08-NIF Dedication: Zoe Lofgren

ScienceCinema

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren

2017-12-09

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, of California's 16th district.

08-NIF Dedication: Zoe Lofgren

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

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren

2009-07-02

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, of California's 16th district.

A miniature TDCR system dedicated to in-situ activity assay.

PubMed

Johansson, Lena; Bakhshandeiar, Eleanor; Pearce, Andy; Collins, Sean; Orlandini, Pascal; Sephton, John

2014-05-01

In the framework of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP), the Joint Research Project MetroFission has a dedicated work package for the development of a portable Triple-to-Double-Coincidence-Ratio (TDCR) system dedicated to in-situ activity measurements of low-energy beta emitters arising from the operation of the next generation of nuclear power plants. In the design phase of the NPL version of the mini-TDCR, a wide range of metrological aspects and detector types was considered. This paper summarizes these aspects of design, in the light of previous experience with the primary TDCR system at NPL. For example, in this miniature version of the TDCR, the optical chamber was simplified and cylindrical geometry was deemed sufficient. The reflectivity of the surface was increased by painted layers of Spectraflect(®), a specially formulated barium sulphate coating with high reflectivity across a wide range of wave lengths including UV. This option was chosen rather than the high performing and more expensive Spectralon(®) material used for the primary NPL TDCR. The miniature TDCR system is intended for on-site monitoring and will not require as high a performance as the primary system. Other factors that were considered included sample changing, light tightness, type of photo detector, method for varying the detection efficiency, shielding and the possible addition of an internal gamma-ray source for determination of the quench parameter of the source. In this version, the sample changing is performed using a piston and an automatic shutter. Significant design effort has been applied to ensure minimal ingress of light from the piston. Efficiency variation is accomplished by increasing the vertical displacement of the vial. Provision has been made to automate this at a later stage. Maximum light transmission to the photo-multiplier tubes is obtained at the "zero" reference height. Validation measurements were successfully performed using four different

Operating a wide-area remote observing system for the W. M. Keck Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wirth, Gregory D.; Kibrick, Robert I.; Goodrich, Robert W.; Lyke, James E.

2008-07-01

For over a decade, the W. M. Keck Observatory's two 10-meter telescopes have been operated remotely from its Waimea headquarters. Over the last 6 years, WMKO remote observing has expanded to allow teams at dedicated sites in California to observe either in collaboration with colleagues in Waimea or entirely from the U.S. mainland. Once an experimental effort, the Observatory's mainland observing capability is now fully operational, supported on all science instruments (except the interferometer) and regularly used by astronomers at eight mainland sites. Establishing a convenient and secure observing capability from those sites required careful planning to ensure that they are properly equipped and configured. It also entailed a significant investment in hardware and software, including both custom scripts to simplify launching the instrument interface at remote sites and automated routers employing ISDN backup lines to ensure continuation of observing during Internet outages. Observers often wait until shortly before their runs to request use of the mainland facilities. Scheduling these requests and ensuring proper system operation prior to observing requires close coordination between personnel at WMKO and the mainland sites. An established protocol for approving requests and carrying out pre-run checkout has proven useful in ensuring success. The Observatory anticipates enhancing and expanding its remote observing system. Future plans include deploying dedicated summit computers for running VNC server software, implementing a web-based tracking system for mainland-based observing requests, expanding the system to additional mainland sites, and converting to full-time VNC operation for all instruments.

Dedicated health systems strengthening of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria: an analysis of grants.

PubMed

Fan, Victoria Y; Tsai, Feng-Jen J; Shroff, Zubin C; Nakahara, Branden; Vargha, Nabil; Weathers, Scott

2017-01-01

This study aims to understand the determinants of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria's dedicated channel for health systems strengthening (HSS) funding across countries and to analyze their health system priorities expressed in budgets and performance indicators. We obtained publicly available data for disease-specific and HSS grants from the Global Fund over 2004-2013 prior to the new funding model. Regression analysis was employed to assess the determinants of dedicated HSS funding across 111 countries. Documents for 27 dedicated HSS grants including budgets and performance indicators were collected, and activities were analyzed by health system functions. HSS funding per capita is significantly associated with TB and HIV funding per capita, but not per capita income and health worker density. Of 27 dedicated HSS grants, 11 had line-item budgets publicly available, in which health workforce and medical products form the majority (89% or US$132 million of US$148 million) of funds. Yet these areas accounted for 41.7% (215) of total 516 performance indicators. Health worker densities were not correlated with HSS funding, despite the emphasis on health workforce in budgets and performance indicators. Priorities in health systems in line-item budgets differ from the numbers of indicators used. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ideal-observer analysis of lesion detectability in planar, conventional SPECT, and dedicated SPECT scintimammography using effective multi-dimensional smoothing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Riviere, P. J.; Pan, X.; Penney, B. C.

1998-06-01

Scintimammography, a nuclear-medicine imaging technique that relies on the preferential uptake of Tc-99m-sestamibi and other radionuclides in breast malignancies, has the potential to provide differentiation of mammographically suspicious lesions, as well as outright detection of malignancies in women with radiographically dense breasts. In this work we use the ideal-observer framework to quantify the detectability of a 1-cm lesion using three different imaging geometries: the planar technique that is the current clinical standard, conventional single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), in which the scintillation cameras rotate around the entire torso, and dedicated breast SPECT, in which the cameras rotate around the breast alone. We also introduce an adaptive smoothing technique for the processing of planar images and of sinograms that exploits Fourier transforms to achieve effective multidimensional smoothing at a reasonable computational cost. For the detection of a 1-cm lesion with a clinically typical 6:1 tumor-background ratio, we find ideal-observer signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) that suggest that the dedicated breast SPECT geometry is the most effective of the three, and that the adaptive, two-dimensional smoothing technique should enhance lesion detectability in the tomographic reconstructions.

10-NIF Dedication: Ellen Tauscher

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

Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher

2009-07-02

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, of California's 10th district, which includes Livermore.

10-NIF Dedication: Ellen Tauscher

ScienceCinema

Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher

2017-12-09

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, of California's 10th district, which includes Livermore.

06-NIF Dedication: Steven Koonin

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

Steven Koonin

2009-07-02

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Steven Koonin, the undersecretary for science of the U.S. Department of Energy.

06-NIF Dedication: Steven Koonin

ScienceCinema

Steven Koonin

2017-12-09

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Steven Koonin, the undersecretary for science of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Electromagnetic Compatibility Testing of a Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) System That Conforms to the Japanese Standard.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-11-01

Dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) systems, designed to enhance the efficiency of highway travel, have been proposed for operation in the 5850- to 5925-MHz band. The successful operation of these communication systems depends upon their compa...

A Dedicated Space Observatory For Time-domain Solar System Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Michael H.; Ádámkovics, M.; Benecchi, S.; Bjoraker, G.; Clarke, J. T.; de Pater, I.; Hendrix, A. R.; Marchis, F.; McGrath, M.; Noll, K.; Rages, K. A.; Retherford, K.; Smith, E. H.; Strange, N. J.

2009-09-01

Time-variable phenomena with scales ranging from minutes to decades have led to a large fraction of recent advances in many aspects of solar system science. We present the scientific motivation for a dedicated space observatory for solar system science. This facility will ideally conduct repeated imaging and spectroscopic observations over a period of 10 years or more. It will execute a selection of long-term projects with interleaved scheduling, resulting in the acquisition of data sets with consistent calibration, long baselines, and optimized sampling intervals. A sparse aperture telescope would be an ideal configuration for the mission, trading decreased sensitivity for reduced payload mass, while preserving spatial resolution. Ultraviolet capability is essential, especially once the Hubble Space Telescope retires. Specific investigations will include volcanism and cryovolcanism (on targets including Io, Titan, Venus, Mars, and Enceladus); zonal flow, vortices, and storm evolution on the giant planets; seasonal cycles in planetary atmospheres; mutual events and orbit determination of multiple small solar system bodies; auroral activity and solar wind interactions; and cometary evolution. The mission will produce a wealth of data products--such as multi-year time-lapse movies of planetary atmospheres--with significant education and public outreach potential. Existing and planned ground- and space-based facilities are not suitable for these time-domain optimized planetary dynamics studies for numerous reasons, including: oversubscription by astrophysical users, field-of-regard limitations, sensitive detector saturation limits that preclude bright planetary targets, and limited mission duration. The abstract author list is a preliminary group of scientists who have shown interest in prior presentations on this topic; interested parties may contact the lead author by 1 September to sign the associated Planetary Science Decadal Survey white paper or by 1 October to

Phase aided 3D imaging and modeling: dedicated systems and case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Yongkai; He, Dong; Liu, Zeyi; Liu, Xiaoli; Peng, Xiang

2014-05-01

Dedicated prototype systems for 3D imaging and modeling (3DIM) are presented. The 3D imaging systems are based on the principle of phase-aided active stereo, which have been developed in our laboratory over the past few years. The reported 3D imaging prototypes range from single 3D sensor to a kind of optical measurement network composed of multiple node 3D-sensors. To enable these 3D imaging systems, we briefly discuss the corresponding calibration techniques for both single sensor and multi-sensor optical measurement network, allowing good performance of the 3DIM prototype systems in terms of measurement accuracy and repeatability. Furthermore, two case studies including the generation of high quality color model of movable cultural heritage and photo booth from body scanning are presented to demonstrate our approach.

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

PubMed

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

2014-01-01

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

Challenges and models in supporting logistics system design for dedicated-biomass-based bioenergy industry.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiaoyan; Li, Xueping; Yao, Qingzhu; Chen, Yuerong

2011-01-01

This paper analyzed the uniqueness and challenges in designing the logistics system for dedicated biomass-to-bioenergy industry, which differs from the other industries, due to the unique features of dedicated biomass (e.g., switchgrass) including its low bulk density, restrictions on harvesting season and frequency, content variation with time and circumambient conditions, weather effects, scattered distribution over a wide geographical area, and so on. To design it, this paper proposed a mixed integer linear programming model. It covered from planting and harvesting switchgrass to delivering to a biorefinery and included the residue handling, concentrating on integrating strategic decisions on the supply chain design and tactical decisions on the annual operation schedules. The present numerical examples verified the model and demonstrated its use in practice. This paper showed that the operations of the logistics system were significantly different for harvesting and non-harvesting seasons, and that under the well-designed biomass logistics system, the mass production with a steady and sufficient supply of biomass can increase the unit profit of bioenergy. The analytical model and practical methodology proposed in this paper will help realize the commercial production in biomass-to-bioenergy industry. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

03-NIF Dedication: Norm Pattiz

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

Norm Pattiz

2009-07-02

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Norm Pattiz, the chairman of Lawrence Livermore National Security, which manages Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.

03-NIF Dedication: Norm Pattiz

ScienceCinema

Norm Pattiz

2017-12-09

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Norm Pattiz, the chairman of Lawrence Livermore National Security, which manages Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy.

A dedicated on-line detecting system for auto air dryers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Chao-yu; Luo, Zai

2013-10-01

According to the correlative automobile industry standard and the requirements of manufacturer, this dedicated on-line detecting system is designed against the shortage of low degree automatic efficiency and detection precision of auto air dryer in the domestic. Fast automatic detection is achieved by combining the technology of computer control, mechatronics and pneumatics. This system can detect the speciality performance of pressure regulating valve and sealability of auto air dryer, in which online analytical processing of test data is available, at the same time, saving and inquiring data is achieved. Through some experimental analysis, it is indicated that efficient and accurate detection of the performance of auto air dryer is realized, and the test errors are less than 3%. Moreover, we carry out the type A evaluation of uncertainty in test data based on Bayesian theory, and the results show that the test uncertainties of all performance parameters are less than 0.5kPa, which can meet the requirements of operating industrial site absolutely.

07-NIF Dedication: Jerry McNerney

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

Congressman Jerry McNerney

2009-07-02

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Congressman Jerry McNerney, of California's 11th district, which adjoins Livermore.

07-NIF Dedication: Jerry McNerney

ScienceCinema

Congressman Jerry McNerney

2017-12-09

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Congressman Jerry McNerney, of California's 11th district, which adjoins Livermore.

Potential land competition between open-pond microalgae production and terrestrial dedicated feedstock supply systems in the U.S.

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

Langholtz, Matthew H.; Coleman, Andre M.; Eaton, Laurence M.

Biofuels produced from both terrestrial and algal biomass feedstocks can contribute to energy security while providing economic, environmental, and social benefits. To assess the potential for land competition between these two feedstock types in the United States, we evaluate a scenario in which 41.5 x 109 L yr-1 of second-generation biofuels are produced on pastureland, the most likely land base where both feedstock types may be deployed. This total includes 12.0 x 109 L yr-1 of biofuels from open-pond microalgae production and 29.5 x 109 L yr-1 of biofuels from terrestrial dedicated feedstock supply systems. Under these scenarios, open-pond microalgaemore » production is projected to use 1.2 million ha of private pastureland, while terrestrial dedicated feedstock supply systems would use 14.0 million ha of private pastureland. A spatial meta-analysis indicates that potential competition for land under these scenarios would be concentrated in 110 counties, containing 1.0 and 1.7 million hectares of algal and terrestrial dedicated feedstock production, respectively. A land competition index applied to these 110 counties suggests that 38 to 59 counties could experience competition for upwards of 40% of a county’s pastureland. However, this combined 2.7 million ha represents only 2%-5% of total pastureland in the U.S., with the remaining 12.5 million ha of algal or terrestrial dedicated feedstock production on pastureland in non-competing areas.« less

05-NIF Dedication: Tom D'Agostino

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

Tom D'Agostino,

2009-07-02

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the remarks by Tom D'Agostino, the administrator of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Dedicated short-range communications roadside unit specifications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-28

The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Program definition of connected vehicles includes both 5.9 Gigahertz (GHz) Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) and non-DSRC technologies as means of facilitating communication for vehicle-to-vehicl...

Design study of a high-resolution breast-dedicated PET system built from cadmium zinc telluride detectors

PubMed Central

Peng, Hao; Levin, Craig S

2013-01-01

We studied the performance of a dual-panel positron emission tomography (PET) camera dedicated to breast cancer imaging using Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed system consists of two 4 cm thick 12 × 15 cm2 area cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) panels with adjustable separation, which can be put in close proximity to the breast and/or axillary nodes. Unique characteristics distinguishing the proposed system from previous efforts in breast-dedicated PET instrumentation are the deployment of CZT detectors with superior spatial and energy resolution, using a cross-strip electrode readout scheme to enable 3D positioning of individual photon interaction coordinates in the CZT, which includes directly measured photon depth-of-interaction (DOI), and arranging the detector slabs edge-on with respect to incoming 511 keV photons for high photon sensitivity. The simulation results show that the proposed CZT dual-panel PET system is able to achieve superior performance in terms of photon sensitivity, noise equivalent count rate, spatial resolution and lesion visualization. The proposed system is expected to achieve ~32% photon sensitivity for a point source at the center and a 4 cm panel separation. For a simplified breast phantom adjacent to heart and torso compartments, the peak noise equivalent count (NEC) rate is predicted to be ~94.2 kcts s−1 (breast volume: 720 cm3 and activity concentration: 3.7 kBq cm−3) for a ~10% energy window around 511 keV and ~8 ns coincidence time window. The system achieves 1 mm intrinsic spatial resolution anywhere between the two panels with a 4 cm panel separation if the detectors have DOI resolution less than 2 mm. For a 3 mm DOI resolution, the system exhibits excellent sphere resolution uniformity (σrms/mean) ≤ 10%) across a 4 cm width FOV. Simulation results indicate that the system exhibits superior hot sphere visualization and is expected to visualize 2 mm diameter spheres with a 5:1 activity concentration ratio within roughly 7

Ground-based Observation System Development for the Moon Hyper-spectral Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yang; Huang, Yu; Wang, Shurong; Li, Zhanfeng; Zhang, Zihui; Hu, Xiuqing; Zhang, Peng

2017-05-01

The Moon provides a suitable radiance source for on-orbit calibration of space-borne optical instruments. A ground-based observation system dedicated to the hyper-spectral radiometry of the Moon has been developed for improving and validating the current lunar model. The observation instrument using a dispersive imaging spectrometer is particularly designed for high-accuracy observations of the lunar radiance. The simulation and analysis of the push-broom mechanism is made in detail for lunar observations, and the automated tracking and scanning is well accomplished in different observational condition. A three-month series of hyper-spectral imaging experiments of the Moon have been performed in the wavelength range from 400 to 1000 nm near Lijiang Observatory (Yunnan, China) at phase angles -83°-87°. Preliminary results and data comparison are presented, and it shows the instrument performance and lunar observation capability of this system are well validated. Beyond previous measurements, this observation system provides the entire lunar disk images of continuous spectral coverage by adopting the push-broom mode with special scanning scheme and leads to the further research of lunar photometric model.

Scintillator performance considerations for dedicated breast computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vedantham, Srinivasan; Shi, Linxi; Karellas, Andrew

2017-09-01

Dedicated breast computed tomography (BCT) is an emerging clinical modality that can eliminate tissue superposition and has the potential for improved sensitivity and specificity for breast cancer detection and diagnosis. It is performed without physical compression of the breast. Most of the dedicated BCT systems use large-area detectors operating in cone-beam geometry and are referred to as cone-beam breast CT (CBBCT) systems. The large-area detectors in CBBCT systems are energy-integrating, indirect-type detectors employing a scintillator that converts x-ray photons to light, followed by detection of optical photons. A key consideration that determines the image quality achieved by such CBBCT systems is the choice of scintillator and its performance characteristics. In this work, a framework for analyzing the impact of the scintillator on CBBCT performance and its use for task-specific optimization of CBBCT imaging performance is described.

12-NIF Dedication: Concluding remarks and video

ScienceCinema

Edward Moses

2017-12-09

The National Ignition Facility, the world's largest laser system, was dedicated at a ceremony on May 29, 2009 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. These are the concluding remarks by NIF Director Edward Moses, and a brief video presentation.

A dedicated neonatal brain imaging system

PubMed Central

Winchman, Tobias; Padormo, Francesco; Teixeira, Rui; Wurie, Julia; Sharma, Maryanne; Fox, Matthew; Hutter, Jana; Cordero‐Grande, Lucilio; Price, Anthony N.; Allsop, Joanna; Bueno‐Conde, Jose; Tusor, Nora; Arichi, Tomoki; Edwards, A. D.; Rutherford, Mary A.; Counsell, Serena J.; Hajnal, Joseph V.

2016-01-01

Purpose The goal of the Developing Human Connectome Project is to acquire MRI in 1000 neonates to create a dynamic map of human brain connectivity during early development. High‐quality imaging in this cohort without sedation presents a number of technical and practical challenges. Methods We designed a neonatal brain imaging system (NBIS) consisting of a dedicated 32‐channel receive array coil and a positioning device that allows placement of the infant's head deep into the coil for maximum signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). Disturbance to the infant was minimized by using an MRI‐compatible trolley to prepare and transport the infant and by employing a slow ramp‐up and continuation of gradient noise during scanning. Scan repeats were minimized by using a restart capability for diffusion MRI and retrospective motion correction. We measured the 1) SNR gain, 2) number of infants with a completed scan protocol, and 3) number of anatomical images with no motion artifact using NBIS compared with using an adult 32‐channel head coil. Results The NBIS has 2.4 times the SNR of the adult coil and 90% protocol completion rate. Conclusion The NBIS allows advanced neonatal brain imaging techniques to be employed in neonatal brain imaging with high protocol completion rates. Magn Reson Med 78:794–804, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. PMID:27643791

Nuclear Safety via Commercial Grade Dedication - Hitting the Right Target - 12163

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

Kindred, Greg

2012-07-01

S.A.Technology has developed and implemented a highly effective Commercial Grade Dedication program that has been used to qualify a variety of equipment to the rigorous requirements of ASTM NQA-1. In specific cases, S.A.Technology personnel have worked closely with clients to develop complex Commercial Grade Dedication plans that satisfy the scrutiny of the US Department of Energy. These projects have been as simple as Passive Mechanical systems, and as complicated as Active Mechanical and Electrical systems. S.A.Technology's Commercial Grade Dedication plans have even been used as presentation materials to a client's internal departments encompassing Engineering, Quality and Procurement. This is themore » new target of today's CGD: exposing the reasoning behind the dedication process. Previously, only test and inspection results were expected. Today's CGD now needs to show how the decisions presented are the right decisions to make. We must be willing to undergo the process of learning how each new piece of equipment is affected by the system it is placed into, as well as understanding how that equipment can affect the system itself. It is a much more complicated and time-consuming endeavor to undertake. On top of it all, we must be able to voice those discoveries and rationalizations in a clear and concise manner. Unless we effectively communicate our intentions to the reader, we will not be understood. If researched correctly and presented properly, today's Commercial Grade Dedication plans will answer the appropriate questions before they are asked. (authors)« less

[Patients' intervention in a therapeutic education program dedicated to systemic lupus: definitions, setting and benefits].

PubMed

Hervier, B; Magar, Y; Allab, F; Richard, K; Neves, Y; Danjou, S; Amoura, Z; Ayçaguer, S

2015-10-01

Though recommended, participation of patients with specific expertise in therapeutic education programs (TEP) is rare. This work reports the experience of a national reference centre for rare systemic diseases. Involvement of "expert patients" (EP) has been planned from the development of a TEP dedicated to systemic lupus: patients' roles and required expertise have been defined and linked to the pedagogical tools. Such patients have been recruited during individual interviews and called to participate to specific pedagogical training. EP intervention have been evaluated by questionnaire to EP and health care providers. Three EP's functions have been identified: sharing experiences, giving "tips and tricks" and promoting dialogue. EP's interventions has been organised into a hierarchy (from sharing to co-animation). Among 298 patients enrolled in the TEP, 25 (8.4%) have been identified as possible EP. Eight of them (32%) benefited from a specific training of 12 hours. Among these patients, two (25%) regularly participate to the education sessions. For EP as well as for health care providers, EP's intervention seems beneficial (visual scale scores of 7.5 and 9.5, respectively). Though difficult to organise, EP's intervention in TEP dedicated to rare systemic diseases seems useful and would earn to be increase. Copyright © 2015 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Visualization Center Dedicated

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-17

The dedication ceremony of the University of Southern Mississippi Center of Higher Learning (CHL) High-Performance Visualization Center at SSC was held Oct. 17. The center's RAVE II 3-D visualization system, available to both on- and off-site scientists, turns data into a fully immersive environment for the user. Cutting the ribbon are, from left, Rear Adm. Thomas Donaldson, commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; Jim Meredith, former director of the CHL; USM President Dr. Shelby Thames; Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck; Dr. Peter Ranelli, director of the CHL; Dewey Herring, chairman of the policy board for the CHL; and former Sen. Cecil Burge.

Visualization Center Dedicated

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The dedication ceremony of the University of Southern Mississippi Center of Higher Learning (CHL) High-Performance Visualization Center at SSC was held Oct. 17. The center's RAVE II 3-D visualization system, available to both on- and off-site scientists, turns data into a fully immersive environment for the user. Cutting the ribbon are, from left, Rear Adm. Thomas Donaldson, commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; Jim Meredith, former director of the CHL; USM President Dr. Shelby Thames; Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck; Dr. Peter Ranelli, director of the CHL; Dewey Herring, chairman of the policy board for the CHL; and former Sen. Cecil Burge.

Dedicated low-field MRI in mice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choquet, P.; Breton, E.; Goetz, C.; Marin, C.; Constantinesco, A.

2009-09-01

The rationale of this work is to point out the relevance of in vivo MR images of mice obtained using a dedicated low-field system. For this purpose a small 0.1 T water-cooled electro-magnet and solenoidal radio frequency (RF) transmit-receive coils were used. All MR images were acquired in three-dimensional (3D) mode. An isolation cell was designed allowing easy placement of the RF coils and simple delivery of gaseous anesthesia as well as warming of the animal. Images with and without contrast agent were obtained in total acquisition times on the order of half an hour to four hours on normal mice as well as on animals bearing tumors. Typical in plane pixel dimensions range from 200 × 200 to 500 × 500 µm2 with slice thicknesses ranging between 0.65 and 1.50 mm. This work shows that, besides light installation and low cost, dedicated low-field MR systems are suitable for small rodents imaging, opening this technique even to small research units.

Engine with pulse-suppressed dedicated exhaust gas recirculation

DOEpatents

Keating, Edward J.; Baker, Rodney E.

2016-06-07

An engine assembly includes an intake assembly, a spark-ignited internal combustion engine, and an exhaust assembly. The intake assembly includes a charge air cooler disposed between an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) mixer and a backpressure valve. The charge air cooler has both an inlet and an outlet, and the back pressure valve is configured to maintain a minimum pressure difference between the inlet of the charge air cooler and an outlet of the backpressure valve. A dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system is provided in fluid communication with at least one cylinder and with the EGR mixer. The dedicated exhaust gas recirculation system is configured to route all of the exhaust gas from the at least one cylinder to the EGR mixer for recirculation back to the engine.

Commercial Grade Item (CGI) Dedication for Leak Detection Relays

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

KOCH, M.R.; JOHNS, B.R.

1999-12-21

This Test Plan provides a test method to dedicate the leak detection relays used on the new Pumping and Instrumentation Control (PIC) skids. The new skids are fabricated on-site. The leak detection system is a safety class system per the Authorization Basis.

Commercial Grade Item (CGI) Dedication for Leak Detection Relays

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

KOCH, M.R.

2000-02-28

This Test Plan provides a test method to dedicate the leak detection relays used on the new Pumping Instrumentation and Control (PIC) skids. The new skids are fabricated on-site. The leak detection system is a safety class system per the Authorization Basis.

Commercial Grade Item (CGI) Dedication for Leak Detection Relays

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

KOCH, M.R.

1999-08-11

This Test Plan provides a test method to dedicate the leak detection relays used on the new Pumping and Instrumentation Control (PIC) skids. The new skids are fabricated on-site. The leak detection system is a safety class system per the Authorization Basis.

Commercial Grade Item (CGI) Dedication for Leak Detection Relays

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

JOHNS, B.R.

1999-05-05

This Test Plan provides a test method to dedicate the leak detection relays used on the new Pumping and Instrumentation Control (PIC) skids. The new skids are fabricated on-site. The leak detection system is a safety class system per the Authorization Basis.

Commercial Grade Item (CGI) Dedication for Leak Detection Relays

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

KOCH, M.R.

1999-10-26

This Test Plan provides a test method to dedicate the leak detection relays used on the new Pumping and Instrumentation Control (PIC) skids. The new skids are fabricated on-site. The leak detection system is a safety class system per the Authorization Basis.

Commercial Grade Item (CGI) Dedication for Leak Detection Relays

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

JOHNS, B.R.; KOCH, M.R.

2000-01-28

This Test Plan provides a test method to dedicate the leak detection relays used on the new Pumping Instrumentation and Control (PIC) skids. The new skids are fabricated on-site. The leak detection system is a safety class system per the Authorization Basis.

Dedicated Stereophotogrammetric X-Ray System For Craniofacial Research And Treatment Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumrind, Sheldon; Moffitt, Francis; Curry, Sean; Isaacson, Robert J.

1983-07-01

We have constructed and brought into use what we believe to be the first dedicated coplanar craniofacial stereometric x-ray system for clinical use. Paired Machlett Dynamax 50/58 x-ray tubes with 0.3 mm focal spots are employed. Displacement between emitters is 16 inches. The focus film distance for both emitters is 66.5 inches. The mid-sagittal plane to focus distance is 60 inches. One film of each stereo pair conforms with the standards of the Second Roentgenocephalometric Workshop and can be used to make all standard two-dimensional orthodontic and cephalometric measurements. When supplemented by data from the conjugate film, a three-dimensional coordinate map can be generated as a machine operation. Specialized complementary software has been developed to increase the reliability of landmark location both in two and in three dimensions.

Dedicated bifurcation stents

PubMed Central

Pillai, Ajith Ananthakrishna; Jayaraman, Balachander

2012-01-01

Bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still a difficult call for the interventionist despite advancements in the instrumentation, technical skill and the imaging modalities. With major cardiac events relate to the side-branch (SB) compromise, the concept and practice of dedicated bifurcation stents seems exciting. Several designs of such dedicated stents are currently undergoing trials. This novel concept and pristine technology offers new hope notwithstanding the fact that we need to go a long way in widespread acceptance and practice of these gadgets. Some of these designs even though looks enterprising, the mere complex delivering technique and the demanding knowledge of the exact coronary anatomy makes their routine use challenging. PMID:22572498

Defining the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform (PLOCAN) Observing System mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delory, Eric; Hernández-Brito, Joaquín.; Llínas, Octavio

2010-05-01

A permanent multidisciplinary ocean observing system is planned as both a technological and scientific infrastructure for the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform (PLOCAN). The first component of its two-fold mission is to respond to systems and processes' in-situ environmental testing, certification and benchmarking requirements. This will generally take place in dedicated oceanic experimental areas, from the vicinity of the platform to the deep ocean. While these areas and related infrastructures still are at definition stage, an anticipated prerequisite is that testbed observing assets will have to provide a broad range of measurements in agreement with, as well as in contribution to, current and upcoming environmental and technical standards. The second component is to contribute to the global effort towards continuous and real-time multidisciplinary ocean observations. Related activities will encompass climate change parameters characterization as well as important regional specificities like the preservation and study of the region's unique marine biodiversity and sparsely explored seabed. Continuous sampling is planned to progressively expand from the platform vicinity down to the end of the continental slope - to about 3000m depth, the surrounding seabed and water column, then scale up to the region, through mobile systems and fixed open-ocean stations. Such a large and diverse spectrum of observing activities stems from the fact that the PLOCAN observing system is at the center of a long-term strategy, thus granting the opportunity to plan its mission by way of an ambitious set of ocean measurement methods and technologies.

47 CFR 69.125 - Dedicated signalling transport.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dedicated signalling transport. 69.125 Section... (CONTINUED) ACCESS CHARGES Computation of Charges § 69.125 Dedicated signalling transport. (a) Dedicated signalling transport shall consist of two elements, a signalling link charge and a signalling transfer point...

47 CFR 69.125 - Dedicated signalling transport.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dedicated signalling transport. 69.125 Section... (CONTINUED) ACCESS CHARGES Computation of Charges § 69.125 Dedicated signalling transport. (a) Dedicated signalling transport shall consist of two elements, a signalling link charge and a signalling transfer point...

47 CFR 69.125 - Dedicated signalling transport.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dedicated signalling transport. 69.125 Section... (CONTINUED) ACCESS CHARGES Computation of Charges § 69.125 Dedicated signalling transport. (a) Dedicated signalling transport shall consist of two elements, a signalling link charge and a signalling transfer point...

47 CFR 69.125 - Dedicated signalling transport.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dedicated signalling transport. 69.125 Section... (CONTINUED) ACCESS CHARGES Computation of Charges § 69.125 Dedicated signalling transport. (a) Dedicated signalling transport shall consist of two elements, a signalling link charge and a signalling transfer point...

Dedication file preparation for commercial-grade electric components

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

Hendricks, J.R.; Farwell, C.R. Jr.

1988-01-01

Dedication is the process of making a commercial-grade item into a basic component that can be installed in safety systems. This process ensures that the commercially manufactured items are of the same or equivalent form, fit, function, and materials as the originally provided safety item. This process must ensure that the original utility's equipment qualification program is maintained per licensing commitments to 10CFR50.49 and general design criterion No. 4. Today, utilities recognize the need for establishing a dedication program to provide the flexibility in obtaining replacement items directly from the original manufacturers. This need has arisen because (a) most systemmore » houses, large manufacturers, and component manufacturers will sell their products only through distributors as straight commercial-grade items or only service former clients, and (b) lack of competition for specific safety-related items has resulted in excessive hardware cost and very long delivery schedules, which could affect plant availability. The vehicle for utilities to obtain safety-related items is to establish and manage a comprehensive dedication program for their own use or provide the direction for a nuclear supplier to follow. This paper provides both utilities and nuclear suppliers insight into the complexities of a dedication program. This insight is provided from our experience as a utilities agent and as a third-party nuclear supplier.« less

Dedication of emergency diesel generators` control air subsystem

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

Harrington, M.; Myers, G.; Palumbo, M.

1994-12-31

In the spring of 1993, the need to upgrade Seabrook Station`s emergency diesel generators` (EDGs`) control air system from nonsafety related to safety related was identified. This need was identified as a result of questions raised by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which was conducting an Electrical Distribution Safety Functional Inspection at Seabrook at that time. The specific reason for the reassignment of safety classification was recognition that failure of the control air supply to the EDGs` jacket cooling water temperature control valves could cause overcooling of the EDGs, which potentially could result in EDG failure during long-term operation. Thismore » paper addresses how the installed control air system was upgraded to safety related using Seabrook`s Commercial Grade Dedication (CGD) Program and how, by using the dedication skills obtained over the past few years, it was done at minimal cost.« less

Automation and Preclinical Evaluation of a Dedicated Emission Mammotomography System for Fully 3-D Molecular Breast Imaging

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

molecular breast imaging, with the ability to dynamically contour any sized breast, will improve detection and potentially in vivo characterization of...Having flexible 3D positioning about the breast yielded minimal RMSD differences, which is important for high resolution molecular emission imaging. This...TITLE: Automation and Preclinical Evaluation of a Dedicated Emission Mammotomography System for Fully 3-D Molecular Breast Imaging PRINCIPAL

Dedicated Pediatricians in Emergency Department: Shorter Waiting Times and Lower Costs

PubMed Central

Melo, Manuel Rocha; Ferreira-Magalhães, Manuel; Flor-Lima, Filipa; Rodrigues, Mariana; Severo, Milton; Almeida-Santos, Luis; Caldas-Afonso, Alberto; Barros, Pedro Pita; Ferreira, António

2016-01-01

Background Dedicated pediatricians in emergency departments (EDs) may be beneficial, though no previous studies have assessed the related costs and benefits/harms. We aimed to evaluate the net benefits and costs of dedicated emergency pediatricians in a pediatric ED. Methods Cost-consequences analysis of visits to a pediatric ED of a tertiary hospital. Two pediatric ED Medical Teams (MT) were compared: MT-A (May–September 2012), with general pediatrics physicians only; and MT-B (May–September 2013), with emergency dedicated pediatricians. The main outcomes analyzed were relevant clinical outcomes, patient throughput time and costs. Results We included 8,694 children in MT-A and 9,417 in MT-B. Medication use in the ED increased from 42.3% of the children in MT-A to 49.6% in MT-B; diagnostic tests decreased from 24.2% in MT-A to 14.3% in MT-B. Hospitalization increased from 1.3% in MT-A to 3.0% in MT-B; however, there was no significant difference in diagnosis-related group relative weight of hospitalized children in MT-A and MT-B (MT-A, 0.979; MT-B, 1.075). No differences were observed in ED readmissions or in patients leaving without being seen by a physician. The patient throughput time was significantly shorter in MT-B, with faster times to first medical observation. Within the cost domains analyzed, the total expenditures per children observed in the ED were 16% lower in MT-B: 37.87 euros in MT-A; 31.97 euros in MT-B. Conclusion The presence of dedicated emergency pediatricians in a pediatric ED was associated with significantly lower waiting times in the ED, reduced costs, and similar clinical outcomes. PMID:27564093

Real Time Target Tracking Using Dedicated Vision Hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kambies, Keith; Walsh, Peter

1988-03-01

This paper describes a real-time vision target tracking system developed by Adaptive Automation, Inc. and delivered to NASA's Launch Equipment Test Facility, Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The target tracking system is part of the Robotic Application Development Laboratory (RADL) which was designed to provide NASA with a general purpose robotic research and development test bed for the integration of robot and sensor systems. One of the first RADL system applications is the closing of a position control loop around a six-axis articulated arm industrial robot using a camera and dedicated vision processor as the input sensor so that the robot can locate and track a moving target. The vision system is inside of the loop closure of the robot tracking system, therefore, tight throughput and latency constraints are imposed on the vision system that can only be met with specialized hardware and a concurrent approach to the processing algorithms. State of the art VME based vision boards capable of processing the image at frame rates were used with a real-time, multi-tasking operating system to achieve the performance required. This paper describes the high speed vision based tracking task, the system throughput requirements, the use of dedicated vision hardware architecture, and the implementation design details. Important to the overall philosophy of the complete system was the hierarchical and modular approach applied to all aspects of the system, hardware and software alike, so there is special emphasis placed on this topic in the paper.

76. FIRST TEST SHOT OF THE VAL AT THE DEDICATION ...

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

76. FIRST TEST SHOT OF THE VAL AT THE DEDICATION CEREMONIES AS SEEN FROM THE OBSERVATION DECK ABOVE THE CONTROL STATION, May 7, 1948. - Variable Angle Launcher Complex, Variable Angle Launcher, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservior, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA

Spacelab Dedication

NASA Image and Video Library

1982-08-12

View of Vice-President George Bush visiting with Astronaut Owen Garriott and Payload Specialist (PS) Wubbo Ockels of the Netherlands, inside the SL after the dedication ceremony, KSC Operations & Checkout (O&C) Building. 1. Astronaut Owen K. Garriott 2. Vice President George Bush 3. Wubbo Ockels - PS 4x5 Color and B&W

Observation impact studies with the Mercator Ocean analysis and forecasting systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remy, E. D.; Le Traon, P. Y.; Lellouche, J. M.; Drevillon, M.; Turpin, V.; Benkiran, M.

2016-02-01

Mercator Ocean produces and delivers in real-time ocean analysis and forecasts on a daily basis. The quality of the analysis highly relies on the availability and quality of the assimilated observations.Tools are developed to estimate the impact of the present network and to help designing the future evolutions of the observing systems in the context of near real time production of ocean analysis and forecasts. OSE and OSSE are the main approaches used in this context. They allow the assessment of the efficiency of a given data set to constrain the ocean model circulation through the data assimilation process. Illustrations will mainly focus on the present and future evolution of the Argo observation network and altimetry constellation, including the potential impact of future SWOT data. Our systems show clear sensitivities to observation array changes, mainly depending on the specified observation error and regional dynamic. Impact on non observed variables can be important and are important to evaluate. Dedicated diagnostics has to be define to measure the improvements bring by each data set. Alternative approaches to OSE and OSSE are also explored: approximate computation of DFS will be presented and discussed. Limitations of each approach will be discussed in the context of real time operation.

33 CFR 157.10c - Segregated ballast tanks, crude oil washing systems, and dedicated clean ballast tanks for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... to meet the draft and trim requirements in § 157.09(b); or (2) A crude oil washing system that meets... trim requirements in § 157.09(b); or (2) Dedicated clean ballast tanks that meet the design and... meet the draft and trim requirements in § 157.09(b). (d) If the arrangement of tanks on a vessel under...

33 CFR 157.10c - Segregated ballast tanks, crude oil washing systems, and dedicated clean ballast tanks for...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... to meet the draft and trim requirements in § 157.09(b); or (2) A crude oil washing system that meets... trim requirements in § 157.09(b); or (2) Dedicated clean ballast tanks that meet the design and... meet the draft and trim requirements in § 157.09(b). (d) If the arrangement of tanks on a vessel under...

Intelligent Urban Public Transportation for Accessibility Dedicated to People with Disabilities

PubMed Central

Zhou, Haiying; Hou, Kun-Mean; Zuo, Decheng; Li, Jian

2012-01-01

The traditional urban public transport system generally cannot provide an effective access service for people with disabilities, especially for disabled, wheelchair and blind (DWB) passengers. In this paper, based on advanced information & communication technologies (ICT) and green technologies (GT) concepts, a dedicated public urban transportation service access system named Mobi+ has been introduced, which facilitates the mobility of DWB passengers. The Mobi+ project consists of three subsystems: a wireless communication subsystem, which provides the data exchange and network connection services between buses and stations in the complex urban environments; the bus subsystem, which provides the DWB class detection & bus arrival notification services; and the station subsystem, which implements the urban environmental surveillance & bus auxiliary access services. The Mobi+ card that supports multi-microcontroller multi-transceiver adopts the fault-tolerant component-based hardware architecture, in which the dedicated embedded system software, i.e., operating system micro-kernel and wireless protocol, has been integrated. The dedicated Mobi+ embedded system provides the fault-tolerant resource awareness communication and scheduling mechanism to ensure the reliability in data exchange and service provision. At present, the Mobi+ system has been implemented on the buses and stations of line ‘2’ in the city of Clermont-Ferrand (France). The experiential results show that, on one hand the Mobi+ prototype system reaches the design expectations and provides an effective urban bus access service for people with disabilities; on the other hand the Mobi+ system is easily to deploy in the buses and at bus stations thanks to its low energy consumption and small form factor. PMID:23112622

Intelligent urban public transportation for accessibility dedicated to people with disabilities.

PubMed

Zhou, Haiying; Hou, Kun-Mean; Zuo, Decheng; Li, Jian

2012-01-01

The traditional urban public transport system generally cannot provide an effective access service for people with disabilities, especially for disabled, wheelchair and blind (DWB) passengers. In this paper, based on advanced information & communication technologies (ICT) and green technologies (GT) concepts, a dedicated public urban transportation service access system named Mobi+ has been introduced, which facilitates the mobility of DWB passengers. The Mobi+ project consists of three subsystems: a wireless communication subsystem, which provides the data exchange and network connection services between buses and stations in the complex urban environments; the bus subsystem, which provides the DWB class detection & bus arrival notification services; and the station subsystem, which implements the urban environmental surveillance & bus auxiliary access services. The Mobi+ card that supports multi-microcontroller multi-transceiver adopts the fault-tolerant component-based hardware architecture, in which the dedicated embedded system software, i.e., operating system micro-kernel and wireless protocol, has been integrated. The dedicated Mobi+ embedded system provides the fault-tolerant resource awareness communication and scheduling mechanism to ensure the reliability in data exchange and service provision. At present, the Mobi+ system has been implemented on the buses and stations of line '2' in the city of Clermont-Ferrand (France). The experiential results show that, on one hand the Mobi+ prototype system reaches the design expectations and provides an effective urban bus access service for people with disabilities; on the other hand the Mobi+ system is easily to deploy in the buses and at bus stations thanks to its low energy consumption and small form factor.

Decisional Information System for Safety (D.I.S.S.) Dedicated to the Human Space Exploration Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grès, Stéphane; Guyonnet, Jean-François

2006-06-01

At the heart of the issue of reliable and dependable systems and networks, this paper presents the conception of a Decisional Information System for Security (D.I.S.S.) dedicated to the Human Space Exploration Mission. The objective is to conceive a decisional information system for human long duration space flight (> 1000 days) which is realised in entire autonomy in the solar system. This article describes the importance of the epistemological and ontological context for designing an open, self-learning and reliable system able for self-adapt in dangerous and unforeseen situations. We present in link with our research, the limits of the empirical analytical paradigm and several paths of research lead by the nascent paradigm of enaction. The strong presumption is that the centralised models of security could not be sufficient today to respond and challenge the security of a technical system, which will support human exploration missions.

Dedication increases productivity: an analysis of the implementation of a dedicated medical team in the emergency department.

PubMed

Ramos, Pedro; Paiva, José Artur

2017-12-01

In several European countries, emergency departments (EDs) now employ a dedicated team of full-time emergency medicine (EM) physicians, with a distinct leadership and bed-side emergency training, in all similar to other hospital departments. In Portugal, however, there are still two very different models for staffing EDs: a classic model, where EDs are mostly staffed with young inexperienced physicians from different medical departments who take turns in the ED in 12-h shifts and a dedicated model, recently implemented in some hospitals, where the ED is staffed by a team of doctors with specific medical competencies in emergency medicine that work full-time in the ED. Our study assesses the effect of an intervention in a large academic hospital ED in Portugal in 2002, and it is the first to test the hypothesis that implementing a dedicated team of doctors with EM expertise increases the productivity and reduces costs in the ED, maintaining the quality of care provided to patients. A pre-post design was used for comparing the change on the organisational model of delivering care in our medical ED. All emergency medical admissions were tracked in 2002 (classic model with 12-h shift in the ED) and 2005/2006 (dedicated team with full-time EM physicians), and productivity, costs with medical human resources and quality of care measures were compared. We found that medical productivity (number of patients treated per hour of medical work) increased dramatically after the creation of the dedicated team (X 2 KW = 31.135; N = 36; p < 0.001) and costs with ED medical work reduced both in regular hours and overtime. Moreover, hospitalisation rates decreased and the length of stay in the ED increased significantly after the creation of the dedicated team. Implementing a dedicated team of doctors increased the medical productivity and reduced costs in our ED. Our findings have straightforward implication for Portuguese policymakers aiming at reducing hospital costs

SCOSII OL: A dedicated language for mission operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baldi, Andrea; Elgaard, Dennis; Lynenskjold, Steen; Pecchioli, Mauro

1994-01-01

The Spacecraft Control and Operations System 2 (SCOSII) is the new generation of Mission Control Systems (MCS) to be used at ESOC. The system is generic because it offers a collection of standard functions configured through a database upon which a dedicated MCS is established for a given mission. An integral component of SCOSII is the support of a dedicated Operations Language (OL). The spacecraft operation engineers edit, test, validate, and install OL scripts as part of the configuration of the system with, e.g., expressions for computing derived parameters and procedures for performing flight operations, all without involvement of software support engineers. A layered approach has been adopted for the implementation centered around the explicit representation of a data model. The data model is object-oriented defining the structure of the objects in terms of attributes (data) and services (functions) which can be accessed by the OL. SCOSII supports the creation of a mission model. System elements as, e.g., a gyro are explicit, as are the attributes which described them and the services they provide. The data model driven approach makes it possible to take immediate advantage of this higher-level of abstraction, without requiring expansion of the language. This article describes the background and context leading to the OL, concepts, language facilities, implementation, status and conclusions found so far.

Interpretation of digital breast tomosynthesis: preliminary study on comparison with picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and dedicated workstation.

PubMed

Kim, Young Seon; Chang, Jung Min; Yi, Ann; Shin, Sung Ui; Lee, Myung Eun; Kim, Won Hwa; Cho, Nariya; Moon, Woo Kyung

2017-08-01

To compare the diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in the interpretation of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images using a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and a dedicated workstation. 97 DBT images obtained for screening or diagnostic purposes were stored in both a workstation and a PACS and evaluated in combination with digital mammography by three independent radiologists retrospectively. Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System final assessments and likelihood of malignancy (%) were assigned and the interpretation time when using the workstation and PACS was recorded. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, sensitivities and specificities were compared with histopathological examination and follow-up data as a reference standard. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for cancer detection (0.839 vs 0.815, p = 0.6375) and sensitivity (81.8% vs 75.8%, p = 0.2188) showed no statistically significant differences between the workstation and PACS. However, specificity was significantly higher when analysing on the workstation than when using PACS (83.7% vs 76.9%, p = 0.009). When evaluating DBT images using PACS, only one case was deemed necessary to be reanalysed using the workstation. The mean time to interpret DBT images on PACS (1.68 min/case) was significantly longer than that to interpret on the workstation (1.35 min/case) (p < 0.0001). Interpretation of DBT images using PACS showed comparable diagnostic performance to a dedicated workstation, even though it required a longer reading time. Advances in knowledge: Interpretation of DBT images using PACS is an alternative to evaluate the images when a dedicated workstation is not available.

Exploring our outer solar system - The Giant Planet System Observers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, J. F.; Sittler, E. C., Jr.; Sturner, S. J.; Pitman, J. T.

As space-faring peoples now work together to plan and implement future missions that robotically prepare for landing humans to explore the Moon, and later Mars, the time is right to develop evolutionary approaches for extending this next generation of exploration beyond Earth's terrestrial planet neighbors to the realm of the giant planets. And while initial fly-by missions have been hugely successful in providing exploratory surveys of what lies beyond Mars, we need to consider now what robotic precursor mission capabilities we need to emplace that prepare us properly, and comprehensively, for long-term robotic exploration, and eventual human habitation, beyond Mars to the outer reaches of our solar system. To develop practical strategies that can establish prioritized capabilities, and then develop a means for achieving those capabilities within realistic budget and technology considerations, and in reasonable timeframes, is our challenge. We suggest one component of such an approach to future outer planets exploration is a series of Giant Planets System Observer (GPSO) missions that provide for long- duration observations, monitoring, and relay functions to help advance our understanding of the outer planets and thereby enable a sound basis for planning their eventual exploration by humans. We envision these missions as being comparable to taking Hubble-class remote-sensing facilities, along with the space physics capabilities of long-lived geospace and heliospheric missions, to the giant planet systems and dedicating long observing lifetimes (HST, 16 yr.; Voyagers, 29 yr.) to the exhaustive study and characterization of those systems. GPSO missions could feature 20-yr+ extended mission lifetimes, direct inject trajectories to maximize useful lifetime on target, placement strategies that take advantage of natural environment shielding (e.g., Ganymede magnetic field) where possible, orbit designs having favorable planetary system viewing geometries, comprehensive

NREL Dedicates Advanced Hydrogen Fueling Station | News | NREL

Science.gov Websites

5 » NREL Dedicates Advanced Hydrogen Fueling Station News Release: NREL Dedicates Advanced Hydrogen Fueling Station October 8, 2015 The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL ) today dedicated its 700 bar hydrogen fueling station, the first of its kind in Colorado and in the

Benchmarking of Typical Meteorological Year datasets dedicated to Concentrated-PV systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Realpe, Ana Maria; Vernay, Christophe; Pitaval, Sébastien; Blanc, Philippe; Wald, Lucien; Lenoir, Camille

2016-04-01

suitable for CPV systems. For these systems, the TMY datasets obtained using dedicated drivers (DNI only or more precise one) are more representative to derive TMY datasets from limited long-term meteorological dataset.

Patient information, consents and privacy protection scheme for an information system dedicated to pervasive developmental disorders.

PubMed

Ben Said, Mohamed; Robel, Laurence; Messiaen, Claude; Craus, Yann; Jais, Jean Philippe; Golse, Bernard; Landais, Paul

2014-01-01

Patients explicit and unambiguous information, patients consents and privacy protection are reviewed in this article, in the frame of the deployment of the information system TEDIS dedicated to autism spectrum disorders. The role of the Delegate to the Protection of Data is essential at this stage. We developed a privacy protection scheme based on storing encrypted patients personal data on the server database and decrypting it on the Web browser. It tries to respond to the end-users request to manage nominative data in a human readable form and to meet with privacy protection framework.

Towards Effective Non-Invasive Brain-Computer Interfaces Dedicated to Gait Rehabilitation Systems

PubMed Central

Castermans, Thierry; Duvinage, Matthieu; Cheron, Guy; Dutoit, Thierry

2014-01-01

In the last few years, significant progress has been made in the field of walk rehabilitation. Motor cortex signals in bipedal monkeys have been interpreted to predict walk kinematics. Epidural electrical stimulation in rats and in one young paraplegic has been realized to partially restore motor control after spinal cord injury. However, these experimental trials are far from being applicable to all patients suffering from motor impairments. Therefore, it is thought that more simple rehabilitation systems are desirable in the meanwhile. The goal of this review is to describe and summarize the progress made in the development of non-invasive brain-computer interfaces dedicated to motor rehabilitation systems. In the first part, the main principles of human locomotion control are presented. The paper then focuses on the mechanisms of supra-spinal centers active during gait, including results from electroencephalography, functional brain imaging technologies [near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron-emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT)] and invasive studies. The first brain-computer interface (BCI) applications to gait rehabilitation are then presented, with a discussion about the different strategies developed in the field. The challenges to raise for future systems are identified and discussed. Finally, we present some proposals to address these challenges, in order to contribute to the improvement of BCI for gait rehabilitation. PMID:24961699

Fountain Dedication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Outside of Building 4200 at Marshall Space Flight Center, a courtyard was constructed in memory of Dr. Wernher von Braun and his contributions to the U. S. Space program. In the middle of the courtyard a fountain was built. The fountain was made operational prior to the 30th arniversary celebration of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Attending the dedication ceremony were visiting Apollo astronauts and NASA's Safety and Assurance Director Rothenberg.

SCHeMA web-based observation data information system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novellino, Antonio; Benedetti, Giacomo; D'Angelo, Paolo; Confalonieri, Fabio; Massa, Francesco; Povero, Paolo; Tercier-Waeber, Marie-Louise

2016-04-01

It is well recognized that the need of sharing ocean data among non-specialized users is constantly increasing. Initiatives that are built upon international standards will contribute to simplify data processing and dissemination, improve user-accessibility also through web browsers, facilitate the sharing of information across the integrated network of ocean observing systems; and ultimately provide a better understanding of the ocean functioning. The SCHeMA (Integrated in Situ Chemical MApping probe) Project is developing an open and modular sensing solution for autonomous in situ high resolution mapping of a wide range of anthropogenic and natural chemical compounds coupled to master bio-physicochemical parameters (www.schema-ocean.eu). The SCHeMA web system is designed to ensure user-friendly data discovery, access and download as well as interoperability with other projects through a dedicated interface that implements the Global Earth Observation System of Systems - Common Infrastructure (GCI) recommendations and the international Open Geospatial Consortium - Sensor Web Enablement (OGC-SWE) standards. This approach will insure data accessibility in compliance with major European Directives and recommendations. Being modular, the system allows the plug-and-play of commercially available probes as well as new sensor probess under development within the project. The access to the network of monitoring probes is provided via a web-based system interface that, being implemented as a SOS (Sensor Observation Service), is providing standard interoperability and access tosensor observations systems through O&M standard - as well as sensor descriptions - encoded in Sensor Model Language (SensorML). The use of common vocabularies in all metadatabases and data formats, to describe data in an already harmonized and common standard is a prerequisite towards consistency and interoperability. Therefore, the SCHeMA SOS has adopted the SeaVox common vocabularies populated by

Model calibration of a variable refrigerant flow system with a dedicated outdoor air system: A case study

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

Kim, Dongsu; Cox, Sam J.; Cho, Heejin

With increased use of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems in the U.S. building sector, interests in capability and rationality of various building energy modeling tools to simulate VRF systems are rising. This paper presents the detailed procedures for model calibration of a VRF system with a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) by comparing to detailed measured data from an occupancy emulated small office building. The building energy model is first developed based on as-built drawings, and building and system characteristics available. The whole building energy modeling tool used for the study is U.S. DOE’s EnergyPlus version 8.1. The initial modelmore » is, then, calibrated with the hourly measured data from the target building and VRF-DOAS system. In a detailed calibration procedures of the VRF-DOAS, the original EnergyPlus source code is modified to enable the modeling of the specific VRF-DOAS installed in the building. After a proper calibration during cooling and heating seasons, the VRF-DOAS model can reasonably predict the performance of the actual VRF-DOAS system based on the criteria from ASHRAE Guideline 14-2014. The calibration results show that hourly CV-RMSE and NMBE would be 15.7% and 3.8%, respectively, which is deemed to be calibrated. As a result, the whole-building energy usage after calibration of the VRF-DOAS model is 1.9% (78.8 kWh) lower than that of the measurements during comparison period.« less

Investigation of statistical iterative reconstruction for dedicated breast CT

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

Makeev, Andrey; Glick, Stephen J.

2013-08-15

Purpose: Dedicated breast CT has great potential for improving the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Statistical iterative reconstruction (SIR) in dedicated breast CT is a promising alternative to traditional filtered backprojection (FBP). One of the difficulties in using SIR is the presence of free parameters in the algorithm that control the appearance of the resulting image. These parameters require tuning in order to achieve high quality reconstructions. In this study, the authors investigated the penalized maximum likelihood (PML) method with two commonly used types of roughness penalty functions: hyperbolic potential and anisotropic total variation (TV) norm. Reconstructed images weremore » compared with images obtained using standard FBP. Optimal parameters for PML with the hyperbolic prior are reported for the task of detecting microcalcifications embedded in breast tissue.Methods: Computer simulations were used to acquire projections in a half-cone beam geometry. The modeled setup describes a realistic breast CT benchtop system, with an x-ray spectra produced by a point source and an a-Si, CsI:Tl flat-panel detector. A voxelized anthropomorphic breast phantom with 280 μm microcalcification spheres embedded in it was used to model attenuation properties of the uncompressed woman's breast in a pendant position. The reconstruction of 3D images was performed using the separable paraboloidal surrogates algorithm with ordered subsets. Task performance was assessed with the ideal observer detectability index to determine optimal PML parameters.Results: The authors' findings suggest that there is a preferred range of values of the roughness penalty weight and the edge preservation threshold in the penalized objective function with the hyperbolic potential, which resulted in low noise images with high contrast microcalcifications preserved. In terms of numerical observer detectability index, the PML method with optimal parameters yielded substantially

Investigation of statistical iterative reconstruction for dedicated breast CT

PubMed Central

Makeev, Andrey; Glick, Stephen J.

2013-01-01

Purpose: Dedicated breast CT has great potential for improving the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Statistical iterative reconstruction (SIR) in dedicated breast CT is a promising alternative to traditional filtered backprojection (FBP). One of the difficulties in using SIR is the presence of free parameters in the algorithm that control the appearance of the resulting image. These parameters require tuning in order to achieve high quality reconstructions. In this study, the authors investigated the penalized maximum likelihood (PML) method with two commonly used types of roughness penalty functions: hyperbolic potential and anisotropic total variation (TV) norm. Reconstructed images were compared with images obtained using standard FBP. Optimal parameters for PML with the hyperbolic prior are reported for the task of detecting microcalcifications embedded in breast tissue. Methods: Computer simulations were used to acquire projections in a half-cone beam geometry. The modeled setup describes a realistic breast CT benchtop system, with an x-ray spectra produced by a point source and an a-Si, CsI:Tl flat-panel detector. A voxelized anthropomorphic breast phantom with 280 μm microcalcification spheres embedded in it was used to model attenuation properties of the uncompressed woman's breast in a pendant position. The reconstruction of 3D images was performed using the separable paraboloidal surrogates algorithm with ordered subsets. Task performance was assessed with the ideal observer detectability index to determine optimal PML parameters. Results: The authors' findings suggest that there is a preferred range of values of the roughness penalty weight and the edge preservation threshold in the penalized objective function with the hyperbolic potential, which resulted in low noise images with high contrast microcalcifications preserved. In terms of numerical observer detectability index, the PML method with optimal parameters yielded substantially improved

Dedicated Linac for Radioneurosurgery at the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celis-López, Miguel A.; Lárraga-Gutiérrez, José M.

2003-09-01

The objective is to present a description and the main clinical applications of this dedicated Linac for benign and malignant tumors in the central nervous system. The Novalis (BrainLab, Germany) is a 6 MV dedicated linac for a single high dose Radiosurgery (RS) and for fractionated doses in Stereotactic Radiotherapy with a high level of precision at the isocenter.

Optical Design Using Small Dedicated Computers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinclair, Douglas C.

1980-09-01

Since the time of the 1975 International Lens Design Conference, we have developed a series of optical design programs for Hewlett-Packard desktop computers. The latest programs in the series, OSLO-25G and OSLO-45G, have most of the capabilities of general-purpose optical design programs, including optimization based on exact ray-trace data. The computational techniques used in the programs are similar to ones used in other programs, but the creative environment experienced by a designer working directly with these small dedicated systems is typically much different from that obtained with shared-computer systems. Some of the differences are due to the psychological factors associated with using a system having zero running cost, while others are due to the design of the program, which emphasizes graphical output and ease of use, as opposed to computational speed.

Physical effects of mechanical design parameters on photon sensitivity and spatial resolution performance of a breast-dedicated PET system.

PubMed

Spanoudaki, V C; Lau, F W Y; Vandenbroucke, A; Levin, C S

2010-11-01

This study aims to address design considerations of a high resolution, high sensitivity positron emission tomography scanner dedicated to breast imaging. The methodology uses a detailed Monte Carlo model of the system structures to obtain a quantitative evaluation of several performance parameters. Special focus was given to the effect of dense mechanical structures designed to provide mechanical robustness and thermal regulation to the minuscule and temperature sensitive detectors. For the energies of interest around the photopeak (450-700 keV energy window), the simulation results predict a 6.5% reduction in the single photon detection efficiency and a 12.5% reduction in the coincidence photon detection efficiency in the case that the mechanical structures are interspersed between the detectors. However for lower energies, a substantial increase in the number of detected events (approximately 14% and 7% for singles at a 100-200 keV energy window and coincidences at a lower energy threshold of 100 keV, respectively) was observed with the presence of these structures due to backscatter. The number of photon events that involve multiple interactions in various crystal elements is also affected by the presence of the structures. For photon events involving multiple interactions among various crystal elements, the coincidence photon sensitivity is reduced by as much as 20% for a point source at the center of the field of view. There is no observable effect on the intrinsic and the reconstructed spatial resolution and spatial resolution uniformity. Mechanical structures can have a considerable effect on system sensitivity, especially for systems processing multi-interaction photon events. This effect, however, does not impact the spatial resolution. Various mechanical structure designs are currently under evaluation in order to achieve optimum trade-off between temperature stability, accurate detector positioning, and minimum influence on system performance.

Physical effects of mechanical design parameters on photon sensitivity and spatial resolution performance of a breast-dedicated PET system

PubMed Central

Spanoudaki, V. C.; Lau, F. W. Y.; Vandenbroucke, A.; Levin, C. S.

2010-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to address design considerations of a high resolution, high sensitivity positron emission tomography scanner dedicated to breast imaging. Methods: The methodology uses a detailed Monte Carlo model of the system structures to obtain a quantitative evaluation of several performance parameters. Special focus was given to the effect of dense mechanical structures designed to provide mechanical robustness and thermal regulation to the minuscule and temperature sensitive detectors. Results: For the energies of interest around the photopeak (450–700 keV energy window), the simulation results predict a 6.5% reduction in the single photon detection efficiency and a 12.5% reduction in the coincidence photon detection efficiency in the case that the mechanical structures are interspersed between the detectors. However for lower energies, a substantial increase in the number of detected events (approximately 14% and 7% for singles at a 100–200 keV energy window and coincidences at a lower energy threshold of 100 keV, respectively) was observed with the presence of these structures due to backscatter. The number of photon events that involve multiple interactions in various crystal elements is also affected by the presence of the structures. For photon events involving multiple interactions among various crystal elements, the coincidence photon sensitivity is reduced by as much as 20% for a point source at the center of the field of view. There is no observable effect on the intrinsic and the reconstructed spatial resolution and spatial resolution uniformity. Conclusions: Mechanical structures can have a considerable effect on system sensitivity, especially for systems processing multi-interaction photon events. This effect, however, does not impact the spatial resolution. Various mechanical structure designs are currently under evaluation in order to achieve optimum trade-off between temperature stability, accurate detector positioning, and minimum

Scalable cloud without dedicated storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batkovich, D. V.; Kompaniets, M. V.; Zarochentsev, A. K.

2015-05-01

We present a prototype of a scalable computing cloud. It is intended to be deployed on the basis of a cluster without the separate dedicated storage. The dedicated storage is replaced by the distributed software storage. In addition, all cluster nodes are used both as computing nodes and as storage nodes. This solution increases utilization of the cluster resources as well as improves fault tolerance and performance of the distributed storage. Another advantage of this solution is high scalability with a relatively low initial and maintenance cost. The solution is built on the basis of the open source components like OpenStack, CEPH, etc.

Dedication Ceremony

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Alabama Governor Don Seigleman cuts the ribbon marking the dedication of the Saturn V rocket replica that was constructed at the U. S. Space and Rocket Center in honor of the 30th arniversary of the lunar landing. Accompanying the Governor are (L/R): Mike Wing, CEO US Space Rocket Center; Mike Gillespie, Madison County Commissioner, Dist. Seven; Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Astronaut; Governor Seigleman; Walt Cunningham, Apollo 7 Astronaut; Dick Gordon, Apollo 12 Astronaut; Ed Mitchell, Apollo 14 Astronaut; Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 Astronaut; and Owen Garriott, Skylab 3 Astronaut.

Evaluation of a video-based head motion tracking system for dedicated brain PET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anishchenko, S.; Beylin, D.; Stepanov, P.; Stepanov, A.; Weinberg, I. N.; Schaeffer, S.; Zavarzin, V.; Shaposhnikov, D.; Smith, M. F.

2015-03-01

Unintentional head motion during Positron Emission Tomography (PET) data acquisition can degrade PET image quality and lead to artifacts. Poor patient compliance, head tremor, and coughing are examples of movement sources. Head motion due to patient non-compliance can be an issue with the rise of amyloid brain PET in dementia patients. To preserve PET image resolution and quantitative accuracy, head motion can be tracked and corrected in the image reconstruction algorithm. While fiducial markers can be used, a contactless approach is preferable. A video-based head motion tracking system for a dedicated portable brain PET scanner was developed. Four wide-angle cameras organized in two stereo pairs are used for capturing video of the patient's head during the PET data acquisition. Facial points are automatically tracked and used to determine the six degree of freedom head pose as a function of time. The presented work evaluated the newly designed tracking system using a head phantom and a moving American College of Radiology (ACR) phantom. The mean video-tracking error was 0.99±0.90 mm relative to the magnetic tracking device used as ground truth. Qualitative evaluation with the ACR phantom shows the advantage of the motion tracking application. The developed system is able to perform tracking with accuracy close to millimeter and can help to preserve resolution of brain PET images in presence of movements.

Observations of volcanic plumes using small balloon soundings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voemel, H.

2015-12-01

Eruptions of volcanoes are very difficult to predict and for practical purposes may occur at any time. Any observing system intending to observe volcanic eruptions has to be ready at any time. Due to transport time scales, emissions of large volcanic eruptions, in particular injections into the stratosphere, may be detected at locations far from the volcano within days to weeks after the eruption. These emissions may be observed using small balloon soundings at dedicated sites. Here we present observations of particles of the Icelandic Grimsvotn eruption at the Meteorological Observatory Lindenberg, Germany in the months following the eruption and observations of opportunity of other volcanic particle events. We also present observations of the emissions of SO2 from the Turrialba volcano at San Jose, Costa Rica. We argue that dedicated sites for routine observations of the clean and perturbed atmosphere using small sounding balloons are an important element in the detection and quantification of emissions from future volcanic eruptions.

Life Cycle Analysis of Dedicated Nano-Launch Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zapata, Edgar; McCleskey, Carey; Martin, John; Lepsch, Roger; Hernani, Tosoc

2014-01-01

Recent technology advancements have enabled the development of small cheap satellites that can perform useful functions in the space environment. Currently, the only low cost option for getting these payloads into orbit is through ride share programs. As a result, these launch opportunities await primary payload launches and a backlog exists. An alternative option would be dedicated nano-launch systems built and operated to provide more flexible launch services, higher availability, and affordable prices. The potential customer base that would drive requirements or support a business case includes commercial, academia, civil government and defense. Further, NASA technology investments could enable these alternative game changing options.With this context, in 2013 the Game Changing Development (GCD) program funded a NASA team to investigate the feasibility of dedicated nano-satellite launch systems with a recurring cost of less than $2 million per launch for a 5 kg payload to low Earth orbit. The team products would include potential concepts, technologies and factors for enabling the ambitious cost goal, exploring the nature of the goal itself, and informing the GCD program technology investment decision making process. This paper provides an overview of the life cycle analysis effort that was conducted in 2013 by an inter-center NASA team. This effort included the development of reference nano-launch system concepts, developing analysis processes and models, establishing a basis for cost estimates (development, manufacturing and launch) suitable to the scale of the systems, and especially, understanding the relationship of potential game changing technologies to life cycle costs, as well as other factors, such as flights per year.

Press Site Auditorium dedicated to John Holliman

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

A ceremony dedicated the KSC Press Site auditorium as the John Holliman Auditorium to honor the correspondent for his enthusiastic, dedicated coverage of America's space program. The auditorium was built in 1980 and has been the focal point for new coverage of Space Shuttle launches. The ceremony followed the 94th launch of a Space Shuttle, on mission STS-96, earlier this morning.

Dedication: John Reuben Clark.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Volume 40 of Horticultural reviews is dedicated to John Reuben Clark (University of Arkansas) for his outstanding contributions to horticulture. While known particularly for his impact on blackberry, blueberry, table grape, and peach cultivar development, he has also been a strong and enthusiastic v...

A dedicated breast-PET/CT scanner: Evaluation of basic performance characteristics.

PubMed

Raylman, Raymond R; Van Kampen, Will; Stolin, Alexander V; Gong, Wenbo; Jaliparthi, Gangadhar; Martone, Peter F; Smith, Mark F; Sarment, David; Clinthorne, Neal H; Perna, Mark

2018-04-01

Application of advanced imaging techniques, such as PET and x ray CT, can potentially improve detection of breast cancer. Unfortunately, both modalities have challenges in the detection of some lesions. The combination of the two techniques, however, could potentially lead to an overall improvement in diagnostic breast imaging. The purpose of this investigation is to test the basic performance of a new dedicated breast-PET/CT. The PET component consists of a rotating pair of detectors. Its performance was evaluated using the NEMA NU4-2008 protocols. The CT component utilizes a pulsed x ray source and flat panel detector mounted on the same gantry as the PET scanner. Its performance was assessed using specialized phantoms. The radiation dose to a breast during CT imaging was explored by the measurement of free-in-air kerma and air kerma measured at the center of a 16 cm-diameter PMMA cylinder. Finally, the combined capabilities of the system were demonstrated by imaging of a micro-hot-rod phantom. Overall, performance of the PET component is comparable to many pre-clinical and other dedicated breast-PET scanners. Its spatial resolution is 2.2 mm, 5 mm from the center of the scanner using images created with the single-sliced-filtered-backprojection algorithm. Peak NECR is 24.6 kcps; peak sensitivity is 1.36%; the scatter fraction is 27%. Spatial resolution of the CT scanner is 1.1 lp/mm at 10% MTF. The free-in-air kerma is 2.33 mGy, while the PMMA-air kerma is 1.24 mGy. Finally, combined imaging of a micro-hot-rod phantom illustrated the potential utility of the dual-modality images produced by the system. The basic performance characteristics of a new dedicated breast-PET/CT scanner are good, demonstrating that its performance is similar to current dedicated PET and CT scanners. The potential value of this system is the capability to produce combined duality-modality images that could improve detection of breast disease. The next stage in development of this system

Non-rigid registration of serial dedicated breast CT, longitudinal dedicated breast CT and PET/CT images using the diffeomorphic demons method.

PubMed

Santos, Jonathan; Chaudhari, Abhijit J; Joshi, Anand A; Ferrero, Andrea; Yang, Kai; Boone, John M; Badawi, Ramsey D

2014-09-01

Dedicated breast CT and PET/CT scanners provide detailed 3D anatomical and functional imaging data sets and are currently being investigated for applications in breast cancer management such as diagnosis, monitoring response to therapy and radiation therapy planning. Our objective was to evaluate the performance of the diffeomorphic demons (DD) non-rigid image registration method to spatially align 3D serial (pre- and post-contrast) dedicated breast computed tomography (CT), and longitudinally-acquired dedicated 3D breast CT and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT images. The algorithmic parameters of the DD method were optimized for the alignment of dedicated breast CT images using training data and fixed. The performance of the method for image alignment was quantitatively evaluated using three separate data sets; (1) serial breast CT pre- and post-contrast images of 20 women, (2) breast CT images of 20 women acquired before and after repositioning the subject on the scanner, and (3) dedicated breast PET/CT images of 7 women undergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy acquired pre-treatment and after 1 cycle of therapy. The DD registration method outperformed no registration (p < 0.001) and conventional affine registration (p ≤ 0.002) for serial and longitudinal breast CT and PET/CT image alignment. In spite of the large size of the imaging data, the computational cost of the DD method was found to be reasonable (3-5 min). Co-registration of dedicated breast CT and PET/CT images can be performed rapidly and reliably using the DD method. This is the first study evaluating the DD registration method for the alignment of dedicated breast CT and PET/CT images. Copyright © 2014 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling and sizing the coil in boost converters dedicated to photovoltaic sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atik, Lotfi; Fares, Mohammed Amine; Zaraket, Jean; Bachir, Ghalem; Aillerie, Michel

2018-05-01

The coil is a very important element in a wide range of power electrical systems as such as those used in converter or inverter dedicated to extract and to adapt the value and the shape of the intensity and the voltage delivered by renewable energy sources. Thus, knowing its behavior in converters is paramount to obtain a maximum conversion efficiency and reliability. In this context, this paper presents a global study of a DC/DC boost converter dedicated to photovoltaic sources based on the modeling of the behavior of the coil or the inductance as a function of the switching frequency.

COMPARISON OF GEOPROBE PRT AND AMS GVP SOIL-GAS SAMPLING SYSTEMS WITH DEDICATED VAPOR PROBES IN SANDY SOILS AT THE RAYMARK SUPERFUND SITE

EPA Science Inventory

A study was conducted near the Raymark Superfund Site in Stratford, Connecticut to compare results of soil-gas sampling using dedicated vapor probes, a truck-mounted direct-push technique - the Geoprobe Post-Run-Tubing (PRT) system, and a hand-held rotary hammer technique - the A...

EKOSAT/DIAMANT - The Earth Observation Programme at OHB- System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penne, B.; Tobehn, C.; Kassebom, M.; Luebberstedt

This paper covers the EKOSAT / DIAMANT programme heading for superspectral geo-information products. The EKOSAT / DIAMANT programme is based on a commercial strategy just before the realization of the first step - the EKOSAT launch in 2004. Further, we give an overview on OHB-System earth observation prime activities especially for infrared and radar. The EKOSAT/ DIAMANT is based on the MSRS sensor featuring 12 user dedicated spectral bands in the VIS/NIR with 5m spatial resolution and 26 km swath at an orbit of 670 km. The operational demonstrator mission EKOSAT is a Korean-Israelean-German-Russian initiative that aims in utilizing the existing proto-flight model of the KOMPSAT-1 spacecraft for the MSRS sensor, which development is finished. The EKOSAT pointing capability will allow a revisit time of 3 days. DIAMANT stands for the future full operational system based on dedicated small satellites. The basic constellation relying on 2-3 satellites with about one day revisit is extendend on market demand. EKOSAT/ DIAMANT is designed to fill the gap between modern high spatial resolution multispectral (MS) systems and hyperspectral systems with moderate spatial resolution. On European level, there is currently no remote sensing system operational with comparable features and capabilities concerning applications especially in the field of environmental issues, vegetation, agriculture and water bodies. The Space Segment has been designed to satisfy the user requirements based on a balance between commercial aspects and scientific approaches. For example eight spectral bands have been identified to cover almost the entire product range for the current market. Additional four bands have been implemented to be prepared for future applications as for example the improved red edge detection, which give better results regarding environmental conditions. The spacecraft design and its subsystems are still reasonable small in order to keep the mass below 200 kg. This is an

Power electronic supply system with the wind turbine dedicated for average power receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widerski, Tomasz; Skrzypek, Adam

2018-05-01

This article presents the original project of the AC-DC-AC converter dedicated to low power wind turbines. Such a set can be a good solution for powering isolated objects that do not have access to the power grid, for example isolated houses, mountain lodges or forester's lodges, where they can replace expensive diesel engine generators. An additional source of energy in the form of a mini-wind farm is also a good alternative to yachts, marinas and tent sites, which are characterized by relatively low power consumption. This article presents a designed low power wind converter that is dedicated to these applications. The main design idea of the authors was to create a device that converts the very wide range input voltage directly to a stable 230VAC output voltage without the battery buffer. Authors focused on maximum safety of using and service. The converter contains the thermal protection, short-circuit protection and overvoltage protection. The components have been selected in such a way as to ensure that the device functions as efficiently as possible.

Neurolab - A Space Shuttle Mission Dedicated to Neuroscience Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Session JA5 includes short reports concerning: (1) NASA/NIH Neurolab Collaborations; (2) Neurolab Mission: An Example of International Cooperation; (3) Neurolab: An Overview of the Planned Scientific Investigations; (4) EDEN: A Payload for NEUROLAB, dedicated to Neuro Vestibular Research; (5) Neurolab Experiments on the Role of Visual Cues in Microgravity Spatial Orientation; and (6) The Role of Space in the Exploration of the Mammalian Vestibular System.

Design considerations for a C-shaped PET system, dedicated to small animal brain imaging, using GATE Monte Carlo simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efthimiou, N.; Papadimitroulas, P.; Kostou, T.; Loudos, G.

2015-09-01

Commercial clinical and preclinical PET scanners rely on the full cylindrical geometry for whole body scans as well as for dedicated organs. In this study we propose the construction of a low cost dual-head C-shaped PET system dedicated for small animal brain imaging. Monte Carlo simulation studies were performed using GATE toolkit to evaluate the optimum design in terms of sensitivity, distortions in the FOV and spatial resolution. The PET model is based on SiPMs and BGO pixelated arrays. Four different configurations with C- angle 0°, 15°, 30° and 45° within the modules, were considered. Geometrical phantoms were used for the evaluation process. STIR software, extended by an efficient multi-threaded ray tracing technique, was used for the image reconstruction. The algorithm automatically adjusts the size of the FOV according to the shape of the detector's geometry. The results showed improvement in sensitivity of ∼15% in case of 45° C-angle compared to the 0° case. The spatial resolution was found 2 mm for 45° C-angle.

WARP: Weight Associative Rule Processor. A dedicated VLSI fuzzy logic megacell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pagni, A.; Poluzzi, R.; Rizzotto, G. G.

1992-01-01

During the last five years Fuzzy Logic has gained enormous popularity in the academic and industrial worlds. The success of this new methodology has led the microelectronics industry to create a new class of machines, called Fuzzy Machines, to overcome the limitations of traditional computing systems when utilized as Fuzzy Systems. This paper gives an overview of the methods by which Fuzzy Logic data structures are represented in the machines (each with its own advantages and inefficiencies). Next, the paper introduces WARP (Weight Associative Rule Processor) which is a dedicated VLSI megacell allowing the realization of a fuzzy controller suitable for a wide range of applications. WARP represents an innovative approach to VLSI Fuzzy controllers by utilizing different types of data structures for characterizing the membership functions during the various stages of the Fuzzy processing. WARP dedicated architecture has been designed in order to achieve high performance by exploiting the computational advantages offered by the different data representations.

SLAPex Freeze/Thaw 2015: The First Dedicated Soil Freeze/Thaw Airborne Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Edward; Wu, Albert; DeMarco, Eugenia; Powers, Jarrett; Berg, Aaron; Rowlandson, Tracy; Freeman, Jacqueline; Gottfried, Kurt; Toose, Peter; Roy, Alexandre;

Use of commercial grade item dedication to reduce procurement costs

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

Rosch, F.

1995-09-01

In the mid-1980s, the Nuclear Regulatory Industry (NRC) began inspecting utility practices of procuring and dedicating commercial grade items intended for plant safety-related applications. As a result of the industry efforts to address NRC concerns, nuclear utilities have enhanced existing programs and procedures for dedication of commercial grade items. Though these programs were originally enhanced to meet NRC concerns, utilities have discovered that the dedication of commercial grade items can also reduce overall procurement costs. This paper will discuss the enhancement of utility dedication programs and demonstrates how utilities have utilized them to reduce procurement costs.

APOLLO 17 - FLAG DEDICATION - JSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1974-01-15

S74-15520 --- Left to right Gene Kranz, Gene Cernan, Karla Garnuch, Harrison Schmitt, George Abbey, and Sigurd A. Sjoberg watching the dedication of the Apollo 17 flag to the Mission Control Center. Photo credit: NASA

Performance of a high-sensitivity dedicated cardiac SPECT scanner for striatal uptake quantification in the brain based on analysis of projection data

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

Park, Mi-Ae; Moore, Stephen C.; McQuaid, Sarah J.

Purpose: The authors have previously reported the advantages of high-sensitivity single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems for imaging structures located deep inside the brain. DaTscan (Isoflupane I-123) is a dopamine transporter (DaT) imaging agent that has shown potential for early detection of Parkinson disease (PD), as well as for monitoring progression of the disease. Realizing the full potential of DaTscan requires efficient estimation of striatal uptake from SPECT images. They have evaluated two SPECT systems, a conventional dual-head gamma camera with low-energy high-resolution collimators (conventional) and a dedicated high-sensitivity multidetector cardiac imaging system (dedicated) for imaging tasks related to PD.more » Methods: Cramer-Rao bounds (CRB) on precision of estimates of striatal and background activity concentrations were calculated from high-count, separate acquisitions of the compartments (right striata, left striata, background) of a striatal phantom. CRB on striatal and background activity concentration were calculated from essentially noise-free projection datasets, synthesized by scaling and summing the compartment projection datasets, for a range of total detected counts. They also calculated variances of estimates of specific-to-nonspecific binding ratios (BR) and asymmetry indices from these values using propagation of error analysis, as well as the precision of measuring changes in BR on the order of the average annual decline in early PD. Results: Under typical clinical conditions, the conventional camera detected 2 M counts while the dedicated camera detected 12 M counts. Assuming a normal BR of 5, the standard deviation of BR estimates was 0.042 and 0.021 for the conventional and dedicated system, respectively. For an 8% decrease to BR = 4.6, the signal-to-noise ratio were 6.8 (conventional) and 13.3 (dedicated); for a 5% decrease, they were 4.2 (conventional) and 8.3 (dedicated). Conclusions: This implies that

A technique for incorporating the NASA spacelab payload dedicated experiment processor software into the simulation system for the payload crew training complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bremmer, D. A.

1986-01-01

The feasibility of some off-the-shelf microprocessors and state-of-art software is assessed (1) as a development system for the principle investigator (pi) in the design of the experiment model, (2) as an example of available technology application for future PI's experiments, (3) as a system capable of being interactive in the PCTC's simulation of the dedicated experiment processor (DEP), preferably by bringing the PI's DEP software directly into the simulation model, (4) as a system having bus compatibility with host VAX simulation computers, (5) as a system readily interfaced with mock-up panels and information displays, and (6) as a functional system for post mission data analysis.

The Mediterranean Decision Support System for Marine Safety dedicated to oil slicks predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zodiatis, G.; De Dominicis, M.; Perivoliotis, L.; Radhakrishnan, H.; Georgoudis, E.; Sotillo, M.; Lardner, R. W.; Krokos, G.; Bruciaferri, D.; Clementi, E.; Guarnieri, A.; Ribotti, A.; Drago, A.; Bourma, E.; Padorno, E.; Daniel, P.; Gonzalez, G.; Chazot, C.; Gouriou, V.; Kremer, X.; Sofianos, S.; Tintore, J.; Garreau, P.; Pinardi, N.; Coppini, G.; Lecci, R.; Pisano, A.; Sorgente, R.; Fazioli, L.; Soloviev, D.; Stylianou, S.; Nikolaidis, A.; Panayidou, X.; Karaolia, A.; Gauci, A.; Marcati, A.; Caiazzo, L.; Mancini, M.

2016-11-01

In the Mediterranean sea the risk from oil spill pollution is high due to the heavy traffic of merchant vessels for transporting oil and gas, especially after the recent enlargement of the Suez canal and to the increasing coastal and offshore installations related to the oil industry in general. The basic response to major oil spills includes different measures and equipment. However, in order to strengthen the maritime safety related to oil spill pollution in the Mediterranean and to assist the response agencies, a multi-model oil spill prediction service has been set up, known as MEDESS-4MS (Mediterranean Decision Support System for Marine Safety). The concept behind the MEDESS-4MS service is the integration of the existing national ocean forecasting systems in the region with the Copernicus Marine Environmental Monitoring Service (CMEMS) and their interconnection, through a dedicated network data repository, facilitating access to all these data and to the data from the oil spill monitoring platforms, including the satellite data ones, with the well established oil spill models in the region. The MEDESS-4MS offer a range of service scenarios, multi-model data access and interactive capabilities to suite the needs of REMPEC (Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea) and EMSA-CSN (European Maritime Safety Agency-CleanseaNet).

Life Cycle Analysis of Dedicated Nano-Launch Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zapata, Edgar; McCleskey, Carey (Editor); Martin, John; Lepsch, Roger; Ternani, Tosoc

2014-01-01

Recent technology advancements have enabled the development of small cheap satellites that can perform useful functions in the space environment. Currently, the only low cost option for getting these payloads into orbit is through ride share programs - small satellites awaiting the launch of a larger satellite, and then riding along on the same launcher. As a result, these small satellite customers await primary payload launches and a backlog exists. An alternative option would be dedicated nano-launch systems built and operated to provide more flexible launch services, higher availability, and affordable prices. The potential customer base that would drive requirements or support a business case includes commercial, academia, civil government and defense. Further, NASA technology investments could enable these alternative game changing options. With this context, in 2013 the Game Changing Development (GCD) program funded a NASA team to investigate the feasibility of dedicated nano-satellite launch systems with a recurring cost of less than $2 million per launch for a 5 kg payload to low Earth orbit. The team products would include potential concepts, technologies and factors for enabling the ambitious cost goal, exploring the nature of the goal itself, and informing the GCD program technology investment decision making process. This paper provides an overview of the life cycle analysis effort that was conducted in 2013 by an inter-center NASA team. This effort included the development of reference nano-launch system concepts, developing analysis processes and models, establishing a basis for cost estimates (development, manufacturing and launch) suitable to the scale of the systems, and especially, understanding the relationship of potential game changing technologies to life cycle costs, as well as other factors, such as flights per year.

HyMeX-SOP1, the field campaign dedicated to heavy precipitation and flash-flooding in Northwestern Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ducrocq, Véronique

2013-04-01

The Mediterranean region is frequently affected by heavy precipitation events associated with flash-floods, landslides and mudslides each year that cost several billions of dollars in damage and causing too often casualties. Within the framework of the 10-year international HyMeX program dedicated to the hydrological cycle and related processes in the Mediterranean (http://www.hymex.org), a major field campaign has been dedicated to heavy precipitation and flash-floods from September to November 2012. The 2-month field campaign took place over the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea and its surrounding coastal regions in France, Italy and Spain. The observation strategy aimed at documenting four key components leading to heavy precipitation and flash-flooding in that region: (i) the marine atmospheric flow that transport moist and conditionaly unstable air towards the coasts; (ii) the Mediterranean Sea as a moisture and energy source; (iii) the dynamics and microphysics of the convective systems; (iv) the hydrological processes during flash-floods. During the field campaign about twenty precipitation events were monitored, including mesoscale convective systems, Mediterranean cyclogenesis, shallow-convection orographic precipitation. Three aircraft performed about 250 flight hours for a survey of the upstream flow, the air-sea fluxes and the convective systems. About 700 additional radiosoundings were launched either from HyMeX sites or from operational RS sites in Europe, as well as about 20 boundary layer balloons were launched to monitor the low-level flow over the Mediterranean Sea and the ambient atmospheric conditions. Gliders, Argo floats, drifting buoys and ocean soundings from vessels monitored the Mediterranean Sea during the field campaign. Atmospheric and hydrological instruments such as radars, LIDARS, radiometers, wind profilers, lightning sensors, were deployed over 5 regions in France, Italy and Spain. The presentation will present the general

Security Policy and Infrastructure in the Context of a Multi-Centeric Information System Dedicated to Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Ben Said, Mohamed; Robel, Laurence; Golse, Bernard; Jais, Jean Philippe

2017-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neuro-developmental disorders affecting children in their early age. The diagnosis of ASD relies on multidisciplinary investigations, in psychiatry, neurology, genetics, electrophysiology, neuro-imagery, audiology and ophthalmology. In order to support clinicians, researchers and public health decision makers, we designed an information system dedicated to ASD, called TEDIS. TEDIS was designed to manage systematic, exhaustive and continuous multi-centric patient data collection via secured Internet connections. In this paper, we present the security policy and security infrastructure we developed to protect ASD' patients' clinical data and patients' privacy. We tested our system on 359 ASD patient records in a local secured intranet environment and showed that the security system is functional, with a consistent, transparent and safe encrypting-decrypting behavior. It is ready for deployment in the nine ASD expert assessment centers in the Ile de France district.

Commercial grade item (CGI) dedication of MDR relays for nuclear safety related applications

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

Das, R.K.; Julka, A.; Modi, G.

1994-08-01

MDR relays manufactured by Potter and Brumfield (P and B) have been used in various safety related applications in commercial nuclear power plants. These include emergency safety features (ESF) actuation systems, emergency core cooling systems (ECCS) actuation, and reactor protection systems. The MDR relays manufactured prior to May 1990 showed signs of generic failure due to corrosion and outgassing of coil varnish. P and B has made design changes to correct these problems in relays manufactured after May 1990. However, P and B does not manufacture the relays under any 10CFR50 Appendix B quality assurance (QA) program. They manufacture themore » relays under their commercial QA program and supply these as commercial grade items. This necessitates CGI Dedication of these relays for use in nuclear-safety-related applications. This paper presents a CGI dedication program that has been used to dedicate the MDR relays manufactured after May 1990. The program is in compliance with current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) guidelines and applicable industry standards; it specifies the critical characteristics of the relays, provides the tests and analysis required to verify the critical characteristics, the acceptance criteria for the test results, performs source verification to qualify P and B for its control of the critical characteristics, and provides documentation. The program provides reasonable assurance that the new MDR relays will perform their intended safety functions.« less

Earth Observing System (EOS)/Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This is the twentieth monthly report for the Earth Observing System/Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (EOS/AMSU-A), Contract NAS5-32314, and covers the period from 1 August 1994 through 31 August 1994. This period is the eighth month of the Implementation Phase which provides for the design, fabrication, assembly, and test of the first EOS/AMSU-A, the Protoflight Model. During this period the number one priority for the program continued to be the issuance of Requests for Quotations (RFQ) to suppliers and the procurement of the long-lead receiver components. Significant effort was also dedicated to preparation and conduct of internal design reviews and preparation for the PDR scheduled in September. An overview of the program status, including key events, action items, and documentation submittals, is provided in Section 2 of this report. The Program Manager's 'Priority Issues' are defined in Section 3. Section 4 through 7 provide detailed progress reports for the system engineering effort, each subsystem, performance assurance, and configuration/data management. Contractual matters are discussed in Section 8.

Being Dedicated in the Film The American Nurse.

PubMed

Baumann, Steven L; Ganzer, Christine Anne

2016-01-01

The focus of this humanbecoming hermeneutic study of graduate nursing students' reflections is on being dedicated as portrayed in the documentary film, The American Nurse. Nursing students were invited to a public screening of the film, with the director, Carolyn Jones, and asked to write a brief reflective essay on "what is the meaning of being dedicated depicted in the film The American Nurse." The perspective is to be the humanbecoming school of thought. The participants were 20 nurses either in a graduate or doctoral nursing program at the time of this study. The emergent meanings of the study are offered to enhance knowledge and understanding of being dedicated. The use of documentary film to expand graduate nursing students' awareness of global issues is also considered. © The Author(s) 2015.

Launch Pad Dedication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Noted author and previous Marshall Space Flight Center employee Mr. Homer Hickam Jr. poses in front of a placque commemorating his achievement in realizing his dreams of becoming a rocket scientist. The dedication site is located at the U. S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL, and is used by amature rocket builders attending the Space Camp to launch their self-made rockets like Mr. Hickam did as a youth growing up in rural West Virginia. Posing with Mr. Hickam is the Madison County Commissioner Mr. Mike Gillispie.

The PIRATA Observing System in the Tropical Atlantic: Enhancements and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, Fabrice; Araujo, Moacyr; Bourlès, Bernard; Brandt, Peter; Campos, Edmo; Giordani, Hervé; Lumpkin, Rick; McPhaden, Michael J.; Nobre, Paulo; Saravanan, Ramalingam

2017-04-01

PIRATA (Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic) is a multinational program established to improve our knowledge and understanding of ocean-atmosphere variability in the tropical Atlantic, a region that strongly influences the regional hydro-climates and, consequently, the economies of the regions bordering the Atlantic Ocean (e.g. West Africa, North-Eastern Brazil, the West Indies and the United States). PIRATA is motivated not only by fundamental scientific questions but also by societal needs for improved prediction of climatic variability and its impacts. PIRATA, initiated in 1997, is based around an array of moored buoys providing meteorological and oceanographic measurements transmitted in real-time, disseminated via GTS and Global Data Servers. Then, through yearly mooring maintenance, recorded high frequency data are collected and calibrated. The dedicated cruises of yearly maintenance allow complementary acquisition of a large number of measurements along repeated ship track lines and also provide platforms for deployments of other components of the observing system. Several kinds of operations are carried out in collaboration with other international programs. PIRATA provides invaluable data for numerous and varied applications, among which are analyses of climate variability on intraseasonal-to-decadal timescales, equatorial dynamics, mixed-layer temperature and salinity budgets, air-sea fluxes, data assimilation, and weather and climate forecasts. PIRATA is now 20 years old, well established and recognized as the backbone of the tropical Atlantic sustained observing system. Several enhancements have been achieved during recent years, including progressive updating of mooring systems and sensors, also in collaborations with and as a contribution to other programs (such as EU PREFACE and AtlantOS). Recent major accomplishments in terms of air-sea exchanges and climate predictability will be highlighted in this presentation. Future

Efficient iterative image reconstruction algorithm for dedicated breast CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antropova, Natalia; Sanchez, Adrian; Reiser, Ingrid S.; Sidky, Emil Y.; Boone, John; Pan, Xiaochuan

2016-03-01

Dedicated breast computed tomography (bCT) is currently being studied as a potential screening method for breast cancer. The X-ray exposure is set low to achieve an average glandular dose comparable to that of mammography, yielding projection data that contains high levels of noise. Iterative image reconstruction (IIR) algorithms may be well-suited for the system since they potentially reduce the effects of noise in the reconstructed images. However, IIR outcomes can be difficult to control since the algorithm parameters do not directly correspond to the image properties. Also, IIR algorithms are computationally demanding and have optimal parameter settings that depend on the size and shape of the breast and positioning of the patient. In this work, we design an efficient IIR algorithm with meaningful parameter specifications and that can be used on a large, diverse sample of bCT cases. The flexibility and efficiency of this method comes from having the final image produced by a linear combination of two separately reconstructed images - one containing gray level information and the other with enhanced high frequency components. Both of the images result from few iterations of separate IIR algorithms. The proposed algorithm depends on two parameters both of which have a well-defined impact on image quality. The algorithm is applied to numerous bCT cases from a dedicated bCT prototype system developed at University of California, Davis.

Does a dedicated program for young breast cancer patients affect the likelihood of fertility preservation discussion and referral?

PubMed

Srikanthan, Amirrtha; Amir, Eitan; Warner, Ellen

2016-06-01

To assess whether a dedicated program for young breast cancer patients, including a nurse navigator, improves the frequency of: a) fertility discussion documentation and b) fertility preservation (FP) referrals. A retrospective chart review and prospective survey were undertaken of breast cancer patients diagnosed at age 40 or younger between 2011 and 2013 who received adjuvant or neo-adjuvant chemotherapy at two academic cancer centers in Toronto, Canada. The Odette Cancer Centre (OCC) has a dedicated program for young breast cancer patients while Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) does not. Patient demographics, tumor pathology, treatment and fertility discussion documentation prior to systemic chemotherapy administration were extracted from patient records. Prospective surveys were administered to the same cohort to corroborate data collected. Eighty-one patient charts were reviewed at both OCC and PM. Forty-seven and 49 at OCC and PM returned surveys for a response rate of 58% and 60% respectively. Chart reviews demonstrated no difference in the frequency of fertility discussion documentation (78% versus 75% for OCC and PM, p = 0.71); however, surveys demonstrated higher rates of recall of fertility discussion at OCC (96% versus 80%, p = 0.02). A greater proportion of women were offered FP referrals at OCC, as observed in chart reviews (56% versus 41%, p = 0.09), and surveys (73% versus 51%, p = 0.04). Time to initiation of chemotherapy did not differ between women who underwent FP and those who did not. A dedicated program for young breast cancer patients is associated with a higher frequency of FP referrals without delaying systemic therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dedicated Caravan Sites for French Gens du Voyage

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract In France, gens du voyage (“people who travel” or “travellers”) is a term used by the government to categorize various itinerant populations, the majority of which are diverse Romani groups. People categorized as gens du voyage are legally required to reside in particular locations called “dedicated caravan sites.” Parliamentary debates about these dedicated caravan sites have clarified that one of the objectives of such sites is to help fulfill the gens du voyage’s right to health. However, there is a significant gap between the officially stated goals of such sites and the reality of life within them. This paper draws on research finding that the conditions in most dedicated caravan sites do not conform with the rights of gens du voyage to acceptable sanitary conditions and other underlying determinants of health. PMID:29302165

18. Photocopy of drawing of bronze dedication plaque, circa 1903 ...

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

18. Photocopy of drawing of bronze dedication plaque, circa 1903 (original drawing in possession of City Engineer's Office Grand Rapids, Michigan) DEDICATION PLAQUE. - Bridge Street Bridge, Spanning Grand River, Michigan & Bridge Streets, Grand Rapids, MI

Press Site Auditorium dedicated to John Holliman

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin hands Mrs. Dianne Holliman a plaque honoring her late husband, John Holliman, a CNN national correspondent. Standing behind Goldin is Center Director Roy Bridges. At right is Tom Johnson, news group chairman of CNN. A ceremony dedicated the KSC Press Site auditorium as the John Holliman Auditorium to honor the correspondent for his enthusiastic, dedicated coverage of America's space program. The auditorium was built in 1980 and has been the focal point for new coverage of Space Shuttle launches. The ceremony followed the 94th launch of a Space Shuttle, on mission STS-96, earlier this morning.

The first dedicated life sciences mission - Spacelab 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cramer, D. R.; Reid, D. H.; Klein, H. P.

Spacelab is a large versatile laboratory carried in the bay of the Shuttle Orbiter. The first Spacelab mission dedicated entirely to Life Sciences is known as Spacelab 4. It is scheduled for launch in late 1985 and will remain aloft for seven days. This payload consists of 25 tentatively selected investigations combined into a comprehensive integrated exploration of the effects of acute weightlessness on living systems. An emphasis is placed on studying physiological changes that have been previously observed in manned space flight. This payload has complementary designs in the human and animal investigations in order to validate animal models of human physiology in weightlessness. The experimental subjects include humans, squirrel monkeys, laboratory rats, several species of plants, and frog eggs. The primary scientific objectives include study of the acute cephalic fluid shift, cardiovascular adaptation to weightlessness, including postflight reductions in orthostatic tolerance and exercise capacity, and changes in vestibular function, including space motion sickness, associated with weightlessness. Secondary scientific objectives include the study of red cell mass reduction, negative nitrogen balance, altered calcium metabolism, suppressed in vitro lymphocyte reactivity, gravitropism and photropism in plants, and fertilization and early development in frog eggs. The rationale behind this payload, the selection process, and details of the individual investigations are presented in this paper.

Development of a mobile system based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and dedicated to in situ analysis of polluted soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bousquet, B.; Travaillé, G.; Ismaël, A.; Canioni, L.; Michel-Le Pierrès, K.; Brasseur, E.; Roy, S.; le Hecho, I.; Larregieu, M.; Tellier, S.; Potin-Gautier, M.; Boriachon, T.; Wazen, P.; Diard, A.; Belbèze, S.

2008-10-01

Principal Components Analysis (PCA) is successfully applied to the full laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) spectra of soil samples, defining classes according to the concentrations of the major elements. The large variability of the LIBS data is related to the heterogeneity of the samples and the representativeness of the data is finally discussed. Then, the development of a mobile LIBS system dedicated to the in-situ analysis of soils polluted by heavy metals is described. Based on the use of ten-meter long optical fibers, the mobile system allows deported measurements. Finally, the laser-assisted drying process studied by the use of a customized laser has not been retained to overcome the problem of moisture.

JOHNSON, L. - DEDICATION (CEREMONIES) - JSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-09-05

S73-33655 (1973) --- Left to right, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, Charles Robb, Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe, Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., James Webb, actor David Niven, and nurse Lt. Dolores B. "Dee" O'Hara with NASA officials during formal dedication ceremonies at JSC. Photo credit: NASA

Saturn V Dedication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

A replica of the Saturn V rocket that propelled man from the confines of Earth's gravity to the surface of the Moon was built on the grounds of the U. S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. in time for the 30th arniversary celebration of that historic occasion. Marshall Space Flight Center and its team of German rocket scientists headed by Dr. Wernher von Braun were responsible for the design and development of the Saturn V rocket. Pictured are MSFC's current Center Director Art Stephenson, Alabama Congressman Bud Cramer, and NASA Administrator Dan Goldin during the dedication ceremony.

Cone beam computed tomography image guidance system for a dedicated intracranial radiosurgery treatment unit.

PubMed

Ruschin, Mark; Komljenovic, Philip T; Ansell, Steve; Ménard, Cynthia; Bootsma, Gregory; Cho, Young-Bin; Chung, Caroline; Jaffray, David

2013-01-01

Image guidance has improved the precision of fractionated radiation treatment delivery on linear accelerators. Precise radiation delivery is particularly critical when high doses are delivered to complex shapes with steep dose gradients near critical structures, as is the case for intracranial radiosurgery. To reduce potential geometric uncertainties, a cone beam computed tomography (CT) image guidance system was developed in-house to generate high-resolution images of the head at the time of treatment, using a dedicated radiosurgery unit. The performance and initial clinical use of this imaging system are described. A kilovoltage cone beam CT system was integrated with a Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion radiosurgery unit. The X-ray tube and flat-panel detector are mounted on a translational arm, which is parked above the treatment unit when not in use. Upon descent, a rotational axis provides 210° of rotation for cone beam CT scans. Mechanical integrity of the system was evaluated over a 6-month period. Subsequent clinical commissioning included end-to-end testing of targeting performance and subjective image quality performance in phantoms. The system has been used to image 2 patients, 1 of whom received single-fraction radiosurgery and 1 who received 3 fractions, using a relocatable head frame. Images of phantoms demonstrated soft tissue contrast visibility and submillimeter spatial resolution. A contrast difference of 35 HU was easily detected at a calibration dose of 1.2 cGy (center of head phantom). The shape of the mechanical flex vs scan angle was highly reproducible and exhibited <0.2 mm peak-to-peak variation. With a 0.5-mm voxel pitch, the maximum targeting error was 0.4 mm. Images of 2 patients were analyzed offline and submillimeter agreement was confirmed with conventional frame. A cone beam CT image guidance system was successfully adapted to a radiosurgery unit. The system is capable of producing high-resolution images of bone and soft tissue. The

Crystal growth methods dedicated to low solubility actinide oxalates

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

Tamain, C., E-mail: christelle.tamain@cea.fr; Arab-Chapelet, B.; Rivenet, M.

Two novel crystal growth syntheses dedicated to low solubility actinide-oxalate systems and adapted to glove box handling are described. These methods based on the use of precursors of either actinide metal or oxalic acid have been optimized on lanthanide systems (analogue of actinides(III)) and then assessed on real actinide systems. They allow the synthesis of several actinide oxalate single crystals, Am{sub 2}(C{sub 2}O{sub 4}){sub 3}(H{sub 2}O){sub 3}·xH{sub 2}O, Th(C{sub 2}O{sub 4}){sub 2}·6H{sub 2}O, M{sub 2+x}[Pu{sup IV}{sub 2−x}Pu{sup III}{sub x}(C{sub 2}O{sub 4}){sub 5}]·nH{sub 2}O and M{sub 1−x}[Pu{sup III}{sub 1−x}Pu{sup IV}{sub x}(C{sub 2}O{sub 4}){sub 2}·H{sub 2}O]·nH{sub 2}O. It is the first timemore » that these well-known compounds are formed by crystal growth methods, thus enabling direct structural studies on transuranic element systems and acquisition of basic data beyond deductions from isomorphic (or not) lanthanide compounds. Characterizations by X-ray diffraction, UV–visible solid spectroscopy, demonstrate the potentialities of these two crystal growth methods to obtain oxalate compounds. - Graphical abstract: Two new single crystal growth methods dedicated to actinide oxalate compounds. - Highlights: • Use of diester as oxalate precursor for crystal growth of actinide oxalates. • Use of actinide oxide as precursor for crystal growth of actinide oxalates. • Crystal growth of Pu(III) and Am(III) oxalates. • Crystal growth of mixed Pu(III)/Pu(IV) oxalates.« less

Enabling Dedicated, Affordable Space Access Through Aggressive Technology Maturation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Jonathan; Kibbey, Tim; Lampton, Pat; Brown, Thomas

2014-01-01

A recent explosion in nano-sat, small-sat, and university class payloads has been driven by low cost electronics and sensors, wide component availability, as well as low cost, miniature computational capability and open source code. Increasing numbers of these very small spacecraft are being launched as secondary payloads, dramatically decreasing costs, and allowing greater access to operations and experimentation using actual space flight systems. While manifesting as a secondary payload provides inexpensive rides to orbit, these arrangements also have certain limitations. Small, secondary payloads are typically included with very limited payload accommodations, supported on a non interference basis (to the prime payload), and are delivered to orbital conditions driven by the primary launch customer. Integration of propulsion systems or other hazardous capabilities will further complicate secondary launch arrangements, and accommodation requirements. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Marshall Space Flight Center has begun work on the development of small, low cost launch system concepts that could provide dedicated, affordable launch alternatives to small, risk tolerant university type payloads and spacecraft. These efforts include development of small propulsion systems and highly optimized structural efficiency, utilizing modern advanced manufacturing techniques. This paper outlines the plans and accomplishments of these efforts and investigates opportunities for truly revolutionary reductions in launch and operations costs. Both evolution of existing sounding rocket systems to orbital delivery, and the development of clean sheet, optimized small launch systems are addressed. A launch vehicle at the scale and price point which allows developers to take reasonable risks with new propulsion and avionics hardware solutions does not exist today. Establishing this service provides a ride through the proverbial "valley of death" that lies between

Polarimetry of Solar System Objects: Observations vs. Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanamandra-Fisher, P. A.

2014-04-01

The overarching goals for the remote sensing and robotic exploration of planetary systems are: (1) understanding the formation of planetary systems and their diversity; and (2) search for habitability. Since all objects have unique polarimetric signatures inclusion of spectrophotopolarimetry as a complementary approach to standard techniques of imaging and spectroscopy, provides insight into the scattering properties of the planetary media. Specifically, linear and circular polarimetric signatures of the object arise from different physical processes and their study proves essential to the characterization of the object. Linear polarization of reflected light by various solar system objects provides insight into the scattering characteristics of atmospheric aerosols and hazes? and surficial properties of atmosphereless bodies. Many optically active materials are anisotropic and so their scattering properties differ with the object's principal axes (such as dichroic or birefringent materials) and are crystalline in structure instead of amorphous, (eg., the presence of olivines and silicates in cometary dust and circumstellar disks? Titan, etc.). Ices (water and other species) are abundant in the system indicated in their near - infrared spectra. Gas giants form outside the frost line (where ices condense), and their satellites and ring systems exhibit signature of water ice? clathrates, nonices (Si, C, Fe) in their NIR spectra and spectral dependence of linear polarization. Additionally, spectral dependence of polarization is important to separate the macroscopic (bulk) properties of the scattering medium from the microscopic (particulate) properties of the scattering medium. Circular polarization, on the other hand, is indicative of magnetic fields and biologically active molecules, necessary for habitability. These applications suffer from lack of detailed observations, instrumentation, dedicated missions and numericalretrieval methods. With recent discoveries and

Saturn V Dedication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

A replica of the Saturn V rocket that propelled man from the confines of Earth's gravity to the surface of the Moon was built on the grounds of the U. S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. in time for the 30th arniversary celebration of that historic occasion. Marshall Space Flight Center and its team of German rocket scientists headed by Dr. Wernher von Braun were responsible for the design and development of the Saturn V rocket. Pictured are MSFC's current Center Director Art Stephenson, Alabama Congressman Bud Cramer, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, and director of the U. S. Space and Rocket Center Mike Wing during the dedication ceremony.

MINERVA: A Dedicated Observatory for Detection of Nearby Low-Mass Exoplanets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCrady, Nate; Johnson, John; Wright, Jason; Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Blake, Cullen; Swift, Jonathan; Eastman, Jason D.; Plavchan, Peter; Riddle, Reed L.; Muirhead, Philip Steven; Bottom, Michael; Zhao, Ming; Beatty, Thomas G.

2015-01-01

Detection of low-mass planets around GKM stars requires sub-meter-per-second radial velocity precision. Stellar noise sources (starspots, oscillations, and granulation) necessitate high cadence observations. MINERVA is a dedicated observatory for velocimetric detection of low mass exoplanets orbiting nearby stars. Our array of four robotic 0.7-meter PlaneWave telescopes feeds a purpose-built, temperature-stabilized, iodine cell spectrometer from Callaghan Innovation. We will monitor bright, sun-like stars within 100 pc every clear night from Whipple Observatory on Mt Hopkins, Arizona. Each telescope is also equipped with an Andor CCD for followup photometry and education use. Commissioning is underway on the site and science observations will begin in early 2015.

Methodology for creating dedicated machine and algorithm on sunflower counting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muracciole, Vincent; Plainchault, Patrick; Mannino, Maria-Rosaria; Bertrand, Dominique; Vigouroux, Bertrand

2007-09-01

In order to sell grain lots in European countries, seed industries need a government certification. This certification requests purity testing, seed counting in order to quantify specified seed species and other impurities in lots, and germination testing. These analyses are carried out within the framework of international trade according to the methods of the International Seed Testing Association. Presently these different analyses are still achieved manually by skilled operators. Previous works have already shown that seeds can be characterized by around 110 visual features (morphology, colour, texture), and thus have presented several identification algorithms. Until now, most of the works in this domain are computer based. The approach presented in this article is based on the design of dedicated electronic vision machine aimed to identify and sort seeds. This machine is composed of a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and a PC bearing the GUI (Human Machine Interface) of the system. Its operation relies on the stroboscopic image acquisition of a seed falling in front of a camera. A first machine was designed according to this approach, in order to simulate all the vision chain (image acquisition, feature extraction, identification) under the Matlab environment. In order to perform this task into dedicated hardware, all these algorithms were developed without the use of the Matlab toolbox. The objective of this article is to present a design methodology for a special purpose identification algorithm based on distance between groups into dedicated hardware machine for seed counting.

Press Site Auditorium dedicated to John Holliman

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

From left, Center Director Roy Bridges and NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin applaud as Jay Holliman, with the help of his mother, Mrs. Dianne Holliman, unveils a plaque honoring his father, the late John Holliman. At right is Tom Johnson, news group chairman of CNN. The occasion was the dedication of the KSC Press Site auditorium as the John Holliman Auditorium to honor the CNN national correspondent for his enthusiastic, dedicated coverage of America's space program. The auditorium was built in 1980 and has been the focal point for new coverage of Space Shuttle launches. The ceremony followed the 94th launch of a Space Shuttle, on mission STS-96, earlier this morning.

7. VARIABLEANGLE LAUNCHER DEDICATION PLAQUE SHOWING JAMES H. JENNISON (LEFT), ...

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

7. VARIABLE-ANGLE LAUNCHER DEDICATION PLAQUE SHOWING JAMES H. JENNISON (LEFT), AND W.H. SAYLOR (RIGHT), AT THE DEDICATION CEREMONY, May 7, 1948. (Original photograph in possession of Dave Willis, San Diego, California.) - Variable Angle Launcher Complex, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservior, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA

Coherence in Professional Education: Does It Foster Dedication and Identification?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heggen, Kåre; Terum, Lars Inge

2013-01-01

This article examines the impact of professional education on students' dedication to and identification with a profession. The premise is that professional education is not only about knowledge acquisition and reasoning but also about attitudes and aspirations. In fostering dedication and identification, students' experiences of relevance seem to…

Operating Dedicated Data Centers - Is It Cost-Effective?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernst, M.; Hogue, R.; Hollowell, C.; Strecker-Kellog, W.; Wong, A.; Zaytsev, A.

2014-06-01

The advent of cloud computing centres such as Amazon's EC2 and Google's Computing Engine has elicited comparisons with dedicated computing clusters. Discussions on appropriate usage of cloud resources (both academic and commercial) and costs have ensued. This presentation discusses a detailed analysis of the costs of operating and maintaining the RACF (RHIC and ATLAS Computing Facility) compute cluster at Brookhaven National Lab and compares them with the cost of cloud computing resources under various usage scenarios. An extrapolation of likely future cost effectiveness of dedicated computing resources is also presented.

Measurements of file transfer rates over dedicated long-haul connections

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

Rao, Nageswara S; Settlemyer, Bradley W; Imam, Neena

2016-01-01

Wide-area file transfers are an integral part of several High-Performance Computing (HPC) scenarios. Dedicated network connections with high capacity, low loss rate and low competing traffic, are increasingly being provisioned over current HPC infrastructures to support such transfers. To gain insights into these file transfers, we collected transfer rate measurements for Lustre and xfs file systems between dedicated multi-core servers over emulated 10 Gbps connections with round trip times (rtt) in 0-366 ms range. Memory transfer throughput over these connections is measured using iperf, and file IO throughput on host systems is measured using xddprof. We consider two file systemmore » configurations: Lustre over IB network and xfs over SSD connected to PCI bus. Files are transferred using xdd across these connections, and the transfer rates are measured, which indicate the need to jointly optimize the connection and host file IO parameters to achieve peak transfer rates. In particular, these measurements indicate that (i) peak file transfer rate is lower than peak connection and host IO throughput, in some cases by as much as 50% or lower, (ii) xdd request sizes that achieve peak throughput for host file IO do not necessarily lead to peak file transfer rates, and (iii) parallelism in host IO and TCP transport does not always improve the file transfer rates.« less

Development of the compact proton beam therapy system dedicated to spot scanning with real-time tumor-tracking technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umezawa, Masumi; Fujimoto, Rintaro; Umekawa, Tooru; Fujii, Yuusuke; Takayanagi, Taisuke; Ebina, Futaro; Aoki, Takamichi; Nagamine, Yoshihiko; Matsuda, Koji; Hiramoto, Kazuo; Matsuura, Taeko; Miyamoto, Naoki; Nihongi, Hideaki; Umegaki, Kikuo; Shirato, Hiroki

2013-04-01

Hokkaido University and Hitachi Ltd. have started joint development of the Gated Spot Scanning Proton Therapy with Real-Time Tumor-Tracking System by integrating real-time tumor tracking technology (RTRT) and the proton therapy system dedicated to discrete spot scanning techniques under the "Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology (FIRST Program)". In this development, we have designed the synchrotron-based accelerator system by using the advantages of the spot scanning technique in order to realize a more compact and lower cost proton therapy system than the conventional system. In the gated irradiation, we have focused on the issues to maximize irradiation efficiency and minimize the dose errors caused by organ motion. In order to understand the interplay effect between scanning beam delivery and target motion, we conducted a simulation study. The newly designed system consists of the synchrotron, beam transport system, one compact rotating gantry treatment room with robotic couch, and one experimental room for future research. To improve the irradiation efficiency, the new control function which enables multiple gated irradiations per synchrotron cycle has been applied and its efficacy was confirmed by the irradiation time estimation. As for the interplay effect, we confirmed that the selection of a strict gating width and scan direction enables formation of the uniform dose distribution.

Earth Viewing Applications Laboratory (EVAL). Dedicated payload, standard test rack payload, sensor modifications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The preliminary analysis of strawman earth-viewing shuttle sortie payloads begun with the partial spacelab payload was analyzed. The payloads analyzed represent the two extremes of shuttle sortie application payloads: a full shuttle sortie payload dedicated to earth-viewing applications, and a small structure payload which can fly on a space available basis with another primary shuttle payload such as a free flying satellite. The intent of the dedicated mission analysis was to configure an ambitious, but feasible, payload; which, while rich in scientific return, would also stress the system and reveal any deficiences or problem areas in mission planning, support equipment, and operations. Conversely, the intent of the small structure payload was to demonstrate the ease with which a small, simple, flexible payload can be accommodated on shuttle flights.

Initial In Vivo Quantification of Tc-99m Sestamibi Uptake as a Function of Tissue Type in Healthy Breasts Using Dedicated Breast SPECT-CT

PubMed Central

Mann, Steve D.; Perez, Kristy L.; McCracken, Emily K. E.; Shah, Jainil P.; Wong, Terence Z.; Tornai, Martin P.

2012-01-01

A pilot study is underway to quantify in vivo the uptake and distribution of Tc-99m Sestamibi in subjects without previous history of breast cancer using a dedicated SPECT-CT breast imaging system. Subjects undergoing diagnostic parathyroid imaging studies were consented and imaged as part of this IRB-approved breast imaging study. For each of the seven subjects, one randomly selected breast was imaged prone-pendant using the dedicated, compact breast SPECT-CT system underneath the shielded patient support. Iteratively reconstructed and attenuation and/or scatter corrected images were coregistered; CT images were segmented into glandular and fatty tissue by three different methods; the average concentration of Sestamibi was determined from the SPECT data using the CT-based segmentation and previously established quantification techniques. Very minor differences between the segmentation methods were observed, and the results indicate an average image-based in vivo Sestamibi concentration of 0.10 ± 0.16 μCi/mL with no preferential uptake by glandular or fatty tissues. PMID:22956950

EMC Aspects of Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) Spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soucek, J.; Ahlen, L.; Bale, S.; Bonnell, J.; Boudin, N.; Brienza, D.; Carr, C.; Cipriani, F.; Escoubet, C. P.; Fazakerley, A.; Gehler, M.; Genot, V.; Hilgers, A.; Hanock, B.; Jannet, G.; Junge, A.; Khotyaintsev, Y.; De Keyser, J.; Kucharek, H.; Lan, R.; Lavraud, B.; Leblanc, F.; Magnes, W.; Mansour, M.; Marcucci, M. F.; Nakamura, R.; Nemecek, Z.; Owen, C.; Phal, Y.; Retino, A.; Rodgers, D.; Safrankova, J.; Sahraoui, F.; Vainio, R.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R.; Steinhagen, J.; Vaivads, A.; Wielders, A.; Zaslavsky, A.

2016-05-01

Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) is a spacecraft mission dedicated to the study of plasma turbulence in near-Earth space. The mission is currently under study for implementation as a part of ESA Cosmic Vision program. THOR will involve a single spinning spacecraft equipped with state of the art instruments capable of sensitive measurements of electromagnetic fields and plasma particles. The sensitive electric and magnetic field measurements require that the spacecraft- generated emissions are restricted and strictly controlled; therefore a comprehensive EMC program has been put in place already during the study phase. The THOR study team and a dedicated EMC working group are formulating the mission EMC requirements already in the earliest phase of the project to avoid later delays and cost increases related to EMC. This article introduces the THOR mission and reviews the current state of its EMC requirements.

System/observer/controller identification toolbox

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juang, Jer-Nan; Horta, Lucas G.; Phan, Minh

1992-01-01

System Identification is the process of constructing a mathematical model from input and output data for a system under testing, and characterizing the system uncertainties and measurement noises. The mathematical model structure can take various forms depending upon the intended use. The SYSTEM/OBSERVER/CONTROLLER IDENTIFICATION TOOLBOX (SOCIT) is a collection of functions, written in MATLAB language and expressed in M-files, that implements a variety of modern system identification techniques. For an open loop system, the central features of the SOCIT are functions for identification of a system model and its corresponding forward and backward observers directly from input and output data. The system and observers are represented by a discrete model. The identified model and observers may be used for controller design of linear systems as well as identification of modal parameters such as dampings, frequencies, and mode shapes. For a closed-loop system, an observer and its corresponding controller gain directly from input and output data.

Comparison of two barium suspensions for dedicated small-bowel series.

PubMed

Davidson, J C; Einstein, D M; Herts, B R; Balfe, D M; Koehler, R E; Morgan, D E; Lieber, M; Baker, M E

1999-02-01

The in vivo radiographic features of two commercially available formulations of barium used as contrast media in dedicated small-bowel series were compared. Fifty-six consecutive outpatients referred for a dedicated small-bowel series were randomly administered either E-Z-Paque or Entrobar. Representative survey radiographs from each examination were randomized and reviewed by six gastrointestinal radiologists from three institutions. Each observer assigned a numeric score (1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = good, and 4 = excellent) that rated the quality of the radiograph with respect to these characteristics: definition of fold pattern, translucency, distention, and integrity of the barium column. Statistical analysis was performed for each characteristic using Wilcoxon's two-sample rank sum test. All six observers found a statistically significant difference between the two barium formulations for mean scores for definition of fold pattern and translucency. Mean scores for fold pattern were 3.3, 3.0, 3.2, 3.6, 3.3, and 3.4 for Entrobar and 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 3.2, 2.6, and 2.7 for E-Z-Paque. Mean scores for translucency were 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 3.1, 2.7, and 3.3 for Entrobar and 1.6, 1.7, 2.1, 2.3, 1.9, and 2.7 for E-Z-Paque. No statistically significant difference was found for mean score for distention or integrity of the barium column. On radiographs, Entrobar was found to have superior characteristics for visualization of fold pattern and translucency but offered no advantages for distention or integrity of the barium column. Improved translucency and definition of fold pattern may translate into improved sensitivity and confidence in diagnosing small-bowel abnormality.

Parallel-aware, dedicated job co-scheduling within/across symmetric multiprocessing nodes

DOEpatents

Jones, Terry R.; Watson, Pythagoras C.; Tuel, William; Brenner, Larry; ,Caffrey, Patrick; Fier, Jeffrey

2010-10-05

In a parallel computing environment comprising a network of SMP nodes each having at least one processor, a parallel-aware co-scheduling method and system for improving the performance and scalability of a dedicated parallel job having synchronizing collective operations. The method and system uses a global co-scheduler and an operating system kernel dispatcher adapted to coordinate interfering system and daemon activities on a node and across nodes to promote intra-node and inter-node overlap of said interfering system and daemon activities as well as intra-node and inter-node overlap of said synchronizing collective operations. In this manner, the impact of random short-lived interruptions, such as timer-decrement processing and periodic daemon activity, on synchronizing collective operations is minimized on large processor-count SPMD bulk-synchronous programming styles.

Dedicated training in adult education among otolaryngology faculty.

PubMed

McMains, Kevin C; Peel, Jennifer

2014-12-01

Most faculty members undergo ad hoc training in education. This survey was developed to assess the prevalence and type of dedicated training in education received by academic otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OTO-HNS) faculty in the United States. Survey. An 11-item survey was developed to assess the prevalence of dedicated instruction in education theory and practice, the types of instruction received, and the barriers to receiving instruction. The survey was sent to all OTO-HNS program directors for distribution among their respective faculty. A total of 216 responses were received. Seventy respondents (32.7%) serve as program director, associate program director, or assistant program director in their respective programs. Forty-six respondents (21.8%) had received dedicated training in education. Of the respondents who described the type of education training received, 48.7% participated in didactics/seminar, 35.9% in degree/certificate programs, 10.3% in multimodality training, and 5.1% online training. Among the barriers encountered to participation in instruction in education, time/productivity pressures was the most commonly cited reason (60.2%), followed by not knowing about the opportunity to receive training (36.4%), lack of departmental support (26.2%), lack of available training (22.3%), and the perception that such training would not be useful (7.8%). Presently, only a minority of surveyed academic otolaryngologists in the United States have received any dedicated instruction in the theory and practice of education. Personal, departmental, and institutional barriers exist in many practice environments that hinder otolaryngology faculty from participating in education training. N/A. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

The Group on Earth Observations and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achache, J.

2006-05-01

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) over the next 10 years. The GEOSS vision, articulated in its 10-Year Implementation Plan, represents the consolidation of a global scientific and political consensus: the assessment of the state of the Earth requires continuous and coordinated observation of our planet at all scales. GEOSS aims to achieve comprehensive, coordinated and sustained observations of the Earth system in order to improve monitoring of the state of the Earth; increase understanding of Earth processes; and enhance prediction of the behaviour of the Earth system. After the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 highlighted the urgent need for coordinated observations relating to the state of the Earth, GEO was established at the Third Earth Observation Summit in February 2005 and the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan was endorsed. GEO currently involves 60 countries; the European Commission; and 43 international organizations and has begun implementation of the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan. GEO programme activities cover nine societal benefit areas (Disasters; Health; Energy; Climate; Water; Weather; Ecosystems; Agriculture; Biodiversity) and five transverse or crosscutting elements (User Engagement; Architecture; Data Management; Capacity Building; Outreach). All these activities have as their final goal the establishment of the "system of systems" which will yield a broad range of basic societal benefits, including the reduction of loss of life and property from tsunamis, hurricanes, and other natural disasters; improved water resource and energy management; and improved understanding of environmental factors significant to public health. As a "system of systems", GEOSS will work with and build upon existing national, regional, and international systems to provide comprehensive, coordinated Earth observations from thousands of instruments worldwide

Time Spent on Dedicated Patient Care and Documentation Tasks Before and After the Introduction of a Structured and Standardized Electronic Health Record.

PubMed

Joukes, Erik; Abu-Hanna, Ameen; Cornet, Ronald; de Keizer, Nicolette F

2018-01-01

Physicians spend around 35% of their time documenting patient data. They are concerned that adopting a structured and standardized electronic health record (EHR) will lead to more time documenting and less time for patient care, especially during consultations. This study measures the effect of the introduction of a structured and standardized EHR on documentation time and time for dedicated patient care during outpatient consultations. We measured physicians' time spent on four task categories during outpatient consultations: documentation, patient care, peer communication, and other activities. Physicians covered various specialties from two university hospitals that jointly implemented a structured and standardized EHR. Preimplementation, one hospital used a legacy-EHR, and one primarily paper-based records. The same physicians were observed 2 to 6 months before and 6 to 8 months after implementation.We analyzed consultation duration, and percentage of time spent on each task category. Differences in time distribution before and after implementation were tested using multilevel linear regression. We observed 24 physicians (162 hours, 439 consultations). We found no significant difference in consultation duration or number of consultations per hour. In the legacy-EHR center, we found the implementation associated with a significant decrease in time spent on dedicated patient care (-8.5%). In contrast, in the previously paper-based center, we found a significant increase in dedicated time spent on documentation (8.3%) and decrease in time on combined patient care and documentation (-4.6%). The effect on dedicated documentation time significantly differed between centers. Implementation of a structured and standardized EHR was associated with 8.5% decrease in time for dedicated patient care during consultations in one center and 8.3% increase in dedicated documentation time in another center. These results are in line with physicians' concerns that the introduction

Study of non-stoichiometric BaSrTiFeO3 oxide dedicated to semiconductor gas sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fasquelle, D.; Verbrugghe, N.; Deputier, S.

2016-11-01

Developing instrumentation systems compatible with the European RoHS directive (restriction of hazardous substances) to monitor our environment is of great interest for our society. Our research therefore aims at developing innovating integrated systems of detection dedicated to the characterization of various environmental exposures. These systems, which integrate new gas sensors containing lead-free oxides, are dedicated to the detection of flammable and toxic gases. We have firstly chosen to study semiconductor gas sensors implemented with lead-free oxides in view to develop RoHS devices. Therefore thick films deposited by spin-coating and screen-printing have been chosen for their robustness, ease to realize and ease to finally obtain cost-effective sensors. As crystalline defects and ionic vacancies are of great interest for gas detection, we have decided to study a non-stoichiometric composition of the BaSrTiFeO3 sensible oxide. Nonstoichiometric BaSrTiFeO3 lead-free oxide thick films were deposited by screen-printing on polycrystalline AFO3 substrates covered by a layer of Ag-Pd acting as bottom electrode. The physical characterizations have revealed a crystalline structure mainly composed of BaTiO3 pseudo-cubic phase and Ba4Ti12O27 monoclinic phase for the powder, and a porous microstructure for the thick films. When compared to a BSTF thick film with a stoichiometric composition, a notable increase in the BSTF dielectric constant value was observed when taking into account of a similar microstructure and grain size. The loss tangent mean value varies more softly for the non-stoichiometric BaSrTiFeO3 films than for the perovskite BSTF film as tanδ decreases from 0.45 to 0.04 when the frequency increases from 100 Hz to 1 MHz.

Efficient Process Migration for Parallel Processing on Non-Dedicated Networks of Workstations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chanchio, Kasidit; Sun, Xian-He

1996-01-01

This paper presents the design and preliminary implementation of MpPVM, a software system that supports process migration for PVM application programs in a non-dedicated heterogeneous computing environment. New concepts of migration point as well as migration point analysis and necessary data analysis are introduced. In MpPVM, process migrations occur only at previously inserted migration points. Migration point analysis determines appropriate locations to insert migration points; whereas, necessary data analysis provides a minimum set of variables to be transferred at each migration pint. A new methodology to perform reliable point-to-point data communications in a migration environment is also discussed. Finally, a preliminary implementation of MpPVM and its experimental results are presented, showing the correctness and promising performance of our process migration mechanism in a scalable non-dedicated heterogeneous computing environment. While MpPVM is developed on top of PVM, the process migration methodology introduced in this study is general and can be applied to any distributed software environment.

Computerized engineering logic for procurement and dedication processes

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

Tulay, M.P.

1996-12-31

This paper summarizes the work performed for designing the system and especially for calculating on-line expected performance and gives some significant results. In an attempt to better meet the needs of operations and maintenance organizations, many nuclear utility procurement engineering groups have simplified their procedures, developed on-line tools for performing the specification of replacement items, and developed relational databases containing part-level information necessary to automate the procurement process. Although these improvements have helped to reduce the engineering necessary to properly specify and accept/dedicate items for nuclear safety-related applications, a number of utilities have recognized that additional long-term savings can bemore » realized by integrating a computerized logic to assist technical procurement engineering personnel.« less

Dedicated hardware processor and corresponding system-on-chip design for real-time laser speckle imaging.

PubMed

Jiang, Chao; Zhang, Hongyan; Wang, Jia; Wang, Yaru; He, Heng; Liu, Rui; Zhou, Fangyuan; Deng, Jialiang; Li, Pengcheng; Luo, Qingming

2011-11-01

Laser speckle imaging (LSI) is a noninvasive and full-field optical imaging technique which produces two-dimensional blood flow maps of tissues from the raw laser speckle images captured by a CCD camera without scanning. We present a hardware-friendly algorithm for the real-time processing of laser speckle imaging. The algorithm is developed and optimized specifically for LSI processing in the field programmable gate array (FPGA). Based on this algorithm, we designed a dedicated hardware processor for real-time LSI in FPGA. The pipeline processing scheme and parallel computing architecture are introduced into the design of this LSI hardware processor. When the LSI hardware processor is implemented in the FPGA running at the maximum frequency of 130 MHz, up to 85 raw images with the resolution of 640×480 pixels can be processed per second. Meanwhile, we also present a system on chip (SOC) solution for LSI processing by integrating the CCD controller, memory controller, LSI hardware processor, and LCD display controller into a single FPGA chip. This SOC solution also can be used to produce an application specific integrated circuit for LSI processing.

Observing the Anthropocene from Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittus, Hansjörg

2016-07-01

Influence of mankind on Earth's climate is evident. The growing population using the resources available, especially by burning goal, oil and gas, changes the composition of the Earth's atmosphere with the result of a continuously increasing temperature. Effects are not limited to the regional scale but are evident on the whole planet, meanwhile named Anthropocene. According to this global influence, it's necessary to also extend monitoring to the entire planet. Space-based observation systems are not limited by any artificial borders and are in principle able, to cover the whole Earth. In principle, two different ways of observation can be selected: Either a dedicated spacecraft will be send into low earth orbit (LEO) or existing platforms are used. Advantages of satellites are the more or less freely selectable orbit (with orbits covering also the polar regions) and the possible adaption of spacecraft platform for the dedicated instrument. On the other hand platforms like the ISS space station enable continuous long term coverage with different instruments. The drawback of an only limited coverage based on the orbit inclination is made up by the possibility to service systems on the station. Furthermore different generations of sensors can be run in parallel and therefore cross calibrated if needed. This paper reviews the currently available sensors types and discusses potential future needs. Included in this discussion is the international space station as an already available platform for earth observation. Furthermore, discussion should also take into account, that an increasing number of constellations with dozens or even thousand satellites are planned. Are these constellations also an option for an increased temporal and spatial monitoring of the Earth?

A Dedicated NEO Follow-up Program for the Southern Hemisphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Altena, W. F.; Bailyn, C. D.; Girard, T. M.; Rabinowitz, D.; Branham, R. L.; Hicks, M.; Lopez, C. E.

2001-11-01

We describe an ongoing program dedicated to the observation of NEOs found by the northern discovery programs and whose tracks carry them into the Southern Hemisphere. We are observing the NEOs, to determine their positions, compute improved orbits and submit them to the Minor Planet Center over the Internet. Alerts of needed observations are monitored on relevant Web pages and e-mail messages from our collaborators at the northern discovery programs. The observations are made at the Cesco Observatory at El Leoncito, Argentina with the 0.5-meter double astrograph and/or at CTIO with the 1.0-meter YALO telescope, depending on the magnitude of the NEO and the photometric requirements for the specific NEO. The double astrograph at El Leoncito observes simultaneous CCD B and V photometry and astrometry for those NEO's brighter than 20, while the YALO observes those brighter than 21.5. YALO also provides simultaneous V and IR photometry and astrometry. All YALO observations are ftp'd to San Juan for astrometric reduction and then a revised orbit is computed from the new and existing observations in Mendoza and a decision is made to retarget our observations if necessary. If so, the El Leoncito and/or YALO observers are notified and provided with an improved ephemeris. The final positions and photometry are then forwarded to the MPC, MPEC and our collaborators. To date, we have reported the positions of over 2000 asteroids, 61 comets and 142 NEOs.

Dedicated computer system AOTK for image processing and analysis of horse navicular bone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaborowicz, M.; Fojud, A.; Koszela, K.; Mueller, W.; Górna, K.; Okoń, P.; Piekarska-Boniecka, H.

2017-07-01

The aim of the research was made the dedicated application AOTK (pol. Analiza Obrazu Trzeszczki Kopytowej) for image processing and analysis of horse navicular bone. The application was produced by using specialized software like Visual Studio 2013 and the .NET platform. To implement algorithms of image processing and analysis were used libraries of Aforge.NET. Implemented algorithms enabling accurate extraction of the characteristics of navicular bones and saving data to external files. Implemented in AOTK modules allowing the calculations of distance selected by user, preliminary assessment of conservation of structure of the examined objects. The application interface is designed in a way that ensures user the best possible view of the analyzed images.

Marine Science Building Dedicated

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-10-17

Officials cut the ribbon during dedication ceremonies of the George A. Knauer Marine Science Building on Oct. 17 at NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC). The $2.75 million facility, the first building at the test site funded by the state of Mississippi, houses six science labs, classrooms and office space for 40 faculty and staff. Pictured are, from left, Rear Adm. Thomas Donaldson, commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; SSC Assistant Director David Throckmorton; Dr. George A. Knauer, founder of the Center of Marine Science at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM); Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck; and USM President Dr. Shelby Thames.

Marine Science Building Dedicated

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Officials cut the ribbon during dedication ceremonies of the George A. Knauer Marine Science Building on Oct. 17 at NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC). The $2.75 million facility, the first building at the test site funded by the state of Mississippi, houses six science labs, classrooms and office space for 40 faculty and staff. Pictured are, from left, Rear Adm. Thomas Donaldson, commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; SSC Assistant Director David Throckmorton; Dr. George A. Knauer, founder of the Center of Marine Science at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM); Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck; and USM President Dr. Shelby Thames.

Operating a wide-area high-availability collaborative remote observing system for classically-scheduled observations at the W. M. Keck Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibrick, Robert I.; Wirth, Gregory D.; Allen, Steven L.; Deich, William T. S.; Goodrich, Robert W.; Lanclos, Kyle; Lyke, James E.

2011-03-01

For over a decade, the W. M. Keck Observatory's two 10-meter telescopes have been operated remotely from its Waimea headquarters. Over the last 9 years, WMKO remote observing has expanded to allow observing teams at dedicated sites located across California to observe via the Internet either in collaboration with colleagues in Waimea or entirely from California; this capability was extended to Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia in 2010 and to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut in early 2011. All Keck facility science instruments are currently supported. Observers distributed between as many as four sites can collaborate in the interactive operation of each instrument by means of shared VNC desktops and multipoint video and/or telephone conferencing. Automated routers at primary remote observing sites ensure continued connectivity during Internet outages. Each Keck remote observing facility is similarly equipped and configured so observers have the same operating environment. This architecture provides observers the flexibility to conduct observations from the location best suited to their needs and to adapt to last-minute changes. It also enhances the ability of off-site technical staff to provide remote support.

Performance characteristics of dedicated molecular breast imaging systems at low doses

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

Long, Zaiyang; Conners, Amy L.; Hunt, Katie N.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the system performance characteristics and lesion detection capability of two molecular breast imaging (MBI) systems: a multicrystal sodium iodide (NaI)-based single-head system and a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT)-based dual-head system at low administered doses (150–300 MBq) of Tc-99m sestamibi. Methods: System performance characteristics including count sensitivity, uniformity, energy resolution, and spatial resolution were measured using standard NEMA methods, or a modified version thereof in cases where the standard NEMA protocol could not be applied. A contrast-detail phantom with 48 lesions at varying depths from the collimator surface was used to assessmore » lesion contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) using background count densities comparable to those observed in patient studies performed with administered doses of 150 MBq Tc-99m sestamibi. Lesions with CNR >3 were deemed to be detectable. Thirty patients undergoing MBI examinations with administered doses of 150–300 MBq were scanned for an additional view on the pixelated NaI system. CNR was calculated for lesions observed on patient images. Background count densities of patient images were measured and compared between the two systems. Results: Over the central field of view, integral and differential uniformity were 6.1% and 4.2%, respectively, for the pixelated NaI system, and 3.8% and 2.7%, respectively, for the CZT system. Count sensitivity was 10.8 kcts/min/MBq for the NaI system and 32.9 kcts/min/MBq for the CZT system. Energy resolution was 13.5% on the pixelated NaI system and 4.5% on the CZT system. Spatial resolution (full-width at half-maximum) for the pixelated NaI detector was 4.2 mm at a distance of 1.2 cm from the collimator and 5.2 mm at 3.1 cm. Spatial resolution of a single CZT detector was 2.9 mm at a distance of 1.2 cm from the collimator and 4.7 mm at 3.1 cm. Effective spatial resolution obtained with dual-head CZT was below 4.7 mm

Investigation of x-ray spectra for iodinated contrast-enhanced dedicated breast CT

PubMed Central

Glick, Stephen J.; Makeev, Andrey

2017-01-01

Abstract. Screening for breast cancer with mammography has been very successful, resulting in part to a reduction of breast cancer mortality by approximately 39% since 1990. However, mammography still has limitations in performance, especially for women with dense breast tissue. Iodinated contrast-enhanced, dedicated breast CT (BCT) has been proposed to improve lesion analysis and the accuracy of diagnostic workup for patients suspected of having breast cancer. A mathematical analysis to explore the use of various x-ray filters for iodinated contrast-enhanced BCT is presented. To assess task-based performance, the ideal linear observer signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is used as a figure-of-merit under the assumptions of a linear, shift-invariant imaging system. To estimate signal and noise propagation through the BCT detector, a parallel-cascade model was used. The lesion model was embedded into a structured background and included a realistic level of iodine uptake. SNR was computed for 84,000 different exposure settings by varying the kV setting, x-ray filter materials and thickness, breast size, and composition and radiation dose. It is shown that some x-ray filter material/thickness combinations can provide up to 75% improvement in the linear ideal observer SNR over a conventionally used x-ray filter for BCT. This improvement in SNR can be traded off for substantial reductions in mean glandular dose. PMID:28149923

Benefits of a Dedicated Breastfeeding Facility and Support Program for Exclusive Breastfeeding among Workers in Indonesia.

PubMed

Basrowi, Ray W; Sulistomo, Astrid B; Adi, Nuri Purwito; Vandenplas, Yvan

2015-06-01

A mother's working environment is believed to be a major determinant of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practice. We aimed to define the influence of a facility dedicated to breastfeeding and a breastfeeding support program at the workplace on breastfeeding practice. A cross-sectional study was performed in five workplaces. The inclusion criteria were female workers whose last child was between 6 and 36 months old. Observational data were obtained and a questionnaire was filled out. The World Health Organization definition for EBF was used. Data from 186 subjects (74 office workers and 112 factory workers) were collected. Just over half (52%) of the mothers were between 20 and 46 years old, 75.3% had graduated from high school and university, 12.9% had more than two children and 36.0% owned a house. The prevalence of EBF during the last 6 months was 32.3%. A proper dedicated breastfeeding facility was available for 21.5% of the mothers, but only 7.5% had been in contact with a breastfeeding support program. The presence of a dedicated breastfeeding facility increased EBF practice almost threefold, by an odds ratio (OR) of 2.74 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.34-5.64 (p<0.05). Knowledge of the breastfeeding support program increased EBF practice by almost six times (OR, 5.93; 95% CI, 1.78-19.79) (p<0.05). Our findings suggest that Governments should make it obligatory for employers to offer a breastfeeding support program and a dedicated breastfeeding facility at the workplace as these simple measures significantly increase EBF.

A Tactile Sensor Network System Using a Multiple Sensor Platform with a Dedicated CMOS-LSI for Robot Applications.

PubMed

Shao, Chenzhong; Tanaka, Shuji; Nakayama, Takahiro; Hata, Yoshiyuki; Bartley, Travis; Nonomura, Yutaka; Muroyama, Masanori

2017-08-28

Robot tactile sensation can enhance human-robot communication in terms of safety, reliability and accuracy. The final goal of our project is to widely cover a robot body with a large number of tactile sensors, which has significant advantages such as accurate object recognition, high sensitivity and high redundancy. In this study, we developed a multi-sensor system with dedicated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Large-Scale Integration (LSI) circuit chips (referred to as "sensor platform LSI") as a framework of a serial bus-based tactile sensor network system. The sensor platform LSI supports three types of sensors: an on-chip temperature sensor, off-chip capacitive and resistive tactile sensors, and communicates with a relay node via a bus line. The multi-sensor system was first constructed on a printed circuit board to evaluate basic functions of the sensor platform LSI, such as capacitance-to-digital and resistance-to-digital conversion. Then, two kinds of external sensors, nine sensors in total, were connected to two sensor platform LSIs, and temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing data were acquired simultaneously. Moreover, we fabricated flexible printed circuit cables to demonstrate the multi-sensor system with 15 sensor platform LSIs operating simultaneously, which showed a more realistic implementation in robots. In conclusion, the multi-sensor system with up to 15 sensor platform LSIs on a bus line supporting temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing was successfully demonstrated.

29 CFR 1926.1439 - Dedicated pile drivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Dedicated pile drivers. 1926.1439 Section 1926.1439 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND HEALTH REGULATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION Cranes and Derricks in Construction § 1926.1439...

The Contribution of the IGS to a Globally Integrated Geodetic Observing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

WEBER, R.

2002-05-01

The dedicated goal of the International GPS Service (IGS) is 'to provide a service to support geodetic and geophysical research activities through GPS data and data products'. To accomplish its mission IGS began routine operations in Jan 1994. Nowadays operations are based on a large number of components like a globally distributed tracking network of about 200 stations, local and regional data centers as well as eight analysis centers. This presentation summarizes the measurement principles of the GPS and GLONASS microwave satellite navigation systems. An overview of current IGS-products will be given and factors limiting the accuracy of these products are discussed. Moreover IGS serves as one of the technique center of the IERS and therefore the delivered products follow designated IERS standards as close as possible. It can be anticipated that the IGS will also play an important role within the framework of an upcoming Globally Integrated Geodetic Observing System. Even today there are a number of scientific crosslinks to other space geodetic techniques and services e.g. to the ILRS in the determination of the geocentre or to the IVS in questions of a temporal and spatial densification of the reference frame. The above-mentioned initiative will strengthen further the cooperation and increase the scientific outcome.

46 CFR 153.217 - Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks... DANGEROUS CARGOES SHIPS CARRYING BULK LIQUID, LIQUEFIED GAS, OR COMPRESSED GAS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Design and Equipment General Vessel Requirements § 153.217 Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast...

46 CFR 153.217 - Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks... DANGEROUS CARGOES SHIPS CARRYING BULK LIQUID, LIQUEFIED GAS, OR COMPRESSED GAS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Design and Equipment General Vessel Requirements § 153.217 Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast...

46 CFR 153.217 - Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks... DANGEROUS CARGOES SHIPS CARRYING BULK LIQUID, LIQUEFIED GAS, OR COMPRESSED GAS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Design and Equipment General Vessel Requirements § 153.217 Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast...

46 CFR 153.217 - Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks... DANGEROUS CARGOES SHIPS CARRYING BULK LIQUID, LIQUEFIED GAS, OR COMPRESSED GAS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Design and Equipment General Vessel Requirements § 153.217 Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast...

46 CFR 153.217 - Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast tanks... DANGEROUS CARGOES SHIPS CARRYING BULK LIQUID, LIQUEFIED GAS, OR COMPRESSED GAS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Design and Equipment General Vessel Requirements § 153.217 Access to enclosed spaces and dedicated ballast...

Dedicated breast CT: geometric design considerations to maximize posterior breast coverage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vedantham, Srinivasan; Karellas, Andrew; Emmons, Margaret M.; Moss, Lawrence J.; Hussain, Sarwat; Baker, Stephen P.

2013-06-01

An Institutional Review Board-approved protocol was used to quantify breast tissue inclusion in 52 women, under conditions simulating both craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views in mammography, dedicated breast CT in the upright subject position, and dedicated breast CT in the prone subject position. Using skin as a surrogate for the underlying breast tissue, the posterior aspect of the breast that is aligned with the chest-wall edge of the breast support in a screen-film mammography system was marked with the study participants positioned for CC and MLO views. The union of skin marks with the study participants positioned for CC and MLO views was considered to represent chest-wall tissue available for imaging with mammography and served as the reference standard. For breast CT, a prone stereotactic breast biopsy unit and a custom-fabricated barrier were used to simulate conditions during prone and upright breast CT, respectively. For the same breast marked on the mammography system, skin marks were made along the breast periphery that was just anterior to the apertures of the prone biopsy unit and the upright barrier. The differences in skin marks between subject positioning simulating breast CT (prone, upright) and mammography were quantified at six anatomic locations. For each location, at least one study participant had a skin mark from breast CT (prone, upright) posterior to mammography. However for all study participants, there was at least one anatomic location where the skin mark from mammography was posterior to that from breast CT (prone, upright) positioning. The maximum amount by which the skin mark from mammography was posterior to breast CT (prone and upright) over all six locations was quantified for each study participant and pair-wise comparison did not exhibit statistically significant difference between prone and upright breast CT (paired t- test, p = 0.4). Quantitatively, for 95% of the study participants the skin mark from

Design and development of a dedicated mammary and axillary region positron emission tomography system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doshi, Niraj Kumar

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Currently, mammography and physical breast examination, both non-invasive techniques, provide the two most effective methods available for screening potential breast cancer patients. During the management of patients, however, several invasive techniques such as axillary lymph node dissection, core biopsies and lumpectomies, are utilized to determine the stage or malignancy of the disease with significant cost and morbidity associated with them. Positron Emission Tomography (PET), using [F-18] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) tracer is a sensitive and non-invasive imaging modality that may be a cost-effective alternative to certain invasive procedures. In this project we have developed a low cost, high performance, dedicated PET camera (maxPET) for mammary and axillary region imaging. The system consists of two 15x15 cm2 planar scintillation detector arrays composed of modular detectors operating in coincidence. The modular detectors are comprised of a 9x9 array of 3x3x20 mm3 lutetiurn oxyorthosilicate (LSO) detector elements, read out by a 5x5 array of position- sensitive photomultiplier tubes. The average measured intrinsic spatial resolution of a detector module is 2.26 mm with a sensitivity of up to 40% for a central point source. The measured coincidence timing resolution for two modules is 2.4 ns. The average energy resolution measured across the entire two detector plates is 21.6%. The coincidence timing resolution for the entire system is 8.1 ns. A line bar phantom was imaged and images were reconstructed using the focal plane tomography algorithm. A 4 mm projection image resolution was measured based on profiles taken through the line bar phantom images. The goal of the maxPET system will be to aid in breast cancer patient management by assisting in imaging women with dense, fibro-glandular breasts, detecting axillary lymph node metastases without surgery, monitoring chemotherapy effectiveness and

WE-AB-204-10: Evaluation of a Novel Dedicated Breast PET System (Mammi-PET)

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

Long, Z; Swanson, T; O’Connor, M

2015-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate the performance characteristics of a novel dedicated breast PET system (Mammi-PET, Oncovision). The system has 2 detector rings giving axial/transaxial field of view of 8/17 cm. Each ring consists of 12 monolithic LYSO modules coupled to PSPMTs. Methods: Uniformity, sensitivity, energy and spatial resolution were measured according to NEMA standards. Count rate performance was investigated using a source of F-18 (1384uCi) decayed over 5 half-lives. A prototype PET phantom was imaged for 20 min to evaluate image quality, recovery coefficients and partial volume effects. Under an IRB-approved protocol, 11 patients who just underwent whole body PET/CT examsmore » were imaged prone with the breast pendulant at 5–10 minutes/breast. Image quality was assessed with and without scatter/attenuation correction and using different reconstruction algorithms. Results: Integral/differential uniformity were 9.8%/6.0% respectively. System sensitivity was 2.3% on axis, 2.2% and 2.8% at 3.8 cm and 7.8 cm off-axis. Mean energy resolution of all modules was 23.3%. Spatial resolution (FWHM) was 1.82 mm and 2.90 mm on axis and 5.8 cm off axis. Three cylinders (14 mm diameter) in the PET phantom were filled with activity concentration ratios of 4:1, 3:1, and 2:1 relative to the background. Measured cylinder to background ratios were 2.6, 1.8 and 1.5 (without corrections) and 3.6, 2.3 and 1.5 (with attenuation/scatter correction). Five cylinders (14, 10, 6, 4 and 2 mm diameter) each with an activity ratio of 4:1 were measured and showed recovery coefficients of 1, 0.66, 0.45, 0.18 and 0.18 (without corrections), and 1, 0.53, 0.30, 0.13 and 0 (with attenuation/scatter correction). Optimal phantom image quality was obtained with 3D MLEM algorithm, >20 iterations and without attenuation/scatter correction. Conclusion: The MAMMI system demonstrated good performance characteristics. Further work is needed to determine the optimal reconstruction parameters for

Dedicated heterogeneous node scheduling including backfill scheduling

DOEpatents

Wood, Robert R [Livermore, CA; Eckert, Philip D [Livermore, CA; Hommes, Gregg [Pleasanton, CA

2006-07-25

A method and system for job backfill scheduling dedicated heterogeneous nodes in a multi-node computing environment. Heterogeneous nodes are grouped into homogeneous node sub-pools. For each sub-pool, a free node schedule (FNS) is created so that the number of to chart the free nodes over time. For each prioritized job, using the FNS of sub-pools having nodes useable by a particular job, to determine the earliest time range (ETR) capable of running the job. Once determined for a particular job, scheduling the job to run in that ETR. If the ETR determined for a lower priority job (LPJ) has a start time earlier than a higher priority job (HPJ), then the LPJ is scheduled in that ETR if it would not disturb the anticipated start times of any HPJ previously scheduled for a future time. Thus, efficient utilization and throughput of such computing environments may be increased by utilizing resources otherwise remaining idle.

Dedicated herbaceous biomass feedstock genetics and development

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biofuels and bio-based products can be produced from a wide variety of plant feedstocks. To supply enough biomass to meet the proposed need for a bio-based economy a suite of dedicated biomass species must be developed to accommodate a range of growing environments throughout the United States. Re...

Sensitivity Observing System Experiment (SOSE)-a new effective NWP-based tool in designing the global observing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marseille, Gert-Jan; Stoffelen, Ad; Barkmeijer, Jan

2008-03-01

Lacking an established methodology to test the potential impact of prospective extensions to the global observing system (GOS) in real atmospheric cases we developed such a method, called Sensitivity Observing System Experiment (SOSE). For example, since the GOS is non uniform it is of interest to investigate the benefit of complementary observing systems filling its gaps. In a SOSE adjoint sensitivity structures are used to define a pseudo true atmospheric state for the simulation of the prospective observing system. Next, the synthetic observations are used together with real observations from the existing GOS in a state-of-the-art Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model to assess the potential added value of the new observing system. Unlike full observing system simulation experiments (OSSE), SOSE can be applied to real extreme events that were badly forecast operationally and only requires the simulation of the new instrument. As such SOSE is an effective tool, for example, to define observation requirements for extensions to the GOS. These observation requirements may serve as input for the design of an operational network of prospective observing systems. In a companion paper we use SOSE to simulate potential future space borne Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) scenarios and assess their capability to sample meteorologically sensitive areas not well captured by the current GOS, in particular over the Northern Hemisphere oceans.

[Desing and validation of a scale to measure caregiving dedication in caregivers of dependent older people].

PubMed

Serrano-Ortega, Natalia; Frías-Osuna, Antonio; Recio-Gómez, Juan M; Del-Pino-Casado, Rafael

2015-11-01

To develop and validate a scale to measure caregiving dedication regarding activities of daily living in caregivers of dependent older people. Cross-sectional study. Primary Health Care (Andalusia, Spain). a probabilistic sample of 200 caregivers of older relatives from Córdoba, Spain. Content validation by experts, construct validity (by exploratory factor analysis), divergent validity and reliability (internal consistency, test-retest reliability and inter-observers reliability). Cronbach's alpha was 0.86. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was 0.96 for test-retest reliability and 0.88 for inter-observers reliability. When the sample was divided in two groups according to perceived burden level (presence and absence), the perceived burden was significantly different in each group (P=.001). The factor analysis revealed one only factor that explained 64% of the variance. The scale allows a suitable measure of caregiving dedication regarding activities of daily living in caregivers of older people, because this scale allows a quickly, easy administration, is well accepted by caregivers, has acceptable psychometric results and includes the frequency of caregiving, the kind of attended need and the dependence level in each need. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

BICENTENNIAL DEDICATION CEREMONIES ATTENDED BY KURT H. DEBUS AND DEKE SLAYTON

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

BICENTENNIAL DEDICATION CEREMONIES ATTENDED BY KURT H. DEBUS AND DEKE SLAYTON KSC-376C-184.24A 116-KSC-376C-184.24A, P-10137, ARCHIVE-04153 Astronaut Donald K. Slayton, left, and Dr. Kurt H. Debus, former Director of the Kennedy Space Center were among attendees at today's Dedication Day ceremonies for 3rd Century America, the Bicentennial Exposition on Science and Technology at the Kennedy Space Center.

Crystal growth methods dedicated to low solubility actinide oxalates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamain, C.; Arab-Chapelet, B.; Rivenet, M.; Grandjean, S.; Abraham, F.

2016-04-01

Two novel crystal growth syntheses dedicated to low solubility actinide-oxalate systems and adapted to glove box handling are described. These methods based on the use of precursors of either actinide metal or oxalic acid have been optimized on lanthanide systems (analogue of actinides(III)) and then assessed on real actinide systems. They allow the synthesis of several actinide oxalate single crystals, Am2(C2O4)3(H2O)3·xH2O, Th(C2O4)2·6H2O, M2+x[PuIV2-xPuIIIx(C2O4)5]·nH2O and M1-x[PuIII1-xPuIVx(C2O4)2·H2O]·nH2O. It is the first time that these well-known compounds are formed by crystal growth methods, thus enabling direct structural studies on transuranic element systems and acquisition of basic data beyond deductions from isomorphic (or not) lanthanide compounds. Characterizations by X-ray diffraction, UV-visible solid spectroscopy, demonstrate the potentialities of these two crystal growth methods to obtain oxalate compounds.

Jupiter System Observer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Senske, Dave; Kwok, Johnny

2008-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the proposed mission for the Jupiter System Observer. The presentation also includes overviews of the mission timeline, science goals, and spacecraftspecifications for the satellite.

A vision for an ultra-high resolution integrated water cycle observation and prediction system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, P. R.

2013-05-01

Society's welfare, progress, and sustainable economic growth—and life itself—depend on the abundance and vigorous cycling and replenishing of water throughout the global environment. The water cycle operates on a continuum of time and space scales and exchanges large amounts of energy as water undergoes phase changes and is moved from one part of the Earth system to another. We must move toward an integrated observation and prediction paradigm that addresses broad local-to-global science and application issues by realizing synergies associated with multiple, coordinated observations and prediction systems. A central challenge of a future water and energy cycle observation strategy is to progress from single variable water-cycle instruments to multivariable integrated instruments in electromagnetic-band families. The microwave range in the electromagnetic spectrum is ideally suited for sensing the state and abundance of water because of water's dielectric properties. Eventually, a dedicated high-resolution water-cycle microwave-based satellite mission may be possible based on large-aperture antenna technology that can harvest the synergy that would be afforded by simultaneous multichannel active and passive microwave measurements. A partial demonstration of these ideas can even be realized with existing microwave satellite observations to support advanced multivariate retrieval methods that can exploit the totality of the microwave spectral information. The simultaneous multichannel active and passive microwave retrieval would allow improved-accuracy retrievals that are not possible with isolated measurements. Furthermore, the simultaneous monitoring of several of the land, atmospheric, oceanic, and cryospheric states brings synergies that will substantially enhance understanding of the global water and energy cycle as a system. The multichannel approach also affords advantages to some constituent retrievals—for instance, simultaneous retrieval of vegetation

Benefits of a Dedicated Breastfeeding Facility and Support Program for Exclusive Breastfeeding among Workers in Indonesia

PubMed Central

Basrowi, Ray W; Sulistomo, Astrid B; Adi, Nuri Purwito

2015-01-01

Purpose A mother's working environment is believed to be a major determinant of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practice. We aimed to define the influence of a facility dedicated to breastfeeding and a breastfeeding support program at the workplace on breastfeeding practice. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed in five workplaces. The inclusion criteria were female workers whose last child was between 6 and 36 months old. Observational data were obtained and a questionnaire was filled out. The World Health Organization definition for EBF was used. Results Data from 186 subjects (74 office workers and 112 factory workers) were collected. Just over half (52%) of the mothers were between 20 and 46 years old, 75.3% had graduated from high school and university, 12.9% had more than two children and 36.0% owned a house. The prevalence of EBF during the last 6 months was 32.3%. A proper dedicated breastfeeding facility was available for 21.5% of the mothers, but only 7.5% had been in contact with a breastfeeding support program. The presence of a dedicated breastfeeding facility increased EBF practice almost threefold, by an odds ratio (OR) of 2.74 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.34-5.64 (p<0.05). Knowledge of the breastfeeding support program increased EBF practice by almost six times (OR, 5.93; 95% CI, 1.78-19.79) (p<0.05). Conclusion Our findings suggest that Governments should make it obligatory for employers to offer a breastfeeding support program and a dedicated breastfeeding facility at the workplace as these simple measures significantly increase EBF. PMID:26157694

Spacelab mission 4 - The first dedicated life sciences mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perry, T. W.; Reid, D. H.

1983-01-01

Plans for the first Spacelab-4 mission dedicated entirely to the life sciences, are reviewed. The thrust of the scientific mission scheduled for late 1985 will be to study the acute effects of weightlessness on living systems, particularly humans. The payload of the Spacelab compartment will contain 24 experiments of which approximately half will involve humans. Among the major areas of interest are cardiovascular and pulmonary function, vestibular function, renal and endocrine physiology, hematology, nitrogen balance, immunological function, the gravitational biology of plants, inflight fertilization of frogs' eggs and the effects of zero gravity on monkeys and rats. In selecting the array of experiments an effort was made to combine investigations with complementary scientific objectives to develop animal models of human biological problems.

Spacelab dedicated discipline laboratory (DDL) utilization concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wunsch, P.; De Sanctis, C.

1984-01-01

The dedicated discipline laboratory (DDL) concept is a new approach for implementing Spacelab missions that involves the grouping of science instruments into mission complements of single or compatible disciplines. These complements are evolved in such a way that the DDL payloads can be left intact between flights. This requires the dedication of flight hardware to specific payloads on a long-term basis and raises the concern that the purchase of additional flight hardware will be required to implement the DDL program. However, the payoff is expected to result in significant savings in mission engineering and assembly effort. A study has been conducted recently to quantify both the requirements for new hardware and the projected mission cost savings. It was found that some incremental additions to the current inventory will be needed to fly the mission model assumed. Cost savings of $2M to 6.5M per mission were projected in areas analyzed in depth, and additional savings may occur in areas for which detailed cost data were not available.

Observing System Evaluations Using GODAE Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release, distribution is unlimite 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 20091228151 14. ABSTRACT Global ocean...forecast systems, developed under the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE), are a powerful means of assessing the impact of different...components of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Using a range of analysis tools and approaches, GODAE systems are useful for quantifying the

First full-beam PET acquisitions in proton therapy with a modular dual-head dedicated system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sportelli, G.; Belcari, N.; Camarlinghi, N.; Cirrone, G. A. P.; Cuttone, G.; Ferretti, S.; Kraan, A.; Ortuño, J. E.; Romano, F.; Santos, A.; Straub, K.; Tramontana, A.; Del Guerra, A.; Rosso, V.

2014-01-01

During particle therapy irradiation, positron emitters with half-lives ranging from 2 to 20 min are generated from nuclear processes. The half-lives are such that it is possible either to detect the positron signal in the treatment room using an in-beam positron emission tomography (PET) system, right after the irradiation, or to quickly transfer the patient to a close PET/CT scanner. Since the activity distribution is spatially correlated with the dose, it is possible to use PET imaging as an indirect method to assure the quality of the dose delivery. In this work, we present a new dedicated PET system able to operate in-beam. The PET apparatus consists in two 10 cm × 10 cm detector heads. Each detector is composed of four scintillating matrices of 23 × 23 LYSO crystals. The crystal size is 1.9 mm × 1.9 mm × 16 mm. Each scintillation matrix is read out independently with a modularized acquisition system. The distance between the two opposing detector heads was set to 20 cm. The system has very low dead time per detector area and a 3 ns coincidence window, which is capable to sustain high single count rates and to keep the random counts relatively low. This allows a new full-beam monitoring modality that includes data acquisition also while the beam is on. The PET system was tested during the irradiation at the CATANA (INFN, Catania, Italy) cyclotron-based proton therapy facility. Four acquisitions with different doses and dose rates were analysed. In all cases the random to total coincidences ratio was equal or less than 25%. For each measurement we estimated the accuracy and precision of the activity range on a set of voxel lines within an irradiated PMMA phantom. Results show that the inclusion of data acquired during the irradiation, referred to as beam-on data, improves both the precision and accuracy of the range measurement with respect to data acquired only after irradiation. Beam-on data alone are enough to give precisions better than 1 mm

Synthetic observations of protostellar multiple systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lomax, O.; Whitworth, A. P.

2018-04-01

Observations of protostars are often compared with synthetic observations of models in order to infer the underlying physical properties of the protostars. The majority of these models have a single protostar, attended by a disc and an envelope. However, observational and numerical evidence suggests that a large fraction of protostars form as multiple systems. This means that fitting models of single protostars to observations may be inappropriate. We produce synthetic observations of protostellar multiple systems undergoing realistic, non-continuous accretion. These systems consist of multiple protostars with episodic luminosities, embedded self-consistently in discs and envelopes. We model the gas dynamics of these systems using smoothed particle hydrodynamics and we generate synthetic observations by post-processing the snapshots using the SPAMCART Monte Carlo radiative transfer code. We present simulation results of three model protostellar multiple systems. For each of these, we generate 4 × 104 synthetic spectra at different points in time and from different viewing angles. We propose a Bayesian method, using similar calculations to those presented here, but in greater numbers, to infer the physical properties of protostellar multiple systems from observations.

20 CFR 416.1247 - Exclusion of a dedicated account in a financial institution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... financial institution. 416.1247 Section 416.1247 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION... a dedicated account in a financial institution. (a) General. In determining the resources of an individual (or spouse, if any), the funds in a dedicated account in a financial institution established and...

A Tactile Sensor Network System Using a Multiple Sensor Platform with a Dedicated CMOS-LSI for Robot Applications †

PubMed Central

Shao, Chenzhong; Tanaka, Shuji; Nakayama, Takahiro; Hata, Yoshiyuki; Bartley, Travis; Muroyama, Masanori

2017-01-01

Robot tactile sensation can enhance human–robot communication in terms of safety, reliability and accuracy. The final goal of our project is to widely cover a robot body with a large number of tactile sensors, which has significant advantages such as accurate object recognition, high sensitivity and high redundancy. In this study, we developed a multi-sensor system with dedicated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Large-Scale Integration (LSI) circuit chips (referred to as “sensor platform LSI”) as a framework of a serial bus-based tactile sensor network system. The sensor platform LSI supports three types of sensors: an on-chip temperature sensor, off-chip capacitive and resistive tactile sensors, and communicates with a relay node via a bus line. The multi-sensor system was first constructed on a printed circuit board to evaluate basic functions of the sensor platform LSI, such as capacitance-to-digital and resistance-to-digital conversion. Then, two kinds of external sensors, nine sensors in total, were connected to two sensor platform LSIs, and temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing data were acquired simultaneously. Moreover, we fabricated flexible printed circuit cables to demonstrate the multi-sensor system with 15 sensor platform LSIs operating simultaneously, which showed a more realistic implementation in robots. In conclusion, the multi-sensor system with up to 15 sensor platform LSIs on a bus line supporting temperature, capacitive and resistive sensing was successfully demonstrated. PMID:29061954

Dedicated mobile high resolution prostate PET imager with an insertable transrectal probe

DOEpatents

Majewski, Stanislaw; Proffitt, James

2010-12-28

A dedicated mobile PET imaging system to image the prostate and surrounding organs. The imaging system includes an outside high resolution PET imager placed close to the patient's torso and an insertable and compact transrectal probe that is placed in close proximity to the prostate and operates in conjunction with the outside imager. The two detector systems are spatially co-registered to each other. The outside imager is mounted on an open rotating gantry to provide torso-wide 3D images of the prostate and surrounding tissue and organs. The insertable probe provides closer imaging, high sensitivity, and very high resolution predominately 2D view of the prostate and immediate surroundings. The probe is operated in conjunction with the outside imager and a fast data acquisition system to provide very high resolution reconstruction of the prostate and surrounding tissue and organs.

The Earth Observing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaffer, Lisa Robock

1992-01-01

The restructuring of the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS), designed to provide comprehensive long term observations from space of changes occurring on the Earth from natural and human causes in order to have a sound scientific basis for policy decisions on protection of the future, is reported. In response to several factors, the original program approved in the fiscal year 1991 budget was restructured and somewhat reduced in scope. The resulting program uses three different sized launch vehicles to put six different spacecraft in orbit in the first phase, followed by two replacement launches for each of five of the six satellites to maintain a long term observing capability to meet the needs of global climate change research and other science objectives. The EOS system, including the space observatories, the data and information system, and the interdisciplinary global change research effort, are approved and proceeding. Elements of EOS are already in place, such as the research investigations and initial data system capabilities. The flights of precursor satellite and Shuttle missions, the ongoing data analysis, and the evolutionary enhancements to the integrated Earth science data management capabilities are all important building blocks to the full EOS program.

Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) - a domain-overarching long-term research infrastructure for the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavric, J. V.; Juurola, E.; Vermeulen, A. T.; Kutsch, W. L.

2016-12-01

In a world that is undergoing climate change and is increasingly impacted by human influence, the need for globally integrated observations of greenhouse gases (GHG) and independent evaluation of their fluxes is becoming increasingly pressing. Since the 2015 COP21 meeting in Paris, such observation systems are also demanded by global stakeholders and policy makers. For successful monitoring and implementation of mitigation measures, the behavior of natural carbon pools must be well understood, the human carbon emission inventories better constrained, and the interaction between the two better studied. The Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), currently comprising 12 member countries, is a European domain-overarching distributed research infrastructure dedicated to providing freely accessible long-term, high-quality data and data products on greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets and their evolution in terrestrial ecosystems, oceans and atmosphere. ICOS was built on the foundations of nationally-operated in-situ measurement facilities and modelling efforts. Today, it consists of National Networks, Central Facilities, and the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ICOS ERIC), founded in November 2015. The long-term objective of ICOS is to remain independent, sustainable, on the forefront of scientific and technological development, and to find a good balance between scientific interests on one side and expectations of policy makers and society on the other. On the global scale, ICOS seeks to interlink with complementary research infrastructures (e.g. ACTRIS, IAGOS, etc.) to form partnerships that maximize the output and the effect of invested resources to the benefit of all stakeholders. A lot of attention will also be given to network design and attracting new partners from regions where such observations are still lacking in order to fill the gaps in the global observation network. In this presentation we present the latest developments concerning ICOS and its

Crustal dynamics project observations: 1982 results and plans for 1983

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frey, H.

1983-01-01

The 1982 Crustal Dynamics Project observations by fixed and mobile SLR and VLBI systems are reviewed. Plate motion measurements between North America and Europe were conducted by both techniques and SLR measurements were also made between North America, the Pacific, Australia and South American plates. Regional deformation measurements by VLBI and SLR systems were restricted to the western United States in 1982, including a number of important intercomparison baseline measured by both techniques. In 1983 the observing program grows significantly, with new SLR systems in Mexico, Easter Island, the Pacific and Italy. New VLBI systems will include a dedicated VLBI site at Weltzell, in Germany. Two highly mobile SLR and two highly mobile VLBI systems will greatly increase the regional deformation measurements in California and through the Basin and Range, where more than 25 sites will be occupied in 1983.

Effect of pathologist's dedication on lymph node detection rate and postoperative survival in colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Unger, L W; Muckenhuber, M; Riss, S; Argeny, S; Stift, J; Mesteri, I; Stift, A

2018-04-28

As adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer relies on the identification of lymph node metastases, the pathologist's dedication may have a considerable influence on postoperative survival. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the impact of the pathologist's dedication on lymph node detection rate and postoperative survival in patients operated on by a single experienced colorectal surgeon within a 5-year period. We assessed 229 patients undergoing total mesorectal excision or complete mesocolic excision by the senior author between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2013. Pathologists were grouped as 'general pathologist' or 'dedicated pathologist' depending on their dedication/specialization. Dedicated pathologists found statistically significantly more lymph nodes in colorectal specimens than general pathologists [23 (interquartile range 24) vs 14 (interquartile range 11), respectively; P < 0.001]. The detection rate of ≥ 12 lymph nodes per specimen was significantly higher in the dedicated pathologist group [65/74 (87.8%) vs 105/155 (67.7%); P = 0.016]. However, postoperative survival did not differ in the respective subgroups. In the multivariable analysis by Cox proportional hazard model, International Union against Cancer Stage IV was the only factor associated with decreased disease-specific survival (hazard ratio 28.257; 95% CI 3.850-207.386; P = 0.001). In our centre, the pathologist's dedication has an impact on lymph node detection rate but does not influence postoperative disease-specific survival. Colorectal Disease © 2018 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

VLBI Observations of Geostationary Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artz, T.; Nothnagel, A.; La Porta, L.

2013-08-01

For a consistent realization of a Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS), a proper tie between the individual global reference systems used in the analysis of space-geodetic observations is a prerequisite. For instance, the link between the terrestrial, the celestial and the dynamic reference system of artificial Earth orbiters may be realized by Very Long O Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of one or several satellites. In the preparation phase for a dedicated satellite mission, one option to realize this is using a geostationary (GEO) satellite emitting a radio signal in X-Band and/or S-Band and, thus, imitating a quasar. In this way, the GEO satellite can be observed by VLBI together with nearby quasars and the GEO orbit can, thus, be determined in a celestial reference frame. If the GEO satellite is, e.g., also equipped with a GNSS-type transmitter, a further tie between GNSS and VLBI may be realized. In this paper, a concept for the generation of a radio signal is shown. Furthermore, simulation studies for estimating the GEO position are presented with a GEO satellite included in the VLBI schedule. VLBI group delay observations are then simulated for the quasars as well as for the GEO satellite. The analysis of the simulated observations shows that constant orbit changes are adequately absorbed by estimated orbit parameters. Furthermore, the post-fit residuals are comparable to those from real VLBI sessions.

Ensuring Environmentally Sustainable Production of Dedicated Biomass Feedstocks

Treesearch

V.R. Tolbert; D.A. Mays; A. Houston; D.D. Tyler; C.H. Perry; K.E. Brooks; F.C. Thornton; B.R. Bock; J.D. Joslin; Carl C. Trettin; J. Isebrands

2000-01-01

Ensuring acceptance of dedicated biomass feedstocks by landowners, agricultural communities, environmental and public interest groups, requires that the environmental benefits, concerns, and risks associated with their production be quantified. Establishment and management measures to benefit soil and water quality are being identified by ongoing research. Field...

Iodine-131 imaging using 284 keV photons with a small animal CZT-SPECT system dedicated to low-medium-energy photon detection.

PubMed

Kojima, Akihiro; Gotoh, Kumiko; Shimamoto, Masako; Hasegawa, Koki; Okada, Seiji

2016-02-01

Iodine-131 is widely used for radionuclide therapy because of its β-particle and for diagnostic imaging employing its principal gamma ray. Since that principal gamma ray has the relatively high energy of 364 keV, small animal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging systems may be required to possess the ability to image such higher energy photons. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of imaging I-131 using its 284 keV photons instead of its 364 keV photons in a small animal SPECT imaging system dedicated to the detection of low-medium-energy photons (below 300 keV). The imaging system used was a commercially available preclinical SPECT instrument with CZT detectors that was equipped with multi-pinhole collimators and was accompanied by a CT imager. An energy window for I-131 imaging was set to a photopeak of 284 keV with a low abundance compared with 364 keV photons. Small line sources and two mice, one of each of two types, that were injected with NaI-131 were scanned. Although higher counts occurred at the peripheral region of the reconstructed images due to the collimator penetration by the 364 keV photons, the shape of the small line sources could be well visualized. The measured spatial resolution was relatively poor (~1.9 mm for full width at half maximum and ~3.9 mm for full width at tenth maximum). However, a good linear correlation between SPECT values and the level of I-131 radioactivity was observed. Furthermore, the uptake of NaI-131 to the thyroid gland for the two mice was clearly identified in the 3D-SPECT image fused with the X-ray CT image. We conclude that the use of an energy window set on the photopeak of 284 keV and the multi-pinhole collimator may permit I-131 imaging for a preclinical CZT-SPECT system that does not have the ability to acquire images using the 364 keV photons.

Observing System Simulations for the NASA ASCENDS Lidar CO2 Mission Concept: Substantiating Science Measurement Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawa, Stephan R.; Baker, David Frank; Schuh, Andrew E.; Abshire, James Brice; Browell, Edward V.; Michalak, Anna M.

2012-01-01

The NASA ASCENDS mission (Active Sensing of Carbon Emissions, Nights, Days, and Seasons) is envisioned as the next generation of dedicated, space-based CO2 observing systems, currently planned for launch in about the year 2022. Recommended by the US National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey, active (lidar) sensing of CO2 from space has several potentially significant advantages, in comparison to current and planned passive CO2 instruments, that promise to advance CO2 measurement capability and carbon cycle understanding into the next decade. Assessment and testing of possible lidar instrument technologies indicates that such sensors are more than feasible, however, the measurement precision and accuracy requirements remain at unprecedented levels of stringency. It is, therefore, important to quantitatively and consistently evaluate the measurement capabilities and requirements for the prospective active system in the context of advancing our knowledge of carbon flux distributions and their dependence on underlying physical processes. This amounts to establishing minimum requirements for precision, relative accuracy, spatial/temporal coverage and resolution, vertical information content, interferences, and possibly the tradeoffs among these parameters, while at the same time framing a mission that can be implemented within a constrained budget. Here, we present results of observing system simulation studies, commissioned by the ASCENDS Science Requirements Definition Team, for a range of possible mission implementation options that are intended to substantiate science measurement requirements for a laser-based CO2 space instrument.

Autonomous aerial observations to extend and complement the Earth Observing System: a science-driven systems-oriented approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandford, Stephen P.; Harrison, F. W.; Langford, John; Johnson, James W.; Qualls, Garry; Emmitt, David; Jones, W. Linwood; Shugart, Herman H., Jr.

2004-12-01

The current Earth observing capability depends primarily on spacecraft missions and ground-based networks to provide the critical on-going observations necessary for improved understanding of the Earth system. Aircraft missions play an important role in process studies but are limited to relatively short-duration flights. Suborbital observations have contributed to global environmental knowledge by providing in-depth, high-resolution observations that space-based and in-situ systems are challenged to provide; however, the limitations of aerial platforms - e.g., limited observing envelope, restrictions associated with crew safety and high cost of operations have restricted the suborbital program to a supporting role. For over a decade, it has been recognized that autonomous aerial observations could potentially be important. Advances in several technologies now enable autonomous aerial observation systems (AAOS) that can provide fundamentally new observational capability for Earth science and applications and thus lead scientists and engineers to rethink how suborbital assets can best contribute to Earth system science. Properly developed and integrated, these technologies will enable new Earth science and operational mission scenarios with long term persistence, higher-spatial and higher-temporal resolution at lower cost than space or ground based approaches. This paper presents the results of a science driven, systems oriented study of broad Earth science measurement needs. These needs identify aerial mission scenarios that complement and extend the current Earth Observing System. These aerial missions are analogous to space missions in their complexity and potential for providing significant data sets for Earth scientists. Mission classes are identified and presented based on science driven measurement needs in atmospheric, ocean and land studies. Also presented is a nominal concept of operations for an AAOS: an innovative set of suborbital assets that

12. DETAIL VIEW OF DEDICATION PLAQUE & ITS SURROUNDING TABERNACLE ...

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

12. DETAIL VIEW OF DEDICATION PLAQUE & ITS SURROUNDING TABERNACLE FRAME; MAIN LOBBY OF BUILDING 1, LOOKING E. (Ryan) - Veterans Administration Medical Center, Building No. 1, Old State Route 13 West, Marion, Williamson County, IL

President Roosevelt's 1940 Dedication of the First NCI Building

Cancer.gov

Watch this video excerpt of the dedication of the National Institute of Health, October 31, 1940. President Roosevelt spoke of the importance of the National Cancer Institute, which would be located in Building 6.

Enhanced adaptive signal control using dedicated short-range communications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-05-01

Connected vehicle technology with dedicated short-range communications can provide traffic : information in a spatial domain that conventional fixed-point detectors cannot provide. However, because : of low market penetration with this new data sourc...

The effects on population health status of using dedicated property taxes to fund local public health agencies

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In the United States, a dedicated property tax describes the legal authority given to a local jurisdiction to levy and collect a tax for a specific purpose. We investigated for an association of locally dedicated property taxes to fund local public health agencies and improved health status in the eight states designated as the Mississippi Delta Region. Methods We analyzed the difference in health outcomes of counties with and without a dedicated public health tax after adjusting for a set of control variables using regression models for county level data from 720 counties of the Mississippi Delta Region. Results Levying a dedicated public health tax for counties with per capita income above $28,000 is associated with improved health outcomes of those counties when compared to counties without a dedicated property tax for public health. Alternatively, levying a dedicated property tax in counties with lower per capita income is associated with poor health outcomes. Conclusions There are both positive and negative consequences of using dedicated property taxes to fund public health. Policymakers should carefully examine both the positive association of improved health outcomes and negative impact of taxation on poor populations before authorizing the use of dedicated local property tax levies to fund public health agencies. PMID:21672231

The effects on population health status of using dedicated property taxes to fund local public health agencies.

PubMed

Honoré, Peggy A; Fos, Peter J; Wang, Xueyuan; Moonesinghe, Ramal

2011-06-14

In the United States, a dedicated property tax describes the legal authority given to a local jurisdiction to levy and collect a tax for a specific purpose. We investigated for an association of locally dedicated property taxes to fund local public health agencies and improved health status in the eight states designated as the Mississippi Delta Region. We analyzed the difference in health outcomes of counties with and without a dedicated public health tax after adjusting for a set of control variables using regression models for county level data from 720 counties of the Mississippi Delta Region. Levying a dedicated public health tax for counties with per capita income above $28,000 is associated with improved health outcomes of those counties when compared to counties without a dedicated property tax for public health. Alternatively, levying a dedicated property tax in counties with lower per capita income is associated with poor health outcomes. There are both positive and negative consequences of using dedicated property taxes to fund public health. Policymakers should carefully examine both the positive association of improved health outcomes and negative impact of taxation on poor populations before authorizing the use of dedicated local property tax levies to fund public health agencies.

Are the most dedicated nurses more vulnerable to job insecurity? Age-specific analyses on family-related outcomes.

PubMed

Ruokolainen, Mervi; Mauno, Saija; Cheng, Ting

2014-11-01

To examine the moderating roles of job dedication and age in the job insecurity-family-related well-being relationship. As job insecurity is a rather permanent stressor among nurses nowadays, more research is needed on the buffering factors alleviating its negative effects on well-being. A total of 1719 Finnish nurses representing numerous health care organisations participated in this cross-sectional study. Moderated hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the associations. Nurses' younger age and low job dedication operated as protective factors against the negative effect of high job insecurity on parental satisfaction. The effect of job dedication on family-related well-being was also age-specific: high job dedication protected younger nurses from the negative effect of job insecurity on work-family conflict and parental stress, whereas among older nurses those who reported low job dedication showed better well-being in the presence of high job insecurity. The most job-dedicated nurses were more vulnerable to job insecurity in relation to parental satisfaction. In addition, high job dedication combined with high age implied more work-family conflict and parental stress in the presence of high job insecurity. Managers should seek to boost younger nurses' job dedication and to prevent older nurses' over-commitment. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cone-beam micro computed tomography dedicated to the breast.

PubMed

Sarno, Antonio; Mettivier, Giovanni; Di Lillo, Francesca; Cesarelli, Mario; Bifulco, Paolo; Russo, Paolo

2016-12-01

We developed a scanner for micro computed tomography dedicated to the breast (BµCT) with a high resolution flat-panel detector and a microfocus X-ray tube. We evaluated the system spatial resolution via the 3D modulation transfer function (MTF). In addition to conventional absorption-based X-ray imaging, such a prototype showed capabilities for propagation-based phase-contrast and related edge enhancement effects in 3D imaging. The system limiting spatial resolution is 6.2mm -1 (MTF at 10%) in the vertical direction and 3.8mm -1 in the radial direction, values which compare favorably with the spatial resolution reached by mini focus breast CT scanners of other groups. The BµCT scanner was able to detect both microcalcification clusters and masses in an anthropomorphic breast phantom at a dose comparable to that of two-view mammography. The use of a breast holder is proposed in order to have 1-2min long scan times without breast motion artifacts. Copyright © 2016 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Systematic Review of Economic Evaluations of Units Dedicated to Acute Coronary Syndromes.

PubMed

Azeredo-Da-Silva, André Luis Ferreira; Perini, Silvana; Rigotti Soares, Pedro Henrique; Polaczyk, Carisi Anne

2016-01-01

Dedicated units for the care of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been submitted to economic evaluations; however, the results have not been systematically presented. To identify and summarize economic outcomes of studies on hospital units dedicated to the initial care of patients with suspected or confirmed ACS. A systematic review of literature to identify economic evaluations of chest pain unit (CPU), coronary care unit (CCU), or equivalent units was done. Two search strategies were used: the first one to identify economic evaluations irrespective of study design, and the second one to identify randomized clinical trials that reported economic outcomes. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and National Health Service (NHS)Economic Evaluation Database. Data extraction was performed by two independent reviewers. Costs were inflated to 2012 values. Search strategies retrieved five partial economic evaluations based on observational studies, six randomized clinical trials that reported economic outcomes, and five model-based economic evaluations. Overall, cost estimates based on observational studies and randomized clinical trials reported statistically significant cost savings of more than 50% with the adoption of CPU care instead of routine hospitalization or CCU care for suspected low-to-intermediate risk patients with ACS (median per-patient cost US $1,969.89; range US $1,002.12-13,799.15). Model-based economic evaluations reported incremental cost-effectiveness ratios below US $ 50,000/quality-adjusted life-year for all comparisons between intermediate care unit, CPU, or CCU with routine hospital admissions. This finding was sensible to myocardial infarction probability. Published economic evaluations indicate that more intensive care is likely to be cost-effective in comparison to routine hospital admission for patients with suspected ACS. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

An arrhythmia classification algorithm using a dedicated wavelet adapted to different subjects.

PubMed

Kim, Jinkwon; Min, Se Dong; Lee, Myoungho

2011-06-27

Numerous studies have been conducted regarding a heartbeat classification algorithm over the past several decades. However, many algorithms have also been studied to acquire robust performance, as biosignals have a large amount of variation among individuals. Various methods have been proposed to reduce the differences coming from personal characteristics, but these expand the differences caused by arrhythmia. In this paper, an arrhythmia classification algorithm using a dedicated wavelet adapted to individual subjects is proposed. We reduced the performance variation using dedicated wavelets, as in the ECG morphologies of the subjects. The proposed algorithm utilizes morphological filtering and a continuous wavelet transform with a dedicated wavelet. A principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were utilized to compress the morphological data transformed by the dedicated wavelets. An extreme learning machine was used as a classifier in the proposed algorithm. A performance evaluation was conducted with the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. The results showed a high sensitivity of 97.51%, specificity of 85.07%, accuracy of 97.94%, and a positive predictive value of 97.26%. The proposed algorithm achieves better accuracy than other state-of-the-art algorithms with no intrasubject between the training and evaluation datasets. And it significantly reduces the amount of intervention needed by physicians.

An arrhythmia classification algorithm using a dedicated wavelet adapted to different subjects

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Numerous studies have been conducted regarding a heartbeat classification algorithm over the past several decades. However, many algorithms have also been studied to acquire robust performance, as biosignals have a large amount of variation among individuals. Various methods have been proposed to reduce the differences coming from personal characteristics, but these expand the differences caused by arrhythmia. Methods In this paper, an arrhythmia classification algorithm using a dedicated wavelet adapted to individual subjects is proposed. We reduced the performance variation using dedicated wavelets, as in the ECG morphologies of the subjects. The proposed algorithm utilizes morphological filtering and a continuous wavelet transform with a dedicated wavelet. A principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were utilized to compress the morphological data transformed by the dedicated wavelets. An extreme learning machine was used as a classifier in the proposed algorithm. Results A performance evaluation was conducted with the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. The results showed a high sensitivity of 97.51%, specificity of 85.07%, accuracy of 97.94%, and a positive predictive value of 97.26%. Conclusions The proposed algorithm achieves better accuracy than other state-of-the-art algorithms with no intrasubject between the training and evaluation datasets. And it significantly reduces the amount of intervention needed by physicians. PMID:21707989

A dedicated research program increases the quantity and quality of orthopaedic resident publications.

PubMed

Torres, Daniel; Gugala, Zbigniew; Lindsey, Ronald W

2015-04-01

Programs seek to expose trainees to research during residency. However, little is known in any formal sense regarding how to do this effectively, or whether these efforts result in more or better-quality research output. The objective of our study was to evaluate a dedicated resident research program in terms of the quantity and quality of resident research peer-reviewed publications. Specifically we asked: (1) Did residents mentored through a dedicated resident research program have more peer-reviewed publications in higher-impact journals with higher citation rates compared with residents who pursued research projects under a less structured approach? (2) Did this effect continue after graduation? In 2006, our department of orthopaedic surgery established a dedicated resident research program, which consisted of a new research policy and a research committee to monitor quality and compliance with this policy. Peer-reviewed publications (determined from PubMed) of residents who graduated 6 years before establishing the dedicated resident research program were compared with publications from an equal period of the research-program-directed residents. The data were assessed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Twenty-four residents graduated from 2001 to 2006 (before implementation of the dedicated resident research program); 27 graduated from 2007 to 2012 (after implementation of the dedicated resident research program). There were 74 eligible publications as defined by the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. Residents who trained after implementation of the dedicated resident research program published more papers during residency than did residents who trained before the program was implemented (1.15 versus 0.79 publications per resident; 95% CI [0.05,0.93]; p = 0.047) and the journal impact factor was greater in the group that had the research program (1.25 versus 0.55 per resident; 95% CI [0.2,1.18]; p = 0.005). There were no differences

Efficient optical cloud removal technique for earth observation based on MOEMs device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamkotsian, Frédéric; Lanzoni, Patrick; Liotard, Arnaud; Viard, Thierry; Noell, Wilfried

2017-11-01

In Earth Observation instruments, observation of scenes including bright sources leads to an important degradation of the recorded signal. We propose a new concept to remove dynamically the bright sources and then obtain a field of view with an optically enhanced Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MOEMS) could be key components in future generation of space instruments. MOEMS-based programmable slit masks will permit the straylight control in future Earth Observation instruments. Experimental demonstration of this concept has been conducted on a dedicated bench. This successful first demonstration shows the high potential of this new concept in future spectro-imager for Earth Observation.

NRC assessment of improvements in licensee procurement and dedication programs

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

Grimes, B.K.; Potapovs, U.; Campbell, L.L.

1991-01-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently conducted a series of on-site assessments at selected nuclear plants to review improvements that the licenses had made to their procurement and dedication activities. The assessments included an evaluation of the progress made by licensees to strengthen their commercial-grade dedication programs to comply with 10CRF50, Appendix B, and to implement the comprehensive procurement improvements suggested in Nuclear Management and Resource Council (NUMARC) publication 901-3. This paper discusses the overall purpose of the assessments, procurement areas assessed, major strengths and weaknesses identified in licensee procurement programs, and the NRC's perspective of the industry's responsemore » to NUMARC procurement initiatives.« less

The Global Ocean Observing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kester, Dana

1992-01-01

A Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) should be established now with international coordination (1) to address issues of global change, (2) to implement operational ENSO forecasts, (3) to provide the data required to apply global ocean circulation models, and (4) to extract the greatest value from the one billion dollar investment over the next ten years in ocean remote sensing by the world's space agencies. The objectives of GOOS will focus on climatic and oceanic predictions, on assessing coastal pollution, and in determining the sustainability of living marine resources and ecosystems. GOOS will be a complete system including satellite observations, in situ observations, numerical modeling of ocean processes, and data exchange and management. A series of practical and economic benefits will be derived from the information generated by GOOS. In addition to the marine science community, these benefits will be realized by the energy industries of the world, and by the world's fisheries. The basic oceanic variables that are required to meet the oceanic and predictability objectives of GOOS include wind velocity over the ocean, sea surface temperature and salinity, oceanic profiles of temperature and salinity, surface current, sea level, the extent and thickness of sea ice, the partial pressure of CO2 in surface waters, and the chlorophyll concentration of surface waters. Ocean circulation models and coupled ocean-atmosphere models can be used to evaluate observing system design, to assimilate diverse data sets from in situ and remotely sensed observations, and ultimately to predict future states of the system. The volume of ocean data will increase enormously over the next decade as new satellite systems are launched and as complementary in situ measuring systems are deployed. These data must be transmitted, quality controlled, exchanged, analyzed, and archived with the best state-of-the-art computational methods.

Co-translational capturing of nascent ribosomal proteins by their dedicated chaperones

PubMed Central

Pausch, Patrick; Singh, Ujjwala; Ahmed, Yasar Luqman; Pillet, Benjamin; Murat, Guillaume; Altegoer, Florian; Stier, Gunter; Thoms, Matthias; Hurt, Ed; Sinning, Irmgard; Bange, Gert; Kressler, Dieter

2015-01-01

Exponentially growing yeast cells produce every minute >160,000 ribosomal proteins. Owing to their difficult physicochemical properties, the synthesis of assembly-competent ribosomal proteins represents a major challenge. Recent evidence highlights that dedicated chaperone proteins recognize the N-terminal regions of ribosomal proteins and promote their soluble expression and delivery to the assembly site. Here we explore the intuitive possibility that ribosomal proteins are captured by dedicated chaperones in a co-translational manner. Affinity purification of four chaperones (Rrb1, Syo1, Sqt1 and Yar1) selectively enriched the mRNAs encoding their specific ribosomal protein clients (Rpl3, Rpl5, Rpl10 and Rps3). X-ray crystallography reveals how the N-terminal, rRNA-binding residues of Rpl10 are shielded by Sqt1's WD-repeat β-propeller, providing mechanistic insight into the incorporation of Rpl10 into pre-60S subunits. Co-translational capturing of nascent ribosomal proteins by dedicated chaperones constitutes an elegant mechanism to prevent unspecific interactions and aggregation of ribosomal proteins on their road to incorporation. PMID:26112308

LauncherOne: Virgin Orbit's Dedicated Launch Vehicle for Small Satellites & Impact to the Space Enterprise Vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaughn, M.; Kwong, J.; Pomerantz, W.

Virgin Orbit is developing a space transportation service to provide an affordable, reliable, and responsive dedicated ride to orbit for smaller payloads. No longer will small satellite users be forced to make a choice between accepting the limitations of flight as a secondary payload, paying dramatically more for a dedicated launch vehicle, or dealing with the added complexity associated with export control requirements and international travel to distant launch sites. Virgin Orbit has made significant progress towards first flight of a new vehicle that will give satellite developers and operators a better option for carrying their small satellites into orbit. This new service is called LauncherOne (See the figure below). LauncherOne is a two stage, air-launched liquid propulsion (LOX/RP) rocket. Air launched from a specially modified 747-400 carrier aircraft (named “Cosmic Girl”), this system is designed to conduct operations from a variety of locations, allowing customers to select various launch azimuths and increasing available orbital launch windows. This provides small satellite customers an affordable, flexible and dedicated option for access to space. In addition to developing the LauncherOne vehicle, Virgin Orbit has worked with US government customers and across the new, emerging commercial sector to refine concepts for resiliency, constellation replenishment and responsive launch elements that can be key enables for the Space Enterprise Vision (SEV). This element of customer interaction is being led by their new subsidiary company, VOX Space. This paper summarizes technical progress made on LauncherOne in the past year and extends the thinking of how commercial space, small satellites and this new emerging market can be brought to bear to enable true space system resiliency.

Educational Technology Network: a computer conferencing system dedicated to applications of computers in radiology practice, research, and education.

PubMed

D'Alessandro, M P; Ackerman, M J; Sparks, S M

1993-11-01

Educational Technology Network (ET Net) is a free, easy to use, on-line computer conferencing system organized and funded by the National Library of Medicine that is accessible via the SprintNet (SprintNet, Reston, VA) and Internet (Merit, Ann Arbor, MI) computer networks. It is dedicated to helping bring together, in a single continuously running electronic forum, developers and users of computer applications in the health sciences, including radiology. ET Net uses the Caucus computer conferencing software (Camber-Roth, Troy, NY) running on a microcomputer. This microcomputer is located in the National Library of Medicine's Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications and is directly connected to the SprintNet and the Internet networks. The advanced computer conferencing software of ET Net allows individuals who are separated in space and time to unite electronically to participate, at any time, in interactive discussions on applications of computers in radiology. A computer conferencing system such as ET Net allows radiologists to maintain contact with colleagues on a regular basis when they are not physically together. Topics of discussion on ET Net encompass all applications of computers in radiological practice, research, and education. ET Net has been in successful operation for 3 years and has a promising future aiding radiologists in the exchange of information pertaining to applications of computers in radiology.

Dedicated operating room for emergency surgery generates more utilization, less overtime, and less cancellations.

PubMed

van Veen-Berkx, Elizabeth; Elkhuizen, Sylvia G; Kuijper, Bart; Kazemier, Geert

2016-01-01

Two approaches prevail for reserving operating room (OR) capacity for emergency surgery: (1) dedicated emergency ORs and (2) evenly allocating capacity to all elective ORs, thereby creating a virtual emergency team. Previous studies contradict which approach leads to the best performance in OR utilization. Quasi-experimental controlled time-series design with empirical data from 3 university medical centers. Four different time periods were compared with analysis of variance with contrasts. Performance was measured based on 467,522 surgical cases. After closing the dedicated emergency OR, utilization slightly increased; overtime also increased. This was in contrast to earlier simulated results. The 2 control centers, maintaining a dedicated emergency OR, showed a higher increase in utilization and a decrease in overtime, along with a smaller ratio of case cancellations because of emergency surgery. This study shows that in daily practice a dedicated emergency OR is the preferred approach in performance terms regarding utilization, overtime, and case cancellations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

27. photographer unknown 10 July 1938 SHIP LOCK DEDICATION CEREMONIES. ...

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

27. photographer unknown 10 July 1938 SHIP LOCK DEDICATION CEREMONIES. - Bonneville Project, Navigation Lock No. 1, Oregon shore of Columbia River near first Powerhouse, Bonneville, Multnomah County, OR

Dedicated ultrasound speckle tracking to study tendon displacement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korstanje, Jan-Wiebe H.; Selles, Ruud W.; Stam, Henk J.; Hovius, Steven E. R.; Bosch, Johan G.

2009-02-01

Ultrasound can be used to study tendon and muscle movement. However, quantization is mostly based on manual tracking of anatomical landmarks such as the musculotendinous junction, limiting the applicability to a small number of muscle-tendon units. The aim of this study is to quantify tendon displacement without employing anatomical landmarks, using dedicated speckle tracking in long B-mode image sequences. We devised a dedicated two-dimensional multikernel block-matching scheme with subpixel accuracy to handle large displacements over long sequences. Images were acquired with a Philips iE33 with a 7 MHz linear array and a VisualSonics Vevo 770 using a 40 MHz mechanical probe. We displaced the flexor digitorum superficialis of two pig cadaver forelegs with three different velocities (4,10 and 16 mm/s) over 3 distances (5, 10, 15 mm). As a reference, we manually determined the total displacement of an injected hyperechogenic bullet in the tendons. We automatically tracked tendon parts with and without markers and compared results to the true displacement. Using the iE33, mean tissue displacement underestimations for the three different velocities were 2.5 +/- 1.0%, 1.7 +/- 1.1% and 0.7 +/- 0.4%. Using the Vevo770, mean tissue displacement underestimations were 0.8 +/- 1.3%, 0.6 +/- 0.3% and 0.6 +/- 0.3%. Marker tracking displacement underestimations were only slightly smaller, showing limited tracking drift for non-marker tendon tissue as well as for markers. This study showed that our dedicated speckle tracking can quantify extensive tendon displacement with physiological velocities without anatomical landmarks with good accuracy for different types of ultrasound configurations. This technique allows tracking of a much larger range of muscle-tendon units than by using anatomical landmarks.

Performance evaluation of a high resolution dedicated breast PET scanner

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

García Hernández, Trinitat, E-mail: mtrinitat@eresa.com; Vicedo González, Aurora; Brualla González, Luis

2016-05-15

Purpose: Early stage breast cancers may not be visible on a whole-body PET scan. To overcome whole-body PET limitations, several dedicated breast positron emission tomography (DbPET) systems have emerged nowadays aiming to improve spatial resolution. In this work the authors evaluate the performance of a high resolution dedicated breast PET scanner (Mammi-PET, Oncovision). Methods: Global status, uniformity, sensitivity, energy, and spatial resolution were measured. Spheres of different sizes (2.5, 4, 5, and 6 mm diameter) and various 18 fluorodeoxyglucose ({sup 18}F-FDG) activity concentrations were randomly inserted in a gelatine breast phantom developed at our institution. Several lesion-to-background ratios (LBR) weremore » simulated, 5:1, 10:1, 20:1, 30:1, and 50:1. Images were reconstructed using different voxel sizes. The ability of experienced reporters to detect spheres was tested as a function of acquisition time, LBR, sphere size, and matrix reconstruction voxel size. For comparison, phantoms were scanned in the DbPET camera and in a whole body PET (WB-PET). Two patients who just underwent WB-PET/CT exams were imaged with the DbPET system and the images were compared. Results: The measured absolute peak sensitivity was 2.0%. The energy resolution was 24.0% ± 1%. The integral and differential uniformity were 10% and 6% in the total field of view (FOV) and 9% and 5% in the central FOV, respectively. The measured spatial resolution was 2.0, 1.9, and 1.7 mm in the radial, tangential, and axial directions. The system exhibited very good detectability for spheres ≥4 mm and LBR ≥10 with a sphere detection of 100% when acquisition time was set >3 min/bed. For LBR = 5 and acquisition time of 7 min the detectability was 100% for spheres of 6 mm and 75% for spheres of 5, 4, and 2.5 mm. Lesion WB-PET detectability was only comparable to the DbPET camera for lesion sizes ≥5 mm when acquisition time was >3 min and LBR > 10. Conclusions: The DbPET has a good

Observing system simulation experiments with multiple methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishibashi, Toshiyuki

2014-11-01

An observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) is a method to evaluate impacts of hypothetical observing systems on analysis and forecast accuracy in numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems. Since OSSE requires simulations of hypothetical observations, uncertainty of OSSE results is generally larger than that of observing system experiments (OSEs). To reduce such uncertainty, OSSEs for existing observing systems are often carried out as calibration of the OSSE system. The purpose of this study is to achieve reliable OSSE results based on results of OSSEs with multiple methods. There are three types of OSSE methods. The first one is the sensitivity observing system experiment (SOSE) based OSSE (SOSEOSSE). The second one is the ensemble of data assimilation cycles (ENDA) based OSSE (ENDA-OSSE). The third one is the nature-run (NR) based OSSE (NR-OSSE). These three OSSE methods have very different properties. The NROSSE evaluates hypothetical observations in a virtual (hypothetical) world, NR. The ENDA-OSSE is very simple method but has a sampling error problem due to a small size ensemble. The SOSE-OSSE requires a very highly accurate analysis field as a pseudo truth of the real atmosphere. We construct these three types of OSSE methods in the Japan meteorological Agency (JMA) global 4D-Var experimental system. In the conference, we will present initial results of these OSSE systems and their comparisons.

The Global Observing System in the Assimilation Context

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinecker, Michele M.; Gelaro, R.; Pawson, S.; Reichle, R.; McCarty, W.

2011-01-01

Weather and climate analyses and predictions all rely on the global observing system. However, the observing system, whether atmosphere, ocean, or land surface, yields a diverse set of incomplete observations of the different components of Earth s environment. Data assimilation systems are essential to synthesize the wide diversity of in situ and remotely sensed observations into four-dimensional state estimates by combining the various observations with model-based estimates. Assimilation, or associated tools and products, are also useful in providing guidance for the evolution of the observing system of the future. This paper provides a brief overview of the global observing system and information gleaned through assimilation tools, and presents some evaluations of observing system gaps and issues.

34. photographer unknown September 1937 ROOSEVELT ARRIVING FOR DEDICATION OF ...

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

34. photographer unknown September 1937 ROOSEVELT ARRIVING FOR DEDICATION OF BONNEVILLE DAM. - Bonneville Project, Columbia River, 1 mile Northeast of Exit 40, off Interstate 84, Bonneville, Multnomah County, OR

On Data Transfers Over Wide-Area Dedicated Connections

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

Rao, Nageswara S.; Liu, Qiang

Dedicated wide-area network connections are employed in big data and high-performance computing scenarios, since the absence of cross-traffic promises to make it easier to analyze and optimize data transfers over them. However, nonlinear transport dynamics and end-system complexity due to multi-core hosts and distributed file systems make these tasks surprisingly challenging. We present an overview of methods to analyze memory and disk file transfers using extensive measurements over 10 Gbps physical and emulated connections with 0–366 ms round trip times (RTTs). For memory transfers, we derive performance profiles of TCP and UDT throughput as a function of RTT, which showmore » concave regions in contrast to entirely convex regions predicted by previous models. These highly desirable concave regions can be expanded by utilizing large buffers and more parallel flows. We also present Poincar´e maps and Lyapunov exponents of TCP and UDT throughputtraces that indicate complex throughput dynamics. For disk file transfers, we show that throughput can be optimized using a combination of parallel I/O and network threads under direct I/O mode. Our initial throughput measurements of Lustre filesystems mounted over long-haul connections using LNet routers show convex profiles indicative of I/O limits.« less

Dedicated breast CT: Fibroglandular volume measurements in a diagnostic population

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

Vedantham, Srinivasan; Shi Linxi; Karellas, Andrew

2012-12-15

Purpose: To determine the mean and range of volumetric glandular fraction (VGF) of the breast in a diagnostic population using a high-resolution flat-panel cone-beam dedicated breast CT system. This information is important for Monte Carlo-based estimation of normalized glandular dose coefficients and for investigating the dependence of VGF on breast dimensions, race, and pathology. Methods: Image data from a clinical trial investigating the role of dedicated breast CT that enrolled 150 women were retrospectively analyzed to determine the VGF. The study was conducted in adherence to a protocol approved by the institutional human subjects review boards and written informed consentmore » was obtained from all study participants. All participants in the study were assigned BI-RADS{sup Registered-Sign} 4 or 5 as per the American College of Radiology assessment categories after standard diagnostic work-up and underwent dedicated breast CT exam prior to biopsy. A Gaussian-kernel based fuzzy c-means algorithm was used to partition the breast CT images into adipose and fibroglandular tissue after segmenting the skin. Upon determination of the accuracy of the algorithm with a phantom, it was applied to 137 breast CT volumes from 136 women. VGF was determined for each breast and the mean and range were determined. Pathology results with classification as benign, malignant, and hyperplasia were available for 132 women, and were used to investigate if the distributions of VGF varied with pathology. Results: The algorithm was accurate to within {+-}1.9% in determining the volume of an irregular shaped phantom. The study mean ({+-} inter-breast SD) for the VGF was 0.172 {+-} 0.142 (range: 0.012-0.719). VGF was found to be negatively correlated with age, breast dimensions (chest-wall to nipple length, pectoralis to nipple length, and effective diameter at chest-wall), and total breast volume, and positively correlated with fibroglandular volume. Based on pathology, pairwise

Minerva: A Dedicated Observatory for the Detection of Small Planets in the Solar Neighborhood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogstrom, Kristina; Johnson, J. A.; Wright, J.; McCrady, N.; Swift, J.; Muirhead, P.; Bottom, M.; Plavchan, P.; Zhao, M.; Riddle, R. L.

2013-01-01

Minerva is an array of 0.7m aperture robotic telescopes to be built atop Palomar Mountain outfitted for both photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy. It will be the first U.S. observatory dedicated to exoplanetary science capable of both precise radial velocimetry and transit studies. The multi-telescope concept will be implemented to either observe separate targets or a single target with a larger effective aperture. The flexibility of the observatory will maximize scientific potential and also provide ample opportunities for education and public outreach. The design and implementation of Minerva will be carried out by postdoctoral and student researchers at Caltech.

GEOS observation systems intercomparison investigation results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berbert, J. H.

1974-01-01

The results of an investigation designed to determine the relative accuracy and precision of the different types of geodetic observation systems used by NASA is presented. A collocation technique was used to minimize the effects of uncertainties in the relative station locations and in the earth's gravity field model by installing accurate reference tracking systems close to the systems to be compared, and by precisely determining their relative survey. The Goddard laser and camera systems were shipped to selected sites, where they tracked the GEOS satellite simultaneously with other systems for an intercomparison observation.

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

PubMed

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

2009-02-01

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

Dedication of the Early Space Education and Conference Center at KSC Visitor Complex.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

At the opening of the Early Space Education and Conference Center, KSC Visitor Complex, the facility is dedicated to Dr.Kurt H. Debus, who served as the first director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, 1962-1974. Attending the dedication are (left to right) Delaware North President Rick Abramson, Ute Debus, Center Director Roy Bridges and Sigi Debus Northcutt. Ute and Sigi are the daughters of Dr. Debus.

The European Plate Observing System (EPOS) Services for Solid Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocco, Massimo; Atakan, Kuvvet; Pedersen, Helle; Consortium, Epos

2016-04-01

The European Plate Observing System (EPOS) aims to create a pan-European infrastructure for solid Earth science to support a safe and sustainable society. The main vision of the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) is to address the three basic challenges in Earth Sciences: (i) unravelling the Earth's deformational processes which are part of the Earth system evolution in time, (ii) understanding the geo-hazards and their implications to society, and (iii) contributing to the safe and sustainable use of geo-resources. The mission of EPOS is to monitor and understand the dynamic and complex Earth system by relying on new e-science opportunities and integrating diverse and advanced Research Infrastructures in Europe for solid Earth Science. EPOS will enable innovative multidisciplinary research for a better understanding of the Earth's physical and chemical processes that control earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, ground instability and tsunami as well as the processes driving tectonics and Earth's surface dynamics. EPOS will improve our ability to better manage the use of the subsurface of the Earth. Through integration of data, models and facilities EPOS will allow the Earth Science community to make a step change in developing new concepts and tools for key answers to scientific and socio-economic questions concerning geo-hazards and geo-resources as well as Earth sciences applications to the environment and to human welfare. EPOS has now started its Implementation Phase (EPOS-IP). One of the main challenges during the implementation phase is the integration of multidisciplinary data into a single e-infrastructure. Multidisciplinary data are organized and governed by the Thematic Core Services (TCS) and are driven by various scientific communities encompassing a wide spectrum of Earth science disciplines. These include Data, Data-products, Services and Software (DDSS), from seismology, near fault observatories, geodetic observations, volcano observations

Dental MRI using a dedicated RF-coil at 3 Tesla.

PubMed

Prager, Marcel; Heiland, Sabine; Gareis, Daniel; Hilgenfeld, Tim; Bendszus, Martin; Gaudino, Chiara

2015-12-01

To assess the benefit of a dedicated surface coil to visualize dental structures in comparison to standard head/neck coil. Measurements were performed using the standard head/neck coil and a dedicated array coil for dental MRI at 3 T. As MRI methods, we used a T1-weighted spin-echo sequence with and without spectral fat saturation, a T2-weighted turbo-spin-echo sequence and a 3-dimensional T2-weighted SPACE sequence. Measurements were performed in a phantom to examine sensitivity profiles. Then the signal gain in dental structures was examined in volunteers and in a patient. As expected for a surface coil, the signal gain of the dental coil was highest at the surface of the phantom and decreased with increasing distance to the coil; it was >120% even at a depth of 30 mm, measured from the centre of the coil. The signal gain within the pulp of the volunteers ranged between 236 and 413%. The dedicated array coil offers a significantly higher signal within the region of interest for dental MR imaging thus allowing for better depiction of pathologies within the periodontium and for delineation and tracking of the branches of the maxillary and mandibular nerves. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Dedicated Speech Work Station.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-01

AD-Ai55 465 DEVELOPMENT OF R DEDICATED SPEECH WORK STTION(U) AIR / FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING W H LIEBER DEC 84...Presented to the Faculty of the School of Engineering of the Air Force Institute of Technology Air University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for...the Degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering by William H. Lieber, B.S.E.E. Capt USAF Graduate Electrical Engineering December 1984

Observing System Simulation Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prive, Nikki

2015-01-01

This presentation gives an overview of Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs). The components of an OSSE are described, along with discussion of the process for validating, calibrating, and performing experiments. a.

16. RETAIL VIEW, LOOKING NORTHWEST, OF DUNDEE DAM DEDICATION PLAQUE: ...

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

16. RETAIL VIEW, LOOKING NORTHWEST, OF DUNDEE DAM DEDICATION PLAQUE: - Dundee Canal, Headgates, Guardlock & Uppermost Section, 250 feet northeast of Randolph Avenue, opposite & in line with East Clifton Avenue, Clifton, Passaic County, NJ

Elevation view of dedication plaque on east wall of south ...

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

Elevation view of dedication plaque on east wall of south lobby - National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Pacific Branch, Main Mental Health Building, 11301 Wilshire Boulevard, West Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA

Strengthening Data Confidentiality and Integrity Protection in the Context of a Multi-Centric Information System Dedicated to Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Ben Said, Mohamed; Robel, Laurence; Golse, Bernard; Jais, Jean Philippe

2017-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neuro-developmental disorders affecting children in early age. Diagnosis relies on multidisciplinary investigations, in psychiatry, neurology, genetics, electrophysiology, neuro-imagery, audiology, and ophthalmology. To support clinicians, researchers, and public health decision makers, we developed an information system dedicated to ASD, called TEDIS. It was designed to manage systematic, exhaustive and continuous multi-centric patient data collection via secured internet connections. TEDIS will be deployed in nine ASD expert assessment centers in Ile-DeFrance district. We present security policy and infrastructure developed in context of TEDIS to protect patient privacy and clinical information. TEDIS security policy was organized around governance, ethical and organisational chart-agreement, patients consents, controlled user access, patients' privacy protection, constrained patients' data access. Security infrastructure was enriched by further technical solutions to reinforce ASD patients' privacy protection. Solutions were tested on local secured intranet environment and showed fluid functionality with consistent, transparent and safe encrypting-decrypting results.

Solar System Observations with JWST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norwood, James; Hammel, Heidi; Milam, Stefanie; Stansberry, John; Lunine, Jonathan; Chanover, Nancy; Hines, Dean; Sonneborn, George; Tiscareno, Matthew; Brown, Michael;

Commercial grade item (CGI) dedication of generators for nuclear safety related applications

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

Das, R.K.; Hajos, L.G.

1993-03-01

The number of nuclear safety related equipment suppliers and the availability of spare and replacement parts designed specifically for nuclear safety related application are shrinking rapidly. These have made it necessary for utilities to apply commercial grade spare and replacement parts in nuclear safety related applications after implementing proper acceptance and dedication process to verify that such items conform with the requirements of their use in nuclear safety related application. The general guidelines for the commercial grade item (CGI) acceptance and dedication are provided in US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Generic Letters and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report NP-5652,more » Guideline for the Utilization of Commercial Grade Items in Nuclear Safety Related Applications. This paper presents an application of these generic guidelines for procurement, acceptance, and dedication of a commercial grade generator for use as a standby generator at Salem Generating Station Units 1 and 2. The paper identifies the critical characteristics of the generator which once verified, will provide reasonable assurance that the generator will perform its intended safety function. The paper also delineates the method of verification of the critical characteristics through tests and provide acceptance criteria for the test results. The methodology presented in this paper may be used as specific guidelines for reliable and cost effective procurement and dedication of commercial grade generators for use as standby generators at nuclear power plants.« less

Using Combined Marine Spatial Planning Tools and Observing System Experiments to define Gaps in the Emerging European Ocean Observing System.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolan, G.; Pinardi, N.; Vukicevic, T.; Le Traon, P. Y.; Fernandez, V.

2016-02-01

Ocean observations are critical to providing accurate ocean forecasts that support operational decision making in European open and coastal seas. Observations are available in many forms from Fixed platforms e.g. Moored Buoys and tide gauges, underway measurements from Ferrybox systems, High Frequency radars and more recently from underwater Gliders and profiling floats. Observing System Simulation Experiments have been conducted to examine the relative contribution of each type of platform to an improvement in our ability to accurately forecast the future state of the ocean with HF radar and Gliders showing particular promise in improving model skill. There is considerable demand for ecosystem products and services from today's ocean observing system and biogeochemical observations are still relatively sparse particularly in coastal and shelf seas. There is a need to widen the techniques used to assess the fitness for purpose and gaps in the ocean observing system. As well as Observing System Simulation Experiments that quantify the effect of observations on the overall model skill we present a gap analysis based on (1) Examining where high model skill is required based on a marine spatial planning analysis of European seas i.e where does activity take place that requires more accurate forecasts? and (2) assessing gaps based on the capacity of the observing system to answer key societal challenges e.g. site suitability for aquaculture and ocean energy, oil spill response and contextual oceanographic products for fisheries and ecosystems. The broad based analysis will inform the development of the proposed European Ocean Observing System as a contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).

A Proton Beam Therapy System Dedicated to Spot-Scanning Increases Accuracy with Moving Tumors by Real-Time Imaging and Gating and Reduces Equipment Size

PubMed Central

Shimizu, Shinichi; Miyamoto, Naoki; Matsuura, Taeko; Fujii, Yusuke; Umezawa, Masumi; Umegaki, Kikuo; Hiramoto, Kazuo; Shirato, Hiroki

2014-01-01

Purpose A proton beam therapy (PBT) system has been designed which dedicates to spot-scanning and has a gating function employing the fluoroscopy-based real-time-imaging of internal fiducial markers near tumors. The dose distribution and treatment time of the newly designed real-time-image gated, spot-scanning proton beam therapy (RGPT) were compared with free-breathing spot-scanning proton beam therapy (FBPT) in a simulation. Materials and Methods In-house simulation tools and treatment planning system VQA (Hitachi, Ltd., Japan) were used for estimating the dose distribution and treatment time. Simulations were performed for 48 motion parameters (including 8 respiratory patterns and 6 initial breathing timings) on CT data from two patients, A and B, with hepatocellular carcinoma and with clinical target volumes 14.6 cc and 63.1 cc. The respiratory patterns were derived from the actual trajectory of internal fiducial markers taken in X-ray real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy (RTRT). Results With FBPT, 9/48 motion parameters achieved the criteria of successful delivery for patient A and 0/48 for B. With RGPT 48/48 and 42/48 achieved the criteria. Compared with FBPT, the mean liver dose was smaller with RGPT with statistical significance (p<0.001); it decreased from 27% to 13% and 28% to 23% of the prescribed doses for patients A and B, respectively. The relative lengthening of treatment time to administer 3 Gy (RBE) was estimated to be 1.22 (RGPT/FBPT: 138 s/113 s) and 1.72 (207 s/120 s) for patients A and B, respectively. Conclusions This simulation study demonstrated that the RGPT was able to improve the dose distribution markedly for moving tumors without very large treatment time extension. The proton beam therapy system dedicated to spot-scanning with a gating function for real-time imaging increases accuracy with moving tumors and reduces the physical size, and subsequently the cost of the equipment as well as of the building housing the equipment. PMID

Profiling optimization for big data transfer over dedicated channels

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

Yun, D.; Wu, Qishi; Rao, Nageswara S

The transfer of big data is increasingly supported by dedicated channels in high-performance networks, where transport protocols play an important role in maximizing applicationlevel throughput and link utilization. The performance of transport protocols largely depend on their control parameter settings, but it is prohibitively time consuming to conduct an exhaustive search in a large parameter space to find the best set of parameter values. We propose FastProf, a stochastic approximation-based transport profiler, to quickly determine the optimal operational zone of a given data transfer protocol/method over dedicated channels. We implement and test the proposed method using both emulations based onmore » real-life performance measurements and experiments over physical connections with short (2 ms) and long (380 ms) delays. Both the emulation and experimental results show that FastProf significantly reduces the profiling overhead while achieving a comparable level of end-to-end throughput performance with the exhaustive search-based approach.« less

Integrated receiver for heterodyne detection dedicated to space applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleury, Joel; Girard, Olivier; Royer, Michel; Bidaud, Michel

1998-10-01

This paper is devoted to the presentation of an Integrator Dewar Cooling Assembly dedicated to high frequency space applications. SAGEM SA has been a manufacturer of IR InSb and HgCdTe detectors for a long time. These detectors cover a large spectral range. The capability to use HgCdTe photovoltaic detectors for heterodyne applications at 10.6 micrometers has been demonstrated in the frame of ESA and CNES contracts. SAGEM SA has recently developed a new concept of heterodyne receiver, totally integrated, operating at variable temperatures down to 77K, using HgCdTe or InSb photovoltaic detectors. This receiver is an innovative product due to its small volume, its low weight and its low electrical consumption. The miniaturization of this product the latter to be used in space applications, specially for the earth observation missions. The performance of such a receiver with respect of the electrical bandwidth is presented in order to compare it with a receiver for terrestrial or airborne applications based on the use of a laboratory HF dewar.

Synthesis and Assimilation Systems - Essential Adjuncts to the Global Ocean Observing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rienecker, Michele M.; Balmaseda, Magdalena; Awaji, Toshiyuki; Barnier, Bernard; Behringer, David; Bell, Mike; Bourassa, Mark; Brasseur, Pierre; Breivik, Lars-Anders; Carton, James;

The first dedicated life sciences mission - Spacelab 4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cramer, D. R.; Reid, D. H.; Klein, H. P.

1983-01-01

The details of the payload and the experiments in Spacelab 4, the first Spacelab mission dedicated entirely to the life sciences, are discussed. The payload of Spacelab 4, carried in the bay of the Shuttle Orbiter, consists of 25 tentatively selected investigations combined into a comprehensive integrated exploration of the effects of acute weightlessness on living systems. The payload contains complementary designs in the human and animal investigations in order to validate animal models of human physiology in weightlessness. Animals used as experimental subjects will include squirrel monkeys, laboratory rats, several species of plants, and frog eggs. The main scientific objectives of the investigations include the study of the acute cephalic fluid shift, cardiovascular adaptation to weightlessness, including postflight reductions in orthostatic tolerance and exercise capacity, and changes in vestibular function, including space motion sickness, associated with weightlessness. Other scientific objective include the study of red cell mass reduction, negative nitrogen balance, altered calcium metabolism, suppressed in vitro lymphocyte reactivity, gravitropism and photropism in plants, and fertilization and early development in frog eggs.

A Dedicated Micro-Tomography Beamline For The Australian Synchrotron

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

Mayo, Sheridan C.; Stevenson, Andrew W.; Wilkins, Stephen W.

2010-07-23

A dedicated micro-tomography beamline is proposed for the Australian Synchrotron. It will enable high-resolution micro-tomography with resolution below a micron and supporting phase-contrast imaging modes. A key feature of the beamline will be high-throughput/high-speed operation enabling near real-time micro-tomography.

1. DEDICATION PLAQUE ENTITLED FIVE MILE VIADUCT ON NORTH END ...

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

1. DEDICATION PLAQUE ENTITLED FIVE MILE VIADUCT ON NORTH END OF BRIDGE. - U.S. Route 78 Bridge (Five Mile Viaduct), U.S. Route 78 spanning CSX Railroad & Meeting Street (S-39), North Charleston, Charleston County, SC

Secretary Chu and Administrator D'Agostino at the HEUMF Dedication

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

Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Administrator D'Agostino

2010-03-24

Speeches by Secretary of Energy Chu and NNSA Administrator Tom D'Agostino at the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility dedication ceremony at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on March 22, 2010.

NOAA Observing System Integrated Analysis (NOSIA): development and support to the NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reining, R. C.; Cantrell, L. E., Jr.; Helms, D.; LaJoie, M.; Pratt, A. S.; Ries, V.; Taylor, J.; Yuen-Murphy, M. A.

2016-12-01

There is a deep relationship between NOSIA-II and the Federal Earth Observation Assessment (EOA) efforts (EOA 2012 and 2016) chartered under the National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability, co-chaired by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, NASA, NOAA, and USGS. NOSIA-1, which was conducted with a limited scope internal to NOAA in 2010, developed the methodology and toolset that was adopted for EOA 2012, and NOAA staffed the team that conducted the data collection, modeling, and analysis effort for EOA 2012. EOA 2012 was the first-ever integrated analysis of the relative impact of 379 observing systems and data sources contributing to the key objectives identified for 13 Societal Benefit Areas (SBA) including Weather, Climate, Disasters, Oceans and Coastal Resources, and Water Resources. This effort culminated in the first National Plan for Civil Earth Observations. NOAA conducted NOSIA-II starting in 2012 to extend the NOSIA methodology across all of NOAA's Mission Service Areas, covering a representative sample (over 1000) of NOAA's products and services. The detailed information from NOSIA-II is being integrated into EOA 2016 to underpin a broad array of Key Products, Services, and (science) Objectives (KPSO) identified by the inter-agency SBA teams. EOA 2016 is expected to provide substantially greater insight into the cross-agency impacts of observing systems contributing to a wide array of KPSOs, and by extension, to societal benefits flowing from these public-facing products. NOSIA-II is being adopted by NOAA as a corporate decision-analysis and support capability to inform leadership decisions on its integrated observing systems portfolio. Application examples include assessing the agency-wide impacts of planned decommissioning of ships and aircraft in NOAA's fleet, and the relative cost-effectiveness of alternative space-based architectures in the post-GOES-R and JPSS era

Interior, first floor, central lobby, detail of dedication plaque of ...

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

Interior, first floor, central lobby, detail of dedication plaque of terrazzo floor, looking west - U.S. Veterans Hospital, Jefferson Barracks, Admissions Building, VA Medical Center, Jefferson Barracks Division 1 Jefferson Barracks Drive, Saint Louis, Independent City, MO

Variable Star Observing in Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizser, Attila

1986-12-01

Astronomy and variable star observing has a long history in Hungary, dating back to the private observatories erected by the Hungarian nobility in the late 19th Century. The first organized network of amateur variable star observers, the Variable Star Section of the new Hungarian Astronomical Association, was organized around the Urania Observatory in Budapest in 1948. Other groups, dedicated to various types of variables, have since been organized.

SLS-1: The first dedicated life sciences shuttle flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, Robert W.

1992-01-01

Spacelab Life Sciences 1 was the first space laboratory dedicated to life science research. It was launched into orbit in early June 1991 aboard the space shuttle Columbia. The data from this flight have greatly expanded our knowledge of the effects of microgravity on human physiology as data were collected in-flight, not just pre and post. Principal goals of the mission were the measurement of rapid and semichronic (8 days) changes in the cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems during the flight and then to measure the rate of readaptation following return to Earth. Results from the four teams involved in that research will be presented in this panel. In addition to the cardiovascular-cardiopulmonary research, extensive metabolic studies encompassed fluid, electrolyte and energy balance, renal function, hematology and musculoskeletal changes. Finally, the crew participated in several neurovestibular studies. Overall, the mission was an outstanding success and has provided much new information on the lability of human responses to the space environment.

Integrated Arctic Observation System Development Under Horizon 2020

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandven, S.

2016-12-01

The overall objective of INTAROS is to develop an integrated Arctic Observation System (iAOS) by extending, improving and unifying existing systems in the different regions of the Arctic. INTAROS will have a strong multidisciplinary focus, with tools for integration of data from atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and terrestrial sciences, provided by institutions in Europe, North America and Asia. Satellite earth observation data plays an increasingly important role in such observing systems, because the amount of EO data for observing the global climate and environment grows year by year. In situ observing systems are much more limited due to logistical constraints and cost limitations. The sparseness of in situ data is therefore the largest gap in the overall observing system. INTAROS will assess strengths and weaknesses of existing observing systems and contribute with innovative solutions to fill some of the critical gaps in the in situ observing network. INTAROS will develop a platform, iAOS, to search for and access data from distributed databases. The evolution into a sustainable Arctic observing system requires coordination, mobilization and cooperation between the existing European and international infrastructures (in-situ and remote including space-based), the modeling communities and relevant stakeholder groups. INTAROS will include development of community-based observing systems, where local knowledge is merged with scientific data. An integrated Arctic Observation System will enable better-informed decisions and better-documented processes within key sectors (e.g. local communities, shipping, tourism, fishing), in order to strengthen the societal and economic role of the Arctic region and support the EU strategy for the Arctic and related maritime and environmental policies.

Earth observing system: 1989 reference handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

NASA is studying a coordinated effort called the Mission to Planet Earth to understand global change. The goals are to understand the Earth as a system, and to determine those processes that contribute to the environmental balance, as well as those that may result in changes. The Earth Observing System (Eos) is the centerpiece of the program. Eos will create an integrated scientific observing system that will enable multidisciplinary study of the Earth including the atmosphere, oceans, land surface, polar regions, and solid Earth. Science goals, the Eos data and information system, experiments, measuring instruments, and interdisciplinary investigations are described.

The 1991 natural gas vehicle challenge: Developing dedicated natural gas vehicle technology

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

Larsen, R.; Rimkus, W.; Davies, J.

An engineering research and design competition to develop and demonstrate dedicated natural gas-powered light-duty trucks, the Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Challenge, was held June 6--11, 1191, in Oklahoma. Sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy, Mines, and Resources -- Canada (EMR), the Society of Automative Engineers (SAE), and General Motors Corporation (GM), the competition consisted of rigorous vehicle testing of exhaust emissions, fuel economy, performance parameters, and vehicle design. Using Sierra 2500 pickup trucks donated by GM, 24 teams of college and university engineers from the US and Canada participated in the event. A gasoline-powered control testing asmore » a reference vehicle. This paper discusses the results of the event, summarizes the technologies employed, and makes observations on the state of natural gas vehicle technology.« less

The 1991 natural gas vehicle challenge: Developing dedicated natural gas vehicle technology

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

Larsen, R.; Rimkus, W.; Davies, J.

1992-01-01

An engineering research and design competition to develop and demonstrate dedicated natural gas-powered light-duty trucks, the Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Challenge, was held June 6--11, 1191, in Oklahoma. Sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy, Mines, and Resources -- Canada (EMR), the Society of Automative Engineers (SAE), and General Motors Corporation (GM), the competition consisted of rigorous vehicle testing of exhaust emissions, fuel economy, performance parameters, and vehicle design. Using Sierra 2500 pickup trucks donated by GM, 24 teams of college and university engineers from the US and Canada participated in the event. A gasoline-powered control testing asmore » a reference vehicle. This paper discusses the results of the event, summarizes the technologies employed, and makes observations on the state of natural gas vehicle technology.« less

Information Literacy Courses in Engineering and Science--The Design and Implementation of the DEDICATE Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fjallbrant, Nancy; Levy, Philippa

The aim of the DEDICATE (Distance Education Information Courses with Access through Networks) project, funded through the European Union, is to develop distance education courses in training for information literacy. The DEDICATE courses are based on the use of the Internet and World Wide Web; communication between participants and tutors and…

10. Detail, dedication plaque on the bridge's northeast end (plaque ...

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

10. Detail, dedication plaque on the bridge's northeast end (plaque on southwest end of bridge is identical - Big Cottonwood River Bridge No. 246, Spanning Big Cottonwood River at Cottonwood Street (City Road No. 165), New Ulm, Brown County, MN

The European Plate Observing System (EPOS): Integrating Thematic Services for Solid Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atakan, Kuvvet; Bailo, Daniele; Consortium, Epos

2016-04-01

The mission of EPOS is to monitor and understand the dynamic and complex Earth system by relying on new e-science opportunities and integrating diverse and advanced Research Infrastructures in Europe for solid Earth Science. EPOS will enable innovative multidisciplinary research for a better understanding of the Earth's physical and chemical processes that control earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, ground instability and tsunami as well as the processes driving tectonics and Earth's surface dynamics. Through integration of data, models and facilities EPOS will allow the Earth Science community to make a step change in developing new concepts and tools for key answers to scientific and socio-economic questions concerning geo-hazards and geo-resources as well as Earth sciences applications to the environment and to human welfare. EPOS, during its Implementation Phase (EPOS-IP), will integrate multidisciplinary data into a single e-infrastructure. Multidisciplinary data are organized and governed by the Thematic Core Services (TCS) and are driven by various scientific communities encompassing a wide spectrum of Earth science disciplines. These include Data, Data-products, Services and Software (DDSS), from seismology, near fault observatories, geodetic observations, volcano observations, satellite observations, geomagnetic observations, as well as data from various anthropogenic hazard episodes, geological information and modelling. In addition, transnational access to multi-scale laboratories and geo-energy test-beds for low-carbon energy will be provided. TCS DDSS will be integrated into Integrated Core Services (ICS), a platform that will ensure their interoperability and access to these services by the scientific community as well as other users within the society. This requires dedicated tasks for interactions with the various TCS-WPs, as well as the various distributed ICS (ICS-Ds), such as High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities, large scale data storage

Observing System Simulation Experiments: An Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prive, Nikki C.; Errico, Ronald M.

2016-01-01

An overview of Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) will be given, with focus on calibration and validation of OSSE frameworks. Pitfalls and practice will be discussed, including observation error characteristics, incestuousness, and experimental design. The potential use of OSSEs for investigation of the behaviour of data assimilation systems will be explored, including some results from experiments using the NASAGMAO OSSE.

CHARACTERIZING THE ATMOSPHERES OF TRANSITING PLANETS WITH A DEDICATED SPACE TELESCOPE

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

Tessenyi, M.; Tinetti, G.; Swinyard, B.

Exoplanetary science is one of the fastest evolving fields of today's astronomical research, continuously yielding unexpected and surprising results. Ground-based planet-hunting surveys, together with dedicated space missions such as Kepler and CoRoT, are delivering an ever-increasing number of exoplanets, over 690, and ESA's Gaia mission will escalate the exoplanetary census into the several thousands. The next logical step is the characterization of these new worlds. What is their nature? Why are they as they are? Use of the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope to probe the atmospheres of transiting hot, gaseous exoplanets has opened perspectives unimaginable even justmore » 10 years ago, demonstrating that it is indeed possible with current technology to address the ambitious goal of characterizing the atmospheres of these alien worlds. However, these successful measurements have also shown the difficulty of understanding the physics and chemistry of these exotic environments when having to rely on a limited number of observations performed on a handful of objects. To progress substantially in this field, a dedicated facility for exoplanet characterization, able to observe a statistically significant number of planets over time and a broad spectral range will be essential. Additionally, the instrument design (e.g., detector performances, photometric stability) will be tailored to optimize the extraction of the astrophysical signal. In this paper, we analyze the performance and tradeoffs of a 1.2/1.4 m space telescope for exoplanet transit spectroscopy from the visible to the mid-IR. We present the signal-to-noise ratio as a function of integration time and stellar magnitude/spectral type for the acquisition of spectra of planetary atmospheres for a variety of scenarios: hot, warm, and temperate planets orbiting stars ranging in spectral type from hot F- to cooler M-dwarfs. Our results include key examples of known planets (e.g., HD 189733b, GJ

Multi-stream face recognition on dedicated mobile devices for crime-fighting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jassim, Sabah A.; Sellahewa, Harin

2006-09-01

Automatic face recognition is a useful tool in the fight against crime and terrorism. Technological advance in mobile communication systems and multi-application mobile devices enable the creation of hybrid platforms for active and passive surveillance. A dedicated mobile device that incorporates audio-visual sensors would not only complement existing networks of fixed surveillance devices (e.g. CCTV) but could also provide wide geographical coverage in almost any situation and anywhere. Such a device can hold a small portion of a law-enforcing agency biometric database that consist of audio and/or visual data of a number of suspects/wanted or missing persons who are expected to be in a local geographical area. This will assist law-enforcing officers on the ground in identifying persons whose biometric templates are downloaded onto their devices. Biometric data on the device can be regularly updated which will reduce the number of faces an officer has to remember. Such a dedicated device would act as an active/passive mobile surveillance unit that incorporate automatic identification. This paper is concerned with the feasibility of using wavelet-based face recognition schemes on such devices. The proposed schemes extend our recently developed face verification scheme for implementation on a currently available PDA. In particular we will investigate the use of a combination of wavelet frequency channels for multi-stream face recognition. We shall present experimental results on the performance of our proposed schemes for a number of publicly available face databases including a new AV database of videos recorded on a PDA.

The effectiveness of regional anaesthesia before and after the introduction of a dedicated regional anaesthesia service incorporating a block room.

PubMed

Chin, A; Heywood, L; Iu, P; Pelecanos, A M; Barrington, M J

2017-11-01

Dedicated regional anaesthesia services incorporating block rooms and/or block teams may facilitate theatre efficiency and improve training in regional anaesthesia. Currently, it is unknown if a dedicated regional anaesthesia service improves the effectiveness of regional anaesthesia. In November 2013, the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital established a dedicated regional anaesthesia service comprising a block team and a block room. Pre-intervention (conventional model of care) registry data was retrospectively compared with post-intervention (dedicated regional anaesthesia service) audit data, with regard to pain and opioid requirement in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU). The primary outcome was inadequate analgesia, defined as a numerical rating scale (NRS; 0, no pain; 10, worst pain imaginable) for pain >5 in the PACU. Pre- and post-intervention, 43.7% and 27.7% of patients respectively reported a NRS >5 (P <0.001). A difference in the type of blocks and surgery performed may have accounted for the improved outcome seen post-intervention. After adjustment for American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, block type and surgery type, the odds ratio of having inadequate analgesia (NRS >5) was 0.54 (95% confidence interval 0.39 to 0.76) for post-intervention compared to pre-intervention. Secondary outcomes examined pre- and post-intervention were the absence of pain (39.3% and 55.1% of patients, respectively, P <0.001), systemic opioid analgesia requirement (48.6% and 30.5% of patients respectively, P <0.001) and median maximum NRS (4 [interquartile range (IQR) 0 to 8] and 0 [IQR 0 to 6] respectively, P <0.001). A dedicated regional anaesthesia service was associated with improved effectiveness of regional anaesthesia.

The roles of constraint-based and dedication-based influences on user's continued online shopping behavior.

PubMed

Chang, Su-Chao; Chou, Chi-Min

2012-11-01

The objective of this study was to determine empirically the role of constraint-based and dedication-based influences as drivers of the intention to continue using online shopping websites. Constraint-based influences consist of two variables: trust and perceived switching costs. Dedication-based influences consist of three variables: satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and trust. The current results indicate that both constraint-based and dedication-based influences are important drivers of the intention to continue using online shopping websites. The data also shows that trust has the strongest total effect on online shoppers' intention to continue using online shopping websites. In addition, the results indicate that the antecedents of constraint-based influences, technical bonds (e.g., perceived operational competence and perceived website interactivity) and social bonds (e.g., perceived relationship investment, community building, and intimacy) have indirect positive effects on the intention to continue using online shopping websites. Based on these findings, this research suggests that online shopping websites should build constraint-based and dedication-based influences to enhance user's continued online shopping behaviors simultaneously.

CATOS (Computer Aided Training/Observing System): Automating animal observation and training.

PubMed

Oh, Jinook; Fitch, W Tecumseh

2017-02-01

In animal behavioral biology, an automated observing/training system may be useful for several reasons: (a) continuous observation of animals for documentation of specific, irregular events, (b) long-term intensive training of animals in preparation for behavioral experiments, (c) elimination of potential cues and biases induced by humans during training and testing. Here, we describe an open-source-based system named CATOS (Computer Aided Training/Observing System) developed for such situations. There are several notable features in this system. CATOS is flexible and low cost because it is based on free open-source software libraries, common hardware parts, and open-system electronics based on Arduino. Automated video condensation is applied, leading to significantly reduced video data storage compared to the total active hours of the system. A data-viewing utility program helps a user browse recorded data quickly and more efficiently. With these features, CATOS has the potential to be applied to many different animal species in various environments such as laboratories, zoos, or even private homes. Also, an animal's free access to the device without constraint, and a gamified learning process, enhance the animal's welfare and enriches their environment. As a proof of concept, the system was built and tested with two different species. Initially, the system was tested for approximately 10 months with a domesticated cat. The cat was successfully and fully automatically trained to discriminate three different spoken words. Then, in order to test the system's adaptability to other species and hardware components, we used it to train a laboratory rat for 3 weeks.

42. From Superintendent's Monthly Report, March 1935. DEDICATION OF HALEAKALA ...

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

42. From Superintendent's Monthly Report, March 1935. DEDICATION OF HALEAKALA HIGHWAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1935. A ONE-HOUR RADIO BROADCAST BY KGU IN HONOLULU WAS TRANSMITTED FROM THE SUMMIT CEREMONIES TO ISLANDERS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY - Haleakala National Park Roads, Pukalani, Maui County, HI

An adaptive tracking observer for failure-detection systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sidar, M.

1982-01-01

The design problem of adaptive observers applied to linear, constant and variable parameters, multi-input, multi-output systems, is considered. It is shown that, in order to keep the observer's (or Kalman filter) false-alarm rate (FAR) under a certain specified value, it is necessary to have an acceptable proper matching between the observer (or KF) model and the system parameters. An adaptive observer algorithm is introduced in order to maintain desired system-observer model matching, despite initial mismatching and/or system parameter variations. Only a properly designed adaptive observer is able to detect abrupt changes in the system (actuator, sensor failures, etc.) with adequate reliability and FAR. Conditions for convergence for the adaptive process were obtained, leading to a simple adaptive law (algorithm) with the possibility of an a priori choice of fixed adaptive gains. Simulation results show good tracking performance with small observer output errors and accurate and fast parameter identification, in both deterministic and stochastic cases.

Intelligent Advisory Speed Limit Dedication in Highway Using VANET

PubMed Central

Md Noor, Rafidah; Yeo, Hwasoo; Jung, Jason J.

2014-01-01

Variable speed limits (VSLs) as a mean for enhancing road traffic safety are studied for decades to modify the speed limit based on the prevailing road circumstances. In this study the pros and cons of VSL systems and their effects on traffic controlling efficiency are summarized. Despite the potential effectiveness of utilizing VSLs, we have witnessed that the effectiveness of this system is impacted by factors such as VSL control strategy used and the level of driver compliance. Hence, the proposed approach called Intelligent Advisory Speed Limit Dedication (IASLD) as the novel VSL control strategy which considers the driver compliance aims to improve the traffic flow and occupancy of vehicles in addition to amelioration of vehicle's travel times. The IASLD provides the advisory speed limit for each vehicle exclusively based on the vehicle's characteristics including the vehicle type, size, and safety capabilities as well as traffic and weather conditions. The proposed approach takes advantage of vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) to accelerate its performance, in the way that simulation results demonstrate the reduction of incident detection time up to 31.2% in comparison with traditional VSL strategy. The simulation results similarly indicate the improvement of traffic flow efficiency, occupancy, and travel time in different conditions. PMID:24999493

Intelligent advisory speed limit dedication in highway using VANET.

PubMed

Jalooli, Ali; Shaghaghi, Erfan; Jabbarpour, Mohammad Reza; Noor, Rafidah Md; Yeo, Hwasoo; Jung, Jason J

2014-01-01

Variable speed limits (VSLs) as a mean for enhancing road traffic safety are studied for decades to modify the speed limit based on the prevailing road circumstances. In this study the pros and cons of VSL systems and their effects on traffic controlling efficiency are summarized. Despite the potential effectiveness of utilizing VSLs, we have witnessed that the effectiveness of this system is impacted by factors such as VSL control strategy used and the level of driver compliance. Hence, the proposed approach called Intelligent Advisory Speed Limit Dedication (IASLD) as the novel VSL control strategy which considers the driver compliance aims to improve the traffic flow and occupancy of vehicles in addition to amelioration of vehicle's travel times. The IASLD provides the advisory speed limit for each vehicle exclusively based on the vehicle's characteristics including the vehicle type, size, and safety capabilities as well as traffic and weather conditions. The proposed approach takes advantage of vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) to accelerate its performance, in the way that simulation results demonstrate the reduction of incident detection time up to 31.2% in comparison with traditional VSL strategy. The simulation results similarly indicate the improvement of traffic flow efficiency, occupancy, and travel time in different conditions.

Nurses caring for ENT patients in a district general hospital without a dedicated ENT ward score significantly less in a test of knowledge than nurses caring for ENT patients in a dedicated ENT ward in a comparable district general hospital.

PubMed

Foxton, C R; Black, D; Muhlschlegel, J; Jardine, A

2014-12-01

To assess whether there is a difference in ENT knowledge amongst nurses caring for patients on a dedicated ENT ward and nurses caring for ENT patients in a similar hospital without a dedicated ENT ward. A test of theoretical knowledge of ENT nursing care was devised and administered to nurses working on a dedicated ENT ward and then to nurses working on generic non-subspecialist wards regularly caring for ENT patients in a hospital without a dedicated ENT ward. The test scores were then compared. A single specialist ENT/Maxillo-Facial/Opthalmology ward in hospital A and 3 generic surgical wards in hospital B. Both hospitals are comparable district general hospitals in the south west of England. Nursing staff working in hospital A and hospital B on the relevant wards were approached during the working day. 11 nurses on ward 1, 10 nurses on ward 2, 11 nurses on ward 3 and 10 nurses on ward 4 (the dedicated ENT ward). Each individual test score was used to generate an average score per ward and these scores compared to see if there was a significant difference. The average score out of 10 on ward 1 was 6.8 (+/-1.6). The average score on ward two was 4.8 (+/-1.6). The average score on ward three was 5.5 (+/-2.1). The average score on ward 4, which is the dedicated ENT ward, was 9.7 (+/-0.5). The differences in average test score between the dedicated ENT ward and all of the other wards are statistically significant. Nurses working on a dedicated ENT ward have an average higher score in a test of knowledge than nurses working on generic surgical wards. This difference is statistically significant and persists despite banding or training. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dedication and Teamwork Highlight Efforts to Advance Normal Birth

PubMed Central

Humenick, Sharron S.

2006-01-01

The editor of The Journal of Perinatal Education describes the contents of this issue, which offer a broad range of resources, research, and inspiration for childbirth educators in their efforts to promote normal birth. Also, the editor notes the outstanding quality of dedication and teamwork among many who are involved in producing this quarterly, peer-reviewed journal.

Dedicated to Gifted Education: An Interview with Karen Rogers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hay, Peta

2017-01-01

Karen B. Rogers has dedicated her career to serving gifted students. In this interview she outlines her major research studies, and explores some of her experiences in the field, with special emphasis on her time in Australia. She discusses her use of the meta-synthesis and meta-analysis methodologies, and outlines key areas of gifted education…

Investigation of a novel image segmentation method dedicated to forest fire applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudz, S.; Chetehouna, K.; Hafiane, A.; Laurent, H.; Séro-Guillaume, O.

2013-07-01

To face fire it is crucial to understand its behaviour in order to maximize fighting means. To achieve this task, the development of a metrological tool is necessary for estimating both geometrical and physical parameters involved in forest fire modelling. A key parameter is to estimate fire positions accurately. In this paper an image processing tool especially dedicated to an accurate extraction of fire from an image is presented. In this work, the clustering on several colour spaces is investigated and it appears that the blue chrominance Cb from the YCbCr colour space is the most appropriate. As a consequence, a new segmentation algorithm dedicated to forest fire applications has been built using first an optimized k-means clustering in the Cb-channel and then some properties of fire pixels in the RGB colour space. Next, the performance of the proposed method is evaluated using three supervised evaluation criteria and then compared to other existing segmentation algorithms in the literature. Finally a conclusion is drawn, assessing the good behaviour of the developed algorithm. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr Olivier Séro-Guillaume (1950-2013), CNRS Research Director.

Comparison of Filters Dedicated to Speckle Suppression in SAR Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kupidura, P.

2016-06-01

This paper presents the results of research on the effectiveness of different filtering methods dedicated to speckle suppression in SAR images. The tests were performed on RadarSat-2 images and on an artificial image treated with simulated speckle noise. The research analysed the performance of particular filters related to the effectiveness of speckle suppression and to the ability to preserve image details and edges. Speckle is a phenomenon inherent to radar images - a deterministic noise connected with land cover type, but also causing significant changes in digital numbers of pixels. As a result, it may affect interpretation, classification and other processes concerning radar images. Speckle, resembling "salt and pepper" noise, has the form of a set of relatively small groups of pixels of values markedly different from values of other pixels representing the same type of land cover. Suppression of this noise may also cause suppression of small image details, therefore the ability to preserve the important parts of an image, was analysed as well. In the present study, selected filters were tested, and methods dedicated particularly to speckle noise suppression: Frost, Gamma-MAP, Lee, Lee-Sigma, Local Region, general filtering methods which might be effective in this respect: Mean, Median, in addition to morphological filters (alternate sequential filters with multiple structuring element and by reconstruction). The analysis presented in this paper compared the effectiveness of different filtering methods. It proved that some of the dedicated radar filters are efficient tools for speckle suppression, but also demonstrated a significant efficiency of the morphological approach, especially its ability to preserve image details.

Performance Evaluation of a New Dedicated Breast PET Scanner Using NEMA NU4-2008 Standards.

PubMed

Miyake, Kanae K; Matsumoto, Keiichi; Inoue, Mika; Nakamoto, Yuji; Kanao, Shotaro; Oishi, Tae; Kawase, Shigeto; Kitamura, Keishi; Yamakawa, Yoshiyuki; Akazawa, Ayako; Kobayashi, Tetsuya; Ohi, Junichi; Togashi, Kaori

2014-07-01

The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance characteristics of a newly developed dedicated breast PET scanner, according to National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) NU 4-2008 standards. The dedicated breast PET scanner consists of 4 layers of a 32 × 32 lutetium oxyorthosilicate-based crystal array, a light guide, and a 64-channel position-sensitive photomultiplier tube. The size of a crystal element is 1.44 × 1.44 × 4.5 mm. The detector ring has a large solid angle with a 185-mm aperture and an axial coverage of 155.5 mm. The energy windows at depth of interaction for the first and second layers are 400-800 keV, and those at the third and fourth layers are 100-800 keV. A fixed timing window of 4.5 ns was used for all acquisitions. Spatial resolution, sensitivity, counting rate capabilities, and image quality were evaluated in accordance with NEMA NU 4-2008 standards. Human imaging was performed in addition to the evaluation. Radial, tangential, and axial spatial resolution measured as minimal full width at half maximum approached 1.6, 1.7, and 2.0 mm, respectively, for filtered backprojection reconstruction and 0.8, 0.8, and 0.8 mm, respectively, for dynamic row-action maximum-likelihood algorithm reconstruction. The peak absolute sensitivity of the system was 11.2%. Scatter fraction at the same acquisition settings was 30.1% for the rat-sized phantom. Peak noise-equivalent counting rate and peak true rate for the ratlike phantom was 374 kcps at 25 MBq and 603 kcps at 31 MBq, respectively. In the image-quality phantom study, recovery coefficients and uniformity were 0.04-0.82 and 1.9%, respectively, for standard reconstruction mode and 0.09-0.97 and 4.5%, respectively, for enhanced-resolution mode. Human imaging provided high-contrast images with restricted background noise for standard reconstruction mode and high-resolution images for enhanced-resolution mode. The dedicated breast PET scanner has excellent spatial resolution and high

Assessing Preschool Children's Competitive Behaviour: An Observational System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsiakara, Angeliki; Digelidis, Nikolaos M.

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a direct observational system in order to assess competitive behaviours in preschool children. Participants were 176 children (90 boys, 86 girls; M[subscript age]?=?5.2 years) from 10 kindergarten classes of one town of Central Greece. A new observational system (Observational System Assessing Competition in…

Conception of comics dedicated to optics learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machemy, Jacques; Bousquet, Bruno

2015-10-01

Optics' teaching is commonly based on the use of lessons including several mathematical tools. For example, ray tracing can be described through matrix algebra, and interference and polarization can be supported by the use of complex numbers. Thus, the numerous mathematical descriptions included in the optics' lessons represent a real difficulty for students having insufficient skills in mathematics. Moreover, despite of very impressive optical effects one can observe in real life, e.g. rainbows, their description in optics' courses is often considered as too academic and boring, and finally not really exciting. In this context, we have invented a new type of comics dedicated to optics' learning. Based on a dialogue between two imaginary characters, one considered as the young student and the other one as the old teacher, we have chosen to reduce the role of mathematics and to mix realistic and unrealistic elements in the drawing to complete the explanations faster. Starting from reflection and refraction, the Snell's laws then allow for describing natural phenomena such as mirage and rainbow as well as technical points such as light propagation into an optical fiber and the measurement of the refraction index. The first volume presented here will be evaluated during the fall semester 2015 in different high schools and at university through a linked survey and the students will also get access to an online version while the following parts are in preparation.

Conceptual design of a stray light facility for Earth observation satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stockman, Y.; Hellin, M. L.; Marcotte, S.; Mazy, E.; Versluys, J.; François, M.; Taccola, M.; Zuccaro Marchi, A.

2017-11-01

With the upcoming of TMA or FMA (Three or Four Mirrors Anastigmat) telescope design in Earth Observation system, stray light is a major contributor to the degradation of the image quality. Numerous sources of stray light can be identified and theoretically evaluated. Nevertheless in order to build a stray light model of the instrument, the Point Spread Function(s) of the instrument, i.e., the flux response of the instrument to the flux received at the instrument entrance from an infinite distant point source needs to be determined. This paper presents a conceptual design of a facility placed in a vacuum chamber to eliminate undesired air particles scatter light sources. The specification of the clean room class or vacuum will depend on the required rejection to be measured. Once the vacuum chamber is closed, the stray light level from the external environment can be considered as negligible. Inside the chamber a dedicated baffle design is required to eliminate undesired light generated by the set up itself e.g. retro reflected light away from the instrument under test. This implies blackened shrouds all around the specimen. The proposed illumination system is a 400 mm off axis parabolic mirror with a focal length of 2 m. The off axis design suppresses the problem of stray light that can be generated by the internal obstruction. A dedicated block source is evaluated in order to avoid any stray light coming from the structure around the source pinhole. Dedicated attention is required on the selection of the source to achieve the required large measurement dynamic.

Dedicated education unit: student perspectives.

PubMed

Nishioka, Vicki M; Coe, Michael T; Hanita, Makoto; Moscato, Susan R

2014-01-01

The study compared students' perceptions of their clinical learning experiences in a dedicated education unit (DEU) with their experiences in traditional clinical education. Unlike traditional academic-instructor models, expert nurses in the DEU provide clinical education to students with faculty support. This repeated measures design used student surveys, supplemented by focus group data. Students were more likely to agree that their clinical learning experience was high quality and they had a consistent mentoring relationship during DEU rotations. Students also reported the quality of the unit's learning environment, the leadership style of the nurse manager, and the nursing care on the unit was more favorable in DEUs than traditional units. Consistent with their changed role in DEUs, faculty members were less active in helping students integrate theory and practice. These findings provide additional evidence of the value that the DEU model contributes to high-quality clinical education.

Implementation of a commercial-grade dedication program - Benefits and lessons learned

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

Harrington, M.; MacFarlane, I.

1991-01-01

The recent issuance of industry guidelines, the Nuclear Management and Resources Council procurement initiative, and a US Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRC generic letter on commercial-grade item dedication (CGD) has been viewed by many utility managers and executives as only adding to the existing burden of compliance with regulatory requirements. While the incorporation of these documents into existing CGD programs has created additional costs, the resulting enhanced dedication programs have also produced benefits beyond regulatory compliance, and some lessons have been learned. This paper discusses the benefits and the lessons learned during implementation of an enhanced CGD program at New Hampshiremore » Yankee's (NHY's) Seabrook nuclear plant. Based on NHY's experience, it is believed that the benefits described in this paper can be realized by other utilities implementing CGD programs.« less

Economic feasibility analysis of conventional and dedicated energy crop production

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

Nelson, R.G.; Langemeier, M.R.; Krehbiel, L.R.

Economic feasibilities (net return per acre) associated with conventional agricultural crop production versus that of dedicated bioenergy crop (herbaceous energy crops) were investigated for northeastern Kansas. Conventional agricultural crops examined were corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum and alfalfa and dedicated herbaceous energy crops included big bluestem/indiangrass, switchgrass, eastern gamagrass, brome, fescue and cane hay. Costs, prices and government program information from public and private sources were used to project the net return per acre over a six-year period beginning in 1997. Three soil productivity levels (low, average and high), which had a direct effect on the net return per acre, weremore » used to model differences in expected yield. In all three soil productivity cases, big bluestem/indiangrass, switchgrass and brome hay provided a higher net return per acre versus conventional crops grown on both program and non-program acres. Eastern gamagrass, fescue hay and cane hay had returns that were similar or less than returns provided by conventional crops.« less

Characterizing Cold Giant Planets in Reflected Light: Lessons from 50 Years of Outer Solar System Exploration and Observation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marley, Mark Scott; Hammel, Heidi

2014-01-01

A space based coronagraph, whether as part of the WFIRST/AFTA mission or on a dedicated space telescope such as Exo-C or -S, will be able to obtain photometry and spectra of multiple gas giant planets around nearby stars, including many known from radial velocity detections. Such observations will constrain the masses, atmospheric compositions, clouds, and photochemistry of these worlds. Giant planet albedo models, such as those of Cahoy et al. (2010) and Lewis et al. (this meeting), will be crucial for mission planning and interpreting the data. However it is equally important that insights gleaned from decades of solar system imaging and spectroscopy of giant planets be leveraged to optimize both instrument design and data interpretation. To illustrate these points we will draw on examples from solar system observations, by both HST and ground based telescopes, as well as by Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini, to demonstrate the importance clouds, photochemical hazes, and various molecular absorbers play in sculpting the light scattered by solar system giant planets. We will demonstrate how measurements of the relative depths of multiple methane absorption bands of varying strengths have been key to disentangling the competing effects of gas column abundances, variations in cloud height and opacity, and scattering by high altitude photochemical hazes. We will highlight both the successes, such as the accurate remote determination of the atmospheric methane abundance of Jupiter, and a few failures from these types of observations. These lessons provide insights into technical issues facing spacecraft designers, from the selection of the most valuable camera filters to carry to the required capabilities of the flight spectrometer, as well as mission design questions such as choosing the most favorable phase angles for atmospheric characterization.

The central pixel of the MAGIC telescope for optical observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucarelli, F.; Barrio, J. A.; Antoranz, P.; Asensio, M.; Camara, M.; Contreras, J. L.; Fonseca, M. V.; Lopez, M.; Miranda, J. M.; Oya, I.; Reyes, R. De Los; Firpo, R.; Sidro, N.; Goebel, F.; Lorenz, E.; Otte, N.

2008-05-01

The MAGIC telescope has been designed for the observation of Cherenkov light generated in Extensive Air Showers initiated by cosmic particles. However, its 17 m diameter mirror and optical design makes the telescope suitable for direct optical observations as well. In this paper, we report about the development of a system based on the use of a dedicated photo-multiplier (PMT) for optical observations. This PMT is installed in the centre of the MAGIC camera (the so-called central pixel). An electro-to-optical system has been developed in order to transmit the PMT output signal by an optical fibre to the counting room, where it is digitized and stored for off-line analysis. The performance of the system using the optical pulsation of the Crab nebula as calibration source is presented. The time required for a 5σ detection of the Crab pulsar in the optical band is less than 20 s. The central pixel will be mainly used to perform simultaneous observations of the Crab pulsar both in the optical and γ-ray regimes. It will also allow for periodic testing of the precision of the MAGIC timing system using the Crab rotational optical pulses as a very precise timing reference.

1993 Earth Observing System reference handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asrar, Ghassem (Editor); Dokken, David Jon (Editor)

1993-01-01

Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) is a NASA-sponsored concept that uses space- and ground-based measurement systems to provide the scientific basis for understanding global change. The space-based components of MTPE will provide a constellation of satellites to monitor the Earth from space. Sustained observations will allow researchers to monitor climate variables overtime to determine trends; however, space-based monitoring alone is not sufficient. A comprehensive data and information system, a community of scientists performing research with the data acquired, and extensive ground campaigns are all important components. Brief descriptions of the various elements that comprise the overall mission are provided. The Earth Observing System (EOS) - a series of polar-orbiting and low-inclination satellites for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans - is the centerpiece of MTPE. The elements comprising the EOS mission are described in detail.

Observations from Sarmizegetusa Sanctuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbosu, M.

2000 years ago, Sarmizegetusa Regia was the capital of ancient Dacia (today: Romania). It is known that the Dacian high priests used the Sanctuary of Sarmizegetusa not only for religious ceremonies, but also for astronomical observations. After having completed geodesic measurements, we analyzed the architecture of the sanctuary with its main points, directions and circles. We discuss here what kind of astronomical observations could have been made with the scientific knowledge of that time. The final section of this work is dedicated to the remarkable resemblance between Sarmizegztusa and Stonehenge.

Expert overseer for mass spectrometer system

DOEpatents

Filby, Evan E.; Rankin, Richard A.

1991-01-01

An expert overseer for the operation and real-time management of a mass spectrometer and associated laboratory equipment. The overseer is a computer-based expert diagnostic system implemented on a computer separate from the dedicated computer used to control the mass spectrometer and produce the analysis results. An interface links the overseer to components of the mass spectrometer, components of the laboratory support system, and the dedicated control computer. Periodically, the overseer polls these devices and as well as itself. These data are fed into an expert portion of the system for real-time evaluation. A knowledge base used for the evaluation includes both heuristic rules and precise operation parameters. The overseer also compares current readings to a long-term database to detect any developing trends using a combination of statistical and heuristic rules to evaluate the results. The overseer has the capability to alert lab personnel whenever questionable readings or trends are observed and provide a background review of the problem and suggest root causes and potential solutions, or appropriate additional tests that could be performed. The overseer can change the sequence or frequency of the polling to respond to an observation in the current data.

Dedicated Barrett's surveillance sessions managed by trained endoscopists improve dysplasia detection rate.

PubMed

Ooi, Joanne; Wilson, Patrick; Walker, Giles; Blaker, Paul; DeMartino, Sabina; O'Donohue, John; Reffitt, David; Lanaspre, Effie; Chang, Fuju; Meenan, John; Dunn, Jason M

2017-06-01

Background and study aim  Barrett's esophagus (BE)-associated dysplasia is an important marker for risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and an indication for endoscopic therapy. However, BE surveillance technique is variable. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of dedicated BE surveillance lists on dysplasia detection rate (DDR). Patients and methods  This was a prospective study of patients undergoing BE surveillance at two hospitals - community (UHL) and upper gastrointestinal center (GSTT). Four endoscopists (Group A) were trained in Prague classification, Seattle protocol biopsy technique, and lesion detection prior to performing BE surveillance endoscopies at both sites, with dedicated time slots or lists. The DDR was then compared with historical data from 47 different endoscopists at GSTT and 24 at UHL (Group B) who had undertaken Barrett's surveillance over the preceding 5-year period. Results  A total of 729 patients with BE underwent surveillance endoscopy between 2007 and 2012. There was no significant difference in patient age, sex, or length of BE between the two groups. There was a significant difference in detection rate of confirmed indefinite or low grade dysplasia and high grade dysplasia (HGD)/EAC between the two groups: 18 % (26 /142) Group A vs. 8 % (45/587) in Group B ( P  < 0.001). Documentation of Prague criteria and adherence to the Seattle protocol was significantly higher in Group A. Conclusion  This study demonstrated that a group of trained endoscopists undertaking Barrett's surveillance on dedicated lists had significantly higher DDR than a nonspecialist cohort. These findings support the introduction of dedicated Barrett's surveillance lists. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A minimum spanning forest based classification method for dedicated breast CT images

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

Pike, Robert; Sechopoulos, Ioannis; Fei, Baowei, E-mail: bfei@emory.edu

Purpose: To develop and test an automated algorithm to classify different types of tissue in dedicated breast CT images. Methods: Images of a single breast of five different patients were acquired with a dedicated breast CT clinical prototype. The breast CT images were processed by a multiscale bilateral filter to reduce noise while keeping edge information and were corrected to overcome cupping artifacts. As skin and glandular tissue have similar CT values on breast CT images, morphologic processing is used to identify the skin based on its position information. A support vector machine (SVM) is trained and the resulting modelmore » used to create a pixelwise classification map of fat and glandular tissue. By combining the results of the skin mask with the SVM results, the breast tissue is classified as skin, fat, and glandular tissue. This map is then used to identify markers for a minimum spanning forest that is grown to segment the image using spatial and intensity information. To evaluate the authors’ classification method, they use DICE overlap ratios to compare the results of the automated classification to those obtained by manual segmentation on five patient images. Results: Comparison between the automatic and the manual segmentation shows that the minimum spanning forest based classification method was able to successfully classify dedicated breast CT image with average DICE ratios of 96.9%, 89.8%, and 89.5% for fat, glandular, and skin tissue, respectively. Conclusions: A 2D minimum spanning forest based classification method was proposed and evaluated for classifying the fat, skin, and glandular tissue in dedicated breast CT images. The classification method can be used for dense breast tissue quantification, radiation dose assessment, and other applications in breast imaging.« less

19. View of dedication plaque on the north tower facing ...

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

19. View of dedication plaque on the north tower facing south. The view is oblique because that portion of the approach trestles immediately in front of the plaque was removed in 1979. - Henry Ford Bridge, Spanning Cerritos Channel, Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA

Evaluation of the absorbed dose to the breast using radiochromic film in a dedicated CT mammotomography system employing a quasi-monochromatic x-ray beam.

PubMed

Crotty, Dominic J; Brady, Samuel L; Jackson, D'Vone C; Toncheva, Greta I; Anderson, Colin E; Yoshizumi, Terry T; Tornai, Martin P

2011-06-01

A dual modality SPECT-CT prototype system dedicated to uncompressed breast imaging (mammotomography) has been developed. The computed tomography subsystem incorporates an ultrathick K-edge filtration technique producing a quasi-monochromatic x-ray cone beam that optimizes the dose efficiency of the system for lesion imaging in an uncompressed breast. Here, the absorbed dose in various geometric phantoms and in an uncompressed and pendant cadaveric breast using a normal tomographic cone beam imaging protocol is characterized using both thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) measurements and ionization chamber-calibrated radiochromic film. Initially, two geometric phantoms and an anthropomorphic breast phantom are filled in turn with oil and water to simulate the dose to objects that mimic various breast shapes having effective density bounds of 100% fatty and glandular breast compositions, respectively. Ultimately, an excised human cadaver breast is tomographically scanned using the normal tomographic imaging protocol, and the dose to the breast tissue is evaluated and compared to the earlier phantom-based measurements. Measured trends in dose distribution across all breast geometric and anthropomorphic phantom volumes indicate lower doses in the medial breast and more proximal to the chest wall, with consequently higher doses near the lateral peripheries and nipple regions. Measured doses to the oil-filled phantoms are consistently lower across all volume shapes due to the reduced mass energy-absorption coefficient of oil relative to water. The mean measured dose to the breast cadaver, composed of adipose and glandular tissues, was measured to be 4.2 mGy compared to a mean whole-breast dose of 3.8 and 4.5 mGy for the oil- and water-filled anthropomorphic breast phantoms, respectively. Assuming rotational symmetry due to the tomographic acquisition exposures, these results characterize the 3D dose distributions in an uncompressed human breast tissue volume for this

Evaluation of the absorbed dose to the breast using radiochromic film in a dedicated CT mammotomography system employing a quasi-monochromatic x-ray beam

PubMed Central

Crotty, Dominic J.; Brady, Samuel L.; Jackson, D’Vone C.; Toncheva, Greta I.; Anderson, Colin E.; Yoshizumi, Terry T.; Tornai, Martin P.

2011-01-01

Purpose: A dual modality SPECT-CT prototype system dedicated to uncompressed breast imaging (mammotomography) has been developed. The computed tomography subsystem incorporates an ultrathick K-edge filtration technique producing a quasi-monochromatic x-ray cone beam that optimizes the dose efficiency of the system for lesion imaging in an uncompressed breast. Here, the absorbed dose in various geometric phantoms and in an uncompressed and pendant cadaveric breast using a normal tomographic cone beam imaging protocol is characterized using both thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) measurements and ionization chamber-calibrated radiochromic film. Methods: Initially, two geometric phantoms and an anthropomorphic breast phantom are filled in turn with oil and water to simulate the dose to objects that mimic various breast shapes having effective density bounds of 100% fatty and glandular breast compositions, respectively. Ultimately, an excised human cadaver breast is tomographically scanned using the normal tomographic imaging protocol, and the dose to the breast tissue is evaluated and compared to the earlier phantom-based measurements. Results: Measured trends in dose distribution across all breast geometric and anthropomorphic phantom volumes indicate lower doses in the medial breast and more proximal to the chest wall, with consequently higher doses near the lateral peripheries and nipple regions. Measured doses to the oil-filled phantoms are consistently lower across all volume shapes due to the reduced mass energy-absorption coefficient of oil relative to water. The mean measured dose to the breast cadaver, composed of adipose and glandular tissues, was measured to be 4.2 mGy compared to a mean whole-breast dose of 3.8 and 4.5 mGy for the oil- and water-filled anthropomorphic breast phantoms, respectively. Conclusions: Assuming rotational symmetry due to the tomographic acquisition exposures, these results characterize the 3D dose distributions in an uncompressed

On the development of earth observation satellite systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Subsequent to the launching of the first LANDSAT by NASA, Japan has recognized the importance of data from earth observation satellites, has conducted studies, and is preparing to develop an independent system. The first ocean observation satellite will be launched in 1983, the second in 1985. The first land observation satellite is scheduled to be launched in 1987 and by 1990 Japan intends to have both land and ocean observation systems in regular operation. The association reception and data processing systems are being developed.

Interleaved Observation Execution and Rescheduling on Earth Observing Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khatib, Lina; Frank, Jeremy; Smith, David; Morris, Robert; Dungan, Jennifer

2003-01-01

Observation scheduling for Earth orbiting satellites solves the following problem: given a set of requests for images of the Earth, a set of instruments for acquiring those images distributed on a collecting of orbiting satellites, and a set of temporal and resource constraints, generate a set of assignments of instruments and viewing times to those requests that satisfy those constraints. Observation scheduling is often construed as a constrained optimization problem with the objective of maximizing the overall utility of the science data acquired. The utility of an image is typically based on the intrinsic importance of acquiring it (for example, its importance in meeting a mission or science campaign objective) as well as the expected value of the data given current viewing conditions (for example, if the image is occluded by clouds, its value is usually diminished). Currently, science observation scheduling for Earth Observing Systems is done on the ground, for periods covering a day or more. Schedules are uplinked to the satellites and are executed rigorously. An alternative to this scenario is to do some of the decision-making about what images are to be acquired on-board. The principal argument for this capability is that the desirability of making an observation can change dynamically, because of changes in meteorological conditions (e.g. cloud cover), unforeseen events such as fires, floods, or volcanic eruptions, or un-expected changes in satellite or ground station capability. Furthermore, since satellites can only communicate with the ground between 5% to 10% of the time, it may be infeasible to make the desired changes to the schedule on the ground, and uplink the revisions in time for the on-board system to execute them. Examples of scenarios that motivate an on-board capability for revising schedules include the following. First, if a desired visual scene is completely obscured by clouds, then there is little point in taking it. In this case

Developing a Carbon Observing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, B., III

2015-12-01

There is a clear need to better understand and predict future climate change, so that science can more confidently inform climate policy, including adaptation planning and future mitigation strategies. Understanding carbon cycle feedbacks, and the relationship between emissions (fossil and land use) and the resulting atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) concentrations in a changing climate has been recognized as an important goal by the IPCC. The existing surface greenhouse gas observing networks provide accurate and precise measurements of background values, but they are not configured to target the extended, complex and dynamic regions of the carbon budget. Space Agencies around the globe are committed to CO2 and CH4 observations: GOSAT-1/2, OCO-2/3, MERLin, TanSat, and CarbonSat. In addition to these Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions, a new mission in Geostationary Orbit (GEO), geoCARB, which would provide mapping-like measurements of carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide concentrations over major land areas, has been recently proposed to the NASA Venture Program. These pioneering missions do not provide the spatial/temporal coverage to answer the key carbon-climate questions at process relevant scales nor do they address the distribution and quantification of anthropogenic sources at urban scales. They do demonstrate, however, that a well-planned future system of system integrating space-based LEO and GEO missions with extensive in situ observations could provide the accuracy, spatial resolution, and coverage needed to address critical open issues in the carbon-climate system. Dr. Diana Wickland devoted enormous energy in developing a comprehensive apprioach to understand the global carbon cycle; she understood well that an integrated, coordinated, international approach is needed. This shines through in her recent contribution in co-chairing the team that produced the "CEOS Strategy for Carbon Observations from Space." A NASA-funded community

Dedication of the Mod-0 Wind Turbine at Plum Brook Station

NASA Image and Video Library

1975-10-21

Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) Administrator Robert Seamans addresses the crowd at the dedication ceremony for the Mod-0 100-kilowatt wind turbine at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Plum Brook Station. The wind turbine program was a joint NASA/ERDA effort to develop less expensive forms of energy during the 1970s. NASA Lewis was able to use its experience with aerodynamics, powerplants, and energy transfer to develop efficient and cost-effective wind energy systems. The Plum Brook wind turbine was the first of a series of increasingly powerful NASA-ERDA wind turbines built around the nation. From left to right: Congressional Committee aide John Dugan, retired S. Morgan Smith Company chief engineer Carl Wilcox, windmill pioneer Beauchamp Smith, NASA Administrator James Fletcher, Seamans, and Lewis Center Director Bruce Lundin. The three men to the right are unidentified.

75. FIRST TEST SHOT OF THE VAL AT THE DEDICATION ...

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

75. FIRST TEST SHOT OF THE VAL AT THE DEDICATION CEREMONIES AS SEEN FROM A FIXED CAMERA STATION, May 7, 1948. (Original photograph in possession of Dave Willis, San Diego, California.) - Variable Angle Launcher Complex, Variable Angle Launcher, CA State Highway 39 at Morris Reservior, Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA

Seismological Data Stewardship at the IRIS DMC: The Role of a Dedicated Data Management System for Seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benson, R. B.; Ahern, T. K.; Trabant, C.; Casey, R.

2011-12-01

Since the founding of the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) in 1984, there has been a core program for data management, quite unique at the time, dedicated solely to ensuring that data recorded by IRIS and it's partners had a perpetual data management framework that ensures data will be searchable, well-documented, and preserved so that future generations can, at it's core, have an accurate history of ground motion recordings. This goal is manifest in the IRIS Data Management System, or DMS. The mission of this NSF-EAR facility is "To provide reliable and efficient access to high quality seismological and related geophysical data, generated by IRIS and its domestic and international partners, and to enable all parties interested in using these data to do so in a straightforward and efficient manner". This presentation will focus on the data management business rules that capture the data life-cycle of 3 different segments of seismological and related geophysical data managed by IRIS: - Images and parametric information of historical analog data, - Non-real time quality-controlled digital data, - Real time data that streams into the DMC through a number of different protocols. We will describe how data collection, curation, and distribution to users are cataloged to provide an accurate provenance log of contributed data, which are passed along to both the consumer and network data provider. In addition, we will discuss the need and business rules that apply to metadata and how it is managed.

Short-term outcomes following implementation of a dedicated young adult congenital heart disease transition program.

PubMed

Vaikunth, Sumeet S; Williams, Roberta G; Uzunyan, Merujan Y; Tun, Han; Barton, Cheryl; Chang, Philip M

2018-01-01

Transition from pediatric to adult care is a critical time for patients with congenital heart disease. Lapses in care can lead to poor outcomes, including increased mortality. Formal transition clinics have been implemented to improve success of transferring care from pediatric to adult providers; however, data regarding outcomes remain limited. We sought to evaluate outcomes of transfer within a dedicated transition clinic for young adult patients with congenital heart disease. We performed a retrospective analysis of all 73 patients seen in a dedicated young adult congenital heart disease transition clinic from January 2012 to December 2015 within a single academic institution that delivered pediatric and adult care at separate children's and adult hospitals, respectively. Demographic characteristics including congenital heart disease severity, gender, age, presence of comorbidities, presence of cardiac implantable electronic devices, and type of insurance were correlated to success of transfer. Rate of successful transfer was evaluated, and multivariate analysis was performed to determine which demographic variables were favorably associated with transfer. Thirty-nine percent of patients successfully transferred from pediatric to adult services during the study period. Severe congenital heart disease (OR 4.44, 95% CI 1.25-15.79, P = .02) and presence of a cardiac implantable electronic device (OR 4.93, 95% CI 1.18-20.58, P = .03) correlated with transfer. Trends favoring successful transfer with presence of comorbidities and private insurance were also noted. Despite a dedicated transition clinic, successful transfer rates remained relatively low though comparable to previously published rates. Severity of disease and presence of implantable devices correlated with successful transfer. Other obstacles to transfer remain and require combined efforts from pediatric and adult care systems, insurance carriers, and policy makers to improve transfer outcomes. �

TCP Throughput Profiles Using Measurements over Dedicated Connections

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

Rao, Nageswara S.; Liu, Qiang; Sen, Satyabrata

Wide-area data transfers in high-performance computing infrastructures are increasingly being carried over dynamically provisioned dedicated network connections that provide high capacities with no competing traffic. We present extensive TCP throughput measurements and time traces over a suite of physical and emulated 10 Gbps connections with 0-366 ms round-trip times (RTTs). Contrary to the general expectation, they show significant statistical and temporal variations, in addition to the overall dependencies on the congestion control mechanism, buffer size, and the number of parallel streams. We analyze several throughput profiles that have highly desirable concave regions wherein the throughput decreases slowly with RTTs, inmore » stark contrast to the convex profiles predicted by various TCP analytical models. We present a generic throughput model that abstracts the ramp-up and sustainment phases of TCP flows, which provides insights into qualitative trends observed in measurements across TCP variants: (i) slow-start followed by well-sustained throughput leads to concave regions; (ii) large buffers and multiple parallel streams expand the concave regions in addition to improving the throughput; and (iii) stable throughput dynamics, indicated by a smoother Poincare map and smaller Lyapunov exponents, lead to wider concave regions. These measurements and analytical results together enable us to select a TCP variant and its parameters for a given connection to achieve high throughput with statistical guarantees.« less

Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System: The Gulf Component of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernard, L. J.; Moersdorf, P. F.

2005-05-01

The United States is developing an Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) as the U.S. component of the international Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). IOOS consists of: (1) a coastal observing system for the U.S. EEZ, estuaries, and Great Lakes; and (2) a contribution to the global component of GOOS focused on climate and maritime services. The coastal component will consist of: (1) a National Backbone of observations and products from our coastal ocean supported by federal agencies; and (2) contributions of Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (RCOOS). The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) is one of eleven RCOOS. This paper describes how GCOOS is progressing as a system of systems to carry out data collection, analysis, product generation, dissemination of information, and data archival. These elements are provided by federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, non-government organization, and the private sector. This end-to-end system supports the seven societal goals of the IOOS, as provided by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy: detect and forecast oceanic components of climate variability, facilitate safe and efficient marine operations, ensure national security, manage marine resources, preserve and restore healthy marine ecosystems, mitigate natural hazards, and ensure public health. The initial building blocks for GCOOS include continuing in situ observations, satellite products, models, and other information supported by federal and state government, private industry, and academia. GCOOS has compiled an inventory of such activities, together with descriptions, costs, sources of support, and possible out-year budgets. These activities provide information that will have broader use as they are integrated and enhanced. GCOOS has begun that process by several approaches. First, GCOOS has established a web site (www.gcoos.org) which is a portal to such activities and contains pertinent information

Dedication to Professor Hazel Prichard BSc, PhD, MBA (1954-2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Ian; Maier, Wolfgang; Barnes, Stephen J.

2017-11-01

The final section of this special issue of GCA on highly siderophile elements is dedicated to Professor Hazel Prichard (see Fig. 1) who sadly passed away in Cardiff on 1st January, 2017, after a brave battle with cancer.

A dedicated cone-beam CT system for musculoskeletal extremities imaging: design, optimization, and initial performance characterization.

PubMed

Zbijewski, W; De Jean, P; Prakash, P; Ding, Y; Stayman, J W; Packard, N; Senn, R; Yang, D; Yorkston, J; Machado, A; Carrino, J A; Siewerdsen, J H

2011-08-01

This paper reports on the design and initial imaging performance of a dedicated cone-beam CT (CBCT) system for musculoskeletal (MSK) extremities. The system complements conventional CT and MR and offers a variety of potential clinical and logistical advantages that are likely to be of benefit to diagnosis, treatment planning, and assessment of therapy response in MSK radiology, orthopaedic surgery, and rheumatology. The scanner design incorporated a host of clinical requirements (e.g., ability to scan the weight-bearing knee in a natural stance) and was guided by theoretical and experimental analysis of image quality and dose. Such criteria identified the following basic scanner components and system configuration: a flat-panel detector (FPD, Varian 3030+, 0.194 mm pixels); and a low-power, fixed anode x-ray source with 0.5 mm focal spot (SourceRay XRS-125-7K-P, 0.875 kW) mounted on a retractable C-arm allowing for two scanning orientations with the capability for side entry, viz. a standing configuration for imaging of weight-bearing lower extremities and a sitting configuration for imaging of tensioned upper extremity and unloaded lower extremity. Theoretical modeling employed cascaded systems analysis of modulation transfer function (MTF) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) computed as a function of system geometry, kVp and filtration, dose, source power, etc. Physical experimentation utilized an imaging bench simulating the scanner geometry for verification of theoretical results and investigation of other factors, such as antiscatter grid selection and 3D image quality in phantom and cadaver, including qualitative comparison to conventional CT. Theoretical modeling and benchtop experimentation confirmed the basic suitability of the FPD and x-ray source mentioned above. Clinical requirements combined with analysis of MTF and DQE yielded the following system geometry: a -55 cm source-to-detector distance; 1.3 magnification; a 20 cm diameter bore (20 x 20 x 20

A dedicated cone-beam CT system for musculoskeletal extremities imaging: Design, optimization, and initial performance characterization

PubMed Central

Zbijewski, W.; De Jean, P.; Prakash, P.; Ding, Y.; Stayman, J. W.; Packard, N.; Senn, R.; Yang, D.; Yorkston, J.; Machado, A.; Carrino, J. A.; Siewerdsen, J. H.

2011-01-01

Purpose: This paper reports on the design and initial imaging performance of a dedicated cone-beam CT (CBCT) system for musculoskeletal (MSK) extremities. The system complements conventional CT and MR and offers a variety of potential clinical and logistical advantages that are likely to be of benefit to diagnosis, treatment planning, and assessment of therapy response in MSK radiology, orthopaedic surgery, and rheumatology. Methods: The scanner design incorporated a host of clinical requirements (e.g., ability to scan the weight-bearing knee in a natural stance) and was guided by theoretical and experimental analysis of image quality and dose. Such criteria identified the following basic scanner components and system configuration: a flat-panel detector (FPD, Varian 3030+, 0.194 mm pixels); and a low-power, fixed anode x-ray source with 0.5 mm focal spot (SourceRay XRS-125-7K-P, 0.875 kW) mounted on a retractable C-arm allowing for two scanning orientations with the capability for side entry, viz. a standing configuration for imaging of weight-bearing lower extremities and a sitting configuration for imaging of tensioned upper extremity and unloaded lower extremity. Theoretical modeling employed cascaded systems analysis of modulation transfer function (MTF) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) computed as a function of system geometry, kVp and filtration, dose, source power, etc. Physical experimentation utilized an imaging bench simulating the scanner geometry for verification of theoretical results and investigation of other factors, such as antiscatter grid selection and 3D image quality in phantom and cadaver, including qualitative comparison to conventional CT. Results: Theoretical modeling and benchtop experimentation confirmed the basic suitability of the FPD and x-ray source mentioned above. Clinical requirements combined with analysis of MTF and DQE yielded the following system geometry: a ∼55 cm source-to-detector distance; 1.3 magnification; a 20

A dedicated cone-beam CT system for musculoskeletal extremities imaging: Design, optimization, and initial performance characterization

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

Zbijewski, W.; De Jean, P.; Prakash, P.

2011-08-15

Purpose: This paper reports on the design and initial imaging performance of a dedicated cone-beam CT (CBCT) system for musculoskeletal (MSK) extremities. The system complements conventional CT and MR and offers a variety of potential clinical and logistical advantages that are likely to be of benefit to diagnosis, treatment planning, and assessment of therapy response in MSK radiology, orthopaedic surgery, and rheumatology. Methods: The scanner design incorporated a host of clinical requirements (e.g., ability to scan the weight-bearing knee in a natural stance) and was guided by theoretical and experimental analysis of image quality and dose. Such criteria identified themore » following basic scanner components and system configuration: a flat-panel detector (FPD, Varian 3030+, 0.194 mm pixels); and a low-power, fixed anode x-ray source with 0.5 mm focal spot (SourceRay XRS-125-7K-P, 0.875 kW) mounted on a retractable C-arm allowing for two scanning orientations with the capability for side entry, viz. a standing configuration for imaging of weight-bearing lower extremities and a sitting configuration for imaging of tensioned upper extremity and unloaded lower extremity. Theoretical modeling employed cascaded systems analysis of modulation transfer function (MTF) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) computed as a function of system geometry, kVp and filtration, dose, source power, etc. Physical experimentation utilized an imaging bench simulating the scanner geometry for verification of theoretical results and investigation of other factors, such as antiscatter grid selection and 3D image quality in phantom and cadaver, including qualitative comparison to conventional CT. Results: Theoretical modeling and benchtop experimentation confirmed the basic suitability of the FPD and x-ray source mentioned above. Clinical requirements combined with analysis of MTF and DQE yielded the following system geometry: a {approx}55 cm source-to-detector distance; 1

Chandra Observations of the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lisse, Carey

2014-11-01

Many solar system objects are now known to emit X-rays due to charge-exchange between highly charged solar wind (SW) minor ions and neutrals in their extended atmospheres, including Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and the heliosphere, with total power outputs on the MW - GW scale. (Currently only upper limits exist for Saturn and Pluto.) Chandra observations of their morphology, spectra, and time dependence provide important information about the neutral atmosphere structure and the SW flux and charge state. Chandra observations of solar x-ray scattering from Earth, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon have also provided important clues for the scattering material and the solar radiation field at the body. We present here a 15 year summary of Chandra's solar system observations.

Computerized Observation System (COS) for Field Experiences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Thomas M.; And Others

The Computerized Observation System (COS) is a software program which an observer can use with a portable microcomputer to document preservice and inservice teacher performance. Specific observable behavior such as appropriate questions and responses shown to increase student achievement are recorded as Low Inference Observation Measures. Time on…

Vigour and dedication in nursing professionals: towards a better understanding of work engagement.

PubMed

Jenaro, Cristina; Flores, Noelia; Orgaz, Maria Begoña; Cruz, Maribel

2011-04-01

This paper analyses the association between nurses' individual characteristics, job features and work engagement. Current shortage of nurses and turnover justify more research efforts on job satisfaction. Closely associated with job satisfaction is work engagement, a construct which is composed of vigour, dedication and absorption, and requires more empirical evidence supporting its relevance. Most of the studies focus on organizational features, while reducing the relevance of individual characteristics. Survey data for this descriptive, correlational study were collected over a 7-month period (2006-2007) from a convenience sample of 412 Nurses. Measures utilized were the Work Engagement Survey, the General Health Questionnaire, and an ad hoc survey. Concerning psychiatric morbidity, 49% nurses met criteria for somatic symptoms, 65.5% met criteria for anxiety and insomnia, 4.6% met criteria for social dysfunction and 10% met criteria for severe depression. There were no effects for length of service or professional category. Nurse managers scored significantly higher in several job stressors compared with other groups. Concerning engagement, 33% of the nurses experienced high dedication, 20.4% experienced high vigour and 36.7% experienced high absorption. Predictors of vigour and dedication were satisfaction with job position, higher quality of working life, lower social dysfunction and lower stress associated with patient care. Strategies to promote work engagement should be implemented. More attention should be paid to job environments to guarantee job satisfaction. Organizational strategies to reduce the stress associated with patients' care, and initiatives to improve social and communication skills are also required for nurses to experience vigour and dedication. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Hydrography and biogeochemistry dedicated to the Mediterranean BGC-Argo network during a cruise with RV Tethys 2 in May 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taillandier, Vincent; Wagener, Thibaut; D'Ortenzio, Fabrizio; Mayot, Nicolas; Legoff, Hervé; Ras, Joséphine; Coppola, Laurent; Pasqueron de Fommervault, Orens; Schmechtig, Catherine; Diamond, Emilie; Bittig, Henry; Lefevre, Dominique; Leymarie, Edouard; Poteau, Antoine; Prieur, Louis

2018-03-01

We report on data from an oceanographic cruise, covering western, central and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, on the French research vessel Tethys 2 in May 2015. This cruise was fully dedicated to the maintenance and the metrological verification of a biogeochemical observing system based on a fleet of BGC-Argo floats. During the cruise, a comprehensive data set of parameters sensed by the autonomous network was collected. The measurements include ocean currents, seawater salinity and temperature, and concentrations of inorganic nutrients, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll pigments. The analytical protocols and data processing methods are detailed, together with a first assessment of the calibration state for all the sensors deployed during the cruise. Data collected at stations are available at https://doi.org/10.17882/51678 and data collected along the ship track are available at https://doi.org/10.17882/51691.

Earth Observing System, Conclusions and Recommendations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The following Earth Observing Systems (E.O.S.) recommendations were suggested: (1) a program must be initiated to ensure that present time series of Earth science data are maintained and continued. (2) A data system that provides easy, integrated, and complete access to past, present, and future data must be developed as soon as possible. (3) A long term research effort must be sustained to study and understand these time series of Earth observations. (4) The E.O.S. should be established as an information system to carry out those aspects of the above recommendations which go beyond existing and currently planned activities. (5) The scientific direction of the E.O.S. should be established and continued through an international scientific steering committee.

Copernicus Earth observation programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Žlebir, Silvo

European Earth observation program Copernicus is an EU-wide programme that integrates satellite data, in-situ data and modeling to provide user-focused information services to support policymakers, researchers, businesses and citizens. Land monitoring service and Emergency service are fully operational already, Atmosphere monitoring service and Marine environment monitoring service are preoperational and will become fully operational in the following year, while Climate change service and Security service are in an earlier development phase. New series of a number of dedicated satellite missions will be launched in the following years, operated by the European Space Agency and EUMETSAT, starting with Sentinel 1A satellite early this year. Ground based, air-borne and sea-borne in-situ data are provided by different international networks and organizations, EU member states networks etc. European Union is devoting a particular attention to secure a sustainable long-term operational provision of the services. Copernicus is also stated as a European Union’s most important contribution to Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The status and the recent development of the Copernicus programme will be presented, together with its future perspective. As Copernicus services have already demonstrated their usability and effectiveness, some interesting cases of their deployment will be presented. Copernicus free and open data policy, supported by a recently adopted EU legislative act, will also be presented.

An Observer's View of the ORAC System at UKIRT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, G. S.; Bridger, A. B.; Pickup, D. A.; Tan, M.; Folger, M.; Economou, F.; Adamson, A. J.; Currie, M. J.; Rees, N. P.; Purves, M.; Kackley, R. D.

The Observatory Reduction and Acquisition Control system (ORAC) was commissioned with its first instrument at the UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) in October 1999, and with all of the other UKIRT instrumentation this year. ORAC's advance preparation Observing Tool makes it simpler to prepare and carry out observations. Its Observing Manager gives observers excellent feedback on their observing as it goes along, reducing wasted time. The ORAC pipelined Data Reduction system produces near-publication quality reduced data at the telescope. ORAC is now in use for all observing at UKIRT, including flexibly scheduled nights and service observing. This paper provides an observer's perspective of the system and its performance.

Dedicated Low Latitude Diurnal CO2 Frost Observation Campaigns by the Mars Climate Sounder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piqueux, S.; Kass, D. M.; Kleinboehl, A.; Hayne, P. O.; Heavens, N. G.; McCleese, D. J.; Schofield, J. T.; Shirley, J. H.

2017-12-01

In December 2016 (Ls≈280, MY33) and July 2017 (Ls≈30, MY34), the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) conducted two distinct observation campaigns. The first one aimed at 1) confirming the presence of low latitude diurnal CO2 frost on Mars, and 2) refining the estimated mass of carbon dioxide condensed at the surface, whereas the second campaign was designed to 3) search for temporally and spatially varying spectral characteristics indicative of frost properties (i.e., crystal size, contamination, etc.) and relationship to the regolith. To meet these goals, MCS acquired thermal infrared observations of the surface and atmosphere at variable local times (≈1.70-3.80 h Local True Solar Time) and in the 10°-50°N latitude band where very low thermal inertia material (<< 100 Jm-2K-1s-0.5) is present. Atmospherically corrected surface brightness temperatures were retrieved in a wavelength region around 32 μm (MCS channel B1) as well as at 12 μm, 16 μm and 22 μm (MCS channels A4, A1, A5) where possible. A preliminary analysis of the data suggests a good general agreement between these new observations and earlier predictions in terms of frost distribution and spectral properties. In addition, pre-frost deposition surface cooling rates are found to be consistent with those predicted by numerical models (i.e., 1-2K per hour). Finally, we observe buffered surface temperatures near the local frost point, indicating a surface emissivity ≈1. (i.e., optically thin frost layers, or dust contaminated frost, or slab-like ice) and no discernable frost metamorphism. We will present a detailed analysis of these new and unique observations, and elaborate on the potential relationship between the regolith and this recurring frost cycle.

Design study of dedicated brain PET with polyhedron geometry.

PubMed

Shi, Han; Du, Dong; Xu, JianFeng; Su, Zhihong; Peng, Qiyu

2015-01-01

Despite being the conventional choice, whole body PET cameras with a 76 cm diameter ring are not the optimal means of human brain imaging. In fact, a dedicated brain PET with a better geometrical structure has the potential to achieve a higher sensitivity, a higher signal-to-noise ratio, and a better imaging performance. In this study, a polyhedron geometrical dedicated brain PET (a dodecahedron design) is compared to three other candidates via their geometrical efficiencies by calculating the Solid Angle Fractions (SAF); the three other candidates include a spherical cap design, a cylindrical design, and the conventional whole body PET. The spherical cap and the dodecahedron have an identical SAF that is 58.4% higher than that of a 30 cm diameter cylinder and 5.44 times higher than that of a 76 cm diameter cylinder. The conceptual polygon-shape detectors (including pentagon and hexagon detectors based on the PMT-light-sharing scheme instead of the conventional square-shaped block detector module) are presented for the polyhedron PET design. Monte Carlo simulations are performed in order to validate the detector decoding. The results show that crystals in a pentagon-shape detector can be successfully decoded by Anger Logic. The new detector designs support the polyhedron PET investigation.

Evidence for the Usefulness of Task Performance, Job Dedication, and Interpersonal Facilitation as Components of Overall Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-08-01

effectiveness. Recent research in organizational citizenship behavior (Smith, Organ, & Near, 1983; Organ, 1988); prosocial organizational behavior (Brief...performance, interpersonal facilitation and job dedication. Job dedication consists of self- motivated , disciplined behaviors like working hard...organizational citizenship behavior (Smith et al., 1983), prosocial organizational behavior (Brief & Motowidlo, 1986), organizational spontaneity (George

A dedicated network for social interaction processing in the primate brain.

PubMed

Sliwa, J; Freiwald, W A

2017-05-19

Primate cognition requires interaction processing. Interactions can reveal otherwise hidden properties of intentional agents, such as thoughts and feelings, and of inanimate objects, such as mass and material. Where and how interaction analyses are implemented in the brain is unknown. Using whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging in macaque monkeys, we discovered a network centered in the medial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex that is exclusively engaged in social interaction analysis. Exclusivity of specialization was found for no other function anywhere in the brain. Two additional networks, a parieto-premotor and a temporal one, exhibited both social and physical interaction preference, which, in the temporal lobe, mapped onto a fine-grain pattern of object, body, and face selectivity. Extent and location of a dedicated system for social interaction analysis suggest that this function is an evolutionary forerunner of human mind-reading capabilities. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Genetic Modification in Dedicated Bioenergy Crops and Strategies for Gene Confinement

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genetic modification of dedicated bioenergy crops is in its infancy; however, there are numerous advantages to the use of these tools to improve crops used for biofuels. Potential improved traits through genetic engineering (GE) include herbicide resistance, pest, drought, cold and salt tolerance, l...

NANOOS, the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems: a regional Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) for the Pacific Northwest US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, J.; Martin, D.; Kosro, M.

2012-12-01

NANOOS is the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems, the Pacific Northwest Regional Association of the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (US IOOS). User driven since its inception in 2003, this regional observing system is responding to a variety of scientific and societal needs across its coastal ocean, estuaries, and shorelines. Regional priorities have been solicited and re-affirmed through active engagement with users and stakeholders. NANOOS membership is composed of an even mix of academic, governmental, industry, and non-profit organizations, who appoint representatives to the NANOOS Governing Council who confirm the priority applications of the observing system. NANOOS regional priorities are: Maritime Operations, Regional Fisheries, Ecosystem Assessment, Coastal Hazards, and Climate. NANOOS' regional coastal ocean observing system is implemented by seven partners (three universities, three state agencies, and one industry). Together, these partners conduct the observations, modeling, data management and communication, analysis products, education and outreach activities of NANOOS. Observations, designed to span coastal ocean, shorelines, and estuaries, include physical, chemical, biological and geological measurements. To date, modeling has been more limited in scope, but has provided the system with increased coverage for some parameters. The data management and communication system for NANOOS, led by the NANOOS Visualization System (NVS) is the cornerstone of the user interaction with NANOOS. NVS gives users access to observational data, both real time and archived, as well as modeling output. Given the diversity of user needs, measurements, and the complexity of the coastal environment, the challenge for the system is large. NANOOS' successes take advantage of technological advances, including real-time data transmission, profiling buoys, gliders, HF radars, and modeling. The most profound challenges NANOOS faces stem

Mrs. Hugh Dryden unveils the memorial to her late husband at center dedication, with center director

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

On March 26, 1976, the NASA Flight Research Center opened its doors to hundreds of guests for the dedication of the center in honor of Hugh Latimer Dryden. The dedication was very much a local event; following Center Director David Scott's opening remarks, the Antelope Valley High School's symphonic band played the national anthem. Invocation was given followed by recognition of the invited guests. Dr. Hugh Dryden, a man of total humility, received praise from all those present. Dryden, who died in 1965, had been a pioneering aeronautical scientist who became director of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1949 and then deputy administrator of the NACA's successor, NASA, in 1958. Very much interested in flight research, he had been responsible for establishing a permanent facility at the location later named in his honor. As Center Director David Scott looks on, Mrs. Hugh L. Dryden (Mary Libbie Travers) unveils the memorial to her husband at the dedication ceremony.On March 26, 1976, the NASA Flight Research Center opened its doors to hundreds of guests for the dedication of the center in honor of Hugh Latimer Dryden.

The European Research Infrastructure IAGOS - From dedicated field studies to routine observations of the atmosphere by instrumented passenger aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petzold, Andreas; Volz-Thomas, Andreas; Gerbig, Christoph; Thouret, Valerie; Cammas, Jean-Pierre; Brenninkmeijer, Carl A. M.; Iagos Team

2013-04-01

The global distribution of trace species is controlled by a complex interplay between natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks, atmospheric short- to long-range transport, and in future by diverse, largely not yet quantified feedback mechanisms such as enhanced evaporation of water vapour in a warming climate or possibly the release of methane from melting marine clathrates. Improving global trace gas budgets and reducing the uncertainty of climate predictions crucially requires representative data from routine long-term observations as independent constraint for the evaluation and improvement of model parameterizations. IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System; www.iagos.org) is a new European Research Infrastructure which operates a unique global observing system by deploying autonomous instruments aboard a fleet of passenger aircraft. IAGOS consists of two complementary building blocks: IAGOS-CORE deploys newly developed high-tech instrumentation for regular in-situ measurements of atmospheric chemical species (O3, CO, CO2, NOx, NOy, H2O, CH4), aerosols and cloud particles. Involved airlines ensure global operation of the network. In IAGOS-CARIBIC a cargo container is operated as a flying laboratory aboard one passenger aircraft. IAGOS aims at the provision of long-term, frequent, regular, accurate, and spatially resolved in-situ observations of the atmospheric chemical composition in the UTLS and the extra tropical troposphere and on vertical profiles of greenhouse gases, reactive trace gases and aerosols throughout the troposphere. It builds on almost 20 years of scientific and technological expertise gained in the research projects MOZAIC (Measurement of Ozone and Water Vapour on Airbus In-service Aircraft) and CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container). The European consortium includes research centres, universities, national weather services, airline operators and aviation

Experimental Analysis of File Transfer Rates over Wide-Area Dedicated Connections

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

Rao, Nageswara S.; Liu, Qiang; Sen, Satyabrata

2016-12-01

File transfers over dedicated connections, supported by large parallel file systems, have become increasingly important in high-performance computing and big data workflows. It remains a challenge to achieve peak rates for such transfers due to the complexities of file I/O, host, and network transport subsystems, and equally importantly, their interactions. We present extensive measurements of disk-to-disk file transfers using Lustre and XFS file systems mounted on multi-core servers over a suite of 10 Gbps emulated connections with 0-366 ms round trip times. Our results indicate that large buffer sizes and many parallel flows do not always guarantee high transfer rates.more » Furthermore, large variations in the measured rates necessitate repeated measurements to ensure confidence in inferences based on them. We propose a new method to efficiently identify the optimal joint file I/O and network transport parameters using a small number of measurements. We show that for XFS and Lustre with direct I/O, this method identifies configurations achieving 97% of the peak transfer rate while probing only 12% of the parameter space.« less

A new high-resolution PET scanner dedicated to brain research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, M.; Shimizu, K.; Omura, T.; Takahashi, M.; Kosugi, T.; Yoshikawa, E.; Sato, N.; Okada, H.; Yamashita, T.

2002-06-01

A high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) scanner dedicated to brain studies has been developed and its physical performance was evaluated. The block detector consists of a new compact position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PS-PMT, Hamamatsu R7600-C12) and an 8/spl times/4 bismuth germanate (BGO) array. The size of each crystal is 2.8 mm/spl times/6.55 mm/spl times/30 mm. The system has a total of 11 520 crystals arranged in 24 detector rings 508 mm in diameter (480 per ring). The field of view (FOV) is 330 mm in diameter/spl times/163 mm, which is sufficient to measure the entire human brain. The diameter of the scanner's opening is equal to the transaxial FOV (330 mm). The system can be operated in three-dimensional (3-D) data acquisition mode, when the slice septa are retracted. The mechanical motions of the gantry and bed are specially designed to measure the patient in various postures; lying, sitting, and even standing postures. The spatial resolution of 2.9 mm in both the transaxial and axial directions is obtained at the center of the FOV. The total system sensitivity is 6.4 kc/s/kBq/ml in two-dimensional (2-D) mode, with a 20-cm-diameter cylindrical phantom. The imaging capabilities of the scanner were studied with the Hoffman brain phantom and with a normal volunteer.

Observing System Simulation Experiments for Fun and Profit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prive, Nikki C.

2015-01-01

Observing System Simulation Experiments can be powerful tools for evaluating and exploring both the behavior of data assimilation systems and the potential impacts of future observing systems. With great power comes great responsibility - given a pure modeling framework, how can we be sure our results are meaningful? The challenges and pitfalls of OSSE calibration and validation will be addressed, as well as issues of incestuousness, selection of appropriate metrics, and experiment design. The use of idealized observational networks to investigate theoretical ideas in a fully complex modeling framework will also be discussed

Designing the Climate Observing System of the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weatherhead, Elizabeth C.; Wielicki, Bruce A.; Ramaswamy, V.; Abbott, Mark; Ackerman, Thomas P.; Atlas, Robert; Brasseur, Guy; Bruhwiler, Lori; Busalacchi, Antonio J.; Butler, James H.; Clack, Christopher T. M.; Cooke, Roger; Cucurull, Lidia; Davis, Sean M.; English, Jason M.; Fahey, David W.; Fine, Steven S.; Lazo, Jeffrey K.; Liang, Shunlin; Loeb, Norman G.; Rignot, Eric; Soden, Brian; Stanitski, Diane; Stephens, Graeme; Tapley, Byron D.; Thompson, Anne M.; Trenberth, Kevin E.; Wuebbles, Donald

2018-01-01

Climate observations are needed to address a large range of important societal issues including sea level rise, droughts, floods, extreme heat events, food security, and freshwater availability in the coming decades. Past, targeted investments in specific climate questions have resulted in tremendous improvements in issues important to human health, security, and infrastructure. However, the current climate observing system was not planned in a comprehensive, focused manner required to adequately address the full range of climate needs. A potential approach to planning the observing system of the future is presented in this article. First, this article proposes that priority be given to the most critical needs as identified within the World Climate Research Program as Grand Challenges. These currently include seven important topics: melting ice and global consequences; clouds, circulation and climate sensitivity; carbon feedbacks in the climate system; understanding and predicting weather and climate extremes; water for the food baskets of the world; regional sea-level change and coastal impacts; and near-term climate prediction. For each Grand Challenge, observations are needed for long-term monitoring, process studies and forecasting capabilities. Second, objective evaluations of proposed observing systems, including satellites, ground-based and in situ observations as well as potentially new, unidentified observational approaches, can quantify the ability to address these climate priorities. And third, investments in effective climate observations will be economically important as they will offer a magnified return on investment that justifies a far greater development of observations to serve society's needs.

The Dedicated Chaperone Acl4 Escorts Ribosomal Protein Rpl4 to Its Nuclear Pre-60S Assembly Site

PubMed Central

Pillet, Benjamin; García-Gómez, Juan J.; Pausch, Patrick; Falquet, Laurent; Bange, Gert; de la Cruz, Jesús; Kressler, Dieter

2015-01-01

Ribosomes are the highly complex macromolecular assemblies dedicated to the synthesis of all cellular proteins from mRNA templates. The main principles underlying the making of ribosomes are conserved across eukaryotic organisms and this process has been studied in most detail in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast ribosomes are composed of four ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and 79 ribosomal proteins (r-proteins). Most r-proteins need to be transported from the cytoplasm to the nucleus where they get incorporated into the evolving pre-ribosomal particles. Due to the high abundance and difficult physicochemical properties of r-proteins, their correct folding and fail-safe targeting to the assembly site depends largely on general, as well as highly specialized, chaperone and transport systems. Many r-proteins contain universally conserved or eukaryote-specific internal loops and/or terminal extensions, which were shown to mediate their nuclear targeting and association with dedicated chaperones in a growing number of cases. The 60S r-protein Rpl4 is particularly interesting since it harbours a conserved long internal loop and a prominent C-terminal eukaryote-specific extension. Here we show that both the long internal loop and the C-terminal eukaryote-specific extension are strictly required for the functionality of Rpl4. While Rpl4 contains at least five distinct nuclear localization signals (NLS), the C-terminal part of the long internal loop associates with a specific binding partner, termed Acl4. Absence of Acl4 confers a severe slow-growth phenotype and a deficiency in the production of 60S subunits. Genetic and biochemical evidence indicates that Acl4 can be considered as a dedicated chaperone of Rpl4. Notably, Acl4 localizes to both the cytoplasm and nucleus and it has the capacity to capture nascent Rpl4 in a co-translational manner. Taken together, our findings indicate that the dedicated chaperone Acl4 accompanies Rpl4 from the cytoplasm to its pre-60S

Systematic and deliberate orientation and instruction for dedicated education unit staff.

PubMed

Smyer, Tish; Tejada, Marianne Bundalian; Tan, Rhigel Alforque

2015-03-01

On the basis of increasing complexity of the health care environment and recommended changes in how nurses are educated to meet these challenges, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, School of Nursing established an academic-practice partnership with Summerlin Hospital Medical Center to develop a dedicated education unit (DEU). When the DEU model was implemented, variables that were not discussed in the literature needed to be addressed. One such challenge was how to impart pedagogy related to clinical teaching to the DEU nursing staff who would be acting as clinical dedicated unit instructors (CDIs). Of chief concern was the evaluation and monitoring of the quality of CDI-student interactions to ensure optimal student learning outcomes. This article addresses the development of a deliberate, systematic approach to the orientation and continued education of CDIs in the DEU. This information will assist other nursing programs as they begin to implement DEUs. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Vice President Bush visits ESA Astronauts at KSC for Spacelab dedication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

View of Vice President George Bush (center) visiting Astronauts Owen Garriot (left) and Wubbo Ockels of the Netherlands inside the Spacelab after the dedication ceremony in the Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout (O and C) building. The NASA Headquarters alternative photo number is NASA 82-HC-64.

The Global Ocean Observing System: One perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. Ron

1992-01-01

This document presents a possible organization for a Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) within the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and the joint ocean programs with the World Meteorological Organization. The document and the organization presented here is not intended to be definitive, complete or the best possible organization for such an observation program. It is presented at this time to demonstrate three points. The first point to be made is that an international program office for GOOS along the lines of the WOCE and TOGA IPOs is essential. The second point is that national programs will have to continue to collect data at the scale of WOCE plus TOGA and more. The third point is that there are many existing groups and committees within the IOC and joint IOC/WMO ocean programs that can contribute essential experience to and form part of the basis of a Global Ocean Observing System. It is particularly important to learn from what has worked and what has not worked in the past if a successful ocean observing system is to result.

33 CFR Appendix D to Part 157 - Example of a Procedure for Dedicated Clean Ballast Tanks Operations

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Dedicated Clean Ballast Tanks Operations D Appendix D to Part 157 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... ENVIRONMENT RELATING TO TANK VESSELS CARRYING OIL IN BULK Pt. 157, App. D Appendix D to Part 157—Example of a.... (3) Ensure that all valves in the dedicated clean ballast tanks are closed. (d) Before arrival at the...

INTEGRAL observations of MAXI J1820+070

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bozzo, E.; Savchenko, V.; Ferrigno, C.; Ducci, L.; Kuulkers, E.; Ubertini, P.; Laurent, P.

2018-03-01

INTEGRAL observed the newly discovered blackhole candidate MAXI J1820+070 (ATel #11400, #11403, #11418, #11421, #11423, #11424, #11425, #11426, #11427, #11432, #11437, #11439, #11440, #11445, #11451, #11458) during a dedicated ToO campaign from 16 March 2018 at 11:07 to 18 March at 12:52 (UTC; satellite revolution 1931).

Semantics-enabled knowledge management for global Earth observation system of systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Roger L.; Durbha, Surya S.; Younan, Nicolas H.

2007-10-01

The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is a distributed system of systems built on current international cooperation efforts among existing Earth observing and processing systems. The goal is to formulate an end-to-end process that enables the collection and distribution of accurate, reliable Earth Observation data, information, products, and services to both suppliers and consumers worldwide. One of the critical components in the development of such systems is the ability to obtain seamless access of data across geopolitical boundaries. In order to gain support and willingness to participate by countries around the world in such an endeavor, it is necessary to devise mechanisms whereby the data and the intellectual capital is protected through procedures that implement the policies specific to a country. Earth Observations (EO) are obtained from a multitude of sources and requires coordination among different agencies and user groups to come to a shared understanding on a set of concepts involved in a domain. It is envisaged that the data and information in a GEOSS context will be unprecedented and the current data archiving and delivery methods need to be transformed into one that allows realization of seamless interoperability. Thus, EO data integration is dependent on the resolution of conflicts arising from a variety of areas. Modularization is inevitable in distributed environments to facilitate flexible and efficient reuse of existing ontologies. Therefore, we propose a framework for modular ontologies based knowledge management approach for GEOSS and present methods to enable efficient reasoning in such systems.

[Back to units for nursing students' education? The Dedicated Education Units (DEU)].

PubMed

Randon, Giulia; Bortolami, Elena; Grosso, Silvia

2017-01-01

. Back to units for nursing students' education? The Dedicated Education Units (DEU). The reorganization and rationalization of resources and cost containment in health care put a strain on the sustainability of practical training of student nurses. The Dedicated Education Units (DEU), where ward staff, in collaboration with university teachers, receive large numbers of students, integrating the caring and teaching missions, are a possible answer. To describe the main characteristics of DEUs. A literature search was conducted in Pubmed with the following key-words Dedicated Education Unit, Education Unit and Nursing Education, up to January 30, 2017. Several models of DEU were identified with differences in contexts, professional roles involved, type of organizations (number of students, length of practical training). The students perceive a welcoming climate that promotes learning and allows time and space for reflection; they develop a professional group identity and learn to recognize and implement the presponsibilities related to the professional role. The students express satisfaction for the relationship with professionals involved in their education due to the clear definition of roles and responsibilities, of their learning needs and feel supported in the connections of theory and practice. The DEU, receiving large number of students optimize the use of resources. The DEU represent one of the possible models of organization of the practical training, able to ensure a high quality learning environment. The practical implications of its implementation in the italian context on skills acquisition and sustainability need a thorough assessment.

Classification framework for partially observed dynamical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yuan; Tino, Peter; Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira

2017-04-01

We present a general framework for classifying partially observed dynamical systems based on the idea of learning in the model space. In contrast to the existing approaches using point estimates of model parameters to represent individual data items, we employ posterior distributions over model parameters, thus taking into account in a principled manner the uncertainty due to both the generative (observational and/or dynamic noise) and observation (sampling in time) processes. We evaluate the framework on two test beds: a biological pathway model and a stochastic double-well system. Crucially, we show that the classification performance is not impaired when the model structure used for inferring posterior distributions is much more simple than the observation-generating model structure, provided the reduced-complexity inferential model structure captures the essential characteristics needed for the given classification task.

Usefulness of dual-energy computed tomography with and without dedicated software in identifying uric acid kidney stones.

PubMed

Salvador, R; Luque, M P; Ciudin, A; Paño, B; Buñesch, L; Sebastia, C; Nicolau, C

2016-01-01

To prospectively evaluate the usefulness of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) with and without dedicated software in identifying uric acid kidney stones in vivo. We studied 65 kidney stones in 63 patients. All stones were analyzed in vivo by DECT and ex vivo by spectrophotometry. We evaluated the diagnostic performance in identifying uric acid stones with DECT by analyzing the radiologic densities with dedicated software and without using it (through manual measurements) as well as by analyzing the attenuation ratios of the stones in both energies with and without the dedicated software. The six uric acid stones included were correctly identified by evaluating the attenuation ratios with a cutoff of 1.21, both with the dedicated software and without it, yielding perfect diagnostic performance without false positives or false negatives. The study of the attenuations of the stones obtained the following values on the receiver operating characteristic curves in the classification of the uric acid stones: 0.92 for the measurements done with the software and 0.89 for the manual measurements; a cutoff of 538 HU yielded 84% (42/50) diagnostic accuracy for the software and 83.1% (54/65) for the manual measurements. DECT enabled the uric acid stones to be identified correctly through the calculation of the ratio of the attenuations in the two energies. The results obtained with the dedicated software were similar to those obtained manually. Copyright © 2015 SERAM. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the performance and space conditioning impacts of dedicated heat pump water heaters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrison, L.; Swisher, J.

The development and testing of the newly-marketed dedicated heat pump water heater (HPWH) are described. This system utilizes an air-to-water heat pump, costs about $1,000 installed, and obtains a coefficient of performance (COP) of about 2.0 in laboratory and field tests. To investigate HPWH performance and space conditioning impacts, a simulation was developed to mode the thermal performance of a residence with resistance baseboard heat, air conditioning, and either heat pump or resistance water heating. The building characteristics are adapted for three U.S. geographical areas (Madison, Wisconsin; Washington, D.C.; and Ft. Worth, Texas), and the system is simulated for a year with typical weather data. The thermal network includes both a house node and a basement node so that the water heating equipment can be simulated in an unconditioned basement in Northern cities and in a conditioned first-floor utility room in Southern cities.

DEdicated MONitor of EXotransits and Transients (DEMONEXT): System Overview and Year One Results from a Low-cost Robotic Telescope for Followup of Exoplanetary Transits and Transients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villanueva, Steven, Jr.; Gaudi, B. Scott; Pogge, Richard W.; Eastman, Jason D.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Trueblood, Mark; Trueblood, Patricia

2018-01-01

We report on the design and first year of operations of the DEdicated MONitor of EXotransits and Transients (DEMONEXT). DEMONEXT is a 20-inch (0.5-m) robotic telescope using a PlaneWave CDK20 telescope on a Mathis instruments MI-750/1000 fork mount. DEMONEXT is equipped with a 2048 × 2048 pixel Finger Lakes Instruments (FLI) detector; a 10-position filter wheel with an electronic focuser and B, V, R, and I, g\\prime , r\\prime , i\\prime , z\\prime ; and clear filters. DEMONEXT operates in a continuous observing mode and achieves 2-4 mmag raw, unbinned, precision on bright V< 13 targets with 20-120 second exposures, and 1 mmag precision achieved by binning on 5-6 minute timescales. DEMONEXT maintains sub-pixel (< 0.5 pixels) target position stability on the CCD over 8 hours in good observing conditions, with degraded performance in poor weather (< 1 pixel). DEMONEXT achieves 1%-10% photometry on single-epoch targets with V< 17 in 5 minute exposures, with detection thresholds of V≈ 21. The DEMONEXT automated software has produced 143 planetary candidate transit light curves for the KELT collaboration and 48 supernovae and transient light curves for the ASAS-SN supernovae group in the first year of operation. DEMONEXT has also observed for a number of ancillary science projects including Galactic microlensing, active galactic nuclei, stellar variability, and stellar rotation.

The Integrated Ocean Observing System Data Assembly Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchard, R. H.; Henderson, D.; Burnett, W.; Hervey, R. V.; Crout, R.

2008-05-01

The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is the U.S. contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System and the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS). As the Integrated Ocean Observing System Data Assembly Center (IOOS DAC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration`s (NOAA) National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) collects data from ocean observing systems and performs quality control on the data. Once the IOOS DAC performs the quality control, it distributes them in real-time: (1) in World Meteorological Organization alphanumeric data formats via the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) that provides instant availability to national and international users (2) in text files via its website (http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov) that provide easy access and use, and (3) in netCDF format via its OPeNDAP/DODS Server (http://dods.ndbc.noaa.gov) that provides higher resolution data than available in WMO alphanumeric or text file formats. The IOOS DAC routinely checks and distributes data from about 200 NDBC stations that include meteorological and oceanographic observations from buoys and coastal stations, water-level estimations from tsunameters (DART), and climate monitoring from buoys (Tropical Atmosphere Ocean array (TAO)). The IOOS DAC operates continuously - 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. In addition to data from NDBC`s platforms, the IOOS DAC applies its scientific expertise and data management and communications capabilities to facilitate partnerships for the exchange and application of data and to coordinate and leverage regional assets and resources from about 350 IOOS Partner stations. The IOOS DAC through its quality control process provides feedback to its partners on the quality of their observation that can lead to improved quality of the observations. The NDBC-IOOS Data Partnerships span the Western Hemisphere with data collection from the Beaufort Sea to the Peru Current, from the International Date Line to the central Atlantic Ocean, and

Interoperable Access to Near Real Time Ocean Observations with the Observing System Monitoring Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, K.; Hankin, S.; Mendelssohn, R.; Simons, R.; Smith, B.; Kern, K. J.

2013-12-01

The Observing System Monitoring Center (OSMC), a project funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Observations Division (COD), exists to join the discrete 'networks' of In Situ ocean observing platforms -- ships, surface floats, profiling floats, tide gauges, etc. - into a single, integrated system. The OSMC is addressing this goal through capabilities in three areas focusing on the needs of specific user groups: 1) it provides real time monitoring of the integrated observing system assets to assist management in optimizing the cost-effectiveness of the system for the assessment of climate variables; 2) it makes the stream of real time data coming from the observing system available to scientific end users into an easy-to-use form; and 3) in the future, it will unify the delayed-mode data from platform-focused data assembly centers into a standards- based distributed system that is readily accessible to interested users from the science and education communities. In this presentation, we will be focusing on the efforts of the OSMC to provide interoperable access to the near real time data stream that is available via the Global Telecommunications System (GTS). This is a very rich data source, and includes data from nearly all of the oceanographic platforms that are actively observing. We will discuss how the data is being served out using a number of widely used 'web services' (including OPeNDAP and SOS) and downloadable file formats (KML, csv, xls, netCDF), so that it can be accessed in web browsers and popular desktop analysis tools. We will also be discussing our use of the Environmental Research Division's Data Access Program (ERDDAP), available from NOAA/NMFS, which has allowed us to achieve our goals of serving the near real time data. From an interoperability perspective, it's important to note that access to the this stream of data is not just for humans, but also for machine-to-machine requests. We'll also delve into how we

Indoor air quality of everyday use spaces dedicated to specific purposes-a review.

PubMed

Marć, Mariusz; Śmiełowska, Monika; Namieśnik, Jacek; Zabiegała, Bożena

2018-01-01

According to literature data, some of the main factors which significantly affect the quality of the indoor environment in residential households or apartments are human activities such as cooking, smoking, cleaning, and indoor exercising. The paper presents a literature overview related to air quality in everyday use spaces dedicated to specific purposes which are integral parts of residential buildings, such as kitchens, basements, and individual garages. Some aspects of air quality in large-scale car parks, as a specific type of indoor environment, are also discussed. All those areas are characterized by relatively short time use. On the other hand, high and very high concentration levels of xenobiotics can be observed, resulting in higher exposure risk. The main compounds or group of chemical compounds are presented and discussed. The main factors influencing the type and amount of chemical pollutants present in the air of such areas are indicated.

Dedicated exhaust gas recirculation control systems and methods

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

Sczomak, David P.; Narayanaswamy, Kushal; Keating, Edward J.

An engine control system of a vehicle includes a fuel control module that controls fuel injection of a first cylinder of an engine based on a first target air/fuel ratio that is fuel lean relative to a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio and that controls fuel injection of a second cylinder of the engine based on a second target air/fuel ratio that is fuel rich relative to stoichiometry. The first cylinder outputs exhaust to a first three way catalyst (TWC), and the second cylinder outputs exhaust to an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. An EGR control module controls opening of the EGRmore » valve to: (i) a second TWC that reacts with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust and outputs ammonia to a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst; and (ii) a conduit that recirculates exhaust back to an intake system of the engine.« less

Optical data communication for Earth observation satellite systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, J.; Loecherbach, E.

1991-10-01

The current development status of optical communication engineering in comparison to the conventional microwave systems and the different configurations of the optical data communication for Earth observation satellite systems are described. An outlook to future optical communication satellite systems is given. During the last decade Earth observation became more and more important for the extension of the knowledge about our planet and the human influence on nature. Today pictures taken by satellites are used, for example, to discover mineral resources or to predict harvest, crops, climate, and environment variations and their influence on the population. A new and up to date application for Earth observation satellites can be the verification of disarmament arrangements and the control of crises areas. To solve these tasks a system of Earth observing satellites with sensors tailored to the envisaged mission is necessary. Besides these low Earth orbiting satellites, a global Earth observation system consists of at least two data relay satellites. The communication between the satellites will be established via Inter-Satellite Links (ISL) and Inter-Orbit Links (IOL). On these links, bitrates up to 1 Gbit/s must be taken into account. Due to the increasing scarcity of suitable frequencies, higher carrier frequencies must probably be considered, and possible interference with terrestrial radio relay systems are two main problems for a realization in microwave technique. One important step to tackle these problems is the use of optical frequencies for IOL's and ISL's.

[Advanced online search techniques and dedicated search engines for physicians].

PubMed

Nahum, Yoav

2008-02-01

In recent years search engines have become an essential tool in the work of physicians. This article will review advanced search techniques from the world of information specialists, as well as some advanced search engine operators that may help physicians improve their online search capabilities, and maximize the yield of their searches. This article also reviews popular dedicated scientific and biomedical literature search engines.

Development of NRC inspection procedure 38703: Commercial-grade dedication

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

Potapovs, U.; Pettis, R.L. Jr.

1994-12-31

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the recently completed U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspection procedure 38703, {open_quotes}Commercial Grade Dedication,{close_quotes} which was issued on November 8, 1993. This procedure embodies the information gained from the NRC`s inspections and assessments of licensee procurement practices, a public workshop, industry feedback and public comments, and the NRC`s perspective of the industry`s response to the Nuclear Management and Resource Council (NUMARC) procurement initiatives.

Planning for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christian, E.

2005-01-01

The Group on Earth Observations was established to promote comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observations. Its mandate is to implement the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) in accord with the GEOSS 10-Year Implementation Plan and Reference Document. During the months over which the GEOSS Implementation Plan was developed, many issues surfaced and were addressed. This article discusses several of the more interesting or challenging of those issues-e.g. fitting in with existing organizations and securing stable funding - some of which have yet to be resolved fully as of this writing. Despite the relatively short period over which the Implementation Plan had to be developed, there is a good chance that the work undertaken will be influential for decades to come. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Team Formation in Partially Observable Multi-Agent Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agogino, Adrian K.; Tumer, Kagan

2004-01-01

Sets of multi-agent teams often need to maximize a global utility rating the performance of the entire system where a team cannot fully observe other teams agents. Such limited observability hinders team-members trying to pursue their team utilities to take actions that also help maximize the global utility. In this article, we show how team utilities can be used in partially observable systems. Furthermore, we show how team sizes can be manipulated to provide the best compromise between having easy to learn team utilities and having them aligned with the global utility, The results show that optimally sized teams in a partially observable environments outperform one team in a fully observable environment, by up to 30%.

Construction of a patient observation system using KINECTTM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyaura, Kazunori; Kumazaki, Yu; Fukushima, Chika; Kato, Shingo; Saitoh, Hidetoshi

2014-03-01

Improvement in the positional accuracy of irradiation is expected by capturing patient motion (intra-fractional error) during irradiation. The present study reports the construction of a patient observation system using Microsoft® KINECTTM. By tracking movement, we made it possible to add a depth component to the acquired position coordinates and to display three-axis (X, Y, and Z) movement. Moreover, the developed system can be displayed in a graph which is constructed from the coordinate position at each time interval. Using the developed system, an observer can easily visualize patient movement. When the body phantom was moved a known distance in the X, Y, and Z directions, good coincidence was shown with each axis. We built a patient observation system which captures a patient's motion using KINECTTM.

An Introduction to Observing System Simulation Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prive, Nikki C.

2017-01-01

Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) are used to estimate the potential impact of proposed new instruments and data on numerical weather prediction. OSSEs can also be used to help design new observing platforms and to investigate the behavior of data assimilation systems. A basic overview of how to design and perform an OSSE will be given, as well as best practices and pitfalls. Some examples using the OSSE framework developed at the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office will be shown.

Earth Observing System Covariance Realism Updates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ojeda Romero, Juan A.; Miguel, Fred

2017-01-01

This presentation will be given at the International Earth Science Constellation Mission Operations Working Group meetings June 13-15, 2017 to discuss the Earth Observing System Covariance Realism updates.

An Observation-based Assessment of Instrument Requirements for a Future Precipitation Process Observing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, E.; L'Ecuyer, T. S.; Wood, N.; Smalley, M.; Kulie, M.; Hahn, W.

2017-12-01

Global models exhibit substantial biases in the frequency, intensity, duration, and spatial scales of precipitation systems. Much of this uncertainty stems from an inadequate representation of the processes by which water is cycled between the surface and atmosphere and, in particular, those that govern the formation and maintenance of cloud systems and their propensity to form the precipitation. Progress toward improving precipitation process models requires observing systems capable of quantifying the coupling between the ice content, vertical mass fluxes, and precipitation yield of precipitating cloud systems. Spaceborne multi-frequency, Doppler radar offers a unique opportunity to address this need but the effectiveness of such a mission is heavily dependent on its ability to actually observe the processes of interest in the widest possible range of systems. Planning for a next generation precipitation process observing system should, therefore, start with a fundamental evaluation of the trade-offs between sensitivity, resolution, sampling, cost, and the overall potential scientific yield of the mission. Here we provide an initial assessment of the scientific and economic trade-space by evaluating hypothetical spaceborne multi-frequency radars using a combination of current real-world and model-derived synthetic observations. Specifically, we alter the field of view, vertical resolution, and sensitivity of a hypothetical Ka- and W-band radar system and propagate those changes through precipitation detection and intensity retrievals. The results suggest that sampling biases introduced by reducing sensitivity disproportionately affect the light rainfall and frozen precipitation regimes that are critical for warm cloud feedbacks and ice sheet mass balance, respectively. Coarser spatial resolution observations introduce regime-dependent biases in both precipitation occurrence and intensity that depend on cloud regime, with even the sign of the bias varying within a

Susquehanna River Basin Hydrologic Observing System (SRBHOS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, P. M.; Duffy, C. J.; Dressler, K. A.

2004-12-01

In response to the NSF-CUAHSI initiative for a national network of Hydrologic Observatories, we propose to initiate the Susquehanna River Basin Hydrologic Observing System (SRBHOS), as the northeast node. The Susquehanna has a drainage area of 71, 410 km2. From the headwaters near Cooperstown, NY, the river is formed within the glaciated Appalachian Plateau physiographic province, crossing the Valley and Ridge, then the Piedmont, before finishing its' 444 mile journey in the Coastal Plain of the Chesapeake Bay. The Susquehanna is the major source of water and nutrients to the Chesapeake. It has a rich history in resource development (logging, mining, coal, agriculture, urban and heavy industry), with an unusual resilience to environmental degradation, which continues today. The shallow Susquehanna is one of the most flood-ravaged rivers in the US with a decadal regularity of major damage from hurricane floods and rain-on-snow events. As a result of this history, it has an enormous infrastructure for climate, surface water and groundwater monitoring already in place, including the nations only regional groundwater monitoring system for drought detection. Thirty-six research institutions have formed the SRBHOS partnership to collaborate on a basin-wide network design for a new scientific observing system. Researchers at the partner universities have conducted major NSF research projects within the basin, setting the stage and showing the need for a new terrestrial hydrologic observing system. The ultimate goal of SRBHOS is to close water, energy and solute budgets from the boundary layer to the water table, extending across plot, hillslope, watershed, and river basin scales. SRBHOS is organized around an existing network of testbeds (legacy watershed sites) run by the partner universities, and research institutions. The design of the observing system, when complete, will address fundamental science questions within major physiographic regions of the basin. A nested

SU-F-T-138: Commissioning and Evaluating Dose Computation Models for a Dedicated Proton Line Scanning Beam Nozzle in Eclipse Treatment Planning System

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

Tsai, P; Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Huang, H

Purpose: In this study, we present an effective method to derive low dose envelope of the proton in-air spot fluence at beam positions other than the isocenter to reduce amount of measurements required for planning commission. Also, we demonstrate commissioning and validation results of this method to the Eclipse treatment planning system (version 13.0.29) for a Sumitomo dedicated proton line scanning beam nozzle. Methods: The in-air spot profiles at five beam-axis positions (±200, ±100 and 0 mm) were obtained in trigger mode using a MP3 Water tank (PTW-Freiburg) and a pinpoint ionization chamber (model 31014, PTW-Freiburg). Low dose envelope (belowmore » 1% of the center dose) of the spot profile at isocenter was obtained by repeated point measurements to minimize dosimetry uncertainty. The double Gaussian (DG) model was used to fit and obtain optimal σ1, σ2 and their corresponding weightings through our in-house MATLAB (Mathworks) program. σ1, σ2 were assumed to expand linearly along the beam axis from a virtual source position calculated by back projecting fitted sigmas from the single Gaussian (SG) model. Absolute doses in water were validated using an Advanced Markus chamber at the depth of 2cm with Pristine Peak (BP) R90d ranging from 5–32 cm for 10×10 cm2 scanned fields. The field size factors were verified with square fields from 2 to 20 cm at 2cm and before BP depth. Results: The absolute dose outputs were found to be within ±3%. For field size factor, the agreement between calculated and measurement were within ±2% at 2cm and ±3% before BP, except for the field size below 2×2 cm2. Conclusion: The double Gaussian model was found to be sufficient for characterizing the Sumitomo dedicated proton line scanning nozzle. With our effective double Gaussian fitting method, we are able to save significant proton beam time with acceptable output accuracy.« less

NASA's mission to planet Earth: Earth observing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The topics covered include the following: global climate change; radiation, clouds, and atmospheric water; the ocean; the troposphere - greenhouse gases; land cover and the water cycle; polar ice sheets and sea level; the stratosphere - ozone chemistry; volcanoes; the Earth Observing System (EOS) - how NASA will support studies of global climate change?; research and assessment - EOS Science Investigations; EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS); EOS observations - instruments and spacecraft; a national international effort; and understanding the Earth System.

[Comfort of crew and passengers and atmospheric pressure, noise, wind speed in high-speed train of Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan passenger dedicated line].

PubMed

Zhai, Yi-biao; Huo, Wei; Liu, Qiao-ying; Chen, Bao-shan; Zhang, Jin-long; Shi, Lei

2012-11-01

To explore the crew and passengers' comfort on the Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan passenger dedicated line and physical factors, such as air pressure, noise, wind speed. Comfort investigation of all the crew (n = 244) and passengers (n = 377) on the Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan passenger dedicated line at speed of 250 km/h and 200 km/h and the detection of the air pressure, noise and wind speed were performed in 2011. Significantly higher ratio of comfortable feeling, lower ratio of seriously discomfortable feeling were observed in crew and passengers at 200 km/h compared with those at 250 km/h (P < 0.05), as well as rapid disappearance of discomfortable feeling in crew (P < 0.05) and significantly higher ratio of lightly discomfortable feeling and lower ratios of tinnitus and eardrum discomfort induced by air pressure and noise in passengers at 200 km/h. No significant difference was observed in ear discomfort induced by air pressure and noise among crew, and the duration of disappearance of discomfortable feeling among passengers between 200 km/h and 250 km/h. The noise in carriages exceeded the related standard when the high-speed train passing through the tunnels. The individuals feel more comfortable at 200 km/h than 250 km/h in this line., which may be related with rapid variation of wind speed and noise when the train passes through the tunnels with high speed.

Application-Dedicated Selection of Filters (ADSF) using covariance maximization and orthogonal projection.

PubMed

Hadoux, Xavier; Kumar, Dinesh Kant; Sarossy, Marc G; Roger, Jean-Michel; Gorretta, Nathalie

2016-05-19

Visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectra are generated by the combination of numerous low resolution features. Spectral variables are thus highly correlated, which can cause problems for selecting the most appropriate ones for a given application. Some decomposition bases such as Fourier or wavelet generally help highlighting spectral features that are important, but are by nature constraint to have both positive and negative components. Thus, in addition to complicating the selected features interpretability, it impedes their use for application-dedicated sensors. In this paper we have proposed a new method for feature selection: Application-Dedicated Selection of Filters (ADSF). This method relaxes the shape constraint by enabling the selection of any type of user defined custom features. By considering only relevant features, based on the underlying nature of the data, high regularization of the final model can be obtained, even in the small sample size context often encountered in spectroscopic applications. For larger scale deployment of application-dedicated sensors, these predefined feature constraints can lead to application specific optical filters, e.g., lowpass, highpass, bandpass or bandstop filters with positive only coefficients. In a similar fashion to Partial Least Squares, ADSF successively selects features using covariance maximization and deflates their influences using orthogonal projection in order to optimally tune the selection to the data with limited redundancy. ADSF is well suited for spectroscopic data as it can deal with large numbers of highly correlated variables in supervised learning, even with many correlated responses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enabling Dedicated, Affordable Space Access Through Aggressive Technology Maturation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Jonathan E.; Kibbey, Timothy P.; Cobb, C. Brent; Harris, Lawanna L.

2014-01-01

A launch vehicle at the scale and price point which allows developers to take reasonable risks with high payoff propulsion and avionics hardware solutions does not exist today. Establishing this service provides a ride through the proverbial technology "valley of death" that lies between demonstration in laboratory and flight environments. NASA's NanoLaunch effort will provide the framework to mature both earth-to-orbit and on-orbit propulsion and avionics technologies while also providing affordable, dedicated access to low earth orbit for cubesat class payloads.

Environmental Sciences Laboratory dedication, February 26-27, 1979

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

Auerbach, S.I.; Millemann, N.T.

1980-09-01

The dedication of the new Environmental Sciences Laboratory coincided with the 25th year of the establishment of the science of ecology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. That quarter century witnessed the evolution of ecology from an obscure, backwater discipline of biology to a broadly used, everyday household word. The transition reflected broad and basic changes in our social and cultural view of the world. This was brought about as a result of the awareness developed in our society of the importance of the environment, coupled with efforts of ecologists and other environmental scientists who identified, clarified, and formulated the issuesmore » and challenges of environmental protection for both the lay public and the scientific community. In many respects, the activities in ecology at ORNL were a microcosm of the broader social scene; the particular problems of the environment associated with atomic energy needed to be defined in scientific terms and articulated in both the specific and general sense for a larger audience which was unfamiliar with the field and somewhat alien to its concepts and philosophy. The success of this effort is reflected in the existence of the new Environmental Sciences Laboratory. This dedication volume brings together the thoughts and reflections of many of these scientists whose efforts contributed in a unique and individualistic fashion not only to ORNL but also to the national identification of ecology and its importance to the achievement of our national goals. Their remarks and presentations are not only a pleasant and personally gratifying recapitulation of the past and of ORNL's contributions to ecology but also portend some of the challenges to ecology in the future.« less

Promoting discovery and access to real time observations produced by regional coastal ocean observing systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, D. M.; Snowden, D. P.; Bochenek, R.; Bickel, A.

2015-12-01

In the U.S. coastal waters, a network of eleven regional coastal ocean observing systems support real-time coastal and ocean observing. The platforms supported and variables acquired are diverse, ranging from current sensing high frequency (HF) radar to autonomous gliders. The system incorporates data produced by other networks and experimental systems, further increasing the breadth of the collection. Strategies promoted by the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) ensure these data are not lost at sea. Every data set deserves a description. ISO and FGDC compliant metadata enables catalog interoperability and record-sharing. Extensive use of netCDF with the Climate and Forecast convention (identifying both metadata and a structured format) is shown to be a powerful strategy to promote discovery, interoperability, and re-use of the data. To integrate specialized data which are often obscure, quality control protocols are being developed to homogenize the QC and make these data more integrate-able. Data Assembly Centers have been established to integrate some specialized streams including gliders, animal telemetry, and HF radar. Subsets of data that are ingested into the National Data Buoy Center are also routed to the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) of the World Meteorological Organization to assure wide international distribution. From the GTS, data are assimilated into now-cast and forecast models, fed to other observing systems, and used to support observation-based decision making such as forecasts, warnings, and alerts. For a few years apps were a popular way to deliver these real-time data streams to phones and tablets. Responsive and adaptive web sites are an emerging flexible strategy to provide access to the regional coastal ocean observations.

Assessment of image quality in soft tissue and bone visualization tasks for a dedicated extremity cone-beam CT system.

PubMed

Demehri, S; Muhit, A; Zbijewski, W; Stayman, J W; Yorkston, J; Packard, N; Senn, R; Yang, D; Foos, D; Thawait, G K; Fayad, L M; Chhabra, A; Carrino, J A; Siewerdsen, J H

2015-06-01

To assess visualization tasks using cone-beam CT (CBCT) compared to multi-detector CT (MDCT) for musculoskeletal extremity imaging. Ten cadaveric hands and ten knees were examined using a dedicated CBCT prototype and a clinical multi-detector CT using nominal protocols (80 kVp-108mAs for CBCT; 120 kVp- 300 mAs for MDCT). Soft tissue and bone visualization tasks were assessed by four radiologists using five-point satisfaction (for CBCT and MDCT individually) and five-point preference (side-by-side CBCT versus MDCT image quality comparison) rating tests. Ratings were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and observer agreement was assessed using the Kappa-statistic. Knee CBCT images were rated "excellent" or "good" (median scores 5 and 4) for "bone" and "soft tissue" visualization tasks. Hand CBCT images were rated "excellent" or "adequate" (median scores 5 and 3) for "bone" and "soft tissue" visualization tasks. Preference tests rated CBCT equivalent or superior to MDCT for bone visualization and favoured the MDCT for soft tissue visualization tasks. Intraobserver agreement for CBCT satisfaction tests was fair to almost perfect (κ ~ 0.26-0.92), and interobserver agreement was fair to moderate (κ ~ 0.27-0.54). CBCT provided excellent image quality for bone visualization and adequate image quality for soft tissue visualization tasks. • CBCT provided adequate image quality for diagnostic tasks in extremity imaging. • CBCT images were "excellent" for "bone" and "good/adequate" for "soft tissue" visualization tasks. • CBCT image quality was equivalent/superior to MDCT for bone visualization tasks.

Cost effective nuclear commercial grade dedication

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

Maletz, J.J.; Marston, M.J.

1991-01-01

This paper describes a new computerized database method to create/edit/view specification technical data sheets (mini-specifications) for procurement of spare parts for nuclear facility maintenance and to develop information that could support possible future facility life extension efforts. This method may reduce cost when compared with current manual methods. The use of standardized technical data sheets (mini-specifications) for items of the same category improves efficiency. This method can be used for a variety of tasks, including: Nuclear safety-related procurement; Non-safety related procurement; Commercial grade item procurement/dedication; Evaluation of replacement items. This program will assist the nuclear facility in upgrading its procurementmore » activities consistent with the recent NUMARC Procurement Initiative. Proper utilization of the program will assist the user in assuring that the procured items are correct for the applications, provide data to assist in detecting fraudulent materials, minimize human error in withdrawing database information, improve data retrievability, improve traceability, and reduce long-term procurement costs.« less

Characterization of the first RF coil dedicated to 1.5 T MR guided radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoogcarspel, Stan J.; Zijlema, Stefan E.; Tijssen, Rob H. N.; Kerkmeijer, Linda G. W.; Jürgenliemk-Schulz, Ina M.; Lagendijk, Jan J. W.; Raaymakers, Bas W.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the attenuation characteristics of a novel radiofrequency (RF) coil, which is the first coil that is solely dedicated to MR guided radiotherapy with a 1.5 T MR-linac. Additionally, we investigated the impact of the treatment beam on the MRI performance of this RF coil. First, the attenuation characteristics of the RF coil were characterized. Second, we investigated the impact of the treatment beam on the MRI performance of the RF coil. We additionally demonstrated the ability of the anterior coil to attenuate returning electrons and thereby reducing the dose to the skin at the distal side of the treatment beam. Intensity modulated radiation therapy simulation of a clinically viable treatment plan for spinal bone metastasis shows a decrease of the dose to the planned tumor volume of 1.8% as a result of the MR coil around the patient. Ionization chamber and film measurements show that the anterior and posterior coil attenuate the beam homogeneously by 0.4% and 2.2%, respectively. The impact of the radiation resulted in a slight drop of the time-course signal-to-noise ratio and was dependent on imaging parameters. However, we could not observe any image artifacts resulting from this irradiation in any situation. In conclusion, the investigated MR-coil can be utilized for treatments with the 1.5 T-linac system. However, there is still room for improvement when considering both the dosimetric and imaging performance of the coil.

Sub-millimetre DOI detector based on monolithic LYSO and digital SiPM for a dedicated small-animal PET system.

PubMed

Marcinkowski, Radosław; Mollet, Pieter; Van Holen, Roel; Vandenberghe, Stefaan

2016-03-07

The mouse model is widely used in a vast range of biomedical and preclinical studies. Thanks to the ability to detect and quantify biological processes at the molecular level in vivo, PET has become a well-established tool in these investigations. However, the need to visualize and quantify radiopharmaceuticals in anatomic structures of millimetre or less requires good spatial resolution and sensitivity from small-animal PET imaging systems.In previous work we have presented a proof-of-concept of a dedicated high-resolution small-animal PET scanner based on thin monolithic scintillator crystals and Digital Photon Counter photosensor. The combination of thin monolithic crystals and MLE positioning algorithm resulted in an excellent spatial resolution of 0.7 mm uniform in the entire field of view (FOV). However, the limitation of the scanner was its low sensitivity due to small thickness of the lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals (2 mm).Here we present an improved detector design for a small-animal PET system that simultaneously achieves higher sensitivity and sustains a sub-millimetre spatial resolution. The proposed detector consists of a 5 mm thick monolithic LYSO crystal optically coupled to a Digital Photon Counter. Mean nearest neighbour (MNN) positioning combined with depth of interaction (DOI) decoding was employed to achieve sub-millimetre spatial resolution. To evaluate detector performance the intrinsic spatial resolution, energy resolution and coincidence resolving time (CRT) were measured. The average intrinsic spatial resolution of the detector was 0.60 mm full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM). A DOI resolution of 1.66 mm was achieved. The energy resolution was 23% FWHM at 511 keV and CRT of 529 ps were measured. The improved detector design overcomes the sensitivity limitation of the previous design by increasing the nominal sensitivity of the detector block and retains an excellent intrinsic spatial resolution.

Observing Natural Hazards: Tsunami, Hurricane, and El Niño Observations from the NDBC Ocean Observing System of Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neil, K.; Bouchard, R.; Burnett, W. H.; Aldrich, C.

2009-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) operates and maintains the NDBC Ocean Observing Systems of Systems (NOOSS), comprised of 3 networks that provide critical information before and during and after extreme hazards events, such as tsunamis, hurricanes, and El Niños. While each system has its own mission, they have in common the requirement to remain on station in remote areas of the ocean to provide reliable and accurate observations. After the 2004 Sumatran Tsunami, NOAA expanded its network of tsunameters from six in the Pacific Ocean to a vast network of 39 stations providing information to Tsunami Warning Centers to enable faster and more accurate tsunami warnings for coastal communities in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The tsunameter measurements are used to detect the amplitude and period of the tsunamis, and the data can be assimilated into models for the prediction and impact of the tsunamis to coastal communities. The network has been used for the detection of tsunamis generated by earthquakes, including the 2006 and 2007 Kuril Islands, 2007 Peru, and Solomon Islands, and most recently for the 2009 Dusky Sound, New Zealand earthquake. In August 2009, the NOAA adjusted its 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Seasonal Outlooks from above normal to near or below normal activity, primarily due to a strengthening El Niño. A key component in the detection of that El Niño was the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Array (TAO) operated by NDBC. TAO provides real-time data for improved detection, understanding, and prediction of El Niño and La Niña. The 55-buoy TAO array spans the central and eastern equatorial Pacific providing real-time and post-deployment recovery data to support climate analysis and forecasts. Although, in this case, the El Niño benefits the tropical Atlantic, the alternate manifestation, La Niña typically enhances hurricane activity in the Atlantic. The various phases of

Data Acquisition (DAQ) system dedicated for remote sensing applications on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keleshis, C.; Ioannou, S.; Vrekoussis, M.; Levin, Z.; Lange, M. A.

2014-08-01

Continuous advances in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and the increased complexity of their applications raise the demand for improved data acquisition systems (DAQ). These improvements may comprise low power consumption, low volume and weight, robustness, modularity and capability to interface with various sensors and peripherals while maintaining the high sampling rates and processing speeds. Such a system has been designed and developed and is currently integrated on the Autonomous Flying Platforms for Atmospheric and Earth Surface Observations (APAESO/NEA-YΠOΔOMH/NEKΠ/0308/09) however, it can be easily adapted to any UAV or any other mobile vehicle. The system consists of a single-board computer with a dual-core processor, rugged surface-mount memory and storage device, analog and digital input-output ports and many other peripherals that enhance its connectivity with various sensors, imagers and on-board devices. The system is powered by a high efficiency power supply board. Additional boards such as frame-grabbers, differential global positioning system (DGPS) satellite receivers, general packet radio service (3G-4G-GPRS) modems for communication redundancy have been interfaced to the core system and are used whenever there is a mission need. The onboard DAQ system can be preprogrammed for automatic data acquisition or it can be remotely operated during the flight from the ground control station (GCS) using a graphical user interface (GUI) which has been developed and will also be presented in this paper. The unique design of the GUI and the DAQ system enables the synchronized acquisition of a variety of scientific and UAV flight data in a single core location. The new DAQ system and the GUI have been successfully utilized in several scientific UAV missions. In conclusion, the novel DAQ system provides the UAV and the remote-sensing community with a new tool capable of reliably acquiring, processing, storing and transmitting data from any sensor integrated

Impact of a Dedicated Emergency Medicine Teaching Resident Rotation at a Large Urban Academic Center.

PubMed

Ahn, James; Golden, Andrew; Bryant, Alyssa; Babcock, Christine

2016-03-01

In the face of declining bedside teaching and increasing emergency department (ED) crowding, balancing education and patient care is a challenge. Dedicated shifts by teaching residents (TRs) in the ED represent an educational intervention to mitigate these difficulties. We aimed to measure the perceived learning and departmental impact created by having TR. TRs were present in the ED from 12 pm-10 pm daily, and their primary roles were to provide the following: assist in teaching procedures, give brief "chalk talks," instruct junior trainees on interesting cases, and answer clinical questions in an evidence-based manner. This observational study included a survey of fourth-year medical students (MSs), residents and faculty at an academic ED. Surveys measured the perceived effect of the TR on teaching, patient flow, ease of procedures, and clinical care. Survey response rates for medical students, residents, and faculty are 56%, 77%, and 75%, respectively. MSs perceived improved procedure performance with TR presence and the majority agreed that the TR was a valuable educational experience. Residents perceived increased patient flow, procedure performance, and MS learning with TR presence. The majority agreed that the TR improved patient care. Faculty agreed that the TR increased resident and MS learning, as well as improved patient care and procedure performance. The presence of a TR increased MS and resident learning, improved patient care and procedure performance as perceived by MSs, residents and faculty. A dedicated TR program can provide a valuable resource in achieving a balance of clinical education and high quality healthcare.

Impact of a Dedicated Emergency Medicine Teaching Resident Rotation at a Large Urban Academic Center

PubMed Central

Ahn, James; Golden, Andrew; Bryant, Alyssa; Babcock, Christine

2016-01-01

Introduction In the face of declining bedside teaching and increasing emergency department (ED) crowding, balancing education and patient care is a challenge. Dedicated shifts by teaching residents (TRs) in the ED represent an educational intervention to mitigate these difficulties. We aimed to measure the perceived learning and departmental impact created by having TR. Methods TRs were present in the ED from 12pm–10pm daily, and their primary roles were to provide the following: assist in teaching procedures, give brief “chalk talks,” instruct junior trainees on interesting cases, and answer clinical questions in an evidence-based manner. This observational study included a survey of fourth-year medical students (MSs), residents and faculty at an academic ED. Surveys measured the perceived effect of the TR on teaching, patient flow, ease of procedures, and clinical care. Results Survey response rates for medical students, residents, and faculty are 56%, 77%, and 75%, respectively. MSs perceived improved procedure performance with TR presence and the majority agreed that the TR was a valuable educational experience. Residents perceived increased patient flow, procedure performance, and MS learning with TR presence. The majority agreed that the TR improved patient care. Faculty agreed that the TR increased resident and MS learning, as well as improved patient care and procedure performance. Conclusion The presence of a TR increased MS and resident learning, improved patient care and procedure performance as perceived by MSs, residents and faculty. A dedicated TR program can provide a valuable resource in achieving a balance of clinical education and high quality healthcare. PMID:26973739

Spanish Earth Observation Satellite System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borges, A.; Cerezo, F.; Fernandez, M.; Lomba, J.; Lopez, M.; Moreno, J.; Neira, A.; Quintana, C.; Torres, J.; Trigo, R.; Urena, J.; Vega, E.; Vez, E.

2010-12-01

The Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade (MITyC) and the Ministry of Defense (MoD) signed an agreement in 2007 for the development of a "Spanish Earth Observation Satellite System" based, in first instance, on two satellites: a high resolution optical satellite, called SEOSAT/Ingenio, and a radar satellite based on SAR technology, called SEOSAR/Paz. SEOSAT/Ingenio is managed by MITyC through the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), with technical and contractual support from the European Space Agency (ESA). HISDESA T together with the Spanish Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA, National Institute for Aerospace Technology) will be responsible for the in-orbit operation and the commercial operation of both satellites, and for the technical management of SEOSAR/Paz on behalf of the MoD. In both cases EADS CASA Espacio (ECE) is the prime contractor leading the industrial consortia. The ground segment development will be assigned to a Spanish consortium. This system is the most important contribution of Spain to the European Programme Global Monitoring for Environment and Security, GMES. This paper presents the Spanish Earth Observation Satellite System focusing on SEOSA T/Ingenio Programme and with special emphasis in the potential contribution to the ESA Third Party Missions Programme and to the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative (GMES) Data Access.

Comparisons between Common and Dedicated Reference Signals for MIMO Multiplexing Using Precoding in Evolved UTRA Downlink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taoka, Hidekazu; Kishiyama, Yoshihisa; Higuchi, Kenichi; Sawahashi, Mamoru

This paper presents comparisons between common and dedicated reference signals (RSs) for channel estimation in MIMO multiplexing using codebook-based precoding for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) radio access in the Evolved UTRA downlink with frequency division duplexing (FDD). We clarify the best RS structure for precoding-based MIMO multiplexing based on comparisons of the structures in terms of the achievable throughput taking into account the overhead of the common and dedicated RSs and the precoding matrix indication (PMI) signal. Based on extensive simulations on the throughput in 2-by-2 and 4-by-4 MIMO multiplexing with precoding, we clarify that channel estimation based on common RSs multiplied with the precoding matrix indicated by the PMI signal achieves higher throughput compared to that using dedicated RSs irrespective of the number of spatial multiplexing streams when the number of available precoding matrices, i.e., the codebook size, is less than approximately 16 and 32 for 2-by-2 and 4-by-4 MIMO multiplexing, respectively.

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System - EOSDIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramapriyan, Hampapuram K.

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the work of NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), a petabyte-scale archive of environmental data that supports global climate change research. The Earth Science Data Systems provide end-to-end capabilities to deliver data and information products to users in support of understanding the Earth system. The presentation contains photographs from space of recent events, (i.e., the effects of the tsunami in Japan, and the wildfires in Australia.) It also includes details of the Data Centers that provide the data to EOSDIS and Science Investigator-led Processing Systems. Information about the Land, Atmosphere Near-real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) and some of the uses that the system has made possible are reviewed. Also included is information about how to access the data, and evolutionary plans for the future of the system.

[Chemical libraries dedicated to protein-protein interactions].

PubMed

Sperandio, Olivier; Villoutreix, Bruno O; Morelli, Xavier; Roche, Philippe

2015-03-01

The identification of complete networks of protein-protein interactions (PPI) within a cell has contributed to major breakthroughs in understanding biological pathways, host-pathogen interactions and cancer development. As a consequence, PPI have emerged as a new class of promising therapeutic targets. However, they are still considered as a challenging class of targets for drug discovery programs. Recent successes have allowed the characterization of structural and physicochemical properties of protein-protein interfaces leading to a better understanding of how they can be disrupted with small molecule compounds. In addition, characterization of the profiles of PPI inhibitors has allowed the development of PPI-focused libraries. In this review, we present the current efforts at developing chemical libraries dedicated to these innovative targets. © 2015 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

A system decomposition approach to the design of functional observers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernando, Tyrone; Trinh, Hieu

2014-09-01

This paper reports a system decomposition that allows the construction of a minimum-order functional observer using a state observer design approach. The system decomposition translates the functional observer design problem to that of a state observer for a smaller decomposed subsystem. Functional observability indices are introduced, and a closed-form expression for the minimum order required for a functional observer is derived in terms of those functional observability indices.

The Australian Integrated Marine Observing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proctor, R.; Meyers, G.; Roughan, M.; Operators, I.

2008-12-01

The Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) is a 92M project established with 50M from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and co-investments from 10 operators including Universities and government agencies (see below). It is a nationally distributed set of equipment established and maintained at sea, oceanographic data and information services that collectively will contribute to meeting the needs of marine research in both open oceans and over the continental shelf around Australia. In particular, if sustained in the long term, it will permit identification and management of climate change in the marine environment, an area of research that is as yet almost a blank page, studies relevant to conservation of marine biodiversity and research on the role of the oceans in the climate system. While as an NCRIS project IMOS is intended to support research, the data streams are also useful for many societal, environmental and economic applications, such as management of offshore industries, safety at sea, management of marine ecosystems and fisheries and tourism. The infrastructure also contributes to Australia's commitments to international programs of ocean observing and international conventions, such as the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention that established the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Global Ocean Observing System and the intergovernmental coordinating activity Global Earth Observation System of Systems. IMOS is made up of nine national facilities that collect data, using different components of infrastructure and instruments, and two facilities that manage and provide access to data and enhanced data products, one for in situ data and a second for remotely sensed satellite data. The observing facilities include three for the open (bluewater) ocean (Argo Australia, Enhanced Ships of Opportunity and Southern Ocean Time Series), three facilities for coastal

The LCOGT Observation Portal, Data Pipeline and Science Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lister, Tim; LCOGT Science Archive Team

2014-01-01

Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) is building and deploying a world-wide network of optical telescopes dedicated to time-domain astronomy. During 2012-2013, we successfully deployed and commissioned nine new 1m telescopes at McDonald Observatory (Texas), CTIO (Chile), SAAO (South Africa) and Siding Spring Observatory (Australia). New, improved cameras and additional telescopes will be deployed during 2014. To enable the diverse LCOGT user community of scientific and educational users to request observations on the LCOGT Network and to see their progress and get access to their data, we have developed an Observation Portal system. This Observation Portal integrates proposal submission and observation requests with seamless access to the data products from the data pipelines in near-realtime and long-term products from the Science Archive. We describe the LCOGT Observation Portal and the data pipeline, currently in operation, which makes use of the ORAC-DR automated recipe-based data reduction pipeline and illustrate some of the new data products. We also present the LCOGT Science Archive, which is being developed in partnership with the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) and show some of the new features the Science Archive provides.

Integrating quality and safety education into clinical nursing education through a dedicated education unit.

PubMed

Masters, Kelli

2016-03-01

The Institute of Medicine and American Association of Colleges of Nursing are calling for curriculum redesign that prepares nursing students with the requisite knowledge and skills to provide safe, high quality care. The purpose of this project was to improve nursing students' knowledge of quality and safety by integrating Quality and Safety Education for Nurses into clinical nursing education through development of a dedicated education unit. This model, which pairs nursing students with front-line nursing staff for clinical experiences, was implemented on a medical floor in an acute care hospital. Prior to implementation, nurses and students were educated about the dedicated education unit and quality and safety competencies. During each clinical rotation, students collaborated with their nurses on projects related to these competencies. Students' knowledge was assessed using questions related to quality and safety. Students who participated in the dedicated education unit had higher scores than those with traditional clinical rotations. Focus groups were held mid-semester to assess nurses' perceptions of the experience. Five themes emerged from the qualitative data including thirsting for knowledge, building teamwork and collaboration, establishing trust and decreasing anxiety, mirroring organization and time management skills, and evolving confidence in the nursing role. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reliability of skeletal maturity analysis using the cervical vertebrae maturation method on dedicated software.

PubMed

Padalino, Saverio; Sfondrini, Maria Francesca; Chenuil, Laura; Scudeller, Luigia; Gandini, Paola

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of skeletal maturation analysis using the Cervical Vertebrae Maturation (CVM) method by means of dedicated software, developed in collaboration with Outside Format (Paullo-Milan), as compared with manual analysis. From a sample of patients aged 7-21 years, we gathered 100 lateral cephalograms, 20 for each of the five CVM stages. For each cephalogram, we traced cervical vertebrae C2, C3 and C4 by hand using a lead pencil and an acetate sheet and dedicated software. All the tracings were made by an experienced operator (a dentofacial orthopedics resident) and by an inexperienced operator (a student in dental surgery). Each operator recorded the time needed to make each tracing in order to demonstrate differences in the times taken. Concordance between the manual analysis and the analysis performed using the dedicated software was 94% for the resident and 93% for the student. Interobserver concordance was 99%. The hand-tracing was quicker than that performed by means of the software (28 seconds more on average). The cervical vertebrae analysis software offers excellent clinical performance, even if the method takes longer than the manual technique. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Mars Observer/Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the integrated Mars Observer/Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) payload is ready for encapsulation in the Titan III nose fairing. The TOS booster maiden flight was dedicated to Thomas O. Paine, a former NASA administrator who strongly supported interplanetary exploration and was an early backer of the TOS program. Launched September 25, 1992 from the Kennedy Space Flight Center aboard a Titan III rocket and the TOS, the Mars Observer spacecraft was to be the first U.S. spacecraft to study Mars since the Viking missions 18 years prior. Unfortunately, the Mars Observer spacecraft fell silent just 3 days prior to entering orbit around Mars.

Use of the VLBI delay observable for orbit determination of Earth-orbiting VLBI satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulvestad, J. S.

1992-01-01

Very long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations using a radio telescope in Earth orbit were performed first in the 1980s. Two spacecraft dedicated to VLBI are scheduled for launch in 1995; the primary scientific goals of these missions will be astrophysical in nature. This article addresses the use of space VLBI delay data for the additional purpose of improving the orbit determination of the Earth-orbiting spacecraft. In an idealized case of quasi-simultaneous observations of three radio sources in orthogonal directions, analytical expressions are found for the instantaneous spacecraft position and its error. The typical position error is at least as large as the distance corresponding to the delay measurement accuracy but can be much greater for some geometries. A number of practical considerations, such as system noise and imperfect calibrations, set bounds on the orbit-determination accuracy realistically achievable using space VLBI delay data. These effects limit the spacecraft position accuracy to at least 35 cm (and probably 3 m or more) for the first generation of dedicated space VLBI experiments. Even a 35-cm orbital accuracy would fail to provide global VLBI astrometry as accurate as ground-only VLBI. Recommended charges in future space VLBI missions are unlikely to make space VLBI competitive with ground-only VLBI in global astrometric measurements.

GENERAL EARTHQUAKE-OBSERVATION SYSTEM (GEOS).

USGS Publications Warehouse

Borcherdt, R.D.; Fletcher, Joe B.; Jensen, E.G.; Maxwell, G.L.; VanSchaack, J.R.; Warrick, R.E.; Cranswick, E.; Johnston, M.J.S.; McClearn, R.

1985-01-01

Microprocessor technology has permitted the development of a General Earthquake-Observation System (GEOS) useful for most seismic applications. Central-processing-unit control via robust software of system functions that are isolated on hardware modules permits field adaptability of the system to a wide variety of active and passive seismic experiments and straightforward modification for incorporation of improvements in technology. Various laboratory tests and numerous deployments of a set of the systems in the field have confirmed design goals, including: wide linear dynamic range (16 bit/96 dB); broad bandwidth (36 hr to 600 Hz; greater than 36 hr available); selectable sensor-type (accelerometer, seismometer, dilatometer); selectable channels (1 to 6); selectable record mode (continuous, preset, trigger); large data capacity (1. 4 to 60 Mbytes); selectable time standard (WWVB, master, manual); automatic self-calibration; simple field operation; full capability to adapt system in the field to a wide variety of experiments; low power; portability; and modest costs. System design goals for a microcomputer-controlled system with modular software and hardware components as implemented on the GEOS are presented. The systems have been deployed for 15 experiments, including: studies of near-source strong motion; high-frequency microearthquakes; crustal structure; down-hole wave propagation; teleseismicity; and earth-tidal strains.

A reduced adaptive observer for multivariable systems. [using reduced dynamic ordering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carroll, R. L.; Lindorff, D. P.

1973-01-01

An adaptive observer for multivariable systems is presented for which the dynamic order of the observer is reduced, subject to mild restrictions. The observer structure depends directly upon the multivariable structure of the system rather than a transformation to a single-output system. The number of adaptive gains is at most the sum of the order of the system and the number of input parameters being adapted. Moreover, for the relatively frequent specific cases for which the number of required adaptive gains is less than the sum of system order and input parameters, the number of these gains is easily determined by inspection of the system structure. This adaptive observer possesses all the properties ascribed to the single-input single-output adpative observer. Like the other adaptive observers some restriction is required of the allowable system command input to guarantee convergence of the adaptive algorithm, but the restriction is more lenient than that required by the full-order multivariable observer. This reduced observer is not restricted to cycle systems.

The wireless networking system of Earthquake precursor mobile field observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C.; Teng, Y.; Wang, X.; Fan, X.; Wang, X.

2012-12-01

The mobile field observation network could be real-time, reliably record and transmit large amounts of data, strengthen the physical signal observations in specific regions and specific period, it can improve the monitoring capacity and abnormal tracking capability. According to the features of scatter everywhere, a large number of current earthquake precursor observation measuring points, networking technology is based on wireless broadband accessing McWILL system, the communication system of earthquake precursor mobile field observation would real-time, reliably transmit large amounts of data to the monitoring center from measuring points through the connection about equipment and wireless accessing system, broadband wireless access system and precursor mobile observation management center system, thereby implementing remote instrument monitoring and data transmition. At present, the earthquake precursor field mobile observation network technology has been applied to fluxgate magnetometer array geomagnetic observations of Tianzhu, Xichang,and Xinjiang, it can be real-time monitoring the working status of the observational instruments of large area laid after the last two or three years, large scale field operation. Therefore, it can get geomagnetic field data of the local refinement regions and provide high-quality observational data for impending earthquake tracking forecast. Although, wireless networking technology is very suitable for mobile field observation with the features of simple, flexible networking etc, it also has the phenomenon of packet loss etc when transmitting a large number of observational data due to the wireless relatively weak signal and narrow bandwidth. In view of high sampling rate instruments, this project uses data compression and effectively solves the problem of data transmission packet loss; Control commands, status data and observational data transmission use different priorities and means, which control the packet loss rate within

Dedication - Susan L Greenblatt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guberman, Steven L.

2011-07-01

Photo of Susan L Greenblatt Figure 1. Susan in May, 1994 This volume is dedicated to the memory of Susan L Greenblatt, the wife of Steven L Guberman. Susan attended 6 of the 8 dissociative recombination (DR) meetings. Her advice and wise counsel played a vital role in the organization of several of these meetings. The fifth meeting in Chicago in 2001 was her idea and it would not have occurred without her encouragement. Susan was always amused by the memory of the first group dinner at the second DR meeting at St Jacut in 1992. As we went around the dinner table identifying ourselves, it soon became her turn. Susan was a sociologist and after introducing herself she said: "I am not a chemist". A spontaneous chorus of attendees proclaimed "Neither are we!". Her husband and a few other chemists abstained. In 1983, Susan and I established the Institute for Scientific Research (ISR). The name was chosen so as to span sociology and chemical physics. Four years prior, an ophthalmologist had diagnosed a rare retinal condition of unknown origin and advised her to change her profession to one that did not involve reading. (She was able to read for the rest of her life.) Twenty years later we learned that the cause of the retinal and all her other health problems was a recently discovered rare mitochondrial mutation. Her experience with ophthalmologists and her life-long keen sense of injustice, led her to write a grant proposal to the US Department of Education to survey all ophthalmologists in the US to determine whether they were aware of and whether they told their patients about resources and aids that could help them to continue reading and participating in everyday activities. As part of the grant and based upon the survey results, she proposed to set up low-vision training programs for ophthalmology residents. We knew that the competition for funding was intense and included several well-known and more established organizations. Nevertheless, the proposal was funded

Open Source Dataturbine (OSDT) Android Sensorpod in Environmental Observing Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fountain, T. R.; Shin, P.; Tilak, S.; Trinh, T.; Smith, J.; Kram, S.

2014-12-01

The OSDT Android SensorPod is a custom-designed mobile computing platform for assembling wireless sensor networks for environmental monitoring applications. Funded by an award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the OSDT SensorPod represents a significant technological advance in the application of mobile and cloud computing technologies to near-real-time applications in environmental science, natural resources management, and disaster response and recovery. It provides a modular architecture based on open standards and open-source software that allows system developers to align their projects with industry best practices and technology trends, while avoiding commercial vendor lock-in to expensive proprietary software and hardware systems. The integration of mobile and cloud-computing infrastructure represents a disruptive technology in the field of environmental science, since basic assumptions about technology requirements are now open to revision, e.g., the roles of special purpose data loggers and dedicated site infrastructure. The OSDT Android SensorPod was designed with these considerations in mind, and the resulting system exhibits the following characteristics - it is flexible, efficient and robust. The system was developed and tested in the three science applications: 1) a fresh water limnology deployment in Wisconsin, 2) a near coastal marine science deployment at the UCSD Scripps Pier, and 3) a terrestrial ecological deployment in the mountains of Taiwan. As part of a public education and outreach effort, a Facebook page with daily ocean pH measurements from the UCSD Scripps pier was developed. Wireless sensor networks and the virtualization of data and network services is the future of environmental science infrastructure. The OSDT Android SensorPod was designed and developed to harness these new technology developments for environmental monitoring applications.

Observing System Forecast Experiments at the DAO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atlas, Robert

2001-01-01

Since the advent of meteorological satellites in the 1960's, numerous experiments have been conducted in order to evaluate the impact of these and other data on atmospheric analysis and prediction. Such studies have included both OSE'S and OSSE's. The OSE's were conducted to evaluate the impact of specific observations or classes of observations on analyses and forecasts. Such experiments have been performed for selected types of conventional data and for various satellite data sets as they became available. (See for example the 1989 ECMWF/EUMETSAT workshop proceedings on "The use of satellite data in operational numerical weather prediction" and the references contained therein.) The ODYSSEY were conducted to evaluate the potential for future observing systems to improve Numerical Weather Prediction NWP and to plan for the Global Weather Experiment and more recently for EVANS (Atlas et al., 1985a; Arnold and Day, 1986; Hoffman et al., 1990). In addition, OSSE's have been run to evaluate trade-offs in the design of observing systems and observing networks (Atlas and Emmitt, 1991; Rohaly and Krishnamurti, 1993), and to test new methodology for data assimilation (Atlas and Bloom, 1989).

The Idaho dedicated education unit model: cost-effective, high-quality education.

PubMed

Springer, Pamela J; Johnson, Patricia; Lind, Bonnie; Walker, Eldon; Clavelle, Joanne; Jensen, Nancy

2012-01-01

Faculty face many challenges in delivering clinical education, including faculty availability, the complexity of the faculty role, and limited clinical placements. Dedicated education units (DEUs) are being explored as alternatives to traditional clinical placement models. The authors describe the successful development of a DEU that resulted in positive student outcomes at reduced cost to both the school and the medical center.

A Dedicated Environmental Remote Sensing Facility for the Columbia Earth Institute

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weissel, Jeffrey K.; Small, Christopher

1999-01-01

This paper presents a final technical report on a dedicated environmental remote sensing facility for the Columbia Earth Institute. The above-referenced award enabled the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory to establish a state-of-the-art remote sensing image analysis and data visualization facility to serve the research and educational needs of students and staff at Lamont and the Columbia Earth Institute.

Cloud Based Earth Observation Data Exploitation Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romeo, A.; Pinto, S.; Loekken, S.; Marin, A.

2017-12-01

In the last few years data produced daily by several private and public Earth Observation (EO) satellites reached the order of tens of Terabytes, representing for scientists and commercial application developers both a big opportunity for their exploitation and a challenge for their management. New IT technologies, such as Big Data and cloud computing, enable the creation of web-accessible data exploitation platforms, which offer to scientists and application developers the means to access and use EO data in a quick and cost effective way. RHEA Group is particularly active in this sector, supporting the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Exploitation Platforms (EP) initiative, developing technology to build multi cloud platforms for the processing and analysis of Earth Observation data, and collaborating with larger European initiatives such as the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). An EP is a virtual workspace, providing a user community with access to (i) large volume of data, (ii) algorithm development and integration environment, (iii) processing software and services (e.g. toolboxes, visualization routines), (iv) computing resources, (v) collaboration tools (e.g. forums, wiki, etc.). When an EP is dedicated to a specific Theme, it becomes a Thematic Exploitation Platform (TEP). Currently, ESA has seven TEPs in a pre-operational phase dedicated to geo-hazards monitoring and prevention, costal zones, forestry areas, hydrology, polar regions, urban areas and food security. On the technology development side, solutions like the multi cloud EO data processing platform provides the technology to integrate ICT resources and EO data from different vendors in a single platform. In particular it offers (i) Multi-cloud data discovery, (ii) Multi-cloud data management and access and (iii) Multi-cloud application deployment. This platform has been demonstrated with the EGI Federated Cloud, Innovation Platform Testbed Poland

NASA's Earth Observing Data and Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, Andrew E.; Behnke, Jeanne; Lowe, Dawn; Ramapriyan, H. K.

2009-01-01

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been a central component of NASA Earth observation program for over 10 years. It is one of the largest civilian science information system in the US, performing ingest, archive and distribution of over 3 terabytes of data per day much of which is from NASA s flagship missions Terra, Aqua and Aura. The system supports a variety of science disciplines including polar processes, land cover change, radiation budget, and most especially global climate change. The EOSDIS data centers, collocated with centers of science discipline expertise, archive and distribute standard data products produced by science investigator-led processing systems. Key to the success of EOSDIS is the concept of core versus community requirements. EOSDIS supports a core set of services to meet specific NASA needs and relies on community-developed services to meet specific user needs. EOSDIS offers a metadata registry, ECHO (Earth Observing System Clearinghouse), through which the scientific community can easily discover and exchange NASA s Earth science data and services. Users can search, manage, and access the contents of ECHO s registries (data and services) through user-developed and community-tailored interfaces or clients. The ECHO framework has become the primary access point for cross-Data Center search-and-order of EOSDIS and other Earth Science data holdings archived at the EOSDIS data centers. ECHO s Warehouse Inventory Search Tool (WIST) is the primary web-based client for discovering and ordering cross-discipline data from the EOSDIS data centers. The architecture of the EOSDIS provides a platform for the publication, discovery, understanding and access to NASA s Earth Observation resources and allows for easy integration of new datasets. The EOSDIS also has developed several methods for incorporating socioeconomic data into its data collection. Over the years, we have developed several methods for determining

NASDA's earth observation satellite data archive policy for the earth observation data and information system (EOIS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sobue, Shin-ichi; Yoshida, Fumiyoshi; Ochiai, Osamu

1996-01-01

NASDA's new Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) is scheduled for launch in August, 1996. ADEOS carries 8 sensors to observe earth environmental phenomena and sends their data to NASDA, NASA, and other foreign ground stations around the world. The downlink data bit rate for ADEOS is 126 MB/s and the total volume of data is about 100 GB per day. To archive and manage such a large quantity of data with high reliability and easy accessibility it was necessary to develop a new mass storage system with a catalogue information database using advanced database management technology. The data will be archived and maintained in the Master Data Storage Subsystem (MDSS) which is one subsystem in NASDA's new Earth Observation data and Information System (EOIS). The MDSS is based on a SONY ID1 digital tape robotics system. This paper provides an overview of the EOIS system, with a focus on the Master Data Storage Subsystem and the NASDA Earth Observation Center (EOC) archive policy for earth observation satellite data.

Pancreatic β-cell regeneration: Facultative or dedicated progenitors?

PubMed

Afelik, Solomon; Rovira, Meritxell

2017-04-15

The adult pancreas is only capable of limited regeneration. Unlike highly regenerative tissues such as the skin, intestinal crypts and hematopoietic system, no dedicated adult stem cells or stem cell niche have so far been identified within the adult pancreas. New β cells have been shown to form in the adult pancreas, in response to high physiological demand or experimental β-cell ablation, mostly by replication of existing β cells. The possibility that new β cells are formed from other sources is currently a point of major controversy. Under particular injury conditions, fully differentiated pancreatic duct and acinar cells have been shown to dedifferentiate into a progenitor-like state, however the extent, to which ductal, acinar or other endocrine cells contribute to restoring pancreatic β-cell mass remains to be resolved. In this review we focus on regenerative events in the pancreas with emphasis on the restoration of β-cell mass. We present an overview of regenerative responses noted within the different pancreatic lineages, following injury. We also highlight the intrinsic plasticity of the adult pancreas that allows for inter-conversion of fully differentiated pancreatic lineages through manipulation of few genes or growth factors. Taken together, evidence from a number of studies suggest that differentiated pancreatic lineages could act as facultative progenitor cells, but the extent to which these contribute to β-cell regeneration in vivo is still a matter of contention. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Investigation of a Dedicated, High Resolution PET/CT Scanner for Staging and Treatment Planning of Head and Neck Cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raylman, Raymond R.; Stolin, Alexander V.; Sompalli, Prashanth; Randall, Nicole Bunda; Martone, Peter F.; Clinthorne, Neal H.

2015-10-01

Staging of head and neck cancer (HNC) is often hindered by the limited resolution of standard whole body PET scanners, which can make it challenging to detect small areas of metastatic disease in regional lymph nodes and accurately delineate tumor boundaries. In this investigation, the performance of a proposed high resolution PET/CT scanner designed specifically for imaging of the head and neck region was explored. The goal is to create a dedicated PET/CT system that will enhance the staging and treatment of HNCs. Its performance was assessed by simulating the scanning of a three-dimensional Rose-Burger contrast phantom. To extend the results from the simulation studies, an existing scanner with a similar geometry to the dedicated system and a whole body, clinical PET/CT scanner were used to image a Rose-Burger contrast phantom and a phantom simulating the neck of an HNC patient (out-of-field-of-view sources of activity were not included). Images of the contrast detail phantom acquired with Breast-PET/CT and simulated head and neck scanner both produced object contrasts larger than the images created by the clinical scanner. Images of a neck phantom acquired with the Breast-PET/CT scanner permitted the identification of all of the simulated metastases, while it was not possible to identify any of the simulated metastasis with the clinical scanner. The initial results from this study demonstrate the potential benefits of high-resolution PET systems for improving the diagnosis and treatment of HNC.

Mrs. Hugh Dryden unveils the memorial to her late husband at center dedication, with center director David Scott

NASA Image and Video Library

1976-03-26

On March 26, 1976, the NASA Flight Research Center opened its doors to hundreds of guests for the dedication of the center in honor of Hugh Latimer Dryden. The dedication was very much a local event; following Center Director David Scott’s opening remarks, the Antelope Valley High School’s symphonic band played the national anthem. Invocation was given followed by recognition of the invited guests. Dr. Hugh Dryden, a man of total humility, received praise from all those present. Dryden, who died in 1965, had been a pioneering aeronautical scientist who became director of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1949 and then deputy administrator of the NACA’s successor, NASA, in 1958. Very much interested in flight research, he had been responsible for establishing a permanent facility at the location later named in his honor. As Center Director David Scott looks on, Mrs. Hugh L. Dryden (Mary Libbie Travers) unveils the memorial to her husband at the dedication ceremony.On March 26, 1976, the NASA Flight Research Center opened its doors to hundreds of guests for the dedication of the center in honor of Hugh Latimer Dryden.

History of Satellite Observations of East Pacific Atmospheric Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vonder Haar, T. H.; Forsythe, J. M.; Seaman, C.

2017-12-01

The terms "Atmospheric River" or "Tropospheric River" were not used in refereed literature until the 1990's, although earlier works hinted at the existence of narrow corridors of moisture transport. With the advent of satellite observations in the 1960's, meteorologists began to discover the fingerprints of these phenomena via cloud observations. Early geostationary satellites depicted "cloud rivers" or "pipeline cirrus" impacting the U.S. west coast, with only indirect evidence of large water vapor transport. Routine use of passive microwave imagery to retrieve total column water vapor began in the late 1980's with the launch of the Special Sensor Microwave / Imager instrument, whose descendants continue to provide realtime monitoring of atmospheric rivers today. Passive microwave data opened the door to quantitative studies of atmospheric rivers, by providing the water vapor measurements needed to compute integrated moisture flux. Atmospheric rivers are detected in near-realtime from passive microwave water vapor products. In recent years, dedicated coastal observatories, multidecadal global water vapor data sets, cloud radars, and satellite sounding systems have begun to probe the 4-dimensional moisture structure of atmospheric rivers. The timeline of our understanding of atmospheric rivers will be presented from the standpoint of evolving satellite observing systems.

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS OBSERVING SYSTEM PILOT PROJECT

EPA Science Inventory

The HABSOS Pilot Project is being developed through a partnership of federal, state and academic organizations as proof-of-concept for a coastal observing system in the Gulf of Mexico. The goal is to design a HAB data management system and develop the regional communication infra...

Transiting Exoplanet Observations at Grinnell College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauerhaft, Julia; Slough, P.; Cale, B.; Kempton, E.

2014-01-01

Grinnell College, a small liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa with 1600 undergraduate students, is home to the Grant O. Gale Observatory. Over the past year, we have successfully detected extrasolar planets using the transit method with our 24-inch Cassegrain reflecting telescope equipped with a CCD camera. With little light pollution and an easily accessible observatory, Grinnell College is an optimal location for transiting exoplanet observations. With the current telescope set-up and CCD camera, we have taken time series data and created image calibration and post-processing programs that detect exoplanet transits at high photometric precision. In the future, we will continue to use these observation and data reduction procedures to conduct transiting exoplanet research. Goals for our research program include performing follow-up observations of transiting exoplanet candidates to confirm their planetary nature, searching for additional exoplanets in known planetary systems using the transit timing detection method, tracking long period transiting planets, and refining properties of exoplanets and their host stars. Ground-based transiting planet science is especially important in the post-Kepler era, and our dedicated mid-sized telescope with plenty of access to dark clear nights provides an ideal resource for a variety of follow up and exoplanet detection efforts.

Earth Observation System Flight Dynamics System Covariance Realism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaidi, Waqar H.; Tracewell, David

2016-01-01

This presentation applies a covariance realism technique to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observation System (EOS) Aqua and Aura spacecraft based on inferential statistics. The technique consists of three parts: collection calculation of definitive state estimates through orbit determination, calculation of covariance realism test statistics at each covariance propagation point, and proper assessment of those test statistics.

Development of a dedicated isotope mass spectrometer for the noninvasive diagnostics of humans infected with Helicobacter Pylori

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blashenkov, N. M.; Sheshenya, E. S.; Solov'ev, S. M.; Gall', L. N.; Sachenko, V. M.; Zarutskii, I. V.; Gall', N. R.

2013-06-01

A dedicated isotope mass spectrometer for the noninvasive diagnostics of humans infected with Helicobacter Pylori using the isotope respiratory test is developed. A low-aberration mass analyzer is calculated, an input system that makes it possible to eliminate the memory effects is developed, and a small-size ion detector is constructed. The mass spectrometer is created, and the tests are performed. The measurement accuracy of the 13C/12C and 16O/18O isotope ratios are 1.7 and 2.2‰, respectively. Preliminary medical tests show that the spectrometer can be employed for the desired diagnostics.

Implementation of a platform dedicated to the biomedical analysis terminologies management

PubMed Central

Cormont, Sylvie; Vandenbussche, Pierre-Yves; Buemi, Antoine; Delahousse, Jean; Lepage, Eric; Charlet, Jean

2011-01-01

Background and objectives. Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) is implementing a new laboratory management system (LMS) common to the 12 hospital groups. First step to this process was to acquire a biological analysis dictionary. This dictionary is interfaced with the international nomenclature LOINC, and has been developed in collaboration with experts from all biological disciplines. In this paper we describe in three steps (modeling, data migration and integration/verification) the implementation of a platform for publishing and maintaining the AP-HP laboratory data dictionary (AnaBio). Material and Methods. Due to data complexity and volume, setting up a platform dedicated to the terminology management was a key requirement. This is an enhancement tackling identified weaknesses of previous spreadsheet tool. Our core model allows interoperability regarding data exchange standards and dictionary evolution. Results. We completed our goals within one year. In addition, structuring data representation has lead to a significant data quality improvement (impacting more than 10% of data). The platform is active in the 21 hospitals of the institution spread into 165 laboratories. PMID:22195205

Weather Observation Systems and Efficiency of Fighting Forest Fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khabarov, N.; Moltchanova, E.; Obersteiner, M.

2007-12-01

Weather observation is an essential component of modern forest fire management systems. Satellite and in-situ based weather observation systems might help to reduce forest loss, human casualties and destruction of economic capital. In this paper, we develop and apply a methodology to assess the benefits of various weather observation systems on reductions of burned area due to early fire detection. In particular, we consider a model where the air patrolling schedule is determined by a fire hazard index. The index is computed from gridded daily weather data for the area covering parts Spain and Portugal. We conduct a number of simulation experiments. First, the resolution of the original data set is artificially reduced. The reduction of the total forest burned area associated with air patrolling based on a finer weather grid indicates the benefit of using higher spatially resolved weather observations. Second, we consider a stochastic model to simulate forest fires and explore the sensitivity of the model with respect to the quality of input data. The analysis of combination of satellite and ground monitoring reveals potential cost saving due to a "system of systems effect" and substantial reduction in burned area. Finally, we estimate the marginal improvement schedule for loss of life and economic capital as a function of the improved fire observing system.

The Relationships between a Dedicated Education Unit and Quality of Nursing Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tochterman, Lori A.

2016-01-01

The Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) is a model of clinical teaching which has gained widespread acceptance and national recognition as an innovative method of clinical education for undergraduate nursing students (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2010; Warner & Burton, 2009). The primary goals and benefits of the DEU for schools of nursing are…

WE-FG-207A-00: Advances in Dedicated Breast CT

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

NONE

Mammography-based screening has been a valuable imaging tool for the early detection of non-palpable lesions and has contributed to significant reduction in breast cancer associated mortality. However, the breast imaging community recognizes that mammography is not ideal, and in particular is inferior for women with dense breasts. Also, the 2-D projection of a 3-D organ results in tissue superposition contributing to false-positives. The sensitivity of mammography is breast-density dependent. Its sensitivity, especially in dense breasts, is low due to overlapping tissue and the fact that normal breast tissue, benign lesions and breast cancers all have similar “densities”, making lesion detectionmore » more difficult. We ideally need 3-D imaging for imaging the 3-D breast. MRI is 3-D, whole breast ultrasound is 3-D, digital breast tomosynthesis is called 3-D but is really “pseudo 3-D” due to poor resolution along the depth-direction. Also, and importantly, we need to be able to administer intravenous contrast agents for optimal imaging, similar to other organ systems in the body. Dedicated breast CT allows for 3-D imaging of the uncompressed breast. In current designs, the patient is positioned prone on the table and the breast is pendant through an aperture and the scan takes approximately 10 seconds [O’Connell et al., AJR 195: 496–509, 2010]. Almost on the heels of the invention of CT itself, work began on the development of dedicated breast CT. These early breast CT systems were used in clinical trials and the results from comparative performance evaluation of breast CT and mammography for 1625 subjects were reported in 1980 [Chang et al., Cancer 46: 939–46, 1980]. However, the technological limitations at that time stymied clinical translation for decades. Subsequent to the landmark article in 2001 [Boone et al., Radiology 221: 657–67, 2001] that demonstrated the potential feasibility in terms of radiation dose, multiple research groups are

Status of the dedicated short-range communications technology and applications : report to Congress.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-07-01

This report responds to a Congressional request for an assessment of the 5.9 Gigahertz (GHz) Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) in accordance with the requirements provided by Congress in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act...

The first dedicated life sciences Spacelab mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perry, T. W.; Rummel, J. A.; Griffiths, L. D.; White, R. J.; Leonard, J. I.

1984-01-01

JIt is pointed out that the Shuttle-borne Spacelab provides the capability to fly large numbers of life sciences experiments, to retrieve and rescue experimental equipment, and to undertake multiple-flight studies. A NASA Life Sciences Flight Experiments Program has been organized with the aim to take full advantages of this capability. A description is provided of the scientific aspects of the most ambitious Spacelab mission currently being conducted in connection with this program, taking into account the First Dedicated Life Sciences Spacelab Mission. The payload of this mission will contain the equipment for 24 separate investigations. It is planned to perform the mission on two separate seven-day Spacelab flights, the first of which is currently scheduled for early 1986. Some of the mission objectives are related to the study of human and animal responses which occur promptly upon achieving weightlessness.

Current systematic carbon-cycle observations and the need for implementing a policy-relevant carbon observing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciais, P.; Dolman, A. J.; Bombelli, A.; Duren, R.; Peregon, A.; Rayner, P. J.; Miller, C.; Gobron, N.; Kinderman, G.; Marland, G.; Gruber, N.; Chevallier, F.; Andres, R. J.; Balsamo, G.; Bopp, L.; Bréon, F.-M.; Broquet, G.; Dargaville, R.; Battin, T. J.; Borges, A.; Bovensmann, H.; Buchwitz, M.; Butler, J.; Canadell, J. G.; Cook, R. B.; DeFries, R.; Engelen, R.; Gurney, K. R.; Heinze, C.; Heimann, M.; Held, A.; Henry, M.; Law, B.; Luyssaert, S.; Miller, J.; Moriyama, T.; Moulin, C.; Myneni, R. B.; Nussli, C.; Obersteiner, M.; Ojima, D.; Pan, Y.; Paris, J.-D.; Piao, S. L.; Poulter, B.; Plummer, S.; Quegan, S.; Raymond, P.; Reichstein, M.; Rivier, L.; Sabine, C.; Schimel, D.; Tarasova, O.; Valentini, R.; Wang, R.; van der Werf, G.; Wickland, D.; Williams, M.; Zehner, C.

2014-07-01

A globally integrated carbon observation and analysis system is needed to improve the fundamental understanding of the global carbon cycle, to improve our ability to project future changes, and to verify the effectiveness of policies aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration. Building an integrated carbon observation system requires transformational advances from the existing sparse, exploratory framework towards a dense, robust, and sustained system in all components: anthropogenic emissions, the atmosphere, the ocean, and the terrestrial biosphere. The paper is addressed to scientists, policymakers, and funding agencies who need to have a global picture of the current state of the (diverse) carbon observations. We identify the current state of carbon observations, and the needs and notional requirements for a global integrated carbon observation system that can be built in the next decade. A key conclusion is the substantial expansion of the ground-based observation networks required to reach the high spatial resolution for CO2 and CH4 fluxes, and for carbon stocks for addressing policy-relevant objectives, and attributing flux changes to underlying processes in each region. In order to establish flux and stock diagnostics over areas such as the southern oceans, tropical forests, and the Arctic, in situ observations will have to be complemented with remote-sensing measurements. Remote sensing offers the advantage of dense spatial coverage and frequent revisit. A key challenge is to bring remote-sensing measurements to a level of long-term consistency and accuracy so that they can be efficiently combined in models to reduce uncertainties, in synergy with ground-based data. Bringing tight observational constraints on fossil fuel and land use change emissions will be the biggest challenge for deployment of a policy-relevant integrated carbon observation system. This will require in situ and remotely sensed data at much higher

First identification of the herpes simplex virus by skin-dedicated ex vivo fluorescence confocal microscopy during herpetic skin infections.

PubMed

Cinotti, E; Perrot, J L; Labeille, B; Campolmi, N; Thuret, G; Naigeon, N; Bourlet, T; Pillet, S; Cambazard, F

2015-06-01

Skin-dedicated ex vivo fluorescence confocal microscopy (FCM) has so far been used to identify cutaneous tumours on freshly excised samples using acridine orange as fluorochrome. To use FCM for a new indication, namely, the identification of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) in skin lesions, using fluorescent antibodies. Six roof samples from skin vesicles suspicious for HSV lesions were incubated with anti-HSV-1 and anti-HSV-2 antibodies coupled with fluorescein isothiocyanate, and examined under skin-dedicated ex vivo FCM. The positive controls were swabs taken from the floor of each vesicle and observed under conventional direct fluorescence assay (DFA) and by viral cultures. Roof samples from three bullae of bullous pemphigoid were the negative controls. Using ex vivo FCM, the samples from the lesions clinically suspicious for HSV infection were seen to be fluorescent after incubation with anti-HSV-1, and were negative after incubation with anti-HSV-2 antibodies. Conventional DFA with an optical microscope and cultures confirmed the presence of HSV-1 infection. By using fluorescent antibodies to identify precise structures, ex vivo FCM can be used for indications other than tumour identification. More specifically, it can be an additional diagnostic tool for HSV infection. © 2014 British Association of Dermatologists.

Dedicated Caravan Sites for French Gens du Voyage: Public Health Policy or Construction of Health and Environmental Inequalities?

PubMed

Foisneau, Lise

2017-12-01

In France, gens du voyage ("people who travel" or "travellers") is a term used by the government to categorize various itinerant populations, the majority of which are diverse Romani groups. People categorized as gens du voyage are legally required to reside in particular locations called "dedicated caravan sites." Parliamentary debates about these dedicated caravan sites have clarified that one of the objectives of such sites is to help fulfill the gens du voyage 's right to health. However, there is a significant gap between the officially stated goals of such sites and the reality of life within them. This paper draws on research finding that the conditions in most dedicated caravan sites do not conform with the rights of gens du voyage to acceptable sanitary conditions and other underlying determinants of health.

Personalized estimates of radiation dose from dedicated breast CT in a diagnostic population and comparison with diagnostic mammography

PubMed Central

Vedantham, Srinivasan; Shi, Linxi; Karellas, Andrew; O’Connell, Avice M.; Conover, David L.

2013-01-01

This study retrospectively analyzed the mean glandular dose (MGD) to 133 breasts from 132 subjects, all women, who participated in a clinical trial evaluating dedicated breast CT in a diagnostic population. The clinical trial was conducted in adherence to a protocol approved by institutional review boards and the study participants provided written informed consent. Individual estimates of mean glandular dose to each breast from dedicated breast CT was obtained by combining x-ray beam characteristics with estimates of breast dimensions and fibroglandular fraction from volumetric breast CT images, and using normalized glandular dose coefficients. For each study participant and for the breast corresponding to that imaged with breast CT, an estimate of the MGD from diagnostic mammography (including supplemental views) was obtained from the DICOM image headers for comparison. This estimate uses normalized glandular dose coefficients corresponding to a breast with 50% fibroglandular weight fraction. The median fibroglandular weight fraction for the study cohort determined from volumetric breast CT images was 15%. Hence, the MGD from diagnostic mammography was corrected to be representative of the study cohort. Individualized estimates of MGD from breast CT ranged from 5.7 mGy to 27.8 mGy. Corresponding to the breasts imaged with breast CT, the MGD from diagnostic mammography ranged from 2.6 to 31.6 mGy. The mean (± inter-breast SD) and the median MGD (mGy) from dedicated breast CT exam were 13.9±4.6 and 12.6, respectively. For the corresponding breasts, the mean (± inter-breast SD) and the median MGD (mGy) from diagnostic mammography were 12.4±6.3 and 11.1, respectively. Statistical analysis indicated that at the 0.05 level, the distributions of MGD from dedicated breast CT and diagnostic mammography were significantly different (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, p = 0.007). While the interquartile range and the range (maximum-minimum) of MGD from dedicated breast CT was

Incorporating Parallel Computing into the Goddard Earth Observing System Data Assimilation System (GEOS DAS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, Jay W.

1998-01-01

Atmospheric data assimilation is a method of combining actual observations with model forecasts to produce a more accurate description of the earth system than the observations or forecast alone can provide. The output of data assimilation, sometimes called the analysis, are regular, gridded datasets of observed and unobserved variables. Analysis plays a key role in numerical weather prediction and is becoming increasingly important for climate research. These applications, and the need for timely validation of scientific enhancements to the data assimilation system pose computational demands that are best met by distributed parallel software. The mission of the NASA Data Assimilation Office (DAO) is to provide datasets for climate research and to support NASA satellite and aircraft missions. The system used to create these datasets is the Goddard Earth Observing System Data Assimilation System (GEOS DAS). The core components of the the GEOS DAS are: the GEOS General Circulation Model (GCM), the Physical-space Statistical Analysis System (PSAS), the Observer, the on-line Quality Control (QC) system, the Coupler (which feeds analysis increments back to the GCM), and an I/O package for processing the large amounts of data the system produces (which will be described in another presentation in this session). The discussion will center on the following issues: the computational complexity for the whole GEOS DAS, assessment of the performance of the individual elements of GEOS DAS, and parallelization strategy for some of the components of the system.

Investigating the dose distribution in the uncompressed breast with a dedicated CT mammotomography system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crotty, Dominic J.; Brady, Samuel L.; Jackson, D'Vone C.; Toncheva, Greta I.; Anderson, Colin E.; Yoshizumi, Terry T.; Tornai, Martin P.

2010-04-01

A dual modality SPECT-CT prototype dedicated to uncompressed breast imaging (mammotomography) has been developed. The CT subsystem incorporates an ultra-thick K-edge filtration technique producing a quasi-monochromatic x-ray cone beam to optimize the dose efficiency for uncompressed breast tomography. We characterize the absorbed dose to the breast under normal tomographic cone beam image acquisition protocols using both TLD measurements and ionization chamber-calibrated radiochromic film. Geometric and anthropomorphic breast phantoms are filled with 1000mL of water and oil to simulate different breast compositions and varying object shapes having density bounds of 100% glandular and fatty breast compositions, respectively. Doses to the water filled geometric and anthropomorphic breast phantoms for a tomographic scan range from 1.3-7.3mGy and 1.7-6.3mGy, respectively, with a mean whole-breast dose of 4.5mGy for the water-filled anthropomorphic phantom. Measured dose distribution trends indicate lower doses in the center of the breast phantoms towards the chest wall along with higher doses near the peripheries and nipple regions. Measured doses to the oil-filled phantoms are consistently lower across all volume shapes (mean dose, 3.8mGy for the anthropomorphic breast). Results agree with Monte Carlo dose estimates generated for uncompressed breast imaging and illustrate the advantages of using the novel K-edge filtered beam to minimize absorbed dose to the breast during fully-3D imaging.

Virtual Observation System for Earth System Model: An Application to ACME Land Model Simulations

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

Wang, Dali; Yuan, Fengming; Hernandez, Benjamin

Investigating and evaluating physical-chemical-biological processes within an Earth system model (EMS) can be very challenging due to the complexity of both model design and software implementation. A virtual observation system (VOS) is presented to enable interactive observation of these processes during system simulation. Based on advance computing technologies, such as compiler-based software analysis, automatic code instrumentation, and high-performance data transport, the VOS provides run-time observation capability, in-situ data analytics for Earth system model simulation, model behavior adjustment opportunities through simulation steering. A VOS for a terrestrial land model simulation within the Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy model is also presentedmore » to demonstrate the implementation details and system innovations.« less

Virtual Observation System for Earth System Model: An Application to ACME Land Model Simulations

DOE PAGES

Wang, Dali; Yuan, Fengming; Hernandez, Benjamin; ...

2017-01-01

Investigating and evaluating physical-chemical-biological processes within an Earth system model (EMS) can be very challenging due to the complexity of both model design and software implementation. A virtual observation system (VOS) is presented to enable interactive observation of these processes during system simulation. Based on advance computing technologies, such as compiler-based software analysis, automatic code instrumentation, and high-performance data transport, the VOS provides run-time observation capability, in-situ data analytics for Earth system model simulation, model behavior adjustment opportunities through simulation steering. A VOS for a terrestrial land model simulation within the Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy model is also presentedmore » to demonstrate the implementation details and system innovations.« less

Observation and integrated Earth-system science: A roadmap for 2016-2025

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, Adrian; Fellous, Jean-Louis; Ramaswamy, Venkatachalam; Trenberth, Kevin; Asrar, Ghassem; Balmaseda, Magdalena; Burrows, John P.; Ciais, Philippe; Drinkwater, Mark; Friedlingstein, Pierre; Gobron, Nadine; Guilyardi, Eric; Halpern, David; Heimann, Martin; Johannessen, Johnny; Levelt, Pieternel F.; Lopez-Baeza, Ernesto; Penner, Joyce; Scholes, Robert; Shepherd, Ted

2016-05-01

This report is the response to a request by the Committee on Space Research of the International Council for Science to prepare a roadmap on observation and integrated Earth-system science for the coming ten years. Its focus is on the combined use of observations and modelling to address the functioning, predictability and projected evolution of interacting components of the Earth system on timescales out to a century or so. It discusses how observations support integrated Earth-system science and its applications, and identifies planned enhancements to the contributing observing systems and other requirements for observations and their processing. All types of observation are considered, but emphasis is placed on those made from space. The origins and development of the integrated view of the Earth system are outlined, noting the interactions between the main components that lead to requirements for integrated science and modelling, and for the observations that guide and support them. What constitutes an Earth-system model is discussed. Summaries are given of key cycles within the Earth system. The nature of Earth observation and the arrangements for international coordination essential for effective operation of global observing systems are introduced. Instances are given of present types of observation, what is already on the roadmap for 2016-2025 and some of the issues to be faced. Observations that are organised on a systematic basis and observations that are made for process understanding and model development, or other research or demonstration purposes, are covered. Specific accounts are given for many of the variables of the Earth system. The current status and prospects for Earth-system modelling are summarized. The evolution towards applying Earth-system models for environmental monitoring and prediction as well as for climate simulation and projection is outlined. General aspects of the improvement of models, whether through refining the

Nonlinear observer designs for fuel cell power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorgun, Haluk

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen, with the aid of electro-catalysts, to produce electricity. A fuel cell consists of a negatively charged anode, a positively charged cathode and an electrolyte, which transports protons or ions. A low temperature fuel cell has an electrical potential of about 0.7 Volt when generating a current density of 300--500 mA/cm2. Practical fuel cell power systems will require a combination of several cells in series (a stack) to satisfy the voltage requirements of specific applications. Fuel cells are suitable for a potentially wide variety of applications, from stationary power generation in the range of hundreds of megawatts to portable electronics in the range of a couple of watts. Efficient operation of a fuel cell system requires advanced feedback control designs. Reliable measurements from the system are necessary to implement such designs. However, most of the commercially available sensors do not operate properly in the reformate and humidified gas streams in fuel cell systems. Sensors working varying degrees of success are too big and costly, and sensors that are potentially low cost are not reliable or do not have the required life time [28]. Observer designs would eliminate sensor needs for measurements, and make feedback control implementable. Since the fuel cell system dynamics are highly nonlinear, observer design is not an easy task. In this study we aim to develop nonlinear observer design methods applicable to fuel cell systems. In part I of the thesis we design an observer to estimate the hydrogen partial pressure in the anode channel. We treat inlet partial pressure as an unknown slowly varying parameter and develop an adaptive observer that employs a nonlinear voltage injection term. However in this design Fuel Processing System (FPS) dynamics are not modelled, and their effect on the anode dynamics are treated as plant uncertainty. In part II of the thesis we study the FPS

Carbon Dioxide Observational Platform System (CO-OPS), feasibility study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouquet, D. L.; Hall, D. W.; Mcelveen, R. P.

1987-01-01

The Carbon Dioxide Observational Platform System (CO-OPS) is a near-space, geostationary, multi-user, unmanned microwave powered monitoring platform system. This systems engineering feasibility study addressed identified existing requirements such as: carbon dioxide observational data requirements, communications requirements, and eye-in-the-sky requirements of other groups like the Defense Department, the Forestry Service, and the Coast Guard. In addition, potential applications in: earth system science, space system sciences, and test and verification (satellite sensors and data management techniques) were considered. The eleven month effort is summarized. Past work and methods of gathering the required observational data were assessed and rough-order-of magnitude cost estimates have shown the CO-OPS system to be most cost effective (less than $30 million within a 10 year lifetime). It was also concluded that there are no technical, schedule, or obstacles that would prevent achieving the objectives of the total 5-year CO-OPS program.

JWST Planetary Observations Within the Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lunine, Jonathan; Hammel, Heidi; Schaller, Emily; Sonneborn, George; Orton, Glenn; Rieke, George; Rieke, Marcia

2010-01-01

JWST provides capabilities unmatched by other telescopic facilities in the near to mid infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Its combination of broad wavelength range, high sensitivity and near diffraction-limited imaging around two microns wavelength make it a high value facility for a variety of Solar System targets. Beyond Neptune, a class of cold, large bodies that include Pluto, Triton and Eris exhibits surface deposits of nitrogen, methane, and other molecules that are poorly observed from the ground, but for which JWST might provide spectral mapping at high sensitivity and spatial resolution difficult to match with the current generation of ground-based observatories. The observatory will also provide unique sensitivity in a variety of near and mid infrared windows for observing relatively deep into the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune, searching there for minor species. It will examine the Jovian aurora in a wavelength regime where the background atmosphere is dark. Special provision of a subarray observing strategy may allow observation of Jupiter and Saturn over a larger wavelength range despite their large surface brightnesses, allowing for detailed observation of transient phenomena including large scale storms and impact-generation disturbances. JWST's observations of Saturn's moon Titan will overlap with and go beyond the 2017 end-of-mission for Cassini, providing an important extension to the time-series of meteorological studies for much of northern hemisphere summer. It will overlap with a number of other planetary missions to targets for which JWST can make unique types of observations. JWST provides a platform for linking solar system and extrasolar planet studies through its unique observational capabilities in both arenas.

Characteristics of smoker support for increasing a dedicated tobacco tax: national survey data from New Zealand.

PubMed

Wilson, Nick; Weerasekera, Deepa; Edwards, Richard; Thomson, George; Devlin, Miranda; Gifford, Heather

2010-02-01

To examine smoker support for tobacco tax and for increased dedicated tobacco taxes, along with associations forany such support. The New Zealand (NZ) arm of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Survey utilizes the NZ Health Survey (a national sample). From this sample, we surveyed adult smokers (N = 1,376). Most smokers considered that the current level of tobacco tax is "too high" (68%), but a majority (59%) would support an increase in tobacco tax if the extra revenue was used to promote healthy lifestyles and support quitting. There was majority support for a dedicated tobacco tax increase among all sociodemographic groups of smokers (including Māori, Pacific, and Asian smokers). In the fully adjusted multivariate model, significant associations with support for a dedicated tax increase included higher deprivation level (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.15) and suffering one form of financial stress (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.18-2.78). Other significant associations with support included concern about the smoking impacts on health and quality of life (AOR = 1.41), expressing support for tobacco control regulation (AOR = 1.83), and strength of intention to quit (AOR = 1.30). A majority of smokers from all sociodemographic groups supported an increase in tobacco tax if it was dedicated to quitting support and health promotion. The higher support among smokers with stronger intentions to quit is consistent with other evidence that smokers value tobacco control regulation such as high taxes to help them achieve their long-term quitting goals.

Exoplanet Observations in SOFIA's Cycle 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angerhausen, Daniel

2013-06-01

The NASA/DLR Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a 2.5-meter infrared telescope on board a Boeing 747-SP, will conduct 0.3 - 1,600 micron photometric, spectroscopic, and imaging observations from altitudes as high as 45,000 ft. The airborne-based platform has unique advantages in comparison to ground- and space-based observatories in the field of characterization of the physical properties of exoplanets: parallel optical and near-infrared photometric and spectrophotometric follow-up observations during planetary transits and eclipses will be feasible with SOFIA's instrumentation, in particular the HIPO-FLITECAM optical/NIR instruments and possible future dedicated instrumentation. Here we present spectrophotometric exoplanet observations that were or will be conducted in SOFIA's cycle 1.

Computerized Systems for Collecting Real-Time Observational Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahng, SungWoo; Iwata, Brian

1998-01-01

A survey of 15 developers of computerized real-time observation systems found many systems have incorporated laptop or handheld computers as well as bar-code scanners. Most systems used IBM-compatible software, and ranged from free to complete systems costing more than $1,500. Data analysis programs were included with most programs. (Author/CR)

A net-centric system of services model for the Integrated Earth Observation System (IEOS) and the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardanuy, Philip; Bensman, Ed; Bergen, Bill; Chen, Bob; Griffith, Frank; Sutton, Cary; Hood, Carroll; Ritchie, Adrian; Tarro, Andre

2006-08-01

This paper considers an evolved technique for significantly enhanced enterprise-level data processing, reprocessing, archival, dissemination, and utilization. There is today a robust working paradigm established with the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS)-NOAA/NWS's information integration and fusion capability. This process model extends vertically, and seamlessly, from environmental sensing through the direct delivery of societal benefit. NWS, via AWIPS, is the primary source of weather forecast and warning information in the nation. AWIPS is the tested and proven "the nerve center of operations" at all 122 NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and 13 River Forecast Centers (RFCs). However, additional line organizations whose role in satisfying NOAA's five mission goals (ecosystems, climate, weather & water, commerce & transportation, and mission support) in multiple program areas might be facilitated through utilization of AWIPS-like functionalities, including the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS); Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research (OAR); and the National Ocean Service (NOS). In addition to NOAA's mission goals, there are nine diverse, recommended, and important societal benefit areas in the US Integrated Earth Observation System (IEOS). This paper shows how the satisfaction of this suite of goals and benefit areas can be optimized by leveraging several key ingredients: (1) the evolution of AWIPS towards a net-centric system of services concept of operations; (2) infusion of technologies and concepts from pathfinder systems; (3) the development of new observing systems targeted at deliberate, and not just serendipitous, societal benefit; and (4) the diverse, nested local, regional, national, and international scales of the different benefits and goal areas, and their interoperability and interplay across the system of systems.

The Earth Phenomena Observing System: Intelligent Autonomy for Satellite Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ricard, Michael; Abramson, Mark; Carter, David; Kolitz, Stephan

2003-01-01

Earth monitoring systems of the future may include large numbers of inexpensive small satellites, tasked in a coordinated fashion to observe both long term and transient targets. For best performance, a tool which helps operators optimally assign targets to satellites will be required. We present the design of algorithms developed for real-time optimized autonomous planning of large numbers of small single-sensor Earth observation satellites. The algorithms will reduce requirements on the human operators of such a system of satellites, ensure good utilization of system resources, and provide the capability to dynamically respond to temporal terrestrial phenomena. Our initial real-time system model consists of approximately 100 satellites and large number of points of interest on Earth (e.g., hurricanes, volcanoes, and forest fires) with the objective to maximize the total science value of observations over time. Several options for calculating the science value of observations include the following: 1) total observation time, 2) number of observations, and the 3) quality (a function of e.g., sensor type, range, slant angle) of the observations. An integrated approach using integer programming, optimization and astrodynamics is used to calculate optimized observation and sensor tasking plans.

Time Management in the Operating Room: An Analysis of the Dedicated Minimally Invasive Surgery Suite

PubMed Central

Hsiao, Kenneth C.; Machaidze, Zurab

2004-01-01

Background: Dedicated minimally invasive surgery suites are available that contain specialized equipment to facilitate endoscopic surgery. Laparoscopy performed in a general operating room is hampered by the multitude of additional equipment that must be transported into the room. The objective of this study was to compare the preparation times between procedures performed in traditional operating rooms versus dedicated minimally invasive surgery suites to see whether operating room efficiency is improved in the specialized room. Methods: The records of 50 patients who underwent laparoscopic procedures between September 2000 and April 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-three patients underwent surgery in a general operating room and 18 patients in an minimally invasive surgery suite. Nine patients were excluded because of cystoscopic procedures undergone prior to laparoscopy. Various time points were recorded from which various time intervals were derived, such as preanesthesia time, anesthesia induction time, and total preparation time. A 2-tailed, unpaired Student t test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The mean preanesthesia time was significantly faster in the minimally invasive surgery suite (12.2 minutes) compared with that in the traditional operating room (17.8 minutes) (P=0.013). Mean anesthesia induction time in the minimally invasive surgery suite (47.5 minutes) was similar to time in the traditional operating room (45.7 minutes) (P=0.734). The average total preparation time for the minimally invasive surgery suite (59.6 minutes) was not significantly faster than that in the general operating room (63.5 minutes) (P=0.481). Conclusion: The amount of time that elapses between the patient entering the room and anesthesia induction is statically shorter in a dedicated minimally invasive surgery suite. Laparoscopic surgery is performed more efficiently in a dedicated minimally invasive surgery suite versus a traditional operating room. PMID

Building a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) and Its Interoperability Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, B. J.

2015-12-01

Launched in 2005 by industrialized nations, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) began building the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Consisting of both a policy framework, and an information infrastructure, GEOSS, was intended to link and/or integrate the multitude of Earth observation systems, primarily operated by its Member Countries and Participating Organizations, so that users could more readily benefit from global information assets for a number of society's key environmental issues. It was recognized that having ready access to observations from multiple systems was a prerequisite for both environmental decision-making, as well as economic development. From the very start, it was also recognized that the shear complexity of the Earth's system cannot be captured by any single observation system, and that a federated, interoperable approach was necessary. While this international effort has met with much success, primarily in advancing broad, open data policies and practices, challenges remain. In 2014 (Geneva, Switzerland) and 2015 (Mexico City, Mexico), Ministers from GEO's Member Countries, including the European Commission, came together to assess progress made during the first decade (2005 to 2015), and approve implementation strategies and mechanisms for the second decade (2016 to 2025), respectively. The approved implementation strategies and mechanisms are intended to advance GEOSS development thereby facilitating the increased uptake of Earth observations for informed decision-making. Clearly there are interoperability challenges that are technological in nature, and several will be discussed in this presentation. There are, however, interoperability challenges that can be better characterized as economic, governmental and/or political in nature, and these will be discussed as well. With the emergence of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), and the United Nations

The DEdicated MONitor of EXotransits and Transients (DEMONEXT): a Robotic Observatory for Follow-Up of Transiting Exoplanets, Transients, and Time-Series Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villanueva, Steven; Gaudi, B. Scott; Pogge, Richard; Stassun, Keivan G.; Eastman, Jason; Trueblood, Mark; Trueblood, Pat

2018-01-01

The DEdicated MONitor of EXotransits and Transients (DEMONEXT) is a 20 inch (0.5-m) robotic telescope that has been in operation since May 2016. Fully automated, DEMONEXT has observed over 150 transits of exoplanet candidates for the KELT survey, including confirmation observations of KELT-20b. DEMONEXT achieves 2-4 mmag precision with unbinned, 20-120 second exposures, on targets orbiting V<13 host stars. Millimagnitude precision can be achieved by binning the transits on 5-6 minute timescales. During observations of 8 hours with hundreds of consecutive exposures, DEMONEXT maintains sub-pixel (<0.5 pixels) target position stability on the CCD during good observing conditions, with degraded performance during poor observing conditions (<1 pixel). DEMONEXT achieves 1% photometry on targets with V<17 in 5 minute exposures, with detection limits of V~21. In addition to the 150 transits observed by DEMONEXT, 50 supernovae and transients haven been observed for the ASAS-SN supernovae group, as well as time-series observations of Galactic microlensing, active galactic nuclei, stellar variability, and stellar rotation.

Current systematic carbon-cycle observations and the need for implementing a policy-relevant carbon observing system

Treesearch

P. Ciais; A. J. Dolman; A. Bombelli; R. Duren; A. Peregon; P. J. Rayner; C. Miller; N. Gobron; G. Kinderman; G. Marland; N. Gruber; F. Chevallier; R. J. Andres; G. Balsamo; L. Bopp; F.-M. Bréon; G. Broquet; R. Dargaville; T. J. Battin; A. Borges; H. Bovensmann; M. Buchwitz; J. Butler; J. G. Canadell; R. B. Cook; R. DeFries; R. Engelen; K. R. Gurney; C. Heinze; M. Heimann; A. Held; M. Henry; B. Law; S. Luyssaert; J. Miller; T. Moriyama; C. Moulin; R. B. Myneni; C. Nussli; M. Obersteiner; D. Ojima; Y. Pan; J.-D. Paris; S. L. Piao; B. Poulter; S. Plummer; S. Quegan; P. Raymond; M. Reichstein; L. Rivier; C. Sabine; D. Schimel; O. Tarasova; R. Valentini; R. Wang; G. van der Werf; D. Wickland; M. Williams; C. Zehner

2014-01-01

A globally integrated carbon observation and analysis system is needed to improve the fundamental understanding of the global carbon cycle, to improve our ability to project future changes, and to verify the effectiveness of policies aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration. Building an integrated carbon observation system requires...

Temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced dedicated breast CT

PubMed Central

Gazi, Peymon M.; Aminololama-Shakeri, Shadi; Yang, Kai; Boone, John M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop a framework of deformable image registration and segmentation for the purpose of temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced breast CT is described. Methods An iterative histogram-based two-means clustering method was used for the segmentation. Dedicated breast CT images were segmented into background (air), adipose, fibroglandular and skin components. Fibroglandular tissue was classified as either normal or contrast-enhanced then divided into tiers for the purpose of categorizing degrees of contrast enhancement. A variant of the Demons deformable registration algorithm, Intensity Difference Adaptive Demons (IDAD), was developed to correct for the large deformation forces that stemmed from contrast enhancement. In this application, the accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated in both mathematically-simulated and physically-acquired phantom images. Clinical usage and accuracy of the temporal subtraction framework was demonstrated using contrast-enhanced breast CT datasets from five patients. Registration performance was quantified using Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC), Symmetric Uncertainty Coefficient (SUC), Normalized Mutual Information (NMI), Mean Square Error (MSE) and Target Registration Error (TRE). Results The proposed method outperformed conventional affine and other Demons variations in contrast enhanced breast CT image registration. In simulation studies, IDAD exhibited improvement in MSE(0–16%), NCC (0–6%), NMI (0–13%) and TRE (0–34%) compared to the conventional Demons approaches, depending on the size and intensity of the enhancing lesion. As lesion size and contrast enhancement levels increased, so did the improvement. The drop in the correlation between the pre- and post-contrast images for the largest enhancement levels in phantom studies is less than 1.2% (150 Hounsfield units). Registration error, measured by TRE, shows only submillimeter mismatches between the concordant anatomical target points in all patient studies

Temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced dedicated breast CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gazi, Peymon M.; Aminololama-Shakeri, Shadi; Yang, Kai; Boone, John M.

2016-09-01

The development of a framework of deformable image registration and segmentation for the purpose of temporal subtraction contrast-enhanced breast CT is described. An iterative histogram-based two-means clustering method was used for the segmentation. Dedicated breast CT images were segmented into background (air), adipose, fibroglandular and skin components. Fibroglandular tissue was classified as either normal or contrast-enhanced then divided into tiers for the purpose of categorizing degrees of contrast enhancement. A variant of the Demons deformable registration algorithm, intensity difference adaptive Demons (IDAD), was developed to correct for the large deformation forces that stemmed from contrast enhancement. In this application, the accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated in both mathematically-simulated and physically-acquired phantom images. Clinical usage and accuracy of the temporal subtraction framework was demonstrated using contrast-enhanced breast CT datasets from five patients. Registration performance was quantified using normalized cross correlation (NCC), symmetric uncertainty coefficient, normalized mutual information (NMI), mean square error (MSE) and target registration error (TRE). The proposed method outperformed conventional affine and other Demons variations in contrast enhanced breast CT image registration. In simulation studies, IDAD exhibited improvement in MSE (0-16%), NCC (0-6%), NMI (0-13%) and TRE (0-34%) compared to the conventional Demons approaches, depending on the size and intensity of the enhancing lesion. As lesion size and contrast enhancement levels increased, so did the improvement. The drop in the correlation between the pre- and post-contrast images for the largest enhancement levels in phantom studies is less than 1.2% (150 Hounsfield units). Registration error, measured by TRE, shows only submillimeter mismatches between the concordant anatomical target points in all patient studies. The algorithm was

"New Space Explosion" and Earth Observing System Capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stensaas, G. L.; Casey, K.; Snyder, G. I.; Christopherson, J.

2017-12-01

This presentation will describe recent developments in spaceborne remote sensing, including introduction to some of the increasing number of new firms entering the market, along with new systems and successes from established players, as well as industry consolidation reactions to these developments from communities of users. The information in this presentation will include inputs from the results of the Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation (JACIE) 2017 Civil Commercial Imagery Evaluation Workshop and the use of the US Geological Survey's Requirements Capabilities and Analysis for Earth Observation (RCA-EO) centralized Earth observing systems database and how system performance parameters are used with user science applications requirements.

Observations of the Pluto-Charon System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tholen, David J.

2004-01-01

We are continuing the analysis of adaptive optics observations of the Pluto-Charon system, with the goal of confirming the orbital eccentricity reported by Tholen and Bule (1997). Previous work on these data, obtained with the Hokupa's adaptive optics system and Gemini North and reported by Tholea (2002), utilized only a portion of the full set of 348 images taken on 8 nights between 2001 and 2002, and was based on a preliminary calibration of the image scale and position angle of the detector. For each of the three observing runs, independent calibrations were performed using the motion of an asteroid past a fixed stellar source to remove any minor differences in the way the instrument was mounted on the telescope for each run. The image scales determined for each run are good to better than 1 part in 1000, while the individual position angle determinations are good at least 0.1 deg. The preliminary analysis reported at last year's DPS meeting indicated consistency with the orbit determined from the HST observations acquired a decade ago, however, a more careful analysis yields a longitude of periapsis of 132.2 degrees plus or minus 9.3 degrees, disagreeing with the HST results: Finally, possible explanation for the differences in orbital solutions are considered.

Dedicated nuclear facilities for electrolytic hydrogen production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foh, S. E.; Escher, W. J. D.; Donakowski, T. D.

1979-01-01

An advanced technology, fully dedicated nuclear-electrolytic hydrogen production facility is presented. This plant will produce hydrogen and oxygen only and no electrical power will be generated for off-plant use. The conceptual design was based on hydrogen production to fill a pipeline at 1000 psi and a 3000 MW nuclear base, and the base-line facility nuclear-to-shaftpower and shaftpower-to-electricity subsystems, the water treatment subsystem, electricity-to-hydrogen subsystem, hydrogen compression, efficiency, and hydrogen production cost are discussed. The final conceptual design integrates a 3000 MWth high-temperature gas-cooled reactor operating at 980 C helium reactor-out temperature, direct dc electricity generation via acyclic generators, and high-current density, high-pressure electrolyzers based on the solid polymer electrolyte approach. All subsystems are close-coupled and optimally interfaced and pipeline hydrogen is produced at 1000 psi. Hydrogen costs were about half of the conventional nuclear electrolysis process.

The disagreement between the ideal observer and human observers in hardware and software imaging system optimization: theoretical explanations and evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xin

2017-03-01

The ideal observer is widely used in imaging system optimization. One practical question remains open: do the ideal and human observers have the same preference in system optimization and evaluation? Based on the ideal observer's mathematical properties proposed by Barrett et. al. and the empirical properties of human observers investigated by Myers et. al., I attempt to pursue the general rules regarding the applicability of the ideal observer in system optimization. Particularly, in software optimization, the ideal observer pursues data conservation while humans pursue data presentation or perception. In hardware optimization, the ideal observer pursues a system with the maximum total information, while humans pursue a system with the maximum selected (e.g., certain frequency bands) information. These different objectives may result in different system optimizations between human and the ideal observers. Thus, an ideal observer optimized system is not necessarily optimal for humans. I cite empirical evidence in search and detection tasks, in hardware and software evaluation, in X-ray CT, pinhole imaging, as well as emission computed tomography to corroborate the claims. (Disclaimer: the views expressed in this work do not necessarily represent those of the FDA)

Altimetric system: Earth observing system. Volume 2h: Panel report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bindschadler, Robert A.; Born, George; Chase, Robert R. P.; Fu, Lee-Lueng; Mouginis-Mark, Peter; Parsons, Chester; Tapley, Byron

1987-01-01

A rationale and recommendations for planning, implementing, and operating an altimetric system aboard the Earth observing system (Eos) spacecraft is provided. In keeping with the recommendations of the Eos Science and Mission Requirements Working Group, a complete altimetric system is defined that is capable of perpetuating the data set to be derived from TOPEX/Poseidon, enabling key scientific questions to be addressed. Since the scientific utility and technical maturity of spaceborne radar altimeters is well documented, the discussion is limited to highlighting those Eos-specific considerations that materially impact upon radar altimetric measurements.

Economic Value of an Advanced Climate Observing System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wielicki, B. A.; Cooke, R.; Young, D. F.; Mlynczak, M. G.

2013-12-01

Scientific missions increasingly need to show the monetary value of knowledge advances in budget-constrained environments. For example, suppose a climate science mission promises to yield decisive information on the rate of human caused global warming within a shortened time frame. How much should society be willing to pay for this knowledge today? The US interagency memo on the social cost of carbon (SCC) creates a standard yardstick for valuing damages from carbon emissions. We illustrate how value of information (VOI) calculations can be used to monetize the relative value of different climate observations. We follow the SCC, setting uncertainty in climate sensitivity to a truncated Roe and Baker (2007) distribution, setting discount rates of 2.5%, 3% and 5%, and using one of the Integrated Assessment Models sanctioned in SCC (DICE, Nordhaus 2008). We consider three mitigation scenarios: Business as Usual (BAU), a moderate mitigation response DICE Optimal, and a strong response scenario (Stern). To illustrate results, suppose that we are on the BAU emissions scenario, and that we would switch to the Stern emissions path if we learn with 90% confidence that the decadal rate of temperature change reaches or exceeds 0.2 C/decade. Under the SCC assumptions, the year in which this happens, if it happens, depends on the uncertain climate sensitivity and on the emissions path. The year in which we become 90% certain that it happens depends, in addition, on our Earth observations, their accuracy, and their completeness. The basic concept is that more accurate observations can shorten the time for societal decisions. The economic value of the resulting averted damages depends on the discount rate, and the years in which the damages occur. A new climate observation would be economically justified if the net present value (NPV) of the difference in averted damages, relative to the existing systems, exceeds the NPV of the system costs. Our results (Cooke et al. 2013

OBSERVATIONS OF HIERARCHICAL SOLAR-TYPE MULTIPLE STAR SYSTEMS

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

Roberts, Lewis C. Jr.; Tokovinin, Andrei; Mason, Brian D.

2015-10-15

Twenty multiple stellar systems with solar-type primaries were observed at high angular resolution using the PALM-3000 adaptive optics system at the 5 m Hale telescope. The goal was to complement the knowledge of hierarchical multiplicity in the solar neighborhood by confirming recent discoveries by the visible Robo-AO system with new near-infrared observations with PALM-3000. The physical status of most, but not all, of the new pairs is confirmed by photometry in the Ks band and new positional measurements. In addition, we resolved for the first time five close sub-systems: the known astrometric binary in HIP 17129AB, companions to the primariesmore » of HIP 33555, and HIP 118213, and the companions to the secondaries in HIP 25300 and HIP 101430. We place the components on a color–magnitude diagram and discuss each multiple system individually.« less

20 CFR 416.1247 - Exclusion of a dedicated account in a financial institution.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Exclusion of a dedicated account in a financial institution. 416.1247 Section 416.1247 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME FOR THE AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED Resources and Exclusions § 416.1247 Exclusion of...

NOAO observing proposal processing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, David J.; Gasson, David; Hartman, Mia

2002-12-01

Since going electronic in 1994, NOAO has continued to refine and enhance its observing proposal handling system. Virtually all related processes are now handled electronically. Members of the astronomical community can submit proposals through email, web form or via Gemini's downloadable Phase-I Tool. NOAO staff can use online interfaces for administrative tasks, technical reviews, telescope scheduling, and compilation of various statistics. In addition, all information relevant to the TAC process is made available online. The system, now known as ANDES, is designed as a thin-client architecture (web pages are now used for almost all database functions) built using open source tools (FreeBSD, Apache, MySQL, Perl, PHP) to process descriptively-marked (LaTeX, XML) proposal documents.

Dedicated Industrial Oilseed Crops as Metabolic Engineering Platforms for Sustainable Industrial Feedstock Production

PubMed Central

Zhu, Li-Hua; Krens, Frans; Smith, Mark A.; Li, Xueyuan; Qi, Weicong; van Loo, Eibertus N.; Iven, Tim; Feussner, Ivo; Nazarenus, Tara J.; Huai, Dongxin; Taylor, David C.; Zhou, Xue-Rong; Green, Allan G.; Shockey, Jay; Klasson, K. Thomas; Mullen, Robert T.; Huang, Bangquan; Dyer, John M.; Cahoon, Edgar B.

2016-01-01

Feedstocks for industrial applications ranging from polymers to lubricants are largely derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Vegetable oils with fatty acid structures and storage forms tailored for specific industrial uses offer renewable and potentially sustainable sources of petrochemical-type functionalities. A wide array of industrial vegetable oils can be generated through biotechnology, but will likely require non-commodity oilseed platforms dedicated to specialty oil production for commercial acceptance. Here we show the feasibility of three Brassicaceae oilseeds crambe, camelina, and carinata, none of which are widely cultivated for food use, as hosts for complex metabolic engineering of wax esters for lubricant applications. Lines producing wax esters >20% of total seed oil were generated for each crop and further improved for high temperature oxidative stability by down-regulation of fatty acid polyunsaturation. Field cultivation of optimized wax ester-producing crambe demonstrated commercial utility of these engineered crops and a path for sustainable production of other industrial oils in dedicated specialty oilseeds. PMID:26916792

Dedicated Industrial Oilseed Crops as Metabolic Engineering Platforms for Sustainable Industrial Feedstock Production.

PubMed

Zhu, Li-Hua; Krens, Frans; Smith, Mark A; Li, Xueyuan; Qi, Weicong; van Loo, Eibertus N; Iven, Tim; Feussner, Ivo; Nazarenus, Tara J; Huai, Dongxin; Taylor, David C; Zhou, Xue-Rong; Green, Allan G; Shockey, Jay; Klasson, K Thomas; Mullen, Robert T; Huang, Bangquan; Dyer, John M; Cahoon, Edgar B

2016-02-26

Feedstocks for industrial applications ranging from polymers to lubricants are largely derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Vegetable oils with fatty acid structures and storage forms tailored for specific industrial uses offer renewable and potentially sustainable sources of petrochemical-type functionalities. A wide array of industrial vegetable oils can be generated through biotechnology, but will likely require non-commodity oilseed platforms dedicated to specialty oil production for commercial acceptance. Here we show the feasibility of three Brassicaceae oilseeds crambe, camelina, and carinata, none of which are widely cultivated for food use, as hosts for complex metabolic engineering of wax esters for lubricant applications. Lines producing wax esters >20% of total seed oil were generated for each crop and further improved for high temperature oxidative stability by down-regulation of fatty acid polyunsaturation. Field cultivation of optimized wax ester-producing crambe demonstrated commercial utility of these engineered crops and a path for sustainable production of other industrial oils in dedicated specialty oilseeds.

SU-E-I-09: The Impact of X-Ray Scattering On Image Noise for Dedicated Breast CT

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

Yang, K; Gazi, P; Boone, J

2015-06-15

Purpose: To quantify the impact of detected x-ray scatter on image noise in flat panel based dedicated breast CT systems and to determine the optimal scanning geometry given practical trade-offs between radiation dose and scatter reduction. Methods: Four different uniform polyethylene cylinders (104, 131, 156, and 184 mm in diameter) were scanned as the phantoms on a dedicated breast CT scanner developed in our laboratory. Both stationary projection imaging and rotational cone-beam CT imaging was performed. For each acquisition type, three different x-ray beam collimations were used (12, 24, and 109 mm measured at isocenter). The aim was to quantifymore » image noise properties (pixel variance, SNR, and image NPS) under different levels of x-ray scatter, in order to optimize the scanning geometry. For both projection images and reconstructed CT images, individual pixel variance and NPS were determined and compared. Noise measurement from the CT images were also performed with different detector binning modes and reconstruction matrix sizes. Noise propagation was also tracked throughout the intermediate steps of cone-beam CT reconstruction, including the inverse-logarithmic process, Fourier-filtering before backprojection. Results: Image noise was lower in the presence of higher scatter levels. For the 184 mm polyethylene phantom, the image noise (measured in pixel variance) was ∼30% lower with full cone-beam acquisition compared to a narrow (12 mm) fan-beam acquisition. This trend is consistent across all phantom sizes and throughout all steps of CT image reconstruction. Conclusion: From purely a noise perspective, the cone-beam geometry (i.e. the full cone-angle acquisition) produces lower image noise compared to the lower-scatter fan-beam acquisition for breast CT. While these results are relevant in homogeneous phantoms, the full impact of scatter on noise in bCT should involve contrast-to-noise-ratio measurements in heterogeneous phantoms if the goal is to

Big Data in the Earth Observing System Data and Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnes, Chris; Baynes, Katie; McInerney, Mark

2016-01-01

Approaches that are being pursued for the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) data system to address the challenges of Big Data were presented to the NASA Big Data Task Force. Cloud prototypes are underway to tackle the volume challenge of Big Data. However, advances in computer hardware or cloud won't help (much) with variety. Rather, interoperability standards, conventions, and community engagement are the key to addressing variety.

Earth Observing System (EOS) advanced altimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, C. L.; Walsh, E. J.

1988-01-01

In the post-TOPEX era, satellite radar altimeters will be developed with the capability of measuring the earth's surface topography over a wide swath of coverage, rather than just at the satellite's nadir. The identification of potential spacecraft flight missions in the future was studied. The best opportunity was found to be the Earth Observing System (EOS). It is felt that an instrument system that has a broad appeal to the earth sciences community stands a much better chance of being selected as an EOS instrument. Consequently, the Topography and Rain Radar Imager (TARRI) will be proposed as a system that has the capability to profile the Earth's topography regardless of the surface type. The horizontal and height resolutions of interest are obviously significantly different over land, ice, and water; but, the use of radar to provide an all-weather observation capability is applicable to the whole earth. The scientific guidance for the design and development of this instrument and the eventual scientific utilization of the data produced by the TARRI will be provided by seven science teams. The teams are formed around scientific disciplines and are titled: Geology/Geophysics, Hydrology/Rain, Oceanography, Ice/Snow, Geodesy/Orbit/Attitude, Cartography, and Surface Properties/Techniques.

IXPE: The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, Implementing a Dedicated Polarimetry Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramsey, Brian

2014-01-01

Only a few experiments have conducted x-ray polarimetry of cosmic sources since Weisskopf et al confirmed the 19% polarization of the Crab Nebula with the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO-8) in the 70's center dot The challenge is to measure a faint polarized component against a background of non-polarized signal (as well as the other, typical background components) center dot Typically, for a few % minimum detectable polarization, 106 photons are required. center dot So, a dedicated mission is vital with instruments that are designed specifically to measure polarization (with minimal systematic effects) Over the proposed mission life (2- 3 years), IXPE will first survey representative samples of several categories of targets: magnetars, isolated pulsars, pulsar wind nebula and supernova remnants, microquasars, active galaxies etc. The survey results will guide detailed follow-up observations. Precise calibration of IXPE is vital to ensuring sensitivity goals are met. The detectors will be characterized in Italy, and then a full calibration of the complete instrument will be performed at MSFC's stray light facility. Polarized flux at different energies Heritage: X-ray Optics at MSFC polarimetry mission.

INTAROS: Development of an integrated Arctic observation system under Horizon 2020

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beszczynska-Möller, Agnieszka; Sandven, Stein; Sagen, Hanne

2017-04-01

INTAROS is a research and innovation action funded under the H2020-BG-09 call for the five-year period 2016-2021. INTAROS will develop an integrated Arctic Observation System (iAOS) by extending, improving and unifying existing systems in the different regions of the Arctic. INTAROS will have a strong multidisciplinary focus, with tools for integration of data from atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and terrestrial sciences, provided by institutions in Europe, North America and Asia. Satellite earth observation (EO) data plays an increasingly important role in such observing systems, because the amount of EO data for observing the global climate and environment grows year by year. EO data will therefore be integrated into iAOS based on existing products and databases. In situ observing systems are much more limited due to logistical constraints and cost limitations. The sparseness of in situ data is therefore the largest gap in the overall observing system. INTAROS will assess strengths and weaknesses of existing Arctic observing systems and contribute with innovative solutions to fill some of the critical gaps in the selected networks. INTAROS will develop a platform, iAOS, to search for and access data from distributed databases. The evolution into a sustainable Arctic observing system requires coordination, mobilization and cooperation between the existing European and international infrastructures (in-situ and remote, including space-based), the modeling communities and relevant stakeholder groups. INTAROS will include development of community-based observing systems, where local knowledge is merged with scientific data. Multidisciplinary data integrated under INTAROS will contribute to better understanding of interactions and coupling in the complex Arctic ice-ocean-land-atmosphere system. An integrated Arctic Observation System will enable better-informed decisions and better-documented processes within key sectors (e.g. local communities, shipping, tourism

SEU induced errors observed in microprocessor systems

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

Asenek, V.; Underwood, C.; Oldfield, M.

In this paper, the authors present software tools for predicting the rate and nature of observable SEU induced errors in microprocessor systems. These tools are built around a commercial microprocessor simulator and are used to analyze real satellite application systems. Results obtained from simulating the nature of SEU induced errors are shown to correlate with ground-based radiation test data.

A dedicated AMS setup for medium mass isotopes at the Cologne FN tandem accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiffer, M.; Altenkirch, R.; Feuerstein, C.; Müller-Gatermann, C.; Hackenberg, G.; Herb, S.; Bhandari, P.; Heinze, S.; Stolz, A.; Dewald, A.

2017-09-01

AMS measurements of medium mass isotopes, e.g. of 53Mn and 60Fe, are gaining interest in various fields of operation, especially geoscience. Therefore a dedicated AMS setup has been built at the Cologne 10 MV FN tandem accelerator. This setup is designed to obtain a sufficient suppression of the stable isobars at energies around 100 MeV. In this contribution we report on the actual status of the new setup and the first in-beam tests of its individual components. The isobar suppression is done with (dE/dx) techniques using combinations of energy degrader foils with an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) and a time of flight (ToF) system, as well as a (dE/dx),E gas ionization detector. Furthermore, the upgraded ion source and its negative ion yield measurement for MnO- are presented.

Effects of Different Observational Systems and Time Sequences Upon Non-Participant Observers' Behavioral Ratings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wodarski, John S.; And Others

Four different observational systems and two time sequences were employed to determine the extent to which they would yield different incidences of anti-social behavior. Two videotapes, randomly chosen from a pool of 30 tapes, were utilized. These illustrated the behaviors of anti-social children in a natural setting. Six observers were reliably…

Test and evaluation of a multifunction keyboard and a dedicated keyboard for control of a flight management computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crane, J. M.; Boucek, G. P., Jr.; Smith, W. D.

1986-01-01

A flight management computer (FMC) control display unit (CDU) test was conducted to compare two types of input devices: a fixed legend (dedicated) keyboard and a programmable legend (multifunction) keyboard. The task used for comparison was operation of the flight management computer for the Boeing 737-300. The same tasks were performed by twelve pilots on the FMC control display unit configured with a programmable legend keyboard and with the currently used B737-300 dedicated keyboard. Flight simulator work activity levels and input task complexity were varied during each pilot session. Half of the points tested were previously familiar with the B737-300 dedicated keyboard CDU and half had no prior experience with it. The data collected included simulator flight parameters, keystroke time and sequences, and pilot questionnaire responses. A timeline analysis was also used for evaluation of the two keyboard concepts.

Mirror mechanism and dedicated circuits are the scaffold for mirroring processes.

PubMed

Fogassi, Leonardo

2014-04-01

In the past decade many studies have demonstrated the existence of a mirror mechanism that matches the sensory representation of a biological stimulus with its somatomotor and visceromotor representation. This mechanism, likely phylogenetically very old, explains several types of mirroring behaviours, at different levels of complexity. The presence in primates of dedicated neuroanatomical pathways for specific sensorimotor integrations processes implies, at least in the primate lineage, a hard-wired mirror mechanism for social cognitive functions.

Linear system identification via backward-time observer models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juang, Jer-Nan; Phan, Minh Q.

1992-01-01

Presented here is an algorithm to compute the Markov parameters of a backward-time observer for a backward-time model from experimental input and output data. The backward-time observer Markov parameters are decomposed to obtain the backward-time system Markov parameters (backward-time pulse response samples) for the backward-time system identification. The identified backward-time system Markov parameters are used in the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm to identify a backward-time state-space model, which can be easily converted to the usual forward-time representation. If one reverses time in the model to be identified, what were damped true system modes become modes with negative damping, growing as the reversed time increases. On the other hand, the noise modes in the identification still maintain the property that they are stable. The shift from positive damping to negative damping of the true system modes allows one to distinguish these modes from noise modes. Experimental results are given to illustrate when and to what extent this concept works.

Testing of electrical equipment for a commercial grade dedication program

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

Brown, J.L.; Srinivas, N.

1995-10-01

The availability of qualified safety related replacement parts for use in nuclear power plants has decreased over time. This has caused many nuclear power plants to purchase commercial grade items (CGI) and utilize the commercial grade dedication process to qualify the items for use in nuclear safety related applications. The laboratories of Technical and Engineering Services (the testing facility of Detroit Edison) have been providing testing services for verification of critical characteristics of these items. This paper presents an overview of the experience in testing electrical equipment with an emphasis on fuses.

(TES) Thermal Enclosure System with (COS) Crystal Observation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The COS consists of a specially designed (VDA) Vapor Diffusion Apparatus tray with 6 chambers, a video camera for each chamber, a lighting system, and associated hardware. By observing the crystal growth in each chamber, researchers can identify which conditions and concentrations of proteins and precipitants are best for promoting the crystal growth to a particular protein.

The Jupiter System Observer: Probing the Foundations of Planetary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senske, D.; Prockter, L.; Collins, G.; Cooper, J.; Hendrix, A.; Hibbitts, K.; Kivelson, M.; Orton, G.; Schubert, G.; Showman, A.; Turtle, E.; Williams, D.; Kwok, J.; Spilker, T.; Tan-Wang, G.

2007-12-01

Galileo's observations in the 1600's of the dynamic system of Jupiter and its moons launched a revolution in understanding the way planetary systems operate. Now, some 400 years later, the discovery of extra solar planetary systems with Jupiter-sized bodies has led to a similar revolution in thought regarding how these systems form and evolve. From the time of Galileo, the Jovian system has been viewed as a solar system in miniature, providing a laboratory to study, diverse and dynamic processes in a single place. The icy Galilean satellites provide a window into solar system history by preserving in their cratering records a chronology dating back nearly 4.5 By and extending to the present. The continuously erupting volcanoes of Io may provide insight into the era when magma oceans were common. The discovery of an internally generated magnetic field at Ganymede, one of only three terrestrial bodies to possess such a field, is a place to gain insight as to how dynamos work. The confirmation and characterization of icy satellite subsurface oceans impacts the way habitability is considered. Understanding the composition and volatile inventory of Jupiter can shed light into how planets accrete from the solar nebulae. Finally, like our sun, Jupiter influences its system through its extensive magnetic field. In early 2007, NASA's Science Mission Directorate formed four Science Definition Teams (SDTs) to formulate science goals and objectives in anticipation of the initiation of a flagship-class mission to the outer solar system (Europa, Jupiter system, Titan and Enceladus). The Jupiter System Observer (JSO) mission concept emphasizes overall Jupiter system science: 1) Jupiter and its atmosphere, 2) the geology and geophysics of the Galilean satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto), 3) the magnetosphere environment - both Jupiter's and Ganymede's&pand 4) interactions within the system. Focusing on the unique geology, presence of an internal magnetic field and

System study of the carbon dioxide observational platform system (CO-OPS): Project overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, J. Briscoe; Thompson, Wilbur E.

1987-01-01

The resulting options from a system study for a near-space, geo-stationary, observational monitoring platform system for use in the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Carbon Dioxide Observational Platform System (CO-OPS) on the greenhouse effect are discussed. CO-OPS is being designed to operate continuously for periods of up to 3 months in quasi-fixed position over most global regional targets of interest and could make horizon observations over a land-sea area of circular diameter up to about 600 to 800 statute miles. This affords the scientific and engineering community a low-cost means of operating their payloads for monitoring the regional parameters they deem relevant to their investigations of the carbon dioxide greenhouse effect at one-tenth the cost of most currently utilized comparable remote sensing techniques.

A subjective scheduler for subjective dedicated networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suherman; Fakhrizal, Said Reza; Al-Akaidi, Marwan

2017-09-01

Multiple access technique is one of important techniques within medium access layer in TCP/IP protocol stack. Each network technology implements the selected access method. Priority can be implemented in those methods to differentiate services. Some internet networks are dedicated for specific purpose. Education browsing or tutorial video accesses are preferred in a library hotspot, while entertainment and sport contents could be subjects of limitation. Current solution may use IP address filter or access list. This paper proposes subjective properties of users or applications are used for priority determination in multiple access techniques. The NS-2 simulator is employed to evaluate the method. A video surveillance network using WiMAX is chosen as the object. Subjective priority is implemented on WiMAX scheduler based on traffic properties. Three different traffic sources from monitoring video: palace, park, and market are evaluated. The proposed subjective scheduler prioritizes palace monitoring video that results better quality, xx dB than the later monitoring spots.

Dedicated Education Units: Partnerships for Building Leadership Competency.