Fluorescence polarization immunoassays for rapid, accurate, and sensitive determination of mycotoxins

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Analytical methods for the determination of mycotoxins in foods are commonly based on chromatographic techniques (GC, HPLC or LC-MS). Although these methods permit a sensitive and accurate determination of the analyte, they require skilled personnel and are time-consuming, expensive, and unsuitable ...

Relative Economy of Different Methods of Airplane Construction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herrmann, H

1931-01-01

A comparison of the relative economy of airplane construction shows that monoplanes are cheaper than biplanes; that all-metal construction is much more expensive than mixed construction; that multi-engine airplanes are more expensive than single-engine types of the same carrying capacity and speed;that the cost of airplanes is materially reduced by increasing their size without increasing the number of engines. The greatest economy usually coincides with the best aerodynamic and static conditions and the cost is always increased by safety requirements.

Corrosion Inhibitors for Aluminum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muller, Bodo

1995-01-01

Describes a simple and reliable test method used to investigate the corrosion-inhibiting effects of various chelating agents on aluminum pigments in aqueous alkaline media. The experiments that are presented require no complicated or expensive electronic equipment. (DDR)

Playing Hardball with Facilities Expenses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fickes, Michael

1997-01-01

Describes one school district manager's tactics for successfully controlling district costs and increasing capital improvements while only marginally increasing the facilities maintenance budget. Highlights guidelines for controlling personnel requirements and cost-reduction methods. Discusses specific cost-control measures involving telephone…

7 CFR 1218.103 - Instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AND ORDERS; MISCELLANEOUS COMMODITIES), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BLUEBERRY PROMOTION, RESEARCH, AND INFORMATION ORDER Procedure for the Conduct of Referenda in Connection with the Blueberry Promotion, Research... advertising expense, to publicize the dates, places, method of voting, eligibility requirements, and other...

7 CFR 1216.103 - Instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AND ORDERS; MISCELLANEOUS COMMODITIES), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PEANUT PROMOTION, RESEARCH, AND INFORMATION ORDER Procedure for the Conduct of Referenda in Connection With the Peanut Promotion, Research... advertising expense, to publicize the dates, places, method of voting, eligibility requirements, and other...

SOP: parallel surrogate global optimization with Pareto center selection for computationally expensive single objective problems

DOE PAGES

Krityakierne, Tipaluck; Akhtar, Taimoor; Shoemaker, Christine A.

2016-02-02

This paper presents a parallel surrogate-based global optimization method for computationally expensive objective functions that is more effective for larger numbers of processors. To reach this goal, we integrated concepts from multi-objective optimization and tabu search into, single objective, surrogate optimization. Our proposed derivative-free algorithm, called SOP, uses non-dominated sorting of points for which the expensive function has been previously evaluated. The two objectives are the expensive function value of the point and the minimum distance of the point to previously evaluated points. Based on the results of non-dominated sorting, P points from the sorted fronts are selected as centersmore » from which many candidate points are generated by random perturbations. Based on surrogate approximation, the best candidate point is subsequently selected for expensive evaluation for each of the P centers, with simultaneous computation on P processors. Centers that previously did not generate good solutions are tabu with a given tenure. We show almost sure convergence of this algorithm under some conditions. The performance of SOP is compared with two RBF based methods. The test results show that SOP is an efficient method that can reduce time required to find a good near optimal solution. In a number of cases the efficiency of SOP is so good that SOP with 8 processors found an accurate answer in less wall-clock time than the other algorithms did with 32 processors.« less

Machine cost analysis using the traditional machine-rate method and ChargeOut!

Treesearch

E. M. (Ted) Bilek

2009-01-01

Forestry operations require ever more use of expensive capital equipment. Mechanization is frequently necessary to perform cost-effective and safe operations. Increased capital should mean more sophisticated capital costing methodologies. However the machine rate method, which is the costing methodology most frequently used, dates back to 1942. CHARGEOUT!, a recently...

A successful trap design for capturing large terrestrial snakes

Treesearch

Shirley J. Burgdorf; D. Craig Rudolph; Richard N. Conner; Daniel Saenz; Richard R. Schaefer

2005-01-01

Large scale trapping protocols for snakes can be expensive and require large investments of personnel and time. Typical methods, such as pitfall and small funnel traps, are not useful or suitable for capturing large snakes. A method was needed to survey multiple blocks of habitat for the Louisiana Pine Snake (Pituophis ruthveni), throughout its...

Technical and financial evaluation of assays for progesterone in canine practice in the UK.

PubMed

Moxon, R; Copley, D; England, G C W

2010-10-02

The concentration of progesterone was measured in 60 plasma samples from bitches at various stages of the oestrous cycle, using commercially available quantitative and semi-quantitative ELISA test kits, as well as by two commercial laboratories undertaking radioimmunoassay (RIA). The RIA, which was assumed to be the 'gold standard' in terms of reliability and accuracy, was the most expensive method when analysing more than one sample per week, and had the longest delay in obtaining results, but had minimal requirements for practice staff time. When compared with the RIA, the quantitative ELISA had a strong positive correlation (r=0.97, P<0.05) and a sensitivity and specificity of 70.6 per cent and 100.0 per cent, respectively, and positive and negative predictive values of 100.0 per cent and 71.0 per cent, respectively, with an overall accuracy of 90.0 per cent. This method was the least expensive when analysing five or more samples per week, but had longer turnaround times than that of the semi-quantitative ELISA and required more staff time. When compared with the RIA, the semi-quantitative ELISA had a sensitivity and specificity of 100.0 per cent and 95.5 per cent, respectively, and positive and negative predictive values of 73.9 per cent and 77.8 per cent, respectively, with an overall accuracy of 89.2 per cent. This method was more expensive than the quantitative ELISA when analysing five or more samples per week, but had the shortest turnaround time and low requirements in terms of staff time.

The financial burden of out-of-pocket expenses in the United States and Canada: How different is the United States?

PubMed Central

Baird, Katherine E

2016-01-01

Background: This article compares the burden that medical cost-sharing requirements place on households in the United States and Canada. It estimates the probability that individuals with similar demographic features in the two countries have large medical expenses relative to income. Method: The study uses 2010 nationally representative household survey data harmonized for cross-national comparisons to identify individuals with high medical expenses relative to income. Using logistic regression, it estimates the probability of high expenses occurring among 10 different demographic groups in the two countries. Results: The results show the risk of large medical expenses in the United States is 1.5–4 times higher than it is in Canada, depending on the demographic group and spending threshold used. The United States compares least favorably when evaluating poorer citizens and when using a higher spending threshold. Conclusion: Recent health care reforms can be expected to reduce Americans’ catastrophic health expenses, but it will take very large reductions in out-of-pocket expenditures—larger than can be expected—if poorer and middle-class families are to have the financial protection from high health care costs that their counterparts in Canada have. PMID:26985389

12 CFR 621.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... entity, or any combination thereof, that is primarily obligated on the loan instrument. (c) Generally... Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Purpose and...) Accrual basis of accounting means the accounting method in which expenses are recorded when incurred...

12 CFR 621.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... entity, or any combination thereof, that is primarily obligated on the loan instrument. (c) Generally... Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Purpose and...) Accrual basis of accounting means the accounting method in which expenses are recorded when incurred...

12 CFR 621.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... entity, or any combination thereof, that is primarily obligated on the loan instrument. (c) Generally... Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Purpose and...) Accrual basis of accounting means the accounting method in which expenses are recorded when incurred...

41 CFR 302-7.304 - When HHG are shipped under the actual expense method, and PBP&E as an administrative expense, in...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-TRANSPORTATION AND TEMPORARY STORAGE OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PROFESSIONAL BOOKS, PAPERS, AND EQUIPMENT (PBP&E) Agency Responsibilities § 302-7.304 When HHG are shipped under the actual expense method, and PBP&E as an... under the actual expense method, and PBP&E as an administrative expense, in the same lot, are separate...

78 FR 73104 - Federal Travel Regulation (FTR); Agency Requirements for Payment of Expenses Connected With the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-05

... for Payment of Expenses Connected With the Death of Certain Employees and Family Members AGENCY... requirements for payment of expenses connected with the death of certain employees and family members. This... employee whose death occurred while away from the official station on a mandatory mobility agreement in...

46 CFR 272.41 - Requirements for examination and allocation of M&R expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Requirements for examination and allocation of M&R... AFFECTING SUBSIDIZED VESSELS AND OPERATORS REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING CONDITION SURVEYS AND... Requirements for examination and allocation of M&R expenses. (a) Examination requirement. Pursuant to the...

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

Krityakierne, Tipaluck; Akhtar, Taimoor; Shoemaker, Christine A.

This paper presents a parallel surrogate-based global optimization method for computationally expensive objective functions that is more effective for larger numbers of processors. To reach this goal, we integrated concepts from multi-objective optimization and tabu search into, single objective, surrogate optimization. Our proposed derivative-free algorithm, called SOP, uses non-dominated sorting of points for which the expensive function has been previously evaluated. The two objectives are the expensive function value of the point and the minimum distance of the point to previously evaluated points. Based on the results of non-dominated sorting, P points from the sorted fronts are selected as centersmore » from which many candidate points are generated by random perturbations. Based on surrogate approximation, the best candidate point is subsequently selected for expensive evaluation for each of the P centers, with simultaneous computation on P processors. Centers that previously did not generate good solutions are tabu with a given tenure. We show almost sure convergence of this algorithm under some conditions. The performance of SOP is compared with two RBF based methods. The test results show that SOP is an efficient method that can reduce time required to find a good near optimal solution. In a number of cases the efficiency of SOP is so good that SOP with 8 processors found an accurate answer in less wall-clock time than the other algorithms did with 32 processors.« less

47 CFR 32.5999 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., network operations expenses, and depreciation and amortization expenses. Accounts in this group (except... group summary account, and subsidiary record category (if required). (2) The expense section of this system of accounts shall be comprised of four major expense groups—Plant Specific Operations, Plant...

COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW - BALANCING FLOW FOR CSO ABATEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Instead of using conventional storage units, e.g., reinforced concrete tanks and lined earthen basins, which are relatively expensive and require a lot of urban land area, the in-receiving water flow balance method (FBM) facilities use the receiving water body itself for storage ...

Pre-concentration technique for reduction in "Analytical instrument requirement and analysis"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, Sangita; Singha, Mousumi; Meena, Sher Singh

2018-04-01

Availability of analytical instruments for a methodical detection of known and unknown effluents imposes a serious hindrance in qualification and quantification. Several analytical instruments such as Elemental analyzer, ICP-MS, ICP-AES, EDXRF, ion chromatography, Electro-analytical instruments which are not only expensive but also time consuming, required maintenance, damaged essential parts replacement which are of serious concern. Move over for field study and instant detection installation of these instruments are not convenient to each and every place. Therefore, technique such as pre-concentration of metal ions especially for lean stream elaborated and justified. Chelation/sequestration is the key of immobilization technique which is simple, user friendly, most effective, least expensive, time efficient; easy to carry (10g - 20g vial) to experimental field/site has been demonstrated.

Evaluation of a rapid diagnostic field test kit for identification of Phytophthora ramorum, P. kernoviae and other Phytophthora species at the point of inspection

Treesearch

C.R. Lane; E. Hobden; L. Laurenson; V.C. Barton; K.J.D. Hughes; H. Swan; N. Boonham; A.J. Inman

2008-01-01

Plant health regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of Phytophthora ramorum and P. kernoviae require rapid, cost effective diagnostic methods for screening large numbers of plant samples at the time of inspection. Current on-site techniques require expensive equipment, considerable expertise and are not suited for plant...

Pointo - a Low Cost Solution to Point Cloud Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houshiar, H.; Winkler, S.

2017-11-01

With advance in technology access to data especially 3D point cloud data becomes more and more an everyday task. 3D point clouds are usually captured with very expensive tools such as 3D laser scanners or very time consuming methods such as photogrammetry. Most of the available softwares for 3D point cloud processing are designed for experts and specialists in this field and are usually very large software packages containing variety of methods and tools. This results in softwares that are usually very expensive to acquire and also very difficult to use. Difficulty of use is caused by complicated user interfaces that is required to accommodate a large list of features. The aim of these complex softwares is to provide a powerful tool for a specific group of specialist. However they are not necessary required by the majority of the up coming average users of point clouds. In addition to complexity and high costs of these softwares they generally rely on expensive and modern hardware and only compatible with one specific operating system. Many point cloud customers are not point cloud processing experts or willing to spend the high acquisition costs of these expensive softwares and hardwares. In this paper we introduce a solution for low cost point cloud processing. Our approach is designed to accommodate the needs of the average point cloud user. To reduce the cost and complexity of software our approach focuses on one functionality at a time in contrast with most available softwares and tools that aim to solve as many problems as possible at the same time. Our simple and user oriented design improve the user experience and empower us to optimize our methods for creation of an efficient software. In this paper we introduce Pointo family as a series of connected softwares to provide easy to use tools with simple design for different point cloud processing requirements. PointoVIEWER and PointoCAD are introduced as the first components of the Pointo family to provide a fast and efficient visualization with the ability to add annotation and documentation to the point clouds.

Speeding up local correlation methods

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

Kats, Daniel

2014-12-28

We present two techniques that can substantially speed up the local correlation methods. The first one allows one to avoid the expensive transformation of the electron-repulsion integrals from atomic orbitals to virtual space. The second one introduces an algorithm for the residual equations in the local perturbative treatment that, in contrast to the standard scheme, does not require holding the amplitudes or residuals in memory. It is shown that even an interpreter-based implementation of the proposed algorithm in the context of local MP2 method is faster and requires less memory than the highly optimized variants of conventional algorithms.

47 CFR 32.6310 - Information origination/termination expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... CARRIER SERVICES UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6310 Information origination/termination expenses. Class B telephone companies shall use this account for expenses of the type and character required of Class A telephone companies in Accounts 6311...

Radioactive-gas separation technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haney, R.; King, K. J.; Nellis, D. O.; Nisson, R. S.; Robling, P.; Womack, W.

1977-01-01

Cryogenic technique recovers gases inexpensively. Method uses differences in vapor pressures, melting points, and boiling points of components in gaseous mixture. Series of temperature and pressure variations converts gases independently to solid and liquid states, thereby simplifying separation. Apparatus uses readily available cryogen and does not require expensive refrigeration equipment.

47 CFR 32.6120 - General support expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6120 General support expenses. Class B telephone companies shall use this account for expenses of the type and character required of Class A companies in Accounts 6121 through 6124. [67 FR 5695, Feb. 6, 2002] ...

47 CFR 32.6560 - Depreciation and amortization expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6560 Depreciation and amortization expenses. Class B telephone companies shall use this account for expenses of the type and character required of Class A companies in Accounts 6561 through 6565. [69 FR 53652, Sept. 2...

47 CFR 32.6210 - Central office switching expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6210 Central office switching expenses. Class B telephone companies shall use this account for expenses of the type and character required of Class A companies in Accounts 6211 through 6212. [67 FR 5695, Feb. 6...

47 CFR 32.6230 - Central office transmission expense.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6230 Central office transmission expense. Class B telephone companies shall use this account for expenses of the type and character required of Class A companies in Accounts 6231 and 6232. [67 FR 5695, Feb. 6...

47 CFR 32.6510 - Other property, plant and equipment expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... CARRIER SERVICES UNIFORM SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTS FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6510 Other property, plant and equipment expenses. Class B telephone companies shall use this account for expenses of the type and character required of Class A companies in Accounts 6511 and 6512...

A Finite Element Projection Method for the Solution of Particle Transport Problems with Anisotropic Scattering.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-07-01

piecewise constant energy dependence. This is a seven-dimensional problem with time dependence, three spatial and two angular or directional variables and...in extending the computer implementation of the method to time and energy dependent problems, and to solving and validating this technique on a...problems they have severe limitations. The Monte Carlo method, usually requires the use of many hours of expensive computer time , and for deep

Costs of Multidisciplinary Parenteral Nutrition Care Provided at a Distance via Mobile Tablets

PubMed Central

Kim, Heejung; Spaulding, Ryan; Werkowitch, Marilyn; Yadrich, Donna; Piamjariyakul, Ubolrat; Gilroy, Richard; Smith, Carol E.

2014-01-01

Background Determining the costs of healthcare delivery is a key step for providing efficient nutrition-based care. This analysis tabulates the costs of delivering home parenteral nutrition (HPN) interventions and clinical assessments through encrypted mobile technologies to increase patients’ access to healthcare providers, reduce their travel expenses, and allow early detection of infection and other complications. Methods A traditional cost-accounting method was used to tabulate all expenses related to mobile distance HPN clinic appointments, including (1) personnel time of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, (2) supply of HPN intervention materials, and (3) equipment, connection, and delivery expenses. Results A total of 20 mobile distance clinic appointments were conducted for an average of 56 minutes each with 45 patients who required HPN infusion care. The initial setup costs included mobile tablet devices, 4G data plans, and personnel's time as well as intervention materials. The initial costs were on average $916.64 per patient, while the follow-up clinic appointments required $361.63 a month, with these costs continuing to decline as the equipment was used by multiple patients more frequently over time. Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with cost savings in travel expenses and rated the quality of care comparable to traditional in-person examinations. Conclusion This study provides important aspects of the initial cost tabulation for visual assessment for HPN appointments. These findings will be used to generate a decision algorithm for scheduling mobile distance clinic appointments intermittent with in-person visits to determine how to lower costs of nutrition assessments. To maximize the cost benefits, clinical trials must continue to collect clinical outcomes. PMID:25245253

Low-cost extrapolation method for maximal LTE radio base station exposure estimation: test and validation.

PubMed

Verloock, Leen; Joseph, Wout; Gati, Azeddine; Varsier, Nadège; Flach, Björn; Wiart, Joe; Martens, Luc

2013-06-01

An experimental validation of a low-cost method for extrapolation and estimation of the maximal electromagnetic-field exposure from long-term evolution (LTE) radio base station installations are presented. No knowledge on downlink band occupation or service characteristics is required for the low-cost method. The method is applicable in situ. It only requires a basic spectrum analyser with appropriate field probes without the need of expensive dedicated LTE decoders. The method is validated both in laboratory and in situ, for a single-input single-output antenna LTE system and a 2×2 multiple-input multiple-output system, with low deviations in comparison with signals measured using dedicated LTE decoders.

Evaluation of PLS, LS-SVM, and LWR for quantitative spectroscopic analysis of soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil testing requires the analysis of large numbers of samples in laboratory that are often time consuming and expensive. Mid-infrared spectroscopy (mid-IR) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) are fast, non-destructive, and inexpensive analytical methods that have been used for soil analysis, in l...

Current Treatment of Lower Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

PubMed Central

Raphaeli, Tal; Menon, Raman

2012-01-01

Massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a significant and expensive problem that requires methodical evaluation, management, and treatment. After initial resuscitation, care should be taken to localize the site of bleeding. Once localized, lesions can then be treated with endoscopic or angiographic interventions, reserving surgery for ongoing or recurrent bleeding. PMID:24294124

Standard addition with internal standardisation as an alternative to using stable isotope labelled internal standards to correct for matrix effects-Comparison and validation using liquid chromatography-​tandem mass spectrometric assay of vitamin D.

PubMed

Hewavitharana, Amitha K; Abu Kassim, Nur Sofiah; Shaw, Paul Nicholas

2018-06-08

With mass spectrometric detection in liquid chromatography, co-eluting impurities affect the analyte response due to ion suppression/enhancement. Internal standard calibration method, using co-eluting stable isotope labelled analogue of each analyte as the internal standard, is the most appropriate technique available to correct for these matrix effects. However, this technique is not without drawbacks, proved to be expensive because separate internal standard for each analyte is required, and the labelled compounds are expensive or require synthesising. Traditionally, standard addition method has been used to overcome the matrix effects in atomic spectroscopy and was a well-established method. This paper proposes the same for mass spectrometric detection, and demonstrates that the results are comparable to those with the internal standard method using labelled analogues, for vitamin D assay. As conventional standard addition procedure does not address procedural errors, we propose the inclusion of an additional internal standard (not co-eluting). Recoveries determined on human serum samples show that the proposed method of standard addition yields more accurate results than the internal standardisation using stable isotope labelled analogues. The precision of the proposed method of standard addition is superior to the conventional standard addition method. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

26 CFR 1.162-17 - Reporting and substantiation of certain business expenses of employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Commissioner may require any taxpayer to substantiate such information concerning expense accounts as may... substantiate expense account information except those in the following categories: (i) A taxpayer who is not... advantage of taxpayers who may be called upon to substantiate expense account information to maintain as...

75 FR 65392 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change To Amend...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-22

... 652 (``Limitation of Exchange Liability and Reimbursement of Certain Expenses'') To Require Member... Exchange Rule 652 (``Limitation of Exchange Liability and Reimbursement of Certain Expenses'') to require...

29 CFR 452.130 - Expenses of delegates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Election Procedures; Rights of Members § 452.130 Expenses of delegates. A local may elect two groups—one which would receive expenses while the other would be required to pay its own way...

Deployment Analysis of a Simple Tape-Spring Hinge Using Probabilistic Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyle, Karen H.; Horta, Lucas G.

2012-01-01

Acceptance of new deployable structures architectures and concepts requires validated design methods to minimize the expense involved with technology validation flight testing. Deployable concepts for large lightweight spacecraft include booms, antennae, and masts. This paper explores the implementation of probabilistic methods in the design process for the deployment of a strain-energy mechanism, specifically a simple tape-spring hinge. Strain-energy mechanisms are attractive for deployment in very lightweight systems because they do not require the added mass and complexity associated with motors and controllers. However, designers are hesitant to include free deployment, strain-energy mechanisms because of the potential for uncontrolled behavior. In the example presented here, the tapespring cross-sectional dimensions have been varied and a target displacement during deployment has been selected as the design metric. Specifically, the tape-spring should reach the final position in the shortest time with the minimal amount of overshoot and oscillations. Surrogate models have been used to reduce computational expense. Parameter values to achieve the target response have been computed and used to demonstrate the approach. Based on these results, the application of probabilistic methods for design of a tape-spring hinge has shown promise as a means of designing strain-energy components for more complex space concepts.

43 CFR 4.612 - What documentation of fees and expenses must I provide?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What documentation of fees and expenses... Proceedings Information Required from Applicants § 4.612 What documentation of fees and expenses must I provide? (a) Your application must be accompanied by full documentation of the fees and expenses for which...

What Facilitates and Impedes Collaborative Work during Higher Education Software Implementation Projects?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cramer, Sharon F.; Tetewsky, Sheldon J.; Marczynski, Kelly S.

2010-01-01

Implementations of new or major upgrades of existing student information systems require incorporation of new paradigms and the exchange of familiar routines for new methods. As a result, implementations are almost always time consuming and expensive. Many people in the field of information technology have identified some of the challenges faced…

A Simulation of DNA Sequencing Utilizing 3M Post-It[R] Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Doug

2009-01-01

An inexpensive and equipment free approach to teaching the technical aspects of DNA sequencing. The activity described requires an instructor with a familiarity of DNA sequencing technology but provides a straight forward method of teaching the technical aspects of sequencing in the absence of expensive sequencing equipment. The final sequence…

State-of-the-art methods for testing materials outdoors

Treesearch

R. Sam Williams

2004-01-01

In recent years, computers, sensors, microelectronics, and communication technologies have made it possible to automate the way materials are tested in the field. It is now possible to purchase monitoring equipment to measure weather and materials properties. The measurement of materials response often requires innovative approaches and added expense, but the...

A rapid method for the sampling of atmospheric water vapour for isotopic analysis.

PubMed

Peters, Leon I; Yakir, Dan

2010-01-01

Analysis of the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric moisture is widely applied in the environmental sciences. Traditional methods for obtaining isotopic compositional data from ambient moisture have required complicated sampling procedures, expensive and sophisticated distillation lines, hazardous consumables, and lengthy treatments prior to analysis. Newer laser-based techniques are expensive and usually not suitable for large-scale field campaigns, especially in cases where access to mains power is not feasible or high spatial coverage is required. Here we outline the construction and usage of a novel vapour-sampling system based on a battery-operated Stirling cycle cooler, which is simple to operate, does not require any consumables, or post-collection distillation, and is light-weight and highly portable. We demonstrate the ability of this system to reproduce delta(18)O isotopic compositions of ambient water vapour, with samples taken simultaneously by a traditional cryogenic collection technique. Samples were collected over 1 h directly into autosampler vials and were analysed by mass spectrometry after pyrolysis of 1 microL aliquots to CO. This yielded an average error of < +/-0.5 per thousand, approximately equal to the signal-to-noise ratio of traditional approaches. This new system provides a rapid and reliable alternative to conventional cryogenic techniques, particularly in cases requiring high sample throughput or where access to distillation lines, slurry maintenance or mains power is not feasible. Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Time-Accurate Solutions of Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations for Potential Turbopump Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiris, Cetin; Kwak, Dochan

2001-01-01

Two numerical procedures, one based on artificial compressibility method and the other pressure projection method, are outlined for obtaining time-accurate solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The performance of the two method are compared by obtaining unsteady solutions for the evolution of twin vortices behind a at plate. Calculated results are compared with experimental and other numerical results. For an un- steady ow which requires small physical time step, pressure projection method was found to be computationally efficient since it does not require any subiterations procedure. It was observed that the artificial compressibility method requires a fast convergence scheme at each physical time step in order to satisfy incompressibility condition. This was obtained by using a GMRES-ILU(0) solver in our computations. When a line-relaxation scheme was used, the time accuracy was degraded and time-accurate computations became very expensive.

76 FR 8699 - Reporting Requirements for Positive Train Control Expenses and Investments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-15

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board 49 CFR Part 1201 [Docket No. EP 706] Reporting Requirements for Positive Train Control Expenses and Investments AGENCY: Surface Transportation... Train Control, a federally mandated safety system that will automatically stop or slow a train before an...

Evaluation of immunoturbidimetric rheumatoid factor method from Diagam on Abbott c8000 analyzer: comparison with immunonephelemetric method.

PubMed

Dupuy, Anne Marie; Hurstel, Rémy; Bargnoux, Anne Sophie; Badiou, Stéphanie; Cristol, Jean Paul

2014-01-01

Rheumatoid factor (RF) consists of autoantibodies and because of its heterogeneity its determination is not easy. Currently, nephelometry and Elisa method are considered as reference methods. Due to consolidation, many laboratories have fully automated turbidimetric apparatus, and specific nephelemetric systems are not always available. In addition, nephelemetry is more accurate, but time consuming, expensive, and requires a specific device, resulting in a lower efficiency. Turbidimetry could be an attractive alternative. The turbidimetric RF test from Diagam meets the requirements of accuracy and precision for optimal clinical use, with an acceptable measuring range, and could be an alternative in the determination of RF, without the associated cost of a dedicated instrument, making consolidation and saving blood possible.

Battlefield MRI

DOE PAGES

Espy, Michelle

2015-06-01

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is the best method for non-invasive imaging of soft tissue anatomy, saving countless lives each year. It is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis of mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries. Furthermore, conventional MRI relies on very high, fixed strength magnetic fields (> 1.5 T) with parts-per-million homogeneity, which requires very large and expensive magnets.

A New Labwork Course for Physics Students: Devices, Methods and Research Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neumann, Knut; Welzel, Manuela

2007-01-01

Physics labwork has for a long time now been an important part of academic physics education. But demands on physics education have changed. However, while seminars and lectures have easily been updated with the latest content, it is much more difficult to modernize labwork courses: mere changes of content require expensive new equipment, tight…

An electric-analog simulation of elliptic partial differential equations using finite element theory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franke, O.L.; Pinder, G.F.; Patten, E.P.

1982-01-01

Elliptic partial differential equations can be solved using the Galerkin-finite element method to generate the approximating algebraic equations, and an electrical network to solve the resulting matrices. Some element configurations require the use of networks containing negative resistances which, while physically realizable, are more expensive and time-consuming to construct. ?? 1982.

Battlefield MRI

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

Espy, Michelle

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is the best method for non-invasive imaging of soft tissue anatomy, saving countless lives each year. It is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis of mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries. Furthermore, conventional MRI relies on very high, fixed strength magnetic fields (> 1.5 T) with parts-per-million homogeneity, which requires very large and expensive magnets.

A closer look at ‘Cheap White’ cigarettes

PubMed Central

Ross, Hana; Vellios, Nicole; Clegg Smith, Katherine; Ferguson, Jacqueline; Cohen, Joanna E

2016-01-01

Background Given the prominence of Cheap Whites in illicit tobacco discussions, we examined various definitions, market presence, brand proliferation, manufacturers, production locations, trademark ownership, prices and compliance with tax stamp and warning labels. Methods Data from peer-reviewed and grey literature, newspapers, trademark registries, governments/international organisation reports, and the tobacco industry were contrasted with two visual legal requirements (tax stamps and warning labels) and prices from the Tobacco Pack Surveillance System (TPackSS). Results Multiple sources identified 82 Cheap White brands and 53 manufacturers operating at least 82 production facilities. One-third of these manufacturers are in the free zones of Russia, Cyprus and the UAE. Two-thirds of the 37 Cheap White brands in the TPackSS had neither the correct health warning nor the required tax stamp in at least one country where they were purchased. Cheap Whites are on average less expensive than all other brands, but the price gap is often not as large as anecdotally reported. The cheapest Cheap White cigarettes purchased in one of the TPackSS countries irrespective of the presence of legal signs were still more expensive than the least expensive other brands satisfying both legal requirements. Conclusions We confirmed that many Cheap White brands do not comply with the legal requirements in countries where they are sold, but also found that some of these cigarettes appear to be sold legally even outside their country of origin. The presence of untaxed Cheap Whites undermines tobacco tax policies, while the availability of legal cheap cigarettes is a public health concern. PMID:26418617

12 CFR 1705.12 - Documentation of fees and expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Documentation of fees and expenses. 1705.12 Section 1705.12 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE OVERSIGHT, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING... ACT Information Required from Applicants § 1705.12 Documentation of fees and expenses. (a) The...

29 CFR 452.69 - Expenses of campaign literature.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Expenses of campaign literature. 452.69 Section 452.69... AND DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Campaign Safeguards § 452.69 Expenses of campaign literature. Each... is no requirement that the union distribute the literature of the candidate free of charge. In the...

29 CFR 452.69 - Expenses of campaign literature.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Expenses of campaign literature. 452.69 Section 452.69... AND DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Campaign Safeguards § 452.69 Expenses of campaign literature. Each... is no requirement that the union distribute the literature of the candidate free of charge. In the...

29 CFR 452.69 - Expenses of campaign literature.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Expenses of campaign literature. 452.69 Section 452.69... AND DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Campaign Safeguards § 452.69 Expenses of campaign literature. Each... is no requirement that the union distribute the literature of the candidate free of charge. In the...

29 CFR 452.69 - Expenses of campaign literature.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Expenses of campaign literature. 452.69 Section 452.69... AND DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Campaign Safeguards § 452.69 Expenses of campaign literature. Each... is no requirement that the union distribute the literature of the candidate free of charge. In the...

29 CFR 452.69 - Expenses of campaign literature.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Expenses of campaign literature. 452.69 Section 452.69... AND DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1959 Campaign Safeguards § 452.69 Expenses of campaign literature. Each... is no requirement that the union distribute the literature of the candidate free of charge. In the...

Improving finite element results in modeling heart valve mechanics.

PubMed

Earl, Emily; Mohammadi, Hadi

2018-06-01

Finite element analysis is a well-established computational tool which can be used for the analysis of soft tissue mechanics. Due to the structural complexity of the leaflet tissue of the heart valve, the currently available finite element models do not adequately represent the leaflet tissue. A method of addressing this issue is to implement computationally expensive finite element models, characterized by precise constitutive models including high-order and high-density mesh techniques. In this study, we introduce a novel numerical technique that enhances the results obtained from coarse mesh finite element models to provide accuracy comparable to that of fine mesh finite element models while maintaining a relatively low computational cost. Introduced in this study is a method by which the computational expense required to solve linear and nonlinear constitutive models, commonly used in heart valve mechanics simulations, is reduced while continuing to account for large and infinitesimal deformations. This continuum model is developed based on the least square algorithm procedure coupled with the finite difference method adhering to the assumption that the components of the strain tensor are available at all nodes of the finite element mesh model. The suggested numerical technique is easy to implement, practically efficient, and requires less computational time compared to currently available commercial finite element packages such as ANSYS and/or ABAQUS.

Rearranging the lenslet array of the compact passive interference imaging system with high resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Gang; Wen, Desheng; Song, Zongxi

2017-10-01

With the development of aeronautics and astronautics, higher resolution requirement of the telescope was necessary. However, the increase in resolution of conventional telescope required larger apertures, whose size, weight and power consumption could be prohibitively expensive. This limited the further development of the telescope. This paper introduced a new imaging technology using interference—Compact Passive Interference Imaging Technology with High Resolution, and proposed a rearranging method for the arrangement of the lenslet array to obtain continuously object spatial frequency.

The Development of a Novel, Validated, Rapid and Simple Method for the Detection of Sarcocystis fayeri in Horse Meat in the Sanitary Control Setting.

PubMed

Furukawa, Masato; Minegishi, Yasutaka; Izumiyama, Shinji; Yagita, Kenji; Mori, Hideto; Uemura, Taku; Etoh, Yoshiki; Maeda, Eriko; Sasaki, Mari; Ichinose, Kazuya; Harada, Seiya; Kamata, Yoichi; Otagiri, Masaki; Sugita-Konishi, Yoshiko; Ohnishi, Takahiro

2016-01-01

Sarcocystis fayeri (S. fayeri) is a newly identified causative agent of foodborne disease that is associated with the consumption of raw horse meat. The testing methods prescribed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan are time consuming and require the use of expensive equipment and a high level of technical expertise. Accordingly, these methods are not suitable for use in the routine sanitary control setting to prevent outbreaks of foodborne disease. In order to solve these problems, we have developed a new, rapid and simple testing method using LAMP, which takes only 1 hour to perform and which does not involve the use of any expensive equipment or expert techniques. For the validation of this method, an inter-laboratory study was performed among 5 institutes using 10 samples infected with various concentrations of S. fayeri. The results of the inter-laboratory study demonstrated that our LAMP method could detect S. fayeri at concentrations greater than 10(4) copies/g. Thus, this new method could be useful in screening for S. fayeri as a routine sanitary control procedure.

Manufacturing Methods and Technology Project Execution Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM AIRFRAME COMPONENTS LURRENT METHODS OF MACHINING ALUMINIUM FORGINGS ARE EXPENSIVE AND REQUIRE AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF PARTS. 1 84...3l.4-0 0~..00a..~2 IIL8-S. U~ 8--11 4- 2IAU00’-0 .m0443. 0.0.0.-0IA A4 2 0 304 11.4UI - 8011 11-L 8- 42 I4I - .A 00 40 a..- J Wj Lj 4C t o~3.9. .44

Lithium Battery Transient Response as a Diagnostic Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denisov, E.; Nigmatullin, R.; Evdokimov, Y.; Timergalina, G.

2018-05-01

Lithium batteries are currently used as the main energy storage for electronic devices. Progress in the field of portable electronic devices is significantly determined by the improvement of their weight/dimensional characteristics and specific capacity. In addition to the high reliability required of lithium batteries, in some critical applications proper diagnostics are required. Corresponding techniques allow prediction and prevention of operation interruption and avoidance of expensive battery replacement, and also provide additional benefits. Many effective diagnostic methods have been suggested; however, most of them require expensive experimental equipment, as well as interruption or strong perturbation of the operating mode. In the framework of this investigation, a simple diagnostic method based on analysis of transient processes is proposed. The transient response is considered as a reaction to an applied load variation that typically corresponds to normal operating conditions for most real applications. The transient response contains the same information as the impedance characteristic for the system operating in linear mode. Taking into account the large number of publications describing the impedance response associated with diagnostic methods, it can be assumed that the transient response contains a sufficient amount of information for creation of effective diagnostic systems. The proposed experimental installation is based on a controlled load, providing current variation, measuring equipment, and data processing electronics. It is proposed to use the second exponent parameters U 2 and β to estimate the state of charge for secondary lithium batteries. The proposed method improves the accuracy and reliability of a set of quantitative parameters associated with electrochemical energy sources.

Medicare program; delay in implementing the adjustments to the practice expense relative value units under the physician fee schedule for calendar year 1998--HCFA. Notice of intent to regulate.

PubMed

1997-10-31

This notice identifies provisions in the Medicare physician fee schedule regulations that are affected by enactment of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA 1997). Section 4505 of the BBA 1997 postpones implementation of a resource-based practice expense relative value unit system until January 1, 1999 and provides for a 4-year transition. In addition, it provides for an adjustment for practice expense relative value units for 1998. It also requires publication of a new proposed rule for practice expense by May 1, 1998, thus requiring significant revision of our proposal contained in the proposed rule published June 18, 1997 (62 FR 33158).

Advances in spectroscopic methods for quantifying soil carbon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reeves, James B.; McCarty, Gregory W.; Calderon, Francisco; Hively, W. Dean

2012-01-01

The current gold standard for soil carbon (C) determination is elemental C analysis using dry combustion. However, this method requires expensive consumables, is limited by the number of samples that can be processed (~100/d), and is restricted to the determination of total carbon. With increased interest in soil C sequestration, faster methods of analysis are needed, and there is growing interest in methods based on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the visible, near-infrared or mid-infrared spectral ranges. These spectral methods can decrease analytical requirements and speed sample processing, be applied to large landscape areas using remote sensing imagery, and be used to predict multiple analytes simultaneously. However, the methods require localized calibrations to establish the relationship between spectral data and reference analytical data, and also have additional, specific problems. For example, remote sensing is capable of scanning entire watersheds for soil carbon content but is limited to the surface layer of tilled soils and may require difficult and extensive field sampling to obtain proper localized calibration reference values. The objective of this chapter is to discuss the present state of spectroscopic methods for determination of soil carbon.

CACTI: free, open-source software for the sequential coding of behavioral interactions.

PubMed

Glynn, Lisa H; Hallgren, Kevin A; Houck, Jon M; Moyers, Theresa B

2012-01-01

The sequential analysis of client and clinician speech in psychotherapy sessions can help to identify and characterize potential mechanisms of treatment and behavior change. Previous studies required coding systems that were time-consuming, expensive, and error-prone. Existing software can be expensive and inflexible, and furthermore, no single package allows for pre-parsing, sequential coding, and assignment of global ratings. We developed a free, open-source, and adaptable program to meet these needs: The CASAA Application for Coding Treatment Interactions (CACTI). Without transcripts, CACTI facilitates the real-time sequential coding of behavioral interactions using WAV-format audio files. Most elements of the interface are user-modifiable through a simple XML file, and can be further adapted using Java through the terms of the GNU Public License. Coding with this software yields interrater reliabilities comparable to previous methods, but at greatly reduced time and expense. CACTI is a flexible research tool that can simplify psychotherapy process research, and has the potential to contribute to the improvement of treatment content and delivery.

25 CFR 700.171 - Fixed payment for moving expenses-nonresidential moves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... a substantial loss of its existing patronage. (2) The business is not part of a commercial... expenses of a displaced business or farm operation that meets applicable requirements under this section is... requirements under this section is entitled to a payment of $2,500. (b) Business. A business qualifies for...

12 CFR 625.12 - Documentation of fees and expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Documentation of fees and expenses. 625.12 Section 625.12 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION FARM CREDIT SYSTEM APPLICATION FOR AWARD OF FEES AND OTHER EXPENSES UNDER THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT Applicant Information Required § 625.12...

48 CFR 9904.410-50 - Techniques for application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... segment incurred by another segment shall be removed from the incurring segment's G&A expense pool. They... whole, shall be included in the receiving segment's G&A expense pool. (2) Any separate allocation of the... from the G&A expense pool required by 9904.410-40(a), and the particular final cost objective's cost...

48 CFR 9904.410-50 - Techniques for application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... segment incurred by another segment shall be removed from the incurring segment's G&A expense pool. They... whole, shall be included in the receiving segment's G&A expense pool. (2) Any separate allocation of the... from the G&A expense pool required by 9904.410-40(a), and the particular final cost objective's cost...

48 CFR 9904.410-50 - Techniques for application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... segment incurred by another segment shall be removed from the incurring segment's G&A expense pool. They... whole, shall be included in the receiving segment's G&A expense pool. (2) Any separate allocation of the... from the G&A expense pool required by 9904.410-40(a), and the particular final cost objective's cost...

Predicting internal red oak (Quercus rubra) log defect features using surface defect defect measurements

Treesearch

R. Edward Thomas

2013-01-01

Determining the defects located within a log is crucial to understanding the tree/log resource for efficient processing. However, existing means of doing this non-destructively requires the use of expensive x-ray/CT (computerized tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), or microwave technology. These methods do not lend themselves to fast, efficient, and cost-...

Predicting internal yellow-poplar log defect features using surface indicators

Treesearch

R. Edward Thomas

2008-01-01

Determining the defects that are located within the log is crucial to understanding the tree/log resource for efficient processing. However, existing means of doing this non-destructively requires the use of expensive X-ray/CT, MRI, or microwave technology. These methods do not lend themselves to fast, efficient, and cost-effective analysis of logs and tree stems in...

A time-lapse photography method for monitoring salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) passage and abundance in streams

PubMed Central

Leacock, William B.; Eby, Lisa A.; Stanford, Jack A.

2016-01-01

Accurately estimating population sizes is often a critical component of fisheries research and management. Although there is a growing appreciation of the importance of small-scale salmon population dynamics to the stability of salmon stock-complexes, our understanding of these populations is constrained by a lack of efficient and cost-effective monitoring tools for streams. Weirs are expensive, labor intensive, and can disrupt natural fish movements. While conventional video systems avoid some of these shortcomings, they are expensive and require excessive amounts of labor to review footage for data collection. Here, we present a novel method for quantifying salmon in small streams (<15 m wide, <1 m deep) that uses both time-lapse photography and video in a model-based double sampling scheme. This method produces an escapement estimate nearly as accurate as a video-only approach, but with substantially less labor, money, and effort. It requires servicing only every 14 days, detects salmon 24 h/day, is inexpensive, and produces escapement estimates with confidence intervals. In addition to escapement estimation, we present a method for estimating in-stream salmon abundance across time, data needed by researchers interested in predator--prey interactions or nutrient subsidies. We combined daily salmon passage estimates with stream specific estimates of daily mortality developed using previously published data. To demonstrate proof of concept for these methods, we present results from two streams in southwest Kodiak Island, Alaska in which high densities of sockeye salmon spawn. PMID:27326378

47 CFR 36.341 - Cable and wire facilities expenses-Account 6410 (Class B telephone companies); Accounts 6411...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cable and wire facilities expenses-Account 6410... Operating Expenses and Taxes Cable and Wire Facilities Expenses § 36.341 Cable and wire facilities expenses... network cable, aerial wire, and conduit systems. (b) The general method of separating cable and wire...

47 CFR 36.341 - Cable and wire facilities expenses-Account 6410 (Class B telephone companies); Accounts 6411...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Cable and wire facilities expenses-Account 6410... Operating Expenses and Taxes Cable and Wire Facilities Expenses § 36.341 Cable and wire facilities expenses... network cable, aerial wire, and conduit systems. (b) The general method of separating cable and wire...

[Comparison of three histometric methods for the comprehension of stimulating effects on the rat thyroid gland].

PubMed

Herrmann, F; Hambsch, K; Wolf, T; Rother, P; Müller, P

1989-01-01

There exist some histometric methods for the morphological quantification of different strongly stimulating effects on the thyroid gland induced by drugs and/or other chemical substances in dependence upon dose and duration of application. But in respect of technical and temporal expense and also diagnostic statement, there are considerable differences between these recording procedures. Therefore we examined the 3 mostly used methods synchronously (i.e. determination of thyroid epithelial cell height, nuclear volume in thyrocytes, and estimation of relative volume parts in the thyroid gland by the point counting method) by investigating the thyroid glands of methylthiouracil-(MTU)-stimulated rats and corresponding controls in order to compare the diagnostic value and temporal expense. The largest temporal expense was required in the nuclear volume determination, the smallest in the point-counting method. On principle, all 3 procedures allow the determination of hypertrophic alterations but only by help of the point-counting method, also hyperplastic changes are recognizable. By nuclear volume determination, we found significant differences between central and peripheral parts of the thyroid gland. Therefore, to avoid the subjective error, it will be necessary to measure a large number of nuclei in many planes of the gland. Also the determination of epithelial cell high reinforces the subjective error because of the heterological structure especially in unstimulated thyroid gland. If the number of counting points is exactly determined and, full of sense, limited, the point-counting method allows a nearly complete measuring of the whole object to be tested within an acceptable investigation time. In this way, the heterological structure of thyroid gland will be regarded, and comparability and reproducibility are guaranteed on an high level.

Nonparametric Methods in Astronomy: Think, Regress, Observe—Pick Any Three

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinhardt, Charles L.; Jermyn, Adam S.

2018-02-01

Telescopes are much more expensive than astronomers, so it is essential to minimize required sample sizes by using the most data-efficient statistical methods possible. However, the most commonly used model-independent techniques for finding the relationship between two variables in astronomy are flawed. In the worst case they can lead without warning to subtly yet catastrophically wrong results, and even in the best case they require more data than necessary. Unfortunately, there is no single best technique for nonparametric regression. Instead, we provide a guide for how astronomers can choose the best method for their specific problem and provide a python library with both wrappers for the most useful existing algorithms and implementations of two new algorithms developed here.

First- and Second-Order Sensitivity Analysis of a P-Version Finite Element Equation Via Automatic Differentiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Gene

1998-01-01

Sensitivity analysis is a technique for determining derivatives of system responses with respect to design parameters. Among many methods available for sensitivity analysis, automatic differentiation has been proven through many applications in fluid dynamics and structural mechanics to be an accurate and easy method for obtaining derivatives. Nevertheless, the method can be computational expensive and can require a high memory space. This project will apply an automatic differentiation tool, ADIFOR, to a p-version finite element code to obtain first- and second- order then-nal derivatives, respectively. The focus of the study is on the implementation process and the performance of the ADIFOR-enhanced codes for sensitivity analysis in terms of memory requirement, computational efficiency, and accuracy.

Methods for delineating flood-prone areas in the Great Basin of Nevada and adjacent states

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burkham, D.E.

1988-01-01

The Great Basin is a region of about 210,000 square miles having no surface drainage to the ocean; it includes most of Nevada and parts of Utah, California, Oregon, Idaho, and Wyoming. The area is characterized by many parallel mountain ranges and valleys trending north-south. Stream channels usually are well defined and steep within the mountains, but on reaching the alluvial fan at the canyon mouth, they may diverge into numerous distributary channels, be discontinuous near the apex of the fan, or be deeply entrenched in the alluvial deposits. Larger rivers normally have well-defined channels to or across the valley floors, but all terminate at lakes or playas. Major floods occur in most parts of the Great Basin and result from snowmelt, frontal-storm rainfall, and localized convective rainfall. Snowmelt floods typically occur during April-June. Floods resulting from frontal rain and frontal rain on snow generally occur during November-March. Floods resulting from convective-type rainfall during localized thunderstorms occur most commonly during the summer months. Methods for delineating flood-prone areas are grouped into five general categories: Detailed, historical, analytical, physiographic, and reconnaissance. The detailed and historical methods are comprehensive methods; the analytical and physiographic are intermediate; and the reconnaissance method is only approximate. Other than the reconnaissance method, each method requires determination of a T-year discharge (the peak rate of flow during a flood with long-term average recurrence interval of T years) and T-year profile and the development of a flood-boundary map. The procedure is different, however, for each method. Appraisal of the applicability of each method included consideration of its technical soundness, limitations and uncertainties, ease of use, and costs in time and money. Of the five methods, the detailed method is probably the most accurate, though most expensive. It is applicable to hydraulic and topographic conditions found in many parts of the Great Basin. The historical method is also applicable over a wide range of conditions and is less expensive than the detailed method. However, it requires more historical flood data than are usually available, and experience and judgement are needed to obtain meaningful results. The analytical method is also less expensive than the detailed method and can be used over a wide range of conditions in which the T-year discharge can be determined directly. Experience, good judgement, and thorough knowledge of hydraulic principles are required to obtain adequate results, and the method has limited application in other than rigid-channel situations. The physiographic method is applicable to rigid-boundary channels and is less accurate than the detailed method. The reconnaissance method is relatively imprecise, but it may be the most rational method to use on alluvial fans or valley floors with discontinuous channels. In general, a comprehensive method is most suitable for use with rigid-bank streams in urban areas; only an approximate method seems justified in undeveloped areas.

Storage and computationally efficient permutations of factorized covariance and square-root information arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muellerschoen, R. J.

1988-01-01

A unified method to permute vector stored Upper triangular Diagonal factorized covariance and vector stored upper triangular Square Root Information arrays is presented. The method involves cyclic permutation of the rows and columns of the arrays and retriangularization with fast (slow) Givens rotations (reflections). Minimal computation is performed, and a one dimensional scratch array is required. To make the method efficient for large arrays on a virtual memory machine, computations are arranged so as to avoid expensive paging faults. This method is potentially important for processing large volumes of radio metric data in the Deep Space Network.

41 CFR 301-10.220 - What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? 301-10.220 Section 301-10.220 Public... ALLOWABLE TRAVEL EXPENSES 10-TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES Government Vehicle Government Automobiles § 301-10.220 What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? You must possess...

41 CFR 301-10.220 - What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? 301-10.220 Section 301-10.220 Public... ALLOWABLE TRAVEL EXPENSES 10-TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES Government Vehicle Government Automobiles § 301-10.220 What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? You must possess...

41 CFR 301-10.220 - What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? 301-10.220 Section 301-10.220 Public... ALLOWABLE TRAVEL EXPENSES 10-TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES Government Vehicle Government Automobiles § 301-10.220 What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? You must possess...

41 CFR 301-10.220 - What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? 301-10.220 Section 301-10.220 Public... ALLOWABLE TRAVEL EXPENSES 10-TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES Government Vehicle Government Automobiles § 301-10.220 What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? You must possess...

41 CFR 301-10.220 - What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? 301-10.220 Section 301-10.220 Public... ALLOWABLE TRAVEL EXPENSES 10-TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES Government Vehicle Government Automobiles § 301-10.220 What requirements must I meet to operate a Government automobile for official travel? You must possess...

School Meal Programs: Revenue and Expense Information from Selected States. Report to Congressional Requesters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellis, David D.

In school year 1996-97, the Department of Agriculture instituted more stringent requirements for the nutritional content of school meals. The General Accounting Office was asked to study school food-service revenues and expenses and how they had changed since the requirements went into effect. This report contains information of the sources of…

41 CFR 300-90.1 - What is a telework travel expenses test program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 4 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What is a telework... Travel Regulation System GENERAL AGENCY REQUIREMENTS 90-TELEWORK TRAVEL EXPENSES TEST PROGRAMS § 300-90.1 What is a telework travel expenses test program? It is a program that permits an agency to test new and...

PTTI 2030 - Time Transfer and Applications in 2030

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

today’s society is paramount. Every day billions of people worldwide depend on some level of time synchronization , and timing laboratories require...applications as an inexpensive way to disseminate GPS-acquired time and frequency among groups, or as a backup method of time synchronization in the...strictly for timing use would be very expensive, perhaps prohibitive. ADVANTAGES OF AN IEEE-1588-ENABLED POWER GRID Time synchronization in

Simplified Rotation In Acoustic Levitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, M. B.; Gaspar, M. S.; Trinh, E. H.

1989-01-01

New technique based on old discovery used to control orientation of object levitated acoustically in axisymmetric chamber. Method does not require expensive equipment like additional acoustic drivers of precisely adjustable amplitude, phase, and frequency. Reflecting object acts as second source of sound. If reflecting object large enough, close enough to levitated object, or focuses reflected sound sufficiently, Rayleigh torque exerted on levitated object by reflected sound controls orientation of object.

Monitoring nitrogen deposition in throughfall using ion exchange resin columns: a field test in the San Bernardino Mountains

Treesearch

Mark E. Fenn; Mark A. Poth

2004-01-01

Conventional throughfall collection methods are labor intensive and analytically expensive to implement at broad scales. This study was conducted to test an alternative approach requiring infrequent sample collection and a greatly reduced number of chemical analyses. The major objective of the study was to determine the feasibility of using ion exchange resin (IER) to...

Advances in spectroscopic methods for quantifying soil carbon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liebig, Mark; Franzluebbers, Alan J.; Follett, Ronald F.; Hively, W. Dean; Reeves, James B.; McCarty, Gregory W.; Calderon, Francisco

2012-01-01

The gold standard for soil C determination is combustion. However, this method requires expensive consumables, is limited to the determination of the total carbon and in the number of samples which can be processed (~100/d). With increased interest in soil C sequestration, faster methods are needed. Thus, interest in methods based on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the visible, near-infrared or mid-infrared ranges using either proximal or remote sensing. These methods have the ability to analyze more samples (2 to 3X/d) or huge areas (imagery) and do multiple analytes simultaneously, but require calibrations relating spectral and reference data and have specific problems, i.e., remote sensing is capable of scanning entire watersheds, thus reducing the sampling needed, but is limiting to the surface layer of tilled soils and by difficulty in obtaining proper calibration reference values. The objective of this discussion is the present state of spectroscopic methods for soil C determination.

Visual detection of Potato Leafroll virus by loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA with the GeneFinder™ dye.

PubMed

Almasi, Mohammad Amin; Erfan Manesh, Maryam; Jafary, Hossein; Dehabadi, Seyed Mohammad Hosseini

2013-09-01

The most common virus affecting potatoes in the field worldwide is Potato Leafroll virus (PLRV), belonging to the family Luteoviridae, genius Plerovirus. There are several molecular methods to detect PLRV including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Multiplex AmpliDet RNA and double antibody sandwich ELISA (DAS-ELISA). But these techniques take a long time for 3h to two days, requiring sophisticated tools. The aim of this study was to reduce the time required to detect PLRV, using a newly designed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique requiring only an ordinary water bath or thermoblock. PLRV RNA was extracted from overall 80 infected naturally potato leaves. A set of six novel primers for the LAMP reaction was designed according to the highly conserved sequence of the viral coat protein (CP) gene. LAMP was carried out under isothermal conditions, applying the Bst DNA polymerase enzyme; the LAMP products were detected visually using the GeneFinder™ florescence dye. A positive result using the GeneFinder™ dye was a color change from the original orange to green. Results confirmed LAMP with GeneFinder™ provides a rapid and safe assay for detection of PLRV. Since with other molecular methods, equipping laboratories with a thermocycler or expensive detector systems is unavoidable, this assay was found to be a simple, cost-effective molecular method that has the potential to replace other diagnostic methods in primary laboratories without the need for expensive equipment or specialized techniques. It can also be considered as a reliable alternative viral detection system in further investigations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

41 CFR 303-70.2 - Must we pay death-related expenses when the employee's death is not work-related?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-related expenses when the employee's death is not work-related? 303-70.2 Section 303-70.2 Public Contracts... CERTAIN EMPLOYEES General Policies § 303-70.2 Must we pay death-related expenses when the employee's death is not work-related? Yes, provided the requirements in § 303-70.1 are met. ...

Analysis of patients' willingness to be mobile, taking into account individual characteristics and two exemplary indications.

PubMed

Augustin, Jobst; Schäfer, Ines; Augustin, Matthias; Zander, Nicole

2017-04-01

With respect to health care planning, it is commonly assumed that patients consult the nearest physician. In reality, however, patients frequently accept great-er efforts/expenses than necessary to see a physician. The objective of the present study was to determine under which circumstances patients were willing to accept additional efforts/expenses, and which role sociodemographic and clinical characteristics play in this regard. Data collection was carried out in the context of a multicenter cross-sectional study among office-based and hospital-affiliated (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf) dermatologists. Patients (n = 309) with psoriasis and chronic wounds were surveyed about their mobility patterns and disease severity. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and multivariate methods. The willingness to accept additional efforts/expenses is primarily determined by a physician's expertise and service portfolio. Comparing both diagnoses showed that psoriasis patients usually traveled longer distances than wound patients. Among psoriasis patients, one significant predictor for accepting additional efforts/expenses was the level of education. With regard to wound patients, key factors included wound size (severity). The present study revealed complex mobility patterns among patients, which are affected by numerous personal as well as clinical factors. Depending on the diagnosis and individual preferences, additional efforts/expenses can - among other things - be explained by disease severity. Further studies are required to obtain more conclusive data. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Economical Unsteady High-Fidelity Aerodynamics for Structural Optimization with a Flutter Constraint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartels, Robert E.; Stanford, Bret K.

2017-01-01

Structural optimization with a flutter constraint for a vehicle designed to fly in the transonic regime is a particularly difficult task. In this speed range, the flutter boundary is very sensitive to aerodynamic nonlinearities, typically requiring high-fidelity Navier-Stokes simulations. However, the repeated application of unsteady computational fluid dynamics to guide an aeroelastic optimization process is very computationally expensive. This expense has motivated the development of methods that incorporate aspects of the aerodynamic nonlinearity, classical tools of flutter analysis, and more recent methods of optimization. While it is possible to use doublet lattice method aerodynamics, this paper focuses on the use of an unsteady high-fidelity aerodynamic reduced order model combined with successive transformations that allows for an economical way of utilizing high-fidelity aerodynamics in the optimization process. This approach is applied to the common research model wing structural design. As might be expected, the high-fidelity aerodynamics produces a heavier wing than that optimized with doublet lattice aerodynamics. It is found that the optimized lower skin of the wing using high-fidelity aerodynamics differs significantly from that using doublet lattice aerodynamics.

An experimental investigation of wastewater treatment using electron beam irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emami-Meibodi, M.; Parsaeian, M. R.; Amraei, R.; Banaei, M.; Anvari, F.; Tahami, S. M. R.; Vakhshoor, B.; Mehdizadeh, A.; Fallah Nejad, N.; Shirmardi, S. P.; Mostafavi, S. J.; Mousavi, S. M. J.

2016-08-01

Electron beam (EB) is used for disinfection and treatment of different types of sewage and industrial wastewater. However, high capital investment required and the abundant energy consumed by this process raise doubts about its cost-effectiveness. In this paper, different wastewaters, including two textile sewages and one municipal wastewater are experimentally studied under different irradiation strategies (i.e. batch, 60 l/min and 1000 m3/day) in order to establish the reliability and the optimum conditions for the treatment process. According to the results, EB improves the efficiency of traditional wastewater treatment methods, but, for textile samples, coagulation before EB irradiation is recommended. The cost estimation of EB treatment compared to conventional methods shows that EB has been more expensive than chlorination and less expensive than activated sludge. Therefore, EB irradiation is advisable if and only if conventional methods of textile wastewater treatment are insufficient or chlorination of municipal wastewater is not allowed for health reasons. Nevertheless, among the advanced oxidation processes (AOP), EB irradiation process may be the most suitable one in industrial scale operations.

Evaluation of an Eulerian multi-material mixture formulation based on a single inverse deformation gradient tensor field

DOE PAGES

Ghaisas, N. S.; Subramaniam, A.; Lele, S. K.; ...

2017-12-31

We report high energy-density solids undergoing elastic-plastic deformations coupled to compressible fluids are a common occurrence in engineering applications. Examples include problems involving high-velocity impact and penetration, cavitation, and several manufacturing processes, such as cold forming. Numerical simulations of such phenomena require the ability to handle the interaction of shock waves with multi-material interfaces that can undergo large deformations and severe distortions. As opposed to Lagrangian (Benson 1992) and arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) methods (Donea et al. 2004), fully Eulerian methods use grids that do not change in time. Consequently, Eulerian methods do not suffer from difficulties on account of meshmore » entanglement, and do not require periodic, expensive, remap operations.« less

Evaluation of an Eulerian multi-material mixture formulation based on a single inverse deformation gradient tensor field

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

Ghaisas, N. S.; Subramaniam, A.; Lele, S. K.

We report high energy-density solids undergoing elastic-plastic deformations coupled to compressible fluids are a common occurrence in engineering applications. Examples include problems involving high-velocity impact and penetration, cavitation, and several manufacturing processes, such as cold forming. Numerical simulations of such phenomena require the ability to handle the interaction of shock waves with multi-material interfaces that can undergo large deformations and severe distortions. As opposed to Lagrangian (Benson 1992) and arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) methods (Donea et al. 2004), fully Eulerian methods use grids that do not change in time. Consequently, Eulerian methods do not suffer from difficulties on account of meshmore » entanglement, and do not require periodic, expensive, remap operations.« less

A preprocessing strategy for helioseismic inversions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen-Dalsgaard, J.; Thompson, M. J.

1993-05-01

Helioseismic inversion in general involves considerable computational expense, due to the large number of modes that is typically considered. This is true in particular of the widely used optimally localized averages (OLA) inversion methods, which require the inversion of one or more matrices whose order is the number of modes in the set. However, the number of practically independent pieces of information that a large helioseismic mode set contains is very much less than the number of modes, suggesting that the set might first be reduced before the expensive inversion is performed. We demonstrate with a model problem that by first performing a singular value decomposition the original problem may be transformed into a much smaller one, reducing considerably the cost of the OLA inversion and with no significant loss of information.

A novel method for creating custom shaped ballistic gelatin trainers using plaster molds.

PubMed

Doctor, Michael; Katz, Anne; McNamara, Shannon O; Leifer, Jessica H; Bambrick-Santoyo, Gabriela; Saul, Turandot; Rose, Keith M

2018-03-01

Simulation based procedural training is an effective and frequently used method for teaching vascular access techniques which often require commercial trainers. These can be prohibitively expensive, which allows for homemade trainers made of gelatin to be a more cost-effective and attractive option. Previously described trainers are often rectangular with a flat surface that is dissimilar to human anatomy. We describe a novel method to create a more anatomically realistic trainer using ballistic gelatin, household items, and supplies commonly found in an emergency department such as the plaster wrap typically used to make splints.

41 CFR 303-70.503 - What relocation expenses must we authorize for the immediate family under §§ 303-70.501 and 303...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES 70-AGENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAYMENT OF EXPENSES CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES AND FAMILY MEMBERS Transportation of Immediate Family Members, Baggage...) Temporary quarters subsistence expense (TQSE) not to exceed 60 days, to be paid at the per diem rate for an...

26 CFR 1.404(e)-1A - Contributions on behalf of a self-employed individual to or under a qualified pension, annuity...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 162 (relating to trade or business expenses) or 212 (relating to expenses for the production of income... derived from the trade or business with respect to which the plan is established. However, the portion of... protection shall be considered payment of a personal expense which does not satisfy the requirements of...

CACTI: Free, Open-Source Software for the Sequential Coding of Behavioral Interactions

PubMed Central

Glynn, Lisa H.; Hallgren, Kevin A.; Houck, Jon M.; Moyers, Theresa B.

2012-01-01

The sequential analysis of client and clinician speech in psychotherapy sessions can help to identify and characterize potential mechanisms of treatment and behavior change. Previous studies required coding systems that were time-consuming, expensive, and error-prone. Existing software can be expensive and inflexible, and furthermore, no single package allows for pre-parsing, sequential coding, and assignment of global ratings. We developed a free, open-source, and adaptable program to meet these needs: The CASAA Application for Coding Treatment Interactions (CACTI). Without transcripts, CACTI facilitates the real-time sequential coding of behavioral interactions using WAV-format audio files. Most elements of the interface are user-modifiable through a simple XML file, and can be further adapted using Java through the terms of the GNU Public License. Coding with this software yields interrater reliabilities comparable to previous methods, but at greatly reduced time and expense. CACTI is a flexible research tool that can simplify psychotherapy process research, and has the potential to contribute to the improvement of treatment content and delivery. PMID:22815713

11 CFR 106.5 - Allocation of expenses between federal and non-federal activities by national party committees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... national party committees; (iii) Methods for allocation of administrative expenses, costs of generic voter... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Allocation of expenses between federal and non... COMMISSION GENERAL ALLOCATIONS OF CANDIDATE AND COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES § 106.5 Allocation of expenses between...

Super electron donor-mediated reductive transformation of nitrobenzenes: a novel strategy to synthesize azobenzenes and phenazines.

PubMed

Nozawa-Kumada, Kanako; Abe, Erina; Ito, Shungo; Shigeno, Masanori; Kondo, Yoshinori

2018-05-02

The transformation of nitrobenzenes into azobenzenes by pyridine-derived super electron donor 2 is described. This method provides an efficient synthesis of azobenzenes because of not requiring the use of expensive transition-metals, toxic or flammable reagents, or harsh conditions. Moreover, when using 2-fluoronitrobenzenes as substrates, phenazines were found to be obtained. The process affords a novel synthesis of phenazines.

Manufacturing Methods & Technology Project Execution Report. First CY 83.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

UCCURRENCE. H 83 5180 MMT FOR METAL DEWAR AND UNBONDED LEADS THE GOLD WIRE BONDED CONNECTIOkS ARE MADE BY HAND WHICH IS A TEDIOUS AND EXPENSIVE PROCESS. THE...ATTACHMENTS CURRENT FILAMENT WOUND COMPOSIIE ROCKET MOTOR CASES REQUIRE FORGED METAL POLE PIECESt NOZZLE CLOSURE ATTACHMENT RINGS, AND OTHER ATTACHMENT RINGS... ELASTOMER INSULATOR PROCESS LARGE TACTICAL ROCKET MOTOR INSULATORS ARE COSTLY, LACK DESIGN CHANGE FLEXIBILITY AND SUFFER LONG LEAD TIMES. CURRENT

Recycling used lubricating oil at the deep space stations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koh, J. L.

1981-01-01

A comparison is made of the lubricating oil recycling methods used in the Deep Space Station 43 test and the basic requirements which could favor recycling of oil for continuous reuse. The basic conditions for successful recycling are compared to the conditions that exist in the Deep Space Network (DSN). This comparison shows that to recycle used oil in the DSN would not only be expensive but also nonproductive.

Development of a method to analyze orthopaedic practice expenses.

PubMed

Brinker, M R; Pierce, P; Siegel, G

2000-03-01

The purpose of the current investigation was to present a standard method by which an orthopaedic practice can analyze its practice expenses. To accomplish this, a five-step process was developed to analyze practice expenses using a modified version of activity-based costing. In this method, general ledger expenses were assigned to 17 activities that encompass all the tasks and processes typically performed in an orthopaedic practice. These 17 activities were identified in a practice expense study conducted for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. To calculate the cost of each activity, financial data were used from a group of 19 orthopaedic surgeons in Houston, Texas. The activities that consumed the largest portion of the employee work force (person hours) were service patients in office (25.0% of all person hours), maintain medical records (13.6% of all person hours), and resolve collection disputes and rebill charges (12.3% of all person hours). The activities that comprised the largest portion of the total expenses were maintain facility (21.4%), service patients in office (16.0%), and sustain business by managing and coordinating practice (13.8%). The five-step process of analyzing practice expenses was relatively easy to perform and it may be used reliably by most orthopaedic practices.

Method for transporting impellent gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papst, H.

1975-01-01

The described system DAL comprises a method and a device for transportation of buoyant impellent gases, without the need for expensive pipes and liquid tankers. The gas is self air-lifted from its source to a consignment point by means of voluminous, light, hollow bodies. Upon release of the gas at the consignment point, the bodies are filled with another cheap buoyant gas (steam or heated air) for the return trip to the source. In both directions substantial quantities of supplementary freight goods can be transported. Requirements and advantages are presented.

41 CFR 302-7.301 - What method of transporting HHG should we authorize?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-TRANSPORTATION AND TEMPORARY STORAGE OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PROFESSIONAL BOOKS, PAPERS, AND EQUIPMENT (PBP&E... actual expense method, unless that method is more economical to the Government and results in a savings... shipments OCONUS and where deemed economical to the Government within CONUS. Under the actual expense method...

47 CFR 32.6620 - Services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES Instructions for Expense Accounts § 32.6620 Services. Class B telephone companies shall use this account for expenses of the type and character required of Class A companies in Accounts 6621 through 6623. [69 FR 53652, Sept. 2, 2004] ...

41 CFR 301-51.201 - What is the maximum amount that my agency may advance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... transaction expenses The estimated amount of your cash transaction expenses. (For M&IE, your advance is limited to the M&IE rate under the lodgings-plus per diem method.) Non-cash transaction expenses (See... non-cash transaction expenses for an individual trip (or not to exceed a 45-day period for an open...

The prediction of airborne and structure-borne noise potential for a tire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakamoto, Nicholas Y.

Tire/pavement interaction noise is a major component of both exterior pass-by noise and vehicle interior noise. The current testing methods for ranking tires from loud to quiet require expensive equipment, multiple tires, and/or long experimental set-up and run times. If a laboratory based off-vehicle test could be used to identify the airborne and structure-borne potential of a tire from its dynamic characteristics, a relative ranking of a large group of tires could be performed at relatively modest expense. This would provide a smaller sample set of tires for follow-up testing and thus save expense for automobile OEMs. The focus of this research was identifying key noise features from a tire/pavement experiment. These results were compared against a stationary tire test in which the natural response of the tire to a forced input was measured. Since speed was identified as having some effect on the noise, an input function was also developed to allow the tires to be ranked at an appropriate speed. A relative noise model was used on a second sample set of tires to verify if the ranking could be used against interior vehicle measurements. While overall level analysis of the specified spectrum had mixed success, important noise generating features were identified, and the methods used could be improved to develop a standard off-vehicle test to predict a tire's noise potential.

SFR test fixture for hemispherical and hyperhemispherical camera systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamkin, John M.

2017-08-01

Optical testing of camera systems in volume production environments can often require expensive tooling and test fixturing. Wide field (fish-eye, hemispheric and hyperhemispheric) optical systems create unique challenges because of the inherent distortion, and difficulty in controlling reflections from front-lit high resolution test targets over the hemisphere. We present a unique design for a test fixture that uses low-cost manufacturing methods and equipment such as 3D printing and an Arduino processor to control back-lit multi-color (VIS/NIR) targets and sources. Special care with LED drive electronics is required to accommodate both global and rolling shutter sensors.

Cost consideration for aircraft configuration changes, 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tumlinson, R. R.

1975-01-01

The costs of improvements in aircraft drag reduction design changes are outlined in the context of production decisions. A drag reduction design with increased airframe weight requires cost increases for direct labor, overhead and direct expenses, plus general and administrative expenses.

Rapid fabrication of microneedles using magnetorheological drawing lithography.

PubMed

Chen, Zhipeng; Ren, Lei; Li, Jiyu; Yao, Lebin; Chen, Yan; Liu, Bin; Jiang, Lelun

2018-01-01

Microneedles are micron-sized needles that are widely applied in biomedical fields owing to their painless, minimally invasive, and convenient operation. However, most microneedle fabrication approaches are costly, time consuming, involve multiple steps, and require expensive equipment. In this study, we present a novel magnetorheological drawing lithography (MRDL) method to efficiently fabricate microneedle, bio-inspired microneedle, and molding-free microneedle array. With the assistance of an external magnetic field, the 3D structure of a microneedle can be directly drawn from a droplet of curable magnetorheological fluid. The formation process of a microneedle consists of two key stages, elasto-capillary self-thinning and magneto-capillary self-shrinking, which greatly affect the microneedle height and tip radius. Penetration and fracture tests demonstrated that the microneedle had sufficient strength and toughness for skin penetration. Microneedle arrays and a bio-inspired microneedle were also fabricated, which further demonstrated the versatility and flexibility of the MRDL method. Microneedles have been widely applied in biomedical fields owing to their painless, minimally invasive, and convenient operation. However, most microneedle fabrication approaches are costly, time consuming, involve multiple steps, and require expensive equipment. Furthermore, most researchers have focused on the biomedical applications of microneedles but have given little attention to the optimization of the fabrication process. This research presents a novel magnetorheological drawing lithography (MRDL) method to fabricate microneedle, bio-inspired microneedle, and molding-free microneedle array. In this proposed technique, a droplet of curable magnetorheological fluid (CMRF) is drawn directly from almost any substrate to produce a 3D microneedle under an external magnetic field. This method not only inherits the advantages of thermal drawing approach without the need for a mask and light irradiation but also eliminates the requirement for drawing temperature adjustment. The MRDL method is extremely simple and can even produce the complex and multiscale structure of bio-inspired microneedle. Copyright © 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experience with Free Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, T. G.

1985-01-01

Some of the problems that confront an analyst in free body modeling, to satisfy rigid body conditions are discussed and with some remedies for these problems are presented. The problems of detecting these culprits at various levels within the analysis are examined. A new method within NASTRAN for checking the model for defects very early in the analysis without requiring the analyst to bear the expense of an eigenvalue analysis before discovering these defects is outlined.

Advanced Signal Processing Analysis of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Data for the Discrimination of Obsidian Sources

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-09

different sources [12,13], but the analytical techniques needed for such analysis (XRD, INAA , & ICP-MS) are time consuming and require expensive...partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA) that used the SIMPLS solving method [33]. In the experi- ment design, a leave-one-sample-out (LOSO) para...REPORT Advanced signal processing analysis of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy data for the discrimination of obsidian sources 14. ABSTRACT 16

The Need and Potential of Biosensors to Detect Dioxins and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls along the Milk, Eggs and Meat Food Chain

PubMed Central

Chobtang, Jeerasak; de Boer, Imke J. M.; Hoogenboom, Ron L. A. P.; Haasnoot, Willem; Kijlstra, Aize; Meerburg, Bastiaan G.

2011-01-01

Dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) are hazardous toxic, ubiquitous and persistent chemical compounds, which can enter the food chain and accumulate up to higher trophic levels. Their determination requires sophisticated methods, expensive facilities and instruments, well-trained personnel and expensive chemical reagents. Ideally, real-time monitoring using rapid detection methods should be applied to detect possible contamination along the food chain in order to prevent human exposure. Sensor technology may be promising in this respect. This review gives the state of the art for detecting possible contamination with dioxins and DL-PCBs along the food chain of animal-source foods. The main detection methods applied (i.e., high resolution gas-chromatography combined with high resolution mass-spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) and the chemical activated luciferase gene expression method (CALUX bioassay)), each have their limitations. Biosensors for detecting dioxins and related compounds, although still under development, show potential to overcome these limitations. Immunosensors and biomimetic-based biosensors potentially offer increased selectivity and sensitivity for dioxin and DL-PCB detection, while whole cell-based biosensors present interpretable biological results. The main shortcoming of current biosensors, however, is their detection level: this may be insufficient as limits for dioxins and DL-PCBs for food and feedstuffs are in pg per gram level. In addition, these contaminants are normally present in fat, a difficult matrix for biosensor detection. Therefore, simple and efficient extraction and clean-up procedures are required which may enable biosensors to detect dioxins and DL-PCBs contamination along the food chain. PMID:22247688

The need and potential of biosensors to detect dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls along the milk, eggs and meat food chain.

PubMed

Chobtang, Jeerasak; de Boer, Imke J M; Hoogenboom, Ron L A P; Haasnoot, Willem; Kijlstra, Aize; Meerburg, Bastiaan G

2011-01-01

Dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) are hazardous toxic, ubiquitous and persistent chemical compounds, which can enter the food chain and accumulate up to higher trophic levels. Their determination requires sophisticated methods, expensive facilities and instruments, well-trained personnel and expensive chemical reagents. Ideally, real-time monitoring using rapid detection methods should be applied to detect possible contamination along the food chain in order to prevent human exposure. Sensor technology may be promising in this respect. This review gives the state of the art for detecting possible contamination with dioxins and DL-PCBs along the food chain of animal-source foods. The main detection methods applied (i.e., high resolution gas-chromatography combined with high resolution mass-spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) and the chemical activated luciferase gene expression method (CALUX bioassay)), each have their limitations. Biosensors for detecting dioxins and related compounds, although still under development, show potential to overcome these limitations. Immunosensors and biomimetic-based biosensors potentially offer increased selectivity and sensitivity for dioxin and DL-PCB detection, while whole cell-based biosensors present interpretable biological results. The main shortcoming of current biosensors, however, is their detection level: this may be insufficient as limits for dioxins and DL-PCBs for food and feedstuffs are in pg per gram level. In addition, these contaminants are normally present in fat, a difficult matrix for biosensor detection. Therefore, simple and efficient extraction and clean-up procedures are required which may enable biosensors to detect dioxins and DL-PCBs contamination along the food chain.

One-step fabrication of multifunctional micromotors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Wenlong; Liu, Mei; Liu, Limei; Zhang, Hui; Dong, Bin; Li, Christopher Y.

2015-08-01

Although artificial micromotors have undergone tremendous progress in recent years, their fabrication normally requires complex steps or expensive equipment. In this paper, we report a facile one-step method based on an emulsion solvent evaporation process to fabricate multifunctional micromotors. By simultaneously incorporating various components into an oil-in-water droplet, upon emulsification and solidification, a sphere-shaped, asymmetric, and multifunctional micromotor is formed. Some of the attractive functions of this model micromotor include autonomous movement in high ionic strength solution, remote control, enzymatic disassembly and sustained release. This one-step, versatile fabrication method can be easily scaled up and therefore may have great potential in mass production of multifunctional micromotors for a wide range of practical applications.Although artificial micromotors have undergone tremendous progress in recent years, their fabrication normally requires complex steps or expensive equipment. In this paper, we report a facile one-step method based on an emulsion solvent evaporation process to fabricate multifunctional micromotors. By simultaneously incorporating various components into an oil-in-water droplet, upon emulsification and solidification, a sphere-shaped, asymmetric, and multifunctional micromotor is formed. Some of the attractive functions of this model micromotor include autonomous movement in high ionic strength solution, remote control, enzymatic disassembly and sustained release. This one-step, versatile fabrication method can be easily scaled up and therefore may have great potential in mass production of multifunctional micromotors for a wide range of practical applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Videos S1-S4 and Fig. S1-S3. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03574k

77 FR 24657 - Local Lodging Expenses

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-25

...) (contributions to firemen's mess required as a condition of employment are deductible business expenses). However... in the Federal Register. Drafting Information The principal author of these regulations is R. Matthew Kelley of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting). However, other personnel...

26 CFR 1.1054-1 - Certain stock of Federal National Mortgage Association.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... treated (with respect to such share) as an ordinary and necessary business expense. See section 162(d) and... was $69. A was required by section 162(d) to treat $31 as a business expense for the year 1961. The...

Methods of 14СО2, 13СО2 and 12СО2 detection in gaseous media in real time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kireev, S. V.; Kondrashov, A. A.; Shnyrev, S. L.; Simanovsky, I. G.

2017-10-01

A comparative analytical review of the existing methods and techniques for measuring 13СО2 and 14СО2 mixed with 12СО2 in gases is provided. It shows that one of the most promising approaches is the method of infrared laser spectroscopy using frequency-tunable diode laser operating near the wavelengths of 4.3 or 2 µm. Measuring near the wavelength of 4.3 µm provides the most accurate results for 13СО2 and 14СО2, but requires more expensive equipment and has complex operation.

Computational efficiency for the surface renewal method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Jason; Higgins, Chad

2018-04-01

Measuring surface fluxes using the surface renewal (SR) method requires programmatic algorithms for tabulation, algebraic calculation, and data quality control. A number of different methods have been published describing automated calibration of SR parameters. Because the SR method utilizes high-frequency (10 Hz+) measurements, some steps in the flux calculation are computationally expensive, especially when automating SR to perform many iterations of these calculations. Several new algorithms were written that perform the required calculations more efficiently and rapidly, and that tested for sensitivity to length of flux averaging period, ability to measure over a large range of lag timescales, and overall computational efficiency. These algorithms utilize signal processing techniques and algebraic simplifications that demonstrate simple modifications that dramatically improve computational efficiency. The results here complement efforts by other authors to standardize a robust and accurate computational SR method. Increased speed of computation time grants flexibility to implementing the SR method, opening new avenues for SR to be used in research, for applied monitoring, and in novel field deployments.

Detecting subsurface fluid leaks in real-time using injection and production rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Harpreet; Huerta, Nicolas J.

2017-12-01

CO2 injection into geologic formations for either enhanced oil recovery or carbon storage introduces a risk for undesired fluid leakage into overlying groundwater or to the surface. Despite decades of subsurface CO2 production and injection, the technologies and methods for detecting CO2 leaks are still costly and prone to large uncertainties. This is especially true for pressure-based monitoring methods, which require the use of simplified geological and reservoir flow models to simulate the pressure behavior as well as background noise affecting pressure measurements. In this study, we propose a method to detect the time and volume of fluid leakage based on real-time measurements of well injection and production rates. The approach utilizes analogies between fluid flow and capacitance-resistance modeling. Unlike other leak detection methods (e.g. pressure-based), the proposed method does not require geological and reservoir flow models to simulate the behavior that often carry significant sources of uncertainty; therefore, with our approach the leak can be detected with greater certainty. The method can be applied to detect when a leak begins by tracking a departure in fluid production rate from the expected pattern. The method has been tuned to detect the effect of boundary conditions and fluid compressibility on leakage. To highlight the utility of this approach we use our method to detect leaks for two scenarios. The first scenario simulates a fluid leak from the storage formation into an above-zone monitoring interval. The second scenario simulates intra-reservoir migration between two compartments. We illustrate this method to detect fluid leakage in three different reservoirs with varying levels of geological and structural complexity. The proposed leakage detection method has three novelties: i) requires only readily-available data (injection and production rates), ii) accounts for fluid compressibility and boundary effects, and iii) in addition to detecting the time when a leak is activated and the volume of that leakage, this method provides an insight about the leak location, and reservoir connectivity. We are proposing this as a complementary method that can be used with other, more expensive, methods early on in the injection process. This will allow an operator to conduct more expensive surveys less often because the proposed method can show if there are no leaks on a monthly basis that is cheap and fast.

Ethics and eplerenone.

PubMed

Gupta, Shruti; Fugh-Berman, Adriane J; Scialli, Anthony

2013-02-01

The use of a placebo arm in clinical trials is unethical if there is an active comparator that is acceptably safe and effective. We argue that reasonable evidence of effectiveness and safety of an inexpensive alternative to an expensive therapy is sufficient to require that the inexpensive therapy be included as a comparator when the expensive therapy is tested, and that use of an inactive placebo comparator only is not ethical. For example, studies of the expensive drug eplerenone for congestive heart failure have not included a spironolactone arm, although there is reasonable evidence that spironolactone would be safe and effective, and spironolactone is inexpensive. The requirement to study inexpensive therapies is based on avoidance of unnecessary cost in medical care as an example of non-maleficence. Several ethical actors in the design, conduct, and publication of clinical trials and their results bear responsibility for the appropriate conduct of clinical trials. That responsibility includes protecting study subjects from being asked to participate in clinical trials that serve primarily to promote the use of new and expensive therapies.

Cost analysis of objective resident cataract surgery assessments.

PubMed

Nandigam, Kiran; Soh, Jonathan; Gensheimer, William G; Ghazi, Ahmed; Khalifa, Yousuf M

2015-05-01

To compare 8 ophthalmology resident surgical training tools to determine which is most cost effective. University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA. Retrospective evaluation of technology. A cost-analysis model was created to compile all relevant costs in running each tool in a medium-sized ophthalmology program. Quantitative cost estimates were obtained based on cost of tools, cost of time in evaluations, and supply and maintenance costs. For wet laboratory simulation, Eyesi was the least expensive cataract surgery simulation method; however, it is only capable of evaluating simulated cataract surgery rehearsal and requires supplementation with other evaluative methods for operating room performance and for noncataract wet lab training and evaluation. The most expensive training tool was the Eye Surgical Skills Assessment Test (ESSAT). The 2 most affordable methods for resident evaluation in operating room performance were the Objective Assessment of Skills in Intraocular Surgery (OASIS) and Global Rating Assessment of Skills in Intraocular Surgery (GRASIS). Cost-based analysis of ophthalmology resident surgical training tools are needed so residency programs can implement tools that are valid, reliable, objective, and cost effective. There is no perfect training system at this time. Copyright © 2015 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A screening method based on UV-Visible spectroscopy and multivariate analysis to assess addition of filler juices and water to pomegranate juices.

PubMed

Boggia, Raffaella; Casolino, Maria Chiara; Hysenaj, Vilma; Oliveri, Paolo; Zunin, Paola

2013-10-15

Consumer demand for pomegranate juice has considerably grown, during the last years, for its potential health benefits. Since it is an expensive functional food, cheaper fruit juices addition (i.e., grape and apple juices) or its simple dilution, or polyphenols subtraction are deceptively used. At present, time-consuming analyses are used to control the quality of this product. Furthermore these analyses are expensive and require well-trained analysts. Thus, the purpose of this study was to propose a high-speed and easy-to-use shortcut. Based on UV-VIS spectroscopy and chemometrics, a screening method is proposed to quickly screening some common fillers of pomegranate juice that could decrease the antiradical scavenging capacity of pure products. The analytical method was applied to laboratory prepared juices, to commercial juices and to representative experimental mixtures at different levels of water and filler juices. The outcomes were evaluated by means of multivariate exploratory analysis. The results indicate that the proposed strategy can be a useful screening tool to assess addition of filler juices and water to pomegranate juices. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FASB's ASU 2011-7 changes financial statement reporting requirements.

PubMed

Reinstein, Alan; Churyk, Natalie Tatiana

2012-02-01

FASB's new Accounting Standards Update 2011-07 will change how healthcare entities accumulate and report major portions of their financial statements, including patient revenues, net accounts receivables, and bad-debt expenses. Healthcare entities now must reclassify their provisions for bad debts associated with patient service revenue from an operating expense to a deduction from patient service revenue (net of contractual allowances and discounts). International Financial Reporting Standards do not require healthcare entities to comply with this new standard.

Practical Use of Computationally Frugal Model Analysis Methods

DOE PAGES

Hill, Mary C.; Kavetski, Dmitri; Clark, Martyn; ...

2015-03-21

Computationally frugal methods of model analysis can provide substantial benefits when developing models of groundwater and other environmental systems. Model analysis includes ways to evaluate model adequacy and to perform sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. Frugal methods typically require 10s of parallelizable model runs; their convenience allows for other uses of the computational effort. We suggest that model analysis be posed as a set of questions used to organize methods that range from frugal to expensive (requiring 10,000 model runs or more). This encourages focus on method utility, even when methods have starkly different theoretical backgrounds. We note that many frugalmore » methods are more useful when unrealistic process-model nonlinearities are reduced. Inexpensive diagnostics are identified for determining when frugal methods are advantageous. Examples from the literature are used to demonstrate local methods and the diagnostics. We suggest that the greater use of computationally frugal model analysis methods would allow questions such as those posed in this work to be addressed more routinely, allowing the environmental sciences community to obtain greater scientific insight from the many ongoing and future modeling efforts« less

Challenges at Petascale for Pseudo-Spectral Methods on Spheres (A Last Hurrah?)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clune, Thomas

2011-01-01

Conclusions: a) Proper software abstractions should enable rapid-exploration of platform-specific optimizations/ tradeoffs. b) Pseudo-spectra! methods are marginally viable for at least some classes of petascaie problems. i.e., GPU based machine with good bisection would be best. c) Scalability at exascale is possible, but the necessary resolution will make algorithm prohibitively expensive. Efficient implementations of realistic global transposes are mtricate and tedious in MPI. PS at petascaie requires exploration of a variety of strategies for spreading local and remote communic3tions. PGAS allows far simpler implementation and thus rapid exploration of variants.

Sensing the deadliest toxin: technologies for botulinum neurotoxin detection.

PubMed

Capek, Petr; Dickerson, Tobin J

2010-01-01

Sensitive and rapid detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), the most poisonous substances known to date, is essential for studies of medical applications of BoNTs and detection of poisoned food, as well as for response to potential bioterrorist threats. Currently, the most common method of BoNT detection is the mouse bioassay. While this assay is sensitive, it is slow, quite expensive, has limited throughput and requires sacrificing animals. Herein, we discuss and compare recently developed alternative in vitro detection methods and assess their ability to supplement or replace the mouse bioassay in the analysis of complex matrix samples.

EMI / EMC Design for Class D Payloads (Resource Prospector / NIRVSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forgione, Josh; Benton, Joshua Eric; Thompson, Sarah; Colaprete, Anthony

2015-01-01

EMI/EMC techniques are applied to a Class D instrument (NIRVSS) to achieve low noise performance and reduce risk of EMI/EMC testing failures and/or issues during system integration and test. Basic techniques are not terribly expensive or complex, but do require close coordination between electrical and mechanical staff early in the design process. Low-cost methods to test subsystems on the bench without renting an EMI chamber are discussed. This method was applied to the NIRVSS instrument and achieved improvements up to 59dB on conducted emissions measurements between hardware revisions.

Computer numeric control generation of toric surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, Norman D.; Ball, Gary A.; Keller, John R.

1994-05-01

Until recently, the manufacture of toric ophthalmic lenses relied largely upon expensive, manual techniques for generation and polishing. Recent gains in computer numeric control (CNC) technology and tooling enable lens designers to employ single- point diamond, fly-cutting methods in the production of torics. Fly-cutting methods continue to improve, significantly expanding lens design possibilities while lowering production costs. Advantages of CNC fly cutting include precise control of surface geometry, rapid production with high throughput, and high-quality lens surface finishes requiring minimal polishing. As accessibility and affordability increase within the ophthalmic market, torics promise to dramatically expand lens design choices available to consumers.

14 CFR 14.12 - Documentation of fees and expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Documentation of fees and expenses. 14.12 Section 14.12 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL RULES RULES IMPLEMENTING THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT OF 1980 Information Required From...

14 CFR 14.12 - Documentation of fees and expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Documentation of fees and expenses. 14.12 Section 14.12 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL RULES RULES IMPLEMENTING THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT OF 1980 Information Required From...

14 CFR 14.12 - Documentation of fees and expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Documentation of fees and expenses. 14.12 Section 14.12 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL RULES RULES IMPLEMENTING THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT OF 1980 Information Required From...

14 CFR 14.12 - Documentation of fees and expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Documentation of fees and expenses. 14.12 Section 14.12 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL RULES RULES IMPLEMENTING THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT OF 1980 Information Required From...

14 CFR 14.12 - Documentation of fees and expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Documentation of fees and expenses. 14.12 Section 14.12 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL RULES RULES IMPLEMENTING THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT OF 1980 Information Required From...

48 CFR 2131.205-71 - Reinsurer administrative expense costs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT COST PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES Contracts With Commercial Organizations 2131.205-71... as set forth in the contract is an allowable cost when documented through an internal accounting... expense costs. 2131.205-71 Section 2131.205-71 Federal Acquisition Regulations System OFFICE OF PERSONNEL...

19 CFR 212.12 - Documentation of fees and expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Documentation of fees and expenses. 212.12 Section 212.12 Customs Duties UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION INVESTIGATIONS OF UNFAIR PRACTICES IN IMPORT TRADE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT Information Required From...

Technical Advances in Intracellular Detection Using Immuno-Gold Particles: Simple Cryofixation with Metal Contact Quick Freezing.

PubMed

Song, Chihong; Lee, Ju Huck; Jun, Sangmi; Chung, Jeong Min; Hyun, Jaekyung; Jung, Hyun Suk

2016-05-01

The preparation of biological specimens using cryofixation techniques ensures excellent visibility of intracellular structures and preserves the antigenic sites of subcellular molecules. Hence, cryofixation is an effective method of preparing samples for analyses using antibodies conjugated to gold nanoparticles that are designed to detect the localization of specific target molecules within cells. However, cryofixation cannot be utilized easily because it requires expensive equipment and skilled technologists, resulting in a high level of expense for researchers. Here, we describe a simple technical approach to cryofixation that uses metal contact quick freezing followed by a modified freeze substitution technique and immuno-gold labeling electron microscopy. Micrograph images of cells prepared using this modified cryofixation method demonstrated its superiority over chemical fixation for high contrast visualization of the morphologies of cellular components and preservation of antigenicity for immuno-gold labeling. This report provides valuable technical information related to the advancement of metal contact quick freezing techniques, which can be used to visualize biomedical events of interest in an easy, simple, and rapid manner.

Linear chirp phase perturbing approach for finding binary phased codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bing C.

2017-05-01

Binary phased codes have many applications in communication and radar systems. These applications require binary phased codes to have low sidelobes in order to reduce interferences and false detection. Barker codes are the ones that satisfy these requirements and they have lowest maximum sidelobes. However, Barker codes have very limited code lengths (equal or less than 13) while many applications including low probability of intercept radar, and spread spectrum communication, require much higher code lengths. The conventional techniques of finding binary phased codes in literatures include exhaust search, neural network, and evolutionary methods, and they all require very expensive computation for large code lengths. Therefore these techniques are limited to find binary phased codes with small code lengths (less than 100). In this paper, by analyzing Barker code, linear chirp, and P3 phases, we propose a new approach to find binary codes. Experiments show that the proposed method is able to find long low sidelobe binary phased codes (code length >500) with reasonable computational cost.

A Novel, Low-Volume Method for Organ Culture of Embryonic Kidneys That Allows Development of Cortico-Medullary Anatomical Organization

PubMed Central

Sebinger, David D. R.; Unbekandt, Mathieu; Ganeva, Veronika V.; Ofenbauer, Andreas; Werner, Carsten; Davies, Jamie A.

2010-01-01

Here, we present a novel method for culturing kidneys in low volumes of medium that offers more organotypic development compared to conventional methods. Organ culture is a powerful technique for studying renal development. It recapitulates many aspects of early development very well, but the established techniques have some disadvantages: in particular, they require relatively large volumes (1–3 mls) of culture medium, which can make high-throughput screens expensive, they require porous (filter) substrates which are difficult to modify chemically, and the organs produced do not achieve good cortico-medullary zonation. Here, we present a technique of growing kidney rudiments in very low volumes of medium–around 85 microliters–using silicone chambers. In this system, kidneys grow directly on glass, grow larger than in conventional culture and develop a clear anatomical cortico-medullary zonation with extended loops of Henle. PMID:20479933

Automated system of devising and choosing economically effective technological processes of heat treatment

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

Kalinin, V.P.; Tkacheva, O.N.

1986-03-01

Heat treatment entails considerable expenditure of power and often requires expensive equipment. One of the fundamental problems arising in the elaboration of heat treatment technology is the selection of the economically optimal process, which also has to ensure the quality of finished parts required by the customer. To correctly determine the expenditures on the basic kinds of resources it is necessary to improve the methods of calculating prime costs and to carry out such a calculation at the earliest stages of the technological preparation of production. A new method of optimizing synthesis of the structure of devising technological processes ofmore » heat treatment using the achievements of cybernetics and the possibilities of computerization is examined in this article. The method makes it possible to analyze in detail the economy of all possible variants of a technological process when one parameter is changed, without recalculating all items of prime cost.« less

Evaluation of preparation methods for suspended nano-objects on substrates for dimensional measurements by atomic force microscopy

PubMed Central

Göhler, Daniel; Wessely, Benno; Stintz, Michael; Lazzerini, Giovanni Mattia; Yacoot, Andrew

2017-01-01

Dimensional measurements on nano-objects by atomic force microscopy (AFM) require samples of safely fixed and well individualized particles with a suitable surface-specific particle number on flat and clean substrates. Several known and proven particle preparation methods, i.e., membrane filtration, drying, rinsing, dip coating as well as electrostatic and thermal precipitation, were performed by means of scanning electron microscopy to examine their suitability for preparing samples for dimensional AFM measurements. Different suspensions of nano-objects (with varying material, size and shape) stabilized in aqueous solutions were prepared therefore on different flat substrates. The drop-drying method was found to be the most suitable one for the analysed suspensions, because it does not require expensive dedicated equipment and led to a uniform local distribution of individualized nano-objects. Traceable AFM measurements based on Si and SiO2 coated substrates confirmed the suitability of this technique. PMID:28904839

Evaluation of preparation methods for suspended nano-objects on substrates for dimensional measurements by atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Fiala, Petra; Göhler, Daniel; Wessely, Benno; Stintz, Michael; Lazzerini, Giovanni Mattia; Yacoot, Andrew

2017-01-01

Dimensional measurements on nano-objects by atomic force microscopy (AFM) require samples of safely fixed and well individualized particles with a suitable surface-specific particle number on flat and clean substrates. Several known and proven particle preparation methods, i.e., membrane filtration, drying, rinsing, dip coating as well as electrostatic and thermal precipitation, were performed by means of scanning electron microscopy to examine their suitability for preparing samples for dimensional AFM measurements. Different suspensions of nano-objects (with varying material, size and shape) stabilized in aqueous solutions were prepared therefore on different flat substrates. The drop-drying method was found to be the most suitable one for the analysed suspensions, because it does not require expensive dedicated equipment and led to a uniform local distribution of individualized nano-objects. Traceable AFM measurements based on Si and SiO 2 coated substrates confirmed the suitability of this technique.

Extending Strong Scaling of Quantum Monte Carlo to the Exascale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shulenburger, Luke; Baczewski, Andrew; Luo, Ye; Romero, Nichols; Kent, Paul

Quantum Monte Carlo is one of the most accurate and most computationally expensive methods for solving the electronic structure problem. In spite of its significant computational expense, its massively parallel nature is ideally suited to petascale computers which have enabled a wide range of applications to relatively large molecular and extended systems. Exascale capabilities have the potential to enable the application of QMC to significantly larger systems, capturing much of the complexity of real materials such as defects and impurities. However, both memory and computational demands will require significant changes to current algorithms to realize this possibility. This talk will detail both the causes of the problem and potential solutions. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp, for the US Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

26 CFR 1.25A-2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... student for courses of instruction at an eligible educational institution. (2) Required fees—(i) In... academic course of instruction only if the fee must be paid to the eligible educational institution for the... tuition and related expenses do not include expenses that relate to any course of instruction or other...

46 CFR 232.5 - Income Statement Accounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ACTIVITIES UNIFORM FINANCIAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Income Statement § 232.5 Income Statement Accounts. (a... Expense Accounts. The income and expense accounts shall show for each reporting period the amount of money... accounted for to facilitate reporting the source of revenue by trade route or service area. (iii) All other...

48 CFR 1433.104 - Protests to GAO.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... report as required by FAR 33.104(a)(3). (2) The SOL will furnish promptly GAO's written notice of the... expense or difficulty in performance. If appropriate, the report shall contain a statement regarding any... difficulties or additional expense to the Government. The contracting activity shall submit the CO's report to...

48 CFR 1433.104 - Protests to GAO.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... report as required by FAR 33.104(a)(3). (2) The SOL will furnish promptly GAO's written notice of the... expense or difficulty in performance. If appropriate, the report shall contain a statement regarding any... difficulties or additional expense to the Government. The contracting activity shall submit the CO's report to...

48 CFR 1433.104 - Protests to GAO.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... report as required by FAR 33.104(a)(3). (2) The SOL will furnish promptly GAO's written notice of the... expense or difficulty in performance. If appropriate, the report shall contain a statement regarding any... difficulties or additional expense to the Government. The contracting activity shall submit the CO's report to...

38 CFR 21.9585 - Travel expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION Post-9/11 GI Bill Counseling § 21.9585 Travel expenses. VA will not pay for any costs of travel to and from the place of counseling regardless of whether the individual requests educational and vocational counseling or whether the counseling is required. (Authority: 38 U.S.C...

38 CFR 21.9585 - Travel expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION Post-9/11 GI Bill Counseling § 21.9585 Travel expenses. VA will not pay for any costs of travel to and from the place of counseling regardless of whether the individual requests educational and vocational counseling or whether the counseling is required. (Authority: 38 U.S.C...

38 CFR 21.9585 - Travel expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION Post-9/11 GI Bill Counseling § 21.9585 Travel expenses. VA will not pay for any costs of travel to and from the place of counseling regardless of whether the individual requests educational and vocational counseling or whether the counseling is required. (Authority: 38 U.S.C...

38 CFR 21.9585 - Travel expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION Post-9/11 GI Bill Counseling § 21.9585 Travel expenses. VA will not pay for any costs of travel to and from the place of counseling regardless of whether the individual requests educational and vocational counseling or whether the counseling is required. (Authority: 38 U.S.C...

8 CFR 244.20 - Waiver of fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 103.7(b) which relate to applications to the district director or service center director for... expenditures, such as essential medical expenses, or expenses for clothing, laundry, and child care, to the... officer in support of a fee waiver request are subject to verification by the Service. (i) In requiring...

75 FR 39619 - Proposed Information Collection (Quarterly Report of State Approving Agency) Activities Activity...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-09

... information needed to accurately reimburse State Approving Agencies (SAAs) for expenses incurred in the... reimburses SAAs for expenses incurred in the approval and supervision of education and training programs. SAAs are required to report their activities to VA quarterly and provide notices regarding which...

[Implementation of a remote oncology-monitoring program for cancer patients in outpatient care unit: A major challenge for the different actors].

PubMed

Peyrilles, Elodie; Lepage-Seydoux, Coralie; Sejean, Karine; Bonan, Brigitte

2018-04-01

The development of outpatient departments requires health professionals to reorganize practices for a better patient monitoring and a better patient care pathway. To evaluate, using indicators, the impact of an oncology-monitoring program on activity and organizational fluidity in a Cytotoxic Preparation Unit and clinical departments. Method the clinical and biological data are collected between two injections by calling the patient two days prior chemotherapy is performed by a specialist nurse of an outsourced medical call center. After medical and pharmaceutical validation, early preparations (D-1) for expensive and non-expensive molecules are performed. The program is started in February 2016. After 3 months, 382 patients were included into the program. Twenty-three patients on average are called per day related to 1162 completed clinical questionnaires (87%). Among the files, 47% are complete at D-2 (biological and clinical data). The early preparation rate of expensive drugs, zero before the program for financial reasons, has reached 40% at 3 months. The destroyed preparation rate because of non-administration decreased from 5 to 2%. Preliminary results show a significant patient compliance, feasibility of early preparation of expensive and non-expensive chemotherapy. These are preliminary results of a one-year study. They will be completed by an evaluation of patients' and health professionals' satisfaction, evaluation of length of stay, optimization of operations for clinical departments and CPU. The D-2 biological data collection must be improved. A strong doctor/pharmacist collaboration is essential for better patient care pathway. Copyright © 2018 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Improving the Aircraft Design Process Using Web-Based Modeling and Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, John A.; Follen, Gregory J.; Afjeh, Abdollah A.; Follen, Gregory J. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Designing and developing new aircraft systems is time-consuming and expensive. Computational simulation is a promising means for reducing design cycle times, but requires a flexible software environment capable of integrating advanced multidisciplinary and multifidelity analysis methods, dynamically managing data across heterogeneous computing platforms, and distributing computationally complex tasks. Web-based simulation, with its emphasis on collaborative composition of simulation models, distributed heterogeneous execution, and dynamic multimedia documentation, has the potential to meet these requirements. This paper outlines the current aircraft design process, highlighting its problems and complexities, and presents our vision of an aircraft design process using Web-based modeling and simulation.

Improving the Aircraft Design Process Using Web-based Modeling and Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, John A.; Follen, Gregory J.; Afjeh, Abdollah A.

2003-01-01

Designing and developing new aircraft systems is time-consuming and expensive. Computational simulation is a promising means for reducing design cycle times, but requires a flexible software environment capable of integrating advanced multidisciplinary and muitifidelity analysis methods, dynamically managing data across heterogeneous computing platforms, and distributing computationally complex tasks. Web-based simulation, with its emphasis on collaborative composition of simulation models, distributed heterogeneous execution, and dynamic multimedia documentation, has the potential to meet these requirements. This paper outlines the current aircraft design process, highlighting its problems and complexities, and presents our vision of an aircraft design process using Web-based modeling and simulation.

11 CFR 106.4 - Allocation of polling expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Allocation of polling expenses. 106.4 Section... ACTIVITIES § 106.4 Allocation of polling expenses. (a) The purchase of opinion poll results by a candidate or... cost allocation formula of the polling firm from which the results are purchased. Under this method the...

Assessing present and future capital expense levels under PPS.

PubMed

Cleverley, W O

1986-09-01

The expected shift in the method of payment for capital costs will affect the way decisions are made by hospital executives. The capital expense ratio model is one way executives can better assess their present and future capital expense levels as payments begin to be made under a prospective payment system.

History, ethics, advantages and limitations of experimental models for hepatic ablation.

PubMed

Ong, Seok Ling; Gravante, Gianpiero; Metcalfe, Matthew S; Dennison, Ashley R

2013-01-14

Numerous techniques developed in medicine require careful evaluation to determine their indications, limitations and potential side effects prior to their clinical use. At present this generally involves the use of animal models which is undesirable from an ethical standpoint, requires complex and time-consuming authorization, and is very expensive. This process is exemplified in the development of hepatic ablation techniques, starting experiments on explanted livers and progressing to safety and efficacy studies in living animals prior to clinical studies. The two main approaches used are ex vivo isolated non-perfused liver models and in vivo animal models. Ex vivo non perfused models are less expensive, easier to obtain but not suitable to study the heat sink effect or experiments requiring several hours. In vivo animal models closely resemble clinical subjects but often are expensive and have small sample sizes due to ethical guidelines. Isolated perfused ex vivo liver models have been used to study drug toxicity, liver failure, organ transplantation and hepatic ablation and combine advantages of both previous models.

26 CFR 1.174-4 - Treatment as deferred expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... period. Application for permission to change to a different method of treating research or experimental... as deferred expenses. (a) In general. (1) If a taxpayer has not adopted the method provided in section 174(a) of treating research or experimental expenditures paid or incurred by him in connection...

75 FR 13208 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Revenue Procedure 2006-42

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-18

... to the Apportionment of Interest Expense, Research and Experimental Expenditures Under Section 1.861... Certain Elections Relating to the Apportionment of Interest Expense, Research and Experimental... automatic consent to change (a) from the fair market value method or from the alternative tax book method to...

77 FR 2240 - Allocation and Apportionment of Interest Expense

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-17

... allocation and apportionment of interest expense using the fair market value asset method. The temporary... law by the legislation commonly referred to as the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act (EJMAA... using the fair market value method. The text of those regulations also serves as the text of these...

26 CFR 1.62-2 - Reimbursements and other expense allowance arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., and Taxable Income § 1.62-2 Reimbursements and other expense allowance arrangements. (a) Table of contents. The contents of this section are as follows: (a) Table of contents. (b) Scope. (c) Reimbursement... general. (2) Safe harbors. (i) Fixed date method. (ii) Periodic payment method. (3) Pattern of...

26 CFR 1.62-2 - Reimbursements and other expense allowance arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., and Taxable Income § 1.62-2 Reimbursements and other expense allowance arrangements. (a) Table of contents. The contents of this section are as follows: (a) Table of contents. (b) Scope. (c) Reimbursement... general. (2) Safe harbors. (i) Fixed date method. (ii) Periodic payment method. (3) Pattern of...

26 CFR 1.62-2 - Reimbursements and other expense allowance arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., and Taxable Income § 1.62-2 Reimbursements and other expense allowance arrangements. (a) Table of contents. The contents of this section are as follows: (a) Table of contents. (b) Scope. (c) Reimbursement... general. (2) Safe harbors. (i) Fixed date method. (ii) Periodic payment method. (3) Pattern of...

26 CFR 1.62-2 - Reimbursements and other expense allowance arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., and Taxable Income § 1.62-2 Reimbursements and other expense allowance arrangements. (a) Table of contents. The contents of this section are as follows: (a) Table of contents. (b) Scope. (c) Reimbursement... general. (2) Safe harbors. (i) Fixed date method. (ii) Periodic payment method. (3) Pattern of...

A review of methods for assessment of the rate of gastric emptying in the dog and cat: 1898-2002.

PubMed

Wyse, C A; McLellan, J; Dickie, A M; Sutton, D G M; Preston, T; Yam, P S

2003-01-01

Gastric emptying is the process by which food is delivered to the small intestine at a rate and in a form that optimizes intestinal absorption of nutrients. The rate of gastric emptying is subject to alteration by physiological, pharmacological, and pathological conditions. Gastric emptying of solids is of greater clinical significance because disordered gastric emptying rarely is detectable in the liquid phase. Imaging techniques have the disadvantage of requiring restraint of the animal and access to expensive equipment. Radiographic methods require administration of test meals that are not similar to food. Scintigraphy is the gold standard method for assessment of gastric emptying but requires administration of a radioisotope. Magnetic resonance imaging has not yet been applied for assessment of gastric emptying in small animals. Ultrasonography is a potentially useful, but subjective, method for assessment of gastric emptying in dogs. Gastric tracer methods require insertion of gastric or intestinal cannulae and are rarely applied outside of the research laboratory. The paracetamol absorption test has been applied for assessment of liquid phase gastric emptying in the dog, but requires IV cannulation. The gastric emptying breath test is a noninvasive method for assessment of gastric emptying that has been applied in dogs and cats. This method can be carried out away from the veterinary hospital, but the effects of physiological and pathological abnormalities on the test are not known. Advances in technology will facilitate the development of reliable methods for assessment of gastric emptying in small animals.

Numerical investigation of a modified family of centered schemes applied to multiphase equations with nonconservative sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crochet, M. W.; Gonthier, K. A.

2013-12-01

Systems of hyperbolic partial differential equations are frequently used to model the flow of multiphase mixtures. These equations often contain sources, referred to as nozzling terms, that cannot be posed in divergence form, and have proven to be particularly challenging in the development of finite-volume methods. Upwind schemes have recently shown promise in properly resolving the steady wave solution of the associated multiphase Riemann problem. However, these methods require a full characteristic decomposition of the system eigenstructure, which may be either unavailable or computationally expensive. Central schemes, such as the Kurganov-Tadmor (KT) family of methods, require minimal characteristic information, which makes them easily applicable to systems with an arbitrary number of phases. However, the proper implementation of nozzling terms in these schemes has been mathematically ambiguous. The primary objectives of this work are twofold: first, an extension of the KT family of schemes is proposed that formally accounts for the nonconservative nozzling sources. This modification results in a semidiscrete form that retains the simplicity of its predecessor and introduces little additional computational expense. Second, this modified method is applied to multiple, but equivalent, forms of the multiphase equations to perform a numerical study by solving several one-dimensional test problems. Both ideal and Mie-Grüneisen equations of state are used, with the results compared to an analytical solution. This study demonstrates that the magnitudes of the resulting numerical errors are sensitive to the form of the equations considered, and suggests an optimal form to minimize these errors. Finally, a separate modification of the wave propagation speeds used in the KT family is also suggested that can reduce the extent of numerical diffusion in multiphase flows.

Optimization Based Efficiencies in First Order Reliability Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peck, Jeffrey A.; Mahadevan, Sankaran

2003-01-01

This paper develops a method for updating the gradient vector of the limit state function in reliability analysis using Broyden's rank one updating technique. In problems that use commercial code as a black box, the gradient calculations are usually done using a finite difference approach, which becomes very expensive for large system models. The proposed method replaces the finite difference gradient calculations in a standard first order reliability method (FORM) with Broyden's Quasi-Newton technique. The resulting algorithm of Broyden updates within a FORM framework (BFORM) is used to run several example problems, and the results compared to standard FORM results. It is found that BFORM typically requires fewer functional evaluations that FORM to converge to the same answer.

Optical characterization of high speed microscanners based on static slit profiling method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alaa Elhady, A.; Sabry, Yasser M.; Khalil, Diaa

2017-01-01

Optical characterization of high-speed microscanners is a challenging task that usually requires special high speed, extremely expensive camera systems. This paper presents a novel simple method to characterize the scanned beam spot profile and size in high-speed optical scanners under operation. It allows measuring the beam profile and the spot sizes at different scanning angles. The method is analyzed theoretically and applied experimentally on the characterization of a Micro Electro Mechanical MEMS scanner operating at 2.6 kHz. The variation of the spot size versus the scanning angle, up to ±15°, is extracted and the dynamic bending curvature effect of the micromirror is predicted.

Method and apparatus for reading meters from a video image

DOEpatents

Lewis, Trevor J.; Ferguson, Jeffrey J.

1997-01-01

A method and system to enable acquisition of data about an environment from one or more meters using video images. One or more meters are imaged by a video camera and the video signal is digitized. Then, each region of the digital image which corresponds to the indicator of the meter is calibrated and the video signal is analyzed to determine the value indicated by each meter indicator. Finally, from the value indicated by each meter indicator in the calibrated region, a meter reading is generated. The method and system offer the advantages of automatic data collection in a relatively non-intrusive manner without making any complicated or expensive electronic connections, and without requiring intensive manpower.

Cat-eye effect target recognition with single-pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, Weijian; Li, Li; Zhang, Xiaoyue

2015-12-01

A prototype of cat-eye effect target recognition with single-pixel detectors is proposed. Based on the framework of compressive sensing, it is possible to recognize cat-eye effect targets by projecting a series of known random patterns and measuring the backscattered light with three single-pixel detectors in different locations. The prototype only requires simpler, less expensive detectors and extends well beyond the visible spectrum. The simulations are accomplished to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed prototype. We compared our results to that obtained from conventional cat-eye effect target recognition methods using area array sensor. The experimental results show that this method is feasible and superior to the conventional method in dynamic and complicated backgrounds.

A new serotyping method for Klebsiella species: evaluation of the technique.

PubMed Central

Riser, E; Noone, P; Bonnet, M L

1976-01-01

A new indirect fluorescent typing method for Klebsiella species is compared with an established method, capsular swelling. The fluorescent antibody (FA) technique was tested with standards and unknowns, and the results were checked by capsular swelling. Several unknowns were sent away for confirmation of typing, by capsular swelling. The FA method was also tried by a technician in the routine department for blind identification of standards. Fluorescence typing gives close correlation with the established capsular swelling technique but has greater sensitivity; allows more econimical use of expensive antisera; possesses greater objectivity as it requires less operator skill in the reading of results; resolves most of the cross reactions observed with capsular swelling; and has a higher per cent success rate in identification. PMID:777043

The integral line-beam method for gamma skyshine analysis

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

Shultis, J.K.; Faw, R.E.; Bassett, M.S.

1991-03-01

This paper presents a refinement of a simplified method, based on line-beam response functions, for performing skyshine calculations for shielded and collimated gamma-ray sources. New coefficients for an empirical fit to the line-beam response function are provided and a prescription for making the response function continuous in energy and emission direction is introduced. For a shielded source, exponential attenuation and a buildup factor correction for scattered photons in the shield are used. Results of the new integral line-beam method of calculation are compared to a variety of benchmark experimental data and calculations and are found to give generally excellent agreementmore » at a small fraction of the computational expense required by other skyshine methods.« less

Costing imaging procedures.

PubMed

Bretland, P M

1988-01-01

The existing National Health Service financial system makes comprehensive costing of any service very difficult. A method of costing using modern commercial methods has been devised, classifying costs into variable, semi-variable and fixed and using the principle of overhead absorption for expenditure not readily allocated to individual procedures. It proved possible to establish a cost spectrum over the financial year 1984-85. The cheapest examinations were plain radiographs outside normal working hours, followed by plain radiographs, ultrasound, special procedures, fluoroscopy, nuclear medicine, angiography and angiographic interventional procedures in normal working hours. This differs from some published figures, particularly those in the Körner report. There was some overlap between fluoroscopic interventional and the cheaper nuclear medicine procedures, and between some of the more expensive nuclear medicine procedures and the cheaper angiographic ones. Only angiographic and the few more expensive nuclear medicine procedures exceed the cost of the inpatient day. The total cost of the imaging service to the district was about 4% of total hospital expenditure. It is shown that where more procedures are undertaken, the semi-variable and fixed (including capital) elements of the cost decrease (and vice versa) so that careful study is required to assess the value of proposed economies. The method is initially time-consuming and requires a computer system with 512 Kb of memory, but once the basic costing system is established in a department, detailed financial monitoring should become practicable. The necessity for a standard comprehensive costing procedure of this nature, based on sound cost accounting principles, appears inescapable, particularly in view of its potential application to management budgeting.

Explosive compaction of aluminum oxide modified by multiwall carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzyurkin, A. E.; Kraus, E. I.; Lukyanov, Ya L.

2018-04-01

This paper presents experiments and numerical research on explosive compaction of aluminum oxide powder modified by multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and modeling of the stress state behind the shock front at shock loading. The aim of this study was to obtain a durable low-porosity compact sample. The explosive compaction technology is used in this problem because the aluminum oxide is an extremely hard and refractory material. Therefore, its compaction by traditional methods requires special equipment and considerable expenses.

A Graduate Management Project to Improve the Supplemental Care System at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-20

certain specified parameters. A method of establishing parameters for exceptions to the routine is called the ABC analysis of inventory control...Undcr ABC analysis, the A group is the 20% of line items which are most expensive per item, the B group is the next 20%, and the C group is the...part of a rational, orderly sytem which delivers the health care outputs required by the users, but allows the system managers to maintain control

Macro-actor execution on multilevel data-driven architectures

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

Gaudiot, J.L.; Najjar, W.

1988-12-31

The data-flow model of computation brings to multiprocessors high programmability at the expense of increased overhead. Applying the model at a higher level leads to better performance but also introduces loss of parallelism. We demonstrate here syntax directed program decomposition methods for the creation of large macro-actors in numerical algorithms. In order to alleviate some of the problems introduced by the lower resolution interpretation, we describe a multi-level of resolution and analyze the requirements for its actual hardware and software integration.

Virtual Design Method for Controlled Failure in Foldcore Sandwich Panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturm, Ralf; Fischer, S.

2015-12-01

For certification, novel fuselage concepts have to prove equivalent crashworthiness standards compared to the existing metal reference design. Due to the brittle failure behaviour of CFRP this requirement can only be fulfilled by a controlled progressive crash kinematics. Experiments showed that the failure of a twin-walled fuselage panel can be controlled by a local modification of the core through-thickness compression strength. For folded cores the required change in core properties can be integrated by a modification of the fold pattern. However, the complexity of folded cores requires a virtual design methodology for tailoring the fold pattern according to all static and crash relevant requirements. In this context a foldcore micromodel simulation method is presented to identify the structural response of a twin-walled fuselage panels with folded core under crash relevant loading condition. The simulations showed that a high degree of correlation is required before simulation can replace expensive testing. In the presented studies, the necessary correlation quality could only be obtained by including imperfections of the core material in the micromodel simulation approach.

26 CFR 1.117-5 - Federal grants requiring future service as a Federal employee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... board at an institution of higher education, expenses for travel (including expenses for meals and lodging incurred during travel and allowances for travel of the recipient's family), research, clerical... institution in any state which— (i) Admits as regular students only individuals who have a certificate of...

45 CFR 153.265 - Restrictions on use of reinsurance funds for administrative expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Restrictions on use of reinsurance funds for administrative expenses. 153.265 Section 153.265 Public Welfare Department of Health and Human Services REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS STANDARDS RELATED TO REINSURANCE, RISK CORRIDORS, AND RISK...

Low-Cost Terminal Alternative for Learning Center Managers. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nix, C. Jerome; And Others

This study established the feasibility of replacing high performance and relatively expensive computer terminals with less expensive ones adequate for supporting specific tasks of Advanced Instructional System (AIS) at Lowry AFB, Colorado. Surveys of user requirements and available devices were conducted and the results used in a system analysis.…

32 CFR 516.78 - Status, fees, and expenses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Soldiers Summoned To Serve on State and Local Juries § 516.78 Status, fees, and expenses. (a) Soldiers who are required to comply with summons to serve on state or local juries will be placed on permissive TDY under the provisions of AR 630-5. (b) Jury fees accruing to soldiers...

41 CFR 300-90.6 - What is authorized under the test programs?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the test programs? 300-90.6 Section 300-90.6 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System GENERAL AGENCY REQUIREMENTS 90-TELEWORK TRAVEL EXPENSES TEST PROGRAMS § 300-90.6 What is authorized under the test programs? Under a telework expenses test program authorized by the Administrator of...

43 CFR 5.8 - What expenses will I incur?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false What expenses will I incur? 5.8 Section 5.8 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior COMMERCIAL FILMING AND SIMILAR... required in this section. (a) Location fee. (1) For commercial filming and still photography permits, we...

43 CFR 5.8 - What expenses will I incur?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false What expenses will I incur? 5.8 Section 5.8 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior COMMERCIAL FILMING AND SIMILAR... required in this section. (a) Location fee. (1) For commercial filming and still photography permits, we...

78 FR 72255 - Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update for CY 2014...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-02

... Allocation of Home Health Survey Expenses; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 231 / Monday... Requirements, and Cost Allocation of Home Health Survey Expenses AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid... HHAs, the state's designated survey agency carry out certain other responsibilities that already apply...

Development of a brazing process for the production of water- cooled bipolar plates made of chromium-coated metal foils for PEM fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, M.; Hoehlich, D.; Scharf, I.; Lampke, T.; Hollaender, U.; Maier, H. J.

2016-03-01

Beside lithium batteries, PEM fuel cells are the most promising strategy as a power source to achieve the targets for introducing and increasing the usage of electric vehicles. Due to limited space and weight problems, water cooled, metallic bipolar plates in a fuel cell metal stack are preferred in motor vehicles. These plates are stamped metal sheets with a complex structure, interconnected media-tight. To meet the multiple tasks and requirements in use, complex and expensive combinations of materials are currently in use (carbon fiber composites, graphite, gold-plated nickel, stainless and acid resistant steel). The production of such plates is expensive as it is connected with considerable effort or the usage of precious metals. As an alternative, metalloid nitrides (CrN, VN, W2N, etc.) show a high chemical resistance, hardness and a good conductivity. So this material category meets the basic requirements of a top layer. However, the standard methods for their production (PVD, CVD) are expensive and have a slow deposition rate and a lower layer thicknesses. Because of these limitations, a full functionality over the life cycle of a bipolar plate is not guaranteed. The contribution shows the development and quantification of an alternative production process for bipolar plates. The expectation is to get significant advantages from the combination of chromium electrodeposition and thermochemical treatment to form chromium nitrides. Both processes are well researched and suitable for series production. The thermochemical treatment of the chromium layer also enables a process-integrated brazing.

The ReaxFF reactive force-field: Development, applications, and future directions

DOE PAGES

Senftle, Thomas; Hong, Sungwook; Islam, Md Mahbubul; ...

2016-03-04

The reactive force-field (ReaxFF) interatomic potential is a powerful computational tool for exploring, developing and optimizing material properties. Methods based on the principles of quantum mechanics (QM), while offering valuable theoretical guidance at the electronic level, are often too computationally intense for simulations that consider the full dynamic evolution of a system. Alternatively, empirical interatomic potentials that are based on classical principles require significantly fewer computational resources, which enables simulations to better describe dynamic processes over longer timeframes and on larger scales. Such methods, however, typically require a predefined connectivity between atoms, precluding simulations that involve reactive events. The ReaxFFmore » method was developed to help bridge this gap. Approaching the gap from the classical side, ReaxFF casts the empirical interatomic potential within a bond-order formalism, thus implicitly describing chemical bonding without expensive QM calculations. As a result, this article provides an overview of the development, application, and future directions of the ReaxFF method.« less

Fast non-overlapping Schwarz domain decomposition methods for solving the neutron diffusion equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamelot, Erell; Ciarlet, Patrick

2013-05-01

Studying numerically the steady state of a nuclear core reactor is expensive, in terms of memory storage and computational time. In order to address both requirements, one can use a domain decomposition method, implemented on a parallel computer. We present here such a method for the mixed neutron diffusion equations, discretized with Raviart-Thomas-Nédélec finite elements. This method is based on the Schwarz iterative algorithm with Robin interface conditions to handle communications. We analyse this method from the continuous point of view to the discrete point of view, and we give some numerical results in a realistic highly heterogeneous 3D configuration. Computations are carried out with the MINOS solver of the APOLLO3® neutronics code. APOLLO3 is a registered trademark in France.

Storage and computationally efficient permutations of factorized covariance and square-root information matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muellerschoen, R. J.

1988-01-01

A unified method to permute vector-stored upper-triangular diagonal factorized covariance (UD) and vector stored upper-triangular square-root information filter (SRIF) arrays is presented. The method involves cyclical permutation of the rows and columns of the arrays and retriangularization with appropriate square-root-free fast Givens rotations or elementary slow Givens reflections. A minimal amount of computation is performed and only one scratch vector of size N is required, where N is the column dimension of the arrays. To make the method efficient for large SRIF arrays on a virtual memory machine, three additional scratch vectors each of size N are used to avoid expensive paging faults. The method discussed is compared with the methods and routines of Bierman's Estimation Subroutine Library (ESL).

Designing Systems for Many Possible Futures. An RSC-based Method for Affordable Concept Selection (RMACS) with Multi-Era Analysis

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

Schaffner, Michael

2014-06-01

The current downward trend in funding for U.S. defense systems seems to be on a collision course with the state of the practice in systems engineering, which typically results in the increased pace and scale of capabilities and resultantly increased cost of complex national defense systems. Recent advances in the state of the art in systems engineering methodology can be leveraged to address this growing challenge. The present work leverages advanced constructs and methods for early-phase conceptual design of complex systems, when committed costs are still low and management influence is still high. First, a literature review is presented ofmore » the topics relevant to this work, including approaches to the design of affordable systems, assumptions and methods of exploratory modeling, and enabling techniques to help mitigate the computational challenges involved. The types, purposes, and limits of early-phase, exploratory models are then elucidated. The RSC-based Method for Affordable Concept Selection (RMACS) is described, which comprises nine processes in the three main thrusts of information gathering, evaluation, and analysis. The method is then applied to a naval ship case example, described as the Next-Generation Combat Ship, with representational information outputs and discussions of affordability with respect to each process. The ninth process, Multi-Era Analysis (MERA), is introduced and explicated, including required and optional informational components, temporal and change-related considerations, required and optional activities involved, and the potential types of outputs from the process. The MERA process is then applied to a naval ship case example similar to that of the RMACS application, but with discrete change options added to enable a tradespace network. The seven activities of the MERA process are demonstrated, with the salient outputs of each given and discussed. Additional thoughts are presented on MERA and RMACS, and 8 distinct areas are identified for further research in the MERA process, along with a brief description of the directions that such research might take. It is concluded that the affordability of complex systems can be better enabled through a conceptual design method that incorporates MERA as well as metrics such as Multi-Attribute Expense, Max Expense, and Expense Stability. It is also found that affordability of changeable systems can be better enabled through the use of existing path-planning algorithms in efficient evaluation and analysis of long-term strategies. Finally, it is found that MERA enables the identification and analysis of path-dependent considerations related to designs, epochs, strategies, and change options, in many possible futures.« less

Formulation for Simultaneous Aerodynamic Analysis and Design Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, G. W.; Taylor, A. C., III; Mani, S. V.; Newman, P. A.

1993-01-01

An efficient approach for simultaneous aerodynamic analysis and design optimization is presented. This approach does not require the performance of many flow analyses at each design optimization step, which can be an expensive procedure. Thus, this approach brings us one step closer to meeting the challenge of incorporating computational fluid dynamic codes into gradient-based optimization techniques for aerodynamic design. An adjoint-variable method is introduced to nullify the effect of the increased number of design variables in the problem formulation. The method has been successfully tested on one-dimensional nozzle flow problems, including a sample problem with a normal shock. Implementations of the above algorithm are also presented that incorporate Newton iterations to secure a high-quality flow solution at the end of the design process. Implementations with iterative flow solvers are possible and will be required for large, multidimensional flow problems.

A computationally efficient parallel Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm for highly parameterized inverse model analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Youzuo; O'Malley, Daniel; Vesselinov, Velimir V.

2016-09-01

Inverse modeling seeks model parameters given a set of observations. However, for practical problems because the number of measurements is often large and the model parameters are also numerous, conventional methods for inverse modeling can be computationally expensive. We have developed a new, computationally efficient parallel Levenberg-Marquardt method for solving inverse modeling problems with a highly parameterized model space. Levenberg-Marquardt methods require the solution of a linear system of equations which can be prohibitively expensive to compute for moderate to large-scale problems. Our novel method projects the original linear problem down to a Krylov subspace such that the dimensionality of the problem can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, we store the Krylov subspace computed when using the first damping parameter and recycle the subspace for the subsequent damping parameters. The efficiency of our new inverse modeling algorithm is significantly improved using these computational techniques. We apply this new inverse modeling method to invert for random transmissivity fields in 2-D and a random hydraulic conductivity field in 3-D. Our algorithm is fast enough to solve for the distributed model parameters (transmissivity) in the model domain. The algorithm is coded in Julia and implemented in the MADS computational framework (http://mads.lanl.gov). By comparing with Levenberg-Marquardt methods using standard linear inversion techniques such as QR or SVD methods, our Levenberg-Marquardt method yields a speed-up ratio on the order of ˜101 to ˜102 in a multicore computational environment. Therefore, our new inverse modeling method is a powerful tool for characterizing subsurface heterogeneity for moderate to large-scale problems.

Transit timing at Toruń Center for Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bykowski, W.; Maciejewski, G.

2011-01-01

The transit monitoring is one of well-known methods for discovering and observing new extrasolar planets. Among various advantages, this way of searching other worlds does not require complex and expensive equipment -- it can be performed with a relatively small telescope and high-quality CCD camera. At the Center for Astronomy of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, we collect observational data using the 60-cm Cassegrain telescope hoping that it would be possible to discover new objects in already known planetary systems using the transit timing variation method. Our observations are a part of a bigger cooperation between observatories from many countries.

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.

41 CFR 302-7.201 - Is temporary storage in excess of authorized limits and excess valuation of goods and services...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... excess of authorized limits and excess valuation of goods and services payable at Government expense? 302... Government expense? No, charges for excess weight, valuation above the minimum amount, and services obtained... HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PROFESSIONAL BOOKS, PAPERS, AND EQUIPMENT (PBP&E) Actual Expense Method § 302-7.201 Is...

41 CFR 302-7.201 - Is temporary storage in excess of authorized limits and excess valuation of goods and services...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... excess of authorized limits and excess valuation of goods and services payable at Government expense? 302... Government expense? No, charges for excess weight, valuation above the minimum amount, and services obtained... HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PROFESSIONAL BOOKS, PAPERS, AND EQUIPMENT (PBP&E) Actual Expense Method § 302-7.201 Is...

[Cost accounting for gastrectomy under critical path--the usefulness of direct accounting of personnel expenses and a guide to shortening hospital stay].

PubMed

Nozue, M; Maruyama, T; Imamura, F; Fukue, M

2000-08-01

In this study, cost accounting was made for a surgical case of gastrectomy according to critical path (path) and the economic contribution of the path was determined. In addition, changes in the cost percentage with changes in number of hospital days were simulated. Basically, cost accounting was done by means of cost accounting by departments, which meets the concept of direct cost accounting of administered accounts. Personnel expenses were calculated by means of both direct and indirect calculations. In the direct method, the total hours personnel participated were recorded for calculation. In the indirect method, personnel expenses were calculated from the ratio of the income of the surgical department to that of other departments. Purchase prices for all materials and drugs used were recorded to check buying costs. According to the direct calculating method, the personnel expenses came to approximately 300,000 yen, total cost was approximately 700,000 yen, and the cost percentage was 59%. According to the indirect method, the personnel expenses were approximately 540,000 yen and the total cost was approximately 940,000 yen, the cost percentage being 80%. A simulation study of changes in the cost with changes in hospital days revealed that the cost percentages were assessed to be approximately 53% in 19 hospital days and approximately 45% in 12 hospital days.

Bio-inspired silicon nanospikes fabricated by metal-assisted chemical etching for antibacterial surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Huan; Siu, Vince S.; Gifford, Stacey M.; Kim, Sungcheol; Lu, Minhua; Meyer, Pablo; Stolovitzky, Gustavo A.

2017-12-01

The recently discovered bactericidal properties of nanostructures on wings of insects such as cicadas and dragonflies have inspired the development of similar nanostructured surfaces for antibacterial applications. Since most antibacterial applications require nanostructures covering a considerable amount of area, a practical fabrication method needs to be cost-effective and scalable. However, most reported nanofabrication methods require either expensive equipment or a high temperature process, limiting cost efficiency and scalability. Here, we report a simple, fast, low-cost, and scalable antibacterial surface nanofabrication methodology. Our method is based on metal-assisted chemical etching that only requires etching a single crystal silicon substrate in a mixture of silver nitrate and hydrofluoric acid for several minutes. We experimentally studied the effects of etching time on the morphology of the silicon nanospikes and the bactericidal properties of the resulting surface. We discovered that 6 minutes of etching results in a surface containing silicon nanospikes with optimal geometry. The bactericidal properties of the silicon nanospikes were supported by bacterial plating results, fluorescence images, and scanning electron microscopy images.

27 CFR 53.92 - Exclusions from sale price.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... expense incurred after shipment to a customer begins, in response to the customer's order, pursuant to a... satisfaction of the appropriate TTB officer that another method reasonably apportions such freight expense...

29 CFR 531.32 - “Other facilities.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... participate in profits and losses or in the assets of the company at some future dissolution date, do not... of a railroad); charges for rental of uniforms where the nature of the business requires the employee... for expenses such as “supper money,” “travel expenses,” etc., see § 778.217 of this chapter. ...

29 CFR 531.32 - “Other facilities.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... participate in profits and losses or in the assets of the company at some future dissolution date, do not... of a railroad); charges for rental of uniforms where the nature of the business requires the employee... for expenses such as “supper money,” “travel expenses,” etc., see § 778.217 of this chapter. ...

75 FR 65599 - Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest in Alaska; Harvest Regulations for Migratory Birds in Alaska...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-26

... goals in mind, the Service, working with partners, developed measures in 2009 to further reduce the.... Participation on regional management bodies and the Co-management Council will require travel expenses for some... will also incur expenses for travel to Co-management Council and regional management body meetings. In...

Finite element analysis simulations for ultrasonic array NDE inspections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobson, Jeff; Tweedie, Andrew; Harvey, Gerald; O'Leary, Richard; Mulholland, Anthony; Tant, Katherine; Gachagan, Anthony

2016-02-01

Advances in manufacturing techniques and materials have led to an increase in the demand for reliable and robust inspection techniques to maintain safety critical features. The application of modelling methods to develop and evaluate inspections is becoming an essential tool for the NDE community. Current analytical methods are inadequate for simulation of arbitrary components and heterogeneous materials, such as anisotropic welds or composite structures. Finite element analysis software (FEA), such as PZFlex, can provide the ability to simulate the inspection of these arrangements, providing the ability to economically prototype and evaluate improved NDE methods. FEA is often seen as computationally expensive for ultrasound problems however, advances in computing power have made it a more viable tool. This paper aims to illustrate the capability of appropriate FEA to produce accurate simulations of ultrasonic array inspections - minimizing the requirement for expensive test-piece fabrication. Validation is afforded via corroboration of the FE derived and experimentally generated data sets for a test-block comprising 1D and 2D defects. The modelling approach is extended to consider the more troublesome aspects of heterogeneous materials where defect dimensions can be of the same length scale as the grain structure. The model is used to facilitate the implementation of new ultrasonic array inspection methods for such materials. This is exemplified by considering the simulation of ultrasonic NDE in a weld structure in order to assess new approaches to imaging such structures.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for detection and discrimination of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati eggs directly from sand samples.

PubMed

Macuhova, K; Kumagai, T; Akao, N; Ohta, N

2010-12-01

We developed a novel and simple method, using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), for the detection and discrimination of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati eggs. The new method employs 4 steps: (1) concentration of Toxocara eggs in a small amount of sand; (2) dissolution of the proteinaceous membrane of eggs and simultaneously separation of them from the sand using NaClO treatment; (3) extraction of DNA using NaOH treatment; and (4) detection of T. canis / T. cati DNA using a LAMP assay. All these steps are fast, easy to perform, and do not require expensive equipment or reagents. The novel method was tested both experimentally and in a field study. In the laboratory, we could reliably detect as few as 3 T. canis eggs in artificially contaminated sand, if the experiment was repeated twice. In the field trial, we were able to detect T. cati DNA from 4 natural sandpits having moderate to heavy contamination, although not in a single lightly contaminated sandpit. All of the examined sandpits were found to be contaminated with eggs of T. cati, but none appeared to contain T. canis. Our new method could extract DNA from T. canis and T. cati eggs directly from sand samples as well as detect and distinguish these 2 species in a few easy steps, with markedly reduced time and expense.

A study of reusable electromechanical impedance methods for structural health monitoring of civil structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tawie, R.; Na, S.; Lee, H. K.

2013-04-01

Up to date, various studies have been conducted using electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) method on concrete, including monitoring the strength development or to find damage in the structure. Since EMI method utilizes a single piezoelectric material to be used as an actuator and a sensor simultaneously, the method has major advantages compared to other non-destructive testing methods. However the method requires a piezoelectric material to be permanently attached or embedded into a structure. Thus when monitoring multiple structures, the method may become quite expensive. In this study, two re-usable EMI methods conducted by researchers Na et al and Tawie et al are overviewed. The idea of re-usable EMI method is still relatively new, resulting in the reduction of monitoring costs since the same piezoelectric material is used as many times as possible, while ensuring better repeatability and reliability in measurements.

Semi-automatic surface sediment sampling system - A prototype to be implemented in bivalve fishing surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rufino, Marta M.; Baptista, Paulo; Pereira, Fábio; Gaspar, Miguel B.

2018-01-01

In the current work we propose a new method to sample surface sediment during bivalve fishing surveys. Fishing institutes all around the word carry out regular surveys with the aim of monitoring the stocks of commercial species. These surveys comprise often more than one hundred of sampling stations and cover large geographical areas. Although superficial sediment grain sizes are among the main drivers of benthic communities and provide crucial information for studies on coastal dynamics, overall there is a strong lack of this type of data, possibly, because traditional surface sediment sampling methods use grabs, that require considerable time and effort to be carried out on regular basis or on large areas. In face of these aspects, we developed an easy and un-expensive method to sample superficial sediments, during bivalve fisheries monitoring surveys, without increasing survey time or human resources. The method was successfully evaluated and validated during a typical bivalve survey carried out on the Northwest coast of Portugal, confirming that it had any interference with the survey objectives. Furthermore, the method was validated by collecting samples using a traditional Van Veen grabs (traditional method), which showed a similar grain size composition to the ones collected by the new method, on the same localities. We recommend that the procedure is implemented on regular bivalve fishing surveys, together with an image analysis system to analyse the collected samples. The new method will provide substantial quantity of data on surface sediment in coastal areas, using a non-expensive and efficient manner, with a high potential application in different fields of research.

Ambient Dried Aerogels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Steven M.; Paik, Jong-Ah

2013-01-01

A method has been developed for creating aerogel using normal pressure and ambient temperatures. All spacecraft, satellites, and landers require the use of thermal insulation due to the extreme environments encountered in space and on extraterrestrial bodies. Ambient dried aerogels introduce the possibility of using aerogel as thermal insulation in a wide variety of instances where supercritically dried aerogels cannot be used. More specifically, thermoelectric devices can use ambient dried aerogel, where the advantages are in situ production using the cast-in ability of an aerogel. Previously, aerogels required supercritical conditions (high temperature and high pressure) to be dried. Ambient dried aerogels can be dried at room temperature and pressure. This allows many materials, such as plastics and certain metal alloys that cannot survive supercritical conditions, to be directly immersed in liquid aerogel precursor and then encapsulated in the final, dried aerogel. Additionally, the metalized Mylar films that could not survive the previous methods of making aerogels can survive the ambient drying technique, thus making multilayer insulation (MLI) materials possible. This results in lighter insulation material as well. Because this innovation does not require high-temperature or high-pressure drying, ambient dried aerogels are much less expensive to produce. The equipment needed to conduct supercritical drying costs many tens of thousands of dollars, and has associated running expenses for power, pressurized gasses, and maintenance. The ambient drying process also expands the size of the pieces of aerogel that can be made because a high-temperature, high-pressure system typically has internal dimensions of up to 30 cm in diameter and 60 cm in height. In the case of this innovation, the only limitation on the size of the aerogels produced would be in the ability of the solvent in the wet gel to escape from the gel network.

The Effectiveness Evaluation of Helicopter Ambulance Transport among Neurotrauma Patients in Korea

PubMed Central

Park, Kyoung Duck; Seo, Sook Jin; Oh, Chang Hyun; Kim, Se Hyuk

2014-01-01

Objective Helicopter ambulance transport (HAT) is a highly resource-intensive facility that is a well-established part of the trauma transport system in many developed countries. Here, we review the benefit of HAT for neurosurgical patients in Korea. Methods This retrospective study followed neurotrauma patients who were transferred by HAT to a single emergency trauma center over a period of 2 years. The clinical benefits of HAT were measured according to the necessity of emergency surgical intervention and the differences in the time taken to transport patients by ground ambulance transport (GAT) and HAT. Results Ninety-nine patients were transferred to a single university hospital using HAT, of whom 32 were taken to the neurosurgery department. Of these 32 patients, 10 (31.3%) needed neurosurgical intervention, 14 (43.8%) needed non-neurosurgical intervention, 3 (9.4%) required both, and 11 (34.4%) did not require any intervention. The transfer time was faster using HAT than the estimated time needed for GAT, although for a relatively close distance (<50 km) without ground obstacles (mountain or sea) HAT did not improve transfer time. The cost comparison showed that HAT was more expensive than GAT (3,292,000 vs. 84,000 KRW, p<0.001). Conclusion In this Korean-based study, we found that HAT has a clinical benefit for neurotrauma cases involving a transfer from a distant site or an isolated area. A more precise triage for using HAT should be considered to prevent overuse of this expensive transport method. PMID:25289124

Coded-aperture Compton camera for gamma-ray imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farber, Aaron M.

This dissertation describes the development of a novel gamma-ray imaging system concept and presents results from Monte Carlo simulations of the new design. Current designs for large field-of-view gamma cameras suitable for homeland security applications implement either a coded aperture or a Compton scattering geometry to image a gamma-ray source. Both of these systems require large, expensive position-sensitive detectors in order to work effectively. By combining characteristics of both of these systems, a new design can be implemented that does not require such expensive detectors and that can be scaled down to a portable size. This new system has significant promise in homeland security, astronomy, botany and other fields, while future iterations may prove useful in medical imaging, other biological sciences and other areas, such as non-destructive testing. A proof-of-principle study of the new gamma-ray imaging system has been performed by Monte Carlo simulation. Various reconstruction methods have been explored and compared. General-Purpose Graphics-Processor-Unit (GPGPU) computation has also been incorporated. The resulting code is a primary design tool for exploring variables such as detector spacing, material selection and thickness and pixel geometry. The advancement of the system from a simple 1-dimensional simulation to a full 3-dimensional model is described. Methods of image reconstruction are discussed and results of simulations consisting of both a 4 x 4 and a 16 x 16 object space mesh have been presented. A discussion of the limitations and potential areas of further study is also presented.

Simulations of inertial confinement fusion driven by a novel synchrotron-radiation-based x-ray igniter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shlyaptsev, Vyacheslav N.; Tatchyn, Roman O.

2004-01-01

The advantages and challenges of using a powerful x-ray source for the fast ignition of compressed Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) targets have been considered. The requirements for such a source together with the optics to focus the x-rays onto compressed DT cores lead to a conceptual design based on Energy Recovery Linacs (ERLs) and long wigglers to produce x-ray pulses with the appropriate phase space properties. A comparative assessment of the parameters of the igniter system indicates that the technologies for building it, although expensive, are physically achievable. Our x-ray fast ignition (XFI) scheme requires substantially smaller energy for the initiation of nuclear fusion reactions than other methods.

Indoor Pedestrian Navigation Using Foot-Mounted IMU and Portable Ultrasound Range Sensors

PubMed Central

Girard, Gabriel; Côté, Stéphane; Zlatanova, Sisi; Barette, Yannick; St-Pierre, Johanne; van Oosterom, Peter

2011-01-01

Many solutions have been proposed for indoor pedestrian navigation. Some rely on pre-installed sensor networks, which offer good accuracy but are limited to areas that have been prepared for that purpose, thus requiring an expensive and possibly time-consuming process. Such methods are therefore inappropriate for navigation in emergency situations since the power supply may be disturbed. Other types of solutions track the user without requiring a prepared environment. However, they may have low accuracy. Offline tracking has been proposed to increase accuracy, however this prevents users from knowing their position in real time. This paper describes a real time indoor navigation system that does not require prepared building environments and provides tracking accuracy superior to previously described tracking methods. The system uses a combination of four techniques: foot-mounted IMU (Inertial Motion Unit), ultrasonic ranging, particle filtering and model-based navigation. The very purpose of the project is to combine these four well-known techniques in a novel way to provide better indoor tracking results for pedestrians. PMID:22164034

ZyFISH: A Simple, Rapid and Reliable Zygosity Assay for Transgenic Mice

PubMed Central

McHugh, Donal; O’Connor, Tracy; Bremer, Juliane; Aguzzi, Adriano

2012-01-01

Microinjection of DNA constructs into fertilized mouse oocytes typically results in random transgene integration at a single genomic locus. The resulting transgenic founders can be used to establish hemizygous transgenic mouse lines. However, practical and experimental reasons often require that such lines be bred to homozygosity. Transgene zygosity can be determined by progeny testing assays which are expensive and time-consuming, by quantitative Southern blotting which is labor-intensive, or by quantitative PCR (qPCR) which requires transgene-specific design. Here, we describe a zygosity assessment procedure based on fluorescent in situ hybridization (zyFISH). The zyFISH protocol entails the detection of transgenic loci by FISH and the concomitant assignment of homozygosity using a concise and unbiased scoring system. The method requires small volumes of blood, is scalable to at least 40 determinations per assay, and produces results entirely consistent with the progeny testing assay. This combination of reliability, simplicity and cost-effectiveness makes zyFISH a method of choice for transgenic mouse zygosity determinations. PMID:22666404

Planetary Protection Considerations For Exomars Meteorological Instrumentation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camilletti, Adam

2007-10-01

Planetary protection requirements for Oxford University's contribution to the upcoming ESA ExoMars mission are discussed and the current methods being used to fulfil these requirements are detailed and reviewed. Oxford University is supplying temperature and wind sensors to the mission and since these will be exposed to the Martian environment there is a requirement that they are sterilised to stringent COSPAR standards adhered to by ESA. Typically dry heat microbial reduction (DHMR) is used to reduce spacecraft bioburden but the high temperatures involved are not compatible with the some hardware elements. Alternative, low-temperature sterilisation methods are reviewed and their applicability to spacecraft hardware discussed. The use of a commercially available, bench-top endotoxin tester in planetary protection is also discussed and data from preliminary tests performed at Oxford are presented. These devices, which utilise the immune response of horseshoe crabs to the presence of endotoxin, have the potential to reduce the time taken to determine bioburden by removing the need for conventional assaying -a lengthy and sometimes expensive process.

A Tool for Requirements-Based Programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rash, James L.; Hinchey, Michael G.; Rouff, Christopher A.; Gracanin, Denis; Erickson, John

2005-01-01

Absent a general method for mathematically sound, automated transformation of customer requirements into a formal model of the desired system, developers must resort to either manual application of formal methods or to system testing (either manual or automated). While formal methods have afforded numerous successes, they present serious issues, e.g., costs to gear up to apply them (time, expensive staff), and scalability and reproducibility when standards in the field are not settled. The testing path cannot be walked to the ultimate goal, because exhaustive testing is infeasible for all but trivial systems. So system verification remains problematic. System or requirements validation is similarly problematic. The alternatives available today depend on either having a formal model or pursuing enough testing to enable the customer to be certain that system behavior meets requirements. The testing alternative for non-trivial systems always have some system behaviors unconfirmed and therefore is not the answer. To ensure that a formal model is equivalent to the customer s requirements necessitates that the customer somehow fully understands the formal model, which is not realistic. The predominant view that provably correct system development depends on having a formal model of the system leads to a desire for a mathematically sound method to automate the transformation of customer requirements into a formal model. Such a method, an augmentation of requirements-based programming, will be briefly described in this paper, and a prototype tool to support it will be described. The method and tool enable both requirements validation and system verification for the class of systems whose behavior can be described as scenarios. An application of the tool to a prototype automated ground control system for NASA mission is presented.

Direct launch using the electric rail gun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barber, J. P.

1983-01-01

The concept explored involves using a large single stage electric rail gun to achieve orbital velocities. Exit aerodynamics, launch package design and size, interior ballistics, system and component sizing and design concepts are treated. Technology development status and development requirements are identified and described. The expense of placing payloads in Earth orbit using conventional chemical rockets is considerable. Chemical rockets are very inefficient in converting chemical energy into payload kinetic energy. A rocket motor is relatively expensive and is usually expended on each launch. In addition specialized and expensive forms of fuel are required. Gun launching payloads directly to orbit from the Earth's surface is a possible alternative. Guns are much more energy efficient than rockets. The high capital cost of the gun installation can be recovered by reusing it over and over again. Finally, relatively inexpensive fuel and large quantities of energy are readily available to a fixed installation on the Earth's surface.

77 FR 29457 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-17

... Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits; Reporting Requirements and Other Administrative Matters; TD 8431 (Final) Allocation of Allocable Investment Expense; Original Issue Discount Reporting Requirements... mortgage investment conduit (REMIC) and the filing requirements for REMICs and certain brokers. Affected...

A seismic optimization procedure for reinforced concrete framed buildings based on eigenfrequency optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arroyo, Orlando; Gutiérrez, Sergio

2017-07-01

Several seismic optimization methods have been proposed to improve the performance of reinforced concrete framed (RCF) buildings; however, they have not been widely adopted among practising engineers because they require complex nonlinear models and are computationally expensive. This article presents a procedure to improve the seismic performance of RCF buildings based on eigenfrequency optimization, which is effective, simple to implement and efficient. The method is used to optimize a 10-storey regular building, and its effectiveness is demonstrated by nonlinear time history analyses, which show important reductions in storey drifts and lateral displacements compared to a non-optimized building. A second example for an irregular six-storey building demonstrates that the method provides benefits to a wide range of RCF structures and supports the applicability of the proposed method.

Determination of lead and cadmium in soils, sludges, and fertilizers by an ion-exchange/spectrophotometric method

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

Heinzig, M.; DeYong, G.D.; Anglin, R.J.

1993-12-01

The MetalTrace method, which consists of an anion-exchange separation coupled with a spectrophotometric quantification, was used to determine lead and cadmium in sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide digests of soils and sludges and hydrobromic acid extracts of soils. Cadmium only was determined in sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide digests of fertilizers because no standards were available with certified lead contents. The selectivity provided by the anion-exchange separation allowed the use of a spectrophotometric indicator with an extremely high extinction coefficient so that detection limits in the low parts per million range could be attained. The results obtained using this method compared favorably with thosemore » obtained using much more expensive methods requiring more specialized training and equipment.« less

The developmental stages of the middle phalanx of the third finger (MP3): a sole indicator in assessing the skeletal maturity?

PubMed

Madhu, S; Hegde, Amitha M; Munshi, A K

2003-01-01

Assessment of skeletal maturity is an integral part of interceptive diagnosis and treatment planning. The present day methods of skeletal maturity assessment like the hand-wrist radiographs or cervical vertebrae radiographs are expensive, require elaborate equipment and accounts for high radiation exposure, especially for growing children. The present study was thus undertaken to provide a simple and practical method of skeletal maturity assessment using the developmental stages of the middle phalanx of the third finger (MP3) as seen on an IOPA film taken using a standard dental x-ray machine. The results of the study showed that this simple method was highly reliable and could be used as an alternative method to assess the skeletal maturity of growing children.

A semi-micromethod for determination of oxalate in human plasma.

PubMed

Porowski, Tadeusz; Gałasiński, Władysław

2003-01-01

An enzymatic semi-micromethod for oxalate determination in human plasma was elaborated. The principle of the method depends on the oxalate isolation from deproteinized plasma, following determination by the calorimetric oxalate oxidase-peroxidase-indamine system. This method protects against internal oxalate losses and excludes an interference of contaminations. Results, obtained by this method, were reliable and ideally suited for use as real normal values (less than or equal to 6 microM) of oxalate content in the plasma of healthy individuals. The elaborated method, which can assay plasma oxalate accurately in normal individuals as well as in hyperoxalemic conditions is superior to those previously used. The procedure of semi-micromethod does not require expensive equipments and apparatus: it is simple and easy to perform in every laboratory and takes little time.

Film patterned retarder for stereoscopic three-dimensional display using ink-jet printing method.

PubMed

Lim, Young Jin; Yu, Ji Hoon; Song, Ki Hoon; Lee, Myong-Hoon; Ren, Hongwen; Mun, Byung-June; Lee, Gi-Dong; Lee, Seung Hee

2014-09-22

We propose a film patterned retarder (FPR) for stereoscopic three-dimensional display with polarization glasses using ink-jet printing method. Conventional FPR process requires coating of photo-alignment and then UV exposure using wire-grid mask, which is very expensive and difficult. The proposed novel fabrication method utilizes a plastic substrate made of polyether sulfone and an alignment layer, poly (4, 4' - (9, 9 -fluorenyl) diphenylene cyclobutanyltetracarboximide) (9FDA/CBDA) in which the former and the latter aligns reactive mesogen along and perpendicular to the rubbing direction, respectively. The ink-jet printing of 9FDA/CBDA line by line allows fabricating the cost effective FPR which can be widely applied for 3D display applications.

Method and apparatus for reading meters from a video image

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

Lewis, T.J.; Ferguson, J.J.

1995-12-31

A method and system enable acquisition of data about an environment from one or more meters using video images. One or more meters are imaged by a video camera and the video signal is digitized. Then, each region of the digital image which corresponds to the indicator of the meter is calibrated and the video signal is analyzed to determine the value indicated by each meter indicator. Finally, from the value indicated by each meter indicator in the calibrated region, a meter reading is generated. The method and system offer the advantages of automatic data collection in a relatively non-intrusivemore » manner without making any complicated or expensive electronic connections, and without requiring intensive manpower.« less

Method and apparatus for reading meters from a video image

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

Lewis, T.J.; Ferguson, J.J.

1997-09-30

A method and system to enable acquisition of data about an environment from one or more meters using video images. One or more meters are imaged by a video camera and the video signal is digitized. Then, each region of the digital image which corresponds to the indicator of the meter is calibrated and the video signal is analyzed to determine the value indicated by each meter indicator. Finally, from the value indicated by each meter indicator in the calibrated region, a meter reading is generated. The method and system offer the advantages of automatic data collection in a relativelymore » non-intrusive manner without making any complicated or expensive electronic connections, and without requiring intensive manpower. 1 fig.« less

A Simple Method for Reproducing Orbital Plots for Illustration Using Microsoft Paint and Microsoft Excel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niebuhr, Cole

2018-04-01

Papers published in the astronomical community, particularly in the field of double star research, often contain plots that display the positions of the component stars relative to each other on a Cartesian coordinate plane. Due to the complexities of plotting a three-dimensional orbit into a two-dimensional image, it is often difficult to include an accurate reproduction of the orbit for comparison purposes. Methods to circumvent this obstacle do exist; however, many of these protocols result in low-quality blurred images or require specific and often expensive software. Here, a method is reported using Microsoft Paint and Microsoft Excel to produce high-quality images with an accurate reproduction of a partial orbit.

Temporary Thermocouple Attachment for Thermal/Vacuum Testing at Non-Extreme Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ungar, Eugene K.; Wright, Sarah E.

2016-01-01

Post-test examination and data analysis that followed a two week long vacuum test showed that numerous self-stick thermocouples became detached from the test article. The thermocouples were reattached with thermally conductive epoxy and the test was repeated to obtain the required data. Because the thermocouple detachment resulted in significant expense and rework, it was decided to investigate the temporary attachment methods used around NASA and to perform a test to assess their efficacy. The present work describes the original test and the analysis that showed that the thermocouples had become detached, temporary thermocouple attachment methods assessed in the retest and in the thermocouple attachment test, and makes a recommendation for attachment methods for future tests.

A new analytical method for characterizing nonlinear visual processes with stimuli of arbitrary distribution: Theory and applications.

PubMed

Hayashi, Ryusuke; Watanabe, Osamu; Yokoyama, Hiroki; Nishida, Shin'ya

2017-06-01

Characterization of the functional relationship between sensory inputs and neuronal or observers' perceptual responses is one of the fundamental goals of systems neuroscience and psychophysics. Conventional methods, such as reverse correlation and spike-triggered data analyses are limited in their ability to resolve complex and inherently nonlinear neuronal/perceptual processes because these methods require input stimuli to be Gaussian with a zero mean. Recent studies have shown that analyses based on a generalized linear model (GLM) do not require such specific input characteristics and have advantages over conventional methods. GLM, however, relies on iterative optimization algorithms and its calculation costs become very expensive when estimating the nonlinear parameters of a large-scale system using large volumes of data. In this paper, we introduce a new analytical method for identifying a nonlinear system without relying on iterative calculations and yet also not requiring any specific stimulus distribution. We demonstrate the results of numerical simulations, showing that our noniterative method is as accurate as GLM in estimating nonlinear parameters in many cases and outperforms conventional, spike-triggered data analyses. As an example of the application of our method to actual psychophysical data, we investigated how different spatiotemporal frequency channels interact in assessments of motion direction. The nonlinear interaction estimated by our method was consistent with findings from previous vision studies and supports the validity of our method for nonlinear system identification.

44 CFR 206.131 - Individual and Family Grant Program for major disasters declared on or before October 14, 2002.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... percent of the actual cost of meeting necessary expenses or serious needs of individuals and families... actual cost of meeting individuals' or families' necessary expenses or serious needs is paid from funds... cost of a serious need. (2) Serious need means the requirement for an item or service essential to an...

44 CFR 206.131 - Individual and Family Grant Program for major disasters declared on or before October 14, 2002.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... percent of the actual cost of meeting necessary expenses or serious needs of individuals and families... actual cost of meeting individuals' or families' necessary expenses or serious needs is paid from funds... cost of a serious need. (2) Serious need means the requirement for an item or service essential to an...

41 CFR 303-70.305 - What relocation expenses must we authorize for the immediate family under §§ 303-70.303 and 303...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES 70-AGENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAYMENT OF EXPENSES CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES Transportation of Immediate Family Members, Baggage, and Household... station. (c) Temporary quarters not to exceed 60 days, to be paid at the per diem rate for an...

41 CFR 303-70.305 - What relocation expenses must we authorize for the immediate family under §§ 303-70.303 and 303...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES 70-AGENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAYMENT OF EXPENSES CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES Transportation of Immediate Family Members, Baggage, and Household... station. (c) Temporary quarters not to exceed 60 days, to be paid at the per diem rate for an...

41 CFR 303-70.305 - What relocation expenses must we authorize for the immediate family under §§ 303-70.303 and 303...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES 70-AGENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAYMENT OF EXPENSES CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES Transportation of Immediate Family Members, Baggage, and Household... station. (c) Temporary quarters not to exceed 60 days, to be paid at the per diem rate for an...

41 CFR 303-70.305 - What relocation expenses must we authorize for the immediate family under §§ 303-70.303 and 303...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES 70-AGENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR PAYMENT OF EXPENSES CONNECTED WITH THE DEATH OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES Transportation of Immediate Family Members, Baggage, and Household... station. (c) Temporary quarters not to exceed 60 days, to be paid at the per diem rate for an...

Not Just a Cover

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

provided the US Military cost avoidance by reducing corrosion and the resulting degradation The Problem Dehumidification Systems very expensive cumbersome...effective establishes greenhouse effect Vapor Corrosion Inhibitors moderate expense hermetic environments required effective if used properly • A 2003 GAO...cases they accelerated corrosion ( Greenhouse Effect) • Initiated a search for a better form of protection that would • Act to remove moisture/water

Deterministic and reliability based optimization of integrated thermal protection system composite panel using adaptive sampling techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravishankar, Bharani

Conventional space vehicles have thermal protection systems (TPS) that provide protection to an underlying structure that carries the flight loads. In an attempt to save weight, there is interest in an integrated TPS (ITPS) that combines the structural function and the TPS function. This has weight saving potential, but complicates the design of the ITPS that now has both thermal and structural failure modes. The main objectives of this dissertation was to optimally design the ITPS subjected to thermal and mechanical loads through deterministic and reliability based optimization. The optimization of the ITPS structure requires computationally expensive finite element analyses of 3D ITPS (solid) model. To reduce the computational expenses involved in the structural analysis, finite element based homogenization method was employed, homogenizing the 3D ITPS model to a 2D orthotropic plate. However it was found that homogenization was applicable only for panels that are much larger than the characteristic dimensions of the repeating unit cell in the ITPS panel. Hence a single unit cell was used for the optimization process to reduce the computational cost. Deterministic and probabilistic optimization of the ITPS panel required evaluation of failure constraints at various design points. This further demands computationally expensive finite element analyses which was replaced by efficient, low fidelity surrogate models. In an optimization process, it is important to represent the constraints accurately to find the optimum design. Instead of building global surrogate models using large number of designs, the computational resources were directed towards target regions near constraint boundaries for accurate representation of constraints using adaptive sampling strategies. Efficient Global Reliability Analyses (EGRA) facilitates sequentially sampling of design points around the region of interest in the design space. EGRA was applied to the response surface construction of the failure constraints in the deterministic and reliability based optimization of the ITPS panel. It was shown that using adaptive sampling, the number of designs required to find the optimum were reduced drastically, while improving the accuracy. System reliability of ITPS was estimated using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) based method. Separable Monte Carlo method was employed that allowed separable sampling of the random variables to predict the probability of failure accurately. The reliability analysis considered uncertainties in the geometry, material properties, loading conditions of the panel and error in finite element modeling. These uncertainties further increased the computational cost of MCS techniques which was also reduced by employing surrogate models. In order to estimate the error in the probability of failure estimate, bootstrapping method was applied. This research work thus demonstrates optimization of the ITPS composite panel with multiple failure modes and large number of uncertainties using adaptive sampling techniques.

Evaluation of a Bead-Free Coimmunoprecipitation Technique for Identification of Virus-Host Protein Interactions Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

DeBlasio, Stacy L; Bereman, Michael S; Mahoney, Jaclyn; Thannhauser, Theodore W; Gray, Stewart M; MacCoss, Michael J; Cilia Heck, Michelle

2017-09-01

Protein interactions between virus and host are essential for viral propagation and movement, as viruses lack most of the proteins required to thrive on their own. Precision methods aimed at disrupting virus-host interactions represent new approaches to disease management but require in-depth knowledge of the identity and binding specificity of host proteins within these interaction networks. Protein coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) provides a high-throughput way to characterize virus-host interactomes in a single experiment. Common co-IP methods use antibodies immobilized on agarose or magnetic beads to isolate virus-host complexes in solutions of host tissue homogenate. Although these workflows are well established, they can be fairly laborious and expensive. Therefore, we evaluated the feasibility of using antibody-coated microtiter plates coupled with MS analysis as an easy, less expensive way to identify host proteins that interact with Potato leafroll virus (PLRV), an insect-borne RNA virus that infects potatoes. With the use of the bead-free platform, we were able to detect 36 plant and 1 nonstructural viral protein significantly coimmunoprecipitating with PLRV. Two of these proteins, a 14-3-3 signal transduction protein and malate dehydrogenase 2 (mMDH2), were detected as having a weakened or lost association with a structural mutant of the virus, demonstrating that the bead-free method is sensitive enough to detect quantitative differences that can be used to pin-point domains of interaction. Collectively, our analysis shows that the bead-free platform is a low-cost alternative that can be used by core facilities and other investigators to identify plant and viral proteins interacting with virions and/or the viral structural proteins.

An accurate and efficient reliability-based design optimization using the second order reliability method and improved stability transformation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Zeng; Yang, Dixiong; Zhou, Huanlin; Yu, Bo

2018-05-01

The first order reliability method has been extensively adopted for reliability-based design optimization (RBDO), but it shows inaccuracy in calculating the failure probability with highly nonlinear performance functions. Thus, the second order reliability method is required to evaluate the reliability accurately. However, its application for RBDO is quite challenge owing to the expensive computational cost incurred by the repeated reliability evaluation and Hessian calculation of probabilistic constraints. In this article, a new improved stability transformation method is proposed to search the most probable point efficiently, and the Hessian matrix is calculated by the symmetric rank-one update. The computational capability of the proposed method is illustrated and compared to the existing RBDO approaches through three mathematical and two engineering examples. The comparison results indicate that the proposed method is very efficient and accurate, providing an alternative tool for RBDO of engineering structures.

Remote health monitoring of heart failure with data mining via CART method on HRV features.

PubMed

Pecchia, Leandro; Melillo, Paolo; Bracale, Marcello

2011-03-01

Disease management programs, which use no advanced information and computer technology, are as effective as telemedicine but more efficient because less costly. We proposed a platform to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of home monitoring using data mining for early detection of any worsening in patient's condition. These worsenings could require more complex and expensive care if not recognized. In this letter, we briefly describe the remote health monitoring platform we designed and realized, which supports heart failure (HF) severity assessment offering functions of data mining based on the classification and regression tree method. The system developed achieved accuracy and a precision of 96.39% and 100.00% in detecting HF and of 79.31% and 82.35% in distinguishing severe versus mild HF, respectively. These preliminary results were achieved on public databases of signals to improve their reproducibility. Clinical trials involving local patients are still running and will require longer experimentation.

Commercial Motion Sensor Based Low-Cost and Convenient Interactive Treadmill.

PubMed

Kim, Jonghyun; Gravunder, Andrew; Park, Hyung-Soon

2015-09-17

Interactive treadmills were developed to improve the simulation of overground walking when compared to conventional treadmills. However, currently available interactive treadmills are expensive and inconvenient, which limits their use. We propose a low-cost and convenient version of the interactive treadmill that does not require expensive equipment and a complicated setup. As a substitute for high-cost sensors, such as motion capture systems, a low-cost motion sensor was used to recognize the subject's intention for speed changing. Moreover, the sensor enables the subject to make a convenient and safe stop using gesture recognition. For further cost reduction, the novel interactive treadmill was based on an inexpensive treadmill platform and a novel high-level speed control scheme was applied to maximize performance for simulating overground walking. Pilot tests with ten healthy subjects were conducted and results demonstrated that the proposed treadmill achieves similar performance to a typical, costly, interactive treadmill that contains a motion capture system and an instrumented treadmill, while providing a convenient and safe method for stopping.

Structural analysis of cell wall polysaccharides using PACE

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

Mortimer, Jennifer C.

The plant cell wall is composed of many complex polysaccharides. The composition and structure of the polysaccharides affect various cell properties including cell shape, cell function and cell adhesion. Many techniques to characterize polysaccharide structure are complicated, requiring expensive equipment and specialized operators e.g. NMR, MALDI-MS. PACE (Polysaccharide Analysis using Carbohydrate gel Electrophoresis) uses a simple, rapid technique to analyze polysaccharide quantity and structure (Goubet et al. 2002). Whilst the method here describes xylan analysis, it can be applied (by use of the appropriate glycosyl hydrolase) to any cell wall polysaccharide.

The behavior of nanosatellite body materials during electromagnetic launch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerasimov, Yu V.; Konstantinova, I. A.; Konstantinova, L. A.; Rakhimov, R. G.; Selivanov, A. B.

2017-11-01

Current development of aerospace technology and demands for the economic feasibility have led to a reduction in weight and size characteristics of the on-board electronics and other on-board equipment. There is a tendency to use small-scale spacecraft: midi-satellites, mini-satellites, nanosatellites etc. Reducing the weight and size characteristics of the satellites makes electromagnetic launching techniques more promising compared to traditional methods of sending payload into orbit. Electromagnetic launch does not require expensive space centers - it is cost-efficient, environmentally friendly and enables frequent low-cost launches.

A computationally efficient parallel Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm for highly parameterized inverse model analyses

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

Lin, Youzuo; O'Malley, Daniel; Vesselinov, Velimir V.

Inverse modeling seeks model parameters given a set of observations. However, for practical problems because the number of measurements is often large and the model parameters are also numerous, conventional methods for inverse modeling can be computationally expensive. We have developed a new, computationally-efficient parallel Levenberg-Marquardt method for solving inverse modeling problems with a highly parameterized model space. Levenberg-Marquardt methods require the solution of a linear system of equations which can be prohibitively expensive to compute for moderate to large-scale problems. Our novel method projects the original linear problem down to a Krylov subspace, such that the dimensionality of themore » problem can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, we store the Krylov subspace computed when using the first damping parameter and recycle the subspace for the subsequent damping parameters. The efficiency of our new inverse modeling algorithm is significantly improved using these computational techniques. We apply this new inverse modeling method to invert for random transmissivity fields in 2D and a random hydraulic conductivity field in 3D. Our algorithm is fast enough to solve for the distributed model parameters (transmissivity) in the model domain. The algorithm is coded in Julia and implemented in the MADS computational framework (http://mads.lanl.gov). By comparing with Levenberg-Marquardt methods using standard linear inversion techniques such as QR or SVD methods, our Levenberg-Marquardt method yields a speed-up ratio on the order of ~10 1 to ~10 2 in a multi-core computational environment. Furthermore, our new inverse modeling method is a powerful tool for characterizing subsurface heterogeneity for moderate- to large-scale problems.« less

Study of high-performance canonical molecular orbitals calculation for proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirano, Toshiyuki; Sato, Fumitoshi

2017-11-01

The canonical molecular orbital (CMO) calculation can help to understand chemical properties and reactions in proteins. However, it is difficult to perform the CMO calculation of proteins because of its self-consistent field (SCF) convergence problem and expensive computational cost. To certainly obtain the CMO of proteins, we work in research and development of high-performance CMO applications and perform experimental studies. We have proposed the third-generation density-functional calculation method of calculating the SCF, which is more advanced than the FILE and direct method. Our method is based on Cholesky decomposition for two-electron integrals calculation and the modified grid-free method for the pure-XC term evaluation. By using the third-generation density-functional calculation method, the Coulomb, the Fock-exchange, and the pure-XC terms can be given by simple linear algebraic procedure in the SCF loop. Therefore, we can expect to get a good parallel performance in solving the SCF problem by using a well-optimized linear algebra library such as BLAS on the distributed memory parallel computers. The third-generation density-functional calculation method is implemented to our program, ProteinDF. To achieve computing electronic structure of the large molecule, not only overcoming expensive computation cost and also good initial guess for safe SCF convergence are required. In order to prepare a precise initial guess for the macromolecular system, we have developed the quasi-canonical localized orbital (QCLO) method. The QCLO has the characteristics of both localized and canonical orbital in a certain region of the molecule. We have succeeded in the CMO calculations of proteins by using the QCLO method. For simplified and semi-automated calculation of the QCLO method, we have also developed a Python-based program, QCLObot.

A computationally efficient parallel Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm for highly parameterized inverse model analyses

DOE PAGES

Lin, Youzuo; O'Malley, Daniel; Vesselinov, Velimir V.

2016-09-01

Inverse modeling seeks model parameters given a set of observations. However, for practical problems because the number of measurements is often large and the model parameters are also numerous, conventional methods for inverse modeling can be computationally expensive. We have developed a new, computationally-efficient parallel Levenberg-Marquardt method for solving inverse modeling problems with a highly parameterized model space. Levenberg-Marquardt methods require the solution of a linear system of equations which can be prohibitively expensive to compute for moderate to large-scale problems. Our novel method projects the original linear problem down to a Krylov subspace, such that the dimensionality of themore » problem can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, we store the Krylov subspace computed when using the first damping parameter and recycle the subspace for the subsequent damping parameters. The efficiency of our new inverse modeling algorithm is significantly improved using these computational techniques. We apply this new inverse modeling method to invert for random transmissivity fields in 2D and a random hydraulic conductivity field in 3D. Our algorithm is fast enough to solve for the distributed model parameters (transmissivity) in the model domain. The algorithm is coded in Julia and implemented in the MADS computational framework (http://mads.lanl.gov). By comparing with Levenberg-Marquardt methods using standard linear inversion techniques such as QR or SVD methods, our Levenberg-Marquardt method yields a speed-up ratio on the order of ~10 1 to ~10 2 in a multi-core computational environment. Furthermore, our new inverse modeling method is a powerful tool for characterizing subsurface heterogeneity for moderate- to large-scale problems.« less

Health savings accounts--a revolutionary method of funding medical care expenses.

PubMed

Knox, George Con

2004-10-01

Health Savings Accounts coupled with a High-Deductible Health Care plan offer many eligible individuals the opportunity to reduce their insurance premiums and create a tax-deductible account to pay medical, dental, and vision care expenses.

Incision extension is the optimal method of difficult gallbladder extraction at laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Bordelon, B M; Hobday, K A; Hunter, J G

1992-01-01

An unsolved problem of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the optimal method of removing the gallbladder with thick walls and a large stone burden. Proposed solutions include fascial dilatation, stone crushing, and ultrasonic, high-speed rotary, or laser lithotripsy. Our observation was that extension of the fascial incision to remove the impacted gallbladder was time efficient and did not increase postoperative pain. We reviewed the narcotic requirements of 107 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Fifty-two patients required extension of the umbilical incision, and 55 patients did not have their fascial incision enlarged. Parenteral meperidine use was 39.5 +/- 63.6 mg in the patients requiring fascial incision extension and 66.3 +/- 79.2 mg in those not requiring fascial incision extension (mean +/- standard deviation). Oral narcotic requirements were 1.1 +/- 1.5 doses vs 1.3 +/- 1.7 doses in patients with and without incision extension, respectively. The wide range of narcotic use in both groups makes these apparent differences not statistically significant. We conclude that protracted attempts at stone crushing or expensive stone fragmentation devices are unnecessary for the extraction of a difficult gallbladder during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

F-16 Instructional Sequencing Plan Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

information). 2. Interference (learning of some tasks interferes with the learning of other tasks when they possess similar but confusing differences ...profound effect on the total training expense. This increases the desirability of systematic, precise methods of syllabus generation. Inherent in a given...the expensive to acquire. resource. Least cost The syllabus must Select sequences which provide a least total make maximum use of cost method of

One-step fabrication of multifunctional micromotors.

PubMed

Gao, Wenlong; Liu, Mei; Liu, Limei; Zhang, Hui; Dong, Bin; Li, Christopher Y

2015-09-07

Although artificial micromotors have undergone tremendous progress in recent years, their fabrication normally requires complex steps or expensive equipment. In this paper, we report a facile one-step method based on an emulsion solvent evaporation process to fabricate multifunctional micromotors. By simultaneously incorporating various components into an oil-in-water droplet, upon emulsification and solidification, a sphere-shaped, asymmetric, and multifunctional micromotor is formed. Some of the attractive functions of this model micromotor include autonomous movement in high ionic strength solution, remote control, enzymatic disassembly and sustained release. This one-step, versatile fabrication method can be easily scaled up and therefore may have great potential in mass production of multifunctional micromotors for a wide range of practical applications.

Methods of sound simulation and applications in flight simulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaertner, K. P.

1980-01-01

An overview of methods for electronically synthesizing sounds is presented. A given amount of hardware and computer capacity places an upper limit on the degree and fidelity of realism of sound simulation which is attainable. Good sound realism for aircraft simulators can be especially expensive because of the complexity of flight sounds and their changing patterns through time. Nevertheless, the flight simulator developed at the Research Institute for Human Engineering, West Germany, shows that it is possible to design an inexpensive sound simulator with the required acoustic properties using analog computer elements. The characteristics of the sub-sound elements produced by this sound simulator for take-off, cruise and approach are discussed.

Demonstration Of Ultra HI-FI (UHF) Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyson, Rodger W.

2004-01-01

Computational aero-acoustics (CAA) requires efficient, high-resolution simulation tools. Most current techniques utilize finite-difference approaches because high order accuracy is considered too difficult or expensive to achieve with finite volume or finite element methods. However, a novel finite volume approach (Ultra HI-FI or UHF) which utilizes Hermite fluxes is presented which can achieve both arbitrary accuracy and fidelity in space and time. The technique can be applied to unstructured grids with some loss of fidelity or with multi-block structured grids for maximum efficiency and resolution. In either paradigm, it is possible to resolve ultra-short waves (less than 2 PPW). This is demonstrated here by solving the 4th CAA workshop Category 1 Problem 1.

GPU Accelerated Prognostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorospe, George E., Jr.; Daigle, Matthew J.; Sankararaman, Shankar; Kulkarni, Chetan S.; Ng, Eley

2017-01-01

Prognostic methods enable operators and maintainers to predict the future performance for critical systems. However, these methods can be computationally expensive and may need to be performed each time new information about the system becomes available. In light of these computational requirements, we have investigated the application of graphics processing units (GPUs) as a computational platform for real-time prognostics. Recent advances in GPU technology have reduced cost and increased the computational capability of these highly parallel processing units, making them more attractive for the deployment of prognostic software. We present a survey of model-based prognostic algorithms with considerations for leveraging the parallel architecture of the GPU and a case study of GPU-accelerated battery prognostics with computational performance results.

Novel instrumentation of multispectral imaging technology for detecting tissue abnormity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Dingrong; Kong, Linghua

2012-10-01

Multispectral imaging is becoming a powerful tool in a wide range of biological and clinical studies by adding spectral, spatial and temporal dimensions to visualize tissue abnormity and the underlying biological processes. A conventional spectral imaging system includes two physically separated major components: a band-passing selection device (such as liquid crystal tunable filter and diffraction grating) and a scientific-grade monochromatic camera, and is expensive and bulky. Recently micro-arrayed narrow-band optical mosaic filter was invented and successfully fabricated to reduce the size and cost of multispectral imaging devices in order to meet the clinical requirement for medical diagnostic imaging applications. However the challenging issue of how to integrate and place the micro filter mosaic chip to the targeting focal plane, i.e., the imaging sensor, of an off-shelf CMOS/CCD camera is not reported anywhere. This paper presents the methods and results of integrating such a miniaturized filter with off-shelf CMOS imaging sensors to produce handheld real-time multispectral imaging devices for the application of early stage pressure ulcer (ESPU) detection. Unlike conventional multispectral imaging devices which are bulky and expensive, the resulting handheld real-time multispectral ESPU detector can produce multiple images at different center wavelengths with a single shot, therefore eliminates the image registration procedure required by traditional multispectral imaging technologies.

Changes in Ultrasonic Velocity from Fluid Substitution, Calculated with Laboratory Methods, Digital Rock Physics, and Biot Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldfarb, E. J.; Ikeda, K.; Tisato, N.

2017-12-01

Seismic and ultrasonic velocities of rocks are function of several variables including fluid saturation and type. Understanding the effect of each variable on elastic waves can be valuable when using seismic methods for subsurface modeling. Fluid type and saturation are of specific interest to volcanology, water, and hydrocarbon exploration. Laboratory testing is often employed to understand the effects of fluids on elastic waves. However, laboratory testing is expensive and time consuming. It normally requires cutting rare samples into regular shapes. Fluid injection can also destroy specimens as removing the fluid after testing can prove difficult. Another option is theoretical modeling, which can be used to predict the effect of fluids on elastic properties, but it is often inaccurate. Alternatively, digital rock physics (DRP) can be used to investigate the effect of fluid substitution. DRP has the benefit of being non invasive, as it does not require regular sample shapes or fluid injection. Here, we compare the three methods for dry and saturated Berea sandstone to test the reliability of DRP. First, ultrasonic velocities were obtained from laboratory testing. Second, for comparison, we used a purely theoretical approach - i.e., Hashin-Shtrikman and Biot theory - to estimate the wave speeds at dry and wet conditions. Third, we used DRP. The dry sample was scanned with micro Computed Tomography (µCT), and a three dimensional (3D) array was recorded. We employed a segmentation-less method to convert each 3D array value to density, porosity, elastic moduli, and wave speeds. Wave propagation was simulated numerically at similar frequency as the laboratory. To simulate fluid substitution, we numerically substituted air values for water and repeated the simulation. The results from DRP yielded similar velocities to the laboratory, and accurately predicted the velocity change from fluid substitution. Theoretical modeling could not accurately predict velocity, and under-predicted the velocity change from fluid substitution. The mathematical approach proved to be a poor comparison for the laboratory measurement. DRP proved to be effective, and could be used in future with drill cuttings, perhaps to limit the use of expensive cores. DRP could also limit the requirement for physically testing fluid substitution.

Read count-based method for high-throughput allelic genotyping of transposable elements and structural variants.

PubMed

Kuhn, Alexandre; Ong, Yao Min; Quake, Stephen R; Burkholder, William F

2015-07-08

Like other structural variants, transposable element insertions can be highly polymorphic across individuals. Their functional impact, however, remains poorly understood. Current genome-wide approaches for genotyping insertion-site polymorphisms based on targeted or whole-genome sequencing remain very expensive and can lack accuracy, hence new large-scale genotyping methods are needed. We describe a high-throughput method for genotyping transposable element insertions and other types of structural variants that can be assayed by breakpoint PCR. The method relies on next-generation sequencing of multiplex, site-specific PCR amplification products and read count-based genotype calls. We show that this method is flexible, efficient (it does not require rounds of optimization), cost-effective and highly accurate. This method can benefit a wide range of applications from the routine genotyping of animal and plant populations to the functional study of structural variants in humans.

Endoscopic methods in the treatment of early-stage esophageal cancer

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Most patients with early esophageal cancer restricted to the mucosa may be offered endoscopic therapy, which is similarly effective, less invasive and less expensive than esophagectomy. Selection of appropriate relevant treatment and therapy methods should be performed at a specialized center with adequate facilities. The selection of an endoscopic treatment method for high-grade dysplasia and early-stage esophageal adenocarcinoma requires that tumor infiltration is restricted to the mucosa and that there is no neighboring lymph node metastasis. In squamous cell carcinoma, this treatment method is accepted in cases of tumors invading only up to the lamina propria of mucosa (m2). Tumors treated with the endoscopic method should be well or moderately differentiated and should not invade lymphatic or blood vessels. When selecting endoscopic treatments for these lesions, a combination of endoscopic resection and endoscopic ablation methods should be considered. PMID:25097676

Health Insurance for Pregnant Minors. A Report from the State Board of Insurance to the 69th Texas Legislature, 1985.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Board of Insurance. Research and Information Services.

This document reports on the feasibility of requiring private insurance carriers to provide coverage of the pregnancy-related expenses of dependent minors and newborn care expenses of their offspring in Texas. The document relates the history of legislative interest in the topic of teenage pregnancy. The report states that although private medical…

26 CFR 1.217-2 - Deduction for moving expenses paid or incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 1969.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... of transportation actually used and in the shortest period of time commonly required to travel the... that the taxpayer and all members of his household travel together or at the same time. (5) Expenses of... travel together or at the same time. Moreover, a trip need not result in acquisition of a lease of...

Deciding to buy expensive technology. The case of biliary lithotripsy.

PubMed

Weingart, S N

1995-01-01

Acquiring expensive, new medical technology requires an evaluation of the efficacy and effectiveness, safety, profitability, feasibility, and risk of a project in the context of the hospital's social responsibility and institutional strategy. A case study of the decision to bring biliary lithotripsy to Strong Memorial Hospital illustrates how these criteria offer managers a coherent approach to difficult and consequential decisions about acquiring medical technology.

45 CFR 2528.70 - What steps are necessary to use an education award to pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... to pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? 2528.70 Section 2528.70 Public... incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? (a) Required Information. Before disbursing an amount from an education award for this purpose, the Corporation must receive— (1) An individual's...

45 CFR 2528.70 - What steps are necessary to use an education award to pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... to pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? 2528.70 Section 2528.70 Public... incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? (a) Required Information. Before disbursing an amount from an education award for this purpose, the Corporation must receive— (1) An individual's...

45 CFR 2528.70 - What steps are necessary to use an education award to pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... to pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? 2528.70 Section 2528.70 Public... incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? (a) Required Information. Before disbursing an amount from an education award for this purpose, the Corporation must receive— (1) An individual's...

45 CFR 2528.70 - What steps are necessary to use an education award to pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... to pay expenses incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? 2528.70 Section 2528.70 Public... incurred in enrolling in a G.I. Bill approved program? (a) Required Information. Before disbursing an amount from an education award for this purpose, the Corporation must receive— (1) An individual's...

26 CFR 1.21-1 - Expenses for household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...-year old child to a pre-school. The pre-school provides lunch and snacks. Under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, K is not required to allocate expenses between care and the lunch and snacks, because the lunch and snacks are incidental to and inseparably a part of the care. Therefore, K may treat the full...

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

I. W. Ginsberg

Multiresolutional decompositions known as spectral fingerprints are often used to extract spectral features from multispectral/hyperspectral data. In this study, the authors investigate the use of wavelet-based algorithms for generating spectral fingerprints. The wavelet-based algorithms are compared to the currently used method, traditional convolution with first-derivative Gaussian filters. The comparison analyses consists of two parts: (a) the computational expense of the new method is compared with the computational costs of the current method and (b) the outputs of the wavelet-based methods are compared with those of the current method to determine any practical differences in the resulting spectral fingerprints. The resultsmore » show that the wavelet-based algorithms can greatly reduce the computational expense of generating spectral fingerprints, while practically no differences exist in the resulting fingerprints. The analysis is conducted on a database of hyperspectral signatures, namely, Hyperspectral Digital Image Collection Experiment (HYDICE) signatures. The reduction in computational expense is by a factor of about 30, and the average Euclidean distance between resulting fingerprints is on the order of 0.02.« less

An Application of the Quadrature-Free Discontinuous Galerkin Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lockard, David P.; Atkins, Harold L.

2000-01-01

The process of generating a block-structured mesh with the smoothness required for high-accuracy schemes is still a time-consuming process often measured in weeks or months. Unstructured grids about complex geometries are more easily generated, and for this reason, methods using unstructured grids have gained favor for aerodynamic analyses. The discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is a compact finite-element projection method that provides a practical framework for the development of a high-order method using unstructured grids. Higher-order accuracy is obtained by representing the solution as a high-degree polynomial whose time evolution is governed by a local Galerkin projection. The traditional implementation of the discontinuous Galerkin uses quadrature for the evaluation of the integral projections and is prohibitively expensive. Atkins and Shu introduced the quadrature-free formulation in which the integrals are evaluated a-priori and exactly for a similarity element. The approach has been demonstrated to possess the accuracy required for acoustics even in cases where the grid is not smooth. Other issues such as boundary conditions and the treatment of non-linear fluxes have also been studied in earlier work This paper describes the application of the quadrature-free discontinuous Galerkin method to a two-dimensional shear layer problem. First, a brief description of the method is given. Next, the problem is described and the solution is presented. Finally, the resources required to perform the calculations are given.

Systems Maintenance Automated Repair Tasks (SMART)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

SMART is an interactive decision analysis and refinement software system that uses evaluation criteria for discrepant conditions to automatically provide and populate a document/procedure with predefined steps necessary to repair a discrepancy safely, effectively, and efficiently. SMART can store the tacit (corporate) knowledge merging the hardware specification requirements with the actual "how to" repair methods, sequences, and required equipment, all within a user-friendly interface. Besides helping organizations retain repair knowledge in streamlined procedures and sequences, SMART can also help them in saving processing time and expense, increasing productivity, improving quality, and adhering more closely to safety and other guidelines. Though SMART was developed for Space Shuttle applications, its interface is easily adaptable to any hardware that can be broken down by component, subcomponent, discrepancy, and repair.

Household catastrophic medical expenses in eastern China: determinants and policy implications

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Much of research on household catastrophic medical expenses in China has focused on less developed areas and little is known about this problem in more developed areas. This study aimed to analyse the incidence and determinants of catastrophic medical expenses in eastern China. Methods Data were obtained from a health care utilization and expense survey of 11,577 households conducted in eastern China in 2008. The incidence of household catastrophic medical expenses was calculated using the method introduced by the World Health Organization. A multi-level logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants. Results The incidence of household catastrophic medical expenses in eastern China ranged from 9.24% to 24.79%. Incidence of household catastrophic medical expenses was lower if the head of household had a higher level of education, labor insurance coverage, while the incidence was higher if they lived in rural areas, had a family member with chronic diseases, had a child younger than 5 years old, had a person at home who was at least 65 years old, and had a household member who was hospitalized. Moreover, the impact of the economic level on catastrophic medical expenses was non-linear. The poorest group had a lower incidence than that of the second lowest income group and the group with the highest income had a higher incidence than that of the second highest income group. In addition, region was a significant determinant. Conclusions Reducing the incidence of household catastrophic medical expenses should be one of the priorities of health policy. It can be achieved by improving residents’ health status to reduce avoidable health services such as hospitalization. It is also important to design more targeted health insurance in order to increase financial support for such vulnerable groups as the poor, chronically ill, children, and senior populations. PMID:24308317

Medicare and Medicaid programs; Home Health Prospective Payment System rate update for CY 2014, home health quality reporting requirements, and cost allocation of home health survey expenses. Final rule.

PubMed

2013-12-02

This final rule will update the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) rates, including the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rates, the national per-visit rates, the low-utilization payment adjustment (LUPA) add-on, and the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversion factor under the Medicare prospective payment system for home health agencies (HHAs), effective January 1, 2014. As required by the Affordable Care Act, this rule establishes rebasing adjustments, with a 4-year phase-in, to the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rates; the national per-visit rates; and the NRS conversion factor. In addition, this final rule will remove 170 diagnosis codes from assignment to diagnosis groups within the HH PPS Grouper, effective January 1, 2014. Finally, this rule will establish home health quality reporting requirements for CY 2014 payment and subsequent years and will clarify that a state Medicaid program must provide that, in certifying HHAs, the state's designated survey agency carry out certain other responsibilities that already apply to surveys of nursing facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF-IID), including sharing in the cost of HHA surveys. For that portion of costs attributable to Medicare and Medicaid, we will assign 50 percent to Medicare and 50 percent to Medicaid, the standard method that CMS and states use in the allocation of expenses related to surveys of nursing homes.

Etching-free patterning method for electrical characterization of atomically thin MoSe2 films grown by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utama, M. Iqbal Bakti; Lu, Xin; Zhan, Da; Ha, Son Tung; Yuan, Yanwen; Shen, Zexiang; Xiong, Qihua

2014-10-01

Patterning two-dimensional materials into specific spatial arrangements and geometries is essential for both fundamental studies of materials and practical applications in electronics. However, the currently available patterning methods generally require etching steps that rely on complicated and expensive procedures. We report here a facile patterning method for atomically thin MoSe2 films using stripping with an SU-8 negative resist layer exposed to electron beam lithography. Additional steps of chemical and physical etching were not necessary in this SU-8 patterning method. The SU-8 patterning was used to define a ribbon channel from a field effect transistor of MoSe2 film, which was grown by chemical vapor deposition. The narrowing of the conduction channel area with SU-8 patterning was crucial in suppressing the leakage current within the device, thereby allowing a more accurate interpretation of the electrical characterization results from the sample. An electrical transport study, enabled by the SU-8 patterning, showed a variable range hopping behavior at high temperatures.Patterning two-dimensional materials into specific spatial arrangements and geometries is essential for both fundamental studies of materials and practical applications in electronics. However, the currently available patterning methods generally require etching steps that rely on complicated and expensive procedures. We report here a facile patterning method for atomically thin MoSe2 films using stripping with an SU-8 negative resist layer exposed to electron beam lithography. Additional steps of chemical and physical etching were not necessary in this SU-8 patterning method. The SU-8 patterning was used to define a ribbon channel from a field effect transistor of MoSe2 film, which was grown by chemical vapor deposition. The narrowing of the conduction channel area with SU-8 patterning was crucial in suppressing the leakage current within the device, thereby allowing a more accurate interpretation of the electrical characterization results from the sample. An electrical transport study, enabled by the SU-8 patterning, showed a variable range hopping behavior at high temperatures. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Further experiments on patterning and additional electrical characterizations data. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr03817g

Laboratory diagnosis of Chlamydia pneumoniae infections

PubMed Central

Peeling, Rosanna W

1995-01-01

Chlamydia pneumoniae is an important cause of respiratory illness. There is a need for accurate and rapid laboratory diagnostic methods that will lead to improved patient care, appropriate use of antimicrobial therapy and a better understanding of the epidemiology of this emerging pathogen. Culture is highly specific but is technically demanding, expensive, has a long turnaround time and its sensitivity is highly dependent on transport conditions. Antigen detection tests such as enzyme immunoassay and direct fluorescent antibody assay, and molecular detection methods such as the polymerase chain reaction assay, may provide a rapid diagnosis without the requirement for stringent transport conditions. The results of these tests should be interpreted with caution until more thorough evaluation is available. Serology remains the method of choice. The limitations of different serological methods for the laboratory diagnosis of C pneumoniae are discussed. PMID:22514397

A Method for the Immortalization of Newborn Mouse Skin Keratinocytes

PubMed Central

Hammiller, Brianna O.; El-Abaseri, Taghrid Bahig; Dlugosz, Andrzej A.; Hansen, Laura A.

2015-01-01

Isolation and culture of mouse primary epidermal keratinocytes is a common technique that allows for easy genetic and environmental manipulation. However, due to their limited lifespan in culture, experiments utilizing primary keratinocytes require large numbers of animals, and are time consuming and expensive. To avoid these issues, we developed a method for the immortalization of primary mouse epidermal keratinocytes. Upon isolation of newborn epidermal keratinocytes according to established methods, the cells were cultured long-term in keratinocyte growth factor-containing medium. The cells senesced within a few weeks and eventually, small, slowly growing colonies emerged. After they regained confluency, the cells were passaged and slowly refilled the dish. With several rounds of subculture, the cells adapted to culture conditions, were easily subcultured, maintained normal morphology, and were apparently immortal. The immortalized cells retained the ability to differentiate with increased calcium concentrations, and were maintained to high passage numbers while maintaining a relatively stable karyotype. Analysis of multiple immortalized cell lines as well as primary keratinocyte cultures revealed increased numbers of chromosomes, especially in the primary keratinocytes, and chromosomal aberrations in most of the immortalized cultures and in the primary keratinocytes. Orthotopic grafting of immortalized keratinocytes together with fibroblasts onto nude mouse hosts produced skin while v-rasHa infection of the immortalized keratinocytes prior to grafting produced squamous cell carcinoma. In summary, this method of cell line generation allows for decreased use of animals, reduces the expense and time involved in research, and provides a useful model for cutaneous keratinocyte experimentation. PMID:26284198

Manufacturing PDMS micro lens array using spin coating under a multiphase system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Rongrong; Yang, Hanry; Rock, D. Mitchell; Danaei, Roozbeh; Panat, Rahul; Kessler, Michael R.; Li, Lei

2017-05-01

The development of micro lens arrays has garnered much interest due to increased demand of miniaturized systems. Traditional methods for manufacturing micro lens arrays have several shortcomings. For example, they require expensive facilities and long lead time, and traditional lens materials (i.e. glass) are typically heavy, costly and difficult to manufacture. In this paper, we explore a method for manufacturing a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro lens array using a simple spin coating technique. The micro lens array, formed under an interfacial tension dominated system, and the influence of material properties and process parameters on the fabricated lens shape are examined. The lenses fabricated using this method show comparable optical properties—including surface finish and image quality—with a reduced cost and manufacturing lead time.

The impact of image storage organization on the effectiveness of PACS.

PubMed

Hindel, R

1990-11-01

Picture archiving communication system (PACS) requires efficient handling of large amounts of data. Mass storage systems are cost effective but slow, while very fast systems, like frame buffers and parallel transfer disks, are expensive. The image traffic can be divided into inbound traffic generated by diagnostic modalities and outbound traffic into workstations. At the contact points with medical professionals, the responses must be fast. Archiving, on the other hand, can employ slower but less expensive storage systems, provided that the primary activities are not impeded. This article illustrates a segmentation architecture meeting these requirements based on a clearly defined PACS concept.

50 CFR 253.14 - Economic and financial requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Economic and financial requirements. 253... Obligation Guarantee Program § 253.14 Economic and financial requirements. (a) Income and expense projections... project's economic, technical, or financial feasibility. The Division will select and employ the necessary...

46 CFR 310.65 - Graduation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... following requirements: (i) Completion of the required course of study; (ii) Fulfillment of the requirements... midshipman disciplinary and honor systems. (2) Graduates receive the degree of Bachelor of Science and a U.S... Navy. (3) In return for the education received at Government expense, each applicant shall sign an...

46 CFR 310.65 - Graduation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... following requirements: (i) Completion of the required course of study; (ii) Fulfillment of the requirements... midshipman disciplinary and honor systems. (2) Graduates receive the degree of Bachelor of Science and a U.S... Navy. (3) In return for the education received at Government expense, each applicant shall sign an...

Preparing your organization's training program for ICD-10.

PubMed

Carolan, Katie; Reitzel, David

2011-10-01

Training for ICD-10 is going to be expensive, though predictions of how expensive vary widely. Healthcare finance executives should create a flexible, multiyear capital and operating budget to prepare for ICD-10 conversion and the training and support that will be required. Healthcare organizations also should assess staff knowledge in the critical ICD-10 areas and begin training now to be ready for go-live by early 2013.

JPRS Report, East Europe.

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-07

is in imbalance, feed dosages are concept, we were to be producing 1 ton of grain per frequently changed, mastitis follows poor hygiene, etc...required 150 grams)-and in expensive foodstuffs are not produced by agriculture, but this country we produced 3,750 liters of milk per cow by our entire...not even thinking is erroneous, agricultural workers are not to penicillin prolongs the life of milk cows on average to blame for expensive

A method for reducing the largest relative errors in Monte Carlo iterated-fission-source calculations

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

Hunter, J. L.; Sutton, T. M.

2013-07-01

In Monte Carlo iterated-fission-source calculations relative uncertainties on local tallies tend to be larger in lower-power regions and smaller in higher-power regions. Reducing the largest uncertainties to an acceptable level simply by running a larger number of neutron histories is often prohibitively expensive. The uniform fission site method has been developed to yield a more spatially-uniform distribution of relative uncertainties. This is accomplished by biasing the density of fission neutron source sites while not biasing the solution. The method is integrated into the source iteration process, and does not require any auxiliary forward or adjoint calculations. For a given amountmore » of computational effort, the use of the method results in a reduction of the largest uncertainties relative to the standard algorithm. Two variants of the method have been implemented and tested. Both have been shown to be effective. (authors)« less

Chemiluminescence of creatinine/H2O2/Co(2+) and its application for selective creatinine detection.

PubMed

Hanif, Saima; John, Peter; Gao, Wenyue; Saqib, Muhammad; Qi, Liming; Xu, Guobao

2016-01-15

Creatinine is an important biomarker in clinical diagnosis and biomonitoring programs as well as urinary metabolomic/metabonomics research. Current methods are either nonselective, time consuming or require heavy and expensive instruments. In this study, chemiluminescence of creatinine with hydrogen peroxide has been reported for the first time, and its chemiluminescence is remarkably enhanced in the presence of cobalt ions. By utilizing these phenomena, we have developed a sensitive and selective chemiluminescence method for creatinine determination by coupling with flow injection analysis. The calibration curve is linear in the range of 1×10(-7)-3×10(-5)mol/L with a limit of detection (S/N=3) of 7.2×10(-8)mol/L, which is adequate for detecting creatinine in the clinically accepted range. The relative standard deviation for seven measurements of 3×10(-5)mol/L creatinine is 1.2%. The chemiluminescence method was then utilized to detect creatinine in human urine samples after simple dilution with water. It takes less than 1min each measurement and the recoveries for spiked urine samples were 100-103%. The interference study demonstrates that some common species in urine, such as amino acids, ascorbic acid and creatine, have negligible effects on creatinine detection. The present method does not use expensive instruments, enzymes and separation technique. This method has the advantages of sensitivity, selectivity, simplicity, rapidity, and low cost. It holds great promise for basic or comprehensive metabolic panel, drug screening, anti-dopping, and urinary metabolomic/metabonomics research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An approach to the design of wide-angle optical systems with special illumination and IFOV requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pravdivtsev, Andrey V.

2012-06-01

The article presents the approach to the design wide-angle optical systems with special illumination and instantaneous field of view (IFOV) requirements. The unevenness of illumination reduces the dynamic range of the system, which negatively influence on the system ability to perform their task. The result illumination on the detector depends among other factors from the IFOV changes. It is also necessary to consider IFOV in the synthesis of data processing algorithms, as it directly affects to the potential "signal/background" ratio for the case of statistically homogeneous backgrounds. A numerical-analytical approach that simplifies the design of wideangle optical systems with special illumination and IFOV requirements is presented. The solution can be used for optical systems which field of view greater than 180 degrees. Illumination calculation in optical CAD is based on computationally expensive tracing of large number of rays. The author proposes to use analytical expression for some characteristics which illumination depends on. The rest characteristic are determined numerically in calculation with less computationally expensive operands, the calculation performs not every optimization step. The results of analytical calculation inserts in the merit function of optical CAD optimizer. As a result we reduce the optimizer load, since using less computationally expensive operands. It allows reducing time and resources required to develop a system with the desired characteristics. The proposed approach simplifies the creation and understanding of the requirements for the quality of the optical system, reduces the time and resources required to develop an optical system, and allows creating more efficient EOS.

48 CFR 831.7001-3 - Books, supplies, and equipment required to be personally owned.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) When supplies are available in several prices, grades, or qualities, VA will provide reimbursement only for that quality or grade that will meet the requirements. (d) Partial payment agreements, in which VA... research expenses, typing, printing, microfilming, or otherwise reproducing the required number of copies...

76 FR 63582 - Reporting Requirements for Positive Train Control Expenses and Investments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-13

.... We propose to adopt supplemental schedules to the R-1 to require financial disclosure with respect to... request. In Class I Railroad & Financial Reporting--Transportation of Hazardous Materials, EP 681 (STB... Board's accounting and reporting requirements, including some of the same schedules raised by UP in this...

Large-scale expensive black-box function optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashid, Kashif; Bailey, William; Couët, Benoît

2012-09-01

This paper presents the application of an adaptive radial basis function method to a computationally expensive black-box reservoir simulation model of many variables. An iterative proxy-based scheme is used to tune the control variables, distributed for finer control over a varying number of intervals covering the total simulation period, to maximize asset NPV. The method shows that large-scale simulation-based function optimization of several hundred variables is practical and effective.

Sensitivity Analysis for Coupled Aero-structural Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giunta, Anthony A.

1999-01-01

A novel method has been developed for calculating gradients of aerodynamic force and moment coefficients for an aeroelastic aircraft model. This method uses the Global Sensitivity Equations (GSE) to account for the aero-structural coupling, and a reduced-order modal analysis approach to condense the coupling bandwidth between the aerodynamic and structural models. Parallel computing is applied to reduce the computational expense of the numerous high fidelity aerodynamic analyses needed for the coupled aero-structural system. Good agreement is obtained between aerodynamic force and moment gradients computed with the GSE/modal analysis approach and the same quantities computed using brute-force, computationally expensive, finite difference approximations. A comparison between the computational expense of the GSE/modal analysis method and a pure finite difference approach is presented. These results show that the GSE/modal analysis approach is the more computationally efficient technique if sensitivity analysis is to be performed for two or more aircraft design parameters.

Application of Wavelet-Based Methods for Accelerating Multi-Time-Scale Simulation of Bistable Heterogeneous Catalysis

DOE PAGES

Gur, Sourav; Frantziskonis, George N.; Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; ...

2017-02-16

Here, we report results from a numerical study of multi-time-scale bistable dynamics for CO oxidation on a catalytic surface in a flowing, well-mixed gas stream. The problem is posed in terms of surface and gas-phase submodels that dynamically interact in the presence of stochastic perturbations, reflecting the impact of molecular-scale fluctuations on the surface and turbulence in the gas. Wavelet-based methods are used to encode and characterize the temporal dynamics produced by each submodel and detect the onset of sudden state shifts (bifurcations) caused by nonlinear kinetics. When impending state shifts are detected, a more accurate but computationally expensive integrationmore » scheme can be used. This appears to make it possible, at least in some cases, to decrease the net computational burden associated with simulating multi-time-scale, nonlinear reacting systems by limiting the amount of time in which the more expensive integration schemes are required. Critical to achieving this is being able to detect unstable temporal transitions such as the bistable shifts in the example problem considered here. Lastly, our results indicate that a unique wavelet-based algorithm based on the Lipschitz exponent is capable of making such detections, even under noisy conditions, and may find applications in critical transition detection problems beyond catalysis.« less

Recent developments in sensing methods for eutrophying nutrients with a focus on automation for environmental applications.

PubMed

Duffy, G; Regan, F

2017-11-20

The demand for autonomous sensors for unattended, continuous nutrient monitoring in water is rapidly growing with the increasing need for more frequent and widespread environmental pollution monitoring. Legislative bodies, local authorities and industries all require frequent water quality monitoring, however, this is time and labour intensive, and an expensive undertaking. Autonomous sensors allow for frequent, unattended data collection. While this solves the time and labour intensive aspects of water monitoring, sensors can be very expensive. Development of low-cost sensors is essential to realise the concept of Internet of Things (IoT). However there is much work yet to be done in this field. This article reviews current literature on the research and development efforts towards deployable autonomous sensors for phosphorus (in the form of phosphate) and nitrogen (in the form of nitrate), with a focus on analytical performance and cost considerations. Additionally, some recent sensing approaches that could be automated in the future are included, along with an overview of approaches to monitoring both nutrients. These approaches are compared with standard laboratory methods and also with commercially available sensors for both phosphate and nitrate. Application of nutrient sensors in agriculture is discussed as an example of how sensor networks can provide improvements in decision making.

Data and methods of a 1999-2000 street sweeping study on an urban freeway in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waschbusch, Robert J.

2003-01-01

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is required to control the quality of runoff from roadways under their control as part of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. One way to control roadway runoff is to use street sweeping to remove pollutants before they are entrained in runoff. This may be a good option because land is often unavailable or prohibitively expensive and structural best-management practices can also be expensive. This study collected stormwater runoff samples and dirt samples from the roadway surface from a section of Interstate Highway 894 near Milwaukee, Wisconsin during periods when a street sweeping program was and was not in effect. These data may be useful in evaluating street sweeping as a stormwater best management practice but this study did not perform this evaluation. Data collection methods, concentrations of sediment and other constituents in storm- water runoff, and street dirt masses are presented in this report. Replicate and comparison sample results indicate that when evaluating the effectiveness of best-management practices on highway runoff, suspended sediment results should be used rather than suspended solids, presumably because the particle sizes in highway runoff is large compared to those found in other types of stormwater runoff.

Elevator ride comfort monitoring and evaluation using smartphones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yang; Sun, Xiaowei; Zhao, Xuefeng; Su, Wensheng

2018-05-01

With rapid urbanization, the demand for elevators is increasing, and their level of safety and ride comfort under vibrating conditions has also aroused interest. It is therefore essential to monitor the ride comfort level of elevators. The traditional method for such monitoring depends significantly on regular professional inspections, and requires expensive equipment and professional skill. With this regard, a new method for elevator ride comfort monitoring using a smartphone is demonstrated herein in detail. A variety of high-precision sensors are installed in a smartphone with strong data processing and telecommunication capabilities. A series of validation tests were designed and completed, and the international organization for standardization ISO2631-1997 was applied to evaluate the level of elevator ride comfort. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method is stable and reliable, its precision meets the engineering requirements, and the elevator ride comfort level can be accurately monitored under various situations. The method is very economical and convenient, and provides the possibility for the public to participate in elevator ride comfort monitoring. In addition, the method can both provide a wide range of data support and eliminate data errors to a certain extent.

A comparison of artificial compressibility and fractional step methods for incompressible flow computations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, Daniel C.; Darian, Armen; Sindir, Munir

1992-01-01

We have applied and compared the efficiency and accuracy of two commonly used numerical methods for the solution of Navier-Stokes equations. The artificial compressibility method augments the continuity equation with a transient pressure term and allows one to solve the modified equations as a coupled system. Due to its implicit nature, one can have the luxury of taking a large temporal integration step at the expense of higher memory requirement and larger operation counts per step. Meanwhile, the fractional step method splits the Navier-Stokes equations into a sequence of differential operators and integrates them in multiple steps. The memory requirement and operation count per time step are low, however, the restriction on the size of time marching step is more severe. To explore the strengths and weaknesses of these two methods, we used them for the computation of a two-dimensional driven cavity flow with Reynolds number of 100 and 1000, respectively. Three grid sizes, 41 x 41, 81 x 81, and 161 x 161 were used. The computations were considered after the L2-norm of the change of the dependent variables in two consecutive time steps has fallen below 10(exp -5).

The observation of sporadic meteors and meteor showers by means of radio technology measuring equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schippke, W.

1981-08-01

Advantages regarding a tracking of meteors with the aid of the instruments of radio technology are related to the possibility for continuous observations without any dependence on meteorological conditions or on the time of day or night. Two methods exist for the registration of the traces of meteors, including a passive and an active method. The appropriate frequency range for both methods is the lower VHF range. For passive observations a very sensitive measurement receiver is required along with recording equipment, and a suitable antenna system. In Europe there are many television transmitters which are eminently suited for a detection of meteor traces. The active method for tracking meteors is more difficult and requires for its employment more expensive equipment than the passive method. It is based on the use of a VHF metric-wave radar. These devices operate normally also at a frequency of approximately 50 or 60 MHz. Attention is given to the theory of meteoric scattering, the various types of ionized trails, the geometry of meteor traces, results obtained in an observational station in Munich, and observations in the 144-MHz band.

26 CFR 1.117-5 - Federal grants requiring future service as a Federal employee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... help, equipment and other expenses which are not required for enrollment at the institution or in a..., cancelled checks or other convenient documentation or records which clearly reflect the use of the money...

26 CFR 1.117-5 - Federal grants requiring future service as a Federal employee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... help, equipment and other expenses which are not required for enrollment at the institution or in a..., cancelled checks or other convenient documentation or records which clearly reflect the use of the money...

26 CFR 1.117-5 - Federal grants requiring future service as a Federal employee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... help, equipment and other expenses which are not required for enrollment at the institution or in a..., cancelled checks or other convenient documentation or records which clearly reflect the use of the money...

26 CFR 1.117-5 - Federal grants requiring future service as a Federal employee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... help, equipment and other expenses which are not required for enrollment at the institution or in a..., cancelled checks or other convenient documentation or records which clearly reflect the use of the money...

The Politics of Access to Expensive Drugs: INESSS and the Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry

PubMed Central

Hughes, David

2012-01-01

The innovative pharmaceutical industry employs thousands of people in Quebec and so has the ability to exert strong political pressure; the public statements of Sanofi-Aventis concerning the provincial reimbursement of certain expensive drugs are an example. “Maintaining a dynamic biopharmaceutical industry” is one of four main axes of the drug policy of Quebec's ministry of health. However, this role of government should not take precedence over the efficient and equitable management of health resources. We defend the legitimate and responsible choice of the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux du Québec (INESSS) to require an acceptable cost-effectiveness ratio from expensive new drugs. PMID:23634161

Evaluation of the effectiveness of two support surfaces following myocutaneous flap surgery.

PubMed

Economides, N G; Skoutakis, V A; Carter, C A; Smith, V H

1995-01-01

Recurrence of pressure ulcers is a serious problem following myocutaneous flap surgery and can lead to prolonged and expensive hospitalization. One of the most important aspects of patient care after surgery is the monitoring of reduced pressure in the area of the flap. Usually reducing pressure requires an expensive high-tech support surface. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a less expensive support surface. There were 12 patients involved in a clinical trial that lasted 14 days and compared the effectiveness of the ROHO dry-floatation mattress to that of the Clinitron bed. Findings indicated that post-operative patients were effectively treated on either support surface.

41 CFR 300-90.9 - What reports are required for a test program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... required for a test program? 300-90.9 Section 300-90.9 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System GENERAL AGENCY REQUIREMENTS 90-TELEWORK TRAVEL EXPENSES TEST PROGRAMS § 300-90.9 What reports are required for a test program? (a) The Administrator of General Services must submit to...

Response Matrix Monte Carlo for electron transport

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

Ballinger, C.T.; Nielsen, D.E. Jr.; Rathkopf, J.A.

1990-11-01

A Response Matrix Monte Carol (RMMC) method has been developed for solving electron transport problems. This method was born of the need to have a reliable, computationally efficient transport method for low energy electrons (below a few hundred keV) in all materials. Today, condensed history methods are used which reduce the computation time by modeling the combined effect of many collisions but fail at low energy because of the assumptions required to characterize the electron scattering. Analog Monte Carlo simulations are prohibitively expensive since electrons undergo coulombic scattering with little state change after a collision. The RMMC method attempts tomore » combine the accuracy of an analog Monte Carlo simulation with the speed of the condensed history methods. The combined effect of many collisions is modeled, like condensed history, except it is precalculated via an analog Monte Carol simulation. This avoids the scattering kernel assumptions associated with condensed history methods. Results show good agreement between the RMMC method and analog Monte Carlo. 11 refs., 7 figs., 1 tabs.« less

Inventory information approval system certification and flexible spending account purchases.

PubMed

Shuey, Brandon; Williams, La Vonn A

2010-01-01

There is no question that 2009 was a year of change within the pharmacy industry. Several new requirements were implemented, including the need for an Inventory Information Approval System for accepting flexible spending or health reimbursement account cords. Some pharmacies relied on the 90% exemption rule, which is discussed within this article, or an alternative method to avoid the expense of a point of sale. However, with flexible spending or health reimbursement account card participation expected to reach 85% in 2010, now bay be the time for compounding pharmacists to weigh the pros and cons of Inventory Information Approval System certification.

Anesthesiology training using 3D imaging and virtual reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blezek, Daniel J.; Robb, Richard A.; Camp, Jon J.; Nauss, Lee A.

1996-04-01

Current training for regional nerve block procedures by anesthesiology residents requires expert supervision and the use of cadavers; both of which are relatively expensive commodities in today's cost-conscious medical environment. We are developing methods to augment and eventually replace these training procedures with real-time and realistic computer visualizations and manipulations of the anatomical structures involved in anesthesiology procedures, such as nerve plexus injections (e.g., celiac blocks). The initial work is focused on visualizations: both static images and rotational renderings. From the initial results, a coherent paradigm for virtual patient and scene representation will be developed.

System for thermochemical hydrogen production

DOEpatents

Werner, R.W.; Galloway, T.R.; Krikorian, O.H.

1981-05-22

Method and apparatus are described for joule boosting a SO/sub 3/ decomposer using electrical instead of thermal energy to heat the reactants of the high temperature SO/sub 3/ decomposition step of a thermochemical hydrogen production process driven by a tandem mirror reactor. Joule boosting the decomposer to a sufficiently high temperature from a lower temperature heat source eliminates the need for expensive catalysts and reduces the temperature and consequent materials requirements for the reactor blanket. A particular decomposer design utilizes electrically heated silicon carbide rods, at a temperature of 1250/sup 0/K, to decompose a cross flow of SO/sub 3/ gas.

Means and method of balancing multi-cylinder reciprocating machines

DOEpatents

Corey, John A.; Walsh, Michael M.

1985-01-01

A virtual balancing axis arrangement is described for multi-cylinder reciprocating piston machines for effectively balancing out imbalanced forces and minimizing residual imbalance moments acting on the crankshaft of such machines without requiring the use of additional parallel-arrayed balancing shafts or complex and expensive gear arrangements. The novel virtual balancing axis arrangement is capable of being designed into multi-cylinder reciprocating piston and crankshaft machines for substantially reducing vibrations induced during operation of such machines with only minimal number of additional component parts. Some of the required component parts may be available from parts already required for operation of auxiliary equipment, such as oil and water pumps used in certain types of reciprocating piston and crankshaft machine so that by appropriate location and dimensioning in accordance with the teachings of the invention, the virtual balancing axis arrangement can be built into the machine at little or no additional cost.

Automated Fluid Feature Extraction from Transient Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haimes, Robert

2000-01-01

In the past, feature extraction and identification were interesting concepts, but not required in understanding the physics of a steady flow field. This is because the results of the more traditional tools like iso-surfaces, cuts and streamlines, were more interactive and easily abstracted so they could be represented to the investigator. These tools worked and properly conveyed the collected information at the expense of a great deal of interaction. For unsteady flow-fields, the investigator does not have the luxury of spending time scanning only one 'snap-shot' of the simulation. Automated assistance is required in pointing out areas of potential interest contained within the flow. This must not require a heavy compute burden (the visualization should not significantly slow down the solution procedure for co-processing environments like pV3). And methods must be developed to abstract the feature and display it in a manner that physically makes sense.

Integrating TITAN2D Geophysical Mass Flow Model with GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namikawa, L. M.; Renschler, C.

2005-12-01

TITAN2D simulates geophysical mass flows over natural terrain using depth-averaged granular flow models and requires spatially distributed parameter values to solve differential equations. Since a Geographical Information System (GIS) main task is integration and manipulation of data covering a geographic region, the use of a GIS for implementation of simulation of complex, physically-based models such as TITAN2D seems a natural choice. However, simulation of geophysical flows requires computationally intensive operations that need unique optimizations, such as adaptative grids and parallel processing. Thus GIS developed for general use cannot provide an effective environment for complex simulations and the solution is to develop a linkage between GIS and simulation model. The present work presents the solution used for TITAN2D where data structure of a GIS is accessed by simulation code through an Application Program Interface (API). GRASS is an open source GIS with published data formats thus GRASS data structure was selected. TITAN2D requires elevation, slope, curvature, and base material information at every cell to be computed. Results from simulation are visualized by a system developed to handle the large amount of output data and to support a realistic dynamic 3-D display of flow dynamics, which requires elevation and texture, usually from a remote sensor image. Data required by simulation is in raster format, using regular rectangular grids. GRASS format for regular grids is based on data file (binary file storing data either uncompressed or compressed by grid row), header file (text file, with information about georeferencing, data extents, and grid cell resolution), and support files (text files, with information about color table and categories names). The implemented API provides access to original data (elevation, base material, and texture from imagery) and slope and curvature derived from elevation data. From several existing methods to estimate slope and curvature from elevation, the selected one is based on estimation by a third-order finite difference method, which has shown to perform better or with minimal difference when compared to more computationally expensive methods. Derivatives are estimated using weighted sum of 8 grid neighbor values. The method was implemented and simulation results compared to derivatives estimated by a simplified version of the method (uses only 4 neighbor cells) and proven to perform better. TITAN2D uses an adaptative mesh grid, where resolution (grid cell size) is not constant, and visualization tools also uses texture with varying resolutions for efficient display. The API supports different resolutions applying bilinear interpolation when elevation, slope and curvature are required at a resolution higher (smaller cell size) than the original and using a nearest cell approach for elevations with lower resolution (larger) than the original. For material information nearest neighbor method is used since interpolation on categorical data has no meaning. Low fidelity characteristic of visualization allows use of nearest neighbor method for texture. Bilinear interpolation estimates the value at a point as the distance-weighted average of values at the closest four cell centers, and interpolation performance is just slightly inferior compared to more computationally expensive methods such as bicubic interpolation and kriging.

Phase-change lines, scale breaks, and trend lines using Excel 2013.

PubMed

Deochand, Neil; Costello, Mack S; Fuqua, R Wayne

2015-01-01

The development of graphing skills for behavior analysts is an ongoing process. Specialized graphing software is often expensive, is not widely disseminated, and may require specific training. Dixon et al. (2009) provided an updated task analysis for graph making in the widely used platform Excel 2007. Vanselow and Bourret (2012) provided online tutorials that outline some alternate methods also using Office 2007. This article serves as an update to those task analyses and includes some alternative and underutilized methods in Excel 2013. To examine the utility of our recommendations, 12 psychology graduate students were presented with the task analyses, and the experimenters evaluated their performance and noted feedback. The task analyses were rated favorably. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Guideline on Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry

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

Gaffney, Amy

Isotope dilution mass spectrometry is used to determine the concentration of an element of interest in a bulk sample. It is a destructive analysis technique that is applicable to a wide range of analytes and bulk sample types. With this method, a known amount of a rare isotope, or ‘spike’, of the element of interest is added to a known amount of sample. The element of interest is chemically purified from the bulk sample, the isotope ratio of the spiked sample is measured by mass spectrometry, and the concentration of the element of interest is calculated from this result. Thismore » method is widely used, although a mass spectrometer required for this analysis may be fairly expensive.« less

Aptasensors for quantitative detection of Salmonella Typhimurium.

PubMed

Ansari, Najmeh; Yazdian-Robati, Rezvan; Shahdordizadeh, Mahin; Wang, Zhouping; Ghazvini, Kiarash

2017-09-15

Salmonella is one of the most frequent causes of food borne infectious disease. Among nearly 2500 documented serotypes are reported, Salmonella Typhimurium is the number one serotype associated with salmonellosis worldwide. Many different methods have been developed for the detection and quantification of S. typhimurium. Most of these assays are usually expensive, time consuming and require difficult sample preparation steps. Therefore, it is necessary to develop rapid, robust, cost-effective and sensitive alternative detection methods. In the last years, aptasensors, used for detection of S. typhimurium in different samples. In this review, recent advances and applications of aptasensors for the detection and quantification of S. typhimurium in details have been summarized. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy inverse planning on dose-volume criteria by simulated annealing.

PubMed

Deist, T M; Gorissen, B L

2016-02-07

High-dose-rate brachytherapy is a tumor treatment method where a highly radioactive source is brought in close proximity to the tumor. In this paper we develop a simulated annealing algorithm to optimize the dwell times at preselected dwell positions to maximize tumor coverage under dose-volume constraints on the organs at risk. Compared to existing algorithms, our algorithm has advantages in terms of speed and objective value and does not require an expensive general purpose solver. Its success mainly depends on exploiting the efficiency of matrix multiplication and a careful selection of the neighboring states. In this paper we outline its details and make an in-depth comparison with existing methods using real patient data.

Liquid Photonic Crystals for Mesopore Detection.

PubMed

Zhu, Biting; Fu, Qianqian; Chen, Ke; Ge, Jianping

2018-01-02

Nitrogen adsorption-desorption for mesopore characterization requires the using of expensive instrumentation, time-consuming processes, and the consumption of liquid nitrogen. Herein, a new method is developed to measure the pore parameters through mixing a mesoporous substance with a supersaturated SiO 2 colloidal solution at different temperatures, and subsequent rapid measurement of reflection changes of the precipitated liquid photonic crystals. The pore volumes and diameters of mesoporous silica were measured according to the positive correlation between unit mass reflection change (Δλ/m) and pore volume (V), and the negative correlation between average absorption temperature (T) and pore diameter (D). This new approach may provide an alternative method for fast, convenient and economical characterization of mesoporous materials. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Detector motion method to increase spatial resolution in photon-counting detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Daehee; Park, Kyeongjin; Lim, Kyung Taek; Cho, Gyuseong

2017-03-01

Medical imaging requires high spatial resolution of an image to identify fine lesions. Photon-counting detectors in medical imaging have recently been rapidly replacing energy-integrating detectors due to the former`s high spatial resolution, high efficiency and low noise. Spatial resolution in a photon counting image is determined by the pixel size. Therefore, the smaller the pixel size, the higher the spatial resolution that can be obtained in an image. However, detector redesigning is required to reduce pixel size, and an expensive fine process is required to integrate a signal processing unit with reduced pixel size. Furthermore, as the pixel size decreases, charge sharing severely deteriorates spatial resolution. To increase spatial resolution, we propose a detector motion method using a large pixel detector that is less affected by charge sharing. To verify the proposed method, we utilized a UNO-XRI photon-counting detector (1-mm CdTe, Timepix chip) at the maximum X-ray tube voltage of 80 kVp. A similar spatial resolution of a 55- μm-pixel image was achieved by application of the proposed method to a 110- μm-pixel detector with a higher signal-to-noise ratio. The proposed method could be a way to increase spatial resolution without a pixel redesign when pixels severely suffer from charge sharing as pixel size is reduced.

30 CFR 206.180 - How do I determine an actual processing allowance?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... maintenance expenses, overhead, and either depreciation and a return on undepreciated capital investment (in... allowable expenses. (iv) You may use either depreciation with a return on undepreciable capital investment or a return on depreciable capital investment. After you elect to use either method for a processing...

26 CFR 1.911-6 - Disallowance of deductions, exclusions, and credits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... related to a class of gross income are personal and family medical expenses, qualified retirement... place of work is in a foreign country, deductible moving expenses will be allocable to foreign earned... received or accrued. This rule applies for all individuals, regardless of their method of accounting. (iii...

26 CFR 1.481-2 - Limitation on tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... sales were $32,000. Total deductible business expenses were $5,000. There were no receivables or... expenses 5,000 Business income 6,000 Personal exemption and itemized deductions 1,600 Taxable income 4,400... method of accounting by an electing small business corporation under subchapter S, chapter 1 of the Code...

42 CFR 435.121 - Individuals in States using more restrictive requirements for Medicaid than the SSI requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... cards by the State for the reference month. Under this provision, the reference month for determining... incurred medical expenses that are deducted. (2) For purposes of counting income with respect to...

Prebiotics and probiotics – the importance of branding

PubMed Central

Crittenden, Ross

2012-01-01

The costs of developing a probiotic or prebiotic ingredient have always been substantial. Ingredient characterization, evaluation of technological and physiological properties, and demonstrations of safety and clinical efficacy require expensive research. The demanding regulatory requirements imposed by EFSA raise the bar even higher so that the costs of acquiring the necessary clinical evidence to support labeling of these food ingredients is approaching that of pharmaceuticals. In order to justify investment in such expensive clinical development, companies require certainty that they can gain a return on investment. Patenting can provide some protection but is not always possible to patent ingredients, and the period of protection is limited. All ingredients eventually face the prospect of commoditization once patents expire. Branding strategies offer one means of maintaining adequate product differentiation to protect market share and margins over the long term. PMID:23990815

Prebiotics and probiotics - the importance of branding.

PubMed

Crittenden, Ross

2012-01-01

The costs of developing a probiotic or prebiotic ingredient have always been substantial. Ingredient characterization, evaluation of technological and physiological properties, and demonstrations of safety and clinical efficacy require expensive research. The demanding regulatory requirements imposed by EFSA raise the bar even higher so that the costs of acquiring the necessary clinical evidence to support labeling of these food ingredients is approaching that of pharmaceuticals. In order to justify investment in such expensive clinical development, companies require certainty that they can gain a return on investment. Patenting can provide some protection but is not always possible to patent ingredients, and the period of protection is limited. All ingredients eventually face the prospect of commoditization once patents expire. Branding strategies offer one means of maintaining adequate product differentiation to protect market share and margins over the long term.

Automatic face recognition in HDR imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Manuela; Moreno, Juan-Carlos; Proença, Hugo; Pinheiro, António M. G.

2014-05-01

The gaining popularity of the new High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging systems is raising new privacy issues caused by the methods used for visualization. HDR images require tone mapping methods for an appropriate visualization on conventional and non-expensive LDR displays. These visualization methods might result in completely different visualization raising several issues on privacy intrusion. In fact, some visualization methods result in a perceptual recognition of the individuals, while others do not even show any identity. Although perceptual recognition might be possible, a natural question that can rise is how computer based recognition will perform using tone mapping generated images? In this paper, a study where automatic face recognition using sparse representation is tested with images that result from common tone mapping operators applied to HDR images. Its ability for the face identity recognition is described. Furthermore, typical LDR images are used for the face recognition training.

Intrinsic Frequency and the Single Wave Biopsy

PubMed Central

Petrasek, Danny; Pahlevan, Niema M.; Tavallali, Peyman; Rinderknecht, Derek G.; Gharib, Morteza

2015-01-01

Insulin resistance is the hallmark of classical type II diabetes. In addition, insulin resistance plays a central role in metabolic syndrome, which astonishingly affects 1 out of 3 adults in North America. The insulin resistance state can precede the manifestation of diabetes and hypertension by years. Insulin resistance is correlated with a low-grade inflammatory condition, thought to be induced by obesity as well as other conditions. Currently, the methods to measure and monitor insulin resistance, such as the homeostatic model assessment and the euglycemic insulin clamp, can be impractical, expensive, and invasive. Abundant evidence exists that relates increased pulse pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and vascular dysfunction with insulin resistance. We introduce a potential method of assessing insulin resistance that relies on a novel signal-processing algorithm, the intrinsic frequency method (IFM). The method requires a single pulse pressure wave, thus the term “ wave biopsy.” PMID:26183600

Genetic incorporation of recycled unnatural amino acids.

PubMed

Ko, Wooseok; Kim, Sanggil; Jo, Kyubong; Lee, Hyun Soo

2016-02-01

The genetic incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into proteins has been a useful tool for protein engineering. However, most UAAs are expensive, and the method requires a high concentration of UAAs, which has been a drawback of the technology, especially for large-scale applications. To address this problem, a method to recycle cultured UAAs was developed. The method is based on recycling a culture medium containing the UAA, in which some of essential nutrients were resupplemented after each culture cycle, and induction of protein expression was controlled with glucose. Under optimal conditions, five UAAs were recycled for up to seven rounds of expression without a decrease in expression level, cell density, or incorporation fidelity. This method can generally be applied to other UAAs; therefore, it is useful for reducing the cost of UAAs for genetic incorporation and helpful for expanding the use of the technology to industrial applications.

The Financial Impact of the ‘Zero-Markup Policy for Essential Drugs’ on Patients in County Hospitals in Western Rural China

PubMed Central

Zhou, Zhongliang; Su, Yanfang; Campbell, Benjamin; Zhou, Zhiying; Gao, Jianmin; Yu, Qiang; Chen, Jiuhao; Pan, Yishan

2015-01-01

Objective With a quasi-experimental design, this study aims to assess whether the Zero-markup Policy for Essential Drugs (ZPED) reduces the medical expense for patients at county hospitals, the major healthcare provider in rural China. Methods Data from Ningshan county hospital and Zhenping county hospital, China, include 2014 outpatient records and 9239 inpatient records. Quantitative methods are employed to evaluate ZPED. Both hospital-data difference-in-differences and individual-data regressions are applied to analyze the data from inpatient and outpatient departments. Results In absolute terms, the total expense per visit reduced by 19.02 CNY (3.12 USD) for outpatient services and 399.6 CNY (65.60 USD) for inpatient services. In relative terms, the expense per visit was reduced by 11% for both outpatient and inpatient services. Due to the reduction of inpatient expense, the estimated reduction of outpatient visits is 2% among the general population and 3.39% among users of outpatient services. The drug expense per visit dropped by 27.20 CNY (4.47 USD) for outpatient services and 278.7 CNY (45.75 USD) for inpatient services. The proportion of drug expense out of total expense per visit dropped by 11.73 percentage points in outpatient visits and by 3.92 percentage points in inpatient visits. Conclusion Implementation of ZPED is a benefit for patients in both absolute and relative terms. The absolute monetary reduction of the per-visit inpatient expense is 20 times of that in outpatient care. According to cross-price elasticity, the substitution between inpatient and outpatient due to the change in inpatient price is small. Furthermore, given that the relative reductions are the same for outpatient and inpatient visits, according to relative thinking theory, the incentive to utilize outpatient or inpatient care attributed to ZPED is equivalent, regardless of the 20-times price difference in absolute terms. PMID:25790443

Nonequilibrium hypersonic flows simulations with asymptotic-preserving Monte Carlo methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Wei; Liu, Hong; Jin, Shi

2014-12-01

In the rarefied gas dynamics, the DSMC method is one of the most popular numerical tools. It performs satisfactorily in simulating hypersonic flows surrounding re-entry vehicles and micro-/nano- flows. However, the computational cost is expensive, especially when Kn → 0. Even for flows in the near-continuum regime, pure DSMC simulations require a number of computational efforts for most cases. Albeit several DSMC/NS hybrid methods are proposed to deal with this, those methods still suffer from the boundary treatment, which may cause nonphysical solutions. Filbet and Jin [1] proposed a framework of new numerical methods of Boltzmann equation, called asymptotic preserving schemes, whose computational costs are affordable as Kn → 0. Recently, Ren et al. [2] realized the AP schemes with Monte Carlo methods (AP-DSMC), which have better performance than counterpart methods. In this paper, AP-DSMC is applied in simulating nonequilibrium hypersonic flows. Several numerical results are computed and analyzed to study the efficiency and capability of capturing complicated flow characteristics.

Cost analysis in the toxicology laboratory.

PubMed

Travers, E M

1990-09-01

The process of determining laboratory sectional and departmental costs and test costs for instrument-generated and manually generated reportable results for toxicology laboratories has been outlined in this article. It is hoped that the basic principles outlined in the preceding text will clarify and elucidate one of the most important areas needed for laboratory fiscal integrity and its survival in these difficult times for health care providers. The following general principles derived from this article are helpful aids for managers of toxicology laboratories. 1. To manage a cost-effective, efficient toxicology laboratory, several factors must be considered: the laboratory's instrument configuration, test turnaround time needs, the test menu offered, the analytic methods used, the cost of labor based on time expended and the experience and educational level of the staff, and logistics that determine specimen delivery time and costs. 2. There is a wide variation in costs for toxicologic methods, which requires that an analysis of capital (equipment) purchase and operational (test performance) costs be performed to avoid waste, purchase wisely, and determine which tests consume the majority of the laboratory's resources. 3. Toxicologic analysis is composed of many complex steps. Each step must be individually cost-accounted. Screening test results must be confirmed, and the cost for both steps must be included in the cost per reportable result. 4. Total costs will vary in the same laboratory and between laboratories based on differences in salaries paid to technical staff, differences in reagent/supply costs, the number of technical staff needed to operate the analyzer or perform the method, and the inefficient use of highly paid staff to operate the analyzer or perform the method. 5. Since direct test costs vary directly with the type and number of analyzers or methods and are dependent on the operational mode designed by the manufacturer, laboratory managers should construct an actual test-cost data base for instrument or method in use to accurately compare costs using the "bottom-up" approach. 6. Laboratory expenses can be examined from three perspectives: total laboratory, laboratory section, and subsection workstation. The objective is to track all laboratory expenses through each of these levels. 7. In the final analysis, a portion of total laboratory expenses must be allocated to each unit of laboratory output--the billable procedure or, in laboratories where tests are not billed, the tests produced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

7 CFR 56.46 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... required to perform the grading, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... required to perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved... services will be based on the time required to perform the services. The hourly charge shall be $74.08...

7 CFR 56.46 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... required to perform the grading, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... required to perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved... services will be based on the time required to perform the services. The hourly charge shall be $74.08...

7 CFR 56.46 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... required to perform the grading, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... required to perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved... services will be based on the time required to perform the services. The hourly charge shall be $74.08...

7 CFR 56.46 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... required to perform the grading, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... required to perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved... services will be based on the time required to perform the services. The hourly charge shall be $74.08...

7 CFR 56.46 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... required to perform the grading, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... required to perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved... services will be based on the time required to perform the services. The hourly charge shall be $74.08...

Synthetic Self-Healing Methods

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

Bello, Mollie

Given enough time, pressure, temperature fluctuation, and stress any material will fail. Currently, synthesized materials make up a large part of our everyday lives, and are used in a number of important applications such as; space travel, under water devices, precise instrumentation, transportation, and infrastructure. Structural failure of these material scan lead to expensive and dangerous consequences. In an attempt to prolong the life spans of specific materials and reduce efforts put into repairing them, biologically inspired, self-healing systems have been extensively investigated. The current review explores recent advances in three methods of synthesized self-healing: capsule based, vascular, and intrinsic.more » Ideally, self-healing materials require no human intervention to promote healing, are capable of surviving all the steps of polymer processing, and heal the same location repeatedly. Only the vascular method holds up to all of these idealities.« less

Mobile Robot and Mobile Manipulator Research Towards ASTM Standards Development.

PubMed

Bostelman, Roger; Hong, Tsai; Legowik, Steven

2016-01-01

Performance standards for industrial mobile robots and mobile manipulators (robot arms onboard mobile robots) have only recently begun development. Low cost and standardized measurement techniques are needed to characterize system performance, compare different systems, and to determine if recalibration is required. This paper discusses work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and within the ASTM Committee F45 on Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles. This includes standards for both terminology, F45.91, and for navigation performance test methods, F45.02. The paper defines terms that are being considered. Additionally, the paper describes navigation test methods that are near ballot and docking test methods being designed for consideration within F45.02. This includes the use of low cost artifacts that can provide alternatives to using relatively expensive measurement systems.

Mobile Robot and Mobile Manipulator Research Towards ASTM Standards Development

PubMed Central

Bostelman, Roger; Hong, Tsai; Legowik, Steven

2017-01-01

Performance standards for industrial mobile robots and mobile manipulators (robot arms onboard mobile robots) have only recently begun development. Low cost and standardized measurement techniques are needed to characterize system performance, compare different systems, and to determine if recalibration is required. This paper discusses work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and within the ASTM Committee F45 on Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles. This includes standards for both terminology, F45.91, and for navigation performance test methods, F45.02. The paper defines terms that are being considered. Additionally, the paper describes navigation test methods that are near ballot and docking test methods being designed for consideration within F45.02. This includes the use of low cost artifacts that can provide alternatives to using relatively expensive measurement systems. PMID:28690359

Fluctuating ideal-gas lattice Boltzmann method with fluctuation dissipation theorem for nonvanishing velocities.

PubMed

Kaehler, G; Wagner, A J

2013-06-01

Current implementations of fluctuating ideal-gas descriptions with the lattice Boltzmann methods are based on a fluctuation dissipation theorem, which, while greatly simplifying the implementation, strictly holds only for zero mean velocity and small fluctuations. We show how to derive the fluctuation dissipation theorem for all k, which was done only for k=0 in previous derivations. The consistent derivation requires, in principle, locally velocity-dependent multirelaxation time transforms. Such an implementation is computationally prohibitively expensive but, with a small computational trick, it is feasible to reproduce the correct FDT without overhead in computation time. It is then shown that the previous standard implementations perform poorly for non vanishing mean velocity as indicated by violations of Galilean invariance of measured structure factors. Results obtained with the method introduced here show a significant reduction of the Galilean invariance violations.

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Concepts for Enriching High School Curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders, Charlotte; Marshall, Jill

2010-03-01

High school science teachers seeking to enhance student enthusiasm for science and to enrich their curricula with ``real world'' examples might be interested in drawing on nanoscience, which is currently a major branch of study in biology, chemistry, and physics---key high school curriculum areas---and is also a subject much reported upon by the news media. However, presenting nanoscience and nanotechnology in the classroom presents key challenges: the subject matter must be successfully integrated into the core curriculum so as to enhance the students' educational experience; it must support the aims of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science (TEKC), or equivalent systems in other states; it must be made accessible to students; and it must be presentable with the use of equipment or supplies that are neither too expensive nor too rare to be obtainable by school districts. These last two requirements are particularly difficult, because it is the nature of nanoscale research that complex fabrication processes and expensive characterization methods are typically required. This talk will discuss the authors' experience leading a teachers' workshop session in 2009 to address the issue of introducing nanoscience into the high school science classroom. The workshop is funded by the NSF through the UT-IGERT program, and brings together teachers from across Texas annually for discussion, curriculum-building, and training in concepts related to nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Goodard Space Flight Center/Wallops Flight Facility airborne geoscience support capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Navarro, Roger L.

1991-01-01

Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Facility (GSFC/WFF), operates six aircraft which are used as airborne geoscience platforms. The aircraft complement consists of two UH-1B helicopters, one twin engine Skyvan, one twin jet T-39, and two four engine turboprop aircraft (P-3 and Electra) offering the research community a wide range of payload, altitude, speed, and range capabilities. WFF's support to a principal investigator include mission planning of all supporting elements, installation of equipment on the aircraft, fabrication of brackets, and adapters as required to adapt payloads to the aircraft, and planning of mission profiles to meet science objectives. The flight regime includes local, regional, and global missions. The WFF aircraft serve scientists at GSFC, other NASA centers, other government agencies, and universities. The WFF mode of operation features the walk on method of conducting research projects. The principal investigator requests aircraft support by letter to WFF and after approval is granted, works with the assigned mission manager to plan all phases of project support. The instrumentation is installed in WFF electronics racks, mounted on the aircraft, the missions are flown, and the equipment is removed when the scientific objectives are met. The principal investigator reimburses WFF for each flight hours, any overtime and travel expenses generated by the project, and for other mission-related expenses such as aircraft support services required at deployment bases.

Cost Analysis of an Office-based Surgical Suite

PubMed Central

LaBove, Gabrielle

2016-01-01

Introduction: Operating costs are a significant part of delivering surgical care. Having a system to analyze these costs is imperative for decision making and efficiency. We present an analysis of surgical supply, labor and administrative costs, and remuneration of procedures as a means for a practice to analyze their cost effectiveness; this affects the quality of care based on the ability to provide services. The costs of surgical care cannot be estimated blindly as reconstructive and cosmetic procedures have different percentages of overhead. Methods: A detailed financial analysis of office-based surgical suite costs for surgical procedures was determined based on company contract prices and average use of supplies. The average time spent on scheduling, prepping, and doing the surgery was factored using employee rates. Results: The most expensive, minor procedure supplies are suture needles. The 4 most common procedures from the most expensive to the least are abdominoplasty, breast augmentation, facelift, and lipectomy. Conclusions: Reconstructive procedures require a greater portion of collection to cover costs. Without the adjustment of both patient and insurance remuneration in the practice, the ability to provide quality care will be increasingly difficult. PMID:27536482

Preparation of Ion Exchange Films for Solid-Phase Spectrophotometry and Solid-Phase Fluorometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Carol M.; Street, Kenneth W.; Tanner, Stephen P.; Philipp, Warren H.

2000-01-01

Atomic spectroscopy has dominated the field of trace inorganic analysis because of its high sensitivity and selectivity. The advantages gained by the atomic spectroscopies come with the disadvantage of expensive and often complicated instrumentation. Solid-phase spectroscopy, in which the analyte is preconcentrated on a solid medium followed by conventional spectrophotometry or fluorometry, requires less expensive instrumentation and has considerable sensitivity and selectivity. The sensitivity gains come from preconcentration and the use of chromophore (or fluorophore) developers and the selectivity is achieved by use of ion exchange conditions that favor the analyte in combination with speciative chromophores. Little work has been done to optimize the ion exchange medium (IEM) associated with these techniques. In this report we present a method for making ion exchange polymer films, which considerably simplify the solid-phase spectroscopic techniques. The polymer consists of formaldehyde-crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol with polyacrylic acid entrapped therein. The films are a carboxylate weak cation exchanger in the calcium form. They are mechanically sturdy and optically transparent in the ultraviolet and visible portion of the spectrum, which makes them suitable for spectrophotometry and fluorometry.

Laparoscopic surgical treatment of umbilical hernia and small eventrations with prosthetic mesh using omentum overlay.

PubMed

Bratu, D; Sabău, A; Dumitra, A; Sabău, D; Miheţiu, A; Beli, L; Hulpuş, R

2014-01-01

Umbilical hernias and abdominal incisional hernias represent current pathologies which require numerous surgical alternative ways of treatment in prosthetic or non prosthetic,open or minimally invasive surgery. The method proposed by us is a less expensive option with no additional risks compared to other similar procedures as surgical technique. We conducted a retrospective study between 01.01.2008 - 01.06.2013 in which we considered a number of 23 patients with umbilical hernia and eventration, patients who received laparoscopic intraperitoneal polyester mesh covered with omentum, procedure applied at the IInd Surgery Clinic, Clinical County Emergency Hospital Sibiu. Out of 23 patients with postoperative umbilical hernia and eventration cases in which we used this surgical technique,16 were umbilical hernias and 7 post incisional hernias. The average time of surgery was 1 hour and 40 minutes, recording 4 postoperative complications remitted under conservative treatment, with a mean hospitalization of 4.1 days. Proepiploic laparoscopic treatment using omentum is a reliable alternative to a more expensive and difficult procedure involving Dual Mesh. Celsius.

A comparison between conventional and LANDSAT based hydrologic modeling: The Four Mile Run case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ragan, R. M.; Jackson, T. J.; Fitch, W. N.; Shubinski, R. P.

1976-01-01

Models designed to support the hydrologic studies associated with urban water resources planning require input parameters that are defined in terms of land cover. Estimating the land cover is a difficult and expensive task when drainage areas larger than a few sq. km are involved. Conventional and LANDSAT based methods for estimating the land cover based input parameters required by hydrologic planning models were compared in a case study of the 50.5 sq. km (19.5 sq. mi) Four Mile Run Watershed in Virginia. Results of the study indicate that the LANDSAT based approach is highly cost effective for planning model studies. The conventional approach to define inputs was based on 1:3600 aerial photos, required 110 man-days and a total cost of $14,000. The LANDSAT based approach required 6.9 man-days and cost $2,350. The conventional and LANDSAT based models gave similar results relative to discharges and estimated annual damages expected from no flood control, channelization, and detention storage alternatives.

Defining the upper viscosity limit for mineral slurries used in drilled shaft construction : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-02-01

Many structures built on Floridas variable, sandy : soils require deep foundations, such as pilings. : Although pilings may be more familiar, drilled : shafts are also often used. Drilled shafts require : less expensive equipment and create less o...

77 FR 35479 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Regulation Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-13

... Payments of Interest on Qualified Education Loans; Magnetic Media Filing Requirements for Information. OMB... information reporting for qualified tuition and related expenses, magnetic media filing requirements for information returns, information reporting for payments of interest on qualified education loans, and magnetic...

Free Web resources on alternatives.

PubMed

Donnelly, Thomas M

2004-03-01

Access to many online databases for alternatives searches requires a paid subscription and these fees may be expensive for small or not-for-profit institutions. The author provides a list of free sites that can be used to fulfill the legal requirement for an alternatives search.

Practice expenses in the MFS (Medicare fee schedule): the service-class approach.

PubMed

Latimer, E A; Kane, N M

1995-01-01

The practice expense component of the Medicare fee schedule (MFS), which is currently based on historical charges and rewards physician procedures at the expense of cognitive services, is due to be changed by January 1, 1998. The Physician Payment Review Commission (PPRC) and others have proposed microcosting direct costs and allocating all indirect costs on a common basis, such as physician time or work plus direct costs. Without altering the treatment of direct costs, the service-class approach disaggregates indirect costs into six practice function costs. The practice function costs are then allocated to classes of services using cost-accounting and statistical methods. This approach would make the practice expense component more resource-based than other proposed alternatives.

Statistical Emulator for Expensive Classification Simulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Jerret; Samareh, Jamshid A.

2016-01-01

Expensive simulators prevent any kind of meaningful analysis to be performed on the phenomena they model. To get around this problem the concept of using a statistical emulator as a surrogate representation of the simulator was introduced in the 1980's. Presently, simulators have become more and more complex and as a result running a single example on these simulators is very expensive and can take days to weeks or even months. Many new techniques have been introduced, termed criteria, which sequentially select the next best (most informative to the emulator) point that should be run on the simulator. These criteria methods allow for the creation of an emulator with only a small number of simulator runs. We follow and extend this framework to expensive classification simulators.

Can low-cost motion-tracking systems substitute a Polhemus system when researching social motor coordination in children?

PubMed

Romero, Veronica; Amaral, Joseph; Fitzpatrick, Paula; Schmidt, R C; Duncan, Amie W; Richardson, Michael J

2017-04-01

Functionally stable and robust interpersonal motor coordination has been found to play an integral role in the effectiveness of social interactions. However, the motion-tracking equipment required to record and objectively measure the dynamic limb and body movements during social interaction has been very costly, cumbersome, and impractical within a non-clinical or non-laboratory setting. Here we examined whether three low-cost motion-tracking options (Microsoft Kinect skeletal tracking of either one limb or whole body and a video-based pixel change method) can be employed to investigate social motor coordination. Of particular interest was the degree to which these low-cost methods of motion tracking could be used to capture and index the coordination dynamics that occurred between a child and an experimenter for three simple social motor coordination tasks in comparison to a more expensive, laboratory-grade motion-tracking system (i.e., a Polhemus Latus system). Overall, the results demonstrated that these low-cost systems cannot substitute the Polhemus system in some tasks. However, the lower-cost Microsoft Kinect skeletal tracking and video pixel change methods were successfully able to index differences in social motor coordination in tasks that involved larger-scale, naturalistic whole body movements, which can be cumbersome and expensive to record with a Polhemus. However, we found the Kinect to be particularly vulnerable to occlusion and the pixel change method to movements that cross the video frame midline. Therefore, particular care needs to be taken in choosing the motion-tracking system that is best suited for the particular research.

Technical support for digital systems technology development. Task order 1: ISP contention analysis and control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stehle, Roy H.; Ogier, Richard G.

1993-01-01

Alternatives for realizing a packet-based network switch for use on a frequency division multiple access/time division multiplexed (FDMA/TDM) geostationary communication satellite were investigated. Each of the eight downlink beams supports eight directed dwells. The design needed to accommodate multicast packets with very low probability of loss due to contention. Three switch architectures were designed and analyzed. An output-queued, shared bus system yielded a functionally simple system, utilizing a first-in, first-out (FIFO) memory per downlink dwell, but at the expense of a large total memory requirement. A shared memory architecture offered the most efficiency in memory requirements, requiring about half the memory of the shared bus design. The processing requirement for the shared-memory system adds system complexity that may offset the benefits of the smaller memory. An alternative design using a shared memory buffer per downlink beam decreases circuit complexity through a distributed design, and requires at most 1000 packets of memory more than the completely shared memory design. Modifications to the basic packet switch designs were proposed to accommodate circuit-switched traffic, which must be served on a periodic basis with minimal delay. Methods for dynamically controlling the downlink dwell lengths were developed and analyzed. These methods adapt quickly to changing traffic demands, and do not add significant complexity or cost to the satellite and ground station designs. Methods for reducing the memory requirement by not requiring the satellite to store full packets were also proposed and analyzed. In addition, optimal packet and dwell lengths were computed as functions of memory size for the three switch architectures.

Throwing the Uncertainty Toolbox at Antarctica: Multi-model Ensemble Simulation, Emulation and Bayesian Calibration of Marine Ice Sheet Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, T.

2015-12-01

Modelling Antarctic marine ice sheet instability (MISI) - the potential for sustained grounding line retreat along downsloping bedrock - is very challenging because high resolution at the grounding line is required for reliable simulation. Assessing modelling uncertainties is even more difficult, because such models are very computationally expensive, restricting the number of simulations that can be performed. Quantifying uncertainty in future Antarctic instability has therefore so far been limited. There are several ways to tackle this problem, including: Simulating a small domain, to reduce expense and allow the use of ensemble methods; Parameterising response of the grounding line to the onset of MISI, for the same reasons; Emulating the simulator with a statistical model, to explore the impacts of uncertainties more thoroughly; Substituting physical models with expert-elicited statistical distributions. Methods 2-4 require rigorous testing against observations and high resolution models to have confidence in their results. We use all four to examine the dependence of MISI in the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) on uncertain model inputs, including bedrock topography, ice viscosity, basal friction, model structure (sliding law and treatment of grounding line migration) and MISI triggers (including basal melting and risk of ice shelf collapse). We compare simulations from a 3000 member ensemble with GRISLI (methods 2, 4) with a 284 member ensemble from BISICLES (method 1) and also use emulation (method 3). Results from the two ensembles show similarities, despite very different model structures and ensemble designs. Basal friction and topography have a large effect on the extent of grounding line retreat, and the sliding law strongly modifies sea level contributions through changes in the rate and extent of grounding line retreat and the rate of ice thinning. Over 50 years, MISI in the ASE gives up to 1.1 mm/year (95% quantile) SLE in GRISLI (calibrated with ASE mass losses in a Bayesian framework), and up to 1.2 mm/year SLE (95% quantile) in the 270 completed BISICLES simulations (no calibration). We will show preliminary results emulating the models, calibrating with observations, and comparing them to assess structural uncertainty. We use these to improve MISI projections for the whole continent.

Energy and Technology Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-07-01

Satellites have shrunk the world to the size of the proverbial global village. They track weather and the traffic patterns of ships and aircraft, and monitor our environment. Defense satellites provide high-resolution images of objects on the ground to protect our troops and allies. Telecommunication satellites have interwoven business sectors, corporations, and markets into global networks. Nevertheless, orbiting satellites may not be the best choice for all applications requiring a high vantage point. satellites and their payloads are expensive, and launching them by rocket is expensive and risky. They must operate in the extreme conditions of space, bombarded by radiation and with no airflow to cool their electronics. Only valuable, long-term missions would seem to justify the expense and risk of a satellite. Even then, satellites are not always the best choice. They typically cannot hop to a new orbit, and some uses, such as local and global communications, require a large number of satellites to ensure adequate coverage. There is clearly a large potential role for high-altitude, atmospheric vehicles that can stay aloft for very long periods (weeks or months) and can roam virtually anywhere.

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

Goldston, W.

On April 21, 2009, the Energy Facilities Contractors Group (EFCOG) Waste Management Working Group (WMWG) provided a recommendation to the Department of Energy's Environmental Management program (DOE-EM) concerning supplemental guidance on blending methodologies to use to classify waste forms to determine if the waste form meets the definition of Transuranic (TRU) Waste or can be classified as Low-Level Waste (LLW). The guidance provides specific examples and methods to allow DOE and its Contractors to properly classify waste forms while reducing the generation of TRU wastes. TRU wastes are much more expensive to characterize at the generator's facilities, ship, and thenmore » dispose at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) than Low-Level Radioactive Waste's disposal. Also the reduction of handling and packaging of LLW is inherently less hazardous to the nuclear workforce. Therefore, it is important to perform the characterization properly, but in a manner that minimizes the generation of TRU wastes if at all possible. In fact, the generation of additional volumes of radioactive wastes under the ARRA programs, this recommendation should improve the cost effective implementation of DOE requirements while properly protecting human health and the environment. This paper will describe how the message of appropriate, less expensive, less hazardous blending of radioactive waste is the 'right' thing to do in many cases, but can be confused with inappropriate 'dilution' that is frowned upon by regulators and stakeholders in the public. A proposal will be made in this paper on how to communicate this very complex and confusing technical issue to regulatory bodies and interested stakeholders to gain understanding and approval of the concept. The results of application of the proposed communication method and attempt to change the regulatory requirements in this area will be discussed including efforts by DOE and the NRC on this very complex subject.« less

Kaizen method for esophagectomy patients: improved quality control, outcomes, and decreased costs.

PubMed

Iannettoni, Mark D; Lynch, William R; Parekh, Kalpaj R; McLaughlin, Kelley A

2011-04-01

The majority of costs associated with esophagectomy are related to the initial 3 days of hospital stay requiring intensive care unit stays, ventilator support, and intraoperative time. Additional costs arise from hospital-based services. The major cost increases are related to complications associated with the procedure. We attempted to define these costs and identify expense management by streamlining care through strict adherence to patient care maps, operative standardization, and rapid discharge planning to reduce variability. Utilizing methods of Kaizen philosophy we evaluated all processes related to the entire experience of esophageal resection. This process has taken over 5 years to achieve, with quality and cost being tracked over this time period. Cost analysis included expenses related to intensive care unit, anesthesia, disposables, and hospital services. Quality improvement measures were related to intraoperative complications, in-hospital complications, and postoperative outcomes. The Institutional Review Board approved the use of anonymous data from standard clinical practice because no additional treatment was planned (observational study). Utilizing a continuous process improvement methodology, a 43% reduction in cost per case has been achieved with a significant increase in contribution margin for esophagectomy. The length of stay has been reduced from 14 days to 5. With intraoperative and postoperative standardization the leak rate has dropped from 12% to less than 3% to no leaks in our current Kaizen modification of care in our last 64 patients. Utilizing lean manufacturing techniques and continuous process evaluation we have attempted to eliminate variability, standardized the phases of care resulting in improved outcomes, decreased length of stay, and improved contribution margins. These Kaizen improvements require continuous interventions, strict adherence to care maps, and input from all levels for quality improvements. Copyright © 2011 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Subsidizing Private Education at Taxpayer Expense. Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Association, 2017

2017-01-01

Efforts to subsidize private education take a variety of forms, with the most familiar being the private school voucher provided directly to parents. But there are other less direct ways governments subsidize private schools. One such method is to provide a tax credit to parents to offset their personal education expenses (education tax credit).…

Concurrent Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory with Offender and Community Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malterer, Melanie B.; Lilienfeld, Scott O.; Neumann, Craig S.; Newman, Joseph P.

2010-01-01

The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is a frequently used and well-validated measure of psychopathy but is relatively time-intensive and expensive to administer. The Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) is a self-report measure that provides a less time-intensive and less expensive method for identifying psychopathic individuals. Using…

Solving the Coupled System Improves Computational Efficiency of the Bidomain Equations

PubMed Central

Southern, James A.; Plank, Gernot; Vigmond, Edward J.; Whiteley, Jonathan P.

2017-01-01

The bidomain equations are frequently used to model the propagation of cardiac action potentials across cardiac tissue. At the whole organ level the size of the computational mesh required makes their solution a significant computational challenge. As the accuracy of the numerical solution cannot be compromised, efficiency of the solution technique is important to ensure that the results of the simulation can be obtained in a reasonable time whilst still encapsulating the complexities of the system. In an attempt to increase efficiency of the solver, the bidomain equations are often decoupled into one parabolic equation that is computationally very cheap to solve and an elliptic equation that is much more expensive to solve. In this study the performance of this uncoupled solution method is compared with an alternative strategy in which the bidomain equations are solved as a coupled system. This seems counter-intuitive as the alternative method requires the solution of a much larger linear system at each time step. However, in tests on two 3-D rabbit ventricle benchmarks it is shown that the coupled method is up to 80% faster than the conventional uncoupled method — and that parallel performance is better for the larger coupled problem. PMID:19457741

Manifold learning of brain MRIs by deep learning.

PubMed

Brosch, Tom; Tam, Roger

2013-01-01

Manifold learning of medical images plays a potentially important role for modeling anatomical variability within a population with pplications that include segmentation, registration, and prediction of clinical parameters. This paper describes a novel method for learning the manifold of 3D brain images that, unlike most existing manifold learning methods, does not require the manifold space to be locally linear, and does not require a predefined similarity measure or a prebuilt proximity graph. Our manifold learning method is based on deep learning, a machine learning approach that uses layered networks (called deep belief networks, or DBNs) and has received much attention recently in the computer vision field due to their success in object recognition tasks. DBNs have traditionally been too computationally expensive for application to 3D images due to the large number of trainable parameters. Our primary contributions are (1) a much more computationally efficient training method for DBNs that makes training on 3D medical images with a resolution of up to 128 x 128 x 128 practical, and (2) the demonstration that DBNs can learn a low-dimensional manifold of brain volumes that detects modes of variations that correlate to demographic and disease parameters.

A Distance Measure for Genome Phylogenetic Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Minh Duc; Allison, Lloyd; Dix, Trevor

Phylogenetic analyses of species based on single genes or parts of the genomes are often inconsistent because of factors such as variable rates of evolution and horizontal gene transfer. The availability of more and more sequenced genomes allows phylogeny construction from complete genomes that is less sensitive to such inconsistency. For such long sequences, construction methods like maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood are often not possible due to their intensive computational requirement. Another class of tree construction methods, namely distance-based methods, require a measure of distances between any two genomes. Some measures such as evolutionary edit distance of gene order and gene content are computational expensive or do not perform well when the gene content of the organisms are similar. This study presents an information theoretic measure of genetic distances between genomes based on the biological compression algorithm expert model. We demonstrate that our distance measure can be applied to reconstruct the consensus phylogenetic tree of a number of Plasmodium parasites from their genomes, the statistical bias of which would mislead conventional analysis methods. Our approach is also used to successfully construct a plausible evolutionary tree for the γ-Proteobacteria group whose genomes are known to contain many horizontally transferred genes.

Rapid measurement of protein osmotic second virial coefficients by self-interaction chromatography.

PubMed Central

Tessier, Peter M; Lenhoff, Abraham M; Sandler, Stanley I

2002-01-01

Weak protein interactions are often characterized in terms of the osmotic second virial coefficient (B(22)), which has been shown to correlate with protein phase behavior, such as crystallization. Traditional methods for measuring B(22), such as static light scattering, are too expensive in terms of both time and protein to allow extensive exploration of the effects of solution conditions on B(22). In this work we have measured protein interactions using self-interaction chromatography, in which protein is immobilized on chromatographic particles and the retention of the same protein is measured in isocratic elution. The relative retention of the protein reflects the average protein interactions, which we have related to the second virial coefficient via statistical mechanics. We obtain quantitative agreement between virial coefficients measured by self-interaction chromatography and traditional characterization methods for both lysozyme and chymotrypsinogen over a wide range of pH and ionic strengths, yet self-interaction chromatography requires at least an order of magnitude less time and protein than other methods. The method thus holds significant promise for the characterization of protein interactions requiring only commonly available laboratory equipment, little specialized expertise, and relatively small investments of both time and protein. PMID:11867474

Review-Physicochemical hydrodynamics of gas bubbles in two phase electrochemical systems.

PubMed

Taqieddin, Amir; Nazari, Roya; Rajic, Ljiljana; Alshawabkeh, Akram

2017-01-01

Electrochemical systems suffer from poor management of evolving gas bubbles. Improved understanding of bubbles behavior helps to reduce overpotential, save energy and enhance the mass transfer during chemical reactions. This work investigates and reviews the gas bubbles hydrodynamics, behavior, and management in electrochemical cells. Although the rate of bubble growth over the electrode surface is well understood, there is no reliable prediction of bubbles break-off diameter from the electrode surface because of the complexity of bubbles motion near the electrode surface. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) are the most common experimental techniques to measure bubble dynamics. Although the PIV is faster than LDA, both techniques are considered expensive and time-consuming. This encourages adapting Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods as an alternative to study bubbles behavior. However, further development of CFD methods is required to include coalescence and break-up of bubbles for better understanding and accuracy. The disadvantages of CFD methods can be overcome by using hybrid methods. The behavior of bubbles in electrochemical systems is still a complex challenging topic which requires a better understanding of the gas bubbles hydrodynamics and their interactions with the electrode surface and bulk liquid, as well as between the bubbles itself.

Verification of International Space Station Component Leak Rates by Helium Accumulation Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Underwood, Steve D.; Smith, Sherry L.

2003-01-01

Discovery of leakage on several International Space Station U.S. Laboratory Module ammonia system quick disconnects (QDs) led to the need for a process to quantify total leakage without removing the QDs from the system. An innovative solution was proposed allowing quantitative leak rate measurement at ambient external pressure without QD removal. The method utilizes a helium mass spectrometer configured in the detector probe mode to determine helium leak rates inside a containment hood installed on the test component. The method was validated through extensive developmental testing. Test results showed the method was viable, accurate and repeatable for a wide range of leak rates. The accumulation method has been accepted by NASA and is currently being used by Boeing Huntsville, Boeing Kennedy Space Center and Boeing Johnson Space Center to test welds and valves and will be used by Alenia to test the Cupola. The method has been used in place of more expensive vacuum chamber testing which requires removing the test component from the system.

A Method for Automated Detection of Usability Problems from Client User Interface Events

PubMed Central

Saadawi, Gilan M.; Legowski, Elizabeth; Medvedeva, Olga; Chavan, Girish; Crowley, Rebecca S.

2005-01-01

Think-aloud usability analysis provides extremely useful data but is very time-consuming and expensive to perform because of the extensive manual video analysis that is required. We describe a simple method for automated detection of usability problems from client user interface events for a developing medical intelligent tutoring system. The method incorporates (1) an agent-based method for communication that funnels all interface events and system responses to a centralized database, (2) a simple schema for representing interface events and higher order subgoals, and (3) an algorithm that reproduces the criteria used for manual coding of usability problems. A correction factor was empirically determining to account for the slower task performance of users when thinking aloud. We tested the validity of the method by simultaneously identifying usability problems using TAU and manually computing them from stored interface event data using the proposed algorithm. All usability problems that did not rely on verbal utterances were detectable with the proposed method. PMID:16779121

Body temperature measurement in mice during acute illness: implantable temperature transponder versus surface infrared thermometry.

PubMed

Mei, Jie; Riedel, Nico; Grittner, Ulrike; Endres, Matthias; Banneke, Stefanie; Emmrich, Julius Valentin

2018-02-23

Body temperature is a valuable parameter in determining the wellbeing of laboratory animals. However, using body temperature to refine humane endpoints during acute illness generally lacks comprehensiveness and exposes to inter-observer bias. Here we compared two methods to assess body temperature in mice, namely implanted radio frequency identification (RFID) temperature transponders (method 1) to non-contact infrared thermometry (method 2) in 435 mice for up to 7 days during normothermia and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin-induced hypothermia. There was excellent agreement between core and surface temperature as determined by method 1 and 2, respectively, whereas the intra- and inter-subject variation was higher for method 2. Nevertheless, using machine learning algorithms to determine temperature-based endpoints both methods had excellent accuracy in predicting death as an outcome event. Therefore, less expensive and cumbersome non-contact infrared thermometry can serve as a reliable alternative for implantable transponder-based systems for hypothermic responses, although requiring standardization between experimenters.

10 CFR 470.17 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... expenses, accounting practices, publication and publicity, copyrights, patents, discrimination, conflict of interest, insurance, safety, changes, resolution of disputes and other standard and/or relevant support...

Nanoscale Reactive Ion Etching of Silicon Nitride Thin Films for Embedded Nanomagnetic Device Fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hibbard-Lubow, David Luke

The demands of digital memory have increased exponentially in recent history, requiring faster, smaller and more accurate storage methods. Two promising solutions to this ever-present problem are Bit Patterned Media (BPM) and Spin-Transfer Torque Magnetic Random Access Memory (STT-MRAM). Producing these technologies requires difficult and expensive fabrication techniques. Thus, the production processes must be optimized to allow these storage methods to compete commercially while continuing to increase their information storage density and reliability. I developed a process for the production of nanomagnetic devices (which can take the form of several types of digital memory) embedded in thin silicon nitride films. My focus was on optimizing the reactive ion etching recipe required to embed the device in the film. Ultimately, I found that recipe 37 (Power: 250W, CF4 nominal/actual flow rate: 25/25.4 sccm, O2 nominal/actual flow rate: 3.1/5.2 sccm, which gave a maximum pressure around 400 mTorr) gave the most repeatable and anisotropic results. I successfully used processes described in this thesis to make embedded nanomagnets, which could be used as bit patterned media. Another promising application of this work is to make embedded magnetic tunneling junctions, which are the storage medium used in MRAM. Doing so will require still some tweaks to the fabrication methods. Techniques for making these changes and their potential effects are discussed.

Use of less expensive cigarettes in six cities in China: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) China Survey

PubMed Central

Hyland, Andrew; Fong, Geoffrey T; Jiang, Yuan; Elton-Marshall, Tara

2010-01-01

Objective The existence of less expensive cigarettes in China may undermine public health. The aim of the current study is to examine the use of less expensive cigarettes in six cities in China. Methods Data was from the baseline wave of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) China Survey of 4815 adult urban smokers in 6 cities, conducted between April and August 2006. The percentage of smokers who reported buying less expensive cigarettes (the lowest pricing tertile within each city) at last purchase was computed. Complex sample multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with use of less expensive cigarettes. The association between the use of less expensive cigarettes and intention to quit smoking was also examined. Results Smokers who reported buying less expensive cigarettes at last purchase tended to be older, heavier smokers, to have lower education and income, and to think more about the money spent on smoking in the last month. Smokers who bought less expensive cigarettes at the last purchase and who were less knowledgeable about the health harm of smoking were less likely to intend to quit smoking. Conclusions Measures need to be taken to minimise the price differential among cigarette brands and to increase smokers' health knowledge, which may in turn increase their intentions to quit. PMID:20935199

The State of Sensor Technology and Air Quality Monitoring

EPA Science Inventory

Produces data of known value and highly reliableStationary- cannot be easily relocatedInstruments are often large and require a building to support their operationExpensive to purchase and operate (typically > $20K each)Requires frequent visits by highly trained staff to check on...

Observations from Laboratory and Field-based Evaluations of Select Low Cost Sensor Performance

EPA Science Inventory

• Produces data of known value and highly reliable• Stationary- cannot be easily relocated• Instruments are often large and require a building to support their operation• Expensive to purchase and operate (typically > $20K each)• Requires frequent visi...

A new visually improved and sensitive loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for diagnosis of symptomatic falciparum malaria.

PubMed

Mohon, Abu Naser; Elahi, Rubayet; Khan, Wasif A; Haque, Rashidul; Sullivan, David J; Alam, Mohammad Shafiul

2014-06-01

Molecular diagnosis of malaria by nucleotide amplification requires sophisticated and expensive instruments, typically found only in well-established laboratories. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has provided a new platform for an easily adaptable molecular technique for molecular diagnosis of malaria without the use of expensive instruments. A new primer set has been designed targeting the 18S rRNA gene for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum in whole blood samples. The efficacy of LAMP using the new primer set was assessed in this study in comparison to that of a previously described set of LAMP primers as well as with microscopy and real-time PCR as reference methods for detecting P. falciparum. Pre-addition of hydroxy napthol blue (HNB) in the LAMP reaction caused a distinct color change, thereby improving the visual detection system. The new LAMP assay was found to be 99.1% sensitive compared to microscopy and 98.1% when compared to real-time PCR. Meanwhile, its specificity was 99% and 100% in contrast to microscopy and real-time PCR, respectively. Moreover, the LAMP method was in very good agreement with microscopy and real-time PCR (0.94 and 0.98, respectively). This new LAMP method can detect at least 5parasites/μL of infected blood within 35min, while the other LAMP method tested in this study, could detect a minimum of 100parasites/μL of human blood after 60min of amplification. Thus, the new method is sensitive and specific, can be carried out in a very short time, and can substitute PCR in healthcare clinics and standard laboratories. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

45 CFR 2507.5 - How does the Corporation process requests for records?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... compelled to create new records or do statistical computations. For example, the Corporation is not required... feasible way to respond to a request. The Corporation is not required to perform any research for the... duplicating all of them. For example, if it requires less time and expense to provide a computer record as a...

75 FR 15772 - Feasibility of Including a Volunteer Requirement for Receipt of Federal Education Tax Credits

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-30

... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Feasibility of Including a Volunteer Requirement for Receipt of Federal... Internal Revenue Code. Taxpayers may claim a lifetime learning credit for 20 percent of up to $10,000 of expenses for tuition and required fees per taxpayer for a maximum credit of $2,000. The lifetime learning...

Metal- and additive-free photoinduced borylation of haloarenes.

PubMed

Mfuh, Adelphe M; Schneider, Brett D; Cruces, Westley; Larionov, Oleg V

2017-03-01

Boronic acids and esters have critical roles in the areas of synthetic organic chemistry, molecular sensors, materials science, drug discovery, and catalysis. Many of the current applications of boronic acids and esters require materials with very low levels of transition metal contamination. Most of the current methods for the synthesis of boronic acids, however, require transition metal catalysts and ligands that must be removed via additional purification procedures. This protocol describes a simple, metal- and additive-free method of conversion of haloarenes directly to boronic acids and esters. This photoinduced borylation protocol does not require expensive and toxic metal catalysts or ligands, and it produces innocuous and easy-to-remove by-products. Furthermore, the reaction can be carried out on multigram scales in common-grade solvents without the need for reaction mixtures to be deoxygenated. The setup and purification steps are typically accomplished within 1-3 h. The reactions can be run overnight, and the protocol can be completed within 13-16 h. Two representative procedures that are described in this protocol provide details for preparation of a boronic acid (3-cyanopheylboronic acid) and a boronic ester (1,4-benzenediboronic acid bis(pinacol)ester). We also discuss additional details of the method that will be helpful in the application of the protocol to other haloarene substrates.

Automatic Debugging Support for UML Designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schumann, Johann; Swanson, Keith (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Design of large software systems requires rigorous application of software engineering methods covering all phases of the software process. Debugging during the early design phases is extremely important, because late bug-fixes are expensive. In this paper, we describe an approach which facilitates debugging of UML requirements and designs. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a set of notations for object-orient design of a software system. We have developed an algorithm which translates requirement specifications in the form of annotated sequence diagrams into structured statecharts. This algorithm detects conflicts between sequence diagrams and inconsistencies in the domain knowledge. After synthesizing statecharts from sequence diagrams, these statecharts usually are subject to manual modification and refinement. By using the "backward" direction of our synthesis algorithm. we are able to map modifications made to the statechart back into the requirements (sequence diagrams) and check for conflicts there. Fed back to the user conflicts detected by our algorithm are the basis for deductive-based debugging of requirements and domain theory in very early development stages. Our approach allows to generate explanations oil why there is a conflict and which parts of the specifications are affected.

Selective biosensing of Staphylococcus aureus using chitosan quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelhamid, Hani Nasser; Wu, Hui-Fen

2018-01-01

Selective biosensing of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) using chitosan modified quantum dots (CTS@CdS QDs) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide is reported. The method is based on the intrinsic positive catalase activity of S. aureus. CTS@CdS quantum dots provide high dispersion in aqueous media with high fluorescence emission. Staphylococcus aureus causes a selective quenching of the fluorescence emission of CTS@CdS QDs in the presence of H2O2 compared to other pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The intrinsic enzymatic character of S. aureus (catalase positive) offers selective and fast biosensing. The present method is highly selective for positive catalase species and requires no expensive reagents such as antibodies, aptamers or microbeads. It could be extended for other species that are positive catalase.

Fibre Optic Sensors for Selected Wastewater Characteristics

PubMed Central

Chong, Su Sin; Abdul Aziz, A. R.; Harun, Sulaiman W.

2013-01-01

Demand for online and real-time measurements techniques to meet environmental regulation and treatment compliance are increasing. However the conventional techniques, which involve scheduled sampling and chemical analysis can be expensive and time consuming. Therefore cheaper and faster alternatives to monitor wastewater characteristics are required as alternatives to conventional methods. This paper reviews existing conventional techniques and optical and fibre optic sensors to determine selected wastewater characteristics which are colour, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). The review confirms that with appropriate configuration, calibration and fibre features the parameters can be determined with accuracy comparable to conventional method. With more research in this area, the potential for using FOS for online and real-time measurement of more wastewater parameters for various types of industrial effluent are promising. PMID:23881131

Gene delivery by microfluidic flow-through electroporation based on constant DC and AC field.

PubMed

Geng, Tao; Zhan, Yihong; Lu, Chang

2012-01-01

Electroporation is one of the most widely used physical methods to deliver exogenous nucleic acids into cells with high efficiency and low toxicity. Conventional electroporation systems typically require expensive pulse generators to provide short electrical pulses at high voltage. In this work, we demonstrate a flow-through electroporation method for continuous transfection of cells based on disposable chips, a syringe pump, and a low-cost power supply that provides a constant voltage. We successfully transfect cells using either DC or AC voltage with high flow rates (ranging from 40 µl/min to 20 ml/min) and high efficiency (up to 75%). We also enable the entire cell membrane to be uniformly permeabilized and dramatically improve gene delivery by inducing complex migrations of cells during the flow.

A MULTICORE BASED PARALLEL IMAGE REGISTRATION METHOD

PubMed Central

Yang, Lin; Gong, Leiguang; Zhang, Hong; Nosher, John L.; Foran, David J.

2012-01-01

Image registration is a crucial step for many image-assisted clinical applications such as surgery planning and treatment evaluation. In this paper we proposed a landmark based nonlinear image registration algorithm for matching 2D image pairs. The algorithm was shown to be effective and robust under conditions of large deformations. In landmark based registration, the most important step is establishing the correspondence among the selected landmark points. This usually requires an extensive search which is often computationally expensive. We introduced a nonregular data partition algorithm using the K-means clustering algorithm to group the landmarks based on the number of available processing cores. The step optimizes the memory usage and data transfer. We have tested our method using IBM Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.) platform. PMID:19964921

Method of reduction of the number of driving system channels for phased-array transducers using isolation transformers.

PubMed

Fjield, T; Hynynen, K

2000-01-01

Phased-array technology offers an incredible advantage to therapeutic ultrasound due to the ability to electronically steer foci, create multiple foci, or to create an enlarged focal region by using phase cancellation. However, to take advantage of this flexibility, the phased-arrays generally consist of many elements. Each of these elements requires its own radio-frequency generator with independent amplitude and phase control, resulting in a large, complex, and expensive driving system. A method is presented here where in certain cases the number of amplifier channels can be reduced to a fraction of the number of transducer elements, thereby simplifying the driving system and reducing the overall system complexity and cost, by using isolation transformers to produce 180 degrees phase shifts.

Identifying High-Risk Patients without Labeled Training Data: Anomaly Detection Methodologies to Predict Adverse Outcomes

PubMed Central

Syed, Zeeshan; Saeed, Mohammed; Rubinfeld, Ilan

2010-01-01

For many clinical conditions, only a small number of patients experience adverse outcomes. Developing risk stratification algorithms for these conditions typically requires collecting large volumes of data to capture enough positive and negative for training. This process is slow, expensive, and may not be appropriate for new phenomena. In this paper, we explore different anomaly detection approaches to identify high-risk patients as cases that lie in sparse regions of the feature space. We study three broad categories of anomaly detection methods: classification-based, nearest neighbor-based, and clustering-based techniques. When evaluated on data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), these methods were able to successfully identify patients at an elevated risk of mortality and rare morbidities following inpatient surgical procedures. PMID:21347083

46 CFR 272.42 - Audit requirements and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... procedures. (a) Required audit. In connection with the audit of the Operator's subsidizable expenses, the... of audit results. Upon completion of the audit by the Office of Inspector General, the MARAD Office of Financial Approvals shall notify the Operator of the audit results, including any items disallowed...

7 CFR 3560.406 - MFH ownership transfers or sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... project's value. (5) All immediate and long-term repair and rehabilitation needs must be identified by a capital needs assessment. The reserve requirements for the housing project will be reviewed by the Agency... due for operation and maintenance expenses, tax assessments, insurance premiums, any required tenant...

7 CFR 3560.406 - MFH ownership transfers or sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... project's value. (5) All immediate and long-term repair and rehabilitation needs must be identified by a capital needs assessment. The reserve requirements for the housing project will be reviewed by the Agency... due for operation and maintenance expenses, tax assessments, insurance premiums, any required tenant...

7 CFR 3560.406 - MFH ownership transfers or sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... project's value. (5) All immediate and long-term repair and rehabilitation needs must be identified by a capital needs assessment. The reserve requirements for the housing project will be reviewed by the Agency... due for operation and maintenance expenses, tax assessments, insurance premiums, any required tenant...

7 CFR 3560.406 - MFH ownership transfers or sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... project's value. (5) All immediate and long-term repair and rehabilitation needs must be identified by a capital needs assessment. The reserve requirements for the housing project will be reviewed by the Agency... due for operation and maintenance expenses, tax assessments, insurance premiums, any required tenant...

7 CFR 3560.406 - MFH ownership transfers or sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... project's value. (5) All immediate and long-term repair and rehabilitation needs must be identified by a capital needs assessment. The reserve requirements for the housing project will be reviewed by the Agency... due for operation and maintenance expenses, tax assessments, insurance premiums, any required tenant...

48 CFR 27.406-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... preparation, reformatting, maintenance and updating, cataloging, and storage of data represents an expense to... REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS Rights in Data and Copyrights 27.406-1 General. (a) It is the Government's practice to determine, to the extent feasible, its data requirements in time for inclusion in...

48 CFR 27.406-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... preparation, reformatting, maintenance and updating, cataloging, and storage of data represents an expense to... REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS Rights in Data and Copyrights 27.406-1 General. (a) It is the Government's practice to determine, to the extent feasible, its data requirements in time for inclusion in...

48 CFR 27.406-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... preparation, reformatting, maintenance and updating, cataloging, and storage of data represents an expense to... REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS Rights in Data and Copyrights 27.406-1 General. (a) It is the Government's practice to determine, to the extent feasible, its data requirements in time for inclusion in...

48 CFR 27.406-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... preparation, reformatting, maintenance and updating, cataloging, and storage of data represents an expense to... REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS Rights in Data and Copyrights 27.406-1 General. (a) It is the Government's practice to determine, to the extent feasible, its data requirements in time for inclusion in...

48 CFR 27.406-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... preparation, reformatting, maintenance and updating, cataloging, and storage of data represents an expense to... REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS Rights in Data and Copyrights 27.406-1 General. (a) It is the Government's practice to determine, to the extent feasible, its data requirements in time for inclusion in...

An eco-friendly, quick and cost-effective method for the quantification of acrylamide in cereal-based baby foods.

PubMed

Cengiz, Mehmet Fatih; Gündüz, Cennet Pelin Boyacı

2014-09-01

The presence of acrylamide in cereal-based baby foods is a matter of great concern owing to its possible health effects. Derivatization followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is one of the most common methods to quantify acrylamide. However, it requires the use of toxic chemicals and is time-consuming. The aim of this study was to develop an eco-friendly, rapid and inexpensive method for the determination of acrylamide in cereal-based baby foods. The method involves defatting with n-hexane, extraction into water, precipitation of proteins, bromination, extraction into ethyl acetate and injection into a GC/MS system. The effects of defatting, precipitation, treatment with triethylamine, addition of internal standard and column selection were reviewed. A flow chart for acrylamide analysis was prepared. To evaluate the applicability of the method, 62 different cereal-based baby foods were analyzed. The levels of acrylamide ranged from not detected (below the limit of detection) to 660 µg kg(-1). The method is more eco-friendly and less expensive because it consumes very little solvent relative to other methods using bromine solutions and ethyl acetate. In addition, sample pre-treatment requires no solid phase extraction or concentration steps. The method is recommended for the determination of trace acrylamide in complex cereal-based baby food products. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Florida's Model of Nursing Home Medicaid Reimbursement for Disaster-Related Expenses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Kali S.; Hyer, Kathryn; Brown, Lisa M.; Polivka-West, LuMarie; Branch, Laurence G.

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study describes Florida's model of Medicaid nursing home (NH) reimbursement to compensate NHs for disaster-related expenses incurred as a result of 8 hurricanes within a 2-year period. This Florida model can serve as a demonstration for a national model for disaster-related reimbursement. Design and Methods: Florida reimburses NHs…

Adjoint-Based Aerodynamic Design of Complex Aerospace Configurations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nielsen, Eric J.

2016-01-01

An overview of twenty years of adjoint-based aerodynamic design research at NASA Langley Research Center is presented. Adjoint-based algorithms provide a powerful tool for efficient sensitivity analysis of complex large-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Unlike alternative approaches for which computational expense generally scales with the number of design parameters, adjoint techniques yield sensitivity derivatives of a simulation output with respect to all input parameters at the cost of a single additional simulation. With modern large-scale CFD applications often requiring millions of compute hours for a single analysis, the efficiency afforded by adjoint methods is critical in realizing a computationally tractable design optimization capability for such applications.

Implications of new accounting rules for income taxes.

PubMed

Reinstein, A; Carmichael, B J; Spaulding, A D

1994-02-01

The provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, require all organizations that issue financial statements to shift the focus of their accounting for income taxes from the income statement to the balance sheet. This change can alter significantly a healthcare organization's financial position. The change also may affect the way in which investors, lenders, regulators, and other users of financial statements evaluate corporations in the healthcare industry. Hospitals and other healthcare organizations, particularly for-profit organizations, therefore, should review carefully their methods of accounting for such items as deferred tax assets and loss and expense reserves.

Recent Advances in Microwave Imaging for Breast Cancer Detection

PubMed Central

Kwon, Sollip

2016-01-01

Breast cancer is a disease that occurs most often in female cancer patients. Early detection can significantly reduce the mortality rate. Microwave breast imaging, which is noninvasive and harmless to human, offers a promising alternative method to mammography. This paper presents a review of recent advances in microwave imaging for breast cancer detection. We conclude by introducing new research on a microwave imaging system with time-domain measurement that achieves short measurement time and low system cost. In the time-domain measurement system, scan time would take less than 1 sec, and it does not require very expensive equipment such as VNA. PMID:28096808

Porosity estimation by semi-supervised learning with sparsely available labeled samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, Luiz Alberto; Görnitz, Nico; Varella, Luiz Eduardo; Vellasco, Marley; Müller, Klaus-Robert; Nakajima, Shinichi

2017-09-01

This paper addresses the porosity estimation problem from seismic impedance volumes and porosity samples located in a small group of exploratory wells. Regression methods, trained on the impedance as inputs and the porosity as output labels, generally suffer from extremely expensive (and hence sparsely available) porosity samples. To optimally make use of the valuable porosity data, a semi-supervised machine learning method was proposed, Transductive Conditional Random Field Regression (TCRFR), showing good performance (Görnitz et al., 2017). TCRFR, however, still requires more labeled data than those usually available, which creates a gap when applying the method to the porosity estimation problem in realistic situations. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by introducing two graph-based preprocessing techniques, which adapt the original TCRFR for extremely weakly supervised scenarios. Our new method outperforms the previous automatic estimation methods on synthetic data and provides a comparable result to the manual labored, time-consuming geostatistics approach on real data, proving its potential as a practical industrial tool.

An Evaluation Method for PV Systems by using Limited Data Item

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oozeki, Takashi; Izawa, Toshiyasu; Otani, Kenji; Tsuzuku, Ken; Koike, Hisafumi; Kurokawa, Kosuke

Beside photovoltaic (PV) systems are recently expected to introduce around Japan, almost all of them have not been taken care after established since PV systems are called maintenance free. In fact, there are few troubles about PV operations behind owners of PV systems because characteristics of them cannot be identified completely such as the ideal output energy. Therefore, it is very important to evaluate the characteristics of them. For evaluating them, equipments of measuring are required, and they, especially Pyrheliometer, are expensive as much as owners of the PV system cannot equip usually. Consequently, An evaluation method which can reveal the performance of operation such as the performance ratio with a very few kinds of data is necessary. In this paper, proposed method can evaluate performance ratio, shading losses, inverter efficiency losses by using only system output data items. The adequacies of the method are indicated by comparing with actual data and field survey results. As a result, the method is intended to be checking tool of PV system performance.

Comparing different methods for fast screening of microbiological quality of beach sand aimed at rapid-response remediation.

PubMed

Testolin, Renan C; Almeida, Tito C M; Polette, Marcus; Branco, Joaquim O; Fischer, Larissa L; Niero, Guilherme; Poyer-Radetski, Gabriel; Silva, Valéria C; Somensi, Cleder A; Corrêa, Albertina X R; Corrêa, Rogério; Rörig, Leonardo R; Itokazu, Ana Gabriela; Férard, Jean-François; Cotelle, Sylvie; Radetski, Claudemir M

2017-05-15

There is scientific evidence that beach sands are a significant contributor to the pathogen load to which visitors are exposed. To develop beach quality guidelines all beach zones must be included in microbiological evaluations, but monitoring methods for beach sand quality are relatively longstanding, expensive, laborious and require moderate laboratory infrastructure. This paper aimed to evaluate the microorganism activity in different beach zones applying and comparing a classical method of membrane filtration (MF) with two colorimetric screening methods based on fluorescein (FDA) and tetrazolium (TTC) salt biotransformation to evaluate a new rapid and low-cost method for beach sand microbiological contamination assessments. The colorimetric results can help beach managers to evaluate rapidly and at low cost the microbiological quality of different beach zones in order to decide whether remedial actions need to be adopted to prevent exposure of the public to microbes due to beach sand and/or water contamination. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Numerical solutions of the complete Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hassan, H. A.

1993-01-01

The objective of this study is to compare the use of assumed pdf (probability density function) approaches for modeling supersonic turbulent reacting flowfields with the more elaborate approach where the pdf evolution equation is solved. Assumed pdf approaches for averaging the chemical source terms require modest increases in CPU time typically of the order of 20 percent above treating the source terms as 'laminar.' However, it is difficult to assume a form for these pdf's a priori that correctly mimics the behavior of the actual pdf governing the flow. Solving the evolution equation for the pdf is a theoretically sound approach, but because of the large dimensionality of this function, its solution requires a Monte Carlo method which is computationally expensive and slow to coverage. Preliminary results show both pdf approaches to yield similar solutions for the mean flow variables.

Simple solution to the medical instrumentation software problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leif, Robert C.; Leif, Suzanne B.; Leif, Stephanie H.; Bingue, E.

1995-04-01

Medical devices now include a substantial software component, which is both difficult and expensive to produce and maintain. Medical software must be developed according to `Good Manufacturing Practices', GMP. Good Manufacturing Practices as specified by the FDA and ISO requires the definition and compliance to a software processes which ensures quality products by specifying a detailed method of software construction. The software process should be based on accepted standards. US Department of Defense software standards and technology can both facilitate the development and improve the quality of medical systems. We describe the advantages of employing Mil-Std-498, Software Development and Documentation, and the Ada programming language. Ada provides the very broad range of functionalities, from embedded real-time to management information systems required by many medical devices. It also includes advanced facilities for object oriented programming and software engineering.

Reliability Assessment for COTS Components in Space Flight Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krishnan, G. S.; Mazzuchi, Thomas A.

2001-01-01

Systems built for space flight applications usually demand very high degree of performance and a very high level of accuracy. Hence, the design engineers are often prone to selecting state-of-art technologies for inclusion in their system design. The shrinking budgets also necessitate use of COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) components, which are construed as being less expensive. The performance and accuracy requirements for space flight applications are much more stringent than those for the commercial applications. The quantity of systems designed and developed for space applications are much lower in number than those produced for the commercial applications. With a given set of requirements, are these COTS components reliable? This paper presents a model for assessing the reliability of COTS components in space applications and the associated affect on the system reliability. We illustrate the method with a real application.

Visual Typo Correction by Collocative Optimization: A Case Study on Merchandize Images.

PubMed

Wei, Xiao-Yong; Yang, Zhen-Qun; Ngo, Chong-Wah; Zhang, Wei

2014-02-01

Near-duplicate retrieval (NDR) in merchandize images is of great importance to a lot of online applications on e-Commerce websites. In those applications where the requirement of response time is critical, however, the conventional techniques developed for a general purpose NDR are limited, because expensive post-processing like spatial verification or hashing is usually employed to compromise the quantization errors among the visual words used for the images. In this paper, we argue that most of the errors are introduced because of the quantization process where the visual words are considered individually, which has ignored the contextual relations among words. We propose a "spelling or phrase correction" like process for NDR, which extends the concept of collocations to visual domain for modeling the contextual relations. Binary quadratic programming is used to enforce the contextual consistency of words selected for an image, so that the errors (typos) are eliminated and the quality of the quantization process is improved. The experimental results show that the proposed method can improve the efficiency of NDR by reducing vocabulary size by 1000% times, and under the scenario of merchandize image NDR, the expensive local interest point feature used in conventional approaches can be replaced by color-moment feature, which reduces the time cost by 9202% while maintaining comparable performance to the state-of-the-art methods.

IEC 61267: Feasibility of type 1100 aluminium and a copper/aluminium combination for RQA beam qualities.

PubMed

Leong, David L; Rainford, Louise; Zhao, Wei; Brennan, Patrick C

2016-01-01

In the course of performance acceptance testing, benchmarking or quality control of X-ray imaging systems, it is sometimes necessary to harden the X-ray beam spectrum. IEC 61267 specifies materials and methods to accomplish beam hardening and, unfortunately, requires the use of 99.9% pure aluminium (Alloy 1190) for the RQA beam quality, which is expensive and difficult to obtain. Less expensive and more readily available filters, such as Alloy 1100 (99.0% pure) aluminium and copper/aluminium combinations, have been used clinically to produce RQA series without rigorous scientific investigation to support their use. In this paper, simulation and experimental methods are developed to determine the differences in beam quality using Alloy 1190 and Alloy 1100. Additional simulation investigated copper/aluminium combinations to produce RQA5 and outputs from this simulation are verified with laboratory tests using different filter samples. The results of the study demonstrate that although Alloy 1100 produces a harder beam spectrum compared to Alloy 1190, it is a reasonable substitute. A combination filter of 0.5 mm copper and 2 mm aluminium produced a spectrum closer to that of Alloy 1190 than Alloy 1100 with the added benefits of lower exposures and lower batch variability. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Skeletal Mass Depletion Is a Negative Prognostic Factor in Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients in the Terminal Stage].

PubMed

Takahashi, Goro; Yamada, Takeshi; Kan, Hayato; Koizumi, Michihiro; Shinji, Seiichi; Yokoyama, Yasuyuki; Iwai, Takuma; Uchida, Eiji

2015-10-01

Skeletal mass depletion has been reported to be a prognostic factor for cancer patients. However, special and expensive devices are required to measure skeletal mass, and this is a major reason why skeletal mass is not used extensively for prognostic marker in clinical settings. We developed a new method to measure skeletal mass for use as a prognostic marker using CT images without special and expensive devices. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of skeletal mass as measured by this new method as a prognostic marker for gastrointestinal cancer patients. Patients who died from gastrointestinal cancer between March 2010 and October 2013 were included. We measured the right-sided maximum psoas muscle cross sectional area (MPCA) by using CT images before surgery and after the patients developed a terminal condition. The maximum psoas muscle cross sectional area ratio (MPCA-R) was defined as follows: MPCA-R=MPCA before surgery/MPCA after developing a terminal condition. We evaluated the correlation between MPCA-R and survival. Fifty-nine patients were included. The median survival was 44 days, and MPCA-R was significantly correlated with survival (p=0.001). On receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) to predict 30-day and 90-day survival was 0.710 and 0.748, respectively. MPCA-R is a new and novel prognostic marker for gastrointestinal cancer patients in terminal condition.

Field Application of the Micro Biological Survey Method for the Assessment of the Microbiological Safety of Different Water Sources in Horn of Africa and the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Moringa Oleifera in Drinking Water Purification

PubMed Central

Losito, Francesca; Arienzo, Alyexandra; Somma, Daniela; Murgia, Lorenza; Stalio, Ottavia; Zuppi, Paolo; Rossi, Elisabetta; Antonini, Giovanni

2017-01-01

Water monitoring requires expensive instrumentations and skilled technicians. In developing Countries as Africa, the severe economic restrictions and lack of technology make water safety monitoring approaches applied in developed Countries, still not sustainable. The need to develop new methods that are suitable, affordable, and sustainable in the African context is urgent. The simple, economic and rapid Micro Biological Survey (MBS) method does not require an equipped laboratory nor special instruments and skilled technicians, but it can be very useful for routine water analysis. The aim of this work was the application of the MBS method to evaluate the microbiological safety of different water sources and the effectiveness of different drinking water treatments in the Horn of Africa. The obtained results have proved that this method could be very helpful to monitor water safety before and after various purification treatments, with the aim to control waterborne diseases especially in developing Countries, whose population is the most exposed to these diseases. In addition, it has been proved that Moringa oleifera water treatment is ineffective in decreasing bacterial load of Eritrea water samples. PMID:28748063

Field Application of the Micro Biological Survey Method for the Assessment of the Microbiological Safety of Different Water Sources in Horn of Africa and the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Moringa Oleifera in Drinking Water Purification.

PubMed

Losito, Francesca; Arienzo, Alyexandra; Somma, Daniela; Murgia, Lorenza; Stalio, Ottavia; Zuppi, Paolo; Rossi, Elisabetta; Antonini, Giovanni

2017-06-23

Water monitoring requires expensive instrumentations and skilled technicians. In developing Countries as Africa, the severe economic restrictions and lack of technology make water safety monitoring approaches applied in developed Countries, still not sustainable. The need to develop new methods that are suitable, affordable, and sustainable in the African context is urgent. The simple, economic and rapid Micro Biological Survey (MBS) method does not require an equipped laboratory nor special instruments and skilled technicians, but it can be very useful for routine water analysis. The aim of this work was the application of the MBS method to evaluate the microbiological safety of different water sources and the effectiveness of different drinking water treatments in the Horn of Africa. The obtained results have proved that this method could be very helpful to monitor water safety before and after various purification treatments, with the aim to control waterborne diseases especially in developing Countries, whose population is the most exposed to these diseases. In addition, it has been proved that Moringa oleifera water treatment is ineffective in decreasing bacterial load of Eritrea water samples.

24 CFR 200.54 - Project completion funding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... URBAN DEVELOPMENT GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO FHA PROGRAMS Requirements for Application, Commitment, and... project and to pay the initial service charge, carrying charges, and legal and organizational expenses...

Mobile robot self-localization system using single webcam distance measurement technology in indoor environments.

PubMed

Li, I-Hsum; Chen, Ming-Chang; Wang, Wei-Yen; Su, Shun-Feng; Lai, To-Wen

2014-01-27

A single-webcam distance measurement technique for indoor robot localization is proposed in this paper. The proposed localization technique uses webcams that are available in an existing surveillance environment. The developed image-based distance measurement system (IBDMS) and parallel lines distance measurement system (PLDMS) have two merits. Firstly, only one webcam is required for estimating the distance. Secondly, the set-up of IBDMS and PLDMS is easy, which only one known-dimension rectangle pattern is needed, i.e., a ground tile. Some common and simple image processing techniques, i.e., background subtraction are used to capture the robot in real time. Thus, for the purposes of indoor robot localization, the proposed method does not need to use expensive high-resolution webcams and complicated pattern recognition methods but just few simple estimating formulas. From the experimental results, the proposed robot localization method is reliable and effective in an indoor environment.

Modeling the Hydration Layer around Proteins: Applications to Small- and Wide-Angle X-Ray Scattering

PubMed Central

Virtanen, Jouko Juhani; Makowski, Lee; Sosnick, Tobin R.; Freed, Karl F.

2011-01-01

Small-/wide-angle x-ray scattering (SWAXS) experiments can aid in determining the structures of proteins and protein complexes, but success requires accurate computational treatment of solvation. We compare two methods by which to calculate SWAXS patterns. The first approach uses all-atom explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The second, far less computationally expensive method involves prediction of the hydration density around a protein using our new HyPred solvation model, which is applied without the need for additional MD simulations. The SWAXS patterns obtained from the HyPred model compare well to both experimental data and the patterns predicted by the MD simulations. Both approaches exhibit advantages over existing methods for analyzing SWAXS data. The close correspondence between calculated and observed SWAXS patterns provides strong experimental support for the description of hydration implicit in the HyPred model. PMID:22004761

Detection of heavy metal by paper-based microfluidics.

PubMed

Lin, Yang; Gritsenko, Dmitry; Feng, Shaolong; Teh, Yi Chen; Lu, Xiaonan; Xu, Jie

2016-09-15

Heavy metal pollution has shown great threat to the environment and public health worldwide. Current methods for the detection of heavy metals require expensive instrumentation and laborious operation, which can only be accomplished in centralized laboratories. Various microfluidic paper-based analytical devices have been developed recently as simple, cheap and disposable alternatives to conventional ones for on-site detection of heavy metals. In this review, we first summarize current development of paper-based analytical devices and discuss the selection of paper substrates, methods of device fabrication, and relevant theories in these devices. We then compare and categorize recent reports on detection of heavy metals using paper-based microfluidic devices on the basis of various detection mechanisms, such as colorimetric, fluorescent, and electrochemical methods. To finalize, the future development and trend in this field are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immunoelectrophoresis: a method with many faces.

PubMed

Csako, Gyorgy

2012-01-01

Immunoelectrophoresis (IEP) was the first practical method that combined electrophoresis and -immunoprecipitation for identifying and characterizing proteins within complex mixtures. Over the years, IEP has been extended to include a variety of techniques and, as a general name, has been applied to virtually any technique that involves electrophoresis and antigen-antibody precipitin reaction for proteins. Because of the diversity in technical details of different IEP versions, the method described here deals only with classic IEP. Although it requires some manual expertise, IEP is versatile, relatively easy to customize, and economical with no need for expensive instrumentation. Further, it can discern identity, partial identity, and nonidentity of the proteins. Any low-viscosity body fluid specimen or, possibly, culture fluid and tissue extract could be tested with IEP if proper antibodies are available. With these attributes, classic IEP remains a valuable tool for clinical diagnostic testing, purity checking of biochemical and pharmaceutical products, and research.

Employment of Asteroids for Movement Space Ship and Probes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolonkin, Alexander

2002-01-01

At present, rockets are used to change the trajectory of space ships and probes. This method is very expensive and requires a lot of fuel, which limits the feasibility of space stations, interplanetary space ships, and probes. Sometimes space probes use the gravity field of a planet. However, there are only 9 planets in our solar system and they are separated by great distances. There are tens of millions of asteroids in outer space. The author offers a revolutionary method for changing the trajectory of space probes. This method uses the kinetic or rotary energy of asteroids, meteorites or other space bodies (small planets, natural planet satellites, etc.). to increase (to decrease) ship (probe) speed up to 1000 m/sec (or more) and to get any new direction in outer space. The flight possibilities of space ships and probes are increased by a factor of millions.

Asteroids as Propulsion Systems of Space Ships

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolonkin, Alexander

2003-01-01

Currently, rockets are used to change the trajectory of space ships and probes. This method is very expensive and requires a lot of fuel, which limits the feasibility of space stations, interplanetary space ships, and probes. Sometimes space probes use the gravity field of a planet However, there am only nine planets in the Solar System, all separated by great distances. There are tons of millions of asteroids in outer space. This paper offers a revolutionary method for changing the trajectory of space probes. The method uses the kinetic or rotary energy of asteroids, comet nuclei, meteorites or other space bodies (small planets, natural planetary satellites, space debris, etc.) to increase (to decrease) ship (probe) speed up to 1000 m/sec (or more) and to achieve any new direction in outer space. The flight possibilities of space ships and probes are increased by a factor of millions.

Particle swarm optimization and gravitational wave data analysis: Performance on a binary inspiral testbed

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

Wang Yan; Mohanty, Soumya D.; Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, 80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, Texas 78520

2010-03-15

The detection and estimation of gravitational wave signals belonging to a parameterized family of waveforms requires, in general, the numerical maximization of a data-dependent function of the signal parameters. Because of noise in the data, the function to be maximized is often highly multimodal with numerous local maxima. Searching for the global maximum then becomes computationally expensive, which in turn can limit the scientific scope of the search. Stochastic optimization is one possible approach to reducing computational costs in such applications. We report results from a first investigation of the particle swarm optimization method in this context. The method ismore » applied to a test bed motivated by the problem of detection and estimation of a binary inspiral signal. Our results show that particle swarm optimization works well in the presence of high multimodality, making it a viable candidate method for further applications in gravitational wave data analysis.« less

Relabeling exchange method (REM) for learning in neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Wen; Mammone, Richard J.

1994-02-01

The supervised training of neural networks require the use of output labels which are usually arbitrarily assigned. In this paper it is shown that there is a significant difference in the rms error of learning when `optimal' label assignment schemes are used. We have investigated two efficient random search algorithms to solve the relabeling problem: the simulated annealing and the genetic algorithm. However, we found them to be computationally expensive. Therefore we shall introduce a new heuristic algorithm called the Relabeling Exchange Method (REM) which is computationally more attractive and produces optimal performance. REM has been used to organize the optimal structure for multi-layered perceptrons and neural tree networks. The method is a general one and can be implemented as a modification to standard training algorithms. The motivation of the new relabeling strategy is based on the present interpretation of dyslexia as an encoding problem.

Mobile Robot Self-Localization System Using Single Webcam Distance Measurement Technology in Indoor Environments

PubMed Central

Li, I-Hsum; Chen, Ming-Chang; Wang, Wei-Yen; Su, Shun-Feng; Lai, To-Wen

2014-01-01

A single-webcam distance measurement technique for indoor robot localization is proposed in this paper. The proposed localization technique uses webcams that are available in an existing surveillance environment. The developed image-based distance measurement system (IBDMS) and parallel lines distance measurement system (PLDMS) have two merits. Firstly, only one webcam is required for estimating the distance. Secondly, the set-up of IBDMS and PLDMS is easy, which only one known-dimension rectangle pattern is needed, i.e., a ground tile. Some common and simple image processing techniques, i.e., background subtraction are used to capture the robot in real time. Thus, for the purposes of indoor robot localization, the proposed method does not need to use expensive high-resolution webcams and complicated pattern recognition methods but just few simple estimating formulas. From the experimental results, the proposed robot localization method is reliable and effective in an indoor environment. PMID:24473282

Selective identification and quantification of saccharin by liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection.

PubMed

Bruno, Sergio N F; Cardoso, Carlos R; Maciel, Márcia Mosca A; Vokac, Lidmila; da Silva Junior, Ademário I

2014-09-15

High-pressure liquid chromatography with ultra-violet detection (HPLC-UV) is one of the most commonly used methods to identify and quantify saccharin in non-alcoholic beverages. However, due to the wide variety of interfering UV spectra in saccharin-containing beverage matrices, the same method cannot be used to measure this analyte accurately. We have developed a new, highly effective method to identify and quantify saccharin using HPLC with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). The excitation wavelength (250 nm) and emission wavelength (440 nm) chosen increased selectivity for all matrices and ensured few changes were required in the mobile phase or other parameters. The presence of saccharin in non-diet beverages - a fraud commonly used to replace more expensive sucrose - was confirmed by comparing coincident peaks as well as the emission spectra of standards and samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Costing nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures].

PubMed

Markou, Pavlos

2005-01-01

To the Editor: Referring to a recent special report about the cost analysis of twenty-nine nuclear medicine procedures, I would like to clarify some basic aspects for determining costs of nuclear medicine procedure with various costing methodologies. Activity Based Costing (ABC) method, is a new approach in imaging services costing that can provide the most accurate cost data, but is difficult to perform in nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures. That is because ABC requires determining and analyzing all direct and indirect costs of each procedure, according all its activities. Traditional costing methods, like those for estimating incomes and expenses per procedure or fixed and variable costs per procedure, which are widely used in break-even point analysis and the method of ratio-of-costs-to-charges per procedure may be easily performed in nuclear medicine departments, to evaluate the variability and differences between costs and reimbursement - charges.

Optimizing an Actuator Array for the Control of Multi-Frequency Noise in Aircraft Interiors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palumbo, D. L.; Padula, S. L.

1997-01-01

Techniques developed for selecting an optimized actuator array for interior noise reduction at a single frequency are extended to the multi-frequency case. Transfer functions for 64 actuators were obtained at 5 frequencies from ground testing the rear section of a fully trimmed DC-9 fuselage. A single loudspeaker facing the left side of the aircraft was the primary source. A combinatorial search procedure (tabu search) was employed to find optimum actuator subsets of from 2 to 16 actuators. Noise reduction predictions derived from the transfer functions were used as a basis for evaluating actuator subsets during optimization. Results indicate that it is necessary to constrain actuator forces during optimization. Unconstrained optimizations selected actuators which require unrealistically large forces. Two methods of constraint are evaluated. It is shown that a fast, but approximate, method yields results equivalent to an accurate, but computationally expensive, method.

Gradient shadow pattern reveals refractive index of liquid

PubMed Central

Kim, Wonkyoung; Kim, Dong Sung

2016-01-01

We propose a simple method that uses a gradient shadow pattern (GSP) to measure the refractive index nL of liquids. A light source generates a “dark-bright-dark” GSP when it is projected through through the back of a transparent, rectangular block with a cylindrical chamber that is filled with a liquid sample. We found that there is a linear relationship between nL and the proportion of the bright region in a GSP, which provides the basic principle of the proposed method. A wide range 1.33 ≤ nL ≤ 1.46 of liquids was measured in the single measurement setup with error <0.01. The proposed method is simple but robust to illuminating conditions, and does not require for any expensive or precise optical components, so we expect that it will be useful in many portable measurement systems that use nL to estimate attributes of liquid samples. PMID:27302603

Gradient shadow pattern reveals refractive index of liquid.

PubMed

Kim, Wonkyoung; Kim, Dong Sung

2016-06-15

We propose a simple method that uses a gradient shadow pattern (GSP) to measure the refractive index nL of liquids. A light source generates a "dark-bright-dark" GSP when it is projected through through the back of a transparent, rectangular block with a cylindrical chamber that is filled with a liquid sample. We found that there is a linear relationship between nL and the proportion of the bright region in a GSP, which provides the basic principle of the proposed method. A wide range 1.33 ≤ nL ≤ 1.46 of liquids was measured in the single measurement setup with error <0.01. The proposed method is simple but robust to illuminating conditions, and does not require for any expensive or precise optical components, so we expect that it will be useful in many portable measurement systems that use nL to estimate attributes of liquid samples.

A Computationally Efficient Parallel Levenberg-Marquardt Algorithm for Large-Scale Big-Data Inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y.; O'Malley, D.; Vesselinov, V. V.

2015-12-01

Inverse modeling seeks model parameters given a set of observed state variables. However, for many practical problems due to the facts that the observed data sets are often large and model parameters are often numerous, conventional methods for solving the inverse modeling can be computationally expensive. We have developed a new, computationally-efficient Levenberg-Marquardt method for solving large-scale inverse modeling. Levenberg-Marquardt methods require the solution of a dense linear system of equations which can be prohibitively expensive to compute for large-scale inverse problems. Our novel method projects the original large-scale linear problem down to a Krylov subspace, such that the dimensionality of the measurements can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, instead of solving the linear system for every Levenberg-Marquardt damping parameter, we store the Krylov subspace computed when solving the first damping parameter and recycle it for all the following damping parameters. The efficiency of our new inverse modeling algorithm is significantly improved by using these computational techniques. We apply this new inverse modeling method to invert for a random transitivity field. Our algorithm is fast enough to solve for the distributed model parameters (transitivity) at each computational node in the model domain. The inversion is also aided by the use regularization techniques. The algorithm is coded in Julia and implemented in the MADS computational framework (http://mads.lanl.gov). Julia is an advanced high-level scientific programing language that allows for efficient memory management and utilization of high-performance computational resources. By comparing with a Levenberg-Marquardt method using standard linear inversion techniques, our Levenberg-Marquardt method yields speed-up ratio of 15 in a multi-core computational environment and a speed-up ratio of 45 in a single-core computational environment. Therefore, our new inverse modeling method is a powerful tool for large-scale applications.

Electronic Diaries: Appraisal and Current Status

PubMed Central

Broderick, Joan E.

2009-01-01

The recent explosion of technology has moved the field of patient reported outcomes (PROs) into a new era. Use of paper-and-pencil questionnaires administered before and after treatment has been eclipsed by highly sophisticated random prompts for symptom ratings at multiple points throughout the day, a method known as ecological momentary assessment (EMA). During the last 25 years, research has demonstrated that retrospective ratings are subject to a variety of cognitive heuristics that can distort the report. Initially, this was addressed by adopting paper diary protocols involving multiple ratings in a day or across a week. Technology was also advancing, and some researchers began to utilize electronic platforms for EMA assessment. A good deal of research has been conducted comparing paper and electronic formats. Issues of compliance have been particularly problematic for paper diaries. Electronic technologies can be expensive and require expertise in programming and data management. Not all research questions will require intensive momentary assessment, and end-of-day ratings may be adequate for many applications. What is required of the investigator is familiarity with the strengths and weaknesses of the methods and platforms available as well as a reasoned decision to elect a particular methodology for the study question at hand. PMID:20037672

CFD evaluation of an advanced thrust vector control concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiarn, Weihnurng; Cavalleri, Robert

1990-01-01

A potential concept that can offer an alternate method for thrust vector control of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster is the use of a cylindrical probe that is inserted (on demand) through the wall of the rocket nozzle. This Probe Thrust Vector Control (PTVC) concept is an alternate to that of a gimbaled nozzle or a Liquid Injection Thrust Vector (LITVC) system. The viability of the PTVC concept can be assessed either experimentally and/or with the use of CFD. A purely experimental assessment can be time consuming and expensive, whereas a CFD assessment can be very time- and cost-effective. Two key requirements of the proposed concept are PTVC vectoring performance and the active cooling requirements for the probe to maintain its thermal and structural integrity. An active thermal cooling method is the injection of coolant around the pheriphery of the probe. How much coolant is required and how this coolant distributes itself in the flow field is of major concern. The objective of the work reported here is the use of CFD to answer these question and in the design of test hardware to substantiate the results of the CFD predictions.

Analytics-Driven Lossless Data Compression for Rapid In-situ Indexing, Storing, and Querying

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

Jenkins, John; Arkatkar, Isha; Lakshminarasimhan, Sriram

2013-01-01

The analysis of scientific simulations is highly data-intensive and is becoming an increasingly important challenge. Peta-scale data sets require the use of light-weight query-driven analysis methods, as opposed to heavy-weight schemes that optimize for speed at the expense of size. This paper is an attempt in the direction of query processing over losslessly compressed scientific data. We propose a co-designed double-precision compression and indexing methodology for range queries by performing unique-value-based binning on the most significant bytes of double precision data (sign, exponent, and most significant mantissa bits), and inverting the resulting metadata to produce an inverted index over amore » reduced data representation. Without the inverted index, our method matches or improves compression ratios over both general-purpose and floating-point compression utilities. The inverted index is light-weight, and the overall storage requirement for both reduced column and index is less than 135%, whereas existing DBMS technologies can require 200-400%. As a proof-of-concept, we evaluate univariate range queries that additionally return column values, a critical component of data analytics, against state-of-the-art bitmap indexing technology, showing multi-fold query performance improvements.« less

42 CFR 435.4 - Definitions and use of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... this part because their income and resources are within limits set by the State under its Medicaid plan (including persons whose income and resources fall within these limits after their incurred expenses for... who, generally, meet the categorical requirements or income or resource requirements that are the same...

Useful adjuncts for vitreoretinal surgery.

PubMed Central

Gross, J. G.; Freeman, W. R.; Goldbaum, M. H.; Mendez, T. L.

1989-01-01

Many vitreoretinal procedures are performed in offices and hospitals where cost control is important. We describe three useful devices and techniques that facilitate these procedures at minimal expense and often greater convenience. These include an accurate method for localising the pars plana without the use of callipers, an inexpensive, reliable, pressure regulated air pump for fluid-air exchange, and an easy method for intraocular injection of silicone oil through 20 gauge instrumentation without the need for expensive pumps. These procedures and techniques should prove to be useful in the treatment of vitreoretinal disease. Images PMID:2751976

Abortion Patients' Experience and Perceptions of Waiting Periods: Survey Evidence before Arizona's Two-visit 24-hour Mandatory Waiting Period Law.

PubMed

Karasek, Deborah; Roberts, Sarah C M; Weitz, Tracy A

2016-01-01

More than one-half of U.S. states now have laws requiring women to wait at least 24 hours between receiving information about abortion and the actual abortion procedure, with a few requiring longer waits, and one-fourth requiring that women receive this information in person. Although public discussions of waiting periods focus on how they affect women, we know little about abortion patients' perceptions of these requirements. We collected data from 379 women seeking abortion care at an abortion facility in Arizona before Arizona's 24-hour waiting period two-visit requirement went into effect. Surveys focused on patients' experiences receiving abortion care before the waiting period and perceptions about how the additional clinic visit would affect them. Most women reported one or more financial or logistical challenges in obtaining abortion care. More than two-thirds reported difficulty paying abortion appointment-related expenses. These expenses prevented or delayed almost one-half from paying other expenses, such as rent, bills, and food, with lower income women more affected. The majority expected that the additional visit would result in additional financial and logistical hardships and delay them in having an abortion, with 90% reporting that the waiting period would lead to at least one hardship. Eight percent reported that the waiting period would have a positive effect on emotional well-being, and more than one-half reported that it would have a negative effect on emotional well-being. Only a small minority of women seeking abortion care view a two-visit waiting period law as benefiting them; the overwhelming majority expect a waiting period to have adverse consequences. Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modifying prescribing behaviour of angiotensin receptor blockers by selectively rescinding managerial prior authorization requirements for losartan.

PubMed

Kahan, Natan R; Chinitz, David P; Blackman, Shimon; Waitman, Dan-Andrei; Vardy, Daniel A

2011-12-01

To evaluate whether rescinding the prior authorization (PA) requirement (managerial pre-approval) for losartan in an health maintenance organization (HMO) could reduce prescribing of the more expensive angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). HMO physicians were notified that losartan would no longer require PA, and appropriate changes were made to the electronic prescribing computer program. The monthly distribution by drug of the number of prescriptions for ARBs dispensed for new patients was calculated before and after the policy change from data captured from electronic records. The proportion of patients (percentage and 95% confidence interval) treated with losartan who met the criteria for treatment with ARBs (hypertension or cardiac insufficiency in patients who have developed adverse effects in response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or macroproteinuria) during the first month after the PA requirement was rescinded was calculated. The total number of PA requests for ARBs declined by 48.6% from 961 in December 2008, the month before the policy change, to 494 the following January, rising again to 651 during January 2010. Prescription incidence changed from 121 to 255 patients treated per month (114% increase) for losartan, from 15 to 16 (6.7% increase) for candesartan, and from 89 to 71 (20.2% decrease) for valsartan. The duration of effect for decrease in ARB requests for the more expensive drugs was approximately 1 year. Only 23.3% (95% confidence interval 18.1-28.4) of patients receiving losartan met the criteria for receiving ARBs. Rescinding the PA requirement for this drug alone was an effective limited-duration strategy for reduction of prescription of relatively expensive drugs. © 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

24 CFR 232.902 - Eligible project.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... INSURANCE FOR NURSING HOMES, INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES, BOARD AND CARE HOMES, AND ASSISTED LIVING... sufficient to pay operating expenses, annual debt service and reserve fund for replacement requirements) as...

28 CFR 91.54 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... for a project's operations expenses, the definition of “project” or “proposal” for NEPA review... requirements or design capacities for utilities are based on needs stemming from future phases. ...

28 CFR 91.54 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... for a project's operations expenses, the definition of “project” or “proposal” for NEPA review... requirements or design capacities for utilities are based on needs stemming from future phases. ...

28 CFR 91.54 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... for a project's operations expenses, the definition of “project” or “proposal” for NEPA review... requirements or design capacities for utilities are based on needs stemming from future phases. ...

28 CFR 91.54 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... for a project's operations expenses, the definition of “project” or “proposal” for NEPA review... requirements or design capacities for utilities are based on needs stemming from future phases. ...

Magnetic Shield for Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerators (ADR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chui, Talso C.; Haddad, Nicolas E.

2013-01-01

A new method was developed for creating a less expensive shield for ADRs using 1018 carbon steel. This shield has been designed to have similar performance to the expensive vanadium permendur shields, but the cost is 30 to 50% less. Also, these shields can be stocked in a variety of sizes, eliminating the need for special forgings, which also greatly reduces cost.

41 CFR 302-7.200 - How are charges paid and who makes the arrangements for transporting HHG, PBP&E and temporary...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... STORAGE OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PROFESSIONAL BOOKS, PAPERS, AND EQUIPMENT (PBP&E) Actual Expense Method § 302-7.200 How are charges paid and who makes the arrangements for transporting HHG, PBP&E and... who makes the arrangements for transporting HHG, PBP&E and temporary storage under the actual expense...

41 CFR 301-70.705 - What methods of payment for official travel expenses may we authorize when an exemption from use...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... travel charge card is granted? When you grant an exemption from use of the Government contractor-issued... for official travel expenses may we authorize when an exemption from use of the Government contractor-issued travel charge card is granted? 301-70.705 Section 301-70.705 Public Contracts and Property...

Tax and Record Keeping Information for Family Child Care = Informacion Sobre los Impuestos y la Documentacion para el Cuidado Infantil en el Hogar.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gellert, Sandra

This pamphlet from the Children's Foundation, in both English- and Spanish-language versions, provides advice to child care providers on record-keeping methods. The pamphlet also gives definitions and guidance on business expenses (100% deductible, shared personal and business, and depreciated capital expenses), time-space formula, self-employment…

Impact of douglas-fir tussock moth... color aerial phtography evaluates mortality

Treesearch

Steven L. Wert; Boyd E. Wickman

1970-01-01

Thorough evaluation of insect impact on forest stands is difficult and expensive on the ground. In a study of tree damage following Douglas-fir tussock moth defoliation in Modoc County, California, large-scale (1:1,584)70-mm. color aerial photography was an effective sampling tool and took lesstime and expense than ground methods. Comparison of the photo...

Using quantum chemistry muscle to flex massive systems: How to respond to something perturbing

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

Bertoni, Colleen

Computational chemistry uses the theoretical advances of quantum mechanics and the algorithmic and hardware advances of computer science to give insight into chemical problems. It is currently possible to do highly accurate quantum chemistry calculations, but the most accurate methods are very computationally expensive. Thus it is only feasible to do highly accurate calculations on small molecules, since typically more computationally efficient methods are also less accurate. The overall goal of my dissertation work has been to try to decrease the computational expense of calculations without decreasing the accuracy. In particular, my dissertation work focuses on fragmentation methods, intermolecular interactionsmore » methods, analytic gradients, and taking advantage of new hardware.« less

Design and validation of a tissue bath 3-D printed with PLA for optically mapping suspended whole heart preparations.

PubMed

Entz, Michael; King, D Ryan; Poelzing, Steven

2017-12-01

With the sudden increase in affordable manufacturing technologies, the relationship between experimentalists and the designing process for laboratory equipment is rapidly changing. While experimentalists are still dependent on engineers and manufacturers for precision electrical, mechanical, and optical equipment, it has become a realistic option for in house manufacturing of other laboratory equipment with less precise design requirements. This is possible due to decreasing costs and increasing functionality of desktop three-dimensional (3-D) printers and 3-D design software. With traditional manufacturing methods, iterative design processes are expensive and time consuming, and making more than one copy of a custom piece of equipment is prohibitive. Here, we provide an overview to design a tissue bath and stabilizer for a customizable, suspended, whole heart optical mapping apparatus that can be produced significantly faster and less expensive than conventional manufacturing techniques. This was accomplished through a series of design steps to prevent fluid leakage in the areas where the optical imaging glass was attached to the 3-D printed bath. A combination of an acetone dip along with adhesive was found to create a water tight bath. Optical mapping was used to quantify cardiac conduction velocity and action potential duration to compare 3-D printed baths to a bath that was designed and manufactured in a machine shop. Importantly, the manufacturing method did not significantly affect conduction, action potential duration, or contraction, suggesting that 3-D printed baths are equally effective for optical mapping experiments. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article details three-dimensional printable equipment for use in suspended whole heart optical mapping experiments. This equipment is less expensive than conventional manufactured equipment as well as easily customizable to the experimentalist. The baths can be waterproofed using only a three-dimensional printer, acetone, a glass microscope slide, c-clamps, and adhesive. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

The cost of antiretroviral therapy in Haiti

PubMed Central

Koenig, Serena P; Riviere, Cynthia; Leger, Paul; Severe, Patrice; Atwood, Sidney; Fitzgerald, Daniel W; Pape, Jean W; Schackman, Bruce R

2008-01-01

Background We determined direct medical costs, overhead costs, societal costs, and personnel requirements for the provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to patients with AIDS in Haiti. Methods We examined data from 218 treatment-naïve adults who were consecutively initiated on ART at the GHESKIO Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti between December 23, 2003 and May 20, 2004 and calculated costs and personnel requirements for the first year of ART. Results The mean total cost of treatment per patient was $US 982 including $US 846 in direct costs, $US 114 for overhead, and $US 22 for societal costs. The direct cost per patient included generic ART medications $US 355, lab tests $US 130, nutrition $US 117, hospitalizations $US 62, pre-ART evaluation $US 58, labor $US 51, non-ART medications $US 39, outside referrals $US 31, and telephone cards for patient retention $US 3. Higher treatment costs were associated with hospitalization, change in ART regimen, TB treatment, and survival for one year. We estimate that 1.5 doctors and 2.5 nurses are required to treat 1000 patients in the first year after initiating ART. Conclusion Initial ART treatment in Haiti costs approximately $US 1,000 per patient per year. With generic first-line antiretroviral drugs, only 36% of the cost is for medications. Patients who change regimens are significantly more expensive to treat, highlighting the need for less-expensive second-line drugs. There may be sufficient health care personnel to treat all HIV-infected patients in urban areas of Haiti, but not in rural areas. New models of HIV care are needed for rural areas using assistant medical officers and community health workers. PMID:18275615

Properties of plastic tapes for cryogenic power cable insulation

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

Muller, A C

1978-01-01

A superconducting ac power transmission cable is under development at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). This project was undertaken in 1972 in response to growing national power requirements. The goal of this program is to develop an underground power transmission system suitable for transferring bulk quantities of electricity over distances of 16 to 160 km. Both the capital investment and operating costs must be low enough to make the system attractive to the electric utilities. The superconducting cable shares the advantages with conventional underground cables of needing only a few feet of right-of-way width rather than the large tracts of increasinglymore » expensive land required for conventional aerial transmission. Recent cost analysis studies show that superconducting cables, although more expensive than aerial transmission, will probably be competitive with other methods of underground transmission at loads greater than 2000 MVA. Initial design studies showed that a flexible, forced-cooled cable offered the best combination of technical and economic features. A helium cooled cable with Nb/sub 3/Sn superconductor was chosen as the BNL design. The present goal of the BNL program is the construction of a 100 meter outdoor three-phase ac cable rated at 138 kV and 1000 MVA. The refrigerator and the 100 m-long dewar are already installed. Terminations and cables are under design, and it is planned to begin installation of the first single phase cable in 1979. If the results on this model show promise for eventual commercial use, cables of higher voltage and power rating will be developed. One fundamental phase of this project; the development of the required insulating materials, is described.« less

The Effectiveness Evaluation of Helicopter Ambulance Transport among Neurotrauma Patients in Korea.

PubMed

Park, Kyoung Duck; Seo, Sook Jin; Oh, Chang Hyun; Kim, Se Hyuk; Cho, Jin Mo

2014-07-01

Helicopter ambulance transport (HAT) is a highly resource-intensive facility that is a well-established part of the trauma transport system in many developed countries. Here, we review the benefit of HAT for neurosurgical patients in Korea. This retrospective study followed neurotrauma patients who were transferred by HAT to a single emergency trauma center over a period of 2 years. The clinical benefits of HAT were measured according to the necessity of emergency surgical intervention and the differences in the time taken to transport patients by ground ambulance transport (GAT) and HAT. Ninety-nine patients were transferred to a single university hospital using HAT, of whom 32 were taken to the neurosurgery department. Of these 32 patients, 10 (31.3%) needed neurosurgical intervention, 14 (43.8%) needed non-neurosurgical intervention, 3 (9.4%) required both, and 11 (34.4%) did not require any intervention. The transfer time was faster using HAT than the estimated time needed for GAT, although for a relatively close distance (<50 km) without ground obstacles (mountain or sea) HAT did not improve transfer time. The cost comparison showed that HAT was more expensive than GAT (3,292,000 vs. 84,000 KRW, p<0.001). In this Korean-based study, we found that HAT has a clinical benefit for neurotrauma cases involving a transfer from a distant site or an isolated area. A more precise triage for using HAT should be considered to prevent overuse of this expensive transport method.

Accessible biometrics: A frustrated total internal reflection approach to imaging fingerprints.

PubMed

Smith, Nathan D; Sharp, James S

2017-05-01

Fingerprints are widely used as a means of identifying persons of interest because of the highly individual nature of the spatial distribution and types of features (or minuta) found on the surface of a finger. This individuality has led to their wide application in the comparison of fingerprints found at crime scenes with those taken from known offenders and suspects in custody. However, despite recent advances in machine vision technology and image processing techniques, fingerprint evidence is still widely being collected using outdated practices involving ink and paper - a process that can be both time consuming and expensive. Reduction of forensic service budgets increasingly requires that evidence be gathered and processed more rapidly and efficiently. However, many of the existing digital fingerprint acquisition devices have proven too expensive to roll out on a large scale. As a result new, low-cost imaging technologies are required to increase the quality and throughput of the processing of fingerprint evidence. Here we describe an inexpensive approach to digital fingerprint acquisition that is based upon frustrated total internal reflection imaging. The quality and resolution of the images produced are shown to be as good as those currently acquired using ink and paper based methods. The same imaging technique is also shown to be capable of imaging powdered fingerprints that have been lifted from a crime scene using adhesive tape or gel lifters. Copyright © 2017 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

39 CFR 501.16 - PC postage payment methodology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), as amended or superseded. Expenses associated with such... Service may require the remediation of such weaknesses, and review working papers and engage in...

The future of hospital economic health.

PubMed

Gerber, David R; Bekes, Carolyn E; Parrillo, Joseph E

2006-03-01

To evaluate factors which may influence the economic future of academic medical centers (AMCs). A literature search was performed to identify publications which reviewed the areas of revenue sources for AMCs, costs and expenses incurred by these institutions, and mechanisms for optimizing institutional economic stability. Data were reviewed and evaluated in two primary contexts: hospital revenues and organizational and administrative factors influencing hospital economic health. Increasing economic stress will require AMCs to make efforts both to increase revenue through a variety of mechanisms and to minimize expenses without compromising their mission or impairing worker morale.

A short note on the use of the red-black tree in Cartesian adaptive mesh refinement algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasbestan, Jaber J.; Senocak, Inanc

2017-12-01

Mesh adaptivity is an indispensable capability to tackle multiphysics problems with large disparity in time and length scales. With the availability of powerful supercomputers, there is a pressing need to extend time-proven computational techniques to extreme-scale problems. Cartesian adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is one such method that enables simulation of multiscale, multiphysics problems. AMR is based on construction of octrees. Originally, an explicit tree data structure was used to generate and manipulate an adaptive Cartesian mesh. At least eight pointers are required in an explicit approach to construct an octree. Parent-child relationships are then used to traverse the tree. An explicit octree, however, is expensive in terms of memory usage and the time it takes to traverse the tree to access a specific node. For these reasons, implicit pointerless methods have been pioneered within the computer graphics community, motivated by applications requiring interactivity and realistic three dimensional visualization. Lewiner et al. [1] provides a concise review of pointerless approaches to generate an octree. Use of a hash table and Z-order curve are two key concepts in pointerless methods that we briefly discuss next.

Efficient SRAM yield optimization with mixture surrogate modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhongjian, Jiang; Zuochang, Ye; Yan, Wang

2016-12-01

Largely repeated cells such as SRAM cells usually require extremely low failure-rate to ensure a moderate chi yield. Though fast Monte Carlo methods such as importance sampling and its variants can be used for yield estimation, they are still very expensive if one needs to perform optimization based on such estimations. Typically the process of yield calculation requires a lot of SPICE simulation. The circuit SPICE simulation analysis accounted for the largest proportion of time in the process yield calculation. In the paper, a new method is proposed to address this issue. The key idea is to establish an efficient mixture surrogate model. The surrogate model is based on the design variables and process variables. This model construction method is based on the SPICE simulation to get a certain amount of sample points, these points are trained for mixture surrogate model by the lasso algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed model is able to calculate accurate yield successfully and it brings significant speed ups to the calculation of failure rate. Based on the model, we made a further accelerated algorithm to further enhance the speed of the yield calculation. It is suitable for high-dimensional process variables and multi-performance applications.

SPRINT: ultrafast protein-protein interaction prediction of the entire human interactome.

PubMed

Li, Yiwei; Ilie, Lucian

2017-11-15

Proteins perform their functions usually by interacting with other proteins. Predicting which proteins interact is a fundamental problem. Experimental methods are slow, expensive, and have a high rate of error. Many computational methods have been proposed among which sequence-based ones are very promising. However, so far no such method is able to predict effectively the entire human interactome: they require too much time or memory. We present SPRINT (Scoring PRotein INTeractions), a new sequence-based algorithm and tool for predicting protein-protein interactions. We comprehensively compare SPRINT with state-of-the-art programs on seven most reliable human PPI datasets and show that it is more accurate while running orders of magnitude faster and using very little memory. SPRINT is the only sequence-based program that can effectively predict the entire human interactome: it requires between 15 and 100 min, depending on the dataset. Our goal is to transform the very challenging problem of predicting the entire human interactome into a routine task. The source code of SPRINT is freely available from https://github.com/lucian-ilie/SPRINT/ and the datasets and predicted PPIs from www.csd.uwo.ca/faculty/ilie/SPRINT/ .

Recruiting Diverse Smokers: Enrollment Yields and Cost

PubMed Central

Brodar, Kaitlyn E.; Hall, Marissa G.; Butler, Eboneé N.; Parada, Humberto; Stein-Seroussi, Al; Hanley, Sean; Brewer, Noel T.

2016-01-01

To help tobacco control research better include vulnerable populations, we sought to identify effective ways to recruit diverse smokers. In 2014–2015, we recruited 2149 adult cigarette smokers in California and North Carolina, United States, to participate in a randomized trial of pictorial cigarette pack warnings. The most effective means of recruiting smokers were the classified advertising website Craigslist (28% of participants), word of mouth (23%), Facebook (16%), and flyers or postcards (14%). Low-income and African American smokers were more likely to respond to interpersonal contact (including staff in-person recruitment and word of mouth) than were high-income and non-African American smokers (all p < 0.05). Hispanic and gay, lesbian, and bisexual smokers were more likely to be recruited by Craigslist than non-Hispanic and straight smokers (both p < 0.05). Of the recruitment methods requiring cost, the cheapest was Craigslist ($3–7 per smoker). The most expensive methods were newspaper ads in California ($375 per smoker) and staff in-person recruiting in North Carolina ($180 per smoker). Successfully recruiting diverse smokers requires using multiple methods including interpersonal, online, and other media. Craigslist and word of mouth are especially useful and low-cost ways to recruit diverse smokers. PMID:27999280

Recruiting Diverse Smokers: Enrollment Yields and Cost.

PubMed

Brodar, Kaitlyn E; Hall, Marissa G; Butler, Eboneé N; Parada, Humberto; Stein-Seroussi, Al; Hanley, Sean; Brewer, Noel T

2016-12-16

To help tobacco control research better include vulnerable populations, we sought to identify effective ways to recruit diverse smokers. In 2014-2015, we recruited 2149 adult cigarette smokers in California and North Carolina, United States, to participate in a randomized trial of pictorial cigarette pack warnings. The most effective means of recruiting smokers were the classified advertising website Craigslist (28% of participants), word of mouth (23%), Facebook (16%), and flyers or postcards (14%). Low-income and African American smokers were more likely to respond to interpersonal contact (including staff in-person recruitment and word of mouth) than were high-income and non-African American smokers (all p < 0.05). Hispanic and gay, lesbian, and bisexual smokers were more likely to be recruited by Craigslist than non-Hispanic and straight smokers (both p < 0.05). Of the recruitment methods requiring cost, the cheapest was Craigslist ($3-7 per smoker). The most expensive methods were newspaper ads in California ($375 per smoker) and staff in-person recruiting in North Carolina ($180 per smoker). Successfully recruiting diverse smokers requires using multiple methods including interpersonal, online, and other media. Craigslist and word of mouth are especially useful and low-cost ways to recruit diverse smokers.

Rapid fabrication method of a microneedle mold with controllable needle height and width.

PubMed

Lin, Yen-Heng; Lee, I-Chi; Hsu, Wei-Chieh; Hsu, Ching-Hong; Chang, Kai-Ping; Gao, Shao-Syuan

2016-10-01

The main issue of transdermal drug delivery is that macromolecular drugs cannot diffuse through the stratum corneum of skin. Many studies have pursued micro-sized needles encapsulated with drugs to overcome this problem, as these needles can pierce the stratum corneum and allow drugs to enter the circulatory system of the human body. However, most microneedle fabrication processes are time-consuming and require expensive equipment. In this study, we demonstrate a rapid method for fabricating a microneedle mold using drawing lithography and a UV-cured resin. The mold was filled with a water-soluble material, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), which was then demolded to produce a water-soluble microneedle array. The results of an in vitro skin insertion test using PVP microneedles and pig ear skin demonstrated the feasibility of the microneedle mold. In addition, by controlling the viscosity of the UV-cured resin through various heat treatments, microneedles with different heights and aspect ratios were produced. Compared with other methods, this technology significantly simplifies and accelerates the mold fabrication process. In addition, the required equipment is relatively simple and inexpensive. Through this technology, we can rapidly fabricate microneedle molds with controllable dimensions for various applications.

An efficient immunodetection method for histone modifications in plants.

PubMed

Nic-Can, Geovanny; Hernández-Castellano, Sara; Kú-González, Angela; Loyola-Vargas, Víctor M; De-la-Peña, Clelia

2013-12-16

Epigenetic mechanisms can be highly dynamic, but the cross-talk among them and with the genome is still poorly understood. Many of these mechanisms work at different places in the cell and at different times of organism development. Covalent histone modifications are one of the most complex and studied epigenetic mechanisms involved in cellular reprogramming and development in plants. Therefore, the knowledge of the spatial distribution of histone methylation in different tissues is important to understand their behavior on specific cells. Based on the importance of epigenetic marks for biology, we present a simplified, inexpensive and efficient protocol for in situ immunolocalization on different tissues such as flowers, buds, callus, somatic embryo and meristematic tissue from several plants of agronomical and biological importance. Here, we fully describe all the steps to perform the localization of histone modifications. Using this method, we were able to visualize the distribution of H3K4me3 and H3K9me2 without loss of histological integrity of tissues from several plants, including Agave tequilana, Capsicum chinense, Coffea canephora and Cedrela odorata, as well as Arabidopsis thaliana. There are many protocols to study chromatin modifications; however, most of them are expensive, difficult and require sophisticated equipment. Here, we provide an efficient protocol for in situ localization of histone methylation that dispenses with the use of expensive and sensitive enzymes. The present method can be used to investigate the cellular distribution and localization of a wide array of proteins, which could help to clarify the biological role that they play at specific times and places in different tissues of various plant species.

Accurate measurement of transgene copy number in crop plants using droplet digital PCR.

PubMed

Collier, Ray; Dasgupta, Kasturi; Xing, Yan-Ping; Hernandez, Bryan Tarape; Shao, Min; Rohozinski, Dominica; Kovak, Emma; Lin, Jeanie; de Oliveira, Maria Luiza P; Stover, Ed; McCue, Kent F; Harmon, Frank G; Blechl, Ann; Thomson, James G; Thilmony, Roger

2017-06-01

Genetic transformation is a powerful means for the improvement of crop plants, but requires labor- and resource-intensive methods. An efficient method for identifying single-copy transgene insertion events from a population of independent transgenic lines is desirable. Currently, transgene copy number is estimated by either Southern blot hybridization analyses or quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments. Southern hybridization is a convincing and reliable method, but it also is expensive, time-consuming and often requires a large amount of genomic DNA and radioactively labeled probes. Alternatively, qPCR requires less DNA and is potentially simpler to perform, but its results can lack the accuracy and precision needed to confidently distinguish between one- and two-copy events in transgenic plants with large genomes. To address this need, we developed a droplet digital PCR-based method for transgene copy number measurement in an array of crops: rice, citrus, potato, maize, tomato and wheat. The method utilizes specific primers to amplify target transgenes, and endogenous reference genes in a single duplexed reaction containing thousands of droplets. Endpoint amplicon production in the droplets is detected and quantified using sequence-specific fluorescently labeled probes. The results demonstrate that this approach can generate confident copy number measurements in independent transgenic lines in these crop species. This method and the compendium of probes and primers will be a useful resource for the plant research community, enabling the simple and accurate determination of transgene copy number in these six important crop species. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Rapid single cell detection of Staphylococcus aureus by aptamer-conjugated gold nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Chang, Yi-Chung; Yang, Chia-Ying; Sun, Ruei-Lin; Cheng, Yi-Feng; Kao, Wei-Chen; Yang, Pan-Chyr

2013-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important human pathogens, causing more than 500,000 infections in the United States each year. Traditional methods for bacterial culture and identification take several days, wasting precious time for patients who are suffering severe bacterial infections. Numerous nucleic acid-based detection methods have been introduced to address this deficiency; however, the costs and requirement for expensive equipment may limit the widespread use of such technologies. Thus, there is an unmet demand of new platform technology to improve the bacterial detection and identification in clinical practice. In this study, we developed a rapid, ultra-sensitive, low cost, and non-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for bacterial identification. Using this method, which measures the resonance light-scattering signal of aptamer-conjugated gold nanoparticles, we successfully detected single S. aureus cell within 1.5 hours. This new platform technology may have potential to develop a rapid and sensitive bacterial testing at point-of-care. PMID:23689505

Rapid single cell detection of Staphylococcus aureus by aptamer-conjugated gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Chang, Yi-Chung; Yang, Chia-Ying; Sun, Ruei-Lin; Cheng, Yi-Feng; Kao, Wei-Chen; Yang, Pan-Chyr

2013-01-01

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important human pathogens, causing more than 500,000 infections in the United States each year. Traditional methods for bacterial culture and identification take several days, wasting precious time for patients who are suffering severe bacterial infections. Numerous nucleic acid-based detection methods have been introduced to address this deficiency; however, the costs and requirement for expensive equipment may limit the widespread use of such technologies. Thus, there is an unmet demand of new platform technology to improve the bacterial detection and identification in clinical practice. In this study, we developed a rapid, ultra-sensitive, low cost, and non-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for bacterial identification. Using this method, which measures the resonance light-scattering signal of aptamer-conjugated gold nanoparticles, we successfully detected single S. aureus cell within 1.5 hours. This new platform technology may have potential to develop a rapid and sensitive bacterial testing at point-of-care.

Use of the parameterised finite element method to robustly and efficiently evolve the edge of a moving cell.

PubMed

Neilson, Matthew P; Mackenzie, John A; Webb, Steven D; Insall, Robert H

2010-11-01

In this paper we present a computational tool that enables the simulation of mathematical models of cell migration and chemotaxis on an evolving cell membrane. Recent models require the numerical solution of systems of reaction-diffusion equations on the evolving cell membrane and then the solution state is used to drive the evolution of the cell edge. Previous work involved moving the cell edge using a level set method (LSM). However, the LSM is computationally very expensive, which severely limits the practical usefulness of the algorithm. To address this issue, we have employed the parameterised finite element method (PFEM) as an alternative method for evolving a cell boundary. We show that the PFEM is far more efficient and robust than the LSM. We therefore suggest that the PFEM potentially has an essential role to play in computational modelling efforts towards the understanding of many of the complex issues related to chemotaxis.

Review of Batteryless Wireless Sensors Using Additively Manufactured Microwave Resonators.

PubMed

Memon, Muhammad Usman; Lim, Sungjoon

2017-09-09

The significant improvements observed in the field of bulk-production of printed microchip technologies in the past decade have allowed the fabrication of microchip printing on numerous materials including organic and flexible substrates. Printed sensors and electronics are of significant interest owing to the fast and low-cost fabrication techniques used in their fabrication. The increasing amount of research and deployment of specially printed electronic sensors in a number of applications demonstrates the immense attention paid by researchers to this topic in the pursuit of achieving wider-scale electronics on different dielectric materials. Although there are many traditional methods for fabricating radio frequency (RF) components, they are time-consuming, expensive, complicated, and require more power for operation than additive fabrication methods. This paper serves as a summary/review of improvements made to the additive printing technologies. The article focuses on three recently developed printing methods for the fabrication of wireless sensors operating at microwave frequencies. The fabrication methods discussed include inkjet printing, three-dimensional (3D) printing, and screen printing.

Review of Batteryless Wireless Sensors Using Additively Manufactured Microwave Resonators

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The significant improvements observed in the field of bulk-production of printed microchip technologies in the past decade have allowed the fabrication of microchip printing on numerous materials including organic and flexible substrates. Printed sensors and electronics are of significant interest owing to the fast and low-cost fabrication techniques used in their fabrication. The increasing amount of research and deployment of specially printed electronic sensors in a number of applications demonstrates the immense attention paid by researchers to this topic in the pursuit of achieving wider-scale electronics on different dielectric materials. Although there are many traditional methods for fabricating radio frequency (RF) components, they are time-consuming, expensive, complicated, and require more power for operation than additive fabrication methods. This paper serves as a summary/review of improvements made to the additive printing technologies. The article focuses on three recently developed printing methods for the fabrication of wireless sensors operating at microwave frequencies. The fabrication methods discussed include inkjet printing, three-dimensional (3D) printing, and screen printing. PMID:28891947

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

Kaurov, Alexander A., E-mail: kaurov@uchicago.edu

The methods for studying the epoch of cosmic reionization vary from full radiative transfer simulations to purely analytical models. While numerical approaches are computationally expensive and are not suitable for generating many mock catalogs, analytical methods are based on assumptions and approximations. We explore the interconnection between both methods. First, we ask how the analytical framework of excursion set formalism can be used for statistical analysis of numerical simulations and visual representation of the morphology of ionization fronts. Second, we explore the methods of training the analytical model on a given numerical simulation. We present a new code which emergedmore » from this study. Its main application is to match the analytical model with a numerical simulation. Then, it allows one to generate mock reionization catalogs with volumes exceeding the original simulation quickly and computationally inexpensively, meanwhile reproducing large-scale statistical properties. These mock catalogs are particularly useful for cosmic microwave background polarization and 21 cm experiments, where large volumes are required to simulate the observed signal.« less

Hazard of deceptive advertising of athletic footwear.

PubMed Central

Robbins, S; Waked, E

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Athletic footwear are associated with frequent injury that are thought to result from repetitive impact. No scientific data suggest they protect well. Expensive athletic shoes are deceptively advertised to safeguard well through "cushioning impact", yet account for 123% greater injury frequency than the cheapest ones. This study tested the hypothesis that deceptive advertising creates a false sense of security with users of expensive athletic shoes, inducing attenuation of impact moderating behaviour, increased impact, and injury. METHODS: Fifteen young healthy male volunteers confronted four surfaces: a bare force moment platform, and three with this platform covered by identical shoe sole material made to appear different and advertised divergently. Advertising messages suggested superior impact absorption and protection (deceptive message), poor impact absorption and high injury risk (warning message), and unknown impact absorption and safety (neutral message). Ground reaction forces were recorded for 10 barefoot footfalls, according to a protocol requiring stepping forward from perch to a surface 4.5 cm below. RESULTS: Impact varied as a function of advertising message (p < 0.001). Deceptive message equalled neutral message in eliciting higher impact than the warning message and the bare platform. Differences grew with repetitions (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide a plausible mechanism explaining higher injury frequency in users of expensive athletic shoes. This is the first report to suggest: (1) deceptive advertising of protective devices may represent a public health hazard and may have to be eliminated presumably through regulation; (2) a tendency in humans to be less cautious when using new devices of unknown benefit because of overly positive attitudes associated with new technology and novel devices. PMID:9429006

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

Gur, Sourav; Frantziskonis, George N.; Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Here, we report results from a numerical study of multi-time-scale bistable dynamics for CO oxidation on a catalytic surface in a flowing, well-mixed gas stream. The problem is posed in terms of surface and gas-phase submodels that dynamically interact in the presence of stochastic perturbations, reflecting the impact of molecular-scale fluctuations on the surface and turbulence in the gas. Wavelet-based methods are used to encode and characterize the temporal dynamics produced by each submodel and detect the onset of sudden state shifts (bifurcations) caused by nonlinear kinetics. When impending state shifts are detected, a more accurate but computationally expensive integrationmore » scheme can be used. This appears to make it possible, at least in some cases, to decrease the net computational burden associated with simulating multi-time-scale, nonlinear reacting systems by limiting the amount of time in which the more expensive integration schemes are required. Critical to achieving this is being able to detect unstable temporal transitions such as the bistable shifts in the example problem considered here. Lastly, our results indicate that a unique wavelet-based algorithm based on the Lipschitz exponent is capable of making such detections, even under noisy conditions, and may find applications in critical transition detection problems beyond catalysis.« less

Cost-effectiveness of home telemedical cardiotocography compared with traditional outpatient monitoring.

PubMed

Tõrõk, M; Kovács, F; Doszpod, J

2000-01-01

We compared the cost of passive sensor telemedical non-stress cardiotocography performed at home and the same test performed by traditional equipment in an outpatient clinic in the Budapest area. The costs were calculated using two years' registered budget data from the home monitoring service in Budapest and the outpatient clinic of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Haynal Imre University of Health Sciences. The traditional test at the university outpatient clinic cost 3652 forint for the health-care and 1000 forint in additional expenses for the patient (travel and time off work). This means that the total cost for each test in the clinic was 4652 forint. The cost of home telemedical cardiotocography was 1500 forint per test, but each test took 2.1 times as long. For a more realistic comparison between the two methods, we adjusted the cost to take account of the extra length of time that home monitoring required. The adjusted cost for home care was 3150 forint, some 32% lower than in the clinic. Passive sensor telemedical non-stress cardiotocography at home was therefore less expensive than the same test performed in the traditional way in an outpatient clinic.

Technical Performance and Economic Evaluation of Evaporative and Membrane-Based Concentration for Biomass-Derived Sugars

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

Sievers, David A.; Stickel, Jonathan J.; Grundl, Nicholas J.

Several conversion pathways of lignocellulosic biomass to advanced biofuels require or benefit from using concentrated sugar syrups of 600 g/L or greater. And while concentration may seem straightforward, thermal sugar degradation and energy efficiency remain major concerns. This study evaluated the trade-offs in product recovery, energy consumption, and economics between evaporative and membrane-based concentration methods. The degradation kinetics of xylose and glucose were characterized and applied to an evaporator process simulation. Though significant sugar loss was predicted for certain scenarios due to the Maillard reaction, industrially common falling-film plate evaporators offer short residence times (<5 min) and are expected tomore » limit sugar losses. Membrane concentration experiments characterized flux and sugar rejection, but diminished flux occurred at >100 g/L. A second step using evaporation is necessary to achieve target concentrations. Techno-economic process model simulations evaluated the overall economics of concentrating a 35 g/L sugar stream to 600 g/L in a full-scale biorefinery. A two-step approach of preconcentrating using membranes and finishing with an evaporator consumed less energy than evaporation alone but was more expensive because of high capital expenses of the membrane units.« less

Technical Performance and Economic Evaluation of Evaporative and Membrane-Based Concentration for Biomass-Derived Sugars

DOE PAGES

Sievers, David A.; Stickel, Jonathan J.; Grundl, Nicholas J.; ...

2017-09-18

Several conversion pathways of lignocellulosic biomass to advanced biofuels require or benefit from using concentrated sugar syrups of 600 g/L or greater. And while concentration may seem straightforward, thermal sugar degradation and energy efficiency remain major concerns. This study evaluated the trade-offs in product recovery, energy consumption, and economics between evaporative and membrane-based concentration methods. The degradation kinetics of xylose and glucose were characterized and applied to an evaporator process simulation. Though significant sugar loss was predicted for certain scenarios due to the Maillard reaction, industrially common falling-film plate evaporators offer short residence times (<5 min) and are expected tomore » limit sugar losses. Membrane concentration experiments characterized flux and sugar rejection, but diminished flux occurred at >100 g/L. A second step using evaporation is necessary to achieve target concentrations. Techno-economic process model simulations evaluated the overall economics of concentrating a 35 g/L sugar stream to 600 g/L in a full-scale biorefinery. A two-step approach of preconcentrating using membranes and finishing with an evaporator consumed less energy than evaporation alone but was more expensive because of high capital expenses of the membrane units.« less

78 FR 51078 - Reporting Requirements for Positive Train Control Expenses and Investments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-20

... useful in making regulatory policy and business decisions. The new rule will require a PTC Supplement \\5... interested parties with data useful in making regulatory policy and business decisions. PTC grants. AAR and... useful in regulatory decision making.\\45\\ They also argue that the burden will be on the carriers to...

A Framework for Examining the Utility of Technology-Enhanced Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Michael

2016-01-01

Interest in and use of technology-enhanced items has increased over the past decade. Given the additional time required to administer many technology-enhanced items and the increased expense required to develop them, it is important for testing programs to consider the utility of technology-enhanced items. The Technology-Enhanced Item Utility…

7 CFR 70.71 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... required to perform the work, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... specified in this section. (b) Fees for grading services will be based on the time required to perform such...

7 CFR 70.71 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... required to perform the work, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... specified in this section. (b) Fees for grading services will be based on the time required to perform such...

7 CFR 70.71 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... required to perform the work, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... specified in this section. (b) Fees for grading services will be based on the time required to perform such...

7 CFR 70.71 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... required to perform the work, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... specified in this section. (b) Fees for grading services will be based on the time required to perform such...

7 CFR 70.71 - On a fee basis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... required to perform the work, waiting time, travel time, and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... perform the audit, waiting time, travel time, travel expenses and any clerical costs involved in issuing a... specified in this section. (b) Fees for grading services will be based on the time required to perform such...