48 CFR 3016.170 - Contracts with Lead System Integrators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Contracts with Lead System... Selecting Contract Types 3016.170 Contracts with Lead System Integrators. The contracting officer should... consulted to determine the appropriate contract type and fee structure for use in varied contracts with lead...

48 CFR 3016.170 - Contracts with Lead System Integrators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2013-10-01 2012-10-01 true Contracts with Lead System... Selecting Contract Types 3016.170 Contracts with Lead System Integrators. The contracting officer should... consulted to determine the appropriate contract type and fee structure for use in varied contracts with lead...

48 CFR 3016.170 - Contracts with Lead System Integrators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Contracts with Lead System... Selecting Contract Types 3016.170 Contracts with Lead System Integrators. The contracting officer should... consulted to determine the appropriate contract type and fee structure for use in varied contracts with lead...

48 CFR 3016.170 - Contracts with Lead System Integrators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Contracts with Lead System... Selecting Contract Types 3016.170 Contracts with Lead System Integrators. The contracting officer should... consulted to determine the appropriate contract type and fee structure for use in varied contracts with lead...

48 CFR 3016.170 - Contracts with Lead System Integrators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contracts with Lead System... Selecting Contract Types 3016.170 Contracts with Lead System Integrators. The contracting officer should... consulted to determine the appropriate contract type and fee structure for use in varied contracts with lead...

NREL Leads Energy Systems Integration, Continuum Magazine: Issue 4 (Book)

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

Not Available

2013-04-01

Continuum Magazine showcases NREL's latest and most impactful clean energy innovations. This issue, 'NREL Leads Energy Systems Integration' explores the discipline of energy systems integration, in particular the role of the laboratory's new, one-of-a-kind Energy System Integration Facility. NREL scientists, engineers, and analysts deeply understand the fundamental science and technologies underpinning major energy producing and consuming systems, as well as the transmission infrastructure and communications and data networks required to integrate energy systems at all scales.

75 FR 3178 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Lead System Integrators

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-20

... Government procurement. Amy G. Williams, Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations System. 0 Accordingly, the..., without change, an interim rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to... limitations on the award of new contracts for lead system integrator functions in the acquisition of major DoD...

Integrated multiple-model adaptive fault identification and reconfigurable fault-tolerant control for Lead-Wing close formation systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chun; Jiang, Bin; Zhang, Ke

2018-03-01

This paper investigates the attitude and position tracking control problem for Lead-Wing close formation systems in the presence of loss of effectiveness and lock-in-place or hardover failure. In close formation flight, Wing unmanned aerial vehicle movements are influenced by vortex effects of the neighbouring Lead unmanned aerial vehicle. This situation allows modelling of aerodynamic coupling vortex-effects and linearisation based on optimal close formation geometry. Linearised Lead-Wing close formation model is transformed into nominal robust H-infinity models with respect to Mach hold, Heading hold, and Altitude hold autopilots; static feedback H-infinity controller is designed to guarantee effective tracking of attitude and position while manoeuvring Lead unmanned aerial vehicle. Based on H-infinity control design, an integrated multiple-model adaptive fault identification and reconfigurable fault-tolerant control scheme is developed to guarantee asymptotic stability of close-loop systems, error signal boundedness, and attitude and position tracking properties. Simulation results for Lead-Wing close formation systems validate the efficiency of the proposed integrated multiple-model adaptive control algorithm.

Design, Fabrication, Characterization and Modeling of Integrated Functional Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

interactions on the magnetization dynamics and hence the EB in these nanostructures. A comprehensive understanding of these effects is essential to...activities is expected to lead to new devices/systems/composite materials useful for the USAMRMC. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Functional materials, integrated...dimensions (nano, micro, meso, macro) leading to integrated functional materials. We have initiated this Integrated Functional Materials Project at the

Integrated Radio and Optical Communication (iROC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raible, Daniel; Romanofsky, Robert; Pease, Gary; Kacpura, Thomas

2016-01-01

This is an overview of the Integrated Radio and Optical Communication (iROC) Project for Space Communication and Navigation Industry Days. The Goal is to develop and demonstrate new, high payoff space technologies that will promote mission utilization of optical communications, thereby expanding the capabilities of NASA's exploration, science, and discovery missions. This is an overview that combines the paramount features of select deep space RF and optical communications elements into an integrated system, scalable from deep space to near earth. It will realize Ka-band RF and 1550 nanometer optical capability. The approach is to prototype and demonstrate performance of key components to increase to TRL-5, leading to integrated hybrid communications system demonstration to increase to TRL-5, leading to integrated hybrid communications system demonstration.

NREL Leads Energy Systems Integration - Continuum Magazine | NREL

Science.gov Websites

performance data to manage and optimize campus energy use. Integrated Solutions for a Complex Energy World 03 Integrated Solutions for a Complex Energy World Energy systems integration optimizes the design and efficient data centers in the world. Sustainability through Dynamic Energy Management Sustainability through

Dan Says - Continuum Magazine | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Dan Says Leading Energy Systems Integration A headshot of a man in a suit, smiling. Photo by Dennis U.S. dedicated to solving the complex problems associated with energy systems integration (ESI) on a national scale. Our 185,000-square-foot Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) is designed to provide a

ACCURATE BUILDING INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM (BIPV) ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TOOL

EPA Science Inventory

One of the leading areas of renewable energy applications for the twenty-first century is building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Integrating photovoltaics into building structures allows the costs of the PV system to be partially offset by the solar modules also serving a s...

Integrated delivery systems focus on service delivery after capitation efforts stall.

PubMed

2005-03-01

Integrated delivery systems focus on service delivery after capitation efforts stall. Integrated delivery systems are going through changes that are focusing the provider organizations more on delivering care than managing risk, says Dean C. Coddington, one of the leading researchers into capitated organizations and a senior consultant with McManis Consulting in Denver.

The Making of a Government LSI - From Warfare Capability to Operational System

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-30

continues to evolve and implement Lead System Integrator (LSI) acquisition strategies, they have started to define numerous program initiatives that...employ more integrated engineering and management processes and techniques. These initiatives are developing varying acquisition approaches that define (1...government LSI transformation. Navy Systems Commands have begun adding a higher level of integration into their acquisition process with the

11. Exterior view, showing instrumentation and gauge panel at walkin ...

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

11. Exterior view, showing instrumentation and gauge panel at walk-in entry level (bottom) of Test Cell 7, Systems Integration Laboratory Building (T-28), looking west. Metal stair at left leads to working platform levels surrounding test cell. - Air Force Plant PJKS, Systems Integration Laboratory, Systems Integration Laboratory Building, Waterton Canyon Road & Colorado Highway 121, Lakewood, Jefferson County, CO

Real-World Water System Lead and Copper Corrosion Control

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation provides specific background on lead and copper corrosion control chemistry and strategies, and integrates it with other important distribution system corrosion control objectives. Topics covered include: driving force for corrosion (oxidants); impacts of oxida...

Energy Systems Integration News - November 2016 | Energy Systems

Science.gov Websites

visualization. NREL Study Finds Integrated Utility Control Can Improve Grid Voltage Regulation Beyond Advanced large solar photovoltaic (PV) system is connected to the electric grid, a centralized control system at more PV power is being fed into the line than is being used, leading to voltage control issues and

A single-vendor and a single-buyer integrated inventory model with ordering cost reduction dependent on lead time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vijayashree, M.; Uthayakumar, R.

2017-09-01

Lead time is one of the major limits that affect planning at every stage of the supply chain system. In this paper, we study a continuous review inventory model. This paper investigates the ordering cost reductions are dependent on lead time. This study addressed two-echelon supply chain problem consisting of a single vendor and a single buyer. The main contribution of this study is that the integrated total cost of the single vendor and the single buyer integrated system is analyzed by adopting two different (linear and logarithmic) types ordering cost reductions act dependent on lead time. In both cases, we develop effective solution procedures for finding the optimal solution and then illustrative numerical examples are given to illustrate the results. The solution procedure is to determine the optimal solutions of order quantity, ordering cost, lead time and the number of deliveries from the single vendor and the single buyer in one production run, so that the integrated total cost incurred has the minimum value. Ordering cost reduction is the main aspect of the proposed model. A numerical example is given to validate the model. Numerical example solved by using Matlab software. The mathematical model is solved analytically by minimizing the integrated total cost. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis is included and the numerical examples are given to illustrate the results. The results obtained in this paper are illustrated with the help of numerical examples. The sensitivity of the proposed model has been checked with respect to the various major parameters of the system. Results reveal that the proposed integrated inventory model is more applicable for the supply chain manufacturing system. For each case, an algorithm procedure of finding the optimal solution is developed. Finally, the graphical representation is presented to illustrate the proposed model and also include the computer flowchart in each model.

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

Bragg-Sitton, Shannon; Boardman, Richard; Ruth, Mark

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognizes the need to transform the energy infrastructure of the U.S. and elsewhere to systems that can drastically reduce environmental impacts in an efficient and economically viable manner while utilizing both hydrocarbon resources and clean energy generation sources. Thus, DOE is supporting research and development that could lead to more efficient utilization of clean energy generation sources, including renewable and nuclear options. A concept being advanced by the DOE Offices of Nuclear Energy (NE) and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is tighter coupling of nuclear and renewable energy sources in a manner thatmore » produces new energy currency for the combined electricity grid, industrial manufacturing, and the transportation energy sectors. This integration concept has been referred to as a “hybrid system” that is capable of providing the right type of energy, at the right time, in the right place. At the direction of DOE-NE and DOE-EERE leadership, project leads at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have identified and engaged stakeholders in discussing integrated energy systems that would optimize renewable and nuclear energy integration on a region-by-region basis. Subsequent work will entail conduct of technical, economic, environmental and socio-political evaluations of the leading integrated system options based on a set of criteria established with stakeholder input. The Foundational Workshop for Integrated Nuclear – Renewable Energy Systems was organized around the following objectives: 1. Identify and refine priority region-specific opportunities for integrated nuclear-renewable energy systems in the U.S.; 2. Select Figures of Merit (FOM) to rank and prioritize candidate systems; 3. Discuss enabling technology development needs; 4. Identify analysis requirements, capabilities and gaps to estimate FOM for integrated system options; 5. Identify experimental needs to develop and demonstrate nuclear-renewable energy systems.« less

Integration of CBIR in radiological routine in accordance with IHE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welter, Petra; Deserno, Thomas M.; Fischer, Benedikt; Wein, Berthold B.; Ott, Bastian; Günther, Rolf W.

2009-02-01

Increasing use of digital imaging processing leads to an enormous amount of imaging data. The access to picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), however, is solely textually, leading to sparse retrieval results because of ambiguous or missing image descriptions. Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems can improve the clinical diagnostic outcome significantly. However, current CBIR systems are not able to integrate their results with clinical workflow and PACS. Existing communication standards like DICOM and HL7 leave many options for implementation and do not ensure full interoperability. We present a concept of the standardized integration of a CBIR system for the radiology workflow in accordance with the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) framework. This is based on the IHE integration profile 'Post-Processing Workflow' (PPW) defining responsibilities as well as standardized communication and utilizing the DICOM Structured Report (DICOM SR). Because nowadays most of PACS and RIS systems are not yet fully IHE compliant to PPW, we also suggest an intermediate approach with the concepts of the CAD-PACS Toolkit. The integration is independent of the particular PACS and RIS system. Therefore, it supports the widespread application of CBIR in radiological routine. As a result, the approach is exemplarily applied to the Image Retrieval in Medical Applications (IRMA) framework.

Optimization of a Two Stage Pulse Tube Refrigerator for the Integrated Current Lead System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maekawa, R.; Matsubara, Y.; Okada, A.; Takami, S.; Konno, M.; Tomioka, A.; Imayoshi, T.; Hayashi, H.; Mito, T.

2008-03-01

Implementation of a conventional current lead with a pulse tube refrigerator has been validated to be working as an Integrated Current Lead (ICL) system for the Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES). Realization of the system is primarily accounted for the flexibility of a pulse tube refrigerator, which does not posses any mechanical piston and/or displacer. As for an ultimate version of the ICL system, a High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) lead links a superconducting coil with a conventional copper lead. To ensure the minimization of heat loads to the superconducting coil, a pulse tube refrigerator has been upgraded to have a second cooling stage. This arrangement reduces not only the heat loads to the superconducting coil but also the operating cost for a SMES system. A prototype two-stage pulse tube refrigerator, series connected arrangement, was designed and fabricated to satisfy the requirements for the ICL system. Operation of the first stage refrigerator is a four-valve mode, while the second stage utilizes a double inlet configuration to ensure its confined geometry. The paper discusses the optimization of second stage cooling to validate the conceptual design

Integrating Social Networks and Remote Patient Monitoring Systems to Disseminate Notifications.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Hugo A; Germano, Eliseu; Carvalho, Sergio T; Albuquerque, Eduardo S

2017-01-01

Healthcare workforce shortage can be compensated by using information and communication technologies. Remote patient monitoring systems allow us to identify and communicate complications and anomalies. Integrating social networking services into remote patient monitoring systems enables users to manage their relationships. User defined relationships may be used to disseminate healthcare related notifications. Hence this integration leads to quicker interventions and may reduce hospital readmission rate. As a proof of concept, a module was integrated to a remote patient monitoring platform. A mobile application to manage relationships and receive notifications was also developed.

Systems Toxicology: From Basic Research to Risk Assessment

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Systems Toxicology is the integration of classical toxicology with quantitative analysis of large networks of molecular and functional changes occurring across multiple levels of biological organization. Society demands increasingly close scrutiny of the potential health risks associated with exposure to chemicals present in our everyday life, leading to an increasing need for more predictive and accurate risk-assessment approaches. Developing such approaches requires a detailed mechanistic understanding of the ways in which xenobiotic substances perturb biological systems and lead to adverse outcomes. Thus, Systems Toxicology approaches offer modern strategies for gaining such mechanistic knowledge by combining advanced analytical and computational tools. Furthermore, Systems Toxicology is a means for the identification and application of biomarkers for improved safety assessments. In Systems Toxicology, quantitative systems-wide molecular changes in the context of an exposure are measured, and a causal chain of molecular events linking exposures with adverse outcomes (i.e., functional and apical end points) is deciphered. Mathematical models are then built to describe these processes in a quantitative manner. The integrated data analysis leads to the identification of how biological networks are perturbed by the exposure and enables the development of predictive mathematical models of toxicological processes. This perspective integrates current knowledge regarding bioanalytical approaches, computational analysis, and the potential for improved risk assessment. PMID:24446777

Systems toxicology: from basic research to risk assessment.

PubMed

Sturla, Shana J; Boobis, Alan R; FitzGerald, Rex E; Hoeng, Julia; Kavlock, Robert J; Schirmer, Kristin; Whelan, Maurice; Wilks, Martin F; Peitsch, Manuel C

2014-03-17

Systems Toxicology is the integration of classical toxicology with quantitative analysis of large networks of molecular and functional changes occurring across multiple levels of biological organization. Society demands increasingly close scrutiny of the potential health risks associated with exposure to chemicals present in our everyday life, leading to an increasing need for more predictive and accurate risk-assessment approaches. Developing such approaches requires a detailed mechanistic understanding of the ways in which xenobiotic substances perturb biological systems and lead to adverse outcomes. Thus, Systems Toxicology approaches offer modern strategies for gaining such mechanistic knowledge by combining advanced analytical and computational tools. Furthermore, Systems Toxicology is a means for the identification and application of biomarkers for improved safety assessments. In Systems Toxicology, quantitative systems-wide molecular changes in the context of an exposure are measured, and a causal chain of molecular events linking exposures with adverse outcomes (i.e., functional and apical end points) is deciphered. Mathematical models are then built to describe these processes in a quantitative manner. The integrated data analysis leads to the identification of how biological networks are perturbed by the exposure and enables the development of predictive mathematical models of toxicological processes. This perspective integrates current knowledge regarding bioanalytical approaches, computational analysis, and the potential for improved risk assessment.

Lead/acid batteries in systems to improve power quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, P.; Butler, P.; Nerbun, W.

Increasing dependence on computer technology is driving needs for extremely high-quality power to prevent loss of information, material, and workers' time that represent billions of dollars annually. This cost has motivated commercial and Federal research and development of energy storage systems that detect and respond to power-quality failures in milliseconds. Electrochemical batteries are among the storage media under investigation for these systems. Battery energy storage systems that employ either flooded lead/acid or valve-regulated lead/acid battery technologies are becoming commercially available to capture a share of this emerging market. Cooperative research and development between the US Department of Energy and private industry have led to installations of lead/acid-based battery energy storage systems to improve power quality at utility and industrial sites and commercial development of fully integrated, modular battery energy storage system products for power quality. One such system by AC Battery Corporation, called the PQ2000, is installed at a test site at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (San Ramon, CA, USA) and at a customer site at Oglethorpe Power Corporation (Tucker, GA, USA). The PQ2000 employs off-the-shelf power electronics in an integrated methodology to control the factors that affect the performance and service life of production-model, low-maintenance, flooded lead/acid batteries. This system, and other members of this first generation of lead/acid-based energy storage systems, will need to compete vigorously for a share of an expanding, yet very aggressive, power quality market.

Advances in Hot-Structure Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rivers, H. Kevin; Glass, David E.

2006-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has actively participated in the development of hot structures technology for application to hypersonic flight systems. Hot structures have been developed for vehicles including the X-43A, X-37, and the Space Shuttle. These trans-atmospheric and atmospheric entry flight systems that incorporate hot-structures technology are lighter weight and require less maintenance than those that incorporate parasitic, thermal-protection materials that attach to warm or cool substructure. The development of hot structures requires a thorough understanding of material performance in an extreme environment, boundary conditions and load interactions, structural joint performance, and thermal and mechanical performance of integrated structural systems that operate at temperatures ranging from 1500 C to 3000 C, depending on the application. This paper will present recent advances in the development of hot structures, including development of environmentally durable, high temperature leading edges and control surfaces, integrated thermal protection systems, and repair technologies. The X-43A Mach-10 vehicle utilized carbon/carbon (C/C) leading edges on the nose, horizontal control surface, and vertical tail. The nose and vertical and horizontal tail leading edges were fabricated out of a 3:1 biased, high thermal conductivity C/C. The leading edges were coated with a three-layer coating comprised of a SiC conversion of the C/C, followed by a CVD layer of SiC, followed by a thin CVD layer of HfC. Work has also been performed on the development of an integrated structure and was focused on both hot and warm (insulated) structures and integrated fuselage/tank/TPS systems. The objective was to develop integrated multifunctional airframe structures that eliminate fragile external thermal-protection systems and incorporate the insulating function within the structure. The approach taken to achieve this goal was to develop candidate hypersonic airframe concepts, including structural arrangement, load paths, thermal-structural wall design, thermal accommodation features, and integration of major components, optimize thermalstructural configurations, and validate concepts through a building block test program and generate data to improve and validate analytical and design tools.

Engineering healthcare as a service system.

PubMed

Tien, James M; Goldschmidt-Clermont, Pascal J

2010-01-01

Engineering has and will continue to have a critical impact on healthcare; the application of technology-based techniques to biological problems can be defined to be technobiology applications. This paper is primarily focused on applying the technobiology approach of systems engineering to the development of a healthcare service system that is both integrated and adaptive. In general, healthcare services are carried out with knowledge-intensive agents or components which work together as providers and consumers to create or co-produce value. Indeed, the engineering design of a healthcare system must recognize the fact that it is actually a complex integration of human-centered activities that is increasingly dependent on information technology and knowledge. Like any service system, healthcare can be considered to be a combination or recombination of three essential components - people (characterized by behaviors, values, knowledge, etc.), processes (characterized by collaboration, customization, etc.) and products (characterized by software, hardware, infrastructures, etc.). Thus, a healthcare system is an integrated and adaptive set of people, processes and products. It is, in essence, a system of systems which objectives are to enhance its efficiency (leading to greater interdependency) and effectiveness (leading to improved health). Integration occurs over the physical, temporal, organizational and functional dimensions, while adaptation occurs over the monitoring, feedback, cybernetic and learning dimensions. In sum, such service systems as healthcare are indeed complex, especially due to the uncertainties associated with the human-centered aspects of these systems. Moreover, the system complexities can only be dealt with methods that enhance system integration and adaptation.

Double light-cone dynamics establish thermal states in integrable 1D Bose gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langen, T.; Schweigler, T.; Demler, E.; Schmiedmayer, J.

2018-02-01

We theoretically investigate the non-equilibrium dynamics in a quenched pair of one-dimensional Bose gases with density imbalance. We describe the system using its low-energy effective theory, the Luttinger liquid model. In this framework the system shows strictly integrable relaxation dynamics via dephasing of its approximate many-body eigenstates. In the balanced case, this leads to the well-known light-cone-like establishment of a prethermalized state, which can be described by a generalized Gibbs ensemble. In the imbalanced case the integrable dephasing leads to a state that, counter-intuitively, closely resembles a thermal equilibrium state. The approach to this state is characterized by two separate light-cone dynamics with distinct characteristic velocities. This behavior is a result of the fact that in the imbalanced case observables are not aligned with the conserved quantities of the integrable system. We discuss a concrete experimental realization to study this effect using matterwave interferometry and many-body revivals on an atom chip.

Aviation safety/automation program overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morello, Samuel A.

1990-01-01

The goal is to provide a technology base leading to improved safety of the national airspace system through the development and integration of human-centered automation technologies for aircraft crews and air traffic controllers. Information on the problems, specific objectives, human-automation interaction, intelligent error-tolerant systems, and air traffic control/cockpit integration is given in viewgraph form.

48 CFR 252.209-7006 - Limitations on Contractors Acting as Lead System Integrators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... system(s), subsystem(s), system of systems, or services described in this solicitation. (d) If the... through a process over which the offeror exercised no control. (f) This provision implements the...

Development of the Lymphoma Enterprise Architecture Database: a caBIG Silver level compliant system.

PubMed

Huang, Taoying; Shenoy, Pareen J; Sinha, Rajni; Graiser, Michael; Bumpers, Kevin W; Flowers, Christopher R

2009-04-03

Lymphomas are the fifth most common cancer in United States with numerous histological subtypes. Integrating existing clinical information on lymphoma patients provides a platform for understanding biological variability in presentation and treatment response and aids development of novel therapies. We developed a cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG) Silver level compliant lymphoma database, called the Lymphoma Enterprise Architecture Data-system (LEAD), which integrates the pathology, pharmacy, laboratory, cancer registry, clinical trials, and clinical data from institutional databases. We utilized the Cancer Common Ontological Representation Environment Software Development Kit (caCORE SDK) provided by National Cancer Institute's Center for Bioinformatics to establish the LEAD platform for data management. The caCORE SDK generated system utilizes an n-tier architecture with open Application Programming Interfaces, controlled vocabularies, and registered metadata to achieve semantic integration across multiple cancer databases. We demonstrated that the data elements and structures within LEAD could be used to manage clinical research data from phase 1 clinical trials, cohort studies, and registry data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. This work provides a clear example of how semantic technologies from caBIG can be applied to support a wide range of clinical and research tasks, and integrate data from disparate systems into a single architecture. This illustrates the central importance of caBIG to the management of clinical and biological data.

Indicators and measurement tools for health system integration: a knowledge synthesis protocol.

PubMed

Oelke, Nelly D; Suter, Esther; da Silva Lima, Maria Alice Dias; Van Vliet-Brown, Cheryl

2015-07-29

Health system integration is a key component of health system reform with the goal of improving outcomes for patients, providers, and the health system. Although health systems continue to strive for better integration, current delivery of health services continues to be fragmented. A key gap in the literature is the lack of information on what successful integration looks like and how to measure achievement towards an integrated system. This multi-site study protocol builds on a prior knowledge synthesis completed by two of the primary investigators which identified 10 key principles that collectively support health system integration. The aim is to answer two research questions: What are appropriate indicators for each of the 10 key integration principles developed in our previous knowledge synthesis and what measurement tools are used to measure these indicators? To enhance generalizability of the findings, a partnership between Canada and Brazil was created as health system integration is a priority in both countries and they share similar contexts. This knowledge synthesis will follow an iterative scoping review process with emerging information from knowledge-user engagement leading to the refinement of research questions and study selection. This paper describes the methods for each phase of the study. Research questions were developed with stakeholder input. Indicator identification and prioritization will utilize a modified Delphi method and patient/user focus groups. Based on priority indicators, a search of the literature will be completed and studies screened for inclusion. Quality appraisal of relevant studies will be completed prior to data extraction. Results will be used to develop recommendations and key messages to be presented through integrated and end-of-grant knowledge translation strategies with researchers and knowledge-users from the three jurisdictions. This project will directly benefit policy and decision-makers by providing an easy accessible set of indicators and tools to measure health system integration across different contexts and cultures. Being able to evaluate the success of integration strategies and initiatives will lead to better health system design and improved health outcomes for patients.

CASE STUDIES IN THE INTEGRATED USE OF SCALE ANALYSES TO SOLVE LEAD PROBLEMS

EPA Science Inventory

All methods of controlling lead corrosion involve immobilizing lead into relatively insoluble compounds that deposit on the interior wall of water pipes. Many different solid phases can form under the disparate conditions that exist in distribution systems, which range in how the...

Highest integration in microelectronics: Development of digital ASICs for PARS3-LR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholler, Peter; Vonlutz, Rainer

Essential electronic system components by PARS3-LR, show high requirements in calculation power, power consumption and reliability, by immediately increasing integration thicknesses. These problems are solved by using integrated circuits, developed by LSI LOGIC, that uses the technical and economic advantages of this leading edge technology.

Acquisition Program Lead Systems Integration/Lead Capabilities Integration Decision Support Methodology and Tool

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-30

from the MIT Sloan School that provide a relative complexity score for functions (Product and Context Complexity). The PMA assesses the complexity...collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources...gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or

Medical Operations Support for ISS Operations - The Role of the BME Operations Team Leads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janney, Rob; Sabatier, Veronica

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the role of the biomedical flight controllers (BMEs), and BME Operations Team Leads (OTLs) in providing medical support for personnel on the International Space Station. This presentation will concentrate on role of the BME OTLs, who provide the integration function across the integration function across all Crew Health Care System (CHeCS) disciplines for operational products and medical procedures.

SU-E-P-20: Personnel Lead Apparel Integrity Inspection: Where We Are and What We Need?

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

Smith, S; Zhang, J; Anaskevich, L

Purpose: In recent years, tremendous efforts have been devoted to radiation dose reduction, especially for patients who are directly exposed to primary radiation or receive radiopharmaceuticals. Limited efforts have been focused on those personnel who are exposed to secondary radiation while fulfilling their work responsibilities associated with diagnostic imaging and image-guided interventions. Occupational exposure is compounded in daily practice and can lead to a significant radiation dose over time. Personnel lead apparel is a well-accepted engineering control to protect healthcare workers when radiation is inevitable. The question is, do we have a nationally established program to protect personnel? This studymore » is to investigate the lead apparel inspection programs among the USA. Methods: A series of surveys of state regulations, the University Health System Consortium, and federal regulations and regulations determined by accrediting bodies were conducted. The surveys were used to determine the current status of lead apparel programs regarding integrity inspections. Based on the survey results, a thorough program was proposed accordingly. Results: Of 50 states, seventeen states and Washington D.C. require lead apparel integrity inspections within their state regulations. Eleven of these states specify that the inspection is required on an annual basis. Two of these states require lead apron integrity checks to be performed semi-annually. Eleven out of the two hundred academic medical centers surveyed responded. The results show that the method (visually vs. fluoroscopy) used to conduct lead apparel integrity checks differ greatly amongst healthcare organizations. The FDA, EPA, CRCPD and NCRP require lead apparel integrity checks. However, the level of policies is different. A standard program is not well established and clearly there is a lack of standardization. Conclusion: A program led by legislative (state or federal government) and with specific frequency, methods, tracking and criteria is needed to ensure the integrity of personnel lead apparel.« less

The Impact Of Optical Storage Technology On Image Processing Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garges, Daniel T.; Durbin, Gerald T.

1984-09-01

The recent announcement of commercially available high density optical storage devices will have a profound impact on the information processing industry. Just as the initial introduction of random access storage created entirely new processing strategies, optical technology will allow dramatic changes in the storage, retrieval, and dissemination of engineering drawings and other pictorial or text-based documents. Storage Technology Corporation has assumed a leading role in this arena with the introduction of the 7600 Optical Storage Subsystem, and the formation of StorageTek Integrated Systems, a subsidiary chartered to incorporate this new technology into deliverable total systems. This paper explores the impact of optical storage technology from the perspective of a leading-edge manufacturer and integrator.

Integrated multidisciplinary analysis tool IMAT users' guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meissner, Frances T. (Editor)

1988-01-01

The Integrated Multidisciplinary Analysis Tool (IMAT) is a computer software system developed at Langley Research Center. IMAT provides researchers and analysts with an efficient capability to analyze satellite controls systems influenced by structural dynamics. Using a menu-driven executive system, IMAT leads the user through the program options. IMAT links a relational database manager to commercial and in-house structural and controls analysis codes. This paper describes the IMAT software system and how to use it.

Developing the Principal's Capacity to Lead Technology Integration within the School: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bobbera, Robert L.

2013-01-01

The school principal's role is demanding. Responsible for complex systems impacting student learning, the principal must possess knowledge in varied areas of the educational system. Rising from the roots of the teaching principal, the leadership paradigm of modern school principals has evolved over time. With the integration of digital…

Pyrolysis system evaluation study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

An evaluation of two different pyrolysis concepts which recover energy from solid waste was conducted in order to determine the merits of each concept for integration into a Integrated Utility System (IUS). The two concepts evaluated were a Lead Bath Furnace Pyrolysis System and a Slagging Vertical Shaft, Partial Air Oxidation Pyrolysis System. Both concepts will produce a fuel gas from the IUS waste and sewage sludge which can be used to offset primary fuel consumption in addition to the sanitary disposal of the waste. The study evaluated the thermal integration of each concept as well as the economic impact on the IUS resulting from integrating each pyrolysis concepts. For reference, the pyrolysis concepts were also compared to incineration which was considered the baseline IUS solid waste disposal system.

Integrative Systems Biology for Data Driven Knowledge Discovery

PubMed Central

Greene, Casey S.; Troyanskaya, Olga G.

2015-01-01

Integrative systems biology is an approach that brings together diverse high throughput experiments and databases to gain new insights into biological processes or systems at molecular through physiological levels. These approaches rely on diverse high-throughput experimental techniques that generate heterogeneous data by assaying varying aspects of complex biological processes. Computational approaches are necessary to provide an integrative view of these experimental results and enable data-driven knowledge discovery. Hypotheses generated from these approaches can direct definitive molecular experiments in a cost effective manner. Using integrative systems biology approaches, we can leverage existing biological knowledge and large-scale data to improve our understanding of yet unknown components of a system of interest and how its malfunction leads to disease. PMID:21044756

Integrating radiology information systems with healthcare delivery environments using DICOM and HL7 standards.

PubMed

Blazona, Bojan; Koncar, Miroslav

2006-01-01

Integration based on open standards, in order to achieve communication and information interoperability, is one of the key aspects of modern health care information systems. Interoperability presents data and communication layer interchange. In this context we identified the HL7 standard as the world's leading medical Information and communication technology (ICT) standard for the business layer in healthcare information systems and we tried to explore the ability to exchange clinical documents with minimal integrated healthcare information systems (IHCIS) change. We explored HL7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) abilities to achieve radiology information system integration (DICOM) to IHCIS (HL7). We introduced the use of WADO service interconnection to IHCIS and finally CDA rendering in widely used Internet explorers.

Optimal integration of daylighting and electric lighting systems using non-imaging optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scartezzini, J.-L.; Linhart, F.; Kaegi-Kolisnychenko, E.

2007-09-01

Electric lighting is responsible for a significant fraction of electricity consumption within non-residential buildings. Making daylight more available in office and commercial buildings can lead as a consequence to important electricity savings, as well as to the improvement of occupants' visual performance and wellbeing. Over the last decades, daylighting technologies have been developed for that purpose, some of them having proven to be highly efficient such as anidolic daylighting systems. Based on non-imaging optics these optical devices were designed to achieve an efficient collection and redistribution of daylight within deep office rooms. However in order to benefit from the substantial daylight provision obtained through these systems and convert it into effective electricity savings, novel electric lighting strategies are required. An optimal integration of high efficacy light sources and efficient luminaries based on non-imaging optics with anidolic daylighting systems can lead to such novel strategies. Starting from the experience gained through the development of an Anidolic Integrated Ceiling (AIC), this paper presents an optimal integrated daylighting and electric lighting system. Computer simulations based on ray-tracing techniques were used to achieve the integration of 36W fluorescent tubes and non-imaging reflectors with an advanced daylighting system. Lighting power densities lower than 4 W/m2 can be achieved in this way within the corresponding office room. On-site monitoring of an integrated daylighting and electric lighting system carried out on a solar experimental building confirmed the energy and visual performance of such a system: it showed that low lighting power densities can be achieved by combining an anidolic daylighting system with very efficient electric light sources and luminaries.

2006 DoD Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) Conference, Exhibition and Workshop

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-13

echnology T ervicesS Integrated Systems & Solutions Integrated yste s S olutionsS • 30,000 Employees • 5 Principal Businesses Organized Into 3 Major...Solutions -Data Sources -Search Engine -Notification Policy -DSCC/IST Lead -Industry Capabilities - Organic Capabilities -Pro-active upgrades -DMEA Lead...needs to TLCSM EC. Cathi Crabtree Voting Members Accomplishments WG Organization we can build on DAU Distance Leaning Modules WG Strategic Plan Re

Power System and Energy Storage Models for Laser Integration on Naval Platforms

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

Batteries The model for the system with lithium - ion battery storage is practically identical to the one with lead-acid batteries. The battery used in...supply 60, 6-second laser shots at a 50% duty cycle before depletion, and is comparable to the lead acid and lithium - ion battery storage. Figure 7

75 FR 41097 - Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation; Lead System Integrators [HSAR Case 2009-003

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-15

... contract type and fee structure based on risks inherent in the work to be performed, in accordance with... competitive procedures, DHS takes appropriate steps to prevent any organizational conflicts of interest in the... specification of various types of contracts and fee structures that are appropriate for use with lead system...

System acceptance test plan : Dallas Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) demonstration project.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-02-01

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is leading the US 75 Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Demonstration Project for the Dallas region. Coordinated corridor operations and management is predicated on being able to share transportation information...

Cyberinfrastructure to support Real-time, End-to-End, High Resolution, Localized Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramamurthy, M. K.; Lindholm, D.; Baltzer, T.; Domenico, B.

2004-12-01

From natural disasters such as flooding and forest fires to man-made disasters such as toxic gas releases, the impact of weather-influenced severe events on society can be profound. Understanding, predicting, and mitigating such local, mesoscale events calls for a cyberinfrastructure to integrate multidisciplinary data, tools, and services as well as the capability to generate and use high resolution data (such as wind and precipitation) from localized models. The need for such end to end systems -- including data collection, distribution, integration, assimilation, regionalized mesoscale modeling, analysis, and visualization -- has been realized to some extent in many academic and quasi-operational environments, especially for atmospheric sciences data. However, many challenges still remain in the integration and synthesis of data from multiple sources and the development of interoperable data systems and services across those disciplines. Over the years, the Unidata Program Center has developed several tools that have either directly or indirectly facilitated these local modeling activities. For example, the community is using Unidata technologies such as the Internet Data Distribution (IDD) system, Local Data Manger (LDM), decoders, netCDF libraries, Thematic Realtime Environmental Distributed Data Services (THREDDS), and the Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) in their real-time prediction efforts. In essence, these technologies for data reception and processing, local and remote access, cataloging, and analysis and visualization coupled with technologies from others in the community are becoming the foundation of a cyberinfrastructure to support an end-to-end regional forecasting system. To build on these capabilities, the Unidata Program Center is pleased to be a significant contributor to the Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery (LEAD) project, a NSF-funded multi-institutional large Information Technology Research effort. The goal of LEAD is to create an integrated and scalable framework for identifying, accessing, preparing, assimilating, predicting, managing, analyzing, mining, and visualizing a broad array of meteorological data and model output, independent of format and physical location. To that end, LEAD will create a series of interconnected, heterogeneous Grid environments to provide a complete framework for mesoscale research, including a set of integrated Grid and Web Services. This talk will focus on the transition from today's end-to-end systems into the types of systems that the LEAD project envisions and the multidisciplinary research problems they will enable.

Integrated restructurable flight control system demonstration results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiss, Jerold L.; Hsu, John Y.

1987-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the complementary capabilities of several restructurable flight control system (RFCS) concepts through the integration of these technologies into a complete system. Performance issues were addressed through a re-examination of RFCS functional requirements, and through a qualitative analysis of the design issues that, if properly addressed during integration, will lead to the highest possible degree of fault-tolerant performance. Software developed under previous phases of this contract and under NAS1-18004 was modified and integrated into a complete RFCS subroutine for NASA's B-737 simulation. The integration of these modules involved the development of methods for dealing with the mismatch between the outputs of the failure detection module and the input requirements of the automatic control system redesign module. The performance of this demonstration system was examined through extensive simulation trials.

Ceramic Integration Technologies for Aerospace and Energy Systems: Technical Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Mrityunjay

2007-01-01

Ceramic integration technology has been recognized as an enabling technology for the implementation of advanced ceramic systems in a number of high-temperature applications in aerospace, power generation, nuclear, chemical, and electronic industries. Various ceramic integration technologies (joining, brazing, attachments, repair, etc.) play a role in fabrication and manufacturing of large and complex shaped parts of various functionalities. However, the development of robust and reliable integrated systems with optimum performance requires the understanding of many thermochemical and thermomechanical factors, particularly for high temperature applications. In this presentation, various challenges and opportunities in design, fabrication, and testing of integrated similar (ceramic-ceramic) and dissimilar (ceramic-metal) material systems will be discussed. Experimental results for bonding and integration of SiC based LDI fuel injector, high conductivity C/C composite based heat rejection system, solid oxide fuel cells system, ultra high temperature ceramics for leading edges, and ceramic composites for thermostructural applications will be presented. Potential opportunities and need for the development of innovative design philosophies, approaches, and integrated system testing under simulated application conditions will also be discussed.

Development of an Integrated Data Acquisition System for a Small Flight Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, Gregory T.; Empey, Daniel M.; Skokova, Kristina A.; Venkatapathy, Ethiraj

2012-01-01

In support of the SPRITE concept, an integrated data acquisition system has been developed and fabricated for preliminary testing. The data acquisition system has been designed to condition traditional thermal protection system sensors, store their data to an on-board memory card, and in parallel, telemeter to an external system. In the fall of 2010, this system was integrated into a 14 in. diameter, 45 degree sphere cone probe instrumented with thermal protection system sensors. This system was then tested at the NASA Ames Research Center Aerodynamic Heating Facility's arc jet at approximately 170 W/sq. cm. The first test in December 2010 highlighted hardware design issues that were redesigned and implemented leading to a successful test in February 2011.

A wearable 12-lead ECG acquisition system with fabric electrodes.

PubMed

Haoshi Zhang; Lan Tian; Huiyang Lu; Ming Zhou; Haiqing Zou; Peng Fang; Fuan Yao; Guanglin Li

2017-07-01

Continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring is significant for prevention of heart disease and is becoming an important part of personal and family health care. In most of the existing wearable solutions, conventional metal sensors and corresponding chips are simply integrated into clothes and usually could only collect few leads of ECG signals that could not provide enough information for diagnosis of cardiac diseases such as arrhythmia and myocardial ischemia. In this study, a wearable 12-lead ECG acquisition system with fabric electrodes was developed and could simultaneously process 12 leads of ECG signals. By integrating the fabric electrodes into a T-shirt, the wearable system would provide a comfortable and convenient user interface for ECG recording. For comparison, the proposed fabric electrode and the gelled traditional metal electrodes were used to collect ECG signals on a subject, respectively. The approximate entropy (ApEn) of ECG signals from both types of electrodes were calculated. The experimental results show that the fabric electrodes could achieve similar performance as the gelled metal electrodes. This preliminary work has demonstrated that the developed ECG system with fabric electrodes could be utilized for wearable health management and telemedicine applications.

Optimal generalized multistep integration formulae for real-time digital simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moerder, D. D.; Halyo, N.

1985-01-01

The problem of discretizing a dynamical system for real-time digital simulation is considered. Treating the system and its simulation as stochastic processes leads to a statistical characterization of simulator fidelity. A plant discretization procedure based on an efficient matrix generalization of explicit linear multistep discrete integration formulae is introduced, which minimizes a weighted sum of the mean squared steady-state and transient error between the system and simulator outputs.

A Systems Approach to School Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAdams, Richard P.

1997-01-01

Summarizes leading scholars' findings in leadership theory, local politics and government, state and national school politics, and change theory. Integrating this knowledge into a systematic reform effort requires superintendents with integrity and vision; political stability; good board/superintendent relations; long-term, statewide commitment;…

IMAT (Integrated Multidisciplinary Analysis Tool) user's guide for the VAX/VMS computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meissner, Frances T. (Editor)

1988-01-01

The Integrated Multidisciplinary Analysis Tool (IMAT) is a computer software system for the VAX/VMS computer developed at the Langley Research Center. IMAT provides researchers and analysts with an efficient capability to analyze satellite control systems influenced by structural dynamics. Using a menu-driven executive system, IMAT leads the user through the program options. IMAT links a relational database manager to commercial and in-house structural and controls analysis codes. This paper describes the IMAT software system and how to use it.

48 CFR 209.570-3 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... out the use of contracted lead system integrator functions over the shortest period of time consistent... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Procedures. 209.570-3 Section 209.570-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM...

48 CFR 209.570-3 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... out the use of contracted lead system integrator functions over the shortest period of time consistent... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Procedures. 209.570-3 Section 209.570-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM...

48 CFR 209.570-3 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... out the use of contracted lead system integrator functions over the shortest period of time consistent... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Procedures. 209.570-3 Section 209.570-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM...

48 CFR 209.570-3 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... out the use of contracted lead system integrator functions over the shortest period of time consistent... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Procedures. 209.570-3 Section 209.570-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM...

Integrated waste management for rural development in Egypt.

PubMed

Shehata, S M; El Shimi, S A; Elkattan, M H; Ali, B E; El-Housseini, M; El Sayad, S A; Mahmoud, M S; Zaki, A M; Hamdi, Y A; El-Nawawy, A S

2004-01-01

Rural areas generate a large amount of plant and animal residues that can be recycled and utilized instead of relocation and/or burning. This will lead to increasing the benefits from agricultural sector in rural communities and ensuring a better environment. To increase the economic output and environmental benefits of recycling agricultural residues, integrated system should be considered, e.g., energy--compost-recycled water system; composting--co-composting system; food-feed compost system, ensilage of crop residues. The present work was a pilot study for optimizing integrated systems for bioconversion agricultural residues completed by establishing a Training Center for Recycling Agricultural Residues (TCRAR) thereby ensuring the dissemination of the technical, environmental, and socioeconomic aspects to farmers, live stock producers, extensions service staff, and private sector. Three integrated subsystems for bioconversion of agricultural residues were developed. They were based on (i) energy--manure-recycled water system, (ii) composting and co-composting system, and (iii) food-feed/compost system.

Understanding Transportation Systems : An Integrated Approach to Modeling Complex Transportation Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

The ability to model and understand the complex dynamics of intelligent agents as they interact within a transportation system could lead to revolutionary advances in transportation engineering and intermodal surface transportation in the United Stat...

Helena Chum | NREL

Science.gov Websites

systems, and international renewable energy activities including agriculture, forestry, bioenergy : Lead author of the Energy Systems Chapter and contributing author of the Agriculture, Forestry and , addressing climate change, sustainability certification of bioenergy and biomass, and integrated systems

Growth of Integrative Medicine at Leading Cancer Centers Between 2009 and 2016: A Systematic Analysis of NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center Websites.

PubMed

Yun, Hyeongjun; Sun, Lingyun; Mao, Jun J

2017-11-01

Cancer centers have increasingly offered integrative medicine therapies in response to their patients' unmet needs. We evaluated the growth of integrative medicine in leading academic cancer centers in the United States as reflected by their public-facing websites. We performed a systematic review of 45 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center websites. Two researchers independently evaluated whether the websites provided information regarding integrative medicine modalities and, if so, whether the services were provided in the same health system. They compared the proportion of cancer centers providing the information on each modality in 2016 with the data from the prior study in 2009. The most common integrative medicine therapies mentioned on the 45 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center websites were exercise (97.8%) and acupuncture and meditation (88.9% each), followed by yoga (86.7%), massage (84.4%), and music therapy (82.2%). The majority of the websites also provided information on nutrition (95.6%), dietary supplements (93.3%), and herbs (88.9%). The most common therapies offered in the health systems were acupuncture/massage (73.3% each), meditation/yoga (68.9% each), and consultations about nutrition (91.1%), dietary supplements (84.4%), and herbs (66.7%). Compared with 2009, there was a statistically significant increase in the number of websites mentioning acupuncture, dance therapy, healing touch, hypnosis, massage, meditation, Qigong, and yoga (all P < .05). Leading US cancer centers increasingly present integrative medicine content on their websites, and the majority of them provide these services to patients in the same health systems. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

ITER Construction—Plant System Integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tada, E.; Matsuda, S.

2009-02-01

This brief paper introduces how the ITER will be built in the international collaboration. The ITER Organization plays a central role in constructing ITER and leading it into operation. Since most of the ITER components are to be provided in-kind from the member countries, integral project management should be scoped in advance of real work. Those include design, procurement, system assembly, testing, licensing and commissioning of ITER.

On the complete and partial integrability of non-Hamiltonian systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bountis, T. C.; Ramani, A.; Grammaticos, B.; Dorizzi, B.

1984-11-01

The methods of singularity analysis are applied to several third order non-Hamiltonian systems of physical significance including the Lotka-Volterra equations, the three-wave interaction and the Rikitake dynamo model. Complete integrability is defined and new completely integrable systems are discovered by means of the Painlevé property. In all these cases we obtain integrals, which reduce the equations either to a final quadrature or to an irreducible second order ordinary differential equation (ODE) solved by Painlevé transcendents. Relaxing the Painlevé property we find many partially integrable cases whose movable singularities are poles at leading order, with In( t- t0) terms entering at higher orders. In an Nth order, generalized Rössler model a precise relation is established between the partial fulfillment of the Painlevé conditions and the existence of N - 2 integrals of the motion.

Review of integrated digital systems: evolution and adoption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz, Lawrence W.

The factors that are influencing the evolution of photogrammetric and remote sensing technology to transition into fully integrated digital systems are reviewed. These factors include societal pressures for new, more timely digital products from the Spatial Information Sciencesand the adoption of rapid technological advancements in digital processing hardware and software. Current major developments in leading government mapping agencies of the USA, such as the Digital Production System (DPS) modernization programme at the Defense Mapping Agency, and the Automated Nautical Charting System II (ANCS-II) programme and Integrated Digital Photogrammetric Facility (IDPF) at NOAA/National Ocean Service, illustrate the significant benefits to be realized. These programmes are examples of different levels of integrated systems that have been designed to produce digital products. They provide insights to the management complexities to be considered for very large integrated digital systems. In recognition of computer industry trends, a knowledge-based architecture for managing the complexity of the very large spatial information systems of the future is proposed.

Cyberinfrastructure for Atmospheric Discovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilhelmson, R.; Moore, C. W.

2004-12-01

Each year across the United States, floods, tornadoes, hail, strong winds, lightning, hurricanes, and winter storms cause hundreds of deaths, routinely disrupt transportation and commerce, and result in billions of dollars in annual economic losses . MEAD and LEAD are two recent efforts aimed at developing the cyberinfrastructure for studying and forecasting these events through collection, integration, and analysis of observational data coupled with numerical simulation, data mining, and visualization. MEAD (Modeling Environment for Atmospheric Discovery) has been funded for two years as an NCSA (National Center for Supercomputing Applications) Alliance Expedition. The goal of this expedition has been the development/adaptation of cyberinfrastructure that will enable research simulations, datamining, machine learning and visualization of hurricanes and storms utilizing the high performance computing environments including the TeraGrid. Portal grid and web infrastructure are being tested that will enable launching of hundreds of individual WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) simulations. In a similar way, multiple Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) or WRF/ROMS simulations can be carried out. Metadata and the resulting large volumes of data will then be made available for further study and for educational purposes using analysis, mining, and visualization services. Initial coupling of the ROMS and WRF codes has been completed and parallel I/O is being implemented for these models. Management of these activities (services) are being enabled through Grid workflow technologies (e.g. OGCE). LEAD (Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery) is a recently funded 5-year, large NSF ITR grant that involves 9 institutions who are developing a comprehensive national cyberinfrastructure in mesoscale meteorology, particularly one that can interoperate with others being developed. LEAD is addressing the fundamental information technology (IT) research challenges needed to create an integrated, scalable for identifying, accessing, preparing, assimilating, predicting, managing, analyzing, mining, and visualizing a broad array of meteorological data and model output, independent of format and physical location. A transforming element of LEAD is Workflow Orchestration for On-Demand, Real-Time, Dynamically-Adaptive Systems (WOORDS), which allows the use of analysis tools, forecast models, and data repositories as dynamically adaptive, on-demand, Grid-enabled systems that can a) change configuration rapidly and automatically in response to weather; b) continually be steered by new data; c) respond to decision-driven inputs from users; d) initiate other processes automatically; and e) steer remote observing technologies to optimize data collection for the problem at hand. Although LEAD efforts are primiarly directed at mesoscale meteorology, the IT services being developed has general applicability to other geoscience and environmental science. Integration of traditional and new data sources is a crucial component in LEAD for data analysis and assimilation, for integration of (ensemble mining) of data from sets of simulations, and for comparing results to observational data. As part of the integration effort, LEAD is creating a myLEAD metadata catalog service: a personal metacatalog that extends the Globus MCS system and is built on top of the OGSA-DAI system developed at the National e-Science Center in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Parallel/Vector Integration Methods for Dynamical Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukushima, T.

Progress of parallel/vector computers has driven us to develop suitable numerical integrators utilizing their computational power to the full extent while being independent on the size of system to be integrated. Unfortunately, the parallel version of Runge-Kutta type integrators are known to be not so efficient. Recently we developed a parallel version of the extrapolation method (Ito and Fukushima 1997), which allows variable timesteps and still gives an acceleration factor of 3-4 for general problems. While the vector-mode usage of Picard-Chebyshev method (Fukushima 1997a, 1997b) will lead the acceleration factor of order of 1000 for smooth problems such as planetary/satellites orbit integration. The success of multiple-correction PECE mode of time-symmetric implicit Hermitian integrator (Kokubo 1998) seems to enlighten Milankar's so-called "pipelined predictor corrector method", which is expected to lead an acceleration factor of 3-4. We will review these directions and discuss future prospects.

Integrating MRP (materiel requirements planning) into modern business.

PubMed

Lunn, T

1994-05-01

Time is the commodity of the '90s. Therefore, we all must learn how to use our manufacturing systems to shorten lead time and increase customer satisfaction. The objective of this article is to discuss practical ways people integrate the techniques of materiel requirements planning (MRP) systems with just-in-time (JIT) execution systems to increase customer satisfaction. Included are examples of new ways people use MRP systems to exemplify the process of continuous improvement--multiple items on work orders, consolidated routings, flexing capacity, and other new developments. Ways that successful companies use MRP II for planning and JIT for execution are discussed. There are many examples of how to apply theory to real life situations and a discussion of techniques that work to keep companies in the mode of continuous improvement. Also included is a look at hands-on, practical methods people use to achieve lead time reduction and simplify bills of material. Total quality management concepts can be applied to the MRP process itself. This in turn helps people improve schedule adherence, which leads to customer satisfaction.

Anodal right ventricular capture during left ventricular stimulation in CRT-implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

PubMed

Thibault, Bernard; Roy, Denis; Guerra, Peter G; Macle, Laurent; Dubuc, Marc; Gagné, Pierre; Greiss, Isabelle; Novak, Paul; Furlani, Aldo; Talajic, Mario

2005-07-01

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to improve symptoms of patients with moderate to severe heart failure. Optimal CRT involves biventricular or left ventricular (LV) stimulation alone, atrio-ventricular (AV) delay optimization, and possibly interventricular timing adjustment. Recently, anodal capture of the right ventricle (RV) has been described for patients with CRT-pacemakers. It is unknown whether the same phenomenon exists in CRT systems associated with defibrillators (CRT-ICD). The RV leads used in these systems are different from pacemaker leads: they have a larger diameter and shocking coils, which may affect the occurrence of anodal capture. We looked for anodal RV capture during LV stimulation in 11 consecutive patients who received a CRT-ICD system with RV leads with a true bipolar design. Fifteen patients who had RV leads with an integrated design were used as controls. Anodal RV and LV thresholds were determined at pulse width (pw) durations of 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 ms. RV anodal capture during LV pacing was found in 11/11 patients at some output with true bipolar RV leads versus 0/15 patients with RV leads with an integrated bipolar design. Anodal RV capture threshold was more affected by changes in pw duration than LV capture threshold. In CRT-ICD systems, RV leads with a true bipolar design with the proximal ring also used as the anode for LV pacing are associated with a high incidence of anodal RV capture during LV pacing. This may affect the clinical response to alternative resynchronization methods using single LV stimulation or interventricular delay programming.

An evaluation of the systems approach to bridge design.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-01-01

This study contains the findings from a survey of available integrated computer systems for bridge analysis and design, along with a sample design of a grade separation structure using the two leading design systems, BEST and STRC. It appears that in...

The design and integration of retinal CAD-SR to diabetes patient ePR system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Huiqun; Wei, Yufang; Liu, Brent J.; Shang, Yujuan; Shi, Lili; Jiang, Kui; Dong, Jiancheng

2017-03-01

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the serious complications of diabetes that could lead to blindness. Digital fundus camera is often used to detect retinal changes but the diagnosis relies too much on ophthalmologist's experience. Based on our previously developed algorithms for quantifying retinal vessels and lesions, we developed a computer aided detection-structured report (CAD-SR) template and implemented it into picture archiving and communication system (PACS). Furthermore, we mapped our CAD-SR into HL7 CDA to integrate CAD findings into diabetes patient electronic patient record (ePR) system. Such integration could provide more quantitative features from fundus image into ePR system, which is valuable for further data mining researches.

Leading Integrated Health and Social Care Systems: Perspectives from Research and Practice.

PubMed

Evans, Jenna M; Daub, Stacey; Goldhar, Jodeme; Wojtak, Anne; Purbhoo, Dipti

2016-01-01

As the research evidence on integrated care has evolved over the past two decades, so too has the critical role leaders have for the implementation, effectiveness and sustainability of integrated care. This paper explores what it means to be an effective leader of integrated care initiatives by drawing from the experiences of a leadership team in implementing an award-winning integrated care program in Toronto, Canada. Lessons learned are described and assessed against existing theory and research to identify which skills and behaviours facilitate effective leadership of integrated care initiatives.

Including Students with Severe Disabilities in General Education Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisniewski, Lech; Alper, Sandra

1994-01-01

This paper presents five systematic phases for bringing about successful regular education inclusion of students with severe disabilities. Phases include develop networks within the community, assess school and community resources, review strategies for integration, install strategies that lead to integration, and develop a system of feedback and…

Constraint-Driven Software Design: An Escape from the Waterfall Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Hoog, Robert; And Others

1994-01-01

Presents the principles of a development methodology for software design based on a nonlinear, product-driven approach that integrates quality aspects. Two examples are given to show that the flexibility needed for building high quality systems leads to integrated development environments in which methodology, product, and tools are closely…

Fuels from Biomass: Integration with Food and Materials Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipinsky, E. S.

1978-01-01

The development of fuels from biomass can lead naturally to dispersed facilities that incorporate food or materials production (or both) with fuel production. The author analyzes possible systems based on sugarcane, corn, and guayule. (Author/MA)

Integrating Safety in Developing a Variable Speed Limit System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

Disaggregate safety studies benefit from the reliable surveillance systems which provide detailed real-time traffic and weather data. This information could help in capturing microlevel influences of the hazardous factors which might lead to a crash....

Nonequilibrium quantum dynamics and transport: from integrability to many-body localization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasseur, Romain; Moore, Joel E.

2016-06-01

We review the non-equilibrium dynamics of many-body quantum systems after a quantum quench with spatial inhomogeneities, either in the Hamiltonian or in the initial state. We focus on integrable and many-body localized systems that fail to self-thermalize in isolation and for which the standard hydrodynamical picture breaks down. The emphasis is on universal dynamics, non-equilibrium steady states and new dynamical phases of matter, and on phase transitions far from thermal equilibrium. We describe how the infinite number of conservation laws of integrable and many-body localized systems lead to complex non-equilibrium states beyond the traditional dogma of statistical mechanics.

Data Integration: Charting a Path Forward to 2035

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-14

New York, NY: Gotham Books, 2004. Seligman , Len. Mitre Corporation, e-mail interview, 6 Dec 2010. Singer, P.W. Wired for War: The Robotics...articles.aspx (accessed 4 Dec 2010). Ultra-Large-Scale Systems: The Software Challenge of the Future. Study lead Linda Northrup. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie...Virtualization?‖ 1. 41 Ultra-Large-Scale Systems: The Software Challenge of the Future. Study lead Linda Northrup. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon Software

75 FR 56491 - Technical Amendments for Marine Spark-Ignition Engines and Vessels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-16

... spillage, incorporating safe recommended practices will result in a net benefit to the environment and lead... spillage, incorporating safe recommended practices will result in a net benefit to the environment and lead... portable fuel tanks to these new requirements, manufacturers working together on systems integration...

Integrated management of depression: improving system quality and creating effective interfaces.

PubMed

Myette, Thomas L

2008-04-01

Depression is a chronic recurrent condition and is a leading cause of work disability. Improving occupational outcomes for depression will require an integrated approach that incorporates best practices from the clinical, community, and workplace systems. This article briefly reviews recent quality improvement initiatives and promising practices in each system and then shifts to the importance of systems integration. An integrated chronic care model uses a sophisticated case management process to support essential relationships, facilitate key plans, and efficiently link the three systems to optimize clinical, economic, and occupational outcomes. An expanded role for employers and their agents in the management of depression and other chronic diseases is seen as fundamental to maintaining a healthy and productive workforce. To improve occupational outcomes for depression by integrating best practices from the clinical, community, and workplace systems. After a brief review of quality improvement initiatives and promising practices in each system, an integrated chronic care model is introduced. A case management process that links critical systems, supports essential relationships, and facilitates key plans is expected to result in improvements in clinical, economic, and occupational outcomes. Employers should be more engaged with clinical and community partners in the prevention and control of depression in affected employees.

Research on efficiency evaluation model of integrated energy system based on hybrid multi-attribute decision-making.

PubMed

Li, Yan

2017-05-25

The efficiency evaluation model of integrated energy system, involving many influencing factors, and the attribute values are heterogeneous and non-deterministic, usually cannot give specific numerical or accurate probability distribution characteristics, making the final evaluation result deviation. According to the characteristics of the integrated energy system, a hybrid multi-attribute decision-making model is constructed. The evaluation model considers the decision maker's risk preference. In the evaluation of the efficiency of the integrated energy system, the evaluation value of some evaluation indexes is linguistic value, or the evaluation value of the evaluation experts is not consistent. These reasons lead to ambiguity in the decision information, usually in the form of uncertain linguistic values and numerical interval values. In this paper, the risk preference of decision maker is considered when constructing the evaluation model. Interval-valued multiple-attribute decision-making method and fuzzy linguistic multiple-attribute decision-making model are proposed. Finally, the mathematical model of efficiency evaluation of integrated energy system is constructed.

Thermostructural applications of heat pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peeples, M. E.; Reeder, J. C.; Sontag, K. E.

1979-01-01

The feasibility of integrating heat pipes in high temperature structure to reduce local hot spot temperature was evaluated for a variety of hypersonic aerospace vehicles. From an initial list of twenty-two potential applications, the single stage to orbit wing leading edge showed the greatest promise and was selected for preliminary design of an integrated heat pipe thermostructural system. The design consisted of a Hastelloy X assembly with sodium heat pipe passages aligned normal to the wing leading edge. A d-shaped heat pipe cross section was determined to be optimum from the standpoint of structural weight.

The Peroxide Pathway

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNeal, Curtis I., Jr.; Anderson, William

1999-01-01

NASA's current focus on technology roadmaps as a tool for guiding investment decisions leads naturally to a discussion of NASA's roadmap for peroxide propulsion system development. NASA's new Second Generation Space Transportation System roadmap calls for an integrated Reusable Upper-Stage (RUS) engine technology demonstration in the FY03/FY04 time period. Preceding this integrated demonstration are several years of component developments and subsystem technology demonstrations. NASA and the Air Force took the first steps at developing focused upper stage technologies with the initiation of the Upper Stage Flight Experiment with Orbital Sciences in December 1997. A review of this program's peroxide propulsion development is a useful first step in establishing the peroxide propulsion pathway that could lead to a RUS demonstration in 2004.

Train integrity detection risk analysis based on PRISM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Yuan

2018-04-01

GNSS based Train Integrity Monitoring System (TIMS) is an effective and low-cost detection scheme for train integrity detection. However, as an external auxiliary system of CTCS, GNSS may be influenced by external environments, such as uncertainty of wireless communication channels, which may lead to the failure of communication and positioning. In order to guarantee the reliability and safety of train operation, a risk analysis method of train integrity detection based on PRISM is proposed in this article. First, we analyze the risk factors (in GNSS communication process and the on-board communication process) and model them. Then, we evaluate the performance of the model in PRISM based on the field data. Finally, we discuss how these risk factors influence the train integrity detection process.

A long time low drift integrator with temperature control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Donglai; Yan, Xiaolan; Zhang, Enchao; Pan, Shimin

2016-10-01

The output of an operational amplifier always contains signals that could not have been predicted, even with knowledge of the input and an accurately determined closed-loop transfer function. These signals lead to integrator zero-drift over time. A new type of integrator system with a long-term low-drift characteristic has therefore been designed. The integrator system is composed of a temperature control module and an integrator module. The aluminum printed circuit board of the integrator is glued to a thermoelectric cooler to maintain the electronic components at a stable temperature. The integration drift is automatically compensated using an analog-to-digital converter/proportional integration/digital-to-analog converter control circuit. Performance testing in a standard magnet shows that the proposed integrator, which has an integration time constant of 10 ms, has a low integration drift (<5 mV) over 1000 s after repeated measurements. The integrator can be used for magnetic flux measurements in most tokamaks and in the wire rope nondestructive test.

A long time low drift integrator with temperature control.

PubMed

Zhang, Donglai; Yan, Xiaolan; Zhang, Enchao; Pan, Shimin

2016-10-01

The output of an operational amplifier always contains signals that could not have been predicted, even with knowledge of the input and an accurately determined closed-loop transfer function. These signals lead to integrator zero-drift over time. A new type of integrator system with a long-term low-drift characteristic has therefore been designed. The integrator system is composed of a temperature control module and an integrator module. The aluminum printed circuit board of the integrator is glued to a thermoelectric cooler to maintain the electronic components at a stable temperature. The integration drift is automatically compensated using an analog-to-digital converter/proportional integration/digital-to-analog converter control circuit. Performance testing in a standard magnet shows that the proposed integrator, which has an integration time constant of 10 ms, has a low integration drift (<5 mV) over 1000 s after repeated measurements. The integrator can be used for magnetic flux measurements in most tokamaks and in the wire rope nondestructive test.

Integrated tools and techniques applied to the TES ground data system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, B. A.

2000-01-01

The author of this paper will dicuss the selection of CASE tools, a decision making process, requirements tracking and a review mechanism that leads to a highly integrated approach to software development that must deal with the constant pressure to change software requirements and design that is associated with research and development.

System Integration - A Major Step toward Lab on a Chip

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Microfluidics holds great promise to revolutionize various areas of biological engineering, such as single cell analysis, environmental monitoring, regenerative medicine, and point-of-care diagnostics. Despite the fact that intensive efforts have been devoted into the field in the past decades, microfluidics has not yet been adopted widely. It is increasingly realized that an effective system integration strategy that is low cost and broadly applicable to various biological engineering situations is required to fully realize the potential of microfluidics. In this article, we review several promising system integration approaches for microfluidics and discuss their advantages, limitations, and applications. Future advancements of these microfluidic strategies will lead toward translational lab-on-a-chip systems for a wide spectrum of biological engineering applications. PMID:21612614

Optimation of Operation System Integration between Main and Feeder Public Transport (Case Study: Trans Jakarta-Kopaja Bus Services)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miharja, M.; Priadi, Y. N.

2018-05-01

Promoting a better public transport is a key strategy to cope with urban transport problems which are mostly caused by a huge private vehicle usage. A better public transport service quality not only focuses on one type of public transport mode, but also concerns on inter modes service integration. Fragmented inter mode public transport service leads to a longer trip chain as well as average travel time which would result in its failure to compete with a private vehicle. This paper examines the optimation process of operation system integration between Trans Jakarta Bus as the main public transport mode and Kopaja Bus as feeder public transport service in Jakarta. Using scoring-interview method combined with standard parameters in operation system integration, this paper identifies the key factors that determine the success of the two public transport operation system integrations. The study found that some key integration parameters, such as the cancellation of “system setoran”, passenger get in-get out at official stop points, and systematic payment, positively contribute to a better service integration. However, some parameters such as fine system, time and changing point reliability, and information system reliability are among those which need improvement. These findings are very useful for the authority to set the right strategy to improve operation system integration between Trans Jakarta and Kopaja Bus services.

Gaming for Vocational Awareness; A Systems Approach. The Bartlesville System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Tommy L.; Keahey, Scott P.

The total systems approach to guidance and counseling is an attempt to help the student understand the personality of the environmental systems in relation to his own personality. Such an approach would provide for integration of the two personalities leading to productive behavior and individual goal achievement. This objective can be approached…

A Transcriptomic Analysis of Xylan Mutants Does Not Support the Existence of a Secondary Cell Wall Integrity System in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Faria-Blanc, Nuno; Mortimer, Jenny C.; Dupree, Paul

2018-01-01

Yeast have long been known to possess a cell wall integrity (CWI) system, and recently an analogous system has been described for the primary walls of plants (PCWI) that leads to changes in plant growth and cell wall composition. A similar system has been proposed to exist for secondary cell walls (SCWI). However, there is little data to support this. Here, we analyzed the stem transcriptome of a set of cell wall biosynthetic mutants in order to investigate whether cell wall damage, in this case caused by aberrant xylan synthesis, activates a signaling cascade or changes in cell wall synthesis gene expression. Our data revealed remarkably few changes to the transcriptome. We hypothesize that this is because cells undergoing secondary cell wall thickening have entered a committed programme leading to cell death, and therefore a SCWI system would have limited impact. The absence of transcriptomic responses to secondary cell wall alterations may facilitate engineering of the secondary cell wall of plants. PMID:29636762

A Transcriptomic Analysis of Xylan Mutants Does Not Support the Existence of a Secondary Cell Wall Integrity System in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Faria-Blanc, Nuno; Mortimer, Jenny C; Dupree, Paul

2018-01-01

Yeast have long been known to possess a cell wall integrity (CWI) system, and recently an analogous system has been described for the primary walls of plants (PCWI) that leads to changes in plant growth and cell wall composition. A similar system has been proposed to exist for secondary cell walls (SCWI). However, there is little data to support this. Here, we analyzed the stem transcriptome of a set of cell wall biosynthetic mutants in order to investigate whether cell wall damage, in this case caused by aberrant xylan synthesis, activates a signaling cascade or changes in cell wall synthesis gene expression. Our data revealed remarkably few changes to the transcriptome. We hypothesize that this is because cells undergoing secondary cell wall thickening have entered a committed programme leading to cell death, and therefore a SCWI system would have limited impact. The absence of transcriptomic responses to secondary cell wall alterations may facilitate engineering of the secondary cell wall of plants.

Optimisation of assembly scheduling in VCIM systems using genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dao, Son Duy; Abhary, Kazem; Marian, Romeo

2017-09-01

Assembly plays an important role in any production system as it constitutes a significant portion of the lead time and cost of a product. Virtual computer-integrated manufacturing (VCIM) system is a modern production system being conceptually developed to extend the application of traditional computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) system to global level. Assembly scheduling in VCIM systems is quite different from one in traditional production systems because of the difference in the working principles of the two systems. In this article, the assembly scheduling problem in VCIM systems is modeled and then an integrated approach based on genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to search for a global optimised solution to the problem. Because of dynamic nature of the scheduling problem, a novel GA with unique chromosome representation and modified genetic operations is developed herein. Robustness of the proposed approach is verified by a numerical example.

Should nurses be leaders of integrated health care?

PubMed

Thomas, Paul; While, Alison

2007-09-01

To examine the role of nurses within integrated health care. Healthcare planners are overly concerned with the treatment of diseases and insufficiently focused on social cohesion vertical rather than horizontal integration of healthcare effort. These domains need to be better connected, to avoid medicalization of social problems and socialisation of medical problems. Published literature, related to theories of whole system integration. *When conceptualizing whole system integration it helps to consider research insights to be snapshots of more complex stories-in-evolution, and change to be the result of ongoing community dance where multiple players adapt their steps to each other. *One image that helps to conceptualize integration is that of a railway network. Railway tracks and multiple journeys are equally needed; each requiring a different approach for success. *Traditional nursing values make nurses more attuned to the issues of combined vertical and horizontal integration than medical colleagues. Nurses should lead integration at the interface between horizontal and vertical activities. Nursing managers and universities should support the development of nurses as leaders of whole system integration, in partnership with local healthcare organizations.

Blip decomposition of the path integral: exponential acceleration of real-time calculations on quantum dissipative systems.

PubMed

Makri, Nancy

2014-10-07

The real-time path integral representation of the reduced density matrix for a discrete system in contact with a dissipative medium is rewritten in terms of the number of blips, i.e., elementary time intervals over which the forward and backward paths are not identical. For a given set of blips, it is shown that the path sum with respect to the coordinates of all remaining time points is isomorphic to that for the wavefunction of a system subject to an external driving term and thus can be summed by an inexpensive iterative procedure. This exact decomposition reduces the number of terms by a factor that increases exponentially with propagation time. Further, under conditions (moderately high temperature and/or dissipation strength) that lead primarily to incoherent dynamics, the "fully incoherent limit" zero-blip term of the series provides a reasonable approximation to the dynamics, and the blip series converges rapidly to the exact result. Retention of only the blips required for satisfactory convergence leads to speedup of full-memory path integral calculations by many orders of magnitude.

Overview of Causes and Control of Nitrification in Chloraminated Drinking Water Distribution Systems

EPA Science Inventory

This chapter provides an integrated overview of nitrification causes and control in chloraminated drinking water distribution systems, leading to an in-depth discussion of nitrification microbiology, monitoring, prevention, response, and engineering improvements in subsequent man...

Discrete integration of continuous Kalman filtering equations for time invariant second-order structural systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, K. C.; Belvin, W. Keith

1990-01-01

A general form for the first-order representation of the continuous second-order linear structural-dynamics equations is introduced to derive a corresponding form of first-order continuous Kalman filtering equations. Time integration of the resulting equations is carried out via a set of linear multistep integration formulas. It is shown that a judicious combined selection of computational paths and the undetermined matrices introduced in the general form of the first-order linear structural systems leads to a class of second-order discrete Kalman filtering equations involving only symmetric sparse N x N solution matrices.

On an example of a system of differential equations that are integrated in Abelian functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malykh, M. D.; Sevastianov, L. A.

2017-12-01

The short review of the theory of Abelian functions and its applications in mechanics and analytical theory of differential equations is given. We think that Abelian functions are the natural generalization of commonly used functions because if the general solution of the 2nd order differential equation depends algebraically on the constants of integration, then integrating this equation does not lead out of the realm of commonly used functions complemented by the Abelian functions (Painlevé theorem). We present a relatively simple example of a dynamical system that is integrated in Abelian integrals by “pairing” two copies of a hyperelliptic curve. Unfortunately, initially simple formulas unfold into very long ones. Apparently the theory of Abelian functions hasn’t been finished in the last century because without computer algebra systems it was impossible to complete the calculations to the end. All calculations presented in our report are performed in Sage.

Integration of Externally Carried Weapon Systems with Military Helicopters (L’Integration des Systemes d’Armes Transportes en Charge Externe sur les Helicopteres Militaires)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-01

Np - Yaw to Roll Derivative (Yaw/Roll Coupling) Hr - Yaw to Yaw Rate Derivative (Yaw Damping) M - Pitch to Incidence Derivative (Incidence Stability) F...system is installed in the same configuration as used on the land based vehicle, simply by bolting-on to the limited number of available hard points...helicopters not originally designed to take external loads. The limited number of hard points on the fuselage structure leads to define supports of complex

Knowledge-based nursing diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Claudette; Hay, D. Robert

1991-03-01

Nursing diagnosis is an integral part of the nursing process and determines the interventions leading to outcomes for which the nurse is accountable. Diagnoses under the time constraints of modern nursing can benefit from a computer assist. A knowledge-based engineering approach was developed to address these problems. A number of problems were addressed during system design to make the system practical extended beyond capture of knowledge. The issues involved in implementing a professional knowledge base in a clinical setting are discussed. System functions, structure, interfaces, health care environment, and terminology and taxonomy are discussed. An integrated system concept from assessment through intervention and evaluation is outlined.

Integration of the predictions of two models with dose measurements in a case study of children exposed to the emissions of a lead smelter

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

Bonnard, R.; McKone, T.E.

2009-03-01

The predictions of two source-to-dose models are systematically evaluated with observed data collected in a village polluted by a currently operating secondary lead smelter. Both models were built up from several sub-models linked together and run using Monte-Carlo simulation, to calculate the distribution children's blood lead levels attributable to the emissions from the facility. The first model system is composed of the CalTOX model linked to a recoded version of the IEUBK model. This system provides the distribution of the media-specific lead concentrations (air, soil, fruit, vegetables and blood) in the whole area investigated. The second model consists of amore » statistical model to estimate the lead deposition on the ground, a modified version of the model HHRAP and the same recoded version of the IEUBK model. This system provides an estimate of the concentration of exposure of specific individuals living in the study area. The predictions of the first model system were improved in terms of accuracy and precision by performing a sensitivity analysis and using field data to correct the default value provided for the leaf wet density. However, in this case study, the first model system tends to overestimate the exposure due to exposed vegetables. The second model was tested for nine children with contrasting exposure conditions. It managed to capture the blood levels for eight of them. In the last case, the exposure of the child by pathways not considered in the model may explain the failure of the model. The interest of this integrated model is to provide outputs with lower variance than the first model system, but at the moment further tests are necessary to conclude about its accuracy.« less

A modified precise integration method for transient dynamic analysis in structural systems with multiple damping models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Zhe; Li, Li; Hu, Yujin

2018-01-01

Sophisticated engineering systems are usually assembled by subcomponents with significantly different levels of energy dissipation. Therefore, these damping systems often contain multiple damping models and lead to great difficulties in analyzing. This paper aims at developing a time integration method for structural systems with multiple damping models. The dynamical system is first represented by a generally damped model. Based on this, a new extended state-space method for the damped system is derived. A modified precise integration method with Gauss-Legendre quadrature is then proposed. The numerical stability and accuracy of the proposed integration method are discussed in detail. It is verified that the method is conditionally stable and has inherent algorithmic damping, period error and amplitude decay. Numerical examples are provided to assess the performance of the proposed method compared with other methods. It is demonstrated that the method is more accurate than other methods with rather good efficiency and the stable condition is easy to be satisfied in practice.

Compact electrochemical sensor system and method for field testing for metals in saliva or other fluids

DOEpatents

Lin, Yuehe; Bennett, Wendy D.; Timchalk, Charles; Thrall, Karla D.

2004-03-02

Microanalytical systems based on a microfluidics/electrochemical detection scheme are described. Individual modules, such as microfabricated piezoelectrically actuated pumps and a microelectrochemical cell were integrated onto portable platforms. This allowed rapid change-out and repair of individual components by incorporating "plug and play" concepts now standard in PC's. Different integration schemes were used for construction of the microanalytical systems based on microfluidics/electrochemical detection. In one scheme, all individual modules were integrated in the surface of the standard microfluidic platform based on a plug-and-play design. Microelectrochemical flow cell which integrated three electrodes based on a wall-jet design was fabricated on polymer substrate. The microelectrochemical flow cell was then plugged directly into the microfluidic platform. Another integration scheme was based on a multilayer lamination method utilizing stacking modules with different functionality to achieve a compact microanalytical device. Application of the microanalytical system for detection of lead in, for example, river water and saliva samples using stripping voltammetry is described.

Towards a social and context-aware multi-sensor fall detection and risk assessment platform.

PubMed

De Backere, F; Ongenae, F; Van den Abeele, F; Nelis, J; Bonte, P; Clement, E; Philpott, M; Hoebeke, J; Verstichel, S; Ackaert, A; De Turck, F

2015-09-01

For elderly people fall incidents are life-changing events that lead to degradation or even loss of autonomy. Current fall detection systems are not integrated and often associated with undetected falls and/or false alarms. In this paper, a social- and context-aware multi-sensor platform is presented, which integrates information gathered by a plethora of fall detection systems and sensors at the home of the elderly, by using a cloud-based solution, making use of an ontology. Within the ontology, both static and dynamic information is captured to model the situation of a specific patient and his/her (in)formal caregivers. This integrated contextual information allows to automatically and continuously assess the fall risk of the elderly, to more accurately detect falls and identify false alarms and to automatically notify the appropriate caregiver, e.g., based on location or their current task. The main advantage of the proposed platform is that multiple fall detection systems and sensors can be integrated, as they can be easily plugged in, this can be done based on the specific needs of the patient. The combination of several systems and sensors leads to a more reliable system, with better accuracy. The proof of concept was tested with the use of the visualizer, which enables a better way to analyze the data flow within the back-end and with the use of the portable testbed, which is equipped with several different sensors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 209.570-1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLANNING CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Organizational and Consultant Conflicts... clause at 252.209-7007, Prohibited Financial Interests for Lead System Integrators. See PGI 209.570-1 for...

Method for the thermal characterization, visualization, and integrity evaluation of conducting material samples or complex structures

DOEpatents

Ortiz, Marcos G.

1992-01-01

A method for modeling a conducting material sample or structure (herein called a system) as at least two regions which comprise an electrical network of resistances, for measuring electric resistance between at least two selected pairs of external leads attached to the surface of the system, wherein at least one external lead is attached to the surface of each of the regions, and, using basic circuit theory, for translating measured resistances into temperatures or thermophysical properties in corresponding regions of the system.

Method for the thermal characterization, visualization, and integrity evaluation of conducting material samples or complex structures

DOEpatents

Ortiz, M.G.

1992-11-24

Disclosed is a method for modeling a conducting material sample or structure (herein called a system) as at least two regions which comprise an electrical network of resistances, for measuring electric resistance between at least two selected pairs of external leads attached to the surface of the system, wherein at least one external lead is attached to the surface of each of the regions, and, using basic circuit theory, for translating measured resistances into temperatures or thermophysical properties in corresponding regions of the system. 16 figs.

Using integrated information systems in supply chain management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzálvez-Gallego, Nicolás; Molina-Castillo, Francisco-Jose; Soto-Acosta, Pedro; Varajao, Joao; Trigo, Antonio

2015-02-01

The aim of this paper is to empirically test not only the direct effects of information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities and integrated information systems (IS) on firm performance, but also the moderating role of IS integration along the supply chain in the relationship between ICT external and capabilities and business performance. Data collected from 102 large Iberian firms from Spain and Portugal are used to test the research model. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis is employed to test the direct effects and the moderating relationships proposed. Results show that external and internal ICT capabilities are important drivers of firm performance, while merely having integrated IS do not lead to better firm performance. In addition, a moderating effect of IS integration in the relationship between ICT capabilities and business performance is found, although this integration only contributes to firm performance when it is directed to connect with suppliers or customers rather than when integrating the whole supply chain.

Occupational lead poisoning: can it be eliminated?

PubMed

Kaufman, J D; Burt, J; Silverstein, B

1994-11-01

The continued occurrence of occupational lead poisoning and overexposure in the United States represents a serious challenge to the occupational health community. We outline a proposed action strategy which integrates case-based surveillance, hazard surveillance, increased requirements for biological monitoring, and targeted educational activities, with a goal of eliminating occupational lead poisoning. The system provides a simple mechanism for monitoring compliance in lead-using employers, in order to identify employers for enforcement action. Lead poisoning should be viewed as an eradicable condition; successfully solving the persistent lead overexposure problem can serve as a model for approaching other occupational diseases.

Integration science and distributed networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landauer, Christopher; Bellman, Kirstie L.

2002-07-01

Our work on integration of data and knowledge sources is based in a common theoretical treatment of 'Integration Science', which leads to systematic processes for combining formal logical and mathematical systems, computational and physical systems, and human systems and organizations. The theory is based on the processing of explicit meta-knowledge about the roles played by the different knowledge sources and the methods of analysis and semantic implications of the different data values, together with information about the context in which and the purpose for which they are being combined. The research treatment is primarily mathematical, and though this kind of integration mathematics is still under development, there are some applicable common threads that have emerged already. Instead of describing the current state of the mathematical investigations, since they are not yet crystallized enough for formalisms, we describe our applications of the approach in several different areas, including our focus area of 'Constructed Complex Systems', which are complex heterogeneous systems managed or mediated by computing systems. In this context, it is important to remember that all systems are embedded, all systems are autonomous, and that all systems are distributed networks.

Integrating Technology in Teaching Students with Special Learning Needs in the SPED Schools in Baguio City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balmeo, Marilyn L.; Nimo, Erika Mae A.; Pagal, Aubrey M.; Puga, Stephanie C.; ArisDafQuiño; Sanwen, Jaleen L.

2014-01-01

Leading-edge creation and development of technologies including those for the children with special learning needs found common place in the educational system. Allowably, this study's focal point engages in the integration of technologies in the educational environments where students with special learning needs are housed. Respondents include 53…

Moving towards Universal Health Coverage through the Development of Integrated Service Delivery Packages for Primary Health Care in the Solomon Islands

PubMed Central

Whiting, Stephen; Postma, Sjoerd; Jamshaid de Lorenzo, Ayesha; Aumua, Audrey

2016-01-01

The Solomon Islands Government is pursuing integrated care with the goal of improving the quality of health service delivery to rural populations. Under the auspices of Universal Health Coverage, integrated service delivery packages were developed which defined the clinical and public health services that should be provided at different levels of the health system. The process of developing integrated service delivery packages helped to identify key policy decisions the government needed to make in order to improve service quality and efficiency. The integrated service delivery packages have instigated the revision of job descriptions and are feeding into the development of a human resource plan for health. They are also being used to guide infrastructure development and health system planning and should lead to better management of resources. The integrated service delivery packages have become a key tool to operationalise the government’s policy to move towards a more efficient, equitable, quality and sustainable health system. PMID:28321177

Experts' opinions on terminology for complementary and integrative medicine - a qualitative study with leading experts.

PubMed

Holmberg, Christine; Brinkhaus, Benno; Witt, Claudia

2012-11-14

Integrative medicine (IM) is currently the most commonly used term to describe the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into conventional medicine. In the definitions of IM the most important feature is the focus on evidence as crucial factor for therapeutic decision-making. However, there are discussions on the term "integrative medicine" with the most notable critique from within CAM that it describes the integration of complementary methods into conventional institutions and into a "conventional framework of thinking". The aim of this qualitative study was to understand the thoughts of leading experts on IM and on the scientific debate in the field as well as their personal opinions about terminology in general. We have conducted semi-standardized interviews with ten leading experts in the field of CAM and integrative medicine in the USA, England, and Germany, who have had leading positions at medical schools or the NIH in 2010 and 2011. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using content analysis with the qualitative analysis software maxqda. Overall the current terminology was seen as a problem, although most experts agreed that the term "integrative medicine" (IM) described well what they do or they think is useful for medical care. The terminology debate was discussed from four perspectives: 1) from the perspective of medical practice, 2) from the perspective of research, 3) from the perspective of public relations, and 4) from the perspective of health care delivery. These perspectives may be used to evaluate the appropriateness of different terms in use in the field. When interviewees discussed the terminology question, they also discussed the type of health care system they envisioned. Such reflections led the interviewees to caution about too narrow a focus on the terminology question. The question of naming was one about influencing and changing medicine. The discussion of the experts demonstrated that the discussion about terminology is an important debate about the shaping of medicine. The experts discussed terminology in the light of "how health care systems" should look like in the future.

75 FR 15499 - National Primary Drinking Water Regulations; Announcement of the Results of EPA's Review of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-29

...--packed tower aeration PWS--public water system R2S2--Regulatory Review Support Spreadsheet RED...--hexavalent chromium CWS--community water system DBPs--disinfection byproducts DBCP--1,2-dibromo-3... Eligibility Decision IRIS--Integrated Risk Information System LCR--Lead and Copper Rule LH--lutenizing hormone...

University ERP Implementation in Germany: Qualitative Exploratory Case Study of Administrative Staff Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thelen, Anja

2015-01-01

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations are expensive, time-consuming, and often do not lead to the expected outcome of integrated IT systems. Many German universities are implementing ERP systems as Campus Management Systems (CMS) and a solution to any problem, need, or requirement the organization has. This exploratory case study…

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration in the National Airspace System (NAS) Project. NASA Contributions to the SARP WC Definition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Randall, Debra K.; Consiglio, Maria Cristina; Santiago, Confesor

2014-01-01

To better inform sense and avoid research needs and to understand ongoing investigation of potential solutions that ultimately lead to the assisting the FAA with their Congressional mandate to fly UAS in the NAS.

A monograph of the National Space Transportation System Office (NSTSO) integration activities conducted at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center for the EASE/ACCESS payload flown on STS 61-B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chassay, Charles

1987-01-01

The integration process of activities conducted at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) for the Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular activity (EASE)/Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures (ACCESS) payload is provided as a subset to the standard payload integration process used by the NASA Space Transportation System (STS) to fly payloads on the Space Shuttle. The EASE/ACCESS payload integration activities are chronologically reviewed beginning with the initiation of the flight manifesting and integration process. The development and documentation of the EASE/ACCESS integration requirements are also discussed along with the implementation of the mission integration activities and the engineering assessments supporting the flight integration process. In addition, the STS management support organizations, the payload safety process leading to the STS 61-B flight certification, and the overall EASE/ACCESS integration schedule are presented.

Long-range strategy for remote sensing: an integrated supersystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glackin, David L.; Dodd, Joseph K.

1995-12-01

Present large space-based remote sensing systems, and those planned for the next two decades, remain dichotomous and custom-built. An integrated architecture might reduce total cost without limiting system performance. An example of such an architecture, developed at The Aerospace Corporation, explores the feasibility of reducing overall space systems costs by forming a 'super-system' which will provide environmental, earth resources and theater surveillance information to a variety of users. The concept involves integration of programs, sharing of common spacecraft bus designs and launch vehicles, use of modular components and subsystems, integration of command and control and data capture functions, and establishment of an integrated program office. Smart functional modules that are easily tested and replaced are used wherever possible in the space segment. Data is disseminated to systems such as NASA's EOSDIS, and data processing is performed at established centers of expertise. This concept is advanced for potential application as a follow-on to currently budgeted and planned space-based remote sensing systems. We hope that this work will serve to engender discussion that may be of assistance in leading to multinational remote sensing systems with greater cost effectiveness at no loss of utility to the end user.

Integrated assessment of urban drainage system under the framework of uncertainty analysis.

PubMed

Dong, X; Chen, J; Zeng, S; Zhao, D

2008-01-01

Due to a rapid urbanization as well as the presence of large number of aging urban infrastructures in China, the urban drainage system is facing a dual pressure of construction and renovation nationwide. This leads to the need for an integrated assessment when an urban drainage system is under planning or re-design. In this paper, an integrated assessment methodology is proposed based upon the approaches of analytic hierarchy process (AHP), uncertainty analysis, mathematical simulation of urban drainage system and fuzzy assessment. To illustrate this methodology, a case study in Shenzhen City of south China has been implemented to evaluate and compare two different urban drainage system renovation plans, i.e., the distributed plan and the centralized plan. By comparing their water quality impacts, ecological impacts, technological feasibility and economic costs, the integrated performance of the distributed plan is found to be both better and robust. The proposed methodology is also found to be both effective and practical. (c) IWA Publishing 2008.

Notes on integrable boundary interactions of open SU(4) alternating spin chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, JunBao

2018-07-01

Ref. [J. High Energy Phys. 1708, 001 (2017)] showed that the planar flavored Ahanory-Bergman-Jafferis-Maldacena (ABJM) theory is integrable in the scalar sector at two-loop order using coordinate Bethe ansatz. A salient feature of this case is that the boundary reflection matrices are anti-diagonal with respect to the chosen basis. In this paper, we relax the coefficients of the boundary terms to be general constants to search for integrable systems among this class. We found that the only integrable boundary interaction at each end of the spin chain aside from the one in ref. [J. High Energy Phys. 1708, 001 (2017)] is the one with vanishing boundary interactions leading to diagonal reflection matrices. We also construct non-supersymmetric planar flavored ABJM theory which leads to trivial boundary interactions at both ends of the open chain from the two-loop anomalous dimension matrix in the scalar sector.

An End-To-End Test of A Simulated Nuclear Electric Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanDyke, Melissa; Hrbud, Ivana; Goddfellow, Keith; Rodgers, Stephen L. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The Safe Affordable Fission Engine (SAFE) test series addresses Phase I Space Fission Systems issues in it particular non-nuclear testing and system integration issues leading to the testing and non-nuclear demonstration of a 400-kW fully integrated flight unit. The first part of the SAFE 30 test series demonstrated operation of the simulated nuclear core and heat pipe system. Experimental data acquired in a number of different test scenarios will validate existing computational models, demonstrated system flexibility (fast start-ups, multiple start-ups/shut downs), simulate predictable failure modes and operating environments. The objective of the second part is to demonstrate an integrated propulsion system consisting of a core, conversion system and a thruster where the system converts thermal heat into jet power. This end-to-end system demonstration sets a precedent for ground testing of nuclear electric propulsion systems. The paper describes the SAFE 30 end-to-end system demonstration and its subsystems.

Surgical PACS for the digital operating room. Systems engineering and specification of user requirements.

PubMed

Korb, Werner; Bohn, Stefan; Burgert, Oliver; Dietz, Andreas; Jacobs, Stephan; Falk, Volkmar; Meixensberger, Jürgen; Strauss, Gero; Trantakis, Christos; Lemke, Heinz U

2006-01-01

For better integration of surgical assist systems into the operating room, a common communication and processing plattform that is based on the users needs is needed. The development of such a system, a Surgical Picture Aquisition and Communication System (S-PACS), according the systems engineering cycle is oulined in this paper. The first two steps (concept and specification) for the engineering of the S-PACS are discussed.A method for the systematic integration of the users needs', the Quality Function Deployment (QFD), is presented. The properties of QFD for the underlying problem and first results are discussed. Finally, this leads to a first definition of an S-PACS system.

Supporting BPMN choreography with system integration artefacts for enterprise process collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Hongchao; Lu, Xudong; Duan, Huilong

2014-07-01

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) choreography modelling depicts externally visible message exchanges between collaborating processes of enterprise information systems. Implementation of choreography relies on designing system integration solutions to realise message exchanges between independently developed systems. Enterprise integration patterns (EIPs) are widely accepted artefacts to design integration solutions. If the choreography model represents coordination requirements between processes with behaviour mismatches, the integration designer needs to analyse the routing requirements and address these requirements by manually designing EIP message routers. As collaboration scales and complexity increases, manual design becomes inefficient. Thus, the research problem of this paper is to explore a method to automatically identify routing requirements from BPMN choreography model and to accordingly design routing in the integration solution. To achieve this goal, recurring behaviour mismatch scenarios are analysed as patterns, and corresponding solutions are proposed as EIP routers. Using this method, a choreography model can be analysed by computer to identify occurrences of mismatch patterns, leading to corresponding router selection. A case study demonstrates that the proposed method enables computer-assisted integration design to implement choreography. A further experiment reveals that the method is effective to improve the design quality and reduce time cost.

Integrable discretisations for a class of nonlinear Schrödinger equations on Grassmann algebras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grahovski, Georgi G.; Mikhailov, Alexander V.

2013-12-01

Integrable discretisations for a class of coupled (super) nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) type of equations are presented. The class corresponds to a Lax operator with entries in a Grassmann algebra. Elementary Darboux transformations are constructed. As a result, Grassmann generalisations of the Toda lattice and the NLS dressing chain are obtained. The compatibility (Bianchi commutativity) of these Darboux transformations leads to integrable Grassmann generalisations of the difference Toda and NLS equations. The resulting systems will have discrete Lax representations provided by the set of two consistent elementary Darboux transformations. For the two discrete systems obtained, initial value and initial-boundary problems are formulated.

Impaired angiopoietin/Tie2 signaling compromises Schlemm’s canal integrity and induces glaucoma

PubMed Central

Kim, Jaeryung; Park, Dae-Young; Park, Do Young; Kim, Dongkyu; Lee, Choong-kun; Song, Sukhyun; Chung, Tae-Young; Lim, Dong Hui; Hong, Young-Kwon; Augustin, Hellmut G.

2017-01-01

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is often caused by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), which arises due to increased resistance to aqueous humor outflow (AHO). Aqueous humor flows through Schlemm’s canal (SC), a lymphatic-like vessel encircling the cornea, and via intercellular spaces of ciliary muscle cells. However, the mechanisms underlying increased AHO resistance are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that signaling between angiopoietin (Angpt) and the Angpt receptor Tie2, which is critical for SC formation, is also indispensable for maintaining SC integrity during adulthood. Deletion of Angpt1/Angpt2 or Tie2 in adult mice severely impaired SC integrity and transcytosis, leading to elevated IOP, retinal neuron damage, and impairment of retinal ganglion cell function, all hallmarks of POAG in humans. We found that SC integrity is maintained by interconnected and coordinated functions of Angpt-Tie2 signaling, AHO, and Prox1 activity. These functions diminish in the SC during aging, leading to impaired integrity and transcytosis. Intriguingly, Tie2 reactivation using a Tie2 agonistic antibody rescued the POAG phenotype in Angpt1/Angpt2-deficient mice and rejuvenated the SC in aged mice. These results indicate that the Angpt-Tie2 system is essential for SC integrity. The impairment of this system underlies POAG-associated pathogenesis, supporting the possibility that Tie2 agonists could be a therapeutic option for glaucoma. PMID:28920924

Creating organizational value by leveraging the multihospital pharmacy enterprise.

PubMed

Schenkat, Dan; Rough, Steve; Hansen, Amanda; Chen, David; Knoer, Scott

2018-04-01

The results of a survey of multihospital pharmacy leaders are summarized, and a road map for creating organizational value with the pharmacy enterprise is presented. A survey was designed to evaluate the level of integration of pharmacy services across each system's multiple hospitals, determine the most commonly integrated services, determine whether value was quantified when services were integrated, collect common barriers for finding value through integration, and identify strategies for successfully overcoming these barriers. The comprehensive, 59-question survey was distributed electronically in September 2016 to the top pharmacy executive at approximately 160 multihospital systems located throughout the United States. Survey respondents indicated that health systems are taking a wide range of approaches to integrating services systemwide. Several themes emerged from the survey responses: (1) having a system-level pharmacy leader with solid-line reporting across the enterprise increased the likelihood of integrating pharmacy services effectively, (2) integration of pharmacy services across a multihospital system was unlikely to decrease the number of pharmacy full-time equivalents within the enterprise, and (3) significant opportunities exist for creating value for the multihospital health system with the pharmacy enterprise, particularly within 4 core areas: system-level drug formulary and clinical standardization initiatives, supply chain initiatives, electronic health record integration, and specialty and retail pharmacy services. Consistently demonstrating strong organizational leadership, entrepreneurialism, and the ability to create value for the organization will lead to the system-level pharmacy leader and the pharmacy enterprise being well-positioned to achieve positive outcomes for patients, payers, and the broader health system. Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 38318 - Integrated Science Assessment for Lead

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-26

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9827-4] Integrated Science Assessment for Lead AGENCY... availability of a final document titled, ``Integrated Science Assessment for Lead'' (EPA/600/R-10/075F). The... ``Integrated Science Assessment for Lead'' will be made available primarily through the Internet on the NCEA...

End-to-End Demonstrator of the Safe Affordable Fission Engine (SAFE) 30: Power Conversion and Ion Engine Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hrbud, Ivana; VanDyke, Melissa; Houts, Mike; Goodfellow, Keith; Schafer, Charles (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The Safe Affordable Fission Engine (SAFE) test series addresses Phase 1 Space Fission Systems issues in particular non-nuclear testing and system integration issues leading to the testing and non-nuclear demonstration of a 400-kW fully integrated flight unit. The first part of the SAFE 30 test series demonstrated operation of the simulated nuclear core and heat pipe system. Experimental data acquired in a number of different test scenarios will validate existing computational models, demonstrated system flexibility (fast start-ups, multiple start-ups/shut downs), simulate predictable failure modes and operating environments. The objective of the second part is to demonstrate an integrated propulsion system consisting of a core, conversion system and a thruster where the system converts thermal heat into jet power. This end-to-end system demonstration sets a precedent for ground testing of nuclear electric propulsion systems. The paper describes the SAFE 30 end-to-end system demonstration and its subsystems.

Development and implementation of an automatic integration system for fibre optic sensors in the braiding process with the objective of online-monitoring of composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hufenbach, W.; Gude, M.; Czulak, A.; Kretschmann, Martin

2014-04-01

Increasing economic, political and ecological pressure leads to steadily rising percentage of modern processing and manufacturing processes for fibre reinforced polymers in industrial batch production. Component weights beneath a level achievable by classic construction materials, which lead to a reduced energy and cost balance during product lifetime, justify the higher fabrication costs. However, complex quality control and failure prediction slow down the substitution by composite materials. High-resolution fibre-optic sensors (FOS), due their low diameter, high measuring point density and simple handling, show a high applicability potential for an automated sensor-integration in manufacturing processes, and therefore the online monitoring of composite products manufactured in industrial scale. Integrated sensors can be used to monitor manufacturing processes, part tests as well as the component structure during product life cycle, which simplifies allows quality control during production and the optimization of single manufacturing processes.[1;2] Furthermore, detailed failure analyses lead to a enhanced understanding of failure processes appearing in composite materials. This leads to a lower wastrel number and products of a higher value and longer product life cycle, whereby costs, material and energy are saved. This work shows an automation approach for FOS-integration in the braiding process. For that purpose a braiding wheel has been supplemented with an appliance for automatic sensor application, which has been used to manufacture preforms of high-pressure composite vessels with FOS-networks integrated between the fibre layers. All following manufacturing processes (vacuum infiltration, curing) and component tests (quasi-static pressure test, programmed delamination) were monitored with the help of the integrated sensor networks. Keywords: SHM, high-pressure composite vessel, braiding, automated sensor integration, pressure test, quality control, optic-fibre sensors, Rayleigh, Luna Technologies

Performance of dedicated versus integrated bipolar defibrillator leads with CRT-defibrillators: results from a Prospective Multicenter Study.

PubMed

Freedman, Roger A; Petrakian, Alex; Boyce, Ker; Haffajee, Charles; Val-Mejias, Jesus E; Oza, Ashish L

2009-02-01

Right ventricular (RV) anodal stimulation may occur in cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D) when left ventricular (LV) pacing is configured between the LV lead and an electrode on the RV defibrillator lead. RV defibrillator leads can have a dedicated proximal pacing ring electrode (dedicated bipolar) or utilize the distal shocking coil as the proximal pacing electrode (integrated bipolar). This study compares the performance of integrated versus dedicated leads with respect to anodal stimulation incidence, sensing, and inappropriate ventricular tachyarrhythmia detection in patients implanted with CRT-D. Two hundred ninety-two patients were randomly assigned to receive dedicated or integrated bipolar RV leads at the time of CRT-D implantation. Patients were followed for 6 months. Patients with dedicated bipolar RV leads exhibited markedly higher rates of anodal stimulation than did patients with integrated leads. The incidence of anodal stimulation was 64% at implant for dedicated bipolar RV leads compared to 1% for integrated bipolar RV leads. The likelihood of anodal stimulation in patients with dedicated leads fell progressively during the 6-month follow-up (51.5%), but always exceeded the incidence of anodal stimulation in patients with integrated leads (5%). Clinically detectable undersensing and oversensing were very unusual and did not differ significantly between lead designs. There were no inappropriate ventricular tachyarrhythmia detections for either lead type. Integrated bipolar RV defibrillator leads had a significantly lower incidence of RV anodal stimulation when compared to dedicated bipolar RV defibrillation leads, with no clinically detectable oversensing or undersensing, and with no inappropriate ventricular tachyarrhythmia detections for either lead type.

Error behavior of multistep methods applied to unstable differential systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. L.

1977-01-01

The problem of modeling a dynamic system described by a system of ordinary differential equations which has unstable components for limited periods of time is discussed. It is shown that the global error in a multistep numerical method is the solution to a difference equation initial value problem, and the approximate solution is given for several popular multistep integration formulas. Inspection of the solution leads to the formulation of four criteria for integrators appropriate to unstable problems. A sample problem is solved numerically using three popular formulas and two different stepsizes to illustrate the appropriateness of the criteria.

Integrating the Earth, Atmospheric, and Ocean Sciences at Millersville University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, R. D.

2005-12-01

For nearly 40 years, the Department of Earth Sciences at Millersville University (MU-DES) of Pennsylvania has been preparing students for careers in the earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences by providing a rigorous and comprehensive curricula leading to B.S. degrees in geology, meteorology, and oceanography. Undergraduate research is a hallmark of these earth sciences programs with over 30 students participating in some form of meritorious research each year. These programs are rich in applied physics, couched in mathematics, and steeped in technical computing and computer languages. Our success is measured by the number of students that find meaningful careers or go on to earn graduate degrees in their respective fields, as well as the high quality of faculty that the department has retained over the years. Student retention rates in the major have steadily increased with the introduction of a formal learning community and peer mentoring initiatives, and the number of new incoming freshmen and transfer students stands at an all-time high. Yet until recently, the disciplines have remained largely disparate with only minor inroads made into integrating courses that seek to address the Earth as a system. This is soon to change as the MU-DES unveils a new program leading to a B.S. in Integrated Earth Systems. The B.S. in Integrated Earth Systems (ISS) is not a reorganization of existing courses to form a marketable program. Instead, it is a fully integrated program two years in development that borrows from the multi-disciplinary backgrounds and experiences of faculty, while bringing in resources that are tailored to visualizing and modeling the Earth system. The result is the creation of a cross-cutting curriculum designed to prepare the 21st century student for the challenges and opportunities attending the holistic study of the Earth as a system. MU-DES will continue to offer programs leading to degrees in geology, meteorology, and ocean science, but in addition, the B.S. in Integrated Earth Systems will serve those students who find excitement at the boundaries of these disciplines, and prepare them for careers in this emerging field. The ISS program will target high school students of the highest caliber who demonstrate strong aptitude in mathematics and the physical sciences, who will need a minimum amount of remedial work. These select students will be exposed to courses in Earth Systems: Cycles and Interactions, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Air-Sea Interaction, Boundary Layers and Turbulence, Climate Variability and Global Change, Atmosphere-Ocean Modeling, Solar-Terrestrial Interactions, Weather Systems Science, Earth Observing Systems, Remote Sensing and more, as part of the ISS curriculum. This paper will highlight the MU-DES programs and learning initiatives and expand and elaborate on the new program in ISS.

Autonomous Operations System: Development and Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toro Medina, Jaime A.; Wilkins, Kim N.; Walker, Mark; Stahl, Gerald M.

2016-01-01

Autonomous control systems provides the ability of self-governance beyond the conventional control system. As the complexity of mechanical and electrical systems increases, there develops a natural drive for developing robust control systems to manage complicated operations. By closing the bridge between conventional automated systems to knowledge based self-awareness systems, nominal control of operations can evolve into relying on safe critical mitigation processes to support any off-nominal behavior. Current research and development efforts lead by the Autonomous Propellant Loading (APL) group at NASA Kennedy Space Center aims to improve cryogenic propellant transfer operations by developing an automated control and health monitoring system. As an integrated systems, the center aims to produce an Autonomous Operations System (AOS) capable of integrating health management operations with automated control to produce a fully autonomous system.

Alcoholism: a systems approach from molecular physiology to addictive behavior.

PubMed

Spanagel, Rainer

2009-04-01

Alcohol consumption is an integral part of daily life in many societies. The benefits associated with the production, sale, and use of alcoholic beverages come at an enormous cost to these societies. The World Health Organization ranks alcohol as one of the primary causes of the global burden of disease in industrialized countries. Alcohol-related diseases, especially alcoholism, are the result of cumulative responses to alcohol exposure, the genetic make-up of an individual, and the environmental perturbations over time. This complex gene x environment interaction, which has to be seen in a life-span perspective, leads to a large heterogeneity among alcohol-dependent patients, in terms of both the symptom dimensions and the severity of this disorder. Therefore, a reductionistic approach is not very practical if a better understanding of the pathological processes leading to an addictive behavior is to be achieved. Instead, a systems-oriented perspective in which the interactions and dynamics of all endogenous and environmental factors involved are centrally integrated, will lead to further progress in alcohol research. This review adheres to a systems biology perspective such that the interaction of alcohol with primary and secondary targets within the brain is described in relation to the behavioral consequences. As a result of the interaction of alcohol with these targets, alterations in gene expression and synaptic plasticity take place that lead to long-lasting alteration in neuronal network activity. As a subsequent consequence, alcohol-seeking responses ensue that can finally lead via complex environmental interactions to an addictive behavior.

A perspective on quantum integrability in many-body-localized and Yang-Baxter systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Joel E.

2017-10-01

Two of the most active areas in quantum many-particle dynamics involve systems with an unusually large number of conservation laws. Many-body-localized systems generalize ideas of Anderson localization by disorder to interacting systems. While localization still exists with interactions and inhibits thermalization, the interactions between conserved quantities lead to some dramatic differences from the Anderson case. Quantum integrable models such as the XXZ spin chain or Bose gas with delta-function interactions also have infinite sets of conservation laws, again leading to modifications of conventional thermalization. A practical way to treat the hydrodynamic evolution from local equilibrium to global equilibrium in such models is discussed. This paper expands upon a presentation at a discussion meeting of the Royal Society on 7 February 2017. The work described was carried out with a number of collaborators, including Jens Bardarson, Vir Bulchandani, Roni Ilan, Christoph Karrasch, Siddharth Parameswaran, Frank Pollmann and Romain Vasseur. This article is part of the themed issue 'Breakdown of ergodicity in quantum systems: from solids to synthetic matter'.

48 CFR 3052.209-75 - Prohibited financial interests for lead system integrators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... for the development or production of a major system, if the prime contractor is not expected at the time of award to perform a substantial portion of the work on the system and the major subsystems. (4... procurement of services, the primary purpose of which is to perform acquisition functions closely associated...

48 CFR 252.209-7007 - Prohibited Financial Interests for Lead System Integrators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... contractor for the development or production of a major system, if the prime contractor is not expected at the time of award to perform a substantial portion of the work on the system and the major subsystems... for the procurement of services, the primary purpose of which is to perform acquisition functions...

Lunar surface construction and assembly equipment study: Lunar Base Systems Study (LBSS) task 5.3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

A set of construction and assembly tasks required on the lunar surface was developed, different concepts for equipment applicable to the tasks determined, and leading candidate systems identified for future conceptual design. Data on surface construction and assembly equipment systems are necessary to facilitate an integrated review of a complete lunar scenario.

Building sector feedbacks lead to increased energy demands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartin, C.; Link, R. P.; Patel, P.; Horowitz, R.; Clarke, L.; Mundra, A.

2017-12-01

Typically in human-earth system modeling studies, feedbacks between the earth and human systems are analyzed by passing information between independent models, leading to data errors and poor reproducibility. In this study we explore the two-way feedbacks between the human and earth systems in the building sector of GCAM, an integrated assessment model and, its fully-integrated climate component, Hector. While there is a general agreement in the literature that increasing temperatures will increase cooling energy demands and decrease heating energy demands, there has been no fully-coupled analysis of this dynamic that would, for example, account for the feedbacks on hydrofluorocarbons from increased cooling demands. Using a statistical relationship between global mean temperature change and heating and cooling degree days, we find that the feedbacks on hydrofluorocarbons lead to an increase in global mean temperature of between 0.16 to 0.27 °C in 2100. Demands for electricity increase by about 10% in Africa, while demands decrease in Canada by about 3.0% when taking into account these feedbacks. While the feedbacks between building energy demand and global mean temperature are modest by themselves, this study prompts future research on coupled human-earth system feedbacks, in particular in regards to land, water, and other energy infrastructure.

Design and implementation of an automated compound management system in support of lead optimization.

PubMed

Quintero, Catherine; Kariv, Ilona

2009-06-01

To meet the needs of the increasingly rapid and parallelized lead optimization process, a fully integrated local compound storage and liquid handling system was designed and implemented to automate the generation of assay-ready plates directly from newly submitted and cherry-picked compounds. A key feature of the system is the ability to create project- or assay-specific compound-handling methods, which provide flexibility for any combination of plate types, layouts, and plate bar-codes. Project-specific workflows can be created by linking methods for processing new and cherry-picked compounds and control additions to produce a complete compound set for both biological testing and local storage in one uninterrupted workflow. A flexible cherry-pick approach allows for multiple, user-defined strategies to select the most appropriate replicate of a compound for retesting. Examples of custom selection parameters include available volume, compound batch, and number of freeze/thaw cycles. This adaptable and integrated combination of software and hardware provides a basis for reducing cycle time, fully automating compound processing, and ultimately increasing the rate at which accurate, biologically relevant results can be produced for compounds of interest in the lead optimization process.

Research on Stabilization Properties of Inductive-Capacitive Transducers Based on Hybrid Electromagnetic Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konesev, S. G.; Khazieva, R. T.; Kirllov, R. V.; Konev, A. A.

2017-01-01

Some electrical consumers (the charge system of storage capacitor, powerful pulse generators, electrothermal systems, gas-discharge lamps, electric ovens, plasma torches) require constant power consumption, while their resistance changes in the limited range. Current stabilization systems (CSS) with inductive-capacitive transducers (ICT) provide constant power, when the load resistance changes over a wide range and increaseы the efficiency of high-power loads’ power supplies. ICT elements are selected according to the maximum load, which leads to exceeding a predetermined value of capacity. The paper suggests carrying load power by the ICT based on multifunction integrated electromagnetic components (MIEC) to reduce the predetermined capacity of ICT elements and CSS weights and dimensions. The authors developed and patented ICT based on MIEC that reduces the CSS weights and dimensions by reducing components number with the possibility of device’s electric energy transformation and resonance frequency changing. An ICT mathematical model was produced. The model determines the width of the load stabilization range. Electromagnetic processes study model was built with the MIEC integral parameters (full inductance of the electrical lead, total capacity, current of electrical lead). It shows independence of the load current from the load resistance for different ways of MIEC connection.

Evaluation of Container Closure System Integrity for Frozen Storage Drug Products.

PubMed

Nieto, Alejandra; Roehl, Holger; Brown, Helen; Nikoloff, Jonas; Adler, Michael; Mahler, Hanns-Christian

2016-01-01

Sometimes, drug product for parenteral administration is stored in a frozen state (e.g., -20 °C or -80 °C), particularly during early stages of development of some biotech molecules in order to provide sufficient stability. Shipment of frozen product could potentially be performed in the frozen state, yet possibly at different temperatures, for example, using dry ice (-80 °C). Container closure systems of drug products usually consist of a glass vial, rubber stopper, and an aluminum crimped cap. In the frozen state, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of commonly used rubber stoppers is between -55 and -65 °C. Below their Tg, rubber stoppers are known to lose their elastic properties and become brittle, and thus potentially fail to maintain container closure integrity in the frozen state. Leaks during frozen temperature storage and transportation are likely to be transient, yet, can possibly risk container closure integrity and lead to microbial contamination. After thawing, the rubber stopper is supposed to re-seal the container closure system. Given the transient nature of the possible impact on container closure integrity in the frozen state, typical container closure integrity testing methods (used at room temperature conditions) are unable to evaluate and thus confirm container closure integrity in the frozen state. Here we present the development of a novel method (thermal physical container closure integrity) for direct assessment of container closure integrity by a physical method (physical container closure integrity) at frozen conditions, using a modified He leakage test. In this study, different container closure systems were evaluated with regard to physical container closure integrity in the frozen state to assess the suitability of vial/stopper combinations and were compared to a gas headspace method. In summary, the thermal physical container closure integrity He leakage method was more sensitive in detecting physical container closure integrity impact than gas headspace and aided identification of an unsuitable container closure system. Sometimes, drug product for parenteral administration is stored in a frozen state (e.g., -20 °C or -80 °C), particularly during early stages of development of some biotech molecules in order to provide sufficient stability. Container closure systems for drug products usually consist of a glass vial, rubber stopper, and an aluminum crimped cap. In the frozen state, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of commonly used rubber stoppers is between -55 and -65 °C. Leaks during frozen temperature storage and transportation are likely to be transient, yet they can possibly risk container closure integrity and lead to microbial contamination and sterility breach. After thawing, the rubber stopper is expected to re-seal the container closure system. Given the transient nature of the possible impact on container closure integrity in the frozen state, typical container closure integrity testing methods (used at room temperature conditions) are unable to evaluate and thus confirm container closure integrity in the frozen state. Here we present the development of a novel method (thermal container closure integrity) for direct measurement of container closure integrity by a physical method (physical container closure integrity) at frozen conditions, using a modified He leakage test. In this study, we found that the thermal container closure integrity He leakage method was more sensitive in detecting physical container closure integrity impact than gas headspace and aided identification of an unsuitable container closure system. © PDA, Inc. 2016.

Compact DFB laser modules with integrated isolator at 935 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reggentin, M.; Thiem, H.; Tsianos, G.; Malach, M.; Hofmann, J.; Plocke, T.; Kneier, M.; Richter, L.

2018-02-01

New developments in industrial applications and applications under rough environmental conditions within the field of spectroscopy and quantum technology in the 935 nm wavelength regime demand new compact, stable and robust laser systems. Beside a stable laser source the integration of a compact optical isolator is necessary to reduce size and power consumption for the whole laser system. The integration of a suitable optical isolator suppresses back reflections from the following optical system efficiently. However, the miniaturization of the optics inside the package leads to high optical power density levels that make a more detailed analysis of the components and their laser damage threshold necessary. We present test results on compact stable DFB laser sources (butterfly style packages) with newly integrated optical isolators operating around 935 nm. The presented data includes performance and lifetime tests for the laser diodes as well as package components. Overall performance data of the packaged laser diodes will be shown as well.

Integrated microelectronics for smart textiles.

PubMed

Lauterbach, Christl; Glaser, Rupert; Savio, Domnic; Schnell, Markus; Weber, Werner

2005-01-01

The combination of textile fabrics with microelectronics will lead to completely new applications, thus achieving elements of ambient intelligence. The integration of sensor or actuator networks, using fabrics with conductive fibres as a textile motherboard enable the fabrication of large active areas. In this paper we describe an integration technology for the fabrication of a "smart textile" based on a wired peer-to-peer network of microcontrollers with integrated sensors or actuators. A self-organizing and fault-tolerant architecture is accomplished which detects the physical shape of the network. Routing paths are formed for data transmission, automatically circumventing defective or missing areas. The network architecture allows the smart textiles to be produced by reel-to-reel processes, cut into arbitrary shapes subsequently and implemented in systems at low installation costs. The possible applications are manifold, ranging from alarm systems to intelligent guidance systems, passenger recognition in car seats, air conditioning control in interior lining and smart wallpaper with software-defined light switches.

Home e-health system integration in the Smart Home through a common media server.

PubMed

Pau, I; Seoane, F; Lindecrantz, K; Valero, M A; Carracedo, J

2009-01-01

Home e-health systems and services are revealed as one of the most important challenges to promote Quality of Life related to Health in the Information Society. Leading companies have worked on e-health systems although the majority of them are addressed to hospital or primary care settings. The solution detailed in this paper offers a personal health system to be integrated with Smart Home services platform to support home based e-care. Thus, the home e-health system and architecture detailed in this research work is ready to supply a seamless personal care solution both from the biomedical data analysis, service provision, security guarantee and information management s point of view. The solution is ready to be integrated within the Accessible Digital Home, a living lab managed by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid for R&D activities.

Nulling at the Keck Interferometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colavita, M. Mark; Serabyn, Gene; Wizinowich, Peter L.; Akeson, Rachel L.

2006-01-01

The nulling mode of the Keck Interferometer is being commissioned at the Mauna Kea summit. The nuller combines the two Keck telescope apertures in a split-pupil mode to both cancel the on-axis starlight and to coherently detect the residual signal. The nuller, working at 10 um, is tightly integrated with the other interferometer subsystems including the fringe and angle trackers, the delay lines and laser metrology, and the real-time control system. Since first 10 um light in August 2004, the system integration is proceeding with increasing functionality and performance, leading to demonstration of a 100:1 on-sky null in 2005. That level of performance has now been extended to observations with longer coherent integration times. An overview of the overall system is presented, with emphasis on the observing sequence, phasing system, and differences with respect to the V2 system, along with a presentation of some recent engineering data.

Chaos synchronization of uncertain chaotic systems using composite nonlinear feedback based integral sliding mode control.

PubMed

Mobayen, Saleh

2018-06-01

This paper proposes a combination of composite nonlinear feedback and integral sliding mode techniques for fast and accurate chaos synchronization of uncertain chaotic systems with Lipschitz nonlinear functions, time-varying delays and disturbances. The composite nonlinear feedback method allows accurate following of the master chaotic system and the integral sliding mode control provides invariance property which rejects the perturbations and preserves the stability of the closed-loop system. Based on the Lyapunov- Krasovskii stability theory and linear matrix inequalities, a novel sufficient condition is offered for the chaos synchronization of uncertain chaotic systems. This method not only guarantees the robustness against perturbations and time-delays, but also eliminates reaching phase and avoids chattering problem. Simulation results demonstrate that the suggested procedure leads to a great control performance. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating Low-Cost Rapid Usability Testing into Agile System Development of Healthcare IT: A Methodological Perspective.

PubMed

Kushniruk, Andre W; Borycki, Elizabeth M

2015-01-01

The development of more usable and effective healthcare information systems has become a critical issue. In the software industry methodologies such as agile and iterative development processes have emerged to lead to more effective and usable systems. These approaches highlight focusing on user needs and promoting iterative and flexible development practices. Evaluation and testing of iterative agile development cycles is considered an important part of the agile methodology and iterative processes for system design and re-design. However, the issue of how to effectively integrate usability testing methods into rapid and flexible agile design cycles has remained to be fully explored. In this paper we describe our application of an approach known as low-cost rapid usability testing as it has been applied within agile system development in healthcare. The advantages of the integrative approach are described, along with current methodological considerations.

[Financing, organization, costs and services performance of the Argentinean health sub-systems.

PubMed

Yavich, Natalia; Báscolo, Ernesto Pablo; Haggerty, Jeannie

2016-01-01

To analyze the relationship between health system financing and services organization models with costs and health services performance in each of Rosario's health sub-systems. The financing and organization models were characterized using secondary data. Costs were calculated using the WHO/SHA methodology. Healthcare quality was measured by a household survey (n=822). Public subsystem:Vertically integrated funding and primary healthcare as a leading strategy to provide services produced low costs and individual-oriented healthcare but with weak accessibility conditions and comprehensiveness. Private subsystem: Contractual integration and weak regulatory and coordination mechanisms produced effects opposed to those of the public sub-system. Social security: Contractual integration and strong regulatory and coordination mechanisms contributed to intermediate costs and overall high performance. Each subsystem financing and services organization model had a strong and heterogeneous influence on costs and health services performance.

Odel of Dynamic Integration of Lean Shop Floor Management Within the Organizational Management System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iuga, Virginia; Kifor, Claudiu

2014-12-01

The key to achieve a sustainable development lies in the customer satisfaction through improved quality, reduced cost, reduced delivery lead times and proper communication. The objective of the lean manufacturing system (LMS) is to identify and eliminate the processes and resources which do not add value to a product. The following paper aims to present a proposal of further development of integrated management systems in organizations through the implementation of lean shop floor management. In the first part of the paper, a dynamic model of the implementation steps will be presented. Furthermore, the paper underlines the importance of implementing a lean culture parallel with each step of integrating the lean methods and tools. The paper also describes the Toyota philosophy, tools, and the supporting lean culture necessary to implementing an efficient lean system in productive organizations

A MoTe2 based light emitting diode and photodetector for silicon photonic integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bie, Ya-Qing; Heuck, M.; Grosso, G.; Furchi, M.; Cao, Y.; Zheng, J.; Navarro-Moratalla, E.; Zhou, L.; Taniguchi, T.; Watanabe, K.; Kong, J.; Englund, D.; Jarillo-Herrero, P.

A key challenge in photonics today is to address the interconnects bottleneck in high-speed computing systems. Silicon photonics has emerged as a leading architecture, partly because many components such as waveguides, interferometers and modulators, could be integrated on silicon-based processors. However, light sources and photodetectors present continued challenges. Common approaches for light source include off-chip or wafer-bonded lasers based on III-V materials, but studies show advantages for directly modulated light sources. The most advanced photodetectors in silicon photonics are based on germanium growth which increases system cost. The emerging two dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer a path for optical interconnects components that can be integrated with the CMOS processing by back-end-of-the-line processing steps. Here we demonstrate a silicon waveguide-integrated light source and photodetector based on a p-n junction of bilayer MoTe2, a TMD semiconductor with infrared band gap. The state-of-the-art fabrication technology provides new opportunities for integrated optoelectronic systems.

Integrated system for remotely monitoring critical physiological parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexakis, S.; Karalis, S.; Asvestas, P.

2015-09-01

Monitoring several human parameters (temperature, heart rate, blood pressure etc.) is an essential task in health care in hospitals as well as in home care. This paper presents the design and implementation of an integrated, embedded system that includes an electrocardiograph of nine leads and two channels, a digital thermometer for measuring the body temperature and a power supply. The system provides networking capabilities (wired or wireless) and is accessible by means of a web interface that allows the user to select the leads, as well as to review the values of heart rate (beats per minute) and body temperature. Furthermore, there is the option of saving all the data in a Micro SD memory card or in a Google Spreadsheet. The necessary analog circuits for signal conditioning (amplification and filtering) were manufactured on printed circuit boards (PCB). The system was built around Arduino Yun, which is a platform that contains a microcontroller and a microprocessor running a special LINUX distribution. Furthermore, the Arduino Yun provides the necessary network connectivity capabilities by means of the integrated Wi-Fi and Ethernet interfaces. The web interface was developed using HTML pages with JavaScript support. The system was tested on simulated data as well as real data, providing satisfactory accuracy regarding the measurement of the heart rate (±3 bpm error) and the temperature (±0.3°C error).

Taking Bioinformatics to Systems Medicine.

PubMed

van Kampen, Antoine H C; Moerland, Perry D

2016-01-01

Systems medicine promotes a range of approaches and strategies to study human health and disease at a systems level with the aim of improving the overall well-being of (healthy) individuals, and preventing, diagnosing, or curing disease. In this chapter we discuss how bioinformatics critically contributes to systems medicine. First, we explain the role of bioinformatics in the management and analysis of data. In particular we show the importance of publicly available biological and clinical repositories to support systems medicine studies. Second, we discuss how the integration and analysis of multiple types of omics data through integrative bioinformatics may facilitate the determination of more predictive and robust disease signatures, lead to a better understanding of (patho)physiological molecular mechanisms, and facilitate personalized medicine. Third, we focus on network analysis and discuss how gene networks can be constructed from omics data and how these networks can be decomposed into smaller modules. We discuss how the resulting modules can be used to generate experimentally testable hypotheses, provide insight into disease mechanisms, and lead to predictive models. Throughout, we provide several examples demonstrating how bioinformatics contributes to systems medicine and discuss future challenges in bioinformatics that need to be addressed to enable the advancement of systems medicine.

Placing ecosystem services at the heart of urban water systems management.

PubMed

Garcia, X; Barceló, D; Comas, J; Corominas, Ll; Hadjimichael, A; Page, T J; Acuña, V

2016-09-01

Current approaches have failed to deliver a truly integrated management of the different elements of the urban water system, such as freshwater ecosystems, drinking water treatment plants, distribution networks, sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants. Because the different parts of urban water have not been well integrated, poor decisions have been made for society in general, leading to the misuse of water resources, the degradation of freshwater ecosystems and increased overall treatment costs. Some attempts to solve environmental issues have adopted the ecosystem services concept in a more integrated approach, however this has rarely strayed far away from pure policy, and has made little impact in on-the-ground operational matters. Here, we present an improved decision-making framework to integrate the management of urban water systems. This framework uses the ecosystem service concept in a practical way to make a better use of both financial and water resources, while continuing to preserve the environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Software as a service approach to sensor simulation software deployment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, Steven; Miller, Gordon; Mayott, Gregory

2012-05-01

Traditionally, military simulation has been problem domain specific. Executing an exercise currently requires multiple simulation software providers to specialize, deploy, and configure their respective implementations, integrate the collection of software to achieve a specific system behavior, and then execute for the purpose at hand. This approach leads to rigid system integrations which require simulation expertise for each deployment due to changes in location, hardware, and software. Our alternative is Software as a Service (SaaS) predicated on the virtualization of Night Vision Electronic Sensors (NVESD) sensor simulations as an exemplary case. Management middleware elements layer self provisioning, configuration, and integration services onto the virtualized sensors to present a system of services at run time. Given an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) environment, enabled and managed system of simulations yields a durable SaaS delivery without requiring user simulation expertise. Persistent SaaS simulations would provide on demand availability to connected users, decrease integration costs and timelines, and benefit the domain community from immediate deployment of lessons learned.

Integrating CHWs as Part of the Team Leading Diabetes Group Visits: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Vaughan, Elizabeth M; Johnston, Craig A; Cardenas, Victor J; Moreno, Jennette P; Foreyt, John P

2017-12-01

Purpose The purpose of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of integrating Community Health Workers (CHWs) as part of the team leading diabetes group visits. Methods This was a randomized controlled study that integrated CHWs as part of the team leading diabetes group visits for low-income Hispanic adults (n = 50). Group visits met for 3 hours each month for a 6-month duration. Main measures included baseline and 6-month clinical outcomes (ie, A1C, lipids), concordance with 8 standard of care guidelines (ie, screens for cervical, breast, and colon cancer) from the US Preventive Task Force and American Diabetes Association, and participant acceptability. Results Compared to control participants, the intervention group resulted in significantly better clinical outcomes or guideline concordance for the following areas: target A1C levels, retinal eye exams, diabetes foot exams, mammograms, and urine microalbumin. Significantly more individuals in the control group gained weight, whereas a greater number of participants in the intervention group lost weight. Intervention participants found the group visits highly acceptable. Conclusions Integrating CHWs as part a comprehensive diabetes group visit program is a feasible and effective system-level intervention to improve glycemic control and achieve guideline concordance.

TBA-like integral equations from quantized mirror curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okuyama, Kazumi; Zakany, Szabolcs

2016-03-01

Quantizing the mirror curve of certain toric Calabi-Yau (CY) three-folds leads to a family of trace class operators. The resolvent function of these operators is known to encode topological data of the CY. In this paper, we show that in certain cases, this resolvent function satisfies a system of non-linear integral equations whose structure is very similar to the Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz (TBA) systems. This can be used to compute spectral traces, both exactly and as a semiclassical expansion. As a main example, we consider the system related to the quantized mirror curve of local P2. According to a recent proposal, the traces of this operator are determined by the refined BPS indices of the underlying CY. We use our non-linear integral equations to test that proposal.

Integrating biofiltration with SVE: A case study

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

Lesley, M.P.; Rangan, C.R.

1996-12-01

A prototype integrated soil vacuum extraction/biofiltration system has been designed and installed at a gasoline contaminated LUST site in southern Delaware. The prototype system remediates contaminated moisture entrained in the air stream, employs automatic water level controls in the filters, and achieves maximum vapor extraction and VOC destruction efficiency with an optimum power input. In addition, the valving and piping layout allows the direction of air flow through the filters to be reversed at a given time interval, which minimizes biofouling, thereby increasing efficiency by minimizing the need for frequent cleaning. This integrated system achieves constant VOC destruction rates ofmore » 40 to 70% while maintaining optimal VOC removal rates from the subsurface. The modular design allows for easy mobilization, setup and demobilization at state-lead LUST sites throughout Delaware.« less

Integrated Fiber-Optic Light Probe: Measurement of Static Deflections in Rotating Turbomachinery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurkov, Anatole P.

1998-01-01

At the NASA Lewis Research Center, in cooperation with Integrated Fiber Optic Systems, Inc., an integrated fiber-optic light probe system was designed, fabricated, and tested for monitoring blade tip deflections, vibrations, and to some extent, changes in the blade tip clearances of a turbomachinery fan or a compressor rotor. The system comprises a set of integrated fiber-optic light probes that are positioned to detect the passing blade tip at the leading and trailing edges. In this configuration, measurements of both nonsynchronous blade vibrations and steady-state blade deflections can be made from the timing information provided by each light probe-consisting of an integrated fiber-optic transmitting channel and numerical aperture receiving fibers, all mounted in the same cylindrical housing. With integrated fiber-optic technology, a spatial resolution of 50 mm is possible while the outer diameter is kept below 2.5 mm. To evaluate these probes, we took measurements in a single-stage compressor facility and an advanced fan rig in Lewis' 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel.

Structure based drug discovery for designing leads for the non-toxic metabolic targets in multi drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

Kaur, Divneet; Mathew, Shalu; Nair, Chinchu G S; Begum, Azitha; Jainanarayan, Ashwin K; Sharma, Mukta; Brahmachari, Samir K

2017-12-21

The problem of drug resistance and bacterial persistence in tuberculosis is a cause of global alarm. Although, the UN's Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 has targeted a Tb free world, the treatment gap exists and only a few new drug candidates are in the pipeline. In spite of large information from medicinal chemistry to 'omics' data, there has been a little effort from pharmaceutical companies to generate pipelines for the development of novel drug candidates against the multi drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the present study, we describe an integrated methodology; utilizing systems level information to optimize ligand selection to lower the failure rates at the pre-clinical and clinical levels. In the present study, metabolic targets (Rv2763c, Rv3247c, Rv1094, Rv3607c, Rv3048c, Rv2965c, Rv2361c, Rv0865, Rv0321, Rv0098, Rv0390, Rv3588c, Rv2244, Rv2465c and Rv2607) in M. tuberculosis, identified using our previous Systems Biology and data-intensive genome level analysis, have been used to design potential lead molecules, which are likely to be non-toxic. Various in silico drug discovery tools have been utilized to generate small molecular leads for each of the 15 targets with available crystal structures. The present study resulted in identification of 20 novel lead molecules including 4 FDA approved drugs (droxidropa, tetroxoprim, domperidone and nemonapride) which can be further taken for drug repurposing. This comprehensive integrated methodology, with both experimental and in silico approaches, has the potential to not only tackle the MDR form of Mtb but also the most important persister population of the bacterium, with a potential to reduce the failures in the Tb drug discovery. We propose an integrated approach of systems and structural biology for identifying targets that address the high attrition rate issue in lead identification and drug development We expect that this system level analysis will be applicable for identification of drug candidates to other pathogenic organisms as well.

DASHBOARDS & CONTROL CHARTS EXPERIENCES IN IMPROVING SAFETY AT HANFORD WASHINGTON

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

PREVETTE, S.S.

2006-02-27

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the integration of safety methodology, quality tools, leadership, and teamwork at Hanford and their significant positive impact on safe performance of work. Dashboards, Leading Indicators, Control charts, Pareto Charts, Dr. W. Edward Deming's Red Bead Experiment, and Dr. Deming's System of Profound Knowledge have been the principal tools and theory of an integrated management system. Coupled with involved leadership and teamwork, they have led to significant improvements in worker safety and protection, and environmental restoration at one of the nation's largest nuclear cleanup sites.

RADIATION INTEGRATOR

DOEpatents

Glass, F.M.; Wilson, H.N.

1959-02-17

Radiation detecting and measuring systems, particularly a compact, integrating, background monitor, are discussed. One of the principal features of the system is the use of an electrometer tube where the input of the tube is directly connected to an electrode of the radiation detector and a capacitor is coupled to the tube input. When a predetermined quantity of radiation has been integrated, a trigger signal is fed to a recorder and a charge is delivered to the capacitor to render the tube inoperative. The capacitor is then recharged for the next period of operation. With this arrangement there is a substantial reduction in lead lengths and the principal components may be enclosed and hermetically sealed to insure low leakage.

Business intelligence modeling in launch operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardina, Jorge E.; Thirumalainambi, Rajkumar; Davis, Rodney D.

2005-05-01

The future of business intelligence in space exploration will focus on the intelligent system-of-systems real-time enterprise. In present business intelligence, a number of technologies that are most relevant to space exploration are experiencing the greatest change. Emerging patterns of set of processes rather than organizational units leading to end-to-end automation is becoming a major objective of enterprise information technology. The cost element is a leading factor of future exploration systems. This technology project is to advance an integrated Planning and Management Simulation Model for evaluation of risks, costs, and reliability of launch systems from Earth to Orbit for Space Exploration. The approach builds on research done in the NASA ARC/KSC developed Virtual Test Bed (VTB) to integrate architectural, operations process, and mission simulations for the purpose of evaluating enterprise level strategies to reduce cost, improve systems operability, and reduce mission risks. The objectives are to understand the interdependency of architecture and process on recurring launch cost of operations, provide management a tool for assessing systems safety and dependability versus cost, and leverage lessons learned and empirical models from Shuttle and International Space Station to validate models applied to Exploration. The systems-of-systems concept is built to balance the conflicting objectives of safety, reliability, and process strategy in order to achieve long term sustainability. A planning and analysis test bed is needed for evaluation of enterprise level options and strategies for transit and launch systems as well as surface and orbital systems. This environment can also support agency simulation based acquisition process objectives. The technology development approach is based on the collaborative effort set forth in the VTB's integrating operations, process models, systems and environment models, and cost models as a comprehensive disciplined enterprise analysis environment. Significant emphasis is being placed on adapting root cause from existing Shuttle operations to exploration. Technical challenges include cost model validation, integration of parametric models with discrete event process and systems simulations, and large-scale simulation integration. The enterprise architecture is required for coherent integration of systems models. It will also require a plan for evolution over the life of the program. The proposed technology will produce long-term benefits in support of the NASA objectives for simulation based acquisition, will improve the ability to assess architectural options verses safety/risk for future exploration systems, and will facilitate incorporation of operability as a systems design consideration, reducing overall life cycle cost for future systems.

Business Intelligence Modeling in Launch Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bardina, Jorge E.; Thirumalainambi, Rajkumar; Davis, Rodney D.

2005-01-01

This technology project is to advance an integrated Planning and Management Simulation Model for evaluation of risks, costs, and reliability of launch systems from Earth to Orbit for Space Exploration. The approach builds on research done in the NASA ARC/KSC developed Virtual Test Bed (VTB) to integrate architectural, operations process, and mission simulations for the purpose of evaluating enterprise level strategies to reduce cost, improve systems operability, and reduce mission risks. The objectives are to understand the interdependency of architecture and process on recurring launch cost of operations, provide management a tool for assessing systems safety and dependability versus cost, and leverage lessons learned and empirical models from Shuttle and International Space Station to validate models applied to Exploration. The systems-of-systems concept is built to balance the conflicting objectives of safety, reliability, and process strategy in order to achieve long term sustainability. A planning and analysis test bed is needed for evaluation of enterprise level options and strategies for transit and launch systems as well as surface and orbital systems. This environment can also support agency simulation .based acquisition process objectives. The technology development approach is based on the collaborative effort set forth in the VTB's integrating operations. process models, systems and environment models, and cost models as a comprehensive disciplined enterprise analysis environment. Significant emphasis is being placed on adapting root cause from existing Shuttle operations to exploration. Technical challenges include cost model validation, integration of parametric models with discrete event process and systems simulations. and large-scale simulation integration. The enterprise architecture is required for coherent integration of systems models. It will also require a plan for evolution over the life of the program. The proposed technology will produce long-term benefits in support of the NASA objectives for simulation based acquisition, will improve the ability to assess architectural options verses safety/risk for future exploration systems, and will facilitate incorporation of operability as a systems design consideration, reducing overall life cycle cost for future systems. The future of business intelligence of space exploration will focus on the intelligent system-of-systems real-time enterprise. In present business intelligence, a number of technologies that are most relevant to space exploration are experiencing the greatest change. Emerging patterns of set of processes rather than organizational units leading to end-to-end automation is becoming a major objective of enterprise information technology. The cost element is a leading factor of future exploration systems.

Micro-optical design of a three-dimensional microlens scanner for vertically integrated micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems.

PubMed

Baranski, Maciej; Bargiel, Sylwester; Passilly, Nicolas; Gorecki, Christophe; Jia, Chenping; Frömel, Jörg; Wiemer, Maik

2015-08-01

This paper presents the optical design of a miniature 3D scanning system, which is fully compatible with the vertical integration technology of micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS). The constraints related to this integration strategy are considered, resulting in a simple three-element micro-optical setup based on an afocal scanning microlens doublet and a focusing microlens, which is tolerant to axial position inaccuracy. The 3D scanning is achieved by axial and lateral displacement of microlenses of the scanning doublet, realized by micro-electro-mechanical systems microactuators (the transmission scanning approach). Optical scanning performance of the system is determined analytically by use of the extended ray transfer matrix method, leading to two different optical configurations, relying either on a ball lens or plano-convex microlenses. The presented system is aimed to be a core component of miniature MOEMS-based optical devices, which require a 3D optical scanning function, e.g., miniature imaging systems (confocal or optical coherence microscopes) or optical tweezers.

Integrating distributed multimedia systems and interactive television networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shvartsman, Alex A.

1996-01-01

Recent advances in networks, storage and video delivery systems are about to make commercial deployment of interactive multimedia services over digital television networks a reality. The emerging components individually have the potential to satisfy the technical requirements in the near future. However, no single vendor is offering a complete end-to-end commercially-deployable and scalable interactive multimedia applications systems over digital/analog television systems. Integrating a large set of maturing sub-assemblies and interactive multimedia applications is a major task in deploying such systems. Here we deal with integration issues, requirements and trade-offs in building delivery platforms and applications for interactive television services. Such integration efforts must overcome lack of standards, and deal with unpredictable development cycles and quality problems of leading- edge technology. There are also the conflicting goals of optimizing systems for video delivery while enabling highly interactive distributed applications. It is becoming possible to deliver continuous video streams from specific sources, but it is difficult and expensive to provide the ability to rapidly switch among multiple sources of video and data. Finally, there is the ever- present challenge of integrating and deploying expensive systems whose scalability and extensibility is limited, while ensuring some resiliency in the face of inevitable changes. This proceedings version of the paper is an extended abstract.

Challenges in Achieving Trajectory-Based Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cate, Karen Tung

2012-01-01

In the past few years much of the global ATM research community has proposed advanced systems based on Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO). The concept of TBO uses four-dimensional aircraft trajectories as the base information for managing safety and capacity. Both the US and European advanced ATM programs call for the sharing of trajectory data across different decision support tools for successful operations. However, the actual integration of TBO systems presents many challenges. Trajectory predictors are built to meet the specific needs of a particular system and are not always compatible with others. Two case studies are presented which examine the challenges of introducing a new concept into two legacy systems in regards to their trajectory prediction software. The first case describes the issues with integrating a new decision support tool with a legacy operational system which overlap in domain space. These tools perform similar functions but are driven by different requirements. The difference in the resulting trajectories can lead to conflicting advisories. The second case looks at integrating this same new tool with a legacy system originally developed as an integrated system, but diverged many years ago. Both cases illustrate how the lack of common architecture concepts for the trajectory predictors added cost and complexity to the integration efforts.

Lunar materials processing system integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherwood, Brent

1992-02-01

The theme of this paper is that governmental resources will not permit the simultaneous development of all viable lunar materials processing (LMP) candidates. Choices will inevitably be made, based on the results of system integration trade studies comparing candidates to each other for high-leverage applications. It is in the best long-term interest of the LMP community to lead the selection process itself, quickly and practically. The paper is in five parts. The first part explains what systems integration means and why the specialized field of LMP needs this activity now. The second part defines the integration context for LMP -- by outlining potential lunar base functions, their interrelationships and constraints. The third part establishes perspective for prioritizing the development of LMP methods, by estimating realistic scope, scale, and timing of lunar operations. The fourth part describes the use of one type of analytical tool for gaining understanding of system interactions: the input/output model. A simple example solved with linear algebra is used to illustrate. The fifth and closing part identifies specific steps needed to refine the current ability to study lunar base system integration. Research specialists have a crucial role to play now in providing the data upon which this refinement process must be based.

Lunar materials processing system integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherwood, Brent

1992-01-01

The theme of this paper is that governmental resources will not permit the simultaneous development of all viable lunar materials processing (LMP) candidates. Choices will inevitably be made, based on the results of system integration trade studies comparing candidates to each other for high-leverage applications. It is in the best long-term interest of the LMP community to lead the selection process itself, quickly and practically. The paper is in five parts. The first part explains what systems integration means and why the specialized field of LMP needs this activity now. The second part defines the integration context for LMP -- by outlining potential lunar base functions, their interrelationships and constraints. The third part establishes perspective for prioritizing the development of LMP methods, by estimating realistic scope, scale, and timing of lunar operations. The fourth part describes the use of one type of analytical tool for gaining understanding of system interactions: the input/output model. A simple example solved with linear algebra is used to illustrate. The fifth and closing part identifies specific steps needed to refine the current ability to study lunar base system integration. Research specialists have a crucial role to play now in providing the data upon which this refinement process must be based.

Different coding strategies for the perception of stable and changeable facial attributes.

PubMed

Taubert, Jessica; Alais, David; Burr, David

2016-09-01

Perceptual systems face competing requirements: improving signal-to-noise ratios of noisy images, by integration; and maximising sensitivity to change, by differentiation. Both processes occur in human vision, under different circumstances: they have been termed priming, or serial dependencies, leading to positive sequential effects; and adaptation or habituation, which leads to negative sequential effects. We reasoned that for stable attributes, such as the identity and gender of faces, the system should integrate: while for changeable attributes like facial expression, it should also engage contrast mechanisms to maximise sensitivity to change. Subjects viewed a sequence of images varying simultaneously in gender and expression, and scored each as male or female, and happy or sad. We found strong and consistent positive serial dependencies for gender, and negative dependency for expression, showing that both processes can operate at the same time, on the same stimuli, depending on the attribute being judged. The results point to highly sophisticated mechanisms for optimizing use of past information, either by integration or differentiation, depending on the permanence of that attribute.

PreK-3rd: How Superintendents Lead Change. PreK-3rd Policy Action Brief. No. Five

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marietta, Geoff

2010-01-01

Leading change to create an integrated PreK-3rd education and connect early learning programs with the K-12 system is not easy. Superintendents require courage to take the first step, persistence and political skills to encourage organizational and community engagement, and a relentless focus on results to measure progress and build momentum. As a…

[Musculoskeletal system as a target organ of a frailty processes].

PubMed

Zlobina, I A; Krivtsunov, A N; Bogat, S V; Prashchayeu, K I

Pathology of the musculoskeletal system is widespread in the population and is one of the most common diseases of patients in older age groups. The most significant of them are osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and sarcopenia. All three components separately, of course, lead to lower quality of life. In our work we show the mechanisms of interference of these states at each other, and their combined impact on the musculoskeletal system as a target organ processes senile asthenia. Osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia, and especially their combination lead to hypomobility. Hypomobility under the influence of external factors is one of the leading syndromes potentiating aggravation processes senile asthenia. Thus, the mechanism of re-entry is triggered, and a vicious circle leading to fatal medical-social and social consequences. It is shown that changes in the musculoskeletal system should be considered as a single aging within senile asthenia, and all used and newly created medical and social rehabilitation and prevention programs should be integrated in nature.

Moisture effect on interfacial integrity of epoxy-bonded system: a hierarchical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tam, Lik-ho; Lun Chow, Cheuk; Lau, Denvid

2018-01-01

The epoxy-bonded system has been widely used in various applications across different scale lengths. Prior investigations have indicated that the moisture-affected interfacial debonding is the major failure mode of such a system, but the fundamental mechanism remains unknown, such as the basis for the invasion of water molecules in the cross-linked epoxy and the epoxy-bonded interface. This prevents us from predicting the long-term performance of the epoxy-related applications under the effect of the moisture. Here, we use full atomistic models to investigate the response of the epoxy-bonded system towards the adhesion test, and provide a detailed analysis of the interfacial integrity under the moisture effect and the associated debonding mechanism. Molecular dynamics simulations show that water molecules affect the hierarchical structure of the epoxy-bonded system at the nanoscale by disrupting the film-substrate interaction and the molecular interaction within the epoxy, which leads to the detachment of the epoxy thin film, and the final interfacial debonding. The simulation results show good agreement with the experimental results of the epoxy-bonded system. Through identifying the relationship between the epoxy structure and the debonding mechanism at multiple scales, it is shown that the hierarchical structure of the epoxy-bonded system is crucial for the interfacial integrity. In particular, the available space of the epoxy-bonded system, which consists of various sizes ranging from the atomistic scale to the macroscale and is close to the interface facilitates the moisture accumulation, leading to a distinct interfacial debonding when compared to the dry scenario.

Integrated primary health care: Finnish solutions and experiences

PubMed Central

Kokko, Simo

2009-01-01

Background Finland has since 1972 had a primary health care system based on health centres run and funded by the local public authorities called ‘municipalities’. On the world map of primary health care systems, the Finnish solution claims to be the most health centre oriented and also the widest, both in terms of the numbers of staff and also of different professions employed. Offering integrated care through multi-professional health centres has been overshadowed by exceptional difficulties in guaranteeing a reasonable access to the population at times when they need primary medical or dental services. Solutions to the problems of access have been found, but they do not seem durable. Description of policy practice During the past 10 years, the health centres have become a ground of active development structural change, for which no end is in sight. Broader issues of municipal and public administration structures are being solved through rearranging primary health services. In these rearrangements, integration with specialist services and with social services together with mergers of health centres and municipalities are occurring at an accelerated pace. This leads into fundamental questions of the benefits of integration, especially if extensive integration leads into the threat of the loss of identity for primary health care. Discussion This article ends with some lessons to be learned from the situation in Finland for other countries. PMID:19590612

Magnus integrators on multicore CPUs and GPUs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auer, N.; Einkemmer, L.; Kandolf, P.; Ostermann, A.

2018-07-01

In the present paper we consider numerical methods to solve the discrete Schrödinger equation with a time dependent Hamiltonian (motivated by problems encountered in the study of spin systems). We will consider both short-range interactions, which lead to evolution equations involving sparse matrices, and long-range interactions, which lead to dense matrices. Both of these settings show very different computational characteristics. We use Magnus integrators for time integration and employ a framework based on Leja interpolation to compute the resulting action of the matrix exponential. We consider both traditional Magnus integrators (which are extensively used for these types of problems in the literature) as well as the recently developed commutator-free Magnus integrators and implement them on modern CPU and GPU (graphics processing unit) based systems. We find that GPUs can yield a significant speed-up (up to a factor of 10 in the dense case) for these types of problems. In the sparse case GPUs are only advantageous for large problem sizes and the achieved speed-ups are more modest. In most cases the commutator-free variant is superior but especially on the GPU this advantage is rather small. In fact, none of the advantage of commutator-free methods on GPUs (and on multi-core CPUs) is due to the elimination of commutators. This has important consequences for the design of more efficient numerical methods.

Natural Convection Heat Transfer in a Rectangular Liquid Metal Pool With Bottom Heating and Top Cooling

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

Lee, Il S.; Yu, Yong H.; Son, Hyoung M.

2006-07-01

An experimental study is performed to investigate the natural convection heat transfer characteristics with subcooled coolant to create engineering database for basic applications in a lead alloy cooled reactor. Tests are performed in the ALTOS (Applied Liquid-metal Thermal Operation Study) apparatus as part of MITHOS (Metal Integrated Thermo Hydrodynamic Operation System). A relationship is determined between the Nusselt number Nu and the Rayleigh number Ra in the liquid metal rectangular pool. Results are compared with correlations and experimental data in the literature. Given the similar Ra condition, the present test results for Nu of the liquid metal pool with topmore » subcooling are found to be similar to those predicted by the existing correlations or experiments. The current test results are utilized to develop natural convection heat transfer correlations applicable to low Prandtl number Pr fluids that are heated from below and cooled by the external coolant above. Results from this study are slated to be used in designing BORIS (Battery Optimized Reactor Integral System), a small lead cooled modular fast reactor for deployment at remote sites cycled with MOBIS (Modular Optimized Brayton Integral System) for electricity generation, tied with NAVIS (Naval Application Vessel Integral System) for ship propulsion, joined with THAIS (Thermochemical Hydrogen Acquisition Integral System) for hydrogen production, and coupled with DORIS (Desalination Optimized Reactor Integral System) for seawater desalination. Tests are performed with Wood's metal (Pb-Bi-Sn-Cd) filling a rectangular pool whose lower surface is heated and upper surface cooled by forced convection of water. The test section is 20 cm long, 11.3 cm high and 15 cm wide. The simulant has a melting temperature of 78 deg. C. The constant temperature and heat flux condition was realized for the bottom heating once the steady state had been met. The test parameters include the heated bottom surface temperature of the liquid metal pool, the input power to the bottom surface of the section, and the coolant temperature. (authors)« less

Smart electronics and microengineering: the Australian focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariz, Alex

1998-04-01

Integrated MEMS together with signal-conditioning electronics on the same chip appears to be the ultimate solution to realizing smart computer devices integratable into larger systems. This in principle will lead to systems with decentralized intelligence leading to applications in numerous fields. It is conceived that such devices would be the product of merging two mature technologies, that of microsensors and that of IC manufacture which is enjoying a well established success. Using common and suitable materials it is reasonable to expect a high degree of compatibility with little modification to standard processes. The various aspects of this co-integration will be analyzed and factors critical to the viability of the process, that go beyond mere technical feasibility will be highlighted. Australian research in this area is strong and continues to grow. We will pinpoint opportunities and constraints to the promising prospect of smart electronics and MEMS.

Lead zirconate titanate nanoscale patterning by ultraviolet-based lithography lift-off technique for nano-electromechanical system applications.

PubMed

Guillon, Samuel; Saya, Daisuke; Mazenq, Laurent; Costecalde, Jean; Rèmiens, Denis; Soyer, Caroline; Nicu, Liviu

2012-09-01

The advantage of using lead zirconate titanate (PbZr(0.54)Ti(0.46)O(3)) ceramics as an active material in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) comes from its relatively high piezoelectric coefficients. However, its integration within a technological process is limited by the difficulty of structuring this material with submicrometer resolution at the wafer scale. In this work, we develop a specific patterning method based on optical lithography coupled with a dual-layer resist process. The main objective is to obtain sub-micrometer features by lifting off a 100-nm-thick PZT layer while preserving the material's piezoelectric properties. A subsequent result of the developed method is the ability to stack several layers with a lateral resolution of few tens of nanometers, which is mandatory for the fabrication of NEMS with integrated actuation and read-out capabilities.

Microfabricated injectable drug delivery system

DOEpatents

Krulevitch, Peter A.; Wang, Amy W.

2002-01-01

A microfabricated, fully integrated drug delivery system capable of secreting controlled dosages of multiple drugs over long periods of time (up to a year). The device includes a long and narrow shaped implant with a sharp leading edge for implantation under the skin of a human in a manner analogous to a sliver. The implant includes: 1) one or more micromachined, integrated, zero power, high and constant pressure generating osmotic engine; 2) low power addressable one-shot shape memory polymer (SMP) valves for switching on the osmotic engine, and for opening drug outlet ports; 3) microfabricated polymer pistons for isolating the pressure source from drug-filled microchannels; 4) multiple drug/multiple dosage capacity, and 5) anisotropically-etched, atomically-sharp silicon leading edge for penetrating the skin during implantation. The device includes an externally mounted controller for controlling on-board electronics which activates the SMP microvalves, etc. of the implant.

Integrating hospital information systems in healthcare institutions: a mediation architecture.

PubMed

El Azami, Ikram; Cherkaoui Malki, Mohammed Ouçamah; Tahon, Christian

2012-10-01

Many studies have examined the integration of information systems into healthcare institutions, leading to several standards in the healthcare domain (CORBAmed: Common Object Request Broker Architecture in Medicine; HL7: Health Level Seven International; DICOM: Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine; and IHE: Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise). Due to the existence of a wide diversity of heterogeneous systems, three essential factors are necessary to fully integrate a system: data, functions and workflow. However, most of the previous studies have dealt with only one or two of these factors and this makes the system integration unsatisfactory. In this paper, we propose a flexible, scalable architecture for Hospital Information Systems (HIS). Our main purpose is to provide a practical solution to insure HIS interoperability so that healthcare institutions can communicate without being obliged to change their local information systems and without altering the tasks of the healthcare professionals. Our architecture is a mediation architecture with 3 levels: 1) a database level, 2) a middleware level and 3) a user interface level. The mediation is based on two central components: the Mediator and the Adapter. Using the XML format allows us to establish a structured, secured exchange of healthcare data. The notion of medical ontology is introduced to solve semantic conflicts and to unify the language used for the exchange. Our mediation architecture provides an effective, promising model that promotes the integration of hospital information systems that are autonomous, heterogeneous, semantically interoperable and platform-independent.

Telecommunications Services Required by Distributed and Interconnected Office Centers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-07-20

systems and communications management systems which are on the market . It is expected that these systems and the capabilities they offer will be available...saw the possibilities of marketing the service, but was delayed in its implementation because the high capacity communication network to support the...Jersey 07666. [181 Washburn, C, Unfolding Electronic Mail Market Leads to Integrated Info Systems, Communications News, November 1979, page 56. /191

Maximum Correntropy Unscented Kalman Filter for Ballistic Missile Navigation System based on SINS/CNS Deeply Integrated Mode.

PubMed

Hou, Bowen; He, Zhangming; Li, Dong; Zhou, Haiyin; Wang, Jiongqi

2018-05-27

Strap-down inertial navigation system/celestial navigation system ( SINS/CNS) integrated navigation is a high precision navigation technique for ballistic missiles. The traditional navigation method has a divergence in the position error. A deeply integrated mode for SINS/CNS navigation system is proposed to improve the navigation accuracy of ballistic missile. The deeply integrated navigation principle is described and the observability of the navigation system is analyzed. The nonlinearity, as well as the large outliers and the Gaussian mixture noises, often exists during the actual navigation process, leading to the divergence phenomenon of the navigation filter. The new nonlinear Kalman filter on the basis of the maximum correntropy theory and unscented transformation, named the maximum correntropy unscented Kalman filter, is deduced, and the computational complexity is analyzed. The unscented transformation is used for restricting the nonlinearity of the system equation, and the maximum correntropy theory is used to deal with the non-Gaussian noises. Finally, numerical simulation illustrates the superiority of the proposed filter compared with the traditional unscented Kalman filter. The comparison results show that the large outliers and the influence of non-Gaussian noises for SINS/CNS deeply integrated navigation is significantly reduced through the proposed filter.

Feature integration and object representations along the dorsal stream visual hierarchy

PubMed Central

Perry, Carolyn Jeane; Fallah, Mazyar

2014-01-01

The visual system is split into two processing streams: a ventral stream that receives color and form information and a dorsal stream that receives motion information. Each stream processes that information hierarchically, with each stage building upon the previous. In the ventral stream this leads to the formation of object representations that ultimately allow for object recognition regardless of changes in the surrounding environment. In the dorsal stream, this hierarchical processing has classically been thought to lead to the computation of complex motion in three dimensions. However, there is evidence to suggest that there is integration of both dorsal and ventral stream information into motion computation processes, giving rise to intermediate object representations, which facilitate object selection and decision making mechanisms in the dorsal stream. First we review the hierarchical processing of motion along the dorsal stream and the building up of object representations along the ventral stream. Then we discuss recent work on the integration of ventral and dorsal stream features that lead to intermediate object representations in the dorsal stream. Finally we propose a framework describing how and at what stage different features are integrated into dorsal visual stream object representations. Determining the integration of features along the dorsal stream is necessary to understand not only how the dorsal stream builds up an object representation but also which computations are performed on object representations instead of local features. PMID:25140147

A collaborative vendor-buyer production-inventory systems with imperfect quality items, inspection errors, and stochastic demand under budget capacity constraint: a Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurdhi, N. A.; Nurhayati, R. A.; Wiyono, S. B.; Handajani, S. S.; Martini, T. S.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we develop an integrated inventory model considering the imperfect quality items, inspection error, controllable lead time, and budget capacity constraint. The imperfect items were uniformly distributed and detected on the screening process. However there are two types of possibilities. The first is type I of inspection error (when a non-defective item classified as defective) and the second is type II of inspection error (when a defective item classified as non-defective). The demand during the lead time is unknown, and it follows the normal distribution. The lead time can be controlled by adding the crashing cost. Furthermore, the existence of the budget capacity constraint is caused by the limited purchasing cost. The purposes of this research are: to modify the integrated vendor and buyer inventory model, to establish the optimal solution using Kuhn-Tucker’s conditions, and to apply the models. Based on the result of application and the sensitivity analysis, it can be obtained minimum integrated inventory total cost rather than separated inventory.

Higher-dimensional generalizations of the Watanabe–Strogatz transform for vector models of synchronization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohe, M. A.

2018-06-01

We generalize the Watanabe–Strogatz (WS) transform, which acts on the Kuramoto model in d  =  2 dimensions, to a higher-dimensional vector transform which operates on vector oscillator models of synchronization in any dimension , for the case of identical frequency matrices. These models have conserved quantities constructed from the cross ratios of inner products of the vector variables, which are invariant under the vector transform, and have trajectories which lie on the unit sphere S d‑1. Application of the vector transform leads to a partial integration of the equations of motion, leaving independent equations to be solved, for any number of nodes N. We discuss properties of complete synchronization and use the reduced equations to derive a stability condition for completely synchronized trajectories on S d‑1. We further generalize the vector transform to a mapping which acts in and in particular preserves the unit ball , and leaves invariant the cross ratios constructed from inner products of vectors in . This mapping can be used to partially integrate a system of vector oscillators with trajectories in , and for d  =  2 leads to an extension of the Kuramoto system to a system of oscillators with time-dependent amplitudes and trajectories in the unit disk. We find an inequivalent generalization of the Möbius map which also preserves but leaves invariant a different set of cross ratios, this time constructed from the vector norms. This leads to a different extension of the Kuramoto model with trajectories in the complex plane that can be partially integrated by means of fractional linear transformations.

Brazilian Science and Research Integrity: Where are We? What Next?

PubMed

Vasconcelos, Sonia M R; Sorenson, Martha M; Watanabe, Edson H; Foguel, Debora; Palácios, Marisa

2015-01-01

Building a world-class scientific community requires first-class ingredients at many different levels: funding, training, management, international collaborations, creativity, ethics, and an understanding of research integrity practices. All over the world, addressing these practices has been high on the science policy agenda of major research systems. Universities have a central role in fostering a culture of research integrity, which has posed additional challenges for faculty, students and administrators - but also opportunities. In Brazil, the leading universities and governmental funding agencies are collaborating on this project, but much remains to be done.

Mean-field models for heterogeneous networks of two-dimensional integrate and fire neurons.

PubMed

Nicola, Wilten; Campbell, Sue Ann

2013-01-01

We analytically derive mean-field models for all-to-all coupled networks of heterogeneous, adapting, two-dimensional integrate and fire neurons. The class of models we consider includes the Izhikevich, adaptive exponential and quartic integrate and fire models. The heterogeneity in the parameters leads to different moment closure assumptions that can be made in the derivation of the mean-field model from the population density equation for the large network. Three different moment closure assumptions lead to three different mean-field systems. These systems can be used for distinct purposes such as bifurcation analysis of the large networks, prediction of steady state firing rate distributions, parameter estimation for actual neurons and faster exploration of the parameter space. We use the mean-field systems to analyze adaptation induced bursting under realistic sources of heterogeneity in multiple parameters. Our analysis demonstrates that the presence of heterogeneity causes the Hopf bifurcation associated with the emergence of bursting to change from sub-critical to super-critical. This is confirmed with numerical simulations of the full network for biologically reasonable parameter values. This change decreases the plausibility of adaptation being the cause of bursting in hippocampal area CA3, an area with a sizable population of heavily coupled, strongly adapting neurons.

Mean-field models for heterogeneous networks of two-dimensional integrate and fire neurons

PubMed Central

Nicola, Wilten; Campbell, Sue Ann

2013-01-01

We analytically derive mean-field models for all-to-all coupled networks of heterogeneous, adapting, two-dimensional integrate and fire neurons. The class of models we consider includes the Izhikevich, adaptive exponential and quartic integrate and fire models. The heterogeneity in the parameters leads to different moment closure assumptions that can be made in the derivation of the mean-field model from the population density equation for the large network. Three different moment closure assumptions lead to three different mean-field systems. These systems can be used for distinct purposes such as bifurcation analysis of the large networks, prediction of steady state firing rate distributions, parameter estimation for actual neurons and faster exploration of the parameter space. We use the mean-field systems to analyze adaptation induced bursting under realistic sources of heterogeneity in multiple parameters. Our analysis demonstrates that the presence of heterogeneity causes the Hopf bifurcation associated with the emergence of bursting to change from sub-critical to super-critical. This is confirmed with numerical simulations of the full network for biologically reasonable parameter values. This change decreases the plausibility of adaptation being the cause of bursting in hippocampal area CA3, an area with a sizable population of heavily coupled, strongly adapting neurons. PMID:24416013

Study on the integration approaches to CAD/CAPP/FMS in garment CIMS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiankui; Tian, Wensheng; Liu, Chengying; Li, Zhizhong

1995-08-01

Computer integrated manufacturing system (CIMS), as an advanced methodology, has been applied in many industry fields. There is, however, little research on the application of CIMS in the garment industry, especially on the integrated approach to CAD, CAPP, and FMS in garment CIMS. In this paper, the current situations of CAD, CAPP, and FMS in the garment industry are discussed, and information requirements between them as well as the integrated approaches are also investigated. The representation of the garments' product data by the group technology coding is proposed. Based on the group technology, a shared data base as an integration element can be constructed, which leads to the integration of CAD/CAPP/FMS in garment CIMS.

On-chip synthesis of circularly polarized emission of light with integrated photonic circuits.

PubMed

He, Li; Li, Mo

2014-05-01

The helicity of circularly polarized (CP) light plays an important role in the light-matter interaction in magnetic and quantum material systems. Exploiting CP light in integrated photonic circuits could lead to on-chip integration of novel optical helicity-dependent devices for applications ranging from spintronics to quantum optics. In this Letter, we demonstrate a silicon photonic circuit coupled with a 2D grating emitter operating at a telecom wavelength to synthesize vertically emitting, CP light from a quasi-TE waveguide mode. Handedness of the emitted circular polarized light can be thermally controlled with an integrated microheater. The compact device footprint enables a small beam diameter, which is desirable for large-scale integration.

LFC leading edge glove flight: Aircraft modification design, test article development and systems integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Etchberger, F. R.

1983-01-01

Reduction of skin friction drag by suction of boundary layer air to maintain laminar flow has been known since Prandtl's published work in 1904. The dramatic increases in fuel costs and the potential for periods of limited fuel availability provided the impetus to explore technologies to reduce transport aircraft fuel consumption. NASA sponsored the Aircraft Energy Efficiency (ACEE) program in 1976 to develop technologies to improve fuel efficiency. This report documents the Lockheed-Georgia Company accomplishments in designing and fabricating a leading-edge flight test article incorporating boundary layer suction slots to be flown by NASA on their modified JetStar aircraft. Lockheed-Georgia Company performed as the integration contractor to design the JetStar aircraft modification to accept both a Lockheed and a McDonnell Douglas flight test article. McDonnell Douglas uses a porous skin concept. The report describes aerodynamic analyses, fabrication techniques, JetStar modifications, instrumentation requirements, and structural analyses and testing for the Lockheed test article. NASA will flight test the two LFC leading-edge test articles in a simulated commercial environment over a 6 to 8 month period in 1984. The objective of the flight test program is to evaluate the effectiveness of LFC leading-edge systems in reducing skin friction drag and consequently improving fuel efficiency.

The Space Industry

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

Bölkow-Blohm, Construcciones Aeronauticas Sociedad Aónima, and Aeronautica Industrial SA. This merger was significant because it crossed a number of...large firms. As the larger U.S. space firms move toward a lead systems integrator construct , technological innovation migrates to lower tier

Modeling of BN Lifetime Prediction of a System Based on Integrated Multi-Level Information

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaohong; Wang, Lizhi

2017-01-01

Predicting system lifetime is important to ensure safe and reliable operation of products, which requires integrated modeling based on multi-level, multi-sensor information. However, lifetime characteristics of equipment in a system are different and failure mechanisms are inter-coupled, which leads to complex logical correlations and the lack of a uniform lifetime measure. Based on a Bayesian network (BN), a lifetime prediction method for systems that combine multi-level sensor information is proposed. The method considers the correlation between accidental failures and degradation failure mechanisms, and achieves system modeling and lifetime prediction under complex logic correlations. This method is applied in the lifetime prediction of a multi-level solar-powered unmanned system, and the predicted results can provide guidance for the improvement of system reliability and for the maintenance and protection of the system. PMID:28926930

Modeling of BN Lifetime Prediction of a System Based on Integrated Multi-Level Information.

PubMed

Wang, Jingbin; Wang, Xiaohong; Wang, Lizhi

2017-09-15

Predicting system lifetime is important to ensure safe and reliable operation of products, which requires integrated modeling based on multi-level, multi-sensor information. However, lifetime characteristics of equipment in a system are different and failure mechanisms are inter-coupled, which leads to complex logical correlations and the lack of a uniform lifetime measure. Based on a Bayesian network (BN), a lifetime prediction method for systems that combine multi-level sensor information is proposed. The method considers the correlation between accidental failures and degradation failure mechanisms, and achieves system modeling and lifetime prediction under complex logic correlations. This method is applied in the lifetime prediction of a multi-level solar-powered unmanned system, and the predicted results can provide guidance for the improvement of system reliability and for the maintenance and protection of the system.

A dedicated database system for handling multi-level data in systems biology.

PubMed

Pornputtapong, Natapol; Wanichthanarak, Kwanjeera; Nilsson, Avlant; Nookaew, Intawat; Nielsen, Jens

2014-01-01

Advances in high-throughput technologies have enabled extensive generation of multi-level omics data. These data are crucial for systems biology research, though they are complex, heterogeneous, highly dynamic, incomplete and distributed among public databases. This leads to difficulties in data accessibility and often results in errors when data are merged and integrated from varied resources. Therefore, integration and management of systems biological data remain very challenging. To overcome this, we designed and developed a dedicated database system that can serve and solve the vital issues in data management and hereby facilitate data integration, modeling and analysis in systems biology within a sole database. In addition, a yeast data repository was implemented as an integrated database environment which is operated by the database system. Two applications were implemented to demonstrate extensibility and utilization of the system. Both illustrate how the user can access the database via the web query function and implemented scripts. These scripts are specific for two sample cases: 1) Detecting the pheromone pathway in protein interaction networks; and 2) Finding metabolic reactions regulated by Snf1 kinase. In this study we present the design of database system which offers an extensible environment to efficiently capture the majority of biological entities and relations encountered in systems biology. Critical functions and control processes were designed and implemented to ensure consistent, efficient, secure and reliable transactions. The two sample cases on the yeast integrated data clearly demonstrate the value of a sole database environment for systems biology research.

Integration of myocardial scar identified by preoperative delayed contrast-enhanced MRI into a high-resolution mapping system for planning and guidance of VT ablation procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rettmann, M. E.; Suzuki, A.; Wang, S.; Pottinger, N.; Arter, J.; Netzer, A.; Parker, K.; Viker, K.; Packer, D. L.

2017-03-01

Myocardial scarring creates a substrate for reentrant circuits which can lead to ventricular tachycardia. In ventricular catheter ablation therapy, regions of myocardial scarring are targeted to interrupt arrhythmic electrical pathways. Low voltage regions are a surrogate for myocardial scar and are identified by generating an electro anatomic map at the start of the procedure. Recent efforts have focussed on integration of preoperative scar information generated from delayed contrast-enhanced MR imaging to augment intraprocedural information. In this work, we describe an initial feasibility study of integration of a preoperative MRI derived scar maps into a high-resolution mapping system to improve planning and guidance of VT ablation procedures.

DyNAMiC Workbench: an integrated development environment for dynamic DNA nanotechnology

PubMed Central

Grun, Casey; Werfel, Justin; Zhang, David Yu; Yin, Peng

2015-01-01

Dynamic DNA nanotechnology provides a promising avenue for implementing sophisticated assembly processes, mechanical behaviours, sensing and computation at the nanoscale. However, design of these systems is complex and error-prone, because the need to control the kinetic pathway of a system greatly increases the number of design constraints and possible failure modes for the system. Previous tools have automated some parts of the design workflow, but an integrated solution is lacking. Here, we present software implementing a three ‘tier’ design process: a high-level visual programming language is used to describe systems, a molecular compiler builds a DNA implementation and nucleotide sequences are generated and optimized. Additionally, our software includes tools for analysing and ‘debugging’ the designs in silico, and for importing/exporting designs to other commonly used software systems. The software we present is built on many existing pieces of software, but is integrated into a single package—accessible using a Web-based interface at http://molecular-systems.net/workbench. We hope that the deep integration between tools and the flexibility of this design process will lead to better experimental results, fewer experimental design iterations and the development of more complex DNA nanosystems. PMID:26423437

Integrating Solar PV in Utility System Operations: Analytical Framework and Arizona Case Study

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

Wu, Jing; Botterud, Audun; Mills, Andrew

2015-06-01

A systematic framework is proposed to estimate the impact on operating costs due to uncertainty and variability in renewable resources. The framework quantifies the integration costs associated with subhourly variability and uncertainty as well as day-ahead forecasting errors in solar PV (photovoltaics) power. A case study illustrates how changes in system operations may affect these costs for a utility in the southwestern United States (Arizona Public Service Company). We conduct an extensive sensitivity analysis under different assumptions about balancing reserves, system flexibility, fuel prices, and forecasting errors. We find that high solar PV penetrations may lead to operational challenges, particularlymore » during low-load and high solar periods. Increased system flexibility is essential for minimizing integration costs and maintaining reliability. In a set of sensitivity cases where such flexibility is provided, in part, by flexible operations of nuclear power plants, the estimated integration costs vary between $1.0 and $4.4/MWh-PV for a PV penetration level of 17%. The integration costs are primarily due to higher needs for hour-ahead balancing reserves to address the increased sub-hourly variability and uncertainty in the PV resource. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.« less

75 FR 77017 - Nextera Energy Seabrook, LLC Seabrook Station Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Exemption

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-10

... April 2011. The NUHOMS[supreg] HD-32PTH system is designed to passively remove decay heat to assure integrity of the concrete HSM and fuel cladding, and the thermal monitoring requirements for the system are... to prevent conditions that could lead to exceeding the concrete and fuel cladding temperature...

HL7 and DICOM based integration of radiology departments with healthcare enterprise information systems.

PubMed

Blazona, Bojan; Koncar, Miroslav

2007-12-01

Integration based on open standards, in order to achieve communication and information interoperability, is one of the key aspects of modern health care information systems. However, this requirement represents one of the major challenges for the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions, as systems today use diverse technologies, proprietary protocols and communication standards which are often not interoperable. One of the main producers of clinical information in healthcare settings represent Radiology Information Systems (RIS) that communicate using widely adopted DICOM (Digital Imaging and COmmunications in Medicine) standard, but in very few cases can efficiently integrate information of interest with other systems. In this context we identified HL7 standard as the world's leading medical ICT standard that is envisioned to provide the umbrella for medical data semantic interoperability, which amongst other things represents the cornerstone for the Croatia's National Integrated Healthcare Information System (IHCIS). The aim was to explore the ability to integrate and exchange RIS originated data with Hospital Information Systems based on HL7's CDA (Clinical Document Architecture) standard. We explored the ability of HL7 CDA specifications and methodology to address the need of RIS integration HL7 based healthcare information systems. We introduced the use of WADO service interconnection to IHCIS and finally CDA rendering in widely used Internet explorers. The outcome of our pilot work proves our original assumption of HL7 standard being able to adopt radiology data into the integrated healthcare systems. Uniform DICOM to CDA translation scripts and business processes within IHCIS is desired and cost effective regarding to use of supporting IHCIS services aligned to SOA.

A MoTe2-based light-emitting diode and photodetector for silicon photonic integrated circuits.

PubMed

Bie, Ya-Qing; Grosso, Gabriele; Heuck, Mikkel; Furchi, Marco M; Cao, Yuan; Zheng, Jiabao; Bunandar, Darius; Navarro-Moratalla, Efren; Zhou, Lin; Efetov, Dmitri K; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Kong, Jing; Englund, Dirk; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo

2017-12-01

One of the current challenges in photonics is developing high-speed, power-efficient, chip-integrated optical communications devices to address the interconnects bottleneck in high-speed computing systems. Silicon photonics has emerged as a leading architecture, in part because of the promise that many components, such as waveguides, couplers, interferometers and modulators, could be directly integrated on silicon-based processors. However, light sources and photodetectors present ongoing challenges. Common approaches for light sources include one or few off-chip or wafer-bonded lasers based on III-V materials, but recent system architecture studies show advantages for the use of many directly modulated light sources positioned at the transmitter location. The most advanced photodetectors in the silicon photonic process are based on germanium, but this requires additional germanium growth, which increases the system cost. The emerging two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer a path for optical interconnect components that can be integrated with silicon photonics and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors (CMOS) processing by back-end-of-the-line steps. Here, we demonstrate a silicon waveguide-integrated light source and photodetector based on a p-n junction of bilayer MoTe 2 , a TMD semiconductor with an infrared bandgap. This state-of-the-art fabrication technology provides new opportunities for integrated optoelectronic systems.

A MoTe2-based light-emitting diode and photodetector for silicon photonic integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bie, Ya-Qing; Grosso, Gabriele; Heuck, Mikkel; Furchi, Marco M.; Cao, Yuan; Zheng, Jiabao; Bunandar, Darius; Navarro-Moratalla, Efren; Zhou, Lin; Efetov, Dmitri K.; Taniguchi, Takashi; Watanabe, Kenji; Kong, Jing; Englund, Dirk; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo

2017-12-01

One of the current challenges in photonics is developing high-speed, power-efficient, chip-integrated optical communications devices to address the interconnects bottleneck in high-speed computing systems. Silicon photonics has emerged as a leading architecture, in part because of the promise that many components, such as waveguides, couplers, interferometers and modulators, could be directly integrated on silicon-based processors. However, light sources and photodetectors present ongoing challenges. Common approaches for light sources include one or few off-chip or wafer-bonded lasers based on III-V materials, but recent system architecture studies show advantages for the use of many directly modulated light sources positioned at the transmitter location. The most advanced photodetectors in the silicon photonic process are based on germanium, but this requires additional germanium growth, which increases the system cost. The emerging two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer a path for optical interconnect components that can be integrated with silicon photonics and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors (CMOS) processing by back-end-of-the-line steps. Here, we demonstrate a silicon waveguide-integrated light source and photodetector based on a p-n junction of bilayer MoTe2, a TMD semiconductor with an infrared bandgap. This state-of-the-art fabrication technology provides new opportunities for integrated optoelectronic systems.

An exploratory study of temporal integration in the peripheral retina of myopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macedo, Antonio F.; Encarnação, Tito J.; Vilarinho, Daniel; Baptista, António M. G.

2017-08-01

The visual system takes time to respond to visual stimuli, neurons need to accumulate information over a time span in order to fire. Visual information perceived by the peripheral retina might be impaired by imperfect peripheral optics leading to myopia development. This study explored the effect of eccentricity, moderate myopia and peripheral refraction in temporal visual integration. Myopes and emmetropes showed similar performance at detecting briefly flashed stimuli in different retinal locations. Our results show evidence that moderate myopes have normal visual integration when refractive errors are corrected with contact lens; however, the tendency to increased temporal integration thresholds observed in myopes deserves further investigation.

Painlevé equations, elliptic integrals and elementary functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Żołądek, Henryk; Filipuk, Galina

2015-02-01

The six Painlevé equations can be written in the Hamiltonian form, with time dependent Hamilton functions. We present a rather new approach to this result, leading to rational Hamilton functions. By a natural extension of the phase space one gets corresponding autonomous Hamiltonian systems with two degrees of freedom. We realize the Bäcklund transformations of the Painlevé equations as symplectic birational transformations in C4 and we interpret the cases with classical solutions as the cases of partial integrability of the extended Hamiltonian systems. We prove that the extended Hamiltonian systems do not have any additional algebraic first integral besides the known special cases of the third and fifth Painlevé equations. We also show that the original Painlevé equations admit the first integrals expressed in terms of the elementary functions only in the special cases mentioned above. In the proofs we use equations in variations with respect to a parameter and Liouville's theory of elementary functions.

NREL Spectrum of Clean Energy Innovation (Brochure)

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

Not Available

2011-09-01

This brochure describes the NREL Spectrum of Clean Energy Innovation, which includes analysis and decision support, fundamental science, market relevant research, systems integration, testing and validation, commercialization and deployment. Through deep technical expertise and an unmatched breadth of capabilities, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) leads an integrated approach across the spectrum of renewable energy innovation. From scientific discovery to accelerating market deployment, NREL works in partnership with private industry to drive the transformation of our nation's energy systems. NREL integrates the entire spectrum of innovation, including fundamental science, market relevant research, systems integration, testing and validation, commercialization, and deployment.more » Our world-class analysis and decision support informs every point on the spectrum. The innovation process at NREL is inter-dependent and iterative. Many scientific breakthroughs begin in our own laboratories, but new ideas and technologies may come to NREL at any point along the innovation spectrum to be validated and refined for commercial use.« less

Mars integrated transportation system multistage Mars mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

In accordance with the objective of the Mars Integrated Transport System (MITS) program, the Multistage Mars Mission (MSMM) design team developed a profile for a manned mission to Mars. The purpose of the multistage mission is to send a crew of five astronauts to the martian surface by the year 2019. The mission continues man's eternal quest for exploration of new frontiers. This mission has a scheduled duration of 426 days that includes experimentation en route as well as surface exploration and experimentation. The MSMM is also designed as a foundation for a continuing program leading to the colonization of the planet Mars.

Nuclear technology and the space exploration missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandhorst, Henry W.; Sovie, Ronald J.

1990-01-01

The strategy for a major exploration initiative leading to permanent human presence beyond earth orbit is still being developed; however enough is known to begin defining the role of nuclear technologies. Three broad areas are discussed: low power (less than 10 kWe) rover/vehicle power systems; integrated, evolutionary base power systems (25 to 100 kW) and nuclear energy for electric propulsion (2 to 100 MWe); and direct thermal propulsion (1000s MW). A phased, evolutionary approach is described for both the moon and Mars, and the benefits of nuclear technologies relative to solar and their integration are described.

Modeling and control of a brushless DC axial flow ventricular assist device.

PubMed

Giridharan, Guruprasad A; Skliar, Mikhail; Olsen, Donald B; Pantalos, George M

2002-01-01

This article presents an integrated model of the human circulatory system that incorporates circulatory support by a brushless DC axial flow ventricular assist device (VAD), and a feedback VAD controller designed to maintain physiologically sufficient perfusion. The developed integrated model combines a network type model of the circulatory system with a nonlinear dynamic model of the brushless DC pump We show that maintaining a reference differential pressure between the left ventricle and aorta leads to adequate perfusion for different pathologic cases, ranging from normal heart to left heart asystole, and widely varying physical activity scenarios from rest to exercise.

Efficiency Analysis of Integrated Public Hospital Networks in Outpatient Internal Medicine.

PubMed

Ortíz-Barrios, Miguel Angel; Escorcia-Caballero, Juan P; Sánchez-Sánchez, Fabián; De Felice, Fabio; Petrillo, Antonella

2017-09-07

Healthcare systems are evolving towards a complex network of interconnected services due to the increasing costs and the increasing expectations for high service levels. It is evidenced in the literature the importance of implementing management techniques and sophisticated methods to improve the efficiency of healthcare systems, especially in emerging economies. This paper proposes an integrated collaboration model between two public hospitals to reach the reduction of weighted average lead time in outpatient internal medicine department. A strategic framework based on value stream mapping and collaborative practices has been developed in real case study settled in Colombia.

Discontinuous categories affect information-integration but not rule-based category learning.

PubMed

Maddox, W Todd; Filoteo, J Vincent; Lauritzen, J Scott; Connally, Emily; Hejl, Kelli D

2005-07-01

Three experiments were conducted that provide a direct examination of within-category discontinuity manipulations on the implicit, procedural-based learning and the explicit, hypothesis-testing systems proposed in F. G. Ashby, L. A. Alfonso-Reese, A. U. Turken, and E. M. Waldron's (1998) competition between verbal and implicit systems model. Discontinuous categories adversely affected information-integration but not rule-based category learning. Increasing the magnitude of the discontinuity did not lead to a significant decline in performance. The distance to the bound provides a reasonable description of the generalization profile associated with the hypothesis-testing system, whereas the distance to the bound plus the distance to the trained response region provides a reasonable description of the generalization profile associated with the procedural-based learning system. These results suggest that within-category discontinuity differentially impacts information-integration but not rule-based category learning and provides information regarding the detailed processing characteristics of each category learning system. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

Critical interactions between the Global Fund-supported HIV programs and the health system in Ghana.

PubMed

Atun, Rifat; Pothapregada, Sai Kumar; Kwansah, Janet; Degbotse, D; Lazarus, Jeffrey V

2011-08-01

The support of global health initiatives in recipient countries has been vigorously debated. Critics are concerned that disease-specific programs may be creating vertical and parallel service delivery structures that to some extent undermine health systems. This case study of Ghana aimed to explore how the Global Fund-supported HIV program interacts with the health system there and to map the extent and nature of integration of the national disease program across 6 key health systems functions. Qualitative interviews of national stakeholders were conducted to understand the perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the relationship between Global Fund-supported activities and the health system and to identify positive synergies and unintended consequences of integration. Ghana has a well-functioning sector-wide approach to financing its health system, with a strong emphasis on integrated care delivery. Ghana has benefited from US $175 million of approved Global Fund support to address the HIV epidemic, accounting for almost 85% of the National AIDS Control Program budget. Investments in infrastructure, human resources, and commodities have enabled HIV interventions to increase exponentially. Global Fund-supported activities have been well integrated into key health system functions to strengthen them, especially financing, planning, service delivery, and demand generation. Yet, with governance and monitoring and evaluation functions, parallel structures to national systems have emerged, leading to inefficiencies. This case study demonstrates that interactions and integration are highly varied across different health system functions, and strong government leadership has facilitated the integration of Global Fund-supported activities within national programs.

Costs of Physician-Hospital Integration

PubMed Central

Cho, Na-Eun

2015-01-01

Abstract Given that the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is expected to generate forces toward physician-hospital integration, this study examined an understudied, albeit important, area of costs incurred in physician-hospital integration. Such costs were analyzed through 24 semi-structured interviews with physicians and hospital administrators in a multiple-case, inductive study. Two extreme types of physician-hospital arrangements were examined: an employed model (ie, integrated salary model, a group of physicians integrated by a hospital system) and a private practice (ie, a physician or group of physicians who are independent of economic or policy control). Interviews noted that integration leads to 3 evident costs, namely, monitoring, coordination, and cooperation costs. Improving our understanding of the kinds of costs that are incurred after physician-hospital integration will help hospitals and physicians to avoid common failures after integration. PMID:26496300

Integration Process for the Habitat Demonstration Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2010-01-01

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

NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory lands at Edwards AFB after being flown from Waco, Texas to NASA Dryden for systems installation, integration and flight test

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-31

NASA's SOFIA airborne observatory lands at Edwards AFB after being flown from Waco, Texas to NASA Dryden for systems installation, integration and flight test. NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. on May 31, 2007. The heavily modified Boeing 747SP was ferried to Dryden from Waco, Texas, where L-3 Communications Integrated Systems installed a German-built 2.5-meter infrared telescope and made other major modifications over the past several years. SOFIA is scheduled to undergo installation and integration of mission systems and a multi-phase flight test program at Dryden over the next three years that is expected to lead to a full operational capability to conduct astronomy missions in about 2010. During its expected 20-year lifetime, SOFIA will be capable of "Great Observatory" class astronomical science, providing astronomers with access to the visible, infrared and sub-millimeter spectrum with optimized performance in the mid-infrared to sub-millimeter range.

Stretching Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Bob, Sr.

2002-01-01

Discusses factors leading to the current problem of poorly maintained schools, such as budget and labor cuts and misdirected purchasing policies. Provides an overview of some solutions, such as innovations in cleaning supplies and equipment, and having an integrated system to clean the school district. (EV)

An aspect-oriented approach for designing safety-critical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrov, Z.; Zaykov, P. G.; Cardoso, J. P.; Coutinho, J. G. F.; Diniz, P. C.; Luk, W.

The development of avionics systems is typically a tedious and cumbersome process. In addition to the required functions, developers must consider various and often conflicting non-functional requirements such as safety, performance, and energy efficiency. Certainly, an integrated approach with a seamless design flow that is capable of requirements modelling and supporting refinement down to an actual implementation in a traceable way, may lead to a significant acceleration of development cycles. This paper presents an aspect-oriented approach supported by a tool chain that deals with functional and non-functional requirements in an integrated manner. It also discusses how the approach can be applied to development of safety-critical systems and provides experimental results.

Ambient ionization and miniature mass spectrometry system for chemical and biological analysis

PubMed Central

Ma, Xiaoxiao; Ouyang, Zheng

2016-01-01

Ambien ionization and miniaturization of mass spectrometers are two fields in mass spectrometry that have advanced significantly in the last decade. The integration of the techniques developed in these two fields is leading to the development of complete miniature analytical systems that can be used for on-site or point-of-care analysis by non-expert users. In this review, we report the current status of development in ambient ionization and miniature mass spectrometers, with an emphasis on those techniques with potential impact on the point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. The challenges in the future development of the integrated systems are discussed with possible solutions presented. PMID:28042191

Top-mounted inlet system feasibility for transonic-supersonic fighter aircraft. [V/STOL aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, T. L.; Hunt, B. L.; Smeltzer, D. B.; Nelms, W. P.

1981-01-01

The more salient findings are presented of recent top inlet performance evaluations aimed at assessing the feasibility of top-mounted inlet systems for transonic-supersonic fighter aircraft applications. Top inlet flow field and engine-inlet performance test data show the influence of key aircraft configuration variables-inlet longitudinal position, wing leading-edge extension planform area, canopy-dorsal integration, and variable incidence canards-on top inlet performance over the Mach range of 0.6 to 2.0. Top inlet performance data are compared with those or more conventional inlet/airframe integrations in an effort to assess the viability of top-mounted inlet systems relative to conventional inlet installations.

Forecasting Wind and Solar Generation: Improving System Operations, Greening the Grid (Spanish Version)

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

Tian, Tian; Chernyakhovskiy, Ilya; Brancucci Martinez-Anido, Carlo

This document is the Spanish version of 'Greening the Grid- Forecasting Wind and Solar Generation Improving System Operations'. It discusses improving system operations with forecasting with and solar generation. By integrating variable renewable energy (VRE) forecasts into system operations, power system operators can anticipate up- and down-ramps in VRE generation in order to cost-effectively balance load and generation in intra-day and day-ahead scheduling. This leads to reduced fuel costs, improved system reliability, and maximum use of renewable resources.

DYNAMIC STABILITY OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM: STATISTICALLY INCONCLUSIVE RESULTS FROM ENSEMBLE INTEGRATIONS

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

Zeebe, Richard E., E-mail: zeebe@soest.hawaii.edu

Due to the chaotic nature of the solar system, the question of its long-term stability can only be answered in a statistical sense, for instance, based on numerical ensemble integrations of nearby orbits. Destabilization of the inner planets, leading to close encounters and/or collisions can be initiated through a large increase in Mercury's eccentricity, with a currently assumed likelihood of ∼1%. However, little is known at present about the robustness of this number. Here I report ensemble integrations of the full equations of motion of the eight planets and Pluto over 5 Gyr, including contributions from general relativity. The resultsmore » show that different numerical algorithms lead to statistically different results for the evolution of Mercury's eccentricity (e{sub M}). For instance, starting at present initial conditions (e{sub M}≃0.21), Mercury's maximum eccentricity achieved over 5 Gyr is, on average, significantly higher in symplectic ensemble integrations using heliocentric rather than Jacobi coordinates and stricter error control. In contrast, starting at a possible future configuration (e{sub M}≃0.53), Mercury's maximum eccentricity achieved over the subsequent 500 Myr is, on average, significantly lower using heliocentric rather than Jacobi coordinates. For example, the probability for e{sub M} to increase beyond 0.53 over 500 Myr is >90% (Jacobi) versus only 40%-55% (heliocentric). This poses a dilemma because the physical evolution of the real system—and its probabilistic behavior—cannot depend on the coordinate system or the numerical algorithm chosen to describe it. Some tests of the numerical algorithms suggest that symplectic integrators using heliocentric coordinates underestimate the odds for destabilization of Mercury's orbit at high initial e{sub M}.« less

Finite-time consensus for controlled dynamical systems in network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zoghlami, Naim; Mlayeh, Rhouma; Beji, Lotfi; Abichou, Azgal

2018-04-01

The key challenges in networked dynamical systems are the component heterogeneities, nonlinearities, and the high dimension of the formulated vector of state variables. In this paper, the emphasise is put on two classes of systems in network include most controlled driftless systems as well as systems with drift. For each model structure that defines homogeneous and heterogeneous multi-system behaviour, we derive protocols leading to finite-time consensus. For each model evolving in networks forming a homogeneous or heterogeneous multi-system, protocols integrating sufficient conditions are derived leading to finite-time consensus. Likewise, for the networking topology, we make use of fixed directed and undirected graphs. To prove our approaches, finite-time stability theory and Lyapunov methods are considered. As illustrative examples, the homogeneous multi-unicycle kinematics and the homogeneous/heterogeneous multi-second order dynamics in networks are studied.

The emerging genomics and systems biology research lead to systems genomics studies.

PubMed

Yang, Mary Qu; Yoshigoe, Kenji; Yang, William; Tong, Weida; Qin, Xiang; Dunker, A; Chen, Zhongxue; Arbania, Hamid R; Liu, Jun S; Niemierko, Andrzej; Yang, Jack Y

2014-01-01

Synergistically integrating multi-layer genomic data at systems level not only can lead to deeper insights into the molecular mechanisms related to disease initiation and progression, but also can guide pathway-based biomarker and drug target identification. With the advent of high-throughput next-generation sequencing technologies, sequencing both DNA and RNA has generated multi-layer genomic data that can provide DNA polymorphism, non-coding RNA, messenger RNA, gene expression, isoform and alternative splicing information. Systems biology on the other hand studies complex biological systems, particularly systematic study of complex molecular interactions within specific cells or organisms. Genomics and molecular systems biology can be merged into the study of genomic profiles and implicated biological functions at cellular or organism level. The prospectively emerging field can be referred to as systems genomics or genomic systems biology. The Mid-South Bioinformatics Centre (MBC) and Joint Bioinformatics Ph.D. Program of University of Arkansas at Little Rock and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences are particularly interested in promoting education and research advancement in this prospectively emerging field. Based on past investigations and research outcomes, MBC is further utilizing differential gene and isoform/exon expression from RNA-seq and co-regulation from the ChiP-seq specific for different phenotypes in combination with protein-protein interactions, and protein-DNA interactions to construct high-level gene networks for an integrative genome-phoneme investigation at systems biology level.

Stability and control flight test results of the space transportation system's orbiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culp, M. A.; Cooke, D. R.

1982-01-01

Flight testing of the Space Shuttle Orbiter is in progress and current results of the post-flight aerodynamic analyses are discussed. The purpose of these analyses is to reduce the pre-flight aerodynamic uncertainties, thereby leading to operational certification of the Orbiter flight envelope relative to the integrated airframe and flight control system. Primary data reduction is accomplished with a well documented maximum likelihood system identification techniques.

Joint Service Chemical and Biological Defense Program. FY00-02 Overview

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-09-01

Development. Contractors: 12 BI DS Biological Integrated Detection System (BIDS) Lead Service Bio Road HERCULES, CA Bruker Analytical Systems BILLERICA, MA...Dynamics Land Systems Division DETROIT, MI Henschel Wehrtechnik GERMANY Bruker -Franzen GERMANY Block II – TBD Milestones Block I MS III (2QFY94) Block...ground. Accessories include hoses and hose reels, two trigger-controlled spray wands , and two electrical-powered scrub brush assemblies. The M22

A hospital microwave system for library telecommunication.

PubMed Central

Hempel, R M; Ward, B A

1988-01-01

The medical library of the Olin E. Teague Veterans' Center needed access to an online integrated library system at a site eighty miles away. The center already operated a tower-to-tower microwave for teleconferencing and the library was able to use this as a temporary means of communication with the distant online system. The microwave link performed satisfactorily, leading to consideration of its use for other library applications. PMID:3224225

Measurement-Based Investigation of Inter- and Intra-Area Effects of Wind Power Plant Integration

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

Allen, Alicia J.; Singh, Mohit; Muljadi, Eduard

This paper has a two pronged objective: the first objective is to analyze the general effects of wind power plant (WPP) integration and the resulting displacement of conventional power plant (CPP) inertia on power system stability and the second is to demonstrate the efficacy of PMU data in power system stability analyses, specifically when knowledge of the network is incomplete. Traditionally modal analysis applies small signal stability analysis based on Eigenvalues and the assumption of complete knowledge of the network and all of its components. The analysis presented here differs because it is a measurement-based investigation and employs simulated measurementmore » data. Even if knowledge of the network were incomplete, this methodology would allow for monitoring and analysis of modes. This allows non-utility entities and study of power system stability. To generate inter- and intra-area modes, Kundur's well-known two-area four-generator system is modeled in PSCAD/EMTDC. A doubly-fed induction generator based WPP model, based on the Western Electricity Coordination Council (WECC) standard model, is included to analyze the effects of wind power on system modes. The two-area system and WPP are connected in various configurations with respect to WPP placement, CPP inertia and WPP penetration level. Analysis is performed on the data generated by the simulations. For each simulation run, a different configuration is chosen and a large disturbance is applied. The sampling frequency is set to resemble the sampling frequency at which data is available from phasor measurement units (PMUs). The estimate of power spectral density of these signals is made using the Yule-Walker algorithm. The resulting analysis shows that the presence of a WPP does not, of itself, lead to the introduction of new modes. The analysis also shows however that displacement of inertia may lead to introduction of new modes. The effects of location of inertia displacement (i.e. the effects on modes if WPP integration leads to displacement of inertia in its own region or in another region) and of WPP controls such as droop control and synthetic inertia are also examined. In future work, the methods presented here will be applied to real-world phasor data to examine the effects of integration of variable generation and displacement of CPP inertia on inter- and intra-area modes.« less

Lifelong learning as an instrument for human capital development in Benin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biao, Idowu

2015-10-01

A review of the Benin education system shows that it is still heavily school-based. Yet, a high level of wastage is currently being recorded at school level (about 50% success rate at primary level, about 40% success rate at high school level and about 1% enrolment rate of qualified candidates and success rate at tertiary level), leading to the unintentional creation of a large population of unskilled and unproductive youths and adults. Integrated education systems which hold great potential and opportunities for both initial and continuing education remain hardly explored and virtually untapped. Yet, the challenges of the 21st century are such that only the unveiling and continuous cultivation of multi-faceted human capital can help individual citizens lead both a productive and fulfilled life. Formal education alone or non-formal education alone, irrespective of how well each is delivered, is no longer sufficient in facing up to the multifarious challenges of the 21st century. If education is to serve Benin beneficially in this century, the current national system of education must be reoriented to free up citizens' human capital through the implementation of an integrated educational system. This article proposes a new national education system which is rooted in the concept of lifelong learning and combines formal and non-formal systems of education for Benin.

SEMS: System for Environmental Monitoring and Sustainability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvidson, Raymond E.

1998-01-01

The goal of this project was to establish a computational and data management system, SEMS, building on our existing system and MTPE-related research. We proposed that the new system would help support Washington University's efforts in environmental sustainability through use in: (a) Problem-based environmental curriculum for freshmen and sophomores funded by the Hewlett Foundation that integrates scientific, cultural, and policy perspectives to understand the dynamics of wetland degradation, deforestation, and desertification and that will develop policies for sustainable environments and economies; (b) Higher-level undergraduate and graduate courses focused on monitoring the environment and developing policies that will lead to sustainable environmental and economic conditions; and (c) Interdisciplinary research focused on the dynamics of the Missouri River system and development of policies that lead to sustainable environmental and economic floodplain conditions.

ABLE project: Development of an advanced lead-acid storage system for autonomous PV installations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemaire-Potteau, Elisabeth; Vallvé, Xavier; Pavlov, Detchko; Papazov, G.; Borg, Nico Van der; Sarrau, Jean-François

In the advanced battery for low-cost renewable energy (ABLE) project, the partners have developed an advanced storage system for small and medium-size PV systems. It is composed of an innovative valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery, optimised for reliability and manufacturing cost, and an integrated regulator, for optimal battery management and anti-fraudulent use. The ABLE battery performances are comparable to flooded tubular batteries, which are the reference in medium-size PV systems. The ABLE regulator has several innovative features regarding energy management and modular series/parallel association. The storage system has been validated by indoor, outdoor and field tests, and it is expected that this concept could be a major improvement for large-scale implementation of PV within the framework of national rural electrification schemes.

Multi-symplectic integrators: numerical schemes for Hamiltonian PDEs that conserve symplecticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bridges, Thomas J.; Reich, Sebastian

2001-06-01

The symplectic numerical integration of finite-dimensional Hamiltonian systems is a well established subject and has led to a deeper understanding of existing methods as well as to the development of new very efficient and accurate schemes, e.g., for rigid body, constrained, and molecular dynamics. The numerical integration of infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian systems or Hamiltonian PDEs is much less explored. In this Letter, we suggest a new theoretical framework for generalizing symplectic numerical integrators for ODEs to Hamiltonian PDEs in R2: time plus one space dimension. The central idea is that symplecticity for Hamiltonian PDEs is directional: the symplectic structure of the PDE is decomposed into distinct components representing space and time independently. In this setting PDE integrators can be constructed by concatenating uni-directional ODE symplectic integrators. This suggests a natural definition of multi-symplectic integrator as a discretization that conserves a discrete version of the conservation of symplecticity for Hamiltonian PDEs. We show that this approach leads to a general framework for geometric numerical schemes for Hamiltonian PDEs, which have remarkable energy and momentum conservation properties. Generalizations, including development of higher-order methods, application to the Euler equations in fluid mechanics, application to perturbed systems, and extension to more than one space dimension are also discussed.

Poisson structure of dynamical systems with three degrees of freedom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gümral, Hasan; Nutku, Yavuz

1993-12-01

It is shown that the Poisson structure of dynamical systems with three degrees of freedom can be defined in terms of an integrable one-form in three dimensions. Advantage is taken of this fact and the theory of foliations is used in discussing the geometrical structure underlying complete and partial integrability. Techniques for finding Poisson structures are presented and applied to various examples such as the Halphen system which has been studied as the two-monopole problem by Atiyah and Hitchin. It is shown that the Halphen system can be formulated in terms of a flat SL(2,R)-valued connection and belongs to a nontrivial Godbillon-Vey class. On the other hand, for the Euler top and a special case of three-species Lotka-Volterra equations which are contained in the Halphen system as limiting cases, this structure degenerates into the form of globally integrable bi-Hamiltonian structures. The globally integrable bi-Hamiltonian case is a linear and the SL(2,R) structure is a quadratic unfolding of an integrable one-form in 3+1 dimensions. It is shown that the existence of a vector field compatible with the flow is a powerful tool in the investigation of Poisson structure and some new techniques for incorporating arbitrary constants into the Poisson one-form are presented herein. This leads to some extensions, analogous to q extensions, of Poisson structure. The Kermack-McKendrick model and some of its generalizations describing the spread of epidemics, as well as the integrable cases of the Lorenz, Lotka-Volterra, May-Leonard, and Maxwell-Bloch systems admit globally integrable bi-Hamiltonian structure.

Polymer waveguide grating sensor integrated with a thin-film photodetector

PubMed Central

Song, Fuchuan; Xiao, Jing; Xie, Antonio Jou; Seo, Sang-Woo

2014-01-01

This paper presents a planar waveguide grating sensor integrated with a photodetector (PD) for on-chip optical sensing systems which are suitable for diagnostics in the field and in-situ measurements. III–V semiconductor-based thin-film PD is integrated with a polymer based waveguide grating device on a silicon platform. The fabricated optical sensor successfully discriminates optical spectral characteristics of the polymer waveguide grating from the on-chip PD. In addition, its potential use as a refractive index sensor is demonstrated. Based on a planar waveguide structure, the demonstrated sensor chip may incorporate multiple grating waveguide sensing regions with their own optical detection PDs. In addition, the demonstrated processing is based on a post-integration process which is compatible with silicon complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics. Potentially, this leads a compact, chip-scale optical sensing system which can monitor multiple physical parameters simultaneously without need for external signal processing. PMID:24466407

Lean Big Data integration in systems biology and systems pharmacology.

PubMed

Ma'ayan, Avi; Rouillard, Andrew D; Clark, Neil R; Wang, Zichen; Duan, Qiaonan; Kou, Yan

2014-09-01

Data sets from recent large-scale projects can be integrated into one unified puzzle that can provide new insights into how drugs and genetic perturbations applied to human cells are linked to whole-organism phenotypes. Data that report how drugs affect the phenotype of human cell lines and how drugs induce changes in gene and protein expression in human cell lines can be combined with knowledge about human disease, side effects induced by drugs, and mouse phenotypes. Such data integration efforts can be achieved through the conversion of data from the various resources into single-node-type networks, gene-set libraries, or multipartite graphs. This approach can lead us to the identification of more relationships between genes, drugs, and phenotypes as well as benchmark computational and experimental methods. Overall, this lean 'Big Data' integration strategy will bring us closer toward the goal of realizing personalized medicine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Si light-emitting device in integrated photonic CMOS ICs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Kaikai; Snyman, Lukas W.; Aharoni, Herzl

2017-07-01

The motivation for integrated Si optoelectronics is the creation of low-cost photonics for mass-market applications. Especially, the growing demand for sensitive biochemical sensors in the environmental control or medicine leads to the development of integrated high resolution sensors. Here CMOS-compatible Si light-emitting device structures are presented for investigating the effect of various depletion layer profiles and defect engineering on the photonic transition in the 1.4-2.8 eV. A novel Si device is proposed to realize both a two-terminal Si-diode light-emitting device and a three-terminal Si gate-controlled diode light-emitting device in the same device structure. In addition to the spectral analysis, differences between two-terminal and three-terminal devices are discussed, showing the light emission efficiency change. The proposed Si optical source may find potential applications in micro-photonic systems and micro-optoelectro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) in CMOS integrated circuitry.

Q-adjusting technique applied to vertical deflections estimation in a single-axis rotation INS/GPS integrated system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jing; Wang, Xingshu; Wang, Jun; Dai, Dongkai; Xiong, Hao

2016-10-01

Former studies have proved that the attitude error in a single-axis rotation INS/GPS integrated system tracks the high frequency component of the deflections of the vertical (DOV) with a fixed delay and tracking error. This paper analyses the influence of the nominal process noise covariance matrix Q on the tracking error as well as the response delay, and proposed a Q-adjusting technique to obtain the attitude error which can track the DOV better. Simulation results show that different settings of Q lead to different response delay and tracking error; there exists optimal Q which leads to a minimum tracking error and a comparatively short response delay; for systems with different accuracy, different Q-adjusting strategy should be adopted. In this way, the DOV estimation accuracy of using the attitude error as the observation can be improved. According to the simulation results, the DOV estimation accuracy after using the Q-adjusting technique is improved by approximate 23% and 33% respectively compared to that of the Earth Model EGM2008 and the direct attitude difference method.

Spike processing with a graphene excitable laser

PubMed Central

Shastri, Bhavin J.; Nahmias, Mitchell A.; Tait, Alexander N.; Rodriguez, Alejandro W.; Wu, Ben; Prucnal, Paul R.

2016-01-01

Novel materials and devices in photonics have the potential to revolutionize optical information processing, beyond conventional binary-logic approaches. Laser systems offer a rich repertoire of useful dynamical behaviors, including the excitable dynamics also found in the time-resolved “spiking” of neurons. Spiking reconciles the expressiveness and efficiency of analog processing with the robustness and scalability of digital processing. We demonstrate a unified platform for spike processing with a graphene-coupled laser system. We show that this platform can simultaneously exhibit logic-level restoration, cascadability and input-output isolation—fundamental challenges in optical information processing. We also implement low-level spike-processing tasks that are critical for higher level processing: temporal pattern detection and stable recurrent memory. We study these properties in the context of a fiber laser system and also propose and simulate an analogous integrated device. The addition of graphene leads to a number of advantages which stem from its unique properties, including high absorption and fast carrier relaxation. These could lead to significant speed and efficiency improvements in unconventional laser processing devices, and ongoing research on graphene microfabrication promises compatibility with integrated laser platforms. PMID:26753897

When Medicine Meets Engineering—Paradigm Shifts in Diagnostics and Therapeutics

PubMed Central

Wang, Hann; Silva, Aleidy; Ho, Chih-Ming

2013-01-01

During the last two decades, the manufacturing techniques of microfluidics-based devices have been phenomenally advanced, offering unlimited potential for bio-medical technologies. However, the direct applications of these technologies toward diagnostics and therapeutics are still far from maturity. The present challenges lay at the interfaces between the engineering systems and the biocomplex systems. A precisely designed engineering system with narrow dynamic range is hard to seamlessly integrate with the adaptive biological system in order to achieve the design goals. These differences remain as the roadblock between two fundamentally non-compatible systems. This paper will not extensively review the existing microfluidic sensors and actuators; rather, we will discuss the sources of the gaps for integration. We will also introduce system interface technologies for bridging the differences to lead toward paradigm shifts in diagnostics and therapeutics. PMID:26835672

The Research on Integrated Strategy of Supply Chain Information Systems in the Automobile Industry Based on Order-To-Delivery Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ming; Gan, Lianzhen; He, Xuefeng

The automotive industry there are different degrees of impairment of many companies supply chain IT strategy. In this paper, in which the automotive industry supply chain management business cooperation between enterprises loose, poor exchange of information leading to the presence or delays in product customization, supply of raw materials, material control, production planning and control, sales and service and a fast response propose a series of typical problems of scientific and rational supply chain information integration strategy. The strategy through the development system integration platform, improve internal ERP system, implementation of supply chain management and other methods. Put some protection principles in the information process, to ensure the correct implementation of supply chain IT strategy, and ultimately achieve collaborative business development concept and enhance the automotive industry as a whole level of information.

Production Experiences with the Cray-Enabled TORQUE Resource Manager

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

Ezell, Matthew A; Maxwell, Don E; Beer, David

High performance computing resources utilize batch systems to manage the user workload. Cray systems are uniquely different from typical clusters due to Cray s Application Level Placement Scheduler (ALPS). ALPS manages binary transfer, job launch and monitoring, and error handling. Batch systems require special support to integrate with ALPS using an XML protocol called BASIL. Previous versions of Adaptive Computing s TORQUE and Moab batch suite integrated with ALPS from within Moab, using PERL scripts to interface with BASIL. This would occasionally lead to problems when all the components would become unsynchronized. Version 4.1 of the TORQUE Resource Manager introducedmore » new features that allow it to directly integrate with ALPS using BASIL. This paper describes production experiences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory using the new TORQUE software versions, as well as ongoing and future work to improve TORQUE.« less

Atmospheric Aerosol Sampling with Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in Alaska: Instrument Development, Payload Integration, and Measurement Campaigns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barberie, S. R.; Saiet, E., II; Hatfield, M. C.; Cahill, C. F.

2014-12-01

Atmospheric aerosols remain one of biggest variables in understanding global climate. The number of feedback loops involved in aerosol processes lead to nonlinear behavior at the systems level, making confident modeling and prediction difficult. It is therefore important to ground-truth and supplement modeling efforts with rigorous empirical measurements. To this end, the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks has developed a new cascade DRUM-style impactor to be mounted aboard a variety of unmanned aircraft and work in tandem with an optical particle counter for the routine collection of atmospheric aerosols. These UAS-based aerosol samplers will be employed for measurement campaigns in traditionally hazardous conditions such as volcanic plumes and over forest fires. Here we report on the development and laboratory calibration of the new instrument, the integration with UAS, and the vertical profiling campaigns being undertaken.

Enabling Agile Testing through Continuous Integration

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

Stolberg, Sean E.

2009-08-24

A Continuous Integration system is often considered one of the key elements involved in supporting an agile software development and testing environment. As a traditional software tester transitioning to an agile development environment it became clear to me that I would need to put this essential infrastructure in place and promote improved development practices in order to make the transition to agile testing possible. This experience report discusses a continuous integration implementation I lead last year. The initial motivations for implementing continuous integration are discussed and a pre and post-assessment using Martin Fowler's "Practices of Continuous Integration" is provided alongmore » with the technical specifics of the implementation. Finally, I’ll wrap up with a retrospective of my experiences implementing and promoting continuous integration within the context of agile testing.« less

Design Science Methodology Applied to a Chemical Surveillance Tool

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

Huang, Zhuanyi; Han, Kyungsik; Charles-Smith, Lauren E.

Public health surveillance systems gain significant benefits from integrating existing early incident detection systems,supported by closed data sources, with open source data.However, identifying potential alerting incidents relies on finding accurate, reliable sources and presenting the high volume of data in a way that increases analysts work efficiency; a challenge for any system that leverages open source data. In this paper, we present the design concept and the applied design science research methodology of ChemVeillance, a chemical analyst surveillance system.Our work portrays a system design and approach that translates theoretical methodology into practice creating a powerful surveillance system built for specificmore » use cases.Researchers, designers, developers, and related professionals in the health surveillance community can build upon the principles and methodology described here to enhance and broaden current surveillance systems leading to improved situational awareness based on a robust integrated early warning system.« less

LFR "Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor"

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

Cinotti, L; Fazio, C; Knebel, J

2006-05-11

The main purpose of this paper is to present the current status of development of the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) in Generation IV (GEN IV), including the European contribution, to identify needed R&D and to present the corresponding GEN IV International Forum (GIF) R&D plan [1] to support the future development and deployment of lead-cooled fast reactors. The approach of the GIF plan is to consider the research priorities of each member country in proposing an integrated, coordinated R&D program to achieve common objectives, while avoiding duplication of effort. The integrated plan recognizes two principal technology tracks: (1) a small,more » transportable system of 10-100 MWe size that features a very long refuelling interval, and (2) a larger-sized system rated at about 600 MWe, intended for central station power generation. This paper provides some details of the important European contributions to the development of the LFR. Sixteen European organizations have, in fact, taken the initiative to present to the European Commission the proposal for a Specific Targeted Research and Training Project (STREP) devoted to the development of a European Lead-cooled System, known as the ELSY project; two additional organizations from the US and Korea have joined the project. Consequently, ELSY will constitute the reference system for the large lead-cooled reactor of GEN IV. The ELSY project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of designing a competitive and safe fast power reactor based on simple technical engineered features that achieves all of the GEN IV goals and gives assurance of investment protection. As far as new technology development is concerned, only a limited amount of R&D will be conducted in the initial phase of the ELSY project since the first priority is to define the design guidelines before launching a larger and expensive specific R&D program. In addition, the ELSY project is expected to benefit greatly from ongoing lead and lead-alloy technology development already being carried out in different institutes participating in this STREP. This is particularly true in Europe where a large R&D program associated with the development of Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) is being actively pursued. The general objective of the ELSY project is to design an innovative lead-cooled fast reactor complemented by an analytical effort to assess the existing knowledge base in the field of lead-alloy coolants (i.e., lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) and also lead/lithium) in order to extrapolate this knowledge base to pure lead. This analysis effort will be complemented with some limited R&D activities to acquire missing or confirmatory information about fundamental topics for ELSY that are not sufficiently covered in the ongoing European ADS program or elsewhere.« less

The Integration of Social-Ecological Resilience and Law

EPA Science Inventory

Growing recognition of the inherent uncertainty associated with the dynamics of ecological systems and their often non-linear and surprising behavior, however, presents a set of problems outside the scope of classic environmental law, and has lead to a fundamental understanding a...

Dexterity test data contribute to reduction in leaded glovebox gloves use

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

Cournoyer, Michael E; Lawton, Cindy M; Castro, Amanda M

2009-01-01

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (T A-55) involve working with various amounts of plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are prevented through the use of a variety of gloveboxes. Using an integrated approach, controls have been developed and implemented through an efficient Glovebox Glove Integrity Program. A key element of this program is to consider measures that lower the overall risk of glovebox operations. Line management who own glovebox processes through this program make decisions onmore » which type of glovebox gloves (hereafter referred to as gloves), the weakest component of this safety-significant system, would perform best in these aggressive environments. As Low as Reasonably Achievable considerations must be balanced with glove durability and worker dexterity, both of which affect the final overall risk of the operation. In the past, lead-loaded (leaded) gloves made from Hypalon(reg.) were the primary glove for programmatic operations at TA55. Replacing leaded gloves with unleaded gloves for certain operations would lower the overall risk as well as reduce the amount of mixed transuranic waste. This effort contributes to the Los Alamos National Laboratory Continuous Improvement Program by improving the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and formality of glovebox operations. In this report, the pros and cons of wearing leaded gloves, the effect of leaded gloves versus unleaded gloves on task performance using standard dexterity tests, the justification for switching from leaded to unleaded gloves, and the pollution prevention benefits of this dramatic change in the glovebox system are presented.« less

Dexterity tests data contribute to reduction in leaded glovebox gloves use

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

Cournoyer, Michael E; Lawton, Cindy M; Castro, Amanda M

2008-01-01

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Facility (TA-55) involve working with various amounts of plutonium and other highly toxic, alphaemitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces and airborne contamination and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are prevented through the use of a variety of gloveboxes. Through an integrated approach, controls have been developed and implemented through an efficient Glovebox Glove Integrity Program (GGJP). A key element of this program is to consider measures that lower the overall risk of glovebox operations. Line management owning glovebox processes through this program make decisions onmore » which type of glovebox gloves (the weakest component of this safety significant system) would perform in these aggressive environments. As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) considerations must be balanced with glove durability and worker dexterity, both of which affect the final overall risk of the operation. In the past, lead-loaded (leaded) glovebox gloves made from Hypalon(reg.) had been the workhorse of programmatic operations at TA-55. Replacing leaded gloves with unleaded gloves for certain operations would lower the overall risk as well as reduced the amount of mixed TRU waste. This effort contributes to Los Alamos National Laboratory Continuous Improvement Program by improving the efficiency, cost effectiveness, and formality of glovebox operations. In the following report, the pros and cons of wearing leaded glovebox gloves, the effect of leaded gloves versus unleaded gloves on task performance using standard dexterity tests, the justification for switching from leaded to unleaded gloves, and pollution prevention benefits of this dramatic change in the glovebox system are presented.« less

Understanding and Managing Causality of Change in Socio-Technical Systems II

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-25

SUBJECT TERMS Cognition , Human Effectiveness, Information Science 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Same as Report (SAR) 18...at large taking into account the cognitive interaction between humans and technology. 8 Hussein Abbass Professor Abbass leads the...Network Centric Operations Future Air Traffic Management Systems Cognitive Engineering including Human-Computer Integration In all of the

Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap FY2011-2036

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

neuroscience , and cognition science may lead to the implementation of some of the most critical functionalities of heterogeneous, sensor net...Roadmap FY2011-2036 69 7.4.5.4 Encryption Unmanned systems incorporation of data encryption includes National Security Agency ( NSA ) Type 1 (for...see DODI 4660). Numerous other policies and initiatives are under development within the NSA to significantly streamline the certification processes

Supercapacitors for the energy management of electric vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faggioli, Eugenio; Rena, Piergeorgio; Danel, Veronique; Andrieu, X.; Mallant, Ronald; Kahlen, Hans

The integration of the on-board energy source of an electrically propelled vehicle with a supercapacitor bank (SB) as a peak power unit, can lead to substantial benefits in terms of electric vehicle performances, battery life and energy economy. Different architectures may be envisaged, to be chosen according to technical-economical trade-off. A research activity, supported by the European Community in the frame of the Joule III program and titled `Development of Supercapacitors for Electric Vehicles' (contract JOE3-CT95-0001), has been in progress since the beginning of 1996. The partners involved are SAFT (project leader), Alcatel Alsthom Research (France), Centro Ricerche Fiat (Italy), University of Kaiserslautern (Germany), Danionics (DK) and ECN (Netherlands). Its objective is to develop a SB and its electronic control and to integrate them in two different full-scale traction systems, supplied, respectively, by sealed lead traction batteries and by a fuel cell system. Through the bench tests, it will be possible to evaluate the impact of the SB on both traction systems. In this paper, a project overview will be given; the power management strategy principles, the supercapacitor's control electronic devices, the system's architecture and the supercapacitor's requirements on the base of the simulation results, will be examined.

A Survey of Applications and Research in Integrated Design Systems Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

The initial part of the study was begun with a combination of literature searches, World Wide Web searches, and contacts with individuals and companies who were known to members of our team to have an interest in topics that seemed to be related to our study. There is a long list of such topics, such as concurrent engineering, design for manufacture, life-cycle engineering, systems engineering, systems integration, systems design, design systems, integrated product and process approaches, enterprise integration, integrated product realization, and similar terms. These all capture, at least in part, the flavor of what we describe here as integrated design systems. An inhibiting factor in this inquiry was the absence of agreed terminology for the study of integrated design systems. It is common for the term to be applied to what are essentially augmented Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems, which are integrated only to the extent that agreements have been reached to attach proprietary extensions to proprietary CAD programs. It is also common for some to use the term integrated design systems to mean a system that applies only, or mainly, to the design phase of a product life cycle. It is likewise common for many of the terms listed earlier to be used as synonyms for integrated design systems. We tried to avoid this ambiguity by adopting the definition of integrated design systems that is implied in the introductory notes that we provided to our contacts, cited earlier. We thus arrived at this definition: Integrated Design Systems refers to the integration of the different tools and processes that comprise the engineering, of complex systems. It takes a broad view of the engineering of systems, to include consideration of the entire product realization process and the product life cycle. An important aspect of integrated design systems is the extent to which they integrate existing, "islands of automation" into a comprehensive design and product realization environment. As the study progressed, we relied increasingly upon a networking approach to lead us to new information. The departure point for such searches often was a government-sponsored project or a company initiative. The advantage of this approach was that short conversations with knowledgeable persons would usually cut through confusion over differences of terminology, thereby somewhat reducing the search space of the study. Even so, it was not until late in our eight-month inquiry that we began to see signs of convergence of the search, in the sense that a number of the latest inquiries began to turn up references to earlier contacts. As suggested above, this convergence often occurred with respect to particular government or company projects.

Initial experience with remote magnetic navigation for left ventricular lead placement.

PubMed

Mischke, Karl; Knackstedt, Christian; Schmid, Michael; Hatam, Nima; Becker, Michael; Spillner, Jan; Fache, Kerstin; Kelm, Malte; Schauerte, Patrick

2009-08-01

A novel magnetic navigation system allows remote steering of guidewires and catheters. This system may be used for left ventricular lead placement for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We sought to evaluate the feasibility and safety of magnetic guidewire navigation for CRT procedures. 123 consecutive patients underwent CRT implantation/revision procedures (including pacemaker upgrades in n=22 and left ventricular lead placement after dislocation in n=4 patients). Left ventricular lead placement in a coronary sinus side branch was performed either conventionally or using magnetic navigation. The magnetic navigation system (Niobe) consists of two permanent magnets creating a steerable magnetic field. Guidewires with integrated magnets align to the magnetic field and were used for over-the-wire implantation of pacemaker leads in the coronary sinus. Patients were assigned to conventional (n=93) or magnetic (n=30) navigation according to room availability. Venography of the coronary venous system was performed to select a target vessel for lead implantation. Guidewire access to the target vessel was achieved in 100% using magnetic navigation compared to 87% with the conventional approach (P < 0.05). Implantation success rates, total procedure and fluoroscopy times did not differ significantly between groups. No periprocedural death and no intraoperative device dysfunction occurred in either group.The magnetic guidewire ruptured in one patient. Left ventricular lead placement using magnetic guidewire navigation to engage the desired coronary sinus side branch can be successfully performed for CRT.

Software Requirements Analysis as Fault Predictor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, Dolores

2003-01-01

Waiting until the integration and system test phase to discover errors leads to more costly rework than resolving those same errors earlier in the lifecycle. Costs increase even more significantly once a software system has become operational. WE can assess the quality of system requirements, but do little to correlate this information either to system assurance activities or long-term reliability projections - both of which remain unclear and anecdotal. Extending earlier work on requirements accomplished by the ARM tool, measuring requirements quality information against code complexity and test data for the same system may be used to predict specific software modules containing high impact or deeply embedded faults now escaping in operational systems. Such knowledge would lead to more effective and efficient test programs. It may enable insight into whether a program should be maintained or started over.

Functional Constructivism: In Search of Formal Descriptors.

PubMed

Trofimova, Irina

2017-10-01

The Functional Constructivism (FC) paradigm is an alternative to behaviorism and considers behavior as being generated every time anew, based on an individual's capacities, environmental resources and demands. Walter Freeman's work provided us with evidence supporting the FC principles. In this paper we make parallels between gradual construction processes leading to the formation of individual behavior and habits, and evolutionary processes leading to the establishment of biological systems. Referencing evolutionary theory, several formal descriptors of such processes are proposed. These FC descriptors refer to the most universal aspects for constructing consistent structures: expansion of degrees of freedom, integration processes based on internal and external compatibility between systems and maintenance processes, all given in four different classes of systems: (a) Zone of Proximate Development (poorly defined) systems; (b) peer systems with emerging reproduction of multiple siblings; (c) systems with internalized integration of behavioral elements ('cruise controls'); and (d) systems capable of handling low-probability, not yet present events. The recursive dynamics within this set of descriptors acting on (traditional) downward, upward and horizontal directions of evolution, is conceptualized as diagonal evolution, or di-evolution. Two examples applying these FC descriptors to taxonomy are given: classification of the functionality of neuro-transmitters and temperament traits; classification of mental disorders. The paper is an early step towards finding a formal language describing universal tendencies in highly diverse, complex and multi-level transient systems known in ecology and biology as 'contingency cycles.'

Integrated Safety Analysis Tiers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shackelford, Carla; McNairy, Lisa; Wetherholt, Jon

2009-01-01

Commercial partnerships and organizational constraints, combined with complex systems, may lead to division of hazard analysis across organizations. This division could cause important hazards to be overlooked, causes to be missed, controls for a hazard to be incomplete, or verifications to be inefficient. Each organization s team must understand at least one level beyond the interface sufficiently enough to comprehend integrated hazards. This paper will discuss various ways to properly divide analysis among organizations. The Ares I launch vehicle integrated safety analyses effort will be utilized to illustrate an approach that addresses the key issues and concerns arising from multiple analysis responsibilities.

Integrated earth system dynamic modeling for life cycle impact assessment of ecosystem services.

PubMed

Arbault, Damien; Rivière, Mylène; Rugani, Benedetto; Benetto, Enrico; Tiruta-Barna, Ligia

2014-02-15

Despite the increasing awareness of our dependence on Ecosystem Services (ES), Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) does not explicitly and fully assess the damages caused by human activities on ES generation. Recent improvements in LCIA focus on specific cause-effect chains, mainly related to land use changes, leading to Characterization Factors (CFs) at the midpoint assessment level. However, despite the complexity and temporal dynamics of ES, current LCIA approaches consider the environmental mechanisms underneath ES to be independent from each other and devoid of dynamic character, leading to constant CFs whose representativeness is debatable. This paper takes a step forward and is aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of using an integrated earth system dynamic modeling perspective to retrieve time- and scenario-dependent CFs that consider the complex interlinkages between natural processes delivering ES. The GUMBO (Global Unified Metamodel of the Biosphere) model is used to quantify changes in ES production in physical terms - leading to midpoint CFs - and changes in human welfare indicators, which are considered here as endpoint CFs. The interpretation of the obtained results highlights the key methodological challenges to be solved to consider this approach as a robust alternative to the mainstream rationale currently adopted in LCIA. Further research should focus on increasing the granularity of environmental interventions in the modeling tools to match current standards in LCA and on adapting the conceptual approach to a spatially-explicit integrated model. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neural system for heartbeats recognition using genetically integrated ensemble of classifiers.

PubMed

Osowski, Stanislaw; Siwek, Krzysztof; Siroic, Robert

2011-03-01

This paper presents the application of genetic algorithm for the integration of neural classifiers combined in the ensemble for the accurate recognition of heartbeat types on the basis of ECG registration. The idea presented in this paper is that using many classifiers arranged in the form of ensemble leads to the increased accuracy of the recognition. In such ensemble the important problem is the integration of all classifiers into one effective classification system. This paper proposes the use of genetic algorithm. It was shown that application of the genetic algorithm is very efficient and allows to reduce significantly the total error of heartbeat recognition. This was confirmed by the numerical experiments performed on the MIT BIH Arrhythmia Database. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding Greenland ice sheet hydrology using an integrated multi-scale approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rennermalm, A. K.; Moustafa, S. E.; Mioduszewski, J.; Chu, V. W.; Forster, R. R.; Hagedorn, B.; Harper, J. T.; Mote, T. L.; Robinson, D. A.; Shuman, C. A.; Smith, L. C.; Tedesco, M.

2013-03-01

Improved understanding of Greenland ice sheet hydrology is critically important for assessing its impact on current and future ice sheet dynamics and global sea level rise. This has motivated the collection and integration of in situ observations, model development, and remote sensing efforts to quantify meltwater production, as well as its phase changes, transport, and export. Particularly urgent is a better understanding of albedo feedbacks leading to enhanced surface melt, potential positive feedbacks between ice sheet hydrology and dynamics, and meltwater retention in firn. These processes are not isolated, but must be understood as part of a continuum of processes within an integrated system. This letter describes a systems approach to the study of Greenland ice sheet hydrology, emphasizing component interconnections and feedbacks, and highlighting research and observational needs.

The clinical nurse leader: prepared for an era of healthcare reform.

PubMed

Jeffers, Brenda Recchia; Astroth, Kim S

2013-01-01

Passage of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will require change in the healthcare systems. The clinical nurse leader must be prepared to lead and shape the changing environment to achieve maximum outcomes for patients and families. Movement toward integrated care delivery across the care continuum, the transition of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to a value-based funding model, and accountability for high-quality, cost-effective care are just some of the drivers of this new integrated healthcare system. Reimbursement models that reward those health systems that are able to meet benchmark performance standards will result in major shifts in how health systems operate. Expertise in care coordination across the healthcare continuum is essential for maximum reimbursement. Payment for value instead of volume delivered is a major reimbursement transition coming to the acute care setting, necessitating increased attention to mining data necessary to capture quality patient outcomes for maximum reimbursement. The clinical nurse leader is ideally suited to function within these integrated systems of the future, and possesses the skills needed to assist healthcare systems to meet this challenge. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

STOVL aircraft simulation for integrated flight and propulsion control research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mihaloew, James R.; Drummond, Colin K.

1989-01-01

The United States is in the initial stages of committing to a national program to develop a supersonic short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. The goal of the propulsion community in this effort is to have the enabling propulsion technologies for this type aircraft in place to permit a low risk decision regarding the initiation of a research STOVL supersonic attack/fighter aircraft in the late mid-90's. This technology will effectively integrate, enhance, and extend the supersonic cruise, STOVL and fighter/attack programs to enable U.S. industry to develop a revolutionary supersonic short takeoff and vertical landing fighter/attack aircraft in the post-ATF period. A joint NASA Lewis and NASA Ames research program, with the objective of developing and validating technology for integrated-flight propulsion control design methodologies for short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft, was planned and is underway. This program, the NASA Supersonic STOVL Integrated Flight-Propulsion Controls Program, is a major element of the overall NASA-Lewis Supersonic STOVL Propulsion Technology Program. It uses an integrated approach to develop an integrated program to achieve integrated flight-propulsion control technology. Essential elements of the integrated controls research program are realtime simulations of the integrated aircraft and propulsion systems which will be used in integrated control concept development and evaluations. This paper describes pertinent parts of the research program leading up to the related realtime simulation development and remarks on the simulation structure to accommodate propulsion system hardware drop-in for real system evaluation.

The power of product integrity.

PubMed

Clark, K B; Fujimoto, T

1990-01-01

In the dictionary, integrity means wholeness, completeness, soundness. In products, integrity is the source of sustainable competitive advantage. Products with integrity perform superbly, provide good value, and satisfy customers' expectations in every respect, including such intangibles as their look and feel. Consider this example from the auto industry. In 1987, Mazda put a racy four-wheel steering system in a five-door family hatchback. Honda introduced a comparable system in the Prelude, a sporty, two-door coupe. Most of Honda's customers installed the new technology; Mazda's system sold poorly. Potential customers felt the fit--or misfit--between the car and the new component, and they responded accordingly. Companies that consistently develop products with integrity are coherent, integrated organizations. This internal integrity is visible at the level of strategy and structure, in management and organization, and in the skills, attitudes, and behavior of individual designers, engineers, and operators. Moreover, these companies are integrated externally: customers become part of the development organization. Integrity starts with a product concept that describes the new product from the potential customer's perspective--"pocket rocket" for a sporty, subcompact car, for example. Whether the final product has integrity will depend on two things: how well the concept satisfies potential customers' wants and needs and how completely the concept has been embodied in the product's details. In the most successful development organizations, "heavyweight" product managers are responsible for leading both tasks, as well as for guiding the creation of a strong product concept.

The changing paradigm in surgery is system integration: How do we respond?

PubMed

Zenilman, Michael E; Freischlag, Julie-Ann

2017-12-08

With expansion of health care systems across the country, close relationships need to be developed between academic medical centers and their affiliated community hospitals. This creates opportunity to integrate surgical programs across different hospitals. Herein we describe a model of surgical integration at the system level of five large hospitals. We discuss utilizing advantages that both the academic and community hospital bring to the model. A close relationship between an interdisciplinary team, which includes the academic surgical chair, a regional director liaison who was embedded in the community, individual hospital leadership, and practice plan leaders was created. Three pillars as a foundation to success were physician leadership, the use of system infrastructure and development of new processes. This resulted in development of trust, leading to successful recruitments, models of employment and expansion into novel areas of patient safety. Once created, new opportunities for programming for surgical safety across the health care were identified. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integration of intensive care treatment and neurorehabilitation in patients with disorders of consciousness: a program description and case report.

PubMed

Eifert, Bernd; Maurer-Karattup, Petra; Schorl, Martin

2013-10-01

Severe brain injuries frequently result in disorders of consciousness, requiring intensive care unit treatment. We present a rehabilitative system that integrates neurorehabilitation into intensive care treatment. The system will be described using the case report of a young man who was in a vegetative state after a severe traumatic brain injury that resulted in major medical problems and complications. Despite these challenges, interdisciplinary therapies can be applied throughout the rehabilitative process. The patient in our case report showed significant improvements and functional gains during the course of treatment. Additional data from other patients support the feasibility of this system and show that integrating neurorehabilitation into intensive care treatment is possible and can lead to improved outcomes in this patient population. We will discuss the advantages, special features, and limitations of the system. Additional studies are needed to further demonstrate the efficacy of this approach compared with standard treatment. Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural dissociation and its resolution among Holocaust survivors: a qualitative research study.

PubMed

Auerbach, Carl F; Mirvis, Shoshana; Stern, Susan; Schwartz, Jonathan

2009-01-01

This qualitative study investigated how Holocaust survivors managed to lead "normal" lives after experiencing incomprehensible horror. It was based on structural dissociation theory (O. Van der Hart, E. R. S. Nijenhuis, & K. Steele, 2006), which postulates that when people encounter traumatic events that they cannot integrate into their ongoing mental lives, their personalities may divide into 2 distinct action systems: the apparently normal part of the personality (ANP; involving systems that manage functions of daily life) and the emotional part of the personality (EP; involving systems related to the traumatic memory). Failure to integrate also leads to nonrealization of the traumatic experience. Research participants were 20 people randomly selected from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's oral history archives. Their interviews were analyzed in terms of structural dissociation and nonrealization in order to develop a narrative about the stages of their post-war lives. In the 1st stage (Surviving the Camps: Formation of Traumatic Memories), the experience of surviving the camps created traumatic emotional memories. In the 2nd stage (Post-War Adjustment: Creating the ANP by Splitting Off the Traumatic Memories Into an EP), survivors' desire to create a normal post-war life led them to split off their traumatic memories. In the 3rd stage (Developing the Motivation to Remember), survivors' changed life context motivated them to confront the previously split-off material. In the 4th stage (Creating a Historical Self: Integration of the ANP and EP), survivors integrated past experience into their lives, although the impact of the trauma never fully disappeared.

Numerical techniques in radiative heat transfer for general, scattering, plane-parallel media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharma, A.; Cogley, A. C.

1982-01-01

The study of radiative heat transfer with scattering usually leads to the solution of singular Fredholm integral equations. The present paper presents an accurate and efficient numerical method to solve certain integral equations that govern radiative equilibrium problems in plane-parallel geometry for both grey and nongrey, anisotropically scattering media. In particular, the nongrey problem is represented by a spectral integral of a system of nonlinear integral equations in space, which has not been solved previously. The numerical technique is constructed to handle this unique nongrey governing equation as well as the difficulties caused by singular kernels. Example problems are solved and the method's accuracy and computational speed are analyzed.

Integration of health care organizations: using the power strategies of horizontal and vertical integration in public and private health systems.

PubMed

Thaldorf, Carey; Liberman, Aaron

2007-01-01

Integration in health care attempts to provide all elements in a seamless continuum of care. Pressures influencing development of system-wide integration primarily come from unsustainable cost increases in the United States over the later part of the 20th century and the early 21st century. Promoters of health care integration assume that it will lead to increased effectiveness and quality of care while concurrently increasing cost-effectiveness and possibly facilitating cost savings. The primary focus of this literature review is on the Power Strategies of Horizontal and Vertical Integration. The material presented suggests that vertical integration is most effective in markets where the partners involved are larger and dominant in the regions they serve. The research has also found that integrating health care networks had little or no significant effect on improving overall organizational efficiencies or profits. Capital investment in information technologies still is cost prohibitive and outweighs its benefits to integration efficiencies in the private sector; however, there are some indications of improvements in publicly provided health care. Further research is needed to understand the reasons the public sector has had greater success in improving effectiveness and efficiency through integration than the private sector.

integrated Earth System Model

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

Jones, Andew; Di Vittorio, Alan; Collins, William

The integrated Earth system model (iESM) has been developed as a new tool for projecting the joint human/climate system. The iESM is based upon coupling an integrated assessment model (IAM) and an Earth system model (ESM) into a common modeling infrastructure. IAMs are the primary tool for describing the human-Earth system, including the sources of global greenhouse gases (GHGs) and short-lived species (SLS), land use and land cover change (LULCC), and other resource-related drivers of anthropogenic climate change. ESMs are the primary scientific tools for examining the physical, chemical, and biogeochemical impacts of human-induced changes to the climate system. Themore » iESM project integrates the economic and human-dimension modeling of an IAM and a fully coupled ESM within a single simulation system while maintaining the separability of each model if needed. Both IAM and ESM codes are developed and used by large communities and have been extensively applied in recent national and international climate assessments. By introducing heretofore-omitted feedbacks between natural and societal drivers, we can improve scientific understanding of the human-Earth system dynamics. Potential applications include studies of the interactions and feedbacks leading to the timing, scale, and geographic distribution of emissions trajectories and other human influences, corresponding climate effects, and the subsequent impacts of a changing climate on human and natural systems.« less

Flight-testing of the self-repairing flight control system using the F-15 highly integrated digital electronic control flight research facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, James F.; Shuck, Thomas L.

1990-01-01

Flight tests conducted with the self-repairing flight control system (SRFCS) installed on the NASA F-15 highly integrated digital electronic control aircraft are described. The development leading to the current SRFCS configuration is highlighted. Key objectives of the program are outlined: (1) to flight-evaluate a control reconfiguration strategy with three types of control surface failure; (2) to evaluate a cockpit display that will inform the pilot of the maneuvering capacity of the damage aircraft; and (3) to flight-evaluate the onboard expert system maintenance diagnostics process using representative faults set to occur only under maneuvering conditions. Preliminary flight results addressing the operation of the overall system, as well as the individual technologies, are included.

A Network Model of the Emotional Brain.

PubMed

Pessoa, Luiz

2017-05-01

Emotion is often understood in terms of a circumscribed set of cortical and subcortical brain regions. I propose, instead, that emotion should be understood in terms of large-scale network interactions spanning the entire neuroaxis. I describe multiple anatomical and functional principles of brain organization that lead to the concept of 'functionally integrated systems', cortical-subcortical systems that anchor the organization of emotion in the brain. The proposal is illustrated by describing the cortex-amygdala integrated system and how it intersects with systems involving the ventral striatum/accumbens, septum, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and brainstem. The important role of the thalamus is also highlighted. Overall, the model clarifies why the impact of emotion is wide-ranging, and how emotion is interlocked with perception, cognition, motivation, and action. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

General Contingency Theory of Organizations: An Alternative to Open Systems Theory.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-08-01

genetic and mechanical open systems. We have recently proposed a general contingency theory (GCT) of management (Luthans and Stewart, 1977) which promises...developed in response to the need for an integrative theory of management that incorporates the environment (in the open systems sense. and begins to... management and desired performance out- comes. We will show that the GCT matrix can lead to organizational effec- tiveness. The Theory as a Basis for More

National Airspace System Plan: Facilities, Equipment, Associated Development and Other Capital Needs

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

yes include: 0 Air carrier routes and services will reflect a * Having an operating National Airspace System better balance between trip frequency and... balanced workload. " A major improvement and integration of the FAA communications system will be imple- 0 Reliable equipment, which minimizes the stress...them in this will lead to the development of production level balancing sector staffing levels, specifications in FY 97. * Trial flight plan function

Guidance and control of MIR TDL radiation via flexible hollow metallic rectangular pipes and fibers for possible LHS and other optical system compaction and integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, C.

1983-01-01

Flexible hollow metallic rectangular pipes and infrared fibers are proposed as alternate media for collection, guidance and manipulation of mid-infrared tunable diode laser (TDL) radiation. Certain features of such media are found to be useful for control of TDL far field patterns, polarization and possibly intensity fluctuations. Such improvement in dimension compatibility may eventually lead to laser heterodyne spectroscopy (LHS) and optical communication system compaction and integration. Infrared optical fiber and the compound parabolic coupling of light into a hollow pipe waveguide are discussed as well as the design of the waveguide.

Probabilistic Structural Health Monitoring of the Orbiter Wing Leading Edge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yap, Keng C.; Macias, Jesus; Kaouk, Mohamed; Gafka, Tammy L.; Kerr, Justin H.

2011-01-01

A structural health monitoring (SHM) system can contribute to the risk management of a structure operating under hazardous conditions. An example is the Wing Leading Edge Impact Detection System (WLEIDS) that monitors the debris hazards to the Space Shuttle Orbiter s Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels. Since Return-to-Flight (RTF) after the Columbia accident, WLEIDS was developed and subsequently deployed on board the Orbiter to detect ascent and on-orbit debris impacts, so as to support the assessment of wing leading edge structural integrity prior to Orbiter re-entry. As SHM is inherently an inverse problem, the analyses involved, including those performed for WLEIDS, tend to be associated with significant uncertainty. The use of probabilistic approaches to handle the uncertainty has resulted in the successful implementation of many development and application milestones.

Integrating Variable Renewable Energy in Electric Power Markets: Best Practices from International Experience

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

Cochran, J.; Bird, L.; Heeter, J.

Many countries -- reflecting very different geographies, markets, and power systems -- are successfully managing high levels of variable renewable energy on the electric grid, including that from wind and solar energy. This study documents the diverse approaches to effective integration of variable renewable energy among six countries -- Australia (South Australia), Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and the United States (Western region-Colorado and Texas)-- and summarizes policy best practices that energy ministers and other stakeholders can pursue to ensure that electricity markets and power systems can effectively coevolve with increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy. Each country has crafted itsmore » own combination of policies, market designs, and system operations to achieve the system reliability and flexibility needed to successfully integrate renewables. Notwithstanding this diversity, the approaches taken by the countries studied all coalesce around five strategic areas: lead public engagement, particularly for new transmission; coordinate and integrate planning; develop rules for market evolution that enable system flexibility; expand access to diverse resources and geographic footprint of operations; and improve system operations. The ability to maintain a broad ecosystem perspective, to organize and make available the wealth of experiences, and to ensure a clear path from analysis to enactment should be the primary focus going forward.« less

Mechanical fatigue resistance of an implantable branched lead system for a distributed set of longitudinal intrafascicular electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pena, A. E.; Kuntaegowdanahalli, S. S.; Abbas, J. J.; Patrick, J.; Horch, K. W.; Jung, R.

2017-12-01

Objective. A neural interface system has been developed that consists of an implantable stimulator/recorder can with a 15-electrode lead that trifurcates into three bundles of five individual wire longitudinal intrafascicular electrodes. This work evaluated the mechanical fatigue resistance of the branched lead and distributed electrode system under conditions designed to mimic anticipated strain profiles that would be observed after implantation in the human upper arm. Approach. Custom test setups and procedures were developed to apply linear or angular strain at four critical stress riser points on the lead and electrode system. Each test was performed to evaluate fatigue under a high repetition/low amplitude paradigm designed to test the effects of arm movement on the leads during activities such as walking, or under a low repetition/high amplitude paradigm designed to test the effects of more strenuous upper arm activities. The tests were performed on representative samples of the implantable lead system for human use. The specimens were fabricated using procedures equivalent to those that will be used during production of human-use implants. Electrical and visual inspections of all test specimens were performed before and after the testing procedures to assess lead integrity. Main results. Measurements obtained before and after applying repetitive strain indicated that all test specimens retained electrical continuity and that electrical impedance remained well below pre-specified thresholds for detection of breakage. Visual inspection under a microscope at 10×  magnification did not reveal any signs of damage to the wires or silicone sheathing at the stress riser points. Significance. These results demonstrate that the branched lead of this implantable neural interface system has sufficient mechanical fatigue resistance to withstand strain profiles anticipated when the system is implanted in an arm. The novel test setups and paradigms may be useful in testing other lead systems.

Direct correlation between potentiometric and impedance biosensing of antibody-antigen interactions using an integrated system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Meng-Yen; Creedon, Niamh; Brightbill, Eleanor; Pavlidis, Spyridon; Brown, Billyde; Gray, Darren W.; Shields, Niall; Sayers, Ríona; Mooney, Mark H.; O'Riordan, Alan; Vogel, Eric M.

2017-08-01

A fully integrated system that combines extended gate field-effect transistor (EGFET)-based potentiometric biosensors and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-based biosensors has been demonstrated. This integrated configuration enables the sequential measurement of the same immunological binding event on the same sensing surface and consequently sheds light on the fundamental origins of sensing signals produced by FET and EIS biosensors, as well as the correlation between the two. Detection of both the bovine serum albumin (BSA)/anti-BSA model system in buffer solution and bovine parainfluenza antibodies in complex blood plasma samples was demonstrated using the integrated biosensors. Comparison of the EGFET and EIS sensor responses reveals similar dynamic ranges, while equivalent circuit modeling of the EIS response shows that the commonly reported total impedance change (ΔZtotal) is dominated by the change in charge transfer resistance (Rct) rather than surface capacitance (Csurface). Using electrochemical kinetics and the Butler-Volmer equation, we unveil that the surface potential and charge transfer resistance, measured by potentiometric and impedance biosensors, respectively, are, in fact, intrinsically linked. This observation suggests that there is no significant gain in using the FET/EIS integrated system and leads to the demonstration that low-cost EGFET biosensors are sufficient as a detection tool to resolve the charge information of biomolecules for practical sensing applications.

IMPAC: An Integrated Methodology for Propulsion and Airframe Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garg, Sanjay; Ouzts, Peter J.; Lorenzo, Carl F.; Mattern, Duane L.

1991-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is actively involved in the development of enabling technologies that will lead towards aircraft with new/enhanced maneuver capabilities such as Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) and high angle of attack performance. Because of the high degree of dynamic coupling between the airframe and propulsion systems of these types of aircraft, one key technology is the integration of the flight and propulsion control. The NASA Lewis Research Center approach to developing Integrated Flight Propulsion Control (IFPC) technologies is an in-house research program referred to as IMPAC (Integrated Methodology for Propulsion and Airframe Control). The goals of IMPAC are to develop a viable alternative to the existing integrated control design methodologies that will allow for improved system performance and simplicity of control law synthesis and implementation, and to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology to a supersonic STOVL fighter aircraft. Based on some preliminary control design studies that included evaluation of the existing methodologies, the IFPC design methodology that is emerging at the Lewis Research Center consists of considering the airframe and propulsion system as one integrated system for an initial centralized controller design and then partitioning the centralized controller into separate airframe and propulsion system subcontrollers to ease implementation and to set meaningful design requirements for detailed subsystem control design and evaluation. An overview of IMPAC is provided and detailed discussion of the various important design and evaluation steps in the methodology are included.

Test report :

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

Rose, David Martin; Schenkman, Benjamin L.; Borneo, Daniel R.

2013-08-01

The Department of Energy Office of Electricity (DOE/OE), Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) and the Base Camp Integration Lab (BCIL) partnered together to incorporate an energy storage system into a microgrid configured Forward Operating Base to reduce the fossil fuel consumption and to ultimately save lives. Energy storage vendors have supplied their systems to SNL Energy Storage Test Pad (ESTP) for functional testing and a subset of these systems were selected for performance evaluation at the BCIL. The technologies tested were electro-chemical energy storage systems comprised of lead acid, lithium-ion or zinc-bromide. MILSPRAY Military Technologies has developed an energy storage systemmore » that utilizes lead acid batteries to save fuel on a military microgrid. This report contains the testing results and some limited assessment of the Milspray Scorpion Energy Storage Device.« less

Analysis of renewable energy sources and electric vehicle penetration into energy systems predominantly based on lignite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dedinec, A.; Jovanovski, B.; Gajduk, A.; Markovska, N.; Kocarev, L.

2016-05-01

We consider an integration of renewable energy into transport and electricity sectors through vehicle to grid (V2G) technologies for an energy system that is predominantly based on lignite. The national energy system of Macedonia is modeled using EnergyPLAN which integrates energy for electricity, transport and heat, and includes hourly fluctuations in human needs and the environment. We show that electric-vehicles can provide the necessary storage enabling a fully renewable energy profile for Macedonia that can match the country's growing demand for energy. Furthermore, a large penetration of electric vehicles leads to a dramatic reduction of 47% of small particles and other air pollutants generated by car traffic in 2050.

Integrated circuit package with lead structure and method of preparing the same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, B. W. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

A beam-lead integrated circuit package assembly including a beam-lead integrated circuit chip, a lead frame array bonded to projecting fingers of the chip, a rubber potting compound disposed around the chip, and an encapsulating molded plastic is described. The lead frame array is prepared by photographically printing a lead pattern on a base metal sheet, selectively etching to remove metal between leads, and plating with gold. Joining of the chip to the lead frame array is carried out by thermocompression bonding of mating goldplated surfaces. A small amount of silicone rubber is then applied to cover the chip and bonded joints, and the package is encapsulated with epoxy resin, applied by molding.

Biomimetic actuators using electroactive polymers (EAP) as artificial muscles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2006-01-01

Evolution has resolved many of nature's challenges leading to lasting solutions with maximal performance and effective use of resources. Nature's inventions have always inspired human achievements leading to effective materials, structures, tools, mechanisms, processes, algorithms, methods, systems and many other benefits. The field of mimicking nature is known as Biomimetics and one of its topics includes electroactive polymers that gain the moniker artificial muscles. Integrating EAP with embedded sensors, self-repair and many other capabilities that are used in composite materials can add greatly to the capability of smart biomimetic systems. Such development would enable fascinating possibilities potentially turning science fiction ideas into engineering reality.

Gesundes Kinzigtal Integrated Care: improving population health by a shared health gain approach and a shared savings contract

PubMed Central

H., Hildebrandt; C., Hermann; R., Knittel; M., Richter-Reichhelm; A., Siegel; W., Witzenrath

2010-01-01

Introduction Integrated care solutions need supportive financial incentives. In this paper, we describe the financial architecture and operative details of the integrated pilot Gesundes Kinzigtal. Description of integrated care case Located in Southwest Germany, Gesundes Kinzigtal is one of the few population-based integrated care approaches in Germany, organising care across all health service sectors and indications. The system serving around half of the population of the region is run by a regional health management company (Gesundes Kinzigtal GmbH) in cooperation with the physicians' network in the region (MQNK), a German health care management company with a background in medical sociology and health economics (OptiMedis AG) and with two statutory health insurers (among them is the biggest health insurer in Southwest Germany: AOK Baden-Württemberg). Discussion and (preliminary) conclusion The shared savings contract between Gesundes Kinzigtal GmbH and the two health insurers, providing financial incentives for managers and health care providers to realize a substantial efficiency gain, could be an appropriate contractual base of Gesundes Kinzigtal's population health gain approach. This approach is based on the assumption that a more effective trans-sector organization of Germany's health care system and increased investments in well-designed preventive programmes will lead to a reduction in morbidity, and in particular to a reduced incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases. This, in turn, is to lead to a comparative reduction in health care cost. Although the comparative cost in the Kinzigtal region has been reduced from the onset of Gesundes Kinzigtal Integrated Care, only future research will have to demonstrate whether—and to what extent—cost reduction may be attributed to a real population health gain. PMID:20689772

Reliability, Safety and Error Recovery for Advanced Control Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, Jane T.

2003-01-01

For long-duration automated operation of regenerative life support systems in space environments, there is a need for advanced integration and control systems that are significantly more reliable and safe, and that support error recovery and minimization of operational failures. This presentation outlines some challenges of hazardous space environments and complex system interactions that can lead to system accidents. It discusses approaches to hazard analysis and error recovery for control software and challenges of supporting effective intervention by safety software and the crew.

A Study of the Concept and Implementation of the Lead Systems Integrator in Defense Acquisitions

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

equips itself to fight U.S. adversaries. The Army has recognized that it needs to transform itself to conduct “full spectrum operations” ( Fetterman and...mountains and jungles” ( Fetterman and Plushnik 2). The Army describes the program as the most complex acquisition in its history because it involves...considered to be two additional systems; thus, it is dubbed “14+1+1” ( Fetterman ). Figure 1 shows all the systems in the FCS. 21 Figure 1. FCS Systems

Supporting community annotation and user collaboration in the integrated microbial genomes (IMG) system.

PubMed

Chen, I-Min A; Markowitz, Victor M; Palaniappan, Krishna; Szeto, Ernest; Chu, Ken; Huang, Jinghua; Ratner, Anna; Pillay, Manoj; Hadjithomas, Michalis; Huntemann, Marcel; Mikhailova, Natalia; Ovchinnikova, Galina; Ivanova, Natalia N; Kyrpides, Nikos C

2016-04-26

The exponential growth of genomic data from next generation technologies renders traditional manual expert curation effort unsustainable. Many genomic systems have included community annotation tools to address the problem. Most of these systems adopted a "Wiki-based" approach to take advantage of existing wiki technologies, but encountered obstacles in issues such as usability, authorship recognition, information reliability and incentive for community participation. Here, we present a different approach, relying on tightly integrated method rather than "Wiki-based" method, to support community annotation and user collaboration in the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system. The IMG approach allows users to use existing IMG data warehouse and analysis tools to add gene, pathway and biosynthetic cluster annotations, to analyze/reorganize contigs, genes and functions using workspace datasets, and to share private user annotations and workspace datasets with collaborators. We show that the annotation effort using IMG can be part of the research process to overcome the user incentive and authorship recognition problems thus fostering collaboration among domain experts. The usability and reliability issues are addressed by the integration of curated information and analysis tools in IMG, together with DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) expert review. By incorporating annotation operations into IMG, we provide an integrated environment for users to perform deeper and extended data analysis and annotation in a single system that can lead to publications and community knowledge sharing as shown in the case studies.

Immune System as a Sensory System

PubMed Central

Dozmorov, Igor M.; Dresser, D.

2010-01-01

As suggested by the well-known gestalt concept the immune system can be regarded as an integrated complex system, the functioning of which cannot be fully characterized by the behavior of its constituent elements. Similar approaches to the immune system in particular and sensory systems in general allows one to discern similarities and differences in the process of distinguishing informative patterns in an otherwise random background, thus initiating an appropriate and adequate response. This may lead to a new interpretation of difficulties in the comprehension of some immunological phenomena. PMID:21686066

Optimal preview control for a linear continuous-time stochastic control system in finite-time horizon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jiang; Liao, Fucheng; Tomizuka, Masayoshi

2017-01-01

This paper discusses the design of the optimal preview controller for a linear continuous-time stochastic control system in finite-time horizon, using the method of augmented error system. First, an assistant system is introduced for state shifting. Then, in order to overcome the difficulty of the state equation of the stochastic control system being unable to be differentiated because of Brownian motion, the integrator is introduced. Thus, the augmented error system which contains the integrator vector, control input, reference signal, error vector and state of the system is reconstructed. This leads to the tracking problem of the optimal preview control of the linear stochastic control system being transformed into the optimal output tracking problem of the augmented error system. With the method of dynamic programming in the theory of stochastic control, the optimal controller with previewable signals of the augmented error system being equal to the controller of the original system is obtained. Finally, numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the controller.

TOPICAL REVIEW: Integrated genetic analysis microsystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagally, Eric T.; Mathies, Richard A.

2004-12-01

With the completion of the Human Genome Project and the ongoing DNA sequencing of the genomes of other animals, bacteria, plants and others, a wealth of new information about the genetic composition of organisms has become available. However, as the demand for sequence information grows, so does the workload required both to generate this sequence and to use it for targeted genetic analysis. Microfabricated genetic analysis systems are well poised to assist in the collection and use of these data through increased analysis speed, lower analysis cost and higher parallelism leading to increased assay throughput. In addition, such integrated microsystems may point the way to targeted genetic experiments on single cells and in other areas that are otherwise very difficult. Concomitant with these advantages, such systems, when fully integrated, should be capable of forming portable systems for high-speed in situ analyses, enabling a new standard in disciplines such as clinical chemistry, forensics, biowarfare detection and epidemiology. This review will discuss the various technologies available for genetic analysis on the microscale, and efforts to integrate them to form fully functional robust analysis devices.

Multi -omics and metabolic modelling pipelines: challenges and tools for systems microbiology.

PubMed

Fondi, Marco; Liò, Pietro

2015-02-01

Integrated -omics approaches are quickly spreading across microbiology research labs, leading to (i) the possibility of detecting previously hidden features of microbial cells like multi-scale spatial organization and (ii) tracing molecular components across multiple cellular functional states. This promises to reduce the knowledge gap between genotype and phenotype and poses new challenges for computational microbiologists. We underline how the capability to unravel the complexity of microbial life will strongly depend on the integration of the huge and diverse amount of information that can be derived today from -omics experiments. In this work, we present opportunities and challenges of multi -omics data integration in current systems biology pipelines. We here discuss which layers of biological information are important for biotechnological and clinical purposes, with a special focus on bacterial metabolism and modelling procedures. A general review of the most recent computational tools for performing large-scale datasets integration is also presented, together with a possible framework to guide the design of systems biology experiments by microbiologists. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Building a SEM Analytics Reporting Portfolio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goff, Jay W.; Williams, Brian G.; Kilgore, Wendy

2016-01-01

Effective strategic enrollment management (SEM) efforts require vast amounts of internal and external data to ensure that meaningful reporting and analysis systems can assist managers in decision making. A wide range of information is integral for leading effective and efficient student recruitment and retention programs. This article is designed…

Integration and Control of a Battery Balancing System

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

2. Energy storage comparisons. From [2]. • Storage Technologies Pumped Storage CAES Flow Batteries: PSB VRB ZnBr Metal-Air NaS LHon Ni...Storage Technologies Pumped Storage CAES Flow Batteries: PSB VRB ZnBr Metal-Air NaS LHon Ni-Cd Other Advanced Batteries Lead-Acid

LARGE SCALE DISASTER ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT: SYSTEM LEVEL STUDY ON AN INTEGRATED MODEL

EPA Science Inventory

The increasing intensity and scale of human activity across the globe leading to severe depletion and deterioration of the Earth's natural resources has meant that sustainability has emerged as a new paradigm of analysis and management. Sustainability, conceptually defined by the...

Systems medicine and integrated care to combat chronic noncommunicable diseases

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

We propose an innovative, integrated, cost-effective health system to combat major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular, chronic respiratory, metabolic, rheumatologic and neurologic disorders and cancers, which together are the predominant health problem of the 21st century. This proposed holistic strategy involves comprehensive patient-centered integrated care and multi-scale, multi-modal and multi-level systems approaches to tackle NCDs as a common group of diseases. Rather than studying each disease individually, it will take into account their intertwined gene-environment, socio-economic interactions and co-morbidities that lead to individual-specific complex phenotypes. It will implement a road map for predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory (P4) medicine based on a robust and extensive knowledge management infrastructure that contains individual patient information. It will be supported by strategic partnerships involving all stakeholders, including general practitioners associated with patient-centered care. This systems medicine strategy, which will take a holistic approach to disease, is designed to allow the results to be used globally, taking into account the needs and specificities of local economies and health systems. PMID:21745417

Future Interagency Range and Spaceport Technologies (FIRST) Formulation Products: 1. Transformational Spaceport and Range Concept of Operations. 2. F.I.R.S.T. Business Case Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

The Baseline Report captures range and spaceport capabilities at five sites: KSC, CCAFS, VAFB, Wallops, and Kodiak. The Baseline depicts a future state that relies on existing technology, planned upgrades, and straight-line recapitalization at these sites projected through 2030. The report presents an inventory of current spaceport and range capabilities at these five sites. The baseline is the first part of analyzing a business case for a set of capabilities designed to transform U.S. ground and space launch operations toward a single, integrated national "system" of space transportation systems. The second part of the business case compares current capabilities with technologies needed to support the integrated national "system". The final part, a return on investment analysis, identifies the technologies that best lead to the integrated national system and reduce recurring costs..Numerous data sources were used to define and describe the baseline spaceport and range by identifying major systems and elements and describing capabilities, limitations, and capabilities

Twelve Principles for Green Energy Storage in Grid Applications.

PubMed

Arbabzadeh, Maryam; Johnson, Jeremiah X; Keoleian, Gregory A; Rasmussen, Paul G; Thompson, Levi T

2016-01-19

The introduction of energy storage technologies to the grid could enable greater integration of renewables, improve system resilience and reliability, and offer cost effective alternatives to transmission and distribution upgrades. The integration of energy storage systems into the electrical grid can lead to different environmental outcomes based on the grid application, the existing generation mix, and the demand. Given this complexity, a framework is needed to systematically inform design and technology selection about the environmental impacts that emerge when considering energy storage options to improve sustainability performance of the grid. To achieve this, 12 fundamental principles specific to the design and grid application of energy storage systems are developed to inform policy makers, designers, and operators. The principles are grouped into three categories: (1) system integration for grid applications, (2) the maintenance and operation of energy storage, and (3) the design of energy storage systems. We illustrate the application of each principle through examples published in the academic literature, illustrative calculations, and a case study with an off-grid application of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). In addition, trade-offs that can emerge between principles are highlighted.

New ultraportable display technology and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvelda, Phillip; Lewis, Nancy D.

1998-08-01

MicroDisplay devices are based on a combination of technologies rooted in the extreme integration capability of conventionally fabricated CMOS active-matrix liquid crystal display substrates. Customized diffraction grating and optical distortion correction technology for lens-system compensation allow the elimination of many lenses and systems-level components. The MicroDisplay Corporation's miniature integrated information display technology is rapidly leading to many new defense and commercial applications. There are no moving parts in MicroDisplay substrates, and the fabrication of the color generating gratings, already part of the CMOS circuit fabrication process, is effectively cost and manufacturing process-free. The entire suite of the MicroDisplay Corporation's technologies was devised to create a line of application- specific integrated circuit single-chip display systems with integrated computing, memory, and communication circuitry. Next-generation portable communication, computer, and consumer electronic devices such as truly portable monitor and TV projectors, eyeglass and head mounted displays, pagers and Personal Communication Services hand-sets, and wristwatch-mounted video phones are among the may target commercial markets for MicroDisplay technology. Defense applications range from Maintenance and Repair support, to night-vision systems, to portable projectors for mobile command and control centers.

A piece of cake: the ground-state energies in γ i -deformed = 4 SYM theory at leading wrapping order

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fokken, Jan; Sieg, Christoph; Wilhelm, Matthias

2014-09-01

In the non-supersymmetric γi-deformed = 4 SYM theory, the scaling dimensions of the operators tr[ Z L ] composed of L scalar fields Z receive finite-size wrapping and prewrapping corrections in the 't Hooft limit. In this paper, we calculate these scaling dimensions to leading wrapping order directly from Feynman diagrams. For L ≥ 3, the result is proportional to the maximally transcendental `cake' integral. It matches with an earlier result obtained from the integrability-based Lüscher corrections, TBA and Y-system equations. At L = 2, where the integrability-based equations yield infinity, we find a finite rational result. This result is renormalization-scheme dependent due to the non-vanishing β-function of an induced quartic scalar double-trace coupling, on which we have reported earlier. This explicitly shows that conformal invariance is broken — even in the 't Hooft limit. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

[Networking and integrated disease management. Advantages and disadvantages from the medical point of view].

PubMed

Hänsch, H; Fleck, E

2005-07-01

At the moment the terms "networking", "cost reduction" and "integrated disease management" are frequently discussed in all branches of the German health care system. Unfortunately there are different interpretations of these terms. "Integrated disease management" in the meaning of communication between clinical and outpatient health care has al ready existed for years now. Traditional ways of communication lead to information loss. Losing information is a reason for low cost effectiveness and a prolonged healing process directly harming the patient. A computer network may prevent information loss and may in crease the performance of data transfer. Different sides have al ready started networking, and it is now necessary to bundle the interests. This necessity has been recognized by the German legislative. To lead this project to success it is important to know and to fulfil some medical criteria. Defining and describing these conditions is the topic of this paper. Our special intent is to show that digital technique is necessary to improve cooperation among physicians.

Integrating CHWs as part of the team leading diabetes group visits: A randomized controlled feasibility study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of integrating Community Health Workers (CHWs) as part of the team leading diabetes group visits. This was a randomized controlled study that integrated CHWs as part of the team leading diabetes group visits for low-income Hispanic adults (n=5...

Integrated material state awareness system with self-learning symbiotic diagnostic algorithms and models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Sourav; Liu, Lie; Liu, S. T.; Yuan, Fuh-Gwo; Beard, Shawn

2011-04-01

Materials State Awareness (MSA) goes beyond traditional NDE and SHM in its challenge to characterize the current state of material damage before the onset of macro-damage such as cracks. A highly reliable, minimally invasive system for MSA of Aerospace Structures, Naval structures as well as next generation space systems is critically needed. Development of such a system will require a reliable SHM system that can detect the onset of damage well before the flaw grows to a critical size. Therefore, it is important to develop an integrated SHM system that not only detects macroscale damages in the structures but also provides an early indication of flaw precursors and microdamages. The early warning for flaw precursors and their evolution provided by an SHM system can then be used to define remedial strategies before the structural damage leads to failure, and significantly improve the safety and reliability of the structures. Thus, in this article a preliminary concept of developing the Hybrid Distributed Sensor Network Integrated with Self-learning Symbiotic Diagnostic Algorithms and Models to accurately and reliably detect the precursors to damages that occur to the structure are discussed. Experiments conducted in a laboratory environment shows potential of the proposed technique.

A head-mounted display-based personal integrated-image monitoring system for transurethral resection of the prostate.

PubMed

Yoshida, Soichiro; Kihara, Kazunori; Takeshita, Hideki; Fujii, Yasuhisa

2014-12-01

The head-mounted display (HMD) is a new image monitoring system. We developed the Personal Integrated-image Monitoring System (PIM System) using the HMD (HMZ-T2, Sony Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) in combination with video splitters and multiplexers as a surgical guide system for transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). The imaging information obtained from the cystoscope, the transurethral ultrasonography (TRUS), the video camera attached to the HMD, and the patient's vital signs monitor were split and integrated by the PIM System and a composite image was displayed by the HMD using a four-split screen technique. Wearing the HMD, the lead surgeon and the assistant could simultaneously and continuously monitor the same information displayed by the HMD in an ergonomically efficient posture. Each participant could independently rearrange the images comprising the composite image depending on the engaging step. Two benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients underwent TURP performed by surgeons guided with this system. In both cases, the TURP procedure was successfully performed, and their postoperative clinical courses had no remarkable unfavorable events. During the procedure, none of the participants experienced any HMD-wear related adverse effects or reported any discomfort.

Miniaturized, on-head, invasive electrode connector integrated EEG data acquisition system.

PubMed

Ives, John R; Mirsattari, Seyed M; Jones, D

2007-07-01

Intracranial electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring involves recording multi-contact electrodes. The current systems require separate wires from each recording contact to the data acquisition unit resulting in many connectors and cables. To overcome limitations of such systems such as noise, restrictions in patient mobility and compliance, we developed a miniaturized EEG monitoring system with the amplifiers and multiplexers integrated into the electrode connectors and mounted on the head. Small, surface-mounted instrumentation amplifiers, coupled with 8:1 analog multiplexers, were assembled into 8-channel modular units to connect to 16:1 analog multiplexer manifold to create a small (55 cm(3)) head-mounted 128-channel system. A 6-conductor, 30 m long cable was used to transmit the EEG signals from the patient to the remote data acquisition system. Miniaturized EEG amplifiers and analog multiplexers were integrated directly into the electrode connectors. Up to 128-channels of EEG were amplified and analog multiplexed directly on the patient's head. The amplified EEG data were obtained over one long wire. A miniaturized system of invasive EEG recording has the potential to reduce artefact, simplify trouble-shooting, lower nursing care and increase patient compliance. Miniaturization technology improves intracranial EEG monitoring and leads to >128-channel capacity.

Decision making for best cogeneration power integration into a grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al Asmar, Joseph; Zakhia, Nadim; Kouta, Raed; Wack, Maxime

2016-07-01

Cogeneration systems are known to be efficient power systems for their ability to reduce pollution. Their integration into a grid requires simultaneous consideration of the economic and environmental challenges. Thus, an optimal cogeneration power are adopted to face such challenges. This work presents a novelty in selectinga suitable solution using heuristic optimization method. Its aim is to optimize the cogeneration capacity to be installed according to the economic and environmental concerns. This novelty is based on the sensitivity and data analysis method, namely, Multiple Linear Regression (MLR). This later establishes a compromise between power, economy, and pollution, which leads to find asuitable cogeneration power, and further, to be integrated into a grid. The data exploited were the results of the Genetic Algorithm (GA) multi-objective optimization. Moreover, the impact of the utility's subsidy on the selected power is shown.

Understanding Kidney Disease: Toward the Integration of Regulatory Networks Across Species

PubMed Central

Ju, Wenjun; Brosius, Frank C.

2010-01-01

Animal models have long been useful in investigating both normal and abnormal human physiology. Systems biology provides a relatively new set of approaches to identify similarities and differences between animal models and humans that may lead to a more comprehensive understanding of human kidney pathophysiology. In this review, we briefly describe how genome-wide analyses of mouse models have helped elucidate features of human kidney diseases, discuss strategies to achieve effective network integration, and summarize currently available web-based tools that may facilitate integration of data across species. The rapid progress in systems biology and orthology, as well as the advent of web-based tools to facilitate these processes, now make it possible to take advantage of knowledge from distant animal species in targeted identification of regulatory networks that may have clinical relevance for human kidney diseases. PMID:21044762

Wafer integrated micro-scale concentrating photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Tian; Li, Duanhui; Li, Lan; Jared, Bradley; Keeler, Gordon; Miller, Bill; Sweatt, William; Paap, Scott; Saavedra, Michael; Das, Ujjwal; Hegedus, Steve; Tauke-Pedretti, Anna; Hu, Juejun

2017-09-01

Recent development of a novel micro-scale PV/CPV technology is presented. The Wafer Integrated Micro-scale PV approach (WPV) seamlessly integrates multijunction micro-cells with a multi-functional silicon platform that provides optical micro-concentration, hybrid photovoltaic, and mechanical micro-assembly. The wafer-embedded micro-concentrating elements is shown to considerably improve the concentration-acceptance-angle product, potentially leading to dramatically reduced module materials and fabrication costs, sufficient angular tolerance for low-cost trackers, and an ultra-compact optical architecture, which makes the WPV module compatible with commercial flat panel infrastructures. The PV/CPV hybrid architecture further allows the collection of both direct and diffuse sunlight, thus extending the geographic and market domains for cost-effective PV system deployment. The WPV approach can potentially benefits from both the high performance of multijunction cells and the low cost of flat plate Si PV systems.

Equilibration in finite Bose systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolschin, Georg

2018-06-01

The equilibration of a finite Bose system is modeled using a gradient expansion of the collision integral that leads to a nonlinear transport equation. For constant transport coefficients, it is solved in closed form through a nonlinear transformation. Using schematic initial conditions, the exact solution and the equilibration time are derived and compared to the corresponding case for fermions. Applications to the fast equilibration of the gluon system created initially in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, and to cold quantum gases are envisaged.

[Medical conglomerates].

PubMed

Austruy, P; Alexandre, L; Richard, F

1988-01-01

Community hospitals is undergoing rapid consolidation into network of private corporations providing health care services. So, the industrialization of health care lead to mega corporate health care. The multi-nationalization of U.S. multi-health care systems as HCA or Humana, has began at the end of the 70. The impact of this phenomena on the French health care system will be important. In order to protect technological independence and to integrate physicians into medical industrial complex, we have to create european multi-health systems.

DoD Lead System Integrator (LSI) Transformation - Creating a Model Based Acquisition Framework (MBAF)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-30

cost to acquire systems as design maturity could be verified incrementally as the system was developed vice waiting for specific large “ big bang ...Framework (MBAF) be applied to simulate or optimize process variations on programs? LSI Roles and Responsibilities A review of the roles and...the model/process optimization process. It is the current intent that NAVAIR will use the model to run simulations on process changes in an attempt to

Structural Health Management for Future Aerospace Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prosser, W. H.; Allison, S. G.; Woodard, S. E.; Wincheski, R. A.; Cooper, E. G.; Price, D. C.; Hedley, M.; Prokopenko, M.; Scott, D. A.; Tessler, A.

2004-01-01

Structural Health Management (SHM) will be of critical importance to provide the safety, reliability and affordability necessary for the future long duration space missions described in America's Vision for Space Exploration. Long duration missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond cannot be accomplished with the current paradigm of periodic, ground based structural integrity inspections. As evidenced by the Columbia tragedy, this approach is also inadequate for the current Shuttle fleet, thus leading to its initial implementation of on-board SHM sensing for impact detection as part of the return to flight effort. However, future space systems, to include both vehicles as well as structures such as habitation modules, will require an integrated array of onboard in-situ sensing systems. In addition, advanced data systems architectures will be necessary to communicate, store and process massive amounts of SHM data from large numbers of diverse sensors. Further, improved structural analysis and design algorithms will be necessary to incorporate SHM sensing into the design and construction of aerospace structures, as well as to fully utilize these sensing systems to provide both diagnosis and prognosis of structural integrity. Ultimately, structural integrity information will feed into an Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) system that will provide real-time knowledge of structural, propulsion, thermal protection and other critical systems for optimal vehicle management and mission control. This paper will provide an overview of NASA research and development in the area of SHM as well as to highlight areas of technology improvement necessary to meet these future mission requirements.

Potentials of an integrated biomass utilization system: Estimation of carbon flow and energy consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Ryosuke; Nishimura, Motoki; Yuan, Lee Chang; Kamahara, Hirotsugu; Atsuta, Yoichi; Daimon, Hiroyuki

2017-10-01

Utilization of sewage sludge using anaerobic digestion has been promoted for decades. However, it is still relatively uncommon especially in Japan. As an approach to promote the utilization of sewage sludge using anaerobic digestion, an integrated system that combines anaerobic digestion with greenhouse, composting and seaweed cultivation was proposed. Based on the concept of the integrated system, not only sewage sludge can be treated using anaerobic digestion that creates green energy, but also the by-products such as CO2 and heat produced during the process can be utilized for crops production. In this study, the potentials of such integrated system were discussed through the estimation of possible commercialized scale as well as comparison of energy consumption with conventional approach for sewage sludge treatment, which is the incineration. The estimation of possible commercialized scale was calculated based on the carbon flow of the system. Results showed that 25% of the current total electricity of the wastewater treatment plant can be covered by the energy produced using anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. It was estimated that the total energy consumption of the integrated system was actually 14% lower when compared to incineration approach. In addition to the large amount of crops that can be produced, all in all this study aimed to be the showcase of the potentials of sewage sludge as a biomass by implementing the proposed integrated system. The extra values of producing crops through the utilization of CO2 and heat can serve as a stimulus to the public, which would surely lead to higher interest to implement the utilization of sewage sludge using anaerobic digestion.

Advanced Education and Technology Business Plan, 2010-13. Highlights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, 2010

2010-01-01

The Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology envisions Alberta's prosperity through innovation and lifelong learning. Advanced Education and Technology's mission is to lead the development of a knowledge-driven future through a dynamic and integrated advanced learning and innovation system. This paper presents the highlights of the business…

Advanced Education and Technology Business Plan, 2011-14

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, 2011

2011-01-01

Advanced Education and Technology's mission is to lead the development of a knowledge-driven future through a dynamic and integrated advanced learning and innovation system. Its core businesses are to: (1) provide strategic leadership for Campus Alberta and Alberta Innovates; and (2) engage learners, industry and the community in learning…

"TIS": An Intelligent Gateway Computer for Information and Modeling Networks. Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hampel, Viktor E.; And Others

TIS (Technology Information System) is being used at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to develop software for Intelligent Gateway Computers (IGC) suitable for the prototyping of advanced, integrated information networks. Dedicated to information management, TIS leads the user to available information resources, on TIS or…

Microwave and radiofrequency techniques for clinical hyperthermia.

PubMed Central

Cheung, A. Y.

1982-01-01

Biological and practical constraints on the use of clinical hyperthermia for the management of cancer are discussed. Commonly used electromagnetic techniques for producing clinical hyperthermia are reviewed and compared. Innovative engineering designs leading to the realization of an integrated, safe and reliable clinical hyperthermia system are also presented. PMID:6950753

Forage and breed effects on behavior and temperament of pregnant beef heifers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Integration of behavioral observations with traditional selection schemes may lead to enhanced animal well-being and more profitable forage-based cattle production systems. Brahman-influenced (BR; n=64) and Gelbvieh x Angus (GA; n=64) heifers consumed either toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+)...

75 FR 56477 - Technical Amendments for Marine Spark-Ignition Engines and Vessels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-16

... spillage, incorporating safe recommended practices will result in a net benefit to the environment and lead... portable fuel tanks to these new requirements, manufacturers working together on systems integration.... We have engaged the industry to identify a simple, safe, and emissions neutral solution to this...

Integrated Learning with International Banking Executives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinke, Sabine; Briault, Steve

2007-01-01

The article describes an in-house executive development programme run by the authors in a leading banking group in the CEE region. The programme attempts to follow a systemic approach to learning and contains a mix of elements including action learning, classroom teaching, study, peer support and feedback and "learning visits" to…

Finding the Way

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coss, Gretchen

2007-01-01

Today's colleges and universities see the value of integrated and well-planned environmental graphics systems, creating a sense of place and extending a school's brand identity throughout the campus. The impact of including this vital element in a campus master plan reaches far beyond first impressions, leading to more cohesive and close-knit…

Linking Agricultural Crop Management and Air Quality Models for Regional to National-Scale Nitrogen Assessments

EPA Science Inventory

While nitrogen (N) is an essential element for life, human population growth and demands for energy, transportation and food can lead to excess nitrogen in the environment. A modeling framework is described and implemented to promote a more integrated, process-based and system le...

Integrating school-based and therapeutic conflict management models at schools.

PubMed

D'Oosterlinck, Franky; Broekaert, Eric

2003-08-01

Including children with emotional and behavioral needs in mainstream school systems leads to growing concern about the increasing number of violent and nonviolent conflicts. Schools must adapt to this evolution and adopt a more therapeutic dimension. This paper explores the possibility of integrating school-based and therapeutic conflict management models and compares two management models: a school-based conflict management program. Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers; and a therapeutic conflict management program, Life Space Crisis Intervention. The authors conclude that integration might be possible, but depends on establishing a positive school atmosphere, the central position of the teacher, and collaborative and social learning for pupils. Further implementation of integrated conflict management models can be considered but must be underpinned by appropriate scientific research.

Integrating water and agricultural management: collaborative governance for a complex policy problem.

PubMed

Fish, Rob D; Ioris, Antonio A R; Watson, Nigel M

2010-11-01

This paper examines governance requirements for integrating water and agricultural management (IWAM). The institutional arrangements for the agriculture and water sectors are complex and multi-dimensional, and integration cannot therefore be achieved through a simplistic 'additive' policy process. Effective integration requires the development of a new collaborative approach to governance that is designed to cope with scale dependencies and interactions, uncertainty and contested knowledge, and interdependency among diverse and unequal interests. When combined with interdisciplinary research, collaborative governance provides a viable normative model because of its emphasis on reciprocity, relationships, learning and creativity. Ultimately, such an approach could lead to the sorts of system adaptations and transformations that are required for IWAM. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CSDC: a nationwide screening platform for stroke control and prevention in China.

PubMed

Jinghui Yu; Huajian Mao; Mei Li; Dan Ye; Dongsheng Zhao

2016-08-01

As a leading cause of severe disability and death, stroke places an enormous burden on Chinese society. A nationwide stroke screening platform called CSDC (China Stoke Data Center) has been built to support the national stroke prevention program and stroke clinical research since 2011. This platform is composed of a data integration system and a big data analysis system. The data integration system is used to collect information on risk factors, diagnosis history, treatment, and sociodemographic characteristics and stroke patients' EMR. The big data analysis system support decision making of stroke control and prevention, clinical evaluation and research. In this paper, the design and implementation of CSDC are illustrated, and some application results are presented. This platform is expected to provide rich data and powerful tool support for stroke control and prevention in China.

Thin film system with integrated load and temperature sensors for the technical application in deep drawing process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biehl, Saskia; Paetsch, Nancy; Meyer-Kornblum, Eike

2017-05-01

In these days industry 4.0 resounded throughout the land and means the fourth industrial revolution. The industry has to tackle the task of a flexible and customer-oriented production. Therefor the need of sensor systems for the measurement of temperature and load, the two most important categories in production, is rising. For getting the real specification during the production process the integration of sensor elements in high load regions of machinery is very important. Thus wear resistant thin film sensor systems directly applied onto the surface of plant components are in development. These multilayer systems combine excellent wear resistance with sensory behaviour. The sensor data will lead to a deeper process understanding, to optimization of simulation tools, to reduction of rejects and to an improvement of flexibility in production.

Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders within management systems: A scoping review of practices, approaches, and techniques.

PubMed

Yazdani, Amin; Neumann, W Patrick; Imbeau, Daniel; Bigelow, Philip; Pagell, Mark; Wells, Richard

2015-11-01

The purpose of this study was to identify and summarize the current research evidence on approaches to preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) within Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS). Databases in business, engineering, and health and safety were searched and 718 potentially relevant publications were identified and examined for their relevance. Twenty-one papers met the selection criteria and were subjected to thematic analysis. There was very little literature describing the integration of MSD risk assessment and prevention into management systems. This lack of information may isolate MSD prevention, leading to difficulties in preventing these disorders at an organizational level. The findings of this review argue for further research to integrate MSD prevention into management systems and to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Volume Dynamics Propulsion System Modeling for Supersonics Vehicle Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopasakis, George; Connolly, Joseph W.; Paxson, Daniel E.; Ma, Peter

2010-01-01

Under the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program the Supersonics Project is working to overcome the obstacles to supersonic commercial flight. The proposed vehicles are long slim body aircraft with pronounced aero-servo-elastic modes. These modes can potentially couple with propulsion system dynamics; leading to performance challenges such as aircraft ride quality and stability. Other disturbances upstream of the engine generated from atmospheric wind gusts, angle of attack, and yaw can have similar effects. In addition, for optimal propulsion system performance, normal inlet-engine operations are required to be closer to compressor stall and inlet unstart. To study these phenomena an integrated model is needed that includes both airframe structural dynamics as well as the propulsion system dynamics. This paper covers the propulsion system component volume dynamics modeling of a turbojet engine that will be used for an integrated vehicle Aero-Propulso-Servo-Elastic model and for propulsion efficiency studies.

Volume Dynamics Propulsion System Modeling for Supersonics Vehicle Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopasakis, George; Connolly, Joseph W.; Paxson, Daniel E.; Ma, Peter

2008-01-01

Under the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program, the Supersonics Project is working to overcome the obstacles to supersonic commercial flight. The proposed vehicles are long slim body aircraft with pronounced aero-servo-elastic modes. These modes can potentially couple with propulsion system dynamics; leading to performance challenges such as aircraft ride quality and stability. Other disturbances upstream of the engine generated from atmospheric wind gusts, angle of attack, and yaw can have similar effects. In addition, for optimal propulsion system performance, normal inlet-engine operations are required to be closer to compressor stall and inlet unstart. To study these phenomena an integrated model is needed that includes both airframe structural dynamics as well as the propulsion system dynamics. This paper covers the propulsion system component volume dynamics modeling of a turbojet engine that will be used for an integrated vehicle Aero-Propulso-Servo-Elastic model and for propulsion efficiency studies.

Volume Dynamics Propulsion System Modeling for Supersonics Vehicle Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopasakis, George; Connolly, Joseph W.; Paxson, Daniel E.; Ma, Peter

2008-01-01

Under the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program the Supersonics Project is working to overcome the obstacles to supersonic commercial flight. The proposed vehicles are long slim body aircraft with pronounced aero-servo-elastic modes. These modes can potentially couple with propulsion system dynamics; leading to performance challenges such as aircraft ride quality and stability. Other disturbances upstream of the engine generated from atmospheric wind gusts, angle of attack, and yaw can have similar effects. In addition, for optimal propulsion system performance, normal inlet-engine operations are required to be closer to compressor stall and inlet unstart. To study these phenomena an integrated model is needed that includes both airframe structural dynamics as well as the propulsion system dynamics. This paper covers the propulsion system component volume dynamics modeling of a turbojet engine that will be used for an integrated vehicle Aero- Propulso-Servo-Elastic model and for propulsion efficiency studies.

Power Take-off System for Marine Renewable Devices, CRADA Number CRD-14-566

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

Muljadi, Eduard

Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) proposes a project to develop and test innovative second-generation power take-off (PTO) components for the U.S. Department of Energy's 2013 FOA: Marine and Hydrokinetic System Performance Advancement, Topic Area 2 (Project). Innovative PTO components will include new and improved designs for bearings, couplings and a subsea electrical generator. Specific project objectives include the following: (1) Develop components for an advanced PTO suitable for MHK devices; (2) Bench test these components; (3) Assess the component and system performance benefits; (4) Perform a system integration study to integrate these components into an ORPC hydrokinetic turbine. National Renewablemore » Energy Laboratory (NREL) will participate on the ORPC lead team to review design of the generator and will provide guidance on the design. Based on inputs from the project team, NREL will also provide an economic analysis of the impacts of the proposed system performance advancements.« less

Electronic transport close to semi-infinite 2D systems and their interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Fanbing; Wang, Jian; Jian Wang's research Group Team

Transport properties of 2D materials especially close to their boundary has received much attention after the successful fabrication of Graphene. While most previous work is devoted to the conventional lead-device-lead setup with a finite size center area, this project investigates real space transport properties of infinite and semi-infinite 2D systems under the framework of Non-equilibrium Green's function. The commonly used method of calculating Green's function by inverting matrices in the real space can be unstable in dealing with large systems as sometimes it gives non-converging result. By transforming from the real space to momentum space, the author managed to replace the matrix inverting process by Brillouin Zone integral which can be greatly simplified by the application of contour integral. Combining this methodology with Dyson equations, we are able to calculate transport properties of semi-infinite graphene close to its zigzag boundary and its combination with other material including s-wave superconductor. Interference pattern of transmitted and reflected electrons, Graphene lensing effects and difference between Specular Andreev reflection and normal Andreev reflection are verified. We also generalize how to apply this method to a broad range of 2D materials. The University of Hong Kong.

A Novel Robust H∞ Filter Based on Krein Space Theory in the SINS/CNS Attitude Reference System.

PubMed

Yu, Fei; Lv, Chongyang; Dong, Qianhui

2016-03-18

Owing to their numerous merits, such as compact, autonomous and independence, the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) and celestial navigation system (CNS) can be used in marine applications. What is more, due to the complementary navigation information obtained from two different kinds of sensors, the accuracy of the SINS/CNS integrated navigation system can be enhanced availably. Thus, the SINS/CNS system is widely used in the marine navigation field. However, the CNS is easily interfered with by the surroundings, which will lead to the output being discontinuous. Thus, the uncertainty problem caused by the lost measurement will reduce the system accuracy. In this paper, a robust H∞ filter based on the Krein space theory is proposed. The Krein space theory is introduced firstly, and then, the linear state and observation models of the SINS/CNS integrated navigation system are established reasonably. By taking the uncertainty problem into account, in this paper, a new robust H∞ filter is proposed to improve the robustness of the integrated system. At last, this new robust filter based on the Krein space theory is estimated by numerical simulations and actual experiments. Additionally, the simulation and experiment results and analysis show that the attitude errors can be reduced by utilizing the proposed robust filter effectively when the measurements are missing discontinuous. Compared to the traditional Kalman filter (KF) method, the accuracy of the SINS/CNS integrated system is improved, verifying the robustness and the availability of the proposed robust H∞ filter.

Integrated design strategy for product life-cycle management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, G. Patrick

2001-02-01

Two major trends suggest new considerations for environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) -- the continuation of dematerialization and the growing trend toward goods becoming services. A diversity of existing research could be integrated around those trends in ways that can enhance ECM. Major research-based achievements in information, computation, and communications systems, sophisticated and inexpensive sensing capabilities, highly automated and precise manufacturing technologies, and new materials continue to drive the phenomenon of dematerialization - the reduction of the material and energy content of per capita GDP. Knowledge is also growing about the sociology, economics, mathematics, management and organization of complex socio-economic systems. And that has driven a trend towards goods evolving into services. But even with these significant trends, the value of material, energy, information and human resources incorporated into the manufacture, use and disposal of modern products and services often far exceeds the benefits realized. Multi-disciplinary research integrating these drivers with advances in ECM concepts could be the basis for a new strategy of production. It is argued that a strategy of integrating information resources with physical and human resources over product life cycles, together with considering products as streams of service over time, could lead to significant economic payoff. That strategy leads to an overall design concept to minimize costs of all resources over the product life cycle to more fully capture benefits of all resources incorporated into modern products. It is possible by including life cycle monitoring, periodic component replacement, re-manufacture, salvage and human factor skill enhancement into initial design.

Integrated Care and Connected Health Approaches Leveraging Personalised Health through Big Data Analytics.

PubMed

Maglaveras, Nicos; Kilintzis, Vassilis; Koutkias, Vassilis; Chouvarda, Ioanna

2016-01-01

Integrated care and connected health are two fast evolving concepts that have the potential to leverage personalised health. From the one side, the restructuring of care models and implementation of new systems and integrated care programs providing coaching and advanced intervention possibilities, enable medical decision support and personalized healthcare services. From the other side, the connected health ecosystem builds the means to follow and support citizens via personal health systems in their everyday activities and, thus, give rise to an unprecedented wealth of data. These approaches are leading to the deluge of complex data, as well as in new types of interactions with and among users of the healthcare ecosystem. The main challenges refer to the data layer, the information layer, and the output of information processing and analytics. In all the above mentioned layers, the primary concern is the quality both in data and information, thus, increasing the need for filtering mechanisms. Especially in the data layer, the big biodata management and analytics ecosystem is evolving, telemonitoring is a step forward for data quality leverage, with numerous challenges still left to address, partly due to the large number of micro-nano sensors and technologies available today, as well as the heterogeneity in the users' background and data sources. This leads to new R&D pathways as it concerns biomedical information processing and management, as well as to the design of new intelligent decision support systems (DSS) and interventions for patients. In this paper, we illustrate these issues through exemplar research targeting chronic patients, illustrating the current status and trends in PHS within the integrated care and connected care world.

Toward Wearable Self-Charging Power Systems: The Integration of Energy-Harvesting and Storage Devices.

PubMed

Pu, Xiong; Hu, Weiguo; Wang, Zhong Lin

2018-01-01

One major challenge for wearable electronics is that the state-of-the-art batteries are inadequate to provide sufficient energy for long-term operations, leading to inconvenient battery replacement or frequent recharging. Other than the pursuit of high energy density of secondary batteries, an alternative approach recently drawing intensive attention from the research community, is to integrate energy-generation and energy-storage devices into self-charging power systems (SCPSs), so that the scavenged energy can be simultaneously stored for sustainable power supply. This paper reviews recent developments in SCPSs with the integration of various energy-harvesting devices (including piezoelectric nanogenerators, triboelectric nanogenerators, solar cells, and thermoelectric nanogenerators) and energy-storage devices, such as batteries and supercapacitors. SCPSs with multiple energy-harvesting devices are also included. Emphasis is placed on integrated flexible or wearable SCPSs. Remaining challenges and perspectives are also examined to suggest how to bring the appealing SCPSs into practical applications in the near future. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Integrated fiber optic light probe: Measurement of static deflections in rotating turbomachinery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhadwal, Harbans S.; Mehmud, Ali; Khan, Romel; Kurkov, Anatole

1996-02-01

This paper describes the design, fabrication, and testing of an integrated fiber optic light probe system for monitoring blade tip deflections, vibrational modes, and changes in blade tip clearances in the compressor stage of rotating turbomachinery. The system comprises a set of integrated fiber optic light probes which are positioned to detect the passing blade tip at the leading and the trailing edges. In this configuration measurements of both blade vibrations and steady-state blade deflection can be obtained from the timing information provided by each light probe, which comprises an integrated fiber optic transmitting channel and a number of high numerical aperture receiving fibers, all mounted in the same cylindrical housing. A spatial resolution of 50 μm is possible with the integrated fiber optic technology, while keeping the outer diameter below 2.5 mm. Additionally, one fiber sensor provides a capability of monitoring changes in the blade tip clearance of the order of 10 μm. Measurements from a single stage compressor facility and an engine-fan rig in a 9 ft×15 ft subsonic wind tunnel are presented.

Neutronic calculation of fast reactors by the EUCLID/V1 integrated code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koltashev, D. A.; Stakhanova, A. A.

2017-01-01

This article considers neutronic calculation of a fast-neutron lead-cooled reactor BREST-OD-300 by the EUCLID/V1 integrated code. The main goal of development and application of integrated codes is a nuclear power plant safety justification. EUCLID/V1 is integrated code designed for coupled neutronics, thermomechanical and thermohydraulic fast reactor calculations under normal and abnormal operating conditions. EUCLID/V1 code is being developed in the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The integrated code has a modular structure and consists of three main modules: thermohydraulic module HYDRA-IBRAE/LM/V1, thermomechanical module BERKUT and neutronic module DN3D. In addition, the integrated code includes databases with fuel, coolant and structural materials properties. Neutronic module DN3D provides full-scale simulation of neutronic processes in fast reactors. Heat sources distribution, control rods movement, reactivity level changes and other processes can be simulated. Neutron transport equation in multigroup diffusion approximation is solved. This paper contains some calculations implemented as a part of EUCLID/V1 code validation. A fast-neutron lead-cooled reactor BREST-OD-300 transient simulation (fuel assembly floating, decompression of passive feedback system channel) and cross-validation with MCU-FR code results are presented in this paper. The calculations demonstrate EUCLID/V1 code application for BREST-OD-300 simulating and safety justification.

Quantization with maximally degenerate Poisson brackets: the harmonic oscillator!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nutku, Yavuz

2003-07-01

Nambu's construction of multi-linear brackets for super-integrable systems can be thought of as degenerate Poisson brackets with a maximal set of Casimirs in their kernel. By introducing privileged coordinates in phase space these degenerate Poisson brackets are brought to the form of Heisenberg's equations. We propose a definition for constructing quantum operators for classical functions, which enables us to turn the maximally degenerate Poisson brackets into operators. They pose a set of eigenvalue problems for a new state vector. The requirement of the single-valuedness of this eigenfunction leads to quantization. The example of the harmonic oscillator is used to illustrate this general procedure for quantizing a class of maximally super-integrable systems.

GTA (ground test accelerator) Phase 1: Baseline design report

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

Not Available

1986-08-01

The national Neutral Particle Beam (NPB) program has two objectives: to provide the necessary basis for a discriminator/weapon decision by 1992, and to develop the technology in stages that lead ultimately to a neutral particle beam weapon. The ground test accelerator (GTA) is the test bed that permits the advancement of the state-of-the-art under experimental conditions in an integrated automated system mode. An intermediate goal of the GTA program is to support the Integrated Space Experiments, while the ultimate goal is to support the 1992 decision. The GTA system and each of its major subsystems are described, and project schedulesmore » and resource requirements are provided. (LEW)« less

Short-Term Load Forecasting Error Distributions and Implications for Renewable Integration Studies: Preprint

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

Hodge, B. M.; Lew, D.; Milligan, M.

2013-01-01

Load forecasting in the day-ahead timescale is a critical aspect of power system operations that is used in the unit commitment process. It is also an important factor in renewable energy integration studies, where the combination of load and wind or solar forecasting techniques create the net load uncertainty that must be managed by the economic dispatch process or with suitable reserves. An understanding of that load forecasting errors that may be expected in this process can lead to better decisions about the amount of reserves necessary to compensate errors. In this work, we performed a statistical analysis of themore » day-ahead (and two-day-ahead) load forecasting errors observed in two independent system operators for a one-year period. Comparisons were made with the normal distribution commonly assumed in power system operation simulations used for renewable power integration studies. Further analysis identified time periods when the load is more likely to be under- or overforecast.« less

Control Systems Cyber Security:Defense in Depth Strategies

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

David Kuipers; Mark Fabro

2006-05-01

Information infrastructures across many public and private domains share several common attributes regarding IT deployments and data communications. This is particularly true in the control systems domain. A majority of the systems use robust architectures to enhance business and reduce costs by increasing the integration of external, business, and control system networks. However, multi-network integration strategies often lead to vulnerabilities that greatly reduce the security of an organization, and can expose mission-critical control systems to cyber threats. This document provides guidance and direction for developing ‘defense-in-depth’ strategies for organizations that use control system networks while maintaining a multi-tier information architecturemore » that requires: Maintenance of various field devices, telemetry collection, and/or industrial-level process systems Access to facilities via remote data link or modem Public facing services for customer or corporate operations A robust business environment that requires connections among the control system domain, the external Internet, and other peer organizations.« less

Control Systems Cyber Security: Defense-in-Depth Strategies

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

Mark Fabro

2007-10-01

Information infrastructures across many public and private domains share several common attributes regarding IT deployments and data communications. This is particularly true in the control systems domain. A majority of the systems use robust architectures to enhance business and reduce costs by increasing the integration of external, business, and control system networks. However, multi-network integration strategies often lead to vulnerabilities that greatly reduce the security of an organization, and can expose mission-critical control systems to cyber threats. This document provides guidance and direction for developing ‘defense-in-depth’ strategies for organizations that use control system networks while maintaining a multi-tier information architecturemore » that requires: • Maintenance of various field devices, telemetry collection, and/or industrial-level process systems • Access to facilities via remote data link or modem • Public facing services for customer or corporate operations • A robust business environment that requires connections among the control system domain, the external Internet, and other peer organizations.« less

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): A Systems Approach to a Complex Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruffa, John A.; Ward, David K.; Bartusek, LIsa M.; Bay, Michael; Gonzales, Peter J.; Pesnell, William D.

2012-01-01

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) includes three advanced instruments, massive science data volume, stringent science data completeness requirements, and a custom ground station to meet mission demands. The strict instrument science requirements imposed a number of challenging drivers on the overall mission system design, leading the SDO team to adopt an integrated systems engineering presence across all aspects of the mission to ensure that mission science requirements would be met. Key strategies were devised to address these system level drivers and mitigate identified threats to mission success. The global systems engineering team approach ensured that key drivers and risk areas were rigorously addressed through all phases of the mission, leading to the successful SDO launch and on-orbit operation. Since launch, SDO's on-orbit performance has met all mission science requirements and enabled groundbreaking science observations, expanding our understanding of the Sun and its dynamic processes.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): A Systems Approach to a Complex Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruffa, John A.; Ward, David K.; Bartusek, Lisa M.; Bay, Michael; Gonzales, Peter J.; Pesnell, William D.

2012-01-01

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) includes three advanced instruments, massive science data volume, stringent science data completeness requirements, and a custom ground station to meet mission demands. The strict instrument science requirements imposed a number of challenging drivers on the overall mission system design, leading the SDO team to adopt an integrated systems engineering presence across all aspects of the mission to ensure that mission science requirements would be met. Key strategies were devised to address these system level drivers and mitigate identified threats to mission success. The global systems engineering team approach ensured that key drivers and risk areas were rigorously addressed through all phases of the mission, leading to the successful SDO launch and on-orbit operation. Since launch, SDO s on-orbit performance has met all mission science requirements and enabled groundbreaking science observations, expanding our understanding of the Sun and its dynamic processes.

Task Force 62 Medical Brigade combat healthcare support system in the mature Iraq theater of operations.

PubMed

Sargent, Patrick D

2008-01-01

Leading a deployed combat healthcare system is a very complex task and requires a command and control structure that is a unique blend of technical and tactical expertise to efficaciously deliver world-class medical care to America's sons and daughters. The medical task force in Iraq has successfully managed the transformation of the medical footprint from a tactically arrayed set of disparate medical units to a nascent integrated healthcare system with many features similar to the best healthcare systems in the United States. The American public demands, and Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen deserve US quality medical care, whether they are being treated at a military medical center in the US, or a US medical facility in Iraq. This article presents an overview of the 62nd Medical Brigade's development of the combat healthcare support system during its tenure leading the US medical task force in Iraq.

Requirements for future automotive batteries - a snapshot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karden, Eckhard; Shinn, Paul; Bostock, Paul; Cunningham, James; Schoultz, Evan; Kok, Daniel

Introduction of new fuel economy, performance, safety, and comfort features in future automobiles will bring up many new, power-hungry electrical systems. As a consequence, demands on automotive batteries will grow substantially, e.g. regarding reliability, energy throughput (shallow-cycle life), charge acceptance, and high-rate partial state-of-charge (HRPSOC) operation. As higher voltage levels are mostly not an economically feasible alternative for the short term, the existing 14 V electrical system will have to fulfil these new demands, utilizing advanced 12 V energy storage devices. The well-established lead-acid battery technology is expected to keep playing a key role in this application. Compared to traditional starting-lighting-ignition (SLI) batteries, significant technological progress has been achieved or can be expected, which improve both performance and service life. System integration of the storage device into the vehicle will become increasingly important. Battery monitoring systems (BMS) are expected to become a commodity, penetrating the automotive volume market from both highly equipped premium cars and dedicated fuel-economy vehicles (e.g. stop/start). Battery monitoring systems will allow for more aggressive battery operating strategies, at the same time improving the reliability of the power supply system. Where a single lead-acid battery cannot fulfil the increasing demands, dual-storage systems may form a cost-efficient extension. They consist either of two lead-acid batteries or of a lead-acid battery plus another storage device.

The drainage information and control system of smart city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Tonglei; Li, Lei; Liu, JiChang; Cheng, Liang; Zhang, Jing; Song, Zengzhong; Liu, Lianhai; Hu, Zichen

2018-03-01

At present, due to the continuous expansion of city and the increase of the municipal drainage facilities, which leads to a serious lack of management and operation personnel, the existing production management pattern already can't adapt to the new requirements. In this paper, according to river drainage management, flood control, water management, auditing, administrative license, etc. different business management requirement, an information management system for water planning and design of smart city based on WebGIS in Linyi was introduced, which can collect the various information of gate dam, water pump, bridge sensor and traffic guide terminal nodes etc. together. The practical application show that the system can not only implement the sharing, resources integration and collaborative application for the regional water information, but also improve the level of the integrated water management.

Integrating Variable Renewable Energy in Electric Power Markets. Best Practices from International Experience

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

Cochran, Jaquelin; Bird, Lori; Heeter, Jenny

Many countries—reflecting very different geographies, markets, and power systems—are successfully managing high levels of variable renewable energy on the electric grid, including that from wind and solar energy. This document summarizes policy best practices that energy ministers and other stakeholders can pursue to ensure that electricity markets and power systems can effectively coevolve with increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy. There is no one-size-fits-all approach; each country studied has crafted its own combination of policies, market designs, and system operations to achieve the system reliability and flexibility needed to successfully integrate renewables. Notwithstanding this diversity, the approaches taken by themore » countries studied all coalesce around five strategic areas: lead public engagement, particularly for new transmission; coordinate and integrate planning; develop rules for market evolution that enable system flexibility; expand access to diverse resources and geographic footprint of operations; and improve system operations. This study also emphatically underscores the value of countries sharing their experiences. The more diverse and robust the experience base from which a country can draw, the more likely that it will be able to implement an appropriate, optimized, and system-wide approach.« less

Fiber Optic Control System Integration program: for optical flight control system development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, Thomas L.; Seal, Daniel W.

1994-10-01

Hardware and software were developed for optical feedback links in the flight control system of an F/A-18 aircraft. Developments included passive optical sensors and optoelectronics to operate the sensors. Sensors with different methods of operation were obtained from different manufacturers and integrated with common optoelectronics. The sensors were the following: Air Data Temperature; Air Data Pressure; and Leading Edge Flap, Nose Wheel Steering, Trailing Edge Flap, Pitch Stick, Rudder, Rudder Pedal, Stabilator, and Engine Power Lever Control Position. The sensors were built for a variety of aircraft locations and harsh environments. The sensors and optoelectronics were as similar as practical to a production system. The integrated system was installed by NASA for flight testing. Wavelength Division Multiplexing proved successful as a system design philosophy. Some sensors appeared to be better choices for aircraft applications than others, with digital sensors generally being better than analog sensors, and rotary sensors generally being better than linear sensors. The most successful sensor approaches were selected for use in a follow-on program in which the sensors will not just be flown on the aircraft and their performance recorded; but, the optical sensors will be used in closing flight control loops.

Microphotonic devices for compact planar lightwave circuits and sensor systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardenas Gonzalez, Jaime

2005-07-01

Higher levels of integration in planar lightwave circuits and sensor systems can reduce fabrication costs and broaden viable applications for optical network and sensor systems. For example, increased integration and functionality can lead to sensor systems that are compact enough for easy transport, rugged enough for field applications, and sensitive enough even for laboratory applications. On the other hand, more functional and compact planar lightwave circuits can make optical networks components less expensive for the metro and access markets in urban areas and allow penetration of fiber to the home. Thus, there is an important area of opportunity for increased integration to provide low cost, compact solutions in both network components and sensor systems. In this dissertation, a novel splitting structure for microcantilever deflection detection is introduced. The splitting structure is designed so that its splitting ratio is dependent on the vertical position of the microcantilever. With this structure, microcantilevers sensitized to detect different analytes or biological agents can be integrated into an array on a single chip. Additionally, the integration of a depolarizer into the optoelectronic integrated circuit in an interferometric fiber optic gyroscope is presented as a means for cost reduction. The savings come in avoiding labor intensive fiber pigtailing steps by permitting batch fabrication of these components. In particular, this dissertation focuses on the design of the waveguides and polarization rotator, and the impact of imperfect components on the performance of the depolarizer. In the area of planar lightwave circuits, this dissertation presents the development of a fabrication process for single air interface bends (SAIBs). SAIBs can increase integration by reducing the area necessary to make a waveguide bend. Fabrication and measurement of a 45° SAIB with a bend efficiency of 93.4% for TM polarization and 92.7% for TE polarization are presented.

Built-In Data-Flow Integration Testing in Large-Scale Component-Based Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piel, Éric; Gonzalez-Sanchez, Alberto; Gross, Hans-Gerhard

Modern large-scale component-based applications and service ecosystems are built following a number of different component models and architectural styles, such as the data-flow architectural style. In this style, each building block receives data from a previous one in the flow and sends output data to other components. This organisation expresses information flows adequately, and also favours decoupling between the components, leading to easier maintenance and quicker evolution of the system. Integration testing is a major means to ensure the quality of large systems. Their size and complexity, together with the fact that they are developed and maintained by several stake holders, make Built-In Testing (BIT) an attractive approach to manage their integration testing. However, so far no technique has been proposed that combines BIT and data-flow integration testing. We have introduced the notion of a virtual component in order to realize such a combination. It permits to define the behaviour of several components assembled to process a flow of data, using BIT. Test-cases are defined in a way that they are simple to write and flexible to adapt. We present two implementations of our proposed virtual component integration testing technique, and we extend our previous proposal to detect and handle errors in the definition by the user. The evaluation of the virtual component testing approach suggests that more issues can be detected in systems with data-flows than through other integration testing approaches.

Genetic plasticity of the Shigella virulence plasmid is mediated by intra- and inter-molecular events between insertion sequences.

PubMed

Pilla, Giulia; McVicker, Gareth; Tang, Christoph M

2017-09-01

Acquisition of a single copy, large virulence plasmid, pINV, led to the emergence of Shigella spp. from Escherichia coli. The plasmid encodes a Type III secretion system (T3SS) on a 30 kb pathogenicity island (PAI), and is maintained in a bacterial population through a series of toxin:antitoxin (TA) systems which mediate post-segregational killing (PSK). The T3SS imposes a significant cost on the bacterium, and strains which have lost the plasmid and/or genes encoding the T3SS grow faster than wild-type strains in the laboratory, and fail to bind the indicator dye Congo Red (CR). Our aim was to define the molecular events in Shigella flexneri that cause loss of Type III secretion (T3S), and to examine whether TA systems exert positional effects on pINV. During growth at 37°C, we found that deletions of regions of the plasmid including the PAI lead to the emergence of CR-negative colonies; deletions occur through intra-molecular recombination events between insertion sequences (ISs) flanking the PAI. Furthermore, by repositioning MvpAT (which belongs to the VapBC family of TA systems) near the PAI, we demonstrate that the location of this TA system alters the rearrangements that lead to loss of T3S, indicating that MvpAT acts both globally (by reducing loss of pINV through PSK) as well as locally (by preventing loss of adjacent sequences). During growth at environmental temperatures, we show for the first time that pINV spontaneously integrates into different sites in the chromosome, and this is mediated by inter-molecular events involving IS1294. Integration leads to reduced PAI gene expression and impaired secretion through the T3SS, while excision of pINV from the chromosome restores T3SS function. Therefore, pINV integration provides a reversible mechanism for Shigella to circumvent the metabolic burden imposed by pINV. Intra- and inter-molecular events between ISs, which are abundant in Shigella spp., mediate plasticity of S. flexneri pINV.

Integration of language and sensor information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perlovsky, Leonid I.; Weijers, Bertus

2003-04-01

The talk describes the development of basic technologies of intelligent systems fusing data from multiple domains and leading to automated computational techniques for understanding data contents. Understanding involves inferring appropriate decisions and recommending proper actions, which in turn requires fusion of data and knowledge about objects, situations, and actions. Data might include sensory data, verbal reports, intelligence intercepts, or public records, whereas knowledge ought to encompass the whole range of objects, situations, people and their behavior, and knowledge of languages. In the past, a fundamental difficulty in combining knowledge with data was the combinatorial complexity of computations, too many combinations of data and knowledge pieces had to be evaluated. Recent progress in understanding of natural intelligent systems, including the human mind, leads to the development of neurophysiologically motivated architectures for solving these challenging problems, in particular the role of emotional neural signals in overcoming combinatorial complexity of old logic-based approaches. Whereas past approaches based on logic tended to identify logic with language and thinking, recent studies in cognitive linguistics have led to appreciation of more complicated nature of linguistic models. Little is known about the details of the brain mechanisms integrating language and thinking. Understanding and fusion of linguistic information with sensory data represent a novel challenging aspect of the development of integrated fusion systems. The presentation will describe a non-combinatorial approach to this problem and outline techniques that can be used for fusing diverse and uncertain knowledge with sensory and linguistic data.

System and prospects of China's intercity rail transit technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Ming

2018-06-01

City clusters and metropolitan areas in China are flourishing in the midst of the deepening urbanization in the country, thereby resulting in the emergence of intercity rail transit. Intercity railways connect mainline and urban railways for an integrated regional transportation system that underpins and leads the development of city clusters and metropolitan areas. This study explores the development mode and service characteristics of intercity rail transit, as well as proposes overviews on this system and prospects of its future technology in China.

The California Central Coast Research Partnership: Building Relationships, Partnerships and Paradigms for University-Industry Research Collaboration

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-10-14

of the decision-support systems that underlie and are key to these strategies. Cal Poly’s Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center is the...architect and lead developer of one of the first such systems: IMMACCS (Integrated Marine Multi- Agent Command and Control System), with JPL, SPAWAR...presented later in this document. An overview of accomplishments to date on the project follows: " Research carried out by the CADRC (Cooperative Agent

The immune system and skin cancer.

PubMed

Yu, Sherry H; Bordeaux, Jeremy S; Baron, Elma D

2014-01-01

Carcinogenesis involves multiple mechanisms that disturb genomic integrity and encourage abnormal proliferation. The immune system plays an integral role in maintaining homeostasis and these mechanisms may arrest or enhance dysplasia. There exists a large body of evidence from organ transplantation literature supporting the significance of the immune suppression in the development of skin cancer. Nonmelanoma skin cancers are the most frequent neoplasms after organ transplantation, with organ transplant recipients having a 65-fold increase in squamous cell carcinoma incidence and 10-fold increase in basal cell carcinoma incidence. Similarly, UV-radiation (UVR) induced immunosuppression is correlated with the development of cutaneous malignancies in a dose-dependent manner. This was first shown several decades ago by Margaret Kripke, when transplanted tumors were rejected in mice with competent immune systems, but grew unchecked in immunosuppressed specimens. After UV exposure, chromophores initiate a cascade that leads to immunosuppression via derangement of Langerhans cells' antigen-presenting capacity. UV-irradiated Langerhans cells present antigens to Th2 cells, but fail to stimulate Th1 cells. A subset of T regulatory cells, specific for the antigen encountered after UVR, is also stimulated to proliferate. In general UV irradiation leads to a greater number of T regulatory cells and fewer effector T cells in the skin, shiftingthe balance from T-cell-mediated immunity to immunosuppression. These regulatory cells have the phenotype CD4+, CD25+, Foxp3+, CTLA-4+. These and many other changes in local immunity lead to a suppressed immune state, which allow for skin cancer development.

Impact of Vial Capping on Residual Seal Force and Container Closure Integrity.

PubMed

Mathaes, Roman; Mahler, Hanns-Christian; Roggo, Yves; Ovadia, Robert; Lam, Philippe; Stauch, Oliver; Vogt, Martin; Roehl, Holger; Huwyler, Joerg; Mohl, Silke; Streubel, Alexander

2016-01-01

The vial capping process is a critical unit operation during drug product manufacturing, as it could possibly generate cosmetic defects or even affect container closure integrity. Yet there is significant variability in capping equipment and processes, and their relation to potential defects or container closure integrity has not been thoroughly studied. In this study we applied several methods-residual seal force tester, a self-developed system of a piezo force sensor measurement, and computed tomography-to characterize different container closure system combinations that had been sealed using different capping process parameter settings. Additionally, container closure integrity of these samples was measured using helium leakage (physical container closure integrity) and compared to characterization data. The different capping equipment settings lead to residual seal force values from 7 to 115 N. High residual seal force values were achieved with high capping pre-compression force and a short distance between the capping plate and plunge. The choice of container closure system influenced the obtained residual seal force values. The residual seal force tester and piezoelectric measurements showed similar trends. All vials passed physical container closure integrity testing, and no stopper rupture was seen with any of the settings applied, suggesting that container closure integrity was warranted for the studied container closure system with the chosen capping setting ranges. The vial capping process is a critical unit operation during drug product manufacturing, as it could possibly generate cosmetic defects or even affect container closure integrity. Yet there is significant variability in capping equipment and processes, and their relation to potential defects or container closure integrity has not been thoroughly studied. In this study we applied several methods-residual seal force tester, a self-developed system of a piezo force sensor measurement, and computed tomography-to characterize different container closure system combinations that had been sealed using different capping process parameter settings. The residual seal force tester can analyze a variety of different container closure systems independent of the capping equipment. An adequate and safe residual seal force range for each container closure system configuration can be established with the residual seal force tester and additional methods like computed tomography scans and leak testing. In the residual seal force range studied, the physical container closure integrity of the container closure system was warranted. © PDA, Inc. 2016.

Cross-species coherence in effects and modes of action in support of causality determinations in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Integrated Science Assessment for Lead.

PubMed

Lassiter, Meredith Gooding; Owens, Elizabeth Oesterling; Patel, Molini M; Kirrane, Ellen; Madden, Meagan; Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer; Hines, Erin Pias; Davis, J Allen; Vinikoor-Imler, Lisa; Dubois, Jean-Jacques

2015-04-01

The peer-reviewed literature on the health and ecological effects of lead (Pb) indicates common effects and underlying modes of action across multiple organisms for several endpoints. Based on such observations, the United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) applied a cross-species approach in the 2013 Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Lead for evaluating the causality of relationships between Pb exposure and specific endpoints that are shared by humans, laboratory animals, and ecological receptors (i.e., hematological effects, reproductive and developmental effects, and nervous system effects). Other effects of Pb (i.e., cardiovascular, renal, and inflammatory responses) are less commonly assessed in aquatic and terrestrial wildlife limiting the application of cross-species comparisons. Determinations of causality in ISAs are guided by a framework for classifying the weight of evidence across scientific disciplines and across related effects by considering aspects such as biological plausibility and coherence. As illustrated for effects of Pb where evidence across species exists, the integration of coherent effects and common underlying modes of action can serve as a means to substantiate conclusions regarding the causal nature of the health and ecological effects of environmental toxicants. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Supporting community annotation and user collaboration in the integrated microbial genomes (IMG) system

DOE PAGES

Chen, I-Min A.; Markowitz, Victor M.; Palaniappan, Krishna; ...

2016-04-26

Background: The exponential growth of genomic data from next generation technologies renders traditional manual expert curation effort unsustainable. Many genomic systems have included community annotation tools to address the problem. Most of these systems adopted a "Wiki-based" approach to take advantage of existing wiki technologies, but encountered obstacles in issues such as usability, authorship recognition, information reliability and incentive for community participation. Results: Here, we present a different approach, relying on tightly integrated method rather than "Wiki-based" method, to support community annotation and user collaboration in the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system. The IMG approach allows users to use existingmore » IMG data warehouse and analysis tools to add gene, pathway and biosynthetic cluster annotations, to analyze/reorganize contigs, genes and functions using workspace datasets, and to share private user annotations and workspace datasets with collaborators. We show that the annotation effort using IMG can be part of the research process to overcome the user incentive and authorship recognition problems thus fostering collaboration among domain experts. The usability and reliability issues are addressed by the integration of curated information and analysis tools in IMG, together with DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) expert review. Conclusion: By incorporating annotation operations into IMG, we provide an integrated environment for users to perform deeper and extended data analysis and annotation in a single system that can lead to publications and community knowledge sharing as shown in the case studies.« less

Supporting community annotation and user collaboration in the integrated microbial genomes (IMG) system

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

Chen, I-Min A.; Markowitz, Victor M.; Palaniappan, Krishna

Background: The exponential growth of genomic data from next generation technologies renders traditional manual expert curation effort unsustainable. Many genomic systems have included community annotation tools to address the problem. Most of these systems adopted a "Wiki-based" approach to take advantage of existing wiki technologies, but encountered obstacles in issues such as usability, authorship recognition, information reliability and incentive for community participation. Results: Here, we present a different approach, relying on tightly integrated method rather than "Wiki-based" method, to support community annotation and user collaboration in the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system. The IMG approach allows users to use existingmore » IMG data warehouse and analysis tools to add gene, pathway and biosynthetic cluster annotations, to analyze/reorganize contigs, genes and functions using workspace datasets, and to share private user annotations and workspace datasets with collaborators. We show that the annotation effort using IMG can be part of the research process to overcome the user incentive and authorship recognition problems thus fostering collaboration among domain experts. The usability and reliability issues are addressed by the integration of curated information and analysis tools in IMG, together with DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) expert review. Conclusion: By incorporating annotation operations into IMG, we provide an integrated environment for users to perform deeper and extended data analysis and annotation in a single system that can lead to publications and community knowledge sharing as shown in the case studies.« less

76 FR 51365 - Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-18

... Assessment for Lead (First External Review Draft--May 2011). DATES: The CASAC Lead Review Panel... Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (First External Review Draft--May 2011) and to provide consultative... draft letter reviewing EPA's Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (First External Review Draft--May...

A Wireless Capsule Endoscope System With Low-Power Controlling and Processing ASIC.

PubMed

Xinkai Chen; Xiaoyu Zhang; Linwei Zhang; Xiaowen Li; Nan Qi; Hanjun Jiang; Zhihua Wang

2009-02-01

This paper presents the design of a wireless capsule endoscope system. The proposed system is mainly composed of a CMOS image sensor, a RF transceiver and a low-power controlling and processing application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Several design challenges involving system power reduction, system miniaturization and wireless wake-up method are resolved by employing optimized system architecture, integration of an area and power efficient image compression module, a power management unit (PMU) and a novel wireless wake-up subsystem with zero standby current in the ASIC design. The ASIC has been fabricated in 0.18-mum CMOS technology with a die area of 3.4 mm * 3.3 mm. The digital baseband can work under a power supply down to 0.95 V with a power dissipation of 1.3 mW. The prototype capsule based on the ASIC and a data recorder has been developed. Test result shows that proposed system architecture with local image compression lead to an average of 45% energy reduction for transmitting an image frame.

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

Cooperstock, F.I., E-mail: cooperst@uvic.ca; Dupre, M.J., E-mail: mdupre@tulane.edu

We introduce a naturally-defined totally invariant spacetime energy expression for general relativity incorporating the contribution from gravity. The extension links seamlessly to the action integral for the gravitational field. The demand that the general expression for arbitrary systems reduces to the Tolman integral in the case of stationary bounded distributions, leads to the matter-localized Ricci integral for energy–momentum in support of the energy localization hypothesis. The role of the observer is addressed and as an extension of the special relativistic case, the field of observers comoving with the matter is seen to compute the intrinsic global energy of a system.more » The new localized energy supports the Bonnor claim that the Szekeres collapsing dust solutions are energy-conserving. It is suggested that in the extreme of strong gravity, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle be generalized in terms of spacetime energy–momentum. -- Highlights: •We present a totally invariant spacetime energy expression for general relativity incorporating the contribution from gravity. •Demand for the general expression to reduce to the Tolman integral for stationary systems supports the Ricci integral as energy–momentum. •Localized energy via the Ricci integral is consistent with the energy localization hypothesis. •New localized energy supports the Bonnor claim that the Szekeres collapsing dust solutions are energy-conserving. •Suggest the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle be generalized in terms of spacetime energy–momentum in strong gravity extreme.« less

Engineering challenges for instrumenting and controlling integrated organ-on-chip systems.

PubMed

Wikswo, John P; Block, Frank E; Cliffel, David E; Goodwin, Cody R; Marasco, Christina C; Markov, Dmitry A; McLean, David L; McLean, John A; McKenzie, Jennifer R; Reiserer, Ronald S; Samson, Philip C; Schaffer, David K; Seale, Kevin T; Sherrod, Stacy D

2013-03-01

The sophistication and success of recently reported microfabricated organs-on-chips and human organ constructs have made it possible to design scaled and interconnected organ systems that may significantly augment the current drug development pipeline and lead to advances in systems biology. Physiologically realistic live microHuman (μHu) and milliHuman (mHu) systems operating for weeks to months present exciting and important engineering challenges such as determining the appropriate size for each organ to ensure appropriate relative organ functional activity, achieving appropriate cell density, providing the requisite universal perfusion media, sensing the breadth of physiological responses, and maintaining stable control of the entire system, while maintaining fluid scaling that consists of ~5 mL for the mHu and ~5 μL for the μHu. We believe that successful mHu and μHu systems for drug development and systems biology will require low-volume microdevices that support chemical signaling, microfabricated pumps, valves and microformulators, automated optical microscopy, electrochemical sensors for rapid metabolic assessment, ion mobility-mass spectrometry for real-time molecular analysis, advanced bioinformatics, and machine learning algorithms for automated model inference and integrated electronic control. Toward this goal, we are building functional prototype components and are working toward top-down system integration.

Estimating the snowfall limit in alpine and pre-alpine valleys: A local evaluation of operational approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehlmann, Michael; Gascón, Estíbaliz; Rohrer, Mario; Schwarb, Manfred; Stoffel, Markus

2018-05-01

The snowfall limit has important implications for different hazardous processes associated with prolonged or heavy precipitation such as flash floods, rain-on-snow events and freezing precipitation. To increase preparedness and to reduce risk in such situations, early warning systems are frequently used to monitor and predict precipitation events at different temporal and spatial scales. However, in alpine and pre-alpine valleys, the estimation of the snowfall limit remains rather challenging. In this study, we characterize uncertainties related to snowfall limit for different lead times based on local measurements of a vertically pointing micro rain radar (MRR) and a disdrometer in the Zulg valley, Switzerland. Regarding the monitoring, we show that the interpolation of surface temperatures tends to overestimate the altitude of the snowfall limit and can thus lead to highly uncertain estimates of liquid precipitation in the catchment. This bias is much smaller in the Integrated Nowcasting through Comprehensive Analysis (INCA) system, which integrates surface station and remotely sensed data as well as outputs of a numerical weather prediction model. To reduce systematic error, we perform a bias correction based on local MRR measurements and thereby demonstrate the added value of such measurements for the estimation of liquid precipitation in the catchment. Regarding the nowcasting, we show that the INCA system provides good estimates up to 6 h ahead and is thus considered promising for operational hydrological applications. Finally, we explore the medium-range forecasting of precipitation type, especially with respect to rain-on-snow events. We show for a selected case study that the probability for a certain precipitation type in an ensemble-based forecast is more persistent than the respective type in the high-resolution forecast (HRES) of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts Integrated Forecasting System (ECMWF IFS). In this case study, the ensemble-based forecast could be used to anticipate such an event up to 7-8 days ahead, whereas the use of the HRES is limited to a lead time of 4-5 days. For the different lead times investigated, we point out possibilities of considering uncertainties in snowfall limit and precipitation type estimates so as to increase preparedness to risk situations.

A finite element-boundary integral formulation for scattering by three-dimensional cavity-backed apertures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jin, Jian-Ming; Volakis, John L.

1990-01-01

A numerical technique is proposed for the electromagnetic characterization of the scattering by a three-dimensional cavity-backed aperture in an infinite ground plane. The technique combines the finite element and boundary integral methods to formulate a system of equations for the solution of the aperture fields and those inside the cavity. Specifically, the finite element method is employed to formulate the fields in the cavity region and the boundary integral approach is used in conjunction with the equivalence principle to represent the fields above the ground plane. Unlike traditional approaches, the proposed technique does not require knowledge of the cavity's Green's function and is, therefore, applicable to arbitrary shape depressions and material fillings. Furthermore, the proposed formulation leads to a system having a partly full and partly sparse as well as symmetric and banded matrix which can be solved efficiently using special algorithms.

A combined finite element-boundary element formulation for solution of two-dimensional problems via CGFFT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, Jeffery D.; Jin, Jian-Ming; Volakis, John L.

1990-01-01

A method for the computation of electromagnetic scattering from arbitrary two-dimensional bodies is presented. The method combines the finite element and boundary element methods leading to a system for solution via the conjugate gradient Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm. Two forms of boundaries aimed at reducing the storage requirement of the boundary integral are investigated. It is shown that the boundary integral becomes convolutional when a circular enclosure is chosen, resulting in reduced storage requirement when the system is solved via the conjugate gradient FFT method. The same holds for the ogival enclosure, except that some of the boundary integrals are not convolutional and must be carefully treated to maintain O(N) memory requirement. Results for several circular and ogival structures are presented and shown to be in excellent agreement with those obtained by traditional methods.

Fast Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory Calculations of the X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Large Systems.

PubMed

Besley, Nicholas A

2016-10-11

The computational cost of calculations of K-edge X-ray absorption spectra using time-dependent density functional (TDDFT) within the Tamm-Dancoff approximation is significantly reduced through the introduction of a severe integral screening procedure that includes only integrals that involve the core s basis function of the absorbing atom(s) coupled with a reduced quality numerical quadrature for integrals associated with the exchange and correlation functionals. The memory required for the calculations is reduced through construction of the TDDFT matrix within the absorbing core orbitals excitation space and exploiting further truncation of the virtual orbital space. The resulting method, denoted fTDDFTs, leads to much faster calculations and makes the study of large systems tractable. The capability of the method is demonstrated through calculations of the X-ray absorption spectra at the carbon K-edge of chlorophyll a, C 60 and C 70 .

Veggie Harvest

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-27

Nicole Dufour, flight integration lead, communicates directly with astronaut Joe Acaba during installation of NASA’s Advanced Plant Habitat in the Japanese Kibo module on the International Space Station. Dufour is in the Experiment Monitoring Room in the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The procedures to install the system took about six hours.

Enhanced Multisensory Integration and Motor Reactivation after Active Motor Learning of Audiovisual Associations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Andrew J.; James, Thomas W.; James, Karin Harman

2011-01-01

Everyday experience affords us many opportunities to learn about objects through multiple senses using physical interaction. Previous work has shown that active motor learning of unisensory items enhances memory and leads to the involvement of motor systems during subsequent perception. However, the impact of active motor learning on subsequent…

Integration of the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) System into Care Settings for High-Risk Newborns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McManus, Beth M.

2015-01-01

Research suggests that early self-regulatory difficulties among high-risk newborns can lead to poor interactional difficulties and negative long-term cognitive and social-emotional outcomes if not identified and treated early. This article describes why an individualized, developmentally supportive, relationship-based program, such as the Newborn…

An Integrated Understanding of Confidence and User Calibration in Information Systems Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Fengchun

2012-01-01

Dealing with uncertainty is a critical part of human decision-making and confidence reflects one's belief about the relative likelihood that various outcomes occur when making decision under uncertainty. Unfortunately, confidence often deviates from the actual quality of the decision, leading to under- or over-confidence. Calibration, the…

Juan Torres - Associate Laboratory Director, Energy Systems Integration |

Science.gov Websites

Facility (ESIF) to strengthen the security and resilience of the nation's electrical grid. He leads NREL's Laboratories as an electrical engineer, in several management positions, and most recently as deputy to the effort to modernize the nation's electrical grid. Torres holds a bachelor's degree in electronics

Integrative Nursing and Health Sciences Initiatives for the 21st Century: Vision and Pedagogy at One Jesuit University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Suzanne Hetzel; Crabtree, Robbin D.; Kelly, Patrick

2013-01-01

The powerful and complex mandates arising from reports such as "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health" and "Health Professionals for a New Century: Transforming Education to Strengthen Health Systems in an Interdependent World" challenge colleges and universities to reconsider how they deliver nursing…

Changing Forest Disturbance Regimes and Risk Perceptions in Homer, Alaska

Treesearch

Courtney G. F1int

2007-01-01

Forest disturbances caused by insects can lead to other disturbances, risks, and changes across landscapes. Evaluating the human dimensions of such disturbances furthers understanding of integrated changes in natural and social systems. This article examines the effects of changing forest disturbance regimes on local risk perceptions and attitudes in Homer, Alaska....

Integration of Academic and Behavioral MTSS at the District Level Using Implementation Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Rachel; Miller, Dawn; Newcomer, Lori

2015-01-01

The evolution of multi-tier systems of support (MTSS) for both academics and behavior has reflected the diverse interests of those leading implementation efforts, the influence of various state and local regulatory requirements, and differing funding methods and priorities. These variations have naturally led to many different pathways for…

Gauge fixing and BFV quantization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, Alice

2000-01-01

Non-singularity conditions are established for the Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky (BFV) gauge-fixing fermion which are sufficient for it to lead to the correct path integral for a theory with constraints canonically quantized in the BFV approach. The conditions ensure that the anticommutator of this fermion with the BRST charge regularizes the path integral by regularizing the trace over non-physical states in each ghost sector. The results are applied to the quantization of a system which has a Gribov problem, using a non-standard form of the gauge-fixing fermion.

Integrated System Test Approaches for the NASA Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cockrell, Charles

2008-01-01

NASA is maturing test and evaluation plans leading to flight readiness of the Ares I crew launch vehicle. Key development, qualification, and verification tests are planned . Upper stage engine sea-level and altitude testing. First stage development and qualification motors. Upper stage structural and thermal development and qualification test articles. Main Propulsion Test Article (MPTA). Upper stage green run testing. Integrated Vehicle Ground Vibration Testing (IVGVT). Aerodynamic characterization testing. Test and evaluation supports initial validation flights (Ares I-Y and Orion 1) and design certification.

Fine structure of spectrum of twist-three operators in QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belitsky, A. V.

1999-04-01

We unravel the structure of the spectrum of the anomalous dimensions of the quark-gluon twist-3 operators which are responsible for the multiparton correlations in hadrons and enter as a leading contribution to several physical cross sections. The method of analysis is based on the recent finding of a non-trivial integral of motion for the corresponding Hamiltonian problem in multicolour limit which results into exact integrability of the three-particle system. Quasiclassical expansion is used for solving the problem. We address the chiral-odd sector as a case of study.

Tissue aging: the integration of collective and variant responses of cells to entropic forces over time.

PubMed

Todhunter, Michael E; Sayaman, Rosalyn W; Miyano, Masaru; LaBarge, Mark A

2018-06-13

Aging is driven by unavoidable entropic forces, physicochemical in nature, that damage the raw materials that constitute biological systems. Single cells experience and respond to stochastic physicochemical insults that occur either to the cells themselves or to their microenvironment, in a dynamic and reciprocal manner, leading to increased age-related cell-to-cell variation. We will discuss the biological mechanisms that integrate cell-to-cell variation across tissues resulting in stereotypical phenotypes of age. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Pfiffner, Susan M.; Brandt, Craig C.; Kostka, Joel E.

Our current research represents a joint effort between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Florida State University (FSU), and the University of Tennessee. ORNL will serve as the lead institution with Dr. A.V. Palumbo responsible for project coordination, integration, and deliverables. This project was initiated in November, 2004, in the Integrative Studies Element of the NABIR program. The overall goal of our project is to provide an improved understanding of the relationships between microbial community structure, geochemistry, and metal reduction rates. The research seeks to address the following questions: Is the metabolic diversity of the in situ microbial community sufficiently largemore » and redundant that bioimmobilization of uranium will occur regardless of the type of electron donor added to the system? Are their donor specific effects that lead to enrichment of specific community members that then impose limits on the functional capabilities of the system? Will addition of humics change rates of uranium reduction without changing community structure? Can resource-ratio theory be used to understand changes in uranium reduction rates and community structure with respect to changing C:P ratios?« less

Haptic/graphic rehabilitation: integrating a robot into a virtual environment library and applying it to stroke therapy.

PubMed

Sharp, Ian; Patton, James; Listenberger, Molly; Case, Emily

2011-08-08

Recent research that tests interactive devices for prolonged therapy practice has revealed new prospects for robotics combined with graphical and other forms of biofeedback. Previous human-robot interactive systems have required different software commands to be implemented for each robot leading to unnecessary developmental overhead time each time a new system becomes available. For example, when a haptic/graphic virtual reality environment has been coded for one specific robot to provide haptic feedback, that specific robot would not be able to be traded for another robot without recoding the program. However, recent efforts in the open source community have proposed a wrapper class approach that can elicit nearly identical responses regardless of the robot used. The result can lead researchers across the globe to perform similar experiments using shared code. Therefore modular "switching out"of one robot for another would not affect development time. In this paper, we outline the successful creation and implementation of a wrapper class for one robot into the open-source H3DAPI, which integrates the software commands most commonly used by all robots.

Kalman filter based control for Adaptive Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petit, Cyril; Quiros-Pacheco, Fernando; Conan, Jean-Marc; Kulcsár, Caroline; Raynaud, Henri-François; Fusco, Thierry

2004-12-01

Classical Adaptive Optics suffer from a limitation of the corrected Field Of View. This drawback has lead to the development of MultiConjugated Adaptive Optics. While the first MCAO experimental set-ups are presently under construction, little attention has been paid to the control loop. This is however a key element in the optimization process especially for MCAO systems. Different approaches have been proposed in recent articles for astronomical applications : simple integrator, Optimized Modal Gain Integrator and Kalman filtering. We study here Kalman filtering which seems a very promising solution. Following the work of Brice Leroux, we focus on a frequential characterization of kalman filters, computing a transfer matrix. The result brings much information about their behaviour and allows comparisons with classical controllers. It also appears that straightforward improvements of the system models can lead to static aberrations and vibrations filtering. Simulation results are proposed and analysed thanks to our frequential characterization. Related problems such as model errors, aliasing effect reduction or experimental implementation and testing of Kalman filter control loop on a simplified MCAO experimental set-up could be then discussed.

Leads integral with the internal interconnection that penetrate the molded wall of a package

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marley, J.

1969-01-01

Multiplicity of external ribbon leads makes possible connections to a sealed or encapsulated microassembly. The leads are integral with the internal connections on a single part that can be fabricated economically by fine-detail electroplating.

Development of Advanced High Lift Leading Edge Technology for Laminar Flow Wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bright, Michelle M.; Korntheuer, Andrea; Komadina, Steve; Lin, John C.

2013-01-01

This paper describes the Advanced High Lift Leading Edge (AHLLE) task performed by Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Aerospace Systems (NGAS) for the NASA Subsonic Fixed Wing project in an effort to develop enabling high-lift technology for laminar flow wings. Based on a known laminar cruise airfoil that incorporated an NGAS-developed integrated slot design, this effort involved using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis and quality function deployment (QFD) analysis on several leading edge concepts, and subsequently down-selected to two blown leading-edge concepts for testing. A 7-foot-span AHLLE airfoil model was designed and fabricated at NGAS and then tested at the NGAS 7 x 10 Low Speed Wind Tunnel in Hawthorne, CA. The model configurations tested included: baseline, deflected trailing edge, blown deflected trailing edge, blown leading edge, morphed leading edge, and blown/morphed leading edge. A successful demonstration of high lift leading edge technology was achieved, and the target goals for improved lift were exceeded by 30% with a maximum section lift coefficient (Cl) of 5.2. Maximum incremental section lift coefficients ( Cl) of 3.5 and 3.1 were achieved for a blown drooped (morphed) leading edge concept and a non-drooped leading edge blowing concept, respectively. The most effective AHLLE design yielded an estimated 94% lift improvement over the conventional high lift Krueger flap configurations while providing laminar flow capability on the cruise configuration.

Decision Support for Integrated Energy-Water Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tidwell, V. C.; William, H.; Klise, G.; Kobos, P. H.; Malczynski, L. A.

2008-12-01

Currently, electrical power generation uses about 140 billion gallons of water per day accounting for over 40% of all freshwater withdrawals thus competing with irrigated agriculture as the leading user of water. To meet their demand for water, proposed power plants must often target waterways and aquifers prone to overdraft or which may be home to environmentally sensitive species. Acquisition of water rights, permits and public support may therefore be a formidable hurdle when licensing new power plants. Given these current difficulties, what does the future hold when projected growth in population and the economy may require a 30% increase in power generation capacity by 2025? Technology solutions can only take us so far, as noted by the National Energy-Water Roadmap Exercise. This roadmap identified the need for long-term and integrated resource planning supported with scientifically credible models as a leading issue. To address this need a decision support framework is being developed that targets the shared needs of energy and water producers, resource managers, regulators, and decision makers at the federal, state and local levels. The framework integrates analysis and optimization capabilities to help identify potential trade-offs, and "best" alternatives among an overwhelming number of energy/water options and objectives. The decision support tool is comprised of three basic elements: a system dynamics model coupling the physical and economic systems important to integrated energy-water planning and management; an optimization toolbox; and a software wrapper that integrates the aforementioned elements along with additional external energy/water models, databases, and visualization products. An interactive interface allows direct interaction with the model and access to real-time results organized according to a variety of reference systems, e.g., from a political, watershed, or electric power grid perspective. With this unique synthesis of various perspectives, the tool may help highlight looming changes where policy, technical, economic, and data collection options may alleviate stresses within the underlying water systems that support electricity generation. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04- 94AL85000.

Integrals of motion for one-dimensional Anderson localized systems

DOE PAGES

Modak, Ranjan; Mukerjee, Subroto; Yuzbashyan, Emil A.; ...

2016-03-02

Anderson localization is known to be inevitable in one-dimension for generic disordered models. Since localization leads to Poissonian energy level statistics, we ask if localized systems possess ‘additional’ integrals of motion as well, so as to enhance the analogy with quantum integrable systems. Weanswer this in the affirmative in the present work. We construct a set of nontrivial integrals of motion for Anderson localized models, in terms of the original creation and annihilation operators. These are found as a power series in the hopping parameter. The recently found Type-1 Hamiltonians, which are known to be quantum integrable in a precisemore » sense, motivate our construction.Wenote that these models can be viewed as disordered electron models with infinite-range hopping, where a similar series truncates at the linear order.Weshow that despite the infinite range hopping, all states but one are localized.Wealso study the conservation laws for the disorder free Aubry–Andre model, where the states are either localized or extended, depending on the strength of a coupling constant.Weformulate a specific procedure for averaging over disorder, in order to examine the convergence of the power series. Using this procedure in the Aubry–Andre model, we show that integrals of motion given by our construction are well-defined in localized phase, but not so in the extended phase. Lastly, we also obtain the integrals of motion for a model with interactions to lowest order in the interaction.« less

Integrals of motion for one-dimensional Anderson localized systems

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

Modak, Ranjan; Mukerjee, Subroto; Yuzbashyan, Emil A.

Anderson localization is known to be inevitable in one-dimension for generic disordered models. Since localization leads to Poissonian energy level statistics, we ask if localized systems possess ‘additional’ integrals of motion as well, so as to enhance the analogy with quantum integrable systems. Weanswer this in the affirmative in the present work. We construct a set of nontrivial integrals of motion for Anderson localized models, in terms of the original creation and annihilation operators. These are found as a power series in the hopping parameter. The recently found Type-1 Hamiltonians, which are known to be quantum integrable in a precisemore » sense, motivate our construction.Wenote that these models can be viewed as disordered electron models with infinite-range hopping, where a similar series truncates at the linear order.Weshow that despite the infinite range hopping, all states but one are localized.Wealso study the conservation laws for the disorder free Aubry–Andre model, where the states are either localized or extended, depending on the strength of a coupling constant.Weformulate a specific procedure for averaging over disorder, in order to examine the convergence of the power series. Using this procedure in the Aubry–Andre model, we show that integrals of motion given by our construction are well-defined in localized phase, but not so in the extended phase. Lastly, we also obtain the integrals of motion for a model with interactions to lowest order in the interaction.« less

Integrals of motion for one-dimensional Anderson localized systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modak, Ranjan; Mukerjee, Subroto; Yuzbashyan, Emil A.; Shastry, B. Sriram

2016-03-01

Anderson localization is known to be inevitable in one-dimension for generic disordered models. Since localization leads to Poissonian energy level statistics, we ask if localized systems possess ‘additional’ integrals of motion as well, so as to enhance the analogy with quantum integrable systems. We answer this in the affirmative in the present work. We construct a set of nontrivial integrals of motion for Anderson localized models, in terms of the original creation and annihilation operators. These are found as a power series in the hopping parameter. The recently found Type-1 Hamiltonians, which are known to be quantum integrable in a precise sense, motivate our construction. We note that these models can be viewed as disordered electron models with infinite-range hopping, where a similar series truncates at the linear order. We show that despite the infinite range hopping, all states but one are localized. We also study the conservation laws for the disorder free Aubry-Andre model, where the states are either localized or extended, depending on the strength of a coupling constant. We formulate a specific procedure for averaging over disorder, in order to examine the convergence of the power series. Using this procedure in the Aubry-Andre model, we show that integrals of motion given by our construction are well-defined in localized phase, but not so in the extended phase. Finally, we also obtain the integrals of motion for a model with interactions to lowest order in the interaction.

3D-printed lab-on-valve for fluorescent determination of cadmium and lead in water.

PubMed

Mattio, Elodie; Robert-Peillard, Fabien; Vassalo, Laurent; Branger, Catherine; Margaillan, André; Brach-Papa, Christophe; Knoery, Joël; Boudenne, Jean-Luc; Coulomb, Bruno

2018-06-01

In recent years, the development of 3D printing in flow analysis has allowed the creation of new systems with various applications. Up to now, 3D printing was mainly used for the manufacture of small units such as flow detection cells, preconcentration units or mixing systems. In the present study, a new 3D printed lab-on-valve system was developed to selectively quantify lead and cadmium in water. Different technologies were compared for lab-on-valve 3D printing. Printed test units have shown that stereolithography or digital light processing are satisfactory techniques for creating complex lab-on-valve units. The lab-on-valve system was composed of two columns, eight peripheral ports and a central port, and a coil integrating baffles to increase mixing possibilities. A selective extraction of lead was first carried out by TrisKem Pb™ Resin column. Then, cadmium not retained on the first column was extracted on a second column of Amberlite® IR 120 resin. In a following step, lead and cadmium were eluted with ammonium oxalate and potassium iodide, respectively. Finally, the two metals were sequentially detected by the same Rhod-5N™ fluorescent reagent. This 3D printed lab-on-valve flow system allowed us to quantify lead and cadmium with a linear response from 0.2 to 15 µg L -1 and detection limits of 0.17 and 0.20 µg L -1 for lead and cadmium, respectively, which seems adapted for natural water analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Data on performance of air stripping tower- PAC integrated system for removing of odor, taste, dye and organic materials from drinking water-A case study in Saqqez, Iran.

PubMed

Pirsaheb, Meghdad; Mohammadi, Jalil; Khosravi, Touba; Sharafi, Hooshmnd; Moradi, Masoud

2018-06-01

Unpleasant taste or smell are more importantly constituents of drinking-water, lead to complaints from consumers. Dye and organic matter as well change in disinfection practice may generate taste and an odorous compound in treated water. According to low efficiency of conventional methods to remove taste and odor compounds, present study was aimed to evaluate the performance of air stripping tower- Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) integrated system to remove odor and taste, dye and organic materials from drinking water. Different air to water ratio and PAC doses were used to remove considered parameters in certain condition. The results of this study indicated that the maximum removal efficiency of 86.2, 76.47, 58.46 and 41.27% of taste and odor, dye, COD and TOC were achieved by the air stripping tower- PAC integrated system, respectively. However, the physico-chemical characteristics of water and adsorbent effect on the of substances removal efficiency considerably. It can be stated that the air striping tower - PAC integrated system is able to reduce the odor and taste-causing substances and organic matter to a level which is recommended by the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran.

Entanglement and thermodynamics after a quantum quench in integrable systems.

PubMed

Alba, Vincenzo; Calabrese, Pasquale

2017-07-25

Entanglement and entropy are key concepts standing at the foundations of quantum and statistical mechanics. Recently, the study of quantum quenches revealed that these concepts are intricately intertwined. Although the unitary time evolution ensuing from a pure state maintains the system at zero entropy, local properties at long times are captured by a statistical ensemble with nonzero thermodynamic entropy, which is the entanglement accumulated during the dynamics. Therefore, understanding the entanglement evolution unveils how thermodynamics emerges in isolated systems. Alas, an exact computation of the entanglement dynamics was available so far only for noninteracting systems, whereas it was deemed unfeasible for interacting ones. Here, we show that the standard quasiparticle picture of the entanglement evolution, complemented with integrability-based knowledge of the steady state and its excitations, leads to a complete understanding of the entanglement dynamics in the space-time scaling limit. We thoroughly check our result for the paradigmatic Heisenberg chain.

Entanglement and thermodynamics after a quantum quench in integrable systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alba, Vincenzo; Calabrese, Pasquale

2017-07-01

Entanglement and entropy are key concepts standing at the foundations of quantum and statistical mechanics. Recently, the study of quantum quenches revealed that these concepts are intricately intertwined. Although the unitary time evolution ensuing from a pure state maintains the system at zero entropy, local properties at long times are captured by a statistical ensemble with nonzero thermodynamic entropy, which is the entanglement accumulated during the dynamics. Therefore, understanding the entanglement evolution unveils how thermodynamics emerges in isolated systems. Alas, an exact computation of the entanglement dynamics was available so far only for noninteracting systems, whereas it was deemed unfeasible for interacting ones. Here, we show that the standard quasiparticle picture of the entanglement evolution, complemented with integrability-based knowledge of the steady state and its excitations, leads to a complete understanding of the entanglement dynamics in the space-time scaling limit. We thoroughly check our result for the paradigmatic Heisenberg chain.

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

Hartmann, Anja, E-mail: hartmann@ipk-gatersleben.de; Schreiber, Falk; Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle

The characterization of biological systems with respect to their behavior and functionality based on versatile biochemical interactions is a major challenge. To understand these complex mechanisms at systems level modeling approaches are investigated. Different modeling formalisms allow metabolic models to be analyzed depending on the question to be solved, the biochemical knowledge and the availability of experimental data. Here, we describe a method for an integrative analysis of the structure and dynamics represented by qualitative and quantitative metabolic models. Using various formalisms, the metabolic model is analyzed from different perspectives. Determined structural and dynamic properties are visualized in the contextmore » of the metabolic model. Interaction techniques allow the exploration and visual analysis thereby leading to a broader understanding of the behavior and functionality of the underlying biological system. The System Biology Metabolic Model Framework (SBM{sup 2} – Framework) implements the developed method and, as an example, is applied for the integrative analysis of the crop plant potato.« less

An Integrated Planning Representation Using Macros, Abstractions, and Cases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baltes, Jacky; MacDonald, Bruce

1992-01-01

Planning will be an essential part of future autonomous robots and integrated intelligent systems. This paper focuses on learning problem solving knowledge in planning systems. The system is based on a common representation for macros, abstractions, and cases. Therefore, it is able to exploit both classical and case based techniques. The general operators in a successful plan derivation would be assessed for their potential usefulness, and some stored. The feasibility of this approach was studied through the implementation of a learning system for abstraction. New macros are motivated by trying to improve the operatorset. One heuristic used to improve the operator set is generating operators with more general preconditions than existing ones. This heuristic leads naturally to abstraction hierarchies. This investigation showed promising results on the towers of Hanoi problem. The paper concludes by describing methods for learning other problem solving knowledge. This knowledge can be represented by allowing operators at different levels of abstraction in a refinement.

Two-layer interfacial flows beyond the Boussinesq approximation: a Hamiltonian approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camassa, R.; Falqui, G.; Ortenzi, G.

2017-02-01

The theory of integrable systems of Hamiltonian PDEs and their near-integrable deformations is used to study evolution equations resulting from vertical-averages of the Euler system for two-layer stratified flows in an infinite two-dimensional channel. The Hamiltonian structure of the averaged equations is obtained directly from that of the Euler equations through the process of Hamiltonian reduction. Long-wave asymptotics together with the Boussinesq approximation of neglecting the fluids’ inertia is then applied to reduce the leading order vertically averaged equations to the shallow-water Airy system, albeit in a non-trivial way. The full non-Boussinesq system for the dispersionless limit can then be viewed as a deformation of this well known equation. In a perturbative study of this deformation, a family of approximate constants of the motion are explicitly constructed and used to find local solutions of the evolution equations by means of hodograph-like formulae.

Entanglement and thermodynamics after a quantum quench in integrable systems

PubMed Central

Alba, Vincenzo; Calabrese, Pasquale

2017-01-01

Entanglement and entropy are key concepts standing at the foundations of quantum and statistical mechanics. Recently, the study of quantum quenches revealed that these concepts are intricately intertwined. Although the unitary time evolution ensuing from a pure state maintains the system at zero entropy, local properties at long times are captured by a statistical ensemble with nonzero thermodynamic entropy, which is the entanglement accumulated during the dynamics. Therefore, understanding the entanglement evolution unveils how thermodynamics emerges in isolated systems. Alas, an exact computation of the entanglement dynamics was available so far only for noninteracting systems, whereas it was deemed unfeasible for interacting ones. Here, we show that the standard quasiparticle picture of the entanglement evolution, complemented with integrability-based knowledge of the steady state and its excitations, leads to a complete understanding of the entanglement dynamics in the space–time scaling limit. We thoroughly check our result for the paradigmatic Heisenberg chain. PMID:28698379

The path to clean energy: direct coupling of nuclear and renewable technologies for thermal and electrical applications

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

Bragg-Sitton, Shannon; Boardman, Richard; Ruth, Mark

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognizes the need to transform the energy infrastructure of the U.S. and elsewhere to systems that can significantly reduce environmental impacts in an efficient and economically viable manner while utilizing both clean energy generation sources and hydrocarbon resources. Thus, DOE is supporting research and development that could lead to more efficient utilization of clean nuclear and renewable energy generation sources. A concept being advanced by the DOE Offices of Nuclear Energy (NE) and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is tighter coupling of nuclear and renewable energy sources in a manner that better optimizesmore » energy use for the combined electricity, industrial manufacturing, and the transportation sectors. This integration concept has been referred to as a “hybrid system” that is capable of providing energy (thermal or electrical) where it is needed, when it is needed. For the purposes of this work, the hybrid system would integrate two or more energy resources to generate two or more products, one of which must be an energy commodity, such as electricity or transportation fuel. This definition requires coupling of subsystems ‘‘behind’’ the electrical transmission bus, where energy flows are dynamically apportioned as necessary to meet demand and the system has a single connection to the grid that provides dispatchable electricity as required while capital intensive generation assets operate at full capacity. Development of integrated energy systems for an “energy park” must carefully consider the intended location and the associated regional resources, traditional industrial processes, energy delivery infrastructure, and markets to identify viable region-specific system configurations. This paper will provide an overview of the current status of regional hybrid energy system design, development and application of dynamic analysis tools to assess technical and economic performance, and roadmap development to identify and prioritize component, subsystem and system testing that will lead to prototype demonstration.« less

Unpacking vertical and horizontal integration: childhood overweight/obesity programs and planning, a Canadian perspective

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Increasingly, multiple intervention programming is being understood and implemented as a key approach to developing public health initiatives and strategies. Using socio-ecological and population health perspectives, multiple intervention programming approaches are aimed at providing coordinated and strategic comprehensive programs operating over system levels and across sectors, allowing practitioners and decision makers to take advantage of synergistic effects. These approaches also require vertical and horizontal (v/h) integration of policy and practice in order to be maximally effective. Discussion This paper examines v/h integration of interventions for childhood overweight/obesity prevention and reduction from a Canadian perspective. It describes the implications of v/h integration for childhood overweight and obesity prevention, with examples of interventions where v/h integration has been implemented. An application of a conceptual framework for structuring v/h integration of an overweight/obesity prevention initiative is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of vertical/horizontal integration for policy, research, and practice related to childhood overweight and obesity prevention multiple intervention programs. Summary Both v/h integration across sectors and over system levels are needed to fully support multiple intervention programs of the complexity and scope required by obesity issues. V/h integration requires attention to system structures and processes. A conceptual framework is needed to support policy alignment, multi-level evaluation, and ongoing coordination of people at the front lines of practice. Using such tools to achieve integration may enhance sustainability, increase effectiveness of prevention and reduction efforts, decrease stigmatization, and lead to new ways to relate the environment to people and people to the environment for better health for children. PMID:20478054

Unpacking vertical and horizontal integration: childhood overweight/obesity programs and planning, a Canadian perspective.

PubMed

Maclean, Lynne M; Clinton, Kathryn; Edwards, Nancy; Garrard, Michael; Ashley, Lisa; Hansen-Ketchum, Patti; Walsh, Audrey

2010-05-17

Increasingly, multiple intervention programming is being understood and implemented as a key approach to developing public health initiatives and strategies. Using socio-ecological and population health perspectives, multiple intervention programming approaches are aimed at providing coordinated and strategic comprehensive programs operating over system levels and across sectors, allowing practitioners and decision makers to take advantage of synergistic effects. These approaches also require vertical and horizontal (v/h) integration of policy and practice in order to be maximally effective. This paper examines v/h integration of interventions for childhood overweight/obesity prevention and reduction from a Canadian perspective. It describes the implications of v/h integration for childhood overweight and obesity prevention, with examples of interventions where v/h integration has been implemented. An application of a conceptual framework for structuring v/h integration of an overweight/obesity prevention initiative is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of vertical/horizontal integration for policy, research, and practice related to childhood overweight and obesity prevention multiple intervention programs. Both v/h integration across sectors and over system levels are needed to fully support multiple intervention programs of the complexity and scope required by obesity issues. V/h integration requires attention to system structures and processes. A conceptual framework is needed to support policy alignment, multi-level evaluation, and ongoing coordination of people at the front lines of practice. Using such tools to achieve integration may enhance sustainability, increase effectiveness of prevention and reduction efforts, decrease stigmatization, and lead to new ways to relate the environment to people and people to the environment for better health for children.

Giant piezoelectricity in potassium-sodium niobate lead-free ceramics.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaopeng; Wu, Jiagang; Xiao, Dingquan; Zhu, Jianguo; Cheng, Xiaojing; Zheng, Ting; Zhang, Binyu; Lou, Xiaojie; Wang, Xiangjian

2014-02-19

Environment protection and human health concern is the driving force to eliminate the lead from commercial piezoelectric materials. In 2004, Saito et al. [ Saito et al., Nature , 2004 , 432 , 84 . ] developed an alkali niobate-based perovskite solid solution with a peak piezoelectric constant d33 of 416 pC/N when prepared in the textured polycrystalline form, intriguing the enthusiasm of developing high-performance lead-free piezoceramics. Although much attention has been paid on the alkali niobate-based system in the past ten years, no significant breakthrough in its d33 has yet been attained. Here, we report an alkali niobate-based lead-free piezoceramic with the largest d33 of ∼490 pC/N ever reported so far using conventional solid-state method. In addition, this material system also exhibits excellent integrated performance with d33∼390-490 pC/N and TC∼217-304 °C by optimizing the compositions. This giant d33 of the alkali niobate-based lead-free piezoceramics is ascribed to not only the construction of a new rhombohedral-tetragonal phase boundary but also enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties. Our finding may pave the way for "lead-free at last".

A biomolecular proportional integral controller based on feedback regulations of protein level and activity.

PubMed

Mairet, Francis

2018-02-01

Homeostasis is the capacity of living organisms to keep internal conditions regulated at a constant level, despite environmental fluctuations. Integral feedback control is known to play a key role in this behaviour. Here, I show that a feedback system involving transcriptional and post-translational regulations of the same executor protein acts as a proportional integral (PI) controller, leading to enhanced transient performances in comparison with a classical integral loop. Such a biomolecular controller-which I call a level and activity-PI controller (LA-PI)-is involved in the regulation of ammonium uptake by Escherichia coli through the transporter AmtB. The P II molecules, which reflect the nitrogen status of the cell, inhibit both the production of AmtB and its activity (via the NtrB-NtrC system and the formation of a complex with GlnK, respectively). Other examples of LA-PI controller include copper and zinc transporters, and the redox regulation in photosynthesis. This scheme has thus emerged through evolution in many biological systems, surely because of the benefits it offers in terms of performances (rapid and perfect adaptation) and economy (protein production according to needs).

A biomolecular proportional integral controller based on feedback regulations of protein level and activity

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Homeostasis is the capacity of living organisms to keep internal conditions regulated at a constant level, despite environmental fluctuations. Integral feedback control is known to play a key role in this behaviour. Here, I show that a feedback system involving transcriptional and post-translational regulations of the same executor protein acts as a proportional integral (PI) controller, leading to enhanced transient performances in comparison with a classical integral loop. Such a biomolecular controller—which I call a level and activity-PI controller (LA-PI)—is involved in the regulation of ammonium uptake by Escherichia coli through the transporter AmtB. The PII molecules, which reflect the nitrogen status of the cell, inhibit both the production of AmtB and its activity (via the NtrB-NtrC system and the formation of a complex with GlnK, respectively). Other examples of LA-PI controller include copper and zinc transporters, and the redox regulation in photosynthesis. This scheme has thus emerged through evolution in many biological systems, surely because of the benefits it offers in terms of performances (rapid and perfect adaptation) and economy (protein production according to needs). PMID:29515895

A path integral methodology for obtaining thermodynamic properties of nonadiabatic systems using Gaussian mixture distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raymond, Neil; Iouchtchenko, Dmitri; Roy, Pierre-Nicholas; Nooijen, Marcel

2018-05-01

We introduce a new path integral Monte Carlo method for investigating nonadiabatic systems in thermal equilibrium and demonstrate an approach to reducing stochastic error. We derive a general path integral expression for the partition function in a product basis of continuous nuclear and discrete electronic degrees of freedom without the use of any mapping schemes. We separate our Hamiltonian into a harmonic portion and a coupling portion; the partition function can then be calculated as the product of a Monte Carlo estimator (of the coupling contribution to the partition function) and a normalization factor (that is evaluated analytically). A Gaussian mixture model is used to evaluate the Monte Carlo estimator in a computationally efficient manner. Using two model systems, we demonstrate our approach to reduce the stochastic error associated with the Monte Carlo estimator. We show that the selection of the harmonic oscillators comprising the sampling distribution directly affects the efficiency of the method. Our results demonstrate that our path integral Monte Carlo method's deviation from exact Trotter calculations is dominated by the choice of the sampling distribution. By improving the sampling distribution, we can drastically reduce the stochastic error leading to lower computational cost.

Vector modifications to eliminate transposase expression following piggyBac-mediated transgenesis

PubMed Central

Chakraborty, Syandan; Ji, HaYeun; Chen, Jack; Gersbach, Charles A.; Leong, Kam W.

2014-01-01

Transgene insertion plays an important role in gene therapy and in biological studies. Transposon-based systems that integrate transgenes by transposase-catalyzed “cut-and-paste” mechanism have emerged as an attractive system for transgenesis. Hyperactive piggyBac transposon is particularly promising due to its ability to integrate large transgenes with high efficiency. However, prolonged expression of transposase can become a potential source of genotoxic effects due to uncontrolled transposition of the integrated transgene from one chromosomal locus to another. In this study we propose a vector design to decrease post-transposition expression of transposase and to eliminate the cells that have residual transposase expression. We design a single plasmid construct that combines the transposase and the transpositioning transgene element to share a single polyA sequence for termination. Consequently, the separation of the transposase element from the polyA sequence after transposition leads to its deactivation. We also co-express Herpes Simplex Virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) with the transposase. Therefore, cells having residual transposase expression can be eliminated by the administration of ganciclovir. We demonstrate the utility of this combination transposon system by integrating and expressing a model therapeutic gene, human coagulation Factor IX, in HEK293T cells. PMID:25492703

Probabilistic Harmonic Analysis on Distributed Photovoltaic Integration Considering Typical Weather Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bin, Che; Ruoying, Yu; Dongsheng, Dang; Xiangyan, Wang

2017-05-01

Distributed Generation (DG) integrating to the network would cause the harmonic pollution which would cause damages on electrical devices and affect the normal operation of power system. On the other hand, due to the randomness of the wind and solar irradiation, the output of DG is random, too, which leads to an uncertainty of the harmonic generated by the DG. Thus, probabilistic methods are needed to analyse the impacts of the DG integration. In this work we studied the harmonic voltage probabilistic distribution and the harmonic distortion in distributed network after the distributed photovoltaic (DPV) system integrating in different weather conditions, mainly the sunny day, cloudy day, rainy day and the snowy day. The probabilistic distribution function of the DPV output power in different typical weather conditions could be acquired via the parameter identification method of maximum likelihood estimation. The Monte-Carlo simulation method was adopted to calculate the probabilistic distribution of harmonic voltage content at different frequency orders as well as the harmonic distortion (THD) in typical weather conditions. The case study was based on the IEEE33 system and the results of harmonic voltage content probabilistic distribution as well as THD in typical weather conditions were compared.

Darboux theorems and Wronskian formulas for integrable systems I. Constrained KP flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oevel, W.

1993-05-01

Generalizations of the classical Darboux theorem are established for pseudo-differential scattering operators of the form L = limit∑i=0N u i∂ i + limitΣi=1m Φ i∂ -1limitΨi†i. Iteration of the Darboux transformations leads to a gauge transformed operator with coefficients given by Wronskian formulas involving a set of eigenfunctions of L. Nonlinear integrable partial differential equations are associated with the scattering operator L which arise as a symmetry reduction of the multicomponent KP hierarchy. With a suitable linear time evolution for the eigenfunctions the Darboux transformation is used to obtain solutions of the integrable equations in terms of Wronskian determinants.

Real-time path planning and autonomous control for helicopter autorotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yomchinda, Thanan

Autorotation is a descending maneuver that can be used to recover helicopters in the event of total loss of engine power; however it is an extremely difficult and complex maneuver. The objective of this work is to develop a real-time system which provides full autonomous control for autorotation landing of helicopters. The work includes the development of an autorotation path planning method and integration of the path planner with a primary flight control system. The trajectory is divided into three parts: entry, descent and flare. Three different optimization algorithms are used to generate trajectories for each of these segments. The primary flight control is designed using a linear dynamic inversion control scheme, and a path following control law is developed to track the autorotation trajectories. Details of the path planning algorithm, trajectory following control law, and autonomous autorotation system implementation are presented. The integrated system is demonstrated in real-time high fidelity simulations. Results indicate feasibility of the capability of the algorithms to operate in real-time and of the integrated systems ability to provide safe autorotation landings. Preliminary simulations of autonomous autorotation on a small UAV are presented which will lead to a final hardware demonstration of the algorithms.

Materials Development for Hypersonic Flight Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, David E.; Dirling, Ray; Croop, Harold; Fry, Timothy J.; Frank, Geoffrey J.

2006-01-01

The DARPA/Air Force Falcon program is planning to flight test several hypersonic technology vehicles (HTV) in the next several years. A Materials Integrated Product Team (MIPT) was formed to lead the development of key thermal protection system (TPS) and hot structures technologies. The technologies being addressed by the MIPT are in the following areas: 1) less than 3000 F leading edges, 2) greater than 3000 F refractory composite materials, 3) high temperature multi-layer insulation, 4) acreage TPS, and 5) high temperature seals. Technologies being developed in each of these areas are discussed in this paper.

Design of an Electric Propulsion System for SCEPTOR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dubois, Arthur; van der Geest, Martin; Bevirt, JoeBen; Clarke, Sean; Christie, Robert J.; Borer, Nicholas K.

2016-01-01

The rise of electric propulsion systems has pushed aircraft designers towards new and potentially transformative concepts. As part of this effort, NASA is leading the SCEPTOR program which aims at designing a fully electric distributed propulsion general aviation aircraft. This article highlights critical aspects of the design of SCEPTOR's propulsion system conceived at Joby Aviation in partnership with NASA, including motor electromagnetic design and optimization as well as cooling system integration. The motor is designed with a finite element based multi-objective optimization approach. This provides insight into important design tradeoffs such as mass versus efficiency, and enables a detailed quantitative comparison between different motor topologies. Secondly, a complete design and Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis of the air breathing cooling system is presented. The cooling system is fully integrated into the nacelle, contains little to no moving parts and only incurs a small drag penalty. Several concepts are considered and compared over a range of operating conditions. The study presents trade-offs between various parameters such as cooling efficiency, drag, mechanical simplicity and robustness.

Sensor fusion display evaluation using information integration models in enhanced/synthetic vision applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foyle, David C.

1993-01-01

Based on existing integration models in the psychological literature, an evaluation framework is developed to assess sensor fusion displays as might be implemented in an enhanced/synthetic vision system. The proposed evaluation framework for evaluating the operator's ability to use such systems is a normative approach: The pilot's performance with the sensor fusion image is compared to models' predictions based on the pilot's performance when viewing the original component sensor images prior to fusion. This allows for the determination as to when a sensor fusion system leads to: poorer performance than one of the original sensor displays, clearly an undesirable system in which the fused sensor system causes some distortion or interference; better performance than with either single sensor system alone, but at a sub-optimal level compared to model predictions; optimal performance compared to model predictions; or, super-optimal performance, which may occur if the operator were able to use some highly diagnostic 'emergent features' in the sensor fusion display, which were unavailable in the original sensor displays.

The Health Care Strengthening Act: The next level of integrated care in Germany.

PubMed

Milstein, Ricarda; Blankart, Carl Rudolf

2016-05-01

The lack of integration of health-care sectors and specialist groups is widely accepted as a necessity to effectively address the most urgent challenges in modern health care systems. Germany follows a more decentralized approach that allows for many degrees of freedom. With its latest bill, the German government has introduced several measures to explicitly foster the integration of health-care services. This article presents the historic development of integrated care services and offers insights into the construction of integrated care programs in the German health-care system. The measures of integrated care within the Health Care Strengthening Act are presented and discussed in detail from the perspective of the provider, the payer, and the political arena. In addition, the effects of the new act are assessed using scenario technique based on an analysis of the effects of previously implemented health policy reforms. Germany now has a flourishing integrated care scene with many integrated care programs being able to contain costs and improve quality. Although it will be still a long journey for Germany to reach the coordination of care standards set by leading countries such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand or Switzerland, international health policy makers may deliberately and selectively adopt elements of the German approach such as the extensive freedom of contract, the strong patient-focus by allowing for very need-driven and regional solutions, or the substantial start-up funding allowing for more unproven and progressive endeavors to further improve their own health systems. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

An in flight investigation of pitch rate flight control systems and application of frequency domain and time domain predictive criteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berthe, C. J.; Chalk, C. R.; Sarrafian, S.

1984-01-01

The degree of attitude control provided by current integral-proportional pitch rate command-type control systems, while a prerequisite for flared landing, is insufficient for 'Level 1' performance. The pilot requires 'surrogate' feedback cues to precisely control flight path in the landing flare. Monotonic stick forces and pilot station vertical acceleration are important cues which can be provided by means of angle-of-attack and pitch rate feedback in order to achieve conventional short period and phugoid characteristics. Integral-proportional pitch rate flight control systems can be upgraded to Level 1 flared landing performance by means of lead/lag and washout prefilters in the command path. Strong pilot station vertical acceleration cues can provide Level 1 flared landing performance even in the absence of monotonic stick forces.

Application of an ADS-B Sense and Avoid Algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arteaga, Ricardo; Kotcher, Robert; Cavalin, Moshe; Dandachy, Mohammed

2016-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California is leading a program aimed towards integrating unmanned aircraft system into the national airspace system (UAS in the NAS). The overarching goal of the program is to reduce technical barriers associated with related safety issues as well as addressing challenges that will allow UAS routine access to the national airspace. This research paper focuses on three novel ideas: (1) A design of an integrated UAS equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast that constructs a more accurate state-based airspace model; (2) The use of Stratway Algorithm in a real-time environment; and (3) The verification and validation of sense and avoid performance and usability test results which provide a pilot's perspective on how our system will benefit the UAS in the NAS program for both piloted and unmanned aircraft.

Neuromechanics of crawling in D. melanogaster larvae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pehlevan, Cengiz; Paoletti, Paolo; Mahadevan, L.

2015-03-01

Nervous system, body and environment interact in non-trivial ways to generate locomotion and thence behavior in an organism. Here we present a minimal integrative mathematical model to describe the simple behavior of forward crawling in Drosophila larvae. Our model couples the excitation-inhibition circuits in the nervous system to force production in the muscles and body movement in a frictional environment, which in turn leads to a proprioceptive signal that feeds back to the nervous system. Our results explain the basic observed phenomenology of crawling with or without proprioception, and elucidate the stabilizing role of proprioception in crawling with respect to external and internal perturbations. Our integrated approach allows us to make testable predictions on the effect of changing body-environment interactions on crawling, and serves as a substrate for the development of hierarchical models linking cellular processes to behavior.

A National Medical Information System for Senegal: Architecture and Services.

PubMed

Camara, Gaoussou; Diallo, Al Hassim; Lo, Moussa; Tendeng, Jacques-Noël; Lo, Seynabou

2016-01-01

In Senegal, great amounts of data are daily generated by medical activities such as consultation, hospitalization, blood test, x-ray, birth, death, etc. These data are still recorded in register, printed images, audios and movies which are manually processed. However, some medical organizations have their own software for non-standardized patient record management, appointment, wages, etc. without any possibility of sharing these data or communicating with other medical structures. This leads to lots of limitations in reusing or sharing these data because of their possible structural and semantic heterogeneity. To overcome these problems we have proposed a National Medical Information System for Senegal (SIMENS). As an integrated platform, SIMENS provides an EHR system that supports healthcare activities, a mobile version and a web portal. The SIMENS architecture proposes also a data and application integration services for supporting interoperability and decision making.

Active Wireless Temperature Sensors for Aerospace Thermal Protection Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milos, Frank S.; Karunaratne, K.; Arnold, Jim (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Health diagnostics is an area where major improvements have been identified for potential implementation into the design of new reusable launch vehicles in order to reduce life-cycle costs, to increase safety margins, and to improve mission reliability. NASA Ames is leading the effort to advance inspection and health management technologies for thermal protection systems. This paper summarizes a joint project between NASA Ames and Korteks to develop active wireless sensors that can be embedded in the thermal protection system to monitor sub-surface temperature histories. These devices are thermocouples integrated with radio-frequency identification circuitry to enable acquisition and non-contact communication of temperature data through aerospace thermal protection materials. Two generations of prototype sensors are discussed. The advanced prototype collects data from three type-k thermocouples attached to a 2.54-cm square integrated circuit.

A Novel Robust H∞ Filter Based on Krein Space Theory in the SINS/CNS Attitude Reference System

PubMed Central

Yu, Fei; Lv, Chongyang; Dong, Qianhui

2016-01-01

Owing to their numerous merits, such as compact, autonomous and independence, the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) and celestial navigation system (CNS) can be used in marine applications. What is more, due to the complementary navigation information obtained from two different kinds of sensors, the accuracy of the SINS/CNS integrated navigation system can be enhanced availably. Thus, the SINS/CNS system is widely used in the marine navigation field. However, the CNS is easily interfered with by the surroundings, which will lead to the output being discontinuous. Thus, the uncertainty problem caused by the lost measurement will reduce the system accuracy. In this paper, a robust H∞ filter based on the Krein space theory is proposed. The Krein space theory is introduced firstly, and then, the linear state and observation models of the SINS/CNS integrated navigation system are established reasonably. By taking the uncertainty problem into account, in this paper, a new robust H∞ filter is proposed to improve the robustness of the integrated system. At last, this new robust filter based on the Krein space theory is estimated by numerical simulations and actual experiments. Additionally, the simulation and experiment results and analysis show that the attitude errors can be reduced by utilizing the proposed robust filter effectively when the measurements are missing discontinuous. Compared to the traditional Kalman filter (KF) method, the accuracy of the SINS/CNS integrated system is improved, verifying the robustness and the availability of the proposed robust H∞ filter. PMID:26999153

The integrated Earth system model version 1: formulation and functionality

DOE PAGES

Collins, W. D.; Craig, A. P.; Truesdale, J. E.; ...

2015-07-23

The integrated Earth system model (iESM) has been developed as a new tool for projecting the joint human/climate system. The iESM is based upon coupling an integrated assessment model (IAM) and an Earth system model (ESM) into a common modeling infrastructure. IAMs are the primary tool for describing the human–Earth system, including the sources of global greenhouse gases (GHGs) and short-lived species (SLS), land use and land cover change (LULCC), and other resource-related drivers of anthropogenic climate change. ESMs are the primary scientific tools for examining the physical, chemical, and biogeochemical impacts of human-induced changes to the climate system. Themore » iESM project integrates the economic and human-dimension modeling of an IAM and a fully coupled ESM within a single simulation system while maintaining the separability of each model if needed. Both IAM and ESM codes are developed and used by large communities and have been extensively applied in recent national and international climate assessments. By introducing heretofore-omitted feedbacks between natural and societal drivers, we can improve scientific understanding of the human–Earth system dynamics. Potential applications include studies of the interactions and feedbacks leading to the timing, scale, and geographic distribution of emissions trajectories and other human influences, corresponding climate effects, and the subsequent impacts of a changing climate on human and natural systems. This paper describes the formulation, requirements, implementation, testing, and resulting functionality of the first version of the iESM released to the global climate community.« less

The neural circuits of innate fear: detection, integration, action, and memorization

PubMed Central

Silva, Bianca A.; Gross, Cornelius T.

2016-01-01

How fear is represented in the brain has generated a lot of research attention, not only because fear increases the chances for survival when appropriately expressed but also because it can lead to anxiety and stress-related disorders when inadequately processed. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the understanding of the neural circuits processing innate fear in rodents. We propose that these circuits are contained within three main functional units in the brain: a detection unit, responsible for gathering sensory information signaling the presence of a threat; an integration unit, responsible for incorporating the various sensory information and recruiting downstream effectors; and an output unit, in charge of initiating appropriate bodily and behavioral responses to the threatful stimulus. In parallel, the experience of innate fear also instructs a learning process leading to the memorization of the fearful event. Interestingly, while the detection, integration, and output units processing acute fear responses to different threats tend to be harbored in distinct brain circuits, memory encoding of these threats seems to rely on a shared learning system. PMID:27634145

ISIM Lowered into Thermal Vacuum Chamber

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

An overhead glimpse inside the thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., as engineers ready the James Webb Space Telescope's Integrated Science Instrument Module, just lowered into the chamber for its first thermal vacuum test. The ISIM and the ISIM System Integration Fixture that holds the ISIM Electronics Compartment is completely covered in protective blankets to shield it from contamination. Image credit: NASA/Chris Gunn NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Ensembl 2004.

PubMed

Birney, E; Andrews, D; Bevan, P; Caccamo, M; Cameron, G; Chen, Y; Clarke, L; Coates, G; Cox, T; Cuff, J; Curwen, V; Cutts, T; Down, T; Durbin, R; Eyras, E; Fernandez-Suarez, X M; Gane, P; Gibbins, B; Gilbert, J; Hammond, M; Hotz, H; Iyer, V; Kahari, A; Jekosch, K; Kasprzyk, A; Keefe, D; Keenan, S; Lehvaslaiho, H; McVicker, G; Melsopp, C; Meidl, P; Mongin, E; Pettett, R; Potter, S; Proctor, G; Rae, M; Searle, S; Slater, G; Smedley, D; Smith, J; Spooner, W; Stabenau, A; Stalker, J; Storey, R; Ureta-Vidal, A; Woodwark, C; Clamp, M; Hubbard, T

2004-01-01

The Ensembl (http://www.ensembl.org/) database project provides a bioinformatics framework to organize biology around the sequences of large genomes. It is a comprehensive and integrated source of annotation of large genome sequences, available via interactive website, web services or flat files. As well as being one of the leading sources of genome annotation, Ensembl is an open source software engineering project to develop a portable system able to handle very large genomes and associated requirements. The facilities of the system range from sequence analysis to data storage and visualization and installations exist around the world both in companies and at academic sites. With a total of nine genome sequences available from Ensembl and more genomes to follow, recent developments have focused mainly on closer integration between genomes and external data.

Intracellular Chemistry: Integrating Molecular Inorganic Catalysts with Living Systems.

PubMed

Ngo, Anh H; Bose, Sohini; Do, Loi H

2018-03-23

This concept article focuses on the rapid growth of intracellular chemistry dedicated to the integration of small-molecule metal catalysts with living cells and organisms. Although biological systems contain a plethora of biomolecules that can deactivate inorganic species, researchers have shown that small-molecule metal catalysts could be engineered to operate in heterogeneous aqueous environments. Synthetic intracellular reactions have recently been reported for olefin hydrogenation, hydrolysis/oxidative cleavage, azide-alkyne cycloaddition, allylcarbamate cleavage, C-C bond cross coupling, and transfer hydrogenation. Other promising targets for new biocompatible reaction discovery will also be discussed, with a special emphasis on how such innovations could lead to the development of novel technologies and chemical tools. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A systemic analysis of cheating in an undergraduate engineering mechanics course.

PubMed

Bertram Gallant, Tricia; Van Den Einde, Lelli; Ouellette, Scott; Lee, Sam

2014-03-01

Cheating in the undergraduate classroom is not a new problem, and it is recognized as one that is endemic to the education system. This paper examines the highly normative behavior of using unauthorized assistance (e.g., a solutions manual or a friend) on an individual assignment within the context of an upper division undergraduate course in engineering mechanics. The findings indicate that there are varying levels of accepting responsibility among the students (from denial to tempered to full) and that acceptance of responsibility can lead to identification of learning and necessary behavioral changes. The findings have implications for institutions and engineering faculty, in particular the need for consistent academic integrity education and the teaching of professional integrity and ethics.

DigR: a generic model and its open source simulation software to mimic three-dimensional root-system architecture diversity.

PubMed

Barczi, Jean-François; Rey, Hervé; Griffon, Sébastien; Jourdan, Christophe

2018-04-18

Many studies exist in the literature dealing with mathematical representations of root systems, categorized, for example, as pure structure description, partial derivative equations or functional-structural plant models. However, in these studies, root architecture modelling has seldom been carried out at the organ level with the inclusion of environmental influences that can be integrated into a whole plant characterization. We have conducted a multidisciplinary study on root systems including field observations, architectural analysis, and formal and mathematical modelling. This integrative and coherent approach leads to a generic model (DigR) and its software simulator. Architecture analysis applied to root systems helps at root type classification and architectural unit design for each species. Roots belonging to a particular type share dynamic and morphological characteristics which consist of topological and geometric features. The DigR simulator is integrated into the Xplo environment, with a user interface to input parameter values and make output ready for dynamic 3-D visualization, statistical analysis and saving to standard formats. DigR is simulated in a quasi-parallel computing algorithm and may be used either as a standalone tool or integrated into other simulation platforms. The software is open-source and free to download at http://amapstudio.cirad.fr/soft/xplo/download. DigR is based on three key points: (1) a root-system architectural analysis, (2) root type classification and modelling and (3) a restricted set of 23 root type parameters with flexible values indexed in terms of root position. Genericity and botanical accuracy of the model is demonstrated for growth, branching, mortality and reiteration processes, and for different root architectures. Plugin examples demonstrate the model's versatility at simulating plastic responses to environmental constraints. Outputs of the model include diverse root system structures such as tap-root, fasciculate, tuberous, nodulated and clustered root systems. DigR is based on plant architecture analysis which leads to specific root type classification and organization that are directly linked to field measurements. The open source simulator of the model has been included within a friendly user environment. DigR accuracy and versatility are demonstrated for growth simulations of complex root systems for both annual and perennial plants.

Hydromentor: An integrated water resources monitoring and management system at modified semi-arid watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasiliades, Lampros; Sidiropoulos, Pantelis; Tzabiras, John; Kokkinos, Konstantinos; Spiliotopoulos, Marios; Papaioannou, George; Fafoutis, Chrysostomos; Michailidou, Kalliopi; Tziatzios, George; Loukas, Athanasios; Mylopoulos, Nikitas

2015-04-01

Natural and engineered water systems interact throughout watersheds and while there is clearly a link between watershed activities and the quantity and quality of water entering the engineered environment, these systems are considered distinct operational systems. As a result, the strategic approach to data management and modeling within the two systems is very different, leading to significant difficulties in integrating the two systems in order to make comprehensive watershed decisions. In this paper, we describe the "HYDROMENTOR" research project, a highly-structured data storage and exchange system that integrates multiple tools and models describing both natural and modified environments, to provide an integrated tool for management of water resources. Our underlying objective in presenting our conceptual design for this water information system is to develop an integrated and automated system that will achieve monitoring and management of the water quantity and quality at watershed level for both surface water (rivers and lakes) and ground water resources (aquifers). The uniqueness of the system is the integrated treatment of the water resources management issue in terms of water quantity and quality in current climate conditions and in future conditions of climatic change. On an operational level, the system provides automated warnings when the availability, use and pollution levels exceed allowable limits pre-set by the management authorities. Decision making with respect to the apportionment of water use by surface and ground water resources are aided through this system, while the relationship between the polluting activity of a source to total incoming pollution by sources are determined; this way, the best management practices for dealing with a crisis are proposed. The computational system allows the development and application of actions, interventions and policies (alternative management scenarios) so that the impacts of climate change in quantity, quality and use of water resources could be evaluated and managed. Acknowledgements: This study has been supported by the research project "Hydromentor" funded by the Greek General Secretariat of Research and Technology in the framework of the E.U. co-funded National Action "Cooperation".

Thermo-Acoustic Ultrasound for Detection of RF-Induced Device Lead Heating in MRI.

PubMed

Dixit, Neerav; Stang, Pascal P; Pauly, John M; Scott, Greig C

2018-02-01

Patients who have implanted medical devices with long conductive leads are often restricted from receiving MRI scans due to the danger of RF-induced heating near the lead tips. Phantom studies have shown that this heating varies significantly on a case-by-case basis, indicating that many patients with implanted devices can receive clinically useful MRI scans without harm. However, the difficulty of predicting RF-induced lead tip heating prior to scanning prevents numerous implant recipients from being scanned. Here, we demonstrate that thermo-acoustic ultrasound (TAUS) has the potential to be utilized for a pre-scan procedure assessing the risk of RF-induced lead tip heating in MRI. A system was developed to detect TAUS signals by four different TAUS acquisition methods. We then integrated this system with an MRI scanner and detected a peak in RF power absorption near the tip of a model lead when transmitting from the scanner's body coil. We also developed and experimentally validated simulations to characterize the thermo-acoustic signal generated near lead tips. These results indicate that TAUS is a promising method for assessing RF implant safety, and with further development, a TAUS pre-scan could allow many more patients to have access to MRI scans of significant clinical value.

Heat conduction in a chain of colliding particles with a stiff repulsive potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gendelman, Oleg V.; Savin, Alexander V.

2016-11-01

One-dimensional billiards, i.e., a chain of colliding particles with equal masses, is a well-known example of a completely integrable system. Billiards with different particle masses is generically not integrable, but it still exhibits divergence of a heat conduction coefficient (HCC) in the thermodynamic limit. Traditional billiards models imply instantaneous (zero-time) collisions between the particles. We relax this condition of instantaneous impact and consider heat transport in a chain of stiff colliding particles with the power-law potential of the nearest-neighbor interaction. The instantaneous collisions correspond to the limit of infinite power in the interaction potential; for finite powers, the interactions take nonzero time. This modification of the model leads to a profound physical consequence—the probability of multiple (in particular triple) -particle collisions becomes nonzero. Contrary to the integrable billiards of equal particles, the modified model exhibits saturation of the heat conduction coefficient for a large system size. Moreover, the identification of scattering events with triple-particle collisions leads to a simple definition of the characteristic mean free path and a kinetic description of heat transport. This approach allows us to predict both the temperature and density dependencies for the HCC limit values. The latter dependence is quite counterintuitive—the HCC is inversely proportional to the particle density in the chain. Both predictions are confirmed by direct numerical simulations.

On the performance of exponential integrators for problems in magnetohydrodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Einkemmer, Lukas; Tokman, Mayya; Loffeld, John

2017-02-01

Exponential integrators have been introduced as an efficient alternative to explicit and implicit methods for integrating large stiff systems of differential equations. Over the past decades these methods have been studied theoretically and their performance was evaluated using a range of test problems. While the results of these investigations showed that exponential integrators can provide significant computational savings, the research on validating this hypothesis for large scale systems and understanding what classes of problems can particularly benefit from the use of the new techniques is in its initial stages. Resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modeling is widely used in studying large scale behavior of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. In many problems numerical solution of MHD equations is a challenging task due to the temporal stiffness of this system in the parameter regimes of interest. In this paper we evaluate the performance of exponential integrators on large MHD problems and compare them to a state-of-the-art implicit time integrator. Both the variable and constant time step exponential methods of EPIRK-type are used to simulate magnetic reconnection and the Kevin-Helmholtz instability in plasma. Performance of these methods, which are part of the EPIC software package, is compared to the variable time step variable order BDF scheme included in the CVODE (part of SUNDIALS) library. We study performance of the methods on parallel architectures and with respect to magnitudes of important parameters such as Reynolds, Lundquist, and Prandtl numbers. We find that the exponential integrators provide superior or equal performance in most circumstances and conclude that further development of exponential methods for MHD problems is warranted and can lead to significant computational advantages for large scale stiff systems of differential equations such as MHD.

GEOSS Water Cycle Integrator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koike, T.; Lawford, R. G.; Cripe, D.

2012-12-01

It is critically important to recognize and co-manage the fundamental linkages across the water-dependent domains; land use, including deforestation; ecosystem services; and food-, energy- and health-securities. Sharing coordinated, comprehensive and sustained observations and information for sound decision-making is a first step; however, to take full advantage of these opportunities, we need to develop an effective collaboration mechanism for working together across different disciplines, sectors and agencies, and thereby gain a holistic view of the continuity between environmentally sustainable development, climate change adaptation and enhanced resilience. To promote effective multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary collaboration based on coordinated and integrated efforts, the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is now developing a "GEOSS Water Cycle Integrator (WCI)", which integrates "Earth observations", "modeling", "data and information", "management systems" and "education systems". GEOSS/WCI sets up "work benches" by which partners can share data, information and applications in an interoperable way, exchange knowledge and experiences, deepen mutual understanding and work together effectively to ultimately respond to issues of both mitigation and adaptation. (A work bench is a virtual geographical or phenomenological space where experts and managers collaborate to use information to address a problem within that space). GEOSS/WCI enhances the coordination of efforts to strengthen individual, institutional and infrastructure capacities, especially for effective interdisciplinary coordination and integration. GEO has established the GEOSS Asian Water Cycle Initiative (AWCI) and GEOSS African Water Cycle Coordination Initiative (AfWCCI). Through regional, inter-disciplinary, multi-sectoral integration and inter-agency coordination in Asia and Africa, GEOSS/WCI is now leading to effective actions and public awareness in support of water security and sustainable development.

Space Shuttle Orbiter Wing-Leading-Edge Panel Thermo-Mechanical Analysis for Entry Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, Norman F., Jr.; Song, Kyongchan; Raju, Ivatury S.

2010-01-01

Linear elastic, thermo-mechanical stress analyses of the Space Shuttle Orbiter wing-leading-edge panels is presented for entry heating conditions. The wing-leading-edge panels are made from reinforced carbon-carbon and serve as a part of the overall thermal protection system. Three-dimensional finite element models are described for three configurations: integrated configuration, an independent single-panel configuration, and a local lower-apex joggle segment. Entry temperature conditions are imposed and the through-the-thickness response is examined. From the integrated model, it was concluded that individual panels can be analyzed independently since minimal interaction between adjacent components occurred. From the independent single-panel model, it was concluded that increased through-the-thickness stress levels developed all along the chord of a panel s slip-side joggle region, and hence isolated local joggle sections will exhibit the same trend. From the local joggle models, it was concluded that two-dimensional plane-strain models can be used to study the influence of subsurface defects along the slip-side joggle region of these panels.

An expanded view of energy homeostasis: Neural integration of metabolic, cognitive, and emotional drives to eat

PubMed Central

Shin, Andrew C.; Zheng, Huiyuan; Berthoud, Hans-Rudolf

2009-01-01

The traditional view of neural regulation of body energy homeostasis focuses on internal feedback signals integrated in the hypothalamus and brainstem and in turn leading to balanced activation of behavioral, autonomic, and endocrine effector pathways leading to changes in food intake and energy expenditure. Recent observations have demonstrated that many of these internal signals encoding energy status have much wider effects on the brain, particularly sensory and cortico-limbic systems that process information from the outside world by detecting and interpreting food cues, forming, storing, and recalling representations of experience with food, and assigning hedonic and motivational value to conditioned and unconditioned food stimuli. Thus, part of the metabolic feedback from the internal milieu regulates food intake and energy balance by acting on extrahypothalamic structures, leading to an expanded view of neural control of energy homeostasis taking into account the need to adapt to changing conditions in the environment. The realization that metabolic signals act directly on these non-traditional targets of body energy homeostasis brings opportunities for novel drug targets for the fight against obesity and eating disorders. PMID:19419661

Exploring childhood lead exposure through GIS: a review of the recent literature.

PubMed

Akkus, Cem; Ozdenerol, Esra

2014-06-18

Childhood exposure to lead remains a critical health control problem in the US. Integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into childhood lead exposure studies significantly enhanced identifying lead hazards in the environment and determining at risk children. Research indicates that the toxic threshold for lead exposure was updated three times in the last four decades: 60 to 30 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) in 1975, 25 µg/dL in 1985, and 10 µb/dL in 1991. These changes revealed the extent of lead poisoning. By 2012 it was evident that no safe blood lead threshold for the adverse effects of lead on children had been identified and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) currently uses a reference value of 5 µg/dL. Review of the recent literature on GIS-based studies suggests that numerous environmental risk factors might be critical for lead exposure. New GIS-based studies are used in surveillance data management, risk analysis, lead exposure visualization, and community intervention strategies where geographically-targeted, specific intervention measures are taken.

Exploring Childhood Lead Exposure through GIS: A Review of the Recent Literature

PubMed Central

Akkus, Cem; Ozdenerol, Esra

2014-01-01

Childhood exposure to lead remains a critical health control problem in the US. Integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into childhood lead exposure studies significantly enhanced identifying lead hazards in the environment and determining at risk children. Research indicates that the toxic threshold for lead exposure was updated three times in the last four decades: 60 to 30 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) in 1975, 25 µg/dL in 1985, and 10 µb/dL in 1991. These changes revealed the extent of lead poisoning. By 2012 it was evident that no safe blood lead threshold for the adverse effects of lead on children had been identified and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) currently uses a reference value of 5 µg/dL. Review of the recent literature on GIS-based studies suggests that numerous environmental risk factors might be critical for lead exposure. New GIS-based studies are used in surveillance data management, risk analysis, lead exposure visualization, and community intervention strategies where geographically-targeted, specific intervention measures are taken. PMID:24945189

Designing low-carbon power systems for Great Britain in 2050 that are robust to the spatiotemporal and inter-annual variability of weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeyringer, Marianne; Price, James; Fais, Birgit; Li, Pei-Hao; Sharp, Ed

2018-05-01

The design of cost-effective power systems with high shares of variable renewable energy (VRE) technologies requires a modelling approach that simultaneously represents the whole energy system combined with the spatiotemporal and inter-annual variability of VRE. Here, we soft-link a long-term energy system model, which explores new energy system configurations from years to decades, with a high spatial and temporal resolution power system model that captures VRE variability from hours to years. Applying this methodology to Great Britain for 2050, we find that VRE-focused power system design is highly sensitive to the inter-annual variability of weather and that planning based on a single year can lead to operational inadequacy and failure to meet long-term decarbonization objectives. However, some insights do emerge that are relatively stable to weather-year. Reinforcement of the transmission system consistently leads to a decrease in system costs while electricity storage and flexible generation, needed to integrate VRE into the system, are generally deployed close to demand centres.

Vasoregression: A Shared Vascular Pathology Underlying Macrovascular And Microvascular Pathologies?

PubMed Central

Gupta, Akanksha

2015-01-01

Abstract Vasoregression is a common phenomenon underlying physiological vessel development as well as pathological microvascular diseases leading to peripheral neuropathy, nephropathy, and vascular oculopathies. In this review, we describe the hallmarks and pathways of vasoregression. We argue here that there is a parallel between characteristic features of vasoregression in the ocular microvessels and atherosclerosis in the larger vessels. Shared molecular pathways and molecular effectors in the two conditions are outlined, thus highlighting the possible systemic causes of local vascular diseases. Our review gives us a system-wide insight into factors leading to multiple synchronous vascular diseases. Because shared molecular pathways might usefully address the diagnostic and therapeutic needs of multiple common complex diseases, the literature analysis presented here is of broad interest to readership in integrative biology, rational drug development and systems medicine. PMID:26669709

[Digital signature: new prospects for the information of the cardiologic clinical card].

PubMed

Cervesato, E; Antonini-Canterin, F; Nicolosi, G L

2001-02-01

In the last few years, remarkable improvements have been made in computerized database systems used in cardiology. However, they will not easily lead to further relevant improvements unless the weaknesses and the gaps deriving from the obligation of forming and storing case sheets, according to law, are faced and resolved in an original way. This article covers the topic of the digital signature and how it could form the basis for a new powerful impulse to the process of informatization of cardiology records. The proposal of elaborating a totally computerized case sheet involves the need of rationalizing the flow of clinical information and of implementing a management system integrated with the hospital information system. The elimination of paper support will probably lead to an advantageous cycle that will involve the entire hospital, both clinically as well as administratively.

Ocean Acidification Monitoring Data Collaborations, Integration and Dissemination: The US Pacific NW Regional IOOS Experience with Local to Global Efforts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayorga, E.; Newton, J.; Tanner, T.

2016-02-01

Over the last several years, the impact of ocean acidification (OA) on coastal ecosystems and resources has become an increasingly important issue in the US Pacific Northwest (NW), leading to multi-faceted efforts that include basic scientific research; targeted partnerships between researchers, industry, and resource managers; increased monitoring of water conditions; and collaborations ranging from local efforts to West Coast, national and global coordination. The Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), the Pacific NW Regional Association of the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), has played an important role in these initiatives and collaborations.NANOOS' mission focuses on the generation, integration and timely delivery of marine data to serve the needs and decisions of its region in a nationally coordinated fashion. NANOOS collaboratively leverages limited resources to address multiple thematic areas of emphasis. It aggregates and serves meteorological and oceanographic data derived from observation platforms such as buoys, tide gauges, weather stations, gliders, cruises, high-frequency radar and satellites, as well as model forecast information and geospatial map data. These data originate from a wide range of providers including federal, state, tribal and municipal entities, and the private and academic sectors.The NANOOS data management and user products group has actively supported activities that serve OA information access needs locally and regionally. Early efforts have also led to a leading role in wider regional iniatives spanning the West Coast and the NE Pacific, particularly through the IOOS Pacific Region Ocean Acidification (IPACOA) collaboration and data integration application and collaboration with the West Coast Governors Alliance on Ocean Health (WCGA). We have also participated in helping define national and global data integration efforts. We will describe our activities, tools and experience in the management, integration and dissemination of OA-relevant monitoring data across these initiatives.

Rivers are social–ecological systems: Time to integrate human dimensions into riverscape ecology and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dunham, Jason B.; Angermeier, Paul L.; Crausbay, Shelley D.; Cravens, Amanda; Gosnell, Hannah; McEvoy, Jamie; Moritz, Max A.; Raheem, Nejem; Sanford, Todd

2018-01-01

Incorporation of concepts from landscape ecology into understanding and managing riverine ecosystems has become widely known as riverscape ecology. Riverscape ecology emphasizes interactions among processes at different scales and their consequences for valued ecosystem components, such as riverine fishes. Past studies have focused strongly on understanding the ecological processes in riverscapes and how human actions modify those processes. It is increasingly clear, however, that an understanding of the drivers behind actions that lead to human modification also merit consideration, especially regarding how those drivers influence management efficacy. These indirect drivers of riverscape outcomes can be understood in the context of a diverse array of social processes, which we collectively refer to as human dimensions. Like ecological phenomena, social processes also exhibit complex interactions across spatiotemporal scales. Greater emphasis on feedbacks between social and ecological processes will lead scientists and managers to more completely understand riverscapes as complex, dynamic, interacting social–ecological systems. Emerging applications in riverscapes, as well as studies of other ecosystems, provide examples that can lead to stronger integration of social and ecological science. We argue that conservation successes within riverscapes may not come from better ecological science, improved ecosystem service analyses, or even economic incentives if the fundamental drivers of human behaviors are not understood and addressed in conservation planning and implementation.

Electric Fuel Pump Condition Monitor System Using Electricalsignature Analysis

DOEpatents

Haynes, Howard D [Knoxville, TN; Cox, Daryl F [Knoxville, TN; Welch, Donald E [Oak Ridge, TN

2005-09-13

A pump diagnostic system and method comprising current sensing probes clamped on electrical motor leads of a pump for sensing only current signals on incoming motor power, a signal processor having a means for buffering and anti-aliasing current signals into a pump motor current signal, and a computer having a means for analyzing, displaying, and reporting motor current signatures from the motor current signal to determine pump health using integrated motor and pump diagnostic parameters.

The P-38 Lightning Aircraft: Lessons Learned for Future Weapon Systems Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

PMBOK TEL \\ u.s. WER List of ~cronyms iv Brake Horse Power Design-Build Team District of Columbia Department of Defense Department of...record. Despite unresolved issues like the flap and brake system problems and limited test hours, on 11 February 1939, Lieutenant Kelsey flew the XP-38...engine, giving the P-3 8 engines a 1425 brake horse power (BHP)22 rating. However, limitations of the integral wing leading edge intercoolers23 could

The Analysis of the Contribution of Human Factors to the In-Flight Loss of Control Accidents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ancel, Ersin; Shih, Ann T.

2012-01-01

In-flight loss of control (LOC) is currently the leading cause of fatal accidents based on various commercial aircraft accident statistics. As the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) emerges, new contributing factors leading to LOC are anticipated. The NASA Aviation Safety Program (AvSP), along with other aviation agencies and communities are actively developing safety products to mitigate the LOC risk. This paper discusses the approach used to construct a generic integrated LOC accident framework (LOCAF) model based on a detailed review of LOC accidents over the past two decades. The LOCAF model is comprised of causal factors from the domain of human factors, aircraft system component failures, and atmospheric environment. The multiple interdependent causal factors are expressed in an Object-Oriented Bayesian belief network. In addition to predicting the likelihood of LOC accident occurrence, the system-level integrated LOCAF model is able to evaluate the impact of new safety technology products developed in AvSP. This provides valuable information to decision makers in strategizing NASA's aviation safety technology portfolio. The focus of this paper is on the analysis of human causal factors in the model, including the contributions from flight crew and maintenance workers. The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) taxonomy was used to develop human related causal factors. The preliminary results from the baseline LOCAF model are also presented.

76 FR 26284 - Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (Pb)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-06

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9302-5; Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2011-0051] Draft Integrated... the availability of a document titled, ``First External Review Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Lead'' (EPA/600/R-10/075A). This draft document was prepared by the National Center for Environmental...

Global Science and Social Systems: The Essentials of Montessori Education and Peace Frameworks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, David

2016-01-01

Inspired by Baiba Krumins-Grazzini's interdependencies lecture at NAMTA's Portland conference, David Kahn shows the unifying structures of the program that are rooted in the natural and social sciences. Through a connective web, these sciences explore the integration of all knowledge and lead to a philosophical view of life on earth, including…

IEngage: Using Technology to Enhance Students' Engagement in a Large Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawang, Sukanlaya; O'Connor, Peter; Ali, Muhammad

2017-01-01

This paper aims to answer how we can increase students' engagement in a large class. We hypothesised that the use of KeyPad, an interactive student response system, can lead to enhanced student engagement in a large classroom. We tested a model of classroom technology integration enhancing the students' engagement among first year undergraduate…

A Space Acquisition Leading Indicator Based on System Interoperation Maturity

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

delivered hardware, improper use of soldering materials, improper installation of thermal blankets , and missing test procedure documentation A poor...office, the first GEO integrated payload and spacecraft successfully completed thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing in November 2009. Program officials...contamination in delivered hardware, improper use of soldering materials, improper installation of thermal blankets , and missing test procedure

Individual Differences in the Multisensory Temporal Binding Window Predict Susceptibility to Audiovisual Illusions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevenson, Ryan A.; Zemtsov, Raquel K.; Wallace, Mark T.

2012-01-01

Human multisensory systems are known to bind inputs from the different sensory modalities into a unified percept, a process that leads to measurable behavioral benefits. This integrative process can be observed through multisensory illusions, including the McGurk effect and the sound-induced flash illusion, both of which demonstrate the ability of…

Using an Assessment of Learning System to Integrate Core Content across the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosales, Jean; Sarbaum, Jeff; Sheran, Michelle; Allen, Stuart

2013-01-01

College and university programs are under increasing pressure to effectively measure and assess student performance, knowledge, and skills in their classes, majors and programs. We discuss how embracing this assessment charge can lead to a more cohesive and educational curriculum in which students and educators alike see the connections from one…

City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Municipal Forest Resource Analysis

Treesearch

K.E. Vargas; E.G. McPherson; J.R. Simpson; P.J. Peper; S.L. Gardner; Q. Xiao

2006-01-01

Albuquerque, a booming southwestern city appreciated for the beauty of its high desert surroundings and its bustling business culture maintains parks and natural areas as an integral component of the urban infrastructure (Figure 1). Recently, Albuquerque was honored by the Trust for Public Land for its excellent park system: it leads the nation in percentage of land...

Shape and Stress Sensing of Multilayered Composite and Sandwich Structures Using an Inverse Finite Element Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cerracchio, Priscilla; Gherlone, Marco; Di Sciuva, Marco; Tessler, Alexander

2013-01-01

The marked increase in the use of composite and sandwich material systems in aerospace, civil, and marine structures leads to the need for integrated Structural Health Management systems. A key capability to enable such systems is the real-time reconstruction of structural deformations, stresses, and failure criteria that are inferred from in-situ, discrete-location strain measurements. This technology is commonly referred to as shape- and stress-sensing. Presented herein is a computationally efficient shape- and stress-sensing methodology that is ideally suited for applications to laminated composite and sandwich structures. The new approach employs the inverse Finite Element Method (iFEM) as a general framework and the Refined Zigzag Theory (RZT) as the underlying plate theory. A three-node inverse plate finite element is formulated. The element formulation enables robust and efficient modeling of plate structures instrumented with strain sensors that have arbitrary positions. The methodology leads to a set of linear algebraic equations that are solved efficiently for the unknown nodal displacements. These displacements are then used at the finite element level to compute full-field strains, stresses, and failure criteria that are in turn used to assess structural integrity. Numerical results for multilayered, highly heterogeneous laminates demonstrate the unique capability of this new formulation for shape- and stress-sensing.

Thermal Remote Sensing: A Powerful Tool in the Characterization of Landscapes on a Functional Basis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeffrey, Luvall C.; Kay, James; Fraser, Roydon

1999-01-01

Thermal remote sensing instruments can function as environmental measuring tools, with capabilities leading toward new directions in functional landscape ecology. Theoretical deduction and phenomenological observation leads us to believe that the second law of thermodynamics requires that all dynamically systems develop in a manner which dissipates gradients as rapidly as possible within the constraints of the system at hand. The ramification of this requirement is that dynamical systems will evolve dissipative structures which grow and complexify over time. This perspective has allowed us to develop a framework for discussing ecosystem development and integrity. In the context of this framework we have developed measures of development and integrity for ecosystems. One set of these measures is based on destruction of the exergy content of incoming solar energy. More developed ecosystems will be more effective at dissipating the solar gradient (destroying its exergy content). This can be measured by the effective surface temperature of the ecosystem on a landscape scale. These surface temperatures are measured using airborne thermal scanners such as the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) and the Airborne Thermal/Visible Land Application Sensor(ATLAS) sensors. An analysis of agriculture and forest ecosystems will be used to illustrate the concept of ecological thermodynamics and the development of ecosystems.

The future of global water stress: An integrated assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlosser, C. Adam; Strzepek, Kenneth; Gao, Xiang; Fant, Charles; Blanc, Élodie; Paltsev, Sergey; Jacoby, Henry; Reilly, John; Gueneau, Arthur

2014-08-01

We assess the ability of global water systems, resolved at 282 assessment subregions (ASRs), to the meet water requirements under integrated projections of socioeconomic growth and climate change. We employ a water resource system (WRS) component embedded within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Integrated Global System Model (IGSM) framework in a suite of simulations that consider a range of climate policies and regional hydroclimate changes out to 2050. For many developing nations, water demand increases due to population growth and economic activity have a much stronger effect on water stress than climate change. By 2050, economic growth and population change alone can lead to an additional 1.8 billion people living under at least moderate water stress, with 80% of these located in developing countries. Uncertain regional climate change can play a secondary role to either exacerbate or dampen the increase in water stress. The strongest climate impacts on water stress are observed in Africa, but strong impacts also occur over Europe, Southeast Asia, and North America. The combined effects of socioeconomic growth and uncertain climate change lead to a 1.0-1.3 billion increase of the world's 2050 projected population living with overly exploited water conditions—where total potential water requirements will consistently exceed surface water supply. This would imply that adaptive measures would be taken to meet these surface water shortfalls and include: water-use efficiency, reduced and/or redirected consumption, recurrent periods of water emergencies or curtailments, groundwater depletion, additional interbasin transfers, and overdraw from flow intended to maintain environmental requirements.

Examining System-Wide Impacts of Solar PV Control Systems with a Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Platform

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

Williams, Tess L.; Fuller, Jason C.; Schneider, Kevin P.

2014-06-08

High penetration levels of distributed solar PV power generation can lead to adverse power quality impacts, such as excessive voltage rise, voltage flicker, and reactive power values that result in unacceptable voltage levels. Advanced inverter control schemes have been developed that have the potential to mitigate many power quality concerns. However, local closed-loop control may lead to unintended behavior in deployed systems as complex interactions can occur between numerous operating devices. To enable the study of the performance of advanced control schemes in a detailed distribution system environment, a test platform has been developed that integrates Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL) withmore » concurrent time-series electric distribution system simulation. In the test platform, GridLAB-D, a distribution system simulation tool, runs a detailed simulation of a distribution feeder in real-time mode at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and supplies power system parameters at a point of common coupling. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a hardware inverter interacts with grid and PV simulators emulating an operational distribution system. Power output from the inverters is measured and sent to PNNL to update the real-time distribution system simulation. The platform is described and initial test cases are presented. The platform is used to study the system-wide impacts and the interactions of inverter control modes—constant power factor and active Volt/VAr control—when integrated into a simulated IEEE 8500-node test feeder. We demonstrate that this platform is well-suited to the study of advanced inverter controls and their impacts on the power quality of a distribution feeder. Additionally, results are used to validate GridLAB-D simulations of advanced inverter controls.« less

Regenerative fuel cell systems for space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoberecht, M. A.; Sheibley, D. W.

1985-01-01

Regenerative fuel cell (RFC) systems are the leading energy storage candidates for Space Station. Key design features are the advanced state of technology readiness and high degree of system level design flexibility. Technology readiness was demonstrated through testing at the single cell, cell stack, mechanical ancillary component, subsystem, and breadboard levels. Design flexibility characteristics include independent sizing of power and energy storage portions of the system, integration of common reactants with other space station systems, and a wide range of various maintenance approaches. The design features led to selection of a RFC system as the sole electrochemical energy storage technology option for the space station advanced development program.

The eight tetrahedron equations

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

Hietarinta, J.; Nijhoff, F.

1997-07-01

In this paper we derive from arguments of string scattering a set of eight tetrahedron equations, with different index orderings. It is argued that this system of equations is the proper system that represents integrable structures in three dimensions generalizing the Yang{endash}Baxter equation. Under additional restrictions this system reduces to the usual tetrahedron equation in the vertex form. Most known solutions fall under this class, but it is by no means necessary. Comparison is made with the work on braided monoidal 2-categories also leading to eight tetrahedron equations. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

A functional hybrid memristor crossbar-array/CMOS system for data storage and neuromorphic applications.

PubMed

Kim, Kuk-Hwan; Gaba, Siddharth; Wheeler, Dana; Cruz-Albrecht, Jose M; Hussain, Tahir; Srinivasa, Narayan; Lu, Wei

2012-01-11

Crossbar arrays based on two-terminal resistive switches have been proposed as a leading candidate for future memory and logic applications. Here we demonstrate a high-density, fully operational hybrid crossbar/CMOS system composed of a transistor- and diode-less memristor crossbar array vertically integrated on top of a CMOS chip by taking advantage of the intrinsic nonlinear characteristics of the memristor element. The hybrid crossbar/CMOS system can reliably store complex binary and multilevel 1600 pixel bitmap images using a new programming scheme. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Lead exposure reduces sperm quality and DNA integrity in mice.

PubMed

Li, Cuiling; Zhao, Kai; Zhang, Huiping; Liu, Lili; Xiong, Fei; Wang, Kunyu; Chen, Biao

2018-05-01

Toxicity of lead on male reproductive functions has raised wide public concern as environmental lead contamination remains common worldwide. Conflicting and controversial data are available regarding effects of lead on male fertility. More importantly, our knowledge on effects of lead on sperm DNA integrity is significantly limited. Thus, further studies should focus on this issue. In the current study, adult male mice were exposed to a series of lead acetate concentrations in drinking water for six weeks. Following administration, lead levels in blood, testicles, and epididymis were measured, and potential changes in morphology of testis and epididymis due to lead exposure were identified. We also analyzed sperm parameters, including sperm density, viability, motility, and morphology, to evaluate quality of sperm collected from epididymis. Especially, hypothetical influence of lead on sperm DNA integrity was also evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling, alkaline comet assay, and sperm chromatin structure assay. Lead exposure possibly exerted no effect on growth of mice because these animals acquired similar body weight gain during the experimental period. However, high lead concentrations (0.5% and 1%) in drinking water affected sperm motility and increased percentage of spermatozoa with abnormal morphology. In groups treated with 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% lead acetate, percentages of sperm cells showing DNA breaks and chromatin structure damage significantly increased. Altogether, lead exposure not only exhibits adverse effects on sperm physiological parameters, but also impairs DNA structure and integrity. These effects may lead to significant decline in male fertility. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AFC-Enabled Simplified High-Lift System Integration Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartwich, Peter M.; Dickey, Eric D.; Sclafani, Anthony J.; Camacho, Peter; Gonzales, Antonio B.; Lawson, Edward L.; Mairs, Ron Y.; Shmilovich, Arvin

2014-01-01

The primary objective of this trade study report is to explore the potential of using Active Flow Control (AFC) for achieving lighter and mechanically simpler high-lift systems for transonic commercial transport aircraft. This assessment was conducted in four steps. First, based on the Common Research Model (CRM) outer mold line (OML) definition, two high-lift concepts were developed. One concept, representative of current production-type commercial transonic transports, features leading edge slats and slotted trailing edge flaps with Fowler motion. The other CRM-based design relies on drooped leading edges and simply hinged trailing edge flaps for high-lift generation. The relative high-lift performance of these two high-lift CRM variants is established using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solutions to the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations for steady flow. These CFD assessments identify the high-lift performance that needs to be recovered through AFC to have the CRM variant with the lighter and mechanically simpler high-lift system match the performance of the conventional high-lift system. Conceptual design integration studies for the AFC-enhanced high-lift systems were conducted with a NASA Environmentally Responsible Aircraft (ERA) reference configuration, the so-called ERA-0003 concept. These design trades identify AFC performance targets that need to be met to produce economically feasible ERA-0003-like concepts with lighter and mechanically simpler high-lift designs that match the performance of conventional high-lift systems. Finally, technical challenges are identified associated with the application of AFC-enabled highlift systems to modern transonic commercial transports for future technology maturation efforts.

Alpha: A real-time decentralized operating system for mission-oriented system integration and operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, E. Douglas

1988-01-01

Alpha is a new kind of operating system that is unique in two highly significant ways. First, it is decentralized transparently providing reliable resource management across physically dispersed nodes, so that distributed applications programming can be done largely as though it were centralized. And second, it provides comprehensive, high technology support for real-time system integration and operation, an application area which consists predominately of aperiodic activities having critical time constraints such as deadlines. Alpha is extremely adaptable so that it can be easily optimized for a wide range of problem-specific functionality, performance, and cost. Alpha is the first systems effort of the Archons Project, and the prototype was created at Carnegie-Mellon University directly on modified Sun multiprocessor workstation hardware. It has been demonstrated with a real-time C(sup 2) application. Continuing research is leading to a series of enhanced follow-ons to Alpha; these are portable but initially hosted on Concurrent's MASSCOMP line of multiprocessor products.

A piecewise smooth model of evolutionary game for residential mobility and segregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radi, D.; Gardini, L.

2018-05-01

The paper proposes an evolutionary version of a Schelling-type dynamic system to model the patterns of residential segregation when two groups of people are involved. The payoff functions of agents are the individual preferences for integration which are empirically grounded. Differently from Schelling's model, where the limited levels of tolerance are the driving force of segregation, in the current setup agents benefit from integration. Despite the differences, the evolutionary model shows a dynamics of segregation that is qualitatively similar to the one of the classical Schelling's model: segregation is always a stable equilibrium, while equilibria of integration exist only for peculiar configurations of the payoff functions and their asymptotic stability is highly sensitive to parameter variations. Moreover, a rich variety of integrated dynamic behaviors can be observed. In particular, the dynamics of the evolutionary game is regulated by a one-dimensional piecewise smooth map with two kink points that is rigorously analyzed using techniques recently developed for piecewise smooth dynamical systems. The investigation reveals that when a stable internal equilibrium exists, the bimodal shape of the map leads to several different kinds of bifurcations, smooth, and border collision, in a complicated interplay. Our global analysis can give intuitions to be used by a social planner to maximize integration through social policies that manipulate people's preferences for integration.

Leading with integrity: a qualitative research study.

PubMed

Storr, Loma

2004-01-01

This research paper gives an account of a study into the relationship between leadership and integrity. There is a critical analysis of the current literature for effective, successful and ethical leadership particularly, integrity. The purpose and aim of this paper is to build on the current notions of leadership within the literature, debate contemporary approaches, focussing specifically on practices within the UK National Health Service in the early 21st century. This leads to a discussion of the literature on ethical leadership theory, which includes public service values, ethical relationships and leading with integrity. A small study was undertaken consisting of 18 interviews with leaders and managers within a District General HospitaL Using the Repertory Grid technique and analysis 15 themes emerged from the constructs elicited, which were compared to the literature for leadership and integrity and other studies. As well as finding areas of overlap, a number of additional constructs were elicited which suggested that effective leadership correlates with integrity and the presence of integrity will improve organisational effectiveness. The study identified that perceptions of leadership character and behaviour are used to judge the effectiveness and integrity of a leader. However, the ethical implications and consequences of leaders' scope of power and influence such as policy and strategy are somewhat neglected and lacking in debate. The findings suggest that leaders are not judged according to the ethical nature of decision making, and leading and managing complex change but that the importance of integrity and ethical leadership correlated with higher levels of hierarchical status and that it is assumed by virtue of status and success that leaders lead with integrity. Finally, the findings of this study seem to suggest that nurse leadership capability is developing as a consequence of recent national investment.

[Special beds. Pulmonary therapy system].

PubMed

Calixto Rodríguez, Joaquín; Rodríguez Martínez, Xavier; Marín i Vivó, Gemma; Paunellas Albert, Josep

2008-10-01

To be bedridden reduces one's capacity to move and produces muscular debility that affects the respiratory system leading to a decreased effectiveness in expectoration, the ability to spit up sputum. The pulmonary therapy system integrated in a bed is the result of applying motorized elements to the articulation points of the bad in order to achieve safe positions at therapeutic angles, which improve the breathing-perfusion (blood flow) relationship. This system also makes it possible to apply vibration waves to the patient which favor the elimination of bronchial-pulmonary secretions, the rehabilitation of the bedridden patient and decrease the work load for nursing personnel.

A computer vision system for the recognition of trees in aerial photographs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinz, Axel J.

1991-01-01

Increasing problems of forest damage in Central Europe set the demand for an appropriate forest damage assessment tool. The Vision Expert System (VES) is presented which is capable of finding trees in color infrared aerial photographs. Concept and architecture of VES are discussed briefly. The system is applied to a multisource test data set. The processing of this multisource data set leads to a multiple interpretation result for one scene. An integration of these results will provide a better scene description by the vision system. This is achieved by an implementation of Steven's correlation algorithm.

Visuomotor coordination and cortical connectivity of modular motor learning.

PubMed

Burgos, Pablo I; Mariman, Juan J; Makeig, Scott; Rivera-Lillo, Gonzalo; Maldonado, Pedro E

2018-05-15

The ability to transfer sensorimotor skill components to new actions and the capacity to use skill components from whole actions are characteristic of the adaptability of the human sensorimotor system. However, behavioral evidence suggests complex limitations for transfer after combined or modular learning of motor adaptations. Also, to date, only behavioral analysis of the consequences of the modular learning has been reported, with little understanding of the sensorimotor mechanisms of control and the interaction between cortical areas. We programmed a video game with distorted kinematic and dynamic features to test the ability to combine sensorimotor skill components learned modularly (composition) and the capacity to use separate sensorimotor skill components learned in combination (decomposition). We examined motor performance, eye-hand coordination, and EEG connectivity. When tested for integrated learning, we found that combined practice initially performed better than separated practice, but differences disappeared after integrated practice. Separate learning promotes fewer anticipatory control mechanisms (depending more on feedback control), evidenced in a lower gaze leading behavior and in higher connectivity between visual and premotor domains, in comparison with the combined practice. The sensorimotor system can acquire motor modules in a separated or integrated manner. However, the system appears to require integrated practice to coordinate the adaptations with the skill learning and the networks involved in the integrated behavior. This integration seems to be related to the acquisition of anticipatory mechanism of control and with the decrement of feedback control. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The challenge of cardiac modeling--interaction and integration.

PubMed

Sideman, Samuel

2006-10-01

The goal of clinical cardiology is to obtain an integrated picture of the interacting parameters of muscle and vessel mechanics, blood circulation and myocardial perfusion, oxygen consumption and energy metabolism, and electrical activation and heart rate, thus relating to the true physiological and pathophysiological characteristics of the heart. Scientific insight into the cardiac physiology and performance is achieved by utilizing life sciences, for example, molecular biology, genetics and related intra- and intercellular phenomena, as well as the exact sciences, for example, mathematics, computer science, and related imaging and visualization techniques. The tools to achieve these goals are based on the intimate interactions between engineering science and medicine and the developments of modern, medically oriented technology. Most significant is the beneficiary effect of the globalization of science, the Internet, and the unprecedented international interaction and scientific cooperation in facing difficult multidisciplined challenges. This meeting aims to explore some important interactions in the cardiac system and relate to the integration of spatial and temporal interacting system parameters, so as to gain better insight into the structure and function of the cardiac system, thus leading to better therapeutic modalities.

Changes in carbon footprint when integrating production of filamentous fungi in 1st generation ethanol plants.

PubMed

Brancoli, Pedro; Ferreira, Jorge A; Bolton, Kim; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J

2018-02-01

Integrating the cultivation of edible filamentous fungi in the thin stillage from ethanol production is presently being considered. This integration can increase the ethanol yield while simultaneously producing a new value-added protein-rich biomass that can be used for animal feed. This study uses life cycle assessment to determine the change in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when integrating the cultivation of filamentous fungi in ethanol production. The result shows that the integration performs better than the current scenario when the fungal biomass is used as cattle feed for system expansion and when energy allocation is used. It performs worse if the biomass is used as fish feed. Hence, integrating the cultivation of filamentous fungi in 1st generation ethanol plants combined with proper use of the fungi can lead to a reduction of GHG emissions which, considering the number of existing ethanol plants, can have a significant global impact. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Establishing the idea of holistic integrative medicine, optimizing the quality of health care service in prevention and treatment].

PubMed

Sun, Xing-guo

2015-07-01

Under background of reductionism in the modern science, physiology and medicine are stepwise refined into system, organ, disease, cell and gene etc. Although clinical medicine, only service in whole human object, obviously brought tremendous progress, it also appeared obvious defects and limits at the same time. Professionalized and specialized medicine not only needs to be integrated from basics to clinical fields, but also from prevention, health management, clinical treatment and functional rehabilitation medicine. People are indivisible organic whole. Professionalization, translation and integration must be combined. In order to provide the best quality and optimized medical service for the Chinese people and to lead in the world, we have to strengthen professional and technical knowledge, and have to establish the holistic integrative medical philosophy for physiology and medicine too.

DE 102 - A numerically integrated ephemeris of the moon and planets spanning forty-four centuries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newhall, X. X.; Standish, E. M.; Willams, J. G.

1983-01-01

It is pointed out that the 1960's were the turning point for the generation of lunar and planetary ephemerides. All previous measurements of the positions of solar system bodies were optical angular measurements. New technological improvements leading to immense changes in observational accuracy are related to developments concerning radar, Viking landers on Mars, and laser ranges to lunar corner cube retroreflectors. Suitable numerical integration techniques and more comprehensive physical models were developed to match the accuracy of the modern data types. The present investigation is concerned with the first integrated ephemeris, DE 102, which covers the entire span of the historical astronomical observations of usable accuracy which are known. The fit is made to modern data. The integration spans the time period from 1411 BC to 3002 AD.

Searching Across the International Space Station Databases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maluf, David A.; McDermott, William J.; Smith, Ernest E.; Bell, David G.; Gurram, Mohana

2007-01-01

Data access in the enterprise generally requires us to combine data from different sources and different formats. It is advantageous thus to focus on the intersection of the knowledge across sources and domains; keeping irrelevant knowledge around only serves to make the integration more unwieldy and more complicated than necessary. A context search over multiple domain is proposed in this paper to use context sensitive queries to support disciplined manipulation of domain knowledge resources. The objective of a context search is to provide the capability for interrogating many domain knowledge resources, which are largely semantically disjoint. The search supports formally the tasks of selecting, combining, extending, specializing, and modifying components from a diverse set of domains. This paper demonstrates a new paradigm in composition of information for enterprise applications. In particular, it discusses an approach to achieving data integration across multiple sources, in a manner that does not require heavy investment in database and middleware maintenance. This lean approach to integration leads to cost-effectiveness and scalability of data integration with an underlying schemaless object-relational database management system. This highly scalable, information on demand system framework, called NX-Search, which is an implementation of an information system built on NETMARK. NETMARK is a flexible, high-throughput open database integration framework for managing, storing, and searching unstructured or semi-structured arbitrary XML and HTML used widely at the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) and industry.

Integration of animal health, food pathogen and foodborne disease surveillance in the Americas.

PubMed

Hulebak, K; Rodricks, J; Smith DeWaal, C

2013-08-01

This paper describes the characteristics of surveillance and the attempts made in the Americas to institute truly integrated surveillance systems that bring together disease surveillance of medically treated clinical populations with disease surveillance for food-production animals. Characteristics of an ideal, integrated food safety system are described. Systematic surveillance programmes in the Americas vary widely in scope and reliability, and none is fully integrated. Estimates of foodborne disease rates, particularly in North America, are becoming increasingly accurate, and programmes such as those promoted by the Pan American Health Organization are gradually leading to improvements in estimates of the foodborne disease burden in Latin America. Linking foodborne diseases to their sources is necessary for reducing disease incidence, and the World Health Organization's Global Foodborne Infections Network is building global capacity in this area. Activities in these areas in the Americas are described in detail. There is now clear recognition that there are dynamic links between infectious diseases occurring in wildlife and livestock and those occurring in humans, and this has led to calls from organisations such as the US National Academy of Sciences and the American Veterinary Medical Association to integrate surveillance programmes for zoonotic and human diseases. Models for the development of such integrated programmes, at local, national and international levels, are described. To be effective, such models must incorporate programmes to capture information from numerous, discrete surveillance systems in a way that allows rapid analysis to identify zoonotic and human disease connections. No effective integration now exists, but there are signals that governments in the Americas are working together towards this goal.

Testing an innovative framework for flood forecasting, monitoring and mapping in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dottori, Francesco; Kalas, Milan; Lorini, Valerio; Wania, Annett; Pappenberger, Florian; Salamon, Peter; Ramos, Maria Helena; Cloke, Hannah; Castillo, Carlos

2017-04-01

Between May and June 2016, France was hit by severe floods, particularly in the Loire and Seine river basins. In this work, we use this case study to test an innovative framework for flood forecasting, mapping and monitoring. More in detail, the system integrates in real-time two components of the Copernicus Emergency mapping services, namely the European Flood Awareness System and the satellite-based Rapid Mapping, with new procedures for rapid risk assessment and social media and news monitoring. We explore in detail the performance of each component of the system, demonstrating the improvements in respect to stand-alone flood forecasting and monitoring systems. We show how the performances of the forecasting component can be refined using the real-time feedback from social media monitoring to identify which areas were flooded, to evaluate the flood intensity, and therefore to correct impact estimations. Moreover, we show how the integration with impact forecast and social media monitoring can improve the timeliness and efficiency of satellite based emergency mapping, and reduce the chances of missing areas where flooding is already happening. These results illustrate how the new integrated approach leads to a better and earlier decision making and a timely evaluation of impacts.

Remote sensing with intense filaments enhanced by adaptive optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daigle, J.-F.; Kamali, Y.; Châteauneuf, M.; Tremblay, G.; Théberge, F.; Dubois, J.; Roy, G.; Chin, S. L.

2009-11-01

A method involving a closed loop adaptive optic system is investigated as a tool to significantly enhance the collected optical emissions, for remote sensing applications involving ultrafast laser filamentation. The technique combines beam expansion and geometrical focusing, assisted by an adaptive optics system to correct the wavefront aberrations. Targets, such as a gaseous mixture of air and hydrocarbons, solid lead and airborne clouds of contaminated aqueous aerosols, were remotely probed with filaments generated at distances up to 118 m after the focusing beam expander. The integrated backscattered signals collected by the detection system (15-28 m from the filaments) were increased up to a factor of 7, for atmospheric N2 and solid lead, when the wavefronts were corrected by the adaptive optic system. Moreover, an extrapolation based on a simplified version of the LIDAR equation showed that the adaptive optic system improved the detection distance for N2 molecular fluorescence, from 45 m for uncorrected wavefronts to 125 m for corrected.

Leading Integrated Schools: A Study of the Multicultural Perspectives of Northern Irish Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGlynn, Claire

2008-01-01

This article is concerned with the sustained peace education initiative of integrated schooling and in particular with leadership responses to cultural diversity. Using a case study group of principals of integrated (mixed Catholic, Protestant and other) schools in Northern Ireland, the author explores how principals perceive and lead their…

Integrating Safety and Mission Assurance in Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cianciola, Chris; Crane, Kenneth

2008-01-01

This presentation describes how the Ares Projects are learning from the successes and failures of previous launch systems in order to maximize safety and reliability while maintaining fiscal responsibility. The Ares Projects are integrating Safety and Mission Assurance into design activities and embracing independent assessments by Quality experts in thorough reviews of designs and processes. Incorporating Lean thinking into the design process, Ares is also streamlining existing processes and future manufacturing flows which will yield savings during production. Understanding the value of early involvement of Quality experts, the Ares Projects are leading launch vehicle development into the 21st century.

Total elimination of sampling errors in polarization imagery obtained with integrated microgrid polarimeters.

PubMed

Tyo, J Scott; LaCasse, Charles F; Ratliff, Bradley M

2009-10-15

Microgrid polarimeters operate by integrating a focal plane array with an array of micropolarizers. The Stokes parameters are estimated by comparing polarization measurements from pixels in a neighborhood around the point of interest. The main drawback is that the measurements used to estimate the Stokes vector are made at different locations, leading to a false polarization signature owing to instantaneous field-of-view (IFOV) errors. We demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that spatially band limited polarization images can be ideally reconstructed with no IFOV error by using a linear system framework.

Second-order discrete Kalman filtering equations for control-structure interaction simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, K. C.; Belvin, W. Keith; Alvin, Kenneth F.

1991-01-01

A general form for the first-order representation of the continuous, second-order linear structural dynamics equations is introduced in order to derive a corresponding form of first-order Kalman filtering equations (KFE). Time integration of the resulting first-order KFE is carried out via a set of linear multistep integration formulas. It is shown that a judicious combined selection of computational paths and the undetermined matrices introduced in the general form of the first-order linear structural systems leads to a class of second-order discrete KFE involving only symmetric, N x N solution matrix.

Optical systems engineering - A tutorial

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wyman, C. L.

1979-01-01

The paper examines the use of the systems engineering approach in the design of optical systems, noting that the use of such an approach which involves an integrated interdisciplinary approach to the development of systems is most appropriate for optics. It is shown that the high precision character of optics leads to complex and subtle effects on optical system performance, resulting from structural, thermal dynamical, control system, and manufacturing and assembly considerations. Attention is given to communication problems that often occur among users and optical engineers due to the unique factors of optical systems. It is concluded that it is essential that the optics community provide leadership to resolve communication problems and fully formalize the field of optical systems engineering.

76 FR 65722 - Notification of Two Public Teleconferences; Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-24

... EPA's Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (First External Review Draft, May 2011) and EPA's draft... Science Assessment for Lead (First External Review Draft, May 2011) should be directed to Dr. Ellen... Integrated Science Assessment for Lead (First External Review Draft, May 2011) and EPA's draft Near-Road NO 2...

75 FR 69078 - Workshop To Review Draft Materials for the Lead (Pb) Integrated Science Assessment (ISA)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-10

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9224-7] Workshop To Review Draft Materials for the Lead (Pb) Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of Workshop... (NAAQS) for Lead (Pb), EPA is announcing that a workshop to evaluate initial draft materials for the Pb...

Integrated versus nOn-integrated Peripheral inTravenous catheter. Which Is the most effective systeM for peripheral intravenoUs catheter Management? (The OPTIMUM study): a randomised controlled trial protocol

PubMed Central

Castillo, Maria Isabel; Larsen, Emily; Cooke, Marie; Marsh, Nicole M; Wallis, Marianne C; Finucane, Julie; Brown, Peter; Mihala, Gabor; Byrnes, Joshua; Walker, Rachel; Cable, Prudence; Zhang, Li; Sear, Candi; Jackson, Gavin; Rowsome, Anna; Ryan, Alison; Humphries, Julie C; Sivyer, Susan; Flanigan, Kathy; Rickard, Claire M

2018-01-01

Introduction Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) are frequently used in hospitals. However, PIVC complications are common, with failures leading to treatment delays, additional procedures, patient pain and discomfort, increased clinician workload and substantially increased healthcare costs. Recent evidence suggests integrated PIVC systems may be more effective than traditional non-integrated PIVC systems in reducing phlebitis, infiltration and costs and increasing functional dwell time. The study aim is to determine the efficacy, cost–utility and acceptability to patients and professionals of an integrated PIVC system compared with a non-integrated PIVC system. Methods and analysis Two-arm, multicentre, randomised controlled superiority trial of integrated versus non-integrated PIVC systems to compare effectiveness on clinical and economic outcomes. Recruitment of 1560 patients over 2 years, with randomisation by a centralised service ensuring allocation concealment. Primary outcomes: catheter failure (composite endpoint) for reasons of: occlusion, infiltration/extravasation, phlebitis/thrombophlebitis, dislodgement, localised or catheter-associated bloodstream infections. Secondary outcomes: first time insertion success, types of PIVC failure, device colonisation, insertion pain, functional dwell time, adverse events, mortality, cost–utility and consumer acceptability. One PIVC per patient will be included, with intention-to-treat analysis. Baseline group comparisons will be made for potentially clinically important confounders. The proportional hazards assumption will be checked, and Cox regression will test the effect of group, patient, device and clinical variables on failure. An as-treated analysis will assess the effect of protocol violations. Kaplan-Meier survival curves with log-rank tests will compare failure by group over time. Secondary endpoints will be compared between groups using parametric/non-parametric techniques. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/16/QRBW/527), Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref No. 2017/002) and the South Metropolitan Health Services Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref No. 2016–239). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number ACTRN12617000089336. PMID:29764876