Chapter 9: The FTU Machine - Design Construction and Assembly

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

Pizzuto, A.; Annino, C.; Baldarelli, M.

2004-05-15

The main design features and guidelines for the construction of the 8-T cryogenically cooled Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) are presented. The main features include the very compact toroidal magnets based on the concept of the 'Bitter' type of coil with wedge-shaped turns, utilized for the first time for the Alcator A and C magnets, and the original configuration of the vacuum vessel (VV) structure, which is fully welded in order to achieve the required high strength and electric resistivity. The present toroidal limiter has been installed following several years of operation, and this installation has required the development of specificmore » remote-handling tools. The toroidal limiter consists of 12 independent sectors made of stainless steel carriers and molybdenum alloy (TZM) tiles. The main fabrication processes developed for the toroidal and poloidal coils as well as for the VV are described. It is to be noted that the assembly procedure has required very accurate machining of all the structures requiring several trials and steps. The machine has shown no problem in operating routinely at its maximum design values (8 T, 1.6 MA)« less

Recent Development of the Two-Stroke Engine. II - Design Features. 2; Design Features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeman, J.

1945-01-01

Completing the first paper dealing with charging methods and arrangements, the present paper discusses the design forms of two-stroke engines. Features which largely influence piston running are: (a) The shape and surface condition of the sliding parts. (b) The cylinder and piston materials. (c) Heat conditions in the piston, and lubrication. There is little essential difference between four-stroke and two-stroke engines with ordinary pistons. In large engines, for example, are always found separately cast or welded frames in which the stresses are taken up by tie rods. Twin piston and timing piston engines often differ from this design. Examples can be found in many engines of German or foreign make. Their methods of operation will be dealt with in the third part of the present paper, which also includes the bibliography. The development of two-stroke engine design is, of course, mainly concerned with such features as are inherently difficult to master; that is, the piston barrel and the design of the gudgeon pin bearing. Designers of four-stroke engines now-a-days experience approximately the same difficulties, since heat stresses have increased to the point of influencing conditions in the piston barrel. Features which notably affect this are: (a) The material. (b) Prevailing heat conditions.

Impact of e-AV Biology Website for Learning about Renewable Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nugraini, Siti Hadiati; Choo, Koo Ah; Hin, Hew Soon; Hoon, Teoh Sian

2013-01-01

This paper considers the design and development of a Website for Biology in senior high schools in Indonesia. The teaching media, namely e-AV Biology, was developed with the main features of video lessons and other features in supporting the students' learning process. Some video lessons describe the production process of Biofuel or Renewable…

Design, construction and operation features of high-rise structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mylnik, Alexey; Mylnik, Vladimir; Zubeeva, Elena; Mukhamedzhanova, Olga

2018-03-01

The article considers design, construction and operation features of high-rise facilities. The analysis of various situations, that come from improper designing, construction and operation of unique facilities, is carried out. The integrated approach is suggested, when the problems of choosing acceptable constructional solutions related to the functional purpose, architectural solutions, methods of manufacturing and installation, operating conditions for unique buildings and structures are being tackled. A number of main causes for the emergency destruction of objects under construction and operation is considered. A number of measures are proposed on the basis of factor classification in order to efficiently prevent the situations, when various negative options of design loads and emergency impacts occur.

Design of vehicle intelligent anti-collision warning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yangyang; Wang, Ying

2018-05-01

This paper mainly designs a low cost, high-accuracy, micro-miniaturization, and digital display and acousto-optic alarm features of the vehicle intelligent anti-collision warning system that based on MCU AT89C51. The vehicle intelligent anti-collision warning system includes forward anti-collision warning system, auto parking systems and reversing anti-collision radar system. It mainly develops on the basis of ultrasonic distance measurement, its performance is reliable, thus the driving safety is greatly improved and the parking security and efficiency enhance enormously.

Cryogenic Propellant Management Device: Conceptual Design Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wollen, Mark; Merino, Fred; Schuster, John; Newton, Christopher

2010-01-01

Concepts of Propellant Management Devices (PMDs) were designed for lunar descent stage reaction control system (RCS) and lunar ascent stage (main and RCS propulsion) missions using liquid oxygen (LO2) and liquid methane (LCH4). Study ground rules set a maximum of 19 days from launch to lunar touchdown, and an additional 210 days on the lunar surface before liftoff. Two PMDs were conceptually designed for each of the descent stage RCS propellant tanks, and two designs for each of the ascent stage main propellant tanks. One of the two PMD types is a traditional partial four-screen channel device. The other type is a novel, expanding volume device which uses a stretched, flexing screen. It was found that several unique design features simplified the PMD designs. These features are (1) high propellant tank operating pressures, (2) aluminum tanks for propellant storage, and (3) stringent insulation requirements. Consequently, it was possible to treat LO2 and LCH4 as if they were equivalent to Earth-storable propellants because they would remain substantially subcooled during the lunar mission. In fact, prelaunch procedures are simplified with cryogens, because any trapped vapor will condense once the propellant tanks are pressurized in space.

A Novel Multi-Class Ensemble Model for Classifying Imbalanced Biomedical Datasets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bikku, Thulasi; Sambasiva Rao, N., Dr; Rao, Akepogu Ananda, Dr

2017-08-01

This paper mainly focuseson developing aHadoop based framework for feature selection and classification models to classify high dimensionality data in heterogeneous biomedical databases. Wide research has been performing in the fields of Machine learning, Big data and Data mining for identifying patterns. The main challenge is extracting useful features generated from diverse biological systems. The proposed model can be used for predicting diseases in various applications and identifying the features relevant to particular diseases. There is an exponential growth of biomedical repositories such as PubMed and Medline, an accurate predictive model is essential for knowledge discovery in Hadoop environment. Extracting key features from unstructured documents often lead to uncertain results due to outliers and missing values. In this paper, we proposed a two phase map-reduce framework with text preprocessor and classification model. In the first phase, mapper based preprocessing method was designed to eliminate irrelevant features, missing values and outliers from the biomedical data. In the second phase, a Map-Reduce based multi-class ensemble decision tree model was designed and implemented in the preprocessed mapper data to improve the true positive rate and computational time. The experimental results on the complex biomedical datasets show that the performance of our proposed Hadoop based multi-class ensemble model significantly outperforms state-of-the-art baselines.

Identifying Key Features of Student Performance in Educational Video Games and Simulations through Cluster Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerr, Deirdre; Chung, Gregory K. W. K.

2012-01-01

The assessment cycle of "evidence-centered design" (ECD) provides a framework for treating an educational video game or simulation as an assessment. One of the main steps in the assessment cycle of ECD is the identification of the key features of student performance. While this process is relatively simple for multiple choice tests, when…

Multiple-Objective Optimal Designs for Studying the Dose Response Function and Interesting Dose Levels

PubMed Central

Hyun, Seung Won; Wong, Weng Kee

2016-01-01

We construct an optimal design to simultaneously estimate three common interesting features in a dose-finding trial with possibly different emphasis on each feature. These features are (1) the shape of the dose-response curve, (2) the median effective dose and (3) the minimum effective dose level. A main difficulty of this task is that an optimal design for a single objective may not perform well for other objectives. There are optimal designs for dual objectives in the literature but we were unable to find optimal designs for 3 or more objectives to date with a concrete application. A reason for this is that the approach for finding a dual-objective optimal design does not work well for a 3 or more multiple-objective design problem. We propose a method for finding multiple-objective optimal designs that estimate the three features with user-specified higher efficiencies for the more important objectives. We use the flexible 4-parameter logistic model to illustrate the methodology but our approach is applicable to find multiple-objective optimal designs for other types of objectives and models. We also investigate robustness properties of multiple-objective optimal designs to mis-specification in the nominal parameter values and to a variation in the optimality criterion. We also provide computer code for generating tailor made multiple-objective optimal designs. PMID:26565557

Multiple-Objective Optimal Designs for Studying the Dose Response Function and Interesting Dose Levels.

PubMed

Hyun, Seung Won; Wong, Weng Kee

2015-11-01

We construct an optimal design to simultaneously estimate three common interesting features in a dose-finding trial with possibly different emphasis on each feature. These features are (1) the shape of the dose-response curve, (2) the median effective dose and (3) the minimum effective dose level. A main difficulty of this task is that an optimal design for a single objective may not perform well for other objectives. There are optimal designs for dual objectives in the literature but we were unable to find optimal designs for 3 or more objectives to date with a concrete application. A reason for this is that the approach for finding a dual-objective optimal design does not work well for a 3 or more multiple-objective design problem. We propose a method for finding multiple-objective optimal designs that estimate the three features with user-specified higher efficiencies for the more important objectives. We use the flexible 4-parameter logistic model to illustrate the methodology but our approach is applicable to find multiple-objective optimal designs for other types of objectives and models. We also investigate robustness properties of multiple-objective optimal designs to mis-specification in the nominal parameter values and to a variation in the optimality criterion. We also provide computer code for generating tailor made multiple-objective optimal designs.

A survey of snake-inspired robot designs.

PubMed

Hopkins, James K; Spranklin, Brent W; Gupta, Satyandra K

2009-06-01

Body undulation used by snakes and the physical architecture of a snake body may offer significant benefits over typical legged or wheeled locomotion designs in certain types of scenarios. A large number of research groups have developed snake-inspired robots to exploit these benefits. The purpose of this review is to report different types of snake-inspired robot designs and categorize them based on their main characteristics. For each category, we discuss their relative advantages and disadvantages. This review will assist in familiarizing a newcomer to the field with the existing designs and their distinguishing features. We hope that by studying existing robots, future designers will be able to create new designs by adopting features from successful robots. The review also summarizes the design challenges associated with the further advancement of the field and deploying snake-inspired robots in practice.

Impact of the design of neonatal intensive care units on neonates, staff, and families: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Shahheidari, Marzieh; Homer, Caroline

2012-01-01

Newborn intensive care is for critically ill newborns requiring constant and continuous care and supervision. The survival rates of critically ill infants and hospitalization in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have improved over the past 2 decades because of technological advances in neonatology. The design of NICUs may also have implications for the health of babies, parents, and staff. It is important therefore to articulate the design features of NICU that are associated with improved outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore the main features of the NICU design and to determine the advantages and limitations of the designs in terms of outcomes for babies, parents, and staff, predominately nurses. A systematic review of English-language, peer-reviewed articles was conducted for a period of 10 years, up to January 2011. Four online library databases and a number of relevant professional Web sites were searched using key words. There were 2 main designs of NICUs: open bay and single-family room. The open-bay environment develops communication and interaction with medical staff and nurses and has the ability to monitor multiple infants simultaneously. The single-family rooms were deemed superior for patient care and parent satisfaction. Key factors associated with improved outcomes included increased privacy, increased parental involvement in patient care, assistance with infection control, noise control, improved sleep, decreased length of hospital stay, and reduced rehospitalization. The design of NICUs has implications for babies, parents, and staff. An understanding of the positive design features needs to be considered by health service planners, managers, and those who design such specialized units.

Partially Flipped Linear Algebra: A Team-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carney, Debra; Ormes, Nicholas; Swanson, Rebecca

2015-01-01

In this article we describe a partially flipped Introductory Linear Algebra course developed by three faculty members at two different universities. We give motivation for our partially flipped design and describe our implementation in detail. Two main features of our course design are team-developed preview videos and related in-class activities.…

Assessment of safety-relevant aspects of Kraftwerk Union's 200-MW(thermal) nuclear district heating plant concept

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

Erlenwein, P.; Frisch, W.; Kafka, P.

Nuclear reactors of 200- to 400-MW(thermal) power for district heating are the subject of increasing interest, and several specific designs are under discussion today. In the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), the Kraftwerk Union AG has presented a 200-MW(thermal) heating reactor concept. The main safety issues of this design are assessed. In this design, the primary system is fully integrated into the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), which is tightly enclosed by the containment. The low process parameters like pressure, temperature, and power density and the high ratio of coolant volume to thermal power allow the design of simple safety features.more » This is supported by the preference of passive over active components. A special feature is a newly designed hydraulic control and rod drive mechanism, which is also integrated into the RPV. Within the safety assessment an overview of the relevant FRG safety rules and guidelines, developed mainly for large, electricity-generating power plants, is given. Included is a discussion of the extent to which these licensing rules can be applied to the concept of heating reactors.« less

Photogrammetric Analysis of CPAS Main Parachutes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Eric; Bretz, David

2011-01-01

The Crew Exploration Vehicle Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) is being designed to land the Orion Crew Module (CM) at a safe rate of descent at splashdown with a cluster of two to three Main parachutes. The instantaneous rate of descent varies based on parachute fly-out angles and geometric inlet area. Parachutes in a cluster oscillate between significant fly-out angles and colliding into each other. The former presents a sub-optimal inlet area and the latter lowers the effective drag area as the parachutes interfere with each other. The fly-out angles are also important in meeting a twist torque requirement. Understanding cluster behavior necessitates measuring the Mains with photogrammetric analysis. Imagery from upward looking cameras is analyzed to determine parachute geometry. Fly-out angles are measured from each parachute vent to an axis determined from geometry. Determining the scale of the objects requires knowledge of camera and lens calibration as well as features of known size. Several points along the skirt are tracked to compute an effective circumference, diameter, and inlet area as a function of time. The effects of this geometry are clearly seen in the system drag coefficient time history. Photogrammetric analysis is key in evaluating the effects of design features such as an Over-Inflation Control Line (OICL), Main Line Length Ratio (MLLR), and geometric porosity, which are varied in an attempt to minimize cluster oscillations. The effects of these designs are evaluated through statistical analysis.

Non-destructive inspection of polymer composite products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anoshkin, A. N.; Sal'nikov, A. F.; Osokin, V. M.; Tretyakov, A. A.; Luzin, G. S.; Potrakhov, N. N.; Bessonov, V. B.

2018-02-01

The paper considers the main types of defects encountered in products made of polymer composite materials for aviation use. The analysis of existing methods of nondestructive testing is carried out, features of their application are considered taking into account design features, geometrical parameters and internal structure of objects of inspection. The advantages and disadvantages of the considered methods of nondestructive testing used in industrial production are shown.

Main Oxidizer Valve Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Addona, Brad; Eddleman, David

2015-01-01

A developmental Main Oxidizer Valve (MOV) was designed by NASA-MSFC using additive manufacturing processes. The MOV is a pneumatically actuated poppet valve to control the flow of liquid oxygen to an engine's injector. A compression spring is used to return the valve to the closed state when pneumatic pressure is removed from the valve. The valve internal parts are cylindrical in shape, which lends itself to traditional lathe and milling operations. However, the valve body represents a complicated shape and contains the majority of the mass of the valve. Additive manufacturing techniques were used to produce a part that optimized mass and allowed for design features not practical with traditional machining processes.

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

Goetsch, D.; Bieniussa, K.; Schulz, H.

This paper is an abstract of the work performed in the frame of the development of the IPSN/GRS approach in view of the EPR conceptual safety features. EPR is a pressurized water reactor which will be based on the experience gained by utilities and designers in France and in Germany. The reactor coolant boundary of a PWR includes the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), those parts of the steam generators (SGs) which contain primary coolant, the pressurizer (PSR), the reactor coolant pumps (RCPs), the main coolant lines (MCLs) with their branches as well as the other connecting pipes and all branchingmore » pipes including the second isolation valves. The present work covering the integrity of the reactor coolant boundary is mainly restricted to the integrity of the main coolant lines (MCLs) and reflects the design requirements for the main components of the reactor coolant boundary. In the following the conceptual aspects, i.e. design, manufacture, construction and operation, will be assessed. A main aspect is the definition of break postulates regarding overall safety implications.« less

Linac design for the European spallation source

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

Klein, H.

1995-10-01

A study group has started to develop a conceptual design for a European Spallation Source (ESS). This pulsed 5 MW source presently consists of a 1.334 GeV linac and two compressor rings. In the following mainly the high intensity linac part will be discussed, which has some features of interest for accelerators for transmutation of radioactive waste too.

The 'retro-design' concept for novel kinase inhibitors.

PubMed

Müller, Gerhard; Sennhenn, Peter C; Woodcock, Timothy; Neumann, Lars

2010-07-01

Protein kinases are among the most attractive therapeutic targets for a broad range of diseases. This feature review highlights and classifies the main design principles employed to generate active and selective kinase inhibitors. In particular, emphasis is focused on a fragment-based lead-generation approach, which constitutes a novel design method for developing type II kinase inhibitors with distinct binding kinetic attributes. This 'retro-design' strategy relies on a customized fragment library, and contrasts the traditional approach used in the design of type II inhibitors.

Space engine safety system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maul, William A.; Meyer, Claudia M.

1991-01-01

A rocket engine safety system was designed to initiate control procedures to minimize damage to the engine or vehicle or test stand in the event of an engine failure. The features and the implementation issues associated with rocket engine safety systems are discussed, as well as the specific concerns of safety systems applied to a space-based engine and long duration space missions. Examples of safety system features and architectures are given, based on recent safety monitoring investigations conducted for the Space Shuttle Main Engine and for future liquid rocket engines. Also, the general design and implementation process for rocket engine safety systems is presented.

Configuration evaluation and criteria plan. Volume 1: System trades study and design methodology plan (preliminary). Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) configuration study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bair, E. K.

1986-01-01

The System Trades Study and Design Methodology Plan is used to conduct trade studies to define the combination of Space Shuttle Main Engine features that will optimize candidate engine configurations. This is accomplished by using vehicle sensitivities and engine parametric data to establish engine chamber pressure and area ratio design points for candidate engine configurations. Engineering analyses are to be conducted to refine and optimize the candidate configurations at their design points. The optimized engine data and characteristics are then evaluated and compared against other candidates being considered. The Evaluation Criteria Plan is then used to compare and rank the optimized engine configurations on the basis of cost.

Convolutional neural network features based change detection in satellite images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed El Amin, Arabi; Liu, Qingjie; Wang, Yunhong

2016-07-01

With the popular use of high resolution remote sensing (HRRS) satellite images, a huge research efforts have been placed on change detection (CD) problem. An effective feature selection method can significantly boost the final result. While hand-designed features have proven difficulties to design features that effectively capture high and mid-level representations, the recent developments in machine learning (Deep Learning) omit this problem by learning hierarchical representation in an unsupervised manner directly from data without human intervention. In this letter, we propose approaching the change detection problem from a feature learning perspective. A novel deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) features based HR satellite images change detection method is proposed. The main guideline is to produce a change detection map directly from two images using a pretrained CNN. This method can omit the limited performance of hand-crafted features. Firstly, CNN features are extracted through different convolutional layers. Then, a concatenation step is evaluated after an normalization step, resulting in a unique higher dimensional feature map. Finally, a change map was computed using pixel-wise Euclidean distance. Our method has been validated on real bitemporal HRRS satellite images according to qualitative and quantitative analyses. The results obtained confirm the interest of the proposed method.

Dual Spark Plugs For Stratified-Charge Rotary Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abraham, John; Bracco, Frediano V.

1996-01-01

Fuel efficiency of stratified-charge, rotary, internal-combustion engine increased by improved design featuring dual spark plugs. Second spark plug ignites fuel on upstream side of main fuel injector; enabling faster burning and more nearly complete utilization of fuel.

High field superconducting solenoid for the LASA in Milan

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

Acerbi, E.; Aleessandria, F.; Baccaglioni, G.

1988-03-01

This paper presents the preliminary design of a 19 T superconducting facility for the LASA Laboratory in Milan. The main features of the facility, realized with NbTi, Nb/sub 3/Sn and V/sub 3/Ga coils, are represented by an high field homogeneity in the center region and by the presence of two cryostats which allow to operate separately the NbTi coil (useful bore 0.55 m) and the Nb/sub 3/Sn - V/sub 3/Ga coils (useful bore 0.05 - 0.07 m). The main parameters of the facility and the design criteria are discussed in details.

The space shuttle advanced solid rocket motor: Quality control and testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The Congressional committees that authorize the activities of NASA requested that the National Research Council (NRC) review the testing and quality assurance programs for the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) program. The proposed ASRM design incorporates numerous features that are significant departures from the Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM). The NRC review concentrated mainly on these features. Primary among these are the steel case material, welding rather than pinning of case factory joints, a bolted field joint designed to close upon firing the rocket, continuous mixing and casting of the solid propellant in place of the current batch processes, use of asbestos-free insulation, and a lightweight nozzle. The committee's assessment of these and other features of the ASRM are presented in terms of their potential impact on flight safety.

Design of a superconducting 28 GHz ion source magnet for FRIB using a shell-based support structure

DOE PAGES

Felice, H.; Rochepault, E.; Hafalia, R.; ...

2014-12-05

The Superconducting Magnet Program at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is completing the design of a 28 GHz NbTi ion source magnet for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). The design parameters are based on the parameters of the ECR ion source VENUS in operation at LBNL since 2002 featuring a sextupole-in-solenoids configuration. Whereas most of the magnet components (such as conductor, magnetic design, protection scheme) remain very similar to the VENUS magnet components, the support structure of the FRIB ion source uses a different concept. A shell-based support structure using bladders and keys is implemented in themore » design allowing fine tuning of the sextupole preload and reversibility of the magnet assembly process. As part of the design work, conductor insulation scheme, coil fabrication processes and assembly procedures are also explored to optimize performance. We present the main features of the design emphasizing the integrated design approach used at LBNL to achieve this result.« less

Animal escapology I: theoretical issues and emerging trends in escape trajectories

PubMed Central

Domenici, Paolo; Blagburn, Jonathan M.; Bacon, Jonathan P.

2011-01-01

Summary Escape responses are used by many animal species as their main defence against predator attacks. Escape success is determined by a number of variables; important are the directionality (the percentage of responses directed away from the threat) and the escape trajectories (ETs) measured relative to the threat. Although logic would suggest that animals should always turn away from a predator, work on various species shows that these away responses occur only approximately 50–90% of the time. A small proportion of towards responses may introduce some unpredictability and may be an adaptive feature of the escape system. Similar issues apply to ETs. Theoretically, an optimal ET can be modelled on the geometry of predator–prey encounters. However, unpredictability (and hence high variability) in trajectories may be necessary for preventing predators from learning a simple escape pattern. This review discusses the emerging trends in escape trajectories, as well as the modulating key factors, such as the surroundings and body design. The main ET patterns identified are: (1) high ET variability within a limited angular sector (mainly 90–180 deg away from the threat; this variability is in some cases based on multiple peaks of ETs), (2) ETs that allow sensory tracking of the threat and (3) ETs towards a shelter. These characteristic features are observed across various taxa and, therefore, their expression may be mainly related to taxon-independent animal design features and to the environmental context in which prey live – for example whether the immediate surroundings of the prey provide potential refuges. PMID:21753039

Heavy hydrocarbon main injector technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arbit, H. A.; Tuegel, L. M.; Dodd, F. E.

1991-01-01

The Heavy Hydrocarbon Main Injector Program was an analytical, design, and test program to demonstrate an injection concept applicable to an Isolated Combustion Compartment of a full-scale, high pressure, LOX/RP-1 engine. Several injector patterns were tested in a 3.4-in. combustor. Based on these results, features of the most promising injector design were incorporated into a 5.7-in. injector which was then hot-fire tested. In turn, a preliminary design of a 5-compartment 2D combustor was based on this pattern. Also the additional subscale injector testing and analysis was performed with an emphasis on improving analytical techniques and acoustic cavity design methodology. Several of the existing 3.5-in. diameter injectors were hot-fire tested with and without acoustic cavities for spontaneous and dynamic stability characteristics.

Data Collection for Mental Health Studies Through Digital Platforms: Requirements and Design of a Prototype

PubMed Central

Triana Hoyos, Ana Maria; Alakörkkö, Tuomas; Kaski, Kimmo; Saramäki, Jari; Isometsä, Erkki; Darst, Richard K

2017-01-01

Background Mental and behavioral disorders are the main cause of disability worldwide. However, their diagnosis is challenging due to a lack of reliable biomarkers; current detection is based on structured clinical interviews which can be biased by the patient’s recall ability, affective state, changing in temporal frames, etc. While digital platforms have been introduced as a possible solution to this complex problem, there is little evidence on the extent of usability and usefulness of these platforms. Therefore, more studies where digital data is collected in larger scales are needed to collect scientific evidence on the capacities of these platforms. Most of the existing platforms for digital psychiatry studies are designed as monolithic systems for a certain type of study; publications from these studies focus on their results, rather than the design features of the data collection platform. Inevitably, more tools and platforms will emerge in the near future to fulfill the need for digital data collection for psychiatry. Currently little knowledge is available from existing digital platforms for future data collection platforms to build upon. Objective The objective of this work was to identify the most important features for designing a digital platform for data collection for mental health studies, and to demonstrate a prototype platform that we built based on these design features. Methods We worked closely in a multidisciplinary collaboration with psychiatrists, software developers, and data scientists and identified the key features which could guarantee short-term and long-term stability and usefulness of the platform from the designing stage to data collection and analysis of collected data. Results The key design features that we identified were flexibility of access control, flexibility of data sources, and first-order privacy protection. We also designed the prototype platform Non-Intrusive Individual Monitoring Architecture (Niima), where we implemented these key design features. We described why each of these features are important for digital data collection for psychiatry, gave examples of projects where Niima was used or is going to be used in the future, and demonstrated how incorporating these design principles opens new possibilities for studies. Conclusions The new methods of digital psychiatry are still immature and need further research. The design features we suggested are a first step to design platforms which can adapt to the upcoming requirements of digital psychiatry. PMID:28600276

Current trends in the design of scaffolds for computer-aided tissue engineering.

PubMed

Giannitelli, S M; Accoto, D; Trombetta, M; Rainer, A

2014-02-01

Advances introduced by additive manufacturing have significantly improved the ability to tailor scaffold architecture, enhancing the control over microstructural features. This has led to a growing interest in the development of innovative scaffold designs, as testified by the increasing amount of research activities devoted to the understanding of the correlation between topological features of scaffolds and their resulting properties, in order to find architectures capable of optimal trade-off between often conflicting requirements (such as biological and mechanical ones). The main aim of this paper is to provide a review and propose a classification of existing methodologies for scaffold design and optimization in order to address key issues and help in deciphering the complex link between design criteria and resulting scaffold properties. Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Bernander, O.; Haga, I.; Segerberg, F.

BS>From international nuclear industries fair; Basel, Switzerland (16 Oct 1972). Although the present status of the boiling water reactor is one of proven technology, design refinements and technical innovations are still being made to further improve reliability, economy and safety. The new standard ASEA- ATOM BWR features a number of such refinements and design improvements involving main circulation punips, containment design, refuelling system and off-gas treatment plant. In some respects the nuclear and hydraulic design of the ASEA- ATOM BWR differs from that adopted by other BWR manufacturers. Since the Oskarshamn I plant was the first nuclear power station havingmore » these features an extensive physics and hydraulics test program was made during the reactor start- up. The results of these tests have fully confirmed the ability of calculation methods to predict the behavior of the reactor. (auth)« less

Superconducting Magnets for Accelerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brianti, G.; Tortschanoff, T.

1993-03-01

This chapter describes the main features of superconducting magnets for high energy synchrotrons and colliders. It refers to magnets presently used and under development for the most advanced accelerators projects, both recently constructed or in the preparatory phase. These magnets, using the technology mainly based on the NbTi conductor, are described from the aspect of design, materials, construction and performance. The trend toward higher performance can be gauged from the doubling of design field in less than a decade from about 4 T for the Tevatron to 10 T for the LHC. Special properties of the superconducting accelerator magnets, such as their general layout and the need of extensive computational treatment, the limits of performance inherent to the available conductors, the requirements on the structural design are described. The contribution is completed by elaborating on persistent current effects, quench protection and the cryostat design. As examples the main magnets for HERA and SSC, as well as the twin-aperture magnets for LHC, are presented.

Comparison expert and novice scan behavior for using e-learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novita Sari, Felisia; Insap Santosa, Paulus; Wibirama, Sunu

2017-06-01

E-Learning is an important media that an educational institution must have. Successful information design for e-learning depends on its user's characteristics. This study explores differences between novice and expert users' eye movement data. This differences between expert and novice users were compared and identified based on gaze features. Each participant must do three main tasks of e-learning. This paper gives the result that there are differences between gaze features of experts and novices.

Lay out, test verification and in orbit performance of HELIOS a temperature control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brungs, W.

1975-01-01

HELIOS temperature control system is described. The main design features and the impact of interactions between experiment, spacecraft system, and temperature control system requirements on the design are discussed. The major limitations of the thermal design regarding a closer sun approach are given and related to test experience and performance data obtained in orbit. Finally the validity of the test results achieved with prototype and flight spacecraft is evaluated by comparison between test data, orbit temperature predictions and flight data.

Freeform surface measurement and characterisation using a toolmakers microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seung-yin Wong, Francis; Chauh, Kong-Bieng; Venuvinod, Patri K.

2014-03-01

Current freeform surface (FFS) characterization systems mainly cover aspects related to computer-aided design/manufacture (CAD/CAM). This paper describes a new approach that extends into computer-aided inspection (CAI).The following novel features are addressed: blacksquare Feature recognition and extraction from surface data blacksquare Characterisation of properties of the surface's M and N vectors at individual vertex blacksquare Development of a measuring plan using a toolmakers microscope for the inspection of the FFS blacksquare Inspection of the actual FFS produced by CNC milling blacksquare Verification of the measurement results and comparison with the CAD design data Tests have shown that the deviations between the CAI and CAD data were within the estimated uncertainty limits.

Design, manufacturing and characterization of aero-elastically scaled wind turbine blades for testing active and passive load alleviation techniques within a ABL wind tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campagnolo, Filippo; Bottasso, Carlo L.; Bettini, Paolo

2014-06-01

In the research described in this paper, a scaled wind turbine model featuring individual pitch control (IPC) capabilities, and equipped with aero-elastically scaled blades featuring passive load reduction capabilities (bend-twist coupling, BTC), was constructed to investigate, by means of wind tunnel testing, the load alleviation potential of BTC and its synergy with active load reduction techniques. The paper mainly focus on the design of the aero-elastic blades and their dynamic and static structural characterization. The experimental results highlight that manufactured blades show desired bend-twist coupling behavior and are a first milestone toward their testing in the wind tunnel.

Structures, Material and Processes Technology in the Future Launchers Preparatory Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baiocco, P.; Ramusat, G.; Breteau, J.; Bouilly, Th.; Lavelle, Fl.; Cardone, T.; Fischer, H.; Appel, S.; Block, U.

2014-06-01

In the frame of the technology / demonstration activity for European launchers developments and evolutions, a top-down / bottom-up approach has been employed to identify promising technologies and alternative conception. The top-down approach consists in looking for system-driven design solutions and the bottom-up approach features design solutions leading to substantial advantages for the system. The main investigations have been devoted to structures, material and process technology.Preliminary specifications have been used in order to permit sub-system design with the goal to find the major benefit for the overall launch system. In this respect competitiveness factors have been defined to down- select the technology and the corresponding optimized design. The development cost, non-recurring cost, industrialization and operational aspects have been considered for the identification of the most interesting solutions. The TRL/IRL has been assessed depending on the manufacturing company and a preliminary development plan has been issued for some technology.The reference launch systems for the technology and demonstration programs are mainly Ariane 6 with its evolutions, VEGA C/E and others possible longer term systems. Requirements and reference structures architectures have been considered in order to state requirements for representative subscale or full scale demonstrators. The major sub-systems and structures analyzed are for instance the upper stage structures, the engine thrust frame (ETF), the inter stage structures (ISS), the cryogenic propellant tanks, the feeding lines and their attachments, the pressurization systems, the payload adapters and fairings. A specific analysis has been devoted to the efficiency of production processes associated to technologies and design features.The paper provides an overview of the main results of the technology and demonstration activities with the associated system benefits. The materials used for the main structures are metallic and composite owing to sub-systems or sub-assemblies proposed for the European launch systems in development and their evolutions.

Teaching Research Integrity and Bioethics to Science Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turrens, Julio F.

2005-01-01

Undergraduate students in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Alabama, Mobile, are required to take a course entitled "Issues in Biomedical Sciences," designed to increase students' awareness about bioethical questions and issues concerning research integrity. This paper describes the main features of this…

Detonation Jet Engine. Part 2--Construction Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulat, Pavel V.; Volkov, Konstantin N.

2016-01-01

We present the most relevant works on jet engine design that utilize thermodynamic cycle of detonative combustion. Detonation engines of various concepts, pulse detonation, rotational and engine with stationary detonation wave, are reviewed. Main trends in detonation engine development are discussed. The most important works that carried out…

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

Harmony, S.C.; Steiner, J.L.; Stumpf, H.J.

The PIUS advanced reactor is a 640-MWe pressurized water reactor developed by Asea Brown Boveri (ABB). A unique feature of the PIUS concept is the absence of mechanical control and shutdown rods. Reactivity is controlled by coolant boron concentration and the temperature of the moderator coolant. As part of the preapplication and eventual design certification process, advanced reactor applicants are required to submit neutronic and thermal-hydraulic safety analyses over a sufficient range of normal operation, transient conditions, and specified accident sequences. Los Alamos is supporting the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s preapplication review of the PIUS reactor. A fully one-dimensional modelmore » of the PIUS reactor has been developed for the Transient Reactor Analysis Code, TRACPF1/MOD2. Early in 1992, ABB submitted a Supplemental Information Package describing recent design modifications. An important feature of the PIUS Supplement design was the addition of an active scram system that will function for most transient and accident conditions. A one-dimensional Transient Reactor Analysis Code baseline calculation of the PIUS Supplement design were performed for a break in the main steam line at the outlet nozzle of the loop 3 steam generator. Sensitivity studies were performed to explore the robustness of the PIUS concept to severe off-normal conditions following a main steam line break. The sensitivity study results provide insights into the robustness of the design.« less

Conceptions of Height and Verticality in the History of Skyscrapers and Skylines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslovskaya, Oksana; Ignatov, Grigoriy

2018-03-01

The main goal of this article is to reveal the significance of height and verticality history of skyscrapers and skylines. The objectives are as follows: 1. trace the origin of design concepts related to skyscraper; 2. discuss the perceived experience of the cultural aspects of skyscrapers and skylines; 3. describe the differences and similarities of the profiles of with comparable skylines. The methodology of study is designed to explore the perceived theory and principals of skyscraper and skyline development phenomenon and its key features. The skyscraper reveals an assertive creative form of vertical design. Skyscraper construction also relates to the origin of ancient cultural symbolism as the dominant vertical element as the main features of an ordered space. The historical idea of height reaches back to the earliest civilization such as the Tower of Babel. Philosophical approaches of elements of such post-structuralism have been included in studying of skyscraper phenomenon. The analysis of skyscraper and their resulting skyline are examined to show the connection to their origins with their concepts of height and verticality. From the historical perspective, cities with skyscrapers and a skyline turn out to be an assertive manifestation of common ideas of height and verticality.

Conceptual design of the beam source for the DEMO Neutral Beam Injectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonato, P.; Agostinetti, P.; Fantz, U.; Franke, T.; Furno, I.; Simonin, A.; Tran, M. Q.

2016-12-01

DEMO (DEMOnstration Fusion Power Plant) is a proposed nuclear fusion power plant that is intended to follow the ITER experimental reactor. The main goal of DEMO will be to demonstrate the possibility to produce electric energy from the fusion reaction. The injection of high energy neutral beams is one of the main tools to heat the plasma up to fusion conditions. A conceptual design of the Neutral Beam Injector (NBI) for the DEMO fusion reactor, is currently being developed by Consorzio RFX in collaboration with other European research institutes. High efficiency and low recirculating power, which are fundamental requirements for the success of DEMO, have been taken into special consideration for the DEMO NBI. Moreover, particular attention has been paid to the issues related to reliability, availability, maintainability and inspectability. A conceptual design of the beam source for the DEMO NBI is here presented featuring 20 sub-sources (two adjacent columns of 10 sub-sources each), following a modular design concept, with each sub-source featuring its radio frequency driver, capable of increasing the reliability and availability of the DEMO NBI. Copper grids with increasing size of the apertures have been adopted in the accelerator, with three main layouts of the apertures (circular apertures, slotted apertures and frame-like apertures for each sub-source). This design, permitting to significantly decrease the stripping losses in the accelerator without spoiling the beam optics, has been investigated with a self-consistent model able to study at the same time the magnetic field, the electrostatic field and the trajectory of the negative ions. Moreover, the status on the R&D carried out in Europe on the ion sources is presented.

Data Collection for Mental Health Studies Through Digital Platforms: Requirements and Design of a Prototype.

PubMed

Aledavood, Talayeh; Triana Hoyos, Ana Maria; Alakörkkö, Tuomas; Kaski, Kimmo; Saramäki, Jari; Isometsä, Erkki; Darst, Richard K

2017-06-09

Mental and behavioral disorders are the main cause of disability worldwide. However, their diagnosis is challenging due to a lack of reliable biomarkers; current detection is based on structured clinical interviews which can be biased by the patient's recall ability, affective state, changing in temporal frames, etc. While digital platforms have been introduced as a possible solution to this complex problem, there is little evidence on the extent of usability and usefulness of these platforms. Therefore, more studies where digital data is collected in larger scales are needed to collect scientific evidence on the capacities of these platforms. Most of the existing platforms for digital psychiatry studies are designed as monolithic systems for a certain type of study; publications from these studies focus on their results, rather than the design features of the data collection platform. Inevitably, more tools and platforms will emerge in the near future to fulfill the need for digital data collection for psychiatry. Currently little knowledge is available from existing digital platforms for future data collection platforms to build upon. The objective of this work was to identify the most important features for designing a digital platform for data collection for mental health studies, and to demonstrate a prototype platform that we built based on these design features. We worked closely in a multidisciplinary collaboration with psychiatrists, software developers, and data scientists and identified the key features which could guarantee short-term and long-term stability and usefulness of the platform from the designing stage to data collection and analysis of collected data. The key design features that we identified were flexibility of access control, flexibility of data sources, and first-order privacy protection. We also designed the prototype platform Non-Intrusive Individual Monitoring Architecture (Niima), where we implemented these key design features. We described why each of these features are important for digital data collection for psychiatry, gave examples of projects where Niima was used or is going to be used in the future, and demonstrated how incorporating these design principles opens new possibilities for studies. The new methods of digital psychiatry are still immature and need further research. The design features we suggested are a first step to design platforms which can adapt to the upcoming requirements of digital psychiatry. ©Talayeh Aledavood, Ana Maria Triana Hoyos, Tuomas Alakörkkö, Kimmo Kaski, Jari Saramäki, Erkki Isometsä, Richard K Darst. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 09.06.2017.

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

Lee, Seyong; Vetter, Jeffrey S

Computer architecture experts expect that non-volatile memory (NVM) hierarchies will play a more significant role in future systems including mobile, enterprise, and HPC architectures. With this expectation in mind, we present NVL-C: a novel programming system that facilitates the efficient and correct programming of NVM main memory systems. The NVL-C programming abstraction extends C with a small set of intuitive language features that target NVM main memory, and can be combined directly with traditional C memory model features for DRAM. We have designed these new features to enable compiler analyses and run-time checks that can improve performance and guard againstmore » a number of subtle programming errors, which, when left uncorrected, can corrupt NVM-stored data. Moreover, to enable recovery of data across application or system failures, these NVL-C features include a flexible directive for specifying NVM transactions. So that our implementation might be extended to other compiler front ends and languages, the majority of our compiler analyses are implemented in an extended version of LLVM's intermediate representation (LLVM IR). We evaluate NVL-C on a number of applications to show its flexibility, performance, and correctness.« less

Swahili. An Active Introduction. General Conversation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indakwa, John; And Others

This textbook is aimed towards the beginning student of Swahili and is designed to cover almost all the main features of Swahili structure. The course is divided into 87 "cycles," each of which begins with an "M" phase (mimicry, meaning, manipulation, memorization), and ends with a "C" phase (conversation and…

Indexing and Metatag Schemes for Web-Based Information Retrieval.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torok, Andrew G.

This paper reviews indexing theory and suggests that information retrieval can be significantly improved by applying basic indexing criteria. Indexing practices are described, including the three main types of indexes: pre-coordinate, post-coordinate, and variants of both. Design features of indexes are summarized, including accuracy, consistency,…

The Porter Stemming Algorithm: Then and Now

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willett, Peter

2006-01-01

Purpose: In 1980, Porter presented a simple algorithm for stemming English language words. This paper summarises the main features of the algorithm, and highlights its role not just in modern information retrieval research, but also in a range of related subject domains. Design/methodology/approach: Review of literature and research involving use…

Personnel Performance Assessment in Information Systems Outsourcing Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casado-Lumbreras, Cristina; Soto-Acosta, Pedro; Colomo-Palacios, Ricardo; de Pablos, Patricia Ordonez

2011-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present a tool which uses semantic technologies for personnel performance and workplace learning assessment in outsourced information technology environments. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents the tool from a technical perspective and introduces a use case that depicts the main features related to…

The AC-120: The advanced commercial transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duran, David; Griffin, Ernest; Mendoza, Saul; Nguyen, Son; Pickett, Tim; Noernberg, Clemm

1993-01-01

The main objective of this design was to fulfill a need for a new airplane to replace the aging 100 to 150 passenger, 1500 nautical mile range aircraft such as the Douglas DC9 and Boeing 737-100 airplanes. After researching the future aircraft market, conducting extensive trade studies, and analysis on different configurations, the AC-120 Advanced Commercial Transport final design was achieved. The AC-120's main design features include the incorporation of a three lifting surface configuration which is powered by two turboprop engines. The AC-120 is an economically sensitive aircraft which meets the new FM Stage Three noise requirements, and has lower NO(x) emissions than current turbofan powered airplanes. The AC-120 also improves on its contemporaries in passenger comfort, manufacturing, and operating cost.

VLSI Design of SVM-Based Seizure Detection System With On-Chip Learning Capability.

PubMed

Feng, Lichen; Li, Zunchao; Wang, Yuanfa

2018-02-01

Portable automatic seizure detection system is very convenient for epilepsy patients to carry. In order to make the system on-chip trainable with high efficiency and attain high detection accuracy, this paper presents a very large scale integration (VLSI) design based on the nonlinear support vector machine (SVM). The proposed design mainly consists of a feature extraction (FE) module and an SVM module. The FE module performs the three-level Daubechies discrete wavelet transform to fit the physiological bands of the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal and extracts the time-frequency domain features reflecting the nonstationary signal properties. The SVM module integrates the modified sequential minimal optimization algorithm with the table-driven-based Gaussian kernel to enable efficient on-chip learning. The presented design is verified on an Altera Cyclone II field-programmable gate array and tested using the two publicly available EEG datasets. Experiment results show that the designed VLSI system improves the detection accuracy and training efficiency.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China: Energy

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-29

capacity. There are currently two types of HTGR reactor designs: the particle-bed core , which uses spherical fuel elements, and the rod type core , in...and trial operating experience with the HTGR reactor. Its main design features are as follows. 1. A particle-bed core , continuous fueling and...Favorable for Development of Small-Scale HTGR (Xu Jiming; HE DONGLI GONGCHENG, Feb 88) 47 ERRATUM: In JPRS-CEN-88-003 of 25 April 1988 in article

Ultra Low Power Datalogger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holik, Michael

2010-01-01

The article describes a design and the test of the datalogger unit. Main demands on the datalogger were to achieve the power consumption as low as possible and the ability to capture short-time events. The datalogger is based on a programmable logic device FPGA. VHDL language is used to design the architecture fitted into the FPGA. The results of the test confirmed low power consumption feature of the device as well as proper functionality of the unit.

The continuous reinvention of diffractive optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kress, Bernard C.

2004-02-01

We show in this paper how the field of diffractive optics has moved during these past twenty years from academic research to main stream industry and consumer electronics. We analyze the main driving forces, the various enabling technologies and techniques for both design, fabrication and mass production of diffractive optics, and the successive markets in which this technology has been able to provide economically viable solutions to specific industrials needs. More specifically, we will see how niche applications making use of special features of diffractive optics seem to survive the applications involving the same diffractives, issued from the successive main technology driven investment bubbles.

KSC-95PC585

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) hoist prepares to lift the first Block 1 engine to be installed in an orbiter into the number one position on Discovery while the spaceplane is being prepared for the STS-70 mission in the high bay of Orbiter Processing Facility 2. The new engine, SSME No. 2036, features a new high-pressure liquid oxygen turbopump, a two-duct powerhead, a baffleless main injector, a single-coil heat exchanger and start sequence modifications. The other two main engines to be used during the liftoff of the STS-70 mission are of the existing Phase II design.

exVis: a visual analysis tool for wind tunnel data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deardorff, D. G.; Keeley, Leslie E.; Uselton, Samuel P.

1998-05-01

exVis is a software tool created to support interactive display and analysis of data collected during wind tunnel experiments. It is a result of a continuing project to explore the uses of information technology in improving the effectiveness of aeronautical design professionals. The data analysis goals are accomplished by allowing aerodynamicists to display and query data collected by new data acquisition systems and to create traditional wind tunnel plots from this data by interactively interrogating these images. exVis was built as a collection of distinct modules to allow for rapid prototyping, to foster evolution of capabilities, and to facilitate object reuse within other applications being developed. It was implemented using C++ and Open Inventor, commercially available object-oriented tools. The initial version was composed of three main classes. Two of these modules are autonomous viewer objects intended to display the test images (ImageViewer) and the plots (GraphViewer). The third main class is the Application User Interface (AUI) which manages the passing of data and events between the viewers, as well as providing a user interface to certain features. User feedback was obtained on a regular basis, which allowed for quick revision cycles and appropriately enhanced feature sets. During the development process additional classes were added, including a color map editor and a data set manager. The ImageViewer module was substantially rewritten to add features and to use the data set manager. The use of an object-oriented design was successful in allowing rapid prototyping and easy feature addition.

Alphabus Solar Array- Versatile and Powerful Solar Arrays for Tomorrow's Commercial Telecom Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfefferkorn, T.; Oxynos, C.; Greff, P.; Gerlach, L.

2008-09-01

After the successful series of Eurostar 3000 and Spacebus 4000 satellites and due to the demand of satellite operators for even larger and more powerful satellites, ESA decided to co-fund the development of a new satellite platform which covers the market segment beyond the upper limits of both satellite families.The new satellite bus family Alphabus is developed in the frame of ARTES 8 project by a joint project team of ASTRIUM and TAS, whereas the solar array is developed by ASTRIUM GmbH.The main approaches in this design phase for the Alphabus solar array were to find a standardized and scaleable design to production and to use qualification heritage from former projects, especially Eurostar 3000, as far as possible. The main challenges for the solar array design and test philosophy were the usage of lateral deployment and related sequential deployment and the bus voltage of 102,5V and related ESD precautions.This paper provides an overview of the different configurations, their main design features and performance parameters. In addition it summarizes the development and verification approach and shows the actual qualification status.

KSC-95pc586

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-04-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) No. 2036, the first of the new Block 1 engines to fly, awaits installation into position one of the orbiter Discovery in Orbiter Processing Facility 2 during preparation of the spaceplane for the STS-70 mission. The advanced powerplant features a new high-pressure liquid oxygen turbopump, a two-duct powerhead, a baffleless main injector, a single-coil heat exchanger and start sequence modifications. These modifications are designed to improve both engine performance and safety.

Designing algorithm visualization on mobile platform: The proposed guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Supli, A. A.; Shiratuddin, N.

2017-09-01

This paper entails an ongoing study about the design guidelines of algorithm visualization (AV) on mobile platform, helping students learning data structures and algorithm (DSA) subject effectively. Our previous review indicated that design guidelines of AV on mobile platform are still few. Mostly, previous guidelines of AV are developed for AV on desktop and website platform. In fact, mobile learning has been proved to enhance engagement in learning circumstances, and thus effect student's performance. In addition, the researchers highly recommend including UI design and Interactivity in designing effective AV system. However, the discussions of these two aspects in previous AV design guidelines are not comprehensive. The UI design in this paper describes the arrangement of AV features in mobile environment, whereas interactivity is about the active learning strategy features based on learning experiences (how to engage learners). Thus, this study main objective is to propose design guidelines of AV on mobile platform (AVOMP) that entails comprehensively UI design and interactivity aspects. These guidelines are developed through content analysis and comparative analysis from various related studies. These guidelines are useful for AV designers to help them constructing AVOMP for various topics on DSA.

Research on design connotation of hair drier system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yongchuan; Wu, Qiong

2018-04-01

After the analysis and summary of the research on the design of hair drier system, the system design is focused on. Product system design is not only to study its entity, but also is recognized as the part, element and component with a systematic feature to deeply analyze the innovation way of product system design, which is taken as its concept to carry out the association analysis on the component elements of hair driers and the overall analysis and study on the system design process of hair dryers. The product life cycle is taken as the main goal, through system analysis, system synthesis and system optimization, to solve the problems of product design. It is of great practical significance.

Unsupervised Deep Hashing With Pseudo Labels for Scalable Image Retrieval.

PubMed

Zhang, Haofeng; Liu, Li; Long, Yang; Shao, Ling

2018-04-01

In order to achieve efficient similarity searching, hash functions are designed to encode images into low-dimensional binary codes with the constraint that similar features will have a short distance in the projected Hamming space. Recently, deep learning-based methods have become more popular, and outperform traditional non-deep methods. However, without label information, most state-of-the-art unsupervised deep hashing (DH) algorithms suffer from severe performance degradation for unsupervised scenarios. One of the main reasons is that the ad-hoc encoding process cannot properly capture the visual feature distribution. In this paper, we propose a novel unsupervised framework that has two main contributions: 1) we convert the unsupervised DH model into supervised by discovering pseudo labels; 2) the framework unifies likelihood maximization, mutual information maximization, and quantization error minimization so that the pseudo labels can maximumly preserve the distribution of visual features. Extensive experiments on three popular data sets demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method, which leads to significant performance improvement over the state-of-the-art unsupervised hashing algorithms.

Contingency Base Energy Management System

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

2016-06-09

CB-EMS is the latest implementation of DSOM (Decision Support for Operations and Maintenance), which was previously patented by PNNL. CB-EMS WAS specifically designed for contingency bases for the US Army. It is a software package that is designed to monitor energy consumption at an Army contingency base to alert the camp manager when the systems are wasting energy. It's main feature that separates it from DSOM is it's ability to add systems using a plug and play menu system.

The development of the Ariane-4 adaptor 937B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimenez, A.; Pascual, J.; Lechon, J.; Aceituna, J.

1990-06-01

The Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) sandwich shell Ariane 4 payload adapter 937B is described. Two interface metallic end rings are incorporated in the design. The overall dimensions of the adapter are described. The main feature of the adapter is the use of cocuring technology in manufacturing the entire adapter sandwich shell in one piece. Manufacturing cost reductions are described. Qualification test results are presented. Mathematical models used in design analysis of the adapter are outlined.

The Alcohol Dehydrogenase Kinetics Laboratory: Enhanced Data Analysis and Student-Designed Mini-Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverstein, Todd P.

2016-01-01

A highly instructive, wide-ranging laboratory project in which students study the effects of various parameters on the enzymatic activity of alcohol dehydrogenase has been adapted for the upper-division biochemistry and physical biochemistry laboratory. Our two main goals were to provide enhanced data analysis, featuring nonlinear regression, and…

Guide for the Establishment and Evaluation of Services for Selective Dissemination of Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poncelet, J.

This guide describes the components of a selective dissemination of information (SDI) service which is designed to give developing countries access to international sources of bibliographic information and provides guidelines for the establishment and evaluation of this type of service. It defines the main features of a computerized documentation…

Education and Training of Librarians in Children's Librarianship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glistrup, Eva, Ed.

Intended as a practical tool for anyone who wishes to improve the education and training of children's librarians, this collection of reports is designed to provide ideas on how to analyze an education for children's librarians and tools for elaborating an education resting on local knowledge. The reports present the main features in the training…

Technological Change in Assessing Economics: A Cautionary Welcome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennelly, Brendan; Considine, John; Flannery, Darragh

2009-01-01

The use of computer-based automated assignment systems in economics has expanded significantly in recent years. The most widely used system is Aplia which was developed by Paul Romer in 2000. Aplia is a computer application designed to replace traditional paper-based assignments in economics. The main features of Aplia are: (1) interactive content…

Domestic Appliances and Industrial Design: The Italian White-Goods Industry during the 1950s and 1960s.

PubMed

Paris, Ivan

The white-goods sector was one of the industries that led economic development in Italy following World War II and featured companies that achieved notable results in foreign markets. According to the literature on the subject, price competitiveness generated mainly by the lower cost of labor was the key to this success. This article explores the as-yet unstudied role played by industrial design, and not only for its ability to significantly facilitate the reduction of production costs. It shows how industrial design played a wider and more decisive role in reinventing Italian white goods by differentiating the products of Italian producers from those of their main foreign competitors. Therefore the article contributes to understanding how and why certain products and technologies are reworked, assimilated, and diffused in the ways they are.

Design of an intelligent flight instrumentation unit using embedded RTOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estrada-Marmolejo, R.; García-Torales, G.; Torres-Ortega, H. H.; Flores, J. L.

2011-09-01

Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (MUAV) must calculate its spatial position to control the flight dynamics, which is done by Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). MEMS Inertial sensors have made possible to reduce the size and power consumption of such units. Commonly the flight instrumentation operates independently of the main processor. This work presents an instrumentation block design, which reduces size and power consumption of the complete system of a MUAV. This is done by coupling the inertial sensors to the main processor without considering any intermediate level of processing aside. Using Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS) reduces the number of intermediate components, increasing MUAV reliability. One advantage is the possibility to control several different sensors with a single communication bus. This feature of the MEMS sensors makes a smaller and less complex MUAV design possible.

High-Lift Propeller System Configuration Selection for NASA's SCEPTOR Distributed Electric Propulsion Flight Demonstrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Michael D.; Derlaga, Joseph M.; Borer, Nicholas K.

2016-01-01

Although the primary function of propellers is typically to produce thrust, aircraft equipped with distributed electric propulsion (DEP) may utilize propellers whose main purpose is to act as a form of high-lift device. These \\high-lift propellers" can be placed upstream of wing such that, when the higher-velocity ow in the propellers' slipstreams interacts with the wing, the lift is increased. This technique is a main design feature of a new NASA advanced design project called Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology Operations Research (SCEPTOR). The goal of the SCEPTOR project is design, build, and y a DEP aircraft to demonstrate that such an aircraft can be much more ecient than conventional designs. This paper provides details into the high-lift propeller system con guration selection for the SCEPTOR ight demonstrator. The methods used in the high-lift propeller system conceptual design and the tradeo s considered in selecting the number of propellers are discussed.

Designing of Intelligent Multilingual Patient Reported Outcome System (IMPROS)

PubMed Central

Pourasghar, Faramarz; Partovi, Yeganeh

2015-01-01

Background: By self-reporting outcome procedure the patients themselves record disease symptoms outside medical centers and then report them to medical staff in specific periods of time. One of the self-reporting methods is the application of interactive voice response (IVR), in which some pre-designed questions in the form of voice tracks would be played and then the caller responses the questions by pressing phone’s keypad bottoms. Aim: The present research explains the main framework of such system designing according to IVR technology that is for the first time designed and administered in Iran. Methods: Interactive Voice Response system was composed by two main parts of hardware and software. Hardware section includes one or several digital phone lines, a modem card with voice playing capability and a PC. IVR software on the other hand, acts as an intelligent control center, records call information and controls incoming data. Results: One of the main features of the system is its capability to be administered in common PCs, utilizing simple and cheap modems, high speed to take responses and it’s appropriateness to low literate patients. The system is applicable for monitoring chronic diseases, cancer and also in psychological diseases and can be suitable for taking care of elders and Children who require long term cares. Other features include user-friendly, decrease in direct and indirect costs of disease treatment and enjoying from high level of security to access patients’ profiles. Conclusions: Intelligent multilingual patient reported outcome system (IMPROS) by controlling diseases gives the opportunity to patients to have more participation during treatment and it improves mutual interaction between patient and medical staff. Moreover it increases the quality of medical services, Additional to empowering patients and their followers. PMID:26635441

Bi-layer sandwich film for antibacterial catheters

PubMed Central

Schamberger, Florian; Zare, Hamideh Heidari; Bröskamp, Sara Felicitas; Jocham, Dieter

2017-01-01

Background: Approximately one quarter of all nosocomial infections can be attributed to the urinary tract. The infections are supposed to be mainly caused by implantations of urethral catheters and stents. A new catheter design is introduced with the aim to lower the high number of nosocomial urethral infections. In order to avoid limitations to use, the design is first applied to conventional commercially available balloon catheters. Results: The main feature of the design is a sandwich layer on both sides of the catheter wall, which is composed of a fragmented base layer of silver capped by a thin film of poly(p-xylylene). This top layer is mainly designed to release a controlled amount of Ag+ ions, which is bactericidal, but not toxic to humans. Simultaneously, the lifetime is prolonged to at least one year. The base layer is electrolessly deposited applying Tollens’ reagens, the cap layer is deposited by using chemical vapor deposition. Conclusion: The three main problems of this process, electroless deposition of a fragmented silver film on the surface of an electrically insulating organic polymer, irreproducible evaporation during heating of the precursor, and exponential decrease of the layer thickness along the capillary, have been solved trough the application of a simple electrochemical reaction and two standard principles of physics: Papin’s pot and the principle of Le Chatelier. PMID:29046846

Bi-layer sandwich film for antibacterial catheters.

PubMed

Franz, Gerhard; Schamberger, Florian; Zare, Hamideh Heidari; Bröskamp, Sara Felicitas; Jocham, Dieter

2017-01-01

Background: Approximately one quarter of all nosocomial infections can be attributed to the urinary tract. The infections are supposed to be mainly caused by implantations of urethral catheters and stents. A new catheter design is introduced with the aim to lower the high number of nosocomial urethral infections. In order to avoid limitations to use, the design is first applied to conventional commercially available balloon catheters. Results: The main feature of the design is a sandwich layer on both sides of the catheter wall, which is composed of a fragmented base layer of silver capped by a thin film of poly( p -xylylene). This top layer is mainly designed to release a controlled amount of Ag + ions, which is bactericidal, but not toxic to humans. Simultaneously, the lifetime is prolonged to at least one year. The base layer is electrolessly deposited applying Tollens' reagens, the cap layer is deposited by using chemical vapor deposition. Conclusion: The three main problems of this process, electroless deposition of a fragmented silver film on the surface of an electrically insulating organic polymer, irreproducible evaporation during heating of the precursor, and exponential decrease of the layer thickness along the capillary, have been solved trough the application of a simple electrochemical reaction and two standard principles of physics: Papin's pot and the principle of Le Chatelier.

Speech emotion recognition methods: A literature review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basharirad, Babak; Moradhaseli, Mohammadreza

2017-10-01

Recently, attention of the emotional speech signals research has been boosted in human machine interfaces due to availability of high computation capability. There are many systems proposed in the literature to identify the emotional state through speech. Selection of suitable feature sets, design of a proper classifications methods and prepare an appropriate dataset are the main key issues of speech emotion recognition systems. This paper critically analyzed the current available approaches of speech emotion recognition methods based on the three evaluating parameters (feature set, classification of features, accurately usage). In addition, this paper also evaluates the performance and limitations of available methods. Furthermore, it highlights the current promising direction for improvement of speech emotion recognition systems.

Computer Design Technology of the Small Thrust Rocket Engines Using CAE / CAD Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryzhkov, V.; Lapshin, E.

2018-01-01

The paper presents an algorithm for designing liquid small thrust rocket engine, the process of which consists of five aggregated stages with feedback. Three stages of the algorithm provide engineering support for design, and two stages - the actual engine design. A distinctive feature of the proposed approach is a deep study of the main technical solutions at the stage of engineering analysis and interaction with the created knowledge (data) base, which accelerates the process and provides enhanced design quality. The using multifunctional graphic package Siemens NX allows to obtain the final product -rocket engine and a set of design documentation in a fairly short time; the engine design does not require a long experimental development.

Plastic scintillator detector for pulsed flux measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadilin, V. V.; Kaplun, A. A.; Taraskin, A. A.

2017-01-01

A neutron detector, providing charged particle detection capability, has been designed. The main purpose of the detector is to measure pulsed fluxes of both charged particles and neutrons during scientific experiments. The detector consists of commonly used neutron-sensitive ZnS(Ag) / 6LiF scintillator screens wrapping a layer of polystyrene based scintillator (BC-454, EJ-254 or equivalent boron loaded plastic). This type of detector design is able to log a spatial distribution of events and may be scaled to any size. Different variations of the design were considered and modelled in specialized toolkits. The article presents a review of the detector design features as well as simulation results.

Long life valve design concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, J. R.; Hall, A. H., Jr.

1975-01-01

Valve concept evaluation, final candidate selection, design, manufacture, and demonstration testing of a pneumatically actuated 10-inch hybrid poppet butterfly shutoff valve are presented. Conclusions and recommendations regarding those valve characteristics and features which would serve to guide in the formulation of future valve procurements are discussed. The pertinent design goals were temperature range of plus 200 to minus 423 F, valve inlet pressure 35 psia, actuation pressure 750 psia, main seal leakage 3 x 0.00001 sccs at 35 psia valve inlet pressure, and a storage and operating life of 10 years. The valve was designed to be compatible with RP-1, propane, LH2, LO2, He, and N2.

Tool Mediation in Focus on Form Activities: Case Studies in a Grammar-Exploring Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karlstrom, Petter; Cerratto-Pargman, Teresa; Lindstrom, Henrik; Knutsson, Ola

2007-01-01

We present two case studies of two different pedagogical tasks in a Computer Assisted Language Learning environment called Grim. The main design principle in Grim is to support "Focus on Form" in second language pedagogy. Grim contains several language technology-based features for exploring linguistic forms (static, rule-based and statistical),…

Problem Solving as a Professional Development Strategy for Teachers: A Case Study with Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perdomo-Díaz, Josefa; Felmer, Patricio; Randolph, Valeria; González, Guillermo

2017-01-01

In this paper we present a professional development course designed to impact on teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching fractions. The main features of the course are the use of i) problem solving activities related with mathematical knowledge for teaching fractions ii) peer discussions and iii) monitor's interventions focused on answering…

75 FR 27662 - Special Conditions: Boeing 747-468, Installation of a Medical Lift

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-18

...; Notice No. 25-99-11-SC] Special Conditions: Boeing 747-468, Installation of a Medical Lift AGENCY... Aviation, will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with the installation of a medical lift... modification includes the installation of a medical lift between the main deck and upper deck. The lift allows...

Ergonomic study and static analysis for new design of electric scooter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fadzly, M. K.; Munirah, Anis; Shayfull, Z.; Saad, Mohd Sazli

2017-09-01

The purposes of this project are to design and diversify the function of a battery powered scooter frame which is more practical for the human factor in ergonomic and optimum design. The new design is based on ideas which are studied from existing scooter frame, United States Patent design and European States International Patent design. The final idea of concept design for scooter frame is based on concept chosen from the best characteristics and it is divided into three main difference ideas and the matrix evaluation method is applied. Analysis that applies to frame design, arm, rim and drive train component is based on Cosmos Express program. As a conclusion, the design that is produce are able to carry the maximum also has more practical features in ergonomic view.

A multipurpose model of Hermes-Columbus docking mechanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalez-Vallejo, J. J.; Fehse, W.; Tobias, A.

1992-01-01

One of the foreseen missions of the HERMES spacevehicle is the servicing to the Columbus Free Flying Laboratory (MTFF). Docking between the two spacecraft is a critical operation in which the Docking Mechanism (DM) has a major role. In order to analyze and assess robustness of initially selected concepts and to identify suitable implementation solutions, through the investigation of main parameters involved in the docking functions, a multipurpose model of DM was developed and tested. This paper describes the main design features as well as the process of calibrating and testing.

Aerodynamic Design of Integrated Propulsion-Airframe Configuration of the Hybrid Wing-Body Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, May-Fun; Kim, Hyoungjin; Lee, B. J.; Liou, Meng-Sing

2017-01-01

Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) aircraft is characterized by a flattened and airfoil-shaped body, which produces a substantial portion of the total lift. The body form is composed of distinct and separate wing structures, though the wings are smoothly blended into the body. This concept has been studied widely and results suggest remarkable performance improvements over the conventional tube and wing transport1,2. HWB incorporates design features from both a futuristic fuselage and flying wing design, which houses most of the crew, payload and equipment inside the main centerbody structure.

30 cm Engineering Model thruster design and qualification tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnelker, D. E.; Collett, C. R.

1975-01-01

Development of a 30-cm mercury electron bombardment Engineering Model ion thruster has successfully brought the thruster from the status of a laboratory experimental device to a point approaching flight readiness. This paper describes the development progress of the Engineering Model (EM) thruster in four areas: (1) design features and fabrication approaches, (2) performance verification and thruster to thruster variations, (3) structural integrity, and (4) interface definition. The design of major subassemblies, including the cathode-isolator-vaporizer (CIV), main isolator-vaporizer (MIV), neutralizer isolator-vaporizer (NIV), ion optical system, and discharge chamber/outer housing is discussed along with experimental results.

Design Characteristics of the 224 kW Magdalen Islands VAWT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Templin, R. J.

1979-01-01

The evolution of the main design features of the Magdalen Islands vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is described. The turbine has a rotor height of 120 ft (36.58 m) and diameter 80 ft (24.38 m). It was operated as a joint project between NRC and Hydro-Quebec in grid-coupled mode from July 1977 to July 1978 when the rotor was destroyed in an accident. The accident, although unfortunate, tested the basic integrity of the design in a gross overspeed condition, and the rotor is being rebuilt with minor modifications. Some directions for future VAWT research are suggested.

Duct flow nonuniformities study for space shuttle main engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thoenes, J.

1985-01-01

To improve the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) design and for future use in the development of generation rocket engines, a combined experimental/analytical study was undertaken with the goals of first, establishing an experimental data base for the flow conditions in the SSME high pressure fuel turbopump (HPFTP) hot gas manifold (HGM) and, second, setting up a computer model of the SSME HGM flow field. Using the test data to verify the computer model it should be possible in the future to computationally scan contemplated advanced design configurations and limit costly testing to the most promising design. The effort of establishing and using the computer model is detailed. The comparison of computational results and experimental data observed clearly demonstrate that computational fluid mechanics (CFD) techniques can be used successfully to predict the gross features of three dimensional fluid flow through configurations as intricate as the SSME turbopump hot gas manifold.

Attitude Control Tradeoff Study Between the Use of a Flexible Beam and a Tether Configuration for the Connection of Two Bodies in Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, S. H.

1985-01-01

Sometimes it is necessary to mount a payload remotely from the main body of a spacecraft or space station. The reasons for this vary from vibration isolation to avoidance of measurement contamination. For example the SP-100 project, which grew out of the increased interest in nuclear power in space for space stations and for deep space explorations, requires separation of the nuclear reactor from the user because of vibration, heat and radiation. The different attitude control problems for beam and tether configurations are discussed. The beam configuration uses a conservative design approach. The vibration, beam flexibility and deployment concerns are analyzed. The tether configuration offers some very attractive design features, but not without several thorny problems. These problems are analyzed. One configuration will be recommended for the main thrust of the SP-100 design effort based on attitude control considerations.

What makes an automated teller machine usable by blind users?

PubMed

Manzke, J M; Egan, D H; Felix, D; Krueger, H

1998-07-01

Fifteen blind and sighted subjects, who featured as a control group for acceptance, were asked for their requirements for automated teller machines (ATMs). Both groups also tested the usability of a partially operational ATM mock-up. This machine was based on an existing cash dispenser, providing natural speech output, different function menus and different key arrangements. Performance and subjective evaluation data of blind and sighted subjects were collected. All blind subjects were able to operate the ATM successfully. The implemented speech output was the main usability factor for them. The different interface designs did not significantly affect performance and subjective evaluation. Nevertheless, design recommendations can be derived from the requirement assessment. The sighted subjects were rather open for design modifications, especially the implementation of speech output. However, there was also a mismatch of the requirements of the two subject groups, mainly concerning the key arrangement.

Hybrid feature selection for supporting lightweight intrusion detection systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Jianglong; Zhao, Wentao; Liu, Qiang; Wang, Xin

2017-08-01

Redundant and irrelevant features not only cause high resource consumption but also degrade the performance of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), especially when coping with big data. These features slow down the process of training and testing in network traffic classification. Therefore, a hybrid feature selection approach in combination with wrapper and filter selection is designed in this paper to build a lightweight intrusion detection system. Two main phases are involved in this method. The first phase conducts a preliminary search for an optimal subset of features, in which the chi-square feature selection is utilized. The selected set of features from the previous phase is further refined in the second phase in a wrapper manner, in which the Random Forest(RF) is used to guide the selection process and retain an optimized set of features. After that, we build an RF-based detection model and make a fair comparison with other approaches. The experimental results on NSL-KDD datasets show that our approach results are in higher detection accuracy as well as faster training and testing processes.

The IVTANTHERMO-Online database for thermodynamic properties of individual substances with web interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belov, G. V.; Dyachkov, S. A.; Levashov, P. R.; Lomonosov, I. V.; Minakov, D. V.; Morozov, I. V.; Sineva, M. A.; Smirnov, V. N.

2018-01-01

The database structure, main features and user interface of an IVTANTHERMO-Online system are reviewed. This system continues the series of the IVTANTHERMO packages developed in JIHT RAS. It includes the database for thermodynamic properties of individual substances and related software for analysis of experimental results, data fitting, calculation and estimation of thermodynamical functions and thermochemistry quantities. In contrast to the previous IVTANTHERMO versions it has a new extensible database design, the client-server architecture, a user-friendly web interface with a number of new features for online and offline data processing.

Psychoacoustic Testing of Modulated Blade Spacing for Main Rotors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, Bryan; Booth, Earl R., Jr. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Psychoacoustic testing of simulated helicopter main rotor noise is described, and the subjective results are presented. The objective of these tests was to evaluate the potential acoustic benefits of main rotors with modulated (uneven) blade spacing. Sound simulations were prepared for six main rotor configurations. A baseline 4-blade main rotor with regular blade spacing was based on the Bell Model 427 helicopter. A 5-blade main rotor with regular spacing was designed to approximate the performance of the 427, but at reduced tipspeed. Four modulated rotors - one with "optimum" spacing and three alternate configurations - were derived from the 5 bladed regular spacing rotor. The sounds were played to 2 subjects at a time, with care being taken in the speaker selection and placement to ensure that the sounds were identical for each subject. A total of 40 subjects participated. For each rotor configuration, the listeners were asked to evaluate the sounds in terms of noisiness. The test results indicate little to no "annoyance" benefit for the modulated blade spacing. In general, the subjects preferred the sound of the 5-blade regular spaced rotor over any of the modulated ones. A conclusion is that modulated blade spacing is not a promising design feature to reduce the annoyance for helicopter main rotors.

The Strategic Micro-Firm: A Role Play In Management Training for Dynamic Businesses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnabe, Federico; Busco, Cristiano; Davidsen, Pal I.; Lambri, Maurizio; Zatta, Gianfranco

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the main characteristics of the role-playing game "Strategic Micro-Firm" which aims to reproduce the fundamental features of a complex supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: A specific role-playing game is presented, in which a Balanced Scorecard is used as the reporting device and is…

Funding Systems for Higher Education and Their Impacts on Institutional Strategies and Academia: A Comparative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frolich, Nicoline; Kalpazidou Schmidt, Evanthia; Rosa, Maria J.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss how funding systems influence higher education institutions and their strategies and core tasks. Design/methodology/approach: Taking the results of a comparative study between Denmark, Norway and Portugal as a point of departure, the paper identifies and analyses the main features of these state…

Validation Study of the Scale for "Assessment of the Teaching-Learning Process", Student Version (ATLP-S)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de la Fuente, Jesus; Sander, Paul; Justicia, Fernando; Pichardo, M. Carmen; Garcia-Berben, Ana B.

2010-01-01

Introduction: The main goal of this study is to evaluate the psychometric and assessment features of the Scale for the "Assessment of the Teaching-Learning Process, Student Version" (ATLP-S), for both practical and theoretical reasons. From an applied point of view, this self-report measurement instrument has been designed to encourage…

Tutorial on X-Ray Free-Electron Lasers

DOE PAGES

Carlsten, Bruce E.

2018-05-02

This article provides a tutorial on X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) which are currently being designed, built, commissioned, and operated as fourth-generation light sources to enable discovery science in materials science, biology, and chemistry. XFELs are complex devices, driven by high-energy, high-brightness electron accelerators and cost on the order of $B. Here, we provide a basic introduction to their operating physics and a description of their main accelerator components. To make their basic operating principle accessible to the electrical engineering community, we rederive the FEL dispersion relation in a manner similar to that done for traveling-wave tubes. We finish with sectionsmore » describing some unique features of the X-rays generated and on the physics that lead to the main design limitations, including approaches for mitigation.« less

Tutorial on X-Ray Free-Electron Lasers

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

Carlsten, Bruce E.

This article provides a tutorial on X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) which are currently being designed, built, commissioned, and operated as fourth-generation light sources to enable discovery science in materials science, biology, and chemistry. XFELs are complex devices, driven by high-energy, high-brightness electron accelerators and cost on the order of $B. Here, we provide a basic introduction to their operating physics and a description of their main accelerator components. To make their basic operating principle accessible to the electrical engineering community, we rederive the FEL dispersion relation in a manner similar to that done for traveling-wave tubes. We finish with sectionsmore » describing some unique features of the X-rays generated and on the physics that lead to the main design limitations, including approaches for mitigation.« less

GeneratorSE: A Sizing Tool for Variable-Speed Wind Turbine Generators

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

Sethuraman, Latha; Dykes, Katherine L

This report documents a set of analytical models employed by the optimization algorithms within the GeneratorSE framework. The initial values and boundary conditions employed for the generation of the various designs and initial estimates for basic design dimensions, masses, and efficiency for the four different models of generators are presented and compared with empirical data collected from previous studies and some existing commercial turbines. These models include designs applicable for variable-speed, high-torque application featuring direct-drive synchronous generators and low-torque application featuring induction generators. In all of the four models presented, the main focus of optimization is electromagnetic design with themore » exception of permanent-magnet and wire-wound synchronous generators, wherein the structural design is also optimized. Thermal design is accommodated in GeneratorSE as a secondary attribute by limiting the winding current densities to acceptable limits. A preliminary validation of electromagnetic design was carried out by comparing the optimized magnetic loading against those predicted by numerical simulation in FEMM4.2, a finite-element software for analyzing electromagnetic and thermal physics problems for electrical machines. For direct-drive synchronous generators, the analytical models for the structural design are validated by static structural analysis in ANSYS.« less

The design of real time infrared image generation software based on Creator and Vega

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rui-feng; Wu, Wei-dong; Huo, Jun-xiu

2013-09-01

Considering the requirement of high reality and real-time quality dynamic infrared image of an infrared image simulation, a method to design real-time infrared image simulation application on the platform of VC++ is proposed. This is based on visual simulation software Creator and Vega. The functions of Creator are introduced simply, and the main features of Vega developing environment are analyzed. The methods of infrared modeling and background are offered, the designing flow chart of the developing process of IR image real-time generation software and the functions of TMM Tool and MAT Tool and sensor module are explained, at the same time, the real-time of software is designed.

Design techniques for low-voltage analog integrated circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakús, Matej; Stopjaková, Viera; Arbet, Daniel

2017-08-01

In this paper, a review and analysis of different design techniques for (ultra) low-voltage integrated circuits (IC) are performed. This analysis shows that the most suitable design methods for low-voltage analog IC design in a standard CMOS process include techniques using bulk-driven MOS transistors, dynamic threshold MOS transistors and MOS transistors operating in weak or moderate inversion regions. The main advantage of such techniques is that there is no need for any modification of standard CMOS structure or process. Basic circuit building blocks like differential amplifiers or current mirrors designed using these approaches are able to operate with the power supply voltage of 600 mV (or even lower), which is the key feature towards integrated systems for modern portable applications.

Integrated Approach to Industrial Packaging Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vorobeva, O.

2017-11-01

The article reviews studies in the field of industrial packaging design. The major factors which influence technological, ergonomic, economic and ecological features of packaging are established. The main modern trends in packaging design are defined, the principles of marketing communications and their influence on consumers’ consciousness are indicated, and the function of packaging as a transmitter of brand values is specified. Peculiarities of packaging technology and printing techniques in modern printing industry are considered. The role of designers in the stage-by-stage development of the construction, form and graphic design concept of packaging is defined. The examples of authentic packaging are given and the mention of the tetrahedron packaging history is made. At the end of the article, conclusions on the key research aspects are made.

Application of spring tabs to elevator controls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, William H

1944-01-01

Equations are presented for calculating the stick-force characteristics obtained with a spring-tab type of elevator control. The main problems encountered in the design of a satisfactory elevator spring tab are to provide stick forces in the desired range, to maintain the force per g sufficiently constant throughout the speed range, to avoid undesirable "feel" of the control in ground handling or in flight at low airspeeds, and to prevent flutter. Examples are presented to show the design features of spring tabs required to solve these problems for airplanes of various sizes.

Design, installation, commissioning and operation of a beamlet monitor in the negative ion beam test stand at NIFS

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

Antoni, V.; Agostinetti, P.; Brombin, M.

2015-04-08

In the framework of the accompanying activity for the development of the two neutral beam injectors for the ITER fusion experiment, an instrumented beam calorimeter is being designed at Consorzio RFX, to be used in the SPIDER test facility (particle energy 100keV; beam current 50A), with the aim of testing beam characteristics and to verify the source proper operation. The main components of the instrumented calorimeter are one-directional carbon-fibre-carbon composite tiles. Some prototype tiles have been used as a small-scale version of the entire calorimeter in the test stand of the neutral beam injectors of the LHD experiment, with themore » aim of characterising the beam features in various operating conditions. The extraction system of the NIFS test stand source was modified, by applying a mask to the first gridded electrode, in order to isolate only a subset of the beamlets, arranged in two 3×5 matrices, resembling the beamlet groups of the ITER beam sources. The present contribution gives a description of the design of the diagnostic system, including the numerical simulations of the expected thermal pattern. Moreover the dedicated thermocouple measurement system is presented. The beamlet monitor was successfully used for a full experimental campaign, during which the main parameters of the source, mainly the arc power and the grid voltages, were varied. This contribution describes the methods of fitting and data analysis applied to the infrared images of the camera to recover the beamlet optics characteristics, in order to quantify the response of the system to different operational conditions. Some results concerning the beamlet features are presented as a function of the source parameters.« less

Framework for a clinical information system.

PubMed

Van De Velde, R; Lansiers, R; Antonissen, G

2002-01-01

The design and implementation of Clinical Information System architecture is presented. This architecture has been developed and implemented based on components following a strong underlying conceptual and technological model. Common Object Request Broker and n-tier technology featuring centralised and departmental clinical information systems as the back-end store for all clinical data are used. Servers located in the "middle" tier apply the clinical (business) model and application rules. The main characteristics are the focus on modelling and reuse of both data and business logic. Scalability as well as adaptability to constantly changing requirements via component driven computing are the main reasons for that approach.

Transforming AdaPT to Ada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldsack, Stephen J.; Holzbach-Valero, A. A.; Waldrop, Raymond S.; Volz, Richard A.

1991-01-01

This paper describes how the main features of the proposed Ada language extensions intended to support distribution, and offered as possible solutions for Ada9X can be implemented by transformation into standard Ada83. We start by summarizing the features proposed in a paper (Gargaro et al, 1990) which constitutes the definition of the extensions. For convenience we have called the language in its modified form AdaPT which might be interpreted as Ada with partitions. These features were carefully chosen to provide support for the construction of executable modules for execution in nodes of a network of loosely coupled computers, but flexibly configurable for different network architectures and for recovery following failure, or adapting to mode changes. The intention in their design was to provide extensions which would not impact adversely on the normal use of Ada, and would fit well in style and feel with the existing standard. We begin by summarizing the features introduced in AdaPT.

Kernel-aligned multi-view canonical correlation analysis for image recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Shuzhi; Ge, Hongwei; Yuan, Yun-Hao

2016-09-01

Existing kernel-based correlation analysis methods mainly adopt a single kernel in each view. However, only a single kernel is usually insufficient to characterize nonlinear distribution information of a view. To solve the problem, we transform each original feature vector into a 2-dimensional feature matrix by means of kernel alignment, and then propose a novel kernel-aligned multi-view canonical correlation analysis (KAMCCA) method on the basis of the feature matrices. Our proposed method can simultaneously employ multiple kernels to better capture the nonlinear distribution information of each view, so that correlation features learned by KAMCCA can have well discriminating power in real-world image recognition. Extensive experiments are designed on five real-world image datasets, including NIR face images, thermal face images, visible face images, handwritten digit images, and object images. Promising experimental results on the datasets have manifested the effectiveness of our proposed method.

Pencil beam characteristics of the next-generation proton scanning gantry of PSI: design issues and initial commissioning results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedroni, E.; Meer, D.; Bula, C.; Safai, S.; Zenklusen, S.

2011-07-01

In this paper we report on the main design features, on the realization process and on selected first results of the initial commissioning of the new Gantry 2 of PSI for the delivery of proton therapy with new advanced pencil beam scanning techniques. We present briefly the characteristics of the new gantry system with main emphasis on the beam optics, on the characterization of the pencil beam used for scanning and on the performance of the scanning system. The idea is to give an overview of the major components of the whole system. The main long-term technical goal of the new equipment of Gantry 2 is to expand the use of pencil beam scanning to the whole spectrum of clinical indications including moving targets. We report here on the initial experience and problems encountered in the development of the system with selected preliminary results of the ongoing commissioning of Gantry 2.

Preliminary Study on Kano Model in the Conceptual Design Activities for Product Lifecycle Improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fahrul Hassan, Mohd; Rahman, M. R. A.; Arifin, A. M. T.; Ismail, A. E.; Rasidi Ibrahim, M.; Zulafif Rahim, M.; Fauzi Ahmad, Md

2017-08-01

Product manufactured with short life cycle had only one major issue, it can lead to increasing volume of waste. Day by day, this untreated waste had consumed many landfill spaces, waiting for any possible alternatives. Lack of product recovery knowledge and recyclability features imprinted into product design are one of the main reason behind all this. Sustainable awareness aspect should not just be implied into people’s mind, but also onto product design. This paper presents a preliminary study on Kano model method in the conceptual design activities to improve product lifecycle. Kano model is a survey-type method, used to analyze and distinguished product qualities or features, also how the customers may have perceived them. Three important attributes of Kano model are performance, attractive and must-be. The proposed approach enables better understanding of customer requirements while providing a way for Kano model to be integrated into engineering design to improve product’s end-of-life. Further works will be continued to provide a better lifecycle option (increase percentage of reuse, remanufacture or recycle, whereby decrease percentage of waste) of a product using Kano model approach.

[Determination of somatotype of man in cranio-facial personality identification].

PubMed

2004-01-01

On the basis of their independent research and through the analysis of published data the authors suggested quantitative criteria for the diagnosis of a somatotype of man by the dimensional features of the face and skull. M. A. Negasheva method, based on the discriminative analysis of 7 measurement features, was used in the individual diagnosis of a somatotype by V. V. Bunaka scheme (somatotypes-pectoral, muscular, abdominal and indefinite). The authors suggest 2 diagnostic models based on the linear and discriminative analysis of 11 and 7 measurement features for the skull. The diagnostic accuracy in case of main male som-atotypes makes 87 and 64.4%, respectively, with the canonic correlations of 0.574 and 0.292. The designed methods can be used in forensic medicine for the cranio-facial and portrait expertise.

Image annotation based on positive-negative instances learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kai; Hu, Jiwei; Liu, Quan; Lou, Ping

2017-07-01

Automatic image annotation is now a tough task in computer vision, the main sense of this tech is to deal with managing the massive image on the Internet and assisting intelligent retrieval. This paper designs a new image annotation model based on visual bag of words, using the low level features like color and texture information as well as mid-level feature as SIFT, and mixture the pic2pic, label2pic and label2label correlation to measure the correlation degree of labels and images. We aim to prune the specific features for each single label and formalize the annotation task as a learning process base on Positive-Negative Instances Learning. Experiments are performed using the Corel5K Dataset, and provide a quite promising result when comparing with other existing methods.

Unravelling the myotonic dystrophy type 1 clinical spectrum: A systematic registry-based study with implications for disease classification.

PubMed

De Antonio, M; Dogan, C; Hamroun, D; Mati, M; Zerrouki, S; Eymard, B; Katsahian, S; Bassez, G

2016-10-01

The broad clinical spectrum of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) creates particular challenges for both medical care and design of clinical trials. Clinical onset spans a continuum from birth to late adulthood, with symptoms that are highly variable in both severity and nature of the affected organ systems. In the literature, this complex phenotype is divided into three grades (mild, classic, and severe) and four or five main clinical categories (congenital, infantile/juvenile, adult-onset and late-onset forms), according to symptom severity and age of onset, respectively. However, these classifications are still under discussion with no consensus thus far. While some specific clinical features have been primarily reported in some forms of the disease, there are no clear distinctions. As a consequence, no modifications in the management of healthcare or the design of clinical studies have been proposed based on the clinical form of DM1. The present study has used the DM-Scope registry to assess, in a large cohort of DM1 patients, the robustness of a classification divided into five clinical forms. Our main aim was to describe the disease spectrum and investigate features of each clinical form. The five subtypes were compared by distribution of CTG expansion size, and the occurrence and onset of the main symptoms of DM1. Analyses validated the relevance of a five-grade model for DM1 classification. Patients were classified as: congenital (n=93, 4.5%); infantile (n=303, 14.8%); juvenile (n=628, 30.7%); adult (n=694, 34.0%); and late-onset (n=326, 15.9%). Our data show that the assumption of a continuum from congenital to the late-onset form is valid, and also highlights disease features specific to individual clinical forms of DM1 in terms of symptom occurrence and chronology throughout the disease course. These results support the use of the five-grade model for disease classification, and the distinct clinical profiles suggest that age of onset and clinical form may be key criteria in the design of clinical trials when considering DM1 health management and research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Interrupted time series regression for the evaluation of public health interventions: a tutorial.

PubMed

Bernal, James Lopez; Cummins, Steven; Gasparrini, Antonio

2017-02-01

Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis is a valuable study design for evaluating the effectiveness of population-level health interventions that have been implemented at a clearly defined point in time. It is increasingly being used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions ranging from clinical therapy to national public health legislation. Whereas the design shares many properties of regression-based approaches in other epidemiological studies, there are a range of unique features of time series data that require additional methodological considerations. In this tutorial we use a worked example to demonstrate a robust approach to ITS analysis using segmented regression. We begin by describing the design and considering when ITS is an appropriate design choice. We then discuss the essential, yet often omitted, step of proposing the impact model a priori. Subsequently, we demonstrate the approach to statistical analysis including the main segmented regression model. Finally we describe the main methodological issues associated with ITS analysis: over-dispersion of time series data, autocorrelation, adjusting for seasonal trends and controlling for time-varying confounders, and we also outline some of the more complex design adaptations that can be used to strengthen the basic ITS design.

Interrupted time series regression for the evaluation of public health interventions: a tutorial

PubMed Central

Bernal, James Lopez; Cummins, Steven; Gasparrini, Antonio

2017-01-01

Abstract Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis is a valuable study design for evaluating the effectiveness of population-level health interventions that have been implemented at a clearly defined point in time. It is increasingly being used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions ranging from clinical therapy to national public health legislation. Whereas the design shares many properties of regression-based approaches in other epidemiological studies, there are a range of unique features of time series data that require additional methodological considerations. In this tutorial we use a worked example to demonstrate a robust approach to ITS analysis using segmented regression. We begin by describing the design and considering when ITS is an appropriate design choice. We then discuss the essential, yet often omitted, step of proposing the impact model a priori. Subsequently, we demonstrate the approach to statistical analysis including the main segmented regression model. Finally we describe the main methodological issues associated with ITS analysis: over-dispersion of time series data, autocorrelation, adjusting for seasonal trends and controlling for time-varying confounders, and we also outline some of the more complex design adaptations that can be used to strengthen the basic ITS design. PMID:27283160

Galactic rings revisited - I. CVRHS classifications of 3962 ringed galaxies from the Galaxy Zoo 2 Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buta, Ronald J.

2017-11-01

Rings are important and characteristic features of disc-shaped galaxies. This paper is the first in a series that re-visits galactic rings with the goals of further understanding the nature of the features and for examining their role in the secular evolution of galaxy structure. The series begins with a new sample of 3962 galaxies drawn from the Galaxy Zoo 2 citizen science data base, selected because zoo volunteers recognized a ring-shaped pattern in the morphology as seen in Sloan Digital Sky Survey colour images. The galaxies are classified within the framework of the Comprehensive de Vaucouleurs revised Hubble-Sandage system. It is found that zoo volunteers cued on the same kinds of ring-like features that were recognized in the 1995 Catalogue of Southern Ringed Galaxies. This paper presents the full catalogue of morphological classifications, comparisons with other sources of classifications and some histograms designed mainly to highlight the content of the catalogue. The advantages of the sample are its large size and the generally good quality of the images; the main disadvantage is the low physical resolution that limits the detectability of linearly small rings such as nuclear rings. The catalogue includes mainly inner and outer disc rings and lenses. Cataclysmic (`encounter-driven') rings (such as ring and polar ring galaxies) are recognized in less than 1 per cent of the sample.

Towards the application of interaction design to digital TV content development.

PubMed

Fialho, Francisco A P; Santos, Paloma Maria; Braga, Marcus de Melo; Thaler, Anelise

2012-01-01

Television can be considered one of the main means of mass entertainment. It occupies an important place in people's lives, influencing behavior and creating and/or enforcing consumer's habits and needs. With the advent of Digital Television, a series of new features tend to further impact upon society in many different ways. The main agent of this change is interactivity, which is the leverage that will transform the traditional viewer's role. Interactivity turns the viewer into a user, a partner who receives the content, but also produces, participates and collaborates during the viewing process. This paper aims to discuss the importance of applying interaction design in the development of projects related to digital television. The main factors that may contribute to improve the interaction design in applications for digital TV were identified drawing on a descriptive and qualitative method of investigation. The results showed that the interface design for this new media should not only be aesthetically appealing, but should also focus on usability (i.e. user's wishes and needs). Additionally, the creation of these interfaces requires the investigation of some characteristics and limitations of device interaction, considering the choice of colors, saturation levels and brightness, avoiding graphic symbols and prioritizing the navigation through the numerical buttons of the remote control.

Lightning protection design and testing of an all composite wet wing for the Egrett

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burrows, B. J. C.; Haigh, S. J.; Chessum, C.; Dunkley, V. P.

1991-01-01

The Egrett aircraft has an all composite wing comprising CFC(carbon fiber composite)/Nomex sandwich skins, full length CFC main spar caps, and GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastics) main and auxiliary spar webs. It also has short inboard CFC auxiliary spar caps. It has fine aluminum wires woven into the surface for protection. It has an integral fuel tank using the CFC/Nomex skins as the upper and lower tank walls, and lies between the forward auxiliary spar and the forward of the two main spar webs. The fuel tank is not bagged, i.e., it is in effect a wet wing tank. It has conventional capacitive type fuel gauging. The aircraft was cleared to IFR standards and so required full lightning protection and demonstration that it would survive the lightning environment. The lightning protection was designed for the wing (and also for the remainder of the aircraft). An inner wing test samples (which included a part of the fuel tank) were tested as part of the proving program. The protection design and the testing process are described. The intrinsic structural features are indicated that improve lightning protection design and which therefore minimize the weight and cost of any added lightning protection components.

Pressure suppression containment system for boiling water reactor

DOEpatents

Gluntz, Douglas M.; Nesbitt, Loyd B.

1997-01-01

A system for suppressing the pressure inside the containment of a BWR following a postulated accident. A piping subsystem is provided which features a main process pipe that communicates the wetwell airspace to a connection point downstream of the guard charcoal bed in an offgas system and upstream of the main bank of delay charcoal beds which give extensive holdup to offgases. The main process pipe is fitted with both inboard and outboard containment isolation valves. Also incorporated in the main process pipe is a low-differential-pressure rupture disk which prevents any gas outflow in this piping whatsoever until or unless rupture occurs by virtue of pressure inside this main process pipe on the wetwell airspace side of the disk exceeding the design opening (rupture) pressure differential. The charcoal holds up the radioactive species in the noncondensable gas from the wetwell plenum by adsorption, allowing time for radioactive decay before the gas is vented to the environs.

Quantitative research.

PubMed

Watson, Roger

2015-04-01

This article describes the basic tenets of quantitative research. The concepts of dependent and independent variables are addressed and the concept of measurement and its associated issues, such as error, reliability and validity, are explored. Experiments and surveys – the principal research designs in quantitative research – are described and key features explained. The importance of the double-blind randomised controlled trial is emphasised, alongside the importance of longitudinal surveys, as opposed to cross-sectional surveys. Essential features of data storage are covered, with an emphasis on safe, anonymous storage. Finally, the article explores the analysis of quantitative data, considering what may be analysed and the main uses of statistics in analysis.

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

Derbenev, Yaroslav S.; Morozov, Vasiliy; Lin, Fanglei

We present a complete scheme for managing the polarization of ion beams in Jefferson Lab's proposed Medium-energy Electron-Ion Collider (MEIC). It provides preservation of the ion polarization during all stages of beam acceleration and polarization control in the collider's experimental straights. We discuss characteristic features of the spin motion in accelerators with Siberian snakes and in accelerators of figure-8 shape. We propose 3D spin rotators for polarization control in the MEIC ion collider ring. We provide polarization calculations in the collider with the 3D rotator for deuteron and proton beams. The main polarization control features of the figure-8 design aremore » summarized.« less

Predicting and analyzing DNA-binding domains using a systematic approach to identifying a set of informative physicochemical and biochemical properties

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Existing methods of predicting DNA-binding proteins used valuable features of physicochemical properties to design support vector machine (SVM) based classifiers. Generally, selection of physicochemical properties and determination of their corresponding feature vectors rely mainly on known properties of binding mechanism and experience of designers. However, there exists a troublesome problem for designers that some different physicochemical properties have similar vectors of representing 20 amino acids and some closely related physicochemical properties have dissimilar vectors. Results This study proposes a systematic approach (named Auto-IDPCPs) to automatically identify a set of physicochemical and biochemical properties in the AAindex database to design SVM-based classifiers for predicting and analyzing DNA-binding domains/proteins. Auto-IDPCPs consists of 1) clustering 531 amino acid indices in AAindex into 20 clusters using a fuzzy c-means algorithm, 2) utilizing an efficient genetic algorithm based optimization method IBCGA to select an informative feature set of size m to represent sequences, and 3) analyzing the selected features to identify related physicochemical properties which may affect the binding mechanism of DNA-binding domains/proteins. The proposed Auto-IDPCPs identified m=22 features of properties belonging to five clusters for predicting DNA-binding domains with a five-fold cross-validation accuracy of 87.12%, which is promising compared with the accuracy of 86.62% of the existing method PSSM-400. For predicting DNA-binding sequences, the accuracy of 75.50% was obtained using m=28 features, where PSSM-400 has an accuracy of 74.22%. Auto-IDPCPs and PSSM-400 have accuracies of 80.73% and 82.81%, respectively, applied to an independent test data set of DNA-binding domains. Some typical physicochemical properties discovered are hydrophobicity, secondary structure, charge, solvent accessibility, polarity, flexibility, normalized Van Der Waals volume, pK (pK-C, pK-N, pK-COOH and pK-a(RCOOH)), etc. Conclusions The proposed approach Auto-IDPCPs would help designers to investigate informative physicochemical and biochemical properties by considering both prediction accuracy and analysis of binding mechanism simultaneously. The approach Auto-IDPCPs can be also applicable to predict and analyze other protein functions from sequences. PMID:21342579

The infrared imaging radiometer for PICASSO-CENA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corlay, Gilles; Arnolfo, Marie-Christine; Bret-Dibat, Thierry; Lifferman, Anne; Pelon, Jacques

2017-11-01

Microbolometers are infrared detectors of an emerging technology mainly developed in US and few other countries for few years. The main targets of these developments are low performing and low cost military and civilian applications like survey cameras. Applications in space are now arising thanks to the design simplification and the associated cost reduction allowed by this new technology. Among the four instruments of the payload of PICASSO-CENA, the Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR) is based on the microbolometer technology. An infrared camera in development for the IASI instrument is the core of the IIR. The aim of the paper is to recall the PICASSO-CENA mission goal, to describe the IIR instrument architecture and highlight its main features and performances and to give the its development status.

Fashion design solutions for environmentally conscious consumers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, M.; Chen, Y.; Curteza, A.; Thomassey, S.; Perwuelz, A.; Zeng, X.

2017-10-01

This paper intends to give an overview of the design solutions in fashion for environmentally conscious consumers, presenting green and ethical practices in contemporary clothing design. The results introduce the concept of slow fashion and discuss available fashion design solutions, giving most prominent examples of sustainable products and brands, these contain one or more design features. By this, the discussion extracts the main contemporary ideas. The presented examples of current offers are all envisioning less impact on the environment and society. Sustainable design solutions use more environmentally friendly materials such as organic cotton, incorporate circular design or design for recycling, e.g., replacing button closures with alternative closing possibilities or leather labels with printed versions, or ensure long product life through durability, among other methods. There are differing designs due to creators’ individuality. This overview can be beneficial for the future development of new solutions for more environmentally friendly fashion.

Design-Based Comparison of Spine Surgery Simulators: Optimizing Educational Features of Surgical Simulators.

PubMed

Ryu, Won Hyung A; Mostafa, Ahmed E; Dharampal, Navjit; Sharlin, Ehud; Kopp, Gail; Jacobs, W Bradley; Hurlbert, R John; Chan, Sonny; Sutherland, Garnette R

2017-10-01

Simulation-based education has made its entry into surgical residency training, particularly as an adjunct to hands-on clinical experience. However, one of the ongoing challenges to wide adoption is the capacity of simulators to incorporate educational features required for effective learning. The aim of this study was to identify strengths and limitations of spine simulators to characterize design elements that are essential in enhancing resident education. We performed a mixed qualitative and quantitative cohort study with a focused survey and interviews of stakeholders in spine surgery pertaining to their experiences on 3 spine simulators. Ten participants were recruited spanning all levels of training and expertise until qualitative analysis reached saturation of themes. Participants were asked to perform lumbar pedicle screw insertion on 3 simulators. Afterward, a 10-item survey was administrated and a focused interview was conducted to explore topics pertaining to the design features of the simulators. Overall impressions of the simulators were positive with regards to their educational benefit, but our qualitative analysis revealed differing strengths and limitations. Main design strengths of the computer-based simulators were incorporation of procedural guidance and provision of performance feedback. The synthetic model excelled in achieving more realistic haptic feedback and incorporating use of actual surgical tools. Stakeholders from trainees to experts acknowledge the growing role of simulation-based education in spine surgery. However, different simulation modalities have varying design elements that augment learning in distinct ways. Characterization of these design characteristics will allow for standardization of simulation curricula in spinal surgery, optimizing educational benefit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality evaluation of no-reference MR images using multidirectional filters and image statistics.

PubMed

Jang, Jinseong; Bang, Kihun; Jang, Hanbyol; Hwang, Dosik

2018-09-01

This study aimed to develop a fully automatic, no-reference image-quality assessment (IQA) method for MR images. New quality-aware features were obtained by applying multidirectional filters to MR images and examining the feature statistics. A histogram of these features was then fitted to a generalized Gaussian distribution function for which the shape parameters yielded different values depending on the type of distortion in the MR image. Standard feature statistics were established through a training process based on high-quality MR images without distortion. Subsequently, the feature statistics of a test MR image were calculated and compared with the standards. The quality score was calculated as the difference between the shape parameters of the test image and the undistorted standard images. The proposed IQA method showed a >0.99 correlation with the conventional full-reference assessment methods; accordingly, this proposed method yielded the best performance among no-reference IQA methods for images containing six types of synthetic, MR-specific distortions. In addition, for authentically distorted images, the proposed method yielded the highest correlation with subjective assessments by human observers, thus demonstrating its superior performance over other no-reference IQAs. Our proposed IQA was designed to consider MR-specific features and outperformed other no-reference IQAs designed mainly for photographic images. Magn Reson Med 80:914-924, 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Novel drift structures for silicon and compound semiconductor X-ray and gamma-ray detectors

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

Patt, B.E.; Iwanczyk, J.S.

Recently developed silicon- and compound-semiconductor-based drift detector structures have produced excellent performance for charged particles, X-rays, and gamma rays and for low-signal visible light detection. The silicon drift detector (SDD) structures that the authors discuss relate to direct X-ray detectors and scintillation photon detectors coupled with scintillators for gamma rays. Recent designs include several novel features that ensure very low dark current and hence low noise. In addition, application of thin window technology ensures a very high quantum efficiency entrance window on the drift photodetector. The main features of the silicon drift structures for X rays and light detection aremore » very small anode capacitance independent of the overall detector size, low noise, and high throughput. To take advantage of the small detector capacitance, the first stage of the electronics needs to be integrated into the detector anode. In the gamma-ray application, factors other than electronic noise dominate, and there is no need to integrate the electronics into the anode. Thus, a different drift structure is needed in conjunction with a high-Z material. The main features in this case are large active detector volume and electron-only induced signal.« less

Engine Evaluation of Advanced Technology Control Components

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-08-01

producer turbine rotor blades. This is a very desirable control feature, because protecting turbine blades from overtemperature is particularly...centrifugal boost stage operating back to back on a common drive shaft that is direct driven through the alter- nator rotor shaft. The main stage is an...computation makes this simple dynamic pumping machine possible. The pen- alty of this simple design is lower overall efficiency as com- pared to a

A Quality Assurance Initiative for Commercial-Scale Production in High-Throughput Cryopreservation of Blue Catfish Sperm

PubMed Central

Hu, E; Liao, T. W.; Tiersch, T. R.

2013-01-01

Cryopreservation of fish sperm has been studied for decades at a laboratory (research) scale. However, high-throughput cryopreservation of fish sperm has recently been developed to enable industrial-scale production. This study treated blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) sperm high-throughput cryopreservation as a manufacturing production line and initiated quality assurance plan development. The main objectives were to identify: 1) the main production quality characteristics; 2) the process features for quality assurance; 3) the internal quality characteristics and their specification designs; 4) the quality control and process capability evaluation methods, and 5) the directions for further improvements and applications. The essential product quality characteristics were identified as fertility-related characteristics. Specification design which established the tolerance levels according to demand and process constraints was performed based on these quality characteristics. Meanwhile, to ensure integrity throughout the process, internal quality characteristics (characteristics at each quality control point within process) that could affect fertility-related quality characteristics were defined with specifications. Due to the process feature of 100% inspection (quality inspection of every fish), a specific calculation method, use of cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts, was applied to monitor each quality characteristic. An index of overall process evaluation, process capacity, was analyzed based on in-control process and the designed specifications, which further integrates the quality assurance plan. With the established quality assurance plan, the process could operate stably and quality of products would be reliable. PMID:23872356

Turbine blade profile design method based on Bezier curves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexeev, R. A.; Tishchenko, V. A.; Gribin, V. G.; Gavrilov, I. Yu.

2017-11-01

In this paper, the technique of two-dimensional parametric blade profile design is presented. Bezier curves are used to create the profile geometry. The main feature of the proposed method is an adaptive approach of curve fitting to given geometric conditions. Calculation of the profile shape is produced by multi-dimensional minimization method with a number of restrictions imposed on the blade geometry.The proposed method has been used to describe parametric geometry of known blade profile. Then the baseline geometry was modified by varying some parameters of the blade. The numerical calculation of obtained designs has been carried out. The results of calculations have shown the efficiency of chosen approach.

Lower-Dark-Current, Higher-Blue-Response CMOS Imagers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pain, Bedabrata; Cunningham, Thomas; Hancock, Bruce

2008-01-01

Several improved designs for complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) integrated-circuit image detectors have been developed, primarily to reduce dark currents (leakage currents) and secondarily to increase responses to blue light and increase signal-handling capacities, relative to those of prior CMOS imagers. The main conclusion that can be drawn from a study of the causes of dark currents in prior CMOS imagers is that dark currents could be reduced by relocating p/n junctions away from Si/SiO2 interfaces. In addition to reflecting this conclusion, the improved designs include several other features to counteract dark-current mechanisms and enhance performance.

Simultaneous Sensor and Process Fault Diagnostics for Propellant Feed System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cao, J.; Kwan, C.; Figueroa, F.; Xu, R.

2006-01-01

The main objective of this research is to extract fault features from sensor faults and process faults by using advanced fault detection and isolation (FDI) algorithms. A tank system that has some common characteristics to a NASA testbed at Stennis Space Center was used to verify our proposed algorithms. First, a generic tank system was modeled. Second, a mathematical model suitable for FDI has been derived for the tank system. Third, a new and general FDI procedure has been designed to distinguish process faults and sensor faults. Extensive simulations clearly demonstrated the advantages of the new design.

Teaching Research Integrity and Bioethics to Science Undergraduates

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

Undergraduate students in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Alabama, Mobile, are required to take a course entitled “Issues in Biomedical Sciences,” designed to increase students' awareness about bioethical questions and issues concerning research integrity. This paper describes the main features of this course and summarizes the results of a survey designed to evaluate the students' perceptions about the course. A summary of this study was presented at the 2002 Conference on Research Integrity in Potomac, MD, sponsored by the Office of Research Integrity of the National Institutes of Health. PMID:16341260

Evolution of Automotive Chopper Circuits Towards Ultra High Efficiency and Power Density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlovsky, Martin; Tsuruta, Yukinori; Kawamura, Atsuo

Automotive industry is considered to be one of the main contributors to environmental pollution and global warming. Therefore, many car manufacturers are in near future planning to introduce hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and pure electric vehicles (EV) to make our cars more environmentally friendly. These new vehicles require highly efficient and small power converters. In recent years, considerable improvements were made in designing such converters. In this paper, an approach based on so called Snubber Assisted Zero Voltage and Zero Current Switching topology otherwise also known as SAZZ is presented. This topology has evolved to be one of the leaders in the field of highly efficient converters with high power densities. Evolution and main features of this topology are briefly discussed. Capabilities of the topology are demonstrated on two case study prototypes based on different design approaches. The prototypes are designed to be fully bi-directional for peak power output of 30kW. Both designs reached efficiencies close to 99% in wide load range. Power densities over 40kW/litre are attainable in the same time. Combination of MOSFET technology and SAZZ topology is shown to be very beneficial to converters designed for EV applications.

Full-Scale System for Quantifying Leakage of Docking System Seals for Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunlap, Patrick H., Jr.; Daniels, Christopher C.; Steinetz, Bruce M.; Erker, Arthur H.; Robbie, Malcolm G.; Wasowski, Janice L.; Drlik, Gary J.; Tong, Michael T.; Penney, Nicholas

2007-01-01

NASA is developing a new docking and berthing system to support future space exploration missions to low-Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. This mechanism, called the Low Impact Docking System, is designed to connect pressurized space vehicles and structures. NASA Glenn Research Center is playing a key role in developing advanced technology for the main interface seal for this new docking system. The baseline system is designed to have a fully androgynous mating interface, thereby requiring a seal-on-seal configuration when two systems mate. These seals will be approximately 147 cm (58 in.) in diameter. NASA Glenn has designed and fabricated a new test fixture which will be used to evaluate the leakage of candidate full-scale seals under simulated thermal, vacuum, and engagement conditions. This includes testing under seal-on-seal or seal-on-plate configurations, temperatures from -50 to 50 C (-58 to 122 F), operational and pre-flight checkout pressure gradients, and vehicle misalignment (plus or minus 0.381 cm (0.150 in.)) and gapping (up to 0.10 cm (0.040 in.)) conditions. This paper describes the main design features of the test rig and techniques used to overcome some of the design challenges.

Hyperspectral remote sensing image retrieval system using spectral and texture features.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing; Geng, Wenhao; Liang, Xi; Li, Jiafeng; Zhuo, Li; Zhou, Qianlan

2017-06-01

Although many content-based image retrieval systems have been developed, few studies have focused on hyperspectral remote sensing images. In this paper, a hyperspectral remote sensing image retrieval system based on spectral and texture features is proposed. The main contributions are fourfold: (1) considering the "mixed pixel" in the hyperspectral image, endmembers as spectral features are extracted by an improved automatic pixel purity index algorithm, then the texture features are extracted with the gray level co-occurrence matrix; (2) similarity measurement is designed for the hyperspectral remote sensing image retrieval system, in which the similarity of spectral features is measured with the spectral information divergence and spectral angle match mixed measurement and in which the similarity of textural features is measured with Euclidean distance; (3) considering the limited ability of the human visual system, the retrieval results are returned after synthesizing true color images based on the hyperspectral image characteristics; (4) the retrieval results are optimized by adjusting the feature weights of similarity measurements according to the user's relevance feedback. The experimental results on NASA data sets can show that our system can achieve comparable superior retrieval performance to existing hyperspectral analysis schemes.

A survey of stakeholder perspectives on exoskeleton technology.

PubMed

Wolff, Jamie; Parker, Claire; Borisoff, Jaimie; Mortenson, W Ben; Mattie, Johanne

2014-12-19

Exoskeleton technology has potential benefits for wheelchair users' health and mobility. However, there are practical barriers to their everyday use as a mobility device. To further understand potential exoskeleton use, and facilitate the development of new technologies, a study was undertaken to explore perspectives of wheelchair users and healthcare professionals on reasons for use of exoskeleton technology, and the importance of a variety of device characteristics. An online survey with quantitative and qualitative components was conducted with wheelchair users and healthcare professionals working directly with individuals with mobility impairments. Respondents rated whether they would use or recommend an exoskeleton for four potential reasons. Seventeen design features were rated and compared in terms of their importance. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to categorize the 17 design features into meaningful groupings. Content analysis was used to identify themes for the open ended questions regarding reasons for use of an exoskeleton. 481 survey responses were analyzed, 354 from wheelchair users and 127 from healthcare professionals. The most highly rated reason for potential use or recommendation of an exoskeleton was health benefits. Of the design features, 4 had a median rating of very important: minimization of falls risk, comfort, putting on/taking off the device, and purchase cost. Factor analysis identified two main categories of design features: Functional Activities and Technology Characteristics. Qualitative findings indicated that health and physical benefits, use for activity and access reasons, and psychosocial benefits were important considerations in whether to use or recommend an exoskeleton. This study emphasizes the importance of developing future exoskeletons that are comfortable, affordable, minimize fall risk, and enable functional activities. Findings from this study can be utilized to inform the priorities for future development of this technology.

Woman Friendly Mosque, Features and Facilities: A Case Study on Masjid Sultan Ibrahim, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suratkon, A.; Salam, N. N. Abd; Rahmat, M. H.; Arhan, A. S. Mohd; Wahab, I. Abd; Ghaffar, S. A.

2017-12-01

Mosque has gone through a long and complex development throughout the Muslim’s history which involved the interrelation between its functions and its design. During the process, many aspects of its design were reconfigured including the female facilities in the mosque. In Malaysia, there is a progressive movement to transform the roles and functions of the mosque from exclusive place for prayers and seclusion to a community center. Nevertheless, there are still a numbers of muslim women voices their frustration towards the facilities provided to them in the mosque. Indirectly, this has discourage participation of women in the mosque. The objective of this paper is to investigate the opinions and needs of muslim women in a mosque and to propose appropriate features and facilities for a female-friendly mosque. The study explored through a field observation and a set of questionnaires, which involves a case study of Masjid Sultan Ibrahim in Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia. The field observation was carried out to analyze its current conditions, facilities, design and features. On the other hand, a set of questionnaire was distributed to the women visitors who were mainly students and staffs as to get their insight on this issue. From the field observation and the survey distributed, it was clearly seen that the facilities provided for the female users were still not up to the standard of a ‘women-friendly mosque’. Some proposals were provided to improve on the current condition and to be taken into consideration by future designers in designing a mosque.

Design and Test of a Deployable Radiation Cover for the REgolith X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carte, David B.; Inamdar, Niraj K.; Jones, Michael P.; Masterson, Rebecca A.

2014-01-01

The REgolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) instrument contains a one-time deployable radiation cover that is opened using a shape memory alloy actuator (a "Frangibolt") from TiNi Aerospace and two torsion springs. The door will be held closed by the bolt for several years in cold storage during travel to the target asteroid, Bennu, and it is imperative to gain confidence that the door will open at predicted operational temperatures. This paper briefly covers the main design features of the radiation cover and measures taken to mitigate risks to cover deployment. As the chosen FD04 model Frangibolt actuator has minimal flight heritage, the main focus of this paper is the testing, results and conclusions with the FD04 while discussing key lessons learned with respect to the use of the FD04 actuator in this application.

Design, Qualification and Lessons Learned of the Shutter Calibration Mechanism for EnMAP Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Tilo; Muller, Silvio; Bergander, Arvid; Zajac, Kai; Seifart, Klaus

2015-09-01

The Shutter Calibration Mechanism (SCM) Assembly is one of three mechanisms which are developed by HTS for the EnMAP instrument in subcontract to OHB System AG Munich. EnMAP is the Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program of the German Space Agency DLR.The binary rotary encoder of the SCM using hall-effect sensors was already presented during ESMATS 2011. This paper summarizes the main functions and design features of the Hardware and focuses on qualification testing which has finished successfully in 2014. Of particular interest is the functional testing of the main drive including the precise hall-effect position sensing system and the test of the fail safe mechanism. In addition to standard test campaign required for QM also a shock emission measurement of the fail safe mechanism activation was conducted.Test conduction and results will be presented with focus on deviations from the expected behaviour, mitigation measures and on lessons learned.

Plenoptic Imager for Automated Surface Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zollar, Byron; Milder, Andrew; Milder, Andrew; Mayo, Michael

2010-01-01

An electro-optical imaging device is capable of autonomously determining the range to objects in a scene without the use of active emitters or multiple apertures. The novel, automated, low-power imaging system is based on a plenoptic camera design that was constructed as a breadboard system. Nanohmics proved feasibility of the concept by designing an optical system for a prototype plenoptic camera, developing simulated plenoptic images and range-calculation algorithms, constructing a breadboard prototype plenoptic camera, and processing images (including range calculations) from the prototype system. The breadboard demonstration included an optical subsystem comprised of a main aperture lens, a mechanical structure that holds an array of micro lenses at the focal distance from the main lens, and a structure that mates a CMOS imaging sensor the correct distance from the micro lenses. The demonstrator also featured embedded electronics for camera readout, and a post-processor executing image-processing algorithms to provide ranging information.

Towards the design of 3D multiscale instructive tissue engineering constructs: Current approaches and trends.

PubMed

Oliveira, Sara M; Reis, Rui L; Mano, João F

2015-11-01

The design of 3D constructs with adequate properties to instruct and guide cells both in vitro and in vivo is one of the major focuses of tissue engineering. Successful tissue regeneration depends on the favorable crosstalk between the supporting structure, the cells and the host tissue so that a balanced matrix production and degradation are achieved. Herein, the major occurring events and players in normal and regenerative tissue are overviewed. These have been inspiring the selection or synthesis of instructive cues to include into the 3D constructs. We further highlight the importance of a multiscale perception of the range of features that can be included on the biomimetic structures. Lastly, we focus on the current and developing tissue-engineering approaches for the preparation of such 3D constructs: top-down, bottom-up and integrative. Bottom-up and integrative approaches present a higher potential for the design of tissue engineering devices with multiscale features and higher biochemical control than top-down strategies, and are the main focus of this review. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and Testing of a Green Monopropellant Ignition System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitmore, Stephen A.; Merkley, Daniel P.; Eilers, Shannon D.; Judson, Michael I.; Taylor, Terry L.

2013-01-01

This paper will detail the development and testing of a "green" monopropellant booster ignition system. The proposed booster ignition technology eliminates the need for a pre-heated catalyst bed, a high wattage power source, toxic pyrophoric ignition fluids, or a bi-propellant spark ignitor. The design offers the simplicity of a monopropellant feed system features non-hazardous gaseous oxygen (GOX) as the working fluid. The approach is fundamentally different from all other "green propellant" solutions in the aerospace in the industry. Although the proposed system is more correctly a "hybrid" rocket technology, since only a single propellant feed path is required, it retains all the simple features of a monopropellant system. The technology is based on the principle of seeding an oxidizing flow with a small amount of hydrocarbon.1 The ignition is initiated electrostatically with a low-wattage inductive spark. Combustion gas byproducts from the hydrocarbon-seeding ignition process can exceed 2400 C and the high exhaust temperature ensures reliable main propellant ignition. The system design is described in detail in the Hydrocarbon-Seeded Ignition System Design subsection.

The features that distinguish lichenases from other polysaccharide-hydrolyzing enzymes and the relevance of lichenases for biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Goldenkova-Pavlova, Irina V; Tyurin, Alexander А; Mustafaev, Orkhan N

2018-05-01

The main specific features of β-1,3-1,4-glucanases (or lichenases, EC 3.2.1.73), the enzymes that in a strictly specific manner hydrolyze β-glucans of many cereal species and lichens containing β-1,3 and β-1,4 bonds, are reviewed as well as the current strategies used for their protein design, which have been successfully applied to make lichenases more attractive and promising for biocatalytic conversion of biomass, in particular, in the areas of their biotechnological application, such as brewing industry, animal feed manufacture, and biofuel production, which will in future allow these technologies to be economically and ecologically beneficial.

System Modeling of a large FPGA project: the SKA Tile Processing Module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belli, C.; Comoretto, G.

Large projects like the SKA have an intrinsic complexity due to their scale. In this context, the application of a management design system becomes fundamental. For this purpose the SysML language, a UML customization for engineering applications, has been applied. As far as our work is concerned, we focused on the SKA Low Telescope - Tile Processing Module, designing diagrams at different detail levels. We designed a conceptual model of the TPM, primarily focusing on the main interfaces and the major data flows between product items. Functionalities are derived from use cases and allocated to hardware modules in order to guarantee the project's internal consistency and features. This model has been used both as internal documentation and as job specification, to commit part of the design to external entities.

ION Configuration Editor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borgen, Richard L.

2013-01-01

The configuration of ION (Inter - planetary Overlay Network) network nodes is a manual task that is complex, time-consuming, and error-prone. This program seeks to accelerate this job and produce reliable configurations. The ION Configuration Editor is a model-based smart editor based on Eclipse Modeling Framework technology. An ION network designer uses this Eclipse-based GUI to construct a data model of the complete target network and then generate configurations. The data model is captured in an XML file. Intrinsic editor features aid in achieving model correctness, such as field fill-in, type-checking, lists of valid values, and suitable default values. Additionally, an explicit "validation" feature executes custom rules to catch more subtle model errors. A "survey" feature provides a set of reports providing an overview of the entire network, enabling a quick assessment of the model s completeness and correctness. The "configuration" feature produces the main final result, a complete set of ION configuration files (eight distinct file types) for each ION node in the network.

Statistical process control using optimized neural networks: a case study.

PubMed

Addeh, Jalil; Ebrahimzadeh, Ata; Azarbad, Milad; Ranaee, Vahid

2014-09-01

The most common statistical process control (SPC) tools employed for monitoring process changes are control charts. A control chart demonstrates that the process has altered by generating an out-of-control signal. This study investigates the design of an accurate system for the control chart patterns (CCPs) recognition in two aspects. First, an efficient system is introduced that includes two main modules: feature extraction module and classifier module. In the feature extraction module, a proper set of shape features and statistical feature are proposed as the efficient characteristics of the patterns. In the classifier module, several neural networks, such as multilayer perceptron, probabilistic neural network and radial basis function are investigated. Based on an experimental study, the best classifier is chosen in order to recognize the CCPs. Second, a hybrid heuristic recognition system is introduced based on cuckoo optimization algorithm (COA) algorithm to improve the generalization performance of the classifier. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has high recognition accuracy. Copyright © 2013 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends in Dielectric Etch for Microelectronics Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, Eric A.

2003-10-01

Dielectric etch technology faces many challenges to meet the requirements for leading-edge microelectronics processing. The move to sub 100-nm device design rules increases the aspect ratios of certain features, imposes tighter restrictions on etched features' critical dimensions, and increases the density of closely packed arrays of features. Changes in photolithography are driving transitions to new photoresist materials and novel multilayer resist methods. The increasing use of copper metallization and low-k interlayer dielectric materials has introduced dual-damascene integration methods, with specialized dielectric etch applications. A common need is the selective removal of multiple layers which have very different compositions, while maintaining close control of the etched features' profiles. To increase productivity, there is a growing trend toward in-situ processing, which allows several films to be successively etched during a single pass through the process module. Dielectric etch systems mainly utilize capacitively coupled etch reactors, operating with medium-density plasmas and low gas residence time. Commercial technology development increasingly relies upon plasma diagnostics and modeling to reduce development cycle time and maximize performance.

ValWorkBench: an open source Java library for cluster validation, with applications to microarray data analysis.

PubMed

Giancarlo, R; Scaturro, D; Utro, F

2015-02-01

The prediction of the number of clusters in a dataset, in particular microarrays, is a fundamental task in biological data analysis, usually performed via validation measures. Unfortunately, it has received very little attention and in fact there is a growing need for software tools/libraries dedicated to it. Here we present ValWorkBench, a software library consisting of eleven well known validation measures, together with novel heuristic approximations for some of them. The main objective of this paper is to provide the interested researcher with the full software documentation of an open source cluster validation platform having the main features of being easily extendible in a homogeneous way and of offering software components that can be readily re-used. Consequently, the focus of the presentation is on the architecture of the library, since it provides an essential map that can be used to access the full software documentation, which is available at the supplementary material website [1]. The mentioned main features of ValWorkBench are also discussed and exemplified, with emphasis on software abstraction design and re-usability. A comparison with existing cluster validation software libraries, mainly in terms of the mentioned features, is also offered. It suggests that ValWorkBench is a much needed contribution to the microarray software development/algorithm engineering community. For completeness, it is important to mention that previous accurate algorithmic experimental analysis of the relative merits of each of the implemented measures [19,23,25], carried out specifically on microarray data, gives useful insights on the effectiveness of ValWorkBench for cluster validation to researchers in the microarray community interested in its use for the mentioned task. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Equipment of the binary-cycle geothermal power unit at the Pauzhet geothermal power station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomarov, G. V.; Nikol'skii, A. I.; Semenov, V. N.; Shipkov, A. A.

2014-06-01

The equipment of and technological processes in the pilot industrial model of the domestically produced binary-cycle geothermal power unit operating on the discharge separate at the Pauzhet geothermal power station are considered. The development principles, the design and operational features, and the data on selecting the metal in manufacturing the main equipment of the 2.5-MW binary power unit of the geothermal power station are described.

An update on dental imaging.

PubMed

Whaites, E; Brown, J

1998-08-22

This paper reviews recent advances and current trends in dental radiology. Developments in the design of dental x-ray equipment which improve both radiation hygiene and image quality are described. Also discussed are new features which broaden the scope of intra-oral and panoramic radiological diagnosis in the general dental practice setting. The article concludes with the main recommendations from the latest guidelines on quality standards for radiography, selection criteria and quality assurance in general practice.

Characterization and validation tests on Ecosole C-modules first prototypes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cancro, Carmine; Graditi, Giorgio; Fucci, Raffaele; Ciniglio, Gabriele; Pellegrino, Michele; Borriello, Aniello; Romano, Antonio; Carpanelli, Maurizio; Borelli, Gianni; Verdilio, Daniele; De Nardis, Davide; Migali, Fabrizio

2015-09-01

ECOSOLE is an European collaborative Project started in August 2012 that involves several industrial and institutional partners with the aim to develop a complete and innovative concentrating photovoltaic system. During the first two years of activity, several specific components as cells, optics, modules and tracker have been designed and developed. This work reports the description of these devices and the main results of the characterization campaigns carried out to define their technical features.

Biologically Inspired Model for Visual Cognition Achieving Unsupervised Episodic and Semantic Feature Learning.

PubMed

Qiao, Hong; Li, Yinlin; Li, Fengfu; Xi, Xuanyang; Wu, Wei

2016-10-01

Recently, many biologically inspired visual computational models have been proposed. The design of these models follows the related biological mechanisms and structures, and these models provide new solutions for visual recognition tasks. In this paper, based on the recent biological evidence, we propose a framework to mimic the active and dynamic learning and recognition process of the primate visual cortex. From principle point of view, the main contributions are that the framework can achieve unsupervised learning of episodic features (including key components and their spatial relations) and semantic features (semantic descriptions of the key components), which support higher level cognition of an object. From performance point of view, the advantages of the framework are as follows: 1) learning episodic features without supervision-for a class of objects without a prior knowledge, the key components, their spatial relations and cover regions can be learned automatically through a deep neural network (DNN); 2) learning semantic features based on episodic features-within the cover regions of the key components, the semantic geometrical values of these components can be computed based on contour detection; 3) forming the general knowledge of a class of objects-the general knowledge of a class of objects can be formed, mainly including the key components, their spatial relations and average semantic values, which is a concise description of the class; and 4) achieving higher level cognition and dynamic updating-for a test image, the model can achieve classification and subclass semantic descriptions. And the test samples with high confidence are selected to dynamically update the whole model. Experiments are conducted on face images, and a good performance is achieved in each layer of the DNN and the semantic description learning process. Furthermore, the model can be generalized to recognition tasks of other objects with learning ability.

Pressure suppression containment system for boiling water reactor

DOEpatents

Gluntz, D.M.; Nesbitt, L.B.

1997-01-21

A system is disclosed for suppressing the pressure inside the containment of a BWR following a postulated accident. A piping subsystem is provided which features a main process pipe that communicates the wetwell airspace to a connection point downstream of the guard charcoal bed in an offgas system and upstream of the main bank of delay charcoal beds which give extensive holdup to offgases. The main process pipe is fitted with both inboard and outboard containment isolation valves. Also incorporated in the main process pipe is a low-differential-pressure rupture disk which prevents any gas outflow in this piping whatsoever until or unless rupture occurs by virtue of pressure inside this main process pipe on the wetwell airspace side of the disk exceeding the design opening (rupture) pressure differential. The charcoal holds up the radioactive species in the noncondensable gas from the wetwell plenum by adsorption, allowing time for radioactive decay before the gas is vented to the environs. 3 figs.

A gaze independent hybrid-BCI based on visual spatial attention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egan, John M.; Loughnane, Gerard M.; Fletcher, Helen; Meade, Emma; Lalor, Edmund C.

2017-08-01

Objective. Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) use measures of brain activity to convey a user’s intent without the need for muscle movement. Hybrid designs, which use multiple measures of brain activity, have been shown to increase the accuracy of BCIs, including those based on EEG signals reflecting covert attention. Our study examined whether incorporating a measure of the P3 response improved the performance of a previously reported attention-based BCI design that incorporates measures of steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) and alpha band modulations. Approach. Subjects viewed stimuli consisting of two bi-laterally located flashing white boxes on a black background. Streams of letters were presented sequentially within the boxes, in random order. Subjects were cued to attend to one of the boxes without moving their eyes, and they were tasked with counting the number of target-letters that appeared within. P3 components evoked by target appearance, SSVEPs evoked by the flashing boxes, and power in the alpha band are modulated by covert attention, and the modulations can be used to classify trials as left-attended or right-attended. Main Results. We showed that classification accuracy was improved by including a P3 feature along with the SSVEP and alpha features (the inclusion of a P3 feature lead to a 9% increase in accuracy compared to the use of SSVEP and Alpha features alone). We also showed that the design improves the robustness of BCI performance to individual subject differences. Significance. These results demonstrate that incorporating multiple neurophysiological indices of covert attention can improve performance in a gaze-independent BCI.

WEbcoli: an interactive and asynchronous web application for in silico design and analysis of genome-scale E.coli model.

PubMed

Jung, Tae-Sung; Yeo, Hock Chuan; Reddy, Satty G; Cho, Wan-Sup; Lee, Dong-Yup

2009-11-01

WEbcoli is a WEb application for in silico designing, analyzing and engineering Escherichia coli metabolism. It is devised and implemented using advanced web technologies, thereby leading to enhanced usability and dynamic web accessibility. As a main feature, the WEbcoli system provides a user-friendly rich web interface, allowing users to virtually design and synthesize mutant strains derived from the genome-scale wild-type E.coli model and to customize pathways of interest through a graph editor. In addition, constraints-based flux analysis can be conducted for quantifying metabolic fluxes and charactering the physiological and metabolic states under various genetic and/or environmental conditions. WEbcoli is freely accessible at http://webcoli.org. cheld@nus.edu.sg.

BX90: A new diamond anvil cell design for X-ray diffraction and optical measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kantor, I.; Prakapenka, V.; Kantor, A.; Dera, P.; Kurnosov, A.; Sinogeikin, S.; Dubrovinskaia, N.; Dubrovinsky, L.

2012-12-01

We present a new design of a universal diamond anvil cell, suitable for different kinds of experimental studies under high pressures. Main features of the cell are an ultimate 90-degrees symmetrical axial opening and high stability, making the presented cell design suitable for a whole range of techniques from optical absorption to single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, also in combination with external resistive or double-side laser heating. Three examples of the cell applications are provided: a Brillouin scattering of neon, single-crystal X-ray diffraction of α-Cr2O3, and resistivity measurements on the (Mg0.60Fe0.40)(Si0.63Al0.37)O3 silicate perovskite.

High Energy Lithium-Ion VES Cells And Batteries Performances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castric, A.-F.; Lawson, S.; Borthomieu, Y.

2011-10-01

b Saft's Space VES range of lithium-ion cells have been designed specifically to meet the satellites on-board power need, while meeting the legitimate high levels of requirements for space products. The purpose of the paper is to develop how the VES batteries designs have progressively evolved in order to accommodate the needs, requirements and constraints evolutions. The following topics will be presented: - Description of the main design features of the VES Li- ion batteries. - How the optimised battery configuration is selected against the required EOL power need or other constraints. - Presentation of the batteries performances (electrical, mechanical, thermal, interface, weight, ...). - Measures implemented in order to maintain these performances, and to guarantee the best product quality as per space standards.

Functional feature embedded space mapping of fMRI data.

PubMed

Hu, Jin; Tian, Jie; Yang, Lei

2006-01-01

We have proposed a new method for fMRI data analysis which is called Functional Feature Embedded Space Mapping (FFESM). Our work mainly focuses on the experimental design with periodic stimuli which can be described by a number of Fourier coefficients in the frequency domain. A nonlinear dimension reduction technique Isomap is applied to the high dimensional features obtained from frequency domain of the fMRI data for the first time. Finally, the presence of activated time series is identified by the clustering method in which the information theoretic criterion of minimum description length (MDL) is used to estimate the number of clusters. The feasibility of our algorithm is demonstrated by real human experiments. Although we focus on analyzing periodic fMRI data, the approach can be extended to analyze non-periodic fMRI data (event-related fMRI) by replacing the Fourier analysis with a wavelet analysis.

WebQuests: a new instructional strategy for nursing education.

PubMed

Lahaie, Ulysses

2007-01-01

A WebQuest is a model or framework for designing effective Web-based instructional strategies featuring inquiry-oriented activities. It is an innovative approach to learning that is enhanced by the use of evolving instructional technology. WebQuests have invigorated the primary school (grades K through 12) educational sector around the globe, yet there is sparse evidence in the literature of WebQuests at the college and university levels. WebQuests are congruent with pedagogical approaches and cognitive activities commonly used in nursing education. They are simple to construct using a step-by-step approach, and nurse educators will find many related resources on the Internet to help them get started. Included in this article are a discussion of the critical attributes and main features of WebQuests, construction tips, recommended Web sites featuring essential resources, a discussion of WebQuest-related issues identified in the literature, and some suggestions for further research.

Design of New Power Management Circuit for Light Energy Harvesting System

PubMed Central

Jafer, Issa; Stack, Paul; MacNamee, Kevin

2016-01-01

Nowadays, it can be observed that Wireless Sensors Networks (WSN) are taking increasingly vital roles in many applications, such as building energy monitoring and control, which is the focus of the work in this paper. However, the main challenging issue with adopting WSN technology is the use of power sources such as batteries, which have a limited lifetime. A smart solution that could tackle this problem is using Energy Harvesting technology. The work in this paper will be focused on proposing a new power management design through harvesting indoor light intensity. The new approach is inspired by the use of the Fractional Open Circuit Voltage based Maximum Power Point tracking (MPPT) concept for sub mw Photo Voltaic (PV) cells. The new design adopts two main features: First, it minimizes the power consumed by the power management section; and second, it maximizes the MPPT-converted output voltage and consequently improves the efficiency of the power conversion in the sub mw power level. The new experimentally-tested design showed an improvement of 81% in the efficiency of MPPT conversion using 0.5 mW input power in comparison with the other presented solutions that showed less efficiency with higher input power. PMID:26907300

Operator Support System Design forthe Operation of RSG-GAS Research Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoso, S.; Situmorang, J.; Bakhri, S.; Subekti, M.; Sunaryo, G. R.

2018-02-01

The components of RSG-GAS main control room are facing the problem of material ageing and technology obsolescence as well, and therefore the need for modernization and refurbishment are essential. The modernization in control room can be applied on the operator support system which bears the function in providing information for assisting the operator in conducting diagnosis and actions. The research purpose is to design an operator support system for RSG-GAS control room. The design was developed based on the operator requirement in conducting task operation scenarios and the reactor operation characteristics. These scenarios include power operation, low power operation and shutdown/scram reactor. The operator support system design is presented in a single computer display which contains structure and support system elements e.g. operation procedure, status of safety related components and operational requirements, operation limit condition of parameters, alarm information, and prognosis function. The prototype was developed using LabView software and consisted of components structure and features of the operator support system. Information of each component in the operator support system need to be completed before it can be applied and integrated in the RSG-GAS main control room.

Reducing the dimensions of acoustic devices using anti-acoustic-null media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Borui; Sun, Fei; He, Sailing

2018-02-01

An anti-acoustic-null medium (anti-ANM), a special homogeneous medium with anisotropic mass density, is designed by transformation acoustics (TA). Anti-ANM can greatly compress acoustic space along the direction of its main axis, where the size compression ratio is extremely large. This special feature can be utilized to reduce the geometric dimensions of classic acoustic devices. For example, the height of a parabolic acoustic reflector can be greatly reduced. We also design a brass-air structure on the basis of the effective medium theory to materialize the anti-ANM in a broadband frequency range. Numerical simulations verify the performance of the proposed anti-ANM.

Biological satellite scientific devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perepech, B. L.; Rumiantsev, V. P.; Galkin, V. M.; Shakhvorostov, S. V.; Rvachev, S. S.

1991-02-01

The paper describes the NA SBS 9 systems developed for the ninth Cosmos-2044 biological test mission. The NA SBS 9 life support systems designed for monkeys and rats follow standard design of BIOS-Vivarium and BIOS-Primate units. The main features of NA SBS 9 include the use of a recently developed HF physiological data recorder Skat-3; the incorporation into BIOS-Primate of two units intended for biorhythmic studies (the BBI-Zh system for studying beetles and the VITALOG developed by NASA for studies on monkeys); and a new version of BIOS-Primate system incorporating a capacitance-link and an inductance-link temperature transmitters and a brain tissue oxygen tension control channel.

A neutron spectrum unfolding computer code based on artificial neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Rodríguez, J. M.; Reyes Alfaro, A.; Reyes Haro, A.; Cervantes Viramontes, J. M.; Vega-Carrillo, H. R.

2014-02-01

The Bonner Spheres Spectrometer consists of a thermal neutron sensor placed at the center of a number of moderating polyethylene spheres of different diameters. From the measured readings, information can be derived about the spectrum of the neutron field where measurements were made. Disadvantages of the Bonner system are the weight associated with each sphere and the need to sequentially irradiate the spheres, requiring long exposure periods. Provided a well-established response matrix and adequate irradiation conditions, the most delicate part of neutron spectrometry, is the unfolding process. The derivation of the spectral information is not simple because the unknown is not given directly as a result of the measurements. The drawbacks associated with traditional unfolding procedures have motivated the need of complementary approaches. Novel methods based on Artificial Intelligence, mainly Artificial Neural Networks, have been widely investigated. In this work, a neutron spectrum unfolding code based on neural nets technology is presented. This code is called Neutron Spectrometry and Dosimetry with Artificial Neural networks unfolding code that was designed in a graphical interface. The core of the code is an embedded neural network architecture previously optimized using the robust design of artificial neural networks methodology. The main features of the code are: easy to use, friendly and intuitive to the user. This code was designed for a Bonner Sphere System based on a 6LiI(Eu) neutron detector and a response matrix expressed in 60 energy bins taken from an International Atomic Energy Agency compilation. The main feature of the code is that as entrance data, for unfolding the neutron spectrum, only seven rate counts measured with seven Bonner spheres are required; simultaneously the code calculates 15 dosimetric quantities as well as the total flux for radiation protection purposes. This code generates a full report with all information of the unfolding in the HTML format. NSDann unfolding code is freely available, upon request to the authors.

A modular docking mechanism for in-orbit assembly and spacecraft servicing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gampe, F.; Priesett, K.; Bentall, R. H.

1985-01-01

A Docking Mechanism concept is described which is suitable for use with autonomous docking systems. The central feature of using simple cylindrical handles on one side and a type of prism seating on the other is offered as a practical method of achieving a standardized structural interface without freezing continued development of the latches, either technically or commercially. The main emphasis in docking mechanism concepts is in two directions: (1) a very simple docking mechanism, involving mainly the latch mechanism to achieve a structural link; and (2) a sophisticated Docking Mechanism, where the latch mechanism is designed for nonrigid spacecraft and the achievement of very low dynamic interactions between spacecraft during the docking process.

Progress Toward Attractive Stellarators

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

Neilson, G H; Brown, T G; Gates, D A

The quasi-axisymmetric stellarator (QAS) concept offers a promising path to a more compact stellarator reactor, closer in linear dimensions to tokamak reactors than previous stellarator designs. Concept improvements are needed, however, to make it more maintainable and more compatible with high plant availability. Using the ARIES-CS design as a starting point, compact stellarator designs with improved maintenance characteristics have been developed. While the ARIES-CS features a through-the-port maintenance scheme, we have investigated configuration changes to enable a sector-maintenance approach, as envisioned for example in ARIES AT. Three approaches are reported. The first is to make tradeoffs within the QAS designmore » space, giving greater emphasis to maintainability criteria. The second approach is to improve the optimization tools to more accurately and efficiently target the physics properties of importance. The third is to employ a hybrid coil topology, so that the plasma shaping functions of the main coils are shared more optimally, either with passive conductors made of high-temperature superconductor or with local compensation coils, allowing the main coils to become simpler. Optimization tools are being improved to test these approaches.« less

Development and validation of the crew-station system-integration research facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nedell, B.; Hardy, G.; Lichtenstein, T.; Leong, G.; Thompson, D.

1986-01-01

The various issues associated with the use of integrated flight management systems in aircraft were discussed. To address these issues a fixed base integrated flight research (IFR) simulation of a helicopter was developed to support experiments that contribute to the understanding of design criteria for rotorcraft cockpits incorporating advanced integrated flight management systems. A validation experiment was conducted that demonstrates the main features of the facility and the capability to conduct crew/system integration research.

MACROMOLECULAR THERAPEUTICS

PubMed Central

Yang, Jiyuan; Kopeček, Jindřich

2014-01-01

This review covers water-soluble polymer-drug conjugates and macromolecules that possess biological activity without attached low molecular weight drugs. The main design principles of traditional and backbone degradable polymer-drug conjugates as well as the development of a new paradigm in nanomedicines – (low molecular weight) drug-free macromolecular therapeutics are discussed. To address the biological features of cancer, macromolecular therapeutics directed to stem/progenitor cells and the tumor microenvironment are deliberated. Finally, the future perspectives of the field are briefly debated. PMID:24747162

Design and Application of a Collocated Capacitance Sensor for Magnetic Bearing Spindle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shin, Dongwon; Liu, Seon-Jung; Kim, Jongwon

1996-01-01

This paper presents a collocated capacitance sensor for magnetic bearings. The main feature of the sensor is that it is made of a specific compact printed circuit board (PCB). The signal processing unit has been also developed. The results of the experimental performance evaluation on the sensitivity, resolution and frequency response of the sensor are presented. Finally, an application example of the sensor to the active control of a magnetic bearing is described.

SCW Pressure-Channel Nuclear Reactor Some Design Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pioro, Igor L.; Khan, Mosin; Hopps, Victory; Jacobs, Chris; Patkunam, Ruban; Gopaul, Sandeep; Bakan, Kurtulus

Concepts of nuclear reactors cooled with water at supercritical pressures were studied as early as the 1950s and 1960s in the USA and Russia. After a 30-year break, the idea of developing nuclear reactors cooled with SuperCritical Water (SCW) became attractive again as the ultimate development path for water cooling. The main objectives of using SCW in nuclear reactors are: 1) to increase the thermal efficiency of modern Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) from 30-35% to about 45-48%, and 2) to decrease capital and operational costs and hence decrease electrical energy costs (˜1000 US/kW or even less). SCW NPPs will have much higher operating parameters compared to modern NPPs (pressure about 25 MPa and outlet temperature up to 625°C), and a simplified flow circuit, in which steam generators, steam dryers, steam separators, etc., can be eliminated. Also, higher SCW temperatures allow direct thermo-chemical production of hydrogen at low cost, due to increased reaction rates. Pressure-tube or pressure-channel SCW nuclear reactor concepts are being developed in Canada and Russia for some time. Some design features of the Canadian concept related to fuel channels are discussed in this paper. The main conclusion is that the development of SCW pressure-tube nuclear reactors is feasible and significant benefits can be expected over other thermal-energy systems.

The Value of Interrupted Time-Series Experiments for Community Intervention Research

PubMed Central

Biglan, Anthony; Ary, Dennis; Wagenaar, Alexander C.

2015-01-01

Greater use of interrupted time-series experiments is advocated for community intervention research. Time-series designs enable the development of knowledge about the effects of community interventions and policies in circumstances in which randomized controlled trials are too expensive, premature, or simply impractical. The multiple baseline time-series design typically involves two or more communities that are repeatedly assessed, with the intervention introduced into one community at a time. It is particularly well suited to initial evaluations of community interventions and the refinement of those interventions. This paper describes the main features of multiple baseline designs and related repeated-measures time-series experiments, discusses the threats to internal validity in multiple baseline designs, and outlines techniques for statistical analyses of time-series data. Examples are given of the use of multiple baseline designs in evaluating community interventions and policy changes. PMID:11507793

Pip pin reliability and design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skyles, Lane P.

1994-01-01

Pip pins are used in many engineering applications. Of particular interest to the aerospace industry is their use in various mechanism designs. Many payloads that fly aboard our nation's Space Shuttle have at least one actuated mechanism. Often these mechanisms incorporate pip pins in their design in order to fasten interfacing parts or joints. Pip pins are most often used when an astronaut will have a direct interface with the mechanism. This interfacing can be done during Space Shuttle mission EVA's (ExtraVehicular Activity). The main reason for incorporating pip pins is convenience and their ability to provide a quick release for interfacing parts. However, there are some issues that must be taken into account when using them in a design. These issues include documented failures and quality control problems when using substandard pip pins. A history of pip pins as they relate to the aerospace industry as well as general design features is discussed.

Lower-Limb Rehabilitation Robot Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouhabba, E. M.; Shafie, A. A.; Khan, M. R.; Ariffin, K.

2013-12-01

It is a general assumption that robotics will play an important role in therapy activities within rehabilitation treatment. In the last decade, the interest in the field has grown exponentially mainly due to the initial success of the early systems and the growing demand caused by increasing numbers of stroke patients and their associate rehabilitation costs. As a result, robot therapy systems have been developed worldwide for training of both the upper and lower extremities. This paper investigates and proposes a lower-limb rehabilitation robot that is used to help patients with lower-limb paralysis to improve and resume physical functions. The proposed rehabilitation robot features three rotary joints forced by electric motors providing linear motions. The paper covers mechanism design and optimization, kinematics analysis, trajectory planning, wearable sensors, and the control system design. The design and control system demonstrate that the proposed rehabilitation robot is safe and reliable with the effective design and better kinematic performance.

Potential for Landing Gear Noise Reduction on Advanced Aircraft Configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Russell H.; Nickol, Craig L.; Burley, Casey L.; Guo, Yueping

2016-01-01

The potential of significantly reducing aircraft landing gear noise is explored for aircraft configurations with engines installed above the wings or the fuselage. An innovative concept is studied that does not alter the main gear assembly itself but does shorten the main strut and integrates the gear in pods whose interior surfaces are treated with acoustic liner. The concept is meant to achieve maximum noise reduction so that main landing gears can be eliminated as a major source of airframe noise. By applying this concept to an aircraft configuration with 2025 entry-into-service technology levels, it is shown that compared to noise levels of current technology, the main gear noise can be reduced by 10 EPNL dB, bringing the main gear noise close to a floor established by other components such as the nose gear. The assessment of the noise reduction potential accounts for design features for the advanced aircraft configuration and includes the effects of local flow velocity in and around the pods, gear noise reflection from the airframe, and reflection and attenuation from acoustic liner treatment on pod surfaces and doors. A technical roadmap for maturing this concept is discussed, and the possible drag increase at cruise due to the addition of the pods is identified as a challenge, which needs to be quantified and minimized possibly with the combination of detailed design and application of drag reduction technologies.

Crowd counting via region based multi-channel convolution neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Xiaoguang; Gao, Siqi; Bai, Xiangzhi

2017-11-01

This paper proposed a novel region based multi-channel convolution neural network architecture for crowd counting. In order to effectively solve the perspective distortion in crowd datasets with a great diversity of scales, this work combines the main channel and three branch channels. These channels extract both the global and region features. And the results are used to estimate density map. Moreover, kernels with ladder-shaped sizes are designed across all the branch channels, which generate adaptive region features. Also, branch channels use relatively deep and shallow network to achieve more accurate detector. By using these strategies, the proposed architecture achieves state-of-the-art performance on ShanghaiTech datasets and competitive performance on UCF_CC_50 datasets.

Magnetic suspension and balance system study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boom, R. W.; Eyssa, Y. M.; Mcintosh, G. E.; Abdelsalam, M. K.

1984-01-01

A compact design for a superconducting magnetic suspension and balance system is developed for a 8 ft. x 8 ft. transonic wind tunnel. The main features of the design are: a compact superconducting solenoid in the suspended airplane model; permanent magnet wings; one common liquid helium dewar for all superconducting coils; efficient new race track coils for roll torques; use of established 11 kA cryostable AC conductor; acceptable AC losses during 10 Hz control even with all steel structure; and a 560 liter/hour helium liquefier. Considerable design simplicity, reduced magnet weights, and reduced heat leak results from using one common dewar which eliminates most heavy steel structure between coils and the suspended model. Operational availability is thought to approach 100% for such magnet systems. The weight and cost of the magnet system is approximately one-third that of previous less compact designs.

Cogeneration steam turbines from Siemens: New solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasilov, V. F.; Kholodkov, S. V.

2017-03-01

The Enhanced Platform system intended for the design and manufacture of Siemens AG turbines is presented. It combines organizational and production measures allowing the production of various types of steam-turbine units with a power of up to 250 MWel from standard components. The Enhanced Platform designs feature higher efficiency, improved reliability, better flexibility, longer overhaul intervals, and lower production costs. The design features of SST-700 and SST-900 steam turbines are outlined. The SST-700 turbine is used in backpressure steam-turbine units (STU) or as a high-pressure cylinder in a two-cylinder condensing turbine with steam reheat. The design of an SST-700 single-cylinder turbine with a casing without horizontal split featuring better flexibility of the turbine unit is presented. An SST-900 turbine can be used as a combined IP and LP cylinder (IPLPC) in steam-turbine or combined-cycle power units with steam reheat. The arrangements of a turbine unit based on a combination of SST-700 and SST-900 turbines or SST-500 and SST-800 turbines are presented. Examples of this combination include, respectively, PGU-410 combinedcycle units (CCU) with a condensing turbine and PGU-420 CCUs with a cogeneration turbine. The main equipment items of a PGU-410 CCU comprise an SGT5-4000F gas-turbine unit (GTU) and STU consisting of SST-700 and SST-900RH steam turbines. The steam-turbine section of a PGU-420 cogeneration power unit has a single-shaft turbine unit with two SST-800 turbines and one SST-500 turbine giving a power output of N el. STU = 150 MW under condensing conditions.

A new ion beam facility based on a 3 MV Tandetron™ at IFIN-HH, Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burducea, I.; Straticiuc, M.; Ghiță, D. G.; Moșu, D. V.; Călinescu, C. I.; Podaru, N. C.; Mous, D. J. W.; Ursu, I.; Zamfir, N. V.

2015-09-01

A 3 MV Tandetron™ accelerator system has been installed and commissioned at the "Horia Hulubei" National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering - IFIN-HH, Măgurele, Romania. The main purpose of this machine is to strengthen applied nuclear physics research ongoing in our institute for more than four decades. The accelerator system was developed by High Voltage Engineering Europa B.V. (HVE) and comprises three high energy beam lines. The first beam line is dedicated to ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques: Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry - RBS, Nuclear Reaction Analysis - NRA, Particle Induced X-ray and γ-ray Emission - PIXE and PIGE and micro-beam experiments - μ-PIXE. The second beam line is dedicated to high energy ion implantation experiments and the third beam line was designed mainly for nuclear cross-sections measurements used in nuclear astrophysics. A unique feature, the first time in operation at an accelerator facility is the Na charge exchange canal (CEC), which is used to obtain high intensity beams of He- of at least 3 μA. The results of the acceptance tests demonstrate the huge potential of this new facility in various fields, from IBA to radiation hardness studies and from medical or environmental applications to astrophysics. The main features of the accelerator are presented in this paper.

Acoustic Features Influence Musical Choices Across Multiple Genres.

PubMed

Barone, Michael D; Bansal, Jotthi; Woolhouse, Matthew H

2017-01-01

Based on a large behavioral dataset of music downloads, two analyses investigate whether the acoustic features of listeners' preferred musical genres influence their choice of tracks within non-preferred, secondary musical styles. Analysis 1 identifies feature distributions for pairs of genre-defined subgroups that are distinct. Using correlation analysis, these distributions are used to test the degree of similarity between subgroups' main genres and the other music within their download collections. Analysis 2 explores the issue of main-to-secondary genre influence through the production of 10 feature-influence matrices, one per acoustic feature, in which cell values indicate the percentage change in features for genres and subgroups compared to overall population averages. In total, 10 acoustic features and 10 genre-defined subgroups are explored within the two analyses. Results strongly indicate that the acoustic features of people's main genres influence the tracks they download within non-preferred, secondary musical styles. The nature of this influence and its possible actuating mechanisms are discussed with respect to research on musical preference, personality, and statistical learning.

Content-based VLE designs improve learning efficiency in constructivist statistics education.

PubMed

Wessa, Patrick; De Rycker, Antoon; Holliday, Ian Edward

2011-01-01

We introduced a series of computer-supported workshops in our undergraduate statistics courses, in the hope that it would help students to gain a deeper understanding of statistical concepts. This raised questions about the appropriate design of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in which such an approach had to be implemented. Therefore, we investigated two competing software design models for VLEs. In the first system, all learning features were a function of the classical VLE. The second system was designed from the perspective that learning features should be a function of the course's core content (statistical analyses), which required us to develop a specific-purpose Statistical Learning Environment (SLE) based on Reproducible Computing and newly developed Peer Review (PR) technology. The main research question is whether the second VLE design improved learning efficiency as compared to the standard type of VLE design that is commonly used in education. As a secondary objective we provide empirical evidence about the usefulness of PR as a constructivist learning activity which supports non-rote learning. Finally, this paper illustrates that it is possible to introduce a constructivist learning approach in large student populations, based on adequately designed educational technology, without subsuming educational content to technological convenience. Both VLE systems were tested within a two-year quasi-experiment based on a Reliable Nonequivalent Group Design. This approach allowed us to draw valid conclusions about the treatment effect of the changed VLE design, even though the systems were implemented in successive years. The methodological aspects about the experiment's internal validity are explained extensively. The effect of the design change is shown to have substantially increased the efficiency of constructivist, computer-assisted learning activities for all cohorts of the student population under investigation. The findings demonstrate that a content-based design outperforms the traditional VLE-based design.

K-65-12.8 condensing steam turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valamin, A. E.; Kultyshev, A. Yu.; Gol'dberg, A. A.; Sakhnin, Yu. A.; Bilan, V. N.; Stepanov, M. Yu.; Polyaeva, E. N.; Shekhter, M. V.; Shibaev, T. L.

2016-11-01

A new condensing steam turbine K-65-12.8 is considered, which is the continuation of the development of the steam turbine family of 50-70 MW and the fresh steam pressure of 12.8 MPa, such as twocylinder T-50-12.8 and T-60/65-12.8 turbines. The turbine was developed using the modular design. The design and the main distinctive features of the turbine are described, such as a single two-housing cylinder with the steam flow loop; the extraction from the blading section for the regeneration, the inner needs, and heating; and the unification of some assemblies of serial turbines with shorter time of manufacture. The turbine uses the throttling steam distribution; steam from a boiler is supplied to a turbine through a separate valve block consisting of a central shut-off valve and two side control valves. The blading section of a turbine consists of 23 stages: the left flow contains ten stages installed in the inner housing and the right flow contains 13 stages with diaphragm placed in holders installed in the outer housing. The disks of the first 16 stages are forged together with a rotor, and the disks of the rest stages are mounted. Before the two last stages, the uncontrolled steam extraction is performed for the heating of a plant with the heat output of 38-75 GJ/h. Also, a turbine has five regenerative extraction points for feed water heating and the additional steam extraction to a collector for the inner needs with the consumption of up to 10 t/h. The feasibility parameters of a turbine plant are given. The main solutions for the heat flow diagram and the layout of a turbine plant are presented. The main principles and features of the microprocessor electro hydraulic control and protection system are formulated.

Computer-based mechanical design of overhead lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusinaru, D.; Bratu, C.; Dinu, R. C.; Manescu, L. G.

2016-02-01

Beside the performance, the safety level according to the actual standards is a compulsory condition for distribution grids’ operation. Some of the measures leading to improvement of the overhead lines reliability ask for installations’ modernization. The constraints imposed to the new lines components refer to the technical aspects as thermal stress or voltage drop, and look for economic efficiency, too. The mechanical sizing of the overhead lines is after all an optimization problem. More precisely, the task in designing of the overhead line profile is to size poles, cross-arms and stays and locate poles along a line route so that the total costs of the line's structure to be minimized and the technical and safety constraints to be fulfilled.The authors present in this paper an application for the Computer-Based Mechanical Design of the Overhead Lines and the features of the corresponding Visual Basic program, adjusted to the distribution lines. The constraints of the optimization problem are adjusted to the existing weather and loading conditions of Romania. The outputs of the software application for mechanical design of overhead lines are: the list of components chosen for the line: poles, cross-arms, stays; the list of conductor tension and forces for each pole, cross-arm and stay for different weather conditions; the line profile drawings.The main features of the mechanical overhead lines design software are interactivity, local optimization function and high-level user-interface

NCC: A Multidisciplinary Design/Analysis Tool for Combustion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Nan-Suey; Quealy, Angela

1999-01-01

A multi-disciplinary design/analysis tool for combustion systems is critical for optimizing the low-emission, high-performance combustor design process. Based on discussions between NASA Lewis Research Center and the jet engine companies, an industry-government team was formed in early 1995 to develop the National Combustion Code (NCC), which is an integrated system of computer codes for the design and analysis of combustion systems. NCC has advanced features that address the need to meet designer's requirements such as "assured accuracy", "fast turnaround", and "acceptable cost". The NCC development team is comprised of Allison Engine Company (Allison), CFD Research Corporation (CFDRC), GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE), NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC), and Pratt & Whitney (P&W). This development team operates under the guidance of the NCC steering committee. The "unstructured mesh" capability and "parallel computing" are fundamental features of NCC from its inception. The NCC system is composed of a set of "elements" which includes grid generator, main flow solver, turbulence module, turbulence and chemistry interaction module, chemistry module, spray module, radiation heat transfer module, data visualization module, and a post-processor for evaluating engine performance parameters. Each element may have contributions from several team members. Such a multi-source multi-element system needs to be integrated in a way that facilitates inter-module data communication, flexibility in module selection, and ease of integration.

Present status, future prospects of domestic acoustical instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guibin, L.

1984-01-01

The product lines, specifications, and special features of China's main acoustical instrument products are described. The methods of operation nd the main problems associated with these products are discussed. Examples of the application of acoustical instruments are given. The main features of a digital signal analyzer are enumerated.

Design of tracking and detecting lens system by diffractive optical method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jiang; Qi, Bo; Ren, Ge; Zhou, Jianwei

2016-10-01

Many target-tracking applications require an optical system to acquire the target for tracking and identification. This paper describes a new detecting optical system that can provide automatic flying object detecting, tracking and measuring in visible band. The main feature of the detecting lens system is the combination of diffractive optics with traditional lens design by a technique was invented by Schupmann. Diffractive lens has great potential for developing the larger aperture and lightweight lens. First, the optical system scheme was described. Then the Schupmann achromatic principle with diffractive lens and corrective optics is introduced. According to the technical features and requirements of the optical imaging system for detecting and tracking, we designed a lens system with flat surface Fresnel lens and cancels the optical system chromatic aberration by another flat surface Fresnel lens with effective focal length of 1980mm, an F-Number of F/9.9 and a field of view of 2ωω = 14.2', spatial resolution of 46 lp/mm and a working wavelength range of 0.6 0.85um. At last, the system is compact and easy to fabricate and assembly, the diffuse spot size and MTF function and other analysis provide good performance.

Investigation of internal elements impaction on particles circulation in a fluidized bed reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solovev, S. A.; Soloveva, O. V.; Antipin, A. V.; Shamsutdinov, E. V.

2018-01-01

A numerical study of the fluidized bed apparatus in the presence of various internal elements is carried out. A chemical reaction for temperature-dependent processes with heat absorption is considered. The task of incoming heated catalyst granules to the reactor is investigated. The main emphasis is focused on the circulation flows of the catalyst particles, heating of the reactor, and the efficiency of the chemical reaction. The analysis of the impact of various design elements on the efficiency of the reactor is carried out. The influence of feeding heated catalyst device design on the effectiveness of whole reactor heating is educed. The influence of the presence of fine particles on the efficiency of the reaction for different reactor design features is also educed.

Improved Cloud Condensation Nucleus Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leu, Ming-Taun

2010-01-01

An improved thermal-gradient cloud condensation nucleus spectrometer (CCNS) has been designed to provide several enhancements over prior thermal- gradient counters, including fast response and high-sensitivity detection covering a wide range of supersaturations. CCNSs are used in laboratory research on the relationships among aerosols, supersaturation of air, and the formation of clouds. The operational characteristics of prior counters are such that it takes long times to determine aerosol critical supersaturations. Hence, there is a need for a CCNS capable of rapid scanning through a wide range of supersaturations. The present improved CCNS satisfies this need. The improved thermal-gradient CCNS (see Figure 1) incorporates the following notable features: a) The main chamber is bounded on the top and bottom by parallel thick copper plates, which are joined by a thermally conductive vertical wall on one side and a thermally nonconductive wall on the opposite side. b) To establish a temperature gradient needed to establish a supersaturation gradient, water at two different regulated temperatures is pumped through tubes along the edges of the copper plates at the thermally-nonconductive-wall side. Figure 2 presents an example of temperature and supersaturation gradients for one combination of regulated temperatures at the thermally-nonconductive-wall edges of the copper plates. c) To enable measurement of the temperature gradient, ten thermocouples are cemented to the external surfaces of the copper plates (five on the top plate and five on the bottom plate), spaced at equal intervals along the width axis of the main chamber near the outlet end. d) Pieces of filter paper or cotton felt are cemented onto the interior surfaces of the copper plates and, prior to each experimental run, are saturated with water to establish a supersaturation field inside the main chamber. e) A flow of monodisperse aerosol and a dilution flow of humid air are introduced into the main chamber at the inlet end. The inlet assembly is designed to offer improved (relative to prior such assemblies) laminar-flow performance within the main chamber. Dry aerosols are subjected to activation and growth in the supersaturation field. f) After aerosol activation, at the outlet end of the main chamber, a polished stainless-steel probe is used to sample droplets into a laser particle counter. The probe features an improved design for efficient sampling. The counter has six channels with size bins in the range of 0.5- to 5.0-micron diameter. g) To enable efficient sampling, the probe is scanned along the width axis of the main chamber (thereby effecting scanning along the temperature gradient and thereby, further, effecting scanning along the supersaturation gradient) by means of a computer-controlled translation stage.

Status of commercial phosphoric acid fuel cell system development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warshay, M.; Prokopius, P. R.; Simons, S. N.; King, R. B.

1981-01-01

In both the electric utility and onsite integrated energy system applications, reducing cost and increasing reliability are the main technology drivers. The longstanding barrier to the attainment of these goals, which manifests itself in a number of ways, was materials. The differences in approach among the three major participants (United Technologies Corporation, Westinghouse Electric Corporation/Energy Research Corporation, and Engelhard Industries) and their unique technological features, including electrodes, matrices, intercell cooling, bipolar/separator plates, electrolyte management, fuel selection and system design philosophy are discussed.

Macromolecular therapeutics.

PubMed

Yang, Jiyuan; Kopeček, Jindřich

2014-09-28

This review covers water-soluble polymer-drug conjugates and macromolecules that possess biological activity without attached low molecular weight drugs. The main design principles of traditional and backbone degradable polymer-drug conjugates as well as the development of a new paradigm in nanomedicines - (low molecular weight) drug-free macromolecular therapeutics are discussed. To address the biological features of cancer, macromolecular therapeutics directed to stem/progenitor cells and the tumor microenvironment are deliberated. Finally, the future perspectives of the field are briefly debated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The high voltage homopolar generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, J. H.; Gully, J. H.; Driga, M. D.

1986-11-01

System and component design features of proposed high voltage homopolar generator (HVHPG) are described. The system is to have an open circuit voltage of 500 V, a peak output current of 500 kA, 3.25 MJ of stored inertial energy and possess an average magnetic-flux density of 5 T. Stator assembly components are discussed, including the stator, mount structure, hydrostatic bearings, main and motoring brushgears and rotor. Planned operational procedures such as monitoring the rotor to full speed and operation with a superconducting field coil are delineated.

Baby MIND Experiment Construction Status

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

Antonova, M.; et al.

Baby MIND is a magnetized iron neutrino detector, with novel design features, and is planned to serve as a downstream magnetized muon spectrometer for the WAGASCI experiment on the T2K neutrino beam line in Japan. One of the main goals of this experiment is to reduce systematic uncertainties relevant to CP-violation searches, by measuring the neutrino contamination in the anti-neutrino beam mode of T2K. Baby MIND is currently being constructed at CERN, and is planned to be operational in Japan in October 2017.

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

Zarkesh, Ryan A.; Foster, Michael E.; Ichimura, Andrew S.

The ability to tune the steric envelope through redox events post-synthetically or in tandem with other chemical processes is a powerful tool that could assist in enabling new catalytic methodologies and understanding potential pitfalls in ligand design. The α-diimine ligand, dmp-BIAN, exhibits the peculiar and previously unreported feature of varying steric profiles depending on oxidation state when paired with a main group element. A study of the factors that give rise to this behaviour as well as its impact on the incorporation of other ligands is performed.

Simulation of wear in overhead current collection systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klapas, D.; Benson, F. A.; Hackam, R.

1985-09-01

Apparatus have been designed to simulate the wear from conductors in a railway current collection system. The main features of the wear machine include a continuous monitoring of the strip wear, strip traversing, and dwell-time test facilities for the investigation of oxidational wear on a copper disk, simulating the contact wire. Disk wear is measured in situ by the spherical indentations method. Typical results of the specific wear rate are also presented to demonstrate the capability of the apparatus.

STARLSE -- Starlink Extensions to the VAX Language Sensitive Editor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warren-Smith, R. F.

STARLSE is a ``Starlink Sensitive'' editor based on the VAX Language Sensitive Editor (LSE). It exploits the extensibility of LSE to provide additional features which assist in the writing of portable Fortran 77 software with a standard Starlink style. STARLSE is intended mainly for use by those writing ADAM applications and subroutine libraries for distribution as part of the Starlink Software Collection, although it may also be suitable for other software projects. It is designed to integrate with the SST (Simple Software Tools) package.

Feature Extraction for Track Section Status Classification Based on UGW Signals

PubMed Central

Yang, Yuan; Shi, Lin

2018-01-01

Track status classification is essential for the stability and safety of railway operations nowadays, when railway networks are becoming more and more complex and broad. In this situation, monitoring systems are already a key element in applications dedicated to evaluating the status of a certain track section, often determining whether it is free or occupied by a train. Different technologies have already been involved in the design of monitoring systems, including ultrasonic guided waves (UGW). This work proposes the use of the UGW signals captured by a track monitoring system to extract the features that are relevant for determining the corresponding track section status. For that purpose, three features of UGW signals have been considered: the root mean square value, the energy, and the main frequency components. Experimental results successfully validated how these features can be used to classify the track section status into free, occupied and broken. Furthermore, spatial and temporal dependencies among these features were analysed in order to show how they can improve the final classification performance. Finally, a preliminary high-level classification system based on deep learning networks has been envisaged for future works. PMID:29673156

Identification of chemogenomic features from drug–target interaction networks using interpretable classifiers

PubMed Central

Tabei, Yasuo; Pauwels, Edouard; Stoven, Véronique; Takemoto, Kazuhiro; Yamanishi, Yoshihiro

2012-01-01

Motivation: Drug effects are mainly caused by the interactions between drug molecules and their target proteins including primary targets and off-targets. Identification of the molecular mechanisms behind overall drug–target interactions is crucial in the drug design process. Results: We develop a classifier-based approach to identify chemogenomic features (the underlying associations between drug chemical substructures and protein domains) that are involved in drug–target interaction networks. We propose a novel algorithm for extracting informative chemogenomic features by using L1 regularized classifiers over the tensor product space of possible drug–target pairs. It is shown that the proposed method can extract a very limited number of chemogenomic features without loosing the performance of predicting drug–target interactions and the extracted features are biologically meaningful. The extracted substructure–domain association network enables us to suggest ligand chemical fragments specific for each protein domain and ligand core substructures important for a wide range of protein families. Availability: Softwares are available at the supplemental website. Contact: yamanishi@bioreg.kyushu-u.ac.jp Supplementary Information: Datasets and all results are available at http://cbio.ensmp.fr/~yyamanishi/l1binary/ . PMID:22962471

Distributed cable sensors with memory feature for post-disaster damage assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Genda; McDaniel, Ryan D.; Pommerenke, David J.; Sun, Shishuang

2005-05-01

A new design of distributed crack sensors is presented for the condition assessment of reinforced concrete (RC) structures during and immediately after an earthquake event. This study is mainly focused on the performance of cable sensors under dynamic loading, particularly their ability to memorize the crack history of an RC member. This unique memory feature enables the post-earthquake condition assessment of structural members such as RC columns, in which the earthquake-induced cracks are closed immediately after an earthquake event due to gravity loads and they are visually undetectable. Factors affecting the onset of the memory feature were investigated experimentally with small-scale RC beams under cyclic loading. Test results indicated that both crack width and the number of loading cycles were instrumental in the onset of the memory feature of cable sensors. Practical issues related to dynamic acquisition with the sensors were discussed. The sensors were proven to be fatigue resistant from the shake table tests of RC columns. They continued to show useful signal after the columns can no longer support additional loads.

Molecular Assembly of Polysaccharide-Based Microcapsules and Their Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Feng, Xiyun; Du, Cuiling; Li, Junbai

2016-08-01

Advanced multifunctional microcapsules have revealed great potential in biomedical applications owing to their tunable size, shape, surface properties, and stimuli responsiveness. Polysaccharides are one of the most acceptable biomaterials for biomedical applications because of their outstanding virtues such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity. Many efforts have been devoted to investigating novel molecular design and efficient building blocks for polysaccharide-based microcapsules. In this Personal Account, we first summarize the common features of polysaccharides and the main principles of the design and fabrication of polysaccharide-based microcapsules, and further discuss their applications in biomedical areas and perspectives for future research. © 2016 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station Ground Temperature Sensor: a pyrometer for measuring ground temperature on Mars.

PubMed

Sebastián, Eduardo; Armiens, Carlos; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Zorzano, María P; Martinez-Frias, Jesus; Esteban, Blanca; Ramos, Miguel

2010-01-01

We describe the parameters that drive the design and modeling of the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) Ground Temperature Sensor (GTS), an instrument aboard NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, and report preliminary test results. REMS GTS is a lightweight, low-power, and low cost pyrometer for measuring the Martian surface kinematic temperature. The sensor's main feature is its innovative design, based on a simple mechanical structure with no moving parts. It includes an in-flight calibration system that permits sensor recalibration when sensor sensitivity has been degraded by deposition of dust over the optics. This paper provides the first results of a GTS engineering model working in a Martian-like, extreme environment.

Design and criteria of electrospun fibrous scaffolds for the treatment of spinal cord injury

PubMed Central

Vigani, Barbara; Rossi, Silvia; Sandri, Giuseppina; Bonferoni, Maria Cristina; Ferrari, Franca

2017-01-01

The complex pathophysiology of spinal cord injury may explain the current lack of an effective therapeutic approach for the regeneration of damaged neuronal cells and the recovery of motor functions. Many efforts have been performed to design and develop suitable scaffolds for spinal cord regeneration, keeping in mind that the reconstruction of a pro-regenerative environment is the key challenge for an effective neurogenesis. The aim of this review is to outline the main features of an ideal scaffold, based on biomaterials, produced by the electrospinning technique and intended for the spinal cord regeneration. An overview of the polymers more investigated in the production of neural fibrous scaffolds is also provided. PMID:29239316

Scale invariance in natural and artificial collective systems: a review

PubMed Central

Huepe, Cristián

2017-01-01

Self-organized collective coordinated behaviour is an impressive phenomenon, observed in a variety of natural and artificial systems, in which coherent global structures or dynamics emerge from local interactions between individual parts. If the degree of collective integration of a system does not depend on size, its level of robustness and adaptivity is typically increased and we refer to it as scale-invariant. In this review, we first identify three main types of self-organized scale-invariant systems: scale-invariant spatial structures, scale-invariant topologies and scale-invariant dynamics. We then provide examples of scale invariance from different domains in science, describe their origins and main features and discuss potential challenges and approaches for designing and engineering artificial systems with scale-invariant properties. PMID:29093130

Aggregation of p-Sulfonatocalixarene-Based Amphiphiles and Supra-Amphiphiles

PubMed Central

Basilio, Nuno; Francisco, Vitor; Garcia-Rio, Luis

2013-01-01

p-Sulfonatocalixarenes are a special class of water soluble macrocyclic molecules made of 4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate units linked by methylene bridges. One of the main features of these compounds relies on their ability to form inclusion complexes with cationic and neutral species. This feature, together with their water solubility and apparent biological compatibility, had enabled them to emerge as one the most important host receptors in supramolecular chemistry. Attachment of hydrophobic alkyl chains to these compounds leads to the formation of macrocyclic host molecules with amphiphilic properties. Like other oligomeric surfactants, these compounds present improved performance with respect to their monomeric counterparts. In addition, they hold their recognition abilities and present several structural features that depend on the size of the macrocycle and on the length of the alkyl chain, such as preorganization, flexibility and adopted conformations, which make these molecules very interesting to study structure-aggregation relationships. Moreover, the recognition abilities of p-sulfonatocalixarenes enable them to be applied in the design of amphiphiles constructed from non-covalent, rather than covalent, bonds (supramolecular amphiphiles). In this review, we summarize the developments made on the design and synthesis of p-sulfonatocalixarenes-based surfactants, the characterization of their self-assembly properties and on how their structure affects these properties. PMID:23380960

Conceptual design of semi-automatic wheelbarrow to overcome ergonomics problems among palm oil plantation workers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nawik, N. S. M.; Deros, B. M.; Rahman, M. N. A.; Sukadarin, E. H.; Nordin, N.; Tamrin, S. B. M.; Bakar, S. A.; Norzan, M. L.

2015-12-01

An ergonomics problem is one of the main issues faced by palm oil plantation workers especially during harvesting and collecting of fresh fruit bunches (FFB). Intensive manual handling and labor activities involved have been associated with high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among palm oil plantation workers. New and safe technology on machines and equipment in palm oil plantation are very important in order to help workers reduce risks and injuries while working. The aim of this research is to improve the design of a wheelbarrow, which is suitable for workers and a small size oil palm plantation. The wheelbarrow design was drawn using CATIA ergonomic features. The characteristic of ergonomics assessment is performed by comparing the existing design of wheelbarrow. Conceptual design was developed based on the problems that have been reported by workers. From the analysis of the problem, finally have resulting concept design the ergonomic quality of semi-automatic wheelbarrow with safe and suitable used for palm oil plantation workers.

Design Report Final - CUB Inc.

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

Armijo, Kenneth Miguel; Monda, Mark J.; Brunson, Gregory Paul

CUB (Critical Utility Base), Fig. 1.0, are individual portable energy and utility units utilizing renewable energy technologies integrated with high efficient conventional components to provide electricity, battery storage, heat, potable water, waste water treatment, cooling, liquid fuels, to name some of the primary utilities. Typically, these units were designed to provide power / utilities to any remote location or facility like forward operating bases, disaster relief centers, and Native American communities or to energize African villages. Although some CUB models have already been designed to date, the main unit, the CUB-E (electricity), lacks a critical component included in its design.more » It is the integral portion that automates solar electric panel racking deployment and retraction. This racking system will enable the CUB-E to rapidly deploy its utility within minutes, a feature not available in any form currently on the market.« less

Design and Fabrication of Opacity Targets for the National Ignition Facility

DOE PAGES

Cardenas, Tana; Schmidt, Derek William; Dodd, Evan S.; ...

2017-12-22

Accurate models for opacity of partially ionized atoms are important for modeling and understanding stellar interiors and other high-energy-density phenomena such as inertial confinement fusion. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is leading a multilaboratory effort to conduct experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to try to reproduce recent opacity tests at the Sandia National Laboratory Z-facility. Since 2015, the NIF effort has evolved several hohlraum designs that consist of multiple pieces joined together. The target also has three components attached to the main stalk over a long distance with high tolerances that have resulted in several design iterations. The targetmore » has made use of rapid prototyped features to attach a capsule and collimator under the hohlraum while avoiding interference with the beams. Furthermore, this paper discusses the evolution of the hohlraum and overall target design and the challenges involved with fabricating and assembling these targets.« less

Design and Fabrication of Opacity Targets for the National Ignition Facility

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

Cardenas, Tana; Schmidt, Derek William; Dodd, Evan S.

Accurate models for opacity of partially ionized atoms are important for modeling and understanding stellar interiors and other high-energy-density phenomena such as inertial confinement fusion. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is leading a multilaboratory effort to conduct experiments on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to try to reproduce recent opacity tests at the Sandia National Laboratory Z-facility. Since 2015, the NIF effort has evolved several hohlraum designs that consist of multiple pieces joined together. The target also has three components attached to the main stalk over a long distance with high tolerances that have resulted in several design iterations. The targetmore » has made use of rapid prototyped features to attach a capsule and collimator under the hohlraum while avoiding interference with the beams. Furthermore, this paper discusses the evolution of the hohlraum and overall target design and the challenges involved with fabricating and assembling these targets.« less

Balancing low cost with reliable operation in the rotordynamic design of the ALS Liquid Hydrogen Fuel Turbopump

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenhill, L. M.

1990-01-01

The Air Force/NASA Advanced Launch System (ALS) Liquid Hydrogen Fuel Turbopump (FTP) has primary design goals of low cost and high reliability, with performance and weight having less importance. This approach is atypical compared with other rocket engine turbopump design efforts, such as on the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), which emphasized high performance and low weight. Similar to the SSME turbopumps, the ALS FTP operates supercritically, which implies that stability and bearing loads strongly influence the design. In addition, the use of low cost/high reliability features in the ALS FTP such as hydrostatic bearings, relaxed seal clearances, and unshrouded turbine blades also have a negative influence on rotordynamics. This paper discusses the analysis conducted to achieve a balance between low cost and acceptable rotordynamic behavior, to ensure that the ALS FTP will operate reliably without subsynchronous instabilities or excessive bearing loads.

Parent and Clinician Preferences for an Asthma App to Promote Adolescent Self-Management: A Formative Study

PubMed Central

Roberts, Courtney A; Sage, Adam J; Coyne-Beasley, Tamera; Sleath, Betsy L; Carpenter, Delesha M

2016-01-01

Background Most youth asthma apps are not designed with parent and clinician use in mind, and rarely is the app development process informed by parent or clinician input. Objective This study was conducted to generate formative data on the use, attitudes, and preferences for asthma mHealth app features among parents and clinicians, the important stakeholders who support adolescents with asthma and promote adolescent self-management skills. Methods We conducted a mixed-methods study from 2013 to 2014 employing a user-centered design philosophy to acquire feedback from a convenience sample of 20 parents and 6 clinicians. Participants were given an iPod Touch and asked to evaluate 10 features on 2 existing asthma apps. Participant experiences using the apps were collected from questionnaires and a thematic analysis of audio-recorded and transcribed (verbatim) interviews using MAXQDA. Descriptive statistics were calculated to characterize the study sample and app feature feedback. Independent samples t tests were performed to compare parent and clinician ratings of app feature usefulness (ratings: 1=not at all useful to 5=very useful). Results All parents were female (n=20), 45% were black, 20% had an income ≥US $50,000, and 45% had a bachelor’s degree or higher education. The clinician sample included 2 nurses and 4 physicians with a mean practice time of 13 years. Three main themes provided an understanding of how participants perceived their roles and use of asthma app features to support adolescent asthma self-management: monitoring and supervision, education, and communication/information sharing. Parents rated the doctor report feature highest, and clinicians rated the doctor appointment reminder highest of all evaluated app features on usefulness. The peak flow monitoring feature was the lowest ranked feature by both parents and clinicians. Parents reported higher usefulness for the doctor report (t(10)=2.7, P<.02), diary (t(10)=2.7, P<.03), and self-check quiz (t(14)=2.5, P<.02) features than clinicians. Specific participant suggestions for app enhancements (eg, a tutorial showing correct inhaler use, refill reminders, pop-up messages tied to a medication log, evidence-based management steps) were also provided. Conclusions Parent and clinician evaluations and recommendations can play an important role in the development of an asthma app designed to help support youth asthma management. Two-way asthma care communication between families and clinicians and components involving families and clinicians that support adolescent self-management should be incorporated into adolescent asthma apps. PMID:27923777

Acoustic Features Influence Musical Choices Across Multiple Genres

PubMed Central

Barone, Michael D.; Bansal, Jotthi; Woolhouse, Matthew H.

2017-01-01

Based on a large behavioral dataset of music downloads, two analyses investigate whether the acoustic features of listeners' preferred musical genres influence their choice of tracks within non-preferred, secondary musical styles. Analysis 1 identifies feature distributions for pairs of genre-defined subgroups that are distinct. Using correlation analysis, these distributions are used to test the degree of similarity between subgroups' main genres and the other music within their download collections. Analysis 2 explores the issue of main-to-secondary genre influence through the production of 10 feature-influence matrices, one per acoustic feature, in which cell values indicate the percentage change in features for genres and subgroups compared to overall population averages. In total, 10 acoustic features and 10 genre-defined subgroups are explored within the two analyses. Results strongly indicate that the acoustic features of people's main genres influence the tracks they download within non-preferred, secondary musical styles. The nature of this influence and its possible actuating mechanisms are discussed with respect to research on musical preference, personality, and statistical learning. PMID:28725200

Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Izahar, Syarafina; Lean, Qi Ying; Hameed, Mohammed Abdul; Murugiah, Muthu Kumar; Patel, Rahul P; Al-Worafi, Yaser Mohammed; Wong, Tin Wui; Ming, Long Chiau

2017-01-01

Diabetes self-management offers an opportunity to patients to be actively involved in managing their conditions and modifying lifestyle behaviors to attain positive health outcomes. With the unprecedented growth of mobile technology, smartphone plays a role in supporting diabetes self-management. Nonetheless, selecting appropriate mobile applications (apps) is challenging for patients. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate and compare the contents and features of mobile medical apps for diabetes self-management. Of 346 commercial apps, 16 (16%) and 19 (7.72%) of the diabetes apps found in Apple and Google Play stores, respectively, were included based on the selection criteria and individually scored for the availability of 8 main features of diabetes self-management. The apps supported self-management by offering features such as free installation, less than 50 MB space used, offline use, automated data entry, data export and sharing, educational tool, and advice. Of the 8 evaluated features, only 11 (31.4%) apps had a score of 5 whereas 7 (20%) apps scored the lowest, with a score of 3. The majority of apps were free, required no Internet connectivity to use and were less than 50 MB in size. Our findings showed that the design of diabetes mobile apps focused on reporting and setting reminders, rather than providing personalized education or therapeutic support. In the future, the design of apps could be improved to integrate patients' needs, usability for disease management, and lifestyle modifications.

Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Izahar, Syarafina; Lean, Qi Ying; Hameed, Mohammed Abdul; Murugiah, Muthu Kumar; Patel, Rahul P.; Al-Worafi, Yaser Mohammed; Wong, Tin Wui; Ming, Long Chiau

2017-01-01

Diabetes self-management offers an opportunity to patients to be actively involved in managing their conditions and modifying lifestyle behaviors to attain positive health outcomes. With the unprecedented growth of mobile technology, smartphone plays a role in supporting diabetes self-management. Nonetheless, selecting appropriate mobile applications (apps) is challenging for patients. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate and compare the contents and features of mobile medical apps for diabetes self-management. Of 346 commercial apps, 16 (16%) and 19 (7.72%) of the diabetes apps found in Apple and Google Play stores, respectively, were included based on the selection criteria and individually scored for the availability of 8 main features of diabetes self-management. The apps supported self-management by offering features such as free installation, less than 50 MB space used, offline use, automated data entry, data export and sharing, educational tool, and advice. Of the 8 evaluated features, only 11 (31.4%) apps had a score of 5 whereas 7 (20%) apps scored the lowest, with a score of 3. The majority of apps were free, required no Internet connectivity to use and were less than 50 MB in size. Our findings showed that the design of diabetes mobile apps focused on reporting and setting reminders, rather than providing personalized education or therapeutic support. In the future, the design of apps could be improved to integrate patients’ needs, usability for disease management, and lifestyle modifications. PMID:29230195

Development of a quiet supersonic wind tunnel with a cryogenic adaptive nozzle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, Stephen W. D.

1993-01-01

The main objective of this work is to develop an interim Quiet (low-disturbance) supersonic wind tunnel for the NASA-Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (FML). The main emphasis is to bring on-line a full-scale Mach 1.6 tunnel as rapidly as possible to impact the NASA High Speed Research Program (HSRP). The development of a cryogenic adaptive nozzle and other sophisticated features of the tunnel will now happen later, after the full scale wind tunnel is in operation. The work under this contract for the period of this report can be summarized as follows: provide aerodynamic design requirements for the NASA-Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (FML) Laminar Flow Supersonic Wind Tunnel (LFSWT); research design parameters for a unique Mach 1.6 drive system for the LFSWT using an 1/8th-scale Proof-of-Concept (PoC) supersonic wind tunnel; carry out boundary layer transition studies in PoC to aid the design of critical components of the LFSWT; appraise the State of the Art in quiet supersonic wind tunnel design; and help develop a supersonic research capability within the FML particularly in the areas of high speed transition measurements and schlieren techniques. The body of this annual report summarizes the work of the Principal Investigator.

Pedestrian Detection in Far-Infrared Daytime Images Using a Hierarchical Codebook of SURF

PubMed Central

Besbes, Bassem; Rogozan, Alexandrina; Rus, Adela-Maria; Bensrhair, Abdelaziz; Broggi, Alberto

2015-01-01

One of the main challenges in intelligent vehicles concerns pedestrian detection for driving assistance. Recent experiments have showed that state-of-the-art descriptors provide better performances on the far-infrared (FIR) spectrum than on the visible one, even in daytime conditions, for pedestrian classification. In this paper, we propose a pedestrian detector with on-board FIR camera. Our main contribution is the exploitation of the specific characteristics of FIR images to design a fast, scale-invariant and robust pedestrian detector. Our system consists of three modules, each based on speeded-up robust feature (SURF) matching. The first module allows generating regions-of-interest (ROI), since in FIR images of the pedestrian shapes may vary in large scales, but heads appear usually as light regions. ROI are detected with a high recall rate with the hierarchical codebook of SURF features located in head regions. The second module consists of pedestrian full-body classification by using SVM. This module allows one to enhance the precision with low computational cost. In the third module, we combine the mean shift algorithm with inter-frame scale-invariant SURF feature tracking to enhance the robustness of our system. The experimental evaluation shows that our system outperforms, in the FIR domain, the state-of-the-art Haar-like Adaboost-cascade, histogram of oriented gradients (HOG)/linear SVM (linSVM) and MultiFtrpedestrian detectors, trained on the FIR images. PMID:25871724

Designing action games for appealing to buyers.

PubMed

Hsu, Shang Hwa; Lee, Feng-Liang; Wu, Muh-Cherng

2005-12-01

This study aims to identify design features for action games that would appeal to game-buyers, rather than game-players. Sixteen frequent-buyers of computer games identified 39 design features that appeal to buyers by contrasting different versions of Pacman games. Twenty-eight versions of Pacman were then evaluated in terms of the identified design features by 45 participants (27 male and 18 female college students). Qnet2000 neural network software was used to determine the relative importance of these design features. The results indicated that the top 10 most important design features could account for more than 50% of "perceived fun" among these 39 design features. The feature of avatar is important to game-buyers, yet not revealed in previous player-oriented studies. Moreover, six design factors underlying the 39 features were identified through factor analysis. These factors included "novelty and powerfulness," "appealing presentation," "interactivity," "challenging," "sense of control," and "rewarding," and could account for 54% of total variance. Among these six factors, appealing presentation has not been emphasized by player-oriented research. Implications of the findings were discussed.

Smartphone medication adherence apps: Potential benefits to patients and providers

PubMed Central

Dayer, Lindsey; Heldenbrand, Seth; Anderson, Paul; Gubbins, Paul O.; Martin, Bradley C.

2014-01-01

Objectives To provide an overview of medication adherence, discuss the potential for smartphone medication adherence applications (adherence apps) to improve medication nonadherence, evaluate features of adherence apps across operating systems (OSs), and identify future opportunities and barriers facing adherence apps. Practice description Medication nonadherence is a common, complex, and costly problem that contributes to poor treatment outcomes and consumes health care resources. Nonadherence is difficult to measure precisely, and interventions to mitigate it have been largely unsuccessful. Practice innovation Using smartphone adherence apps represents a novel approach to improving adherence. This readily available technology offers many features that can be designed to help patients and health care providers improve medication-taking behavior. Main outcome measures Currently available apps were identified from the three main smartphone OSs (Apple, Android, and Blackberry). In addition, desirable features for adherence apps were identified and ranked by perceived importance to user desirability using a three-point rating system: 1, modest; 2, moderate; or 3, high. The 10 highest-rated apps were installed and subjected to user testing to assess app attributes using a standard medication regimen. Results 160 adherence apps were identified and ranked. These apps were most prevalent for the Android OS. Adherence apps with advanced functionality were more prevalent on the Apple iPhone OS. Among all apps, MyMedSchedule, MyMeds, and RxmindMe rated the highest because of their basic medication reminder features coupled with their enhanced levels of functionality. Conclusion Despite being untested, medication apps represent a possible strategy that pharmacists can recommend to nonadherent patients and incorporate into their practice. PMID:23571625

Rhetorical features facilitate prosodic processing while handicapping ease of semantic comprehension.

PubMed

Menninghaus, Winfried; Bohrn, Isabel C; Knoop, Christine A; Kotz, Sonja A; Schlotz, Wolff; Jacobs, Arthur M

2015-10-01

Studies on rhetorical features of language have reported both enhancing and adverse effects on ease of processing. We hypothesized that two explanations may account for these inconclusive findings. First, the respective gains and losses in ease of processing may apply to different dimensions of language processing (specifically, prosodic and semantic processing) and different types of fluency (perceptual vs. conceptual) and may well allow for an integration into a more comprehensive framework. Second, the effects of rhetorical features may be sensitive to interactions with other rhetorical features; employing a feature separately or in combination with others may then predict starkly different effects. We designed a series of experiments in which we expected the same rhetorical features of the very same sentences to exert adverse effects on semantic (conceptual) fluency and enhancing effects on prosodic (perceptual) fluency. We focused on proverbs that each employ three rhetorical features: rhyme, meter, and brevitas (i.e., artful shortness). The presence of these target features decreased ease of conceptual fluency (semantic comprehension) while enhancing perceptual fluency as reflected in beauty and succinctness ratings that were mainly driven by prosodic features. The rhetorical features also predicted choices for persuasive purposes, yet only for the sentence versions featuring all three rhetorical features; the presence of only one or two rhetorical features had an adverse effect on the choices made. We suggest that the facilitating effects of a combination of rhyme, meter, and rhetorical brevitas on perceptual (prosodic) fluency overcompensated for their adverse effects on conceptual (semantic) fluency, thus resulting in a total net gain both in processing ease and in choices for persuasive purposes. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Designing using manufacturing features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szecsi, T.; Hoque, A. S. M.

2012-04-01

This paper presents a design system that enables the composition of a part using manufacturing features. Features are selected from feature libraries. Upon insertion, the system ensures that the feature does not contradict the design-for-manufacture rules. This helps eliminating costly manufacturing problems. The system is developed as an extension to a commercial CAD/CAM system Pro/Engineer.

[A method for obtaining redshifts of quasars based on wavelet multi-scaling feature matching].

PubMed

Liu, Zhong-Tian; Li, Xiang-Ru; Wu, Fu-Chao; Zhao, Yong-Heng

2006-09-01

The LAMOST project, the world's largest sky survey project being implemented in China, is expected to obtain 10(5) quasar spectra. The main objective of the present article is to explore methods that can be used to estimate the redshifts of quasar spectra from LAMOST. Firstly, the features of the broad emission lines are extracted from the quasar spectra to overcome the disadvantage of low signal-to-noise ratio. Then the redshifts of quasar spectra can be estimated by using the multi-scaling feature matching. The experiment with the 15, 715 quasars from the SDSS DR2 shows that the correct rate of redshift estimated by the method is 95.13% within an error range of 0. 02. This method was designed to obtain the redshifts of quasar spectra with relative flux and a low signal-to-noise ratio, which is applicable to the LAMOST data and helps to study quasars and the large-scale structure of the universe etc.

Application of genetic algorithm in integrated setup planning and operation sequencing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafashi, Sajad; Shakeri, Mohsen

2011-01-01

Process planning is an essential component for linking design and manufacturing process. Setup planning and operation sequencing is two main tasks in process planning. Many researches solved these two problems separately. Considering the fact that the two functions are complementary, it is necessary to integrate them more tightly so that performance of a manufacturing system can be improved economically and competitively. This paper present a generative system and genetic algorithm (GA) approach to process plan the given part. The proposed approach and optimization methodology analyses the TAD (tool approach direction), tolerance relation between features and feature precedence relations to generate all possible setups and operations using workshop resource database. Based on these technological constraints the GA algorithm approach, which adopts the feature-based representation, optimizes the setup plan and sequence of operations using cost indices. Case study show that the developed system can generate satisfactory results in optimizing the setup planning and operation sequencing simultaneously in feasible condition.

Neural-Network-Based Robust Optimal Tracking Control for MIMO Discrete-Time Systems With Unknown Uncertainty Using Adaptive Critic Design.

PubMed

Liu, Lei; Wang, Zhanshan; Zhang, Huaguang

2018-04-01

This paper is concerned with the robust optimal tracking control strategy for a class of nonlinear multi-input multi-output discrete-time systems with unknown uncertainty via adaptive critic design (ACD) scheme. The main purpose is to establish an adaptive actor-critic control method, so that the cost function in the procedure of dealing with uncertainty is minimum and the closed-loop system is stable. Based on the neural network approximator, an action network is applied to generate the optimal control signal and a critic network is used to approximate the cost function, respectively. In contrast to the previous methods, the main features of this paper are: 1) the ACD scheme is integrated into the controllers to cope with the uncertainty and 2) a novel cost function, which is not in quadric form, is proposed so that the total cost in the design procedure is reduced. It is proved that the optimal control signals and the tracking errors are uniformly ultimately bounded even when the uncertainty exists. Finally, a numerical simulation is developed to show the effectiveness of the present approach.

Constellations Solar Array Design, Industrialization And In-Flight Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Combet, Yannick; Clapper, Paul

2011-10-01

Constellations has become a recurring opportunities in Thales Alenia Space since 3 majors programs had been awarded: Globalstar was the pathfinder with 48 flight sets followed by O3b with 8 an the latest is Iridium Next with 81 models. For these 3 programs, the Solar Array is fully developed, validated and produced by Thales Alenia Space with major subcontractors. This new segment of the activity leads to new development, design and industrialization approaches. This paper describes the Solar Array design and the alternative to current approach build and applied with the following drivers: - the low recurring cost and mass of the flight hardware, with particular attention on the Solar Array, - high robustness for system integration and in-orbit operations, - a long mission duration (typically 15 years in LEO) leading to take into account high number of thermal cycles (60 to 72.000 cycles), - new production concept with strict schedule management, - design segmented in subassemblies to reduce the integration time as well as a improved trouble shooting management, - delivery rate up to 1 wing per week and after learning curve effect, a integration duration divided by 3 compared to current production, - a delivery of a qualified PFM solar array in 22 months including the design to producibility constrains, This demanding requirement for delivery scheme and cost target did not jeopardize the requirements and standards for space application. After a brief description of the way the main drivers have been considered, the paper presents the main features and performances of the subsystem and shows the main validation test results. The first launch was successful in October 2010 and the first in-orbit results are presented.

Development of novel recombinant biomimetic chimeric MPG-based peptide as nanocarriers for gene delivery: Imitation of a real cargo.

PubMed

Majidi, Asia; Nikkhah, Maryam; Sadeghian, Faranak; Hosseinkhani, Saman

2016-10-01

In last decades great efforts have been devoted to the study of development of recombinant peptide based vectors that consist of biological motifs with potential applications in gene therapy. Recombinant Biomimetic Chimeric Vectors (rBCVs) are biopolymeric nanocarriers that are designed to mimic viral features to overcome the cellular obstacles in gene transferring pathway into cell nucleus. In this research, we designed and genetically engineered three novel rBCVs with similar sequences that differed in motifs arrangement and motif abundance: MPG-2H1, 2TMPG-2H1 and 2RMPG-2H1. The MPG as a famous amphipathic cell penetrating peptide is the main segment of these constructs which was studied for the first time in association with truncated histone H1 DNA condensing motif. Through the performance of several physicochemical and biological assays, the rBCVs were remarkably examined regarding transfection efficiency. The main objective of this study is focused on the importance of motif design in transfection efficiency of rBCVs on one hand, and the assessment of correlation between structural features and functionality of motifs on the other hand. The results revealed that all three kinds of rBCVs/pDNA nanoparticles with average sizes of 200nm could overwhelm the cellular obstacles associated with gene transfer, and lead to efficient gene delivery. Furthermore, no significant toxicity was perceived and efficient endosome disruptive activity was obtained. It is noteworthy to say among three mentioned constructs 2RMPG-2H1 showed the highest transfection efficiency. Overall the peptide based vectors hold great promise as a nontoxic and effective gene carrier in vitro and in vivo, besides the rational design possibility as the most vital advantages over the other non-viral gene delivery vectors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A method of computer aided design with self-generative models in NX Siemens environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grabowik, C.; Kalinowski, K.; Kempa, W.; Paprocka, I.

2015-11-01

Currently in CAD/CAE/CAM systems it is possible to create 3D design virtual models which are able to capture certain amount of knowledge. These models are especially useful in an automation of routine design tasks. These models are known as self-generative or auto generative and they can behave in an intelligent way. The main difference between the auto generative and fully parametric models consists in the auto generative models ability to self-organizing. In this case design model self-organizing means that aside from the possibility of making of automatic changes of model quantitative features these models possess knowledge how these changes should be made. Moreover they are able to change quality features according to specific knowledge. In spite of undoubted good points of self-generative models they are not so often used in design constructional process which is mainly caused by usually great complexity of these models. This complexity makes the process of self-generative time and labour consuming. It also needs a quite great investment outlays. The creation process of self-generative model consists of the three stages it is knowledge and information acquisition, model type selection and model implementation. In this paper methods of the computer aided design with self-generative models in NX Siemens CAD/CAE/CAM software are presented. There are the five methods of self-generative models preparation in NX with: parametric relations model, part families, GRIP language application, knowledge fusion and OPEN API mechanism. In the paper examples of each type of the self-generative model are presented. These methods make the constructional design process much faster. It is suggested to prepare this kind of self-generative models when there is a need of design variants creation. The conducted research on assessing the usefulness of elaborated models showed that they are highly recommended in case of routine tasks automation. But it is still difficult to distinguish which method of self-generative preparation is most preferred. It always depends on a problem complexity. The easiest way for such a model preparation is this with the parametric relations model whilst the hardest one is this with the OPEN API mechanism. From knowledge processing point of view the best choice is application of the knowledge fusion.

Infrared thermal imagers for avionic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uda, Gianni; Livi, Massimo; Olivieri, Monica; Sabatini, Maurizio; Torrini, Daniele; Baldini, Stefano; Bardazzi, Riccardo; Falli, Pietro; Maestrini, Mauro

1999-07-01

This paper deals with the design of two second generation thermal imagers that Alenia Difesa OFFICINE GALILEO has successfully developed for the Navigation FLIR of the NH90 Tactical Transportation Helicopter (NH90 TTH) and for the Electro-Optical Surveillance and Tracking System for the Italian 'Guardia di Finanza' ATR42 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (ATR42 MPA). Small size, lightweight and low power consumption have been the main design goals of the two programs. In particular the NH90 TTH Thermal Imager is a compact camera operating in the 8 divided by 12 micrometers bandwidth with a single wide field of view. The thermal imager developed for the ATR42 MPA features a three remotely switchable fields of view objective equipped with diffractive optics. Performance goals, innovative design aspects and test results of these two thermal imagers are reported.

On-Chip Power-Combining for High-Power Schottky Diode-Based Frequency Multipliers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chattopadhyay, Goutam; Mehdi, Imran; Schlecht, Erich T.; Lee, Choonsup; Siles, Jose V.; Maestrini, Alain E.; Thomas, Bertrand; Jung, Cecile D.

2013-01-01

A 1.6-THz power-combined Schottky frequency tripler was designed to handle approximately 30 mW input power. The design of Schottky-based triplers at this frequency range is mainly constrained by the shrinkage of the waveguide dimensions with frequency and the minimum diode mesa sizes, which limits the maximum number of diodes that can be placed on the chip to no more than two. Hence, multiple-chip power-combined schemes become necessary to increase the power-handling capabilities of high-frequency multipliers. The design presented here overcomes difficulties by performing the power-combining directly on-chip. Four E-probes are located at a single input waveguide in order to equally pump four multiplying structures (featuring two diodes each). The produced output power is then recombined at the output using the same concept.

Design and Expected Performance of GISMO-2, a Two Color Millimeter Camera for the IRAM 30 m Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Staguhn, Johannes G.; Benford, Dominic J.; Dwek, Eli; Hilton, Gene; Fixsen, Dale J.; Irwin, Kent; Jhabvala, Christine; Kovacs, Attila; Leclercq, Samuel; Maher, Stephen F.;

Using High-Dimensional Image Models to Perform Highly Undetectable Steganography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pevný, Tomáš; Filler, Tomáš; Bas, Patrick

This paper presents a complete methodology for designing practical and highly-undetectable stegosystems for real digital media. The main design principle is to minimize a suitably-defined distortion by means of efficient coding algorithm. The distortion is defined as a weighted difference of extended state-of-the-art feature vectors already used in steganalysis. This allows us to "preserve" the model used by steganalyst and thus be undetectable even for large payloads. This framework can be efficiently implemented even when the dimensionality of the feature set used by the embedder is larger than 107. The high dimensional model is necessary to avoid known security weaknesses. Although high-dimensional models might be problem in steganalysis, we explain, why they are acceptable in steganography. As an example, we introduce HUGO, a new embedding algorithm for spatial-domain digital images and we contrast its performance with LSB matching. On the BOWS2 image database and in contrast with LSB matching, HUGO allows the embedder to hide 7× longer message with the same level of security level.

Detail view to show the stylized "dragon" bracket feature that ...

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

Detail view to show the stylized "dragon" bracket feature that stands guard by the outside door to the kitchen (north elevation of the main house) - Death Valley Ranch, Main House, Death Valley Junction, Inyo County, CA

Diamond anvils with a round table designed for high pressure experiments in DAC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubrovinsky, Leonid; Koemets, Egor; Bykov, Maxim; Bykova, Elena; Aprilis, Georgios; Pakhomova, Anna; Glazyrin, Konstantin; Laskin, Alexander; Prakapenka, Vitali B.; Greenberg, Eran; Dubrovinskaia, Natalia

2017-10-01

Here, we present new Diamond Anvils with a Round Table (DART-anvils) designed for applications in the diamond anvil cell (DAC) technique. The main features of the new DART-anvil design are a spherical shape of both the crown and the table of a diamond and the position of the centre of the culet exactly in the centre of the sphere. The performance of DART-anvils was tested in a number of high pressure high-temperature experiments at different synchrotron beamlines. These experiments demonstrated a number of advantages, which are unavailable with any of the hitherto known anvil designs. Use of DART-anvils enables to realise in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments with laser heating using stationary laser-heating setups; eliminating flat-plate design of conventional anvils, DART-anvils make the cell alignment easier; working as solid immersion lenses, they provide additional magnification of the sample in a DAC and improve the image resolution.

The effect of design modifications to the typographical layout of the New York State elementary science learning standards on user preference and process time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, Jeffery E.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of four different design layouts of the New York State elementary science learning standards on user processing time and preference. Three newly developed layouts contained the same information as the standards core curriculum. In this study, the layout of the core guide is referred to as Book. The layouts of the new documents are referred to as Chart, Map, and Tabloid based on the format used to convey content hierarchy information. Most notably, all the new layouts feature larger page sizes, color, page tabs, and an icon based navigation system (IBNS). A convenience sample of 48 New York State educators representing three educator types (16 pre-service teachers, 16 in-service teachers, and 16 administrators) participated in the study. After completing timed tasks accurately, participants scored each layout based on preference. Educator type and layout were the independent variables, and process time and user preference were the dependent variables. A two-factor experimental design with Educator Type as the between variable and with repeated measures on Layout, the within variable, showed a significant difference in process time for Educator Type and Layout. The main effect for Educator Type (F(2, 45) = 8.03, p <.001) was significant with an observed power of .94, and an effect size of .26. The pair-wise comparisons for process time showed that pre-service teachers (p = .02) and administrators (p =.009) completed the assigned tasks more quickly when compared to in-service teachers. The main effect for Layout (F(3, 135) = 4.47, p =.01) was also significant with an observed power of .80, and an effect size of .09. Pair-wise comparisons showed that the newly developed Chart (p = .019) and Map (p = .032) layouts reduced overall process time when compared to the existing state learning standards (Book). The Layout X Educator type interaction was not significant. The same two-factor experimental design on preference, showed the main effect for Layout (F(3, 135) = 28.43, p =.001) was significant. The observed power was 1.0, with an effect size of .39. Pair-wise comparisons for preference scores showed that the Chart (p = .001), Map (p = .001), and Tabloid (p = .001) were preferred over the Book layout. The Layout Type X Educator Type interaction and the main effect for Educator Type were not significant. This study provides evidence that the newly developed design layouts improve usability (as measured by process time and preference scores) of the New York State elementary science learning standard documents. Features in the new layout design, such as the IBNS, may provide a foundation for a visual language and aid users in navigating standard documents across grade level and subject areas. Implications for the next generation of standard documents are presented.

10 CFR 830.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

.... Critical assembly means special nuclear devices designed and used to sustain nuclear reactions, which may... reaction becomes self-sustaining. Design features means the design features of a nuclear facility specified..., or the environment, including (1) Physical, design, structural, and engineering features; (2) Safety...

10 CFR 830.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.... Critical assembly means special nuclear devices designed and used to sustain nuclear reactions, which may... reaction becomes self-sustaining. Design features means the design features of a nuclear facility specified..., or the environment, including (1) Physical, design, structural, and engineering features; (2) Safety...

Phyllosilicate absorption features in main-belt and outer-belt asteroid reflectance spectra.

PubMed

Vilas, F; Gaffey, M J

1989-11-10

Absorption features having depths up to 5% are identified in high-quality, high-resolution reflectance spectra of 16 dark asteroids in the main belt and in the Cybele and Hilda groups. Analogs among the CM2 carbonaceous chondrite meteorites exist for some of these asteroids, suggesting that these absorptions are due to iron oxides in phyllosilicates formed on the asteroidal surfaces by aqueous alteration processes. Spectra of ten additional asteroids, located beyond the outer edge of the main belt, show no discernible absorption features, suggesting that aqueous alteration did not always operate at these heliocentric distances.

Phyllosilicate absorption features in main-belt and outer-belt asteroid reflectance spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vilas, Faith; Gaffey, Michael J.

1989-01-01

Absorption features having depths up to 5 percent are identified in high-quality, high-resolution reflectance spectra of 16 dark asteroids in the main belt and in the Cybele and Hilda groups. Analogs among the CM2 carbonaceous chondrite meteorites exist for some of these asteroids, suggesting that these absorptions are due to iron oxides in phyllosilicates formed on the asteroidal surfaces by aqueous alteration processes. Spectra of ten additional asteroids, located beyond the outer edge of the main belt, show no discernible absorption features, suggesting that aqueous alteration did not always operate at these heliocentric distances.

What to Build for Middle-Agers to Come? Attractive and Necessary Functions of Exercise-Promotion Mobile Phone Apps: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Chien, Yu-Tai; Chen, Yu-Jen; Hsiung, Hsiao-Fang; Chen, Hsiao-Jung; Hsieh, Meng-Hua; Wu, Wen-Jie

2017-01-01

Background Physical activity is important for middle-agers to maintain health both in middle age and in old age. Although thousands of exercise-promotion mobile phone apps are available for download, current literature offers little understanding regarding which design features can enhance middle-aged adults’ quality perception toward exercise-promotion apps and which factor may influence such perception. Objectives The aims of this study were to understand (1) which design features of exercise-promotion apps can enhance quality perception of middle-agers, (2) whether their needs are matched by current functions offered in app stores, and (3) whether physical activity (PA) and mobile phone self-efficacy (MPSE) influence quality perception. Methods A total of 105 middle-agers participated and filled out three scales: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the MPSE scale, and the need for design features questionnaire. The design features were developed based on the Coventry, Aberdeen, and London—Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy. Following the Kano quality model, the need for design features questionnaire asked participants to classify design features into five categories: attractive, one-dimensional, must-be, indifferent, and reverse. The quality categorization was conducted based on a voting approach and the categorization results were compared with the findings of a prevalence study to realize whether needs match current availability. In total, 52 multinomial logistic regression models were analyzed to evaluate the effects of PA level and MPSE on quality perception of design features. Results The Kano analysis on the total sample revealed that visual demonstration of exercise instructions is the only attractive design feature, whereas the other 51 design features were perceived with indifference. Although examining quality perception by PA level, 21 features are recommended to low level, 6 features to medium level, but none to high-level PA. In contrast, high-level MPSE is recommended with 14 design features, medium level with 6 features, whereas low-level participants are recommended with 1 feature. The analysis suggests that the implementation of demanded features could be low, as the average prevalence of demanded design features is 20% (4.3/21). Surprisingly, social comparison and social support, most implemented features in current apps, were categorized into the indifferent category. The magnitude of effect is larger for MPSE because it effects quality perception of more design features than PA. Delving into the 52 regression models revealed that high MPSE more likely induces attractive or one- dimensional categorization, suggesting the importance of technological self-efficacy on eHealth care promotion. Conclusions This study is the first to propose middle-agers’ needs in relation to mobile phone exercise-promotion. In addition to the tailor-made recommendations, suggestions are offered to app designers to enhance the performance of persuasive features. An interesting finding on change of quality perception attributed to MPSE is proposed as future research. PMID:28546140

Special Features of Using Secondary Materials in the Interior Design of Public Dining Establishments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsova, Irina; Hapchuk, Olena; Lukinov, Vitaly

2017-10-01

This article analyses the latest publications studying the use and practical application of secondary resources as raw materials in design. This analysis is based on the list of secondary resources and their applications in interior decoration. In particular, the interiors of public catering enterprises were analysed. Restaurants with different functional purposes that were classified into several categories with specific peculiarities of interior design were identified. This article presents and describes different types of public catering enterprises based on those categories. The interior design of a public catering enterprise is regarded as a considerably complex system. Different types of secondary materials were reviewed to identify the most frequently used materials for interior space design. This article describes the main peculiarities of the use of secondary materials and presents examples of their practical application. The function of secondary materials in the interior design of public catering enterprises were detected and reviewed. On the basis of the analysis, several directions for the practical application of our results in the field of public catering enterprise design were suggested.

Role of the HTLV-1 viral factors in the induction of apoptosis.

PubMed

Karimi, Mohammad; Mohammadi, Hamed; Hemmatzadeh, Maryam; Mohammadi, Asadollah; Rafatpanah, Houshang; Baradaran, Behzad

2017-01-01

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP) are the two main diseases that are caused by the HTLV-1 virus. One of the features of HTLV-1 infection is its resistance against programmed cell death, which maintains the survival of cells to oncogenic transformation and underlies the viruses' therapeutic resistance. Two main genes by which the virus develops cancer are Tax and HBZ; playing an essential role in angiogenesis in regulating viral transcription and modulating multiple host factors as well as apoptosis pathways. Here we have reviewed by prior research how the apoptosis pathways are suppressed by the Tax and HBZ and new drugs which have been designed to deal with this suppression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Solar power satellite system definition study. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Configuration concepts, option sizes, and systems definitions study design evolutions are reviewed. The main features of the present reference design silicon solar cell solar power satellite are described, as well as the provisions for space construction and support systems. The principal study accomplishments and conclusions are summarized according to the following tasks: (1) baseline critique; (2) construction and maintenance; (3) industrial complex needs, cost estimates, and production capacity; (4) launch complex requirements at KSC or at an offshore facility; (5) integration of the SPS/ground power network; (6) technology advancement and development; (7) costs and schedules; and (8) exploratory technology: laser annealing of solar cells degraded by proton irradiation, and a fiber-optic phase distribution link at 980 MHz.

The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station Ground Temperature Sensor: A Pyrometer for Measuring Ground Temperature on Mars

PubMed Central

Sebastián, Eduardo; Armiens, Carlos; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Zorzano, María P.; Martinez-Frias, Jesus; Esteban, Blanca; Ramos, Miguel

2010-01-01

We describe the parameters that drive the design and modeling of the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) Ground Temperature Sensor (GTS), an instrument aboard NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory, and report preliminary test results. REMS GTS is a lightweight, low-power, and low cost pyrometer for measuring the Martian surface kinematic temperature. The sensor’s main feature is its innovative design, based on a simple mechanical structure with no moving parts. It includes an in-flight calibration system that permits sensor recalibration when sensor sensitivity has been degraded by deposition of dust over the optics. This paper provides the first results of a GTS engineering model working in a Martian-like, extreme environment. PMID:22163405

A 30% bandwidth tunerless SIS mixer of quantum-limited sensitivity for Herschel / HIFI Band 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salez, Morvan; Delorme, Yan; Peron, I.; Lecomte, Benoit; Dauplay, Frederic; Boussaha, Faouzi; Spatazza, J.; Feret, A.; Krieg, J. M.; Schuster, Karl-Friedrich

2003-02-01

We report on the status of the development of a 30% bandwidth tunerless SIS double-sideband mixer for the "Band 1" (480 GHz-630 GHz) channel of the heterodyne instrument (HIFI) of ESA"s Herschel Space Observatory, scheduled for launch in 2007. After exposing the main features of our mixer design, we present the performance achieved by the demonstration mixer, measured via Fourier Transform Spectroscopy and heterodyne Y factor calibrations. We infer from a preliminary mixer analysis that the mixer has very low, quantum-limited noise and low conversion loss. We also report on some pre-qualification tests, as we currently start to manufacture the qualification models and design the last iteration of masks for SIS junction production.

Software development to support sensor control of robot arc welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silas, F. R., Jr.

1986-01-01

The development of software for a Digital Equipment Corporation MINC-23 Laboratory Computer to provide functions of a workcell host computer for Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) robotic welding is documented. Routines were written to transfer robot programs between the MINC and an Advanced Robotic Cyro 750 welding robot. Other routines provide advanced program editing features while additional software allows communicatin with a remote computer aided design system. Access to special robot functions were provided to allow advanced control of weld seam tracking and process control for future development programs.

Performance of 350kW concentrating photovoltaic power system after two years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoshaim, B.; Huraib, F.; Al-Sani, A.; Salim, A.

This paper summarizes the continuing performance of the world's largest concentrating Photovoltaic Power System (PVPS) which began supplying electrical power to the three remote villages in Saudi Arabia in September 1981. The paper reviews the system performance to date and concentrates mainly on the performance of the most important part of the PVPS that is the photovoltaic array field. Problems and failures experienced with the system so far are reviewed and analyzed. Also, a brief history of the project including its design features is given in this paper.

Choosing an efficient option of the combined propulsion system and flight profile of the INTERHELIO-PROBE spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Platov, I. V.; Simonov, A. V.; Konstantinov, M. S.

2016-12-01

The paper is devoted to the design features of the prospective Russian INTERHELIO-PROBE spacecraft using, depending on the configuration version, an electric or chemical propulsion system as a sustainer. The scientific goal of the mission is the study of near-solar space from close distances (60-70 solar radii). The paper presents the description of several versions of the spacecraft options depending on the installed propulsion system, as well as the main characteristics of the flight profile depending on the engine type.

The very low angle detector for high-energy inelastic neutron scattering on the VESUVIO spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perelli Cippo, E.; Gorini, G.; Tardocchi, M.; Pietropaolo, A.; Andreani, C.; Senesi, R.; Rhodes, N. J.; Schooneveld, E. M.

2008-05-01

The Very Low Angle Detector (VLAD) bank has been installed on the VESUVIO spectrometer at the ISIS spallation neutron source. The new device allows for high-energy inelastic neutron scattering measurements, at energies above 1 eV, maintaining the wave vector transfer lower than 10Å-1. This opens a still unexplored region of the kinematical (q, ω) space, enabling new and challenging experimental investigations in condensed matter. This paper describes the main instrumental features of the VLAD device, including instrument design, detector response, and calibration procedure.

CARE 3 User's Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

A user's workshop for CARE 3, a reliability assessment tool designed and developed especially for the evaluation of high reliability fault tolerant digital systems, was held at NASA Langley Research Center on October 6 to 7, 1987. The main purpose of the workshop was to assess the evolutionary status of CARE 3. The activities of the workshop are documented and papers are included by user's of CARE 3 and NASA. Features and limitations of CARE 3 and comparisons to other tools are presented. The conclusions to a workshop questionaire are also discussed.

The methodological features of studying energy efficiency of a combined mini-TPP on the basis of a gas-piston unit and a steam turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shchinnikov, P. A.; Marasanov, N. V.

2017-07-01

The technology of electricity production by a mini-thermal power plant, operating on combined cycles of Otto and Rankine, is considered. The main aspects of the investigation methodology are outlined. It is shown that the design and layout parameters of all the major energy elements of the developed technology allow implementing it in a block and modular version; and the efficiency of electricity supply for the proposed technology will be at least 50 %.

The TESIS experiment on the CORONAS-PHOTON spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzin, S. V.; Zhitnik, I. A.; Shestov, S. V.; Bogachev, S. A.; Bugaenko, O. I.; Ignat'ev, A. P.; Pertsov, A. A.; Ulyanov, A. S.; Reva, A. A.; Slemzin, V. A.; Sukhodrev, N. K.; Ivanov, Yu. S.; Goncharov, L. A.; Mitrofanov, A. V.; Popov, S. G.; Shergina, T. A.; Solov'ev, V. A.; Oparin, S. N.; Zykov, A. M.

2011-04-01

On February 26, 2009, the first data was obtained in the TESIS experiment on the research of the solar corona using imaging spectroscopy. The TESIS is a part of the scientific equipment of the CORONAS-PHO-TON spacecraft and is designed for imaging the solar corona in soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet regions of the spectrum with high spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions at altitudes from the transition region to three solar radii. The article describes the main characteristics of the instrumentation, management features, and operation modes.

A Lightweight Anonymous Authentication Protocol with Perfect Forward Secrecy for Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Xiong, Ling; Peng, Daiyuan; Peng, Tu; Liang, Hongbin; Liu, Zhicai

2017-11-21

Due to their frequent use in unattended and hostile deployment environments, the security in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) has attracted much interest in the past two decades. However, it remains a challenge to design a lightweight authentication protocol for WSNs because the designers are confronted with a series of desirable security requirements, e.g., user anonymity, perfect forward secrecy, resistance to de-synchronization attack. Recently, the authors presented two authentication schemes that attempt to provide user anonymity and to resist various known attacks. Unfortunately, in this work we shall show that user anonymity of the two schemes is achieved at the price of an impractical search operation-the gateway node may search for every possible value. Besides this defect, they are also prone to smart card loss attacks and have no provision for perfect forward secrecy. As our main contribution, a lightweight anonymous authentication scheme with perfect forward secrecy is designed, and what we believe the most interesting feature is that user anonymity, perfect forward secrecy, and resistance to de-synchronization attack can be achieved at the same time. As far as we know, it is extremely difficult to meet these security features simultaneously only using the lightweight operations, such as symmetric encryption/decryption and hash functions.

A Lightweight Anonymous Authentication Protocol with Perfect Forward Secrecy for Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Peng, Daiyuan; Peng, Tu; Liang, Hongbin; Liu, Zhicai

2017-01-01

Due to their frequent use in unattended and hostile deployment environments, the security in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) has attracted much interest in the past two decades. However, it remains a challenge to design a lightweight authentication protocol for WSNs because the designers are confronted with a series of desirable security requirements, e.g., user anonymity, perfect forward secrecy, resistance to de-synchronization attack. Recently, the authors presented two authentication schemes that attempt to provide user anonymity and to resist various known attacks. Unfortunately, in this work we shall show that user anonymity of the two schemes is achieved at the price of an impractical search operation—the gateway node may search for every possible value. Besides this defect, they are also prone to smart card loss attacks and have no provision for perfect forward secrecy. As our main contribution, a lightweight anonymous authentication scheme with perfect forward secrecy is designed, and what we believe the most interesting feature is that user anonymity, perfect forward secrecy, and resistance to de-synchronization attack can be achieved at the same time. As far as we know, it is extremely difficult to meet these security features simultaneously only using the lightweight operations, such as symmetric encryption/decryption and hash functions. PMID:29160861

Associations between park features and adolescent park use for physical activity.

PubMed

Edwards, Nicole; Hooper, Paula; Knuiman, Matthew; Foster, Sarah; Giles-Corti, Billie

2015-02-18

Eighty per cent of adolescents globally do insufficient physical activity. Parks are a popular place for adolescents to be active. However, little is known about which park features are associated with higher levels of park use by adolescents. This study aimed to examine which environmental park features, and combination of features, were correlated with higher levels of park use for physical activity among adolescents. By examining park features in parks used by adolescents for physical activity, this study also aimed to create a park 'attractiveness' score predictive of adolescent park use, and to identify factors that might predict use of their closest park. Adolescents (n = 1304) living in Geraldton, a large rural centre of Western Australia, completed a survey that measured physical activity behaviour, perceptions of park availability and the main park used for physical activity. All parks in the study area (n = 58) were digitized using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and features audited using the Public Open Space Desktop Auditing Tool (POSDAT). Only 27% of participants reported using their closest park for physical activity. Park use was associated with seven features: presence of a skate park, walking paths, barbeques, picnic table, public access toilets, lighting around courts and equipment and number of trees >25. When combined to create an overall attractiveness score, every additional 'attractive' feature present, resulted in a park being nearly three times more likely to be in the high use category. To increase park use for physical activity, urban planners and designers should incorporate park features attractive to adolescents.

The solar maximum satellite capture cell: Impact features and orbital debris and micrometeoritic projectile materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckay, D. S.; Rietmeijer, F. J. M.; Schramm, L. S.; Barrett, R. A.; Zook, H. A.; Blanford, G. E.

1986-01-01

The physical properties of impact features observed in the Solar Max main electronics box (MEB) thermal blanket generally suggest an origin by hypervelocity impact. The chemistry of micrometeorite material suggests that a wide variety of projectile materials have survived impact with retention of varying degrees of pristinity. Impact features that contain only spacecraft paint particles are on average smaller than impact features caused by micrometeorite impacts. In case both types of materials co-occur, it is belevied that the impact feature, generally a penetration hole, was caused by a micrometeorite projectile. The typically smaller paint particles were able to penetrate though the hole in the first layer and deposit in the spray pattern on the second layer. It is suggested that paint particles have arrived with a wide range of velocities relative to the Solar Max satellite. Orbiting paint particles are an important fraction of materials in the near-Earth environment. In general, the data from the Solar Max studies are a good calibration for the design of capture cells to be flown in space and on board Space Station. The data also suggest that development of multiple layer capture cells in which the projectile may retain a large degree of pristinity is a feasible goal.

Single-image-based Rain Detection and Removal via CNN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tianyi; Fu, Chengzhou

2018-04-01

The quality of the image is degraded by rain streaks, which have negative impact when we extract image features for many visual tasks, such as feature extraction for classification and recognition, tracking, surveillance and autonomous navigation. Hence, it is necessary to detect and remove rain streaks from single images, which is a challenging problem since we have no spatial-temporal information of rain streaks compared to the dynamic video stream. Inspired by the priori that the rain streaks have almost the same feature, such as the direction or the thickness, although they are in different types of real-world images. The paper aims at proposing an effective convolutional neural network (CNN) to detect and remove rain streaks from single image. Two models of synthesized rainy image, linear additive composite model (LACM model) and screen blend model (SCM model), are considered in this paper. The main idea is that it is easier for our CNN network to find the mapping between the rainy image and rain streaks than between the rainy image and clean image. The reason is that rain streaks have fixed features, but clean images have various features. The experiments show that the designed CNN network outperforms state-of-the-art approaches on both synthesized and real-world images, which indicates the effectiveness of our proposed framework.

Human Body Parts Tracking and Kinematic Features Assessment Based on RSSI and Inertial Sensor Measurements

PubMed Central

Blumrosen, Gaddi; Luttwak, Ami

2013-01-01

Acquisition of patient kinematics in different environments plays an important role in the detection of risk situations such as fall detection in elderly patients, in rehabilitation of patients with injuries, and in the design of treatment plans for patients with neurological diseases. Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurements in a Body Area Network (BAN), capture the signal power on a radio link. The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of utilizing RSSI measurements in assessment of human kinematic features, and to give methods to determine these features. RSSI measurements can be used for tracking different body parts' displacements on scales of a few centimeters, for classifying motion and gait patterns instead of inertial sensors, and to serve as an additional reference to other sensors, in particular inertial sensors. Criteria and analytical methods for body part tracking, kinematic motion feature extraction, and a Kalman filter model for aggregation of RSSI and inertial sensor were derived. The methods were verified by a set of experiments performed in an indoor environment. In the future, the use of RSSI measurements can help in continuous assessment of various kinematic features of patients during their daily life activities and enhance medical diagnosis accuracy with lower costs. PMID:23979481

Human body parts tracking and kinematic features assessment based on RSSI and inertial sensor measurements.

PubMed

Blumrosen, Gaddi; Luttwak, Ami

2013-08-23

Acquisition of patient kinematics in different environments plays an important role in the detection of risk situations such as fall detection in elderly patients, in rehabilitation of patients with injuries, and in the design of treatment plans for patients with neurological diseases. Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurements in a Body Area Network (BAN), capture the signal power on a radio link. The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of utilizing RSSI measurements in assessment of human kinematic features, and to give methods to determine these features. RSSI measurements can be used for tracking different body parts' displacements on scales of a few centimeters, for classifying motion and gait patterns instead of inertial sensors, and to serve as an additional reference to other sensors, in particular inertial sensors. Criteria and analytical methods for body part tracking, kinematic motion feature extraction, and a Kalman filter model for aggregation of RSSI and inertial sensor were derived. The methods were verified by a set of experiments performed in an indoor environment. In the future, the use of RSSI measurements can help in continuous assessment of various kinematic features of patients during their daily life activities and enhance medical diagnosis accuracy with lower costs.

The 1991 3rd NASA Symposium on VLSI Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maki, Gary K.

1991-01-01

Papers from the symposium are presented from the following sessions: (1) featured presentations 1; (2) very large scale integration (VLSI) circuit design; (3) VLSI architecture 1; (4) featured presentations 2; (5) neural networks; (6) VLSI architectures 2; (7) featured presentations 3; (8) verification 1; (9) analog design; (10) verification 2; (11) design innovations 1; (12) asynchronous design; and (13) design innovations 2.

A parallel strategy for implementing real-time expert systems using CLIPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ilyes, Laszlo A.; Villaseca, F. Eugenio; Delaat, John

1994-01-01

As evidenced by current literature, there appears to be a continued interest in the study of real-time expert systems. It is generally recognized that speed of execution is only one consideration when designing an effective real-time expert system. Some other features one must consider are the expert system's ability to perform temporal reasoning, handle interrupts, prioritize data, contend with data uncertainty, and perform context focusing as dictated by the incoming data to the expert system. This paper presents a strategy for implementing a real time expert system on the iPSC/860 hypercube parallel computer using CLIPS. The strategy takes into consideration not only the execution time of the software, but also those features which define a true real-time expert system. The methodology is then demonstrated using a practical implementation of an expert system which performs diagnostics on the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). This particular implementation uses an eight node hypercube to process ten sensor measurements in order to simultaneously diagnose five different failure modes within the SSME. The main program is written in ANSI C and embeds CLIPS to better facilitate and debug the rule based expert system.

Enrichment of the educational environment with information and communication technologies: state of art at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Kaunas University of Medicine.

PubMed

Butrimiene, Edita; Stankeviciene, Nida

2008-01-01

Both traditional and new educational environments, the latter enriched with information and communication technologies, coexist in today's university. The goal of this article is to present the concept of educational environment enriched with information and communication technologies, to reveal the main features of such environment, and to present the results of certain investigation on the application of information technologies in teaching/learning processes at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Kaunas University of Medicine. The discussion object of this paper is the educational environment enriched with information and communication technologies. In designing the environments of this type, positive aspects of traditional teaching models are being developed by integrating them into the new educational environment. The concept of educational environment enriched with information and communication technologies is reviewed in the first part of this paper. The structure and main features of educational environments enriched with information and communication technologies are highlighted in the second part. The results of the study on the application of information technologies in teaching/learning processes at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Kaunas University of Medicine are presented in the third part.

Software Comparison for Renewable Energy Deployment in a Distribution Network

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

Gao, David Wenzhong; Muljadi, Eduard; Tian, Tian

The main objective of this report is to evaluate different software options for performing robust distributed generation (DG) power system modeling. The features and capabilities of four simulation tools, OpenDSS, GridLAB-D, CYMDIST, and PowerWorld Simulator, are compared to analyze their effectiveness in analyzing distribution networks with DG. OpenDSS and GridLAB-D, two open source software, have the capability to simulate networks with fluctuating data values. These packages allow the running of a simulation each time instant by iterating only the main script file. CYMDIST, a commercial software, allows for time-series simulation to study variations on network controls. PowerWorld Simulator, another commercialmore » tool, has a batch mode simulation function through the 'Time Step Simulation' tool, which obtains solutions for a list of specified time points. PowerWorld Simulator is intended for analysis of transmission-level systems, while the other three are designed for distribution systems. CYMDIST and PowerWorld Simulator feature easy-to-use graphical user interfaces (GUIs). OpenDSS and GridLAB-D, on the other hand, are based on command-line programs, which increase the time necessary to become familiar with the software packages.« less

Semi-Supervised Geographical Feature Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, H.; Yu, L.; Kuo, K. S.

2016-12-01

Extraction and tracking geographical features is a fundamental requirement in many geoscience fields. However, this operation has become an increasingly challenging task for domain scientists when tackling a large amount of geoscience data. Although domain scientists may have a relatively clear definition of features, it is difficult to capture the presence of features in an accurate and efficient fashion. We propose a semi-supervised approach to address large geographical feature detection. Our approach has two main components. First, we represent a heterogeneous geoscience data in a unified high-dimensional space, which can facilitate us to evaluate the similarity of data points with respect to geolocation, time, and variable values. We characterize the data from these measures, and use a set of hash functions to parameterize the initial knowledge of the data. Second, for any user query, our approach can automatically extract the initial results based on the hash functions. To improve the accuracy of querying, our approach provides a visualization interface to display the querying results and allow users to interactively explore and refine them. The user feedback will be used to enhance our knowledge base in an iterative manner. In our implementation, we use high-performance computing techniques to accelerate the construction of hash functions. Our design facilitates a parallelization scheme for feature detection and extraction, which is a traditionally challenging problem for large-scale data. We evaluate our approach and demonstrate the effectiveness using both synthetic and real world datasets.

Vision-based gait impairment analysis for aided diagnosis.

PubMed

Ortells, Javier; Herrero-Ezquerro, María Trinidad; Mollineda, Ramón A

2018-02-12

Gait is a firsthand reflection of health condition. This belief has inspired recent research efforts to automate the analysis of pathological gait, in order to assist physicians in decision-making. However, most of these efforts rely on gait descriptions which are difficult to understand by humans, or on sensing technologies hardly available in ambulatory services. This paper proposes a number of semantic and normalized gait features computed from a single video acquired by a low-cost sensor. Far from being conventional spatio-temporal descriptors, features are aimed at quantifying gait impairment, such as gait asymmetry from several perspectives or falling risk. They were designed to be invariant to frame rate and image size, allowing cross-platform comparisons. Experiments were formulated in terms of two databases. A well-known general-purpose gait dataset is used to establish normal references for features, while a new database, introduced in this work, provides samples under eight different walking styles: one normal and seven impaired patterns. A number of statistical studies were carried out to prove the sensitivity of features at measuring the expected pathologies, providing enough evidence about their accuracy. Graphical Abstract Graphical abstract reflecting main contributions of the manuscript: at the top, a robust, semantic and easy-to-interpret feature set to describe impaired gait patterns; at the bottom, a new dataset consisting of video-recordings of a number of volunteers simulating different patterns of pathological gait, where features were statistically assessed.

Dynamic properties of ionospheric plasma turbulence driven by high-power high-frequency radiowaves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grach, S. M.; Sergeev, E. N.; Mishin, E. V.; Shindin, A. V.

2016-11-01

A review is given of the current state-of-the-art of experimental studies and the theoretical understanding of nonlinear phenomena that occur in the ionospheric F-layer irradiated by high-power high-frequency ground-based transmitters. The main focus is on the dynamic features of high-frequency turbulence (plasma waves) and low-frequency turbulence (density irregularities of various scales) that have been studied in experiments at the Sura and HAARP heating facilities operated in temporal and frequency regimes specially designed with consideration of the characteristic properties of nonlinear processes in the perturbed ionosphere using modern radio receivers and optical instruments. Experimental results are compared with theoretical turbulence models for a magnetized collisional plasma in a high-frequency electromagnetic field, allowing the identification of the processes responsible for the observed features of artificial ionospheric turbulence.

Automatic Generalizability Method of Urban Drainage Pipe Network Considering Multi-Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, S.; Yang, Q.; Shao, J.

2018-05-01

Urban drainage systems are indispensable dataset for storm-flooding simulation. Given data availability and current computing power, the structure and complexity of urban drainage systems require to be simplify. However, till data, the simplify procedure mainly depend on manual operation that always leads to mistakes and lower work efficiency. This work referenced the classification methodology of road system, and proposed a conception of pipeline stroke. Further, length of pipeline, angle between two pipelines, the pipeline belonged road level and diameter of pipeline were chosen as the similarity criterion to generate the pipeline stroke. Finally, designed the automatic method to generalize drainage systems with the concern of multi-features. This technique can improve the efficiency and accuracy of the generalization of drainage systems. In addition, it is beneficial to the study of urban storm-floods.

Radiation effects in advanced microelectronics technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, A. H.

1998-06-01

The pace of device scaling has increased rapidly in recent years. Experimental CMOS devices have been produced with feature sizes below 0.1 /spl mu/m, demonstrating that devices with feature sizes between 0.1 and 0.25 /spl mu/m will likely be available in mainstream technologies after the year 2000. This paper discusses how the anticipated changes in device dimensions and design are likely to affect their radiation response in space environments. Traditional problems, such as total dose effects, SEU and latchup are discussed, along with new phenomena. The latter include hard errors from heavy ions (microdose and gate-rupture errors), and complex failure modes related to advanced circuit architecture. The main focus of the paper is on commercial devices, which are displacing hardened device technologies in many space applications. However, the impact of device scaling on hardened devices is also discussed.

Vascular Leiomyoma and Geniculate Ganglion

PubMed Central

Magliulo, Giuseppe; Iannella, Giannicola; Valente, Michele; Greco, Antonio; Appiani, Mario Ciniglio

2013-01-01

Objectives Discussion of a rare case of angioleiomyoma involving the geniculate ganglion and the intratemporal facial nerve segment and its surgical treatment. Design Case report. Setting Presence of an expansive lesion englobing the geniculate ganglion without any lesion to the cerebellopontine angle. Participants A 45-year-old man with a grade III facial paralysis according to the House-Brackmann scale of evaluation. Main Outcomes Measure Surgical pathology, radiologic appearance, histological features, and postoperative facial function. Results Removal of the entire lesion was achieved, preserving the anatomic integrity of the nerve; no nerve graft was necessary. Postoperative histology and immunohistochemical studies revealed features indicative of solid vascular leiomyoma. Conclusion Angioleiomyoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of geniculate ganglion lesions. Optimal postoperative facial function is possible only by preserving the anatomical and functional integrity of the facial nerve. PMID:23943721

Automated retrieval of forest structure variables based on multi-scale texture analysis of VHR satellite imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beguet, Benoit; Guyon, Dominique; Boukir, Samia; Chehata, Nesrine

2014-10-01

The main goal of this study is to design a method to describe the structure of forest stands from Very High Resolution satellite imagery, relying on some typical variables such as crown diameter, tree height, trunk diameter, tree density and tree spacing. The emphasis is placed on the automatization of the process of identification of the most relevant image features for the forest structure retrieval task, exploiting both spectral and spatial information. Our approach is based on linear regressions between the forest structure variables to be estimated and various spectral and Haralick's texture features. The main drawback of this well-known texture representation is the underlying parameters which are extremely difficult to set due to the spatial complexity of the forest structure. To tackle this major issue, an automated feature selection process is proposed which is based on statistical modeling, exploring a wide range of parameter values. It provides texture measures of diverse spatial parameters hence implicitly inducing a multi-scale texture analysis. A new feature selection technique, we called Random PRiF, is proposed. It relies on random sampling in feature space, carefully addresses the multicollinearity issue in multiple-linear regression while ensuring accurate prediction of forest variables. Our automated forest variable estimation scheme was tested on Quickbird and Pléiades panchromatic and multispectral images, acquired at different periods on the maritime pine stands of two sites in South-Western France. It outperforms two well-established variable subset selection techniques. It has been successfully applied to identify the best texture features in modeling the five considered forest structure variables. The RMSE of all predicted forest variables is improved by combining multispectral and panchromatic texture features, with various parameterizations, highlighting the potential of a multi-resolution approach for retrieving forest structure variables from VHR satellite images. Thus an average prediction error of ˜ 1.1 m is expected on crown diameter, ˜ 0.9 m on tree spacing, ˜ 3 m on height and ˜ 0.06 m on diameter at breast height.

Stochastic modeling for neural spiking events based on fractional superstatistical Poisson process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konno, Hidetoshi; Tamura, Yoshiyasu

2018-01-01

In neural spike counting experiments, it is known that there are two main features: (i) the counting number has a fractional power-law growth with time and (ii) the waiting time (i.e., the inter-spike-interval) distribution has a heavy tail. The method of superstatistical Poisson processes (SSPPs) is examined whether these main features are properly modeled. Although various mixed/compound Poisson processes are generated with selecting a suitable distribution of the birth-rate of spiking neurons, only the second feature (ii) can be modeled by the method of SSPPs. Namely, the first one (i) associated with the effect of long-memory cannot be modeled properly. Then, it is shown that the two main features can be modeled successfully by a class of fractional SSPP (FSSPP).

Materials prediction via classification learning

DOE PAGES

Balachandran, Prasanna V.; Theiler, James; Rondinelli, James M.; ...

2015-08-25

In the paradigm of materials informatics for accelerated materials discovery, the choice of feature set (i.e. attributes that capture aspects of structure, chemistry and/or bonding) is critical. Ideally, the feature sets should provide a simple physical basis for extracting major structural and chemical trends and furthermore, enable rapid predictions of new material chemistries. Orbital radii calculated from model pseudopotential fits to spectroscopic data are potential candidates to satisfy these conditions. Although these radii (and their linear combinations) have been utilized in the past, their functional forms are largely justified with heuristic arguments. Here we show that machine learning methods naturallymore » uncover the functional forms that mimic most frequently used features in the literature, thereby providing a mathematical basis for feature set construction without a priori assumptions. We apply these principles to study two broad materials classes: (i) wide band gap AB compounds and (ii) rare earth-main group RM intermetallics. The AB compounds serve as a prototypical example to demonstrate our approach, whereas the RM intermetallics show how these concepts can be used to rapidly design new ductile materials. In conclusion, our predictive models indicate that ScCo, ScIr, and YCd should be ductile, whereas each was previously proposed to be brittle.« less

Materials Prediction via Classification Learning

PubMed Central

Balachandran, Prasanna V.; Theiler, James; Rondinelli, James M.; Lookman, Turab

2015-01-01

In the paradigm of materials informatics for accelerated materials discovery, the choice of feature set (i.e. attributes that capture aspects of structure, chemistry and/or bonding) is critical. Ideally, the feature sets should provide a simple physical basis for extracting major structural and chemical trends and furthermore, enable rapid predictions of new material chemistries. Orbital radii calculated from model pseudopotential fits to spectroscopic data are potential candidates to satisfy these conditions. Although these radii (and their linear combinations) have been utilized in the past, their functional forms are largely justified with heuristic arguments. Here we show that machine learning methods naturally uncover the functional forms that mimic most frequently used features in the literature, thereby providing a mathematical basis for feature set construction without a priori assumptions. We apply these principles to study two broad materials classes: (i) wide band gap AB compounds and (ii) rare earth-main group RM intermetallics. The AB compounds serve as a prototypical example to demonstrate our approach, whereas the RM intermetallics show how these concepts can be used to rapidly design new ductile materials. Our predictive models indicate that ScCo, ScIr, and YCd should be ductile, whereas each was previously proposed to be brittle. PMID:26304800

Content-Based VLE Designs Improve Learning Efficiency in Constructivist Statistics Education

PubMed Central

Wessa, Patrick; De Rycker, Antoon; Holliday, Ian Edward

2011-01-01

Background We introduced a series of computer-supported workshops in our undergraduate statistics courses, in the hope that it would help students to gain a deeper understanding of statistical concepts. This raised questions about the appropriate design of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in which such an approach had to be implemented. Therefore, we investigated two competing software design models for VLEs. In the first system, all learning features were a function of the classical VLE. The second system was designed from the perspective that learning features should be a function of the course's core content (statistical analyses), which required us to develop a specific–purpose Statistical Learning Environment (SLE) based on Reproducible Computing and newly developed Peer Review (PR) technology. Objectives The main research question is whether the second VLE design improved learning efficiency as compared to the standard type of VLE design that is commonly used in education. As a secondary objective we provide empirical evidence about the usefulness of PR as a constructivist learning activity which supports non-rote learning. Finally, this paper illustrates that it is possible to introduce a constructivist learning approach in large student populations, based on adequately designed educational technology, without subsuming educational content to technological convenience. Methods Both VLE systems were tested within a two-year quasi-experiment based on a Reliable Nonequivalent Group Design. This approach allowed us to draw valid conclusions about the treatment effect of the changed VLE design, even though the systems were implemented in successive years. The methodological aspects about the experiment's internal validity are explained extensively. Results The effect of the design change is shown to have substantially increased the efficiency of constructivist, computer-assisted learning activities for all cohorts of the student population under investigation. The findings demonstrate that a content–based design outperforms the traditional VLE–based design. PMID:21998652

Do Particular Design Features Assist People with Aphasia to Comprehend Text? An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Lucy; Read, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Background: Much of the evidence underlying guidelines for producing accessible information for people with aphasia focuses on client preference for particular design features. There is limited evidence regarding the effects of these features on comprehension. Aims: To examine the effects of specific design features on text comprehension. It was…

Cellular-automata-based learning network for pattern recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzionas, Panagiotis G.; Tsalides, Phillippos G.; Thanailakis, Adonios

1991-11-01

Most classification techniques either adopt an approach based directly on the statistical characteristics of the pattern classes involved, or they transform the patterns in a feature space and try to separate the point clusters in this space. An alternative approach based on memory networks has been presented, its novelty being that it can be implemented in parallel and it utilizes direct features of the patterns rather than statistical characteristics. This study presents a new approach for pattern classification using pseudo 2-D binary cellular automata (CA). This approach resembles the memory network classifier in the sense that it is based on an adaptive knowledge based formed during a training phase, and also in the fact that both methods utilize pattern features that are directly available. The main advantage of this approach is that the sensitivity of the pattern classifier can be controlled. The proposed pattern classifier has been designed using 1.5 micrometers design rules for an N-well CMOS process. Layout has been achieved using SOLO 1400. Binary pseudo 2-D hybrid additive CA (HACA) is described in the second section of this paper. The third section describes the operation of the pattern classifier and the fourth section presents some possible applications. The VLSI implementation of the pattern classifier is presented in the fifth section and, finally, the sixth section draws conclusions from the results obtained.

Escalator Design Features Evaluation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-05-01

This study provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of several special design features associated with escalators in rail transit systems. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three escalator design features: (1) mat ope...

Automatic Ship Detection in Remote Sensing Images from Google Earth of Complex Scenes Based on Multiscale Rotation Dense Feature Pyramid Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xue; Sun, Hao; Fu, Kun; Yang, Jirui; Sun, Xian; Yan, Menglong; Guo, Zhi

2018-01-01

Ship detection has been playing a significant role in the field of remote sensing for a long time but it is still full of challenges. The main limitations of traditional ship detection methods usually lie in the complexity of application scenarios, the difficulty of intensive object detection and the redundancy of detection region. In order to solve such problems above, we propose a framework called Rotation Dense Feature Pyramid Networks (R-DFPN) which can effectively detect ship in different scenes including ocean and port. Specifically, we put forward the Dense Feature Pyramid Network (DFPN), which is aimed at solving the problem resulted from the narrow width of the ship. Compared with previous multi-scale detectors such as Feature Pyramid Network (FPN), DFPN builds the high-level semantic feature-maps for all scales by means of dense connections, through which enhances the feature propagation and encourages the feature reuse. Additionally, in the case of ship rotation and dense arrangement, we design a rotation anchor strategy to predict the minimum circumscribed rectangle of the object so as to reduce the redundant detection region and improve the recall. Furthermore, we also propose multi-scale ROI Align for the purpose of maintaining the completeness of semantic and spatial information. Experiments based on remote sensing images from Google Earth for ship detection show that our detection method based on R-DFPN representation has a state-of-the-art performance.

Broad-beam high-current dc ion source based on a two-stage glow discharge plasma.

PubMed

Vizir, A V; Oks, E M; Yushkov, G Yu

2010-02-01

We have designed, made, and demonstrated a broad-beam, dc, ion source based on a two-stage, hollow-cathode, and glow discharges plasma. The first-stage discharge (auxiliary discharge) produces electrons that are injected into the cathode cavity of a second-stage discharge (main discharge). The electron injection causes a decrease in the required operating pressure of the main discharge down to 0.05 mTorr and a decrease in required operating voltage down to about 50 V. The decrease in operating voltage of the main discharge leads to a decrease in the fraction of impurity ions in the ion beam extracted from the main gas discharge plasma to less than 0.2%. Another feature of the source is a single-grid accelerating system in which the ion accelerating voltage is applied between the plasma itself and the grid electrode. The source has produced steady-state Ar, O, and N ion beams of about 14 cm diameter and current of more than 2 A at an accelerating voltage of up to 2 kV.

What to Build for Middle-Agers to Come? Attractive and Necessary Functions of Exercise-Promotion Mobile Phone Apps: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Liao, Gen-Yih; Chien, Yu-Tai; Chen, Yu-Jen; Hsiung, Hsiao-Fang; Chen, Hsiao-Jung; Hsieh, Meng-Hua; Wu, Wen-Jie

2017-05-25

Physical activity is important for middle-agers to maintain health both in middle age and in old age. Although thousands of exercise-promotion mobile phone apps are available for download, current literature offers little understanding regarding which design features can enhance middle-aged adults' quality perception toward exercise-promotion apps and which factor may influence such perception. The aims of this study were to understand (1) which design features of exercise-promotion apps can enhance quality perception of middle-agers, (2) whether their needs are matched by current functions offered in app stores, and (3) whether physical activity (PA) and mobile phone self-efficacy (MPSE) influence quality perception. A total of 105 middle-agers participated and filled out three scales: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the MPSE scale, and the need for design features questionnaire. The design features were developed based on the Coventry, Aberdeen, and London-Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy. Following the Kano quality model, the need for design features questionnaire asked participants to classify design features into five categories: attractive, one-dimensional, must-be, indifferent, and reverse. The quality categorization was conducted based on a voting approach and the categorization results were compared with the findings of a prevalence study to realize whether needs match current availability. In total, 52 multinomial logistic regression models were analyzed to evaluate the effects of PA level and MPSE on quality perception of design features. The Kano analysis on the total sample revealed that visual demonstration of exercise instructions is the only attractive design feature, whereas the other 51 design features were perceived with indifference. Although examining quality perception by PA level, 21 features are recommended to low level, 6 features to medium level, but none to high-level PA. In contrast, high-level MPSE is recommended with 14 design features, medium level with 6 features, whereas low-level participants are recommended with 1 feature. The analysis suggests that the implementation of demanded features could be low, as the average prevalence of demanded design features is 20% (4.3/21). Surprisingly, social comparison and social support, most implemented features in current apps, were categorized into the indifferent category. The magnitude of effect is larger for MPSE because it effects quality perception of more design features than PA. Delving into the 52 regression models revealed that high MPSE more likely induces attractive or one- dimensional categorization, suggesting the importance of technological self-efficacy on eHealth care promotion. This study is the first to propose middle-agers' needs in relation to mobile phone exercise-promotion. In addition to the tailor-made recommendations, suggestions are offered to app designers to enhance the performance of persuasive features. An interesting finding on change of quality perception attributed to MPSE is proposed as future research. ©Gen-Yih Liao, Yu-Tai Chien, Yu-Jen Chen, Hsiao-Fang Hsiung, Hsiao-Jung Chen, Meng-Hua Hsieh, Wen-Jie Wu. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 25.05.2017.

Can we measure beauty? Computational evaluation of coral reef aesthetics

PubMed Central

Guibert, Marine; Foerschner, Anja; Co, Tim; Calhoun, Sandi; George, Emma; Hatay, Mark; Dinsdale, Elizabeth; Sandin, Stuart A.; Smith, Jennifer E.; Vermeij, Mark J.A.; Felts, Ben; Dustan, Phillip; Salamon, Peter; Rohwer, Forest

2015-01-01

The natural beauty of coral reefs attracts millions of tourists worldwide resulting in substantial revenues for the adjoining economies. Although their visual appearance is a pivotal factor attracting humans to coral reefs current monitoring protocols exclusively target biogeochemical parameters, neglecting changes in their aesthetic appearance. Here we introduce a standardized computational approach to assess coral reef environments based on 109 visual features designed to evaluate the aesthetic appearance of art. The main feature groups include color intensity and diversity of the image, relative size, color, and distribution of discernable objects within the image, and texture. Specific coral reef aesthetic values combining all 109 features were calibrated against an established biogeochemical assessment (NCEAS) using machine learning algorithms. These values were generated for ∼2,100 random photographic images collected from 9 coral reef locations exposed to varying levels of anthropogenic influence across 2 ocean systems. Aesthetic values proved accurate predictors of the NCEAS scores (root mean square error < 5 for N ≥ 3) and significantly correlated to microbial abundance at each site. This shows that mathematical approaches designed to assess the aesthetic appearance of photographic images can be used as an inexpensive monitoring tool for coral reef ecosystems. It further suggests that human perception of aesthetics is not purely subjective but influenced by inherent reactions towards measurable visual cues. By quantifying aesthetic features of coral reef systems this method provides a cost efficient monitoring tool that targets one of the most important socioeconomic values of coral reefs directly tied to revenue for its local population. PMID:26587350

Light-Regulated Electrochemical Sensor Array for Efficiently Discriminating Hazardous Gases.

PubMed

Liang, Hongqiu; Zhang, Xin; Sun, Huihui; Jin, Han; Zhang, Xiaowei; Jin, Qinghui; Zou, Jie; Haick, Hossam; Jian, Jiawen

2017-10-27

Inadequate detection limit and unsatisfactory discrimination features remain the challenging issues for the widely applied electrochemical gas sensors. Quite recently, we confirmed that light-regulated electrochemical reaction significantly enhanced the electrocatalytic activity, and thereby can potentially extend the detection limit to the parts per billion (ppb) level. Nevertheless, impact of the light-regulated electrochemical reaction on response selectivity has been discussed less. Herein, we systematically report on the effect of illumination on discrimination features via design and fabrication of a light-regulated electrochemical sensor array. Upon illumination (light on), response signal to the examined gases (C 3 H 6 , NO, and CO) is selectively enhanced, resulting in the sensor array demonstrating disparate response patterns when compared with that of the sensor array operated at light off. Through processing all the response patterns derived from both light on and light off with a pattern recognition algorithm, a satisfactory discrimination feature is observed. In contrast, apparent mutual interference between NO and CO is found when the sensor array is solely operated without illumination. The impact mechanism of the illumination is studied and it is deduced that the effect of the illumination on the discriminating features can be mainly attributed to the competition of electrocatalytic activity and gas-phase reactivity. If the enhanced electrocatalytic activity (to specific gas) dominates the whole sensing progress, enhancements in the corresponding response signal would be observed upon illumination. Otherwise, illumination gives a negligible impact. Hence, the response signal to part of the examined gases is selectively enhanced by illumination. Conclusively, light-regulated electrochemical reaction would provide an efficient approach to designing future smart sensing devices.

Product information representation for feature conversion and implementation of group technology automated coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medland, A. J.; Zhu, Guowang; Gao, Jian; Sun, Jian

1996-03-01

Feature conversion, also called feature transformation and feature mapping, is defined as the process of converting features from one view of an object to another view of the object. In a relatively simple implementation, for each application the design features are automatically converted into features specific for that application. All modifications have to be made via the design features. This is the approach that has attracted most attention until now. In the ideal situation, however, conversions directly from application views to the design view, and to other applications views, are also possible. In this paper, some difficulties faced in feature conversion are discussed. A new representation scheme of feature-based parts models has been proposed for the purpose of one-way feature conversion. The parts models consist of five different levels of abstraction, extending from an assembly level and its attributes, single parts and their attributes, single features and their attributes, one containing the geometric reference element and finally one for detailed geometry. One implementation of feature conversion for rotational components within GT (Group Technology) has already been undertaken using an automated coding procedure operating on a design-feature database. This database has been generated by a feature-based design system, and the GT coding scheme used in this paper is a specific scheme created for a textile machine manufacturing plant. Such feature conversion techniques presented here are only in their early stages of development and further research is underway.

A hybrid feature selection approach for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallego-Jutglà, Esteve; Solé-Casals, Jordi; Vialatte, François-Benoît; Elgendi, Mohamed; Cichocki, Andrzej; Dauwels, Justin

2015-02-01

Objective. Recently, significant advances have been made in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from electroencephalography (EEG). However, choosing suitable measures is a challenging task. Among other measures, frequency relative power (RP) and loss of complexity have been used with promising results. In the present study we investigate the early diagnosis of AD using synchrony measures and frequency RP on EEG signals, examining the changes found in different frequency ranges. Approach. We first explore the use of a single feature for computing the classification rate (CR), looking for the best frequency range. Then, we present a multiple feature classification system that outperforms all previous results using a feature selection strategy. These two approaches are tested in two different databases, one containing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy subjects (patients age: 71.9 ± 10.2, healthy subjects age: 71.7 ± 8.3), and the other containing Mild AD and healthy subjects (patients age: 77.6 ± 10.0 healthy subjects age: 69.4 ± 11.5). Main results. Using a single feature to compute CRs we achieve a performance of 78.33% for the MCI data set and of 97.56% for Mild AD. Results are clearly improved using the multiple feature classification, where a CR of 95% is found for the MCI data set using 11 features, and 100% for the Mild AD data set using four features. Significance. The new features selection method described in this work may be a reliable tool that could help to design a realistic system that does not require prior knowledge of a patient's status. With that aim, we explore the standardization of features for MCI and Mild AD data sets with promising results.

Architectural evaluation of dynamic and partial reconfigurable systems designed with DREAMS tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otero, Andrés.; Gallego, Ángel; de la Torre, Eduardo; Riesgo, Teresa

2013-05-01

Benefits of dynamic and partial reconfigurable systems are increasingly being more accepted by the industry. For this reason, SRAM-based FPGA manufacturers have improved, or even included for the first time, the support they offer for the design of this kind of systems. However, commercial tools still offer a poor flexibility, which leads to a limited efficiency. This is witnessed by the overhead introduced by the communication primitives, as well as by the inability to relocate reconfigurable modules, among others. For this reason, authors have proposed an academic design tool called DREAMS, which targets the design of dynamically reconfigurable systems. In this paper, main features offered by DREAMS are described, comparing them with existing commercial and academic tools. Moreover, a graphic user interface (GUI) is originally described in this work, with the aim of simplifying the design process, as well as to hide the low level device dependent details to the system designer. The overall goal is to increase the designer productivity. Using the graphic interface, different reconfigurable architectures are provided as design examples. Among them, both conventional slot-based architectures and mesh type designs have been included.

Main Road Extraction from ZY-3 Grayscale Imagery Based on Directional Mathematical Morphology and VGI Prior Knowledge in Urban Areas

PubMed Central

Liu, Bo; Wu, Huayi; Wang, Yandong; Liu, Wenming

2015-01-01

Main road features extracted from remotely sensed imagery play an important role in many civilian and military applications, such as updating Geographic Information System (GIS) databases, urban structure analysis, spatial data matching and road navigation. Current methods for road feature extraction from high-resolution imagery are typically based on threshold value segmentation. It is difficult however, to completely separate road features from the background. We present a new method for extracting main roads from high-resolution grayscale imagery based on directional mathematical morphology and prior knowledge obtained from the Volunteered Geographic Information found in the OpenStreetMap. The two salient steps in this strategy are: (1) using directional mathematical morphology to enhance the contrast between roads and non-roads; (2) using OpenStreetMap roads as prior knowledge to segment the remotely sensed imagery. Experiments were conducted on two ZiYuan-3 images and one QuickBird high-resolution grayscale image to compare our proposed method to other commonly used techniques for road feature extraction. The results demonstrated the validity and better performance of the proposed method for urban main road feature extraction. PMID:26397832

Hardware Development and Locomotion Control Strategy for an Over-Ground Gait Trainer: NaTUre-Gaits.

PubMed

Luu, Trieu Phat; Low, Kin Huat; Qu, Xingda; Lim, Hup Boon; Hoon, Kay Hiang

2014-01-01

Therapist-assisted body weight supported (TABWS) gait rehabilitation was introduced two decades ago. The benefit of TABWS in functional recovery of walking in spinal cord injury and stroke patients has been demonstrated and reported. However, shortage of therapists, labor-intensiveness, and short duration of training are some limitations of this approach. To overcome these deficiencies, robotic-assisted gait rehabilitation systems have been suggested. These systems have gained attentions from researchers and clinical practitioner in recent years. To achieve the same objective, an over-ground gait rehabilitation system, NaTUre-gaits, was developed at the Nanyang Technological University. The design was based on a clinical approach to provide four main features, which are pelvic motion, body weight support, over-ground walking experience, and lower limb assistance. These features can be achieved by three main modules of NaTUre-gaits: 1) pelvic assistance mechanism, mobile platform, and robotic orthosis. Predefined gait patterns are required for a robotic assisted system to follow. In this paper, the gait pattern planning for NaTUre-gaits was accomplished by an individual-specific gait pattern prediction model. The model generates gait patterns that resemble natural gait patterns of the targeted subjects. The features of NaTUre-gaits have been demonstrated by walking trials with several subjects. The trials have been evaluated by therapists and doctors. The results show that 10-m walking trial with a reduction in manpower. The task-specific repetitive training approach and natural walking gait patterns were also successfully achieved.

Multifeature-based high-resolution palmprint recognition.

PubMed

Dai, Jifeng; Zhou, Jie

2011-05-01

Palmprint is a promising biometric feature for use in access control and forensic applications. Previous research on palmprint recognition mainly concentrates on low-resolution (about 100 ppi) palmprints. But for high-security applications (e.g., forensic usage), high-resolution palmprints (500 ppi or higher) are required from which more useful information can be extracted. In this paper, we propose a novel recognition algorithm for high-resolution palmprint. The main contributions of the proposed algorithm include the following: 1) use of multiple features, namely, minutiae, density, orientation, and principal lines, for palmprint recognition to significantly improve the matching performance of the conventional algorithm. 2) Design of a quality-based and adaptive orientation field estimation algorithm which performs better than the existing algorithm in case of regions with a large number of creases. 3) Use of a novel fusion scheme for an identification application which performs better than conventional fusion methods, e.g., weighted sum rule, SVMs, or Neyman-Pearson rule. Besides, we analyze the discriminative power of different feature combinations and find that density is very useful for palmprint recognition. Experimental results on the database containing 14,576 full palmprints show that the proposed algorithm has achieved a good performance. In the case of verification, the recognition system's False Rejection Rate (FRR) is 16 percent, which is 17 percent lower than the best existing algorithm at a False Acceptance Rate (FAR) of 10(-5), while in the identification experiment, the rank-1 live-scan partial palmprint recognition rate is improved from 82.0 to 91.7 percent.

Hardware Development and Locomotion Control Strategy for an Over-Ground Gait Trainer: NaTUre-Gaits

PubMed Central

Low, Kin Huat; Qu, Xingda; Lim, Hup Boon; Hoon, Kay Hiang

2014-01-01

Therapist-assisted body weight supported (TABWS) gait rehabilitation was introduced two decades ago. The benefit of TABWS in functional recovery of walking in spinal cord injury and stroke patients has been demonstrated and reported. However, shortage of therapists, labor-intensiveness, and short duration of training are some limitations of this approach. To overcome these deficiencies, robotic-assisted gait rehabilitation systems have been suggested. These systems have gained attentions from researchers and clinical practitioner in recent years. To achieve the same objective, an over-ground gait rehabilitation system, NaTUre-gaits, was developed at the Nanyang Technological University. The design was based on a clinical approach to provide four main features, which are pelvic motion, body weight support, over-ground walking experience, and lower limb assistance. These features can be achieved by three main modules of NaTUre-gaits: 1) pelvic assistance mechanism, mobile platform, and robotic orthosis. Predefined gait patterns are required for a robotic assisted system to follow. In this paper, the gait pattern planning for NaTUre-gaits was accomplished by an individual-specific gait pattern prediction model. The model generates gait patterns that resemble natural gait patterns of the targeted subjects. The features of NaTUre-gaits have been demonstrated by walking trials with several subjects. The trials have been evaluated by therapists and doctors. The results show that 10-m walking trial with a reduction in manpower. The task-specific repetitive training approach and natural walking gait patterns were also successfully achieved. PMID:27170876

Increasing dimension of structures by 4D printing shape memory polymers via fused deposition modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, G. F.; Damanpack, A. R.; Bodaghi, M.; Liao, W. H.

2017-12-01

The main objective of this paper is to introduce a 4D printing method to program shape memory polymers (SMPs) during fabrication process. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) as a filament-based printing method is employed to program SMPs during depositing the material. This method is implemented to fabricate complicated polymeric structures by self-bending features without need of any post-programming. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate feasibility of one-dimensional (1D)-to 2D and 2D-to-3D self-bending. It is shown that 3D printed plate structures can transform into masonry-inspired 3D curved shell structures by simply heating. Good reliability of SMP programming during printing process is also demonstrated. A 3D macroscopic constitutive model is established to simulate thermo-mechanical features of the printed SMPs. Governing equations are also derived to simulate programming mechanism during printing process and shape change of self-bending structures. In this respect, a finite element formulation is developed considering von-Kármán geometric nonlinearity and solved by implementing iterative Newton-Raphson scheme. The accuracy of the computational approach is checked with experimental results. It is demonstrated that the theoretical model is able to replicate the main characteristics observed in the experiments. This research is likely to advance the state of the art FDM 4D printing, and provide pertinent results and computational tool that are instrumental in design of smart materials and structures with self-bending features.

Finite element analysis of high aspect ratio wind tunnel wing model: A parametric study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosly, N. A.; Harmin, M. Y.

2017-12-01

Procedure for designing the wind tunnel model of a high aspect ratio (HAR) wing containing geometric nonlinearities is described in this paper. The design process begins with identification of basic features of the HAR wing as well as its design constraints. This enables the design space to be narrowed down and consequently, brings ease of convergence towards the design solution. Parametric studies in terms of the spar thickness, the span length and the store diameter are performed using finite element analysis for both undeformed and deformed cases, which respectively demonstrate the linear and nonlinear conditions. Two main criteria are accounted for in the selection of the wing design: the static deflections due to gravitational loading should be within the allowable margin of the size of the wind tunnel test section and the flutter speed of the wing should be much below the maximum speed of the wind tunnel. The findings show that the wing experiences a stiffness hardening effect under the nonlinear static solution and the presence of the store enables significant reduction in linear flutter speed.

The practical application of adaptive study design in early phase clinical trials: a retrospective analysis of time savings.

PubMed

Lorch, U; Berelowitz, K; Ozen, C; Naseem, A; Akuffo, E; Taubel, J

2012-05-01

The interest in adaptive study design is evident from the growing amount of clinical research employing this model in the mid to later stages of medicines development. Little has been published on the practical application and merits of adaptive study design in early phase clinical research. This paper describes a retrospective analysis performed on a sample of 29 industry lead adaptive early phase studies commencing between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010 in a clinical trials unit in London, England. All studies containing at least one adaptive feature in the original protocol were included in the analysis. The scope of the analysis was to assess whether the use of adaptive study designs provided tangible benefits over the use of conventional study designs using time savings as the main measure. We conclude that the use of adaptive study design saves time in early phase research programs. This is achieved by abolishing the need for substantial amendments or by mitigating their impact on timelines and by using adaptive scheduling efficiencies.

Designing of routing algorithms in autonomous distributed data transmission system for mobile computing devices with ‘WiFi-Direct’ technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikitin, I. A.; Sherstnev, V. S.; Sherstneva, A. I.; Botygin, I. A.

2017-02-01

The results of the research of existent routing protocols in wireless networks and their main features are discussed in the paper. Basing on the protocol data, the routing protocols in wireless networks, including search routing algorithms and phone directory exchange algorithms, are designed with the ‘WiFi-Direct’ technology. Algorithms without IP-protocol were designed, and that enabled one to increase the efficiency of the algorithms while working only with the MAC-addresses of the devices. The developed algorithms are expected to be used in the mobile software engineering with the Android platform taken as base. Easier algorithms and formats of the well-known route protocols, rejection of the IP-protocols enables to use the developed protocols on more primitive mobile devices. Implementation of the protocols to the engineering industry enables to create data transmission networks among working places and mobile robots without any access points.

Electronic structure robustness and design rules for 2D colloidal heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Audrey; Livache, Clément; Ithurria, Sandrine; Lhuillier, Emmanuel

2018-01-01

Among the colloidal quantum dots, 2D nanoplatelets present exceptionally narrow optical features. Rationalizing the design of heterostructures of these objects is of utmost interest; however, very little work has been focused on the investigation of their electronic properties. This work is organized into two main parts. In the first part, we use 1D solving of the Schrödinger equation to extract the effective masses for nanoplatelets (NPLs) of CdSe, CdS, and CdTe and the valence band offset for NPL core/shell of CdSe/CdS. In the second part, using the determined parameters, we quantize how the spectra of the CdSe/CdS heterostructure get affected by (i) the application of an electric field and (ii) by the presence of a dull interface. We also propose design strategies to make the heterostructure even more robust.

[Radiotherapy phase I trials' methodology: Features].

PubMed

Rivoirard, R; Vallard, A; Langrand-Escure, J; Guy, J-B; Ben Mrad, M; Yaoxiong, X; Diao, P; Méry, B; Pigne, G; Rancoule, C; Magné, N

2016-12-01

In clinical research, biostatistical methods allow the rigorous analysis of data collection and should be defined from the trial design to obtain the appropriate experimental approach. Thus, if the main purpose of phase I is to determine the dose to use during phase II, methodology should be finely adjusted to experimental treatment(s). Today, the methodology for chemotherapy and targeted therapy is well known. For radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy phase I trials, the primary endpoint must reflect both effectiveness and potential treatment toxicities. Methodology should probably be complex to limit failures in the following phases. However, there are very few data about methodology design in the literature. The present study focuses on these particular trials and their characteristics. It should help to raise existing methodological patterns shortcomings in order to propose new and better-suited designs. Copyright © 2016 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

A high-speed digital signal processor for atmospheric radar, part 7.3A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brosnahan, J. W.; Woodard, D. M.

1984-01-01

The Model SP-320 device is a monolithic realization of a complex general purpose signal processor, incorporating such features as a 32-bit ALU, a 16-bit x 16-bit combinatorial multiplier, and a 16-bit barrel shifter. The SP-320 is designed to operate as a slave processor to a host general purpose computer in applications such as coherent integration of a radar return signal in multiple ranges, or dedicated FFT processing. Presently available is an I/O module conforming to the Intel Multichannel interface standard; other I/O modules will be designed to meet specific user requirements. The main processor board includes input and output FIFO (First In First Out) memories, both with depths of 4096 W, to permit asynchronous operation between the source of data and the host computer. This design permits burst data rates in excess of 5 MW/s.

Designing a mathematical model for integrating dynamic cellular manufacturing into supply chain system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aalaei, Amin; Davoudpour, Hamid

2012-11-01

This article presents designing a new mathematical model for integrating dynamic cellular manufacturing into supply chain system with an extensive coverage of important manufacturing features consideration of multiple plants location, multi-markets allocation, multi-period planning horizons with demand and part mix variation, machine capacity, and the main constraints are demand of markets satisfaction in each period, machine availability, machine time-capacity, worker assignment, available time of worker, production volume for each plant and the amounts allocated to each market. The aim of the proposed model is to minimize holding and outsourcing costs, inter-cell material handling cost, external transportation cost, procurement & maintenance and overhead cost of machines, setup cost, reconfiguration cost of machines installation and removal, hiring, firing and salary worker costs. Aimed to prove the potential benefits of such a design, presented an example is shown using a proposed model.

A novel content-based medical image retrieval method based on query topic dependent image features (QTDIF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Wei; Qiu, Bo; Tian, Qi; Mueller, Henning; Xu, Changsheng

2005-04-01

Medical image retrieval is still mainly a research domain with a large variety of applications and techniques. With the ImageCLEF 2004 benchmark, an evaluation framework has been created that includes a database, query topics and ground truth data. Eleven systems (with a total of more than 50 runs) compared their performance in various configurations. The results show that there is not any one feature that performs well on all query tasks. Key to successful retrieval is rather the selection of features and feature weights based on a specific set of input features, thus on the query task. In this paper we propose a novel method based on query topic dependent image features (QTDIF) for content-based medical image retrieval. These feature sets are designed to capture both inter-category and intra-category statistical variations to achieve good retrieval performance in terms of recall and precision. We have used Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) and blob representation to model medical images and construct the proposed novel QTDIF for CBIR. Finally, trained multi-class support vector machines (SVM) are used for image similarity ranking. The proposed methods have been tested over the Casimage database with around 9000 images, for the given 26 image topics, used for imageCLEF 2004. The retrieval performance has been compared with the medGIFT system, which is based on the GNU Image Finding Tool (GIFT). The experimental results show that the proposed QTDIF-based CBIR can provide significantly better performance than systems based general features only.

Design of Backpack to Aid Elderly for the Mazu Touring Procession in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, F. L.; Huang, Y. C.; Su, J. Y.; Sun, C. L.; Chen, C. C.

2017-09-01

The Dajia Mazu Touring Procession is a 9-day long religious event held annually. However, for the elderly participants, it is a big burden especially in regards to physical strength. The goal of designing backpack is to reduce the physiological stress of elderly during the procession. Firstly, physical parameters were measured to explore the dimension parameters by testing. The height of the chair is different from that of the kneeling pad; a smooth curve was chosen to coordinate the two as the main outline of the backpack. Secondly, material selections based on following limits were considered: (1) acceptable weight and size, (2) intermediate price and (3) a design that is fitting to the Dajia event. The material and structural strength were evaluated for wood, bamboo, stainless steel. Two design concept were proposed, wood is selected for construction and testing by users. The texture of the backpack is Rush grass, it was built successfully to cover the backpack’s external surface to meet local culture features.

FPGA design for constrained energy minimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianwei; Chang, Chein-I.; Cao, Mang

2004-02-01

The Constrained Energy Minimization (CEM) has been widely used for hyperspectral detection and classification. The feasibility of implementing the CEM as a real-time processing algorithm in systolic arrays has been also demonstrated. The main challenge of realizing the CEM in hardware architecture in the computation of the inverse of the data correlation matrix performed in the CEM, which requires a complete set of data samples. In order to cope with this problem, the data correlation matrix must be calculated in a causal manner which only needs data samples up to the sample at the time it is processed. This paper presents a Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) design of such a causal CEM. The main feature of the proposed FPGA design is to use the Coordinate Rotation DIgital Computer (CORDIC) algorithm that can convert a Givens rotation of a vector to a set of shift-add operations. As a result, the CORDIC algorithm can be easily implemented in hardware architecture, therefore in FPGA. Since the computation of the inverse of the data correlction involves a series of Givens rotations, the utility of the CORDIC algorithm allows the causal CEM to perform real-time processing in FPGA. In this paper, an FPGA implementation of the causal CEM will be studied and its detailed architecture will be also described.

A History of Welding on the Space Shuttle Main Engine (1975 to 2010)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, Frank R.; Russell, Carolyn K.

2010-01-01

The Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is a high performance, throttleable, liquid hydrogen fueled rocket engine. High thrust and specific impulse (Isp) are achieved through a staged combustion engine cycle, combined with high combustion pressure (approx.3000psi) generated by the two-stage pump and combustion process. The SSME is continuously throttleable from 67% to 109% of design thrust level. The design criteria for this engine maximize performance and weight, resulting in a 7,800 pound rocket engine that produces over a half million pounds of thrust in vacuum with a specific impulse of 452/sec. It is the most reliable rocket engine in the world, accumulating over one million seconds of hot-fire time and achieving 100% flight success in the Space Shuttle program. A rocket engine with the unique combination of high reliability, performance, and reusability comes at the expense of manufacturing simplicity. Several innovative design features and fabrication techniques are unique to this engine. This is as true for welding as any other manufacturing process. For many of the weld joints it seemed mean cheating physics and metallurgy to meet the requirements. This paper will present a history of the welding used to produce the world s highest performance throttleable rocket engine.

Framework for a space shuttle main engine health monitoring system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawman, Michael W.; Galinaitis, William S.; Tulpule, Sharayu; Mattedi, Anita K.; Kamenetz, Jeffrey

1990-01-01

A framework developed for a health management system (HMS) which is directed at improving the safety of operation of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is summarized. An emphasis was placed on near term technology through requirements to use existing SSME instrumentation and to demonstrate the HMS during SSME ground tests within five years. The HMS framework was developed through an analysis of SSME failure modes, fault detection algorithms, sensor technologies, and hardware architectures. A key feature of the HMS framework design is that a clear path from the ground test system to a flight HMS was maintained. Fault detection techniques based on time series, nonlinear regression, and clustering algorithms were developed and demonstrated on data from SSME ground test failures. The fault detection algorithms exhibited 100 percent detection of faults, had an extremely low false alarm rate, and were robust to sensor loss. These algorithms were incorporated into a hierarchical decision making strategy for overall assessment of SSME health. A preliminary design for a hardware architecture capable of supporting real time operation of the HMS functions was developed. Utilizing modular, commercial off-the-shelf components produced a reliable low cost design with the flexibility to incorporate advances in algorithm and sensor technology as they become available.

Designing attractive gamification features for collaborative storytelling websites.

PubMed

Hsu, Shang Hwa; Chang, Jen-Wei; Lee, Chun-Chia

2013-06-01

Gamification design is considered as the predictor of collaborative storytelling websites' success. Although aforementioned studies have mentioned a broad range of factors that may influence gamification, they neither depicted the actual design features nor relative attractiveness among them. This study aims to identify attractive gamification features for collaborative storytelling websites. We first constructed a hierarchical system structure of gamification design of collaborative storytelling websites and conducted a focus group interview with eighteen frequent users to identify 35gamification features. After that, this study determined the relative attractiveness of these gamification features by administrating an online survey to 6333 collaborative storytelling websites users. The results indicated that the top 10 most attractive gamification features could account for more than 50% of attractiveness among these 35 gamification features. The feature of unpredictable time pressure is important to website users, yet not revealed in previous relevant studies. Implications of the findings were discussed.

Toward Eco Product Development with Qualitative and CAE Design Process - Case Study of Flame Guiding Module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, W. L.; Chao, F. L.

2018-04-01

Sustainable products become increasingly important for company in addressing eco-performance to satisfy global environmental regulations. Case study of flame guiding module reviewed design process and concerns related to the torch design. For enhancing flame height, the torch was embedded with an airflow guidance structure. The design process and design methodologies were investigated as an eco-design case study. Combine qualitative and CAE simulation were proposed to fulfil its main and auxiliary functions including reduction of impact during use. The design guidelines help prevent mistake arrangements, CAE helps understand combustion phenomenon. The flow field simulation enables fine tune of geometric design. Functional test and measurement are carried out to confirm the product features. On Eco-performance, we choose 5 items for evaluation the status of previous and redesign module, namely function need, low impact material, few manufacturing steps, low energy consumption, and safety. The radar diagram indicates that eco-performance of redesign module is better. Life cycle assessment calculated the carbon footprint of the manufacturing and processing stage with Eco-it. By using recycled steel in the flame module, it reduces raw material stage carbon footprint significantly.

System results from FRECOPA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Durin, Christian; Berthoud, Lucinda; Mandeville, Jean-Claude

1995-01-01

The work carried out over the past three years on FRECOPA and the LDEF has enabled a large quantity of information to be collected, part of which has already been exploited. As far as CNES is concerned, the major spin-offs of this mission mainly focus on the orbital environment and the behavior of materials in such an environment. With respect to the environment, the authors shall develop the lessons learned from expert appraisals on impacts by microparticles, which are the main feature observed in this area. As for the materials, the results show a variety of behavior when subjected to the space environment and even now constitute a wealth of information for the designing and validation of future mechanical systems. Apart from these direct spin-offs, there are repercussions on in-flight and ground testing, the calibration of test benches and improvements to simulation models.

Study on process design of partially-balanced, hydraulically lifting vertical ship lift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Shen; Xiaofeng, Xu; Lu, Zhang; Bing, Zhu; Fei, Li

2017-11-01

The hub ship lift in Panjin is the first navigation structure in China for the link between the inland and open seas, which adopts a novel partially-balanced, hydraulically lifting ship lift; it can meet such requirements as fast and sharp water level change in open sea, large draft of a yacht, and launching of a ship reception chamber; its balancing weight system can effectively reduce the load of the primary lifting cylinder, and optimize the force distribution of the ship reception chamber. The paper provides an introduction to main equipment, basic principles, main features and system composition of a ship lift. The unique power system and balancing system of the completed ship lift has offered some experience for the construction of the tourism-type ship lifts with a lower lifting height.

Framework for a clinical information system.

PubMed

Van de Velde, R

2000-01-01

The current status of our work towards the design and implementation of a reference architecture for a Clinical Information System is presented. This architecture has been developed and implemented based on components following a strong underlying conceptual and technological model. Common Object Request Broker and n-tier technology featuring centralised and departmental clinical information systems as the back-end store for all clinical data are used. Servers located in the 'middle' tier apply the clinical (business) model and application rules to communicate with so-called 'thin client' workstations. The main characteristics are the focus on modelling and reuse of both data and business logic as there is a shift away from data and functional modelling towards object modelling. Scalability as well as adaptability to constantly changing requirements via component driven computing are the main reasons for that approach.

The LHC magnet system and its status of development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bona, Maurizio; Perin, Romeo; Vlogaert, Jos

1995-01-01

CERN is preparing for the construction of a new high energy accelerator/collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This new facility will mainly consist of two superconducting magnetic beam channels, 27 km long, to be installed in the existing LEP tunnel. The magnetic system comprises about 1200 twin-aperture dipoles, 13.145 m long, with an operational field of 8.65 T, about 600 quadrupoles, 3 m long, and a very large number of other superconducting magnetic components. A general description of the system is given together with the main features of the design of the regular lattice magnets. The paper also describes the present state of the magnet R & D program. Results from short model work, as well as from full scale prototypes will be presented, including the recently tested 10 m long full-scale prototype dipole manufactured in industry.

75 FR 2434 - Special Conditions: Boeing Model 747-8/-8F Series Airplanes; Design Roll Maneuver Requirement

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-15

... have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the... standards. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the... 747-8/-8F because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the...

Cytological features of "noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features" and their correlation with tumor histology.

PubMed

Maletta, Francesca; Massa, Federica; Torregrossa, Liborio; Duregon, Eleonora; Casadei, Gian Piero; Basolo, Fulvio; Tallini, Giovanni; Volante, Marco; Nikiforov, Yuri E; Papotti, Mauro

2016-08-01

Among thyroid papillary carcinomas (PTCs), the follicular variant is the most common and includes encapsulated forms (EFVPTCs). Noninvasive EFVPTCs have very low risk of recurrence or other adverse events and have been recently proposed to be designated as noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features or NIFTP, thus eliminating the term carcinoma. This proposal is expected to significantly impact the risk of malignancy associated with the currently used diagnostic categories of thyroid cytology. In this study, we analyzed the fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) cytology features of 96 histologically proven NIFTPs and determined how the main nuclear features of NIFTP correlate between cytological and histological samples. Blind review of FNAB cytology from NIFTP nodules yielded the diagnosis of "follicular neoplasm" (Bethesda category IV) in 56% of cases, "suspicious for malignancy" (category V) in 27%, "atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance" (category III) in 15%, and "malignant" (category VI) in 2%. We found good correlation (κ=0.62) of nuclear features between histological and cytological specimens. NIFTP nuclear features (size, irregularities of contours, and chromatin clearing) were significantly different from those of benign nodules but not from those of invasive EFVPTC. Our data indicate that most of the NIFTP nodules yield an indeterminate cytological diagnosis in FNAB cytology and nuclear features found in cytology samples are reproducibly identified in corresponding histology samples. Because of the overlapping nuclear features with invasive EFVPTC, NIFTP cannot be reliably diagnosed preoperatively but should be listed in differential diagnosis of all indeterminate categories of thyroid cytology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Constitutive Relationship between Fatigue Limit and Microstructure in Nanostructured Bainitic Steels

PubMed Central

Mueller, Inga; Rementeria, Rosalia; Caballero, Francisca G.; Kuntz, Matthias; Sourmail, Thomas; Kerscher, Eberhard

2016-01-01

The recently developed nanobainitic steels show high strength as well as high ductility. Although this combination seems to be promising for fatigue design, fatigue properties of nanostructured bainitic steels are often surprisingly low. To improve the fatigue behavior, an understanding of the correlation between the nanobainitic microstructure and the fatigue limit is fundamental. Therefore, our hypothesis to predict the fatigue limit was that the main function of the microstructure is not necessarily totally avoiding the initiation of a fatigue crack, but the microstructure has to increase the ability to decelerate or to stop a growing fatigue crack. Thus, the key to understanding the fatigue behavior of nanostructured bainite is to understand the role of the microstructural features that could act as barriers for growing fatigue cracks. To prove this hypothesis, we carried out fatigue tests, crack growth experiments, and correlated these results to the size of microstructural features gained from microstructural analysis by light optical microscope and EBSD-measurements. Finally, we were able to identify microstructural features that influence the fatigue crack growth and the fatigue limit of nanostructured bainitic steels. PMID:28773953

Localizing text in scene images by boundary clustering, stroke segmentation, and string fragment classification.

PubMed

Yi, Chucai; Tian, Yingli

2012-09-01

In this paper, we propose a novel framework to extract text regions from scene images with complex backgrounds and multiple text appearances. This framework consists of three main steps: boundary clustering (BC), stroke segmentation, and string fragment classification. In BC, we propose a new bigram-color-uniformity-based method to model both text and attachment surface, and cluster edge pixels based on color pairs and spatial positions into boundary layers. Then, stroke segmentation is performed at each boundary layer by color assignment to extract character candidates. We propose two algorithms to combine the structural analysis of text stroke with color assignment and filter out background interferences. Further, we design a robust string fragment classification based on Gabor-based text features. The features are obtained from feature maps of gradient, stroke distribution, and stroke width. The proposed framework of text localization is evaluated on scene images, born-digital images, broadcast video images, and images of handheld objects captured by blind persons. Experimental results on respective datasets demonstrate that the framework outperforms state-of-the-art localization algorithms.

Wireless medical sensor networks: design requirements and enabling technologies.

PubMed

Vallejos de Schatz, Cecilia H; Medeiros, Henry Ponti; Schneider, Fabio K; Abatti, Paulo J

2012-06-01

This article analyzes wireless communication protocols that could be used in healthcare environments (e.g., hospitals and small clinics) to transfer real-time medical information obtained from noninvasive sensors. For this purpose the features of the three currently most widely used protocols-namely, Bluetooth(®) (IEEE 802.15.1), ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4), and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11)-are evaluated and compared. The important features under consideration include data bandwidth, frequency band, maximum transmission distance, encryption and authentication methods, power consumption, and current applications. In addition, an overview of network requirements with respect to medical sensor features, patient safety and patient data privacy, quality of service, and interoperability between other sensors is briefly presented. Sensor power consumption is also discussed because it is considered one of the main obstacles for wider adoption of wireless networks in medical applications. The outcome of this assessment will be a useful tool in the hands of biomedical engineering researchers. It will provide parameters to select the most effective combination of protocols to implement a specific wireless network of noninvasive medical sensors to monitor patients remotely in the hospital or at home.

Towards the Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Providing Sustainable Services in Smart Cities

PubMed Central

Conejero, José M.; Rodríguez-Echeverría, Roberto

2017-01-01

Sustainability is at the heart of many application fields where the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) is becoming more and more important (e.g., agriculture, fire detection and prediction, environmental surveillance, mapping, etc.). However, their usage and evolution are highly conditioned by the specific application field they are designed for, and thus, they cannot be easily reused among different application fields. From this point of view, being that they are not multipurpose, we can say that they are not fully sustainable. Bearing this in mind, the objective of this paper is two-fold: on the one hand, to identify the whole set of features that must be provided by a UAS to be considered sustainable and to show that there is no UAS satisfying all these features; on the other hand, to present an open and sustainable UAS architecture that may be used to build UAS on demand to provide the features needed in each application field. Since this architecture is mainly based on software and hardware adaptability, it contributes to the technical sustainability of cities. PMID:29280984

Towards the Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Providing Sustainable Services in Smart Cities.

PubMed

Moguel, Enrique; Conejero, José M; Sánchez-Figueroa, Fernando; Hernández, Juan; Preciado, Juan C; Rodríguez-Echeverría, Roberto

2017-12-27

Sustainability is at the heart of many application fields where the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) is becoming more and more important (e.g., agriculture, fire detection and prediction, environmental surveillance, mapping, etc.). However, their usage and evolution are highly conditioned by the specific application field they are designed for, and thus, they cannot be easily reused among different application fields. From this point of view, being that they are not multipurpose, we can say that they are not fully sustainable. Bearing this in mind, the objective of this paper is two-fold: on the one hand, to identify the whole set of features that must be provided by a UAS to be considered sustainable and to show that there is no UAS satisfying all these features; on the other hand, to present an open and sustainable UAS architecture that may be used to build UAS on demand to provide the features needed in each application field. Since this architecture is mainly based on software and hardware adaptability, it contributes to the technical sustainability of cities.

Engineering aspects of the HT-6M Tokamak

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

Not Available

1986-05-01

The HT-6M is a medium-sized tokamak being built in China. The principal aim of the project is to study high-power auxiliary heating (1-MW neutral beam injection, 1-MW ion cyclotron resonance heating, and 100-kW electron cyclotron resonance heating), high-..beta.. experiments, the transport process, and the formation and diffusion process of impurities. The main device parameters are: major plasma radius R = 65 cm, minor plasma radius a = 20 cm, plasma current I/subP/ = 150 kA, discharge time tau = 150 ms, toroidal field B/subT/ = 15 kG. Simplicity of construction, accessibility to the plasma, reliability in operation, and convenience formore » maintenance were particularly emphasized in the design. The important design features of the device and power supply system are described.« less

Spool pieces at the SSCL

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

Clayton, T.; Cai, Y.; Smellie, R.

1993-05-01

The basic features of the Superconducting Super Collider lattice are the two beamlines formed by superconducting dipoles (7736) and quadrupoles (1564). The dipoles constraint two 20 TeV proton beams into counterrotating closed orbits of 86.2 km. The quadrupoles (FODO) require cryogenic cooling the LHe temperatures. This requirement isolates the main magnets from the outside world. The interface required, the spool, is a crucial component of superconducting lattice design and machine operation. There are over 1588 spools in the Super Collider. We present hear SSCL spool designs which consist of (1) housing for superconducting closed orbit and multipole correction magnets, (2)more » cryogenic function, magnet quench protection, system power, and instrumentation interfaces, and (3) cold to warm transitions for ware magnet and warm instrumentation drift spaces.« less

Automatic detection of protected health information from clinic narratives.

PubMed

Yang, Hui; Garibaldi, Jonathan M

2015-12-01

This paper presents a natural language processing (NLP) system that was designed to participate in the 2014 i2b2 de-identification challenge. The challenge task aims to identify and classify seven main Protected Health Information (PHI) categories and 25 associated sub-categories. A hybrid model was proposed which combines machine learning techniques with keyword-based and rule-based approaches to deal with the complexity inherent in PHI categories. Our proposed approaches exploit a rich set of linguistic features, both syntactic and word surface-oriented, which are further enriched by task-specific features and regular expression template patterns to characterize the semantics of various PHI categories. Our system achieved promising accuracy on the challenge test data with an overall micro-averaged F-measure of 93.6%, which was the winner of this de-identification challenge. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Image detection and compression for memory efficient system analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayraktar, Mustafa

2015-02-01

The advances in digital signal processing have been progressing towards efficient use of memory and processing. Both of these factors can be utilized efficiently by using feasible techniques of image storage by computing the minimum information of image which will enhance computation in later processes. Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) can be utilized to estimate and retrieve of an image. In computer vision, SIFT can be implemented to recognize the image by comparing its key features from SIFT saved key point descriptors. The main advantage of SIFT is that it doesn't only remove the redundant information from an image but also reduces the key points by matching their orientation and adding them together in different windows of image [1]. Another key property of this approach is that it works on highly contrasted images more efficiently because it`s design is based on collecting key points from the contrast shades of image.

Green Roofs: Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Federal Technology Alert

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

Scholz-Barth, K.; Tanner, S.

In a ''green roof,'' a layer of vegetation (e.g., a roof garden) covers the surface of a roof to provide shade, cooler indoor and outdoor temperatures, and effective storm-water management to reduce runoff. The main components are waterproofing, soil, and plants. There are two basic kinds: intensive and extensive. An intensive green roof often features large shrubs and trees, and it can be expensive to install and maintain. An extensive green roof features shallow soil and low-growing, horizontally spreading plants that can thrive in the alpine conditions of many rooftops. These plants do not require a lot of water ormore » soil, and they can tolerate a significant amount of exposure to the sun and wind. This Federal Technology Alert focuses on the benefits, design, and implementation of extensive green roofs and includes criteria for their use on federal facilities.« less

Self-Oscillating Josephson Quantum Heat Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchegiani, G.; Virtanen, P.; Giazotto, F.; Campisi, M.

2016-11-01

The design of a mesoscopic self-oscillating heat engine that works thanks to purely quantum effects is presented. The proposed scheme is amenable to experimental implementation with current state-of-the-art nanotechnology and materials. One of the main features of the structure is its versatility: The engine can deliver work to a generic load without galvanic contact. This versatility makes it a promising building block for low-temperature on-chip energy-management applications. The heat engine consists of a circuit featuring a thermoelectric element based on a ferromagnetic insulator-superconductor tunnel junction and a Josephson weak link that realizes a purely quantum dc-ac converter. This makeup enables the contactless transfer of work to the load (a generic RL circuit). The performance of the heat engine is investigated as a function of the thermal gradient applied to the thermoelectric junction. Power up to 1 pW can be delivered to a load RL=10 Ω .

Outer planets mission television subsystem optics study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

An optics study was performed to establish a candidate optical system design for the proposed NASA Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 77 mission. The study was performed over the 6-month period from January through June 1972. The candidate optical system contains both a wide angle (A) and a narrow angle (B) lens. An additional feature is a transfer mirror mechanism that allows image transfer from the B lens to the vidicon initially used for the A lens. This feature adds an operational redundancy to the optical system in allowing for narrow angle viewing if the narrow angle vidicon were to fail. In this failure mode, photography in the wide angle mode would be discontinued. The structure of the candidate system consists mainly of aluminum with substructures of Invar for athermalization. The total optical system weighs (excluding vidicons) approximately 30 pounds and has overall dimensions of 26.6 by 19.5 by 12.3 inches.

Advanced Russian Mission Laplace-P to Study the Planetary System of Jupiter: Scientific Goals, Objectives, Special Features and Mission Profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martynov, M. B.; Merkulov, P. V.; Lomakin, I. V.; Vyatlev, P. A.; Simonov, A. V.; Leun, E. V.; Barabanov, A. A.; Nasyrov, A. F.

2017-12-01

The advanced Russian project Laplace-P is aimed at developing and launching two scientific spacecraft (SC)— Laplace-P1 ( LP1 SC) and Laplace-P2 ( LP2 SC)—designed for remote and in-situ studies of the system of Jupiter and its moon Ganymede. The LP1 and LP2 spacecraft carry an orbiter and a lander onboard, respectively. One of the orbiter's objectives is to map the surface of Ganymede from the artificial satellite's orbit and to acquire the data for the landing site selection. The main objective of the lander is to carry out in-situ investigations of Ganymede's surface. The paper describes the scientific goals and objectives of the mission, its special features, and the LP1 and LP2 mission profiles during all of the phases—from the launch to the landing on the surface of Ganymede.

The LArIAT experiment at Fermilab

DOE PAGES

Nutini, Irene

2016-03-01

The LArIAT experiment at Fermilab is part of the International Neutrino program recently approved in the US. LArIAT aims to measure the main features of charged particles interactions in argon in the energy range (0.2 - 2.0 GeV) corresponding to the energy spectrum of the same particles when produced in a neutrino-argon interaction (neutrino energies of few GeV) typical of the short- and long-baseline neutrino beams of the Neutrino Program. Data collected from the 1 st Run are being analyzed for both Physics studies and a technical characterization of the scintillation light collection system. Furthermore, two analysis topics are reported:more » the method developed for charged pion cross section measurement, based on the specific features of the LArTPC, and the development and test of the LArIAT custom-designed cold front-end electronics for SiPM devices to collect LAr scintillation light.« less

The Formal Semantics of PVS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owre, Sam; Shankar, Natarajan

1999-01-01

A specification language is a medium for expressing what is computed rather than how it is computed. Specification languages share some features with programming languages but are also different in several important ways. For our purpose, a specification language is a logic within which the behavior of computational systems can be formalized. Although a specification can be used to simulate the behavior of such systems, we mainly use specifications to state and prove system properties with mechanical assistance. We present the formal semantics of the specification language of SRI's Prototype Verification System (PVS). This specification language is based on the simply typed lambda calculus. The novelty in PVS is that it contains very expressive language features whose static analysis (e.g., typechecking) requires the assistance of a theorem prover. The formal semantics illuminates several of the design considerations underlying PVS, the interaction between theorem proving and typechecking.

Application of real-time database to LAMOST control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lingzhe; Xu, Xinqi

2004-09-01

The QNX based real time database is one of main features for Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope's (LAMOST) control system, which serves as a storage and platform for data flow, recording and updating timely various status of moving components in the telescope structure as well as environmental parameters around it. The database joins harmonically in the administration of the Telescope Control System (TCS). The paper presents methodology and technique tips in designing the EMPRESS database GUI software package, such as the dynamic creation of control widgets, dynamic query and share memory. The seamless connection between EMPRESS and the graphical development tool of QNX"s Photon Application Builder (PhAB) has been realized, and so have the Windows look and feel yet under Unix-like operating system. In particular, the real time feature of the database is analyzed that satisfies the needs of the control system.

LSAH: a fast and efficient local surface feature for point cloud registration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Rongrong; Zhu, Feng; Wu, Qingxiao; Kong, Yanzi

2018-04-01

Point cloud registration is a fundamental task in high level three dimensional applications. Noise, uneven point density and varying point cloud resolutions are the three main challenges for point cloud registration. In this paper, we design a robust and compact local surface descriptor called Local Surface Angles Histogram (LSAH) and propose an effectively coarse to fine algorithm for point cloud registration. The LSAH descriptor is formed by concatenating five normalized sub-histograms into one histogram. The five sub-histograms are created by accumulating a different type of angle from a local surface patch respectively. The experimental results show that our LSAH is more robust to uneven point density and point cloud resolutions than four state-of-the-art local descriptors in terms of feature matching. Moreover, we tested our LSAH based coarse to fine algorithm for point cloud registration. The experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm is robust and efficient as well.

[The age-specific features of palm dermatoglyphics in the adults subjects].

PubMed

Teplov, K V; Bozhchenko, A P; Tolmachev, I A; Moiseenko, S A

2016-01-01

This article was designed to consider the congenital age-specific features of palm dermatoglyphics in the adults subjects (including the type of the papillary patterns, axial tri-radii, the termini of palmar main lines, the rudiments of palmar lines, the dermatoglyphic ridge count between the stable anatomical structures). The objective of the study was to look for the new diagnostic markers of the biological age. It included the identification of the palm prints obtained from 180 Caucasoid men and 120 women at the age varying from 16 to 80 years. The results of the mathematical and statistical analysis provided the basis for drawing up the list of 18 attributes of palm dermatoglyphics significantly (p<0.05) differing in the frequency of occurrence between the representatives of individual age groups. The methods are proposed allowing to use these findings for the expert evaluation of the age of unknown subjects.

Designing Image Operators for MRI-PET Image Fusion of the Brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Márquez, Jorge; Gastélum, Alfonso; Padilla, Miguel A.

2006-09-01

Our goal is to obtain images combining in a useful and precise way the information from 3D volumes of medical imaging sets. We address two modalities combining anatomy (Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI) and functional information (Positron Emission Tomography or PET). Commercial imaging software offers image fusion tools based on fixed blending or color-channel combination of two modalities, and color Look-Up Tables (LUTs), without considering the anatomical and functional character of the image features. We used a sensible approach for image fusion taking advantage mainly from the HSL (Hue, Saturation and Luminosity) color space, in order to enhance the fusion results. We further tested operators for gradient and contour extraction to enhance anatomical details, plus other spatial-domain filters for functional features corresponding to wide point-spread-function responses in PET images. A set of image-fusion operators was formulated and tested on PET and MRI acquisitions.

Examining the design features of a communication-rich, problem-centred mathematics professional development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Araujo, Zandra; Orrill, Chandra Hawley; Jacobson, Erik

2018-04-01

While there is considerable scholarship describing principles for effective professional development, there have been few attempts to examine these principles in practice. In this paper, we identify and examine the particular design features of a mathematics professional development experience provided for middle grades teachers over 14 weeks. The professional development was grounded in a set of mathematical tasks that each had one right answer, but multiple solution paths. The facilitator engaged participants in problem solving and encouraged participants to work collaboratively to explore different solution paths. Through analysis of this collaborative learning environment, we identified five design features for supporting teacher learning of important mathematics and pedagogy in a problem-solving setting. We discuss these design features in depth and illustrate them by presenting an elaborated example from the professional development. This study extends the existing guidance for the design of professional development by examining and operationalizing the relationships among research-based features of effective professional development and the enacted features of a particular design.

Layout optimization with assist features placement by model based rule tables for 2x node random contact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jun, Jinhyuck; Park, Minwoo; Park, Chanha; Yang, Hyunjo; Yim, Donggyu; Do, Munhoe; Lee, Dongchan; Kim, Taehoon; Choi, Junghoe; Luk-Pat, Gerard; Miloslavsky, Alex

2015-03-01

As the industry pushes to ever more complex illumination schemes to increase resolution for next generation memory and logic circuits, sub-resolution assist feature (SRAF) placement requirements become increasingly severe. Therefore device manufacturers are evaluating improvements in SRAF placement algorithms which do not sacrifice main feature (MF) patterning capability. There are known-well several methods to generate SRAF such as Rule based Assist Features (RBAF), Model Based Assist Features (MBAF) and Hybrid Assisted Features combining features of the different algorithms using both RBAF and MBAF. Rule Based Assist Features (RBAF) continue to be deployed, even with the availability of Model Based Assist Features (MBAF) and Inverse Lithography Technology (ILT). Certainly for the 3x nm node, and even at the 2x nm nodes and lower, RBAF is used because it demands less run time and provides better consistency. Since RBAF is needed now and in the future, what is also needed is a faster method to create the AF rule tables. The current method typically involves making masks and printing wafers that contain several experiments, varying the main feature configurations, AF configurations, dose conditions, and defocus conditions - this is a time consuming and expensive process. In addition, as the technology node shrinks, wafer process changes and source shape redesigns occur more frequently, escalating the cost of rule table creation. Furthermore, as the demand on process margin escalates, there is a greater need for multiple rule tables: each tailored to a specific set of main-feature configurations. Model Assisted Rule Tables(MART) creates a set of test patterns, and evaluates the simulated CD at nominal conditions, defocused conditions and off-dose conditions. It also uses lithographic simulation to evaluate the likelihood of AF printing. It then analyzes the simulation data to automatically create AF rule tables. It means that analysis results display the cost of different AF configurations as the space grows between a pair of main features. In summary, model based rule tables method is able to make it much easier to create rule tables, leading to faster rule-table creation and a lower barrier to the creation of more rule tables.

Range 7 Scanner Integration with PaR Robot Scanning System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuler, Jason; Burns, Bradley; Carlson, Jeffrey; Minich, Mark

2011-01-01

An interface bracket and coordinate transformation matrices were designed to allow the Range 7 scanner to be mounted on the PaR Robot detector arm for scanning the heat shield or other object placed in the test cell. A process was designed for using Rapid Form XOR to stitch data from multiple scans together to provide an accurate 3D model of the object scanned. An accurate model was required for the design and verification of an existing heat shield. The large physical size and complex shape of the heat shield does not allow for direct measurement of certain features in relation to other features. Any imaging devices capable of imaging the entire heat shield in its entirety suffers a reduced resolution and cannot image sections that are blocked from view. Prior methods involved tools such as commercial measurement arms, taking images with cameras, then performing manual measurements. These prior methods were tedious and could not provide a 3D model of the object being scanned, and were typically limited to a few tens of measurement points at prominent locations. Integration of the scanner with the robot allows for large complex objects to be scanned at high resolution, and for 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) models to be generated for verification of items to the original design, and to generate models of previously undocumented items. The main components are the mounting bracket for the scanner to the robot and the coordinate transformation matrices used for stitching the scanner data into a 3D model. The steps involve mounting the interface bracket to the robot's detector arm, mounting the scanner to the bracket, and then scanning sections of the object and recording the location of the tool tip (in this case the center of the scanner's focal point). A novel feature is the ability to stitch images together by coordinates instead of requiring each scan data set to have overlapping identifiable features. This setup allows models of complex objects to be developed even if the object is large and featureless, or has sections that don't have visibility to other parts of the object for use as a reference. In addition, millions of points can be used for creation of an accurate model [i.e. within 0.03 in. (=0.8 mm) over a span of 250 in. (=635 mm)].

The Main Features and the Key Challenges of the Education System in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Chiu-Kuei Chang; Lin, Lung-Chi; Chen, Chun-Fu

2013-01-01

Taiwan has undergone radical innovation of its educational system in the wake of political liberalization and democratization, with a request for a change in the idea which diverts from "de-centralization" to "individualization." The reforms have led to two main features of pluralism and generalization of education in our…

Design, development, and clinical evaluation of the electronic mobility cane for vision rehabilitation.

PubMed

Bhatlawande, Shripad; Mahadevappa, Manjunatha; Mukherjee, Jayanta; Biswas, Mukul; Das, Debabrata; Gupta, Somedeb

2014-11-01

This paper proposes a new electronic mobility cane (EMC) for providing obstacle detection and way-finding assistance to the visually impaired people. The main feature of this cane is that it constructs the logical map of the surrounding environment to deduce the priority information. It provides a simplified representation of the surrounding environment without causing any information overload. It conveys this priority information to the subject by using intuitive vibration, audio or voice feedback. The other novel features of the EMC are staircase detection and nonformal distance scaling scheme. It also provides information about the floor status. It consists of a low power embedded system with ultrasonic sensors and safety indicators. The EMC was subjected to series of clinical evaluations in order to verify its design and to assess its ability to assist the subjects in their daily-life mobility. Clinical evaluations were performed with 16 totally blind and four low vision subjects. All subjects walked controlled and the real-world test environments with the EMC and the traditional white cane. The evaluation results and significant scores of subjective measurements have shown the usefulness of the EMC in vision rehabilitation services.

The 113 GHz ECRH system for JET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verhoeven, A. G. A.; Bongers, W. A.; Elzendoorn, B. S. Q.; Graswinckel, M.; Hellingman, P.; Kamp, J. J.; Kooijman, W.; Kruijt, O. G.; Maagdenberg, J.; Ronden, D.; Stakenborg, J.; Sterk, A. B.; Tichler, J.; Alberti, S.; Goodman, T.; Henderson, M.; Hoekzema, J. A.; Oosterbeek, J. W.; Fernandez, A.; Likin, K.; Bruschi, A.; Cirant, S.; Novak, S.; Piosczyk, B.; Thumm, M.; Bindslev, H.; Kaye, A.; Fleming, C.; Zohm, H.

2003-02-01

An ECRH (Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating) system has been designed for JET in the framework of the JET Enhanced-Performance project (JET-EP) under the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA). Due to financial constraints it has recently been decided not to implement this project. Nevertheless, the design work conducted from April 2000 to January 2002 shows a number of features that can be relevant in preparation of future ECRH systems, e.g., for ITER. The ECRH system was foreseen to comprise 6 gyrotrons, 1 MW each, in order to deliver 5 MW into the plasma [1]. The main aim was to enable the control of neo-classical tearing modes (NTM). The paper will concentrate on: • The power-supply and modulation system, including series IGBT switches, to enable independent control of each gyrotron and an all-solid-state body power supply to stabilise the gyrotron output power and to enable fast modulations up to 10 kHz. • A plug-in launcher, that is steerable in both toroidal and poloidal angle, and able to handle 8 separate mm-wave beams. Four steerable launching mirrors were foreseen to handle two mm-wave beams each. Water cooling of all the mirrors was a particularly ITER relevant feature.

Identification of DNA-Binding Proteins Using Mixed Feature Representation Methods.

PubMed

Qu, Kaiyang; Han, Ke; Wu, Song; Wang, Guohua; Wei, Leyi

2017-09-22

DNA-binding proteins play vital roles in cellular processes, such as DNA packaging, replication, transcription, regulation, and other DNA-associated activities. The current main prediction method is based on machine learning, and its accuracy mainly depends on the features extraction method. Therefore, using an efficient feature representation method is important to enhance the classification accuracy. However, existing feature representation methods cannot efficiently distinguish DNA-binding proteins from non-DNA-binding proteins. In this paper, a multi-feature representation method, which combines three feature representation methods, namely, K-Skip-N-Grams, Information theory, and Sequential and structural features (SSF), is used to represent the protein sequences and improve feature representation ability. In addition, the classifier is a support vector machine. The mixed-feature representation method is evaluated using 10-fold cross-validation and a test set. Feature vectors, which are obtained from a combination of three feature extractions, show the best performance in 10-fold cross-validation both under non-dimensional reduction and dimensional reduction by max-relevance-max-distance. Moreover, the reduced mixed feature method performs better than the non-reduced mixed feature technique. The feature vectors, which are a combination of SSF and K-Skip-N-Grams, show the best performance in the test set. Among these methods, mixed features exhibit superiority over the single features.

Space Shuttle redesign status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brand, Vance D.

1986-01-01

NASA has conducted an extensive redesign effort for the Space Shutle in the aftermath of the STS 51-L Challenger accident, encompassing not only Shuttle vehicle and booster design but also such system-wide factors as organizational structure, management procedures, flight safety, flight operations, sustainable flight rate, and maintenance safeguards. Attention is presently given to Solid Rocket Booster redesign features, the Shuttle Main Engine's redesigned high pressure fuel and oxidizer turbopumps, the Shuttle Orbiter's braking and rollout (landing gear) system, the entry control mode of the flight control system, a 'split-S' abort maneuver for the Orbiter, and crew escape capsule proposals.

Development and design of photovoltaic power prediction system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhijia; Zhou, Hai; Cheng, Xu

2018-02-01

In order to reduce the impact of power grid safety caused by volatility and randomness of the energy produced in photovoltaic power plants, this paper puts forward a construction scheme on photovoltaic power generation prediction system, introducing the technical requirements, system configuration and function of each module, and discussing the main technical features of the platform software development. The scheme has been applied in many PV power plants in the northwest of China. It shows that the system can produce reasonable prediction results, providing a right guidance for dispatching and efficient running for PV power plant.

Electroencephalography (EEG) Based Control in Assistive Mobile Robots: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnan, N. Murali; Mariappan, Muralindran; Muthukaruppan, Karthigayan; Hijazi, Mohd Hanafi Ahmad; Kitt, Wong Wei

2016-03-01

Recently, EEG based control in assistive robot usage has been gradually increasing in the area of biomedical field for giving quality and stress free life for disabled and elderly people. This study reviews the deployment of EGG based control in assistive robots, especially for those who in need and neurologically disabled. The main objective of this paper is to describe the methods used for (i) EEG data acquisition and signal preprocessing, (ii) feature extraction and (iii) signal classification methods. Besides that, this study presents the specific research challenges in the designing of these control systems and future research directions.

Nanotechnology and textiles engineered by carbon nanotubes for the realization of advanced personal protective equipments

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

Andretta, Antonio, E-mail: Antonio-Andretta@klopman.com; Terranova, Maria Letizia; Lavecchia, Teresa

2014-06-19

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and CNT-based active materials have been used to assemble the gas sensing unit of innovative platforms able to detect toxic atmospheres developing in confined workplaces. The main goal of the project was to realize a full-featured, operator-friendly safety detection and monitoring system based on multifunctional textiles nanotechnologies. The fabricated sensing platform consists of a multiple gas detector coupled with a specifically designed telecommunication infrastructure. The portable device, totally integrated in the workwear, offers several advantages over the conventional safety tools employed in industrial work activities.

Note: An improved solenoid driver valve for miniature shock tubes.

PubMed

Lynch, P T

2016-05-01

A solenoid driver valve has been built to improve the operating performance of diaphragmless shock tubes, which are used for high pressure, high temperature chemical kinetics, and fluid mechanics studies. For shock tube driver application, the most important characteristics are those of sealing, strength, and quality of the generated shock waves and repeatability of opening characteristics and therefore subsequent post-shock conditions. The main features of the new driver valve are a face o-ring sealing design of the valve, the large internal volume, and through inserts near the solenoid core: adjustable opening characteristics of the valve.

Hierarchical classification in high dimensional numerous class cases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Byungyong; Landgrebe, D. A.

1990-01-01

As progress in new sensor technology continues, increasingly high resolution imaging sensors are being developed. These sensors give more detailed and complex data for each picture element and greatly increase the dimensionality of data over past systems. Three methods for designing a decision tree classifier are discussed: a top down approach, a bottom up approach, and a hybrid approach. Three feature extraction techniques are implemented. Canonical and extended canonical techniques are mainly dependent upon the mean difference between two classes. An autocorrelation technique is dependent upon the correlation differences. The mathematical relationship between sample size, dimensionality, and risk value is derived.

Analysis of space tug operating techniques. Volume 2: Study results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The design requirements for space tug systems and cost analysis of the refurbishment phases are discussed. The vehicle is an integral propulsion stage using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as propellants and is capable of operating either as a fully or a partially autonomous vehicle. Structural features are an integral liquid hydrogen tank, a liquid oxygen tank, a meteoroid shield, an aft conical docking and structural support ring, and a staged combustion main engine. The vehicle is constructed of major modules for ease of maintenance. Line drawings and block diagrams are included to explain the maintenance requirements for the subsystems.

Nanotechnology and textiles engineered by carbon nanotubes for the realization of advanced personal protective equipments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andretta, Antonio; Terranova, Maria Letizia; Lavecchia, Teresa; Gay, Stefano; Picano, Alfredo; Mascioletti, Alessandro; Stirpe, Daniele; Cucchiella, Cristian; Pascucci, Eddy; Dugnani, Giovanni; Gatti, Davide; Laria, Giuseppe; Codenotti, Barbara; Maldini, Giorgio; Roth, Siegmar; Passeri, Daniele; Rossi, Marco; Tamburri, Emanuela

2014-06-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and CNT-based active materials have been used to assemble the gas sensing unit of innovative platforms able to detect toxic atmospheres developing in confined workplaces. The main goal of the project was to realize a full-featured, operator-friendly safety detection and monitoring system based on multifunctional textiles nanotechnologies. The fabricated sensing platform consists of a multiple gas detector coupled with a specifically designed telecommunication infrastructure. The portable device, totally integrated in the workwear, offers several advantages over the conventional safety tools employed in industrial work activities.

Weighted cubic and biharmonic splines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kvasov, Boris; Kim, Tae-Wan

2017-01-01

In this paper we discuss the design of algorithms for interpolating discrete data by using weighted cubic and biharmonic splines in such a way that the monotonicity and convexity of the data are preserved. We formulate the problem as a differential multipoint boundary value problem and consider its finite-difference approximation. Two algorithms for automatic selection of shape control parameters (weights) are presented. For weighted biharmonic splines the resulting system of linear equations can be efficiently solved by combining Gaussian elimination with successive over-relaxation method or finite-difference schemes in fractional steps. We consider basic computational aspects and illustrate main features of this original approach.

77 FR 64023 - Special Conditions: Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 Series Airplanes; Design Roll...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-18

... airplanes with modification 160023 (Sharklet). These airplanes will have novel or unusual design features..., A320, and A321 series airplanes because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are... model that incorporates the same novel or unusual design feature, or should any other model already...

78 FR 67291 - Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc., Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 Series Airplanes; Design...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-12

... have a novel or unusual design feature associated with an electronic flight control system that... because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the provisions of... same or similar novel or unusual design feature, the special conditions would also apply to the other...

A Novel Visual Interface to Foster Innovation in Mechanical Engineering and Protect from Patent Infringement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorce, Salvatore; Malizia, Alessio; Jiang, Pingfei; Atherton, Mark; Harrison, David

2018-04-01

One of the main time and money consuming tasks in the design of industrial devices and parts is the checking of possible patent infringements. Indeed, the great number of documents to be mined and the wide variety of technical language used to describe inventions are reasons why considerable amounts of time may be needed. On the other hand, the early detection of a possible patent conflict, in addition to reducing the risk of legal disputes, could stimulate a designers’ creativity to overcome similarities in overlapping patents. For this reason, there are a lot of existing patent analysis systems, each with its own features and access modes. We have designed a visual interface providing an intuitive access to such systems, freeing the designers from the specific knowledge of querying languages and providing them with visual clues. We tested the interface on a framework aimed at representing mechanical engineering patents; the framework is based on a semantic database and provides patent conflict analysis for early-stage designs. The interface supports a visual query composition to obtain a list of potentially overlapping designs.

Hippocampus shape analysis for temporal lobe epilepsy detection in magnetic resonance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohan, Zohreh; Azmi, Reza

2016-03-01

There are evidences in the literature that Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) causes some lateralized atrophy and deformation on hippocampus and other substructures of the brain. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), due to high-contrast soft tissue imaging, is one of the most popular imaging modalities being used in TLE diagnosis and treatment procedures. Using an algorithm to help clinicians for better and more effective shape deformations analysis could improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. In this project our purpose is to design, implement and test a classification algorithm for MRIs based on hippocampal asymmetry detection using shape and size-based features. Our method consisted of two main parts; (1) shape feature extraction, and (2) image classification. We tested 11 different shape and size features and selected four of them that detect the asymmetry in hippocampus significantly in a randomly selected subset of the dataset. Then, we employed a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to classify the remaining images of the dataset to normal and epileptic images using our selected features. The dataset contains 25 patient images in which 12 cases were used as a training set and the rest 13 cases for testing the performance of classifier. We measured accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of, respectively, 76%, 100%, and 70% for our algorithm. The preliminary results show that using shape and size features for detecting hippocampal asymmetry could be helpful in TLE diagnosis in MRI.

Application of machine learning on brain cancer multiclass classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panca, V.; Rustam, Z.

2017-07-01

Classification of brain cancer is a problem of multiclass classification. One approach to solve this problem is by first transforming it into several binary problems. The microarray gene expression dataset has the two main characteristics of medical data: extremely many features (genes) and only a few number of samples. The application of machine learning on microarray gene expression dataset mainly consists of two steps: feature selection and classification. In this paper, the features are selected using a method based on support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) principle which is improved to solve multiclass classification, called multiple multiclass SVM-RFE. Instead of using only the selected features on a single classifier, this method combines the result of multiple classifiers. The features are divided into subsets and SVM-RFE is used on each subset. Then, the selected features on each subset are put on separate classifiers. This method enhances the feature selection ability of each single SVM-RFE. Twin support vector machine (TWSVM) is used as the method of the classifier to reduce computational complexity. While ordinary SVM finds single optimum hyperplane, the main objective Twin SVM is to find two non-parallel optimum hyperplanes. The experiment on the brain cancer microarray gene expression dataset shows this method could classify 71,4% of the overall test data correctly, using 100 and 1000 genes selected from multiple multiclass SVM-RFE feature selection method. Furthermore, the per class results show that this method could classify data of normal and MD class with 100% accuracy.

76 FR 15798 - Special Conditions: Boeing 747-468, Installation of a Medical Lift

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-22

... a novel or unusual design feature associated with the installation of a medical lift. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These... airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. Type...

Supporting Active Living Through Community Plans: The Association of Planning Documents With Design Standards and Features.

PubMed

Peterson, Erin L; Carlson, Susan A; Schmid, Thomas L; Brown, David R; Galuska, Deborah A

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the presence of supportive community planning documents in US municipalities with design standards and requirements supportive of active living. Cross-sectional study using data from the 2014 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living. Nationally representative sample of US municipalities. Respondents are 2005 local officials. Assessed: (1) The presence of design standards and feature requirements and (2) the association between planning documents and design standards and feature requirements supportive of active living in policies for development. Using logistic regression, significant trends were identified in the presence of design standards and feature requirements by plan and number of supportive objectives present. Prevalence of design standards ranged from 19% (developer dedicated right-of-way for bicycle infrastructure development) to 50% (traffic-calming features in areas with high pedestrian and bicycle volume). Features required in policies for development ranged from 14% (short/medium pedestrian-scale block sizes) to 44% (minimum sidewalk widths of 5 feet) of municipalities. As the number of objectives in municipal plans increased, there was a significant and positive trend ( P < .05) in the prevalence of each design standard and requirement. Municipal planning documents containing objectives supportive of physical activity are associated with design standards and feature requirements supportive of activity-friendly communities.

Assessing the Penetrating Abilities of Experimental Preparation with Dental Infiltrant Features Using Optical Microscope: Preliminary Study.

PubMed

Skucha-Nowak, Małgorzata; Machorowska-Pieniążek, Agnieszka; Tanasiewicz, Marta

2016-01-01

The aim of the infiltration technique is to penetrate demineralized enamel with a low viscosity resin. Icon® (DMG) is the first ever and so far the only dental infiltrant. Bacteriostaticity is one of the properties that should be inherent in dental infiltrants, but Icon lacks this feature. The aim of the preliminary study was to properly choose a dye which would allow us to assess the penetrating abilities of our own, experimental preparation with features of a dental infiltrant with bacteriostatic properties and to compare using an optical microscope the depth of infiltration of the designed experimental preparation with the infiltrant available on the market. The preparation is supposed to infiltrate decalcified human enamel and be assessed with an optical microscope. Eosin, neutral fuchsine and methylene blue were added to experimental preparation with dental infiltrant features and to Icon® (DMG) in order to assess the depth of penetration of the experimental solution into the decalcified layers of enamel. The experimental solution mixes well with eosin, neutral fuchsine, and methylene blue. During the preliminary study, the authors concluded that the experimental solution mixes well with methylene blue, neutral fuchsine, and eosin. An addition of eosin to a preparation which infiltrates inner, demineralized enamel layers, facilitates the assessment of such a preparation with an optical microscope. A designed experimental solution with the main ingredients, i.e., 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) with a ratio of 75% to 25% penetrates the demineralized (decalcified) inner parts of the enamel and polymerizes when exposed to light. In order to assess the infiltration of the experimental solution into the demineralized enamel layers, it is required to improve the measurement techniques that utilize optical microscopy.

Information Technology-Based Interventions to Improve Drug-Drug Interaction Outcomes: A Systematic Review on Features and Effects.

PubMed

Nabovati, Ehsan; Vakili-Arki, Hasan; Taherzadeh, Zhila; Saberi, Mohammad Reza; Medlock, Stephanie; Abu-Hanna, Ameen; Eslami, Saeid

2017-01-01

The purpose of this systematic review was to identify features and effects of information technology (IT)-based interventions on outcomes related to drug-drug interactions (DDI outcomes). A literature search was conducted in Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for published English-language studies. Studies were included if a main outcome was related to DDIs, the intervention involved an IT-based system, and the study design was experimental or observational with controls. Study characteristics, including features and effects of IT-based interventions, were extracted. Nineteen studies comprising five randomized controlled trials (RCT), five non-randomized controlled trials (NRCT) and nine observational studies with controls (OWC) were included. Sixty-four percent of prescriber-directed interventions, and all non-prescriber interventions, were effective. Each of the following characteristics corresponded to groups of studies of which a majority were effective: automatic provision of recommendations within the providers' workflow, intervention at the time of decision-making, integration into other systems, and requiring the reason for not following the recommendations. Only two studies measured clinical outcomes: an RCT that showed no significant improvement and an OWC that showed improvement, but did not statistically assess the effect. Most studies that measured surrogate outcomes (e.g. potential DDIs) and other outcomes (e.g. adherence to alerts) showed improvements. IT-based interventions improve surrogate clinical outcomes and adherence to DDI alerts. However, there is lack of robust evidence about their effectiveness on clinical outcomes. It is recommended that researchers consider the identified features of effective interventions in the design of interventions and evaluate the effectiveness on DDI outcomes, particularly clinical outcomes.

GATOR: Requirements capturing of telephony features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dankel, Douglas D., II; Walker, Wayne; Schmalz, Mark

1992-01-01

We are developing a natural language-based, requirements gathering system called GATOR (for the GATherer Of Requirements). GATOR assists in the development of more accurate and complete specifications of new telephony features. GATOR interacts with a feature designer who describes a new feature, set of features, or capability to be implemented. The system aids this individual in the specification process by asking for clarifications when potential ambiguities are present, by identifying potential conflicts with other existing features, and by presenting its understanding of the feature to the designer. Through user interaction with a model of the existing telephony feature set, GATOR constructs a formal representation of the new, 'to be implemented' feature. Ultimately GATOR will produce a requirements document and will maintain an internal representation of this feature to aid in future design and specification. This paper consists of three sections that describe (1) the structure of GATOR, (2) POND, GATOR's internal knowledge representation language, and (3) current research issues.

Gamification and Adherence to Web-Based Mental Health Interventions: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Brown, Menna; O'Neill, Noelle; van Woerden, Hugo; Eslambolchilar, Parisa; Jones, Matt; John, Ann

2016-08-24

Adherence to effective Web-based interventions for common mental disorders (CMDs) and well-being remains a critical issue, with clear potential to increase effectiveness. Continued identification and examination of "active" technological components within Web-based interventions has been called for. Gamification is the use of game design elements and features in nongame contexts. Health and lifestyle interventions have implemented a variety of game features in their design in an effort to encourage engagement and increase program adherence. The potential influence of gamification on program adherence has not been examined in the context of Web-based interventions designed to manage CMDs and well-being. This study seeks to review the literature to examine whether gaming features predict or influence reported rates of program adherence in Web-based interventions designed to manage CMDs and well-being. A systematic review was conducted of peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designed to manage CMDs or well-being and incorporated gamification features. Seven electronic databases were searched. A total of 61 RCTs met the inclusion criteria and 47 different intervention programs were identified. The majority were designed to manage depression using cognitive behavioral therapy. Eight of 10 popular gamification features reviewed were in use. The majority of studies utilized only one gamification feature (n=58) with a maximum of three features. The most commonly used feature was story/theme. Levels and game leaders were not used in this context. No studies explicitly examined the role of gamification features on program adherence. Usage data were not commonly reported. Interventions intended to be 10 weeks in duration had higher mean adherence than those intended to be 6 or 8 weeks in duration. Gamification features have been incorporated into the design of interventions designed to treat CMD and well-being. Further research is needed to improve understanding of gamification features on adherence and engagement in order to inform the design of future Web-based health interventions in which adherence to treatment is of concern. Conclusions were limited by varied reporting of adherence and usage data.

Gamification and Adherence to Web-Based Mental Health Interventions: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

O'Neill, Noelle; van Woerden, Hugo; Eslambolchilar, Parisa; Jones, Matt; John, Ann

2016-01-01

Background Adherence to effective Web-based interventions for common mental disorders (CMDs) and well-being remains a critical issue, with clear potential to increase effectiveness. Continued identification and examination of “active” technological components within Web-based interventions has been called for. Gamification is the use of game design elements and features in nongame contexts. Health and lifestyle interventions have implemented a variety of game features in their design in an effort to encourage engagement and increase program adherence. The potential influence of gamification on program adherence has not been examined in the context of Web-based interventions designed to manage CMDs and well-being. Objective This study seeks to review the literature to examine whether gaming features predict or influence reported rates of program adherence in Web-based interventions designed to manage CMDs and well-being. Methods A systematic review was conducted of peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) designed to manage CMDs or well-being and incorporated gamification features. Seven electronic databases were searched. Results A total of 61 RCTs met the inclusion criteria and 47 different intervention programs were identified. The majority were designed to manage depression using cognitive behavioral therapy. Eight of 10 popular gamification features reviewed were in use. The majority of studies utilized only one gamification feature (n=58) with a maximum of three features. The most commonly used feature was story/theme. Levels and game leaders were not used in this context. No studies explicitly examined the role of gamification features on program adherence. Usage data were not commonly reported. Interventions intended to be 10 weeks in duration had higher mean adherence than those intended to be 6 or 8 weeks in duration. Conclusions Gamification features have been incorporated into the design of interventions designed to treat CMD and well-being. Further research is needed to improve understanding of gamification features on adherence and engagement in order to inform the design of future Web-based health interventions in which adherence to treatment is of concern. Conclusions were limited by varied reporting of adherence and usage data. PMID:27558893

Bases of the scientific conception of the “green frame” designing in urban areas for providing ecological safety of the urban environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bespalov, V.; Kotlyarova, E.

2017-10-01

In modern conditions of a stable urban areas development special place is occupied by the problem of ecological security of built-up areas, including residential, recreational, industrial areas and objects of transport and engineering infrastructure. The main results of the study are to establish the basis of formation of the concept of choice of energy-efficient technologies and tools of forming an ecologically efficient “green frame” of urban areas on the basis of a single integrated scientific concept. Analysis allowed us to divide the measures for improvement into the following main groups: organizational and planning, engineering and technical and special engineering and environmental. The significance of these results for the construction industry, including transport infrastructure, is to increase the level of environmental safety in the construction and reconstruction of urban areas due to the organization of their improvement on the basis suggested by the authors scientific approach. Its basis is integrated accounting of the natural and climatic features of the landscaping territory, the types and level of environmental impact of negative anthropogenic factors, the features of architectural and planning solutions of the existing or projected on the studied area, the structure and types of green spaces and their functional ecological properties.

HyMoTrack: A Mobile AR Navigation System for Complex Indoor Environments.

PubMed

Gerstweiler, Georg; Vonach, Emanuel; Kaufmann, Hannes

2015-12-24

Navigating in unknown big indoor environments with static 2D maps is a challenge, especially when time is a critical factor. In order to provide a mobile assistant, capable of supporting people while navigating in indoor locations, an accurate and reliable localization system is required in almost every corner of the building. We present a solution to this problem through a hybrid tracking system specifically designed for complex indoor spaces, which runs on mobile devices like smartphones or tablets. The developed algorithm only uses the available sensors built into standard mobile devices, especially the inertial sensors and the RGB camera. The combination of multiple optical tracking technologies, such as 2D natural features and features of more complex three-dimensional structures guarantees the robustness of the system. All processing is done locally and no network connection is needed. State-of-the-art indoor tracking approaches use mainly radio-frequency signals like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for localizing a user. In contrast to these approaches, the main advantage of the developed system is the capability of delivering a continuous 3D position and orientation of the mobile device with centimeter accuracy. This makes it usable for localization and 3D augmentation purposes, e.g. navigation tasks or location-based information visualization.

HyMoTrack: A Mobile AR Navigation System for Complex Indoor Environments

PubMed Central

Gerstweiler, Georg; Vonach, Emanuel; Kaufmann, Hannes

2015-01-01

Navigating in unknown big indoor environments with static 2D maps is a challenge, especially when time is a critical factor. In order to provide a mobile assistant, capable of supporting people while navigating in indoor locations, an accurate and reliable localization system is required in almost every corner of the building. We present a solution to this problem through a hybrid tracking system specifically designed for complex indoor spaces, which runs on mobile devices like smartphones or tablets. The developed algorithm only uses the available sensors built into standard mobile devices, especially the inertial sensors and the RGB camera. The combination of multiple optical tracking technologies, such as 2D natural features and features of more complex three-dimensional structures guarantees the robustness of the system. All processing is done locally and no network connection is needed. State-of-the-art indoor tracking approaches use mainly radio-frequency signals like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for localizing a user. In contrast to these approaches, the main advantage of the developed system is the capability of delivering a continuous 3D position and orientation of the mobile device with centimeter accuracy. This makes it usable for localization and 3D augmentation purposes, e.g. navigation tasks or location-based information visualization. PMID:26712755

A 'learning-by-doing' treatment planning tutorial for medical physicists.

PubMed

Meyer, J; Hartmann, B; Kalet, I

2009-06-01

A framework for a tutorial for treatment planning in radiation oncology physics was developed, based on the University of Washington treatment planning system Prism. The tutorial is aimed at students in Medical Physics to accompany the lectures on treatment planning to enhance their theoretical knowledge. A web-based layout was chosen to allow independent work of the students. The tutorial guides the students through three different learning modules, designed mainly to enhance their understanding of the processes involved in treatment planning but also to learn the specific features of a modern treatment planning system. Each of the modules contains four units, with the aim to introduce the relevant Prism features, practice skills in different tasks and finally check the learning outcomes with a challenge and a self-scoring quiz. A survey for students' feedback completes the tutorial. Various tools and learning methods help to create an interactive, appealing learning environment, in which the emphasis is shifted from teacher-centred to student-centred learning paradigms. In summary, Prism lends itself well for educational purposes. The tutorial covers all main aspects of treatment planning. In its current form the tutorial is self-contained but still adjustable and expandable. The tutorial can be made available upon request to the authors.

Galileo IOV Electrical Power Subsystem Relies On Li-Ion Batter Charge Management Controlled By Hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douay, N.

2011-10-01

In the frame of GALILEO In-Orbit Validation program which is composed of 4 satellites, Thales Alenia Space France has designed, developed and tested the Electrical Power Subsystem. Besides some classical design choices like: -50V regulated main power bus provided by the PCDU manufactured by Terma (DK), -Solar array, manufactured by Dutch-Space (NL), using Ga-As triple junction technology from Azur Space Power Solar GmbH, -SAFT (FR) Lithium-ion Battery for which cell package balancing function is required, -Solar Array Drive Mechanism, provided by RUAG Space Switzerland, to transfer the power. This subsystem features a fully autonomous, failure tolerant, battery charge management able to operate even after a complete unavailability of the on-board software. The battery charge management is implemented such that priority is always given to satisfy the satellite main bus needs in order to maintain the main bus regulation under MEA control. This battery charge management principle provides very high reliability and operational robustness. So, the paper describes : -the battery charge management concept using a combination of PCDU hardware and relevant battery lines monitoring, -the functional aspect of the single point failure free S4R (Sequential Switching Shunt Switch Regulator) and associated performances, -the failure modes isolated and passivated by this architecture. The paper will address as well the autonomous balancing function characteristics and performances.

Dermatoglyphic patterns in dementia of the Alzheimer type: a case-control study.

PubMed Central

Berr, C; Okra-Podrabinek, N; Feteanu, D; Taurand, S; Hervy, M P; Forette, F; Piette, F; Sebag-Lanoe, R; Alperovitch, A

1992-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to compare digital and palmar dermatoglyphics in subjects with dementia of Alzheimer type and in mentally healthy elderly controls. DESIGN--This design was a case-control study. SETTING--The study was carried out in geriatric units and retirement communities in the Paris area. PARTICIPANTS--Cases were women with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer type dementia according to DSM III-R criteria (n = 82), mainly with late onset of the disease. Controls were women aged 85 years or older without cognitive deterioration (n = 76). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Finger and palm prints obtained from both hands by the classical ink method were examined. Fingerprints were classified into four types of figures. On palms, palmar flexion creases, palmar axial triradii, true patterns of the hypothenar area, and main line terminations were described. Examinations were performed by two examiners blind to the subjects's diagnostic category. For the different patterns studied, no major differences between dementia patients and elderly controls were found. Nor was there evidence of high frequencies of features commonly observed in Down's syndrome (trisomy 21), which have previously, though sporadically, been reported. CONCLUSIONS--On one of the largest samples of Alzheimer dementia patients studied, and with evaluation blind to diagnosis, no evidence has been found that particular dermatoglyphic patterns occur like those observed in Down's syndrome, a disease which is related to dementia of the Alzheimer type. PMID:1479321

Fast detection of covert visuospatial attention using hybrid N2pc and SSVEP features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Minpeng; Wang, Yijun; Nakanishi, Masaki; Wang, Yu-Te; Qi, Hongzhi; Jung, Tzyy-Ping; Ming, Dong

2016-12-01

Objective. Detecting the shift of covert visuospatial attention (CVSA) is vital for gaze-independent brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which might be the only communication approach for severely disabled patients who cannot move their eyes. Although previous studies had demonstrated that it is feasible to use CVSA-related electroencephalography (EEG) features to control a BCI system, the communication speed remains very low. This study aims to improve the speed and accuracy of CVSA detection by fusing EEG features of N2pc and steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP). Approach. A new paradigm was designed to code the left and right CVSA with the N2pc and SSVEP features, which were then decoded by a classification strategy based on canonical correlation analysis. Eleven subjects were recruited to perform an offline experiment in this study. Temporal waves, amplitudes, and topographies for brain responses related to N2pc and SSVEP were analyzed. The classification accuracy derived from the hybrid EEG features (SSVEP and N2pc) was compared with those using the single EEG features (SSVEP or N2pc). Main results. The N2pc could be significantly enhanced under certain conditions of SSVEP modulations. The hybrid EEG features achieved significantly higher accuracy than the single features. It obtained an average accuracy of 72.9% by using a data length of 400 ms after the attention shift. Moreover, the average accuracy reached ˜80% (peak values above 90%) when using 2 s long data. Significance. The results indicate that the combination of N2pc and SSVEP is effective for fast detection of CVSA. The proposed method could be a promising approach for implementing a gaze-independent BCI.

First hundred cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: retrospective case note review of early psychiatric and neurological features

PubMed Central

Spencer, Michael D; Knight, Richard S G; Will, Robert G

2002-01-01

Objective To describe the early psychiatric and neurological features of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Design Cohort study. Setting National surveillance system for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United Kingdom. Participants The first 100 cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease identified in the United Kingdom. Main outcome measures The timing and nature of early psychiatric and neurological symptoms in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Results The early stages of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are dominated by psychiatric symptoms, but neurological symptoms precede psychiatric symptoms in 15% of cases and are present in combination with psychiatric symptoms in 22% of cases from the onset of disease. Common early psychiatric features include dysphoria, withdrawal, anxiety, insomnia, and loss of interest. No common early neurological features exist, but a significant proportion of patients do exhibit neurological symptoms within 4 months of clinical onset, including poor memory, pain, sensory symptoms, unsteadiness of gait, and dysarthria. Conclusions Although the diagnosis of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease may be impossible in the early stages of the illness, particular combinations of psychiatric and neurological features may allow early diagnosis in an appreciable proportion of patients. What is already known on this topicThe early stages of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are dominated by psychiatric symptomatologySome patients have early neurological features that might suggest the presence of an underlying neurological disorderWhat this study addsThis study provides a comprehensive description of the evolution of psychiatric and neurological features in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseaseAn appreciable proportion of patients have early neurological symptomsA high proportion of patients have a combination of psychiatric and neurological features within four months of clinical onset that suggest the diagnosis of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease PMID:12077031

Integration of Supportive Design Features and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazaros, Edward J.; Ahmadi, Reza

2008-01-01

Integrating supportive design features and technology into the home are excellent ways to plan to make a home "age-friendly." When an immediate need occurs for eliminating barriers in an existing home, supportive design features and technology will most often need to be examined, and some form of implementation will need to take place. While…

76 FR 10482 - Special Conditions: Boeing Model 787-8 Airplane; Overhead Flightcrew-Rest Compartment Occupiable...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-25

... Boeing Model 787-8 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features associated with an... standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the... airworthiness standards. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features...

78 FR 41684 - Special Conditions: Embraer S.A. Model EMB-550 Airplanes, Sudden Engine Stoppage

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-11

... airplane has novel or unusual design features as compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. These design features include engine size and the... contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain...

Challenges of extreme load hexapod design and modularization for large ground-based telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gloess, Rainer; Lula, Brian

2010-07-01

The hexapod is a parallel kinematic manipulator that is the minimum arrangement for independent control of six degrees of freedom. Advancing needs for hexapod performance, capacity and configurations have driven development of highly capable new actuator designs. This paper describes new compact hexapod design proposals for high load capacity, and corresponding hexapod actuator only mechanisms suitable for integration as structural motion elements in next-generation telescope designs. These actuators provide up to 90 000N load capability while preserving sub-micrometer positional capability and in-position stability. The design is optimized for low power dissipation and incorporates novel encoders direct manufactured with the nut flange to achieve more than 100000 increments per revolution. In the hexapod design we choose cardan joints for the actuator that have axis offsets to provide optimized stiffness. The additional computational requirements for offset axes are readily solved by advanced kinematic algorithms and modern hardware. The paper also describes the hexapod controller concept with individual actuator designs, which allows the integration of hexapod actuators into the main telescope structure to reduce mass and provide the telescope designer more design freedom in the incorporation of these types of motion systems. An adaptive software package was developed including collision control feature for real-time safety during hexapod movements.

Optimization of coastal protection measures on small islands in the northfrisian part of the North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wöffler, T.; Jensen, J.; Schüttrumpf, H.

2017-12-01

Low lying small islands are among the most vulnerable regions worldwide due to the consequences of climate change. The reasons for this are the concentration of infrastructure, geographical features and their small size. Worldwide special forms and adaptations of coastal protection strategies and measures can be found on small islands. In the northfrisian part of the North Sea worldwide unique strategies and measures have been developed in the last centuries due to the geographic location and the isolation during extreme events. One special feature of their coastal protection strategy is the lack of dikes. For this reason, the houses are built on artificial dwelling mounds in order to protect the inhabitants and their goods against frequently occurring inundations during storm surge seasons (up to 30 times a year). The Hallig islands themselves benefit by these inundations due to sediments, which are accumulated on the island's surfaces. This sedimentation has enabled a natural adaption to sea level rise in the past. Nevertheless, the construction methods of the coastal protection measures are mainly based on tradition and the knowledge of the inhabitants. No resilient design approaches and safety standards for these special structures like dwelling mounds and elevated revetments exist today. For this reason, neither a cost efficient construction nor a prioritization of measures is possible. Main part of this paper is the scientific investigation of the existing coastal protection measures with the objective of the development of design approaches and safety standards. The results will optimize the construction of the existing coastal protection measures and can be transferred to other small islands and low lying areas worldwide.

Specific features of modern multifunctional high-rise building construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manukhina, Lyubov; Samosudova, Natal'ja

2018-03-01

The article analyzes the main reasons for the development of high-rise building construction the most important of which-is a limitation of the urban areas and, consequently, the high price of land reserved for construction. New engineering and compositional solutions for the creation of new types of buildings are considered - complex technical designs of a large number of storeys completely meet the new requirements for safety and comfort. Some peculiarities of designing high-rise buildings and searching for optimal architectural and planning solutions are revealed since, with external architectural simplicity, high-rise buildings have complex structural and technological and space-planning solutions. We consider the specific features of a high-rise housing in various countries around the world, including Russia, such as the layout of the multi-storey residential buildings, depending on the climatic characteristics of the regions, assessment of the geological risk of the construction site, the choice of parameters and functional purpose of the sections of the territory of high-rise construction, location of the town-planning object for substantiating the overall dimensions of the building, assessment of changes aeration and engineering and hydrological conditions of the site. A special place in the article on the problems of improvement of the territory, the device of courtyards, landscaping, the device of playing and sports grounds. The main conclusion in the article is the following problem - when developing high-rise housing construction, the development of high-rise housing, and an increase in the population density in the territory of large cities of Russia, necessary to create a comfortable and safe level of residents living and not a decrease, but an improvement in the quality of the urban environment.

The heat removal capability of actively cooled plasma-facing components for the ITER divertor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Missirlian, M.; Richou, M.; Riccardi, B.; Gavila, P.; Loarer, T.; Constans, S.

2011-12-01

Non-destructive examination followed by high-heat-flux testing was performed for different small- and medium-scale mock-ups; this included the most recent developments related to actively cooled tungsten (W) or carbon fibre composite (CFC) armoured plasma-facing components. In particular, the heat-removal capability of these mock-ups manufactured by European companies with all the main features of the ITER divertor design was investigated both after manufacturing and after thermal cycling up to 20 MW m-2. Compliance with ITER requirements was explored in terms of bonding quality, heat flux performances and operational compatibility. The main results show an overall good heat-removal capability after the manufacturing process independent of the armour-to-heat sink bonding technology and promising behaviour with respect to thermal fatigue lifetime under heat flux up to 20 MW m-2 for the CFC-armoured tiles and 15 MW m-2 for the W-armoured tiles, respectively.

An analytical probabilistic model of the quality efficiency of a sewer tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balistrocchi, Matteo; Grossi, Giovanna; Bacchi, Baldassare

2009-12-01

The assessment of the efficiency of a storm water storage facility devoted to the sewer overflow control in urban areas strictly depends on the ability to model the main features of the rainfall-runoff routing process and the related wet weather pollution delivery. In this paper the possibility of applying the analytical probabilistic approach for developing a tank design method, whose potentials are similar to the continuous simulations, is proved. In the model derivation the quality issues of such devices were implemented. The formulation is based on a Weibull probabilistic model of the main characteristics of the rainfall process and on a power law describing the relationship between the dimensionless storm water cumulative runoff volume and the dimensionless cumulative pollutograph. Following this approach, efficiency indexes were established. The proposed model was verified by comparing its results to those obtained by continuous simulations; satisfactory agreement is shown for the proposed efficiency indexes.

The flavivirus capsid protein: Structure, function and perspectives towards drug design.

PubMed

Oliveira, Edson R A; Mohana-Borges, Ronaldo; de Alencastro, Ricardo B; Horta, Bruno A C

2017-01-02

Flaviviruses, such as dengue and zika viruses, are etiologic agents transmitted to humans mainly by arthropods and are of great epidemiological interest. The flavivirus capsid protein is a structural element required for the viral nucleocapsid assembly that presents the classical function of sheltering the viral genome. After decades of research, many reports have shown its different functionalities and influence over cell normal functioning. The subcellular distribution of this protein, which involves accumulation around lipid droplets and nuclear localization, also corroborates with its multi-functional characteristic. As flavivirus diseases are still in need of global control and in view of the possible key functionalities that the capsid protein promotes over flavivirus biology, novel considerations arise towards anti-flavivirus drug research. This review covers the main aspects concerning structural and functional features of the flavivirus C protein, ultimately, highlighting prospects in drug discovery based on this viral target. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single element injector cold flow testing for STME swirl coaxial injector element design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hulka, J.; Schneider, J. A.

1993-01-01

An oxidizer-swirled coaxial element injector is being investigated for application in the Space Transportation Main Engine (STME). Single element cold flow experiments were conducted to provide characterization of the STME injector element for future analysis, design, and optimization. All tests were conducted to quiescent, ambient backpressure conditions. Spray angle, circumferential spray uniformity, dropsize, and dropsize distribution were measured in water-only and water/nitrogen flows. Rupe mixing efficiency was measured using water/sucrose solution flows with a large grid patternator for simple comparative evaluation of mixing. Factorial designs of experiment were used for statistical evaluation of injector geometrical design features and propellant flow conditions on mixing and atomization. Increasing the free swirl angle of the liquid oxidizer had the greatest influence on increasing the mixing efficiency. The addition of gas assistance had the most significant effect on reducing oxidizer droplet size parameters and increasing droplet size distribution. Increasing the oxidizer injection velocity had the greatest influence for reducing oxidizer droplet size parameters and increasing size distribution for non-gas assisted flows. Single element and multi-element subscale hot fire testing are recommended to verify optimized designs before committing to the STME design.

Human factors engineering verification and validation for APR1400 computerized control room

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

Shin, Y. C.; Moon, H. K.; Kim, J. H.

2006-07-01

This paper introduces the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 (APR1400) HFE V and V activities the Korea Hydro Nuclear Plant Co. LTD. (KHNP) has performed for the last 10 years and some of the lessons learned through these activities. The features of APR1400 main control room include large display panel, redundant compact workstations, computer-based procedure, and safety console. Several iterations of human factors evaluations have been performed from small scale proof of concept tests to large scale integrated system tests for identifying human engineering deficiencies in the human system interface design. Evaluations in the proof of concept test were focused onmore » checking the presence of any show stopper problems in the design concept. Later evaluations were mostly for finding design problems and for assuring the resolution of human factors issues of advanced control room. The results of design evaluations were useful not only for refining the control room design, but also for licensing the standard design. Several versions of APR1400 mock-ups with dynamic simulation models of currently operating Korea Standard Nuclear Plant (KSNP) have been used for the evaluations with the participation of operators from KSNP plants. (authors)« less

Improvement of Steam Turbine Operational Performance and Reliability with using Modern Information Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brezgin, V. I.; Brodov, Yu M.; Kultishev, A. Yu

2017-11-01

The report presents improvement methods review in the fields of the steam turbine units design and operation based on modern information technologies application. In accordance with the life cycle methodology support, a conceptual model of the information support system during life cycle main stages (LC) of steam turbine unit is suggested. A classifying system, which ensures the creation of sustainable information links between the engineer team (manufacture’s plant) and customer organizations (power plants), is proposed. Within report, the principle of parameterization expansion beyond the geometric constructions at the design and improvement process of steam turbine unit equipment is proposed, studied and justified. The report presents the steam turbine unit equipment design methodology based on the brand new oil-cooler design system that have been developed and implemented by authors. This design system combines the construction subsystem, which is characterized by extensive usage of family tables and templates, and computation subsystem, which includes a methodology for the thermal-hydraulic zone-by-zone oil coolers design calculations. The report presents data about the developed software for operational monitoring, assessment of equipment parameters features as well as its implementation on five power plants.

Feature-oriented regional modeling and simulations in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gangopadhyay, Avijit; Robinson, Allan R.; Haley, Patrick J.; Leslie, Wayne G.; Lozano, Carlos J.; Bisagni, James J.; Yu, Zhitao

2003-03-01

The multiscale synoptic circulation system in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank (GOMGB) region is presented using a feature-oriented approach. Prevalent synoptic circulation structures, or 'features', are identified from previous observational studies. These features include the buoyancy-driven Maine Coastal Current, the Georges Bank anticyclonic frontal circulation system, the basin-scale cyclonic gyres (Jordan, Georges and Wilkinson), the deep inflow through the Northeast Channel (NEC), the shallow outflow via the Great South Channel (GSC), and the shelf-slope front (SSF). Their synoptic water-mass ( T- S) structures are characterized and parameterized in a generalized formulation to develop temperature-salinity feature models. A synoptic initialization scheme for feature-oriented regional modeling and simulation (FORMS) of the circulation in the coastal-to-deep region of the GOMGB system is then developed. First, the temperature and salinity feature-model profiles are placed on a regional circulation template and then objectively analyzed with appropriate background climatology in the coastal region. Furthermore, these fields are melded with adjacent deep-ocean regional circulation (Gulf Stream Meander and Ring region) along and across the SSF. These initialization fields are then used for dynamical simulations via the primitive equation model. Simulation results are analyzed to calibrate the multiparameter feature-oriented modeling system. Experimental short-term synoptic simulations are presented for multiple resolutions in different regions with and without atmospheric forcing. The presented 'generic and portable' methodology demonstrates the potential of applying similar FORMS in many other regions of the Global Coastal Ocean.

Gradually including potential users: A tool to counter design exclusions.

PubMed

Zitkus, Emilene; Langdon, Patrick; Clarkson, P John

2018-01-01

The paper describes an iterative development process used to understand the suitability of different inclusive design evaluation tools applied into design practices. At the end of this process, a tool named Inclusive Design Advisor was developed, combining data related to design features of small appliances with ergonomic task demands, anthropometric data and exclusion data. When auditing a new design the tool examines the exclusion that each design feature can cause, followed by objective recommendations directly related to its features. Interactively, it allows designers or clients to balance design changes with the exclusion caused. It presents the type of information that enables designers and clients to discuss user needs and make more inclusive design decisions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Usability issues concerning child restraint system harness design.

PubMed

Rudin-Brown, Christina M; Kumagai, Jason K; Angel, Harry A; Iwasa-Madge, Kim M; Noy, Y Ian

2003-05-01

A study was conducted to assess usability issues relating to child restraint system (CRS) harness design. Four convertible child restraint systems representing a wide variety of design features were used. Forty-two participants installed two child test dummies in both forward- and rear-facing configurations either inside or outside a test vehicle. Observer-scored checklists determined the degree to which each harness was installed correctly. Participant-scored questionnaires evaluated the 'ease-of-use' of various design features. While the percentage of correct installations exceeded 83% for all designs when installed in the forward-facing configuration, in the rear-facing position (that intended for children under 9-10 kg), there was a significant (between 65 and 89%) percentage of incorrect installations for all models. This finding is of particular interest and may be indicative of a more generalized problem with 'convertible' CRS designs when they are used in the rear-facing configuration. Furthermore, while certain design features were perceived by users as providing significantly better protection in the event of a collision, these also tended to be the features that were misused most often. The benefits and costs of various design features are discussed, and a method to test harness design usability is presented.

Characterization of a piezoelectric valve for an adaptive pneumatic shock absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikułowski, Grzegorz; Wiszowaty, Rafał; Holnicki-Szulc, Jan

2013-12-01

This paper describes a pneumatic valve based on a multilayer piezoelectric actuator and Hörbiger plates. The device was designed to operate in an adaptive pneumatic shock absorber. The adaptive pneumatic shock absorber was considered as a piston-cylinder device and the valve was intended to be installed inside the piston. The main objective for the valve application was regulating the gas flow between the cylinder’s chambers in order to maintain the desired value of the reaction force generated by the shock absorber. The paper describes the design constraints and requirements, together with results of analytical modelling of fluid flow verified versus experimentally obtained data. The presented results indicate that the desired performance characteristics of the valve were obtained. The geometrical constraints of the flow ducts were studied and the actuator’s functional features analysed.

The development of the advanced cryogenic radiometer facility at NRC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamouras, A.; Todd, A. D. W.; Côté, É.; Rowell, N. L.

2018-02-01

The National Research Council (NRC) of Canada has established a next generation facility for the primary realization of optical radiant power. The main feature of this facility is a new cryogenic electrical substitution radiometer with a closed-cycle helium cryocooler. A monochromator-based approach allows for detector calibrations at any desired wavelength. A custom-designed motion apparatus includes two transfer standard radiometer mounting ports which has increased our measurement capability by allowing the calibration of two photodetectors in one measurement cycle. Measurement uncertainties have been improved through several upgrades, including newly designed and constructed transimpedance amplifiers for the transfer standard radiometers, and a higher power broadband light source. The most significant improvements in uncertainty arise from the enhanced characteristics of the new cryogenic radiometer including its higher cavity absorptance and reduced non-equivalence effects.

[How to produce a video to promote HIV testing in men who have sex with men?].

PubMed

Menacho, Luis A; Blas, Magaly M

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to describe the process of designing and producing a video to promote HIV testing in Peruvian men who have sex with men (MSM). The process involved the following steps: identification of the theories of behavior change; identifying key messages and video features; developing a script that would captivate the target audience; working with an experienced production company; and piloting the video. A video with everyday situations of risk associated with HIV infection was the one preferred by participants. Key messages identified, and theoretical constructs models chosen were used to create the video scenes. Participants identified with the main, 9 minute video which they considered to be clear and dynamic. It is necessary to work with the target population to design a video according to their preferences.

Optimal tracking and second order sliding power control of the DFIG wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdeddaim, S.; Betka, A.; Charrouf, O.

2017-02-01

In the present paper, an optimal operation of a grid-connected variable speed wind turbine equipped with a Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is presented. The proposed cascaded nonlinear controller is designed to perform two main objectives. In the outer loop, a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm based on fuzzy logic theory is designed to permanently extract the optimal aerodynamic energy, whereas in the inner loop, a second order sliding mode control (2-SM) is applied to achieve smooth regulation of both stator active and reactive powers quantities. The obtained simulation results show a permanent track of the MPP point regardless of the turbine power-speed slope moreover the proposed sliding mode control strategy presents attractive features such as chattering-free, compared to the conventional first order sliding technique (1-SM).

Classification of epileptic EEG signals based on simple random sampling and sequential feature selection.

PubMed

Ghayab, Hadi Ratham Al; Li, Yan; Abdulla, Shahab; Diykh, Mohammed; Wan, Xiangkui

2016-06-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are used broadly in the medical fields. The main applications of EEG signals are the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as epilepsy, Alzheimer, sleep problems and so on. This paper presents a new method which extracts and selects features from multi-channel EEG signals. This research focuses on three main points. Firstly, simple random sampling (SRS) technique is used to extract features from the time domain of EEG signals. Secondly, the sequential feature selection (SFS) algorithm is applied to select the key features and to reduce the dimensionality of the data. Finally, the selected features are forwarded to a least square support vector machine (LS_SVM) classifier to classify the EEG signals. The LS_SVM classifier classified the features which are extracted and selected from the SRS and the SFS. The experimental results show that the method achieves 99.90, 99.80 and 100 % for classification accuracy, sensitivity and specificity, respectively.

Blind image quality assessment based on aesthetic and statistical quality-aware features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenadeleh, Mohsen; Masaeli, Mohammad Masood; Moghaddam, Mohsen Ebrahimi

2017-07-01

The main goal of image quality assessment (IQA) methods is the emulation of human perceptual image quality judgments. Therefore, the correlation between objective scores of these methods with human perceptual scores is considered as their performance metric. Human judgment of the image quality implicitly includes many factors when assessing perceptual image qualities such as aesthetics, semantics, context, and various types of visual distortions. The main idea of this paper is to use a host of features that are commonly employed in image aesthetics assessment in order to improve blind image quality assessment (BIQA) methods accuracy. We propose an approach that enriches the features of BIQA methods by integrating a host of aesthetics image features with the features of natural image statistics derived from multiple domains. The proposed features have been used for augmenting five different state-of-the-art BIQA methods, which use statistical natural scene statistics features. Experiments were performed on seven benchmark image quality databases. The experimental results showed significant improvement of the accuracy of the methods.

78 FR 36084 - Special Conditions: The Boeing Company, Model 717-200 Series Airplanes; Seats With Inflatable...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-17

... 717- 200 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature [[Page 36085... series airplanes will incorporate the following novel or unusual design features: inflatable lapbelts on... certain novel or unusual design features on one model series of airplanes. It is not a rule of general...

78 FR 68775 - Special Conditions: Airbus, Model A350-900 Series Airplane; Composite Fuselage In-Flight Fire...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-15

... Model A350-900 series airplanes. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design features associated... Model A350-900 series because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed... Airbus Model A350-900 series airplane will incorporate the following novel or unusual design features...

78 FR 26280 - Special Conditions: Embraer, S.A., Model EMB-550 Airplane; Side-Facing Seats; Installation of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-06

... be active during all dynamic tests conducted to show compliance with Sec. 25.562. (2) The design and... novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with multiple place and single place side- facing seats... not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special...

77 FR 69573 - Special Conditions: Embraer S.A., Model EMB-550 Airplane; Electronic Flight Control System...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-20

... airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with an electronic flight control system... empennage and control surfaces. The Model EMB-550 airplane is designed for 8 passengers, with a maximum of... flight control design feature within the normal operational envelope in which sidestick deflection in the...

78 FR 76980 - Special Conditions: Airbus, A350-900 Series Airplane; Interaction of Systems and Structures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-20

... series airplanes. These airplanes will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state...-900 series because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under Sec...)(2). Novel or Unusual Design Features The Airbus Model A350-900 series will incorporate the following...

Identification of influencing municipal characteristics regarding household waste generation and their forecasting ability in Biscay.

PubMed

Oribe-Garcia, Iraia; Kamara-Esteban, Oihane; Martin, Cristina; Macarulla-Arenaza, Ana M; Alonso-Vicario, Ainhoa

2015-05-01

The planning of waste management strategies needs tools to support decisions at all stages of the process. Accurate quantification of the waste to be generated is essential for both the daily management (short-term) and proper design of facilities (long-term). Designing without rigorous knowledge may have serious economic and environmental consequences. The present works aims at identifying relevant socio-economic features of municipalities regarding Household Waste (HW) generation by means of factor models. Factor models face two main drawbacks, data collection and identifying relevant explanatory variables within a heterogeneous group. Grouping similar characteristics observations within a group may favour the deduction of more robust models. The methodology followed has been tested with Biscay Province because it stands out for having very different municipalities ranging from very rural to urban ones. Two main models are developed, one for the overall province and a second one after clustering the municipalities. The results prove that relating municipalities with specific characteristics, improves the results in a very heterogeneous situation. The methodology has identified urban morphology, tourism activity, level of education and economic situation as the most influencing characteristics in HW generation. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A model-based approach for the scattering-bar printing avoidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Yaojun; Li, Liang; Zhang, Jingjing; Shao, Feng; Zuniga, Christian; Deng, Yunfei

2018-03-01

As the technology node for the semiconductor manufacturing approaches advanced nodes, the scattering-bars (SBs) are more crucial than ever to ensure a good on-wafer printability of the line space pattern and hole pattern. The main pattern with small pitches requires a very narrow PV (process variation) band. A delicate SB addition scheme is thus needed to maintain a sufficient PW (process window) for the semi-iso- and iso-patterns. In general, the wider, longer, and closer to main feature SBs will be more effective in enhancing the printability; on the other hand, they are also more likely to be printed on the wafer; resulting in undesired defects transferable to subsequent processes. In this work, we have developed a model based approach for the scattering-bar printing avoidance (SPA). A specially designed optical model was tuned based on a broad range of test patterns which contain a variation of CDs and SB placements showing printing and non-printing scattering bars. A printing threshold is then obtained to check the extra-printings of SBs. The accuracy of this threshold is verified by pre-designed test patterns. The printing threshold associated with our novel SPA model allows us to set up a proper SB rule.

Templet Web: the use of volunteer computing approach in PaaS-style cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vostokin, Sergei; Artamonov, Yuriy; Tsarev, Daniil

2018-03-01

This article presents the Templet Web cloud service. The service is designed for high-performance scientific computing automation. The use of high-performance technology is specifically required by new fields of computational science such as data mining, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and others. Cloud technologies provide a significant cost reduction for high-performance scientific applications. The main objectives to achieve this cost reduction in the Templet Web service design are: (a) the implementation of "on-demand" access; (b) source code deployment management; (c) high-performance computing programs development automation. The distinctive feature of the service is the approach mainly used in the field of volunteer computing, when a person who has access to a computer system delegates his access rights to the requesting user. We developed an access procedure, algorithms, and software for utilization of free computational resources of the academic cluster system in line with the methods of volunteer computing. The Templet Web service has been in operation for five years. It has been successfully used for conducting laboratory workshops and solving research problems, some of which are considered in this article. The article also provides an overview of research directions related to service development.

ABB's advanced steam turbine program

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

Chellini, R.

Demand for industrial steam turbines for combined-cycle applications and cogeneration plants has influenced turbine manufacturers to standardize their machines to reduce delivery time and cost. ABB, also a supplier of turnkey plants, manufactures steam turbines in Finspong, Sweden, at the former ASEA Stal facilities and in Nuernberg, Germany, at the former AEG facilities. The companies have joined forces, setting up the advanced Steam Turbine Program (ATP) that, once completed, will cover a power range from two to 100 MW. The company decided to use two criteria as a starting point, the high efficiency design of the Swedish turbines and themore » high reliability of the German machines. Thus, the main task was combining the two designs in standard machines that could be assembled quickly into predefined packages to meet specific needs of combined-cycle and cogeneration plants specified by customers. In carrying out this project, emphasis was put on cost reduction as one of the main goals. The first results of the ATP program, presented by ABB Turbinen Nuernberg, is the range of 2-30 MW turbines covered by two frame sizes comprising standard components supporting the thermodynamic module. An important feature is the standardization of the speed reduction gearbox.« less

Flow Distribution Around the SSME Main Injector Assembly Using Porosity Formulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Gary C.; Chen, Yen-Sen; Wang, Ten-See

1995-01-01

Hot gas turbulent flow distribution around the main injector assembly of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) and Liquid Oxidizer (LOX) flow distribution through the LOX posts have a great effect on the combustion phenomena inside the main combustion chamber. In order to design a CFD model to be an effective engineering analysis tool with good computational turn- around time (especially for 3-D flow problems) and still maintain good accuracy in describing the flow features, the concept of porosity was employed to describe the effects of blockage and drag force due to the presence of the LOX posts in the turbulent flow field around the main injector assembly of the SSME. 2-D numerical studies were conducted to identify the drag coefficients of the flows both through tube banks and around the shielded posts over a wide range of Reynolds numbers. Empirical, analytical expressions of the drag coefficient as a function of local flow Reynolds number were then deduced. The porosity model was applied to the turbulent flow around the main injector assembly of the SSME, and analyses were performed. The 3-D CFD analysis was divided into three parts, LOX dome, hot gas injector assembly, and hydrogen cavity. The numerical results indicate that the mixture ratio at the downstream of injector face was close to stoichiometric around baffle elements.

Flow Distribution Around the SSME Main Injector Assembly Using Porosity Formulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Gary C.; Chen, Yen-Sen; Wang, Ten-See

1995-01-01

Hot gas turbulent flow distribution around the main injector assembly of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) and Liquid Oxidizer (LOX) flow distribution through the LOX posts have a great effect on the combustion phenomena inside the main combustion chamber. In order to design a CFD model to be an effective engineering analysis tool with good computational turn-around time (especially for 3-D flow problems) and still maintain good accuracy in describing the flow features, the concept of porosity was employed to describe the effects of blockage and drag force due to the presence of the LOX posts in the turbulent flow field around the main injector assembly of the SSME. 2-D numerical studies were conducted to identify the drag coefficients of the flows both through tube banks and around the shielded posts over a wide range of Reynolds numbers. Empirical, analytical expressions of the drag coefficient as a function of local flow Reynolds number were then deduced. The porosity model was applied to the turbulent flow around the main injector assembly of the SSME, and analyses were performed. The 3-D CFD analysis was divided into three parts, LOX dome, hot gas injector assembly, and hydrogen cavity. The numerical results indicate that the mixture ratio at the downstream of injector face was close to stoichiometric around baffle elements.

Innovation in Aerodynamic Design Features of Soviet Missiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spearman, M. Leroy

2006-01-01

Wind tunnel investigations of some tactical and strategic missile systems developed by the former Soviet Union have been included in the basic missile research programs of the NACA/NASA. Studies of the Soviet missiles sometimes revealed innovative design features that resulted in unusual or unexpected aerodynamic characteristics. In some cases these characteristics have been such that the measured performance of the missile exceeds what might have been predicted. In other cases some unusual design features have been found that would alleviate what might otherwise have been a serious aerodynamic problem. In some designs, what has appeared to be a lack of refinement has proven to be a matter of expediency. It is a purpose of this paper to describe some examples of unusual design features of some Soviet missiles and to illustrate the effectiveness of the design features on the aerodynamic behavior of the missile. The paper draws on the experience of the author who for over 60 years was involved in the aerodynamic wind tunnel testing of aircraft and missiles with the NACA/NASA.

Poster - Thur Eve - 48: An inexpensive and convenient phantom for quality assurance in image guidance based radiosurgery.

PubMed

Soisson, E

2012-07-01

This work describes the design and use of an inexpensive phantom designed for precision measurements in radiosurgery quality assurance. The main features of this simple phantom include its solid water construction, interchangeable ion chamber holders and film registration system, thus allowing for measurement of small fields with several detectors using the same phantom. The entire phantom was constructed using one 30cm × 30cm × 3cm slab of solid water. The phantom contains a slot that allows for the placement of two small volume ion chambers (liquid and A1SL) via custom inserts near the center of the phantom. In addition, the plug can be filled for film measurements. The phantom can be split down the center to allow for the placement of a film. As opposed to registering film to room based markers, such as lasers, the phantom contains radio-opaque fiducials that puncture the film while also providing a method to register the film images to exported dose planes. In addition to the markers used for film registration, the phantom contains several external beebees that can be used to avoid ambiguity in image registration when using image guidance for setup. This simple phantom contains many features of other much more expensive phantoms designed for this purpose and has been found to be very useful clinically and in departmental research. The key elements of this phantom could be included in several other designs allowing it to be reproduced in other centers. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

High Temperature Heat Exchanger Design and Fabrication for Systems with Large Pressure Differentials

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

Chordia, Lalit; Portnoff, Marc A.; Green, Ed

The project’s main purpose was to design, build and test a compact heat exchanger for supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO 2) power cycle recuperators. The compact recuperator is required to operate at high temperature and high pressure differentials, 169 bar (~2,500 psi), between streams of sCO 2. Additional project tasks included building a hot air-to-sCO 2 Heater heat exchanger (HX) and design, build and operate a test loop to characterize the recuperator and heater heat exchangers. A novel counter-current microtube recuperator was built to meet the high temperature high differential pressure criteria and tested. The compact HX design also incorporated amore » number of features that optimize material use, improved reliability and reduced cost. The air-to-sCO 2 Heater HX utilized a cross flow, counter-current, micro-tubular design. This compact HX design was incorporated into the test loop and exceeded design expectations. The test loop design to characterize the prototype Brayton power cycle HXs was assembled, commissioned and operated during the program. Both the prototype recuperator and Heater HXs were characterized. Measured results for the recuperator confirmed the predictions of the heat transfer models developed during the project. Heater HX data analysis is ongoing.« less

Factors Affecting Preferences of Iranian Women for Breast Cancer Screening Based on Marketing Mix Components.

PubMed

Pourfarzi, Farhad; Fouladi, Nasrin; Amani, Firouz; Ahari, Saeid Sadegieh; Roshani, Zohre; Alimohammadi, Sara

2016-01-01

According to recent statistics, the breast cancer rate is growing fast in developing countries. In North West Iran, the incidence of breast cancer after esophageal and gastric cancers has the highest rate. Previous studies have also indicated that women in this region show reluctance to do breast cancer screening. There is a great need for change to promote breast cancer screening among women. Social marketing is a discipline that uses the systematic application of commercial marketing techniques to promote the adoption of behavior by the target audience. In the present qualitative study, thirty-two women with breast cancer were interviewed about their experiences of breast cancer screening. A semi-structured interview guide was designed to elicit information specific to the 4 P's in social marketing. Three main categories emerged from the analysis: price, service and promotion. Subcategories related to these main categories included factors effective in increasing and decreasing cost of screening, current and desirable features of screening services, and weakness of promotion. Screening programs should be designed to be of low cost, to meet patients' needs and should be provided in suitable places. Furthermore, it is essential that the cultural beliefs of society be improved through education. It seems necessary to design an executive protocol for breast cancer screening at different levels of primary health care to increase the women's willingness to undergo screening.

Sloshing in the Liquid Hydrogen and Liquid Oxygen Propellant Tanks After Main Engine Cut Off

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Sura; West, Jeff

2011-01-01

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is designing and developing the Main Propulsion System (MPS) for Ares launch vehicles. Propellant sloshing in the liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LO2) propellant tanks after Main Engine Cut Off (MECO) was modeled using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) module of the computational fluid dynamics code, CFD-ACE+. The present simulation shows that there is substantial sloshing side forces acting on the LH2 tank during the deceleration of the vehicle after MECO. The LH2 tank features a side wall drain pipe. The side loads result from the residual propellant mass motion in the LH2 tank which is initiated by the stop of flow into the drain pipe at MECO. The simulations show that radial force on the LH2 tank wall is less than 50 lbf and the radial moment calculated based up through the center of gravity of the vehicle is predicted to be as high as 300 lbf-ft. The LO2 tank features a bottom dome drain system and is equipped with sloshing baffles. The remaining LO2 in the tank slowly forms a liquid column along the centerline of tank under the zero gravity environments. The radial force on the LO2 tank wall is predicted to be less than 100 lbf. The radial moment calculated based on the center of gravity of the vehicle is predicted as high as 4500 lbf-ft just before MECO and dropped down to near zero after propellant draining stopped completely.

Assistant Personal Robot (APR): Conception and Application of a Tele-Operated Assisted Living Robot.

PubMed

Clotet, Eduard; Martínez, Dani; Moreno, Javier; Tresanchez, Marcel; Palacín, Jordi

2016-04-28

This paper presents the technical description, mechanical design, electronic components, software implementation and possible applications of a tele-operated mobile robot designed as an assisted living tool. This robotic concept has been named Assistant Personal Robot (or APR for short) and has been designed as a remotely telecontrolled robotic platform built to provide social and assistive services to elderly people and those with impaired mobility. The APR features a fast high-mobility motion system adapted for tele-operation in plain indoor areas, which incorporates a high-priority collision avoidance procedure. This paper presents the mechanical architecture, electrical fundaments and software implementation required in order to develop the main functionalities of an assistive robot. The APR uses a tablet in order to implement the basic peer-to-peer videoconference and tele-operation control combined with a tactile graphic user interface. The paper also presents the development of some applications proposed in the framework of an assisted living robot.

A Novel Paradigm for Computer-Aided Design: TRIZ-Based Hybridization of Topologically Optimized Density Distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardillo, A.; Cascini, G.; Frillici, F. S.; Rotini, F.

In a recent project the authors have proposed the adoption of Optimization Systems [1] as a bridging element between Computer-Aided Innovation (CAI) and PLM to identify geometrical contradictions [2], a particular case of the TRIZ physical contradiction [3]. A further development of the research [4] has revealed that the solutions obtained from several topological optimizations can be considered as elementary customized modeling features for a specific design task. The topology overcoming the arising geometrical contradiction can be obtained through a manipulation of the density distributions constituting the conflicting pair. Already two strategies of density combination have been identified as capable to solve geometrical contradictions and several others are under extended testing. The paper illustrates the most recent results of the ongoing research mainly related to the extension of the algorithms from 2D to 3D design spaces. The whole approach is clarified by means of two detailed examples, where the proposed technique is compared with classical multi-goal optimization.

Income Transfers and Maternal Health: Evidence from a National Randomized Social Cash Transfer Program in Zambia.

PubMed

Handa, Sudhanshu; Peterman, Amber; Seidenfeld, David; Tembo, Gelson

2016-02-01

There is promising recent evidence that poverty-targeted social cash transfers have potential to improve maternal health outcomes; however, questions remain surrounding design features responsible for impacts. In addition, virtually no evidence exists from the African region. This study explores the impact of Zambia's Child Grant Program on a range of maternal health utilization outcomes using a randomized design and difference-in-differences multivariate regression from data collected over 24 months from 2010 to 2012. Results indicate that while there are no measurable program impacts among the main sample, there are heterogeneous impacts on skilled attendance at birth among a sample of women residing in households having better access to maternal health services. The latter result is particularly interesting because of the overall low level of health care availability in program areas suggesting that dedicated program design or matching supply-side interventions may be necessary to leverage unconditional cash transfers in similar settings to impact maternal health. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Method to Analyze and Optimize the Load Sharing of Split Path Transmissions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krantz, Timothy L.

1996-01-01

Split-path transmissions are promising alternatives to the common planetary transmissions for rotorcraft. Heretofore, split-path designs proposed for or used in rotorcraft have featured load-sharing devices that add undesirable weight and complexity to the designs. A method was developed to analyze and optimize the load sharing in split-path transmissions without load-sharing devices. The method uses the clocking angle as a design parameter to optimize for equal load sharing. In addition, the clocking angle tolerance necessary to maintain acceptable load sharing can be calculated. The method evaluates the effects of gear-shaft twisting and bending, tooth bending, Hertzian deformations within bearings, and movement of bearing supports on load sharing. It was used to study the NASA split-path test gearbox and the U.S. Army's Comanche helicopter main rotor gearbox. Acceptable load sharing was found to be achievable and maintainable by using proven manufacturing processes. The analytical results compare favorably to available experimental data.

Pathways toward a low cost evacuated collector system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, J. R.; Schertz, W. W.; Allen, J. W.; Ogallagher, J. J.; Winston, R.

The goal of widespread use of solar thermal collectors will only be achieved when they are proven to be economically superior to competing energy sources. Evacuated tubular collectors appear to have the potential to achieve this goal. An advanced evacuated collector using nonimaging concentration under development at the University of Chicago and Argonne can achieve a 50% seasonal efficiency at heat delivery temperatures in excess of 170C. The same collector has an optical efficiency so that low temperature performance is also excellent. In this advanced collector design all of the critical components are enclosed in the vacuum, and the collector has an inherently long lifetime. The current cost of evacuated systems is too high, mainly because the volume of production has been too low to realize economies of mass production. It appears that certain design features of evacuated collectors can be changed (e.g., use of heat pipe absorbers) so as to introduce new system design and market strategy options that can reduce the balance of system cost.

Seniors and technology, ergonomic needs and design considerations.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Claudia Isabel Rojas

2012-01-01

This work is based on the ergonomic approach and the principles of universal design, with the aim of establishing the cognitive design features that interfaces must comply, for older adults achieve a good performance during their interaction with technological aids. Describes the analysis of exploratory experiences with a group of 17 older adults was aimed first to establish the main barriers to implementation that arise during these activities, and secondly to set the variables to be addressed and the procedure required to develop depth study, where the relationship establish between the quality of the stimuli and the level of performance achieved in the implementation of older adults with interfaces, observing each of the cognitive functions that promote independence, attention, motivation, memory these processes. The study in depth, looking for describe gaps and mismatches encountered during execution, which hamper the harmonious interaction processes through participatory methodological approach that allows to specify requirements for the creation of stimulating interfaces for cognitive skills and committed with the levels of autonomy of the elderly.

Income transfers and maternal health: Evidence from a national randomized social cash transfer program in Zambia

PubMed Central

Handa, Sudhanshu; Peterman, Amber; Seidenfeld, David; Tembo, Gelson

2017-01-01

There is promising recent evidence that poverty-targeted social cash transfers have potential to improve maternal health outcomes, however questions remain surrounding design features responsible for impacts. In addition, virtually no evidence exists from the African region. This study explores the impact of Zambia’s Child Grant Program on a range of maternal health utilization outcomes using a randomized design and difference-in-differences multivariate regression from data collected over 24 months from 2010 to 2012. Results indicate that while there are no measurable program impacts among the main sample, there are heterogeneous impacts on skilled attendance at birth among a sample of women residing in households having better access to maternal health services. The latter result is particularly interesting because of the overall low level of healthcare availability in program areas suggesting dedicated program design or matching supply-side interventions may be necessary to leverage unconditional cash transfers in similar settings to impact maternal health. PMID:25581062

Validation of Finite-Element Models of Persistent-Current Effects in Nb 3Sn Accelerator Magnets

DOE PAGES

Wang, X.; Ambrosio, G.; Chlachidze, G.; ...

2015-01-06

Persistent magnetization currents are induced in superconducting filaments during the current ramping in magnets. The resulting perturbation to the design magnetic field leads to field quality degradation, in particular at low field where the effect is stronger relative to the main field. The effects observed in NbTi accelerator magnets were reproduced well with the critical-state model. However, this approach becomes less accurate for the calculation of the persistent-current effects observed in Nb 3Sn accelerator magnets. Here a finite-element method based on the measured strand magnetization is validated against three state-of-art Nb3Sn accelerator magnets featuring different subelement diameters, critical currents, magnetmore » designs and measurement temperatures. The temperature dependence of the persistent-current effects is reproduced. Based on the validated model, the impact of conductor design on the persistent current effects is discussed. The performance, limitations and possible improvements of the approach are also discussed.« less

Self-acting seals for helicopter engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynwander, P.

1975-01-01

An experimental evaluation was conducted with NASA-designed self-acting face and circumferential seals for use in the main shaft positions of advanced gas turbine engines. The seals featured Rayleigh step pads (self-acting geometry) for lift augmentation. The tested seals incorporated design improvements over previous self-acting configurations. Self-acting face seals were tested to speeds of 214 m/s (700 ft/sec, 63700 rpm), air pressures of 216.8 N/sq cm abs (314.7 psia), and air temperatures of 688K (778 F). Self-acting circumferential seals were tested to speeds of 183 m/s (600 ft/sec, 47700 rpm), air pressures of 61.8 N/sq cm abs (89.7 psia), and air temperatures of 711 K (820 F). Self-acting face-seals are capable of operating at conditions exceeding conventional seal capability. The limit on speed capability was found to be the flatness of the seal-seat. The self-acting circumferential seal design tested requires further development for use in advanced engines.

Automating software design system DESTA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovitsky, Vladimir A.; Pearce, Patricia D.

1992-01-01

'DESTA' is the acronym for the Dialogue Evolutionary Synthesizer of Turnkey Algorithms by means of a natural language (Russian or English) functional specification of algorithms or software being developed. DESTA represents the computer-aided and/or automatic artificial intelligence 'forgiving' system which provides users with software tools support for algorithm and/or structured program development. The DESTA system is intended to provide support for the higher levels and earlier stages of engineering design of software in contrast to conventional Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems which provide low level tools for use at a stage when the major planning and structuring decisions have already been taken. DESTA is a knowledge-intensive system. The main features of the knowledge are procedures, functions, modules, operating system commands, batch files, their natural language specifications, and their interlinks. The specific domain for the DESTA system is a high level programming language like Turbo Pascal 6.0. The DESTA system is operational and runs on an IBM PC computer.

Current situation of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) in Chinese patients older than 40 years with airflow limitation: rationale and design for a multicenter, cross-sectional trial (study protocol).

PubMed

Kang, Jian; Yao, Wanzhen; Cai, Baiqiang; Chen, Ping; Ling, Xia; Shang, Hongyan

2016-12-01

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the frequently occurring chronic airway diseases, and the overlapping syndrome observed in the majority of patients has been recently defined as asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung (GOLD, 2014) and Global initiative for Asthma (GINA, 2015). The proportion, features, and clinical practice of ACOS still remain elusive in China. We are conducting this multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study (NCT02600221) to investigate the distributions of chronic obstructive diseases in patients >40 years of age with chronic airflow limitation in China along with determination of the main clinical practice and features of these diseases. The study will also explore the factors that may influence the exacerbations and severity of ACOS in Chinese patients (>40 years of age). A total of 2,000 patients (age, ≥40 years; either sex) who are clinically diagnosed as having asthma, COPD/chronic bronchitis/emphysema, or ACOS for at least 12 months with airflow limitation [post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV 1 /FVC): <0.7] will be enrolled from approximately 20 sites in China between December 2015 and December 2016. The proportion of ACOS among patients older than 40 years based on GINA 2015 and GOLD 2014 definitions is the primary variable. Following were the secondary variables: the proportions of COPD and asthma among the patients, distributions of the severity of airflow limitation, distribution of groups according to GOLD 2011 group definition (A, B, C, D), and the distribution of medication by drug class in patients with ACOS, asthma, and COPD. Acute exacerbation history, hospitalization, and severity of ACOS as evaluated using COPD Assessment Test, Asthma Control Questionnaire-5, and Modified British Medical Research Council in patients with ACOS were also assessed. This will be the first study to disseminate scientific knowledge on the current situation, main clinical practice, and features of ACOS, asthma, and COPD conditions in Chinese patients. The insights will be helpful in designing optimal management strategies for ACOS and redefining the healthcare development programs.

10 CFR 1045.17 - Classification levels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... classification include detailed technical descriptions of critical features of a nuclear explosive design that... classification include designs for specific weapon components (not revealing critical features), key features of uranium enrichment technologies, or specifications of weapon materials. (3) Confidential. The Director of...

10 CFR 1045.17 - Classification levels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... classification include detailed technical descriptions of critical features of a nuclear explosive design that... classification include designs for specific weapon components (not revealing critical features), key features of uranium enrichment technologies, or specifications of weapon materials. (3) Confidential. The Director of...

10 CFR 1045.17 - Classification levels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... classification include detailed technical descriptions of critical features of a nuclear explosive design that... classification include designs for specific weapon components (not revealing critical features), key features of uranium enrichment technologies, or specifications of weapon materials. (3) Confidential. The Director of...

10 CFR 1045.17 - Classification levels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... classification include detailed technical descriptions of critical features of a nuclear explosive design that... classification include designs for specific weapon components (not revealing critical features), key features of uranium enrichment technologies, or specifications of weapon materials. (3) Confidential. The Director of...

Covalent Organic Frameworks: From Materials Design to Biomedical Application

PubMed Central

Zhao, Fuli; Liu, Huiming; Mathe, Salva D. R.; Dong, Anjie

2017-01-01

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are newly emerged crystalline porous polymers with well-defined skeletons and nanopores mainly consisted of light-weight elements (H, B, C, N and O) linked by dynamic covalent bonds. Compared with conventional materials, COFs possess some unique and attractive features, such as large surface area, pre-designable pore geometry, excellent crystallinity, inherent adaptability and high flexibility in structural and functional design, thus exhibiting great potential for various applications. Especially, their large surface area and tunable porosity and π conjugation with unique photoelectric properties will enable COFs to serve as a promising platform for drug delivery, bioimaging, biosensing and theranostic applications. In this review, we trace the evolution of COFs in terms of linkages and highlight the important issues on synthetic method, structural design, morphological control and functionalization. And then we summarize the recent advances of COFs in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors and conclude with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities of COFs for biomedical purposes. Although currently still at its infancy stage, COFs as an innovative source have paved a new way to meet future challenges in human healthcare and disease theranostic. PMID:29283423

A two DoF finger for a biomechatronic artificial hand.

PubMed

Carrozza, M C; Massa, B; Dario, P; Zecca, M; Micera, S; Pastacaldi, P

2002-01-01

Current prosthetic hands are basically simple grippers with one or two degrees of freedom, which barely restore the capability of the thumb-index pinch. Although most amputees consider this performance as acceptable for usual tasks, there is ample room for improvement by exploiting recent progresses in mechatronics design and technology. We are developing a novel prosthetic hand featured by multiple degrees of freedom, tactile sensing capabilities, and distributed control. Our main goal is to pursue an integrated design approach in order to fulfill critical requirements such as cosmetics, controllability, low weight, low energy consumption and noiselessness. This approach can be synthesized by the definition "biomechatronic design", which means developing mechatronic systems inspired by living beings and able to work harmoniously with them. This paper describes the first implementation of one single finger of a future biomechatronic hand. The finger has a modular design, which allows to obtain hands with different degrees of freedom and grasping capabilities. Current developments include the implementation of a hand comprising three fingers (opposing thumb, index and middle) and an embedded controller.

Capitalized design of smart medicine box for elderly person based on quality function deployment (QFD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestari, Brina Cindy; Dewi, Dyah Santhi; Widodo, Rusminto Tjatur

2017-11-01

The elderly who has a particular disease need to take some medicines in everyday with correct dosages and appropriate by time schedules. However, the elderly frequently forget to take medicines because of their memory weakened. Consequently, the product innovation of elderly healthcare is required for helping elderly takes some medicine more easily. This research aims to develop a smart medicine box by applying quality function deployment method. The first step is identifying elderly requirements through an ethnographic approach by interviewing thirty-two of elderly people as respondents. Then, the second step is translated elderly requirements to technical parameter for designing a smart medicine box. The smart box design is focused on two main requirements which have highest importance rating including alarm reminder for taking medicine and automatic medicine box. Finally, the prototype design has been created and tested by using usability method. The result shown that 90% from ten respondents have positive respond on the feature of smart medicine box. The voice of alarm reminder smart medicine box is easy to understand by elderly people for taking medicines.

A novel fractal approach for predicting G-protein-coupled receptors and their subfamilies with support vector machines.

PubMed

Nie, Guoping; Li, Yong; Wang, Feichi; Wang, Siwen; Hu, Xuehai

2015-01-01

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are seven membrane-spanning proteins and regulate many important physiological processes, such as vision, neurotransmission, immune response and so on. GPCRs-related pathways are the targets of a large number of marketed drugs. Therefore, the design of a reliable computational model for predicting GPCRs from amino acid sequence has long been a significant biomedical problem. Chaos game representation (CGR) reveals the fractal patterns hidden in protein sequences, and then fractal dimension (FD) is an important feature of these highly irregular geometries with concise mathematical expression. Here, in order to extract important features from GPCR protein sequences, CGR algorithm, fractal dimension and amino acid composition (AAC) are employed to formulate the numerical features of protein samples. Four groups of features are considered, and each group is evaluated by support vector machine (SVM) and 10-fold cross-validation test. To test the performance of the present method, a new non-redundant dataset was built based on latest GPCRDB database. Comparing the results of numerical experiments, the group of combined features with AAC and FD gets the best result, the accuracy is 99.22% and Matthew's correlation coefficient (MCC) is 0.9845 for identifying GPCRs from non-GPCRs. Moreover, if it is classified as a GPCR, it will be further put into the second level, which will classify a GPCR into one of the five main subfamilies. At this level, the group of combined features with AAC and FD also gets best accuracy 85.73%. Finally, the proposed predictor is also compared with existing methods and shows better performances.

New features and applications of PRESTO, a computer code for the performance of regenerative, superheated steam turbine cycles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choo, Y. K.; Staiger, P. J.

1982-01-01

The code was designed to analyze performance at valves-wide-open design flow. The code can model conventional steam cycles as well as cycles that include such special features as process steam extraction and induction and feedwater heating by external heat sources. Convenience features and extensions to the special features were incorporated into the PRESTO code. The features are described, and detailed examples illustrating the use of both the original and the special features are given.

Defining competency-based evaluation objectives in family medicine

PubMed Central

Lawrence, Kathrine; Allen, Tim; Brailovsky, Carlos; Crichton, Tom; Bethune, Cheri; Donoff, Michel; Laughlin, Tom; Wetmore, Stephen; Carpentier, Marie-Pierre; Visser, Shaun

2011-01-01

Abstract Objective To develop key features for priority topics previously identified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada that, together with skill dimensions and phases of the clinical encounter, broadly describe competence in family medicine. Design Modified nominal group methodology, which was used to develop key features for each priority topic through an iterative process. Setting The College of Family Physicians of Canada. Participants An expert group of 7 family physicians and 1 educational consultant, all of whom had experience in assessing competence in family medicine. Group members represented the Canadian family medicine context with respect to region, sex, language, community type, and experience. Methods The group used a modified Delphi process to derive a detailed operational definition of competence, using multiple iterations until consensus was achieved for the items under discussion. The group met 3 to 4 times a year from 2000 to 2007. Main findings The group analyzed 99 topics and generated 773 key features. There were 2 to 20 (average 7.8) key features per topic; 63% of the key features focused on the diagnostic phase of the clinical encounter. Conclusion This project expands previous descriptions of the process of generating key features for assessment, and removes this process from the context of written examinations. A key-features analysis of topics focuses on higher-order cognitive processes of clinical competence. The project did not define all the skill dimensions of competence to the same degree, but it clearly identified those requiring further definition. This work generates part of a discipline-specific, competency-based definition of family medicine for assessment purposes. It limits the domain for assessment purposes, which is an advantage for the teaching and assessment of learners. A validation study on the content of this work would ensure that it truly reflects competence in family medicine. PMID:21998245

Prediction of hot spots in protein interfaces using a random forest model with hybrid features.

PubMed

Wang, Lin; Liu, Zhi-Ping; Zhang, Xiang-Sun; Chen, Luonan

2012-03-01

Prediction of hot spots in protein interfaces provides crucial information for the research on protein-protein interaction and drug design. Existing machine learning methods generally judge whether a given residue is likely to be a hot spot by extracting features only from the target residue. However, hot spots usually form a small cluster of residues which are tightly packed together at the center of protein interface. With this in mind, we present a novel method to extract hybrid features which incorporate a wide range of information of the target residue and its spatially neighboring residues, i.e. the nearest contact residue in the other face (mirror-contact residue) and the nearest contact residue in the same face (intra-contact residue). We provide a novel random forest (RF) model to effectively integrate these hybrid features for predicting hot spots in protein interfaces. Our method can achieve accuracy (ACC) of 82.4% and Matthew's correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.482 in Alanine Scanning Energetics Database, and ACC of 77.6% and MCC of 0.429 in Binding Interface Database. In a comparison study, performance of our RF model exceeds other existing methods, such as Robetta, FOLDEF, KFC, KFC2, MINERVA and HotPoint. Of our hybrid features, three physicochemical features of target residues (mass, polarizability and isoelectric point), the relative side-chain accessible surface area and the average depth index of mirror-contact residues are found to be the main discriminative features in hot spots prediction. We also confirm that hot spots tend to form large contact surface areas between two interacting proteins. Source data and code are available at: http://www.aporc.org/doc/wiki/HotSpot.

xMSanalyzer: automated pipeline for improved feature detection and downstream analysis of large-scale, non-targeted metabolomics data.

PubMed

Uppal, Karan; Soltow, Quinlyn A; Strobel, Frederick H; Pittard, W Stephen; Gernert, Kim M; Yu, Tianwei; Jones, Dean P

2013-01-16

Detection of low abundance metabolites is important for de novo mapping of metabolic pathways related to diet, microbiome or environmental exposures. Multiple algorithms are available to extract m/z features from liquid chromatography-mass spectral data in a conservative manner, which tends to preclude detection of low abundance chemicals and chemicals found in small subsets of samples. The present study provides software to enhance such algorithms for feature detection, quality assessment, and annotation. xMSanalyzer is a set of utilities for automated processing of metabolomics data. The utilites can be classified into four main modules to: 1) improve feature detection for replicate analyses by systematic re-extraction with multiple parameter settings and data merger to optimize the balance between sensitivity and reliability, 2) evaluate sample quality and feature consistency, 3) detect feature overlap between datasets, and 4) characterize high-resolution m/z matches to small molecule metabolites and biological pathways using multiple chemical databases. The package was tested with plasma samples and shown to more than double the number of features extracted while improving quantitative reliability of detection. MS/MS analysis of a random subset of peaks that were exclusively detected using xMSanalyzer confirmed that the optimization scheme improves detection of real metabolites. xMSanalyzer is a package of utilities for data extraction, quality control assessment, detection of overlapping and unique metabolites in multiple datasets, and batch annotation of metabolites. The program was designed to integrate with existing packages such as apLCMS and XCMS, but the framework can also be used to enhance data extraction for other LC/MS data software.

Designing augmentative and alternative communication applications: the results of focus groups with speech-language pathologists and parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Boster, Jamie B; McCarthy, John W

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to gain insight from speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) regarding appealing features of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) applications. Two separate 1-hour focus groups were conducted with 8 SLPs and 5 parents of children with ASD to identify appealing design features of AAC Apps, their benefits and potential concerns. Participants were shown novel interface designs for communication mode, play mode and incentive systems. Participants responded to poll questions and provided benefits and drawbacks of the features as part of structured discussion. SLPs and parents identified a range of appealing features in communication mode (customization, animation and colour-coding) as well as in play mode (games and videos). SLPs preferred interfaces that supported motor planning and instruction while parents preferred those features such as character assistants that would appeal to their child. Overall SLPs and parents agreed on features for future AAC Apps. SLPs and parents have valuable input in regards to future AAC app design informed by their experiences with children with ASD. Both groups are key stakeholders in the design process and should be included in future design and research endeavors. Implications for Rehabilitation AAC applications for the iPad are often designed based on previous devices without consideration of new features. Ensuring the design of new interfaces are appealing and beneficial for children with ASD can potentially further support their communication. This study demonstrates how key stakeholders in AAC including speech language pathologists and parents can provide information to support the development of future AAC interface designs. Key stakeholders may be an untapped resource in the development of future AAC interfaces for children with ASD.

Nanoengineering approaches to the design of artificial antigen-presenting cells

PubMed Central

Sunshine, Joel C; Green, Jordan J

2014-01-01

Artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs) have shown great initial promise for ex vivo activation of cytotoxic T cells. The development of aAPCs has focused mainly on the choice of proteins to use for surface presentation to T cells when conjugated to various spherical, microscale particles. We review here biomimetic nanoengineering approaches that have been applied to the development of aAPCs that move beyond initial concepts about aAPC development. This article also discusses key technologies that may be enabling for the development of nano- and micro-scale aAPCs with nanoscale features, and suggests several future directions for the field. PMID:23837856

Plasma metallurgical production of nanocrystalline borides and carbides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galevsky, G. V.; Rudneva, V. V.; Cherepanov, A. N.; Galevsky, S. G.; Efimova, K. A.

2016-09-01

he experience in production and study of properties of nanocrystalline borides and chromium carbides, titanium, silicon was summarized. The design and features of the vertical three-jet once-through reactor with power 150 kW, used in the plasma metallurgical production, was described. The technological, thermotechnical and resource characteristics of the reactor were identified. The parameters of borides and carbides synthesis, their main characteristics in the nanodispersed state and equipment-technological scheme of production were provided. Evaluation of engineering-and-economical performance of the laboratory and industrial levels of borides and carbides production and the state corresponding to the segment of the world market was carried out.

Space Station Freedom solar array containment box mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Mark E.; Haugen, Bert; Anderson, Grant

1994-01-01

Space Station Freedom will feature six large solar arrays, called solar array wings, built by Lockheed Missiles & Space Company under contract to Rockwell International, Rocketdyne Division. Solar cells are mounted on flexible substrate panels which are hinged together to form a 'blanket.' Each wing is comprised of two blankets supported by a central mast, producing approximately 32 kW of power at beginning-of-life. During launch, the blankets are fan-folded and compressed to 1.5 percent of their deployed length into containment boxes. This paper describes the main containment box mechanisms designed to protect, deploy, and retract the solar array blankets: the latch, blanket restraint, tension, and guidewire mechanisms.

Generator of chemically active low-temperature plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyuftyaev, A. S.; Gadzhiev, M. Kh; Sargsyan, M. A.; Demirov, N. A.; Spector, N. O.

2016-11-01

A new generator of high enthalpy (H 0 > 40 kJ/g), chemically active nitrogen and air plasmas was designed and constructed. Main feature of the generator is an expanding channel of an output electrode; the generator belongs to the class of DC plasma torches with thermionic cathode with an efficiency of 80%. The generator ensures the formation of a slightly divergent plasma jet (2α = 12°) with a diameter of D = 10-12 mm, an electric arc maximum power of 20-50 kW, plasma forming gas flow rate 1.0-2.0 g/s, and the average plasma temperature at an outlet of 8000-11000 K.

Fabrication of implantable microelectrode arrays by laser cutting of silicone rubber and platinum foil.

PubMed

Schuettler, M; Stiess, S; King, B V; Suaning, G J

2005-03-01

A new method for fabrication of microelectrode arrays comprised of traditional implant materials is presented. The main construction principle is the use of spun-on medical grade silicone rubber as insulating substrate material and platinum foil as conductor (tracks, pads and electrodes). The silicone rubber and the platinum foil are patterned by laser cutting using an Nd:YAG laser and a microcontroller-driven, stepper-motor operated x-y table. The method does not require expensive clean room facilities and offers an extremely short design-to-prototype time of below 1 day. First prototypes demonstrate a minimal achievable feature size of about 30 microm.

Managing Personal and Group Collections of Information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, Shawn R.; Wragg, Stephen D.; Chen, James R.; Koga, Dennis (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

The internet revolution has dramatically increased the amount of information available to users. Various tools such as search engines have been developed to help users find the information they need from this vast repository. Users often also need tools to help manipulate the growing amount of useful information they have discovered. Current tools available for this purpose are typically local components of web browsers designed to manage URL bookmarks. They provide limited functionalities to handle high information complexities. To tackle this have created DIAMS, an agent-based tool to help users or groups manage their information collections and share their collections with other. the main features of DIAMS are described here.

Light concentrator of the wide field of view Cherenkov telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Rui; Sheng, Xi Yi; Liao, Bo Lin

2016-10-01

The Wide Field of View Cherenkov Telescope (WFCT) is mainly constituted by optical reflector and focal-plane photomultiplier (PMT) array camera. In order to avoid loss of Cherenkov signal resulting from the dead area between circular PMT tubes and invalid fringe of each PMT, the light concentrator used as front window of PMT is considered to improve detective efficiency. Basing on the edge-ray principle and features of WFCT, several light concentrators are designed and simulated with ZEMAX. The result shows that the hollow hexahedral compound parabolic concentrator (hex-CPC) has good performance in collecting light. Moreover, the samples of the hollow hexahedral CPC have been manufactured and tested.

Advances in heterocycle synthesis via [3+m]-cycloaddition reactions involving an azaoxyallyl cation as the key intermediate.

PubMed

Xuan, Jun; Cao, Xia; Cheng, Xiao

2018-05-17

Heterocyclic compounds are widely found in many natural isolates and medicinally relevant compounds, as well as some fine chemicals. The development of general and efficient methods for the construction of heterocyclic compounds is one of the most important tasks in synthetic organic chemistry. Along these lines, [3+m]-cycloaddition reactions involving in situ generated azaoxyallyl cations as the 3-atom units have emerged as a powerful method for the synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles. In this feature article, we highlight recent advances in this rapidly growing area, mainly focusing on the reaction design as well as the reaction mechanism.

An Output Approach to Incentive Reimbursement for Hospitals

PubMed Central

Ro, Kong-kyun; Auster, Richard

1969-01-01

A method of incentive reimbursement for health care institutions is described that is designed to stimulate the providers' efficiency. The two main features are: (1) reimbursement based on a weighted average of actual cost and mean cost plus or minus an appropriate number of standard deviations; (2) output defined as episodes of illness given adequate treatment instead of days of hospitalization. It is suggested that despite the operational difficulties involved in a method of payment based on an output approach, the flexibility incorporated into the determination of reimbursement by use of the properties of a normal frequency distribution would make the system workable. PMID:5349002

The Design and Product of National 1:1000000 Cartographic Data of Topographic Map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guizhi

2016-06-01

National administration of surveying, mapping and geoinformation started to launch the project of national fundamental geographic information database dynamic update in 2012. Among them, the 1:50000 database was updated once a year, furthermore the 1:250000 database was downsized and linkage-updated on the basis. In 2014, using the latest achievements of 1:250000 database, comprehensively update the 1:1000000 digital line graph database. At the same time, generate cartographic data of topographic map and digital elevation model data. This article mainly introduce national 1:1000000 cartographic data of topographic map, include feature content, database structure, Database-driven Mapping technology, workflow and so on.

Search for low-latitude atmospheric hydrocarbon variations on Jupiter from Juno-UVS measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hue, V.; Gladstone, R.; Greathouse, T.; Versteeg, M.; Davis, M. W.; Gerard, J. C. M. C.; Grodent, D. C.; Bonfond, B.; Bolton, S. J.; Levin, S.; Connerney, J. E. P.

2016-12-01

The Juno mission offers the opportunity to study Jupiter, from its inner structure, up to its magnetospheric environment. Juno was launched on August 2011 and its Jupiter orbit insertion (JOI) occurred on July 4th 2016. The nominal Juno mission involves 35 science polar-orbits of 14-days period, with perijove and apojove distances located at 0.06 Rj and 45 Rj, respectively. Juno-UVS is a UV spectrograph with a bandpass of 70<λ<205 nm, designed to characterize Jupiter UV emissions. One of the main additions of UVS compared to its predecessors (New Horizons- and Rosetta- Alice, LRO-LAMP) is a 2.54 mm tantalum shielding, to protect it from the harsh radiation environment at Jupiter, and a scan mirror, to allow for targeting specific auroral and atmospheric features at +/- 30° perpendicular to the Juno spin plane. It will provide new constraints on Jupiter's auroral morphology, spectral features, and vertical structure, while providing remote-sensing constraints for the onboard waves and particle instruments. It will also be used to probe upper-atmospheric composition through absorption features found in the UV spectra using reflected solar UV radiation. For example, stratospheric hydrocarbons such as C2H2 and C2H6 are known to absorb significantly in the 150-180 nm regions, and these absorption features can be used to determine their abundances. We will present our search for the spectroscopic features seen in Jupiter's reflected sunlight during the first perijove.

Detection of silicate emission features in the 8- to 13-micron spectra of main belt asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feierberg, M. A.; Witteborn, F. C.; Lebofsky, L. A.

1983-01-01

A presentation is given of 8.0-13.0 micron spectra (Delta lambda/lambda = 0.02-0.03) for six main belt asteroids, which range from 58 to 220 km in diameter and sample the five principal taxonomic classes (C, S, M, R and E). Narrow, well-defined silicate emission features are present on two of the asteroids, the C-type 19 Fortuna and the M-type 21 Lutetia. No comparable emission features are observed on the S-types 11 Parthenope and 14 Irene, the R-type 349 Dembowska or the E-type 64 Angelina.

Development of an algorithm for monitoring pattern fidelity on photomasks for 0.2-μm technology and beyond based on light optical CD metrology tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaetz, Thomas; Hay, Bernd; Walden, Lars; Ziegler, Wolfram

1999-04-01

With the ongoing shrinking of design rules, the complexity of photomasks does increase continuously. Features are getting smaller and denser, their characterization requires sophisticated procedures. Looking for the deviation from their target value and their linewidth variation is not sufficient any more. In addition, measurements of corner rounding and line end shortening are necessary to define the pattern fidelity on the mask. Otherwise printing results will not be satisfying. Contacts and small features are suffering mainly from imaging inaccuracies. The size of the contacts as an example may come out too small on the photomask and therefore reduces the process window in lithography. In order to meet customer requirements for pattern fidelity, a measurement algorithm and a measurement procedure needs to be introduced and specifications to be defined. In this paper different approaches are compared, allowing an automatic qualification of photomask by optical light microscopy based on a MueTec CD-metrology system, the newly developed MueTec 2030UV, provided with a 365 nm light source. The i-line illumination allows to resolve features down to 0.2 micrometers size with good repeatability.

Patient-Specific Deep Architectural Model for ECG Classification

PubMed Central

Luo, Kan; Cuschieri, Alfred

2017-01-01

Heartbeat classification is a crucial step for arrhythmia diagnosis during electrocardiographic (ECG) analysis. The new scenario of wireless body sensor network- (WBSN-) enabled ECG monitoring puts forward a higher-level demand for this traditional ECG analysis task. Previously reported methods mainly addressed this requirement with the applications of a shallow structured classifier and expert-designed features. In this study, modified frequency slice wavelet transform (MFSWT) was firstly employed to produce the time-frequency image for heartbeat signal. Then the deep learning (DL) method was performed for the heartbeat classification. Here, we proposed a novel model incorporating automatic feature abstraction and a deep neural network (DNN) classifier. Features were automatically abstracted by the stacked denoising auto-encoder (SDA) from the transferred time-frequency image. DNN classifier was constructed by an encoder layer of SDA and a softmax layer. In addition, a deterministic patient-specific heartbeat classifier was achieved by fine-tuning on heartbeat samples, which included a small subset of individual samples. The performance of the proposed model was evaluated on the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. Results showed that an overall accuracy of 97.5% was achieved using the proposed model, confirming that the proposed DNN model is a powerful tool for heartbeat pattern recognition. PMID:29065597

Wavelet-based study of valence-arousal model of emotions on EEG signals with LabVIEW.

PubMed

Guzel Aydin, Seda; Kaya, Turgay; Guler, Hasan

2016-06-01

This paper illustrates the wavelet-based feature extraction for emotion assessment using electroencephalogram (EEG) signal through graphical coding design. Two-dimensional (valence-arousal) emotion model was studied. Different emotions (happy, joy, melancholy, and disgust) were studied for assessment. These emotions were stimulated by video clips. EEG signals obtained from four subjects were decomposed into five frequency bands (gamma, beta, alpha, theta, and delta) using "db5" wavelet function. Relative features were calculated to obtain further information. Impact of the emotions according to valence value was observed to be optimal on power spectral density of gamma band. The main objective of this work is not only to investigate the influence of the emotions on different frequency bands but also to overcome the difficulties in the text-based program. This work offers an alternative approach for emotion evaluation through EEG processing. There are a number of methods for emotion recognition such as wavelet transform-based, Fourier transform-based, and Hilbert-Huang transform-based methods. However, the majority of these methods have been applied with the text-based programming languages. In this study, we proposed and implemented an experimental feature extraction with graphics-based language, which provides great convenience in bioelectrical signal processing.

Fast and effective characterization of 3D region of interest in medical image data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontos, Despina; Megalooikonomou, Vasileios

2004-05-01

We propose a framework for detecting, characterizing and classifying spatial Regions of Interest (ROIs) in medical images, such as tumors and lesions in MRI or activation regions in fMRI. A necessary step prior to classification is efficient extraction of discriminative features. For this purpose, we apply a characterization technique especially designed for spatial ROIs. The main idea of this technique is to extract a k-dimensional feature vector using concentric spheres in 3D (or circles in 2D) radiating out of the ROI's center of mass. These vectors form characterization signatures that can be used to represent the initial ROIs. We focus on classifying fMRI ROIs obtained from a study that explores neuroanatomical correlates of semantic processing in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We detect a ROI highly associated with AD and apply the feature extraction technique with different experimental settings. We seek to distinguish control from patient samples. We study how classification can be performed using the extracted signatures as well as how different experimental parameters affect classification accuracy. The obtained classification accuracy ranged from 82% to 87% (based on the selected ROI) suggesting that the proposed classification framework can be potentially useful in supporting medical decision-making.

The duality of temporal encoding – the intrinsic and extrinsic representation of time

PubMed Central

Golan, Ronen; Zakay, Dan

2015-01-01

While time is well acknowledged for having a fundamental part in our perception, questions on how it is represented are still matters of great debate. One of the main issues in question is whether time is represented intrinsically at the neural level, or is it represented within dedicated brain regions. We used an fMRI block design to test if we can impose covert encoding of temporal features of faces and natural scenes stimuli within category selective neural populations by exposing subjects to four types of temporal variance, ranging from 0% up to 50% variance. We found a gradual increase in neural activation associated with the gradual increase in temporal variance within category selective areas. A second level analysis showed the same pattern of activations within known brain regions associated with time representation, such as the Cerebellum, the Caudate, and the Thalamus. We concluded that temporal features are integral to perception and are simultaneously represented within category selective regions and globally within dedicated regions. Our second conclusion, drown from our covert procedure, is that time encoding, at its basic level, is an automated process that does not require attention allocated toward the temporal features nor does it require dedicated resources. PMID:26379604

Organizational contextual features that influence the implementation of evidence-based practices across healthcare settings: a systematic integrative review.

PubMed

Li, Shelly-Anne; Jeffs, Lianne; Barwick, Melanie; Stevens, Bonnie

2018-05-05

Organizational contextual features have been recognized as important determinants for implementing evidence-based practices across healthcare settings for over a decade. However, implementation scientists have not reached consensus on which features are most important for implementing evidence-based practices. The aims of this review were to identify the most commonly reported organizational contextual features that influence the implementation of evidence-based practices across healthcare settings, and to describe how these features affect implementation. An integrative review was undertaken following literature searches in CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases from January 2005 to June 2017. English language, peer-reviewed empirical studies exploring organizational context in at least one implementation initiative within a healthcare setting were included. Quality appraisal of the included studies was performed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Inductive content analysis informed data extraction and reduction. The search generated 5152 citations. After removing duplicates and applying eligibility criteria, 36 journal articles were included. The majority (n = 20) of the study designs were qualitative, 11 were quantitative, and 5 used a mixed methods approach. Six main organizational contextual features (organizational culture; leadership; networks and communication; resources; evaluation, monitoring and feedback; and champions) were most commonly reported to influence implementation outcomes in the selected studies across a wide range of healthcare settings. We identified six organizational contextual features that appear to be interrelated and work synergistically to influence the implementation of evidence-based practices within an organization. Organizational contextual features did not influence implementation efforts independently from other features. Rather, features were interrelated and often influenced each other in complex, dynamic ways to effect change. These features corresponded to the constructs in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), which supports the use of CFIR as a guiding framework for studies that explore the relationship between organizational context and implementation. Organizational culture was most commonly reported to affect implementation. Leadership exerted influence on the five other features, indicating it may be a moderator or mediator that enhances or impedes the implementation of evidence-based practices. Future research should focus on how organizational features interact to influence implementation effectiveness.

Built spaces and features associated with user satisfaction in maternity waiting homes in Malawi.

PubMed

McIntosh, Nathalie; Gruits, Patricia; Oppel, Eva; Shao, Amie

2018-07-01

To assess satisfaction with maternity waiting home built spaces and features in women who are at risk for underutilizing maternity waiting homes (i.e. residential facilities that temporarily house near-term pregnant mothers close to healthcare facilities that provide obstetrical care). Specifically we wanted to answer the questions: (1) Are built spaces and features associated with maternity waiting home user satisfaction? (2) Can built spaces and features designed to improve hygiene, comfort, privacy and function improve maternity waiting home user satisfaction? And (3) Which built spaces and features are most important for maternity waiting home user satisfaction? A cross-sectional study comparing satisfaction with standard and non-standard maternity waiting home designs. Between December 2016 and February 2017 we surveyed expectant mothers at two maternity waiting homes that differed in their design of built spaces and features. We used bivariate analyses to assess if built spaces and features were associated with satisfaction. We compared ratings of built spaces and features between the two maternity waiting homes using chi-squares and t-tests to assess if design features to improve hygiene, comfort, privacy and function were associated with higher satisfaction. We used exploratory robust regression analysis to examine the relationship between built spaces and features and maternity waiting home satisfaction. Two maternity waiting homes in Malawi, one that incorporated non-standardized design features to improve hygiene, comfort, privacy, and function (Kasungu maternity waiting home) and the other that had a standard maternity waiting home design (Dowa maternity waiting home). 322 expectant mothers at risk for underutilizing maternity waiting homes (i.e. first-time mothers and those with no pregnancy risk factors) who had stayed at the Kasungu or Dowa maternity waiting homes. There were significant differences in ratings of built spaces and features between the two differently designed maternity waiting homes, with the non-standard design having higher ratings for: adequacy of toilets, and ratings of heating/cooling, air and water quality, sanitation, toilets/showers and kitchen facilities, building maintenance, sleep area, private storage space, comfort level, outdoor spaces and overall satisfaction (p = <.0001 for all). The final regression model showed that built spaces and features that are most important for maternity waiting home user satisfaction are toilets/showers, guardian spaces, safety, building maintenance, sleep area and private storage space (R 2  = 0.28). The design of maternity waiting home built spaces and features is associated with user satisfaction in women at risk for underutilizing maternity waiting homes, especially related to toilets/showers, guardian spaces, safety, building maintenance, sleep area and private storage space. Improving maternity waiting home built spaces and features may offer a promising area for improving maternity waiting home satisfaction and reducing barriers to maternity waiting home use. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tucson Diversion Channel. Phase I. Sport Fields & Picnic Area. Feature Design Memorandum Number 3.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-04-01

opportunities for picnicking, a variety of field sports and court games , archery, jogging, and bicycling. d. Rapid urban growth in the Tucson metropolitan area...AD’A136 927 TUCSON DIVERSION CHANNEL PHASE I SPORT FIELDS A PICNI IC J AREA FEATURE DESIGN MEMORANDUM NUMBER 3(U) ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT LOS ANGELES...TUCSON DIVERSION CHMNEL DESIGN EIORANDUK NO. 3 FEATURE DESIGN MNRORANDIJ PHASE I SPORT FIELDS & PICNIC AREA APRIL 1983 t1 US AM CORPS OF

78 FR 75511 - Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc., Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 Series Airplanes...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-12

... Design Features The C-series airplanes will incorporate the following novel or unusual design features: A.... Conclusion This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features on two model series of airplanes... Inc., Models BD-500-1A10 and BD- 500-1A11 Series Airplanes; Electronic Flight Control System: Control...

Weighted low-rank sparse model via nuclear norm minimization for bearing fault detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Zhaohui; Chen, Xuefeng; Zhang, Han; Yang, Boyuan; Zhai, Zhi; Yan, Ruqiang

2017-07-01

It is a fundamental task in the machine fault diagnosis community to detect impulsive signatures generated by the localized faults of bearings. The main goal of this paper is to exploit the low-rank physical structure of periodic impulsive features and further establish a weighted low-rank sparse model for bearing fault detection. The proposed model mainly consists of three basic components: an adaptive partition window, a nuclear norm regularization and a weighted sequence. Firstly, due to the periodic repetition mechanism of impulsive feature, an adaptive partition window could be designed to transform the impulsive feature into a data matrix. The highlight of partition window is to accumulate all local feature information and align them. Then, all columns of the data matrix share similar waveforms and a core physical phenomenon arises, i.e., these singular values of the data matrix demonstrates a sparse distribution pattern. Therefore, a nuclear norm regularization is enforced to capture that sparse prior. However, the nuclear norm regularization treats all singular values equally and thus ignores one basic fact that larger singular values have more information volume of impulsive features and should be preserved as much as possible. Therefore, a weighted sequence with adaptively tuning weights inversely proportional to singular amplitude is adopted to guarantee the distribution consistence of large singular values. On the other hand, the proposed model is difficult to solve due to its non-convexity and thus a new algorithm is developed to search one satisfying stationary solution through alternatively implementing one proximal operator operation and least-square fitting. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis and selection principles of algorithmic parameters are comprehensively investigated through a set of numerical experiments, which shows that the proposed method is robust and only has a few adjustable parameters. Lastly, the proposed model is applied to the wind turbine (WT) bearing fault detection and its effectiveness is sufficiently verified. Compared with the current popular bearing fault diagnosis techniques, wavelet analysis and spectral kurtosis, our model achieves a higher diagnostic accuracy.

A novel end-to-end classifier using domain transferred deep convolutional neural networks for biomedical images.

PubMed

Pang, Shuchao; Yu, Zhezhou; Orgun, Mehmet A

2017-03-01

Highly accurate classification of biomedical images is an essential task in the clinical diagnosis of numerous medical diseases identified from those images. Traditional image classification methods combined with hand-crafted image feature descriptors and various classifiers are not able to effectively improve the accuracy rate and meet the high requirements of classification of biomedical images. The same also holds true for artificial neural network models directly trained with limited biomedical images used as training data or directly used as a black box to extract the deep features based on another distant dataset. In this study, we propose a highly reliable and accurate end-to-end classifier for all kinds of biomedical images via deep learning and transfer learning. We first apply domain transferred deep convolutional neural network for building a deep model; and then develop an overall deep learning architecture based on the raw pixels of original biomedical images using supervised training. In our model, we do not need the manual design of the feature space, seek an effective feature vector classifier or segment specific detection object and image patches, which are the main technological difficulties in the adoption of traditional image classification methods. Moreover, we do not need to be concerned with whether there are large training sets of annotated biomedical images, affordable parallel computing resources featuring GPUs or long times to wait for training a perfect deep model, which are the main problems to train deep neural networks for biomedical image classification as observed in recent works. With the utilization of a simple data augmentation method and fast convergence speed, our algorithm can achieve the best accuracy rate and outstanding classification ability for biomedical images. We have evaluated our classifier on several well-known public biomedical datasets and compared it with several state-of-the-art approaches. We propose a robust automated end-to-end classifier for biomedical images based on a domain transferred deep convolutional neural network model that shows a highly reliable and accurate performance which has been confirmed on several public biomedical image datasets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design and properties of 3D scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

PubMed

Gómez, S; Vlad, M D; López, J; Fernández, E

2016-09-15

In this study, the Voronoi tessellation method has been used to design novel bone like three dimension (3D) porous scaffolds. The Voronoi method has been processed with computer design software to obtain 3D virtual isotropic porous interconnected models, exactly matching the main histomorphometric indices of trabecular bone (trabecular thickness, trabecular separation, trabecular number, bone volume to total volume ratio, bone surface to bone volume ratio, etc.). These bone like models have been further computed for mechanical (elastic modulus) and fluid mass transport (permeability) properties. The results show that the final properties of the scaffolds can be controlled during their microstructure and histomorphometric initial design stage. It is also shown that final properties can be tuned during the design stage to exactly match those of trabecular natural bone. Moreover, identical total porosity models can be designed with quite different specific bone surface area and thus, this specific microstructural feature can be used to favour cell adhesion, migration and, ultimately, new bone apposition (i.e. osteoconduction). Once the virtual models are fully characterized and optimized, these can be easily 3D printed by additive manufacturing and/or stereolitography technologies. The significance of this article goes far beyond the specific objectives on which it is focussed. In fact, it shows, in a guided way, the entire novel process that can be followed to design graded porous implants, whatever its external shape and geometry, but internally tuned to the exact histomorphometric indices needed to match natural human tissues microstructures and, consequently, their mechanical and fluid properties, among others. The significance is even more relevant nowadays thanks to the available new computing and design software that is easily linked to the 3D printing new technologies. It is this transversality, at the frontier of different disciplines, the main characteristic that gives this article a high scientific impact and interest to a broaden audience. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modifiable Neighborhood Features Associated With Adolescent Homicide

PubMed Central

Culyba, Alison J.; Jacoby, Sara F.; Richmond, Therese S.; Fein, Joel A.; Hohl, Bernadette C.; Branas, Charles C.

2016-01-01

IMPORTANCE Homicide is a leading cause of adolescent mortality. To our knowledge, relatively little has been studied in terms of the association between environmental neighborhood features, such as streets, buildings, and natural surroundings, and severe violent injury among youth. OBJECTIVE To assess associations between environmental neighborhood features and adolescent homicide in order to identify targets for future place-based interventions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Population-based case-control study conducted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from April 15, 2008, to March 31, 2014. We identified adolescents who died by homicide at 13 to 20 years of age from 2010 to 2012 while residing in Philadelphia. We used incidence-density sampling and random-digit dialing to recruit control participants ages 13 to 20 years matched on sex and indoor-outdoor location at the time of each index case participant’s homicide. EXPOSURES To obtain environmental data about modifiable features that were present in the immediate surroundings of our case and control participants, blinded field researchers used standardized techniques to photograph case and control participant outdoor locations. Photographic data were stitched together to create 360° panoramic images that were coded for 60 elements of the visible environment. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE Adolescent homicide. RESULTS We enrolled 143 homicide case participants (mean [SD] age, 18.4 [1.5] years) and 155 matched control participants (mean [SD] age, 17.2 [2.1] years) who were both outdoors at the time of the homicide. In adjusted analyses, multiple features of Philadelphia streets, buildings, and natural surroundings were associated with adolescent homicide. The presence of street lighting (odds ratio [OR], 0.24; 95% CI, 0.09-0.70), illuminated walk/don’t walk signs (OR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.03-0.92), painted marked crosswalks (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.04-0.63), public transportation (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03-0.49), parks (OR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.01-0.88), and maintained vacant lots (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.03-0.81) were significantly associated with decreased odds of homicide. The odds of homicide were significantly higher in locations with stop signs (OR, 4.34; 95% CI, 1.40-13.45), security bars/gratings on houses (OR, 9.23; 95% CI, 2.45-34.80), and private bushes/plantings (OR, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.18-10.01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Using a population-based case-control design, we identified multiple modifiable environmental features that might be targeted in future randomized intervention trials designed to reduce youth violence by improving neighborhood context. PMID:26954939

ARCADIA{sup R} - A New Generation of Coupled Neutronics / Core Thermal- Hydraulics Code System at AREVA NP

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

Curca-Tivig, Florin; Merk, Stephan; Pautz, Andreas

2007-07-01

Anticipating future needs of our customers and willing to concentrate synergies and competences existing in the company for the benefit of our customers, AREVA NP decided in 2002 to develop the next generation of coupled neutronics/ core thermal-hydraulic (TH) code systems for fuel assembly and core design calculations for both, PWR and BWR applications. The global CONVERGENCE project was born: after a feasibility study of one year (2002) and a conceptual phase of another year (2003), development was started at the beginning of 2004. The present paper introduces the CONVERGENCE project, presents the main feature of the new code systemmore » ARCADIA{sup R} and concludes on customer benefits. ARCADIA{sup R} is designed to meet AREVA NP market and customers' requirements worldwide. Besides state-of-the-art physical modeling, numerical performance and industrial functionality, the ARCADIA{sup R} system is featuring state-of-the-art software engineering. The new code system will bring a series of benefits for our customers: e.g. improved accuracy for heterogeneous cores (MOX/ UOX, Gd...), better description of nuclide chains, and access to local neutronics/ thermal-hydraulics and possibly thermal-mechanical information (3D pin by pin full core modeling). ARCADIA is a registered trademark of AREVA NP. (authors)« less

Shape-optimization of round-to-slot holes for improving film cooling effectiveness on a flat surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ying; Zhang, Jing-zhou; Wang, Chun-hua

2018-01-01

Single-objective optimization for improving adiabatic film cooling effectiveness is performed for single row of round-to-slot film cooling holes on a flat surface by using CFD analysis and surrogate approximation methods. Among the main geometric parameters, dimensionless hole-to-hole pitch (P/d) and slot length-to-diameter (l/d) are fixed as 2.4 and 2 respectively, and the other parameters (hole height-to-diameter ratio, slot width-to-diameter and inclination angle) are chosen as the design variables. Given a wide range of possible geometric variables, the geometric optimization of round-to-slot holes is carried out under two typical blowing ratios of M = 0.5 and M = 1.5 by selecting a spatially-averaged adiabatic film cooling effectiveness between x/d = 2 and x/d = 12 as the objective function to be maximized. Radial basis function neural network is applied for constructing the surrogate model and then the optimal design point is searched by a genetic algorithm. It is revealed that the optimal round-to-slot hole is of converging feature under a low blowing ratio but of diffusing feature under a high blowing ratio. Further, the influence principle of optimal round-to-slot geometry on film cooling performance is illustrated according to the detailed flow and thermal behaviors.

A point-of-purchase intervention featuring in-person supermarket education impacts healthy food purchases

PubMed Central

Woolf, Kathleen; Appelhans, Bradley M.

2011-01-01

Objective This study tested the efficacy of a multicomponent supermarket point-of-purchase (POP) intervention featuring in-person nutrition education on the nutrient composition of food purchases. Design The design was a randomized trial comparing the intervention to usual care (no treatment). Setting A supermarket in a socioeconomically diverse region of Phoenix, Arizona. Participants One-hundred fifty-three adult shoppers were recruited on-site. Intervention The intervention consisted of brief shopping education by a nutrition educator and an explanation and promotion of a supermarket POP healthy shopping program that included posted shelf signs identifying healthy foods, sample shopping lists, tips, and signage. Main Outcome Measures Outcomes included purchases of total, saturated, and trans fat (g/1000 kcals), and fruits, vegetables, and dark green and bright yellow vegetables (servings/1000 kcals) derived through nutritional analysis of participant shopping baskets. Analysis Analysis of covariance compared the intervention and control groups on food purchasing patterns while adjusting for household income. Results The intervention resulted in greater purchasing of fruit and green and yellow vegetables. No other group differences were observed. Conclusions and Implications Long-term evaluations of supermarket interventions should be conducted to improve the evidence base, and to determine the potential for impact on food choices associated with decreased chronic disease. PMID:22104016

Shape-optimization of round-to-slot holes for improving film cooling effectiveness on a flat surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ying; Zhang, Jing-zhou; Wang, Chun-hua

2018-06-01

Single-objective optimization for improving adiabatic film cooling effectiveness is performed for single row of round-to-slot film cooling holes on a flat surface by using CFD analysis and surrogate approximation methods. Among the main geometric parameters, dimensionless hole-to-hole pitch ( P/ d) and slot length-to-diameter ( l/ d) are fixed as 2.4 and 2 respectively, and the other parameters (hole height-to-diameter ratio, slot width-to-diameter and inclination angle) are chosen as the design variables. Given a wide range of possible geometric variables, the geometric optimization of round-to-slot holes is carried out under two typical blowing ratios of M = 0.5 and M = 1.5 by selecting a spatially-averaged adiabatic film cooling effectiveness between x/ d = 2 and x/ d = 12 as the objective function to be maximized. Radial basis function neural network is applied for constructing the surrogate model and then the optimal design point is searched by a genetic algorithm. It is revealed that the optimal round-to-slot hole is of converging feature under a low blowing ratio but of diffusing feature under a high blowing ratio. Further, the influence principle of optimal round-to-slot geometry on film cooling performance is illustrated according to the detailed flow and thermal behaviors.

Design considerations and quantitative assessment for the development of percutaneous mitral valve stent.

PubMed

Kumar, Gideon Praveen; Cui, Fangsen; Phang, Hui Qun; Su, Boyang; Leo, Hwa Liang; Hon, Jimmy Kim Fatt

2014-07-01

Percutaneous heart valve replacement is gaining popularity, as more positive reports of satisfactory early clinical experiences are published. However this technique is mostly used for the replacement of pulmonary and aortic valves and less often for the repair and replacement of atrioventricular valves mainly due to their anatomical complexity. While the challenges posed by the complexity of the mitral annulus anatomy cannot be mitigated, it is possible to design mitral stents that could offer good anchorage and support to the valve prosthesis. This paper describes four new Nitinol based mitral valve designs with specific features intended to address migration and paravalvular leaks associated with mitral valve designs. The paper also describes maximum possible crimpability assessment of these mitral stent designs using a crimpability index formulation based on the various stent design parameters. The actual crimpability of the designs was further evaluated using finite element analysis (FEA). Furthermore, fatigue modeling and analysis was also done on these designs. One of the models was then coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with leaflets sutured and put to: (i) leaflet functional tests to check for proper coaptation of the leaflet and regurgitation leakages on a phantom model and (ii) anchorage test where the stented valve was deployed in an explanted pig heart. Simulations results showed that all the stents designs could be crimped to 18F without mechanical failure. Leaflet functional test results showed that the valve leaflets in the fabricated stented valve coapted properly and the regurgitation leakage being within acceptable limits. Deployment of the stented valve in the explanted heart showed that it anchors well in the mitral annulus. Based on these promising results of the one design tested, the other stent models proposed here were also considered to be promising for percutaneous replacement of mitral valves for the treatment of mitral regurgitation, by virtue of their key features as well as effective crimping. These models will be fabricated and put to all the aforementioned tests before being taken for animal trials. Copyright © 2014 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feature-based Approach in Product Design with Energy Efficiency Consideration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, D. D.; Zhang, Y. J.

2017-10-01

In this paper, a method to measure the energy efficiency and ecological footprint metrics of features is proposed for product design. First the energy consumption models of various manufacturing features, like cutting feature, welding feature, etc. are studied. Then, the total energy consumption of a product is modeled and estimated according to its features. Finally, feature chains that combined by several sequence features based on the producing operation orders are defined and analyzed to calculate global optimal solution. The corresponding assessment model is also proposed to estimate their energy efficiency and ecological footprint. Finally, an example is given to validate the proposed approach in the improvement of sustainability.

30 CFR 77.1435 - Load end attachments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS, SURFACE COAL MINES AND SURFACE WORK AREAS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Personnel... where use of other materials is a design feature, zinc (spelter) shall be used for socketing wire ropes. Design feature means either the manufacturer's original design or a design approved by a registered...

Team X Spacecraft Instrument Database Consolidation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallenstein, Kelly A.

2005-01-01

In the past decade, many changes have been made to Team X's process of designing each spacecraft, with the purpose of making the overall procedure more efficient over time. One such improvement is the use of information databases from previous missions, designs, and research. By referring to these databases, members of the design team can locate relevant instrument data and significantly reduce the total time they spend on each design. The files in these databases were stored in several different formats with various levels of accuracy. During the past 2 months, efforts have been made in an attempt to combine and organize these files. The main focus was in the Instruments department, where spacecraft subsystems are designed based on mission measurement requirements. A common database was developed for all instrument parameters using Microsoft Excel to minimize the time and confusion experienced when searching through files stored in several different formats and locations. By making this collection of information more organized, the files within them have become more easily searchable. Additionally, the new Excel database offers the option of importing its contents into a more efficient database management system in the future. This potential for expansion enables the database to grow and acquire more search features as needed.

A similitude method and the corresponding blade design of a low-speed large-scale axial compressor rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Chenghai; Ma, Ning; Wang, Kai; Du, Juan; Van den Braembussche, R. A.; Lin, Feng

2014-04-01

A similitude method to model the tip clearance flow in a high-speed compressor with a low-speed model is presented in this paper. The first step of this method is the derivation of similarity criteria for tip clearance flow, on the basis of an inviscid model of tip clearance flow. The aerodynamic parameters needed for the model design are then obtained from a numerical simulation of the target high-speed compressor rotor. According to the aerodynamic and geometric parameters of the target compressor rotor, a large-scale low-speed rotor blade is designed with an inverse blade design program. In order to validate the similitude method, the features of tip clearance flow in the low-speed model compressor are compared with the ones in the high-speed compressor at both design and small flow rate points. It is found that not only the trajectory of the tip leakage vortex but also the interface between the tip leakage flow and the incoming main flow in the high-speed compressor match well with that of its low speed model. These results validate the effectiveness of the similitude method for the tip clearance flow proposed in this paper.

Banknotes and unattended cash transactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernardini, Ronald R.

2000-04-01

There is a 64 billion dollar annual unattended cash transaction business in the US with 10 to 20 million daily transactions. Even small problems with the machine readability of banknotes can quickly become a major problem to the machine manufacturer and consumer. Traditional note designs incorporate overt security features for visual validation by the public. Many of these features such as fine line engraving, microprinting and watermarks are unsuitable as machine readable features in low cost note acceptors. Current machine readable features, mostly covert, were designed and implemented with the central banks in mind. These features are only usable by the banks large, high speed currency sorting and validation equipment. New note designs should consider and provide for low cost not acceptors, implementing features developed for inexpensive sensing technologies. Machine readable features are only as good as their consistency. Quality of security features as well as that of the overall printing process must be maintained to ensure reliable and secure operation of note readers. Variations in printing and of the components used to make the note are one of the major causes of poor performance in low cost note acceptors. The involvement of machine manufacturers in new currency designs will aid note producers in the design of a note that is machine friendly, helping to secure the acceptance of the note by the public as well as acting asa deterrent to fraud.

Online Patient Education for Chronic Disease Management: Consumer Perspectives.

PubMed

Win, Khin Than; Hassan, Naffisah Mohd; Oinas-Kukkonen, Harri; Probst, Yasmine

2016-04-01

Patient education plays an important role in chronic disease management. The aim of this study is to identify patients' preferences in regard to the design features of effective online patient education (OPE) and the benefits. A review of the existing literature was conducted in order to identify the benefits of OPE and its essential design features. These design features were empirically tested by conducting survey with patients and caregivers. Reliability analysis, construct validity and regression analysis were performed for data analysis. The results identified patient-tailored information, interactivity, content credibility, clear presentation of content, use of multimedia and interpretability as the essential design features of online patient education websites for chronic disease management.

Designing a Robust Micromixer Based on Fluid Stretching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mott, David; Gautam, Dipesh; Voth, Greg; Oran, Elaine

2010-11-01

A metric for measuring fluid stretching based on finite-time Lyapunov exponents is described, and the use of this metric for optimizing mixing in microfluidic components is explored. The metric is implemented within an automated design approach called the Computational Toolbox (CTB). The CTB designs components by adding geometric features, such a grooves of various shapes, to a microchannel. The transport produced by each of these features in isolation was pre-computed and stored as an "advection map" for that feature, and the flow through a composite geometry that combines these features is calculated rapidly by applying the corresponding maps in sequence. A genetic algorithm search then chooses the feature combination that optimizes a user-specified metric. Metrics based on the variance of concentration generally require the user to specify the fluid distributions at inflow, which leads to different mixer designs for different inflow arrangements. The stretching metric is independent of the fluid arrangement at inflow. Mixers designed using the stretching metric are compared to those designed using a variance of concentration metric and show excellent performance across a variety of inflow distributions and diffusivities.

Prioritizing the mHealth Design Space: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Smokers' Perspectives.

PubMed

Hartzler, Andrea Lisabeth; BlueSpruce, June; Catz, Sheryl L; McClure, Jennifer B

2016-08-05

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. Therefore, researchers are constantly exploring new ways to promote smoking cessation. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies could be effective cessation tools. Despite the availability of commercial quit-smoking apps, little research to date has examined smokers' preferred treatment intervention components (ie, design features). Honoring these preferences is important for designing programs that are appealing to smokers and may be more likely to be adopted and used. The aim of this study was to understand smokers' preferred design features of mHealth quit-smoking tools. We used a mixed-methods approach consisting of focus groups and written surveys to understand the design preferences of adult smokers who were interested in quitting smoking (N=40). Focus groups were stratified by age to allow differing perspectives to emerge between older (>40 years) and younger (<40 years) participants. Focus group discussion included a "blue-sky" brainstorming exercise followed by participant reactions to contrasting design options for communicating with smokers, providing social support, and incentivizing program use. Participants rated the importance of preselected design features on an exit survey. Qualitative analyses examined emergent discussion themes and quantitative analyses compared feature ratings to determine which were perceived as most important. Participants preferred a highly personalized and adaptive mHealth experience. Their ideal mHealth quit-smoking tool would allow personalized tracking of their progress, adaptively tailored feedback, and real-time peer support to help manage smoking cravings. Based on qualitative analysis of focus group discussion, participants preferred pull messages (ie, delivered upon request) over push messages (ie, sent automatically) and preferred interaction with other smokers through closed social networks. Preferences for entertaining games or other rewarding incentives to encourage program use differed by age group. Based on quantitative analysis of surveys, participants rated the importance of select design features significantly differently (P<.001). Design features rated as most important included personalized content, the ability to track one's progress, and features designed to help manage nicotine withdrawal and medication side effects. Design features rated least important were quit-smoking videos and posting on social media. Communicating with stop-smoking experts was rated more important than communicating with family and friends about quitting (P=.03). Perceived importance of various design features varied by age, experience with technology, and frequency of smoking. Future mHealth cessation aids should be designed with an understanding of smokers' needs and preferences for these tools. Doing so does not guarantee treatment effectiveness, but balancing user preferences with best-practice treatment considerations could enhance program adoption and improve treatment outcomes. Grounded in the perspectives of smokers, we identify several design considerations, which should be prioritized when designing future mHealth cessation tools and which warrant additional empirical validation.

Feature extraction using convolutional neural network for classifying breast density in mammographic images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomaz, Ricardo L.; Carneiro, Pedro C.; Patrocinio, Ana C.

2017-03-01

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women in most countries. The high levels of mortality relate mostly to late diagnosis and to the direct proportionally relationship between breast density and breast cancer development. Therefore, the correct assessment of breast density is important to provide better screening for higher risk patients. However, in modern digital mammography the discrimination among breast densities is highly complex due to increased contrast and visual information for all densities. Thus, a computational system for classifying breast density might be a useful tool for aiding medical staff. Several machine-learning algorithms are already capable of classifying small number of classes with good accuracy. However, machinelearning algorithms main constraint relates to the set of features extracted and used for classification. Although well-known feature extraction techniques might provide a good set of features, it is a complex task to select an initial set during design of a classifier. Thus, we propose feature extraction using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for classifying breast density by a usual machine-learning classifier. We used 307 mammographic images downsampled to 260x200 pixels to train a CNN and extract features from a deep layer. After training, the activation of 8 neurons from a deep fully connected layer are extracted and used as features. Then, these features are feedforward to a single hidden layer neural network that is cross-validated using 10-folds to classify among four classes of breast density. The global accuracy of this method is 98.4%, presenting only 1.6% of misclassification. However, the small set of samples and memory constraints required the reuse of data in both CNN and MLP-NN, therefore overfitting might have influenced the results even though we cross-validated the network. Thus, although we presented a promising method for extracting features and classifying breast density, a greater database is still required for evaluating the results.

Targeting Parents for Childhood Weight Management: Development of a Theory-Driven and User-Centered Healthy Eating App.

PubMed

Curtis, Kristina Elizabeth; Lahiri, Sudakshina; Brown, Katherine Elizabeth

2015-06-18

The proliferation of health promotion apps along with mobile phones' array of features supporting health behavior change offers a new and innovative approach to childhood weight management. However, despite the critical role parents play in children's weight related behaviors, few industry-led apps aimed at childhood weight management target parents. Furthermore, industry-led apps have been shown to lack a basis in behavior change theory and evidence. Equally important remains the issue of how to maximize users' engagement with mobile health (mHealth) interventions where there is growing consensus that inputs from the commercial app industry and the target population should be an integral part of the development process. The aim of this study is to systematically design and develop a theory and evidence-driven, user-centered healthy eating app targeting parents for childhood weight management, and clearly document this for the research and app development community. The Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) framework, a theoretically-based approach for intervention development, along with a user-centered design (UCD) philosophy and collaboration with the commercial app industry, guided the development process. Current evidence, along with a series of 9 focus groups (total of 46 participants) comprised of family weight management case workers, parents with overweight and healthy weight children aged 5-11 years, and consultation with experts, provided data to inform the app development. Thematic analysis of focus groups helped to extract information related to relevant theoretical, user-centered, and technological components to underpin the design and development of the app. Inputs from parents and experts working in the area of childhood weight management helped to identify the main target behavior: to help parents provide appropriate food portion sizes for their children. To achieve this target behavior, the behavioral diagnosis revealed the need for eliciting change in parents' capability, motivation, and opportunity in 10-associated Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) domains. Of the 9 possible intervention functions, 6 were selected to bring about this change which guided the selection of 21 behavior change techniques. Parents' preferences for healthy eating app features revolved around four main themes (app features, time saving and convenience, aesthetics, and gamification) whereupon a criterion was applied to guide the selection on which preferences should be integrated into the design of the app. Collaboration with the app company helped to build on users' preferences for elements of gamification such as points, quizzes, and levels to optimize user engagement. Feedback from parents on interactive mock-ups helped to inform the final development of the prototype app. Here, we fully explicate a systematic approach applied in the development of a family-oriented, healthy eating health promotion app grounded in theory and evidence, and balanced with users' preferences to help maximize its engagement with the target population.

Restoring integrity—A grounded theory of coping with a fast track surgery programme

PubMed Central

Jørgensen, Lene Bastrup; Fridlund, Bengt

2016-01-01

Aims and objectives The aim of this study was to generate a theory conceptualizing and explaining behavioural processes involved in coping in order to identify the predominant coping types and coping type-specific features. Background Patients undergoing fast track procedures do not experience a higher risk of complications, readmission, or mortality. However, such programmes presuppose an increasing degree of patient involvement, placing high educational, physical, and mental demands on the patients. There is a lack of knowledge about how patients understand and cope with fast track programmes. Design The study design used classical grounded theory. Methods The study used a multimodal approach with qualitative and quantitative data sets from 14 patients. Results Four predominant types of coping, with distinct physiological, cognitive, affective, and psychosocial features, existed among patients going through a fast track total hip replacement programme. These patients’ main concern was to restore their physical and psychosocial integrity, which had been compromised by reduced function and mobility in daily life. To restore integrity they economized their mental resources, while striving to fulfil the expectations of the fast track programme. This goal was achieved by being mentally proactive and physically active. Three out of the four predominant types of coping matched the expectations expressed in the fast track programme. The non-matching behaviour was seen among the most nervous patients, who claimed the right to diverge from the programme. Conclusion In theory, four predominant types of coping with distinct physiological, cognitive, affective, and psychosocial features occur among patients going through a fast track total hip arthroplasty programme. PMID:26751199

Fabrication and testing of silver-hydrogen cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Debicarri, D. J.; Charkey, A.

1978-01-01

Silver electrodes containing various additives were fabricated and tested in single electrode cells in order to improve the electrochemical utilization of sintered silver cathodes in Ag-H2 aerospace batteries. A standard stack arrangement was used which featured a NASA-developed organic-inorganic separator. All cells were cycled in a regime designed to remove 75% of the cells nominal capacity based on 3.3 gms/AHr Ag utilization. In cases where performance degradation was observed, the main feature mode appeared to be corrosion of either the expanded silver current collector or the connection between the silver electrode and the electrode tab. Promising silver electrodes from single electrode studies were used in the construction of 35 AHr Ag-H2 cells. Two such cells were constructed and installed in heavy walled pressure vessels for testing. Based on the data obtained from all cells tested during the program, four lightweight 35 AHr cells were fabricated. During acceptance testing these cells yielded an average gravimetric energy density of 30 WHr/1b.

Apparatus for solar coal gasification

DOEpatents

Gregg, D.W.

1980-08-04

Apparatus for using focused solar radiation to gasify coal and other carbonaceous materials is described. Incident solar radiation is focused from an array of heliostats through a window onto the surface of a moving bed of coal, contained within a gasification reactor. The reactor is designed to minimize contact between the window and solids in the reactor. Steam introduced into the gasification reactor reacts with the heated coal to produce gas consisting mainly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, commonly called synthesis gas, which can be converted to methane, methanol, gasoline, and other useful products. One of the novel features of the invention is the generation of process steam in one embodiment at the rear surface of a secondary mirror used to redirect the focused sunlight. Another novel feature of the invention is the location and arrangement of the array of mirrors on an inclined surface (e.g., a hillside) to provide for direct optical communication of said mirrors and the carbonaceous feed without a secondary redirecting mirror.

Recognition of speaker-dependent continuous speech with KEAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercier, G.; Bigorgne, D.; Miclet, L.; Le Guennec, L.; Querre, M.

1989-04-01

A description of the speaker-dependent continuous speech recognition system KEAL is given. An unknown utterance, is recognized by means of the followng procedures: acoustic analysis, phonetic segmentation and identification, word and sentence analysis. The combination of feature-based, speaker-independent coarse phonetic segmentation with speaker-dependent statistical classification techniques is one of the main design features of the acoustic-phonetic decoder. The lexical access component is essentially based on a statistical dynamic programming technique which aims at matching a phonemic lexical entry containing various phonological forms, against a phonetic lattice. Sentence recognition is achieved by use of a context-free grammar and a parsing algorithm derived from Earley's parser. A speaker adaptation module allows some of the system parameters to be adjusted by matching known utterances with their acoustical representation. The task to be performed, described by its vocabulary and its grammar, is given as a parameter of the system. Continuously spoken sentences extracted from a 'pseudo-Logo' language are analyzed and results are presented.

Diverse magnetic quantization in bilayer silicene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Do, Thi-Nga; Shih, Po-Hsin; Gumbs, Godfrey; Huang, Danhong; Chiu, Chih-Wei; Lin, Ming-Fa

2018-03-01

The generalized tight-binding model is developed to investigate the rich and unique electronic properties of A B -bt (bottom-top) bilayer silicene under uniform perpendicular electric and magnetic fields. The first pair of conduction and valence bands, with an observable energy gap, displays unusual energy dispersions. Each group of conduction/valence Landau levels (LLs) is further classified into four subgroups, i.e., the sublattice- and spin-dominated LL subgroups. The magnetic-field-dependent LL energy spectra exhibit irregular behavior corresponding to the critical points of the band structure. Moreover, the electric field can induce many LL anticrossings. The main features of the LLs are uncovered with many van Hove singularities in the density-of-states and nonuniform delta-function-like peaks in the magnetoabsorption spectra. The feature-rich magnetic quantization directly reflects the geometric symmetries, intralayer and interlayer atomic interactions, spin-orbital couplings, and field effects. The results of this work can be applied to novel designs of Si-based nanoelectronics and nanodevices with enhanced mobilities.

Analysis of a Split-Plot Experimental Design Applied to a Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Gary E.

2013-01-01

A procedure to analyze a split-plot experimental design featuring two input factors, two levels of randomization, and two error structures in a low-speed wind tunnel investigation of a small-scale model of a fighter airplane configuration is described in this report. Standard commercially-available statistical software was used to analyze the test results obtained in a randomization-restricted environment often encountered in wind tunnel testing. The input factors were differential horizontal stabilizer incidence and the angle of attack. The response variables were the aerodynamic coefficients of lift, drag, and pitching moment. Using split-plot terminology, the whole plot, or difficult-to-change, factor was the differential horizontal stabilizer incidence, and the subplot, or easy-to-change, factor was the angle of attack. The whole plot and subplot factors were both tested at three levels. Degrees of freedom for the whole plot error were provided by replication in the form of three blocks, or replicates, which were intended to simulate three consecutive days of wind tunnel facility operation. The analysis was conducted in three stages, which yielded the estimated mean squares, multiple regression function coefficients, and corresponding tests of significance for all individual terms at the whole plot and subplot levels for the three aerodynamic response variables. The estimated regression functions included main effects and two-factor interaction for the lift coefficient, main effects, two-factor interaction, and quadratic effects for the drag coefficient, and only main effects for the pitching moment coefficient.

Assessing the effects of habitat patches ensuring propagule supply and different costs inclusion in marine spatial planning through multivariate analyses.

PubMed

Appolloni, L; Sandulli, R; Vetrano, G; Russo, G F

2018-05-15

Marine Protected Areas are considered key tools for conservation of coastal ecosystems. However, many reserves are characterized by several problems mainly related to inadequate zonings that often do not protect high biodiversity and propagule supply areas precluding, at the same time, economic important zones for local interests. The Gulf of Naples is here employed as a study area to assess the effects of inclusion of different conservation features and costs in reserve design process. In particular eight scenarios are developed using graph theory to identify propagule source patches and fishing and exploitation activities as costs-in-use for local population. Scenarios elaborated by MARXAN, software commonly used for marine conservation planning, are compared using multivariate analyses (MDS, PERMANOVA and PERMDISP) in order to assess input data having greatest effects on protected areas selection. MARXAN is heuristic software able to give a number of different correct results, all of them near to the best solution. Its outputs show that the most important areas to be protected, in order to ensure long-term habitat life and adequate propagule supply, are mainly located around the Gulf islands. In addition through statistical analyses it allowed us to prove that different choices on conservation features lead to statistically different scenarios. The presence of propagule supply patches forces MARXAN to select almost the same areas to protect decreasingly different MARXAN results and, thus, choices for reserves area selection. The multivariate analyses applied here to marine spatial planning proved to be very helpful allowing to identify i) how different scenario input data affect MARXAN and ii) what features have to be taken into account in study areas characterized by peculiar biological and economic interests. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spectral fingerprints of Earth-like planets around FGK stars.

PubMed

Rugheimer, Sarah; Kaltenegger, Lisa; Zsom, Andras; Segura, Antígona; Sasselov, Dimitar

2013-03-01

We present model atmospheres for an Earth-like planet orbiting the entire grid of main sequence FGK stars with effective temperatures ranging from Teff=4250 K to Teff=7000 K in 250 K intervals. We have modeled the remotely detectable spectra of Earth-like planets for clear and cloudy atmospheres at the 1 AU equivalent distance from the VIS to IR (0.4 to 20 μm) to compare detectability of features in different wavelength ranges in accordance with the James Webb Space Telescope and future design concepts to characterize exo-Earths. We have also explored the effect of the stellar UV levels as well as spectral energy distribution on a terrestrial atmosphere, concentrating on detectable atmospheric features that indicate habitability on Earth, namely, H2O, O3, CH4, N2O, and CH3Cl. The increase in UV dominates changes of O3, OH, CH4, N2O, and CH3Cl, whereas the increase in stellar temperature dominates changes in H2O. The overall effect as stellar effective temperatures and corresponding UV increase is a lower surface temperature of the planet due to a bigger part of the stellar flux being reflected at short wavelengths, as well as increased photolysis. Earth-like atmosphere models show more O3 and OH but less stratospheric CH4, N2O, CH3Cl, and tropospheric H2O (but more stratospheric H2O) with increasing effective temperature of main sequence stars. The corresponding detectable spectral features, on the other hand, show different detectability depending on the wavelength observed. We concentrate on directly imaged planets here as a framework to interpret future light curves, direct imaging, and secondary eclipse measurements of atmospheres of terrestrial planets in the habitable zone at varying orbital positions.

Fast and robust generation of feature maps for region-based visual attention.

PubMed

Aziz, Muhammad Zaheer; Mertsching, Bärbel

2008-05-01

Visual attention is one of the important phenomena in biological vision which can be followed to achieve more efficiency, intelligence, and robustness in artificial vision systems. This paper investigates a region-based approach that performs pixel clustering prior to the processes of attention in contrast to late clustering as done by contemporary methods. The foundation steps of feature map construction for the region-based attention model are proposed here. The color contrast map is generated based upon the extended findings from the color theory, the symmetry map is constructed using a novel scanning-based method, and a new algorithm is proposed to compute a size contrast map as a formal feature channel. Eccentricity and orientation are computed using the moments of obtained regions and then saliency is evaluated using the rarity criteria. The efficient design of the proposed algorithms allows incorporating five feature channels while maintaining a processing rate of multiple frames per second. Another salient advantage over the existing techniques is the reusability of the salient regions in the high-level machine vision procedures due to preservation of their shapes and precise locations. The results indicate that the proposed model has the potential to efficiently integrate the phenomenon of attention into the main stream of machine vision and systems with restricted computing resources such as mobile robots can benefit from its advantages.

A continuous scale-space method for the automated placement of spot heights on maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocca, Luigi; Jenny, Bernhard; Puppo, Enrico

2017-12-01

Spot heights and soundings explicitly indicate terrain elevation on cartographic maps. Cartographers have developed design principles for the manual selection, placement, labeling, and generalization of spot height locations, but these processes are work-intensive and expensive. Finding an algorithmic criterion that matches the cartographers' judgment in ranking the significance of features on a terrain is a difficult endeavor. This article proposes a method for the automated selection of spot heights locations representing natural features such as peaks, saddles and depressions. A lifespan of critical points in a continuous scale-space model is employed as the main measure of the importance of features, and an algorithm and a data structure for its computation are described. We also introduce a method for the comparison of algorithmically computed spot height locations with manually produced reference compilations. The new method is compared with two known techniques from the literature. Results show spot height locations that are closer to reference spot heights produced manually by swisstopo cartographers, compared to previous techniques. The introduced method can be applied to elevation models for the creation of topographic and bathymetric maps. It also ranks the importance of extracted spot height locations, which allows for a variation in the size of symbols and labels according to the significance of represented features. The importance ranking could also be useful for adjusting spot height density of zoomable maps in real time.

Effects of the amino acid sequence on thermal conduction through β-sheet crystals of natural silk protein.

PubMed

Zhang, Lin; Bai, Zhitong; Ban, Heng; Liu, Ling

2015-11-21

Recent experiments have discovered very different thermal conductivities between the spider silk and the silkworm silk. Decoding the molecular mechanisms underpinning the distinct thermal properties may guide the rational design of synthetic silk materials and other biomaterials for multifunctionality and tunable properties. However, such an understanding is lacking, mainly due to the complex structure and phonon physics associated with the silk materials. Here, using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics, we demonstrate that the amino acid sequence plays a key role in the thermal conduction process through β-sheets, essential building blocks of natural silks and a variety of other biomaterials. Three representative β-sheet types, i.e. poly-A, poly-(GA), and poly-G, are shown to have distinct structural features and phonon dynamics leading to different thermal conductivities. A fundamental understanding of the sequence effects may stimulate the design and engineering of polymers and biopolymers for desired thermal properties.

Status of the LBNF Cryogenic System

DOE PAGES

Montanari, D.; Adamowski, M.; Bremer, J.; ...

2017-12-30

We present that the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) will host the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), an international multi-kiloton Long-Baseline neutrino experiment that will be installed about a mile underground in Lead, SD. In the current configuration four cryostats will contain a modular detector and a total of 68,400 tons of ultrapure liquid argon, with a level of impurities lower than 100 parts per trillion of oxygen equivalent contamination. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) provides the conventional facilities and the cryogenic infrastructure to support DUNE. The system is comprised of three sub-systems: External/Infrastructure, Proximity and Internal cryogenics. An internationalmore » engineering team will design, manufacture, commission, and qualify the LBNF cryogenic system. This contribution presents the modes of operations, layout and main features of the LBNF cryogenic system. Lastly, the expected performance, the functional requirements and the status of the design are also highlighted.« less

Status of the LBNF Cryogenic System

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

Montanari, D.; Adamowski, M.; Bremer, J.

We present that the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) will host the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), an international multi-kiloton Long-Baseline neutrino experiment that will be installed about a mile underground in Lead, SD. In the current configuration four cryostats will contain a modular detector and a total of 68,400 tons of ultrapure liquid argon, with a level of impurities lower than 100 parts per trillion of oxygen equivalent contamination. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) provides the conventional facilities and the cryogenic infrastructure to support DUNE. The system is comprised of three sub-systems: External/Infrastructure, Proximity and Internal cryogenics. An internationalmore » engineering team will design, manufacture, commission, and qualify the LBNF cryogenic system. This contribution presents the modes of operations, layout and main features of the LBNF cryogenic system. Lastly, the expected performance, the functional requirements and the status of the design are also highlighted.« less

Status of the LBNF Cryogenic System

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

Montanari, D.; Adamowski, M.; Bremer, J.

2017-01-01

The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) will host the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), an international multi-kiloton Long-Baseline neutrino experiment that will be installed about a mile underground in Lead, SD. In the current configuration four cryostats will contain a modular detector and a total of 68,400 ton of ultrapure liquid argon, with a level of impurities lower than 100 parts per trillion of oxygen equivalent contamination. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) provides the conventional facilities and the cryogenic infrastructure to support DUNE. The system is comprised of three sub-systems: External/Infrastructure, Proximity and Internal cryogenics. An international engineering team willmore » design, manufacture, commission, and qualify the LBNF cryogenic system. This contribution presents the models of operations, layout and main features of the LBNF cryogenic system. The expected performance, the functional requirements and the status of the design are also highlighted.« less

Optimal Shakedown of the Thin-Wall Metal Structures Under Strength and Stiffness Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alawdin, Piotr; Liepa, Liudas

2017-06-01

Classical optimization problems of metal structures confined mainly with 1st class cross-sections. But in practice it is common to use the cross-sections of higher classes. In this paper, a new mathematical model for described shakedown optimization problem for metal structures, which elements are designed from 1st to 4th class cross-sections, under variable quasi-static loads is presented. The features of limited plastic redistribution of forces in the structure with thin-walled elements there are taken into account. Authors assume the elastic-plastic flexural buckling in one plane without lateral torsional buckling behavior of members. Design formulae for Methods 1 and 2 for members are analyzed. Structures stiffness constrains are also incorporated in order to satisfy the limit serviceability state requirements. With the help of mathematical programming theory and extreme principles the structure optimization algorithm is developed and justified with the numerical experiment for the metal plane frames.

The Making of an Online Masters Program in the North American Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correia, Ana-Paula; Hargrave, Connie; Leigh, Patricia; Michelini, Clyciane; Niederhauser, Dale; Schmidt, Denise; Thompson, Ann

The department of Curriculum and Instruction at Iowa State University, USA offers a leading residential program of information communication technology (ICT) in teacher education. Based on the success of this program, in 2003, faculty members and instructional developers at Iowa State University Center for Technology in Learning and Teaching (http://www.ctlt.iastate.edu) created an online masters program in “Curriculum and Instructional Technology.” This graduate degree program was designed for teachers of kindergarten to 12th grade (K-12) who were widely spread across the large mainly rural state of Iowa. This graduate program is described in this presentation as a distance education exemplary case in the context of North America. This program uses a cohort approach to graduate education and employs innovative technologies for its design and delivery. Program features, requirements, timeline, courses and outcomes are discussed.

Design of high-energy high-current linac with focusing by superconducting solenoids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batskikh, Guennady I.; Belugin, Vladimir M.; Bondarev, Boris I.; Fedotov, Arkady P.; Durkin, Alexander P.; Ivanov, Yury D.; Mikhailov, Vladimir N.; Murin, Boris P.; Mustafin, Kharis Kh.; Shumakov, Igor V.; Uksusov, Nikolay I.

1995-09-01

The advancement of MRTI design for 1.5 GeV and 250 mA ion CW linac is presented in the report. In new linac version all the way from input to output the ions are focused by magnetic fields of superconducting solenoids. The ion limit current is far beyond the needed value. The linac focusing channel offers major advantages over the more conventional ones. The acceptance is 1.7 times as large for such focusing channel as for quadrupole one. Concurrently, a random perturbation sensitivity for such channel is one order of magnitude smaller than in quadrupole channel. These focusing channel features allow to decrease beam matched radius and increase a linac radiation purity without aperture growth. ``Regotron'' is used as high power generator in linac main part. But D&W cavities need not be divided into sections connected by RF-bridges which denuded them of high coupling factor.

Real-Time Considerations for Rugged Embedded Systems

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

Tumeo, Antonino; Ceriani, Marco; Palermo, Gianluca

This chapter introduces the characterizing aspects of embedded systems, and discusses the specific features that a designer should address to an embedded system “rugged”, i.e., able to operate reliably in harsh environments. The chapter addresses both the hardware and the less obvious software aspect. After presenting a current list of certifications for ruggedization, the chapters present a case study that focuses on the interaction of the hardware and software layers in reactive real-time system. In particular, it shows how the use of fast FPGA prototyping could provide insights on unexpected factors that influence the performance and thus responsiveness to eventsmore » of a scheduling algorithm for multiprocessor systems that manages both periodic, hard real-time task, and aperiodic tasks. The main lesson is that to make the system “rugged”, a designer should consider these issues by, for example, overprovisioning resources and/or computation capabilities.« less

Photovoltaic module reliability improvement through application testing and failure analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dumas, L. N.; Shumka, A.

1982-01-01

During the first four years of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Photovoltatic Program, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Low-Cost Solar Array (LSA) Project purchased about 400 kW of photovoltaic modules for test and experiments. In order to identify, report, and analyze test and operational problems with the Block Procurement modules, a problem/failure reporting and analysis system was implemented by the LSA Project with the main purpose of providing manufacturers with feedback from test and field experience needed for the improvement of product performance and reliability. A description of the more significant types of failures is presented, taking into account interconnects, cracked cells, dielectric breakdown, delamination, and corrosion. Current design practices and reliability evaluations are also discussed. The conducted evaluation indicates that current module designs incorporate damage-resistant and fault-tolerant features which address field failure mechanisms observed to date.

Outreach at Washington State University: a case study in costs and attendance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernhardt, Elizabeth A.; Bollen, Viktor; Bersano, Thomas M.; Mossman, Sean M.

2016-09-01

Making effective and efficient use of outreach resources can be difficult for student groups in smaller rural communities. Washington State University's OSA/SPIE student chapter desires well attended yet cost-effective ways to educate and inform the public. We designed outreach activities focused on three different funding levels: low upfront cost, moderate continuing costs, and high upfront cost with low continuing costs. By featuring our activities at well attended events, such as a pre-football game event, or by advertising a headlining activity, such as a laser maze, we take advantage of large crowds to create a relaxed learning atmosphere. Moreover, participants enjoy casual learning while waiting for a main event. Choosing a particular funding level and associating with well-attended events makes outreach easier. While there are still many challenges to outreach, such as motivating volunteers or designing outreach programs, we hope overcoming two large obstacles will lead to future outreach success.

Power supply system for the superconducting outsert of the CHMFL hybrid magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Z.; Zhu, J.; Chen, W.; Jiang, D.; Huang, P.; Chen, Z.; Tan, Y.; Kuang, G.

2017-12-01

The construction of a new hybrid magnet, consisting of a 11 T superconducting outsert and a 34 T resistive insert magnet, has been finished at the Chinese High Magnetic Field Laboratory (CHMFL) in Hefei. With a room temperature bore of 800 mm in diameter, the hybrid magnet superconducting outsert is composed of four separate Nb3Sn-based Cable-in-Conduit Conductor (CICC) coils electrically connected in series and powered by a single power supply system. The power supply system for the superconducting outsert consists of a 16 kA DC power supply, a quench protection system, a pair of 16 kA High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) current leads, and two Low Temperature Superconducting bus-lines. The design and manufacturing of the power supply system have been completed at the CHMFL. This paper describes the design features of the power supply system as well as the current fabrication condition of its main components.