the probe assembly.

The Scanning Theremin Microscope: A Model Scanning Probe Instrument for Hands-On Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quardokus, Rebecca C.; Wasio, Natalie A.; Kandel, S. Alex

2014-01-01

A model scanning probe microscope, designed using similar principles of operation to research instruments, is described. Proximity sensing is done using a capacitance probe, and a mechanical linkage is used to scan this probe across surfaces. The signal is transduced as an audio tone using a heterodyne detection circuit analogous to that used in…

Using Gamma ray and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) to Evaluate Elemental Sequences in Cap-carbonates and Cap-like Carbonates of the Death Valley Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holter, S. A.; Theissen, K. M.; Hickson, T. A.; Bostick, B.

2004-12-01

The Snowball Earth theory of Hoffman et al. (1998) proposes dramatic post-glacial chemical weathering as large concentrations of carbon were removed from the atmosphere. This would result in a large input of terrigenous material into the oceans; hence, we might expect that carbonates formed under these conditions would demonstrate elevated K, U, Th levels in comparison to carbonates formed under more typical conditions. In January of 2004 we collected spectral gamma data (K, U, Th) and hand samples from cap carbonates (Noonday Dolomite) and cap-like carbonates (Beck Spring Dolomite) of the Death Valley region in order to explore elemental changes in post-snowball Earth oceans. Based on our spectral gamma results, Th/U ratio trends suggested variations in the oxidation state of the Precambrian ocean. We pursued further investigations of trace elements to ascertain the reliability of these results by using ICP-OES. A suite of 25 trace elements was measured, most notably including U and Th. The ICP-OES data not only allow us to compare elemental changes between cap-carbonates and cap-like carbonates, but they also allow for a comparison of optical emission spectrometry and hand held gamma spectrometry methods. Both methods show similar trends in U and Th values for both the cap-carbonates and cap-like carbonates.

Maximal isometric muscle strength values obtained By hand-held dynamometry in children between 6 and 15 years of age.

PubMed

Escobar, Raul G; Munoz, Karin T; Dominguez, Angelica; Banados, Pamela; Bravo, Maria J

2017-01-01

In this study we aimed to determine the maximal isometric muscle strength of a healthy, normal-weight, pediatric population between 6 and 15 years of age using hand-held dynamometry to establish strength reference values. The secondary objective was determining the relationship between strength and anthropometric parameters. Four hundred normal-weight Chilean children, split into 10 age groups, separated by 1-year intervals, were evaluated. Each age group included between 35 and 55 children. The strength values increased with increasing age and weight, with a correlation of 0.83 for age and 0.82 for weight. The results were similar to those reported in previous studies regarding the relationships among strength, age, and anthropometric parameters, but the reported strength differed. These results provide normal strength parameters for healthy and normal-weight Chilean children between 6 and 15 years of age and highlight the relevance of ethnicity in defining reference values for muscle strength in a pediatric population. Muscle Nerve 55: 16-22, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Study of Hand-Held Fire Extinguishers Aboard Civil Aviation Aircraft.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

or combustion products of the polymers used in aircraft construction have been found to include carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO ), hydrogen...toxicity rating, and ease of cleanup. The extinguishing agents used in this country for hand portable fire extinguishers are Carbon Dioxide, water, Halon...point where combustion stops." " Carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems are useful within the limits of this standard in extinguishing fires in

TEMTADS Adjunct Sensor Systems Hand-Held EMI Sensor for Cued UXO Discrimination (ESTCP MR-200807) and Man-Portable EMI Array for UXO Detection and Discrimination (ESTCP MR-200909)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-05

C la ss ifi ca tio n TY PE D ep th (M ) A zi m ut h (D eg re es ) D ip (D eg re es ) 1 2 3...Naval Research Laboratory Washington, DC 20375-5320 NRL/MR/ 6110 --12-9401 TEMTADS Adjunct Sensor Systems Hand-held EMI Sensor for Cued UXO...NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 2 . REPORT TYPE1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4

29 CFR 1910.242 - Hand and portable powered tools and equipment, general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... to less than 30 p.s.i. and then only with effective chip guarding and personal protective equipment. ... 29 Labor 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Hand and portable powered tools and equipment, general... Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held Equipment § 1910.242 Hand and portable powered tools and equipment...

29 CFR 1910.242 - Hand and portable powered tools and equipment, general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... to less than 30 p.s.i. and then only with effective chip guarding and personal protective equipment. ... 29 Labor 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hand and portable powered tools and equipment, general... Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held Equipment § 1910.242 Hand and portable powered tools and equipment...

Fetal echocardiography

MedlinePlus

... based gel on your belly. A hand-held probe is moved over the area. The probe sends out sound waves, which bounce off the ... screen. In a transvaginal ultrasound, a much smaller probe is placed into the vagina. A transvaginal ultrasound ...

Continuing Measurements of CO2 Crystals with a Hand-Held 35 GHz Radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, J.; Chang, A.; Hall, D.; Tait, A.; Wergin, W.; Erbe, E.

2000-01-01

In order to increase our knowledge of the Martian polar caps, an improved understanding of the behavior of both frozen H2O and CO2 in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum is needed. The thermal microwave part of the spectrum has received relatively little attention compared to the visible and infrared wavelengths. A simple experiment to measure the brightness temperature of frozen CO2 was first performed in the winter of 1998 using a 35 GHz radiometer. in experiments performed during the winter of 1999 and 2000, passive microwave radiation emanating from within layers of manufactured CO2 (dry ice) crystals was again measured with a 35 GHz handheld radiometer. Both large (0.8 cm) and small (0.3 cm) cylindrical-shaped dry ice pellets, at a temperature of 197 K (-76 C), were measured. A 1 sq m plate of aluminum sheet metal was positioned beneath the dry ice so that microwave emissions from the underlying soil layers would be minimized. Non-absorbing foam was positioned around the sides of the plate in order to keep the dry ice in place and to assure that the incremental deposits were level. Thirty-five GHz measurements of this plate were made through the dry ice deposits in the following way. Layers of dry ice were built up and measurements were repeated for the increasing CO2 pack. First, 7 cm of large CO2 pellets were poured onto the sheet metal plate, then an additional 7 cm were added, and finally, 12 cm were added on top of the 14 cm base. Hand-held 35 GHz measurements were made each time the thickness of the deposit was increased. The same process was repeated for the smaller grain pellets. Furthermore, during the past winter, 35 GHz measurements were taken of a 25 kg (27 cm x 27 cm x 27 cm) solid cube Of CO2, which was cut in half and then re-measured. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Protein recognition by a pattern-generating fluorescent molecular probe.

PubMed

Pode, Zohar; Peri-Naor, Ronny; Georgeson, Joseph M; Ilani, Tal; Kiss, Vladimir; Unger, Tamar; Markus, Barak; Barr, Haim M; Motiei, Leila; Margulies, David

2017-12-01

Fluorescent molecular probes have become valuable tools in protein research; however, the current methods for using these probes are less suitable for analysing specific populations of proteins in their native environment. In this study, we address this gap by developing a unimolecular fluorescent probe that combines the properties of small-molecule-based probes and cross-reactive sensor arrays (the so-called chemical 'noses/tongues'). On the one hand, the probe can detect different proteins by generating unique identification (ID) patterns, akin to cross-reactive arrays. On the other hand, its unimolecular scaffold and selective binding enable this ID-generating probe to identify combinations of specific protein families within complex mixtures and to discriminate among isoforms in living cells, where macroscopic arrays cannot access. The ability to recycle the molecular device and use it to track several binding interactions simultaneously further demonstrates how this approach could expand the fluorescent toolbox currently used to detect and image proteins.

Protein recognition by a pattern-generating fluorescent molecular probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pode, Zohar; Peri-Naor, Ronny; Georgeson, Joseph M.; Ilani, Tal; Kiss, Vladimir; Unger, Tamar; Markus, Barak; Barr, Haim M.; Motiei, Leila; Margulies, David

2017-12-01

Fluorescent molecular probes have become valuable tools in protein research; however, the current methods for using these probes are less suitable for analysing specific populations of proteins in their native environment. In this study, we address this gap by developing a unimolecular fluorescent probe that combines the properties of small-molecule-based probes and cross-reactive sensor arrays (the so-called chemical 'noses/tongues'). On the one hand, the probe can detect different proteins by generating unique identification (ID) patterns, akin to cross-reactive arrays. On the other hand, its unimolecular scaffold and selective binding enable this ID-generating probe to identify combinations of specific protein families within complex mixtures and to discriminate among isoforms in living cells, where macroscopic arrays cannot access. The ability to recycle the molecular device and use it to track several binding interactions simultaneously further demonstrates how this approach could expand the fluorescent toolbox currently used to detect and image proteins.

Comparison of magnetic probe calibration at nano and millitesla magnitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pahl, Ryan A.; Rovey, Joshua L.; Pommerenke, David J.

2014-01-01

Magnetic field probes are invaluable diagnostics for pulsed inductive plasma devices where field magnitudes on the order of tenths of tesla or larger are common. Typical methods of providing a broadband calibration of dot{{B}} probes involve either a Helmholtz coil driven by a function generator or a network analyzer. Both calibration methods typically produce field magnitudes of tens of microtesla or less, at least three and as many as six orders of magnitude lower than their intended use. This calibration factor is then assumed constant regardless of magnetic field magnitude and the effects of experimental setup are ignored. This work quantifies the variation in calibration factor observed when calibrating magnetic field probes in low field magnitudes. Calibration of two dot{{B}} probe designs as functions of frequency and field magnitude are presented. The first dot{{B}} probe design is the most commonly used design and is constructed from two hand-wound inductors in a differential configuration. The second probe uses surface mounted inductors in a differential configuration with balanced shielding to further reduce common mode noise. Calibration factors are determined experimentally using an 80.4 mm radius Helmholtz coil in two separate configurations over a frequency range of 100-1000 kHz. A conventional low magnitude calibration using a vector network analyzer produced a field magnitude of 158 nT and yielded calibration factors of 15 663 ± 1.7% and 4920 ± 0.6% {T}/{V {s}} at 457 kHz for the surface mounted and hand-wound probes, respectively. A relevant magnitude calibration using a pulsed-power setup with field magnitudes of 8.7-354 mT yielded calibration factors of 14 615 ± 0.3% and 4507 ± 0.4% {T}/{V {s}} at 457 kHz for the surface mounted inductor and hand-wound probe, respectively. Low-magnitude calibration resulted in a larger calibration factor, with an average difference of 9.7% for the surface mounted probe and 12.0% for the hand-wound probe. The

Beyond textbook illustrations: Hand-held models of ordered DNA and protein structures as 3D supplements to enhance student learning of helical biopolymers.

PubMed

Jittivadhna, Karnyupha; Ruenwongsa, Pintip; Panijpan, Bhinyo

2010-11-01

Textbook illustrations of 3D biopolymers on printed paper, regardless of how detailed and colorful, suffer from its two-dimensionality. For beginners, computer screen display of skeletal models of biopolymers and their animation usually does not provide the at-a-glance 3D perception and details, which can be done by good hand-held models. Here, we report a study on how our students learned more from using our ordered DNA and protein models assembled from colored computer-printouts on transparency film sheets that have useful structural details. Our models (reported in BAMBED 2009), having certain distinguished features, helped our students to grasp various aspects of these biopolymers that they usually find difficult. Quantitative and qualitative learning data from this study are reported. Copyright © 2010 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Fermi gamma-ray imaging of a radio galaxy.

PubMed

Abdo, A A; Ackermann, M; Ajello, M; Atwood, W B; Baldini, L; Ballet, J; Barbiellini, G; Bastieri, D; Baughman, B M; Bechtol, K; Bellazzini, R; Berenji, B; Blandford, R D; Bloom, E D; Bonamente, E; Borgland, A W; Bregeon, J; Brez, A; Brigida, M; Bruel, P; Burnett, T H; Buson, S; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Caraveo, P A; Casandjian, J M; Cavazzuti, E; Cecchi, C; Celik, O; Chekhtman, A; Cheung, C C; Chiang, J; Ciprini, S; Claus, R; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Colafrancesco, S; Cominsky, L R; Conrad, J; Costamante, L; Cutini, S; Davis, D S; Dermer, C D; de Angelis, A; de Palma, F; Digel, S W; do Couto e Silva, E; Drell, P S; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Farnier, C; Favuzzi, C; Fegan, S J; Finke, J; Focke, W B; Fortin, P; Fukazawa, Y; Funk, S; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Georganopoulos, M; Germani, S; Giebels, B; Giglietto, N; Giordano, F; Giroletti, M; Glanzman, T; Godfrey, G; Grenier, I A; Grove, J E; Guillemot, L; Guiriec, S; Hanabata, Y; Harding, A K; Hayashida, M; Hays, E; Hughes, R E; Jackson, M S; Jóhannesson, G; Johnson, A S; Johnson, T J; Johnson, W N; Kamae, T; Katagiri, H; Kataoka, J; Kawai, N; Kerr, M; Knödlseder, J; Kocian, M L; Kuss, M; Lande, J; Latronico, L; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lott, B; Lovellette, M N; Lubrano, P; Madejski, G M; Makeev, A; Mazziotta, M N; McConville, W; McEnery, J E; Meurer, C; Michelson, P F; Mitthumsiri, W; Mizuno, T; Moiseev, A A; Monte, C; Monzani, M E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, I V; Murgia, S; Nolan, P L; Norris, J P; Nuss, E; Ohsugi, T; Omodei, N; Orlando, E; Ormes, J F; Paneque, D; Parent, D; Pelassa, V; Pepe, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Piron, F; Porter, T A; Rainò, S; Rando, R; Razzano, M; Razzaque, S; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Reposeur, T; Ritz, S; Rochester, L S; Rodriguez, A Y; Romani, R W; Roth, M; Ryde, F; Sadrozinski, H F-W; Sambruna, R; Sanchez, D; Sander, A; Saz Parkinson, P M; Scargle, J D; Sgrò, C; Siskind, E J; Smith, D A; Smith, P D; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Starck, J-L; Stawarz, Ł; Strickman, M S; Suson, D J; Tajima, H; Takahashi, H; Takahashi, T; Tanaka, T; Thayer, J B; Thayer, J G; Thompson, D J; Tibaldo, L; Torres, D F; Tosti, G; Tramacere, A; Uchiyama, Y; Usher, T L; Vasileiou, V; Vilchez, N; Vitale, V; Waite, A P; Wallace, E; Wang, P; Winer, B L; Wood, K S; Ylinen, T; Ziegler, M; Hardcastle, M J; Kazanas, D

2010-05-07

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected the gamma-ray glow emanating from the giant radio lobes of the radio galaxy Centaurus A. The resolved gamma-ray image shows the lobes clearly separated from the central active source. In contrast to all other active galaxies detected so far in high-energy gamma-rays, the lobe flux constitutes a considerable portion (greater than one-half) of the total source emission. The gamma-ray emission from the lobes is interpreted as inverse Compton-scattered relic radiation from the cosmic microwave background, with additional contribution at higher energies from the infrared-to-optical extragalactic background light. These measurements provide gamma-ray constraints on the magnetic field and particle energy content in radio galaxy lobes, as well as a promising method to probe the cosmic relic photon fields.

The Rubber Hand Illusion: Feeling of Ownership and Proprioceptive Drift Do Not Go Hand in Hand

PubMed Central

Rohde, Marieke; Di Luca, Massimiliano; Ernst, Marc O.

2011-01-01

In the Rubber Hand Illusion, the feeling of ownership of a rubber hand displaced from a participant's real occluded hand is evoked by synchronously stroking both hands with paintbrushes. A change of perceived finger location towards the rubber hand (proprioceptive drift) has been reported to correlate with this illusion. To measure the time course of proprioceptive drift during the Rubber Hand Illusion, we regularly interrupted stroking (performed by robot arms) to measure perceived finger location. Measurements were made by projecting a probe dot into the field of view (using a semi-transparent mirror) and asking participants if the dot is to the left or to the right of their invisible hand (Experiment 1) or to adjust the position of the dot to that of their invisible hand (Experiment 2). We varied both the measurement frequency (every 10 s, 40 s, 120 s) and the mode of stroking (synchronous, asynchronous, just vision). Surprisingly, with frequent measurements, proprioceptive drift occurs not only in the synchronous stroking condition but also in the two control conditions (asynchronous stroking, just vision). Proprioceptive drift in the synchronous stroking condition is never higher than in the just vision condition. Only continuous exposure to asynchronous stroking prevents proprioceptive drift and thus replicates the differences in drift reported in the literature. By contrast, complementary subjective ratings (questionnaire) show that the feeling of ownership requires synchronous stroking and is not present in the asynchronous stroking condition. Thus, subjective ratings and drift are dissociated. We conclude that different mechanisms of multisensory integration are responsible for proprioceptive drift and the feeling of ownership. Proprioceptive drift relies on visuoproprioceptive integration alone, a process that is inhibited by asynchronous stroking, the most common control condition in Rubber Hand Illusion experiments. This dissociation implies that

Towards the hand-held mass spectrometer: design considerations, simulation, and fabrication of micrometer-scaled cylindrical ion traps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blain, Matthew G.; Riter, Leah S.; Cruz, Dolores; Austin, Daniel E.; Wu, Guangxiang; Plass, Wolfgang R.; Cooks, R. Graham

2004-08-01

Breakthrough improvements in simplicity and reductions in the size of mass spectrometers are needed for high-consequence fieldable applications, including error-free detection of chemical/biological warfare agents, medical diagnoses, and explosives and contraband discovery. These improvements are most likely to be realized with the reconceptualization of the mass spectrometer, rather than by incremental steps towards miniaturization. Microfabricated arrays of mass analyzers represent such a conceptual advance. A massively parallel array of micrometer-scaled mass analyzers on a chip has the potential to set the performance standard for hand-held sensors due to the inherit selectivity, sensitivity, and universal applicability of mass spectrometry as an analytical method. While the effort to develop a complete micro-MS system must include innovations in ultra-small-scale sample introduction, ion sources, mass analyzers, detectors, and vacuum and power subsystems, the first step towards radical miniaturization lies in the design, fabrication, and characterization of the mass analyzer itself. In this paper we discuss design considerations and results from simulations of ion trapping behavior for a micrometer scale cylindrical ion trap (CIT) mass analyzer (internal radius r0 = 1 [mu]m). We also present a description of the design and microfabrication of a 0.25 cm2 array of 106 one-micrometer CITs, including integrated ion detectors, constructed in tungsten on a silicon substrate.

Intrarater reliability of hand held dynamometry in measuring lower extremity isometric strength using a portable stabilization device.

PubMed

Jackson, Steven M; Cheng, M Samuel; Smith, A Russell; Kolber, Morey J

2017-02-01

Hand held dynamometry (HHD) is a more objective way to quantify muscle force production (MP) compared to traditional manual muscle testing. HHD reliability can be negatively impacted by both the strength of the tester and the subject particularly in the lower extremities due to larger muscle groups. The primary aim of this investigation was to assess intrarater reliability of HHD with use of a portable stabilization device for lower extremity MP in an athletic population. Isometric lower extremity strength was measured for bilateral lower extremities including hip abductors, external rotators, adductors, knee extensors, and ankle plantar flexors was measured in a sample of healthy recreational runners (8 male, 7 females, = 30 limbs) training for a marathon. These measurements were assessed using an intrasession intrarater reliability design. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated using 3,1 model based on the single rater design. The standard error of measurement (SEM) for each muscle group was also calculated. ICC were excellent ranging from ICC (3,1) = 0.93-0.98 with standard error of measurements ranging from 0.58 to 17.2 N. This study establishes the use of a HHD with a portable stabilization device as demonstrating good reliability within testers for measuring lower extremity muscle performance in an active healthy population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detecting the Attenuation of Blazar Gamma-ray Emission by Extragalactic Background Light with GLAST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Andrew; Ritz, Steven

1999-01-01

Gamma rays with energy above 10 GeV interact with optical-UV photons resulting in pair production. Therefore, a large sample of high redshift sources of these gamma rays can be used to probe the extragalactic background starlight (EBL) by examining the redshift dependence of the attenuation of the flux above 10 GeV. GLAST, the next generation high-energy gamma-ray telescope, will for the first time have the unique capability to detect thousands of gamma-ray blazars up to redshifts of at least z = 4, with enough angular resolution to allow identification of a large fraction of their optical counterparts. By combining recent determinations of the gamma-ray blazar luminosity function, recent calculations of the high energy gamma-ray opacity due to EBL absorption, and the expected GLAST instrument performance to produce simulated samples of blazars that GLAST would detect, including their redshifts and fluxes, we demonstrate that these blazars have the potential to be a highly effective probe of the EBL.

Hand-held dynamometer testing of the internal and external rotator musculature based on selected positions to establish normative data and unilateral ratios.

PubMed

Riemann, Bryan L; Davies, George J; Ludwig, Lauren; Gardenhour, Helen

2010-12-01

Objective documentation is needed of shoulder internal and external rotator strength using hand-held dynamometry in selected positions commonly used in a clinic. We compared strength measures and unilateral ratios between gender, limbs (dominant, nondominant), and 3 testing positions. We hypothesized that men would be stronger than women, the dominant shoulder would be stronger than the nondominant shoulder, and the seated neutral (0° adduction) and seated 30° abduction, 30° scaption, 30° diagonal (30°-30°-30°) positions would be stronger than the prone at 90°-90° position. Three positions (prone at 90°, seated at neutral, and seated at 30°-30°-30°) were evaluated in 181 individuals using hand-held dynamometry. Three separate 3-factor (limb by position by gender) analyses of variance were conducted on internal rotation, external rotation, and unilateral ratios. Although the dominant limb was significantly stronger (P < .001) than the nondominant for internal rotation, there was no difference for external rotation. The external rotators demonstrated significantly greater strength in the prone at 90° position compared with the seated at neutral (P = .001) and seated at 30°-30°-30° (P = .002) positions. The internal rotators demonstrated significantly greater (P = .036) strength in the neutral position than in the prone at 90° position for the women. The unilateral ratio of external rotators/internal rotators ranged from 86% to 99%. For the women, the prone at 90° ratio was significantly greater than seated at neutral (P = .001) and seated at 30°-30°-30° (P = .001) positions. Moderate strength relationships (r = 0.506 to 0.572) were revealed between body mass and all strength measures. The results of this study provide evidence to interpret normative data, bilateral comparisons and unilateral ratios of the internal/external rotators in the 3 selected positions. Because there are no differences between the seated at neutral and 30°-30°-30�

Hand and Power Tools

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

equipped with a constant- pressure switch or control: drills; tappers; fastener drivers; horizontal, vertical, and angle grinders with wheels more than...hand-held power tools must be equipped with either a positive “on-off” control switch, a constant pressure switch , or a “lock-on” control: disc sanders...percussion tools with no means of holding accessories securely, must be equipped with a constant- pressure switch that will shut off the power when the

Probing the Physics of Burning DT Capsules Using Gamma-ray Diagnostics

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

Hayes-Sterbenz, Anna Catherine; Hale, Gerald M.; Jungman, Gerard

2015-02-01

The Gamma Reaction History (GRH) diagnostic developed and lead by the Los Alamos National Laboratory GRH Team is used to determine the bang time and burn width of imploded inertial confinement fusion capsules at the National Ignition Facility. The GRH team is conceptualizing and designing a new Gamma-­to-Electron Magnetic Spectrometer (GEMS), that would be capable of an energy resolution ΔE/E~3-­5%. In this whitepaper we examine the physics that could be explored by the combination of these two gamma-ray diagnostics, with an emphasis on the sensitivity needed for measurements. The main areas that we consider are hydrodynamical mixing, ablator areal densitymore » and density profile, and temporal variations of the density of the cold fuel and the ablator during the DT burn of the capsule.« less

Development and Optical Testing of the Camera, Hand Lens, and Microscope Probe with Scannable Laser Spectroscopy (CHAMP-SLS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mungas, Greg S.; Gursel, Yekta; Sepulveda, Cesar A.; Anderson, Mark; La Baw, Clayton; Johnson, Kenneth R.; Deans, Matthew; Beegle, Luther; Boynton, John

2008-01-01

Conducting high resolution field microscopy with coupled laser spectroscopy that can be used to selectively analyze the surface chemistry of individual pixels in a scene is an enabling capability for next generation robotic and manned spaceflight missions, civil, and military applications. In the laboratory, we use a range of imaging and surface preparation tools that provide us with in-focus images, context imaging for identifying features that we want to investigate at high magnification, and surface-optical coupling that allows us to apply optical spectroscopic analysis techniques for analyzing surface chemistry particularly at high magnifications. The camera, hand lens, and microscope probe with scannable laser spectroscopy (CHAMP-SLS) is an imaging/spectroscopy instrument capable of imaging continuously from infinity down to high resolution microscopy (resolution of approx. 1 micron/pixel in a final camera format), the closer CHAMP-SLS is placed to a feature, the higher the resultant magnification. At hand lens to microscopic magnifications, the imaged scene can be selectively interrogated with point spectroscopic techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, microscopic Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (micro-LIBS), laser ablation mass-spectrometry, Fluorescence spectroscopy, and/or Reflectance spectroscopy. This paper summarizes the optical design, development, and testing of the CHAMP-SLS optics.

Effects of a new mild shampoo for preventing hair loss in Asian by a simple hand-held phototrichogram technique.

PubMed

Baek, J H; Lee, S Y; Yoo, M; Park, W-S; Lee, S J; Boo, Y C; Koh, J-S

2011-12-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a commercially available shampoo in Korean subjects with alopecia using a simple hand-held phototrichogram technique. Forty-four subjects with alopecia were enrolled and forty subjects continued for 16 weeks. In the test group, total hair counts increased significantly at weeks 8 and 16, and the number of shedding hair significantly decreased at week 16. Terminal hair counts significantly increased at week 8. In the control group, hair thickness and the number of vellus hairs significantly decreased at week 16. The number of total hairs significantly increased in the test group than in the control group at weeks 8 and 16. The number of shedding hairs significantly decreased in the test group than in the control group at week 16. Visual assessment using clinical digital images showed that the number of total hairs appeared to increase although there was no statistical significance. In this study, it was found that the test shampoo could prevent hair loss. © 2011 DERMAPRO Co Ltd. ICS © 2011 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Area- and band-specific representations of hand movements by local field potentials in caudal cingulate motor area and supplementary motor area of monkeys

PubMed Central

Yokoyama, Osamu; Nakayama, Yoshihisa

2016-01-01

The caudal cingulate motor area (CMAc) and the supplementary motor area (SMA) play important roles in movement execution. The present study examined the neural mechanisms underlying these roles by investigating local field potentials (LFPs) from these areas while monkeys pressed buttons with either their left or right hand. During hand movement, power increases in the high-gamma (80–120 Hz) and theta (3–8 Hz) bands and a power decrease in the beta (12–30 Hz) band were observed in both the CMAc and SMA. High-gamma and beta activity in the SMA predominantly represented contralateral hand movements, whereas activity in the CMAc preferentially represented movement of either hand. Theta activity in both brain regions most frequently reflected movement of either hand, but a contralateral hand bias was more evident in the SMA than in the CMAc. An analysis of the relationships of the laterality representations between the high-gamma and theta bands at each recording site revealed that, irrespective of the hand preference for the theta band, the high-gamma band in the SMA preferentially represented contralateral hand movement, whereas the high-gamma band in the CMAc represented movement of either hand. These findings suggest that the input-output relationships for ipsilateral and contralateral hand movements in the CMAc and SMA differ in terms of their functionality. The CMAc may transform the input signals representing general aspects of movement into commands to perform movements with either hand, whereas the SMA may transform the input signals into commands to perform movement with the contralateral hand. PMID:26792884

Subjective scaling of hand-arm vibration.

PubMed

Maeda, Setsuo; Shibata, Nobuyuki

2008-04-01

The purpose of this research was to establish a scale for comfort with regard to hand-arm vibration using the category judgment method and to validate the frequency-weighting method of the ISO 5349-1 standard. Experiments were conducted using random signals as stimuli. These stimuli consisted of three types of signal, namely designated stimulus F, with flat power spectrum density (PSD) ranging from 1 to 1,000 Hz, stimulus H with PSD which became 20 dB higher at 1,000 Hz than at 1 Hz, and stimulus L that had a PSD 20 dB lower at 1,000 Hz. These stimuli were selected from the specific spectrum patterns of hand-held vibration tools. These signals were modified by the Wh frequency weighting in accordance with ISO 5349-1, and the R.M.S. values were adjusted to be equal. In addition, the signal levels were varied over a range of five steps to create 15 kinds of individual stimuli. The subjects sat in front of a vibrator and grasped the mounted handle which exposed them to vertical vibrations after which they were asked to choose a numerical category to best indicate their perceived level of comfort (or otherwise) during each stimulus. From the experimental results of the category judgment method, the relationship between the psychological values and the frequency-weighted R.M.S. acceleration according to the ISO 5349-1 standard was obtained. It was found that the subjective response scaling of hand-arm vibration can be used for design-objective values of hand-held tool vibration.

26 CFR 1.1223-1 - Determination of period for which capital assets are held.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Gains and Losses § 1.1223-1 Determination of period for which capital assets are held. (a) The holding... determining gain or loss in the hands of the taxpayer as the property exchanged. However, this rule shall... in part in the hands of the taxpayer for determining gain or loss from a sale or exchange as it would...

26 CFR 1.1223-1 - Determination of period for which capital assets are held.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Gains and Losses § 1.1223-1 Determination of period for which capital assets are held. (a) The holding... determining gain or loss in the hands of the taxpayer as the property exchanged. However, this rule shall... in part in the hands of the taxpayer for determining gain or loss from a sale or exchange as it would...

26 CFR 1.1223-1 - Determination of period for which capital assets are held.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Gains and Losses § 1.1223-1 Determination of period for which capital assets are held. (a) The holding... determining gain or loss in the hands of the taxpayer as the property exchanged. However, this rule shall... in part in the hands of the taxpayer for determining gain or loss from a sale or exchange as it would...

26 CFR 1.1223-1 - Determination of period for which capital assets are held.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Gains and Losses § 1.1223-1 Determination of period for which capital assets are held. (a) The holding... determining gain or loss in the hands of the taxpayer as the property exchanged. However, this rule shall... in part in the hands of the taxpayer for determining gain or loss from a sale or exchange as it would...

The hand-hold polarization-sensitive spectral domain optical coherence and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hao; Gao, Wanrong

2017-08-01

The polarization-sensitive spectral domain optical coherence tomography (PSOCT) has the advantages of being able to measure the polarization properties of samples, such as phase-retardation, diattenuation, depolarization, and optical axis orientation, providing a contrast to identify the diseased area and normal area in tissues in PSOCT images. Conventionally, the sample arm of PSOCT is fixed on the stage where biomedical tissues or models is placed, and the OCT images is acquired by scanning with a galvanometer-based mirror. To be applied in the practical diagnosis, a promising way is to design a hand-held device. To this end, it is required that probe is assembled with a small volume to allow for comprehensively imaging large tissues areas at a microscopic scale, and is available to move on different samples to be acquired quickly with negligible motion artifacts. Meanwhile, the probe should be manufactured wih well stability to avoid system jitter error while it is used to detect the biological tissues in vivo. In this work, a design of a hand-hold fiber-based PSOCT is described. The device is of the size of 10 cm (length) × 8 cm (width) × 6 cm (height). Both the axial resolution and the imaging depth of the system are measured and were approximately 7 μm and 2.5 mm in air, respectively, which are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The A-scan rate of the system is 70 kHz. The structure is compact and all the components are fixed on the shell to reduce the motion artifact, resulting in a great stability on measuring the tissues in vivo. The cross sectional images of ex vivo chicken breast, ex vivo pork cartilage and in vivo forearm skin of human wolunteer are presented to demonstrate the capability of the system.

Multiwavelength Observations of the Blazar BL Lacertae: A New Fast TeV Gamma-Ray Flare

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeysekara, A. U.; Benbow, W.; Bird, R.; Brantseg, T.; Brose, R.; Buchovecky, M.; Buckley, J. H.; Bugaev, V.; Connolly, M. P.; Cui, W.; Daniel, M. K.; Falcone, A.; Feng, Q.; Finley, J. P.; Fortson, L.; Furniss, A.; Gillanders, G. H.; Gunawardhana, I.; Hütten, M.; Hanna, D.; Hervet, O.; Holder, J.; Hughes, G.; Humensky, T. B.; Johnson, C. A.; Kaaret, P.; Kar, P.; Kertzman, M.; Krennrich, F.; Lang, M. J.; Lin, T. T. Y.; McArthur, S.; Moriarty, P.; Mukherjee, R.; O’Brien, S.; Ong, R. A.; Otte, A. N.; Park, N.; Petrashyk, A.; Pohl, M.; Pueschel, E.; Quinn, J.; Ragan, K.; Reynolds, P. T.; Richards, G. T.; Roache, E.; Rulten, C.; Sadeh, I.; Santander, M.; Sembroski, G. H.; Shahinyan, K.; Wakely, S. P.; Weinstein, A.; Wells, R. M.; Wilcox, P.; Williams, D. A.; Zitzer, B.; The VERITAS Collaboration; Jorstad, S. G.; Marscher, A. P.; Lister, M. L.; Kovalev, Y. Y.; Pushkarev, A. B.; Savolainen, T.; Agudo, I.; Molina, S. N.; Gómez, J. L.; Larionov, V. M.; Borman, G. A.; Mokrushina, A. A.; Tornikoski, M.; Lähteenmäki, A.; Chamani, W.; Enestam, S.; Kiehlmann, S.; Hovatta, T.; Smith, P. S.; Pontrelli, P.

2018-04-01

Combined with measurements made by very-long-baseline interferometry, the observations of fast TeV gamma-ray flares probe the structure and emission mechanism of blazar jets. However, only a handful of such flares have been detected to date, and only within the last few years have these flares been observed from lower-frequency-peaked BL Lac objects and flat-spectrum radio quasars. We report on a fast TeV gamma-ray flare from the blazar BL Lacertae observed by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS). with a rise time of ∼2.3 hr and a decay time of ∼36 min. The peak flux above 200 GeV is (4.2 ± 0.6) × 10‑6 photon m‑2 s‑1 measured with a 4-minute-binned light curve, corresponding to ∼180% of the flux that is observed from the Crab Nebula above the same energy threshold. Variability contemporaneous with the TeV gamma-ray flare was observed in GeV gamma-ray, X-ray, and optical flux, as well as in optical and radio polarization. Additionally, a possible moving emission feature with superluminal apparent velocity was identified in Very Long Baseline Array observations at 43 GHz, potentially passing the radio core of the jet around the time of the gamma-ray flare. We discuss the constraints on the size, Lorentz factor, and location of the emitting region of the flare, and the interpretations with several theoretical models that invoke relativistic plasma passing stationary shocks.

[Design of hand-held heart rate variability acquisition and analysis system].

PubMed

Li, Kaiyuan; Wang, Buqing; Wang, Weidong

2012-07-01

A design of handheld heart rate variability acquisition and analysis system is proposed. The system collects and stores the patient's ECG every five minutes through both hands touching on the electrodes, and then -uploads data to a PC through USB port. The system uses software written in LabVIEW to analyze heart rate variability parameters, The parameters calculated function is programmed and generated to components in Matlab.

Modelling Hard Gamma-Ray Emission from Supernova Remnants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baring, Matthew G.

1999-01-01

The observation by the CANGAROO (Collaboration of Australia and Nippon Gamma Ray Observatory at Outback) experiment of TeV emission from SN 1006, in conjunction with several instances of non-thermal X-ray emission from supernova remnants, has led to inferences of super-TeV electrons in these extended sources. While this is sufficient to propel the theoretical community in their modelling of particle acceleration and associated radiation, the anticipated emergence in the next decade of a number of new experiments probing the TeV and sub-TeV bands provides further substantial motivation for modellers. In particular, the quest for obtaining unambiguous gamma-ray signatures of cosmic ray ion acceleration defines a "Holy Grail" for observers and theorists alike. This review summarizes theoretical developments in the prediction of MeV-TeV gamma-rays from supernova remnants over the last five years, focusing on how global properties of models can impact, and be impacted by, hard gamma-ray observational programs, thereby probing the supernova remnant environment. Properties of central consideration include the maximum energy of accelerated particles, the density of the unshocked interstellar medium, the ambient magnetic field, and the relativistic electron-to-proton ratio. Criteria for determining good candidate remnants for observability in the TeV band are identified.

Tissue dielectric constant (TDC) as an index of localized arm skin water: differences between measuring probes and genders.

PubMed

Mayrovitz, H N; Weingrad, D N; Brlit, F; Lopez, L B; Desfor, R

2015-03-01

An easily measured, non-invasive, quantitative estimate of local skin tissue water is useful to assess local lymphedema and its change. One method uses skin tissue dielectric constant (TDC) values that at 300 MHz TDC depend on free and bound water within the measurement volume. In practice such measurements have been done with a research-type multi-probe, but recently a hand-held compact-probe has become available that may be more clinically convenient. Because most available published data is based on multiprobe measurements it is important to characterize possible differences between devices that unless known might lead to ambiguous quantitative comparisons between TDC values. Thus, our purpose was to evaluate potential differences in measured TDC values between multi-probe and compact-probe devices with respect to probe effective sampling depth, anatomical site, and gender and also to compare compact-probe TDC values measured on women with and without breast cancer (BC). TDC was measured bilaterally on forearms and biceps of 32 male and 32 female volunteers and on 12 female patients awaiting surgery for breast cancer. Results show that 1) TDC values at 2.5 mm depth were significantly less than at 1.5 mm; 2) Female TDC values were significantly less than male values; 3) TDC values were not different between females with and without BC; and 4) dominant/non-dominant arm TDC ratios were not significantly different for any probe among genders or arm anatomical site. These findings indicate that probe type differences in absolute TDC values are present and should be taken into account when TDC values are compared. However, comparisons based on inter-arm TDC ratios are not statistically different among probes with respect to gender or anatomical location.

Virtual reality visual feedback for hand-controlled scanning probe microscopy manipulation of single molecules.

PubMed

Leinen, Philipp; Green, Matthew F B; Esat, Taner; Wagner, Christian; Tautz, F Stefan; Temirov, Ruslan

2015-01-01

Controlled manipulation of single molecules is an important step towards the fabrication of single molecule devices and nanoscale molecular machines. Currently, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is the only technique that facilitates direct imaging and manipulations of nanometer-sized molecular compounds on surfaces. The technique of hand-controlled manipulation (HCM) introduced recently in Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1926-1932 simplifies the identification of successful manipulation protocols in situations when the interaction pattern of the manipulated molecule with its environment is not fully known. Here we present a further technical development that substantially improves the effectiveness of HCM. By adding Oculus Rift virtual reality goggles to our HCM set-up we provide the experimentalist with 3D visual feedback that displays the currently executed trajectory and the position of the SPM tip during manipulation in real time, while simultaneously plotting the experimentally measured frequency shift (Δf) of the non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM) tuning fork sensor as well as the magnitude of the electric current (I) flowing between the tip and the surface. The advantages of the set-up are demonstrated by applying it to the model problem of the extraction of an individual PTCDA molecule from its hydrogen-bonded monolayer grown on Ag(111) surface.

The use of hand-held 35 mm color infrared imagery for estimates of suspended solids - A progress report. [in water pollution monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, W. F.; Whisler, F. D.; Robinette, H. R.; Finnie, D.; Cannon, T.

1975-01-01

A cost-effective aerial surveillance technique is proposed for detection and identification of suspended solids which would be operational for both governmental monitoring organizations and private individuals operating catfish farms. Sixteen catfish ponds were flown daily for seven days using two hand-held 35 mm cameras with both Kodachrome X and Ektachrome infrared film. Hue, value, and chroma designations were recorded for each pond on each date by three interpreters, and the accepted color was that recorded by at least two of the interpreters, or if there was a three hue range, the median was accepted. Relations between suspended solids and color designations were analyzed graphically, and chroma was discarded due to an apparent lack of correlation. The data obtained were then analyzed by multiple regression. Significant correlations were revealed between hue and value and total and inorganic suspended solids. If perfected, this technique could be developed to sufficent accuracy for large-scale reconnaissance surveys to monitor the quality of rivers and streams.

Characterization of a high performance ultra-thin heat pipe cooling module for mobile hand held electronic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahamed, Mohammad Shahed; Saito, Yuji; Mashiko, Koichi; Mochizuki, Masataka

2017-11-01

In recent years, heat pipes have been widely used in various hand held mobile electronic devices such as smart phones, tablet PCs, digital cameras. With the development of technology these devices have different user friendly features and applications; which require very high clock speeds of the processor. In general, a high clock speed generates a lot of heat, which needs to be spreaded or removed to eliminate the hot spot on the processor surface. However, it is a challenging task to achieve proper cooling of such electronic devices mentioned above because of their confined spaces and concentrated heat sources. Regarding this challenge, we introduced an ultra-thin heat pipe; this heat pipe consists of a special fiber wick structure named as "Center Fiber Wick" which can provide sufficient vapor space on the both sides of the wick structure. We also developed a cooling module that uses this kind of ultra-thin heat pipe to eliminate the hot spot issue. This cooling module consists of an ultra-thin heat pipe and a metal plate. By changing the width, the flattened thickness and the effective length of the ultra-thin heat pipe, several experiments have been conducted to characterize the thermal properties of the developed cooling module. In addition, other experiments were also conducted to determine the effects of changes in the number of heat pipes in a single module. Characterization and comparison of the module have also been conducted both experimentally and theoretically.

A link between prompt optical and prompt gamma-ray emission in gamma-ray bursts.

PubMed

Vestrand, W T; Wozniak, P R; Wren, J A; Fenimore, E E; Sakamoto, T; White, R R; Casperson, D; Davis, H; Evans, S; Galassi, M; McGowan, K E; Schier, J A; Asa, J W; Barthelmy, S D; Cummings, J R; Gehrels, N; Hullinger, D; Krimm, H A; Markwardt, C B; McLean, K; Palmer, D; Parsons, A; Tueller, J

2005-05-12

The prompt optical emission that arrives with the gamma-rays from a cosmic gamma-ray burst (GRB) is a signature of the engine powering the burst, the properties of the ultra-relativistic ejecta of the explosion, and the ejecta's interactions with the surroundings. Until now, only GRB 990123 had been detected at optical wavelengths during the burst phase. Its prompt optical emission was variable and uncorrelated with the prompt gamma-ray emission, suggesting that the optical emission was generated by a reverse shock arising from the ejecta's collision with surrounding material. Here we report prompt optical emission from GRB 041219a. It is variable and correlated with the prompt gamma-rays, indicating a common origin for the optical light and the gamma-rays. Within the context of the standard fireball model of GRBs, we attribute this new optical component to internal shocks driven into the burst ejecta by variations of the inner engine. The correlated optical emission is a direct probe of the jet isolated from the medium. The timing of the uncorrelated optical emission is strongly dependent on the nature of the medium.

Glucose concentration in capillary blood of dairy cows obtained by a minimally invasive lancet technique and determined with three different hand-held devices.

PubMed

Mair, B; Drillich, M; Klein-Jöbstl, D; Kanz, P; Borchardt, S; Meyer, L; Schwendenwein, I; Iwersen, M

2016-02-24

Dairy cows have a massive demand for glucose at the onset of lactation. A poor adaption to this period leads to an excessive negative energy balance with an increased risk for ketosis and impaired animal health and production. Besides the measurement of ketones, analysing the glucose concentration in blood is reported as helpful instrument for diagnosis and differentiation of ketosis. Monitoring metabolic parameters requires multiple blood sampling. In other species, new blood sampling techniques have been introduced in which small amounts of blood are rapidly analysed using electronic hand-held devices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of capillary blood for blood glucose measurement in dairy cows using the hand-held devices FreeStyle Precision (FSP, Abbott), GlucoMen LX Plus (GLX, A. Menarini) and the WellionVet GLUCO CALEA, (WGC, MED TRUST). In total, 240 capillary blood samples were obtained from dry and fresh lactating Holstein-Friesian cows. Blood was collected from the skin of the exterior vulva by using a lancet. For method comparison, additional blood samples were taken from a coccygeal vessel and analyzed in a laboratory. Glucose concentrations measured by a standard laboratory method were defined as the criterion standard. The Pearson correlation coefficients between the glucose concentrations analyzed in capillary blood with the devices and the reference were 73% for the FSP, 81% for the GLX and 41% for the WGC. Bland-Altman plots showed biases of -18.8 mg/dL for the FSP, -11.2 mg/dL for the GLX and +20.82 mg/dL for the WGC. The optimized threshold determined by a Receiver Operating Characteristics analysis to detect hyperglycemia using the FSP was 43 mg/dL with a sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of 76 and 80%. Using the GLX and WGC optimized thresholds were 49 mg/dL (Se = 92%, Sp = 85%) and 95 mg/dL (Se = 39%, Sp = 92%). The results of this study demonstrate good performance characteristics for the GLX

Physical probing of cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehfeldt, Florian; Schmidt, Christoph F.

2017-11-01

In the last two decades, it has become evident that the mechanical properties of the microenvironment of biological cells are as important as traditional biochemical cues for the control of cellular behavior and fate. The field of cell and matrix mechanics is quickly growing and so is the development of the experimental approaches used to study active and passive mechanical properties of cells and their surroundings. Within this topical review we will provide a brief overview, on the one hand, over how cellular mechanics can be probed physically, how different geometries allow access to different cellular properties, and, on the other hand, how forces are generated in cells and transmitted to the extracellular environment. We will describe the following experimental techniques: atomic force microscopy, traction force microscopy, magnetic tweezers, optical stretcher and optical tweezers pointing out both their advantages and limitations. Finally, we give an outlook on the future of the physical probing of cells.

Investigation of gamma radiation induced changes in local structure of borosilicate glass by TDPAC and EXAFS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Ashwani; Nayak, C.; Rajput, P.; Mishra, R. K.; Bhattacharyya, D.; Kaushik, C. P.; Tomar, B. S.

2016-12-01

Gamma radiation induced changes in local structure around the probe atom (Hafnium) were investigated in sodium barium borosilicate (NBS) glass, used for immobilization of high level liquid waste generated from the reprocessing plant at Trombay, Mumbai. The (NBS) glass was doped with 181Hf as a probe for time differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) spectroscopy studies, while for studies using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, the same was doped with 0.5 and 2 % (mole %) hafnium oxide. The irradiated as well as un-irradiated glass samples were studied by TDPAC and EXAFS techniques to obtain information about the changes (if any) around the probe atom due to gamma irradiation. TDPAC spectra of unirradiated and irradiated glasses were similar and reminescent of amorphous materials, indicating negligible effect of gamma radiation on the microstructure around Hafnium probe atom, though the quaqdrupole interaction frequency ( ω Q) and asymmetry parameter ( η) did show a marginal decrease in the irradiated glass compared to that in the unirradiated glass. EXAFS measurements showed a slight decrease in the Hf-O bond distance upon gamma irradiation of Hf doped NBS glass indicating densification of the glass matrix, while the cordination number around hafnium remains unchanged.

The reliability and validity of measurements of human dental casts made by an intra-oral 3D scanner, with conventional hand-held digital callipers as the comparison measure.

PubMed

Rajshekar, Mithun; Julian, Roberta; Williams, Anne-Marie; Tennant, Marc; Forrest, Alex; Walsh, Laurence J; Wilson, Gary; Blizzard, Leigh

2017-09-01

Intra-oral 3D scanning of dentitions has the potential to provide a fast, accurate and non-invasive method of recording dental information. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of measurements of human dental casts made using a portable intra-oral 3D scanner appropriate for field use. Two examiners each measured 84 tooth and 26 arch features of 50 sets of upper and lower human dental casts using digital hand-held callipers, and secondly using the measuring tool provided with the Zfx IntraScan intraoral 3D scanner applied to the virtual dental casts. The measurements were repeated at least one week later. Reliability and validity were quantified concurrently by calculation of intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard errors of measurement (SEM). The measurements of the 110 landmark features of human dental casts made using the intra-oral 3D scanner were virtually indistinguishable from measurements of the same features made using conventional hand-held callipers. The difference of means as a percentage of the average of the measurements by each method ranged between 0.030% and 1.134%. The intermethod SEMs ranged between 0.037% and 0.535%, and the inter-method ICCs ranged between 0.904 and 0.999, for both the upper and the lower arches. The inter-rater SEMs were one-half and the intra-method/rater SEMs were one-third of the inter-method values. This study demonstrates that the Zfx IntraScan intra-oral 3D scanner with its virtual on-screen measuring tool is a reliable and valid method for measuring the key features of dental casts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of a digital and an optical analogue hand-held refractometer for the measurement of canine urine specific gravity.

PubMed

Paris, J K; Bennett, A D; Dodkin, S J; Gunn-Moore, D A

2012-05-05

Urine specific gravity (USG) is used clinically as a measure of urine concentration, and is routinely assessed by refractometry. A comparison between optical analogue and digital refractometers for evaluation of canine urine has not been reported. The aim of this study was to compare a digital and an optical analogue hand-held refractometer for the measurement of canine USG, and to assess correlation with urine osmolality. Prospective study. Free-catch urine samples were collected from 285 hospitalised adult dogs, and paired USG readings were obtained with a digital and an optical analogue refractometer. In 50 dogs, urine osmolality was also measured using a freezing point depression osmometer. There was a small but statistically significant difference between the two refractometers (P<0.001), with the optical analogue refractometer reading higher than the digital refractometer (mean difference 0.0006, sd 0.0012). Paired refractometer measurements varied by <0.002 in 91.5 per cent of cases. The optical analogue and digital refractometer readings showed excellent correlation with osmolality (r=0.980 and r=0.977, respectively, P<0.001 in both cases). Despite statistical significance, the difference between the two refractometers is unlikely to be clinically significant. Both instruments provide an accurate assessment of USG in dogs.

A simple hand-held magnet array for efficient and reproducible SABRE hyperpolarisation using manual sample shaking.

PubMed

Richardson, Peter M; Jackson, Scott; Parrott, Andrew J; Nordon, Alison; Duckett, Simon B; Halse, Meghan E

2018-07-01

Signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) is a hyperpolarisation technique that catalytically transfers nuclear polarisation from parahydrogen, the singlet nuclear isomer of H 2 , to a substrate in solution. The SABRE exchange reaction is carried out in a polarisation transfer field (PTF) of tens of gauss before transfer to a stronger magnetic field for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detection. In the simplest implementation, polarisation transfer is achieved by shaking the sample in the stray field of a superconducting NMR magnet. Although convenient, this method suffers from limited reproducibility and cannot be used with NMR spectrometers that do not have appreciable stray fields, such as benchtop instruments. Here, we use a simple hand-held permanent magnet array to provide the necessary PTF during sample shaking. We find that the use of this array provides a 25% increase in SABRE enhancement over the stray field approach, while also providing improved reproducibility. Arrays with a range of PTFs were tested, and the PTF-dependent SABRE enhancements were found to be in excellent agreement with comparable experiments carried out using an automated flow system where an electromagnet is used to generate the PTF. We anticipate that this approach will improve the efficiency and reproducibility of SABRE experiments carried out using manual shaking and will be particularly useful for benchtop NMR, where a suitable stray field is not readily accessible. The ability to construct arrays with a range of PTFs will also enable the rapid optimisation of SABRE enhancement as function of PTF for new substrate and catalyst systems. © 2017 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Distributing Data to Hand-Held Devices in a Wireless Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, Mark; Simmons, Layne

2008-01-01

ADROIT is a developmental computer program for real-time distribution of complex data streams for display on Web-enabled, portable terminals held by members of an operational team of a spacecraft-command-and-control center who may be located away from the center. Examples of such terminals include personal data assistants, laptop computers, and cellular telephones. ADROIT would make it unnecessary to equip each terminal with platform- specific software for access to the data streams or with software that implements the information-sharing protocol used to deliver telemetry data to clients in the center. ADROIT is a combination of middleware plus software specific to the center. (Middleware enables one application program to communicate with another by performing such functions as conversion, translation, consolidation, and/or integration.) ADROIT translates a data stream (voice, video, or alphanumerical data) from the center into Extensible Markup Language, effectuates a subscription process to determine who gets what data when, and presents the data to each user in real time. Thus, ADROIT is expected to enable distribution of operations and to reduce the cost of operations by reducing the number of persons required to be in the center.

TEMTADS Adjunct Sensor Systems Hand-held EMI Sensor for Cued UXO Discrimination (ESTCP MR-200807) and Man-Portable EMI Array for UXO Detection and Discrimination (ESTCP MR-200909) Cost and Performance Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-27

notes and team orienteering functions. Data collection with the MP system at the former Camp Beale, CA is shown in Figure 5- 2 (right). 5.3.3...Naval Research Laboratory Washington, DC 20375-5320 NRL/MR/ 6110 --12-9424 TEMTADS Adjunct Sensor Systems Hand-held EMI Sensor for Cued UXO...CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 2 . REPORT TYPE1. REPORT DATE (DD

Hand-Held Keyboard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The Data Egg, a prototype chord key-based data entry device, can be used autonomously or as an auxiliary keyboard with a personal computer. Data is entered by pressing combinations of seven buttons positioned where the fingers naturally fall when clasping the device. An experienced user can enter text at 30 to 35 words per minute. No transcription is required. The input is downloaded into a computer and printed. The Data Egg can be used by an astronaut in space, a journalist, a bedridden person, etc. It was developed by a Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer. Product is not currently manufactured.

Performance evaluation of haptic hand-controllers in a robot-assisted surgical system.

PubMed

Zareinia, Kourosh; Maddahi, Yaser; Ng, Canaan; Sepehri, Nariman; Sutherland, Garnette R

2015-12-01

This paper presents the experimental evaluation of three commercially available haptic hand-controllers to evaluate which was more suitable to the participants. Two surgeons and seven engineers performed two peg-in-hole tasks with different levels of difficulty. Each operator guided the end-effector of a Kuka manipulator that held surgical forceps and was equipped with a surgical microscope. Sigma 7, HD(2) and PHANToM Premium 3.0 hand-controllers were compared. Ten measures were adopted to evaluate operators' performances with respect to effort, speed and accuracy in completing a task, operator improvement during the tests, and the force applied by each haptic device. The best performance was observed with the Premium 3.0; the hand-piece was able to be held in a similar way to that used by surgeons to hold conventional tools. Hand-controllers with a linkage structure similar to the human upper extremity take advantage of the inherent human brain connectome, resulting in improved surgeon performance during robotic-assisted surgery. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterization of a Raman spectroscopy probe system for intraoperative brain tissue classification

PubMed Central

Desroches, Joannie; Jermyn, Michael; Mok, Kelvin; Lemieux-Leduc, Cédric; Mercier, Jeanne; St-Arnaud, Karl; Urmey, Kirk; Guiot, Marie-Christine; Marple, Eric; Petrecca, Kevin; Leblond, Frédéric

2015-01-01

A detailed characterization study is presented of a Raman spectroscopy system designed to maximize the volume of resected cancer tissue in glioma surgery based on in vivo molecular tissue characterization. It consists of a hand-held probe system measuring spectrally resolved inelastically scattered light interacting with tissue, designed and optimized for in vivo measurements. Factors such as linearity of the signal with integration time and laser power, and their impact on signal to noise ratio, are studied leading to optimal data acquisition parameters. The impact of ambient light sources in the operating room is assessed and recommendations made for optimal operating conditions. In vivo Raman spectra of normal brain, cancer and necrotic tissue were measured in 10 patients, demonstrating that real-time inelastic scattering measurements can distinguish necrosis from vital tissue (including tumor and normal brain tissue) with an accuracy of 87%, a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 89%. PMID:26203368

Miniature real-time intraoperative forward-imaging optical coherence tomography probe

PubMed Central

Joos, Karen M.; Shen, Jin-Hui

2013-01-01

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has a tremendous global impact upon the ability to diagnose, treat, and monitor eye diseases. A miniature 25-gauge forward-imaging OCT probe with a disposable tip was developed for real-time intraoperative ocular imaging of posterior pole and peripheral structures to improve vitreoretinal surgery. The scanning range was 2 mm when the probe tip was held 3-4 mm from the tissue surface. The axial resolution was 4-6 µm and the lateral resolution was 25-35 µm. The probe was used to image cellophane tape and multiple ocular structures. PMID:24009997

High-z Universe with Gamma Ray Bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kouveliotou, C.

2011-01-01

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous explosions in space and trace the cosmic star formation history back to the first generations of stars. Their bright afterglows allow us to trace the abundances of heavy elements to large distances, thereby measuring cosmic chemical evolution. To date GRBs have been detected up to distances of z=8.23 and possibly even beyond z9. This makes GRBs a unique and powerful tool to probe the high-z Universe up to the re-ionization era. We discuss the current status of the field, place it in context with other probes, and also discuss new mission concepts that have been planned to utilize GRBs as probes.

Optimisation of readout performance of phase-change probe memory in terms of capping layer and probe tip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Wright, C. David; Aziz, Mustafa. M.; Yang, Ci Hui; Yang, Guo Wei

2014-11-01

The capping layer and the probe tip that serve as the protective layer and the recording tool, respectively, for phase-change probe memory play an important role on the writing performance of phase-change probe memory, thus receiving considerable attention. On the other hand, their influence on the readout performance of phasechange probe memory has rarely been reported before. A three-dimensional parametric study based on the Laplace equation was therefore conducted to investigate the effect of the capping layer and the probe tip on the resulting reading contrast for the two cases of reading a crystalline bit from an amorphous matrix and reading an amorphous bit from a crystalline matrix. The results indicated that a capping layer with a thickness of 2 nm and an electrical conductivity of 50 Ω-1m-1 is able to provide an appropriate reading contrast for both the cases, while satisfying the previous writing requirement, particularly with the assistance of a platinum silicide probe tip.

Transient Astrophysics Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camp, Jordan; Transient Astrophysics Probe Team

2018-01-01

The Transient Astrophysics Probe (TAP) is a wide-field multi-wavelength transient mission proposed for flight starting in the late 2020s. The mission instruments include unique “Lobster-eye” imaging soft X-ray optics that allow a ~1600 deg2 FoV; a high sensitivity, 1 deg2 FoV soft X-ray telescope; a 1 deg2 FoV Infrared telescope with bandpass 0.6-3 micron; and a set of 8 NaI gamma-ray detectors. TAP’s most exciting capability will be the observation of tens per year of X-ray and IR counterparts of GWs involving stellar mass black holes and neutron stars detected by LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA/LIGO-India, and possibly several per year X-ray counterparts of GWs from supermassive black holes, detected by LISA and Pulsar Timing Arrays. TAP will also discover hundreds of X-ray transients related to compact objects, including tidal disruption events, supernova shock breakouts, and Gamma-Ray Bursts from the epoch of reionization.

Predicting meat quality traits of ovine m. semimembranosus, both fresh and following freezing and thawing, using a hand held Raman spectroscopic device.

PubMed

Fowler, Stephanie M; Schmidt, Heinar; van de Ven, Remy; Wynn, Peter; Hopkins, David L

2015-10-01

Complementary studies were conducted to determine the potential for a Raman spectroscopic hand held device to predict meat quality traits of fresh lamb m. semimembranosus (topside) after ageing and freezing/thawing. Spectra were collected from 80 fresh muscles at 24h and 5d PM, another 80 muscles were measured at 24h, 5d and following freezing/thawing. Shear force, cooking loss, sarcomere length, colour, particle size, collagen content, pH24, pHu, purge and thaw loss were also measured. Results indicated a potential to predict pHu (R(2)cv=0.59), pH24 (R(2)cv=0.48) and purge (R(2)cv=0.42) using spectra collected 24h PM. L* could be predicted using spectra collected 24h (R(2)cv=0.33) or 5d PM (R(2)cv=0.33). This suggests that Raman spectroscopy is suited to identifying carcases which deviate from the normal metabolic processes and related meat quality traits. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Techniques of biological contamination avoidance by atmospheric probes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Defrees, R. E.

1974-01-01

The likelihood of biologically contaminating a planet by an atmospheric probe has a low probability of occurring if the probe is kept biologically clean during terrestrial operations and if the structure remains in tact until the planets life zone is completely penetrated. High standards of cleanliness, monitoring and estimating for remedial actions must be maintained in a probe program. It is not a foregone conclusion, however, that heat sterilization needs to be employed. The use of several techniques having a good potential for lower probe costs are available and appear adequate to render a probe sterile within acceptable bounds. The techniques considered to be satisfactory for minimizing microbial load include: (1) combined heat (at 95-105 C) and gamma radiation; (2) short term heating at 105 + or - 5 C to inactivate all vegetative microbes; (3) irradiation routinely by ultraviolet light; (4) wiping by a bactericidal agent with or without a penetrant; and (5) cleanliness alone.

Limitations of Condensed Teaching Strategies to Develop Hand-Held Cardiac Ultrasonography Skills in Internal Medicine Residents.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Jeffrey S; Barake, Walid; Smith, Chris; Thakrar, Amar; Johri, Amer M

2016-08-01

Advances in ultrasonographic technology have allowed for hand-held cardiac ultrasonography (HHCU) units that fit into a physician's laboratory coat. Recently, studies to educate internal medicine residents have shown promise. The optimal duration and methodology for teaching HHCU skills has not been established. Over a 1-year period, internal medicine residents were recruited during their cardiology ward rotation into a single-centre nonblinded randomized trial. The 2 condensed teaching strategies were (1) a conventional ward-based program and (2) a technology-driven simulation-based strategy. Outcomes were evaluated by (1) an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to evaluate interpretation ability (assessing both type I and type II error rates) and (2) demonstration of HHCU skills graded by 2 level III echocardiographers. Twenty-four internal medicine residents were randomized. After teaching, the conventional teaching group had a significant absolute increase in the ability to make a singular correct diagnosis (20%; P < 0.001). In the technology arm, making a singular correct diagnosis increased 24% from baseline (P = 0.001). Interpretation skill was not significantly different between groups. The false-positive rate increased by an absolute 14% and 17% in the conventional and technology groups, respectively (P = 0.079 and P = 0.008). Our findings suggest that HHCU interpretation skills improve after either a conventional ward-based or a technology-driven approach. However, our study emphasizes the important limitations of both teaching programs, because we detected a trend toward an increase in the false-positive rate after both approaches. This suggests that a short duration of training may not be sufficient for HHCU to be performed in a safe manner. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Discovery of localized TeV gamma-ray sources and diffuse TeV gamma-ray emission from the galactic plane with Milagro using a new background rejection technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdo, Aws Ahmad

2007-08-01

Very high energy gamma-rays can be used to probe some of the most powerful astrophysical objects in the universe, such as active galactic nuclei, supernova remnants and pulsar-powered nebulae. The diffuse gamma radiation arising from the interaction of cosmic-ray particles with matter and radiation in the Galaxy is one of the few probes available to study the origin of cosmic- rays. Milagro is a water Cherenkov detector that continuously views the entire overhead sky. The large field-of-view combined with the long observation time makes Milagro the most sensitive instrument available for the study of large, low surface brightness sources such as the diffuse gamma radiation arising from interactions of cosmic radiation with interstellar matter. In this thesis I present a new background rejection technique for the Milagro detector through the development of a new gamma hadron separation variable. The Abdo variable, A 4 , coupled with the weighting analysis technique significantly improves the sensitivity of the Milagro detector. This new analysis technique resulted in the first discoveries in Milagro. Four localized sources of TeV gamma-ray emission have been discovered, three of which are in the Cygnus region of the Galaxy and one closer to the Galactic center. In addition to these localized sources, a diffuse emission of TeV gamma-rays has been discovered from the Cygnus region of the Galaxy as well. However, the TeV gamma-ray flux as measured at ~12 TeV from the Cygnus region exceeds that predicted from a conventional model of cosmic-ray production and propagation. This observation indicates the existence of either hard-spectrum cosmic-ray sources and/or other sources of TeV gamma rays in the region. Other TeV gamma-ray source candidates with post-trial statistical significances of > 4s have also been observed in the Galactic plane.

3D-printed focused collimator for intra-operative gamma-ray detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holdsworth, David W.; Nikolov, Hristo N.; Pollmann, Steven I.

2017-03-01

Recent developments in targeted radiopharmaceutical labels have increased the need for sensitive, real-time gamma detection during cancer surgery and biopsy. Additive manufacturing (3D printing) in metal has now made it possible to design and fabricate complex metal collimators for compact gamma probes. We describe the design and implementation of a 3D-printed focused collimator that allows for real-time detection of gamma radiation from within a small volume of interest, using a single-crystal large-area detector. The collimator was fabricated using laser melting of powdered stainless steel (316L), using a commercial 3D metal printer (AM125, Renishaw plc). The prototype collimator is 20 mm thick, with hexagonal close-packed holes designed to focus to a point 35 mm below the surface of the collimator face. Tests were carried out with a low-activity (<1 μCi) 241 Am source, using a conventional gamma-ray detector probe, incorporating a 2.5 cm diameter, 2.5 cm thick NaI crystal coupled to a photomultiplier. The measured full-width half maximum (FWHM) was less than 5.6 mm, and collimator detection efficiency was 44%. The ability to fabricate fine features in solid metal makes it possible to develop optimized designs for high-efficiency, focused gamma collimators for real-time intraoperative imaging applications.

Physical processes and diagnostics of gamma-ray burst emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harding, Alice K.

1992-01-01

With improved data from BATSE and other instruments, it is important to develop a range of diagnostic tools to link gamma-ray burst observations with theory. I will review some of the physical processes which may take place to form the spectrum of gamma-ray burst sources, assuming that the bursts originate on strongly magnetized neutron stars. The important diagnostics that these processes provide to probe the emission region and how they might be used to interpret observed spectra will also be discussed.

Ballerina - pirouettes in search of gamma bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandt, S.; Lund, N.; Pedersen, H.; Hjorth, J.; BALLERINA Collaboration

1999-09-01

The cosmological origin of gamma ray bursts has now been established with reasonable certainty. Many more bursts will need to be studied to establish the typical distance scale, and to map out the large diversity in properties which have been indicated by the first handful of events. We are proposing Ballerina, a small satellite to provide accurate positions and new data on the gamma-ray bursts. We anticipate a detection rate an order of magnitude larger than obtained from Beppo-SAX.

Modelling Hard Gamma-Ray Emission from Supernova Remnants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baring, Matthew

2000-01-01

The observation by the CANGAROO experiment of TeV emission from SN 1006, in conjunction with several instances of non-thermal X-ray emission from supernova remnants, has led to inferences of super-TeV electrons in these extended sources. While this is sufficient to propel the theoretical community in their modelling of particle acceleration and associated radiation, the anticipated emergence in the next decade of a number of new experiments probing the TeV and sub-TeV bands provides further substantial motivation for modellers. In particular, the quest for obtaining unambiguous gamma-ray signatures of cosmic ray ion acceleration defines a "Holy Grail" for observers and theorists alike. This review summarizes theoretical developments in the prediction of MeV-TeV gamma-rays from supernova remnants over the last five years, focusing on how global properties of models can impact, and be impacted by, hard gamma-ray observational programs, thereby probing the supernova remnant environment. Properties of central consideration include the maximum energy of accelerated particles, the density of the unshocked interstellar medium, the ambient magnetic field, and the relativistic electron-to-proton ratio. Criteria for determining good candidate remnants for observability in the TeV band are identified.

Monte Carlo modeling of ultrasound probes for image guided radiotherapy

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

Bazalova-Carter, Magdalena, E-mail: bazalova@uvic.ca; Schlosser, Jeffrey; Chen, Josephine

2015-10-15

Purpose: To build Monte Carlo (MC) models of two ultrasound (US) probes and to quantify the effect of beam attenuation due to the US probes for radiation therapy delivered under real-time US image guidance. Methods: MC models of two Philips US probes, an X6-1 matrix-array transducer and a C5-2 curved-array transducer, were built based on their megavoltage (MV) CT images acquired in a Tomotherapy machine with a 3.5 MV beam in the EGSnrc, BEAMnrc, and DOSXYZnrc codes. Mass densities in the probes were assigned based on an electron density calibration phantom consisting of cylinders with mass densities between 0.2 andmore » 8.0 g/cm{sup 3}. Beam attenuation due to the US probes in horizontal (for both probes) and vertical (for the X6-1 probe) orientation was measured in a solid water phantom for 6 and 15 MV (15 × 15) cm{sup 2} beams with a 2D ionization chamber array and radiographic films at 5 cm depth. The MC models of the US probes were validated by comparison of the measured dose distributions and dose distributions predicted by MC. Attenuation of depth dose in the (15 × 15) cm{sup 2} beams and small circular beams due to the presence of the probes was assessed by means of MC simulations. Results: The 3.5 MV CT number to mass density calibration curve was found to be linear with R{sup 2} > 0.99. The maximum mass densities in the X6-1 and C5-2 probes were found to be 4.8 and 5.2 g/cm{sup 3}, respectively. Dose profile differences between MC simulations and measurements of less than 3% for US probes in horizontal orientation were found, with the exception of the penumbra region. The largest 6% dose difference was observed in dose profiles of the X6-1 probe placed in vertical orientation, which was attributed to inadequate modeling of the probe cable. Gamma analysis of the simulated and measured doses showed that over 96% of measurement points passed the 3%/3 mm criteria for both probes placed in horizontal orientation and for the X6-1 probe in vertical

Formation of fine {gamma} grain structure through fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellar structure in Ti-rich TiAl alloy

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

Kumagai, T.; Abe, E.; Nakamura, M.

1997-12-31

Microstructural development of an extremely fine {alpha}{sub 2}-Ti{sub 32}Al/{gamma}-TiAl lamellar structure, which was formed by ice water quenching after solution-treatment in a high-temperature {alpha}-Ti phase field for a long period of time, was examined during isothermal treatment. In an as-quenched Ti-48at.%Al alloy, the massively transformed {gamma} ({gamma}{sub m}) and untransformed (meaning massively untransformed) fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellar regions were observed. Fine {gamma} grains, which were similar to {gamma}{sub m}, were generated both within the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae and at the boundary area between the {gamma}{sub m} and the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellar regions by aging at low-temperature (1,173 K)more » for a short time (180s). Further aging (1.8ks) caused the coarsening of these newly generated fine {gamma} grains. On the other hand, the coarsening of the {gamma} grains occurred by a high-temperature (1,323 K) aging treatment even for 180s. Fine {alpha}{sub 2} plates and particles, which were aligned to a particular direction, were observed in the {gamma} grain interiors, indicating that the newly generated {gamma} grains grew at the expense of the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae. It can be considered that the {gamma} grain formation through the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae is closely related to the {alpha}{sub 2}{yields}{gamma} reaction of the {alpha}{sub 2} plates sandwiched by the {gamma} plates, and needs the fast heating rate enough to overcome the {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma}{yields}{gamma}/{gamma} lamellae reaction.« less

Hip- and knee-strength assessments using a hand-held dynamometer with external belt-fixation are inter-tester reliable.

PubMed

Thorborg, Kristian; Bandholm, Thomas; Hölmich, Per

2013-03-01

In football, ice-hockey, and track and field, injuries have been predicted, and hip- and knee-strength deficits quantified using hand-held dynamometry (HHD). However, systematic bias exists when testers of different sex and strength perform the measurements. Belt-fixation of the dynamometer may resolve this. The aim of the present study was therefore to examine the inter-tester reliability concerning strength assessments of isometric hip abduction, adduction, flexion, extension and knee-flexion strength, using HHD with external belt-fixation. Twenty-one healthy athletes (6 women), 30 (8.6) (mean (SD)) years of age, were included. Two physiotherapy students (1 female and 1 male) performed all the measurements after careful instruction and procedure training. Isometric hip abduction, adduction, flexion, extension, and knee-flexion strength were tested. The tester-order and hip-action order were randomised. No systematic between-tester differences (bias) were observed for any of the hip or knee actions. The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC 2.1) ranged from 0.76 to 0.95. Furthermore, standard errors of measurement in per cent (SEM %) ranged from 5 to 11 %, and minimal detectable change in per cent (MDC %) from 14 to 29 % for the different hip and knee actions. The present study shows that isometric hip- and knee-strength measurements have acceptable inter-tester reliability at the group level, when testing strong individuals, using HHD with belt-fixation. This procedure is therefore perfectly suited for the evaluation and monitoring of strong athletes with hip, groin and hamstring injuries, some of the most common and troublesome injuries in sports. Diagnostic, Level III.

Eccentric and isometric shoulder rotator cuff strength testing using a hand-held dynamometer: reference values for overhead athletes.

PubMed

Cools, Ann M J; Vanderstukken, Fran; Vereecken, Frédéric; Duprez, Mattias; Heyman, Karel; Goethals, Nick; Johansson, Fredrik

2016-12-01

In order to provide science-based guidelines for injury prevention or return to play, regular measurement of isometric and eccentric internal (IR) and external (ER) rotator strength is warranted in overhead athletes. However, up to date, no normative database exists regarding these values, when measured with a hand-held dynamometer. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to provide a normative database on isometric and eccentric rotator cuff (RC) strength values in a sample of overhead athletes, and to discuss gender, age and sports differences. A HHD was used to measure RC strength in 201 overhead athletes between 18 and 50 years old from three different sports disciplines: tennis, volleyball and handball. Isometric as well as eccentric strength was measured in different shoulder positions. Outcome variables of interest were isometric ER and IR strength, eccentric ER strength, and intermuscular strength ratios ER/IR. Our results show significant side, gender and sports discipline differences in the isometric and eccentric RC strength. However, when normalized to body weight, gender differences often are absent. In general, strength differences are in favour of the dominant side, the male athletes and handball. Intermuscular ER/IR ratios showed gender, sports, and side differences. This normative database is necessary to help the clinician in the evaluation of RC strength in healthy and injured overhead athletes. In view of the preventive screening and return-to-play decisions in overhead athletes, normalization to body weight and calculating intermuscular ratios are key points in this evaluation. Diagnostic study, Level III.

Hand-held optical sensor using denatured antibody coated electro-active polymer for ultra-trace detection of copper in blood serum and environmental samples.

PubMed

Chandra, Sutapa; Dhawangale, Arvind; Mukherji, Soumyo

2018-07-01

An optimum copper concentration in environment is highly desired for all forms of life. We have developed an ultrasensitive copper sensor which functions from femto to micro molar concentration accurately (R 2 = 0.98). The sensor is based on denatured antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG), immobilized on polyaniline (PAni) which in turn is the coating on the core of an optical fiber. The sensing relies on changes in evanescent wave absorbance in the presence of the analyte. The sensor showed excellent selectivity towards Cu (II) ions over all other metal ions. The sensor was tested with lake and marine water samples to determine unknown concentrations of copper ions and the recovery results were within 90-115%, indicating reasonable accuracy. We further integrated the fiber-optic sensor with a miniaturized hand-held instrumentation platform to develop an accurate and field deployable device which can broadly be applicable to determine Cu (II) concentration in a wide range of systems - natural water bodies, soil as well as blood serum. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Large-scale anisotropy in the extragalactic gamma-ray background as a probe for cosmological antimatter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gao, Yi-Tian; Stecker, Floyd W.; Gleiser, Marcelo; Cline, David B.

1990-01-01

Intrinsic anisotropies in the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB), which should be detectable with the forthcoming Gamma Ray Observatory, can be used to examine some of the mechanisms proposed to explain its origin, one of which, the baryon-symmetric big bang (BSBB) model, is investigated here. In this simulation, large domains containing matter and antimatter galaxies produce gamma rays by annihilation at the domain boundaries. This mechanism can produce mountain-chain-shaped angular fluctuations in the EGB flux.

Field studies on health effects from the application of two organophosphorus insecticide formulations by hand-held ULV to cotton.

PubMed

Kummer, R; van Sittert, N J

1986-10-01

Two field studies to assess the health implications for farmers applying two different formulations containing organophosphorus (OP) pesticides to cotton by hand-held ULV are described. The first study, carried out in the Ivory Coast, involved the application of an endrin/DDT/methylparathion (MEP) formulation in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent. The second study took place in Indonesia with a 20% monocrotophos formulation in a mixture of a glycol and a glycol ether. Both studies were carried out under actual field conditions. The purpose of the studies was to get a good assessment of the health hazards of the particular formulation, used under the specific circumstances and agronomic requirements of the area of application and taking into account all local, climatic and cultural conditions that could be of possible influence. The results showed that in both studies skin exposures took place during application and especially during handling, filling and cleaning, and that inhalation of spray mist was negligible. Absorption was confirmed by the presence in urine of metabolites of endrin and methylparathion in the Ivory Coast study, and of dimethyl phosphate in the Indonesia study. No clinical signs or symptoms of intoxication were discovered in either study, nor were inhibitions of cholinesterase (ChE) activity of health significance established under the conditions of the studies. In addition, various practical aspects such as choice of apparatus, of formulation, the application procedures etc. are discussed.

Instant Read on Reading, in Palms of Their Hands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Lynn

2007-01-01

This article discusses teachers' use of hand-held computers in a rural New Mexico district to assess student's reading progress. With the help of a federal Reading First grant, the district began using the DIBELS assessments across its elementary schools along with the mCLASS: DIBELS assessment and reporting system. The district's experience helps…

Monte Carlo simulations of the gamma-ray exposure rates of common rocks

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

Haber, Daniel A.; Malchow, Russell L.; Burnley, Pamela C.

Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to model the gamma ray emission and attenuation properties of common rocks. In geologic materials, 40K, 238U, and 232Th are responsible for most gamma ray production. If the concentration of these radioelements and attenuation factors such as degree of water saturation are known, an estimate of the gamma-ray exposure rate can be made. The results show that there are no significant differences in gamma-ray screening between major rock types. If the total number of radionuclide atoms are held constant then the major controlling factor is density of the rock. Finally, the thickness of regolithmore » or soil overlying rock can be estimated by modeling the exposure rate if the radionuclide contents of both materials are known.« less

Monte Carlo simulations of the gamma-ray exposure rates of common rocks

DOE PAGES

Haber, Daniel A.; Malchow, Russell L.; Burnley, Pamela C.

2016-11-24

Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to model the gamma ray emission and attenuation properties of common rocks. In geologic materials, 40K, 238U, and 232Th are responsible for most gamma ray production. If the concentration of these radioelements and attenuation factors such as degree of water saturation are known, an estimate of the gamma-ray exposure rate can be made. The results show that there are no significant differences in gamma-ray screening between major rock types. If the total number of radionuclide atoms are held constant then the major controlling factor is density of the rock. Lastly, the thickness of regolithmore » or soil overlying rock can be estimated by modeling the exposure rate if the radionuclide contents of both materials are known.« less

Monte Carlo simulations of the gamma-ray exposure rates of common rocks

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

Haber, Daniel A.; Malchow, Russell L.; Burnley, Pamela C.

Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to model the gamma ray emission and attenuation properties of common rocks. In geologic materials, 40K, 238U, and 232Th are responsible for most gamma ray production. If the concentration of these radioelements and attenuation factors such as degree of water saturation are known, an estimate of the gamma-ray exposure rate can be made. The results show that there are no significant differences in gamma-ray screening between major rock types. If the total number of radionuclide atoms are held constant then the major controlling factor is density of the rock. Lastly, the thickness of regolithmore » or soil overlying rock can be estimated by modeling the exposure rate if the radionuclide contents of both materials are known.« less

Search for right-handed neutrinos from dark matter annihilation with gamma-rays

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

Campos, Miguel D.; Queiroz, Farinaldo S.; Yaguna, Carlos E.

Several extensions of the Standard Model contain right-handed (sterile) neutrinos in the GeV-TeV mass range. Due to their mixing with the active neutrinos, they may give rise to novel effects in cosmology, neutrino physics, and collider searches. In addition, right-handed neutrinos can also appear as final states from dark matter annihilations, with important implications for dark matter indirect detection searches. In this paper, we use current data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (6-year observation of dwarf spheroidal galaxies) and H.E.S.S. (10-year observation of the Galactic center) to constrain the annihilation of dark matter into right-handed neutrinos. We consider right-handedmore » neutrino with masses between 10 GeV and 1 TeV, including both two-body and three-body decays, to derive bounds on the dark matter annihilation rate, ( σ v ), as a function of the dark matter mass. Our results show, in particular, that the thermal dark matter annihilation cross section, 3× 10{sup −26} cm{sup 3} s {sup −1} , into right-handed neutrinos is excluded for dark matter masses smaller than 200 GeV.« less

Probing CP violation in $$h\\rightarrow\\gamma\\gamma$$ with converted photons

DOE PAGES

Bishara, Fady; Grossman, Yuval; Harnik, Roni; ...

2014-04-11

We study Higgs diphoton decays, in which both photons undergo nuclear conversion to electron- positron pairs. The kinematic distribution of the two electron-positron pairs may be used to probe the CP violating (CPV) coupling of the Higgs to photons, that may be produced by new physics. Detecting CPV in this manner requires interference between the spin-polarized helicity amplitudes for both conversions. We derive leading order, analytic forms for these amplitudes. In turn, we obtain compact, leading-order expressions for the full process rate. While performing experiments involving photon conversions may be challenging, we use the results of our analysis to constructmore » experimental cuts on certain observables that may enhance sensitivity to CPV. We show that there exist regions of phase space on which sensitivity to CPV is of order unity. As a result, the statistical sensitivity of these cuts are verified numerically, using dedicated Monte-Carlo simulations.« less

Right-handed fossil humans.

PubMed

Lozano, Marina; Estalrrich, Almudena; Bondioli, Luca; Fiore, Ivana; Bermúdez de Castro, José-Maria; Arsuaga, Juan Luis; Carbonell, Eudald; Rosas, Antonio; Frayer, David W

2017-11-01

Fossil hominids often processed material held between their upper and lower teeth. Pulling with one hand and cutting with the other, they occasionally left impact cut marks on the lip (labial) surface of their incisors and canines. From these actions, it possible to determine the dominant hand used. The frequency of these oblique striations in an array of fossil hominins documents the typically modern pattern of 9 right- to 1 left-hander. This ratio among living Homo sapiens differs from that among chimpanzees and bonobos and more distant primate relatives. Together, all studies of living people affirm that dominant right-handedness is a uniquely modern human trait. The same pattern extends deep into our past. Thus far, the majority of inferred right-handed fossils come from Europe, but a single maxilla from a Homo habilis, OH-65, shows a predominance of right oblique scratches, thus extending right-handedness into the early Pleistocene of Africa. Other studies show right-handedness in more recent African, Chinese, and Levantine fossils, but the sample compiled for non-European fossil specimens remains small. Fossil specimens from Sima del los Huesos and a variety of European Neandertal sites are predominately right-handed. We argue the 9:1 handedness ratio in Neandertals and the earlier inhabitants of Europe constitutes evidence for a modern pattern of handedness well before the appearance of modern Homo sapiens. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Hand-held Fiber-optic Implement for the Site-specific Delivery of Photosensitizer and Singlet Oxygen

PubMed Central

Mahendran, Adaickapillai; Kopkalli, Yasemin; Ghosh, Goutam; Ghogare, Ashwini; Minnis, Mihaela; Kruft, Bonnie I.; Zamadar, Matibur; Aebisher, David; Davenport, Lesley; Greer, Alexander

2012-01-01

We have constructed a fiber optic device that internally flows triplet oxygen and externally produces singlet oxygen, causing a reaction at the (Z)-1,2-dialkoxyethene spacer group, freeing a pheophorbide sensitizer upon the fragmentation of a reactive dioxetane intermediate. The device can be operated and sensitizer photorelease observed using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. We demonstrate the preference of sensitizer photorelease when the probe tip is in contact with octanol or lipophilic media. A first-order photocleavage rate constant of 1.13 h−1 was measured in octanol where dye desorption was not accompanied by readsorption. When the probe tip contacts aqueous solution, the photorelease was inefficient because most of the dye adsorbed on the probe tip, even after the covalent ethene spacer bonds have been broken. The observed stability of the free sensitizer in lipophilic media is reasonable even though it is a pyropheophorbide-a derivative that carries a p-formylbenzylic alcohol substituent at the carboxylic acid group. In octanol or lipid systems, we found that the dye was not susceptible to hydrolysis to pyropheophorbide-a, otherwise a pH effect was observed in a binary methanol-water system (9:1) at pH below 2 or above 8. PMID:21790616

MoonBEAM: Gamma-Ray Burst Detectors on SmallSAT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, C. M.; Briggs, M. S.; Goldstein, A. M.; Jenke, P. A.; Kocevski, D.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.

2018-01-01

Moon Burst Energetics All-sky Monitor (MoonBEAM) is a CubeSat concept of deploying gamma-ray detectors in cislunar space to improve localization precision for gamma-ray bursts by utilizing the light travel time difference between a spacecraft in Earth and cislunar orbit. MoonBEAM is designed with high TRL components to be flight ready. This instrument would probe the extreme processes in cosmic collision of compact objects and facilitate multi-messenger time-domain astronomy to explore the end of stellar life cycles and black hole formations.

Methods and instruments for materials testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansma, Paul (Inventor); Drake, Barney (Inventor); Rehn, Douglas (Inventor); Adams, Jonathan (Inventor); Lulejian, Jason (Inventor)

2011-01-01

Methods and instruments for characterizing a material, such as the properties of bone in a living human subject, using a test probe constructed for insertion into the material and a reference probe aligned with the test probe in a housing. The housing is hand held or placed so that the reference probe contacts the surface of the material under pressure applied either by hand or by the weight of the housing. The test probe is inserted into the material to indent the material while maintaining the reference probe substantially under the hand pressure or weight of the housing allowing evaluation of a property of the material related to indentation of the material by the probe. Force can be generated by a voice coil in a magnet structure to the end of which the test probe is connected and supported in the magnet structure by a flexure, opposing flexures, a linear translation stage, or a linear bearing. Optionally, a measurement unit containing the test probe and reference probe is connected to a base unit with a wireless connection, allowing in the field material testing.

Modular 3D-Printed Soil Gas Probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Good, S. P.; Selker, J. S.; Al-Qqaili, F.; Lopez, M.; Kahel, L.

2016-12-01

ABSTRACT: Extraction of soil gas is required for a variety of applications in earth sciences and environmental engineering. However, commercially available probes can be costly and are typically limited to a single depth. Here, we present the open-source design and lab testing of a soil gas probe with modular capabilities that allow for the vertical stacking of gas extraction points at different depths in the soil column. The probe modules consist of a 3D printed spacer unit and hydrophobic gas permeable membrane made of high density Polyethylene with pore sizes 20-40 microns. Each of the modular spacer units contain both a gas extraction line and gas input line for the dilution of soil gases if needed. These 2-inch diameter probes can be installed in the field quickly with a hand auger and returned to at any frequency to extract soil gas from desired soil depths. The probes are tested through extraction of soil pore water vapors with distinct stable isotope ratios.

Reaction process of {alpha} {yields} {gamma} massive transformation in Ti-rich TiAl alloy

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

Kumagai, T.; Abe, E.; Nakamura, M.

1995-08-01

Reaction sequence of the massive transformation from the high-temperature {alpha}-Ti phase to the {gamma}-TiAl phase ({gamma}{sub m}) in a Ti-48at.% Al alloy has been examined in terms of optical and transmission electron microscopes. Both transformed and untransformed regions were macroscopically observed in the sample quenched from the high-temperature {alpha} phase field, when the sample was held there for a extended period of time prior to quenching. The transformed region consists of randomly oriented fine {gamma} single phase grains, in which many thermal anti-phase domains (TAPDs), together with a number of stacking faults were observed. In contrast, the untransformed region comprisesmore » extremely fine lamellae of the {gamma} and {alpha}{sub 2}-Ti{sub 3}Al phases, and the {gamma} plates were found to run through the TAPDs caused by {alpha} {yields} {alpha}{sub 2} ordering. Subsequent aging at 1,273 K causes the microstructure change in the untransformed region from {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae to {gamma}/{gamma} lamellae spontaneously and expands the {gamma}{sub m} region. These observations suggest that the {alpha} {yields} {gamma}{sub m} transformation proceeds through formation of fine {gamma} plates.« less

A new device for performing reference point indentation without a reference probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bridges, Daniel; Randall, Connor; Hansma, Paul K.

2012-04-01

Here we describe a novel, hand-held reference point indentation (RPI), instrument that is designed for clinical measurements of bone material properties in living patients. This instrument differs from previous RPI instruments in that it requires neither a reference probe nor removal of the periosteum that covers the bone, thus significantly simplifying its use in patient testing. After describing the instrument, we discuss five guidelines for optimal and reproducible results. These are: (1) the angle between the normal to the surface and the axis of the instrument should be less than 10°, (2) the compression of the main spring to trigger the device must be performed slowly (>1 s), (3) the probe tip should be sharper than 10 μm; however, a normalized parameter with a calibration phantom can correct for dull tips up to a 100 μm radius, (4) the ambient room temperature should be between 4 °C and 37 °C, and (5) the effective mass of the bone or material under test must exceed 1 kg, or if under 1 kg, the specimen should be securely anchored in a fixation device with sufficient mass (which is not a requirement of previous RPI instruments). Our experience is that a person can be trained with these guidelines in about 5 min and thereafter obtain accurate and reproducible results. The portability, ease of use, and minimal training make this instrument suitable to measure bone material properties in a clinical setting.

Hand involvement in children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A.

PubMed

Burns, Joshua; Bray, Paula; Cross, Lauren A; North, Kathryn N; Ryan, Monique M; Ouvrier, Robert A

2008-12-01

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A), a demyelinating neuropathy characterised by progressive length-dependent muscle weakness and atrophy, is thought to affect the foot and leg first followed some time later by hand weakness and dysfunction. We aimed to characterise hand strength, function and disease-related symptoms in children with CMT1A. Intrinsic and extrinsic hand strength was measured by hand-held dynamometry, function by nine-hole peg test, and disease-related symptoms by interview and examination in 84 affected children aged 2-16 years. Hand weakness and dysfunction was present from the earliest stages of the disease. While hand strength and function measures tended to increase with age throughout childhood, at no point did they reach normal values. Day-to-day hand problems such as poor handwriting, weakness, pain and sensory symptoms also worsened with age. The hand is affected at all ages in children with CMT1A, but may be under-recognised in its early stages, potentially delaying therapy.

Studies on hand-held visual communication device for the deaf and speech-impaired 2. Keyboard design.

PubMed

Thurlow, W R

1980-01-01

Experiments with keyboard arrangements of letters show that simple alphabetic letter-key sequences with 4 to 5 letters in a row lead to most rapid visual search performance. Such arrangements can be used on keyboards operated by the index finger of one hand. Arrangement of letters in words offers a promising alternative because these arrangements can be readily memorized and can result in small interletter distances on the keyboard for frequently occurring letter sequences. Experiments on operation of keyboards show that a space or shift key operated by the left hand (which also holds the communication device) results in faster keyboard operation than when space or shift keys on the front of the keyboard (operated by right hand) are used. Special problems of the deaf-blind are discussed. Keyboard arrangements are investigated, and matching tactual codes are suggested.

Constraints on the phase gamma and new physics from B --> kpi decays

PubMed

He; Hsueh; Shi

2000-01-03

Recent results from CLEO on B-->Kpi indicate that the phase gamma may be substantially different from that obtained from other fit to the KM matrix elements in the standard model. We show that gamma extracted using B-->Kpi,pipi is sensitive to new physics occurring at loop level. It provides a powerful method to probe new physics in electroweak penguin interactions. Using effects due to anomalous gauge couplings as an example, we show that within the allowed ranges for these couplings information about gamma obtained from B-->Kpi,pipi can be very different from the standard model prediction.

Measurement of gastric emptying by intragastric gamma scintigraphy.

PubMed

Malbert, C H; Mathis, C; Bobillier, E; Laplace, J P; Horowitz, M

1997-09-01

Gastric emptying is usually measured in animals and humans by dilution/sampling or external scintigraphy. These methods are either time consuming or require expensive equipment. The capacity of a miniature gamma counter positioned in the stomach to measure emptying of liquid and solid meals was evaluated. In eight conscious pigs fitted with gastric and duodenal cannulae, gastric emptying of saline (500 mL), dextrose (20%, 500 mL), porridge (300 g) and scrambled eggs (300 g), all labelled with 3.5 MBq 99mTC, was evaluated. When positioned in the antrum the probe was unable to quantify gastric emptying. In contrast, measurements of the fractional emptying of saline over 4-min periods by the probe positioned in the corpus and quantification of radioactivity in the duodenal effluent correlated closely (r = 0.88, P < 0.05). Gastric emptying (50% emptying time) of saline and both solid meals measured by the probe was not significantly different from quantification of the duodenal effluent volume. No difference was observed also for the dextrose meal but only while gastric acid secretion was suppressed by omeprazole. We conclude that an intragastric gamma counter permits measurement of gastric emptying of homogeneous meals provided meal stimulation of gastric secretion was not extensive. This was possible probably by monitoring emptying from the proximal stomach.

Segmentation of Environmental Time Lapse Image Sequences for the Determination of Shore Lines Captured by Hand-Held Smartphone Cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kröhnert, M.; Meichsner, R.

2017-09-01

The relevance of globally environmental issues gains importance since the last years with still rising trends. Especially disastrous floods may cause in serious damage within very short times. Although conventional gauging stations provide reliable information about prevailing water levels, they are highly cost-intensive and thus just sparsely installed. Smartphones with inbuilt cameras, powerful processing units and low-cost positioning systems seem to be very suitable wide-spread measurement devices that could be used for geo-crowdsourcing purposes. Thus, we aim for the development of a versatile mobile water level measurement system to establish a densified hydrological network of water levels with high spatial and temporal resolution. This paper addresses a key issue of the entire system: the detection of running water shore lines in smartphone images. Flowing water never appears equally in close-range images even if the extrinsics remain unchanged. Its non-rigid behavior impedes the use of good practices for image segmentation as a prerequisite for water line detection. Consequently, we use a hand-held time lapse image sequence instead of a single image that provides the time component to determine a spatio-temporal texture image. Using a region growing concept, the texture is analyzed for immutable shore and dynamic water areas. Finally, the prevalent shore line is examined by the resultant shapes. For method validation, various study areas are observed from several distances covering urban and rural flowing waters with different characteristics. Future work provides a transformation of the water line into object space by image-to-geometry intersection.

Performance status of a small robot-mounted or hand-held, solar-blind, standoff chemical, biological, and explosives (CBE) sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hug, W. F.; Reid, R. D.; Bhartia, R.; Lane, A. L.

2009-05-01

Photon Systems and JPL are continuing development of a new technology robot-mounted or hand-held sensor for reagentless, short-range, standoff detection and identification of trace levels CBE materials on surfaces. This deep ultraviolet CBE sensor is the result of ongoing Army STTR and DTRA programs. The evolving 6 lb, 15W, lantern-size sensor can discriminate CBE from background clutter materials using a combination of deep UV excited resonance Raman (RR) and laser induced native fluorescence (LINF) emissions resulting from excitation by a new technology deep UV laser. Standoff excitation of suspicious packages, vehicles, persons, and other objects that may contain hazardous materials is accomplished using wavelengths below 250nm where RR and LINF emissions occupy distinctly different wavelength regions. This enables simultaneous detection of RR and LINF emissions with no spectral overlap or interference of LINF over RR or RR over LINF. The new eye-safe targeted ultraviolet chemical, biological, and explosives (TUCBE) sensor can detect and identify less than 1 μg/cm2 of explosives or 104 bacterial spores at 10 meters standoff, or 10 ng/cm2 of explosives or 102 bacterial spores/cm2 at 1 meter standoff. Detection and identification requires less than 1 ms and has a sample rate up to 20 Hz. Lower concentrations of contamination can be detected and identified as closer ranges and higher concentrations at longer ranges. The sensor is solar blind and can be operated in full daylight conditions as a result of excitation and detection in the deep UV and the use of a gated detection system.

Evaluation of an automated breast 3D-ultrasound system by comparing it with hand-held ultrasound (HHUS) and mammography.

PubMed

Golatta, Michael; Baggs, Christina; Schweitzer-Martin, Mirjam; Domschke, Christoph; Schott, Sarah; Harcos, Aba; Scharf, Alexander; Junkermann, Hans; Rauch, Geraldine; Rom, Joachim; Sohn, Christof; Heil, Joerg

2015-04-01

Automated three-dimensional (3D) breast ultrasound (US) systems are meant to overcome the shortcomings of hand-held ultrasound (HHUS). The aim of this study is to analyze and compare clinical performance of an automated 3D-US system by comparing it with HHUS, mammography and the clinical gold standard (defined as the combination of HHUS, mammography and-if indicated-histology). Nine hundred and eighty three patients (=1,966 breasts) were enrolled in this monocentric, explorative and prospective cohort study. All examinations were analyzed blinded to the patients´ history and to the results of the routine imaging. The agreement of automated 3D-US with HHUS, mammography and the gold standard was assessed with kappa statistics. Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive value were calculated to assess the test performance. Blinded to the results of the gold standard the agreement between automated 3D-US and HHUS or mammography was fair, given by a Kappa coefficient of 0.31 (95% CI [0.26;0.36], p < 0.0001) and 0.25 (95% CI [0.2;0.3], p < 0.0001), respectively. Our results showed a high negative predictive value (NPV) of 98%, a high specificity of 85% and a sensitivity of 74% based on the cases with US-guided biopsy. Including the cases where the lesion was seen in a second-look automated 3D-US the sensitivity improved to 84% (NPV = 99%, specificity = 85%). The results of this study let us suggest, that automated 3D-US might be a helpful new tool in breast imaging, especially in screening.

Metal enrichment in the Fermi bubbles as a probe of their origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Yoshiyuki; Nakashima, Shinya; Tahara, Masaya; Kataoka, Jun; Totani, Tomonori; Fujita, Yutaka; Sofue, Yoshiaki

2015-06-01

The Fermi bubbles are gigantic gamma-ray structures in our Galaxy. The physical origin of the bubbles is still under debate. The leading scenarios can be divided into two categories. One is nuclear star-forming activity similar to extragalactic starburst galaxies and the other is past active galactic nucleus (AGN)-like activity of the Galactic center supermassive black hole. In this letter, we propose that metal abundance measurements will provide an important clue to probe their origin. Based on a simple spherically symmetric bubble model, we find that the generated metallicity and abundance patterns of the bubbles' gas strongly depend on assumed star formation or AGN activities. Star formation scenarios predict higher metallicities and abundance ratios of [O/Fe] and [Ne/Fe] than AGN scenarios do because of supernovae ejecta. Furthermore, the resultant abundance depends on the gamma-ray emission process because different mass injection histories are required for the different gamma-ray emission processes due to the acceleration and cooling time scales of non-thermal particles. Future X-ray missions such as ASTRO-H and Athena will give a clue to probe the origin of the bubbles through abundance measurements with their high energy resolution instruments.

An analysis of the input-output properties of neuroprosthetic hand grasps.

PubMed

Memberg, W D; Crago, P E

2000-01-01

We measured the input-output properties of the hand grasps of 14 individuals with tetraplegia at the C5/C6 level who had received an implanted upper limb neuroprosthesis. The data provide a quantitative description of grasp-opening and grasp-force control with neuroprosthetic hand grasp systems. Static properties were estimated by slowly ramping the command (input) from 0 to 100%. A hand-held sensor monitored the outputs: grasp force and grasp opening. Trials were performed at different wrist positions, with two different-sized objects being held, and with both grasp modes (lateral and palmar grasps). Larger forces were produced when grasping larger objects, and greater opening was achieved with the wrist in flexion. Although active grasp force increased with wrist extension, it was not significant statistically. Lateral grasp produced larger forces than the palmar grasp. The command range can be divided into a portion that controls grasp opening and a portion that controls grasp force. The portion controlling force increased with spacer size, but did not depend significantly on grasp mode or wrist position. The force-command relationships were more linear than the position-command relationships. Grasp opening decreased significantly over a one-year period, while no significant change in grasp force was observed. These quantitative descriptions of neuroprosthetic hand grasps under varying conditions provide useful information about output capabilities that can be used to gauge the effectiveness of different control schemes and to design future control systems.

Fiber optic probe having fibers with endfaces formed for improved coupling efficiency and method using same

DOEpatents

O`Rourke, P.E.; Livingston, R.R.

1995-03-28

A fiber optic probe is disclosed for detecting scattered light, with transmitting and receiving fibers having slanted ends and bundled together to form a bevel within the tip of the probe. The probe comprises a housing with a transparent window across its tip for protecting the transmitting and receiving fibers held therein. The endfaces of the fibers are slanted, by cutting, polishing and the like, so that they lie in a plane that is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the respective fiber. The fibers are held in the tip of the probe using an epoxy and oriented so that lines normal to the slanted endfaces are divergent with respect to one another. The epoxy, which is positioned substantially between the transmitting and receiving fibers, is tapered so that the transmitting fiber, the epoxy and the receiving fiber form a bevel of not more than 20 degrees. The angled fiber endfaces cause directing of the light cones toward each other, resulting in improved light coupling efficiency. A light absorber, such as carbon black, is contained in the epoxy to reduce crosstalk between the transmitting and receiving fibers. 3 figures.

Fiber optic probe having fibers with endfaces formed for improved coupling efficiency and method using same

DOEpatents

O'Rourke, Patrick E.; Livingston, Ronald R.

1995-01-01

A fiber optic probe for detecting scattered light, with transmitting and receiving fibers having slanted ends and bundled together to form a bevel within the tip of the probe. The probe comprises a housing with a transparent window across its tip for protecting the transmitting and receiving fibers held therein. The endfaces of the fibers are slanted, by cutting, polishing and the like, so that they lie in a plane that is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the respective fiber. The fibers are held in the tip of the probe using an epoxy and oriented so that lines normal to the slanted endfaces are divergent with respect to one another. The epoxy, which is positioned substantially between the transmitting and receiving fibers, is tapered so that the transmitting fiber, the epoxy and the receiving fiber form a bevel of not more than 20 degrees. The angled fiber endfaces cause directing of the light cones toward each other, resulting in improved light coupling efficiency. A light absorber, such as carbon black, is contained in the epoxy to reduce crosstalk between the transmitting and receiving fibers.

Hand-held UXO Discriminator

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

Gasperikova, E.; Smith, J.T.; Kappler, K.N.

2010-04-01

With prior funding (UX-1225, MM-0437, and MM-0838), we have successfully designed and built a cart-mounted Berkeley UXO Discriminator (BUD) and demonstrated its performance at various test sites (e.g., Gasperikova et al., 2007, 2009). It is a multi-transmitter multi-receiver active electromagnetic system that is able to discriminate UXO from scrap at a single measurement position, hence eliminates equirement of a very accurate sensor location. The cart-mounted system comprises of three orthogonal transmitters and eight pairs of differenced receivers (Smith et al., 2007). Receiver coils are located on ymmetry lines through the center of the system and see identical fields during themore » on-time of the pulse in all of the transmitter coils. They can then be wired in opposition to produce zero output during the n-ime of the pulses in three orthogonal transmitters. Moreover, this configuration dramatically reduces noise in the measurements by canceling the background electromagnetic fields (these fields are uniform ver the scale of the receiver array and are consequently nulled by the differencing operation), and by canceling the noise contributed by the tilt of the receivers in the Earth's magnetic field, and therefore reatly enhances receivers sensitivity to the gradients of the target.« less

Hand-held photomicroscopy system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zabower, H. R.

1972-01-01

Photomicroscopy system, with simple optics and any standard microscope objective, is used with any type of motion picture, still, or television camera system. Device performs well under difficult environmental conditions and applies to work in ecological studies, field hospitals, and geological surveys.

Hand-Held UXO Discriminator

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

structure design showed that we could achieve both of these goals with a 14-in (0.35 m) sensor cube. To avoid the reliance on accurate multiple...differenced pair receiver. 4. Conclusions We have designed and built a sensor package of a 14-in (0.35 m) cube based on the...funding (UX-1225, MM-0437, and MM-0838), we have successfully designed and built a cart-mounted Berkeley UXO Discriminator (BUD) and demonstrated its

Cognitive bias, hand preference and welfare of common marmosets.

PubMed

Gordon, Dianne J; Rogers, Lesley J

2015-01-01

Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) have hand preferences for grasping pieces of food and holding them while eating and these are stable throughout adult life. We report here that left-handed marmosets have negative cognitive bias compared to right-handed marmosets. Twelve marmosets were trained to expect a food reward from a bowl with a black lid and not from one with a white lid, or vice versa. In probe tests with ambiguous, grey-lidded bowls a left-handed group (N=7) were less likely to remove the lid to inspect the bowl than a right-handed group (N=5). This difference between left- and right-handed marmosets was not dependent on rate of learning, sex or age. In fact, hand-preference was not associated with rate of learning the task. Furthermore, retrospective examination of colony records of 39 marmosets revealed that more aggression was directed towards left- than right-handed marmosets. Hence, hand preference, which can be measured easily, could serve as an indicator of cognitive bias and may signal a need for particular care in laboratory environments. We explain the results by arguing that hand preference reflects more frequent (or dominant) use of the opposite hemisphere and this predisposes individuals to behave differently. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimal arrangements of fiber optic probes to enhance the spatial resolution in depth for 3D reflectance diffuse optical tomography with time-resolved measurements performed with fast-gated single-photon avalanche diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puszka, Agathe; Di Sieno, Laura; Dalla Mora, Alberto; Pifferi, Antonio; Contini, Davide; Boso, Gianluca; Tosi, Alberto; Hervé, Lionel; Planat-Chrétien, Anne; Koenig, Anne; Dinten, Jean-Marc

2014-02-01

Fiber optic probes with a width limited to a few centimeters can enable diffuse optical tomography (DOT) in intern organs like the prostate or facilitate the measurements on extern organs like the breast or the brain. We have recently shown on 2D tomographic images that time-resolved measurements with a large dynamic range obtained with fast-gated single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) could push forward the imaged depth range in a diffusive medium at short source-detector separation compared with conventional non-gated approaches. In this work, we confirm these performances with the first 3D tomographic images reconstructed with such a setup and processed with the Mellin- Laplace transform. More precisely, we investigate the performance of hand-held probes with short interfiber distances in terms of spatial resolution and specifically demonstrate the interest of having a compact probe design featuring small source-detector separations. We compare the spatial resolution obtained with two probes having the same design but different scale factors, the first one featuring only interfiber distances of 15 mm and the second one, 10 mm. We evaluate experimentally the spatial resolution obtained with each probe on the setup with fast-gated SPADs for optical phantoms featuring two absorbing inclusions positioned at different depths and conclude on the potential of short source-detector separations for DOT.

Comparison of exhalation time methods (6 sec vs. 10 sec) of a hand-held exhaled nitric oxide analyzer.

PubMed

Ito, Yasunori; Adachi, Yuichi; Itazawa, Toshiko; Okabe, Yoshie; Adachi, Yoko S; Katsumuma, Toshio; Miyawaki, Toshio

2010-10-01

Standard exhalation time for measuring fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is 10 sec, but this is not easy for younger children. We aimed to investigate the agreement between FeNO values during 10-sec (FeNO-10) and 6-sec (FeNO-6) exhalation and the feasibility of measuring FeNO-6, using a hand-held analyzer, NIOX-MINO®. FeNO values measured during 10- and 6-sec (random order) were compared. Success rates of the two different time modes were also evaluated. In 119 asthmatic children (median age 8 years [range 4-15]) who had been already accustomed to NIOX-MINO®, median FeNO-10 (29 ppb [IQR 15.2-42.0]) and FeNO-6 (27 ppb [IQR 16.0-43.5]) did not differ significantly (P = 0.90), and there was a good correlation between both values (r = 0.984, P < 0.001). Mean difference (FeNO-10-FeNO-6) was -0.151 ppb (95% CI: -0.95 to 0.65, limits of agreement: -8.8 to 8.5). In 46 asthmatic children (median age 7 years [range 4-15]) who had never used any FeNO analyzers, all the children aged 8 years and more (n = 21) succeeded in measuring FeNO on both time modes, whereas for children aged younger than 8 years (n = 25) success rates of the 10- and 6-sec mode were 60.0% and 92.0%, respectively. In conclusion, we showed good agreement between FeNO-10 and FeNO-6, and the 6-sec mode of NIOX-MINO® is more feasible than 10-sec mode for measuring FeNO in younger children. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Swift Era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gehrels, Neil; Ramirez-Ruiz, E.; Fox, D. B.

2010-01-01

With its rapid-response capability and multiwavelength complement of instruments, the Swift satellite has transformed our physical understanding of gamma-ray bursts. Providing high-quality observations of hundreds of bursts, and facilitating a wide range of follow-up observations within seconds of each event, Swift has revealed an unforeseen richness in observed burst properties, shed light on the nature of short-duration bursts, and helped realize the promise of gamma-ray bursts as probes of the processes and environments of star formation out to the earliest cosmic epochs. These advances have opened new perspectives on the nature and properties of burst central engines, interactions with the burst environment from microparsec to gigaparsec scales, and the possibilities for non-photonic signatures. Our understanding of these extreme cosmic sources has thus advanced substantially; yet more than forty years after their discovery, gamma-ray bursts continue to present major challenges on both observational and theoretical fronts.

Hand luggage in the train toilet.

PubMed

Loth, M; Molenbroek, J F M; van Eijk, D J

2018-01-01

The train toilet can form a barrier for those wishing to travel by train as it is perceived as being dirty, and therefore its use as being unpleasant. In addition, Dutch train toilet users have the additional issue of storing their hand luggage in the toilet's confined spaceOBJECTIVE:In this article, we examine the issue of Dutch travelers with hand luggage in relation to their use of train toilets. We investigate the type of hand luggage train travelers have with them and lastly, we study what travelers do with their hand luggage when using the toilet. As part of an overarching study, we asked two specific questions on what travelers do with their hand luggage in a train toilet environment, followed by 22 observations from observational research. In the questionnaire, train travelers reported that bringing hand luggage into the train toilet is a problem because of the lack of storage space, and their fear of losing their seat. From the observational research, we noted that the participants mainly held their hand luggage on their bodies, and to a lesser extent, they placed it on the floor of the train toilet itself. None of the 22 participants used the hook to hang up their bag and/ or their coat. Travelers need a facility in the train toilet to store their hand luggage. Women have a stronger need for this than men, as they almost always carry an item with them. In addition, they use the toilet in hovering position or seated, with their backs to the wall, so they have limited space to store hand luggage on their backs or shoulders as men do. Most participants kept their hand luggage at a distance from the bowl, and the majority kept it off the floor (14 of the 22) because they were aware of the hygiene. The positioning of the coat/luggage hook at 1840 mm above the floor was considered to be too high, out of people's comfort area.

Hand luggage in the train toilet

PubMed Central

Loth, M.; Molenbroek, J.F.M.; van Eijk, D.J.

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: The train toilet can form a barrier for those wishing to travel by train as it is perceived as being dirty, and therefore its use as being unpleasant. In addition, Dutch train toilet users have the additional issue of storing their hand luggage in the toilet’s confined space OBJECTIVE: In this article, we examine the issue of Dutch travelers with hand luggage in relation to their use of train toilets. We investigate the type of hand luggage train travelers have with them and lastly, we study what travelers do with their hand luggage when using the toilet. METHODS: As part of an overarching study, we asked two specific questions on what travelers do with their hand luggage in a train toilet environment, followed by 22 observations from observational research. RESULTS: In the questionnaire, train travelers reported that bringing hand luggage into the train toilet is a problem because of the lack of storage space, and their fear of losing their seat. From the observational research, we noted that the participants mainly held their hand luggage on their bodies, and to a lesser extent, they placed it on the floor of the train toilet itself. None of the 22 participants used the hook to hang up their bag and/ or their coat. CONCLUSIONS: Travelers need a facility in the train toilet to store their hand luggage. Women have a stronger need for this than men, as they almost always carry an item with them. In addition, they use the toilet in hovering position or seated, with their backs to the wall, so they have limited space to store hand luggage on their backs or shoulders as men do. Most participants kept their hand luggage at a distance from the bowl, and the majority kept it off the floor (14 of the 22) because they were aware of the hygiene. The positioning of the coat/luggage hook at 1840 mm above the floor was considered to be too high, out of people’s comfort area. PMID:29630580

Observation of fluctuation of gamma-ray count rate accompanying thunderstorm activity and energy spectrum of gamma rays in the atmosphere up to several kilometers altitude from the ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torii, T.; Sanada, Y.; Watanabe, A.

2017-12-01

In the vicinity of the tops of high mountains and in the coastal areas of the Sea of Japan in winter, the generation of high energy photons that lasts more than 100 seconds at the occurrence of thunderclouds has been reported. At the same time, 511 keV gamma rays are also detected. On the other hand, we irradiated a radiosonde equipped with gamma-ray detectors at the time of thunderstorm and observed fluctuation in gamma-ray count-rate. As a result, we found that the gamma-ray count-rate increases significantly near the top of the thundercloud. Therefore, in order to investigate the fluctuation of the energy of the gamma rays, we developed a radiation detector for radiosonde to observe the fluctuation of the low energy gamma-ray spectrum and observed the fluctuation of the gamma-ray spectrum. We will describe the counting rate and spectral fluctuation of gamma-ray detectors for radiosonde observed in the sky in Fukushima prefecture, Japan.

How gravitational-wave observations can shape the gamma-ray burst paradigm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartos, I.; Brady, P.; Márka, S.

2013-06-01

By reaching through shrouding blastwaves, efficiently discovering off-axis events and probing the central engine at work, gravitational wave (GW) observations will soon revolutionize the study of gamma-ray bursts. Already, analyses of GW data targeting gamma-ray bursts have helped constrain the central engines of selected events. Advanced GW detectors with significantly improved sensitivities are under construction. After outlining the GW emission mechanisms from gamma-ray burst progenitors (binary coalescences, stellar core collapses, magnetars and others) that may be detectable with advanced detectors, we review how GWs will improve our understanding of gamma-ray burst central engines, their astrophysical formation channels and the prospects and methods for different search strategies. We place special emphasis on multimessenger searches. To achieve the most scientific benefit, GW, electromagnetic and neutrino observations should be combined to provide greater discriminating power and science reach.

Transvaginal ultrasound (image)

MedlinePlus

Transvaginal ultrasound is a method of imaging the genital tract in females. A hand held probe is inserted directly ... vaginal cavity to scan the pelvic structures, while ultrasound pictures are viewed on a monitor. The test ...

Gamma Ray Imaging of Inertial Confinement Fusion Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilde, Carl; Volegov, Petr; Geppert-Kleinrath, Verena; Danly, Christopher; Merrill, Frank; Simpson, Raspberry; Fittinghoff, David; Grim, Gary; NIF Nuclear Diagnostic Team Team; Advanced Imaging Team Team

2016-10-01

Experiments consisting of an ablatively driven plastic (CH) shell surrounding a deuterium tritium (DT) fuel region are routinely performed at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Neutrons produced in the burning fuel in-elastically scatter with carbon atoms in the plastic shell producing 4.4 MeV gamma rays. Providing a spatially resolved distribution of the origin of these gammas can inform models of ablator physics and also provide a bounding volume for the cold fuel (un-burned DT fuel) region. Using the NIF neutron imaging system hardware, initial studies have been performed of the feasibility of imaging these gamma rays. A model of the system has been developed to inform under which experimental conditions this measurement can be made. Presented here is an analysis of the prospects for this diagnostic probe and a proposed set of modifications to the NIF neutron imaging line-of-site to efficiently enable this measurement.

Associated-particle sealed-tube neutron probe for characterization of materials

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

Rhodes, E.; Dickerman, C.E.; Peters, C.W.

1993-10-01

A neutron diagnostic probe system has been developed that can identify and image most elements having a larger atomic number than boron. It can satisfy van-mobile and fixed-portal requirements for nondestructive detection of contraband drugs, explosives, and nuclear and chemical warfare weapon materials, and for treaty verification of sealed munitions and remediation of radioactive waste. The probe is based on a nonpulsed associated-particle sealed-tube neutron generator (APSTNG) that interrogates the object with a 14-MeV neutrons and detects alpha-particle associated with each neutron. Gamma-ray spectra of resulting neutron reactions (primarily inelastic scattering) identify nuclides associated with drugs, explosives, and other contraband.more » Flight times determined from detection times of gamma-rays and alpha-particles yield a separate coarse tomographic image of each identified nuclide. Chemical substances are identified and imaged by comparing relative spectra fine intensities with ratios of elements in reference compounds. The High-energy neutrons in gamma-rays will penetrate large objects and dense materials. The source and emission detection systems can be on the same side, allowing measurements with access to one side only. A high signal-to-background ratio is obtained and maximum information is extracted from each detected gamma-ray, yet high-bandwidth data acquisition is not required. The APSTNG also forms the basis for a compact fast-neutron transmission imaging system. No collimators are required, and only minimal shielding is needed. The small and relatively inexpensive neutron generator tube exhibits high reliability and can be quickly replaced. The detector arrays and associated electronics can be made reliable with low maintenance cost.« less

Prevalence of Hand-transmitted Vibration Exposure among Grass-cutting Workers using Objective and Subjective Measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azmir, N. A.; Yahya, M. N.

2017-01-01

Extended exposure to hand-transmitted vibration from vibrating machine is associated with an increased occurrence of symptoms of occupational disease related to hand disorder. The present case study is to determine the prevalence and correlation of significant subjective as well as objective variables that induce to hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) among hand-held grass-cutting workers in Malaysia. Thus, recommendations are made for grass-cutting workers and grass maintenance service management based on findings. A cross sectional study using adopted subjective Hand Arm Vibration Exposure Risk Assessment (HAVERA) questionnaire from Vibration Injury Network on hand disorder signs and symptoms was distributed to a sample of one hundred and sixty eight male workers from grass and turf maintenance industry that use vibrating machine as part of their work. For objective measure, hand-transmitted vibration measurement was collected on site during operation by the following ISO 5349-1, 2001. Two groups were identified in this research comprising of high exposure group and low-moderate exposure group. Workers also gave information about their personal identification, social history, workers’ health, occupational history and machine safety inspection. There was positive HAVS symptoms relationship between the low-moderate exposure group and high exposure group among hand-held grass-cutting workers. The prevalence ratio (PR) was considered high for experiencing white colour change at fingers and fingers go numb which are 3.63 (1.41 to 9.39) and 4.24 (2.18 to 8.27), respectively. The estimated daily vibration exposure, A(8) differs between 2.1 to 20.7 ms-2 for right hand while 2.7 to 29.1 ms-2 for left hand. The subjects claimed that the feel of numbness at left hand is much stronger compared to right hand. The results suggest that HAVS is diagnosed in Malaysia especially in agriculture sector. The A(8) indicates that the exposure value is more than exposure limit value

Language Centres: Are We Holding the Future in Our Hands?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Ian Michael

2018-01-01

With the advent of web 2.0 and the ease of use of many hand-held devices, access to the internet has never been easier. This has been accompanied by a growing range of sites available for learning an L2. These sites offer lessons, explanations, exercises, corrections and feedback. It now becomes time once again to question whether physical bricks…

Flexible poly(methyl methacrylate)-based neural probe: An affordable implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasemi, Pejman; Veladi, Hadi; Shahabi, Parviz; Khalilzadeh, Emad

2018-03-01

This research presents a novel technique used to fabricate a deep brain stimulation probe based on a commercial poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer. This technique is developed to overcome the high cost of available probes crucial for chronic stimulation and recording in neural disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. The probe is made of PMMA and its mechanical properties have been customized by controlling the reaction conditions. The polymer is adjusted to be stiff enough to be easily inserted and, on the other hand, soft enough to perform required movements. As cost is one of the issues in the use of neural probes, a simple process is proposed for the production of PMMA neural probes without using expensive equipment and operations, and without compromising performance and quality. An in vivo animal test was conducted to observe the recording capability of a PMMA probe.

Portable Computer Keyboard For Use With One Hand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Gary L.

1992-01-01

Data-entry device held in one hand and operated with five fingers. Contains seven keys. Letters, numbers, punctuation, and cursor commands keyed into computer by pressing keys in various combinations. Device called "data egg" used where standard typewriter keyboard unusable or unavailable. Contains micro-processor and 32-Kbyte memory. Captures text and transmits it to computer. Concept extended to computer mouse. Especially useful to handicapped or bedridden people who find it difficult or impossible to operate standard keyboards.

Flux-focusing eddy current probe and rotating probe method for flaw detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wincheski, Buzz A.; Fulton, James P.; Nath, Shridhar C.; Simpson, John W.; Namkung, Min

1994-11-01

A flux-focusing electromagnetic sensor which uses a ferromagnetic flux-focusing lens simplifies inspections and increases detectability of fatigue cracks about circular fasteners and other circular inhomogeneities in high conductivity material. The unique feature of the device is the ferrous shield isolating a high-turn pick-up coil from an excitation coil. The use of the magnetic shield is shown to produce a null voltage output across the receiving coil in the presence of an unflawed sample. A redistribution of the current flow in the sample caused by the presence of flaws, however, eliminates the shielding condition and a large output voltage is produced, yielding a clear unambiguous flaw signal. By rotating the probe in a path around a circular fastener such as a rivet while maintaining a constant distance between the probe and the center of a rivet, the signal due to current flow about the rivet can be held constant. Any further changes in the current distribution, such as due to a fatigue crack at the rivet joint, can be detected as an increase in the output voltage above that due to the flow about the rivet head.

Flux-focusing eddy current probe and rotating probe method for flaw detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Buzz A. (Inventor); Fulton, James P. (Inventor); Nath, Shridhar C. (Inventor); Simpson, John W. (Inventor); Namkung, Min (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A flux-focusing electromagnetic sensor which uses a ferromagnetic flux-focusing lens simplifies inspections and increases detectability of fatigue cracks about circular fasteners and other circular inhomogeneities in high conductivity material. The unique feature of the device is the ferrous shield isolating a high-turn pick-up coil from an excitation coil. The use of the magnetic shield is shown to produce a null voltage output across the receiving coil in the presence of an unflawed sample. A redistribution of the current flow in the sample caused by the presence of flaws, however, eliminates the shielding condition and a large output voltage is produced, yielding a clear unambiguous flaw signal. By rotating the probe in a path around a circular fastener such as a rivet while maintaining a constant distance between the probe and the center of a rivet, the signal due to current flow about the rivet can be held constant. Any further changes in the current distribution, such as due to a fatigue crack at the rivet joint, can be detected as an increase in the output voltage above that due to the flow about the rivet head.

Computation of high-resolution SAR distributions in a head due to a radiating dipole antenna representing a hand-held mobile phone.

PubMed

Van de Kamer, J B; Lagendijk, J J W

2002-05-21

SAR distributions in a healthy female adult head as a result of a radiating vertical dipole antenna (frequency 915 MHz) representing a hand-held mobile phone have been computed for three different resolutions: 2 mm, 1 mm and 0.4 mm. The extremely high resolution of 0.4 mm was obtained with our quasistatic zooming technique, which is briefly described in this paper. For an effectively transmitted power of 0.25 W, the maximum averaged SAR values in both cubic- and arbitrary-shaped volumes are, respectively, about 1.72 and 2.55 W kg(-1) for 1 g and 0.98 and 1.73 W kg(-1) for 10 g of tissue. These numbers do not vary much (<8%) for the different resolutions, indicating that SAR computations at a resolution of 2 mm are sufficiently accurate to describe the large-scale distribution. However, considering the detailed SAR pattern in the head, large differences may occur if high-resolution computations are performed rather than low-resolution ones. These deviations are caused by both increased modelling accuracy and improved anatomical description in higher resolution simulations. For example, the SAR profile across a boundary between tissues with high dielectric contrast is much more accurately described at higher resolutions. Furthermore, low-resolution dielectric geometries may suffer from loss of anatomical detail, which greatly affects small-scale SAR distributions. Thus. for strongly inhomogeneous regions high-resolution SAR modelling is an absolute necessity.

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckley, James

2008-04-01

We describe a concept for a ˜km^2 ground-based gamma-ray experiment (AGIS) comprised of an array of ˜100 imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes achieving a sensitivity an order of magnitude better than the current generation of space or ground-based instruments in the energy range of 40 GeV to ˜100 TeV. We present the scientific drivers for AGIS including the prospects for contributions to understanding extragalactic sources such as nearby galaxies, active galaxies, galaxy clusters and GRB; galactic sources such as X-ray binaries, supernova remnants, and pulsar wind nebulae; as well as probes of fundamental physics including indirectly detecting dark matter and probing TeV-scale physics. With the current generation of atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays, TeV astronomy has become well established, with the number TeV gamma-ray sources now nearing 100, including many unidentified and serendipitous sources. Improvements in the instantaneous field of view, angular resolution, effective area and energy resolution of AGIS are certain to provide great scientific returns in high energy astrophysics as well as opening up new discovery space. Here we present an overview of the ongoing design studies for AGIS including the optimization of array parameters as well as an overview of the technical drivers for the observatory.

Assessment of right ventricular function with nonimaging first pass ventriculography and comparison of results with gamma camera studies.

PubMed

Zhang, Z; Liu, X J; Liu, Y Z; Lu, P; Crawley, J C; Lahiri, A

1990-08-01

A new technique has been developed for measuring right ventricular function by nonimaging first pass ventriculography. The right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) obtained by non-imaging first pass ventriculography was compared with that obtained by gamma camera first pass and equilibrium ventriculography. The data has demonstrated that the correlation of RVEFs obtained by the nonimaging nuclear cardiac probe and by gamma camera first pass ventriculography in 15 subjects was comparable (r = 0.93). There was also a good correlation between RVEFs obtained by the nonimaging nuclear probe and by equilibrium gated blood pool studies in 33 subjects (r = 0.89). RVEF was significantly reduced in 15 patients with right ventricular and/or inferior myocardial infarction compared to normal subjects (28 +/- 9% v. 45 +/- 9%). The data suggests that nonimaging probes may be used for assessing right ventricular function accurately.

A prototype hand-held tri-modal instrument for in vivo ultrasound, photoacoustic, and fluorescence imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Jeeun; Chang, Jin Ho; Wilson, Brian C.; Veilleux, Israel; Bai, Yanhui; DaCosta, Ralph; Kim, Kang; Ha, Seunghan; Lee, Jong Gun; Kim, Jeong Seok; Lee, Sang-Goo; Kim, Sun Mi; Lee, Hak Jong; Ahn, Young Bok; Han, Seunghee; Yoo, Yangmo; Song, Tai-Kyong

2015-03-01

Multi-modality imaging is beneficial for both preclinical and clinical applications as it enables complementary information from each modality to be obtained in a single procedure. In this paper, we report the design, fabrication, and testing of a novel tri-modal in vivo imaging system to exploit molecular/functional information from fluorescence (FL) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging as well as anatomical information from ultrasound (US) imaging. The same ultrasound transducer was used for both US and PA imaging, bringing the pulsed laser light into a compact probe by fiberoptic bundles. The FL subsystem is independent of the acoustic components but the front end that delivers and collects the light is physically integrated into the same probe. The tri-modal imaging system was implemented to provide each modality image in real time as well as co-registration of the images. The performance of the system was evaluated through phantom and in vivo animal experiments. The results demonstrate that combining the modalities does not significantly compromise the performance of each of the separate US, PA, and FL imaging techniques, while enabling multi-modality registration. The potential applications of this novel approach to multi-modality imaging range from preclinical research to clinical diagnosis, especially in detection/localization and surgical guidance of accessible solid tumors.

Regulation of the steady state level of Fc gamma RI mRNA by IFN-gamma and dexamethasone in human monocytes, neutrophils, and U-937 cells.

PubMed

Pan, L Y; Mendel, D B; Zurlo, J; Guyre, P M

1990-07-01

The high affinity IgG FcR Fc gamma RI, CD64, plays important roles in the immune response. Fc gamma RI is predominantly expressed on monocytes and macrophages, and barely detectable on neutrophils. rIFN-gamma markedly increases the expression of Fc gamma RI on neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages and myeloid cell lines such as U-937, HL-60, and THP-1. Glucocorticoids inhibit the augmentation of Fc gamma RI expression by rIFN-gamma on neutrophils and myeloid cell lines, but enhance the augmentation of Fc gamma RI expression by rIFN-gamma on monocytes. In this study, we examined the effect of rIFN-gamma and dexamethasone (Dex) on the steady state level of Fc gamma RI mRNA in U-937 cells, neutrophils, and monocytes by hybridizing total RNA with the Fc gamma RI cDNA probe, p135. We found that the amount of Fc gamma RI mRNA increased within 1 h of treatment with rIFN-gamma in all three cell types. This initial induction of Fc gamma RI mRNA by rIFN-gamma was completely blocked by an inhibitor of RNA synthesis, actinomycin D, suggesting that the rIFN-gamma-mediated induction of Fc gamma RI mRNA is dependent on gene transcription. Dex, used in combination with rIFN-gamma, partially blocked the induction of Fc gamma RI mRNA by rIFN-gamma in U-937 cells and neutrophils, but caused a synergistic increase in Fc gamma RI mRNA levels in monocytes. The inhibitory effect of Dex on the steady state level of Fc gamma RI mRNA in U-937 cells was blocked by an inhibitor of protein synthesis, cycloheximide, suggesting that Dex-induced proteins were involved in the regulation of Fc gamma RI expression. This study indicates that the regulation of Fc gamma RI expression on U-937 cells, neutrophils, and monocytes by rIFN-gamma and Dex occurs, at least in part, at the mRNA level. rIFN-gamma increases the steady state level of Fc gamma RI mRNA through a common pathway among U-937 cells, neutrophils, and monocytes, whereas the effect of Dex on rIFN-gamma-induced Fc gamma RI mRNA is cell

An Analysis of the Utility of Handheld PET Probes for the Intraoperative Localization of Malignant Tissue

PubMed Central

González, Segundo Jaime; González, Lorena; Wong, Joyce; Brader, Peter; Zakowski, Maureen; Gönen, Mithat; Daghighian, Farhad; Fong, Yuman

2012-01-01

Introduction The intraoperative localization of suspicious lesions detected by positron emission tomography (PET) scan remains a challenge. To solve this, two novel probes have been created to accurately detect the 18F-FDG radiotracer intraoperatively. Methods Nude rats were inoculated with mesothelioma. When PET scans detected 10-mm tumors, animals were dissected and the PET probes analyzed the intraoperative radiotracer uptake of these lesions as tumor to background ratio (TBR). Results The 17 suspicious lesions seen on PET scan were localized intraoperatively (by their high TBR) using the PET probes and found malignant on pathology. Interestingly, smaller tumors not visualized on PET scan were detected intraoperatively by their high TBR and found malignant on pathology. Furthermore, using a TBR threshold as low as 2.0, both gamma (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 80%; positive predictive value (PPV), 96%; and negative predictive value (NPV), 100%) and beta (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 60%; PPV, 93%; and NPV, 100%) probes reliably detected suspicious lesions on PET scan imaging. They also showed an excellent area under the curve of 0.9 and 0.97 (95% CI of 0.81–0.99 and 0.93–1.0) for gamma and beta probes, respectively, in the receiver operating characteristic analysis for detecting malignancy. Conclusion This novel tool could be used synergistically with a PET scan imaging to maximize tissue selection intraoperatively. PMID:21108016

D-region blunt probe data analysis using hybrid computer techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burkhard, W. J.

1973-01-01

The feasibility of performing data reduction techniques with a hybrid computer was studied. The data was obtained from the flight of a parachute born probe through the D-region of the ionosphere. A presentation of the theory of blunt probe operation is included with emphasis on the equations necessary to perform the analysis. This is followed by a discussion of computer program development. Included in this discussion is a comparison of computer and hand reduction results for the blunt probe launched on 31 January 1972. The comparison showed that it was both feasible and desirable to use the computer for data reduction. The results of computer data reduction performed on flight data acquired from five blunt probes are also presented.

PROBING THE EXPANSION HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE BY MODEL-INDEPENDENT RECONSTRUCTION FROM SUPERNOVAE AND GAMMA-RAY BURST MEASUREMENTS

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

Feng, Chao-Jun; Li, Xin-Zhou, E-mail: fengcj@shnu.edu.cn, E-mail: kychz@shnu.edu.cn

To probe the late evolution history of the universe, we adopt two kinds of optimal basis systems. One of them is constructed by performing the principle component analysis, and the other is built by taking the multidimensional scaling approach. Cosmological observables such as the luminosity distance can be decomposed into these basis systems. These basis systems are optimized for different kinds of cosmological models that are based on different physical assumptions, even for a mixture model of them. Therefore, the so-called feature space that is projected from the basis systems is cosmological model independent, and it provides a parameterization for studying and reconstructing themore » Hubble expansion rate from the supernova luminosity distance and even gamma-ray burst (GRB) data with self-calibration. The circular problem when using GRBs as cosmological candles is naturally eliminated in this procedure. By using the Levenberg–Marquardt technique and the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, we perform an observational constraint on this kind of parameterization. The data we used include the “joint light-curve analysis” data set that consists of 740 Type Ia supernovae and 109 long GRBs with the well-known Amati relation.« less

LUMINOSITY EVOLUTION OF GAMMA-RAY PULSARS

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

Hirotani, Kouichi, E-mail: hirotani@tiara.sinica.edu.tw

2013-04-01

We investigate the electrodynamic structure of a pulsar outer-magnetospheric particle accelerator and the resulting gamma-ray emission. By considering the condition for the accelerator to be self-sustained, we derive how the trans-magnetic-field thickness of the accelerator evolves with the pulsar age. It is found that the thickness is small but increases steadily if the neutron-star envelope is contaminated by sufficient light elements. For such a light element envelope, the gamma-ray luminosity of the accelerator is kept approximately constant as a function of age in the initial 10,000 yr, forming the lower bound of the observed distribution of the gamma-ray luminosity ofmore » rotation-powered pulsars. If the envelope consists of only heavy elements, on the other hand, the thickness is greater, but it increases less rapidly than a light element envelope. For such a heavy element envelope, the gamma-ray luminosity decreases relatively rapidly, forming the upper bound of the observed distribution. The gamma-ray luminosity of a general pulsar resides between these two extreme cases, reflecting the envelope composition and the magnetic inclination angle with respect to the rotation axis. The cutoff energy of the primary curvature emission is regulated below several GeV even for young pulsars because the gap thickness, and hence the acceleration electric field, is suppressed by the polarization of the produced pairs.« less

Hand posture classification using electrocorticography signals in the gamma band over human sensorimotor brain areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chestek, Cynthia A.; Gilja, Vikash; Blabe, Christine H.; Foster, Brett L.; Shenoy, Krishna V.; Parvizi, Josef; Henderson, Jaimie M.

2013-04-01

Objective. Brain-machine interface systems translate recorded neural signals into command signals for assistive technology. In individuals with upper limb amputation or cervical spinal cord injury, the restoration of a useful hand grasp could significantly improve daily function. We sought to determine if electrocorticographic (ECoG) signals contain sufficient information to select among multiple hand postures for a prosthetic hand, orthotic, or functional electrical stimulation system.Approach. We recorded ECoG signals from subdural macro- and microelectrodes implanted in motor areas of three participants who were undergoing inpatient monitoring for diagnosis and treatment of intractable epilepsy. Participants performed five distinct isometric hand postures, as well as four distinct finger movements. Several control experiments were attempted in order to remove sensory information from the classification results. Online experiments were performed with two participants. Main results. Classification rates were 68%, 84% and 81% for correct identification of 5 isometric hand postures offline. Using 3 potential controls for removing sensory signals, error rates were approximately doubled on average (2.1×). A similar increase in errors (2.6×) was noted when the participant was asked to make simultaneous wrist movements along with the hand postures. In online experiments, fist versus rest was successfully classified on 97% of trials; the classification output drove a prosthetic hand. Online classification performance for a larger number of hand postures remained above chance, but substantially below offline performance. In addition, the long integration windows used would preclude the use of decoded signals for control of a BCI system. Significance. These results suggest that ECoG is a plausible source of command signals for prosthetic grasp selection. Overall, avenues remain for improvement through better electrode designs and placement, better participant training

Pressure probe and isopiestic psychrometer measure similar turgor

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

Nonami, H.; Boyer, J.S.; Steudle, E.

1987-03-01

Turgor measured with a miniature pressure probe was compared to that measured with an isopiestic thermocouple psychrometer in mature regions of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) stems. The probe measured turgor directly in cells of intact stems whereas the psychrometer measured the water potential and osmotic potential of excised stem segments and turgor was calculated by difference. When care was taken to prevent dehydration when working with the pressure probe, and diffusive resistance and dilution errors with the psychrometer, both methods gave similar values of turgor whether the plants were dehydrating or rehydrating. This finding, together with the previously demonstratedmore » similarity in turgor measured with the isopiestic psychrometer and a pressure chamber, indicates that the pressure probe provides accurate measurements of turgor despite the need to penetrate the cell. On the other hand, it suggest that as long as precautions are taken to obtain accurate values for the water potential and osmotic potential, turgor can be determined by isopiestic psychrometry in tissues not accessible to the pressure probe for physical reasons.« less

Pressure probe and isopiestic psychrometer measure similar turgor.

PubMed

Nonami, H; Boyer, J S; Steudle, E

1987-03-01

Turgor measured with a miniature pressure probe was compared to that measured with an isopiestic thermocouple psychrometer in mature regions of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) stems. The probe measured turgor directly in cells of intact stems whereas the psychrometer measured the water potential and osmotic potential of excised stem segments and turgor was calculated by difference. When care was taken to prevent dehydration when working with the pressure probe, and diffusive resistance and dilution errors with the psychrometer, both methods gave similar values of turgor whether the plants were dehydrating or rehydrating. This finding, together with the previously demonstrated similarity in turgor measured with the isopiestic psychrometer and a pressure chamber, indicates that the pressure probe provides accurate measurements of turgor despite the need to penetrate the cell. On the other hand, it suggests that as long as precautions are taken to obtain accurate values for the water potential and osmotic potential, turgor can be determined by isopiestic psychrometry in tissues not accessible to the pressure probe for physical reasons.

Current gamma knife treatment for ophthalmic branch of primary trigeminal neuralgia

PubMed Central

Shan, Guo-Yong; Liang, Hao-Fang; Zhang, Jian-Hua

2011-01-01

AIM To probe into problems existing in gamma knife treatment of ophthalmic branch of primary trigeminal neuralgia (TN), and propose a safe and effective solution to the problem. METHODS Through sorting the literature reporting gamma knife treatment of refractory TN in recent years, this article analyzed the advantages and problems of gamma knife treatment of primary TN, and proposed reasonable assessment for existing problems and the possible solution. RESULTS Gamma knife treatment of TN has drawn increasing attention of clinicians due to its unique non-invasion, safety and effectiveness, but there are three related issues to be considered. The first one is the uncertainty of the optimal dose (70-90GY); the second one is the difference in radiotherapy target selection (using a single isocenter or two isocenters); and the third one is the big difference of recurrent pains (specific treatment methods need to be summarized and improved). CONCLUSION For patients with refractory TN, gamma knife treatment can be selected when the medical treatment fails or drug side effects emerge. The analysis of a large number of TN patients receiving gamma knife treatment has shown that this is a safe and effective treatment method. PMID:22553625

Estimate of true incomplete exchanges using fluorescence in situ hybridization with telomere probes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, H.; George, K.; Yang, T. C.

1998-01-01

PURPOSE: To study the frequency of true incomplete exchanges in radiation-induced chromosome aberrations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human lymphocytes were exposed to 2 Gy and 5 Gy of gamma-rays. Chromosome aberrations were studied using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique with whole chromosome-specific probes, together with human telomere probes. Chromosomes 2 and 4 were chosen in the present study. RESULTS: The percentage of incomplete exchanges was 27% when telomere signals were not considered. After excluding false incomplete exchanges identified by the telomere signals, the percentage of incomplete exchanges decreased to 11%. Since telomere signals appear on about 82% of the telomeres, the percentage of true incomplete exchanges should be even lower and was estimated to be 3%. This percentage was similar for chromosomes 2 and 4 and for doses of both 2 Gy and 5 Gy. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of true incomplete exchanges is significantly lower in gamma-irradiated human lymphocytes than the frequencies reported in the literature.

Atom Probe Tomography Analysis of the Distribution of Rhenium in Nickel Alloys

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

Mottura, A.; Warnken, N; Miller, Michael K

2010-01-01

Atom probe tomography (APT) is used to characterise the distributions of rhenium in a binary Ni-Re alloy and the nickel-based single-crystal CMSX-4 superalloy. A purpose-built algorithm is developed to quantify the size distribution of solute clusters, and applied to the APT datasets to critique the hypothesis that rhenium is prone to the formation of clusters in these systems. No evidence is found to indicate that rhenium forms solute clusters above the level expected from random fluctuations. In CMSX-4, enrichment of Re is detected in the matrix phase close to the matrix/precipitate ({gamma}/{gamma}{prime}) phase boundaries. Phase field modelling indicates that thismore » is due to the migration of the {gamma}/{gamma}{prime} interface during cooling from the temperature of operation. Thus, neither clustering of rhenium nor interface enrichments can be the cause of the enhancement in high temperature mechanical properties conferred by rhenium alloying.« less

Z{gamma}{gamma}{gamma} {yields} 0 Processes in SANC

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

Bardin, D. Yu., E-mail: bardin@nu.jinr.ru; Kalinovskaya, L. V., E-mail: kalinov@nu.jinr.ru; Uglov, E. D., E-mail: corner@nu.jinr.ru

2013-11-15

We describe the analytic and numerical evaluation of the {gamma}{gamma} {yields} {gamma}Z process cross section and the Z {yields} {gamma}{gamma}{gamma} decay rate within the SANC system multi-channel approach at the one-loop accuracy level with all masses taken into account. The corresponding package for numeric calculations is presented. For checking of the results' correctness we make a comparison with the other independent calculations.

MoonBEAM: A Beyond Earth-Orbit Gamma-Ray Burst Detector for Gravitational-Wave Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, C. M.; Briggs, M. S.; Goldstein, A. M.; Jenke, P. A.; Kocevski, D.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.

2018-01-01

Moon Burst Energetics All-sky Monitor (MoonBEAM) is a CubeSat concept of deploying gamma-ray detectors in cislunar space to improve localization precision for gamma-ray bursts by utilizing the light travel time difference between different orbits. We present here a gamma-ray SmallSat concept in Earth-Moon L3 halo orbit that is capable of rapid response and provide a timing baseline for localization improvement when partnered with an Earth-orbit instrument. Such an instrument would probe the extreme processes in cosmic collision of compact objects and facilitate multi-messenger time-domain astronomy to explore the end of stellar life cycles and black hole formations.

A feasibility and efficacy trial of a hand-held humidification device in patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Ghosh, Priyanka; Lazar, Ann A; Ryan, William R; Yom, Sue S

2017-08-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of warm-mist humidification during and after head and neck radiation therapy (HN RT) on quality of life (QOL), as measured by the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck (MDASI-HN) HN score. A secondary aim was to compare QOL among compliers (≥60% of protocol-recommended usage) versus non-compliers. Twenty patients self-administered a hand-held, self-sterilizing humidification device for a recommended time of at least 15 min twice daily for 12 weeks. Patients completed the MDASI-HN instrument at RT start, after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks. Compliance was reported weekly. The average HN score at baseline was 1.7 (SD = 1.8) and increased to 6.0 (SD = 1.6) after 6 weeks; this increase was much higher than anticipated and the primary endpoint could not be reached. However, compliers had an average of nearly two less HN symptoms (-1.8, 95% CI -4 to 0.2; p = 0.08) than non-compliers at 6 weeks and fewer symptoms at 12 weeks as well (-0.9, 95% CI -2.9 to 1.2; p = 0.39). The most common terms patients used to describe humidification were "helpful" and "soothing." Compliance with humidification during RT was associated with fewer reported HN symptoms and a strong trend to better QOL. Improvements were seen from compliance with occasional required use of a portable, inexpensive device. Our findings support continued efforts to reduce barriers to humidification, as an intervention that should be considered for standard HN RT clinical practice.

Electronic Hand Calculators: The Implications for Pre-College Education. Final Report. Abbreviated Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suydam, Marilyn, Comp.

This volume reports research conducted to provide the National Science Foundation (NSF) with information concerning the existing range of beliefs and opinions about the impact of the hand-held calculator on pre-college educational practice. A literature search and several surveys of groups of individuals involved in calculator manufacture and…

Probing the Cosmic Gamma-Ray Burst Rate with Trigger Simulations of the Swift Burst Alert Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lien, Amy; Sakamoto, Takanori; Gehrels, Neil; Palmer, David M.; Barthelmy, Scott D.; Graziani, Carlo; Cannizzo, John K.

2013-01-01

The gamma-ray burst (GRB) rate is essential for revealing the connection between GRBs, supernovae and stellar evolution. Additionally, the GRB rate at high redshift provides a strong probe of star formation history in the early universe. While hundreds of GRBs are observed by Swift, it remains difficult to determine the intrinsic GRB rate due to the complex trigger algorithm of Swift. Current studies of the GRB rate usually approximate the Swift trigger algorithm by a single detection threshold. However, unlike the previously own GRB instruments, Swift has over 500 trigger criteria based on photon count rate and additional image threshold for localization. To investigate possible systematic biases and explore the intrinsic GRB properties, we develop a program that is capable of simulating all the rate trigger criteria and mimicking the image threshold. Our simulations show that adopting the complex trigger algorithm of Swift increases the detection rate of dim bursts. As a result, our simulations suggest bursts need to be dimmer than previously expected to avoid over-producing the number of detections and to match with Swift observations. Moreover, our results indicate that these dim bursts are more likely to be high redshift events than low-luminosity GRBs. This would imply an even higher cosmic GRB rate at large redshifts than previous expectations based on star-formation rate measurements, unless other factors, such as the luminosity evolution, are taken into account. The GRB rate from our best result gives a total number of 4568 +825 -1429 GRBs per year that are beamed toward us in the whole universe.

Perspectives on Gamma-Ray Burst Physics and Cosmology with Next Generation Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Weimin; Amati, Lorenzo; Cannizzo, John K.; Cordier, Bertrand; Gehrels, Neil; Ghirlanda, Giancarlo; Götz, Diego; Produit, Nicolas; Qiu, Yulei; Sun, Jianchao; Tanvir, Nial R.; Wei, Jianyan; Zhang, Chen

2016-12-01

High-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) beyond redshift {˜}6 are potentially powerful tools to probe the distant early Universe. Their detections in large numbers and at truly high redshifts call for the next generation of high-energy wide-field instruments with unprecedented sensitivity at least one order of magnitude higher than the ones currently in orbit. On the other hand, follow-up observations of the afterglows of high-redshift GRBs and identification of their host galaxies, which would be difficult for the currently operating telescopes, require new, extremely large facilities of at multi-wavelengths. This chapter describes future experiments that are expected to advance this exciting field, both being currently built and being proposed. The legacy of Swift will be continued by SVOM, which is equipped with a set of space-based multi-wavelength instruments as well as and a ground segment including a wide angle camera and two follow-up telescopes. The established Lobster-eye X-ray focusing optics provides a promising technology for the detection of faint GRBs at very large distances, based on which the THESEUS, Einstein Probe and other mission concepts have been proposed. Follow-up observations and exploration of the reionization era will be enabled by large facilities such as SKA in the radio, the 30 m class telescopes in the optical/near-IR, and the space-borne WFIRST and JWST in the optical/near-IR/mid-IR. In addition, the X-ray and γ-ray polarization experiment POLAR is also introduced.

Probing massive stars around gamma-ray burst progenitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Wenbin; Kumar, Pawan; Smoot, George F.

2015-10-01

Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced by ultra-relativistic jets launched from core collapse of massive stars. Most massive stars form in binaries and/or in star clusters, which means that there may be a significant external photon field (EPF) around the GRB progenitor. We calculate the inverse-Compton scattering of EPF by the hot electrons in the GRB jet. Three possible cases of EPF are considered: the progenitor is (I) in a massive binary system, (II) surrounded by a Wolf-Rayet-star wind and (III) in a dense star cluster. Typical luminosities of 1046-1050 erg s-1 in the 1-100 GeV band are expected, depending on the stellar luminosity, binary separation (I), wind mass-loss rate (II), stellar number density (III), etc. We calculate the light curve and spectrum in each case, taking fully into account the equal-arrival time surfaces and possible pair-production absorption with the prompt γ-rays. Observations can put constraints on the existence of such EPFs (and hence on the nature of GRB progenitors) and on the radius where the jet internal dissipation process accelerates electrons.

Left-hand dominance in children: Prevalence and maternal stereotypes in a South-east Nigerian city.

PubMed

Uwaezuoke, Samuel N; Eke, Christopher B; Nwobi, Emmanuel A

2015-01-01

The objectives of the study are to estimate the prevalence of left-hand dominance among children of selected mothers in an urban city and to determine the mothers' stereotypes about left-handedness. A cross-sectional study of mothers (N = 222) selected by systematic random sampling was done. The mothers were interviewed with structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed with appropriate descriptive statistics on SPSS. The estimated prevalence of left-hand dominance in their children was 7.52%. A left-handed mother was more likely to have a left-handed child. A substantial number of the mothers held negative stereotypes about left-hand dominance and showed a good knowledge about other types of handedness with a significant difference in the responses between right-handers and left-handers. The prevalence of left-hand dominance in their children supports previous reports which show that left-handedness usually occurs in less than 10% of the population. The mothers' negative stereotypes signify the likelihood of stigmatizing the children with this hand dominance.

Standardization of the neutron probe for the assessment of masonry deterioration

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

Livingston, R.A.

1992-01-01

The repair of the infrastructure will require nondestructive methods to assess the condition of existing buildings and other structures, many of which are constructed of masonry. One possible technology is the neutron probe, a prompt-gamma neutron activation (PGNA) technique that can perform non- destructive elemental analyses in the field. It is based on a very low intensity [sup 252]Cf neutron source and a high-purity germanium detector for the gamma rays emitted by neutron capture within the material. The thermal neutron capture cross sections for hydrogen and chlorine are very large, and in masonry, these elements are found primarily in moisturemore » and chlorides. These are major causes of deterioration in porous materials such as brick masonry. The moisture damages the material through expansive stresses during freeze-thaw cycles. Chlorides also generate expansive stresses through periodic cycles of dissolution and recrystallization in response to relative humidity cycles in the atmosphere. Similar problems also occur in reinforced concrete, where chlorides cause additional damage through corrosion of the reinforcing steel. The sensitivity of the neutron probe to hydrogen and chlorine thus means it can be used to map the distribution of these agents of deterioration. Preliminary field work at Colonial Williamsburg and Venice, Italy, showed that the technique could yield useful qualitative information. However, to be a quantitative method, the neutron probe had to be standardized in the laboratory on materials of known composition and specified moisture and chloride content.« less

Pressure Probe and Isopiestic Psychrometer Measure Similar Turgor 1

PubMed Central

Nonami, Hiroshi; Boyer, John S.; Steudle, Ernst

1987-01-01

Turgor measured with a miniature pressure probe was compared to that measured with an isopiestic thermocouple psychrometer in mature regions of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) stems. The probe measured turgor directly in cells of intact stems whereas the psychrometer measured the water potential and osmotic potential of excised stem segments and turgor was calculated by difference. When care was taken to prevent dehydration when working with the pressure probe, and diffusive resistance and dilution errors with the psychrometer, both methods gave similar values of turgor whether the plants were dehydrating or rehydrating. This finding, together with the previously demonstrated similarity in turgor measured with the isopiestic psychrometer and a pressure chamber, indicates that the pressure probe provides accurate measurements of turgor despite the need to penetrate the cell. On the other hand, it suggests that as long as precautions are taken to obtain accurate values for the water potential and osmotic potential, turgor can be determined by isopiestic psychrometry in tissues not accessible to the pressure probe for physical reasons. PMID:16665293

Blazar Gamma-Rays, Shock Acceleration, and the Extragalactic Background Light

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stecker, Floyd W.; Baring, Matthew G.; Summerlin, Errol J.

2007-01-01

The observed spectra of blazars, their intrinsic emission, and the underlying populations of radiating particles are intimately related. The use of these sources as probes of the extragalactic infrared background, a prospect propelled by recent advances in TeV-band telescopes, soon to be augmented by observations by NASA's upcoming Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), has been a topic of great recent interest. Here, it is demonstrated that if particles in blazar jets are accelerated at relativistic shocks, then GAMMA-ray spectra with indices less than 1.5 can be produced. This, in turn, loosens the upper limits on the near infrared extragalactic background radiation previously proposed. We also show evidence hinting that TeV blazars with flatter spectra have higher intrinsic TeV GAMMA-ray luminosities and we indicate that there may be a correlation of flatness and luminosity with redshift.

The Z {yields} cc-bar {yields} {gamma}{gamma}*, Z {yields} bb-bar {yields} {gamma}{gamma}* triangle diagrams and the Z {yields} {gamma}{psi}, Z {yields} {gamma}Y decays

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

Achasov, N. N., E-mail: achasov@math.nsc.ru

2011-03-15

The approach to the Z {yields} {gamma}{psi} and Z {yields} {gamma}Y decay study is presented in detail, based on the sum rules for the Z {yields} cc-bar {yields} {gamma}{gamma}* and Z {yields} bb-bar {yields} {gamma}{gamma}* amplitudes and their derivatives. The branching ratios of the Z {yields} {gamma}{psi} and Z {yields} {gamma}Y decays are calculated for different hypotheses on saturation of the sum rules. The lower bounds of {Sigma}{sub {psi}} BR(Z {yields} {gamma}{psi}) = 1.95 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -7} and {Sigma}{sub {upsilon}} BR(Z {yields} {gamma}Y) = 7.23 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -7} are found. Deviations from the lower bounds are discussed, including the possibilitymore » of BR(Z {yields} {gamma}J/{psi}(1S)) {approx} BR(Z {yields} {gamma}Y(1S)) {approx} 10{sup -6}, that could be probably measured in LHC. The angular distributions in the Z {yields} {gamma}{psi} and Z {yields} {gamma}Y decays are also calculated.« less

Gamma-ray Burst and Gravitational Wave Counterpart Prospects in the MeV Band with AMEGO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Racusin, Judith; AMEGO Team

2018-01-01

The All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory (AMEGO) Probe mission concept is uniquely suited to address open questions in Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) science including the search for counterparts to gravitational-wave events. AMEGO is a wide field of view instrument (~60 deg radius) with a broad energy range (~200 keV to >10 GeV) and excellent continuum sensitivity. The sensitivity improvement will allow for probes of GRB emission mechanisms and jet composition in ways that have not been accessible with previous instruments. Potential for polarization measurement may also have profound impacts on the understanding of GRB mechanisms. AMEGO will also be an excellent facility for the search for gravitational wave counterparts to binary mergers including at least one neutron star, which are thought to produce short duration GRBs. This poster will describe how the AMEGO will advance these fields.

Positron Annihilation Induced Auger and Gamma Spectroscopy of Catalytically Important Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, A. H.; Nadesalingam, M. P.; Sundaramoorthy, R.; Mukherjee, S.; Fazleev, N. G.

2006-10-01

The annihilation of positrons with core electrons results in unique signatures in the spectra of Auger-electron and annihilation-gamma rays that can be used to make clear chemical identification of atoms at the surface. Because positrons implanted at low energies are trapped with high efficiency in the image-correlation well where they are localized just outside the surface it is possible to use annihilation induced Auger and Gamma signals to probe the surfaces of solids with single atomic layer depth resolution. In this talk we will report recent applications of Positron Annihilation Induced Auger Electron Spectroscopy (PAES) and Auger-Gamma Coincidence Spectroscopy (AGCS) to the study of surface structure and surface chemistry. Our research has demonstrated that PAES spectra can provide new information regarding the composition of the top-most atomic layer. Applications of PAES to the study of catalytically important surfaces of oxides and wide band-gap semiconductors including TiO2, SiO2,Cu2O, and SiC will be presented. We conclude with a discussion of the use of Auger-Gamma and Gamma-Gamma coincidence spectroscopy for the study of surfaces at pressures closer to those found in practical chemical reactors. Research supported by the Welch Foundation Grant Number Y-1100.

Evaluation of a CdTe semiconductor based compact gamma camera for sentinel lymph node imaging

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

Russo, Paolo; Curion, Assunta S.; Mettivier, Giovanni

2011-03-15

Purpose: The authors assembled a prototype compact gamma-ray imaging probe (MediPROBE) for sentinel lymph node (SLN) localization. This probe is based on a semiconductor pixel detector. Its basic performance was assessed in the laboratory and clinically in comparison with a conventional gamma camera. Methods: The room-temperature CdTe pixel detector (1 mm thick) has 256x256 square pixels arranged with a 55 {mu}m pitch (sensitive area 14.08x14.08 mm{sup 2}), coupled pixel-by-pixel via bump-bonding to the Medipix2 photon-counting readout CMOS integrated circuit. The imaging probe is equipped with a set of three interchangeable knife-edge pinhole collimators (0.94, 1.2, or 2.1 mm effective diametermore » at 140 keV) and its focal distance can be regulated in order to set a given field of view (FOV). A typical FOV of 70 mm at 50 mm skin-to-collimator distance corresponds to a minification factor 1:5. The detector is operated at a single low-energy threshold of about 20 keV. Results: For {sup 99m}Tc, at 50 mm distance, a background-subtracted sensitivity of 6.5x10{sup -3} cps/kBq and a system spatial resolution of 5.5 mm FWHM were obtained for the 0.94 mm pinhole; corresponding values for the 2.1 mm pinhole were 3.3x10{sup -2} cps/kBq and 12.6 mm. The dark count rate was 0.71 cps. Clinical images in three patients with melanoma indicate detection of the SLNs with acquisition times between 60 and 410 s with an injected activity of 26 MBq {sup 99m}Tc and prior localization with standard gamma camera lymphoscintigraphy. Conclusions: The laboratory performance of this imaging probe is limited by the pinhole collimator performance and the necessity of working in minification due to the limited detector size. However, in clinical operative conditions, the CdTe imaging probe was effective in detecting SLNs with adequate resolution and an acceptable sensitivity. Sensitivity is expected to improve with the future availability of a larger CdTe detector permitting operation at

Disentangling the gamma-ray emission towards Cygnus X: Sh2-104

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gotthelf, Eric

2015-09-01

We have just discovered distinct X-ray emission coincident with VER J2018+363, a TeV source recently resolved from the giant gamma-ray complex MGRO J2019+37 in the Cygnus region. NuSTAR reveals a hard point source and a diffuse nebula adjacent to and possibly part of Sh2-104, a compact HII region containing several young massive stellar clusters. There is reasonable evidence that these X-rays probe the origin of the gamma-ray flux, however, unrelated extragalactic sources need to be excluded. We propose a short Chandra observation to localize the X-ray emission to identify a putative pulsar or stellar counterpart(s). This is an important step to fully understand the energetics of the MGRO J2019+37 complex and the production of gamma-rays in star formation regions, in general.

Low-Temperature Scanning Capacitance Probe for Imaging Electron Motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhandari, S.; Westervelt, R. M.

2014-12-01

Novel techniques to probe electronic properties at the nanoscale can shed light on the physics of nanoscale devices. In particular, studying the scattering of electrons from edges and apertures at the nanoscale and imaging the electron profile in a quantum dot, have been of interest [1]. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a cooled scanning capacitance probe that operates at liquid He temperatures to image electron waves in nanodevices. The conducting tip of a scanned probe microscope is held above the nanoscale structure, and an applied sample-to-tip voltage creates an image charge that is measured by a cooled charge amplifier [2] adjacent to the tip. The circuit is based on a low-capacitance, high- electron-mobility transistor (Fujitsu FHX35X). The input is a capacitance bridge formed by a low capacitance pinched-off HEMT transistor and tip-sample capacitance. We have achieved low noise level (0.13 e/VHz) and high spatial resolution (100 nm) for this technique, which promises to be a useful tool to study electronic behavior in nanoscale devices.

Effect of Gamma Radiation on the Ripening of Bartlett Pears 1

PubMed Central

Maxie, E. C.; Sommer, N. F.; Muller, Carlos J.; Rae, Henry L.

1966-01-01

Gamma radiation at doses of 300 Krad or more inhibits the ripening of Bartlett pears (Pyrus communis L.). Immediately after irradiation there is a transitory burst of C2H4, which subsequently declines in fruits subjected to inhibitory doses. Ethylene production associated with ripening begins at the same time in unirradiated fruits and those subjected to noninhibitory doses, but the latter produces much more C2H4 at the climacteric peak. Fruits subjected to inhibitory doses produce low levels of C2H4 unless subjected to exogenously applied C2H4, whereupon they produce enough of the gas to induce ripening in unirradiated fruits. Pears subjected to 300 and 400 Krad of gamma rays did not ripen even when held in a flowing atmosphere containing 1000 ppm of C2H4 for 8 days at 20°. It is concluded that the action of gamma rays on Bartlett pears involves both an inhibition of C2H4 production and a decreased sensitivity of the fruit to the ripening action of the gas. Ripening of Bartlett pears is inhibited by gamma radiation only when applied to preclimacteric fruit. PMID:16656274

Novel Handheld Magnetometer Probe Based on Magnetic Tunnelling Junction Sensors for Intraoperative Sentinel Lymph Node Identification

PubMed Central

Cousins, A.; Balalis, G. L.; Thompson, S. K.; Forero Morales, D.; Mohtar, A.; Wedding, A. B.; Thierry, B.

2015-01-01

Using magnetic tunnelling junction sensors, a novel magnetometer probe for the identification of the sentinel lymph node using magnetic tracers was developed. Probe performance was characterised in vitro and validated in a preclinical swine model. Compared to conventional gamma probes, the magnetometer probe showed excellent spatial resolution of 4.0 mm, and the potential to detect as few as 5 μg of magnetic tracer. Due to the high sensitivity of the magnetometer, all first-tier nodes were identified in the preclinical experiments, and there were no instances of false positive or false negative detection. Furthermore, these preliminary data encourage the application of the magnetometer probe for use in more complex lymphatic environments, such as in gastrointestinal cancers, where the sentinel node is often in close proximity to other non-sentinel nodes, and high spatial resolution detection is required. PMID:26038833

A nonimaging scintillation probe to measure penile hemodynamics.

PubMed

Zuckier, L S; Korupolu, G R; Gladshteyn, M; Sattenberg, R; Goldstein, R; Ricciardi, R; Goodwin, P; Melman, A; Blaufox, M D

1995-12-01

We have developed a penile nonimaging scintillation (PNIS) probe consisting of a plastic well-type scintillation crystal interfaced to a portable computer and acquisition board. This report describes the design of the PNIS probe, performance characteristics, mode of usage and illustrative results which demonstrate its capabilities. With the PNIS probe, penile blood-pool studies were performed in nine patients utilizing 3.7 MBq (100 microCi) autologous 99mTc-labeled red blood cells (RBCs). Venous blood standards were assayed to enable conversion of the count rate to volummetric measurements. Washin of peripherally administered 99mTc-RBCs was mathematically analyzed to estimate penile blood volume and cavernosal flow rate in the flaccid state. The rate of change of penile blood volume after intracavernosal vasodilators was used to generate measures of stimulated flow. A major advantage of this device over the gamma-camera is a 3300-fold increase in count rate sensitivity, which allows for markedly improved temporal resolution while significantly reducing the radiopharmaceutical dosage. Additionally, the PNIS probe is portable, economical and is not dependent on operator-defined regions of interest. Count rate sensitivity is relatively constant within the bore, with the exception of the proximal region adjacent to the opening, where geometric efficiency is reduced. The PNIS probe is an effective device for measuring penile activity in radionuclide studies, allowing for acquisition of time-activity curves of the penis during flaccid washin of peripherally labeled red blood cells and after pharmacologic stimulation to induce erection.

Gamma-ray bursts and their use as cosmic probes

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Since the launch of the highly successful and ongoing Swift mission, the field of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has undergone a revolution. The arcsecond GRB localizations available within just a few minutes of the GRB alert has signified the continual sampling of the GRB evolution through the prompt to afterglow phases revealing unexpected flaring and plateau phases, the first detection of a kilonova coincident with a short GRB, and the identification of samples of low-luminosity, ultra-long and highly dust-extinguished GRBs. The increased numbers of GRB afterglows, GRB-supernova detections, redshifts and host galaxy associations has greatly improved our understanding of what produces and powers these immense, cosmological explosions. Nevertheless, more high-quality data often also reveal greater complexity. In this review, I summarize some of the milestones made in GRB research during the Swift era, and how previous widely accepted theoretical models have had to adapt to accommodate the new wealth of observational data. PMID:28791158

76 FR 80886 - Approval for Manufacturing Authority; Foreign-Trade Zone 26; Makita Corporation of America; (Hand...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-27

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board [Order No. 1803] Approval for Manufacturing Authority; Foreign-Trade Zone 26; Makita Corporation of America; (Hand-Held/Stationary Power Tool and Gasoline/Electric-Powered Lawn and Garden Product Manufacturing); Buford, GA Pursuant to its authority...

Right-handed neutrinos as the dark radiation: Status and forecasts for the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anchordoqui, Luis A.; Goldberg, Haim; Steigman, Gary

2013-01-01

Precision data from cosmology (probing the CMB decoupling epoch) and light-element abundances (probing the BBN epoch) have hinted at the presence of extra relativistic degrees of freedom, the so-called "dark radiation." We present a model independent study to account for the dark radiation by means of the right-handed partners of the three, left-handed, standard model neutrinos. We show that milli-weak interactions of these Dirac states (through their coupling to a TeV-scale Z‧ gauge boson) may allow the νR's to decouple much earlier, at a higher temperature, than their left-handed counterparts. If the νR's decouple during the quark-hadron crossover transition, they are considerably cooler than the νL's and contribute less than 3 extra "equivalent neutrinos" to the early Universe energy density. For decoupling in this transition region, the 3νR generate ΔNν=3(<3, extra relativistic degrees of freedom at BBN and at the CMB epochs. Consistency with present constraints on dark radiation permits us to identify the allowed region in the parameter space of Z‧ masses and couplings. Remarkably, the allowed region is within the range of discovery of LHC14.

Intrarater reliability of goniometry and hand-held dynamometry for shoulder and elbow examinations in female team handball athletes and asymptomatic volunteers.

PubMed

Fieseler, Georg; Molitor, Thomas; Irlenbusch, Lars; Delank, Karl-Stefan; Laudner, Kevin G; Hermassi, Souhail; Schwesig, Rene

2015-12-01

To evaluate the intrarater reliability for examining active range of motion (ROM) and isometric strength of the shoulder and elbow among asymptomatic female team handball athletes and a control group using a manual goniometer and hand-held dynamometry (HHD). 22 female team handball athletes (age: 21.0 ± 3.7 years) and 25 volunteers (13 female, 12 male, age: 21.9 ± 1.24 years) participated to determine bilateral ROM for shoulder rotation and elbow flexion/extension, as well as isometric shoulder rotation and elbow flexion/extension strength. Subjects were assessed on two separate test sessions with 7 days between sessions. Relative (intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) reliability were calculated. Reliability for ROM and strength were good to excellent for both shoulders and groups (athletes: ICC = 0.94-0.97, SEM 1.07°-4.76 N, controls: ICC = 0.96-1.00, SEM = 0.00 N-4.48 N). Elbow measurements for both groups also showed good-to-excellent reliability (athletes: ICC = 0.79-0.97, SEM = 0.98°-5.94 N, controls: ICC = 0.87-1.00, SEM = 0.00 N-5.43 N). It is important to be able to reliably reproduce active ROM and isometric strength evaluations. Using a standardized testing position, goniometry and HHD are reliable instruments in the assessment of shoulder and elbow joint performance testing. We showed good-to-excellent reproducible results for male and female control subjects and female handball athletes, although the single parameters in ROM and strength were different for each group and between the shoulders and elbows.

Synthesis and $gamma$-irradiation of verbenone and verbenol

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

Kulesza, J.; Tsankova, E.; Gora, J.

1972-01-01

Verbenone and verbenol which can be obtained by catalytic oxidation of $alpha$-pinene, are very useful for the perfumery industry. They can be used directly in perfume compositions or for the production of a number of other perfumery synthetics. The authors have attempted to transform verbenol and verbenone into other compounds by gamma irradiation. It was found, that verbenone exhibits resistance to the gamma irradiation and even at the doses of 500 Mrad it was only with small yield transformed in chrysantenone. The gamma irradiation of cis and trans verbenol by the doses of 220 Mrad has showed no change inmore » the case of trans isomer, and on the other hand the cis isomer was transformed mainly into trans verbenol and verbenone. The results of the investigation of the conditions having influence on the yield and the composition of the reaction products in the process of the catalytic oxidizing of $alpha$- pinene are given. (auth)« less

Dual-modality imaging with a ultrasound-gamma device for oncology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polito, C.; Pellegrini, R.; Cinti, M. N.; De Vincentis, G.; Lo Meo, S.; Fabbri, A.; Bennati, P.; Cencelli, V. Orsolini; Pani, R.

2018-06-01

Recently, dual-modality systems have been developed, aimed to correlate anatomical and functional information, improving disease localization and helping oncological or surgical treatments. Moreover, due to the growing interest in handheld detectors for preclinical trials or small animal imaging, in this work a new dual modality integrated device, based on a Ultrasounds probe and a small Field of View Single Photon Emission gamma camera, is proposed.

Rat brain gamma-secretase activity is highly influenced by detergents.

PubMed

Frånberg, Jenny; Welander, Hedvig; Aoki, Mikio; Winblad, Bengt; Tjernberg, Lars O; Frykman, Susanne

2007-06-26

Gamma-secretase is important for the development of Alzheimer's disease, since it is a crucial enzyme for the generation of the pathogenic amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta). Most data on gamma-secretase is derived from studies in cell lines overexpressing gamma-secretase components or amyloid precursor protein (APP), and since gamma-secretase is a transmembrane protein complex, detergents have been frequently used to facilitate the studies. However, no extensive comparison of the influence of different detergents at different concentrations on gamma-secretase activity in preparations from brain has been made. Here, we establish the optimal conditions for gamma-secretase activity in rat brain, using an activity assay detecting endogenous production of the APP intracellular domain, which is generated when gamma-secretase cleaves the APP C-terminal fragments. We performed a subcellular fractionation and noted the highest gamma-secretase activity in the 100000g pellet and that the optimal pH was around 7. We found that gamma-secretase was active for at least 16 h at 37 degrees C and that the endogenous substrate levels were sufficient for activity measurements. The highest activity was obtained in 0.4% CHAPSO, which is slightly below the critical micelle concentration (0.5%) for this detergent, but the complex was not solubilized efficiently at this concentration. On the other hand, 1% CHAPSO solubilized a substantial amount of the gamma-secretase components, but the activity was low. The activity was fully restored by diluting the sample to 0.4% CHAPSO. Therefore, using 1% CHAPSO for solubilization and subsequently diluting the sample to 0.4% is an appropriate procedure for obtaining a soluble, highly active gamma-secretase from rat brain.

Effects of Hand Proximity and Movement Direction in Spatial and Temporal Gap Discrimination.

PubMed

Wiemers, Michael; Fischer, Martin H

2016-01-01

Previous research on the interplay between static manual postures and visual attention revealed enhanced visual selection near the hands (near-hand effect). During active movements there is also superior visual performance when moving toward compared to away from the stimulus (direction effect). The "modulated visual pathways" hypothesis argues that differential involvement of magno- and parvocellular visual processing streams causes the near-hand effect. The key finding supporting this hypothesis is an increase in temporal and a reduction in spatial processing in near-hand space (Gozli et al., 2012). Since this hypothesis has, so far, only been tested with static hand postures, we provide a conceptual replication of Gozli et al.'s (2012) result with moving hands, thus also probing the generality of the direction effect. Participants performed temporal or spatial gap discriminations while their right hand was moving below the display. In contrast to Gozli et al. (2012), temporal gap discrimination was superior at intermediate and not near hand proximity. In spatial gap discrimination, a direction effect without hand proximity effect suggests that pragmatic attentional maps overshadowed temporal/spatial processing biases for far/near-hand space.

Improving hand sensibility in vibration induced neuropathy: A case-series.

PubMed

Rosén, Birgitta; Björkman, Anders; Lundborg, Göran

2011-04-27

We report a long-term series of nine workers suffering from vibration-induced neuropathy, after many years of exposure to hand-held vibrating tools at high or low frequency. They were treated with temporary selective cutaneous anaesthesia (EMLA® cream) of the forearm repeatedly for a period up to one year (in two cases four years). The aim was to improve their capacity to perceive touch and thereby improve hand function and diminish disability. The treatment principle is based on current concepts of brain plasticity, where a deafferentation of a skin area results in improved sensory function in adjacent skin areas. All participants had sensory hand problems in terms of numbness (median touch thresholds > 70 mg) and impaired hand function influencing ADL (mean DASH score 22).After an initial identical self-administered treatment period of 8 weeks (12-15 treatments with increasing intervals) they did one treatment every 2-3 month. After one year sensibility (touch thresholds and tactile discrimination) as well as hand function (mean DASH score 13) were improved in a majority of the cases. Seven of the participants choose to continue the treatment after the first year and two of them have continued at a regular basis for up to four years. A surprising, secondary finding was diminishing nocturnal numbness of the hand and arm in eight of the nine subjects from "frequently" to "hardly ever or never". Our observations open new perspectives for treatment of impaired sensibility and hand function in a group of patients with vibration induced hand problems where we have no treatment to offer today.

Development and Evaluation of Real-Time Volumetric Compton Gamma-Ray Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnowski, Ross Wegner

An approach to gamma-ray imaging has been developed that enables near real-time volumetric (3D) imaging of unknown environments thus improving the utility of gamma-ray imaging for source-search and radiation mapping applications. The approach, herein dubbed scene data fusion (SDF), is based on integrating mobile radiation imagers with real time tracking and scene reconstruction algorithms to enable a mobile mode of operation and 3D localization of gamma-ray sources. The real-time tracking allows the imager to be moved throughout the environment or around a particular object of interest, obtaining the multiple perspectives necessary for standoff 3D imaging. A 3D model of the scene, provided in real-time by a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm, can be incorporated into the image reconstruction reducing the reconstruction time and improving imaging performance. The SDF concept is demonstrated in this work with a Microsoft Kinect RGB-D sensor, a real-time SLAM solver, and two different mobile gamma-ray imaging platforms. The first is a cart-based imaging platform known as the Volumetric Compton Imager (VCI), comprising two 3D position-sensitive high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors, exhibiting excellent gamma-ray imaging characteristics, but with limited mobility due to the size and weight of the cart. The second system is the High Efficiency Multimodal Imager (HEMI) a hand-portable gamma-ray imager comprising 96 individual cm3 CdZnTe crystals arranged in a two-plane, active-mask configuration. The HEMI instrument has poorer energy and angular resolution than the VCI, but is truly hand-portable, allowing the SDF concept to be tested in multiple environments and for more challenging imaging scenarios. An iterative algorithm based on Compton kinematics is used to reconstruct the gamma-ray source distribution in all three spatial dimensions. Each of the two mobile imaging systems are used to demonstrate SDF for a variety of scenarios, including

Vacuum probe surface sampler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zahlava, B. A. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

A vacuum probe surface sampler is described for rapidly sampling relatively large surface areas which possess relatively light loading densities of micro-organism, drug particles or the like. A vacuum head with a hollow handle connected to a suitable vacuum source is frictionally attached to a cone assembly terminating in a flared tip adapted to be passed over the surface to be sampled. A fine mesh screen carried by the vacuum head provides support for a membrane filter which collects the microorganisms or other particles. The head assembly is easily removed from the cone assembly without contacting the cone assembly with human hands.

Precision investigations of nuclei and nucleons with the (e, e'. gamma. ) reaction

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

Papanicolas, C.N.; Ammons, E.A.; Cardman, L.S.

1988-11-20

Recent theoretical and experimental investigations of the (e, e'..gamma..) reaction show that it provides a probe of unparalleled precision and selectivity. Experiments aimed towards the isolation of multipole form factors in mixed transitions, the study of continuum excitations in nuclei, and the measurement of the response of the proton are underway at several laboratories.

A new population of very high energy gamma-ray sources in the Milky Way.

PubMed

Aharonian, F; Akhperjanian, A G; Aye, K-M; Bazer-Bachi, A R; Beilicke, M; Benbow, W; Berge, D; Berghaus, P; Bernlöhr, K; Boisson, C; Bolz, O; Borgmeier, C; Braun, I; Breitling, F; Brown, A M; Gordo, J Bussons; Chadwick, P M; Chounet, L-M; Cornils, R; Costamante, L; Degrange, B; Djannati-Ataï, A; Drury, L O'C; Dubus, G; Ergin, T; Espigat, P; Feinstein, F; Fleury, P; Fontaine, G; Funk, S; Gallant, Y A; Giebels, B; Gillessen, S; Goret, P; Hadjichristidis, C; Hauser, M; Heinzelmann, G; Henri, G; Hermann, G; Hinton, J A; Hofmann, W; Holleran, M; Horns, D; de Jager, O C; Jung, I; Khélifi, B; Komin, Nu; Konopelko, A; Latham, I J; Le Gallou, R; Lemière, A; Lemoine, M; Leroy, N; Lohse, T; Marcowith, A; Masterson, C; McComb, T J L; de Naurois, M; Nolan, S J; Noutsos, A; Orford, K J; Osborne, J L; Ouchrif, M; Panter, M; Pelletier, G; Pita, S; Pühlhofer, G; Punch, M; Raubenheimer, B C; Raue, M; Raux, J; Rayner, S M; Redondo, I; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Ripken, J; Rob, L; Rolland, L; Rowell, G; Sahakian, V; Saugé, L; Schlenker, S; Schlickeiser, R; Schuster, C; Schwanke, U; Siewert, M; Sol, H; Steenkamp, R; Stegmann, C; Tavernet, J-P; Terrier, R; Théoret, C G; Tluczykont, M; van der Walt, D J; Vasileiadis, G; Venter, C; Vincent, P; Visser, B; Völk, H J; Wagner, S J

2005-03-25

Very high energy gamma-rays probe the long-standing mystery of the origin of cosmic rays. Produced in the interactions of accelerated particles in astrophysical objects, they can be used to image cosmic particle accelerators. A first sensitive survey of the inner part of the Milky Way with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) reveals a population of eight previously unknown firmly detected sources of very high energy gamma-rays. At least two have no known radio or x-ray counterpart and may be representative of a new class of "dark" nucleonic cosmic ray sources.

Probing the cosmic gamma-ray burst rate with trigger simulations of the swift burst alert telescope

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

Lien, Amy; Cannizzo, John K.; Sakamoto, Takanori

The gamma-ray burst (GRB) rate is essential for revealing the connection between GRBs, supernovae, and stellar evolution. Additionally, the GRB rate at high redshift provides a strong probe of star formation history in the early universe. While hundreds of GRBs are observed by Swift, it remains difficult to determine the intrinsic GRB rate due to the complex trigger algorithm of Swift. Current studies of the GRB rate usually approximate the Swift trigger algorithm by a single detection threshold. However, unlike the previously flown GRB instruments, Swift has over 500 trigger criteria based on photon count rate and an additional imagemore » threshold for localization. To investigate possible systematic biases and explore the intrinsic GRB properties, we develop a program that is capable of simulating all the rate trigger criteria and mimicking the image threshold. Our simulations show that adopting the complex trigger algorithm of Swift increases the detection rate of dim bursts. As a result, our simulations suggest that bursts need to be dimmer than previously expected to avoid overproducing the number of detections and to match with Swift observations. Moreover, our results indicate that these dim bursts are more likely to be high redshift events than low-luminosity GRBs. This would imply an even higher cosmic GRB rate at large redshifts than previous expectations based on star formation rate measurements, unless other factors, such as the luminosity evolution, are taken into account. The GRB rate from our best result gives a total number of 4568{sub −1429}{sup +825} GRBs per year that are beamed toward us in the whole universe.« less

Probing Cosmic Star Formation Using Long Gamma-Ray Bursts: New Constraints from the Spitzer Space Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Floc'h, Emeric; Charmandaris, Vassilis; Forrest, William J.; Mirabel, I. Félix; Armus, Lee; Devost, Daniel

2006-05-01

We report on IRAC 4.5 μm, IRAC 8.0 μm, and MIPS 24 μm deep observations of 16 gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies performed with the Spitzer Space Telescope, and we investigate in the thermal infrared the presence of evolved stellar populations and dust-enshrouded star-forming activity associated with these objects. Our sample is derived from GRBs that were identified with subarcsecond localization between 1997 and 2001, and only a very small fraction (~20%) of the targeted sources are detected down to f4.5μm~3.5 μJy and f24μm~85 μJy (3 σ). This likely argues against a population dominated by massive and strongly starbursting (i.e., SFR>~100 Msolar yr-1) galaxies as has been recently suggested from submillimeter/radio and optical studies of similarly selected GRB hosts. Furthermore, we find evidence that some GRBs do not occur in the most infrared luminous regions-hence the most actively star-forming environments-of their host galaxies. Should the GRB hosts be representative of all star-forming galaxies at high redshift, models of infrared galaxy evolution indicate that >~50% of GRB hosts should have f24μm>~100 μJy. Unless the identification of GRBs prior to 2001 was prone to strong selection effects biasing our sample against dusty galaxies, we infer in this context that the GRBs identified with the current techniques cannot be directly used as unbiased probes of the global and integrated star formation history of the universe. Based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory under NASA contract 1407.

Absolute Reliability and Concurrent Validity of Hand Held Dynamometry and Isokinetic Dynamometry in the Hip, Knee and Ankle Joint: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Chamorro, Claudio; Armijo-Olivo, Susan; De la Fuente, Carlos; Fuentes, Javiera; Javier Chirosa, Luis

2017-01-01

Abstract The purpose of the study is to establish absolute reliability and concurrent validity between hand-held dynamometers (HHDs) and isokinetic dynamometers (IDs) in lower extremity peak torque assessment. Medline, Embase, CINAHL databases were searched for studies related to psychometric properties in muscle dynamometry. Studies considering standard error of measurement SEM (%) or limit of agreement LOA (%) expressed as percentage of the mean, were considered to establish absolute reliability while studies using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) were considered to establish concurrent validity between dynamometers. In total, 17 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The COSMIN checklist classified them between fair and poor. Using HHDs, knee extension LOA (%) was 33.59%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 23.91 to 43.26 and ankle plantar flexion LOA (%) was 48.87%, CI 35.19 to 62.56. Using IDs, hip adduction and extension; knee flexion and extension; and ankle dorsiflexion showed LOA (%) under 15%. Lower hip, knee, and ankle LOA (%) were obtained using an ID compared to HHD. ICC between devices ranged between 0.62, CI (0.37 to 0.87) for ankle dorsiflexion to 0.94, IC (0.91to 0.98) for hip adduction. Very high correlation were found for hip adductors and hip flexors and moderate correlations for knee flexors/extensors and ankle plantar/dorsiflexors. PMID:29071305

Prehension synergies: A study of digit force adjustments to the continuously varied load force exerted on a partially constrained hand-held object

PubMed Central

Friedman, Jason; Latash, Mark L.; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.

2009-01-01

We examined how the digit forces adjust when a load force acting on a hand-held object continuously varies. The subjects were required to hold the handle still while a linearly increasing and then decreasing force was applied to the handle. The handle was constrained, such that it could only move up and down, and rotate about a horizontal axis. In addition the moment arm of the thumb tangential force was 1.5 times the moment arm of the virtual finger (VF, an imagined finger with the mechanical action equal to that of the four fingers) force. Unlike the situation when there are equal moment arms, the experimental setup forced the subjects to choose between (a) sharing equally the increase in load force between the thumb and virtual finger but generating a moment of tangential force, which had to be compensated by negatively covarying the moment due to normal forces, or (b) sharing unequally the load force increase between the thumb and VF but preventing generation of a moment of tangential forces. We found that different subjects tended to use one of these two strategies. These findings suggest that the selection by the CNS of prehension synergies at the VF-thumb level with respect to the moment of force are non-obligatory and reflect individual subject preferences. This unequal sharing of the load by the tangential forces, in contrast to the previously observed equal sharing, suggests that the invariant feature of prehension may be a correlated increase in tangential forces rather than an equal increase. PMID:19554319

Use of hand-held computers to determine the relative contribution of different cognitive, attitudinal, social, and organizational factors on health care workers' decision to decontaminate hands.

PubMed

Lee, Karen; Burnett, Emma; Morrison, Kenny; Ricketts, Ian

2014-02-01

Observational and survey methods have limitations in measuring hand hygiene behavior. The ability of a personal digital assistant to anonymously gather data at the point of decision making could potentially address these. Participants were provided with a personal digital assistant to be used for three 2-hour periods and asked to rate influential factors of the Health Belief Model (HBM). Participants were also required to enter what they thought they should do and what they actually did. A total of 741 hand hygiene opportunities was recorded. All HBM constructs were higher for hand hygiene opportunities where there was compliance versus noncompliance, with a significant difference for patient pressure, my risk, perceived benefits, perceived seriousness, and availability of good facilities. Only 20% of doctors, 28% of nurses, and 66% of physiotherapists always did what they thought they should. There was no correlation between self-reported and actual compliance. The HBM appeared to be a useful theoretical framework. Surprisingly, participants rated their compliance as high despite having recorded instances where they did not do what they thought they should do. This suggests that staff may have a different definition of compliance than strict observation of the guidelines. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning about Modes in Atomic Force Microscopy by Means of Hands-On Activities Based on a Simple Apparatus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phuapaiboon, Unchada; Panijpan, Bhinyo; Osotchan, Tanakorn

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the results of using a low-cost hands-on setup in combination with accompanying activities to promote understanding of the contact mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM). This contact mode setup enabled learners to study how AFM works by hand scanning using probing cantilevers with different characteristics on…

Chromium and Tantalum Site Substitution Patterns in Ni3Al (L1(sub 2))gamma(prime)- Precipitates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Booth-Morrison, Christopher; Mao, Zugang; Seidman, David N.; Noebe, Ronald D.

2008-01-01

The site substitution behavior of Cr and Ta in the Ni3Al (Ll2)-type gamma'-precipitates of a Ni-Al-Cr-Ta alloy is investigated by atom-probe tomography (APT) and first-principles calculations. Measurements of the gamma'-phase composition by APT suggest that Al, Cr, and Ta share the Al sublattice sites of the gamma'-precipitates. The calculated substitutional energies of the solute atoms at the Ni and Al sublattice sites indicate that Ta has a strong preference for the Al sites, while Cr has a weak Al site preference. Furthermore, Ta is shown to replace Cr at the Al sublattice sites of the gamma'-precipitates, altering the elemental phase partitioning behavior of the Ni-Al-Cr-Ta alloy.

Simultaneous observation of the gamma-ray binary LS I+61 303 with GLAST and Suzaku

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

Tanaka, Takuya; Fukazawa, Yasushi; Mizuno, Tsunefumi

2007-07-12

The gamma-ray binary LS I+61 303 is a bright gamma-ray source, and thus an attracting object for GLAST. We proposed to observe this object with the X-ray satellite Suzaku (AO-2), simultaneously with GLAST, radio wave, and optical spectro-polarimetry, in order to probe the geometrical state of the binary system emitting the gamma-ray radiation, as a function of the binary orbital phase for the first time. This is essential to understand the mechanism of jet production and gamma-ray emission. The idea is not only to measure the multi-band overall continuum shape, but also to make use of continuous monitoring capability ofmore » GLAST, wide X-ray band of Suzaku, and good accessibility of the Kanata optical/NIR telescope (Hiroshima University) with the sensitive optical spectro-polarimetry. Further collaboration with TeV gamma-ray telescopes is also hoped to constrain the jet constitution.« less

An ergonomic, instrumented ultrasound probe for 6-axis force/torque measurement.

PubMed

Gilbertson, Matthew W; Anthony, Brian W

2013-01-01

An ergonomic, instrumented ultrasound probe has been developed for medical imaging applications. The device, which fits compactly in the hand of sonographers and permits rapid attachment & removal of the ultrasound probe, measures ultrasound probe-to-patient contact forces and torques in all six axes. The device was used to measure contact forces and torques applied by ten professional sonographers on five patients during thirty-six abdominal exams. Of the three contact forces, those applied along the probe axis were found to be largest, averaging 7.0N. Measurement noise was quantified for each axis, and found to be small compared with the axial force. Understanding the range of forces applied during ultrasound imaging enables the design of more accurate robotic imaging systems and could also improve understanding of the correlation between contact force and sonographer fatigue and injury.

Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops held in Conjunction with Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) EGU Conferences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laj, Carlo; Cifelli, Francesca

2015-04-01

The Alexander von Humboldt Conference Series of the European Geosciences Union are a series of meetings held outside of Europe, in particular in South America, Africa or Asia, on selected topics of geosciences with a socio-economic impact for regions on these continents, jointly organised with the scientists and their institutes and the institutions of these regions. Given the increasing success of the GIFT workshops held in conjunction with the General Assemblies, since 2010 EGU has also developed a series of GIFT workshops held in conjunction with AvH conferences. Associated GIFT workshops were held in Merida, Yucatan, on the theme of Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Societies (March 2010), then in Penang, Malaysia (June 2011) on the theme of Ocean Acidification, in November 2012 in Cusco (Peru) on the theme of Natural Disasters, Global Change and the Preservation of World Heritage Sites, finally in Istanbul (March 2014) on "High Impact Natural Hazards Related to the Euro-Mediterranean Region. The next GIFT workshop is already planned for October 2015 in Adis Ababa (Ethiopia) on the theme "Water". In each case, the GIFT workshop was held on the last two days of the AvH conference and reunited 40-45 teachers from the nation where the AvH was held. Keynote speakers from AvH were speakers to the GIFT workshops which also included hands-on activities animated by sciences educators. These GIFT workshops represented the first workshops specifically aimed at teachers held in the country, and therefore represents a significant Earth Sciences contribution to secondary education in non European countries.

Shifting attention across near and far spaces: implications for the use of hands-free cell phones while driving.

PubMed

Ferlazzo, Fabio; Fagioli, Sabrina; Di Nocera, Francesco; Sdoia, Stefano

2008-11-01

In three experiments, participants performed two tasks concurrently during driving. In the peripheral detection task, they responded manually to visual stimuli delivered through a LED placed on the internal rear mirror; in the conversation task, they were engaged in a conversation with a passenger, or through earphone-operated, loudspeaker-operated, or hand-held cell phones. Results showed that drivers were slower at responding to the visual stimuli when conversing through a hand-held cell phone or an earphone-operated cell phone than when conversing through a loudspeaker-operated cell phone or with a passenger. These results suggest that due to the brain coding the space into multiple representations, devices that make phone conversations taking place in the near, personal space make drivers slower at responding to visual stimuli, compared to devices that make the conversation occurring in a far space.

Performance of a GM tube based environmental dose rate monitor operating in the Time-To-Count mode

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

Zickefoose, J.; Kulkarni, T.; Martinson, T.

The events at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in the aftermath of a natural disaster underline the importance of a large array of networked environmental monitors to cover areas around nuclear power plants. These monitors should meet a few basic criteria: have a uniform response over a wide range of gamma energies, have a uniform response over a wide range of incident angles, and have a large dynamic range. Many of these criteria are met if the probe is qualified to the international standard IEC 60532 (Radiation protection instrumentation - Installed dose rate meters, warning assemblies and monitors - Xmore » and gamma radiation of energy between 50 keV and 7 MeV), which specifically deals with energy response, angle of incidence, dynamic range, response time, and a number of environmental characteristics. EcoGamma is a dual GM tube environmental gamma radiation monitor designed specifically to meet the requirements of IEC 60532 and operate in the most extreme conditions. EcoGamma utilizes two energy compensated GM tubes operating with a Time-To-Count (TTC) collection algorithm. The TTC algorithm extends the lifetime and range of a GM tube significantly and allows the dual GM tube probe to achieve linearity over approximately 10 decades of gamma dose rate (from the Sv/hr range to 100 Sv/hr). In the TTC mode of operation, the GM tube is not maintained in a biased condition continuously. This is different from a traditional counting system where the GM tube is held at a constant bias continuously and the total number of strikes that the tube registers are counted. The traditional approach allows for good sensitivity, but does not lend itself to a long lifetime of the tube and is susceptible to linearity issues at high count rates. TTC on the other hand only biases the tube for short periods of time and in effect measures the time between events, which is statistically representative of the total strike rate. Since the tube is not continually biased, the life of

Design of an Operando Positron Annihilation Gamma Spectrometer (OPAGS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satyal, Suman; Shastry, Kartik; Kalaskar, Sushant; Lim, Larry; Joglekar, Vibek; Weiss, Alexander

2009-10-01

Surface properties measured under UHV conditions cannot be extended to surfaces interacting with gases under realistic pressures due to surface reconstruction and other strong perturbations of the surface. Many surface probing techniques used till now have required UHV conditions to avoid data loss due to scattering of outgoing particles. Here we describe the design of an Operando Positron Annihilation Gamma Spectrometer (OPAGS) currently under construction at the University of Texas at Arlington. The new system will be capable of obtaining surface and defect specific chemical and charge state information from surfaces under realistic pressures. Differential pumping will be used to maintain the sample in a gas environment while the rest of the beam is under UHV. The Elemental content of the surface interacting with the gas environment will be determined from the Doppler broadened gamma spectra. This system will also include a time of flight (TOF) positron annihilation induced Auger spectrometer (TOF-PAES) for use in combined annihilation induced Auger and annihilation gamma measurements made under low pressure conditions.

Probing r-Process Production of Nuclei Beyond 209Bi with Gamma Rays

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

Qian, Y.-Z.; Vogel, P.; Wasserburg, G. J.

We estimate gamma-ray fluxes due to the decay of nuclei beyond 209Bi from a supernova or a supernova remnant assuming that the r-process occurs in supernovae. We find that a detector with a sensitivity of {approx}10-7 {gamma} cm-2 s-1 at energies from {approx}40 keV to {approx}3 MeV may detect fluxes due to the decay of 226Ra, 229Th, 241Am, 243Am, 249Cf, and 251Cf in the newly discovered supernova remnant near Vela. In addition, such a detector may detect fluxes due to the decay of 227Ac and 228Ra produced in a future supernova at a distance of {approx}1 kpc. Because nuclei withmore » mass numbers A>209 are produced solely by the r-process, such detections are the best proof for a supernova r-process site. Further, they provide the most direct information on yields of progenitor nuclei with A>209 at r-process freeze-out. Finally, detection of fluxes due to the decay of r-process nuclei over a range of masses from a supernova or a supernova remnant provides the opportunity to compare yields in a single supernova event with the solar r-process abundance pattern. (c) (c) 1999. The American Astronomical Society.« less

Another Intuitive Approach to Stirling's Formula. Classroom Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osler, Thomas J.

2004-01-01

An intuitive derivation of Stirling's formula is presented, together with a modification that greatly improves its accuracy. The derivation is based on the closed form evaluation of the gamma function at an integer plus one-half. The modification is easily implemented on a hand-held calculator and often triples the number of significant digits…

An uracil-linked hydroxyflavone probe for the recognition of ATP

PubMed Central

Bojtár, Márton; Janzsó-Berend, Péter Zoltán; Mester, Dávid; Hessz, Dóra; Kállay, Mihály; Kubinyi, Miklós

2018-01-01

Background: Nucleotides are essential molecules in living systems due to their paramount importance in various physiological processes. In the past years, numerous attempts were made to selectively recognize and detect these analytes, especially ATP using small-molecule fluorescent chemosensors. Despite the various solutions, the selective detection of ATP is still challenging due to the structural similarity of various nucleotides. In this paper, we report the conjugation of a uracil nucleobase to the known 4’-dimethylamino-hydroxyflavone fluorophore. Results: The complexation of this scaffold with ATP is already known. The complex is held together by stacking and electrostatic interactions. To achieve multi-point recognition, we designed the uracil-appended version of this probe to include complementary base-pairing interactions. The theoretical calculations revealed the availability of multiple complex structures. The synthesis was performed using click chemistry and the nucleotide recognition properties of the probe were evaluated using fluorescence spectroscopy. Conclusions: The first, uracil-containing fluorescent ATP probe based on a hydroxyflavone fluorophore was synthesized and evaluated. A selective complexation with ATP was observed and a ratiometric response in the excitation spectrum. PMID:29719572

"Short, Hard Gamma-Ray Bursts - Mystery Solved?????"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, A.

2006-01-01

After over a decade of speculation about the nature of short-duration hard-spectrum gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the recent detection of afterglow emission from a small number of short bursts has provided the first physical constraints on possible progenitor models. While the discovery of afterglow emission from long GRBs was a real breakthrough linking their origin to star forming galaxies, and hence the death of massive stars, the progenitors, energetics, and environments for short gamma-ray burst events remain elusive despite a few recent localizations. Thus far, the nature of the host galaxies measured indicates that short GRBs arise from an old (> 1 Gyr) stellar population, strengthening earlier suggestions and providing support for coalescing compact object binaries as the progenitors. On the other hand, some of the short burst afterglow observations cannot be easily explained in the coalescence scenario. These observations raise the possibility that short GRBs may have different or multiple progenitors systems. The study of the short-hard GRB afterglows has been made possible by the Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer, launched in November of 2004. Swift is equipped with a coded aperture gamma-ray telescope that can observe up to 2 steradians of the sky and can compute the position of a gamma-ray burst to within 2-3 arcmin in less than 10 seconds. The Swift spacecraft can slew on to this burst position without human intervention, allowing its on-board x ray and optical telescopes to study the afterglow within 2 minutes of the original GRB trigger. More Swift short burst detections and afterglow measurements are needed before we can declare that the mystery of short gamma-ray burst is solved.

Future Gamma-Ray Imaging of Solar Eruptive Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, Albert

2012-01-01

Solar eruptive events, the combination of large solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), accelerate ions to tens of Gev and electrons to hundreds of MeV. The energy in accelerated particles can be a significant fraction (up to tens of percent) of the released energy and is roughly equipartitioned between ions and electrons. Observations of the gamma-ray signatures produced by these particles interacting with the ambient solar atmosphere probes the distribution and composition of the accelerated population, as well as the atmospheric parameters and abundances of the atmosphere, ultimately revealing information about the underlying physics. Gamma-ray imaging provided by RHESSI showed that the interacting approx.20 MeV/nucleon ions are confined to flare magnetic loops rather than precipitating from a large CME-associated shock. Furthermore, RHESSI images show a surprising, significant spatial separation between the locations where accelerated ions and electrons are interacting, thus indicating a difference in acceleration or transport processes for the two types of particles. Future gamma-ray imaging observations, with higher sensitivity and greater angular resolution, can investigate more deeply the nature of ion acceleration. The technologies being proven on the Gamma-Ray Imager/Polarimeter for Solar flares (GRIPS), a NASA balloon instrument, are possible approaches for future instrumentation. We discuss the GRIPS instrument and the future of studying this aspect of solar eruptive events.

Primary gamma rays. [resulting from cosmic ray interaction with interstellar matter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fichtel, C. E.

1974-01-01

Within this galaxy, cosmic rays reveal their presence in interstellar space and probably in source regions by their interactions with interstellar matter which lead to gamma rays with a very characteristic energy spectrum. From the study of the intensity of the high energy gamma radiation as a function of galactic longitude, it is already clear that cosmic rays are almost certainly not uniformly distributed in the galaxy and are not concentrated in the center of the galaxy. The galactic cosmic rays appear to be tied to galactic structural features, presumably by the galactic magnetic fields which are in turn held by the matter in the arm segments and the clouds. On the extragalactic scale, it is now possible to say that cosmic rays are not universal at the density seen near the earth. The diffuse celestial gamma ray spectrum that is observed presents the interesting possibility of cosmological studies and possible evidence for a residual universal cosmic ray density, which is much lower than the present galactic cosmic ray density.

Spatially defined modulation of skin temperature and hand ownership of both hands in patients with unilateral complex regional pain syndrome.

PubMed

Moseley, G Lorimer; Gallace, Alberto; Iannetti, Gian Domenico

2012-12-01

Numerous clinical conditions, including complex regional pain syndrome, are characterized by autonomic dysfunctions (e.g. altered thermoregulation, sometimes confined to a single limb), and disrupted cortical representation of the body and the surrounding space. The presence, in patients with complex regional pain syndrome, of a disruption in spatial perception, bodily ownership and thermoregulation led us to hypothesize that impaired spatial perception might result in a spatial-dependent modulation of thermoregulation and bodily ownership over the affected limb. In five experiments involving a total of 23 patients with complex regional pain syndrome of one arm and 10 healthy control subjects, we measured skin temperature of the hand with infrared thermal imaging, before and after experimental periods of either 9 or 10 min each, during which the hand was held on one or the other side of the body midline. Tactile processing was assessed by temporal order judgements of pairs of vibrotactile stimuli, delivered one to each hand. Pain and sense of ownership over the hand were assessed by self-report scales. Across experiments, when kept on its usual side of the body midline, the affected hand was 0.5 ± 0.3°C cooler than the healthy hand (P < 0.02 for all, a common finding in cold-type complex regional pain syndrome), and tactile stimuli delivered to the healthy hand were prioritized over those delivered to the affected hand. Simply crossing both hands over the midline resulted in (i) warming of the affected hand (the affected hand became 0.4 ± 0.3°C warmer than when it was in the uncrossed position; P = 0.01); (ii) cooling of the healthy hand (by 0.3 ± 0.3°C; P = 0.02); and (iii) reversal of the prioritization of tactile processing. When only the affected hand was crossed over the midline, it became warmer (by 0.5 ± 0.3°C; P = 0.01). When only the healthy hand was crossed over the midline, it became cooler (by 0.3 ± 0.3°C; P = 0.01). The temperature change of

Studies of Point Defects and Defect Interactions in Metals Using Perturbed Gamma Gamma Angular Correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shropshire, Steven Leslie

Point defects in plastically deformed Au, Pt, and Ni were studied with atomic-scale sensitivity using the perturbed gamma-gamma angular correlations (PAC) technique by monitoring formation and transformation of complexes of vacancy defects with very dilute ^{111}In/ ^{111}Cd solute probes. Three topics were investigated: (1) Production of vacancy defects during plastic deformation of Au was investigated to differentiate models of defect production. Concentrations of mono-, di-, and tri-vacancy species were measured in Au, and the ratio of mono- to di-vacancies was found to be independent of the amount of deformation. Results indicate that point defects are produced in correlated lattice locations, such as in "strings", as a consequence of dislocation interactions and not at random locations. (2) Hydrogen interactions with vacancy-solute complexes were studied in Pt. From thermal detrapping experiments, binding of hydrogen in complexes with mono-, di- and tri-vacancies was determined using a model for hydrogen diffusing in a medium with traps, with enthalpies all measured in the narrow range 0.23-0.28 eV, proving that the binding is insensitive to the precise structure of small vacancy clusters. Nuclear relaxation of the probe in a trivacancy complex in Pt was studied as a function of temperature, from which an activation energy of 0.34 eV was measured. This value is inconsistent with relaxation caused by diffusion or trapping of hydrogen, but explainable by dynamical hopping of the PAC probe atom in a cage of vacancies. (3) By observing transformations between vacancy-solute complexes induced by annihilation reactions, it was demonstrated that interstitials are produced during plastic deformation. The evolution of concentrations of the different vacancy complexes under an interstitial flux was measured and analyzed using a kinetic-rate model, from which interstitial capture cross-sections for the different vacancy complexes and the relative quantities of

7th International Workshop on Microbeam Probes of Cellular Radiation Response

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

Brenner, David J.

2009-07-21

The extended abstracts that follow present a summary of the Proceedings of the 7th International Workshop: Microbeam Probes of Cellular Radiation Response, held at Columbia University’s Kellogg Center in New York City on March 15–17, 2006. These International Workshops on Microbeam Probes of Cellular Radiation Response have been held regularly since 1993 (1–5). Since the first workshop, there has been a rapid growth (see Fig. 1) in the number of centers developing microbeams for radiobiological research, and worldwide there are currently about 30 microbeams in operation or under development. Single-cell/single-particle microbeam systems can deliver beams of different ionizing radiations withmore » a spatial resolution of a few micrometers down to a few tenths of a micrometer. Microbeams can be used to addressquestions relating to the effects of low doses of radiation (a single radiation track traversing a cell or group of cells), to probe subcellular targets (e.g. nucleus or cytoplasm), and to address questions regarding the propagation of information about DNA damage (for example, the radiation-induced bystander effect). Much of the recent research using microbeams has been to study low-dose effects and ‘‘non-targeted’’ responses such as bystander effects, genomic instability and adaptive responses. This Workshop provided a forum to assess the current state of microbeam technology and current biological applications and to discuss future directions for development, both technological and biological. Over 100 participants reviewed the current state of microbeam research worldwide and reported on new technological developments in the fields of both physics and biology.« less

Improving hand sensibility in vibration induced neuropathy: A case-series

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Objectives We report a long-term series of nine workers suffering from vibration-induced neuropathy, after many years of exposure to hand-held vibrating tools at high or low frequency. They were treated with temporary selective cutaneous anaesthesia (EMLA® cream) of the forearm repeatedly for a period up to one year (in two cases four years). The aim was to improve their capacity to perceive touch and thereby improve hand function and diminish disability. The treatment principle is based on current concepts of brain plasticity, where a deafferentation of a skin area results in improved sensory function in adjacent skin areas. Methods All participants had sensory hand problems in terms of numbness (median touch thresholds > 70 mg) and impaired hand function influencing ADL (mean DASH score 22). After an initial identical self-administered treatment period of 8 weeks (12-15 treatments with increasing intervals) they did one treatment every 2-3 month. Results After one year sensibility (touch thresholds and tactile discrimination) as well as hand function (mean DASH score 13) were improved in a majority of the cases. Seven of the participants choose to continue the treatment after the first year and two of them have continued at a regular basis for up to four years. A surprising, secondary finding was diminishing nocturnal numbness of the hand and arm in eight of the nine subjects from "frequently" to "hardly ever or never". Conclusions Our observations open new perspectives for treatment of impaired sensibility and hand function in a group of patients with vibration induced hand problems where we have no treatment to offer today. PMID:21524297

Evaluation of a hand-held blood gas analyzer for rapid determination of blood gases, electrolytes and metabolites in intensive care setting.

PubMed

Luukkonen, Antti A M; Lehto, Tiina M; Hedberg, Pirjo S M; Vaskivuo, Tommy E

2016-04-01

Intensive care units, operating rooms, emergency departments, and neonatology units need rapid measurements of blood gases, electrolytes, and metabolites. These analyses can be performed in a central laboratory or at the clinic with traditional or compact cassette-type blood gas analyzers such as the epoc blood gas testing system for analyzing whole blood samples at the bedside. In this study, the performance and interchangeability of a hand-held epoc blood gas analyzer was evaluated. The analytical performance of the epoc analyzer was evaluated by determining within-and between-run precisions. The accuracy of the epoc analyzer was assessed by comparing patient results from the device with those obtained with the Siemens Rapidlab 1265 and Rapidpoint RP500 and Siemens Dimension Vista and Sysmex XE-2100 analyzers. The following parameters were measured: pH, pCO2, pO2, Hb (calc), Na+, K+, iCa2+, glucose, and lactate. The CV% of the epoc's between-day imprecision for the various parameters varied from 0.4 to 8.6. The within-run imprecision CV% varied from 0.6 to 5.2. The squared regression coefficient (R2) between the epoc and RL1265 varied from 0.94 to 0.99, with the exception of Na+ and Ca2+ (R2≥0.82). The correlation (R2) of Na+ and K+ between epoc and Dimension Vista was 0.73 and 0.89, respectively. The correlation (R2) of Hb between the epoc and the XE-2100 analyzer was 0.94. With most of the measured blood gas parameters, the epoc analyzer correlated well with reference techniques. The epoc analyzer is suitable for rapid measurement of the blood gases, the electrolytes, and the metabolites in the ICU.

Detection performance assessment of hand-held mine detection systems in a procurement process: test set-up for MDs and MD/GPRs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoolderman, Arnold J.; Roosenboom, Jacques H. J.

2005-06-01

The Engineers Centre of Expertise of the Royal Netherlands Army (RNLA) has conducted a study on countermine in peace operations. This study, finished in 2002, concluded that the final solution to countermine will depend in the first place on better detection of buried low-metal mines, e.g. by direct detection of the explosive components in mines. Until such detection systems are available, intermediate solutions are necessary in order to assure freedom of movement in peace operations. Because countermine operations consist of a number of different activities (area preparation, detection, clearance, etc) and the suitability of the different types of available equipment depends on the scenario, the toolbox concept for countermine equipment was adopted. In 2003 a procurement process was started in order to fill this toolbox with commercial-off-the-shelf and military-off-the-shelf equipment. The paper gives a concise description of the study on countermine operations and the procurement process, and subsequently focuses on the set-up of the tests that were conducted in the framework of the procurement of hand-held mine detection systems, like metal detectors and dual-sensor mine detectors. Programs of requirements for these systems were drawn up, aiming at systems for general use and special purpose systems. Blind tests to check the compliancy to the detection performance requirements were designed and conducted in the short timeframe that was available in the procurement process. These tests are discussed in this paper, including the set-up of the test lanes, the targets used and their depths, and the role of the operator. The tests of the capability of the detectors to discriminate small targets adjacent to large targets were conducted according the guidelines of the CEN Workshop Agreement on metal detector tests. Although the results of the tests are commercially confidential, conclusions and lessons learned from the execution of these tests are presented.

A Combination of Hand-held Models and Computer Imaging Programs Helps Students Answer Oral Questions about Molecular Structure and Function: A Controlled Investigation of Student Learning

PubMed Central

Peck, Ronald F.; Colton, Shannon; Morris, Jennifer; Chaibub Neto, Elias; Kallio, Julie

2009-01-01

We conducted a controlled investigation to examine whether a combination of computer imagery and tactile tools helps introductory cell biology laboratory undergraduate students better learn about protein structure/function relationships as compared with computer imagery alone. In all five laboratory sections, students used the molecular imaging program, Protein Explorer (PE). In the three experimental sections, three-dimensional physical models were made available to the students, in addition to PE. Student learning was assessed via oral and written research summaries and videotaped interviews. Differences between the experimental and control group students were not found in our typical course assessments such as research papers, but rather were revealed during one-on-one interviews with students at the end of the semester. A subset of students in the experimental group produced superior answers to some higher-order interview questions as compared with students in the control group. During the interview, students in both groups preferred to use either the hand-held models alone or in combination with the PE imaging program. Students typically did not use any tools when answering knowledge (lower-level thinking) questions, but when challenged with higher-level thinking questions, students in both the control and experimental groups elected to use the models. PMID:19255134

Results from Multiwavelength Workshop for Next Generation Gamma Ray Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortson, L.

2002-12-01

The next few years will see the build up of several new gamma-ray detectors both on the ground and in space. By 2006 VERITAS, HESS and MAGIC expect to be operational and GLAST will be in orbit. At the same time, a number of X-ray satellites will be in operation, complementing these new gamma-ray instruments. A better understanding of many high-energy sources can be obtained by making contemporaneous observations with multiple x-ray and gamma-ray instruments. A workshop was recently held at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago to discuss the future of multiwavelength campaigns. The workshop was intended as an opportunity for information exchange within the community to get the best possible science returns from the wealth of data that is expected to come in from the next generation of experiments. By the end of the workshop participants gained a general understanding of the capabilities of the various instruments and their observational strategies. We also came up with a good start on some concrete mechanisms for coordinating gamma-ray observations with ground based and space based observatories at other wavelengths - including X-ray and optical groups. I will report on the results from this workshop in my presentation at the AAS. The workshop was sponsored by the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum.

Ultrasonic probe deployment device for increased wave transmission and rapid area scan inspections

DOEpatents

DiMambro, Joseph; Roach, Dennis P; Rackow, Kirk A; Nelson, Ciji L; Dasch, Cameron J; Moore, David G

2013-02-12

An ultrasonic probe deployment device in which an ultrasound-transmitting liquid forms the portion of the ultrasonic wave path in contact with the surface being inspected (i.e., the inspection surface). A seal constrains flow of the liquid, for example preventing the liquid from surging out and flooding the inspection surface. The seal is not rigid and conforms to variations in the shape and unevenness of the inspection surface, thus forming a seal (although possibly a leaky seal) around the liquid. The probe preferably is held in place to produce optimum ultrasonic focus on the area of interest. Use of encoders can facilitate the production of C-scan area maps of the material being inspected.

Ultrasonic probe deployment device for increased wave transmission and rapid area scan inspections

DOEpatents

DiMambro, Joseph [Placitas, NM; Roach, Dennis P [Albuquerque, NM; Rackow, Kirk A [Albuquerque, NM; Nelson, Ciji L [Albuquerque, NM; Dasch, Cameron J [Boomfield Hills, MI; Moore, David G [Albuquerque, NM

2012-01-03

An ultrasonic probe deployment device in which an ultrasound-transmitting liquid forms the portion of the ultrasonic wave path in contact with the surface being inspected (i.e., the inspection surface). A seal constrains flow of the liquid, for example preventing the liquid from surging out and flooding the inspection surface. The seal is not rigid and conforms to variations in the shape and unevenness of the inspection surface, thus forming a seal (although possibly a leaky seal) around the liquid. The probe preferably is held in place to produce optimum ultrasonic focus on the area of interest. Use of encoders can facilitate the production of C-scan area maps of the material being inspected.