Design and Mechanical Evaluation of a Capacitive Sensor-Based Indexed Platform for Verification of Portable Coordinate Measuring Instruments

PubMed Central

Avila, Agustín Brau; Mazo, Jorge Santolaria; Martín, Juan José Aguilar

2014-01-01

During the last years, the use of Portable Coordinate Measuring Machines (PCMMs) in industry has increased considerably, mostly due to their flexibility for accomplishing in-line measuring tasks as well as their reduced costs and operational advantages as compared to traditional coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). However, their operation has a significant drawback derived from the techniques applied in the verification and optimization procedures of their kinematic parameters. These techniques are based on the capture of data with the measuring instrument from a calibrated gauge object, fixed successively in various positions so that most of the instrument measuring volume is covered, which results in time-consuming, tedious and expensive verification procedures. In this work the mechanical design of an indexed metrology platform (IMP) is presented. The aim of the IMP is to increase the final accuracy and to radically simplify the calibration, identification and verification of geometrical parameter procedures of PCMMs. The IMP allows us to fix the calibrated gauge object and move the measuring instrument in such a way that it is possible to cover most of the instrument working volume, reducing the time and operator fatigue to carry out these types of procedures. PMID:24451458

Design and mechanical evaluation of a capacitive sensor-based indexed platform for verification of portable coordinate measuring instruments.

PubMed

Avila, Agustín Brau; Mazo, Jorge Santolaria; Martín, Juan José Aguilar

2014-01-02

During the last years, the use of Portable Coordinate Measuring Machines (PCMMs) in industry has increased considerably, mostly due to their flexibility for accomplishing in-line measuring tasks as well as their reduced costs and operational advantages as compared to traditional coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). However, their operation has a significant drawback derived from the techniques applied in the verification and optimization procedures of their kinematic parameters. These techniques are based on the capture of data with the measuring instrument from a calibrated gauge object, fixed successively in various positions so that most of the instrument measuring volume is covered, which results in time-consuming, tedious and expensive verification procedures. In this work the mechanical design of an indexed metrology platform (IMP) is presented. The aim of the IMP is to increase the final accuracy and to radically simplify the calibration, identification and verification of geometrical parameter procedures of PCMMs. The IMP allows us to fix the calibrated gauge object and move the measuring instrument in such a way that it is possible to cover most of the instrument working volume, reducing the time and operator fatigue to carry out these types of procedures.

Real-time Astrometry Using Phase Congruency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambert, A.; Polo, M.; Tang, Y.

Phase congruency is a computer vision technique that proves to perform well for determining the tracks of optical objects (Flewelling, AMOS 2014). We report on a real-time implementation of this using an FPGA and CMOS Image Sensor, with on-sky data. The lightweight instrument can provide tracking update signals to the mount of the telescope, as well as determine abnormal objects in the scene.

Visual tracking of da Vinci instruments for laparoscopic surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speidel, S.; Kuhn, E.; Bodenstedt, S.; Röhl, S.; Kenngott, H.; Müller-Stich, B.; Dillmann, R.

2014-03-01

Intraoperative tracking of laparoscopic instruments is a prerequisite to realize further assistance functions. Since endoscopic images are always available, this sensor input can be used to localize the instruments without special devices or robot kinematics. In this paper, we present an image-based markerless 3D tracking of different da Vinci instruments in near real-time without an explicit model. The method is based on different visual cues to segment the instrument tip, calculates a tip point and uses a multiple object particle filter for tracking. The accuracy and robustness is evaluated with in vivo data.

Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of Mtwo Rotary Instruments with two Different Instrumentation Techniques.

PubMed

de Menezes, Sílvio Emanuel Acioly Conrado; Machado Batista, Shirley; Brandão de Magalhães, Diego Felipe; Diana Santana, de Albuquerque; de Melo Monteiro, Gabriela Queiroz

2018-01-01

The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate whether cervical preparation with Mtwo files in a crown-down technique influences instrumentation time and the cyclic fatigue resistance of these instruments. Two instrumentation techniques were evaluated (manufacturer and crown-down). Each group consisted of 10 kits containing four Mtwo instruments (10/0.04, 15/0.05, 20/0.06, and 25/0.06), which were used to prepare three standard simulated curved resin canals. The mean instrumentation time and the corresponding number of cycles for each instrumentation (NCI) were recorded. The instruments were rotated at a constant speed of 300 rpm in a stainless-steel canal (diameter of 1.5 mm) at a 90 ° angle of curvature and 5-mm radius. The center of the curvature was 5 mm from the tip of the instrument. The cyclic fatigue resistance of the files was determined by counting the number of cycles to failure (NCF). Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. The mean instrumentation time and NCI of files 10/0.04 and 15/0.05 were significantly lower ( P <0.05) when the crown-down technique was used compared to the manufacturer's method for the same tip size/taper file. There was no significant difference in the mean NCF between the two techniques. The crown-down technique did not interfere with resistance to cyclic fatigue. However, the shorter instrumentation time of files 10/0.04 and 15/0.05 could reduce the fracture risk in the case of reuse of these instruments.

Cyclic Fatigue Resistance of Mtwo Rotary Instruments with two Different Instrumentation Techniques

PubMed Central

de Menezes, Sílvio Emanuel Acioly Conrado; Machado Batista, Shirley; Brandão de Magalhães, Diego Felipe; Diana Santana, de Albuquerque; de Melo Monteiro, Gabriela Queiroz

2018-01-01

Introduction: The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate whether cervical preparation with Mtwo files in a crown-down technique influences instrumentation time and the cyclic fatigue resistance of these instruments. Methods and Materials: Two instrumentation techniques were evaluated (manufacturer and crown-down). Each group consisted of 10 kits containing four Mtwo instruments (10/0.04, 15/0.05, 20/0.06, and 25/0.06), which were used to prepare three standard simulated curved resin canals. The mean instrumentation time and the corresponding number of cycles for each instrumentation (NCI) were recorded. The instruments were rotated at a constant speed of 300 rpm in a stainless-steel canal (diameter of 1.5 mm) at a 90° angle of curvature and 5-mm radius. The center of the curvature was 5 mm from the tip of the instrument. The cyclic fatigue resistance of the files was determined by counting the number of cycles to failure (NCF). Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. Results: The mean instrumentation time and NCI of files 10/0.04 and 15/0.05 were significantly lower (P<0.05) when the crown-down technique was used compared to the manufacturer’s method for the same tip size/taper file. There was no significant difference in the mean NCF between the two techniques. Conclusion: The crown-down technique did not interfere with resistance to cyclic fatigue. However, the shorter instrumentation time of files 10/0.04 and 15/0.05 could reduce the fracture risk in the case of reuse of these instruments. PMID:29692846

Exploring Gender and Self-Efficacy Ratings of Athletic Training Students over Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, W. David; Volberding, Jennifer L.

2014-01-01

Objective: To describe the development of a self-efficacy instrument and to explore the changes by gender in student self-efficacy ratings over 1 year. Design and Setting: An exploratory study utilizing an instrument that measures self-efficacy in undergraduate students in a university setting. Patients or Other Participants: Thirty students (13…

Use of Synthetic Single-Stranded Oligonucleotides as Artificial Test Soiling for Validation of Surgical Instrument Cleaning Processes

PubMed Central

Wilhelm, Nadja; Perle, Nadja; Simmoteit, Robert; Schlensak, Christian; Wendel, Hans P.; Avci-Adali, Meltem

2014-01-01

Surgical instruments are often strongly contaminated with patients' blood and tissues, possibly containing pathogens. The reuse of contaminated instruments without adequate cleaning and sterilization can cause postoperative inflammation and the transmission of infectious diseases from one patient to another. Thus, based on the stringent sterility requirements, the development of highly efficient, validated cleaning processes is necessary. Here, we use for the first time synthetic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA_ODN), which does not appear in nature, as a test soiling to evaluate the cleaning efficiency of routine washing processes. Stainless steel test objects were coated with a certain amount of ssDNA_ODN. After cleaning, the amount of residual ssDNA_ODN on the test objects was determined using quantitative real-time PCR. The established method is highly specific and sensitive, with a detection limit of 20 fg, and enables the determination of the cleaning efficiency of medical cleaning processes under different conditions to obtain optimal settings for the effective cleaning and sterilization of instruments. The use of this highly sensitive method for the validation of cleaning processes can prevent, to a significant extent, the insufficient cleaning of surgical instruments and thus the transmission of pathogens to patients. PMID:24672793

Pods: a Powder Delivery System for Mars In-situ Organic, Mineralogic and Isotopic Analysis Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saha, C. P.; Bryson, C. E.; Sarrazin, P.; Blake, D. F.

2005-01-01

Many Mars in situ instruments require fine-grained high-fidelity samples of rocks or soil. Included are instruments for the determination of mineralogy as well as organic and isotopic chemistry. Powder can be obtained as a primary objective of a sample collection system (e.g., by collecting powder as a surface is abraded by a rotary abrasion tool (RAT)), or as a secondary objective (e.g, by collecting drill powder as a core is drilled). In the latter case, a properly designed system could be used to monitor drilling in real time as well as to deliver powder to analytical instruments which would perform complementary analyses to those later performed on the intact core. In addition, once a core or other sample is collected, a system that could transfer intelligently collected subsamples of power from the intact core to a suite of analytical instruments would be highly desirable. We have conceptualized, developed and tested a breadboard Powder Delivery System (PoDS) intended to satisfy the collection, processing and distribution requirements of powder samples for Mars in-situ mineralogic, organic and isotopic measurement instruments.

Review of 99 self-report measures for assessing well-being in adults: exploring dimensions of well-being and developments over time

PubMed Central

Dieppe, Paul

2016-01-01

Objective Investigators within many disciplines are using measures of well-being, but it is not always clear what they are measuring, or which instruments may best meet their objectives. The aims of this review were to: systematically identify well-being instruments, explore the variety of well-being dimensions within instruments and describe how the production of instruments has developed over time. Design Systematic searches, thematic analysis and narrative synthesis were undertaken. Data sources MEDLINE, EMBASE, EconLit, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library and CINAHL from 1993 to 2014 complemented by web searches and expert consultations through 2015. Eligibility criteria Instruments were selected for review if they were designed for adults (≥18 years old), generic (ie, non-disease or context specific) and available in an English version. Results A total of 99 measures of well-being were included, and 196 dimensions of well-being were identified within them. Dimensions clustered around 6 key thematic domains: mental well-being, social well-being, physical well-being, spiritual well-being, activities and functioning, and personal circumstances. Authors were rarely explicit about how existing theories had influenced the design of their tools; however, the 2 most referenced theories were Diener's model of subjective well-being and the WHO definition of health. The period between 1990 and 1999 produced the greatest number of newly developed well-being instruments (n=27). An illustration of the dimensions identified and the instruments that measure them is provided within a thematic framework of well-being. Conclusions This review provides researchers with an organised toolkit of instruments, dimensions and an accompanying glossary. The striking variability between instruments supports the need to pay close attention to what is being assessed under the umbrella of ‘well-being’ measurement. PMID:27388349

Standardized Analysis for UXO Demonstration Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-01

is a time-domain electromagnetic instrument designed to detect shallow ferrous and nonferrous metallic objects. The applicability of the EM61 for UXO...or spots show EMI field anomalies caused by buried metal objects, both UXO and clutter. Anomaly maps for APG are shown in Figure 5. The Blind Grid

New Method for Data Treatment Developed at ESO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1996-08-01

How Future Astronomical Observations Will be Done The past four centuries have seen dramatic improvements in astronomical equipment, in terms of better and larger telescopes, more accurate and sensitive detectors and, not the least, by advanced space instruments with access to new spectral regions. However, until recently there has been little progress on another equally important front, that of quantifying the unavoidable influence of this equipment on the astronomical data they produce . For a long time, astronomers have desired to remove efficiently these `instrumental effects' from their data, in order to give them a clearer understanding of the objects in the Universe and their properties. But it is only now that this fundamental problem can finally be tackled efficiently, with the advent of digital imaging techniques and powerful computers. Two researchers at the ESO Headquarters, Michael R. Rosa of the Space Telescope European Co-ordinating Facility (ST/ECF [1]) and Pascal Ballester of the Data Management Division (DMD) are now developing a new approach to this age-old problem. These results are important for the future use of the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) , the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and other large facilities as well [2]. The observational process Observations are crucial to the progress of all natural sciences, including astronomy. Nevertheless, the properties of the observed objects are rarely revealed directly. First, observational data are gathered at the telescopes with instruments such as cameras and spectrophotometers. Then these `raw' data are processed with advanced computer programmes to produce scientifically meaningful data which are finally scrutinized by the astronomers in order to learn more about the observed celestial objects. A basic problem in this chain is the influence of the telescopes and instruments on the data they produce. The `raw' observational data carries the marks, not only of the celestial objects that are observed, but also of the `recording equipment' and, in the case of ground-based observations, of the atmospheric conditions as well. These disturbing effects, for example straylight in the telescope and light absorption in the atmosphere, are referred to as the instrumental and atmospheric `signatures'. Only when they have been `removed' from the data, can these be properly interpreted. In fact, unless these effects are completely known, an observation may not result in any new knowledge at all or, even worse, may lead to erroneous results. The history of astronomy contains many examples of the battle with instrumental effects; see also the Appendix. With the advent of new and advanced astronomical facilities like the VLT and HST, the need for an efficient solution of this fundamental problem has become particularly acute. The calibration challenge Until now, the usual procedure to tackle this common problem has been to observe socalled `reference sources' (celestial objects with well-known properties [3]) with exactly the same instrument and observational mode and under same atmospheric conditions as the celestial object under study, referred to as the `target'. A comparison between the `raw' observational data recorded for the reference sources and their known properties then allows to determine, more or less accurately, the instrumental and atmospheric signatures. Subsequently, these effects can be removed during the data processing from the raw data obtained for the programme targets. This leaves behind - at least in theory - `clean data' which only contain the desired information about the celestial object under investigation. This fundamental, observational procedure is known as `calibration'. Nevertheless, serious limitations are inherent in such a calibration procedure. In principle, it is only logically valid if the reference source has the same properties as the target and both are observed under identical instrumental and atmospheric conditions. These requirements, however, are never fulfilled in practice. One way around this obstacle is to observe a sufficient number of reference sources, the properties of which are supposed to bracket the properties of the targets. Likewise, repeated observations must be made whenever the observing conditions change. This way one hopes to obtain estimates of the instrumental and atmospheric signatures at the time of the observation of the target by means of interpolation. Until now, this empirical calibration process was the only one available. Unfortunately, it demands a lot of the valuable telescope time just for repeated observations of the reference sources, significantly diminishing the time available for observations of the scientifically important objects. Moreover, every time the instrument is even slightly changed or some condition is altered, a new calibration procedure must be carried through. Maximizing observational efficiency In just over one year from now, ESO will begin to operate the largest optical telescope ever built, the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the new Paranal Observatory in Chile. Because of its enormous light-collecting area and superior optical quality, the VLT is destined to make a break-through in ground-based observational astronomy. The demand by astronomers for observing time at this unique facility is overwhelming. Even with the unsurpassed number of clear nights at Paranal, each available minute will be extremely precious and everything must be done to ensure that no time will be lost to unnecessary actions. This is a major challenge to the scientists. For instance, how long a time should an exposure last to ensure an optimum of new knowledge about the object observed? In addition, how much time should be spent to define in sufficient detail the `signatures' of the atmosphere, the telescope and the instruments which must be removed from the `raw' data before the resulting `clean' data can be interpreted in a trustworthy way? In short, how can the scientific return from the VLT and other telescopes such as the HST best be optimised? It is exactly for this reason that astronomers and engineers at ESO are now busy developing new methods of telescope operation and data analysis alongside with the VLT instrumental hardware itself. The new solution by means of models The appropriate strategy to make progress in the inherent conflict between calibration demand and time available for scientific observations is to obtain a physically correct understanding of the effects exerted on the data by different instruments . In this way, it is possible to decide which calibration data are actually required and on which timescale they have to be updated. One can then use computer models of these instruments to predict calibration solutions which are now valid for the full range of target properties and which handle environmental conditions properly. Such computer models can also be used to simulate observations. This brings a lot of benefits for the entire observational process. First, the astronomer can prepare observations and select instrumental modes and exposure times suited for optimal information return. Secondly, it provides confidence in the validity of the calibration process, and therefore in the cleanliness of the corrected data. Finally, once a theory about the target and its properties has been developed, one may simulate observations of a set of theoretical targets for which the properties are slightly modified in order to study their influence on the raw data. For the observatory there are also advantages. Optimization from the point of view of data analysis can now take place already during instrument design, calibration and data analysis procedures for any observational mode can be tested before real observations are obtained, and the maintenance staff can make sure that the instrument performs as expected and designed. How far have we come along this road? The present project consists of a close collaboration between the ESO Data Management Division (DMD) and Space Telescope European Co-ordinating Facility (ST/ECF). The VLT and the HST facilities have quite similar demands, because both astronomical observatories are committed to make data from a variety of instruments rapidly available to the world-wide community at a large scale. Once the basic concept had been defined, several groups at ESO started to develop models for particular instruments in order to study its general validity. One of the VLT instruments under construction is the high resolution echelle spectrograph UVES; first light is planned for 1999. The DMD model for this instrument now succeeds in predicting the geometrical aspects of observational data to better than one resolution element (pixel) of the detector. In parallel, the ST/ECF has produced a computer model for the low-resolution Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) on HST. This software is tuned in particular to simulate the aspects of internally scattered light, which is a serious nuisance for observations of faint targets. A direct derivative of such models are accurate exposure time calculators , which the observer can use to estimate the length of each exposure when preparing his/her observing program. This is the time an electronic detector is exposed to the light of the astronomical object under study. If it is too short, the resulting image of the object will not contain enough information. On the other hand, if the exposure time is too long, the image may be degraded by too many artefacts from cosmic rays that hit the detector during the exposure, or it may saturate the detector completely. Clearly, this time may better be used to observe other objects. In order to correctly plan the length of the exposure time for each astronomical target during an observing program, it is necessary to estimate the total effect of the instrument and the atmosphere on the light produced by the target. For this it is necessary to take into account the effects of the colour-dependent atmospheric absorption and the spreading of light by turbulence (seeing), the complete propagation of the light by the telescope mirrors and by the different optical components of the instrumentation (reflection, diffusion, absorption), as well as the properties of the electronic detector. In order to allow a wide access of the scientific community to such tools, the software for these calculators is being made available on the Internet. In co-operation with a contractor, ESO has developed a complete computer model for each of the 8.2-m telescopes. This simulation model includes a large number of effects, for instance from atmospheric disturbances, wind shaking of the telescope and structural vibrations. Using this model, it is possible from simulations to predict the quality achievable, i.e. the signature of the telescope. Furthermore, the model can be used to study the effect of changes before they are implemented in practice. The success of these first modelling experiments has led to the definition of a common framework for the development of such models and the creation of a versatile software package and associated database. Within this environment, a slight modification of the UVES software was efficiently re-used to model an existing high-resolution spectrograph, CASPEC at the ESO 3.6-metre telescope, and is currently being transformed into a model for the STIS spectrograph on HST. The next steps will be to provide models for all those instruments that will become operational on the VLT and the HST in the coming years, and to study further the impact of the improved calibrations on new data analysis techniques. Appendix: Limits of observations Ever since the beginning of astronomical observations with instruments, the problem of the instrumental influence has played a significant role. Indeed, a key challenge for past and present astronomers has always been to convince critical colleagues that they have been able to achieve a clear separation in their data between the intrinsic properties of the celestial object observed on one side, and disturbing instrumental and atmospheric effects on the other side. Through the ages, many learned disputes have centered on this basic problem. For instance, the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe spent a major part of his time at the Uraniborg observatory (1576 - 1597) in trying to describe and understand the `errors' (i.e. `signatures') of his pointing instruments. This was a new approach among observers of his day which greatly contributed to his successful studies. Another early historical example is the first detection of a structure around the planet Saturn by Galileo in 1610. He was the first ever to point an optical telescope - albeit of very small size and rather bad optical quality by today's standards - towards celestial objects. To his great surprise, the disk of Saturn appeared to have two `handles' [4]. He had no means to know whether they were artifacts from light reflections inside the telescope or real objects, and in the latter case what kind of natural object this might be. In fact, it was only 50 years later that improved optical equipment which produced sharper images (`higher optical resolution') finally revealed the true nature, i.e. the well-known Saturnian rings of small particles. In this case, the issue could only be solved by awaiting the technical progress of the optical telescope. Today digital imaging and computer processing allows the astronomers to reach beyond the limits of the raw observations. But even though the equipment available to astronomers has recently made tremendous progress - the HST and VLT are prime examples - the basic problem of verifying the reality of results and correcting the `raw' data for instrumental and atmospheric signatures remains. Notes: [1] The ST/ECF is a joint undertaking of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). [2] A presentation of the ideas and results described in this Press Release was made at the recent international workshop on `High Precision Data Analysis', held at the National Astronomical Observatory, Tokyo, Japan. [3] There exist, for instance, many `photometric standard stars' in the sky. The apparent brightness of these stars has been repeatedly measured with different instruments and is assumed known to a high degree of accuracy. [4] See also ESO Press Release 03/96 of 19 January 1996. How to obtain ESO Press Information ESO Press Information is made available on the World-Wide Web (URL: http://www.eso.org../). ESO Press Photos may be reproduced, if credit is given to the European Southern Observatory.

Deploying Object Oriented Data Technology to the Planetary Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, S.; Crichton, D.; Hughes, J. S.

2003-01-01

How do you provide more than 350 scientists and researchers access to data from every instrument in Odyssey when the data is curated across half a dozen institutions and in different formats and is too big to mail on a CD-ROM anymore? The Planetary Data System (PDS) faced this exact question. The solution was to use a metadata-based middleware framework developed by the Object Oriented Data Technology task at NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Using OODT, PDS provided - for the first time ever - data from all mission instruments through a single system immediately upon data delivery.

Automatic classification of minimally invasive instruments based on endoscopic image sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speidel, Stefanie; Benzko, Julia; Krappe, Sebastian; Sudra, Gunther; Azad, Pedram; Müller-Stich, Beat Peter; Gutt, Carsten; Dillmann, Rüdiger

2009-02-01

Minimally invasive surgery is nowadays a frequently applied technique and can be regarded as a major breakthrough in surgery. The surgeon has to adopt special operation-techniques and deal with difficulties like the complex hand-eye coordination and restricted mobility. To alleviate these constraints we propose to enhance the surgeon's capabilities by providing a context-aware assistance using augmented reality techniques. To analyze the current situation for context-aware assistance, we need intraoperatively gained sensor data and a model of the intervention. A situation consists of information about the performed activity, the used instruments, the surgical objects, the anatomical structures and defines the state of an intervention for a given moment in time. The endoscopic images provide a rich source of information which can be used for an image-based analysis. Different visual cues are observed in order to perform an image-based analysis with the objective to gain as much information as possible about the current situation. An important visual cue is the automatic recognition of the instruments which appear in the scene. In this paper we present the classification of minimally invasive instruments using the endoscopic images. The instruments are not modified by markers. The system segments the instruments in the current image and recognizes the instrument type based on three-dimensional instrument models.

The 1997 HST Calibration Workshop with a New Generation of Instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casertano, S. (Editor); Jedrzejewski, R. (Editor); Keyes, T. (Editor); Stevens, M. (Editor)

1997-01-01

The Second Servicing mission in early 1997 has brought major changes to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Two of the original instruments, Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) and Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS), were taken out, and replaced by completely new instruments, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Near Infrared Camera Multi-Object Spectrograph (NICMOS). Two new types of detectors were installed, and for the first time, HST gained infrared capabilities. A new Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) was installed, with an alignment mechanism that could improve substantially both guiding and astrometric capabilities. With all these changes come new challenges. The characterization of the new instruments has required a major effort, both by their respective Investigation Definition Teams and at the Space Telescope Science Institute. All necessary final calibrations for the retired spectrographs needed to be carried out, and their properties definitively characterized. At the same time, work has continued to improve our understanding of the instruments that have remained on board. The results of these activities were discussed in the 1997 HST (Hubble Space Telescope) Calibration Workshop. The main focus of the Workshop was to provide users with the tools and the understanding they need to use HST's instruments and archival data to the best of their possibilities. This book contains the written record of the Workshop. As such, it should provide a valuable tool to all interested in using existing HST data or in proposing for new observations.

Real-time spectral imaging in three spatial dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenhai; Psaltis, Demetri; Barbastathis, George

2002-05-01

We report what is to our knowledge the first volume-holographic optical imaging instrument with the capability to return three-dimensional spatial as well as spectral information about semitranslucent microscopic objects in a single measurement. The four-dimensional volume-holographic microscope is characterized theoretically and experimentally by use of fluorescent microspheres as objects.

Development and Characterization of a High-Energy Neutron Time-of-Flight Imaging System

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

Madden, Amanda Christine; Schirato, Richard C.; Swift, Alicia L.

We present that Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a prototype of a high-energy neutron time-of-flight imaging system for the non-destructive evaluation of dense, massive, and/or high atomic number objects. High-energy neutrons provide the penetrating power, and thus the high dynamic range necessary to image internal features and defects of such objects. The addition of the time gating capability allows for scatter rejection when paired with a pulsed monoenergetic beam, or neutron energy selection when paired with a pulsed broad-spectrum neutron source. The Time Gating to Reject Scatter and Select Energy (TiGReSSE) system was tested at the Los Alamos Neutronmore » Science Center’s (LANSCE) Weapons Nuclear Research (WNR) facility, a spallation neutron source, to provide proof of concept measurements and to characterize the instrument response. This paper will show results of several objects imaged during this run cycle. In addition, results from system performance metrics such as the Modulation Transfer Function and the Detective Quantum Efficiency measured as a function of neutron energy, characterize the current system performance and inform the next generation of neutron imaging instrument.« less

Development and Characterization of a High-Energy Neutron Time-of-Flight Imaging System

DOE PAGES

Madden, Amanda Christine; Schirato, Richard C.; Swift, Alicia L.; ...

2017-02-09

We present that Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a prototype of a high-energy neutron time-of-flight imaging system for the non-destructive evaluation of dense, massive, and/or high atomic number objects. High-energy neutrons provide the penetrating power, and thus the high dynamic range necessary to image internal features and defects of such objects. The addition of the time gating capability allows for scatter rejection when paired with a pulsed monoenergetic beam, or neutron energy selection when paired with a pulsed broad-spectrum neutron source. The Time Gating to Reject Scatter and Select Energy (TiGReSSE) system was tested at the Los Alamos Neutronmore » Science Center’s (LANSCE) Weapons Nuclear Research (WNR) facility, a spallation neutron source, to provide proof of concept measurements and to characterize the instrument response. This paper will show results of several objects imaged during this run cycle. In addition, results from system performance metrics such as the Modulation Transfer Function and the Detective Quantum Efficiency measured as a function of neutron energy, characterize the current system performance and inform the next generation of neutron imaging instrument.« less

The effect of root canal sealers and timing of cementation on the microlekage of the parapost luted with resin cement

PubMed Central

Al Kahtani, Ahmed M.

2010-01-01

Objectives The objectives of the study were to study the effect of root canal sealers either eugenol or non-eugenol and timing of cementation on microleakage of the parapost luted with resin cement. Materials and methods Seventy extracted human, single-rooted teeth were instrumented using a crown-down technique. All teeth were instrumented up to a size 50 .04 taper ProFile followed by the use of Gates Glidden drills from size 2 up to 5. Following instrumentation, the teeth were randomly divided into four experimental groups of fifteen teeth each, based on type of root canal sealer (eugenol or non-eugenol sealer) and timing of post cementation (immediate or delayed). The remaining ten teeth were divided into two control groups with five teeth per group. All teeth were tested for microleakage using a fluid filtration method. Results The microleakage of the paraposts luted with resin cement increased over time, irrespective of sealer type or timing of post cementation. Immediate post cementation following obturation with AH26 (non-eugenol sealer) produced the least microleakage at all three time periods at 24 h, 2 months and 3 months. Conclusions The microleakage paraposts luted with resin cement was not influenced by either sealer type or timing of post placement. All experimental groups demonstrated a significant increase in microleakage over time as well as the presence of voids at the resin–dentin interface. PMID:24109165

Scripting Module for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carnright, Robert; Paget, Jim; Coggi, John; Stodden, David

2008-01-01

This add-on module to the SOAP software can perform changes to simulation objects based on the occurrence of specific conditions. This allows the software to encompass simulation response of scheduled or physical events. Users can manipulate objects in the simulation environment under programmatic control. Inputs to the scripting module are Actions, Conditions, and the Script. Actions are arbitrary modifications to constructs such as Platform Objects (i.e. satellites), Sensor Objects (representing instruments or communication links), or Analysis Objects (user-defined logical or numeric variables). Examples of actions include changes to a satellite orbit ( v), changing a sensor-pointing direction, and the manipulation of a numerical expression. Conditions represent the circumstances under which Actions are performed and can be couched in If-Then-Else logic, like performing v at specific times or adding to the spacecraft power only when it is being illuminated by the Sun. The SOAP script represents the entire set of conditions being considered over a specific time interval. The output of the scripting module is a series of events, which are changes to objects at specific times. As the SOAP simulation clock runs forward, the scheduled events are performed. If the user sets the clock back in time, the events within that interval are automatically undone. This script offers an interface for defining scripts where the user does not have to remember the vocabulary of various keywords. Actions can be captured by employing the same user interface that is used to define the objects themselves. Conditions can be set to invoke Actions by selecting them from pull-down lists. Users define the script by selecting from the pool of defined conditions. Many space systems have to react to arbitrary events that can occur from scheduling or from the environment. For example, an instrument may cease to draw power when the area that it is tasked to observe is not in view. The contingency of the planetary body blocking the line of sight is a condition upon which the power being drawn is set to zero. It remains at zero until the observation objective is again in view. Computing the total power drawn by the instrument over a period of days or weeks can now take such factors into consideration. What makes the architecture especially powerful is that the scripting module can look ahead and behind in simulation time, and this temporal versatility can be leveraged in displays such as x-y plots. For example, a plot of a satellite s altitude as a function of time can take changes to the orbit into account.

The JWST/NIRSpec instrument: update on status and performances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkmann, Stephan M.; Ferruit, Pierre; Rawle, Tim; Sirianni, Marco; Alves de Oliveira, Catarina; Böker, Torsten; Giardino, Giovanna; Lützgendorf, Nora; Marston, Anthony; Stuhlinger, Martin; te Plate, Maurice B. J.; Jensen, Peter; Rumler, Peter; Dorner, Bernhard; Karl, Hermann; Mosner, Peter; Wright, Raymond H.; Rapp, Robert

2016-07-01

The Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) is one of the four instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) which is scheduled for launch in 2018. NIRSpec is developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) with Airbus Defense and Space Germany as prime contractor. The instrument offers seven dispersers covering the wavelength range from 0.6 to 5.3 micron with resolutions from R ˜ 100 to R ˜ 2700. NIRSpec will be capable of obtaining spectra for more than 100 objects simultaneously using an array of micro-shutters. It also features an integral field unit with 3" x 3" field of view and a range of slits for high contrast spectroscopy of individual objects and time series observations of e.g. transiting exoplanets. NIRSpec is in its final flight configuration and underwent cryogenic performance testing at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Winter 2015/16 as part of the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM). We present the current status of the instrument and also provide an update on NIRSpec performances based on results from the ISIM level test campaign.

OOD/OOP experience in the Science Operations Center part of the ground system for X ray Timing Explorer mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choudhary, Abdur Rahim

1994-01-01

The Science Operations Center (SOC) for the X-ray Timing Explorer (XTE) mission is an important component of the XTE ground system. Its mandate includes: (1) command and telemetry for the three XTE instruments, using CCSDS standards; (2) monitoring of the real-time science operations, reconfiguration of the experiment and the instruments, and real-time commanding to address the targets of opportunity (TOO) and alternate observations; and (3) analysis, processing, and archival of the XTE telemetry, and the timely delivery of the data products to the principal investigator (PI) teams and the guest observers (GO). The SOC has two major components: the science operations facility (SOF) that addresses the first two objectives stated above and the guest observer facility (GOF) that addresses the third. The SOF has subscribed to the object oriented design and implementation; while the GOF uses the traditional approach in order to take advantage of the existing software developed in support of previous missions. This paper details the SOF development using the object oriented design (OOD), and its implementation using the object oriented programming (OOP) in C++ under Unix environment on client-server architecture using Sun workstations. It also illustrates how the object oriented (OO) and the traditional approaches coexist in SOF and GOF, the lessons learned, and how the OOD facilitated the distributed software development collaboratively by four different teams. Details are presented for the SOF system, its major subsystems, its interfaces with the rest of the XTE ground data system, and its design and implementation approaches.

A compact holographic optical tweezers instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, G. M.; Bowman, R. W.; Linnenberger, A.; Dienerowitz, M.; Phillips, D. B.; Carberry, D. M.; Miles, M. J.; Padgett, M. J.

2012-11-01

Holographic optical tweezers have found many applications including the construction of complex micron-scale 3D structures and the control of tools and probes for position, force, and viscosity measurement. We have developed a compact, stable, holographic optical tweezers instrument which can be easily transported and is compatible with a wide range of microscopy techniques, making it a valuable tool for collaborative research. The instrument measures approximately 30×30×35 cm and is designed around a custom inverted microscope, incorporating a fibre laser operating at 1070 nm. We designed the control software to be easily accessible for the non-specialist, and have further improved its ease of use with a multi-touch iPad interface. A high-speed camera allows multiple trapped objects to be tracked simultaneously. We demonstrate that the compact instrument is stable to 0.5 nm for a 10 s measurement time by plotting the Allan variance of the measured position of a trapped 2 μm silica bead. We also present a range of objects that have been successfully manipulated.

Near real-time measurement of forces applied by an optical trap to a rigid cylindrical object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaser, Joseph; Hoeprich, David; Resnick, Andrew

2014-07-01

An automated data acquisition and processing system is established to measure the force applied by an optical trap to an object of unknown composition in real time. Optical traps have been in use for the past 40 years to manipulate microscopic particles, but the magnitude of applied force is often unknown and requires extensive instrument characterization. Measuring or calculating the force applied by an optical trap to nonspherical particles presents additional difficulties which are also overcome with our system. Extensive experiments and measurements using well-characterized objects were performed to verify the system performance.

Field instrumentation and testing to study set-up phenomenon of piles driven into Louisiana clayey soils.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-02-01

The main objective of this research study is to evaluate the time-dependent increase in pile capacity (or pile setup phenomenon) for piles driven into Louisiana soils through conducting repeated static and dynamic field testing with time on full-scal...

The LEAP™ Gesture Interface Device and Take-Home Laparoscopic Simulators: A Study of Construct and Concurrent Validity.

PubMed

Partridge, Roland W; Brown, Fraser S; Brennan, Paul M; Hennessey, Iain A M; Hughes, Mark A

2016-02-01

To assess the potential of the LEAP™ infrared motion tracking device to map laparoscopic instrument movement in a simulated environment. Simulator training is optimized when augmented by objective performance feedback. We explore the potential LEAP has to provide this in a way compatible with affordable take-home simulators. LEAP and the previously validated InsTrac visual tracking tool mapped expert and novice performances of a standardized simulated laparoscopic task. Ability to distinguish between the 2 groups (construct validity) and correlation between techniques (concurrent validity) were the primary outcome measures. Forty-three expert and 38 novice performances demonstrated significant differences in LEAP-derived metrics for instrument path distance (P < .001), speed (P = .002), acceleration (P < .001), motion smoothness (P < .001), and distance between the instruments (P = .019). Only instrument path distance demonstrated a correlation between LEAP and InsTrac tracking methods (novices: r = .663, P < .001; experts: r = .536, P < .001). Consistency of LEAP tracking was poor (average % time hands not tracked: 31.9%). The LEAP motion device is able to track the movement of hands using instruments in a laparoscopic box simulator. Construct validity is demonstrated by its ability to distinguish novice from expert performances. Only time and instrument path distance demonstrated concurrent validity with an existing tracking method however. A number of limitations to the tracking method used by LEAP have been identified. These need to be addressed before it can be considered an alternative to visual tracking for the delivery of objective performance metrics in take-home laparoscopic simulators. © The Author(s) 2015.

Suomi Npp and Jpss Pre-Launch Test Data Collection and Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denning, M.; Ullman, R.; Guenther, B.; Kilcoyne, H.; Chandler, C.; Adameck, J.

2012-12-01

During the development of each Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) instrument, significant testing was performed, both in ambient and simulated orbital (thermal-vacuum) conditions, at the instrument factory, and again after integration with the spacecraft. The NPOESS Integrated Program Office (IPO), and later the NASA Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Program Office, defined two primary objectives with respect to capturing instrument and spacecraft test data during these test events. The first objective was to disseminate test data and auxiliary documentation to an often distributed network of scientists to permit timely production of independent assessments of instrument performance, calibration, data quality, and test progress. The second goal was to preserve the data and documentation in a catalogued government archive for the life of the mission, to aid in the resolution of anomalies and to facilitate the comparison of on-orbit instrument operating characteristics to those observed prior to launch. In order to meet these objectives, Suomi NPP pre-launch test data collection, distribution, processing, and archive methods included adaptable support infrastructures to quickly and completely transfer test data and documentation from the instrument and spacecraft factories to sensor scientist teams on-site at the factory and around the country. These methods were unique, effective, and low in cost. These efforts supporting pre-launch instrument calibration permitted timely data quality assessments and technical feedback from contributing organizations within the government, academia, and industry, and were critical in supporting timely sensor development. Second, in parallel to data distribution to the sensor science teams, pre-launch test data were transferred and ingested into the central Suomi NPP calibration and validation (cal/val) system, known as the Government Resource for Algorithm Verification, Independent Testing, and Evaluation (GRAVITE), where they will reside for the life of the mission. As a result, data and documentation are available for query, analysis, and download by the cal/val community via the command-line GRAVITE Transfer Protocol (GTP) tool or via the NOAA-collaborative website "CasaNOSA". Instrument and spacecraft test data, telemetry, and ground support equipment information were collected and organized with detailed test procedures, logs, analyses, characterizations, and reports. This 45 Terabyte archive facilitates the comparison of on-orbit Suomi NPP operating characteristics with that observed prior to launch, and will serve as a resource to aid in the assessment of pre-launch JPSS-1 sensor performance. In summary, this paper will present the innovative pre-launch test data campaign infrastructures employed for Suomi NPP and planned for JPSS-1.

Instrumented gait analysis: a measure of gait improvement by a wheeled walker in hospitalized geriatric patients.

PubMed

Schülein, Samuel; Barth, Jens; Rampp, Alexander; Rupprecht, Roland; Eskofier, Björn M; Winkler, Jürgen; Gaßmann, Karl-Günter; Klucken, Jochen

2017-02-27

In an increasing aging society, reduced mobility is one of the most important factors limiting activities of daily living and overall quality of life. The ability to walk independently contributes to the mobility, but is increasingly restricted by numerous diseases that impair gait and balance. The aim of this cross-sectional observation study was to examine whether spatio-temporal gait parameters derived from mobile instrumented gait analysis can be used to measure the gait stabilizing effects of a wheeled walker (WW) and whether these gait parameters may serve as surrogate marker in hospitalized patients with multifactorial gait and balance impairment. One hundred six patients (ages 68-95) wearing inertial sensor equipped shoes passed an instrumented walkway with and without gait support from a WW. The walkway assessed the risk of falling associated gait parameters velocity, swing time, stride length, stride time- and double support time variability. Inertial sensor-equipped shoes measured heel strike and toe off angles, and foot clearance. The use of a WW improved the risk of spatio-temporal parameters velocity, swing time, stride length and the sagittal plane associated parameters heel strike and toe off angles in all patients. First-time users (FTUs) showed similar gait parameter improvement patterns as frequent WW users (FUs). However, FUs with higher levels of gait impairment improved more in velocity, stride length and toe off angle compared to the FTUs. The impact of a WW can be quantified objectively by instrumented gait assessment. Thus, objective gait parameters may serve as surrogate markers for the use of walking aids in patients with gait and balance impairments.

PubMed Central

DIRVEN, R.; JACOBI, I.; BREKEL, M.W.M.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY This study investigated whether trachea pressures during brass instrument play of laryngectomised patients are within the range of those measured during tracheoesophageal voicing, and whether application of an automatic speaking valve can 'free' both hands to play a brass instrument. Objective assessment of voicing and music playing parameters was carried out in 2 laryngectomised patients with a low-pressure indwelling voice-prosthesis able to play brass instruments (tenor horn and slide trombone): sound pressure levels in dB, maximum phonation time in seconds and trachea pressures in mmHg; videofluoroscopy, stroboscopy and digital high speed endoscopy to assess neoglottis vibration and opening. The dynamic range of the voice in the patients was 29 and 20 dB, and maximum phonation time was 22 and 19 sec, respectively; intratracheal pressures during voicing varied from 7 mmHg for the softest /a/ to 49 mmHg for the loudest /a/. For brass instrument play, the intratracheal pressures varied from 14 mmHg for the softest tone to 48 mmHg for the loudest tone. Imaging confirmed earlier findings that the neoglottis is closing and vibrating during voicing and remains 'open' without vibrations during music play, indicating good neoglottis control and innervation. From these objective measurements, we can conclude that trachea pressures during brass instrument play are within physiological ranges for tracheoesophageal voicing with a low-pressure indwelling voice-prosthesis. Furthermore, it was shown that application of a stable baseplate for retaining an automatic speaking valve and an additional customisable 'neck brace' makes bimanual play possible again. PMID:26246666

Computer simulations of interferometric imaging with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer and its Astronomical Multibeam Recombiner instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Przygodda, Frank; Bloecker, Thomas; Hofmann, Karl-Heinz; Weigelt, Gerd

2001-05-01

We present computer simulations of interferometric imaging with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) of the European Southern Observatory and the Astronomical Multibeam Recombiner (AMBER) phase-closure instrument. These simulations include both the astrophysical modeling of a stellar object by radiative-transfer calculations and the simulation of light propagation from the object to the detector (through atmosphere, telescopes, and the AMBER instrument), simulation of photon noise and detector readout noise, and finally data processing of the interferograms. The results show the dependence of the visibility error bars on the following observational parameters: different seeing during the observation of object and reference star (Fried parameters r0,object and r0,ref ranging between 0.9 and 1.2 m), different residual tip-tilt error ((delta) tt,object and (delta) tt,ref ranging between 0.1% and 20% of the Airy-disk diameter), and object brightness (Kobject equals 0.7 to 10.2 mag, Kref equals 0.7 mag). As an example, we focus on stars in late stages of stellar evolution and study one of the key objects of that kind, the dusty super-giant IRC + 10420, which is rapidly evolving on human time scales. We show computer simulations of VLT interferometer (visibility and phase-closure measurements) of IRC + 10420 with two and three auxiliary telescopes (in AMBER wide-field mode, i.e., without fiber optic spatial filters) and discuss whether the visibility accuracy is sufficient to distinguish between different theoretical model predictions.

Recharge monitoring in an interplaya setting

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

Scanlon, B.R.; Reedy, R.C.; Liang, J.

1999-03-01

The objective of this investigation is to monitor infiltration in response to precipitation events in an interplaya setting. The authors evaluated data gathered from the interplaya recharge monitoring installation at the Pantex Plant from March through December 1998. They monitored thermocouple psychrometer (TCP) instruments to measure water potential and time-domain reflectometry (TDR) probes to measure water content and bulk soil conductivity. Heat-dissipation sensor (HDS) instruments were monitored to supplement the TCP data.

The Joint Milli-Arcsecond Pathfinder Survey (J-MAPS) Mission: Application for Space Situational Awareness

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

One implication of this is that the instrument can physically resolve satellites at smaller separations than current and existing optical SSA assets...with the potential for 24/7 taskability and near-real time capability. By optimizing an instrument to perform position measurement rather than...sensors. The J-MAPS baseline also includes a novel filter-grating wheel, of interest in the area of non- resolved object characterization. We discuss the

Space Telescope Systems Description Handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, R. E.

1985-01-01

The objective of the Space Telescope Project is to orbit a high quality optical 2.4-meter telescope system by the Space Shuttle for use by the astronomical community in conjunction with NASA. The scientific objectives of the Space Telescope are to determine the constitution, physical characteristics, and dynamics of celestial bodies; the nature of processes which occur in the extreme physical conditions existing in stellar objects; the history and evolution of the universe; and whether the laws of nature are universal in the space-time continuum. Like ground-based telescopes, the Space Telescope was designed as a general-purpose instrument, capable of utilizing a wide variety of scientific instruments at its focal plane. This multi-purpose characteristic will allow the Space Telescope to be effectively used as a national facility, capable of supporting the astronomical needs for an international user community and hence making contributions to man's needs. By using the Space Shuttle to provide scientific instrument upgrading and subsystems maintenance, the useful and effective operational lifetime of the Space Telescope will be extended to a decade or more.

First-generation instrumentation for the Discovery Channel Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bida, Thomas A.; Dunham, Edward W.; Massey, Philip; Roe, Henry G.

2014-07-01

The 4.3m Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) has been conducting part-time science operations since January 2013. The f/6.1, 0.5° field-of-view at the RC focus is accessible through the Cassegrain instrument cube assembly, which can support 5 co-mounted instruments with rapid feed selection via deployable fold mirrors. Lowell Observatory has developed the Large Monolithic Imager (LMI), a 12.3' FOV 6K x 6K single CCD camera with a dual filter wheel, and installed at the straight-through, field-corrected RC focal station, which has served as the primary early science DCT instrument. Two low-resolution facility spectrographs are currently under development with first light for each anticipated by early 2015: the upgraded DeVeny Spectrograph, to be utilized for single object optical spectroscopy, and the unique Near-Infrared High-Throughput Spectrograph (NIHTS), optimized for single-shot JHK spectroscopy of faint solar system objects. These spectrographs will be mounted at folded RC ports, and the NIHTS installation will feature simultaneous optical imaging with LMI through use of a dichroic fold mirror. We report on the design, construction, commissioning, and progress of these 3 instruments in detail. We also discuss plans for installation of additional facility instrumentation on the DCT.

SLAC All Access: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Science Instrument

ScienceCinema

Bozek, John

2018-02-13

John Bozek, a staff scientist at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray laser who manages the LCLS Soft X-ray Department, takes us behind the scenes at the Atomic, Molecular and Optical Science (AMO) instrument, the first of six experimental stations now operating at LCLS. Samples used in AMO experiments include atoms, molecules, clusters, and nanoscale objects such as protein crystals or viruses. Science performed at AMO includes fundamental studies of light-matter interactions in the extreme X-ray intensity of the LCLS pules, time-resolved studies of increasingly charged states of atoms and molecules, X-ray diffraction imaging of nanocrystals, and single-shot imaging of a variety of objects.

MWIR imaging spectrometer with digital time delay integration for remote sensing and characterization of solar system objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendrick, Stephen E.; Harwit, Alex; Kaplan, Michael; Smythe, William D.

2007-09-01

An MWIR TDI (Time Delay and Integration) Imager and Spectrometer (MTIS) instrument for characterizing from orbit the moons of Jupiter and Saturn is proposed. Novel to this instrument is the planned implementation of a digital TDI detector array and an innovative imaging/spectroscopic architecture. Digital TDI enables a higher SNR for high spatial resolution surface mapping of Titan and Enceladus and for improved spectral discrimination and resolution at Europa. The MTIS imaging/spectroscopic architecture combines a high spatial resolution coarse wavelength resolution imaging spectrometer with a hyperspectral sensor to spectrally decompose a portion of the data adjacent to the data sampled in the imaging spectrometer. The MTIS instrument thus maps with high spatial resolution a planetary object while spectrally decomposing enough of the data that identification of the constituent materials is highly likely. Additionally, digital TDI systems have the ability to enable the rejection of radiation induced spikes in high radiation environments (Europa) and the ability to image in low light levels (Titan and Enceladus). The ability to image moving objects that might be missed utilizing a conventional TDI system is an added advantage and is particularly important for characterizing atmospheric effects and separating atmospheric and surface components. This can be accomplished with on-orbit processing or collecting and returning individual non co-added frames.

Development of an Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Mass Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

A commercial atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer (APIMS) was purchased from EXTREL Mass Spectrometry, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA). Our research objectives were to adapt this instrument and develop techniques for real-time determinations of the concentrations of trace species in the atmosphere. The prototype instrument is capable of making high frequency measurements with no sample preconcentrations. Isotopically labeled standards are used as an internal standard to obtain high precision and to compensate for changes in instrument sensitivity and analyte losses in the sampling manifold as described by Bandy and coworkers. The prototype instrument is capable of being deployed on NASA C130, Electra, P3, and DC8 aircraft. After purchasing and taking delivery by June 1994, we assembled the mass spectrometer, data acquisition, and manifold flow control instrumentation in electronic racks and performed tests.

Grammatical verb aspect and event roles in sentence processing.

PubMed

Madden-Lombardi, Carol; Dominey, Peter Ford; Ventre-Dominey, Jocelyne

2017-01-01

Two experiments examine how grammatical verb aspect constrains our understanding of events. According to linguistic theory, an event described in the perfect aspect (John had opened the bottle) should evoke a mental representation of a finished event with focus on the resulting object, whereas an event described in the imperfective aspect (John was opening the bottle) should evoke a representation of the event as ongoing, including all stages of the event, and focusing all entities relevant to the ongoing action (instruments, objects, agents, locations, etc.). To test this idea, participants saw rebus sentences in the perfect and imperfective aspect, presented one word at a time, self-paced. In each sentence, the instrument and the recipient of the action were replaced by pictures (John was using/had used a *corkscrew* to open the *bottle* at the restaurant). Time to process the two images as well as speed and accuracy on sensibility judgments were measured. Although experimental sentences always made sense, half of the object and instrument pictures did not match the temporal constraints of the verb. For instance, in perfect sentences aspect-congruent trials presented an image of the corkscrew closed (no longer in-use) and the wine bottle fully open. The aspect-incongruent yet still sensible versions either replaced the corkscrew with an in-use corkscrew (open, in-hand) or the bottle image with a half-opened bottle. In this case, the participant would still respond "yes", but with longer expected response times. A three-way interaction among Verb Aspect, Sentence Role, and Temporal Match on image processing times showed that participants were faster to process images that matched rather than mismatched the aspect of the verb, especially for resulting objects in perfect sentences. A second experiment replicated and extended the results to confirm that this was not due to the placement of the object in the sentence. These two experiments extend previous research, showing how verb aspect drives not only the temporal structure of event representation, but also the focus on specific roles of the event. More generally, the findings of visual match during online sentence-picture processing are consistent with theories of perceptual simulation.

Grammatical verb aspect and event roles in sentence processing

PubMed Central

Madden-Lombardi, Carol; Dominey, Peter Ford; Ventre-Dominey, Jocelyne

2017-01-01

Two experiments examine how grammatical verb aspect constrains our understanding of events. According to linguistic theory, an event described in the perfect aspect (John had opened the bottle) should evoke a mental representation of a finished event with focus on the resulting object, whereas an event described in the imperfective aspect (John was opening the bottle) should evoke a representation of the event as ongoing, including all stages of the event, and focusing all entities relevant to the ongoing action (instruments, objects, agents, locations, etc.). To test this idea, participants saw rebus sentences in the perfect and imperfective aspect, presented one word at a time, self-paced. In each sentence, the instrument and the recipient of the action were replaced by pictures (John was using/had used a *corkscrew* to open the *bottle* at the restaurant). Time to process the two images as well as speed and accuracy on sensibility judgments were measured. Although experimental sentences always made sense, half of the object and instrument pictures did not match the temporal constraints of the verb. For instance, in perfect sentences aspect-congruent trials presented an image of the corkscrew closed (no longer in-use) and the wine bottle fully open. The aspect-incongruent yet still sensible versions either replaced the corkscrew with an in-use corkscrew (open, in-hand) or the bottle image with a half-opened bottle. In this case, the participant would still respond “yes”, but with longer expected response times. A three-way interaction among Verb Aspect, Sentence Role, and Temporal Match on image processing times showed that participants were faster to process images that matched rather than mismatched the aspect of the verb, especially for resulting objects in perfect sentences. A second experiment replicated and extended the results to confirm that this was not due to the placement of the object in the sentence. These two experiments extend previous research, showing how verb aspect drives not only the temporal structure of event representation, but also the focus on specific roles of the event. More generally, the findings of visual match during online sentence-picture processing are consistent with theories of perceptual simulation. PMID:29287091

MoonBEAM: A Beyond Earth-Orbit Gamma-Ray Burst Detector for Gravitational-Wave Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, C. M.; Briggs, M. S.; Goldstein, A. M.; Jenke, P. A.; Kocevski, D.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.

2018-01-01

Moon Burst Energetics All-sky Monitor (MoonBEAM) is a CubeSat concept of deploying gamma-ray detectors in cislunar space to improve localization precision for gamma-ray bursts by utilizing the light travel time difference between different orbits. We present here a gamma-ray SmallSat concept in Earth-Moon L3 halo orbit that is capable of rapid response and provide a timing baseline for localization improvement when partnered with an Earth-orbit instrument. Such an instrument would probe the extreme processes in cosmic collision of compact objects and facilitate multi-messenger time-domain astronomy to explore the end of stellar life cycles and black hole formations.

Use of Objective Metrics in Dynamic Facial Reanimation: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Revenaugh, Peter C; Smith, Ryan M; Plitt, Max A; Ishii, Lisa; Boahene, Kofi; Byrne, Patrick J

2018-06-21

Facial nerve deficits cause significant functional and social consequences for those affected. Existing techniques for dynamic restoration of facial nerve function are imperfect and result in a wide variety of outcomes. Currently, there is no standard objective instrument for facial movement as it relates to restorative techniques. To determine what objective instruments of midface movement are used in outcome measurements for patients treated with dynamic methods for facial paralysis. Database searches from January 1970 to June 2017 were performed in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. Only English-language articles on studies performed in humans were considered. The search terms used were ("Surgical Flaps"[Mesh] OR "Nerve Transfer"[Mesh] OR "nerve graft" OR "nerve grafts") AND (face [mh] OR facial paralysis [mh]) AND (innervation [sh]) OR ("Face"[Mesh] OR facial paralysis [mh]) AND (reanimation [tiab]). Two independent reviewers evaluated the titles and abstracts of all articles and included those that reported objective outcomes of a surgical technique in at least 2 patients. The presence or absence of an objective instrument for evaluating outcomes of midface reanimation. Additional outcome measures were reproducibility of the test, reporting of symmetry, measurement of multiple variables, and test validity. Of 241 articles describing dynamic facial reanimation techniques, 49 (20.3%) reported objective outcome measures for 1898 patients. Of those articles reporting objective measures, there were 29 different instruments, only 3 of which reported all outcome measures. Although instruments are available to objectively measure facial movement after reanimation techniques, most studies do not report objective outcomes. Of objective facial reanimation instruments, few are reproducible and able to measure symmetry and multiple data points. To accurately compare objective outcomes in facial reanimation, a reproducible, objective, and universally applied instrument is needed.

Bluetooth traffic detectors for use as permanently installed travel time instruments : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-02-01

In support of the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) business objectives : related to mobility and congestion relief, in 2009 the University of Marylands (UMD) : Center for Advanced Transportation Technology (CATT) proposed to develop the...

Laparoscopic Single Site Adrenalectomy Using a Conventional Laparoscope and Instrumentation

PubMed Central

Colon, Modesto J; LeMasters, Patrick; Newell, Phillipa; Divino, Celia; Weber, Kaare J.

2011-01-01

Background and Objectives: We present a case of Laparoendoscopic Single Site Surgery (LESS) left adrenalectomy performed with a conventional laparoscope and instruments. Methods: A 45-year-old male was diagnosed with hyperaldosteronism. Computed tomography detected a left adrenal nodule. Bilateral adrenal vein sampling was consistent with a left-sided source for hyperaldosteronism. Results: Total operative time for LESS left adrenalectomy was 120 minutes. The surgery was performed with conventional instruments, a standard 5-mm laparoscope, and a SILS port, with no additional incisions or trocars needed. No complications occurred, and the patient reported an uneventful recovery. Conclusions: LESS adrenalectomy is a feasible procedure. Although articulating instruments and laparoscopes may offer advantages, LESS adrenalectomy can be done without these. PMID:21902983

Electro optical system to measure strains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sciammarella, C. A.; Bhat, G.

With the advent of the so called speckle interferometry, interferograms of objects can be obtained in real time by using a TV camera as the recording medium. The basic idea of this instrument is to couple the photoelectric registration by a TV camera with the subsequent electronic processing, to develop an efficient device for the measurement of deformations. This paper presents a new and improved instrument, which has a very important feature, portability, that can be operated in different modes and is capable of producing interferograms using holography, speckle, and moire methods. The basic features of the instrument are presented and some of the theoretical points at the foundation of operation of the instrument are analyzed. Examples are given of the application to moire, speckle, and holographic interferometry.

Developing an Acceptability Assessment of Preventive Dental Treatments

PubMed Central

Hyde, Susan; Gansky, Stuart A.; Gonzalez-Vargas, Maria J.; Husting, Sheila R.; Cheng, Nancy F.; Millstein, Susan G.; Adams, Sally H.

2012-01-01

Objectives Early childhood caries (ECC) is very prevalent among young Hispanic children. ECC is amenable to a variety of preventive procedures, yet many Hispanic families underutilize dental services. Acceptability research may assist in health care planning and resource allocation by identifying patient preferences among efficacious treatments with the goal of improving their utilization. The purposes of this study were (a) to develop a culturally competent acceptability assessment instrument, directed toward the caregivers of young Hispanic children, for five preventive dental treatments for ECC and (b) to test the instrument's reliability and validity. Methods An instrument of five standard treatments known to prevent ECC was developed, translated, reviewed by focus groups, and pilot tested, then tested for reliability. The instrument included illustrated cards, brief video clips, and samples of the treatments and was culturally appropriate for low-income Hispanic caregivers. In addition to determining the acceptability of the five treatments individually, the treatments were also presented as paired comparisons. Results Focus groups and debriefing interviews following the pilot tests established that the instrument has good face validity. The illustrated cards, product samples, and video demonstrations of the five treatments resulted in an instrument possessing good content validity. The instrument has good to excellent test–retest reliability, with identical time 1–time 2 responses for each of the five treatments 92 percent of the time (range 87 to 97 percent), and the same treatment of the paired comparisons preferred 75 percent of the time (range 61 to 90 percent). Conclusions The acceptability instrument described is reliable and valid and may be useful in program planning efforts to identify and increase the utilization of preferred ECC preventive treatments for target populations. PMID:18662256

Unmixing the Materials and Mechanics Contributions in Non-resolved Object Signatures

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

abundances from hyperspectral or multi-spectral time - resolved signatures. A Fourier analysis of temporal variation of material abundance provides...factorization technique to extract the temporal variation of material abundances from hyperspectral or multi-spectral time - resolved signatures. A Fourier...approximately one hundred wavelengths in the visible spectrum. The frame rate for the instrument was not large enough to collect time resolved data. However

Apparatus and method for maintaining low temperatures about an object at a remote location

DOEpatents

Steyert, Jr., William A.; Overton, Jr., William C.

1982-01-01

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for maintaining a body at cryogenic temperatures at a remote location such as down a borehole for an extended period of time. A housing contains a body comprising a material having a high specific heat at cryogenic temperatures such as between about 2 and 15 K. The body contains an orifice for containing an instrument or instruments operable at superconducting temperatures. The apparatus is precooled at the surface and lowered into a borehole to a desired depth, such as 2 to 3 miles. The instruments are operated, and the apparatus withdrawn, the material of the body maintaining the very low temperatures at which the instrument(s) operate for a sufficient period of time at the remote or downhole location. The material may comprise a rare earth compound, such as Gd.sub.2 O.sub.3, Gd.sub.2 Se.sub.3, Gd.sub.2 O.sub.2 S or GdAlO.sub.3. Monoclinic and C-phase gadolinium oxides work well. A low temperature is maintainable at a remote location for several hours.

Apparatus and method for maintaining low temperatures about an object at a remote location. [Patent application

DOEpatents

Steyert, W.A. Jr.; Overton, W.C. Jr.

1980-10-29

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for maintaining a body at cryogenic temperatures at a remote location such as down a borehole for an extended period of time. A housing contains a body comprising a material having a high specific heat at cryogenic temperatures such as between about 2 and 15 K. The body contains an orifice for containing an instrument or instruments operable at superconducting temperatures. The apparatus is precooled at the surface and lowered into a borehole to a desired depth, such as 2 to 3 miles. The instruments are operated, and the apparatus withdrawn, the material of the body maintaining the very low temperatures at which the instrument(s) operate for a sufficient period of time at the remote or downhole location. The material may comprise a rare earth compound, such as Gd/sub 2/O/sub 3/, Gd/sub 2/Se/sub 3/, Gd/sub 2/O/sub 2/S or GdAlO/sub 3/. Monoclinic and C-phase gadolinium oxides work well. A low temperature is maintainable at a remote location for several hours.

Semi-Automated Full Battery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincent, Ken R.

1980-01-01

Presents the format for the development of interpretive statements covering an entire test battery content on both objective tests and projective instruments. This procedure, the semiautomated full battery, can lessen significantly the time and much of the repetition entailed in psychological report writing. (Author)

Training to acquire psychomotor skills for endoscopic endonasal surgery using a personal webcam trainer.

PubMed

Hirayama, Ryuichi; Fujimoto, Yasunori; Umegaki, Masao; Kagawa, Naoki; Kinoshita, Manabu; Hashimoto, Naoya; Yoshimine, Toshiki

2013-05-01

Existing training methods for neuroendoscopic surgery have mainly emphasized the acquisition of anatomical knowledge and procedures for operating an endoscope and instruments. For laparoscopic surgery, various training systems have been developed to teach handling of an endoscope as well as the manipulation of instruments for speedy and precise endoscopic performance using both hands. In endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES), especially using a binostril approach to the skull base and intradural lesions, the learning of more meticulous manipulation of instruments is mandatory, and it may be necessary to develop another type of training method for acquiring psychomotor skills for EES. Authors of the present study developed an inexpensive, portable personal trainer using a webcam and objectively evaluated its utility. Twenty-five neurosurgeons volunteered for this study and were divided into 2 groups, a novice group (19 neurosurgeons) and an experienced group (6 neurosurgeons). Before and after the exercises of set tasks with a webcam box trainer, the basic endoscopic skills of each participant were objectively assessed using the virtual reality simulator (LapSim) while executing 2 virtual tasks: grasping and instrument navigation. Scores for the following 11 performance variables were recorded: instrument time, instrument misses, instrument path length, and instrument angular path (all of which were measured in both hands), as well as tissue damage, max damage, and finally overall score. Instrument time was indicated as movement speed; instrument path length and instrument angular path as movement efficiency; and instrument misses, tissue damage, and max damage as movement precision. In the novice group, movement speed and efficiency were significantly improved after the training. In the experienced group, significant improvement was not shown in the majority of virtual tasks. Before the training, significantly greater movement speed and efficiency were demonstrated in the experienced group, but no difference in movement precision was shown between the 2 groups. After the training, no significant differences were shown between the 2 groups in the majority of the virtual tasks. Analysis revealed that the webcam trainer improved the basic skills of the novices, increasing movement speed and efficiency without sacrificing movement precision. Novices using this unique webcam trainer showed improvement in psychomotor skills for EES. The authors believe that training in terms of basic endoscopic skills is meaningful and that the webcam training system can play a role in daily off-the-job training for EES.

Design techniques for developing a computerized instrumentation test plan. [for wind tunnel test data acquisition system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burnett, S. Kay; Forsyth, Theodore J.; Maynard, Everett E.

1987-01-01

The development of a computerized instrumentation test plan (ITP) for the NASA/Ames Research Center National Full Scale Aerodynamics Complex (NFAC) is discussed. The objective of the ITP program was to aid the instrumentation engineer in documenting the configuration and calibration of data acquisition systems for a given test at any of four low speed wind tunnel facilities (Outdoor Aerodynamic Research Facility, 7 x 10, 40 x 80, and 80 x 120) at the NFAC. It is noted that automation of the ITP has decreased errors, engineering hours, and setup time while adding a higher level of consistency and traceability.

Reuse of disposable laparoscopic instruments: cost analysis*

PubMed Central

DesCôteaux, Jean-Gaston; Tye, Lucille; Poulin, Eric C.

1996-01-01

Objective To evaluate the cost benefits of reusing disposable laparoscopic instruments. Design A cost-analysis study based on a review of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures performed between August 1990 and January 1994, including analysis of disposable instrument use, purchase records, and reprocessing costs for each instrument. Setting The general surgery department of a 461-bed teaching hospital where disposable laparoscopic instruments are routinely reused according to internally validated reprocessing protocols. Methods Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic interventions performed between August 1990 and January 1994 for which the number and types of disposable laparoscopic instruments were standardized. Main Outcome Measures Reprocessing cost per instrument, the savings realized by reusing disposable laparoscopic instruments and the cost-efficient number of reuses per instrument. Results The cost of reprocessing instruments varied from $2.64 (Can) to $4.66 for each disposable laparoscopic instrument. Purchases of 10 commonly reused disposable laparoscopic instruments totalled $183 279, and the total reprocessing cost was estimated at $35 665 for the study period. Not reusing disposable instruments would have cost $527 575 in instrument purchases for the same period. Disposable laparoscopic instruments were reused 1.7 to 68 times each. Conclusions Under carefully monitored conditions and strict guidelines, reuse of disposable laparoscopic and thoracoscopic instruments can be cost-effective. PMID:8769924

Developments in fiber-positioning technology for the WEAVE instrument at the William Herschel Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schallig, Ellen; Lewis, Ian J.; Gilbert, James; Dalton, Gavin; Brock, Matthew; Abrams, Don Carlos; Middleton, Kevin; Aguerri, J. Alfonso L.; Bonifacio, Piercarlo; Carrasco, Esperanza; Trager, Scott C.; Vallenari, Antonella

2016-08-01

WEAVE is the next-generation wide-field optical spectroscopy facility for the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) on La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. It is a multi-object "pick-and-place" fibre-fed spectrograph with a 1000 fibre multiplex behind a new dedicated 2° prime focus corrector. The WEAVE positioner concept uses two robots working in tandem in order to reconfigure a fully populated field within the expected 1 hour dwell-time for the instrument (a good match between the required exposure times and the limit of validity for a given configuration due to the effects of differential refraction). In this paper we describe some of the final design decisions arising from the prototyping phase of the instrument design and provide an update on the current manufacturing status of the fibre positioner system.

TH-A-17A-01: Innovation in PET Instrumentation and Applications

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

Casey, M; Miyaoka, R; Shao, Y

Innovation in PET instrumentation has led to the new millennium revolutionary imaging applications for diagnosis, therapeutic guidance, and development of new molecular imaging probes, etc. However, after several decades innovations, will the advances of PET technology and applications continue with the same trend and pace? What will be the next big thing beyond the PET/CT, PET/MRI, and Time-of-flight PET? How will the PET instrumentation and imaging performance be further improved by novel detector research and advanced imaging system development? Or will the development of new algorithms and methodologies extend the limit of current instrumentation and leapfrog the imaging quality andmore » quantification for practical applications? The objective of this session is to present an overview of current status and advances in the PET instrumentation and applications with speakers from leading academic institutes and a major medical imaging company. Presenting with both academic research projects and commercial technology developments, this session will provide a glimpse of some latest advances and challenges in the field, such as using semiconductor photon-sensor based PET detectors to improve performance and enable new applications, as well as the technology trend that may lead to the next breakthrough in PET imaging for clinical and preclinical applications. Both imaging and image-guided therapy subjects will be discussed. Learning Objectives: Describe the latest innovations in PET instrumentation and applications Understand the driven force behind the PET instrumentation innovation and development Learn the trend of PET technology development for applications.« less

Ground data handling for Landsat-D. [for thematic mapper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynch, T. J.

1977-01-01

The present plans for the Landsat-D ground data handling are described in relationship to the mission objectives and the planned spacecraft system. The end-to-end data system is presented with particular emphasis on the data handling plans for the new instrument, the Thematic Mapper. This instrument generates ten times the amount of data per scene as the present Multispectral Scanner and this resulting data rate and volume are discussed as well as possible new data techniques to handle them - such as image compression.

Ground data handling for LANDSAT-D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynch, T. J.

1976-01-01

The present plans for the LANDSAT D ground data handling are described in relationship to the mission objectives and the planned spacecraft system. The end to end data system is presented with particular emphasis on the data handling plans for the new instrument, the Thematic Mapper. This instrument generates ten times the amount of data per scene as the present Multispectral Scanner, and this resulting data rate and volume are discussed as well as possible new data techniques to handle them such as image compression.

Skylab

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-01-01

This photograph shows Skylab's Galactic X-Ray Mapping facility (S150), an astrophysics and space sciences investigation. An objective of this experiment was to extend the search for the origin of galactic x-rays beyond the sensitivity possible with short flights of small research rockets. This was accomplished by placing a large-area, soft x-ray detector in orbit to collect data for a much longer time. The S150 instrument was not in Skylab but in the instrument unit of the second stage of the Skylab-3 Saturn IB rocket.

A comparison between a tristimulus colorimeter (Minolta ChromaMeter CR-200) and two spectrophotometers (Minolta Spectrophotometer CM-508i and CM-2002). Quantification of UV-B induced erythema in a hairless guinea pig model.

PubMed

Fullerton, A; Keiding, J

1997-11-01

A comparison was made between a tristimulus colorimeter (Minolta ChromaMeter CR 200) and two spectrophotometers (Minolta CM-508i and CM-2002). The object was to compare skin colour data in the CIE 1976 L*a*d*colour space system obtained with the different instruments after UV-B exposure. Guinea pigs were exposed on their dorsal trunk with UV-B light for different time periods. Skin colour in the L*a*b* system was measured 6 and 24 h after exposure. Reproducible and objective measurements expressed in the CIE system were obtained with all three instruments. A strong correlation was found between the Minolta Chromameter CR200 and each of the two spectrophotometers. However, absolute values found with the Minolta ChromaMeter CR 200, especially for b*, differed from values obtained with the two spectrophotometers. The instruments were, despite minor inter-instrumental variation, suited for objective evaluation of erythema. The spectrophotometers were somewhat cumbersome to use due to their heavy weight and difficulties in positioning within the test sites; the Minolta CromaMeter CR200 (or later versions) is thus preferable for simple routine measurements. Use of the spectophotometers appears only indicated where specific information about skin pigments or photoactive substances relative to wavelength is needed.

Guidance, Navigation, and Control Performance for the GOES-R Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapel, Jim D.; Stancliffe, Devin; Bevacqua, Tim; Winkler, Stephen; Clapp, Brian; Rood, Tim; Gaylor, David; Freesland, Douglas C.; Krimchansky, Alexander

2014-01-01

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R) is the first of the next generation geostationary weather satellites, scheduled for delivery in late 2015 and launch in early 2016. Relative to the current generation of GOES satellites, GOES-R represents a dramatic increase in Earth and solar weather observation capabilities, with 4 times the resolution, 5 times the observation rate, and 3 times the number of spectral bands for Earth observations. GOES-R will also provide unprecedented availability, with less than 120 minutes per year of lost observation time. The Guidance Navigation & Control (GN&C) design requirements to achieve these expanded capabilities are extremely demanding. This paper first presents the pointing control, pointing stability, attitude knowledge, and orbit knowledge requirements necessary to realize the ambitious Image Navigation and Registration (INR) objectives of GOES-R. Because the GOES-R suite of instruments is sensitive to disturbances over a broad spectral range, a high fidelity simulation of the vehicle has been created with modal content over 500 Hz to assess the pointing stability requirements. Simulation results are presented showing acceleration, shock response spectrum (SRS), and line of sight responses for various disturbances from 0 Hz to 512 Hz. These disturbances include gimbal motion, reaction wheel disturbances, thruster firings for station keeping and momentum management, and internal instrument disturbances. Simulation results demonstrate excellent performance relative to the pointing and pointing stability requirements, with line of sight jitter of the isolated instrument platform of approximately 1 micro-rad. Low frequency motion of the isolated instrument platform is internally compensated within the primary instrument. Attitude knowledge and rate are provided directly to the instrument with an accuracy defined by the Integrated Rate Error (IRE) requirements. The allowable IRE ranges from 1 to 18.5 micro-rad, depending upon the time window of interest. The final piece of the INR performance is orbit knowledge. Extremely accurate orbital position is achieved by GPS navigation at Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). Performance results are shown demonstrating compliance with the 50 to 75 m orbit position accuracy requirements of GOES-R, including during station-keeping and momentum management maneuvers. As shown in this paper, the GN&C performance for the GOES-R series of spacecraft supports the challenging mission objectives of the next generation GEO Earth-observation satellites.

Correlates of objectively measured sedentary behavior in cancer patients with brain metastases: an application of the theory of planned behavior.

PubMed

Lowe, Sonya S; Danielson, Brita; Beaumont, Crystal; Watanabe, Sharon M; Baracos, Vickie E; Courneya, Kerry S

2015-07-01

The aim of this study is to examine the demographic, medical, and social-cognitive correlates of objectively measured sedentary behavior in advanced cancer patients with brain metastases. Advanced cancer patients diagnosed with brain metastases, aged 18 years or older, cognitively intact, and with palliative performance scale greater than 30%, were recruited from a Rapid Access Palliative Radiotherapy Program multidisciplinary brain metastases clinic. A cross-sectional survey interview assessed the theory of planned behavior variables and medical and demographic information. Participants wore activPAL™ (PAL Technologies Ltd, Glasgow, United Kingdom) accelerometers recording time spent supine, sitting, standing, and stepping during 7 days encompassing palliative whole brain radiotherapy treatments. Thirty-one patients were recruited. Correlates of median time spent supine or sitting in hours per day were instrumental attitude (i.e., perceived benefits) of physical activity (r = -0.42; p = 0.030) and affective attitude (i.e., perceived enjoyment) of physical activity (r = -0.43; p = 0.024). Moreover, participants who sat or were supine for greater than 20.7 h per day reported significantly lower instrumental attitude (M = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.0-1.4; p = 0.051) and affective attitude (M = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.0-1.4; p = 0.041). Finally, participants who were older than 60 years of age spent more time sitting or being supine. Instrumental attitude and affective attitude were the strongest correlates of objectively measured sedentary behavior. This information could inform intervention studies to increase physical activity in advanced cancer patients with brain metastases. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Differential Pressure Instrument with Wireless Telemetry for In-Situ Measurement of Fluid Flow across Sediment-Water Boundaries

PubMed Central

Gardner, Alan T.; Karam, Hanan N.; Mulligan, Ann E.; Harvey, Charles F.; Hammar, Terence R.; Hemond, Harold F.

2009-01-01

An instrument has been built to carry out continuous in-situ measurement of small differences in water pressure, conductivity and temperature, in natural surface water and groundwater systems. A low-cost data telemetry system provides data on shore in real time if desired. The immediate purpose of measurements by this device is to continuously infer fluxes of water across the sediment-water interface in a complex estuarine system; however, direct application to assessment of sediment-water fluxes in rivers, lakes, and other systems is also possible. Key objectives of the design include both low cost, and accuracy of the order of ±0.5 mm H2O in measured head difference between the instrument's two pressure ports. These objectives have been met, although a revision to the design of one component was found to be necessary. Deployments of up to nine months, and wireless range in excess of 300 m have been demonstrated. PMID:22389608

LADEE Science Results and Implications for Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, R. C.; M. Horanyi; Colaprete, A.; Benna; Mahaffy, P.; Delory, G. T.; Noble, S. K.; Halekas, J. S.; Hurley, D. M.; Stubbs, T. J.;

VizieR Online Data Catalog: NIR spectroscopy of new L and T dwarf candidates (Kellogg+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellogg, K.; Metchev, S.; Miles-Paez, P. A.; Tannock, M. E.

2018-02-01

We implemented a photometric search for peculiar L and T dwarfs using combined optical (SDSS), near-infrared (2MASS) and mid-infrared (WISE) fluxes. In Paper I (Kellogg et al. 2015AJ....150..182K), we reported a sample of 314 objects that passed all of our selection criteria and visual verification. After refining our visual verification, our total candidate L and T dwarf list was cut to 156 objects including 104 new candidates. We obtained near-infrared spectroscopic observations of the remaining 104 objects in our survey (66 peculiarly red, 13 candidate binary, and 25 general ultra-cool dwarf candidates) using the SpeX instrument on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS) instrument on the Gemini North telescope. We obtained the majority of our follow-up observations (91 of 104) with the SpeX spectrograph on the IRTF in prism mode (0.75-2.5μm; R~75-150), between 2014 October and 2016 April. The observing sequences and instrument settings were the same as those in Paper I (Kellogg et al. 2015AJ....150..182K). Table1 gives observation epochs and SpeX instrument settings for each science target. We followed-up the remaining 13 objects in our candidate list using the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS) on Gemini North (0.9-2.5μm). We observed these objects in queue mode between 2015 October and 2017 May. We took the observations in cross-dispersed mode with the short-blue camera with 32l/mm grating and a 1.0''*7.0'' slit, resulting in a resolution of R~500. We used a standard A-B-B-A nodding sequence along the slit to record object and sky spectra. Individual exposure times were 120s per pointing. Table2 gives Gemini/GNIRS observation epochs for each science target. (4 data files).

Advances in Miniaturized Instruments for Genomics

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

In recent years, a lot of demonstrations of the miniaturized instruments were reported for genomic applications. They provided the advantages of miniaturization, automation, sensitivity, and specificity for the development of point-of-care diagnostics. The aim of this paper is to report on recent developments on miniaturized instruments for genomic applications. Based on the mature development of microfabrication, microfluidic systems have been demonstrated for various genomic detections. Since one of the objectives of miniaturized instruments is for the development of point-of-care device, impedimetric detection is found to be a promising technique for this purpose. An in-depth discussion of the impedimetric circuits and systems will be included to provide total consideration of the miniaturized instruments and their potential application towards real-time portable imaging in the “-omics” era. The current excellent demonstrations suggest a solid foundation for the development of practical and widespread point-of-care genomic diagnostic devices. PMID:25114919

An analysis of music therapy program goals and outcomes for clients with diagnoses on the autism spectrum.

PubMed

Kaplan, Ronna S; Steele, Anita Louise

2005-01-01

The researchers analyzed data related to goals and outcomes over 2 program years for 40 music therapy clients, ranging in age from 2-49 years, with diagnoses on the autism spectrum. They investigated music therapy interventions, session types, and formats most frequently used; goals most frequently addressed; assessed level of difficulty of clients and their situations; and generalization of skills attained in music therapy to other settings. The most common session type was individual, followed by partner, small or large groups, peer model, or a combination. Primary goal areas were ranked from language/communication (41%), behavioral/psychosocial (39%), cognitive (8%), and musical (7%), to perceptual/motor (5%). One hundred percent of subjects reached their initial objectives in these goal areas within one year or less, regardless of session type, level of difficulty, or goal area. Seventy-seven percent of intermediate objectives were reached within that time. The most frequently utilized interventions were interactive instrument playing, musical instrument instruction, interactive singing, instrument choices, and song choices. Specific interventions chosen did not affect accomplishment of initial objectives. However, there was more variation among interventions in terms of achievement of intermediate objectives. Session formats were ranked from activity-based as most frequent to lesson-based, client-led/"shadow," and ensemble format. All formats were successful when addressing initial objectives, with lesson-based format being most effective in reaching intermediate objectives. Lastly, 100% of parents and caregivers surveyed indicated subjects generalized skills/responses acquired in music therapy to non-music therapy environments.

Development of a Conceptual Model and Survey Instrument to Measure Conscientious Objection to Abortion Provision.

PubMed

Harris, Laura Florence; Awoonor-Williams, John Koku; Gerdts, Caitlin; Gil Urbano, Laura; González Vélez, Ana Cristina; Halpern, Jodi; Prata, Ndola; Baffoe, Peter

2016-01-01

Conscientious objection to abortion, clinicians' refusal to perform legal abortions because of their religious or moral beliefs, has been the subject of increasing debate among bioethicists, policymakers, and public health advocates in recent years. Conscientious objection policies are intended to balance reproductive rights and clinicians' beliefs. However, in practice, clinician objection can act as a barrier to abortion access-impinging on reproductive rights, and increasing unsafe abortion and related morbidity and mortality. There is little information about conscientious objection from a medical or public health perspective. A quantitative instrument is needed to assess prevalence of conscientious objection and to provide insight on its practice. This paper describes the development of a survey instrument to measure conscientious objection to abortion provision. A literature review, and in-depth formative interviews with stakeholders in Colombia were used to develop a conceptual model of conscientious objection. This model led to the development of a survey, which was piloted, and then administered, in Ghana. The model posits three domains of conscientious objection that form the basis for the survey instrument: 1) beliefs about abortion and conscientious objection; 2) actions related to conscientious objection and abortion; and 3) self-identification as a conscientious objector. The instrument is intended to be used to assess prevalence among clinicians trained to provide abortions, and to gain insight on how conscientious objection is practiced in a variety of settings. Its results can inform more effective and appropriate strategies to regulate conscientious objection.

Study into Point Cloud Geometric Rigidity and Accuracy of TLS-Based Identification of Geometric Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klapa, Przemyslaw; Mitka, Bartosz; Zygmunt, Mariusz

2017-12-01

Capability of obtaining a multimillion point cloud in a very short time has made the Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) a widely used tool in many fields of science and technology. The TLS accuracy matches traditional devices used in land surveying (tacheometry, GNSS - RTK), but like any measurement it is burdened with error which affects the precise identification of objects based on their image in the form of a point cloud. The point’s coordinates are determined indirectly by means of measuring the angles and calculating the time of travel of the electromagnetic wave. Each such component has a measurement error which is translated into the final result. The XYZ coordinates of a measuring point are determined with some uncertainty and the very accuracy of determining these coordinates is reduced as the distance to the instrument increases. The paper presents the results of examination of geometrical stability of a point cloud obtained by means terrestrial laser scanner and accuracy evaluation of solids determined using the cloud. Leica P40 scanner and two different settings of measuring points were used in the tests. The first concept involved placing a few balls in the field and then scanning them from various sides at similar distances. The second part of measurement involved placing balls and scanning them a few times from one side but at varying distances from the instrument to the object. Each measurement encompassed a scan of the object with automatic determination of its position and geometry. The desk studies involved a semiautomatic fitting of solids and measurement of their geometrical elements, and comparison of parameters that determine their geometry and location in space. The differences of measures of geometrical elements of balls and translations vectors of the solids centres indicate the geometrical changes of the point cloud depending on the scanning distance and parameters. The results indicate the changes in the geometry of scanned objects depending on the point cloud quality and distance from the measuring instrument. Varying geometrical dimensions of the same element suggest also that the point cloud does not keep a stable geometry of measured objects.

The S-054 X-ray telescope experiment on Skylab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaiana, G. S.; Van Speybroeck, L.; Zombeck, M. V.; Krieger, A. S.; Silk, J. K.; Timothy, A.

1977-01-01

A description of the S-054 X-ray telescope on Skylab is presented with a discussion of the experimental objectives, observing program, data reduction and analysis. Some results from the Skylab mission are given. The telescope photographically records high-resolution images of the solar corona in several broadband regions of the soft X-ray spectrum. It includes an objective grating used to study the line spectrum. The spatial resolution, sensitivity, dynamic range and time resolution of the instrument were chosen to survey a wide variety of solar phenomena. It embodies improvements in design, fabrication, and calibration techniques which were developed over a ten-year period. The observing program was devised to optimize the use of the instrument and to provide studies on a wide range of time scales. The data analysis program includes morphological studies and quantitative analysis using digitized images. A small sample of the data obtained in the mission is presented to demonstrate the type of information that is available and the kinds of results that can be obtained from it.

Time-Resolved Photoluminescence Spectroscopy and Imaging: New Approaches to the Analysis of Cultural Heritage and Its Degradation

PubMed Central

Nevin, Austin; Cesaratto, Anna; Bellei, Sara; D'Andrea, Cosimo; Toniolo, Lucia; Valentini, Gianluca; Comelli, Daniela

2014-01-01

Applications of time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy (TRPL) and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to the analysis of cultural heritage are presented. Examples range from historic wall paintings and stone sculptures to 20th century iconic design objects. A detailed description of the instrumentation developed and employed for analysis in the laboratory or in situ is given. Both instruments rely on a pulsed laser source coupled to a gated detection system, but differ in the type of information they provide. Applications of FLIM to the analysis of model samples and for the in-situ monitoring of works of art range from the analysis of organic materials and pigments in wall paintings, the detection of trace organic substances on stone sculptures, to the mapping of luminescence in late 19th century paintings. TRPL and FLIM are employed as sensors for the detection of the degradation of design objects made in plastic. Applications and avenues for future research are suggested. PMID:24699285

The effectiveness of incorporating a real-time oculometer system in a commercial flight training program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, D. H.; Coates, G. D.; Kirby, R. H.

1983-01-01

The effectiveness of incroporating a real-time oculometer system into a Boeing 737 commercial flight training program was studied. The study combined a specialized oculometer system with sophisticated video equipment that would allow instructor pilots (IPs) to monitor pilot and copilot trainees' instrument scan behavior in real-time, and provide each trainee with video tapes of his/her instrument scanning behavior for each training session. The IPs' performance ratings and trainees' self-ratings were compared to the performance ratings by IPs and trainees in a control group. The results indicate no difference in IP ratings or trainees' self-ratings for the control and experimental groups. The results indicated that the major beneficial role of a real-time oculometer system for pilots and copilots having a significant amount of flight experience would be for problem solving or refinement of instrument scanning behavior rather than a general instructional scheme. It is suggested that this line of research be continued with the incorporation of objective data (e.g., state of the aircraft data), measures of cost effectiveness and with trainees having less flight experience.

High Resolution Doppler Imager FY 2001,2002,2003 Operations and Algorithm Maintenance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skinner, Wilbert

2004-01-01

During the performance period of this grant HRDI (High Resolution Doppler Imager) operations remained nominal. The instrument has suffered no loss of scientific capability and operates whenever sufficient power is available. Generally, there are approximately 5-7 days per month when the power level is too low to permit observations. The daily latitude coverage for HRDI measurements in the mesosphere, lower thermosphere (MLT) region are shown.It shows that during the time of this grant, HRDI operations collected data at a rate comparable to that achieved during the UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite) prime mission (1991 -1995). Data collection emphasized MLT wind to support the validation efforts of the TIDI instrument on TIMED, therefore fulfilling one of the primary objectives of this phase of the UARS mission. Skinner et al., (2003) present a summary of the instrument performance during this period.

BATMAN: a DMD-based MOS demonstrator on Galileo Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamkotsian, Frédéric; Spanò, Paolo; Bon, William; Riva, Marco; Lanzoni, Patrick; Nicastro, Luciano; Molinari, Emilio; Cosentino, Rosario; Ghedina, Adriano; Gonzalez, Manuel; Di Marcantonio, Paolo; Coretti, Igor; Cirami, Roberto; Manetta, Marco; Zerbi, Filippo; Tresoldi, Daniela; Valenziano, Luca

2012-09-01

Multi-Object Spectrographs (MOS) are the major instruments for studying primary galaxies and remote and faint objects. Current object selection systems are limited and/or difficult to implement in next generation MOS for space and groundbased telescopes. A promising solution is the use of MOEMS devices such as micromirror arrays which allow the remote control of the multi-slit configuration in real time. We are developing a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) - based spectrograph demonstrator called BATMAN. We want to access the largest FOV with the highest contrast. The selected component is a DMD chip from Texas Instruments in 2048 x 1080 mirrors format, with a pitch of 13.68μm. Our optical design is an all-reflective spectrograph design with F/4 on the DMD component. This demonstrator permits the study of key parameters such as throughput, contrast and ability to remove unwanted sources in the FOV (background, spoiler sources), PSF effect, new observational modes. This study will be conducted in the visible with possible extension in the IR. A breadboard on an optical bench, ROBIN, has been developed for a preliminary determination of these parameters. The demonstrator on the sky is then of prime importance for characterizing the actual performance of this new family of instruments, as well as investigating the operational procedures on astronomical objects. BATMAN will be placed on the Nasmyth focus of Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) during next year.

MICADO: first light imager for the E-ELT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, R.; Schubert, J.; Hartl, M.; Alves, J.; Clénet, Y.; Lang-Bardl, F.; Nicklas, H.; Pott, J.-U.; Ragazzoni, R.; Tolstoy, E.; Agocs, T.; Anwand-Heerwart, H.; Barboza, S.; Baudoz, P.; Bender, R.; Bizenberger, P.; Boccaletti, A.; Boland, W.; Bonifacio, P.; Briegel, F.; Buey, T.; Chapron, F.; Cohen, M.; Czoske, O.; Dreizler, S.; Falomo, R.; Feautrier, P.; Förster Schreiber, N.; Gendron, E.; Genzel, R.; Glück, M.; Gratadour, D.; Greimel, R.; Grupp, F.; Häuser, M.; Haug, M.; Hennawi, J.; Hess, H. J.; Hörmann, V.; Hofferbert, R.; Hopp, U.; Hubert, Z.; Ives, D.; Kausch, W.; Kerber, F.; Kravcar, H.; Kuijken, K.; Lang-Bardl, F.; Leitzinger, M.; Leschinski, K.; Massari, D.; Mei, S.; Merlin, F.; Mohr, L.; Monna, A.; Müller, F.; Navarro, R.; Plattner, M.; Przybilla, N.; Ramlau, R.; Ramsay, S.; Ratzka, T.; Rhode, P.; Richter, J.; Rix, H.-W.; Rodeghiero, G.; Rohloff, R.-R.; Rousset, G.; Ruddenklau, R.; Schaffenroth, V.; Schlichter, J.; Sevin, A.; Stuik, R.; Sturm, E.; Thomas, J.; Tromp, N.; Turatto, M.; Verdoes-Kleijn, G.; Vidal, F.; Wagner, R.; Wegner, M.; Zeilinger, W.; Ziegler, B.; Zins, G.

2016-08-01

MICADO will equip the E-ELT with a first light capability for diffraction limited imaging at near-infrared wavelengths. The instrument's observing modes focus on various flavours of imaging, including astrometric, high contrast, and time resolved. There is also a single object spectroscopic mode optimised for wavelength coverage at moderately high resolution. This contribution provides an overview of the key functionality of the instrument, outlining the scientific rationale for its observing modes. The interface between MICADO and the adaptive optics system MAORY that feeds it is summarised. The design of the instrument is discussed, focusing on the optics and mechanisms inside the cryostat, together with a brief overview of the other key sub-systems.

Comparing surgical trays with redundant instruments with trays with reduced instruments: a cost analysis

PubMed Central

John-Baptiste, A.; Sowerby, L.J.; Chin, C.J.; Martin, J.; Rotenberg, B.W.

2016-01-01

Background: When prearranged standard surgical trays contain instruments that are repeatedly unused, the redundancy can result in unnecessary health care costs. Our objective was to estimate potential savings by performing an economic evaluation comparing the cost of surgical trays with redundant instruments with surgical trays with reduced instruments ("reduced trays"). Methods: We performed a cost-analysis from the hospital perspective over a 1-year period. Using a mathematical model, we compared the direct costs of trays containing redundant instruments to reduced trays for 5 otolaryngology procedures. We incorporated data from several sources including local hospital data on surgical volume, the number of instruments on redundant and reduced trays, wages of personnel and time required to pack instruments. From the literature, we incorporated instrument depreciation costs and the time required to decontaminate an instrument. We performed 1-way sensitivity analyses on all variables, including surgical volume. Costs were estimated in 2013 Canadian dollars. Results: The cost of redundant trays was $21 806 and the cost of reduced trays was $8803, for a 1-year cost saving of $13 003. In sensitivity analyses, cost savings ranged from $3262 to $21 395, based on the surgical volume at the institution. Variation in surgical volume resulted in a wider range of estimates, with a minimum of $3253 for low-volume to a maximum of $52 012 for high-volume institutions. Interpretation: Our study suggests moderate savings may be achieved by reducing surgical tray redundancy and, if applied to other surgical specialties, may result in savings to Canadian health care systems. PMID:27975045

Comparing surgical trays with redundant instruments with trays with reduced instruments: a cost analysis.

PubMed

John-Baptiste, A; Sowerby, L J; Chin, C J; Martin, J; Rotenberg, B W

2016-01-01

When prearranged standard surgical trays contain instruments that are repeatedly unused, the redundancy can result in unnecessary health care costs. Our objective was to estimate potential savings by performing an economic evaluation comparing the cost of surgical trays with redundant instruments with surgical trays with reduced instruments ("reduced trays"). We performed a cost-analysis from the hospital perspective over a 1-year period. Using a mathematical model, we compared the direct costs of trays containing redundant instruments to reduced trays for 5 otolaryngology procedures. We incorporated data from several sources including local hospital data on surgical volume, the number of instruments on redundant and reduced trays, wages of personnel and time required to pack instruments. From the literature, we incorporated instrument depreciation costs and the time required to decontaminate an instrument. We performed 1-way sensitivity analyses on all variables, including surgical volume. Costs were estimated in 2013 Canadian dollars. The cost of redundant trays was $21 806 and the cost of reduced trays was $8803, for a 1-year cost saving of $13 003. In sensitivity analyses, cost savings ranged from $3262 to $21 395, based on the surgical volume at the institution. Variation in surgical volume resulted in a wider range of estimates, with a minimum of $3253 for low-volume to a maximum of $52 012 for high-volume institutions. Our study suggests moderate savings may be achieved by reducing surgical tray redundancy and, if applied to other surgical specialties, may result in savings to Canadian health care systems.

Evaluating Nutrition Education Programming by Using a Dietary Screener

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, Jennifer; Litchfield, Ruth

2016-01-01

Short dietary assessment instruments known as screeners have potential for use in evaluating nutrition education programming because detecting change in dietary intake can demonstrate movement toward program goals. Using screeners results in objective dietary intake data but involves less administrative time, training, and cost than other…

Toward Objectivity in Faculty Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elmore, H. W.

2008-01-01

The productivity of faculty members often figures prominently in annual evaluations, post-tenure reviews, and decisions about tenure, promotion, merit pay, release time, awards, and other kinds of recognition. Yet the procedures and instruments that institutions use to assess productivity and merit vary, leaving little that unifies the evaluation…

Objective assessment based on motion-related metrics and technical performance in laparoscopic suturing.

PubMed

Sánchez-Margallo, Juan A; Sánchez-Margallo, Francisco M; Oropesa, Ignacio; Enciso, Silvia; Gómez, Enrique J

2017-02-01

The aim of this study is to present the construct and concurrent validity of a motion-tracking method of laparoscopic instruments based on an optical pose tracker and determine its feasibility as an objective assessment tool of psychomotor skills during laparoscopic suturing. A group of novice ([Formula: see text] laparoscopic procedures), intermediate (11-100 laparoscopic procedures) and experienced ([Formula: see text] laparoscopic procedures) surgeons performed three intracorporeal sutures on an ex vivo porcine stomach. Motion analysis metrics were recorded using the proposed tracking method, which employs an optical pose tracker to determine the laparoscopic instruments' position. Construct validation was measured for all 10 metrics across the three groups and between pairs of groups. Concurrent validation was measured against a previously validated suturing checklist. Checklists were completed by two independent surgeons over blinded video recordings of the task. Eighteen novices, 15 intermediates and 11 experienced surgeons took part in this study. Execution time and path length travelled by the laparoscopic dissector presented construct validity. Experienced surgeons required significantly less time ([Formula: see text]), travelled less distance using both laparoscopic instruments ([Formula: see text]) and made more efficient use of the work space ([Formula: see text]) compared with novice and intermediate surgeons. Concurrent validation showed strong correlation between both the execution time and path length and the checklist score ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). The suturing performance was successfully assessed by the motion analysis method. Construct and concurrent validity of the motion-based assessment method has been demonstrated for the execution time and path length metrics. This study demonstrates the efficacy of the presented method for objective evaluation of psychomotor skills in laparoscopic suturing. However, this method does not take into account the quality of the suture. Thus, future works will focus on developing new methods combining motion analysis and qualitative outcome evaluation to provide a complete performance assessment to trainees.

Abusive supervision and subordinate performance: Instrumentality considerations in the emergence and consequences of abusive supervision.

PubMed

Walter, Frank; Lam, Catherine K; van der Vegt, Gerben S; Huang, Xu; Miao, Qing

2015-07-01

Drawing from moral exclusion theory, this article examines outcome dependence and interpersonal liking as key boundary conditions for the linkage between perceived subordinate performance and abusive supervision. Moreover, it investigates the role of abusive supervision for subordinates' subsequent, objective work performance. Across 2 independent studies, an experimental scenario study (N = 157; Study 1) and a time-lagged field study (N = 169; Study 2), the negative relationship between perceived subordinate performance and abusive supervision was found to hinge on a supervisor's outcome dependence on subordinates but not on a supervisor's liking of subordinates. Furthermore, Study 2 demonstrated (a) a negative association between abusive supervision and subordinates' subsequent objective performance and (b) a conditional indirect effect of perceived performance on subsequent objective performance, through abusive supervision, contingent on the degree of outcome dependence, although these relationships did not reach conventional significance levels when controlling for prior objective performance. All in all, the findings highlight the role of instrumentality considerations in relation to abusive supervision and promote new knowledge on both origins and consequences of such supervisory behavior. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Guidance, Navigation, and Control Performance for the GOES-R Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapel, Jim; Stancliffe, Devin; Bevacqua, TIm; Winkler, Stephen; Clapp, Brian; Rood, Tim; Gaylor, David; Freesland, Doug; Krimchansky, Alexander

2014-01-01

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R) is the first of the next generation geostationary weather satellites. The series represents a dramatic increase in Earth observation capabilities, with 4 times the resolution, 5 times the observation rate, and 3 times the number of spectral bands. GOES-R also provides unprecedented availability, with less than 120 minutes per year of lost observation time. This paper presents the Guidance Navigation & Control (GN&C) requirements necessary to realize the ambitious pointing, knowledge, and Image Navigation and Registration (INR) objectives of GOES-R. Because the suite of instruments is sensitive to disturbances over a broad spectral range, a high fidelity simulation of the vehicle has been created with modal content over 500 Hz to assess the pointing stability requirements. Simulation results are presented showing acceleration, shock response spectra (SRS), and line of sight (LOS) responses for various disturbances from 0 Hz to 512 Hz. Simulation results demonstrate excellent performance relative to the pointing and pointing stability requirements, with LOS jitter for the isolated instrument platform of approximately 1 micro-rad. Attitude and attitude rate knowledge are provided directly to the instrument with an accuracy defined by the Integrated Rate Error (IRE) requirements. The data are used internally for motion compensation. The final piece of the INR performance is orbit knowledge, which GOES-R achieves with GPS navigation. Performance results are shown demonstrating compliance with the 50 to 75 m orbit position accuracy requirements. As presented in this paper, the GN&C performance supports the challenging mission objectives of GOES-R.

NEWTON - NEW portable multi-sensor scienTific instrument for non-invasive ON-site characterization of rock from planetary surface and sub-surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Michelena, M.; de Frutos, J.; Ordóñez, A. A.; Rivero, M. A.; Mesa, J. L.; González, L.; Lavín, C.; Aroca, C.; Sanz, M.; Maicas, M.; Prieto, J. L.; Cobos, P.; Pérez, M.; Kilian, R.; Baeza, O.; Langlais, B.; Thébault, E.; Grösser, J.; Pappusch, M.

2017-09-01

In space instrumentation, there is currently no instrument dedicated to susceptibly or complete magnetization measurements of rocks. Magnetic field instrument suites are generally vector (or scalar) magnetometers, which locally measure the magnetic field. When mounted on board rovers, the electromagnetic perturbations associated with motors and other elements make it difficult to reap the benefits from the inclusion of such instruments. However, magnetic characterization is essential to understand key aspects of the present and past history of planetary objects. The work presented here overcomes the limitations currently existing in space instrumentation by developing a new portable and compact multi-sensor instrument for ground breaking high-resolution magnetic characterization of planetary surfaces and sub-surfaces. This new technology introduces for the first time magnetic susceptometry (real and imaginary parts) as a complement to existing compact vector magnetometers for planetary exploration. This work aims to solve the limitations currently existing in space instrumentation by means of providing a new portable and compact multi-sensor instrument for use in space, science and planetary exploration to solve some of the open questions on the crustal and more generally planetary evolution within the Solar System.

Astrophysics on the Edge: New Instrumental Developments at the ING

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santander-García, M.; Rodríguez-Gil, P.; Tulloch, S.; Rutten, R. G. M.

Present and future key instruments at the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING) are introduced, and their corresponding latest scientific highlights are presented. GLAS (Ground-layer Laser Adaptive optics System): The recently installed 515 nm laser, mounted on the WHT (William Herschel Telescope), produces a bright artificial star at a height of 15 km. This enables almost full-sky access to Adaptive Optics observations. Recent commissioning observations with the NAOMI+GLAS system showed that very significant improvement in image quality can be obtained, e.g. down to 0.16 arcsec in the H band. QUCAM2 and QUCAM3: Two Low Light Level (L3) CCD cameras for fast or faint-object spectroscopy with the twin-armed ISIS spectrograph at the WHT. Their use opens a new window of high time-frequency observations, as well as access to fainter objects. They are powerful instruments for research on compact objects such as white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes, stellar pulsations, and compact binaries.HARPS-NEF (High-Accuracy Radial-velocity Planet Searcher of the New Earths Facility): An extremely stable, high-resolution (R ˜ 120, 000) spectrograph for the WHT which is being constructed for commissioning in 2009-2010. Its radial velocity stability of < 1 m s- 1 may in the future be even further improved by using a Fabry-Perot laser-comb, a wavelength calibration unit capable of achieving an accuracy of 1 cm s- 1. This instrument will effectively allow to search for earth-like exoplanets.

A near-infrared SETI experiment: A multi-time resolution data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tallis, Melisa; Maire, Jerome; Wright, Shelley; Drake, Frank D.; Duenas, Andres; Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Stone, Remington P. S.; Treffers, Richard R.; Werthimer, Dan; NIROSETI

2016-06-01

We present new post-processing routines which are used to detect very fast optical and near-infrared pulsed signals using the latest NIROSETI (Near-Infrared Optical Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) instrument. NIROSETI was commissioned in 2015 at Lick Observatory and searches for near-infrared (0.95 to 1.65μ) nanosecond pulsed laser signals transmitted by distant civilizations. Traditional optical SETI searches rely on analysis of coincidences that occur between multiple detectors at a fixed time resolution. We present a multi-time resolution data analysis that extends our search from the 1ns to 1ms range. This new feature greatly improves the versatility of the instrument and its search parameters for near-infrared SETI. We aim to use these algorithms to assist us in our search for signals that have varying duty cycles and pulse widths. We tested the fidelity and robustness of our algorithms using both synthetic embedded pulsed signals, as well as data from a near-infrared pulsed laser installed on the instrument. Applications of NIROSETI are widespread in time domain astrophysics, especially for high time resolution transients, and astronomical objects that emit short-duration high-energy pulses such as pulsars.

Face validity and reliability of a pictorial instrument for assessing fundamental movement skill perceived competence in young children.

PubMed

Barnett, Lisa M; Ridgers, Nicola D; Zask, Avigdor; Salmon, Jo

2015-01-01

To determine reliability and face validity of an instrument to assess young children's perceived fundamental movement skill competence. Validation and reliability study. A pictorial instrument based on the Test Gross Motor Development-2 assessed perceived locomotor (six skills) and object control (six skills) competence using the format and item structure from the physical competence subscale of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Acceptance for Young Children. Sample 1 completed object control items in May (n=32) and locomotor items in October 2012 (n=23) at two time points seven days apart. Children were asked at the end of the test-retest their understanding of what was happening in each picture to determine face validity. Sample 2 (n=58) completed 12 items in November 2012 on a single occasion to test internal reliability only. Sample 1 children were aged 5-7 years (M=6.0, SD=0.8) at object control assessment and 5-8 years at locomotor assessment (M=6.5, SD=0.9). Sample 2 children were aged 6-8 years (M=7.2, SD=0.73). Intra-class correlations assessed in Sample 1 children were excellent for object control (intra-class correlation=0.78), locomotor (intra-class correlation=0.82) and all 12 skills (intra-class correlations=0.83). Face validity was acceptable. Internal consistency was adequate in both samples for each subscale and all 12 skills (alpha range 0.60-0.81). This study has provided preliminary evidence for instrument reliability and face validity. This enables future alignment between the measurement of perceived and actual fundamental movement skill competence in young children. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Operation Redwing -- Project 5. 2. In-flight participation of a B-52. Report for May-July 1956

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

Williams, F.L.

1985-04-01

The primary objective of this Project was to obtain measured-energy input and aircraft-response data on an instrumented B-52 aircraft when subjected to the thermal, blast, and gust effects of a nuclear explosion. To accomplish this, analysis was used in selecting the spatial location for the B-52, relative to a detonation, that would result in the desired aircraft inputs and responses. The B-52 was extensively instrumented with the major portion of the instrumentation devoted to measuring aircraft responses. The B-52 participated in nine shots, including one shot which the aircraft aborted just prior to time zero because of Bombing Navigation Systemmore » difficulties. The reliability of the instrumentation system was between 95% and 100% throughout the test program.« less

U.S. mission plans for Spacelab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sander, M. J.

1982-01-01

Mission configurations, instrumentation, and objectives for Spacelab sorties on board the Shuttle beginning in Sept. 1983 are reviewed. The first two flights will serve to verify the Spacelab systems and will be followed by operational status, including the fifth flight, which will be a reimbursible venture. Scientific investigations in the fields of atmospheric physics and environmental observation, space plasma physics, astronomy and solar physics, materials processing, and life sciences will be performed using the habitable long module, instrument pallets, and/or an instrument igloo mounted in the payload bay. Instrumentation, such as the imaging spectrometric observatory, which was developed in the U.S., will originate in either the U.S. or Europe. Details of the first four Spacelab flights are presented, noting that the OSS-3 through -7 missions will feature the first time that entire NASA payloads have returned to space.

A new automated passive capillary lysimeter for logging real-time drainage water fluxes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Effective monitoring of chemical transport through the soil profile requires accurate and appropriate instrumentation to measure drainage water fluxes below the root zone of cropping system. The objectives of this study were to methodically describe in detail the construction and installation of a n...

Relationships between Learning Disability, Executive Function, and Psychopathology in Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattison, Richard E.; Mayes, Susan Dickerson

2012-01-01

Objective: Learning disabilities (LD), executive function (EF), and psychopathology were investigated to clarify their relationships in 595 children with ADHD. Method: Standard instruments for IQ, achievement, EF, and parent and teacher ratings of psychopathology were obtained at the time of outpatient evaluation. Results: Comparisons between the…

Validation of Reverse-Engineered and Additive-Manufactured Microsurgical Instrument Prototype.

PubMed

Singh, Ramandeep; Suri, Ashish; Anand, Sneh; Baby, Britty

2016-12-01

With advancements in imaging techniques, neurosurgical procedures are becoming highly precise and minimally invasive, thus demanding development of new ergonomically aesthetic instruments. Conventionally, neurosurgical instruments are manufactured using subtractive manufacturing methods. Such a process is complex, time-consuming, and impractical for prototype development and validation of new designs. Therefore, an alternative design process has been used utilizing blue light scanning, computer-aided designing, and additive manufacturing direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) for microsurgical instrument prototype development. Deviations of DMLS-fabricated instrument were studied by superimposing scan data of fabricated instrument with the computer-aided designing model. Content and concurrent validity of the fabricated prototypes was done by a group of 15 neurosurgeons by performing sciatic nerve anastomosis in small laboratory animals. Comparative scoring was obtained for the control and study instrument. T test was applied to the individual parameters and P values for force (P < .0001) and surface roughness (P < .01) were found to be statistically significant. These 2 parameters were further analyzed using objective measures. Results depicts that additive manufacturing by DMLS provides an effective method for prototype development. However, direct application of these additive-manufactured instruments in the operating room requires further validation. © The Author(s) 2016.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INSTRUMENT MAKERS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: THE CASE OF ALFRED BINET AT THE SORBONNE LABORATORY.

PubMed

Nicolas, Serge

2016-07-01

The importance of instrument firms in the development of psychology, and science in general, should not be underestimated since it would not have been possible for various leading psychologists at the turn of the twentieth century to conduct certain experiments without the assistance of instrument makers, as is often the case today. To illustrate the historical perspective introduced here, the example of Alfred Binet is taken, as he is an interesting case of a psychologist working in close collaboration with various French instrument designers of the time. The objective of this article is twofold: (1) to show the considerable activity carried out by early psychologists to finalize new laboratory instruments in order to develop their research projects; (2) to reassess the work of a major figure in French psychology through his activity as a designer of precision instruments. The development of these new instruments would certainly have been difficult without the presence in Paris of numerous precision instrument manufacturers such as Charles Verdin, Otto Lund, Henri Collin, and Lucien Korsten, on whom Binet successively called in order to develop his projects in the field of experimental psychology. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Training evaluation final report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sepulveda, Jose A.

1992-01-01

In the area of management training, 'evaluation' refers both to the specific evaluation instrument used to determine whether a training effort was considered effective, and to the procedures followed to evaluate specific training requests. This report recommends to evaluate new training requests in the same way new procurement or new projects are evaluated. This includes examining training requests from the perspective of KSC goals and objectives, and determining expected ROI of proposed training program (does training result in improved productivity, through savings of time, improved outputs, and/or personnel reduction?). To determine whether a specific training course is effective, a statement of what constitutes 'good performance' is required. The user (NOT the Training Branch) must define what is 'required level of performance'. This 'model' will be the basis for the design and development of an objective, performance-based, training evaluation instrument.

WinTICS-24 --- A Telescope Control Interface for MS Windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkins, R. Lee

1995-12-01

WinTICS-24 is a telescope control system interface and observing assistant written in Visual Basic for MS Windows. It provides the ability to control a telescope and up to 3 other instruments via the serial ports on an IBM-PC compatible computer, all from one consistent user interface. In addition to telescope control, WinTICS contains an observing logbook, trouble log (which can automatically email its entries to a responsible person), lunar phase display, object database (which allows the observer to type in the name of an object and automatically slew to it), a time of minimum calculator for eclipsing binary stars, and an interface to the Guide CD-ROM for bringing up finder charts of the current telescope coordinates. Currently WinTICS supports control of DFM telescopes, but is easily adaptable to other telescopes and instrumentation.

James Webb Space Telescope Project (JWST) Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dutta, Mitra

2008-01-01

This presentation provides an overview of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Project. The JWST is an infrared telescope designed to collect data in the cosmic dark zone. Specifically, the mission of the JWST is to study the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars and planetary systems. It is a deployable telescope with a 6.5 m diameter, segmented, adjustable primary mirror. outfitted with cryogenic temperature telescope and instruments for infrared performance. The JWST is several times more sensitive than previous telescope and other photographic and electronic detection methods. It hosts a near infrared camera, near infrared spectrometer, mid-infrared instrument and a fine guidance sensor. The JWST mission objection and architecture, integrated science payload, instrument overview, and operational orbit are described.

Fast simulation of the NICER instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doty, John P.; Wampler-Doty, Matthew P.; Prigozhin, Gregory Y.; Okajima, Takashi; Arzoumanian, Zaven; Gendreau, Keith

2016-07-01

The NICER1 mission uses a complicated physical system to collect information from objects that are, by x-ray timing science standards, rather faint. To get the most out of the data we will need a rigorous understanding of all instrumental effects. We are in the process of constructing a very fast, high fidelity simulator that will help us to assess instrument performance, support simulation-based data reduction, and improve our estimates of measurement error. We will combine and extend existing optics, detector, and electronics simulations. We will employ the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA2) to parallelize these calculations. The price of suitable CUDA-compatible multi-giga op cores is about $0.20/core, so this approach will be very cost-effective.

Introduction of structural health and safety monitoring warning systems for Shenzhen-Hong Kong Western Corridor Shenzhen Bay Bridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, N.; Zhang, X. Y.; Zhou, X. T.; Leng, J.; Liang, Z.; Zheng, C.; Sun, X. F.

2008-03-01

Though the brief introduction of the completed structural health and safety monitoring warning systems for Shenzhen-Hongkong western corridor Shenzhen bay highway bridge (SZBHMS), the self-developed system frame, hardware and software scheme of this practical research project are systematically discussed in this paper. The data acquisition and transmission hardware and the basic software based on the NI (National Instruments) Company virtual instruments technology were selected in this system, which adopted GPS time service receiver technology and so on. The objectives are to establish the structural safety monitoring and status evaluation system to monitor the structural responses and working conditions in real time and to analyze the structural working statue using information obtained from the measured data. It will be also provided the scientific decision-making bases for the bridge management and maintenance. Potential technical approaches to the structural safety warning systems, status identification and evaluation method are presented. The result indicated that the performance of the system has achieved the desired objectives, ensure the longterm high reliability, real time concurrence and advanced technology of SZBHMS. The innovate achievement which is the first time to implement in domestic, provide the reference for long-span bridge structural health and safety monitoring warning systems design.

Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere Mission Overview and Collaborative Studies Using the AIM and TIMED Data Sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusell, J. M.; Bailey, S. M.; Rusch, D.; Gordley, L. L.; Hervig, M. E.; Merkel, A.

2007-12-01

The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) mission was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on April 25, 2007 becoming the first satellite mission dedicated to the study of noctilucent clouds that occur at approximately 83km altitude. A Pegasus XL rocket launched the satellite into a near perfect 600 km sun synchronous circular orbit. AIM carries three instruments - a nadir imager, a solar occultation instrument and an in-situ cosmic dust detector - that were specifically selected because of their ability to provide key measurements needed to address the six AIM science objectives. The Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics mission was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on December 7, 2001 and is dedicated to the study of the structure, chemistry, energetics and dynamics of the atmospheric region between 60 km and 180 km altitude. TIMED carries four instruments including an infrared limb sounder to characteristic the temperature, chemistry, energetics and dynamics of the region; a global ultraviolet imager; a solar flux monitor and an instrument to measure winds. Together AIM and TIMED form an important component of the Heliophysics Great Observatory. This paper will provide an overview of the AIM mission and will discuss collaborative studies using the combined AIM/TIMED data sets in a synergistic way to advance our knowledge of this region where the sun first interacts with Earth's atmosphere.

Exploration Technology Developments Program's Radiation Hardened Electronics for Space Environments (RHESE) Project Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keys, Andrew S.; Adams, James H.; Darty, Ronald C.; Patrick, Marshall C.; Johnson, Michael A.; Cressler, John D.

2008-01-01

Primary Objective: 1) A computational tool to accurately predict electronics performance in the presence of space radiation in support of spacecraft design: a) Total dose; b) Single Event Effects; and c) Mean Time Between Failure. (Developed as successor to CR ME96.) Secondary Objectives: 2) To provide a detailed description of the natural radiation environment in support of radiation health and instrument design: a) In deep space; b) Inside the magnetosphere; and c) Behind shielding.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Velocities in ZwCl2341.1+0000 field (Boschin+, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boschin, W.; Girardi, M.; Barrena, R.

2014-07-01

Multi-object spectroscopic observations of ZwCl 2341+00 were carried out at the TNG in 2009 October, 2011 August and 2011 December. We used the instrument Device Optimized for the Low Resolution (DOLORES) in multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) mode with the LR-B Grism. In summary, we observed four MOS masks for a total of 142 slits. The total exposure time was 3600s for three masks and 5400s for the last one. (1 data file).

Imaging through ground-level turbulence by Fourier telescopy: Simulations and preliminary experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randunu Pathirannehelage, Nishantha

Fourier telescopy imaging is a recently-developed imaging method that relies on active structured-light illumination of the object. Reflected/scattered light is measured by a large "light bucket" detector; processing of the detected signal yields the magnitude and phase of spatial frequency components of the object reflectance or transmittance function. An inverse Fourier transform results in the image. In 2012 a novel method, known as time-average Fourier telescopy (TAFT), was introduced by William T. Rhodes as a means for diffraction-limited imaging through ground-level atmospheric turbulence. This method, which can be applied to long horizontal-path terrestrial imaging, addresses a need that is not solved by the adaptive optics methods being used in astronomical imaging. Field-experiment verification of the TAFT concept requires instrumentation that is not available at Florida Atlantic University. The objective of this doctoral research program is thus to demonstrate, in the absence of full-scale experimentation, the feasibility of time-average Fourier telescopy through (a) the design, construction, and testing of small-scale laboratory instrumentation capable of exploring basic Fourier telescopy data-gathering operations, and (b) the development of MATLAB-based software capable of demonstrating the effect of kilometer-scale passage of laser beams through ground-level turbulence in a numerical simulation of TAFT.

Use of the Moon for spacecraft calibration over 350-2500 nm

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kieffer, H.H.; Anderson, J.M.

1998-01-01

The Moon is the only natural object outside the Earth's atmosphere that is within the dynamic range of most imaging instruments on Earth-orbiting spacecraft. The excellent photometric stability of the Lunar surface will allow its use as a long-term instrument calibration source once the dependence of Lunar spectral radiance on phase and libration angles are well characterized. A program to provide this characterization is underway. Observations are being made in 23 bands within 350-950 nm, 7 of which correspond closely with spacecraft instrument bands. Observations in nine bands within 950-2500 nm began recently. Although at this time the absolute Lunar radiance model is preliminary and uncertainties are larger than most instrument calibration goals, changes in spacecraft instrument sensitivity can be precisely monitored and absolute calibration can be applied retroactively as the accuracy of the Lunar spectral radiance model improves. Several space-based imaging systems have already begun using the Moon for calibration and the EOS AM-1 platform will make periodic attitude maneuvers for Lunar and space calibration.

Initial experience using a robotic-driven laparoscopic needle holder with ergonomic handle: assessment of surgeons' task performance and ergonomics.

PubMed

Sánchez-Margallo, Juan A; Sánchez-Margallo, Francisco M

2017-12-01

The objective of this study is to assess the surgeons' performance and ergonomics during the use of a robotic-driven needle holder in laparoscopic suturing tasks. Six right-handed laparoscopic surgeons with different levels of experience took part in this study. Participants performed a set of three different intracorporeal suturing tasks organized in ten trials during a period of five weeks. Surgeons used both conventional (Conv) and robotic (Rob) laparoscopic needle holders. Precision using the surgical needle, quality of the intracorporeal suturing performance, execution time and leakage pressure for the urethrovesical anastomosis, as well as the ergonomics of the surgeon's hand posture, were analyzed during the first, fifth and last trials. No statistically significant differences in precision and quality of suturing performance were obtained between both groups of instruments. Surgeons required more time using the robotic instrument than using the conventional needle holder to perform the urethrovesical anastomosis, but execution time was significantly reduced after training ([Formula: see text] 0.05). There were no differences in leakage pressure for the anastomoses carried out by both instruments. After training, novice surgeons significantly improved the ergonomics of the wrist ([Formula: see text] 0.05) and index finger (Conv: 36.381[Formula: see text], Rob: 30.389[Formula: see text]; p = 0.024) when using the robotic instrument compared to the conventional needle holder. Results have shown that, although both instruments offer similar technical performance, the robotic-driven instrument results in better ergonomics for the surgeon's hand posture compared to the use of a conventional laparoscopic needle holder in intracorporeal suturing.

Fast Quantitative Analysis Of Museum Objects Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy And Multiple Regression Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenzetti, G.; Foresta, A.; Palleschi, V.; Legnaioli, S.

2009-09-01

The recent development of mobile instrumentation, specifically devoted to in situ analysis and study of museum objects, allows the acquisition of many LIBS spectra in very short time. However, such large amount of data calls for new analytical approaches which would guarantee a prompt analysis of the results obtained. In this communication, we will present and discuss the advantages of statistical analytical methods, such as Partial Least Squares Multiple Regression algorithms vs. the classical calibration curve approach. PLS algorithms allows to obtain in real time the information on the composition of the objects under study; this feature of the method, compared to the traditional off-line analysis of the data, is extremely useful for the optimization of the measurement times and number of points associated with the analysis. In fact, the real time availability of the compositional information gives the possibility of concentrating the attention on the most `interesting' parts of the object, without over-sampling the zones which would not provide useful information for the scholars or the conservators. Some example on the applications of this method will be presented, including the studies recently performed by the researcher of the Applied Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory on museum bronze objects.

A simple approach to spectrally resolved fluorescence and bright field microscopy over select regions of interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlberg, Peter D.; Boughter, Christopher T.; Faruk, Nabil F.; Hong, Lu; Koh, Young Hoon; Reyer, Matthew A.; Shaiber, Alon; Sherani, Aiman; Zhang, Jiacheng; Jureller, Justin E.; Hammond, Adam T.

2016-11-01

A standard wide field inverted microscope was converted to a spatially selective spectrally resolved microscope through the addition of a polarizing beam splitter, a pair of polarizers, an amplitude-mode liquid crystal-spatial light modulator, and a USB spectrometer. The instrument is capable of simultaneously imaging and acquiring spectra over user defined regions of interest. The microscope can also be operated in a bright-field mode to acquire absorption spectra of micron scale objects. The utility of the instrument is demonstrated on three different samples. First, the instrument is used to resolve three differently labeled fluorescent beads in vitro. Second, the instrument is used to recover time dependent bleaching dynamics that have distinct spectral changes in the cyanobacteria, Synechococcus leopoliensis UTEX 625. Lastly, the technique is used to acquire the absorption spectra of CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskites and measure differences between nanocrystal films and micron scale crystals.

Helmet-Mounted Display Of Clouds Of Harmful Gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diner, Daniel B.; Barengoltz, Jack B.; Schober, Wayne R.

1995-01-01

Proposed helmet-mounted opto-electronic instrument provides real-time stereoscopic views of clouds of otherwise invisible toxic, explosive, and/or corrosive gas. Display semitransparent: images of clouds superimposed on scene ordinarily visible to wearer. Images give indications on sizes and concentrations of gas clouds and their locations in relation to other objects in scene. Instruments serve as safety devices for astronauts, emergency response crews, fire fighters, people cleaning up chemical spills, or anyone working near invisible hazardous gases. Similar instruments used as sensors in automated emergency response systems that activate safety equipment and emergency procedures. Both helmet-mounted and automated-sensor versions used at industrial sites, chemical plants, or anywhere dangerous and invisible or difficult-to-see gases present. In addition to helmet-mounted and automated-sensor versions, there could be hand-held version. In some industrial applications, desirable to mount instruments and use them similarly to parking-lot surveillance cameras.

Science with Constellation-X, Choice of Instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hornscheimeier, Ann; White, Nicholas; Tananbaum, Harvey; Garcia, Michael; Bookbinder, Jay; Petre, Robert; Cottam, Jean

2007-01-01

The Constellation X-ray Observatory is one of the two Beyond Einstein Great Observatories and will provide a 100-fold increase in collecting area in high spectral resolving power X-ray instruments over the Chandra and XMM-Newton gratings instruments. The mission has four main science objectives which drive the requirements for the mission. This contribution to the Garmire celebration conference describes these four science areas: Black Holes, Dark Energy, Missing Baryons, and the Neutron Star Equation of State as well as the requirements flow-down that give rise to the choice of instrumentation and implementation for Constellation-X. As we show, each of these science areas place complementary constraints on mission performance parameters such as collecting area, spectral resolving power, timing resolution, and field of view. The mission's capabilities will enable a great breadth of science, and its resources will be open to the community through its General Observer program.

A simple approach to spectrally resolved fluorescence and bright field microscopy over select regions of interest.

PubMed

Dahlberg, Peter D; Boughter, Christopher T; Faruk, Nabil F; Hong, Lu; Koh, Young Hoon; Reyer, Matthew A; Shaiber, Alon; Sherani, Aiman; Zhang, Jiacheng; Jureller, Justin E; Hammond, Adam T

2016-11-01

A standard wide field inverted microscope was converted to a spatially selective spectrally resolved microscope through the addition of a polarizing beam splitter, a pair of polarizers, an amplitude-mode liquid crystal-spatial light modulator, and a USB spectrometer. The instrument is capable of simultaneously imaging and acquiring spectra over user defined regions of interest. The microscope can also be operated in a bright-field mode to acquire absorption spectra of micron scale objects. The utility of the instrument is demonstrated on three different samples. First, the instrument is used to resolve three differently labeled fluorescent beads in vitro. Second, the instrument is used to recover time dependent bleaching dynamics that have distinct spectral changes in the cyanobacteria, Synechococcus leopoliensis UTEX 625. Lastly, the technique is used to acquire the absorption spectra of CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 perovskites and measure differences between nanocrystal films and micron scale crystals.

CAFE: Calar Alto Fiber-fed Échelle spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aceituno, J.; Sánchez, S. F.; Grupp, F.; Lillo, J.; Hernán-Obispo, M.; Benitez, D.; Montoya, L. M.; Thiele, U.; Pedraz, S.; Barrado, D.; Dreizler, S.; Bean, J.

2013-04-01

We present here CAFE, the Calar Alto Fiber-fed Échelle spectrograph, a new instrument built at the Centro Astronomico Hispano Alemán (CAHA). CAFE is a single-fiber, high-resolution (R ~ 70 000) spectrograph, covering the wavelength range between 3650-9800 Å. It was built on the basis of the common design for Échelle spectrographs. Its main aim is to measure radial velocities of stellar objects up to V ~ 13-14 mag with a precision as good as a few tens of m s-1. To achieve this goal the design was simplified at maximum, removing all possible movable components, the central wavelength is fixed, as is the wavelength coverage; there is no filter wheel, etc. Particular care was taken with the thermal and mechanical stability. The instrument is fully operational and publically accessible at the 2.2 m telescope of the Calar Alto Observatory. In this article we describe (i) the design, summarizing its manufacturing phase; (ii) characterize the main properties of the instrument; (iii) describe the reduction pipeline; and (iv) show the results from the first light and commissioning runs. The preliminar results indicate that the instrument fulfills the specifications and can achieve the planned goals. In particular, the results show that the instrument is more efficient than anticipated, reaching a signal-to-noise of ~20 for a stellar object as faint as V ~ 14.5 mag in ~2700 s integration time. The instrument is a wonderful machine for exoplanetary research (by studying large samples of possible systems cotaining massive planets), galactic dynamics (highly precise radial velocities in moving groups or stellar associations), or astrochemistry.

X ray timing observations and gravitational physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michelson, Peter F.; Wood, Kent S.

1989-01-01

Photon-rich x ray observations on bright compact galactic sources will make it possible to detect many fast processes that may occur in these systems on millisecond and submillisecond timescales. Many of these processes are of direct relevance to gravitational physics because they arise in regions of strong gravity near neutron stars and black holes where the dynamical timescales for compact objects of stellar mass are milliseconds. To date, such observations have been limited by the detector area and telemetry rates available. However, instruments such as the proposed X ray Large Array (XLA) would achieve collecting areas of about 100 sq m. This instrument has been described elsewhere (Wood and Michelson 1988) and was the subject of a recent prephase A feasibility study at Marshall Space Flight Center. Observations with an XLA class instrument will directly impact five primary areas of astrophysics research: the attempt to detect gravitational radiation, the study of black holes, the physics of mass accretion onto compact objects, the structure of neutron stars and nuclear matter, and the characterization of dark matter in the universe. Those observations are discussed that are most directly relevant to gravitational physics: the search for millisecond x ray pulsars that are potential sources of continuous gravitational radiation; and the use of x ray timing observations to probe the physical conditions in extreme relativistic regions of space near black holes, both stellar-sized and supermassive.

Students' Assessment of Interactive Distance Experimentation in Nuclear Reactor Physics Laboratory Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malkawi, Salaheddin; Al-Araidah, Omar

2013-01-01

Laboratory experiments develop students' skills in dealing with laboratory instruments and physical processes with the objective of reinforcing the understanding of the investigated subject. In nuclear engineering, where research reactors play a vital role in the practical education of students, the high cost and long construction time of research…

Field instrumentation and testing to study set-up phenomenon of piles driven into Louisiana clayey soils : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

This research study aims to investigate the pile set-up phenomenon for clayey soils and develop empirical models to predict pile set-up : resistance at certain time after end of driving (EOD). To fulfill the objective, a total number of twelve prestr...

ITEM SELECTION TECHNIQUES AND EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

COX, RICHARD C.

THE VALIDITY OF AN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT TEST DEPENDS UPON THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN SPECIFIED EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE OBJECTIVES ARE MEASURED BY THE EVALUATION INSTRUMENT. THIS STUDY IS DESIGNED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF STATISTICAL ITEM SELECTION ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE FINAL EVALUATION INSTRUMENT AS COMPARED WITH…

Implementation of a microcontroller-based semi-automatic coagulator.

PubMed

Chan, K; Kirumira, A; Elkateeb, A

2001-01-01

The coagulator is an instrument used in hospitals to detect clot formation as a function of time. Generally, these coagulators are very expensive and therefore not affordable by a doctors' office and small clinics. The objective of this project is to design and implement a low cost semi-automatic coagulator (SAC) prototype. The SAC is capable of assaying up to 12 samples and can perform the following tests: prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and PT/APTT combination. The prototype has been tested successfully.

Video-Based Method of Quantifying Performance and Instrument Motion During Simulated Phonosurgery

PubMed Central

Conroy, Ellen; Surender, Ketan; Geng, Zhixian; Chen, Ting; Dailey, Seth; Jiang, Jack

2015-01-01

Objectives/Hypothesis To investigate the use of the Video-Based Phonomicrosurgery Instrument Tracking System to collect instrument position data during simulated phonomicrosurgery and calculate motion metrics using these data. We used this system to determine if novice subject motion metrics improved over 1 week of training. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Ten subjects performed simulated surgical tasks once per day for 5 days. Instrument position data were collected and used to compute motion metrics (path length, depth perception, and motion smoothness). Data were analyzed to determine if motion metrics improved with practice time. Task outcome was also determined each day, and relationships between task outcome and motion metrics were used to evaluate the validity of motion metrics as indicators of surgical performance. Results Significant decreases over time were observed for path length (P <.001), depth perception (P <.001), and task outcome (P <.001). No significant change was observed for motion smoothness. Significant relationships were observed between task outcome and path length (P <.001), depth perception (P <.001), and motion smoothness (P <.001). Conclusions Our system can estimate instrument trajectory and provide quantitative descriptions of surgical performance. It may be useful for evaluating phonomicrosurgery performance. Path length and depth perception may be particularly useful indicators. PMID:24737286

Agile Science Operations: A New Approach for Primitive Exploration Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chien, Steve A.; Thompson, David R.; Castillo-Rogez, Julie C.; Doyle, Richard; Estlin, Tara; Mclaren, David

2012-01-01

Primitive body exploration missions such as potential Comet Surface Sample Return or Trojan Tour and Rendezvous would challenge traditional operations practices. Earth-based observations would provide only basic understanding before arrival and many science goals would be defined during the initial rendezvous. It could be necessary to revise trajectories and observation plans to quickly characterize the target for safe, effective observations. Detection of outgassing activity and monitoring of comet surface activity are even more time constrained, with events occurring faster than round-trip light time. "Agile science operations" address these challenges with contingency plans that recognize the intrinsic uncertainty in the operating environment and science objectives. Planning for multiple alternatives can significantly improve the time required to repair and validate spacecraft command sequences. When appropriate, time-critical decisions can be automated and shifted to the spacecraft for immediate access to instrument data. Mirrored planning systems on both sides of the light-time gap permit transfer of authority back and forth as needed. We survey relevant science objectives, identifying time bottlenecks and the techniques that could be used to speed missions' reaction to new science data. Finally, we discuss the results of a trade study simulating agile observations during flyby and comet rendezvous scenarios. These experiments quantify instrument coverage of key surface features as a function of planning turnaround time. Careful application of agile operations techniques can play a significant role in realizing the Decadal Survey plan for primitive body exploration

Instrumented Compliant Wrist with Proximity and Contact Sensing for Close Robot Interaction Control.

PubMed

Laferrière, Pascal; Payeur, Pierre

2017-06-14

Compliance has been exploited in various forms in robotic systems to allow rigid mechanisms to come into contact with fragile objects, or with complex shapes that cannot be accurately modeled. Force feedback control has been the classical approach for providing compliance in robotic systems. However, by integrating other forms of instrumentation with compliance into a single device, it is possible to extend close monitoring of nearby objects before and after contact occurs. As a result, safer and smoother robot control can be achieved both while approaching and while touching surfaces. This paper presents the design and extensive experimental evaluation of a versatile, lightweight, and low-cost instrumented compliant wrist mechanism which can be mounted on any rigid robotic manipulator in order to introduce a layer of compliance while providing the controller with extra sensing signals during close interaction with an object's surface. Arrays of embedded range sensors provide real-time measurements on the position and orientation of surfaces, either located in proximity or in contact with the robot's end-effector, which permits close guidance of its operation. Calibration procedures are formulated to overcome inter-sensor variability and achieve the highest available resolution. A versatile solution is created by embedding all signal processing, while wireless transmission connects the device to any industrial robot's controller to support path control. Experimental work demonstrates the device's physical compliance as well as the stability and accuracy of the device outputs. Primary applications of the proposed instrumented compliant wrist include smooth surface following in manufacturing, inspection, and safe human-robot interaction.

Procurement of Shared Data Instruments for Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap)

PubMed Central

Obeid, Jihad S; McGraw, Catherine A; Minor, Brenda L; Conde, José G; Pawluk, Robert; Lin, Michael; Wang, Janey; Banks, Sean R; Hemphill, Sheree A; Taylor, Rob; Harris, Paul A

2012-01-01

REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a web-based software solution and tool set that allows biomedical researchers to create secure online forms for data capture, management and analysis with minimal effort and training. The Shared Data Instrument Library (SDIL) is a relatively new component of REDCap that allows sharing of commonly used data collection instruments for immediate study use by 3 research teams. Objectives of the SDIL project include: 1) facilitating reuse of data dictionaries and reducing duplication of effort; 2) promoting the use of validated data collection instruments, data standards and best practices; and 3) promoting research collaboration and data sharing. Instruments submitted to the library are reviewed by a library oversight committee, with rotating membership from multiple institutions, which ensures quality, relevance and legality of shared instruments. The design allows researchers to download the instruments in a consumable electronic format in the REDCap environment. At the time of this writing, the SDIL contains over 128 data collection instruments. Over 2500 instances of instruments have been downloaded by researchers at multiple institutions. In this paper we describe the library platform, provide detail about experience gained during the first 25 months of sharing public domain instruments and provide evidence of impact for the SDIL across the REDCap consortium research community. We postulate that the shared library of instruments reduces the burden of adhering to sound data collection principles while promoting best practices. PMID:23149159

Vision though afocal instruments: generalized magnification and eye-instrument interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, William F.; Evans, Tanya

2018-04-01

In Gaussian optics all observers experience the same magnification, the instrument's angular magnification, when viewing distant objects though a telescope or other afocal instruments. However, analysis in linear optics shows that this is not necessarily so in the presence of astigmatism. Because astigmatism may distort and rotate images it is appropriate to work with generalized angular magnification represented by a 2 × 2 matrix. An expression is derived for the generalized magnification for an arbitrary eye looking through an arbitrary afocal instrument. With afocal instruments containing astigmatic refracting elements not all eyes experience the same generalized magnification; there is interaction between eye and instrument. Eye-instrument interaction may change as the instrument is rotated about its longitudinal axis, there being no interaction in particular orientations. A simple numerical example is given. For sake of completeness, expressions for generalized magnification are also presented in the case of instruments that are not afocal and objects that are not distant.

Cometary ephemerides - needs and concerns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeomans, D. K.

1981-01-01

With the use of narrow field-of-view instrumentation on faint comets, the accuracy requirements upon computed ephemerides are increasing. It is not uncommon for instruments with a one arc minute field-of-view to be tracking a faint comet that is not visible without a substantial integration time. As with all ephemerides of solar syste objects, the computed motion and reduction of these observations, the computed motion of a comet is further depenent upon effects related to the comet's activity. Thus, the ephemeris of an active comet is corrupted by both observational errors and errors due to the comet's activity.

Transfusion monitoring: care practice analysis in a public teaching hospital

PubMed Central

dos Reis, Valesca Nunes; Paixão, Isabella Bertolin; Perrone, Ana Carolina Amaral de São José; Monteiro, Maria Inês; dos Santos, Kelli Borges

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the process of recording transfusion monitoring at a public teaching hospital. Methods A descriptive and retrospective study with a quantitative approach, analyzing the instruments to record transfusion monitoring at a public hospital in a city in the State of Minas Gerais (MG). Data were collected on the correct completion of the instrument, time elapsed from transfusions, records of vital signs, type of blood component more frequently transfused, and hospital unit where transfusion was performed. Results A total of 1,012 records were analyzed, and 53.4% of them had errors in filling in the instruments, 6% of transfusions started after the recommended time, and 9.3% of patients had no vital signs registered. Conclusion Failures were identified in the process of recording transfusion monitoring, and they could result in more adverse events related to the administration of blood components. Planning and implementing strategies to enhance recording and to improve care delivered are challenging. PMID:27074233

Neural networks for simultaneous classification and parameter estimation in musical instrument control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Michael; Freed, Adrian; Wessel, David

1992-08-01

In this report we present our tools for prototyping adaptive user interfaces in the context of real-time musical instrument control. Characteristic of most human communication is the simultaneous use of classified events and estimated parameters. We have integrated a neural network object into the MAX language to explore adaptive user interfaces that considers these facets of human communication. By placing the neural processing in the context of a flexible real-time musical programming environment, we can rapidly prototype experiments on applications of adaptive interfaces and learning systems to musical problems. We have trained networks to recognize gestures from a Mathews radio baton, Nintendo Power GloveTM, and MIDI keyboard gestural input devices. In one experiment, a network successfully extracted classification and attribute data from gestural contours transduced by a continuous space controller, suggesting their application in the interpretation of conducting gestures and musical instrument control. We discuss network architectures, low-level features extracted for the networks to operate on, training methods, and musical applications of adaptive techniques.

Workflow and maintenance characteristics of five automated laboratory instruments for the diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections.

PubMed

Ratnam, Sam; Jang, Dan; Gilchrist, Jodi; Smieja, Marek; Poirier, Andre; Hatchette, Todd; Flandin, Jean-Frederic; Chernesky, Max

2014-07-01

The choice of a suitable automated system for a diagnostic laboratory depends on various factors. Comparative workflow studies provide quantifiable and objective metrics to determine hands-on time during specimen handling and processing, reagent preparation, return visits and maintenance, and test turnaround time and throughput. Using objective time study techniques, workflow characteristics for processing 96 and 192 tests were determined on m2000 RealTime (Abbott Molecular), Viper XTR (Becton Dickinson), cobas 4800 (Roche Molecular Diagnostics), Tigris (Hologic Gen-Probe), and Panther (Hologic Gen-Probe) platforms using second-generation assays for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. A combination of operational and maintenance steps requiring manual labor showed that Panther had the shortest overall hands-on times and Viper XTR the longest. Both Panther and Tigris showed greater efficiency whether 96 or 192 tests were processed. Viper XTR and Panther had the shortest times to results and m2000 RealTime the longest. Sample preparation and loading time was the shortest for Panther and longest for cobas 4800. Mandatory return visits were required only for m2000 RealTime and cobas 4800 when 96 tests were processed, and both required substantially more hands-on time than the other systems due to increased numbers of return visits when 192 tests were processed. These results show that there are substantial differences in the amount of labor required to operate each system. Assay performance, instrumentation, testing capacity, workflow, maintenance, and reagent costs should be considered in choosing a system. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Introduction: Reengaging with instruments.

PubMed

Taub, Liba

2011-12-01

Over the past twenty years or so, historians of science have become increasingly sensitized to issues involved in studying and interpreting scientific and medical instruments. The contributors to this Focus section are historians of science who have worked closely with museum objects and collections, specifically instruments used in scientific and medical contexts. Such close engagement by historians of science is somewhat rare, provoking distinctive questions as to how we define and understand instruments, opening up issues regarding the value of broken or incomplete objects, and raising concerns about which scientific and medical artifacts are displayed and interpreted in museums and in what manner. It is hoped that these essays point historians of science in new directions for reengaging with scientific objects and collections.

"A Bright Supernova Discovered in the Nearby Galaxy NGC 5128" | CTIO

Science.gov Websites

Visitor's Computer Guidelines Network Connection Request Instruments Instruments by Telescope IR Instruments in Cen A. In the near IR the luminous nucleus - the bright fuzzy object - of Cen A is prominent IR the luminous nucleus - the bright fuzzy object - of Cen A is prominent, while in the u band it is

Providing Diurnal Sky Cover Data at ARM Sites

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

Klebe, Dimitri I.

2015-03-06

The Solmirus Corporation was awarded two-year funding to perform a comprehensive data analysis of observations made during Solmirus’ 2009 field campaign (conducted from May 21 to July 27, 2009 at the ARM SGP site) using their All Sky Infrared Visible Analyzer (ASIVA) instrument. The objective was to develop a suite of cloud property data products for the ASIVA instrument that could be implemented in real time and tailored for cloud modelers. This final report describes Solmirus’ research and findings enabled by this grant. The primary objective of this award was to develop a diurnal sky cover (SC) data product utilizingmore » the ASIVA’s infrared (IR) radiometrically-calibrated data and is described in detail. Other data products discussed in this report include the sky cover derived from ASIVA’s visible channel and precipitable water vapor, cloud temperature (both brightness and color), and cloud height inferred from ASIVA’s IR channels.« less

Nursing staff perceptions of student contributions in clinical settings.

PubMed

Slaughter-Smith, Cheryl; Helms, Jennifer E; Burris, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Because nursing is a practice discipline, students are placed in clinical settings to collaborate with professional nurses in caring for patients. This descriptive study aimed to explore the benefits and limitations of undergraduate nursing students in the clinical setting. A 54-item instrument, Nursing Students' Contributions to Clinical Agencies, was used to collect data from staff nurses (N = 84) at three hospitals. The instrument also provided space for participants to share qualitative data, which revealed perceptions with which staff nurses were likely to agree and three key themes: Eager to Learn, Willing to Help, and Serving Their Time. The major implication for students is that they are often judged on their assertiveness skills and should offer assistance so they appear eager to learn. Faculty must ascertain that students understand their objectives for the clinical rotation and share those objectives with the staff nurses to enhance their learning experience. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

A photogrammetry-based system for 3D surface reconstruction of prosthetics and orthotics.

PubMed

Li, Guang-kun; Gao, Fan; Wang, Zhi-gang

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to develop an innovative close range digital photogrammetry (CRDP) system using the commercial digital SLR cameras to measure and reconstruct the 3D surface of prosthetics and orthotics. This paper describes the instrumentation, techniques and preliminary results of the proposed system. The technique works by taking pictures of the object from multiple view angles. The series of pictures were post-processed via feature point extraction, point match and 3D surface reconstruction. In comparison with the traditional method such as laser scanning, the major advantages of our instrument include the lower cost, compact and easy-to-use hardware, satisfactory measurement accuracy, and significantly less measurement time. Besides its potential applications in prosthetics and orthotics surface measurement, the simple setup and its ease of use will make it suitable for various 3D surface reconstructions.

MEGARA: the new multi-object and integral field spectrograph for GTC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrasco, E.; Páez, G.; Izazaga-Pére, R.; Gil de Paz, A.; Gallego, J.; Iglesias-Páramo, J.

2017-07-01

MEGARA is an optical integral-field unit and multi-object spectrograph for the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias. Both observational modes will provide identical spectral resolutions Rfwhm ˜ 6,000, 12,000 and 18,700. The spectrograph is a collimator-camera system. The unique characteristics of MEGARA in terms of throughput and versatility make this instrument the most efficient tool to date to analyze astrophysical objects at intermediate spectral resolutions. The instrument is currently at the telescope for on-sky commissioning. Here we describe the as-built main characteristics the instrument.

Counter tube window and X-ray fluorescence analyzer study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hertel, R.; Holm, M.

1973-01-01

A study was performed to determine the best design tube window and X-ray fluorescence analyzer for quantitative analysis of Venusian dust and condensates. The principal objective of the project was to develop the best counter tube window geometry for the sensing element of the instrument. This included formulation of a mathematical model of the window and optimization of its parameters. The proposed detector and instrument has several important features. The instrument will perform a near real-time analysis of dust in the Venusian atmosphere, and is capable of measuring dust layers less than 1 micron thick. In addition, wide dynamic measurement range will be provided to compensate for extreme variations in count rates. An integral pulse-height analyzer and memory accumulate data and read out spectra for detail computer analysis on the ground.

The ISEE-1 and ISEE-2 plasma wave investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurnett, D. A.; Scarf, F. L.; Fredricks, R. W.; Smith, E. J.

1978-01-01

The ISEE-1 and ISEE-2 plasma wave experiments are designed to provide basic information on wave-particle interactions in the earth's magnetosphere and in the solar wind. The ISEE-1 plasma wave instrument uses three electric dipole antennas with lengths of 215, 73.5 and 0.61 m for electric field measurements, and a triaxial search coil antenna for magnetic field measurements. The ISEE-2 instrument uses two electric dipole antennas with lengths of 30 and 0.61 m for electric field measurements and a single-axis search coil antenna for magnetic field measurements. The primary scientific objectives of the experiments are described, including the resolution of space-time relationships of plasma wave phenomena and VLBI studies. The instrumentation is described, with emphasis on the antennas and the electronics.

Software-type Wave-Particle Interaction Analyzer on board the Arase satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katoh, Yuto; Kojima, Hirotsugu; Hikishima, Mitsuru; Takashima, Takeshi; Asamura, Kazushi; Miyoshi, Yoshizumi; Kasahara, Yoshiya; Kasahara, Satoshi; Mitani, Takefumi; Higashio, Nana; Matsuoka, Ayako; Ozaki, Mitsunori; Yagitani, Satoshi; Yokota, Shoichiro; Matsuda, Shoya; Kitahara, Masahiro; Shinohara, Iku

2018-01-01

We describe the principles of the Wave-Particle Interaction Analyzer (WPIA) and the implementation of the Software-type WPIA (S-WPIA) on the Arase satellite. The WPIA is a new type of instrument for the direct and quantitative measurement of wave-particle interactions. The S-WPIA is installed on the Arase satellite as a software function running on the mission data processor. The S-WPIA on board the Arase satellite uses an electromagnetic field waveform that is measured by the waveform capture receiver of the plasma wave experiment (PWE), and the velocity vectors of electrons detected by the medium-energy particle experiment-electron analyzer (MEP-e), the high-energy electron experiment (HEP), and the extremely high-energy electron experiment (XEP). The prime objective of the S-WPIA is to measure the energy exchange between whistler-mode chorus emissions and energetic electrons in the inner magnetosphere. It is essential for the S-WPIA to synchronize instruments to a relative time accuracy better than the time period of the plasma wave oscillations. Since the typical frequency of chorus emissions in the inner magnetosphere is a few kHz, a relative time accuracy of better than 10 μs is required in order to measure the relative phase angle between the wave and velocity vectors. In the Arase satellite, a dedicated system has been developed to realize the time resolution required for inter-instrument communication. Here, both the time index distributed over all instruments through the satellite system and an S-WPIA clock signal are used, that are distributed from the PWE to the MEP-e, HEP, and XEP through a direct line, for the synchronization of instruments within a relative time accuracy of a few μs. We also estimate the number of particles required to obtain statistically significant results with the S-WPIA and the expected accumulation time by referring to the specifications of the MEP-e and assuming a count rate for each detector.

rhBMP-2 protects against reoperation for pseudoarthrosis and/or instrumentation failure: A matched case-control study of 448 patients.

PubMed

Macki, Mohamed; Syeda, Sbaa; Kerezoudis, Panagiotis; Bydon, Ali; Witham, Timothy F; Sciubba, Daniel M; Wolinsky, Jean-Paul; Bydon, Mohamad; Gokaslan, Ziya

2016-10-01

The objective of this independent study is to determine the impact of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) on reoperation for pseudarthrosis and/or instrumentation failure. A nested case-control study of first-time posterolateral, instrumented fusion of the lumbar spine for degenerative spinal disease was undertaken. Cases of reoperation for pseudoarthrosis and/or instrumentation failure were assigned to controls, who did not experience the primary outcome measure at the time of reoperation. Cases and controls were matched on number of interspaces fused and inclusion of interbody. Predictors of reoperation for pseudoarthrosis and/or instrumentation failure were assessed with a conditional logistical regression controlling for rhBMP-2, age, obesity, and smoking. Of the 448 patients, 155 cases of reoperation for pseudoarthrosis and/or instrumentation were matched with 293 controls. Twenty-six percent of first-time surgeries included rhBMP-2, which was statistically more commonly used in the control cohort (33.11%) versus the case cohort (12.90%) (Unadjusted odds ratio [ORunadj]=0.28) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.49). Following a multivariate analysis controlling for age, obesity, and smoking, the rhBMP-2 recipients incurred a 73% lower odds of reoperation for pseudoarthrosis and/or instrumentation failure (95% CI, 0.15-0.48). Neither sarcomatous nor osseous neoplasm was detected in the study population. Mean follow up did not differ between the cases (81.57±standard deviation [SD] 4.98months) versus controls (74.75±2.49month) (ORunadj=1.01) (95% CI: 1.00-1.01). rhBMP-2 in lumbar fusion constructs protects against reoperation for pseudoarthrosis and/or instrumentation failure. However, the decision to include fusion supplements should be weighted between surgical determinants and clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outcomes of the JNT 1955 Phase I Viability Study of Gamma Emission Tomography for Spent Fuel Verification

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

Jacobsson-Svard, Staffan; Smith, Leon E.; White, Timothy

The potential for gamma emission tomography (GET) to detect partial defects within a spent nuclear fuel assembly has been assessed within the IAEA Support Program project JNT 1955, phase I, which was completed and reported to the IAEA in October 2016. Two safeguards verification objectives were identified in the project; (1) independent determination of the number of active pins that are present in a measured assembly, in the absence of a priori information about the assembly; and (2) quantitative assessment of pin-by-pin properties, for example the activity of key isotopes or pin attributes such as cooling time and relative burnup,more » under the assumption that basic fuel parameters (e.g., assembly type and nominal fuel composition) are known. The efficacy of GET to meet these two verification objectives was evaluated across a range of fuel types, burnups and cooling times, while targeting a total interrogation time of less than 60 minutes. The evaluations were founded on a modelling and analysis framework applied to existing and emerging GET instrument designs. Monte Carlo models of different fuel types were used to produce simulated tomographer responses to large populations of “virtual” fuel assemblies. The simulated instrument response data were then processed using a variety of tomographic-reconstruction and image-processing methods, and scoring metrics were defined and used to evaluate the performance of the methods.This paper describes the analysis framework and metrics used to predict tomographer performance. It also presents the design of a “universal” GET (UGET) instrument intended to support the full range of verification scenarios envisioned by the IAEA. Finally, it gives examples of the expected partial-defect detection capabilities for some fuels and diversion scenarios, and it provides a comparison of predicted performance for the notional UGET design and an optimized variant of an existing IAEA instrument.« less

Instrumental requirements for the detection of electron beam-induced object excitations at the single atom level in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.

PubMed

Kisielowski, C; Specht, P; Gygax, S M; Barton, B; Calderon, H A; Kang, J H; Cieslinski, R

2015-01-01

This contribution touches on essential requirements for instrument stability and resolution that allows operating advanced electron microscopes at the edge to technological capabilities. They enable the detection of single atoms and their dynamic behavior on a length scale of picometers in real time. It is understood that the observed atom dynamic is intimately linked to the relaxation and thermalization of electron beam-induced sample excitation. Resulting contrast fluctuations are beam current dependent and largely contribute to a contrast mismatch between experiments and theory if not considered. If explored, they open the possibility to study functional behavior of nanocrystals and single molecules at the atomic level in real time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Objective and Subjective Quality of Life among Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Bone Tumor Survivors

PubMed Central

Stokke, Jamie; Sung, Lillian; Gupta, Abha; Lindberg, Antoinette; Rosenberg, Abby R.

2015-01-01

Background Pediatric, adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of bone sarcomas are at risk for poor quality of life (QOL). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the literature describing QOL in this population and differences in QOL based on local control procedures. Procedure Included studies described ≥5 patients <25 years-old who had completed local control treatment for bone sarcoma, defined QOL as a main outcome, and measured it with a validated instrument. Data extraction and quality assessments were conducted with standardized tools. Meta-analyses compared QOL based on surgical procedure (limb-sparing versus amputation) and were stratified by assessment type (objective physical function, clinician-assessed disability, patient-reported disability and patient-reported QOL). Effect sizes were reported as the Standard Mean Difference when multiple instruments were used within a comparison and Weighted Mean Difference otherwise. All were weighted by inverse variance and modeled with random effects. Results Twenty-two of 452 unique manuscripts were included in qualitative syntheses, 8 of which were included in meta-analyses. Manuscripts were heterogeneous with respect to included patient populations (age, tumor type, time since treatment) and QOL instruments. Prospective studies suggested that QOL improves over time, and that female sex and older age at diagnosis are associated with poor QOL. Meta-analyses showed no differences in outcomes between patients who underwent limb-sparing versus amputation for local control. Conclusion QOL studies among children and AYAs with bone sarcoma are remarkably diverse, making it difficult to detect trends in patient outcomes. Future research should focus on standardized QOL instruments and interpretations. PMID:25820683

Response of Nuclear Power Plant Instrumentation Cables Exposed to Fire Conditions.

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

Muna, Alice Baca; LaFleur, Chris Bensdotter; Brooks, Dusty Marie

This report presents the results of instrumentation cable tests sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research and performed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The goal of the tests was to assess thermal and electrical response behavior under fire-exposure conditions for instrumentation cables and circuits. The test objective was to assess how severe radiant heating conditions surrounding an instrumentation cable affect current or voltage signals in an instrumentation circuit. A total of thirty-nine small-scale tests were conducted. Ten different instrumentation cables were tested, ranging from one conductor to eight-twisted pairs. Because the focus of themore » tests was thermoset (TS) cables, only two of the ten cables had thermoplastic (TP) insulation and jacket material and the remaining eight cables were one of three different TS insulation and jacket material. Two instrumentation cables from previous cable fire testing were included, one TS and one TP. Three test circuits were used to simulate instrumentation circuits present in nuclear power plants: a 4–20 mA current loop, a 10–50 mA current loop and a 1–5 VDC voltage loop. A regression analysis was conducted to determine key variables affecting signal leakage time.« less

LC-IM-TOF Instrument Control & Data Visualization Software

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

2011-05-12

Liquid Chromatography-Ion Mobility-time of Flight Instrument Control and Data Visualization software is designed to control instrument voltages for the Ion Mobility drift tube. It collects and stores information collected from the Agilent TOF instrument and analyses/displays the ion intensity information acquired. The software interface can be split into 3 categories -- Instrument Settings/Controls, Data Acquisition, and Viewer. The Instrument Settings/Controls prepares the instrument for Data Acquisition. The Viewer contains common objects that are used by Instrument Settings/Controls and Data Acquisition. Intensity information is collected in 1 nanosec bins and separated by TOF pulses called scans. A collection of scans aremore » stored side by side making up an accumulation. In order for the computer to keep up with the stream of data, 30-50 accumulations are commonly summed into a single frame. A collection of frames makes up an experiment. The Viewer software then takes the experiment and presents the data in several possible ways, each frame can be viewed in TOF bins or m/z (mass to charge ratio). The experiment can be viewed frame by frame, merging several frames, or by viewing the peak chromatogram. The user can zoom into the data, export data, and/or animate frames. Additional features include calibration of the data and even post-processing multiplexed data.« less

Dual-dimensional microscopy: real-time in vivo three-dimensional observation method using high-resolution light-field microscopy and light-field display.

PubMed

Kim, Jonghyun; Moon, Seokil; Jeong, Youngmo; Jang, Changwon; Kim, Youngmin; Lee, Byoungho

2018-06-01

Here, we present dual-dimensional microscopy that captures both two-dimensional (2-D) and light-field images of an in-vivo sample simultaneously, synthesizes an upsampled light-field image in real time, and visualizes it with a computational light-field display system in real time. Compared with conventional light-field microscopy, the additional 2-D image greatly enhances the lateral resolution at the native object plane up to the diffraction limit and compensates for the image degradation at the native object plane. The whole process from capturing to displaying is done in real time with the parallel computation algorithm, which enables the observation of the sample's three-dimensional (3-D) movement and direct interaction with the in-vivo sample. We demonstrate a real-time 3-D interactive experiment with Caenorhabditis elegans. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

The nuMOIRCS project: detector upgrade overview and early commissioning results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walawender, Josh; Wung, Matthew; Fabricius, Maximilian; Tanaka, Ichi; Arimoto, Nobuo; Cook, David; Elms, Brian; Hashiba, Yasuhito; Hu, Yen-Sang; Iwata, Ikuru; Nishimura, Tetsuo; Omata, Koji; Takato, Naruhisa; Wang, Shiang-Yu; Weber, Mark

2016-08-01

In 2014 and 2015 the Multi-Object InfraRed Camera and Spectrograph (MOIRCS) instrument at the Subaru Telescope on Maunakea is underwent a significant modernization and upgrade project. We upgraded the two Hawaii2 detectors to Hawaii2-RG models, modernized the cryogenic temperature control system, and rewrote much of the instrument control software. The detector upgrade replaced the Hawaii2 detectors which use the Tohoku University Focal Plane Array Controller (TUFPAC) electronics with Hawaii2-RG detectors using SIDECAR ASIC (a fully integrated FPA controller system-on-a-chip) and a SAM interface card. We achieved an improvement in read noise by a factor of about 2 with this detector and electronics upgrade. The cryogenic temperature control upgrade focused on modernizing the components and making the procedures for warm up and cool down of the instrument safer. We have moved PID control loops out of the instrument control software and into Lakeshore model 336 cryogenic temperature controllers and have added interlocks on the warming systems to prevent overheating of the instrument. Much of the instrument control software has also been re-written. This was necessitated by the different interface to the detector electronics (ASIC and SAM vs. TUFPAC) and by the desire to modernize the interface to the telescope control software which has been updated to Subaru's "Gen2" system since the time of MOIRCS construction and first light. The new software is also designed to increase reliability of operation of the instrument, decrease overheads, and be easier for night time operators and support astronomers to use.

MIST VR. A laparoscopic surgery procedures trainer and evaluator.

PubMed

Sutton, C; McCloy, R; Middlebrook, A; Chater, P; Wilson, M; Stone, R

1997-01-01

The key bimanual instrument tasks involved in laparoscopic surgery have been abstracted for use in a virtual reality surgical skills evaluator and trainer. The trainer uses two laparoscopic instruments mounted on a frame with position sensors which provide instrument movement data that is translated into interactive real time graphics on a PC (P133, 16 Mb RAM, graphics acceleration card). An accurately scaled operating volume of 10 cm3 is represented by a 3D cube on the computer screen. "Camera" position and size of target objects can be varied for different skill levels. Targets appear randomly within the operating volume according to the skill task and can be grasped and manipulated with the instruments. Accuracy and errors during the tasks and time to completion are logged. Mist VR has tutorial, training, examination, analysis and configuration modes. Six tasks have been selected and include combinations of instrument approach, target acquisition, target manipulation and placement, transfer between instruments, target contact with optional diathermy, and controlled instrument withdrawal/replacement. Tasks can be configured for varying degrees of difficulty and the configurations saved to a library for reuse. Specific task configurations can be assigned to individual students. In the examination mode the supervisor can select the tasks, repetitions and order and save to a specific file for that trainee. Progress can be assessed and there is the option for playback of the training session or examination. Data analyses permit overall, including task, and right or left hand performances to be quantified. Mist VR represents a significant advance over the subjective assessment of training performances with existing "plastic box" basic trainers.

Quality-of-life assessment in gynecologic surgery.

PubMed

Rock, J A

2001-05-01

More than 90% of gynecologic surgery is performed for nonmalignant conditions, with a major objective of improving the patient's health-related quality of life (QOL). Clinical studies and patient surveys demonstrate that fatigue, diminished energy levels, increased need for rest, delayed time to return to work, difficulty performing daily routines, and difficulty caring for family and home persist for weeks to months or more following surgery. The social and economic implications of these outcomes provide a rationale for improving the QOL of gynecologic patients in the early weeks of recovery from surgery. Persistent and debilitating fatigue, which can lead to diminished QOL, is even more common than pain following hysterectomy. Global and specific subjective self-assessment instruments have been developed to measure fatigue as well as QOL parameters in postoperative gynecologic surgery patients. In addition, a QOL instrument combining both subjective self-assessment scales and objective measures of hemoglobin, hematocrit and muscle strength has been validated in postoperative orthopedic patients and may also have application in gynecologic surgery patients. Collectively, these various instruments may be useful in the assessment of recuperative power and vitality during early postoperative recovery in patients undergoing gynecologic surgery.

The ESA/NASA Multi-Aircraft ATV-1 Re-Entry Campaign: Analysis of Airborne Intensified Video Observations from the NASA/JSC Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barker, Ed; Maley, Paul; Mulrooney, Mark; Beaulieu, Kevin

2009-01-01

In September 2008, a joint ESA/NASA multi-instrument airborne observing campaign was conducted over the Southern Pacific ocean. The objective was the acquisition of data to support detailed atmospheric re-entry analysis for the first flight of the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)-1. Skilled observers were deployed aboard two aircraft which were flown at 12.8 km altitude within visible range of the ATV-1 re-entry zone. The observers operated a suite of instruments with low-light-level detection sensitivity including still cameras, high speed and 30 fps video cameras, and spectrographs. The collected data has provided valuable information regarding the dynamic time evolution of the ATV-1 re-entry fragmentation. Specifically, the data has satisfied the primary mission objective of recording the explosion of ATV-1's primary fuel tank and thereby validating predictions regarding the tanks demise and the altitude of its occurrence. Furthermore, the data contains the brightness and trajectories of several hundred ATV-1 fragments. It is the analysis of these properties, as recorded by the particular instrument set sponsored by NASA/Johnson Space Center, which we present here.

The SE role in establishing, verifying and controlling top-level program requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mathews, Charles W.

1993-01-01

The program objectives and requirements described in the preceding paragraphs emphasize mission demonstrations. Obtaining desired science or applications information is another type of program objective. The program requirements then state the need for specific data, usually specifying a particular instrument or instrument set; the operating conditions under which the data is to be obtained (e.g., orbit altitude, field of view, and pointing accuracy); and the data handling and use. Conversely, a new instrument may be conceived or created with the program objective to establish its use potential. The Multispectral Scanner employed in the Landsat program is an example.

Operation Sun Beam, Shot Small Boy. Project Officer's report - Project 7. 10. Spectral analysis with high-time resolution of the thermal-radiation pulse

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

Mahoney, J.J.; Harris, L.H.; Hennecke, H.J.

1985-09-01

The primary objective of this project was to investigate the spectral irradiance and luminosity versus time for the first thermal pulse at Shot Small Boy. This was accomplished by use of spectral filters with narrow band passes, phototubes, and magnetic tape recorders with high time resolution at two locations. The measured elapsed time to the first thermal maximum was from 50 to 110 microseconds, depending on wavelength. A graph of radiant thermal power versus time was obtained for the thermal pulse. The delineation of the first thermal pulse, especially the rise portion, is considered to be more definite than hasmore » been obtained previously. The resolution time of the instrumentation was approximately 50 microseconds. Secondary objectives were to measure the total luminosity versus time and also to measure the atmospheric attenuation. These objectives were accomplished by making measurements at two distances, 2.5 and 3.5 miles, from ground zero. In the case of the total luminosity measurements, a system of filters with a spectral transmittance approximating the sensitivity response of the average human eye was used. The results are tabulated in the report.« less

The Objective and Subjective Evaluation of Multichannel Expansion in Wide Dynamic Range Compression Hearing Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plyler, Patrick N.; Lowery, Kristy J.; Hamby, Hilary M.; Trine, Timothy D.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The effects of multichannel expansion on the objective and subjective evaluation of 20 listeners fitted binaurally with 4-channel, digital in-the-ear hearing instruments were investigated. Method: Objective evaluations were conducted in quiet using the Connected Speech Test (CST) and in noise using the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) at 40,…

High-Level Disinfection of Otorhinolaryngology Clinical Instruments: An Evaluation of the Efficacy and Cost-effectiveness of Instrument Storage.

PubMed

Yalamanchi, Pratyusha; Yu, Jason; Chandler, Laura; Mirza, Natasha

2018-01-01

Objectives Despite increasing interest in individual instrument storage, risk of bacterial cross-contamination of otorhinolaryngology clinic instruments has not been assessed. This study is the first to determine the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of standard high-level disinfection and clinic instrument storage. Methods To assess for cross-contamination, surveillance cultures of otorhinolaryngology clinic instruments subject to standard high-level disinfection and storage were obtained at the start and end of the outpatient clinical workday. Rate of microorganism recovery was compared with cultures of instruments stored in individual peel packs and control cultures of contaminated instruments. Based on historical clinic data, the direct allocation method of cost accounting was used to determine aggregate raw material cost and additional labor hours required to process and restock peel-packed instruments. Results Among 150 cultures of standard high-level disinfected and co-located clinic instruments, 3 positive bacterial cultures occurred; 100% of control cultures were positive for bacterial species ( P < .001). There was no statistical difference between surveillance cultures obtained before and after the clinic day. While there was also no significant difference in rate of contamination between peel-packed and co-located instruments, peel packing all instruments requires 6250 additional labor hours, and conservative analyses place the cost of individual semicritical instrument storage at $97,852.50 per year. Discussion With in vitro inoculation of >200 otorhinolaryngology clinic instruments, this study demonstrates that standard high-level disinfection and storage are equally efficacious to more time-consuming and expensive individual instrument storage protocols, such as peel packing, with regard to bacterial contamination. Implications for Practice Standard high-level disinfection and storage are equally effective to labor-intensive and costly individual instrument storage protocols.

Instrumentation System Diagnoses a Thermocouple

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perotti, Jose; Santiago, Josephine; Mata, Carlos; Vokrot, Peter; Zavala, Carlos; Burns, Bradley

2008-01-01

An improved self-validating thermocouple (SVT) instrumentation system not only acquires readings from a thermocouple but is also capable of detecting deterioration and a variety of discrete faults in the thermocouple and its lead wires. Prime examples of detectable discrete faults and deterioration include open- and short-circuit conditions and debonding of the thermocouple junction from the object, the temperature of which one seeks to measure. Debonding is the most common cause of errors in thermocouple measurements, but most prior SVT instrumentation systems have not been capable of detecting debonding. The improved SVT instrumentation system includes power circuitry, a cold-junction compensator, signal-conditioning circuitry, pulse-width-modulation (PWM) thermocouple-excitation circuitry, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital data processor, and a universal serial bus (USB) interface. The system can operate in any of the following three modes: temperature measurement, thermocouple validation, and bonding/debonding detection. The software running in the processor includes components that implement statistical algorithms to evaluate the state of the thermocouple and the instrumentation system. When the power is first turned on, the user can elect to start a diagnosis/ monitoring sequence, in which the PWM is used to estimate the characteristic times corresponding to the correct configuration. The user also has the option of using previous diagnostic values, which are stored in an electrically erasable, programmable read-only memory so that they are available every time the power is turned on.

A space bourne crystal diffraction telescope for the energy range of nuclear transitions

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

von Ballmoos, P.; Naya, J.E.; Albernhe, F.

1995-10-01

Recent experimental work of the Toulouse-Argonne collaboration has opened for perspective of a focusing gamma-ray telescope operating in the energy range of nuclear transitions, featuring unprecedented sensitivity, angular and energy resolution. The instrument consists of a tunable crystal diffraction lens situated on a stabilized spacecraft, focusing gamma-rays onto a small array of Germanium detectors perched on an extendible boom. While the weight of such an instrument is less than 500 kg, it features an angular resolution of 15 in., an energy resolution of 2 keV and a 3 {sigma} narrow line sensitivity of a few times 10{sup {minus}7} photons s{supmore » {minus}1} cm{sup {minus}2} (10{sup 6} sec observation). This instrumental concept permits observation of any identified source at any selected line-energy in a range of typically 200 keV to 1300 keV. The resulting ``sequential`` operation mode makes sites of explosive nucleosynthesis natural scientific objectives for such a telescope: the nuclear lines of extragalactic supernovae ({sup 56}Ni, {sup 44}Ti, {sup 60}Fe) and galactic novae (p{sup {minus}}p{sup +} line, {sup 7}Be) are accessible to observation, one at a time, due to the erratic appearance and the sequence of half-lifes of these events. Other scientific objectives, include the narrow 511 keV line from galactic broad class annihilators (such as 1E1740-29, nova musca) and possible redshifted annihilation lines from AGN`s.« less

A Distributed Data Architecture for 2001 Mars Odyssey Data Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crichton, Daniel J.; Hughes, J. Steven; Kelly, Sean

2003-01-01

Newer instruments and communications techniques have given scientists unprecedented amounts of data, more than can be feasibly distributed through traditional methods such as mailed CD-ROM's. Leveraging the web makes sense since it enables scientists to request specific data and retrieve products as soon as they're available. Yet defining the middleware system to support such an application has remained just out of reach, until Odyssey. For the first time ever, data from all Odyssey mission instruments were made available through a single system immediately upon delivery to the Planetary Data System (PDS). The Object Oriented Data Technology (OODT) software made such an application possible.

Measurement of trace stratospheric constituents with a balloon borne laser radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heaps, William S.; Mcgee, Thomas J.

1990-01-01

The objective of this research was to measure the concentration of the stratospheric hydroxyl radical and related chemical species as a function of altitude, season, and time of day. Although hydroxyl plays a very important role in the chemistry controlling stratospheric ozone, little is known about its behavior because it has been a difficult species to measure. The instrument employed in this program was a laser radar, employing the technique of remote laser induced fluorescence. This instrument offers a number of attractive features including extreme specificity and sensitivity, a straightforward relationship between observed quantity and the desired concentration, and immunity to self-contamination.

Definition of experiments and instruments for a communication/navigation research laboratory. Volume 2: Experiment selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The selection and definition of candidate experiments and the associated experiment instrumentation requirements are described. Information is presented that addresses the following study objectives: (1) determine specific research and technology needs in the comm/nav field through a survey of the scientific/technical community; (2) develop manned low earth orbit space screening criteria and compile lists of potential candidate experiments; (3) in Blue Book format, define and describe selected candidate experiments in sufficient detail to develop laboratory configuration designs and layouts; and (4) develop experiment time phasing criteria and recommend a payload for sortie can/early laboratory missions.

New approaches in assessing food intake in epidemiology.

PubMed

Conrad, Johanna; Koch, Stefanie A J; Nöthlings, Ute

2018-06-22

A promising direction for improving dietary intake measurement in epidemiologic studies is the combination of short-term and long-term dietary assessment methods using statistical methods. Thereby, web-based instruments are particularly interesting as their application offers several potential advantages such as self-administration and a shorter completion time. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of new web-based short-term instruments and to describe their features. A number of web-based short-term dietary assessment tools for application in different countries and age-groups have been developed so far. Particular attention should be paid to the underlying database and the search function of the tool. Moreover, web-based instruments can improve the estimation of portion sizes by offering several options to the user. Web-based dietary assessment methods are associated with lower costs and reduced burden for participants and researchers, and show a comparable validity with traditional instruments. When there is a need for a web-based tool researcher should consider the adaptation of existing tools rather than developing new instruments. The combination of short-term and long-term instruments seems more feasible with the use of new technology.

Development and validation of an objective instrument to measure surgical performance at tonsillectomy.

PubMed

Roberson, David W; Kentala, Erna; Forbes, Peter

2005-12-01

The goals of this project were 1) to develop and validate an objective instrument to measure surgical performance at tonsillectomy, 2) to assess its interobserver and interobservation reliability and construct validity, and 3) to select those items with best reliability and most independent information to design a simplified form suitable for routine use in otolaryngology surgical evaluation. Prospective, observational data collection for an educational quality improvement project. The evaluation instrument was based on previous instruments developed in general surgery with input from attending otolaryngologic surgeons and experts in medical education. It was pilot tested and subjected to iterative improvements. After the instrument was finalized, a total of 55 tonsillectomies were observed and scored during academic year 2002 to 2003: 45 cases by residents at different points during their rotation, 5 by fellows, and 5 by faculty. Results were assessed for interobserver reliability, interobservation reliability, and construct validity. Factor analysis was used to identify items with independent information. Interobserver and interobservation reliability was high. On technical items, faculty substantially outperformed fellows, who in turn outperformed residents (P < .0001 for both comparisons). On the "global" scale (overall assessment), residents improved an average of 1 full point (on a 5 point scale) during a 3 month rotation (P = .01). In the subscale of "patient care," results were less clear cut: fellows outperformed residents, who in turn outperformed faculty, but only the fellows to faculty comparison was statistically significant (P = .04), and residents did not clearly improve over time (P = .36). Factor analysis demonstrated that technical items and patient care items factor separately and thus represent separate skill domains in surgery. It is possible to objectively measure surgical skill at tonsillectomy with high reliability and good construct validity. Factor analysis demonstrated that patient care is a distinct domain in surgical skill. Although the interobserver reliability for some patient care items reached statistical significance, it was not high enough for "high stakes testing" purposes. Using reliability and factor analysis results, we propose a simplified instrument for use in evaluating trainees in otolaryngologic surgery.

Strong Motion Instrumentation of Seismically-Strengthened Port Structures in California by CSMIP

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huang, M.J.; Shakal, A.F.

2009-01-01

The California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (CSMIP) has instrumented five port structures. Instrumentation of two more port structures is underway and another one is in planning. Two of the port structures have been seismically strengthened. The primary goals of the strong motion instrumentation are to obtain strong earthquake shaking data for verifying seismic analysis procedures and strengthening schemes, and for post-earthquake evaluations of port structures. The wharves instrumented by CSMIP were recommended by the Strong Motion Instrumentation Advisory Committee, a committee of the California Seismic Safety Commission. Extensive instrumentation of a wharf is difficult and would be impossible without the cooperation of the owners and the involvement of the design engineers. The instrumentation plan for a wharf is developed through study of the retrofit plans of the wharf, and the strong-motion sensors are installed at locations where specific instrumentation objectives can be achieved and access is possible. Some sensor locations have to be planned during design; otherwise they are not possible to install after construction. This paper summarizes the two seismically-strengthened wharves and discusses the instrumentation schemes and objectives. ?? 2009 ASCE.

Solar XUV grazing incidence spectrograph on Skylab.

PubMed

Garrett, D L; Tousey, R

1977-04-01

The objective of Skylab corollary experiment S020 was to obtain through the availability of long exposure times more complete information than was then available on the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and soft x-ray spectrum of the sun in the 10-200-A range. The instrument was a small grazing incidence spectrograph with photographic recording. Use was made of a novel split-ruled grating that combined 1200- and 2400-1/mm rulings to double the spectral coverage of the instrument and to aid in the measurement of wavelengths and order sorting. As it happened, there were many difficulties resulting from the major problems encountered by the Apollo and Skylab missions. Useful spectra were obtained, but the sensitivity of the instrument was greatly reduced, probably because of contamination resulting from leakage of the fluid used in the spacecraft cooling system.

Hard X-ray and gamma-ray imaging spectroscopy for the next solar maximum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudson, H. S.; Crannell, C. J.; Dennis, B. R.; Spicer, D. S.; Davis, J. M.; Hurford, G. J.; Lin, R. P.

1990-01-01

The objectives and principles are described of a single spectroscopic imaging package that can provide effective imaging in the hard X- and gamma-ray ranges. Called the High-Energy Solar Physics (HESP) mission instrument for solar investigation, the device is based on rotating modulation collimators with germanium semiconductor spectrometers. The instrument is planned to incorporate thick modulation plates, and the range of coverage is discussed. The optics permit the coverage of high-contrast hard X-ray images from small- and medium-sized flares with large signal-to-noise ratios. The detectors allow angular resolution of less than 1 arcsec, time resolution of less than 1 arcsec, and spectral resolution of about 1 keV. The HESP package is considered an effective and important instrument for investigating the high-energy solar events of the near-term future efficiently.

Batman flies: a compact spectro-imager for space observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamkotsian, Frederic; Ilbert, Olivier; Zoubian, Julien; Delsanti, Audrey; Boissier, Samuel; Lancon, Ariane

2017-11-01

Multi-object spectroscopy (MOS) is a key technique for large field of view surveys. MOEMS programmable slit masks could be next-generation devices for selecting objects in future infrared astronomical instrumentation for space telescopes. MOS is used extensively to investigate astronomical objects by optimizing the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): high precision spectra are obtained and the problem of spectral confusion and background level occurring in slitless spectroscopy is cancelled. Fainter limiting fluxes are reached and the scientific return is maximized both in cosmology and in legacy science. Major telescopes around the world are equipped with MOS in order to simultaneously record several hundred spectra in a single observation run. Next generation MOS for space like the Near Infrared Multi-Object Spectrograph (NIRSpec) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) require a programmable multi-slit mask. Conventional masks or complex fiber-optics-based mechanisms are not attractive for space. The programmable multi-slit mask requires remote control of the multislit configuration in real time. During the early-phase studies of the European Space Agency (ESA) EUCLID mission, a MOS instrument based on a MOEMS device has been assessed. Due to complexity and cost reasons, slitless spectroscopy was chosen for EUCLID, despite a much higher efficiency with slit spectroscopy. A promising possible solution is the use of MOEMS devices such as micromirror arrays (MMA) [1,2,3] or micro-shutter arrays (MSA) [4]. MMAs are designed for generating reflecting slits, while MSAs generate transmissive slits. In Europe an effort is currently under way to develop single-crystalline silicon micromirror arrays for future generation infrared multi-object spectroscopy (collaboration LAM / EPFL-CSEM) [5,6]. By placing the programmable slit mask in the focal plane of the telescope, the light from selected objects is directed toward the spectrograph, while the light from other objects and from the sky background is blocked. To get more than 2 millions independent micromirrors, the only available component is a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) chip from Texas Instruments (TI) that features 2048 x 1080 mirrors and a 13.68μm pixel pitch. DMDs have been tested in space environment (-40°C, vacuum, radiations) by LAM and no showstopper has been revealed [7]. We are presenting in this paper a DMD-based spectrograph called BATMAN, including two arms, one spectroscopic channel and one imaging channel. This instrument is designed for getting breakthrough results in several science cases, from high-z galaxies to nearby galaxies and Trans-Neptunian Objects of Kuiper Belt.

ERBE and CERES broadband scanning radiometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weaver, William L.; Cooper, John E.

1990-01-01

Broadband scanning radiometers have been used extensively on earth-orbiting satellites to measure the Earth's outgoing radiation. The resulting estimates of longwave and shortwave fluxes have played an important role in helping to understand the Earth's radiant energy balance or budget. The Clouds and the Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES) experiment is expected to include instruments with three broadband scanning radiometers. The design of the CERES instrument will draw heavily from the flight-proven Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) scanner instrument technology and will benefit from the several years of ERBE experience in mission operations and data processing. The discussion starts with a description of the scientific objectives of ERBE and CERES. The design and operational characteristics of the ERBE and CERES instrument are compared and the two ground-based data processing systems are compared. Finally, aspects of the CERES data processing which might be performed in near real-time aboard a spacecraft platform are discussed, and the types of algorithms and input data requirements for the onboard processing system are identified.

A simple approach to spectrally resolved fluorescence and bright field microscopy over select regions of interest

PubMed Central

Dahlberg, Peter D.; Boughter, Christopher T.; Faruk, Nabil F.; Hong, Lu; Koh, Young Hoon; Reyer, Matthew A.; Sherani, Aiman; Hammond, Adam T.

2016-01-01

A standard wide field inverted microscope was converted to a spatially selective spectrally resolved microscope through the addition of a polarizing beam splitter, a pair of polarizers, an amplitude-mode liquid crystal-spatial light modulator, and a USB spectrometer. The instrument is capable of simultaneously imaging and acquiring spectra over user defined regions of interest. The microscope can also be operated in a bright-field mode to acquire absorption spectra of micron scale objects. The utility of the instrument is demonstrated on three different samples. First, the instrument is used to resolve three differently labeled fluorescent beads in vitro. Second, the instrument is used to recover time dependent bleaching dynamics that have distinct spectral changes in the cyanobacteria, Synechococcus leopoliensis UTEX 625. Lastly, the technique is used to acquire the absorption spectra of CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskites and measure differences between nanocrystal films and micron scale crystals. PMID:27910631

Utility of Toca-R Scores during the Elementary School Years in Identifying Later Violence among Adolescent Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petras, Hanno; Chilcoat, Howard D.; Leaf, Philip J.; Ialongo, Nicholas S.; Kellam, Sheppard G.

2004-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the utility of a teacher-rating instrument (TOCA-R) of aggressive behavior during elementary school years in identifying boys at risk for later violence. Method: A community epidemiological sample of 415 public school boys was rated at six time points during elementary school regarding their level of aggressive/disruptive…

Real Time Quality Control Methods for Cued EMI Data Collection

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-14

contents be construed as reflecting the official policy or position of the Department of Defense. Reference herein to any specific commercial product...This project evaluated the effectiveness of in-field quality control (QC) procedures during cued electromagnetic induction (EMI) data collection. The...electromagnetic induction ESTCP Environmental Security Technology Certification Program hr hour ISO Industry Standard Object IVS Instrument

Laparoscopic skill improvement after virtual reality simulator training in medical students as assessed by augmented reality simulator.

PubMed

Nomura, Tsutomu; Mamada, Yasuhiro; Nakamura, Yoshiharu; Matsutani, Takeshi; Hagiwara, Nobutoshi; Fujita, Isturo; Mizuguchi, Yoshiaki; Fujikura, Terumichi; Miyashita, Masao; Uchida, Eiji

2015-11-01

Definitive assessment of laparoscopic skill improvement after virtual reality simulator training is best obtained during an actual operation. However, this is impossible in medical students. Therefore, we developed an alternative assessment technique using an augmented reality simulator. Nineteen medical students completed a 6-week training program using a virtual reality simulator (LapSim). The pretest and post-test were performed using an object-positioning module and cholecystectomy on an augmented reality simulator(ProMIS). The mean performance measures between pre- and post-training on the LapSim were compared with a paired t-test. In the object-positioning module, the execution time of the task (P < 0.001), left and right instrument path length (P = 0.001), and left and right instrument economy of movement (P < 0.001) were significantly shorter after than before the LapSim training. With respect to improvement in laparoscopic cholecystectomy using a gallbladder model, the execution time to identify, clip, and cut the cystic duct and cystic artery as well as the execution time to dissect the gallbladder away from the liver bed were both significantly shorter after than before the LapSim training (P = 0.01). Our training curriculum using a virtual reality simulator improved the operative skills of medical students as objectively evaluated by assessment using an augmented reality simulator instead of an actual operation. We hope that these findings help to establish an effective training program for medical students. © 2015 Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery, Asia Endosurgery Task Force and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

ChemCam Science Objectives for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiens, R.; Maurice, S.; Bridges, N.; Clark, B.; Cremers, D.; Herkenhoff, K.; Kirkland, L.; Mangold, N.; Manhes, G.; Mauchien, P.

2005-01-01

ChemCam consists of two remote sensing instruments. One, a Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument provides rapid elemental composition data on rocks and soils within 13 m of the rover. By using laser pulses, it can remove dust or profile through weathering layers remotely. The other instrument, the Remote Micro-Imager (RMI), provides the highest resolution images between 2 m and infinity. At approximately 80 Rad field of view, its resolution exceeds that of MER Pancam by at least a factor of four. The ChemCam instruments are described in a companion paper by Maurice et al. [1]. Here we present the science objectives for the ChemCam instrument package.

ChemCam Science Objectives for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiens, R.; Maurice, S.; Bridges, N.; Clark, B.; Cremers, D.; Herkenhoff, K.; Kirkland, L.; Mangold, N.; Manhes, G.; Mauchien, P.

2005-01-01

ChemCam consists of two remote sensing instruments. One, a Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument provides rapid elemental composition data on rocks and soils within 13 m of the rover. By using laser pulses, it can remove dust or profile through weathering layers remotely. The other instrument, the Remote Micro-Imager (RMI), provides the highest resolution images between 2 m and infinity. At approximately 80 Rad field of view, its resolution exceeds that of MER Pancam by at least a factor of four. The ChemCam instruments are described in a companion paper by Maurice et al. Here we present the science objectives for the ChemCam instrument package.

Cultural adaptation: translatability assessment and linguistic validation of the patient-reported outcome instrument for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea

PubMed Central

Delgado-Herrera, Leticia; Lasch, Kathryn; Popielnicki, Ana; Nishida, Akito; Arbuckle, Rob; Banderas, Benjamin; Zentner, Susan; Gagainis, Ingrid; Zeiher, Bernhardt

2016-01-01

Background and objective Following a 2009 US Food and Drug Administration guidance, a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument was developed to support end points in multinational clinical trials assessing irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) symptom severity. Our objective was to assess the translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten languages, and subsequently perform a cultural adaptation/linguistic validation of the questionnaire into Japanese and US Spanish. Materials and methods Translatability assessments of the US English version of the IBS-D PRO were performed by experienced PRO translators who were native speakers of each target language and currently residing in target-language countries. Languages were Chinese (People’s Republic of China), Dutch (the Netherlands), French (Belgium), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Polish (Poland), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Spanish (Mexico), and Spanish (US). The project team assessed the instrument to identify potential linguistic and/or cultural adaptation issues. After the issues identified were resolved, the instrument was translated into Spanish (US) and Japanese through a process of two forward translations, one reconciled translation, and one backward translation. The project team reviewed the translated versions before the instruments were evaluated by cognitive debriefing interviews with samples of five Spanish (US) and five Japanese IBS-D patients. Results Linguistic and cultural adaptation concerns identified during the translatability assessment required minor revisions, mainly the presentation of dates/times and word structure. During the cognitive debriefing interviews, two of five Spanish respondents misunderstood the term “bowel movement” to mean only diarrhea in the Spanish version. Consequently, the term was changed from “movimiento intestinal” to “evacuaciones”. None of the Japanese respondents identified issues with the Japanese version. Conclusion The translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten target languages was confirmed, with only minor changes made to the translations of the instrument. The translation and linguistic validation into Spanish (US) and Japanese provide evidence that this instrument can be used in multinational trials and clinical settings. PMID:27382346

Generally objective measurement of human temperature and reading ability: some corollaries.

PubMed

Stenner, A Jackson; Stone, Mark

2010-01-01

We argue that a goal of measurement is general objectivity: point estimates of a person's measure (height, temperature, and reader ability) should be independent of the instrument and independent of the sample in which the person happens to find herself. In contrast, Rasch's concept of specific objectivity requires only differences (i.e., comparisons) between person measures to be independent of the instrument. We present a canonical case in which there is no overlap between instruments and persons: each person is measured by a unique instrument. We then show what is required to estimate measures in this degenerate case. The canonical case encourages a simplification and reconceptualization of validity and reliability. Not surprisingly, this reconceptualization looks a lot like the way physicists and chemometricians think about validity and measurement error. We animate this presentation with a technology that blurs the distinction between instruction, assessment, and generally objective measurement of reader ability. We encourage adaptation of this model to health outcomes measurement.

Capacity of dental equipment to interfere with cardiac implantable electrical devices.

PubMed

Lahor-Soler, Eduard; Miranda-Rius, Jaume; Brunet-Llobet, Lluís; Sabaté de la Cruz, Xavier

2015-06-01

Patients with cardiac implantable electrical devices should take precautions when exposed to electromagnetic fields. Possible interference as a result of proximity to electromagnets or electricity flow from electronic tools employed in clinical odontology remains controversial. The objective of this study was to examine in vitro the capacity of dental equipment to provoke electromagnetic interference in pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Six electronic dental instruments were tested on three implantable cardioverter defibrillators and three pacemakers from different manufacturers. A simulator model, submerged in physiological saline, with elements that reproduced life-size anatomic structures was used. The instruments were analyzed at differing distances and for different time periods of application. The dental instruments studied displayed significant differences in their capacity to trigger electromagnetic interference. Significant differences in the quantity of registered interference were observed with respect to the variables manufacturer, type of cardiac implant, and application distance but not with the variable time of application. The electronic dental equipment tested at a clinical application distance (20 cm) provoked only slight interference in the pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators employed, irrespective of manufacturer. © 2015 Eur J Oral Sci.

Low energy high angular resolution neutral atom detection by means of micro-shuttering techniques: the BepiColombo SERENA/ELENA sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orsini, S.; di Lellis, A. M.; Milillo, A.; de Angelis, E.; Mura, A.; Selci, S.; Dandouras, I.; Cerulli-Irelli, P.; Leoni, R.; Mangano, V.; Massetti, S.; Mattioli, F.; Orfei, R.; Austin, C.; Medale, J.-L.; Vertolli, N.; di Giulio, D.

2009-06-01

The neutral sensor ELENA (Emitted Low-Energy Neutral Atoms) for the ESA cornerstone BepiColombo mission to Mercury (in the SERENA instrument package) is a new kind of low energetic neutral atoms instrument, mostly devoted to sputtering emission from planetary surfaces, from E~20 eV up to E~5 keV, within 1-D (2°×76°). ELENA is a Time-of-Flight (TOF) system, based on oscillating shutter (operated at frequencies up to a 100 kHz) and mechanical gratings: the incoming neutral particles directly impinge upon the entrance with a definite timing (START) and arrive to a STOP detector after a flight path. After a brief dissertation on the achievable scientific objectives, this paper describes the instrument, with the new design techniques approached for the neutral particles identification and the nano-techniques used for designing and manufacturing the nano-structure shuttering core of the ELENA sensor. The expected count-rates, based on the Hermean environment features, are shortly presented and discussed. Such design technologies could be fruitfully exported to different applications for planetary exploration.

Robotic Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerlof, C. W.

2001-05-01

Since the discovery of gamma-ray bursts, a number of groups have attempted to detect correlated optical transients from these elusive objects. Following the flight of the BATSE instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory in 1991, a prompt burst coordinate alert service, BACODINE (now GCN) became available to ground-based telescopes. Several instruments were built to take advantage of this facility, culminating in the discovery of a bright optical flash associated with GRB990123. To date, that single observation remains unique - no other prompt flashes have been seen for a dozen or so other bursts observed with comparably short response times. Thus, GRB prompt optical luminosities may be considerably dimmer than observed for the GRB990123 event or even absent altogether. A new generation of instruments is prepared to explore these possibilties using burst coordinates provided by HETE-2, Swift, Ballerina, Agile and other satellite missions. These telescopes have response times as short as a few seconds and reach limiting magnitudes, m_v 20, guaranteeing a sensitivity sufficient to detect the afterglow many hours later. Results from these experiments should provide important new data about the dynamics and locale of GRBs.

Hubble Space Telescope: Faint object camera instrument handbook. Version 2.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paresce, Francesco (Editor)

1990-01-01

The Faint Object Camera (FOC) is a long focal ratio, photon counting device designed to take high resolution two dimensional images of areas of the sky up to 44 by 44 arcseconds squared in size, with pixel dimensions as small as 0.0007 by 0.0007 arcseconds squared in the 1150 to 6500 A wavelength range. The basic aim of the handbook is to make relevant information about the FOC available to a wide range of astronomers, many of whom may wish to apply for HST observing time. The FOC, as presently configured, is briefly described, and some basic performance parameters are summarized. Also included are detailed performance parameters and instructions on how to derive approximate FOC exposure times for the proposed targets.

Postoperative Radiculopathy Caused by a Retained Fractured Pedicle Cannulation Probe and Its Mechanism of Extraction.

PubMed

Yuk, Frank; Steinberger, Jeremy; Skovrlj, Branko; Mascitelli, Justin; Cho, Samuel K; Caridi, John M

2017-11-01

Spine surgery relies heavily on technology and surgical instrumentation. Improperly used instrumentation can be detrimental to the patient. Despite multiple checkpoints to ensure that foreign bodies are not retained in surgery, numerous case reports have described retained foreign bodies; however, none of these cases involve retained instrumentation after open spine surgery. Of the retained objects, 4 were sponges and one was a Jamshidi needle fragment. Although smaller objects are more commonly the culprits, surgical instruments can break off, remain stuck, and cause clinical sequelae. This case presents a retained fractured pedicle finder as the cause of right L5 radiculopathy. To our knowledge, this report is the first to describe an instrumentation-associated postoperative radiculopathy. Because of the strength with which the object was impacted, its extraction proved difficult. The technique of removal using a mallet and osteotome in 4 directions to loosen its hold in the vertebral body. Attempts and eventual successful removal are described. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ESA's Earth observation priority research objectives and satellite instrument requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reynolds, M. L.

2018-04-01

Since 1996 the European Space Agency has been pursuing an Earth Observation strategy based on a resolution endorsed by European Minister at a meeting in Toulouse. This resolution recognised a broad distinction between purely research objectives, on the one hand, and purely application objectives on the other. However, this is not to be understood as an absolute separation, but rather as an identification of the major driving emphasis for the definition of mission requirement. Indeed, application satellites can provide a wealth of data for research objectives and scientific earth observation programmes can equally provide an important source of data to develop and demonstrate new applications. It is sufficient to look at the data utilisation of Meteosat and ERS to find very many examples of this. This paper identifies the priority research objectives defined for scientific Earth Explorer missions and the resulting instrument needs. It then outlines the requirements for optical instruments.

Real-Time Optical Surveillance of LEO/MEO with Small Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmer, P.; McGraw, J.; Ackermann, M.

J.T. McGraw and Associates, LLC operates two proof-of-concept wide-field imaging systems to test novel techniques for uncued surveillance of LEO/MEO/GEO and, in collaboration with the University of New Mexico (UNM), uses a third small telescope for rapidly queued same-orbit follow-up observations. Using our GPU-accelerated detection scheme, the proof-of-concept systems operating at sites near and within Albuquerque, NM, have detected objects fainter than V=13 at greater than 6 sigma significance. This detection approximately corresponds to a 16 cm object with albedo of 0.12 at 1000 km altitude. Dozens of objects are measured during each operational twilight period, many of which have no corresponding catalog object. The two proof-of-concept systems, separated by ~30km, work together by taking simultaneous images of the same orbital volume to constrain the orbits of detected objects using parallax measurements. These detections are followed-up by imaging photometric observations taken at UNM to confirm and further constrain the initial orbit determination and independently assess the objects and verify the quality of the derived orbits. This work continues to demonstrate that scalable optical systems designed for real-time detection of fast moving objects, which can be then handed off to other instruments capable of tracking and characterizing them, can provide valuable real-time surveillance data at LEO and beyond, which substantively informs the SSA process.

Dimensional nanometrology at the National Physical Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yacoot, Andrew; Leach, Richard; Hughes, Ben; Giusca, Claudiu; Jones, Christopher; Wilson, Alan

2008-10-01

The growth in nanotechnology has led to an increased requirement for traceable dimensional measurements of nanometre-sized objects and micrometre-sized objects with nanometre tolerances. To meet this challenge NPL has developed both purpose built instrumentation and added metrology to commercially available equipment. This paper describes the development and use of a selection of these instruments that include: atomic force microscopy, x-ray interferometry, a low force balance, a micro coordinate measuring machine and an areal surface texture measuring instrument.

Teen drivers' awareness of vehicle instrumentation in naturalistic research.

PubMed

Ehsani, J P; Haynie, D; Ouimet, M C; Zhu, C; Guillaume, C; Klauer, S G; Dingus, T; Simons-Morton, B G

2017-12-01

Naturalistic driving methods require the installation of instruments and cameras in vehicles to record driving behavior. A critical, yet unexamined issue in naturalistic driving research is the extent to which the vehicle instruments and cameras used for naturalistic methods change human behavior. We sought to describe the degree to which teenage participants' self-reported awareness of vehicle instrumentation changes over time, and whether that awareness was associated with driving behaviors. Forty-two newly-licensed teenage drivers participated in an 18-month naturalistic driving study. Data on driving behaviors including crash/near-crashes and elevated gravitational force (g-force) events rates were collected over the study period. At the end of the study, participants were asked to rate the extent to which they were aware of instruments in the vehicle at four time points. They were also asked to describe their own and their passengers' perceptions of the instrumentation in the vehicle during an in-depth interview. The number of critical event button presses was used as a secondary measure of camera awareness. The association between self-reported awareness of the instrumentation and objectively measured driving behaviors was tested using correlations and linear mixed models. Most participants' reported that their awareness of vehicle instrumentation declined across the duration of the 18-month study. Their awareness increased in response to their passengers' concerns about the cameras or if they were involved in a crash. The number of the critical event button presses was initially high and declined rapidly. There was no correlation between driver's awareness of instrumentation and their crash and near-crash rate or elevated g-force events rate. Awareness was not associated with crash and near-crash rates or elevated g-force event rates, consistent with having no effect on this measure of driving performance. Naturalistic driving studies are likely to yield valid measurements of driving behavior. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methods and apparatus for cleaning objects in a chamber of an optical instrument by generating reactive ions using photon radiation

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

Klebanoff, Leonard E.; Delgado, Gildardo R.; Hollenshead, Jeromy T.

An optical instrument, including a chamber, an object exposed to an interior of the chamber, a source of low-pressure gas, the gas comprising at least one of low-pressure molecular hydrogen gas, low-pressure molecular oxygen and a low-pressure noble gas, the source of low pressure gas being fluidly coupled to the chamber, a low voltage source electrically coupled between the object and a remaining portion of the instrument that is exposed to the interior of the chamber so as to maintain the object at a low voltage relative to the remaining portion, and an EUV/VUV light source adapted to direct EUV/VUVmore » light through the low pressure gas in the chamber onto the object. In such a system, when the EUV/VUV light source is activated ions of the low-pressure gas are formed and directed to the object. The ions may be ions of Hydrogen, Oxygen or a noble gas.« less

Geology orbiter comparison study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cutts, J. A. J.; Blasius, K. R.; Davis, D. R.; Pang, K. D.; Shreve, D. C.

1977-01-01

Instrument requirements of planetary geology orbiters were examined with the objective of determining the feasibility of applying standard instrument designs to a host of terrestrial targets. Within the basic discipline area of geochemistry, gamma-ray, X-ray fluorescence, and atomic spectroscopy remote sensing techniques were considered. Within the discipline area of geophysics, the complementary techniques of gravimetry and radar were studied. Experiments using these techniques were analyzed for comparison at the Moon, Mercury, Mars and the Galilean satellites. On the basis of these comparative assessments, the adaptability of each sensing technique was judged as a basic technique for many targets, as a single instrument applied to many targets, as a single instrument used in different mission modes, and as an instrument capability for nongeoscience objectives.

Orthodontic instrument sterilization with microwave irradiation

PubMed Central

Yezdani, Arif; Mahalakshmi, Krishnan; Padmavathy, Kesavaram

2015-01-01

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of microwave sterilization of orthodontic instruments and molar bands immersed in plain distilled water with and without oral rinse, and to ascertain the minimum time of exposure required to sterilize. Materials and Methods: The orthodontic instruments (hinged and nonhinged), molar bands and mouth mirrorsused in the patient 's mouth were selected for the study. The instruments were divided into two groups – Group I with oral rinse-set A (0.01% chlorhexidine gluconate) and set B (0.025% betadine) and Group II (included sets C and D without oral rinse). The instruments of set A, B and C were microwaved at 2,450 MHz, 800 W for 5 min, whereas, set D was microwaved for 10 min at the same above mentioned specifications. The efficacy of sterilization was assessed by stab inoculation of the instruments onto trypticase soya agar plates. The plates were checked for bacterial growth following incubation at 37 °C for 24 h. For sterility control,Geobacillus stearothermophilus (MTCC 1518) was included. Results: No growth was observed in the plates that were inoculated with the microwaved orthodontic instruments of sets A, B and D, whereas scanty bacterial growth was observed in the plates inoculatedwith the microwaved set C instruments. Conclusion: Effective sterilization was achieved when the orthodontic instruments and molar bands were immersed in distilled water without oral rinse and microwaved for 10 min as also for those that were immersed in distilled water with oral rinse and microwaved for 5 min. PMID:26015686

In-Flight Guidance, Navigation, and Control Performance Results for the GOES-16 Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chapel, Jim; Stancliffe, Devin; Bevacqua, Tim; Winkler, Stephen; Clapp, Brian; Rood, Tim; Freesland, Doug; Reth, Alan; Early, Derrick; Walsh, Tim;

Reliable inference of light curve parameters in the presence of systematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Neale P.

2016-10-01

Time-series photometry and spectroscopy of transiting exoplanets allow us to study their atmospheres. Unfortunately, the required precision to extract atmospheric information surpasses the design specifications of most general purpose instrumentation. This results in instrumental systematics in the light curves that are typically larger than the target precision. Systematics must therefore be modelled, leaving the inference of light-curve parameters conditioned on the subjective choice of systematics models and model-selection criteria. Here, I briefly review the use of systematics models commonly used for transmission and emission spectroscopy, including model selection, marginalisation over models, and stochastic processes. These form a hierarchy of models with increasing degree of objectivity. I argue that marginalisation over many systematics models is a minimal requirement for robust inference. Stochastic models provide even more flexibility and objectivity, and therefore produce the most reliable results. However, no systematics models are perfect, and the best strategy is to compare multiple methods and repeat observations where possible.

CCD Camera Lens Interface for Real-Time Theodolite Alignment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wake, Shane; Scott, V. Stanley, III

2012-01-01

Theodolites are a common instrument in the testing, alignment, and building of various systems ranging from a single optical component to an entire instrument. They provide a precise way to measure horizontal and vertical angles. They can be used to align multiple objects in a desired way at specific angles. They can also be used to reference a specific location or orientation of an object that has moved. Some systems may require a small margin of error in position of components. A theodolite can assist with accurately measuring and/or minimizing that error. The technology is an adapter for a CCD camera with lens to attach to a Leica Wild T3000 Theodolite eyepiece that enables viewing on a connected monitor, and thus can be utilized with multiple theodolites simultaneously. This technology removes a substantial part of human error by relying on the CCD camera and monitors. It also allows image recording of the alignment, and therefore provides a quantitative means to measure such error.

The LST scientific instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levin, G. M.

1975-01-01

Seven scientific instruments are presently being studied for use with the Large Space Telescope (LST). These instruments are the F/24 Field Camera, the F/48-F/96 Planetary Camera, the High Resolution Spectrograph, the Faint Object Spectrograph, the Infrared Photometer, and the Astrometer. These instruments are being designed as facility instruments to be replaceable during the life of the Observatory.

Instruments by Telescope | CTIO

Science.gov Websites

Visitor's Computer Guidelines Network Connection Request Instruments Instruments by Telescope IR Instruments Single-object IR spectrograph 1.1"x28" ~3500 Hawaii2RG 0.80-2.40 Available SOAR Instruments See gratings 1,800-14,000 with 0.45 arcsec slit Fairchild CCD 4096x4096 0.32-0.98 Available Spartan IR imager

Far-IR measurements at Cerro Toco, Chile: FIRST, REFIR, and AERI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cageao, Richard P.; Alford, J. Ashley; Johnson, David G.; Kratz, David P.; Mlynczak, Martin G.

2010-09-01

In mid-2009, the Radiative Heating in the Underexplored Bands Campaign II (RHUBC-II) was conducted from Cerro Toco, Chile, a high, dry, remote mountain plateau, 23°S , 67.8°W at 5.4km, in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. From this site, dominant IR water vapor absorption bands and continuum, saturated when viewed from the surface at lower altitudes, or in less dry locales, were investigated in detail, elucidating infrared (IR) absorption and emission in the atmosphere. Three Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) instruments were at the site, the Far-Infrared Spectroscopy of the Troposphere (FIRST), the Radiation Explorer in the Far Infrared (REFIR), and the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI). In a side-by-side comparison, these measured atmospheric downwelling radiation, with overlapping spectral coverage from 5 to 100μm (2000 to 100cm-1), and instrument spectral resolutions from 0.5 to 0.643cm-1, unapodized. In addition to the FTIR and other ground-based IR and microwave instrumentation, pressure/temperature/relative humidity measuring sondes, for atmospheric profiles to 18km, were launched from the site several times a day. The derived water vapor profiles, determined at times matching the FTIR measurement times, were used to model atmospheric radiative transfer. Comparison of instrument data, all at the same spectral resolution, and model calculations, are presented along with a technique for determining adjustments to line-by-line calculation continuum models. This was a major objective of the campaign.

Far-IR Measurements at Cerro Toco, Chile: FIRST, REFIR, and AERI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cageao, Richard P.; Alford, J. Ashley; Johnson, David G.; Kratz, David P.; Mlynczak, Martin G.

2010-01-01

In mid-2009, the Radiative Heating in the Underexplored Bands Campaign II (RHUBC-II) was conducted from Cerro Toco, Chile, a high, dry, remote mountain plateau, 23degS , 67.8degW at 5.4km, in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. From this site, dominant IR water vapor absorption bands and continuum, saturated when viewed from the surface at lower altitudes, or in less dry locales, were investigated in detail, elucidating IR absorption and emission in the atmosphere. Three FTIR instruments were at the site, the Far-Infrared Spectroscopy of the Troposphere (FIRST), the Radiation Explorer in the Far Infrared (REFIR), and the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI). In a side-by-side comparison, these measured atmospheric downwelling radiation, with overlapping spectral coverage from 5 to100um (2000 to 100/cm), and instrument spectral resolutions from 0.5 to 0.64/cm, unapodized. In addition to the FTIR and other ground-based IR and microwave instrumentation, pressure/temperature/relative humidity measuring sondes, for atmospheric profiles to 18km, were launched from the site several times a day. The derived water vapor profiles, determined at times matching the FTIR measurement times, were used to model atmospheric radiative transfer. Comparison of instrument data, all at the same spectral resolution, and model calculations, are presented along with a technique for determining adjustments to line-by-line calculation continuum models. This was a major objective of the campaign.

Development of an Instrument for Assessing Elder Care Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Åhsberg, Elizabeth; Fahlström, Gunilla; Rönnbäck, Eva; Granberg, Ann-Kristin; Almborg, Ann-Helene

2017-01-01

Objective: To construct a needs assessment instrument for older people using a standardized terminology (International classification of functioning, disability, and health [ICF]) and assess its psychometrical properties. Method: An instrument was developed comprising questions to older people regarding their perceived care needs. The instrument's…

Does a robotic scrub nurse improve economy of movements?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachs, Juan P.; Jacob, Mithun; Li, Yu-Ting; Akingba, George

2012-02-01

Objective: Robotic assistance during surgery has been shown to be a useful resource to both augment the surgical skills of the surgeon through tele-operation, and to assist the surgeon handling the surgical instruments to the surgeon, similar to a surgical tech. We evaluated the performance and effect of a gesture driven surgical robotic nurse in the context of economy of movements, during an abdominal incision and closure exercise with a simulator. Methods: A longitudinal midline incision (100 mm) was performed on the simulated abdominal wall to enter the peritoneal cavity without damaging the internal organs. The wound was then closed using a blunt needle ensuring that no tissue is caught up by the suture material. All the instruments required to complete this task were delivered by a robotic surgical manipulator directly to the surgeon. The instruments were requested through voice and gesture recognition. The robotic system used a low end range sensor camera to extract the hand poses and for recognizing the gestures. The instruments were delivered to the vicinity of the patient, at chest height and at a reachable distance to the surgeon. Task performance measures for each of three abdominal incision and closure exercises were measured and compared to a human scrub nurse instrument delivery action. Picking instrument position variance, completion time and trajectory of the hand were recorded for further analysis. Results: The variance of the position of the robotic tip when delivering the surgical instrument is compared to the same position when a human delivers the instrument. The variance was found to be 88.86% smaller compared to the human delivery group. The mean task completion time to complete the surgical exercise was 162.7+/- 10.1 secs for the human assistant and 191.6+/- 3.3 secs (P<.01) when using the robotic standard display group. Conclusion: Multimodal robotic scrub nurse assistant improves the surgical procedure by reducing the number of movements (lower variance in the picking position). The variance of the picking point is closely related to the concept of economy of movements in the operating room. Improving the effectiveness of the operating room can potentially enhance the safety of surgical interventions without affecting the performance time.

Measuring the Dust Flux and Dust Particle Mass Distribution in the Saturn Rings with HRD Dust Instrument on the Cassini Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuzzolino, A. J.; Economou, T. E.

In July 2004, the Cassini spacecraft will go into the Saturn orbit and start a 4 year intensive investigation of the planet itself, its multiple satellites and its rings with a multinational instrument payload. The High Rate Detectors (HRD) instrument provided by the Laboratory of Astrophysics and Space Research of the University of is part of the German Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) and its main scientific objective is to provide quantitative measurements and mass distributions of dust particles in the rings of Saturn in the 10-11 to 10-4 grams mass range. The HRD instrument consists of two dust detectors -- a 20 and a 200 cm2 polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensors -- and an electronic box that contains all the analog and digital electronics and in addition provides interface between the HRD and CDA instrument. The CDA stores all the HRD data in its memory and transmits the data to Earth. The HRD weighs 1.7 kg and consumes 1.8 W of power [1]. The HRD instrument was fully calibrated through the entire mass range using two dust particle accelerators at Heidelberg and Munich in Germany. The HRD electronics is very fast and it will provide spatial and time distributions of up to 0.1 second. It can handle rates up to 104 counts/sec expected to be encountered during the Saturn ring crossings without any dead time. The HRD instrument operated successfully during all of the time that it was under power and detected many interplanetary dust particles. Almost all of these particles were close to the lowest mass threshold. References 1 A.J. TUZZOLINO, T.E. ECONOMOU, R.B. MCKIBBEN, J.A. SIMPSON, J.A.M. MCDONNELL, M.J. BURCHELL, B.A.M. VAUGHAN, P. TSOU, M.S. HANNER, B.C. CLARK AND D.E. BROWNLEE. THE DUST FLUX MONITOR INSTRUMENT FOR THE STARDUST MISSION TO COMET WILD-2, J. GEOPHYS. RES., 108, DOI:10.1029/2003JE002091, 2003.

In-flight testing of the space shuttle orbiter thermal control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, J. T.

1985-01-01

In-flight thermal control system testing of a complex manned spacecraft such as the space shuttle orbiter and the considerations attendant to the definition of the tests are described. Design concerns, design mission requirements, flight test objectives, crew vehicle and mission risk considerations, instrumentation, data requirements, and real-time mission monitoring are discussed. An overview of the tests results is presented.

Development of Instructor Support Feature Guidelines. Volume 1.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-01

dated) Flight Objectives Pamphlet (8/84) TAC Syllabus (8/84) Gradesheet B-52 Training Program WST Coursebook (not dated) Console Familiarization Course...Wordstar Lesson Plans (1984) Gradesheets Instructor Handbook (3/82) KC-135 Pilot WST Coursebook (1/84) Navigator WST Coursebook (1/84) 2 T-37 Instrument...time aircrew performance measurement and instructor feedback, and post-mission data retrieval and analysis. Various levels of statistical performance

The physics of brown dwarfs and exoplanets - JWST/NIRSpec GTO program overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkmann, Stephan; Alves de Oliveira, Catarina; Valenti, Jeff A.; Ferruit, Pierre; NIRSpec GTO Team

2017-06-01

The Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) is one of the science instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope that is scheduled for launch in October 2018. The NIRSpec guaranteed time observer (GTO) team will use ~70 hours of NIRSpec guaranteed time to carry out spectroscopic observations of brown dwarfs as well as transiting and directly imaged exoplanets with NIRSpec. The instrument offers four distinct observing modes to proposers that will all be exercised by the GTO programs presented here: 1) multi object spectroscopy (MOS) of 10s to 100s of sources in a ~9 arcmin field of view (FOV), 2) integral field spectroscopy (IFS) with a 3” x 3” FOV, 3) high contrast slit spectroscopy of individual objects and 4) time series observations of bright sources, e.g. transiting exoplanets host stars. Seven dispersers are available in all observing modes: a prism covering the wavelength range from 0.6 to 5.3 micron with a spectral resolution R of ~30 to 300, and two sets of three gratings covering 0.7 to 5.2 micron with medium (R~1000) and high (R~2700) spectral resolution.We will present the science goals and targets for the brown dwarf and exoplanet GTO programs and discuss the planned implementation of the observations. The latter might be of particular interest to future JWST/NIRSpec proposers.

MCViNE- An object oriented Monte Carlo neutron ray tracing simulation package

DOE PAGES

Lin, J. Y. Y.; Smith, Hillary L.; Granroth, Garrett E.; ...

2015-11-28

MCViNE (Monte-Carlo VIrtual Neutron Experiment) is an open-source Monte Carlo (MC) neutron ray-tracing software for performing computer modeling and simulations that mirror real neutron scattering experiments. We exploited the close similarity between how instrument components are designed and operated and how such components can be modeled in software. For example we used object oriented programming concepts for representing neutron scatterers and detector systems, and recursive algorithms for implementing multiple scattering. Combining these features together in MCViNE allows one to handle sophisticated neutron scattering problems in modern instruments, including, for example, neutron detection by complex detector systems, and single and multiplemore » scattering events in a variety of samples and sample environments. In addition, MCViNE can use simulation components from linear-chain-based MC ray tracing packages which facilitates porting instrument models from those codes. Furthermore it allows for components written solely in Python, which expedites prototyping of new components. These developments have enabled detailed simulations of neutron scattering experiments, with non-trivial samples, for time-of-flight inelastic instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source. Examples of such simulations for powder and single-crystal samples with various scattering kernels, including kernels for phonon and magnon scattering, are presented. As a result, with simulations that closely reproduce experimental results, scattering mechanisms can be turned on and off to determine how they contribute to the measured scattering intensities, improving our understanding of the underlying physics.« less

Gamma-ray Astrophysics with AGILE

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

Longo, Francesco; Tavani, M.; Barbiellini, G.

2007-07-12

AGILE will explore the gamma-ray Universe with a very innovative instrument combining for the first time a gamma-ray imager and a hard X-ray imager. AGILE will be operational in spring 2007 and it will provide crucial data for the study of Active Galactic Nuclei, Gamma-Ray Bursts, unidentified gamma-ray sources. Galactic compact objects, supernova remnants, TeV sources, and fundamental physics by microsecond timing. The AGILE instrument is designed to simultaneously detect and image photons in the 30 MeV - 50 GeV and 15 - 45 keV energy bands with excellent imaging and timing capabilities, and a large field of view coveringmore » {approx} 1/5 of the entire sky at energies above 30 MeV. A CsI calorimeter is capable of GRB triggering in the energy band 0.3-50 MeV AGILE is now (March 2007) undergoing launcher integration and testing. The PLSV launch is planned in spring 2007. AGILE is then foreseen to be fully operational during the summer of 2007.« less

[A systematic social observation tool: methods and results of inter-rater reliability].

PubMed

Freitas, Eulilian Dias de; Camargos, Vitor Passos; Xavier, César Coelho; Caiaffa, Waleska Teixeira; Proietti, Fernando Augusto

2013-10-01

Systematic social observation has been used as a health research methodology for collecting information from the neighborhood physical and social environment. The objectives of this article were to describe the operationalization of direct observation of the physical and social environment in urban areas and to evaluate the instrument's reliability. The systematic social observation instrument was designed to collect information in several domains. A total of 1,306 street segments belonging to 149 different neighborhoods in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were observed. For the reliability study, 149 segments (1 per neighborhood) were re-audited, and Fleiss kappa was used to access inter-rater agreement. Mean agreement was 0.57 (SD = 0.24); 53% had substantial or almost perfect agreement, and 20.4%, moderate agreement. The instrument appears to be appropriate for observing neighborhood characteristics that are not time-dependent, especially urban services, property characterization, pedestrian environment, and security.

Three years of Transients with Fermi GBM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.

2012-01-01

The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) is an all-sky monitoring instrument, sensitive between 8 keV and 40 MeV, with a primary objective of supporting the Large Area Telescope (LAT) in observations of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). Both instruments are part of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Together, the GBM and LAT instruments have provided ground-breaking measurements of GRBs that have, after 10 years of focus on GRB afterglows, inspired renewed interest in the prompt emission phase of GRBs and the physical mechanisms that fuel them. In addition to GRB science, GBM has made significant contributions to the astrophysics of galactic transient sources including long-term variations in the Crab nebula, spin state transitions in accretion powered pulsars, state transitions in black hole X-ray binaries, and unprecedented time-resolved spectral studies of soft gamma-ray repeater bursts. Closer to home, GBM also contributes to solar flare and terrestrial gamma flash science.

Laboratory and telescope demonstration of the TP3-WFS for the adaptive optics segment of AOLI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colodro-Conde, C.; Velasco, S.; Fernández-Valdivia, J. J.; López, R.; Oscoz, A.; Rebolo, R.; Femenía, B.; King, D. L.; Labadie, L.; Mackay, C.; Muthusubramanian, B.; Pérez Garrido, A.; Puga, M.; Rodríguez-Coira, G.; Rodríguez-Ramos, L. F.; Rodríguez-Ramos, J. M.; Toledo-Moreo, R.; Villó-Pérez, I.

2017-05-01

Adaptive Optics Lucky Imager (AOLI) is a state-of-the-art instrument that combines adaptive optics (AO) and lucky imaging (LI) with the objective of obtaining diffraction-limited images in visible wavelength at mid- and big-size ground-based telescopes. The key innovation of AOLI is the development and use of the new Two Pupil Plane Positions Wavefront Sensor (TP3-WFS). The TP3-WFS, working in visible band, represents an advance over classical wavefront sensors such as the Shack-Hartmann WFS because it can theoretically use fainter natural reference stars, which would ultimately provide better sky coverages to AO instruments using this newer sensor. This paper describes the software, algorithms and procedures that enabled AOLI to become the first astronomical instrument performing real-time AO corrections in a telescope with this new type of WFS, including the first control-related results at the William Herschel Telescope.

The condition of neighborhood parks following Hurricane Katrina: development of a Post-Hurricane Assessment instrument.

PubMed

Bedimo-Rung, Ariane L; Thomson, Jessica L; Mowen, Andrew J; Gustat, Jeanette; Tompkins, Bradley J; Strikmiller, Patricia K; Sothern, Melinda S

2008-01-01

Parks provide environments for physical activity, yet little is known about how natural disasters affect them or how these disasters alter physical activity. Our objectives were to (1) describe the development of an instrument to assess park conditions following a hurricane and (2) document the conditions of New Orleans' parks 3 and 6 months after Hurricane Katrina. A Post-Hurricane Assessment (PHA) instrument was developed and implemented in 54 parks 3 and 6 months post-hurricane. Summary scores of the Park Damage Index and the Neighborhood Damage Index showed improvement between 3 and 6 months of data collection. Parks and neighborhoods most affected by the hurricane were located in the most- and least-affluent areas of the city. The PHA proved to be a promising tool for assessing park conditions in a timely manner following a natural disaster and allowed for the creation of summary damage scores to correlate to community changes.

[Municipal planning of care services between competition neutrality and demand planning. An example of care structure planning in Rhineland-Palatinate].

PubMed

Klie, T; Pfundstein, T

2010-04-01

In times of demographic and social change, it is increasingly important to ensure the availability of care services to cover the growing demand. With the implementation of the German long-term insurance act in 1994, the responsibility of states and municipalities was maintained; however, given the long-term care legislation's market orientation and competition neutrality, the classic instruments for demand planning and supervision of infrastructure developments were lost. This leads to new challenges for states and municipalities: their conventional objective-oriented planning lacks professional and juridical legitimization. Calculations of requirements must relate to methodology and professional expertise. In order to exercise their influence on infrastructure development, instruments of demand planning other than subsidization are required. Using the example of Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) and the newly implemented care structure planning, the concept of care monitoring is introduced, and instruments to influence infrastructure development are outlined.

A rocket spectroscopic payload in support of the Apollo Telescope Mount experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rugge, H. R.

1974-01-01

The scientific instrumentation and other payload systems of a solar rocket experiment are described in detail. The objectives of the rocket payload were: (1) to carry out high-spectral-resolution measurements of a coronal active region in the X-ray and extreme ultraviolet regions at the same time as high-spatial-resolution measurements were being made of the same active region by the Apollo Telescope Mount experiments flown on Skylab; and (2) to derive a physical model of the conditions in the coronal active regions, which dominate the X-ray spectrum of the nonflaring active sun, on the basis of data obtained from both the rocket instrumentation and several of the Apollo Telescope Mount experiments.

A program of high resolution X-ray astronomy using sounding rockets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Two Aerobee 170 sounding rocket payloads were flown at the White Sands Missile Range: (1) a focusing X-ray collector on 31 March 1972; and (2) a high resolution telescope on 4 August 1972. Data has been reduced from each of these flights. In the first flight both the rocket and the experiment instrumentation performed adequately, and it is clear that at least the minimum scientific objectives were attained. In the second flight the attitude control system failed to point the telescope at the target for a sufficient length of time. However examination of final preflight checkout data and some flight data indicate that the instrumentation for this rocket payload was functioning according to expectations.

ORAC-DR: One Pipeline for Multiple Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavanagh, B.; Hirst, P.; Jenness, T.; Economou, F.; Currie, M. J.; Todd, S.; Ryder, S. D.

ORAC-DR, a flexible and extensible data reduction pipeline, has been successfully used for real-time data reduction from UFTI and IRCAM (infrared cameras), CGS4 (near-infrared spectrometer), Michelle (mid-infrared imager and echelle spectrometer), at UKIRT; and SCUBA (sub-millimeter bolometer array) at JCMT. We have now added the infrared imaging spectrometers IRIS2 at the Anglo-Australian Telescope and UIST at UKIRT to the list of officially supported instruments. We also present initial integral field unit support for UIST, along with unofficial support for the imager and multi-object spectrograph GMOS at Gemini. This paper briefly describes features of the pipeline along with details of adopting ORAC-DR for other instruments on telescopes around the world.

Rocket instrument for far-UV spectrophotometry of faint astronomical objects.

PubMed

Hartig, G F; Fastie, W G; Davidsen, A F

1980-03-01

A sensitive sounding rocket instrument for moderate (~10-A) resolution far-UV (lambda1160-lambda1750-A) spectrophotometry of faint astronomical objects has been developed. The instrument employs a photon-counting microchannel plate imaging detector and a concave grating spectrograph behind a 40-cm Dall-Kirkham telescope. A unique remote-control pointing system, incorporating an SIT vidicon aspect camera, two star trackers, and a tone-encoded command telemetry link, permits the telescope to be oriented to within 5 arc sec of any target for which suitable guide stars can be found. The design, construction, calibration, and flight performance of the instrument are discussed.

Instrumenting free-swimming dolphins echolocating in open water.

PubMed

Martin, Stephen W; Phillips, Michael; Bauer, Eric J; Moore, Patrick W; Houser, Dorian S

2005-04-01

Dolphins within the Navy Marine Mammal Program use echolocation to effectively locate underwater mines. They currently outperform manmade systems at similar tasks, particularly in cluttered environments and on buried targets. In hopes of improving manmade mine-hunting sonar systems, two instrumentation packages were developed to monitor free-swimming dolphin motion and echolocation during open-water target detection tasks. The biosonar measurement tool (BMT) is carried by a dolphin and monitors underwater position and attitude while simultaneously recording echolocation clicks and returning echoes through high-gain binaural receivers. The instrumented mine simulator (IMS) is a modified bottom target that monitors echolocation signals arriving at the target during ensonification. Dolphin subjects were trained to carry the BMT in open-bay bottom-object target searches in which the IMS could serve as a bottom object. The instrumentation provides detailed data that reveal hereto-unavailable information on the search strategies of free-swimming dolphins conducting open-water, bottom-object search tasks with echolocation.

Instrumenting free-swimming dolphins echolocating in open water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Stephen W.; Phillips, Michael; Bauer, Eric J.; Moore, Patrick W.; Houser, Dorian S.

2005-04-01

Dolphins within the Navy Marine Mammal Program use echolocation to effectively locate underwater mines. They currently outperform manmade systems at similar tasks, particularly in cluttered environments and on buried targets. In hopes of improving manmade mine-hunting sonar systems, two instrumentation packages were developed to monitor free-swimming dolphin motion and echolocation during open-water target detection tasks. The biosonar measurement tool (BMT) is carried by a dolphin and monitors underwater position and attitude while simultaneously recording echolocation clicks and returning echoes through high-gain binaural receivers. The instrumented mine simulator (IMS) is a modified bottom target that monitors echolocation signals arriving at the target during ensonification. Dolphin subjects were trained to carry the BMT in open-bay bottom-object target searches in which the IMS could serve as a bottom object. The instrumentation provides detailed data that reveal hereto-unavailable information on the search strategies of free-swimming dolphins conducting open-water, bottom-object search tasks with echolocation. .

Multi-transmitter multi-receiver null coupled systems for inductive detection and characterization of metallic objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. Torquil; Morrison, H. Frank; Doolittle, Lawrence R.; Tseng, Hung-Wen

2007-03-01

Equivalent dipole polarizabilities are a succinct way to summarize the inductive response of an isolated conductive body at distances greater than the scale of the body. Their estimation requires measurement of secondary magnetic fields due to currents induced in the body by time varying magnetic fields in at least three linearly independent (e.g., orthogonal) directions. Secondary fields due to an object are typically orders of magnitude smaller than the primary inducing fields near the primary field sources (transmitters). Receiver coils may be oriented orthogonal to primary fields from one or two transmitters, nulling their response to those fields, but simultaneously nulling to fields of additional transmitters is problematic. If transmitter coils are constructed symmetrically with respect to inversion in a point, their magnetic fields are symmetric with respect to that point. If receiver coils are operated in pairs symmetric with respect to inversion in the same point, then their differenced output is insensitive to the primary fields of any symmetrically constructed transmitters, allowing nulling to three (or more) transmitters. With a sufficient number of receivers pairs, object equivalent dipole polarizabilities can be estimated in situ from measurements at a single instrument sitting, eliminating effects of inaccurate instrument location on polarizability estimates. The method is illustrated with data from a multi-transmitter multi-receiver system with primary field nulling through differenced receiver pairs, interpreted in terms of principal equivalent dipole polarizabilities as a function of time.

Observatory Science with the NICER X-ray Timing Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remillard, Ronald A.

2016-04-01

This presentation is submitted on behalf of the NICER Observatory Science Working Group. NICER will be deployed on the International Space Station later in 2016. The X-ray sensitivity spans 0.2-12 keV, with CCD-like spectral resolution, low background rates, and unprecedented timing accuracy. A Guest Observer (GO) Program has been approved by NASA as one of the proposed Science Enhancement Options, contingent on NICER meeting its Prime Mission Science Objectives. The NICER Science team will observe limited Observatory Science targets (i.e., sources other than neutron stars) in year 1, and GO observations will constitute 50% of the exposures in year 2. Thereafter, NICER will compete for continuation via the NASA Senior Review process. NICER Instrument performance is compared with Missions such as XMM-Newton and RXTE. We briefly highlight the expected themes for Observatory Science relating to accreting black holes on all mass scales, magnetic CVs, active stars, and clusters of galaxies.

In vivo and ex vivo imaging with ultrahigh resolution full-field OCT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grieve, Kate; Moneron, Gael; Schwartz, Wilfrid; Boccara, Albert C.; Dubois, Arnaud

2005-08-01

Imaging of in vivo and ex vivo biological samples using full-field optical coherence tomography is demonstrated. Three variations on the original full-field optical coherence tomography instrument are presented, and evaluated in terms of performance. The instruments are based on the Linnik interferometer illuminated by a white light source. Images in the en face orientation are obtained in real-time without scanning by using a two-dimensional parallel detector array. An isotropic resolution capability better than 1 μm is achieved thanks to the use of a broad spectrum source and high numerical aperture microscope objectives. Detection sensitivity up to 90 dB is demonstrated. Image acquisition times as short as 10 μs per en face image are possible. A variety of in vivo and ex vivo imaging applications is explored, particularly in the fields of embryology, ophthalmology and botany.

Construction and Resource Utilization Explorer: Regolith Characterization Using a Modular Instrument Suite and Analysis Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Jerome B.; Boynton, William V.; Davis, Keil; Elphic, Richard; Glass, Brian; Haldemann, Albert F. C.; Adams, Frederick W.

2005-01-01

The Construction Resource Utilization Explorer (CRUX) is a technology maturation project for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration to provide enabling technology for lunar and planetary surface operations (LPSO). The CRUX will have 10 instruments, a data handling function (Mapper - with features of data subscription, fusion, interpretation, and publication through geographical information system [GIs] displays), and a decision support system DSS) to provide information needed to plan and conduct LPSO. Six CRUX instruments are associated with an instrumented drill to directly measure regolith properties (thermal, electrical, mechanical, and textural) and to determine the presence of water and other hydrogen sources to a depth of about 2 m (Prospector). CRUX surface and geophysical instruments (Surveyor) are designed to determine the presence of hydrogen, delineate near subsurface properties, stratigraphy, and buried objects over a broad area through the use of neutron and seismic probes, and ground penetrating radar. Techniques to receive data from existing space qualified stereo pair cameras to determine surface topography will also be part of the CRUX. The Mapper will ingest information from CRUX instruments and other lunar and planetary data sources, and provide data handling and display features for DSS output. CRUX operation will be semi-autonomous and near real-time to allow its use for either planning or operations purposes.

A portable detection instrument based on DSP for beef marbling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Tong; Peng, Yankun

2014-05-01

Beef marbling is one of the most important indices to assess beef quality. Beef marbling is graded by the measurement of the fat distribution density in the rib-eye region. However quality grades of beef in most of the beef slaughtering houses and businesses depend on trainees using their visual senses or comparing the beef slice to the Chinese standard sample cards. Manual grading demands not only great labor but it also lacks objectivity and accuracy. Aiming at the necessity of beef slaughtering houses and businesses, a beef marbling detection instrument was designed. The instrument employs Charge-coupled Device (CCD) imaging techniques, digital image processing, Digital Signal Processor (DSP) control and processing techniques and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen display techniques. The TMS320DM642 digital signal processor of Texas Instruments (TI) is the core that combines high-speed data processing capabilities and real-time processing features. All processes such as image acquisition, data transmission, image processing algorithms and display were implemented on this instrument for a quick, efficient, and non-invasive detection of beef marbling. Structure of the system, working principle, hardware and software are introduced in detail. The device is compact and easy to transport. The instrument can determine the grade of beef marbling reliably and correctly.

Formative Assessment of Procedural Skills: Students' Responses to the Objective Structured Clinical Examination and the Integrated Performance Procedural Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nestel, Debra; Kneebone, Roger; Nolan, Carmel; Akhtar, Kash; Darzi, Ara

2011-01-01

Assessment of clinical skills is a critical element of undergraduate medical education. We compare a traditional approach to procedural skills assessment--the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) with the Integrated Performance Procedural Instrument (IPPI). In both approaches, students work through "stations" or…

Properties of resonant trans-Neptunian objects based on Herschel Space Observatory data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farkas Anikó, Takácsné; Kiss, Csaba; Mueller, Thomas G.; Mommert, Michael; Vilenius, Esa

2016-10-01

The goal of our work is to characterise the physical characteristics of resonant, detached and scattered disk objects in the trans-Neptunian region, observed in the framework of the "TNOs are Cool!" Herschel Open Time Key Program. Based on thermal emission measurements with the Herschel/PACS and Spitzer/MIPS instruments we were able to determine size, albedo, and surface thermal properties for 23 objects using radiometric modelling techniques. This is the first analysis in which the physical properties of objects in the outer resonances are determined for a larger sample. In addition to the results for individual objects, we have compared these characteristic with the bulk properties of other populations of the trans-Neptunian region. The newly analysed objects show e.g. a large variety of beaming factors, indicating diverse surfaces, and in general they follow the albedo-colour clustering identified earlier for Kuiper belt objects and Centaurs, further strengthening the evidence for a compositional discontinuity in the young solar system.

Analysis instrument test on mathematical power the material geometry of space flat side for grade 8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusmaryono, Imam; Suyitno, Hardi; Dwijanto, Karomah, Nur

2017-08-01

The main problem of research to determine the quality of test items on the material side of flat geometry to assess students' mathematical power. The method used is quantitative descriptive. The subjects were students of class 8 as many as 20 students. The object of research is the quality of test items in terms of the power of mathematics: validity, reliability, level of difficulty and power differentiator. Instrument mathematical power ratings are tested include: written tests and questionnaires about the disposition of mathematical power. Data were obtained from the field, in the form of test data on the material geometry of space flat side and questionnaires. The results of the test instrument to the reliability of the test item is influenced by many factors. Factors affecting the reliability of the instrument is the number of items, homogeneity test questions, the time required, the uniformity of conditions of the test taker, the homogeneity of the group, the variability problem, and motivation of the individual (person taking the test). Overall, the evaluation results of this study stated that the test instrument can be used as a tool to measure students' mathematical power.

A practical approach to instrument selection, evaluation, basic financial management and implementation in pathology and research.

PubMed

Mina, Ashraf; Favaloro, Emmanuel J; Koutts, Jerry

2008-01-01

In response to increasingly complex demands in terms of productivity and budgets, there is a critical need to avoid mistakes during instrument selection that will be financially costly, and adversely affect customers, staff, productivity and test turnaround time. As there is no "one size fits all", guidelines must be appropriate to permit informed decision making. A Medline search was conducted to assess background knowledge in this area, using the terms "laboratory instrument selection" and "laboratory instrument evaluation". Searches returned over 800 articles, of which only seven were directly related to the topic of the search, with most outdated, and suggesting a paucity of appropriate information. Additional resources used included the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) website and the Internet. Appropriate criteria for instrument selection were established in the current report based on subjective and objective (technical) evaluations. Additionally, a sound and simple financial approach is also suggested to help in making informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes. We propose that such a process as outlined in our report will protect laboratories from making costly and avoidable mistakes in the acquisition of major equipment.

The sound of friction: Real-time models, playability and musical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serafin, Stefania

Friction, the tangential force between objects in contact, in most engineering applications needs to be removed as a source of noise and instabilities. In musical applications, friction is a desirable component, being the sound production mechanism of different musical instruments such as bowed strings, musical saws, rubbed bowls and any other sonority produced by interactions between rubbed dry surfaces. The goal of the dissertation is to simulate different instrument whose main excitation mechanism is friction. An efficient yet accurate model of a bowed string instrument, which combines the latest results in violin acoustics with the efficient digital waveguide approach, is provided. In particular, the bowed string physical model proposed uses a thermodynamic friction model in which the finite width of the bow is taken into account; this solution is compared to the recently developed elasto-plastic friction models used in haptics and robotics. Different solutions are also proposed to model the body of the instrument. Other less common instruments driven by friction are also proposed, and the elasto-plastic model is used to provide audio-visual simulations of everyday friction sounds such as squeaking doors and rubbed wine glasses. Finally, playability evaluations and musical applications in which the models have been used are discussed.

A real-time compliance mapping system using standard endoscopic surgical forceps.

PubMed

Fakhry, Morkos; Bello, Fernando; Hanna, George B

2009-04-01

In endoscopic surgery, the use of long surgical instruments through access ports diminishes tactile feedback and degrades the surgeon's ability to identify hidden tissue abnormalities. To overcome this constraint, we developed a real-time compliance mapping system that is composed of: 1) a standard surgical instrument with a high-precision sensor configuration design; 2) real-time objective interpretation of the output signals for tissue identification; and 3) a novel human-computer interaction technique using interactive voice and handle force monitoring techniques to suit operating theater working environment. The system was calibrated and used in clinical practice in four routine endoscopic human procedures. In a laboratory-based experiment to compare the tissue discriminatory power of the system with that of surgeons' hands, the system's tissue discriminatory power was three times more sensitive and 10% less specific. The data acquisition precision was tested using principal component analysis (R(2)X = 0.975, Q2 [cumulative (cum)] = 0.808 ) and partial least square discriminate analysis (R(2)X = 0.903, R(2)Y = 0.729, Q2 (cum) = 0.572).

The Benefits of Using Time-Frequency Analysis with Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique

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

Albright, Austin P; Clayton, Dwight A

2015-01-01

Improvements in detection and resolution are always desired and needed. There are various instruments available for the inspection of concrete structures that can be used with confidence for detecting different defects. However, more often than not that confidence is heavily dependent on the experience of the operator rather than the clear, objective discernibility of the output of the instrument. The challenge of objective discernment is amplified when the concrete structures contain multiple layers of reinforcement, are of significant thickness, or both, such as concrete structures in nuclear power plants. We seek to improve and extend the usefulness of results producedmore » using the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) on data collected from thick, complex concrete structures. A secondary goal is to improve existing SAFT results, with regards to repeatedly and objectively identifying defects and/or internal structure of concrete structures. Towards these goals, we are applying the time-frequency technique of wavelet packet decomposition and reconstruction using a mother wavelet that possesses the exact reconstruction property. However, instead of analyzing the coefficients of each decomposition node, we select and reconstruct specific nodes based on the frequency band it contains to produce a frequency band specific time-series representation. SAFT is then applied to these frequency specific reconstructions allowing SAFT to be used to visualize the reflectivity of a frequency band and that band s interaction with the contents of the concrete structure. We apply our technique to data sets collected using a commercial, ultrasonic linear array (MIRA) from two 1.5m x 2m x 25cm concrete test specimens. One specimen contains multiple layers of rebar. The other contains honeycomb, crack, and rebar bonding defect analogs. This approach opens up a multitude of possibilities for improved detection, readability, and overall improved objectivity. We will focus on improved defect/reinforcement isolation in thick and multilayered reinforcement environments. Additionally, the ability to empirically explore the possibility of a frequency-band-defect-type relationship or sensitivity becomes available.« less

The benefits of using time-frequency analysis with synthetic aperture focusing technique

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

Albright, Austin, E-mail: albrightap@ornl.gov, E-mail: claytonda@ornl.gov; Clayton, Dwight, E-mail: albrightap@ornl.gov, E-mail: claytonda@ornl.gov

2015-03-31

Improvements in detection and resolution are always desired and needed. There are various instruments available for the inspection of concrete structures that can be used with confidence for detecting different defects. However, more often than not that confidence is heavily dependent on the experience of the operator rather than the clear, objective discernibility of the output of the instrument. The challenge of objective discernment is amplified when the concrete structures contain multiple layers of reinforcement, are of significant thickness, or both, such as concrete structures in nuclear power plants. We seek to improve and extend the usefulness of results producedmore » using the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) on data collected from thick, complex concrete structures. A secondary goal is to improve existing SAFT results, with regards to repeatedly and objectively identifying defects and/or internal structure of concrete structures. Towards these goals, we are applying the time-frequency technique of wavelet packet decomposition and reconstruction using a mother wavelet that possesses the exact reconstruction property. However, instead of analyzing the coefficients of each decomposition node, we select and reconstruct specific nodes based on the frequency band it contains to produce a frequency band specific time-series representation. SAFT is then applied to these frequency specific reconstructions allowing SAFT to be used to visualize the reflectivity of a frequency band and that band's interaction with the contents of the concrete structure. We apply our technique to data sets collected using a commercial, ultrasonic linear array (MIRA) from two 1.5m × 2m × 25cm concrete test specimens. One specimen contains multiple layers of rebar. The other contains honeycomb, crack, and rebar bonding defect analogs. This approach opens up a multitude of possibilities for improved detection, readability, and overall improved objectivity. We will focus on improved defect/reinforcement isolation in thick and multilayered reinforcement environments. Additionally, the ability to empirically explore the possibility of a frequency-band-defect-type relationship or sensitivity becomes available.« less

The benefits of using time-frequency analysis with synthetic aperture focusing technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albright, Austin; Clayton, Dwight

2015-03-01

Improvements in detection and resolution are always desired and needed. There are various instruments available for the inspection of concrete structures that can be used with confidence for detecting different defects. However, more often than not that confidence is heavily dependent on the experience of the operator rather than the clear, objective discernibility of the output of the instrument. The challenge of objective discernment is amplified when the concrete structures contain multiple layers of reinforcement, are of significant thickness, or both, such as concrete structures in nuclear power plants. We seek to improve and extend the usefulness of results produced using the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) on data collected from thick, complex concrete structures. A secondary goal is to improve existing SAFT results, with regards to repeatedly and objectively identifying defects and/or internal structure of concrete structures. Towards these goals, we are applying the time-frequency technique of wavelet packet decomposition and reconstruction using a mother wavelet that possesses the exact reconstruction property. However, instead of analyzing the coefficients of each decomposition node, we select and reconstruct specific nodes based on the frequency band it contains to produce a frequency band specific time-series representation. SAFT is then applied to these frequency specific reconstructions allowing SAFT to be used to visualize the reflectivity of a frequency band and that band's interaction with the contents of the concrete structure. We apply our technique to data sets collected using a commercial, ultrasonic linear array (MIRA) from two 1.5m × 2m × 25cm concrete test specimens. One specimen contains multiple layers of rebar. The other contains honeycomb, crack, and rebar bonding defect analogs. This approach opens up a multitude of possibilities for improved detection, readability, and overall improved objectivity. We will focus on improved defect/reinforcement isolation in thick and multilayered reinforcement environments. Additionally, the ability to empirically explore the possibility of a frequency-band-defect-type relationship or sensitivity becomes available.

Objective assessment of movement competence in children using wearable sensors: An instrumented version of the TGMD-2 locomotor subtest.

PubMed

Bisi, Maria Cristina; Pacini Panebianco, G; Polman, R; Stagni, R

2017-07-01

Movement competence (MC) is defined as the development of sufficient skill to assure successful performance in different physical activities. Monitoring children MC during maturation is fundamental to detect early minor delays and define effective intervention. To this purpose, several MC assessment batteries are available. When evaluating movement strategies, with the aim of identifying specific skill components that may need improving, widespread MC assessment is limited by high time consumption for scoring and the need for trained operators to ensure reliability. This work aims to facilitate and support the assessment by designing, implementing and validating an instrumented version of the TGMD-2 locomotor subtest based on Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) to quantify MC in children rapidly and objectively. 45 typically developing children, aged 6-10, performed the TGMD-2 locomotor subtest (six skills). During the tests, children wore five IMUs mounted on lower back, on ankles and on wrists. Sensor and video recordings of the tests were collected. Three expert evaluators performed the standard assessment of TGMD-2. Using theoretical and modelling approaches, algorithms were implemented to automatically score children tests based on IMUs' data. The automatic assessment, compared to the standard one, showed an agreement higher than 87% on average on the entire group for each skill and a reduction of time for scoring from 15 to 2min per participant. Results support the use of IMUs for MC assessment: this approach will allow improving the usability of MC assessment, supporting objectively evaluator decisions and reducing time requirement for the evaluation of large groups. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DMD-based multi-object spectrograph on Galileo telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamkotsian, Frederic; Spano, Paolo; Lanzoni, Patrick; Bon, William; Riva, Marco; Nicastro, Luciano; Molinari, Emilio; Di Marcantonio, Paolo; Zerbi, Filippo; Valenziano, Luca

2013-03-01

Next-generation infrared astronomical instrumentation for ground-based and space telescopes could be based on MOEMS programmable slit masks for multi-object spectroscopy (MOS). This astronomical technique is used extensively to investigate the formation and evolution of galaxies. We propose to develop a 2048x1080 DMD-based MOS instrument to be mounted on the Galileo telescope and called BATMAN. A two-arm instrument has been designed for providing in parallel imaging and spectroscopic capabilities. The two arms with F/4 on the DMD are mounted on a common bench, and an upper bench supports the detectors thanks to two independent hexapods. Very good optical quality on the DMD and the detectors will be reached. ROBIN, a BATMAN demonstrator, has been designed, realized and integrated. It permits to determine the instrument integration procedure, including optics and mechanics integration, alignment procedure and optical quality. First images have been obtained and measured. A DMD pattern manager has been developed in order to generate any slit mask according to the list of objects to be observed; spectra have been generated and measured. Observation strategies will be studied and demonstrated for the scientific optimization strategy over the whole FOV. BATMAN on the sky is of prime importance for characterizing the actual performance of this new family of MOS instruments, as well as investigating the operational procedures on astronomical objects. This instrument will be placed on the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo at the beginning of next year, in 2014.

The ACES mission: scientific objectives and present status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cacciapuoti, L.; Dimarcq, N.; Salomon, C.

2017-11-01

"Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space" (ACES) is a mission in fundamental physics that will operate a new generation of atomic clocks in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS). The ACES clock signal will combine the medium term frequency stability of a space hydrogen maser (SHM) and the long term stability and accuracy of a frequency standard based on cold cesium atoms (PHARAO). Fractional frequency stability and accuracy of few parts in 1016 will be achieved. The on-board time base distributed on Earth via a microwave link (MWL) will be used to test fundamental laws of physics (Einstein's theories of Special and General Relativity, Standard Model Extension, string theories…) and to develop applications in time and frequency metrology, universal time scales, global positioning and navigation, geodesy and gravimetry. After a general overview on the mission concept and its scientific objectives, the present status of ACES instruments and sub-systems will be discussed.

Instruments to assess the quality of health information on the World Wide Web: what can our patients actually use?

PubMed

Bernstam, Elmer V; Shelton, Dawn M; Walji, Muhammad; Meric-Bernstam, Funda

2005-01-01

To find and assess quality-rating instruments that can be used by health care consumers to assess websites displaying health information. Searches of PubMed, the World Wide Web (using five different search engines), reference tracing from identified articles, and a review of the of the American Medical Informatics Association's annual symposium proceedings. Sources were examined for availability, number of elements, objectivity, and readability. A total of 273 distinct instruments were found and analyzed. Of these, 80 (29%) made evaluation criteria publicly available and 24 (8.7%) had 10 or fewer elements (items that a user has to assess to evaluate a website). Seven instruments consisted of elements that could all be evaluated objectively. Of these seven, one instrument consisted entirely of criteria with acceptable interobserver reliability (kappa> or =0.6); another instrument met readability standards. There are many quality-rating instruments, but few are likely to be practically usable by the intended audience.

Applications of ISES for the atmospheric sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoell, James M., Jr.

1990-01-01

The proposed Information Sciences Experiment System (ISES) will offer the opportunity for real-time access to measurements acquired aboard the Earth Observation System (Eos) satellite. These measurements can then be transmitted to remotely located ground based stations. The application of such measurements to issues related to atmospheric science which was presented to a workshop convened to review possible application of the ISES in earth sciences is summarized. The proposed protocol for Eos instruments requires that measurement results be available in a central data archive within 72 hours of acquiring data. Such a turnaround of raw satellite data to the final product will clearly enhance the timeliness of the results. Compared to the time that results from many current satellite programs, the 72 hour turnaround may be considered real time. Examples are discussed showing how real-time measurements from one or more of the proposed Eos instruments could have been applied to the study of certain issues important to global atmospheric chemistry. Each of the examples discussed is based upon a field mission conducted during the past five years. Each of these examples will emphasize how real-time data could have been used to alter the course of a field experiment, thereby enhancing the scientific output. For the examples, brief overviews of the scientific rationale and objectives, the region of operation, the measurements aboard the aircraft, and finally how one or more of the proposed Eos instruments could have provided data to enhance the productivity of the mission are discussed.

MoonBEAM: Gamma-Ray Burst Detectors on SmallSAT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hui, C. M.; Briggs, M. S.; Goldstein, A. M.; Jenke, P. A.; Kocevski, D.; Wilson-Hodge, C. A.

2018-01-01

Moon Burst Energetics All-sky Monitor (MoonBEAM) is a CubeSat concept of deploying gamma-ray detectors in cislunar space to improve localization precision for gamma-ray bursts by utilizing the light travel time difference between a spacecraft in Earth and cislunar orbit. MoonBEAM is designed with high TRL components to be flight ready. This instrument would probe the extreme processes in cosmic collision of compact objects and facilitate multi-messenger time-domain astronomy to explore the end of stellar life cycles and black hole formations.

Exploring a Black Body Source as an Absolute Radiometric Calibration Standard and Comparison with a NIST Traced Lamp Standard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Robert O.; Chrien, Thomas; Sarture, Chuck

2001-01-01

Radiometric calibration of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) is required for the scientific research and application objectives pursued with the spectroscopic measurements. Specifically calibration is required for: inter-comparison of AVIRIS data measured at different locations and at different times; analysis of AVIRIS data with data measured by other instruments; and analysis of AVIRIS data in conjunction with computer models. The primary effect of radiometric calibration is conversion of AVIRIS instrument response values (digitized numbers, or DN) to units of absolute radiance. For example, a figure shows the instrument response spectrum measured by AVIRIS over a portion of Rogers Dry Lake, California, and another figure shows the same spectrum calibrated to radiance. Only the calibrated spectrum may be quantitatively analyzed for science research and application objectives. Since the initial development of the AVIRIS instrument-radiometric calibration has been based upon a 1000-W irradiance lamp with a calibration traced to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). There are several advantages to this irradiance-lamp calibration approach. First, the considerable effort of NIST backs up the calibration. Second, by changing the distance to the lamp, the output can closely span the radiance levels measured by AVIRIS. Third, this type of standard is widely used. Fourth, these calibrated lamps are comparatively inexpensive. Conversely, there are several disadvantages to this approach as well. First, the lamp is not a primary standard. Second, the lamp output characteristics may change in an unknown manner through time. Third, it is difficult to assess, constrain, or improve the calibration uncertainty delivered with the lamp. In an attempt to explore the effect and potentially address some of these disadvantages a set of analyses and measurements comparing an irradiance lamp with a black-body source have been completed. This research is ongoing, and the current set of measurements, analyses, and results are presented in this paper.

Teaching computer interfacing with virtual instruments in an object-oriented language.

PubMed Central

Gulotta, M

1995-01-01

LabVIEW is a graphic object-oriented computer language developed to facilitate hardware/software communication. LabVIEW is a complete computer language that can be used like Basic, FORTRAN, or C. In LabVIEW one creates virtual instruments that aesthetically look like real instruments but are controlled by sophisticated computer programs. There are several levels of data acquisition VIs that make it easy to control data flow, and many signal processing and analysis algorithms come with the software as premade VIs. In the classroom, the similarity between virtual and real instruments helps students understand how information is passed between the computer and attached instruments. The software may be used in the absence of hardware so that students can work at home as well as in the classroom. This article demonstrates how LabVIEW can be used to control data flow between computers and instruments, points out important features for signal processing and analysis, and shows how virtual instruments may be used in place of physical instrumentation. Applications of LabVIEW to the teaching laboratory are also discussed, and a plausible course outline is given. PMID:8580361

Teaching computer interfacing with virtual instruments in an object-oriented language.

PubMed

Gulotta, M

1995-11-01

LabVIEW is a graphic object-oriented computer language developed to facilitate hardware/software communication. LabVIEW is a complete computer language that can be used like Basic, FORTRAN, or C. In LabVIEW one creates virtual instruments that aesthetically look like real instruments but are controlled by sophisticated computer programs. There are several levels of data acquisition VIs that make it easy to control data flow, and many signal processing and analysis algorithms come with the software as premade VIs. In the classroom, the similarity between virtual and real instruments helps students understand how information is passed between the computer and attached instruments. The software may be used in the absence of hardware so that students can work at home as well as in the classroom. This article demonstrates how LabVIEW can be used to control data flow between computers and instruments, points out important features for signal processing and analysis, and shows how virtual instruments may be used in place of physical instrumentation. Applications of LabVIEW to the teaching laboratory are also discussed, and a plausible course outline is given.

Non-destructive analysis of museum objects by fibre-optic Raman spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Tate, Jim; Moens, Luc

2006-01-01

Raman spectroscopy is a versatile technique that has frequently been applied for the investigation of art objects. By using mobile Raman instrumentation it is possible to investigate the artworks without the need for sampling. This work evaluates the use of a dedicated mobile spectrometer for the investigation of a range of museum objects in museums in Scotland, including antique Egyptian sarcophagi, a panel painting, painted surfaces on paper and textile, and the painted lid and soundboard of an early keyboard instrument. The investigations of these artefacts illustrate some analytical challenges that arise when analysing museum objects, including fluorescing varnish layers, ambient sunlight, large dimensions of artefacts and the need to handle fragile objects with care. Analysis of the musical instrument (the Mar virginals) was undertaken in the exhibition gallery, while on display, which meant that interaction with the public and health and safety issues had to be taken into account. Experimental set-up for the non-destructive Raman spectroscopic investigation of a textile banner in the National Museums of Scotland PMID:16953310

Non-destructive analysis of museum objects by fibre-optic Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

Vandenabeele, Peter; Tate, Jim; Moens, Luc

2007-02-01

Raman spectroscopy is a versatile technique that has frequently been applied for the investigation of art objects. By using mobile Raman instrumentation it is possible to investigate the artworks without the need for sampling. This work evaluates the use of a dedicated mobile spectrometer for the investigation of a range of museum objects in museums in Scotland, including antique Egyptian sarcophagi, a panel painting, painted surfaces on paper and textile, and the painted lid and soundboard of an early keyboard instrument. The investigations of these artefacts illustrate some analytical challenges that arise when analysing museum objects, including fluorescing varnish layers, ambient sunlight, large dimensions of artefacts and the need to handle fragile objects with care. Analysis of the musical instrument (the Mar virginals) was undertaken in the exhibition gallery, while on display, which meant that interaction with the public and health and safety issues had to be taken into account. Experimental set-up for the non-destructive Raman spectroscopic investigation of a textile banner in the National Museums of Scotland.

HIGH-FIDELITY RADIO ASTRONOMICAL POLARIMETRY USING A MILLISECOND PULSAR AS A POLARIZED REFERENCE SOURCE

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

Van Straten, W., E-mail: vanstraten.willem@gmail.com

2013-01-15

A new method of polarimetric calibration is presented in which the instrumental response is derived from regular observations of PSR J0437-4715 based on the assumption that the mean polarized emission from this millisecond pulsar remains constant over time. The technique is applicable to any experiment in which high-fidelity polarimetry is required over long timescales; it is demonstrated by calibrating 7.2 years of high-precision timing observations of PSR J1022+1001 made at the Parkes Observatory. Application of the new technique followed by arrival time estimation using matrix template matching yields post-fit residuals with an uncertainty-weighted standard deviation of 880 ns, two timesmore » smaller than that of arrival time residuals obtained via conventional methods of calibration and arrival time estimation. The precision achieved by this experiment yields the first significant measurements of the secular variation of the projected semimajor axis, the precession of periastron, and the Shapiro delay; it also places PSR J1022+1001 among the 10 best pulsars regularly observed as part of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) project. It is shown that the timing accuracy of a large fraction of the pulsars in the PPTA is currently limited by the systematic timing error due to instrumental polarization artifacts. More importantly, long-term variations of systematic error are correlated between different pulsars, which adversely affects the primary objectives of any pulsar timing array experiment. These limitations may be overcome by adopting the techniques presented in this work, which relax the demand for instrumental polarization purity and thereby have the potential to reduce the development cost of next-generation telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array.« less

Radio Continuum Surveys with Square Kilometre Array Pathfinders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norris, Ray P.; Afonso, J.; Bacon, D.; Beck, Rainer; Bell, Martin; Beswick, R. J.; Best, Philip; Bhatnagar, Sanjay; Bonafede, Annalisa; Brunetti, Gianfranco; Budavári, Tamás; Cassano, Rossella; Condon, J. J.; Cress, Catherine; Dabbech, Arwa; Feain, I.; Fender, Rob; Ferrari, Chiara; Gaensler, B. M.; Giovannini, G.; Haverkorn, Marijke; Heald, George; Van der Heyden, Kurt; Hopkins, A. M.; Jarvis, M.; Johnston-Hollitt, Melanie; Kothes, Roland; Van Langevelde, Huib; Lazio, Joseph; Mao, Minnie Y.; Martínez-Sansigre, Alejo; Mary, David; Mcalpine, Kim; Middelberg, E.; Murphy, Eric; Padovani, P.; Paragi, Zsolt; Prandoni, I.; Raccanelli, A.; Rigby, Emma; Roseboom, I. G.; Röttgering, H.; Sabater, Jose; Salvato, Mara; Scaife, Anna M. M.; Schilizzi, Richard; Seymour, N.; Smith, Dan J. B.; Umana, Grazia; Zhao, G.-B.; Zinn, Peter-Christian

2013-03-01

In the lead-up to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, several next-generation radio telescopes and upgrades are already being built around the world. These include APERTIF (The Netherlands), ASKAP (Australia), e-MERLIN (UK), VLA (USA), e-EVN (based in Europe), LOFAR (The Netherlands), MeerKAT (South Africa), and the Murchison Widefield Array. Each of these new instruments has different strengths, and coordination of surveys between them can help maximise the science from each of them. A radio continuum survey is being planned on each of them with the primary science objective of understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies over cosmic time, and the cosmological parameters and large-scale structures which drive it. In pursuit of this objective, the different teams are developing a variety of new techniques, and refining existing ones. To achieve these exciting scientific goals, many technical challenges must be addressed by the survey instruments. Given the limited resources of the global radio-astronomical community, it is essential that we pool our skills and knowledge. We do not have sufficient resources to enjoy the luxury of re-inventing wheels. We face significant challenges in calibration, imaging, source extraction and measurement, classification and cross-identification, redshift determination, stacking, and data-intensive research. As these instruments extend the observational parameters, we will face further unexpected challenges in calibration, imaging, and interpretation. If we are to realise the full scientific potential of these expensive instruments, it is essential that we devote enough resources and careful study to understanding the instrumental effects and how they will affect the data. We have established an SKA Radio Continuum Survey working group, whose prime role is to maximise science from these instruments by ensuring we share resources and expertise across the projects. Here we describe these projects, their science goals, and the technical challenges which are being addressed to maximise the science return.

Time-Resolved CubeSat Photometry with a Low Cost Electro-Optics System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasdia, F.; Barjatya, A.; Bilardi, S.

2016-09-01

Once the orbits of small debris or CubeSats are determined, optical rate-track follow-up observations can provide information for characterization or identification of these objects. Using the Celestron 11" RASA telescope and an inexpensive CMOS machine vision camera, we have obtained time-series photometry from dozens of passes of small satellites and CubeSats over sites in Florida and Massachusetts. The fast readout time of the CMOS detector allows temporally resolved sampling of glints from small wire antennae and structural facets of rapidly tumbling objects. Because the shape of most CubeSats is known, these light curves can be used in a mission support function for small satellite operators to diagnose or verify the proper functioning of an attitude control system or deployed antenna or instrument. We call this telescope system and the accompanying analysis tools OSCOM for Optical tracking and Spectral characterization of CubeSats for Operational Missions. We introduce the capability of OSCOM for space object characterization, and present photometric observations demonstrating the potential of high frame rate small satellite photometry.

The Antemortem Detection and Conformational Switches of Prion Proteins

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-07-01

temperature. After washing 4 times, the signal was detected with the Super Signal West Pico ECL kit (Pierce) and x-ray film (Hyperfilm ECL, GE Healthcare ...object lens and a digital color imaging system (Spot Insight, Diagnostic Instruments, Inc. MI). The needle-like crystals on the surface of the cells...Bordeaux 2, 33077 Bordeaux Cedex, France. 3ETH Zurich, Physical Chemistry, ETH Honggerberg, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland . *These authors contributed

Mariner Mars 1971 optical navigation demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Born, G. H.; Duxbury, T. C.; Breckenridge, W. G.; Acton, C. H.; Mohan, S.; Jerath, N.; Ohtakay, H.

1974-01-01

The feasibility of using a combination of spacecraft-based optical data and earth-based Doppler data to perform near-real-time approach navigation was demonstrated by the Mariner Mars 71 Project. The important findings, conclusions, and recommendations are documented. A summary along with publications and papers giving additional details on the objectives of the demonstration are provided. Instrument calibration and performance as well as navigation and science results are reported.

[Biosafety in the study of samples of extraterrestrial origin by an example of preparation for the "Phobos-Grunt" mission].

PubMed

Dobrokhotskiĭ, O N; Diatlov, I A; Orlov, O I; Novikova, N D; Khamidullina, N M; Deshevaia, E A

2012-01-01

The necessity of microbial studying the soil from Phobos and terrestrial biological objects, which were for a long time in deep space and may represent a biological hazard has been shown. Developed medical and technical requirements for laboratories comply with Russian regulations and recommendations of international instruments for the ensuring of biosafety on the basis of process (continuous) biorisk management.

Small aperture seismic arrays for studying planetary interiors and seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmerr, N. C.; Lekic, V.; Fouch, M. J.; Panning, M. P.; Siegler, M.; Weber, R. C.

2017-12-01

Seismic arrays are a powerful tool for understanding the interior structure and seismicity across objects in the Solar System. Given the operational constraints of ground-based lander investigations, a small aperture seismic array can provide many of the benefits of a larger-scale network, but does not necessitate a global deployment of instrumentation. Here we define a small aperture array as a deployment of multiple seismometers, with a separation between instruments of 1-1000 meters. For example, small aperture seismic arrays have been deployed on the Moon during the Apollo program, the Active Seismic Experiments of Apollo 14 and 16, and the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment deployed by the Apollo 17 astronauts. Both were high frequency geophone arrays with spacing of 50 meters that provided information on the layering and velocity structure of the uppermost kilometer of the lunar crust. Ideally such arrays would consist of instruments that are 3-axis short period or broadband seismometers. The instruments must have a sampling rate and frequency range sensitivity capable of distinguishing between waves arriving at each station in the array. Both terrestrial analogs and the data retrieved from the Apollo arrays demonstrate the efficacy of this approach. Future opportunities exist for deployment of seismic arrays on Europa, asteroids, and other objects throughout the Solar System. Here we will present both observational data and 3-D synthetic modeling results that reveal the sensing requirements and the primary advantages of a small aperture seismic array over single station approach. For example, at the smallest apertures of < 1 m, we constrain that sampling rates must exceed 500 Hz and instrument sensitivity must extend to 100 Hz or greater. Such advantages include the improved ability to resolve the location of the sources near the array through detection of backazimuth and differential timing between stations, determination of the small-scale structure (layering, scattering bodies, density and velocity variations) in the vicinity of the array, as well as the ability to improve the signal to noise ratio of distant body waves by additive methods such as stacking and velocity-slowness analysis. These results will inform future missions on the surfaces of objects throughout the Solar System.

Comparing Binaural Pre-processing Strategies I: Instrumental Evaluation.

PubMed

Baumgärtel, Regina M; Krawczyk-Becker, Martin; Marquardt, Daniel; Völker, Christoph; Hu, Hongmei; Herzke, Tobias; Coleman, Graham; Adiloğlu, Kamil; Ernst, Stephan M A; Gerkmann, Timo; Doclo, Simon; Kollmeier, Birger; Hohmann, Volker; Dietz, Mathias

2015-12-30

In a collaborative research project, several monaural and binaural noise reduction algorithms have been comprehensively evaluated. In this article, eight selected noise reduction algorithms were assessed using instrumental measures, with a focus on the instrumental evaluation of speech intelligibility. Four distinct, reverberant scenarios were created to reflect everyday listening situations: a stationary speech-shaped noise, a multitalker babble noise, a single interfering talker, and a realistic cafeteria noise. Three instrumental measures were employed to assess predicted speech intelligibility and predicted sound quality: the intelligibility-weighted signal-to-noise ratio, the short-time objective intelligibility measure, and the perceptual evaluation of speech quality. The results show substantial improvements in predicted speech intelligibility as well as sound quality for the proposed algorithms. The evaluated coherence-based noise reduction algorithm was able to provide improvements in predicted audio signal quality. For the tested single-channel noise reduction algorithm, improvements in intelligibility-weighted signal-to-noise ratio were observed in all but the nonstationary cafeteria ambient noise scenario. Binaural minimum variance distortionless response beamforming algorithms performed particularly well in all noise scenarios. © The Author(s) 2015.

Most Efficient Spectrograph to Shoot the Southern Skies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-05-01

ESO's Very Large Telescope -- Europe's flagship facility for ground-based astronomy -- has been equipped with the first of its second generation instruments: X-shooter. It can record the entire spectrum of a celestial object in one shot -- from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared -- with high sensitivity. This unique new instrument will be particularly useful for the study of distant exploding objects called gamma-ray bursts. ESO PR Photo 20a/09 An X-shooter spectrum ESO PR Photo 20b/09 The X-shooter instrument ESO PR Photo 20c/09 First Light of X-shooter "X-shooter offers a capability that is unique among astronomical instruments installed at large telescopes," says Sandro D'Odorico, who coordinated the Europe-wide consortium of scientists and engineers that built this remarkable instrument. "Until now, different instruments at different telescopes and multiple observations were needed to cover this kind of wavelength range, making it very difficult to compare data, which, even though from the same object, could have been taken at different times and under different sky conditions." X-shooter collects the full spectrum from the ultraviolet (300 nm) to the near-infrared (2400 nm) in parallel, capturing up to half of all the light from an object that passes through the atmosphere and the various elements of the telescope. "All in all, X-shooter can save us a factor of three or more in terms of precious telescope time and opens a new window of opportunity for the study of many, still poorly understood, celestial sources," says D'Odorico. The name of the 2.5-ton instrument was chosen to stress its capacity to capture data highly efficiently from a source whose nature and energy distribution are not known in advance of the observation. This property is particularly crucial in the study of gamma-ray bursts, the most energetic explosions known to occur in the Universe (ESO 17/09). Until now, a rough estimate of the distance of the target was needed, so as to know which instrument to use for a detailed study. Thanks to X-shooter, astronomers won't have to go through this first observing step. This is particularly relevant for gamma-ray bursts, which fade away very quickly and where being fast is the key to understanding the nature of these elusive cosmic sources. "I am very confident that X-shooter will discover the most distant gamma-ray bursts in the Universe, or in other words, the first objects that formed in the young Universe," says François Hammer, who leads the French efforts in X-shooter. X-shooter was built by a consortium of 11 institutes in Denmark, France, Italy and the Netherlands, together with ESO. In total 68 person-years of work by engineers, technicians and astronomers and a global budget of six million Euros were required. The development time was remarkably fast for a project of this complexity, which was completed in just over five years, starting from the kick-off meeting held in December 2003. "The success of X-shooter and its relatively short completion time are a tribute to the quality and dedication of the many people involved in the project," says Alan Moorwood, ESO Director of Programmes. The instrument was installed at the telescope at the end of 2008 and the first observations in its full configuration were made on 14 March 2009, demonstrating that the instrument works efficiently over the full spectral range with unprecedented resolution and quality. X-shooter has already proved its full capability by obtaining the complete spectra of low metallicity stars, of X-ray binaries, of distant quasars and galaxies, of the nebulae associated with Eta Carinae and the supernova 1987A, as well as with the observation of a distant gamma-ray burst that coincidently exploded at the time of the commissioning run. X-shooter will be offered to the astronomical community from 1 October 2009. The instrument is clearly answering a need in the scientific community as about 150 proposals were received for the first runs of X-shooter, for a total of 350 observing nights, making it the second most requested instrument at the Very Large Telescope in this period. More information ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) is the world's most advanced optical instrument. It is an ensemble of four 8.2-metre telescopes located at the Paranal Observatory on an isolated mountain peak in the Atacama Desert in North Chile. The four 8.2-metre telescopes have a total of 12 focal stations where different instruments for imaging and spectroscopic observations are installed and a special station where the light of the four telescopes is combined for interferometric observations. The first VLT instrument was installed in 1998 and has been followed by 12 more in the last 10 years, distributed at the different focal stations. X-shooter is the first of the second generation of VLT instruments and replaces the workhorse-instrument FORS1, which has been successfully used for more than ten years by hundreds of astronomers. X-shooter operates at the Cassegrain focus of the Kueyen telescope (UT2). In response to an ESO Call for Proposals for second generation VLT instrumentation, ESO received three proposals for an intermediate resolution, high efficiency spectrograph. These were eventually merged into a single proposal around the present concept of X-shooter, which was approved for construction in November 2003. The Final Design Review, at which the instrument design is finalised and declared ready for construction, took place in April 2006. The first observations with the instrument at the telescope in its full configuration were on 14 March 2009. X-shooter is a joint project by Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands and ESO. The collaborating institutes in Denmark are the Niels Bohr and the DARK Institutes of the University of Copenhagen and the National Space Institute (Technical University of Denmark); in France GEPI at the Observatoire de Paris and APC at the Université D. Diderot, with contributions from the CEA and the CNRS; in Italy the Osservatorio di Brera, Trieste, Palermo and Catania; and in the Netherlands, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Nijmegen and ASTRON. Beside the participating institutes and ESO, the project was supported by the National Agencies of Italy (INAF), the Italian Ministry for Education, University and Research (MIUR), the Netherlands (NOVA and NWO) and by the Carlsberg Foundation in Denmark. The project was also supported in Denmark and the Netherlands with funds from the EU Descartes prize, the highest European prize for science, awarded in 2002 to the European collaboration on gamma-ray burst research headed by Professor Ed van den Heuvel. ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe. It is supported by 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in the Atacama Desert region of Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor.

MARVELS 1D Pipeline Development, Optimization, and Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Neil; Ge, Jian; Grieves, Nolan; Li, Rui; Sithajan, Sirinrat

2016-04-01

We describe the processing pipeline of one-dimensional spectra from the SDSS III Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey (MARVELS). This medium-resolution interferometric spectroscopic survey observed over 3300 stars over the course of four years with the primary goal of detecting and characterizing giant planets (>0.5 M Jup) from within a large, homogeneous sample of FGK stars. The successful extraction of radial velocities (RVs) from MARVELS is complicated by several instrument effects. The wide field nature of this multi-object spectrograph provides spectra that are initially distorted and require conditioning of the raw images for precise RV extraction. Also, the simultaneous observation of sixty stars per exposure leads to several effects not typically seen in a single-object instrument. For instance, fiber illumination changes over time can easily create the dominant source of RV measurement error when these changes are different for the stellar and calibration optical paths. We present a method for statistically quantifying these instrument effects to combat the difficulty of giant planet detection due to systematic RV errors. We also present an overview of the performance of the entire survey as it stands for the SDSS III DR 12 as well as key results from the very latest improvements. This includes a novel technique, called lucky RV, by which stable regions of spectra can be statistically determined and emphasized during RV extraction, leading to a large reduction of the long-term RV offsets in the MARVELS data. These improved RV data are to be released via NASA Exoplanet Archive in the fall of 2015.

The Mystery of the Sparkling Spheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This image, taken by the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity 's instrument deployment device, or 'arm,' reveals shiny, spherical objects embedded within the trench wall at Meridiani Planum, Mars. Scientists are highly intrigued by these objects and may further investigate them. The area in this image measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across.

Time-resolved infrared spectrophotometric observations of high area to mass ratio (HAMR) objects in GEO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, Mark A.; Russell, Ray W.; Rudy, Richard J.; Gutierrez, David J.; Kim, Daryl L.; Crawford, Kirk; Gregory, Steve; Kelecy, Tom

2011-12-01

Optical surveys have identified a class of high area-to-mass ratio (HAMR) objects in the vicinity of the Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) ring [1]. The exact origin and nature of these objects are not well known, although their proximity to the GEO ring poses a hazard to active GEO satellites. Due to their high area-to-mass ratios, solar radiation pressure perturbs their orbits in ways that makes it difficult to predict their orbital trajectories over periods of time exceeding a week. To better understand these objects and their origins, observations that allow us to derive physical characteristics are required in order to improve the non-conservative force modeling for orbit determination and prediction. Information on their temperatures, areas, emissivities, and albedos may be obtained from thermal infrared, mid-wave infrared (MWIR), and visible measurements. Spectral features may help to identify the composition of the material, and thus possible origins for these objects. We have collected observational data on various HAMR objects from the AMOS observatory 3.6 m AEOS telescope. The thermal-IR spectra of these low-earth orbit objects acquired by the Broadband Array Spectrograph System (BASS) span wavelengths 3-13 μm and constitute a unique data set, providing a means of measuring, as a function of time, object fluxes. These, in turn, allow temperatures and emissivity-area products to be calculated. In some instances we have also collected simultaneous filtered visible photometric data on the observed objects. The multi-wavelength observations of the objects provide possible clues as to the nature of the observed objects. We describe briefly the nature and status of the instrumental programs used to acquire the data, our data of record, our data analysis techniques, and our current results, as well as future plans.

Using XML and Java Technologies for Astronomical Instrument Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ames, Troy; Case, Lynne; Powers, Edward I. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Traditionally, instrument command and control systems have been highly specialized, consisting mostly of custom code that is difficult to develop, maintain, and extend. Such solutions are initially very costly and are inflexible to subsequent engineering change requests, increasing software maintenance costs. Instrument description is too tightly coupled with details of implementation. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, under the Instrument Remote Control (IRC) project, is developing a general and highly extensible framework that applies to any kind of instrument that can be controlled by a computer. The software architecture combines the platform independent processing capabilities of Java with the power of the Extensible Markup Language (XML), a human readable and machine understandable way to describe structured data. A key aspect of the object-oriented architecture is that the software is driven by an instrument description, written using the Instrument Markup Language (IML), a dialect of XML. IML is used to describe the command sets and command formats of the instrument, communication mechanisms, format of the data coming from the instrument, and characteristics of the graphical user interface to control and monitor the instrument. The IRC framework allows the users to define a data analysis pipeline which converts data coming out of the instrument. The data can be used in visualizations in order for the user to assess the data in real-time, if necessary. The data analysis pipeline algorithms can be supplied by the user in a variety of forms or programming languages. Although the current integration effort is targeted for the High-resolution Airborne Wideband Camera (HAWC) and the Submillimeter and Far Infrared Experiment (SAFIRE), first-light instruments of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the framework is designed to be generic and extensible so that it can be applied to any instrument. Plans are underway to test the framework with other types of instruments, such as remote sensing earth science instruments.

Evaluation of the Clinical LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers, Names, and Codes) Semantic Structure as a Terminology Model for Standardized Assessment Measures

PubMed Central

Bakken, Suzanne; Cimino, James J.; Haskell, Robert; Kukafka, Rita; Matsumoto, Cindi; Chan, Garrett K.; Huff, Stanley M.

2000-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the adequacy of the Clinical LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers, Names, and Codes) semantic structure as a terminology model for standardized assessment measures. Methods: After extension of the definitions, 1,096 items from 35 standardized assessment instruments were dissected into the elements of the Clinical LOINC semantic structure. An additional coder dissected at least one randomly selected item from each instrument. When multiple scale types occurred in a single instrument, a second coder dissected one randomly selected item representative of each scale type. Results: The results support the adequacy of the Clinical LOINC semantic structure as a terminology model for standardized assessments. Using the revised definitions, the coders were able to dissect into the elements of Clinical LOINC all the standardized assessment items in the sample instruments. Percentage agreement for each element was as follows: component, 100 percent; property, 87.8 percent; timing, 82.9 percent; system/sample, 100 percent; scale, 92.6 percent; and method, 97.6 percent. Discussion: This evaluation was an initial step toward the representation of standardized assessment items in a manner that facilitates data sharing and re-use. Further clarification of the definitions, especially those related to time and property, is required to improve inter-rater reliability and to harmonize the representations with similar items already in LOINC. PMID:11062226

3D Printed Surgical Instruments: The Design and Fabrication Process.

PubMed

George, Mitchell; Aroom, Kevin R; Hawes, Harvey G; Gill, Brijesh S; Love, Joseph

2017-01-01

3D printing is an additive manufacturing process allowing the creation of solid objects directly from a digital file. We believe recent advances in additive manufacturing may be applicable to surgical instrument design. This study investigates the feasibility, design and fabrication process of usable 3D printed surgical instruments. The computer-aided design package SolidWorks (Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corp., Waltham MA) was used to design a surgical set including hemostats, needle driver, scalpel handle, retractors and forceps. These designs were then printed on a selective laser sintering (SLS) Sinterstation HiQ (3D Systems, Rock Hill SC) using DuraForm EX plastic. The final printed products were evaluated by practicing general surgeons for ergonomic functionality and performance, this included simulated surgery and inguinal hernia repairs on human cadavers. Improvements were identified and addressed by adjusting design and build metrics. Repeated manufacturing processes and redesigns led to the creation of multiple functional and fully reproducible surgical sets utilizing the user feedback of surgeons. Iterative cycles including design, production and testing took an average of 3 days. Each surgical set was built using the SLS Sinterstation HiQ with an average build time of 6 h per set. Functional 3D printed surgical instruments are feasible. Advantages compared to traditional manufacturing methods include no increase in cost for increased complexity, accelerated design to production times and surgeon specific modifications.

Sensory and instrumental texture assessment of roasted pistachio nut/kernel by partial least square (PLS) regression analysis: effect of roasting conditions.

PubMed

Mohammadi Moghaddam, Toktam; Razavi, Seyed M A; Taghizadeh, Masoud; Sazgarnia, Ameneh

2016-01-01

Roasting is an important step in the processing of pistachio nuts. The effect of hot air roasting temperature (90, 120 and 150 °C), time (20, 35 and 50 min) and air velocity (0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 m/s) on textural and sensory characteristics of pistachio nuts and kernels were investigated. The results showed that increasing the roasting temperature decreased the fracture force (82-25.54 N), instrumental hardness (82.76-37.59 N), apparent modulus of elasticity (47-21.22 N/s), compressive energy (280.73-101.18 N.s) and increased amount of bitterness (1-2.5) and the hardness score (6-8.40) of pistachio kernels. Higher roasting time improved the flavor of samples. The results of the consumer test showed that the roasted pistachio kernels have good acceptability for flavor (score 5.83-8.40), color (score 7.20-8.40) and hardness (score 6-8.40) acceptance. Moreover, Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis of instrumental and sensory data provided important information for the correlation of objective and subjective properties. The univariate analysis showed that over 93.87 % of the variation in sensory hardness and almost 87 % of the variation in sensory acceptability could be explained by instrumental texture properties.

Simultaneous Measurement of Polymerization Stress and Curing Kinetics for Photo-polymerized Composites with High Filler Contents

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhengzhi; Landis, Forrest A.; Giuseppetti, Anthony A.M.; Lin-Gibson, Sheng; Chiang, Martin Y.M.

2015-01-01

Objectives Photopolymerized composites are used in a broad range of applications with their performance largely directed by reaction kinetics and contraction accompanying polymerization. The present study was to demonstrate an instrument capable of simultaneously collecting multiple kinetics parameters for a wide range of photopolymerizable systems: degree of conversion (DC), reaction exotherm, and polymerization stress (PS). Methods Our system consisted of a cantilever beam-based instrument (tensometer) that has been optimized to capture a large range of stress generated by lightly-filled to highly-filled composites. The sample configuration allows the tensometer to be coupled to a fast near infrared (NIR) spectrometer collecting spectra in transmission mode. Results Using our instrument design, simultaneous measurements of PS and DC are performed, for the first time, on a commercial composite with ≈ 80 % (by mass) silica particle fillers. The in situ NIR spectrometer collects more than 10 spectra per second, allowing for thorough characterization of reaction kinetics. With increased instrument sensitivity coupled with the ability to collect real time reaction kinetics information, we show that the external constraint imposed by the cantilever beam during polymerization could affect the rate of cure and final degree of polymerization. Significance The present simultaneous measurement technique is expected to provide new insights into kinetics and property relationships for photopolymerized composites with high filler content such as dental restorative composites. PMID:25443160

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1985-07-01

This STS-51F mission onboard Photograph shows some of the Spacelab-2 instruments in the cargo bay of the Orbiter Challenger. The Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP). shown at the end of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS), used instruments on a subsatellite to study natural plasma processes, orbiter-induced plasma processes, and beam plasma physics. Fourteen instruments were mounted on the PDP for measurements of various plasma characteristics. The X-ray Telescope (XRT), is at the front. The goal of this investigation was to image and examine the X-ray emissions from clusters of galaxies in order to study the mechanisms that cause high-temperature emissions and to determine the weight of galactic clusters. The Small Helium-Cooled Infrared Telescope (IRT) is at the right behind the XRT. The objective of this investigation was to measure and map diffused and discrete infrared astronomical sources while evaluating the Space Shuttle as a platform for infrared astronomy. At the same time, a new large superfluid helium dewar system for cooling the telescope was evaluated. The egg-shaped Cosmic Ray Nuclei experiment (CRNE) is shown at the rear. This investigation was to study the composition of high-energy cosmic rays by using a large instrument exposed to space for a considerable period of time. Spacelab-2 (STS-51F, 19th Shuttle mission) was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Challenger on July 29, 1985.

Minor Body Surveyor: A Multi-Object, High Speed, Spectro-Photometer Space Mission System Employing Wide-Area Intelligent Change Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, M. L.; van Cleve, J. E.; Alcock, C.

2003-12-01

Detection and characterization of the small bodies of the outer solar system presents unique challenges to terrestrial based sensing systems, principally the inverse 4th power decrease of reflected and thermal signals with target distance from the Sun. These limits are surpassed by new techniques [1,2,3] employing star-object occultation event sensing, which are capable of detecting sub-kilometer objects in the Kuiper Belt and Oort cloud. This poster will present an instrument and space mission concept based on adaptations of the NASA Discovery Kepler program currently in development at Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. Instrument technologies to enable this space science mission are being pursued and will be described. In particular, key attributes of an optimized payload include the ability to provide: 1) Coarse spectral resolution (using an objective spectrometer approach) 2) Wide FOV, simultaneous object monitoring (up to 150,000 stars employing select data regions within a large focal plane mosaic) 3) Fast temporal frame integration and readout architectures (10 to 50 msec for each monitored object) 4) Real-time, intelligent change detection processing (to limit raw data volumes) The Minor Body Surveyor combines the focal plane and processing technology elements into a densely packaged format to support general space mission issues of mass and power consumption, as well as telemetry resources. Mode flexibility is incorporated into the real-time processing elements to allow for either temporal (Occultations) or spatial (Moving targets) change detection. In addition, a basic image capture mode is provided for general pointing and field reference measurements. The overall space mission architecture is described as well. [1] M. E. Bailey. Can 'Invisible' Bodies be Observed in the Solar System. Nature, 259:290-+, January 1976. [2] T. S. Axelrod, C. Alcock, K. H. Cook, and H.-S. Park. A Direct Census of the Oort Cloud with a Robotic Telescope. In ASP Conf. Ser. 34: Robotic Telescopes in the 1990s, pages 171-181, 1992. [3] F. Roques and M. Moncuquet. A Detection Method for Small Kuiper Belt Objects: The Search for Stellar Occultations. Icarus, 147:530-544, October 2000.

Er:YAG laser dentistry in special needs patients

PubMed Central

Fornaini, Carlo; Clini, Fabio; Fontana, Matteo; Cella, Luigi; Oppici, Aldo

2015-01-01

Objective: Between a quarter and a third of adults with intellectual disability is estimated to have dental anxiety. Unpleasant stimuli, such as the injection of local anaesthesia or the noise and vibration of rotary instruments, may provoke anxiety and subsequent low compliance until the opposition to the treatment. The use of Er:YAG laser in conservative dentistry had a great development in these last years thank to new devices and also to their advantages when compared to the conventional instruments. The aim of this clinical study was to show the advantages of the Er:YAG laser in the conservative treatment of Special Care patients. Methods: Four cases are here described to show the Er:YAG laser use in our Unit on special needs patients. Results and conclusions: Based on the experience gained on conservative laser-assisted treatments performed in a time of 5 years at our Dentistry, Special Needs and Maxillo-Facial Surgery Unit we may affirm that Er:YAG laser may be considered as a good way to improve the cooperation, to reduce anxiety related to rotating instruments and to reach better results with equal or shorter operating times. PMID:26557733

Selecting and implementing scientific objectives. [for Voyager 1 and 2 planetary encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miner, E. D.; Stembridge, C. H.; Doms, P. E.

1985-01-01

The procedures used to select and implement scientific objectives for the Voyager 1 and 2 planetary encounters are described. Attention is given to the scientific tradeoffs and engineering considerations must be addressed at various stages in the mission planning process, including: the limitations of ground and spacecraft communications systems, ageing of instruments in flight, and instrument calibration over long distances. The contribution of planetary science workshops to the definition of scientific objectives for deep space missions is emphasized.

On the search for Galactic supernova remnant PeVatrons with current TeV instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristofari, P.; Gabici, S.; Terrier, R.; Humensky, T. B.

2018-06-01

The supernova remnant hypothesis for the origin of Galactic cosmic rays has passed several tests, but the firm identification of a supernova remnant pevatron, considered to be a decisive step to prove the hypothesis, is still missing. While a lot of hope has been placed in next-generation instruments operating in the multi-TeV range, it is possible that current gamma-ray instruments, operating in the TeV range, could pinpoint these objects or, most likely, identify a number of promising targets for instruments of next generation. Starting from the assumption that supernova remnants are indeed the sources of Galactic cosmic rays, and therefore must be pevatrons for some fraction of their lifetime, we investigate the ability of current instruments to detect such objects, or to identify the most promising candidates.

Earth Observing Scanning Polarimeter (EOSP), phase B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Evaluations performed during a Phase B study directed towards defining an optimal design for the Earth Observing Scanning Polarimeter (EOSP) instrument is summarized. An overview of the experiment approach is included which provides a summary of the scientific objectives, the background of the measurement approach, and the measurement method. In the instrumentation section, details of the design are discussed starting with the key instrument features required to accomplish the scientific objectives and a system characterization in terms of the Stokes vector/Mueller matrix formalism. This is followed by a detailing of the instrument design concept, the design of the individual elements of the system, the predicted performance, and a summary of appropriate instrument testing and calibration. The selected design makes use of key features of predecessor polarimeters and is fully compatible with the Earth Observing System spacecraft requirements.

Liver function testing on the Abaxis Piccolo Xpress: Use in Ebola virus disease protocols.

PubMed

Owen, William E; Caron, Justin E; Genzen, Jonathan R

2015-06-15

Laboratories that choose a point-of-care approach for liver function testing in patients undergoing evaluation for Ebola virus disease (EVD) have few options to choose from. The primary objective of this study was to conduct a performance characterization of a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-waived liver function panel on the Abaxis Piccolo® Xpress chemistry analyzer. The secondary objectives were to evaluate multiple specimen types, characterize whole blood specimen stability, and validate disposable exact transfer pipettes. Our final objective was to assess instrument airflow from a biosafety perspective. An instrument performance characterization, including precision, linearity, accuracy, reference interval verification, and specimen type evaluation was conducted using Liver Panel Plus reagent discs on the Piccolo® Xpress. All assays demonstrated acceptable linearity (slopes, 0.938-1.061; observed error, 0.8-6.3%). Assay precision was 0.0-3.6% (%CV; within-day studies) and 0.9-5.6% (between-day studies). Method comparison experiments (versus Roche cobas c502/c702 chemistry analyzers) showed excellent correlation for most assays, although a few notable differences were observed (Piccolo versus Roche): alkaline phosphatase, -18.6%; amylase, -29.0%; total bilirubin, +0.3mg/dl. Pre-programmed reference intervals were verified except for the alkaline phosphatase (male and female) and alanine aminotransferase (female), which had greater than 10% of results fall below the programmed ranges. Piccolo instrument results were largely consistent across specimen types tested (lithium-heparin whole blood, lithium-heparin plasma, and serum), although some statistical differences were observed for aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase, and total protein. Whole blood time course studies demonstrated that some analytes (albumin, amylase, and total protein) showed remarkable stability, while others (such as aspartate aminotransferase) showed a slight trend toward decreased activity over time. Exact volume transfer pipettes provided an effective disposable option for disc loading. Finally, airflow studies suggested that, in the context of EVD protocols, instrument placement in a biosafety level (BSL) 2 cabinet or greater is justified. Given its analytical performance and ease of operation, the Piccolo Xpress was transferred to a BSL-2 cabinet in our BSL-3 suite for use in our hospital's diagnostic protocol for providing liver function testing in patients undergoing evaluation for EVD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On a model of the processes of maintaining a technological area by a manipulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghukasyan, A. A.; Ordyan, A. Ya

2018-04-01

The research refers to the results of mathematical modeling of the process of maintaining a technological area which consists of unstable or fixed objects (targets) and a controlled multi-link manipulator [1–9]. It is assumed that, in the maintenance process, the dynamic characteristics and the phase vector of the manipulator state can change at certain finite times depending on the mass of the cargo or instrument [10, 11]. Some controllability problems are investigated in the case where the manipulator motion on each maintenance interval is described by linear differential equations with constant coefficients and the motions of the objects are given.

LOITA: Lunar Optical/Infrared Telescope Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

LOITA (Lunar Optical/Infrared Telescope Array) is a lunar-based interferometer composed of 18 alt-azimuth telescopes arranged in a circular geometry. This geometry results in excellent uv coverage and allows baselines up to 5 km long. The angular resolution will be 25 micro-arcsec at 500 nm and the main spectral range of the array will be 200 to 1100 nm. For infrared planet detection, the spectral range may be extended to nearly 10 mu m. The telescope mirrors have a Cassegrain configuration using a 1.75 m diameter primary mirror and a 0.24 m diameter secondary mirror. A three-stage (coarse, intermediate, and fine) optical delay system, controlled by laser metrology, is used to equalize path lengths from different telescopes to within a few wavelengths. All instruments and the fine delay system are located within the instrument room. Upon exiting the fine delay system, all beams enter the beam combiner and are then directed to the various scientific instruments and detectors. The array instrumentation will consist of CCD detectors optimized for both the visible and infrared as well as specially designed cameras and spectrographs. For direct planet detection, a beam combiner employing achromatic nulling interferometry will be used to reduce star light (by several orders of magnitude) while passing the planet light. A single telescope will be capable of autonomous operation. This telescope will be equipped with four instruments: wide field and planetary camera, faint object camera, high resolution spectrograph, and faint object spectrograph. These instruments will be housed beneath the telescope. The array pointing and control system is designed to meet the fine pointing requirement of one micro-arcsec stability and to allow precise tracking of celestial objects for up to 12 days. During the lunar night, the optics and the detectors will be passively cooled to 70-80 K temperature. To maintain a continuous communication with the earth a relay satellite placed at the L4 libration point will be used in conjunction with the Advanced Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (ATDRSS). Electrical power of about 10 kW will be supplied by a nuclear reactor based on the SP-100 technology. LOITA will be constructed in three phases of six telescopes each. The total mass of the first operational phase is estimated at 58,820 kg. The cost of the fully operational first phase of the observatory is estimated at $8.9 billion. LOITA's primary objectives will be to detect and characterize planets around nearby stars (up to ten parsec away), study physics of collapsed stellar objects, solar/stellar surface features and the processes in nuclear regions of galaxies and quasars. An interferometric array such as LOITA will be capable of achieving resolutions three orders of magnitude greater than Hubble's design goal. LOITA will also be able to maintain higher signal to noise ratios than are currently attainable due to long observation times available on the moon.

Phase-Retrieval Uncertainty Estimation and Algorithm Comparison for the JWST-ISIM Test Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aronstein, David L.; Smith, J. Scott

2016-01-01

Phase retrieval, the process of determining the exitpupil wavefront of an optical instrument from image-plane intensity measurements, is the baseline methodology for characterizing the wavefront for the suite of science instruments (SIs) in the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST is a large, infrared space telescope with a 6.5-meter diameter primary mirror. JWST is currently NASA's flagship mission and will be the premier space observatory of the next decade. ISIM contains four optical benches with nine unique instruments, including redundancies. ISIM was characterized at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD in a series of cryogenic vacuum tests using a telescope simulator. During these tests, phase-retrieval algorithms were used to characterize the instruments. The objective of this paper is to describe the Monte-Carlo simulations that were used to establish uncertainties (i.e., error bars) for the wavefronts of the various instruments in ISIM. Multiple retrieval algorithms were used in the analysis of ISIM phase-retrieval focus-sweep data, including an iterativetransform algorithm and a nonlinear optimization algorithm. These algorithms emphasize the recovery of numerous optical parameters, including low-order wavefront composition described by Zernike polynomial terms and high-order wavefront described by a point-by-point map, location of instrument best focus, focal ratio, exit-pupil amplitude, the morphology of any extended object, and optical jitter. The secondary objective of this paper is to report on the relative accuracies of these algorithms for the ISIM instrument tests, and a comparison of their computational complexity and their performance on central and graphical processing unit clusters. From a phase-retrieval perspective, the ISIM test campaign includes a variety of source illumination bandwidths, various image-plane sampling criteria above and below the Nyquist- Shannon critical sampling value, various extended object sizes, and several other impactful effects.

Taxonomy based analysis of force exchanges during object grasping and manipulation

PubMed Central

Martin-Brevet, Sandra; Jarrassé, Nathanaël; Burdet, Etienne

2017-01-01

The flexibility of the human hand in object manipulation is essential for daily life activities, but remains relatively little explored with quantitative methods. On the one hand, recent taxonomies describe qualitatively the classes of hand postures for object grasping and manipulation. On the other hand, the quantitative analysis of hand function has been generally restricted to precision grip (with thumb and index opposition) during lifting tasks. The aim of the present study is to fill the gap between these two kinds of descriptions, by investigating quantitatively the forces exerted by the hand on an instrumented object in a set of representative manipulation tasks. The object was a parallelepiped object able to measure the force exerted on the six faces and its acceleration. The grasping force was estimated from the lateral force and the unloading force from the bottom force. The protocol included eleven tasks with complementary constraints inspired by recent taxonomies: four tasks corresponding to lifting and holding the object with different grasp configurations, and seven to manipulating the object (rotation around each of its axis and translation). The grasping and unloading forces and object rotations were measured during the five phases of the actions: unloading, lifting, holding or manipulation, preparation to deposit, and deposit. The results confirm the tight regulation between grasping and unloading forces during lifting, and extend this to the deposit phase. In addition, they provide a precise description of the regulation of force exchanges during various manipulation tasks spanning representative actions of daily life. The timing of manipulation showed both sequential and overlapping organization of the different sub-actions, and micro-errors could be detected. This phenomenological study confirms the feasibility of using an instrumented object to investigate complex manipulative behavior in humans. This protocol will be used in the future to investigate upper-limb dexterity in patients with sensory-motor impairments. PMID:28562617

Generic health literacy measurement instruments for children and adolescents: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Okan, Orkan; Lopes, Ester; Bollweg, Torsten Michael; Bröder, Janine; Messer, Melanie; Bruland, Dirk; Bond, Emma; Carvalho, Graça S; Sørensen, Kristine; Saboga-Nunes, Luis; Levin-Zamir, Diane; Sahrai, Diana; Bittlingmayer, Uwe H; Pelikan, Jürgen M; Thomas, Malcolm; Bauer, Ullrich; Pinheiro, Paulo

2018-01-22

Health literacy is an important health promotion concern and recently children and adolescents have been the focus of increased academic attention. To assess the health literacy of this population, researchers have been focussing on developing instruments to measure their health literacy. Compared to the wider availability of instruments for adults, only a few tools are known for younger age groups. The objective of this study is to systematically review the field of generic child and adolescent health literacy measurement instruments that are currently available. A systematic literature search was undertaken in five databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycNET, ERIC, and FIS) on articles published between January 1990 and July 2015, addressing children and adolescents ≤18 years old. Eligible articles were analysed, data was extracted, and synthesised according to review objectives. Fifteen generic health literacy measurement instruments for children and adolescents were identified. All, except two, are self-administered instruments. Seven are objective measures (performance-based tests), seven are subjective measures (self-reporting), and one uses a mixed-method measurement. Most instruments applied a broad and multidimensional understanding of health literacy. The instruments were developed in eight different countries, with most tools originating in the United States (n = 6). Among the instruments, 31 different components related to health literacy were identified. Accordingly, the studies exhibit a variety of implicit or explicit conceptual and operational definitions, and most instruments have been used in schools and other educational contexts. While the youngest age group studied was 7-year-old children within a parent-child study, there is only one instrument specifically designed for primary school children and none for early years. Despite the reported paucity of health literacy research involving children and adolescents, an unexpected number of health literacy measurement studies in children's populations was found. Most instruments tend to measure their own specific understanding of health literacy and not all provide sufficient conceptual information. To advance health literacy instruments, a much more standardised approach is necessary including improved reporting on the development and validation processes. Further research is required to improve health literacy instruments for children and adolescents and to provide knowledge to inform effective interventions.

Arthroscopic contact Nd:YAG laser meniscectomy: basic science, surgical technique, and clinical follow up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, Stephen J.; Fealy, Stephen V.; Gibney, Mary A.; Miller, Drew V.; Kelly, Anne M.

1990-06-01

Recent basic science studies (5) have provided a scientific foundation for the use of the Contact Nd:YAG Laser as an arthroscopic tool for xneniscal resection and acroxnioplasty of the shoulder in a saline medium. This study prospectively evaluates the results of a three stage laboratory investigation as well as the clinical results of arthroscopic xneniscal resection. Fifteen patients with meniscal tears underwent subtotal meniscectomies utilizing a Contact Nd:YAG Laser (Surgical Laser Technologies; Malvern, Pennsylvania) . This was done in a saline medium with an average laser wattage of 25 W, (range 20 W to 30 W). Patients were evaluated postoperatively with reference to subjective and objective parameters at one week and four weeks postoperatively. Patients were evaluated with regard to wound healing, intraarticular swelling and pain. Assessment of technical parameters such as ease of resection, time of resection and instrument access were compared to conventional instruments. All fifteen patients were rated as having clinically excellent results based on pain relief, wound healing and swelling. In addition, although there was increased time with setting up the laser and calibrating it, there was not an increase in time for meniscal resection. Little, or no, secondary "trimmuning" was necessary with the laser. Increased accessibility was noted due to the small size of the laser. Arthroscopic Contact Nd:YAG Laser surgery is a safe and effective tool for menisca]. resection and coagulation in arthroscopic acromioplasties. It provides significant advantages over conventional cutting instruments with regard to accessibility and reduced need for secondary instruments.

Six Years of Science with the TAROT Telescope at La Silla

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klotz, A.; Boer, M.; Atteia, J.-L.; Gendre, B.; Le Borgne, J.-F.; Frappa, E.; Vachier, F.; Berthier, J.

2013-03-01

The TAROT telescopes are a pair of robotic autonomous observatories with identical suites of instrumentation, with one located in each hemisphere. The southern TAROT telescope, which was installed in 2006 at the La Silla Observatory, uses more than 90% of the clear night-time, and has become a very reliable and productive instrument. The primary objective of TAROT is the detection and study of the optical counter-parts of cosmic gamma-ray bursts, and many results have been obtained in this area. But several other topics, ranging from stellar physics to supernovae, have also been addressed successfully thanks to the telescope's flexibility. We present the main scientific results obtained by the TAROT robotic observatory at La Silla.

The Large Deployable Reflector (LDR) - Plans and progress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swanson, Paul N.

1987-01-01

The program history, scientific aims, design, and projected performance of the LDR, a 20-m-primary two-stage four-mirror orbiting sub-mm/FIR astronomical observatory under NASA development, are reviewed. It is shown that the LDR would provide capabilities complementary to those of IRAS, the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, the IRTF, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the planned Space IR Telescope Facility for observations of small-scale background anisotropies, high-redshift galaxies, and objects at temperatures of a few times 10 K or lower. The current design concept is illustrated with extensive drawings, diagrams, and tables of instrument parameters. Particular attention is given to the graphite-epoxy facing and Al-honeycomb core of the primary structure, the focal-plane instruments, and outstanding technological problems.

A four mirror anastigmat collimator design for optical payload calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolt, Stephen; Calcines, Ariadna; Lomanowski, Bart A.; Bramall, David G.

2016-07-01

We present here a four mirror anastigmatic optical collimator design intended for the calibration of an earth observation satellite instrument. Specifically, the collimator is to be applied to the ground based calibration of the Sentinel-4/UVN instrument. This imaging spectrometer instrument itself is expected to be deployed in 2019 in a geostationary orbit and will make spatially resolved spectroscopic measurements of atmospheric contaminants. The collimator is to be deployed during the ground based calibration only and does not form part of the instrument itself. The purpose of the collimator is to provide collimated light within the two instrument passbands in the UV-VIS (305 - 500 nm) and the NIR (750 - 775 nm). Moreover, that collimated light will be derived from a variety of slit like objects located at the input focal (object) plane of the collimator which is uniformly illuminated by a number of light sources. The collimator must relay these objects with exceptionally high fidelity. To this end, the wavefront error of the collimator should be less than 30 nm rms across the collimator field of view. This field is determined by the largest object which is a large rectangular slit, 4.4° x 0.25°. Other important considerations affecting the optical design are the requirements for input telecentricity and the size (85 mm) and location (2500 mm `back focal distance') of the exit pupil. The design of the instrument against these basic requirements is discussed in detail. In addition an analysis of the straylight and tolerancing is presented in detail.

BATMAN: a DMD-based multi-object spectrograph on Galileo telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamkotsian, Frederic; Spano, Paolo; Lanzoni, Patrick; Ramarijaona, Harald; Moschetti, Manuele; Riva, Marco; Bon, William; Nicastro, Luciano; Molinari, Emilio; Cosentino, Rosario; Ghedina, Adriano; Gonzalez, Manuel; Di Marcantonio, Paolo; Coretti, Igor; Cirami, Roberto; Zerbi, Filippo; Valenziano, Luca

2014-07-01

Next-generation infrared astronomical instrumentation for ground-based and space telescopes could be based on MOEMS programmable slit masks for multi-object spectroscopy (MOS). This astronomical technique is used extensively to investigate the formation and evolution of galaxies. We are developing a 2048x1080 Digital-Micromirror-Device-based (DMD) MOS instrument to be mounted on the Galileo telescope and called BATMAN. A two-arm instrument has been designed for providing in parallel imaging and spectroscopic capabilities. The field of view (FOV) is 6.8 arcmin x 3.6 arcmin with a plate scale of 0.2 arcsec per micromirror. The wavelength range is in the visible and the spectral resolution is R=560 for 1 arcsec object (typical slit size). The two arms will have 2k x 4k CCD detectors. ROBIN, a BATMAN demonstrator, has been designed, realized and integrated. It permits to determine the instrument integration procedure, including optics and mechanics integration, alignment procedure and optical quality. First images and spectra have been obtained and measured: typical spot diameters are within 1.5 detector pixels, and spectra generated by one micro-mirror slits are displayed with this optical quality over the whole visible wavelength range. Observation strategies are studied and demonstrated for the scientific optimization strategy over the whole FOV. BATMAN on the sky is of prime importance for characterizing the actual performance of this new family of MOS instruments, as well as investigating the operational procedures on astronomical objects. This instrument will be placed on the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo mid-2015.

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, R. Mark

2010-07-01

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope is presented. Optical instrumentation includes the Large Binocular Camera (LBC), a pair of wide-field (27 × 27) mosaic CCD imagers at the prime focus, and the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS), a pair of dual-beam blue-red optimized long-slit spectrographs mounted at the straight-through F/15 Gregorian focus incorporating multiple slit masks for multi-object spectroscopy over a 6 field and spectral resolutions of up to 8000. Infrared instrumentation includes the LBT Near-IR Spectroscopic Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research (LUCIFER), a modular near-infrared (0.9-2.5 μm) imager and spectrograph pair mounted at a bent interior focal station and designed for seeing-limited (FOV: 4 × 4) imaging, long-slit spectroscopy, and multi-object spectroscopy utilizing cooled slit masks and diffraction limited (FOV: 0.5 × 0.5) imaging and long-slit spectroscopy. Strategic instruments under development for the remaining two combined focal stations include an interferometric cryogenic beam combiner with near-infrared and thermal-infrared instruments for Fizeau imaging and nulling interferometry (LBTI) and an optical bench near-infrared beam combiner utilizing multi-conjugate adaptive optics for high angular resolution and sensitivity (LINC-NIRVANA). In addition, a fiber-fed bench spectrograph (PEPSI) capable of ultra high resolution spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry (R = 40,000-300,000) will be available as a principal investigator instrument. The availability of all these instruments mounted simultaneously on the LBT permits unique science, flexible scheduling, and improved operational support. Over the past two years the LBC and the first LUCIFER instrument have been brought into routine scientific operation and MODS1 commissioning is set to begin in the fall of 2010.

The "instrumentality" heuristic: why metacognitive difficulty is desirable during goal pursuit.

PubMed

Labroo, Aparna A; Kim, Sara

2009-01-01

The literature overwhelmingly demonstrates that feelings of ease are good and that objects that are easy to process are much liked. We propose, and demonstrate across three experiments, that this is not the case when people are pursuing a goal. This is because people pursuing a goal (e.g., "become kinder") usually invest efforts in whichever means (e.g., donate to a particular charity) they perceive as most instrumental for attaining their goal. Consequently, in their minds there is a correspondence between instrumentality of a means and feelings of effort. This correspondence becomes reversed in people's minds during goal pursuit, and they also come to view an object that is associated with feelings of effort rather than ease as more instrumental for goal attainment and consequently more desirable. When an object is not a means to fulfill an accessible goal, or when goals relating to the means are not accessible, subjective feelings of ease improve evaluation, as found in previous research on ease of processing.

A compact small-beam XRF instrument for in-situ analysis of objects of historical and/or artistic value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vittiglio, G.; Janssens, K.; Vekemans, B.; Adams, F.; Oost, A.

1999-11-01

The analytical characteristics, possibilities and limitations of a compact and easily transportable small-beam XRF instrument are described. The instrument consists of a compact, mini-focus Mo X-ray tube that is collimated to produce a sub-mm beam and a peltier-cooled PIN diode detector. Relative MDLs in highly scattering matrices are situated in the 10-100-ppm range; for metallic matrices featuring strong matrix lines, the MDLs of the instrument are approximately a factor 2 higher. Since only a small irradiation area is required, a simple micro-polishing technique that may be performed in situ in combination with the measurements is shown to be effective for the determination of the bulk composition of corroded bronze objects. As an example, a series of Egyptian bronze objects date from XXII nd Egyptian Dynasty (ca. 1090 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC to 640 AD) was analyzed in order to contribute to the very limited database on Cu-alloy compositions from this period.

Results from the commissioning of a multi-modal endoscope for ultrasound and time of flight PET

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

Bugalho, Ricardo

2015-07-01

The EndoTOFPET-US collaboration has developed a multi-modal imaging system combining Ultrasound with Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography into an endoscopic imaging device. The objective of the project is to obtain a coincidence time resolution of about 200 ps FWHM and to achieve about 1 mm spatial resolution of the PET system, while integrating all the components in a very compact detector suitable for endoscopic use. This scanner aims to be exploited for diagnostic and surgical oncology, as well as being instrumental in the clinical test of new biomarkers especially targeted for prostate and pancreatic cancer. (authors)

African South of the Sahara: An Objective Test for Secondary Schools. A World Regions Perception Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA.

Designed by Project Africa of Carnegie-Mellon University, these two test instruments have been used to discover what selected American secondary school students know or believe about Africa and other regions of the world. The first instrument, a 30-minute objective test, "Africa South of the Sahara," is comprised of 60 multiple-choice…

Comparative Analysis of Combined (First Anterior, Then Posterior) Versus Only Posterior Approach for Treating Severe Scoliosis

PubMed Central

Hero, Nikša; Vengust, Rok; Topolovec, Matevž

2017-01-01

Study Design. A retrospective, one center, institutional review board approved study. Objective. Two methods of operative treatments were compared in order to evaluate whether a two-stage approach is justified for correction of bigger idiopathic scoliosis curves. Two stage surgery, combined anterior approach in first operation and posterior instrumentation and correction in the second operation. One stage surgery included only posterior instrumentation and correction. Summary of Background Data. Studies comparing two-stage approach and only posterior approach are rather scarce, with shorter follow up and lack of clinical data. Methods. Three hundred forty eight patients with idiopathic scoliosis were operated using Cotrel–Dubousset (CD) hybrid instrumentation with pedicle screw and hooks. Only patients with curvatures more than or equal to 61° were analyzed and divided in two groups: two stage surgery (N = 30) and one stage surgery (N = 46). The radiographic parameters as well as duration of operation, hospitalization time, and number of segments included in fusion and clinical outcome were analyzed. Results. No statistically significant difference was observed in correction between two-stage group (average correction 69%) and only posterior approach group (average correction 66%). However, there were statistically significant differences regarding hospitalization time, duration of the surgery, and the number of instrumented segments. Conclusion. Two-stage surgery has only a limited advantage in terms of postoperative correction angle compared with the posterior approach. Posterior instrumentation and correction is satisfactory, especially taking into account that the patient is subjected to only one surgery. Level of Evidence: 3 PMID:28125525

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, R. Mark

2006-06-01

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope is presented. Optical instrumentation includes the Large Binocular Camera (LBC), a pair of wide-field (27' × 27') mosaic CCD imagers at the prime focus, and the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS), a pair of dual-beam blue-red optimized long-slit spectrographs mounted at the straight-through F/15 Gregorian focus incorporating multiple slit masks for multi-object spectroscopy over a 6' field and spectral resolutions of up to 8000. Infrared instrumentation includes the LBT Near-IR Spectroscopic Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research (LUCIFER), a modular near-infrared (0.9-2.5 μm) imager and spectrograph pair mounted at a bent interior focal station and designed for seeing-limited (FOV: 4' × 4') imaging, long-slit spectroscopy, and multi-object spectroscopy utilizing cooled slit masks and diffraction limited (FOV: 0'.5 × 0'.5) imaging and long-slit spectroscopy. Strategic instruments under development for the remaining two combined focal stations include an interferometric cryogenic beam combiner with near-infrared and thermal-infrared instruments for Fizeau imaging and nulling interferometry (LBTI) and an optical bench near-infrared beam combiner utilizing multi-conjugate adaptive optics for high angular resolution and sensitivity (LINC-NIRVANA). In addition, a fiber-fed bench spectrograph (PEPSI) capable of ultra high resolution spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry (R = 40,000-300,000) will be available as a principal investigator instrument. The availability of all these instruments mounted simultaneously on the LBT permits unique science, flexible scheduling, and improved operational support.

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, R. Mark

2004-09-01

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope is presented. Optical instrumentation includes the Large Binocular Camera (LBC), a pair of wide-field (27'x 27') UB/VRI optimized mosaic CCD imagers at the prime focus, and the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS), a pair of dual-beam blue-red optimized long-slit spectrographs mounted at the straight-through F/15 Gregorian focus incorporating multiple slit masks for multi-object spectroscopy over a 6\\arcmin\\ field and spectral resolutions of up to 8000. Infrared instrumentation includes the LBT Near-IR Spectroscopic Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research (LUCIFER), a modular near-infrared (0.9-2.5 μm) imager and spectrograph pair mounted at a bent interior focal station and designed for seeing-limited (FOV: 4'x 4') imaging, long-slit spectroscopy, and multi-object spectroscopy utilizing cooled slit masks and diffraction limited (FOV: 0'.5 x 0'.5) imaging and long-slit spectroscopy. Strategic instruments under development for the remaining two combined focal stations include an interferometric cryogenic beam combiner with near-infrared and thermal-infrared instruments for Fizeau imaging and nulling interferometry (LBTI) and an optical bench beam combiner with visible and near-infrared imagers utilizing multi-conjugate adaptive optics for high angular resolution and sensitivity (LINC/NIRVANA). In addition, a fiber-fed bench spectrograph (PEPSI) capable of ultra high resolution spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry (R = 40,000-300,000) will be available as a principal investigator instrument. The availability of all these instruments mounted simultaneously on the LBT permits unique science, flexible scheduling, and improved operational support.

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, R. Mark

2008-07-01

An overview of instrumentation for the Large Binocular Telescope is presented. Optical instrumentation includes the Large Binocular Camera (LBC), a pair of wide-field (27' × 27') mosaic CCD imagers at the prime focus, and the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph (MODS), a pair of dual-beam blue-red optimized long-slit spectrographs mounted at the straight-through F/15 Gregorian focus incorporating multiple slit masks for multi-object spectroscopy over a 6 field and spectral resolutions of up to 8000. Infrared instrumentation includes the LBT Near-IR Spectroscopic Utility with Camera and Integral Field Unit for Extragalactic Research (LUCIFER), a modular near-infrared (0.9-2.5 μm) imager and spectrograph pair mounted at a bent interior focal station and designed for seeing-limited (FOV: 4' × 4') imaging, long-slit spectroscopy, and multi-object spectroscopy utilizing cooled slit masks and diffraction limited (FOV: 0.5' × 0.5') imaging and long-slit spectroscopy. Strategic instruments under development for the remaining two combined focal stations include an interferometric cryogenic beam combiner with near-infrared and thermal-infrared instruments for Fizeau imaging and nulling interferometry (LBTI) and an optical bench near-infrared beam combiner utilizing multi-conjugate adaptive optics for high angular resolution and sensitivity (LINC-NIRVANA). In addition, a fiber-fed bench spectrograph (PEPSI) capable of ultra high resolution spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry (R = 40,000-300,000) will be available as a principal investigator instrument. The availability of all these instruments mounted simultaneously on the LBT permits unique science, flexible scheduling, and improved operational support.

Nurse-surgeon object transfer: video analysis of communication and situation awareness in the operating theatre.

PubMed

Korkiakangas, Terhi; Weldon, Sharon-Marie; Bezemer, Jeff; Kneebone, Roger

2014-09-01

One of the most central collaborative tasks during surgical operations is the passing of objects, including instruments. Little is known about how nurses and surgeons achieve this. The aim of the present study was to explore what factors affect this routine-like task, resulting in fast or slow transfer of objects. A qualitative video study, informed by an observational ethnographic approach, was conducted in a major teaching hospital in the UK. A total of 20 general surgical operations were observed. In total, approximately 68 h of video data have been reviewed. A subsample of 225 min has been analysed in detail using interactional video-analysis developed within the social sciences. Two factors affecting object transfer were observed: (1) relative instrument trolley position and (2) alignment. The scrub nurse's instrument trolley position (close to vs. further back from the surgeon) and alignment (gaze direction) impacts on the communication with the surgeon, and consequently, on the speed of object transfer. When the scrub nurse was standing close to the surgeon, and "converged" to follow the surgeon's movements, the transfer occurred more seamlessly and faster (<1.0 s) than when the scrub nurse was standing further back from the surgeon and did not follow the surgeon's movements (>1.0 s). The smoothness of object transfer can be improved by adjusting the scrub nurse's instrument trolley position, enabling a better monitoring of surgeon's bodily conduct and affording early orientation (awareness) to an upcoming request (changing situation). Object transfer is facilitated by the surgeon's embodied practices, which can elicit the nurse's attention to the request and, as a response, maximise a faster object transfer. A simple intervention to highlight the significance of these factors could improve communication in the operating theatre. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

AXTAR: Mission Design Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Paul S.; Chakrabarty, Deepto; Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.; Philips, Bernard F.; Remillard, Ronald A.; Levine, Alan M.; Wood, Kent S.; Wolff, Michael T.; Gwon, Chul S.; Strohmayer, Tod E.;

Instrument Display Visual Angles for Conventional Aircraft and the MQ-9 Ground Control Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamine, Tovy Haber; Bendrick, Gregg A.

2008-01-01

Aircraft instrument panels should be designed such that primary displays are in optimal viewing location to minimize pilot perception and response time. Human Factors engineers define three zones (i.e. cones ) of visual location: 1) "Easy Eye Movement" (foveal vision); 2) "Maximum Eye Movement" (peripheral vision with saccades), and 3) "Head Movement (head movement required). Instrument display visual angles were measured to determine how well conventional aircraft (T-34, T-38, F- 15B, F-16XL, F/A-18A, U-2D, ER-2, King Air, G-III, B-52H, DC-10, B747-SCA) and the MQ-9 ground control station (GCS) complied with these standards, and how they compared with each other. Selected instrument parameters included: attitude, pitch, bank, power, airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, heading, turn rate, slip/skid, AOA, flight path, latitude, longitude, course, bearing, range and time. Vertical and horizontal visual angles for each component were measured from the pilot s eye position in each system. The vertical visual angles of displays in conventional aircraft lay within the cone of "Easy Eye Movement" for all but three of the parameters measured, and almost all of the horizontal visual angles fell within this range. All conventional vertical and horizontal visual angles lay within the cone of Maximum Eye Movement. However, most instrument vertical visual angles of the MQ-9 GCS lay outside the cone of Easy Eye Movement, though all were within the cone of Maximum Eye Movement. All the horizontal visual angles for the MQ-9 GCS were within the cone of "Easy Eye Movement". Most instrument displays in conventional aircraft lay within the cone of Easy Eye Movement, though mission-critical instruments sometimes displaced less important instruments outside this area. Many of the MQ-9 GCS systems lay outside this area. Specific training for MQ-9 pilots may be needed to avoid increased response time and potential error during flight. The learning objectives include: 1) Know three physiologic cones of eye/head movement; 2) Understand how instrument displays comply with these design principles in conventional aircraft and an uninhabited aerial vehicle system. Which of the following is NOT a recognized physiologic principle of instrument display design? Cone of Easy Eye Movement 2) Cone of Binocular Eye Movement 3) Cone of Maximum Eye Movement 4) Cone of Head Movement 5) None of the above. Answer: # 2) Cone of Binocular Eye Movement

Large space telescope, phase A. Volume 4: Scientific instrument package

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The design and characteristics of the scientific instrument package for the Large Space Telescope are discussed. The subjects include: (1) general scientific objectives, (2) package system analysis, (3) scientific instrumentation, (4) imaging photoelectric sensors, (5) environmental considerations, and (6) reliability and maintainability.

UV spectroscopy with the CETUS multi-object spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendrick, Stephen E.; Woodruff, Robert; Hull, Anthony; Heap, Sara; Kutyrev, Alexander; Purves, Lloyd; Danchi, William

2018-01-01

The ultraviolet multi-object spectrograph (MOS) for the Cosmic Evolution Through UV Spectroscopy (CETUS) concept is a slit-based instrument allowing multiple simultaneous observations over a wide field of view. The UV MOS will be able to target up to 100 objects at a time without the issues of confusion with nearby sources or unwanted background like zodiacal stray light. The multiplexing will allow over 100,000 galaxies to be observed over a typical mission lifetime which greatly enhances the scientific yield. The MOS utilizes a next-generation micro-shutter array, an efficient aspheric Offner-like spectrometer design with a convex grating, and nanotube light traps for suppressing unwanted wavelengths. The optical coatings are also designed for optimizing the UV throughput while minimizing out-of-band signal at the detector.

Multiplexing in astrophysics with a UV multi-object spectrometer on CETUS, a probe-class mission study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendrick, Stephen E.; Woodruff, Robert A.; Hull, Tony; Heap, Sara R.; Kutyrev, Alexander; Danchi, William; Purves, Lloyd

2017-09-01

The ultraviolet multi-object spectrograph (MOS) for the Cosmic Evolution Through UV Spectroscopy (CETUS) concept1,2 is a slit-based instrument allowing multiple simultaneous observations over a wide field of view. It utilizes a next-generation micro-shutter array, an efficient aspheric Offner spectrometer design with a convex grating, and carbon nanotube light traps for suppressing unwanted wavelengths. The optical coatings are also designed to optimize the UV throughput while minimizing out-of-band signal at the detector. The UV MOS will be able to target up to 100 objects at a time without the issues of confusion with nearby sources or unwanted background like zodiacal stray light. With this multiplexing, the scientific yield of both Probe and Great Observatories will be greatly enhanced.

Development of HANAA to Achieve Commercialization Final Report CRADA No. TC-2025-01

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

Koopman, R. P.; Schmidt, J. C.

The objective of this project was to provide DOD and the intelligence agencies with highly portable, advanced, bio-detection instruments and to further the DOE objective of putting advanced instrumentation for the detection of biological terrorism agents into the hands of first responders. All sponsors of the HANAA development work at LLNL believed that the technology must be commercialized to fully contribute to their missions. Intelligence organizations, military teams, and first responders must be able to purchase the instruments for a reasonable price and obtain maintenance services and support equipment from a reliable supplier in order for the instrument to bemore » useful to them. The goal was to efficiently transfer HANAA technology from LLNL to ETG, a company that would manufacture the instrument and make it commercially available to the constituencies important to our sponsors. This was to include a current beta test instrument and all knowledge of problems with the instrument and recommendations for solving those problems in a commercial version. The following tasks were to be completed under this CRADA.« less

The New Meteor Radar at Penn State: Design and First Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urbina, J.; Seal, R.; Dyrud, L.

2011-01-01

In an effort to provide new and improved meteor radar sensing capabilities, Penn State has been developing advanced instruments and technologies for future meteor radars, with primary objectives of making such instruments more capable and more cost effective in order to study the basic properties of the global meteor flux, such as average mass, velocity, and chemical composition. Using low-cost field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), combined with open source software tools, we describe a design methodology enabling one to develop state-of-the art radar instrumentation, by developing a generalized instrumentation core that can be customized using specialized output stage hardware. Furthermore, using object-oriented programming (OOP) techniques and open-source tools, we illustrate a technique to provide a cost-effective, generalized software framework to uniquely define an instrument s functionality through a customizable interface, implemented by the designer. The new instrument is intended to provide instantaneous profiles of atmospheric parameters and climatology on a daily basis throughout the year. An overview of the instrument design concepts and some of the emerging technologies developed for this meteor radar are presented.

EUV spectroscopy of high-redshift x-ray objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalski, M. P.; Wolff, M. T.; Wood, K. S.; Barbee, T. W., Jr.; Barstow, M. A.

2010-07-01

As astronomical observations are pushed to cosmological distances (z>3) the spectral energy distributions of X-ray objects, AGN for example, will be redshifted into the EUV waveband. Consequently, a wealth of critical spectral diagnostics, provided by, for example, the Fe L-shell complex and the O VII/VIII lines, will be lost to future planned X-ray missions (e.g., IXO, Gen-X) if operated at traditional X-ray energies. This opens up a critical gap in performance located at short EUV wavelengths, where critical X-ray spectral transitions occur in high-z objects. However, normal-incidence multilayer-grating technology, which performs best precisely at such wavelengths, together with advanced nanolaminate replication techniques have been developed and are now mature to the point where advanced EUV instrument designs with performance complementary to IXO and Gen-X are practical. Such EUV instruments could be flown either independently or as secondary instruments on these X-ray missions. We present here a critical examination of the limits placed on extragalactic EUV measurements by ISM absorption, the range where high-z measurements are practical, and the requirements this imposes on next-generation instrument designs. We conclude with a discussion of a breakthrough technology, nanolaminate replication, which enables such instruments.

State-of-the-art for food taxes to promote public health.

PubMed

Jensen, J D; Smed, S

2018-05-01

The use of taxes to promote healthy nutritional behaviour has gained ground in the past decade. The present paper reviews existing applications of fiscal instruments in nutrition policy and derives some perspectives and recommendations from the experiences gained with these instruments. Many countries in different parts of the world have experiences with the taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages, in some cases in combination with taxes on unhealthy food commodities such as confectionery or high-fat foods. These tax schemes have many similarities, but also differ in their definitions of tax objects and in the applied tax rates. Denmark has been the only country in the world to operate a tax on saturated fat content in foods, from 2011 to 2012. Most of the existing food tax schemes have been introduced from fiscal motivations, with health promotion as a secondary objective, but a few have been introduced with health promotion as the primary objective. The diversity in experiences from existing tax schemes can provide valuable insights for future use of fiscal instruments to promote healthy nutrition, in terms of designing effective and efficient tax or subsidy instruments, and in terms of smooth and politically viable implementation of the instruments.

On-sky validation of an optimal LQG control with vibration mitigation: from the CANARY Multi-Object Adaptive Optics demonstrator to the Gemini Multi-Conjugated Adaptive Optics facility.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivo, Gaetano; Kulcsár, Caroline; Conan, Jean-Marc; Raynaud, Henri-François; Gendron, Éric; Basden, Alastair; Gratadour, Damien; Morris, Tim; Petit, Cyril; Meimon, Serge; Rousset, Gérard; Garrel, Vincent; Neichel, Benoit; van Dam, Marcos; Marin, Eduardo; Carrasco, Rodrigo; Schirmer, Mischa; Rambold, William; Moreno, Cristian; Montes, Vanessa; Hardie, Kayla; Trujillo, Chad

2015-01-01

Adaptive optics provides real time correction of wavefront perturbations on ground-based telescopes and allow to reach the diffraction limit performances. Optimizing control and performance is a key issue for ever more demanding instruments on ever larger telescopes affected not only by atmospheric turbulence, but also by vibrations, windshake and tracking errors. Linear Quadratic Gaussian control achieves optimal correction when provided with a temporal model of the disturbance. We present in this paper the first on-sky results of a Kalman filter based LQG control with vibration mitigation on the CANARY instrument at the Nasmyth platform of the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope (La Palma, Spain). The results demonstrate a clear improvement of performance for full LQG compared with standard integrator control, and assess the additional improvement brought by vibration filtering with a tip-tilt model identified from on-sky data (by 10 points of Strehl ratio), thus validating the strategy retained on the instrument SPHERE (eXtreme-AO system for extra-solar planets detection and characterization) at the VLT. The MOAO on-sky pathfinder CANARY features two AO configurations that have both been tested: single- conjugated AO and multi-object AO with NGS and NGS+ Rayleigh LGS, together with vibration mitigation on tip and tilt modes. We finally present the ongoing development done to commission such a control law on a regular Sodium laser Multi-Conjuagated Adaptive Optics (MCAO) system GeMS at the 8-m Gemini South Telescope. This implementation does not require new hardware and is already available in the real-time computer.

The development of a survey instrument for community health improvement.

PubMed Central

Bazos, D A; Weeks, W B; Fisher, E S; DeBlois, H A; Hamilton, E; Young, M J

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To develop a survey instrument that could be used both to guide and evaluate community health improvement efforts. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: A randomized telephone survey was administered to a sample of about 250 residents in two communities in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania in the fall of 1997. METHODS: The survey instrument was developed by health professionals representing diverse health care organizations. This group worked collaboratively over a period of two years to (1) select a conceptual model of health as a foundation for the survey; (2) review relevant literature to identify indicators that adequately measured the health constructs within the chosen model; (3) develop new indicators where important constructs lacked specific measures; and (4) pilot test the final survey to assess the reliability and validity of the instrument. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The Evans and Stoddart Field Model of the Determinants of Health and Well-Being was chosen as the conceptual model within which to develop the survey. The Field Model depicts nine domains important to the origins and production of health and provides a comprehensive framework from which to launch community health improvement efforts. From more than 500 potential indicators we identified 118 survey questions that reflected the multiple determinants of health as conceptualized by this model. Sources from which indicators were selected include the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, the National Health Interview Survey, the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey, and the SF-12 Summary Scales. The work group developed 27 new survey questions for constructs for which we could not locate adequate indicators. Twenty-five questions in the final instrument can be compared to nationally published norms or benchmarks. The final instrument was pilot tested in 1997 in two communities. Administration time averaged 22 minutes with a response rate of 66 percent. Reliability of new survey questions was adequate. Face validity was supported by previous findings from qualitative and quantitative studies. CONCLUSIONS: We developed, pilot tested, and validated a survey instrument designed to provide more comprehensive and timely data to communities for community health assessments. This instrument allows communities to identify and measure critical domains of health that have previously not been captured in a single instrument. PMID:11508639

Solar System Studies in the Infrared with the Spitzer Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruikshank, D. P.; Stansberry, J. A.; Cleve, J. Van; Burgdorf, M. J.; Fernandez, Y. R.; Meadows, V. S.; Reach, W. T.

2004-01-01

The Spitzer Space Telescope, formerly known as SIRTF, is a cryogenic telescope (85 cm diameter) operating in a heliocentric orbit trailing the Earth. Its three instruments provide capabilities for spectroscopy, wide-field and small-field imaging at many wavelengths in the range 3.5-160 microns. Observations to be executed in the first two years in programs defined by the Guaranteed Time Observer (GTO) group (the authors of this presentation) consist of photometry, spectroscopy, and radiometry of many Solar System objects, including Titan and other satellites of the outer planets, Pluto, Centaurs, trans-Neptunian objects, comers, asteroids, Uranus, and Neptune. At the time of the preparation of this abstract, some preliminary observations have been made, but the final calibration and reduction of the data are still in progress. The latest results of the Solar System investigations will be presented here.

Acquisition of Ice-Tethered Profilers with Velocity (ITP-V) Instruments for Future Arctic Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

jacketed wire rope tether and end weight should the ice fracture or melt , and to provide modest protection in the event of ice ridging. The profiler...1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Acquisition of Ice -Tethered Profilers with Velocity (ITP...evolving thermohaline stratification, the ocean currents and air- ice -sea interactions on time scales of minutes to seasonal and longer. OBJECTIVES

Evaluation of Time Management Behaviors and Its Related Factors in the Senior Nurse Managers, Kermanshah-Iran

PubMed Central

Ziapour, Arash; Khatony, Alireza; Jafari, Faranak; Kianipour, Neda

2015-01-01

Background and Objective: Time management is an extensive concept that is associated with promoting the performance of managers. The present study was carried out to investigate the time management behaviors along with its related factors among senior nurse mangers. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 180 senior nurse managers were selected using census method. The instrument for data collection was a standard time behavior questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: The findings showed that among the dimensions of time management behaviors, setting objectives and prioritization, and mechanics of time management dimensions obtained the highest and lowest frequency, respectively. Comparison of the mean scores of time management behaviors indicated a significant difference in the gender (p<0.05), age (p<0.001), education (p=0.015), job experience (p<0.001), managerial experience (p<0.001) and management rank management (p<0.029). Conclusion: On the whole, senior nurse managers enjoyed a favorable time management skill. Given the importance of time management behaviors, it seems that teaching these behaviors more seriously through regular educational programs can effectively promote the performance of senior nurse managers. PMID:25716413

[Development of the Portuguese version of MOS SF-36. Part I. Cultural and linguistic adaptation].

PubMed

Ferreira, P L

2000-01-01

No one aims at applying generic measures as substitutes for other more traditional clinical procedures. The whole history of the evolution of these types of measures has been based on comparisons with clinical measures, always seen by researchers as ways to validate health outcome measures and as a process to be recognized by clinicians as a way to detect changes in time not always detected by the usual measures. The measurement instrument presented in this paper is the Portuguese version of the MOS SF-36, originally a result of the Medical Outcomes Study, a study carried out by Rand Corporation researchers in the 80's. One of the objectives of these researchers was precisely to develop instruments to be used in continuous monitoring of outcomes. This paper describes the first time MOS SF-36 was culturally adapted to Portuguese, validated and implemented. The first part mentions some of the foundations and developments of the original instrument as well as some results obtained from some specific applications. The second part introduces operational definitions for each of the eight scales and describes the SF-36 measurement model as well as the factor structure with two dimensions. Next, we present the design used by us to transform the data from the time they are collected from the respondents to the time they are ready to be further used. Finally, the methodology used to culturally adapt the MOS SF-36 and create a Portuguese version which is culturally equivalent are presented.

Automated vision occlusion-timing instrument for perception-action research.

PubMed

Brenton, John; Müller, Sean; Rhodes, Robbie; Finch, Brad

2018-02-01

Vision occlusion spectacles are a highly valuable instrument for visual-perception-action research in a variety of disciplines. In sports, occlusion spectacles have enabled invaluable knowledge to be obtained about the superior capability of experts to use visual information to guide actions within in-situ settings. Triggering the spectacles to occlude a performer's vision at a precise time in an opponent's action or object flight has been problematic, due to experimenter error in using a manual buttonpress approach. This article describes a new laser curtain wireless trigger for vision occlusion spectacles that is portable and fast in terms of its transmission time. The laser curtain can be positioned in a variety of orientations to accept a motion trigger, such as a cricket bowler's arm that distorts the lasers, which then activates a wireless signal for the occlusion spectacles to change from transparent to opaque, which occurs in only 8 ms. Results are reported from calculations done in an electronics laboratory, as well as from tests in a performance laboratory with a cricket bowler and a baseball pitcher, which verified this short time delay before vision occlusion. In addition, our results show that occlusion consistently occurred when it was intended-that is, near ball release and during mid-ball-flight. Only 8% of the collected data trials were unusable. The laser curtain improves upon the limitations of existing vision occlusion spectacle triggers, indicating that it is a valuable instrument for perception-action research in a variety of disciplines.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)

NASA Image and Video Library

1975-07-01

This illustration is a schematic of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 and its experiments. It shows the focal plane instruments (at the right) plus the associated electronics for operating the telescope as it transmitted its observations to the ground. A fifth instrument, the Monitor Proportional Counter, is located near the front of the telescope. Four separate astronomical instruments are located at the focus of this telescope and they could be interchanged for different types of observations as the observatory pointed at interesting areas of the Sky. Two of these instruments produced images; a High Resolution Imaging Detector and an Imaging Proportional Counter. The other two instruments, the Solid State Spectrometer and the Crystal Spectrometer, measured the spectra of x-ray objects. A fifth instrument, the Monitor Proportional Counter, continuously viewed space independently to study a wider band of x-ray wavelengths and to examine the rapid time variations in the sources. The HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2, designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle on November 13, 1978. The HEAO-2 was originally identified as HEAO-B but the designation was changed once the spacecraft achieved orbit.

Reliability and construct validity of the Instrument to Measure the Impact of Valve Heart Disease on the Patient's Daily Life

PubMed Central

dos Anjos, Daniela Brianne Martins; Rodrigues, Roberta Cunha Matheus; Padilha, Kátia Melissa; Pedrosa, Rafaela Batista dos Santos; Gallani, Maria Cecília Bueno Jayme

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: evaluate the practicality, acceptability and the floor and ceiling effects, estimate the reliability and verify the convergent construct's validity with the instrument called the Heart Valve Disease Impact on daily life (IDCV) of the valve disease in patients with mitral and or aortic heart valve disease. Method: data was obtained from 86 heart valve disease patients through 3 phases: a face to face interview for a socio-demographic and clinic characterization and then other two done through phone calls of the interviewed patients for application of the instrument (test and repeat test). Results: as for the practicality and acceptability, the instrument was applied with an average time of 9,9 minutes and with 110% of responses, respectively. Ceiling and floor effects observed for all domains, especially floor effect. Reliability was tested using the test - repeating pattern to give evidence of temporal stability of the measurement. Significant negative correlations with moderate to strong magnitude were found between the score of the generic question about the impact of the disease and the scores of IDCV, which points to the validity of the instrument convergent construct. Conclusion: the instrument to measure the impact of valve heart disease on the patient's daily life showed evidence of reliability and validity when applied to patients with heart valve disease. PMID:27992024

Survey Instrument Validity Part II: Validation of a Survey Instrument Examining Athletic Trainers' Knowledge and Practice Beliefs Regarding Exertional Heat Stroke

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Laura J.; Mazerolle, Stephanie M.

2011-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this article is to discuss the process of developing and validating an instrument to investigate an athletic trainer's attitudes and behaviors regarding the recognition and treatment of exertional heat stroke. Background: Following up from our initial paper, which discussed the process of survey instrument design and…

Assessing instrument handling and operative consequences simultaneously: a simple method for creating synced multicamera videos for endosurgical or microsurgical skills assessments.

PubMed

Jabbour, Noel; Sidman, James

2011-10-01

There has been an increasing interest in assessment of technical skills in most medical and surgical disciplines. Many of these assessments involve microscopy or endoscopy and are thus amenable to video recording for post hoc review. An ideal skills assessment video would provide the reviewer with a simultaneous view of the examinee's instrument handling and the operative field. Ideally, a reviewer should be blinded to the identity of the examinee and whether the assessment was performed as a pretest or posttest examination, when given in conjunction with an educational intervention. We describe a simple method for reliably creating deidentified, multicamera, time-synced videos, which may be used in technical skills assessments. We pilot tested this method in a pediatric airway endoscopy Objective Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS). Total video length was compared with the OSATS administration time. Thirty-nine OSATS were administered. There were no errors encountered in time-syncing the videos using this method. Mean duration of OSATS videos was 11 minutes and 20 seconds, which was significantly less than the time needed for an expert to be present at the administration of each 30-minute OSATS (P < 0.001). The described method for creating time-synced, multicamera skills assessment videos is reliable and may be used in endosurgical or microsurgical skills assessments. Compared with live review, post hoc video review using this method can save valuable expert reviewer time. Most importantly, this method allows a reviewer to simultaneously evaluate an examinee's instrument handling and the operative field while being blinded to the examinee's identity and timing of examination administration.

Grammatical Gender and Mental Representation of Object: The Case of Musical Instruments.

PubMed

Vuksanović, Jasmina; Bjekić, Jovana; Radivojević, Natalija

2015-08-01

A body of research shows that grammatical gender, although an arbitrary category, is viewed as the system with its own meaning. However, the question remains to what extent does grammatical gender influence shaping our notions about objects when both verbal and visual information are available. Two experiments were conducted. The results obtained in Experiment 1 have shown that grammatical gender as a linguistic property of the pseudo-nouns used as names for musical instruments significantly affects people's representations about these instruments. The purpose of Experiment 2 was to examine how the representation of musical instruments will be shaped in the presence of both language and visual information. The results indicate that the co-existence of linguistic and visual information results in formation of concepts about selected instruments by all available information from both sources, thus suggesting that grammatical gender influences nonverbal concepts' forming, but has no privileged status in the matter.

Development of the instruments for the Gamma Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madden, J. J.; Kniffen, D. A.

1986-01-01

The Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) is to be launched in 1988 by the STS. The GRO will feature four very large instruments: the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) and the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE). The instruments weigh from 900-1200 kg each, and required the development of specialized lifting and dolly devices to permit their assembly, manipulation and testing. The GRO is intended a{s a tool for studying discrete celestial objects such as black holes, neutron stars and other gamma-ray emitting objects, scanning for nucleosynthesis processes, mapping the Galaxy and other, high energy galaxies in terms of gamma rays, searching for cosmological effects and observing gamma ray bursts. The instruments will be sensitive from the upper end mof X-rya wavelengths to the highest energies possible. Details of the hardware and performance specifications of each of the instruments are discussed.

MOEMs devices designed and tested for future astronomical instrumentation in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamkotsian, Frédéric; Lanzoni, Patrick; Waldis, Severin; Noell, Wilfried; Conedera, Veronique; Fabre, Norbert; Viard, Thierry; Buisset, Christophe

2017-11-01

Next generation of astronomical instrumentation for space telescopes requires Micro-Opto-Electro- Mechanical Systems (MOEMS) with remote control capability and cryogenic operation. MOEMS devices have the capability to tailor the incoming light in terms of intensity and object selection with programmable slit masks, in terms of phase and wavefront control with micro-deformable mirrors, and finally in terms of spectrum with programmable diffraction gratings. Applications are multi-object spectroscopy (MOS), wavefront correction and programmable spectrographs. We are engaged since several years in the design, realization and characterization of MOEMS devices suited for astronomical instrumentation.

The Atsa Suborbital Observatory: An Observatory for a Commercial Suborbital Spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vilas, F.; Sollitt, L. S.

2012-12-01

The advantages of astronomical observations made above Earth's atmosphere have long been understood: free access to spectral regions inaccessible from Earth (e.g., UV) or affected by the atmosphere's content (e.g., IR). Most robotic, space-based telescopes maintain large angular separation between the Sun and an observational target in order to avoid accidental damage to instruments from the Sun. For most astronomical targets, this possibility is easily avoided by waiting until objects are visible away from the Sun. For the Solar System objects inside Earth's orbit, this is never the case. Suborbital astronomical observations have over 50 years' history using NASA's sounding rockets and experimental space planes. Commercial suborbital spacecraft are largely expected to go to ~100 km altitude above Earth, providing a limited amount of time for astronomical observations. The unique scientific advantage to these observations is the ability to point close to the Sun: if a suborbital spacecraft accidentally turns too close to the Sun and fries an instrument, it is easy to land the spacecraft and repair the hardware for the next flight. Objects uniquely observed during the short observing window include inner-Earth asteroids, Mercury, Venus, and Sun-grazing comets. Both open-FOV and target-specific observations are possible. Despite many space probes to the inner Solar System, scientific questions remain. These include inner-Earth asteroid size and bulk density informing Solar System evolution studies and efforts to develop methods of mitigation against imminent impactors to Earth; chemistry and dynamics of Venus' atmosphere addressing physical phenomena such as greenhouse effect, atmospheric super-rotation and global resurfacing on Venus. With the Atsa Suborbital Observatory, we combine the strengths of both ground-based observatories and space-based observing to create a facility where a telescope is maintained and used interchangeably with both in-house facility instruments or user-provided instruments. Rapid turnaround will depend only on flight frequency. Data are stored on-board for retrieval when the spacecraft lands. We provide robust instrumentation that can survive suborbital spaceflight, assessment of the feasibility of the requested observations, rigorous scripting of the telescope operation, integration of the telescope plus instrument in a provider spacecraft, and periodic preventive maintenance for the telescope and instrument suite. XCOR Aerospace's Lynx III spacecraft is the best candidate vehicle to host a suborbital astronomical observatory. Unlike other similar vehicles, the Lynx will operate with only 1 or 2 people onboard (the pilot and an operator), allowing for each mission to be totally dedicated to the observation (no tourists will be bumping about; no other experiments will affect spacecraft pointing). A stable platform, the Lynx can point to an accuracy of ± 0.5o. Fine pointing is done by the telescope system. Best of all, the Lynx has a dorsal pod that opens directly to space. For astronomical observations, the best window is NO window. Currently, we plan to deploy a 20" diameter telescope in the Lynx III dorsal pod. XCOR Aerospace has the goal of eventually maintaining a Lynx flight frequency capability of 4 times/day. As with any observatory, Atsa will be available for observations by the community at large.

Investigation into Practical Implementations of a Zero Knowledge Protocol.

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

Marleau, Peter; Krentz-Wee, Rebecca E.

In recent years, the concept of Zero Knowledge Protocols (ZKP) as a useful approach to nuclear warhead verification has become increasingly popular. Several implementations of ZKP have been proposed, driving technology development toward proof of concept demonstrations. Whereas proposed implementations seem to fall within the general class of template-based techniques, all physical implementations of ZKPs proposed to date have a complication: once the instrumentation is prepared, it is no longer authenticatable; the instrument physically contains sensitive information. In this work we explore three different concepts that may offer more authenticatable and practical ZKP implementations and evaluate the sensitive information thatmore » may be at risk when doing so: sharing a subset of detector counts in a preloaded image (with spatial information removed), real-time image subtraction, and a new concept, CONfirmation using a Fast-neutron Imaging Detector with Anti-image NULL-positive Time Encoding (CONFIDANTE). CONFIDANTE promises to offer an almost ideal implementation of ZKP: a positive result is indicated by a constant rate at all times enabling the monitoring party the possibility of full access to the instrument before, during, and after confirmation. A prototype of CONFIDANTE was designed, built, and its performance evaluated in a series of measurements of several objects including a set of plutonium dioxide Hemispheres. Very encouraging results proving feasibility are presented. 1 Rebecca is currently a graduate student in Nuclear Engineering at UC Berkeley« less

Slaying Hydra: A Python-Based Reduction Pipeline for the Hydra Multi-Object Spectrograph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seifert, Richard; Mann, Andrew

2018-01-01

We present a Python-based data reduction pipeline for the Hydra Multi-Object Spectrograph on the WIYN 3.5 m telescope, an instrument which enables simultaneous spectroscopy of up to 93 targets. The reduction steps carried out include flat-fielding, dynamic fiber tracing, wavelength calibration, optimal fiber extraction, and sky subtraction. The pipeline also supports the use of sky lines to correct for zero-point offsets between fibers. To account for the moving parts on the instrument and telescope, fiber positions and wavelength solutions are derived in real-time for each dataset. The end result is a one-dimensional spectrum for each target fiber. Quick and fully automated, the pipeline enables on-the-fly reduction while observing, and has been known to outperform the IRAF pipeline by more accurately reproducing known RVs. While Hydra has many configurations in both high- and low-resolution, the pipeline was developed and tested with only one high-resolution mode. In the future we plan to expand the pipeline to work in most commonly used modes.

A submersible digital in-line holographic microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jericho, Manfred; Jericho, Stefan; Kreuzer, Hans Juergen; Garcia, Jeorge; Klages, Peter

Few instruments exist that can image microscopic marine organisms in their natural environment so that their locomotion mechanisms, feeding habits and interactions with surfaces, such as bio-fouling, can be investigated in situ. In conventional optical microscopy under conditions of high magnification, only objects confined to the narrow focal plane can be imaged and processes that involve translation of the object perpendicular to this plane are not accessible. To overcome this severe limitation of optical microscopy, we developed digital in-line holographic microscopy (DIHM) as a high-resolution tool for the tracking of organisms in three dimensions. We describe here the design and performance of a very simple submersible digital in-line holographic microscope (SDIHM) that can image organisms and their motion with micron resolution and that can be deployed from small vessels. Holograms and reconstructed images of several microscopic marine organisms were successfully obtained down to a depth of 20 m. The maximum depth was limited by the length of data transmission cables available at the time and operating depth in excess of 100 m are easily possible for the instrument.

Music: Instrumental Techniques, Conducting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grozan, Carl

A course in introduction to the conducting of music groups of voices or instruments is presented. The approach used is a laboratory approach in which pupils will develop skills in score reading, physical gestures, rehearsal techniques, transpositions, voice and instrument ranges. Course objectives include: (1) The pupil will identify all…

Scanning confocal slit photon counter measurements of post-PRK haze in two-year study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taboada, John; Gaines, David; Perez, Mary A.; Waller, Steve G.; Ivan, Douglas J.; Baldwin, J. Bruce; LoRusso, Frank; Tutt, Ronald C.; Thompson, B.; Perez, Jose; Tredici, Thomas; Johnson, Dan A.

2001-06-01

In our study, a group of 80 United States Air Force, non- flying personnel will undergo photorefractive corneal surgery for moderate levels of myopia (< 6 diopters) and 20 will serve as controls. As of this report, approximately 56 have had the treatment. Of these, only about 59% of the treated eyes showed even a trace (.5) level of clinically assessed haze at any time. We report on the use of a recently developed instrument designed for the objective measurement of these low levels of haze in treated corneas. The sensitivity of the instrument is derived from the use of a scanning confocal slit photon counter. The use of a physical standard for calibration secures accuracy and reproducibility over an extensive period of time. Our haze measurements in this study revealed a very low level increase from baseline values for these patients. The typical increase over baseline was of the same magnitude as the variability in the observations, although the inherent variability in the measurements was approximately 0.25 times the value of the patient's haze variability.

The Chandra Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolk, S. J.; Petreshock, J. G.; Allen, P.; Bartholowmew, R. T.; Isobe, T.; Cresitello-Dittmar, M.; Dewey, D.

The NASA Great Observatory Chandra was launched July 23, 1999 aboard the space shuttle Columbia. The Chandra Science Center (CXC) runs a monitoring and trends analysis program to maximize the science return from this mission. At the time of the launch, the monitoring portion of this system was in place. The system is a collection of multiple threads and programming methodologies acting cohesively. Real-time data are passed to the CXC. Our real-time tool, ACORN (A Comprehensive object-ORiented Necessity), performs limit checking of performance related hardware. Chandra is in ground contact less than 3 hours a day, so the bulk of the monitoring must take place on data dumped by the spacecraft. To do this, we have written several tools which run off of the CXC data system pipelines. MTA_MONITOR_STATIC, limit checks FITS files containing hardware data. MTA_EVENT_MON and MTA_GRAT_MON create quick look data for the focal place instruments and the transmission gratings. When instruments violate their operational limits, the responsible scientists are notified by email and problem tracking is initiated. Output from all these codes is distributed to CXC scientists via HTML interface.

Microbiological evaluation of the steam sterilization of assembled laparoscopic instruments 1

PubMed Central

de Camargo, Tamara Carolina; Graziano, Kazuko Uchikawa; Almeida, Alda Graciele Claudio dos Santos; Suzuki, Karina; da Silva, Cely Barreto; Pinto, Flávia Morais Gomes

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: assess the safety of steam sterilization of assembled laparoscopic instruments with challenge contamination. Method: a laboratory experimental study, using as test samples trocars and laparoscopic graspers. Geobacillus stearothermophillus ATCC-7953 was used, with a microbial population of 106UFC/Filter paper substrate, removed from the biological indicator. Three of them were introduced into each instrument at the time of assembly, and sterilized at pressurized saturated steam, 134oC for 5 minutes. After sterilization, the instrument was disassembled and each filter paper substrate was inoculated in soybean casein culture and incubated at 56oC for 21 days. In case of absence of growth, they were subjected to heat shock of 80oC, for 20 minutes and re-incubated for 72 hours. Sample size: 185 graspers and 185 trocars, with 95% power. We paired the experiments with comparative negative control groups (5 graspers and 5 trocars with challenge contamination, sterilized disassembled) and positive control (30 filter paper supports, unsterilized), subject to the same incubation procedures. Results: there was no microbial growth in experimental and negative control. The results of the positive control were satisfactory. Conclusion: this study provided strong scientific evidence to support the safety of steam sterilizing of the assembled laparoscopic instrument. PMID:27878222

Evaluation of Low-Cost, Objective Instruments for Assessing Physical Activity in 10-11-Year-Old Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Teresa L.; Brusseau, Timothy; Kulinna, Pamela Hodges; McClain, James J.; Tudor-Locke, Catrine

2011-01-01

This study compared step counts detected by four, low-cost, objective, physical-activity-assessment instruments and evaluated their ability to detect moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to the ActiGraph accelerometer (AG). Thirty-six 10-11-year-old children wore the NL-1000, Yamax Digiwalker SW 200, Omron HJ-151, and Walk4Life…

Evaluacion de que consister y por que se lleva acabo? (Evaluation: What Does it Consist of, and for What Purpose?).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin Independent School District, TX. Office of Research and Evaluation.

A guide is presented for the evaluation of the bilingual programs in the Austin, Texas, Independent School District. The reasons for an evaluation and a definition of program objectives and evaluation instruments are given. The program components, objectives and evaluation instruments for each grade level (K-4) are listed. The components involved…

Coordination of Advanced Solar Observatory (ASO) Science Working Group (SWG) for the study of instrument accommodation and operational requirements on space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S. T.

1989-01-01

The objectives are to coordinate the activities of the Science Working Group (SWG) of the Advanced Solar Observatory (ASO) for the study of instruments accommodation and operation requirements on board space station. In order to facilitate the progress of the objective, two conferences were organized, together with two small group discussions.

Advanced earthquake monitoring system for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical buildings--instrumentation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kalkan, Erol; Banga, Krishna; Ulusoy, Hasan S.; Fletcher, Jon Peter B.; Leith, William S.; Reza, Shahneam; Cheng, Timothy

2012-01-01

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Strong Motion Project (NSMP; http://nsmp.wr.usgs.gov/) of the U.S. Geological Survey has been installing sophisticated seismic systems that will monitor the structural integrity of 28 VA hospital buildings located in seismically active regions of the conterminous United States, Alaska, and Puerto Rico during earthquake shaking. These advanced monitoring systems, which combine the use of sensitive accelerometers and real-time computer calculations, are designed to determine the structural health of each hospital building rapidly after an event, helping the VA to ensure the safety of patients and staff. This report presents the instrumentation component of this project by providing details of each hospital building, including a summary of its structural, geotechnical, and seismic hazard information, as well as instrumentation objectives and design. The structural-health monitoring component of the project, including data retrieval and processing, damage detection and localization, automated alerting system, and finally data dissemination, will be presented in a separate report.

Historical perspective: The pros and cons of conventional outcome measures in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Lim, Shen-Yang; Tan, Ai Huey

2018-01-01

Conventional outcome measures (COMs) in Parkinson's disease (PD) refer to rating scales, questionnaires, patient diaries and clinically-based tests that do not require specialized equipment. It is timely at this juncture - as clinicians and researchers begin to grapple with the "invasion" of digital technologies - to review the strengths and weaknesses of these outcome measures. This paper discusses advances (including an enhanced understanding of PD itself, and the development of clinimetrics as a field) that have led to improvements in the COMs used in PD; their strengths and limitations; and factors to consider when selecting and using a measuring instrument. It is envisaged that in the future, a combination of COMs and technology-based objective measures will be utilized, with different methods having their own strengths and weaknesses. Judgement is required on the part of the clinician and researcher in terms of which instrument(s) are appropriate to use, depending on the particular clinical or research setting or question. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Magnetosphere Imager Mission Concept Definition Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, L.; Herrmann, M.; Alexander, Reggie; Beabout, Brent; Blevins, Harold; Bridge, Scott; Burruss, Glenda; Buzbee, Tom; Carrington, Connie; Chandler, Holly;

Evaluation of new laser spectrometer techniques for in-situ carbon monoxide measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellweger, C.; Steinbacher, M.; Buchmann, B.

2012-10-01

Long-term time series of the atmospheric composition are essential for environmental research and thus require compatible, multi-decadal monitoring activities. The current data quality objectives of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for carbon monoxide (CO) in the atmosphere are very challenging to meet with the measurement techniques that have been used until recently. During the past few years, new spectroscopic techniques came to market with promising properties for trace gas analytics. The current study compares three instruments that have recently become commercially available (since 2011) with the best currently available technique (Vacuum UV Fluorescence) and provides a link to previous comparison studies. The instruments were investigated for their performance regarding repeatability, reproducibility, drift, temperature dependence, water vapour interference and linearity. Finally, all instruments were examined during a short measurement campaign to assess their applicability for long-term field measurements. It could be shown that the new techniques perform considerably better compared to previous techniques, although some issues, such as temperature influence and cross sensitivities, need further attention.

Scientific planning for the VLT and VLTI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leibundgut, B.; Berger, J.-P.

2016-07-01

An observatory system like the VLT/I requires careful scientific planning for operations and future instruments. Currently the ESO optical/near-infrared facilities include four 8m telescopes, four (movable) 1.8m telescopes used exclusively for interferometry, two 4m telescopes and two survey telescopes. This system offers a large range of scientific capabilities and setting the corresponding priorities depends good community interactions. Coordinating the existing and planned instrumentation is an important aspect for strong scientific return. The current scientific priorities for the VLT and VLTI are pushing for the development of the highest angular resolution imaging and astrometry, integral field spectroscopy and multi-object spectroscopy. The ESO 4m telescopes on La Silla will be dedicated to time domain spectroscopy and exo-planet searches with highly specialized instruments. The next decade will also see a significant rise in the scientific importance of massive ground and space-based surveys. We discuss how future developments in astronomical research could shape the VLT/I evolution.

Subjective evaluation of treatment outcomes of instrumentation with pedicle screws or hybrid constructs in Lenke Type 1 and 2 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: what happens when judges are blinded to the instrumentation?

PubMed Central

Ouellet, Jean Albert; Shilt, Jeffrey; Shen, Francis H.; Wood, Kirkham; Chan, Donald; Hicks, John; Bersusky, Ernesto; Reddi, Vasantha

2009-01-01

Superiority of pedicle screws over hybrid/hook instrumentation or vice versa in the treatment of Lenke Type 1 and 2 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains unresolved for moderate curves. Our objective was therefore to compare the assessment of pedicle screw and hybrid/hooks instrumentation with special attention to cosmesis and uninstrumented spine using novel assessment methods. We carried out a retrospective study of radiographs and clinical photos of 40 cases of thoracic AIS between 40° and 70° of Cobb angle Lenke Type 1 and 2, treated with either pedicle screws or hybrid/hooks. The cases were subjectively assessed by four spine surgeons (SRS Travelling Fellows) for radiographic and operative cosmetic result, shoulder balance, trunk shift, rib hump, and waist asymmetry. Instrumentation in the radiographs was obscured with only the non-instrumented part visible, and the surgeons were asked to guess the instrumentation being used. Eighty photographs of patients before and after surgery were assessed for cosmesis by ten non-medical judges for overall cosmetic score, shoulder balance, waist asymmetry, and shoulder blade prominence. Objective assessment of radiographs and clinical photos was performed for Cobb angle of instrumented and non-instrumented spine, global coronal and sagittal balance, number of unfused vertebrae, disc angulation, tilt of last instrumented vertebra, shoulder balance, waist asymmetry, rib prominence, and percent correction. SRS-24 questionnaire was used to measure health-related quality of life in patients. Subjective assessments by surgeons and non-medical judges showed no significant difference by instrumentation (P ≥ 0.05) for all variables. Out of the 160 guesses by surgeons of the cases with instrumentation blocked in the radiographs, they were unable to guess the instrumentation in 92% of the cases. Objective assessment of all variables and SRS-24 scores of all five domains showed no significant difference by instrumentation (P ≥ 0.05). In this first-ever conducted study in a blinded-fashion, we conclude that there is no significant difference between the pedicle screw and hybrid/hooks instrumentations used to treat AIS for Lenke Type 1 and 2 curves for moderate curves between 40° and 70°. PMID:19672635

Computer simulations of interferometric imaging with the VLT Interferometer and the AMBER instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloecker, Thomas; Hofmann, Karl-Heinz; Przygodda, Frank; Weigelt, Gerd

2000-07-01

We present computer simulations of interferometric imaging with the VLT interferometer and the AMBER instrument. These simulations include both the astrophysical modeling of a stellar object by radiative transfer calculations and the simulation of light propagation from the object to the detector (through atmosphere, telescopes, and the AMBER instrument), simulation of photon noise and detector read- out noise, and finally data processing of the interferograms. The results show the dependence of the visibility error bars on the following observational parameters: different seeing during the observation of object and reference star (Fried parameters r0,object equals 2.4 m, r0,ref. equals 2.5 m), different residual tip- tilt error ((delta) tt,object equals 2% of the Airy disk diameter, (delta) tt,ref. equals 0.1%), and object brightness (Kobject equals 3.5 mag and 11 mag, Kref. equals 3.5 mag). Exemplarily, we focus on stars in late stages of stellar evolution and study one of its key objects, the dusty supergiant IRC + 10420 that is rapidly evolving on human timescales. We show computer simulations of VLTI interferometry of IRC + 10420 with two ATs (wide-field mode, i.e. without fiber optics spatial filters) and discuss whether the visibility accuracy is sufficient to distinguish between different theoretical model predictions.

The VLT Interferometer and its AMBER Instrument: Simulations of Interferometric Imaging in the Wide-Field Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blöcker, T.; Hofmann, K.-H.; Przygodda, F.; Weigelt, G.

We present computer simulations of interferometric imaging with the VLT interferometer and the AMBER instrument. These simulations include both the astrophysical modelling of a stellar object by radiative transfer calculations and the simulation of light propagation from the object to the detector (through atmosphere, telescopes, and the AMBER instrument), simulation of photon noise and detector read-out noise, and finally data processing of the interferograms. The results show the dependence of the visibility error bars on the following observational parameters: different seeing during the observation of object and reference star (Fried parameters r0,object and r0,ref. ranging between 0.9 m and 1.2 m), different residual tip-tilt error (δtt,object and δtt,ref. ranging between 0.1% and 20% of the Airy disk diameter), and object brightness (Kobject=3.5 mag to 13 mag, Kref.=3.5 mag). Exemplarily, we focus on stars in late stages of stellar evolution and study one of its key objects, the dusty supergiant IRC +10 420 that is rapidly evolving on human timescales. We show computer simulations of VLT interferometry of IRC +10 420 with two ATs (wide-field mode, i.e. without fiber optics spatial filters) and discuss whether the visibility accuracy is sufficient to distinguish between different theoretical model predictions.

Reading Instruments: Objects, Texts and Museums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Katharine; Frappier, Melanie; Neswald, Elizabeth; Trim, Henry

2013-01-01

Science educators, historians of science and their students often share a curiosity about historical instruments as a tangible link between past and present practices in the sciences. We less often integrate instruments into our research and pedagogy, considering artefact study as the domain of museum specialists. We argue here that scholars and…

Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO CAPE) Instrument Performance Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mannino, Antonio; Hartman, Kathy R.

2014-01-01

The Ultimate objective of the GEO-CAPE 2014 study: Quantify the cost impact of very specific changes in instrument performance! The customer has defined 4 instrument types they are notionally interested in:! FR: Filter Radiometer! WAS: Wide Angle Spectrometer! MSS: Multi Slit Spectrometer! SSS: Single Slit Spectrometer.

Field monitoring of the I-295 bridge over the James River : instrumentation installation and construction period studies : interim report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1988-01-01

This report reviews the various techniques considered for instrumenting the Rte. 1-295 cable-stayed bridge over the James River near Richmond, Virginia. From this review an instrumentation plan is developed to meet the following objectives: 1. to det...

Attitude Assessment for Research in Economic Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodgin, Robert F.

Guidelines for the construction and use of an attitude instrument are presented, and the application of the instrument to measure student attitude toward economics is described. Attention is directed to the Likert-like summated forced-choice variety of attitude instrument, whereby attitude toward the object is inferred from the summed responses to…

Development and preliminary testing of an instrumented object for force analysis during grasping.

PubMed

Romeo, R A; Cordella, F; Zollo, L; Formica, D; Saccomandi, P; Schena, E; Carpino, G; Davalli, A; Sacchetti, R; Guglielmelli, E

2015-01-01

This paper presents the design and realization of an instrumented object for force analysis during grasping. The object, with spherical shape, has been constructed with three contact areas in order to allow performing a tripod grasp. Force Sensing Resistor (FSR) sensors have been employed for normal force measurements, while an accelerometer has been used for slip detection. An electronic board for data acquisition has been embedded into the object, so that only the cables for power supply exit from it. Validation tests have been carried out for: (i) comparing the force measurements with a ground truth; (ii) assessing the capability of the accelerometer to detect slippage for different roughness values; (iii) evaluating object performance in grasp trials performed by a human subject.

Development and Validation of an Instrument to Assess the Implementation of Family-Centred Care in Traditional Open Bay Neonatal Intensive Care Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Motlaq, Mohammad A.; Abuidhail, Jamila; Salameh, Taghreed; Awwad, Wesam

2017-01-01

Objective: To develop an instrument to study family-centred care (FCC) in traditional open bay Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Methods: The development process involved constructing instrument's items, establishing content validity by an expert panel and testing the instrument for validity and reliability with a convenience sample of 25…

Prediction of wood mechanical and chemical properties in the presence and absence of blue stain using two near infrared instruments

Treesearch

Brian K. Via; Chi-Leung So; Todd F. Shupe; Lori G. Eckhardt; Michael Stine; Leslie H. Groom

2005-01-01

The objective of this research was to (a) determine if blue stain in solid wood influenced calibration equations developed from a nonstained wood population, (b) assess the bias introduced when scanning was performed by the slave instrument without calibration transfer from the master instrument and (c) partition absorbance-based variation by instrument, stain and...

The Chang'e 3 Mission Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chunlai; Liu, Jianjun; Ren, Xin; Zuo, Wei; Tan, Xu; Wen, Weibin; Li, Han; Mu, Lingli; Su, Yan; Zhang, Hongbo; Yan, Jun; Ouyang, Ziyuan

2015-07-01

The Chang'e 3 (CE-3) mission was implemented as the first lander/rover mission of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP). After its successful launch at 01:30 local time on December 2, 2013, CE-3 was inserted into an eccentric polar lunar orbit on December 6, and landed to the east of a 430 m crater in northwestern Mare Imbrium (19.51°W, 44.12°N) at 21:11 on December 14, 2013. The Yutu rover separated from the lander at 04:35, December 15, and traversed for a total of 0.114 km. Acquisition of science data began during the descent of the lander and will continue for 12 months during the nominal mission. The CE-3 lander and rover each carry four science instruments. Instruments on the lander are: Landing Camera (LCAM), Terrain Camera (TCAM), Extreme Ultraviolet Camera (EUVC), and Moon-based Ultraviolet Telescope (MUVT). The four instruments on the rover are: Panoramic Camera (PCAM), VIS-NIR Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS), Active Particle induced X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), and Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR). The science objectives of the CE-3 mission include: (1) investigation of the morphological features and geological structures of and near the landing area; (2) integrated in-situ analysis of mineral and chemical composition of and near the landing area; and (3) exploration of the terrestrial-lunar space environment and lunar-based astronomical observations. This paper describes the CE-3 objectives and measurements that address the science objectives outlined by the Comprehensive Demonstration Report of Phase II of CLEP. The CE-3 team has archived the initial science data, and we describe data accessibility by the science community.

Evaluation of low-cost, objective instruments for assessing physical activity in 10-11-year-old children.

PubMed

Hart, Teresa L; Brusseau, Timothy; Kulinna, Pamela Hodges; McClain, James J; Tudor-Locke, Catrine

2011-12-01

This study compared step counts detected by four, low-cost, objective, physical-activity-assessment instruments and evaluated their ability to detect moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to the ActiGraph accelerometer (AG). Thirty-six 10-11-year-old children wore the NL-1000, Yamax Digiwalker SW 200, Omron HJ-151, and Walk4Life MVP concurrently with the AG during school hours on a single day. AG MVPA was derived from activity count data using previously validated cut points. Two of the evaluated instruments provided similar group mean MVPA and step counts compared to AG (dependent on cut point). Low-cost instruments may be useful for measurement of both MVPA and steps in children's physical activity interventions and program evaluation.

The space telescope scientific instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leckrone, D. S.

1980-01-01

The paper describes the space telescope with a 2.4 m aperture to be launched at 500 km altitude in late 1983. Four axial-bay and one radial-bay scientific instrument, a wide-field and planetary camera, a faint-object camera, a faint-object spectrograph, and a high-speed photometer are to be installed to conduct the initial observations. The axial instruments are constrained to envelopes with dimensions 0.9 x 0.9 x 2.2 m and their masses cannot exceed 317 kg. The observatory will also be equipped with fine-guidance sensors and a microprocessor. The design concepts of the instruments are outlined and some of the astronomical capabilities including studies of distant and local galaxies, physical properties of quasars, interrelations between quasars and active galactic nuclei are mentioned.

Development and Operation of the Microshutter Array System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jhabvala, M. D.; Franz, D.; King, T.; Kletetschka, G.; Kutyrev, A. S.; Li, M. J.

2008-01-01

The microshutter array (MSA) is a key component in the James Webb Space Telescope Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) instrument. The James Webb Space Telescope is the next generation of a space-borne astronomy platform that is scheduled to be launched in 2013. However, in order to effectively operate the array and meet the severe operational requirements associated with a space flight mission has placed enormous constraints on the microshutter array subsystem. This paper will present an overview and description of the entire microshutter subsystem including the microshutter array, the hybridized array assembly, the integrated CMOS electronics, mechanical mounting module and the test methodology and performance of the fully assembled microshutter subsystem. The NIRSpec is a European Space Agency (ESA) instrument requiring four fully assembled microshutter arrays, or quads, which are independently addressed to allow for the imaging of selected celestial objects onto the two 4 mega pixel IR detectors. Each microshutter array must have no more than approx.8 shutters which are failed in the open mode (depending on how many are failed closed) out of the 62,415 (365x171) total number of shutters per array. The driving science requirement is to be able to select up to 100 objects at a time to be spectrally imaged at the focal plane. The spectrum is dispersed in the direction of the 171 shutters so if there is an unwanted open shutter in that row the light from an object passing through that failed open shutter will corrupt the spectrum from the intended object.

Instrumentation for one-way satellite PTTI applications. [calibration and synchronization of clocks from navigation satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Osborne, A. E.

1973-01-01

A review of general principles and operational procedures illustrates how the typical passive user and omni receiving antenna can recover Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI) information from a low altitude navigation satellite system for clock calibration and synchronization. Detailed discussions of concepts and theory of the receiver design are presented. The importance of RF correlation of the received and local PN encoded sequences is emphasized as a means of reducing delay uncertainties of the instrumentation to values compatible with nanosecond to submicrosecond PTTI objectives. Two receiver configurations were fabricated for use in satellite-to-laboratory experiments. In one receiver the delay-locked loop for PN signals synchronization used a dithered amplitude detection process while the second receiver used a complex sums phase detection method for measurement of delay error. The necessity for compensation of Doppler shift is discussed. Differences in theoretical signal acquisition and tracking performance of the design concepts are noted.

Steady State Condition in the Measurement of VO2and VCO2by Indirect Calorimetry.

PubMed

Cadena, M; Sacristan, E; Infante, O; Escalante, B; Rodriguez, F

2005-01-01

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is computed using VO2and VCO2short time 15-minute window measurement with Indirect Calorimetry (IC) instruments designed with mixing chamber. Steady state condition using a 10% variation coefficient criteria is the main objective to achieve metabolic long time prediction reliability. This study address how susceptible is the steady state VO2, VCO2measurement condition to the clino-orthostatic physiological maneuver. 30 young healthy subjects were analyzed. Only 18 passed the 10% variation coefficient inclusive criteria. They were exposed to 10 minutes clino-stage and 10 minutes orthostage. The hypothesis tests show not statistical significance (p< 0.1) in the average and variance analysis. It is concluded that the steady state is not influenced by the patient position IC test, probably because IC mixing chamber instruments are insensitive to detect a mayor physiological dynamics changes that can modify the steady state definition.

A Miniature Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for in Situ Analysis of Mars Surface Composition and Identification of Hazard in Advance of Future Manned Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Getty, S. A.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Arevalo, R. D.; Floyd, M. M.; Li, X.; Cornish, T.; Ecelberger, S. A.

2012-01-01

Future landed missions to Mars will be guided by two strategic directions: (1) sample return to Earth, for comprehensive compositional analyses, as recommended by the 2011 NRC Planetary Decadal Survey; and (2) preparation for human exploration in the 2030s and beyond, as laid out by US space policy. The resultant mission architecture will likely require high-fidelity in situ chemical/organic sample analyses within an extremely constrained resource envelope. Both science goals (e.g., MEPAG Goal 1, return sample selection, etc.) as well as identification of any potential toxic and biological hazards to humans, must be addressed. Over the past several years of instrument development, we have found that the adaptable, compact, and highly capable technique of laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LD-TOF-MS) has significant potential to contribute substantially to these dual objectives. This concept thus addresses Challenge Area 1: instrumentation and Investigation Approaches.

Obtaining coincident image observations for Mission to Planet Earth science data return

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, Lauri Kraft; Folta, David C.; Farrell, James P.

1994-01-01

One objective of the Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) program involves comparing data from various instruments on multiple spacecraft to obtain a total picture of the Earth's systems. To correlate image data from instruments on different spacecraft, these spacecraft must be able to image the same location on the Earth at approximately the same time. Depending on the orbits of the spacecraft involved, complicated operational details must be considered to obtain such observations. If the spacecraft are in similar orbits, close formation flying or synchronization techniques may be used to assure coincident observations. If the orbits are dissimilar, the launch time of the second satellite may need to be restricted in order to align its orbit with that of the first satellite launched. This paper examines strategies for obtaining coincident observations for spacecraft in both similar and dissimilar orbits. Although these calculations may be performed easily for coplanar spacecraft, the non-coplanar case involves additional considerations which are incorporated into the algorithms presented herein.

Gravitational wave astronomy: needle in a haystack.

PubMed

Cornish, Neil J

2013-02-13

A worldwide array of highly sensitive ground-based interferometers stands poised to usher in a new era in astronomy with the first direct detection of gravitational waves. The data from these instruments will provide a unique perspective on extreme astrophysical objects, such as neutron stars and black holes, and will allow us to test Einstein's theory of gravity in the strong field, dynamical regime. To fully realize these goals, we need to solve some challenging problems in signal processing and inference, such as finding rare and weak signals that are buried in non-stationary and non-Gaussian instrument noise, dealing with high-dimensional model spaces, and locating what are often extremely tight concentrations of posterior mass within the prior volume. Gravitational wave detection using space-based detectors and pulsar timing arrays bring with them the additional challenge of having to isolate individual signals that overlap one another in both time and frequency. Promising solutions to these problems will be discussed, along with some of the challenges that remain.

Comparison of a pocket-size ultrasound device with a premium ultrasound machine: diagnostic value and time required in bedside ultrasound examination.

PubMed

Stock, Konrad Friedrich; Klein, Bettina; Steubl, Dominik; Lersch, Christian; Heemann, Uwe; Wagenpfeil, Stefan; Eyer, Florian; Clevert, Dir-Andre

2015-10-01

Time savings and clinical accuracy of a new miniature ultrasound device was investigated utilizing comparison with conventional high-end ultrasound instruments. Our objective was to determine appropriate usage and limitations of this diagnostic tool in internal medicine. We investigated 28 patients from the internal-medicine department. Patients were examined with the Acuson P10 portable device and a Sonoline Antares instrument in a cross-over design. All investigations were carried out at the bedside; the results were entered on a standardized report form. The time for the ultrasound examination (transfer time, setting up and disassembly, switching on and off, and complete investigation time) was recorded separately. Mean time for overall examination per patient with the portable ultrasound device was shorter (25.0 ± 4.5 min) than with the high-end machine (29.4 ± 4.4 min; p < 0.001). When measuring the size of liver, spleen, and kidneys, the values obtained differed significantly between portable device and the high-end instrument. In our study, we identified 113 pathological ultrasound findings with the high-end ultrasound machine, while 82 pathological findings (73%) were concordantly detected with the portable ultrasound device. The main diagnostic strengths of the portable device were in the detection of ascites (sensitivity 80%), diagnosis of fatty liver, and identification of severe parenchymal liver damage. The clinical utility of portable ultrasound machines is limited. There will be clinical roles for distinct clinical questions such as detection of ascites or pleural effusion when used by experienced examiners. However, sensitivity in detecting multiple pathologies is not comparable to high-end ultrasound machines.

Perspective on the National Aero-Space Plane Program instrumentation development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bogue, Rodney K.; Erbland, Peter

1993-01-01

A review of the requirement for, and development of, advanced measurement technology for the National Aerospace Plane program is presented. The objective is to discuss the technical need and the program commitment required to ensure that adequate and timely measurement capabilities are provided for ground and flight testing in the NASP program. The scope of the measurement problem is presented, the measurement process is described, how instrumentation technology development has been affected by NASP program evolution is examined, the national effort to define measurement requirements and assess the adequacy of current technology to support the NASP program is discussed, and the measurement requirements are summarized. The unique features of the NASP program that complicate the understanding of requirements and the development of viable solutions are illustrated.

Hubble Space Telescope faint object spectrograph instrument handbook, version 5.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kinney, A. L. (Editor)

1994-01-01

This version of the FOS Instrument Handbook is for the refurbished telescope, which is affected by an increase in throughput, especially for the smaller apertures, a decrease in efficiency due to the extra reflections of the COSTAR optics, and a change in focal length. The improved PSF affects all exposure time calculations due to better aperture throughputs and increases the spectral resolution. The extra reflections of COSTAR decrease the efficiency by 10-20 percent. The change in focal length affects the aperture sizes as projected on the sky. The aperture designations that are already in use both in the exposure logsheets and in the project data base (PDB) have not been changed. Apertures are referred to here by their size, followed by the designation used on the exposure logsheet.

SphinX soft X-ray spectrophotometer: Science objectives, design and performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gburek, S.; Sylwester, J.; Kowalinski, M.; Bakala, J.; Kordylewski, Z.; Podgorski, P.; Plocieniak, S.; Siarkowski, M.; Sylwester, B.; Trzebinski, W.; Kuzin, S. V.; Pertsov, A. A.; Kotov, Yu. D.; Farnik, F.; Reale, F.; Phillips, K. J. H.

2011-06-01

The goals and construction details of a new design Polish-led X-ray spectrophotometer are described. The instrument is aimed to observe emission from entire solar corona and is placed as a separate block within the Russian TESIS X- and EUV complex aboard the CORONAS-PHOTON solar orbiting observatory. SphinX uses silicon PIN diode detectors for high time resolution measurements of the solar spectra in the range 0.8-15 keV. Its spectral resolution allows for discerning more than hundred separate energy bands in this range. The instrument dynamic range extends two orders of magnitude below and above these representative for GOES. The relative and absolute accuracy of spectral measurements is expected to be better than few percent, as follows from extensive ground laboratory calibrations.

Ambulatory Feedback System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Finger, Herbert; Weeks, Bill

1985-01-01

This presentation discusses instrumentation that will be used for a specific event, which we hope will carry on to future events within the Space Shuttle program. The experiment is the Autogenic Feedback Training Experiment (AFTE) scheduled for Spacelab 3, currently scheduled to be launched in November, 1984. The objectives of the AFTE are to determine the effectiveness of autogenic feedback in preventing or reducing space adaptation syndrome (SAS), to monitor and record in-flight data from the crew, to determine if prediction criteria for SAS can be established, and, finally, to develop an ambulatory instrument package to mount the crew throughout the mission. The purpose of the Ambulatory Feedback System (AFS) is to record the responses of the subject during a provocative event in space and provide a real-time feedback display to reinforce the training.

The OASIS Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, James H., Jr.; Barghouty, Abdulnasser F.; Binns, W. robert; Christl, Mark; Cosse, Charles B.; Guzik, T. Gregory; deNolfo, Georgia A.; Hams,Thomas; Isbert, Joachim; Israel, Martin H.;

Refinery evaluation of optical imaging to locate fugitive emissions.

PubMed

Robinson, Donald R; Luke-Boone, Ronke; Aggarwal, Vineet; Harris, Buzz; Anderson, Eric; Ranum, David; Kulp, Thomas J; Armstrong, Karla; Sommers, Ricky; McRae, Thomas G; Ritter, Karin; Siegell, Jeffrey H; Van Pelt, Doug; Smylie, Mike

2007-07-01

Fugitive emissions account for approximately 50% of total hydrocarbon emissions from process plants. Federal and state regulations aiming at controlling these emissions require refineries and petrochemical plants in the United States to implement a Leak Detection and Repair Program (LDAR). The current regulatory work practice, U.S. Environment Protection Agency Method 21, requires designated components to be monitored individually at regular intervals. The annual costs of these LDAR programs in a typical refinery can exceed US$1,000,000. Previous studies have shown that a majority of controllable fugitive emissions come from a very small fraction of components. The Smart LDAR program aims to find cost-effective methods to monitor and reduce emissions from these large leakers. Optical gas imaging has been identified as one such technology that can help achieve this objective. This paper discusses a refinery evaluation of an instrument based on backscatter absorption gas imaging technology. This portable camera allows an operator to scan components more quickly and image gas leaks in real time. During the evaluation, the instrument was able to identify leaking components that were the source of 97% of the total mass emissions from leaks detected. More than 27,000 components were monitored. This was achieved in far less time than it would have taken using Method 21. In addition, the instrument was able to find leaks from components that are not required to be monitored by the current LDAR regulations. The technology principles and the parameters that affect instrument performance are also discussed in the paper.

Occupant Injury Severity and Accident Causes in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (1983-2014).

PubMed

Boyd, Douglas D; Macchiarella, Nickolas D

2016-01-01

Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) transport critically ill patients to/between emergency care facilities and operate in a hazardous environment: the destination site is often encumbered with obstacles, difficult to visualize at night, and lack instrument approaches for degraded visibility. The study objectives were to determine 1) HEMS accident rates and causes; 2) occupant injury severity profiles; and 3) whether accident aircraft were certified to the more stringent crashworthiness standards implemented two decades ago. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) aviation accident database was used to identify HEMS mishaps for the years spanning 1983-2014. Contingency tables (Pearson Chi-square or Fisher's exact test) were used to determine differences in proportions. A generalized linear model (Poisson distribution) was used to determine if accident rates differed over time. While the HEMS accident rate decreased by 71% across the study period, the fraction of fatal accidents (36-50%) and the injury severity profiles were unchanged. None of the accident aircraft fully satisfied the current crashworthiness standards. Failure to clear obstacles and visual-to-instrument flight, the most frequent accident causes (37 and 26%, respectively), showed a downward trend, whereas accidents ascribed to aircraft malfunction showed an upward trend over time. HEMS operators should consider updating their fleet to the current, more stringent crashworthiness standards in an attempt to reduce injury severity. Additionally, toward further mitigating accidents ascribed to inadvertent visual-to-instrument conditions, HEMS aircraft should be avionics-equipped for instrument flight rules flight.

Instrument Motion Metrics for Laparoscopic Skills Assessment in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.

PubMed

Fransson, Boel A; Chen, Chi-Ya; Noyes, Julie A; Ragle, Claude A

2016-11-01

To determine the construct and concurrent validity of instrument motion metrics for laparoscopic skills assessment in virtual reality and augmented reality simulators. Evaluation study. Veterinarian students (novice, n = 14) and veterinarians (experienced, n = 11) with no or variable laparoscopic experience. Participants' minimally invasive surgery (MIS) experience was determined by hospital records of MIS procedures performed in the Teaching Hospital. Basic laparoscopic skills were assessed by 5 tasks using a physical box trainer. Each participant completed 2 tasks for assessments in each type of simulator (virtual reality: bowel handling and cutting; augmented reality: object positioning and a pericardial window model). Motion metrics such as instrument path length, angle or drift, and economy of motion of each simulator were recorded. None of the motion metrics in a virtual reality simulator showed correlation with experience, or to the basic laparoscopic skills score. All metrics in augmented reality were significantly correlated with experience (time, instrument path, and economy of movement), except for the hand dominance metric. The basic laparoscopic skills score was correlated to all performance metrics in augmented reality. The augmented reality motion metrics differed between American College of Veterinary Surgeons diplomates and residents, whereas basic laparoscopic skills score and virtual reality metrics did not. Our results provide construct validity and concurrent validity for motion analysis metrics for an augmented reality system, whereas a virtual reality system was validated only for the time score. © Copyright 2016 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Low power data acquisition unit for autonomous geophysical instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prystai, Andrii

2017-04-01

The development of an autonomous instrumentation for field research is always a challenge which needs knowledge and application of recent advances in technology and components production. Using this information a super-low power, low-cost, stand-alone GPS time synchronized data acquisition unit was created. It comprises an extended utilization of the microcontroller modules and peripherals and special firmware with flexible PLL parameters. The present report is devoted to a discussion of synchronization mode of data sampling in autonomous field instruments with possibility of GPS random breaks. In the result the achieved sampling timing accuracy is better than ± 60 ns without phase jumps and distortion plus fixed shift depending on the sample rate. The main application of the system is for simultaneous measurement of several channels from magnetic and electric sensors in field conditions for magneto-telluric instruments. First utilization of this system was in the new developed versions of LEMI-026 magnetometer and LEMI-423 field station, where it was applied for digitizing of up to 6 analogue channels with 32-bit resolution in the range ± 2.5V, digital filtration (LPF) and maximum sample rate 4kS/s. It is ready for record in 5 minutes after being turned on. Recently, this system was successfully utilized with the drone-portable magnetometers destined for the search of metallic objects, like UXO, in rural areas, research of engineering underground structure and for mapping ore bodies. The successful tests of drone-portable system were made and tests results are also discussed.

CRISPRED: CRISP imaging spectropolarimeter data reduction pipeline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de la Cruz Rodríguez, J.; Löfdahl, M. G.; Sütterlin, P.; Hillberg, T.; Rouppe van der Voort, L.

2017-08-01

CRISPRED reduces data from the CRISP imaging spectropolarimeter at the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope (SST). It performs fitting routines, corrects optical aberrations from atmospheric turbulence as well as from the optics, and compensates for inter-camera misalignments, field-dependent and time-varying instrumental polarization, and spatial variation in the detector gain and in the zero level offset (bias). It has an object-oriented IDL structure with computationally demanding routines performed in C subprograms called as dynamically loadable modules (DLMs).

ARM Operations and Engineering Procedure Mobile Facility Site Startup

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

Voyles, Jimmy W

2015-05-01

This procedure exists to define the key milestones, necessary steps, and process rules required to commission and operate an Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF), with a specific focus toward on-time product delivery to the ARM Data Archive. The overall objective is to have the physical infrastructure, networking and communications, and instrument calibration, grooming, and alignment (CG&A) completed with data products available from the ARM Data Archive by the Operational Start Date milestone.

Materials Research for Advanced Inertial Instrumentation. Task 1. Dimensional Stability of Gyroscope Structural Materials.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

instability are several among which some readily identifiable ones are phase trans- formation, relief of residual stresses, and microplastic deformation...selection procedures. ideally, advanced generations of inertial instruments require that induced long-term microplastic strains be maintained at levels...SECTION 2 OBJECTIVES The present objectives of this program are as follows: (1) To survey the literature on microplastic properties of materials and

Integrated Instrumentation and Sensor Systems Enabling Condition-Based Maintenance of Aerospace Equipment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

systems . For some specific sensor requirements in the domains considered here, for example, assessing system behavior and component state in gas turbine ...Cost Objectives. In general , the implication of the suitability and life cycle cost [LCC] driven objectives for integrated instrumentation/sensor system ...section should be considered. In general , the systems engineering approach provided clear benefits in defining user significant IISS system requirements and

Visible light optical coherence microscopy imaging of the mouse cortex with femtoliter volume resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merkle, Conrad W.; Chong, Shau Poh; Kho, Aaron M.; Zhu, Jun; Kholiqov, Oybek; Dubra, Alfredo; Srinivasan, Vivek J.

2018-02-01

Most flying-spot Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Optical Coherence Microscopy (OCM) systems use a symmetric confocal geometry, where the detection path retraces the illumination path starting from and ending with the spatial mode of a single mode optical fiber. Here, we describe a visible light OCM instrument that breaks this symmetry to improve transverse resolution without sacrificing collection efficiency in scattering tissue. This was achieved by overfilling a 0.3 numerical aperture (NA) water immersion objective on the illumination path, while maintaining a conventional Gaussian mode detection path (1/e2 intensity diameter 0.82 Airy disks), enabling 1.1 μm full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) transverse resolution. At the same time, a 0.9 μm FWHM axial resolution in tissue, achieved by a broadband visible light source, enabled femtoliter volume resolution. We characterized this instrument according to paraxial coherent microscopy theory, and then used it to image the meningeal layers, intravascular red blood cell-free layer, and myelinated axons in the mouse neocortex in vivo through the thinned skull. Finally, by introducing a 0.8 NA water immersion objective, we improved the lateral resolution to 0.44 μm FWHM, which provided a volumetric resolution of 0.2 fL, revealing cell bodies in cortical layer I of the mouse brain with OCM for the first time.

Self-Reported Physical Activity is Not a Valid Method for Measuring Physical Activity in 15-Year-Old South African Boys and Girls.

PubMed

Monyeki, Makama Andries; Moss, Sarah J; Kemper, Han C G; Twisk, Jos W R

2018-06-06

Physical activity plays an important role in the prevention of chronic lifestyle-related diseases. The development of valid instruments for the assessment of physical activity remains a challenge in field studies. The purpose of the present study was therefore to determine the level of agreement between physical activity objectively measured by the ActiHeart ® (Cambridge Neurotechnology Ltd, Cambridge, UK) device and subjectively reported physical activity by means of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) among adolescents attending schools in the Tlokwe Local Municipality, South Africa. A cross-sectional study design was used with a total of 63 boys and 45 girls aged 15 years who took part in the Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Study (PHALS). Stature and weight were measured according to standard International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) protocols. Objective physical activity (PA) was measured by a combined heart rate and accelerometer device (ActiHeart ® ) for seven consecutive days. Time spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was assessed. Subjective physical activity was assessed with the self-reported IPAQ-SF. Objective PA indicated that 93% of the participants were inactive and only 6% were highly active. The IPAQ-SF showed that 24% were inactive, with 57% active. A non-significant correlation ( r = 0.11; p = 0.29) between the ActiHeart ® measure of activity energy expenditure (AEE) and total physical activity (IPAQ-SF) was observed. The Bland⁻Altman plot showed no agreement between the two measurement instruments and also a variation in the level of equivalence. When Cohen’s kappa ( κ ) was run to determine the agreement between the two measurement instruments for estimated physical activity, a poor agreement (κ = 0.011, p < 0.005) between the two was found. The poor level of agreement between the objective measure of physical activity (ActiHeart ® ) and the IPAQ-SF questionnaire should be interpreted cautiously. Future physical activity research using a combination of subjective and objective assessment methods in a large-scale cohort in adolescents is recommended.

Status Report on Efforts to Enhance Instrumentation to Support Advanced Test Reactor Irradiations

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

J. Rempe; D. Knudson; J. Daw

2014-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) designated the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) as a National Scientific User Facility (NSUF) in April 2007 to support the growth of nuclear science and technology in the United States (US). By attracting new research users - universities, laboratories, and industry - the ATR NSUF facilitates basic and applied nuclear research and development, further advancing the nation's energy security needs. A key component of the ATR NSUF effort at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is to design, develop, and deploy new in-pile instrumentation techniques that are capable of providing real-time measurements of key parameters during irradiation.more » To address this need, an assessment of instrumentation available and under-development at other test reactors was completed. Based on this initial review, recommendations were made with respect to what instrumentation is needed at the ATR, and a strategy was developed for obtaining these sensors. In 2009, a report was issued documenting this program’s strategy and initial progress toward accomplishing program objectives. Since 2009, annual reports have been issued to provide updates on the program strategy and the progress made on implementing the strategy. This report provides an update reflecting progress as of January 2014.« less

Advising on Preferred Reporting Items for patient-reported outcome instrument development: the PRIPROID.

PubMed

Hou, Zheng-Kun; Liu, Feng-Bin; Fang, Ji-Qian; Li, Xiao-Ying; Li, Li-Juan; Lin, Chu-Hua

2013-03-01

The reporting of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instrument development is vital for both researchers and clinicians to determine its validity, thus, we propose the Preferred Reporting Items for PRO Instrument Development (PRIPROID) to improve the quality of reports. Abiding by the guidance published by the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) Network, we had performed 6 steps for items development: identified the need for a guideline, performed a literature review, obtained funding for the guideline initiative, identified participants, conducted a Delphi exercise and generated a list of PRIPROID items for consideration at the face-to-face meeting. Twenty three items subheadings under 7 topics were included: title and structured abstract, rationale, objectives, intention, eligibility criteria, conceptual framework, items generation, response options, scoring, times, administrative modes, burden assessment, properties assessment, statistical methods, participants, main results, and additional analysis, summary of evidence, limitations, clinical attentions, and conclusions, item pools or final form, and funding. The PRIPROID contains many elements of the PRO research, and this assists researchers to report their results more accurately and to a certain degree use this instrument to evaluate the quality of the research methods.

Preceptors’ Self-Assessment of Their Ability to Perform the Learning Objectives of an Experiential Program

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Objective. To evaluate preceptors’ perception of their ability to perform the Structured Practical Experiences in Pharmacy (SPEP) learning objectives through a self-assessment activity. Methods. A self-assessment instrument consisting of 28 learning objectives associated with clinic, community, and hospital pharmacy practice experiences were developed. Preceptors rated their performance ability for each of the learning objectives using a 3-point Likert scale. Results. Of the 116 preceptors, 89 (77%) completed the self-assessment survey instrument. The overall preceptor responses to the items on performance of the 28 SPEP learning objectives ranged from good to excellent. Years of experience, practice experience setting, and involvement as a SPEP or SPEP and PharmD preceptor had no influence on their self-reported capabilities. Conclusion. Most preceptors rated their ability to perform the learning objectives for the structured practical experiences in pharmacy as high. Competency areas requiring further preceptor development were identified. PMID:23193333

Using Moss to Detect Fine-Scaled Deposition of Heavy Metals in Urban Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jovan, S.; Donovan, G.; Demetrios, G.; Monleon, V. J.; Amacher, M. C.

2017-12-01

Mosses are commonly used as bio-indicators of heavy metal deposition to forests. Their application in urban airsheds is relatively rare. Our objective was to develop fine-scaled, city-wide maps for heavy metals in Portland, Oregon, to identify pollution "hotspots" and serve as a screening tool for more effective placement of air quality monitoring instruments. In 2013 we measured twenty-two elements in epiphytic moss sampled on a 1km x1km sampling grid (n = 346). We detected large hotspots of cadmium and arsenic in two neighborhoods associated with stained glass manufacturers. Air instruments deployed by local regulators measured cadmium concentrations 49 times and arsenic levels 155 times the state health benchmarks. Moss maps also detected a large nickel hotspot in a neighborhood near a forge where air instruments later measured concentrations 4 times the health benchmark. In response, the facilities implemented new pollution controls, air quality improved in all three affected neighborhoods, revision of regulations for stained glass furnace emissions are underway, and Oregon's governor launched an initiative to develop health-based (vs technology-based) regulations for air toxics in the state. The moss maps also indicated a couple dozen smaller hotspots of heavy metals, including lead, chromium, and cobalt, in Portland neighborhoods. Ongoing follow-up work includes: 1) use of moss sampling by local regulators to investigate source and extent of the smaller hotspots, 2) use of lead isotopes to determine origins of higher lead levels observed in moss collected from the inner city, and 3) co-location of air instruments and moss sampling to determine accuracy, timeframe represented, and seasonality of heavy metals in moss.

Demonstration of Uncued Optical Surveillance of LEO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmer, P.; Ackermann, M.; McGraw, J.

2014-09-01

J.T. McGraw and Associates, LLC, in collaboration with the University of New Mexico (UNM), has built and is operating two proof-of-concept wide-field imaging systems to test novel techniques for uncued surveillance of LEO. The imaging systems are built from off-the-shelf optics and detectors resulting in a 350mm aperture and a 6 square degree field of view. For streak detection, field of view is of critical importance because the maximum exposure time on the object is limited by its crossing time and measurements of apparent angular motion are better constrained with longer streaks. The current match of the detector to the optical system is optimized for detection of objects at altitudes above 450km, which for a circular orbit, corresponds to apparent motions of approximately 1 deg./sec. Using our GPU-accelerated detection scheme, the proof-of-concept systems have detected objects fainter than V=12.3, which approximately corresponds to a 24 cm object at 1000 km altitude at better than 6 sigma significance, from sites near and within Albuquerque, NM. This work demonstrates scalable optical systems designed for near real time detection of fast moving objects, which can be then handed off to other instruments capable of tracking and characterizing them. The two proof-of-concept systems, separated by ~30km, work together by taking simultaneous images of the same orbital volume to constrain the orbits of detected objects using parallax measurements. These detections are followed-up by photometric observations taken at UNM to independently assess the objects and the quality of the derived orbits. We believe this demonstrates the potential of small telescope arrays for detecting and cataloguing heretofore unknown LEO objects.

The FIELDS Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bale, S. D.; Goetz, K.; Harvey, P. R.; Turin, P.; Bonnell, J. W.; Dudok de Wit, T.; Ergun, R. E.; MacDowall, R. J.; Pulupa, M.; Andre, M.;

The FIELDS Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus

PubMed Central

Goetz, K.; Harvey, P.R.; Turin, P.; Bonnell, J.W.; de Wit, T. Dudok; Ergun, R.E.; MacDowall, R.J.; Pulupa, M.; Andre, M.; Bolton, M.; Bougeret, J.-L.; Bowen, T.A.; Burgess, D.; Cattell, C.A.; Chandran, B.D.G.; Chaston, C.C.; Chen, C.H.K.; Choi, M.K.; Connerney, J.E.; Cranmer, S.; Diaz-Aguado, M.; Donakowski, W.; Drake, J.F.; Farrell, W.M.; Fergeau, P.; Fermin, J.; Fischer, J.; Fox, N.; Glaser, D.; Goldstein, M.; Gordon, D.; Hanson, E.; Harris, S.E.; Hayes, L.M.; Hinze, J.J.; Hollweg, J.V.; Horbury, T.S.; Howard, R. A.; Hoxie, V.; Jannet, G.; Karlsson, M.; Kasper, J.C.; Kellogg, P.J.; Kien, M.; Klimchuk, J.A.; Krasnoselskikh, V.V.; Krucker, S.; Lynch, J.J.; Maksimovic, M.; Malaspina, D.M.; Marker, S.; Martin, P.; Martinez-Oliveros, J.; McCauley, J.; McComas, D.J.; McDonald, T.; Meyer-Vernet, N.; Moncuquet, M.; Monson, S.J.; Mozer, F.S.; Murphy, S.D.; Odom, J.; Oliverson, R.; Olson, J.; Parker, E.N.; Pankow, D.; Phan, T.; Quataert, E.; Quinn, T.; Ruplin, S.W.; Salem, C.; Seitz, D.; Sheppard, D.A.; Siy, A.; Stevens, K.; Summers, D.; Szabo, A.; Timofeeva, M.; Vaivads, A.; Velli, M.; Yehle, A.; Werthimer, D.; Wygant, J.R.

2018-01-01

NASA’s Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission will make the first in situ measurements of the solar corona and the birthplace of the solar wind. The FIELDS instrument suite on SPP will make direct measurements of electric and magnetic fields, the properties of in situ plasma waves, electron density and temperature profiles, and interplanetary radio emissions, amongst other things. Here, we describe the scientific objectives targeted by the SPP/FIELDS instrument, the instrument design itself, and the instrument concept of operations and planned data products. PMID:29755144

Adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Dieting Peer Competitiveness Scale to adolescents of both genders.

PubMed

Pamies-Aubalat, Lidia; Quiles-Marcos, Yolanda; Núñez-Núñez, Rosa M

2013-12-01

This study examined the Dieting Peer Competitiveness Scale; it is an instrument for evaluating this social comparison in young people. This instrumental study has two aims: The objective of the first aim was to present preliminary psychometric data from the Spanish version of the Dieting Peer Competitiveness Scale, including statistical item analysis, research about this instrument's internal structure, and a reliability analysis, from a sample of 1067 secondary school adolescents. The second objective of the study corresponds to confirmatory factor analysis of the scale's internal structure, as well as analysis for evidence of validity from a sample of 1075 adolescents.

Orbiting Astrophysical Spectrometer in Space (OASIS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, James H.

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the OASIS mission. The contents include: 1) Introduction to Cosmic Rays; 2) How are they accelerated?; 3) OASIS Objectives; 4) 5) HEPCaT Instrument; and 6) ENTICE Instrument

Modeling chromatic instrumental effects for a better model fitting of optical interferometric data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tallon, M.; Tallon-Bosc, I.; Chesneau, O.; Dessart, L.

2014-07-01

Current interferometers often collect data simultaneously in many spectral channels by using dispersed fringes. Such polychromatic data provide powerful insights in various physical properties, where the observed objects show particular spectral features. Furthermore, one can measure spectral differential visibilities that do not directly depend on any calibration by a reference star. But such observations may be sensitive to instrumental artifacts that must be taken into account in order to fully exploit the polychromatic information of interferometric data. As a specimen, we consider here an observation of P Cygni with the VEGA visible combiner on CHARA interferometer. Indeed, although P Cygni is particularly well modeled by the radiative transfer code CMFGEN, we observe questionable discrepancies between expected and actual interferometric data. The problem is to determine their origin and disentangle possible instrumental effects from the astrophysical information. By using an expanded model fitting, which includes several instrumental features, we show that the differential visibilities are well explained by instrumental effects that could be otherwise attributed to the object. Although this approach leads to more reliable results, it assumes a fit specific to a particular instrument, and makes it more difficult to develop a generic model fitting independent of any instrument.

Design and analysis of radiometric instruments using high-level numerical models and genetic algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorensen, Ira Joseph

A primary objective of the effort reported here is to develop a radiometric instrument modeling environment to provide complete end-to-end numerical models of radiometric instruments, integrating the optical, electro-thermal, and electronic systems. The modeling environment consists of a Monte Carlo ray-trace (MCRT) model of the optical system coupled to a transient, three-dimensional finite-difference electrothermal model of the detector assembly with an analytic model of the signal-conditioning circuitry. The environment provides a complete simulation of the dynamic optical and electrothermal behavior of the instrument. The modeling environment is used to create an end-to-end model of the CERES scanning radiometer, and its performance is compared to the performance of an operational CERES total channel as a benchmark. A further objective of this effort is to formulate an efficient design environment for radiometric instruments. To this end, the modeling environment is then combined with evolutionary search algorithms known as genetic algorithms (GA's) to develop a methodology for optimal instrument design using high-level radiometric instrument models. GA's are applied to the design of the optical system and detector system separately and to both as an aggregate function with positive results.

Development of an instrument to measure the use of behaviors taught in the American Physical Therapy Association Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program (APTA CIECP): a pilot study.

PubMed

Bridges, Patricia H; Carter, Vincent; Rehm, Stephanie; Tintl, Sara Bowers; Halperin, Rebecca; Kniesly, Elizabeth; Pelino, Soni

2013-01-01

Conduct a pilot study to establish the reliability and validity of a survey instrument that directly measures the objectives and content of the APTA CIECP; and measure the self-reported frequency of use of the behaviors taught in the APTA CIECP. Eighteen (18) APTA credentialed CIs. Develop a web-based survey consisting of 58 items representative of the behaviors taught in the APTA CIECP and 8 demographic characteristics. Establish the content validity and reliability of the survey instrument. Conduct a descriptive analysis of the frequency of self-reported use of the behaviors. The APTA Clinical Instructor Education Board (CIEB) reviewed the items and determined that the items matched the objectives and content of the APTA CIECP, thereby establishing content validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.79-0.90 confirmed the reliability. The overall mean for all items on a 1-6 scale was 4.81. The content validity and reliability of the survey instrument were established. The outcomes of this pilot study suggest that when measured by a valid and reliable instrument that is representative of the objectives and content of the CIECP, the behaviors taught in the CIECP are being applied in the clinical setting by APTA credentialed clinical instructors.

[Measuring Participation - Discussion of the Theoretical Foundations of Current Assessment Instruments].

PubMed

Gebhard, B; Fink, A

2015-09-01

For children and adolescents social participation is a central goal of rehabilitation processes. Available measurements and evaluation tools are exposed to the problem that the theoretical foundation of the construct of participation is still unclear as well as differentiation from activity in the International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities and Health (ICF/ICF-CY) of the WHO is not made sufficiently. The objectives of this article were (1) to illustrate the scientific discussions on the term and understanding of participation from rehabilitation science perspectives and (2) to conclude implications for practice and science. A systematic search for participation instruments was performed in MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ERIC und EMBASE in August 2014. The available instruments are based on very different definitions of participation. The discussion about the term seems to be not yet complete. A major demand is a better operationalization of activity and participation according to the ICF/ICF-CY in the instruments. Before using an existing instrument, the transferability should be tested for the own context. The theoretical assumptions of participation in conjunction to ICF/ICF-CY as well as the objectives of the instrument should all be clearly understood before using an existing instrument but also before the development of new instruments. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Subjective and objective scales to assess the development of children cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Pietrzak, S; Jóźwiak, M

2001-01-01

Many scoring systems hale been constructed to assess the motor development of cerebral palsy children and to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. According to the purposes they fulfill, these instruments may be divided into three types: discriminative, evaluative and predictive. The design and measurement methodology are the criteria that determine whether a given scale is quantitative or qualitative in nature, and whether is should be considered to be objective or subjective. The article presents the "reaching, losing and regaining" scale (constructed by the authors to assess functional development and its changes in certain periods of time), the Munich Functional Development Diagnostics, and the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM). Special attention is given to the GMFM, its methods, evaluation of results, and application. A comparison of subjective and objective assessment of two cerebral palsy children is included.

QUEST1 Variability Survey. III. Light Curve Catalog Update

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rengstorf, A. W.; Thompson, D. L.; Mufson, S. L.; Andrews, P.; Honeycutt, R. K.; Vivas, A. K.; Abad, C.; Adams, B.; Bailyn, C.; Baltay, C.; Bongiovanni, A.; Briceño, C.; Bruzual, G.; Coppi, P.; Della Prugna, F.; Emmet, W.; Ferrín, I.; Fuenmayor, F.; Gebhard, M.; Hernández, J.; Magris, G.; Musser, J.; Naranjo, O.; Oemler, A.; Rosenzweig, P.; Sabbey, C. N.; Sánchez, Ge.; Sánchez, Gu.; Schaefer, B.; Schenner, H.; Sinnott, J.; Snyder, J. A.; Sofia, S.; Stock, J.; van Altena, W.

2009-03-01

This paper reports an update to the QUEST1 (QUasar Equatorial Survey Team, Phase 1) Variability Survey (QVS) light curve catalog, which links QVS instrumental magnitude light curves to Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) objects and photometry. In the time since the original QVS catalog release, the overlap between publicly available SDSS data and QVS data has increased by 8% in sky coverage and 16,728 in number of matched objects. The astrometric matching and the treatment of SDSS masks have been refined for the updated catalog. We report on these improvements and present multiple bandpass light curves, global variability information, and matched SDSS photometry for 214,941 QUEST1 objects. Based on observations obtained at the Llano del Hato National Astronomical Observatory, operated by the Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía for the Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia of Venezuela.

Evaluation of Instructional Materials for Exceptional Children and Youth: A Preliminary Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eash, Maurice

An instrument for the evaluation of instructional materials is presented. Evaluative items are arranged under four constructs: objectives, organization of material (both scope and sequence), methodology, and evaluation. A section is also provided for summary quantitative judgment. A glossary of terms used in the instrument is included. A training…

Importance of Intrinsic and Instrumental Value of Education in Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Mahendar

2017-01-01

Normally, effectiveness of any object or thing is judged by two values; intrinsic and instrumental. To compare intrinsic value of education with instrumental value, this study has used the following variables: getting knowledge for its own sake, getting knowledge for social status, getting knowledge for job or business endeavor and getting…

The Berkeley Puppet Interview: A Screening Instrument for Measuring Psychopathology in Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Lisanne L.; van Daal, Carlijn; van der Maten, Marloes; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.; Janssens, Jan M. A. M.; Otten, Roy

2014-01-01

Background: While child self-reports of psychopathology are increasingly accepted, little standardized instruments are utilized for these practices. The Berkeley Puppet Interview (BPI) is an age-appropriate instrument for self-reports of problem behavior by young children. Objective: Psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the BPI will be…

Analysis of the learning curve for transurethral resection of the prostate. Is there any influence of musical instrument and video game skills on surgical performance?

PubMed Central

Yamaçake, Kleiton Gabriel Ribeiro; Nakano, Elcio Tadashi; Soares, Iva Barbosa; Cordeiro, Paulo; Srougi, Miguel; Antunes, Alberto Azoubel

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate the learning curve for transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) among urology residents and study the impact of video game and musical instrument playing abilities on its performance. Material and methods A prospective study was performed from July 2009 to January 2013 with patients submitted to TURP for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Fourteen residents operated on 324 patients. The following parameters were analyzed: age, prostate-specific antigen levels, prostate weight on ultrasound, pre- and postoperative serum sodium and hemoglobin levels, weight of resected tissue, operation time, speed of resection, and incidence of capsular lesions. Gender, handedness, and prior musical instrument and video game playing experience were recorded using survey responses. Results The mean resection speed in the first 10 procedures was 0.36 g/min and reached a mean of 0.51 g/min after the 20th procedure. The incidence of capsular lesions decreased progressively. The operation time decreased progressively for each subgroup regardless of the difference in the weight of tissue resected. Those experienced in playing video games presented superior resection speed (0.45 g/min) when compared with the novice (0.35 g/min) and intermediate (0.38 g/min) groups (p=0.112). Musical instrument playing abilities did not affect the surgical performance. Conclusion Speed of resection, weight of resected tissue, and percentage of resected tissue improve significantly and the incidence of capsular lesions reduces after the performance of 10 TURP procedures. Experience in playing video games or musical instruments does not have a significant effect on outcomes. PMID:26516596

An Object-Oriented Graphical User Interface for a Reusable Rocket Engine Intelligent Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litt, Jonathan S.; Musgrave, Jeffrey L.; Guo, Ten-Huei; Paxson, Daniel E.; Wong, Edmond; Saus, Joseph R.; Merrill, Walter C.

1994-01-01

An intelligent control system for reusable rocket engines under development at NASA Lewis Research Center requires a graphical user interface to allow observation of the closed-loop system in operation. The simulation testbed consists of a real-time engine simulation computer, a controls computer, and several auxiliary computers for diagnostics and coordination. The system is set up so that the simulation computer could be replaced by the real engine and the change would be transparent to the control system. Because of the hard real-time requirement of the control computer, putting a graphical user interface on it was not an option. Thus, a separate computer used strictly for the graphical user interface was warranted. An object-oriented LISP-based graphical user interface has been developed on a Texas Instruments Explorer 2+ to indicate the condition of the engine to the observer through plots, animation, interactive graphics, and text.

How well can ultracompact bodies imitate black hole ringdowns?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glampedakis, Kostas; Pappas, George

2018-02-01

The ongoing observations of merging black holes by the instruments of the fledging gravitational wave astronomy has opened the way for testing the general-relativistic Kerr black hole metric and, at the same time, for probing the existence of more speculative horizonless ultracompact objects. In this paper we quantify the difference that these two classes of objects may exhibit in the post-merger ringdown signal. By considering rotating systems in general relativity and assuming an eikonal limit and a third-order Hartle-Thorne slow-rotation approximation, we provide the first calculation of the early ringdown frequency and damping time as a function of the body's multipolar structure. Using the example of a gravastar, we show that the main ringdown signal may differ by as much as a few percent with respect to that of a Kerr black hole, a deviation that could be probed by near-future Advanced LIGO/Virgo searches.

Thirty Years, One Million Spectra: Public Access to the SAO Spectral Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mink, J.; Moran, S.

2015-09-01

Over the last 30 years, the SAO Telescope Data Center has reduced and archived over 1,000,000 spectra, consisting of 287,000 spectra from five high dispersion Echelle spectrographs and 717,000 spectra from four low dispersion spectrographs, across three telescopes. 151,000 spectra from six instruments are currently online and publicly available, covering many interesting objects in the northern sky, including most of the galaxies in the Updated Zwicky Catalog which are reachable through NED or Simbad. A majority of the high dispersion spectra will soon be made public, as will more data from the MMT multi-fiber spectrographs. Many objects in the archive have multiple spectra over time, which make them a valuable resource for archival time-domain studies. We are now developing a system to make all of the public spectra more easily searchable and viewable through the Virtual Observatory.

Collecting, Managing, and Visualizing Data during Planetary Surface Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, K. E.; Graff, T. G.; Bleacher, J. E.; Whelley, P.; Garry, W. B.; Rogers, A. D.; Glotch, T. D.; Coan, D.; Reagan, M.; Evans, C. A.; Garrison, D. H.

2017-12-01

While the Apollo lunar surface missions were highly successful in collecting valuable samples to help us understand the history and evolution of the Moon, technological advancements since 1969 point us toward a new generation of planetary surface exploration characterized by large volumes of data being collected and used to inform traverse execution real-time. Specifically, the advent of field portable technologies mean that future planetary explorers will have vast quantities of in situ geochemical and geophysical data that can be used to inform sample collection and curation as well as strategic and tactical decision making that will impact mission planning real-time. The RIS4E SSERVI (Remote, In Situ and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration; Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute) team has been working for several years to deploy a variety of in situ instrumentation in relevant analog environments. RIS4E seeks both to determine ideal instrumentation suites for planetary surface exploration as well as to develop a framework for EVA (extravehicular activity) mission planning that incorporates this new generation of technology. Results from the last several field campaigns will be discussed, as will recommendations for how to rapidly mine in situ datasets for tactical and strategic planning. Initial thoughts about autonomy in mining field data will also be presented. The NASA Extreme Environments Mission Operations (NEEMO) missions focus on a combination of Science, Science Operations, and Technology objectives in a planetary analog environment. Recently, the increase of high-fidelity marine science objectives during NEEMO EVAs have led to the ability to evaluate how real-time data collection and visualization can influence tactical and strategic planning for traverse execution and mission planning. Results of the last few NEEMO missions will be discussed in the context of data visualization strategies for real-time operations.

Validity of the Instrumented Push and Release Test to Quantify Postural Responses in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis.

PubMed

El-Gohary, Mahmoud; Peterson, Daniel; Gera, Geetanjali; Horak, Fay B; Huisinga, Jessie M

2017-07-01

To test the validity of wearable inertial sensors to provide objective measures of postural stepping responses to the push and release clinical test in people with multiple sclerosis. Cross-sectional study. University medical center balance disorder laboratory. Total sample N=73; persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) n=52; healthy controls n=21. Stepping latency, time and number of steps required to reach stability, and initial step length were calculated using 3 inertial measurement units placed on participants' lumbar spine and feet. Correlations between inertial sensor measures and measures obtained from the laboratory-based systems were moderate to strong and statistically significant for all variables: time to release (r=.992), latency (r=.655), time to stability (r=.847), time of first heel strike (r=.665), number of steps (r=.825), and first step length (r=.592). Compared with healthy controls, PwMS demonstrated a longer time to stability and required a larger number of steps to reach stability. The instrumented push and release test is a valid measure of postural responses in PwMS and could be used as a clinical outcome measures for patient care decisions or for clinical trials aimed at improving postural control in PwMS. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Search for Optically Faint GEO Debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seitzer, Patrick; Lederer, Susan M.; Barker, Edwin S.; Cowardin, Heather; Abercromby, Kira J.; ilha, Jiri

2011-01-01

Existing optical surveys for debris at geosynchronous orbit (GEO) have been conducted with meter class telescopes, which have detection limits in the range of 18th-19th magnitude. We report on a new search for optically faint debris at GEO using the 6.5-m Magellan 1 telescope Walter Baade at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Our goal is to go as faint as possible and characterize the brightness distribution of debris fainter than R = 20th magnitude, corresponding to a size smaller than 10 cm assuming an albedo of 0.175. We wish to compare the inferred size distribution for GEO debris with that for LEO debris. We describe results obtained during 9.4 hours of observing time during 25-27 March 2011. We used the IMACS f/2 instrument, which has a mosaic of 8 CCDs, and a field of view of 30 arc-minutes in diameter. This is the widest field of view of any instrument on either Magellan telescope. All observations were obtained through a Sloan r filter. The limiting magnitude for 5 second exposures is estimated to be fainter than 22. With this small field of view and the limited observing time, our objective was to search for optically faint objects from the Titan 3C Transtage (1968-081) fragmentation in 1992. Eight debris pieces and the parent rocket body are in the Space Surveillance Network public catalog. We successfully tracked two cataloged pieces of Titan debris (SSN # 25001 and 33519) with the 6.5-m telescope, followed by a survey for objects on similar orbits but with a spread in mean anomaly. To detect bright objects over a wider field of view (1.6x1.6 degrees), we observed the same field centers at the same time through a similar filter with the 0.6-m MODEST (Michigan Orbital DEbris Survey Telescope), located 100 km to the south of Magellan at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile. We will describe our experiences using Magellan, a telescope never used previously for orbital debris research, and our initial results.

Comparative assessment of laparoscopic single-site surgery instruments to conventional laparoscopic in laboratory setting.

PubMed

Stolzenburg, Jens-Uwe; Kallidonis, Panagiotis; Oh, Min-A; Ghulam, Nabi; Do, Minh; Haefner, Tim; Dietel, Anja; Till, Holger; Sakellaropoulos, George; Liatsikos, Evangelos N

2010-02-01

Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) represents the latest innovation in laparoscopic surgery. We compare in dry and animal laboratory the efficacy of recently introduced pre-bent instruments with conventional laparoscopic and flexible instruments in terms of time requirement, maneuverability, and ease of handling. Participants of varying laparoscopic experience were included in the study and divided in groups according to their experience. The participants performed predetermined tasks in dry laboratory using all sets of instruments. An experienced laparoscopic surgeon performed 24 nephrectomies in 12 pigs using all sets of instruments. Single port was used for all instrument sets except for the conventional instruments, which were inserted through three ports. The time required for the performance of dry laboratory tasks and the porcine nephrectomies was recorded. Errors in the performance of dry laboratory tasks of each instrument type were also recorded. Pre-bent instruments had a significant advantage over flexible instruments in terms of time requirement to accomplish tasks and procedures as well as maneuverability. Flexible instruments were more time consuming in comparison to the conventional laparoscopic instruments during the performance of the tasks. There were no significant differences in the time required for the accomplishment of dry laboratory tasks or steps of nephrectomy using conventional instruments through appropriate number of ports in comparison to pre-bent instruments through single port. Pre-bent instruments were less time consuming and with better maneuverability in comparison to flexible instruments in experimental single-port access surgery. Further clinical investigations would elucidate the efficacy of pre-bent instruments.

Can formal education and training improve the outcome of instrumental delivery?

PubMed

Cheong, Y C; Abdullahi, H; Lashen, H; Fairlie, F M

2004-04-15

The primary objective was to examine the effect of formal education and training on instrumental delivery with respect to its success rate and associated neonatal and maternal morbidity. The secondary objective was to determine factors that could influence the success rate of instrumental delivery. Prospective case-control study with historical controls set in a teaching hospital in Sheffield. The prospective group included all women who had instrumental deliveries between 1 November 1999 and 29 February 2000. The control group included all women who delivered between 1 February 1997 and 1 February 1998. An educational package involving formal postgraduate training and self-directed learning were introduced in the time period between the prospective and the control groups. Medical notes were reviewed in the historical controls. For both the control and prospective groups, the following patient characteristics were recorded: maternal age, parity, whether or not onset of labour was induced, use of oxytocin in the second stage of labour, delay in the second stage, operator grade, vaginal findings at delivery and the use of epidural analgesia. The overall failure rate was not different in the prospective group (16%) compared with the control group (18.5%). However, the introduction of an educational package was associated with significant decrease in maternal morbidity associated with cervical, severe labial and high vaginal tears (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.29, CI 0.09-0.97) and neonatal morbidity associated with admission to SCBU (OR 0.72, CI 0.02-0.60), severe neonatal scalp injury (OR 0.14, CI 0.02-0.98) and facial injuries (OR 0.02, CI 0.01-0.04). The factors identified to affect the success of instrumental deliveries were: OP and OT positions of the baby at delivery (OR 0.28, CI 0.17-0.44) and inexperienced operators (OR 0.11, CI 0.02-0.58). In this study, formal education and training of medical staff did not influence the success rate of instrumental delivery but was associated with improved safety for both mother and baby.

A new visibility measurement system based on a black target and a comparative trial with visibility instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Fanjie; Ma, Shuqing; Yang, Ling; Du, Chuanyao; Tang, Yingjie

2016-10-01

According to Koschmieder's law, a mathematical model of contrast between a single black object and the sky background is established. Based on this principle, we built a black target visiometer system using a photograph of a black object taken with an industrial camera, that has a relatively simple structure and automated operation. In this study, three commercial visibility instruments-a forward scatter meter (CJB-3A) and two atmospheric transmission meters (LT31, VM100)-were compared to the black target visiometer system. Our results show that, within visibility ranges of up to 10 km, 1) all of the instruments agree well at low visibility and agree poorly at a visibility exceeding 5 km; 2) the forward scattering instrument has high bias at low visibility because particle absorption is not included; and 3) the best agreement with the black target method was obtained with the simple transmissometer rather than the forward scatter instrument or the hybrid transmissometer for a visibility range of up to 10 km.

Materials Research for Advanced Inertial Instrumentation. Task 1. Dimensional Stability of Gyroscope Structural Materials.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

generations of inertial instruments require that induced q long-term microplastic strains be maintained at levels substantially lower than 10-6 to 10-7 inch...instability are several, azong which some readily identifiable ones are phase transformation, relief of residual stresses, and microplastic deformation...numbered items in the List of Refprpnces. 2 SECTION 2 OBJECTIVES The present objectives of this program are -Alows: (1) To study the microplastic

Materials Research for Advanced Inertial Instrumentation. Task 1. Dimensional Stability of Gyroscope Structural Materials.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

residual stresses, and microplastic deformation from applied stresses. Although effects related to phase transformations and residual stresses can...measuring devices, microplastic strains on the order of 10-6 and 10-7 become significant sources of instrument error. Strains of this order of magnitude...have been possible. 2 SECTION 2 OBJECTIVES The principal objectives of this program have been as follows: (1) To survey the literature on microplastic

The Close-Up Imager Onboard the ESA ExoMars Rover: Objectives, Description, Operations, and Science Validation Activities.

PubMed

Josset, Jean-Luc; Westall, Frances; Hofmann, Beda A; Spray, John; Cockell, Charles; Kempe, Stephan; Griffiths, Andrew D; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Colangeli, Luigi; Koschny, Detlef; Föllmi, Karl; Verrecchia, Eric; Diamond, Larryn; Josset, Marie; Javaux, Emmanuelle J; Esposito, Francesca; Gunn, Matthew; Souchon-Leitner, Audrey L; Bontognali, Tomaso R R; Korablev, Oleg; Erkman, Suren; Paar, Gerhard; Ulamec, Stephan; Foucher, Frédéric; Martin, Philippe; Verhaeghe, Antoine; Tanevski, Mitko; Vago, Jorge L

The Close-Up Imager (CLUPI) onboard the ESA ExoMars Rover is a powerful high-resolution color camera specifically designed for close-up observations. Its accommodation on the movable drill allows multiple positioning. The science objectives of the instrument are geological characterization of rocks in terms of texture, structure, and color and the search for potential morphological biosignatures. We present the CLUPI science objectives, performance, and technical description, followed by a description of the instrument's planned operations strategy during the mission on Mars. CLUPI will contribute to the rover mission by surveying the geological environment, acquiring close-up images of outcrops, observing the drilling area, inspecting the top portion of the drill borehole (and deposited fines), monitoring drilling operations, and imaging samples collected by the drill. A status of the current development and planned science validation activities is also given. Key Words: Mars-Biosignatures-Planetary Instrumentation. Astrobiology 17, 595-611.

VIMOS Instrument Control Software Design: an Object Oriented Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brau-Nogué, Sylvie; Lucuix, Christian

2002-12-01

The Franco-Italian VIMOS instrument is a VIsible imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph with outstanding multiplex capabilities, allowing to take spectra of more than 800 objects simultaneously, or integral field spectroscopy mode in a 54x54 arcsec area. VIMOS is being installed at the Nasmyth focus of the third Unit Telescope of the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Mount Paranal in Chile. This paper will describe the analysis, the design and the implementation of the VIMOS Instrument Control System, using UML notation. Our Control group followed an Object Oriented software process while keeping in mind the ESO VLT standard control concepts. At ESO VLT a complete software library is available. Rather than applying waterfall lifecycle, ICS project used iterative development, a lifecycle consisting of several iterations. Each iteration consisted in : capture and evaluate the requirements, visual modeling for analysis and design, implementation, test, and deployment. Depending of the project phases, iterations focused more or less on specific activity. The result is an object model (the design model), including use-case realizations. An implementation view and a deployment view complement this product. An extract of VIMOS ICS UML model will be presented and some implementation, integration and test issues will be discussed.

The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Payload Development and Performance in Flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ennico, Kimberly; Shirley, Mark; Colaprete, Anthony; Osetinsky, Leonid

2012-05-01

The primary objective of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) was to confirm the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed region (PSR) at a lunar pole. LCROSS was classified as a NASA Class D mission. Its payload, the subject of this article, was designed, built, tested and operated to support a condensed schedule, risk tolerant mission approach, a new paradigm for NASA science missions. All nine science instruments, most of them ruggedized commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), successfully collected data during all in-flight calibration campaigns, and most importantly, during the final descent to the lunar surface on October 9, 2009, after 112 days in space. LCROSS demonstrated that COTS instruments and designs with simple interfaces, can provide high-quality science at low-cost and in short development time frames. Building upfront into the payload design, flexibility, redundancy where possible even with the science measurement approach, and large margins, played important roles for this new type of payload. The environmental and calibration approach adopted by the LCROSS team, compared to existing standard programs, is discussed. The description, capabilities, calibration and in-flight performance of each instrument are summarized. Finally, this paper goes into depth about specific areas where the instruments worked differently than expected and how the flexibility of the payload team, the knowledge of instrument priority and science trades, and proactive margin maintenance, led to a successful science measurement by the LCROSS payload's instrument complement.

High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

This illustration is a schematic of the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 and its experiments. It shows the focal plane instruments (at the right) plus the associated electronics for operating the telescope as it transmitted its observations to the ground. A fifth instrument, the Monitor Proportional Counter, is located near the front of the telescope. Four separate astronomical instruments are located at the focus of this telescope and they could be interchanged for different types of observations as the observatory pointed at interesting areas of the Sky. Two of these instruments produced images; a High Resolution Imaging Detector and an Imaging Proportional Counter. The other two instruments, the Solid State Spectrometer and the Crystal Spectrometer, measured the spectra of x-ray objects. A fifth instrument, the Monitor Proportional Counter, continuously viewed space independently to study a wider band of x-ray wavelengths and to examine the rapid time variations in the sources. The HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2, designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle on November 13, 1978. The HEAO-2 was originally identified as HEAO-B but the designation was changed once the spacecraft achieved orbit.

The Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument (JEDI) Investigation for the Juno Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauk, B. H.; Haggerty, D. K.; Jaskulek, S. E.; Schlemm, C. E.; Brown, L. E.; Cooper, S. A.; Gurnee, R. S.; Hammock, C. M.; Hayes, J. R.; Ho, G. C.; Hutcheson, J. C.; Jacques, A. D.; Kerem, S.; Kim, C. K.; Mitchell, D. G.; Nelson, K. S.; Paranicas, C. P.; Paschalidis, N.; Rossano, E.; Stokes, M. R.

2017-11-01

The Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instruments (JEDI) on the Juno Jupiter polar-orbiting, atmosphere-skimming, mission to Jupiter will coordinate with the several other space physics instruments on the Juno spacecraft to characterize and understand the space environment of Jupiter's polar regions, and specifically to understand the generation of Jupiter's powerful aurora. JEDI comprises 3 nearly-identical instruments and measures at minimum the energy, angle, and ion composition distributions of ions with energies from H:20 keV and O: 50 keV to >1 MeV, and the energy and angle distribution of electrons from <40 to >500 keV. Each JEDI instrument uses microchannel plates (MCP) and thin foils to measure the times of flight (TOF) of incoming ions and the pulse height associated with the interaction of ions with the foils, and it uses solid state detectors (SSD's) to measure the total energy ( E) of both the ions and the electrons. The MCP anodes and the SSD arrays are configured to determine the directions of arrivals of the incoming charged particles. The instruments also use fast triple coincidence and optimum shielding to suppress penetrating background radiation and incoming UV foreground. Here we describe the science objectives of JEDI, the science and measurement requirements, the challenges that the JEDI team had in meeting these requirements, the design and operation of the JEDI instruments, their calibrated performances, the JEDI inflight and ground operations, and the initial measurements of the JEDI instruments in interplanetary space following the Juno launch on 5 August 2011. Juno will begin its prime science operations, comprising 32 orbits with dimensions 1.1×40 RJ, in mid-2016.

Laser Range and Bearing Finder with No Moving Parts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryan, Thomas C.; Howard, Richard T.; Book, Michael L.

2007-01-01

A proposed laser-based instrument would quickly measure the approximate distance and approximate direction to the closest target within its field of view. The instrument would not contain any moving parts and its mode of operation would not entail scanning over of its field of view. Typically, the instrument would be used to locate a target at a distance on the order of meters to kilometers. The instrument would be best suited for use in an uncluttered setting in which the target is the only or, at worst, the closest object in the vicinity; for example, it could be used aboard an aircraft to detect and track another aircraft flying nearby. The proposed instrument would include a conventional time-of-flight or echo-phase-shift laser range finder, but unlike most other range finders, this one would not generate a narrow cylindrical laser beam; instead, it would generate a conical laser beam spanning the field of view. The instrument would also include a quadrant detector, optics to focus the light returning from the target onto the quadrant detector, and circuitry to synchronize the acquisition of the quadrant-detector output with the arrival of laser light returning from the nearest target. A quadrant detector constantly gathers information from the entire field of view, without scanning; its output is a direct measure of the position of the target-return light spot on the focal plane and is thus a measure of the direction to the target. The instrument should be able to operate at a repetition rate high enough to enable it to track a rapidly moving target. Of course, a target that is not sufficiently reflective could not be located by this instrument. Preferably, retroreflectors should be attached to the target to make it sufficiently reflective.

A Platform to Build Mobile Health Apps: The Personal Health Intervention Toolkit (PHIT).

PubMed

Eckhoff, Randall Peter; Kizakevich, Paul Nicholas; Bakalov, Vesselina; Zhang, Yuying; Bryant, Stephanie Patrice; Hobbs, Maria Ann

2015-06-01

Personal Health Intervention Toolkit (PHIT) is an advanced cross-platform software framework targeted at personal self-help research on mobile devices. Following the subjective and objective measurement, assessment, and plan methodology for health assessment and intervention recommendations, the PHIT platform lets researchers quickly build mobile health research Android and iOS apps. They can (1) create complex data-collection instruments using a simple extensible markup language (XML) schema; (2) use Bluetooth wireless sensors; (3) create targeted self-help interventions based on collected data via XML-coded logic; (4) facilitate cross-study reuse from the library of existing instruments and interventions such as stress, anxiety, sleep quality, and substance abuse; and (5) monitor longitudinal intervention studies via daily upload to a Web-based dashboard portal. For physiological data, Bluetooth sensors collect real-time data with on-device processing. For example, using the BinarHeartSensor, the PHIT platform processes the heart rate data into heart rate variability measures, and plots these data as time-series waveforms. Subjective data instruments are user data-entry screens, comprising a series of forms with validation and processing logic. The PHIT instrument library consists of over 70 reusable instruments for various domains including cognitive, environmental, psychiatric, psychosocial, and substance abuse. Many are standardized instruments, such as the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, Patient Health Questionnaire-8, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist. Autonomous instruments such as battery and global positioning system location support continuous background data collection. All data are acquired using a schedule appropriate to the app's deployment. The PHIT intelligent virtual advisor (iVA) is an expert system logic layer, which analyzes the data in real time on the device. This data analysis results in a tailored app of interventions and other data-collection instruments. For example, if a user anxiety score exceeds a threshold, the iVA might add a meditation intervention to the task list in order to teach the user how to relax, and schedule a reassessment using the anxiety instrument 2 weeks later to re-evaluate. If the anxiety score exceeds a higher threshold, then an advisory to seek professional help would be displayed. Using the easy-to-use PHIT scripting language, the researcher can program new instruments, the iVA, and interventions to their domain-specific needs. The iVA, instruments, and interventions are defined via XML files, which facilities rapid app development and deployment. The PHIT Web-based dashboard portal provides the researcher access to all the uploaded data. After a secure login, the data can be filtered by criteria such as study, protocol, domain, and user. Data can also be exported into a comma-delimited file for further processing. The PHIT framework has proven to be an extensible, reconfigurable technology that facilitates mobile data collection and health intervention research. Additional plans include instrument development in other domains, additional health sensors, and a text messaging notification system.

A Platform to Build Mobile Health Apps: The Personal Health Intervention Toolkit (PHIT)

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Personal Health Intervention Toolkit (PHIT) is an advanced cross-platform software framework targeted at personal self-help research on mobile devices. Following the subjective and objective measurement, assessment, and plan methodology for health assessment and intervention recommendations, the PHIT platform lets researchers quickly build mobile health research Android and iOS apps. They can (1) create complex data-collection instruments using a simple extensible markup language (XML) schema; (2) use Bluetooth wireless sensors; (3) create targeted self-help interventions based on collected data via XML-coded logic; (4) facilitate cross-study reuse from the library of existing instruments and interventions such as stress, anxiety, sleep quality, and substance abuse; and (5) monitor longitudinal intervention studies via daily upload to a Web-based dashboard portal. For physiological data, Bluetooth sensors collect real-time data with on-device processing. For example, using the BinarHeartSensor, the PHIT platform processes the heart rate data into heart rate variability measures, and plots these data as time-series waveforms. Subjective data instruments are user data-entry screens, comprising a series of forms with validation and processing logic. The PHIT instrument library consists of over 70 reusable instruments for various domains including cognitive, environmental, psychiatric, psychosocial, and substance abuse. Many are standardized instruments, such as the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, Patient Health Questionnaire-8, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist. Autonomous instruments such as battery and global positioning system location support continuous background data collection. All data are acquired using a schedule appropriate to the app’s deployment. The PHIT intelligent virtual advisor (iVA) is an expert system logic layer, which analyzes the data in real time on the device. This data analysis results in a tailored app of interventions and other data-collection instruments. For example, if a user anxiety score exceeds a threshold, the iVA might add a meditation intervention to the task list in order to teach the user how to relax, and schedule a reassessment using the anxiety instrument 2 weeks later to re-evaluate. If the anxiety score exceeds a higher threshold, then an advisory to seek professional help would be displayed. Using the easy-to-use PHIT scripting language, the researcher can program new instruments, the iVA, and interventions to their domain-specific needs. The iVA, instruments, and interventions are defined via XML files, which facilities rapid app development and deployment. The PHIT Web-based dashboard portal provides the researcher access to all the uploaded data. After a secure login, the data can be filtered by criteria such as study, protocol, domain, and user. Data can also be exported into a comma-delimited file for further processing. The PHIT framework has proven to be an extensible, reconfigurable technology that facilitates mobile data collection and health intervention research. Additional plans include instrument development in other domains, additional health sensors, and a text messaging notification system. PMID:26033047

Quantifying learning in medical students during a critical care medicine elective: a comparison of three evaluation instruments.

PubMed

Rogers, P L; Jacob, H; Rashwan, A S; Pinsky, M R

2001-06-01

To compare three different evaluative instruments and determine which is able to measure different aspects of medical student learning. Student learning was evaluated by using written examinations, objective structured clinical examination, and patient simulator that used two clinical scenarios before and after a structured critical care elective, by using a crossover design. Twenty-four 4th-yr students enrolled in the critical care medicine elective. All students took a multiple-choice written examination; evaluated a live simulated critically ill patient, requested data from a nurse, and intervened as appropriate at different stations (objective structured clinical examination); and evaluated the computer-controlled patient simulator and intervened as appropriate. Students' knowledge was assessed by using a multiple-choice examination containing the same data incorporated into the other examinations. Student performance on the objective structured clinical examination was evaluated at five stations. Both objective structured clinical examination and simulator tests were videotaped for subsequent scores of responses, quality of responses, and response time. The videotapes were reviewed for specific behaviors by faculty masked to time of examination. Students were expected to perform the following: a) assess airway, breathing, and circulation; b) prepare a mannequin for intubation; c) provide appropriate ventilator settings; d) manage hypotension; and e) request, interpret, and provide appropriate intervention for pulmonary artery catheter data. Students were expected to perform identical behaviors during the simulator examination; however, the entire examination was performed on the whole-body computer-controlled mannequin. The primary outcome measure was the difference in examination scores before and after the rotation. The mean preelective scores were 77 +/- 16%, 47 +/- 15%, and 41 +/- 14% for the written examination, objective structured clinical examination, and simulator, respectively, compared with 89 +/- 11%, 76 +/- 12%, and 62 +/- 15% after the elective (p <.0001). Prerotation scores for the written examination were significantly higher than the objective structured clinical examination or the simulator; postrotation scores were highest for the written examination and lowest for the simulator. Written examinations measure acquisition of knowledge but fail to predict if students can apply knowledge to problem solving, whereas both the objective structured clinical examination and the computer-controlled patient simulator can be used as effective performance evaluation tools.

The development of a high-capacity instrument module heat transport system, appendixes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Data sheets provide temperature requirements for 82 individual instruments that are under development or planned for grouping on a space platform or pallet. The scientific objectives of these instrument packages are related to solar physics, space plasma physics, astronomy, high energy astrophysics, resources observations, environmental observations, materials processing, and life sciences. System specifications are given for a high capacity instrument module heat transport system to be used with future payloads.

NuSTAR and IXO Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, William W.

2010-01-01

NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) and IXO (International X-ray Observatory) missions are two of NASA X-ray missions for the coming decade. NuSTAR is a small explorer class mission that will for the first time use a multilayer-coated X-ray mirror assemblies to focus X-rays up to 80 keV. Among other objectives, its major science objective will be to conduct surveys to identify hard X-ray sources and to resolve the diffuse X-ray background. IXO, a collaborative mission of NASA, ESA, and JAXA, will be an observatory class mission. It will have a 3m in diameter X-ray mirror assembly with unprecedented photon collection area with a suite of focal plane detectors: a grating system, a large format CCD imaging system, a calorimeter, a polarimeter, and a high resolution and fast timing detector. It will significantly advance the spectroscopic studies of black holes, neutron stars, AGN, IGM, and nearly every other aspect of the X-ray universe. In this talk I will describe the instruments and scientific objectives of these two missions.

Measuring Stakeholder Participation in Evaluation: An Empirical Validation of the Participatory Evaluation Measurement Instrument (PEMI)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daigneault, Pierre-Marc; Jacob, Steve; Tremblay, Joel

2012-01-01

Background: Stakeholder participation is an important trend in the field of program evaluation. Although a few measurement instruments have been proposed, they either have not been empirically validated or do not cover the full content of the concept. Objectives: This study consists of a first empirical validation of a measurement instrument that…

Evaluation of the FOCUS (Feedback on Counseling Using Simulation) Instrument for Assessment of Client-Centered Nutrition Counseling Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Beverly W.; Smith, Thomas J.

2010-01-01

Objective: To develop an instrument to assess client-centered counseling behaviors (skills) of student-counselors in a standardized patient (SP) exercise. Methods: Descriptive study of the accuracy and utility of a newly developed counseling evaluation instrument. Study participants included 11 female student-counselors at a Midwestern…

An Analysis of Several Instruments Measuring "Nature of Science" Objectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doran, Rodney L.; And Others

1974-01-01

Reported is an investigation of the relationship among three selected instruments based on the responses of a sample of high school students. The instruments were the Nature of Science Scale (NOSS), the Science Support Scale (SSS), and the Test on the Social Aspects of Science (TSAS). All purport to measure "nature of science"…

Survey Instrument Validity Part I: Principles of Survey Instrument Development and Validation in Athletic Training Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Laura J.; Mazerolle, Stephanie M.

2011-01-01

Context: Instrument validation is an important facet of survey research methods and athletic trainers must be aware of the important underlying principles. Objective: To discuss the process of survey development and validation, specifically the process of construct validation. Background: Athletic training researchers frequently employ the use of…

[Deformation evaluation of ProTaper nickel-titanium rotary instruments in curved canals instrumentation in vitro].

PubMed

Yan, Hong; Ren, Min; Yin, Xing-Zhe; Zhao, Shu-Yan; Zhang, Cheng-Fei

2008-04-01

To evaluate the deformation of ProTaper rotary instruments using in root canals of different curvature in vitro. Extracted first mandibular molars were divided into two experimental groups according to the curvature of mesial buccal canals: group A with moderate curvature and group B with severe curvature. Only the mesial buccal canals of all these teeth were prepared with 6 sets of new ProTaper rotary instruments individually. Additionally, the control group was established with a set of new ProTaper rotary instruments. After finishing each canal preparation, the instruments accompanied by control were examined under the stereomicroscope by an inspector without knowing the group. If distortion, unwinding, abrasion or fracture occurred within one set of instruments, then the whole set was disposed. The sets without problems were in use until 30 times. After 5, 10, 20 times canal preparation, S1, F1 files without deformation under stereomicroscope were examined under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Deformation of ProTaper rotary instruments happened after 12 times in group A and after 7 times in group B. In these two experimental groups, microcracks were found increasing with the times of use under SEM in the instruments without deformation under stereomicroscope. The microcracks on tip of instruments were deep in the early use and became smoother after 10 times. Similar changes happened on knife-edge of instruments, and the microcracks extended over the edge after 20 times use. Root canals with severe curvature tend to damage ProTaper rotary instruments more frequently than moderately curved canals. ProTaper rotary instruments are appropriate to treat less than 7 root canals with severe curvature or 12 root canals with moderate curvature. Stereomicroscope is recommended to detect early damages on Ni-Ti rotary instruments, for preventing instruments fracture in clinic.

10.3 High-temperature Instrumentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piazza, Anthony

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes high temperature instrumentation development from 1960-1970, 1980-1990 and 2000-present. The contents include: 1) Background; 2) Objective; 3) Application and Sensor; 4) Attachment Techniques; 5) Evaluation/Characterization Testing; and 6) Future testing.

Locating underwater objects. [technology transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grice, C. F.

1974-01-01

Underwater search operations are considered to be engineering and operational problems. A process for proper definition of the problem and selection of instrumentation and operational procedures is described. An outline of underwater search instrumentation and techniques is given.

Lightning Detection and Ranging system LDAR system description and performance objectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poehler, H. A.; Lennon, C. L.

1979-01-01

The instruments used at the six remote stations to measure both the time-of-arrival of the envelope of the pulsed 60 MHz to 80 MHz portion of the RF signal emitted by lightning, and the electric field waveforms are described as well as the two methods of transmitting the signal to the central station. Other topics discussed include data processing, recording, and reduction techniques and the software used for the 2100S, 2114, and 2116 computers.

Investigations of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial compounds with proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry for a real-time threat monitoring scenario.

PubMed

Kassebacher, Thomas; Sulzer, Philipp; Jürschik, Simone; Hartungen, Eugen; Jordan, Alfons; Edtbauer, Achim; Feil, Stefan; Hanel, Gernot; Jaksch, Stefan; Märk, Lukas; Mayhew, Chris A; Märk, Tilmann D

2013-01-30

Security and protection against terrorist attacks are major issues in modern society. One especially challenging task is the monitoring and protection of air conditioning and heating systems of buildings against terrorist attacks with toxic chemicals. As existing technologies have low selectivity, long response times or insufficient sensitivity, there is a need for a novel approach such as we present here. We have analyzed various chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and/or toxic industrial compounds (TICs) and related compounds, namely phosgene, diphosgene, chloroacetone, chloroacetophenone, diisopropylaminoethanol, and triethyl phosphate, utilizing a high-resolution proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOFMS) instrument with the objective of finding key product ions and their intensities, which will allow a low-resolution quadrupole mass spectrometry based PTR-MS system to be used with high confidence in the assignment of threat agents in the atmosphere. We obtained high accuracy PTR-TOFMS mass spectra of the six compounds under study at two different values for the reduced electric field in the drift tube (E/N). From these data we have compiled a table containing product ions, and isotopic and E/N ratios for highly selective threat compound detection with a compact and cost-effective quadrupole-based PTR-MS instrument. Furthermore, using chloroacetophenone (tear gas), we demonstrated that this instrument's response is highly linear in the concentration range of typical Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs). On the basis of the presented results it is possible to develop a compact and cost-effective PTR-QMS instrument that monitors air supply systems and triggers an alarm as soon as the presence of a threat agent is detected. We hope that this real-time surveillance device will help to seriously improve safety and security in environments vulnerable to terrorist attacks with toxic chemicals. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The silicon drift detector for the IXO high-time resolution spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechner, Peter; Amoros, Carine; Barret, Didier; Bodin, Pierre; Boutelier, Martin; Eckhardt, Rouven; Fiorini, Carlo; Kendziorra, Eckhard; Lacombe, Karine; Niculae, Adrian; Pouilloux, Benjamin; Pons, Roger; Rambaud, Damien; Ravera, Laurent; Schmid, Christian; Soltau, Heike; Strüder, Lothar; Tenzer, Christoph; Wilms, Jörn

2010-07-01

The High Time Resolution Spectrometer (HTRS) is one of six scientific payload instruments of the International X-ray Observatory (IXO). HTRS is dedicated to the physics of matter at extreme density and gravity and will observe the X-rays generated in the inner accretion flows around the most compact massive objects, i.e. black holes and neutron stars. The study of their timing signature and in addition the simultaneous spectroscopy of the gravitationally shifted and broadened iron line allows for probing general relativity in the strong field regime and understanding the inner structure of neutron stars. As the sources to be observed by HTRS are the brightest in the X-ray sky and the studies require good photon statistics the instrument design is driven by the capability to operate at extremely high count rates. The HTRS instrument is based on a monolithic array of Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) with 31 cells in a circular envelope and a sensitive volume of 4.5 cm2 × 450 μm. The SDD principle uses fast signal charge collection on an integrated amplifier by a focusing internal electrical field. It combines a large sensitive area and a small capacitance, thus facilitating good energy resolution and high count rate capability. The HTRS is specified to provide energy spectra with a resolution of 150 eV (FWHM at 6 keV) at high time resolution of 10 μsec and with high count rate capability up to a goal of 2.106 counts per second, corresponding to a 12 Crab equivalent source. As the HTRS is a non-imaging instrument and will target only point sources it is placed on axis but out of focus so that the spot is spread over the array of 31 SDD cells. The SDD array is logically organized in four independent 'quadrants', a dedicated 8-channel quadrant readout chip is in development.

Development of a Proxy-Free Objective Assessment Tool of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in Mild Cognitive Impairment Using Smart Home Technologies

PubMed Central

Jekel, Katrin; Damian, Marinella; Storf, Holger; Hausner, Lucrezia; Frölich, Lutz

2016-01-01

Background: The assessment of activities of daily living (ADL) is essential for dementia diagnostics. Even in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), subtle deficits in instrumental ADL (IADL) may occur and signal a higher risk of conversion to dementia. Thus, sensitive and reliable ADL assessment tools are important. Smart homes equipped with sensor technology and video cameras may provide a proxy-free assessment tool for the detection of IADL deficits. Objective:The aim of this paper is to investigate the potential of a smart home environment for the assessment of IADL in MCI. Method: The smart home consisted of a two-room flat equipped with activity sensors and video cameras. Participants with either MCI or healthy controls (HC) had to solve a standardized set of six tasks, e.g., meal preparation, telephone use, and finding objects in the flat. Results: MCI participants needed more time (1384 versus 938 seconds, p <  0.001) and scored less total points (48 versus 57 points, p <  0.001) while solving the tasks than HC. Analyzing the subtasks, intergroup differences were observed for making a phone call, operating the television, and retrieving objects. MCI participants showed more searching and task-irrelevant behavior than HC. Task performance was correlated with cognitive status and IADL questionnaires but not with participants’ age. Conclusion: This pilot study showed that smart home technologies offer the chance for an objective and ecologically valid assessment of IADL. It can be analyzed not only whether a task is successfully completed but also how it is completed. Future studies should concentrate on the development of automated detection of IADL deficits. PMID:27031479

Identifying instruments to quantify financial management skills in adults with acquired cognitive impairments.

PubMed

Engel, Lisa; Bar, Yael; Beaton, Dorcas E; Green, Robin E; Dawson, Deirdre R

2016-01-01

Financial management skills-that is, the skills needed to handle personal finances such as banking and paying bills-are essential to a person's autonomy, independence, and community living. To date, no comprehensive review of financial management skills instruments exists, making it difficult for clinicians and researchers to choose relevant instruments. The objectives of this review are to: (a) identify all available instruments containing financial management skill items that have been used with adults with acquired cognitive impairments; (b) categorize the instruments by source (i.e., observation based, self-report, proxy report); and (c) describe observation-based performance instruments by populations, overarching concepts measured, and comprehensiveness of financial management items. Objective (c) focuses on observation-based performance instruments as these measures can aid in situations where the person with cognitive impairment has poor self-awareness or where the proxy has poor knowledge of the person's current abilities. Two reviewers completed two systematic searches of five databases. Instruments were categorized by reviewing published literature, copies of the instruments, and/or communication with instrument authors. Comprehensiveness of items was based on nine key domains of financial management skills developed by the authors. A total of 88 discrete instruments were identified. Of these, 44 were categorized as observation-based performance and 44 as self- and/or proxy-reports. Of the 44 observation-based performance instruments, 8 had been developed for acquired brain injury populations and 24 for aging and dementia populations. Only 7 of the observation-based performance instruments had items spanning 6 or more of the 9 financial management skills domains. The majority of instruments were developed for aging and dementia populations, and few were comprehensive. This review provides foundation for future instrument psychometric and clinimetric reviews. It a necessary first step in providing information to support decision making for clinicians and researchers selecting financial management skills instruments.

Dental equipment test during zero-gravity flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, John; Gosbee, John; Billica, Roger

1991-01-01

The overall objectives of this program were to establish performance criteria and develop prototype equipment for use in the Health Maintenance Facility (HMF) in meeting the needs of dental emergencies during space missions. The primary efforts during this flight test were to test patient-operator relationships, patent (manikin) restraint and positioning, task lighting systems, use and operation of dental rotary instruments, suction and particle containment system, dental hand instrument delivery and control procedures, and the use of dental treatment materials. The initial efforts during the flight focused on verification of the efficiency of the particle containment system. An absorptive barrier was also tested in lieu of the suction collector. To test the instrument delivery system, teeth in the manikin were prepared with the dental drill to receive restorations, some with temporary filling materials and another with definitive filling material (composite resin). The best particle containment came from the combination use of the laminar-air/suction collector in concert with immediate area suction from a surgical high-volume suction tip. Lighting in the treatment area was provided by a flexible fiberoptic probe. This system is quite effective for small areas, but for general tasks ambient illumination is required. The instrument containment system (elastic cord network) was extremely effective and easy to use. The most serious problem with instrument delivey and actual treatment was lack of time during the microgravity sequences. The restorative materials handled and finished well.

Instrument concepts and technologies for future spaceborne atmospheric radars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Im, Eastwood; Durden, Stephen L.

2005-01-01

In conjunction with the implementation of spaceborne atmospheric radar flight missions, NASA is developing advanced instrument concepts and technologies for future spaceborne atmospheric radars, with the over-arching objectives of making such instruments more capable in supporting future science needs, and more cost effective. Two such examples are the Second-Generation Precipitation Radar (PR-2) and the Nexrad-In-Space (NIS). PR-2 is a 14/35-GHz dual-frequency rain radar with a deployable 5-meter, wide-swath scanned membrane antenna, a dual-polarized/dual-frequency receiver, and a real-time digital signal processor. It is intended for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) operations to provide greatly enhanced rainfall profile retrieval accuracy while using only a fraction of the mass of the current TRMM PR. NIS is designed to be a 35-GHz Geostationary Earth Orbiting (GEO) radar with the intent of providing hourly monitoring of the life cycle of hurricanes and tropical storms. It uses a 35-m, spherical, lightweight membrane antenna and Doppler processing to acquire 3-dimensional information on the intensity and vertical motion of hurricane rainfall. Technologies for NIS are synergistic with those for PR-2. During the last two years, several of the technology items associated with these notional instruments have also been prototyped. This paper will give an overview of these instrument design concepts and their associated technologies.

Family of the Sun-and-Stars Time-Determining Instruments (Ilseong-jeongsi-ui) Invented During the Joseon Dynasty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yong Sam; Kim, Sang Hyuk; Mihn, Byeong-Hee

2016-09-01

We analyze the design and specifications of the Sun-and-Stars Time-Determining group of instruments (Ilseong-jeongsi-ui, 日星定時儀) made during the Joseon dynasty. According to the records of the Sejong Sillok (Veritable Records of King Sejong), Sun-and-Stars Time-Determining Instruments measure the solar time of day and the sidereal time of night through three rings and an alidade. One such instrument, the Simplified Time-Determining Instrument (So-jeongsi-ui, 小定時儀), is made without the essential component for alignment with the celestial north pole. Among this group of instruments, only two bronze Hundred-Interval-Ring Sundials (Baekgak-hwan-Ilgu, 百刻環日晷) currently exist. A comparison of the functions of these two relics with two Time-Determining Instruments suggests that the Hundred-Interval-Ring Sundial is a Simplified Sundial (So-ilyeong, 小日影), as recorded in the Sejong Sillok and the Seongjong Sillok (Veritable Records of King Seongjong). Furthermore, the Simplified Sundial is a model derived from the Simplified Time-Determining Instrument. During the King Sejong reign, the Sun-and-Stars Time-Determining Instruments were used in military camps of the kingdom’s frontiers, in royal ancestral rituals, and in royal astronomical observatories.

An Interactive Internet-Based Plate for Assessing Lunchtime Food Intake: A Validation Study on Male Employees

PubMed Central

Bellocco, Rino; Bakkman, Linda; Trolle Lagerros, Ylva

2013-01-01

Background Misreporting food intake is common because most health screenings rely on self-reports. The more accurate methods (eg, weighing food) are costly, time consuming, and impractical. Objectives We developed a new instrument for reporting food intake—an Internet-based interactive virtual food plate. The objective of this study was to validate this instrument’s ability to assess lunch intake. Methods Participants were asked to compose an ordinary lunch meal using both a virtual and a real lunch plate (with real food on a real plate). The participants ate their real lunch meals on-site. Before and after pictures of the composed lunch meals were taken. Both meals included identical food items. Participants were randomized to start with either instrument. The 2 instruments were compared using correlation and concordance measures (total energy intake, nutritional components, quantity of food, and participant characteristics). Results A total of 55 men (median age: 45 years, median body mass index [BMI]: 25.8 kg/m2) participated. We found an overall overestimation of reported median energy intake using the computer plate (3044 kJ, interquartile range [IQR] 1202 kJ) compared with the real lunch plate (2734 kJ, IQR 1051 kJ, P<.001). Spearman rank correlations and concordance correlations for energy intake and nutritional components ranged between 0.58 to 0.79 and 0.65 to 0.81, respectively. Conclusion Although it slightly overestimated, our computer plate provides promising results in assessing lunch intake. PMID:23335728

Imaging, cutting, and collecting instrument and method

DOEpatents

Tench, R.J.; Siekhaus, W.J.; Balooch, M.; Balhorn, R.L.; Allen, M.J.

1995-10-31

Instrumentation and techniques are described to image small objects, such as but not limited to individual human chromosomes, with nanometer resolution. This instrument and method are also used to cut-off identified parts of objects, to move around and manipulate the cut-off parts on the substrate on which they are being imaged to predetermined locations on the substrate, and to remove the cut-off parts from the substrate. This is accomplished using an atomic force microscope (AFM) and by modification of the conventional cantilever stylus assembly of an AFM. The plural cantilevers are used with either sharp-tips or knife-edges. In addition, the invention can be utilized for measuring the hardness of materials. 10 figs.

ExoMars Raman Laser Spectrometer scientific required performances check with a Breadboard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moral, A.; Díaz, E.; Ramos, G.; Rodríguez Prieto, J. A.; Pérez Canora, C.; Díaz, C.; Canchal, R.; Gallego, P.; Santamaría, P.; Colombo, M.

2013-09-01

The Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) is one of the Pasteur Payload instruments, within the ESA's Aurora Exploration Program, ExoMars mission. For being able to verify the achievement of the scientific objectives of the instrument, a Breadboard campaign was developed, for achieving instrument TRL5. Within the Instrument TRL5 Plan, it was required to every unit to develop its own Unit Breadboard, to check their own TRL5 and then to deliver it to System Team to be integrated and tested for finally checks Instrument performances.

CAPRICE98: A balloon borne magnetic spectrometer to study cosmic ray antimatter and composition at different atmospheric depths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambriola, M. L.; Barbiellini, G.; Bartalucci, S.; Basini, G.; Bellotti, R.; Bergstroem, D.; Bocciolini, M.; Boezio, M.; Bravar, U.; Cafagna, F.; Carlson, P.; Casolino, M.; Castellano, M.; Ciacio, F.; Circella, M.; de Marzo, C.; de Pascale, M. P.; Finetti, N.; Francke, T.; Hof, M.; Kremer, J.; Menn, W.; Mitchell, J. W.; Morselli, A.; Ormes, J. F.; Papini, P.; Perego, A.; Piccardi, S.; Picozza, P.; Ricci, M.; Schiavon, P.; Simon, M.; Sparvoli, R.; Spillantini, P.; Stephens, S. A.; Stochaj, S. J.; Streitmatter, R. E.; Suffert, M.; Vacchi, A.; Weber, N.; Zampa, N.

1999-08-01

CAPRICE98 is a superconducting magnetic spectrometer built by the WiZard collaboration. It was launched from Ft. Sumner, NM, USA on the 28th of May 1998. For the first time a gas RICH detector has been flown together with a silicon electromagnetic calorimeter. The instrument configuration included a time of flight detector and a drift chamber stack, which were placed in the region of a magnet field, for rigidity measurement. Science objectives for this experiment include the study of antimatter in cosmic rays and that of cosmic ray composition in the atmosphere with special focus on muons.

Report of the Comet Science Working Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

General scientific questions and measurement objectives that can be addressed on a first comet mission relate to: (1) the chemical nature and the physical structure of comet nuclei as well as the changes that occur as functions of time and orbital position; (2) the chemical and physical nature of the atmospheres and ionospheres of comets, the processes which occur in them, and the development of these atmospheres and ionospheres as functions of time and orbital position; and (3) the nature of comet tails, the processes by which they are formed, and the interaction of comets with the solar wind. Capabilities of the various instruments required are discussed.

Novel spinal instrumentation to enhance osteogenesis and fusion: a preliminary study.

PubMed

MacEwan, Matthew R; Talcott, Michael R; Moran, Daniel W; Leuthardt, Eric C

2016-09-01

OBJECTIVE Instrumented spinal fusion continues to exhibit high failure rates in patients undergoing multilevel lumbar fusion or pseudarthrosis revision; with Grade II or higher spondylolisthesis; or in those possessing risk factors such as obesity, tobacco use, or metabolic disorders. Direct current (DC) electrical stimulation of bone growth represents a unique surgical adjunct in vertebral fusion procedures, yet existing spinal fusion stimulators are not optimized to enhance interbody fusion. To develop an advanced method of applying DC electrical stimulation to promote interbody fusion, a novel osteogenic spinal system capable of routing DC through rigid instrumentation and into the vertebral bodies was fabricated. A pilot study was designed to assess the feasibility of osteogenic instrumentation and compare the ability of osteogenic instrumentation to promote successful interbody fusion in vivo to standard spinal instrumentation with autograft. METHODS Instrumented, single-level, posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with autologous graft was performed at L4-5 in adult Toggenburg/Alpine goats, using both osteogenic spinal instrumentation (plus electrical stimulation) and standard spinal instrumentation (no electrical stimulation). At terminal time points (3 months, 6 months), animals were killed and lumbar spines were explanted for radiographic analysis using a SOMATOM Dual Source Definition CT Scanner and high-resolution Microcat II CT Scanner. Trabecular continuity, radiodensity within the fusion mass, and regional bone formation were examined to determine successful spinal fusion. RESULTS Quantitative analysis of average bone density in pedicle screw beds confirmed that electroactive pedicle screws used in the osteogenic spinal system focally enhanced bone density in instrumented vertebral bodies. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of high-resolution CT scans of explanted lumbar spines further demonstrated that the osteogenic spinal system induced solid bony fusion across the L4-5 disc space as early as 6 weeks postoperatively. In comparison, inactive spinal instrumentation with autograft was unable to promote successful interbody fusion by 6 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS Results of this study demonstrate that novel osteogenic spinal instrumentation supports interbody fusion through the focal delivery of DC electrical stimulation. With further technical development and scientific/clinical validation, osteogenic spinal instrumentation may offer a unique alternative to biological scaffolds and pharmaceutical adjuncts used in spinal fusion procedures.

Implementation of an Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) System in a General Medicine Clinic

PubMed Central

Deamant, C.; Smith, J.; Garcia, D.; Angulo, F.

2015-01-01

Summary Background Routine implementation of instruments to capture patient-reported outcomes could guide clinical practice and facilitate health services research. Audio interviews facilitate self-interviews across literacy levels. Objectives To evaluate time burden for patients, and factors associated with response times for an audio computer-assisted self interview (ACASI) system integrated into the clinical workflow. Methods We developed an ACASI system, integrated with a research data warehouse. Instruments for symptom burden, self-reported health, depression screening, tobacco use, and patient satisfaction were administered through touch-screen monitors in the general medicine clinic at the Cook County Health & Hospitals System during April 8, 2011-July 27, 2012. We performed a cross-sectional study to evaluate the mean time burden per item and for each module of instruments; we evaluated factors associated with longer response latency. Results Among 1,670 interviews, the mean per-question response time was 18.4 [SD, 6.1] seconds. By multivariable analysis, age was most strongly associated with prolonged response time and increased per decade compared to < 50 years as follows (additional seconds per question; 95% CI): 50–59 years (1.4; 0.7 to 2.1 seconds); 60–69 (3.4; 2.6 to 4.1); 70–79 (5.1; 4.0 to 6.1); and 80–89 (5.5; 4.1 to 7.0). Response times also were longer for Spanish language (3.9; 2.9 to 4.9); no home computer use (3.3; 2.8 to 3.9); and, low mental self-reported health (0.6; 0.0 to 1.1). However, most interviews were completed within 10 minutes. Conclusions An ACASI software system can be included in a patient visit and adds minimal time burden. The burden was greatest for older patients, interviews in Spanish, and for those with less computer exposure. A patient’s self-reported health had minimal impact on response times. PMID:25848420

Detection of colorectal cancer using time-resolved autofluorescence spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Sheng; Kwek, Leong-Chuan; Chia, Teck-Chee; Lim, Chu-Sing; Tang, Choong-Leong; Ang, Wuan-Suan; Zhou, Miao-Chang; Loke, Po-Ling

2006-04-01

As we know Quantum mechanics is a mathematical theory that can describe the behavior of objects that are at microscopic level. Time-resolved autofluorescence spectrometer monitors events that occur during the lifetime of the excited state. This time ranges from a few picoseconds to hundreds of nanoseconds. That is an extremely important advance as it allows environmental parameters to be monitored in a spatially defined manner in the specimen under study. This technique is based on the application of Quantum Mechanics. This principle is applied in our project as we are trying to use different fluorescence spectra to detect biological molecules commonly found in cancerous colorectal tissue and thereby differentiate the cancerous and non-cancerous colorectal polyps more accurately and specifically. In this paper, we use Fluorescence Lifetime Spectrometer (Edinburgh Instruments FL920) to measure decay time of autofluorescence of colorectal cancerous and normal tissue sample. All specimens are from Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital. The tissues are placed in the time-resolved autofluorescence instrument, which records and calculates the decay time of the autofluorescence in the tissue sample at the excitation and emission wavelengths pre-determined from a conventional spectrometer. By studying the decay time,τ, etc. for cancerous and normal tissue, we aim to present time-resolved autofluorescence as a feasible technique for earlier detection of malignant colorectal tissues. By using this concept, we try to contribute an algorithm even an application tool for real time early diagnosis of colorectal cancer for clinical services.

Learning objects and training complex machines.

PubMed

Martins, Edgard

2012-01-01

There are situations in the operation of complex machinery which is significant pressure. In need of capturing, interpreting and processing information from instruments, often in seconds. This occurs in the middle where it operates the pilot and the aircraft will be established a set of operations that will culminate with a maneuver, consisting of a substantial and binding set of procedures performed for this driver. This has little time to evaluate and act, supported by aircraft instruments and external environmental signals captured by the senses, which will stimulate conditioned actions that, if executed without due accuracy, is reflected in a deadly mistake. These situations cause a state of tension and unpredictability, especially when there is bad weather and / or no visibility and bad wind conditions occur and are not supportive or even shrinkage, or even partial or total ability to operate the airplane happen..

WFIRST: Guest observer science with the coronagraph instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levesque, Emily; Lomax, Jamie; Akeson, Rachel; Meshkat, Tiffany; WFIRST CGI GO working group

2018-01-01

In addition to the discovery and characterization of exoplanets, the coronagraph instrument (CGI) on WFIRST has the potential for ground-breaking discoveries in other fields through the Guest Observer (GO) program. 25% of the observing time in the primary mission will be made available to the GO community, and GO science with the CGI spans a broad range of scientific applications. These include imaging of binary and multiple asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects, the circumstellar environments of evolved giants and supergiants, debris disks around young stars, and the circumnuclear regions of active galactic nuclei. In this poster we summarize some of the key compelling science gains that can be pursued with the GO program and present preliminary analyses of the technical gains that the CGI will be able to offer over other contemporary coronagraphs, including those on JWST and ground-based observatories.

Status Update on the James Webb Space Telescope Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rigby, Jane R.

2012-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large (6.6 m), cold <50 K), infrared (IR)-optimized space observatory that will be launched in approx.2018. The observatory will have four instruments covering 0.6 to 28 micron, including a multi-object spectrograph, two integral field units, and grisms optimized for exoplanets. I will review JWST's key science themes, as well as exciting new ideas from the recent JWST Frontiers Workshop. I will summarize the technical progress and mission status. Recent highlights: All mirrors have been fabricated, polished, and gold-coated; the mirror is expected to be diffraction-limited down to a wavelength of 2 microns. The MIRI instrument just completed its cryogenic testing. STScI has released exposure time calculators and sensitivity charts to enable scientists to start thinking about how to use JWST for their science.

Onboard Image Registration from Invariant Features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Yi; Ng, Justin; Garay, Michael J.; Burl, Michael C

2008-01-01

This paper describes a feature-based image registration technique that is potentially well-suited for onboard deployment. The overall goal is to provide a fast, robust method for dynamically combining observations from multiple platforms into sensors webs that respond quickly to short-lived events and provide rich observations of objects that evolve in space and time. The approach, which has enjoyed considerable success in mainstream computer vision applications, uses invariant SIFT descriptors extracted at image interest points together with the RANSAC algorithm to robustly estimate transformation parameters that relate one image to another. Experimental results for two satellite image registration tasks are presented: (1) automatic registration of images from the MODIS instrument on Terra to the MODIS instrument on Aqua and (2) automatic stabilization of a multi-day sequence of GOES-West images collected during the October 2007 Southern California wildfires.

The deep space network, volume 18. [Deep Space Instrumentation Facility, Ground Communication Facility, and Network Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The objectives, functions, and organization of the Deep Space Network are summarized. The Deep Space Instrumentation Facility, the Ground Communications Facility, and the Network Control System are described.

Aerosol Absorption Retrievals from the PACE Broad Spectrum Ocean Color Instrument (OCI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattoo, Shana; Remer, Lorraine A.; Levy, Robert C.; Gupta, Pawan; Ahmad, Ziauddin; Martins, J. Vanderlei; Lima, Adriana Rocha; Torres, Omar

2016-01-01

The PACE (Pre-­Aerosol, Clouds and ocean Ecosystem) mission, anticipated for launch in the early 2020s, is designed to characterize oceanic and atmospheric properties. The primary instrument on-­-board will be a moderate resolution (approximately 1 km nadir) radiometer, called the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI). OCI will provide high spectral resolution (5 nm) from the UV to NIR (350 - 800 nm), with additional spectral bands in the NIR and SWIR. The OCI itself is an excellent instrument for atmospheric objectives, providing measurements across a broad spectral range that in essence combines the capabilities of MODIS and OMI, but with the UV channels from OMI to be available at moderate resolution. (Image credit: PACE Science Definition Team Report). Objective: Can we make use of the UV-­SWIR measurements to derive information about aerosol absorption when aerosol loading is high?

Measuring emotion regulation and emotional expression in breast cancer patients: A systematic review.

PubMed

Brandão, Tânia; Tavares, Rita; Schulz, Marc S; Matos, Paula Mena

2016-02-01

The important role of emotion regulation and expression in adaptation to breast cancer is now widely recognized. Studies have shown that optimal emotion regulation strategies, including less constrained emotional expression, are associated with better adaptation. Our objective was to systematically review measures used to assess the way women with breast cancer regulate their emotions. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Nine different databases were searched. Data were independently extracted and assessed by two researchers. English-language articles that used at least one instrument to measure strategies to regulate emotions in women with breast cancer were included. Of 679 abstracts identified 59 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. Studies were coded regarding their objectives, methods, and results. We identified 16 instruments used to measure strategies of emotion regulation and expression. The most frequently employed instrument was the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale. Few psychometric proprieties other than internal consistency were reported for most instruments. Many studies did not include important information regarding descriptive characteristics and psychometric properties of the instruments used. The instruments used tap different aspects of emotion regulation. Specific instruments should be explored further with regard to content, validity, and reliability in the context of breast cancer. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Model-Based Reasoning for Autonomous Instrument Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Mike; Rilee, M.; Truszkowski, W.; Powers, Edward I. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Multiprobe missions are an important part of NASA's future: Cluster, Magnetospheric Multi Scale, Global Electrodynamics and Magnetospheric Constellation are representatives from the Sun-Earth Connections Theme. To make such missions robust, reliable, and affordable, ideally the many spacecraft of a constellation must be at least as easy to operate as one spacecraft is today. To support this need for scalability, science instrumentation must become increasingly easy to operate, even as this same instrumentation becomes more capable and advanced. Communication and control resources will be at a premium for future instruments. Many missions will be out of contact with ground operators for extended periods either to reduce operations cost or because of orbits that limit communication to weekly perigee transits. Autonomous capability is necessary if such missions are to effectively achieve their operational objectives. An autonomous system is one that acts given its situation in a mission appropriate manner without external direction to achieve mission goals. To achieve this capability autonomy must be built into the system through judicious design or through a built-in intelligence that recognizes system state and manages system response. To recognize desired or undesired system states, the system must have an implicit or explicit understanding of its expected states given its history and self observations. The systems we are concerned with, science instruments, can have stringent requirements for system state knowledge in addition to requirements driven by health and safety concerns. Without accurate knowledge of the system state, the usefulness of the science instrument may be severely limited. At the same time, health and safety concerns often lead to overly conservative instrument operations further reducing the effectiveness of the instrument. These requirements, coupled with overall mission requirements including lack of communication opportunities and tolerance of environmental hazards, frame the problem of constructing autonomous science instruments. we are developing a model of the Low Energy Neutral Atom instrument (LENA) that is currently flying on board the Imager for Magnetosphere-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) spacecraft. LENA is a particle detector that uses high voltage electrostatic optics and time-of-flight mass spectrometry to image neutral atom emissions from the denser regions of the Earth's magnetosphere. As with most spacecraft borne science instruments, phenomena in addition to neutral atoms are detected by LENA. Solar radiation and energetic particles from Earth's radiation belts are of particular concern because they may help generate currents that may compromise LENA's long term performance. An explicit model of the instrument response has been constructed and is currently in use on board IMAGE to dynamically adapt LENA to the presence or absence of energetic background radiations. The components of LENA are common in space science instrumentation, and lessons learned by modelling this system may be applied to other instruments. This work demonstrates that a model-based approach can be used to enhance science instrument effectiveness. Our future work involves the extension of these methods to cover more aspects of LENA operation and the generalization to other space science instrumentation.

The Gaia On-Board Scientific Data Handling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arenou, F.; Babusiaux, C.; Chéreau, F.; Mignot, S.

2005-01-01

Because Gaia will perform a continuous all-sky survey at a medium (Spectro) or very high (Astro) angular resolution, the on-board processing needs to cope with a high variety of objects and densities which calls for generic and adaptive algorithms at the detection level, but not only. Consequently, the Pyxis scientific algorithms developed for the on-board data handling cover a large range of application: detection and confirmation of astronomical objects, background sky estimation, classification of detected objects, Near-Earth Objects onboard detection, and window selection and positioning. Very dense fields, where the real-time computing requirements should remain within fixed bounds, are particularly challenging. Another constraint stems from the limited telemetry bandwidth and an additional compromise has to be found between scientific requirements and constraints in terms of the mass, volume and power budgets of the satellite. The rationale for the on-board data handling procedure is described here, together with the developed algorithms, the main issues and the expected scientific performances in the Astro and Spectro instruments.

(abstract) Sciencecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beauchamp, P. M.; Brown, R. H.; Capps, R. W.; Rodgers, D. H.; Sercel, J.; Vane, G.; Soderblom, L. A.; Yelle, R. V.

1994-01-01

The technological capabilities are now at hand to design an integrated system that combines science instruments, spacecraft, and propulsion elements into a single system. The authors have called this a sciencecraft since it is intended to provide automatic scientific observations of planetary and astrophysical objects. Integration of function allows lower mass and cost and supports a short development cycle. A specific science mission is described in this paper, a flyby of Neptune, Triton, and an object in the Kuiper belt. The SCIENCECRAFT system is described. It has electric propulsion and is capable of measuring the surface constituents and morphology of objects visited and characterizing their atmospheres both in emission and adsorption (against the Sun). Miniature fields and particles experiments are incorporated that will provide interplanetary information together with details of the magnetic and electric attributes of each object. The Sciencecraft is Delta launched and has a flight time to the Kuiper belt of 7 years. The design is such that the craft functions in a largely autonomous mode to provide low cost mission operations.

The COSPIX Mission: Focusing on the Energetic and Obscured Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferrando, P.; Goldwurm, A.; Laurent, P.; Limousin, O.; Beckmann, V; Arnaud, M.; Barcons, X.; Bomans, D.; Caballero, I.; Carrera, F.;

Continuous flow electrophoresis system experiments on shuttle flights STS-6 and STS-7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, Robert S.; Rhodes, Percy H.; Miller, Teresa Y.

1987-01-01

A space continuous flow electrophoresis system (CFES) was developed that would incorporate specific modifications to laboratory instruments to take advantage of weightlessness. The specific objectives were to use a model sample material at a high concentration to evaluate the continuous flow electrophoresis process in the CFES instrument and compare its separation resolution and sample throughput with related devices on Earth and to expand the basic knowledge of the limitations imposed by fluid flows and particle concentration effects on the electrophoresis process by careful design and evaluation of the space experiment. Hemoglobin and polysaccharide were selected as primary samples. The results from space show a large band spread of the high concentration of the single species of hemoglobin that was due to the mismatch of electrical conductivity between the sample and the buffer. On STS-7 the major objective was to evaluate the influence of the electrical properties of the sample constituents on the resolution of the CFES. As expected, the polystyrene latex microspheres dispersed in a solution with 3 times the electrical conductivity of the curtain buffer separated with a larger band spread than in the 2nd experiment.

Bonding and expressed emotion: two interlinked concepts?

PubMed

Duclos, Jeanne; Maria, Anne-Solène; Dorard, Géraldine; Curt, Florence; Apfel, Alexandre; Vibert, Sarah; Rein, Zoé; Perdereau, Fabienne; Godart, Nathalie

2013-01-01

Bonding and expressed emotion (EE) are two concepts modeling family relationships. Two studies, with contradictory results, have explored whether these concepts and their corresponding instruments [the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and the Camberwell Family Interview] do indeed measure the same aspects of family relationships. Our first objective was to compare the adolescents' perceptions of family relationships using the PBI, and the parental viewpoint using the Five-Minute Speech Sample (FMSS-EE). Secondly, we compared the PBI scores and EE levels of the parents. Sixty adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa completed the PBI. The FMSS and a modified version of the PBI were administered to parents separately. No significant link was identified between adolescent PBI scores and parental EE levels. However, a link between maternal 'modified' PBI scores and maternal EE was observed: when mothers registered a high Final EE, they were more likely to deny their daughter's psychological autonomy compared to mothers with lower EE. Our empirical results do not support the hypothesis of an overlap between the two concepts. Indeed bonding and EE measure the same object, i.e. the quality of family relationships, but time scales differ and so do the perspectives (patient vs. parental viewpoint). Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Progress along the E-ELT instrumentation roadmap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramsay, Suzanne; Casali, Mark; Cirasuolo, Michele; Egner, Sebastian; Gray, Peter; Gonzáles Herrera, Juan Carlos; Hammersley, Peter; Haupt, Christoph; Ives, Derek; Jochum, Lieselotte; Kasper, Markus; Kerber, Florian; Lewis, Steffan; Mainieri, Vincenzo; Manescau, Antonio; Marchetti, Enrico; Oberti, Sylvain; Padovani, Paolo; Schmid, Christian; Schimpelsberger, Johannes; Siebenmorgen, Ralf; Szecsenyi, Orsolya; Tamai, Roberto; Vernet, Joël.

2016-08-01

A suite of seven instruments and associated AO systems have been planned as the "E-ELT Instrumentation Roadmap". Following the E-ELT project approval in December 2014, rapid progress has been made in organising and signing the agreements for construction with European universities and institutes. Three instruments (HARMONI, MICADO and METIS) and one MCAO module (MAORY) have now been approved for construction. In addition, Phase-A studies have begun for the next two instruments - a multi-object spectrograph and high-resolution spectrograph. Technology development is also ongoing in preparation for the final instrument in the roadmap, the planetary camera and spectrograph. We present a summary of the status and capabilities of this first set of instruments for the E-ELT.

Assessing hospitals' clinical risk management: Development of a monitoring instrument

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Clinical risk management (CRM) plays a crucial role in enabling hospitals to identify, contain, and manage risks related to patient safety. So far, no instruments are available to measure and monitor the level of implementation of CRM. Therefore, our objective was to develop an instrument for assessing CRM in hospitals. Methods The instrument was developed based on a literature review, which identified key elements of CRM. These elements were then discussed with a panel of patient safety experts. A theoretical model was used to describe the level to which CRM elements have been implemented within the organization. Interviews with CRM practitioners and a pilot evaluation were conducted to revise the instrument. The first nationwide application of the instrument (138 participating Swiss hospitals) was complemented by in-depth interviews with 25 CRM practitioners in selected hospitals, for validation purposes. Results The monitoring instrument consists of 28 main questions organized in three sections: 1) Implementation and organizational integration of CRM, 2) Strategic objectives and operational implementation of CRM at hospital level, and 3) Overview of CRM in different services. The instrument is available in four languages (English, German, French, and Italian). It allows hospitals to gather comprehensive and systematic data on their CRM practice and to identify areas for further improvement. Conclusions We have developed an instrument for assessing development stages of CRM in hospitals that should be feasible for a continuous monitoring of developments in this important area of patient safety. PMID:21144039

REAL-TIME MONITORING OF DIOXINS AND OTHER ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This project is part of EPA's EMPACT program which was begun in 1998 and is jointly administered by EPA's Office of Research and Development, the National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance (NCERQA), and the National Center for Environmental Assessment. The program was developed to provide understandable environmental information on various research initiatives to the public in a timely manner on various issues of importance. This particular project involves development of the application of an on-line, real time, trace organic air toxic monitor, with special emphasis on dioxin-related compounds. Research efforts demonstrate the utility and usefulness of the Resonance Enhanced Multi-Photon Ionization (REMPI) analytical method for trace organics control, monitoring, and compliance assurance. Project objectives will be to develop the REMPI instrumental method into a tool that will be used for assessment of potential dioxin sources, control and prevention of dioxin formation in known sources, and communication of facility performance. This will be accomplished through instrument development, laboratory verification, thermokinetic modelling, equilibrium modelling, statistical determinations, field validation, program publication and presentation, regulatory office support, and development of data communication/presentation procedures. For additional information on this EMPACT project, visit the website at http://www.epa.gov/appcdwww/crb/empa

Multi-color pyrometer for materials processing in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frish, Michael B.; Spencer, Mark N.; Wolk, Nancy E.; Werner, Jennifer S.; Miranda, Henry A., Jr.

1988-01-01

The design, construction and calibration of a computer-linked multicolor pyrometer is described. The device was constructed for ready adaptation to a spacecraft and for use in the control of thermal processes for manufacturing materials in space. The pyrometer actually uses only one color at a time, and is relatively insensitive to uncertainties in the heated object's emissivity because the product of the color and the temperature has been selected to be within a regime where the radiant energy emitted from the body increases very rapidly with temperature. The instrument was calibrated and shown to exceed its design goal of temperature measurements between 300 and 2000 C, and its accuracy in the face of imprecise knowledge of the hot object's emissivity was demonstrated.

Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) science instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winkler, Carl E.; Dailey, Carroll C.; Cumings, Nesbitt P.

1991-01-01

The overall AXAF program is summarized, with particular emphasis given to its science instruments. The science objectives established for AXAF are to determine the nature of celestial objects, from normal stars to quasars, to elucidate the nature of the physical processes which take place in and between astronomical objects, and to shed light on the history and evolution of the universe. Attention is given to the AXAF CCD imaging spectrometer, which is to provide spectrally and temporally resolved imaging, or, in conjunction with transmission grating, high-resolution dispersed spectral images of celestial sources. A high-resolution camera, an X-ray spectrometer, and the Bragg Crystal Spectrometer are also discussed.

Optical Reflection Spectroscopy of GEO Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seitzer, Patrick; Cardona, Tammaso; Lederer, Susan M.; Cowardin, Heather; Abercromby, Kira J.; Barker, Edwin S.; Bedard, Donald

2013-01-01

We report on optical reflection spectroscopy of geosynchronous (GEO) objects in the US Space Surveillance Network (SSN) catalog. These observations were obtained using imaging spectrographs on the 6.5-m Magellan telescopes at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Our goal is to determine the composition of these objects by comparing these spectral observations with ground-based laboratory measurements of spacecraft materials. The observations are all low resolution (1 nm after smoothing) obtained through a 5 arcsecond wide slit and using a grism as the dispersing element. The spectral range covered was from 450 nm to 800 nm. All spectra were flux calibrated using observations of standard stars with the exact same instrumental setup. An effort was made to obtain all observations within a limited range of topocentric phase angle, although the solar incident angle is unknown due to the lack of any knowledge of the attitude of the observed surface at the time of observation.

Antennas and Electromagnetics Instrumentation for Research and Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

Antennas and Electromagnetics Instrumentation for Research and Education The objective of this proposal is to enhance the instrumentation of FIU’s... ElectroMagnetics Lab (EMLab) directed by Dr. Georgakopoulos and create a state-of-the art lab that will support the following: (a) Dr. Georgakopoulos...funded research on reconfigurable antennas and wireless power transfer, (b) other research on advanced electromagnetic technologies that support

Evaluating the Quality of Learning Environments and Teaching Practice in Special Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedegaard-Soerensen, Lotte; Tetler, Susan

2016-01-01

This article reports on findings of a study which objective is the development of an instrument for systematic evaluation and improvement of the quality of teaching in special schools. The article describes the research process which led to the construction of the instrument as well as the way teachers can use the instrument to improve the quality…

Study of labor-negotiation productivity concerns in the petroleum-refining industry

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

Smith, J.E.

The primary objective of this study was to identify productivity factors relative to negotiating future labor contracts with the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAWIU). A Delphi research method was utilized to accomplish this purpose. The study utilized three rounds to obtain the stated objectives. Round one involved the use of an open instrument to solicit productivity factors that would be beneficial in future negotiations with the OCAWIU. In round two, two separate instruments were sent to the panel members who were asked to judge the value of each item on the first instrument, and to rank themore » ten most significant items on the second. The round three instruments were individualized for each panel member. The productivity items were rated by the panel members, and descriptive statistics were used to describe the combined order of listings and weights for determining the relative importance of each factor in the consensus model. The nonparametric statistics were used to examine the degree of consensus between the mean values on the first instrument with the ranked values for the second instrument. No significant differences were formed. Twenty-five productivity items were identified and prioritized as viable negotiable items with the OCAWIU.« less

[Shoulder disability questionnaires: a systematic review].

PubMed

Fayad, F; Mace, Y; Lefevre-Colau, M M

2005-07-01

To identify all available shoulder disability questionnaires designed to measure physical functioning and to examine those with satisfactory clinimetric quality. We used the Medline database and the "Guide des outils de mesure de l'évaluation en médecine physique et de réadaptation" textbook to search for questionnaires. Analysis took into account the development methodology, clinimetric quality of the instruments and frequency of their utilization. We classified the instruments according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Thirty-eight instruments have been developed to measure disease-, shoulder- or upper extremity-specific outcome. Four scales assess upper-extremity disability and 3 others shoulder disability. We found 6 scales evaluating disability and shoulder pain, 7 scales measuring the quality of life in patients with various conditions of the shoulder, 14 scales combining objective and subjective measures, 2 pain scales and 2 unclassified scales. Older instruments developed before the advent of modern measurement development methodology usually combine objective and subjective measures. Recent instruments were designed with appropriate methodology. Most are self-administered questionnaires. Numerous shoulder outcome measure instruments are available. There is no "gold standard" for assessing shoulder function outcome in the general population.

Reading Instruments: Objects, Texts and Museums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Katharine; Frappier, Mélanie; Neswald, Elizabeth; Trim, Henry

2013-05-01

Science educators, historians of science and their students often share a curiosity about historical instruments as a tangible link between past and present practices in the sciences. We less often integrate instruments into our research and pedagogy, considering artefact study as the domain of museum specialists. We argue here that scholars and teachers new to material culture can readily use artefacts to reveal rich and complex networks of narratives. We illustrate this point by describing our own lay encounter with an artefact turned over for our analysis during a week-long workshop at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. The text explains how elements as disparate as the military appearance of the instrument, the crest stamped on its body, the manipulation of its telescopes, or a luggage tag revealed the object's scientific and political significance in different national contexts. In this way, the presence of the instrument in the classroom vividly conveyed the nature of geophysics as a field practice and an international science, and illuminated relationships between pure and applied science for early twentieth century geologists. We conclude that artefact study can be an unexpectedly powerful and accessible tool in the study of science, making visible the connections between past and present, laboratory and field, texts and instruments.

Surgical instrument biocontaminant fluorescence detection in ambient lighting conditions for hospital reprocessing and sterilization department (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baribeau, François; Bubel, Annie; Dumont, Guillaume; Vachon, Carl; Lépine, André; Rochefort, Stéphane; Massicotte, Martin; Buteau-Vaillancourt, Louis; Gallant, Pascal; Mermut, Ozzy

2017-03-01

Hospitals currently rely on simple human visual inspection for assessing cleanliness of surgical instruments. Studies showed that surgical site infections are in part attributed to inadequate cleaning of medical devices. Standards groups recognize the need to objectively quantify the amount of residues on surgical instruments and establish guidelines. We developed a portable technology for the detection of contaminants on surgical instruments through fluorescence following cleaning. Weak fluorescence signals are usually detected in the obscurity only with the lighting of the excitation source. The key element of this system is that it works in ambient lighting conditions, a requirement to not disturb the normal workflow of hospital reprocessing facilities. A biocompatible fluorescent dye is added to the detergent and labels the proteins of organic residues. It is resistant to the harsh environment in a washer-disinfector. Two inspection devices have been developed with a 488nm laser as the excitation source: a handheld scanner and a tabletop station using spectral-domain and time-domain ambient light cancellation schemes. The systems are eye safe and equipped with image processing and interfacing software to provide visual or audible warnings to the operator based on a set of adjustable signal thresholds. Micron-scale residues are detected by the system which can also evaluate soil size and mass. Unlike swabbing, it can inspect whole tools in real-time. The technology has been validated in an independent hospital decontamination research laboratory. It also has potential applications in the forensics, agro-food, and space fields. Technical aspects and results will be presented and discussed.

Assessment of the role of cross section on fatigue resistance of rotary files when used in reciprocation

PubMed Central

Sekar, Vadhana; Kumar, Ranjith; Nandini, Suresh; Ballal, Suma; Velmurugan, Natanasabapathy

2016-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the role of cross section on cyclic fatigue resistance of One Shape, Revo-S SU, and Mtwo rotary files in continuous rotation and reciprocating motion in dynamic testing model. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 new rotary One Shape, Revo-S SU, and Mtwo files (ISO size 25, taper 0.06, length 25 mm) were subjected to continuous rotation or reciprocating motion. A cyclic fatigue testing device was fabricated with 60° angle of curvature and 5 mm radius. The dynamic testing of these files was performed using an electric motor which permitted the reproduction of pecking motion. All instruments were rotated or reciprocated until fracture occurred. The time taken for each instrument to fracture was recorded. All the fractured files were analyzed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to detect the mode of fracture. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's honestly significant difference post hoc test. Results: The time taken for instruments in reciprocating motion to fail under cyclic loading was significantly longer when compared with groups in continuous rotary motion. There was a statistically significant difference between Mtwo rotary and the other two groups in both continuous and reciprocating motion. One Shape rotary files recorded significantly longer duration to fracture resistance when compared with Revo-S SU files in both continuous and reciprocating motion. SEM observations showed that the instruments of all groups had undergone a ductile mode of fracture. Conclusion: Reciprocating motion improved the cyclic fatigue resistance of all tested groups. PMID:28042272

Effects of Martian Surface Materials on the Thermal Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Archer, P. D., Jr.

2017-01-01

While hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been detected in the martian atmosphere, it has not been detected in surface materials. Since the Viking lander mission, we have sent instruments to Mars with the capability to detect H2O2. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Curiosity Rover and Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) instrument on the Phoenix lander both detected water and oxygen releases from analyzed sediments but whether or not peroxide could be the source of these gases has not been investigated. We are investigating the possible presence of H2O2 in martian materials by analyzing Mars-relevant minerals that have been mixed with hydrogen peroxide using lab instruments configured as analogs to Mars mission instruments. The object of this research is to use lab instruments to find the effects of Mars analog minerals on hydrogen peroxide gas release temperatures, specifically gas releases of water and oxygen and also determine the effect of the peroxide on the minerals. Data that we get from the lab can then be compared to the data collected from Mars. The minerals hematite, siderite, San Carlos olivine, magnetite and nontronite were chosen as our Mars analog minerals. 20 mg of analog Mars minerals with 5µl of 50% H2O2, and were either run immediately or placed in a sealed tube for 2, 4, or 9 days to look for changes over time with two reps being done at each time step to determine repeatability. Each sample was heated from -60 degC to 500 degC at 20 degC/min and the evolved gases were monitored with a mass spectrometer. Each sample was also analyzed with an X-ray diffraction instrument to look for changes in mineralogy. Preliminary results show three potential outcomes: 1) peroxide has no effect on the sample (e.g., hematite), 2) the mineral is unaffected but catalyzes peroxide decomposition (magnetite, siderite), or 3) peroxide alters the mineral (pyrrhotite, San Carlos olivine).

Effects of Martian Surface Materials on the Thermal Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dame, Rudger H.; Archer, Paul Douglas; Hogancamp, Joanna C.

2017-10-01

While hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been detected in the martian atmosphere, it has not been detected in surface materials. Since the Viking lander mission, we have sent instruments to Mars with the capability to detect H2O2. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the Curiosity Rover and Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) instrument on the Phoenix lander both detected water and oxygen releases from analyzed sediments but whether or not peroxide could be the source of these gases has not been investigated. We are investigating the possible presence of H2O2 in martian materials by analyzing Mars-relevant minerals that have been mixed with hydrogen peroxide using lab instruments configured as analogs to Mars mission instruments.The object of this research is to use lab instruments to find the effects of Mars analog minerals on hydrogen peroxide gas release temperatures, specifically gas releases of water and oxygen and also determine the effect of the peroxide on the minerals. Data that we get from the lab can then be compared to the data collected from Mars.The minerals hematite, siderite, San Carlos olivine, magnetite and nontronite were chosen as our Mars analog minerals. ~20 mg of analog Mars minerals with 5µl of 50% H2O2, and were either run immediately or placed in a sealed tube for 2, 4, or 9 days to look for changes over time with two reps being done at each time step to determine repeatability. Each sample was heated from -60 °C to 500 °C at 20 °C/min and the evolved gases were monitored with a mass spectrometer. Each sample was also analyzed with an X-ray diffraction instrument to look for changes in mineralogy.Preliminary results show three potential outcomes: 1) peroxide has no effect on the sample (e.g., hematite), 2) the mineral is unaffected but catalyzes peroxide decomposition (magnetite, siderite), or 3) peroxide alters the mineral (pyrrhotite, San Carlos olivine).

Ultra-fast Movies of the Sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-06-01

British scientists have opened a new window on the Universe with the recent commissioning of the Visitor Instrument ULTRACAM on the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. ULTRACAM is an ultra fast camera capable of capturing some of the most rapid astronomical events. It can take up to 500 pictures a second in three different colours simultaneously. It has been designed and built by scientists from the Universities of Sheffield and Warwick (United Kingdom), in collaboration with the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh. ULTRACAM employs the latest in charged coupled device (CCD) detector technology in order to take, store and analyse data at the required sensitivities and speeds. CCD detectors can be found in digital cameras and camcorders, but the devices used in ULTRACAM are special because they are larger, faster and most importantly, much more sensitive to light than the detectors used in today's consumer electronics products. In May 2002, the instrument saw "first light" on the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope (WHT) on La Palma. Since then the instrument has been awarded a total of 75 nights of time on the WHT to study any object in the Universe which eclipses, transits, occults, flickers, flares, pulsates, oscillates, outbursts or explodes. These observations have produced a bonanza of new and exciting results, leading to already 11 scientific publications published or in press. To study the very faintest stars at the very highest speeds, however, it is necessary to use the largest telescopes. Thus, work began 2 years ago preparing ULTRACAM for use on the VLT. "Astronomers using the VLT now have an instrument specifically designed for the study of high-speed phenomena", said Vik Dhillon, from the University of Sheffield (UK) and the ULTRACAM project scientist. "Using ULTRACAM in conjunction with the current generation of large telescopes makes it now possible to study high-speed celestial phenomena such as eclipses, oscillations and occultations in stars which are millions of times too faint to see with the unaided eye." Observing Black Holes ESO PR Photo 19b/05 ESO PR Photo 19b/05 Light curves of the black-hole GU Muscae. [Preview - JPEG: 400 x 427 pix - 151k] [Normal - JPEG: 800 x 854 pix - 354k] [Full Res - JPEG: 2221 x 2371 pix - 1.3M] Caption: ESO PR Photo 19b/05 presents an early scientific highlight from the first few nights of the ULTRACAM observing campaign on the Very Large Telescope: light curves in the i'- (red) and g'-band (green) of the quiescent black-hole X-ray transient GU Muscae. This object consists of a black hole in a 10-hour orbit with a normal solar-like star. The black hole is surrounded by an accretion disc of material transferred from the solar-like star. As this material accretes onto the black hole, energy is released, and this is evident from the large-amplitude flares visible in the light curves. What was not expected, however, is the series of sharp spikes that can be seen, and which are separated by approximately 7 minutes. Such a stable signal must be tied to a relatively stable structure in the accretion disc. The instrument saw first light on the VLT on May 4, 2005, and was then used for 17 consecutive nights on the telescope to study extrasolar planets, black-hole binary systems, pulsars, white dwarfs, asteroseismology, cataclysmic variables, brown dwarfs, gamma-ray bursts, active-galactic nuclei and Kuiper-belt objects. One of the faint objects studied with ULTRACAM on the VLT is GU Muscae. This object consists of a black hole in a 10-hour orbit with a normal, solar-like star. The black hole is surrounded by a disc of material transferred from the normal star. As this material falls onto the black hole, energy is released, producing large-amplitude flares visible in the light curve. This object has magnitude 21.4, that is, it is one million times fainter than what can be seen with the unaided eye. Yet, to study it in detail and detect the shortest possible pulses, it is necessary to use exposure times as short as 5 seconds. This is possible with the large aperture and great efficiency of the VLT. These unique observations have revealed a series of sharp spikes, separated by approximately 7 minutes. Such a stable signal must be tied to a relatively stable structure in the disc of matter surrounding the black hole. The astronomers are now in the process of analysing these results in great details in order to understand the origin of this structure. Another series of observations were dedicated to the study of extrasolar planets, more particularly those that transit in front of their host star. ULTRACAM observations have allowed the astronomers to obtain simultaneous light curves, in several colour-bands, of four known transiting exoplanets discovered by the OGLE survey, and this with a precision of a tenth of a percent and with a 4 second time resolution. This is a factor ten better than previous measurements and will provide very accurate masses and radii for these so-called "hot-Jupiters". Because ULTRACAM makes observations in three different wavebands, such observations will also allow astronomers to establish whether the radius of the exoplanet is different at different wavelengths. This could provide crucial information on the possible exoplanets' atmosphere. The camera is the first instrument to make use of the Visitor Focus on Melipal (UT3), and the first UK-built instrument to be mounted at the VLT. The Visitor Focus allows innovative technologies and instrumentation to be added to the telescope for short periods of time, permitting studies to take place that are not available with the current suite of instruments. "These few nights with ULTRACAM on the VLT have demonstrated the unique discoveries that can be made by combining an innovative technology with one of the best astronomical facilities in the world," said Tom Marsh of the University of Warwick and member of the team. "We hope that ULTRACAM will now become a regular visitor at the VLT, giving European astronomers access to a unique new tool with which to study the Universe." More information The ULTRACAM team is composed of Vik Dhillon, Stuart Littlefair, and Paul Kerry (Sheffield, UK), Tom Marsh (Warwick, UK), Andy Vick and Dave Atkinson (UKATC, Edinburgh, UK). For the installation on the VLT, they received support from Kieran O'Brien and Pascal Robert (ESO, Chile). The ULTRACAM project page can be found at http://www.shef.ac.uk/~phys/people/vdhillon/ultracam.

An Affordable Microsurgical Training System for a Beginning Neurosurgeon: How to Realize the Self-Training Laboratory.

PubMed

Chung, Sang-Bong; Ryu, Jiwook; Chung, Yeongu; Lee, Sung Ho; Choi, Seok Keun

2017-09-01

To provide detailed information about how to realize a self-training laboratory with cost-effective microsurgical instruments, especially pertinent for the novice trainee. Our training model is designed to allow the practice of the microsurgery skills in an efficient and cost-effective manner. A used stereoscopic microscope is prepared for microsurgical training. A sufficient working distance for microsurgical practice is obtained by attaching an auxiliary objective lens. The minimum instrument list includes 2 jeweler's forceps, iris scissors, and alligator clips. The iris scissors and alligator clip provide good alternatives to micro-scissors and microvascular clamp. The short time needed to set up the microscope and suture the gauze with micro-forceps makes the training model suitable for daily practice. It takes about 15 minutes to suture 10 neighboring fibers of the gauze with 10-0 nylon; thus, training can be completed more quickly. We have developed an inexpensive and efficient micro-anastomosis training system using a stereoscopic microscope and minimal micro-instruments. Especially useful for novice trainees, this system provides high accessibility for microsurgical training. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A layered approach to technology transfer of AVIRIS between Earth Search Sciences, Inc. and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, James S.; Ferguson, Joanne E.; Peel, John, III; Vance, Larry

1995-01-01

Since initial contact between Earth Search Sciences, Inc. (ESSI) and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in February, 1994, at least seven proposals have been submitted in response to a variety of solicitations to commercialize and improve the AVIRIS instrument. These proposals, matching ESSI's unique position with respect to agreements with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to utilize, miniaturize, and commercialize the AVIRIS instrument and platform, are combined with the applied engineering of the INEL. Teaming ESSI, NASA/JPL, and INEL with diverse industrial partners has strengthened the respective proposals. These efforts carefully structure the overall project plans to ensure the development, demonstration, and deployment of this concept to the national and international arenas. The objectives of these efforts include: (1) developing a miniaturized commercial, real-time, cost effective version of the AVIRIS instrument; (2) identifying multiple users for AVIRIS; (3) integrating the AVIRIS technology with other technologies; (4) gaining the confidence/acceptance of other government agencies and private industry in AVIRIS; and (5) increasing the technology base of U.S. industry.

High-throughput assay of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) using a multichannel liquid handling system coupled with a microplate fluorescence reader in 96-well format.

PubMed

Huang, Dejian; Ou, Boxin; Hampsch-Woodill, Maureen; Flanagan, Judith A; Prior, Ronald L

2002-07-31

The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay has been widely accepted as a standard tool to measure the antioxidant activity in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. However, the ORAC assay has been criticized for a lack of accessibility due to the unavailability of the COBAS FARA II analyzer, an instrument discontinued by the manufacturer. In addition, the manual sample preparation is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The objective of this study was to develop a high-throughput instrument platform that can fully automate the ORAC assay procedure. The new instrument platform consists of a robotic eight-channel liquid handling system and a microplate fluorescence reader. By using the high-throughput platform, the efficiency of the assay is improved with at least a 10-fold increase in sample throughput over the current procedure. The mean of intra- and interday CVs was

Comparing Binaural Pre-processing Strategies I

PubMed Central

Krawczyk-Becker, Martin; Marquardt, Daniel; Völker, Christoph; Hu, Hongmei; Herzke, Tobias; Coleman, Graham; Adiloğlu, Kamil; Ernst, Stephan M. A.; Gerkmann, Timo; Doclo, Simon; Kollmeier, Birger; Hohmann, Volker; Dietz, Mathias

2015-01-01

In a collaborative research project, several monaural and binaural noise reduction algorithms have been comprehensively evaluated. In this article, eight selected noise reduction algorithms were assessed using instrumental measures, with a focus on the instrumental evaluation of speech intelligibility. Four distinct, reverberant scenarios were created to reflect everyday listening situations: a stationary speech-shaped noise, a multitalker babble noise, a single interfering talker, and a realistic cafeteria noise. Three instrumental measures were employed to assess predicted speech intelligibility and predicted sound quality: the intelligibility-weighted signal-to-noise ratio, the short-time objective intelligibility measure, and the perceptual evaluation of speech quality. The results show substantial improvements in predicted speech intelligibility as well as sound quality for the proposed algorithms. The evaluated coherence-based noise reduction algorithm was able to provide improvements in predicted audio signal quality. For the tested single-channel noise reduction algorithm, improvements in intelligibility-weighted signal-to-noise ratio were observed in all but the nonstationary cafeteria ambient noise scenario. Binaural minimum variance distortionless response beamforming algorithms performed particularly well in all noise scenarios. PMID:26721920

Evaluation of three new laser spectrometer techniques for in-situ carbon monoxide measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zellweger, C.; Steinbacher, M.; Buchmann, B.

2012-07-01

Long-term time series of the atmospheric composition are essential for environmental research and thus require compatible, multi-decadal monitoring activities. However, the current data quality objectives of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for carbon monoxide (CO) in the atmosphere are very challenging to meet with the measurement techniques that have been used until recently. During the past few years, new spectroscopic techniques came on the market with promising properties for trace gas analytics. The current study compares three instruments that are recently commercially available (since 2011) with the up to now best available technique (vacuum UV fluorescence) and provides a link to previous comparison studies. The instruments were investigated for their performance regarding repeatability, reproducibility, drift, temperature dependence, water vapour interference and linearity. Finally, all instruments were examined during a short measurement campaign to assess their applicability for long-term field measurements. It could be shown that the new techniques provide a considerably better performance compared to previous techniques, although some issues such as temperature influence and cross sensitivities need further attention.

Demons registration for in vivo and deformable laser scanning confocal endomicroscopy.

PubMed

Chiew, Wei-Ming; Lin, Feng; Seah, Hock Soon

2017-09-01

A critical effect found in noninvasive in vivo endomicroscopic imaging modalities is image distortions due to sporadic movement exhibited by living organisms. In three-dimensional confocal imaging, this effect results in a dataset that is tilted across deeper slices. Apart from that, the sequential flow of the imaging-processing pipeline restricts real-time adjustments due to the unavailability of information obtainable only from subsequent stages. To solve these problems, we propose an approach to render Demons-registered datasets as they are being captured, focusing on the coupling between registration and visualization. To improve the acquisition process, we also propose a real-time visual analytics tool, which complements the imaging pipeline and the Demons registration pipeline with useful visual indicators to provide real-time feedback for immediate adjustments. We highlight the problem of deformation within the visualization pipeline for object-ordered and image-ordered rendering. Visualizations of critical information including registration forces and partial renderings of the captured data are also presented in the analytics system. We demonstrate the advantages of the algorithmic design through experimental results with both synthetically deformed datasets and actual in vivo, time-lapse tissue datasets expressing natural deformations. Remarkably, this algorithm design is for embedded implementation in intelligent biomedical imaging instrumentation with customizable circuitry. (2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Evaluation of prototype air carrier instrument approach procedure charts.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-07-31

The objective of this study was to evaluate the design features of two prototype Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) charts. The John A. Volpe National Transportation System's Center in cooperation with the Air Transport Association's Chart and Data ...

Computer-Graphics Emulation of Chemical Instrumentation: Absorption Spectrophotometers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, D. D.; And Others

1982-01-01

Describes interactive, computer-graphics program emulating behavior of high resolution, ultraviolet-visible analog recording spectrophotometer. Graphics terminal behaves as recording absorption spectrophotometer. Objective of the emulation is study of optimization of the instrument to yield accurate absorption spectra, including…

Evaluation of prototype air carrier instrument approach procedure charts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the design features of two prototype Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) charts. The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in cooperation with the Air Transport Association's Chart and Data D...

An Integrated Model of Patient and Staff Satisfaction Using Queuing Theory

PubMed Central

Mousavi, Ali; Clarkson, P. John; Young, Terry

2015-01-01

This paper investigates the connection between patient satisfaction, waiting time, staff satisfaction, and service time. It uses a variety of models to enable improvement against experiential and operational health service goals. Patient satisfaction levels are estimated using a model based on waiting (waiting times). Staff satisfaction levels are estimated using a model based on the time spent with patients (service time). An integrated model of patient and staff satisfaction, the effective satisfaction level model, is then proposed (using queuing theory). This links patient satisfaction, waiting time, staff satisfaction, and service time, connecting two important concepts, namely, experience and efficiency in care delivery and leading to a more holistic approach in designing and managing health services. The proposed model will enable healthcare systems analysts to objectively and directly relate elements of service quality to capacity planning. Moreover, as an instrument used jointly by healthcare commissioners and providers, it affords the prospect of better resource allocation. PMID:27170899

An Integrated Model of Patient and Staff Satisfaction Using Queuing Theory.

PubMed

Komashie, Alexander; Mousavi, Ali; Clarkson, P John; Young, Terry

2015-01-01

This paper investigates the connection between patient satisfaction, waiting time, staff satisfaction, and service time. It uses a variety of models to enable improvement against experiential and operational health service goals. Patient satisfaction levels are estimated using a model based on waiting (waiting times). Staff satisfaction levels are estimated using a model based on the time spent with patients (service time). An integrated model of patient and staff satisfaction, the effective satisfaction level model, is then proposed (using queuing theory). This links patient satisfaction, waiting time, staff satisfaction, and service time, connecting two important concepts, namely, experience and efficiency in care delivery and leading to a more holistic approach in designing and managing health services. The proposed model will enable healthcare systems analysts to objectively and directly relate elements of service quality to capacity planning. Moreover, as an instrument used jointly by healthcare commissioners and providers, it affords the prospect of better resource allocation.

On Gamma Ray Instrument On-Board Data Processing Real-Time Computational Algorithm for Cosmic Ray Rejection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kizhner, Semion; Hunter, Stanley D.; Hanu, Andrei R.; Sheets, Teresa B.

2016-01-01

Richard O. Duda and Peter E. Hart of Stanford Research Institute in [1] described the recurring problem in computer image processing as the detection of straight lines in digitized images. The problem is to detect the presence of groups of collinear or almost collinear figure points. It is clear that the problem can be solved to any desired degree of accuracy by testing the lines formed by all pairs of points. However, the computation required for n=NxM points image is approximately proportional to n2 or O(n2), becoming prohibitive for large images or when data processing cadence time is in milliseconds. Rosenfeld in [2] described an ingenious method due to Hough [3] for replacing the original problem of finding collinear points by a mathematically equivalent problem of finding concurrent lines. This method involves transforming each of the figure points into a straight line in a parameter space. Hough chose to use the familiar slope-intercept parameters, and thus his parameter space was the two-dimensional slope-intercept plane. A parallel Hough transform running on multi-core processors was elaborated in [4]. There are many other proposed methods of solving a similar problem, such as sampling-up-the-ramp algorithm (SUTR) [5] and algorithms involving artificial swarm intelligence techniques [6]. However, all state-of-the-art algorithms lack in real time performance. Namely, they are slow for large images that require performance cadence of a few dozens of milliseconds (50ms). This problem arises in spaceflight applications such as near real-time analysis of gamma ray measurements contaminated by overwhelming amount of traces of cosmic rays (CR). Future spaceflight instruments such as the Advanced Energetic Pair Telescope instrument (AdEPT) [7-9] for cosmos gamma ray survey employ large detector readout planes registering multitudes of cosmic ray interference events and sparse science gamma ray event traces' projections. The AdEPT science of interest is in the gamma ray events and the problem is to detect and reject the much more voluminous cosmic ray projections, so that the remaining science data can be telemetered to the ground over the constrained communication link. The state-of-the-art in cosmic rays detection and rejection does not provide an adequate computational solution. This paper presents a novel approach to the AdEPT on-board data processing burdened with the CR detection top pole bottleneck problem. This paper is introducing the data processing object, demonstrates object segmentation and distribution for processing among many processing elements (PEs) and presents solution algorithm for the processing bottleneck - the CR-Algorithm. The algorithm is based on the a priori knowledge that a CR pierces the entire instrument pressure vessel. This phenomenon is also the basis for a straightforward CR simulator, allowing the CR-Algorithm performance testing. Parallel processing of the readout image's (2(N+M) - 4) peripheral voxels is detecting all CRs, resulting in O(n) computational complexity. This algorithm near real-time performance is making AdEPT class spaceflight instruments feasible.

Automatic labeling and characterization of objects using artificial neural networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, William J.; Hill, Scott E.; Cromp, Robert F.

1989-01-01

Existing NASA supported scientific data bases are usually developed, managed and populated in a tedious, error prone and self-limiting way in terms of what can be described in a relational Data Base Management System (DBMS). The next generation Earth remote sensing platforms, i.e., Earth Observation System, (EOS), will be capable of generating data at a rate of over 300 Mbs per second from a suite of instruments designed for different applications. What is needed is an innovative approach that creates object-oriented databases that segment, characterize, catalog and are manageable in a domain-specific context and whose contents are available interactively and in near-real-time to the user community. Described here is work in progress that utilizes an artificial neural net approach to characterize satellite imagery of undefined objects into high-level data objects. The characterized data is then dynamically allocated to an object-oriented data base where it can be reviewed and assessed by a user. The definition, development, and evolution of the overall data system model are steps in the creation of an application-driven knowledge-based scientific information system.

The utilization of neural nets in populating an object-oriented database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, William J.; Hill, Scott E.; Cromp, Robert F.

1989-01-01

Existing NASA supported scientific data bases are usually developed, managed and populated in a tedious, error prone and self-limiting way in terms of what can be described in a relational Data Base Management System (DBMS). The next generation Earth remote sensing platforms (i.e., Earth Observation System, (EOS), will be capable of generating data at a rate of over 300 Mbs per second from a suite of instruments designed for different applications. What is needed is an innovative approach that creates object-oriented databases that segment, characterize, catalog and are manageable in a domain-specific context and whose contents are available interactively and in near-real-time to the user community. Described here is work in progress that utilizes an artificial neural net approach to characterize satellite imagery of undefined objects into high-level data objects. The characterized data is then dynamically allocated to an object-oriented data base where it can be reviewed and assessed by a user. The definition, development, and evolution of the overall data system model are steps in the creation of an application-driven knowledge-based scientific information system.

Gamma watermarking

DOEpatents

Ishikawa, Muriel Y.; Wood, Lowell L.; Lougheed, Ronald W.; Moody, Kenton J.; Wang, Tzu-Fang

2004-05-25

A covert, gamma-ray "signature" is used as a "watermark" for property identification. This new watermarking technology is based on a unique steganographic or "hidden writing" digital signature, implemented in tiny quantities of gamma-ray-emitting radioisotopic material combinations, generally covertly emplaced on or within an object. This digital signature may be readily recovered at distant future times, by placing a sensitive, high energy-resolution gamma-ray detecting instrument reasonably precisely over the location of the watermark, which location may be known only to the object's owner; however, the signature is concealed from all ordinary detection means because its exceedingly low level of activity is obscured by the natural radiation background (including the gamma radiation naturally emanating from the object itself, from cosmic radiation and material surroundings, from human bodies, etc.). The "watermark" is used in object-tagging for establishing object identity, history or ownership. It thus may serve as an aid to law enforcement officials in identifying stolen property and prosecuting theft thereof. Highly effective, potentially very low cost identification-on demand of items of most all types is thus made possible.

BILLIARDS: Baseline Instrumented Lithology Lander, Inspector and Asteroid Redirection Demonstration System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marcus, Matthew; Sloane, Joshua; Ortiz, Oliver; Barbee, Brent

2015-01-01

BILLIARDS Baseline Instrumented Lithology Lander, Inspector, and Asteroid Redirection Demonstration System Proposed demonstration mission for Billiard-Ball concept Select asteroid pair with natural close approach to minimize cost and complexity Primary Objectives Rendezvous with a small (10m), near Earth (alpha) asteroid Maneuver the alpha asteroid to a collision with a 100m (beta) asteroid Produce a detectable deflection or disruption of the beta asteroid Secondary objectives Contribute knowledge of asteroid composition and characteristics Contribute knowledge of small-body formation Opportunity for international collaboration

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Kevin

2011-01-01

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

Music psychopathology. V. Objective features of instrumental performance and psychopathology.

PubMed

Steinberg, R; Fani, M; Raith, L

1992-01-01

Mental disease systematically impairs musical expression according to nosologic classification. This was demonstrated with a polarity profile of the instrumental performances of 60 inpatients and 14 controls matched for musical aptitude. Objective performance characteristics such as irregularities and playing faults were analyzed too. No meaningful correlation between these features and psychopathology resulted. This indicates that even in severe psychopathologic alterations performance features, which depend mainly on education and actual training, are not altered in a systematic manner, in contrast to expressive qualities.

Achieving design reuse: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Peter J.; Nielsen, Jon J.; Roberts, William H.; Wilson, Greg M.

2008-08-01

The RSAA CICADA data acquisition and control software package uses an object-oriented approach to model astronomical instrumentation and a layered architecture for implementation. Emphasis has been placed on building reusable C++ class libraries and on the use of attribute/value tables for dynamic configuration. This paper details how the approach has been successfully used in the construction of the instrument control software for the Gemini NIFS and GSAOI instruments. The software is again being used for the new RSAA SkyMapper and WiFeS instruments.

A Robotic System Discovers Contemporaneous Optical Radiation from a Gamma-Ray Burst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloch, J. J.; Akerlof, C.; Balsano, R.; Barthelmy, S.; Butterworth, P.; Casperson, D.; Cline, T.; Fletcher, S.; Frontera, F.; Gisler, G.; Heise, J.; Hills, J.; Kehoe, R.; Lee, B.; Marshall, S.; McKay, T.; Miller, R. S.; Piro, L.; Priedhorsky, W.; Szymanski, J.; Wren, J.; ROTSE Team

2000-05-01

Since their discovery more than 25 years ago (Klebesadel et al, 1973), the origin of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has been profoundly enigmatic. This situation improved radically in 1997 when coordinates provided by the BeppoSAX satellite enabled the delayed detection of faint optical afterglows associated with GRBs which demonstrated that these phenomena are at truly cosmological distances. However the brief duration of gamma-ray bursts has hitherto precluded optical detection while the burst was still in progress. We report here the first discovery of such a signal from GRB 990123, a remarkably bright and distant event using a robotic observation system. The light curve was sampled 7 times in the interval between 22 and 600 seconds following the burst onset. Over this time span, the brightness increased by 3 magnitudes to mv ~ 9 in 25 seconds and then waned by 5 magnitudes 8 minutes later before falling below detection threshold. The absolute magnitude of this object at peak brightness is <= -36.4, about 6 x 106 times as bright as a type Ia supernova, making this the most luminous object ever detected. The discovery reported here was performed with ROTSE-I, a four-fold robotic array of 35 mm camera telephoto lenses coupled to large format CCD imagers mounted on a rapidly slewing platform and having a composite FOV of 16° x 16° . The instrument is directly connected to the GRB Coordinates Network (GCN). The apparatus is installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in northern New Mexico and runs autonomously. When ROTSE-I is not responding to GRBs, it is automatically recording the visible sky twice every night down to a limiting magnitude of mv ~ 14-15. Over 2 TBytes of sky data has been collected since ROTSE-I began operations. This talk will describe the details and implications of this remarkable detection and the instrumentation used to obtain it. It will also discuss the next generation instrumentation (ROTSE-II,III) that the project will produce and field at various worldwide sites. This work was supported by NASA and the Department of Energy.

Standardization of milk infrared spectra for the retroactive application of calibration models.

PubMed

Bonfatti, V; Fleming, A; Koeck, A; Miglior, F

2017-03-01

The objective of this study was to standardize the infrared spectra obtained over time and across 2 milk laboratories of Canada to create a uniform historical database and allow (1) the retroactive application of calibration models for prediction of fine milk composition; and (2) the direct use of spectral information for the development of indicators of animal health and efficiency. Spectral variation across laboratories and over time was inspected by principal components analysis (PCA). Shifts in the PCA scores were detected over time, leading to the definition of different subsets of spectra having homogeneous infrared signal. To evaluate the possibility of using common equations on spectra collected by the 2 instruments and over time, we developed a standardization (STD) method. For each subset of data having homogeneous infrared signal, a total of 99 spectra corresponding to the percentiles of the distribution of the absorbance at each wavenumber were created and used to build the STD matrices. Equations predicting contents of saturated fatty acids, short-chain fatty acids, and C18:0 were created and applied on different subsets of spectra, before and after STD. After STD, bias and root mean squared error of prediction decreased by 66% and 32%, respectively. When calibration equations were applied to the historical nonstandardized database of spectra, shifts in the predictions could be observed over time for all investigated traits. Shifts in the distribution of the predictions over time corresponded to the shifts identified by the inspection of the PCA scores. After STD, shifts in the predicted fatty acid contents were greatly reduced. Standardization reduced spectral variability between instruments and over time, allowing the merging of milk spectra data from different instruments into a common database, the retroactive use of calibrations equations, or the direct use of the spectral data without restrictions. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical Evaluation of Quality of Obturation and Instrumentation Time using Two Modified Rotary File Systems with Manual Instrumentation in Primary Teeth.

PubMed

Govindaraju, Lavanya; Jeevanandan, Ganesh; Subramanian, Emg

2017-09-01

Pulp therapy in primary teeth has been performed using various instrumentation techniques. However, the conventional instrumentation technique used for root canal preparation in primary teeth is hand instrumentation. Various Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) instruments are available to perform efficient root canal preparation in primary teeth. These Ni-Ti instruments has been designed to aid in better root canal preparation in permanent teeth but are rarely used in primary teeth. It is necessary to assess the feasibility of using these adult rotary files with a modified sequence in primary teeth. To compare the quality of obturation and instrumentation time during root canal preparation using hand files and modified rotary file systems in primary molars. Forty-five primary mandibular molars were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (n=15). Group I was instrumented using k-hand files, Group II with S2 ProTaper universal file and Group III with 0.25 tip 4% taper K3 rotary file. Standardized digital radiographs were taken before and after root canal instrumentation. Root canal preparation time was also recorded. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was done using SPSS Software version 17.0. An intergroup comparison of the instrumentation time and the quality of obturation was done using ANOVA and Chi-square test with the level of significance set at 0.05. No significant differences were noted with regard to the quality of obturation (p=0.791). However, a statistically significant difference was noted in the instrumentation time between the three groups (p<0.05). ProTaper rotary system had significantly lesser instrumentation time when compared to that of K3 rotary system and hand file system. The hand files, S2 ProTaper Universal and K3 0.25 tip 4% taper files systems performed similarly with respect to the quality of obturation. There was a significant difference in instrumentation time with manual instrumentation compared to the modified rotary file systems in primary teeth.

High-Frequency X-ray Variability Detection in A Black Hole Transient with USA.

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

Shabad, Gayane

2000-10-16

Studies of high-frequency variability (above {approx}100 Hz) in X-ray binaries provide a unique opportunity to explore the fundamental physics of spacetime and matter, since the orbital timescale on the order of several milliseconds is a timescale of the motion of matter through the region located in close proximity to a compact stellar object. The detection of weak high-frequency signals in X-ray binaries depends on how well we understand the level of Poisson noise due to the photon counting statistics, i.e. how well we can understand and model the detector deadtime and other instrumental systematic effects. We describe the preflight timingmore » calibration work performed on the Unconventional Stellar Aspect (USA) X-ray detector to study deadtime and timing issues. We developed a Monte Carlo deadtime model and deadtime correction methods for the USA experiment. The instrumental noise power spectrum can be estimated within {approx}0.1% accuracy in the case when no energy-dependent instrumental effect is present. We also developed correction techniques to account for an energy-dependent instrumental effect. The developed methods were successfully tested on USA Cas A and Cygnus X-1 data. This work allowed us to make a detection of a weak signal in a black hole candidate (BHC) transient.« less

Temperature control system for optical elements in astronomical instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verducci, Orlando; de Oliveira, Antonio C.; Ribeiro, Flávio F.; Vital de Arruda, Márcio; Gneiding, Clemens D.; Fraga, Luciano

2014-07-01

Extremely low temperatures may damage the optical components assembled inside of an astronomical instrument due to the crack in the resin or glue used to attach lenses and mirrors. The environment, very cold and dry, in most of the astronomical observatories contributes to this problem. This paper describes the solution implemented at SOAR for remotely monitoring and controlling temperatures inside of a spectrograph, in order to prevent a possible damage of the optical parts. The system automatically switches on and off some heat dissipation elements, located near the optics, as the measured temperature reaches a trigger value. This value is set to a temperature at which the instrument is not operational to prevent malfunction and only to protect the optics. The software was developed with LabVIEWTM and based on an object-oriented design that offers flexibility and ease of maintenance. As result, the system is able to keep the internal temperature of the instrument above a chosen limit, except perhaps during the response time, due to inertia of the temperature. This inertia can be controlled and even avoided by choosing the correct amount of heat dissipation and location of the thermal elements. A log file records the measured temperature values by the system for operation analysis.

Instrumentation for Infrared Astronomy in the Collections of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVorkin, David H.

2017-01-01

The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution is responsible for preserving the material heritage of modern astronomical history. We place emphasis on American accomplishments, on both airborne and spaceborne instrumentation, and on ground based instrumentation that stimulated and supported spaceborne efforts. At present the astronomical collection includes over 600 objects, of which approximately 40 relate to the history of infrared astronomy. This poster will provide a simple listing of our holdings in infrared and far-infrared astronomy, and will highlight particularly significant early objects, like Cashman and Ektron cells, Leighton and Neugebauer's Caltech 2.2 micron survey telescope, Low's Lear Jet Bolometer, Harwit's first Aerobee IR payload and Fazio's balloon-borne observatory. Elements from more recent missions will also be included, such as instruments from KAO, an IRAS focal plane instrument, FIRAS from COBE, the payload from Boomerang and Woody and Richards' balloonsonde payload. The poster author will invite AAS members to comment on these holdings, provide short stories of their experiences building and using them, and suggest candidates for possible collection.

Astronomical Instrumentation Systems Quality Management Planning: AISQMP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldbaum, Jesse

2017-06-01

The capability of small aperture astronomical instrumentation systems (AIS) to make meaningful scientific contributions has never been better. The purpose of AIS quality management planning (AISQMP) is to ensure the quality of these contributions such that they are both valid and reliable. The first step involved with AISQMP is to specify objective quality measures not just for the AIS final product, but also for the instrumentation used in its production. The next step is to set up a process to track these measures and control for any unwanted variation. The final step is continual effort applied to reducing variation and obtaining measured values near optimal theoretical performance. This paper provides an overview of AISQMP while focusing on objective quality measures applied to astronomical imaging systems.

Astronomical Instrumentation Systems Quality Management Planning: AISQMP (Abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldbaum, J.

2017-12-01

(Abstract only) The capability of small aperture astronomical instrumentation systems (AIS) to make meaningful scientific contributions has never been better. The purpose of AIS quality management planning (AISQMP) is to ensure the quality of these contributions such that they are both valid and reliable. The first step involved with AISQMP is to specify objective quality measures not just for the AIS final product, but also for the instrumentation used in its production. The next step is to set up a process to track these measures and control for any unwanted variation. The final step is continual effort applied to reducing variation and obtaining measured values near optimal theoretical performance. This paper provides an overview of AISQMP while focusing on objective quality measures applied to astronomical imaging systems.

Cultural adaptation: translatability assessment and linguistic validation of the patient-reported outcome instrument for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea.

PubMed

Delgado-Herrera, Leticia; Lasch, Kathryn; Popielnicki, Ana; Nishida, Akito; Arbuckle, Rob; Banderas, Benjamin; Zentner, Susan; Gagainis, Ingrid; Zeiher, Bernhardt

2016-01-01

Following a 2009 US Food and Drug Administration guidance, a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument was developed to support end points in multinational clinical trials assessing irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) symptom severity. Our objective was to assess the translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten languages, and subsequently perform a cultural adaptation/linguistic validation of the questionnaire into Japanese and US Spanish. Translatability assessments of the US English version of the IBS-D PRO were performed by experienced PRO translators who were native speakers of each target language and currently residing in target-language countries. Languages were Chinese (People's Republic of China), Dutch (the Netherlands), French (Belgium), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Polish (Poland), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Spanish (Mexico), and Spanish (US). The project team assessed the instrument to identify potential linguistic and/or cultural adaptation issues. After the issues identified were resolved, the instrument was translated into Spanish (US) and Japanese through a process of two forward translations, one reconciled translation, and one backward translation. The project team reviewed the translated versions before the instruments were evaluated by cognitive debriefing interviews with samples of five Spanish (US) and five Japanese IBS-D patients. Linguistic and cultural adaptation concerns identified during the translatability assessment required minor revisions, mainly the presentation of dates/times and word structure. During the cognitive debriefing interviews, two of five Spanish respondents misunderstood the term "bowel movement" to mean only diarrhea in the Spanish version. Consequently, the term was changed from "movimiento intestinal" to "evacuaciones". None of the Japanese respondents identified issues with the Japanese version. The translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten target languages was confirmed, with only minor changes made to the translations of the instrument. The translation and linguistic validation into Spanish (US) and Japanese provide evidence that this instrument can be used in multinational trials and clinical settings.

The FIELDS Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus Measuring the Coronal Plasma and Magnetic Field, Plasma Waves and Turbulence, and Radio Signatures of Solar Transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bale, S. D.; Goetz, K.; Harvey, P. R.; Turin, P.; Bonnell, J. W.; Dudok de Wit, T.; Ergun, R. E.; MacDowall, R. J.; Pulupa, M.; Choi, M. K.;

The FIELDS Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus: Measuring the Coronal Plasma and Magnetic Field, Plasma Waves and Turbulence, and Radio Signatures of Solar Transients.

PubMed

Bale, S D; Goetz, K; Harvey, P R; Turin, P; Bonnell, J W; de Wit, T Dudok; Ergun, R E; MacDowall, R J; Pulupa, M; Andre, M; Bolton, M; Bougeret, J-L; Bowen, T A; Burgess, D; Cattell, C A; Chandran, B D G; Chaston, C C; Chen, C H K; Choi, M K; Connerney, J E; Cranmer, S; Diaz-Aguado, M; Donakowski, W; Drake, J F; Farrell, W M; Fergeau, P; Fermin, J; Fischer, J; Fox, N; Glaser, D; Goldstein, M; Gordon, D; Hanson, E; Harris, S E; Hayes, L M; Hinze, J J; Hollweg, J V; Horbury, T S; Howard, R A; Hoxie, V; Jannet, G; Karlsson, M; Kasper, J C; Kellogg, P J; Kien, M; Klimchuk, J A; Krasnoselskikh, V V; Krucker, S; Lynch, J J; Maksimovic, M; Malaspina, D M; Marker, S; Martin, P; Martinez-Oliveros, J; McCauley, J; McComas, D J; McDonald, T; Meyer-Vernet, N; Moncuquet, M; Monson, S J; Mozer, F S; Murphy, S D; Odom, J; Oliverson, R; Olson, J; Parker, E N; Pankow, D; Phan, T; Quataert, E; Quinn, T; Ruplin, S W; Salem, C; Seitz, D; Sheppard, D A; Siy, A; Stevens, K; Summers, D; Szabo, A; Timofeeva, M; Vaivads, A; Velli, M; Yehle, A; Werthimer, D; Wygant, J R

2016-12-01

NASA's Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission will make the first in situ measurements of the solar corona and the birthplace of the solar wind. The FIELDS instrument suite on SPP will make direct measurements of electric and magnetic fields, the properties of in situ plasma waves, electron density and temperature profiles, and interplanetary radio emissions, amongst other things. Here, we describe the scientific objectives targeted by the SPP/FIELDS instrument, the instrument design itself, and the instrument concept of operations and planned data products.

The FIELDS Instrument Suite for Solar Probe Plus. Measuring the Coronal Plasma and Magnetic Field, Plasma Waves and Turbulence, and Radio Signatures of Solar Transients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bale, S. D.; Goetz, K.; Harvey, P. R.; Turin, P.; Bonnell, J. W.; Dudok de Wit, T.; Ergun, R. E.; MacDowall, R. J.; Pulupa, M.; Andre, M.; Bolton, M.; Bougeret, J.-L.; Bowen, T. A.; Burgess, D.; Cattell, C. A.; Chandran, B. D. G.; Chaston, C. C.; Chen, C. H. K.; Choi, M. K.; Connerney, J. E.; Cranmer, S.; Diaz-Aguado, M.; Donakowski, W.; Drake, J. F.; Farrell, W. M.; Fergeau, P.; Fermin, J.; Fischer, J.; Fox, N.; Glaser, D.; Goldstein, M.; Gordon, D.; Hanson, E.; Harris, S. E.; Hayes, L. M.; Hinze, J. J.; Hollweg, J. V.; Horbury, T. S.; Howard, R. A.; Hoxie, V.; Jannet, G.; Karlsson, M.; Kasper, J. C.; Kellogg, P. J.; Kien, M.; Klimchuk, J. A.; Krasnoselskikh, V. V.; Krucker, S.; Lynch, J. J.; Maksimovic, M.; Malaspina, D. M.; Marker, S.; Martin, P.; Martinez-Oliveros, J.; McCauley, J.; McComas, D. J.; McDonald, T.; Meyer-Vernet, N.; Moncuquet, M.; Monson, S. J.; Mozer, F. S.; Murphy, S. D.; Odom, J.; Oliverson, R.; Olson, J.; Parker, E. N.; Pankow, D.; Phan, T.; Quataert, E.; Quinn, T.; Ruplin, S. W.; Salem, C.; Seitz, D.; Sheppard, D. A.; Siy, A.; Stevens, K.; Summers, D.; Szabo, A.; Timofeeva, M.; Vaivads, A.; Velli, M.; Yehle, A.; Werthimer, D.; Wygant, J. R.

2016-12-01

NASA's Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission will make the first in situ measurements of the solar corona and the birthplace of the solar wind. The FIELDS instrument suite on SPP will make direct measurements of electric and magnetic fields, the properties of in situ plasma waves, electron density and temperature profiles, and interplanetary radio emissions, amongst other things. Here, we describe the scientific objectives targeted by the SPP/FIELDS instrument, the instrument design itself, and the instrument concept of operations and planned data products.

Building a framework for ergonomic research on laparoscopic instrument handles.

PubMed

Li, Zheng; Wang, Guohui; Tan, Juan; Sun, Xulong; Lin, Hao; Zhu, Shaihong

2016-06-01

Laparoscopic surgery carries the advantage of minimal invasiveness, but ergonomic design of the instruments used has progressed slowly. Previous studies have demonstrated that the handle of laparoscopic instruments is vital for both surgical performance and surgeon's health. This review provides an overview of the sub-discipline of handle ergonomics, including an evaluation framework, objective and subjective assessment systems, data collection and statistical analyses. Furthermore, a framework for ergonomic research on laparoscopic instrument handles is proposed to standardize work on instrument design. Copyright © 2016 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Cassini mission: Infrared and microwave spectroscopic measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kunde, V. G.

1989-01-01

The Cassini Orbiter and Titan Probe model payloads include a number of infrared and microwave instruments. This document describes: (1) the fundamental scientific objectives for Saturn and Titan which can be addressed by infrared and microwave instrumentation, (2) the instrument requirements and the accompanying instruments, and (3) the synergism resulting from the comprehensive coverage of the total infrared and microwave spectrum by the complement of individual instruments. The baseline consists of four instruments on the orbiter and two on the Titan probe. The orbiter infrared instruments are: (1) a microwave spectrometer and radiometer; (2) a far to mid-infrared spectrometer; (3) a pressure modulation gas correlation spectrometer, and (4) a near-infrared grating spectrometer. The two Titan probe infrared instruments are: (1) a near-infrared instrument, and (2) a tunable diode laser infrared absorption spectrometer and nephelometer.

High-resolution observations in the western Mediterranean Sea: the REP14-MED experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onken, Reiner; Fiekas, Heinz-Volker; Beguery, Laurent; Borrione, Ines; Funk, Andreas; Hemming, Michael; Hernandez-Lasheras, Jaime; Heywood, Karen J.; Kaiser, Jan; Knoll, Michaela; Mourre, Baptiste; Oddo, Paolo; Poulain, Pierre-Marie; Queste, Bastien Y.; Russo, Aniello; Shitashima, Kiminori; Siderius, Martin; Thorp Küsel, Elizabeth

2018-04-01

The observational part of the REP14-MED experiment was conducted in June 2014 in the Sardo-Balearic Basin west of Sardinia (western Mediterranean Sea). Two research vessels collected high-resolution oceanographic data by means of hydrographic casts, towed systems, and underway measurements. In addition, a vast amount of data was provided by a fleet of 11 ocean gliders, time series were available from moored instruments, and information on Lagrangian flow patterns was obtained from surface drifters and one profiling float. The spatial resolution of the observations encompasses a spectrum over 4 orders of magnitude from 𝒪(101 m) to 𝒪(105 m), and the time series from the moored instruments cover a spectral range of 5 orders from 𝒪(101 s) to 𝒪(106 s). The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the huge data set which has been utilised by various studies, focusing on (i) water masses and circulation, (ii) operational forecasting, (iii) data assimilation, (iv) variability of the ocean, and (v) new payloads for gliders.

Monitoring of glycolytic activity secondary to ischaemia in knee replacement surgery.

PubMed

León-Muñoz, V J; Lisón-Almagro, A J; Hernández-García, C H; López-López, M

2018-04-17

To non-invasively assess tissue lesion secondary to ischaemia applied during knee replacement surgery. Secondary objectives: to assess whether this lesion correlates with the duration of ischaemia and whether instrumental and gender variables influence it. Prospective cohort study. Pre and postoperative serum lactate levels have been determined as an indicator of glycolytic activity secondary to ischaemia in 88 patients. Serum lactate determination was performed by reactive strips of enzymatic-amperometric detection on capillary blood. Preoperative serum lactate levels (mean and SD): 2.467±1.036 mmol/L. Postoperative serum lactate levels: 3.938±2.018 mmol/L. Ischaemia time 102.98±18.25minutes. Postoperative serum lactate levels were significantly higher than preoperative lactate levels. There are no statistical differences according to the time that the ischaemia was prolonged, gender or type of instrumentation used. In our study, postoperative serum lactate values were significantly higher than preoperative lactate values, with no correlation to the duration of ischaemia during knee replacement surgery. Copyright © 2018 SECOT. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The Magnetospheric Multiscale Magnetometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, C. T.; Anderson, B. J.; Baumjohann, W.; Bromund, K. R.; Dearborn, D.; Fischer, D.; Le, G.; Leinweber, H. K.; Leneman, D.; Magnes, W.;

[Roman medical instruments from Lower Moesia].

PubMed

Aparaschivei, D; Matei, I

2010-01-01

To elucidate the evolution of society over time, ancient medicine is a very interesting and important researching field. Archaeological discoveries, such as the objects described by this article, but other ancient sources, also, are able to provide a complex framework of medical practice in Roman times. The geographic area that we have like target in this material is the province of Lower Moesia, which includes the territory between Danube and Black Sea (Romanian Dobrodja) and northern Bulgaria. In the present study we present nine ancient medical instruments, from a private collection: two tweezers, two ear probes, a probe-spatula, a probe-spoon, a spoon for pharmacy and two fragments of some kind of hooks used in surgical operations. Most likely, we have a mixed medical kit with tools used in general medicine, surgery, in preparation of the pharmaceutical treatments, but very possible, also, in cosmetic practices. Publication of these archaeological materials is, in addition to an extra page in the history of ancient medicine, a pretext for stepping up in a research field that, in other regions of the former Roman Empire, it is a great interest for researchers.

High Altitude Plasma Instrument (HAPI) data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burch, J. L.

1994-01-01

The objectives of the Dynamics Explorer mission are to investigate the coupling of energy, mass, and momentum among the earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere. At launch, on August 3, 1981, DE-1 was placed into an elliptical polar orbit having an apogee of 23,130 km to allow global auroral imaging and crossings of auroral field lines at altitudes of several thousand kilometers. At the same time DE-2 was placed into a polar orbit, coplanar with that of DE-1 but with a perigee altitude low enough (309 km) for neutral measurements and an apogee altitude of 1012 km. The DE-1 High Altitude Plasma Instrument (HAPI) provided data on low and medium energy electrons and ions from August 13, 1981 until December 1, 1981, when a high-voltage failure occured. Analysis of HAPI data for the time period of this contract has produced new results on the source mechanisms for electron conical distributions, particle acceleration phenomena in auroral acceleration regions, Birkeland currents throughout the nightside auroral regions, the source region for auroral kilometric radiation (AKR), and plasma injection phenomena in the polar cusp.

Towards Automating Clinical Assessments: A Survey of the Timed Up and Go (TUG)

PubMed Central

Sprint, Gina; Cook, Diane; Weeks, Douglas

2016-01-01

Older adults often suffer from functional impairments that affect their ability to perform everyday tasks. To detect the onset and changes in abilities, healthcare professionals administer standardized assessments. Recently, technology has been utilized to complement these clinical assessments to gain a more objective and detailed view of functionality. In the clinic and at home, technology is able to provide more information about patient performance and reduce subjectivity in outcome measures. The timed up and go (TUG) test is one such assessment recently instrumented with technology in several studies, yielding promising results towards the future of automating clinical assessments. Potential benefits of technological TUG implementations include additional performance parameters, generated reports, and the ability to be self-administered in the home. In this paper, we provide an overview of the TUG test and technologies utilized for TUG instrumentation. We then critically review the technological advancements and follow up with an evaluation of the benefits and limitations of each approach. Finally, we analyze the gaps in the implementations and discuss challenges for future research towards automated, self-administered assessment in the home. PMID:25594979

An Overview of the International H2O Project (IHOP_2002) and Some Preliminary Highlights.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weckwerth, Tammy M.; Parsons, David B.; Koch, Steven E.; Moore, James A.; Lemone, Margaret A.; Demoz, Belay B.; Flamant, Cyrille; Geerts, Bart; Wang, Junhong; Feltz, Wayne F.

2004-02-01

The International H2O Project (IHOP_2002) is one of the largest North American meteorological field experiments in history. From 13 May to 25 June 2002, over 250 researchers and technical staff from the United States, Germany, France, and Canada converged on the Southern Great Plains to measure water vapor and other atmospheric variables. The principal objective of IHOP_2002 is to obtain an improved characterization of the time-varying three-dimensional water vapor field and evaluate its utility in improving the understanding and prediction of convective processes. The motivation for this objective is the combination of extremely low forecast skill for warm-season rainfall and the relatively large loss of life and property from flash floods and other warm-season weather hazards. Many prior studies on convective storm forecasting have shown that water vapor is a key atmospheric variable that is insufficiently measured. Toward this goal, IHOP_2002 brought together many of the existing operational and new state-of-the-art research water vapor sensors and numerical models.The IHOP_2002 experiment comprised numerous unique aspects. These included several instruments fielded for the first time (e.g., reference radiosonde); numerous upgraded instruments (e.g., Wyo-ming Cloud Radar); the first ever horizontal-pointing water vapor differential absorption lidar (DIAL; i.e., Leandre II on the Naval Research Laboratory P-3), which required the first onboard aircraft avoidance radar; several unique combinations of sensors (e.g., multiple profiling instruments at one field site and the German water vapor DIAL and NOAA/Environmental Technology Laboratory Doppler lidar on board the German Falcon aircraft); and many logistical challenges. This article presents a summary of the motivation, goals, and experimental design of the project, illustrates some preliminary data collected, and includes discussion on some potential operational and research implications of the experiment.

Models of Wake-Vortex Spreading Mechanisms and Their Estimated Uncertainties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rossow, Vernon J.; Hardy, Gordon H.; Meyn, Larry A.

2006-01-01

One of the primary constraints on the capacity of the nation's air transportation system is the landing capacity at its busiest airports. Many airports with nearly-simultaneous operations on closely-spaced parallel runways (i.e., as close as 750 ft (246m)) suffer a severe decrease in runway acceptance rate when weather conditions do not allow full utilization. The objective of a research program at NASA Ames Research Center is to develop the technologies needed for traffic management in the airport environment so that operations now allowed on closely-spaced parallel runways under Visual Meteorological Conditions can also be carried out under Instrument Meteorological Conditions. As part of this overall research objective, the study reported here has developed improved models for the various aerodynamic mechanisms that spread and transport wake vortices. The purpose of the study is to continue the development of relationships that increase the accuracy of estimates for the along-trail separation distances available before the vortex wake of a leading aircraft intrudes into the airspace of a following aircraft. Details of the models used and their uncertainties are presented in the appendices to the paper. Suggestions are made as to the theoretical and experimental research needed to increase the accuracy of and confidence level in the models presented and instrumentation required or more precise estimates of the motion and spread of vortex wakes. The improved wake models indicate that, if the following aircraft is upwind of the leading aircraft, the vortex wakes of the leading aircraft will not intrude into the airspace of the following aircraft for about 7s (based on pessimistic assumptions) for most atmospheric conditions. The wake-spreading models also indicate that longer time intervals before wake intrusion are available when atmospheric turbulence levels are mild or moderate. However, if the estimates for those time intervals are to be reliable, further study is necessary to develop the instrumentation and procedures needed to accurately define when the more benign atmospheric conditions exist.