The NIST Internet time service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levine, Judah

1994-05-01

We will describe the NIST Network Time Service which provides time and frequency information over the Internet. Our first time server is located in Boulder, Colorado, a second backup server is under construction there, and we plan to install a third server on the East Coast later this year. The servers are synchronized to UTC(NIST) with an uncertainty of about 0.8 ms RMS and they will respond to time requests from any client on the Internet in several different formats including the DAYTIME, TIME and NTP protocols. The DAYTIME and TIME protocols are the easiest to use and are suitable for providing time to PC's and other small computers. In addition to UTC(NIST), the DAYTIME message provides advance notice of leap seconds and of the transitions to and from Daylight Saving Time. The Daylight Saving Time notice is based on the US transition dates of the first Sunday in April and the last one in October. The NTP is a more complex protocol that is suitable for larger machines; it is normally run as a 'daemon' process in the background and can keep the time of the client to within a few milliseconds of UTC(NIST). We will describe the operating principles of various kinds of client software ranging from a simple program that queries the server once and sets the local clock to more complex 'daemon' processes (such as NTP) that continuously correct the time of the local clock based on periodic calibrations.

The NIST Internet time service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, Judah

1994-01-01

We will describe the NIST Network Time Service which provides time and frequency information over the Internet. Our first time server is located in Boulder, Colorado, a second backup server is under construction there, and we plan to install a third server on the East Coast later this year. The servers are synchronized to UTC(NIST) with an uncertainty of about 0.8 ms RMS and they will respond to time requests from any client on the Internet in several different formats including the DAYTIME, TIME and NTP protocols. The DAYTIME and TIME protocols are the easiest to use and are suitable for providing time to PC's and other small computers. In addition to UTC(NIST), the DAYTIME message provides advance notice of leap seconds and of the transitions to and from Daylight Saving Time. The Daylight Saving Time notice is based on the US transition dates of the first Sunday in April and the last one in October. The NTP is a more complex protocol that is suitable for larger machines; it is normally run as a 'daemon' process in the background and can keep the time of the client to within a few milliseconds of UTC(NIST). We will describe the operating principles of various kinds of client software ranging from a simple program that queries the server once and sets the local clock to more complex 'daemon' processes (such as NTP) that continuously correct the time of the local clock based on periodic calibrations.

Tri-Lab Co-Design Milestone: In-Depth Performance Portability Analysis of Improved Integrated Codes on Advanced Architecture.

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

Hoekstra, Robert J.; Hammond, Simon David; Richards, David

2017-09-01

This milestone is a tri-lab deliverable supporting ongoing Co-Design efforts impacting applications in the Integrated Codes (IC) program element Advanced Technology Development and Mitigation (ATDM) program element. In FY14, the trilabs looked at porting proxy application to technologies of interest for ATS procurements. In FY15, a milestone was completed evaluating proxy applications in multiple programming models and in FY16, a milestone was completed focusing on the migration of lessons learned back into production code development. This year, the co-design milestone focuses on extracting the knowledge gained and/or code revisions back into production applications.

A new NIST primary standardization of 18F.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, R; Zimmerman, B E; Bergeron, D E; Cessna, J C; Pibida, L; Moreira, D S

2014-02-01

A new primary standardization of (18)F by NIST is reported. The standard is based on live-timed beta-gamma anticoincidence counting with confirmatory measurements by three other methods: (i) liquid scintillation (LS) counting using CIEMAT/NIST (3)H efficiency tracing; (ii) triple-to-double coincidence ratio (TDCR) counting; and (iii) NaI integral counting and HPGe γ-ray spectrometry. The results are reported as calibration factors for NIST-maintained ionization chambers (including some "dose calibrators"). The LS-based methods reveal evidence for cocktail instability for one LS cocktail. Using an ionization chamber to link this work with previous NIST results, the new value differs from the previous reports by about 4%, but appears to be in good agreement with the key comparison reference value (KCRV) of 2005. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Mass Spectral Library with Search Program, Data Version: NIST v17

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 1A NIST/EPA/NIH Mass Spectral Library with Search Program, Data Version: NIST v17 (PC database for purchase)   Available with full-featured NIST MS Search Program for Windows integrated tools, the NIST '98 is a fully evaluated collection of electron-ionization mass spectra. (147,198 Compounds with Spectra; 147,194 Chemical Structures; 174,948 Spectra )

77 FR 18791 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; NIST Associates Information System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-28

... Collection; Comment Request; NIST Associates Information System AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to...-975-4188, [email protected]nist.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract NIST Associates (NA) will...

REFLEAK: NIST Leak/Recharge Simulation Program for Refrigerant Mixtures

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 73 NIST REFLEAK: NIST Leak/Recharge Simulation Program for Refrigerant Mixtures (PC database for purchase)   REFLEAK estimates composition changes of zeotropic mixtures in leak and recharge processes.

Calibration of High Heat Flux Sensors at NIST

PubMed Central

Murthy, A. V.; Tsai, B. K.; Gibson, C. E.

1997-01-01

An ongoing program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is aimed at improving and standardizing heat-flux sensor calibration methods. The current calibration needs of U.S. science and industry exceed the current NIST capability of 40 kW/m2 irradiance. In achieving this goal, as well as meeting lower-level non-radiative heat flux calibration needs of science and industry, three different types of calibration facilities currently are under development at NIST: convection, conduction, and radiation. This paper describes the research activities associated with the NIST Radiation Calibration Facility. Two different techniques, transfer and absolute, are presented. The transfer calibration technique employs a transfer standard calibrated with reference to a radiometric standard for calibrating the sensors using a graphite tube blackbody. Plans for an absolute calibration facility include the use of a spherical blackbody and a cooled aperture and sensor-housing assembly to calibrate the sensors in a low convective environment. PMID:27805156

The NIST radioactivity measurement assurance program for the radiopharmaceutical industry.

PubMed

Cessna, Jeffrey T; Golas, Daniel B

2012-09-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) maintains a program for the establishment and dissemination of activity measurement standards in nuclear medicine. These standards are disseminated through Standard Reference Materials (SRMs), Calibration Services, radionuclide calibrator settings, and the NIST Radioactivity Measurement Assurance Program (NRMAP, formerly the NEI/NIST MAP). The MAP for the radiopharmaceutical industry is described here. Consolidated results show that, for over 3600 comparisons, 96% of the participants' results differed from that of NIST by less than 10%, with 98% being less than 20%. Individual radionuclide results are presented from 214 to 439 comparisons, per radionuclide, for (67)Ga, (90)Y, (99m)Tc, (99)Mo, (111)In, (125)I, (131)I, and (201)Tl. The percentage of participants results within 10% of NIST ranges from 88% to 98%. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The NIST Simple Guide for Evaluating and Expressing Measurement Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Possolo, Antonio

2016-11-01

NIST has recently published guidance on the evaluation and expression of the uncertainty of NIST measurement results [1, 2], supplementing but not replacing B. N. Taylor and C. E. Kuyatt's (1994) Guidelines for Evaluating and Expressing the Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results (NIST Technical Note 1297) [3], which tracks closely the Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM) [4], originally published in 1995 by the Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). The scope of this Simple Guide, however, is much broader than the scope of both NIST Technical Note 1297 and the GUM, because it attempts to address several of the uncertainty evaluation challenges that have arisen at NIST since the 1990s, for example to include molecular biology, greenhouse gases and climate science measurements, and forensic science. The Simple Guide also expands the scope of those two other guidance documents by recognizing observation equations (that is, statistical models) as bona fide measurement models. These models are indispensable to reduce data from interlaboratory studies, to combine measurement results for the same measurand obtained by different methods, and to characterize the uncertainty of calibration and analysis functions used in the measurement of force, temperature, or composition of gas mixtures. This presentation reviews the salient aspects of the Simple Guide, illustrates the use of models and methods for uncertainty evaluation not contemplated in the GUM, and also demonstrates the NIST Uncertainty Machine [5] and the NIST Consensus Builder, which are web-based applications accessible worldwide that facilitate evaluations of measurement uncertainty and the characterization of consensus values in interlaboratory studies.

Microsoft Licenses Berkeley Lab's Home Energy Saver Code for Its Energy

Science.gov Websites

-based tool for calculating energy use in residential buildings. About one million people visit the Home Management Software | Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Directory Submit Web People Navigation Berkeley Lab Search Submit Web People Close About the Lab Leadership/Organization Calendar News

Materials Research With Neutrons at NIST

PubMed Central

Cappelletti, R. L.; Glinka, C. J.; Krueger, S.; Lindstrom, R. A.; Lynn, J. W.; Prask, H. J.; Prince, E.; Rush, J. J.; Rowe, J. M.; Satija, S. K.; Toby, B. H.; Tsai, A.; Udovic, T. J.

2001-01-01

The NIST Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory works with industry, standards bodies, universities, and other government laboratories to improve the nation’s measurements and standards infrastructure for materials. An increasingly important component of this effort is carried out at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), at present the most productive center of its kind in the United States. This article gives a brief historical account of the growth and activities of the Center with examples of its work in major materials research areas and describes the key role the Center can expect to play in future developments. PMID:27500021

NIST biometric evaluations and developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garris, Michael D.; Wilson, Charles L.

2005-05-01

This paper presents an R&D framework used by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for biometric technology testing and evaluation. The focus of this paper is on fingerprint-based verification and identification. Since 9-11 the NIST Image Group has been mandated by Congress to run a program for biometric technology assessment and biometric systems certification. Four essential areas of activity are discussed: 1) developing test datasets, 2) conducting performance assessment; 3) technology development; and 4) standards participation. A description of activities and accomplishments are provided for each of these areas. In the process, methods of performance testing are described and results from specific biometric technology evaluations are presented. This framework is anticipated to have broad applicability to other technology and application domains.

Long-Term Stability of the NIST Standard Ultrasonic Source.

PubMed

Fick, Steven E

2008-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Ultrasonic Source (SUS) is a system comprising a transducer capable of output power levels up to 1 W at multiple frequencies between 1 MHz and 30 MHz, and an electrical impedance-matching network that allows the system to be driven by a conventional 50 Ω rf (radio-frequency) source. It is designed to allow interlaboratory replication of ultrasonic power levels with high accuracy using inexpensive readily available ancillary equipment. The SUS was offered for sale for 14 years (1985 to 1999). Each system was furnished with data for the set of calibration points (combinations of power level and frequency) specified by the customer. Of the systems that had been ordered with some calibration points in common, three were returned more than once to NIST for recalibration. Another system retained at NIST has been recalibrated periodically since 1984. The collective data for these systems comprise 9 calibration points and 102 measurements spanning a 17 year interval ending in 2001, the last year NIST ultrasonic power measurement services were available to the public. These data have been analyzed to compare variations in output power with frequency, power level, and time elapsed since the first calibration. The results verify the claim, made in the instruction sheet furnished with every SUS, that "long-term drift, if any, in the calibration of NIST Standard Sources is insignificant compared to the uncertainties associated with a single measurement of ultrasonic power by any method available at NIST."

A Summary of Lightpipe Radiation Thermometry Research at NIST

PubMed Central

Tsai, Benjamin K.

2006-01-01

During the last 10 years, research in light-pipe radiation thermometry has significantly reduced the uncertainties for temperature measurements in semiconductor processing. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has improved the calibration of lightpipe radiation thermometers (LPRTs), the characterization procedures for LPRTs, the in situ calibration of LPRTs using thin-film thermocouple (TFTC) test wafers, and the application of model-based corrections to improve LPRT spectral radiance temperatures. Collaboration with industry on implementing techniques and ideas established at NIST has led to improvements in temperature measurements in semiconductor processing. LPRTs have been successfully calibrated at NIST for rapid thermal processing (RTP) applications using a sodium heat-pipe blackbody between 700 °C and 900 °C with an uncertainty of about 0.3 °C (k = 1) traceable to the International Temperature Scale of 1990. Employing appropriate effective emissivity models, LPRTs have been used to determine the wafer temperature in the NIST RTP Test Bed with an uncertainty of 3.5 °C. Using a TFTC wafer for calibration, the LPRT can measure the wafer temperature in the NIST RTP Test Bed with an uncertainty of 2.3 °C. Collaborations with industry in characterizing and calibrating LPRTs will be summarized, and future directions for LPRT research will be discussed. PMID:27274914

A Summary of Lightpipe Radiation Thermometry Research at NIST.

PubMed

Tsai, Benjamin K

2006-01-01

During the last 10 years, research in light-pipe radiation thermometry has significantly reduced the uncertainties for temperature measurements in semiconductor processing. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has improved the calibration of lightpipe radiation thermometers (LPRTs), the characterization procedures for LPRTs, the in situ calibration of LPRTs using thin-film thermocouple (TFTC) test wafers, and the application of model-based corrections to improve LPRT spectral radiance temperatures. Collaboration with industry on implementing techniques and ideas established at NIST has led to improvements in temperature measurements in semiconductor processing. LPRTs have been successfully calibrated at NIST for rapid thermal processing (RTP) applications using a sodium heat-pipe blackbody between 700 °C and 900 °C with an uncertainty of about 0.3 °C (k = 1) traceable to the International Temperature Scale of 1990. Employing appropriate effective emissivity models, LPRTs have been used to determine the wafer temperature in the NIST RTP Test Bed with an uncertainty of 3.5 °C. Using a TFTC wafer for calibration, the LPRT can measure the wafer temperature in the NIST RTP Test Bed with an uncertainty of 2.3 °C. Collaborations with industry in characterizing and calibrating LPRTs will be summarized, and future directions for LPRT research will be discussed.

75 FR 57898 - NIST Blue Ribbon Commission on Management and Safety-II

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-23

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST Blue Ribbon Commission... Commerce. ACTION: Notice of establishment of the NIST Blue Ribbon Commission on Management and Safety--II... NIST Blue Ribbon Commission on Management and Safety--II ``Commission''. The Commission will assess...

NIST activities in support of space-based radiometric remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Joseph P.; Johnson, B. Carol

2001-06-01

We provide an historical overview of NIST research and development in radiometry for space-based remote sensing. The applications in this field can be generally divided into two areas: environmental and defense. In the environmental remote sensing area, NIST has had programs with agencies such as the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to verify and improve traceability of the radiometric calibration of sensors that fly on board Earth-observing satellites. These produce data used in climate models and weather prediction. Over the years, the scope of activities has expanded from existing routine calibration services for artifacts such as lamps, diffusers, and filters, to development and off-site deployment of portable radiometers for radiance- and irradiance-scale intercomparisons. In the defense remote sensing area, NIST has had programs with agencies such as the Department of Defense (DOD) for support of calibration of small, low-level infrared sources in a low infrared background. These are used by the aerospace industry to simulate ballistic missiles in a cold space background. Activities have evolved from calibration of point-source cryogenic blackbodies at NIST to measurement of irradiance in off-site calibration chambers by a portable vacuum/cryogenic radiometer. Both areas of application required measurements on the cutting edge of what was technically feasible, thus compelling NIST to develop a state-of-the-art radiometric measurement infrastructure to meet the needs. This infrastructure has led to improved dissemination of the NIST spectroradiometric quantities.

NIST-NRC Comparison of Total Immersion Liquid-in-Glass Thermometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, K. D.; Gee, D. J.; Cross, C. D.; Strouse, G. F.

2009-02-01

The use of liquid-in-glass (LIG) thermometers is described in many documentary standards in the fields of environmental testing, material testing, and material transfer. Many national metrology institutes, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), list calibration services for these thermometers among the Calibration Measurement Capabilities of Appendix C of the BIPM Key Comparison Database. NIST and NRC arranged a bilateral comparison of a set of total-immersion ASTM-type LIG thermometers to validate their uncertainty claims. Two each of ASTM thermometer types 62C through 69C were calibrated at NIST and at NRC at four temperatures distributed over the range appropriate to each thermometer, in addition to the ice point. Collectively, the thermometers span a temperature range of - 38 °C to 305 °C. In total, 160 measurements (80 pairs) comprise the comparison data set. Pair-wise differences ( T NIST- T NRC) were formed for each thermometer at each temperature. For 8 of the 80 pairs (10 %), the differences exceed the k = 2 combined uncertainties. These results support the claimed capabilities of NIST and NRC for the calibration of LIG thermometers.

15 CFR 270.310 - Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.310 Section 270.310 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... Collection of Evidence § 270.310 Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees... is not a NIST employee shall: (a) As soon as practicable, transfer the original evidence to NIST, and...

15 CFR 270.310 - Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.310 Section 270.310 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... Collection of Evidence § 270.310 Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees... is not a NIST employee shall: (a) As soon as practicable, transfer the original evidence to NIST, and...

15 CFR 270.310 - Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.310 Section 270.310 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... Collection of Evidence § 270.310 Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees... is not a NIST employee shall: (a) As soon as practicable, transfer the original evidence to NIST, and...

15 CFR 270.310 - Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.310 Section 270.310 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... Collection of Evidence § 270.310 Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees... is not a NIST employee shall: (a) As soon as practicable, transfer the original evidence to NIST, and...

15 CFR 270.310 - Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.310 Section 270.310 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... Collection of Evidence § 270.310 Evidence collected by investigation participants who are not NIST employees... is not a NIST employee shall: (a) As soon as practicable, transfer the original evidence to NIST, and...

NIST Digital Archives

Science.gov Websites

Nederlands Français Search Search Advanced Search Find results with: error div Add another field Search by date Search by date: from after before on from: mm/dd/yyyy to to: mm/dd/yyyy Search Clear All Searching physical science laboratories. Instant Search Search PHOTOS Search Photos Search NIST PUBLICATIONS Search

1993 Intercomparison of Photometric Units Maintained at NIST (USA) and PTB (Germany)

PubMed Central

Ohno, Yoshihiro; Sauter, Georg

1995-01-01

A bilateral intercomparison of photometric units between NIST, USA and PTB, Germany has been conducted to update the knowledge of the relationship between the photometric units disseminated in each country. The luminous intensity unit (cd) and the luminous flux unit (lm) maintained at both laboratories are compared by circulating transfer standard lamps. Also, the photometric responsivity sv is compared by circulating a V(λ)-corrected detector with a built-in current-to-voltage converter. The results show that the difference of luminous intensity unit between NIST and PTB, (PTB-NIST)/NIST, is 0.2 % with a relative expanded uncertainty (coverage factor k = 2) of 0.24 %. The difference is reduced significantly from that at the 1985 CCPR intercomparison (0.9 %). The difference in luminous flux unit, (PTB – NIST)/NIST, is found to be 1.5 % with a relative expanded uncertainty (coverage factor k =2) of 0.15 %. The difference remained nearly the same as that at the 1985 intercomparison (1.6 %). These results agree with what is predicted from the history of maintaining the units at each laboratory. PMID:29151737

Recent Developments in the NIST Atomic Databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramida, Alexander

2011-05-01

New versions of the NIST Atomic Spectra Database (ASD, v. 4.0) and three bibliographic databases (Atomic Energy Levels and Spectra, v. 2.0, Atomic Transition Probabilities, v. 9.0, and Atomic Line Broadening and Shapes, v. 3.0) have recently been released. In this contribution I will describe the main changes in the way users get the data through the Web. The contents of ASD have been significantly extended. In particular, the data on highly ionized tungsten (W III-LXXIV) have been added from a recently published NIST compilation. The tables for Fe I and Fe II have been replaced with newer, much more extensive lists (10000 lines for Fe I). The other updated or new spectra include H, D, T, He I-II, Li I-III, Be I-IV, B I-V, C I-II, N I-II, O I-II, Na I-X, K I-XIX, and Hg I. The new version of ASD now incorporates data on isotopes of several elements. I will describe some of the issues the NIST ASD Team faces when updating the data.

76 FR 43264 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; NIST MEP Client Impact Survey

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-20

... Collection; Comment Request; NIST MEP Client Impact Survey AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Commerce. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing... Christopher Carbone, (301) 975-2952, [email protected]nist.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract Sponsored by...

Determination of the delta(2H/1H)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 1574

USGS Publications Warehouse

Revesz, Kinga; Coplen, Tyler B.

2008-01-01

Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 1574 describes a method used to determine the relative hydrogen isotope-ratio delta(2H,1H), abbreviated hereafter as d2H of water. The d2H measurement of water also is a component of the National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) schedules 1142 and 1172. The water is collected unfiltered in a 60-mL glass bottle and capped with a Polyseal cap. In the laboratory, the water sample is equilibrated with gaseous hydrogen using a platinum catalyst (Horita, 1988; Horita and others, 1989; Coplen and others, 1991). The reaction for the exchange of one hydrogen atom is shown in equation 1.

Reference metrology in a research fab: the NIST clean calibrations thrust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixson, Ronald; Fu, Joe; Orji, Ndubuisi; Renegar, Thomas; Zheng, Alan; Vorburger, Theodore; Hilton, Al; Cangemi, Marc; Chen, Lei; Hernandez, Mike; Hajdaj, Russell; Bishop, Michael; Cordes, Aaron

2009-03-01

In 2004, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) commissioned the Advanced Measurement Laboratory (AML) - a state-of-the-art, five-wing laboratory complex for leading edge NIST research. The NIST NanoFab - a 1765 m2 (19,000 ft2) clean room with 743 m2 (8000 ft2) of class 100 space - is the anchor of this facility and an integral component of the new Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) at NIST. Although the CNST/NanoFab is a nanotechnology research facility with a different strategic focus than a current high volume semiconductor fab, metrology tools still play an important role in the nanofabrication research conducted here. Some of the metrology tools available to users of the NanoFab include stylus profiling, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Since 2001, NIST has collaborated with SEMATECH to implement a reference measurement system (RMS) using critical dimension atomic force microscopy (CD-AFM). NIST brought metrology expertise to the table and SEMATECH provided access to leading edge metrology tools in their clean room facility in Austin. Now, in the newly launched "clean calibrations" thrust at NIST, we are implementing the reference metrology paradigm on several tools in the CNST/NanoFab. Initially, we have focused on calibration, monitoring, and uncertainty analysis for a three-tool set consisting of a stylus profiler, an SEM, and an AFM. Our larger goal is the development of new and supplemental calibrations and standards that will benefit from the Class 100 environment available in the NanoFab and offering our customers calibration options that do not require exposing their samples to less clean environments. Toward this end, we have completed a preliminary evaluation of the performance of these instruments. The results of these evaluations suggest that the achievable uncertainties are generally consistent with our measurement goals.

Recent Developments in the NIST Atomic Databases

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

Kramida, Alexander

New versions of the NIST Atomic Spectra Database (ASD, v. 4.0) and three bibliographic databases (Atomic Energy Levels and Spectra, v. 2.0, Atomic Transition Probabilities, v. 9.0, and Atomic Line Broadening and Shapes, v. 3.0) have recently been released. In this contribution I will describe the main changes in the way users get the data through the Web. The contents of ASD have been significantly extended. In particular, the data on highly ionized tungsten (W III-LXXIV) have been added from a recently published NIST compilation. The tables for Fe I and Fe II have been replaced with newer, much moremore » extensive lists (10000 lines for Fe I). The other updated or new spectra include H, D, T, He I-II, Li I-III, Be I-IV, B I-V, C I-II, N I-II, O I-II, Na I-X, K I-XIX, and Hg I. The new version of ASD now incorporates data on isotopes of several elements. I will describe some of the issues the NIST ASD Team faces when updating the data.« less

75 FR 1595 - Establishment of NIST Smart Grid Advisory Committee and Solicitation of Nominations for Members

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-12

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Establishment of NIST Smart... Standards and Technology, Commerce. ACTION: Notice of establishment of the NIST Smart Grid Advisory... Act, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces the establishment of the NIST...

77 FR 40586 - Draft NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7823, Advanced Metering Infrastructure Smart Meter...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-10

...-01] Draft NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7823, Advanced Metering Infrastructure Smart Meter... Technology (NIST) seeks comments on Draft NISTIR 7823, Advanced Metering Infrastructure Smart Meter.... Electronic comments should be sent to: Michaela Iorga at [email protected]nist.gov , with a Subject line...

Status of emerging standards for removable computer storage media and related contributions of NIST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podio, Fernando L.

1992-01-01

Standards for removable computer storage media are needed so that users may reliably interchange data both within and among various computer installations. Furthermore, media interchange standards support competition in industry and prevent sole-source lock-in. NIST participates in magnetic tape and optical disk standards development through Technical Committees X3B5, Digital Magnetic Tapes, X3B11, Optical Digital Data Disk, and the Joint Technical Commission on Data Permanence. NIST also participates in other relevant national and international standards committees for removable computer storage media. Industry standards for digital magnetic tapes require the use of Standard Reference Materials (SRM's) developed and maintained by NIST. In addition, NIST has been studying care and handling procedures required for digital magnetic tapes. NIST has developed a methodology for determining the life expectancy of optical disks. NIST is developing care and handling procedures for optical digital data disks and is involved in a program to investigate error reporting capabilities of optical disk drives. This presentation reflects the status of emerging magnetic tape and optical disk standards, as well as NIST's contributions in support of these standards.

[Analysis of software for identifying spectral line of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy based on LabVIEW].

PubMed

Hu, Zhi-yu; Zhang, Lei; Ma, Wei-guang; Yan, Xiao-juan; Li, Zhi-xin; Zhang, Yong-zhi; Wang, Le; Dong, Lei; Yin, Wang-bao; Jia, Suo-tang

2012-03-01

Self-designed identifying software for LIBS spectral line was introduced. Being integrated with LabVIEW, the soft ware can smooth spectral lines and pick peaks. The second difference and threshold methods were employed. Characteristic spectrum of several elements matches the NIST database, and realizes automatic spectral line identification and qualitative analysis of the basic composition of sample. This software can analyze spectrum handily and rapidly. It will be a useful tool for LIBS.

Comparison of the NIST and PTB Air-Kerma Standards for Low-Energy X-Rays.

PubMed

O'Brien, Michelle; Bueermann, Ludwig

2009-01-01

A comparison has been made of the air-kerma standards for low-energy x rays at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). The comparison involved a series of measurements at the PTB and the NIST using the air-kerma standards and two NIST reference-class transfer ionization chamber standards. Results are presented for the reference radiation beam qualities in the range from 25 kV to 50 kV for low energy x rays, including the techniques used for mammography dose traceability. The tungsten generated reference radiation qualities, between 25 kV and 50 kV used for this comparison, are new to NIST; therefore this comparison will serve as the preliminary comparison for NIST and a verification of the primary standard correction factors. The mammography comparison will repeat two previously unpublished comparisons between PTB and NIST. The results show the standards to be in reasonable agreement within the standard uncertainty of the comparison of about 0.4 %.

15 CFR 270.340 - Information created by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.340 Section 270.340 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... who are not NIST employees. Unless requested sooner by the Lead Investigator, at the conclusion of an investigation, each investigation participant who is not a NIST employee shall transfer any original information...

15 CFR 270.340 - Information created by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.340 Section 270.340 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... who are not NIST employees. Unless requested sooner by the Lead Investigator, at the conclusion of an investigation, each investigation participant who is not a NIST employee shall transfer any original information...

15 CFR 270.340 - Information created by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.340 Section 270.340 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... who are not NIST employees. Unless requested sooner by the Lead Investigator, at the conclusion of an investigation, each investigation participant who is not a NIST employee shall transfer any original information...

15 CFR 270.340 - Information created by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.340 Section 270.340 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... who are not NIST employees. Unless requested sooner by the Lead Investigator, at the conclusion of an investigation, each investigation participant who is not a NIST employee shall transfer any original information...

15 CFR 270.340 - Information created by investigation participants who are not NIST employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... participants who are not NIST employees. 270.340 Section 270.340 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... who are not NIST employees. Unless requested sooner by the Lead Investigator, at the conclusion of an investigation, each investigation participant who is not a NIST employee shall transfer any original information...

Length and Dimensional Measurements at NIST

PubMed Central

Swyt, Dennis A.

2001-01-01

This paper discusses the past, present, and future of length and dimensional measurements at NIST. It covers the evolution of the SI unit of length through its three definitions and the evolution of NBS-NIST dimensional measurement from early linescales and gage blocks to a future of atom-based dimensional standards. Current capabilities include dimensional measurements over a range of fourteen orders of magnitude. Uncertainties of measurements on different types of material artifacts range down to 7×10−8 m at 1 m and 8 picometers (pm) at 300 pm. Current work deals with a broad range of areas of dimensional metrology. These include: large-scale coordinate systems; complex form; microform; surface finish; two-dimensional grids; optical, scanning-electron, atomic-force, and scanning-tunneling microscopies; atomic-scale displacement; and atom-based artifacts. PMID:27500015

The NIST Quantitative Infrared Database

PubMed Central

Chu, P. M.; Guenther, F. R.; Rhoderick, G. C.; Lafferty, W. J.

1999-01-01

With the recent developments in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers it is becoming more feasible to place these instruments in field environments. As a result, there has been enormous increase in the use of FTIR techniques for a variety of qualitative and quantitative chemical measurements. These methods offer the possibility of fully automated real-time quantitation of many analytes; therefore FTIR has great potential as an analytical tool. Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA) has developed protocol methods for emissions monitoring using both extractive and open-path FTIR measurements. Depending upon the analyte, the experimental conditions and the analyte matrix, approximately 100 of the hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) listed in the 1990 U.S.EPA Clean Air Act amendment (CAAA) can be measured. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has initiated a program to provide quality-assured infrared absorption coefficient data based on NIST prepared primary gas standards. Currently, absorption coefficient data has been acquired for approximately 20 of the HAPs. For each compound, the absorption coefficient spectrum was calculated using nine transmittance spectra at 0.12 cm−1 resolution and the Beer’s law relationship. The uncertainties in the absorption coefficient data were estimated from the linear regressions of the transmittance data and considerations of other error sources such as the nonlinear detector response. For absorption coefficient values greater than 1 × 10−4 μmol/mol)−1 m−1 the average relative expanded uncertainty is 2.2 %. This quantitative infrared database is currently an ongoing project at NIST. Additional spectra will be added to the database as they are acquired. Our current plans include continued data acquisition of the compounds listed in the CAAA, as well as the compounds that contribute to global warming and ozone depletion.

NIST Document Sharing Test Facility

Science.gov Websites

NIST Document Sharing Test Facility This site supports the IHE effort in Document Sharing as part . This test facility is based on the IHE IT Infrastructure Technical Framework. All testing done against that Patient IDs be pre-registered before submitting metadata about them. To allocate new patient IDs

Atomic Spectroscopic Databases at NIST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reader, J.; Kramida, A. E.; Ralchenko, Yu.

2006-01-01

We describe recent work at NIST to develop and maintain databases for spectra, transition probabilities, and energy levels of atoms that are astrophysically important. Our programs to critically compile these data as well as to develop a new database to compare plasma calculations for atoms that are not in local thermodynamic equilibrium are also summarized.

Polymer Research at NBS-NIST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Charles

2001-03-01

Research on Polymers at NBS-NIST can be traced back to the World War I era.. During World War II, rubber and other organic materials testing and characterization started to play an important role in the nation's war effort. Since the 1940's, the rubber and plastic industry has transformed our lives. Rubber and plastic becomes a part of nearly every aspect of our daily life, including clothing, housing, transportation, and even food. The standards, testing methods, and basic physics research results produced at NBS-NIST had extensive influences and impacts on science and technology development during the post WWII period. Although sometimes controversial, the research in polymer crystallization, in linear and non-linear visco-elasticity, in surface adsorption, in piezoelectrical and pyroelectrical properties, in light scattering and neutron scattering, in polymer blends and alloys, and in dental applications, has made important contributions in the establishment of the current technology base. The challenge is to set the correct course in the future. We can learn many things by simply looking back at our past.

NIST Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF): March 1987

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herbert, Judith E. (Editor); Kane, Richard (Editor)

1987-01-01

The completion and advances to the NIST Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) is described in this video. The six work stations: (1) horizontal machining; (2) vertical machining; (3) turning machinery; (4) cleaning and deburring; (5) materials handling; and (6) inspection are shown and uses for each workstation are cited. Visiting researchers and scientists within NIST describe the advantages of each of the workstations, what the facility is used for, future applications for the technological advancements from the AMRF, including examples of how AMRF technology is being transferred to the U.S. Navy industry and discuss future technological goals for the facility.

77 FR 52692 - NIST Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-3 (Second Draft), Security Requirements...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-30

...-03] NIST Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-3 (Second Draft), Security Requirements... Technology (NIST), Commerce. ACTION: Notice and Request for Comments. SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks additional comments on specific sections of Federal Information...

The Fundamental Neutron Physics Facilities at NIST.

PubMed

Nico, J S; Arif, M; Dewey, M S; Gentile, T R; Gilliam, D M; Huffman, P R; Jacobson, D L; Thompson, A K

2005-01-01

The program in fundamental neutron physics at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began nearly two decades ago. The Neutron Interactions and Dosimetry Group currently maintains four neutron beam lines dedicated to studies of fundamental neutron interactions. The neutrons are provided by the NIST Center for Neutron Research, a national user facility for studies that include condensed matter physics, materials science, nuclear chemistry, and biological science. The beam lines for fundamental physics experiments include a high-intensity polychromatic beam, a 0.496 nm monochromatic beam, a 0.89 nm monochromatic beam, and a neutron interferometer and optics facility. This paper discusses some of the parameters of the beam lines along with brief presentations of some of the experiments performed at the facilities.

The Fundamental Neutron Physics Facilities at NIST

PubMed Central

Nico, J. S.; Arif, M.; Dewey, M. S.; Gentile, T. R.; Gilliam, D. M.; Huffman, P. R.; Jacobson, D. L.; Thompson, A. K.

2005-01-01

The program in fundamental neutron physics at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began nearly two decades ago. The Neutron Interactions and Dosimetry Group currently maintains four neutron beam lines dedicated to studies of fundamental neutron interactions. The neutrons are provided by the NIST Center for Neutron Research, a national user facility for studies that include condensed matter physics, materials science, nuclear chemistry, and biological science. The beam lines for fundamental physics experiments include a high-intensity polychromatic beam, a 0.496 nm monochromatic beam, a 0.89 nm monochromatic beam, and a neutron interferometer and optics facility. This paper discusses some of the parameters of the beam lines along with brief presentations of some of the experiments performed at the facilities. PMID:27308110

Hg0 and HgCl2 Reference Gas Standards: ?NIST Traceability ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA and NIST have collaborated to establish the necessary procedures for establishing the required NIST traceability of commercially-provided Hg0 and HgCl2 reference generators. This presentation will discuss the approach of a joint EPA/NIST study to accurately quantify the true concentrations of Hg0 and HgCl2 reference gases produced from high quality, NIST-traceable, commercial Hg0 and HgCl2 generators. This presentation will also discuss the availability of HCl and Hg0 compressed reference gas standards as a result of EPA's recently approved Alternative Methods 114 and 118. Gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0) and oxidized mercury (HgCl2) reference standards are integral to the use of mercury continuous emissions monitoring systems (Hg CEMS) for regulatory compliance emissions monitoring. However, a quantitative disparity of approximately 7-10% has been observed between commercial Hg0 and HgCl2 reference gases which currently limits the use of (HgCl2) reference gas standards. Resolving this disparity would enable the expanded use of (HgCl2) reference gas standards for regulatory compliance purposes.

NIST/ASME Steam Properties Database

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 10 NIST/ASME Steam Properties Database (PC database for purchase)   Based upon the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS) 1995 formulation for the thermodynamic properties of water and the most recent IAPWS formulations for transport and other properties, this updated version provides water properties over a wide range of conditions according to the accepted international standards.

Atomic Spectra Bibliography Databases at NIST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramida, Alexander

2010-03-01

NIST's Atomic Spectroscopy Data Center maintains three online Bibliographic Databases (BD) [http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/ASBib1/index.html]: -- Atomic Energy Levels and Spectra (AEL BD), Atomic Transition Probability (ATP BD), and Atomic Spectral Line Broadening (ALB BD). This year marks new releases of these BDs -- AEL BD v.2.0, ATP BD v.9.0, and ALB DB v.3.0. These releases incorporate significant improvements in the quantity and quality of bibliographic data since the previous versions published first in 2006. The total number of papers in the three DBs grew from 20,000 to 30,000. The data search is now made easier, and the returned content is enriched with direct links to online journal articles and universal Digital Object Identifiers. Statistics show a nearly constant flow of new publications on atomic spectroscopy, about 600 new papers published each year since 1968. New papers are inserted in our BDs every two weeks on average.

NIST Databases on Atomic Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reader, J.; Wiese, W. L.; Martin, W. C.; Musgrove, A.; Fuhr, J. R.

2002-11-01

The NIST atomic and molecular spectroscopic databases now available on the World Wide Web through the NIST Physics Laboratory homepage include Atomic Spectra Database, Ground Levels and Ionization Energies for the Neutral Atoms, Spectrum of Platinum Lamp for Ultraviolet Spectrograph Calibration, Bibliographic Database on Atomic Transition Probabilities, Bibliographic Database on Atomic Spectral Line Broadening, and Electron-Impact Ionization Cross Section Database. The Atomic Spectra Database (ASD) [1] offers evaluated data on energy levels, wavelengths, and transition probabilities for atoms and atomic ions. Data are given for some 950 spectra and 70,000 energy levels. About 91,000 spectral lines are included, with transition probabilities for about half of these. Additional data resulting from our ongoing critical compilations will be included in successive new versions of ASD. We plan to include, for example, our recently published data for some 16,000 transitions covering most ions of the iron-group elements, as well as Cu, Kr, and Mo [2]. Our compilations benefit greatly from experimental and theoretical atomic-data research being carried out in the NIST Atomic Physics Division. A new compilation covering spectra of the rare gases in all stages of ionization, for example, revealed a need for improved data in the infrared. We have thus measured these needed data with our high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer [3]. An upcoming new database will give wavelengths and intensities for the stronger lines of all neutral and singly-ionized atoms, along with energy levels and transition probabilities for the persistent lines [4]. A critical compilation of the transition probabilities of Ba I and Ba II [5] has been completed and several other compilations of atomic transition probabilities are nearing completion. These include data for all spectra of Na, Mg, Al, and Si [6]. Newly compiled data for selected ions of Ne, Mg, Si and S, will form the basis for a new

Information Technology Measurement and Testing Activities at NIST

PubMed Central

Hogan, Michael D.; Carnahan, Lisa J.; Carpenter, Robert J.; Flater, David W.; Fowler, James E.; Frechette, Simon P.; Gray, Martha M.; Johnson, L. Arnold; McCabe, R. Michael; Montgomery, Douglas; Radack, Shirley M.; Rosenthal, Robert; Shakarji, Craig M.

2001-01-01

Our high technology society continues to rely more and more upon sophisticated measurements, technical standards, and associated testing activities. This was true for the industrial society of the 20th century and remains true for the information society of the 21st century. Over the last half of the 20th century, information technology (IT) has been a powerful agent of change in almost every sector of the economy. The complexity and rapidly changing nature of IT have presented unique technical challenges to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and to the scientific measurement community in developing a sound measurement and testing infrastructure for IT. This measurement and testing infrastructure for the important non-physical and non-chemical properties associated with complex IT systems is still in an early stage of development. This paper explains key terms and concepts of IT metrology, briefly reviews the history of the National Bureau of Standards/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NBS/NIST) in the field of IT, and reviews NIST’s current capabilities and work in measurement and testing for IT. It concludes with a look at what is likely to occur in the field of IT over the next ten years and what metrology roles NIST is likely to play. PMID:27500026

House Science Committee Acts on NIST Laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Committees in both chambers of Congress are considering bills to dismantle the Department of Commerce, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The main bill in the House, HR 1756, sponsored by Rep. Dick Chrysler (R-Mich.), has been referred to 11 different committees, each of which has jurisdiction over some part of it. In September, the House Science Committee, chaired by Robert Walker (R-Pa.), held a hearing on the proposal and marked up the portions of Chrysler's bill relating to science and technology.In addition to abolishing the Commerce Department, Chrysler's bill would mandate selling NIST's laboratories and those of NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research "to a private sector entity intending to perform substantially the same functions as were performed by the laboratories." It also would terminate NIST's Advanced Technology Program (ATP) and Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

NIST: Information Management in the AMRF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callaghan, George (Editor)

1991-01-01

The information management strategies developed for the NIST Automated Manufacturing Research Facility (AMRF) - a prototype small batch manufacturing facility used for integration and measurement related standards research are outlined in this video. The five major manufacturing functions - design, process planning, off-line programming, shop floor control, and materials processing are explained and their applications demonstrated.

76 FR 20633 - Announcement of Meeting to Explore Feasibility of Establishing a NIST/Industry Consortium on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

... Explore Feasibility of Establishing a NIST/Industry Consortium on Neutron Measurements for Soft Materials.... SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites interested parties to attend a pre-consortium meeting on June 2-3, 2011 to be held on the NIST campus. The goal of the one-day...

Comparison of the NIST and BIPM Medium-Energy X-Ray Air-Kerma Measurements

PubMed Central

Burns, D. T.; O’Brien, M.; Lamperti, P.; Boutillon, M.

2003-01-01

The air-kerma standards used for the measurement of medium-energy x rays were compared at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). The comparison involved a series of measurements at the BIPM and the NIST using the air-kerma standards and two NIST reference-class transfer ionization standards. Reference beam qualities in the range from 60 kV to 300 kV were used. The results show the standards to be in agreement within the combined standard uncertainty of the comparison of 0.35 %. PMID:27413616

Activities of NIST (National Inst. of Standards and Technology)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The Radiometric Physics Division of the NIST is responsible for the national standards in radiation thermometry, spectroradiometry, photometry, and spectrophotometry; dissemination of these standards by providing measurement services to customers requiring calibrations of the highest accuracy; and conducting fundamental and applied research to develop the scientific basis for future measurement services. Its relevance to EOS/TIR calibration includes calibrating unknown blackbody for radiance using a well-characterized NIST blackbody source by matching the radiant fluxes with an IR radiometer. The TIR Round Robin is used to verify the calibration of the sources that are used for the absolute radiometric calibration of the individual EOS sensors.

76 FR 34208 - NIST Designation of Cannon Instrument Company as the Responsible Organization for U.S. National...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-13

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST Designation of Cannon..., Commerce. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), as the... relevant to that particular measurand. This notice announces that NIST has designated the Cannon Instrument...

75 FR 21232 - FY 2010 NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Comprehensive Grants Program Extension of Due...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-23

...-0182-02] FY 2010 NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Comprehensive Grants Program Extension of Due Date for Proposals AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: NIST publishes this notice to extend the deadline for...

Pion and Kaon Lab Frame Differential Cross Sections for Intermediate Energy Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norbury, John W.; Blattnig, Steve R.

2008-01-01

Space radiation transport codes require accurate models for hadron production in intermediate energy nucleus-nucleus collisions. Codes require cross sections to be written in terms of lab frame variables and it is important to be able to verify models against experimental data in the lab frame. Several models are compared to lab frame data. It is found that models based on algebraic parameterizations are unable to describe intermediate energy differential cross section data. However, simple thermal model parameterizations, when appropriately transformed from the center of momentum to the lab frame, are able to account for the data.

SU-F-I-13: Correction Factor Computations for the NIST Ritz Free Air Chamber for Medium-Energy X Rays

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

Bergstrom, P

Purpose: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) uses 3 free-air chambers to establish primary standards for radiation dosimetry at x-ray energies. For medium-energy × rays, the Ritz free-air chamber is the main measurement device. In order to convert the charge or current collected by the chamber to the radiation quantities air kerma or air kerma rate, a number of correction factors specific to the chamber must be applied. Methods: We used the Monte Carlo codes EGSnrc and PENELOPE. Results: Among these correction factors are the diaphragm correction (which accounts for interactions of photons from the x-ray source inmore » the beam-defining diaphragm of the chamber), the scatter correction (which accounts for the effects of photons scattered out of the primary beam), the electron-loss correction (which accounts for electrons that only partially expend their energy in the collection region), the fluorescence correction (which accounts for ionization due to reabsorption ffluorescence photons and the bremsstrahlung correction (which accounts for the reabsorption of bremsstrahlung photons). We have computed monoenergetic corrections for the NIST Ritz chamber for the 1 cm, 3 cm and 7 cm collection plates. Conclusion: We find good agreement with other’s results for the 7 cm plate. The data used to obtain these correction factors will be used to establish air kerma and it’s uncertainty in the standard NIST x-ray beams.« less

NIST Calibration of a Neutron Spectrometer ROSPEC.

PubMed

Heimbach, Craig

2006-01-01

A neutron spectrometer was acquired for use in the measurement of National Institute of Standards and Technology neutron fields. The spectrometer included options for the measurement of low and high energy neutrons, for a total measurement range from 0.01 eV up to 17 MeV. The spectrometer was evaluated in calibration fields and was used to determine the neutron spectrum of an Americium-Beryllium neutron source. The calibration fields used included bare and moderated (252)Cf, monoenergetic neutron fields of 2.5 MeV and 14 MeV, and a thermal-neutron beam. Using the calibration values determined in this exercise, the spectrometer gives a good approximation of the neutron spectrum, and excellent values for neutron fluence, for all NIST calibration fields. The spectrometer also measured an Americium-Beryllium neutron field in a NIST exposure facility and determined the field quite well. The spectrometer measured scattering effects in neutron spectra which previously could be determined only by calculation or integral measurements.

A Brief Review of Recent Superconductivity Research at NIST

PubMed Central

Lundy, D. R.; Swartzendruber, L. J.; Bennett, L. H.

1989-01-01

A brief overview of recent superconductivity research at NIST is presented. Emphasis is placed on the new high-temperature oxide superconductors, though mention is made of important work on low-temperature superconductors, and a few historical notes are included. NIST research covers a wide range of interests. For the new high-temperature superconductors, research activities include determination of physical properties such as elastic constants and electronic structure, development of new techniques such as magnetic-field modulated microwave-absorption and determination of phase diagrams and crystal structure. For the low-temperature superconductors, research spans studying the effect of stress on current density to the fabrication of a new Josephson junction voltage standard. PMID:28053408

Simulation evaluation of NIST air-kerma rate calibration standard for electronic brachytherapy.

PubMed

Hiatt, Jessica R; Rivard, Mark J; Hughes, H Grady

2016-03-01

Dosimetry for the model S700 50 kV electronic brachytherapy (eBT) source (Xoft, Inc., a subsidiary of iCAD, San Jose, CA) was simulated using Monte Carlo (MC) methods by Rivard et al. ["Calculated and measured brachytherapy dosimetry parameters in water for the Xoft Axxent x-ray source: An electronic brachytherapy source," Med. Phys. 33, 4020-4032 (2006)] and recently by Hiatt et al. ["A revised dosimetric characterization of the model S700 electronic brachytherapy source containing an anode-centering plastic insert and other components not included in the 2006 model," Med. Phys. 42, 2764-2776 (2015)] with improved geometric characterization. While these studies examined the dose distribution in water, there have not previously been reports of the eBT source calibration methods beyond that recently reported by Seltzer et al. ["New national air-kerma standard for low-energy electronic brachytherapy sources," J. Res. Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. 119, 554-574 (2014)]. Therefore, the motivation for the current study was to provide an independent determination of air-kerma rate at 50 cm in air K̇air(d=50 cm) using MC methods for the model S700 eBT source. Using CAD information provided by the vendor and disassembled sources, an MC model was created for the S700 eBT source. Simulations were run using the mcnp6 radiation transport code for the NIST Lamperti air ionization chamber according to specifications by Boutillon et al. ["Comparison of exposure standards in the 10-50 kV x-ray region," Metrologia 5, 1-11 (1969)], in air without the Lamperti chamber, and in vacuum without the Lamperti chamber. K̇air(d=50 cm) was determined using the *F4 tally with NIST values for the mass energy-absorption coefficients for air. Photon spectra were evaluated over 2 π azimuthal sampling for polar angles of 0° ≤ θ ≤ 180° every 1°. Volume averaging was averted through tight radial binning. Photon energy spectra were determined over all polar angles in both air and vacuum using

A Series of Computational Neuroscience Labs Increases Comfort with MATLAB.

PubMed

Nichols, David F

2015-01-01

Computational simulations allow for a low-cost, reliable means to demonstrate complex and often times inaccessible concepts to undergraduates. However, students without prior computer programming training may find working with code-based simulations to be intimidating and distracting. A series of computational neuroscience labs involving the Hodgkin-Huxley equations, an Integrate-and-Fire model, and a Hopfield Memory network were used in an undergraduate neuroscience laboratory component of an introductory level course. Using short focused surveys before and after each lab, student comfort levels were shown to increase drastically from a majority of students being uncomfortable or with neutral feelings about working in the MATLAB environment to a vast majority of students being comfortable working in the environment. Though change was reported within each lab, a series of labs was necessary in order to establish a lasting high level of comfort. Comfort working with code is important as a first step in acquiring computational skills that are required to address many questions within neuroscience.

A Series of Computational Neuroscience Labs Increases Comfort with MATLAB

PubMed Central

Nichols, David F.

2015-01-01

Computational simulations allow for a low-cost, reliable means to demonstrate complex and often times inaccessible concepts to undergraduates. However, students without prior computer programming training may find working with code-based simulations to be intimidating and distracting. A series of computational neuroscience labs involving the Hodgkin-Huxley equations, an Integrate-and-Fire model, and a Hopfield Memory network were used in an undergraduate neuroscience laboratory component of an introductory level course. Using short focused surveys before and after each lab, student comfort levels were shown to increase drastically from a majority of students being uncomfortable or with neutral feelings about working in the MATLAB environment to a vast majority of students being comfortable working in the environment. Though change was reported within each lab, a series of labs was necessary in order to establish a lasting high level of comfort. Comfort working with code is important as a first step in acquiring computational skills that are required to address many questions within neuroscience. PMID:26557798

A Review of NIST Primary Activity Standards for 18F: 1982 to 2013

PubMed Central

Bergeron, Denis E; Cessna, Jeffrey T; Coursey, Bert M; Fitzgerald, Ryan; Zimmerman, Brian E

2014-01-01

The new NIST activity standardization for 18F, described in 2014 in Applied Radiation and Isotopes (v. 85, p. 77), differs from results obtained between 1998 and 2008 by 4 %. The new results are considered to be very reliable; they are based on a battery of robust primary measurement techniques and bring the NIST standard into accord with other national metrology institutes. This paper reviews all ten 18F activity standardizations performed at NIST from 1982 to 2013, with a focus on experimental variables that might account for discrepancies. We have identified many possible sources of measurement bias and eliminated most of them, but we have not adequately accounted for the 1998–2008 results. PMID:26601035

A Review of NIST Primary Activity Standards for (18)F: 1982 to 2013.

PubMed

Bergeron, Denis E; Cessna, Jeffrey T; Coursey, Bert M; Fitzgerald, Ryan; Zimmerman, Brian E

2014-01-01

The new NIST activity standardization for (18)F, described in 2014 in Applied Radiation and Isotopes (v. 85, p. 77), differs from results obtained between 1998 and 2008 by 4 %. The new results are considered to be very reliable; they are based on a battery of robust primary measurement techniques and bring the NIST standard into accord with other national metrology institutes. This paper reviews all ten (18)F activity standardizations performed at NIST from 1982 to 2013, with a focus on experimental variables that might account for discrepancies. We have identified many possible sources of measurement bias and eliminated most of them, but we have not adequately accounted for the 1998-2008 results.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity risk management framework applied to modern vehicles

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

The primary objective of the work described in this report is to review the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) guidelines and foundational publications from an automotive : cybersecurity risk management stand-point. The NIST approach...

Emergency radiobioassay preparedness exercises through the NIST radiochemistry intercomparison program.

PubMed

Nour, Svetlana; LaRosa, Jerry; Inn, Kenneth G W

2011-08-01

The present challenge for the international emergency radiobioassay community is to analyze contaminated samples rapidly while maintaining high quality results. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) runs a radiobioassay measurement traceability testing program to evaluate the radioanalytical capabilities of participating laboratories. The NIST Radiochemistry Intercomparison Program (NRIP) started more than 10 years ago, and emergency performance testing was added to the program seven years ago. Radiobioassay turnaround times under the NRIP program for routine production and under emergency response scenarios are 60 d and 8 h, respectively. Because measurement accuracy and sample turnaround time are very critical in a radiological emergency, response laboratories' analytical systems are best evaluated and improved through traceable Performance Testing (PT) programs. The NRIP provides participant laboratories with metrology tools to evaluate their performance and to improve it. The program motivates the laboratories to optimize their methodologies and minimize the turnaround time of their results. Likewise, NIST has to make adjustments and periodical changes in the bioassay test samples in order to challenge the participating laboratories continually. With practice, radioanalytical measurements turnaround time can be reduced to 3-4 h.

Intramural Comparison of NIST Laser and Optical Fiber Power Calibrations.

PubMed

Lehman, John H; Vayshenker, Igor; Livigni, David J; Hadler, Joshua

2004-01-01

The responsivity of two optical detectors was determined by the method of direct substitution in four different NIST measurement facilities. The measurements were intended to demonstrate the determination of absolute responsivity as provided by NIST calibration services at laser and optical-communication wavelengths; nominally 633 nm, 850 nm, 1060 nm, 1310 nm, and 1550 nm. The optical detectors have been designated as checks standards for the purpose of routine intramural comparison of our calibration services and to meet requirements of the NIST quality system, based on ISO 17025. The check standards are two optical-trap detectors, one based on silicon and the other on indium gallium arsenide photodiodes. The four measurement services are based on: (1) the laser optimized cryogenic radiometer (LOCR) and free field collimated laser light; (2) the C-series isoperibol calorimeter and free-field collimated laser light; (3) the electrically calibrated pyroelectric radiometer and fiber-coupled laser light; (4) the pyroelectric wedge trap detector, which measures light from a lamp source and monochromator. The results indicate that the responsivity of the check standards, as determined independently using the four services, agree to within the published expanded uncertainty ranging from approximately 0.02 % to 1.24 %.

NIST Photoionization of CO2 (ARPES) Database

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 119 NIST Photoionization of CO2 (ARPES) Database (Web, free access)   CO2 is studied using dispersed synchrotron radiation in the 650 Å to 850 Å spectral region. The vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectra are analyzed to generate relative vibrational transition amplitudes and the angular asymmetry parameters describing the various transitions observed.

NIST Efforts to Quality-Assure Gunpowder Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

MacCrehan, William A.; Reardon, Michelle R.

2000-01-01

In the past few years, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has been promoting the idea of quantitatively determining the additives in smokeless gunpowder using micellar capillary electrophoresis as a means of investigating the criminal use of hand guns and pipe bombs. As a part of this effort, we have evaluated both supercritical fluid and ultrasonic solvent extractions for the quantitative recovery of nitroglycerin (NG), diphenylamine (DPA), N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NnDPA), and ethyl centralite (EC) from gunpowder. Recoveries were evaluated by repeat extraction and matrix spiking experiments. The final extraction protocol provides greater than 95 percent recoveries. To help other researches validate their own analytical method for additive determinations, NIST is exploring the development of a standard reference material, Additives in Smokeless Gunpowder. The evaluated method is being applied to two double-base (NG-containing) powders, one stabilized with diphenylamine and the other with ethyl centralite. As part of this reference material development effort, we are conducting an interlaboratory comparison exercise among the forensic and military gunpowder measurement community.

76 FR 27305 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; the NIST Summer Institute for Middle School...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-11

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; the NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers (NIST Summer... information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Written comments must be...

ALT-114 and ALT-118 Alternative Approaches to NIST ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In 2016, US EPA approved two separate alternatives (ALT 114 and ALT 118) for the preparation and certification of Hydrogen Chloride (HCl) and Mercury (Hg) cylinder reference gas standards that can serve as EPA Protocol gases where EPA Protocol are required, but unavailable. The alternatives were necessary due to the unavailability of NIST reference materials (SRM, NTRM, CRM or RGM) or VSL reference materials (VSL PRM or VSL CRM), reference materials identified in EPA’s Green Book as necessary to establish the traceability of EPA protocol gases. ALT 114 and ALT 118 provides a pathway for gas vendors to prepare and certify traceable gas cylinder standards for use in certifying Hg and HCl CEMS. In this presentation, EPA will describe the mechanics and requirements of the performance-based approach, provide an update on the availability of these gas standards and also discuss the potential for producing and certifying gas standards for other compounds using this approach. This presentation discusses the importance of NIST-traceable reference gases relative to regulatory source compliance emissions monitoring. Specifically this presentation discusses 2 new approaches for making necessary reference gases available in the absence of NIST reference materials. Moreover, these approaches provide an alternative approach to rapidly make available new reference gases for additional HAPS regulatory compliance emissions measurement and monitoring.

The NIST SPIDER, A Robot Crane

PubMed Central

Albus, James; Bostelman, Roger; Dagalakis, Nicholas

1992-01-01

The Robot Systems Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology has been experimenting for several years with new concepts for robot cranes. These concepts utilize the basic idea of the Stewart Platform parallel link manipulator. The unique feature of the NIST approach is to use cables as the parallel links and to use winches as the actuators. So long as the cables are all in tension, the load is kinematically constrained, and the cables resist perturbing forces and moments with equal stiffness to both positive and negative loads. The result is that the suspended load is constrained with a mechanical stiffness determined by the elasticity of the cables, the suspended weight, and the geometry of the mechanism. Based on these concepts, a revolutionary new type of robot crane, the NIST SPIDER (Stewart Platform Instrumented Drive Environmental Robot) has been developed that can control the position, velocity, and force of tools and heavy machinery in all six degrees of freedom (x, y, z, roll, pitch, and yaw). Depending on what is suspended from its work platform, the SPIDER can perform a variety of tasks. Examples are: cutting, excavating and grading, shaping and finishing, lifting and positioning. A 6 m version of the SPIDER has been built and critical performance characteristics analyzed. PMID:28053439

The NIST SPIDER, A Robot Crane.

PubMed

Albus, James; Bostelman, Roger; Dagalakis, Nicholas

1992-01-01

The Robot Systems Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology has been experimenting for several years with new concepts for robot cranes. These concepts utilize the basic idea of the Stewart Platform parallel link manipulator. The unique feature of the NIST approach is to use cables as the parallel links and to use winches as the actuators. So long as the cables are all in tension, the load is kinematically constrained, and the cables resist perturbing forces and moments with equal stiffness to both positive and negative loads. The result is that the suspended load is constrained with a mechanical stiffness determined by the elasticity of the cables, the suspended weight, and the geometry of the mechanism. Based on these concepts, a revolutionary new type of robot crane, the NIST SPIDER (Stewart Platform Instrumented Drive Environmental Robot) has been developed that can control the position, velocity, and force of tools and heavy machinery in all six degrees of freedom ( x, y, z , roll, pitch, and yaw). Depending on what is suspended from its work platform, the SPIDER can perform a variety of tasks. Examples are: cutting, excavating and grading, shaping and finishing, lifting and positioning. A 6 m version of the SPIDER has been built and critical performance characteristics analyzed.

Determination of the δ15N of nitrate in solids; RSIL lab code 2894

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coplen, Tyler B.; Qi, Haiping; Revesz, Kinga; Casciotti, Karen; Hannon, Janet E.

2007-01-01

The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 2894 is to determine the δ15N of nitrate (NO3-) in solids. The nitrate fraction of the nitrogen species is dissolved by water (called leaching) and can be analyzed by the bacterial method covered in RSIL lab code 2899. After leaching, the δ15N of the dissolved NO3- is analyzed by conversion of the NO3- to nitrous oxide (N2O), which serves as the analyte for mass spectrometry. A culture of denitrifying bacteria is used in the enzymatic conversion of NO3- to N2O, which follows the pathway shown in equation 1: NO3- → NO2- → NO → 1/2 N2O (1) Because the bacteria Pseudomonas aureofaciens lack N2O reductive activity, the reaction stops at N2O, unlike the typical denitrification reaction that goes to N2. After several hours, the conversion is complete, and the N2O is extracted from the vial, separated from volatile organic vapor and water vapor by an automated -65 °C isopropanol-slush trap, a Nafion drier, a CO2 and water removal unit (Costech #021020 carbon dioxide absorbent with Mg(ClO4)2), and trapped in a small-volume trap immersed in liquid nitrogen with a modified Finnigan MAT (now Thermo Scientific) GasBench 2 introduction system. After the N2O is released, it is further purified by gas chromatography before introduction to the isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). The IRMS is a Thermo Scientific Delta V Plus continuous flow IRMS (CF-IRMS). It has a universal triple collector, consisting of two wide cups with a narrow cup in the middle; it is capable of simultaneously measuring mass/charge (m/z) of the N2O molecule 44, 45, and 46. The ion beams from these m/z values are as follows: m/z = 44 = N2O = 14N14N16O; m/z = 45 = N2O = 14N15N16O or 14N14N17O; m/z = 46 = N2O = 14N14N18O. The 17O contributions to the m/z 44 and m/z 45 ion beams are accounted for before δ15N values are reported.

Application of the CIEMAT-NIST method to plastic scintillation microspheres.

PubMed

Tarancón, A; Barrera, J; Santiago, L M; Bagán, H; García, J F

2015-04-01

An adaptation of the MICELLE2 code was used to apply the CIEMAT-NIST tracing method to the activity calculation for radioactive solutions of pure beta emitters of different energies using plastic scintillation microspheres (PSm) and (3)H as a tracing radionuclide. Particle quenching, very important in measurements with PSm, was computed with PENELOPE using geometries formed by a heterogeneous mixture of polystyrene microspheres and water. The results obtained with PENELOPE were adapted to be included in MICELLE2, which is capable of including the energy losses due to particle quenching in the computation of the detection efficiency. The activity calculation of (63)Ni, (14)C, (36)Cl and (90)Sr/(90)Y solutions was performed with deviations of 8.8%, 1.9%, 1.4% and 2.1%, respectively. Of the different parameters evaluated, those with the greatest impact on the activity calculation are, in order of importance, the energy of the radionuclide, the degree of quenching of the sample and the packing fraction of the geometry used in the computation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 2016 NIST Speaker Recognition Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-20

The 2016 NIST Speaker Recognition Evaluation Seyed Omid Sadjadi1,∗, Timothée Kheyrkhah1,†, Audrey Tong1, Craig Greenberg1, Douglas Reynolds2, Elliot...recent in an ongoing series of speaker recognition evaluations (SRE) to foster research in ro- bust text-independent speaker recognition, as well as...online evaluation platform, a fixed training data condition, more variability in test segment duration (uni- formly distributed between 10s and 60s

Advanced LabVIEW Labs

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

Jones, Eric D.

1999-06-17

In the world of computer-based data acquisition and control, the graphical interface program LabVIEW from National Instruments is so ubiquitous that in many ways it has almost become the laboratory standard. To date, there have been approximately fifteen books concerning LabVIEW, but Professor Essick's treatise takes on a completely different tack than all of the previous discussions. In the more standard treatments of the ways and wherefores of LabVIEW such as LabVIEW Graphical Programming: Practical Applications in Instrumentation and Control by Gary W. Johnson (McGraw Hill, NY 1997), the emphasis has been instructing the reader how to program LabVIEW tomore » create a Virtual Instrument (VI) on the computer for interfacing to a particular instruments. LabVIEW is written in G a graphical programming language developed by National Instruments. In the past the emphasis has been on training the experimenter to learn G . Without going into details here, G incorporates the usual loops, arithmetic expressions, etc., found in many programming languages, but in an icon (graphical) environment. The net result being that LabVIEW contains all of the standard methods needed for interfacing to instruments, data acquisition, data analysis, graphics, and also methodology to incorporate programs written in other languages into LabVIEW. Historically, according to Professor Essick, he developed a series of experiments for an upper division laboratory course for computer-based instrumentation. His observation was that while many students had the necessary background in computer programming languages, there were students who had virtually no concept about writing a computer program let alone a computer- based interfacing program. Thus the beginnings of a concept for not only teaching computer- based instrumentation techniques, but aiso a method for the beginner to experience writing a com- puter program. Professor Essick saw LabVIEW as the perfect environment in which to teach

Advanced LabVIEW Labs

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

Jones, Eric D.

1999-06-17

In the world of computer-based data acquisition and control, the graphical interface program LabVIEW from National Instruments is so ubiquitous that in many ways it has almost become the laboratory standard. To date, there have been approximately fifteen books concerning LabVIEW, but Professor Essick's treatise takes on a completely different tack than all of the previous discussions. In the more standard treatments of the ways and wherefores of LabVIEW such as LabVIEW Graphical Programming: Practical Applications in Instrumentation and Control by Gary W. Johnson (McGraw Hill, NY 1997), the emphasis has been instructing the reader how to program LabVIEW tomore » create a Virtual Instrument (VI) on the computer for interfacing to a particular instruments. LabVIEW is written in "G" a graphical programming language developed by National Instruments. In the past the emphasis has been on training the experimenter to learn "G". Without going into details here, "G" incorporates the usual loops, arithmetic expressions, etc., found in many programming languages, but in an icon (graphical) environment. The net result being that LabVIEW contains all of the standard methods needed for interfacing to instruments, data acquisition, data analysis, graphics, and also methodology to incorporate programs written in other languages into LabVIEW. Historically, according to Professor Essick, he developed a series of experiments for an upper division laboratory course for computer-based instrumentation. His observation was that while many students had the necessary background in computer programming languages, there were students who had virtually no concept about writing a computer program let alone a computer- based interfacing program. Thus the beginnings of a concept for not only teaching computer- based instrumentation techniques, but aiso a method for the beginner to experience writing a com- puter program. Professor Essick saw LabVIEW as the "perfect environment in which to

76 FR 66040 - Announcement of Meeting To Explore Feasibility of Establishing a NIST/Industry Consortium on...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-25

... Explore Feasibility of Establishing a NIST/Industry Consortium on ``Concrete Rheology: Enabling Metrology... meeting. SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites interested parties to attend a pre-consortium meeting on November 8, [[Page 66041

NIST Libraries of Peptide Fragmentation Mass Spectra Databass

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

SRD 4 NIST Libraries of Peptide Fragmentation Mass Spectra Databass (PC database for purchase)   Interactive computer program for predicting thermodynamic and transport properties of pure fluids and fluid mixtures containing up to 20 components. The components are selected from a database of 196 components, mostly hydrocarbons.

NIST gold nanoparticle reference materials do not induce oxidative DNA damage.

PubMed

Nelson, Bryant C; Petersen, Elijah J; Marquis, Bryce J; Atha, Donald H; Elliott, John T; Cleveland, Danielle; Watson, Stephanie S; Tseng, I-Hsiang; Dillon, Andrew; Theodore, Mellisa; Jackman, Joany

2013-02-01

One primary challenge in nanotoxicology studies is the lack of well-characterised nanoparticle reference materials which could be used as positive or negative nanoparticle controls. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed three gold nanoparticle (AuNP) reference materials (10, 30 and 60 nm). The genotoxicity of these nanoparticles was tested using HepG2 cells and calf-thymus DNA. DNA damage was assessed based on the specific and sensitive measurement of four oxidatively-modified DNA lesions (8-hydroxy-2´-deoxyguanosine, 8-hydroxy-2´-deoxyadenosine, (5´S)-8,5´-cyclo-2´-deoxyadenosine and (5´R)-8,5´-cyclo-2´-deoxyadenosine) using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Significantly elevated, dose-dependent DNA damage was not detected at concentrations up to 0.2 μg/ml, and free radicals were not detected using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. These data suggest that the NIST AuNPs could potentially serve as suitable negative-control nanoparticle reference materials for in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity studies. NIST AuNPs thus hold substantial promise for improving the reproducibility and reliability of nanoparticle genotoxicity studies.

The GOES Time Code Service, 1974–2004: A Retrospective

PubMed Central

Lombardi, Michael A.; Hanson, D. Wayne

2005-01-01

NIST ended its Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) time code service at 0 hours, 0 minutes Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on January 1, 2005. To commemorate the end of this historically significant service, this article provides a retrospective look at the GOES service and the important role it played in the history of satellite timekeeping. PMID:27308105

Reflections on Three Corporate Research Labs: Bell Labs, HP Labs, Agilent Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hollenhorst, James

2008-03-01

This will be a personal reflection on corporate life and physics-based research in three industrial research labs over three decades, Bell Labs during the 1980's, HP Labs during the 1990's, and Agilent Labs during the 2000's. These were times of great change in all three companies. I'll point out some of the similarities and differences in corporate cultures and how this impacted the research and development activities. Along the way I'll mention some of the great products that resulted from physics-based R&D.

75 FR 18819 - Second DRAFT NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7628, Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-13

...-0143-01] Second DRAFT NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7628, Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy and... (NIST) seeks comments on the second draft of NISTIR 7628, Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy and..., vulnerability categories, bottom-up analysis, individual logical interface diagrams, and the cyber security...

Isotopic Analysis of Uranium in NIST SRM Glass by Femtosecond Laser Ablation

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

Duffin, Andrew M.; Hart, Garret L.; Hanlen, Richard C.

We employed femtosecond Laser Ablation Multicollector Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry for the 11 determination of uranium isotope ratios in a series of standard reference material glasses (NIST 610, 612, 614, and 12 616). This uranium concentration in this series of SRM glasses is a combination of isotopically natural uranium in 13 the materials used to make the glass matrix and isotopically depleted uranium added to increase the uranium 14 elemental concentration across the series. Results for NIST 610 are in excellent agreement with literature values. 15 However, other than atom percent 235U, little information is available for the remaining glasses.more » We present atom 16 percent and isotope ratios for 234U, 235U, 236U, and 238U for all four glasses. Our results show deviations from the 17 certificate values for the atom percent 235U, indicating the need for further examination of the uranium isotopes in 18 NIST 610-616. Our results are fully consistent with a two isotopic component mixing between the depleted 19 uranium spike and natural uranium in the bulk glass.« less

76 FR 66040 - NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 2.0 (Draft...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-25

...-01] NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 2.0 (Draft... draft version of the NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 2.0... Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 2.0 (Release 2.0) (Draft) for public review and...

Laboratory Accreditation Bureau (L-A-B)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-28

to all Technical Advisors. Must agree with code of conduct, confidentiality and our mission DoD ELAP Program  ISO / IEC 17025 :2005 and DoD QSM...Additional DoD QSM requirements fit well in current 17025 process … just much, much more. Sector Specific. Outcome (L-A-B case)  83

A comparative study of 129I content in environmental standard materials IAEA-375, NIST SRM 4354 and NIST SRM 4357 by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

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

Olson, John; Adamic, Mary; Snyder, Darin

Iodine environmental measurements have consistently been backed up in the literature by standard materials like IAEA-375, Chernobyl Soil. There are not many other sources of a certified reference material for 129I content for mass spectrometry measurements. Some that have been found in the literature include NIST-4354 and NIST-4357. They are still available at the time of this writing. They don’t have certified content or isotopic values. There has been some work in the literature to show that iodine is present, but there hasn’t been enough to establish a consensus value. These materials have been analyzed at INL through two separatemore » mass spectrometry techniques. They involve a combustion method of the starting material in oxygen, followed by TIMS analysis and a leaching preparation analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry. Combustion/TIMS preparation of NIST SRM-4354 resulted in a 129I/127I ratio of 1.92 x 10-6 which agrees with AMS measurements which measured the 129I/127I ratio to be 1.93 x 10-6.« less

Calibration of Voltage Transformers and High- Voltage Capacitors at NIST

PubMed Central

Anderson, William E.

1989-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) calibration service for voltage transformers and high-voltage capacitors is described. The service for voltage transformers provides measurements of ratio correction factors and phase angles at primary voltages up to 170 kV and secondary voltages as low as 10 V at 60 Hz. Calibrations at frequencies from 50–400 Hz are available over a more limited voltage range. The service for high-voltage capacitors provides measurements of capacitance and dissipation factor at applied voltages ranging from 100 V to 170 kV at 60 Hz depending on the nominal capacitance. Calibrations over a reduced voltage range at other frequencies are also available. As in the case with voltage transformers, these voltage constraints are determined by the facilities at NIST. PMID:28053409

USCEA/NIST measurement assurance programs for the radiopharmaceutical and nuclear power industries

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

Golas, D.B.

1993-12-31

In cooperation with the U.S. Council for Energy Awareness (USCEA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) supervises and administers two measurement assurance programs for radioactivity measurement traceability. One, in existence since the mid 1970s, provides traceability to suppliers of radiochemicals and radiopharmaceuticals, dose calibrators, and nuclear pharmacy services. The second program, begun in 1987, provides traceability to the nuclear power industry for utilities, source suppliers, and service laboratories. Each program is described, and the results of measurements of samples of known, but undisclosed activity, prepared at NIST and measured by the participants are presented.

Hg0 and HgCl2 Reference Gas Standards: NIST Traceability and Comparability (And EPA ALT Methods for Hg and HCl )

EPA Science Inventory

EPA and NIST have collaborated to establish the necessary procedures for establishing the required NIST traceability of commercially-provided Hg0 and HgCl2 reference generators. This presentation will discuss the approach of a joint EPA/NIST study to accurately quantify the tru...

A comparative study of 129I content in environmental standard materials IAEA-375, NIST SRM 4354 and NIST SRM 4357 by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Olson, John; Adamic, Mary; Snyder, Darin; Brookhart, Jacob; Hahn, Paula; Watrous, Matthew

2017-08-01

Iodine environmental measurements have consistently been validated in the literature using the standard material IAEA-375, soil collected approximately 160 miles northeast of Chernobyl, which is currently the only soil/sediment material with a certified 129 I activity. IAEA-375 has not been available for purchase since approximately 2010. Two other standard materials that are available (NIST SRM 4354, freshwater lake sediment and NIST SRM 4357, ocean sediment) have certified activities for a variety of radionuclides but not for 129 I. This paper reports a comparison of TIMS and AMS data for all three standards. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Photomask applications of traceable atomic force microscope dimensional metrology at NIST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dixson, Ronald; Orji, Ndubuisi G.; Potzick, James; Fu, Joseph; Allen, Richard A.; Cresswell, Michael; Smith, Stewart; Walton, Anthony J.; Tsiamis, Andreas

2007-10-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a multifaceted program in atomic force microscope (AFM) dimensional metrology. Three major instruments are being used for traceable measurements. The first is a custom in-house metrology AFM, called the calibrated AFM (C-AFM), the second is the first generation of commercially available critical dimension AFM (CD-AFM), and the third is a current generation CD-AFM at SEMATECH - for which NIST has established the calibration and uncertainties. All of these instruments have useful applications in photomask metrology. Linewidth reference metrology is an important application of CD-AFM. We have performed a preliminary comparison of linewidths measured by CD-AFM and by electrical resistance metrology on a binary mask. For the ten selected test structures with on-mask linewidths between 350 nm and 600 nm, most of the observed differences were less than 5 nm, and all of them were less than 10 nm. The offsets were often within the estimated uncertainties of the AFM measurements, without accounting for the effect of linewidth roughness or the uncertainties of electrical measurements. The most recent release of the NIST photomask standard - which is Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2059 - was also supported by CD-AFM reference measurements. We review the recent advances in AFM linewidth metrology that will reduce the uncertainty of AFM measurements on this and future generations of the NIST photomask standard. The NIST C-AFM has displacement metrology for all three axes traceable to the 633 nm wavelength of the iodine-stabilized He-Ne laser. One of the important applications of the C-AFM is step height metrology, which has some relevance to phase shift calibration. In the current generation of the system, the approximate level of relative standard uncertainty for step height measurements at the 100 nm scale is 0.1 %. We discuss the monitor history of a 290 nm step height, originally measured on the C-AFM with a 1

Calibrating NIST SRM 683 as A New International Reference Standard for Zn Isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Zhang, X.; Yu, H.; Huang, F.

2017-12-01

Zinc isotopes have been widely applied in the cosmochemical, geochemical, and environmental studies (Moynier et al. 2017). Obtaining precise Zn isotopic data for inter-laboratory comparison is a prerequisite to these applications. Currently, the JMC3-0749L is the primary reference standard for Zn isotopes (Albarède 2004), but it is not commercially available now. Thus, it is necessary to calibrate a new international primary reference standard for Zn isotopic analysis. Chen et al. (2016) showed that NIST SRM 683 (a pure Zn metal nugget of 140 grams) has a δ66ZnJMC of 0.12‰, which is falling within the range of natural Zn isotopic compositions, and it may a good candidate for the next generation of international reference standard (Chen et al. 2016). In order to further examine whether NIST SRM 683 has a homogeneous Zn isotopic composition, we measured more NIST SRM 683 by double-spike methods using MC-ICPMS (Conway et al. 2013). The metal nuggets of NIST SRM 683 were intensively sampled by micro-drilling. Zinc isotope analyses for two nuggets show that they have δ66Zn of 0.14 ± 0.02‰ (2SD, N = 32) and 0.13 ± 0.02‰ (2SD, N = 33), respectively. These values are similar to those of two Zn metal nuggets (0.11 ± 0.02‰ vs. 0.12 ± 0.02‰) reported previously by Chen et al. (2016). We fully dissolved one nugget, producing pure Zn solution with identical Zn isotopic composition with the drilling samples. All results strongly support that NIST SRM 683 is homogeneous in Zn isotopic compositions which could be an ideal candidate for the next reference for Zn isotopes. Tests on more metal nuggets will be performed in a few months for further confirming the Zn isotope compositions and homogeneity. Reference: Albarède et al., 2004. 'The stable isotope geochemistry of copper and zinc', Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, 55: 409-27. Chen et al., 2016. 'Zinc Isotopic Compositions of NIST SRM 683 and Whole-Rock Reference Materials', Geostandards and

Three-phase Four-leg Inverter LabVIEW FPGA Control Code

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

In the area of power electronics control, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have the capability to outperform their Digital Signal Processor (DSP) counterparts due to the FPGA’s ability to implement true parallel processing and therefore facilitate higher switching frequencies, higher control bandwidth, and/or enhanced functionality. National Instruments (NI) has developed two platforms, Compact RIO (cRIO) and Single Board RIO (sbRIO), which combine a real-time processor with an FPGA. The FPGA can be programmed with a subset of the well-known LabVIEW graphical programming language. The use of cRIO and sbRIO for power electronics control has developed over the last few yearsmore » to include control of three-phase inverters. Most three-phase inverter topologies include three switching legs. The addition of a fourth-leg to natively generate the neutral connection allows the inverter to serve single-phase loads in a microgrid or stand-alone power system and to balance the three-phase voltages in the presence of significant load imbalance. However, the control of a four-leg inverter is much more complex. In particular, instead of standard two-dimensional space vector modulation (SVM), the inverter requires three-dimensional space vector modulation (3D-SVM). The candidate software implements complete control algorithms in LabVIEW FPGA for a three-phase four-leg inverter. The software includes feedback control loops, three-dimensional space vector modulation gate-drive algorithms, advanced alarm handling capabilities, contactor control, power measurements, and debugging and tuning tools. The feedback control loops allow inverter operation in AC voltage control, AC current control, or DC bus voltage control modes based on external mode selection by a user or supervisory controller. The software includes the ability to synchronize its AC output to the grid or other voltage-source before connection. The software also includes provisions to allow inverter operation

The NIST Step Class Library (Step Into the Future)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

Figure 6. Excerpt from a STEP exclange file based on the Geometry model 1be NIST STEP Class Libary Page 13 An issue of concern in this...Scheifler, R., Gettys, J., and Newman, P., X Window System: C Library and Protocol Reference. Digital Press, Bedford, Mass, 1988. [Schenck90] Schenck, D

Code Verification Results of an LLNL ASC Code on Some Tri-Lab Verification Test Suite Problems

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

Anderson, S R; Bihari, B L; Salari, K

As scientific codes become more complex and involve larger numbers of developers and algorithms, chances for algorithmic implementation mistakes increase. In this environment, code verification becomes essential to building confidence in the code implementation. This paper will present first results of a new code verification effort within LLNL's B Division. In particular, we will show results of code verification of the LLNL ASC ARES code on the test problems: Su Olson non-equilibrium radiation diffusion, Sod shock tube, Sedov point blast modeled with shock hydrodynamics, and Noh implosion.

StagLab: Post-Processing and Visualisation in Geodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crameri, Fabio

2017-04-01

Despite being simplifications of nature, today's Geodynamic numerical models can, often do, and sometimes have to become very complex. Additionally, a steadily-increasing amount of raw model data results from more elaborate numerical codes and the still continuously-increasing computational power available for their execution. The current need for efficient post-processing and sensible visualisation is thus apparent. StagLab (www.fabiocrameri.ch/software) provides such much-needed strongly-automated post-processing in combination with state-of-the-art visualisation. Written in MatLab, StagLab is simple, flexible, efficient and reliable. It produces figures and movies that are both fully-reproducible and publication-ready. StagLab's post-processing capabilities include numerous diagnostics for plate tectonics and mantle dynamics. Featured are accurate plate-boundary identification, slab-polarity recognition, plate-bending derivation, mantle-plume detection, and surface-topography component splitting. These and many other diagnostics are derived conveniently from only a few parameter fields thanks to powerful image processing tools and other capable algorithms. Additionally, StagLab aims to prevent scientific visualisation pitfalls that are, unfortunately, still too common in the Geodynamics community. Misinterpretation of raw data and exclusion of colourblind people introduced with the continuous use of the rainbow (a.k.a. jet) colour scheme is just one, but a dramatic example (e.g., Rogowitz and Treinish, 1998; Light and Bartlein, 2004; Borland and Ii, 2007). StagLab is currently optimised for binary StagYY output (e.g., Tackley 2008), but is adjustable for the potential use with other Geodynamic codes. Additionally, StagLab's post-processing routines are open-source. REFERENCES Borland, D., and R. M. T. Ii (2007), Rainbow color map (still) considered harmful, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 27(2), 14-17. Light, A., and P. J. Bartlein (2004), The end of

NBS/NIST Gas Thermometry From 0 to 660 °C

PubMed Central

Schooley, J. F.

1990-01-01

In the NBS/NIST Gas Thermometry program, constant-volume gas thermometers, a unique mercury manometer, and a highly accurate thermal expansion apparatus have been employed to evaluate temperatures on the Kelvin Thermodynamic Temperature Scale (KTTS) that correspond to particular temperatures on the 1968 International Practical Temperature Scale (IPTS-68). In this paper, we present a summary of the NBS/NIST Gas Thermometry project, which originated with planning activities in the late 1920s and was completed by measurements of the differences t(KTTS)-t(IPTS-68) in the range 0 to 660 °C. Early results of this project were the first to demonstrate the surprisingly large inaccuracy of the IPTS-68 with respect to the KTTS above 0 °C. Advances in several different measurement techniques, development of new, specialized instruments, and two distinct sets of gas thermometry observations have resulted from the project. PMID:28179778

Evolution of Microwave Spectroscopy at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

PubMed Central

Lovas, F. J.; Lide, D. R.; Suenram, R. D.; Johnson, D. R.

2012-01-01

This paper describes the beginning and evolution of microwave rotational spectroscopic research starting in 1954 at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), located at that time in Washington, DC, through the present at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD. David Lide was hired in 1954 to start this research employing Stark modulated waveguide septum cells. When Donald R. Johnson joined the lab in 1968, he developed parallel plate cells coupled with rf and DC discharge methods to study free radicals and transient species. In the mid 1980s Lovas and Suenram constructed a pulsed molecular beam Fourier Transform microwave (FTMW) spectrometer to study hydrogen bonded and van der Waals dimers and trimers. This article describes the types of molecules studied and the type molecular properties derived from these measurements as well as some of the instruments developed for these studies. The two major areas of application described are atmospheric chemistry and molecular radio astronomy. PMID:26900528

Evolution of Microwave Spectroscopy at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

PubMed

Lovas, F J; Lide, D R; Suenram, R D; Johnson, D R

2012-01-01

This paper describes the beginning and evolution of microwave rotational spectroscopic research starting in 1954 at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), located at that time in Washington, DC, through the present at NIST in Gaithersburg, MD. David Lide was hired in 1954 to start this research employing Stark modulated waveguide septum cells. When Donald R. Johnson joined the lab in 1968, he developed parallel plate cells coupled with rf and DC discharge methods to study free radicals and transient species. In the mid 1980s Lovas and Suenram constructed a pulsed molecular beam Fourier Transform microwave (FTMW) spectrometer to study hydrogen bonded and van der Waals dimers and trimers. This article describes the types of molecules studied and the type molecular properties derived from these measurements as well as some of the instruments developed for these studies. The two major areas of application described are atmospheric chemistry and molecular radio astronomy.

Conversion Preliminary Safety Analysis Report for the NIST Research Reactor

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

Diamond, D. J.; Baek, J. S.; Hanson, A. L.

The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is a reactor-laboratory complex providing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the nation with a world-class facility for the performance of neutron-based research. The heart of this facility is the NIST research reactor (aka NBSR); a heavy water moderated and cooled reactor operating at 20 MW. It is fueled with high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel elements. A Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) program is underway to convert the reactor to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. This program includes the qualification of the proposed fuel, uranium and molybdenum alloy foil clad in anmore » aluminum alloy, and the development of the fabrication techniques. This report is a preliminary version of the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) that would be submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for approval prior to conversion. The report follows the recommended format and content from the NRC codified in NUREG-1537, “Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-power Reactors,” Chapter 18, “Highly Enriched to Low-Enriched Uranium Conversions.” The emphasis in any conversion SAR is to explain the differences between the LEU and HEU cores and to show the acceptability of the new design; there is no need to repeat information regarding the current reactor that will not change upon conversion. Hence, as seen in the report, the bulk of the SAR is devoted to Chapter 4, Reactor Description, and Chapter 13, Safety Analysis.« less

Cryogenic fountain development at NIST and INRIM: preliminary characterization.

PubMed

Levi, Filippo; Calosso, Claudio; Calonico, Davide; Lorini, Luca; Bertacco, Elio K; Godone, Aldo; Costanzo, Giovanni A; Mongino, Barbara; Jefferts, Steven R; Heavner, Thomas P; Donley, Elizabeth A

2010-03-01

This paper describes the new twin laser-cooled Cs fountain primary frequency standards NIST-F2 and ITCsF2, and presents some of their design features. Most significant is a cryogenic microwave interrogation region which dramatically reduces the blackbody radiation shift. We also present a preliminary accuracy evaluation of IT-CsF2.

JCPDS-ICDD Research Associateship (Cooperative Program with NBS/NIST)

PubMed Central

Wong-Ng, W.; McMurdie, H. F.; Hubbard, C. R.; Mighell, A. D.

2001-01-01

The Research Associateship program of the Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction-International Centre for Diffraction Data (JCPDS-ICDD, now known as the ICDD) at NBS/NIST was a long standing (over 35 years) successful industry-government cooperation. The main mission of the Associateship was to publish high quality x-ray reference patterns to be included in the Powder Diffraction File (PDF). The PDF is a continuing compilation of patterns gathered from many sources, compiled and published by the ICDD. As a result of this collaboration, more than 1500 high quality powder diffraction patterns, which have had a significant impact on the scientific community, were reported. In addition, various research collaborations with NBS/NIST also led to the development of several standard reference materials (SRMs) for instrument calibration and quantitative analyses, and computer software for data collection, calibration, reduction, for the editorial process of powder pattern publication, analysis of powder data, and for quantitative analyses. This article summarizes information concerning the JCPDS-ICDD organization, the Powder Diffraction File (PDF), history and accomplishments of the JCPDS-ICDD Research Associateship. PMID:27500061

78 FR 63964 - Request for Comments on Draft NIST Interagency Report (NISTIR) 7628 Rev. 1, Guidelines for Smart...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-25

... Grid Cyber Security AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of... and Technology (NIST) seeks comments on draft NISTIR 7628 Rev. 1, Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber... (formerly the Cyber Security Working Group) of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel. The document has been...

Impacts: NIST Building and Fire Research Laboratory (technical and societal)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raufaste, N. J.

1993-08-01

The Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is dedicated to the life cycle quality of constructed facilities. The report describes major effects of BFRL's program on building and fire research. Contents of the document include: structural reliability; nondestructive testing of concrete; structural failure investigations; seismic design and construction standards; rehabilitation codes and standards; alternative refrigerants research; HVAC simulation models; thermal insulation; residential equipment energy efficiency; residential plumbing standards; computer image evaluation of building materials; corrosion-protection for reinforcing steel; prediction of the service lives of building materials; quality of construction materials laboratory testing; roofing standards; simulating fires with computers; fire safety evaluation system; fire investigations; soot formation and evolution; cone calorimeter development; smoke detector standards; standard for the flammability of children's sleepwear; smoldering insulation fires; wood heating safety research; in-place testing of concrete; communication protocols for building automation and control systems; computer simulation of the properties of concrete and other porous materials; cigarette-induced furniture fires; carbon monoxide formation in enclosure fires; halon alternative fire extinguishing agents; turbulent mixing research; materials fire research; furniture flammability testing; standard for the cigarette ignition resistance of mattresses; support of navy firefighter trainer program; and using fire to clean up oil spills.

Quantum Information Experiments with Trapped Ions at NIST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Andrew

2015-03-01

We present an overview of recent trapped-ion quantum information experiments at NIST. Advancing beyond few-qubit ``proof-of-principle'' experiments to the many-qubit systems needed for practical quantum simulation and information processing, without compromising on the performance demonstrated with small systems, remains a major challenge. One approach to scalable hardware development is surface-electrode traps. Micro-fabricated planar traps can have a number of useful features, including flexible electrode geometries, integrated microwave delivery, and spatio-temporal tuning of potentials for ion transport and spin-spin interactions. In this talk we report on a number of on-going investigations with surface traps. Experiments feature a multi-zone trap with closely spaced ions in a triangular arrangement (a first step towards 2D arrays of ions with tunable spin-spin interactions), a scheme for smooth transport through a junction in a 2D structure based on switchable RF potentials, and a micro-fabricated photo-detector integrated into a trap. We also give a progress report on our latest efforts to improve the fidelity of both optical and microwave 2-qubit gates. This work was supported by IARPA, ONR and the NIST Quantum Information Program. The 3-ion and switchable-RF-junction traps were developed in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory.

Simulation and visualization of fundamental optics phenomenon by LabVIEW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyu, Bohan

2017-08-01

Most instructors teach complex phenomenon by equation and static illustration without interactive multimedia. Students usually memorize phenomenon by taking note. However, only note or complex formula can not make user visualize the phenomenon of the photonics system. LabVIEW is a good tool for in automatic measurement. However, the simplicity of coding in LabVIEW makes it not only suit for automatic measurement, but also suitable for simulation and visualization of fundamental optics phenomenon. In this paper, five simple optics phenomenon will be discuss and simulation with LabVIEW. They are Snell's Law, Hermite-Gaussian beam transverse mode, square and circular aperture diffraction, polarization wave and Poincare sphere, and finally Fabry-Perrot etalon in spectrum domain.

NIST Gas Hydrate Research Database and Web Dissemination Channel.

PubMed

Kroenlein, K; Muzny, C D; Kazakov, A; Diky, V V; Chirico, R D; Frenkel, M; Sloan, E D

2010-01-01

To facilitate advances in application of technologies pertaining to gas hydrates, a freely available data resource containing experimentally derived information about those materials was developed. This work was performed by the Thermodynamic Research Center (TRC) paralleling a highly successful database of thermodynamic and transport properties of molecular pure compounds and their mixtures. Population of the gas-hydrates database required development of guided data capture (GDC) software designed to convert experimental data and metadata into a well organized electronic format, as well as a relational database schema to accommodate all types of numerical and metadata within the scope of the project. To guarantee utility for the broad gas hydrate research community, TRC worked closely with the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) task group for Data on Natural Gas Hydrates, an international data sharing effort, in developing a gas hydrate markup language (GHML). The fruits of these efforts are disseminated through the NIST Sandard Reference Data Program [1] as the Clathrate Hydrate Physical Property Database (SRD #156). A web-based interface for this database, as well as scientific results from the Mallik 2002 Gas Hydrate Production Research Well Program [2], is deployed at http://gashydrates.nist.gov.

Femtosecond Laser Ablation Multicollector ICPMS Analysis of Uranium Isotopes in NIST Glass

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

Duffin, Andrew M.; Springer, Kellen WE; Ward, Jesse D.

We have utilized femtosecond laser ablation coupled to multi-collector inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry to measure the uranium isotopic content of NIST 61x (x=0,2,4,6) glasses. The uranium content of these glasses is a linear two-component mixing between isotopically natural uranium and the isotopically depleted spike used in preparing the glasses. Laser ablation results match extremely well, generally within a few ppm, with solution analysis following sample dissolution and chemical separation. In addition to isotopic data, sample utilization efficiency measurements indicate that over 1% of ablated uranium atoms reach a mass spectrometer detector, making this technique extremely efficient. Laser sampling alsomore » allows for spatial analysis and our data indicate that rare uranium concentration inhomogeneities exist in NIST 616 glass.« less

Accident Analysis for the NIST Research Reactor Before and After Fuel Conversion

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

Baek J.; Diamond D.; Cuadra, A.

Postulated accidents have been analyzed for the 20 MW D2O-moderated research reactor (NBSR) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The analysis has been carried out for the present core, which contains high enriched uranium (HEU) fuel and for a proposed equilibrium core with low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. The analyses employ state-of-the-art calculational methods. Three-dimensional Monte Carlo neutron transport calculations were performed with the MCNPX code to determine homogenized fuel compositions in the lower and upper halves of each fuel element and to determine the resulting neutronic properties of the core. The accident analysis employed a modelmore » of the primary loop with the RELAP5 code. The model includes the primary pumps, shutdown pumps outlet valves, heat exchanger, fuel elements, and flow channels for both the six inner and twenty-four outer fuel elements. Evaluations were performed for the following accidents: (1) control rod withdrawal startup accident, (2) maximum reactivity insertion accident, (3) loss-of-flow accident resulting from loss of electrical power with an assumption of failure of shutdown cooling pumps, (4) loss-of-flow accident resulting from a primary pump seizure, and (5) loss-of-flow accident resulting from inadvertent throttling of a flow control valve. In addition, natural circulation cooling at low power operation was analyzed. The analysis shows that the conversion will not lead to significant changes in the safety analysis and the calculated minimum critical heat flux ratio and maximum clad temperature assure that there is adequate margin to fuel failure.« less

Librarians and Scientists Partner to Address Data Management: Taking Collaboration to the Next Level.

PubMed

Medina-Smith, Andrea; Tryka, Kimberly A; Silcox, Barbara P; Hanisch, Robert J

2016-01-01

This study looks at the changing way in which the Information Services Office (ISO) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides services to NIST scientific and technical staff throughout their research and publishing cycles. These services include the more traditional services of a research library as well as publishing NIST technical reports and The Journal of Research of NIST , and preserving and exhibiting scientific instruments and other artifacts. ISO has always prided itself on having a close relationship with its customers, providing a high level of service, and developing new services to stay in front of NIST researcher needs. Through a concerted, strategic effort since the late 1990s, ISO has developed and promoted relationships with its key customers through its Lab Liaison Program. This paper discusses the relationship ISO has developed with the Office of Data and Informatics (ODI), how this relationship was forged, and how this collaboration will serve as a model for working with the other labs and programs at NIST. It will also discuss the risks and opportunities of this new collaborative service model, how ISO positioned itself to become an equal partner with ODI in the exploration of solutions to data management issues, and the benefits of the relationship from ODI's perspective. A pattern of strategic changes to the services and activities offered by the Lab Liaison program has put ISO in the position to collaborate as peers with researchers at NIST. This study provides an overview of how ISO made strategic decisions to incorporate non-traditional services to support data management at NIST.

CPTC and NIST-sponsored Yeast Reference Material Now Publicly Available | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

Cancer.gov

The yeast protein extract (RM8323) developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the auspices of NCI's CPTC initiative is currently available to the public at https://www-s.nist.gov/srmors/view_detail.cfm?srm=8323. The yeast proteome offers researchers a unique biological reference material. RM8323 is the most extensively characterized complex biological proteome and the only one associated with several large-scale studies to estimate protein abundance across a wide concentration range.

DELAMINATION AND XRF ANALYSIS OF NIST LEAD IN PAINT FILM STANDARDS

EPA Science Inventory

The objectives of this protocol were to remove the laminate coating from lead paint film standards acquired from NIST by means of surface heating. The average XRF value did not change after removal of the polymer coating suggesting that this protocol is satisfactory for renderin...

Approaches for Evaluating the NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sislin, John, Ed.

2007-01-01

The NRC Resident Research Associateship Program at NIST provides two-year temporary appointments for outstanding scientists and engineers. This book describes program applicants and awardees and offers suggestions for an in-depth assessment of career outcomes. Preliminary investigation indicates that outreach efforts produce more qualified…

Projectile and Lab Frame Differential Cross Sections for Electromagnetic Dissociation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norbury, John W.; Adamczyk, Anne; Dick, Frank

2008-01-01

Differential cross sections for electromagnetic dissociation in nuclear collisions are calculated for the first time. In order to be useful for three - dimensional transport codes, these cross sections have been calculated in both the projectile and lab frames. The formulas for these cross sections are such that they can be immediately used in space radiation transport codes. Only a limited amount of data exists, but the comparison between theory and experiment is good.

Lessons Learned about the Methodology of Economic Impact Studies: The NIST Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tassey, Gregory

1999-01-01

Summarizes ongoing economic impact assessment activities at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for its Measurement and Standards Laboratory Program. Explores designing economic impact studies for integration into assessments of broader programmatic objectives. (SLD)

40 CFR 1065.790 - Mass standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... are certified as NIST-traceable within 0.1% uncertainty. Calibration weights may be certified by any calibration lab that maintains NIST-traceability. Make sure your highest calibration weight has no greater...

40 CFR 1065.790 - Mass standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... are certified as NIST-traceable within 0.1% uncertainty. Calibration weights may be certified by any calibration lab that maintains NIST-traceability. Make sure your highest calibration weight has no greater...

40 CFR 1065.790 - Mass standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... are certified as NIST-traceable within 0.1% uncertainty. Calibration weights may be certified by any calibration lab that maintains NIST-traceability. Make sure your highest calibration weight has no greater...

An RNA Phage Lab: MS2 in Walter Fiers' laboratory of molecular biology in Ghent, from genetic code to gene and genome, 1963-1976.

PubMed

Pierrel, Jérôme

2012-01-01

The importance of viruses as model organisms is well-established in molecular biology and Max Delbrück's phage group set standards in the DNA phage field. In this paper, I argue that RNA phages, discovered in the 1960s, were also instrumental in the making of molecular biology. As part of experimental systems, RNA phages stood for messenger RNA (mRNA), genes and genome. RNA was thought to mediate information transfers between DNA and proteins. Furthermore, RNA was more manageable at the bench than DNA due to the availability of specific RNases, enzymes used as chemical tools to analyse RNA. Finally, RNA phages provided scientists with a pure source of mRNA to investigate the genetic code, genes and even a genome sequence. This paper focuses on Walter Fiers' laboratory at Ghent University (Belgium) and their work on the RNA phage MS2. When setting up his Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Fiers planned a comprehensive study of the virus with a strong emphasis on the issue of structure. In his lab, RNA sequencing, now a little-known technique, evolved gradually from a means to solve the genetic code, to a tool for completing the first genome sequence. Thus, I follow the research pathway of Fiers and his 'RNA phage lab' with their evolving experimental system from 1960 to the late 1970s. This study illuminates two decisive shifts in post-war biology: the emergence of molecular biology as a discipline in the 1960s in Europe and of genomics in the 1990s.

Characterization of LANDSAT Panels Using the NIST BRDF Scale from 1100 nm to 2500 nm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markham, Brian; Tsai, Benjamin K.; Allen, David W.; Cooksey, Catherine; Yoon, Howard; Hanssen, Leonard; Zeng, Jinan; Fulton, Linda; Biggar, Stuart; Markham, Brian

2010-01-01

Many earth observing sensors depend on white diffuse reflectance standards to derive scales of radiance traceable to the St Despite the large number of Earth observing sensors that operate in the reflective solar region of the spectrum, there has been no direct method to provide NIST traceable BRDF measurements out to 2500 rim. Recent developments in detector technology have allowed the NIST reflectance measurement facility to expand the operating range to cover the 250 nm to 2500 nm range. The facility has been modified with and additional detector using a cooled extended range indium gallium arsenide (Extended InGaAs) detector. Measurements were made for two PTFE white diffuse reflectance standards over the 1100 nm to 2500 nm region at a 0' incident and 45' observation angle. These two panels will be used to support the OLI calibration activities. An independent means of verification was established using a NIST radiance transfer facility based on spectral irradiance, radiance standards and a diffuse reflectance plaque. An analysis on the results and associated uncertainties will be discussed.

The NASA Langley Isolator Dynamics Research Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Middleton, Troy F.; Balla, Robert J.; Baurle, Robert A.; Humphreys, William M.; Wilson, Lloyd G.

2010-01-01

The Isolator Dynamics Research Lab (IDRL) is under construction at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. A unique test apparatus is being fabricated to support both wall and in-stream measurements for investigating the internal flow of a dual-mode scramjet isolator model. The test section is 24 inches long with a 1-inch by 2-inch cross sectional area and is supplied with unheated, dry air through a Mach 2.5 converging-diverging nozzle. The test section is being fabricated with two sets (glass and metallic) of interchangeable sidewalls to support flow visualization and laser-based measurement techniques as well as static pressure, wall temperature, and high frequency pressure measurements. During 2010, a CFD code validation experiment will be conducted in the lab in support of NASA s Fundamental Aerodynamics Program. This paper describes the mechanical design of the Isolator Dynamics Research Lab test apparatus and presents a summary of the measurement techniques planned for investigating the internal flow field of a scramjet isolator model.

40 CFR 1065.790 - Mass standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... are certified as NIST-traceable within 0.1 % uncertainty. Calibration weights may be certified by any calibration lab that maintains NIST-traceability. Make sure your lowest calibration weight has no greater than...

40 CFR 1065.790 - Mass standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... are certified as NIST-traceable within 0.1 % uncertainty. Calibration weights may be certified by any calibration lab that maintains NIST-traceability. Make sure your lowest calibration weight has no greater than...

Standardization of ¹³¹I: implementation of CIEMAT/NIST method at BARC, India.

PubMed

Kulkarni, D B; Anuradha, R; Reddy, P J; Joseph, Leena

2011-10-01

The CIEMAT/NIST efficiency tracing method using ³H standard was implemented at Radiation Safety Systems Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for the standardization of ¹³¹I radioactive solution. Measurements were also carried out using the 4π β-γ coincidence counting system maintained as a primary standard at the laboratory. The implementation of the CIEMAT/NIST method was verified by comparing the activity concentration obtained in the laboratory with that of the average value of the APMP intercomparison (Yunoki et al., in progress, (APMP.RI(II)-K2.I-131)). The results obtained by the laboratory is linked to the CIPM Key Comparison Reference Value (KCRV) through the equivalent activity value of National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) (Yunoki et al., in progress, (APMP.RI(II)-K2.I-131)), which was the pilot laboratory for the intercomparison. The procedure employed to standardize ¹³¹I by the CIEMAT/NIST efficiency tracing technique is presented. The activity concentrations obtained have been normalized with the activity concentration measured by NMIJ to maintain confidentiality of results until the Draft-A report is accepted by all participants. The normalized activity concentrations obtained with the CIEMAT/NIST method was 0.9985 ± 0.0035 kBq/g and using 4π β-γ coincidence counting method was 0.9909 ± 0.0046 kBq/g as on 20 March 2009, 0 h UTC. The normalized activity concentration measured by the NMIJ was 1 ± 0.0024 kBq/g. The normalized average of the activity concentrations of all the participating laboratories was 1.004 ± 0.028 kBq/g. The results obtained in the laboratory are comparable with the other international standards within the uncertainty limits. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Love the Lab, Hate the Lab Report?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjorn, Genevive

2018-01-01

In the author's large, urban high school, enrollment in a laboratory science is mandatory. While the student participation rate for lab activities is over 98%, the turn-in rate for traditional lab reports averages just 35% to 85%. Those students who don't produce a lab report miss a critical opportunity to improve their skills in scientific…

Librarians and Scientists Partner to Address Data Management: Taking Collaboration to the Next Level

PubMed Central

Medina-Smith, Andrea; Tryka, Kimberly A.; Silcox, Barbara P.; Hanisch, Robert J.

2016-01-01

Purpose This study looks at the changing way in which the Information Services Office (ISO) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides services to NIST scientific and technical staff throughout their research and publishing cycles. These services include the more traditional services of a research library as well as publishing NIST technical reports and The Journal of Research of NIST, and preserving and exhibiting scientific instruments and other artifacts. ISO has always prided itself on having a close relationship with its customers, providing a high level of service, and developing new services to stay in front of NIST researcher needs. Through a concerted, strategic effort since the late 1990s, ISO has developed and promoted relationships with its key customers through its Lab Liaison Program. Design/methodology/approach This paper discusses the relationship ISO has developed with the Office of Data and Informatics (ODI), how this relationship was forged, and how this collaboration will serve as a model for working with the other labs and programs at NIST. It will also discuss the risks and opportunities of this new collaborative service model, how ISO positioned itself to become an equal partner with ODI in the exploration of solutions to data management issues, and the benefits of the relationship from ODI's perspective. Findings A pattern of strategic changes to the services and activities offered by the Lab Liaison program has put ISO in the position to collaborate as peers with researchers at NIST. Originality/value This study provides an overview of how ISO made strategic decisions to incorporate non-traditional services to support data management at NIST. PMID:27891247

Determination of the δ15N and δ18O of nitrate in solids; RSIL lab code 2897

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coplen, Tyler B.; Qi, Haiping; Revesz, Kinga; Casciotti, Karen; Hannon, Janet E.

2007-01-01

The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 2897 is to determine the δ15N and δ18O of nitrate (NO3-) in solids. The NO3- fraction of the nitrogen species is dissolved by water (called leaching) and can be analyzed by the bacterial method covered in RSIL lab code 2900. After leaching, the δ15N and δ18O of the dissolved NO3- is analyzed by conversion of the NO3- to nitrous oxide (N2O), which serves as the analyte for mass spectrometry. A culture of denitrifying bacteria is used in the enzymatic conversion of NO3- to N2O, which follows the pathway shown in equation 1: NO3- → NO2- → NO → 1/2 N2O (1) Because the bacteria Pseudomonas aureofaciens lack N2O reductive activity, the reaction stops at N2O, unlike the typical denitrification reaction that goes to N2. After several hours, the conversion is complete, and the N2O is extracted from the vial, separated from volatile organic vapor and water vapor by an automated -65 °C isopropanol-slush trap, a Nafion drier, a CO2 and water removal unit (Costech #021020 carbon dioxide absorbent with Mg(ClO4)2), and trapped in a small-volume trap immersed in liquid nitrogen with a modified Finnigan MAT (now Thermo Scientific) GasBench 2 introduction system. After the N2O is released, it is further purified by gas chromatography before introduction to the isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). The IRMS is a Thermo Scientific Delta V Plus continuous flow IRMS (CF-IRMS). It has a universal triple collector, consisting of two wide cups with a narrow cup in the middle; it is capable of simultaneously measuring mass/charge (m/z) of the N2O molecule 44, 45, and 46. The ion beams from these m/z values are as follows: m/z = 44 = N2O = 14N14N16O; m/z = 45 = N2O = 14N15N16O or 14N14N17O; m/z = 46 = N2O = 14N14N18O. The 17O contributions to the m/z 44 and m/z 45 ion beams are accounted for before δ15N values are reported.

Thermographic Measurements of the Commercial Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process at NIST

PubMed Central

Lane, Brandon; Moylan, Shawn; Whitenton, Eric; Ma, Li

2016-01-01

Measurement of the high-temperature melt pool region in the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process is a primary focus of researchers to further understand the dynamic physics of the heating, melting, adhesion, and cooling which define this commercially popular additive manufacturing process. This paper will detail the design, execution, and results of high speed, high magnification in-situ thermographic measurements conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focusing on the melt pool region of a commercial L-PBF process. Multiple phenomena are observed including plasma plume and hot particle ejection from the melt region. The thermographic measurement process will be detailed with emphasis on the ‘measurability’ of observed phenomena and the sources of measurement uncertainty. Further discussion will relate these thermographic results to other efforts at NIST towards L-PBF process finite element simulation and development of in-situ sensing and control methodologies. PMID:28058036

Thermographic Measurements of the Commercial Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process at NIST.

PubMed

Lane, Brandon; Moylan, Shawn; Whitenton, Eric; Ma, Li

2016-01-01

Measurement of the high-temperature melt pool region in the laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process is a primary focus of researchers to further understand the dynamic physics of the heating, melting, adhesion, and cooling which define this commercially popular additive manufacturing process. This paper will detail the design, execution, and results of high speed, high magnification in-situ thermographic measurements conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focusing on the melt pool region of a commercial L-PBF process. Multiple phenomena are observed including plasma plume and hot particle ejection from the melt region. The thermographic measurement process will be detailed with emphasis on the 'measurability' of observed phenomena and the sources of measurement uncertainty. Further discussion will relate these thermographic results to other efforts at NIST towards L-PBF process finite element simulation and development of in-situ sensing and control methodologies.

A Priori Method of Using Photon Activation Analysis to Determine Unknown Trace Element Concentrations in NIST Standards

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

Green, Jaromy; Sun Zaijing; Wells, Doug

2009-03-10

Photon activation analysis detected elements in two NIST standards that did not have reported concentration values. A method is currently being developed to infer these concentrations by using scaling parameters and the appropriate known quantities within the NIST standard itself. Scaling parameters include: threshold, peak and endpoint energies; photo-nuclear cross sections for specific isotopes; Bremstrahlung spectrum; target thickness; and photon flux. Photo-nuclear cross sections and energies from the unknown elements must also be known. With these quantities, the same integral was performed for both the known and unknown elements resulting in an inference of the concentration of the un-reported elementmore » based on the reported value. Since Rb and Mn were elements that were reported in the standards, and because they had well-identified peaks, they were used as the standards of inference to determine concentrations of the unreported elements of As, I, Nb, Y, and Zr. This method was tested by choosing other known elements within the standards and inferring a value based on the stated procedure. The reported value of Mn in the first NIST standard was 403{+-}15 ppm and the reported value of Ca in the second NIST standard was 87000 ppm (no reported uncertainty). The inferred concentrations were 370{+-}23 ppm and 80200{+-}8700 ppm respectively.« less

Development of a cryogenic mixed fluid J-T cooling computer code, 'JTMIX'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Jack A.

1991-01-01

An initial study was performed for analyzing and predicting the temperatures and cooling capacities when mixtures of fluids are used in Joule-Thomson coolers and in heat pipes. A computer code, JTMIX, was developed for mixed gas J-T analysis for any fluid combination of neon, nitrogen, various hydrocarbons, argon, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. When used in conjunction with the NIST computer code, DDMIX, it has accurately predicted order-of-magnitude increases in J-T cooling capacities when various hydrocarbons are added to nitrogen, and it predicts nitrogen normal boiling point depressions to as low as 60 K when neon is added.

Primary Standardization of 152Eu by 4πβ(LS) – γ (Nal) coincidence counting and CIEMAT-NIST method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzzarin, A.; da Cruz, P. A. L.; Ferreira Filho, A. L.; Iwahara, A.

2018-03-01

The 4πβ-γ coincidence counting and CIEMAT/NIST liquid scintillation method were used in the standardization of a solution of 152Eu. In CIEMAT/NIST method, measurements were performed in a Liquid Scintillation Counter model Wallac 1414. In the 4πβ-γ coincidence counting, the solution was standardized using a coincidence method with ‘‘beta-efficiency extrapolation”. A simple 4πβ-γ coincidence system was used, with acrylic scintillation cell coupled to two coincident photomultipliers at 180° each other and NaI(Tl) detector. The activity concentrations obtained were 156.934 ± 0.722 and 157.403 ± 0.113 kBq/g, respectively, for CIEMAT/NIST and 4πβ-γ coincidence counting measurement methods.

Determination of NIST-Traceable Quantitative Weight Percentage Purity for G Agent Standards

DTIC Science & Technology

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with phosphorus -31 detection is described to determine the weight percent purity of feedstock samples of agents GA...and GD in a way that is National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-traceable. A Precision and Accuracy test is described.

Development of NSSS Thermal-Hydraulic Model for KNPEC-2 Simulator Using the Best-Estimate Code RETRAN-3D

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

Kim, Kyung-Doo; Jeong, Jae-Jun; Lee, Seung-Wook

The Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) thermal-hydraulic model adopted in the Korea Nuclear Plant Education Center (KNPEC)-2 simulator was provided in the early 1980s. The reference plant for KNPEC-2 is the Yong Gwang Nuclear Unit 1, which is a Westinghouse-type 3-loop, 950 MW(electric) pressurized water reactor. Because of the limited computational capability at that time, it uses overly simplified physical models and assumptions for a real-time simulation of NSSS thermal-hydraulic transients. This may entail inaccurate results and thus, the possibility of so-called ''negative training,'' especially for complicated two-phase flows in the reactor coolant system. To resolve the problem, we developedmore » a realistic NSSS thermal-hydraulic program (named ARTS code) based on the best-estimate code RETRAN-3D. The systematic assessment of ARTS has been conducted by both a stand-alone test and an integrated test in the simulator environment. The non-integrated stand-alone test (NIST) results were reasonable in terms of accuracy, real-time simulation capability, and robustness. After successful completion of the NIST, ARTS was integrated with a 3-D reactor kinetics model and other system models. The site acceptance test (SAT) has been completed successively and confirmed to comply with the ANSI/ANS-3.5-1998 simulator software performance criteria. This paper presents our efforts for the ARTS development and some test results of the NIST and SAT.« less

NPDES Permit for NIST Boulder Laboratories Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System in Colorado

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Under NPDES permit CO-R042002,NIST is authorized to discharge from all municipal separate storm sewer outfalls existing as of the effective date of this permit to receiving waters within the exterior boundaries of the Boulder Laboratories in Boulder, Colo.

TReacLab: An object-oriented implementation of non-intrusive splitting methods to couple independent transport and geochemical software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jara, Daniel; de Dreuzy, Jean-Raynald; Cochepin, Benoit

2017-12-01

Reactive transport modeling contributes to understand geophysical and geochemical processes in subsurface environments. Operator splitting methods have been proposed as non-intrusive coupling techniques that optimize the use of existing chemistry and transport codes. In this spirit, we propose a coupler relying on external geochemical and transport codes with appropriate operator segmentation that enables possible developments of additional splitting methods. We provide an object-oriented implementation in TReacLab developed in the MATLAB environment in a free open source frame with an accessible repository. TReacLab contains classical coupling methods, template interfaces and calling functions for two classical transport and reactive software (PHREEQC and COMSOL). It is tested on four classical benchmarks with homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions at equilibrium or kinetically-controlled. We show that full decoupling to the implementation level has a cost in terms of accuracy compared to more integrated and optimized codes. Use of non-intrusive implementations like TReacLab are still justified for coupling independent transport and chemical software at a minimal development effort but should be systematically and carefully assessed.

Radiation thermometry at NIST: An update of services and research activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hillard, G. Barry

1989-01-01

An overview of activities at the National Institute of Standards and Terminology (NIST) in radiation thermometry and related temperature scale research is presented. An expansion of calibration services for pyrometers will be described as well as efforts to develop calibration services for blackbody simulators. Research relevant to the realization of the new international temperature scale (ITS 90) will be discussed.

Optical Fiber Power Meter Comparison Between NIST and NIM.

PubMed

Vayshenker, I; Livigni, D J; Li, X; Lehman, J H; Li, J; Xiong, L M; Zhang, Z X

2010-01-01

We describe the results of a comparison of reference standards between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST-USA) and National Institute of Metrology (NIM-China). We report optical fiber-based power measurements at nominal wavelengths of 1310 nm and 1550 nm. We compare the laboratories' reference standards by means of a commercial optical power meter. Measurement results showed the largest difference of less than 2.6 parts in 10(3), which is within the combined standard (k = 1) uncertainty for the laboratories' reference standards.

Optical-Fiber Power Meter Comparison Between NIST and PTB.

PubMed

Vayshenker, I; Haars, H; Li, X; Lehman, J H; Livigni, D J

2003-01-01

We describe the results of a comparison of reference standards between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST-USA) and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB-Germany) at nominal wavelengths of 1300 nm and 1550 nm using an optical-fiber cable. Both laboratories used thermal detectors as reference standards. A novel temperature-controlled, optical-trap detector was used as a transfer standard to compare two reference standards. Measurement results showed differences of less than 1.5 × 10(-3), which is within the combined uncertainty for both laboratories.

Revision of the NIST Standard for (223)Ra: New Measurements and Review of 2008 Data.

PubMed

Zimmerman, B E; Bergeron, D E; Cessna, J T; Fitzgerald, R; Pibida, L

2015-01-01

After discovering a discrepancy in the transfer standard currently being disseminated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), we have performed a new primary standardization of the alpha-emitter (223)Ra using Live-timed Anticoincidence Counting (LTAC) and the Triple-to-Double Coincidence Ratio Method (TDCR). Additional confirmatory measurements were made with the CIEMAT-NIST efficiency tracing method (CNET) of liquid scintillation counting, integral γ-ray counting using a NaI(Tl) well counter, and several High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors in an attempt to understand the origin of the discrepancy and to provide a correction. The results indicate that a -9.5 % difference exists between activity values obtained using the former transfer standard relative to the new primary standardization. During one of the experiments, a 2 % difference in activity was observed between dilutions of the (223)Ra master solution prepared using the composition used in the original standardization and those prepared using 1 mol·L(-1) HCl. This effect appeared to be dependent on the number of dilutions or the total dilution factor to the master solution, but the magnitude was not reproducible. A new calibration factor ("K-value") has been determined for the NIST Secondary Standard Ionization Chamber (IC "A"), thereby correcting the discrepancy between the primary and secondary standards.

Analysis of LOCA Scenarios in the NIST Research Reactor Before and After Fuel Conversion

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

Baek, J. S.; Cheng, L. Y.; Diamond, D.

An analysis has been done of hypothetical loss-of-coolant-accidents (LOCAs) in the research reactor (NBSR) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The purpose of the analysis is to determine if the peak clad temperature remains below the Safety Limit, which is the blister temperature for the fuel. The configuration of the NBSR considered in the analysis is that projected for the future when changes will be made so that shutdown pumps do not operate when a LOCA signal is detected. The analysis was done for the present core with high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel and with the proposed low-enrichedmore » uranium (LEU) fuel that would be used when the NBSR is converted from one to the other. The analysis consists of two parts. The first examines how the water would drain from the primary system following a break and the possibility for the loss of coolant from within the fuel element flow channels. This work is performed using the TRACE system thermal-hydraulic code. The second looks at the fuel clad temperature as a function of time given that the water may have drained from many of the flow channels and the water in the vessel is in a quasi-equilibrium state. The temperature behavior is investigated using the three-dimensional heat conduction code HEATING7.3. The results in all scenarios considered for both HEU and LEU fuel show that the peak clad temperature remains below the blister temperature.« less

Status report on the NIST-NRL free electron laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philip, Debenham; Robert, Ayres; Wayne, Cassatt A.; Carol Johnson, B.; Ronald, Johnson G.; Eric, Lindstrom L.; Paul, Liposky J.; Anthony, Marella B.; David, Mohr L.; Julian, Whittaker K.; Neil, Wilkin D.; Mark, Wilson A. D.; Tang, Cha-Mei; Sprangle, Phillip; Penner, Samuel

1991-07-01

A free electron laser (FEL) user facility is being constructed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in collaboration with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). The FEL, which will be operated as an oscillator, will be driven by the 17 to 185 MeV electron beam of the NIST continuous-wave racetrack microtron. Anticipated performance of the FEL includes: wavelength tuneable from 200 nm to 10 μm, a continuous train of 3 ps pulses at either 16.5 or 66.1 MHz, and average power of 10 to 200 W. Construction of the RTM will be completed in May, 1991. The 3.64 m long undulator is assembled at the factory and is scheduled to be delivered in February, 1991. The measured rms field error is 0.6%, which is sufficiently small for good gain. Due to the broad tuning range, the use of lasers to align the cavity end mirrors is impractical. With a full-scale model of the 9 m long optical cavity, we have developed a method of aligning the mirrors to the required accuracy using white light and an autocollimator/telescope. We have performed three-dimensional simulations of performance including the effects of the electron beam (emittance, pulse length and shape, and timing jitter), undulator field errors, and cavity losses. These calculations predict adequate gain for lasing across the full wavelength range. Additional calculations are underway to predict the performance at saturation.

NIST Stars: Absolute Spectrophotometric Calibration of Vega and Sirius

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deustua, Susana; Woodward, John T.; Rice, Joseph P.; Brown, Steven W.; Maxwell, Stephen E.; Alberding, Brian G.; Lykke, Keith R.

2018-01-01

Absolute flux calibration of standard stars, traceable to SI (International System of Units) standards, is essential for 21st century astrophysics. Dark energy investigations that rely on observations of Type Ia supernovae and precise photometric redshifts of weakly lensed galaxies require a minimum accuracy of 0.5 % in the absolute color calibration. Studies that aim to address fundamental stellar astrophysics also benefit. In the era of large telescopes and all sky surveys well-calibrated standard stars that do not saturate and that are available over the whole sky are needed. Significant effort has been expended to obtain absolute measurements of the fundamental standards Vega and Sirius (and other stars) in the visible and near infrared, achieving total uncertainties between1% and 3%, depending on wavelength, that do not meet the needed accuracy. The NIST Stars program aims to determine the top-of-the-atmosphere absolute spectral irradiance of bright stars to an uncertainty less than 1% from a ground-based observatory. NIST Stars has developed a novel, fully SI-traceable laboratory calibration strategy that will enable achieving the desired accuracy. This strategy has two key components. The first is the SI-traceable calibration of the entire instrument system, and the second is the repeated spectroscopic measurement of the target star throughout the night. We will describe our experimental strategy, present preliminary results for Vega and Sirius and an end-to-end uncertainty budget

New Assignment of Mass Values and Uncertainties to NIST Working Standards

PubMed Central

Davis, Richard S.

1990-01-01

For some time it had been suspected that values assigned to NIST working standards of mass were some 0.17 mg/kg larger than mass values based on artifacts representing mass in the International System of Units (SI). This relatively small offset, now confirmed, has had minimal scientific or technological significance. The discrepancy was removed on January 1, 1990. We document the history of the discrepancy, the studies which allow its removal, and the methods in place to limit its effect and prevent its recurrence. For routine calibrations, we believe that our working standards now have a long-term stability of 0.033 mg/kg (3σ) with respect to the national prototype kilograms of the United States. We provisionally admit an additional uncertainty of 0.09 mg/kg (3σ), systematic to all NIST mass measurements, which represents the possible offset of our primary standards from standards maintained by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). This systematic uncertainty may be significantly reduced after analysis of results from the 3rd verification of national prototype kilograms, which is now underway. PMID:28179759

Establishment of a sensor testbed at NIST for plant productivity monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, D. W.; Hutyra, L.; Reinmann, A.; Trlica, A.; Marrs, J.; Jones, T.; Whetstone, J. R.; Logan, B.; Reblin, J.

2017-12-01

Accurate assessments of biogenic carbon fluxes is challenging. Correlating optical signatures to plant activity allows for monitoring large regions. New methods, including solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), promise to provide more timely and accurate estimate of plant activity, but we are still developing a full understanding of the mechanistic leakage between plant assimilation of carbon and SIF. We have initiated a testbed to facilitate the evaluation of sensors and methods for remote monitoring of plant activity at the NIST headquarters. The test bed utilizes a forested area of mature trees in a mixed urban environment. A 1 hectare plot within the 26 hectare forest has been instrumented for ecophysiological measurements with an edge (100 m long) that is persistently monitored with multimodal optical sensors (SIF spectrometers, hyperspectral imagers, thermal infrared imaging, and lidar). This biological testbed has the advantage of direct access to the national scales maintained by NIST of measurements related to both the physical and optical measurements of interest. We offer a description of the test site, the sensors, and preliminary results from the first season of observations for ecological, physiological, and remote sensing based estimates of ecosystem productivity.

Optical-Fiber Power Meter Comparison between NIST and KRISS.

PubMed

Vayshenker, I; Kim, S K; Hong, K; Lee, D-H; Livigni, D J; Li, X; Lehman, J H

2012-01-01

We describe the results of a comparison of reference standards between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST-USA) and Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS-R.O. Korea) for optical fiber-based power measurements at wavelengths of 1302 nm and 1546 nm. We compare the laboratories' reference standards by means of a temperature-controlled optical trap detector. Measurement results showed the largest difference of less than 2.5 parts in 10(3), which is within the combined standard (k=1) uncertainty for the two laboratories' reference standards.

Certification of NIST standard reference material 2389a, amino acids in 0.1 mol/L HCl--quantification by ID LC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Lowenthal, Mark S; Yen, James; Bunk, David M; Phinney, Karen W

2010-05-01

An isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID LC-MS/MS) measurement procedure was developed to accurately quantify amino acid concentrations in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2389a-amino acids in 0.1 mol/L hydrochloric acid. Seventeen amino acids were quantified using selected reaction monitoring on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. LC-MS/MS results were compared to gravimetric measurements from the preparation of SRM 2389a-a reference material developed at NIST and intended for use in intra-laboratory calibrations and quality control. Quantitative mass spectrometry results and gravimetric values were statistically combined into NIST-certified mass fraction values with associated uncertainty estimates. Coefficients of variation (CV) for the repeatability of the LC-MS/MS measurements among amino acids ranged from 0.33% to 2.7% with an average CV of 1.2%. Average relative expanded uncertainty of the certified values including Types A and B uncertainties was 3.5%. Mean accuracy of the LC-MS/MS measurements with gravimetric preparation values agreed to within |1.1|% for all amino acids. NIST SRM 2389a will be available for characterization of routine methods for amino acid analysis and serves as a standard for higher-order measurement traceability. This is the first time an ID LC-MS/MS methodology has been applied for quantifying amino acids in a NIST SRM material.

Speaker diarization system on the 2007 NIST rich transcription meeting recognition evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Hanwu; Nwe, Tin Lay; Koh, Eugene Chin Wei; Bin, Ma; Li, Haizhou

2007-09-01

This paper presents a speaker diarization system developed at the Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) for NIST Rich Transcription 2007 (RT-07) evaluation task. We describe in details our primary approaches for the speaker diarization on the Multiple Distant Microphones (MDM) conditions in conference room scenario. Our proposed system consists of six modules: 1). Least-mean squared (NLMS) adaptive filter for the speaker direction estimate via Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), 2). An initial speaker clustering via two-stage TDOA histogram distribution quantization approach, 3). Multiple microphone speaker data alignment via GCC-PHAT Time Delay Estimate (TDE) among all the distant microphone channel signals, 4). A speaker clustering algorithm based on GMM modeling approach, 5). Non-speech removal via speech/non-speech verification mechanism and, 6). Silence removal via "Double-Layer Windowing"(DLW) method. We achieves error rate of 31.02% on the 2006 Spring (RT-06s) MDM evaluation task and a competitive overall error rate of 15.32% for the NIST Rich Transcription 2007 (RT-07) MDM evaluation task.

Analysis of Loss-of-Coolant Accidents in the NIST Research Reactor - Early Phase

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

Baek, Joo S.; Diamond, David

A study of the fuel temperature during the early phase of a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) in the NIST research reactor (NBSR) was completed. Previous studies had been reported in the preliminary safety analysis report for the conversion of the NBSR from high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low-enriched (LEU) fuel. Those studies had focused on the most vulnerable LOCA situation, namely, a double-ended guillotine break in the time period after reactor trip when water is drained from either the coolant channels inside the fuel elements or the region outside the fuel elements. The current study fills in a gap in themore » analysis which is the early phase of the event when there may still be water present but the reactor is at power or immediately after reactor trip and pumps have tripped. The calculations were done, for both the current HEU-fueled core and the proposed LEU core, with the TRACE thermal-hydraulic systems code. Several break locations and different break sizes were considered. In all cases the increase in the clad (or fuel meat) temperature was relatively small so that a large margin to the temperature threshold for blistering (the Safety Limit for the NBSR) remained.« less

Utility of NIST Whole-Genome Reference Materials for the Technical Validation of a Multigene Next-Generation Sequencing Test.

PubMed

Shum, Bennett O V; Henner, Ilya; Belluoccio, Daniele; Hinchcliffe, Marcus J

2017-07-01

The sensitivity and specificity of next-generation sequencing laboratory developed tests (LDTs) are typically determined by an analyte-specific approach. Analyte-specific validations use disease-specific controls to assess an LDT's ability to detect known pathogenic variants. Alternatively, a methods-based approach can be used for LDT technical validations. Methods-focused validations do not use disease-specific controls but use benchmark reference DNA that contains known variants (benign, variants of unknown significance, and pathogenic) to assess variant calling accuracy of a next-generation sequencing workflow. Recently, four whole-genome reference materials (RMs) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were released to standardize methods-based validations of next-generation sequencing panels across laboratories. We provide a practical method for using NIST RMs to validate multigene panels. We analyzed the utility of RMs in validating a novel newborn screening test that targets 70 genes, called NEO1. Despite the NIST RM variant truth set originating from multiple sequencing platforms, replicates, and library types, we discovered a 5.2% false-negative variant detection rate in the RM truth set genes that were assessed in our validation. We developed a strategy using complementary non-RM controls to demonstrate 99.6% sensitivity of the NEO1 test in detecting variants. Our findings have implications for laboratories or proficiency testing organizations using whole-genome NIST RMs for testing. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trilateral Intercomparison of Photometric Units Maintained at NIST (USA), NPL (UK), and PTB (Germany)

PubMed Central

Ohno, Yoshi; Goodman, Teresa; Sauter, Georg

1999-01-01

A trilateral intercomparison of photometric units between NIST (USA), NPL (UK), and PTB (Germany) has been conducted to update the knowledge of the relationship between the photometric units disseminated in the three countries. The luminous intensity unit (cd), the luminous responsivity scale (A/lx), and the luminous flux unit (lm) maintained at each laboratory were compared by circulating transfer standard lamps and photometers. The results showed that the relative luminous intensity values, with respect to the average, measured by NIST, NPL, and PTB were 1.0014, 1.0021, and 0.9966; the relative inverse values of the luminous responsivity (corresponding to illuminance) were 1.0023, 1.0011, and 0.9965; the relative luminous flux values were 0.9994, 1.0034, and 0.9972, respectively. The results agreed within the stated uncertainties of the units maintained at the three laboratories.

Berkeley Lab Training

Science.gov Websites

Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Phone Book Jobs Search DOE Help Berkeley Lab Training Welcome Welcome to Berkeley Lab Training! Login to access your LBNL Training Profile. This provides quick access to all of the courses you need. Look below, to learn about different types of training available at

LPT. Shield test facility (TAN645 and 646). Calibration lab shield ...

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

LPT. Shield test facility (TAN-645 and -646). Calibration lab shield door. Ralph M. Parsons 1229-17 ANP/GE-6-645-MS-1. April 1957. Approved by INEEL Classification Office for public release. INEEL index code no. 037-0645-40-693-107369 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Assessing Customer Satisfaction at the NIST Research Library: Essential Tool for Future Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Rosa; Allmang, Nancy

2008-01-01

This article describes a campus-wide customer satisfaction survey undertaken by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Research Library in 2007. The methodology, survey instrument, data analysis, results, and actions taken in response to the survey are described. The outcome and recommendations will guide the library both…

Dual Active Bridge based DC Transformer LabVIEW FPGA Control Code

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

In the area of power electronics control, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have the capability to outperform their Digital Signal Processor (DSP) counterparts due to the FPGA’s ability to implement true parallel processing and therefore facilitate higher switching frequencies, higher control bandwidth, and/or enhanced functionality. National Instruments (NI) has developed two platforms, Compact RIO (cRIO) and Single Board RIO (sbRIO), which combine a real-time processor with an FPGA. The FPGA can be programmed with a subset of the well-known LabVIEW graphical programming language. The candidate software implements complete control algorithms in LabVIEW FPGA for a DC Transformer (DCX) based onmore » a dual active bridge (DAB). A DCX is an isolated bi-directional DC-DC converter designed to operate at unity conversion ratio, M, defined by where Vin is the primary-side DC bus voltage, Vout is the secondary-side DC bus voltage, and n is the turns ratio of the embedded high frequency transformer (HFX). The DCX based on a DAB incorporates two H-bridges, a resonant inductor, and an HFX to provide this functionality. The candidate software employs phase-shift modulation of the two H-bridges and a feedback loop to regulate the conversion ratio at unity. The software also includes alarm-handling capabilities as well as debugging and tuning tools. The software fits on the Xilinx Virtex V LX110 FPGA embedded in the NI cRIO-9118 FPGA chassis, and with a 40 MHz base clock, supports a modulation update rate of 40 MHz, and user-settable switching frequencies and synchronized control loop update rates of tens of kHz.« less

LabVIEW Task Manager v. 1.10.0

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

Vargo, Timothy D.

LabVIEW Task Manager is a debugging tool for use during code development in the National Instruments (NI) LabVIEW® IDE. While providing a dynamic & big-picture view of running code, an expandable/collapsible tree diagram displays detailed information (both static and dynamic) on all VIs in memory, belonging to a selected project/target. It allows for interacting with single or multiple selected VIs at a time, providing significant benefits while troubleshooting, and has the following features: Look & Feel similar to Windows® Task Manager; Selection of project/target; Lists all VIs in memory, grouped by class/library; Searches for and enumerates clones in memory; DropInmore » VI for including dynamically referenced clones (Clone Beacon); 'Refresh Now' (F5) re-reads all VIs in memory and adds new ones to the tree; Displays VI name, owning class/library, state, path, data size & code size; Displays VI FP Behavior, Reentrant?, Reentrancy Type, Paused? & Highlight?; Sort by any column, including by library name; Filter by item types vi, ctl, and vit/ctt; Filter out vi.lib and global VIs; Tracking of, and ability to toggle, execution highlighting on multiple selected VIs; Tracking of paused VIs with ability to Pause/Resume/TogglePause multiple selected VIs; DropIn VI for pausing on a condition; If a clone initiates a pause, a different pause symbol is used for all clones of that same reentrant original VI; Select multiple VIs and open or close their FPs or BDs; Double Click a VI from the tree to bring the BD (first choice) or FP to front, if already open; and Select multiple top-level VIs and Abort them.« less

75 FR 14565 - NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teachers; Availability of Funds

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-26

...), including, but not limited to, earth science, physical science, chemistry, physics, and/or biology. This... science, physical science, chemistry, physics and/or biology. NIST will award funding that will support... instruction in general science fields including earth science, physical science, chemistry, physics, and/or...

Certification of NIST Room Temperature Low-Energy and High-Energy Charpy Verification Specimens

PubMed Central

Lucon, Enrico; McCowan, Chris N.; Santoyo, Ray L.

2015-01-01

The possibility for NIST to certify Charpy reference specimens for testing at room temperature (21 °C ± 1 °C) instead of −40 °C was investigated by performing 130 room-temperature tests from five low-energy and four high-energy lots of steel on the three master Charpy machines located in Boulder, CO. The statistical analyses performed show that in most cases the variability of results (i.e., the experimental scatter) is reduced when testing at room temperature. For eight out of the nine lots considered, the observed variability was lower at 21 °C than at −40 °C. The results of this study will allow NIST to satisfy requests for room-temperature Charpy verification specimens that have been received from customers for several years: testing at 21 °C removes from the verification process the operator’s skill in transferring the specimen in a timely fashion from the cooling bath to the impact position, and puts the focus back on the machine performance. For NIST, it also reduces the time and cost for certifying new verification lots. For one of the low-energy lots tested with a C-shaped hammer, we experienced two specimens jamming, which yielded unusually high values of absorbed energy. For both specimens, the signs of jamming were clearly visible. For all the low-energy lots investigated, jamming is slightly more likely to occur at 21 °C than at −40 °C, since at room temperature low-energy samples tend to remain in the test area after impact rather than exiting in the opposite direction of the pendulum swing. In the evaluation of a verification set, any jammed specimen should be removed from the analyses. PMID:26958453

Certification of NIST Room Temperature Low-Energy and High-Energy Charpy Verification Specimens.

PubMed

Lucon, Enrico; McCowan, Chris N; Santoyo, Ray L

2015-01-01

The possibility for NIST to certify Charpy reference specimens for testing at room temperature (21 °C ± 1 °C) instead of -40 °C was investigated by performing 130 room-temperature tests from five low-energy and four high-energy lots of steel on the three master Charpy machines located in Boulder, CO. The statistical analyses performed show that in most cases the variability of results (i.e., the experimental scatter) is reduced when testing at room temperature. For eight out of the nine lots considered, the observed variability was lower at 21 °C than at -40 °C. The results of this study will allow NIST to satisfy requests for room-temperature Charpy verification specimens that have been received from customers for several years: testing at 21 °C removes from the verification process the operator's skill in transferring the specimen in a timely fashion from the cooling bath to the impact position, and puts the focus back on the machine performance. For NIST, it also reduces the time and cost for certifying new verification lots. For one of the low-energy lots tested with a C-shaped hammer, we experienced two specimens jamming, which yielded unusually high values of absorbed energy. For both specimens, the signs of jamming were clearly visible. For all the low-energy lots investigated, jamming is slightly more likely to occur at 21 °C than at -40 °C, since at room temperature low-energy samples tend to remain in the test area after impact rather than exiting in the opposite direction of the pendulum swing. In the evaluation of a verification set, any jammed specimen should be removed from the analyses.

Calibration of the borated ion chamber at NIST reactor thermal column.

PubMed

Wang, Z; Hertel, N E; Lennox, A

2007-01-01

In boron neutron capture therapy and boron neutron capture enhanced fast neutron therapy, the absorbed dose of tissue due to the boron neutron capture reaction is difficult to measure directly. This dose can be computed from the measured thermal neutron fluence rate and the (10)B concentration at the site of interest. A borated tissue-equivalent (TE) ion chamber can be used to directly measure the boron dose in a phantom under irradiation by a neutron beam. Fermilab has two Exradin 0.5 cm(3) Spokas thimble TE ion chambers, one loaded with boron, available for such measurements. At the Fermilab Neutron Therapy Facility, these ion chambers are generally used with air as the filling gas. Since alpha particles and lithium ions from the (10)B(n,alpha)(7)Li reactions have very short ranges in air, the Bragg-Gray principle may not be satisfied for the borated TE ion chamber. A calibration method is described in this paper for the determination of boron capture dose using paired ion chambers. The two TE ion chambers were calibrated in the thermal column of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research reactor. The borated TE ion chamber is loaded with 1,000 ppm of natural boron (184 ppm of (10)B). The NIST thermal column has a cadmium ratio of greater than 400 as determined by gold activation. The thermal neutron fluence rate during the calibration was determined using a NIST fission chamber to an accuracy of 5.1%. The chambers were calibrated at two different thermal neutron fluence rates: 5.11 x 10(6) and 4.46 x 10(7)n cm(-2) s(-1). The non-borated ion chamber reading was used to subtract collected charge not due to boron neutron capture reactions. An optically thick lithium slab was used to attenuate the thermal neutrons from the neutron beam port so the responses of the chambers could be corrected for fast neutrons and gamma rays in the beam. The calibration factor of the borated ion chamber was determined to be 1.83 x 10(9) +/- 5.5% (+/- 1sigma) n

e-Learning - Physics Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohottala, Hashini

2014-03-01

The general student population enrolled in any college level class is highly diverse. An increasing number of ``nontraditional'' students return to college and most of these students follow distance learning degree programs while engaging in their other commitments, work and family. However, those students tend to avoid taking science courses with labs, mostly because of the incapability of remotely completing the lab components in such courses. In order to address this issue, we have come across a method where introductory level physics labs can be taught remotely. In this process a lab kit with the critical lab components that can be easily accessible are conveniently packed into a box and distributed among students at the beginning of the semester. Once the students are given the apparatus they perform the experiments at home and gather data All communications with reference to the lab was done through an interactive user-friendly webpage - Wikispaces (WikiS). Students who create pages on WikiS can submit their lab write-ups, embed videos of the experiments they perform, post pictures and direct questions to the lab instructor. The students who are enrolled in the same lab can interact with each other through WikiS to discuss labs and even get assistance.

Affordable Imaging Lab for Noninvasive Analysis of Biomass and Early Vigour in Cereal Crops

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Plant phenotyping by imaging allows automated analysis of plants for various morphological and physiological traits. In this work, we developed a low-cost RGB imaging phenotyping lab (LCP lab) for low-throughput imaging and analysis using affordable imaging equipment and freely available software. LCP lab comprising RGB imaging and analysis pipeline is set up and demonstrated with early vigour analysis in wheat. Using this lab, a few hundred pots can be photographed in a day and the pots are tracked with QR codes. The software pipeline for both imaging and analysis is built from freely available software. The LCP lab was evaluated for early vigour analysis of five wheat cultivars. A high coefficient of determination (R2 0.94) was obtained between the dry weight and the projected leaf area of 20-day-old wheat plants and R2 of 0.9 for the relative growth rate between 10 and 20 days of plant growth. Detailed description for setting up such a lab is provided together with custom scripts built for imaging and analysis. The LCP lab is an affordable alternative for analysis of cereal crops when access to a high-throughput phenotyping facility is unavailable or when the experiments require growing plants in highly controlled climate chambers. The protocols described in this work are useful for building affordable imaging system for small-scale research projects and for education. PMID:29850536

Determination of the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon in water; RSIL lab code 1710

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singleton, Glenda L.; Revesz, Kinga; Coplen, Tyler B.

2012-01-01

The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 1710 is to present a method to determine the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of water. The DIC of water is precipitated using ammoniacal strontium chloride (SrCl2) solution to form strontium carbonate (SrCO3). The δ13C is analyzed by reacting SrCO3 with 100-percent phosphoric acid (H3PO4) to liberate carbon quantitatively as carbon dioxide (CO2), which is collected, purified by vacuum sublimation, and analyzed by dual inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (DI-IRMS). The DI-IRMS is a DuPont double-focusing mass spectrometer. One ion beam passes through a slit in a forward collector and is collected in the rear collector. The other measurable ion beams are collected in the front collector. By changing the ion-accelerating voltage under computer control, the instrument is capable of measuring mass/charge (m/z) 45 or 46 in the rear collector and m/z 44 and 46 or 44 and 45, respectively, in the front collector. The ion beams from these m/z values are as follows: m/z 44 = CO2 = 12C16O16O, m/z 45 = CO2 = 13C16O16O primarily, and m/z 46 = CO2 = 12C16O18O primarily. The data acquisition and control software calculates δ13C values.

Determination of the delta(18O/16O)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 489

USGS Publications Warehouse

Revesz, Kinga; Coplen, Tyler

2008-01-01

The purpose of the technique described by the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 489 is to present a method to determine the delta(180/160), abbreviated as delta-180, of water. This delta-18O measurement of water also is a component of National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL in USGS) schedules 1142 and 1172. Water samples are loaded into glass sample containers on a vacuum manifold to equilibrate gaseous CO2 at constant temperature (25 deg C) with water samples. After loading water samples on the vacuum manifold, air is evacuated through capillary to avoid evaporation, and CO2 is added. The samples are shaken to increase the equilibration rate of water and CO2. When isotopic equilibrium has been attained, an aliquot of CO2 is extracted sequentially from each sample container, separated from water vapor by means of a dry ice trap, and introduced into a dual-inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (DI-IRMS) for determination of the delta-18O value. There is oxygen isotopic fractionation between water and CO2, but it is constant at constant temperature. The DI-IRMS is a DuPont double-focusing mass spectrometer. It has a double collector. One ion beam passes through a slit in a forward collector and is collected in the rear collector. The other ion beams are collected in the front collector. The instrument is capable of measuring mass/charge (m/z) 44 and 45 or 44 and 46 by changing the ion-accelerating voltage under computer control. The ion beams from these m/z values are as follows: m/z 44=CO2=12C16O16O, m/z 45=CO2=13C16O16O primarily, and m/z 46 = CO2=12C16O18O primarily. The data acquisition and control software calculates delta-18O values.

Numerical simulation of nonlinear feedback model of saccade generation circuit implemented in the LabView graphical programming language.

PubMed

Jackson, M E; Gnadt, J W

1999-03-01

The object-oriented graphical programming language LabView was used to implement the numerical solution to a computational model of saccade generation in primates. The computational model simulates the activity and connectivity of anatomical strictures known to be involved in saccadic eye movements. The LabView program provides a graphical user interface to the model that makes it easy to observe and modify the behavior of each element of the model. Essential elements of the source code of the LabView program are presented and explained. A copy of the model is available for download from the internet.

Recent skyshine calculations at Jefferson Lab

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

Degtyarenko, P.

1997-12-01

New calculations of the skyshine dose distribution of neutrons and secondary photons have been performed at Jefferson Lab using the Monte Carlo method. The dose dependence on neutron energy, distance to the neutron source, polar angle of a source neutron, and azimuthal angle between the observation point and the momentum direction of a source neutron have been studied. The azimuthally asymmetric term in the skyshine dose distribution is shown to be important in the dose calculations around high-energy accelerator facilities. A parameterization formula and corresponding computer code have been developed which can be used for detailed calculations of the skyshinemore » dose maps.« less

Automated determination of the stable carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total nonpurgeable dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aqueous samples: RSIL lab codes 1851 and 1852

USGS Publications Warehouse

Révész, Kinga M.; Doctor, Daniel H.

2014-01-01

The purposes of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab codes 1851 and 1852 are to determine the total carbon mass and the ratio of the stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) for total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, lab code 1851) and total nonpurgeable dissolved organic carbon (DOC, lab code 1852) in aqueous samples. The analysis procedure is automated according to a method that utilizes a total carbon analyzer as a peripheral sample preparation device for analysis of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas by a continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS). The carbon analyzer produces CO2 and determines the carbon mass in parts per million (ppm) of DIC and DOC in each sample separately, and the CF-IRMS determines the carbon isotope ratio of the produced CO2. This configuration provides a fully automated analysis of total carbon mass and δ13C with no operator intervention, additional sample preparation, or other manual analysis. To determine the DIC, the carbon analyzer transfers a specified sample volume to a heated (70 °C) reaction vessel with a preprogrammed volume of 10% phosphoric acid (H3PO4), which allows the carbonate and bicarbonate species in the sample to dissociate to CO2. The CO2 from the reacted sample is subsequently purged with a flow of helium gas that sweeps the CO2 through an infrared CO2 detector and quantifies the CO2. The CO2 is then carried through a high-temperature (650 °C) scrubber reactor, a series of water traps, and ultimately to the inlet of the mass spectrometer. For the analysis of total dissolved organic carbon, the carbon analyzer performs a second step on the sample in the heated reaction vessel during which a preprogrammed volume of sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8) is added, and the hydroxyl radicals oxidize the organics to CO2. Samples containing 2 ppm to 30,000 ppm of carbon are analyzed. The precision of the carbon isotope analysis is within 0.3 per mill for DIC, and within 0.5 per mill for DOC.

NIST System for Measuring the Directivity Index of Hearing Aids under Simulated Real-Ear Conditions.

PubMed

Wagner, Randall P

2013-01-01

The directivity index is a parameter that is commonly used to characterize the performance of directional hearing aids, and is determined from the measured directional response. Since this response is different for a hearing aid worn on a person as compared to when it is in a free field, directivity index measurements of hearing aids are usually done under simulated real-ear conditions. Details are provided regarding the NIST system for measuring the hearing aid directivity index under these conditions and how this system is used to implement a standardized procedure for performing such measurements. This procedure involves a sampling method that utilizes sound source locations distributed in a semi-aligned zone array on an imaginary spherical surface surrounding a standardized acoustical test manikin. The capabilities of the system were demonstrated over the frequency range of one-third-octave bands with center frequencies from 200 Hz to 8000 Hz through NIST participation in an interlaboratory comparison. This comparison was conducted between eight different laboratories of members of Working Group S3/WG48, Hearing Aids, established by Accredited Standards Committee S3, Bioacoustics, which is administered by the Acoustical Society of America and accredited by the American National Standards Institute. Directivity measurements were made for a total of six programmed memories in two different hearing aids and for the unaided manikin with the manikin right pinna accompanying the aids. Omnidirectional, cardioid, and bidirectional response patterns were measured. Results are presented comparing the NIST data with the reference values calculated from the data reported by all participating laboratories.

NIST System for Measuring the Directivity Index of Hearing Aids under Simulated Real-Ear Conditions

PubMed Central

Wagner, Randall P

2013-01-01

The directivity index is a parameter that is commonly used to characterize the performance of directional hearing aids, and is determined from the measured directional response. Since this response is different for a hearing aid worn on a person as compared to when it is in a free field, directivity index measurements of hearing aids are usually done under simulated real-ear conditions. Details are provided regarding the NIST system for measuring the hearing aid directivity index under these conditions and how this system is used to implement a standardized procedure for performing such measurements. This procedure involves a sampling method that utilizes sound source locations distributed in a semi-aligned zone array on an imaginary spherical surface surrounding a standardized acoustical test manikin. The capabilities of the system were demonstrated over the frequency range of one-third-octave bands with center frequencies from 200 Hz to 8000 Hz through NIST participation in an interlaboratory comparison. This comparison was conducted between eight different laboratories of members of Working Group S3/WG48, Hearing Aids, established by Accredited Standards Committee S3, Bioacoustics, which is administered by the Acoustical Society of America and accredited by the American National Standards Institute. Directivity measurements were made for a total of six programmed memories in two different hearing aids and for the unaided manikin with the manikin right pinna accompanying the aids. Omnidirectional, cardioid, and bidirectional response patterns were measured. Results are presented comparing the NIST data with the reference values calculated from the data reported by all participating laboratories. PMID:26401425

Evaluation of the sensitivity of the 'Wiley registry of tandem mass spectral data, MSforID' with MS/MS data of the 'NIST/NIH/EPA mass spectral library'.

PubMed

Oberacher, Herbert; Whitley, Graeme; Berger, Bernd

2013-04-01

Tandem mass spectral libraries are versatile tools for small molecular identification finding application in forensic science, doping control, drug monitoring, food and environmental analysis, as well as metabolomics. Two important libraries are the 'Wiley Registry of Tandem Mass Spectral Data, MSforID' (Wiley Registry MSMS) and the collection of MS/MS spectra part of the 2011 edition of the 'NIST/NIH/EPA Mass Spectral Library' (NIST 11 MSMS). Herein, the sensitivity and robustness of the Wiley Registry MSMS were evaluated using spectra extracted from the NIST 11 MSMS library. The sample set was found to be heterogeneous in terms of mass spectral resolution, type of CID, as well as applied collision energies. Nevertheless, sensitive compound identification with a true positive identification rate ≥95% was possible using either the MSforID Search program or the NIST MS Search program 2.0g for matching. To rate the performance of the Wiley Registry MSMS, cross-validation experiments were repeated using subcollections of NIST 11 MSMS as reference library and spectra extracted from the Wiley Registry MSMS as positive controls. Unexpectedly, with both search algorithms tested, correct results were obtained in less than 88% of cases. We examined possible causes for the results of the cross validation study. The large number of precursor ions represented by a single tandem mass spectrum only was identified as the basic cause for the comparably lower sensitivity of the NIST library. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

LabVIEW: a software system for data acquisition, data analysis, and instrument control.

PubMed

Kalkman, C J

1995-01-01

Computer-based data acquisition systems play an important role in clinical monitoring and in the development of new monitoring tools. LabVIEW (National Instruments, Austin, TX) is a data acquisition and programming environment that allows flexible acquisition and processing of analog and digital data. The main feature that distinguishes LabVIEW from other data acquisition programs is its highly modular graphical programming language, "G," and a large library of mathematical and statistical functions. The advantage of graphical programming is that the code is flexible, reusable, and self-documenting. Subroutines can be saved in a library and reused without modification in other programs. This dramatically reduces development time and enables researchers to develop or modify their own programs. LabVIEW uses a large amount of processing power and computer memory, thus requiring a powerful computer. A large-screen monitor is desirable when developing larger applications. LabVIEW is excellently suited for testing new monitoring paradigms, analysis algorithms, or user interfaces. The typical LabVIEW user is the researcher who wants to develop a new monitoring technique, a set of new (derived) variables by integrating signals from several existing patient monitors, closed-loop control of a physiological variable, or a physiological simulator.

An assessment of 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements in comparability studies conducted by the Vitamin D Metabolites Quality Assurance Program.

PubMed

Bedner, Mary; Lippa, Katrice A; Tai, Susan S-C

2013-11-15

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, established the first accuracy-based program for improving the comparability of vitamin D metabolite measurements, the Vitamin D Metabolites Quality Assurance Program. The study samples were human serum or plasma Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) with 25-hydroxyvitamin D values that were determined at NIST. Participants evaluated the materials using immunoassay (IA), liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometric detection, and LC with ultraviolet absorbance detection. NIST evaluated the results for concordance within the participant community as well as trueness relative to the NIST value. For the study materials that contain mostly 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3),the coefficient of variation (CV) for the participant results was consistently in the range from 7% to 19%, and the median values were biased high relative to the NIST values. However, for materials that contain significant concentrations of both 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 (25(OH)D2) and 25(OH)D3, the median IA results were biased lower than both the LC and the NIST values, and the CV was as high as 28%. The first interlaboratory comparison results for SRM 972a Vitamin D Metabolites in Human Serum are also reported. Relatively large within-lab and between-lab variability hinders conclusive assessments of bias and accuracy. © 2013.

Performance and Architecture Lab Modeling Tool

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

2014-06-19

Analytical application performance models are critical for diagnosing performance-limiting resources, optimizing systems, and designing machines. Creating models, however, is difficult. Furthermore, models are frequently expressed in forms that are hard to distribute and validate. The Performance and Architecture Lab Modeling tool, or Palm, is a modeling tool designed to make application modeling easier. Palm provides a source code modeling annotation language. Not only does the modeling language divide the modeling task into sub problems, it formally links an application's source code with its model. This link is important because a model's purpose is to capture application behavior. Furthermore, this linkmore » makes it possible to define rules for generating models according to source code organization. Palm generates hierarchical models according to well-defined rules. Given an application, a set of annotations, and a representative execution environment, Palm will generate the same model. A generated model is a an executable program whose constituent parts directly correspond to the modeled application. Palm generates models by combining top-down (human-provided) semantic insight with bottom-up static and dynamic analysis. A model's hierarchy is defined by static and dynamic source code structure. Because Palm coordinates models and source code, Palm's models are 'first-class' and reproducible. Palm automates common modeling tasks. For instance, Palm incorporates measurements to focus attention, represent constant behavior, and validate models. Palm's workflow is as follows. The workflow's input is source code annotated with Palm modeling annotations. The most important annotation models an instance of a block of code. Given annotated source code, the Palm Compiler produces executables and the Palm Monitor collects a representative performance profile. The Palm Generator synthesizes a model based on the static and dynamic mapping of annotations to program

A Comparative Study on Real Lab and Simulation Lab in Communication Engineering from Students' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balakrishnan, B.; Woods, P. C.

2013-01-01

Over the years, rapid development in computer technology has engendered simulation-based laboratory (lab) in addition to the traditional hands-on (physical) lab. Many higher education institutions adopt simulation lab, replacing some existing physical lab experiments. The creation of new systems for conducting engineering lab activities has raised…

Kinematic Labs with Mobile Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinser, Jason M.

2015-07-01

This book provides 13 labs spanning the common topics in the first semester of university-level physics. Each lab is designed to use only the student's smartphone, laptop and items easily found in big-box stores or a hobby shop. Each lab contains theory, set-up instructions and basic analysis techniques. All of these labs can be performed outside of the traditional university lab setting and initial costs averaging less than 8 per student, per lab.

MethLAB

PubMed Central

Kilaru, Varun; Barfield, Richard T; Schroeder, James W; Smith, Alicia K

2012-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that DNA methylation changes may underlie numerous complex traits and diseases. The advent of commercial, array-based methods to interrogate DNA methylation has led to a profusion of epigenetic studies in the literature. Array-based methods, such as the popular Illumina GoldenGate and Infinium platforms, estimate the proportion of DNA methylated at single-base resolution for thousands of CpG sites across the genome. These arrays generate enormous amounts of data, but few software resources exist for efficient and flexible analysis of these data. We developed a software package called MethLAB (http://genetics.emory.edu/conneely/MethLAB) using R, an open source statistical language that can be edited to suit the needs of the user. MethLAB features a graphical user interface (GUI) with a menu-driven format designed to efficiently read in and manipulate array-based methylation data in a user-friendly manner. MethLAB tests for association between methylation and relevant phenotypes by fitting a separate linear model for each CpG site. These models can incorporate both continuous and categorical phenotypes and covariates, as well as fixed or random batch or chip effects. MethLAB accounts for multiple testing by controlling the false discovery rate (FDR) at a user-specified level. Standard output includes a spreadsheet-ready text file and an array of publication-quality figures. Considering the growing interest in and availability of DNA methylation data, there is a great need for user-friendly open source analytical tools. With MethLAB, we present a timely resource that will allow users with no programming experience to implement flexible and powerful analyses of DNA methylation data. PMID:22430798

Standardization of 237Np by the CIEMAT/NIST LSC tracer method

PubMed

Gunther

2000-03-01

The standardization of 237Np presents some difficulties: several groups of alpha, beta and gamma radiation, chemical problems with the daughter nuclide 233Pa, an incomplete radioactive equilibrium after sample preparation, high conversion of some gamma transitions. To solve the chemical problems, a sample composition involving the Ultima Gold AB scintillator and a high concentration of HCl is used. Standardization by the CIEMAT/NIST method and by pulse shape discrimination is described. The results agree within 0.1% with those obtained by two other methods.

Results of the NIST National Ball Plate Round Robin.

PubMed

Caskey, G W; Phillips, S D; Borchardt, B R

1997-01-01

This report examines the results of the ball plate round robin administered by NIST. The round robin was part of an effort to assess the current state of industry practices for measurements made using coordinate measuring machines. Measurements of a two-dimensional ball plate (240 mm by 240 mm) on 41 coordinate measuring machines were collected and analyzed. Typically, the deviations of the reported X and Y coordinates from the calibrated values were within ± 5 μm, with some coordinate deviations exceeding 20.0 μm. One of the most significant observations from these data was that over 75 % of the participants failed to correctly estimate their measurement error on one or more of the ball plate spheres.

Teachers' Perspectives on Online Virtual Labs vs. Hands-On Labs in High School Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohr, Teresa M.

This study of online science teachers' opinions addressed the use of virtual labs in online courses. A growing number of schools use virtual labs that must meet mandated laboratory standards to ensure they provide learning experiences comparable to hands-on labs, which are an integral part of science curricula. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the quality and effectiveness of high school virtual labs. The theoretical foundation was constructivism, as labs provide student-centered activities for problem solving, inquiry, and exploration of phenomena. The research questions focused on experienced teachers' perceptions of the quality of virtual vs. hands-on labs. Data were collected through survey questions derived from the lab objectives of The Next Generation Science Standards . Eighteen teachers rated the degree of importance of each objective and also rated how they felt virtual labs met these objectives; these ratings were reported using descriptive statistics. Responses to open-ended questions were few and served to illustrate the numerical results. Many teachers stated that virtual labs are valuable supplements but could not completely replace hands-on experiences. Studies on the quality and effectiveness of high school virtual labs are limited despite widespread use. Comprehensive studies will ensure that online students have equal access to quality labs. School districts need to define lab requirements, and colleges need to specify the lab experience they require. This study has potential to inspire positive social change by assisting science educators, including those in the local school district, in evaluating and selecting courseware designed to promote higher order thinking skills, real-world problem solving, and development of strong inquiry skills, thereby improving science instruction for all high school students.

Temperature-dependent instability of the cTnI subunit in NIST SRM2921 characterized by tryptic peptide mapping.

PubMed

van der Burgt, Yuri E M; Cobbaert, Christa M; Dalebout, Hans; Smit, Nico; Deelder, André M

2012-08-01

In this study temperature-dependent instability of the cTnI subunit of the three-protein complex NIST SRM2921 was demonstrated using a mass spectrometric tryptic peptide mapping approach. The results were compared to the cTnI subunit obtained as a protein standard from Calbiochem with identical amino acid sequence. Both the three-protein complex from NIST as well as the cTnI subunit were incubated at elevated temperatures and then evaluated with respect to the primary sequence. The corresponding peptide maps were analyzed using LC-MS/MS. From a Mascot database search in combination with "semiTrypsin" tolerance it was found that two peptide backbone cleavages had occurred in subunit cTnI in NIST SRM2921 material upon incubation at 37°C, namely between amino acids at 148/149 and 194/195. The Calbiochem standard did not show increased levels of "unexpected" peptides in tryptic peptide maps. One of the two peptide backbone cleavages could also be monitored using a "single-step" MALDI-MS approach, i.e. without the need for peptide separation. The amount of degradation appeared rather constant in replicate temperature-instability experiments. However, for accurate quantification internal labelled standards are needed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photomask linewidth comparison by PTB and NIST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergmann, D.; Bodermann, B.; Bosse, H.; Buhr, E.; Dai, G.; Dixson, R.; Häßler-Grohne, W.; Hahm, K.; Wurm, M.

2015-10-01

We report the initial results of a recent bilateral comparison of linewidth or critical dimension (CD) calibrations on photomask line features between two national metrology institutes (NMIs): the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany. For the comparison, a chrome on glass (CoG) photomask was used which has a layout of line features down to 100 nm nominal size. Different measurement methods were used at both institutes. These included: critical dimension atomic force microscopy (CD-AFM), CD scanning electron microscopy (CD-SEM) and ultraviolet (UV) transmission optical microscopy. The measurands are CD at 50 % height of the features as well as sidewall angle and line width roughness (LWR) of the features. On the isolated opaque features, we found agreement of the CD measurements at the 3 nm to 5 nm level on most features - usually within the combined expanded uncertainties of the measurements.

New NIST sediment SRM for inorganic analysis.

PubMed

Zeisler, Rolf

2004-03-01

NIST maintains a portfolio of more than 1300 standard reference materials (SRM), more than a third of these relating to measurements in the biological and environmental fields. As part of the continuous renewal and replacement efforts, a set of new marine sediments has been recently developed covering organic and inorganic determinations. This paper describes the steps taken in sample preparation, homogeneity assay, and analytical characterization and certification with specific emphasis on SRM 2702 inorganics in marine sediment. Neutron activation analysis showed the SRM to be highly homogeneous, opening the possibility for use with solid sampling techniques. The certificate provides certified mass fraction values for 25 elements, reference values for eight elements, and information values for 11 elements, covering most of the priority pollutants with small uncertainties of only several percent relative. The values were obtained by combining results from different laboratories and techniques using a Bayesian statistical model. An intercomparison carried out in field laboratories with the material before certification illustrates a high commutability of this SRM.

TangoLab-2 Card Troubleshooting

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-17

iss053e105442 (Oct. 17, 2017) --- Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei swaps out a payload card from the TangoLab-1 facility and places into the TangoLab-2 facility. TangoLab provides a standardized platform and open architecture for experimental modules called CubeLabs. CubeLab modules may be developed for use in 3-dimensional tissue and cell cultures.

GOES satellite time code dissemination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beehler, R. E.

1983-01-01

The GOES time code system, the performance achieved to date, and some potential improvements in the future are discussed. The disseminated time code is originated from a triply redundant set of atomic standards, time code generators and related equipment maintained by NBS at NOAA's Wallops Island, VA satellite control facility. It is relayed by two GOES satellites located at 75 W and 135 W longitude on a continuous basis to users within North and South America (with overlapping coverage) and well out into the Atlantic and Pacific ocean areas. Downlink frequencies are near 468 MHz. The signals from both satellites are monitored and controlled from the NBS labs at Boulder, CO with additional monitoring input from geographically separated receivers in Washington, D.C. and Hawaii. Performance experience with the received time codes for periods ranging from several years to one day is discussed. Results are also presented for simultaneous, common-view reception by co-located receivers and by receivers separated by several thousand kilometers.

A comparative study on real lab and simulation lab in communication engineering from students' perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balakrishnan, B.; Woods, P. C.

2013-05-01

Over the years, rapid development in computer technology has engendered simulation-based laboratory (lab) in addition to the traditional hands-on (physical) lab. Many higher education institutions adopt simulation lab, replacing some existing physical lab experiments. The creation of new systems for conducting engineering lab activities has raised concerns among educators on the merits and shortcomings of both physical and simulation labs; at the same time, many arguments have been raised on the differences of both labs. Investigating the effectiveness of both labs is complicated, as there are multiple factors that should be considered. In view of this challenge, a study on students' perspectives on their experience related to key aspects on engineering laboratory exercise was conducted. In this study, the Visual Auditory Read and Kinetic model was utilised to measure the students' cognitive styles. The investigation was done through a survey among participants from Multimedia University, Malaysia. The findings revealed that there are significant differences for most of the aspects in physical and simulation labs.

A Constructivist Cloud Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Dave

1996-01-01

Describes a lab involving a cloud formation activity that uses the constructivist learning model to get students more involved in creating the lab. Enables students to develop a greater understanding of the concepts involved and more interest in the lab's outcomes. (JRH)

Virtual Reality Lab Assistant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saha, Hrishikesh; Palmer, Timothy A.

1996-01-01

Virtual Reality Lab Assistant (VRLA) demonstration model is aligned for engineering and material science experiments to be performed by undergraduate and graduate students in the course as a pre-lab simulation experience. This will help students to get a preview of how to use the lab equipment and run experiments without using the lab hardware/software equipment. The quality of the time available for laboratory experiments can be significantly improved through the use of virtual reality technology.

LabSkills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, Nick

2010-01-01

This article describes LabSkills, a revolutionary teaching tool to improve practical science in schools. LabSkills offers the chance to help improve the exposure that the average Key Stage 5 (age 16-19) student has to practical work. This is a huge area for development being highlighted by universities who are seeing a worryingly growing trend in…

Progress in Primary Acoustic Thermometry at NIST: 273 K to 505 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strouse, G. F.; Defibaugh, D. R.; Moldover, M. R.; Ripple, D. C.

2003-09-01

The NIST Acoustic Thermometer determines the thermodynamic temperature by measuring the speed of sound of argon in a spherical cavity. We obtained the thermodynamic temperature of three fixed points on the International Temperature Scale of 1990: the melting point of gallium [T(Ga) = 302.9146 K] and the freezing points of indium [T(In) = 429.7485 K] and tin [T(Sn) = 505.078 K]. The deviations of thermodynamic temperature from the ITS-90 defined temperatures are T - T90 = (4.7 ± 0.6) mK at T(Ga) , T - T90 = (8.8 ± 1.5) mK at T(In) , and T - T90 = (10.7 ± 3.0) mK at T(Sn) , where the uncertainties are for a coverage factor of k = 1. Our results at T(In) and T(Sn) reduce the uncertainty of T - T90 by a factor of two in this range. Both T - T90 at T(Ga) and the measured thermal expansion of the resonator between the triple point of water and T(Ga) are in excellent agreement with the 1992 determination at NIST. The dominant uncertainties in the present data come from frequency-dependent and time-dependent crosstalk between the electroacoustic transducers. We plan to reduce these uncertainties and extend this work to 800 K.

Graphical coding data and operational guidance for implementation or modification of a LabVIEW®-based pHstat system for the cultivation of microalgae.

PubMed

Golda, Rachel L; Golda, Mark D; Peterson, Tawnya D; Needoba, Joseph A

2017-06-01

The influence of pH on phytoplankton physiology is an important facet of the body of research on ocean acidification. We provide data developed during the design and implementation of a novel pHstat system capable of maintaining both static and dynamic pH environments in a laboratory setting. These data both help improve functionality of the system, and provide specific coding blocks for controlling the pHstat using a LabVIEW® virtual instrument (VI). The data in this paper support the research article "Development of an economical, autonomous pHstat system for culturing phytoplankton under steady state or dynamic conditions" (Golda et al. [2]). These data will be of interest to researchers studying the effects of changing pH on phytoplankton in a laboratory context, and to those desiring to build their own pHstat system(s). These data can also be used to facilitate modification of the pHstat system to control salinity, temperature, or other environmental factors.

Neutron Depth Profiling: Overview and Description of NIST Facilities

PubMed Central

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

1993-01-01

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

Magnetic field error measurement of the CEBAF (NIST) wiggler using the pulsed wire method

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

Wallace, Stephen; Colson, William; Neil, George

1993-07-01

The National Institute for Science and Technology (NIST) wiggler has been loaded to the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF). The pulsed wire method [R.W. Warren, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A272 (1988) 267] has been used to measure the field errors of the entrance wiggler half, and the net path deflection was calculated to be Δx ≈ 5.2 m.

48 CFR 4.603 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... applicable agency codes maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) using NIST...,” at http://www.nist.gov/publication-portal.cfm. (d) Agencies exempt from the FAR are encouraged to...

ASC Tri-lab Co-design Level 2 Milestone Report 2015

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

Hornung, Rich; Jones, Holger; Keasler, Jeff

2015-09-23

In 2015, the three Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories that make up the Advanced Sci- enti c Computing (ASC) Program (Sandia, Lawrence Livermore, and Los Alamos) collaboratively explored performance portability programming environments in the context of several ASC co-design proxy applica- tions as part of a tri-lab L2 milestone executed by the co-design teams at each laboratory. The programming environments that were studied included Kokkos (developed at Sandia), RAJA (LLNL), and Legion (Stan- ford University). The proxy apps studied included: miniAero, LULESH, CoMD, Kripke, and SNAP. These programming models and proxy-apps are described herein. Each lab focused on amore » particular combination of abstractions and proxy apps, with the goal of assessing performance portability using those. Performance portability was determined by: a) the ability to run a single application source code on multiple advanced architectures, b) comparing runtime performance between \

48 CFR 4.603 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Technology (NIST) using NIST Special Publication 800-87, “Codes for the Identification of Federal and Federally Assisted Organizations,” at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-87/sp800-87-Final.pdf...

76 FR 67418 - Request for Comments on NIST Special Publication 500-293, US Government Cloud Computing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-01

...-1659-01] Request for Comments on NIST Special Publication 500-293, US Government Cloud Computing... Publication 500-293, US Government Cloud Computing Technology Roadmap, Release 1.0 (Draft). This document is... (USG) agencies to accelerate their adoption of cloud computing. The roadmap has been developed through...

An Assessment of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Measurements in Comparability Studies Conducted by the Vitamin D Metabolites Quality Assurance Program

PubMed Central

Bedner, Mary; Lippa, Katrice A.; Tai, Susan S.-C.

2013-01-01

Background The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, established the first accuracy-based program for improving the comparability of vitamin D metabolite measurements, the Vitamin D Metabolites Quality Assurance Program. Methods Study samples were comprised of human serum or plasma Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) with 25-hydroxyvitamin D values that were determined at NIST. Participants evaluated the materials using immunoassay (IA), liquid chromatography (LC) with mass spectrometric detection, and LC with ultraviolet absorbance detection. NIST evaluated the results for concordance within the participant community as well as trueness relative to the NIST value. Results For the study materials that contain mostly 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), the coefficient of variation (CV) for the participant results was consistently in the range from 7% to 19%, and the median values were biased high relative to the NIST values. However, for materials that contain significant concentrations of both 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 (25(OH)D2) and 25(OH)D3, the median IA results were biased lower than both the LC and the NIST values, and the CV was as high as 28%. The first interlaboratory comparison results for SRM 972a Vitamin D Metabolites in Human Serum are also reported. Conclusions Relatively large within-lab and between-lab variability hinders conclusive assessments of bias and accuracy. PMID:23978484

48 CFR 4.603 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... applicable agency codes maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) using NIST...,” at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-87/sp800-87-Final.pdf. (d) Agencies exempt from the...

Sustainable dual-use labs: neurovascular interventional capabilities within the cath lab.

PubMed

Lang, Stacey

2012-01-01

The inclusion of neurovascular interventional capabilities within the cath lab setting can be key to optimal utilization of resources, increased staff efficiency, and streamlined operations. When considering an expansion, look beyond the patient population traditionally associated with cardiac cath labs and consider the integration of programs outside cardiac alone--to create a true dual-use lab space. With proper planning, quality dual purpose equipment, appropriately trained staff, capable physicians, and strong leadership, an organization willing to embrace the challenge can build a truly extraordinary service.

Lab at Home: Hardware Kits for a Digital Design Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, J. P.; Haim, F.

2009-01-01

An innovative laboratory methodology for an introductory digital design course is presented. Instead of having traditional lab experiences, where students have to come to school classrooms, a "lab at home" concept is proposed. Students perform real experiments in their own homes, using hardware kits specially developed for this purpose. They…

Unexpected bias in NIST 4πγ ionization chamber measurements.

PubMed

Unterweger, M P; Fitzgerald, R

2012-09-01

In January of 2010, it was discovered that the source holder used for calibrations in the NIST 4πγ ionization chamber (IC) has not been stable. The positioning ring that determines the height of the sample in the reentrant tube of the IC has slowly shifted during 35 years of use. This has led to a slow change in the calibration factors for the various radionuclides measured by this instrument. The changes are dependent on γ-ray energy and the time the IC was calibrated for a given radionuclide. A review of the historic data with regard to when the calibrations were done has enabled us to approximate the magnitude of the changes with time. This requires a number of assumptions, and corresponding uncertainty components, including whether the changes in height were gradual or in steps as will be shown in drawings of sample holder. For calibrations the changes in calibration factors have been most significant for low energy gamma emitters such as (133)Xe, (241)Am, (125)I and (85)Kr. The corrections to previous calibrations can be approximated and the results corrected with an increase in the overall uncertainty. At present we are recalibrating the IC based on new primary measurements of the radionuclides measured on the IC. Likewise we have been calibrating a new automated ionization-chamber system. A bigger problem is the significant number of half-life results NIST has published over the last 35 years that are based on IC measurements. The effect on half-life is largest for long-lived radionuclei, especially low-energy γ-ray emitters. This presentation will review our results and recommend changes in values and/or uncertainties. Any recommendation for withdrawal of any results will also be undertaken. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Nist Microwave Blackbody: The Design, Testing, and Verification of a Conical Brightness Temperature Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houtz, Derek Anderson

Microwave radiometers allow remote sensing of earth and atmospheric temperatures from space, anytime, anywhere, through clouds, and in the dark. Data from microwave radiometers are high-impact operational inputs to weather forecasts, and are used to provide a vast array of climate data products including land and sea surface temperatures, soil moisture, ocean salinity, cloud precipitation and moisture height profiles, and even wind speed and direction, to name a few. Space-borne microwave radiometers have a major weakness when it comes to long-term climate trends due to their lack of traceability. Because there is no standard, or absolute reference, for microwave brightness temperature, nationally or internationally, individual instruments must each rely on their own internal calibration source to set an absolute reference to the fundamental unit of Kelvin. This causes each subsequent instrument to have a calibration offset and there is no 'true' reference. The work introduced in this thesis addresses this vacancy by proposing and introducing a NIST microwave brightness temperature source that may act as the primary reference. The NIST standard will allow pre-launch calibration of radiometers across a broad range of remote sensing pertinent frequencies between 18 GHz and 220 GHz. The blackbody will be capable of reaching temperatures ranging between liquid nitrogen boiling at approximately 77 K and warm-target temperature of 350 K. The brightness temperature of the source has associated standard uncertainty ranging as a function of frequency between 0.084 K and 0.111 K. The standard can be transferred to the calibration source in the instrument, providing traceability of all subsequent measurements back to the primary standard. The development of the NIST standard source involved predicting and measuring its brightness temperature, and minimizing the associated uncertainty of this quantity. Uniform and constant physical temperature along with well characterized and

Potassium Isotopic Compositions of NIST Potassium Standards and 40Ar/39Ar Mineral Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morgan, Leah; Tappa, Mike; Ellam, Rob; Mark, Darren; Higgins, John; Simon, Justin I.

2013-01-01

Knowledge of the isotopic ratios of standards, spikes, and reference materials is fundamental to the accuracy of many geochronological methods. For example, the 238U/235U ratio relevant to U-Pb geochronology was recently re-determined [1] and shown to differ significantly from the previously accepted value employed during age determinations. These underlying values are fundamental to accurate age calculations in many isotopic systems, and uncertainty in these values can represent a significant (and often unrecognized) portion of the uncertainty budget for determined ages. The potassium isotopic composition of mineral standards, or neutron flux monitors, is a critical, but often overlooked component in the calculation of K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar ages. It is currently assumed that all terrestrial materials have abundances indistinguishable from that of NIST SRM 985 [2]; this is apparently a reasonable assumption at the 0.25per mille level (1s) [3]. The 40Ar/39Ar method further relies on the assumption that standards and samples (including primary and secondary standards) have indistinguishable 40K/39K values. We will present data establishing the potassium isotopic compositions of NIST isotopic K SRM 985, elemental K SRM 999b, and 40Ar/39Ar biotite mineral standard GA1550 (sample MD-2). Stable isotopic compositions (41K/39K) were measured by the peak shoulder method with high resolution MC-ICP-MS (Thermo Scientific NEPTUNE Plus), using the accepted value of NIST isotopic SRM 985 [2] for fractionation [4] corrections [5]. 40K abundances were measured by TIMS (Thermo Scientific TRITON), using 41K/39K values from ICP-MS measurements (or, for SRM 985, values from [2]) for internal fractionation corrections. Collectively these data represent an important step towards a metrologically traceable calibration of 40K concentrations in primary 40Ar/39Ar mineral standards and improve uncertainties by ca. an order of magnitude in the potassium isotopic compositions of standards.

LCOGT Imaging Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tufts, Joseph R.; Lobdill, Rich; Haldeman, Benjamin J.; Haynes, Rachel; Hawkins, Eric; Burleson, Ben; Jahng, David

2008-07-01

The Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) is an ambitious project to build and operate, within 5 years, a worldwide robotic network of 50 0.4, 1, and 2 m telescopes sharing identical instrumentation and optimized for precision photometry of time-varying sources. The telescopes, instrumentation, and software are all developed in house with two 2 m telescopes already installed. The LCOGT Imaging Lab is responsible for assembly and characterization of the network's cameras and instrumentation. In addition to a fully equipped CNC machine shop, two electronics labs, and a future optics lab, the Imaging Lab is designed from the ground up to be a superb environment for bare detectors, precision filters, and assembled instruments. At the heart of the lab is an ISO class 5 cleanroom with full ionization. Surrounding this, the class 7 main lab houses equipment for detector characterization including QE and CTE, and equipment for measuring transmission and reflection of optics. Although the first science cameras installed, two TEC cooled e2v 42-40 deep depletion based units and two CryoTiger cooled Fairchild Imaging CCD486-BI based units, are from outside manufacturers, their 18 position filter wheels and the remainder of the network's science cameras, controllers, and instrumentation will be built in house. Currently being designed, the first generation LCOGT cameras for the network's 1 m telescopes use existing CCD486-BI devices and an in-house controller. Additionally, the controller uses digital signal processing to optimize readout noise vs. speed, and all instrumentation uses embedded microprocessors for communication over ethernet.

NSDann2BS, a neutron spectrum unfolding code based on neural networks technology and two bonner spheres

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

Ortiz-Rodriguez, J. M.; Reyes Alfaro, A.; Reyes Haro, A.

In this work a neutron spectrum unfolding code, based on artificial intelligence technology is presented. The code called ''Neutron Spectrometry and Dosimetry with Artificial Neural Networks and two Bonner spheres'', (NSDann2BS), was designed in a graphical user interface under the LabVIEW programming environment. The main features of this code are to use an embedded artificial neural network architecture optimized with the ''Robust design of artificial neural networks methodology'' and to use two Bonner spheres as the only piece of information. In order to build the code here presented, once the net topology was optimized and properly trained, knowledge stored atmore » synaptic weights was extracted and using a graphical framework build on the LabVIEW programming environment, the NSDann2BS code was designed. This code is friendly, intuitive and easy to use for the end user. The code is freely available upon request to authors. To demonstrate the use of the neural net embedded in the NSDann2BS code, the rate counts of {sup 252}Cf, {sup 241}AmBe and {sup 239}PuBe neutron sources measured with a Bonner spheres system.« less

NSDann2BS, a neutron spectrum unfolding code based on neural networks technology and two bonner spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Rodríguez, J. M.; Reyes Alfaro, A.; Reyes Haro, A.; Solís Sánches, L. O.; Miranda, R. Castañeda; Cervantes Viramontes, J. M.; Vega-Carrillo, H. R.

2013-07-01

In this work a neutron spectrum unfolding code, based on artificial intelligence technology is presented. The code called "Neutron Spectrometry and Dosimetry with Artificial Neural Networks and two Bonner spheres", (NSDann2BS), was designed in a graphical user interface under the LabVIEW programming environment. The main features of this code are to use an embedded artificial neural network architecture optimized with the "Robust design of artificial neural networks methodology" and to use two Bonner spheres as the only piece of information. In order to build the code here presented, once the net topology was optimized and properly trained, knowledge stored at synaptic weights was extracted and using a graphical framework build on the LabVIEW programming environment, the NSDann2BS code was designed. This code is friendly, intuitive and easy to use for the end user. The code is freely available upon request to authors. To demonstrate the use of the neural net embedded in the NSDann2BS code, the rate counts of 252Cf, 241AmBe and 239PuBe neutron sources measured with a Bonner spheres system.

Status of the NIST Penning-Trap Neutron Lifetime Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snow, W. M.; Fei, X.; Chowdhuri, Z.; Dewey, M. S.; Gilliam, D.; Nico, J. S.; Greene, G. L.

1998-10-01

The decay rate of the free neutron is important input for Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis calculations of the primordial ^4He abundance in the universe(T. P. Walker et al, Astrophys. J. 376, 51 (1991).) and for tests of the electroweak model in the charged-current sector(I. S. Towner, Nucl. Phys. A540, 478 (1992).). We will describe an experiment in progress at NIST to measure the neutron decay rate. The technique uses a Penning trap to trap and count protons from in-beam neutron decay(J. Byrne et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 289 (1990).) and an absolutely calibrated beam monitor to measure the neutron density in the beam(R. D. Scott et al., Nucl. Inst. Meth. A362, 151 (1995).). We will present data taken in the spring and summer of 1998.

MO-D-BRD-04: NIST Air-Kerma Standard for Electronic Brachytherapy Calibrations

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

Mitch, M.

Electronic brachytherapy (eBT) has seen an insurgence of manufacturers entering the US market for use in radiation therapy. In addition to the established interstitial, intraluminary, and intracavitary applications of eBT, many centers are now using eBT to treat skin lesions. It is important for medical physicists working with electronic brachytherapy sources to understand the basic physics principles of the sources themselves as well as the variety of applications for which they are being used. The calibration of the sources is different from vendor to vendor and the traceability of calibrations has evolved as new sources came to market. In 2014,more » a new air-kerma based standard was introduced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to measure the output of an eBT source. Eventually commercial treatment planning systems should accommodate this new standard and provide NIST traceability to the end user. The calibration and commissioning of an eBT system is unique to its application and typically entails a list of procedural recommendations by the manufacturer. Commissioning measurements are performed using a variety of methods, some of which are modifications of existing AAPM Task Group protocols. A medical physicist should be familiar with the different AAPM Task Group recommendations for applicability to eBT and how to properly adapt them to their needs. In addition to the physical characteristics of an eBT source, the photon energy is substantially lower than from HDR Ir-192 sources. Consequently, tissue-specific dosimetry and radiobiological considerations are necessary when comparing these brachytherapy modalities and when making clinical decisions as a radiation therapy team. In this session, the physical characteristics and calibration methodologies of eBt sources will be presented as well as radiobiology considerations and other important clinical considerations. Learning Objectives: To understand the basic principles of

Rigorous quantitative elemental microanalysis by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS) with spectrum processing by NIST DTSA-II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newbury, Dale E.; Ritchie, Nicholas W. M.

2014-09-01

Quantitative electron-excited x-ray microanalysis by scanning electron microscopy/silicon drift detector energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (SEM/SDD-EDS) is capable of achieving high accuracy and high precision equivalent to that of the high spectral resolution wavelength dispersive x-ray spectrometer even when severe peak interference occurs. The throughput of the SDD-EDS enables high count spectra to be measured that are stable in calibration and resolution (peak shape) across the full deadtime range. With this high spectral stability, multiple linear least squares peak fitting is successful for separating overlapping peaks and spectral background. Careful specimen preparation is necessary to remove topography on unknowns and standards. The standards-based matrix correction procedure embedded in the NIST DTSA-II software engine returns quantitative results supported by a complete error budget, including estimates of the uncertainties from measurement statistics and from the physical basis of the matrix corrections. NIST DTSA-II is available free for Java-platforms at: http://www.cstl.nist.gov/div837/837.02/epq/dtsa2/index.html).

Distinct contributions of the nisin biosynthesis enzymes NisB and NisC and transporter NisT to prenisin production by Lactococcus lactis.

PubMed

van den Berg van Saparoea, H Bart; Bakkes, Patrick J; Moll, Gert N; Driessen, Arnold J M

2008-09-01

Several Lactococcus lactis strains produce the lantibiotic nisin. The dedicated enzymes NisB and NisC and the transporter NisT modify and secrete the ribosomally synthesized nisin precursor peptide. NisB can function in the absence of the cyclase NisC, yielding the dehydrated prenisin that lacks the thioether rings. A kinetic analysis of nisin production by L. lactis NZ9700 demonstrated that the prenisin was released from the cell into the medium before the processing of the leader sequence occurred. Upon the deletion of nisC, the production of prenisin was reduced by 70%, while in the absence of nisB, the production of prenisin was nearly completely abolished. In cells lacking nisT, no secretion was observed, while the expression of nisABC in these cells resulted in considerable growth rate inhibition caused by the intracellular accumulation of active nisin. Overall, these data indicate that the efficiency of prenisin transport by NisT is markedly enhanced by NisB, suggesting a channeling mechanism of prenisin transfer between the nisin modification enzymes and the transporter.

Inexpensive DAQ based physics labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Benjamin; Clark, Shane

2015-11-01

Quality Data Acquisition (DAQ) based physics labs can be designed using microcontrollers and very low cost sensors with minimal lab equipment. A prototype device with several sensors and documentation for a number of DAQ-based labs is showcased. The device connects to a computer through Bluetooth and uses a simple interface to control the DAQ and display real time graphs, storing the data in .txt and .xls formats. A full device including a larger number of sensors combined with software interface and detailed documentation would provide a high quality physics lab education for minimal cost, for instance in high schools lacking lab equipment or students taking online classes. An entire semester’s lab course could be conducted using a single device with a manufacturing cost of under $20.

MatLab Script and Functional Programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaykhian, Gholam Ali

2007-01-01

MatLab Script and Functional Programming: MatLab is one of the most widely used very high level programming languages for scientific and engineering computations. It is very user-friendly and needs practically no formal programming knowledge. Presented here are MatLab programming aspects and not just the MatLab commands for scientists and engineers who do not have formal programming training and also have no significant time to spare for learning programming to solve their real world problems. Specifically provided are programs for visualization. The MatLab seminar covers the functional and script programming aspect of MatLab language. Specific expectations are: a) Recognize MatLab commands, script and function. b) Create, and run a MatLab function. c) Read, recognize, and describe MatLab syntax. d) Recognize decisions, loops and matrix operators. e) Evaluate scope among multiple files, and multiple functions within a file. f) Declare, define and use scalar variables, vectors and matrices.

Differential Cross Section Kinematics for 3-dimensional Transport Codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norbury, John W.; Dick, Frank

2008-01-01

In support of the development of 3-dimensional transport codes, this paper derives the relevant relativistic particle kinematic theory. Formulas are given for invariant, spectral and angular distributions in both the lab (spacecraft) and center of momentum frames, for collisions involving 2, 3 and n - body final states.

Experiences with lab-centric instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titterton, Nathaniel; Lewis, Colleen M.; Clancy, Michael J.

2010-06-01

Lab-centric instruction emphasizes supervised, hands-on activities by substituting lab for lecture time. It combines a multitude of pedagogical techniques into the format of an extended, structured closed lab. We discuss the range of benefits for students, including increased staff interaction, frequent and varied self-assessments, integrated collaborative activities, and a systematic sequence of activities that gradually increases in difficulty. Instructors also benefit from a deeper window into student progress and understanding. We follow with discussion of our experiences in courses at U.C. Berkeley, and using data from some of these investigate the effects of lab-centric instruction on student learning, procrastination, and course pacing. We observe that the lab-centric format helped students on exams but hurt them on extended programming assignments, counter to our hypothesis. Additionally, we see no difference in self-ratings of procrastination and limited differences in ratings of course pace. We do find evidence that the students who choose to attend lab-centric courses are different in several important ways from students who choose to attend the same course in a non-lab-centric format.

Optimal patch code design via device characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Wencheng; Dalal, Edul N.

2012-01-01

In many color measurement applications, such as those for color calibration and profiling, "patch code" has been used successfully for job identification and automation to reduce operator errors. A patch code is similar to a barcode, but is intended primarily for use in measurement devices that cannot read barcodes due to limited spatial resolution, such as spectrophotometers. There is an inherent tradeoff between decoding robustness and the number of code levels available for encoding. Previous methods have attempted to address this tradeoff, but those solutions have been sub-optimal. In this paper, we propose a method to design optimal patch codes via device characterization. The tradeoff between decoding robustness and the number of available code levels is optimized in terms of printing and measurement efforts, and decoding robustness against noises from the printing and measurement devices. Effort is drastically reduced relative to previous methods because print-and-measure is minimized through modeling and the use of existing printer profiles. Decoding robustness is improved by distributing the code levels in CIE Lab space rather than in CMYK space.

EarthLabs: A National Model for Earth Science Lab Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaris, J. R.; Dahlman, L.; Barstow, D.

2008-12-01

As a response to the need for more rigorous, inquiry-based high school Earth science courses, a coalition of scientists, educators, and five states have created EarthLabs, a set of pilot modules that can serve as a national model for lab-based science courses. The content of EarthLabs chapters focuses on Earth system science and environmental literacy and conforms to the National Science Education Standards as well as the states' curriculum frameworks. The effort is funded by NOAA's Environmental Literacy program. The pilot modules present activities on Corals, Drought, Fisheries, and Hurricanes. The Fisheries and Hurricanes units were reviewed and field-tested by educators in Texas and Arizona. The feedback from this evaluation led to revisions of these units and guided development of the Corals and Drought chapters. Each module consists of activities that use online data sets, satellite imagery, web-based readings, and hands-on laboratory experiments. The project comprises two separate websites, one for the instructor and one for students. The instructor's site contains the pedagogical underpinnings for each lab including teaching materials, assessment strategies, and the alignment of activities with state and national science standards. The student site provides access to all materials that students need to complete the activities or, in the case of the hands-on labs, where they access additional information to help extend their learning. There are also formative and summative questions embedded in the student webpages to help scaffold learning through the activities.

Improving the Quality of Lab Reports by Using Them as Lab Instructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haagen-Schuetzenhoefer, Claudia

2012-10-01

Lab exercises are quite popular in teaching science. Teachers have numerous goals in mind when teaching science laboratories. Nevertheless, empirical research draws a heterogeneous picture of the benefits of lab work. Research has shown that it does not necessarily contribute to the enhancement of practical abilities or content knowledge. Lab activities are frequently based on recipe-like, step-by-step instructions ("cookbook style"), which do not motivate students to engage cognitively. Consequently, students put the emphasis on "task completion" or "manipulating equipment."2

NIST-Traceable NMR Method to Determine Quantitative Weight Percentage Purity of Mustard (HD) Feedstock Samples

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-01

ECBC-TR-1506 NIST-TRACEABLE NMR METHOD TO DETERMINE QUANTITATIVE WEIGHT PERCENTAGE PURITY OF MUSTARD (HD) FEEDSTOCK SAMPLES David J...McGarvey RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE William R. Creasy LEIDOS, INC. Abingdon, MD 21009-1261 Theresa R. Connell EXCET, INC...be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorizing documents. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE

JLIFE: THE JEFFERSON LAB INTERACTIVE FRONT END FOR THE OPTICAL PROPAGATION CODE

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

Watson, Anne M.; Shinn, Michelle D.

2013-08-01

We present details on a graphical interface for the open source software program Optical Propagation Code, or OPC. This interface, written in Java, allows a user with no knowledge of OPC to create an optical system, with lenses, mirrors, apertures, etc. and the appropriate drifts between them. The Java code creates the appropriate Perl script that serves as the input for OPC. The mode profile is then output at each optical element. The display can be either an intensity profile along the x axis, or as an isometric 3D plot which can be tilted and rotated. These profiles can bemore » saved. Examples of the input and output will be presented.« less

TRIAC II. A MatLab code for track measurements from SSNT detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patiris, D. L.; Blekas, K.; Ioannides, K. G.

2007-08-01

A computer program named TRIAC II written in MATLAB and running with a friendly GUI has been developed for recognition and parameters measurements of particles' tracks from images of Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors. The program, using image analysis tools, counts the number of tracks and depending on the current working mode classifies them according to their radii (Mode I—circular tracks) or their axis (Mode II—elliptical tracks), their mean intensity value (brightness) and their orientation. Images of the detectors' surfaces are input to the code, which generates text files as output, including the number of counted tracks with the associated track parameters. Hough transform techniques are used for the estimation of the number of tracks and their parameters, providing results even in cases of overlapping tracks. Finally, it is possible for the user to obtain informative histograms as well as output files for each image and/or group of images. Program summaryTitle of program:TRIAC II Catalogue identifier:ADZC_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADZC_v1_0 Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University of Belfast, N. Ireland Computer: Pentium III, 600 MHz Installations: MATLAB 7.0 Operating system under which the program has been tested: Windows XP Programming language used:MATLAB Memory required to execute with typical data:256 MB No. of bits in a word:32 No. of processors used:one Has the code been vectorized or parallelized?:no No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.:25 964 No. of bytes in distributed program including test data, etc.: 4 354 510 Distribution format:tar.gz Additional comments: This program requires the MatLab Statistical toolbox and the Image Processing Toolbox to be installed. Nature of physical problem: Following the passage of a charged particle (protons and heavier) through a Solid State Nuclear Track Detector (SSNTD), a damage region is created, usually named latent

Lab Report Blues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaz, Andrew

2004-01-01

For middle school students, writing a formal lab report can be challenging. For middle level teachers, reading students lab reports can be overwhelming. After grading report after report with incomplete procedures, incorrect graphs, and missing conclusions, the author's frustration level was at an all-time high. Ready to try anything, he thought,…

Reforming Cookbook Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Erin

2005-01-01

Deconstructing cookbook labs to require the students to be more thoughtful could break down perceived teacher barriers to inquiry learning. Simple steps that remove or disrupt the direct transfer of step-by-step procedures in cookbook labs make students think more critically about their process. Through trials in the author's middle school…

Science Lab Report Writing in Postsecondary Education: Mediating Teaching and Learning Strategies between Students and Instructors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalaskas, Anthony Bacaoat

The lab report is a genre commonly assigned by lab instructors and written by science majors in undergraduate science programs. The teaching and learning of the lab report, however, is a complicated and complex process that both instructors and students regularly contend with. This thesis is a qualitative study that aims to mediate the mismatch between students and instructors by ascertaining their attitudes, beliefs, and values regarding lab report writing. In this way, this thesis may suggest changes to teaching and learning strategies that lead to an improvement of lab report writing done by students. Given that little research has been conducted in this area thus far, this thesis also serves as a pilot study. A literature review is first conducted on the history of the lab report to delineate its development since its inception into American postsecondary education in the late 19th century. Genre theory and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) serve as the theoretical lenses for this thesis. Surveys and interviews are conducted with biology majors and instructors in the Department of Biology at George Mason University. Univariate analysis and coding are applied to elucidate responses from participants. The findings suggest that students may lack the epistemological background to understand lab reports as a process of doing science. This thesis also finds that both instructors and students consider the lab report primarily as a pedagogical genre as opposed to an apprenticeship genre. Additionally, although instructors were found to have utilized an effective piecemeal teaching strategy, there remains a lack of empathy among instructors for students. Collectively, these findings suggest that instructors should modify teaching strategies to determine and address student weaknesses more directly.

Determination of the δ15N of total nitrogen in solids; RSIL lab code 2893

USGS Publications Warehouse

Revesz, Kinga; Qi, Haiping; Coplen, Tyler B.

2006-01-01

The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 2893 is to determine the δ(15N/14N), abbreviated as δ15N , of total nitrogen in solid samples. A Carlo Erba NC 2500 elemental analyzer (EA) is used to convert total nitrogen in a solid sample into N2 gas. The EA is connected to a continuous flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS), which determines relative difference in the isotope-amount ratios of stable nitrogen isotopes (15N/14N)of the product N2 gas. The combustion is quantitative; no isotopic fractionation is involved. Samples are placed in a tin capsule and loaded into the Costech Zero Blank Autosampler of the EA. Under computer control, samples are dropped into a heated reaction tube that contains an oxidant, where the combustion takes place in a helium atmosphere containing an excess of oxygen gas. Combustion products are transported by a helium carrier through a reduction tube to remove excess oxygen and convert all nitrous oxides into N2 and through a drying tube to remove water. The gas-phase products, mainly CO2 and N2, are separated by a gas chromatograph. The gas is then introduced into the isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) through a Finnigan MAT (now Thermo Scientific) ConFlo II interface, which also is used to inject N2 reference gas and helium for sample dilution. The IRMS is a Thermo Scientific Delta V Plus CF-IRMS. It has a universal triple collector, two wide cups with a narrow cup in the middle, capable of measuring mass/charge (m/z) 28, 29, 30, simultaneously. The ion beams from N2 are as follows: m/z 28 = N2 = 14N14N; m/z 29 = N2 = 14N15N primarily; m/z 30 = NO = 14N16O primarily, which is a sign of contamination or incomplete reduction.

Determination of the δ34S of Total Sulfur in Solids: RSIL Lab Code 1800

USGS Publications Warehouse

Revesz, Kinga; Coplen, Tyler B.

2006-01-01

The purpose of Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory Lab (RSIL) Code 1800 is to determine the δ(34S/32S), abbreviated as δ34S, of total sulfur in a solid sample. A Carlo Erba NC 2500 elemental analyzer (EA) is used to convert total sulfur in a solid sample into SO2 gas. The EA is connected to a continuous flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS), which determines the relative difference in stable sulfur isotope-amount ratio (34S/32S) of the product SO2 gas. The combustion is quantitative; no isotopic fractionation is involved. Samples are placed in tin capsules and loaded into a Costech Zero-Blank Autosampler on the EA. Under computer control, samples are dropped into a heated tube reaction tube that combines both the oxidation and the reduction reactions. The combustion takes place in a He atmosphere that contains an excess of oxygen gas at the oxidation zone at the top of the reaction tube. Combustion products are transported by a He carrier through the reduction zone at the bottom of the reaction tube to remove excess oxygen and through a separate drying tube to remove any water. The gas-phase products, mainly CO2, N2, and SO2, are separated by a gas chromatograph (GC). The gas is then introduced into the isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) through a Thermo-Finnigan ConFlo II interface, which also is used to inject SO2 reference gas and He for sample dilution. The IRMS is a Thermo-Finnigan DeltaPlus CF-IRMS. It has a universal triple collector with two wide cups and a narrow cup in the middle. It is capable of measuring mass/charge (m/z) 64 and 66 simultaneously. The ion beams from SO2 are as follows: m/z 64 = SO2 = 32S16O16O; and m/z 66 = SO2 = 34S16O16O primarily.

The Text REtrieval Conference (TREC-2001) (10th, Gaithersburg, Maryland, November 13-16, 2001). NIST Special Publication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voorhees, Ellen M., Ed.; Harman, Donna K., Ed.

This report constitutes the proceedings of the 2001 Text REtrieval Conference (TREC 2001). The conference was co-sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Advanced Research and Development Agency (ARDA). Approximately 175 people attended the conference,…

The Text REtrieval Conference (TREC-9) (9th, Gaithersburg, Maryland, November 13-16, 2000). NIST Special Publication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voorhees, Ellen M., Ed.; Harman, Donna K., Ed.

This report constitutes the proceedings of the ninth Text REtrieval Conference (TREC-9). The conference was co-sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Advanced Research and Development Agency (ARDA). Approximately 175 people attended the conference,…

Determination of the δ15N of nitrate in water; RSIL lab code 2899

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coplen, Tyler B.; Qi, Haiping; Revesz, Kinga; Casciotti, Karen; Hannon, Janet E.

2007-01-01

The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 2899 is to determine the δ15N of nitrate (NO3-) in water. The δ15N of the dissolved NO3- is analyzed by conversion of the NO3- to nitrous oxide (N2O), which serves as the analyte for mass spectrometry. A culture of denitrifying bacteria is used in the enzymatic conversion of the NO3- to N2O, which follows the pathway shown in equation 1: NO3- → NO2- → NO → 1/2 N2O (1) Because the bacteria Pseudomonas aureofaciens lack N2O reductive activity, the reaction stops at N2O, unlike the typical denitrification reaction that goes to N2. After several hours, the conversion is complete, and the N2O is extracted from the vial, separated from volatile organic vapor and water vapor by an automated -65 °C isopropanol-slush trap, a Nafion drier, a CO2 and water removal unit (Costech #021020 carbon dioxide absorbent with Mg(ClO4)2), and trapped in a small-volume trap immersed in liquid nitrogen with a modified Finnigan MAT (now Thermo Scientific) GasBench 2 introduction system. After the N2O is released, it is further purified by gas chromatography before introduction to the isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). The IRMS is a Thermo Scientific Delta V Plus continuous flow IRMS (CF-IRMS). It has a universal triple collector, consisting of two wide cups with a narrow cup in the middle; it is capable of simultaneously measuring mass/charge (m/z) of the N2O molecule 44, 45, and 46. The ion beams from these m/z values are as follows: m/z = 44 = N2O = 14N14N16O; m/z = 45 = N2O = 14N15N16O or 14N14N17O; m/z = 46 = N2O = 14N14N18O. The 17O contributions to the m/z 44 and m/z 45 ion beams are accounted for before δ15N values are reported.

A Remote Lab for Experiments with a Team of Mobile Robots

PubMed Central

Casini, Marco; Garulli, Andrea; Giannitrapani, Antonio; Vicino, Antonio

2014-01-01

In this paper, a remote lab for experimenting with a team of mobile robots is presented. Robots are built with the LEGO Mindstorms technology and user-defined control laws can be directly coded in the Matlab programming language and validated on the real system. The lab is versatile enough to be used for both teaching and research purposes. Students can easily go through a number of predefined mobile robotics experiences without having to worry about robot hardware or low-level programming languages. More advanced experiments can also be carried out by uploading custom controllers. The capability to have full control of the vehicles, together with the possibility to define arbitrarily complex environments through the definition of virtual obstacles, makes the proposed facility well suited to quickly test and compare different control laws in a real-world scenario. Moreover, the user can simulate the presence of different types of exteroceptive sensors on board of the robots or a specific communication architecture among the agents, so that decentralized control strategies and motion coordination algorithms can be easily implemented and tested. A number of possible applications and real experiments are presented in order to illustrate the main features of the proposed mobile robotics remote lab. PMID:25192316

A remote lab for experiments with a team of mobile robots.

PubMed

Casini, Marco; Garulli, Andrea; Giannitrapani, Antonio; Vicino, Antonio

2014-09-04

In this paper, a remote lab for experimenting with a team of mobile robots is presented. Robots are built with the LEGO Mindstorms technology and user-defined control laws can be directly coded in the Matlab programming language and validated on the real system. The lab is versatile enough to be used for both teaching and research purposes. Students can easily go through a number of predefined mobile robotics experiences without having to worry about robot hardware or low-level programming languages. More advanced experiments can also be carried out by uploading custom controllers. The capability to have full control of the vehicles, together with the possibility to define arbitrarily complex environments through the definition of virtual obstacles, makes the proposed facility well suited to quickly test and compare different control laws in a real-world scenario. Moreover, the user can simulate the presence of different types of exteroceptive sensors on board of the robots or a specific communication architecture among the agents, so that decentralized control strategies and motion coordination algorithms can be easily implemented and tested. A number of possible applications and real experiments are presented in order to illustrate the main features of the proposed mobile robotics remote lab.

INTERLABORATORY COMPARISON OF MASS SPECTROMETRIC METHODS FOR LEAD ISOTOPES AND TRACE ELEMENTS IN NIST SRM 1400 BONE ASH

EPA Science Inventory

The results of an interlaboratory comparison are reported for he lead isotope composition and for trace element concentrations in NIST SRM 1400 Bone Ash obtained using quadrupole and magnetic-sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and (for the Pb isotopes on...

Microfluidic CODES: a scalable multiplexed electronic sensor for orthogonal detection of particles in microfluidic channels.

PubMed

Liu, Ruxiu; Wang, Ningquan; Kamili, Farhan; Sarioglu, A Fatih

2016-04-21

Numerous biophysical and biochemical assays rely on spatial manipulation of particles/cells as they are processed on lab-on-a-chip devices. Analysis of spatially distributed particles on these devices typically requires microscopy negating the cost and size advantages of microfluidic assays. In this paper, we introduce a scalable electronic sensor technology, called microfluidic CODES, that utilizes resistive pulse sensing to orthogonally detect particles in multiple microfluidic channels from a single electrical output. Combining the techniques from telecommunications and microfluidics, we route three coplanar electrodes on a glass substrate to create multiple Coulter counters producing distinct orthogonal digital codes when they detect particles. We specifically design a digital code set using the mathematical principles of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) telecommunication networks and can decode signals from different microfluidic channels with >90% accuracy through computation even if these signals overlap. As a proof of principle, we use this technology to detect human ovarian cancer cells in four different microfluidic channels fabricated using soft lithography. Microfluidic CODES offers a simple, all-electronic interface that is well suited to create integrated, low-cost lab-on-a-chip devices for cell- or particle-based assays in resource-limited settings.

NIST Ionization Chamber "A" Sample-Height Corrections.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, Ryan

2012-01-01

For over 30 years scientists in the NIST radioactivity group have been using their pressurized ionization chamber "A" (PIC "A") to make measurements of radioactivity and radioactive half-lives. We now have evidence that some of those reported measurements were incorrect due to slippage of the source positioning ring over time. The temporal change in the holder caused an error in the source-height within the chamber, which was thought to be invariant. This unaccounted-for height change caused a change in the detector response and thus a relative error in measured activity on the order of 10(-5) to 10(-3) per year, depending on the radionuclide. The drifting detector response affected calibration factors and half-life determinations. After discovering the problem, we carried out historic research and new sensitivity tests. As a result, we have created a quantitative model of the effect and have used that model to estimate corrections to some of the past measurement results from PIC "A". In this paper we report the details and results of that model. Meanwhile, we have fixed the positioning ring and are recalibrating the detector using primary measurement methods and enhanced quality control measures.

Status of chemistry lab safety in Nepal.

PubMed

Kandel, Krishna Prasad; Neupane, Bhanu Bhakta; Giri, Basant

2017-01-01

Chemistry labs can become a dangerous environment for students as the lab exercises involve hazardous chemicals, glassware, and equipment. Approximately one hundred thousand students take chemistry laboratory classes annually in Nepal. We conducted a survey on chemical lab safety issues across Nepal. In this paper, we assess the safety policy and equipment, protocols and procedures followed, and waste disposal in chemistry teaching labs. Significant population of the respondents believed that there is no monitoring of the lab safety in their lab (p<0.001). Even though many labs do not allow food and beverages inside lab and have first aid kits, they lack some basic safety equipment. There is no institutional mechanism to dispose lab waste and chemical waste is disposed haphazardly. Majority of the respondents believed that the safety training should be a part of educational training (p = 0.001) and they would benefit from short course and/or workshop on lab safety (p<0.001).

Status of chemistry lab safety in Nepal

PubMed Central

Kandel, Krishna Prasad; Neupane, Bhanu Bhakta

2017-01-01

Chemistry labs can become a dangerous environment for students as the lab exercises involve hazardous chemicals, glassware, and equipment. Approximately one hundred thousand students take chemistry laboratory classes annually in Nepal. We conducted a survey on chemical lab safety issues across Nepal. In this paper, we assess the safety policy and equipment, protocols and procedures followed, and waste disposal in chemistry teaching labs. Significant population of the respondents believed that there is no monitoring of the lab safety in their lab (p<0.001). Even though many labs do not allow food and beverages inside lab and have first aid kits, they lack some basic safety equipment. There is no institutional mechanism to dispose lab waste and chemical waste is disposed haphazardly. Majority of the respondents believed that the safety training should be a part of educational training (p = 0.001) and they would benefit from short course and/or workshop on lab safety (p<0.001). PMID:28644869

Comparison of C-14 liquid scintillation counting at NIST and NRC Canada

PubMed Central

Bergeron, Denis E.; Galea, Raphael; Laureano-Pérez, Lizbeth; Zimmerman, Brian E.

2016-01-01

An informal bilateral comparison of 14C liquid scintillation (LS) counting at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been completed. Two solutions, one containing 14C-labeled sodium benzoate and one containing 14C-labeled n-hexadecane, were measured at both laboratories. Despite observed LS cocktail instabilities, the two laboratories achieved accord in their standardizations of both solutions. At the conclusion of the comparison, the beta spectrum used for efficiency calculations was identified as inadequate and the data were reanalyzed with different inputs, improving accord. PMID:26585641

Comparison of (14)C liquid scintillation counting at NIST and NRC Canada.

PubMed

Bergeron, Denis E; Galea, Raphael; Laureano-Pérez, Lizbeth; Zimmerman, Brian E

2016-03-01

An informal bilateral comparison of (14)C liquid scintillation (LS) counting at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been completed. Two solutions, one containing (14)C-labeled sodium benzoate and one containing (14)C-labeled n-hexadecane, were measured at both laboratories. Despite observed LS cocktail instabilities, the two laboratories achieved accord in their standardizations of both solutions. At the conclusion of the comparison, the beta spectrum used for efficiency calculations was identified as inadequate and the data were reanalyzed with different inputs, improving accord. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

SenseLab

PubMed Central

Crasto, Chiquito J.; Marenco, Luis N.; Liu, Nian; Morse, Thomas M.; Cheung, Kei-Hoi; Lai, Peter C.; Bahl, Gautam; Masiar, Peter; Lam, Hugo Y.K.; Lim, Ernest; Chen, Huajin; Nadkarni, Prakash; Migliore, Michele; Miller, Perry L.; Shepherd, Gordon M.

2009-01-01

This article presents the latest developments in neuroscience information dissemination through the SenseLab suite of databases: NeuronDB, CellPropDB, ORDB, OdorDB, OdorMapDB, ModelDB and BrainPharm. These databases include information related to: (i) neuronal membrane properties and neuronal models, and (ii) genetics, genomics, proteomics and imaging studies of the olfactory system. We describe here: the new features for each database, the evolution of SenseLab’s unifying database architecture and instances of SenseLab database interoperation with other neuroscience online resources. PMID:17510162

PREFACE: 17th Pan-American Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation Conference SRI2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Gwyn P.; Revesz, Peter; Arp, Uwe

2014-03-01

These proceedings are a collection of the articles presented at the seventeenth Pan-American Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation Conference SRI2013, held on the campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America, 19-21 June, 2013. SRI2013 was jointly hosted by the Cornell University Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab), and the Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility (SURF III) at NIST. This meeting's focus was clearly on instrumentation, thus fulfilling the intent of this SRI meeting series, which was initiated at NIST, then the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), in 1979. SRI2013 hosted more than 150 delegates, despite the new US governmental travel restrictions. This proceedings series aims to be an essential reference work for practitioners in the field. It primarily documents the evolution and development of techniques, but also recent scientific advances, that were presented during the two and a half days of the conference. We are extremely thankful to all the authors who contributed to making these proceedings a volume of reference as well as to the reviewers for their careful reading and constructive recommendations for improving the articles. Great thanks go to Robert Dragoset at NIST, for creating and maintaining the conference website and generating the conference logo. We are also thankful for the excellent support we received from the Conference Program at NIST, especially Kathy Kilmer and Angela Ellis. And we would like to dedicate these proceedings to the memory of Kathy Kilmer, who passed away on 15 October, 2013. NIST will not be the same without her. The Co-Editors: Uwe Arp (SURF/NIST) Peter Reversz (CHESS) Gwyn P Williams (Jefferson Lab)

COMPARISON OF PULMONARY RESPONSES TO AUTOMOBILE-GENERATED AND NIST STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIAL DIESEL PARTICULATE EMISSIONS IN MICE

EPA Science Inventory

COMPARISON OF PULMONARY RESPONSES TO AUTOMOBILE-GENERATED AND NIST STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIAL DIESEL PARTICULATE EMISSIONS IN MICE. P. Singh1, C.A.J. Dick2, J. Richards3, M.J. Daniels3, and M.I. Gilmour3. 1NCSU, Raleigh, NC, 2UNC, Chapel Hill, NC and 3 USEPA, ORD, NHEERL, (ETD,...

Integrating Robotic Observatories into Astronomy Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruch, Gerald T.

2015-01-01

The University of St. Thomas (UST) and a consortium of five local schools is using the UST Robotic Observatory, housing a 17' telescope, to develop labs and image processing tools that allow easy integration of observational labs into existing introductory astronomy curriculum. Our lab design removes the burden of equipment ownership by sharing access to a common resource and removes the burden of data processing by automating processing tasks that are not relevant to the learning objectives.Each laboratory exercise takes place over two lab periods. During period one, students design and submit observation requests via the lab website. Between periods, the telescope automatically acquires the data and our image processing pipeline produces data ready for student analysis. During period two, the students retrieve their data from the website and perform the analysis. The first lab, 'Weighing Jupiter,' was successfully implemented at UST and several of our partner schools. We are currently developing a second lab to measure the age of and distance to a globular cluster.

Sample and data processing considerations for the NIST quantitative infrared database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Pamela M.; Guenther, Franklin R.; Rhoderick, George C.; Lafferty, Walter J.; Phillips, William

1999-02-01

Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry has become a useful real-time in situ analytical technique for quantitative gas phase measurements. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently approved open-path FT-IR monitoring for the determination of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) identified in EPA's Clean Air Act of 1990. To support infrared based sensing technologies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is currently developing a standard quantitative spectral database of the HAPs based on gravimetrically prepared standard samples. The procedures developed to ensure the quantitative accuracy of the reference data are discussed, including sample preparation, residual sample contaminants, data processing considerations, and estimates of error.

CERT (registered trademark) Resilience Management Model (CERT (registered trademark)-RMM) V1.1: NIST Special Publication Crosswalk Version 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

27000 series, COBIT, the British Standards Institution’s BS 25999, and ISO 24762  includes quantitative process measurements that can be used to...the NIST special publications 800 series, the International Organization for Standards ( ISO ) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC

Developing automated analytical methods for scientific environments using LabVIEW.

PubMed

Wagner, Christoph; Armenta, Sergio; Lendl, Bernhard

2010-01-15

The development of new analytical techniques often requires the building of specially designed devices, each requiring its own dedicated control software. Especially in the research and development phase, LabVIEW has proven to be one highly useful tool for developing this software. Yet, it is still common practice to develop individual solutions for different instruments. In contrast to this, we present here a single LabVIEW-based program that can be directly applied to various analytical tasks without having to change the program code. Driven by a set of simple script commands, it can control a whole range of instruments, from valves and pumps to full-scale spectrometers. Fluid sample (pre-)treatment and separation procedures can thus be flexibly coupled to a wide range of analytical detection methods. Here, the capabilities of the program have been demonstrated by using it for the control of both a sequential injection analysis - capillary electrophoresis (SIA-CE) system with UV detection, and an analytical setup for studying the inhibition of enzymatic reactions using a SIA system with FTIR detection.

NisT, the transporter of the lantibiotic nisin, can transport fully modified, dehydrated, and unmodified prenisin and fusions of the leader peptide with non-lantibiotic peptides.

PubMed

Kuipers, Anneke; de Boef, Esther; Rink, Rick; Fekken, Susan; Kluskens, Leon D; Driessen, Arnold J M; Leenhouts, Kees; Kuipers, Oscar P; Moll, Gert N

2004-05-21

Lantibiotics are lanthionine-containing peptide antibiotics. Nisin, encoded by nisA, is a pentacyclic lantibiotic produced by some Lactococcus lactis strains. Its thioether rings are posttranslationally introduced by a membrane-bound enzyme complex. This complex is composed of three enzymes: NisB, which dehydrates serines and threonines; NisC, which couples these dehydrated residues to cysteines, thus forming thioether rings; and the transporter NisT. We followed the activity of various combinations of the nisin enzymes by measuring export of secreted peptides using antibodies against the leader peptide and mass spectroscopy for detection. L. lactis expressing the nisABTC genes efficiently produced fully posttranslationally modified prenisin. Strikingly, L. lactis expressing the nisBT genes could produce dehydrated prenisin without thioether rings and a dehydrated form of a non-lantibiotic peptide. In the absence of the biosynthetic NisBC enzymes, the NisT transporter was capable of excreting unmodified prenisin and fusions of the leader peptide with non-lantibiotic peptides. Our data show that NisT specifies a broad spectrum (poly)peptide transporter that can function either in conjunction with or independently from the biosynthetic genes. NisT secretes both unmodified and partially or fully posttranslationally modified forms of prenisin and non-lantibiotic peptides. These results open the way for efficient production of a wide range of peptides with increased stability or novel bioactivities.

University of Maryland MRSEC - Collaborations

Science.gov Websites

. University of Maryland Materials Research Science and Engineering Center Home About Us Leadership , National Nanotechnology Lab, Neocera, NIST, Rowan University, Rutgers University, Seagate, Tokyo Tech

Improving the Quality of Lab Reports by Using Them as Lab Instructions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haagen-Schuetzenhoefer, Claudia

2012-01-01

Lab exercises are quite popular in teaching science. Teachers have numerous goals in mind when teaching science laboratories. Nevertheless, empirical research draws a heterogeneous picture of the benefits of lab work. Research has shown that it does not necessarily contribute to the enhancement of practical abilities or content knowledge. Lab…

Computational Labs Using VPython Complement Conventional Labs in Online and Regular Physics Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachlechner, Martina E.

2009-03-01

Fairmont State University has developed online physics classes for the high-school teaching certificate based on the text book Matter and Interaction by Chabay and Sherwood. This lead to using computational VPython labs also in the traditional class room setting to complement conventional labs. The computational modeling process has proven to provide an excellent basis for the subsequent conventional lab and allows for a concrete experience of the difference between behavior according to a model and realistic behavior. Observations in the regular class room setting feed back into the development of the online classes.

77 FR 20789 - Work Group on Measuring Systems for Taxis

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-06

.... SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is forming a Work Group (WG) to develop proposals to revise the current Taximeters Code in NIST Handbook 44 (HB 44), Specifications, Tolerances, and... CONTACT: Mr. John Barton, NIST, Office of Weights and Measures, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2600, Gaithersburg...

Spaceport Processing System Development Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorsey, Michael

2013-01-01

The Spaceport Processing System Development Lab (SPSDL), developed and maintained by the Systems Hardware and Engineering Branch (NE-C4), is a development lab with its own private/restricted networks. A private/restricted network is a network with restricted or no communication with other networks. This allows users from different groups to work on their own projects in their own configured environment without interfering with others utilizing their resources in the lab. The different networks being used in the lab have no way to talk with each other due to the way they are configured, so how a user configures his software, operating system, or the equipment doesn't interfere or carry over on any of the other networks in the lab. The SPSDL is available for any project in KSC that is in need of a lab environment. My job in the SPSDL was to assist in maintaining the lab to make sure it's accessible for users. This includes, but is not limited to, making sure the computers in the lab are properly running and patched with updated hardware/software. In addition to this, I also was to assist users who had issues in utilizing the resources in the lab, which may include helping to configure a restricted network for their own environment. All of this was to ensure workers were able to use the SPSDL to work on their projects without difficulty which would in turn, benefit the work done throughout KSC. When I wasn't working in the SPSDL, I would instead help other coworkers with smaller tasks which included, but wasn't limited to, the proper disposal, moving of, or search for essential equipment. I also, during the free time I had, used NASA's resources to increase my knowledge and skills in a variety of subjects related to my major as a computer engineer, particularly in UNIX, Networking, and Embedded Systems.

Comparison of quartz standards for X-ray diffraction analysis: HSE A9950 (Sikron F600) and NIST SRM 1878.

PubMed

Chisholm, Jim

2005-06-01

A further comparison of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) standard quartz, A9950 (Sikron F600), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1878, standard respirable alpha-quartz, has been carried out for the four principal diffraction peaks. In the earlier comparison by Jeyaratnam and Nagar (1993, Ann Occup Hyg; 37: 167-79), the standards were both treated in ways which might change the particle size distribution and therefore the proportion of crystalline quartz. The two standards have now been compared in the most direct way possible with the minimum of sample treatment. There are no significant differences in the diffraction peak positions for the two standards. Nor do the peak area intensities differ significantly. The peak height intensities are consistently and significantly higher for Sikron F600 than for NIST SRM 1878. The particle size broadening of the diffraction peaks is evidently greater for NIST 1878, whose mass median diameter is quoted as 1.6 microm against 2.6 microm for Sikron F600. Taking the certified reference value for SRM 1878 as 95.5 +/- 1.1% crystalline quartz, the HSE standard A9950 (Sikron F600) contains 96.3 +/- 1.4% crystalline quartz based on a comparison of peak area intensities. On the same basis but using peak height intensities, the nominal crystalline quartz content of A9950 (Sikron F600) is 101.2 +/- 1.8%. Results obtained by comparison of quartz standards may not be generally applicable because of the effect of sample treatment on particle size and crystalline quartz content.

Assessment of Uncertainties for the NIST 1016 mm Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus: Extended Analysis for Low-Density Fibrous-Glass Thermal Insulation.

PubMed

Zarr, Robert R

2010-01-01

An assessment of uncertainties for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 1016 mm Guarded-Hot-Plate apparatus is presented. The uncertainties are reported in a format consistent with current NIST policy on the expression of measurement uncertainty. The report describes a procedure for determination of component uncertainties for thermal conductivity and thermal resistance for the apparatus under operation in either the double-sided or single-sided mode of operation. An extensive example for computation of uncertainties for the single-sided mode of operation is provided for a low-density fibrous-glass blanket thermal insulation. For this material, the relative expanded uncertainty for thermal resistance increases from 1 % for a thickness of 25.4 mm to 3 % for a thickness of 228.6 mm. Although these uncertainties have been developed for a particular insulation material, the procedure and, to a lesser extent, the results are applicable to other insulation materials measured at a mean temperature close to 297 K (23.9 °C, 75 °F). The analysis identifies dominant components of uncertainty and, thus, potential areas for future improvement in the measurement process. For the NIST 1016 mm Guarded-Hot-Plate apparatus, considerable improvement, especially at higher values of thermal resistance, may be realized by developing better control strategies for guarding that include better measurement techniques for the guard gap thermopile voltage and the temperature sensors.

Assessment of Uncertainties for the NIST 1016 mm Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus: Extended Analysis for Low-Density Fibrous-Glass Thermal Insulation

PubMed Central

Zarr, Robert R.

2010-01-01

An assessment of uncertainties for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 1016 mm Guarded-Hot-Plate apparatus is presented. The uncertainties are reported in a format consistent with current NIST policy on the expression of measurement uncertainty. The report describes a procedure for determination of component uncertainties for thermal conductivity and thermal resistance for the apparatus under operation in either the double-sided or single-sided mode of operation. An extensive example for computation of uncertainties for the single-sided mode of operation is provided for a low-density fibrous-glass blanket thermal insulation. For this material, the relative expanded uncertainty for thermal resistance increases from 1 % for a thickness of 25.4 mm to 3 % for a thickness of 228.6 mm. Although these uncertainties have been developed for a particular insulation material, the procedure and, to a lesser extent, the results are applicable to other insulation materials measured at a mean temperature close to 297 K (23.9 °C, 75 °F). The analysis identifies dominant components of uncertainty and, thus, potential areas for future improvement in the measurement process. For the NIST 1016 mm Guarded-Hot-Plate apparatus, considerable improvement, especially at higher values of thermal resistance, may be realized by developing better control strategies for guarding that include better measurement techniques for the guard gap thermopile voltage and the temperature sensors. PMID:27134779

Comparison Between NIST and AF Laser Energy Standards Using High Power Lasers

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaoyu; Scott (Retired), Thomas; Cromer, Chris; Cooper, David; Comisford, Steven

2007-01-01

We report the results of a high-energy laser calorimeter comparison conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, Colorado and the U.S. Air Force Primary Standards laboratory (AFPSL), Heath, Ohio. A laser power meter, used as a transfer standard, was calibrated at each laboratory, sequentially, and the measurement results were compared. These measurements were performed at a nominal power of 800 W and a wavelength of 10.6 μm using CO2 lasers. Excellent measurement agreement (1.02 %) was demonstrated, which was well within each of the expanded uncertainties from the two laboratories involved in this comparison. PMID:27110471

Incorporation of a Variable Discharge Coefficient for the Primary Orifice into the Benet Labs Recoil Analysis Model via Results from Quasi-Steady State Simulations Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

Appendix 82 MatLab© Cd Calculator Routine FORTRAN© Subroutine of the Variable Cd Model ii ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS Cd...Figure 29. Overview Flowchart of Benét Labs Recoil Analysis Code Figure 30. Overview Flowchart of Recoil Brake Subroutine Figure 31...Detail Flowchart of Recoil Pressure/Force Calculations Figure 32. Detail Flowchart of Variable Cd Subroutine Figure 33. Simulated Brake

Determination of the δ34S of sulfate in water; RSIL lab code 1951

USGS Publications Warehouse

Revesz, Kinga; Qi, Haiping; Coplen, Tyler B.

2006-01-01

The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 1951 is to determine the δ(34S/32S), abbreviated as δ34S, of dissolved sulfate. Dissolved sulfate is collected in the field and precipitated with BaCl2 at pH 3 to 4 as BaSO4 in the laboratory. However, the dissolved organic sulfur (DOS) is oxidized to SO2, and the carbonate is acidified to CO2. Both are degassed from the water sample before the sulfate is precipitated. The precipitated BaSO4 is filtered and dried before introduction into an elemental analyzer (EA) Carlo Erba NC 2500. The EA is used to convert sulfur in a BaSO4 solid sample into SO2 gas, and the EA is connected to a continuous flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS), which determines the differences in the isotope-amount ratios of stable sulfur isotopes (34S/32S) of the product SO2 gas. The combustion is quantitative; no isotopic fractionation is involved. Samples are placed in a tin capsule and loaded into the Costech Zero Blank Autosampler of the EA. Under computer control, samples are dropped into a heated tube reaction tube that combines the oxidation and reduction reactions. The combustion takes place in a helium atmosphere containing an excess of oxygen gas at the oxidation zone at the top of the reaction tube. Combustion products are transported by a helium carrier through the reduction zone at the bottom of the reaction tube to remove excess oxygen and through a separate drying tube to remove any water. The gas-phase products, mainly CO2, N2, and SO2, are separated by a gas chromatograph. The gas is then introduced into the isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) through a Finnigan MAT (now Thermo Scientific) ConFlo II interface, which also is used to inject SO2 reference gas and helium for sample dilution. The IRMS is a Thermo Scientific Delta V Plus CF-IRMS. It has a universal triple collector with two wide cups and a narrow cup in the middle. It is capable of measuring mass/charge (m/z) 64 and 66 simultaneously

GeneLab: Open Science For Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Galazka, Jonathan

2018-01-01

The NASA GeneLab project capitalizes on multi-omic technologies to maximize the return on spaceflight experiments. The GeneLab project houses spaceflight and spaceflight-relevant multi-omics data in a publicly accessible data commons, and collaborates with NASA-funded principal investigators to maximize the omics data from spaceflight and spaceflight-relevant experiments. I will discuss the current status of GeneLab and give specific examples of how the GeneLab data system has been used to gain insight into how biology responds to spaceflight conditions.

A Museum Learning Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandiver, Kathleen M.; Bijur, Jon Markowitz; Epstein, Ari W.; Rosenthal, Beryl; Stidsen, Don

2008-01-01

The "Learning Lab: The Cell" exhibit was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Museum and the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS). Specially designed for middle and high school students, the Learning Lab provides museum visitors of all ages with fascinating insights into how our living cells work. The…

Lab-on a-Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Helen Cole, the project manager for the Lab-on-a-Chip Applications Development program, and Lisa Monaco, the project scientist for the program, insert a lab on a chip into the Caliper 42 which is specialized equipment that controls processes on commercial chips to support development of lab-on-a-chip applications. The system has special microscopes and imaging systems, so scientists can process and study different types of fluid, chemical, and medical tests conducted on chips. For example, researchers have examined fluorescent bacteria as it flows through the chips' fluid channels or microfluidic capillaries. Researchers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, have been studying how the lab-on-a-chip technology can be used for microbial detection, water quality monitoring, and detecting biosignatures of past or present life on Mars. The Marshall Center team is also collaborating with scientists at other NASA centers and at universities to develop custom chip designs for not only space applications, but for many Earth applications, such as for detecting deadly microbes in heating and air systems. (NASA/MSFC/D.Stoffer)

Isotope-ratio measurements of lead in NIST standard reference materials by multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Platzner, I; Ehrlich, S; Halicz, L

2001-07-01

The capability of a second-generation Nu Instruments multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) has been evaluated for precise and accurate isotope-ratio determinations of lead. Essentially the mass spectrometer is a double-focusing instrument of Nier-Johnson analyzer geometry equipped with a newly designed variable-dispersion ion optical device, enabling the measured ion beams to be focused into a fixed array of Faraday collectors and an ion-counting assembly. NIST SRM Pb 981, 982, and 983 isotopic standards were used. Addition of thallium to the lead standards and subsequent simultaneous measurement of the thallium and lead isotopes enabled correction for mass discrimination, by use of the exponential correction law and 205Tl/203Tl = 2.3875. Six measurements of SRM Pb-982 furnished the results 206Pb/204Pb = 36.7326(68), 207Pb/204Pb = 17.1543(30), 208Pb/204Pb = 36.7249(69), 207Pb/206Pb = 0.46700(1), and 208Pb/206Pb = 0.99979(2); the NIST-certified values were 36.738(37), 17.159(25), 36.744(50), 0.46707(20), and 1.00016(36), respectively. Direct isotope lead analysis in silicates can be performed without any chemical separation. NIST SRM 610 glass was dissolved and introduced into the MC-ICP-MS by means of a micro concentric nebulizer. The ratios observed were in excellent agreement with previously reported data obtained by TIMS and laser ablation MC-ICP-MS, despite the high Ca/Pb concentration ratio (200/1) and the presence of many other elements at levels comparable with that of lead. Approximately 0.2 microg lead are sufficient for isotope analysis with ratio uncertainties between 240 and 530 ppm.

ERLN Lab Compendium Fact Sheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Compendium is an online database of environmental testing laboratories nationwide. It enables labs to create profiles of their capabilities, so emergency responders can quickly identify a lab that will meet their support needs.

Physics Labs with Flavor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agrest, Mikhail M.

2009-01-01

This paper describes my attempts to look deeper into the so-called "shoot for your grade" labs, started in the '90s, when I began applying my teaching experience in Russia to introductory physics labs at the College of Charleston and other higher education institutions in South Carolina. The term "shoot for your grade" became popular among…

Making Real Virtual Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keller, Harry E.; Keller, Edward E.

2005-01-01

Francis Bacon began defining scientific methodology in the early 17th century, and secondary school science classes began to implement science labs in the mid-19th century. By the early 20th century, leading educators were suggesting that science labs be used to develop scientific thinking habits in young students, and at the beginning of the 21st…

NOT Another Lab Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ende, Fred

2012-01-01

Ask students to name the aspects of science class they enjoy most, and working on labs will undoubtedly be mentioned. What often won't be included, however, is writing lab reports. For many students, the process of exploration and data collection is paramount, while the explanation and analysis of findings often takes a backseat. After all, if…

Are Virtual Labs as Effective as Hands-on Labs for Undergraduate Physics? A Comparative Study at Two Major Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darrah, Marjorie; Humbert, Roxann; Finstein, Jeanne; Simon, Marllin; Hopkins, John

2014-01-01

Most physics professors would agree that the lab experiences students have in introductory physics are central to the learning of the concepts in the course. It is also true that these physics labs require time and money for upkeep, not to mention the hours spent setting up and taking down labs. Virtual physics lab experiences can provide an…

The Development of MSFC Usability Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Yiwei; Richardson, Sally

2010-01-01

This conference poster reviews the development of the usability lab at Marshall Space Flight Center. The purpose of the lab was to integrate a fully functioning usability laboratory to provide a resource for future human factor assessments. and to implement preliminary usability testing on a MSFC website to validate the functionality of the lab.

Biophysical characterization and structure of the Fab fragment from the NIST reference antibody, RM 8671.

PubMed

Karageorgos, Ioannis; Gallagher, Elyssia S; Galvin, Connor; Gallagher, D Travis; Hudgens, Jeffrey W

2017-11-01

Monoclonal antibody pharmaceuticals are the fastest-growing class of therapeutics, with a wide range of clinical applications. To assure their safety, these protein drugs must demonstrate highly consistent purity and stability. Key to these objectives is higher order structure measurements validated by calibration to reference materials. We describe preparation, characterization, and crystal structure of the Fab fragment prepared from the NIST Reference Antibody RM 8671 (NISTmAb). NISTmAb is a humanized IgG1κ antibody, produced in murine cell culture and purified by standard biopharmaceutical production methods, developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to serve as a reference material. The Fab fragment was derived from NISTmAb through papain cleavage followed by protein A based purification. The purified Fab fragment was characterized by SDS-PAGE, capillary gel electrophoresis, multi-angle light scattering, size exclusion chromatography, mass spectrometry, and x-ray crystallography. The crystal structure at 0.2 nm resolution includes four independent Fab molecules with complete light chains and heavy chains through Cys 223, enabling assessment of conformational variability and providing a well-characterized reference structure for research and engineering applications. This nonproprietary, publically available reference material of known higher-order structure can support metrology in biopharmaceutical applications, and it is a suitable platform for validation of molecular modeling studies. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Characterization of Particle Size Standard NIST 1019b with SynchrotronX-ray Microtomography and Digital Data Extraction

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

Friedrich, Jon M.; Rivers, Mark L.; Perlowitz, Michael A.

We show that synchrotron x-ray microtomography ({mu}CT) followed by digital data extraction can be used to examine the size distribution and particle morphologies of the polydisperse (750 to 2450 {micro}m diameter) particle size standard NIST 1019b. Our size distribution results are within errors of certified values with data collected at 19.5 {micro}m/voxel. One of the advantages of using {mu}CT to investigate the particles examined here is that the morphology of the glass beads can be directly examined. We use the shape metrics aspect ratio and sphericity to examine of individual standard beads morphologies as a function of spherical equivalent diameters.more » We find that the majority of standard beads possess near-spherical aspect ratios and sphericities, but deviations are present at the lower end of the size range. The majority (> 98%) of particles also possess an equant form when examined using a common measure of equidimensionality. Although the NIST 1019b standard consists of loose particles, we point out that an advantage of {mu}CT is that coherent materials comprised of particles can be examined without disaggregation.« less

NIST gravimetrically prepared atmospheric level methane in dry air standards suite.

PubMed

Rhoderick, George C; Carney, Jennifer; Guenther, Franklin R

2012-04-17

The Gas Metrology Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology was tasked, by a congressional climate change act, to support the atmospheric measurement community through standards development of key greenhouse gases. This paper discusses the development of a methane (CH(4)) primary standard gas mixture (PSM) suite to support CH(4) measurement needs over a large amount-of-substance fraction range 0.3-20,000 μmol mol(-1), but with emphasis at the atmospheric level 300-4000 nmol mol(-1). Thirty-six CH(4) in dry air PSMs were prepared in 5.9 L high-pressure aluminum cylinders with use of a time-tested gravimetric technique. Ultimately 14 of these 36 PSMs define a CH(4) standard suite covering the nominal ambient atmospheric range of 300-4000 nmol mol(-1). Starting materials of pure CH(4) and cylinders of dry air were exhaustively analyzed to determine the purity and air composition. Gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) was used to determine a CH(4) response for each of the 14 PSMs where the reproducibility of average measurement ratios as a standard error was typically (0.04-0.26) %. An ISO 6134-compliant generalized least-squares regression (GenLine) program was used to analyze the consistency of the CH(4) suite. All 14 PSMs passed the u-test with residuals between the gravimetric and the GenLine solution values being between -0.74 and 1.31 nmol mol(-1); (0.00-0.16)% relative absolute. One of the 14 PSMs, FF4288 at 1836.16 ± 0.75 nmol mol(-1) (k = 1) amount-of-substance fraction, was sent to the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), the Republic of Korea's National Metrology Institute, for comparison. The same PSM was subsequently sent to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for analysis to their standards. Results show agreement between KRISS-NIST of +0.13% relative (+2.3 nmol mol(-1)) and NOAA-NIST of -0.14% relative (-2.54 nmol mol(-1)).

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Phone Book Jobs Search DOE Search MSD Go MSD - Materials Investigators Division Staff Facilities and Centers Staff Jobs Safety Personnel Resources Committees In Case of

Labs That Are a Blast.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrix, Laura

1996-01-01

Presents activities that use a simple homemade apparatus called "the cannon" to demonstrate Newton's Third Law. Reviews the chemistry concepts behind the ignition of the cannon and presents the Momentum Lab and the Projectile Motion Lab. (JRH)

Implementation of an Unequal Path Length, Heterodyne Interferometer on the MOCHI LabJet Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Card, Alexander Harrison

The MOCHI LabJet experiment aims to explore the stability of magnetic flux tubes through the medium of laboratory astrophysical plasmas. The boundary conditions of large gravitational bodies, namely accretion disks, are replicated and allowed to influence a plasma over short timescales. Observation of the plasma is enabled through use of a variety of fast diagnostics, including an unequal path length, heterodyne, quadrature phase differential interferometer, the development and implementation of which is described in detail. The LabJet gun, a triple-electrode planar plasma gun featuring azimuthally symmetric gas injection achieves a new, long-duration, highly-stabilized, jet plasma formation. The line-integrated density in this new LabJet formation is found to be ne = (6 +/- 3)x1020 [m-2]. By observing the axial expansion rate of the jet over multiple chord locations (all perpendicular to the propagation axis), the interferometer provides an Alfvén velocity measurement of vA = 41.3 +/- 5.4 [km/s], which at the jet density observed indicates an axial magnetic field strength of Bz = 0.15 +/- 0.04 [T]. Various other laboratory components are also detailed, such as a shot-based MDSplus data storage architecture implemented into the LabVIEW experiment control code, and the production and performance of ten fast neutral gas injection valves which when fired in unison provide a total particle inventory of (7.8 +/- 0.6)x1023 [HI particles].

RoboLab and virtual environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giarratano, Joseph C.

1994-01-01

A useful adjunct to the manned space station would be a self-contained free-flying laboratory (RoboLab). This laboratory would have a robot operated under telepresence from the space station or ground. Long duration experiments aboard RoboLab could be performed by astronauts or scientists using telepresence to operate equipment and perform experiments. Operating the lab by telepresence would eliminate the need for life support such as food, water and air. The robot would be capable of motion in three dimensions, have binocular vision TV cameras, and two arms with manipulators to simulate hands. The robot would move along a two-dimensional grid and have a rotating, telescoping periscope section for extension in the third dimension. The remote operator would wear a virtual reality type headset to allow the superposition of computer displays over the real-time video of the lab. The operators would wear exoskeleton type arms to facilitate the movement of objects and equipment operation. The combination of video displays, motion, and the exoskeleton arms would provide a high degree of telepresence, especially for novice users such as scientists doing short-term experiments. The RoboLab could be resupplied and samples removed on other space shuttle flights. A self-contained RoboLab module would be designed to fit within the cargo bay of the space shuttle. Different modules could be designed for specific applications, i.e., crystal-growing, medicine, life sciences, chemistry, etc. This paper describes a RoboLab simulation using virtual reality (VR). VR provides an ideal simulation of telepresence before the actual robot and laboratory modules are constructed. The easy simulation of different telepresence designs will produce a highly optimum design before construction rather than the more expensive and time consuming hardware changes afterwards.

Continued Analysis of the NIST Neutron Lifetime Measurement Using Ultracold Neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffer, Craig; Huffman, P. R.; Schelhammer, K. W.; Dewey, M. S.; Huber, M. G.; Hughes, P. P.; Mumm, H. P.; Thompson, A. K.; Coakley, K.; Yue, A. T.; O'Shaughnessy, C. M.; Yang, L.

2013-10-01

The neutron lifetime is an important parameter for constraining the Standard Model and providing input for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. The current disagreement in the most recent generation of lifetime experiments suggests unknown or underestimated systematics and motivates the need for alternative measurement methods as well as additional investigations into potential systematics. Our measurement was performed using magnetically trapped Ultracold Neutrons in a 3.1 T Ioffe type trap configuration. The decay rate of the neutron population is recorded in real time by monitoring visible light resulting from beta decay. Data collected in late 2010 and early 2011 is being analyzed and systematic effects are being investigated. An overview of our current work on the analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, and systematic effects will be provided. This work was supported by the NSF and NIST.

Virtual Labs and Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehler, Ted

2006-12-01

Virtual Labs and Virtual Worlds Coastline Community College has under development several virtual lab simulations and activities that range from biology, to language labs, to virtual discussion environments. Imagine a virtual world that students enter online, by logging onto their computer from home or anywhere they have web access. Upon entering this world they select a personalized identity represented by a digitized character (avatar) that can freely move about, interact with the environment, and communicate with other characters. In these virtual worlds, buildings, gathering places, conference rooms, labs, science rooms, and a variety of other “real world” elements are evident. When characters move about and encounter other people (players) they may freely communicate. They can examine things, manipulate objects, read signs, watch video clips, hear sounds, and jump to other locations. Goals of critical thinking, social interaction, peer collaboration, group support, and enhanced learning can be achieved in surprising new ways with this innovative approach to peer-to-peer communication in a virtual discussion world. In this presentation, short demos will be given of several online learning environments including a virtual biology lab, a marine science module, a Spanish lab, and a virtual discussion world. Coastline College has been a leader in the development of distance learning and media-based education for nearly 30 years and currently offers courses through PDA, Internet, DVD, CD-ROM, TV, and Videoconferencing technologies. Its distance learning program serves over 20,000 students every year. sponsor Jerry Meisner

GeneLab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berrios, Daniel C.; Thompson, Terri G.

2015-01-01

NASA GeneLab is expected to capture and distribute omics data and experimental and process conditions most relevant to research community in their statistical and theoretical analysis of NASAs omics data.

Update of NIST half-life results corrected for ionization chamber source-holder instability.

PubMed

Unterweger, M P; Fitzgerald, R

2014-05-01

As reported at the ICRM 2011, it was discovered that the source holder used for calibrations in the NIST 4πγ ionization chamber (IC) was not stable. This has affected a large number of half-life measurement results previously reported and used in compilations of nuclear data. Corrections have been made on all of the half-life data based on the assumption that the changes to the ionization chamber response were gradual. The corrections are energy dependent and therefore radionuclide specific. This presentation will review our results and present the recommended changes in half-life values and/or uncertainties. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories Code-to-Code Comparison of Inter Lab Test Problem 1 for Asteroid Impact Hazard Mitigation

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

Weaver, Robert P.; Miller, Paul; Howley, Kirsten

The NNSA Laboratories have entered into an interagency collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to explore strategies for prevention of Earth impacts by asteroids. Assessment of such strategies relies upon use of sophisticated multi-physics simulation codes. This document describes the task of verifying and cross-validating, between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), modeling capabilities and methods to be employed as part of the NNSA-NASA collaboration. The approach has been to develop a set of test problems and then to compare and contrast results obtained by use of a suite of codes, includingmore » MCNP, RAGE, Mercury, Ares, and Spheral. This document provides a short description of the codes, an overview of the idealized test problems, and discussion of the results for deflection by kinetic impactors and stand-off nuclear explosions.« less

Awakening interest in the natural sciences - BASF's Kids' Labs.

PubMed

Lang, Cinthia

2012-01-01

At BASF's Ludwigshafen headquarters, kids and young adults in grades 1-13 can learn about chemistry in the Kids' Labs. Different programs exist for different levels of knowledge. In the two 'Hands-on Lab H(2)O & Co.' Kids' Labs, students from grades 1-6 explore the secrets of chemistry. BASF Kids' Labs have now been set up in over 30 countries. In Switzerland alone, almost 2,000 students have taken part in the 'Water Loves Chemistry' Kids' Lab since it was started in 2011. In Alsace, 600 students have participated to date. In the Teens' Lab 'Xplore Middle School', middle school students explore five different programs with the themes 'substance labyrinth', 'nutrition', 'coffee, caffeine & co.', 'cosmetics' and 'energy'. Biotechnological methods are the focus of the Teens' Lab 'Xplore Biotech' for students taking basic and advanced biology courses. In the 'Xplore High School' Teens' Lab, chemistry teachers present their own experimental lab instruction for students in basic and advanced chemistry courses. The Virtual Lab has been expanding the offerings of the BASF Kids' Labs since 2011. The online lab was developed by the company for the International Year Of Chemistry and gives kids and young adults the opportunity to do interactive experiments outside of the lab.

LabKey Server: an open source platform for scientific data integration, analysis and collaboration.

PubMed

Nelson, Elizabeth K; Piehler, Britt; Eckels, Josh; Rauch, Adam; Bellew, Matthew; Hussey, Peter; Ramsay, Sarah; Nathe, Cory; Lum, Karl; Krouse, Kevin; Stearns, David; Connolly, Brian; Skillman, Tom; Igra, Mark

2011-03-09

roughly 27,000 assay runs, 860,000 specimen vials and 1,300,000 vial transfers. Sharing data, analysis tools and infrastructure can speed the efforts of large research consortia by enhancing efficiency and enabling new insights. The Atlas installation of LabKey Server demonstrates the utility of the LabKey platform for collaborative research. Stable, supported builds of LabKey Server are freely available for download at http://www.labkey.org. Documentation and source code are available under the Apache License 2.0.

LabKey Server: An open source platform for scientific data integration, analysis and collaboration

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

organizations. It tracks roughly 27,000 assay runs, 860,000 specimen vials and 1,300,000 vial transfers. Conclusions Sharing data, analysis tools and infrastructure can speed the efforts of large research consortia by enhancing efficiency and enabling new insights. The Atlas installation of LabKey Server demonstrates the utility of the LabKey platform for collaborative research. Stable, supported builds of LabKey Server are freely available for download at http://www.labkey.org. Documentation and source code are available under the Apache License 2.0. PMID:21385461

Curricular Adaptations in Introductory Physics Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dreyfus, Benjamin W.; Ewell, Mary; Moore, Kimberly

2017-01-01

When curricular materials are disseminated to new sites, there can be a tension between fidelity to the original intent of the developers and adaptation to local needs. In this case study we look at a lab activity that was initially developed for an introductory physics for the life sciences (IPLS) course at the University of Maryland, then implemented at George Mason University with significant adaptations. The goals of the two implementations were overlapping, but also differed in ways that are reflected in the two versions of the lab. We compare student lab report data from the two sites to examine the impacts of the adaptation on how students engaged with the lab.

Lab architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crease, Robert P.

2008-04-01

There are few more dramatic illustrations of the vicissitudes of laboratory architecturethan the contrast between Building 20 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and its replacement, the Ray and Maria Stata Center. Building 20 was built hurriedly in 1943 as temporary housing for MIT's famous Rad Lab, the site of wartime radar research, and it remained a productive laboratory space for over half a century. A decade ago it was demolished to make way for the Stata Center, an architecturally striking building designed by Frank Gehry to house MIT's computer science and artificial intelligence labs (above). But in 2004 - just two years after the Stata Center officially opened - the building was criticized for being unsuitable for research and became the subject of still ongoing lawsuits alleging design and construction failures.

LabVIEW control software for scanning micro-beam X-ray fluorescence spectrometer.

PubMed

Wrobel, Pawel; Czyzycki, Mateusz; Furman, Leszek; Kolasinski, Krzysztof; Lankosz, Marek; Mrenca, Alina; Samek, Lucyna; Wegrzynek, Dariusz

2012-05-15

Confocal micro-beam X-ray fluorescence microscope was constructed. The system was assembled from commercially available components - a low power X-ray tube source, polycapillary X-ray optics and silicon drift detector - controlled by an in-house developed LabVIEW software. A video camera coupled to optical microscope was utilized to display the area excited by X-ray beam. The camera image calibration and scan area definition software were also based entirely on LabVIEW code. Presently, the main area of application of the newly constructed spectrometer is 2-dimensional mapping of element distribution in environmental, biological and geological samples with micrometer spatial resolution. The hardware and the developed software can already handle volumetric 3-D confocal scans. In this work, a front panel graphical user interface as well as communication protocols between hardware components were described. Two applications of the spectrometer, to homogeneity testing of titanium layers and to imaging of various types of grains in air particulate matter collected on membrane filters, were presented. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Generalized Nanosatellite Avionics Testbed Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frost, Chad R.; Sorgenfrei, Matthew C.; Nehrenz, Matt

2015-01-01

The Generalized Nanosatellite Avionics Testbed (G-NAT) lab at NASA Ames Research Center provides a flexible, easily accessible platform for developing hardware and software for advanced small spacecraft. A collaboration between the Mission Design Division and the Intelligent Systems Division, the objective of the lab is to provide testing data and general test protocols for advanced sensors, actuators, and processors for CubeSat-class spacecraft. By developing test schemes for advanced components outside of the standard mission lifecycle, the lab is able to help reduce the risk carried by advanced nanosatellite or CubeSat missions. Such missions are often allocated very little time for testing, and too often the test facilities must be custom-built for the needs of the mission at hand. The G-NAT lab helps to eliminate these problems by providing an existing suite of testbeds that combines easily accessible, commercial-offthe- shelf (COTS) processors with a collection of existing sensors and actuators.

NIST/ISAC standardization study: variability in assignment of intensity values to fluorescence standard beads and in cross calibration of standard beads to hard dyed beads.

PubMed

Hoffman, Robert A; Wang, Lili; Bigos, Martin; Nolan, John P

2012-09-01

Results from a standardization study cosponsored by the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC) and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are reported. The study evaluated the variability of assigning intensity values to fluorophore standard beads by bead manufacturers and the variability of cross calibrating the standard beads to stained polymer beads (hard-dyed beads) using different flow cytometers. Hard dyed beads are generally not spectrally matched to the fluorophores used to stain cells, and spectral response varies among flow cytometers. Thus if hard dyed beads are used as fluorescence calibrators, one expects calibration for specific fluorophores (e.g., FITC or PE) to vary among different instruments. Using standard beads surface-stained with specific fluorophores (FITC, PE, APC, and Pacific Blue™), the study compared the measured intensity of fluorophore standard beads to that of hard dyed beads through cross calibration on 133 different flow cytometers. Using robust CV as a measure of variability, the variation of cross calibrated values was typically 20% or more for a particular hard dyed bead in a specific detection channel. The variation across different instrument models was often greater than the variation within a particular instrument model. As a separate part of the study, NIST and four bead manufacturers used a NIST supplied protocol and calibrated fluorophore solution standards to assign intensity values to the fluorophore beads. Values assigned to the reference beads by different groups varied by orders of magnitude in most cases, reflecting differences in instrumentation used to perform the calibration. The study concluded that the use of any spectrally unmatched hard dyed bead as a general fluorescence calibrator must be verified and characterized for every particular instrument model. Close interaction between bead manufacturers and NIST is recommended to have reliable and uniformly assigned

Planning a Computer Lab: Considerations To Ensure Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

IALL Journal of Language Learning Technologies, 1994

1994-01-01

Presents points to consider when organizing a computer laboratory. These include the lab's overall objectives and how best to meet them; what type of students will use the lab; where the lab will be located; and what software and hardware can best meet the lab's overall objectives, population, and location requirements. Other factors include time,…

TQM in a Computer Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Dewey A.; Phillips, Julie A.

At the Purdue University School of Technology (PST) at Columbus, Indiana, the Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy was used in the computer laboratories to better meet student needs. A customer satisfaction survey was conducted to gather data on lab facilities, lab assistants, and hardware/software; other sections of the survey included…

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

Synthesis Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Scattering and Instrumentation Science Centers Center for Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Phone Book Jobs Search DOE Search MSD Go MSD - Materials Sciences Division About Organization Contact Research Core Programs Materials Discovery, Design and

Production and certification of NIST Standard Reference Material 2372 Human DNA Quantitation Standard.

PubMed

Kline, Margaret C; Duewer, David L; Travis, John C; Smith, Melody V; Redman, Janette W; Vallone, Peter M; Decker, Amy E; Butler, John M

2009-06-01

Modern highly multiplexed short tandem repeat (STR) assays used by the forensic human-identity community require tight control of the initial amount of sample DNA amplified in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process. This, in turn, requires the ability to reproducibly measure the concentration of human DNA, [DNA], in a sample extract. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) techniques can determine the number of intact stretches of DNA of specified nucleotide sequence in an extremely small sample; however, these assays must be calibrated with DNA extracts of well-characterized and stable composition. By 2004, studies coordinated by or reported to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) indicated that a well-characterized, stable human DNA quantitation certified reference material (CRM) could help the forensic community reduce within- and among-laboratory quantitation variability. To ensure that the stability of such a quantitation standard can be monitored and that, if and when required, equivalent replacement materials can be prepared, a measurement of some stable quantity directly related to [DNA] is required. Using a long-established conventional relationship linking optical density (properly designated as decadic attenuance) at 260 nm with [DNA] in aqueous solution, NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2372 Human DNA Quantitation Standard was issued in October 2007. This SRM consists of three quite different DNA extracts: a single-source male, a multiple-source female, and a mixture of male and female sources. All three SRM components have very similar optical densities, and thus very similar conventional [DNA]. The materials perform very similarly in several widely used gender-neutral assays, demonstrating that the combination of appropriate preparation methods and metrologically sound spectrophotometric measurements enables the preparation and certification of quantitation [DNA] standards that are both maintainable and of practical utility.

EPICS Channel Access Server for LabVIEW

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

Zhukov, Alexander P.

It can be challenging to interface National Instruments LabVIEW (http://www.ni.com/labview/) with EPICS (http://www.aps.anl.gov/epics/). Such interface is required when an instrument control program was developed in LabVIEW but it also has to be part of global control system. This is frequently useful in big accelerator facilities. The Channel Access Server is written in LabVIEW, so it works on any hardware/software platform where LabVIEW is available. It provides full server functionality, so any EPICS client can communicate with it.

A text input system developed by using lips image recognition based LabVIEW for the seriously disabled.

PubMed

Chen, S C; Shao, C L; Liang, C K; Lin, S W; Huang, T H; Hsieh, M C; Yang, C H; Luo, C H; Wuo, C M

2004-01-01

In this paper, we present a text input system for the seriously disabled by using lips image recognition based on LabVIEW. This system can be divided into the software subsystem and the hardware subsystem. In the software subsystem, we adopted the technique of image processing to recognize the status of mouth-opened or mouth-closed depending the relative distance between the upper lip and the lower lip. In the hardware subsystem, parallel port built in PC is used to transmit the recognized result of mouth status to the Morse-code text input system. Integrating the software subsystem with the hardware subsystem, we implement a text input system by using lips image recognition programmed in LabVIEW language. We hope the system can help the seriously disabled to communicate with normal people more easily.

Computations for Truck Sliding with TRUCK 3.1 Code

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-01

16 REFERENCES 1. L u. \\Villiam N.. Hobbs. Norman P. and Atkinson, Michael. TRUCK 3.1-An Improrcd Digital (’oiputtr Program for Calculating the Response...for Operations and Plans ATIN: Technical Libary Director of Chemical & Nuear Operations Dpartnt of the AIW Waskbington, DC 20310 1 Cocaeder US Ay...Lawrenoe Livermore Lab. ATIN: Code 2124, Tedhnical ATTN: Tech Info Dept L-3 Reports Libary P.O. Be 808 Monterey, CA 93940 Livermore, CA 94550 AFSC

Future{at}Labs.Prosperity Game{trademark}

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

Beck, D.F.; Boyack, K.W.; Berman, M.

Prosperity Games{trademark} are an outgrowth and adaptation of move/countermove and seminar War Games, Prosperity Games{trademark} are simulations that explore complex issues in a variety of areas including economics, politics, sociology, environment, education, and research. These issues can be examined from a variety of perspectives ranging from global, macroeconomic and geopolitical viewpoint down to the details of customer/supplier/market interactions specific industries. All Prosperity Games{trademark} are unique in that both the game format and the player contributions vary from game to game. This report documents the Future{at}Labs.Prosperity Game{trademark} conducted under the sponsorship of the Industry Advisory Boards of the national labs, themore » national labs, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and the University of California. Players were drawn from all stakeholders involved including government, industry, labs, and academia. The primary objectives of this game were to: (1) explore ways to optimize the role of the multidisciplinary labs in serving national missions and needs; (2) explore ways to increase collaboration and partnerships among government, laboratories, universities, and industry; and (3) create a network of partnership champions to promote findings and policy options. The deliberations and recommendations of these players provided valuable insights as to the views of this diverse group of decision makers concerning the future of the labs.« less

Design of inquiry-oriented science labs: impacts on students' attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baseya, J. M.; Francis, C. D.

2011-11-01

Background: Changes in lab style can lead to differences in learning. Two inquiry-oriented lab styles are guided inquiry (GI) and problem-based (PB). Students' attitudes towards lab are important to consider when choosing between GI and PB styles during curriculum design. Purpose: We examined the degree to which lab experiences are explained by a GI or a PB lab style vs. students' attitudes towards specific aspects of the experience, reflected by perceived excitement (exc), difficulty (dif), time efficiency (eff) and association between lab and lecture material (help). Sample: Approximately 1000 students attending first-semester, college biology lab for science majors at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, participated in the study. Design and method: In 2007, two labs were run as GI and one as PB. Formats were switched in 2008. Attitudes were assessed with a post-semester survey. Results: Only the four attitude variables (not lab style) had a strong relationship with overall lab rating which was most strongly related to exc, followed by dif and help/eff. Dif and eff had the greatest influence on attitudes for or against GI vs. PB labs, and help and exc had little influence on a GI vs. a PB lab. Also, when dif was low, students' attitudes were not significantly different between PB and GI labs, but when dif was high, students' significantly rated GI labs higher than PB labs. Conclusions: Students' attitudes towards lab are more dependent on specific aspects of the experience than on lab style. Changes in GI vs. PB lab styles primarily influence dif and eff rather than exc and help. Dif may be an important factor to consider when implementing a lab in the PB vs. the GI format. It might be good to go with a GI when dif is high and a PB when dif is low.

Spike-train acquisition, analysis and real-time experimental control using a graphical programming language (LabView).

PubMed

Nordstrom, M A; Mapletoft, E A; Miles, T S

1995-11-01

A solution is described for the acquisition on a personal computer of standard pulses derived from neuronal discharge, measurement of neuronal discharge times, real-time control of stimulus delivery based on specified inter-pulse interval conditions in the neuronal spike train, and on-line display and analysis of the experimental data. The hardware consisted of an Apple Macintosh IIci computer and a plug-in card (National Instruments NB-MIO16) that supports A/D, D/A, digital I/O and timer functions. The software was written in the object-oriented graphical programming language LabView. Essential elements of the source code of the LabView program are presented and explained. The use of the system is demonstrated in an experiment in which the reflex responses to muscle stretch are assessed for a single motor unit in the human masseter muscle.

Modifications to the NIST reference measurement procedure (RMP) for the determination of serum glucose by isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Prendergast, Jocelyn L; Sniegoski, Lorna T; Welch, Michael J; Phinney, Karen W

2010-07-01

The definitive method (DM), now known as the reference measurement procedure (RMP), for the analysis of glucose in serum was originally published in 1982 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Over the years the method has been subject to a number of modifications to adapt to newer technologies and simplify sample preparation. We discuss here an adaptation of the method associated with serum glucose measurements using a modified isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (ID-GC/MS) method. NIST has used this modified method to certify the concentrations of glucose in SRM 965b, Glucose in Frozen Human Serum, and SRM 1950, Metabolites in Human Plasma. Comparison of results from the revised method with certified values for existing Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) demonstrated that these modifications have not affected the quality of the measurements, giving both good precision and accuracy, while reducing the sample preparation time by a day and a half.

Science Lab: A Peer Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ronca, Courtney C.

The two goals of this program were to increase the number of classroom teachers using the lab and to increase the amount of time that the science lab was used. The solution strategy chosen was a combination of peer tutoring, orientation presentations, small group discovery experiments and activities, and individual science experiment stations. The…

Ultra-Low Level Plutonium Isotopes in the NIST SRM 4355A (Peruvian Soil-1)

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

Inn, Kenneth G.; LaRosa, Jerome; Nour, Svetlana

2009-05-31

For more than 20 years, countries and their agencies which monitor discharge sites and storage facilities have relied on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) 4355 Peruvian Soil reference material. Its low fallout contamination makes it an ideal soil blank for measurements associated with terrestrial pathway to man studies. Presently, SRM 4355 is out of stock, and a new batch of the Peruvian soil is currently under development as future NIST SRM 4355A. Both environmental radioanalytical laboratories and mass spectrometry communities will benefit from this SRM. The former must assess their laboratory contamination andmore » measurement detection limits by measurement of blank sample material. The Peruvian Soil is so low in anthropogenic radionuclides that it is a suitable virtual blank. On the other hand, mass spectrometric laboratories have high sensitivity instruments that are capable of quantitative isotopic measurements at low plutonium levels of the SRM 4355 (first Peruvian Soil SRM) that provided the mass spectrometric community with the calibration, quality control, and testing material needed for methods development, and legal defensibility. The quantification of the ultra-low plutonium content in the SRM 4355A was a considerable challenge for the mass spectrometric laboratories. Careful blank control and correction, isobaric interferences, instrument stability, peak assessment, and detection assessment were necessary. Furthermore, a systematic statistical evaluation of the measurement results and considerable discussions with the mass spectroscopy metrologists were needed to derive the certified values and uncertainties. SRM 4355A will provide the mass spectrometric community with the quality control and testing material needed for higher sensitivity methods development, and legal defensibility.« less

Ultra-low level plutonium isotopes in the NIST SRM 4355A (Peruvian Soil-1).

PubMed

Inn, Kenneth G W; LaRosa, Jerome; Nour, Svetlana; Brooks, George; LaMont, Steve; Steiner, Rob; Williams, Ross; Patton, Brad; Bostick, Debbie; Eiden, Gregory; Petersen, Steve; Douglas, Matthew; Beals, Donna; Cadieux, James; Hall, Greg; Goldberg, Steve; Vogt, Stephan

2009-05-01

For more than 20 years, countries and their agencies which monitor radionuclide discharge sites and storage facilities have relied on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) 4355 Peruvian Soil. Its low fallout contamination makes it an ideal soil blank for measurements associated with terrestrial-pathway-to-man studies. Presently, SRM 4355 is out of stock, and a new batch of the Peruvian soil is currently under development as future NIST SRM 4355A. Both environmental radioanalytical laboratories and mass spectrometry communities will benefit from the use of this SRM. The former must assess their laboratory procedural contamination and measurement detection limits by measurement of blank sample material. The Peruvian Soil is so low in anthropogenic radionuclide content that it is a suitable virtual blank. On the other hand, mass spectrometric laboratories have high sensitivity instruments that are capable of quantitative isotopic measurements at low plutonium levels in the SRM 4355 (first Peruvian Soil SRM) that provided the mass spectrometric community with the calibration, quality control, and testing material needed for methods development and legal defensibility. The quantification of the ultra-low plutonium content in the SRM 4355A was a considerable challenge for the mass spectrometric laboratories. Careful blank control and correction, isobaric interferences, instrument stability, peak assessment, and detection assessment were necessary. Furthermore, a systematic statistical evaluation of the measurement results and considerable discussions with the mass spectroscopy metrologists were needed to derive the certified values and uncertainties. The one sided upper limit of the 95% tolerance with 95% confidence for the massic (239)Pu content in SRM 4355A is estimated to be 54,000 atoms/g.

From big data analysis in the cloud to robotic pot drumming: tales from the Met Office Informatics Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Niall; Tomlinson, Jacob; Prudden, Rachel; Hilson, Alex; Arribas, Alberto

2017-04-01

The Met Office Informatics Lab is a small multidisciplinary team which sits between science, technology and design. Our mission is simply "to make Met Office data useful" - a deliberately broad objective. Our prototypes often trial cutting edge technologies, and so far have included projects such as virtual reality data visualisation in the web browser, bots and natural language interfaces, and artificially intelligent weather warnings. In this talk we focus on our latest project, Jade, a big data analysis platform in the cloud. It is a powerful, flexible and simple to use implementation which makes extensive use of technologies such as Jupyter, Dask, containerisation, Infrastructure as Code, and auto-scaling. Crucially, Jade is flexible enough to be used for a diverse set of applications: it can present weather forecast information to meteorologists and allow climate scientists to analyse big data sets, but it is also effective for analysing non-geospatial data. As well as making data useful, the Informatics Lab also trials new working practises. In this presentation, we will talk about our experience of making a group like the Lab successful.

LANGUAGE LABS--AN UPDATED REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1963

REPORTS FROM SEVERAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON THE USE OF AND PLANNING OF LANGUAGE LABORATORIES ARE PRESENTED. LABORATORIES SHOULD BE ARRANGED FOR FLEXIBLE USE. THE AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CAN USE A LAB PROFITABLY FOR 20 TO 25 MINUTES. THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LANGUAGE LABORATORIES THAT ARE DESCRIBED. THE SATELLITE LAB IS DIVIDED BY A…

Academic Pipeline and Futures Lab

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

AFRL-RY-WP-TR-2015-0186 ACADEMIC PIPELINE AND FUTURES LAB Brian D. Rigling Wright State University FEBRUARY 2016...DD-MM-YY) 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) February 2016 Final 12 June 2009 – 30 September 2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE ACADEMIC ...6 3 WSU ACADEMIC PIPELINE AND LAYERED SENSING FUTURES LAB (prepared by K

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

Synthesis Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Scattering and Instrumentation Science Centers Center for materials and phenomena at multiple time and length scales. Through our core programs and research centers Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Phone Book Jobs Search DOE Search MSD Go MSD - Materials

Role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Support of the Vitamin D Initiative of the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.

PubMed

Wise, Stephen A; Tai, Susan S-C; Burdette, Carolyn Q; Camara, Johanna E; Bedner, Mary; Lippa, Katrice A; Nelson, Michael A; Nalin, Federica; Phinney, Karen W; Sander, Lane C; Betz, Joseph M; Sempos, Christopher T; Coates, Paul M

2017-09-01

Since 2005, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has collaborated with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) to improve the quality of measurements related to human nutritional markers of vitamin D status. In support of the NIH-ODS Vitamin D Initiative, including the Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP), NIST efforts have focused on (1) development of validated analytical methods, including reference measurement procedures (RMPs); (2) development of Standard Reference Materials (SRMs); (3) value assignment of critical study samples using NIST RMPs; and (4) development and coordination of laboratory measurement QA programs. As a result of this collaboration, NIST has developed RMPs for 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 [25(OH)D2], 25(OH)D3, and 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [24R,25(OH)2D3]; disseminated serum-based SRMs with values assigned for 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3, 3-epi-25(OH)D3, and 24R,25(OH)2D3; assigned values for critical samples for VDSP studies, including an extensive interlaboratory comparison and reference material commutability study; provided an accuracy basis for the Vitamin D External Quality Assurance Scheme; coordinated the first accuracy-based measurement QA program for the determination of 25(OH)D2, 25(OH)D3, and 3-epi-25(OH)D3 in human serum/plasma; and developed methods and SRMs for the determination of vitamin D and 25(OH)D in food and supplement matrix SRMs. The details of these activities and their benefit and impact to the NIH-ODS Vitamin D Initiative are described.

Towards a Manifesto for Living Lab Co-creation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Følstad, Asbjørn; Brandtzæg, Petter Bae; Gulliksen, Jan; Börjeson, Mikael; Näkki, Pirjo

There is a growing interest in Living Labs for innovation and development in the field of information and communication technology. In particular there seem to be a tendency that current Living Labs aim to involve users for co-creative purposes. However, the current literature on Living Lab co-creation is severely limited. Therefore an Interact workshop is arranged as a first step towards a manifesto for Living Lab co-creation.

Metabolite profiling of a NIST Standard Reference Material for human plasma (SRM 1950): GC-MS, LC-MS, NMR, and clinical laboratory analyses, libraries, and web-based resources.

PubMed

Simón-Manso, Yamil; Lowenthal, Mark S; Kilpatrick, Lisa E; Sampson, Maureen L; Telu, Kelly H; Rudnick, Paul A; Mallard, W Gary; Bearden, Daniel W; Schock, Tracey B; Tchekhovskoi, Dmitrii V; Blonder, Niksa; Yan, Xinjian; Liang, Yuxue; Zheng, Yufang; Wallace, William E; Neta, Pedatsur; Phinney, Karen W; Remaley, Alan T; Stein, Stephen E

2013-12-17

Recent progress in metabolomics and the development of increasingly sensitive analytical techniques have renewed interest in global profiling, i.e., semiquantitative monitoring of all chemical constituents of biological fluids. In this work, we have performed global profiling of NIST SRM 1950, "Metabolites in Human Plasma", using GC-MS, LC-MS, and NMR. Metabolome coverage, difficulties, and reproducibility of the experiments on each platform are discussed. A total of 353 metabolites have been identified in this material. GC-MS provides 65 unique identifications, and most of the identifications from NMR overlap with the LC-MS identifications, except for some small sugars that are not directly found by LC-MS. Also, repeatability and intermediate precision analyses show that the SRM 1950 profiling is reproducible enough to consider this material as a good choice to distinguish between analytical and biological variability. Clinical laboratory data shows that most results are within the reference ranges for each assay. In-house computational tools have been developed or modified for MS data processing and interactive web display. All data and programs are freely available online at http://peptide.nist.gov/ and http://srmd.nist.gov/ .

Long-Term Stability of the NIST Conical Reference Transducer.

PubMed

Fick, Steven E; Proctor, Thomas M

2011-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Conical Reference Transducer (CRT) is designed for purposes requiring frequency response characteristics much more uniform than those attainable with ultrasonic transducers conventionally used for acoustic emission (AE) nondestructive testing. The high performance of the CRT results from the use of design elements radically different from those of conventional transducers. The CRT was offered for sale for 15 years (1985 to 2000). Each CRT was furnished with data which expressed, as a function of frequency, the transducer sensitivity in volts per micrometer of normal displacement on the test block. Of the 22 transducers constructed, eight were reserved for long term research and were stored undisturbed in a laboratory with well controlled temperature and humidity. In 2009, the sensitivities of these eight units were redetermined. The 2009 data have been compared with data from similar tests conducted in 1985. The results of this comparison verify the claim "Results of tests of the long term stability of CRT characteristics indicate that, if proper care is taken, tens of years of service can reasonably be expected." made in the CRT specifications document furnished to prospective customers.

MineLoC: A Rapid Production of Lab-on-a-Chip Biosensors Using 3D Printer and the Sandbox Game, Minecraft.

PubMed

Kim, Kyukwang; Kim, Hyeongkeun; Kim, Seunggyu; Jeon, Jessie S

2018-06-10

Here, MineLoC is described as a pipeline developed to generate 3D printable models of master templates for Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) by using a popular multi-player sandbox game “Minecraft”. The user can draw a simple diagram describing the channels and chambers of the Lab-on-a-Chip devices with pre-registered color codes which indicate the height of the generated structure. MineLoC converts the diagram into large chunks of blocks (equal sized cube units composing every object in the game) in the game world. The user and co-workers can simultaneously access the game and edit, modify, or review, which is a feature not generally supported by conventional design software. Once the review is complete, the resultant structure can be exported into a stereolithography (STL) file which can be used in additive manufacturing. Then, the Lab-on-a-Chip device can be fabricated by the standard protocol to produce a Lab-on-a-Chip. The simple polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device for the bacterial growth measurement used in the previous research was copied by the proposed method. The error calculation by a 3D model comparison showed an accuracy of 86%. It is anticipated that this work will facilitate more use of 3D printer-based Lab-on-a-Chip fabrication, which greatly lowers the entry barrier in the field of Lab-on-a-Chip research.

Berkeley Lab 2nd Grader Outreach

ScienceCinema

Scoggins, Jackie; Louie, Virginia

2017-12-11

The Berkeley Lab IT Department sponsored a community outreach program aimed at teaching young children about computers and networks. Second graders from LeConte Elementary School joined Lab IT Staff for a day of in-depth exercises and fun.

A Tutorial on Interfacing the Object Management Group (OMG) Data Distribution Service (DDS) with LabView

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Kevin

2011-01-01

This tutorial will explain the concepts and steps for interfacing a National Instruments LabView virtual instrument (VI) running on a Windows platform with another computer via the Object Management Group (OMG) Data Distribution Service (DDS) as implemented by the Twin Oaks Computing CoreDX. This paper is for educational purposes only and therefore, the referenced source code will be simplistic and void of all error checking. Implementation will be accomplished using the C programming language.

Labs: 1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Igelsrud, Don, Ed.

1988-01-01

This article presents a variety of topics discussed in this column and at a biology teachers' workshop concerning the quality and value of lab techniques used for teaching high school biology. Topics included are Drosophila salivary glands, sea urchins, innovations, dyes and networking. (CW)

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

-486-6999 Urgent Radiation Protection Group Assistance Non-Life Threatening Event 24/7 Lab Phone: x7277 : 911 (no extentions required now) Non-Emergency Reporting (Fire and Police) Non-Life Threatening Event Spill Non-Life Threatening Event 24/7 Lab Phone: x6999 Cell Phone: 510-486-6999 Off Site Locations: 510

Report from the banding lab

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tautin, J.

1995-01-01

Mr. Tautin reported on the seemingly everchanging structure of biological science units within the Interior Department. Current Congressional proposals would either change the name of the Bird Banding Lab's parent agency or make it part of the Geological Survey. The current Congress has not looked favorably on science budgets within the Interior Department, and the Banding Lab's budget is being squeezed ever tighter.

Computer-based Astronomy Labs for Non-science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, A. B. E.; Murray, S. D.; Ward, R. A.

1998-12-01

We describe and demonstrate two laboratory exercises, Kepler's Third Law and Stellar Structure, which are being developed for use in an astronomy laboratory class aimed at non-science majors. The labs run with Microsoft's Excel 98 (Macintosh) or Excel 97 (Windows). They can be run in a classroom setting or in an independent learning environment. The intent of the labs is twofold; first and foremost, students learn the subject matter through a series of informational frames. Next, students enhance their understanding by applying their knowledge in lab procedures, while also gaining familiarity with the use and power of a widely-used software package and scientific tool. No mathematical knowledge beyond basic algebra is required to complete the labs or to understand the computations in the spreadsheets, although the students are exposed to the concepts of numerical integration. The labs are contained in Excel workbook files. In the files are multiple spreadsheets, which contain either a frame with information on how to run the lab, material on the subject, or one or more procedures. Excel's VBA macro language is used to automate the labs. The macros are accessed through button interfaces positioned on the spreadsheets. This is done intentionally so that students can focus on learning the subject matter and the basic spreadsheet features without having to learn advanced Excel features all at once. Students open the file and progress through the informational frames to the procedures. After each procedure, student comments and data are automatically recorded in a preformatted Lab Report spreadsheet. Once all procedures have been completed, the student is prompted for a filename in which to save their Lab Report. The lab reports can then be printed or emailed to the instructor. The files will have full worksheet and workbook protection, and will have a "redo" feature at the end of the lab for students who want to repeat a procedure.

Evaluation of oral microbiology lab curriculum reform.

PubMed

Nie, Min; Gao, Zhen Y; Wu, Xin Y; Jiang, Chen X; Du, Jia H

2015-12-07

According to the updated concept of oral microbiology, the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, has carried out oral microbiology teaching reforms during the last 5 years. There was no lab curriculum before 2009 except for a theory course of oral microbiology. The school has implemented an innovative curriculum with oral medicine characteristics to strengthen understanding of knowledge, cultivate students' scientific interest and develop their potential, to cultivate the comprehensive ability of students. This study was designed to evaluate the oral microbiology lab curriculum by analyzing student performance and perceptions regarding the curriculum from 2009 to 2013. The lab curriculum adopted modalities for cooperative learning. Students collected dental plaque from each other and isolated the cariogenic bacteria with selective medium plates. Then they purified the enrichment culture medium and identified the cariogenic strains by Gram stain and biochemical tests. Both quantitative and qualitative data for 5 years were analysed in this study. Part One of the current study assessed student performance in the lab from 2009 to 2013. Part Two used qualitative means to assess students' perceptions by an open questionnaire. The 271 study students' grades on oral microbiology improved during the lab curriculum: "A" grades rose from 60.5 to 81.2 %, and "C" grades fell from 28.4 to 6.3 %. All students considered the lab curriculum to be interesting and helpful. Quantitative and qualitative data converge to suggest that the lab curriculum has strengthened students' grasp of important microbiology-related theory, cultivated their scientific interest, and developed their potential and comprehensive abilities. Our student performance and perception data support the continued use of the innovative teaching system. As an extension and complement of the theory course, the oral microbiology lab curriculum appears to improve the quality of oral medicine education and help to

The Design of Integrated Information System for High Voltage Metering Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yan; Yang, Yi; Xu, Guangke; Gu, Chao; Zou, Lida; Yang, Feng

2018-01-01

With the development of smart grid, intelligent and informatization management of high-voltage metering lab become increasingly urgent. In the paper we design an integrated information system, which automates the whole transactions from accepting instruments, make experiments, generating report, report signature to instrument claims. Through creating database for all the calibrated instruments, using two-dimensional code, integrating report templates in advance, establishing bookmarks and online transmission of electronical signatures, our manual procedures reduce largely. These techniques simplify the complex process of account management and report transmission. After more than a year of operation, our work efficiency improves about forty percent averagely, and its accuracy rate and data reliability are much higher as well.

Innovation - A view from the Lab

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The USDA Ag Lab in Peoria helps bridge the gap between agricultural producers and commercial manufacturers. In 2015, the Ag Lab, officially known as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR), is celebrating 75 years of research in Peoria. T...

LABS Foundational Technology

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

Olson, Jerry

2012-01-01

They are the inventors of our generation dedicated to exceptional science, advancing the technologies of tomorrow. CO-LABS honors the outstanding achievements of researchers and their impact on the world.

RELAP5 Application to Accident Analysis of the NIST Research Reactor

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

Baek, J.; Cuadra Gascon, A.; Cheng, L.Y.

Detailed safety analyses have been performed for the 20 MW D{sub 2}O moderated research reactor (NBSR) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The time-dependent analysis of the primary system is determined with a RELAP5 transient analysis model that includes the reactor vessel, the pump, heat exchanger, fuel element geometry, and flow channels for both the six inner and twenty-four outer fuel elements. A post-processing of the simulation results has been conducted to evaluate minimum critical heat flux ratio (CHFR) using the Sudo-Kaminaga correlation. Evaluations are performed for the following accidents: (1) the control rod withdrawal startup accidentmore » and (2) the maximum reactivity insertion accident. In both cases the RELAP5 results indicate that there is adequate margin to CHF and no damage to the fuel will occur because of sufficient coolant flow through the fuel channels and the negative scram reactivity insertion.« less

ReactorHealth Physics operations at the NIST center for neutron research.

PubMed

Johnston, Thomas P

2015-02-01

Performing health physics and radiation safety functions under a special nuclear material license and a research and test reactor license at a major government research and development laboratory encompasses many elements not encountered by industrial, general, or broad scope licenses. This article reviews elements of the health physics and radiation safety program at the NIST Center for Neutron Research, including the early history and discovery of the neutron, applications of neutron research, reactor overview, safety and security of radiation sources and radioactive material, and general health physics procedures. These comprise precautions and control of tritium, training program, neutron beam sample processing, laboratory audits, inventory and leak tests, meter calibration, repair and evaluation, radioactive waste management, and emergency response. In addition, the radiation monitoring systems will be reviewed including confinement building monitoring, ventilation filter radiation monitors, secondary coolant monitors, gaseous fission product monitors, gas monitors, ventilation tritium monitor, and the plant effluent monitor systems.

Determination of the δ34S of low-concentration sulfate in water; RSIL lab code 1949

USGS Publications Warehouse

Revesz, Kinga; Qi, Haiping; Coplen, Tyler B.

2006-01-01

The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 1949 is to determine the δ(34S/32S), abbreviated as δ34S, of dissolved sulfate having a concentration less than 20 milligrams per liter. Dissolved sulfate is collected on an anion-exchange resin in the field, eluted in the laboratory with 3 M KCl, and precipitated with BaCl2 at pH 3 to 4 as BaSO4. The precipitated BaSO4 is filtered and dried before introduction into an elemental analyzer (EA) Carlo Erba NC 2500. The EA is used to convert sulfur in a BaSO4 solid sample into SO2 gas, and the EA is connected to a continuous flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS), which determines differences in the isotope-amount ratios of stable sulfur isotopes (34S/32S) of the product SO2 gas. The combustion is quantitative; no isotopic fractionation is involved. Samples are placed in a tin capsule and loaded into the Costech Zero Blank Autosampler of the EA. Under computer control, samples are dropped into a heated reaction tube that combines the oxidation and reduction reactions. The combustion takes place in a helium atmosphere containing an excess of oxygen gas at the oxidation zone at the top of the reaction tube. Combustion products are transported by a helium carrier through the reduction zone at the bottom of the reaction tube to remove excess oxygen and through a separate drying tube to remove any water. The gas-phase products, mainly CO2, N2, and SO2, are separated by a gas chromatograph. The gas is then introduced into the isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) through a Finnigan MAT (now Thermo Scientific) ConFlo II interface, which is also used to inject SO2 reference gas and helium for sample dilution. The IRMS is a Thermo Scientific Delta V Plus CF-IRMS. It has a universal triple collector with two wide cups and a narrow cup in the middle. It is capable of measuring mass/charge (m/z) 64 and 66 simultaneously. The ion beams from SO2 are as follows: m/z 64 = SO2 = 32S16O16O; m/z 66 = SO2 = 34S

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Phone Book Jobs Search DOE Search MSD Go MSD - Materials Investigators Ager, Joel W » Alivisatos, A Paul » Altman, Ehud » Analytis, James » Anderson, Christopher  , Naomi » Gullikson, Eric M » Harris, Stephen J » Hasan, M. Zahid » Hellman, Frances » Helms, Brett A

Experiential Learning of Digital Communication Using LabVIEW

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhan, Wei; Porter, Jay R.; Morgan, Joseph A.

2014-01-01

This paper discusses the design and implementation of laboratories and course projects using LabVIEW in an instrumentation course. The pedagogical challenge is to enhance students' learning of digital communication using LabVIEW. LabVIEW was extensively used in the laboratory sessions, which better prepared students for the course projects. Two…

Practical Physics Labs: A Resource Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Peter

This resource manual focuses on physics labs that relate to the world around us and utilize simple equipment and situations. Forty-five laboratories are included that relate to thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, dynamics, optics, wave transmission, centripetal force, and atomic physics. Each lab has three sections. The first section…

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program line the railings of an observation deck overlooking the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program try out some of the machinery inside the Prototype Lab at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Florida spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Mike Lane demonstrates a 3D scanner inside the NASA Kennedy Space Center Prototype Lab for students in the My Brother’s Keeper program. The Florida spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Harold (Russ) McAmis demonstrates machinery inside NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Prototype Lab for students in the My Brother’s Keeper program. The Florida spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Jose Nunez of NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Research and Technology Programs talks to students in the My Brother’s Keeper program outside the Florida spaceport’s Swamp Works Lab. Kennedy is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

Terminal Ballistic Application of Hydrodynamic Computer Code Calculations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-04-01

F1’T.D—AO*I 065 BALLISTIC RESEARCH LABS ABnoflN PR0VIM eRotic j~o NTERMiNAL BALLISIIC APPLICATION OF HYDRODYNAMIC C~I~~U7ER COVE CA—ET C(U) I APR 77...this short- coming of the code, design solutions using a combined calculational and empirical design procedure were tried . 18 --- - -- -- - --- -rn...In this calculation , the exp losive was conf ined on its periphery by a steel casing. The calculated liner shape is shown at 18 m icroseconds af

Baseball Physics: A New Mechanics Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagoner, Kasey; Flanagan, Daniel

2018-05-01

The game of baseball provides an interesting laboratory for experimenting with mechanical phenomena (there are many good examples in The Physics Teacher, available on Professor Alan Nathan's website, and discussed in Physics of Baseball & Softball). We have developed a lab, for an introductory-level physics course, that investigates many of these phenomena. The lab uses inexpensive, readily available equipment such as wooden baseball bats, baseballs, and actual Major League Baseball data. By the end of the lab, students have revisited many concepts they learned earlier in the semester and come away with an understanding of how to put seemingly disparate ideas together to analyze a fun sport.

Teaching Chemistry Lab Safety through Comics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Raddo, Pasquale

2006-04-01

As a means for raising students' interest in aspects pertaining to chemistry lab safety, this article presents a novel approach to teaching this important subject. Comic book lab scenes that involve fictional characters familiar to many students are presented and discussed as to the safety concerns represented in those images. These are discussed in a safety prelab session. For the sake of comparison, students are then shown images taken from current chemistry journals of safety-conscious contemporary chemists at work in their labs. Finally the need to adhere to copyright regulations for the use of the images is discussed so as to increase students' awareness of academic honesty and copyright issues.

Hydrogel Beads: The New Slime Lab?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brockway, Debra; Libera, Matthew; Welner, Heidi

2011-01-01

Creating slime fascinates students. Unfortunately, though intrigue is at its peak, the educational aspect of this activity is often minimal. This article describes a chemistry lab that closely relates to the slime lab and allows high school students to explore the concepts of chemical bonding, properties, and replacement reactions. It involves the…

Interactive, Online, Adsorption Lab to Support Discovery of the Scientific Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, K. C.; Ulery, A. L.; Chamberlin, B.; Dettmer, A.

2014-12-01

Science students require more than methods practice in lab activities; they must gain an understanding of the application of the scientific process through lab work. Large classes, time constraints, and funding may limit student access to science labs, denying students access to the types of experiential learning needed to motivate and develop new scientists. Interactive, discovery-based computer simulations and virtual labs provide an alternative, low-risk opportunity for learners to engage in lab processes and activities. Students can conduct experiments, collect data, draw conclusions, and even abort a session. We have developed an online virtual lab, through which students can interactively develop as scientists as they learn about scientific concepts, lab equipment, and proper lab techniques. Our first lab topic is adsorption of chemicals to soil, but the methodology is transferrable to other topics. In addition to learning the specific procedures involved in each lab, the online activities will prompt exploration and practice in key scientific and mathematical concepts, such as unit conversion, significant digits, assessing risks, evaluating bias, and assessing quantity and quality of data. These labs are not designed to replace traditional lab instruction, but to supplement instruction on challenging or particularly time-consuming concepts. To complement classroom instruction, students can engage in a lab experience outside the lab and over a shorter time period than often required with real-world adsorption studies. More importantly, students can reflect, discuss, review, and even fail at their lab experience as part of the process to see why natural processes and scientific approaches work the way they do. Our Media Productions team has completed a series of online digital labs available at virtuallabs.nmsu.edu and scienceofsoil.com, and these virtual labs are being integrated into coursework to evaluate changes in student learning.

Bituminous Mixtures Lab

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-07-25

The Bituminous Mixtures Laboratory (BML) specializes in the research of asphalt pavement mixtures. This lab supports FHWA's efforts to develop, evaluate and improve materials, mixture design technology and performance-based tests for asphalt paving m...

Seeing an Old Lab in a New Light: Transforming a Traditional Optics Lab into Full Guided Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maley, Tim; Stoll, Will; Demir, Kadir

2013-01-01

This paper describes the authors' experiences transforming a "cookbook" lab into an inquiry-based investigation and the powerful effect the inquiry-oriented lab had on our students' understanding of lenses. We found the inquiry-oriented approach led to richer interactions between students as well as a deeper conceptual…

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program watch as Jose Nunez of NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Research and Technology Programs demonstrates some of the hardware in the Electrostatic and Surface Physics Lab at the Florida spaceport. Kennedy is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program listen as Jose Nunez of NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Research and Technology Programs explains some of the hardware in the Electrostatic and Surface Physics Lab at the Florida spaceport. Kennedy is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

GeoLab: A Geological Workstation for Future Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Cynthia; Calaway, Michael; Bell, Mary Sue; Li, Zheng; Tong, Shuo; Zhong, Ye; Dahiwala, Ravi

2014-01-01

The GeoLab glovebox was, until November 2012, fully integrated into NASA's Deep Space Habitat (DSH) Analog Testbed. The conceptual design for GeoLab came from several sources, including current research instruments (Microgravity Science Glovebox) used on the International Space Station, existing Astromaterials Curation Laboratory hardware and clean room procedures, and mission scenarios developed for earlier programs. GeoLab allowed NASA scientists to test science operations related to contained sample examination during simulated exploration missions. The team demonstrated science operations that enhance theThe GeoLab glovebox was, until November 2012, fully integrated into NASA's Deep Space Habitat (DSH) Analog Testbed. The conceptual design for GeoLab came from several sources, including current research instruments (Microgravity Science Glovebox) used on the International Space Station, existing Astromaterials Curation Laboratory hardware and clean room procedures, and mission scenarios developed for earlier programs. GeoLab allowed NASA scientists to test science operations related to contained sample examination during simulated exploration missions. The team demonstrated science operations that enhance the early scientific returns from future missions and ensure that the best samples are selected for Earth return. The facility was also designed to foster the development of instrument technology. Since 2009, when GeoLab design and construction began, the GeoLab team [a group of scientists from the Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office within the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Directorate at JSC] has progressively developed and reconfigured the GeoLab hardware and software interfaces and developed test objectives, which were to 1) determine requirements and strategies for sample handling and prioritization for geological operations on other planetary surfaces, 2) assess the scientific contribution of selective in-situ sample

Characterization of NIST human mitochondrial DNA SRM-2392 and SRM-2392-I standard reference materials by next generation sequencing.

PubMed

Riman, Sarah; Kiesler, Kevin M; Borsuk, Lisa A; Vallone, Peter M

2017-07-01

Standard Reference Materials SRM 2392 and 2392-I are intended to provide quality control when amplifying and sequencing human mitochondrial genome sequences. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offers these SRMs to laboratories performing DNA-based forensic human identification, molecular diagnosis of mitochondrial diseases, mutation detection, evolutionary anthropology, and genetic genealogy. The entire mtGenome (∼16569bp) of SRM 2392 and 2392-I have previously been characterized at NIST by Sanger sequencing. Herein, we used the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy offered by next generation sequencing (NGS) to: (1) re-sequence the certified values of the SRM 2392 and 2392-I; (2) confirm Sanger data with a high coverage new sequencing technology; (3) detect lower level heteroplasmies (<20%); and thus (4) support mitochondrial sequencing communities in the adoption of NGS methods. To obtain a consensus sequence for the SRMs as well as identify and control any bias, sequencing was performed using two NGS platforms and data was analyzed using different bioinformatics pipelines. Our results confirm five low level heteroplasmy sites that were not previously observed with Sanger sequencing: three sites in the GM09947A template in SRM 2392 and two sites in the HL-60 template in SRM 2392-I. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Overview of codes and tools for nuclear engineering education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovlev, D.; Pryakhin, A.; Medvedeva, L.

2017-01-01

The recent world trends in nuclear education have been developed in the direction of social education, networking, virtual tools and codes. MEPhI as a global leader on the world education market implements new advanced technologies for the distance and online learning and for student research work. MEPhI produced special codes, tools and web resources based on the internet platform to support education in the field of nuclear technology. At the same time, MEPhI actively uses codes and tools from the third parties. Several types of the tools are considered: calculation codes, nuclear data visualization tools, virtual labs, PC-based educational simulators for nuclear power plants (NPP), CLP4NET, education web-platforms, distance courses (MOOCs and controlled and managed content systems). The university pays special attention to integrated products such as CLP4NET, which is not a learning course, but serves to automate the process of learning through distance technologies. CLP4NET organizes all tools in the same information space. Up to now, MEPhI has achieved significant results in the field of distance education and online system implementation.

Supercharging Lessons with a Virtual Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Jefferson; Vincent, Daniel

2013-01-01

The authors describes their experiences incorporating the virtual lab into a simple circuit lesson during an energy unit in a sixth-grade class. The lesson included a hands-on group experiment using wire, batteries, and light bulbs to make a circuit and an online simulation, using a virtual lab. Class discussions, student inquiries, and the study…

Magnetic Viscous Drag for Friction Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaffney, Chris; Catching, Adam

2016-01-01

The typical friction lab performed in introductory mechanics courses is usually not the favorite of either the student or the instructor. The measurements are not all that easy to make, and reproducibility is usually a troublesome issue. This paper describes the augmentation of such a friction lab with a study of the viscous drag on a magnet…

Berkeley Lab Scientist Named MacArthur "Genius" Fellow for Audio

Science.gov Websites

Preservation Research | Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Directory Submit Web People Navigation Berkeley Lab Search Submit Web People Close About the Lab Leadership/Organization Calendar News to digitally recover a 128-year-old recording of Alexander Graham Bell's voice, enabling people to

Improved efficiency of extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material Diesel Particulate Matter (SRM 2975) using accelerated solvent extraction.

PubMed

Masala, Silvia; Ahmed, Trifa; Bergvall, Christoffer; Westerholm, Roger

2011-12-01

The efficiency of extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with molecular masses of 252, 276, 278, 300, and 302 Da from standard reference material diesel particulate matter (SRM 2975) has been investigated using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) with dichloromethane, toluene, methanol, and mixtures of toluene and methanol. Extraction of SRM 2975 using toluene/methanol (9:1, v/v) at maximum instrumental settings (200 °C, 20.7 MPa, and five extraction cycles) with 30-min extraction times resulted in the following elevations of the measured concentration when compared with the certified and reference concentrations reported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): benzo[b]fluoranthene, 46%; benzo[k]fluoranthene, 137%; benzo[e]pyrene, 103%; benzo[a]pyrene, 1,570%; perylene, 37%; indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, 41%; benzo[ghi]perylene, 163%; and coronene, 361%. The concentrations of the following PAHs were comparable to the reference values assigned by NIST: indeno[1,2,3-cd]fluoranthene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, and picene. The measured concentration of dibenzo[a,e]-pyrene was lower than the information value reported by the NIST. The measured concentrations of other highly carcinogenic PAHs (dibenzo[a,l]pyrene, dibenzo[a,i]pyrene, and dibenzo[a,h]pyrene) in SRM 2975 are also reported. Comparison of measurements using the optimized ASE method and using similar conditions to those applied by the NIST for the assignment of PAH concentrations in SRM 2975 indicated that the higher values obtained in the present study were associated with more complete extraction of PAHs from the diesel particulate material. Re-extraction of the particulate samples demonstrated that the deuterated internal standards were more readily recovered than the native PAHs, which may explain the lower values reported by the NIST. The analytical results obtained in the study demonstrated that the efficient extraction of PAHs from SRM 2975 is a critical requirement for the

Flexible HVAC System for Lab or Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedan, Jonathan

2001-01-01

Discusses an effort to design a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system flexible enough to accommodate an easy conversion of classrooms to laboratories and dry labs to wet labs. The design's energy efficiency and operations and maintenance are examined. (GR)

Assessing Usage and Maximizing Finance Lab Impact: A Case Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noguera, Magdy; Budden, Michael Craig; Silva, Alberto

2011-01-01

This paper reports the results of a survey conducted to assess students' usage and perceptions of a finance lab. Finance labs differ from simple computer labs as they typically contain data boards, streaming market quotes, terminals and software that allow for real-time financial analyses. Despite the fact that such labs represent significant and…

Design of Inquiry-Oriented Science Labs: Impacts on Students' Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baseya, J. M.; Francis, C. D.

2011-01-01

Background: Changes in lab style can lead to differences in learning. Two inquiry-oriented lab styles are guided inquiry (GI) and problem-based (PB). Students' attitudes towards lab are important to consider when choosing between GI and PB styles during curriculum design. Purpose: We examined the degree to which lab experiences are explained by a…

Control code for laboratory adaptive optics teaching system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Moonseob; Luder, Ryan; Sanchez, Lucas; Hart, Michael

2017-09-01

By sensing and compensating wavefront aberration, adaptive optics (AO) systems have proven themselves crucial in large astronomical telescopes, retinal imaging, and holographic coherent imaging. Commercial AO systems for laboratory use are now available in the market. One such is the ThorLabs AO kit built around a Boston Micromachines deformable mirror. However, there are limitations in applying these systems to research and pedagogical projects since the software is written with limited flexibility. In this paper, we describe a MATLAB-based software suite to interface with the ThorLabs AO kit by using the MATLAB Engine API and Visual Studio. The software is designed to offer complete access to the wavefront sensor data, through the various levels of processing, to the command signals to the deformable mirror and fast steering mirror. In this way, through a MATLAB GUI, an operator can experiment with every aspect of the AO system's functioning. This is particularly valuable for tests of new control algorithms as well as to support student engagement in an academic environment. We plan to make the code freely available to the community.

Designing virtual science labs for the Islamic Academy of Delaware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AlZahrani, Nada Saeed

Science education is a basic part of the curriculum in modern day classrooms. Instructional approaches to science education can take many forms but hands-on application of theory via science laboratory activities for the learner is common. Not all schools have the resources to provide the laboratory environment necessary for hands-on application of science theory. Some settings rely on technology to provide a virtual laboratory experience instead. The Islamic Academy of Delaware (IAD), a typical community-based organization, was formed to support and meet the essential needs of the Muslim community of Delaware. IAD provides science education as part of the overall curriculum, but cannot provide laboratory activities as part of the science program. Virtual science labs may be a successful model for students at IAD. This study was conducted to investigate the potential of implementing virtual science labs at IAD and to develop an implementation plan for integrating the virtual labs. The literature has shown us that the lab experience is a valuable part of the science curriculum (NBPTS, 2013, Wolf, 2010, National Research Council, 1997 & 2012). The National Research Council (2012) stressed the inclusion of laboratory investigations in the science curriculum. The literature also supports the use of virtual labs as an effective substitute for classroom labs (Babateen, 2011; National Science Teachers Association, 2008). Pyatt and Simms (2011) found evidence that virtual labs were as good, if not better than physical lab experiences in some respects. Although not identical in experience to a live lab, the virtual lab has been shown to provide the student with an effective laboratory experience in situations where the live lab is not possible. The results of the IAD teacher interviews indicate that the teachers are well-prepared for, and supportive of, the implementation of virtual labs to improve the science education curriculum. The investigator believes that with the

General 3D Airborne Antenna Radiation Pattern Code Users Manual.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-02-01

AD-A 30 359 GENERAL 3D AIRBORNEANTENNA RADIATION PATTERN CODE USERS MANUA (U) OHIO STATE UNIV COLUMBUS ELECTROSCIENCE LAB H HCHUNGET AL FEB 83 RADC...F30602-79-C-0068 9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT. TASKAREA A WORK UNIT NUMEEfRS The Ohio State University...Computer Program 20, ABSTRACT (Coaffivme on reverse side it ntecessar a" 141etifIr &V block mUbef) This report describes a computer program and how it may

Comparison of ATLOG and Xyce for Bell Labs Electromagnetic Pulse Excitation of Finite-Long Dissipative Conductors over a Ground Plane.

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

campione, Salvatore; Warne, Larry K.; Schiek, Richard

This report details the modeling results for the response of a finite-length dissipative conductor interacting with a conducting ground to the Bell Labs electromagnetic pulse excitation. We use both a frequency-domain and a time-domain method based on transmission line theory through a code we call ATLOG - Analytic Transmission Line Over Ground. Results are compared to the circuit simulator Xyce for selected cases. Intentionally Left Blank

Transforming the advanced lab: Part I - Learning goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwickl, Benjamin; Finkelstein, Noah; Lewandowski, H. J.

2012-02-01

Within the physics education research community relatively little attention has been given to laboratory courses, especially at the upper-division undergraduate level. As part of transforming our senior-level Optics and Modern Physics Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder we are developing learning goals, revising curricula, and creating assessments. In this paper, we report on the establishment of our learning goals and a surrounding framework that have emerged from discussions with a wide variety of faculty, from a review of the literature on labs, and from identifying the goals of existing lab courses. Our goals go beyond those of specific physics content and apparatus, allowing instructors to personalize them to their contexts. We report on four broad themes and associated learning goals: Modeling (math-physics-data connection, statistical error analysis, systematic error, modeling of engineered "black boxes"), Design (of experiments, apparatus, programs, troubleshooting), Communication, and Technical Lab Skills (computer-aided data analysis, LabVIEW, test and measurement equipment).

Student Plagiarism and Faculty Responsibility in Undergraduate Engineering Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parameswaran, Ashvin; Devi, Poornima

2006-01-01

In undergraduate engineering labs, lab reports are routinely copied. By ignoring this form of plagiarism, teaching assistants and lab technicians neglect their role responsibility. By designing courses that facilitate it, however inadvertently, professors neglect their causal responsibility. Using the case of one university, we show via interviews…

Findings and Recommendations from the NIST Workshop on Alternative Fuels and Materials: Biocorrosion.

PubMed

Mansfield, Elisabeth; Sowards, Jeffrey W; Crookes-Goodson, Wendy J

2015-01-01

In 2013, the Applied Chemicals and Materials Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosted a workshop to identify and prioritize research needs in the area of biocorrosion. Materials used to store and distribute alternative fuels have experienced an increase in corrosion due to the unique conditions caused by the presence of microbes and the chemistry of biofuels and biofuel precursors. Participants in this workshop, including experts from the microbiological, fuel, and materials communities, delved into the unique materials and chemical challenges that occur with production, transport, and storage of alternative fuels. Discussions focused on specific problems including: a) the changing composition of "drop-in" fuels and the impact of that composition on materials; b) the influence of microbial populations on corrosion and fuel quality; and c) state-of-the-art measurement technologies for monitoring material degradation and biofilm formation.

Using lab notebooks to examine students' engagement in modeling in an upper-division electronics lab course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, Jacob T.; Su, Weifeng; Lewandowski, H. J.

2017-12-01

We demonstrate how students' use of modeling can be examined and assessed using student notebooks collected from an upper-division electronics lab course. The use of models is a ubiquitous practice in undergraduate physics education, but the process of constructing, testing, and refining these models is much less common. We focus our attention on a lab course that has been transformed to engage students in this modeling process during lab activities. The design of the lab activities was guided by a framework that captures the different components of model-based reasoning, called the Modeling Framework for Experimental Physics. We demonstrate how this framework can be used to assess students' written work and to identify how students' model-based reasoning differed from activity to activity. Broadly speaking, we were able to identify the different steps of students' model-based reasoning and assess the completeness of their reasoning. Varying degrees of scaffolding present across the activities had an impact on how thoroughly students would engage in the full modeling process, with more scaffolded activities resulting in more thorough engagement with the process. Finally, we identified that the step in the process with which students had the most difficulty was the comparison between their interpreted data and their model prediction. Students did not use sufficiently sophisticated criteria in evaluating such comparisons, which had the effect of halting the modeling process. This may indicate that in order to engage students further in using model-based reasoning during lab activities, the instructor needs to provide further scaffolding for how students make these types of experimental comparisons. This is an important design consideration for other such courses attempting to incorporate modeling as a learning goal.

The Optics and Alignment of the Divergent Beam Laboratory X-ray Powder Diffractometer and its Calibration Using NIST Standard Reference Materials.

PubMed

Cline, James P; Mendenhall, Marcus H; Black, David; Windover, Donald; Henins, Albert

2015-01-01

The laboratory X-ray powder diffractometer is one of the primary analytical tools in materials science. It is applicable to nearly any crystalline material, and with advanced data analysis methods, it can provide a wealth of information concerning sample character. Data from these machines, however, are beset by a complex aberration function that can be addressed through calibration with the use of NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). Laboratory diffractometers can be set up in a range of optical geometries; considered herein are those of Bragg-Brentano divergent beam configuration using both incident and diffracted beam monochromators. We review the origin of the various aberrations affecting instruments of this geometry and the methods developed at NIST to align these machines in a first principles context. Data analysis methods are considered as being in two distinct categories: those that use empirical methods to parameterize the nature of the data for subsequent analysis, and those that use model functions to link the observation directly to a specific aspect of the experiment. We consider a multifaceted approach to instrument calibration using both the empirical and model based data analysis methods. The particular benefits of the fundamental parameters approach are reviewed.

THE NIST-EPA INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT ON MEASUREMENTS AND STANDARDS IN AEROSOL CARBON: SAMPLING REGIONAL PM 2.5 FOR THE CHEMOMETRIC OPTIMIZATION OF THERMAL-OPTICAL ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

Results from the NIST-EPA Interagency Agreement on Measurements and Standards in Aerosol Carbon: Sampling Regional PM2.5 for the Chemometric Optimization of Thermal-Optical Analysis Study will be presented at the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) 24th Annual Confer...

Determination of the δ15N and δ18O of nitrate in water; RSIL lab code 2900

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coplen, Tyler B.; Qi, Haiping; Revesz, Kinga; Casciotti, Karen; Hannon, Janet E.

2007-01-01

The purpose of the Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 2900 is to determine the δ15N and δ18O of nitrate (NO3-) in water. The δ15N and δ18O of the dissolved NO3- are analyzed by converting the NO3- to nitrous oxide (N2O), which serves as the analyte for mass spectrometry. A culture of denitrifying bacteria is used in the enzymatic conversion of the NO3- to N2O, which follows the pathway shown in equation 1: NO3- → NO2- → NO → 1/2 N2O (1) Because the bacteria Pseudomonas aureofaciens lack N2O reductive activity, the reaction stops at N2O, unlike the typical denitrification reaction that goes to N2. After several hours, the conversion is complete, and the N2O is extracted from the vial, separated from volatile organic vapor and water vapor by an automated -65 °C isopropanol-slush trap, a Nafion drier, a CO2 and water removal unit (Costech #021020 carbon dioxide absorbent with Mg(ClO4)2), and trapped in a small-volume trap immersed in liquid nitrogen with a modified Finnigan MAT (now Thermo Scientific) GasBench 2 introduction system. After the N2O is released, it is further purified by gas chromatography before introduction to the isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). The IRMS is a Thermo Scientific Delta V Plus continuous flow IRMS (CF-IRMS). It has a universal triple collector, consisting of two wide cups with a narrow cup in the middle; it is capable of simultaneously measuring mass/charge (m/z) of the N2O molecule 44, 45, and 46. The ion beams from these m/z values are as follows: m/z = 44 = N2O = 14N14N16O; m/z = 45 = N2O = 14N15N16O or 14N14N17O; m/z = 46 = N2O = 14N14N18O. The 17O contributions to the m/z 44 and m/z 45 ion beams are accounted for before δ15N values are reported.

Effectiveness of a Lab Manual Delivered on CD-ROM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brickman, Peggy; Ketter, Catherine A. Teare; Pereira, Monica

2005-01-01

Although electronic instructional media are becoming increasingly prevalent in science classrooms, their worth remains unproven. Here, student perceptions and performance using CD-ROM delivery of lab materials are assessed. Numerous learning barriers that produced lower lab grades for students using a CD-ROM lab manual in comparison to a print…

Validating a Monotonically-Integrated Large Eddy Simulation Code for Subsonic Jet Acoustics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingraham, Daniel; Bridges, James

2017-01-01

The results of subsonic jet validation cases for the Naval Research Lab's Jet Engine Noise REduction (JENRE) code are reported. Two set points from the Tanna matrix, set point 3 (Ma = 0.5, unheated) and set point 7 (Ma = 0.9, unheated) are attempted on three different meshes. After a brief discussion of the JENRE code and the meshes constructed for this work, the turbulent statistics for the axial velocity are presented and compared to experimental data, with favorable results. Preliminary simulations for set point 23 (Ma = 0.5, Tj=T1 = 1.764) on one of the meshes are also described. Finally, the proposed configuration for the farfield noise prediction with JENRE's Ffowcs-Williams Hawking solver are detailed.

Cone-beam micro-CT system based on LabVIEW software.

PubMed

Ionita, Ciprian N; Hoffmann, Keneth R; Bednarek, Daniel R; Chityala, Ravishankar; Rudin, Stephen

2008-09-01

Construction of a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system for laboratory research usually requires integration of different software and hardware components. As a result, building and operating such a complex system require the expertise of researchers with significantly different backgrounds. Additionally, writing flexible code to control the hardware components of a CBCT system combined with designing a friendly graphical user interface (GUI) can be cumbersome and time consuming. An intuitive and flexible program structure, as well as the program GUI for CBCT acquisition, is presented in this note. The program was developed in National Instrument's Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW) graphical language and is designed to control a custom-built CBCT system but has been also used in a standard angiographic suite. The hardware components are commercially available to researchers and are in general provided with software drivers which are LabVIEW compatible. The program structure was designed as a sequential chain. Each step in the chain takes care of one or two hardware commands at a time; the execution of the sequence can be modified according to the CBCT system design. We have scanned and reconstructed over 200 specimens using this interface and present three examples which cover different areas of interest encountered in laboratory research. The resulting 3D data are rendered using a commercial workstation. The program described in this paper is available for use or improvement by other researchers.

Publicly Releasing a Large Simulation Dataset with NDS Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldbaum, Nathan

2016-03-01

Optimally, all publicly funded research should be accompanied by the tools, code, and data necessary to fully reproduce the analysis performed in journal articles describing the research. This ideal can be difficult to attain, particularly when dealing with large (>10 TB) simulation datasets. In this lightning talk, we describe the process of publicly releasing a large simulation dataset to accompany the submission of a journal article. The simulation was performed using Enzo, an open source, community-developed N-body/hydrodynamics code and was analyzed using a wide range of community- developed tools in the scientific Python ecosystem. Although the simulation was performed and analyzed using an ecosystem of sustainably developed tools, we enable sustainable science using our data by making it publicly available. Combining the data release with the NDS Labs infrastructure allows a substantial amount of added value, including web-based access to analysis and visualization using the yt analysis package through an IPython notebook interface. In addition, we are able to accompany the paper submission to the arXiv preprint server with links to the raw simulation data as well as interactive real-time data visualizations that readers can explore on their own or share with colleagues during journal club discussions. It is our hope that the value added by these services will substantially increase the impact and readership of the paper.

California State University, Northridge: Hybrid Lab Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

EDUCAUSE, 2014

2014-01-01

California State University, Northridge's Hybrid Lab course model targets high failure rate, multisection, gateway courses in which prerequisite knowledge is a key to success. The Hybrid Lab course model components incorporate interventions and practices that have proven successful at CSUN and other campuses in supporting students, particularly…

The Portable Usability Testing Lab: A Flexible Research Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hale, Michael E.; And Others

A group of faculty at the University of Georgia obtained funding for a research and development facility called the Learning and Performance Support Laboratory (LPSL). One of the LPSL's primary needs was obtaining a portable usability lab for software testing, so the facility obtained the "Luggage Lab 2000." The lab is transportable to…

Commutability of NIST SRM 1955 Homocysteine and Folate in Frozen Human Serum with selected total homocysteine immunoassays and enzymatic assays.

PubMed

Nelson, Bryant C; Pfeiffer, Christine M; Zhang, Ming; Duewer, David L; Sharpless, Katherine E; Lippa, Katrice A

2008-09-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has recently developed Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1955 Homocysteine and Folate in Frozen Human Serum with certified values for total homocysteine (tHcy) and 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolic acid. NIST has performed an international, interlaboratory assessment of SRM 1955 commutability; results are reported for tHcy only. Total Hcy was measured in 20 patient sera and in 3 levels of SRM 1955 using 14 immunoassays and/or enzymatic assays. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry was utilized as the reference assay. An "errors-in-variables" statistical model was utilized to assess the commutability of SRM 1955. Normalized residuals ranged from -2.65 to 2.19 for SRM 1955. The median interlaboratory/interassay imprecision (CV) was approximately 4% for patient specimens and ranged from approximately 3% to approximately 7% for SRM 1955. The median intra-assay imprecision ranged from approximately 1% to approximately 13%. Orthogonal residuals, as a descriptor of assay accuracy, ranged from 0.29 to 7.71 and from 0.20 to 2.22 for patient specimens and SRM 1955 samples, respectively. The current study suggests that SRM 1955 is commutable with the investigated tHcy assays; however, a broader specimen set needs to be evaluated to completely substantiate this conclusion.

Modifying Cookbook Labs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Robert, L.; Clough, Michael P.; Berg, Craig A.

2000-01-01

Modifies an extended lab activity from a cookbook approach for determining the percent mass of water in copper sulfate pentahydrate crystals to one which incorporates students' prior knowledge, engenders active mental struggling with prior knowledge and new experiences, and encourages metacognition. (Contains 12 references.) (ASK)

How enhanced molecular ions in Cold EI improve compound identification by the NIST library.

PubMed

Alon, Tal; Amirav, Aviv

2015-12-15

Library-based compound identification with electron ionization (EI) mass spectrometry (MS) is a well-established identification method which provides the names and structures of sample compounds up to the isomer level. The library (such as NIST) search algorithm compares different EI mass spectra in the library's database with the measured EI mass spectrum, assigning each of them a similarity score called 'Match' and an overall identification probability. Cold EI, electron ionization of vibrationally cold molecules in supersonic molecular beams, provides mass spectra with all the standard EI fragment ions combined with enhanced Molecular Ions and high-mass fragments. As a result, Cold EI mass spectra differ from those provided by standard EI and tend to yield lower matching scores. However, in most cases, library identification actually improves with Cold EI, as library identification probabilities for the correct library mass spectra increase, despite the lower matching factors. This research examined the way that enhanced molecular ion abundances affect library identification probability and the way that Cold EI mass spectra, which include enhanced molecular ions and high-mass fragment ions, typically improve library identification results. It involved several computer simulations, which incrementally modified the relative abundances of the various ions and analyzed the resulting mass spectra. The simulation results support previous measurements, showing that while enhanced molecular ion and high-mass fragment ions lower the matching factor of the correct library compound, the matching factors of the incorrect library candidates are lowered even more, resulting in a rise in the identification probability for the correct compound. This behavior which was previously observed by analyzing Cold EI mass spectra can be explained by the fact that high-mass ions, and especially the molecular ion, characterize a compound more than low-mass ions and therefore carries more

Chemical reactivity and spectroscopy explored from QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations using the LIO code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcolongo, Juan P.; Zeida, Ari; Semelak, Jonathan A.; Foglia, Nicolás O.; Morzan, Uriel N.; Estrin, Dario A.; González Lebrero, Mariano C.; Scherlis, Damián A.

2018-03-01

In this work we present the current advances in the development and the applications of LIO, a lab-made code designed for density functional theory calculations in graphical processing units (GPU), that can be coupled with different classical molecular dynamics engines. This code has been thoroughly optimized to perform efficient molecular dynamics simulations at the QM/MM DFT level, allowing for an exhaustive sampling of the configurational space. Selected examples are presented for the description of chemical reactivity in terms of free energy profiles, and also for the computation of optical properties, such as vibrational and electronic spectra in solvent and protein environments.

[A quick algorithm of dynamic spectrum photoelectric pulse wave detection based on LabVIEW].

PubMed

Lin, Ling; Li, Na; Li, Gang

2010-02-01

Dynamic spectrum (DS) detection is attractive among the numerous noninvasive blood component detection methods because of the elimination of the main interference of the individual discrepancy and measure conditions. DS is a kind of spectrum extracted from the photoelectric pulse wave and closely relative to the artery blood. It can be used in a noninvasive blood component concentration examination. The key issues in DS detection are high detection precision and high operation speed. The precision of measure can be advanced by making use of over-sampling and lock-in amplifying on the pick-up of photoelectric pulse wave in DS detection. In the present paper, the theory expression formula of the over-sampling and lock-in amplifying method was deduced firstly. Then in order to overcome the problems of great data and excessive operation brought on by this technology, a quick algorithm based on LabVIEW and a method of using external C code applied in the pick-up of photoelectric pulse wave were presented. Experimental verification was conducted in the environment of LabVIEW. The results show that by the method pres ented, the speed of operation was promoted rapidly and the data memory was reduced largely.

Traditional Labs + New Questions = Improved Student Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rezba, Richard J.; And Others

1992-01-01

Presents three typical lab activities involving the breathing rate of fish, the behavior of electromagnets, and tests for water hardness to demonstrate how labs can be modified to teach process skills. Discusses how basic concepts about experimentation are developed and ways of generating and improving science experiments. Includes a laboratory…

Building Automatic Grading Tools for Basic of Programming Lab in an Academic Institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harimurti, Rina; Iwan Nurhidayat, Andi; Asmunin

2018-04-01

The skills of computer programming is a core competency that must be mastered by students majoring in computer sciences. The best way to improve this skill is through the practice of writing many programs to solve various problems from simple to complex. It takes hard work and a long time to check and evaluate the results of student labs one by one, especially if the number of students a lot. Based on these constrain, web proposes Automatic Grading Tools (AGT), the application that can evaluate and deeply check the source code in C, C++. The application architecture consists of students, web-based applications, compilers, and operating systems. Automatic Grading Tools (AGT) is implemented MVC Architecture and using open source software, such as laravel framework version 5.4, PostgreSQL 9.6, Bootstrap 3.3.7, and jquery library. Automatic Grading Tools has also been tested for real problems by submitting source code in C/C++ language and then compiling. The test results show that the AGT application has been running well.

A Well-Maintained Lab Is a Safer Lab. Safety Spotlight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walls, William H.; Strimel, Greg J.

2018-01-01

Administration and funding can cause Engineering/Technology Education (ETE) programs to thrive or die. To administrators, the production/prototyping equipment and laboratory setting are often viewed as the features that set ETE apart from other school subjects. A lab is a unique gift as well as a responsibility. If an administrator can see that…

MatLab Programming for Engineers Having No Formal Programming Knowledge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaykhian, Linda H.; Shaykhian, Gholam Ali

2007-01-01

MatLab is one of the most widely used very high level programming languages for Scientific and engineering computations. It is very user-friendly and needs practically no formal programming knowledge. Presented here are MatLab programming aspects and not just the MatLab commands for scientists and engineers who do not have formal programming training and also have no significant time to spare for learning programming to solve their real world problems. Specifically provided are programs for visualization. Also, stated are the current limitations of the MatLab, which possibly can be taken care of by Mathworks Inc. in a future version to make MatLab more versatile.

eComLab: remote laboratory platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontual, Murillo; Melkonyan, Arsen; Gampe, Andreas; Huang, Grant; Akopian, David

2011-06-01

Hands-on experiments with electronic devices have been recognized as an important element in the field of engineering to help students get familiar with theoretical concepts and practical tasks. The continuing increase the student number, costly laboratory equipment, and laboratory maintenance slow down the physical lab efficiency. As information technology continues to evolve, the Internet has become a common media in modern education. Internetbased remote laboratory can solve a lot of restrictions, providing hands-on training as they can be flexible in time and the same equipment can be shared between different students. This article describes an on-going remote hands-on experimental radio modulation, network and mobile applications lab project "eComLab". Its main component is a remote laboratory infrastructure and server management system featuring various online media familiar with modern students, such as chat rooms and video streaming.

Commerce Lab - A program of commercial flight opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, J.; Atkins, H. L.; Williams, J. R.

1985-01-01

Commerce Lab is conceived as an adjunct to the National Space Transportation System (NSTS) by providing a focal point for commercial missions which could utilize existing NSTS carrier and resource capabilities for on-orbit experimentation in the microgravity sciences. In this context, the Commerce Lab program provides mission planning for private sector involvement in the space program, in general, and the commercial exploitation of the microgravity environment for materials processing research and development. It is expected that Commerce Lab will provide a logical transition between currently planned NSTS missions and future microgravity science and commercial R&D missions centered around the Space Station. The present study identifies candidate Commerce Lab flight experiments and their development status and projects a mission traffic model that can be used in commercial mission planning.

Findings and Recommendations from the NIST Workshop on Alternative Fuels and Materials: Biocorrosion

PubMed Central

Mansfield, Elisabeth; Sowards, Jeffrey W.; Crookes-Goodson, Wendy J.

2015-01-01

In 2013, the Applied Chemicals and Materials Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosted a workshop to identify and prioritize research needs in the area of biocorrosion. Materials used to store and distribute alternative fuels have experienced an increase in corrosion due to the unique conditions caused by the presence of microbes and the chemistry of biofuels and biofuel precursors. Participants in this workshop, including experts from the microbiological, fuel, and materials communities, delved into the unique materials and chemical challenges that occur with production, transport, and storage of alternative fuels. Discussions focused on specific problems including: a) the changing composition of “drop-in” fuels and the impact of that composition on materials; b) the influence of microbial populations on corrosion and fuel quality; and c) state-of-the-art measurement technologies for monitoring material degradation and biofilm formation. PMID:26958436

Frederick National Lab Collaboration Success Stories | FNLCR Staging

Cancer.gov

IBBR and Frederick National Lab Collaborate to Study Vaccine-Boosting Compounds The Frederick National Lab and the University of Maryland’s Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR) will work under a formal collaboration to eval

Reducing unnecessary lab testing in the ICU with artificial intelligence.

PubMed

Cismondi, F; Celi, L A; Fialho, A S; Vieira, S M; Reti, S R; Sousa, J M C; Finkelstein, S N

2013-05-01

To reduce unnecessary lab testing by predicting when a proposed future lab test is likely to contribute information gain and thereby influence clinical management in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Recent studies have demonstrated that frequent laboratory testing does not necessarily relate to better outcomes. Data preprocessing, feature selection, and classification were performed and an artificial intelligence tool, fuzzy modeling, was used to identify lab tests that do not contribute an information gain. There were 11 input variables in total. Ten of these were derived from bedside monitor trends heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, temperature, blood pressure, and urine collections, as well as infusion products and transfusions. The final input variable was a previous value from one of the eight lab tests being predicted: calcium, PTT, hematocrit, fibrinogen, lactate, platelets, INR and hemoglobin. The outcome for each test was a binary framework defining whether a test result contributed information gain or not. Predictive modeling was applied to recognize unnecessary lab tests in a real world ICU database extract comprising 746 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Classification accuracy of necessary and unnecessary lab tests of greater than 80% was achieved for all eight lab tests. Sensitivity and specificity were satisfactory for all the outcomes. An average reduction of 50% of the lab tests was obtained. This is an improvement from previously reported similar studies with average performance 37% by [1-3]. Reducing frequent lab testing and the potential clinical and financial implications are an important issue in intensive care. In this work we present an artificial intelligence method to predict the benefit of proposed future laboratory tests. Using ICU data from 746 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, and eleven measurements, we demonstrate high accuracy in predicting the likely information to be gained from proposed future

Reducing unnecessary lab testing in the ICU with artificial intelligence

PubMed Central

Cismondi, F.; Celi, L.A.; Fialho, A.S.; Vieira, S.M.; Reti, S.R.; Sousa, J.M.C.; Finkelstein, S.N.

2017-01-01

Objectives To reduce unnecessary lab testing by predicting when a proposed future lab test is likely to contribute information gain and thereby influence clinical management in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Recent studies have demonstrated that frequent laboratory testing does not necessarily relate to better outcomes. Design Data preprocessing, feature selection, and classification were performed and an artificial intelligence tool, fuzzy modeling, was used to identify lab tests that do not contribute an information gain. There were 11 input variables in total. Ten of these were derived from bedside monitor trends heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, temperature, blood pressure, and urine collections, as well as infusion products and transfusions. The final input variable was a previous value from one of the eight lab tests being predicted: calcium, PTT, hematocrit, fibrinogen, lactate, platelets, INR and hemoglobin. The outcome for each test was a binary framework defining whether a test result contributed information gain or not. Patients Predictive modeling was applied to recognize unnecessary lab tests in a real world ICU database extract comprising 746 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Main results Classification accuracy of necessary and unnecessary lab tests of greater than 80% was achieved for all eight lab tests. Sensitivity and specificity were satisfactory for all the outcomes. An average reduction of 50% of the lab tests was obtained. This is an improvement from previously reported similar studies with average performance 37% by [1–3]. Conclusions Reducing frequent lab testing and the potential clinical and financial implications are an important issue in intensive care. In this work we present an artificial intelligence method to predict the benefit of proposed future laboratory tests. Using ICU data from 746 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, and eleven measurements, we demonstrate high accuracy in predicting the

Latest results from FROST at Jefferson Lab

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

Ritchie, Barry G.

2014-06-01

The spectrum of broad and overlapping nucleon excitations can be greatly clarified by use of a polarized photon beam incident on a polarized target in meson photoproduction experiments. At Jefferson Lab, a program of such measurements has made use of the Jefferson Lab FROzen Spin Target (FROST). An overview of preliminary results are presented.

The Mysterious Death: An HPLC Lab Experiment. An Undergraduate Forensic Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beussman, Douglas J.

2007-01-01

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) laboratory experiment based on the separation of four prescription drugs (disopyramide, lidocaine, procainamide, and quinidine) is presented. The experiment is set within the forensic science context of the discovery of a patient's mysterious death where a drug overdose is suspected. Each lab group…

Sodium Blood Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

MedlinePlus

... Lab Tests Online [Internet]. American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c2001–2017. Cirrhosis; [updated 2017 Jan 8; cited ... Lab Tests Online [Internet]. American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c2001–2017. Electrolytes: Common Questions [updated 2015 Dec ...

Integrating Multiple On-line Knowledge Bases for Disease-Lab Test Relation Extraction.

PubMed

Zhang, Yaoyun; Soysal, Ergin; Moon, Sungrim; Wang, Jingqi; Tao, Cui; Xu, Hua

2015-01-01

A computable knowledge base containing relations between diseases and lab tests would be a great resource for many biomedical informatics applications. This paper describes our initial step towards establishing a comprehensive knowledge base of disease and lab tests relations utilizing three public on-line resources. LabTestsOnline, MedlinePlus and Wikipedia are integrated to create a freely available, computable disease-lab test knowledgebase. Disease and lab test concepts are identified using MetaMap and relations between diseases and lab tests are determined based on source-specific rules. Experimental results demonstrate a high precision for relation extraction, with Wikipedia achieving the highest precision of 87%. Combining the three sources reached a recall of 51.40%, when compared with a subset of disease-lab test relations extracted from a reference book. Moreover, we found additional disease-lab test relations from on-line resources, indicating they are complementary to existing reference books for building a comprehensive disease and lab test relation knowledge base.

LIVING LAB: User-Driven Innovation for Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liedtke, Christa; Welfens, Maria Jolanta; Rohn, Holger; Nordmann, Julia

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to summarize and discuss the results from the LIVING LAB design study, a project within the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union. The aim of this project was to develop the conceptual design of the LIVING LAB Research Infrastructure that will be used to research human interaction with, and stimulate…

Comprehensive Chemical Characterization of Hydrocarbons in NIST Standard Reference Material 2779 Gulf of Mexico Crude Oil.

PubMed

Worton, David R; Zhang, Haofei; Isaacman-VanWertz, Gabriel; Chan, Arthur W H; Wilson, Kevin R; Goldstein, Allen H

2015-11-17

Comprehensive chemical information is needed to understand the environmental fate and impact of hydrocarbons released during oil spills. However, chemical information remains incomplete because of the limitations of current analytical techniques and the inherent chemical complexity of crude oils. In this work, gas chromatography (GC)-amenable C9-C33 hydrocarbons were comprehensively characterized from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material (NIST SRM) 2779 Gulf of Mexico crude oil by GC coupled to vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (GC/VUV-MS), with a mass balance of 68 ± 22%. This technique overcomes one important limitation faced by traditional GC and even comprehensive 2D gas chromatography (GC×GC): the necessity for individual compounds to be chromatographically resolved from one another in order to be characterized. VUV photoionization minimizes fragmentation of the molecular ions, facilitating the characterization of the observed hydrocarbons as a function of molecular weight (carbon number, NC), structure (number of double bond equivalents, NDBE), and mass fraction (mg kg(-1)), which represent important metrics for understanding their fate and environmental impacts. Linear alkanes (8 ± 1%), branched alkanes (11 ± 2%), and cycloalkanes (37 ± 12%) dominated the mass with the largest contribution from cycloalkanes containing one or two rings and one or more alkyl side chains (27 ± 9%). Linearity and good agreement with previous work for a subset of >100 components and for the sum of compound classes provided confidence in our measurements and represents the first independent assessment of our analytical approach and calibration methodology. Another crude oil collected from the Marlin platform (35 km northeast of the Macondo well) was shown to be chemically identical within experimental errors to NIST SRM 2779, demonstrating that Marlin crude is an appropriate surrogate oil for researchers conducting

NASA GeneLab Concept of Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Terri; Gibbs, Kristina; Rask, Jon; Coughlan, Joseph; Smith, Jeffrey

2014-01-01

NASA's GeneLab aims to greatly increase the number of scientists that are using data from space biology investigations on board ISS, emphasizing a systems biology approach to the science. When completed, GeneLab will provide the integrated software and hardware infrastructure, analytical tools and reference datasets for an assortment of model organisms. GeneLab will also provide an environment for scientists to collaborate thereby increasing the possibility for data to be reused for future experimentation. To maximize the value of data from life science experiments performed in space and to make the most advantageous use of the remaining ISS research window, GeneLab will apply an open access approach to conducting spaceflight experiments by generating, and sharing the datasets derived from these biological studies in space.Onboard the ISS, a wide variety of model organisms will be studied and returned to Earth for analysis. Laboratories on the ground will analyze these samples and provide genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic and proteomic data. Upon receipt, NASA will conduct data quality control tasks and format raw data returned from the omics centers into standardized, annotated information sets that can be readily searched and linked to spaceflight metadata. Once prepared, the biological datasets, as well as any analysis completed, will be made public through the GeneLab Space Bioinformatics System webb as edportal. These efforts will support a collaborative research environment for spaceflight studies that will closely resemble environments created by the Department of Energy (DOE), National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), and other institutions in additional areas of study, such as cancer and environmental biology. The results will allow for comparative analyses that will help scientists around the world take a major leap forward in understanding the effect of microgravity, radiation, and other aspects of the space environment on model organisms

The experiment editor: supporting inquiry-based learning with virtual labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galan, D.; Heradio, R.; de la Torre, L.; Dormido, S.; Esquembre, F.

2017-05-01

Inquiry-based learning is a pedagogical approach where students are motivated to pose their own questions when facing problems or scenarios. In physics learning, students are turned into scientists who carry out experiments, collect and analyze data, formulate and evaluate hypotheses, and so on. Lab experimentation is essential for inquiry-based learning, yet there is a drawback with traditional hands-on labs in the high costs associated with equipment, space, and maintenance staff. Virtual laboratories are helpful to reduce these costs. This paper enriches the virtual lab ecosystem by providing an integrated environment to automate experimentation tasks. In particular, our environment supports: (i) scripting and running experiments on virtual labs, and (ii) collecting and analyzing data from the experiments. The current implementation of our environment supports virtual labs created with the authoring tool Easy Java/Javascript Simulations. Since there are public repositories with hundreds of freely available labs created with this tool, the potential applicability to our environment is considerable.

Electron Microscopy Lab

Science.gov Websites

Facilities Science Pillars Research Library Science Briefs Science News Science Highlights Lab Organizations Science Programs Applied Energy Programs Civilian Nuclear Energy Programs Laboratory Directed Research Science Seaborg Institute Fellows Conferences Research Opportunities Center for Integrated

A Case Study of a High School Fab Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacy, Jennifer E.

This dissertation examines making and design-based STEM education in a formal makerspace. It focuses on how the design and implementation of a Fab Lab learning environment and curriculum affect how instructors and students see themselves engaging in science, and how the Fab Lab relates to the social sorting practices that already take place at North High School. While there is research examining design-based STEM education in informal and formal learning environments, we know little about how K-12 teachers define STEM in making activities when no university or museum partnership exists. This study sought to help fill this gap in the research literature. This case study of a formal makerspace followed instructors and students in one introductory Fab Lab course for one semester. Additional observations of an introductory woodworking course helped build the case and set it into the school context, and provided supplementary material to better understand the similarities and differences between the Fab Lab course and a more traditional design-based learning course. Using evidence from observational field notes, participant interviews, course materials, and student work, I found that the North Fab Lab relies on artifacts and rhetoric symbolic of science and STEM to set itself apart from other design-based courses at North High School. Secondly, the North Fab Lab instructors and students were unable to explain how what they were doing in the Fab Lab was science, and instead relied on vague and unsupported claims related to interdisciplinary STEM practices and dated descriptions of science. Lastly, the design and implementation of the Fab Lab learning environment and curriculum and its separation from North High School's low tech, design-based courses effectively reinforced social sorting practices and cultural assumptions about student work and intelligence.

Jefferson Lab Virtual Tour

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

Take a virtual tour of the campus of Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. You can see inside our two accelerators, three experimental areas, accelerator component fabrication and testing areas, high-performance computing areas and laser labs.

Concurrent determination of 237Np and Pu isotopes using ICP-MS: analysis of NIST environmental matrix standard reference materials 4357, 1646a, and 2702.

PubMed

Matteson, Brent S; Hanson, Susan K; Miller, Jeffrey L; Oldham, Warren J

2015-04-01

An optimized method was developed to analyze environmental soil and sediment samples for (237)Np, (239)Pu, and (240)Pu by ICP-MS using a (242)Pu isotope dilution standard. The high yield, short time frame required for analysis, and the commercial availability of the (242)Pu tracer are significant advantages of the method. Control experiments designed to assess method uncertainty, including variation in inter-element fractionation that occurs during the purification protocol, suggest that the overall precision for measurements of (237)Np is typically on the order of ± 5%. Measurements of the (237)Np concentration in a Peruvian Soil blank (NIST SRM 4355) spiked with a known concentration of (237)Np tracer confirmed the accuracy of the method, agreeing well with the expected value. The method has been used to determine neptunium and plutonium concentrations in several environmental matrix standard reference materials available from NIST: SRM 4357 (Radioactivity Standard), SRM 1646a (Estuarine Sediment) and SRM 2702 (Inorganics in Marine Sediment). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The History of Science and Technology at Bell Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bishop, David

2008-03-01

Over the last 80 years, Bell Labs has been one of the most scientifically and technologically productive research labs in the world. Inventions such as the transistor, laser, cell phone, solar cell, negative feedback amplifier, communications satellite and many others were made there. Scientific breakthroughs such as discovery of the Big Bang, the wave nature of the electron, electron localization and the fractional quantum hall effect were also made there making Bell Labs almost unique in terms of large impacts in both science and technology. In my talk, I will discuss the history of the lab, talk about the present and give some suggestions for how I see it evolving into the future.

CPMC-Lab: A MATLAB package for Constrained Path Monte Carlo calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Huy; Shi, Hao; Xu, Jie; Zhang, Shiwei

2014-12-01

We describe CPMC-Lab, a MATLAB program for the constrained-path and phaseless auxiliary-field Monte Carlo methods. These methods have allowed applications ranging from the study of strongly correlated models, such as the Hubbard model, to ab initio calculations in molecules and solids. The present package implements the full ground-state constrained-path Monte Carlo (CPMC) method in MATLAB with a graphical interface, using the Hubbard model as an example. The package can perform calculations in finite supercells in any dimensions, under periodic or twist boundary conditions. Importance sampling and all other algorithmic details of a total energy calculation are included and illustrated. This open-source tool allows users to experiment with various model and run parameters and visualize the results. It provides a direct and interactive environment to learn the method and study the code with minimal overhead for setup. Furthermore, the package can be easily generalized for auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) calculations in many other models for correlated electron systems, and can serve as a template for developing a production code for AFQMC total energy calculations in real materials. Several illustrative studies are carried out in one- and two-dimensional lattices on total energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, and charge- and spin-gaps.

Towards a Flexible Language Lab for Community Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conway, Diana

1992-01-01

Suggestions are offered for ways to modify a typical community college language laboratory to serve diverse student needs. The discussion is based on experiences of Anchorage Community College, which modeled its lab on a learning resources center rather than a traditional lab. (LB)

Highly selective micro-sequential injection lab-on-valve (muSI-LOV) method for the determination of ultra-trace concentrations of nickel in saline matrices using detection by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

PubMed

Long, Xiangbao; Miró, Manuel; Jensen, Rikard; Hansen, Elo Harald

2006-10-01

A highly selective procedure is proposed for the determination of ultra-trace level concentrations of nickel in saline aqueous matrices exploiting a micro-sequential injection Lab-On-Valve (muSI-LOV) sample pretreatment protocol comprising bead injection separation/pre-concentration and detection by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). Based on the dimethylglyoxime (DMG) reaction used for nickel analysis, the sample, as contained in a pH 9.0 buffer, is, after on-line merging with the chelating reagent, transported to a reaction coil attached to one of the external ports of the LOV to assure sufficient reaction time for the formation of Ni(DMG)(2) chelate. The non-ionic coordination compound is then collected in a renewable micro-column packed with a reversed-phase copolymeric sorbent [namely, poly(divinylbenzene-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone)] containing a balanced ratio of hydrophilic and lipophilic monomers. Following elution by a 50-muL methanol plug in an air-segmented modality, the nickel is finally quantified by ETAAS. Under the optimized conditions and for a sample volume of 1.8 mL, a retention efficiency of 70 % and an enrichment factor of 25 were obtained. The proposed methodology showed a high tolerance to the commonly encountered alkaline earth matrix elements in environmental waters, that is, calcium and magnesium, and was successfully applied for the determination of nickel in an NIST standard reference material (NIST 1640-Trace elements in natural water), household tap water of high hardness and local seawater. Satisfying recoveries were achieved for all spiked environmental water samples with maximum deviations of 6 %. The experimental results for the standard reference material were not statistically different to the certified value at a significance level of 0.05.

Introducing ADS Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Accomazzi, Alberto; Henneken, E.; Grant, C. S.; Kurtz, M. J.; Di Milia, G.; Luker, J.; Thompson, D. M.; Bohlen, E.; Murray, S. S.

2011-05-01

ADS Labs is a platform that ADS is introducing in order to test and receive feedback from the community on new technologies and prototype services. Currently, ADS Labs features a new interface for abstract searches, faceted filtering of results, visualization of co-authorship networks, article-level recommendations, and a full-text search service. The streamlined abstract search interface provides a simple, one-box search with options for ranking results based on a paper relevancy, freshness, number of citations, and downloads. In addition, it provides advanced rankings based on collaborative filtering techniques. The faceted filtering interface allows users to narrow search results based on a particular property or set of properties ("facets"), allowing users to manage large lists and explore the relationship between them. For any set or sub-set of records, the co-authorship network can be visualized in an interactive way, offering a view of the distribution of contributors and their inter-relationships. This provides an immediate way to detect groups and collaborations involved in a particular research field. For a majority of papers in Astronomy, our new interface will provide a list of related articles of potential interest. The recommendations are based on a number of factors, including text similarity, citations, and co-readership information. The new full-text search interface allows users to find all instances of particular words or phrases in the body of the articles in our full-text archive. This includes all of the scanned literature in ADS as well as a select portion of the current astronomical literature, including ApJ, ApJS, AJ, MNRAS, PASP, A&A, and soon additional content from Springer journals. Fulltext search results include a list of the matching papers as well as a list of "snippets" of text highlighting the context in which the search terms were found. ADS Labs is available at http://adslabs.org

Time Trials--An AP Physics Challenge Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, David

2009-01-01

I have come to the conclusion that for high school physics classroom and laboratory experiences, simpler is better! In this paper I describe a very simple and effective lab experience that my AP students have thoroughly enjoyed year after year. I call this lab exercise "Time Trials." The experiment is simple in design and it is a lot of fun for…

Elemental Chem Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franco Mariscal, Antonio Joaquin

2008-01-01

This educative material uses the symbols of 45 elements to spell the names of 32 types of laboratory equipment usually found in chemical labs. This teaching material has been divided into three puzzles according to the type of the laboratory equipment: (i) glassware as reaction vessels or containers; (ii) glassware for measuring, addition or…

Lab with Dad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Havers, Brenda; Delmotte, Karen

2012-01-01

Family science nights are fantastic, but planning one can be overwhelming, especially when one considers the already overloaded schedule of a classroom teacher. To overcome this challenge, the authors--colleagues with a mutual love of science--developed a much simpler annual event called "Lab With Dad." The purpose was for one target age group of…

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program get an inside look at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building from the transfer aisle. The Florida spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

Calibration and deployment of a new NIST transfer radiometer for broadband and spectral calibration of space chambers (MDXR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Timothy M.; Carter, Adriaan C.; Woods, Solomon I.; Kaplan, Simon G.

2011-06-01

The Low-Background Infrared (LBIR) facility at NIST has performed on-site calibration and initial off-site deployments of a new infrared transfer radiometer with an integrated cryogenic Fourier transform spectrometer (Cryo- FTS). This mobile radiometer can be deployed to customer sites for broadband and spectral calibrations of space chambers and low-background hardware-in-the-loop testbeds. The Missile Defense Transfer Radiometer (MDXR) has many of the capabilities of a complete IR calibration facility and replaces our existing filter-based transfer radiometer (BXR) as the NIST standard detector deployed to customer facilities. The MDXR features numerous improvements over the BXR, including: a cryogenic Fourier transform spectrometer, an on-board absolute cryogenic radiometer (ACR) and an internal blackbody reference source with an integrated collimator. The Cryo-FTS can be used to measure high resolution spectra from 3 to 28 micrometers, using a Si:As blocked-impurity-band (BIB) detector. The on-board ACR can be used for self-calibration of the MDXR BIB as well as for absolute measurements of external infrared sources. A set of filter wheels and a rotating polarizer within the MDXR allow for filter-based and polarization-sensitive measurements. The optical design of the MDXR makes both radiance and irradiance measurements possible and enables calibration of both divergent and collimated sources. Results of on-site calibration of the MDXR using its internal blackbody source and an external reference source will be discussed, as well as the performance of the new radiometer in its initial deployments to customer sites.

Repeatability of magnetic resonance fingerprinting T1 and T2 estimates assessed using the ISMRM/NIST MRI system phantom.

PubMed

Jiang, Yun; Ma, Dan; Keenan, Kathryn E; Stupic, Karl F; Gulani, Vikas; Griswold, Mark A

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate accuracy and repeatability of T 1 and T 2 estimates of a MR fingerprinting (MRF) method using the ISMRM/NIST MRI system phantom. The ISMRM/NIST MRI system phantom contains multiple compartments with standardized T 1 , T 2 , and proton density values. Conventional inversion-recovery spin echo and spin echo methods were used to characterize the T 1 and T 2 values in the phantom. The phantom was scanned using the MRF-FISP method over 34 consecutive days. The mean T 1 and T 2 values were compared with the values from the spin echo methods. The repeatability was characterized as the coefficient of variation of the measurements over 34 days. T 1 and T 2 values from MRF-FISP over 34 days showed a strong linear correlation with the measurements from the spin echo methods (R 2  = 0.999 for T 1 ; R 2  = 0.996 for T 2 ). The MRF estimates over the wide ranges of T 1 and T 2 values have less than 5% variation, except for the shortest T 2 relaxation times where the method still maintains less than 8% variation. MRF measurements of T 1 and T 2 are highly repeatable over time and across wide ranges of T 1 and T 2 values. Magn Reson Med 78:1452-1457, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

High Pressure X-Ray Crystallography With the Diamond Cell at NIST/NBS

PubMed Central

Piermarini, Gasper J.

2001-01-01

Scientists in the Crystallography Section at NIST/NBS made several outstanding contributions which greatly promoted the development and advancement of high pressure x-ray crystallography during the second-half of the 20th century. These milestone achievements or “firsts” included: (1) the invention of the lever-arm type diamond anvil cell (DAC) in 1958; (2) the development of DAC technology for powder x-ray diffraction at high pressure in 1960; (3) the introduction of DAC methodology for single crystal x-ray diffraction at high pressure in 1964; (4) the invention of the optical fluorescence ruby method of pressure measurement in 1971; and (5) the discovery of hydrostatic pressure-transmitting media useful to unprecedented pressures for that time. These achievements provided the spark that ignited the explosion of activity in high pressure research that occurred in laboratories throughout the world during the latter part of the 20th century. It is still going on, unabated, today. An estimated 5000 DACs were built during the last 40 years. PMID:27500054

Characterization of NIST food-matrix Standard Reference Materials for their vitamin C content.

PubMed

Thomas, Jeanice B; Yen, James H; Sharpless, Katherine E

2013-05-01

The vitamin C concentrations in three food-matrix Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been determined by liquid chromatography (LC) with absorbance detection. These materials (SRM 1549a Whole Milk Powder, SRM 1849a Infant/Adult Nutritional Formula, and SRM 3233 Fortified Breakfast Cereal) have been characterized to support analytical measurements made by food processors that are required to provide information about their products' vitamin C content on the labels of products distributed in the United States. The SRMs are primarily intended for use in validating analytical methods for the determination of selected vitamins, elements, fatty acids, and other nutrients in these materials and in similar matrixes. They can also be used for quality assurance in the characterization of test samples or in-house control materials, and for establishing measurement traceability. Within-day precision of the LC method used to measure vitamin C in the food-matrix SRMs characterized in this study ranged from 2.7% to 6.5%.

Constructing the Components of a Lab Report Using Peer Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, David E.; Fawkes, Kelli L.

2010-01-01

A protocol that emphasizes lab report writing using a piecemeal approach coupled with peer review is described. As the lab course progresses, the focus of the report writing changes sequentially through the abstract and introduction, the discussion, and the procedure. Two styles of lab programs are presented. One style rotates the students through…

Can Graduate Teaching Assistants Teach Inquiry-Based Geology Labs Effectively?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryker, Katherine; McConnell, David

2014-01-01

This study examines the implementation of teaching strategies by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in inquiry-based introductory geology labs at a large research university. We assess the degree of inquiry present in each Physical Geology lab and compare and contrast the instructional practices of new and experienced GTAs teaching these labs. We…

Open web system of Virtual labs for nuclear and applied physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saldikov, I. S.; Afanasyev, V. V.; Petrov, V. I.; Ternovykh, M. Yu

2017-01-01

An example of virtual lab work on unique experimental equipment is presented. The virtual lab work is software based on a model of real equipment. Virtual labs can be used for educational process in nuclear safety and analysis field. As an example it includes the virtual lab called “Experimental determination of the material parameter depending on the pitch of a uranium-water lattice”. This paper included general description of this lab. A description of a database on the support of laboratory work on unique experimental equipment which is included this work, its concept development are also presented.

Comparison Between the NIST and the KEBS for the Determination of Air Kerma Calibration Coefficients for Narrow X-Ray Spectra and 137Cs Gamma-Ray Beams

PubMed Central

O’Brien, Michelle; Minniti, Ronaldo; Masinza, Stanslaus Alwyn

2010-01-01

Air kerma calibration coefficients for a reference class ionization chamber from narrow x-ray spectra and cesium 137 gamma-ray beams were compared between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). A NIST reference-class transfer ionization chamber was calibrated by each laboratory in terms of the quantity air kerma in four x-ray reference radiation beams of energies between 80 kV and 150 kV and in a cesium 137 gamma-ray beam. The reference radiation qualities used for this comparison are described in detail in the ISO 4037 publication.[1] The comparison began in September 2008 and was completed in March 2009. The results reveal the degree to which the participating calibration facility can demonstrate proficiency in transferring air kerma calibrations under the conditions of the said facility at the time of the measurements. The comparison of the calibration coefficients is based on the average ratios of calibration coefficients. PMID:27134777

Comparison Between the NIST and the KEBS for the Determination of Air Kerma Calibration Coefficients for Narrow X-Ray Spectra and (137)Cs Gamma-Ray Beams.

PubMed

O'Brien, Michelle; Minniti, Ronaldo; Masinza, Stanslaus Alwyn

2010-01-01

Air kerma calibration coefficients for a reference class ionization chamber from narrow x-ray spectra and cesium 137 gamma-ray beams were compared between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). A NIST reference-class transfer ionization chamber was calibrated by each laboratory in terms of the quantity air kerma in four x-ray reference radiation beams of energies between 80 kV and 150 kV and in a cesium 137 gamma-ray beam. The reference radiation qualities used for this comparison are described in detail in the ISO 4037 publication.[1] The comparison began in September 2008 and was completed in March 2009. The results reveal the degree to which the participating calibration facility can demonstrate proficiency in transferring air kerma calibrations under the conditions of the said facility at the time of the measurements. The comparison of the calibration coefficients is based on the average ratios of calibration coefficients.

WetLab-2: Providing Quantitative PCR Capabilities on ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parra, Macarena; Jung, Jimmy Kar Chuen; Almeida, Eduardo; Boone, Travis David; Schonfeld, Julie; Tran, Luan Hoang

2015-01-01

system can be used to validate terrestrial analyses of samples returned from ISS by providing on-orbit gene expression benchmarking prior to sample return. The ability to get on-orbit data will provide investigators with the opportunity to adjust experimental parameters in real time for subsequent trials, without the need for sample return and re-flight to sample multigenerational changes. The system can also be used for analysis of air, surface, water, and clinical samples to monitor environmental contaminants and crew health. The verification flight of the instrument is scheduled to launch on SpaceX-7 in June 2015. The WetLab-2 Project is supported by NASAs ISS Program at JSC, Code OZ.

A re-evaluation of the relativistic redshift on frequency standards at NIST, Boulder, Colorado, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlis, Nikolaos K.; Weiss, Marc A.

2017-08-01

We re-evaluated the relativistic redshift correction applicable to the frequency standards at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, USA, based on a precise GPS survey of three benchmarks on the roof of the building where these standards had been previously housed, and on global and regional geoid models supported by data from the GRACE and GOCE missions, including EGM2008, USGG2009, and USGG2012. We also evaluated the redshift offset based on the published NAVD88 geopotential number of the leveling benchmark Q407 located on the side of Building 1 at NIST, Boulder, Colorado, USA, after estimating the bias of the NAVD88 datum at our specific location. Based on these results, our current best estimate of the relativistic redshift correction, if frequency standards were located at the height of the leveling benchmark Q407 outside the second floor of Building 1, with respect to the EGM2008 geoid whose potential has been estimated to be {{W}0}=62 636 855.69 {{m}2} {{s}-2} , is equal to (-1798.50  ±  0.06)  ×  10-16. The corresponding value, with respect to an equipotential surface defined by the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) adopted value of {{W}0}=62 636 856.0 {{m}2} {{s}-2} , is (-1798.53  ±  0.06)  ×  10-16. These values are comparable to the value of (-1798.70  ±  0.30)  ×  10-16, estimated by Pavlis and Weiss in 2003, with respect to an equipotential surface defined by {{W}0}=62 636 856.88 {{m}2} {{s}-2} . The minus sign implies that clocks run faster in the laboratory in Boulder than a corresponding clock located on the geoid. Contribution of US government, not subject to Copyright.

Inside Linden Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Tom

2008-01-01

In this article, the author provides an overview of Second Life[trademark], or simply SL, which was developed at Linden Lab, a San Francisco-based corporation. SL is an online society within a threee-dimensional virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents, where they can explore, build, socialize and participate in their own economy.…

Introductory labs; what they don't, should, and can teach (and why)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieman, Carl

2016-03-01

Introductory physics labs are widely used and expensive. They have a wide variety of potential learning goals, but these are seldom specified and less often measured if they are achieved. We cover three different research projects on introductory labs: 1) We have done cognitive task analyses of both experimental research in physics and instructional labs. The striking differences explain much of the unhappiness expressed by students with labs: 2) We have measured the effectiveness of two introductory physics lab courses specifically intended to teach the physics content covered in standard introductory courses on mechanics and E & M. As measured by course exams, the benefit is 0 +/-2% for both. 3) We show how it is possible to use lab courses to teach students to correctly evaluate physical models with uncertain data. Such quantitative critical thinking is an important skill that is not learned in typical lab courses, but is well learned by our modified lab instruction.

Analyzing Cases of Resilience Success and Failure - A Research Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

controls [NIST 2012, NIST 2008] ISO 27002 and ISO 27004 Guidelines for initiating, implementing, maintaining, and improving information security...Commission ( ISO /IEC). Information technology—Security techniques—Code of practice for information security management ( ISO /IEC 27002 :2005). ISO /IEC, 2005...security management system and controls or groups of controls [ ISO /IEC 2005, ISO /IEC 2009] CIS Security Metrics Outcome and practice metrics measuring

Behind the Scenes at Berkeley Lab - The Mechanical Fabrication Facility

ScienceCinema

Wells, Russell; Chavez, Pete; Davis, Curtis; Bentley, Brian

2018-04-16

Part of the Behind the Scenes series at Berkeley Lab, this video highlights the lab's mechanical fabrication facility and its exceptional ability to produce unique tools essential to the lab's scientific mission. Through a combination of skilled craftsmanship and precision equipment, machinists and engineers work with scientists to create exactly what's needed - whether it's measured in microns or meters.

New Features in ADS Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Accomazzi, Alberto; Kurtz, M. J.; Henneken, E. A.; Grant, C. S.; Thompson, D.; Di Milia, G.; Luker, J.; Murray, S. S.

2013-01-01

The NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) has been working hard on updating its services and interfaces to better support our community's research needs. ADS Labs is a new interface built on the old tried-and-true ADS Abstract Databases, so all of ADS's content is available through it. In this presentation we highlight the new features that have been developed in ADS Labs over the last year: new recommendations, metrics, a citation tool and enhanced fulltext search. ADS Labs has long been providing article-level recommendations based on keyword similarity, co-readership and co-citation analysis of its corpus. We have now introduced personal recommendations, which provide a list of articles to be considered based on a individual user's readership history. A new metrics interface provides a summary of the basic impact indicators for a list of records. These include the total and normalized number of papers, citations, reads, and downloads. Also included are some of the popular indices such as the h, g and i10 index. The citation helper tool allows one to submit a set of records and obtain a list of top 10 papers which cite and/or are cited by papers in the original list (but which are not in it). The process closely resembles the network approach of establishing "friends of friends" via an analysis of the citation network. The full-text search service now covers more than 2.5 million documents, including all the major astronomy journals, as well as physics journals published by Springer, Elsevier, the American Physical Society, the American Geophysical Union, and all of the arXiv eprints. The full-text search interface interface allows users and librarians to dig deep and find words or phrases in the body of the indexed articles. ADS Labs is available at http://adslabs.org

LabVIEW Interface for PCI-SpaceWire Interface Card

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lux, James; Loya, Frank; Bachmann, Alex

2005-01-01

This software provides a LabView interface to the NT drivers for the PCISpaceWire card, which is a peripheral component interface (PCI) bus interface that conforms to the IEEE-1355/ SpaceWire standard. As SpaceWire grows in popularity, the ability to use SpaceWire links within LabVIEW will be important to electronic ground support equipment vendors. In addition, there is a need for a high-level LabVIEW interface to the low-level device- driver software supplied with the card. The LabVIEW virtual instrument (VI) provides graphical interfaces to support all (1) SpaceWire link functions, including message handling and routing; (2) monitoring as a passive tap using specialized hardware; and (3) low-level access to satellite mission-control subsystem functions. The software is supplied in a zip file that contains LabVIEW VI files, which provide various functions of the PCI-SpaceWire card, as well as higher-link-level functions. The VIs are suitably named according to the matching function names in the driver manual. A number of test programs also are provided to exercise various functions.

Practical Clinical Training in Skills Labs: Theory and Practice

PubMed Central

Bugaj, T. J.; Nikendei, C.

2016-01-01

Today, skills laboratories or “skills labs”, i.e. specific practical skill training facilities, are a firmly established part of medical education offering the possibility of training clinical procedures in a safe and fault-forging environment prior to real life application at bedside or in the operating room. Skills lab training follows a structured teaching concept, takes place under supervision and in consideration of methodological-didactic concepts, ideally creating an atmosphere that allows the repeated, anxiety- and risk-free practice of targeted skills. In this selective literature review, the first section is devoted to (I) the development and dissemination of the skills lab concept. There follows (II) an outline of the underlying idea and (III) an analysis of key efficacy factors. Thereafter, (IV) the training method’s effectiveness and transference are illuminated, before (V) the use of student tutors, in the sense of peer-assisted-learning, in skills labs is discussed separately. Finally, (VI) the efficiency of the skills lab concept is analyzed, followed by an outlook on future developments and trends in the field of skills lab training. PMID:27579363

EarthLabs - Investigating Hurricanes: Earth's Meteorological Monsters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaris, J. R.; Dahlman, L.; Barstow, D.

2007-12-01

Earth science is one of the most important tools that the global community needs to address the pressing environmental, social, and economic issues of our time. While, at times considered a second-rate science at the high school level, it is currently undergoing a major revolution in the depth of content and pedagogical vitality. As part of this revolution, labs in Earth science courses need to shift their focus from cookbook-like activities with known outcomes to open-ended investigations that challenge students to think, explore and apply their learning. We need to establish a new model for Earth science as a rigorous lab science in policy, perception, and reality. As a concerted response to this need, five states, a coalition of scientists and educators, and an experienced curriculum team are creating a national model for a lab-based high school Earth science course named EarthLabs. This lab course will comply with the National Science Education Standards as well as the states' curriculum frameworks. The content will focus on Earth system science and environmental literacy. The lab experiences will feature a combination of field work, classroom experiments, and computer access to data and visualizations, and demonstrate the rigor and depth of a true lab course. The effort is being funded by NOAA's Environmental Literacy program. One of the prototype units of the course is Investigating Hurricanes. Hurricanes are phenomena which have tremendous impact on humanity and the resources we use. They are also the result of complex interacting Earth systems, making them perfect objects for rigorous investigation of many concepts commonly covered in Earth science courses, such as meteorology, climate, and global wind circulation. Students are able to use the same data sets, analysis tools, and research techniques that scientists employ in their research, yielding truly authentic learning opportunities. This month-long integrated unit uses hurricanes as the story line by

Stream piracy in the Black Hills: A geomorphology lab exercise

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zaprowski, B.J.; Evenson, E.B.; Epstein, J.B.

2002-01-01

The Black Hills of South Dakota exhibits many fine examples of stream piracy that are very suitable for teaching geomorphology lab exercises. This lab goes beyond standard topographic map interpretation by using geologic maps, well logs, gravel provenance and other types of data to teach students about stream piracy. Using a step-by-step method in which the lab exercises ramp up in difficulty, students hone their skills in deductive reasoning and data assimilation. The first exercises deal with the identification of stream piracy at a variety of spatial scales and the lab culminates with an exercise on landscape evolution and drainage rearrangement.

Creative Science Teaching Labs: New Dimensions in CPD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chappell, Kerry; Craft, Anna

2009-01-01

This paper offers analysis and evaluation of "Creative Science Teaching (CST) Labs III", a unique and immersive approach to science teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) designed and run by a London-based organisation, Performing Arts Labs (PAL), involving specialists from the arts, science and technology as integral. Articulating…

Online Writing Labs as Sites for Community Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Jaclyn Michelle

2010-01-01

This dissertation investigates the Community Writing and Education Station (CWEST), a community engagement project that partners a community adult basic literacy program with a university writing lab. The author argues that the community and university partners, the Lafayette Adult Resource Academy (LARA) and the Purdue Writing Lab, offer positive…

Berkeley Lab's Saul Perlmutter wins Nobel Prize in Physics | Berkeley Lab

Science.gov Websites

astrophysics, dark energy, physics Connect twitter instagram LinkedIn facebook youtube This form needs Berkeley Lab's Saul Perlmutter wins Nobel Prize in Physics News Release Paul Preuss 510-486-6249 * October professor of physics at the University of California at Berkeley, has won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics

ERLN Technical Support for Labs

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Environmental Response Laboratory Network provides policies and guidance on lab and data requirements, Standardized Analytical Methods, and technical support for water and radiological sampling and analysis

GeneLab: A Systems Biology Platform for Spaceflight Omics Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinsch, Sigrid S.; Lai, San-Huei; Chen, Rick; Thompson, Terri; Berrios, Daniel; Fogle, Homer; Marcu, Oana; Timucin, Linda; Chakravarty, Kaushik; Coughlan, Joseph

2015-01-01

NASA's mission includes expanding our understanding of biological systems to improve life on Earth and to enable long-duration human exploration of space. Resources to support large numbers of spaceflight investigations are limited. NASA's GeneLab project is maximizing the science output from these experiments by: (1) developing a unique public bioinformatics database that includes space bioscience relevant "omics" data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) and experimental metadata; (2) partnering with NASA-funded flight experiments through bio-sample sharing or sample augmentation to expedite omics data input to the GeneLab database; and (3) developing community-driven reference flight experiments. The first database, GeneLab Data System Version 1.0, went online in April 2015. V1.0 contains numerous flight datasets and has search and download capabilities. Version 2.0 will be released in 2016 and will link to analytic tools. In 2015 Genelab partnered with two Biological Research in Canisters experiments (BBRIC-19 and BRIC-20) which examine responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to spaceflight. GeneLab also partnered with Rodent Research-1 (RR1), the maiden flight to test the newly developed rodent habitat. GeneLab developed protocols for maxiumum yield of RNA, DNA and protein from precious RR-1 tissues harvested and preserved during the SpaceX-4 mission, as well as from tissues from mice that were frozen intact during spaceflight and later dissected. GeneLab is establishing partnerships with at least three planned flights for 2016. Organism-specific nationwide Science Definition Teams (SDTs) will define future GeneLab dedicated missions and ensure the broader scientific impact of the GeneLab missions. GeneLab ensures prompt release and open access to all high-throughput omics data from spaceflight and ground-based simulations of microgravity and radiation. Overall, GeneLab will facilitate the generation and query of parallel multi-omics data, and

NEW COLUMN SEPARATION METHOD FOR EMERGENCY URINE SAMPLES

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

Maxwell, S; Brian Culligan, B

2007-08-28

The Savannah River Site Environmental Bioassay Lab participated in the 2007 NRIP Emergency Response program administered by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in May, 2007. A new rapid column separation method was applied directly to the NRIP 2007 emergency urine samples, with only minimal sample preparation to reduce preparation time. Calcium phosphate precipitation, previously used to pre-concentrate actinides and Sr-90 in NRIP 2006 urine and water samples, was not used for the NRIP 2007 urine samples. Instead, the raw urine was acidified and passed directly through the stacked resin columns (TEVA+TRU+SR Resins) to separate the actinides andmore » strontium from the NRIP urine samples more quickly. This improvement reduced sample preparation time for the NRIP 2007 emergency urine analyses significantly. This approach works well for small volume urine samples expected during an emergency response event. Based on initial feedback from NIST, the SRS Environmental Bioassay Lab had the most rapid analysis times for actinides and strontium-90 analyses for NRIP 2007 urine samples.« less

Letters Home as an Alternative to Lab Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, W. Brian

2014-01-01

The traditional lab report is known to create several pedagogical shortcomings in the introductory physics course, particularly with regard to promoting student engagement and encouraging quality writing. This paper discusses the use of a "letter home" written to a non-physicist as an alternative to lab reports that creates a more…

The national labs and their future

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

Crease, R.P.

National laboratories of the USA, born with the atomic age and raised to prominence by the need for scientific superiority during the long Cold War, are facing the most critical challenge: how best to support the nation's current need to improve its international competitiveness through superior technology The charge that the national laboratories are [open quotes]Cold War relics[close quotes] that have outlived their usefulness is based on a misunderstanding of their mission, says Robert P. Crease, historian for Brookhaven National laboratory. Three of the labs-Los Alamos, Sandia, and Lawrence Livermore- are weapons laboratories and their missions must change. Oak Ridge,more » Argonne, and Brookhaven laboratories are multipurpose: basic research facilities with a continuing role in the world of science The national laboratory system traces its origins to the Manhattan Project. Over the next half-century, America's national labs grew into part of the most effective scientific establishment in the world, a much-copied model for management of large-scale scientific programs. In the early years, each lab defined a niche in the complex world of reactors, accelerators, and high-energy proton and electron physics. In the 1970s, several labs worked on basic energy sciences to help solve a national energy crisis. Today, the labs are pressured to do more applied research-research to transfer to the private sector and will have to respond by devising more effective ways of coordinating basic and applied research. But, Crease warns, [open quotes]It also will be essential that any commitment to applied research not take place at the cost of reducing the wellspring of basic research from which so much applied research flows. [open quotes]Making a solid and persuasive case for the independent value of basic research, and for their own role in that enterprise, may be the most important task facing the laboratories in their next half-century,[close quotes].« less

Introduction to Computing: Lab Manual. Faculty Guide [and] Student Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frasca, Joseph W.

This lab manual is designed to accompany a college course introducing students to computing. The exercises are designed to be completed by the average student in a supervised 2-hour block of time at a computer lab over 15 weeks. The intent of each lab session is to introduce a topic and have the student feel comfortable with the use of the machine…

Rust Contamination from Water Leaks in the Cosmic Dust Lab and Lunar and Meteorite Thin Sections Labs at Johnson Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kent, J. J.; Berger, E. L.; Fries, M. D.; Bastien, R.; McCubbin, F. M.; Pace, L.; Righter, K.; Sutter, B.; Zeigler, R. A.; Zolensky, M.

2017-01-01

On the early morning of September 15th, 2016, on the first floor of Building 31 at NASA-Johnson Space Center, the hose from a water chiller ruptured and began spraying water onto the floor. The water had been circulating though old metal pipes, and the leaked water contained rust-colored particulates. The water flooded much of the western wing of the building's ground floor before the leak was stopped, and it left behind a residue of rust across the floor, most notably in the Apollo and Meteorite Thin Section Labs and Sample Preparation Lab. No samples were damaged in the event, and the affected facilities are in the process of remediation. At the beginning of 2016, a separate leak occurred in the Cosmic Dust Lab, located in the same building. In that lab, a water leak occurred at the bottom of the sink used to clean the lab's tools and containers with ultra-pure water. Over years of use, the ultra-pure water eroded the metal sink piping and leaked water onto the inside of the lab's flow bench. This water also left behind a film of rusty material. The material was cleaned up and the metal piping was replaced with PVC pipe and sealed with Teflon plumber's tape. Samples of the rust detritus were collected from both incidents. These samples were imaged and analyzed to determine their chemical and mineralogical compositions. The purpose of these analyses is to document the nature of the detritus for future reference in the unlikely event that these materials occur as contaminants in the Cosmic Dust samples or Apollo or Meteorite thin sections.

Optical Passive Sensor Calibration for Satellite Remote Sensing and the Legacy of NOAA and NIST Cooperation

PubMed Central

Datla, Raju; Weinreb, Michael; Rice, Joseph; Johnson, B. Carol; Shirley, Eric; Cao, Changyong

2014-01-01

This paper traces the cooperative efforts of scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to improve the calibration of operational satellite sensors for remote sensing of the Earth’s land, atmosphere and oceans. It gives a chronological perspective of the NOAA satellite program and the interactions between the two agencies’ scientists to address pre-launch calibration and issues of sensor performance on orbit. The drive to improve accuracy of measurements has had a new impetus in recent years because of the need for improved weather prediction and climate monitoring. The highlights of this cooperation and strategies to achieve SI-traceability and improve accuracy for optical satellite sensor data are summarized1. PMID:26601030

Optical Passive Sensor Calibration for Satellite Remote Sensing and the Legacy of NOAA and NIST Cooperation.

PubMed

Datla, Raju; Weinreb, Michael; Rice, Joseph; Johnson, B Carol; Shirley, Eric; Cao, Changyong

2014-01-01

This paper traces the cooperative efforts of scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to improve the calibration of operational satellite sensors for remote sensing of the Earth's land, atmosphere and oceans. It gives a chronological perspective of the NOAA satellite program and the interactions between the two agencies' scientists to address pre-launch calibration and issues of sensor performance on orbit. The drive to improve accuracy of measurements has had a new impetus in recent years because of the need for improved weather prediction and climate monitoring. The highlights of this cooperation and strategies to achieve SI-traceability and improve accuracy for optical satellite sensor data are summarized.

Macromolecules Inquiry: Transformation of a Standard Biochemistry Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unsworth, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Identification of macromolecules in food is a standard introductory high school biology lab. The intent of this article is to describe the conversion of this standard cookbook lab into an inquiry investigation. Instead of verifying the macromolecules found in food, students use their knowledge of the macromolecules in food to determine the…

Personal Adult Learning Lab (Pall). Implications for Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klippel, Judith A.; And Others

The Personal Adult Learning Lab was establsiehd at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education (GCCE) at the University of Georgia to serve self-directed adult learners and conduct research on self-directed learning. The lab allows adult learners to design, conduct, and evaluate their personal learning experiences while proceeding at their own…

The College of Charleston's 400-Student Observational Lab Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

True, C. M.

2006-06-01

For over thirty years the College of Charleston has been teaching a year-long introductory astronomy course incorporating a mandatory 3 hour lab. Despite our location in a very light polluted, coastal, high humidity, and often cloudy metropolitan area we have emphasized observational activities as much as possible. To accommodate our population of between 300-400 students per semester, we have 28 8-inch Celestron Telescopes and 25 GPS capable 8-inch Meade LX-200 telescopes. Finally, we have a 16 DFM adjacent to our rooftop observing decks. For indoor activities we have access to 42 computers running a variety of astronomy education software. Some of the computer activities are based on the Starry Night software (Backyard and Pro), the CLEA software from Gettysburg College, and Spectrum Explorer from Boston University. Additionally, we have labs involving cratering, eclipses and phases, coordinate systems with celestial globes, the inverse square law, spectroscopy and spectral classification, as well as others. In this presentation we will discuss the difficulties in managing a program of this size. We have approximately 14 lab sections a week. The lab manager's task involves coordinating 8-10 lab instructors and the same number of undergraduate teaching assistants as well as trying to maintain a coherent experience between the labs and lecture sections. Our lab manuals are produced locally with yearly updates. Samples from the manuals will be available. This program has been developed by a large number of College of Charleston astronomy faculty, including Don Drost, Bob Dukes, Chris Fragile, Tim Giblin, Jon Hakkila, Bill Kubinec, Lee Lindner, Jim Neff, Laura Penny, Al Rainis, Terry Richardson, and D. J. Williams, as well as adjunct and visiting faculty Bill Baird, Kevin Bourque, Ethan Denault, Kwayera Davis, Francie Halter, and Alan Johnson. Part of this work has been funded by NSF DUE grants to the College of Charleston.

The Living Labs: Innovation in Real-Life Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawk, Nathan; Bartle, Gamin; Romine, Martha

2012-01-01

The living lab (LL) is an open innovation ecosystem serving to provide opportunities for local stakeholders to practice research and to experiment with meaningful improvements for cities and other organizations. Living labs aim at involving the user as a cocreator. In this article the relationship between the LLs and a variety of stakeholders is…

Glucose in Urine Test: MedlinePlus Lab Test Information

MedlinePlus

... Lab Tests Online [Internet]. American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c2001–2017. Diabetes [updated 2017 Jan 15; cited ... Lab Tests Online [Internet]. American Association for Clinical Chemistry; c2001–2017. Glucose Tests: Common Questions [updated 2017 ...

Extending software repository hosting to code review and testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez Alvarez, A.; Aparicio Cotarelo, B.; Lossent, A.; Andersen, T.; Trzcinska, A.; Asbury, D.; Hłimyr, N.; Meinhard, H.

2015-12-01

We will describe how CERN's services around Issue Tracking and Version Control have evolved, and what the plans for the future are. We will describe the services main design, integration and structure, giving special attention to the new requirements from the community of users in terms of collaboration and integration tools and how we address this challenge when defining new services based on GitLab for collaboration to replace our current Gitolite service and Code Review and Jenkins for Continuous Integration. These new services complement the existing ones to create a new global "development tool stack" where each working group can place its particular development work-flow.

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

Emergency Diversity and Inclusion Committee Members Lab Contacts Resources & Operations Acknowledging ; Finance Templates Travel One-Stop Personnel Resources Committees In Case of Emergency Looking for MSD0010

What Is LAB and Why Was It Renormed?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, Muriel

A report on the Language Assessment Battery (LAB) explains, in question-and-answer form, the causes and results of some changes made in the test norms. The LAB is a test of communicative language competence, written in English and Spanish versions and used for student placement in the New York City Public Schools. The report describes the test…

Solar University-National Lab Ultra-Effective Program | Photovoltaic

Science.gov Websites

Lab Ultra-Effective Program Solar University-National lab Ultra-effective Program (SUN UP) was created scientists arise out of long-standing collaborations. SUN UP was created to facilitate these interactions of a young man working in a laboratory setting with equipment. The goal of SUN UP is to increase the

FOREWORD: Jefferson Lab: A Long Decade of Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montgomery, Hugh

2011-04-01

Jefferson Lab Jefferson Lab was created in 1984 and started operating in about 1996. 2011 is an appropriate time to try to take a look at the results that have appeared, what has been learned, and what has been exciting for our scientific community. Rather than attempt to construct a coherent view with a single author or at least a small number, we have, instead, invited small groups of people who have been intimately involved in the work itself to make contributions. These people are accelerator experts, experimentalists and theorists, staff and users. We have, in the main, sought reviews of the actual sub-fields. The primary exception is the first paper, which sets the scene as it was, in one person's view, at the beginning of Jefferson Lab. In reviewing the material as it appeared, I was impressed by the breadth of the material. Major advances are documented from form factors to structure functions, from spectroscopy to physics beyond the standard model of nuclear and particle physics. Recognition of the part played by spin, the helicities of the beams, the polarizations of the targets, and the polarizations of final state particles, is inescapable. Access to the weak interaction amplitudes through measurements of the parity violating asymmetries has led to quantification of the strange content of the nucleon and the neutron radius of lead, and to measurements of the electroweak mixing angle. Lattice QCD calculations flourished and are setting the platform for understanding of the spectroscopy of baryons and mesons. But the star of the game was the accelerator. Its performance enabled the physics and also the use of the technology to generate a powerful free electron laser. These important pieces of Jefferson Lab physics are given their place. As the third Director of Jefferson Lab, and on behalf of the other physicists and others presently associated with the lab, I would like to express my admiration and gratitude for the efforts of the directors, chief

Comparison of the NIST and BIPM Air-Kerma Standards for Measurements in the Low-Energy X-Ray Range

PubMed Central

Burns, D. T.; Lamperti, P.; O’Brien, M.

1999-01-01

A direct comparison was made between the air-kerma standards used for the measurement of low-energy x rays at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). The comparison was carried out at the BIPM using the BIPM reference beam qualities in the range from 10 kV to 100 kV. The results show the standards to be in agreement to around 0.5 % at reference beam qualities up to 50 kV and at 100 kV. The result at the 80 kV beam quality is less favorable, with agreement at the 1 % level.

DARPA TIMIT acoustic-phonetic continous speech corpus CD-ROM. NIST speech disc 1-1.1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garofolo, J. S.; Lamel, L. F.; Fisher, W. M.; Fiscus, J. G.; Pallett, D. S.

1993-02-01

The Texas Instruments/Massachusetts Institute of Technology (TIMIT) corpus of read speech has been designed to provide speech data for the acquisition of acoustic-phonetic knowledge and for the development and evaluation of automatic speech recognition systems. TIMIT contains speech from 630 speakers representing 8 major dialect divisions of American English, each speaking 10 phonetically-rich sentences. The TIMIT corpus includes time-aligned orthographic, phonetic, and word transcriptions, as well as speech waveform data for each spoken sentence. The release of TIMIT contains several improvements over the Prototype CD-ROM released in December, 1988: (1) full 630-speaker corpus, (2) checked and corrected transcriptions, (3) word-alignment transcriptions, (4) NIST SPHERE-headered waveform files and header manipulation software, (5) phonemic dictionary, (6) new test and training subsets balanced for dialectal and phonetic coverage, and (7) more extensive documentation.

IUPAC-NIST Solubility Data Series. 95. Alkaline Earth Carbonates in Aqueous Systems. Part 2. Ca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderdeelen, Jan

2012-06-01

The alkaline earth carbonates are an important class of minerals. This article is part of a volume in the IUPAC-NIST Solubility Data Series that compiles and critically evaluates solubility data of the alkaline earth carbonates in water and in simple aqueous electrolyte solutions. Part 1 outlined the procedure adopted in this volume, and presented the beryllium and magnesium carbonates. Part 2, the current paper, compiles and critically evaluates the solubility data of calcium carbonate. The chemical forms included are the anhydrous CaCO3 types calcite, aragonite, and vaterite, the monohydrate monohydrocalcite (CaCO3. H2O), the hexahydrate ikaite (CaCO3.6H2O), and an amorphous form. The data were analyzed with two model variants, and thermodynamic data of each form consistent with each of the models and with the CODATA key values for thermodynamics are presented.

Outreach Science Education: Evidence-Based Studies in a Gene Technology Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

2014-01-01

Nowadays, outreach labs are important informal learning environments in science education. After summarizing research to goals outreach labs focus on, we describe our evidence-based gene technology lab as a model of a research-driven outreach program. Evaluation-based optimizations of hands-on teaching based on cognitive load theory (additional…

Undergraduate Student Construction and Interpretation of Graphs in Physics Lab Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nixon, Ryan S.; Godfrey, T. J.; Mayhew, Nicholas T.; Wiegert, Craig C.

2016-01-01

Lab activities are an important element of an undergraduate physics course. In these lab activities, students construct and interpret graphs in order to connect the procedures of the lab with an understanding of the related physics concepts. This study investigated undergraduate students' construction and interpretation of graphs with best-fit…

Virtual Labs in proteomics: new E-learning tools.

PubMed

Ray, Sandipan; Koshy, Nicole Rachel; Reddy, Panga Jaipal; Srivastava, Sanjeeva

2012-05-17

Web-based educational resources have gained enormous popularity recently and are increasingly becoming a part of modern educational systems. Virtual Labs are E-learning platforms where learners can gain the experience of practical experimentation without any direct physical involvement on real bench work. They use computerized simulations, models, videos, animations and other instructional technologies to create interactive content. Proteomics being one of the most rapidly growing fields of the biological sciences is now an important part of college and university curriculums. Consequently, many E-learning programs have started incorporating the theoretical and practical aspects of different proteomic techniques as an element of their course work in the form of Video Lectures and Virtual Labs. To this end, recently we have developed a Virtual Proteomics Lab at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, which demonstrates different proteomics techniques, including basic and advanced gel and MS-based protein separation and identification techniques, bioinformatics tools and molecular docking methods, and their applications in different biological samples. This Tutorial will discuss the prominent Virtual Labs featuring proteomics content, including the Virtual Proteomics Lab of IIT-Bombay, and E-resources available for proteomics study that are striving to make proteomic techniques and concepts available and accessible to the student and research community. This Tutorial is part of the International Proteomics Tutorial Programme (IPTP 14). Details can be found at: http://www.proteomicstutorials.org/. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Serial Dilution Simulation Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keler, Cynthia; Balutis, Tabitha; Bergen, Kim; Laudenslager, Bryanna; Rubino, Deanna

2010-01-01

Serial dilution is often a difficult concept for students to understand. In this short dry lab exercise, students perform serial dilutions using seed beads. This exercise helps students gain skill at performing dilutions without using reagents, bacterial cultures, or viral cultures, while being able to visualize the process.

Problem Solvers: MathLab's Design Brings Professional Learning into the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales, Sara; Sainz, Terri

2017-01-01

Imagine teachers, administrators, and university mathematicians and staff learning together in a lab setting where students are excited about attending a week-long summer math event because they are at the forefront of the experience. Piloted in three New Mexico classrooms during summer 2014, MathLab expanded into 17 lab settings over six…

LabLessons: Effects of Electronic Prelabs on Student Engagement and Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gryczka, Patrick; Klementowicz, Edward; Sharrock, Chappel; Maxfield, MacRae; Montclare, Jin Kim

2016-01-01

Lab instructors, for both high school and undergraduate college level courses, face issues of constricted time within the lab period and limited student engagement with prelab materials. To address these issues, an online prelab delivery system named LabLessons is developed and tested out in a high school chemistry classroom. The system…

Qualification Lab Testing on M1 Abrams Engine Oil Filters

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-01

UNCLASSIFIED QUALIFICATION LAB TESTING ON M1 ABRAMS ENGINE OIL FILTERS FINAL REPORT TFLRF No. 483 by Kristi K. Rutta U.S...the originator. UNCLASSIFIED QUALIFICATION LAB TESTING ON M1 ABRAMS ENGINE OIL FILTERS FINAL REPORT TFLRF No. 483 by Kristi K...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Qualification Lab Testing on M1 Abrams Engine Oil Filter 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER W56HZV-15-C-0030 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM

Results from the Veterans Health Administration ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Pilot Study.

PubMed

Weems, Shelley; Heller, Pamela; Fenton, Susan H

2015-01-01

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the US Department of Veterans Affairs has been preparing for the October 1, 2015, conversion to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification and Procedural Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS) for more than four years. The VHA's Office of Informatics and Analytics ICD-10 Program Management Office established an ICD-10 Learning Lab to explore expected operational challenges. This study was conducted to determine the effects of the classification system conversion on coding productivity. ICD codes are integral to VHA business processes and are used for purposes such as clinical studies, performance measurement, workload capture, cost determination, Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) determination, morbidity and mortality classification, indexing of hospital records by disease and operations, data storage and retrieval, research purposes, and reimbursement. The data collection for this study occurred in multiple VHA sites across several months using standardized methods. It is commonly accepted that coding productivity will decrease with the implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS. The findings of this study suggest that the decrease will be more significant for inpatient coding productivity (64.5 percent productivity decrease) than for ambulatory care coding productivity (6.7 percent productivity decrease). This study reveals the following important points regarding ICD-10-CM/PCS coding productivity: 1. Ambulatory care ICD-10-CM coding productivity is not expected to decrease as significantly as inpatient ICD-10-CM/PCS coding productivity. 2. Coder training and type of record (inpatient versus outpatient) affect coding productivity. 3. Inpatient coding productivity is decreased when a procedure requiring ICD-10-PCS coding is present. It is highly recommended that organizations perform their own analyses to determine the effects of ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation on coding productivity.

Results from the Veterans Health Administration ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Weems, Shelley; Heller, Pamela; Fenton, Susan H.

2015-01-01

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the US Department of Veterans Affairs has been preparing for the October 1, 2015, conversion to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification and Procedural Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS) for more than four years. The VHA's Office of Informatics and Analytics ICD-10 Program Management Office established an ICD-10 Learning Lab to explore expected operational challenges. This study was conducted to determine the effects of the classification system conversion on coding productivity. ICD codes are integral to VHA business processes and are used for purposes such as clinical studies, performance measurement, workload capture, cost determination, Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) determination, morbidity and mortality classification, indexing of hospital records by disease and operations, data storage and retrieval, research purposes, and reimbursement. The data collection for this study occurred in multiple VHA sites across several months using standardized methods. It is commonly accepted that coding productivity will decrease with the implementation of ICD-10-CM/PCS. The findings of this study suggest that the decrease will be more significant for inpatient coding productivity (64.5 percent productivity decrease) than for ambulatory care coding productivity (6.7 percent productivity decrease). This study reveals the following important points regarding ICD-10-CM/PCS coding productivity: Ambulatory care ICD-10-CM coding productivity is not expected to decrease as significantly as inpatient ICD-10-CM/PCS coding productivity.Coder training and type of record (inpatient versus outpatient) affect coding productivity.Inpatient coding productivity is decreased when a procedure requiring ICD-10-PCS coding is present. It is highly recommended that organizations perform their own analyses to determine the effects of ICD-10-CM/PCS implementation on coding productivity. PMID:26396553

Comprehensive Chemical Characterization of Hydrocarbons in NIST Standard Reference Material 2779 Gulf of Mexico Crude Oil

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

Worton, David R.; Zhang, Haofei; Isaacman-VanWertz, Gabriel

Comprehensive chemical information is needed to understand the environmental fate and impact of hydrocarbons released during oil spills. However, chemical information remains incomplete because of the limitations of current analytical techniques and the inherent chemical complexity of crude oils. In this study, gas chromatography (GC)-amenable C 9-C 33 hydrocarbons were comprehensively characterized from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material (NIST SRM) 2779 Gulf of Mexico crude oil by GC coupled to vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (GC/VUV-MS), with a mass balance of 68 ± 22%. This technique overcomes one important limitation faced by traditional GC andmore » even comprehensive 2D gas chromatography (GC×GC): the necessity for individual compounds to be chromatographically resolved from one another in order to be characterized. VUV photoionization minimizes fragmentation of the molecular ions, facilitating the characterization of the observed hydrocarbons as a function of molecular weight (carbon number, N C), structure (number of double bond equivalents, N DBE), and mass fraction (mg kg -1), which represent important metrics for understanding their fate and environmental impacts. Linear alkanes (8 ± 1%), bran ched alkanes (11 ± 2%), and cycloalkanes (37 ± 12%) dominated the mass with the largest contribution from cycloalkanes containing one or two rings and one or more alkyl side chains (27 ± 9%). Linearity and good agreement with previous work for a subset of >100 components and for the sum of compound classes provided confidence in our measurements and represents the first independent assessment of our analytical approach and calibration methodology. Another crude oil collected from the Marlin platform (35 km northeast of the Macondo well) was shown to be chemically identical within experimental errors to NIST SRM 2779, demonstrating that Marlin crude is an appropriate surrogate oil for

Comprehensive Chemical Characterization of Hydrocarbons in NIST Standard Reference Material 2779 Gulf of Mexico Crude Oil

DOE PAGES

Worton, David R.; Zhang, Haofei; Isaacman-VanWertz, Gabriel; ...

2015-10-13

Comprehensive chemical information is needed to understand the environmental fate and impact of hydrocarbons released during oil spills. However, chemical information remains incomplete because of the limitations of current analytical techniques and the inherent chemical complexity of crude oils. In this study, gas chromatography (GC)-amenable C 9-C 33 hydrocarbons were comprehensively characterized from the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material (NIST SRM) 2779 Gulf of Mexico crude oil by GC coupled to vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry (GC/VUV-MS), with a mass balance of 68 ± 22%. This technique overcomes one important limitation faced by traditional GC andmore » even comprehensive 2D gas chromatography (GC×GC): the necessity for individual compounds to be chromatographically resolved from one another in order to be characterized. VUV photoionization minimizes fragmentation of the molecular ions, facilitating the characterization of the observed hydrocarbons as a function of molecular weight (carbon number, N C), structure (number of double bond equivalents, N DBE), and mass fraction (mg kg -1), which represent important metrics for understanding their fate and environmental impacts. Linear alkanes (8 ± 1%), bran ched alkanes (11 ± 2%), and cycloalkanes (37 ± 12%) dominated the mass with the largest contribution from cycloalkanes containing one or two rings and one or more alkyl side chains (27 ± 9%). Linearity and good agreement with previous work for a subset of >100 components and for the sum of compound classes provided confidence in our measurements and represents the first independent assessment of our analytical approach and calibration methodology. Another crude oil collected from the Marlin platform (35 km northeast of the Macondo well) was shown to be chemically identical within experimental errors to NIST SRM 2779, demonstrating that Marlin crude is an appropriate surrogate oil for

The NIST Real-Time Control System (RCS): A Reference Model Architecture for Computational Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albus, James S.

1996-01-01

The Real-time Control System (RCS) developed at NIST and elsewhere over the past two decades defines a reference model architecture for design and analysis of complex intelligent control systems. The RCS architecture consists of a hierarchically layered set of functional processing modules connected by a network of communication pathways. The primary distinguishing feature of the layers is the bandwidth of the control loops. The characteristic bandwidth of each level is determined by the spatial and temporal integration window of filters, the temporal frequency of signals and events, the spatial frequency of patterns, and the planning horizon and granularity of the planners that operate at each level. At each level, tasks are decomposed into sequential subtasks, to be performed by cooperating sets of subordinate agents. At each level, signals from sensors are filtered and correlated with spatial and temporal features that are relevant to the control function being implemented at that level.

NIST torsion oscillator viscometer response: Performance on the LeRC active vibration isolation platform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berg, Robert F.; Grodsinsky, Carlos M.

1992-01-01

Critical point viscosity measurements are limited to their reduced temperature approach to T(sub c) in an Earth bound system, because of density gradients imposed by gravity. Therefore, these classes of experiments have been proposed as good candidates for 'microgravity' science experiments where this limitation is not present. The nature of these viscosity measurements dictate hardware that is sensitive to low frequency excitations. Because of the vibratory acceleration sensitivity of a torsion oscillator viscometer, used to acquire such measurements, a vibration isolation sensitivity test was performed on candidate 'microgravity' hardware to study the possibility of meeting the stringent oscillatory sensitivity requirements of a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) torsion oscillator viscometer. A prototype six degree of freedom active magnetic isolation system, developed at NASA Lewis Research Center, was used as the isolation system. The ambient acceleration levels of the platform were reduced to the noise floor levels of its control sensors, about one microgravity in the 0.1 to 10 Hz bandwidth.

Video streaming technologies using ActiveX and LabVIEW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panoiu, M.; Rat, C. L.; Panoiu, C.

2015-06-01

The goal of this paper is to present the possibilities of remote image processing through data exchange between two programming technologies: LabVIEW and ActiveX. ActiveX refers to the process of controlling one program from another via ActiveX component; where one program acts as the client and the other as the server. LabVIEW can be either client or server. Both programs (client and server) exist independent of each other but are able to share information. The client communicates with the ActiveX objects that the server opens to allow the sharing of information [7]. In the case of video streaming [1] [2], most ActiveX controls can only display the data, being incapable of transforming it into a data type that LabVIEW can process. This becomes problematic when the system is used for remote image processing. The LabVIEW environment itself provides little if any possibilities for video streaming, and the methods it does offer are usually not high performance, but it possesses high performance toolkits and modules specialized in image processing, making it ideal for processing the captured data. Therefore, we chose to use existing software, specialized in video streaming along with LabVIEW and to capture the data provided by them, for further use, within LabVIEW. The software we studied (the ActiveX controls of a series of media players that utilize streaming technology) provide high quality data and a very small transmission delay, ensuring the reliability of the results of the image processing.

Adapting NBODY4 with a GRAPE-6a Supercomputer for Web Access, Using NBodyLab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, V.; Aarseth, S.

2006-07-01

A demonstration site has been developed by the authors that enables researchers and students to experiment with the capabilities and performance of NBODY4 running on a GRAPE-6a over the web. NBODY4 is a sophisticated open-source N-body code for high accuracy simulations of dense stellar systems (Aarseth 2003). In 2004, NBODY4 was successfully tested with a GRAPE-6a, yielding an unprecedented low-cost tool for astrophysical research. The GRAPE-6a is a supercomputer card developed by astrophysicists to accelerate high accuracy N-body simulations with a cluster or a desktop PC (Fukushige et al. 2005, Makino & Taiji 1998). The GRAPE-6a card became commercially available in 2004, runs at 125 Gflops peak, has a standard PCI interface and costs less than 10,000. Researchers running the widely used NBODY6 (which does not require GRAPE hardware) can compare their own PC or laptop performance with simulations run on http://www.NbodyLab.org. Such comparisons may help justify acquisition of a GRAPE-6a. For workgroups such as university physics or astronomy departments, the demonstration site may be replicated or serve as a model for a shared computing resource. The site was constructed using an NBodyLab server-side framework.

An Evaluation of Two Hands-On Lab Styles for Plant Biodiversity in Undergraduate Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basey, John M.; Maines, Anastasia P.; Francis, Clinton D.; Melbourne, Brett

2014-01-01

We compared learning cycle and expository formats for teaching about plant biodiversity in an inquiry-oriented university biology lab class (n = 465). Both formats had preparatory lab activities, a hands-on lab, and a postlab with reflection and argumentation. Learning was assessed with a lab report, a practical quiz in lab, and a multiple-choice…

A "Canned" Computer Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dowling, John, Jr.

1972-01-01

Discusses the use of a set of computer programs (FORTRAN IV) in an introductory mechanics course for science majors. One laboratory activity is described for determining the coefficient of restitution of a glider on an air track. A student evaluation for the lab is included in the appendix. (Author/TS)

Validity of Selected Lab and Field Tests of Physical Working Capacity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Edmund J.

The validity of selected lab and field tests of physical working capacity was investigated. Forty-four male college students were administered a series of lab and field tests of physical working capacity. Lab tests include a test of maximum oxygen uptake, the PWC 170 test, the Harvard Step Test, the Progressive Pulse Ratio Test, Margaria Test of…

Electronics lab instructors' approaches to troubleshooting instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dounas-Frazer, Dimitri R.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2017-06-01

In this exploratory qualitative study, we describe instructors' self-reported practices for teaching and assessing students' ability to troubleshoot in electronics lab courses. We collected audio data from interviews with 20 electronics instructors from 18 institutions that varied by size, selectivity, and other factors. In addition to describing participants' instructional practices, we characterize their perceptions about the role of troubleshooting in electronics, the importance of the ability to troubleshoot more generally, and what it means for students to be competent troubleshooters. One major finding of this work is that, while almost all instructors in our study said that troubleshooting is an important learning outcome for students in electronics lab courses, only half of instructors said they directly assessed students' ability to troubleshoot. Based on our findings, we argue that there is a need for research-based instructional materials that attend to both cognitive and noncognitive aspects of troubleshooting proficiency. We also identify several areas for future investigation related to troubleshooting instruction in electronics lab courses.

Networking Labs in the Online Environment: Indicators for Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lahoud, Hilmi A.; Krichen, Jack P.

2010-01-01

Several techniques have been used to provide hands-on educational experiences to online learners, including remote labs, simulation software, and virtual labs, which offer a more structured environment, including simulations and scheduled asynchronous access to physical resources. This exploratory study investigated how these methods can be used…

Vista and Pemex in LAB deal

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

Morris, G.D.L.

1993-01-20

Vista Chemical (Houston) and Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex; Mexico City) have firmed up their long-negotiated plans for Pemex to supply feedstock for a linear alkylbenzene (LAB) plant that Vista will build in Mexico (CW, Sept. 16, 1992 p. 8). Specifically, the two companies have signed an agreement of understanding to pursue negotiations and finalize agreements. The plant would cost $250 million, produce 260 million-330 million lbs/year of LAB, and create about 200 permanent jobs. Final agreements, including a site selection, are expected to be completed by midyear. Vista expects startup in 1996, and is considering forming aj oint venture with amore » Mexican partner.« less

The Influence of Tablet PCs on Students' Use of Multiple Representations in Lab Reports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guelman, Clarisa Bercovich; De Leone, Charles; Price, Edward

2009-11-01

This study examined how different tools influenced students' use of representations in the Physics laboratory. In one section of a lab course, every student had a Tablet PC that served as a digital-ink based lab notebook. Students could seamlessly create hand-drawn graphics and equations, and write lab reports on the same computer used for data acquisition, simulation, and analysis. In another lab section, students used traditional printed lab guides, kept paper notebooks, and then wrote lab reports on regular laptops. Analysis of the lab reports showed differences between the sections' use of multiple representations, including an increased use of diagrams and equations by the Tablet users.

Interfacing LabVIEW With Instrumentation for Electronic Failure Analysis and Beyond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buchanan, Randy K.; Bryan, Coleman; Ludwig, Larry

1996-01-01

The Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workstation (LabVIEW) software is designed such that equipment and processes related to control systems can be operationally lined and controlled by the use of a computer. Various processes within the failure analysis laboratories of NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) demonstrate the need for modernization and, in some cases, automation, using LabVIEW. An examination of procedures and practices with the Failure Analaysis Laboratory resulted in the conclusion that some device was necessary to elevate the potential users of LabVIEW to an operational level in minimum time. This paper outlines the process involved in creating a tutorial application to enable personnel to apply LabVIEW to their specific projects. Suggestions for furthering the extent to which LabVIEW is used are provided in the areas of data acquisition and process control.

State of the Lab 2012

ScienceCinema

King, Alex

2018-05-07

Ames Laboratory Director Alex King delivers the annual State of the Lab address on Thursday, May 17, 2012, the 65th Anniversary of the founding of The Ames Laboratory. This video contains highlights from the address.